Y Cyfarfod Llawn

Plenary

27/11/2024

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 Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi, Ynni a Chynllunio
1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning

Prynhawn da a chroeso, bawb, i'r Cyfarfod Llawn y prynhawn yma. Y cwestiynau i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi, Ynni a Chynllunio sydd gyntaf y prynhawn yma, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Russell George.

Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's Plenary meeting. The first item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, and the first question is from Russell George.

Dydd Sadwrn Busnesau Bach
Small Business Saturday

1. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i hyrwyddo Dydd Sadwrn Busnesau Bach yn sir Drefaldwyn? OQ61946

1. What is the Welsh Government doing to promote Small Business Saturday in Montgomeryshire? OQ61946

Micro and small businesses represent 98.4 per cent of all businesses in Wales and are the lifeblood of our communities. The Welsh Government remains committed, as it always has been, to supporting micro and small businesses and will be actively promoting Small Business Saturday through the Business Wales digital channels.

Microfusnesau a busnesau bach yw 98.4 y cant o'r holl fusnesau yng Nghymru ac maent yn anadl einioes i'n cymunedau. Fel erioed, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau'n ymrwymedig i gefnogi microfusnesau a busnesau bach, a bydd yn mynd ati i hyrwyddo Dydd Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach drwy sianeli digidol Busnes Cymru.

Thank you for your answer, Cabinet Secretary, and, of course, it is really important that we all support our small and independent shops, particularly in the lead-up to Christmas as well, and I’ll be doing all that I can to encourage people to consider shopping local in the lead-up to Christmas. Now, I have actively been visiting shops across my constituency—those small independent shops in Newtown, Welshpool, Llanfyllin. Llanidloes—I’m going to visit shops there on Friday. Last Saturday, I visited shops in Machynlleth and what one shopkeeper was telling me was that they feel the squeeze at the moment in all directions. One, particularly, is that there is concern and anxiety from some businesses that employ a small number of people about the rise in employers' national insurance contributions, and the other squeeze for them is around business rates and the less attractive offer than has been there in previous years. So, Cabinet Secretary, as I continue to visit small businesses in my own constituency, what positive information can you provide me with that I can pass on to those businesses to encourage them as they think about their businesses going into the future?

Diolch am eich ateb, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ac wrth gwrs, mae'n bwysig iawn ein bod i gyd yn cefnogi ein siopau bach ac annibynnol, yn enwedig yn y cyfnod cyn y Nadolig, a byddaf yn gwneud popeth yn fy ngallu i annog pobl i ystyried siopa'n lleol yn y cyfnod cyn y Nadolig. Nawr, rwyf wedi bod yn ymweld â siopau ar draws fy etholaeth—y siopau bach annibynnol yn y Drenewydd, y Trallwng, Llanfyllin. Llanidloes—rwy'n mynd i ymweld â siopau yno ddydd Gwener. Ddydd Sadwrn diwethaf, fe ymwelais â siopau ym Machynlleth a dywedodd un perchennog siop wrthyf eu bod yn teimlo'r wasgfa ym mhob ffordd ar hyn o bryd. Un yn arbennig yw bod pryder gan rai busnesau sy'n cyflogi nifer bach o bobl ynghylch y cynnydd yng nghyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol cyflogwyr, a'r wasgfa arall arnynt yw ardrethi busnes a'r cynnig llai deniadol nag a fu yn y blynyddoedd blaenorol. Felly, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, wrth imi barhau i ymweld â busnesau bach yn fy etholaeth, pa wybodaeth gadarnhaol y gallwch ei rhoi i mi i'w throsglwyddo i'r busnesau hynny i'w hannog wrth iddynt feddwl am eu busnesau yn y dyfodol?

Well, I'm very grateful for the question and for the opportunity to highlight Small Business Saturday and encourage all colleagues to celebrate it, as I know that you have been—I've been following your social media adventures and your early start on your Christmas shopping in Newtown as well. So, absolutely, I hope that all colleagues follow your sterling example in that space.

There have been difficult trading conditions for small businesses in recent times with the cost of living and, of course, the impact of inflation. But in specific reference to the national insurance contributions, the UK Government analysis showed that, as a result of all of the measures in the budget, 865,000 UK businesses will pay no national insurance contributions at all and more than half of all employers' national insurance contribution liabilities will see either no change or will actually gain overall next year. So, I do think that that has been lost in the debate that's been had in relation to national insurance contribution.

For our part, though, we're very much focused on using the levers that we have to support small businesses and microbusinesses here in Wales. Obviously, I would highlight the Development Bank for Wales and the great work that is going on there, particularly so through the micro-loans fund, which is supporting over 280 different businesses a year with over £8 million of micro-loan finance, and that’s between £1,000 and £50,000.

And, of course, the work of Business Wales as well, I think, is instrumental. We know that businesses, when they start up, if they go to Business Wales and seek support, they are twice as likely to still be trading five years later, and I think that really speaks to the value of the Business Wales offer that we have here in Wales. So, if businesses are perhaps struggling at the moment or just thinking about how they can expand and grow, then absolutely I would encourage them to speak to a Business Wales adviser.

Wel, rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y cwestiwn ac am y cyfle i dynnu sylw at Ddydd Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach ac rwy'n annog pob cyd-Aelod i'w ddathlu, fel y gwn eich bod chi wedi ei wneud—rwyf wedi bod yn dilyn eich anturiaethau ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol a'ch dechrau cynnar ar eich siopa Nadolig yn y Drenewydd hefyd. Felly, yn hollol, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd pob cyd-Aelod yn dilyn eich esiampl ragorol yn hynny o beth.

Cafwyd amodau masnachu anodd i fusnesau bach yn ddiweddar gyda chostau byw, ac effaith chwyddiant wrth gwrs. Ond i gyfeirio'n benodol at y cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol, dangosodd dadansoddiad Llywodraeth y DU, o ganlyniad i'r holl fesurau yn y gyllideb, na fydd 865,000 o fusnesau'r DU yn talu unrhyw gyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol o gwbl a bydd mwy na hanner holl rwymedigaethau cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol cyflogwyr naill ai'n golygu na fydd unrhyw newid neu y byddant ar eu hennill at ei gilydd y flwyddyn nesaf. Felly, rwy'n credu bod hynny wedi'i golli yn y ddadl a gafwyd ar y cyfraniad yswiriant gwladol.

O'n rhan ni, serch hynny, rydym yn canolbwyntio ar ddefnyddio'r dulliau sydd gennym at ein defnydd i gefnogi busnesau bach a microfusnesau yma yng Nghymru. Yn amlwg, rwy'n tynnu sylw at Fanc Datblygu Cymru a'r gwaith gwych sy'n digwydd yno, yn enwedig drwy'r gronfa microfenthyciadau, sy'n cefnogi dros 280 o fusnesau gwahanol y flwyddyn gyda dros £8 miliwn o gyllid microfenthyciadau rhwng £1,000 a £50,000.

Ac wrth gwrs, mae gwaith Busnes Cymru yn allweddol hefyd. Rydym yn gwybod bod busnesau, pan fyddant yn dechrau, os ydynt yn troi at Busnes Cymru ac yn ceisio cymorth, eu bod ddwywaith yn fwy tebygol o fod yn dal i fasnachu bum mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n dweud rhywbeth am werth y cynnig Busnes Cymru sydd gennym yma yng Nghymru. Felly, os yw busnesau'n ei chael hi'n anodd ar hyn o bryd neu'n ystyried sut y gallant ehangu a thyfu, rwy'n eu hannog i siarad â chynghorydd Busnes Cymru.

Cyfraniadau Yswiriant Gwladol Cyflogwyr
Employer National Insurance Contributions

2. Pa asesiad y mae'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet wedi'i wneud o'r effaith y mae'r cynnydd mewn cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol cyflogwyr wedi'i chael ar fentrau cymdeithasol? OQ61944

2. What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the impact on social enterprises of the increase in employer national insurance contributions? OQ61944

Welsh Government officials regularly discuss a range of matters with the social enterprise sector. Our Social Business Wales service is on hand to provide specialist support to offer information, guidance and support to social enterprises across Wales.

Mae swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru yn trafod amrywiaeth o faterion yn rheolaidd gyda'r sector mentrau cymdeithasol. Mae ein gwasanaeth Busnes Cymdeithasol Cymru wrth law i ddarparu cymorth arbenigol i gynnig gwybodaeth, arweiniad a chefnogaeth i fentrau cymdeithasol ledled Cymru.

Diolch yn fawr am yr ateb yna.

Thank you very much for that response.

The ramifications of last month's Labour UK Government budget are dawning on many sectors that have been earmarked to make up budgetary shortfalls. Plaid Cymru have contended from the outset that the wrong choices have been made. The hit on social enterprises through the national insurance rise is one such area. The head of policy at Social Enterprise UK said that there are increased risks in placing a greater burden on social enterprises that deliver vital public services and create employment opportunities, often for those furthest from the Labour market. One social enterprise in my region, which employs nine people in a deprived area, has to find an extra £7,000 per annum due to the increase in NI. That's before any pay rises and with heating costs trebled. As a senior member of staff said, 'Because there is no slack left, this can only be met by a reduction in services'. Cabinet Secretary, do you share my concerns about what your Westminster colleagues have done to social enterprises? Are you lobbying your party colleagues for some leeway for those social enterprises? And, finally, what mitigation has your Government considered putting in place to ease the burden on our social enterprises, many of whom carry out essential front-line services?

Mae goblygiadau cyllideb Llywodraeth Lafur y DU fis diwethaf yn gwawrio ar lawer o sectorau a gafodd eu clustnodi ar gyfer adfer diffygion cyllidebol. Mae Plaid Cymru wedi dadlau o'r dechrau bod y dewisiadau anghywir wedi eu gwneud. Mae'r ergyd i fentrau cymdeithasol trwy'r cynnydd i yswiriant gwladol yn un o'r rheini. Dywedodd pennaeth polisi Social Enterprise UK fod mwy o risgiau wrth roi mwy o faich ar fentrau cymdeithasol sy'n darparu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus hanfodol ac yn creu cyfleoedd cyflogaeth, yn aml i'r rhai sydd bellaf o'r farchnad Lafur. Mae'n rhaid i un fenter gymdeithasol yn fy rhanbarth i, sy'n cyflogi naw o bobl mewn ardal ddifreintiedig, ddod o hyd i £7,000 ychwanegol y flwyddyn oherwydd y cynnydd i yswiriant gwladol. Mae hynny cyn unrhyw godiadau cyflog a chyda chostau gwresogi wedi treblu. Fel y dywedodd uwch aelod o staff, 'Am nad oes unrhyw hyblygrwydd yn weddill, nid oes modd gwneud hyn heb leihau gwasanaethau'. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a ydych chi'n rhannu fy mhryderon ynglŷn â'r hyn y mae eich cymheiriaid yn San Steffan wedi'i wneud i fentrau cymdeithasol? A ydych chi'n lobïo eich cymheiriaid yn eich plaid am rywfaint o hyblygrwydd i'r mentrau cymdeithasol hynny? Ac yn olaf, pa fesurau lliniarol y mae eich Llywodraeth wedi ystyried eu rhoi ar waith i leddfu'r baich ar ein mentrau cymdeithasol, gyda llawer ohonynt yn cyflawni gwasanaethau hanfodol ar y rheng flaen?

13:35

Again, I'm grateful for the question. It's been said before, of course, that the Chancellor faced a really difficult set of circumstances when she came into post and had to develop her first budget, and will have made decisions that she certainly wouldn't have wanted to, or even expected to have to take. But, in doing so, she has been able to balance the books and put the country on a firm and steady footing, which was the intention. And there were difficult choices made along that road, I know.

So, for our part, the Welsh Government is exploring how we can best use the levers that we have. So, I've already mentioned some of the support that is available through Business Wales. That, of course, will also be available through Social Business Wales to social enterprises. I did have the pleasure of visiting Thrive in Port Talbot last week, to celebrate Social Enterprise Day, which is an incredible social enterprise. They deliver high-quality commercial cleaning and catering services to businesses and organisations. But the special thing about that is that all of the money that is raised is reinvested in targeting violence against women and supporting people who have survived those awful circumstances. So, that's just one example of the great work that is going on, and, as I say, we're using our levers. So, we are investing £1.7 million a year until next year in the social enterprise sector, to provide specialist business advice to support the 'Transforming Wales through social enterprise' vision, and that is about putting social enterprises at the heart of a fairer, more sustainable and more prosperous Wales. At that visit, I did have the opportunity to talk to Cwmpas and Social Business Wales about how businesses can best address the challenges that they're facing, particularly in regard to national insurance contributions. As a first step, I would encourage those businesses in that sector to engage with Social Business Wales and seek out their advice and support.

Unwaith eto, rwy'n ddiolchgar am y cwestiwn. Fe ddywedwyd o'r blaen, wrth gwrs, fod y Canghellor yn wynebu set o amgylchiadau anodd iawn pan ddaeth i'w swydd a'i bod wedi gorfod datblygu ei chyllideb gyntaf, ac wedi gwneud penderfyniadau na fyddai hi wedi bod eisiau eu gwneud, neu hyd yn oed yn disgwyl gorfod eu gwneud. Ond wrth wneud hynny, mae hi wedi gallu mantoli'r cyfrifon a rhoi'r wlad ar sail gadarn a sefydlog, sef y bwriad. Ac fe wnaed dewisiadau anodd ar y daith honno, rwy'n gwybod.

Felly, o'n rhan ni, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn archwilio sut y gallwn ddefnyddio'r dulliau sydd gennym ni yn y ffordd orau. Felly, rwyf eisoes wedi sôn am rywfaint o'r cymorth sydd ar gael drwy Busnes Cymru. Bydd hwnnw ar gael hefyd drwy Busnes Cymdeithasol Cymru i fentrau cymdeithasol. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cefais y pleser o ymweld â Thrive, sy'n fenter gymdeithasol anhygoel ym Mhort Talbot, i ddathlu Diwrnod Menter Gymdeithasol. Maent yn darparu gwasanaethau glanhau ac arlwyo masnachol o ansawdd uchel i fusnesau a sefydliadau. Ond y peth arbennig amdanynt yw bod yr holl arian sy'n cael ei godi yn cael ei ailfuddsoddi i dargedu trais yn erbyn menywod a chefnogi pobl sydd wedi goroesi'r amgylchiadau ofnadwy hynny. Felly, dyna un enghraifft yn unig o'r gwaith gwych sy'n digwydd, ac fel y dywedais, rydym yn defnyddio'r dulliau sydd ar gael i ni. Felly, rydym yn buddsoddi £1.7 miliwn y flwyddyn tan y flwyddyn nesaf yn y sector mentrau cymdeithasol, i ddarparu cyngor busnes arbenigol i gefnogi gweledigaeth 'Trawsnewid Cymru trwy fentrau cymdeithasol', ac mae hynny'n ymwneud â rhoi mentrau cymdeithasol wrth galon Cymru decach, fwy cynaliadwy a mwy ffyniannus. Yn ystod yr ymweliad hwnnw, cefais gyfle i siarad â Cwmpas a Busnes Cymdeithasol Cymru am y ffordd orau i fusnesau fynd i'r afael â'r heriau y maent yn eu hwynebu, yn enwedig cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol. Fel cam cyntaf, rwy'n annog busnesau yn y sector hwnnw i ymgysylltu â Busnes Cymdeithasol Cymru a gofyn am eu cyngor a'u cefnogaeth.

Cabinet Secretary, Labour's decision to drastically hike national insurance contributions in the recent budget has caused a lot of anxiety and concern in the hospitality industry, a sector that has already been under immense pressure before this move. I've spoken to many businesses in my region of south-east Wales about the impact this decision will have on them, and, believe me, Cabinet Secretary, it's not a pretty picture at all. One particular business I've spoken to revealed that additional net costs will be more than £180,000 in 2025-26. Businesses here in Wales have already been punished, with the highest business rates in Great Britain, and Labour's greatest budget is quite frankly an absolute betrayal. Labour Ministers here, as we know, slashed rate relief, from 75 per cent to a mere 40 per cent for retail and hospitality businesses, and, as we saw recently, the UK Labour Government followed suit and dropped rate relief to 40 per cent. Well, I guess we can now also add business owners onto the ever-growing list of people that are on Labour's hitlist, alongside pensioners and farmers. So, Cabinet Secretary, with extra funding making its way to the Welsh Government's coffers, will this Government commit to reinstating relief to 75 per cent, to sincerely support this important sector at this very difficult time? Thank you.

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae penderfyniad Llafur i godi cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol yn sylweddol yn y gyllideb ddiweddar wedi achosi llawer o bryder yn y diwydiant lletygarwch, sector sydd eisoes wedi bod dan bwysau aruthrol cyn hyn. Rwyf wedi siarad â llawer o fusnesau yn fy rhanbarth yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru am yr effaith y bydd y penderfyniad hwn yn ei chael arnynt, a chredwch fi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, nid yw'n ddarlun braf o gwbl. Datgelodd un busnes penodol y siaradais ag ef y bydd costau net ychwanegol yn fwy na £180,000 yn 2025-26. Mae busnesau yma yng Nghymru eisoes wedi cael eu cosbi, gyda'r ardrethi busnes uchaf ym Mhrydain, ac mae cyllideb fawr Llafur yn frad llwyr a dweud y gwir. Fel y gwyddom, fe wnaeth gweinidogion Llafur yma leihau rhyddhad ardrethi o 75 y cant i ddim ond 40 y cant ar gyfer busnesau manwerthu a lletygarwch, ac fel y gwelsom yn ddiweddar, dilynodd Llywodraeth Lafur y DU yr un esiampl a gostwng rhyddhad ardrethi i 40 y cant. Wel, rwy'n credu y gallwn ychwanegu perchnogion busnes at y rhestr gynyddol o bobl sydd ar restr dargedau Llafur, ochr yn ochr â phensiynwyr a ffermwyr. Felly, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, gyda chyllid ychwanegol yn gwneud ei ffordd i goffrau Llywodraeth Cymru, a wnaiff y Llywodraeth hon ymrwymo i adfer rhyddhad i 75 y cant, i roi cefnogaeth go iawn i'r sector pwysig hwn ar yr adeg anodd hon? Diolch.

I think the inflammatory language used in that question was completely unnecessary; I think it is possible to make important points in different ways. I will also just add that, of course, this question is about social enterprises, and, whilst the question that was raised by you was about hospitality businesses, I will nonetheless address the point in relation to non-domestic rates. The Welsh Government has a long history of providing significant support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors through our non-domestic rates relief support. We're providing over £130 million this year in support, and that is, of course, in addition to the £250 million that we provide annually. So, this year alone, over £0.3 billion is going to support those businesses, and that is a really significant investment. Colleagues will be aware that the temporary rate relief support provided to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors was just that—it was temporary. It was in relation to the specific circumstances caused by the COVID pandemic, and then, of course, as we moved into the cost-of-living crisis, we decided to keep some of that support. But, overall, we've provided almost £1 billion of support through those rate relief schemes since 2020-21, and that is really significant support for the sector. And, of course, it's alongside all of the other support I've referred to, which Business Wales is there to offer businesses, alongside, of course, the development bank.

Rwy'n credu bod yr iaith ymfflamychol a ddefnyddiwyd yn y cwestiwn yn gwbl ddiangen; rwy'n credu ei bod yn bosibl gwneud pwyntiau pwysig mewn ffyrdd gwahanol. Rwyf am ychwanegu hefyd fod y cwestiwn yn ymwneud â mentrau cymdeithasol, ac er bod y cwestiwn a ofynnwyd gennych yn ymwneud â busnesau lletygarwch, fe af i'r afael â'r pwynt mewn perthynas ag ardrethi annomestig. Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru hanes hir o ddarparu cefnogaeth sylweddol i'r sectorau manwerthu, lletygarwch a hamdden drwy ein cymorth rhyddhad ardrethi annomestig. Rydym yn darparu dros £130 miliwn eleni mewn cymorth, a hynny, wrth gwrs, yn ychwanegol at y £250 miliwn a ddarparwn bob blwyddyn. Felly, eleni'n unig, mae dros £0.3 biliwn yn mynd tuag at gefnogi'r busnesau hynny, ac mae hwnnw'n fuddsoddiad sylweddol iawn. Bydd cyd-Aelodau'n gwybod mai rhyddhad dros dro oedd y cymorth rhyddhad ardrethi a ddarparwyd i'r sectorau manwerthu, lletygarwch a hamdden—dros dro. Cafodd ei roi mewn perthynas â'r amgylchiadau penodol a achoswyd gan bandemig COVID, ac yna, wrth inni symud i mewn i'r argyfwng costau byw, fe wnaethom benderfynu cadw peth o'r cymorth hwnnw. Ond yn gyffredinol, rydym wedi darparu bron i £1 biliwn o gymorth drwy'r cynlluniau rhyddhad ardrethi ers 2020-21, ac mae hwnnw'n gymorth sylweddol iawn i'r sector. Ac fe ddaw ochr yn ochr â'r holl gymorth arall y cyfeiriais ato, y mae Busnes Cymru yno i'w gynnig i fusnesau, gyda'r banc datblygu wrth gwrs.

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

Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Samuel Kurtz. 

Questions now from the party spokespeople. The Welsh Conservative spokesperson, Samuel Kurtz. 

Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, Deutsche Bank has estimated that 100,000 jobs could be lost due to Labour’s budget. Has the Welsh Government conducted any assessment of how many of those jobs will be lost in Wales?  

Diolch, Lywydd. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae Deutsche Bank wedi amcangyfrif y gallai 100,000 o swyddi gael eu colli oherwydd cyllideb Llafur. A yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cynnal unrhyw asesiad o faint o'r swyddi hynny fydd yn cael eu colli yng Nghymru?  

The Welsh Government is completely understanding of the fact that the Chancellor faced, as I said, a really, really difficult set of circumstances when she was going about setting her budget, and she made choices that she wouldn’t have had to do. But I think that we all know that the response that the Chancellor was making was to the huge challenge of the dreadful situation that was left to her by the previous UK Government. I’m hearing mutterings from the Conservative benches that it wasn’t a dreadful—[Interruption.]—

Fel y dywedais, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn deall yn llwyr fod y Canghellor wedi wynebu set o amgylchiadau anodd iawn pan aeth ati i osod ei chyllideb, a gwnaeth ddewisiadau na fyddai wedi gorfod eu gwneud. Ond rwy'n credu ein bod i gyd yn gwybod bod y Canghellor yn ymateb i her enfawr y sefyllfa ofnadwy a adawyd iddi gan Lywodraeth flaenorol y DU. Rwy'n clywed mwmian oddi ar feinciau'r Ceidwadwyr nad oedd yn sefyllfa ofnadwy—[Torri ar draws.]—

Can you allow the Cabinet Secretary to respond, please?

A wnewch chi ganiatáu i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ymateb, os gwelwch yn dda?

I’m hearing suggestions that it wasn’t a dreadful set of circumstances that the Chancellor was presented with. Well, of course it was. We know that there were millions and billions of pounds of uncosted announcements that had been made by the UK Government. Some of them related specifically to us here in Wales, when you look at Tata, when you look at the investments zones—all announcements, but none of them funded. So, I think that we have to look very carefully at the budget and understand that difficult choices had to be made.

Rwy'n clywed awgrymiadau na wynebodd y Canghellor set ofnadwy o amgylchiadau. Wrth gwrs ei bod. Gwyddom fod miliynau a biliynau o bunnoedd o gyhoeddiadau heb eu costio wedi eu gwneud gan Lywodraeth y DU. Roedd rhai ohonynt yn ymwneud yn benodol â ni yma yng Nghymru, pan edrychwch chi ar Tata, pan edrychwch chi ar y parthau buddsoddi—cyhoeddiadau bob un, ond ni chafodd yr un ohonynt ei ariannu. Felly, rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid inni edrych yn ofalus iawn ar y gyllideb a deall bod yn rhaid gwneud dewisiadau anodd.

Thank you. I take it from that that no analysis has been made on the economic fortunes of Wales following that budget. And let’s remind ourselves of what the UK Labour Government did inherit. It inherited the fastest growing economy in the G7, inflation at 2 per cent—an economy that created, over the last 14 years, 800 jobs a day. And the Federation of Small Businesses Wales recently stated that the UK Government’s budget leaned heavily on smaller businesses, the very businesses that will be relied upon to return the UK and Welsh economies to more sustainable growth. And why have they said this? Because, from April 2025, employer national insurance contributions will rise from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent, adding an estimated £24.5 billion to the costs faced by businesses annually. On top of that, threshold reductions mean small businesses will have to pay national insurance contributions on employee earnings starting at £5,000, down from £9,100, further increasing the strain on employment costs. The FSB also rightly highlight that small and medium-sized businesses are the lifeblood of the Welsh economy, accounting for 99.3 per cent of the business population, 62.3 per cent of private sector employment, and 43.4 per cent of turnover. These businesses—our small restaurants, manufacturers, retailers and service providers—create jobs and spread prosperity across Wales. So, in light of this, Cabinet Secretary, with inflation rising, the energy price cap increasing and national insurance contributions set to go up, how is the Welsh Government supporting these vital businesses to weather these escalating pressures?

Diolch. Rwy'n cymryd o hynny nad oes unrhyw ddadansoddiad wedi'i wneud o dynged economaidd Cymru yn dilyn y gyllideb honno. A gadewch inni atgoffa ein hunain o'r hyn a wnaeth Llywodraeth Lafur y DU ei etifeddu. Fe etifeddodd yr economi sy'n tyfu gyflymaf yn y G7, chwyddiant ar 2 y cant—economi a greodd 800 o swyddi y dydd, dros y 14 mlynedd diwethaf. Ac yn ddiweddar dywedodd Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach Cymru fod cyllideb Llywodraeth y DU yn pwyso'n drwm ar fusnesau llai, yr union fusnesau y dibynnir arnynt i ddod ag economïau'r DU a Chymru yn ôl i dwf mwy cynaliadwy. Pam y gwnaethant ddweud hyn? Oherwydd, o fis Ebrill 2025, bydd cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol cyflogwyr yn codi o 13.8 y cant i 15 y cant, gan ychwanegu £24.5 biliwn amcangyfrifedig at y costau y mae busnesau'n eu hwynebu bob blwyddyn. Ar ben hynny, mae gostyngiadau i'r trothwyon yn golygu y bydd yn rhaid i fusnesau bach dalu cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol ar enillion gweithwyr gan ddechrau ar £5,000, i lawr o £9,100, gan gynyddu'r straen ar gostau cyflogaeth ymhellach. Mae'r Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach hefyd yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith mai busnesau bach a chanolig yw anadl einioes economi Cymru, gan gynrychioli 99.3 y cant o'r boblogaeth fusnes, 62.3 y cant o gyflogaeth y sector preifat, a 43.4 y cant o'r trosiant. Mae'r busnesau bach hyn—ein bwytai bach, gweithgynhyrchwyr, manwerthwyr a darparwyr gwasanaethau—yn creu swyddi ac yn lledaenu ffyniant ledled Cymru. Felly, yng ngoleuni hyn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, gyda chwyddiant yn codi, y cap ar brisiau ynni yn codi a chyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol ar fin codi, sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi'r busnesau hanfodol hyn i oroesi'r pwysau cynyddol?

So, of course, this is from the party that literally crashed the economy, but the Welsh Government, of course, is working hard to support businesses in the ways that we can, with the levers that we have. And I think it’s also worth reflecting on the fact that, as I mentioned earlier, around 53 per cent of employers will be better or, at least, no worse off following the changes to employer national insurance contributions. As part of the package of changes to those employer national insurance contributions introduced by the Chancellor, the employment allowance, which is the amount available to businesses in which employer NI is not payable, was increased by £5,000. So, that’s equivalent to a 90 per cent increase. And that change means employers will now get a £10,500 discount on their NICs bill, and that’s a change that particularly, actually, benefits small businesses. So, in a statement, the Secretary of State for Wales was really clear that this allows Welsh firms to employ four national living wage workers full-time without paying employer national insurance on their wages, and we know that many of our small businesses and microbusinesses are in that space in terms of staff numbers.

Daw hyn gan y blaid a wnaeth chwalu'r economi yn llythrennol, ond mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio'n galed i gefnogi busnesau yn y ffyrdd y gallwn wneud hynny, gyda'r dulliau sydd gennym at ein defnydd. Ac rwy'n credu ei bod hefyd yn werth ystyried, fel y soniais yn gynharach, y bydd tua 53 y cant o gyflogwyr yn well eu byd neu o leiaf, heb fod yn waeth eu byd yn dilyn y newidiadau i gyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol cyflogwyr. Fel rhan o'r pecyn o newidiadau i gyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol cyflogwyr a gyflwynwyd gan y Canghellor, gwelwyd cynnydd o £5,000 i'r lwfans cyflogaeth, sef y swm sydd ar gael i fusnesau lle nad oes yswiriant gwladol cyflogwr yn daladwy. Mae hynny'n cyfateb i gynnydd o 90 y cant. Ac mae'r newid hwnnw'n golygu y bydd cyflogwyr nawr yn cael gostyngiad o £10,500 yn eu bil yswiriant gwladol cyflogwr, ac mae hwnnw'n newid a fydd o fudd arbennig i fusnesau bach. Felly, mewn datganiad, roedd Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru yn glir iawn fod hyn yn caniatáu i gwmnïau Cymreig gyflogi pedwar gweithiwr cyflog byw cenedlaethol yn llawn amser heb dalu yswiriant gwladol cyflogwr ar eu cyflogau, a gwyddom fod llawer o'n busnesau bach a'n microfusnesau yn y categori hwnnw o ran niferoedd staff.

Well, I’ll come back to the point that we had from the first question, Cabinet Secretary, which is that there’s been no analysis of how many jobs—those 100,000 jobs—that Deutsche Bank highlighted will be lost in Wales. So, what the Secretary of State for Wales is saying there is disingenuous to say that least.

But, later today, we will be debating Small Business Saturday, and it was pleasing to hear Russell George raise that previously, and your support for this as well, Cabinet Secretary. It is a valuable opportunity to celebrate the crucial role small businesses play not just in our economy, but, as you said rightly in your answer, Cabinet Secretary, in our communities as well. When you buy from a small, local business, you’re supporting a family, not distant shareholders. As finance Minister, you chose to cut business rates relief to retail from 75 per cent to 40 per cent. And, yes, I heard in your answer that this was a temporary measure, but we Conservatives were chastised for a temporary measure coming to an end in England. So, will you be listening to our calls to revert that back to 75 per cent, or at least listening to the calls of the FSB on maintaining it at 40 per cent? With less than a month to go until Christmas, Cabinet Secretary, will you give Welsh businesses some much needed festive cheer, because after 25 years of Labour’s policies here in Wales, goodness knows, they deserve it?

Wel, dof yn ôl at y pwynt a gawsom o'r cwestiwn cyntaf, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, sef na fu dadansoddiad o faint o swyddi—y 100,000 o swyddi hynny—y gwnaeth Deutsche Bank nodi y cânt eu colli yng Nghymru. Felly, mae'r hyn y mae Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru yn ei ddweud yn annidwyll a dweud y lleiaf.

Ond yn hwyrach heddiw, byddwn yn trafod Dydd Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach, a braf oedd clywed Russell George yn codi hynny yn flaenorol, a'ch cefnogaeth chi i hyn hefyd, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Mae'n gyfle gwerthfawr i ddathlu'r rôl hanfodol y mae busnesau bach yn ei chwarae nid yn unig yn ein heconomi, ond yn ein cymunedau hefyd, fel y dywedoch chi'n gywir ddigon yn eich ateb, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Pan fyddwch chi'n prynu gan fusnes bach lleol, rydych chi'n cefnogi teulu, nid cyfranddalwyr pell. Fel Gweinidog cyllid, fe wnaethoch chi ddewis lleihau rhyddhad ardrethi busnes i fusnesau manwerthu o 75 y cant i 40 y cant. A do, fe glywais yn eich ateb mai mesur dros dro oedd hwn, ond fe gafodd y Ceidwadwyr eu ceryddu am fod mesur dros dro wedi dod i ben yn Lloegr. Felly, a fyddwch chi'n gwrando ar ein galwadau i godi hwnnw'n ôl i 75 y cant, neu o leiaf yn gwrando ar alwadau'r Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach am ei gynnal ar 40 y cant? Gyda llai na mis i fynd tan y Nadolig, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a wnewch chi roi rhywfaint o newyddion da mawr ei angen i fusnesau Cymru, oherwydd, mawredd, ar ôl 25 mlynedd o bolisïau Llafur yma yng Nghymru, maent yn ei haeddu?

13:45

Well, Llywydd, there’s less than a month to wait for the Welsh Government’s budget, and that will be published on 10 December. Of course, I wouldn’t be in any position to make any announcements in advance of that.

Wel, Lywydd, mae llai na mis i fynd tan y cawn gyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru, a bydd honno'n cael ei chyhoeddi ar 10 Rhagfyr. Wrth gwrs, nid wyf mewn unrhyw sefyllfa i wneud unrhyw gyhoeddiadau cyn hynny.

Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarydd Plaid Cymru, Luke Fletcher.

Questions now from the Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Luke Fletcher.

Diolch, Llywydd. Let’s focus on Great British Energy and its implications for Wales. GB Energy is poised to invest £8.3 billion over the next five years with a clear mandate to develop, own and operate clean energy assets. However, there remains a significant lack of clarity about how its promises to reduce consumer bills will be fulfilled, especially in the absence of meaningful market reform or efforts to address the inequities of standing charges.

The Great British Energy Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 25 July and is subject to the legislative consent process, yet we still lack crucial details about how this Bill will impact Wales. So, what specific concerns does the Government have about GB Energy’s operations and its potential material impact, because we’re left with little understanding of the practical implications? So, how are these uncertainties shaping the Government’s recommendations to the Senedd?

Diolch, Lywydd. Gadewch inni ganolbwyntio ar Great British Energy a'i oblygiadau i Gymru. Mae GB Energy ar fin buddsoddi £8.3 biliwn dros y pum mlynedd nesaf gyda mandad clir i ddatblygu, perchnogi a gweithredu asedau ynni glân. Fodd bynnag, mae diffyg eglurder sylweddol o hyd ynghylch sut y bydd ei addewidion i leihau biliau defnyddwyr yn cael eu cyflawni, yn enwedig yn absenoldeb diwygiadau ystyrlon i'r farchnad neu ymdrechion i fynd i'r afael ag annhegwch taliadau sefydlog.

Cyflwynwyd Bil Ynni Prydain i Dŷ'r Cyffredin ar 25 Gorffennaf ac mae'n amodol ar y broses cydsyniad deddfwriaethol, ac eto nid oes gennym fanylion hanfodol o hyd ynglŷn â sut y bydd y Bil hwn yn effeithio ar Gymru. Felly, pa bryderon penodol sydd gan y Llywodraeth am weithrediadau GB Energy a'i effaith berthnasol bosibl, oherwydd nid oes gennym fawr o ddealltwriaeth o'r goblygiadau ymarferol? Felly, sut y mae'r ansicrwydd hwn yn siapio argymhellion y Llywodraeth i'r Senedd?

As Luke Fletcher says, the Great British Energy Bill was introduced to the House of Commons by the UK Government in July of this year. Essentially, the Bill itself only seeks to go about establishing Great British Energy as a publicly owned company. There will be much further work to do in terms of the operation of that, and we’re having those early discussions with the UK Government. I’ve had the opportunity on a couple of occasions to talk to Minister Michael Shanks about the synergy that there already is in terms of Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, and the work that we can do together to ensure that we fast-track some of the opportunities that we have in Wales.

In terms of the Bill itself, we’re still, as I say and as I gave evidence to committee on, in the process of considering our position in relation to legislative consent. Those issues are still in discussion in relation to the points about consulting versus consent and so on. But I’ll just reassure colleagues that we are still continuing to have those discussions, and as soon as I’m in a position to be able to provide a clearer answer to colleagues in terms of the Welsh Government’s recommendation in relation to legislative consent, I’ll be keen to do that as soon as I can.

Fel y dywed Luke Fletcher, cafodd Bil Ynni Prydain ei gyflwyno i Dŷ'r Cyffredin gan Lywodraeth y DU ym mis Gorffennaf eleni. Yn y bôn, nid yw'r Bil ei hun ond yn mynd ati i sefydlu Great British Energy fel cwmni sy'n eiddo i'r cyhoedd. Bydd llawer mwy o waith i'w wneud ar ei weithrediad, ac rydym yn cael trafodaethau cynnar gyda Llywodraeth y DU. Rwyf wedi cael cyfle ar ambell achlysur i siarad â'r Gweinidog Michael Shanks am y synergedd sydd eisoes yn bodoli o ran Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, a'r gwaith y gallwn ei wneud gyda'n gilydd i sicrhau ein bod yn mynd ar drywydd rhai o'r cyfleoedd a gawn yng Nghymru.

O ran y Bil ei hun, fel y dywedais, ac fel y rhoddais dystiolaeth yn ei gylch i'r pwyllgor, rydym yn dal i fod yn y broses o ystyried ein safbwynt mewn perthynas â chydsyniad deddfwriaethol. Mae'r materion hynny'n dal i gael eu trafod mewn perthynas â'r pwyntiau ynglŷn ag ymgynghori yn hytrach na chydsyniad ac yn y blaen. Ond rwyf am sicrhau fy nghyd-Aelodau ein bod yn parhau i gael y trafodaethau hynny, a chyn gynted ag y byddaf mewn sefyllfa i allu darparu ateb cliriach i fy nghyd-Aelodau ynghylch argymhelliad Llywodraeth Cymru mewn perthynas â chydsyniad deddfwriaethol, byddaf yn awyddus i wneud hynny cyn gynted ag y gallaf.

Of course, the primary concern here is that we might be asked to consent to the establishment of GB Energy without actually knowing what it’s going to achieve or how it will interact with Welsh Government organisations already operating in the energy sector. Of course, one of the primary motivations of Welsh Government policy around energy production is the community value and the community benefit of it.

To be fair, the chairman of Great British Energy stated at the Confederation of British Industry's annual conference on Monday that new clean-power projects must 'show benefit' to local groups and 'take communities with us' during the green energy transition. Unfortunately, phrases like these have become increasingly hollow, because we know, and crucially our communities know, that the financial benefits of this transition often bypass the communities closet to the generating assets, flowing instead to investors far removed from these areas. No amount of community washing can obscure this reality. Ownership matters.

The founding statement for GB Energy gives it a role in funding the local power plan, again there is no detail yet, but the stated aim is to roll out small and medium-scale renewable energy projects. So, with this in mind, I’m thinking specifically about the role and remit of Ynni Cymru, can the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on any discussions between Welsh Government officials and their counterparts in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero? Has any consideration been given to how this interplay will be managed in practice, because we really need to get this detail right now?

Wrth gwrs, y prif bryder yma yw y gellid gofyn inni gydsynio i sefydlu GB Energy heb wybod mewn gwirionedd beth y bydd yn ei gyflawni na sut y bydd yn rhyngweithio â sefydliadau Llywodraeth Cymru sydd eisoes yn gweithredu yn y sector ynni. Wrth gwrs, un o brif gymhellion polisi Llywodraeth Cymru mewn perthynas â chynhyrchu ynni yw ei werth i'r gymuned a'i fudd cymunedol.

I fod yn deg, dywedodd cadeirydd Great British Energy yng nghynhadledd flynyddol Cydffederasiwn Diwydiant Prydain ddydd Llun fod yn rhaid i brosiectau pŵer glân newydd 'ddangos budd' i grwpiau lleol a 'dod â chymunedau gyda ni' yn ystod y pontio i ynni gwyrdd. Yn anffodus, mae ymadroddion fel y rhain wedi dod yn fwyfwy diystyr, oherwydd fe wyddom, ac yn hollbwysig mae ein cymunedau'n gwybod, fod manteision ariannol y pontio hwn yn aml yn anwybyddu'r cymunedau sydd agosaf at yr asedau cynhyrchu, gan lifo yn lle hynny i fuddsoddwyr sydd ymhell o'r ardaloedd hyn. Ni all unrhyw wyngalchu cymunedol guddio'r realiti hwn. Mae perchnogaeth yn bwysig.

Mae'r datganiad sefydlu ar gyfer GB Energy yn rhoi rôl iddo yn ariannu'r cynllun pŵer lleol, ac unwaith eto nid oes unrhyw fanylion eto, ond y nod a nodwyd yw cyflwyno prosiectau ynni adnewyddadwy ar raddfa fach a chanolig. Felly, gyda hyn mewn golwg, rwy'n meddwl yn benodol am rôl a chylch gwaith Ynni Cymru, ac a all Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am unrhyw drafodaethau rhwng swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru a'u cymheiriaid yn yr Adran Diogeledd Ynni a Sero Net? A oes unrhyw ystyriaeth wedi'i rhoi i sut y bydd y rhyngweithio hwn yn cael ei reoli'n ymarferol, oherwydd mae gwir angen inni gael y manylion hyn nawr?

So, again, very grateful for these important points. Just to reassure colleagues, our Welsh Government officials are in constant discussion with their counterparts in the UK Government in relation to specifically that point about the interplay between Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru and Great British Energy. I think we do have to understand the position of the UK Government at this point. The Bill itself, as I said, goes about setting up Great British Energy as a publicly owned company, but there's an awful lot of work to do in relation to how that is operationalised, so those are part of the discussions. And UK Government is learning from us, because with Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, we're several years ahead now of where the UK Government is currently, so they're very much learning from us.

And something that's absolutely critical to our approach is around community benefits and it's showing how we can do community benefits differently in Wales, how you can absolutely provide a template, really, for how community benefits should be done, and that is our intention through Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru. And, of course, we've got ambitions around community ownership as well, and we're continuing to support those kinds of projects. And I'd highlight Ynni Cymru as an opportunity to develop more, because, of course, we've got our £10 million investment in that as well. So, the UK Government is following us, in many ways, on this journey, because we have been working in this space for such a long time.

Unwaith eto, diolch am y pwyntiau pwysig hyn. I dawelu meddyliau cyd-Aelodau, mae swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru yn trafod yn gyson â'u cymheiriaid yn Llywodraeth y DU mewn perthynas â'r pwynt penodol am y rhyngweithio rhwng Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru a Great British Energy. Rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid inni ddeall safbwynt Llywodraeth y DU ar y pwynt hwn. Mae'r Bil ei hun, fel y dywedais, yn mynd ati i sefydlu Great British Energy fel cwmni sy'n eiddo cyhoeddus, ond mae llawer iawn o waith i'w wneud ar sut y caiff hynny ei weithredu, felly dyna ran o'r trafodaethau. Ac mae Llywodraeth y DU yn dysgu gennym ni, oherwydd gyda Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, rydym ni sawl blwyddyn ar y blaen nawr o ble y mae Llywodraeth y DU arni ar hyn o bryd, felly maent yn dysgu llawer gennym ni.

A rhywbeth sy'n gwbl hanfodol i'n dull o weithredu yw buddion cymunedol ac mae'n dangos sut y gallwn wneud buddion cymunedol yn wahanol yng Nghymru, sut y gallwch chi ddarparu templed ar gyfer sut y dylid gwneud buddion cymunedol, a dyna yw ein bwriad drwy Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru. Ac wrth gwrs, mae gennym uchelgeisiau yn ymwneud â pherchnogaeth gymunedol hefyd, ac rydym yn parhau i gefnogi'r mathau hynny o brosiectau. A hoffwn dynnu sylw at Ynni Cymru fel cyfle i ddatblygu mwy, oherwydd mae gennym ein buddsoddiad o £10 miliwn yn hwnnw hefyd. Felly, mewn sawl ffordd, mae Llywodraeth y DU yn ein dilyn ni ar y daith hon, am ein bod wedi bod yn gweithio ar hyn ers amser mor hir.

13:50

The original point still stands, though, doesn't it? We'll potentially be in a position where we are consenting to the establishment of something when we don't know exactly what that thing is going to do. That sets, potentially, a dangerous precedent for this place agreeing to things before we have the full detail. If UK Government is operating within Welsh Government areas of operation already, that's quite a serious issue. If this had been the previous Government, I think the Welsh Government position would have been very different. The reason why this is important, the reason why we need to get this right now is clear for us all to see. Yet again, our constituents have received the news that the energy price cap will go up, with energy prices expected to stay high for the foreseeable future. Now, if we truly are committed to the concept of a just transition, community energy must be at its heart.

The lack of detail on GB Energy and the lack of action by Ynni Cymru has done little to address these issues around energy so far, and I fear once GB Energy is actually up and running, Ynni Cymru will be sidelined. Given, already, the lack of Welsh capital ownership in Welsh renewables developments, with the ownership of projects largely belonging to European state-owned companies and multinationals, GB Energy's success will perversely depend on partnerships with these nations whilst overlooking the needs of Wales—the very nation from which a considerable proportion of the wealth will likely be derived. So, how does the Cabinet Secretary propose that we address this issue that underlines all of the issues that we see in the Welsh economy—that of ownership?

Ond mae'r pwynt gwreiddiol yn dal i sefyll, onid yw? Efallai y byddwn mewn sefyllfa lle rydym yn cydsynio i sefydlu rhywbeth pan nad ydym yn gwybod yn union beth y bydd y peth hwnnw'n ei wneud. Gallai hynny osod cynsail peryglus i'r lle hwn gytuno i bethau cyn inni gael y manylion llawn. Os yw Llywodraeth y DU yn gweithredu ym meysydd gweithredu Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes, mae hwnnw'n fater go ddifrifol. Pe bai'r Llywodraeth flaenorol wedi gwneud hyn, rwy'n credu y byddai safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn wahanol iawn. Mae'r rheswm pam y mae hyn yn bwysig, y rheswm pam y mae angen inni wneud hyn nawr yn glir i bob un ohonom. Unwaith eto, mae ein hetholwyr wedi cael y newyddion y bydd y cap ar brisiau ynni yn codi, gyda disgwyl i brisiau ynni aros yn uchel am y dyfodol rhagweladwy. Nawr, os ydym wedi ymrwymo o ddifrif i'r cysyniad o bontio teg, mae'n rhaid i ynni cymunedol fod yn ganolog iddo.

Nid yw'r diffyg manylion am GB Energy a'r diffyg gweithredu gan Ynni Cymru wedi gwneud llawer i fynd i'r afael â'r materion hyn yn ymwneud ag ynni hyd yma, ac rwy'n ofni pan fydd GB Energy yn weithredol, y bydd Ynni Cymru yn cael ei wthio i'r cyrion. O ystyried diffyg perchnogaeth cyfalaf Cymreig mewn datblygiadau ynni adnewyddadwy yng Nghymru eisoes, gyda pherchnogaeth prosiectau yn nwylo cwmnïau a chwmnïau rhyngwladol sy'n eiddo i wladwriaethau Ewropeaidd, bydd llwyddiant GB Energy yn dibynnu ar bartneriaeth â'r gwledydd hyn gan anwybyddu anghenion Cymru—yr union wlad y bydd cyfran sylweddol o'r cyfoeth yn debygol o ddeillio ohoni. Felly, sut y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cynnig ein bod yn mynd i'r afael â'r mater sy'n sail i'r holl broblemau a welwn yn economi Cymru—perchnogaeth?

I think the most important thing to set out here is that there's been absolutely no change whatsoever in this Welsh Government's position in relation to the constitutional impacts and implications of legislation flowing from the UK Government, regardless of the colour of the UK Government. Because we know that the legislation will be there beyond this Government and beyond future UK Governments of whatever colour, so the legislation has to be right for Wales and it has to respect Wales. It has to respect the Welsh Government and the Senedd and devolution, and we've been absolutely clear about that at every step of the journey.

Great British Energy isn't operating yet; it won't be up and operating for some time yet, we've still got the legislation to set it up. So, nothing's happening on the ground in Wales in relation to Great British Energy at the moment, but I think it's really positive that we're having those discussions in relation to the opportunities here in Wales. We've been able to set out how far we've come on the road in relation to Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, the number of projects that we've identified, the sites that we've identified and the progress that we can make quickly with the UK Government. I see this as very much a partnership operation. UK Government understands Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru and the important work that that's doing. I think Ynni Cymru sits in a different space, so both Great British Energy and Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru are looking at those larger scale projects, but Ynni Cymru is very much more about community-type projects that make a difference at that very, very local level.

Rwy'n credu mai'r peth pwysicaf i'w nodi yma yw na fu unrhyw newid o gwbl yn safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru mewn perthynas ag effeithiau cyfansoddiadol a goblygiadau deddfwriaeth sy'n deillio o Lywodraeth y DU, ni waeth beth y bo lliw'r Llywodraeth honno. Oherwydd fe wyddom y bydd y ddeddfwriaeth yno y tu hwnt i'r Llywodraeth hon a thu hwnt i Lywodraethau'r DU yn y dyfodol o ba bynnag liw, felly mae'n rhaid i'r ddeddfwriaeth fod yn iawn i Gymru ac mae'n rhaid iddi barchu Cymru. Mae'n rhaid iddi barchu Llywodraeth Cymru a'r Senedd a datganoli, ac rydym wedi bod yn gwbl glir ynglŷn â hynny ar bob cam o'r daith.

Nid yw Great British Energy yn weithredol eto; ni fydd yn weithredol am beth amser eto, ond mae gennym y ddeddfwriaeth i'w sefydlu. Felly, nid oes unrhyw beth yn digwydd ar lawr gwlad yng Nghymru mewn perthynas â Great British Energy ar hyn o bryd, ond rwy'n credu ei bod yn gadarnhaol iawn ein bod yn cael y trafodaethau hynny mewn perthynas â'r cyfleoedd yma yng Nghymru. Rydym wedi gallu nodi pa mor bell y daethom mewn perthynas â Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, nifer y prosiectau a nodwyd gennym, y safleoedd a nodwyd gennym a'r cynnydd y gallwn ei wneud yn gyflym gyda Llywodraeth y DU. Rwy'n gweld hon fel partneriaeth i raddau helaeth. Mae Llywodraeth y DU yn deall Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru a'r gwaith pwysig y mae hwnnw'n ei wneud. Rwy'n credu bod Ynni Cymru mewn gofod gwahanol, felly mae Great British Energy a Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru yn edrych ar y prosiectau mwy o faint, ond mae Ynni Cymru yn ymwneud llawer mwy â phrosiectau cymunedol sy'n gwneud gwahaniaeth ar lefel leol iawn.

Twristiaeth ym Mhreseli Sir Benfro
Tourism in Preseli Pembrokeshire

3. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i gefnogi'r diwydiant twristiaeth ym Mhreseli Sir Benfro? OQ61916

3. What is the Welsh Government doing to support the tourism industry in Preseli Pembrokeshire? OQ61916

The tourism industry in Preseli is supported through Visit Wales's marketing and promotional activities. Cruise Wales works with the travel trade to promote Fishguard and Milford Haven ports for cruise calls. Other support provided includes grading activities, developing skills across the industry, and a capital investment programme.

Cefnogir y diwydiant twristiaeth yn y Preseli drwy weithgareddau marchnata a hyrwyddo Croeso Cymru. Mae Cruise Cymru yn gweithio gyda'r fasnach deithio i hyrwyddo porthladdoedd Abergwaun ac Aberdaugleddau ar gyfer ymweliadau llongau mordeithio. Mae cymorth arall a ddarperir yn cynnwys gweithgareddau graddio, datblygu sgiliau ar draws y diwydiant, a rhaglen buddsoddi cyfalaf.

Cabinet Secretary, one way of supporting the tourism industry in my constituency is to once again look at the 182-day threshold on holiday lets. I've received many e-mails in the last few weeks from self-catering businesses in my constituency, who tell me that this policy is ruinous for a small business. They make the point that no other business sector in the UK has such an onerous target to achieve to qualify as a business for local taxation purposes. This year has been particularly difficult for the tourism sector, as the weather has been an enormous factor, as has the cost-of-living crisis and increased running costs. Achieving the 182-day threshold is getting more impossible each day for many of the businesses that I represent. So, Cabinet Secretary, will you now support the industry’s call for an economic impact assessment and a formal review of the 182-day policy, conducted with representatives from the visitor economy, to establish a much fairer threshold?

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, un ffordd o gefnogi'r diwydiant twristiaeth yn fy etholaeth i yw edrych unwaith eto ar y trothwy 182 diwrnod ar gyfer llety gwyliau. Rwyf wedi cael llawer o negeseuon e-bost yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf gan fusnesau hunanddarpar yn fy etholaeth i, sy'n dweud wrthyf fod y polisi hwn yn difetha busnesau bach. Maent yn gwneud y pwynt nad oes gan unrhyw sector busnes arall yn y DU darged mor feichus i'w gyrraedd i gymhwyso fel busnes at ddibenion trethiant lleol. Mae eleni wedi bod yn arbennig o anodd i'r sector twristiaeth, gan fod y tywydd wedi bod yn ffactor enfawr, yn ogystal â'r argyfwng costau byw a chostau gweithredu uwch. Mae cyrraedd y trothwy 182 diwrnod yn dod yn fwyfwy amhosibl bob dydd i lawer o'r busnesau rwy'n eu cynrychioli. Felly, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a wnewch chi gefnogi galwad y diwydiant am asesiad effaith economaidd ac adolygiad ffurfiol o'r polisi 182 diwrnod, wedi'i gynnal gyda chynrychiolwyr o'r economi ymwelwyr, i sefydlu trothwy llawer tecach?

13:55

Well, I'm afraid that we have got no plans to undertake a formal review of the changes to the self-catering criteria in the short term. We certainly wouldn’t want to undertake that kind of review in isolation from the package of measures within that three-pronged approach that we are taking to address the impact of second homes and holiday lets on communities and on the Welsh language. Our concern is that such a commitment to undertake that kind of review would create uncertainty for the self-catering sector, which is unlikely to be helpful at this time.

Of course, this matter sits now with the finance Minister, as he is responsible for local taxation. But, of course, I take a strong interest in the views of the visitor sector, and I had an opportunity to speak and listen to the visitor economy forum recently, and I heard very clearly the contributions that they were making.

Wel, mae arnaf ofn nad oes gennym unrhyw gynlluniau i gynnal adolygiad ffurfiol o'r newidiadau i'r meini prawf hunanddarpar yn y tymor byr. Yn sicr, ni fyddem am gynnal y math hwnnw o adolygiad yn annibynnol ar y pecyn o fesurau o fewn y dull tair rhan sydd gennym o fynd i'r afael ag effaith ail gartrefi a llety gwyliau ar gymunedau ac ar yr iaith Gymraeg. Ein pryder yw y byddai ymrwymiad o'r fath i gynnal y math hwnnw o adolygiad yn creu ansicrwydd i'r sector hunanddarpar, sy'n annhebygol o fod o gymorth ar hyn o bryd.

Wrth gwrs, mae'r mater hwn yn gyfrifoldeb i'r Gweinidog cyllid bellach, gan mai ef sy'n gyfrifol am drethiant lleol. Ond wrth gwrs, mae gennyf ddiddordeb mawr ym marn y sector ymwelwyr, a chefais gyfle i siarad a gwrando ar y fforwm economi ymwelwyr yn ddiweddar, a chlywais yn glir iawn y cyfraniadau yr oeddent yn eu gwneud.

The Welsh Labour Government's Brilliant Basics small-scale tourism fund has benefited a number of projects across Wales, including Grass Roots Caravan and Glamping in Waterston near Milford Haven. The business successfully received Development Bank of Wales funding of £205,000 via the Wales tourism investment fund to upgrade its facilities.

The Welsh Government has allocated £5 million to 27 projects over 2023 to 2025, helping local authorities and national parks get basic but essential visitor infrastructure, like public toilets, car parking and signage, to improve the visitor experience at tourism destinations. That will benefit both the visitor and also the local community. Do you agree with me, Cabinet Secretary, that this type of investment is helping, both with small businesses and also with tourism in Mid and West Wales?

Mae cronfa dwristiaeth ar raddfa fach Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru, Y Pethau Pwysig, wedi bod o fudd i nifer o brosiectau ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys Grass Roots Caravan a Glamping yn Waterston ger Aberdaugleddau. Derbyniodd y busnes gyllid Banc Datblygu Cymru o £205,000 drwy'r gronfa fuddsoddi mewn twristiaeth yng Nghymru i uwchraddio ei gyfleusterau.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dyrannu £5 miliwn i 27 o brosiectau rhwng 2023 a 2025, gan helpu awdurdodau lleol a pharciau cenedlaethol i gael seilwaith sylfaenol ond hanfodol i ymwelwyr, fel toiledau cyhoeddus, meysydd parcio ac arwyddion, i wella profiad ymwelwyr mewn cyrchfannau twristiaeth. Bydd hynny o fudd i'r ymwelydd a hefyd i'r gymuned leol. A ydych chi'n cytuno â mi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, fod y math hwn o fuddsoddiad yn helpu, gyda busnesau bach a hefyd gyda thwristiaeth yng Nghanolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru?

Thank you very much for that. I’m sure that all of us would agree about the importance of supporting the Brilliant Basics scheme and the difference that it is making in communities by providing investment, as Joyce Watson says, in those small but simple things that really enhance the tourist and visitor experience, but can also benefit small businesses in our areas. We have had, recently, another round of applications open for that particular scheme, and I hope to say more very shortly in terms of the response that we have had. But I think that the level of interest is really positive.

Diolch am hynny. Rwy'n siŵr y byddai pob un ohonom yn cytuno ynghylch pwysigrwydd cefnogi cynllun Y Pethau Pwysig a'r gwahaniaeth y mae'n ei wneud mewn cymunedau trwy ddarparu buddsoddiad, fel y dywed Joyce Watson, yn y pethau bach ond syml sy'n gwella'r profiad i dwristiaid ac ymwelwyr, ond a all hefyd fod o fudd i fusnesau bach yn ein hardaloedd. Yn ddiweddar, rydym wedi cael rownd arall o geisiadau'n agor ar gyfer y cynllun penodol hwnnw, ac rwy'n gobeithio dweud mwy yn fuan iawn ynghylch yr ymateb a gawsom. Ond rwy'n credu bod lefel y diddordeb yn gadarnhaol iawn.

Wythnos Waith Pedwar Diwrnod
A Four-day Work Week

4. A wnaiff yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am waith y Llywodraeth yn ymwneud ag wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod? OQ61947

4. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the Government's work relating to a four-day work week? OQ61947

Diolch. Together with our social partners, we thoroughly examined the opportunities and challenges of a four-day working week. This effort resulted in a report that the workforce partnership council reviewed, approved and published.

Diolch. Gyda'n partneriaid cymdeithasol, fe wnaethom archwilio cyfleoedd a heriau wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod yn drylwyr. Arweiniodd yr ymdrech hon at adroddiad y gwnaeth cyngor partneriaeth y gweithlu ei adolygu, ei gymeradwyo a'i gyhoeddi.

Diolch am yr ateb, Weinidog.

Thank you for that answer, Minister.

Of course, the UK pilot carried out by an adept research team from a variety of institutions demonstrated last year that this has an overwhelmingly positive impact on workers and employers, and is something that could be tailored to a diverse range of organisations across many sectors. And of course, we have the current public sector pilot in Scotland.

Now, of course, he's mentioned the work of the workforce partnership council. It seems that things have gone quiet, though, since April. I think that there's a wider point to be made around the need to look at how we roll this out to front-line workers and so on—those on shift work—but is the Government still committed to getting a public sector pilot over the line? And, if so, what work has been done since April to make this happen? A number of organisations and a number of businesses that are very supportive of piloting a four-day work week are starting to worry that the Government has lost its commitment.

Wrth gwrs, dangosodd peilot y DU a gynhaliwyd gan dîm ymchwil medrus o amrywiaeth o sefydliadau y llynedd fod hyn yn cael effaith gadarnhaol iawn ar weithwyr a chyflogwyr, ac mae'n rhywbeth y gellid ei deilwra i ystod amrywiol o sefydliadau ar draws sawl sector. Ac wrth gwrs, mae gennym y peilot sector cyhoeddus cyfredol yn yr Alban.

Nawr, wrth gwrs, fe soniodd am waith cyngor partneriaeth y gweithlu. Er hynny, mae'n ymddangos bod pethau wedi mynd yn dawel ers mis Ebrill. Rwy'n credu bod pwynt ehangach i'w wneud ynghylch yr angen i edrych ar sut y gwnawn gyflwyno hyn i weithwyr rheng flaen ac yn y blaen—y rhai ar waith shifft—ond a yw'r Llywodraeth yn dal i fod yn ymrwymedig i gael cynllun peilot sector cyhoeddus ar y gwell? Ac os felly, pa waith sydd wedi'i wneud ers mis Ebrill i wneud i hyn ddigwydd? Mae nifer o sefydliadau a nifer o fusnesau sy'n gefnogol iawn i dreialu wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod yn dechrau poeni bod y Llywodraeth wedi colli ei hymrwymiad.

I'm grateful to Luke Fletcher for highlighting this important issue. The Member's right to point to the work of the workforce partnership council and the working group that was set up in response to a Senedd petition inquiry, which I had the pleasure of chairing. The Member sat on the committee and took part in that inquiry. Presiding Officer, I think I'd like to pay tribute on the record to the lead petitioner, Mark Hooper, who started that process and that inquiry that followed.

The Member is right to point to UK pilots where there have been successes. My view on the topic has not changed. The results from pilots across sectors, including the private sector, are very clear: where a shorter working week has been introduced in partnership with its workforce, the benefits are there to be seen. The Member points to the report that was published in March of this year. The report did not propose an immediate introduction of a four-day week in either the Welsh Government or devolved public services, but it did set out the core principles that employers and trade unions should consider if they were to consider trialling a shorter working week. 

The responsibility for trialling a shorter working week or for the management of the organisation and their own workplaces is with the devolved public sector bodies themselves. I expect them to discharge those responsibilities in social partnership. So, when it comes to the next phase of that report, and the consideration of that report, it's for employers in the devolved public sector, workers and their trade unions to consider what that report means for them and their particular circumstances. If there was to be engagement in that, I'd be happy to help facilitate some of those conversations.

Rwy'n ddiolchgar i Luke Fletcher am dynnu sylw at y mater pwysig hwn. Mae'r Aelod yn gywir i nodi gwaith cyngor partneriaeth y gweithlu a'r gweithgor a sefydlwyd mewn ymateb i ymchwiliad i ddeiseb Senedd, y cefais y pleser o'i gadeirio. Roedd yr Aelod ar y pwyllgor a chymerodd ran yn yr ymchwiliad hwnnw. Lywydd, hoffwn dalu teyrnged i'r deisebydd arweiniol, Mark Hooper, a ddechreuodd y broses honno a'r ymchwiliad a ddilynodd.

Mae'r Aelod yn iawn i nodi treialon yn y DU lle cafwyd llwyddiannau. Nid yw fy marn i ar y pwnc wedi newid. Mae canlyniadau cynlluniau peilot ar draws sectorau, gan gynnwys y sector preifat, yn glir iawn: lle cyflwynwyd wythnos waith fyrrach mewn partneriaeth â'i weithlu, mae'r buddion yno i'w gweld. Mae'r Aelod yn cyfeirio at yr adroddiad a gyhoeddwyd ym mis Mawrth eleni. Nid oedd yr adroddiad yn argymell cyflwyno wythnos pedwar diwrnod ar unwaith naill ai yn Llywodraeth Cymru na gwasanaethau cyhoeddus datganoledig, ond nododd yr egwyddorion craidd y dylai cyflogwyr ac undebau llafur eu hystyried pe baent yn ystyried treialu wythnos waith fyrrach. 

Mae'r cyfrifoldeb am dreialu wythnos waith fyrrach neu am reoli'r sefydliad a'u gweithleoedd eu hunain gyda'r cyrff sector cyhoeddus datganoledig eu hunain. Rwy'n disgwyl iddynt gyflawni'r cyfrifoldebau hynny mewn partneriaeth gymdeithasol. Felly, cam nesaf yr adroddiad hwnnw, a'r ystyriaeth o'r adroddiad hwnnw, yw i gyflogwyr yn y sector cyhoeddus datganoledig, gweithwyr a'u hundebau llafur ystyried beth y mae'r adroddiad hwnnw'n ei olygu iddynt hwy a'u hamgylchiadau penodol. Pe bai hynny'n digwydd, buaswn yn hapus i helpu i hwyluso rhai o'r sgyrsiau hynny.

14:00

As we know, the main issue of a four-day working week is that it would not be possible to roll it out across every sector, meaning that some public sector workers would attain a privilege that would not be enjoyed by most private sector workers, and even many other front-line public sector workers. Whilst I know there are calls for a four-day working week, my position, and that of my group, is that we believe the same benefits of a four-day working week can be obtained by simply improving the flexibility for workers to take time off, to balance family life and other commitments.

There are two ways of achieving a four-day working week. You can either condense five days of work and its outcomes into four days, resulting in longer working hours, or you can pay an employee their existing salary for fewer hours of work, which could, in effect, be seen as awarding them a 20 per cent pay rise. We know it is not the UK Labour Government policy to support a general move to a four-day working week for five days' worth of pay. Can I therefore ask the Minister if the Welsh Government has considered the impact on all public services potentially working at different times of days, should the four-day working week be introduced here?

Fel y gwyddom, y brif broblem gydag wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod yw na fyddai’n bosibl ei chyflwyno ym mhob sector, gan olygu y byddai rhai gweithwyr yn y sector cyhoeddus yn cael braint na fyddai’r rhan fwyaf o weithwyr y sector preifat yn ei mwynhau, a hyd yn oed llawer o weithwyr rheng flaen eraill yn y sector cyhoeddus. Er y gwn fod galwadau am wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod, fy marn i a barn fy ngrŵp yw ein bod yn credu y gellir cael manteision wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod drwy wella’r hyblygrwydd i weithwyr gymryd amser o'r gwaith, i gydbwyso bywyd teuluol ac ymrwymiadau eraill.

Mae dwy ffordd o gyflawni wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod. Gallwch naill ai gywasgu pum diwrnod o waith a chanlyniadau hynny i mewn i bedwar diwrnod, gan arwain at oriau gwaith hwy, neu gallwch dalu eu cyflog presennol i weithwyr am lai o oriau gwaith, a allai, i bob pwrpas, gael ei ystyried fel codiad cyflog o 20 y cant iddynt. Gwyddom nad yw’n bolisi gan Lywodraeth Lafur y DU i gefnogi newid cyffredinol i wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod am werth pum diwrnod o gyflog. A gaf i ofyn felly i'r Gweinidog a yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ystyried effaith y posibilrwydd o weithio ar wahanol adegau yn y dydd ar yr holl wasanaethau cyhoeddus, pe bai'r wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod yn cael ei chyflwyno yma?

I thank the Member for those comments. I agree with the Member on the approach to flexible working in general—not just the four-day working week being the solution to the problems in there, but very much could be a solution to the problems. This is about a suite of options that could be available for employers and employees. The important part of this is that it's not imposed on the workforce, it's done with the workforce, very much in the Welsh way of social partnership. I've always been very clear, Presiding Officer, that, where you can bring forward these types of proposals in the workplace, the benefits are there to be seen.

The Member pointed to perhaps the public sector having a privilege over the private sector. Well, the private sector are very much leading the way on this issue. So, if the Member's trying to say in the Chamber that those business leaders are wrong, I'd ask him to reflect on those points. But I've always been very, perhaps, surprised in some ways, but maybe not so much in others, that these are the same arguments used, Presiding Officer, not just by the Member, but more broadly by his group when these debates happen. They were the same arguments used for the weekend as we know it, they were the same arguments used for the introduction of the minimum wage, they were the same arguments used against the creation of the NHS. The logic of these arguments would be the same arguments used to still send children down the mines and be okay with that. This is a potential solution to some of the challenges that workers face. It should be done in the way of social partnership. This Senedd and the Welsh Government should support that approach.

Diolch i’r Aelod am ei sylwadau. Rwy’n cytuno â’r Aelod ynghylch y dull gweithio hyblyg yn gyffredinol—nid mai'r wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod yw’r unig ateb i’r problemau sydd yno, ond y gallai fod yn ateb i’r problemau i raddau helaeth. Mae a wnelo hyn â chyfres o opsiynau a allai fod ar gael i gyflogwyr a gweithwyr. Y rhan bwysig o hyn yw nad yw'n cael ei orfodi ar y gweithlu, ei fod yn cael ei wneud gyda'r gweithlu, yn y dull Cymreig o bartneriaeth gymdeithasol. Rwyf bob amser wedi dweud yn glir iawn, Lywydd, lle gallwch gyflwyno’r mathau hyn o gynigion yn y gweithle, fod y manteision yno i’w gweld.

Cyfeiriodd yr Aelod at y sector cyhoeddus efallai'n cael braint dros y sector preifat. Wel, y sector preifat sy'n sicr yn arwain ar y mater hwn. Felly, os yw'r Aelod yn ceisio dweud yn y Siambr fod yr arweinwyr busnes hynny'n anghywir, hoffwn ofyn iddo ystyried y pwyntiau hynny. Ond rwyf bob amser wedi fy synnu'n fawr mewn rhai ffyrdd, efallai, ond ddim cymaint mewn ffyrdd eraill, mai dyma'r un dadleuon a ddefnyddir, Lywydd, nid yn unig gan yr Aelod, ond yn fwy cyffredinol gan ei grŵp pan fydd y dadleuon hyn yn codi. Rhain oedd yr un dadleuon a ddefnyddiwyd ar gyfer y penwythnos fel y gwyddom amdano, yr un dadleuon a ddefnyddiwyd ar gyfer cyflwyno'r isafswm cyflog, yr un dadleuon a ddefnyddiwyd yn erbyn creu'r GIG. Yn ôl rhesymeg y dadleuon hyn, byddai'r un dadleuon yn cael eu defnyddio i barhau i anfon plant i'r pyllau glo, a bodloni ar hynny. Mae hwn yn ateb posibl i rai o'r heriau y mae gweithwyr yn eu hwynebu. Dylid ei wneud drwy ddull partneriaeth gymdeithasol. Dylai’r Senedd hon a Llywodraeth Cymru gefnogi’r dull hwnnw o weithredu.

14:05
Prosiectau Ynni Adnewyddadwy ar Raddfa Fawr
Large-scale Renewable Energy Projects

5. A wnaiff yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynnydd prosiectau ynni adnewyddadwy ar raddfa fawr yng Ngogledd Cymru? OQ61952

5. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the progress of large-scale renewable energy projects in North Wales? OQ61952

We have set ambitious targets to generate enough renewable energy across Wales to meet the equivalent of 100 per cent of our annual electricity consumption by 2035. In doing so, we expect to see benefits to our communities, including through job creation and local investment.

Rydym wedi gosod targedau uchelgeisiol i gynhyrchu digon o ynni adnewyddadwy ledled Cymru i sicrhau'r hyn sy’n cyfateb i 100 y cant o’n defnydd blynyddol o drydan erbyn 2035. Wrth wneud hynny, rydym yn disgwyl gweld buddion i’n cymunedau, gan gynnwys drwy greu swyddi a buddsoddiad lleol.

As we know, Cabinet Secretary, it is critical, of course, that Wales reaches its net-zero targets, but we are in a scramble to harness some of Wales's renewable energy potential. We're increasingly seeing multinational companies often riding roughshod over local communities in pursuit of planning approval. We're all well aware of the two proposed large-scale solar farms on Anglesey, sites that will gobble up around 3,700 acres of farmland. The biggest of these developments, of course, won't be consented in Wales due to its size, and the decision on its future is going to be sanctioned in Whitehall. So, does the Cabinet Secretary agree with me that consent for all energy projects should be devolved to Wales, so that it's Wales that decides on the best use of our natural resources?

Fel y gwyddom, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae'n hollbwysig fod Cymru'n cyflawni ei thargedau sero net, ond rydym ar frys i harneisio rhywfaint o botensial ynni adnewyddadwy Cymru. Rydym yn gweld mwy a mwy o gwmnïau rhyngwladol yn aml yn diystyru cymunedau lleol yn llwyr wrth geisio cael cymeradwyaeth gynllunio. Gŵyr pob un ohonom am y ddwy fferm solar fawr arfaethedig ar Ynys Môn, safleoedd a fydd defnyddio oddeutu 3,700 erw o dir fferm. Ni fydd y mwyaf o’r datblygiadau hyn yn cael caniatâd yng Nghymru oherwydd ei faint, a bydd y penderfyniad ar ei ddyfodol yn cael ei wneud yn Whitehall. Felly, a yw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cytuno â mi y dylai caniatâd ar gyfer pob prosiect ynni gael ei ddatganoli i Gymru, fel mai Cymru sy'n penderfynu ar y defnydd gorau o'n hadnoddau naturiol?

I'm very grateful for that point. Of course, that relates to the Maen Hir project, which the UK Government would be—currently, under the existing rules—due to make a determination on. I think the point raised is an important one, and actually, I think it's one that I would be happy to have some further discussion with my colleagues in Westminster on, because it is an important point that is made.

Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y pwynt hwnnw. Wrth gwrs, mae a wnelo hynny â phrosiect Maen Hir, y byddai Llywodraeth y DU—ar hyn o bryd, o dan y rheolau presennol—yn gwneud penderfyniad yn ei gylch. Credaf fod y pwynt a godwyd yn un pwysig, ac mewn gwirionedd, credaf ei fod yn un y buaswn yn fwy na pharod i gael trafodaeth bellach arno gyda fy nghymheiriaid yn San Steffan, gan fod y pwynt a wnaed yn un pwysig.

Copper is critical to the manufacture of much of the green technology, such as wind turbines, electric vehicles, solar panels, and the electrical infrastructure. Copper is also essential to support the transition away from fossil fuels, and I've been round a mine in Anglesey recently that does gold, silver, bronze, iron ore and copper.

United Kingdom imports of copper were over £1.5 billion during 2023, although large reserves of iron and copper ore do exist in the United Kingdom. These ores are now largely imported, such as from Chile and China. As the Member for Aberconwy, I can speak at first-hand of how valuable the copper mines on the Great Orme have been for many years. It was the wealth from the mining of that copper that helped to form the town that stands there now.

Copper is still not on the UK critical minerals list, unlike in the EU and USA, despite there being such huge potential for mining it here in Wales. Will you co-operate with the UK Government to see copper placed on the UK critical minerals list, so that green infrastructure is developed in Wales with Welsh, not foreign, copper, so that we can rely less on such a heavy carbon footprint of importing such rare and precious metals? Diolch.

Mae copr yn hanfodol i weithgynhyrchu llawer o dechnoleg werdd, megis tyrbinau gwynt, cerbydau trydan, paneli solar, a'r seilwaith trydan. Mae copr hefyd yn hanfodol i gefnogi'r newid o ddefnyddio tanwydd ffosil, ac ymwelais â mwynglawdd ar Ynys Môn yn ddiweddar sy'n cloddio am aur, arian, efydd, mwyn haearn a chopr.

Mewnforiodd y Deyrnas Unedig werth dros £1.5 biliwn o gopr yn 2023, er bod cronfeydd mawr o haearn a mwyn copr yn bodoli yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Mae’r mwynau hyn bellach yn cael eu mewnforio'n bennaf, o wledydd fel Chile a Tsieina. Fel yr Aelod dros Aberconwy, gallaf siarad o fy mhrofiad fy hun am ba mor werthfawr y mae’r mwyngloddiau copr ar y Gogarth wedi bod ers blynyddoedd lawer. Y cyfoeth o gloddio'r copr hwnnw a helpodd i ffurfio'r dref sydd yno heddiw.

Nid yw copr ar restr mwynau hanfodol y DU o hyd, yn wahanol i’r UE ac UDA, er bod cymaint o botensial i’w gloddio yma yng Nghymru. A wnewch chi gydweithredu â Llywodraeth y DU i sicrhau bod copr yn cael ei gynnwys ar restr mwynau hanfodol y DU, fel bod seilwaith gwyrdd yn cael ei ddatblygu yng Nghymru gyda chopr Cymru, nid copr tramor, fel y gallwn ddibynnu llai ar ôl troed carbon mor drwm yn sgil mewnforio metelau prin a gwerthfawr o'r fath? Diolch.

I'm grateful for the question. That sounds like a very interesting visit that Janet Finch-Saunders has had. I would welcome the opportunity, perhaps outside of the Chamber, to have a further discussion about what you learned on that particular visit, so that I can consider what, if any, further discussions I would have to have with colleagues. But I'm keen to learn—[Interruption.]—what you and Rhun ap Iorwerth learned on your visit.

Diolch am y cwestiwn. Mae'n swnio fel pe bai Janet Finch-Saunders wedi cael ymweliad diddorol iawn. Rwy'n croesawu’r cyfle, y tu allan i’r Siambr efallai, i gael trafodaeth bellach am yr hyn a ddysgoch chi ar yr ymweliad hwnnw, fel y gallaf ystyried pa drafodaethau pellach, os o gwbl, y byddai’n rhaid imi eu cael gyda chydweithwyr. Ond rwy’n awyddus i ddysgu—[Torri ar draws.]—yr hyn a ddysgwyd gennych chi a Rhun ap Iorwerth ar eich ymweliad.

Y Sector Gwyddorau Bywyd
The Life Sciences Sector

6. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi'r sector gwyddorau bywyd yng Ngorllewin De Cymru? OQ61945

6. How does the Welsh Government support the life sciences sector in South Wales West? OQ61945

We support the life sciences sector in Wales in a number of ways, including through our SMART flexible innovation support programme, the financial support we provide to the Life Sciences Hub Wales, and our support for trade events, both in Wales and internationally. 

Rydym yn cefnogi’r sector gwyddorau bywyd yng Nghymru mewn nifer o ffyrdd, gan gynnwys drwy ein rhaglen cymorth arloesedd hyblyg SMART, y cymorth ariannol a ddarparwn i Hwb Gwyddorau Bywyd Cymru, a’n cymorth i ddigwyddiadau masnach, yng Nghymru ac yn rhyngwladol.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I recently had the opportunity to visit the CanSense laboratory at Swansea University to see first-hand the excellent work being undertaken in the life sciences sector in my region. While the prospects for the economy of my region coming out of CanSense and the wider life sciences sector are fantastic, the scientific advancements are immeasurable. CanSense are developing inexpensive blood tests that can diagnose bowel cancer much sooner than current tests, therefore tackling one of the biggest killers in Wales, while at the same time reducing the burden on the NHS, both of which have wider economic costs beyond the human costs. Similar labs are also developing simple blood tests for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Cabinet Secretary, what discussions have you had with the Cabinet Secretary for health about further investment in laboratories like CanSense to maximise the benefits to the health and economy of our nation?  

Diolch, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Yn ddiweddar, cefais gyfle i ymweld â labordy CanSense ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe i weld â fy llygaid fy hun y gwaith rhagorol sy’n mynd rhagddo yn y sector gwyddorau bywyd yn fy rhanbarth. Er bod y rhagolygon ar gyfer yr economi yn fy rhanbarth a ddaw yn sgil CanSense a’r sector gwyddorau bywyd ehangach yn wych, mae’r datblygiadau gwyddonol yn anfesuradwy. Mae CanSense yn datblygu profion gwaed rhad a all wneud diagnosis o ganser y coluddyn yn llawer cynt na’r profion presennol, gan fynd i’r afael ag un o’r lladdwyr mwyaf yng Nghymru, gan leihau'r baich ar y GIG ar yr un pryd, dau beth sydd â chostau economaidd ehangach y tu hwnt i'r costau dynol. Mae labordai tebyg hefyd yn datblygu profion gwaed syml ar gyfer gwneud diagnosis cynnar o glefyd Alzheimer. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, pa drafodaethau a gawsoch gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd am fuddsoddiad pellach mewn labordai fel CanSense i sicrhau’r manteision mwyaf posibl i iechyd ac economi ein cenedl?

14:10

I'm very grateful for that question this afternoon. It builds on the debate that Mike Hedges led in the Senedd very recently, which included a really strong focus on the life sciences industry and how it's scaling at pace. It's one of our most exciting and dynamic growth sectors in Wales, turning over more than £2.85 billion a year. We're very supportive of businesses in this sector and of innovation in this sector. You asked how I'm working alongside Jeremy Miles. Our departments co-fund the Life Sciences Hub Wales and this year we awarded annual funding of £3.5 million, so partly from the economy budget and partly from the health budget. That enabled the hub to work towards its mission of transforming the health and economic well-being of the nation. I know Jeremy visited just last week to find out more. 

I'm really keen to understand how we break down the barriers for adopting the innovation that's happening in Wales and making sure that it's available to the NHS as quickly as possible. I know that Jeremy Miles is very interested in that as well. I did have the opportunity to visit Medica, which is one of the world's largest trade fairs for the medtech sector, just recently. We took 33 different businesses from Wales over there, alongside 50 other delegates. We were able to showcase the incredible innovative work that is going on here in Wales and give those businesses a platform to be able to sell and export. We also have an export cluster programme that looks particularly at the medtech and diagnostic sector as well. So, this is a really exciting area. It's a growth area and I really welcome the interest that colleagues show in it. 

Rwy’n ddiolchgar iawn am y cwestiwn hwnnw y prynhawn yma. Mae'n adeiladu ar y ddadl a arweiniwyd gan Mike Hedges yn y Senedd yn ddiweddar iawn, a oedd yn cynnwys ffocws cryf iawn ar y diwydiant gwyddorau bywyd a sut y mae'n tyfu mor gyflym. Mae’n un o’n sectorau twf mwyaf cyffrous a deinamig yng Nghymru, gyda throsiant o fwy na £2.85 biliwn y flwyddyn. Rydym yn gefnogol iawn i fusnesau yn y sector hwn ac i arloesi yn y sector hwn. Fe ofynnoch chi sut rwy'n gweithio ochr yn ochr â Jeremy Miles. Mae ein hadrannau’n cyd-ariannu Hwb Gwyddorau Bywyd Cymru, ac eleni dyfarnwyd cyllid blynyddol o £3.5 miliwn gennym, felly'n rhannol o gyllideb yr economi ac yn rhannol o’r gyllideb iechyd. Fe alluogodd hynny’r hwb i weithio tuag at ei genhadaeth o drawsnewid iechyd a lles economaidd y genedl. Gwn fod Jeremy wedi ymweld yr wythnos diwethaf i ddarganfod mwy.

Rwy'n awyddus iawn i ddeall sut rydym yn chwalu'r rhwystrau ar gyfer mabwysiadu'r arloesedd sydd i'w gael yng Nghymru a sicrhau ei fod ar gael i'r GIG cyn gynted â phosibl. Gwn fod gan Jeremy Miles gryn ddiddordeb yn hynny hefyd. Yn ddiweddar, cefais gyfle i ymweld â Medica, sef un o ffeiriau masnach mwyaf y byd ar gyfer y sector technoleg feddygol. Aethom â 33 o wahanol fusnesau o Gymru yno gyda 50 o gynrychiolwyr eraill. Fe wnaethom arddangos y gwaith arloesol anhygoel sy’n mynd rhagddo yma yng Nghymru a rhoi llwyfan i’r busnesau hynny allu gwerthu ac allforio. Mae gennym raglen clwstwr allforio hefyd sy’n edrych yn benodol ar y sector technoleg feddygol a diagnostig. Felly, mae hwn yn faes cyffrous iawn. Mae'n faes twf ac rwy'n croesawu diddordeb fy nghyd-Aelodau ynddo.

For the second time this week, I'm asking a question on the importance of life science. The Swansea bay city deal has formed key relationships with companies in the health and well-being sector ready for procurement. Led by Swansea University, the project has also utilised funding opportunities available for a skills and talent pilot project and been awarded £1.5 million from the digital infrastructure programme's 5G innovation fund. The project will deliver research and development, trials and testing facilities, enabling co-location of research and industry alongside clinical infrastructure and investment opportunities. Can the Minister give a further update on the £22.4 million bioscience grant for a training programme involving Swansea University?  

Am yr eildro yr wythnos hon, rwy'n gofyn cwestiwn ynglŷn â phwysigrwydd gwyddorau bywyd. Mae bargen ddinesig bae Abertawe wedi ffurfio cysylltiadau allweddol gyda chwmnïau yn y sector iechyd a lles yn barod ar gyfer caffael. Dan arweiniad Prifysgol Abertawe, mae'r prosiect hefyd wedi defnyddio'r cyfleoedd ariannu sydd ar gael ar gyfer prosiect peilot sgiliau a thalent ac wedi cael £1.5 miliwn o gronfa arloesi 5G y rhaglen seilwaith digidol. Bydd y prosiect yn darparu ymchwil a datblygu, cyfleusterau profi a threialu, gan alluogi ymchwil a diwydiant i gael eu cydleoli ochr yn ochr â seilwaith clinigol a chyfleoedd buddsoddi. A all y Gweinidog roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y grant biowyddoniaeth o £22.4 miliwn ar gyfer rhaglen hyfforddi y mae Prifysgol Abertawe yn rhan ohoni?

I'm very grateful for the question and for Mike Hedges's passion for the life sciences sector, having, as I mentioned earlier, brought forward a debate that focused really strongly on the promotion of that sector. Just on the doorstep for Mike and myself in Swansea we have some incredible work going on, harnessing the unique capabilities and the thriving life science ecosystem that is part of the Swansea bay city region. They're establishing an international centre for innovation in life science, well-being and sport, supporting preventative interventions in healthcare and medicine, and driving the growth of a globally significant sportstech industry as well. Those are just part of the work that is going on through the funding that we've been able to provide. 

As Mike says, it will deliver R&D, trials and testing facilities, enabling the co-location of research and industry alongside clinical infrastructure and investment opportunities. Having that approach where you've got a range of businesses and academics working in the same field together I think is really important, because those ideas spark off each other. The networks that are involved are also there to collaborate as well. So, it's a really exciting sector and a lot of this is happening just on Mike's doorstep and mine in Swansea.   

Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y cwestiwn ac am angerdd Mike Hedges ynghylch y sector gwyddorau bywyd ac yntau, fel y soniais yn gynharach, wedi cyflwyno dadl a oedd yn canolbwyntio'n gadarn iawn ar hyrwyddo'r sector hwnnw. Ar garreg drws Mike a minnau yn Abertawe, mae gennym waith anhygoel yn mynd rhagddo, sy'n harneisio’r galluoedd unigryw a’r ecosystem gwyddorau bywyd ffyniannus sy’n rhan o ddinas-ranbarth bae Abertawe. Maent yn sefydlu canolfan ryngwladol ar gyfer arloesi mewn gwyddorau bywyd, llesiant a chwaraeon, yn cefnogi ymyriadau ataliol mewn gofal iechyd a meddygaeth, ac yn sbarduno twf diwydiant technoleg chwaraeon o bwys byd-eang hefyd. Nid yw'r rheini ond yn rhan o'r gwaith sy'n mynd rhagddo drwy'r cyllid y gallasom ei ddarparu.

Fel y dywed Mike, bydd yn darparu cyfleusterau profi, treialu ac ymchwil a datblygu, gan alluogi ymchwil a diwydiant i gael eu cydleoli ochr yn ochr â seilwaith clinigol a chyfleoedd buddsoddi. Credaf ei bod yn bwysig iawn cael y dull gweithredu hwnnw lle mae gennych amrywiaeth o fusnesau ac academyddion yn gweithio yn yr un maes gyda'i gilydd, gan fod y syniadau hynny'n tanio'i gilydd. Mae'r rhwydweithiau sydd ynghlwm wrth hyn yno i gydweithio hefyd. Felly, mae'n sector cyffrous iawn, ac mae llawer o hyn yn digwydd ar garreg drws Mike a minnau yn Abertawe.

Atgyweirio Pont y Borth
Menai Bridge Repairs

7. Beth yw asesiad Llywodraeth Cymru o'r effaith fydd ymestyn rhaglen waith atgyweirio Pont y Borth yn ei gael ar fusnesau Ynys Môn? OQ61951

7. What is the Welsh Government's assessment of the impact that extending the Menai Bridge repair programme will have on businesses in Anglesey? OQ61951

The duration of the physical works has not altered. Through listening to the local community, we've rescheduled the start date, which brings a number of benefits. I'd encourage any business facing uncertainties due to the repair programme to contact Business Wales for advice as soon as possible.

Nid yw hyd y gwaith ffisegol wedi newid. Drwy wrando ar y gymuned leol, rydym wedi aildrefnu'r dyddiad dechrau, sy'n mynd i arwain at nifer o fanteision. Hoffwn annog unrhyw fusnes sy’n wynebu ansicrwydd oherwydd y rhaglen atgyweirio i gysylltu â Busnes Cymru am gyngor cyn gynted â phosibl.

14:15

Diolch am yr ymateb yna. Mae yna anniddigrwydd mawr yn Ynys Môn ynglŷn â'r newid amserlen yma. Pan gafodd y gwaith ei oedi dros y gaeaf yma, roedd pobl yn cymryd bod hynny'n golygu bod pethau o flaen amser. Wedyn, wrth gwrs, mi gyhoeddwyd bod y gwaith oedd i fod i orffen tua diwedd yr haf nesaf yn mynd i fod yn cario ymlaen tan y Nadolig. Rŵan, nid dim ond anghyfleustra ydy hynny, mae o'n cael effaith economaidd ar gymunedau o fewn yr ynys ac ar yr ynys gyfan.

Felly, beth fydd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn ei wneud i edrych ar sut i gynnig rhagor o gefnogaeth i fusnesau a fydd rŵan yn colli allan yn y cyfnod yn arwain at y Nadolig 2025, pan oedden nhw'n cymryd y byddai pethau nôl i'r arfer erbyn hynny, a hefyd i edrych ar y sefyllfa o gwmpas pont Britannia? Oherwydd mae'r arafwch o hyd yn ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i'r angen am ateb i broblemau traffig ar bont Britannia a phroblemau resilience ar bont Britannia yn cael effaith economaidd ar yr ynys. Beth fydd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros yr economi yn ei wneud i roi pwysau ar yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros drafnidiaeth i sortio'r broblem yma allan unwaith ac am byth?

Thank you for that response. There is great disquiet on Anglesey in terms of this change of timetable. When the work was paused over this winter, people assumed that that meant that things were ahead of schedule. Then, of course, there was an announcement that the work that was supposed to be concluded by the end of next summer will continue until Christmas. Now, that's not just inconvenient, it has an economic impact on communities on the island and on the island as a whole.

So, what will the Cabinet Secretary do to look at how to provide more support for businesses that will now miss out in the period leading up to Christmas 2025, when they assumed that things would be back to normal, and to look at the situation around the Britannia bridge? Because the sluggishness in the Welsh Government's response to the need for a solution to the traffic problems on the Britannia bridge and the resilience problems on that bridge is having an economic impact on the island. What will the Cabinet Secretary for the economy do to put pressure on the Cabinet Secretary for transport to sort this problem out once and for all?

Well, as I understand it, from the transport Secretary and his officials, the change in timing and rescheduling the start date to March 2025 was at the request of the local community—

Wel, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf gan yr Ysgrifennydd trafnidiaeth a’i swyddogion, newidiwyd yr amserlen ac aildrefnwyd y dyddiad cychwyn i fis Mawrth 2025 ar gais y gymuned leol—

—including local businesses. A number of benefits were suggested that it would bring to local businesses, for example less chance of cancellations and delay due to bad weather, risk of HGVs and other vehicles not being able to cross the Menai strait during the winter, improved traffic flow to and from Menai Bridge, which would assist schools and Bangor hospital, and ensuring that Holyhead port remains operational for longer. So, these are the arguments that I understood have been made to the transport Secretary and his officials, and part of that, of course, is because of the winter weather. But I know the bridge is nearing its two-hundredth anniversary and, obviously, we need to maintain the bridge, and want to see those works finished by the time of its two-hundredth anniversary. But obviously I will have those discussions with the transport Secretary in relation to the impacts on businesses, but my understanding is that the changes were made at the request of the community.

—gan gynnwys busnesau lleol. Awgrymwyd nifer o fanteision y byddai’n eu sicrhau i fusnesau lleol, er enghraifft llai o berygl o ganslo gwasanaethau ac oedi oherwydd tywydd gwael, risg o gerbydau nwyddau trwm a cherbydau eraill yn methu croesi’r Fenai yn ystod y gaeaf, gwell llif traffig i ac o Borthaethwy, a fyddai o gymorth i ysgolion ac ysbyty Bangor, a sicrhau bod porthladd Caergybi yn parhau i fod yn weithredol am gyfnod hwy. Felly, dyma’r dadleuon a wnaed yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf i’r Ysgrifennydd trafnidiaeth a’i swyddogion, ac mae rhan o hynny, wrth gwrs, oherwydd tywydd y gaeaf. Ond gwn fod y bont yn agosáu at ei deucanmlwyddiant, ac yn amlwg, mae angen inni gynnal a chadw’r bont, ac rydym am i'r gwaith hwnnw gael ei gwblhau erbyn ei deucanmlwyddiant. Ond yn amlwg, byddaf yn cael y trafodaethau hynny gyda'r Ysgrifennydd trafnidiaeth mewn perthynas â'r effeithiau ar fusnesau, ond fy nealltwriaeth i yw bod y newidiadau wedi'u gwneud ar gais y gymuned.

Diwydiannau Creadigol
Creative industries

8. Sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn defnyddio Banc Datblygu Cymru i annog twf a buddsoddiad mewn diwydiannau creadigol, yn enwedig y rhai sy'n gweithredu yn ôl amserlenni hirach ar gyfer eu prosiectau? OQ61934

8. How will the Welsh Government utilise the Development Bank of Wales to encourage growth and investment in creative industries, particularly those who operate on longer project timelines? OQ61934

Diolch, Rhys. As we saw from the statistics released last week, the growth of the creative industries in Wales continues to be a success story. Through Creative Wales and the Development Bank of Wales, we offer a range of financial support schemes, which are continually reviewed in light of market demands.

Diolch, Rhys. Fel y gwelsom o’r ystadegau a gyhoeddwyd yr wythnos diwethaf, mae twf y diwydiannau creadigol yng Nghymru yn parhau i fod yn llwyddiant. Drwy Cymru Greadigol a Banc Datblygu Cymru, rydym yn cynnig amrywiaeth o gynlluniau cymorth ariannol, sy’n cael eu hadolygu’n barhaus yng ngoleuni galwadau'r farchnad.

Diolch, Weinidog. You'll remember last week Mike Hedges telling us about the incredible contribution of video-gaming to the Welsh economy. Now, I looked into this after that, and I saw that, following the loss of EU funding, longer term projects, such as video games, end up being funded only in part now, meaning there are far more potential moments of failure. The majority of video game companies in Wales fail now within the first five years of trading. The Federation of Small Businesses recently recommended that the Welsh Government explore the use of Government loan guarantees, following the example of places such as South Korea, a country that has been very successful in exporting film, tv and music, in their language, worldwide. The creative industries there represent more than 10 per cent of the total venture capital raised. Will the Minister encourage Creative Wales and the Development Bank of Wales to follow the example of successful funding models across the world, so that Wales can reach its creative potential? Diolch yn fawr.

Diolch, Weinidog. Fe fyddwch yn cofio Mike Hedges yn dweud wrthym yr wythnos diwethaf am gyfraniad anhygoel gemau fideo i economi Cymru. Nawr, ymchwiliais i hyn wedi hynny, a gwelais, yn sgil colli cyllid yr UE, fod prosiectau mwy hirdymor, fel gemau fideo, ond yn cael eu hariannu'n rhannol bellach, sy'n golygu bod llawer mwy o berygl o fethu. Mae'r rhan fwyaf o gwmnïau gemau fideo yng Nghymru bellach yn methu o fewn y pum mlynedd cyntaf o fasnachu. Argymhellodd y Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach yn ddiweddar y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru archwilio’r defnydd o fenthyciadau gwarantedig y Llywodraeth, gan ddilyn esiampl lleoedd fel De Korea, gwlad sydd wedi bod yn llwyddiannus iawn am allforio ffilm, teledu a cherddoriaeth, yn eu hiaith eu hunain, ledled y byd. Mae’r diwydiannau creadigol yno’n cynrychioli mwy na 10 y cant o gyfanswm y cyfalaf menter a godir. A wnaiff y Gweinidog annog Cymru Greadigol a Banc Datblygu Cymru i ddilyn esiampl modelau cyllido llwyddiannus ledled y byd, fel y gall Cymru wireddu ei photensial creadigol? Diolch yn fawr.

Well, diolch yn fawr, Rhys, for your continued interest in the creative industries. You are a true champion for the sector in all of its ambitions. The Member points to video-gaming and the work of Mike Hedges—well, I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to speak to that. So, we do, through Creative Wales, go on to support the video games industry. Rocket Science, again, just down the road from here, is one example of that. But the particular ask of the Member around the development bank and the work that they may do in the future—I'm very interested in what they may be able to offer in the future. It's a conversation that I will pick up with colleagues from Creative Wales. This is a real area that has great potential for growth and an ambition that matches that from the industry itself, so I will pick up that conversation with colleagues in Creative Wales and the Development Bank.

It's a conversation that I would also like to have with the UK Government, who have also recognised creative industries in their industrial strategy. I think gaming plays a key part of that. The games fund, which I'll make sure the Member has the detail of, is available to companies already, but where we can further support this industry, perhaps through the development bank—. There is a pilot programme now that looks at supporting cash flow in the production industry, particularly around films. That might be something we could explore in the games industry as well. So, the outcome of that pilot will be important, but where we can further enhance our offer in this sector, I'd be very keen to look at those opportunities. Diolch.

Wel, diolch yn fawr, Rhys, am eich diddordeb parhaus yn y diwydiannau creadigol. Rydych yn hyrwyddwr gwirioneddol ar ran y sector a'i holl uchelgeisiau. Mae’r Aelod yn tynnu sylw at gemau fideo a gwaith Mike Hedges—wel, rwy’n ddiolchgar am y cyfle i allu siarad am hynny. Felly, drwy Cymru Greadigol, rydym yn parhau i gefnogi’r diwydiant gemau fideo. Mae Rocket Science, unwaith eto, i lawr y ffordd, yn enghraifft o hynny. Ond ar gwestiwn penodol yr Aelod ynghylch y banc datblygu a'r gwaith y gallant ei wneud yn y dyfodol—mae gennyf gryn ddiddordeb yn yr hyn y gallent ei gynnig yn y dyfodol. Mae'n sgwrs y byddaf yn ei chael gyda chydweithwyr o Cymru Greadigol. Mae hwn yn faes ag iddo botensial mawr ar gyfer twf ac uchelgais sy’n cyfateb i hynny gan y diwydiant ei hun, felly byddaf yn cael y sgwrs honno gyda chydweithwyr yn Cymru Greadigol a’r Banc Datblygu.

Mae'n sgwrs yr hoffwn ei chael hefyd gyda Llywodraeth y DU, sydd hefyd wedi cydnabod diwydiannau creadigol yn eu strategaeth ddiwydiannol. Credaf fod gemau fideo yn rhan allweddol o hynny. Mae’r gronfa gemau, y byddaf yn sicrhau bod yr Aelod yn cael y manylion amdani, ar gael i gwmnïau eisoes, ond lle gallwn gefnogi’r diwydiant hwn ymhellach, efallai drwy’r banc datblygu—. Mae rhaglen beilot ar waith sy’n edrych ar gefnogi llif arian yn y diwydiant cynhyrchu, yn enwedig o ran ffilmiau. Efallai fod hynny’n rhywbeth y gallem ei archwilio yn y diwydiant gemau hefyd. Felly, bydd canlyniad y cynllun peilot hwnnw’n bwysig, ond lle gallwn wella ein cynnig yn y sector hwn ymhellach, rwy'n awyddus iawn i edrych ar y cyfleoedd hynny. Diolch.

14:20

Diolch i'r Gweinidog a'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet.

I thank the Minister and the Cabinet Secretary.

2. Cwestiynau i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol
2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care

Yr eitem nesaf, felly, fydd y cwestiynau i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol. Mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Mick Antoniw.

The next item will be the questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. The first question is from Mick Antoniw.

Canolfan Driniaeth Ranbarthol yn Llantrisant
Regional Treatment Hub in Llantrisant

1. A wnaiff yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ddatganiad am y ganolfan driniaeth ranbarthol arfaethedig yn Llantrisant? OQ61921

1. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the proposed regional treatment hub in Llantrisant? OQ61921

Plans for the regional treatment hub are progressing. The hub will improve care and deliver accessible and safe services to thousands of patients annually across south-east Wales. A temporary diagnostic service has been delivered from the site since April 2024, which has had a significant impact on waiting times.

Mae cynlluniau ar gyfer y ganolfan driniaeth ranbarthol yn gwneud cynnydd. Bydd y ganolfan yn gwella gofal ac yn darparu gwasanaethau hygyrch a diogel i filoedd o gleifion y flwyddyn ar draws de-ddwyrain Cymru. Mae gwasanaeth diagnostig dros dro wedi’i ddarparu ar y safle ers mis Ebrill 2024, sydd wedi cael effaith sylweddol ar amseroedd aros.

Cabinet Secretary, thank you for the answer. There's quite a lot of excitement about this innovative proposal to streamline the operations on knee and hip surgery and other orthopaedic surgery at the former British Airways avionics site, which closed some time back. But I'm just wondering what is it that can be done to actually speed up the development of this? It's obviously very much required, very much awaited, a very, very important potential investment. Can you outline what engagement you've had with Cwm Taf health board, what further stages are necessary, either in the design and also in terms of the investment side to implement this, and can you basically outline anything that can be done in order to speed up and ensure that it opens as quickly as possible? It is very much awaited in the Tonyrefail area, in the Cwm Taf area and also more broadly in south Wales.

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, diolch am yr ateb. Mae cryn dipyn o gyffro ynglŷn â’r cynnig arloesol hwn i hwyluso llif llawdriniaethau pen-glin a chlun a llawfeddygaeth orthopedig eraill ar hen safle afioneg British Airways, a gaeodd beth amser yn ôl. Ond beth y gellir ei wneud i gyflymu datblygiad hyn? Mae'n amlwg fod ei angen yn ddybryd, a bod disgwyl mawr amdano, a'i fod yn fuddsoddiad posibl pwysig iawn. A wnewch chi amlinellu pa gysylltiad a fu rhyngoch a bwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf, pa gamau pellach sydd eu hangen, naill ai o ran cynllun a hefyd o ran yr ochr fuddsoddi er mwyn rhoi hyn ar waith, ac a allwch chi amlinellu unrhyw beth y gellir ei wneud er mwyn cyflymu a sicrhau ei fod yn agor cyn gynted â phosibl? Mae disgwyl mawr amdano yn ardal Tonyrefail, yn ardal Cwm Taf, a hefyd yn fwy cyffredinol yn ne Cymru.

Well, I agree with the Member's enthusiasm for the project. I've been myself to the buildings that are currently there to see the vision that the partners, together with the Welsh Government, have for this development. It is a model of diagnostics and surgery that evidence both within the UK and internationally tell us can make a significant contribution to better outcomes by locating those facilities out of what's often regarded as the hot environment of an emergency hospital setting. So, in that sense, it's aimed at a transformation in regional planned care, and will clearly support the reduction in regional waiting lists.

I have been clear that this does need to be a regional solution that supports both the footprint of the health board itself but also neighbouring areas. That is absolutely critical to the success of the project, and I will want to take steps to make sure that that happens if they're needed.

The business case is currently being developed. The health board is, I know, looking at best practice across the NHS and developing a clear workforce plan to support the project. The next step is that the health board and its regional partners are due to give a presentation and take questions at the infrastructure investment board meeting in the next few days. This I hope will be demonstrating progress and will set out the proposed funding requirements for the next phase of the scheme. So, there's a piece of work in relation to design and construction, a piece of work in relation to modelling the funding implications of that, a piece of work in relation to the operating model that engages not just the health board, but neighbouring health boards as well. And then, finally, a workforce plan to support that development. I'm keen to see it progress. As well as being an exciting development on its own terms, I think it can be an exemplar for that way of working in other parts of the NHS in Wales.

Wel, rwy'n cytuno â brwdfrydedd yr Aelod dros y prosiect. Rwyf wedi bod yn yr adeiladau sydd yno ar hyn o bryd i weld y weledigaeth sydd gan y partneriaid, ynghyd â Llywodraeth Cymru, ar gyfer y datblygiad hwn. Mae'n fodel o ddiagnosteg a llawfeddygaeth y mae tystiolaeth yn y DU ac yn rhyngwladol yn dweud wrthym y gall wneud cyfraniad sylweddol at ganlyniadau gwell drwy leoli'r cyfleusterau hynny ar wahân i'r hyn a ystyrir yn aml yn amgylchedd poeth ysbyty brys. Felly, yn hynny o beth, mae wedi'i anelu at drawsnewid gofal rhanbarthol a gynlluniwyd, a bydd yn amlwg yn cefnogi'r gostyngiad mewn rhestrau aros rhanbarthol.

Rwyf wedi dweud yn glir fod angen i hyn fod yn ateb rhanbarthol sy’n cefnogi ôl troed y bwrdd iechyd ei hun, ac ardaloedd cyfagos hefyd. Mae hynny’n gwbl hanfodol i lwyddiant y prosiect, a byddaf eisiau rhoi camau ar waith i sicrhau bod hynny’n digwydd pe bai eu hangen.

Mae'r achos busnes yn cael ei ddatblygu ar hyn o bryd. Gwn fod y bwrdd iechyd yn edrych ar arferion gorau ar draws y GIG ac yn datblygu cynllun gweithlu clir i gefnogi’r prosiect. Y cam nesaf yw bod y bwrdd iechyd a’i bartneriaid rhanbarthol i roi cyflwyniad ac ateb cwestiynau yng nghyfarfod y bwrdd buddsoddi mewn seilwaith yn ystod y dyddiau nesaf. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd hyn yn dangos cynnydd ac yn nodi’r gofynion ariannu arfaethedig ar gyfer cam nesaf y cynllun. Felly, mae gwaith mewn perthynas â chynllunio ac adeiladu, gwaith mewn perthynas â modelu goblygiadau cyllid hynny, gwaith mewn perthynas â'r model gweithredu sy'n ymwneud nid yn unig â'r bwrdd iechyd, ond â byrddau iechyd cyfagos hefyd. Ac yna, yn olaf, cynllun gweithlu i gefnogi'r datblygiad hwnnw. Rwy’n awyddus i’w weld yn symud ymlaen. Yn ogystal â bod yn ddatblygiad cyffrous ynddo'i hun, credaf y gall fod yn esiampl ar gyfer y ffordd honno o weithio mewn rhannau eraill o’r GIG yng Nghymru.

14:25

Thanks, Mick, for raising this issue. Cabinet Secretary, the regional hub could be a big boon to patients in my region who rely upon services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, even though there's a lack of clarity over what treatments will be provided at Llantrisant. According to the Royal College of Surgeons, part of the solution to addressing the huge waiting lists in Wales is in speeding up the development of surgical hubs, so surgery can go ahead during those periods when the NHS is under increasing pressure, which is now. Given the advantage afforded by segmented planned procedures, will the Cabinet Secretary ensure that the planned regional hub will not just be for diagnostics, but for surgical procedures as well? Because, at present, it's only diagnostics.

Diolch, Mick, am godi’r mater hwn. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, gallai’r ganolfan ranbarthol fod yn hwb mawr i gleifion yn fy rhanbarth sy’n dibynnu ar wasanaethau yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg, er bod diffyg eglurder ynghylch pa driniaethau a fydd yn cael eu darparu yn Llantrisant. Yn ôl Coleg Brenhinol y Llawfeddygon, rhan o’r ateb i fynd i’r afael â’r rhestrau aros enfawr yng Nghymru yw cyflymu datblygiad canolfannau llawfeddygol, fel y gall llawdriniaethau ddigwydd ar adegau pan fo’r GIG dan bwysau cynyddol, sef nawr. O ystyried y fantais a roddir gan driniaethau a gynlluniwyd wedi'u segmentu, a wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet sicrhau nad ar gyfer diagnosteg yn unig y bydd y ganolfan ranbarthol arfaethedig, ond ar gyfer llawdriniaethau hefyd? Oherwydd, ar hyn o bryd, diagnosteg yn unig sy'n digwydd yno.

No, I can absolutely confirm to Altaf Hussain that the plan is both for diagnostics and surgical procedures, including orthopaedics, but other surgery as well, in that elective, green environment, and he'll know what I mean by that.

I just want to acknowledge the point that he's made about the Royal College of Surgeons. There's a very persuasive argument that they have made, in particular in relation to orthopaedics, but in other surgical contexts as well. I've had an opportunity, not just to read that work, but to discuss that with them, and I am actually speaking at their conference later on this week, and I hope that will be an opportunity to engage further with them on the vision they share with us in this kind of development.

Na, gallaf gadarnhau’n llwyr i Altaf Hussain fod y cynllun ar gyfer diagnosteg a llawdriniaethau, gan gynnwys orthopedeg, ond llawdriniaethau eraill hefyd, yn yr amgylchedd dewisol, gwyrdd hwnnw, a bydd yn gwybod beth a olygaf wrth hynny.

Hoffwn gydnabod y pwynt y mae wedi'i wneud am Goleg Brenhinol y Llawfeddygon. Mae eu dadl yn argyhoeddiadol iawn, yn enwedig mewn perthynas ag orthopedeg, ond mewn cyd-destunau llawfeddygol eraill hefyd. Rwyf wedi cael cyfle, nid yn unig i ddarllen y gwaith hwnnw, ond i'w drafod gyda hwy, ac mewn gwirionedd, byddaf yn siarad yn eu cynhadledd yn nes ymlaen yr wythnos hon, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd hwnnw’n gyfle i ymgysylltu ymhellach â hwy ar y weledigaeth y maent yn ei rhannu gyda ni yn y math hwn o ddatblygiad.

Mae cwestiwn 2 [OQ61931] wedi'i dynnu'n ôl. Cwestiwn 3 sydd nesaf—Mark Isherwood.

Question 2 [OQ61931] has been withdrawn. Question 3 is next—Mark Isherwood.

Y Sector Gofal Cymdeithasol
The Social Care Sector

3. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi'r sector gofal cymdeithasol? OQ61923

3. How does the Welsh Government support the social care sector? OQ61923

In addition to the financial support that Welsh Government provide, our newly launched National Office for Care and Support offers a new approach to supporting the sector. Our focus on sustainable solutions aim to ensure ongoing delivery of high-quality services, whilst striking the balance between immediate and long-term needs across Wales.

Yn ogystal â’r cymorth ariannol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei ddarparu, mae ein Swyddfa Genedlaethol Gofal a Chymorth sydd newydd ei lansio yn cynnig dull newydd o gefnogi’r sector. Nod ein ffocws ar atebion cynaliadwy yw sicrhau bod gwasanaethau o ansawdd uchel yn cael eu darparu’n barhaus, gan sicrhau cydbwysedd rhwng anghenion uniongyrchol a hirdymor ledled Cymru.

Diolch. I recently visited a north Wales residential home with Care Forum Wales to discuss issues threatening the sector’s viability. In light of the UK autumn budget, these included the extra cost of national insurance contributions and the national living wage, and concern that, although the national framework for the commissioning of care and support in Wales code of practice, which came into force on 1 September this year, under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, is intended to move current local authority commissioning practices away from price towards quality and social value, and ensure people have voice and control over their care and support, Denbighshire was making placements solely on the grounds of cost, stating that when it decides to meet a citizen’s eligible needs for care and support by arranging care home accommodation, it's obliged to source that accommodation at or as near to a rate it believes is sustainable and cost-effective, know as its indicative rate. What support and intervention will the Welsh Government therefore provide for the care sector in these areas?

Diolch. Yn ddiweddar, ymwelais â chartref preswyl yng ngogledd Cymru gyda Fforwm Gofal Cymru i drafod materion sy’n bygwth hyfywedd y sector. Yng ngoleuni cyllideb yr hydref y DU, roedd y rhain yn cynnwys cost gynyddol cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol a’r cyflog byw cenedlaethol, a phryder, er mai bwriad cod ymarfer y fframwaith cenedlaethol ar gyfer comisiynu gofal a chymorth yng Nghymru, a ddaeth i rym ar 1 Medi eleni, o dan Ddeddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014, yw symud arferion comisiynu presennol awdurdodau lleol oddi wrth gost a thuag at ansawdd a gwerth cymdeithasol, a sicrhau bod gan bobl lais a rheolaeth dros eu gofal a'u cymorth, fod sir Ddinbych yn lleoli pobl ar sail cost yn unig, gan nodi, pan fydd yn penderfynu diwallu anghenion cymwys dinesydd am ofal a chymorth drwy drefnu llety cartref gofal, ei bod yn ofynnol iddynt ddod o hyd i’r llety hwnnw am bris neu mor agos at bris y maent yn credu sy’n gynaliadwy a chosteffeithiol, a elwir yn gyfradd ddangosol. Pa ymyrraeth a chymorth, felly, y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu darparu ar gyfer y sector gofal yn yr ardaloedd hyn?

Can I first thank Mark Isherwood for that question? And, of course, we're fully aware of the incredible pressures that are on social care and the need for us to rebalance and reform the way that social care is provided, and that's why we have set up the national commissioning for care framework, and why we've set up the National Office for Care and Support, with a view to moving towards, in the longer term, a national care service, which will be free at the point of need.

The points that you raised are well made, however, and are things that we're seeing across the country, but there is a framework that is there to enable the provision of social care fees to be developed in partnership between the local authority and, where appropriate, the health service, and that is absolutely what the framework is set out to do. It is not about necessarily introducing consistent or the same fees across the country, but a consistency of approach to ensure that there is no postcode lottery around commissioning fees. And we've held a number of sessions with commissioners, right the way across Wales, providing them with support and a toolkit to enable them to work in the way that we know will deliver the best outcomes. We're identifying where we've got best practice and we're standardising commissioning of care and support, which I hope, in the longer term, will seek to alleviate the kinds of issues that you've raised today.

A gaf i ddiolch yn gyntaf i Mark Isherwood am ei gwestiwn? Ac wrth gwrs, rydym yn gwbl ymwybodol o'r pwysau anhygoel sydd ar ofal cymdeithasol a'r angen inni ailgydbwyso a diwygio'r ffordd y caiff gofal cymdeithasol ei ddarparu, a dyna pam ein bod wedi sefydlu'r fframwaith cenedlaethol ar gyfer comisiynu gofal a chymorth, a pham ein bod wedi sefydlu’r Swyddfa Genedlaethol Gofal a Chymorth, gyda’r bwriad o symud, yn y tymor hwy, tuag at wasanaeth gofal cenedlaethol, am ddim pryd a lle bynnag y bo’i angen.

Mae’r pwyntiau a godwyd gennych yn rhai da, fodd bynnag, ac yn bethau yr ydym yn eu gweld ledled y wlad, ond mae fframwaith yno i'w gwneud hi'n bosibl datblygu’r ddarpariaeth o ffioedd gofal cymdeithasol mewn partneriaeth rhwng yr awdurdod lleol, a lle bo’n briodol, y gwasanaeth iechyd, a dyna’n union y bwriedir i'r fframwaith ei wneud. Nid mater o gyflwyno ffioedd cyson neu’r un ffioedd ledled y wlad yw hyn o reidrwydd, ond dull gweithredu cyson i sicrhau nad oes loteri cod post o ran ffioedd comisiynu. Ac rydym wedi cynnal nifer o sesiynau gyda chomisiynwyr ledled Cymru, gan roi cefnogaeth a phecyn cymorth iddynt i'w galluogi i weithio yn y ffordd y gwyddom y bydd yn sicrhau'r canlyniadau gorau. Rydym yn nodi lle mae gennym arferion gorau ac rydym yn safoni comisiynu gofal a chymorth, a fydd, yn y tymor hwy, gobeithio, yn lleddfu'r mathau o faterion a godwyd gennych heddiw.

14:30
Cwestiynau Heb Rybudd gan Lefarwyr y Pleidiau
Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Sam Rowlands.

Questions now from the party spokespeople. The Conservative spokesperson, Sam Rowlands.

Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, you'll be aware that general practice is under immense pressure. More than 100 surgeries in Wales have closed since 2012, making it more difficult for people to access a GP in their local area. It's clear that GP practices are under even more pressure thanks to the Labour Government's increase on national insurance contributions, which is, as I'm sure you'd acknowledge, a tax increase on working people and businesses. Indeed, a GP in this place last night explained that that national insurance increase alone to his practice is going to cost an extra £50,000 a year to be able to meet. The BMA, the British Medical Association, have warned that this measure risks undermining the financial stability of general practices and the quality of patient care that they can provide. Do you agree with the BMA's assessment?

Diolch, Lywydd. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fod ymarfer cyffredinol dan bwysau aruthrol. Mae dros 100 o feddygfeydd yng Nghymru wedi cau ers 2012, gan ei gwneud hi'n anos i bobl gael mynediad at feddyg teulu yn eu hardal leol. Mae'n amlwg fod meddygfeydd dan fwy byth o bwysau diolch i'r cynnydd i gyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol gan y Llywodraeth Lafur, sydd, fel y byddech yn ei gydnabod rwy'n siŵr, yn godiad treth ar weithwyr a busnesau. Yn wir, esboniodd meddyg teulu yn y lle hwn neithiwr fod y cynnydd yswiriant gwladol ar ei ben ei hun yn mynd i gostio £50,000 yn ychwanegol y flwyddyn i'w bractis. Mae Cymdeithas Feddygol Prydain wedi rhybuddio bod y mesur hwn mewn perygl o danseilio sefydlogrwydd ariannol meddygfeydd ac ansawdd y gofal y gallant ei ddarparu i gleifion. A ydych chi'n cytuno ag asesiad y BMA?

The Member puts the point to me as though he has no responsibility for the situation that we are in. The UK Labour Government has had to make very, very, very difficult choices to clean up the mess his Government left—an appalling state in the public finances: £22 billion of mess that his Government left. So, the UK Labour Government has had to make difficult choices in order to do that. None of us want to see those choices being the kinds of things that have had to be taken, but I'm afraid that there is an absolute responsibility on that side of this Chamber for the circumstances that Sam Rowlands sets out.

Decisions on national insurance contributions are, of course, as he acknowledged, made by the UK Government. I'm absolutely aware of concerns raised, directly to me by the BMA and others, in relation to the impact of national insurance contributions, both on primary care providers—GPs and others—and social care providers. We are monitoring the situation in discussion with them to understand in full the implications, and, equally, having discussions with the Treasury through officials in my friend the Cabinet Secretary for finance's department.

The UK Government has confirmed that the definition it will use for the support it will provide relates to public service employees only. We are not currently in a position to understand the full effects of that decision on the sectors, but we are in ongoing discussions.

Mae'r Aelod yn rhoi'r pwynt i mi fel pe na bai ganddo gyfrifoldeb am y sefyllfa yr ydym ynddi. Mae Llywodraeth Lafur y DU wedi gorfod gwneud dewisiadau anodd tu hwnt i glirio'r llanast a adawodd ei Lywodraeth—cyflwr echrydus cyllid cyhoeddus: £22 biliwn o lanast a adawodd ei Lywodraeth ar eu holau. Felly, mae Llywodraeth Lafur y DU wedi gorfod gwneud dewisiadau anodd er mwyn gwneud hynny. Nid oes yr un ohonom eisiau gorfod gwneud y dewisiadau hynny, ond mae arnaf ofn fod y cyfrifoldeb yn llwyr ar yr ochr honno i'r Siambr am yr amgylchiadau y mae Sam Rowlands yn eu nodi.

Wrth gwrs, fel y cydnabu, caiff penderfyniadau ynghylch cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol eu gwneud gan Lywodraeth y DU. Rwy'n gwbl ymwybodol o bryderon a dynnwyd i fy sylw i yn uniongyrchol gan y BMA ac eraill, mewn perthynas ag effaith cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol, ar ddarparwyr gofal sylfaenol—meddygon teulu ac eraill—a darparwyr gofal cymdeithasol. Rydym yn monitro'r sefyllfa mewn trafodaeth â hwy i ddeall yn llawn beth yw'r goblygiadau, ac yn yr un modd, yn cael trafodaethau gyda'r Trysorlys drwy swyddogion yn adran fy nghyfaill, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros gyllid.

Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi cadarnhau bod y diffiniad y bydd yn ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer y cymorth y bydd yn ei ddarparu yn ymwneud â gweithwyr gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn unig. Nid ydym mewn sefyllfa ar hyn o bryd i ddeall effeithiau llawn y penderfyniad hwnnw ar y sectorau, ond rydym mewn trafodaethau parhaus.

Frankly, at this point, in response, Cabinet Secretary—25 years of Labour Government here in Wales, 25 years of responsibility for delivering health services, 25 years of ensuring that GP practices are able to function to the best of their ability—it seems that a lack of responsibility is being taken on your side of this Chamber here today. 

It's pretty clear that many practices will be unable to afford the national insurance increases that have been chosen to be put in place by the Labour Government in Westminster. And they have acknowledged that they're going to reduce their staffing and services as a result. So, we've had over 100 GP surgeries close in the last 12 years. Capacity and delivery of services is going to be more difficult because of the Labour Government's choices. And of course, at the moment, you’re trying to put in place a new contract with GPs through the general medical services contract. Now I understand, from speaking to GPs, that they believe that the offer that you're making to them at the moment is wholly inadequate and shows disregard for the long-standing issues and pressures they continually raise with myself and Members across the Chamber, and the ballot they have on the offer at the moment is likely to be rejected. So, what is your plan to address a rejection vote of the contract offer that you have in place for GPs at the moment?

A dweud y gwir, ar y pwynt hwn, mewn ymateb, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet—25 mlynedd o Lywodraeth Lafur yma yng Nghymru, 25 mlynedd o gyfrifoldeb am ddarparu gwasanaethau iechyd, 25 mlynedd o sicrhau bod practisau meddygon teulu'n gallu gweithredu hyd eithaf eu gallu—mae'n ymddangos bod yna fethiant i ysgwyddo cyfrifoldeb ar eich ochr chi i'r Siambr yma heddiw. 

Mae'n eithaf amlwg y bydd llawer o bractisau'n methu fforddio'r cynnydd mewn yswiriant gwladol y dewisodd y Llywodraeth Lafur yn San Steffan ei weithredu. Ac maent wedi cydnabod eu bod yn mynd i leihau eu staff a'u gwasanaethau o ganlyniad. Felly, rydym wedi cael dros 100 o feddygfeydd teulu yn cau dros y 12 mlynedd diwethaf. Mae capasiti a'r modd y darparir gwasanaethau yn mynd i fod yn anos oherwydd dewisiadau'r Llywodraeth Lafur. Ac wrth gwrs, ar hyn o bryd, rydych chi'n ceisio sefydlu contract newydd gyda meddygon teulu drwy'r contract gwasanaethau meddygol cyffredinol. Nawr, o siarad â meddygon teulu, rwy'n deall eu bod yn credu bod y cynnig a wnewch iddynt ar hyn o bryd yn gwbl annigonol ac yn dangos diffyg ystyriaeth i'r problemau a'r pwysau hirsefydlog y maent yn gyson yn eu dwyn i fy sylw i ac Aelodau ar draws y Siambr, ac mae'r bleidlais ar y cynnig ar hyn o bryd yn debygol o gael ei wrthod. Felly, beth yw eich cynllun i fynd i'r afael â phleidlais i wrthod y cynnig contract sydd gennych chi ar gyfer meddygon teulu ar hyn o bryd?

Well, I am disappointed that the general medical services contract negotiations this year have concluded without a resolution obviously, and equally disappointed that the General Practitioners Committee Wales have decided to ballot their members on the offer made. I want to see us in a position where hard-working staff in general practice are able to get their pay uplift as soon as possible, together with changes to the service that I think everyone recognises will have the effect of improving patient care, which is what we all want to see. 

The offer that we have made to BMA Cymru—and I've met with them myself, as I indicated to the Member a moment ago—meets the pay review body recommendation for GPs as well as practice staff and builds on investment over several years. It is absolutely critical that we have high-quality primary care services that people can access close to home. It's a priority for this Government. I absolutely value the work that GPs and their teams do in providing these essential services, and I expect that we'll have an opportunity to continue those discussions with GPs over the coming weeks.

Wel, yn amlwg, rwy'n siomedig fod negodiadau'r contract gwasanaethau meddygol cyffredinol eleni wedi dod i ben heb benderfyniad, a'r un mor siomedig fod Pwyllgor Meddygon Teulu Cymru wedi penderfynu rhoi pleidlais i'w haelodau ar y cynnig a wnaed. Rwyf am ein gweld mewn sefyllfa lle mae staff gweithgar mewn ymarfer cyffredinol yn gallu cael codiad cyflog cyn gynted â phosibl, ynghyd â newidiadau i'r gwasanaeth y credaf fod pawb yn cydnabod y byddant yn gwella gofal cleifion, sef yr hyn y mae pawb ohonom eisiau ei weld. 

Mae'r cynnig a wnaethom i BMA Cymru—ac rwyf wedi cyfarfod â hwy fy hun, fel y nodais wrth yr Aelod eiliad yn ôl—yn diwallu argymhelliad y corff adolygu cyflogau ar gyfer meddygon teulu yn ogystal â staff practis ac yn adeiladu ar fuddsoddiad dros sawl blwyddyn. Mae'n gwbl hanfodol fod gennym wasanaethau gofal sylfaenol o ansawdd uchel y gall pobl eu defnyddio'n agos at adref. Mae'n flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth hon. Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'n llwyr y gwaith y mae meddygon teulu a'u timau yn ei wneud yn darparu'r gwasanaethau hanfodol hyn, ac rwy'n disgwyl y cawn gyfle i barhau â'r trafodaethau gyda meddygon teulu dros yr wythnosau nesaf.

14:35

Of course, Cabinet Secretary, you acknowledged there the value that GP practices have in our communities in supporting people up and down Wales, but that value needs to be followed by an offer that is adequate to meet the demand at their doors. You've mentioned that the offer made at the moment is in line with what was expected in the past, but you know, clearly, that what's on the table is not adequate to meet the demands that they're facing. So, are you confirming today that you will return to the table with an adequate offer that acknowledges the calls made by the BMA's Save our Surgeries campaign and respects and truly values the contribution that GPs make in our communities and to the NHS here in Wales?

Wrth gwrs, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, roeddech chi'n cydnabod yno y gwerth sydd i bractisau meddygon teulu yn ein cymunedau yn cefnogi pobl ledled Cymru, ond mae angen dilyn y gwerth hwnnw gan gynnig sy'n ddigonol i ateb y galw wrth eu drysau. Rydych chi wedi sôn bod y cynnig a wnaed ar hyn o bryd yn cyd-fynd â'r hyn a ddisgwyliwyd yn y gorffennol, ond yn amlwg, rydych chi'n gwybod nad yw'r hyn sydd ar y bwrdd yn ddigon i fodloni'r gofynion a wynebant. Felly, a ydych chi'n cadarnhau heddiw y byddwch chi'n dychwelyd at y bwrdd gyda chynnig digonol sy'n cydnabod y galwadau a wnaed gan ymgyrch Achubwch ein Meddygfeydd y BMA ac sydd o ddifrif yn parchu ac yn gwerthfawrogi'r cyfraniad y mae meddygon teulu yn ei wneud yn ein cymunedau ac i'r GIG yma yng Nghymru?

Well, I'm sure both GPs and certainly I don't regard negotiating through the Member in the Chamber as the most effective way of addressing what are difficult circumstances; both parties would acknowledge that. All I will say is that we have had good and constructive discussions with general practitioners, in a challenging context. As I say, I'm disappointed that the step has been taken as it has, but I hope there'll be an opportunity to continue those discussions. And, as I say, I want to see staff in general practice get their pay uplift as soon as possible.

Wel, rwy'n siŵr nad yw meddygon teulu, ac yn sicr nid wyf i'n ystyried mai negodi trwy'r Aelod yn y Siambr yw'r ffordd fwyaf effeithiol o fynd i'r afael â'r hyn sy'n amgylchiadau anodd; byddai'r ddwy ochr yn cydnabod hynny. Y cyfan a ddywedaf yw ein bod wedi cael trafodaethau da ac adeiladol gydag ymarferwyr cyffredinol, mewn cyd-destun heriol. Fel y dywedaf, rwy'n siomedig fod y cam wedi'i gymryd fel y mae, ond gobeithio y bydd cyfle i barhau â'r trafodaethau hynny. Ac fel y dywedaf, rwyf am weld staff ymarfer cyffredinol yn cael codiad cyflog cyn gynted â phosibl.

Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Mabon ap Gwynfor.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Mabon ap Gwynfor.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Wel, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ces i'r fraint o fynychu uwch-gynhadledd canser y Sefydliad Canser Ewropeaidd yr wythnos diwethaf, ac roedd hi’n drawiadol pa mor ddatblygedig oedd nifer o’n cymdogion Ewropeaidd pan fo’n dod at ddiagnosis, triniaeth a byw’n dda gyda chanser. Mae datganiad ansawdd ar gyfer canser y Llywodraeth yma yn un uchelgeisiol, gan bwysleisio diagnosis cynnar, cyfeirio at driniaeth, a sicrhau bod cynllunio’r gweithlu yn alinio i alwadau'r dyfodol ac ymagwedd sy'n canolbwyntio ar y claf. Ond gyda bod ystadegau perfformiad diweddaraf yr NHS yn dangos nad ydy bron i hanner cleifion canser Cymru yn derbyn y driniaeth angenrheidiol o fewn yr amser dynodedig, a chyfraddau goroesi cyflyrau fel canser yr iau, pancreatig, y stumog ac eraill ymhlith y gwaethaf yn y byd datblygedig, pryd ydym ni am gyrraedd y pwynt ble mae’r rhethreg a’r disgwyliadau yn cyd-fynd â’r canlyniadau?

Thank you very much, Llywydd. Well, Cabinet Secretary, I had the privilege of attending the European Cancer Organisation’s cancer summit last week, and it was striking how advanced a number of our European neighbours are when it comes to diagnosis, treatment and living well with cancer. The quality statement for cancer from this Government is ambitious, emphasising early diagnosis, referral to treatment, and ensuring that workforce planning is aligned with future demands and a patient-centred approach. But as the NHS’s most recent performance statistics show that almost half of cancer patients in Wales do not receive the treatment that they require within the designated time frame, and with survival rates for conditions such as liver, pancreatic, stomach and other cancers among the worst in the developed world, when will we reach a point where the rhetoric and expectations correspond to results?

Wel, mae gwasanaethau canser wrth gwrs yn flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth. Roedden ni yn siomedig â'r ffigurau perfformiad, y rhai a gyhoeddwyd yr wythnos diwethaf. Fe welson ni ostyngiad o ychydig yn y perfformiad ar draws y system yn gyfangwbl. Mae'r darlun yn amrywio o le i le ac yn dibynnu ar y math o ganser. Roeddwn i'n gallu bod, er enghraifft, yr wythnos diwethaf mewn canolfan canser y fron a oedd wedi dwyn gwasanaethau at ei gilydd ac yn cyrraedd y nod o rhyw 79 y cant o bobl yn cael eu gweld o fewn y 62 diwrnod. Felly, mae enghreifftiau llwyddiannus yn y system hefyd, a beth dŷn ni eisiau ei weld, wrth gwrs, yw hynny yn ehangach ar draws y system. Fe fyddwn i yn dweud, yn amryw o'r mathau o ganser y gwnaeth yr Aelod sôn amdanyn nhw yn ei gwestiwn, fod datblygiadau technolegol cyffrous yn digwydd yn rhyngwladol, yn cynnwys yma yng Nghymru, yn cynnwys gydag AI hefyd, a dŷn ni'n edrych ar sut y gallwn ni ddefnyddio'r rheini i allu sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yn cael triniaeth bwysig cyn gynted ag sy'n bosib.

Well, cancer services are of course a priority of Government. We were disappointed with the performance figures published last week. We saw a small reduction in performance across the system as whole. The picture varies from place to place and depending on the type of cancer we're dealing with. Last week, for example, I was at a breast cancer centre, which had brought services together and was delivering the aim of around 79 per cent of people being seen within 62 days. So, there are some successful examples in the system too, and what we want to see, of course, is that being rolled out more broadly across the system. I would say that, for several of the cancers that the Member mentioned in his question, there are very exciting technological developments happening internationally, including here in Wales, including with the use of AI too, and we're looking at how we can use those developments to ensure that more people get that important treatment as soon as possible.

Diolch am yr ateb yna, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Mi oeddech chi'n sôn am y datblygiadau technolegol cyffrous yma. Wrth gwrs, un o’r nodweddion mwyaf trawiadol am yr uwch gynhadledd roeddwn i ynddi oedd pa mor bell y mae nifer o’r gwledydd yma o’n blaenau ni pan fo'n dod at ddatblygiadau technolegol, megis digideiddio gofal iechyd. Mae’r Ffindir, er enghraifft, wedi bod yn digideiddio data ar gleifion canser ers yr 1970au, ac roedd straeon tebyg am gamau breision yn cael eu gwneud yn Slofenia ac yn Estonia. Mae’r gwledydd yma yn rhannu un peth yn gyffredin, sef eu maint. Maen nhw’n wledydd bach, ac mi ydym ni'n clywed yn gyson am sut mae gan wledydd bach fantais pan fo'n dod at weithredu datrysiadau digidol yng ngofal iechyd. Ond mae’n ymddangos bod Cymru yn eithriad i’r rheol hon. Yma, mae gennym ni recordiau papur anghyson a hen dechnoleg analog, fel ffacs, yn cael eu defnyddio, ac mae’r gweithlu yn gyson yn cwyno nad ydy casglu data yn addas i bwrpas. Felly, ydy’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn medru ateb pam nad ydy Cymru wedi manteisio ar ei statws fel cenedl fach a datblygu arbenigedd ar ddigideiddio iechyd? Beth ydy’r clwydi sy’n atal hyn rhag digwydd, ac ydy’r Llywodraeth, felly, yn ystyried digideiddio yn flaenoriaeth?

Thank you for that response, Cabinet Secretary. You mentioned these exciting technological developments. Of course, one of the most striking aspects of the summit that I attended was how far ahead a number of these countries are when it comes to technological developments such as digitising healthcare. Finland, for example, has been digitising data on cancer patients since the 1970s, and there were similar accounts of major steps forward being taken in Slovenia and Estonia too. These countries have the same thing in common, namely their size. They are smaller nations, and we often hear how smaller nations have an advantage when it comes to implementing digital solutions in healthcare. However, it appears that Wales is an exception to this rule. Here, we have inconsistent paper records and dated analogue technology, such as faxes, being used, and the workforce regularly complains that data collection is not fit for purpose. So, can the Cabinet Secretary tell us why Wales has been unable to benefit from its status as a small nation and develop expertise in digitising healthcare? What are the barriers that are preventing this from happening, and does the Government, therefore, consider digitisation to be a priority?

14:40

Mae digideiddio yn rhan bwysig o sut rŷn ni’n gallu esblygu gwasanaethau iechyd i gymryd mantais o’r dechnoleg, ond hefyd i sicrhau gwasanaethau sydd yn effeithlon ac yn ddiogel. Felly, mae e’n flaenoriaeth i’r Llywodraeth. Mae gennym ni amryw o raglenni o fuddsoddiad mewn prosiectau digidol ym mhob rhan o’r gwasanaeth ac ym mhob rhan o Gymru, yn aml yn digwydd ar lefel genedlaethol, ac, o bryd i’w gilydd, yn digwydd ar lefel leol. Ac mae Sarah Murphy, fy nghyd-Weinidog i, yn gyfrifol am y maes polisi hwn.

Byddwn i hefyd yn cymryd—. Mae’r Aelod yn gwneud pwynt pwysig am gymryd mantais o faint system, a maint cenedl, i allu gwneud cynnydd yn y maes yma. Byddwn i’n argymell iddo fe edrych ar y gwaith mae canolfan genomig Cymru yn ei wneud yn y maes hwn, yn aml yn gweithio ym maes canser—maes canser yr ysgyfaint yn ddiweddar; gwaith blaengar iawn wedi bod yn digwydd fanna. Ac mae cytundeb wedi ei gytuno’n ddiweddar gyda Illumina, cwmni biotech rhyngwladol, er mwyn gwneud mwy o waith, sydd ar flaen y gad, os hoffwch chi, yn rhyngwladol, a dyna’r union sgwrs roedden ni’n gallu ei gael gyda nhw. Roedden nhw’n gweld manteision mawr i weithio gyda Chymru ym maes genomig, gan fod gyda ni un system a bod gyda ni boblogaeth cymharol fach.

Felly, mae manteision, a, lle mae gennym ni fantais naturiol, rŷn ni wedi bod yn llwyddiannus, er enghraifft, yn genomig, yn symud ac yn gwneud cynnydd sylweddol iawn. Mae mwy i'w wneud, ac mae’r cyfle yn sylweddol iawn. Ond mae’n deg i ddweud hefyd, rwy’n credu, fod pobl yn edrych i Gymru am ddatblygiadau cyffrous yn y maes hwnnw.

Digitisation is a very important part of how we can evolve health services in order to take advantage of the latest technology, but also to secure services that are efficient and safe. So, it’s a priority of Government. We have a number of investment programmes in place in digitisation projects in all parts of the service and in all parts of Wales, and they often happen at a national level, but occasionally happen at a local level too. And Sarah Murphy, my fellow Minister, is responsible for this policy area.

I would also—. The Member makes an important point on taking advantage of our size as a nation in order to make progress in this area. I would suggest that he looks at what the genomics centre for Wales does in this area, very often working in cancer—working in lung cancer recently; some very innovative work has been happening there. And there’s a recently signed agreement with Illumina, which is an international biotech company, in order to do more groundbreaking work internationally, and that’s exactly the conversation we could have with them. They saw great benefits in working with Wales in genomics, because we have one system and we have a relatively small population.

So, there are benefits, and, where we do have a natural advantage, we have been successful, for example, in genomics, in moving and making very significant progress. There’s more to be done, and there are very real opportunities. But I think it's also fair to say that people are looking to Wales for exciting developments in that area.

Well, reforming the digital and data infrastructure to improve outcomes for cancer patients is, of course, only a part of the solution. We need the workforce to match. The precariousness of the oncology workforce has long been a matter of concern in this respect. The shortfall in clinical oncologists is expected to rise to 28 per cent by 2028, with this shortage resulting in all observed cancer centres in Wales reporting treatment delays. And much like our GP services, or nursing, we’re overly dependent on locum recruitment of clinical oncologists. Indeed, the Royal College of Radiologists report shows that 19 per cent of Wales’s oncology staff are classified as locum staff, compared to 9 per cent in England, and 5 per cent in Scotland. Does the Welsh Government have a strategy for securing the future integrity of the clinical oncology workforce beyond simply hiring more locum staff, which, as the RCR report clearly states, is not cost-effective and compromises the long-term stability of the service?

Wel, rhan o'r ateb yn unig yw diwygio'r seilwaith digidol a data i wella canlyniadau i gleifion canser. Mae arnom angen gweithlu i fynd gyda hynny. Mae ansefydlogrwydd y gweithlu oncoleg wedi bod yn fater o bryder ers amser maith yn hyn o beth. Disgwylir i'r prinder oncolegwyr clinigol godi i 28 y cant erbyn 2028, ac mae'r prinder hwn wedi arwain yr holl ganolfannau canser a arsylwyd yng Nghymru i adrodd am oedi cyn rhoi triniaeth. Ac yn debyg iawn i'n gwasanaethau meddygon teulu, neu nyrsio, rydym yn dibynnu'n ormodol ar recriwtio oncolegwyr clinigol locwm. Yn wir, mae adroddiad Coleg Brenhinol y Radiolegwyr yn dangos bod 19 y cant o staff oncoleg Cymru wedi eu categoreiddio fel staff locwm, o gymharu â 9 y cant yn Lloegr, a 5 y cant yn yr Alban. A oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru strategaeth ar gyfer sicrhau cadernid y gweithlu oncoleg clinigol yn y dyfodol y tu hwnt i logi mwy o staff locwm yn unig, nad yw'n gosteffeithiol yn ôl yr hyn a ddywed adroddiad Coleg Brenhinol y Radiolegwyr yn glir, ac sy'n peryglu sefydlogrwydd hirdymor y gwasanaeth?

I think the Member is right to point out that there are challenges in recruitment, and that can affect certain disciplines within oncology. I think it’s a challenge that other parts of the UK also share. The Member shares statistics and numbers with us today that suggest this is a pattern not exclusive to Wales. That isn’t good enough as an answer, but it is part of the important context. I think that the ability to attract staff in this area will be enriched and supported by developments in digital, by developments in genomics, by developments in research and innovation, which we know, across a range of disciplines, are able to attract practitioners. That’s why, actually, developments, and pursuing those as well, in parallel with recruitment strategies aimed specifically at the workforce, are part of the overall picture.

Rwy'n credu bod yr Aelod yn iawn i dynnu sylw at y ffaith bod heriau o ran recriwtio, a gall hynny effeithio ar ddisgyblaethau penodol o fewn oncoleg. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn her y mae rhannau eraill o'r DU hefyd yn ei rhannu. Mae'r Aelod yn rhannu ystadegau a ffigurau gyda ni heddiw sy'n awgrymu bod hwn yn batrwm nad yw'n gyfyngedig i Gymru. Nid yw hynny'n ddigon da fel ateb, ond mae'n rhan o'r cyd-destun pwysig. Credaf y bydd y gallu i ddenu staff yn y maes hwn yn cael ei gyfoethogi a'i gefnogi gan ddatblygiadau yn y maes digidol, datblygiadau mewn genomeg, datblygiadau mewn ymchwil ac arloesi, y gwyddom y gallant ddenu ymarferwyr o ystod o ddisgyblaethau. Dyna pam y mae datblygiadau, a mynd ar drywydd y rheini hefyd, ochr yn ochr â strategaethau recriwtio sy'n targedu'r gweithlu yn benodol, yn rhan o'r darlun cyfan.

Mynediad i Wasanaethau Iechyd yn y Rhondda
Access to Health Services in the Rhondda

4. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwella hygyrchedd i wasanaethau iechyd ar draws gofal sylfaenol ac eilaidd i drigolion Rhondda? OQ61928

4. How is the Welsh Government improving accessibility to health services across primary and secondary care for Rhondda residents? OQ61928

'A Healthier Wales' sets out our vision for primary and secondary care services in Wales. We're working with NHS Wales to improve access to services in the Rhondda and the rest of Wales, in line with our plan.

Mae 'Cymru Iachach' yn nodi ein gweledigaeth ar gyfer gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol ac eilaidd yng Nghymru. Rydym yn gweithio gyda GIG Cymru i wella mynediad at wasanaethau yn y Rhondda a gweddill Cymru, yn unol â'n cynllun.

Thank you. The Welsh Government’s commitment to iechyd da, and the Cabinet Secretary’s actions to tackle waiting lists, are really encouraging for my constituents, who tell me that, in some areas, they are still facing the 8 a.m. scramble to get a GP appointment, and others have been waiting over a year for procedures like cataract surgery. I know that the recent funding announcements to tackle waiting lists, coupled with plans for the diagnostic and treatment hub near the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, will lead to better healthcare outcomes for my constituents. And I know the Cabinet Secretary has previously touched on this, but could he please provide an update on the progress of the diagnostic and treatment hub, explain how Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board will use its share of the £50 million allocated to reduce waiting times, and outline plans to achieve a pharmacy-first approach across Wales? 

Diolch. Mae ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i iechyd da, a chamau gweithredu Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i fynd i'r afael â rhestrau aros, yn galonogol iawn i fy etholwyr, sy'n dweud wrthyf eu bod, mewn rhai ardaloedd, yn dal i wynebu'r ymrafael 8 o'r gloch y bore i gael apwyntiad meddyg teulu, ac mae eraill wedi bod yn aros dros flwyddyn am driniaethau fel llawdriniaeth cataract. Gwn y bydd y cyhoeddiadau cyllid diweddar i fynd i'r afael â rhestrau aros, ynghyd â chynlluniau ar gyfer y ganolfan ddiagnostig a thriniaeth ger Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg, yn arwain at well canlyniadau gofal iechyd i fy etholwyr. Ac rwy'n gwybod bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi crybwyll hyn o'r blaen, ond a allai roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynnydd y ganolfan ddiagnostig a thriniaeth, egluro sut y bydd bwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg yn defnyddio ei gyfran o'r £50 miliwn a ddyrannwyd i leihau amseroedd aros, ac amlinellu cynlluniau i gyflawni dull fferyllfa yn gyntaf ledled Cymru? 

Certainly. The Member touches on the range of steps that we are taking as a Government to improve access to care and to speed up access to medical appointments and to treatments. Residents in her constituency, as in all parts of Wales, will benefit from that. She asks me specifically about the developments at the Llantrisant health park. There will be a meeting later on this week of all the partners to identify progress in relation in particular to the design plans for the project. But work needs to continue in relation to the operating model, which will need to be a regional model, as well as a workforce plan in order to support the development there. I think it’s an exciting development, and, as I mentioned in brief earlier, it will provide a diagnostic capability as well as elective surgery, often in areas where we have some of the most challenging waits at the moment.

So, I think it’s a step forward. It’s not a step forward in the immediate short term. So, the funding that we’ve provided over recent weeks—. Cwm Taf Morgannwg will, of course, be participating in that. And in addition to that, we’ve been able to provide support for the health board to deal with the consequences of the developments at the Princess of Wales Hospital, which is, actually, affecting the entire footprint of the health board, for reasons that I think will be obvious.

Yn sicr. Mae'r Aelod yn nodi'r ystod o gamau yr ydym yn eu cymryd fel Llywodraeth i wella mynediad at ofal ac i gyflymu mynediad at apwyntiadau meddygol a thriniaethau. Bydd trigolion ei hetholaeth, fel ym mhob rhan o Gymru, yn elwa o hynny. Mae hi'n gofyn yn benodol i mi am y datblygiadau ym mharc iechyd Llantrisant. Bydd cyfarfod yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon o'r holl bartneriaid i nodi cynnydd mewn perthynas â'r cynlluniau ar gyfer y prosiect yn fwyaf arbennig. Ond mae angen i'r gwaith barhau mewn perthynas â'r model gweithredu, y bydd angen iddo fod yn fodel rhanbarthol, yn ogystal â chynllun gweithlu er mwyn cefnogi'r datblygiad yno. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn ddatblygiad cyffrous, ac fel y soniais yn gryno yn gynharach, bydd yn darparu gallu diagnostig yn ogystal â llawdriniaeth ddewisol, yn aml mewn mannau lle mae gennym rai o'r amseroedd aros mwyaf heriol ar hyn o bryd.

Felly, rwy'n credu ei fod yn gam ymlaen. Nid yw'n gam ymlaen ar unwaith yn y tymor byr. Felly, yr arian a ddarparwyd gennym dros yr wythnosau diwethaf—. Bydd Cwm Taf Morgannwg yn cymryd rhan yn hynny. Ac yn ogystal, rydym wedi gallu darparu cymorth i'r bwrdd iechyd ar gyfer ymdrin â chanlyniadau'r datblygiadau yn Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru, sy'n effeithio ar ôl troed cyfan y bwrdd iechyd, am resymau a fydd yn amlwg, rwy'n credu.

14:45

Cabinet Secretary, according to StatsWales, as of September this year, there were 9,319 people waiting for audiology services in Wales, with 3,845—around 41 per cent—waiting over 14 weeks. Of this 9,319 figure, 1,027 are in Rhondda Cynon Taf. I’ve spoken numerous times in this Chamber asking whether the Welsh Government would consider utilising private, high-street audiologists to deliver audiology services in a more convenient and accessible setting, in the same way as it utilises GPs, dentists and pharmacists. Poor hearing is directly related to cognitive decline in older people, as well as speech and language issues in children, and longer waiting times for audiology services increases the likelihood of people accessing other healthcare services. Given that the Welsh Government has confirmed that an additional £50 million of funding will be made available to reduce the longest waiting times, can you please confirm if any of this funding will be used to pay for private commissioned, community-based audiology services to help reduce the backlog of appointments in NHS Wales? Thank you.

Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yn ôl StatsCymru, o fis Medi eleni, roedd 9,319 o bobl yn aros am wasanaethau awdioleg yng Nghymru, gyda 3,845—tua 41 y cant—yn aros dros 14 wythnos. O'r ffigur o 9,319, mae 1,027 yn Rhondda Cynon Taf. Rwyf wedi siarad sawl gwaith yn y Siambr hon i ofyn a fyddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn ystyried defnyddio awdiolegwyr preifat ar y stryd fawr i ddarparu gwasanaethau awdioleg mewn lleoliad mwy cyfleus a hygyrch, yn yr un modd ag y mae'n defnyddio meddygon teulu, deintyddion a fferyllwyr. Mae clyw gwael yn uniongyrchol gysylltiedig â dirywiad gwybyddol ymhlith pobl hŷn, yn ogystal â phroblemau lleferydd ac iaith mewn plant, ac mae amseroedd aros hwy am wasanaethau awdioleg yn cynyddu'r tebygolrwydd y bydd pobl angen gwasanaethau gofal iechyd eraill. O ystyried bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cadarnhau y bydd £50 miliwn ychwanegol o gyllid ar gael i leihau'r amseroedd aros hwyaf, a allwch chi gadarnhau pa un a fydd unrhyw ran o'r cyllid hwn yn cael ei ddefnyddio i dalu am wasanaethau awdioleg a gomisiynir yn breifat yn y gymuned i helpu i leihau'r ôl-groniad o apwyntiadau yn GIG Cymru? Diolch.

I thank the Member for that question. I was recently able myself to experience first-hand the audiology services available on the high street and understand just how important that can be. The funding that we have made available in recent weeks has been specifically in relation to plans by health boards to tackle the longest waits in their areas. I would need to write to the Member separately in relation to the specific allocation for audiology. I will say that, as you will have picked up from what I’ve said in the Chamber recently, as part of that broader mix of additional investment in the system, much of that will be around changed approaches within secondary care settings to deliver services in different ways—so, sometimes, high-volume clinics for low-complexity interventions. Sometimes it’s about insourcing activity into secondary settings. But there is also an element of commissioning from the private sector, which we’ve had to do from time to time. A commitment that I give and that we give as a Government is that that will never be at the expense of the long-term sustainability and improvement in the public health service in Wales.

Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Yn ddiweddar, cefais brofiad uniongyrchol o'r gwasanaethau awdioleg sydd ar gael ar y stryd fawr a deall pa mor bwysig y gall hynny fod. Mae'r cyllid a ddarparwyd gennym yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf wedi bod yn benodol mewn perthynas â chynlluniau gan fyrddau iechyd i fynd i'r afael â'r amseroedd aros hwyaf yn eu hardaloedd. Byddai angen imi ysgrifennu at yr Aelod ar wahân mewn perthynas â'r dyraniad penodol ar gyfer awdioleg. Fel y byddwch wedi'i nodi o'r hyn a ddywedais yn y Siambr yn ddiweddar, yn rhan o'r cymysgedd ehangach o fuddsoddiad ychwanegol yn y system, bydd llawer o hynny'n ymwneud â newid dulliau mewn lleoliadau gofal eilaidd i ddarparu gwasanaethau mewn gwahanol ffyrdd—felly, weithiau, clinigau ar gyfer niferoedd mwy o achosion ar gyfer ymyriadau heb fod yn gymhleth. Weithiau mae'n ymwneud â rhoi gweithgaredd ar gontract i leoliadau eilaidd. Ond mae yna elfen o gomisiynu gan y sector preifat hefyd, rhywbeth y bu'n rhaid inni ei wneud o bryd i'w gilydd. Ymrwymiad rwy'n ei wneud ac a wnawn fel Llywodraeth yw na fydd hynny byth ar draul cynaliadwyedd a gwelliant hirdymor y gwasanaeth iechyd cyhoeddus yng Nghymru.

Canolfan Iechyd a Lles Newydd yng Nghaergybi
A New Health and Well-being Centre in Holyhead

5. A wnaiff yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet roi diweddariad ar y cynlluniau i ddatblygu canolfan iechyd a lles integredig yng Nghaergybi? OQ61949

5. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on plans to develop an integrated health and well-being centre in Holyhead? OQ61949

Rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o gynigion ar gyfer canolfan iechyd a lles newydd yng Nghaergybi. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru nawr wedi cael cais am gyllid ar gyfer datblygu achos busnes.

I am highly aware of proposals for a new health and well-being centre in Holyhead. The Welsh Government has now received an application for funding for business case development.

Diolch yn fawr iawn am yr ymateb yna. Mi godais i'r achos yma rai wythnosau yn ôl, ychydig ddyddiau cyn i Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr ddod i benderfyniad ar yr achos amlinellol. Roeddwn i a llawer o drigolion Caergybi a’r ardal yn falch iawn fod y bwrdd iechyd bryd hynny wedi cytuno i gymeradwyo’r cam hwnnw, a bod hynny bellach wedi’i basio i’r Llywodraeth er ystyriaeth. Does dim angen i fi atgoffa’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet o ba mor bwysig ydy hi ein bod ni'n gallu bwrw ymlaen ar fyrder i sefydlogi a datblygu gofal iechyd sylfaenol yng Nghaergybi a’r ardal. Felly, gaf i ofyn, ynglŷn â’r amseru, ba bryd fydd Llywodraeth Cymru’n debyg o ddod i gasgliadau ynglŷn â'r cyfnod yma yn y datblygiad, ynglŷn â sicrhau'r arian? A pha fath o becyn ariannol fydd yn cael ei ystyried, fel ei fod o'n barod i fynd pan fydd, gobeithio, yr achos llawn yn cael ei gyflwyno a'r cais llawn hwnnw am arian yn dod ar ddesg y Gweinidog? 

Thank you very much for that response. I raised this issue some weeks ago, a few days before Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board came to a decision on the outline case. I and many residents in Holyhead and the area were very pleased that the health board at that point had agreed to approve that step, and that that has now been passed to Government for consideration. I don't need to remind the Cabinet Secretary of how important it is that we can proceed as a matter of urgency to stabilise and develop primary healthcare in Holyhead and the surrounding area. So, can I ask, on the timetable, when is the Welsh Government likely to come to conclusions on this stage of the development, as regards ensuring funding? And what kind of financial package will be considered, so that it's ready to go when, hopefully, the full case is presented and that full bid for funding arrives on the Minister's desk? 

14:50

Dwi ddim yn gallu rhoi amserlen benodol i'r Aelod, ond y math o beth sy'n cael ei ystyried ar y cam yma yw'r elfen weithredol, yr elfen o ran ariannu ac elfennau ymarferol eraill. Felly, mae'r gwaith hwnnw yn mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd.

O ran ffynonellau ariannu, mae amryw o ffynonellau sydd yn bosib ar gyfer hyn. Mae'r integration and rebalancing capital fund yn elfen bwysig o hyn, ond mae swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cael trafodaethau calonogol gyda Chyngor Sir Ynys Môn a'r bwrdd iechyd ynglŷn â'r datblygiad hwn a'r potensial o edrych ar gronfa Transforming Towns hefyd, oherwydd mae elfen o adnewyddu yn dod yn sgil y math yma o ddatblygiad. Felly, does dim cynnig wedi cael ei dderbyn i'r gronfa honno eto, ond mae mwy nag un ffordd y gellid cyfrannu tuag at hwn. Ond mae'r gwaith yn digwydd ar hyn o bryd o gloriannu'r cynnig yna ei hunan. 

I can't give a specific timetable to the Member, but what is being considered at this stage is to consider the operational aspect, the funding aspect and the other practicalities. So, that work is currently under way.

In terms of sources of funding, there is a variety of potential sources. The integration and rebalancing capital fund is an important element of this, but Welsh Government officials have had very encouraging discussions with Ynys Môn council and the health board regarding this development and the potential of looking at the Transforming Towns fund, because there is an element of regeneration that follows this kind of development. So, we haven't received a bid for that fund yet, but there is more than one way of contributing to this project. The work of evaluating the application itself is being done currently. 

Bwrdd Iechyd Addysgu Powys
Powys Teaching Health Board

6. A wnaiff yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet gadarnhau faint o'r £50 miliwn o gyllid i gefnogi byrddau iechyd, y cyfeiriwyd ato yn ei ddatganiad ar 17 Tachwedd 2024, y mae Bwrdd Iechyd Addysgu Powys wedi'i gael? OQ61927

6. Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm how much of the £50 million funding to support health boards that was referred to in his statement of 17 November 2024 has been received by Powys Teaching Local Health Board? OQ61927

Powys Teaching Local Health Board, as a provider, will receive their share of the additional £3 million to improve children's neurodiversity waits. The 164 Powys residents waiting over two years across Wales will benefit from the money given to the other health boards where they are currently waiting.

Bydd Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol Addysgu Powys, fel darparwr, yn derbyn eu cyfran o'r £3 miliwn ychwanegol i wella amseroedd aros niwroamrywiaeth i blant. Bydd 164 o drigolion Powys sy'n aros dros ddwy flynedd ar draws Cymru yn elwa o'r arian a roddir i'r byrddau iechyd eraill lle maent yn aros ar hyn o bryd.

Okay. Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. You haven't answered my question at all there, and I think you know you haven't answered it—I did ask you last week. You announced, 10 days ago, in a statement to Members and at your Labour Party conference, that there would be £50 million-worth of spending across the seven health boards and that funding would be provided to them immediately. That was the wording in your statement. So, I am asking specifically how much of that £50 million Powys Teaching Health Board will receive? I think you talked about the £3 million. That's not their share; they'll be receiving part of that £3 million. But I'm asking how much of that £50 million will be received by Powys Teaching Health Board. We know that the pressures on the health board are extreme. We know that there are waiting lists in some areas that are significant. We know that there's downgrading to Llanidloes hospital as a result of funding pressures to the health board, as well. And, of course, I know you'll agree with me that it is vital that there is cross-border co-operation between England and Wales, and, of course, the health board has to provide funding to health boards in England in order to reduce their own waiting lists. So, can I specifically ask, Minister, how much of that £50 million will be received by Powys Teaching Health Board?

O'r gorau. Diolch yn fawr, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Ni wnaethoch ateb fy nghwestiwn o gwbl, ac rwy'n meddwl eich bod chi'n gwybod na wnaethoch ei ateb—fe ofynnais i chi yr wythnos diwethaf. Fe gyhoeddoch chi, 10 diwrnod yn ôl, mewn datganiad i'r Aelodau ac yng nghynhadledd y Blaid Lafur, y byddai gwerth £50 miliwn o wariant ar draws y saith bwrdd iechyd ac y byddai cyllid yn cael ei ddarparu iddynt ar unwaith. Dyna oedd geiriad eich datganiad. Felly, rwy'n gofyn yn benodol faint o'r £50 miliwn hwnnw y bydd Bwrdd Iechyd Addysgu Powys yn ei gael? Rwy'n credu eich bod wedi siarad am y £3 miliwn. Nid dyna'u cyfran; byddant yn derbyn rhan o'r £3 miliwn hwnnw. Ond rwy'n gofyn faint o'r £50 miliwn y bydd Bwrdd Iechyd Addysgu Powys yn ei gael. Rydym yn gwybod bod y pwysau ar y bwrdd iechyd yn eithafol. Gwyddom fod rhestrau aros mewn rhai meysydd yn sylweddol. Gwyddom fod yna israddio i ysbyty Llanidloes o ganlyniad i bwysau ariannol ar y bwrdd iechyd. Ac wrth gwrs, rwy'n gwybod y byddwch chi'n cytuno â mi ei bod yn hanfodol fod cydweithrediad trawsffiniol rhwng Cymru a Lloegr, ac wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid i'r bwrdd iechyd ddarparu cyllid i fyrddau iechyd yn Lloegr er mwyn lleihau eu rhestrau aros eu hunain. Felly, a gaf i ofyn yn benodol, Weinidog, faint o'r £50 miliwn hwnnw y bydd Bwrdd Iechyd Addysgu Powys yn ei gael?

Well, I don't mean there to be any confusion, so let me try and spell it out. Of the £50 million, there is a £3 million fund, which is allocated between health boards in relation to children's neurodiversity waits. Powys will have a share of that, based on performance in relation to the numbers of people on the longest wait lists it has. The balance of the funding—[Interruption.]  I'm happy to answer the Member's question, if he's prepared to listen to it. The balance of the funding is issued to health boards as providers and recognising the longest waits within their footprint as providers. Powys doesn't have long waits for the services that they themselves provide. So, the allocation of the £50.4 million is aligned to the health boards who have the biggest backlogs of patients and the longest waits, and, of course, Powys residents are included within those figures.

Wel, nid yw'n fwriad gennyf beri dryswch, felly gadewch imi geisio ei egluro'n syml. O'r £50 miliwn, mae yna gronfa gwerth £3 miliwn, sy'n cael ei dyrannu rhwng byrddau iechyd mewn perthynas ag amseroedd aros niwroamrywiaeth i blant. Bydd Powys yn cael cyfran o hynny, yn seiliedig ar berfformiad mewn perthynas â nifer y bobl sydd ar y rhestrau aros hwyaf sydd ganddo. Mae gweddill y cyllid—[Torri ar draws.] Rwy'n hapus i ateb cwestiwn yr Aelod, os yw'n barod i wrando arno. Mae gweddill y cyllid yn cael ei roi i fyrddau iechyd fel darparwyr ac yn cydnabod yr amseroedd aros hwyaf o fewn eu hôl troed fel darparwyr. Nid oes gan Bowys amseroedd aros hir am y gwasanaethau y maent hwy eu hunain yn eu darparu. Felly, mae dyraniad y £50.4 miliwn yn cyd-fynd â'r byrddau iechyd sydd â'r ôl-groniadau mwyaf o gleifion a'r amseroedd aros hwyaf, ac wrth gwrs, mae trigolion Powys wedi'u cynnwys yn y ffigurau hynny.

Niwrowahaniaeth
Neurodivergence

7. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i wella ymwybyddiaeth a dealltwriaeth o niwrowahaniaeth o fewn byrddau iechyd? OQ61924

7. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve the awareness and understanding of neurodivergence within health boards? OQ61924

We are delivering change. Since 2022, we have invested an additional £12 million to deliver the neurodivergence improvement programme up to March 2025. And, this year, a further £3 million will also provide health boards with funding to reduce the longest assessment waiting times for children and young people.

Rydym yn cyflawni newid. Ers 2022, rydym wedi buddsoddi £12 miliwn ychwanegol i gyflawni'r rhaglen gwella niwrowahaniaeth hyd at fis Mawrth 2025. Ac eleni, bydd £3 miliwn arall hefyd yn darparu cyllid i fyrddau iechyd i leihau'r amseroedd aros hwyaf am asesiadau i blant a phobl ifanc.

14:55

Diolch, Cabinet Secretary. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of its staff, Hywel Dda University Health Board recently became the first health board in Wales to achieve 'autism understanding' status. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate them on that fantastic accomplishment. In order to achieve that status, 85 per cent of the health board staff have completed e-learning modules on neurodivergence and work to further raise awareness of neurodivergence is ongoing across the health board. The aim of the training is to help ensure that both neurodivergent staff and patients are better supported, either whilst working for the health board as an employee or accessing services as a patient. The accreditation is given by the national neurodivergence team, and that's a Welsh Government-funded body, committed to improving the lives of neurodivergent children, young people, adults and their families. Minister, are you able to give any update on how other health boards across Wales are progressing with achieving 'autism understanding'?

Diolch, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Diolch i waith caled ac ymroddiad ei staff, yn ddiweddar daeth Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda yn fwrdd iechyd cyntaf Cymru i ennill statws 'dealltwriaeth o awtistiaeth'. Hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i'w llongyfarch ar y cyflawniad gwych hwnnw. Er mwyn cyflawni'r statws hwnnw, cwblhaodd 85 y cant o staff y bwrdd iechyd fodiwlau e-ddysgu ar niwrowahaniaeth ac mae gwaith ar godi ymwybyddiaeth o niwrowahaniaeth ymhellach yn mynd rhagddo ar draws y bwrdd iechyd. Nod yr hyfforddiant yw helpu i sicrhau bod staff a chleifion niwrowahanol yn cael eu cefnogi'n well, naill ai wrth weithio i'r bwrdd iechyd fel gweithwyr neu wrth gael mynediad at wasanaethau fel cleifion. Mae'r achrediad yn cael ei roi gan y tîm niwrowahaniaeth cenedlaethol, ac mae hwnnw'n gorff a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru sydd wedi ymrwymo i wella bywydau plant, pobl ifanc ac oedolion niwrowahanol a'u teuluoedd. Weinidog, a allwch chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynglŷn â sut y mae byrddau iechyd eraill ledled Cymru yn bwrw ymlaen â sicrhau 'dealltwriaeth o awtistiaeth'?

Thank you so much to Joyce Watson for the question, because it also provides me with an opportunity to congratulate and thank Hywel Dda University Health Board for becoming the first health board in Wales to achieve 'autism understanding' status. I actually had the chance to meet Catherine Vaughan, the service delivery manager for neurodevelopmental services at Hywel Dda, and Liz Carroll, director of mental health and learning disabilities, when I visited the psychological well-being centre in Carmarthen last week. The whole team are absolutely fantastic and inspiring, so I am unsurprised that they are driving this really positive change. As Joyce Watson mentioned, the accreditation is awarded by the national neurodivergence team, a Welsh Government-funded body dedicated to improving the lives of neurodivergent children, young people and their families, and the team engages with stakeholders from all sectors across Wales to help develop policy, legislation, resources and information around neurodivergence. This includes autism, helping to increase awareness and understanding, and the removal of barriers that may stop neurodivergent people from achieving their potential. They also work closely with all health board workforce managers, and they've recently developed, as well, an ADHD and Tourette's syndrome module for the e-learning. They are available on all health board digital training platforms. And, as you've said, to achieve the 'autism understanding' status, 85 per cent of their 13,000 staff had to complete the e-learning module, and the award means that the organisation understands autism. I really hope that this, in turn, will enable neurodivergent staff and patients to be better supported in the working environment, and I wanted to give a quote here from Angela Lowe, who has recently started working at Hywel Dda Health Board. She said,

'Before, I'd be going home and I'd have to offload all the time. Lots of negative experiences which were looping in my mind and it was quite awful really. I’m coming home now really excited to be home and looking forward to seeing my family and just really happy.

'It’s been life changing for me, working here,'

So, thanks for bringing this excellent achievement to light, Joyce Watson. But also, Hywel Dda are the only health board that have made the 'autism understanding' training mandatory to date. And so, I think the proof is in the pudding, and I would hope that this will encourage other health boards to take this up. The resources are widely available, and I will provide a written response to Joyce Watson with an update on each health board and each module and where they are with their staff completing them. Diolch.

Diolch yn fawr i Joyce Watson am y cwestiwn, oherwydd mae hefyd yn rhoi cyfle i minnau hefyd longyfarch a diolch i Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda am fod yn fwrdd iechyd cyntaf Cymru i ennill statws 'dealltwriaeth o awtistiaeth'. Cefais gyfle i gyfarfod â Catherine Vaughan, rheolwr gwasanaethau niwroddatblygiadol yn Hywel Dda, a Liz Carroll, cyfarwyddwr iechyd meddwl ac anableddau dysgu, pan ymwelais â'r ganolfan lles seicolegol yng Nghaerfyrddin yr wythnos diwethaf. Mae'r tîm cyfan yn hollol wych ac ysbrydoledig, felly nid wyf yn synnu eu bod yn gyrru'r newid cadarnhaol hwn. Fel y soniodd Joyce Watson, caiff yr achrediad ei roi gan y tîm niwrowahaniaeth cenedlaethol, corff a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru sy'n ymroddedig i wella bywydau plant a phobl ifanc niwrowahanol a'u teuluoedd, ac mae'r tîm yn ymgysylltu â rhanddeiliaid o bob sector ledled Cymru i helpu i ddatblygu polisi, deddfwriaeth, adnoddau a gwybodaeth am niwrowahaniaeth. Mae hyn yn cynnwys awtistiaeth, helpu i gynyddu ymwybyddiaeth a dealltwriaeth, a chael gwared ar rwystrau a allai atal pobl niwrowahanol rhag cyflawni eu potensial. Maent hefyd yn gweithio'n agos gyda holl reolwyr gweithlu'r bwrdd iechyd, ac maent wedi datblygu modiwl ADHD a syndrom Tourette yn ddiweddar ar gyfer yr e-ddysgu. Maent ar gael ar holl lwyfannau hyfforddiant digidol y bwrdd iechyd. Ac fel y dywedoch chi, er mwyn cyflawni'r statws 'dealltwriaeth o awtistiaeth', roedd yn rhaid i 85 y cant o'u 13,000 o staff gwblhau'r modiwl e-ddysgu, ac mae'r dyfarniad yn golygu bod y sefydliad yn deall awtistiaeth. Rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr y bydd hyn, yn ei dro, yn galluogi staff a chleifion niwrowahanol i gael eu cefnogi'n well yn yr amgylchedd gwaith, ac roeddwn eisiau rhoi dyfyniad yma gan Angela Lowe, sydd wedi dechrau gweithio ym Mwrdd Iechyd Hywel Dda yn ddiweddar. Roedd hi'n dweud:

'O'r blaen, roeddwn i'n mynd adref a byddai'n rhaid imi fwrw bol drwy'r amser. Byddai llawer o brofiadau negyddol yn troi yn fy meddwl ac roedd yn eithaf ofnadwy mewn gwirionedd. Rwy'n dod adref nawr yn gyffrous iawn i fod adref ac yn edrych ymlaen at weld fy nheulu ac yn hapus iawn.

'Mae gweithio yma wedi newid fy mywyd.'

Felly, diolch am ddod â'r cyflawniad rhagorol hwn i'r amlwg, Joyce Watson. Ond hefyd, Hywel Dda yw'r unig fwrdd iechyd sydd wedi gwneud yr hyfforddiant 'dealltwriaeth o awtistiaeth' yn orfodol hyd yma. Ac felly, rwy'n credu mai wrth ei flas mae profi pwdin, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd hyn yn annog byrddau iechyd eraill i wneud hyn. Mae'r adnoddau ar gael yn eang, a byddaf yn darparu ymateb ysgrifenedig i Joyce Watson gyda'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am bob bwrdd iechyd a phob modiwl a lle maent arni gyda'u staff yn eu cwblhau. Diolch.

Iechyd Menywod
Women's Health

8. A wnaiff yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ddarparu diweddariad ynglŷn â datblygu'r cynllun iechyd menywod GIG Cymru arfaethedig? OQ61932

8. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the development of the proposed NHS Wales women's health plan? OQ61932

The women's health plan will be published in December. The women's health network has developed it through partnership working with all health boards, Public Health Wales, the NHS executive, academia and the Welsh Government, drawing on the voices of over 3,800 women captured as part of the discovery phase.

Bydd y cynllun iechyd menywod yn cael ei gyhoeddi ym mis Rhagfyr. Mae'r rhwydwaith iechyd menywod wedi ei ddatblygu drwy weithio mewn partneriaeth â'r holl fyrddau iechyd, Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru, gweithrediaeth y GIG, y byd academaidd a Llywodraeth Cymru, gan wrando ar leisiau dros 3,800 o fenywod yn rhan o'r cam darganfod.

Thank you very much for that, Minister. A few weeks ago, this Senedd supported a motion that I presented that aimed to strengthen women's voices in their healthcare. My motion called for action to address women's pain and how that is accepted as normal in healthcare, and for this upcoming women's health plan to be used as a means of changing that. The motion was passed unanimously. Could you assure me, please, that the upcoming women's health plan will indeed address that? I'd be really grateful to have a meeting with you, if we could discuss that further, please. I am particularly concerned at present about the lack of adequate aftercare that's given to women after they've given birth. There are, I understand, long waiting lists to see gynaecologists. Particularly, I'm concerned about traumatic birth aftercare. One woman contacted me who said that she had been told that she'd have to wait 15 months. Surely, we're letting women down here. So, could we have a meeting please to discuss that and some other aspects of that motion that was passed recently?

Diolch am hynny, Weinidog. Ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, cefnogodd y Senedd hon gynnig a gyflwynais gyda'r nod o gryfhau lleisiau menywod yn eu gofal iechyd. Galwai fy nghynnig am weithredu i fynd i'r afael â phoen menywod a sut y mae hynny'n cael ei dderbyn fel rhywbeth normal ym maes gofal iechyd, ac i'r cynllun iechyd menywod sydd ar y ffordd gael ei ddefnyddio fel modd o newid hynny. Cafodd y cynnig ei basio'n unfrydol. A allwch chi fy sicrhau, os gwelwch yn dda, y bydd y cynllun iechyd menywod sydd ar y ffordd yn mynd i'r afael â hynny mewn gwirionedd? Hoffwn yn fawr gael cyfarfod â chi inni gael trafod hynny ymhellach, os gwelwch yn dda. Rwy'n arbennig o bryderus ar hyn o bryd am y diffyg ôl-ofal digonol sy'n cael ei roi i fenywod ar ôl iddynt roi genedigaeth. Rwy'n deall bod rhestrau aros hir i weld gynaecolegwyr. Yn fwyaf arbennig, rwy'n poeni am ôl-ofal geni trawmatig. Cysylltodd un fenyw â mi a ddywedodd ei bod wedi cael gwybod y byddai'n rhaid iddi aros 15 mis. Rydym yn gwneud cam â menywod. Felly, a gawn ni gyfarfod os gwelwch yn dda i drafod hynny ac agweddau eraill ar y cynnig a basiwyd yn ddiweddar?

15:00

Absolutely. Thank you so much, Delyth Jewell, for that question and also for the debate that we had a few weeks ago. You actually—and I've kept it in my notes here—ended the debate by saying that

'if there's one thing where we can please bring about change, women's voices should be heard and women must be believed.'

So, that's running through absolutely everything that I'm doing. I also saw when you posted on Facebook, the amount of comments that you had underneath, which speaks volumes. Three thousand eight hundred women have contributed to just the discovery for this women's health plan. It says it all. We're crying out to have our voices heard. I would really welcome having a meeting together. That would be really, really helpful. And I do really want to reassure you that I am determined that the plan will advocate for women and girls in the NHS, and will empower women to be heard when accessing healthcare. The women's health network has an important role in also advocating for women, and this role will include working with the other clinical networks to ensure that women's needs are considered, their voices are heard and their experiences are recognised.

When it comes to what you're talking about, birth, I'm also doing lots of visits at the moment, and one of the things that really is coming through is birth trauma for women and also their partners and their families. I think that Mothers Matter, who are based in Tonypandy in the Rhondda, are absolutely fantastic, but hearing from them how many women are coming to see them is really heartbreaking, and having to wait 15 months is unacceptable.

I would like, though, to pay tribute. I meet with many of the maternity teams across Wales, and the bereavement midwives as well, and they do a tremendous job, but sometimes there are not enough of them, and you need that support and resilience within the team, because what they're offering and providing is quite taxing on them.

So, I wanted to say that I would welcome having a chat about this. And one of the things that is coming through really strongly for me is that women are often encouraged to do a birth plan and they're not encouraged as much to do a recovery plan, and that is something that I think we need to raise more attention for. You need time as well to recover, and you need to consider that. And the pressure, sometimes, that is there afterwards is absolutely enormous. So, anything that we can do together as well to push that forward I would really welcome. Diolch.

Yn sicr. Diolch yn fawr, Delyth Jewell, am y cwestiwn hwnnw ac am y ddadl a gawsom ychydig wythnosau yn ôl. A dweud y gwir—ac rwyf wedi ei nodi yn fy nodiadau yma—fe wnaethoch chi gloi'r ddadl drwy ddweud

'os oes un peth lle gallwn sicrhau newid, dylai lleisiau menywod gael eu clywed ac mae'n rhaid credu menywod.'

Felly, mae hynny'n treiddio drwy bopeth rwy'n ei wneud. Hefyd, pan wnaethoch bostio ar Facebook, gwelais faint o sylwadau a gawsoch, ac mae hynny'n siarad cyfrolau. Mae 3,800 o fenywod wedi cyfrannu at gam darganfod y cynllun iechyd menywod hwn yn unig. Mae hynny'n dweud y cyfan. Rydym yn brwydro i sicrhau bod ein lleisiau yn cael eu clywed. Fe hoffwn yn fawr gael cyfarfod. Byddai hynny'n ddefnyddiol iawn. Ac rwyf eisiau eich sicrhau fy mod yn benderfynol y bydd y cynllun yn dadlau dros fenywod a merched yn y GIG, ac y bydd yn grymuso menywod i gael eu clywed wrth iddynt gael ofal iechyd. Mae gan y rhwydwaith iechyd menywod rôl bwysig yn dadlau dros fenywod hefyd, a bydd y rôl hon yn cynnwys gweithio gyda'r rhwydweithiau clinigol eraill i sicrhau bod anghenion menywod yn cael eu hystyried, fod eu lleisiau'n cael eu clywed a bod eu profiadau'n cael eu cydnabod.

O ran yr hyn rydych chi'n sôn amdano, rhoi genedigaeth, rwyf innau hefyd yn gwneud llawer o ymweliadau ar hyn o bryd, ac un o'r pethau sy'n dod yn amlwg mewn gwirionedd yw trawma genedigaeth i fenywod, yn ogystal â'u partneriaid a'u teuluoedd. Rwy'n credu bod Mothers Matter, sydd wedi'u lleoli yn Nhonypandy yn y Rhondda, yn hollol wych, ond mae clywed ganddynt faint o fenywod sy'n dod i'w gweld yn dorcalonnus, ac mae gorfod aros 15 mis yn annerbyniol.

Fodd bynnag, hoffwn dalu teyrnged. Rwy'n cyfarfod â nifer o'r timau mamolaeth ledled Cymru, a'r bydwragedd profedigaeth hefyd, ac maent yn gwneud gwaith aruthrol, ond weithiau nid oes digon ohonynt, ac mae angen y gefnogaeth a'r cadernid hwnnw o fewn y tîm, oherwydd mae'r hyn y maent yn ei gynnig a'i ddarparu yn dipyn o dreth arnynt.

Felly, roeddwn eisiau dweud y buaswn yn croesawu cael sgwrs am hyn. Ac un o'r pethau sydd wedi dod yn amlwg iawn i mi yw bod menywod yn aml yn cael eu hannog i lunio cynllun geni ond nid ydynt yn cael eu hannog i lunio cynllun gwella i'r un graddau, a chredaf fod hynny'n rhywbeth y mae angen inni godi mwy o ymwybyddiaeth yn ei gylch. Mae angen amser arnoch i wella hefyd, ac mae angen i chi ystyried hynny. Ac mae'r pwysau ar ôl rhoi genedigaeth yn enfawr weithiau. Felly, rwy'n croesawu unrhyw beth y gallwn ei wneud gyda'n gilydd i ddatblygu hynny. Diolch.

Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 9, Hannah Blythyn.

And finally, question 9, Hannah Blythyn.

Gwasanaethau Meddyg Teulu yn Nelyn
GP Services in Delyn

9. A wnaiff yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am fynediad at wasanaethau meddyg teulu yn Nelyn? OQ61935

9. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on access to GP services in Delyn? OQ61935

Ensuring good access to GP services across Wales is a priority for this Government. We have worked with the GP profession to introduce legislative changes that support access improvements, and investment though the additional capacity fund has helped practices take on more staff to deliver better services to their patients.

Mae sicrhau mynediad da at wasanaethau meddygon teulu ledled Cymru yn flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth hon. Rydym wedi gweithio gyda'r proffesiwn meddygon teulu i gyflwyno newidiadau deddfwriaethol sy'n cefnogi gwelliannau mynediad, ac mae buddsoddiad drwy'r gronfa capasiti ychwanegol wedi helpu practisau i gyflogi mwy o staff i ddarparu gwell gwasanaethau i'w cleifion.

Diolch yn fawr am eich ymateb, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet. 

Thank you very much for your response, Cabinet Secretary. 

I very much recognise the work that you and Welsh Government have done on this, and of course the pressures on practices in communities right across the country. I've referenced it here before that, over the summer and into the winter now, I've done a survey across my constituency called, 'Our Home, Our Health', and that's asked a range of questions about access to services, but also people's suggestions as to how they think things could be improved or changed to better accommodate them.

As you probably won't be surprised to hear, access to GP services is something that came up quite a bit, not least because we know that that is most people's most common contact with the health service. But whilst there were some positives to report, there still seem to be quite a few surgeries where there is that 8 a.m. bottleneck, being held on the phone for a long time, to then finally get through to find that there is no appointment or no same-day appointments, or some people only being able to have access through e-services. So, it's clear that there still needs to be some work done to make sure that, once those policies are introduced, that they work well in practice.

Can I ask, perhaps, if you would consider, once that information from my survey is fully compiled, if I would be able to present that to you? And, as part of that, I'd really like to invite you to come and visit a service in my constituency, where we can talk to people on the ground there too. Diolch.

Rwy'n llwyr gydnabod y gwaith rydych chi a Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud ar hyn, ac wrth gwrs y pwysau ar bractisau mewn cymunedau ledled y wlad. Nodais yma yn y gorffennol fy mod wedi gwneud arolwg ar draws fy etholaeth dros yr haf ac i mewn i'r gaeaf nawr o'r enw, 'Ein Cartref, Ein Hiechyd', ac mae hwnnw wedi gofyn amryw o gwestiynau am fynediad at wasanaethau, ond hefyd am awgrymiadau gan bobl ynglŷn â sut y maent yn meddwl y gellid gwella neu newid pethau i ddarparu ar eu cyfer yn well.

Mae'n debyg na fyddwch yn synnu clywed, ond roedd mynediad at wasanaethau meddygon teulu yn fater a gafodd ei grybwyll gryn dipyn, yn anad dim oherwydd ein bod yn gwybod mai dyna yw cyswllt mwyaf cyffredin y rhan fwyaf o bobl â'r gwasanaeth iechyd. Ond er bod rhai pethau cadarnhaol i'w hadrodd, mae'n ymddangos bod yna gryn dipyn o feddygfeydd o hyd lle mae'r dagfa'n parhau i ddigwydd o gwmpas 8 y bore, lle rydych chi'n gorfod aros ar y ffôn am amser hir, ac ar ôl cael ateb o'r diwedd rydych chi'n cael gwybod nad oes apwyntiad ar gael, neu nad oes apwyntiad ar gael ar yr un diwrnod, ac na fydd rhai ond yn gallu cael mynediad drwy e-wasanaethau. Felly, mae'n amlwg fod angen gwneud rhywfaint o waith o hyd i sicrhau bod y polisïau hynny, pan gânt eu cyflwyno, yn gweithio'n dda yn ymarferol.

A gaf i ofyn, efallai, pan fydd y wybodaeth o fy arolwg wedi'i chrynhoi'n llawn, a fyddai'n bosibl i mi gyflwyno'r wybodaeth honno i chi? Ac yn rhan o hynny, hoffwn eich gwahodd i ddod i ymweld â gwasanaeth yn fy etholaeth i, lle gallwn siarad â phobl ar lawr gwlad yno hefyd. Diolch.

Well, I thank the Member for the work that she has been doing in her community in relation to this really important matter, and I'd be very, very happy both to visit a practice with her in her constituency and also, obviously, to receive the findings of the research that she has undertaken. I would say, and I should have said this to Buffy Williams earlier, that if you have particular surgeries where you are hearing that people are struggling with access, then please do let me know, because I'm keen to understand that, not least because in 2022 we revised the general medical services contract to include the access commitment, as the Member has acknowledged in her question, and that is designed to specifically address the 8 a.m. bottleneck, as she referred to it. We are told by practices on a self-referred basis that 97 per cent are meeting that requirement to provide a blended model of access with a mix of remote, face-to-face, urgent, on-the-day and pre-bookable appointments, to make access as flexible as possible. But she will know, as I know from my own constituency mailbag, that there are practices that aren't living up to that full expectation, and they should be. So, if she could let me know, I'd be very grateful.

In addition to that, we have sought to support practices to meet that aim. We've invested £12 million over that intervening period to help build GP practice capacity, with additional staff specifically to support that commitment, but I think it is fair to say that there's been quite substantial progress, but there is obviously more to do, and I would want to see all practices meeting that 100 per cent commitment.

Wel, diolch i'r Aelod am y gwaith y bu'n ei wneud yn ei chymuned mewn perthynas â'r mater pwysig hwn, a buaswn yn hapus iawn i ymweld â phractis yn ei hetholaeth gyda hi a hefyd, yn amlwg, i dderbyn canfyddiadau'r gwaith ymchwil y mae hi wedi'i wneud. Rwy'n dweud, a dylwn fod wedi dweud hyn wrth Buffy Williams yn gynharach, os oes gennych chi feddygfeydd penodol lle rydych chi'n clywed bod pobl yn cael trafferth gyda mynediad, rhowch wybod i mi, oherwydd rwy'n awyddus i ddeall, yn enwedig oherwydd ein bod wedi diwygio'r contract gwasanaethau meddygol cyffredinol yn 2022 i gynnwys yr ymrwymiad mynediad, fel y mae'r Aelod wedi cydnabod yn ei chwestiwn, ac mae hwnnw wedi'i lunio'n benodol i fynd i'r afael â'r dagfa 8 y bore y cyfeiriodd ati. Mae practisau'n dweud wrthym, ar sail hunanatgyfeiriad, fod 97 y cant yn bodloni'r gofyniad i ddarparu model mynediad cyfunol gyda chymysgedd o apwyntiadau o bell, wyneb yn wyneb, brys, ar yr un diwrnod neu y gellir eu harchebu ymlaen llaw, i sicrhau bod mynediad mor hyblyg â phosibl. Ond fe fydd yn gwybod, fel y gwn i o fy mag post etholaethol fy hun, fod yna bractisau nad ydynt yn bodloni'r disgwyliad llawn hwnnw, ac fe ddylent. Felly, os gall roi gwybod i mi, buaswn yn ddiolchgar iawn.

Yn ogystal â hynny, rydym wedi ceisio cefnogi practisau i gyflawni'r nod hwnnw. Rydym wedi buddsoddi £12 miliwn yn y cyfamser i helpu i adeiladu capasiti practisau, gyda staff ychwanegol yn benodol i gefnogi'r ymrwymiad hwnnw, ond rwy'n credu ei bod yn deg dweud bod cynnydd go sylweddol wedi bod, ond mae'n amlwg fod mwy i'w wneud, a hoffwn weld yr holl bractisau'n cyflawni'r ymrwymiad 100 y cant.

15:05
3. Cwestiynau Amserol
3. Topical Questions
4. Datganiadau 90 Eiliad
4. 90-second Statements

Eitem 4 yw'r datganiad 90 eiliad. Y datganiad y prynhawn yma gan Mabon ap Gwynfor.

Item 4 is the 90-second statement, and this afternoon's statement is from Mabon ap Gwynfor.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Yr wythnos diwethaf oedd Wythnos Ymwybyddiaeth o Ymwrthedd Gwrthficrobaidd y Byd. Mae Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd wedi disgrifio ymwrthedd gwrthficrobaidd fel un o'r bygythiadau mwyaf sy'n wynebu dynoliaeth yn yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Mae angen mynd i’r afael ag ymwrthedd gwrthficrobaidd am sawl rheswm. Yn gyntaf ac yn bennaf, mae gwrthfiotigau yn achub bywydau. Mewn byd ôl-wrthfiotig, gallai hyd yn oed mân heintiau fel heintiau croen ac wrin arwain at fynd i'r ysbyty neu hyd yn oed farwolaeth. Drwy frwydro yn erbyn ymwrthedd gwrthficrobaidd, byddwn yn sicrhau dyfodol hirdymor y triniaethau meddygol hanfodol hyn. Mae rheoli ymwrthedd gwrthficrobaidd hefyd yn hanfodol er mwyn cadw gweithdrefnau iechyd arferol fel llawdriniaethau, triniaethau canser a thrawsblaniadau organau, sydd i gyd yn dibynnu ar wrthfiotigau effeithiol er mwyn atal heintiau.

Rhaid cofio hefyd fod gwrthfiotigau yn hanfodol ar gyfer cynhyrchu bwyd ac amaethyddiaeth. Os daw'r gwrthfiotigau yna'n aneffeithiol, gallai hefyd fygwth y gadwyn cyflenwi bwyd byd-eang. Wrth gwrs, mae brwydro yn erbyn ymwrthedd gwrthficrobaidd yn gofyn am ymdrech fyd-eang, ond rwy’n gobeithio y gallwn ni fel Senedd gytuno ei bod yn bwysig bod Cymru’n chwarae ei rhan drwy gydweithio’n rhyngwladol i ddatblygu cyffuriau newydd a hyrwyddo defnydd cyfrifol o wrthfiotigau.

Ac yn olaf, o fewn Cymru, dwi'n annog y Llywodraeth a’r gwasanaeth iechyd i ganmol gwaith caled ac arweiniad y tua 30 o fferyllwyr gwrthficrobaidd arbenigol sy’n gweithio ledled y wlad. Maen nhw'n gweithio’n ddiflino er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth o’r bygythiad hwn a sicrhau ein bod yn gwneud y defnydd mwyaf effeithiol o wrthfiotigau, gan gadw eu heffeithiolrwydd ar gyfer cenedlaethau’r dyfodol.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. Last week was World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week. The World Health Organization has described antimicrobial resistance as one of the gravest threats facing humanity in the twenty-first century. We need to tackle antimicrobial resistance for several reasons. First and foremost, antibiotics save lives. In a post-antibiotic world, even minor infections such as skin and urinary tract infections could lead to admission to hospital or even death. By tackling antimicrobial resistance, we will ensure a long-term future for these vital medical treatments. Controlling antimicrobial resistance is also crucial to maintain routine medical procedures such as surgeries, cancer treatments and organ transplantation, which are all dependent on effective antibiotics to prevent infections.

We must also remember that antibiotics are vital for food production and agriculture. If these antibiotics become ineffective, it could threaten the global food supply chain. Of course, tackling antimicrobial resistance calls for a global effort, but I very much hope that we as a Senedd can agree that it is essential that Wales plays its part by collaborating internationally to develop new drugs and promote the responsible use of antibiotics.

And finally, within Wales, I encourage the Government and the health service to praise the hard work and leadership of the 30 or so specialist antimicrobial pharmacists who work across the nation. They work tirelessly to raise awareness of this threat and ensure that we make the most effective use of antibiotics, thereby ensuring their effectiveness for future generations.

5. Datganiad gan James Evans: Y diweddaraf am y Bil Safonau Gofal Iechyd Meddwl (Cymru) arfaethedig
5. Statement by James Evans: Update on the proposed Mental Health Standards of Care (Wales) Bill

Eitem 5 sydd nesaf. Datganiad gan James Evans yw hwn, ar y diweddaraf am y Bil Safonau Gofal Iechyd Meddwl (Cymru) arfaethedig. Ac felly, James Evans i gyflwyno'i ddatganiad.

Item 5 is next. It's a statement by James Evans, giving an update on the proposed Mental Health Standards of Care (Wales) Bill. I call on James Evans to make his statement.

Diolch, Llywydd, and it's important for me to give an update to the Senedd on my Mental Health Standards of Care (Wales) Bill and where we are to date. I want to do some scene setting. When I introduced this Bill, I introduced it because we have two primary pieces of legislation across the United Kingdom that guide us with regard to mental health care. They are the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010, which was put through this Senedd by Jonathan Morgan. Those two pieces of legislation, from all the conversations I had when I held the shadow mental health brief, they're outdated, they're not fit for purpose, and they don't represent twenty-first century Britain. Those pieces of legislation are letting numerous people down, not just here in Wales, but across the whole of the United Kingdom. So, what I set out to do was to improve that legislation.

At the time, the UK Government, which was of deep regret to me, decided to withdraw the Mental Health Bill that was in Westminster, which I thought was a mistake. So, I decided to introduce my own Bill here in the Senedd and I was very, very grateful, on introduction of that Bill, that I was able to get cross-party support for the Bill, especially from the Welsh Government, my own group and Plaid Cymru. And I'll be ever grateful actually to the previous First Minister—well, previous previous First Minister—Mark Drakeford, who supported this also.

As I've gone through the development of this Bill, it's become apparent that there are some extremely difficult challenges that need to be overcome, certain challenges that would take an awful lot longer than the process that I have available to me to introduce legislation that is fit for purpose, that can be rolled out on day one on introduction, and to make sure that it actually serves those people across Wales. A guiding principle for me, since I've come here, is that we shouldn't introduce legislation to this Senedd that is defective and that I don't think meets the needs of the people we serve. So, for that reason, Llywydd, I've decided to withdraw my Bill and I want to set out some reasons for doing that.

Diolch, Lywydd, ac mae'n bwysig i mi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Senedd ar fy Mil Safonau Gofal Iechyd Meddwl (Cymru) a'r sefyllfa hyd yma. Hoffwn roi rhywfaint o gefndir i chi. Pan gyflwynais y Bil hwn, fe wneuthum ei gyflwyno oherwydd bod gennym ddwy ddeddfwriaeth sylfaenol ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig sy'n ein harwain mewn perthynas â gofal iechyd meddwl, sef Deddf Iechyd Meddwl 1983 a Mesur Iechyd Meddwl (Cymru) 2010, a gafodd ei arwain drwy'r Senedd hon gan Jonathan Morgan. O'r holl sgyrsiau a gefais pan oedd gennyf y briff iechyd meddwl ar ran yr wrthblaid, roedd y ddwy ddeddfwriaeth wedi dyddio, nid ydynt yn addas i'r diben, ac nid ydynt yn cynrychioli Prydain yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Mae'r deddfwriaethau hynny'n siomi nifer o bobl, nid yn unig yma yng Nghymru, ond ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig gyfan. Felly, yr hyn y ceisiais ei wneud oedd gwella'r ddeddfwriaeth honno.

Ar y pryd, penderfynodd Llywodraeth y DU dynnu'r Mesur Iechyd Meddwl yn San Steffan yn ôl, penderfyniad a oedd yn destun gofid mawr i mi ac yn gamgymeriad yn fy marn i. Felly, penderfynais gyflwyno fy Mil fy hun yma yn y Senedd ac roeddwn yn ddiolchgar iawn, pan gyflwynwyd y Bil hwnnw, fy mod wedi gallu ennyn cefnogaeth drawsbleidiol i'r Bil, yn enwedig gan Lywodraeth Cymru, fy ngrŵp fy hun a Phlaid Cymru. A byddaf yn fythol ddiolchgar i'r Prif Weinidog blaenorol—wel, y Prif Weinidog cyn yr un blaenorol—Mark Drakeford, a gefnogodd hyn hefyd.

Wrth imi fynd drwy'r camau o ddatblygu'r Bil hwn, daeth yn amlwg fod rhai heriau anodd iawn y mae angen eu goresgyn, rhai heriau a fyddai'n cymryd llawer mwy o amser na'r broses sydd ar gael i mi i gyflwyno deddfwriaeth sy'n addas i'r diben, y gellir ei gweithredu ar y diwrnod cyntaf ar ôl ei chyflwyno, ac i sicrhau ei bod yn gwasanaethu'r bobl hynny ledled Cymru mewn gwirionedd. Egwyddor arweiniol i mi, ers imi ddod yma, yw na ddylem gyflwyno deddfwriaeth i'r Senedd hon os yw'n ddiffygiol ac os nad yw'n diwallu anghenion y bobl rydym yn eu gwasanaethu. Felly, am y rheswm hwnnw, Lywydd, rwyf wedi penderfynu tynnu fy Mil yn ôl ac rwyf am nodi rhai rhesymau dros wneud hynny.

One of the main reasons is that the new UK Government has decided to bring forward the Mental Health Bill in Westminster to update that legislation, which needs doing. I think it's important, for certain parts of this legislation, that we do work on that England-and-Wales, cross-border basis. One of the key parts of the Bill for me, also, was around nominated persons. We hear far too often that people who are subject to domestic abuse or any type of abuse are then having to go into mental health services, and then tend to have their abuser being the one advising on their mental health care. To me, that is abhorrent, it's not right, but the system is set up at the minute to fight against that. That's something I've wanted to change in Wales and the new Mental Health Bill in Westminster brings that forward. So, that was removed at that point as well.

I also wanted to do a piece of work around detention. It's very, very difficult, as I found out during the Bill's development, to set different criteria for detention across England and Wales, mainly because justice isn't devolved to Wales, so it's very difficult on the policing element and how that works in practice. So, that was also removed from the Bill on introduction.

One of the main parts that I wanted to change was to update—and it was a driving force as it went forward—around the reassessment of children. As the legislation is currently drafted in the Mental Health (Wales) Measure, young people cannot get their mental health reassessed. That doesn't conform with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and that was said by Barnardo's and other organisations that I met in my time, also, on the Children, Young People and Education Committee. That was raised as a problem, that young people are being denied opportunities that others have. So, that's something that I wanted to change with the Ministers who were part of the Bill, during its development.

What I've worked out and what I think needs to be changed and looked at is how the Senedd looks at backbench legislation. It's very controlled at the minute, it's a very short period of time, as other Members who've brought forward backbench legislation know. And to bring forward the piece of legislation that's needed to ensure that children are protected, to make sure that all the safeguards are in place, I think would take, on estimates I've done, over a two-year period. That's something that I physically don't have available to me. And as I said earlier, I don't want to bring forward anything that puts children at risk, or—as the Deputy First Minister knows, who is in the Chamber now, and we sat on the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee together—puts in place a broad regulation-making power for Government, for them basically to have a blank cheque to do what they want. I don't think that's the right way to do legislation. I'm sure the Deputy First Minister may have a different view now that he's in the Government, but I don't think that is the proper way to do legislation; I think it should all be formulated, done properly, so that it can be introduced.

So, that's why I am withdrawing this legislation, but this isn't the end. I'm very proud of the work that I and my team and everybody in this Chamber does to raise the issues of mental health and well-being. I think the new Bill in Westminster is a great opportunity for us to raise that further, to give people who are silenced a voice. But I do just want to mention also the Royal College of Psychiatrists who supported me through this piece of work, especially Oliver John and all the work that he's put into this. I know his time is very taken up now by events in Westminster, but I'd like to thank him for all the work he's done for me. I also thank my team in my office and the Senedd team as well, because we have a fantastic team who are based here in the Senedd, who support backbench Members with all the legislation they bring forward. But I would say, there are Members in the Chamber who are part of the Future Senedd Committee, and I really do think we need to look at the process of backbench legislation. And maybe something that the Government needs to consider as well is something that they do in Westminster, which is to put up a list of Bills that they would actually like to take forward, but don't have the time to do, but which they'd throw support behind. So, I think that's something that the Government could look at—how they support backbench legislation going forward.

I'd like to thank some people who are also in the Chamber. I know there are a couple of the Cabinet Secretaries now who aren't here, but Lynne Neagle was someone who was very keen. Lynne worked very closely with me on this Bill's introduction and I will say that if it wasn't for the close working relationship I had with the Cabinet Secretary for Education, I don't think this Bill would be in the position it was to get broad cross-Government support, and also her special adviser at the time was exceptionally good. And obviously, my Chair, when I was on CYPE, Jane Bryant, when she came into post, was very supportive of the Bill and wanted to drive this forward, and also Sarah Murphy now, as the Minister. We all recognise in this Chamber that stuff needs to be done. I call it stuff because there is an awful lot of stuff to do. You can't really put your finger on one thing that needs to be done to improve this area of work.

We have got some great advocates in this Chamber for mental health, and I just want to say that a few people touched me during this process: Jack Sargeant, my very good friend, who supported me through this; Buffy Williams; Members of my own group who supported me; and also Members in Plaid Cymru as well who supported this process. So, it is a bitter disappointment to me that I have to withdraw this. But I do think that, in the interests of the Senedd and the best law making, and in the best interests of the people whose lives this Bill was hoping to improve, I don't think that this is the right time to bring this Bill forward. So, Llywydd, I am officially withdrawing this Bill. Diolch. 

Un o'r prif resymau yw bod Llywodraeth newydd y DU wedi penderfynu cyflwyno'r Mesur Iechyd Meddwl yn San Steffan i ddiweddaru'r ddeddfwriaeth honno, rhywbeth y mae angen ei wneud. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig, mewn perthynas â rhai rhannau o'r ddeddfwriaeth hon, ein bod yn gweithio ar sail drawsffiniol yng Nghymru a Lloegr. I mi, roedd un o rannau allweddol y Bil yn ymwneud â phobl a enwebwyd. Rydym yn clywed yn llawer rhy aml fod pobl sy'n dioddef cam-drin domestig, neu unrhyw fath o gamdriniaeth, yn gorfod troi at wasanaethau iechyd meddwl, ac yn aml iawn eu camdriniwr yw'r un sy'n cynghori ar eu gofal iechyd meddwl. I mi, mae hynny'n wrthun, nid yw'n iawn, ond mae'r system wedi'i sefydlu ar hyn o bryd i frwydro yn erbyn hynny. Mae hynny'n rhywbeth yr wyf wedi bod eisiau ei newid yng Nghymru ac mae'r Mesur Iechyd Meddwl newydd yn San Steffan yn cyflwyno hynny. Felly, cafodd hwnnw ei ddileu ar y pwynt hwnnw hefyd.

Roeddwn eisiau gwneud gwaith ar gadwad hefyd. Fel y gwelais yn ystod datblygiad y Bil, mae'n anodd iawn gosod meini prawf gwahanol ar gyfer gosod dan gadwad ar draws Cymru a Lloegr, yn bennaf am nad yw cyfiawnder wedi'i ddatganoli i Gymru, felly mae'n anodd iawn mewn perthynas â'r elfen blismona a sut y mae hynny'n gweithio'n ymarferol. Felly, cafodd hwnnw ei dynnu o'r Bil hefyd wrth ei gyflwyno.

Un o'r prif bethau yr oeddwn eisiau ei newid oedd diweddaru—ac roedd yn sbardun wrth iddo fynd yn ei flaen—ailasesu plant. Fel y mae'r ddeddfwriaeth wedi'i drafftio ar hyn o bryd yn y Mesur Iechyd Meddwl (Cymru), ni ellir ailasesu iechyd meddwl pobl ifanc. Nid yw hynny'n cydymffurfio â Chonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau'r Plentyn a dywedwyd hynny wrthyf gan Barnardo's a sefydliadau eraill y cyfarfûm â hwy yn fy amser ar y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg. Cafodd y ffaith bod pobl ifanc yn cael eu hamddifadu o'r un cyfleoedd ag eraill ei godi fel problem. Felly, roedd hynny'n rhywbeth yr oeddwn eisiau ei newid gyda'r Gweinidogion a oedd yn rhan o'r Bil, yn ystod ei ddatblygiad.

Yr hyn a welais a'r hyn rwy'n credu sydd angen ei newid a'i ystyried yw sut y mae'r Senedd yn edrych ar ddeddfwriaeth meinciau cefn. Mae'n cael ei reoli'n llym ar hyn o bryd, mae'n gyfnod byr iawn, fel y gŵyr Aelodau eraill sydd wedi cyflwyno deddfwriaeth meinciau cefn. A byddai cyflwyno'r ddeddfwriaeth sydd ei hangen i sicrhau bod plant yn cael eu diogelu, i sicrhau bod yr holl fesurau diogelu ar waith yn cymryd dros ddwy flynedd yn ôl fy amcangyfrifon i. Nid yw'r amser hwnnw ar gael i mi. Ac fel y dywedais yn gynharach, nid wyf am gyflwyno unrhyw beth sy'n rhoi plant mewn perygl, neu—fel y gŵyr y Dirprwy Brif Weinidog, sydd yn y Siambr nawr, ac roeddem yn gyd-aelodau o'r Pwyllgor Deddfwriaeth, Cyfiawnder a'r Cyfansoddiad—sy'n rhoi pŵer eang ar waith i'r Llywodraeth allu gwneud rheoliadau, iddynt gael rhwydd hynt i wneud yr hyn y maent ei eisiau yn y bôn. Nid wyf yn credu mai dyna'r ffordd gywir o wneud deddfwriaeth. Efallai fod gan y Dirprwy Brif Weinidog safbwynt gwahanol nawr ei fod yn y Llywodraeth, ond nid wyf yn credu mai dyna'r ffordd briodol o wneud deddfwriaeth; rwy'n credu y dylid fformiwleiddio'r cyfan mewn ffordd briodol fel y gellir ei gyflwyno.

Felly, dyna pam rwy'n tynnu'r ddeddfwriaeth hon yn ôl, ond nid dyma'r diwedd. Rwy'n falch iawn o'r gwaith yr wyf fi a fy nhîm a phawb yn y Siambr hon yn ei wneud i godi materion iechyd meddwl a llesiant. Rwy'n credu bod y Bil newydd yn San Steffan yn gyfle gwych i ni godi'r materion hynny ymhellach, i roi llais i bobl sy'n cael eu tawelu. Ond hoffwn sôn hefyd am Goleg Brenhinol y Seiciatryddion a roddodd gefnogaeth i mi drwy'r gwaith hwn, yn enwedig Oliver John a'r holl waith y mae wedi'i wneud ar hyn. Rwy'n gwybod bod digwyddiadau yn San Steffan yn cymryd llawer o'i amser nawr, ond hoffwn ddiolch iddo am yr holl waith y mae wedi'i wneud i mi. Diolch hefyd i fy nhîm yn fy swyddfa a thîm y Senedd hefyd, oherwydd mae gennym dîm gwych wedi'i leoli yma yn y Senedd, sy'n cefnogi Aelodau meinciau cefn gyda'r holl ddeddfwriaeth y maent yn ei chyflwyno. Ond mae yna Aelodau yn y Siambr sy'n rhan o Bwyllgor Senedd y Dyfodol, ac rwy'n credu bod angen inni edrych ar broses deddfwriaeth meinciau cefn. Ac efallai fod angen i'r Llywodraeth ystyried rhywbeth y maent yn ei wneud yn San Steffan, sef llunio rhestr o Filiau yr hoffent eu cyflwyno mewn gwirionedd, ond nad oes ganddynt amser i'w wneud, ond y byddent yn eu cefnogi serch hynny. Felly, rwy'n credu bod hynny'n rhywbeth y gallai'r Llywodraeth edrych arno—sut y maent yn cefnogi deddfwriaeth meinciau cefn wrth symud ymlaen.

Hoffwn ddiolch i bobl eraill sydd yn y Siambr hefyd. Rwy'n gwybod bod yna gwpl o Ysgrifenyddion Cabinet nad ydynt yma nawr, ond roedd Lynne Neagle yn frwd iawn. Gweithiodd Lynne yn agos iawn gyda mi ar gyflwyno'r Bil hwn ac oni bai am y berthynas waith agos rhyngof i ac Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg, nid wyf yn credu y byddai'r Bil hwn wedi ennyn cefnogaeth eang ar draws y Llywodraeth, ac roedd ei chynghorydd arbennig ar y pryd yn eithriadol o dda hefyd. Ac yn amlwg, roedd fy Nghadeirydd, pan oeddwn ar y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg, Jane Bryant, pan ddaeth i'r swydd, yn gefnogol iawn i'r Bil ac eisiau bwrw ymlaen â hyn, a Sarah Murphy nawr, fel y Gweinidog. Mae pawb ohonom yn y Siambr yn cydnabod bod angen gwneud pethau. Rwy'n dweud 'pethau' oherwydd mae yna lawer iawn o bethau i'w gwneud. Ni allwch roi eich bys ar un peth y mae angen ei wneud i wella'r maes gwaith hwn.

Mae gennym hyrwyddwyr iechyd meddwl gwych yn y Siambr hon, ac rwyf eisiau dweud bod rhai pobl wedi creu argraff arnaf yn ystod y broses hon: Jack Sargeant, fy nghyfaill da, a wnaeth fy nghefnogi drwy hyn; Buffy Williams; Aelodau o fy ngrŵp fy hun a wnaeth fy nghefnogi; ynghyd ag Aelodau o Blaid Cymru hefyd a gefnogodd y broses hon. Felly, mae'r ffaith bod yn rhaid i mi ei dynnu'n ôl yn destun siom fawr i mi. Ond rwy'n credu, er budd y Senedd a'r deddfu gorau, ac er lles y bobl yr oedd y Bil hwn yn gobeithio gwella eu bywydau, nid wyf yn credu mai dyma'r amser iawn i gyflwyno'r Bil hwn. Felly, Lywydd, rwy'n tynnu'r Bil hwn yn ôl yn swyddogol. Diolch. 

15:15

Galwaf ar y Gweinidog Iechyd Meddwl a Llesiant i gyfrannu i'r datganiad yma—Sarah Murphy.

I call on the Minister for Mental Health and Well-being to contribute to this statement—Sarah Murphy.

Diolch, Llywydd. I'd like to put on record my very real genuine thanks to James Evans for his work on his mental health care standards Bill, and for the truly collaborative approach that he took to the development of his Bill. Like James, I am disappointed that it will not proceed. I recognise the time, effort and passion that he has invested in this work, and in his efforts to improve support for some of the most vulnerable people in Wales.

As James has already covered, the UK Government introduced its Mental Health Bill on 6 November, and the UK Bill aims to modernise mental health legislation in England and Wales, giving greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support. It also aims to improve care for people with a learning disability or autism.

I support these changes, several of which were included in the original scope of the Bill that James proposed. I met Baroness Merron before the UK Bill was introduced, and we have agreed to work closely to ensure that the legislation works for Wales. My officials meet with UK Government officials every week, and I will be receiving regular updates on progress.

James also proposed using his Bill to make changes to the mental health Measure in Wales, and these will be reflected in the findings of the duty to review. I very much supported this approach. I am pleased to make a commitment today to make these changes an action in our new mental health and well-being strategy, which will be published next year.

To end, Llywydd, I am disappointed that James Evans’s mental health care standards Bill will not proceed, but the changes that he was seeking to secure through his legislation, which were supported by the Welsh Government, will be achieved through the UK Mental Health Bill and through future planned work on the Measure in Wales. James, I would just like to say that you have so much respect from myself, from your colleagues, from my group, from the Senedd, in how you have gone about doing this. You have made a real, real difference. So, diolch yn fawr.       

Diolch, Lywydd. Hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch diffuant i James Evans am ei waith ar ei Fil safonau gofal iechyd meddwl, ac am y dull gwirioneddol gydweithredol a fabwysiadodd wrth ddatblygu ei Fil. Fel James, rwy'n siomedig na fydd yn parhau. Rwy'n cydnabod yr amser, yr ymdrech a'r angerdd y mae wedi'i fuddsoddi yn y gwaith, a'i ymdrechion i wella cefnogaeth i rai o'r bobl fwyaf agored i niwed yng Nghymru.

Fel y mae James eisoes wedi ei ddweud, cyflwynodd Llywodraeth y DU ei Bil Iechyd Meddwl ar 6 Tachwedd, a nod Bil y DU yw moderneiddio deddfwriaeth iechyd meddwl yng Nghymru a Lloegr, gan roi mwy o ddewis, ymreolaeth, hawliau estynedig a chefnogaeth. Ei nod hefyd yw gwella gofal i bobl ag anabledd dysgu neu awtistiaeth.

Rwy'n cefnogi'r newidiadau hyn, a chafodd nifer ohonynt eu cynnwys yng nghwmpas gwreiddiol y Bil a gynigiodd James. Cyfarfûm â'r Farwnes Merron cyn cyflwyno Bil y DU, ac rydym wedi cytuno i weithio'n agos i sicrhau bod y ddeddfwriaeth yn gweithio i Gymru. Mae fy swyddogion yn cyfarfod â swyddogion Llywodraeth y DU bob wythnos, a byddaf yn derbyn diweddariadau rheolaidd ar gynnydd.

Yn ogystal, fe wnaeth James gynnig defnyddio ei Fil i wneud newidiadau i'r Mesur iechyd meddwl yng Nghymru, a bydd y rhain yn cael eu hadlewyrchu yng nghanfyddiadau'r ddyletswydd i adolygu. Roeddwn yn cefnogi'r dull hwn yn fawr iawn. Rwy'n falch o wneud ymrwymiad heddiw i droi'r newidiadau hyn yn gamau gweithredu yn ein strategaeth iechyd meddwl a llesiant meddyliol newydd, a fydd yn cael ei chyhoeddi y flwyddyn nesaf. 

I gloi, Lywydd, rwy'n siomedig na fydd Bil safonau gofal iechyd meddwl James Evans yn parhau, ond bydd y newidiadau y ceisiai eu sicrhau drwy ei ddeddfwriaeth, a gefnogwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru, yn cael eu cyflawni drwy Fesur Iechyd Meddwl y DU a thrwy waith a gynlluniwyd ar y Mesur yng Nghymru yn y dyfodol. James, hoffwn ddweud cymaint yr wyf fi, eich cyd-Aelodau, o fy ngrŵp i, o'r Senedd, yn eich parchu am y ffordd yr aethoch chi ati i wneud hyn. Rydych chi wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol. Felly, diolch yn fawr.       

I'd like to thank the Minister for her very kind comments. I would also like to say that I know you're introducing a legislative consent motion to the Senedd on the Mental Health Bill, and I look forward to going over that as it comes forward. As I said, if there is anything in there, I will be supporting the Government over that, because I do think that we really do need to see updates to mental health legislation in Wales. I’m sure that my group will be horrified to hear that I have said that—but there we are—without going through the scrutiny part of it. [Laughter.]

But I would also just like to say that it’s very pleasing to hear the Government’s commitment around updating the mental health Measure on children. I know that there are an awful lot of people and organisations out there who will hear you say that, and I am very pleased that you have included that in the updated strategy coming forward. So, diolch yn fawr iawn, Minister. Thank you.

Hoffwn ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei sylwadau caredig iawn. Hoffwn ddweud hefyd fy mod yn gwybod eich bod yn cyflwyno cynnig cydsyniad deddfwriaethol i'r Senedd ar y Bil Iechyd Meddwl, ac edrychaf ymlaen at edrych ar hwnnw pan gaiff ei gyflwyno. Fel y dywedais, os oes unrhyw beth yno, byddaf yn cefnogi'r Llywodraeth gyda hynny, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod gwir angen inni weld diweddariadau i ddeddfwriaeth iechyd meddwl yng Nghymru. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd fy ngrŵp yn arswydo wrth fy nghlywed yn dweud hynny—ond dyna ni—heb fynd drwy'r gwaith craffu arno. [Chwerthin.]

Ond hoffwn ddweud hefyd ei bod yn braf iawn clywed ymrwymiad y Llywodraeth i ddiweddaru'r Mesur iechyd meddwl ar gyfer plant. Rwy'n gwybod bod llawer iawn o bobl a sefydliadau a fydd yn eich clywed yn dweud hynny, ac rwy'n falch iawn eich bod wedi cynnwys hynny yn y strategaeth ddiweddaraf. Felly, diolch yn fawr iawn, Weinidog.

It is with regret that we note the withdrawal of this Bill, especially for the reasons listed by the Member. While the substance of the Bill didn't, in our view, necessarily go far enough in some areas, it was, nevertheless, a significant step forward in addressing some of the serious deficiencies in the current legislative framework relating to mental health standards. 

But we are now faced with the familiar prospect of a devolved area of responsibility being effectively outsourced for Westminster to sort out. I mention this not to pass judgment on the Member himself. Indeed, I commend James for having brought this important Bill to the floor of the Senedd in the first place, and I know how passionately he has been advocating for improvements in mental health provision. James has been a constant champion for mental health since first entering this Chamber, and I have had discussions with him around this proposed Bill.

I mention this, rather, to highlight the broader issue of how this place too often falls short in living up to the promises of devolution to provide creative and radical solutions for the people of Wales. It shouldn’t be the height of our ambition here to simply wait for Westminster to lead, and I really do think that we collectively as a Senedd could have been far more proactive and ambitious in pushing the boundaries for mental health reform in lieu of years of inaction from successive UK Governments.

Turning to the proposed changes to the UK Mental Health Act, we all know where the faults lie, particularly in terms of access for young people, the disproportionate prevalence of detentions amongst ethnic minority communities, and the lack of agency afforded to patients on their treatment. So, I’d be grateful if the Cabinet Secretary could explain or provide an update to us in the Senedd on what conversations she’s been having with UK Government colleagues on the likely timescales for amending the Act—or the Minister, I should say, rather than Cabinet Secretary; I'm giving her a promotion there. Does the Minister also recognise the important role that third sector organisations have for the implementation side, and, as such, has the Minister been raising the widespread concerns from mental health charities as to the impact of the rise in NICs on their work in the course of these discussions?

Rydym yn gresynu at y ffaith bod y Bil hwn yn cael ei dynnu'n ôl, yn enwedig am y rhesymau a restrir gan yr Aelod. Er nad oedd sylwedd y Bil, yn ein barn ni, o reidrwydd yn mynd yn ddigon pell mewn rhai meysydd, roedd yn gam sylweddol ymlaen er hynny i fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r diffygion difrifol yn y fframwaith deddfwriaethol presennol sy'n ymwneud â safonau iechyd meddwl. 

Ond rydym bellach yn wynebu'r posibilrwydd cyfarwydd y bydd maes cyfrifoldeb datganoledig yn cael ei allanoli, i bob pwrpas, i San Steffan ei ddatrys. Nid wyf yn dweud hyn fel beirniadaeth o'r Aelod ei hun. Yn wir, rwy'n canmol James am gyflwyno'r Bil pwysig hwn ar lawr y Senedd yn y lle cyntaf, a gwn pa mor angerddol y mae wedi bod yn hyrwyddo gwelliannau yn y ddarpariaeth iechyd meddwl. Mae James wedi bod yn hyrwyddwr cyson dros iechyd meddwl ers iddo ddod i'r Siambr hon, ac rwyf wedi cael trafodaethau gydag ef ynghylch y Bil arfaethedig hwn.

Rwy'n sôn am hyn, yn hytrach, i dynnu sylw at y mater ehangach o ran sut y mae'r lle hwn, yn rhy aml, yn methu cyflawni addewidion datganoli i ddarparu atebion creadigol a radical i bobl Cymru. Ni ddylai fod yn uchelgais i ni yma i aros i San Steffan arwain ar faterion, ac rwy'n credu y gallem ni fel Senedd fod wedi bod yn llawer mwy rhagweithiol ac uchelgeisiol wrth wthio'r ffiniau mewn perthynas â diwygio iechyd meddwl, yn lle blynyddoedd o ddiffyg gweithredu gan Lywodraethau olynol y DU.

Gan droi at y newidiadau arfaethedig i Ddeddf Iechyd Meddwl y DU, mae pawb ohonom yn gwybod lle mae'r diffygion, yn enwedig o ran mynediad i bobl ifanc, y nifer anghymesur o bobl o gymunedau lleiafrifol ethnig sy'n cael eu gosod dan gadwad, a'r diffyg grym a roddir i gleifion mewn perthynas â'u triniaeth. Felly, hoffwn yn fawr pe gallai Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet egluro neu roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni yn y Senedd am ba sgyrsiau y mae hi wedi bod yn eu cael gyda chymheiriaid yn Llywodraeth y DU ar yr amserlenni tebygol ar gyfer diwygio'r Ddeddf—neu'r Gweinidog, dylwn ddweud, yn hytrach nag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet; rwy'n rhoi dyrchafiad iddi. A yw'r Gweinidog hefyd yn cydnabod y rôl bwysig sydd gan sefydliadau'r trydydd sector mewn perthynas â gweithredu, ac fel y cyfryw, a yw'r Gweinidog wedi codi'r pryderon eang gan elusennau iechyd meddwl ynghylch effaith y cynnydd i gyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol ar eu gwaith yn ystod y trafodaethau hyn?

15:20

Just to clarify, this is not for the Minister to respond. James, you're not the Minister, but you are the one who responds.

Er eglurder, nid lle'r Gweinidog yw ymateb. James, nid chi yw'r Gweinidog, ond chi yw'r un sy'n ymateb.

I'm not sure people in front of me would like me responding on behalf of the Welsh Government—well, you never know, things may change in the future. As you talk about, Mabon, what I was pleased about with this Bill is that we did have that coalition across the Senedd on how we can improve mental health legislation. Like you, I would love to see law made in Wales, debated in Wales and then stamped here in Wales, but, unfortunately, the process that I have got—. I would have continued with this process if I had more time. So, maybe something that Plaid Cymru can advocate for is changing the backbench process, to make sure that we do give Members more time to formulate Bills to make sure we get the proper consultation periods around it, because only that way can you create good law. Because not many of us come into the Senedd with fully fledged law written, done, and all the regulation-making done around it—it simply doesn't happen. And I know the Senedd here itself doesn't have the capacity to do an awful lot of that work. We do have to rely on a lot of external organisations. We're not the Government, we don't have all the civil servants and the expertise, but I do think it is something, going forward, that we really do need to look at—how we improve this process. And I'm sure the Minister will write to you in due course. [Laughter.]

Nid wyf yn siŵr a fyddai'r bobl o fy mlaen eisiau imi ymateb ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru—wel, pwy a ŵyr, efallai y bydd pethau'n newid yn y dyfodol. Fel rydych chi wedi'i ddweud, Mabon, yr hyn roeddwn i'n falch yn ei gylch gyda'r Bil hwn yw bod gennym ni gynghrair ar draws y Senedd ar sut y gallwn wella deddfwriaeth iechyd meddwl. Fel chi, buaswn wrth fy modd yn gweld cyfraith yn cael ei chreu yng Nghymru, yn cael ei thrafod yng Nghymru ac yna'n cael ei chymeradwyo yma yng Nghymru, ond yn anffodus, roedd y broses sydd gennyf—. Buaswn wedi parhau â'r broses pe bai gennyf fwy o amser. Felly, efallai y gallai Plaid Cymru ddadlau dros newid y broses meinciau cefn, er mwyn sicrhau ein bod yn rhoi mwy o amser i'r Aelodau lunio Biliau i wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn cael cyfnodau ymgynghori priodol ar eu cyfer, oherwydd dyna'r unig ffordd o greu cyfraith dda. Oherwydd nid oes llawer ohonom yn dod i'r Senedd gyda chyfraith wedi'i hysgrifennu'n llawn, yn barod, gyda'r holl reoliadau yn eu lle—nid yw hynny'n digwydd. Ac rwy'n gwybod nad oes gan y Senedd gapasiti i wneud llawer iawn o'r gwaith hwnnw. Mae'n rhaid inni ddibynnu ar lawer o sefydliadau allanol. Nid ni yw'r Llywodraeth, nid oes gennym yr holl weision sifil a'r arbenigedd, ond rwy'n credu ei fod yn rhywbeth, wrth symud ymlaen, y mae gwir angen inni edrych arno—sut i wella'r broses hon. Ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn ysgrifennu atoch maes o law. [Chwerthin.]

Thank you, James Evans, for your statement, which is proving to be very timely today, because the Business Committee, in its next meeting on Tuesday, will be commencing its review of the legislative processes we have at this Senedd, both in terms of Member Bills and public Bills generally. So, I'm sure that James Evans and others will have a great deal to contribute to that review.

Diolch i chi am eich datganiad, James Evans, sy'n amserol iawn heddiw, oherwydd bydd y Pwyllgor Busnes, yn eu cyfarfod nesaf ddydd Mawrth, yn dechrau eu hadolygiad o'r prosesau deddfwriaethol sydd gennym yn y Senedd, mewn perthynas â Biliau Aelodau a Biliau cyhoeddus yn gyffredinol. Felly, rwy'n siŵr y bydd gan James Evans ac eraill lawer iawn i'w gyfrannu at yr adolygiad hwnnw.

Diolch yn fawr, felly, am hynny.

Thank you very much for that.

6. Dadl ar Adroddiad Pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig, 'Banc Datblygu Cymru'
6. Debate on the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee Report, 'Development Bank of Wales'

Fe wnawn ni symud i'r eitem nesaf. Yr eitem nesaf yw eitem 6, y ddadl ar adroddiad Pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig ar Fanc Datblygu Cymru. Y Cadeirydd, Paul Davies, sy'n cyflwyno'r eitem yma. 

We will move to our next item, which is item 6, a debate on the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee report on the Development Bank of Wales. I call on the Chair, Paul Davies, to introduce the item.

Cynnig NDM8746 Paul Davies

Cynnig bod y Senedd:

Yn nodi droddiad Pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig ar Fanc Datblygu Cymru, a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 12 Gorffennaf 2024, ac y gosodwyd ymateb iddo gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar 20 Tachwedd 2024.

Motion NDM8746 Paul Davies

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the report of the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee on the Development Bank of Wales, which was laid in the Table Office on 12 July 2024, and on which the Welsh Government laid its response on 20 November 2024.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Diolch, Llywydd, and I move the motion tabled in my name. As I'm sure we all appreciate, the Development Bank of Wales plays an important role in the Welsh economy. It exists to support businesses who have good prospects but may struggle to access all the finance they need, and it exists to also help support some of the Welsh Government’s key economic aims. As we know, the bank is responsible for spending, lending and investing a considerable amount of public money. This means the bank’s performance really matters.

The committee normally holds an annual scrutiny session with the bank to examine its annual report, its progress and what it is delivering against the Welsh Government’s objectives. However, this year, as Members felt that the bank had reached an appropriate maturity, the committee decided to undertake a full inquiry into the Development Bank of Wales. This inquiry looked at the bank’s overall performance since its establishment in 2017, how it is meeting the objectives the Welsh Government has set it, and we looked at how it compares with international best practice, so we could see how the bank compares to its peers around the world.  

During this inquiry, we received a lot of positive evidence regarding the bank’s activities and its approach as a lender and as an investor. Cardiff Business School highlighted the bank’s important role in helping businesses recover from the pandemic, and the Federation of Small Businesses Wales said the bank was an effective, well-known and useful tool in the armoury of the Welsh Government, and one that has been quickly accepted as a good part of the business environment by smaller businesses.

We also heard about some issues and challenges faced by the bank, and, indeed, by the Welsh Government, due to some issues around the bank’s classification, which I will come on to later on. Nevertheless, we heard a lot of constructive suggestions for improvements, which is what we started this inquiry looking for. However, worryingly, we also heard some very negative evidence and criticism, particularly around the bank's equity investments. Much of this evidence was provided anonymously, which presented us with a level of difficulty in how we handled this information and how we could use the evidence to build our recommendations.

Diolch, Lywydd, ac rwy'n gwneud y cynnig a gyflwynwyd yn fy enw i. Rwy'n siŵr y byddem i gyd yn cytuno bod Banc Datblygu Cymru yn chwarae rhan bwysig yn economi Cymru. Mae'n bodoli i gefnogi busnesau sydd â rhagolygon da ond sy'n cael trafferth cael gafael ar yr holl gyllid sydd ei angen arnynt, ac mae'n bodoli hefyd i helpu i gefnogi rhai o nodau economaidd allweddol Llywodraeth Cymru. Fel y gwyddom, mae'r banc yn gyfrifol am wario, benthyca a buddsoddi swm sylweddol o arian cyhoeddus. Mae hyn yn golygu bod perfformiad y banc yn wirioneddol bwysig.

Fel arfer, mae'r pwyllgor yn cynnal sesiwn graffu flynyddol gyda'r banc i archwilio ei adroddiad blynyddol, ei gynnydd a'r hyn y mae'n ei gyflawni yn erbyn amcanion Llywodraeth Cymru. Fodd bynnag, eleni, oherwydd bod Aelodau'n teimlo bod y banc wedi cyrraedd aeddfedrwydd priodol, penderfynodd y pwyllgor gynnal ymchwiliad llawn i Fanc Datblygu Cymru. Edrychodd yr ymchwiliad ar berfformiad cyffredinol y banc ers iddo gael ei sefydlu yn 2017, sut y mae'n cyflawni'r amcanion y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u gosod ar ei gyfer, ac fe wnaethom edrych ar sut y mae'n cymharu ag arferion gorau rhyngwladol, fel y gallem weld sut y mae'r banc yn cymharu â rhai tebyg iddo ledled y byd.  

Yn ystod yr ymchwiliad hwn, cawsom lawer o dystiolaeth gadarnhaol ynghylch gweithgareddau'r banc a'i ddull o weithredu fel benthyciwr ac fel buddsoddwr. Nododd Ysgol Fusnes Caerdydd rôl bwysig y banc yn helpu busnesau i adfer yn dilyn y pandemig, a dywedodd Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach Cymru fod y banc yn offeryn effeithiol, adnabyddus a defnyddiol yn arfogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru, ac yn un sydd wedi cael ei dderbyn yn gyflym gan fusnesau llai fel rhan dda o'r amgylchedd busnes.

Clywsom hefyd am rai problemau a heriau sy'n wynebu'r banc, ac yn wir, gan Lywodraeth Cymru, oherwydd rhai problemau'n ymwneud â dosbarthiad y banc, a dof yn ôl at hynny yn nes ymlaen. Serch hynny, clywsom lawer o awgrymiadau adeiladol ar gyfer gwelliannau, sef y rheswm pam y gwnaethom ddechrau'r ymchwiliad yn edrych amdanynt. Fodd bynnag, yn bryderus, clywsom hefyd dystiolaeth a beirniadaeth negyddol iawn, yn enwedig ynghylch buddsoddiadau ecwiti'r banc. Darparwyd llawer o'r dystiolaeth hon yn ddienw, a oedd yn peri lefel o anhawster i ni o ran sut roeddem yn ymdrin â'r wybodaeth hon a sut y gallem ddefnyddio'r dystiolaeth i adeiladu ein hargymhellion.

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

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

15:25

I will focus the majority of this opening address on the areas where we believe there are important actions that need to be taken to improve the bank's performance. However, Dirprwy Lywydd, I would not like you or the other Members here to assume this means the bank is in terrible shape, or I believe it is not doing good work. Neither of these are the case. In their strategic asset document, the bank said they would be a

‘cornerstone for delivering Welsh Government priorities, driving up long-term growth and creating and safeguarding higher quality jobs.’

And many people we spoke to were of the view they were achieving that aim. The CEO of Laser Wire Solutions told us the bank was on a bigger mission than other lenders and that they were looking to develop the Welsh economy. And the CEO of Nutrivent told us the bank had

‘undoubtedly been a catalyst for economic development and growth.’

So we received some very positive comments during our inquiry. That said, as you would expect from undertaking an inquiry, I will now focus on areas we believe as a committee the Welsh Government and/or the development bank need to work on to ensure the bank can achieve its overall aims.

The committee's report makes 13 recommendations covering, amongst other issues, the bank's remit, its operations, its relationship with the Welsh Government and how it handles complaints and due diligence. Of course, the bank is charged with its responsibilities by the Welsh Government. The main route for this is via a term of government remit letter. Whilst the Welsh Government does seem to have strong strategic links with the bank, including civil servants sitting as observers on its board, it is important the bank keeps up with the Government's economic ambition.

However, as economic priorities can change, the committee recommended in recommendation 2 of its report that the Welsh Government should set out the mechanism for reflecting changes to its economic priorities over the course of a Senedd term, and we hoped the response to this specific recommendation would have led to more regular remit letters. Nevertheless, the Welsh Government responded to this with the dreaded ‘accept in principle’ and said they would take this recommendation forward via an update to the development bank's framework document. However, I hope the Cabinet Secretary will reflect on this matter and ensure that regular remit letters are now issued to the bank in future.

I mentioned earlier we received some extremely worrying evidence regarding the bank's equity investment work, and I will come on to that now. Professor Dylan Jones-Evans told us—and I am reading this out verbatim as it contains some very serious allegations—

‘Unfortunately, I have been approached by a range of businesses prior to this review who feel that they have not been treated fairly with valuations being too low, where decisions have taken far too long, and where terms are unacceptable with a “take it or leave it” attitude. Worst still, there have been instances where some have been bullied by the directors imposed on them, where they have been forced out by dubious means and where founders feel they have not been supported by the Bank.’

He went on to tell us that this has happened to several young, inexperienced founders who should have been given far greater support at the time by the development bank as their business's main funder. I am sure everyone in this Chamber will be concerned by the Professor's allegations and agree young entrepreneurs are exactly the sort of people we want to encourage to do business here in Wales. And if these reports are accurate, those actions may well have extinguished that entrepreneurial spirit, which would be an absolute tragedy, and exactly the opposite of what the bank was established to do.

Following our session with Professor Jones-Evans, we received a number of e-mails from people who had had dealings with the bank and felt they had been bullied out or in fact had their businesses essentially stolen. Unfortunately, much of this testimony was supplied anonymously, which limited our ability as a committee to scrutinise it. As you would expect, I arranged these complaints via a letter with the then Cabinet Secretary, Jeremy Miles. However, Dirprwy Lywydd, as these allegations are so strong, perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can confirm she has seen this document, and as a committee we would be very interested in her views.

I just want to be clear: I have discussed these accusations with the bank via correspondence and in a private meeting, and they absolutely refute them. The bank told us that investor directors were common in venture capital and they would always work in the interests of the company itself as a matter of company law. The bank also explained they have a comprehensive complaints procedure and seek to deal with all complaints openly and fairly, and that they have opened up a new route so complaints can be made directly to the bank's general counsel if the complainant wishes the matter to be kept confidential.

We made two recommendations as a result of this evidence: recommendation 10, which called for the bank’s complaints process to be included in a full review undertaken of the bank by Welsh Government, and recommendation 11, which said the bank and the Welsh Government should give consideration as to how they can collect views from businesses confidentially. I am pleased to say that the Welsh Government accepted recommendation 10 in principle and fully accepted recommendation 11.

For recommendation 10, the Government said that the bank's complaints procedure would be included in an independently led project assessment review on aspects of delivery and assurance provided by the bank, due to be held in 2025. Perhaps in her response, the Cabinet Secretary can tell us exactly when in 2025 this review is expected to begin and if there is an anticipated time frame for it to report.

In response to recommendation 11, the Welsh Government said that the bank would give further consideration as to how it may use other methods to encourage and gather feedback in a confidential way. I would also be keen to hear if the Cabinet Secretary is content with progress on this matter.

Another aspect of the bank’s operations that gave rise to some concern was its due diligence processes. Whilst the bank seemed to have a good hold on assessing the ability of those receiving loans to repay, given that the bank lends public money, we felt that there needed to be a higher bar around assessing the appropriateness of an applicant to receive this funding in the first place, for example did they have any history of criminal activity?

Recommendation 8 in our report suggested that the Welsh Government task the bank with reviewing its due diligence processes—a recommendation I'm pleased to say that the Welsh Government accepted. Last week we held our annual scrutiny session with the bank and I am also pleased to say that they discussed their new enhanced due diligence processes, and we were generally satisfied with progress on this issue. We will of course monitor, and continue to monitor, the bank's enhanced due diligence processes and their effectiveness going forward.

Before I bring my remarks to a close, Dirprwy Lywydd, I would like to focus on a slightly technical point that really needs addressing if the development bank is to carry on fulfilling its role. In August 2021 the Office for National Statistics reclassified the bank, with the exception of its FW Capital arm, as central Government. This is a technical change, but the reclassification creates an issue that the then Cabinet Secretary described as 'double counting', where the Welsh Government have to keep money in reserve to cover any money it has given to the bank to invest, but that hasn’t been invested yet. As a committee, we are concerned that this double counting will limit the amount of money that can be given to the bank for investments. The then Cabinet Secretary agreed that this was an issue and told us, and I quote:

'We are trying to find a solution to that with the Treasury at the moment. We haven’t yet found a solution. It is important that we do, because it creates a double exposure in our accounts.'

He also said that the Welsh Government were seeking funds from the Treasury to cover this double exposure. Our recommendation 6 encourages the Welsh Government to conclude negotiations with the Treasury around the reclassification as promptly as possible.

We're also of the view that any agreement should protect the bank’s role and not have a detrimental impact on the Welsh Government’s budgetary position in the future. The Welsh Government accepted this in principle and said that they would continue to work with the Treasury, with the goal of concluding an outcome to the reclassification of the development bank that is budget neutral on the bank and on the Welsh Government. Again, perhaps, in her response to this debate, the Cabinet Secretary can update us on the progress of these negotiations.

Dirprwy Lywydd, before I end, I'd like to thank everyone who engaged with the committee on this important inquiry and the clerking, research and legal team who supported us through this important work. I'd also like to specifically thank the development bank and their staff for their engagement. I know it will not have been a comfortable process to be subject to this inquiry, but I'm pleased that the bank engaged with it and continues to engage with the committee. Broadly, the majority of the evidence that we received was supportive of the bank and its operations, which is something the bank’s staff should be proud of. I look forward to hearing views from the other Members this afternoon. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Byddaf yn canolbwyntio'r rhan fwyaf o'r anerchiad agoriadol hwn ar y meysydd lle credwn fod camau pwysig y mae angen eu cymryd i wella perfformiad y banc. Fodd bynnag, Ddirprwy Lywydd, ni hoffwn i chi na'r Aelodau eraill yma gymryd yn ganiataol bod hyn yn golygu bod y banc mewn cyflwr ofnadwy, ac ni hoffwn i chi feddwl fy mod yn credu nad yw'n gwneud gwaith da. Nid yw'r un o'r pethau hyn yn wir. Yn eu dogfen ased strategol, dywedodd y banc y byddent yn

'gonglfaen ar gyfer cyflawni blaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru, gyrru cynnydd twf hirdymor, a chreu a diogelu swyddi o ansawdd uwch.'

Ac roedd llawer o bobl y gwnaethom ni siarad â hwy o'r farn eu bod yn cyflawni'r nod hwnnw. Dywedodd prif swyddog gweithredol Laser Wire Solutions wrthym fod y banc ar genhadaeth fwy na benthycwyr eraill ac mai eu nod oedd datblygu economi Cymru. A dywedodd prif swyddog gweithredol Nutrivent wrthym fod y banc

'heb os, wedi bod yn gatalydd ar gyfer twf a datblygiad economaidd.'

Felly, cawsom sylwadau cadarnhaol iawn yn ystod ein hymchwiliad. Wedi dweud hynny, fel y byddech chi'n disgwyl o gynnal ymchwiliad, rwyf am ganolbwyntio ar feysydd y credwn fel pwyllgor y mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru a/neu'r banc datblygu weithio arnynt i sicrhau y gall y banc gyflawni ei nodau cyffredinol.

Mae adroddiad y pwyllgor yn gwneud 13 o argymhellion sy'n cwmpasu, ymhlith materion eraill, cylch gwaith y banc, ei weithrediadau, ei berthynas â Llywodraeth Cymru a sut y mae'n ymdrin â chwynion a diwydrwydd dyladwy. Wrth gwrs, Llywodraeth Cymru sy'n ymddiried cyfrifoldebau i'r banc. Y prif lwybr ar gyfer gwneud hyn yw drwy lythyr cylch gwaith tymor llywodraeth. Er ei bod yn ymddangos bod gan Lywodraeth Cymru gysylltiadau strategol cryf â'r banc, gan gynnwys gweision sifil sy'n arsylwyr ar ei fwrdd, mae'n bwysig fod y banc yn dal i fyny ag uchelgais economaidd y Llywodraeth.

Fodd bynnag, oherwydd y gall blaenoriaethau economaidd newid, yn argymhelliad 2 o'i adroddiad, mae'r pwyllgor yn argymell y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru nodi'r mecanwaith ar gyfer adlewyrchu newidiadau i'w blaenoriaethau economaidd yn ystod tymor y Senedd, ac roeddem yn gobeithio y byddai'r ymateb i'r argymhelliad penodol hwn wedi arwain at lythyrau cylch gwaith mwy rheolaidd. Serch hynny, ymatebodd Llywodraeth Cymru i hyn gyda'r ymateb 'derbyn mewn egwyddor' ofnadwy hwnnw a dywedodd y byddent yn bwrw ymlaen â'r argymhelliad hwn drwy ddiweddariad i ddogfen fframwaith y banc datblygu. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn myfyrio ar y mater hwn ac yn sicrhau bod llythyrau cylch gwaith rheolaidd yn cael eu cyhoeddi i'r banc yn y dyfodol.

Soniais yn gynharach ein bod wedi cael tystiolaeth bryderus iawn ynghylch gwaith buddsoddi ecwiti'r banc, ac rwyf am droi at hynny nawr. Dywedodd yr Athro Dylan Jones-Evans wrthym—ac rwy'n darllen y dyfyniad hwn air am air gan ei fod yn cynnwys honiadau difrifol iawn—

'Yn anffodus, mae amrywiaeth o fusnesau wedi cysylltu â mi cyn yr adolygiad hwn i ddweud eu bod yn teimlo nad ydynt wedi cael eu trin yn deg, gyda phrisiadau yn rhy isel, lle mae penderfyniadau wedi cymryd llawer gormod o amser, a lle mae termau'n annerbyniol gydag ymagwedd "derbyniwch hwy neu anghofiwch amdano". Yn waeth byth, cafwyd achosion lle mae rhai wedi cael eu bwlio gan y cyfarwyddwyr a orfodwyd arnynt, lle maent wedi cael eu gorfodi allan drwy ddulliau amheus a lle mae sylfaenwyr yn teimlo nad ydynt wedi cael eu cefnogi gan y Banc.'

Aeth ymlaen i ddweud wrthym fod hyn wedi digwydd i nifer o sylfaenwyr ifanc dibrofiad a ddylai fod wedi cael llawer mwy o gefnogaeth gan y banc datblygu ar y pryd fel prif ariannwr eu busnes. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd pawb yn y Siambr hon yn pryderu am honiadau'r Athro ac yn cytuno bod entrepreneuriaid ifanc yn union y math o bobl rydym eisiau eu hannog i wneud busnes yma yng Nghymru. Ac os yw'r adroddiadau hyn yn gywir, mae'n ddigon posibl fod y gweithredoedd hynny wedi diffodd yr ysbryd entrepreneuraidd hwnnw, a fyddai'n drasiedi, a'r gwrthwyneb llwyr i'r hyn y sefydlwyd y banc i'w wneud.

Yn dilyn ein sesiwn gyda'r Athro Jones-Evans, cawsom nifer o negeseuon e-bost gan bobl a oedd wedi ymdrin â'r banc ac a oedd yn teimlo eu bod wedi cael eu bwlio allan neu'n teimlo fel pe bai eu busnesau wedi cael eu dwyn oddi arnynt i bob pwrpas. Yn anffodus, rhoddwyd llawer o'r dystiolaeth hon yn ddienw, a oedd yn cyfyngu ar ein gallu fel pwyllgor i graffu arni. Fel y byddech chi'n disgwyl, trefnais y cwynion hyn drwy lythyr gyda'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ar y pryd, Jeremy Miles. Fodd bynnag, Ddirprwy Lywydd, gan fod yr honiadau hyn mor gryf, efallai y gall Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet gadarnhau ei bod wedi gweld y ddogfen hon, a byddai gennym ni fel pwyllgor ddiddordeb mawr yn ei safbwyntiau.

Rwyf am fod yn glir: rwyf wedi trafod y cyhuddiadau hyn gyda'r banc drwy ohebiaeth ac mewn cyfarfod preifat, ac maent yn eu gwrthod yn llwyr. Dywedodd y banc wrthym fod cyfarwyddwyr buddsoddi yn gyffredin mewn cyfalaf menter ac y byddent bob amser yn gweithio er budd y cwmni ei hun fel mater o gyfraith cwmnïau. Eglurodd y banc hefyd fod ganddynt weithdrefn gwyno gynhwysfawr a'u bod yn ceisio ymdrin â'r holl gwynion yn agored ac yn deg, a'u bod wedi agor llwybr newydd fel y gellir gwneud cwynion yn uniongyrchol i gwnsler cyffredinol y banc os yw'r achwynydd yn dymuno i'r mater gael ei gadw'n gyfrinachol.

Gwnaethom ddau argymhelliad o ganlyniad i'r dystiolaeth hon: argymhelliad 10, a oedd yn argymell y dylai proses ymdrin â chwynion y banc gael ei chynnwys mewn adolygiad llawn o'r banc gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ac argymhelliad 11, a ddywedodd y dylai'r banc a Llywodraeth Cymru ystyried sut y gallant gasglu barn gan fusnesau yn gyfrinachol. Rwy'n falch o ddweud bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn argymhelliad 10 mewn egwyddor a'u bod wedi derbyn argymhelliad 11 yn llawn.

Ar gyfer argymhelliad 10, dywedodd y Llywodraeth y byddai gweithdrefn gwyno'r banc yn cael ei chynnwys mewn adolygiad asesu prosiect yn cael ei arwain yn annibynnol ar agweddau ar gyflawni a sicrwydd a ddarparir gan y banc, sydd i'w gynnal yn 2025. Yn ei hymateb, efallai y gall Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddweud wrthym pryd yn union y disgwylir i'r adolygiad hwn ddechrau yn 2025 ac a oes amserlen ar gyfer pryd y mae disgwyl iddo adrodd.

Mewn ymateb i argymhelliad 11, dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru y byddai'r banc yn rhoi ystyriaeth bellach i sut y gallai ddefnyddio dulliau eraill i annog a chasglu adborth mewn ffordd gyfrinachol. Hoffwn glywed hefyd a yw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn fodlon ar y cynnydd mewn perthynas â'r mater hwn.

Agwedd arall ar weithrediadau'r banc a arweiniodd at beth pryder oedd ei brosesau diwydrwydd dyladwy. Er ei bod yn ymddangos bod y banc yn dda am asesu gallu'r rhai hynny sy'n derbyn benthyciadau i ad-dalu, o ystyried bod y banc yn benthyca arian cyhoeddus, roeddem yn teimlo bod angen bar uwch ar gyfer asesu priodoldeb ymgeisydd i dderbyn y cyllid hwn yn y lle cyntaf, er enghraifft a oedd ganddynt unrhyw hanes o weithgarwch troseddol?

Awgrymodd argymhelliad 8 yn ein hadroddiad fod Llywodraeth Cymru'n gofyn i'r banc adolygu ei brosesau diwydrwydd dyladwy—ac rwy'n falch o ddweud bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn yr argymhelliad hwnnw. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cynhaliwyd ein sesiwn graffu flynyddol gyda'r banc ac rwyf hefyd yn falch o ddweud eu bod wedi trafod eu prosesau diwydrwydd dyladwy newydd estynedig ac roeddem yn fodlon yn gyffredinol â'r cynnydd ar y mater hwn. Byddwn yn monitro, ac yn parhau i fonitro, prosesau diwydrwydd dyladwy estynedig y banc a'u heffeithiolrwydd wrth symud ymlaen.

Cyn i mi ddod â fy sylwadau i ben, Ddirprwy Lywydd, hoffwn ganolbwyntio ar bwynt braidd yn dechnegol y mae gwir angen mynd i'r afael ag ef os yw'r banc datblygu am barhau i gyflawni ei rôl. Ym mis Awst 2021, ailddosbarthwyd y banc gan y Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol, ac eithrio ei gangen FW Capital, fel Llywodraeth ganolog. Mae hwn yn newid technegol, ond mae'r ailddosbarthu'n creu problem a ddisgrifiwyd gan yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ar y pryd fel 'cyfrif dwbl', lle mae'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru gadw arian wrth gefn i dalu am unrhyw arian y mae wedi'i roi i'r banc i'w fuddsoddi, ond nid yw hwnnw wedi'i fuddsoddi eto. Fel pwyllgor, rydym yn pryderu y bydd y cyfrif dwbl hwn yn cyfyngu ar faint o arian y gellir ei roi i'r banc ar gyfer buddsoddiadau. Cytunodd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ar y pryd fod hon yn broblem a dywedodd wrthym, ac rwy'n dyfynnu:

'Rydym yn ceisio dod o hyd i ateb i hynny gyda'r Trysorlys ar hyn o bryd. Nid ydym wedi dod o hyd i ateb eto. Mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n gwneud hynny, oherwydd mae'n creu cyfrif dwbl yn ein cyfrifon.'

Dywedodd hefyd fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn chwilio am arian gan y Trysorlys i dalu am y cyfrif dwbl hwn. Mae argymhelliad 6 yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru i ddod â thrafodaethau gyda'r Trysorlys i ben ynghylch yr ailddosbarthiad cyn gynted â phosibl.

Rydym hefyd o'r farn y dylai unrhyw gytundeb ddiogelu rôl y banc ac na ddylai gael effaith andwyol ar sefyllfa gyllidebol Llywodraeth Cymru yn y dyfodol. Derbyniodd Llywodraeth Cymru hyn mewn egwyddor a dywedodd y byddent yn parhau i weithio gyda'r Trysorlys, gyda'r nod o sefydlu canlyniad o ran ailddosbarthiad y banc datblygu sy’n niwtral o ran cyllideb i’r banc a Llywodraeth Cymru. Unwaith eto, yn ei hymateb i'r ddadl hon, efallai y gall Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni ar gynnydd y trafodaethau hyn.

Ddirprwy Lywydd, cyn i mi ddod i ben, hoffwn ddiolch i bawb a ymgysylltodd â'r pwyllgor ar yr ymchwiliad pwysig hwn a'r timau clercio, ymchwil a chyfreithiol a'n cefnogodd drwy'r gwaith pwysig hwn. Hoffwn ddiolch yn benodol hefyd i'r banc datblygu a'i staff am eu hymgysylltiad. Gwn na fyddai bod yn ddarostyngedig i'r ymchwiliad hwn wedi bod yn brofiad cyfforddus, ond rwy'n falch fod y banc wedi ymgysylltu ag ef ac yn parhau i ymgysylltu â'r pwyllgor. Yn fras, roedd mwyafrif y dystiolaeth a gawsom yn gefnogol i'r banc a'i weithrediadau, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y dylai staff y banc fod yn falch ohono. Edrychaf ymlaen at glywed barn yr Aelodau eraill y prynhawn yma. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

15:30

Firstly, I'd like to thank the Chair for his chairmanship during this inquiry. I'd like to thank the clerks for progressing this inquiry as well. I was really pleased, as a member of the committee, that we had the opportunity to do some more in-depth work into the operation of the development bank, because I think it's on all of us here to really understand how the development bank works, to recognise the potential of the development bank. The classification issue that the Chair mentioned earlier: the reality of the situation is that many people in this Chamber would not have known about that reclassification, yet the effects of that reclassification on the bank's ability to invest and to operate is huge. So, it's really important that Members take an interest in how the development bank operates and its investments as well.

Yn gyntaf, hoffwn ddiolch i'r Cadeirydd am ei gadeiryddiaeth yn ystod yr ymchwiliad hwn. Hoffwn ddiolch i’r clercod am symud yr ymchwiliad hwn yn ei flaen hefyd. Roeddwn yn falch iawn, fel Aelod o’r pwyllgor, ein bod wedi cael cyfle i wneud gwaith manylach ar weithrediad y banc datblygu, gan y credaf ei bod yn gyfrifoldeb ar bob un ohonom yma i ddeall yn iawn sut y mae’r banc datblygu’n gweithio, i gydnabod potensial y banc datblygu. Y mater ynglŷn â dosbarthiad y soniodd y Cadeirydd amdano yn gynharach: realiti’r sefyllfa yw na fyddai llawer o bobl yn y Siambr hon yn gwybod am yr ailddosbarthiad hwnnw, ac eto mae effeithiau’r ailddosbarthiad ar allu’r banc i fuddsoddi ac i weithredu yn enfawr. Felly, mae'n wirioneddol bwysig fod yr Aelodau'n dangos diddordeb yn y modd y mae'r banc datblygu'n gweithredu a'i fuddsoddiadau hefyd.

When it comes to business investment in Wales, there is little doubt, I think, that the transition from Finance Wales to the Development Bank of Wales marked a step change. In its final year, in 2016-17, Finance Wales invested £56.5 million; by 2022-23, DBW had nominally doubled this, reaching £124 million. Now, on the surface, these figures reflect impressive growth, but when we delve deeper into the broader implications for business support in Wales, the picture actually becomes a bit more mixed. Private co-investment targets, the number and type of businesses supported and the nature of the investments made paint a more complex, and, at times, concerning picture. Now, this inquiry has provided an important opportunity to have that deep-dive, as I mentioned, and go beyond the committee's annual scrutiny of the development bank on the basis of its annual report and accounts, which, even by the bank's own admission, have become increasingly difficult to understand in recent years. This report that we're debating today raises important and occasionally concerning questions about the development bank's role within Wales's business support ecosystem, an ecosystem that by any measure is failing to deliver the kind of sustainable growth that we all want to see in Welsh businesses.

So, for example, alarmingly, some businesses' interactions with the development bank, as was highlighted, highlight governance issues, particularly around how the bank appoints non-executive directors and manages its due diligence processes. Now, these challenges arguably represent some of the low-hanging fruit. Reforms that can be undertaken quickly to improve how businesses interact with and receive support from the development bank should be fairly straightforward. The recommendations, I think, in this report represent the minimum viable options available—the absolute least that we need to do to put the bank on a more stable, sustainable and reputable footing. And there is no reason that any of them should not be implemented and implemented quickly.

So, looking further ahead, I've been clear in my belief that we need to consolidate and rationalise business support in Wales, creating that one-stop shop that DBW was supposed to be from the start. I think that by unifying the services offered by Business Wales and the development bank, we can create a more streamlined and effective system. And I'm particularly concerned with what we found out in this inquiry, that the bank is so far failing to tackle one of the longest standing and most serious structural issues in the Welsh business environment, what the Federation of Small Businesses has consistently flagged as our missing middle—that missing strata of Welsh-owned medium-sized businesses, which means that our economy is less productive and innovative than it could or should be.

Now, this structural gap stifles productivity and innovation across our economy. Tackling this issue must become a central priority for the development bank, starting with proper investment in succession planning. Keeping successful businesses in Wales, whether through management buy-outs, employee ownership or other models, is key to securing Wales's long-term prosperity. The report includes recommendations in this area that I would urge us to prioritise. Looking at the bank's 2023-24 annual report, it revealed that it invested nearly £11 million more in residential property than in business succession. Now, I think we have to question whether this is delivering against the bank's remit. If not, we need measures that enforce delivery against that remit. If the bank is operating within its remit, then I think it's time to rethink that remit and reorient it to support and grow Welsh businesses.

And, finally, Dirprwy Lywydd, this report is both, I think, a wake-up call and a road map. Now, it highlights pressing issues within the Development Bank of Wales and the broader business support ecosystem, while also offering practical immediate steps for improvement. As I said at the start of my contribution, it's on all of us here to be interested in how the development bank operates, it's on all of us to recognise the opportunity the development bank presents, and it's important as well that we all in this Chamber want to see it succeed, which, as a committee, we do.

O ran buddsoddi mewn busnes yng Nghymru, ni chredaf fod yna fawr o amheuaeth fod y newid o Cyllid Cymru i Fanc Datblygu Cymru yn newid sylweddol. Yn ei flwyddyn olaf, yn 2016-17, buddsoddodd Cyllid Cymru £56.5 miliwn; erbyn 2022-23, roedd Banc Datblygu Cymru wedi dyblu hyn mewn enw, gan gyrraedd £124 miliwn. Nawr, ar yr wyneb, mae'r ffigurau hyn yn dangos twf trawiadol, ond pan ymchwiliwn yn ddyfnach i'r goblygiadau ehangach ar gyfer cymorth i fusnesau yng Nghymru, mae'r darlun yn dod ychydig yn fwy cymysg. Mae targedau cyd-fuddsoddi preifat, y nifer a'r math o fusnesau a gefnogir a natur y buddsoddiadau a wnaed yn creu darlun mwy cymhleth, ac ar brydiau, mae'n ddarlun sy'n peri pryder. Nawr, mae'r ymchwiliad hwn wedi rhoi cyfle pwysig i gael yr archwiliad dwfn, fel y soniais, a mynd y tu hwnt i waith craffu blynyddol y pwyllgor ar y banc datblygu ar sail ei adroddiad blynyddol a'i gyfrifon, sydd, hyd yn oed yn ôl cyfaddefiad y banc ei hun, wedi dod yn fwyfwy anodd eu deall yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Mae’r adroddiad yr ydym yn ei drafod heddiw yn codi cwestiynau pwysig sydd weithiau'n peri pryder am rôl y banc datblygu o fewn ecosystem cymorth i fusnesau Cymru, ecosystem sy'n amlwg yn methu cyflawni’r math o dwf cynaliadwy yr hoffai pob un ohonom ei weld ym musnesau Cymru.

Felly, er enghraifft, yn frawychus, wrth ryngweithio â’r banc datblygu, mae rhai busnesau, fel y nodwyd, yn nodi problemau llywodraethu, yn enwedig ynghylch y modd y mae’r banc yn penodi cyfarwyddwyr anweithredol ac yn rheoli ei brosesau diwydrwydd dyladwy. Nawr, gellir dadlau bod yr heriau hyn yn cynrychioli rhai o'r enillion hawdd. Dylai diwygiadau y gellir eu gwneud yn gyflym i wella’r ffordd y mae busnesau’n rhyngweithio â’r banc datblygu ac yn cael cymorth ganddo fod yn weddol syml. Credaf fod yr argymhellion yn yr adroddiad yn cynrychioli’r opsiynau ymarferol lleiaf—y lleiaf y mae angen i ni ei wneud i roi’r banc ar sylfaen fwy sefydlog, cynaliadwy a dibynadwy. Ac nid oes unrhyw reswm na ddylai unrhyw un ohonynt gael eu rhoi ar waith, a'u rhoi ar waith yn gyflym.

Felly, wrth edrych ymlaen ymhellach, rwyf wedi nodi'n glir fy nghred fod angen inni gydgrynhoi ac ad-drefnu cymorth i fusnesau yng Nghymru, gan greu’r siop un stop yr oedd Banc Datblygu Cymru i fod i'w chynnig o’r dechrau. Drwy uno’r gwasanaethau a gynigir gan Busnes Cymru a’r banc datblygu, rwy'n credu y gallwn greu system symlach a mwy effeithiol. Ac rwy'n arbennig o bryderus ynghylch yr hyn a ganfuwyd gennym yn yr ymchwiliad hwn, sef bod y banc, hyd yma, yn methu mynd i'r afael ag un o'r problemau strwythurol mwyaf hirsefydlog a mwyaf difrifol yn amgylchedd busnes Cymru, yr hyn y mae'r Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach wedi'i alw'n gyson yn ganol coll—y strata coll hwnnw o fusnesau Cymreig canolig eu maint, sy’n golygu bod ein heconomi yn llai cynhyrchiol ac arloesol nag y gallai neu y dylai fod.

Nawr, mae’r bwlch strwythurol hwn yn llesteirio cynhyrchiant ac arloesedd ar draws ein heconomi. Mae'n rhaid i’r banc datblygu fynd i’r afael â’r mater hwn fel blaenoriaeth ganolog, gan ddechrau gyda buddsoddiad priodol mewn cynllunio ar gyfer olyniaeth. Mae cadw busnesau llwyddiannus yng Nghymru, boed hynny drwy bryniant gan y rheolwyr, perchnogaeth gan y gweithwyr neu fodelau eraill, yn allweddol i sicrhau ffyniant hirdymor Cymru. Mae’r adroddiad yn cynnwys argymhellion yn y maes hwn y buaswn yn ein hannog i’w blaenoriaethu. Wrth edrych ar adroddiad blynyddol y banc ar gyfer 2023-24, datgelodd ei fod wedi buddsoddi bron i £11 miliwn yn fwy mewn eiddo preswyl nag mewn olyniaeth fusnes. Nawr, credaf fod yn rhaid inni gwestiynu a yw hyn yn dangos cyflawniad yn erbyn cylch gwaith y banc. Os nad yw, mae arnom angen mesurau sy'n gorfodi cyflawniad yn erbyn y cylch gwaith hwnnw. Os yw’r banc yn gweithredu o fewn ei gylch gwaith, credaf ei bod yn bryd ailfeddwl y cylch gwaith hwnnw a’i ailgyfeirio i gefnogi a thyfu busnesau Cymru.

Ac yn olaf, Ddirprwy Lywydd, credaf fod yr adroddiad hwn yn canu larymau, yn ogystal â chynllun. Nawr, mae'n tynnu sylw at faterion dybryd o fewn Banc Datblygu Cymru a'r ecosystem cymorth ehangach i fusnesau, ac ar yr un pryd, mae'n cynnig camau ymarferol uniongyrchol ar gyfer gwella. Fel y dywedais ar ddechrau fy nghyfraniad, mae'n gyfrifoldeb ar bob un ohonom yma i ddangos diddordeb yn y ffordd y mae'r banc datblygu'n gweithredu, mae'n gyfrifoldeb ar bob un ohonom i gydnabod y cyfle y mae'r banc datblygu'n ei gyflwyno, ac mae'n bwysig hefyd fod pob un ohonom yn y Siambr am ei weld yn llwyddo, ac rydym ni, fel pwyllgor, yn dymuno gweld hynny.

15:40

Recommendation 12 was rejected by the Welsh Government, and I think the response from the Government makes clear the difference between a tailored review for a mature organisation—. And it seems that the Welsh Government doesn’t consider the Development Bank of Wales to be a mature organisation, and is, instead, doing a project assessment review. The Welsh Government, it says,

'intends to commission an independently led PAR on aspects of delivery and assurance provided by the bank in 2025. The ETRA report will be used to inform the terms of reference for a further PAR and will include elements of the recommendations within the Committee’s report.'

Can I suggest that the Cabinet Secretary liaises with the committee to develop that, as outlined in the Welsh Government’s response, given that the ETRA committee’s report has instigated the need for that?

The other issue—I had a meeting with the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales—could potentially be addressed in the context of the committee report, and I’d like to raise that now. The Development Bank of Wales is not covered by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 itself, but we understand that the development bank leadership is very supportive of that. The future generations commissioner has suggested to me that, in terms of the support the bank provides to Welsh businesses, a social value clause could be inserted into grant and loan agreements, which would align with the seven well-being goals of the Act, which to remind ourselves, are: a prosperous Wales, a resilient Wales, a more equal Wales, a healthier Wales, a Wales of cohesive communities, a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language, and a globally responsible Wales. All of those things could be built into the bank’s ambitions.

The Welsh Government’s one-stop shop for business advice and support, Business Wales, has an economic contract that sets out how it will work with businesses in partnership to create resilient businesses that offer an attractive place to work. A social value clause under the auspices of the well-being of future generations Act could act in a way similar to this. Therefore, I’d like to hear if the Cabinet Secretary has any views on this, and whether she has had any discussions with the future generations commissioner about how his role, and the Act, and the piece of legislation, can support the bank to further deliver on the Welsh Government’s strategic policy objectives.

Gwrthodwyd argymhelliad 12 gan Lywodraeth Cymru, a chredaf fod yr ymateb gan y Llywodraeth yn nodi’n glir y gwahaniaeth rhwng adolygiad teilwredig ar gyfer sefydliad aeddfed—. Ac ymddengys nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn ystyried bod Banc Datblygu Cymru yn sefydliad aeddfed, a'i bod, yn lle hynny, yn cynnal adolygiad asesu prosiect. Dywed Llywodraeth Cymru ei bod,

'yn bwriadu comisiynu Adolygiad Asesu Prosiect sy’n cael ei arwain yn annibynnol ar agweddau ar gyflawni a sicrwydd a ddarparwyd gan y banc yn 2025. Bydd adroddiad Pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig yn cael ei ddefnyddio fel sail i’r cylch gorchwyl ar gyfer Adolygiad Asesu Prosiect pellach a bydd yn cynnwys elfennau o’r argymhellion yn adroddiad y Pwyllgor.'

A gaf i awgrymu bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cysylltu â’r pwyllgor i ddatblygu hynny, fel yr amlinellwyd yn ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru, o ystyried bod adroddiad pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig wedi ysgogi’r angen am hynny?

Mae’n bosibl y gellid mynd i’r afael â’r mater arall—cefais gyfarfod â Chomisiynydd Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol Cymru—yng nghyd-destun adroddiad y pwyllgor, a hoffwn godi hynny nawr. Nid yw Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015 ei hun yn berthnasol i Fanc Datblygu Cymru, ond deallwn fod arweinyddiaeth y banc datblygu yn gefnogol iawn i hynny. Mae comisiynydd cenedlaethau’r dyfodol wedi awgrymu, o ran y cymorth y mae’r banc yn ei roi i fusnesau Cymru, y gellid gosod cymal gwerth cymdeithasol mewn cytundebau grant a benthyciadau, a fyddai’n cyd-fynd â saith nod llesiant y Ddeddf, sef, i'n hatgoffa: Cymru lewyrchus, Cymru gydnerth, Cymru sy'n fwy cyfartal, Cymru iachach, Cymru o gymunedau cydlynus, Cymru â diwylliant bywiog lle mae’r Gymraeg yn ffynnu, a Chymru sy’n gyfrifol ar lefel fyd-eang. Gallai’r holl bethau hynny gael eu cynnwys yn uchelgeisiau’r banc.

Mae gan siop un stop Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer cyngor a chymorth i fusnesau, Busnes Cymru, gontract economaidd sy’n nodi sut y bydd yn gweithio gyda busnesau mewn partneriaeth i greu busnesau cydnerth sy’n cynnig lle deniadol i weithio ynddo. Gallai cymal gwerth cymdeithasol o dan Ddeddf llesiant cenedlaethau’r dyfodol weithredu mewn ffordd debyg i hyn. Felly, hoffwn glywed a oes gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet unrhyw farn ar hyn, ac a yw hi wedi cael unrhyw drafodaethau gyda chomisiynydd cenedlaethau’r dyfodol ynglŷn â sut y gall ei rôl ef, a’r Ddeddf, a’r ddeddfwriaeth, gefnogi’r banc i gyflawni amcanion polisi strategol Llywodraeth Cymru ymhellach.

May I begin by thanking the committee Chair, Paul Davies, for his leadership of the committee, and the clerical staff and fellow committee members too for their contributions today? And I associate myself with the comments and contributions of all the Members of the committee who’ve spoken here today, because it is an opportune moment to hold this debate, over four months after the report was published, and a month since the development’s bank’s welcome response.

I wish, with your permission, Dirprwy Lywydd, to highlight a few recommendations, key recommendations, particularly recommendation 5, which proposes reassessing the relationship between the DBW and Business Wales, as has been mentioned on the floor of the Chamber this afternoon. FSB Wales have described a massively fragmented landscape of business support, which is far from ideal for businesses and business owners seeking assistance. I think recommendation 5 suggests that the Welsh Government should consider integrating the functions of Business Wales with those of DBW, and I eagerly await an update from the Welsh Government on any discussions or considerations regarding this matter.

Secondly, on recommendation 8, concerning the DBW’s independence from the Welsh Government, the recommendation urged the Welsh Government to instruct the bank to review its due diligence processes, with a view of strengthening them if necessary. This topic was discussed in committee last week, as was mentioned by the Chair of the committee, and I’m pleased that the bank’s October letter responded to the recommendations, stating that the bank generally meets or exceeds the processes carried out by other lenders. But I am somewhat uncertain whether the word 'generally' implies exceptions, so I would appreciate further clarification on that point. However, I do welcome the Welsh Government’s proposal to commission a public assessment review of the bank, which will include examining the due diligence processes. Indeed, this was the subject of my questioning of the bank during their annual scrutiny in ETRA last week, and I welcome, as the Chair mentioned, the enhanced due diligence that was mentioned by DBW.

And, finally, I’ll address recommendations 10 and 11 together, which concern complaints handling. Effective complaints handling, and achieving just and fair outcomes, are paramount. I don’t think there would be disagreement on that. However, it is concerning that some complainants have been reluctant to come forward publicly. Ever more troubling, Professor Dylan Jones-Evans provided evidence to the committee stating—direct quote—

'I've also seen instances...where directors have been imposed on businesses, where they feel they've been bullied by those directors, where there have been moves to basically get rid of the original founders. And the development bank as a funder has just stood there and done nothing'.

End quote. These allegations should fully justify recommendations 10 and 11, which advise that the issue of complaints handling be addressed within the recommended tailored review of the bank. Additionally, both the Welsh Government and the bank should consider how to collect businesses’ views confidentially and anonymously. This would be a significant step forward in gathering information about the bank’s practices without fear of retaliation. If implemented effectively, I believe these recommendations have the potential to strengthen trust within the Development Bank of Wales and better equip it to support businesses across the country. Because, as have other Members said on the floor of this Chamber, there is much good that is done in this field by DBW. I look forward to seeing substantial progress on the findings of this ETRA report, and once again I thank the whole team for their contributions towards it. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd.

A gaf i ddechrau drwy ddiolch i Gadeirydd y pwyllgor, Paul Davies, am arwain y pwyllgor, a’r staff clercio a chyd-Aelodau’r