Y Cyfarfod Llawn

Plenary

07/03/2023

Cynnwys

Contents

1. Cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog 1. Questions to the First Minister
2. Datganiad a Chyhoeddiad Busnes 2. Business Statement and Announcement
3. Dadl: Cyfraddau Treth Incwm Cymru 2023-24 3. Debate: Welsh Rates of Income Tax 2023-24
4. Dadl: Cyllideb Derfynol 2023-24 4. Debate: The Final Budget 2023-24
5. Dadl: Setliad Llywodraeth Leol 2023-24 5. Debate: The Local Government Settlement 2023-24
6. Cyfnod Pleidleisio 6. Voting Time
7. Dadl: Cyfnod 3 y Bil Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol a Chaffael Cyhoeddus (Cymru) 7. Debate: Stage 3 of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill
Grŵp 1: Y Cyngor Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol (CPG): ymgyrraedd at y nodau llesiant (Gwelliant 45) Group 1: Social Partnership Council (SPC): pursuit of well-being goals (Amendment 45)
Grŵp 2: CPG: cyfarfodydd a chadeirio (Gwelliannau 13, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 Group 2: SPC: meetings and chair (Amendments 13, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
Grŵp 3: CPG: cynrychiolwyr gweithwyr a chynrychiolwyr cyflogwyr (Gwelliannau 14, 15, 19, 20, 22, 39, 40, 42) Group 3: SPC: worker and employer representatives (Amendments 14, 15, 19, 20, 22, 39, 40, 42)
Grŵp 4: Enwebiadau i’r CPG gan Wales TUC Cymru (Gwelliannau 2, 27) Group 4: Nominations to the SPC by Wales TUC Cymru (Amendments 2, 27)
Grŵp 5: Ymlyniad gwleidyddol (Gwelliannau 30, 41) Group 5: Political affiliation (Amendments 30, 41)
Grŵp 6: Is-grwpiau’r CPG (Gwelliant 3) Group 6: Subgroups of the SPC (Amendment 3)
Grŵp 7: Dyletswydd partneriaeth gymdeithasol (Gwelliant 43) Group 7: Social partnership duty (Amendment 43)
Grŵp 8: Dyletswydd caffael cymdeithasol gyfrifol (Gwelliannau 4, 1) Group 8: Socially responsible procurement duty (Amendments 4, 1)
Grŵp 9: Cymalau gweithiau cyhoeddus cymdeithasol (Gwelliannau 5, 6, 12) Group 9: Social public works clauses (Amendments 5, 6, 12)
Grŵp 10: Adroddiadau caffael cymdeithasol gyfrifol blynyddol (Gwelliannau 7, 8, 9, 44, 46) Group 10: Annual socially responsible procurement reports (Amendments 7, 8, 9, 44, 46)
Grŵp 11. Cofrestr gontractau (Gwelliannau 10, 11) Group 11: Contracts register (Amendments 10, 11)

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'r Prif Weinidog
1. Questions to the First Minister

Prynhawn da a chroeso i bawb i'r Cyfarfod Llawn y prynhawn yma. Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda ni yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Vikki Howells. 

Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's Plenary meeting. The first item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Vikki Howells. 

Gwasanaethau Iechyd yng Nghwm Cynon
Health Services in Cynon Valley

1. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio i wella'r ddarpariaeth o wasanaethau iechyd i bobl Cwm Cynon? OQ59213

1. How is the Welsh Government working to improve the provision of health services for the people of Cynon Valley? OQ59213

Llywydd, I thank the Member for that question. A series of national programmes assist the health board in providing improved access to its services. These programmes offer the most up-to-date clinical advice and access to latest best practice so that standards can be improved in all parts of Wales, including the Cynon valley.

Llywydd, diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Mae cyfres o raglenni cenedlaethol yn cynorthwyo'r bwrdd iechyd i ddarparu gwell mynediad at ei wasanaethau. Mae'r rhaglenni hyn yn cynnig y cyngor clinigol diweddaraf a mynediad at yr arferion gorau diweddaraf fel y gellir gwella safonau ym mhob rhan o Gymru, gan gynnwys Cwm Cynon.

Thank you for your answer, First Minister, and I was really pleased to hear the announcement last month about the new diagnostics and treatment centre for south-east Wales, to be based in Rhondda Cynon Taf. This could not just reduce, but actually eliminate, backlogs in accessing treatment and substantially reduce waiting times, moving forward, for orthopedic surgeries in particular, for people in Cynon valley and neighbouring areas. Can you provide any information on timescales for delivery of this key project and, in addition, outline what help Welsh Government will be providing to health boards to get this new centre up and running?

Diolch am eich ateb, Prif Weinidog, ac roeddwn i'n falch iawn o glywed y cyhoeddiad fis diwethaf am y ganolfan diagnosteg a thriniaeth newydd ar gyfer y de-ddwyrain, i'w lleoli yn Rhondda Cynon Taf. Gallai hyn nid yn unig leihau, ond cael gwared yn llwyr mewn gwirionedd ar ôl-groniadau yn cael gafael ar driniaeth a lleihau amseroedd aros yn sylweddol, yn y dyfodol, ar gyfer llawdriniaethau orthopedig yn arbennig, i bobl yng Nghwm Cynon ac mewn ardaloedd cyfagos. A allwch chi ddarparu unrhyw wybodaeth am amserlenni ar gyfer cyflawni'r prosiect allweddol hwn, a hefyd amlinellu pa gymorth y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei ddarparu i fyrddau iechyd i gael y ganolfan newydd hon yn weithredol?

Well, Llywydd, I thank Vikki Howells for that question, and for drawing attention to that very important development in the RCT area. And, Llywydd, it's a genuine example, I think, of the social partnership approach in Wales in action. The three buildings that are to be used were first identified by the local authority. They drew them to the attention of the health board. The health board had negotiations with the current private sector occupant of the buildings. The health board then involved itself in discussions with the wider south-east Wales health community, and the financial help to acquire the buildings was provided through the Welsh Government. So, there you have local government, the health service, the private sector and the Welsh Government all collectively involved in bringing about a development that, as Vikki Howells said, will lead to significant new capacity for residents in this part of Wales. 

In terms of timescales, it's important to remember that the building is still occupied by its current owner, but there will be a period over the next 12 months in which they bring their use of the building to an end, and diagnostic capacity, which will be the first phase of the new development, will be worked up by the health board, its partners, including the Welsh Government, and that will be the first phase in the next calendar year. And then, once that is developed, there will be physical space at the buildings to have dedicated elective capacity, with a particular focus on orthopaedic care, which will, as Vikki Howells said, Llywydd, make an important difference to patients in that part of Wales, in accelerating their access to treatment. And the Welsh Government will be there not just with the financial help we've offered so far, but, as I said in my original answer, by making sure that the health board has access to those national programmes, those national clinical leads, which will help to make sure that the most advantage can be derived from this new development.

Wel, Llywydd, diolch i Vikki Howells am y cwestiwn yna, ac am dynnu sylw at y datblygiad pwysig iawn hwnnw yn ardal Rhondda Cynon Taf. A Llywydd, mae'n enghraifft wirioneddol, rwy'n meddwl, o'r dull partneriaeth gymdeithasol yng Nghymru ar waith. Cafodd y tri adeilad a fydd yn cael eu defnyddio eu nodi gyntaf gan yr awdurdod lleol. Fe wnaethon nhw dynnu sylw'r bwrdd iechyd atyn nhw. Cafodd y bwrdd iechyd drafodaethau gyda deiliaid sector preifat presennol yr adeiladau. Yna, cymerodd y bwrdd iechyd ran mewn trafodaethau â chymuned iechyd ehangach y de-ddwyrain, a darparwyd y cymorth ariannol i gaffael yr adeiladau trwy Lywodraeth Cymru. Felly, yn y fan yna mae gennych chi lywodraeth leol, y gwasanaeth iechyd, y sector preifat a Llywodraeth Cymru i gyd yn chwarae rhan gyfunol i sicrhau datblygiad a fydd yn arwain, fel y dywedodd Vikki Howells, at gapasiti newydd sylweddol i drigolion yn y rhan hon o Gymru. 

O ran amserlenni, mae'n bwysig cofio bod yr adeilad dal wedi'i feddiannu gan ei berchennog presennol, ond bydd cyfnod dros y 12 mis nesaf pan fydd yn dod â'r defnydd o'r adeilad i ben, a bydd capasiti diagnostig, sef cam cyntaf y datblygiad newydd, yn cael ei gyfrifo gan y bwrdd iechyd, ei bartneriaid, gan gynnwys Llywodraeth Cymru, a dyna fydd y cam cyntaf yn y flwyddyn galendr nesaf. Ac yna, ar ôl datblygu hwnnw, bydd lle ffisegol yn yr adeiladau i gael capasiti a gynlluniwyd pwrpasol, â phwyslais penodol ar ofal orthopedig, a fydd, fel y dywedodd Vikki Howells, Llywydd, yn gwneud gwahaniaeth pwysig i gleifion yn y rhan honno o Gymru, o ran cyflymu eu mynediad at driniaeth. A bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yno nid yn unig gyda'r cymorth ariannol yr ydym ni wedi ei gynnig hyd yma, ond, fel y dywedais yn fy ateb gwreiddiol, drwy wneud yn siŵr bod gan y bwrdd iechyd fynediad at y rhaglenni cenedlaethol hynny, yr arweinwyr clinigol cenedlaethol hynny, a fydd yn helpu i wneud yn siŵr y gellir sicrhau'r fantais fwyaf o'r datblygiad newydd hwn.

First Minister, according to Stats Wales, in December 2022, Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board, which covers the Cynon valley, along with Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and the rest of Rhondda Cynon Taf, had a staggering 13,732 patients waiting more than 14 weeks for diagnostic and therapy services, out of a population of 450,000. This represents 36 per cent of the total amount of people waiting more than 14 weeks in Wales. Cwm Taf health board also had 31,992 patients waiting over eight weeks, which represented 18 per cent of the Welsh total, which is, sadly, further evidence of the postcode lottery that exists in Wales with the health service. To put these figures into perspective, for the same month, the whole of London, which has a population of over nine million people, had a similar amount of 32,953 people waiting more than six weeks. Recent Office for National Statistics data shows that, out of the 331 areas in the United Kingdom, Merthyr Tydfil is officially the sickest place, with almost 10 per cent of the population in very bad health, whilst RCT is sixth and Bridgend is thirteenth. As you know, recent news shows that Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has now been put back into special measures, and the British Dental Association has warned that NHS dentistry in Wales could soon disappear, with the chairman of the BDA's Welsh general committee stating that Welsh NHS dentistry in its current state is unlikely to exist in a year or two's time. With this in mind, First Minister, what steps has the Welsh Government taken to improve on these appalling statistics? Thank you.

Prif Weinidog, yn ôl Stats Cymru, ym mis Rhagfyr 2022, roedd gan fwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg, sy'n cynnwys Cwm Cynon, ynghyd â Phen-y-bont ar Ogwr, Merthyr Tudful a gweddill Rhondda Cynon Taf, nifer syfrdanol o 13,732 o gleifion yn aros mwy na 14 wythnos am wasanaethau diagnostig a therapi, allan o boblogaeth o 450,000. Mae hyn yn 36 y cant o gyfanswm y bobl sy'n aros mwy na 14 wythnos yng Nghymru. Hefyd, roedd gan fwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf 31,992 o gleifion yn aros dros wyth wythnos, a oedd yn 18 y cant o gyfanswm Cymru, sydd, yn anffodus, yn dystiolaeth bellach o'r loteri cod post sydd yn bodoli yng Nghymru o ran y gwasanaeth iechyd. I roi'r ffigurau hyn mewn persbectif, ar gyfer yr un mis, roedd gan Lundain gyfan, sydd â phoblogaeth o dros naw miliwn o bobl, nifer debyg o 32,953 o bobl yn aros mwy na chwe wythnos. Mae data diweddar y Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol yn dangos yn swyddogol mai Merthyr Tudful yw'r lle salaf allan o'r 331 o ardaloedd yn y Deyrnas Unedig, gyda bron i 10 y cant o'r boblogaeth yn dioddef iechyd gwael iawn, tra bod RhCT yn chweched a Phen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn drydydd ar ddeg. Fel y gwyddoch, mae newyddion diweddar yn dangos bod Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr wedi cael ei ddychwelyd i fesurau arbennig bellach, ac mae Cymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain wedi rhybuddio y gallai deintyddiaeth GIG yng Nghymru ddiflannu yn fuan, gyda chadeirydd pwyllgor cyffredinol Cymru Cymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain yn dweud bod deintyddiaeth GIG Cymru yn ei chyflwr bresennol yn annhebygol o fodoli ymhen blwyddyn neu ddwy. Gyda hyn mewn golwg, Prif Weinidog, pa gamau mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi eu cymryd i wella'r ystadegau trychinebus hyn? Diolch.

13:35

Well, it's being so cheerful that keeps him going, Llywydd—it's certainly not the accuracy of his grasp of the facts. In some ways, the Member managed to answer his own question, eventually, by pointing to the fact that the reason why there are percentages of that sort waiting in Cwm Taf is because of the nature of the population it serves. It's not a postcode lottery at all; it's as the Member eventually managed to say—it is because Cwm Taf Morgannwg serves one of the oldest and sickest populations that we see anywhere in Wales. And the demand for health services reflects the needs of that local population. It's all the better news, therefore, that the development that Vikki Howells pointed to will accelerate access not simply to diagnostic services, but to planned operations for people in that part of Wales.

Wel, y ffaith ei fod mor siriol sy'n ei gadw i fynd, Llywydd—yn sicr nid cywirdeb ei afael ar y ffeithiau sy'n gwneud hynny. Mewn rhai ffyrdd, llwyddodd yr Aelod i ateb ei gwestiwn ei hun, yn y pen draw, drwy dynnu sylw at y ffaith mai'r rheswm pam mae canrannau o'r math yna yn aros yng Nghwm Taf yw oherwydd natur y boblogaeth y mae'n ei gwasanaethu. Nid yw'n loteri cod post o gwbl; mae fel y llwyddodd yr Aelod i'w ddweud yn y pen draw—mae oherwydd bod Cwm Taf Morgannwg yn gwasanaethu un o'r poblogaethau hynaf a salaf yr ydym ni'n ei gweld yn unrhyw le yng Nghymru. Ac mae'r galw am wasanaethau iechyd yn adlewyrchu anghenion y boblogaeth leol honno. Mae'n newyddion gwell fyth, felly, y bydd y datblygiad y cyfeiriodd Vikki Howells ato yn cyflymu mynediad nid yn unig at wasanaethau diagnostig, ond at lawdriniaethau a gynlluniwyd i bobl yn y rhan honno o Gymru.

Gofal Iechyd Darbodus
Prudent Healthcare

2. Pa gynnydd mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud o ran ymgorffori gofal iechyd darbodus ym mhob agwedd ar iechyd a lles yng Nghaerdydd Canolog? OQ59234

2. What progress has the Welsh Government made on embedding prudent healthcare into every aspect of health and well-being in Cardiff Central? OQ59234

I thank Jenny Rathbone for that question. Llywydd, value-based healthcare continues to take forward the prudent healthcare principles of ill-health prevention, joint partnership with patients on the journey to improvement, and diversification of the workforce so that every practitioner operates at the top of their clinical licence.

Diolch i Jenny Rathbone am y cwestiwn yna. Llywydd, mae gofal iechyd sy'n seiliedig ar werth yn parhau i fwrw ymlaen ag egwyddorion gofal iechyd darbodus atal salwch, partneriaeth ar y cyd â chleifion ar y daith i welliant, ac arallgyfeirio'r gweithlu fel bod pob ymarferydd yn gweithredu ar frig eu trwydded glinigol.

First Minister, I'm sure you will want to celebrate the work of Cardiff and Vale health board, mindful of the well-being of their staff, and inviting them to take part in courses on how to grow vegetables on the Llandough hospital site, obviously funded by the Cardiff and Vale health board charity—something, I'm sure, close to both our hearts. But I also want to highlight their recent work on tackling the enduring epidemic of mental illness. Referrals to secondary care remain almost as high as they were during the pandemic. So, they've been training barbers to recognise signs of mental distress amongst their customers, and they're training people with lived experience of enduring mental health problems as tutors, to work alongside professional clinical tutors, involving individual patients and families and friends in a whole-system recovery, through something called the recovery college. How can this really creative response to the shortage of applicants to fill staff vacancies be deepened across Government, to help shrink the disparity in the numbers of years lived well between different socioeconomic groups, so harshly exposed by COVID? In Cardiff, it's 12 years.

Prif Weinidog, rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi eisiau dathlu gwaith bwrdd iechyd Caerdydd a'r Fro, sy'n ystyriol o lesiant eu staff, ac yn eu gwahodd i gymryd rhan mewn cyrsiau ar sut i dyfu llysiau ar safle ysbyty Llandochau, wedi'u hariannu yn amlwg gan elusen bwrdd iechyd Caerdydd a'r Fro—rhywbeth, rwy'n siŵr, sy'n agos at galonnau y ddau ohonom ni. Ond hoffwn dynnu sylw hefyd at eu gwaith diweddar ar fynd i'r afael ag epidemig parhaus salwch meddwl. Mae atgyfeiriadau i ofal eilaidd yn dal i fod bron mor uchel ag yr oedden nhw yn ystod y pandemig. Felly, maen nhw wedi bod yn hyfforddi barbwyr i adnabod arwyddion o ofid meddyliol ymhlith eu cwsmeriaid, ac maen nhw'n hyfforddi pobl sydd â phrofiad bywyd o ddioddef problemau iechyd meddwl fel tiwtoriaid, i weithio ochr yn ochr â thiwtoriaid clinigol proffesiynol, gan gynnwys cleifion unigol a theuluoedd a ffrindiau mewn adferiad system gyfan, trwy rywbeth o'r enw'r coleg adfer. Sut gall yr ymateb creadigol iawn hwn i'r prinder ymgeiswyr i lenwi swyddi gwag gael ei ddwysau ar draws y Llywodraeth, er mwyn helpu i leihau'r anghyfartaledd o ran nifer y blynyddoedd o fyw'n dda rhwng gwahanol grwpiau economaidd-gymdeithasol, a ddatgelwyd mor arw gan COVID? 12 mlynedd yw'r bwlch yng Nghaerdydd.

Llywydd, I thank Jenny Rathbone for that. I certainly share her enthusiasm for the work of Cardiff and Vale health board, at their Llandough site, in using the ground that they have available there for well-being initiatives. The fruit that is being grown in part of the western edge of that site offers patients as well as people who work for the health board an opportunity to be outside, in the fresh air, and with access to the things that we know improve individuals' sense of well-being.

As far as the mental health impact of the pandemic is concerned, it continues to be seen in all parts of Wales. The Welsh Government's new investment in mental health is often very much concentrated in that prudent healthcare part of the spectrum: investment in tier 0 and tier 1 services, and the 111 'press 2' service that's available 24 hours every day in the Cardiff and Vale health board area, and with a publicity campaign, Llywydd, which will take place throughout this month, to increase patients' awareness and use of that very valuable service. I'm very struck by what the Member said, Llywydd, about the way in which it is possible to harness the efforts of people who aren't in the health service at all to be part of the work of identifying and attending to patients needs as early as possible when those needs arise. I do recall, some years ago now, when I was health Minister, visiting Pen-y-groes, a Welsh-speaking area in the Ammanford coalfield, to see a dementia service and being told by the GPs who ran it that their most important source of referrals were hairdressers on the main street of the village, because those hairdressers knew their clientele—they could spot the person who wasn't quite managing as well as they used to, with the money, with the organisation, and they would make an early referral into the dementia service, so that people could get that preventative intervention that is possible when you manage to identify people early on that journey. The barbers in Cardiff, the postal workers in Cardiff, who we know have those day in, day out interactions on the doorstep, all these are people who we can make helpful to the health service in that prudent healthcare way. 

Llywydd, diolch i Jenny Rathbone am hynna. Rwy'n sicr yn rhannu ei brwdfrydedd ynghylch gwaith bwrdd iechyd Caerdydd a'r Fro, ar eu safle yn Llandochau, o ran defnyddio'r tir sydd ganddyn nhw ar gael yno ar gyfer mentrau llesiant. Mae'r ffrwyth sy'n cael ei dyfu yn rhan o ymyl gorllewinol y safle hwnnw yn cynnig cyfle i gleifion yn ogystal â phobl sy'n gweithio i'r bwrdd iechyd fod y tu allan, yn yr awyr iach, a chyda mynediad at y pethau yr ydym ni'n gwybod sy'n cryfhau teimlad o hapusrwydd.

O ran effaith y pandemig ar iechyd meddwl, mae'n parhau i gael ei gweld ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Mae buddsoddiad newydd Llywodraeth Cymru mewn iechyd meddwl yn aml wedi'i ganolbwyntio yn y rhan gofal iechyd darbodus hwnnw o'r sbectrwm: buddsoddi mewn gwasanaethau haen 0 a haen 1, a'r gwasanaeth 'pwyswch 2' 111 sydd ar gael 24 awr o bob dydd yn ardal bwrdd iechyd Caerdydd a'r Fro, a chydag ymgyrch gyhoeddusrwydd, Llywydd, a fydd yn cael ei chynnal drwy gydol y mis hwn, i gynyddu ymwybyddiaeth a defnydd cleifion o'r gwasanaeth hynod werthfawr hwnnw. Mae'r hyn a ddywedodd yr Aelod, Llywydd, ynghylch y ffordd y mae'n bosibl harneisio ymdrechion pobl nad ydyn nhw yn y gwasanaeth iechyd o gwbl i fod yn rhan o'r gwaith o adnabod a diwallu anghenion cleifion cyn gynted â phosibl pan fo'r anghenion hynny'n codi yn taro tant gyda mi. Rwy'n cofio, rai blynyddoedd yn ôl bellach, pan oeddwn i'n Weinidog iechyd, yn ymweld â Phen-y-groes, ardal Gymraeg ei hiaith ym maes glo Rhydaman, i weld gwasanaeth dementia a chael fy hysbysu gan y meddygon teulu a oedd yn ei redeg mai eu ffynhonnell bwysicaf o atgyfeiriadau oedd trinwyr gwallt ar brif stryd y pentref, gan fod y trinwyr gwallt hynny yn adnabod eu cwsmeriaid—roedden nhw'n gallu adnabod y person nad oedd yn ymdopi cystal ag yr oedd yn arfer gwneud, gyda'r arian, gyda'r drefn, a bydden nhw'n gwneud atgyfeiriad cynnar i'r gwasanaeth dementia, fel y gallai pobl gael yr ymyrraeth ataliol honno sy'n bosibl pan fyddwch chi'n llwyddo i adnabod pobl yn gynnar ar y daith honno. Mae'r barbwyr yng Nghaerdydd, y gweithwyr post yng Nghaerdydd, yr ydym ni'n gwybod sy'n cael y sgyrsiau hynny bob un dydd ar garreg y drws, mae'r rhain i gyd yn bobl y gallwn ni eu gwneud yn gynorthwyol i'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn y ffordd gofal iechyd darbodus honno.

13:40
Cwestiynau Heb Rybudd gan Arweinwyr y Pleidiau
Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, Andrew R.T. Davies. 

Questions now from the party leaders. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew R.T. Davies. 

Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, last week, my colleague Janet Finch-Saunders, along with other MSs, hosted a meeting about the cladding situation here in Wales, and the Welsh Cladiators, who have been pioneering the lobbying work and the projection of the plight of many home owners here in Wales who are caught up in this, really should be commended by all Members in this Chamber. One of the asks among many was why isn't the Welsh Government coming forward and adopting the legislation that has been put down in England, to take sections 116 and 125, to give rights to leaseholders so that they themselves can exercise those rights in holding the developers to account. I've heard Mike Hedges, one of your backbenchers, speak in favour of this in the Chamber when speaking to the leader of the house. There's cross-party support for this. We had a debate prior to Christmas. Will the Government reconsider its view, in light of the ongoing crisis that many home owners here in Wales face? 

Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, yr wythnos diwethaf, cynhaliodd fy nghyd-Aelod Janet Finch-Saunders, ynghyd ag Aelodau eraill o'r Senedd, gyfarfod ynghylch y sefyllfa gladin yma yng Nghymru, a dylai’r holl Aelodau yn y Siambr hon wir ganmol y Welsh Cladiators, sydd wedi bod yn arloesi'r gwaith lobïo ac yn taflu goleuni ar drafferthion llawer o berchnogion tai yma yng Nghymru sydd wedi cael eu dal yn hyn. Un o'r gofynion ymhlith llawer oedd pam nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn dod ymlaen ac yn mabwysiadu'r ddeddfwriaeth a gyflwynwyd yn Lloegr, i gymryd adrannau 116 a 125, i roi hawliau i lesddalwyr fel y gallan nhw eu hunain arfer yr hawliau hynny o ran dwyn y datblygwyr i gyfrif. Rwyf i wedi clywed Mike Hedges, un o aelodau eich meinciau cefn, yn siarad o blaid hyn yn y Siambr wrth siarad ag arweinydd y tŷ. Ceir cefnogaeth drawsbleidiol i hyn. Cawsom ddadl cyn y Nadolig. A wnaiff y Llywodraeth ailystyried ei safbwynt, yng ngoleuni'r argyfwng parhaus y mae llawer o berchnogion cartrefi yma yng Nghymru yn ei wynebu?

Well, Llywydd, first of all, I join with the leader of the opposition in congratulating those people who continue to campaign on this issue to make sure that the Welsh Government is always aware of developments that they are in touch with and that their views are conveyed to us. And I know that last week's meeting was an opportunity for that to happen, and the Minister will be following that up in her forthcoming meeting with the strategic safety stakeholder group, where these matters can be further debated, and the Minister keeps all those arguments about sections 118 to section 125 under review.

The position, though, is that those regulations—those sections—were specifically written for the building safety regime in England. It is not as simple as simply picking them up and dropping them into the very different Welsh context. And there are some disadvantages for leaseholders who find themselves within that regime, because here in Wales our intention is that leaseholders should not be required to pay for the remedial action that is required to their buildings, whereas those sections expose leaseholders to bills up to £10,000, and we don't intend to do that in Wales. So, while we will continue to keep the position under close review, we're not convinced that a simple drag-and-drop of those sections into the Welsh context would deliver what the campaigners say it would deliver, and we're not convinced that it could not actually act to their detriment. 

Wel, Llywydd, yn gyntaf oll, rwy'n ymuno ag arweinydd yr wrthblaid i longyfarch y bobl hynny sy'n parhau i ymgyrchu ar y mater hwn i wneud yn siŵr bod Llywodraeth Cymru bob amser yn ymwybodol o ddatblygiadau y maen nhw mewn cysylltiad â nhw a bod eu safbwyntiau yn cael eu cyfleu i ni. A gwn fod cyfarfod yr wythnos diwethaf yn gyfle i hynny ddigwydd, a bydd y Gweinidog yn dilyn hynny yn ei chyfarfod sydd ar fin cael ei gynnal gyda'r grŵp rhanddeiliaid diogelwch strategol, lle gellir trafod y materion hyn ymhellach, ac mae'r Gweinidog yn adolygu'r holl ddadleuon hynny ynghylch adrannau 118 i adran 125 yn barhaus.

Y sefyllfa, fodd bynnag, yw bod y rheoliadau hynny—yr adrannau hynny—wedi cael eu hysgrifennu'n benodol ar gyfer y drefn diogelwch adeiladau yn Lloegr. Nid yw mor syml â'u codi a'u gollwng i'r cyd-destun gwahanol iawn yng Nghymru. A cheir rhai anfanteision i lesddeiliaid sy'n eu cael eu hunain yn rhan o'r drefn honno, oherwydd yma yng Nghymru ein bwriad yw na ddylai fod yn ofynnol i lesddalwyr dalu am y camau adferol sy'n ofynnol i'w hadeiladau, tra bod yr adrannau hynny yn gallu peri i lesddalwyr wynebu biliau hyd at £10,000, ac nid ydym yn bwriadu gwneud hynny yng Nghymru. Felly, er y byddwn ni'n parhau i adolygu'r sefyllfa yn ofalus, nid ydym wedi ein hargyhoeddi y byddai llusgo a gollwng yr adrannau hynny yn syml i'r cyd-destun yng Nghymru yn cyflawni'r hyn y mae'r ymgyrchwyr yn ei ddweud y byddai'n ei gyflawni, ac nid ydym wedi ein hargyhoeddi na allai weithredu er niwed iddyn nhw mewn gwirionedd. 

First Minister, a part of Welsh law that would accommodate those sections, in the rights of leaseholders and home owners, surely is something that must be welcomed, to give rights to those leaseholders and home owners in their actions against the house builders, in this case multinational house builders who have deep pockets indeed? And now, six years after Grenfell, many leaseholders and home owners still find themselves in this vortex that is opening up and with no end. If the Welsh Government are not prepared to enact sections 116 to 125, then the other route that the Minister has taken on board is negotiating with the house builders and the compact agreement that we were told last autumn has been agreed between certain developers, and then the obligations that those developers will bring forward. Can you confirm today how many developers have agreed that compact agreement with the Welsh Government, and, importantly, how many of those developers have brought forward their remedial works for consideration by the Welsh Government? Because it's my understanding that, in paragraph 6 of that compact, they had one month from agreeing the compact to come forward with their proposals. I would hope that you would be able to tell me how many developers have submitted those plans. 

Prif Weinidog, does bosib nad yw rhan o gyfraith Cymru a fyddai'n gallu cynnwys yr adrannau hynny, yn hawliau lesddalwyr a pherchnogion cartrefi, yn rhywbeth i'w groesawu, i roi hawliau i'r lesddalwyr a'r perchnogion cartrefi hynny yn eu gweithredoedd yn erbyn yr adeiladwyr tai, adeiladwyr tai amlwladol yn yr achos hwn, sydd â phocedi dwfn iawn? A nawr, chwe blynedd ar ôl Grenfell, mae llawer o lesddalwyr a pherchnogion cartrefi yn dal i gael eu hunain yn y trobwll hwn sy'n agor ac yn ddiddiwedd. Os nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn barod i ddeddfu adrannau 116 i 125, yna'r llwybr arall y mae'r Gweinidog wedi ei ystyried yw trafod gyda'r adeiladwyr tai a'r cytundeb compact y dywedwyd wrthym ni yn yr hydref y llynedd ei fod wedi'i gytuno rhwng datblygwyr penodol, ac yna'r rhwymedigaethau y bydd y datblygwyr hynny yn eu cyflwyno. A allwch chi gadarnhau heddiw faint o ddatblygwyr sydd wedi cytuno'r cytundeb compact hwnnw gyda Llywodraeth Cymru, ac, yn bwysig iawn, faint o'r datblygwyr hynny sydd wedi cyflwyno eu gwaith adferol i'w hystyried gan Lywodraeth Cymru? Oherwydd fy nealltwriaeth i, ym mharagraff 6 y compact hwnnw, yw bod ganddyn nhw un mis ar ôl cytuno'r compact i gyflwyno eu cynigion. Byddwn yn gobeithio y byddech chi'n gallu dweud wrthyf i faint o ddatblygwyr sydd wedi cyflwyno'r cynlluniau hynny.

13:45

I can certainly tell the Member that 11 developers have signed up to the compact. We continue to work with the sector to put the force of law beneath the compact as well. I don't have in front of me the answer to the number of developers who have taken the next step to which the Member referred, but I'm very happy to write to him and make sure that he has that information.

Gallaf ddweud yn sicr wrth yr Aelod bod 11 o ddatblygwyr wedi ymrwymo i'r compact. Rydyn ni'n parhau i weithio gyda'r sector i roi grym y gyfraith yn sylfaen i'r compact hefyd. Nid oes gennyf i o fy mlaen yr ateb i nifer y datblygwyr sydd wedi cymryd y cam nesaf y cyfeiriodd yr Aelod ato, ond rwy'n hapus iawn i ysgrifennu ato a gwneud yn siŵr bod yr wybodaeth honno ganddo.

It is vital that the developers step up to the plate and do the work that is expected and commanded of them to make sure that the leaseholders and the householders aren't put in a disadvantaged position through no fault of their own. In Westminster, Michael Gove has been very forthright in saying that if the developers do not come forward with the proposals and start the remediation work and sign up to the Government agreement, they will be barred from operating in England. That is a very powerful stick to bring those developers to the table. Will you take such action here in Wales to make sure that the developers do respond and don't have this continual round-table discussion that leaves the leaseholders and home owners on the sidelines, unable to move forward with their lives?

Mae'n hanfodol bod y datblygwyr yn camu i'r adwy ac yn gwneud y gwaith y mae disgwyl a gorchymyn iddyn nhw ei wneud i sicrhau nad yw'r lesddeiliaid a'r deiliaid tai yn cael eu rhoi mewn sefyllfa o anfantais heb fod unrhyw fai arnyn nhw. Yn San Steffan, mae Michael Gove wedi bod yn ddi-flewyn-ar-dafod iawn wrth ddweud, os na fydd y datblygwyr yn cyflwyno'r cynigion ac yn dechrau'r gwaith adfer ac yn ymrwymo i gytundeb y Llywodraeth, y byddan nhw'n cael eu gwahardd rhag gweithredu yn Lloegr. Mae honno'n ffon bwerus iawn i ddod â'r datblygwyr hynny at y bwrdd. A wnewch chi gymryd camau o'r fath yma yng Nghymru i wneud yn siŵr bod y datblygwyr yn ymateb ac nad ydych chi'n cael y drafodaeth ford gron barhaus hon sy'n gadael y lesddeiliaid a'r perchnogion cartrefi ar y cyrion, yn methu â symud ymlaen gyda'u bywydau?

I fully agree. It's been the position of the Welsh Government throughout that those who are responsible for the faults in the construction of those buildings should take responsibility for remediation. I want to try and be as fair as I can to that sector by saying that the considerable bulk of developers who are responsible in Wales have come forward and given that commitment, and therefore we should work with them to make sure that they deliver exactly what they have committed to do.

Llywydd, to return to the leader of the opposition's first question, whereas sections 116 to 125 require leaseholders to instigate legal action against a developer who they consider is not remediating fire safety defects, in Wales it will be the Welsh Government who will take that action on behalf of the leaseholders so that they don't end up having to foot the bill for doing so. Where developers clearly fail to play their part, then absolutely we will take action against them, and I would not expect any developer who fails directly to deliver on those responsibilities to go on working here in Wales.

Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr. Safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru drwy gydol y cyfnod hwnnw fu y dylai'r rhai sy'n gyfrifol am y diffygion wrth godi'r adeiladau hynny gymryd cyfrifoldeb am waith adfer. Rwyf eisiau ceisio bod mor deg ag y gallaf gyda'r sector hwnnw drwy ddweud bod y rhan helaeth iawn o ddatblygwyr sy'n gyfrifol yng Nghymru wedi dod ymlaen a rhoi'r ymrwymiad hwnnw, ac felly dylem ni weithio gyda nhw i wneud yn siŵr eu bod nhw'n cyflawni'r union beth y maen nhw wedi ymrwymo i'w wneud.

Llywydd, i ddychwelyd at gwestiwn cyntaf arweinydd yr wrthblaid, tra bod adrannau 116 i 125 yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i lesddeiliaid ddechrau camau cyfreithiol yn erbyn datblygwr y maen nhw o'r farn nad yw'n adfer diffygion diogelwch tân, yng Nghymru Llywodraeth Cymru fydd yn cymryd y camau hynny ar ran y lesddeiliaid fel nad oes yn rhaid iddyn nhw dalu'r bil am wneud hynny yn y pen draw. Lle mae datblygwyr yn amlwg yn methu â chwarae eu rhan, yna byddwn yn sicr yn cymryd camau yn eu herbyn, ac ni fyddwn yn disgwyl i unrhyw ddatblygwr sy'n methu'n uniongyrchol â chyflawni'r cyfrifoldebau hynny barhau i weithio yma yng Nghymru.

Diolch, Llywydd. The UK Government has just raised rail fares by 5.9 per cent—the highest increase for a decade. Coming, as it does, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, it's hard to disagree with Labour's shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, who said:

'This savage fare hike will be a sick joke for millions reliant on crumbling services. People up and down this country are paying the price for thirteen years of Tory failure.'

Why did you agree to increase rail fares in Wales by the same amount?

Diolch, Llywydd. Mae Llywodraeth y DU newydd godi prisiau tocynnau trên 5.9 y cant—y cynnydd uchaf ers degawd. Yn dod, fel y mae, yng nghanol argyfwng costau byw, mae'n anodd anghytuno ag Ysgrifennydd Gwladol yr wrthblaid Lafur dros Drafnidiaeth, Louise Haigh, a ddywedodd:

'Bydd y cynnydd milain hwn i brisiau tocynnau yn jôc ddi-chwaeth i filiynau sy'n ddibynnol ar wasanaethau sydd ar chwâl. Mae pobl ar hyd a lled y wlad hon yn talu'r pris am dair blynedd ar ddeg o fethiant y Torïaid.'

Pam wnaethoch chi gytuno i gynyddu prisiau tocynnau trên yng Nghymru ar yr un raddfa?

The normal practice, as the Member will know, will be for rail fares to be increased in line with inflation; that would have meant a 12.3 per cent increase in rail fares here in Wales. With a great deal of discussion and action by the Minister, working alongside Transport for Wales, we have been able to cap that increase at less than half of inflation. I wish we didn't have to increase rail fares by 5.9 per cent, because it does, of course, have an impact on the passenger, but the farebox, the money the passengers pay, is an integral part of the way in which we pay for a rail service, and if passengers are not to pay, then taxpayers do have to pay. In the end, the best bargain we could come to in Wales, within the resources that we have available to us, was to increase the contribution that the taxpayer will have to pay in order to peg the increase in rail fares at less than half what it would've been had the normal practice been followed.

Yr arfer arferol, fel y bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod, fydd i brisiau tocynnau trên gael eu cynyddu yn unol â chwyddiant; byddai hynny wedi golygu cynnydd o 12.3 y cant i brisiau tocynnau trên yma yng Nghymru. Gyda llawer iawn o drafod a gweithredu gan y Gweinidog, yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â Trafnidiaeth Cymru, rydym ni wedi gallu capio'r cynnydd hwnnw ar lai na hanner chwyddiant. Hoffwn i pe na bai'n rhaid i ni gynyddu prisiau tocynnau trên 5.9 y cant, oherwydd mae'n cael effaith, wrth gwrs, ar y teithiwr, ond mae'r derbyniadau, yr arian y mae'r teithwyr yn ei dalu, yn rhan annatod o'r ffordd yr ydym ni'n talu am wasanaeth rheilffordd, ac os nad yw teithwyr yn talu, yna mae'n rhaid i drethdalwyr dalu. Yn y pen draw, y fargen orau y gallem ni ei tharo yng Nghymru, o fewn yr adnoddau sydd gennym ni ar gael i ni, oedd cynyddu'r cyfraniad y bydd yn rhaid i'r trethdalwr ei dalu er mwyn cadw'r cynnydd i brisiau tocynnau trên i lai na hanner yr hyn y byddai wedi bod pe bai'r arfer arferol wedi ei ddilyn.

13:50

You simply followed the 5.9 per cent decision that was made in Westminster. What's the point of this place if we're simply a cut-and-paste Parliament that passively implements Tory austerity? You could've done what the Scottish Government did, which is to reduce peak fares and pay for it through a progressive use of your income tax powers. At the same time as you're increasing rail fares, you're slashing subsidy for the bus industry. You're effectively pushing large parts of the bus industry over the edge of a cliff at the end of June. Let's think about what that means in terms of your overall goal of getting people out of cars into public transport. It makes it harder, doesn't it? Will you at least commit today, First Minister, that if there is extra money for Wales at the UK Government budget, public transport in general and saving bus services in particular will be one of the top priorities in terms of any additional money?

Y cwbl a wnaethoch chi oedd dilyn y penderfyniad 5.9 y cant a wnaed yn San Steffan. Beth yw pwynt y lle hwn os y cwbl ydym ni yw Senedd torri a gludo sy'n gweithredu cyni cyllidol Torïaidd yn oddefol? Gallech chi fod wedi gwneud yr hyn a wnaeth Llywodraeth yr Alban, sef gostwng prisiau adegau prysur a thalu amdano trwy ddefnydd blaengar o'ch pwerau treth incwm. Ar yr un pryd ag yr ydych chi'n cynyddu prisiau tocynnau trên, rydych chi'n torri cymhorthdal i'r diwydiant bysiau. Rydych chi i bob pwrpas yn gwthio rhannau helaeth o'r diwydiant bysiau dros ymyl clogwyn ddiwedd mis Mehefin. Gadewch i ni feddwl am yr hyn y mae hynny'n ei olygu o ran eich nod cyffredinol o gael pobl allan o geir ac ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus. Mae'n ei gwneud yn anoddach, yn tydi? A wnewch chi o leiaf ymrwymo heddiw, Prif Weinidog, os oes arian ychwanegol i Gymru yng nghyllideb Llywodraeth y DU, y bydd trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn gyffredinol ac achub gwasanaethau bysiau yn arbennig yn un o'r prif flaenoriaethau o ran unrhyw arian ychwanegol?

Were there to be any money in the spring statement, at the very top of this Government's list will be pay demands in the public services and to make sure that we can do the very best for those people who work within them. But public transport is a very important priority for this Government, and we completely understand the importance of bus services in all parts of Wales. I was able to meet yesterday with the Permanent Secretary, with the Minister and the Deputy Minister for Climate Change and others, to talk about the actions that we will be able to take alongside the industry beyond the current three-month extension of emergency funding to the end of June this year. I'm confident that we will be able to go on finding further money. We invest £100 million in supporting the bus service in any case. The additional money is emergency funding; it cannot go on for ever. We have to be able to find a way of agreeing with the industry a sustainable solution in the context that passenger numbers using buses have not recovered to where they were before the pandemic. But I am confident, from the discussions that we've had yesterday, that we will find further funding beyond the £12 million that we've committed to sustain emergency funding to the first quarter of this year, and that we will do it alongside the industry to come to a sustainable final position.

Pe bai unrhyw arian yn natganiad y gwanwyn, ar frig rhestr y Llywodraeth hon bydd galwadau cyflog yn y gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a gwneud yn siŵr y gallwn ni wneud y gorau ar gyfer y bobl hynny sy'n gweithio ynddyn nhw. Ond mae trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn flaenoriaeth bwysig iawn i'r Llywodraeth hon, ac rydym ni'n deall yn llwyr pwysigrwydd gwasanaethau bysiau ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Llwyddais i gyfarfod ddoe gyda'r Ysgrifennydd Parhaol, gyda'r Gweinidog a'r Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd ac eraill, i siarad am y camau y byddwn ni'n gallu eu cymryd ochr yn ochr â'r diwydiant y tu hwnt i'r estyniad tri mis presennol i gyllid brys tan ddiwedd mis Mehefin eleni. Rwy'n hyderus y byddwn ni'n gallu parhau i ddod o hyd i ragor o arian. Rydym ni'n buddsoddi £100 miliwn mewn cefnogi'r gwasanaeth bysiau beth bynnag. Arian brys yw'r arian ychwanegol; ni all barhau am byth. Mae'n rhaid i ni allu dod o hyd i ffordd o gytuno gyda'r diwydiant ar ateb cynaliadwy yn y cyd-destun nad yw nifer y teithwyr sy'n defnyddio bysiau wedi dychwelyd i'r lefel yr oedden nhw cyn y pandemig. Ond rwy'n hyderus, o'r trafodaethau yr ydym ni wedi eu cael ddoe, y byddwn ni'n dod o hyd i gyllid pellach y tu hwnt i'r £12 miliwn yr ydym ni wedi ei ymrwymo i gynnal cyllid brys i chwarter cyntaf eleni, ac y byddwn ni'n ei wneud ochr yn ochr â'r diwydiant i gyrraedd sefyllfa derfynol gynaliadwy.

There are reports of plans to increase the level of water currently exported from Wales. Welsh water companies are already the biggest exporters in the UK by a long way, and that water is currently traded at a price significantly lower than the price paid by Welsh Water customers, which is amongst the highest in the UK. Has the Welsh Government been involved in discussions relating to these plans, and does it agree with us that three tests need to be met in relation to any proposal to expand the export of water from Wales: that they do not compromise the security of water supply within Wales now or in the future; that there are no adverse effects on our environment and our communities; and that any proposal must generate economic benefits for the people of Wales that reflect the true value of this very precious resource?

Ceir adroddiadau o gynlluniau i gynyddu lefel y dŵr sy'n cael ei allforio o Gymru ar hyn o bryd. Cwmnïau dŵr Cymru yw'r allforwyr mwyaf yn y DU o bell ffordd eisoes, ac mae'r dŵr hwnnw yn cael ei fasnachu ar hyn o bryd am bris sy'n sylweddol is na'r pris a delir gan gwsmeriaid Dŵr Cymru, sydd ymhlith yr uchaf yn y DU. A yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn rhan o drafodaethau yn ymwneud â'r cynlluniau hyn, ac a yw'n cytuno â ni fod angen bodloni tri phrawf yng nghyswllt unrhyw gynnig i ehangu'r lefel allforio dŵr o Gymru: nad ydyn nhw'n peryglu diogelwch y cyflenwad dŵr yng Nghymru nawr nac yn y dyfodol; nad oes unrhyw effeithiau niweidiol ar ein hamgylchedd a'n cymunedau; a bod yn rhaid i unrhyw gynnig greu buddion economaidd i bobl Cymru sy'n adlewyrchu gwir werth yr adnodd hynod werthfawr hwn?

The Minister met with the water company concerned yesterday. There is no specific proposal on the table at the moment. Were such a proposal to come forward, then it will have to satisfy the environment Act requirement here in Wales. Decisions will need to be submitted to Welsh Ministers for their involvement and, of course, in doing so, we will make sure that the interests of Welsh residents and Welsh taxpayers are properly safeguarded.

Fe wnaeth y Gweinidog gyfarfod gyda'r cwmni dŵr dan sylw ddoe. Nid oes unrhyw gynnig penodol ar y bwrdd ar hyn o bryd. Pe bai cynnig o'r fath yn cael ei gyflwyno, yna bydd yn rhaid iddo fodloni gofyniad Deddf yr amgylchedd yma yng Nghymru. Bydd angen cyflwyno penderfyniadau i Weinidogion Cymru iddyn nhw gymryd rhan ac, wrth gwrs, trwy wneud hynny, byddwn yn gwneud yn siŵr bod buddiannau trigolion Cymru a threthdalwyr Cymru yn cael eu diogelu'n briodol.

Porthladdoedd
Ports

3. Pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â pha mor gystadleuol yw porthladdoedd Cymru? OQ59232

3. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government regarding the competitiveness of Welsh ports? OQ59232

We work with the UK Government on a range of port-related issues, including floating offshore wind, the free-ports programme and border control posts. In the coming weeks we will pay particular attention to the impact of the Windsor framework on the competitiveness of Welsh ports.

Rydym ni'n gweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU ar amrywiaeth o faterion sy'n gysylltiedig â'r porthladdoedd, gan gynnwys ynni gwynt arnofiol ar y môr, y rhaglen porthladdoedd rhydd a safleoedd rheoli ffiniau. Yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf, byddwn yn rhoi sylw arbennig i effaith fframwaith Windsor ar gystadleurwydd porthladdoedd Cymru.

13:55

I welcome the progress on Northern Ireland, or the Windsor protocol, but I share your concerns that the deal agreed last week could have a negative impact on Welsh ports, and that includes Fishguard and Pembroke. Brexit has done a good job in boosting French ports at the expense of UK ports. It's far easier now, of course, to bypass Welsh ports, and we can't afford any further decline. The Prime Minister's excitement about Northern Ireland's privileged access to the UK and EU markets is particularly galling, given that he campaigned for the rest of Britain to give it up. Do you agree with me that the least that he can do is help Welsh ports to compete? What should that support look like, instead of the hypocrisy that we're currently seeing? 

Rwy'n croesawu'r cynnydd o ran Gogledd Iwerddon, neu brotocol Windsor, ond rwy'n rhannu eich pryderon y gallai'r cytundeb a gytunwyd yr wythnos diwethaf gael effaith negyddol ar borthladdoedd Cymru, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys Abergwaun a Phenfro. Mae Brexit wedi gwneud gwaith da o ran rhoi hwb i borthladdoedd Ffrainc ar draul porthladdoedd y DU. Mae'n llawer haws nawr, wrth gwrs, osgoi porthladdoedd Cymru, ac ni allwn ni fforddio unrhyw ddirywiad pellach. Mae cyffro Prif Weinidog y DU am fynediad breintiedig Gogledd Iwerddon at farchnadoedd y DU a'r UE yn cythruddo rhywun yn arbennig, o gofio iddo ymgyrchu i weddill Prydain ei ildio. A ydych chi'n cytuno gyda mi mai'r peth lleiaf y gall ef ei wneud yw helpu porthladdoedd Cymru i gystadlu? Sut ddylai'r cymorth hwnnw edrych, yn lle'r rhagrith yr ydym ni'n ei weld ar hyn o bryd?

I thank Joyce Watson for that, Llywydd. I, too, welcome any progress made on resolving the outstanding issues on the Northern Ireland protocol. During the time that there has been no Executive in Northern Ireland, I have kept in contact with all the main party leaders. During the autumn, I met with Michelle O'Neill as leader of Sinn Féin, I spoke with Jeffrey Donaldson as the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, and I held meetings with Doug Beattie, the Ulster Unionist Party leader, and with the leaders of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. I did that in order to convey to them the interest that the Welsh Government has in making sure that there is a functioning Executive there in Northern Ireland able to be in the room when we conduct discussions between the four nations of the United Kingdom. 

In the meantime, Joyce Watson is absolutely right, Llywydd, that the terms of the withdrawal agreement from the European Union handed Welsh ports a clear competitive disadvantage. Irish businesses bypass the land bridge in favour of direct links to EU ports in France and Spain. Prior to leaving the European Union, Rosslare had, as I remember, four major routes, and they were between the island of Ireland and Welsh ports. Now, there are 40 routes out of Rosslare and they're going directly to the European Union, to the single market, despite the fact that it takes longer to do so and it's more expensive to do so. But they're doing so because of the barriers to trade that they now face when they route goods through Welsh ports and on to the European Union through Dover. 

On the Prime Minister's excitement at having created a position for Northern Ireland where they have access both to the UK single market and the EU single market, I was tempted to write to him asking him if he could find the same advantages for Wales as well, because it is absolutely an irony that he should celebrate something that he himself worked so hard to deny to the rest of the United Kingdom. 

Joyce Watson asks what could be done by the UK Government. There are simple things that they could do, Llywydd, that would enhance the prospects of barrier-free trade between Welsh ports and our most important and nearest neighbour. They could, for example, negotiate a veterinary agreement with the EU. That would remove entirely the need for sanitary and phytosanitary checks at Welsh ports. We have traded successfully with goods coming from the Republic of Ireland through Wales for 50 years without the need for such checks to be in place. A sensible UK Government would come to a veterinary agreement and we'd be back to where we were before, to quote yesterday's Financial Times, the folly of Brexit was imposed upon us. 

Diolchaf i Joyce Watson am hynna, Llywydd. Rwyf innau hefyd yn croesawu unrhyw gynnydd a wnaed ar ddatrys y problemau sydd heb eu datrys o ran protocol Gogledd Iwerddon. Yn ystod y cyfnod na fu unrhyw Weithrediaeth yng Ngogledd Iwerddon, rwyf i wedi cadw mewn cysylltiad ag arweinwyr yr holl brif bleidiau. Yn ystod yr hydref, cefais gyfarfod gyda Michelle O'Neill, arweinydd Sinn Féin, siaradais â Jeffrey Donaldson, arweinydd y Blaid Unoliaethol Ddemocrataidd, a chynhaliais gyfarfodydd gyda Doug Beattie, arweinydd Plaid Unoliaethol Ulster, a chydag arweinwyr y Blaid Ddemocrataidd Gymdeithasol a Llafur. Fe wnes i hynny er mwyn cyfleu iddyn nhw y diddordeb sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru mewn gwneud yn siŵr bod Gweithrediaeth weithredol yno yng Ngogledd Iwerddon yn gallu bod yn yr ystafell pan fyddwn ni'n cynnal trafodaethau rhwng pedair gwlad y Deyrnas Unedig. 

Yn y cyfamser, mae Joyce Watson yn llygad ei lle, Llywydd, bod telerau'r cytundeb ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd yn rhoi porthladdoedd Cymru o dan anfantais gystadleuol amlwg. Mae busnesau Iwerddon yn osgoi'r bont dir o blaid cysylltiadau uniongyrchol â phorthladdoedd UE yn Ffrainc a Sbaen. Cyn gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, roedd gan Rosslare, fel y cofiaf, bedwar prif lwybr, ac roedden nhw rhwng ynys Iwerddon a phorthladdoedd Cymru. Bellach, ceir 40 llwybr allan o Rosslare ac maen nhw'n mynd yn syth i'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, i'r farchnad sengl, er gwaethaf y ffaith ei bod hi'n cymryd mwy o amser i wneud hynny a'i bod yn ddrytach gwneud hynny. Ond maen nhw'n gwneud hynny oherwydd y rhwystrau i fasnachu y maen nhw'n eu hwynebu bellach pan fyddan nhw'n anfon nwyddau trwy borthladdoedd Cymru ac ymlaen i'r Undeb Ewropeaidd drwy Dover. 

O ran cyffro Prif Weinidog y DU o greu sefyllfa i Ogledd Iwerddon lle mae ganddyn nhw fynediad at farchnad sengl y DU a marchnad sengl yr UE, cefais fy nhemtio i ysgrifennu ato yn gofyn iddo a allai ddod o hyd i'r un manteision i Gymru hefyd, oherwydd mae'n eironi llwyr y dylai ddathlu rhywbeth y gweithiodd ef ei hun mor galed i'w atal i weddill y Deyrnas Unedig.

Mae Joyce Watson yn gofyn beth ellid ei wneud gan Lywodraeth y DU. Mae pethau syml y gallen nhw eu gwneud, Llywydd, a fyddai'n gwella rhagolygon masnachu di-rwystr rhwng porthladdoedd Cymru a'n cymydog pwysicaf ac agosaf. Gallen nhw, er enghraifft, ddod i gytundeb milfeddygol gyda'r UE. Byddai hynny'n cael gwared yn llwyr ar yr angen am archwiliadau iechydol a ffytoiechydol ym mhorthladdoedd Cymru. Rydym ni wedi masnachu'n llwyddiannus â nwyddau yn dod o Weriniaeth Iwerddon trwy Gymru ers 50 mlynedd heb fod angen i archwiliadau o'r fath fod yn weithredol. Byddai Llywodraeth y DU synhwyrol yn dod i gytundeb milfeddygol a byddem ni yn ôl lle'r oeddem ni cyn, i ddyfynnu'r Financial Times ddoe, i ffolineb Brexit gael ei orfodi arnom ni. 

First Minister, I have many happy memories from working aboard the Stena Europe and the Lynx sailing from Fishguard to Rosslare in the early 2010s when I was still a student. Much of the chatter and the talk below deck and in the galley then was that the consolidation of the two ports in Pembrokeshire was to be forthcoming in that time. Since then, in the last month, we've heard Irish Ferries being very tight-lipped around their future, causing great concern to constituents of mine and crew onboard the ferry in terms of their future of sailing from Pembroke Dock to Rosslare. Are the Welsh Government aware of any plans to consolidate the two ferry services out of one port so that there is only one set of sailings from Pembrokeshire to Rosslare? Diolch.

Prif Weinidog, mae gennyf i lawer o atgofion hapus o weithio ar fwrdd y Stena Europe a'r Lynx a oedd yn hwylio o Abergwaun i Rosslare ar ddechrau'r 2010au pan oeddwn i'n dal yn fyfyriwr. Roedd llawer o'r sïon a'r sgwrsio islaw'r deciau ac yn y gali bryd hynny yn dweud y byddai'r ddau borthladd yn sir Benfro yn cael eu cyfuno ar yr adeg honno. Ers hynny, yn y mis diwethaf, rydym ni wedi clywed Irish Ferries yn dawedog iawn ynghylch eu dyfodol, gan achosi pryder mawr i fy etholwyr a chriw ar fwrdd y fferi o ran eu dyfodol yn hwylio o Ddoc Penfro i Rosslare. A yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymwybodol o unrhyw gynlluniau i gyfuno'r ddau wasanaeth fferi allan o un porthladd fel bod dim ond un gyfres o ymadawiadau sydd o sir Benfro i Rosslare? Diolch.

14:00

Well, Llywydd, the preferred outcome of the Welsh Government is that we sustain the highest level of service between Welsh ports, both Fishguard and Pembroke Dock, and that is what we have been focused on in the difficult days of the last few years. It is uncertainty that drives companies to have the sort of discussions that Sam Kurtz mentions. Hopefully, a Northern Ireland protocol deal will provide greater certainty for companies operating across the Irish sea, and what would give them not just greater certainty, but would improve the chances of being able to sustain the current level of service, is if we could, as I suggested in my answer to Joyce Watson, return to conditions where barrier-free trade was as close as possible to the circumstances we enjoyed only a few years ago. 

Wel, Llywydd, y canlyniad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei ffafrio yw ein bod ni'n cynnal y lefel uchaf o wasanaeth rhwng porthladdoedd Cymru, Abergwaun a Doc Penfro, a dyna'r ydym ni wedi bod yn canolbwyntio arno yn nyddiau anodd y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Ansicrwydd sy'n ysgogi cwmnïau i gael y math o drafodaethau y mae Sam Kurtz yn eu crybwyll. Y gobaith yw y bydd cytundeb protocol Gogledd Iwerddon yn rhoi mwy o sicrwydd i gwmnïau sy'n gweithredu ar draws môr Iwerddon, a'r hyn a fyddai'n rhoi nid yn unig mwy o sicrwydd iddyn nhw, ond a fyddai'n gwella'r siawns o allu cynnal y lefel bresennol o wasanaeth, yw pe gallem ni, fel yr awgrymais yn fy ateb i Joyce Watson, ddychwelyd i amodau lle'r oedd masnachu di-rwystr mor agos â phosibl i'r amgylchiadau yr oeddem ni'n eu mwynhau dim ond ychydig flynyddoedd yn ôl.

Does yna ddim amheuaeth o gwbl bod Brexit, wrth gwrs, wedi bod yn niweidiol iawn i borthladd Caergybi. Un ddadl gref dros roi dynodiad porthladd rhydd i Gaergybi, wrth gwrs, ydy bod dynodiad eisoes wedi cael ei roi i Lerpwl, lle mae'n bosibl hwylio'n uniongyrchol i Ogledd Iwerddon, a'r ofn ydy bod y dynodiad hwnnw yn rhoi mantais annheg i Lerpwl dros Gaergybi.

Ond yn edrych i'r hirdymor, un bygythiad arall i Gaergybi ydy cyflwr y morglawdd. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn eiddgar i ddangos cefnogaeth i fuddsoddi mewn cynnal a chadw a thrwsio'r morglawdd, mae Stena wedi dangos eu bod nhw'n barod i fuddsoddi hefyd, ond mae yna drydydd parti—Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig ydy hwnnw. Felly, all y Prif Weinidog yn gyntaf gadarnhau cefnogaeth barhaol Llywodraeth Cymru i wneud y buddsoddiad hwnnw, a rhoi diweddariad ar y trafodaethau sy'n mynd ymlaen rhwng y Llywodraeth a Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig er mwyn sicrhau bod y buddsoddiad yma'n gallu digwydd er mwyn rhoi'r dyfodol llewyrchus hirdymor hwnnw i'r porthladd yng Nghaergybi?

There's no doubt at all that Brexit has been very damaging to the port of Holyhead. One strong argument for giving a free port designation to Holyhead is that that designation has already been given to Liverpool, where it's possible to sail directly to Northern Ireland, and the fear is that that designation gives an unfair advantage to Liverpool over Holyhead. 

But in looking to the longer term, one other threat to Holyhead is the state of the barrage. Now, the Welsh Government has been eager to show support in investing in maintaining that, and Stena has demonstrated that they're also willing to invest, but there's a third party—the UK Government. So, can the First Minister first of all confirm ongoing support from the Welsh Government to make that investment, and give us an update on the negotiations going on between the Government and the UK Government to ensure that this investment can happen to give that prosperous long-term future to the port in Holyhead?

Wel, diolch yn fawr i Rhun ap Iorwerth am y cwestiwn, Llywydd. Dwi'n cytuno—un o'r pethau rŷn ni'n mynd i gadw llygaid arno dros yr wythnosau i ddod yw gweld, yn y cytundeb newydd, os oes yna fwy o bwyslais ar gwmnïau i fynd yn syth o'r Deyrnas Unedig i Ogledd Iwerddon. Bydd y manylion yn bwysig, a dydy'r manylion ddim gyda ni eto, ond rŷn ni yn mynd i fod yn benderfynol i fynd ar ôl y pwynt yna. 

Ar y morglawdd yng Nghaergybi, wrth gwrs, rŷn ni'n dal i fod yn rhan o'r trafodaethau sy'n mynd ymlaen yna. Rŷn ni'n cydweithio gyda Stena, ac rŷn ni fel Llywodraeth—fel rŷn ni wedi'i ddweud yn barod—yn fodlon i fod yn rhan o'r grŵp sy'n dod at ei gilydd i dalu am y costau. Mae yn bwysig i gael Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig wrth y bwrdd, hefyd; dwi'n becso peth bach os maen nhw'n tynnu nôl o wneud hynny. Rŷn ni wedi gweld dros yr wythnos diwethaf beth sydd wedi digwydd gyda Holyhead hydrogen hub, lle dŷn nhw ddim wedi dod at y bwrdd gyda'r arian yr oedden nhw wedi cyhoeddi yn barod, ac rŷn ni wedi gweld un neu ddau o bethau sy'n codi pryderon gyda ni am y rôl maen nhw'n fodlon i'w chwarae gyda'r morglawdd, hefyd. Ond rŷn ni'n dal i fod yna, mae Stena yn dal i fod yna, ac rŷn ni'n cydnabod y pwysigrwydd o wneud y gwaith yna am ddyfodol Caergybi. 

I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for that question. I do agree that one of the things that we are going to keep a watching brief on over the weeks to come is to see whether, in the new agreement, there is a greater emphasis on companies going directly from the UK to Northern Ireland. The details are important and we don't have them yet, but we are going to be determined to pursue that point.

Regarding the breakwater in Holyhead, we are still part of the discussions that are ongoing. We're working with Stena and we as a Government—as we've said already—are willing to be part of the group that's coming together to pay for those costs. It's important to have the UK Government around the table as well; I am rather concerned if they do withdraw from that process. We've seen over the last week what's happened with the Holyhead hydrogen hub, where they haven't come to the table with the funding that they had already announced. And we've seen a couple of things that raised concerns with us regarding the role that they are willing to play with that breakwater as well. But we're still there, and Stena are still there, recognising the importance of doing that work for the future of Holyhead.

Good afternoon, First Minister. I concur with the comments made by my colleague Joyce Watson and with yourself as well in terms of Brexit and its damage to the competitiveness of our Welsh ports. I just find it surprising that our colleagues in the Conservative Party, in their condemnation of the roads review, say that Wales is closed to business. Well, actually, you've closed Wales to business through taking us out of the EU. Our Welsh ports have been damaged significantly by trade and traffic, and for that I think you should at least own up, if not be ashamed of yourselves. 

But I do want to talk about another aspect, if I may, of our Welsh ports, and that is our access to wind energy. We know that there are specific developments—for example, in my region in Pembrokeshire, where we see Blue Gem Wind energy actually developing our access to that wind energy. We reckon that there will be about 10,000 jobs developed. One of the big issues, though, is accessing permits for that development, and I just wonder whether you could comment on that, please, First Minister. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Prynhawn da, Prif Weinidog. Rwy'n cytuno gyda'r sylwadau a wnaed gan fy nghyd-Aelod Joyce Watson a chyda chithau hefyd o ran Brexit a'i niwed i gystadleurwydd ein porthladdoedd yng Nghymru. Mae'n syndod i mi fod ein cyd-Aelodau yn y Blaid Geidwadol, yn eu condemniad o'r adolygiad ffyrdd, yn dweud bod Cymru ar gau i fusnes. Wel, mewn gwirionedd, chi sydd wedi cau Cymru i fusnes drwy ein cymryd ni allan o'r UE. Mae ein porthladdoedd yng Nghymru wedi cael eu niweidio'n sylweddol gan fasnach a thraffig, ac am hynny rwy'n credu y dylech chi gyfaddef o leiaf, os nad teimlo cywilydd eich hunain. 

Ond hoffwn siarad am agwedd arall, os caf i, ar ein porthladdoedd yng Nghymru, sef ein mynediad at ynni gwynt. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod datblygiadau penodol—er enghraifft, yn fy rhanbarth i yn sir Benfro, lle'r ydym ni'n gweld ynni Blue Gem Wind yn datblygu ein mynediad at yr ynni gwynt hwnnw mewn gwirionedd. Rydym ni'n tybio y bydd tua 10,000 o swyddi yn cael eu datblygu. Un o'r problemau mawr, fodd bynnag, yw cael gafael ar drwyddedau ar gyfer y datblygiad hwnnw, a tybed a allech chi gynnig sylwadau ar hynny, os gwelwch yn dda, Prif Weinidog. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

14:05

Diolch yn fawr i Jane Dodds am y cwestiwn ychwanegol yna. 

I thank Jane Dodds for that supplementary question. 

Of course, she's absolutely right that it is central to the future not simply of the ports themselves but of the Welsh economy that we have that investment in floating offshore wind. A huge amount of effort is going into creating that future. I'm very pleased to be able to say that the consents that are needed for the Erebus project, the first genuine commercial demonstration of floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea—that Natural Resources Wales has provided its consents so that that scheme can go ahead, and I think this week, the Minister was able to provide the consents that Welsh Ministers need to provide under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.

So, the consents that are needed to allow that really important project to go ahead are now there. Its importance lies in its demonstration of our capacity in Wales to take schemes from the drawing board and actually into commercial-scale operation. I think this week has been a very good week for Blue Gem, and we will continue to look very positively at the development of that project for everything that it will demonstrate about our commitment to renewable energy and to the ports that will be at the backbone of that development.

Wrth gwrs, mae hi yn llygad ei lle ei fod yn ganolog i ddyfodol nid yn unig y porthladdoedd eu hunain ond economi Cymru bod gennym ni'r buddsoddiad hwnnw mewn ynni gwynt arnofiol ar y môr. Mae llawer iawn o ymdrech yn cael ei wneud i greu'r dyfodol hwnnw. Rwy'n falch iawn o allu dweud bod y cydsyniadau sydd eu hangen ar gyfer prosiect Erebus, yr arddangosiad masnachol gwirioneddol cyntaf o ynni gwynt arnofiol ar y môr yn y môr Celtaidd—bod Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi darparu ei gydsyniadau fel y gall y cynllun hwnnw fynd yn ei flaen, ac rwy'n credu yr wythnos hon, bod y Gweinidog wedi gallu darparu'r cydsyniadau y mae angen i Weinidogion Cymru eu darparu o dan adran 36 Deddf Trydan 1989.

Felly, mae'r cydsyniadau sydd eu hangen i ganiatáu i'r prosiect pwysig iawn hwnnw fynd yn ei flaen yno bellach. Daw ei bwysigrwydd o arddangos ein gallu yng Nghymru i fynd â chynlluniau o'r bwrdd darlunio a'u gweithredu ar raddfa fasnachol mewn gwirionedd. Rwy'n credu bod yr wythnos hon wedi bod yn wythnos dda iawn i Blue Gem, a byddwn yn parhau i edrych yn gadarnhaol iawn ar ddatblygiad y prosiect hwnnw ar gyfer popeth y bydd yn ei ddangos ynghylch ein hymrwymiad i ynni adnewyddadwy ac i'r porthladdoedd a fydd yn asgwrn cefn i'r datblygiad hwnnw.

Strategaeth Economaidd Blaenau'r Cymoedd
An Economic Strategy for the Heads of the Valleys

4. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynnydd Llywodraeth Cymru mewn perthynas â strategaeth economaidd Blaenau'r Cymoedd? OQ59233

4. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's progress on an economic strategy for the Heads of the Valleys? OQ59233

Llywydd, we continue to work with the local authorities across the northern south Wales Valleys and the Cardiff capital region to increase the economic prosperity of the region.

Llywydd, rydyn ni'n parhau i weithio gyda'r awdurdodau lleol ar draws cymoedd gogleddol de Cymru a phrifddinas-ranbarth Caerdydd i gynyddu ffyniant economaidd y rhanbarth.

Thank you. First Minister, your own personal commitment to the communities in the Heads of the Valleys has always shone through, both as First Minister and prior to that as well. You will remember the visit that you paid to Blaenau Gwent during the last election campaign, where we both stood on the bridge over the A465 dualling project, and where you spoke about your hopes for the future of that project and what prosperity it would help to bring to Blaenau Gwent.

I'm very proud of the investment that we're making in the A465. It's the biggest single investment that the Welsh Government has ever made in an economic development project—nearly £2 billion by the time it's complete. I well remember the work of our good friend, Carl Sargeant, in ensuring that that project went ahead.

First Minister, Blaenau Gwent has already seen the positive impact of this investment. The local authority has already seen an increase in the number of enquiries from businesses wanting to locate in Blaenau Gwent and wanting to develop their businesses in the borough. I'm very pleased that the economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, has agreed to come to Blaenau Gwent to talk about how we can ensure that we maximise the value of this investment. So, First Minister, will you ensure that the whole of the Government works together to ensure that this road to prosperity really is a road to prosperity, not just for Blaenau Gwent but for the whole of the Heads of the Valleys region?

Diolch. Prif Weinidog, mae eich ymrwymiad personol chi i'r cymunedau ym Mlaenau'r Cymoedd wedi disgleirio erioed, fel Prif Weinidog a chyn hynny hefyd. Byddwch yn cofio eich ymweliad â Blaenau Gwent yn ystod ymgyrch yr etholiad diwethaf, pan safodd y ddau ohonom ni ar y bont dros brosiect deuoli'r A465, a phan wnaethoch chi siarad am eich gobeithion ar gyfer dyfodol y prosiect hwnnw a pha ffyniant y byddai'n helpu i'w ddenu i Flaenau Gwent.

Rwy'n falch iawn o'r buddsoddiad yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yn yr A465. Dyma'r buddsoddiad unigol mwyaf y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei wneud erioed mewn prosiect datblygu economaidd—bron i £2 biliwn erbyn iddo gael ei gwblhau. Rwy'n cofio'n dda gwaith ein ffrind da, Carl Sargeant, i sicrhau bod y prosiect hwnnw'n mynd yn ei flaen.

Prif Weinidog, mae Blaenau Gwent eisoes wedi gweld effaith gadarnhaol y buddsoddiad hwn. Mae'r awdurdod lleol eisoes wedi gweld cynnydd yn nifer yr ymholiadau gan fusnesau sydd eisiau lleoli ym Mlaenau Gwent ac eisiau datblygu eu busnesau yn y fwrdeistref. Rwy'n falch iawn bod Gweinidog yr economi, Vaughan Gething, wedi cytuno i ddod i Flaenau Gwent i siarad am sut y gallwn ni sicrhau ein bod ni'n sicrhau'r gwerth mwyaf posibl o'r buddsoddiad hwn. Felly, Prif Weinidog, a wnewch chi sicrhau bod y Llywodraeth gyfan yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd i sicrhau bod y llwybr hwn i ffyniant yn llwybr i ffyniant gwirioneddol, nid yn unig i Flaenau Gwent ond i ranbarth cyfan Blaenau'r Cymoedd?

Well, Llywydd, I thank Alun Davies for that. I've heard him on a series of occasions on the floor of the Senedd make the case that the new Heads of the Valleys road must be more than a bypass, as I've heard him say; it needs to be something that generates prosperity across its length. He's right to say that I've been lucky enough to be able to take an interest in the development throughout the time that I've been involved in Welsh Government. During the time that I was finance Minister, we devised the mutual investment model, which, of course, is now the vehicle through which we're able to take the final sections—sections 5 and 6—of the road to completion.

But, our ambition is exactly the ambition that Alun Davies spoke about, Llywydd. It is to make sure that we bring together, across its length, the different local authorities and the other players who have a part to contribute to make sure that the road is an engine for economic prosperity in that part of Wales. I do vividly remember that visit to Blaenau Gwent, because of the two things that are in my mind as a result of it. First of all is the astonishing feat of engineering that that road represents in so many parts of its length. And secondly, the care that has gone into it during its construction to make sure that environmental aspects of that road have been so carefully attended to. The Member, Llywydd, took me to see some of the additional work that has been done to make sure that the impact on wildlife in that part of Wales has been carefully planned into the way in which that road has been constructed. With that level of care and with that level of investment, I am sure that it will continue to do what the Member said, and that is to bring new economic opportunities to parts of Wales where those opportunities have not always been in sufficient supply.

Wel, Llywydd, diolch i Alun Davies am hynna. Rwyf i wedi ei glywed ar nifer o achlysuron ar lawr y Senedd yn dadlau bod yn rhaid i ffordd newydd Blaenau'r Cymoedd fod yn fwy na ffordd osgoi, fel yr wyf i wedi ei glywed yn dweud; mae angen iddi fod yn rhywbeth sy'n creu ffyniant ar ei hyd cyfan. Mae'n iawn i ddweud fy mod i wedi bod yn ddigon ffodus i allu cymryd diddordeb yn y datblygiad drwy gydol y cyfnod yr wyf i wedi bod yn rhan o Lywodraeth Cymru. Yn ystod y cyfnod yr oeddwn i'n Weinidog cyllid, fe wnaethom ni lunio'r model buddsoddi cydfuddiannol, sef, wrth gwrs, y cyfrwng yr ydym ni'n gallu cwblhau adrannau terfynol y ffordd—adrannau 5 a 6—drwyddo bellach.

Ond, ein huchelgais yw'r union uchelgais y siaradodd Alun Davies amdano, Llywydd. Sef gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n dwyn ynghyd, ar ei hyd cyfan, y gwahanol awdurdodau lleol a'r rhanddeiliaid eraill sydd â rhan i'w chyfrannu i wneud yn siŵr bod y ffordd yn injan ar gyfer ffyniant economaidd yn y rhan honno o Gymru. Rwy'n cofio'n eglur yr ymweliad hwnnw â Blaenau Gwent, oherwydd y ddau beth sydd yn fy meddwl yn ei sgil. Yn gyntaf oll mae'r gamp syfrdanol o beirianneg y mae'r ffordd honno yn ei chynrychioli mewn cynifer o rannau o'i hyd. Ac yn ail, y gofal a gymerwyd amdani wrth ei hadeiladu i wneud yn siŵr bod agweddau amgylcheddol ar y ffordd honno wedi cael sylw mor ofalus. Aeth yr Aelod, Llywydd, â mi i weld rhywfaint o'r gwaith ychwanegol sydd wedi cael ei wneud i sicrhau bod yr effaith ar fywyd gwyllt yn y rhan honno o Gymru wedi cael ei chynllunio yn ofalus i'r ffordd yr adeiladwyd y ffordd honno. Gyda'r lefel honno o ofal a chyda'r lefel honno o fuddsoddiad, rwy'n siŵr y bydd yn parhau i wneud yr hyn a ddywedodd yr Aelod, sef dod â chyfleoedd economaidd newydd i rannau o Gymru lle nad yw'r cyfleoedd hynny wedi bod ar gael yn ddigonol bob amser.

14:10

First Minister, there is no doubt that all of us here want to see Wales thrive with a strong economy, an abundance of highly skilled jobs and great opportunities for all. Well, the UK Government's levelling-up fund is just one of the many projects that are actually going to help us achieve that. In the latest round of funding, my region of south-east Wales was awarded nearly £40 million, £9 million of that is being spent directly in Blaenau Gwent with the creation of a new world-leading engineering campus. This campus will help create the next generation of skilled engineers and, hopefully, bring more prosperity to the area. First Minister, will you join me in welcoming this UK Government funding for Blaenau Gwent, which will help create highly skilled jobs and ensure long-term economic growth for the area, which has been needed for so long? Thank you.

Prif Weinidog, does dim dwywaith bod pob un ohonom ni yma eisiau gweld Cymru yn ffynnu ag economi gref, digonedd o swyddi medrus iawn a chyfleoedd gwych i bawb. Wel, dim ond un o'r nifer o brosiectau sy'n mynd i'n helpu ni i gyflawni hynny yw cronfa ffyniant bro Llywodraeth y DU. Yn y rownd ariannu ddiweddaraf, dyfarnwyd bron i £40 miliwn i fy rhanbarth i yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru, mae £9 miliwn o hwnnw yn cael ei wario yn uniongyrchol ym Mlaenau Gwent gan greu campws peirianneg newydd sy'n arwain y byd. Bydd y campws hwn yn helpu i greu'r genhedlaeth nesaf o beirianwyr medrus a, gobeithio, yn dod â mwy o ffyniant i'r ardal. Prif Weinidog, a wnewch chi ymuno â mi i groesawu'r cyllid hwn gan Lywodraeth y DU ar gyfer Blaenau Gwent, a fydd yn helpu i greu swyddi medrus iawn a sicrhau twf economaidd hirdymor i'r ardal, y mae ei angen ers cyhyd? Diolch.

I think there are two or three points to make. First of all, the investment in the college in Blaenau Gwent would not have been possible had it not already been for the investment that the Welsh Government had put into that development and, indeed, the European Union investment that has gone into it. The UK Government are the third and final partner to make a contribution, and their contribution would not have been possible without everything that had gone before it.

We know that the levelling-up fund leaves Wales badly shortchanged from what we would have had under any other circumstances. Llywydd, let me make a slightly different point, which is, actually, the way the levelling-up fund has been administered has made it more difficult to bring local authorities together to provide that focus on the economic opportunities that the Heads of the Valleys road provides, because the way the levelling-up fund works is local authorities are invited to compete with one another. They have to come up with schemes within their own boundaries, and they have to compete with their neighbours for funding. The efforts that the economy Minister here has made have been to bring those people together around a single table. They have been diverted and distracted into pursuing what are, in the end, relatively small sums of money and in a way that actually undermines their ability to deliver those collaborative and co-operative ways of working that I believe have a much greater long-term chance of underpinning that local economy.

Rwy'n credu bod dau neu dri o bwyntiau i'w gwneud. Yn gyntaf oll, ni fyddai'r buddsoddiad yn y coleg ym Mlaenau Gwent wedi bod yn bosibl oni bai am y buddsoddiad yr oedd Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei wneud yn y datblygiad hwnnw eisoes ac, yn wir, buddsoddiad yr Undeb Ewropeaidd a wnaed ynddo. Llywodraeth y DU yw'r trydydd partner a'r partner olaf i wneud cyfraniad, ac ni fyddai eu cyfraniad nhw wedi bod yn bosibl heb bopeth a wnaed o'i flaen.

Rydym ni'n gwybod bod y gronfa ffyniant bro yn gadael Cymru ar ei cholled yn enfawr o gymharu â'r hyn y byddem ni wedi ei gael o dan unrhyw amgylchiadau eraill. Llywydd, gadewch i mi wneud pwynt ychydig yn wahanol, sef, mewn gwirionedd, bod y ffordd y gweinyddwyd y gronfa ffyniant bro wedi ei gwneud hi'n fwy anodd i ddod ag awdurdodau lleol ynghyd i ddarparu'r pwyslais hwnnw ar y cyfleoedd economaidd y mae ffordd Blaenau'r Cymoedd yn eu cynnig, oherwydd y ffordd y mae'r gronfa ffyniant bro yn gweithio yw bod awdurdodau lleol yn cael ei gwahodd i gystadlu â'i gilydd. Mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw feddwl am gynlluniau o fewn eu ffiniau eu hunain, ac mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw gystadlu gyda'u cymdogion am gyllid. Yr ymdrechion y mae Gweinidog yr economi yma wedi eu gwneud oedd dod â'r bobl hynny at ei gilydd o amgylch un bwrdd. Maen nhw wedi cael eu dargyfeirio a'u mwydro i fynd ar drywydd yr hyn sydd, yn y pen draw, yn symiau cymharol fach o arian ac mewn ffordd sy'n tanseilio eu gallu mewn gwirionedd i ddarparu'r ffyrdd cydweithredol ac ar y cyd hynny o weithio yr wyf i'n credu sydd â siawns hirdymor llawer mwy o fod yn sail i'r economi leol honno.

Addysg yng Ngorllewin De Cymru
Education in South Wales West

5. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau'r ansawdd uchaf posibl o addysg yn ysgolion Gorllewin De Cymru? OQ59205

5. How is the Welsh Government ensuring the highest possible quality of school education in South Wales West? OQ59205

I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. Democratically elected local authorities are primarily responsible for ensuring the quality of school education in their localities. The Welsh Government supports those efforts through, for example, the implementation of the new Curriculum for Wales.

Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Awdurdodau lleol sydd wedi eu hethol yn ddemocrataidd sy'n bennaf gyfrifol am sicrhau ansawdd addysg ysgolion yn eu hardaloedd lleol. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cynorthwyo'r ymdrechion hynny drwy, er enghraifft, weithredu'r Cwricwlwm i Gymru newydd.

Thank you. First Minister, the last Programme for International Student Assessment results in 2018 showed Wales at the bottom of UK rankings for the fifth occasion running. We'll see what happens when the 2022 results come out later this year, but since then, we've only seen significant disruption to children's education in Wales over the last three years because of both the COVID-19 pandemic and now teacher strikes as well.

On top of this disruption, Labour-run Bridgend County Borough Council is proposing to cut school funding by 2 per cent in 2023-24. By comparison, neighbouring Neath Port Talbot council is proposing to increase like-for-like school funding by 8 per cent. Now, those two councils are important, because they have a similar population, similar levels of reserves, and similar council tax increases proposed for the next year. The only difference is the one that's cutting it is run by the Labour Party. First Minister, we know that Bridgend County Borough Council's decision will have a detrimental impact on education in Bridgend for years to come, so what's your Government doing to ensure that pupils across Wales receive a quality education, wherever they live, even if they live in areas with short-sighted councils?

Diolch. Prif Weinidog, dangosodd canlyniadau diwethaf y Rhaglen ar gyfer Asesu Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol yn 2018 bod Cymru ar waelod y gynghrair yn y DU am y pumed tro yn olynol. Cawn weld beth sy'n digwydd pan gaiff canlyniadau 2022 eu cyhoeddi yn ddiweddarach eleni, ond ers hynny, dim ond tarfu sylweddol yr ydym ni wedi ei weld ar addysg plant yng Nghymru dros y tair blynedd diwethaf oherwydd pandemig COVID-19 a streiciau athrawon hefyd bellach.

Yn ogystal â'r tarfu hwn, mae Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr sy'n cael ei redeg gan Lafur yn bwriadu torri cyllid ysgolion 2 y cant yn 2023-24. Mewn cymhariaeth, mae cyngor cyfagos Castell-nedd Port Talbot yn bwriadu cynyddu cyllid ysgolion cyfatebol i 8 y cant. Nawr, mae'r ddau gyngor hynny yn bwysig, oherwydd bod ganddyn nhw boblogaeth debyg, lefelau tebyg o gronfeydd wrth gefn, a chynnydd tebyg i'r dreth gyngor wedi'i gynnig ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf. Yr unig wahaniaeth yw bod yr un sy'n ei dorri yn cael ei redeg gan y Blaid Lafur. Prif Weinidog, rydym ni'n gwybod y bydd penderfyniad Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn cael effaith niweidiol ar addysg ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr am flynyddoedd i ddod, felly beth mae eich Llywodraeth yn ei wneud i sicrhau bod disgyblion ledled Cymru yn derbyn addysg o ansawdd, lle bynnag y maen nhw'n byw, hyd yn oed os ydyn nhw'n byw mewn ardaloedd â chynghorau heb weledigaeth?

Llywydd, first of all, just to remind colleagues that Wales was the only part of the United Kingdom to see an improvement in all three PISA dimensions when those figures were last published. I know that Conservative Members think it's their job to run Wales down, but, actually, the PISA results were at the opposite end of that spectrum. If I was the Member, I wouldn't have necessarily ventured down that path with the rest of his question, because the information I have is that, in the information that local authorities are required to notify to Welsh Ministers and their governing bodies as a result of the School Funding (Wales) Regulations 2010, for Bridgend, the proposed school budget shows an increase of 4 per cent. I wouldn't, if I was the Member, enter for the mathematics element of the next PISA round.

Llywydd, yn gyntaf oll, hoffwn atgoffa fy nghyd-Aelodau mai Cymru oedd yr unig ran o'r Deyrnas Unedig lle cafwyd gwelliant ym mhob un o dri dimensiwn PISA pan gyhoeddwyd y ffigurau hynny ddiwethaf. Gwn fod Aelodau Ceidwadol yn meddwl mai eu gwaith nhw yw difrïo Cymru, ond, mewn gwirionedd, roedd y canlyniadau PISA ar ben arall y sbectrwm hwnnw. Pe bawn i yn lle'r Aelod, ni fyddwn o reidrwydd wedi mentro i lawr y llwybr hwnnw gyda gweddill ei gwestiwn, oherwydd yr wybodaeth sydd gennyf i, yn yr wybodaeth y mae'n ofynnol i awdurdodau lleol ei rhannu â Gweinidogion Cymru a'u cyrff llywodraethu o ganlyniad i Reoliadau Cyllido Ysgolion (Cymru) 2010, ar gyfer Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, yw bod y gyllideb ysgolion arfaethedig yn dangos cynnydd o 4 y cant. Pe bawn i yn lle'r Aelod, fyddwn i ddim yn sefyll elfen fathemateg rownd nesaf PISA.

14:15
Cysylltedd Ffyrdd yng Nghanolbarth Cymru
Road Connectivity in Mid Wales

6. Pa asesiad mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi ei wneud o bwysigrwydd cysylltedd ffyrdd i'r economi yng nghanolbarth Cymru? OQ59208

6. What assessment has the First Minister made of the importance of road connectivity to the economy in mid Wales? OQ59208

I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. That assessment is set out in 'Llwybr Newydd', the Welsh transport strategy. It confirms the importance of road connectivity for sustainable social and economic purposes, assessed against the varying needs of different parts of Wales.

Rwy'n diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Nodwyd yr asesiad hwnnw yn 'Llwybr Newydd', sef strategaeth trafnidiaeth Cymru. Mae hwnnw'n cadarnhau pwysigrwydd cysylltedd ffyrdd at ddibenion cymdeithasol ac economaidd cynaliadwy, a asesir yn ôl yr anghenion sy'n amrywio mewn gwahanol rannau o Gymru.

Thank you for your answer, First Minister. I was pleased that the road improvement scheme at Moat Lane, Caersws was not scrapped as part of the recent roads review. This scheme is absolutely crucial to take place, not only for congestion, but there are a number of safety concerns at that point, and, sadly, a number of fatalities over a number of years. I know, First Minister, you'll be aware of this stretch, because you recently travelled to Llandinam, just a few miles up the trunk road.

Also connected to this particular scheme, and before the roads review was commenced, there were plans for a stand-alone footbridge over Caersws as well, and this scheme was linked to the road improvement scheme—rightly so; it made complete sense for that to be the case. But there are certainly safety concerns at this point as well, because pedestrians have to walk over this stretch of trunk road, where there is no capacity for a footbridge. So, I wonder, First Minister, if you can set out a timetable and any other further information in regard to this road improvement scheme, and also the stand-alone proposed footbridge, along with the wider active travel scheme in Caersws as well.

Diolch i chi am eich ateb, Prif Weinidog. Roeddwn i'n falch na chafodd y cynllun i wella'r ffordd ar Lôn y Ffos, Caersŵs ei ddiddymu yn rhan o'r adolygiad diweddar o ffyrdd. Mae hi'n gwbl hanfodol fod y cynllun hwn yn digwydd, nid yn unig ar gyfer lliniaru tagfeydd, ond fe geir nifer o bryderon o ran diogelwch yno, ac, yn anffodus, fe gafwyd nifer o ddamweiniau angheuol dros nifer o flynyddoedd. Fe wn i, Prif Weinidog, eich bod chi'n gyfarwydd â'r ffordd hon, oherwydd fe wnaethoch chi deithio i Landinam yn ddiweddar, ychydig filltiroedd i fyny'r gefnffordd.

Yn gysylltiedig â'r cynllun arbennig hwn hefyd, a chyn i'r adolygiad o ffyrdd ddechrau, roedd cynlluniau ar gyfer pont droed ar wahân uwchben Caersŵs hefyd, a chysylltwyd y cynllun hwnnw â'r cynllun i wella'r ffordd—yn briodol felly; roedd hynny'n gwneud synnwyr llwyr. Ond yn sicr fe geir pryderon o ran diogelwch yn y fan honno hefyd, oherwydd mae hi'n rhaid i gerddwyr groesi'r darn hwn o'r gefnffordd, am nad oes digon o le yno i godi pont droed. Felly, tybed, Prif Weinidog, a wnewch chi nodi amserlen ac unrhyw wybodaeth bellach yng nghyswllt y cynllun hwn i wella'r ffordd, a'r bont droed ar wahân arfaethedig hefyd, yn ogystal â'r cynllun teithio llesol ehangach yng Nghaersŵs hefyd.

I thank Russell George for that, Llywydd, and I know that he’s been a consistent advocate of the Caersws scheme. I saw that he had raised it with the Minister on the floor of the Senedd back on 15 February, and he’s right to say that the scheme is to go ahead, following the roads review, for some of the reasons, including the safety reasons, that the Member has set out this afternoon. What will happen now is that the scheme will continue to develop, that some of the more recent recommendations that include additional safety and active travel elements will need to be planned into the project, and I’m afraid, like all schemes, it inevitably has to meet the same tests as any other road scheme, and then of affordability. But the case for the scheme has been consistently and well made by the Member, and the Minister responsible will have heard the points that he’s made this afternoon.

Rwy'n diolch i Russell George am hynna, Llywydd, ac rwy'n gwybod y bu ef yn eiriolwr diflino dros y cynllun yng Nghaersŵs. Fe welais ei fod wedi codi'r mater gyda'r Gweinidog ar lawr y Senedd yn ôl ar y 15 o fis Chwefror, ac mae ef yn iawn i ddweud bod y cynllun am fynd yn ei flaen, yn dilyn yr adolygiad o ffyrdd, am rai o'r rhesymau, gan gynnwys y rhesymau o ran diogelwch, a nododd yr Aelod brynhawn heddiw. Yr hyn a fydd yn digwydd nawr yw y bydd y cynllun yn dal i ddatblygu, ac y bydd angen cynnwys peth o'r argymhellion mwy diweddar yng ngwead y prosiect, yn cynnwys yr elfennau ychwanegol o ran diogelwch a theithio llesol, ac mae arnaf i ofn, fel gyda phob cynllun dan haul, mae hi'n anochel y bydd yn rhaid iddo fodloni'r un profion ag unrhyw achos arall o gynllunio ffordd, ac wedyn o ran ei fforddiadwyedd. Ond mae'r Aelod wedi dadlau'r achos dros y cynllun yn gyson ac yn effeithiol, ac fe fydd y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol wedi clywed y pwyntiau a wnaeth ef y prynhawn yma.

Rheoliadau Ffosffad
Phosphate Regulations

7. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi diweddariad am effaith rheoliadau ffosffad ar Ddwyfor Meirionnydd? OQ59235

7. Will the First Minister provide an update on the impact of phosphate regulations on Dwyfor Meirionnydd? OQ59235

Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn. Mae tair afon sy’n ardaloedd cadwraeth arbennig o fewn etholaeth Dwyfor Meirionnydd. Mae afon Glaslyn ac afon Gwyrfai yn cyrraedd y safon ffosffad, tra bod afon Dyfrdwy yn methu. Byddaf yn cadeirio ail uwchgynhadledd ar ffosffad yfory, er mwyn cyflymu'r camau sydd eu hangen i wella ansawdd dŵr yn yr afonydd sy’n ardaloedd cadwraeth arbennig.

I thank the Member for the question. There are three rivers that are special areas of conservation within the Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency. The Glaslyn and Gwyrfai are meeting the phosphate standard, whilst the River Dee is failing. I will chair a second phosphate summit tomorrow, in order to accelerate the actions necessary to improve the water quality in our rivers that are special areas of conservation.

Diolch yn fawr iawn i’r Prif Weinidog am yr ateb. Mae effaith y polisi a rheoliadau ffosffad yma yn cael dylanwad sylweddol ar bobl ar draws Cymru. Mi fyddwch chi'n ymwybodol o effaith y rheoliadau ar ddatblygwyr tai, yn enwedig i'n tai cymdeithasol, efo tua 700 o dai cymdeithasol wedi cael eu dal i fyny oherwydd y rheoliadau yma.

Ond dwi eisiau edrych yn benodol ar ddatblygiad rheilffordd Llyn Tegid yn y Bala, sydd yn cael ei ddal i fyny oherwydd y Ddyfrdwy. Maen nhw wedi llwyddo i gasglu cannoedd o filoedd o bunnoedd yn rhyngwladol er mwyn dod â'r rheilffordd i mewn i'r dref, a bydd hwn yn hwb economaidd sylweddol i'r ardal. Maen nhw wedi derbyn y caniatâd cynllunio ac wedi gwneud y gwaith paratoadol ar gyfer yr orsaf newydd. Yn wir, mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru eu hunain wedi gwneud llawer o'r gwaith paratoadol i alluogi'r rheilffordd i ddod i mewn i'r dref. Ond mae'r rheoliadau ffosffad yn golygu na all y datblygiad hwn fynd yn ei flaen, er gwaethaf y ffaith nad ydyn nhw am adeiladu toiledau ychwanegol i'r hyn sydd ar gael yn gyhoeddus eisoes. Mae yna berig go iawn y gall y cynllun yma fethu. Pa gyngor y byddech chi'n ei roi i reilffordd Llyn Tegid yn wyneb hyn?

I thank the First Minister for that response. The impact of the phosphate regulations is having a significant impact on people across Wales. You will be aware of the impact of the regulations on housing developers, particularly social housing, with some 700 social homes being held up because of these regulations.

But I want to look specifically at the development of the Llyn Tegid railway in Bala, which is being held up because of the Dee. Now they have succeeded in collecting hundreds of thousands of pounds internationally to bring the rail line into town, which will be a significant economic boost for the area. They’ve been given planning consent and have done the preparatory work for the new station. Indeed, Natural Resources Wales themselves have done a great deal of the preparatory work to allow the railway to come into the town. But the phosphate regulations mean that this development cannot proceed, despite the fact that they aren't going to build additional toilets in addition to what's publicly available already. There is a very real risk that this plan could fail. What advice would you, therefore, give to the Llyn Tegid railway in light of this?

14:20

Wel, Llywydd, mae'r Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol am y pethau hyn yn ymwybodol o'r pwyntiau mae'r Aelod wedi eu gwneud, achos roedd hi wedi cael cyfle i ymweld â'r rheilffordd nôl yn yr haf. Y pwynt sylweddol yw hwn: ni allwn ni fwrw ymlaen i gytuno i ddatblygiadau ble dyw'r ffosffad ddim wedi ei gymryd i mewn i'r cynllun mewn ffordd sydd ddim yn cynyddu'r problemau sydd gyda ni yn barod. Mae effaith ffosffad ar afonydd yng Nghymru yn un ble dyn ni ddim yn gallu cytuno i wneud pethau sydd ddim yn cyfrannu at ddyfodol ble bydd y broblem yna'n cael ei thaclo. Dyna pam mae'r gynhadledd gyda ni unwaith eto yfory: i dynnu pob un at y bwrdd—y rheoleiddwyr, y datblygwyr, y cwmniau dŵr, cymunedau, ffermwyr hefyd. Beth dwi'n edrych ymlaen at glywed yfory yw y rhan maen nhw i gyd yn gallu ei chwarae. Dwi'n edrych ymlaen at glywed sut mae pob sector yn bwriadu rhoi'r cyfrifoldeb hwnnw ar waith, a phan ydyn ni'n gallu cydweithio fel yna, gallwn ni ffeindio ffordd i ddatblygiad fel y mae'r Aelod wedi esbonio'r prynhawn yma i fwrw ymlaen. Heb gael cynllun, heb gael cyfraniad gan bob un o'r sectorau, dydy hwnna ddim yn gallu digwydd. 

Well, Llywydd, the Minister responsible for these matters is aware of the points raised by the Member, because she had an opportunity to visit the railway back in the summer. The substantive point is this: we can't press ahead and agree to developments where phosphate hasn't been taken into account in the plan in a way that doesn't increase the problems that we already have. The impact of phosphate on rivers in Wales is a situation where we can't agree to undertake things that don't contribute to a future where that problem is mitigated. That's why we have this summit again tomorrow, to get everybody around the table—the developers, the regulators, the water companies, the communities and the farmers as well. And I'm looking forward tomorrow to hearing about the role that they can all play. I'm looking forward to hearing about how all sectors intend to undertake their responsibilities, and, when we can collaborate in that fashion, we can find a way for the development that has been outlined by the Member to be undertaken. Without having the contribution from all sectors, that can't happen. 

Tlodi Plant
Child Poverty

8. Pa gamau sydd yn cael eu cymryd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i leihau tlodi plant yng Nghanol De Cymru? OQ59231

8. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to reduce child poverty in South Wales Central? OQ59231

Diolch i Heledd Fychan. Llywydd, rydym yn gweithio gyda'n partneriaid, gan gynnwys awdurdodau lleol, y trydydd sector a'r rhai sydd â phrofiad bywyd i gefnogi aelwydydd bregus. Rhai o’r camau ymarferol sy’n cael eu cymryd ar draws Cymru yw help uniongyrchol gyda chost y diwrnod ysgol, prydau ysgol am ddim i bawb mewn ysgolion cynradd a mesurau i fynd i’r afael â llwgu yn ystod y gwyliau ysgol.

I thank Heledd Fychan. Llywydd, we are working with our partners, including local authorities, the third sector and those with lived experience to support vulnerable households. Direct help with the cost of the school day, universal free school meals in primary schools and measures to tackle holiday hunger are amongst the practical steps being taken across Wales.

Diolch, Prif Weinidog, ond, yn anffodus, fel rydyn ni i gyd yn gwybod, gwaethygu mae lefelau tlodi plant yng Nghymru, ac mae'n glir o ymwelliadau ledled fy rhanbarth, ynghyd â gwaith achos, fod y sefyllfa'n argyfyngus i nifer o deuluoedd. Mae athrawon yn gyson yn dweud wrthyf i eu bod yn gynyddol yn gorfod treulio amser yn cefnogi disgyblion a'u teuluoedd o ran yr ymateb i'r argyfwng costau byw, gan ddarparu dillad i ddysgwyr, sefydlu banciau bwyd neu bantri bwyd mewn ysgolion, a hefyd codi arian fel bod gan ddysgwyr fynediad at hanfodion yn eu cartrefi, megis oergell. Maen nhw hefyd yn gynyddol yn gorfod cefnogi dysgwyr sy'n dioddef o iechyd meddwl gwael oherwydd bod problemau yn cael mynediad at wasanaethau megis CAMHS. Dydyn nhw ddim yn cwyno am wneud hyn fel athrawon; maen nhw'n ei weld e fel rhan bwysig o gefnogi dysgwyr i gyrraedd eu llawn botensial. Ond maen nhw'n cwyno bod eu cyllidebau dan straen, eu llwyth gwaith yn cynyddu, fod cyflogau cynorthwywyr dosbarth yn arbennig o isel, gan olygu bod rhai yn gorfod dibynnu ar fanciau bwyd, a nad yw'r rôl y mae athrawon a chynorthwywyr dosbarth yn ei chwarae o ran ymateb i'r cynnydd mewn tlodi plant ddim yn cael ei gydnabod. Felly, gaf i ofyn sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru am weithio gyda'n hysgolion i leihau tlodi plant a sicrhau bod ganddynt yr adnoddau i chwarae eu rhan i sicrhau'r gorau i'n plant a'n pobl ifanc?

Thank you, First Minister, unfortunately, however, as we all know, levels of child poverty in Wales are getting worse, and it's clear from visits throughout my region, together with my casework, that the situation is critical for many families. Teachers tell me consistently that they're increasingly having to spend time supporting pupils and their families in terms of responding to the cost-of-living crisis, providing clothes for learners, setting up foodbanks or food pantries in schools, and also raising money so that learners have essentials in their homes, such as a fridge. They're also increasingly having to support learners who suffer from poor mental health because there are problems in terms of accessing services such as CAMHS. They are not complaining about doing that as teachers; they see it as an important part of supporting learners to reach their full potential. But they are complaining that their budgets are under pressure, that their workloads are increasing, that the salaries of classroom assistants are particularly low, meaning that some have to rely on foodbanks, and that the role that teachers and classroom assistants play in terms of responding to the increase in child poverty is not being recognised. Therefore, could I ask how the Welsh Government wants to work with our schools to reduce child poverty and to ensure that they have the resources to play their role in ensuring the best for our children and young people?

Wel, Llywydd, wrth gwrs dwi'n cydnabod y cyd-destun anodd, fel mae Heledd Fychan wedi'i ddweud, ac yn anffodus mae hwnna'n mynd i waethygu yn y mis nesaf. Ar ddechrau mis Ebrill, bydd costau ynni yn cynyddu, mae pethau yn y maes trethi incwm yn mynd i rewi ac mae hwnna'n mynd i gael effaith ar incwm aelwydydd ledled Cymru, a bydd nifer fawr o bobl yng Nghymru yn wynebu costau morgais yn mynd lan hefyd. So, mae'r effaith yn y dosbarth yn mynd i fod yn anodd dros ben. Rydyn ni'n gwneud, fel yr esboniais i, nifer o bethau—lot o bethau dan y cytundeb cydweithredu—i helpu teuluoedd ac i helpu yn y dosbarth hefyd, ac mae'r Gweinidog addysg wedi bod mewn trafodaethau gyda'r undebau addysg dros yr wythnosau diwethaf i siarad gyda nhw am beth y gallwn ni ei wneud gyda'n gilydd i helpu'r bobl sy'n gweithio gyda'r plant—yr athrawon a'r bobl eraill—i roi fwy o amser i wneud y gwaith maen nhw yna i'w wneud, trwy eu helpu nhw yn fwy cyffredinol. So, trwy gydweithio gyda'r undebau, trwy'r rhaglen rŷm ni wedi ei chytuno gyda Phlaid Cymru, mae pethau ymarferol gallwn ni eu gwneud i helpu pobl mewn cyd-destun sy'n un anodd i deuluoedd ac i bobl sy'n gweithio yn y sector hefyd.

Well, Llywydd, of course I acknowledge the difficult context that Heledd Fychan has set out and, unfortunately, that will only get worse over the next month. At the beginning of April, the cost of energy will increase and there will be freezes in the area of income tax, which will have an impact on household income across Wales, and many people will face increased mortgage costs too. So, the impact in the classroom is going to be very great indeed. As I explained, we are doing a number of things under the co-operation agreement in order to assist families and to assist in classrooms too, and the Minister for education has been in discussion with the education unions over recent weeks to discuss with them what we can do together to help people working with children—both teachers and others—in order to provide more time to do the work that they're there to do, by providing more general assistance to them. So, in collaboration with the unions, and through the programme that we have agreed with Plaid Cymru, practical steps are being taken to assist people in a context that is very difficult for families and those working in the sector too.

14:25
2. Datganiad a Chyhoeddiad Busnes
2. Business Statement and Announcement

Yr eitem nesaf fydd y datganiad a chyoeddiad busnes, a dwi'n galw ar y Trefnydd i wneud y datganiad yma—Lesley Griffiths.

The next item will be the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement—Lesley Griffiths.

Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Diolch, Llywydd. Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Nodir busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf ar y datganiad busnes a'r cyhoeddiad, a welir ymhlith papurau'r cyfarfod sydd ar gael i Aelodau yn electronig.

Trefnydd, I note the health Minister's recent comments regarding her inability in law to dismiss executive members of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, and there seems to be or there may be an implication that the Minister would have dismissed them had she the powers to do so. So, can I ask, Trefnydd, will you confirm whether the Senedd will soon be considering any business relating to giving Ministers the power to dismiss executive members in conjunction with health board chairs?

Trefnydd, rwy'n nodi sylwadau diweddar y Gweinidog iechyd ynghylch ei hanallu yn ôl y gyfraith i ddiswyddo aelodau gweithredol bwrdd iechyd Betsi Cadwaladr, ac mae hi'n ymddangos bod goblygiad yn hynny y byddai'r Gweinidog wedi eu diswyddo nhw pe byddai'r pwerau ganddi hi i wneud felly. Felly, a gaf i ofyn, Trefnydd, a wnewch chi gadarnhau y bydd y Senedd yn ystyried unrhyw fusnes yn fuan o ran rhoi'r pŵer i Weinidogion ddiswyddo aelodau gweithredol ar y cyd â chadeiryddion y byrddau iechyd?

Obviously, this is a developing situation, and the Minister has meetings, and I'm sure she will update us in due course.

Yn amlwg, mae hon yn sefyllfa sy'n datblygu, ac mae'r Gweinidog yn cael cyfarfodydd, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd hi'n rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni maes o law.

Trefnydd, I'd like to ask for two statements, please. Firstly, I'd like to ask for a statement of clarification about the clean air Bill. Last week's business statement refers to the Minister for Climate Change making a statement on the Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill. Now, the First Minister and the Minister for Climate Change have consistently referred to it as the 'clean air Bill', so I was a bit confused. The First Minister promised a clean air Bill specifically when he became leader of the Labour Party. It was included in the governing party's manifesto. Indeed, it was announced in the legislative statement and was mentioned again in March. So, can I ask why the change of name now? Is it still a clean air Bill? Is clean air still a Government priority, because, Trefnydd, could you explain why the Bill has been renamed at this late stage?

Secondly, I'd also like to ask for a statement, please, from the transport Minister, regarding the maintenance of trains in the Transport for Wales fleet. I understand a significant proportion of TfW's class 175s had to be pulled from service last week on Wednesday and Thursday because a number of them caught fire within a month. This resulted in over 100 services being curtailed or cancelled, including all services to Treherbert and those services west of Carmarthen. Now, as I understand it, the enclosed engine of the trains requires regular cleaning to prevent fires. This has been managed by the maintenance teams at Canton depot, but apparently the maintenance contract was recently transferred to a new provider. Minor repairs at the Canton depot have now stopped. Could a statement please give us assurance that the class 175s will continue to be properly maintained to avoid a situation like these fires occurring again?

Trefnydd, fe hoffwn i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad, os gwelwch chi'n dda. Yn gyntaf, fe hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad o eglurhad o ran y Bil aer glân. Mae datganiad busnes yr wythnos diwethaf yn cyfeirio at y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd yn gwneud datganiad ynglŷn â Bil yr Amgylchedd (Ansawdd Aer a Seinweddau) (Cymru). Nawr, mae'r Prif Weinidog a'r Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd wedi cyfeirio at hwnnw trwy'r amser fel 'Bil aer glân', felly roeddwn i mewn dryswch i ryw raddau. Fe addawodd y Prif Weinidog Fil aer glân yn benodol pan ddaeth ef yn arweinydd y Blaid Lafur. Fe gafodd hynny ei gynnwys ym maniffesto'r blaid lywodraethol. Yn wir, fe'i cyhoeddwyd yn y datganiad deddfwriaethol y soniwyd amdano unwaith eto ym mis Mawrth. Felly, a gaf i ofyn pam y cafodd yr enw ei newid nawr? A oes Bil aer glân yn bodoli o hyd? A yw aer glân yn parhau i fod yn flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth, oherwydd, Trefnydd, a fyddech chi'n gallu egluro pam mae'r Bil wedi cael ei ailenwi ar y cam diweddar hwn?

Yn ail, fe hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad hefyd, os gwelwch chi'n dda, gan y Gweinidog trafnidiaeth, ynglŷn â chynnal a chadw trenau yn fflyd Trafnidiaeth Cymru. Rwy'n deall y bu'n rhaid tynnu cyfran sylweddol o ddosbarth 175 Trafnidiaeth Cymru oddi ar y gwasanaeth wythnos diwethaf ar ddydd Mercher a dydd Iau oherwydd bod nifer ohonyn nhw wedi mynd ar dân o fewn un mis. Fe arweiniodd hynny at gwtogi neu ganslo dros 100 o wasanaethau, gan gynnwys pob gwasanaeth i Dreherbert a'r gwasanaethau hynny i'r gorllewin o Gaerfyrddin. Nawr, fel rwy'n deall, mae gofyn glanhau injan gaeedig mewn trenau yn rheolaidd i atal tanau. Rheolwyd hynny gan y timau cynnal a chadw yn nepo Treganna, ond mae'n debyg i'r contract cynnal a chadw gael ei drosglwyddo i ddarparwr newydd yn ddiweddar. Mae mân atgyweiriadau yn nepo Treganna wedi dod i ben erbyn hyn. A ellid rhoi sicrwydd i ni mewn datganiad y bydd y dosbarth 175 yn parhau i gael eu cynnal mewn modd priodol ar gyfer osgoi sefyllfa arall fel gyda'r tanau hyn?

Thank you. With regard to your second question, the class 175 trains are planned to be withdrawn from use here later during this year, 2023, once enough brand-new 197 trains are available to replace them, and at the moment TfW are only operating six of the brand-new trains. So, that was planned anyway. As you say, they have taken a number of their long-distance class 175 trains out of service, just for a short period at the current time, to carry out safety inspections following some concerns, and there have been some recent incidents with those trains. There was a fire in the engine bay of a class 175 train—I think that was last week—and it was the third time that there had been such an incident in a very short period of time, and I know that Transport for Wales have apologised for this disruption caused to passengers. But I think it is the right decision. I think it's really important that those necessary safety inspections are—. You've got to consider the balance, haven't you, of safety risks?

With regard to your first question, the reason for the change in the title is because the Bill has been extended.

Diolch i chi. O ran eich ail gwestiwn chi, bwriedir tynnu'r trenau dosbarth 175 yn ôl o gylchrediad yma yn ddiweddarach eleni, 2023, pan fydd digon o drenau newydd sbon 197 ar gael yn eu lle, ac ar hyn o bryd dim ond chwech o'r trenau newydd sbon sy'n cael eu rhedeg gan Drafnidiaeth Cymru. Felly, dyna oedd y cynllun, beth bynnag. Fel rydych chi'n dweud, maen nhw wedi tynnu nifer o'u trenau dosbarth 175 pellter hir o'r gwasanaeth, dim ond am gyfnod byr ar hyn o bryd, i gynnal archwiliadau diogelwch yn dilyn rhai pryderon, ac mae rhai achosion wedi bod yn ddiweddar gyda'r trenau hynny. Roedd yna dân mewn cilfach injan trên dosbarth 175—rwy'n credu mai wythnos diwethaf yr oedd hynny—a hwnnw oedd y trydydd tro i ddigwyddiad o'r fath mewn cyfnod byr iawn, ac fe wn i fod Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi ymddiheuro am yr amhariad a achoswyd i deithwyr gan hynny. Ond rwy'n credu mai hwnnw oedd y penderfyniad cywir. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn fod yr arolygiadau diogelwch angenrheidiol hynny—. Mae'n rhaid i chi ystyried y cydbwysedd, onid oes, o ran risgiau diogelwch?

O ran eich cwestiwn cyntaf chi, y rheswm am y newid yn y teitl yw oherwydd bod y Bil wedi'i ymestyn.

14:30

Could I have a statement, please, from the Minister for Climate Change on building safety? My colleague Andrew Davies raised the issue today about the shocking situation in Grenfell, with hundreds of residents in Wales still living in fear that they could be caught up in a similar horrific event. We put a question in, asking how many flat fires since Grenfell there have been, since 2017, and there have been 367. So, you can imagine how people are feeling very scared.

Last Wednesday, around 100 individuals participated in the Welsh building safety crisis meeting held here, and it was disappointing—and I'll put in on record—that whilst we did have Rhys ab Owen and Jane Dodds, there was not a single representative from the Government or any of its elected Member. As a few residents put it to us, 'Labour's absence of representation last night is evidence of the lack of empathy and willingness to help leaseholders.'

Llywydd, there are numerous issues that need addressing, but I've put them into a small amount: private leaseholders treated less favourably than social housing and housing association tenants, and financial carnage, with leaseholders left stuck funding measures such as a waking watch. And for those who don't know, a waking watch is where, in some of these blocks, residents have to pay towards somebody being present in the building 24 hours a day, so that if there was a spark or anything, they would be on watch to ensure that it didn't actually turn into a fire. There have been concerns about a lack of mental health support, failed communication with affected residents, building safety surveys arranged by the Welsh Government, and yet, one lady in particular had been waiting 18 months for £75,000. So, there are many aspects to this shocking crisis and I do feel that the Minister should, through you, Trefnydd, provide a statement to this Chamber. Diolch. 

A gaf i ddatganiad, os gwelwch chi'n dda, gan y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd ynglŷn â diogelwch adeiladau? Fe gododd fy nghydweithiwr i, Andrew Davies, y mater hwn heddiw ynglŷn â'r sefyllfa frawychus yn Grenfell, gyda channoedd o drigolion yng Nghymru yn byw mewn ofn parhaus y gallen nhw gael eu dal mewn digwyddiad erchyll o'r fath. Fe wnaethom ni roi cwestiwn i mewn, gan ofyn faint o danau mewn fflatiau a fu ers Grenfell, ers 2017, ac fe fu yna 367. Felly, fe allwch chi ddychmygu pa mor ofnus yw pobl.

Ddydd Mercher diwethaf, cymerodd tua 100 o unigolion ran yng nghyfarfod argyfwng diogelwch adeiladau Cymru a gynhaliwyd yma, ac roedd hi'n siomedig—ac fe ddywedaf i hyn ar goedd—er bod Rhys ab Owen a Jane Dodds yn bresennol, nid oedd yr un cynrychiolydd o'r Llywodraeth yno nac unrhyw un o'i Haelodau etholedig. Fel dywedodd ambell un o'r preswylwyr wrthym ni, 'Roedd absenoldeb unrhyw gynrychiolaeth oddi wrth Lafur neithiwr yn dystiolaeth o ddiffyg cydymdeimlad a pharodrwydd i helpu lesddalwyr.'

Llywydd, ceir nifer o faterion y mae angen mynd i'r afael â nhw, ond rwyf wedi eu crynhoi nhw i swm bychan: triniaeth lai ffafriol i lesddeiliaid preifat nag i denantiaid tai cymdeithasol a thai cymdeithasau tai, a chyflafan ariannol, gyda lesddeiliaid yn gorfod ariannu mesurau fel gwyliadwriaeth effro. Ac i'r rhai nad ydyn nhw'n gwybod, gwyliadwriaeth effro yw pan fydd, mewn rhai o'r blociau hyn, y trigolion yn talu am gael rhywun yn bresennol yn yr adeilad 24 awr y dydd, fel pe byddai gwreichionen neu unrhyw beth o'r fath, fe fyddai rhywun yno'n gwylio i sicrhau na fyddai tân gwirioneddol yn cynnau. Cafwyd pryderon ynglŷn â diffyg cymorth iechyd meddwl, methiant o ran cyfathrebu gyda thrigolion a effeithiwyd, arolygon diogelwch adeiladau a gafodd eu trefnu gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ac eto, roedd un wraig yn arbennig wedi bod yn aros 18 mis am £75,000. Felly, mae yna sawl agwedd i'r argyfwng dychrynllyd hwn ac rwy'n teimlo y dylai'r Gweinidog, drwoch chi, Trefnydd, wneud datganiad yn y Siambr hon. Diolch.

Well, as you know, there is a significant piece of work ongoing regarding building safety, and there isn't a statement timetabled at the current time, but I will ensure that the Minister for Climate Change does update Members, probably in the Easter to summer term. 

Wel, fel gwyddoch chi, mae darn sylweddol o waith yn parhau ynghylch diogelwch adeiladau, ac ni chafodd datganiad ei amserlennu ar hyn o bryd, ond fe fyddaf i'n sicrhau y bydd y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd yn rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i Aelodau, yn ôl pob tebyg yn ystod y tymor rhwng y Pasg a'r haf. 

Mi fuaswn i'n licio cael datganiad, os cawn ni, ynglŷn â'r gwaith ymarferol a fydd yn cael ei wneud gan fwrdd iechyd Betsi Cadwaladr, ac yntau, rŵan, dan fesurau arbennig. Yn benodol, dwi eisiau gweld symud ymlaen ar y gwaith o ddarparu gwell gofal iechyd sylfaenol yng Nghaergybi a'r ardal. Mae yna greisis mewn gofal iechyd sylfaenol yng Nghaergybi, byth ers i ddwy feddygfa ddod o dan reolaeth uniongyrchol Betsi Cadwaladr yn 2019. Rydyn ni wedi ennill y ddadl hirdymor i gael canolfan iechyd newydd yng Nghaergybi, ond, wrth gwrs, mae hynny'n mynd i gymryd ychydig o amser i'w ddelifro.

Ond beth mae'r ddwy feddygfa dan reolaeth Betsi Cadwaladr wedi bod yn bwriadu ei wneud rŵan ydy dod â'u gwasanaethau nhw at ei gilydd ar un safle. Y gobaith oedd y byddai'r un safle hwnnw wedi gallu cael ei ddatblygu erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, fel bod yna fwy o hyblygrwydd mewn staffio, a chyfle i ddarparu gwell gofal. Gwnaeth o ddim digwydd achos bod Betsi Cadwaladr ddim wedi rhoi y sign-off iddo fo. Rydyn ni angen sicrwydd y bydd hynny'n gallu digwydd ar fyrder er mwyn pobl Caergybi, sydd wedi dioddef yn llawer rhy hir o ran eu lefel o ofal iechyd, ac mi fyddai datganiad gan y Llywodraeth yn fodd i ddangos bod pethau, gobeithio, yn mynd i allu symud ymlaen ychydig yn gyflymach. 

I would like a statement, please, on the practical work that will be done by Betsi Cadwaladr health board now that it is under special measures. Particularly, I want to see progress in providing improved primary care in Holyhead and the area. There is a crisis in primary care in Holyhead; there has been ever since two surgeries came under the direct control of Betsi Cadwaladr in 2019. We've won the long-term argument for a new health centre in Holyhead, but, of course, that's going to take some time to deliver. 

But what the two surgeries managed by Betsi Cadwaladr had intended to do was to bring their services together on one site. The hope was that that one site could have been developed by the end of last year, so that there was more flexibility in terms of staffing, and an opportunity to provide better care. It didn't happen, because Betsi Cadwaladr hadn't given it sign-off. We need an assurance that that can happen as a matter or urgency, for the sake of the people of Holyhead, who have suffered for far too long in terms of the level of healthcare available to them, and a statement from Government would be a means of showing that things can hopefully progress slightly quicker. 

I'm not aware of the specific case that you mention in Holyhead. I would think that, probably, the most appropriate way forward would be for you to first either contact or speak to their new director of primary care, Rachel Page, to see what work is being undertaken, rather than having a Government statement. 

Nid wyf i'n ymwybodol o'r achos penodol yr ydych chi'n sôn amdano yng Nghaergybi. Fe fyddwn i'n credu, mae'n debyg, mai'r ffordd fwyaf priodol ymlaen fyddai i chi yn gyntaf naill ai gysylltu neu siarad â'u cyfarwyddwr gofal sylfaenol newydd, Rachel Page, i weld pa waith sy'n cael ei wneud, yn hytrach na chael datganiad gan y Llywodraeth.

Good afternoon, Minister. You wouldn't find me often saying that I support Michael Gove, but I'm afraid, on this particular issue, I can see that, in England, Michael Gove has actually moved the agenda on for those people trapped in buildings that are unsafe. With Janet, and with Rhys, I attended the meeting last Wednesday. We heard very emotional stories. These are very human stories. We heard of a father of an 18-month-old who is terrified of staying, living in his own home. We heard from older people that they had made these flats their investments for life. One pensioner, £500 out of her £800 pension goes on service charges and the waking watch night staff. These are real human stories and, coming up to six years after Grenfell, it feels like the Welsh Government is really well behind the curve on being able to help these people financially, but also in terms of their mental health. So, I would like to ask for a statement from the Minister around the timescale of us actually putting in place remediation action that is going to help these people trapped in buildings in Wales. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Prynhawn da, Gweinidog. Nid yn aml y clywch chi fi'n dweud fy mod i'n gefnogol i Michael Gove, ond mae arnaf i ofn, ar y mater penodol hwn, y gallaf i weld, yn Lloegr, fod Michael Gove wedi symud yr agenda ymlaen i'r bobl hynny sydd yn gaeth mewn adeiladau anniogel. Gyda Janet, a chyda Rhys, roeddwn innau'n bresennol yn y cyfarfod ddydd Mercher diwethaf. Fe glywsom ni straeon dirdynnol iawn. Straeon pobl wirioneddol yw'r rhain. Fe glywsom ni am dad i blentyn 18 mis oed sydd ag ofn dychrynllyd o aros, o fyw yn ei gartref ef ei hun. Fe glywsom ni oddi wrth bobl hŷn eu bod nhw wedi gwneud buddsoddiad oes yn y fflatiau hyn. I un bensiynwraig, mae £500 o'i phensiwn hi o £800 yn mynd i dalu staff gwasanaeth nos gwyliadwriaeth effro. Straeon pobl go iawn yw'r rhain, ac wrth nesáu at chwe blynedd ers Grenfell, mae hi'n teimlo fel pe bai Llywodraeth Cymru yn llusgo ar ei hôl hi o ran helpu'r bobl hyn yn ariannol, ond o ran eu hiechyd meddwl nhw hefyd. Felly, fe hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog ynglŷn â'r amserlen a fydd gennym ni mewn gwirionedd o ran rhoi camau adfer ar waith a fydd yn helpu'r bobl hyn sy'n gaeth mewn adeiladau yng Nghymru. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

14:35

Thank you. You will have heard my answer to Janet Finch-Saunders—that I will ensure a statement is brought forward between Easter and summer term. Again, you will have heard the First Minister's answers to the leader of the opposition, and also he referred, I think, to the fact that the Minister for Climate Change will be attending the next meeting of the building safety strategic stakeholder group. So, I do think it's good to let this work continue, and then bring a statement forward.

I didn't actually refer to this in my answer to Janet Finch-Saunders, but there is certainly no lack of empathy or sympathy on behalf of the Welsh Government towards these people. I think you're absolutely right, and I'm sure that a lot of the stories were very emotional. Everybody's entitled to peace in their own home, and, clearly, there are a lot of residents who are very upset and distressed.

Diolch i chi. Fe glywsoch chi fy ateb i Janet Finch-Saunders, mae'n debyg—y byddaf i'n sicrhau bod datganiad yn cael ei roi yn y tymor rhwng y Pasg a'r haf. Ar ben hynny, rydych chi wedi clywed atebion y Prif Weinidog i arweinydd yr wrthblaid, ac iddo ef gyfeirio hefyd, rwy'n credu, at y ffaith y bydd y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd yn bresennol yng nghyfarfod nesaf y grŵp rhanddeiliaid strategol diogelwch adeiladau. Felly, rwy'n credu mai da o beth fyddai caniatáu i'r gwaith hwn fynd rhagddo, a chyflwyno datganiad wedyn.

'Wnes i ddim cyfeirio at hyn yn fy ateb i Janet Finch-Saunders mewn gwirionedd, ond yn sicr nid oes unrhyw ddiffyg empathi na chydymdeimlad ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru gyda'r bobl hyn. Rwy'n credu eich bod chi yn llygad eich lle, ac rwy'n siŵr bod llawer o'r straeon yn rhai teimladwy iawn. Mae hawl gan bawb i lonyddwch yn eu cartrefi eu hunain, ac, yn amlwg, fe geir llawer o drigolion sy'n ofidus ac yn bryderus iawn.

I call for a single statement from the health Minister on raising awareness of diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, a complication of type 1 diabetes. Yesterday, I met with Dee Pinnington, to discuss her raising-awareness campaign, following the death of her son, Alastair, or Ali, Thomas, in 2018 from DKA, as a complication of his type 1 diabetes. Ali was a singer and musician from Flint, who had two young children, and died of DKA aged 35. He'd been diagnosed at 21. DKA is a life-threatening problem that affects people with diabetes, resulting from increased levels of a chemical called ketones in the blood. It causes excessive thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and vomiting. Although deaths from DKA are preventable, people with DKA need to be seen immediately for treatment. Dee Pinnington has produced a bilingual leaflet with the health board to raise awareness of DKA, which is now in every hospital in north Wales, but she told me that she's trying to get the word out more widely. So, I call for a statement on how the Welsh Government can assist with this accordingly. Thank you.

Rwy'n galw am ddatganiad unigol gan y Gweinidog iechyd ynglŷn â chodi'r ymwybyddiaeth am ketoacidosis diabetig, neu DKA, sef cymhlethdod o ddiabetes math 1. Ddoe, fe gwrddais i â Dee Pinnington, i drafod ei hymgyrch i godi ymwybyddiaeth, yn dilyn marwolaeth ei mab, Alastair, neu Ali, Thomas, yn 2018 o DKA, a oedd yn gymhlethdod o'i ddiabetes math 1. Roedd Ali yn ganwr a cherddor o'r Fflint, roedd ganddo ddau o blant ifanc, a bu farw o DKA yn 35 oed. Cafodd ei ddiagnosis yn 21 oed. Mae DKA yn broblem sy'n peryglu bywyd sy'n effeithio ar bobl â diabetes, a achosir gan lefelau uwch o gemegyn o'r enw cetonau yn y gwaed. Mae hynny'n achosi syched eithriadol, troethi mynych, blinder a chyfogi. Er bod modd atal marwolaethau oherwydd DKA, mae angen gweld pobl sydd â DKA ar unwaith i roi triniaeth iddyn nhw. Mae Dee Pinnington wedi cynhyrchu taflen ddwyieithog gyda'r bwrdd iechyd i godi ymwybyddiaeth o DKA, sydd ym mhob ysbyty yn y gogledd erbyn hyn, ond roedd hi'n dweud wrthyf i ei bod hi'n ceisio cyhoeddi'r neges yn ehangach. Felly, rwy'n galw am ddatganiad ynglŷn â'r modd y gall Llywodraeth Cymru gynorthwyo gyda hyn. Diolch i chi.

Thank you. You obviously describe a very distressing situation. I personally have never heard of DKA, so I think it's really good that leaflets have now been made available in every hospital, to ensure that people are aware of this condition. I will certainly ask the Minister for Health and Social Services if there's anything we can do as a Welsh Government to perhaps help with that campaign, and make sure that those leaflets perhaps are even more widely available across Wales.FootnoteLink

Diolch i chi. Mae hi'n amlwg eich bod chi'n disgrifio sefyllfa ofidus iawn. Yn bersonol, ni chlywais i erioed o'r blaen am DKA, felly rwyf i o'r farn mai rhywbeth da iawn yw bod taflenni ar gael ym mhob ysbyty erbyn hyn, i sicrhau bod pobl yn ymwybodol o'r cyflwr hwn. Fe fyddaf i'n sicr yn gofyn i'r Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a oes unrhyw beth y gallwn ni ei wneud yn Llywodraeth Cymru i helpu gyda'r ymgyrch hon efallai, a gwneud yn siŵr bod y taflenni hynny ar gael yn ehangach eto efallai ledled Cymru.FootnoteLink

Trefnydd, I'd like two statements, please, on housing issues, and I'm glad you've indicated already the willingness to give one. But firstly, could the Welsh Government provide an oral statement on the impact of the local housing allowance in Wales? The Bevan Foundation recently found that there's a significant gap between local housing allowance and rent, this leading into poverty and homelessness. And in Wales, 70 per cent of the private rental tenants who get help with their housing costs from local housing allowance do not get enough to cover their rent; 70 per cent, that's the highest proportion in Britain. So, could we look into that, please, Trefnydd?

Secondly, to reiterate the points raised by my colleagues Janet Finch-Saunders and Jane Dodds, could we have a debate, please, on fire safety in our high-rise flats, and the effectiveness of the Welsh building safety fund? I was struck, like Jane Dodds, by some of the comments in that meeting, especially young families, like my own, worried about bringing up their children in their homes, and also retired people, who are struggling financially when they really should be enjoying retirement. There was a real sense of frustration and, at times, anger at that meeting, and, rightly or wrongly, Trefnydd, they really do feel ignored. So, another debate at the Senedd on the effectiveness of the Welsh building safety fund, I think, would go a long way for them to feel heard and feel appreciated. Diolch yn fawr.

Trefnydd, fe hoffwn i ddau ddatganiad, os gwelwch chi'n dda, am faterion ynglŷn â thai, ac rwy'n falch eich bod chi eisoes wedi nodi eich parodrwydd i roi un. Ond yn gyntaf, a wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru roi datganiad llafar ynglŷn ag effaith y lwfans tai lleol yng Nghymru? Yn ddiweddar fe wnaeth Sefydliad Bevan ganfod bwlch sylweddol rhwng y lwfans tai lleol a'r rhent, a bod hynny'n arwain at dlodi a digartrefedd. Ac yng Nghymru, nid yw 70 y cant o'r tenantiaid rhent preifat sy'n cael cymorth gyda chostau eu tai drwy lwfans tai lleol yn cael digon i dalu am eu rhent; 70 y cant, dyna'r gyfran uchaf ym Mhrydain. Felly, a gawn ni edrych i mewn i hynny, os gwelwch chi'n dda, Trefnydd?

Yn ail, gan ailadrodd y pwyntiau a godwyd gan fy nghydweithwyr Janet Finch-Saunders a Jane Dodds, a gawn ni ddadl, os gwelwch chi'n dda, ynglŷn â diogelwch tân mewn blociau uchel o fflatiau yma, ac effeithiolrwydd cronfa diogelwch adeiladau Cymru? Fe gefais fy nharo, fel Jane Dodds, gan rai o'r sylwadau yn y cyfarfod hwnnw, yn enwedig o ran teuluoedd ifanc, fel fy un i, sy'n poeni am fagu eu plant yn eu cartrefi nhw, a phobl wedi ymddeol hefyd, sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd yn ariannol pan ddylen nhw wir fod yn mwynhau eu hymddeoliad. Roedd gwir ymdeimlad o rwystredigaeth yno ac, ar adegau, mynegwyd dicter yn y cyfarfod hwnnw, ac, yn gam neu'n gymwys, Trefnydd, maen nhw'n teimlo wir eu bod nhw'n cael eu hanwybyddu. Felly, fe fyddai dadl arall yn y Senedd ynglŷn ag effeithiolrwydd cronfa diogelwch adeiladau Cymru, yn fy marn i, yn mynd ffordd bell iddyn nhw allu teimlo eu bod nhw'n cael eu clywed a theimlo bod rhywun yn eu gwerthfawrogi nhw. Diolch yn fawr.

14:40

Well, I don't think I've got anything further to add to your second question that I haven't already said to both Janet Finch-Saunders and to Jane Dodds. In relation to your first request, I am aware of the Bevan Foundation report, and I believe that the Minister for Climate Change is currently considering that.

Wel, nid wyf i'n credu bod unrhyw beth arall gennyf i'w ychwanegu at eich ail gwestiwn na ddywedais i eisoes wrth Janet Finch-Saunders a Jane Dodds. O ran eich cais cyntaf chi, rwy'n ymwybodol o adroddiad Sefydliad Bevan, ac rwy'n credu bod y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd yn ystyried hwnnw ar hyn o bryd. 

Could I ask for a statement from the Government regarding care home provision in Denbighshire? As I've mentioned a couple of times in the Senedd Chamber now, I'm undertaking a programme of care home visits in my constituency, and the common theme that's currently emerging is the fact that care homes that run at, say, for example, a 40/50 capacity, are actually only operating at half of that sometimes, and that's mostly due to the lack of recruitment and retention of staff within care homes, and it's becoming a real issue, obviously with patient flow and discharges from hospital. Part of the issue that care home providers are talking about is the actual care home fee in Denbighshire. And I know I've mentioned it before, and I know the leader of the council gets a little upset with me when I mention it, but it would be remiss of me not to bring it up, because, where there is a slight increase in the care home fee for this financial year, comparatively against other counties—sorry, neighbouring counties—it's the second lowest care home fee provider, only behind Flintshire. Given the density of the population in Rhyl and Prestatyn, together with the amount of elderly people, and, indeed, the care homes that go with that, it's becoming a problem and it's not reflective of the demographics in Denbighshire. So, could I have a statement from the Government outlining some of the training opportunities and what more we can do in Denbighshire and more widely to attract people into care home careers, and to reassure people that it is a rewarding career, and it could be very successful, with the right training and provision in place? Thank you. 

A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth ynghylch y ddarpariaeth o gartrefi gofal sydd yn sir Ddinbych? Fel soniais i sawl tro yn Siambr y Senedd erbyn hyn, rwyf i'n ymgymryd â rhaglen o ymweliadau â chartrefi gofal yn fy etholaeth i, a'r thema gyffredin sy'n dod i'r amlwg ar hyn o bryd yw'r ffaith bod cartrefi gofal sy'n rhedeg ar, dyweder, er enghraifft, gapasiti o 40/50, ddim ond yn rhedeg ar hanner y gyfradd honno ar adegau mewn gwirionedd, ac mae hynny gan amlaf oherwydd diffyg recriwtio a chadw staff mewn cartrefi gofal, ac mae honno'n mynd yn broblem wirioneddol, yn amlwg gyda llif cleifion a rhyddhau cleifion o ysbytai. Rhan o'r mater y mae darparwyr cartrefi gofal yn ei godi yw ffi wirioneddol cartrefi gofal yn sir Ddinbych. Ac rwy'n gwybod fy mod i wedi sôn am hyn o'r blaen, ac rwy'n gwybod bod arweinydd y cyngor ychydig yn ddig gyda mi pan ydw i'n sôn am hyn, ond fe fyddwn i'n esgeulus pe byddwn i'n peidio â sôn am hyn, oherwydd, er bod cynnydd bychan yn y ffi y mae cartrefi gofal yn ei chodi am y flwyddyn ariannol hon, o gymharu â siroedd eraill—rwy'n ymddiheuro, siroedd cyfagos—dyma'r ddarpariaeth â'r ffioedd cartref gofal isaf ond un, dim ond sir y Fflint sydd â rhai is. O ystyried dwysedd y boblogaeth yn y Rhyl a Phrestatyn, ynghyd â niferoedd pobl oedrannus, ac, yn wir, y cartrefi gofal sy'n mynd gyda hynny, mae hi'n mynd yn broblem ac nid yw'n hynny'n adlewyrchu demograffeg sir Ddinbych. Felly, a gawn ni datganiad gan y Llywodraeth yn amlinellu rhai o'r cyfleoedd o ran hyfforddiant a'r hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud fel arall yn sir Ddinbych ac yn fwy eang i ddenu pobl i yrfaoedd mewn cartrefi gofal, a rhoi sicrwydd i bobl ei bod hi'n yrfa werthfawr, ac fe allai fod yn llwyddiannus iawn, gyda'r hyfforddiant a'r ddarpariaeth gywir ar waith? Diolch i chi. 

Thank you. I think the Welsh Government have certainly always put forward the very strong case, I think, that it can be a very rewarding career—working in the care home and social care sector. I'm aware that Care Forum Wales—gosh, I think, it's about 12, 13, 14 years ago now—it was a programme that they started to make sure there was professional development for people working in care homes, and the Welsh Government certainly supported that. Recruitment is a real issue. I think we all recognise that. I passed a very large care home, not far from here, the other evening, and there was a big banner outside saying, 'We are recruiting.' It's not an issue just in Wales either, and we certainly saw—. We ask a great deal, don't we, of our staff in our are care homes and social care, and unfortunately we have seen many leave the profession and also issues with recruitment. You will be aware the Welsh Government brought forward the real living wage, which we implemented for social care workers, earlier this year, to deliver on our commitment to introduce it to all social care workers, and we made £43 million available this financial year. 

Diolch i chi. Rwyf i'n sicr o'r farn fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyflwyno'r achos hwn yn gryf iawn bob amser, rwy'n credu, sef y gall honno fod yn yrfa sy'n rhoi llawer iawn o foddhad—gweithio yn y sector cartrefi gofal a gofal cymdeithasol. Rwy'n ymwybodol bod Fforwm Gofal Cymru—diawch, rwy'n meddwl bod hynny tua 12, 13, 14 mlynedd yn ôl erbyn hyn—roedd yn rhaglen roedden nhw wedi ei dechrau i wneud yn siŵr bod datblygiad proffesiynol ar gael i bobl sy'n gweithio mewn cartrefi gofal, ac yn sicr fe wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru gefnogi hynny. Mae recriwtio yn broblem wirioneddol. Rwy'n credu ein bod ni i gyd yn cydnabod hynny. Roeddwn i'n mynd heibio i gartref gofal mawr iawn, ddim yn bell o fan hyn, ryw noson, ac roedd baner fawr y tu allan yn dweud, 'Rydym ni'n recriwtio.' Nid problem i Gymru yn unig mohoni chwaith, ac yn sicr fe welsom ni—. Rydym yn gofyn llawer iawn, onid ydym ni, oddi wrth y staff yn ein cartrefi gofal a staff gofal cymdeithasol, ac yn anffodus rydym ni wedi gweld llawer yn ymadael â'r proffesiwn a materion yn ymwneud â recriwtio hefyd. Rydych chi siŵr o fod yn ymwybodol bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dod â'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol yn ei flaen, a weithredwyd gennym ni ar gyfer gweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol, yn gynharach eleni, i gyflawni ein hymrwymiad ni i'w gyflwyno i bob gweithiwr gofal cymdeithasol, ac fe wnaethom ni sicrhau bod £43 miliwn ar gael yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon. 

Trefnydd, I'd like a statement from yourself, in your role as the rural affairs Minister, about the attacks that we're seeing on sheep by dogs in our communities. I've seen on Facebook in my own patch this week two sheep that have died from poor owners letting their dogs off leads in fields where there are livestock that are heavy in lamb. So, can we have, please, a statement from you about what the Welsh Government is doing to tackle this issue to make sure that our farmers do not lose livestock to dog attacks during this very busy period for them? 

Trefnydd, fe hoffwn i ddatganiad gennych chi, yn rhinwedd eich swydd yn Weinidog materion gwledig, ynglŷn â'r ymosodiadau gan gŵn ar ddefaid a welsom ni yn ein cymunedau. Fe welais i ar Facebook yn fy mro fy hun yr wythnos hon fod dwy ddafad wedi trengi oherwydd bod perchnogion diegwyddor wedi gollwng eu cŵn oddi ar y tennyn mewn caeau lle roedd y defaid yn cario ŵyn. Felly, a gawn ni, os gwelwch chi'n dda, ddatganiad gennych chi am yr hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn i wneud yn siŵr nad yw ein ffermwyr ni'n colli anifeiliaid oherwydd ymosodiadau gan gŵn yn ystod y cyfnod prysur iawn hwn iddyn nhw?

Thank you. It's something I take very seriously, and unfortunately, particularly this time of year, when we have lambing, we do see a number of the cases that you refer to. One thing I always encourage is responsible ownership by people with dogs. You'll be aware that we fund—the Welsh Government funds—the rural crime and wildlife commissioner, and it's a piece of work we specifically asked him to look at too. I've also had discussions with DEFRA, because I think the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill is an area where we could improve on the legislation. I'm not sure that all the legislation that we have is fit for purpose. Some of it is very, very old. And, just yesterday, I was in an inter-ministerial group with my counterparts from across the UK and raised the stalling of the kept animals Bill, because we've put a lot of effort into that—and unfortunately, as I say, it is stalled—to encourage them to restart, because I do think it will help with this issue. 

Diolch i chi. Mae hynny'n rhywbeth yr wyf i'n ei gymryd o ddifrif, ac yn anffodus, yn arbennig ar yr adeg hon o'r flwyddyn, adeg wyna, fe welwn ni nifer o'r achosion yr ydych chi'n cyfeirio atyn nhw. Un peth yr wyf i'n ei annog bob amser yw perchnogaeth gyfrifol o gŵn gan bobl. Rydych chi siŵr o fod yn ymwybodol ein bod ni'n ariannu—cronfeydd Llywodraeth Cymru—y comisiynydd troseddau cefn gwlad a bywyd gwyllt, ac mae hwnnw'n ddarn o waith y gwnaethom ofyn iddo ef ei ystyried yn benodol hefyd. Fe gefais i drafodaethau gyda DEFRA hefyd, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod y Bil Lles Anifeiliaid (Anifeiliaid a Gedwir) yn faes lle gallem ni wella ar y ddeddfwriaeth. Nid wyf i'n siŵr fod y ddeddfwriaeth sydd gennym ni i gyd addas i'r diben. Mae cyfran ohoni'n hynafol dros ben. A ddoe yn unig, roeddwn i mewn grŵp rhyng-weinidogol gyda fy nghyd-weinidogion o bob rhan o'r DU ac fe godiais i'r oedi gyda'r Bil anifeiliaid a gedwir, oherwydd rydym ni wedi gwneud llawer o ymdrech ynglŷn â hynny—ac yn anffodus, fel dywedais i, mae wedi mynd ar stop—i'w hannog nhw i ailgychwyn, oherwydd rwyf i o'r farn y bydd o gymorth mawr gyda'r mater hwn. 

3. Dadl: Cyfraddau Treth Incwm Cymru 2023-24
3. Debate: Welsh Rates of Income Tax 2023-24

Yr eitem nesaf, felly, fydd y ddadl ar gyfraddau treth incwm am y flwyddyn 2023-24, a dwi'n galw ar y Gweinidog cyllid i wneud y cynnig. Rebecca Evans.

The next item will be the debate on Welsh rates of income tax for 2023-24, and I call on the Minister for finance to move the motion. Rebecca Evans.

14:45

Cynnig NDM8215 Lesley Griffiths

Cynnig bod y Senedd, yn unol ag adran 116D o Ddeddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006, yn cytuno ar y penderfyniad ynghylch cyfraddau Cymru ar gyfer cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru 2023-24 fel a ganlyn:

a) y gyfradd Gymreig a gynigir ar gyfer cyfradd sylfaenol y dreth incwm yw 10c yn y bunt;

b) y gyfradd Gymreig a gynigir ar gyfer cyfradd uwch y dreth incwm yw 10c yn y bunt; ac

c) y gyfradd Gymreig a gynigir ar gyfer cyfradd ychwanegol y dreth incwm yw 10c yn y bunt.

Motion NDM8215 Lesley Griffiths

To propose that the Senedd in accordance with section 116D of the Government of Wales Act 2006, agrees the Welsh rate resolution for the 2023-24 Welsh rates of income tax as follows:

a) the Welsh rate for the purpose of calculating the basic rate of income tax is 10p in the pound;

b) the Welsh rate for the purpose of calculating the higher rate of income tax is 10p in the pound; and

c) the Welsh rate for the purpose of calculating the additional rate of income tax is 10p in the pound.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Llywydd, thank you for the opportunity to open this debate on the Welsh rates of income tax resolution for the 2023-24. Welsh rates of income tax were introduced in April 2019 and apply to non-savings, non-dividend income tax payers resident in Wales. Welsh rates of income tax raise well over £2.5 billion each year towards the funding of the Welsh Government's budget. The Welsh rates for the next financial year were announced at the draft budget. The motion to set Welsh rates of income tax for 2023-24 will mean that Welsh taxpayers will continue to pay the same income tax as their English and Northern Irish counterparts.

Our approach to setting income tax rates for next year is set squarely within the context in which we operate as a fiscally responsible Government. We face considerable pressure on our public services due to high levels of inflation, and our residents are challenged every day with the cost-of-living crisis. Our income tax base is relatively weak, which mean that any significant change to our resources through income tax rises would require an increase to the basic rate, all while our residents are struggling to pay their energy and food bills.

I have been very clear that now is not the right time to increase income tax in Wales. The UK Government's decision to freeze income tax thresholds means that our lowest earners have now been dragged into the income tax system. Raising the rates or making any changes now would add an additional contribution on those least able to afford it, and at a time when the overall tax contribution is at its highest level for 70 years. The context we have faced during this budget process has been incredibly challenging. Inflation has eroded our budget to worryingly low levels, and the UK Government has failed to lift our budgets to address that funding gap. The reality has been that we could not meet all of the pressures identified within the funding available. Despite this, our 2023-24 budget was designed to maximise the impact of our available resources through balancing the short-term needs associated with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis whilst also continuing to make longer term change and deliver on our programme for government ambitions.

We have a responsibility to deliver a budget that is fully costed and balances spending needs with the financial pressures people in Wales are already facing, and retaining Welsh rates of income tax for each band at 10p in the pound allows us to do that. Based on the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecasts, setting the rate at 10p for all bands is expected to raise £2.795 billion in 2023-24. Although rates haven't changed, WRIT is expected to have provided an additional £89 million to the Welsh Government budget since it was devolved. Together with the funding received through the block grant, Welsh income tax contributions are a vital part of the budget, and I strongly recommend that Members support the motion today so that we can continue to support public services in Wales at this very challenging time. The motion today also ensures that we continue to deliver our programme for government commitment not to take more in Welsh rates of income tax from Welsh families for at least as long as the economic impact of coronavirus lasts.

Looking further ahead, we'll be guided by our tax principles, which commit us to designing clear and stable taxes that deliver our progressive agenda. Those with the broadest shoulders should pay a greater share. Ensuring that we make the most of our devolved tax responsibilities also means working closely with His Majesty's Revenue and Customs on the administration of WRIT. As highlighted in the National Audit Office's most recent report, the robust processes and governance arrangements with HMRC provide a strong basis for the effective and efficient collection and administration of WRIT, going forward. The WRIT out turn for 2020-21 was published by HMRC last year. The outturn was fairly close to forecasts, given the exceptional economic conditions at the time. A positive reconciliation amount has been added to the budget for 2023-24. I look forward to the debate today, and the Senedd is asked to agree the Welsh rates resolution that will set the Welsh rates of income tax for 2023-24, and I ask Members for their support this afternoon.

Llywydd, diolch i chi am y cyfle i agor y ddadl hon ar y penderfyniad ynglŷn â chyfraddau treth incwm Cymru ar gyfer 2023-24. Cyflwynwyd cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru ym mis Ebrill 2019 ac maen nhw'n berthnasol i incwm nad yw'n incwm o gynilion nac o ddifidend pobl sy'n preswylio yng Nghymru sy'n talu'r dreth incwm. Mae cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru yn codi ymhell dros £2.5 biliwn bob blwyddyn tuag at ariannu cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru. Cafodd cyfraddau Cymru ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf eu cyhoeddi yn y gyllideb ddrafft. Bydd y cynnig i bennu cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru ar gyfer 2023-24 yn golygu y bydd trethdalwyr Cymru yn parhau i dalu'r un dreth incwm â phobl gyffelyb yn Lloegr a Gogledd Iwerddon.

Gosodwyd ein dull ni o bennu cyfraddau treth incwm ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf yn gyfan gwbl yn y cyd-destun yr ydym ni'n ei weithredu mewn Llywodraeth sy'n gyllidol gyfrifol. Rydym ni'n wynebu pwysau sylweddol ar ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus oherwydd cyfraddau uchel o chwyddiant, ac mae ein trigolion ni'n cael eu herio bob dydd gyda'r argyfwng costau byw. Mae ein sylfaen ni o dreth incwm yn gymharol simsan, sy'n golygu y byddai angen codiad i'r gyfradd sylfaenol i'n hadnoddau ni newid yn sylweddol, a hynny i gyd tra bod ein trigolion ni'n ei chael hi'n anodd talu eu biliau ynni a bwyd.

Rwyf i wedi bod yn eglur iawn nad nawr yw'r amser cymwys i gynyddu treth incwm yng Nghymru. Mae penderfyniad Llywodraeth y DU i rewi trothwyon treth incwm yn golygu bod y rhai sydd gennym ni sy'n ennill yr incwm lleiaf wedi cael eu llusgo nawr i'r system dreth incwm. Fe fyddai codi'r cyfraddau neu wneud unrhyw newidiadau ar hyn o bryd yn gorfodi cyfraniad ychwanegol ar y rhai sy'n lleiaf abl i'w fforddio, a hynny ar adeg pan fo'r cyfraniad treth cyffredinol ar ei lefel uchaf ers 70 o flynyddoedd. Bu'r cyd-destun a wynebwyd gennym ni'n heriol dros ben yn ystod y broses o lunio'r gyllideb hon. Mae chwyddiant wedi erydu ein cyllideb ni i lefelau pryderus o isel, ac ni lwyddodd Llywodraeth y DU i godi ein cyllidebau ni i fynd i'r afael â'r bwlch hwnnw o ran cyllido. Y gwir yw na allem ni ymdrin â'r holl bwysau a nodwyd gyda'r cyllid sydd ar gael. Er hyn i gyd, fe gynlluniwyd ein cyllideb ni am 2023-24 i wneud y mwyaf o effaith yr adnoddau sydd ar gael gennym ni trwy gydbwyso'r anghenion byrdymor sy'n gysylltiedig â'r argyfwng costau byw parhaus gan barhau hefyd i weithredu newid tymor hwy a chyflawni ein rhaglen ni ar gyfer uchelgeisiau'r llywodraeth.

Mae cyfrifoldeb gennym ni i ddarparu cyllideb a gostiwyd yn llawn ac sy'n cydbwyso'r anghenion o ran gwario gyda'r pwysau ariannol y mae pobl yng Nghymru yn eu hwynebu eisoes, ac mae cadw cyfraddau o dreth incwm i Gymru ar gyfer pob band ar 10c yn y bunt yn caniatáu i ni wneud felly. Ar sail rhagolygon y Swyddfa Cyfrifoldeb Cyllidebol, gan osod y gyfradd ar 10c i'r bandiau i gyd mae disgwyl y byddwn ni'n codi £2.795 biliwn yn 2023-24. Er nad yw'r cyfraddau wedi newid, mae disgwyl i Gyfraddau Treth Incwm Cymru fod wedi rhoi £89 miliwn yn ychwanegol i gyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru ers iddi gael ei datganoli. Ynghyd â'r cyllid a dderbyniwyd drwy'r grant bloc, mae cyfraniadau treth incwm Cymru yn rhan hanfodol o'r gyllideb, ac rwy'n taer argymell yr Aelodau i gefnogi'r cynnig heddiw i ni allu parhau i gefnogi gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru yn y cyfnod heriol iawn hwn. Mae'r cynnig heddiw yn sicrhau hefyd ein bod ni'n parhau i gyflawni ein rhaglen ar gyfer ymrwymiad y llywodraeth i beidio â chodi mwy o dreth ar deuluoedd Cymru drwy gyfraddau treth incwm Cymru cyhyd ag y bydd effaith economaidd coronafeirws yn parhau.

Wrth edrych ymhellach ymlaen, fe'n harweinir ni gan ein hegwyddorion ni ynglŷn â threthiant, sy'n ein hymrwymo i lunio trethi sy'n eglur a sefydlog sy'n cyflawni ein hagenda flaengar. Fe ddylai'r rhai sydd â mwyaf o fodd dalu cyfran fwy. Mae sicrhau ein bod ni'n gwneud y mwyaf o'n cyfrifoldebau ni o ran trethi datganoledig yn golygu gweithio yn agos gyda Chyllid a Thollau Ei Fawrhydi hefyd o ran gweinyddu cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru. Fel roedd adroddiad diweddaraf y Swyddfa Archwilio Genedlaethol yn tynnu sylw ato, mae'r prosesau a'r trefniadau llywodraethu cadarn gyda CThEF yn rhoi sail gadarn i gasglu a gweinyddu cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru yn effeithiol ac effeithlon, wrth symud ymlaen. Cyhoeddwyd alldro cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru ar gyfer 2020-21 gan CThEF y llynedd. Roedd yr alldro yn weddol agos at y rhagolygon, o ystyried yr amodau economaidd eithriadol ar y pryd. Ychwanegwyd swm cysoni cadarnhaol at y gyllideb ar gyfer 2023-24. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at y ddadl heddiw, ac fe ofynnir i'r Senedd gytuno ar benderfyniad trethi Cymru a fydd yn pennu cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru ar gyfer 2023-24, ac rwy'n gofyn i'r Aelodau am eu cefnogaeth nhw y prynhawn yma.

Thank you, Minister, for that statement. As I'm sure you know, Minister, Welsh workers take home the lowest pay packets in the United Kingdom—an astonishing £3,000 less than their counterparts in Scotland. The simple fact is that any rise in income tax would be a direct attack on hard-working people. So, I'm glad that the Welsh Government has chosen not to increase the Welsh rate of income tax this year. As it stands, around £2.8 billion of the Welsh Government's budget is raised through income tax alone. This is no small amount, as we know, and the people of Wales have trusted the Government with this money to deliver vital public services. With Welsh workers on the lowest wages in the United Kingdom, the last thing they need is to be dealing with politicians looking to take more of their hard-earned money. As many of us in the Chamber know, Wales has a large percentage of taxpayers who pay the basic rate—more than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. Whilst the basic rate taxpayers account for 92 per cent in Wales, that figure sits at 87 per cent across the rest of the UK.

I know there are some in this Chamber who would like to hike up income tax on the hard-working people of Wales, and I'm incredibly glad to see that they are in the minority. Such a move does not take into account the fact that this would disproportionately hit those who are struggling the most in society. It's also important to consider the very real implications that making changes to the additional rate of income tax would have to the tax base. We know that those paying the additional rate of income tax are most likely to migrate due to tax changes. Therefore, an increase to the additional rate would just result in fewer people paying taxes in Wales. I firmly believe that we should be looking to cut taxes whenever possible, not raise them, especially during a difficult time. We on the Welsh Conservative benches would certainly not raise income tax over the course of this Senedd term, yet Labour have made no such pledge, choosing instead to say that they would not raise income tax, as we've just heard, as long as the economic impact of coronavirus lasts. I would hope that, going forward, we see more of a concrete pledge from Labour Ministers so that people in Wales have more certainty surrounding the level of taxes they can expect to be paying.

On the wider point of devolved taxes, I want to stress the point that if the Welsh Government wants to introduce other taxes on the people of Wales, they must really consider what the economic and financial impacts would be on communities across the country. Minister, businesses in Wales are currently facing a cost-of-doing-business crisis due to global inflationary pressures as a result of Putin's barbaric invasion of Ukraine. I therefore strongly encourage you to urgently reconsider implementing a tourism tax by your Government.

To conclude, while I welcome the decision by Labour Ministers not to look to raise income tax this year, we need to be taking a hard look at current tax policies, ensuring the Welsh Government uses devolved powers to help foster business growth, increase wages and ensure that hard work pays off across the country for everyone. Thank you.

Diolch i chi, Gweinidog, am y datganiad yna. Fel rwy'n siŵr y gwyddoch chi, Gweinidog, gweithwyr Cymru sy'n mynd adref â'r pecynnau cyflog isaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig—swm rhyfeddol o £3,000 yn llai na'r rhai cyffelyb yn yr Alban. Y ffaith seml yw y byddai unrhyw gynnydd yn y dreth incwm yn ymosodiad uniongyrchol ar bobl sy'n gweithio'n galed. Felly, rwy'n falch fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dewis peidio â chynyddu cyfradd treth incwm Cymru eleni. Ar hyn o bryd, caiff tua £2.8 biliwn o gyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru ei godi drwy'r dreth incwm yn unig. Nid swm bychan mohono, fel gwyddom ni, ac mae pobl Cymru wedi ymddiried yn y Llywodraeth gyda'r arian hwn i ddarparu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus hanfodol. Gyda gweithwyr Cymru ar y cyflogau isaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig, y peth olaf sydd ei angen arnyn nhw yw gorfod ymdrin â gwleidyddion sy'n awyddus i gymryd mwy o'r arian y buon nhw'n llafurio amdano. Fel gŵyr llawer ohonom ni yn y Siambr, mae gan Gymru ganran fawr o drethdalwyr sy'n talu'r gyfradd sylfaenol—mwy nag yn unman arall yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Er bod trethdalwyr cyfradd sylfaenol yn cyfrif am 92 y cant yng Nghymru, y ffigur hwnnw yw 87 y cant yng ngweddill y DU.

Fe wn i fod rhai yn y Siambr hon a fyddai'n hoffi cynnydd yn y dreth incwm i weithwyr dygn Cymru, ac rwy'n hynod falch o weld eu bod nhw yn y lleiafrif. Nid yw cam o'r fath yn ystyried y ffaith y byddai hynny'n taro yn anghymesur ar y rhai sy'n ei chael hi fwyaf anodd yn y gymdeithas. Mae hi'n bwysig ystyried y goblygiadau gwirioneddol iawn hefyd a fyddai oherwydd unrhyw newidiadau i'r gyfradd ychwanegol o dreth incwm. Rydym ni'n gwybod mai'r rhai sy'n talu'r gyfradd ychwanegol o dreth incwm sydd fwyaf tebygol o ymfudo oherwydd newidiadau yn y dreth. Felly ni fyddai cynnydd i'r gyfradd ychwanegol yn gwneud dim ond golygu y byddai llai o bobl yn talu trethi yng Nghymru. Rwy'n credu'n gryf y dylem ni fod yn ystyried torri trethi pryd bynnag mae hynny'n bosibl, nid eu codi nhw, yn arbennig felly mewn cyfnod anodd. Yn sicr, ni fyddem ni ar feinciau'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn codi treth incwm yn ystod tymor y Senedd hon, ac eto nid yw Llafur wedi addo dim o'r fath, gan ddewis dweud na fydden nhw'n codi treth incwm, fel clywsom ni gynnau, cyn belled â bod effaith economaidd coronafeirws yn parhau. Fe fyddwn i'n gobeithio, wrth symud ymlaen, cael gweld mwy o addewidion pendant gan Weinidogion Llafur fel bydd gan bobl yng Nghymru fwy o sicrwydd ynghylch cyfraddau'r trethi y gallan nhw fod yn disgwyl eu talu.

Ar bwynt ehangach trethi datganoledig, fe hoffwn i bwysleisio'r pwynt pe byddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn dymuno cyflwyno trethi eraill ar bobl Cymru, bod hi'n rhaid iddyn nhw wir ystyried yr hyn a fyddai'r effeithiau economaidd ac ariannol ar gymunedau ledled y wlad. Gweinidog, mae busnesau yng Nghymru yn wynebu argyfwng yng nghostau gweithredu eu busnesau ar hyn o bryd oherwydd pwysau chwyddiant byd-eang o ganlyniad i ymosodiad barbaraidd Putin ar Wcráin. Felly, rwy'n eich annog chi'n daer i ailystyried gweithredu treth dwristiaeth gan eich Llywodraeth ar fyrder.

I gloi, er fy mod i'n croesawu penderfyniad Gweinidogion Llafur i beidio â cheisio codi treth incwm eleni, mae angen i ni fod yn edrych yn fanwl ar y polisïau trethi cyfredol, gan sicrhau y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn defnyddio pwerau datganoledig i helpu i feithrin twf busnesau, cynyddu cyflogau a sicrhau bod gwaith dyfal yn talu ledled y wlad i bawb. Diolch i chi.

14:50

Gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am agor y ddadl? Mae'n teimlo ein bod ni wedi cael y ddadl yma dair, bedair o weithiau'n barod yn y mis neu ddau ddiwethaf, a dwi'n gwneud dim ymddiheuriad am y ffaith bod y diolch am hynny i Blaid Cymru. Rŷn ni wedi bod yn barod i fynd i'r afael â'r pwnc yma yn hytrach na jest nodio'r peth drwyddo, efallai, fel byddai wedi digwydd fel arfer. Ni fel plaid sydd wedi gwneud yr achos dros ddefnyddio'r pwerau yma sydd gyda ni. A pha bwrpas cael y pwerau oni bai bod yna barodrwydd gwirioneddol i'w defnyddio nhw, pan fydd amgylchiadau'n mynnu eu defnyddio nhw, wrth gwrs, ac nid o dan unrhyw amgylchiadau? Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, os ydy'r Llywodraeth ddim yn teimlo mai nawr yw'r amser i wneud hynny, yna edrychwch ar y trajectory: po fwyaf o lymder fydd yn dod o gyfeiriad y Ceidwadwyr, po fwyaf o doriadau fydd yn cael eu gorfodi ar Gymru, po gryfaf fydd y ddadl yn y pen draw i ddefnyddio'r pwerau yma, felly mae'n rhaid braenaru'r tir fel, pan fydd yr amser yn dod, fod Cymru'n barod i fynd, os oes angen o gwbl. Ond dwi ddim eisiau bod nôl fan hyn mewn blwyddyn yn clywed y Gweinidog eto'n dweud, 'Wel, dŷn ni ddim yn gwybod beth fyddai goblygiadau amrywio lefel trethi, ac yn y blaen, felly mae'n anodd i ni wneud unrhyw beth ynglŷn ag e.'

Dwi'n deall, wrth gwrs, ei fod e'n benderfyniad anodd, ond yr hyn sydd ddim wedi fy mhlesio i ynglŷn â'r drafodaeth gyffredinol o gwmpas hyn hyd yn hyn ydy natur fonocrom y drafodaeth: codi treth incwm, a dyna ni. Na—mae modd edrych ar hwn yn fwy creadigol, gyda mwy o haenau a defnyddio, efallai, dreth y cyngor i wrthbwyso'r impact ar bobl, efallai, sydd ddim ar gyflogau uwch ac yn y blaen. Ond, dyna ni—rŷn ni fan hyn heddiw gydag un cynnig o'n blaenau ni ac un mater i'w benderfynu.

May I thank the Minister for opening the debate? It seems that we've had this debate three or four times already in the past month or two, and I make no apology for the fact that the thanks for that is to Plaid Cymru, because we have been willing to grapple with this issue, rather than just nodding it through as perhaps would have happened usually. It's us as a party that have made the case for using these powers that we have. And what purpose is there in having those powers unless there is a real willingness to use them when circumstances require, of course, and not just under any circumstances? I have to say that if the Government don't feel that now is the time to do that, then look at the trajectory: the more austerity that comes from the Conservatives and the more cuts that are forced on Wales, the stronger the argument for using these powers will become, ultimately, so we must prepare the ground so that, when the time comes, Wales is ready to go if needs be. But I don't want to be back here in a year's time hearing the Minister saying once again, 'Well, we don't know what the implications of varying tax levels would be, so it's difficult for us to do anything about it.'

I do understand, of course, that it's a difficult decision, but what has disappointed me about the general debate around all of this so far is the monochrome nature of the debate: raising income tax, and that's it. Well, no—we can look at this more creatively, in a multifaceted way, and perhaps with the use of council tax as a counterpoint in terms of the impact on people who aren't on higher salaries. But, there we are—we are here today with one motion before us and one issue to decide upon.
 

Now, during the recent debate on the further devolution of income tax powers to Wales, the finance Minister mentioned in her response that understanding the behavioural changes is key to developing a maturing Welsh tax policy agenda, and I agree with that, of course; Plaid Cymru agrees with that. It is an important factor to look at these things through a Welsh-specific context. But it is apparent that the evidence base is lacking. Indeed, the report from the Finance Committee on the draft budget expressed disappointment that the Welsh Government hasn't undertaken a comprehensive analysis of the impact of behavioural changes that would arise from a change in policy. Now, the Minister referred to the Swiss study, of course, of behavioural change, which has been built in to the Welsh Government's ready reckoner, and we believe maybe that that is the closest available proxy for Wales. But I'm sure you do agree that it isn't the best that it could be, and certainly it doesn't reflect the particularities of the Welsh tax base and, therefore, a tailored Welsh-specific piece of work to feed directly into future Government decisions on this is now imperative. So, I want to understand from the Minister exactly how that will now proceed and for us to understand, or to be reassured, that we won't be here back here again, as I said earlier, asking the same questions and listening to the same non-answers.

Now, Wales has possessed the power to vary the levels of income tax. It's never been used. Consistently, we've maintained the same rates as have been set by the UK Government for England and Northern Ireland. It's interesting, though, the First Minister did, in response to some of the decisions made by the Truss administration, suggest that might be a scenario where we could and maybe should look at varying the rate of income tax in Wales. But, of course, even then, that evidence base wouldn't be there, so are you suggesting that, if the First Minister thinks it needs doing, we can do it without an evidence base? Is it one rule for the Welsh Government and another one for Plaid Cymru? Because, surely we need to get on with doing that work, so that when the Government feels they need to act in that way, then they're able to do so.

Now, the fact that 85 per cent, or more even, of Welsh taxpayers are on the basic rate has been cited as a reason not to adjust the Welsh rates of income tax, but, as I said—and I fully sympathise with that difficulty—we have put forward here our case for allowing Wales to have the same powers as Scotland in terms of changing and setting our own income tax bands, so that we can more forensically target a variation in the rate of income tax.

Now, my fear is that the debate really isn't happening to the degree that it should be and grappling with some of these complexities to the extent that it should be. There is a consensus, if you look at the Wales Governance Centre, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and others. These are questions that need to be addressed, and the Welsh Government hasn't sufficiently, I believe, responded to that or to the challenge that we have set in needing to step up to have that discussion properly, and I hope, if anything, that our interventions over the last few weeks and months will at least lead to that. Diolch.

Nawr, yn ystod y ddadl ddiweddar ynglŷn â datganoli mwy o bwerau treth incwm i Gymru, fe soniodd y Gweinidog cyllid yn ei hymateb fod deall y newidiadau ymddygiadol yn allweddol ar gyfer datblygu agenda polisi treth Cymru sy'n aeddfedu, ac rwy'n cytuno â hynny, wrth gwrs; mae Plaid Cymru yn cytuno â hynny. Mae edrych ar y pethau hyn yng nghyd-destun arbennig Gymru yn ffactor pwysig. Ond mae hi'n amlwg bod diffygion yn y sylfaen dystiolaeth. Yn wir, roedd adroddiad y Pwyllgor Cyllid ar y gyllideb ddrafft yn mynegi siom am nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cynnal dadansoddiad cynhwysfawr o effaith newidiadau ymddygiadol a fyddai'n codi oherwydd newid polisi. Nawr, fe gyfeiriodd y Gweinidog at astudiaeth o'r Swistir, wrth gwrs, ar newid ymddygiad, a'i bod yn ystyriaeth yng nghynnwys canllaw cyflym Llywodraeth Cymru, ac rydym ni o'r farn efallai mai hwnnw yw'r dirprwy agosaf sydd ar gael i Gymru. Ond rwy'n siŵr eich bod chi'n cytuno nad yw hwnnw cystal ag y gallai fod, ac yn sicr nid yw'n adlewyrchu hynodion sylfaen y dreth yng Nghymru ac, felly, mae angen dirfawr erbyn hyn am waith a gafodd ei deilwra yn benodol i Gymru i fwydo yn uniongyrchol i benderfyniadau'r Llywodraeth yn y dyfodol yn hyn o beth. Felly, fe hoffwn i gael deall gan y Gweinidog sut yn union y bydd hynny'n digwydd nawr ac er mwyn i ni ddeall, neu fod yn dawel ein meddyliau, na fyddwn ni yn yr unfan unwaith eto, fel dywedais i'n gynharach, yn gofyn yr un cwestiynau ac yn gwrando ar yr un atebion di-ddim.

Nawr, mae pŵer wedi bod gan Gymru i amrywio cyfraddau'r dreth incwm. Ni chafodd ei ddefnyddio erioed. Yn gyson, rydyn ni wedi cynnal yr un cyfraddau ag a bennwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU ar gyfer Lloegr a Gogledd Iwerddon. Ond mae hi'n ddiddorol, serch hynny, i Brif Weinidog Cymru, mewn ymateb i rai o'r penderfyniadau a wnaeth llywodraeth Truss, awgrymu y gallai honno fod yn senario lle gallem, ac efallai y dylem ni ystyried amrywio cyfraddau'r dreth incwm yng Nghymru. Ond, wrth gwrs, hyd yn oed wedyn, ni fyddai'r sylfaen honno o dystiolaeth ar gael, felly a ydych chi'n awgrymu, os yw'r Prif Weinidog o'r farn fod angen gwneud hyn, y gallwn ni ei wneud heb sylfaen dystiolaeth? A oes yna un rheol i Lywodraeth Cymru ac un arall i Blaid Cymru? Oherwydd, siawns nad oes angen i ni fwrw ati i wneud y gwaith hwnnw, fel bydd gallu gan y Llywodraeth i wneud hynny wrth deimlo'r angen i weithredu yn y ffordd honno.

Nawr, mae'r faith fod 85 y cant, neu fwy hyd yn oed, o drethdalwyr Cymru ar y gyfradd sylfaenol wedi cael ei dyfynnu yn rheswm i beidio ag addasu cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru, ond, fel dywedais i—ac rwy'n cydymdeimlo yn llwyr â'r anhawster sydd gyda hynny—rydym ni wedi cyflwyno ein hachos yn y fan hon dros ganiatáu i Gymru fod â'r un pwerau â'r Alban o ran newid a phennu ein bandiau treth incwm ein hunain, er mwyn i ni allu anelu unrhyw amrywiad yng nghyfradd y dreth incwm mewn dull mwy cyfreithiol.

Nawr, rwy'n ofni nad yw'r ddadl yn digwydd mewn gwirionedd i'r graddau y dylai hi fod nac yn mynd i'r afael â rhai o'r cymhlethdodau hyn fel y dylai. Fe geir consensws, os edrychwch chi ar Ganolfan Llywodraethiant Cymru, y Sefydliad Astudiaethau Cyllidol ac eraill. Mae'r rhain yn gwestiynau y mae angen mynd i'r afael â nhw, ac nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru, yn fy marn i, wedi ymateb yn ddigonol i hynny nac i'r her a osodwyd gennym ni o ran yr angen i gamu i'r marc i gynnal y drafodaeth honno'n iawn, ac rwy'n gobeithio, os rhywbeth, y bydd ein hymyraethau ni dros yr wythnosau a'r misoedd diwethaf yn arwain at hynny, o leiaf. Diolch.

14:55

I'll start off by saying I'm ideologically supportive of increasing the tax rate on the two higher income bands. Higher paid people should pay more for the provision of public services. It's part of what we pay for living in a civilised society. The problem we have is, one, the partial devolution of income tax—it's only one part of the tax on income we have devolved. We don't have dividend income devolved and we don't have capital gains tax devolved. So, you've got two other taxes on income that are not devolved. We have no control at all over dividend taxation; we don't even get any of the benefit of it. And this goes to it simply: people who work for themselves can benefit from a range of perks. But the best for self-employed people is to set up a company, pay yourself a dividend not a wage, and then you will pay a substantially lower tax rate—8.75 per cent basic rate, 33.75 per cent higher rate, 39.35 per cent additional rate. So, what we've got is that people are using, now under the current system, a means of moving into dividend income rather than a wage, because that saves them, from the numbers I've just talked about, substantial sums of money.

Further, we have cross-border movement between England and Wales. There is no tax advantage or disadvantage of being a Welsh or an English taxpayer, and whilst some people are down for the wrong country some of the time, the net effect should be zero because there's no benefit of doing it. If you bring an advantage in, then people may well register in the lower taxing areas they can legally choose. Some people can not just move over the border; some people who have multiple properties can decide which property they wish to have as their major residence, and as such, change how much tax they pay. 

Then we have non-domiciled status to avoid income tax. This is something that I think is fundamentally wrong. We're not going to be able to change that today, but I think it's something we need to talk about. Capital gains tax is charged at a rate of 10 or 18 per cent for basic rate taxpayers, and 20 or 28 per cent for higher rates, all substantially lower than the tax rate. Increasing the lower tax rate would affect some of the most poorly paid in society. A 1p increase in income tax would mean for every £100 of tax currently paid, £105 would need to be paid. What does £5 mean? For those of who shop in Lidl, it means half a pound of butter, a loaf of bread and two pints of milk. To people who are on low incomes, that is an important £5 when they're buying food. When we talk about financial need, increasing the tax bill will not help.

The number of additional-rate taxpayers in Wales is shown by HMRC to be under 1,500 for this year. These are, of course, generally mobile. Raising the additional rate will raise very little money for Wales. My expectation would be a decrease in the income from it. I will be supporting the rates suggested. What I would urge the Welsh Government to do is partial devolution of all taxes on income, which would mean partial devolution of dividend rates and partial devolution of capital gains, so that we could actually tax them at the same level as income tax. That would be fair and that would mean that we could get substantial sums of money from people who found a way round the system. I'm glad the First Minister is nodding. I think this really is an area that we really ought to be giving some thought to.

I think Silk got it wrong, and I know, looking at the Chair of the Finance Committee, we're hoping to get Paul Silk in to discuss where we are with the devolution of taxation. I think there are some things here that were unintended consequences of the devolution of taxation, and we need to get it right. Taxing dividends and capital gains as we tax earned income would be a much fairer way of going forward.  

Rwyf i am ddechrau trwy ddweud fy mod i'n gefnogol yn ideolegol i gynyddu'r gyfradd dreth ar y ddau fand  incwm uwch. Fe ddylai pobl sy'n ennill cyflogau uwch dalu mwy am ddarpariaeth gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Dyna ran o'r pris yr ydym ni'n ei dalu am fyw mewn cymdeithas wâr. Y broblem sydd gennym ni yw, rhif un, datganoli treth incwm yn rhannol—dim ond un rhan o'r dreth ar incwm a gafodd ei datganoli i ni. Nid yw incwm difidend wedi cael ei ddatganoli i ac nid yw'r dreth ar enillion cyfalaf wedi cael ei datganoli i ni. Felly, mae gennych chi ddwy dreth arall ar incwm sydd heb eu datganoli. Nid oes gennym unrhyw reolaeth o gwbl dros drethiant difidend; nid ydym ni'n cael unrhyw fudd ohono. Ac ystyr hyn yn syml yw: fe all pobl sy'n gweithio iddyn nhw eu hunain elwa ar ystod o fanteision. Ond y peth gorau i bobl hunangyflogedig yw sefydlu cwmni, talu difidend i chi eich hunan ac nid cyflog, ac yna fe fyddwch chi'n talu cyfradd dreth sylweddol is—8.75 y cant yn gyfradd sylfaenol, 33.75 y cant yn gyfradd uwch, 39.35 y cant yn gyfradd ychwanegol. Felly, yr hyn sydd gennym ni yw bod pobl yn defnyddio, yn unol â'r system sy'n gyfredol erbyn hyn, modd o symud at incwm difidend yn hytrach na chyflog, oherwydd mae hynny'n eu harbed nhw, rhag y ffigurau yr wyf i newydd sôn amdanyn nhw, rhag talu symiau sylweddol o arian.

At hynny, mae gennym symudiad trawsffiniol rhwng Cymru a Lloegr. Nid oes unrhyw fantais nac anfantais o ran trethiant o fod yn drethdalwr yng Nghymru neu yn Lloegr, ac er bod rhai pobl yn cael eu rhoi ar restr y wlad anghywir weithiau, fe ddylai'r effaith net fod yn ddim oll oherwydd nid oes unrhyw fudd o wneud hynny. Os ydych chi'n cyflwyno mantais o gwbl, yna mae hi'n ddigon posibl y bydd pobl yn cofrestru yn yr ardaloedd sy'n trethu isaf y gallan nhw eu dewis yn gyfreithiol. Fe all rhai pobl beidio â symud dros unrhyw ffin o gwbl; fe all rhai pobl sydd â sawl eiddo benderfynu pa eiddo y maen nhw'n dymuno ei gael yn brif breswylfa iddyn nhw, ac o'r herwydd, yn gallu newid maint y dreth y bydden nhw'n ei thalu.

Yna mae gennym statws di-ddomisil ar gyfer osgoi treth incwm. Mae hyn yn rhywbeth sy'n sylfaenol anghyfiawn yn fy marn i. Ni fyddwn ni'n gallu newid hynny heddiw, ond rwy'n credu ei fod yn rhywbeth y mae angen i ni siarad amdano. Codir treth enillion cyfalaf ar gyfradd o 10 neu 18 y cant ar drethdalwyr cyfradd sylfaenol, a 20 neu 28 y cant ar gyfraddau uwch, pob un yn sylweddol is na'r gyfradd dreth arferol. Fe fyddai cynyddu'r gyfradd dreth is yn effeithio ar rai sy'n ennill y cyflogau gwaelaf yn y gymdeithas. Fe fyddai cynnydd o 1c mewn treth incwm yn golygu y byddai angen talu, am bob £100 a delir ar hyn o bryd bydd rhaid talu £105. Beth mae £5 yn ei olygu? I'r rhai sy'n siopa yn Lidl, mae hynny'n golygu hanner pwys o fenyn, torth o fara a dau beint o laeth. I bobl sydd ar incwm isel, mae £5 yn bwysig pan fyddan nhw'n prynu bwyd. Pan ydym ni'n siarad am angen ariannol, ni fyddai cynyddu'r bil treth o unrhyw gymorth.

Mae nifer y trethdalwyr ar y gyfradd ychwanegol yng Nghymru yn ôl CThEF o dan 1,500 ar gyfer y flwyddyn hon. Mae'r rhain, wrth gwrs, yn symudol ar y cyfan. Ychydig iawn o arian a fyddai codi'r gyfradd ychwanegol yn ei godi i Gymru. Fy nisgwyliad i fyddai gostyngiad yn yr incwm a ddeuai yn sgil hynny. Rwyf i am gefnogi'r cyfraddau a awgrymir. Yr hyn y byddwn i'n annog Llywodraeth Cymru i'w wneud yw datganoli pob treth ar incwm yn rhannol, a fyddai'n golygu datganoli cyfraddau difidend yn rhannol a datganoli enillion cyfalaf yn rhannol, ar gyfer eu trethu nhw ar yr un gyfradd â threth incwm mewn gwirionedd. Fe fyddai hynny'n deg ac fe fyddai hynny'n golygu y gallem ni godi symiau sylweddol o arian oddi wrth bobl a oedd yn canfod ffyrdd i osgoi'r system. Rwy'n falch fod y Prif Weinidog yn nodio ei ben. Rwy'n credu bod hwn yn faes y dylem ni fod yn rhoi rhywfaint o ystyriaeth wirioneddol iddo.

Rwy'n credu bod Silk wedi camgymryd, ac fe wn i, wrth edrych ar Gadeirydd y Pwyllgor Cyllid, ein bod ni'n gobeithio cael Paul Silk i ddod atom ni i drafod ein sefyllfa ni o ran datganoli trethiant. Rwy'n credu bod rhai pethau yma a oedd yn ganlyniadau anfwriadol oherwydd datganoli trethiant, ac mae angen i ni wneud pethau yn iawn. Fe fyddai trethu difidendau ac enillion cyfalaf wrth i ni drethu incwm a enillir yn ffordd lawer tecach o fwrw ymlaen â hi.  

15:00

Y Gweinidog cyllid nawr i ymateb i'r ddadl. Rebecca Evans. 

The Minister for finance to reply. Rebecca Evans. 

Thank you, and thank you to all Members for their contributions to the debate today. Of course, as we move further into Senedd term, we'll continue to keep under review the vital role that WRIT plays as a partially devolved tax here in Wales.

I think Llyr opened his comments this afternoon by saying we've discussed Welsh rates of income tax many times in the past few weeks, and I think that's a really good thing, because there's so much interest from across the Chamber, from Senedd committees, from academic bodies outside the Senedd. I think sometimes we just have to remind ourselves that we are at the start of a journey here. We only had Welsh rates of income tax introduced in April 2019, but it's absolutely right that we do have that eye on the future to consider where we go next. 

Just to respond to some of the specific points, behavioural impact I think was something that was raised very strongly in the debate. I would say behavioural change isn't the only thing that we consider when we consider Welsh rates of income tax. We obviously have to think of the overall economic picture, people's overall tax burden. I think the points that Mike Hedges was making then were quite powerful in that sense, setting out the real choices that many people are facing in Wales at the moment, and also, of course, the promises that we've made to people in our manifesto in respect of Welsh rates of income tax. 

To turn to the point about behavioural impacts, a change in tax rates is obviously likely to affect people's behaviour, and that will then have an impact on the amount of tax that is collected. Llyr Gruffydd referred to our ready reckoner, which takes account of what we understand the behavioural impacts to be, based on the Swiss study. Of course, we look closely at the experience of Scotland, where they have recently introduced higher rates for those on higher incomes. In the current year, the Scottish income tax revenues are actually expected to make a negative net contribution to the Scottish Government's budget. The Scottish Fiscal Commission is expecting a net negative impact of around £100 million on the Scottish budget this year, despite an additional tax effort by Scottish taxpayers of around £850 million from rate and threshold changes. That really does emphasise the need for us to go into this very clear-sightedly, with the evidence base we need. Where there are gaps in evidence, absolutely we will be looking to explore what more we can do to fill those gaps.

HMRC did analyse the earlier tax changes in Scotland, and they produced some estimates on behavioural impacts. They have been published, and they were presented at our tax conference last year. I thought that was a really important intervention. Those estimates, though, didn’t cover migration responses to tax changes, which would obviously be of interest to us here in Wales. HMRC is now progressing work on a longitudinal data set, which will hopefully allow some additional analysis of the behavioural impacts of tax changes, including migration responses. We’ll be looking very carefully at that, and our officials are in regular contact with HMRC.

On the points that were made about the further devolution of income tax, further powers to vary income tax thresholds would provide us with some additional policy tools in the Welsh Government. We do have to consider very carefully the needs and the risks, including the risk of much greater exposure to relative tax-based growth between Wales and elsewhere in the UK. I think that would be particularly of concern to us in relation to the higher and additional rates, where our exposure is currently only 10p in each band. Growth in revenues from these two bands does tend to be more volatile from year to year than the basic rate revenues, and tends to vary more between different parts of the UK. This affects, of course, the year-to-year net budgetary impact of income tax devolution via the block grant adjustment mechanism, so it's potentially a risky step for us to take. We would have to do that with clear sight, again.

When we’ve talked about this important agenda recently we have, I think, all looked forward to the final report of the constitutional commission to see what it has to say on our tax powers and the process for seeking the devolution of further tax powers. I’m sure that will be part of the mix. I just want to give colleagues my reassurance that I see this as an ongoing discussion. It’s an ongoing area where there does need to be greater evidence procured, and we will obviously continue to have those discussions in order to find a way forward.

I just want to remind colleagues, as I come to the end of my contribution here, that the WRIT resolution must be passed ahead of the final budget. Without WRIT revenues, up to £2.8 billion of financing within our final budget would be unavailable. That, of course, would render our 2023-24 final budget unaffordable. I hope colleagues would agree that that would not be an acceptable outcome. So, I think despite the extensive challenges that we face, we have taken some difficult decisions based on collaboration, transparency and sustainability, and I would commit to continuing to take that approach as we consider the role of income tax in future years.

Diolch i chi, a diolch i bob Aelod am y cyfraniadau i'r ddadl heddiw. Wrth gwrs, wrth i ni symud ymhellach i'r tymor Seneddol, fe fyddwn ni'n parhau i adolygu swyddogaeth hanfodol cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru fel treth a ddatganolwyd yn rhannol yma yng Nghymru.

Rwy'n credu bod Llŷr wedi agor ei sylwadau brynhawn heddiw drwy ddweud ein bod ni wedi trafod cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru sawl gwaith yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n beth da iawn, oherwydd mae cymaint o ddiddordeb o bob rhan o'r Siambr, gan bwyllgorau'r Senedd, gan gyrff academaidd y tu allan i'r Senedd. Rwy'n credu ambell waith bod angen i ni ein hatgoffa ein hunain ein bod ni ar ddechrau taith yn hyn o beth. Dim ond ym mis Ebrill 2019 y cyflwynwyd cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru, ond mae hi'n hollol iawn bod gennym ni olwg ar y dyfodol fel hyn wrth ystyried i ble yr awn ni nesaf.

Dim ond i ymateb i rai o'r pwyntiau penodol, rwy'n credu i effaith ymddygiadol fod yn rhywbeth a gafodd ei godi yn amlwg iawn yn y ddadl. Fe fyddwn i'n dweud nad newid ymddygiadol yw'r unig beth yr ydym ni'n ei ystyried wrth ystyried cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru. Yn amlwg mae'n rhaid i ni feddwl am y darlun economaidd cyffredinol, a baich y dreth yn gyffredinol ar bobl. Rwy'n credu bod y pwyntiau yr oedd Mike Hedges yn eu gwneud yn bwerus iawn yn yr ystyr hwnnw, gan nodi'r dewisiadau gwirioneddol y mae llawer o bobl yn eu hwynebu yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd, a hefyd, wrth gwrs, yr addewidion a wnaethom i bobl yn ein maniffesto o ran cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru.

Gan droi at y pwynt ynglŷn ag effeithiau ymddygiadol, mae newid mewn cyfraddau treth, yn amlwg, yn debygol o effeithio ar ymddygiad pobl, ac fe fydd hynny ag effaith wedyn ar swm y dreth a gesglir. Cyfeiriodd Llŷr Gruffydd at ein canllaw cyflym, sy'n ystyried yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei ddeall yw'r effeithiau ymddygiadol, ar sail astudiaeth o'r Swistir. Wrth gwrs, rydym ni'n edrych yn fanwl ar brofiad yr Alban, lle maen nhw wedi cyflwyno cyfraddau uwch yn ddiweddar ar gyfer y rhai sydd ar incwm uwch. Yn y flwyddyn sydd ohoni, mae disgwyl i refeniw treth incwm yr Alban wneud cyfraniad net negyddol i gyllideb Llywodraeth yr Alban mewn gwirionedd. Mae Comisiwn Cyllid yr Alban yn disgwyl effaith negyddol net o tua £100 miliwn ar gyllideb yr Alban eleni, er gwaethaf ymdrech dreth ychwanegol gan drethdalwyr yr Alban o tua £850 miliwn oherwydd newidiadau i'r gyfradd a'r trothwy. Mae hynny'n pwysleisio'r angen gwirioneddol i ni fynd i mewn i hyn gyda threm eglur iawn, gyda'r sylfaen dystiolaeth sydd ei hangen arnom ni. Lle ceir bylchau o ran tystiolaeth, fe fyddwn ni'n sicr yn golygu archwilio'r hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud eto i lenwi'r bylchau hynny.

Fe wnaeth CThEF ddadansoddi'r newidiadau treth cynharach yn yr Alban, ac fe wnaethon nhw gynhyrchu rhai amcangyfrifon ar effeithiau ymddygiad. Cyhoeddwyd y rhain, a'u cyflwyno gerbron ein cynhadledd dreth ni'r llynedd. Roeddwn i o farn fod honno'n ymyrraeth bwysig iawn. Ond nid oedd yr amcangyfrifon hynny'n cynnwys ymatebion i newidiadau trethiant drwy ymfudo, ac fe fyddai hynny'n amlwg o ddiddordeb i ni yma yng Nghymru. Mae CThEF yn bwrw ymlaen erbyn hyn â gwaith ar set ddata hydredol, a fydd, rwy'n gobeithio, yn caniatáu rhywfaint o ddadansoddiad ychwanegol o effeithiau ymddygiadol newidiadau o ran y dreth, gan gynnwys ymatebion ymfudo. Fe fyddwn ni'n edrych yn ofalus iawn ar hynny, ac mae ein swyddogion ni mewn cysylltiad rheolaidd â CThEF.

O ran y pwyntiau a wnaethpwyd ynghylch datganoli treth incwm ymhellach, fe fyddai mwy o bwerau i amrywio trothwyon treth incwm yn rhoi rhai arfau polisi ychwanegol i ni yn Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae'n rhaid i ni ystyried yr anghenion a'r risgiau yn ofalus iawn, gan gynnwys y risg o lawer mwy o gysylltiad â thwf cymharol ar sail trethiant rhwng Cymru a mannau eraill yn y DU. Rwy'n credu y byddai hynny'n arbennig o bryderus i ni o ran y cyfraddau uwch ac ychwanegol, lle mai 10c yn unig yw ein cysylltiad ni ym mhob band ar hyn o bryd. Mae twf mewn refeniw yn y ddau fand hyn yn tueddu i fod yn fwy cyfnewidiol o flwyddyn i flwyddyn na'r refeniw cyfradd sylfaenol, ac yn tueddu i amrywio mwy rhwng gwahanol rannau o'r DU. Mae hyn yn effeithio, wrth gwrs, ar effaith cyllidebol net blwyddyn i flwyddyn datganoli treth incwm drwy'r mecanwaith addasu grant bloc, felly mae hwnnw'n gam peryglus i ni ei gymryd. Fe fyddai'n rhaid i ni wneud hynny gyda threm eglur, unwaith eto.

Pan ydym ni wedi siarad am yr agenda bwysig hon yn ddiweddar rydym ni i gyd, rwy'n credu, wedi edrych ymlaen at adroddiad terfynol y comisiwn cyfansoddiadol i weld yr hyn a fydd ganddo i'w ddweud am ein pwerau ni i drethu a'r broses i geisio datganoli rhagor o bwerau trethu. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd hynny'n rhan o'r gymysgedd. Rwyf i am sicrhau cydweithwyr fy mod i yn ystyried hon yn drafodaeth barhaus. Mater parhaus yw hwn lle mae angen caffael mwy o dystiolaeth, ac yn amlwg fe fyddwn ni'n parhau i gynnal y trafodaethau hynny ar gyfer dod o hyd i ffordd ymlaen.

Fe hoffwn i atgoffa cyd-Aelodau, wrth i mi ddod at ddiwedd fy nghyfraniad yn y fan hon, ei bod hi'n rhaid pasio'r penderfyniad cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru cyn y gyllideb derfynol. Heb refeniw cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru, ni fyddai hyd at £2.8 biliwn o gyllid ar gael yn ein cyllideb derfynol ni. Fe fyddai hynny, wrth gwrs, yn golygu bod ein cyllideb derfynol ni ar gyfer 2023-24 yn anfforddiadwy. Rwy'n gobeithio y byddai cyd-Aelodau yn cytuno na fyddai hwnnw'n ganlyniad derbyniol. Felly, rwy'n credu er gwaethaf yr heriau eang sy'n ein hwynebu ni, rydym ni wedi gwneud rhai penderfyniadau anodd yn seiliedig ar gydweithio, tryloywder a chynaliadwyedd, ac fe fyddwn ni'n ymrwymo i barhau i weithredu'r ymagwedd honno wrth i ni ystyried swyddogaeth treth incwm mewn blynyddoedd i ddod.

15:05

Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn y cynnig? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? [Gwrthwynebiad.] Oes, mae yna wrthwynebiad, ac felly byddwn ni'n gohirio'r bleidlais tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.

The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? [Objection.] Yes, there is objection, and therefore we will defer voting until voting time. 

Gohiriwyd y pleidleisio tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.

Voting deferred until voting time.

4. Dadl: Cyllideb Derfynol 2023-24
4. Debate: The Final Budget 2023-24

Yr eitem nesaf yw eitem 4. Yr eitem yma yw'r ddadl ar y gyllideb derfynol ar gyfer 2023-24. Dwi'n galw unwaith eto ar y Gweinidog cyllid i wneud y cynnig yma hefyd. Rebecca Evans. 

The next item is item 4, the debate on the final budget for 2023-24. I once again call on the Minister for finance to move the motion. Rebecca Evans.

Cynnig NDM8213 Lesley Griffiths

Cynnig bod y Senedd, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 20.25, yn cymeradwyo'r Gyllideb Flynyddol ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol 2023-24 a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno gan y Prif Weinidog ar 28 Chwefror 2023.

Motion NDM8213 Lesley Griffiths

To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 20.25, approves the Annual Budget for the financial year 2023-24 laid in the Table Office by the First Minister on 28 February 2023.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Diolch, Llywydd. I am pleased to open the debate on our 2023-24 final budget. As I outlined when publishing our draft budget, this is undoubtedly a budget made in hard times for hard times. It reflects the constraints of our funding settlement, but despite this, we remain ambitious for Wales. Despite the challenges that we've faced, this budget has been forged with a spirit of collaboration and transparency, putting the people and communities of Wales first. In that spirit I want to start by thanking all of those who’ve contributed to this budget. This budget would not have been possible without the participation and co-operation of colleagues within my own party. I also want to thank Siân Gwenllian, the lead designated Member for the co-operation agreement’s budgetary arrangements, for our ongoing engagement and the productive working relationship that we have. I’d also like to thank Jane Dodds for our constructive discussions, particularly in relation to rural dentistry, and the way in which these have shaped the plans that we’re voting on today.

It's also important to recognise that this is a budget that builds on the foundations that we outlined last year as part of our three-year spending review. Our 2022-23 budget provided a substantial three-year budget package up to 2024-25 using every lever to strengthen public services, tackle climate change, tackle the nature emergency and support businesses and people in Wales. As we reflect, this has been a year where we have seen, and continue to see, the ongoing impacts of inflation. We have seen three Prime Ministers, three Chancellors and the shocking mismanagement of public finances by the UK Government. The funding provided by the autumn statement fell far short of the interventions needed to meet the challenges that we face. We have now seen these impacts spelled out through the 2023-24 budget process.

Diolch, Llywydd. Rwy'n falch o agor y ddadl ar ein cyllideb derfynol 2023-24. Fel yr amlinellais wrth gyhoeddi ein cyllideb ddrafft, heb os, mae hon yn gyllideb a wnaed mewn cyfnod anodd ar gyfer cyfnod anodd. Mae'n adlewyrchu cyfyngiadau ein setliad cyllido, ond er gwaethaf hyn, rydym yn parhau i fod yn uchelgeisiol ar gyfer Cymru. Er gwaethaf yr heriau rydyn ni wedi'u hwynebu, mae'r gyllideb hon wedi ei llunio gydag ysbryd o gydweithio a thryloywder, gan roi pobl a chymunedau Cymru'n gyntaf. Yn yr ysbryd hwnnw rwyf am ddechrau drwy ddiolch i bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu at y gyllideb hon. Ni fyddai'r gyllideb hon wedi bod yn bosibl heb gyfranogiad a chydweithrediad cyd-Aelodau o fewn fy mhlaid fy hun. Rwyf am ddiolch hefyd i Siân Gwenllian, y prif Aelod dynodedig am drefniadau cyllidebol y cytundeb cydweithio, am ein hymgysylltiad parhaus a'r berthynas waith gynhyrchiol sydd gennym. Hoffwn ddiolch hefyd i Jane Dodds am ein trafodaethau adeiladol, yn enwedig mewn cysylltiad â deintyddiaeth wledig, a'r ffordd mae'r rhain wedi llunio'r cynlluniau yr ydym yn pleidleisio arnynt heddiw.

Mae'n bwysig cydnabod hefyd bod hon yn gyllideb sy'n adeiladu ar y sylfeini a amlinellwyd gennym y llynedd fel rhan o'n hadolygiad gwariant tair blynedd. Darparodd ein cyllideb 2022-23 becyn cyllideb tair blynedd sylweddol hyd at 2024-25 gan ddefnyddio pob ysgogiad i gryfhau gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, mynd i'r afael â newid hinsawdd, mynd i'r afael â'r argyfwng natur a chefnogi busnesau a phobl yng Nghymru. Wrth i ni fyfyrio, mae hon wedi bod yn flwyddyn pan welsom, ac rydym yn parhau i weld, effeithiau parhaus chwyddiant. Rydym wedi gweld tri Phrif Weinidog, tri Changhellor a'r camreoli cyllid cyhoeddus ysgytwol gan Lywodraeth y DU. Roedd yr arian a ddarparwyd gan ddatganiad yr hydref yn llawer is na'r ymyraethau sydd eu hangen i ymateb i'r heriau yr ydym yn eu hwynebu. Rydym bellach wedi gweld yr effeithiau hyn yn cael eu hamlygu drwy broses y gyllideb 2023-24.

15:10

Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (David Rees) i’r Gadair.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (David Rees) took the Chair.

Despite this context, I remain proud that our approach remains grounded in ensuring that every pound invested makes the greatest positive impact. We have delivered a budget that recognises the need to balance the short-term impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, whilst also doing all that we can to drive forward the longer term change and deliver on our programme for government ambitions. This is a budget that has protected front-line public services and our ambitions for the future, continued to provide help to those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis and supported our economy through recessionary times. Through taking fundamental action to reprioritise our budgets, alongside the limited funding from the UK Government, we have allocated £165 million for the NHS, with £70 million to deliver the real living wage for social care; £227 million for local government, ensuring that no local authority will receive less than a 6.5 per cent increase in core funding; a direct investment of £319 million for non-domestic rates relief; and, in response to the cost-of-living crisis, investment in our basic income pilot and the discretionary assistance fund.

Building on the actions within our draft budget, I was pleased to announce an additional £164 million of financial transactions capital funding, of £84 million in 2023-24 and £80 million in 2024-25, within this final budget. This includes £63 million to help to extend Help to Buy—Wales until March 2025, supporting people to realise their dream of home ownership. Building on the package of measures within the co-operation agreement, I was pleased to agree, with Plaid Cymru, substantive action to improve the availability and affordability of housing in local communities for those on local incomes, as well as in response to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. This includes £40 million to assist those in mortgage difficulty at an early stage to enable them to stay in their homes, as well as £59 million supporting the delivery of new low-carbon social housing. My colleague the climate change Minister will undertake further work with Plaid Cymru to further develop these proposals. Combined, these allocations will continue to support the delivery of our priorities contained within our 10-year Wales infrastructure investment strategy, building on our existing £1.8 billion portfolio of financial transactions capital investments. 

Turning to scrutiny, I want to thank all Members for their constructive engagement throughout our scrutiny process. My Cabinet colleagues and I will be pleased to agree with the vast majority of our respective committees' recommendations. As we have collectively recognised, the context in which we are delivering this budget has meant that we have not been able to respond to all of the areas that have been identified. 

Looking ahead to the UK Government's spring statement on 15 March, we recognise that the key levers to respond to the numerous challenges that we face, such as powers over the tax and welfare systems, are reserved powers and lie with the UK Government to utilise. I will, of course, continue to call on the UK Government to do more on the impacts of inflation on Welsh budgets, the pressure on the NHS and the challenges of social care, ensuring that there is fair funding and investment in Wales. In particular, on the issue of pay, we maintain our calls on the UK Government to provide funding to enable us to ensure all our public sector workers are fairly rewarded for the important work that they do.

We have demonstrated that, in Wales, unlike in Westminster, we are prepared to work in social partnership with our trade union partners and do all that we can within our existing settlement. The health service in Wales is under extreme pressure, and the UK Government must use its spring budget to invest in the NHS to ensure that services can respond to the significant pressures following the COVID pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, and deliver wider reform.

I have written to the Chancellor, highlighting the wealth of opportunity in Wales for UK Government investment to support enterprise and productivity, including rail, renewable energy and research and development. It's vital that the UK Government invests in green energy and decarbonisation to improve our energy security for the future and to contribute to meeting our net-zero targets. I also continue to press the UK Government to review its categorisation of the £100 billion investment in HS2 as an England-and-Wales project. This decision severely restricts our ability to invest in rail in Wales, and our position is one that, I believe, has strong cross-party support, both in the Senedd and the UK Parliament.

In closing, despite the challenges we face, I am confident that this budget continues to maximise our available funding. It's a budget that maintains our commitment to prioritise the most vulnerable and public services, whilst continuing to create a fairer, stronger, greener Wales for all.

Er gwaethaf y cyd-destun hwn, rwy'n parhau i fod yn falch bod ein dull yn dal i fod wedi'i seilio ar sicrhau bod pob punt sy'n cael ei buddsoddwyd yn cael yr effaith gadarnhaol fwyaf. Rydym wedi cyflwyno cyllideb sy'n cydnabod yr angen i gydbwyso effeithiau tymor byr yr argyfwng costau byw, gan hefyd wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i ysgogi newid yn y tymor hwy a chyflawni ein rhaglen ar gyfer uchelgeisiau'r llywodraeth. Dyma gyllideb sydd wedi amddiffyn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus rheng flaen a'n huchelgeisiau ar gyfer y dyfodol ac sydd wedi parhau i ddarparu cymorth i'r rhai yr effeithir arnynt fwyaf gan yr argyfwng costau byw ac a gefnogodd ein heconomi drwy gyfnod o ddirwasgiad. Trwy gymryd camau sylfaenol i ail-flaenoriaethu ein cyllidebau, ochr yn ochr â'r cyllid cyfyngedig gan Lywodraeth y DU, rydym wedi dyrannu £165 miliwn ar gyfer y GIG, gyda £70 miliwn i ddarparu'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol; £227 miliwn ar gyfer llywodraeth leol, gan sicrhau na fydd unrhyw awdurdod lleol yn derbyn llai na chynnydd o 6.5 y cant mewn cyllid craidd; buddsoddiad uniongyrchol o £319 miliwn ar gyfer rhyddhad ardrethi annomestig; ac, mewn ymateb i'r argyfwng costau byw, buddsoddi yn ein cynllun treialu incwm sylfaenol a'r gronfa cymorth dewisol.

Gan adeiladu ar y camau gweithredu yn ein cyllideb ddrafft, roeddwn yn falch o gyhoeddi £164 miliwn yn ychwanegol o gyllid cyfalaf trafodiadau ariannol, £84 miliwn yn 2023-24 a £80 miliwn yn 2024-25, o fewn y gyllideb derfynol hon. Mae hyn yn cynnwys £63 miliwn i helpu i ehangu'r Cymorth i Brynu—Cymru tan fis Mawrth 2025, gan gefnogi pobl i wireddu eu breuddwyd o fod yn berchen ar dŷ. Gan adeiladu ar y pecyn o fesurau o fewn y cytundeb cydweithio, roeddwn i'n falch o gytuno, gyda Phlaid Cymru, ar weithredu sylweddol i wella fforddiadwyedd tai mewn cymunedau lleol i'r rhai ar incwm lleol, yn ogystal â mewn ymateb i effaith yr argyfwng costau byw a sicrhau bod y tai ar gael. Mae hyn yn cynnwys £40 miliwn i helpu'r rhai sy'n cael trafferthion morgais yn gynnar er mwyn eu galluogi i aros yn eu cartrefi, yn ogystal â £59 miliwn sy'n cefnogi'r gwaith o ddarparu tai cymdeithasol carbon isel newydd. Bydd fy nghyd-Weinidog, y Gweinidog newid hinsawdd, yn ymgymryd â rhagor o waith pellach gyda Phlaid Cymru i ddatblygu'r cynigion hyn ymhellach. Gyda'i gilydd, bydd y dyraniadau hyn yn parhau i gefnogi'r gwaith o gyflawni ein blaenoriaethau sydd wedi'u cynnwys yn ein strategaeth buddsoddi yn seilwaith Cymru 10 mlynedd, gan adeiladu ar ein portffolio £1.8 biliwn presennol o fuddsoddiadau cyfalaf trafodiadau ariannol.

Gan droi at graffu, rwyf eisiau diolch i'r holl Aelodau am eu hymgysylltiad adeiladol drwy gydol ein proses graffu. Bydd fy nghyd-Weinidogion yn y Cabinet a minnau'n falch o gytuno â'r mwyafrif helaeth o argymhellion ein pwyllgorau priodol. Fel yr ydym wedi cydnabod ar y cyd, mae'r cyd-destun yr ydym yn cyflawni'r gyllideb hon ynddo wedi golygu nad ydym wedi gallu ymateb i'r holl feysydd sydd wedi'u nodi.

Wrth edrych ymlaen at ddatganiad gwanwyn Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig ar 15 Mawrth, rydym yn cydnabod bod y prif ysgogiadau i ymateb i'r heriau niferus sy'n ein hwynebu, fel pwerau dros y systemau treth a lles, yn bwerau sydd wedi eu cadw yn ôl a dim ond Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig a gaiff eu defnyddio. Byddaf, wrth gwrs, yn parhau i alw ar Lywodraeth y DU i wneud mwy o ran effeithiau chwyddiant ar gyllidebau Cymru, y pwysau ar y GIG a heriau gofal cymdeithasol, gan sicrhau bod cyllid teg a buddsoddiad yng Nghymru. Yn benodol, ar fater cyflogau, rydym yn parhau i alw ar Lywodraeth y DU i ddarparu cyllid i'n galluogi ni i sicrhau bod ein holl weithwyr yn y sector cyhoeddus yn cael eu gwobrwyo'n deg am y gwaith pwysig y maen nhw'n ei wneud.

Rydym wedi dangos ein bod ni, yng Nghymru, yn wahanol i San Steffan, yn barod i weithio mewn partneriaeth gymdeithasol â'n partneriaid undebau llafur ac i wneud popeth y gallwn o fewn ein setliad presennol. Mae'r gwasanaeth iechyd yng Nghymru o dan bwysau eithriadol, ac mae'n rhaid i Lywodraeth y DU ddefnyddio ei chyllideb wanwyn i fuddsoddi yn y GIG i sicrhau bod gwasanaethau'n gallu ymateb i'r pwysau sylweddol yn dilyn pandemig COVID a'r argyfwng costau byw, a sicrhau diwygio ehangach.

Rwyf wedi ysgrifennu at y Canghellor, gan dynnu sylw at y cyfoeth o gyfleoedd sydd yng Nghymru i fuddsoddiad gan Lywodraeth y DU i gefnogi mentergarwch a chynhyrchiant, gan gynnwys y rheilffyrdd, ynni adnewyddadwy ac ymchwil a datblygu. Mae'n hanfodol bod Llywodraeth y DU yn buddsoddi mewn ynni gwyrdd a datgarboneiddio i wella ein diogelwch ynni ar gyfer y dyfodol ac i gyfrannu at gyrraedd ein targedau sero net. Rwyf hefyd yn parhau i bwyso ar Lywodraeth y DU i adolygu'r modd y mae'n categoreiddio'r buddsoddiad £100 biliwn yn HS2 fel prosiect Cymru a Lloegr. Mae'r penderfyniad hwn yn cyfyngu'n ddifrifol ar ein gallu i fuddsoddi ar y rheilffyrdd yng Nghymru, ac mae ein safbwynt yn un sydd, yn fy marn i, â chefnogaeth drawsbleidiol gref, yn y Senedd a Senedd y DU.

Wrth gloi, er gwaethaf yr heriau rydyn ni'n eu hwynebu, rwy'n ffyddiog bod y gyllideb hon yn parhau i wneud y gorau o'n cyllid sydd ar gael. Mae'n gyllideb sy'n cynnal ein hymrwymiad i flaenoriaethu'r gwasanaethau sydd fwyaf dan fygythiad a chyhoeddus, gan barhau i greu Cymru decach, gryfach, wyrddach i bawb.

15:15

Galwaf ar Gadeirydd y Pwyllgor Cyllid, Peredur Owen Griffiths.

I call on the Chair of the Finance Committee, Peredur Owen Griffiths.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy’n falch o gyfrannu yn y ddadl yma ar gyllideb derfynol Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhinwedd fy rôl fel Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Cyllid. Roedd adroddiad y pwyllgor ar y gyllideb ddrafft yn cynnwys 28 o argymhellion, ac rwy’n falch bod y Gweinidog wedi derbyn y rhan fwyaf ohonyn nhw.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I am pleased to contribute to this debate on the Welsh Government’s final budget in my role as Chair of the Finance Committee. The committee’s report on the draft budget included 28 recommendations, and I'm pleased that the Minister has been able to accept the majority of them.

Nevertheless, I would like to express some disappointment at the start of my contribution today that very limited changes have been made between the draft and final budgets. Our committee, as well as a number of other committees, made concrete recommendations in a number of key strategic areas and so, it’s a shame that the Government has missed an opportunity to respond positively to these before today’s debate. As a result, my contribution today will be relatively short, given that there’s not much extra to comment on from the draft budget.

Turning first to specific recommendations, we called for the Minister to carry out detailed work to model the behavioural impact of varying Welsh rates of income tax across all bands ahead of future budget rounds. Whilst we are pleased that the Minister has accepted this recommendation, we are less clear on the actual steps that the Minister will take in this area. This was a key recommendation for us, and we expect to see further clarity provided in next year’s budget documentation to demonstrate that serious consideration has been given to changing the rates. I must say that this seems to be a general theme in the response provided by the Minister. That is, although a number of the recommendations have been accepted or accepted in principle, there is a lack of information on the specific actions that will be taken to address them.

As Members will know, we criticised the draft budget for lack of clarity, and I’m afraid that the Government’s response, whilst going some of that way, does not go far enough to allay all those fears or concerns. We value the Minister’s willingness to appear before the committee and to engage with us on key issues, but we need to have a constructive and forthright exchange if we are to get to the heart of the matter. We as a committee can confirm that we are willing to do this, and I hope that the Minister will echo that commitment.

I would now like to focus on other areas. Allocations for financial transactions capital were not included in the draft budget for the second year running. I thank the Minister for her recent letter setting out an update on the allocations prior to the debate. Whilst we note the constraints and complexities of how ring-fenced financial transactions can be used, last year, we were told that the lack of allocations included in the draft budget would not set a precedent. I acknowledge the Minister’s commitment to take steps to ensure that this is not the case for the next financial year, and we hope to see the full allocation at the draft budget stage. 

I turn now to some of our detailed recommendations, which deserve to be mentioned again in the context of today’s debate. On support for the cost of living, a key aspect of our budget scrutiny was the support provided to help with the rising costs of living. We are pleased that the Minister has accepted our recommendation to prioritise the streamlining of financial assistance schemes, under the proposed Welsh benefits charter. It is good to hear that a draft charter has been co-produced with stakeholders, and we look forward to this charter being published by the end of the year. 

It was also encouraging to hear that the Welsh Government is committed to working towards a Welsh benefits system that has a single point of contact where an individual only has to tell their story once. We have been long advocates of a ‘no wrong door’ approach and it's pleasing that progress is being made in this area.

Turning to education maintenance allowance, however, it is difficult to understand why the Government has not been able to increase the value of the education maintenance allowance, which has remained unchanged since the mid 2000s. The Welsh Government claims that one of its three priorities for this budget is to help those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis. Yet, we found that more could be done to support children and young people, who are disproportionately affected by this crisis. The Welsh Government has accepted a recommendation from the children and young people committee’s report to commission an independent review of EMA, stating that the findings will inform any changes to the scheme. However, we urge the Government to prioritise any further funding received in year from the UK Government to support our most vulnerable learners by raising the value of the EMA and to mitigate the risk of them leaving education in pursuit of employment.

Serch hynny, hoffwn fynegi rhywfaint o siom ar ddechrau fy nghyfraniad heddiw sef bod newidiadau cyfyngedig iawn wedi'u gwneud rhwng y cyllidebau drafft a therfynol. Gwnaeth ein pwyllgor, yn ogystal â nifer o bwyllgorau eraill, argymhellion pendant mewn nifer o feysydd strategol allweddol ac felly, mae'n drueni bod y Llywodraeth wedi colli cyfle i ymateb yn gadarnhaol i'r rhain cyn y ddadl heddiw. O ganlyniad, bydd fy nghyfraniad heddiw yn gymharol fyr, o ystyried nad oes llawer o bethau ychwanegol i roi sylwadau arnyn nhw ers y gyllideb ddrafft.

Gan droi'n gyntaf at argymhellion penodol, gwnaethom alw ar y Gweinidog i wneud gwaith manwl i fodelu effaith ymddygiadol amrywio cyfraddau treth incwm Cymru ar draws pob band cyn rowndiau cyllideb y dyfodol. Er ein bod yn falch bod y Gweinidog wedi derbyn yr argymhelliad hwn, rydym yn llai eglur ynghylch y camau gwirioneddol y bydd y Gweinidog yn eu cymryd yn y maes hwn. Roedd hwn yn argymhelliad allweddol i ni, ac rydym yn disgwyl gweld eglurder pellach yn cael ei ddarparu yn nogfennau y gyllideb y flwyddyn nesaf i ddangos bod ystyriaeth ddifrifol wedi'i rhoi i newid y cyfraddau. Rhaid i mi ddweud ei bod yn ymddangos bod hon yn thema gyffredinol yn yr ymateb a ddarperir gan y Gweinidog. Hynny yw, er bod nifer o'r argymhellion wedi eu derbyn neu wedi eu derbyn mewn egwyddor, mae diffyg gwybodaeth ynghylch y camau penodol fydd yn cael eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â nhw.

Fel y bydd Aelodau'n gwybod, fe wnaethom ni feirniadu'r gyllideb ddrafft am ddiffyg eglurder, ac rwy'n ofni nad yw ymateb y Llywodraeth, er ei bod yn mynd rhywfaint ar hyd y ffordd honno, yn mynd yn ddigon pell i dawelu'r holl ofnau neu'r pryderon hynny. Rydym yn gwerthfawrogi parodrwydd y Gweinidog i ymddangos gerbron y pwyllgor ac i ymgysylltu â ni ar faterion allweddol, ond mae angen i ni gael trafodaeth adeiladol a di-flewyn-ar-dafod os ydym am fynd at wraidd y mater. Gallwn ni fel pwyllgor gadarnhau ein bod yn fodlon gwneud hyn, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Gweinidog yn adleisio'r ymrwymiad hwnnw.

Hoffwn nawr ganolbwyntio ar feysydd eraill. Ni chafodd dyraniadau ar gyfer cyfalaf trafodiadau ariannol eu cynnwys yn y gyllideb ddrafft am yr ail flwyddyn yn olynol. Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ei llythyr diweddar yn nodi diweddariad ar y dyraniadau cyn y ddadl. Er ein bod yn nodi cyfyngiadau a chymhlethdodau o ran sut y gellir defnyddio trafodiadau ariannol wedi'u neilltuo, y llynedd, dywedwyd wrthym na fyddai'r diffyg dyraniadau a gynhwysir yn y gyllideb ddrafft yn gosod cynsail. Rwy'n cydnabod ymrwymiad y Gweinidog i gymryd camau i sicrhau nad yw hyn yn wir am y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf, ac rydym yn gobeithio gweld y dyraniad llawn yn y cam cyllideb drafft.

Rwy'n troi nawr at rai o'n hargymhellion manwl, sy'n haeddu cael eu crybwyll eto yng nghyd-destun y ddadl heddiw. O ran cefnogaeth i gostau byw, un o'r prif agweddau ar ein craffu ar y gyllideb oedd y gefnogaeth a roddwyd i helpu gyda chostau byw cynyddol. Rydym yn falch bod y Gweinidog wedi derbyn ein hargymhelliad i flaenoriaethu symleiddio cynlluniau cymorth ariannol, o dan y siarter budd-daliadau Cymru arfaethedig. Mae'n dda clywed bod siarter ddrafft wedi'i chyd-gynhyrchu gyda rhanddeiliaid, ac rydym yn edrych ymlaen at gyhoeddi'r siarter hon erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn.

Roedd yn galonogol hefyd clywed bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i weithio tuag at system fudd-daliadau ar gyfer Cymru sydd ag un pwynt cyswllt sy'n golygu mai unwaith yn unig y mae'n rhaid i unigolyn ddweud ei stori. Rydym wedi bod yn eiriolwyr hir dros ddull 'dim drws anghywir' ac mae'n braf bod cynnydd yn cael ei wneud yn y maes hwn.

Ond wrth droi at y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, mae'n anodd deall pam nad yw'r Llywodraeth wedi gallu cynyddu gwerth y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, sydd heb newid ers canol y 2000au. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn honni mai un o'i thair blaenoriaeth ar gyfer y gyllideb hon yw helpu'r rhai a effeithiwyd fwyaf gan yr argyfwng costau byw. Eto i gyd, gwelsom y gellid gwneud mwy i gefnogi plant a phobl ifanc, yr effeithir arnyn nhw'n anghymesur gan yr argyfwng hwn. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn argymhelliad o adroddiad y pwyllgor plant a phobl ifanc i gomisiynu adolygiad annibynnol o'r lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, gan ddweud y bydd y canfyddiadau'n llywio unrhyw newidiadau i'r cynllun. Fodd bynnag, rydym yn annog y Llywodraeth i flaenoriaethu unrhyw gyllid ychwanegol a dderbynnir o fewn y flwyddyn gan Lywodraeth y DU i gefnogi ein dysgwyr mwyaf agored i niwed trwy godi gwerth y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg ac i liniaru'r risg y byddant yn gadael addysg i chwilio am gyflogaeth.

Yn olaf, hoffwn ddiolch i’r Gweinidog am ei hymrwymiad parhaus i adolygu protocol proses y gyllideb, sy’n amlinellu dealltwriaeth rhwng y Senedd a Llywodraeth Cymru am y trefniadau ar gyfer craffu ar y gyllideb. Mae’r duedd yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf i ohirio cyhoeddi cyllideb ddrafft Llywodraeth Cymru yn sgil amseru digwyddiadau ariannol y Deyrnas Unedig wedi arwain at broses graffu wedi’i chwtogi, gyda llai o amser ar gael i bwyllgorau ymgysylltu â rhanddeiliaid ac edrych yn fanwl ar y cynigion cyllidebol sydd wedi eu cyflwyno. Felly, rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Gweinidog am ystyried newidiadau i'r protocol ac am gytuno i ymddangos gerbron y Pwyllgor Cyllid cyn cyhoeddi cyllidebau drafft yn y dyfodol, os bydd amserlenni yn cael eu gohirio eto.

Fel mae ein hadroddiad yn nodi, byddaf hefyd yn ysgrifennu at Gadeiryddion pwyllgorau eraill cyn bo hir i ymgynghori ar lefel ac ansawdd y dogfennau sy'n cyd-fynd â'r gyllideb ddrafft, gan gynnwys amseriad yr ymatebion a ddarparwyd gan y Llywodraeth, gyda'r bwriad o geisio gwneud gwelliannau ar gyfer y blynyddoedd i ddod. Rydym yn edrych ymlaen at weithio gyda’r Gweinidog ar hyn ac ar faterion eraill, ac rwy’n gobeithio bydd ein trafodaethau adeiladol yn parhau, er mwyn sicrhau bod unrhyw newidiadau yn gallu cael eu gweithredu mewn da bryd cyn rownd gyllideb 2024-25. Diolch yn fawr.

Finally, I would like to thank the Minister for her ongoing commitment to reviewing the budget process protocol, which sets out an understanding between the Senedd and the Welsh Government on budget scrutiny arrangements. The trend in recent years for the delay in publication of the Welsh Government’s draft budget in light of the timing of UK fiscal events has resulted in a truncated scrutiny process with less time available for committees to engage with stakeholders and look in detail at the budgetary proposals that have been put forward. I am therefore grateful to the Minister for considering changes to the protocol and for agreeing to appear before the Finance Committee prior to the publication of future draft budgets, should timescales be delayed again.

As noted in our report, I will also shortly be writing to other committee Chairs to consult on the level and quality of the budget documentation accompanying the draft budget, including the timeliness of the responses provided by the Government, with a view to seeking improvements for future years. We look forward to working with the Minister on these and other issues, and I hope that our constructive conversations will continue to ensure that any changes can be implemented in good time for the 2024-25 budget round. Thank you very much.

15:20

Can I start by thanking the Minister for her statement again? As a past council leader, I know that many of the decisions that have been made by the Minister would not have been easy. However, too much of this budget simply misses the mark. While Labour Ministers have claimed to be prioritising the key issues for the people of Wales, the truth is that this is far from the case. Rather than focusing on the priorities of the hard-working people of Wales, Labour Ministers have become increasingly more distracted by new powers and pet projects on which they have been wasting time and money over many years. What is unique to Wales is the growing crisis in our Welsh NHS, missing aspiration in our schools, and Wales’s decades-long housing crisis—all a direct result of 25 years of poor policy making by Labour.

In this budget, we should have seen more money being directed towards cost-of-living challenges, towards  our healthcare services, towards our schools and towards further support for business. But, under Labour control, our health service is seeing a real-terms cut of £228 million. This cut is despite the fact that the Welsh Government received an additional £305 million for the Welsh NHS and adult social care for 2023-24. The education and Welsh language budget has also seen a real-terms cut of £343.5 million and a cut of £43 million in cash terms, again, despite an additional £115 million consequential from the UK Government.

It’s clear that Labour haven’t got to grips with education in Wales. A quarter of a century of their rule sees the Welsh education system underperforming against other UK countries and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average. It’s clear that, while teachers are striking as a result of chronic underfunding and understaffing, Labour Ministers are cutting the education budget. And not a lot changes. For over the last 10 years, Labour have underfunded our doctors, nurses and health professionals by £400 million, redirecting money that was meant to improve people’s healthcare outcomes to fund those pet projects and failed business ventures like Cardiff Airport.

A gaf i ddechrau drwy ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei datganiad eto? Fel arweinydd cyngor yn y gorffennol, gwn na fyddai llawer o'r penderfyniadau sydd wedi eu gwneud gan y Gweinidog wedi bod yn hawdd. Fodd bynnag, mae gormod yn y gyllideb hon yn methu'r targed. Er bod Gweinidogion Llafur wedi honni eu bod yn blaenoriaethu'r materion allweddol ar gyfer pobl Cymru, y gwir yw bod hyn yn bell o fod yn wir. Yn hytrach na chanolbwyntio ar flaenoriaethau pobl weithgar Cymru, tynnwyd sylw Gweinidogion Llafur yn llwyr gan bwerau newydd a hoff brosiectau y buon nhw'n gwastraffu amser ac arian arnyn nhw dros nifer o flynyddoedd. Yr hyn sy'n unigryw i Gymru yw'r argyfwng cynyddol yn ein GIG yma yng Nghymru, y dyheadau coll yn ein hysgolion, ac argyfwng tai dros ddegawdau yng Nghymru—y cyfan yn ganlyniad uniongyrchol i 25 mlynedd o lunio polisi gwael gan Lafur.

Yn y gyllideb hon, dylem fod wedi gweld mwy o arian yn cael ei gyfeirio tuag at heriau costau byw, tuag at ein gwasanaethau gofal iechyd, tuag at ein hysgolion a thuag at gymorth pellach i fusnesau. Ond, o dan reolaeth Llafur, mae ein gwasanaeth iechyd yn gweld toriad mewn termau real o £228 miliwn. Mae'r toriad hwn er gwaethaf y ffaith bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn £305 miliwn yn ychwanegol ar gyfer GIG Cymru a gofal cymdeithasol i oedolion ar gyfer 2023-24. Mae cyllideb addysg a'r Gymraeg hefyd wedi gweld toriad mewn termau real o £343.5 miliwn a thoriad o £43 miliwn mewn termau arian parod, unwaith eto, er gwaethaf cyllid canlyniadol ychwanegol o £115 miliwn gan Lywodraeth y DU.

Mae'n amlwg nad yw Llafur wedi mynd i'r afael ag addysg yng Nghymru. Mae chwarter canrif o'u rheolaeth wedi gweld system addysg Cymru'n tanberfformio o'i chymharu â gwledydd eraill y DU a chyfartaledd y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd. Mae'n amlwg, er bod athrawon yn streicio o ganlyniad i danariannu cronig a diffyg staff, bod Gweinidogion Llafur yn torri'r gyllideb addysg. A does dim llawer yn newid. Dros y 10 mlynedd diwethaf, mae Llafur wedi tanariannu ein meddygon, ein nyrsys a'n gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol gyda gostyngiad o £400 miliwn, gan ailgyfeirio arian a oedd i fod ar gyfer gwella canlyniadau gofal iechyd pobl er mwyn ariannu'r hoff brosiectau hynny a mentrau busnes aflwyddiannus fel Maes Awyr Caerdydd.

Will you take an intervention, Peter?

A wnewch chi dderbyn ymyriad, Peter?

We must not forget that, for every £1 spent on the health service in England, Labour received £1.20 for Wales. And the same for education: £1 in England, £1.20 in Wales. Yet, we know that, in Wales, even before the pandemic, the Labour Government was only spending £1.05 on both of those. This begs the question: where has this money gone? Why is it not being used to deliver the healthcare and educational outcomes that the people of Wales so desperately deserve? And why are Labour and Plaid so transfixed on wasting over £100 million on more politicians here? [Interruption.] Oh, sorry.

Rhaid i ni beidio ag anghofio, am bob £1 sy'n cael ei wario ar y gwasanaeth iechyd yn Lloegr, cafodd Llafur £1.20 ar gyfer Gymru. A'r un peth ym maes addysg: £1 yn Lloegr, £1.20 yng Nghymru. Eto i gyd, fe wyddom, yng Nghymru, hyd yn oed cyn y pandemig, mai dim ond £1.05 oedd y Llywodraeth Lafur yn ei wario ar y ddau. Mae hyn yn codi'r cwestiwn: i le mae'r arian yma wedi mynd? Pam nad yw'n cael ei ddefnyddio i sicrhau'r canlyniadau gofal iechyd ac addysgol y mae pobl Cymru yn wirioneddol yn eu haeddu? A pham mae Llafur a Plaid wedi hoelio'u sylw'n llwyr ar wastraffu dros £100 miliwn ar fwy o wleidyddion yma? [Torri ar draws.] O mae'n ddrwg gennyf.

15:25

[Inaudible.]—Peter. Could Members stop having a discussion across the Chamber so that we can hear the speaker, please?

[Anghlywadwy.] —Peter. A wnaiff yr Aelodau roi'r gorau i gael trafodaeth ar draws y Siambr er mwyn i ni glywed y siaradwr, os gwelwch yn dda?

Just stop reading and get rid of the paper. Just say what—[Inaudible.]

Rhowch y gorau i ddarllen a chael gwared â'r papur. Dwedwch beth—[Anghlywadwy.]

Why are Labour and Plaid so transfixed with wasting over £100 million on new politicians in this place, rather than addressing the real struggles that the many people of Wales are facing?

Things need to be different. Rather than more of the same tax and spend policies that we see from Labour, the Welsh Conservatives have a plan to focus on the people's immediate priorities. We have already outlined our plan to clear NHS backlogs with care hotels, clearing the bed blocking, opening up our hospitals and ending the disgrace of queues of ambulances outside Welsh A&E. We would establish surgical hubs across Wales to end Labour's embarrassing NHS waiting time record. Not only do the people of Wales want to see Labour's NHS crisis tackled but they want to see more help with the cost-of-living challenges. That's why we wanted to freeze council tax for people across Wales, but do it by unlocking some of the huge reserves that are held by some councils across Wales.

We also know that we need to see growth in our economy and support for businesses. We've listened to businesses. We've got a plan to allow microbusinesses to flourish, creating jobs for local people, restoring the aspiration to Wales; not only that, but we want to help futureproof these businesses, helping businesses to do their bit to support the environment, unleashing a green revolution in Wales. 

We want to address Labour's housing crisis in Wales by expanding the Help to Buy scheme, ensuring that it will encompass empty homes for renovation. This would restore another 20,000 homes into housing opportunities. Yes, I've noted the time, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I apologise. 

So, to conclude, Dirprwy Lywydd, I know that the Welsh Government, like all Governments, is facing substantial challenges in the immediate term, but that is no excuse for inaction. We don't want more of the same stale economic policies that we have come to expect from both Plaid and Labour, we need to be looking for dynamic and innovative ways to push Wales forward, ensuring that our families and business can deal with the rising costs—

Pam mae Llafur a Phlaid wedi hoelio'u sylw'n llwyr ar wastraffu dros £100 miliwn ar fwy o wleidyddion yn y lle hwn, yn hytrach na mynd i'r afael â'r trafferthion go iawn y mae llawer o bobl Cymru yn eu hwynebu?

Mae angen i bethau fod yn wahanol. Yn hytrach na mwy o'r un polisïau o drethu a gwario a welwn ni gan Lafur, mae gan y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig gynllun i ganolbwyntio ar flaenoriaethau uniongyrchol y bobl. Rydym eisoes wedi amlinellu ein cynllun i glirio ôl-groniadau'r GIG gyda gwestai gofal, dod â blocio gwelyau i ben, agor ein hysbytai a rhoi diwedd ar warth y ciwiau o ambiwlansys y tu allan i adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys Cymru. Byddem yn sefydlu hybiau llawfeddygol ar draws Cymru i roi diwedd ar yr amseroedd aros cywilyddus sydd yn y GIG o dan Lafur. Nid yn unig y mae pobl Cymru eisiau gweld rhywbeth yn cael ei wneud ynghylch argyfwng GIG Llafur ond maen nhw eisiau gweld mwy o gymorth gyda'r heriau costau byw. Dyna pam roeddem eisiau rhewi'r dreth gyngor i bobl ar draws Cymru, ond gwneud hynny drwy ddatgloi rhai o'r cronfeydd enfawr sydd yn cael eu cadw gan rai cynghorau ledled Cymru.

Rydym hefyd yn gwybod bod angen i ni weld twf yn ein heconomi a chefnogaeth i fusnesau. Rydyn ni wedi gwrando ar fusnesau. Mae gennym gynllun i ganiatáu i ficrofusnesau ffynnu, gan greu swyddi i bobl leol, gan adfer dyheadau Cymru; nid yn unig hynny, ond rydym eisiau helpu i ddiogelu'r busnesau hyn i'r dyfodol, gan helpu busnesau i chwarae eu rhan i gefnogi'r amgylchedd, gan ryddhau chwyldro gwyrdd yng Nghymru.

Rydym eisiau mynd i'r afael ag argyfwng tai Llafur yng Nghymru drwy ehangu'r cynllun Cymorth i Brynu, gan sicrhau y bydd yn cwmpasu tai gwag i'w hadnewyddu. Byddai hyn yn adfer 20,000 o gartrefi eraill i gyfleoedd tai. Do, rwyf wedi nodi'r amser, Dirprwy Lywydd, ac rwy'n ymddiheuro.

Felly, i gloi, Dirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n gwybod bod Llywodraeth Cymru, fel pob Llywodraeth, yn wynebu heriau sylweddol ar hyn o bryd, ond nid yw hynny'n esgus dros ddiffyg gweithredu. Dydyn ni ddim eisiau mwy o'r un polisïau economaidd diflas yr ydym yn eu disgwyl gan Blaid Cymru a Llafur, mae angen i ni chwilio am ffyrdd deinamig ac arloesol o wthio Cymru ymlaen, gan sicrhau y gall ein teuluoedd a'n busnesau ymdopi â'r costau cynyddol—

I've nearly finished. The rising cost of living—

Rwyf bron â gorffen. Mae'r costau byw cynyddol—

No. I have 14 Members wishing to speak. I need to use the time effectively. You need to conclude now, please.

Na. Mae gennyf 14 Aelod sy'n dymuno siarad. Mae angen imi ddefnyddio'r amser yn effeithiol. Mae angen i chi ddod i ben nawr, os gwelwch yn dda.

I could have finished then, Chair. So, with all of the things I've shared there, I'm afraid that this group will not be supporting this budget today for all of those reasons. 

Gallwn fod wedi gorffen gynnau, Cadeirydd. Felly, gyda'r holl bethau rydw i wedi'u rhannu, mae gennyf ofn na fydd y grŵp hwn yn cefnogi'r gyllideb hon heddiw am yr holl resymau hynny. 

That's hardly breaking news, Dirprwy Lywydd, but there we are. [Laughter.] Thank you for your valued contribution—appreciated, as always.

I have to say that the Welsh Government's budget for 2023-24 is a reflection, let's be honest, of perhaps the most challenging set of financial circumstances that we've ever experienced in the devolution era. The pressures of the post-COVID recovery, soaring inflation and, of course, the impact of the war in Ukraine, amongst other things, have all been exacerbated by the extreme folly of an out of touch and out of control Tory Government. Following a disastrous dalliance with the fantasy economics of unfunded tax cuts, the Tories are now resorting to yet another wave of austerity measures in a desperate attempt to salvage their electoral credibility.

Now, the bleak financial forecast that has been laid before us today is therefore, first and foremost, a damning indictment of this UK Government, whose catastrophic mismanagement of the UK economy has dragged Wales headlong into this quagmire. And as always, of course, as has always been the case under Tory-driven austerity, it's the poorest and the most vulnerable sections of society that are having to shoulder the heaviest burden as a result of public spending cuts and underinvestment. So, we do have sympathy with the Welsh Government having to factor in a £1.4 billion hit to their real-terms spending power over the next two years, however—that's what you're waiting for, isn't it? However, while we may agree with the Welsh Government on the causes of the current financial malaise, our diagnosis of how to address these problems obviously will differ. 

Now, the constraints under which this budget was developed conclusively demonstrates that Wales is poorly served, I believe, by the current block grant model of devolved funding, which accounts for over 80 per cent of Welsh Government's day-to-day spending power. Despite the extensive range of policy areas that are now devolved to Wales, the delivery is still primarily dependent on UK Government spending decisions over which we have, effectively, no say. Though the nature of the block grant model does inherently restrict the Welsh Government's room for manoeuvre, that doesn't absolve the Welsh Government of criticism of many of the decisions that you have made in relation to this budget. We, as many others, I'm sure, have still serious concerns about, for example, the lack of any increase in funding for the housing support grant. That's particularly worrying, because we know what the implications will be. The decision not to implement the Welsh fuel support scheme for next winter will be alarming for many households who depended on that support over the past few months. The last-minute u-turn that we've heard already mentioned today on funding for the bus emergency scheme does cause considerable concern amongst bus operators, yes, but for the long-term viability of bus routes across Wales, particularly in rural areas, and particularly in light of the roads review. But, of course, this is what politics is all about, and our pragmatic approach, through the co-operation agreement, will deliver at least some of our manifesto commitments. It'll go at least some of the way to alleviate some of the challenges facing the people of Wales today.

So, I'm glad that we have been able to protect funding for the co-operation agreement, in fact adding certain elements to that where we feel that is necessary, and also exerting our influence over other areas of mutual interest, particularly relating to the cost-of-living crisis and the wider pressures on public services, with an emphasis on the preventative agenda. Now, this is something that's been spoken about for a long, long time, where we're seeing an evolving in that direction, and, for me, we need to accelerate that, because it is that longer-term investment that will actually reap benefits further down the line. 

Now, of course, I couldn't let this moment pass without saying those three words—free school meals. Seventy million pounds will be committed next year to make sure that our children have nourishing meals in schools, and we're glad that that programme is moving in the right direction, and, obviously, we want to extend it as far as we can. Free childcare—we know of the £100 million committed there, and an uplift of another £10 million secured in our agreement. 

And then, in terms of influencing the wider sphere of the budget, on housing—and we've seen, haven't we, the shocking figures on repossessions in Wales—£40 million over two years to assist those in mortgage difficulty at an early stage, to enable them to stay in their homes. And also on housing—£59 million over two years to support the delivery of new, low-carbon social housing. I could go on, but I see that I have very little time left. 

But Plaid Cymru would be the first to recognise that there is more to do, and that is why we recognise that, if there is any further consequential coming to Wales, then we want to know, or we want everybody to know, that we have agreed prioritised areas. And the First Minister mentioned public sector pay as one key area that we still need to address, and we would be the first to admit that. But we also want to see extending the bus emergency scheme. We also want to see extending free school meals to secondary school, and we also want to see an increase in the education maintenance allowance. 

So, this budget isn't perfect. Our influence doesn't extend to every part of this budget. But, through the co-operation agreement, and the few additional areas where we have managed to leverage greater investment, we are confident that this will at least go some of the way to challenge some of the long-standing issues and problems that the people of Wales are facing at this difficult time. 

Go brin fod hynny'n newyddion sydd newydd dorri, Dirprwy Lywydd, ond dyna ni. [Chwerthin.] Diolch am eich cyfraniad gwerthfawr—fe'i gwerthfawrogwyd fel arfer.

Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud bod cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer 2023-24 yn adlewyrchiad, gadewch i ni fod yn onest, o bosib y set fwyaf heriol o amgylchiadau ariannol rydyn ni wedi eu profi erioed yn oes datganoli. Mae pwysau'r adferiad ar ôl COVID, chwyddiant cynyddol ac, wrth gwrs, effaith y rhyfel yn Wcráin, ymhlith pethau eraill, i gyd wedi'u gwaethygu gan ffolineb llwyr Llywodraeth Dorïaidd sydd wedi colli gafael ar faterion ac allan o reolaeth. Yn dilyn fflyrtian yn drychinebus gydag economeg ffantasi o doriadau treth heb eu hariannu, mae'r Torïaid bellach yn troi at don arall o fesurau cyni eto mewn ymgais fyrbwyll i achub eu hygrededd etholiadol.

Nawr, mae'r rhagolygon ariannol llwm a osodwyd ger ein bron heddiw felly, yn bennaf oll, yn gondemniad damniol o Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig, y mae ei chamreoli trychinebus dros economi'r Deyrnas Unedig wedi llusgo Cymru bendramwnwgl i'r gors. Ac fel bob amser, wrth gwrs, fel sydd wastad wedi digwydd o dan gyni a ysgogwyd gan y Torïaid, y rhannau tlotaf a'r mwyaf agored i niwed o gymdeithas sy'n gorfod ysgwyddo'r baich trymaf o ganlyniad i doriadau gwariant cyhoeddus a thanfuddsoddi. Felly, rydym yn cydymdeimlo â Llywodraeth Cymru sy'n gorfod ymgorffori ergyd o £1.4 biliwn i'w pŵer gwario mewn termau real dros y ddwy flynedd nesaf, Fodd bynnag—dyna beth rydych chi'n aros amdano, onid e? Fodd bynnag, er y gallwn gytuno â Llywodraeth Cymru ar achosion yr anhwylder ariannol presennol, bydd ein diagnosis o sut i fynd i'r afael â'r problemau hyn yn amlwg yn wahanol.

Nawr, mae'r cyfyngiadau y datblygwyd y gyllideb hon oddi mewn iddynt yn dangos yn bendant fod Cymru yn cael ei gwasanaethu'n wael, rwy'n credu, gan y model grant bloc presennol o gyllid datganoledig, sy'n cyfrif am dros 80 y cant o bŵer gwario Llywodraeth Cymru o ddydd i ddydd. Er gwaethaf yr ystod helaeth o feysydd polisi sydd bellach wedi'u datganoli i Gymru, mae'r cyflawni yn dal i fod yn ddibynnol yn bennaf ar benderfyniadau gwariant Llywodraeth y DU nad oes gennym, i bob pwrpas, unrhyw ddylanwad drostynt. Er bod natur y model grant bloc yn cyfyngu yn ei hanfod ar allu Llywodraeth Cymru i weithredu, nid yw hynny'n rhyddhau Llywodraeth Cymru rhag cael ei beirniadu am lawer o'r penderfyniadau rydych chi wedi'u gwneud mewn cysylltiad â'r gyllideb hon. Mae gennym ni, fel llawer o bobl eraill, rwy'n siŵr, bryderon difrifol o hyd, er enghraifft, ynghylch diffyg unrhyw gynnydd mewn cyllid ar gyfer y grant cymorth tai. Mae hynny'n arbennig o bryderus, oherwydd rydyn ni'n gwybod beth fydd y goblygiadau. Bydd y penderfyniad i beidio â gweithredu cynllun cymorth tanwydd Cymru ar gyfer y gaeaf nesaf yn dychryn nifer o aelwydydd a oedd yn dibynnu ar y gefnogaeth honno dros y misoedd diwethaf. Mae'r tro pedol munud olaf yr ydym wedi clywed amdano eisoes wedi'i grybwyll heddiw ynghylch cyllid ar gyfer y cynllun brys ar gyfer y sector bysiau yn achosi pryder sylweddol ymhlith gweithredwyr bysiau, ydy, ond am hyfywedd hirdymor llwybrau bysiau ledled Cymru, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd gwledig, ac yn enwedig yn sgil yr adolygiad ffyrdd. Ond, wrth gwrs, dyma beth yw diben gwleidyddiaeth, a bydd ein dull pragmatig ni, drwy'r cytundeb cydweithio, yn cyflawni o leiaf rhai o'n hymrwymiadau maniffesto. Bydd yn mynd o leiaf rhywfaint o'r ffordd i liniaru rhai o'r heriau y mae pobl Cymru yn eu hwynebu heddiw.

Felly, rwy'n falch ein bod wedi gallu diogelu cyllid ar gyfer y cytundeb cydweithio, mewn gwirionedd gan ychwanegu rhai elfennau at hynny pan ydym yn teimlo bod hynny'n angenrheidiol, a hefyd yn dylanwadu dros feysydd eraill o ddiddordeb cyffredin, yn enwedig yn ymwneud â'r argyfwng costau byw a'r pwysau ehangach ar wasanaethau cyhoeddus, gyda phwyslais ar yr agenda ataliol. Nawr, mae hyn yn rhywbeth sydd wedi cael ei drafod ers amser maith, pryd rydyn ni'n gweld esblygu i'r cyfeiriad hwnnw, ac, i mi, mae angen i ni gyflymu hynny, oherwydd y buddsoddiad mwy hirdymor hwnnw fydd mewn gwirionedd yn dod â budd nes ymlaen.

Nawr, wrth gwrs, ni allwn adael i'r foment hon fynd heibio heb ddweud y geiriau hynny—prydau ysgol am ddim. Bydd cyfanswm o 70 miliwn o bunnau yn cael ei ymrwymo y flwyddyn nesaf i wneud yn siŵr bod ein plant yn cael prydau maethlon mewn ysgolion, ac rydym yn falch bod y rhaglen honno'n symud i'r cyfeiriad cywir, ac, yn amlwg, rydym eisiau ei hymestyn cyn belled ag y gallwn. Gofal plant am ddim—rydym yn gwybod am y £100 miliwn a ymrwymwyd yna, a chynnydd o £10 miliwn arall a sicrhawyd yn ein cytundeb.

Ac yna, o ran dylanwadu ar gylch ehangach y gyllideb, ar dai—ac rydyn ni wedi gweld, onid ydym ni, y ffigurau brawychus o ran adfeddiannu yng Nghymru—£40 miliwn dros ddwy flynedd i gynorthwyo'r rhai mewn trafferthion morgais yn gynnar, i'w galluogi i aros yn eu cartrefi. A hefyd ar dai—£59 miliwn dros ddwy flynedd i gefnogi'r gwaith o ddarparu tai cymdeithasol newydd, carbon isel. Gallwn fynd ymlaen, ond rwy'n gweld mai ychydig iawn o amser sydd gennyf i ar ôl.

Ond Plaid Cymru fyddai'r cyntaf i gydnabod bod mwy i'w wneud, a dyna pam rydym yn cydnabod, os oes unrhyw gyllid canlyniadol ychwanegol yn dod i Gymru, yna rydym ni eisiau gwybod, neu rydyn ni eisiau i bawb wybod, ein bod wedi cytuno ar flaenoriaethu meysydd. A soniodd y Prif Weinidog am gyflogau'r sector cyhoeddus fel un maes allweddol y mae angen i ni fynd i'r afael ag ef o hyd, a ni fyddai'r cyntaf i gyfaddef hynny. Ond rydyn ni hefyd eisiau gweld y cynllun brys ar gyfer y sector bysiau yn cael ei ehangu. Rydym hefyd eisiau gweld prydau ysgol am ddim yn cael eu hymestyn i'r ysgol uwchradd, ac rydym hefyd eisiau gweld cynnydd yn y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg.

Felly, nid yw'r gyllideb hon yn berffaith. Dydy ein dylanwad ni ddim yn ymestyn i bob rhan o'r gyllideb hon. Ond, drwy'r cytundeb cydweithio, a'r ychydig feysydd ychwanegol lle rydym wedi llwyddo i ysgogi mwy o fuddsoddiad, rydym yn ffyddiog y bydd hyn o leiaf yn mynd rhywfaint o'r ffordd i herio rhai o'r materion a'r problemau hirsefydlog y mae pobl Cymru'n eu hwynebu ar yr adeg anodd hon. 

15:30

I intend to make several comments on the budget, but, first, I want to address the process. We are setting the budget for all devolved services in Wales. We continue to repeat we are a Parliament. Yet we timetable only one hour for the final debate on the budget, after half an hour to decide income tax rates. Put into context that Swansea council spent over four and a half hours setting their council tax and spending proposals for 2023-24, which is, historically, a short meeting; I've attended a council meeting that lasted over six hours setting the budget. 

The budget does go through scrutiny by the Finance Committee, but the final decision is being made here today. Compare this to Westminster—the budget is usually followed by four days of debate on the budget resolutions. These are the tax measures announced in the budget, and each day of day of debate covers the different policy areas, such as health, education and defence. Why does the Welsh Government think that one hour is sufficient to enable final scrutiny of the budget, and half an hour to set income tax rates? And today, the budget is not even the main item on the agenda; we've got a major item coming up of passing legislation. If we don't treat ourselves seriously, if we don't treat the budget process seriously, why would we expect anybody else to treat what we do seriously?

On the budget itself, budgets are always about choices. We know rates are the business tax most disliked by businesses. This is because there are very few tricks, short of demolition, that can be used to reduce the rate bill. The draft budget 2023-24 set out that over £140 million is allocated for retail, leisure and hospitality relief, although I've also seen a figure of £116 million mentioned on the same item. And it says:

'We will continue to provide support for those sectors most directly affected by the pandemic through a 2023-24 retail, leisure and hospitality rates relief scheme. This will provide more than £140m of non-domestic rates relief for eligible businesses.

'Retail, leisure and hospitality ratepayers in Wales will receive 75% nondomestic rates relief throughout 2023-24. Like the similar scheme announced by the UK Government, the Welsh Government’s scheme will be capped at £110,000 per business across Wales.'

Scotland does not have such a scheme. Things like fast foods are franchised, including McDonald's, KFC, Subway, Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Domino's pizza. So, each franchise is an individual business, so the rate relief on each business, as far as I read it—the Minister might tell me I'm wrong, and they're going to aggregate businesses up when they're franchised—[Interruption.] Thank you. As I've just been told; other restaurants are available. [Laughter.] If I'd gone through the whole list, I'd be in trouble with the Deputy Presiding Officer. Why does the Government think it's good use of taxpayers' money to support fast food businesses? We don't actually have joined-up thinking at all, do we? Because, quite often, we say, 'We don't support out-of-town shopping, we don't support fast food', and yet, once we come to doing rate relief, 'Yes, we'll help them.'

I take it from the announcement that large hotels in Wales will also get rate relief. This rate relief will help businesses' bottom lines, but I remain unconvinced that it will aid the Welsh economy. The Scottish no longer provide this support; England does. This money could be better used to pay public sector workers; I'd prioritise them over fast food and hotel businesses. And I think that's one of the things—everybody has talked about spending money; I've talked about trying to get some money to spend.

The Farmers Union of Wales has asked that basic farm payments are capped at £15,000 per year. I've heard no argument against this capping of basic farm payments. This is a Brexit dividend—following leaving the European Union, we don't have to pay them anything. I'm in total agreement with the Farmers Union of Wales regarding basic farm payments: they suggest we provide support to the small farmers in Wales, but cap payments to the larger and more profitable farms.

Overall, I welcome the Welsh Labour Government's spending plans, which will help to protect public services and the most vulnerable in the face of a perfect storm of financial pressures. Ministers have taken difficult decisions to reprioritise funding from within budgets to maximise support for public services and people and businesses most affected by the cost-of-living crisis and recession. The budget also allocates extra money for the NHS, councils, education. I have previously asked for EMA to be expanded and EMA to be increased; that's not a large sum of money, but it would make a big difference to many poor people. And Wales needs to prioritise research and development for economic sustainability, to support innovation in Welsh universities. I've also continued to call for an uplift in equality-related money that comes directly from the UK Government consequential to ensure that it matches spending in England. University research is crucial to developing the Welsh economy. I'll be supporting the budget, but hope that, next year, we'll look at rates support and basic farm payments to give us extra money.

Rwy'n bwriadu gwneud sawl sylw ar y gyllideb, ond, yn gyntaf, rwyf eisiau mynd i'r afael â'r broses. Rydyn ni'n pennu'r gyllideb ar gyfer yr holl wasanaethau datganoledig yng Nghymru. Rydym yn parhau i ailadrodd ein bod yn Senedd. Eto i gyd, rydym yn amserlennu awr yn unig ar gyfer y ddadl derfynol ar y gyllideb, ar ôl hanner awr yn penderfynu ar gyfraddau treth incwm. Rhowch e' mewn cyd-destun, treuliodd cyngor Abertawe dros bedair awr a hanner yn pennu eu cynigion treth cyngor a gwariant ar gyfer 2023-24, sef cyfarfod byr, yn hanesyddol; rwyf wedi bod mewn cyfarfod o'r cyngor a barhaodd dros chwe awr yn pennu'r gyllideb.

Mae'r gyllideb yn mynd drwy'r broses graffu gan y Pwyllgor Cyllid, ond mae'r penderfyniad terfynol yn cael ei wneud yma heddiw. Cymharwch hyn â San Steffan—mae'r gyllideb fel arfer yn cael ei dilyn gan bedwar diwrnod o drafod ar benderfyniadau'r gyllideb. Dyma'r mesurau treth a gyhoeddwyd yn y gyllideb, ac mae pob diwrnod o drafod yn ymdrin â'r gwahanol feysydd polisi, fel iechyd, addysg ac amddiffyn. Pam mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn meddwl bod awr yn ddigon i ganiatau craffu terfynol ar y gyllideb, a hanner awr i bennu cyfraddau treth incwm? A heddiw, nid y gyllideb yw'r brif eitem ar yr agenda hyd yn oed; mae gennym eitem fawr i ddod, sef pasio deddfwriaeth. Os nad ydyn ni'n trin ein hunain o ddifrif, os nad ydyn ni'n trin y broses gyllideb o ddifrif, pam fydden ni'n disgwyl i unrhyw un arall drin yr hyn rydyn ni'n ei wneud o ddifrif?

O ran y gyllideb ei hun, mae cyllidebau bob amser yn ymwneud â dewisiadau. Rydym yn gwybod mai ardrethi yw'r dreth fusnes y mae busnesau yn ei chasáu fwyaf. Y rheswm dros hyn yw mai ychydig iawn o driciau sydd ar gael, heblaw am ddymchwel, y gellir eu defnyddio i leihau'r bil ardreth. Roedd cyllideb ddrafft 2023-24 yn nodi bod dros £140 miliwn yn cael ei ddyrannu ar gyfer rhyddhad manwerthu, hamdden a lletygarwch, er fy mod hefyd wedi gweld y ffigur £116 miliwn yn cael ei grybwyll ar yr un eitem. Ac mae'n dweud:

'Byddwn yn parhau i ddarparu cefnogaeth i’r sectorau hynny yr effeithiwyd arnynt yn fwyaf uniongyrchol gan y pandemig trwy gynllun rhyddhad ardrethi manwerthu, hamdden a lletygarwch yn 2023-4. Bydd hyn yn darparu gwerth mwy na £140m o ryddhad ardrethi annomestig i fusnesau cymwys.

'Bydd trethdalwyr manwerthu, hamdden a lletygarwch yng Nghymru yn cael rhyddhad ardrethi annomestig drwy gydol 2023-24. Fel y cynllun tebyg a gyhoeddwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU, bydd cynllun Llywodraeth Cymru yn cael ei gapio yn £110,000 am bob busnes ar draws Cymru.'

Does gan yr Alban ddim cynllun o'r fath. Mae pethau fel bwydydd brys yn rhan o fasnachfraint, gan gynnwys McDonald's, KFC, Subway, Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Domino's Pizza. Felly, mae pob masnachfraint yn fusnes unigol, felly mae'r rhyddhad ardrethi ar bob busnes, yn ôl yr hyn a ddarllenaf—gallai'r Gweinidog ddweud wrthyf os wyf yn anghywir, ac maen nhw'n mynd i gydgrynhoi busnesau pan fyddan nhw'n rhan o fasnachfraint—[Torri ar draws.] Diolch. Rwyf newydd gael gwybod bod bwytai eraill ar gael. [Chwerthin.] Pe bawn i wedi mynd trwy'r rhestr gyfan, byddwn i mewn trafferth gyda'r Dirprwy Lywydd. Pam mae'r Llywodraeth yn meddwl ei fod yn ddefnydd da o arian trethdalwyr i gefnogi busnesau bwyd brys? Mewn gwirionedd, dydyn ni ddim yn meddwl yn glir o gwbl, ydyn ni? Oherwydd, yn aml, rydyn ni'n dweud, 'Dydyn ni ddim yn cefnogi siopa y tu allan i'r dref, dydyn ni ddim yn cefnogi bwyd brys', ac eto, unwaith y byddwn ni'n trafod rhyddhad ardrethi, 'Gwnawn, fe wnawn ni eu helpu nhw.'

Rwy'n deall o'r cyhoeddiad y bydd gwestai mawr yng Nghymru hefyd yn cael rhyddhad ardrethi. Bydd y rhyddhad ardrethi hwn yn helpu llinellau gwaelod busnesau, ond rwy'n dal heb fy argyhoeddi y bydd yn cynorthwyo economi Cymru. Nid yw'r Alban bellach yn darparu'r gefnogaeth hon; mae Lloegr yn gwneud hynny. Gellid defnyddio'r arian hwn yn well i dalu gweithwyr y sector cyhoeddus; byddwn i'n rhoi blaenoriaeth iddyn nhw yn lle busnesau bwyd brys a gwestai. Ac rwy'n credu mai dyna un o'r pethau—mae pawb wedi siarad am wario arian; rwyf wedi sôn am geisio cael ychydig o arian i'w wario.

Mae Undeb Amaethwyr Cymru wedi gofyn i daliadau fferm sylfaenol gael eu capio ar £15,000 y flwyddyn. Nid wyf wedi clywed unrhyw ddadl yn erbyn y capio hwn ar daliadau fferm sylfaenol. Difidend Brexit yw hwn—ar ôl gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, does dim rhaid i ni dalu unrhyw beth iddyn nhw. Rydw i'n cytuno'n llwyr gydag Undeb Amaethwyr Cymru ynglŷn â thaliadau fferm sylfaenol: maen nhw'n awgrymu ein bod yn darparu cefnogaeth i'r ffermwyr bach yng Nghymru, ond capio taliadau i'r ffermydd mwy a mwy proffidiol.

Ar y cyfan, rwy'n croesawu cynlluniau gwario Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru, a fydd yn helpu i amddiffyn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a'r rhai sydd dan fygythiad yn wyneb storm berffaith o bwysau ariannol. Mae gweinidogion wedi gwneud penderfyniadau anodd i ailflaenoriaethu cyllid o fewn cyllidebau er mwyn sicrhau'r gefnogaeth fwyaf posibl i wasanaethau cyhoeddus a phobl a busnesau yr effeithir arnynt fwyaf gan yr argyfwng costau byw a'r dirwasgiad. Mae'r gyllideb hefyd yn dyrannu arian ychwanegol ar gyfer y GIG, cynghorau, addysg. Rwyf wedi gofyn yn y gorffennol am ehangu'r lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg a chynyddu'r lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg; dyw hynny ddim yn swm mawr o arian, ond byddai'n gwneud gwahaniaeth mawr i lawer o bobl dlawd. Ac mae angen i Gymru flaenoriaethu ymchwil a datblygu ar gyfer cynaliadwyedd economaidd, er mwyn cefnogi arloesedd ym mhrifysgolion Cymru. Rwyf hefyd wedi parhau i alw am gynnydd mewn arian sy'n gysylltiedig â chydraddoldeb sy'n dod yn uniongyrchol o gyllid canlyniadol Llywodraeth y DU i sicrhau ei fod yn cyfateb i wariant yn Lloegr. Mae ymchwil prifysgolion yn hanfodol i ddatblygu economi Cymru. Byddaf yn cefnogi'r gyllideb, ond yn gobeithio, y flwyddyn nesaf, y byddwn yn edrych ar gymorth ardrethi a thaliadau fferm sylfaenol i roi arian ychwanegol i ni.

15:35

Thank you. I think I wasn't down to speak, but I will speak, because I think it's very important that I do speak on education. I can't believe that Plaid Cymru just stood up and said that they were going to support a budget that is, in real terms, cutting education—cutting education by £6.5 million in real terms. That is disgraceful. This Government has a missed opportunity with this budget. It has missed an opportunity to reverse the damage that's been inflicted on the children of Wales for the last 23 years. You have done everything that you shouldn't do in terms of education, when you should be concentrating on getting the basics right, rather than concentrating on headline-grabbing stuff. This Labour Government here has not just—[Interruption.] It hasn't just neglected Welsh education, it has effectively harmed it by cutting this in real terms. Would the Minister agree with me that, unlike what the First Minister said earlier, being at the bottom end of the PISA table for the last two decades is no good reflection on Wales's state of education, and, in fact, we need to get those basics right. It's absolutely imperative; it's nothing to be proud of that we've improved just a little bit on those few areas of PISA. We should be near the top; we should be the top of the UK. We should have a vision here that's laid out, where you increase the education budget, ensuring that we get those basics right, ensuring that we deliver the best education in Wales, and, quite frankly, you should be ashamed of yourself for this budget. 

Diolch. Dydw i ddim yn credu fy mod i lawr i siarad, ond fe wnaf siarad, oherwydd rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn fy mod i'n siarad ar addysg. Ni allaf gredu bod Plaid Cymru newydd sefyll i fyny a dweud eu bod nhw'n mynd i gefnogi cyllideb sydd, mewn termau real, yn torri ar addysg—toriad o £6.5 miliwn i addysg mewn termau real. Mae hynny'n warthus. Mae'r Llywodraeth hon wedi colli cyfle gyda'r gyllideb hon. Mae wedi colli cyfle i wyrdroi'r difrod sydd wedi'i achosi i blant Cymru dros y 23 mlynedd diwethaf. Rydych chi wedi gwneud popeth na ddylech chi ei wneud o ran addysg, pan ddylech chi fod yn canolbwyntio ar gael y pethau sylfaenol yn iawn, yn hytrach na chanolbwyntio ar stwff sy'n ceisio hawlio'r penawdau. Nid yw'r Llywodraeth Lafur hon wedi gwneud—[Torri ar draws.] Nid dim ond esgeuluso addysg Gymraeg sydd yma, mae wedi ei niweidio i bob pwrpas drwy'r toriadau mewn termau real. A fyddai'r Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi, yn wahanol i'r hyn a ddywedodd y Prif Weinidog yn gynharach, nad yw bod ar waelod tabl PISA dros y ddau ddegawd diwethaf yn adlewyrchiad da o gyflwr addysg yng Nghymru, ac, mewn gwirionedd, mae angen i ni gael y pethau sylfaenol hynny'n iawn. Mae'n gwbl hanfodol; nid yw'r ffaith ein bod ni wedi gwella ychydig bach yn yr ychydig feysydd hynny o PISA yn rhywbeth i fod yn falch ohono. Dylem ni fod yn agos i'r brig; fe ddylem ni fod ar frig y DU. Dylem gael gweledigaeth yma sydd wedi'i gosod, pryd rydych chi'n cynyddu'r gyllideb addysg, gan sicrhau ein bod yn cael y pethau sylfaenol hynny'n iawn, gan sicrhau ein bod yn darparu'r addysg orau yng Nghymru, ac, a dweud y gwir, dylech fod â chywilydd mawr oherwydd y gyllideb hon. 

15:40

I have to say, I don't want to stand up and absolve Welsh Government of responsibility here, but I do find it quite galling to hear the Conservatives talk about, 'What about the children of Wales?' when, actually, it's Tory austerity enforcing policies on people here in Wales, not giving Wales the fair share it deserves, lying about the Brexit dividend that would come to Wales that never materialised and is letting our communities get poorer. That's the reality, and you have to take responsibility for that as well. You cannot absolve responsibility. But one of the things we've had through our e-mails from many people has been from People's Assembly Wales, asking us, as Labour and Plaid Cymru politicians, not to vote in favour of this budget, because it would be implementing austerity here in Wales. They're asking why we're not out on the streets, united, to ensure that Wales gets what it needs and deserves, because the reality is that we are being let down by consecutive UK Governments, and it's making the situation impossible.

I'm also fed up of hearing people stand up in this Chamber and say, 'We would do this, if we had the money, or if we had the powers here in Wales', but not fighting for greater powers. And actually, we do support independence because we believe that we should be taking those difficult decisions here in Wales, rather than just pointing towards the UK Government. 

Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, dydw i ddim eisiau sefyll i fyny a rhyddhau Llywodraeth Cymru o gyfrifoldeb yma, ond mae'n dân ar fy nghroen clywed y Ceidwadwyr yn gofyn, 'Beth am blant Cymru?' pan fo, mewn gwirionedd, yn ymwneud a chyni'r Torïaid yn gorfodi polisïau ar bobl yma yng Nghymru, nid yn rhoi'r gyfran deg y mae Cymru'n ei haeddu, dweud celwydd am ddifidend Brexit a fyddai'n dod i Gymru na ddigwyddodd o gwbl ac sydd wedi gadael i'n cymunedau fynd yn dlotach. Dyna'r realiti, ac mae'n rhaid i chi gymryd cyfrifoldeb dros hynny hefyd. Ni allwch chi gael eich rhyddhau o gyfrifoldeb. Ond mae un o'r pethau yr ydym wedi ei gael drwy ein negeseuon e-bost gan lawer o bobl, wedi dod o Gynulliad y Werin Cymru, yn gofyn i ni, fel gwleidyddion Llafur a Phlaid Cymru, i beidio pleidleisio o blaid y gyllideb hon, oherwydd byddai'n gweithredu cyni yma yng Nghymru. Maen nhw'n gofyn pam nad ydym ni allan ar y strydoedd, yn unedig, i sicrhau bod Cymru'n cael yr hyn sydd ei angen arni ac yn ei haeddu, oherwydd y realiti yw ein bod ni'n cael ein siomi gan Lywodraethau olynol y DU, ac mae'n gwneud y sefyllfa'n amhosib.

Rwyf hefyd wedi cael llond bol o glywed pobl yn sefyll i fyny yn y Siambr hon ac yn dweud, 'Byddem yn gwneud hyn, pe bai'r arian gennym ni, neu pe bai'r pwerau gennym ni yma yng Nghymru', ond nid yn brwydro i gael mwy o bwerau. Ac mewn gwirionedd, rydym yn cefnogi annibyniaeth oherwydd ein bod yn credu y dylem fod yn gwneud y penderfyniadau anodd hynny yma yng Nghymru, yn hytrach na phwyntio tuag at Lywodraeth y DU yn unig. 

Is that okay, Deputy Presiding Officer?

Ydy hynny'n iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd?

You talk very passionately about independence, as, of course, all members of Plaid Cymru do, but do you accept that the fiscal gap means that you'd either have to raise taxes significantly or cut public spending significantly, which would have an enormously damaging impact on Wales and its people? 

Rydych chi'n siarad yn angerddol iawn am annibyniaeth, fel, wrth gwrs, mae pob aelod o Blaid Cymru yn ei wneud, ond a ydych chi'n derbyn bod y bwlch cyllidol yn golygu y byddai'n rhaid i chi naill ai godi trethi yn sylweddol neu dorri gwariant cyhoeddus yn sylweddol, a fyddai'n cael effaith niweidiol aruthrol ar Gymru a'i phobl? 

The most damaging impact has been Conservatives in the UK Government not standing up for Wales, and I believe in Wales and I believe in the future of Wales, and I do not accept that. We have seen evidence from different researchers showing that that is not the case, and also we have seen that we were told that all this money would come in to Wales that never materialised post Brexit. So, I don't accept that. 

One of the things, if I focus on the Welsh Government's actual budget today—. I am pleased that we're working in co-operation, as has been outlined by Llyr. I'm not going to apologise for the fact that more children are benefiting from free school meals because we're co-operating. I'm not going to apologise for the fact that families are benefiting from free childcare. There are so many things that we've been able to co-operate on that have made a difference to the lives of people in our communities now—not in the future, but now: money in people's pockets now; food in children's stomachs now. But one of the things that I am pleased that we have at least agreed in terms of prioritised areas has been in terms of increasing the education maintenance allowance, extending eligibility for free school meals to secondary school and, of course, extending the bus emergency scheme. And I think we do need, all, to be united across this Chamber, to be fighting for that additional funding to make that a reality here in Wales.

A key issue of concern in this budget for a number of my constituents has been the end of the bus emergency scheme, and this is despite assurances being given that funding would remain unchanged, which was corroborated by ministerial evidence submitted on the draft budget, but we now know that that won't be the case. As a result, the future of many bus routes in my region and beyond are now in jeopardy, meaning people are worried about how they will access essential services, as well as employment opportunities, especially in those areas of my region where buses are the only transport option and where car ownership is low. I do think we really do need to prioritise this and see how we are going to support people living in our community now. 

In terms of what has been secured, I'm really pleased, in terms of the Welsh language funding, to see the additional £1 million of revenue for next year, and also free entry to the Urdd Eisteddfod for low-income families. I'm really pleased to see that. But, obviously, one of the key concerns, if I look at the portfolio areas in terms of culture and sport, Llyr Gruffydd mentioned in terms of the importance of the preventative agenda, what we're hearing now is that because of increased costs we are going to see, perhaps, swimming pools close, sports facilities close, arts centres close—all of those that are so essential in terms of the health and well-being agenda. I see in this budget many areas that are still operating in silos when we have the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. As we work for future areas and years through this Senedd term, I think we do need to look at that holistic approach to ensure that we are providing the best possible start to everybody and ensuring that opportunities such as those with culture and sport aren't taken away from those that desperately need them.

Yr effaith mwyaf niweidiol yw'r ffaith nad yw'r Ceidwadwyr yn Llywodraeth y DU yn sefyll dros Gymru, ac rwy'n credu yng Nghymru ac rwy'n credu yn nyfodol Cymru, ac nid wyf yn derbyn hynny. Rydyn ni wedi gweld tystiolaeth gan wahanol ymchwilwyr sy'n dangos nad yw hynny'n wir, a hefyd cawsom wybod y byddai'r holl arian yma yn dod mewn i Gymru ar ôl Brexit ond ni ddigwyddodd hynny o gwbl. Felly, dydw i ddim yn derbyn hynny.

Un o'r pethau, os ydw i'n canolbwyntio ar gyllideb go iawn Llywodraeth Cymru heddiw—. Rwy'n falch ein bod yn cydweithio, fel yr amlinellodd Llyr. Dydw i ddim am ymddiheuro am y ffaith bod mwy o blant yn elwa ar brydau ysgol am ddim oherwydd ein bod ni'n cydweithio. Dydw i ddim am ymddiheuro am y ffaith bod teuluoedd yn manteisio ar ofal plant am ddim. Mae cymaint o bethau rydyn ni wedi gallu cydweithio arnyn nhw sydd wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth i fywydau pobl yn ein cymunedau nawr—nid yn y dyfodol, ond nawr: arian ym mhocedi pobl nawr; bwyd yn stumogau'r plant nawr. Ond un o'r pethau rwy'n falch ein bod wedi cytuno arno o leiaf o ran meysydd â blaenoriaeth yw cynyddu'r lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, ymestyn cymhwysedd prydau ysgol am ddim i'r ysgol uwchradd ac, wrth gwrs, ymestyn y cynllun brys ar gyfer y sector bysiau. Ac rwy'n credu bod angen, i ni i gyd fod yn unedig ar draws y Siambr hon, i fod yn brwydro dros y cyllid ychwanegol hwnnw i wireddu hynny yma yng Nghymru.

Un o'r prif faterion sy'n peri pryder yn y gyllideb hon i nifer o fy etholwyr fu diwedd y cynllun brys ar gyfer y sector bysiau, ac mae hyn er gwaethaf cael sicrwydd na fyddai cyllid yn newid, a gafodd ei ategu gan dystiolaeth weinidogol a gyflwynwyd ar y gyllideb ddrafft, ond rydym bellach yn gwybod na fydd hynny'n wir. O ganlyniad, mae dyfodol llawer o lwybrau bysiau yn fy rhanbarth a thu hwnt bellach yn y fantol, sy'n golygu bod pobl yn poeni am sut y byddant yn cael mynediad at wasanaethau hanfodol, yn ogystal â chyfleoedd gwaith, yn enwedig yn yr ardaloedd hynny yn fy rhanbarth, ac yma, bysiau yw'r unig opsiwn o ran trafnidiaeth ac mae perchnogaeth ceir yn isel. Rwy'n credu bod gwir angen i ni flaenoriaethu hyn a gweld sut rydyn ni'n mynd i gefnogi pobl sy'n byw yn ein cymuned nawr. 

O ran yr hyn sydd wedi ei sicrhau, rwy'n falch iawn, o ran cyllido'r Gymraeg, i weld y £1 miliwn ychwanegol o refeniw ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf, a hefyd mynediad am ddim i Eisteddfod yr Urdd i deuluoedd ar incwm isel. Rwy'n falch iawn o weld hynny. Ond, yn amlwg, un o'r prif bryderon, os edrychaf ar feysydd y portffolio o ran diwylliant a chwaraeon, soniodd Llyr Gruffydd am bwysigrwydd yr agenda ataliol, yr hyn rydyn ni'n ei glywed nawr yw oherwydd costau cynyddol rydyn ni'n mynd i weld pyllau nofio'n cau efallai, cyfleusterau chwaraeon yn cau, canolfannau celfyddydol yn cau—popeth sydd mor hanfodol o ran yr agenda iechyd a llesiant. Rwy'n gweld yn y gyllideb hon sawl maes sy'n dal i weithredu heb ymwneud ag eraill pan fo gennym Ddeddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015. Wrth i ni weithio ar gyfer meysydd a blynyddoedd y dyfodol drwy dymor y Senedd hon, rwy'n credu bod angen i ni edrych ar y dull cyfannol hwnnw i sicrhau ein bod yn darparu'r dechrau gorau posibl i bawb a sicrhau nad yw cyfleoedd ym meysydd diwylliant a chwaraeon yn cael eu cymryd oddi wrth y rhai sydd wir eu hangen.

15:45

Well, I'm also stunned by the Welsh Conservatives, and here are some quick reminders: a £20 cut in universal credit from the Conservative Government. That's—[Interruption.] That's a £20 cut every week to the poorest people.

Peter Fox talked about Welsh ambulances queuing outside of hospitals. I actually don't think England is doing much better at all when it comes to queues of ambulances outside of English hospitals.

Brexit: one of the biggest disasters to Wales. You heard this afternoon about the cuts to our Welsh ports: £1 billion in EU funding has been lost, which the Conservatives in Westminster actually promised to replace in full—[Interruption.] I will in one minute, if I may, Andrew. I'll just finish this bit. The Westminster Government promised to replace that in full. And fair funding from HS2. So, let's be clear—and I look forward to hearing from the leader of the Welsh Conservatives—Wales has been sold totally short by the Welsh Conservatives. There's a lead-in for you.

Wel, rydw i hefyd wedi fy syfrdanu gan y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, a dyma ambell ffaith sydyn i'ch atgoffa chi: toriad o £20 mewn credyd cynhwysol gan y Llywodraeth Geidwadol. Mae hwnna—[Torri ar draws.] Mae hwnna'n doriad o £20 bob wythnos i'r bobl dlotaf.

Fe soniodd Peter Fox am ambiwlansys Cymru yn ciwio tu allan i ysbytai. Mewn gwirionedd dydw i ddim yn credu bod Lloegr yn gwneud llawer yn well o gwbl pan ddaw hi at giwiau o ambiwlansys y tu allan i ysbytai Lloegr.

Brexit: un o'r trychinebau mwyaf i Gymru. Fe glywsoch chi'r prynhawn yma am y toriadau i'n porthladdoedd yng Nghymru: mae £1 biliwn o gyllid yr UE wedi'i golli, ac mewn gwirionedd roedd y Ceidwadwyr yn San Steffan wedi addo rhoi rhywbeth yn lle hwnnw'n llawn—[Torri ar draws.] Fe wnaf mewn un munud, os caf i, Andrew. Rwyf am orffen y darn yma. Fe wnaeth Llywodraeth San Steffan addo rhoi rhywbeth yn lle hwnnw'n llawn. A chyllid teg o HS2. Felly, gadewch i ni fod yn glir—ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at glywed gan arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig—mae Cymru wedi cael llai o lawer na'i haeddiant gan y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig. Dyna le da i chi ddechrau.

Wales hasn't been sold short; £2.5 billion extra in this comprehensive spending review available to the Welsh Government. But you've spent your time going around mid Wales telling Welsh sheep farmers that their markets would collapse. Last year, they went up by 17 per cent—17 per cent. There's no-one more misleading in this Chamber or in this country than a Liberal Democrat.

Nid yw Cymru wedi cael llai na'i haeddiant; £2.5 biliwn ychwanegol yn yr adolygiad gwariant cynhwysfawr hwn ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru. Ond rydych chi wedi treulio eich amser yn mynd o gwmpas y canolbarth yn dweud wrth ffermwyr defaid y byddai eu marchnadoedd yn dymchwel. Y llynedd, aethon nhw i fyny 17 y cant—17 y cant. Does neb yn fwy camarweiniol yn y Siambr hon nac yn y wlad hon na Democrat Rhyddfrydol.

How wonderful to hear you refer to the Welsh Liberal Democrats. We barely get a mention, so it's really good to hear you talk about the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

I'm not going to talk about the specifics around what you have done, what you have done to Welsh farmers. You have sold them down the river with a deal with New Zealand and Australia, which is about importing lamb at a much lower standard and a much lower level. You should be ashamed of that, and I'm sure you will be considering your position—[Interruption.]

NVZs. Sorry, I do get an interruption, and I cannot let that go by. NVZs: I think you'll find that I voted to ensure that the Welsh Government looked at water pollution levels, so please don't throw that at me.

So, can I just move on to my contribution, if I may, Dirprwy Lywydd? I want to talk about some specific points. Dentistry: I'm really pleased, thank you—[Interruption.]

Mor wych yw eich clywed yn cyfeirio at y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymreig. Prin y mae sôn amdanom ni, felly mae'n braf iawn eich clywed chi'n siarad am y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymreig.

Dydw i ddim yn mynd i sôn am fanylion yr hyn rydych chi wedi'i wneud, beth rydych chi wedi'i wneud i ffermwyr Cymru. Rydych wedi eu bradychu gyda chytundeb gyda Seland Newydd ac Awstralia, sy'n ymwneud â mewnforio cig oen o safon llawer is a lefel llawer is. Dylech fod â chywilydd o hynny, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n ystyried eich sefyllfa—[Torri ar draws.]

NVZs. Mae'n ddrwg gen i, rwy'n cael ymyriad, ac ni allaf adael i hwnnw fynd heibio. NVZs: rwy'n credu y gwelwch chi fy mod i wedi pleidleisio i sicrhau bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn edrych ar lefelau llygredd dŵr, felly peidiwch â thaflu hynny ataf i os gwelwch yn dda.

Felly, a gaf i symud ymlaen at fy nghyfraniad, os caf i, Dirprwy Lywydd? Rwyf eisiau siarad am rai pwyntiau penodol. Deintyddiaeth: Rwy'n falch iawn, diolch—[Torri ar draws.]

Can Members allow the Member for Mid and West Wales to actually conclude, please, by being quiet?

A wnaiff Aelodau ganiatáu i'r Aelod dros Ganolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru ddod i ben mewn gwirionedd, os gwelwch yn dda, drwy fod yn dawel?

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I was shouting, then, and I didn't need to, I realise.

I want to just talk about dentistry. Thank you so much for the work you've been doing. I'm really pleased that we are seeing an increase in dentist provision in rural areas. I know that we are looking at mobile dentistry, and we're looking at those dentists as well being in schools, secondary schools, so I'm really pleased that that is happening and I'm grateful, as well, for the additional funding for a dentist in Llandrindod Wells. We need to obviously protect our NHS dentistry and to grow it and to make sure that it's preserved. NHS dentistry should not just be for the poorest, but it should be for everybody, and in fact, we all know—. We've all got mailbags full of people who cannot access an NHS dentist.

We've heard about public transport and the concerns about removing the emergency funding scheme and the loss of services that this could imply. I want to see free public transport for all under 25-year-olds.

Housing: I am disappointed, along with Plaid Cymru, at the lack of an increase in the housing support grants. With costs having risen more than 10 per cent over the past year, this decision will inevitably mean a cut in services to support tenants.

I do agree with Plaid Cymru that there does need to be a debate and a discussion about how we get in more income to the Welsh Government, and actually looking at our Welsh rates of income tax. I know that will be for another year, but it is so important that we balance what we're spending with what we can get in through the front door as well.

I finish by saying that I'm really pleased that the Welsh Government has been prioritising social justice and equality issues. We've seen an increase in the discretionary assistance fund, and I'm really pleased to see that. I'm delighted that the universal basic income scheme for care-experienced young people continues—that is, that our care-experienced young people have the best possible start in life. And I'm really pleased to see other Welsh benefits also being rolled out.

But that is—and I go back to my earlier point—sadly, needed because we are looking at a complete outweighing of what we're getting from the Welsh Conservatives via their colleagues in Westminster. So, I will be supporting this budget. I hope that Wales can really move forward. Wales is an amazing country that has a really prosperous future, and I hope that we will continue to deliver. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Roeddwn i'n gweiddi yn y fan yna, a doedd dim angen, rwy'n sylweddoli.

Rwyf eisiau siarad am ddeintyddiaeth. Diolch o galon am y gwaith rydych wedi ei wneud. Rwy'n falch iawn ein bod ni'n gweld cynnydd yn narpariaeth deintyddion mewn ardaloedd gwledig. Rwy'n gwybod ein bod ni'n edrych ar ddeintyddiaeth symudol, ac rydym yn edrych ar y deintyddion hynny hefyd yn yr ysgolion uwchradd, felly rwy'n falch iawn bod hynny'n digwydd ac rwy'n ddiolchgar, hefyd, am y cyllid ychwanegol ar gyfer deintydd yn Llandrindod. Yn amlwg, mae angen i ni amddiffyn ein deintyddiaeth GIG a'i thyfu a sicrhau ei bod yn cael ei chadw. Ni ddylai deintyddiaeth y GIG fod ar gyfer y rhai tlotaf yn unig, ond dylai fod ar gyfer pawb, ac mewn gwirionedd, rydyn ni i gyd yn gwybod—. Mae gennym ni i gyd fagiau post yn llawn o ohebiaeth pobl sy'n methu â chael mynediad at ddeintydd y GIG.

Rydym wedi clywed am drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus a'r pryderon ynghylch cael gwared â'r cynllun brys a cholli gwasanaethau yn sgil hynny. Rwyf eisiau gweld trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus am ddim i bawb o dan 25 oed.

Tai: rwy'n siomedig, ynghyd â Phlaid Cymru, ynghylch y diffyg cynnydd yn y grantiau cymorth tai. Gyda chostau wedi codi mwy na 10 y cant dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, mae'n anochel y bydd y penderfyniad yma yn golygu toriad mewn gwasanaethau i gefnogi tenantiaid.

Rwy'n cytuno â Phlaid Cymru bod angen dadl a thrafodaeth ynglŷn â sut rydyn ni'n cael mwy o incwm i Lywodraeth Cymru, ac edrych mewn gwirionedd ar ein cyfraddau treth incwm yng Nghymru. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd hynny ar gyfer blwyddyn arall, ond mae mor bwysig ein bod ni'n cydbwyso'r hyn rydyn ni'n ei wario gyda'r hyn y gallwn ni ei gael i mewn trwy'r drws ffrynt hefyd.

Rwy'n gorffen trwy ddweud fy mod yn falch iawn bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn blaenoriaethu materion yn ymwneud â chyfiawnder cymdeithasol a chydraddoldeb. Rydym wedi gweld cynnydd yn y gronfa cymorth dewisol, ac rwy'n falch iawn o weld hynny. Rwy'n falch iawn bod y cynllun incwm sylfaenol cyffredinol ar gyfer pobl ifanc sydd â phrofiad o fod mewn gofal yn parhau—hynny yw, bod ein pobl ifanc sydd â phrofiad o fod mewn gofal yn cael y dechrau gorau posibl mewn bywyd. Ac rwy'n falch iawn o weld buddion eraill hefyd yn cael eu cyflwyno yng Nghymru.

Ond mae hynny—ac rwy'n mynd yn ôl at fy mhwynt cynharach—yn anffodus yn rhywbeth sydd ei angen oherwydd ein bod ni'n edrych ar orbwyso'n llwyr yr hyn rydyn ni'n ei gael gan y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig drwy eu cyfeillion yn San Steffan. Felly, byddaf yn cefnogi'r gyllideb hon. Gobeithio y gall Cymru symud ymlaen go iawn. Mae Cymru'n wlad anhygoel sydd â dyfodol gwirioneddol lewyrchus, a gobeithio y byddwn yn parhau i gyflawni. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

15:50

I agree with what Jane Dodds was saying about the importance of the discretionary assistance fund and also the amount of money to be paid to care leavers. We've been able to get through this winter, just about. We have to remind ourselves that about one third of all households have been juggling with heating or eating. So, we've managed to get through this winter, but next winter is likely to become much more challenging, partly because we have less money to play with. The idea that this isn't a real-terms cut in the amount of money that the Welsh Government has available is for the birds—£1.4 billion is a really significant sum of money.

But looking at how we are going to support people going forward, we have to look at the efficiency with which we can ensure that support gets to those who most need it. To them that have shall always be given. Everybody has had £400 in their energy account if they have a traditional pay-as-you-go meter. Only less than three quarters of households on pre-payment meters have received that £400, and that is because some pre-payment suppliers to households chose to deliver that money in vouchers, by text, by post, or e-mail, which may or may not have arrived, or they can automatically ensure that the households get it when they sign up at their usual top-up point. I think it would be really useful to ensure that we get the UK Government to analyse which is the most effective way of doing things, because we've all heard stories of people who simply haven't received their vouchers. But it's really, really important that everybody does get the money who is entitled to get it.

I think that one of the reasons that the uptake in Wales is higher than in the rest of the UK is because of the work done by the Minister for Social Justice in ensuring that people know about the Welsh fuel payment. But that, once again, has not reached all the households that need it, and we need to ensure that everybody is working to ensure that those most in need get their money. So, I think that it is very significant that some local authorities have made serious efforts to ensure take-up of the Wales fuel support scheme, with 88 per cent in Flintshire—top of the league table. The lowest is in Ynys Môn: 61 per cent. It's disappointing that Rhun ap Iorwerth is not here to hear that and ensure that he gets them to raise their game. People on top-up meters are mainly social housing tenants, where local authorities hold the information, they can see who is eligible and who is not, and therefore they should be ensuring that people get that money, because that is money that's going to be circulating in the economy when it happens. I find it inexplicable that local authorities aren't on this case because it's going to enrich their