Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
10/10/2018Cynnwys
Contents
Cyfarfu’r Cynulliad am 13:30 gyda’r Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Assembly met at 13:30 with the Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) in the Chair.
Good afternoon. Could I call Members to order, please?
Prynhawn da. A gaf fi alw’r Aelodau i drefn os gwelwch yn dda?
The first item on this afternoon's agenda is questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance. Question 1, Mark Isherwood.
Yr eitem gyntaf ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma yw cwestiynau i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid. Cwestiwn 1, Mark Isherwood.
1. Pa ystyriaeth a roddodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i wasanaethau ataliol wrth benderfynu ar y gyllideb ddrafft? OAQ52717
1. What consideration did the Cabinet Secretary give to preventative services when deciding on the draft budget? OAQ52717
Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, amongst the decisions taken when considering preventative services, I was especially pleased to be able to restore in full the early prevention, intervention and support programme of the Welsh Government in the draft budget.
Wel, Ddirprwy Lywydd, ymhlith y penderfyniadau a wnaed wrth ystyried gwasanaethau ataliol, roeddwn yn arbennig o falch o allu adfer rhaglen ymyrraeth gynnar, atal a chymorth Llywodraeth Cymru yn llawn yn y gyllideb ddrafft.
Notwithstanding that, you have repeatedly and, I believe, sincerely committed yourself to driving forward preventative approaches to health and care in Wales. Yesterday's local government provisional settlement figures show an overall 1 per cent reduction for local government, with every local authority in north Wales seeing a reduction, although seven in south Wales saw a standstill or increase, and with NHS funding, however, going up 7 per cent, rather than seeing how we could budget smarter in order to deliver more through early intervention and prevention. How, therefore, do you respond to the statements in the letter from the Welsh Local Government Association, issued to us all yesterday, signed by the WLGA leaders from all parties, in which the WLGA Conservative group leader, Peter Fox, said,
'With £370 million new monies arriving from Westminster, an imaginative approach to funding preventative services to keep people out of hospitals was needed. Instead, the Welsh Government has given the NHS a seven per cent increase and cut council budgets for the eighth year in succession.'
We're not advocating a cut in NHS funding; what we're advocating is imaginative, smart, preventative budgets that keep the pressure off health services by the two working better together.
Er hynny, dro ar ôl tro, rydych wedi ymrwymo eich hun, yn ddiffuant rwy’n credu, i hyrwyddo dulliau ataliol mewn iechyd a gofal yng Nghymru. Roedd ffigurau dros dro’r setliad llywodraeth leol ddoe yn dangos gostyngiad cyffredinol o 1 y cant ar gyfer llywodraeth leol, gyda phob awdurdod lleol yng ngogledd Cymru yn wynebu gostyngiad, er bod saith yn ne Cymru wedi aros yr un fath neu wedi cynyddu, gyda chyllid y GIG, fodd bynnag, yn cynyddu 7 y cant, yn hytrach nag ystyried sut y gallem gyllidebu'n fwy deallus er mwyn cyflawni mwy drwy atal ac ymyrraeth gynnar. Felly, sut rydych yn ymateb i'r datganiadau yn y llythyr gan Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, a ddosbarthwyd inni ddoe, ac a arwyddwyd gan arweinwyr CLlLC o bob plaid, lle roedd arweinydd grŵp Ceidwadol CLlLC, Peter Fox, yn dweud:
Gyda £370 miliwn o arian newydd yn dod o San Steffan, roedd angen ymagwedd ddychmygus tuag at ariannu gwasanaethau ataliol er mwyn cadw pobl allan o'r ysbytai. Yn hytrach, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhoi cynnydd o saith y cant i'r GIG ac wedi torri cyllidebau cynghorau am yr wythfed flwyddyn yn olynol.
Nid ydym yn argymell toriad yng nghyllid y GIG; yr hyn yr ydym yn ei argymell yw cyllidebau ataliol dychmygus a chraff sy'n cadw'r pwysau oddi ar wasanaethau iechyd, drwy sicrhau bod y ddau beth yn gweithio'n well gyda'i gilydd.
Well, I'm sure, Dirprwy Lywydd, that Peter Fox, for whom I have great respect as a leader, is very grateful that he is a council leader in Wales and not in England. By working hard all over the summer, we managed to reduce the gap in revenue support grant to 0.3 per cent—less than £15 million. Cuts that are facing English local authorities next year, were they to be translated into Welsh terms, would be £65 million-worth of cuts in RSG budgets for Welsh local authorities. So, I'm quite certain that the Conservative leader of Monmouth is very grateful he is living in Labour Wales rather than under the regime of his own party.
The general point that the Member makes, however, I think is a sensible one of course. When money is as short as it is, and when it reduces every year, everybody has to focus on trying to make that money go further, to use innovation, to have new ideas. My colleague Vaughan Gething has used £30 million of the health consequential to put that on the table of the regional partnership boards in Wales, where decisions have to be signed off jointly between the health board and the constituent local authorities. And I think increasing that budget in that way puts a new premium on the ability of those authorities to act in the imaginative way that Mark Isherwood mentioned.
Wel, rwy’n siŵr, Ddirprwy Lywydd, fod Peter Fox, dyn y mae gennyf barch mawr tuag ato fel arweinydd, yn ddiolchgar iawn ei fod yn arweinydd cyngor yng Nghymru, ac nid yn Lloegr. Drwy weithio'n galed dros yr haf, llwyddasom i leihau'r bwlch yn y grant cynnal refeniw i 0.3 y cant—llai na £15 miliwn. Byddai’r toriadau sy'n wynebu awdurdodau lleol Lloegr y flwyddyn nesaf, pe baent yn cael eu trosi ar gyfer Cymru yn cyfateb i £65 miliwn o doriadau yng nghyllidebau’r grant cynnal refeniw ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru. Felly, rwy'n sicr fod arweinydd Ceidwadol Mynwy yn ddiolchgar iawn ei fod yn byw yn Nghymru’r Blaid Lafur, yn hytrach nag o dan drefn ei blaid ei hun.
Credaf fod y pwynt cyffredinol a wna’r Aelod, fodd bynnag, yn un synhwyrol, wrth gwrs. Pan fo arian mor brin ag y mae, ac yn lleihau bob blwyddyn, mae’n rhaid i bawb ganolbwyntio ar geisio sicrhau bod yr arian hwnnw'n mynd ymhellach, ar ddefnyddio arloesedd, ar gael syniadau newydd. Mae fy nghyd-Aelod, Vaughan Gething, wedi defnyddio £30 miliwn o gyllid canlyniadol iechyd i’w gyflwyno i'r byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol yng Nghymru, lle mae'n rhaid i’r bwrdd iechyd a'r awdurdodau lleol cyfansoddol gymeradwyo penderfyniadau ar y cyd. A chredaf fod cynyddu'r gyllideb yn y modd hwnnw yn rhoi gwerth newydd ar allu'r awdurdodau i weithredu yn y ffordd ddychmygus a nododd Mark Isherwood.
Does the Cabinet Secretary accept that it is difficult to define preventative spend? For example, spending on home social care is preventative of needing residential care and hospital care. Expenditure on GPs is also preventative of hospital care. Would it not be better to define the expenditure as that which provides long-term good?
A yw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn derbyn ei bod yn anodd diffinio gwariant ataliol? Er enghraifft, mae gwario ar ofal cymdeithasol yn y cartref yn atal yr angen am ofal preswyl a gofal ysbyty. Mae gwariant ar feddygon teulu hefyd yn atal gofal ysbyty. Oni fyddai'n well diffinio'r gwariant fel yr hyn sy'n darparu budd hirdymor?
I thank Mike Hedges for that supplementary question. He will know that, when I was in front of the Finance Committee last week, I set out the new agreed definition that we have used in this budget of what we mean by 'preventative spend', a definition developed by the third sector and Public Health Wales in consultation with the commissioner for the well-being of future generations Act. And it's not perfect, I'm sure, and we'll develop it further, but it is a genuine step forward in having a common language. That divides what we mean by 'preventative spend' into a number of categories, from primary to acute. Any definition only helps us so far in the decisions we have to make, and Mike Hedges's idea of defining expenditure against long-term good, I can well see the sense that that would bring. By itself, it would not avoid decision making.
Dirprwy Lywydd, I was reminded, listening to that supplementary question, of a day that I spent when I was health Minister. I had two pieces of advice on the table. One was to use a sum of money that would have made a profound difference in the lives of very few people in Wales—fewer than 20 people, each one of them at a very high cost per person. On the same day, I had advice that told me how I could spend the same amount of money on a new cadre of, as I remember, epilepsy nurses around Wales—people who would have been able to do good things in the lives of a far larger number of people but where that difference would have been incremental to services that they provided rather than transformative. Both of those were possibilities that would have promoted long-term good. So, whatever definitions we have, and helpful as they can be, in the end they can't make decisions for us, and decisions are always difficult when you are faced with a finite sum of money and many different ways in which that money could be usefully spent.
Diolch i Mike Hedges am ei gwestiwn atodol. Fe fydd yn ymwybodol, pan oeddwn gerbron y Pwyllgor Cyllid yr wythnos diwethaf, fy mod wedi nodi'r diffiniad newydd a gytunwyd ac a ddefnyddiwyd gennym yn y gyllideb hon o'r hyn a olygwn wrth 'gwariant ataliol', diffiniad a ddatblygwyd gan y trydydd sector ac Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru mewn ymgynghoriad â chomisiynydd Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau’r dyfodol. Ac nid yw'n berffaith, rwy'n siŵr, a byddwn yn ei ddatblygu ymhellach, ond mae'n gam go iawn tuag at sicrhau bod gennym iaith gyffredin. Mae'n rhannu'r hyn a olygwn wrth 'gwariant ataliol' yn nifer o gategorïau, o sylfaenol i acíwt. Dim ond hyn a hyn y gall unrhyw ddiffiniad ein cynorthwyo yn y penderfyniadau sy'n rhaid inni eu gwneud, ac o ran syniad Mike Hedges o ddiffinio gwariant yn erbyn budd hirdymor, gallaf weld y synnwyr yn hynny. Ynddo’i hun, ni fyddai'n osgoi'r angen i wneud penderfyniadau.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, cefais fy atgoffa wrth wrando ar y cwestiwn atodol hwnnw o ddiwrnod a dreuliais pan oeddwn yn Weinidog iechyd. Roeddwn wedi cael dau air o gyngor. Un oedd defnyddio swm o arian a fyddai wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth sylweddol i fywydau ychydig iawn o bobl yng Nghymru—llai nag 20 o bobl, ar gost uchel iawn y pen. Ar yr un diwrnod, cefais gyngor a ddywedodd wrthyf sut y gallwn wario’r un swm o arian ar gadwyn newydd, yn ôl yr hyn a gofiaf, o nyrsys epilepsi ledled Cymru—pobl a fyddai wedi gallu gwneud pethau da ym mywydau llawer mwy o bobl, ond lle byddai'r gwahaniaeth hwnnw wedi bod yn wahaniaeth cynyddrannol i’r gwasanaethau a ddarperid yn hytrach na gwahaniaeth trawsnewidiol. Roedd y ddau ohonynt yn bosibiliadau a fyddai wedi hyrwyddo budd hirdymor. Felly, pa ddiffiniadau bynnag sydd gennym, ac er mor ddefnyddiol y gallant fod, yn y pen draw, ni allant wneud penderfyniadau drosom, ac mae penderfyniadau bob amser yn anodd pan fo gennych swm cyfyngedig o arian gyda nifer o wahanol ffyrdd y gellid gwario’r arian hwnnw'n ddefnyddiol.
2. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddatganiad am wariant Llywodraeth Cymru yn 2019-20 ym Mynwy? OAQ52709
2. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on Welsh Government spending for 2019-20 in Monmouth? OAQ52709
I thank Nick Ramsay for that question. Last week, I published the outline draft budget for 2019-20, which set out its main building blocks. The detailed draft budget will be published on 23 October. It will show continued investment in the Monmouth constituency in schools, in Welsh-medium education, in housing and in transport as we align our spending to the issues that matter most to people in Wales.
Diolch i Nick Ramsay am ei gwestiwn. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cyhoeddais y gyllideb ddrafft amlinellol ar gyfer 2019-20, a oedd yn nodi ei phrif flociau adeiladu. Bydd y gyllideb ddrafft fanwl yn cael ei chyhoeddi ar 23 Hydref. Bydd yn dangos buddsoddiad parhaus yn etholaeth Mynwy mewn ysgolion, mewn addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg, mewn tai ac mewn cludiant wrth inni alinio ein gwariant â’r materion sydd bwysicaf i bobl yng Nghymru.
Diolch, Cabinet Secretary, and you got the fact that I meant the constituency and not the town of Monmouth, as I assumed you would. Leaving aside whether or not Councillor Peter Fox wants to live in Wales or England, which does creep up in this Chamber every so often, I'm sure you'd agree with me—and certainly Peter Fox has said to me—that he would like Monmouthshire to get a bigger slice of the cake when it comes to local government funding, and that is obviously dependent on the funding formula that we think should be looked at.
Leaving that aside, though, Cabinet Secretary, one area where the Welsh Government could make a difference in Monmouthshire would be to progress a Chepstow bypass—a solution to the congestion that is currently happening in Chepstow day in, day out and which is causing much misery to the residents of Chepstow and to commuters. I do appreciate that only a third of that bypass would be in Wales, so we do need to see support from the UK Government and, indeed, cross-border co-operation for that bypass to become a reality. Can you update us on any discussions that you've had with your colleague the Cabinet Secretary for transport or, indeed, with the Wales Office about the possibility of progressing that much-needed project and about the importance of the Welsh Government also getting support from the UK Government for it to become a reality?
Diolch, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ac fe ddealloch chi fy mod yn golygu'r etholaeth, ac nid Trefynwy, fel roeddwn yn tybio y byddech. Gan anghofio am funud ai yng Nghymru neu yn Lloegr y mae’r cynghorydd Peter Fox eisiau byw, sy'n codi yn y Siambr hon o bryd i’w gilydd, rwy'n siŵr y byddech yn cytuno—ac yn sicr, mae Peter Fox wedi dweud wrthyf—y byddai'n hoffi pe bai Sir Fynwy'n cael darn mwy o'r gacen mewn perthynas â chyllid llywodraeth leol, ac mae hynny'n amlwg yn dibynnu ar y fformiwla ariannu y credwn y dylid edrych arni.
Gan anghofio hynny am funud, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, un ffordd y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru wneud gwahaniaeth yn Sir Fynwy fyddai drwy ddatblygu ffordd osgoi Cas-gwent—ateb i'r tagfeydd sydd i’w cael bob dydd yng Nghas-gwent ar hyn o bryd ac sy'n achosi llawer o boendod i drigolion Cas-gwent ac i gymudwyr. Rwy'n derbyn mai traean yn unig o'r ffordd osgoi honno a fyddai yng Nghymru, felly mae angen i ni gael cymorth gan Lywodraeth y DU, ac yn wir, cydweithredu trawsffiniol er mwyn i’r ffordd osgoi honno ddod yn realiti. A allwch roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni ynglŷn ag unrhyw drafodaethau a gawsoch gyda'ch cyd-Aelod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros drafnidiaeth, neu yn wir, gyda Swyddfa Cymru ynglŷn â'r posibilrwydd o ddatblygu'r prosiect mawr ei angen hwnnw, ac ynglŷn â phwysigrwydd cefnogaeth Llywodraeth y DU i Lywodraeth Cymru er mwyn sicrhau ei fod yn cael ei wireddu?
I thank Nick Ramsay for that. The discussions with UK Government on this matter are indeed for my colleague Ken Skates to undertake, but I have recently discussed the Chepstow bypass issue with him. It's exactly as Nick Ramsay said: about a third of the distance and a third of the expenditure would rely on Welsh Government sources, and, in order to make that bypass worthwhile, we would have to secure the remainder of the expenditure and the investment from across our border. I know that my colleague Ken Skates is very aware of the pressures that face that town in relation to traffic, in relation to air quality and so on, and I know that he is very anxious to progress those discussions with the UK Government and to make sure that we can bring them to the table so that, between us both, we might be able to make this happen.
Diolch i Nick Ramsay am hynny. Yn wir, mae’r trafodaethau gyda Llywodraeth y DU ar y mater hwn yn drafodaethau ar gyfer fy nghyd-Aelod, Ken Skates, ond rwyf wedi trafod mater ffordd osgoi Cas-gwent gydag ef yn ddiweddar. Mae'n union fel y dywedodd Nick Ramsay: byddai oddeutu traean o’r pellter a thraean o'r gwariant yn dibynnu ar ffynonellau Llywodraeth Cymru, ac er mwyn sicrhau bod y ffordd osgoi honno o fudd, byddai'n rhaid inni sicrhau gweddill y gwariant a'r buddsoddiad o'r ochr arall i'r ffin. Gwn fod fy nghyd-Aelod, Ken Skates, yn ymwybodol iawn o'r pwysau ar y dref honno mewn perthynas â thraffig, mewn perthynas ag ansawdd aer ac ati, a gwn ei fod yn awyddus iawn i fwrw ymlaen â’r trafodaethau hynny gyda Llywodraeth y DU ac i wneud yn siŵr y gallwn ddod â hwy at y bwrdd er mwyn inni allu sicrhau, gyda'n gilydd, fod hyn yn ddigwydd.
Can the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the total capital investment in the new Grange University Hospital, which will serve the people living in south-east Wales?
A all Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni ynglŷn â chyfanswm y buddsoddiad cyfalaf yn Ysbyty Athrofaol y Grange, ysbyty newydd a fydd yn gwasanaethu'r bobl sy'n byw yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru?
I thank Rhianon Passmore. The Grange University Hospital, which is, of course, very important to people living in the south-east of Wales, including Monmouth, is to receive funding of £350 million from the all-Wales capital programme. It is the largest financial scheme, Dirprwy Lywydd, in the whole of the NHS capital programme. It is in addition to the £217 million already provided for Gwent Clinical Futures. It is a recognition by this Welsh Government of the importance of the Grange University Hospital scheme to the future of acute medical services in this part of Wales.
Diolch i Rhianon Passmore. Bydd Ysbyty Athrofaol y Grange, sy'n bwysig iawn i'r bobl sy'n byw yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru wrth gwrs, gan gynnwys Mynwy, yn derbyn £350 miliwn o gyllid o'r rhaglen gyfalaf ar gyfer Cymru gyfan. Ddirprwy Lywydd, dyma'r cynllun ariannol mwyaf yn holl raglen gyfalaf y GIG. Mae'n ychwanegol at y £217 miliwn a ddarparwyd eisoes ar gyfer rhaglen Dyfodol Clinigol Gwent. Mae'n dangos bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cydnabod pwysigrwydd cynllun Ysbyty Athrofaol y Grange i ddyfodol y gwasanaethau meddygol acíwt yn y rhan hon o Gymru.
We'll now turn to party spokespeople to question the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, and first today is the Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Steffan Lewis.
Trown yn awr at lefarwyr y pleidiau i holi Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid, ac yn gyntaf heddiw mae llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Steffan Lewis.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. The regulations repealing the Law Derived from the European Union (Wales) Act 2018 were due to come into force on 3 October. My understanding is that that did not happen because a vote of the Assembly is required. So, in the first instance, can the Cabinet Secretary, putting on his Brexit hat, clarify that the continuity Act wasn't repealed by accident without a vote? That would put my mind at ease. And, secondly, if that did not happen, can he enlighten the Assembly as to why we have not been informed of a new date on the face of the regulations? What is the new date? And when will there be a vote in the National Assembly?
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Roedd y rheoliadau i ddiddymu'r Ddeddf Cyfraith sy'n Deillio o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd (Cymru) 2018 i fod i ddod i rym ar 3 Hydref. Rwy'n deall na ddigwyddodd hynny am fod angen pleidlais yn y Cynulliad. Felly, yn y lle cyntaf, a all Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, gan wisgo ei het Brexit, ddweud yn glir na chafodd y Ddeddf parhad ei diddymu ar ddamwain heb bleidlais? Byddai hynny'n tawelu fy meddwl. Ac yn ail, os na ddigwyddodd hynny, a all roi gwybod i'r Cynulliad pam nad ydym wedi cael gwybod am ddyddiad newydd ar wyneb y rheoliadau? Beth yw'r dyddiad newydd? A phryd y cynhelir pleidlais yn y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol?
Well, it's very good to have the opportunity to set any Assembly Member's mind at ease, so let me do that to begin with by assuring the Member that our Act has not been repealed by accident. It does, as he said, require a vote on the floor of this Assembly.
Finding time for the many things that have to be dispatched on the floor of the Assembly is a task that falls to my colleague the leader of the house, here. I know that she is endeavouring to find a slot at which that debate and that vote could be held, and, if it can be brought about, the ambition is to hold it this side of the half-term break.
Wel, mae'n dda iawn cael cyfle i dawelu meddwl unrhyw Aelod o'r Cynulliad, felly gadewch imi wneud hynny i ddechrau drwy roi sicrwydd i'r Aelod nad yw ein Deddf wedi cael ei diddymu ar ddamwain. Fel y dywedodd, mae angen pleidlais ar lawr y Cynulliad hwn er mwyn gwneud hynny.
Mae dod o hyd i amser ar gyfer y nifer o bethau sy'n rhaid eu cyflawni ar lawr y Cynulliad yn dasg i fy nghyd-Aelod, arweinydd y tŷ, yma. Gwn ei bod yn ymdrechu i ddod o hyd i amser er mwyn cynnal y ddadl a'r bleidlais honno, ac os gellir gwneud hynny, y bwriad yw eu cynnal cyn y toriad hanner tymor.
I thank him for putting my mind at rest, at least with the first part of his answer. The second part of his answer, though, does raise questions. Is the Government taking into consideration the Supreme Court case between the UK Government and the Scottish Government on the Scottish continuity legislation? Of course, my argument would be that we shouldn't be repealing our continuity Act under any circumstances at all, but, surely, from the Government's point of view, they would wish to await the outcome of the Supreme Court case between the Scottish and UK Governments, because that would completely change the face of the devolution set-up and approaches to EU withdrawal across these islands if we have one devolved administration that has a protective shield of continuity legislation and we would have voluntarily and needlessly given ours away. So, is he able to clarify that the Government is prepared to delay, if necessary, until we know the outcome of the Supreme Court case?
Diolch iddo am dawelu fy meddwl, gyda rhan gyntaf ei ateb o leiaf. Mae ail ran ei ateb, fodd bynnag, yn codi cwestiynau. A yw'r Llywodraeth yn rhoi ystyriaeth i'r achos yn y Goruchaf Lys rhwng Llywodraeth y DU a Llywodraeth yr Alban ar ddeddfwriaeth parhad yr Alban? Wrth gwrs, buaswn yn dadlau na ddylem ddiddymu ein Deddf parhad ar unrhyw gyfrif, ond does bosib, o safbwynt y Llywodraeth, na fyddent yn awyddus i aros am ganlyniad achos y Goruchaf Lys rhwng Llywodraeth yr Alban a Llywodraeth y DU, gan y byddai hynny'n newid wyneb y trefniant datganoli a'r dulliau o ymadael â'r UE yn gyfan gwbl ar draws yr ynysoedd hyn pe bai gennym un weinyddiaeth ddatganoledig â tharian amddiffynnol o ddeddfwriaeth parhad a ninnau wedi cael gwared ar ein hun ni yn wirfoddol ac yn ddiangen. Felly, a yw'n gallu sicrhau bod y Llywodraeth yn barod i oedi, os bydd angen, hyd nes y gwyddom beth fydd canlyniad achos y Goruchaf Lys?
Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, Welsh interest at the Supreme Court were defended by my colleague the Counsel General, who intervened to make sure that, where there were Welsh interests at stake, the Supreme Court was well informed about them. Of course, I don't agree with the Member that we would be left unprotected were we to repeal the continuity Bill, because we have an inter-governmental agreement that we entered into with the UK Government that, we believe, provided us with an alternative and, indeed, preferable set of protections in the circumstances that the continuity Act was designed to address.
Wel, Ddirprwy Lywydd, amddiffynnwyd buddiannau Cymru yn y Goruchaf Lys gan fy nghyd-Aelod, y Cwnsler Cyffredinol, a ymyrrodd i sicrhau, lle roedd buddiannau Cymru yn y fantol, fod y Goruchaf Lys yn ymwybodol iawn ohonynt. Wrth gwrs, nid wyf yn cytuno â'r Aelod y byddem yn ddiamddiffyn pe baem yn diddymu'r Bil parhad, gan ein bod wedi ymrwymo i gytundeb rhynglywodraethol gyda Llywodraeth y DU sy'n rhoi dewis amgen inni yn ein tyb ni, ac yn wir, set well o amddiffyniadau yn yr amgylchiadau y lluniwyd y Ddeddf parhad i fynd i'r afael â hwy.
Is the Cabinet Secretary, therefore, saying that even if the courts find in favour of the Scottish Government, it would be acceptable for one devolved administration to have a legal protective shield and that, somehow, the inter-governmental agreement between his Government and the UK Government renders the need for a continuity Act here needless? Because, surely, recent developments around the shared prosperity fund have demonstrated that the inter-governmental agreement has been breached. The Cabinet Secretary himself has said that,
'The UK Government’s “Shared Prosperity Fund” approach, if applied on a UK basis and directed from London, would be an attack on devolution'.
And the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has said,
'I fully recognise the role that the Welsh Government has played and the role that the Welsh Government has played in decisions for Wales. But obviously as we look at the shared prosperity fund across the whole of the UK we want to ensure that we get the right structure and the right processes involved in that so that the money that is being spent is being spent as effectively as possible because it's about delivering for people on the ground'—
i.e. it will all be run and controlled from Westminster. And I notice with interest that in the inter-governmental agreement, there is no reference to regional policy, and economic development is not listed as one of the 24 items either. So, is the Cabinet Secretary confident that the inter-governmental agreement is better than having continuity legislation, even though the inter-governmental agreement appears to be breaking at the seams already?
A yw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn dweud, felly, hyd yn oed os bydd y llysoedd yn dyfarnu o blaid Llywodraeth yr Alban, y byddai'n dderbyniol fod gan un weinyddiaeth ddatganoledig darian amddiffynnol gyfreithiol, a rywsut, fod y cytundeb rhynglywodraethol rhwng ei Lywodraeth ef a Llywodraeth y DU yn gwneud yr angen am Ddeddf parhad yma yn ddiangen? Oherwydd, does bosib nad yw datblygiadau diweddar mewn perthynas â'r gronfa ffyniant gyffredin wedi dangos bod y cytundeb rhynglywodraethol wedi'i dorri. Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ei hun wedi dweud,
'byddai dull "Cronfa Ffyniant Gyffredin" Llywodraeth y DU, pe byddai’n cael ei weithredu ar draws y DU a’i gyfarwyddo o Lundain, yn ymosodiad ar ddatganoli'.
Ac mae Prif Weinidog y Deyrnas Unedig wedi dweud,
Rwy'n llwyr gydnabod y rôl y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i chwarae a'r rôl y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i chwarae mewn penderfyniadau ar gyfer Cymru. Ond yn amlwg, wrth inni edrych ar y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin ar gyfer y DU gyfan, rydym yn awyddus i sicrhau bod y strwythur cywir a'r prosesau cywir yn rhan o hynny fel y gall yr arian a werir gael ei wario mor effeithiol â phosibl gan fod a wnelo hyn â chyflawni ar gyfer pobl ar lawr gwlad—
h.y. bydd yr holl beth yn cael ei redeg a'i reoli o San Steffan. A sylwaf gyda diddordeb nad oes unrhyw gyfeiriad yn y cytundeb rhynglywodraethol at bolisi rhanbarthol, ac nad yw datblygu economaidd wedi'i restru yn un o'r 24 eitem ychwaith. Felly, a yw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn hyderus fod y cytundeb rhynglywodraethol yn well na chael deddfwriaeth parhad, er ei bod yn ymddangos bod y cytundeb rhynglywodraethol eisoes yn dechrau ymddatod?
Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, the Member answered his own question, didn't he? Because, as he pointed out in his closing remarks, the inter-governmental agreement is not engaged in relation to the shared prosperity fund. The inter-governmental agreement covers those items set out in the withdrawal Bill that potentially, and in the future—because, remember, not a single power has left Wales as a result of the agreement—. There was a list of powers that were engaged by it that did not include, as the Member himself said, this area. So, he's brought two things together that do not have, in my mind, the connection he seeks to draw between them.
The asymmetrical nature of protective shields has already been introduced by the Scottish Government's decision not to be a party to the inter-governmental agreement. Our view was that it provided, in relation to those matters covered by it, sufficient protections for us to be able to proceed in the way that we did. The Scottish Government took a different view. Consistent with the inter-governmental agreement, we are looking for an opportunity to bring forward a vote to the floor of the Assembly in the way that I described in answer to an earlier question.
Wel, Ddirprwy Lywydd, fe atebodd yr Aelod ei gwestiwn ei hun, oni wnaeth? Oherwydd, fel y nododd yn ei sylwadau wrth orffen, nid yw'r cytundeb rhynglywodraethol yn gweithredu yng nghyswllt y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin. Mae'r cytundeb rhynglywodraethol yn cynnwys yr eitemau a nodir yn y Bil ymadael sydd, o bosibl, ac yn y dyfodol—oherwydd, cofiwch, nid oes unrhyw rym wedi gadael Cymru o ganlyniad i'r cytundeb—. Cafwyd rhestr o bwerau a oedd yn gweithredu drwyddo nad oedd yn cynnwys hyn, fel y dywedodd yr Aelod ei hun. Felly, mae wedi dwyn dau beth ynghyd nad oes ganddynt y cysylltiad y mae'n ceisio'i wneud rhyngddynt yn fy marn i.
Mae natur anghymesur y tariannau amddiffynnol eisoes wedi'i chyflwyno gan benderfyniad Llywodraeth yr Alban i beidio ag ymrwymo i'r cytundeb rhynglywodraethol. Ein safbwynt ni oedd ei fod yn darparu, mewn perthynas â'r materion a weithredir drwyddo, digon o amddiffyniadau i ni allu bwrw ymlaen yn y ffordd y gwnaethom. Roedd safbwynt Llywodraeth yr Alban yn wahanol. Yn unol â'r cytundeb rhynglywodraethol, rydym yn chwilio am gyfle i gyflwyno pleidlais ar lawr y Cynulliad yn y ffordd a ddisgrifiais wrth ateb cwestiwn cynharach.
Thank you. I turn to the Conservatives' spokesperson, Nick Ramsay.
Diolch. Trof at lefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Nick Ramsay.
Diolch. Cabinet Secretary, I'd like to ask you about procurement. When the National Procurement Service was first created back in 2013, your predecessor, the Minister Jane Hutt, described the NPS as a
'very Welsh way to meet Welsh business needs but also value for money for the Welsh pound'.
Since then, however, the NPS has made significant losses and has had to be bailed out by Ministers, ultimately leading to the decision by the Welsh Government to scrap the NPS altogether.
Can I ask you to outline what you believe to be the core factors that have contributed to the failure of the NPS? Does this not constitute a serious and significant blow to the Welsh Government's overall programme for policy, given the importance of procurement and the NPS within the economic action plan?
Diolch. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, hoffwn eich holi ynglŷn â chaffael. Pan grëwyd y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol yn gyntaf yn ôl yn 2013, disgrifiodd eich rhagflaenydd, y Gweinidog Jane Hutt, y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol fel
'ffordd Gymreig iawn o ddiwallu anghenion busnes Cymru ond hefyd gwerth am arian am y bunt Gymreig'.
Ers hynny, fodd bynnag, mae'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol wedi gwneud colledion sylweddol a bu'n rhaid i Weinidogion ei achub, ac yn y pen draw mae hynny wedi arwain at benderfyniad gan Lywodraeth Cymru i gael gwared ar y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol yn gyfan gwbl.
A gaf fi gofyn i chi amlinellu beth yn eich barn chi yw'r ffactorau craidd sydd wedi cyfrannu at fethiant y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol? Onid yw hon yn ergyd ddifrifol a sylweddol i raglen bolisi gyffredinol Llywodraeth Cymru, o gofio pwysigrwydd caffael a'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol yn y cynllun gweithredu economaidd?
Of course, I don't accept for a moment the proposition of the question because NPS has not been a failure. Since it was introduced, the proportion of Welsh public procurement spend going to Welsh-based companies has gone up from 35 to 50 per cent. Of the 22,000 contracts that have been let through Sell2Wales, two thirds of those go to Welsh suppliers and three quarters of those are Welsh small and medium-sized enterprises, and that is as a result of the work that NPS has done in all parts of Wales. There are many other things that we could identify that rebound to the credit of NPS, in particular what it has done in driving up community benefits from contracts that are now let to Welsh suppliers.
What has happened, Dirprwy Lywydd, is that circumstances have changed. The needs of our users of NPS have changed. They have come to us as a Welsh Government to say that they believe that there is more that they could do if a service were more regionally and locally based, and they've made a convincing case on that. And Brexit casts a new set of possibilities for public procurement in the future, and it was in that context that I asked for a review of NPS to be undertaken and that is what led to the decisions that I announced to this Assembly in September.
Wrth gwrs, nid wyf am eiliad yn derbyn yr hyn y mae'r cwestiwn yn ei ddweud gan nad yw'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol wedi bod yn fethiant. Ers ei gyflwyno, mae cyfran y gwariant Cymreig ar gaffael cyhoeddus sy'n mynd i gwmnïau yng Nghymru wedi codi o 35 i 50 y cant. O'r 22,000 o gontractau sydd wedi'u gosod drwy GwerthwchiGymru, mae dwy ran o dair ohonynt yn mynd i gyflenwyr Cymreig ac mae tri chwarter y rheini'n fusnesau bach a chanolig Cymreig, a hynny o ganlyniad i'r gwaith y mae'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol wedi'i wneud ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Mae llawer o bethau eraill y gallem eu nodi sy'n glod i'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol, yn enwedig yr hyn a wnaeth drwy gynyddu'r manteision cymunedol yn sgil contractau sydd bellach wedi'u gosod i gyflenwyr o Gymru.
Yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd, Ddirprwy Lywydd, yw bod amgylchiadau wedi newid. Mae anghenion defnyddwyr y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol wedi newid. Maent wedi dod atom ni fel Llywodraeth Cymru i ddweud wrthym eu bod yn credu y gallent wneud mwy pe bai'r gwasanaeth ar gael ar sail fwy rhanbarthol a lleol, ac maent wedi dadlau achos cryf dros hynny. Ac mae Brexit yn cyflwyno set newydd o bosibiliadau ar gyfer caffael cyhoeddus yn y dyfodol, ac yn cyd-destun hwnnw, gofynnais am adolygiad o'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol a dyna a arweiniodd at y penderfyniadau a gyhoeddais i'r Cynulliad hwn ym mis Medi.
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. You clearly knew there were problems because you did order that review, and of course it's not just me who's being critical, it's the auditor general as well, who found that public bodies only spent £150 million with NPS in 2015-16 and £234 million the year after that. In addition, although the NPS made savings for the councils and other organisations that use its services, they lost millions of pounds on their own budget and had to be bailed out—I use that term again, not lightly—by your Government. Further still, they've been criticised by a report from the Assembly's Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee for overestimating the value of food contracts to suppliers.
So, can I ask you, what emergency management procedures and best practice measures have you now put in place in relation to Welsh Government public procurement operations to ensure that lessons have been learnt from these failings and that procurement practices in Wales from this autumn going forward see drastic improvement? Because it's not good enough to simply say to the public that all is fine and as it should be when it clearly isn't.
Diolch, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Roeddech yn amlwg yn gwybod bod problemau yno gan i chi ofyn am yr adolygiad hwnnw, ac wrth gwrs nid fi yn unig sy'n bod yn feirniadol, ond yr archwilydd cyffredinol hefyd, a ganfu mai £150 miliwn yn unig a wariwyd gan gyrff cyhoeddus gyda'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol yn 2015-16 a £234 miliwn yn y flwyddyn ganlynol. Yn ogystal, er bod y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol wedi gwneud arbedion ar gyfer y cynghorau a'r sefydliadau eraill sy'n defnyddio ei wasanaethau, fe wnaethant golli miliynau o bunnoedd ar eu cyllideb eu hunain a bu'n rhaid iddynt gael eu hachub—defnyddiaf y term hwnnw eto, nid ar chwarae bach—gan eich Llywodraeth. Yn ogystal â hynny, maent wedi cael eu beirniadu mewn adroddiad gan Bwyllgor Newid Hinsawdd, Amgylchedd a Materion Gwledig y Cynulliad am oramcangyfrif gwerth contractau bwyd i gyflenwyr.
Felly, a gaf fi ofyn ichi, pa weithdrefnau rheoli brys a chamau arferion gorau a roddwyd ar waith gennych bellach mewn perthynas â gweithrediadau caffael cyhoeddus Llywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau bod gwersi wedi'u dysgu o'r methiannau hyn ac y bydd arferion caffael yn Cymru o'r hydref hwn ymlaen yn gwella'n sylweddol? Oherwydd nid yw'n ddigon da dweud wrth y cyhoedd fod popeth yn iawn ac fel y dylai fod pan yw'n amlwg nad yw hynny'n wir.
Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, if the case for change wasn't there, I wouldn't have asked for the review to be undertaken and we wouldn't have set out a new prospectus for public procurement here in Wales as a result of the review. When the Member says that millions of pounds have had to be found from Welsh Government budgets to support NPS, the figure last year was £1.5 million, so I think we need a bit of perspective on the additional help that the Welsh Government has had to provide. In the end, the important point that I think was in Nick Ramsay's question is this: if you have an organisation like NPS, it has to be valued by its customers and its customers need to be willing to use that service. And if that service is one that customers say they would rather secure in a different way, then you have to listen carefully to what those users have to say. It was as a result of that conversation, where users said that they felt that a collective approach to public procurement in Wales was better secured through a strengthened regional tier, rather than discharging things at a national level—we've listened carefully to that. NPS will not continue in its current format, and it will migrate to being an organisation with a stronger regional and local presence, and an organisation that is better placed to make sure that those organisations across Wales that spend public money are well equipped to respond to the new opportunities that may be coming their way.
Wel, Ddirprwy Lywydd, os nad oedd yr achos dros newid yno, ni fyddwn wedi gofyn am adolygiad ac ni fyddem wedi amlinellu prosbectws newydd ar gyfer caffael cyhoeddus yma yng Nghymru o ganlyniad i'r adolygiad. Pan ddywed yr Aelod fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gorfod dod o hyd i filiynau o bunnoedd yn ei chyllidebau i gefnogi'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol, y ffigur y llynedd oedd £1.5 miliwn, felly credaf fod arnom angen ychydig o bersbectif mewn perthynas â'r cymorth ychwanegol y bu'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru ei ddarparu. Yn y pen draw, credaf mai'r pwynt pwysig yng nghwestiwn Nick Ramsay yw hwn: os oes gennych sefydliad fel y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol, mae'n rhaid i'w gwsmeriaid ei werthfawrogi ac mae'n rhaid i'w gwsmeriaid fod yn barod i ddefnyddio'r gwasanaeth hwnnw. Ac os yw'r gwasanaeth hwnnw yn un y dywed y cwsmeriaid y byddai'n well ganddynt ei sicrhau mewn ffordd wahanol, mae'n rhaid ichi wrando'n astud ar yr hyn sydd gan y defnyddwyr hynny i'w ddweud. O ganlyniad i'r sgwrs honno, lle dywedodd defnyddwyr eu bod yn teimlo y byddai ymagwedd gyfunol at gaffael cyhoeddus yng Nghymru yn cael ei sicrhau'n well drwy haen ranbarthol gryfach, yn hytrach na chyflawni pethau ar lefel genedlaethol—rydym wedi gwrando'n astud ar hynny. Ni fydd y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol yn parhau ar ei ffurf bresennol, a bydd yn newid i fod yn sefydliad gyda phresenoldeb rhanbarthol a lleol cryfach, ac yn sefydliad sydd mewn gwell sefyllfa i sicrhau bod y sefydliadau hynny ledled Cymru sy'n gwario arian cyhoeddus mewn sefyllfa dda i ymateb i'r cyfleoedd newydd a all fod ar gael iddynt.
We are where we are now, Cabinet Secretary. If I can just pick up on the last part of your comments there, and looking to the future, and turning to the immediate future arrangements for procurement, you stated, and you've reiterated again, that following the announcement that the NPS would be wound down over time, a smaller operation would then be set up to manage a reduced portfolio of national contracts. Can you give us some more details as to when NPS will formally cease to operate fully? What are the projected costs of winding down and disbanding the NPS? Also, what arrangements are in place to manage the ending of NPS operations? And what resources and business plans are in place to support the setting up of the new smaller operation that you envisage?
Dyma lle rydym yn awr, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Os caf sôn am ran olaf eich sylwadau, ac wrth edrych tua'r dyfodol, a throi at y trefniadau ar gyfer caffael yn y dyfodol agos, rydych wedi dweud, ac rydych wedi ailadrodd unwaith eto, yn dilyn y cyhoeddiad y byddai'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol yn dirwyn i ben dros gyfnod o amser, y byddai corff llai yn cael ei sefydlu wedyn i reoli portffolio llai o gontractau cenedlaethol. A allwch roi mwy o fanylion inni ynglŷn â phryd y bydd gweithrediad llawn y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol yn dod i ben yn ffurfiol? Beth yw costau rhagamcanol dirwyn y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol i ben? Hefyd, pa drefniadau sydd ar waith i reoli'r broses o ddod â gweithrediadau'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol i ben? A pha adnoddau a chynlluniau busnes sydd ar waith i gefnogi'r broses o sefydlu'r corff newydd llai o faint a ragwelwch?
The Member accurately describes what will happen to NPS. There still are some national procurement frameworks that local authorities and others tell us they value and would want to continue to see at an all-Wales level. There are some contracts that users of NPS say they would rather use through the Crown Commercial Service, so that is at a UK level of procurement, and we will probably make some additional use of the Crown Commercial Service as well.
The transition from where NPS is today to where it will be in the future will be conducted according to the timetable that we are advised of by stakeholders through the arrangements that we have set up with those who rely on its services. We will want to make sure that there are adequate alternatives in place before NPS ceases to provide the things that it does today. The timetable that we will use, Dirprwy Lywydd, will be guided by what the users of that service tell us is right for them, rather than by a plan simply devised in Cardiff Bay.
Mae'r Aelod yn disgrifio'n gywir beth fydd yn digwydd i'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol. Dywed awdurdodau lleol ac eraill wrthym eu bod yn dal i weld gwerth rhai fframweithiau caffael cenedlaethol ac y byddent yn awyddus i'w gweld yn parhau ar lefel Cymru gyfan. Mae defnyddwyr y Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol yn dweud y byddai'n well ganddynt ddefnyddio rhai contractau drwy Wasanaeth Masnachol y Goron, felly mae hynny ar lefel caffael y DU, ac mae'n debyg y byddwn ninnau hefyd yn gwneud defnydd ychwanegol o Wasanaeth Masnachol y Goron.
Bydd y newid o ble mae'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol heddiw i ble bydd yn y dyfodol yn cael ei weithredu'n unol â'r amserlen a awgrymir inni gan randdeiliaid drwy'r trefniadau rydym wedi'u sefydlu gyda'r rheini sy'n dibynnu ar ei wasanaethau. Byddwn yn awyddus i sicrhau bod dewisiadau amgen digonol ar gael cyn i'r Gwasanaeth Caffael Cenedlaethol orffen darparu'r pethau y mae'n eu darparu heddiw. Bydd yr amserlen y byddwn yn ei defnyddio, Ddirprwy Lywydd, yn cael ei llywio gan yr hyn y dywed defnyddwyr y gwasanaeth wrthym sy'n addas iddynt hwy, yn hytrach na chynllun a lunnir ym Mae Caerdydd.
Thank you. UKIP spokesperson, Neil Hamilton.
Diolch. Llefarydd UKIP, Neil Hamilton.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. The Cabinet Secretary is well aware that I'm keen to explore the possibility that by cutting tax rates in Wales we can create a tax advantage compared with England and grow the Welsh economy, and, therefore, increase the size of the tax base. We had a productive exchange, I thought, in the Finance Committee a few days ago, where I was pleased to see that the Cabinet Secretary was open-minded to this possibility.
The head of the Welsh Treasury advised me to look at the Welsh tax policy report of 2018, where numerous international studies on this topic are listed, and I've had the chance to look at a few of them—they all give support, broadly speaking, to my hypothesis. I'd like to draw his attention to one in particular by Isabel Martinez from the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-economic Research, which looks at what happened in Switzerland when this was tried by one Swiss canton: Obwalden. That did have the effect of attracting people on higher incomes to the canton in order to afford an overall lower level of taxation for everybody. The share of rich taxpayers living in the canton increased by 25 to 30 per cent in the first five years after the tax change, and the bottom 99 per cent of taxpayers weren't affected at all by this change, so it seems as though it was a win-win situation.
I know international comparisons are difficult in these areas, because behavioural effects are going to be different in different countries, but I'd like to ask him if he will instruct his officials to conduct a formal inquiry into the possibilities of this so we can inform decisions in future budgets.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ymwybodol iawn fy mod yn awyddus i archwilio'r posibilrwydd y gallwn, drwy dorri cyfraddau treth yng Nghymru, greu mantais dreth o gymharu â Lloegr a thyfu economi Cymru, ac felly, cynyddu maint y sylfaen drethu. Cawsom ddadl gynhyrchiol yn fy marn i yn y Pwyllgor Cyllid ychydig ddyddiau'n ôl, lle roeddwn yn falch o weld bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn agored i'r posibilrwydd hwn.
Dywedodd pennaeth Trysorlys Cymru wrthyf y dylwn edrych ar yr adroddiad ar bolisi treth Cymru ar gyfer 2018, lle caiff nifer o astudiaethau rhyngwladol ar y pwnc eu rhestru, ac rwyf wedi cael cyfle i edrych ar rai ohonynt—mae pob un ohonynt at ei gilydd yn cefnogi fy namcaniaeth. Hoffwn dynnu ei sylw at un yn benodol gan Isabel Martinez o Sefydliad Ymchwil Economaidd-gymdeithasol Lwcsembwrg, sy'n edrych ar yr hyn a ddigwyddodd yn y Swistir pan roddwyd hyn ar waith gan un o gantonau'r Swistir: Obwalden. Effaith hynny oedd denu pobl ar incwm uwch i'r canton er mwyn gallu fforddio lefel is o drethiant cyffredinol i bawb. Cynyddodd cyfran y trethdalwyr cyfoethog a oedd yn byw yn y canton o 25 i 30 y cant yn y pum mlynedd cyntaf wedi'r newid yn y dreth, ac ni effeithiwyd ar y 99 y cant isaf o drethdalwyr o gwbl gan y newid hwn, felly ymddengys ei bod yn sefyllfa lle roedd pawb ar ei ennill.
Gwn fod cymariaethau rhyngwladol yn anodd yn y meysydd hyn, gan y bydd yr effeithiau ymddygiadol yn wahanol mewn gwahanol wledydd, ond hoffwn ofyn iddo a fydd yn gofyn i'w swyddogion gynnal ymchwiliad ffurfiol i'r posibiliadau hyn fel y gallwn lywio penderfyniadau mewn cyllidebau yn y dyfodol.
Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, the Member knows that I don't share his starting hypothesis. I'm not, myself, convinced at all that tax competition, in which we drive down Welsh tax rates in the hope that that will somehow lead to people coming into Wales to take advantage of it, is something that would be very likely to happen. But in answering his questions at the Finance Committee, I said to him that in Welsh Government we believe in evidence-based policy making, and therefore we are always open to evidence from other parts of the world. I'm familiar with the Swiss canton study that he mentioned, and the fact that it's there cited in Welsh Government information shows that we are willing to look at things that happen elsewhere, and see if there are lessons to be learnt.
There are many countervailing examples that would demonstrate the opposite to you. When I put this question to the tax Minister in the Basque Country, which has significantly higher tax rates than those parts of Spain that are immediately adjacent to his border, I asked him: didn't he have tax leakage and didn't he have people leaving the Basque Country to take advantage of lower tax rates immediately adjacent to them? He assured me that that was absolutely not a feature of the way that people behaved in that tax regime.
So, to answer the question directly, in terms of all the many things that I have to ask my officials to attend to as we take on new fiscal responsibilities, as we face the challenge of Brexit and so on, I don't have an intention at this time to divert their energies into an exploration of the sort the Member suggests.
Wel, Ddirprwy Lywydd, gŵyr yr Aelod nad wyf yn rhannu ei ddamcaniaeth gychwynnol. Nid wyf wedi fy argyhoeddi y byddai cystadleuaeth dreth, lle byddem yn gostwng cyfraddau treth Cymru yn y gobaith y byddai hynny'n arwain rywsut at bobl yn dod i Gymru i fanteisio arnynt, yn rhywbeth a fyddai'n debygol iawn o ddigwydd. Ond wrth ateb ei gwestiynau yn y Pwyllgor Cyllid, dywedais wrtho ein bod ni yn Llywodraeth Cymru yn credu mewn llunio polisïau ar sail tystiolaeth, ac felly rydym bob amser yn agored i dystiolaeth o rannau eraill o'r byd. Rwy'n gyfarwydd â'r astudiaeth y soniodd amdani ar y canton yn y Swistir, ac mae'r ffaith bod gwybodaeth Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyfeirio ati yn dangos ein bod yn barod i edrych ar bethau sy'n digwydd mewn mannau eraill, ac i weld a oes gwersi i'w dysgu.
Ceir llawer o enghreifftiau gwrthbwysol a fyddai'n dangos y gwrthwyneb i chi. Pan ofynnais y cwestiwn hwn i'r Gweinidog treth yng Ngwlad y Basg, lle mae ganddynt gyfraddau treth sylweddol uwch na'r rhannau o Sbaen sy'n ffinio â hwy, gofynnais iddo: onid oedd ganddo golledion treth ac onid oedd pobl yn gadael Gwlad y Basg i fanteisio ar y cyfraddau treth is dros y ffin? Rhoddodd sicrwydd imi nad oedd honno'n un o nodweddion y ffordd roedd pobl yn ymddwyn yn y gyfundrefn dreth honno.
Felly, i ateb y cwestiwn yn uniongyrchol, o ran y llu o bethau y mae'n rhaid imi ofyn i fy swyddogion fynd i'r afael â hwy wrth inni ymgymryd â chyfrifoldebau cyllidol newydd, wrth inni wynebu her Brexit ac ati, nid oes bwriad gennyf ar hyn o bryd i ddargyfeirio eu hegni i archwiliad o'r math y mae'r Aelod yn ei awgrymu.
Perhaps I can help the Cabinet Secretary by instructing my officials to do that, and sending him the results of their labours in due course.
But I would like to draw the Cabinet Secretary's attention to the statement on page 56 of the Welsh tax policy report, which summarises the effects of the numerous studies that are mentioned in the footnotes, which says that
'These have tended to show taxpayers with higher incomes have larger responses to income tax changes. The main explanation for this is that higher income earners tend to be more active tax planners and are potentially more mobile than those on lower incomes.'
So, we start from a position, I think, where the ground soil is fertile, and although I appreciate that the Basque Country may be different from the experience in Switzerland—you can't take one single survey as indicating, as a form of genius, behavioural effect across Europe, or in the United Kingdom, or in Wales—but, nevertheless, there is here I think advantage in looking at the possibilities, given the tax-varying powers that we've got are limited, but the room for manoeuvre that the Cabinet Secretary has in any budget is limited by the system of block grant from the Treasury et cetera. The amount of discretion that we've got depends, crucially, now upon whether the Welsh economy can grow faster than it has done in the last 20 or so years.
And I would like to draw his attention to something else. The Wales Centre for Public Policy published a report called 'The Welsh Tax Base: Risks and Opportunities after Fiscal Devolution', and there's a table in there that shows that if we attracted only 1,600 higher rate taxpayers to Wales by a 5p additional tax rate cut, that would produce a £16 million benefit for the Welsh Government. If we attracted 10,000, then that would add £230 million to the Welsh Government's budget. So, these surely are risks that are worth looking at, with a view to taking them if you're convinced that these are going to be reflected in reality.
Efallai y gallaf helpu Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet drwy ddweud wrth fy swyddogion wneud hynny, ac anfon canlyniadau eu gwaith ato maes o law.
Ond hoffwn dynnu sylw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet at y datganiad ar dudalen 56 o'r adroddiad ar bolisi treth Cymru, sy'n crynhoi effeithiau'r nifer o astudiaethau a grybwyllir yn y troednodiadau, ac sy'n dweud
'Roedd y rhain yn dueddol o ddangos bod trethdalwyr ar incwm uwch yn ymateb yn fwy i newidiadau i'r dreth incwm. Y prif esboniad dros hyn yw bod enillwyr incwm uwch yn dueddol o gynllunio'n fwy gweithgar ar sail trethi ac maent o bosibl yn fwy symudol na'r rheini sydd ar incwm is.'
Felly, credaf ein bod yn dechrau o sefyllfa lle mae'r pridd yn ffrwythlon, ac er fy mod yn sylweddoli efallai fod Gwlad y Basg yn wahanol i'r profiad yn y Swistir—ni allwch gymryd bod un arolwg yn ddigon athrylithgar i allu dangos effaith ymddygiadol ledled Ewrop, neu yn y Deyrnas Unedig, neu yng Nghymru—ond serch hynny, credaf fod mantais i'w chael o edrych ar y posibiliadau, o gofio bod y pwerau amrywio trethi sydd gennym yn gyfyngedig, ond mae'r lle sydd gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i symud mewn unrhyw gyllideb wedi'i gyfyngu gan system y grant bloc gan y Trysorlys ac ati. Mae faint o ddisgresiwn sydd gennym yn dibynnu bellach, yn allweddol, ar allu economi Cymru i dyfu'n gyflymach nag y gwnaeth dros yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf.
A hoffwn dynnu ei sylw at rywbeth arall. Cyhoeddodd Canolfan Polisi Cyhoeddus Cymru adroddiad o'r enw 'Y Sylfaen Drethu Gymreig: Risgiau a Chyfleoedd ar ôl Datganoli Cyllidol', ac mae'n cynnwys tabl sy'n dangos, pe baem yn denu 1,600 yn unig o drethdalwyr ar y gyfradd uwch i Gymru drwy doriad ychwanegol o 5c i'r gyfradd dreth, y byddai hynny'n creu budd o £16 miliwn i Lywodraeth Cymru. Pe byddem yn denu 10,000, byddai hynny'n ychwanegu £230 miliwn i gyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru. Felly, yn sicr, mae'r rhain yn risgiau sy'n werth eu hystyried, gyda'r bwriad o'u cymryd os ydych yn argyhoeddedig y byddant yn cael eu gwireddu.
Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, let me try and find some common ground with Mr Hamilton because, like him, I agree that growing the Welsh tax base is a very important ambition for the Welsh Government. The only difference is in the best way to do that. He would do it by reducing the rate of taxation on high earners in Wales, in the hope that we would attract some people to come to live in Wales on that basis. I think there are many preferable reasons why people would want to come and live in Wales, not simply because it's cheap for them to do so. And the Welsh Governance Centre report on growing the Welsh tax base set out a series of other ways in which that could be achieved; for example, by greater graduate retention.
So, while I share the ambition behind his question, which is to make sure that we grow the tax base here in Wales, I think there are preferable ways to doing so from the one that he prefers, and where I think the evidence in favour of those alternative measures is stronger.
Wel, Ddirprwy Lywydd, gadewch imi geisio dod o hyd i rywfaint o dir cyffredin gyda Mr Hamilton oherwydd, fel yntau, rwy'n cytuno bod tyfu'r sylfaen drethu Gymreig yn uchelgais pwysig iawn i Lywodraeth Cymru. Yr unig wahaniaeth yw'r ffordd orau o wneud hynny. Byddai ef yn gwneud hynny drwy leihau cyfraddau treth i rai sy'n ennill yn dda yng Nghymru, yn y gobaith y byddem yn denu rhai pobl i ddod i fyw yng Nghymru ar y sail honno. Credaf fod llawer o resymau gwell pam y byddai pobl yn awyddus i ddod i fyw yng Nghymru, nid yn unig am ei bod yn rhad iddynt wneud hynny. Ac mae adroddiad Canolfan Llywodraethiant Cymru ar dyfu'r sylfaen drethu Gymreig yn nodi cyfres o ffyrdd eraill y gellid cyflawni hynny; er enghraifft, drwy gadw mwy o raddedigion yma.
Felly, er fy mod yn rhannu'r uchelgais sy'n sail i'w gwestiwn, sef sicrhau ein bod yn tyfu'r sylfaen drethu yma yng Nghymru, credaf fod ffyrdd gwell o wneud hynny na'r un a ffafrir ganddo, a lle credaf fod y dystiolaeth o blaid y mesurau amgen hynny'n gryfach.
These are not zero-sum games; it's not one or the other—we can have both, in my opinion, and that's what I'm interested in exploring further. The Bangor study suggests that taxpayer growth in Wales is going to decline from an increase of 0.007 per cent in 2019-20 to -0.11 per cent in 2023, so the prospects for the future under things as they are now—even bearing in mind all forecasts are necessarily provisional and may not turn out as we predict, nevertheless, things are going to get tighter rather than less tight for him. And therefore it makes it all the more urgent to see what we can do to get more wealthy people into Wales, not just because as individual taxpayers they could add to the Welsh tax base but because that might also bring other businesses that they're involved in into Wales as well and Wales could do successfully what the Irish Republic has done, although we don't have control of corporation tax yet, and this is the way forward for Wales.
Nid gemau sero-swm yw'r rhain; nid yw'n un neu'r llall—gallwn gael y ddau beth yn fy marn i, ac mae gennyf ddiddordeb mewn archwilio hynny ymhellach. Awgryma astudiaeth Bangor y bydd twf trethdalwyr yng Nghymru yn gostwng o gynnydd o 0.007 y cant yn 2019-20 i -0.11 y cant yn 2023, felly mae'r rhagolygon ar gyfer y dyfodol gyda phethau fel y maent ar hyn o bryd—hyd yn oed o gofio bod yr holl ragolygon yn rhai dros dro o reidrwydd ac efallai na fydd pethau'n digwydd fel rydym yn eu rhagweld, serch hynny, bydd pethau'n mynd yn dynnach yn hytrach na'n llai tynn iddo ef. Ac felly, mae'n bwysicach byth ein bod yn gweld beth y gallwn ei wneud i sicrhau bod mwy o bobl gyfoethog yn dod i Gymru, nid yn unig oherwydd y gallent ychwanegu at y sylfaen drethu Gymreig fel trethdalwyr unigol ond oherwydd y gallent ddod â busnesau eraill y maent yn ymwneud â hwy i Gymru hefyd, a gallai Cymru lwyddo i wneud yr hyn y mae Gweriniaeth Iwerddon wedi'i wneud, er nad oes gennym reolaeth dros dreth gorfforaeth eto, a hon yw'r ffordd ymlaen i Gymru.
Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, the Bangor projections are rooted in demographics rather than behavioural changes, and I don't think that the proposition that the Member has put forward this afternoon would do much to alter those fundamental demographic drivers. He promised in an earlier answer that he would provide evidence of his own to underscore the case that he has made, and, in the way that I said in front of the Finance Committee, while I don't think I'm easily persuaded of his case, I'm always open to reading new evidence.
Wel, Ddirprwy Lywydd, mae amcanestyniadau Bangor yn seiliedig ar ddemograffeg yn hytrach na newidiadau ymddygiadol, a ni chredaf y byddai'r cynnig a wnaed gan yr Aelod y prynhawn yma yn gwneud llawer i newid y sbardunau demograffig sylfaenol hynny. Addawodd mewn ateb cynharach y byddai'n darparu ei dystiolaeth ei hun i ategu'r achos a wnaed ganddo, ac fel y dywedais gerbron y Pwyllgor Cyllid, er nad yw ei achos wedi fy argyhoeddi, rwyf bob amser yn agored i ddarllen tystiolaeth newydd.
Thank you. We turn to questions on the order paper. Question 3—Janet Finch-Saunders.
Diolch. Trown at y cwestiynau ar y papur trefn. Cwestiwn 3—Janet Finch-Saunders.
3. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet amlinellu sut y bydd y gyllideb ddrafft yn helpu awdurdodau lleol yng ngogledd Cymru yn sgil y pwysau ariannol sydd arnynt? OAQ52739
3. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline how the draft budget will assist local authorities in north Wales in light of the financial pressures being placed upon them? OAQ52739
Dirprwy Lywydd, the draft budget demonstrates efforts across the Welsh Government to assist local authorities to meet the very real pressures they face. The reduction of less than £15 million in revenue support grant in Wales is more than 75 per cent less than the cut imposed by the UK Government on English local authorities next year.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, mae'r gyllideb ddrafft yn dangos ymdrechion ar draws Llywodraeth Cymru i gynorthwyo awdurdodau lleol i fynd i'r afael â'r pwysau gwirioneddol a wynebir ganddynt. Mae'r gostyngiad o lai na £15 miliwn yn y grant cynnal refeniw yng Nghymru dros 75 y cant yn llai na thoriad Llywodraeth y DU i awdurdodau lleol yn Lloegr y flwyddyn nesaf.
Cabinet Secretary, according to the letter sent to local authorities by your colleague the Cabinet Secretary for local government, overall core funding for councils announced in yesterday's local government settlement will be cut by 0.3 per cent in the upcoming year. However, this hides the fact that the cut in spending will not be shared equally and fairly amongst councils in Wales. In north Wales, Conwy, Anglesey and Flintshire will all see their funding cut by 1 per cent—the highest cuts in Wales. My own authority of Conwy has already had to make £48 million in savings over the past six years and is now looking to find £16 million just to stay in business. Yet Rhondda Cynon Taf and Labour-run Cardiff have seen increases of 0.3 per cent. With £370 million coming from the UK Conservative Government to better fund our public services, many here in Wales consider this latest settlement to be a tribal and lazy approach by a Welsh Labour Government. What other excuse could you possibly provide for such an unfair and inequitable local government settlement?
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yn ôl y llythyr a anfonwyd at yr awdurdodau lleol gan eich cyd-Aelod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros lywodraeth leol, bydd y cyllid craidd cyffredinol ar gyfer cynghorau a gyhoeddwyd yn y setliad llywodraeth leol ddoe yn cael ei dorri 0.3 y cant yn y flwyddyn sydd i ddod. Fodd bynnag, mae hyn yn cuddio'r ffaith na fydd y toriad yn y gwariant wedi'i rannu'n gyfartal ac yn deg rhwng cynghorau Cymru. Yng ngogledd Cymru, bydd Conwy, Ynys Môn a Sir y Fflint yn wynebu toriad o 1 y cant i'w cyllid—y toriadau uchaf yng Nghymru. Mae fy awdurdod i, Conwy, eisoes wedi gorfod gwneud £48 miliwn o arbedion dros y chwe blynedd diwethaf a bellach mae'n rhaid iddynt ddod o hyd i £16 miliwn er mwyn parhau i weithredu. Serch hynny, mae Rhondda Cynon Taf, a Chaerdydd sydd o dan arweiniad y Blaid Lafur, wedi gweld cynnydd o 0.3 y cant. Gyda £370 miliwn yn dod gan Lywodraeth Geidwadol y DU er mwyn ariannu ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn well, mae llawer o bobl yma yng Nghymru o'r farn fod y setliad diweddaraf hwn yn dangos ymagwedd lwythol a diog gan Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru. Pa esgus arall y gallech ei roi am setliad llywodraeth leol mor annheg ac anghyfiawn?
Dirprwy Lywydd, the Member really should withdraw her accusation that the funding formula for local government in Wales is somehow tribal in nature. She knows that it is not. The funding formula is agreed every year with local government. I sat in the finance subgroup, where local authority leaders—[Interruption.]—no, no, local authority leaders agreed on the latest set of changes to the formula. By and large, those changes were ones that favoured more rural parts of Wales because they added an additional increment to the recognition of sparsity in the way that the formula operates. Welsh Government does not set the formula. It is set on expert advice and it is agreed by local government. The reason why Conwy has found a decrease in funding this year is because it has fewer people unemployed in its area than it did this time last year, it has fewer secondary school pupils than it did this time last year, and it has fewer children claiming free school meals in its primary schools. There is nothing tribal about any one of those factors. They are all empirical measures, they feed their way into the formula, and, every year, some local authorities see a benefit and some local authorities find that they are less so, and Conwy council is no doubt grateful for the fact that, in order to help that council address the changes in the formula, the Welsh Government will provide £513,000 more in funding to that council next year—not as they do where you are in charge, by taking money from some councils and giving it to others, but through central funding that this Government provides to provide the funding floor.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, dylai'r Aelod dynnu ei chyhuddiad yn ôl fod natur y fformiwla ariannu ar gyfer llywodraeth leol yng Nghymru rywsut yn llwythol. Gŵyr nad yw hynny'n wir. Cytunir ar y fformiwla ariannu bob blwyddyn gyda llywodraeth leol. Eisteddais yn yr is-grŵp cyllid, lle cytunodd arweinwyr awdurdodau lleol—[Torri ar draws.]—na, na, cytunodd arweinwyr awdurdodau lleol ar y gyfres ddiweddaraf o newidiadau i'r fformiwla. Ar y cyfan, roedd y newidiadau hynny'n ffafrio rhannau mwy gwledig o Gymru am eu bod yn ychwanegu cynnydd ychwanegol i gydnabod teneurwydd poblogaeth yn y ffordd y mae'r fformiwla'n gweithio. Nid Llywodraeth Cymru sy'n gosod y fformiwla. Fe'i gosodir yn unol â chyngor arbenigol a'i chytuno gan lywodraeth leol. Y rheswm pam fod Conwy wedi wynebu gostyngiad yn y cyllid eleni yw am fod ganddynt lai o bobl ddi-waith yn eu hardal nag a oedd ganddynt yr adeg hon y llynedd, mae ganddynt lai o ddisgyblion ysgol uwchradd nag a oedd ganddynt yr adeg hon y llynedd, ac mae ganddynt lai o blant yn hawlio prydau ysgol am ddim yn eu hysgolion cynradd. Nid oes unrhyw beth llwythol ynghylch unrhyw un o'r ffactorau hynny. Mae pob un ohonynt yn fesurau empirig, maent yn bwydo eu ffordd i mewn i'r fformiwla, a bob blwyddyn, mae rhai awdurdodau lleol yn gweld budd a rhai awdurdodau lleol yn gweld llai o fudd, felly heb os, bydd cyngor Conwy'n ddiolchgar fod Llywodraeth Cymru, er mwyn cynorthwyo'r cyngor hwnnw i fynd i'r afael â'r newidiadau yn y fformiwla, yn darparu £513,000 o gyllid ychwanegol i'r cyngor hwnnw y flwyddyn nesaf—nid drwy fynd ag arian oddi wrth rai cynghorau a'i roi i eraill fel y gwnânt lle rydych chi mewn grym, ond drwy'r cyllid canolog y mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn ei roi er mwyn darparu'r cyllid gwaelodol.
Er nid wyf i'n meddwl bydd trethdalwyr Conwy yn mwynhau codiad o 11 y cant yn y dreth gyngor, chwaith—ac mae hwnnw'n rhywbeth sydd yn cael ei ystyried ar hyn o bryd. Mi godais i gwestiwn gyda'r Ysgrifennydd gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yr wythnos diwethaf: o gofio'r wasgfa ddifrifol, ingol sydd ar awdurdodau lleol yn ariannol erbyn hyn, a oedd e'n hyderus bod yna drefniadau yn eu lle gan y Llywodraeth yma—bod yna broses yn ei lle—i ddelio â sefyllfa, petai hi'n codi, fod yna gyngor yng Nghymru yn mynd yn fethdalwr, fel yr ŷm ni wedi gweld yn digwydd yn Lloegr? Mi wnaeth e gydnabod bod hwnnw'n rhywbeth maen nhw yn edrych arno fe ar hyn o bryd ac yn ei ddatblygu, felly a gaf i ofyn yr un cwestiwn i chi: o safbwynt cyllidol, yng nghyd-destun y gyllideb rŷch chi'n gyfrifol amdani, a ydych chi'n hyderus bod gennych chi'r trefniadau angenrheidiol yn eu lle petai'r fath sefyllfa'n codi?
Although I don't think the taxpayers in Conwy will enjoy an increase of 11 per cent in council tax either—but that is something that is currently being considered. I raised a question with the Cabinet Secretary for public services last week, given the huge, painful pressures on local authorities now, as to whether he was confident that arrangements were in place by Government—that there was a process in place—to deal with the situation, should such a situation arise, of a council in Wales going bust, as we've seen happen in England. That’s something he admitted that they are looking at and developing at the moment. Can I ask you the same question: from a finance perspective, in terms of the budget you're responsible for, are you confident that you have the necessary arrangements in place should such a situation arise?
Wel, diolch i Llyr Gruffydd am y cwestiwn. Fel y dywedodd e, nid oedd Janet Finch-Saunders yn codi'r prynhawn yma'r posibiliad am godiad o 11 y cant yn y dreth gyngor yng Nghonwy, lle mae'r mwyafrif o bobl yn y cabinet yn yr awdurdod yna'n aelodau o barti'r Ceidwadwyr. So, cawn ni weld beth sy'n mynd i ddigwydd yna. Yn gyffredinol, rydw i wedi siarad mwy nag unwaith gyda Alun Davies am y pwnc yr oedd Llyr wedi ei godi. Rŷm ni yn hyderus bod pethau gyda ni yn barod lle rŷm ni'n gallu bod yn ymwybodol am ble yn y system mae awdurdodau lleol yn pryderu am y dyfodol.
Thank you to Llyr Gruffydd for the question. As he said, Janet Finch-Saunders didn't raise this afternoon the possibility of an 11 per cent increase in council tax in Conwy, where the majority of people in the cabinet in that authority are members of the Conservative Party, so we'll see what will happen there. In general, I have spoken more than once with Alun Davies on the subject that Llyr raised. We are confident that we have things ready where we can be aware of where in the system local authorities are concerned for the future.
I think it is worth saying, Dirprwy Lywydd, that, despite those genuine anxieties, and I have real—. I take very seriously the things that local authorities say to me about the pressures that they face nine years into austerity. Nevertheless, revenue spending by local government in Wales last year grew by 1.3 per cent—it didn't fall at all; it grew by 1.3 per cent—and capital funding by local authorities in Wales last year grew by 5.5 per cent. And, difficult as things are for us all, trying to provide public services with falling resources and growing demand, that is the background against which this year's local authority settlement has been laid.
Credaf ei bod yn werth dweud, Ddirprwy Lywydd, er gwaethaf y pryderon gwirioneddol hynny, ac mae gennyf wir—. Rwy'n cymryd y pethau y mae awdurdodau lleol yn eu dweud wrthyf ynglŷn a'r pwysau y maent yn eu hwynebu wedi naw mlynedd o gyni o ddifrif. Serch hynny, cynyddodd gwariant refeniw gan lywodraeth leol yng Nghymru 1.3 y cant y llynedd—ni ddisgynnodd o gwbl; fe gynyddodd 1.3 y cant—a chynyddodd cyllid cyfalaf gan awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru 5.5 y cant y llynedd. Ac er mor anodd yw pethau i bob un ohonom, o ran ceisio darparu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus gyda llai o adnoddau a galw cynyddol, gosodwyd y setliad i awdurdodau lleol eleni yn erbyn y cefndir hwnnw.
4. Pa effaith y mae'r gyfradd dreth trafodiadau tir o 6 y cant wedi'i chael ar refeniw treth o drafodiadau eiddo masnachol dros £1 miliwn ers mis Ebrill 2018? OAQ52724
4. What effect has the 6 per cent land transaction tax rate had on tax revenue from commercial property transactions of over £1 million since April 2018? OAQ52724
Dirprwy Lywydd, it is too early to draw any conclusions about the potential effects of land transaction tax on the commercial property market. Only five months of data has been published by the Welsh Revenue Authority. And, of course, as I've said many times in this Chamber, the Welsh Government will continue to monitor the situation.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, mae'n rhy gynnar i ddod i unrhyw gasgliadau ynghylch effeithiau posibl y dreth trafodiadau tir ar y farchnad eiddo masnachol. Pum mis yn unig o ddata sydd wedi'i gyhoeddi gan Awdurdod Cyllid Cymru. Ac wrth gwrs, fel rwyf wedi'i ddweud droeon yn y Siambr hon, bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i fonitro'r sefyllfa.
Yes, well, the Cabinet Secretary is no doubt aware that the land transaction tax base is commercial property transactions, and, according to the CoStar review of commercial property investment for the second quarter, which, I understand, surveys all commercial transactions above that size and many more across the UK, the total amount of commercial property investment in Wales in the second quarter was just £40 million. That is a 78 per cent decline compared to the five-year average. Is it not the case that, as night follows day, that collapse in commercial property transactions is going to lead to a collapse in commercial tax revenues on the LTT thanks to your 6 per cent supertax?
Ie, wel, bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ymwybodol yn ddi-os mai sylfaen drethu'r dreth trafodiadau tir yw trafodiadau eiddo masnachol, ac yn ôl adolygiad CoStar o fuddsoddiadau mewn eiddo masnachol ar gyfer yr ail chwarter, sydd, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, yn arolygu pob trafodiad masnachol mwy o faint na hynny, a llawer mwy ledled y DU, £40 miliwn yn unig oedd cyfanswm y buddsoddiad mewn eiddo masnachol yng Nghymru yn yr ail chwarter. Dyna ddirywiad o 78 y cant o gymharu â'r cyfartaledd pum mlynedd. Onid yw'n wir, fel y mae nos yn dilyn dydd, y bydd cwymp mewn trafodiadau eiddo masnachol yn arwain at gwymp mewn refeniw treth masnachol ar y dreth trafodiadau tir, diolch i'ch uwchdreth o 6 y cant?
Llywydd, that really is about as nonsensical a contribution as you're likely to hear this afternoon. The Member takes a single quarter—a single quarter—and proceeds to build castles on it far into the future.
Lywydd, dyna'r cyfraniad gwirionaf rydych yn debygol o'i glywed y prynhawn yma. Mae'r Aelod yn cymryd un chwarter—un chwarter—ac yn bwrw iddi i adeiladu cestyll arno ymhell i'r dyfodol.
It's in your budget for this year; you're relying on them.
Mae'n rhan o'ch cyllideb ar gyfer eleni; rydych yn dibynnu arnynt.
Let me give him a different example of commercial property transactions here in Cardiff in the third quarter, where, in Cardiff, the largest office tower, Capital Tower, was sold last month for £25 million. This is what the seller's agent said:
'Over recent years Cardiff has cemented its position as a major regional centre in the UK.... We capitalised on this here with more than 10 inspections of the building from potential purchasers, creating a highly competitive bidding environment which enabled the end result to be achieved.'
The highest—
Gadewch imi roi enghraifft wahanol iddo o drafodiadau eiddo masnachol yma yng Nghaerdydd yn y trydydd chwarter, lle gwerthwyd y tŵr swyddfa mwyaf yng Nghaerdydd, Capital Tower, y mis diwethaf am £25 miliwn. Dyma a ddywedodd asiant y gwerthwr:
Dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf mae Caerdydd wedi cryfhau ei lle fel canolfan ranbarthol bwysig yn y DU... Fe fanteisiwyd ar hyn yma gyda mwy na 10 arolwg o'r adeilad gan brynwyr posibl, gan greu amgylchedd cystadleuol iawn o ran gwneud cynigion, ac fe alluogodd hynny inni sicrhau'r canlyniad hwn.
Yr uchaf—
One transaction.
Un trafodiad.
From the man who offers me one quarter—from the man who offers me one quarter's worth of figures. So—[Interruption.] Yes, but what he would like to do, he would like to take one quarter and then tell me that the rest of the world is falling about our ears. I offer him one transaction from the succeeding quarter, which is the single greatest sum ever paid for a commercial building here in Wales, and where the buyer's agent said:
'The fast moving Cardiff office market has meant quality office investment stock like Capital Tower is so hard to buy.'
It does not sound to me to be the views of people put off from investing in Wales. Dirprwy Lywydd, if there were to be anything that would have an impact on commercial property in Wales, it's not 1 per cent added to a tax, it's his plans for a hard-line Brexit that will bring property prices in commercial and residential property crashing around our ears.
Gan y dyn sy'n cynnig un chwarter i mi—gan y dyn sy'n cynnig gwerth un chwarter o ffigurau i mi. Felly—[Torri ar draws.] Ie, ond yr hyn yr hoffai ef ei wneud fyddai cymryd un chwarter a dweud wrthyf wedyn fod gweddill y byd yn cwympo'n ddarnau. Rwy'n cynnig un trafodiad iddo o'r chwarter canlynol, sef y swm mwyaf erioed a dalwyd am adeilad masnachol yma yng Nghymru, a lle dywedodd asiant y prynwr:
Mae marchnad swyddfeydd Caerdydd, sy'n symud yn gyflym, wedi golygu bod stoc o safon ar gyfer buddsoddi mewn swyddfeydd fel Capital Tower mor anodd i'w brynu.
Nid yw'n swnio fel barn pobl nad oes arnynt eisiau buddsoddi yng Nghymru. Ddirprwy Lywydd, os oes unrhyw beth a fyddai'n cael effaith ar eiddo masnachol yng Nghymru, nid ychwanegu 1 y cant at dreth yw hynny, ond ei gynlluniau ef am Brexit caled a fydd yn arwain at gwymp sylweddol ym mhrisiau eiddo masnachol a phreswyl.
5. Pa drafodaethau sydd wedi'u cynnal i sicrhau y bydd cronfeydd strwythurol yn cael eu rheoli gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar ôl Brexit? OAQ52725
5. What negotiations have taken place to ensure that post-Brexit structural funds will be managed by the Welsh Government? OAQ52725
Both the First Minister and I have repeatedly raised this matter with UK Ministers. I will do so again at the finance Ministers' quadrilateral attended by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on Wednesday of next week.
Mae'r Prif Weinidog a minnau wedi codi'r mater hwn dro ar ôl tro gyda Gweinidogion y DU. Byddaf yn gwneud hynny eto yng nghyfarfod pedairochrog y Gweinidogion cyllid, a fydd yn cynnwys Prif Ysgrifennydd y Trysorlys, ddydd Mercher yr wythnos nesaf.
Picking up on the fair funding of local government, here in Wales we have a really transparent formula, but the research from Cambridge University published yesterday indicates that there's been a land grab by Tory shires, paid for by the poor in the post-industrial areas of the north of England. So, places like Liverpool, Gateshead and Wigan have suffered up to 50 per cent cuts in local government spending, compared with the leafy shires that have merely suffered single-digit cuts in their funding.
Now, this does not bode well for the way in which the UK shared prosperity fund is going to be operated, if it's going to be done through pork-barrel politics, because it's been crucial—[Interruption.] It's been crucial that—. The EU structural funds have been absolutely vital in creating thousands of jobs, getting thousands of people into employment. The reason we have the largest amount of money from Europe is because we are the most deprived area, and that continues to need to be the case in the way that this so-called shared prosperity fund is going to be operated. So, what assurances, Cabinet Secretary, can you give us that the UK Government recognises that, under the Wales Act 2017, economic development and regeneration is not a reserved matter? And how are we going to resolve this major constitutional and financial issue?
Gan gyfeirio'n ôl at gyllid teg i lywodraeth leol, yma yng Nghymru, mae gennym fformiwla wirioneddol dryloyw, ond mae ymchwil gan Brifysgol Caergrawnt a gyhoeddwyd ddoe yn dangos bod siroedd Torïaidd wedi bod yn cipio tir, ac mai pobl dlawd yn ardaloedd ôl-ddiwydiannol gogledd Lloegr sydd wedi talu am hynny. Felly, mae lleoedd fel Lerpwl, Gateshead a Wigan wedi dioddef toriadau o hyd at 50 y cant mewn gwariant llywodraeth leol, o gymharu â'r shires cyfoethog, sydd wedi dioddef toriadau un digid yn unig i'w cyllid.
Nawr, nid hyn yn argoeli'n dda ar gyfer y ffordd y bydd cronfa ffyniant gyffredin y DU yn cael ei gweithredu, os yw hynny'n mynd i ddigwydd drwy wleidyddiaeth pot mêl, oherwydd mae wedi bod yn allweddol—[Torri ar draws.] Mae wedi bod yn allweddol fod—. Mae cronfeydd strwythurol yr UE wedi bod yn gwbl allweddol ar gyfer creu miloedd o swyddi, gan sicrhau cyflogaeth i filoedd o bobl. Y rheswm pam mai ni sy'n derbyn y swm mwyaf o arian gan Ewrop yw am mai ni yw'r ardal fwyaf difreintiedig, ac mae hynny'n parhau i fod yn wir o ran y ffordd y bydd y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin honedig hon yn cael ei gweithredu. Felly, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei roi inni fod Llywodraeth y DU yn cydnabod nad yw datblygu ac adfywio economaidd, o dan Ddeddf Cymru 2017, yn fater a gedwir yn ôl? A sut y gallwn ddatrys y mater cyfansoddiadol ac ariannol pwysig hwn?
Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, I thank the Member for that question. She's quite right that the Cambridge University study published earlier this week suggests that it is devolved powers that have allowed Scottish and Welsh Governments to mitigate the harshest cuts experienced in local government in England, where they describe 'intensifying territorial injustice' as the guiding principle of UK Ministers' actions.
On the shared prosperity fund, while I disagreed with what was said earlier by Steffan Lewis when he conflated the shared prosperity fund and the inter-governmental agreement, when there is no relationship between the two, I did agree with the substantive point that he was making. Wales gets money through the European Union because we have a need that that money is there to meet. It is for UK Ministers to deliver on the promise that members of the governing party there made in the referendum: it was a cast-iron guarantee, as I remember, that Wales would not lose out a penny from—[Interruption.] Not a penny—a cast-iron guarantee that Wales would not lose out. So, we must make sure that the money that comes to Wales today delivers on that promise that was made, and, secondly, it must come to Wales. It must come under the control of this Assembly. That must be guaranteed. The shared prosperity fund consultation should be England only, just as the consultation on common agricultural policy reform was an England-only consultation. That, I think, is consistent with the conclusions drawn by the Finance Committee and by the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee when they looked at this matter. When I go to London tomorrow, and again next week, then, together with Scottish colleagues, I will be making that abundantly clear.
Wel, Ddirprwy Lywydd, diolch i'r Aelod am ei chwestiwn. Mae'n llygad ei lle fod astudiaeth Prifysgol Caergrawnt a gyhoeddwyd yn gynharach yr wythnos hon yn awgrymu mai pwerau datganoledig sydd wedi caniatáu i Lywodraethau'r Alban a Chymru liniaru'r toriadau mwyaf llym a wnaed i lywodraeth leol yn Lloegr, lle dywedant mai 'dwysáu anghyfiawnder tiriogaethol' yw egwyddor arweiniol gweithredoedd Gweinidogion y DU.
O ran y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin, er fy mod yn anghytuno â'r hyn a ddywedwyd yn gynharach gan Steffan Lewis pan oedd yn cyfuno'r gronfa ffyniant gyffredin a'r cytundeb rhynglywodraethol, er nad oes unrhyw berthynas rhwng y ddau, roeddwn yn cytuno â'r pwynt a wnâi yn ei hanfod. Mae Cymru'n cael arian drwy'r Undeb Ewropeaidd am fod gennym angen y mae'r arian hwnnw ar gael i'w ddiwallu. Dylai Gweinidogion y DU gadw at yr addewid a wnaeth aelodau'r blaid lywodraethol yn y refferendwm: cafwyd sicrwydd pendant, yn ôl yr hyn a gofiaf, na fyddai Cymru'n colli'r un geiniog—[Torri ar draws.] Dim ceiniog—sicrwydd pendant na fyddai Cymru ar ei cholled. Felly, mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau bod yr arian a ddaw i Gymru heddiw yn gwireddu'r addewid a wnaed, ac yn ail, mae'n rhaid iddo ddod i Gymru. Mae'n rhaid iddo fod o dan reolaeth y Cynulliad hwn. Mae'n rhaid gwarantu hynny. Dylai'r ymgynghoriad ar y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin fod ar gyfer Lloegr yn unig, yn union fel roedd yr ymgynghoriad ar ddiwygio'r polisi amaethyddol cyffredin yn ymgynghoriad ar gyfer Lloegr yn unig. Credaf fod hynny'n gyson â chasgliadau'r Pwyllgor Cyllid a'r Pwyllgor Materion Allanol a Deddfwriaeth Ychwanegol pan ystyriwyd y mater hwn ganddynt. Pan fyddaf yn mynd i Lundain yfory, ac eto yr wythnos nesaf, byddaf yn dweud hynny'n gwbl glir gyda fy nghymheiriaid o'r Alban.
6. A wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddatganiad am y rhagolygon ariannol sy'n sail i'r gyllideb ddrafft? OAQ52722
6. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the fiscal prospects that underpin the draft budget? OAQ52722
Thank you for the question. The chief economist’s report, published alongside the budget, makes it clear that fiscal prospects across the UK remain very challenging, especially in the uncertainty created by Brexit. Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts, alongside the UK budget on 29 October, will provide a further update of prospects before our final budget is laid in December.
Diolch am y cwestiwn. Mae adroddiad y prif economegydd, a gyhoeddwyd ochr yn ochr â'r gyllideb, yn dangos yn glir fod y rhagolygon ariannol ledled y DU yn heriol iawn o hyd, yn enwedig ynghanol yr ansicrwydd a grëwyd gan Brexit. Bydd rhagolygon y Swyddfa Cyfrifoldeb Cyllidebol, ochr yn ochr â chyllideb y DU ar 29 Hydref, yn rhoi diweddariad pellach o'r rhagolygon cyn inni osod ein cyllideb derfynol ym mis Rhagfyr.
Thank you for that reply, Cabinet Secretary, and, indeed, the chief economist actually did state our fiscal position, and I quote. He said we will:
'depend in part on the approach taken by the UK Government to funding the recently-announced increase in spending for the NHS in England.'
It's therefore obvious to me that the consequential increase in NHS spending must be fully funded when it reaches Wales, and we can have no more of these unfunded and uncosted UK Government announcements. Indeed, given the other pressures identified in the chief economist's analysis and, ironically, raised by a number of Welsh Conservative Members today—who seem to spend more time attacking you and the Welsh Government than they do lobbying the UK Government for more and better funding settlements for Wales—would you agree with me that the people of Wales will not forgive the Tories if they let us down yet again on this matter?
Diolch am eich ymateb, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ac yn wir, nodwyd ein sefyllfa ariannol gan y prif economegydd, a dyfynnaf. Dywedodd y byddwn:
'yn dibynnu i ryw raddau ar yr agwedd a gymerir gan Lywodraeth y DU tuag at gyllido’r cynnydd mewn gwariant ar y GIG yn Lloegr a gyhoeddwyd yn ddiweddar.'
Felly, mae'n amlwg i mi fod yn rhaid ariannu'r cynnydd canlyniadol yng ngwariant y GIG yn llawn pan fydd yn cyrraedd Cymru, ac ni allwn gael mwy o'r cyhoeddiadau hyn gan Lywodraeth y DU sydd heb eu hariannu na'u costio. Yn wir, o ystyried y pwysau arall a nodwyd yn nadansoddiad y prif economegydd, ac a godwyd, yn eironig, gan nifer o Aelodau'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig heddiw—sy'n treulio mwy o amser yn ôl pob golwg yn ymosod arnoch chi a Llywodraeth Cymru nag y gwnânt yn lobïo Llywodraeth y DU am setliadau ariannu mwy a gwell i Gymru—a fyddech yn cytuno na fydd pobl Cymru yn maddau i'r Torïaid os byddant yn ein siomi eto fyth gyda'r mater hwn?
Well, I thank Dawn Bowden for that question. Let me repeat, Dirprwy Lywydd, what I said during the budget debate here. On paper, we have, apparently, £365 million as a consequential of the announcement made back in July on the seventieth anniversary of the NHS. We're still to have a net figure from the Treasury. They are unable to tell us how much of that money will actually come to Wales and how much of it will be lost in cuts to other devolved budgets.
What we do know is that half that money was spent before it even crossed the border. Of that £365 million, the UK Government spent £95 million when they concluded an agreement for 'Agenda for Change' staff. They then told us, a week before our draft budget, that they'd also spent £74 million of the money they were sending us on changes to pensions that they were introducing. So, before a single pound has made it our way, half of it has been spent by Conservative Ministers in decisions that were made nowhere near Wales. None of that was said by the Prime Minister when she announced her birthday present for the NHS, and Dawn Bowden is absolutely right to say that we have to watch like hawks the way in which this Government claims to give money with one hand, only, with complete sleight of hand, ends up taking it away with the other.
Wel, diolch i Dawn Bowden am ei chwestiwn. Ddirprwy Lywydd, gadewch imi ailadrodd yr hyn a ddywedais yn ystod y ddadl ar y gyllideb yma. Ar bapur, mae gennym £365 miliwn o arian canlyniadol, mae'n debyg, yn sgil y cyhoeddiad a wnaed yn ôl ym mis Gorffennaf ar ben-blwydd y GIG yn saith deg oed. Rydym yn dal i aros am ffigur net gan y Trysorlys. Ni allant ddweud wrthym faint o'r arian hwnnw a fydd yn dod i Gymru mewn gwirionedd a faint ohono a gaiff ei golli mewn toriadau i gyllidebau datganoledig eraill.
Yr hyn a wyddom yw bod hanner yr arian hwnnw wedi cael ei wario cyn iddo groesi'r ffin hyd yn oed. O'r £365 miliwn hwnnw, gwariodd Llywodraeth y DU £95 miliwn pan ddaethant i gytundeb ar gyfer staff 'Agenda ar gyfer Newid'. Yna, fe ddywedasant wrthym, wythnos cyn ein cyllideb ddrafft, eu bod hefyd wedi gwario £74 miliwn o'r arian roeddent yn ei anfon atom ar newidiadau roeddent yn eu cyflwyno i bensiynau. Felly, cyn i'r un bunt ein cyrraedd, roedd hanner yr arian wedi'i wario gan Weinidogion Ceidwadol mewn penderfyniadau a wnaed ymhell o Gymru. Ni soniodd y Prif Weinidog am ddim o hynny pan gyhoeddodd ei anrheg pen-blwydd i'r GIG, ac mae Dawn Bowden yn llygad ei lle wrth ddweud bod yn rhaid inni gadw llygad barcud ar y ffordd y mae'r Llywodraeth yn honni ei bod yn rhoi arian gydag un llaw, ond fel consuriwr, mae'n ei gipio'n ôl gyda'r llaw arall.
Thank you. And finally, question 7, Mandy Jones.
Diolch. Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 7, Mandy Jones.
7. Pa ystyriaeth y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ei rhoi i gynorthwyo'r gwaith o ddileu digartrefedd wrth ddyrannu arian i'r portffolio llywodraeth leol a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus? OAQ52726
7. What consideration does the Cabinet Secretary give to supporting the eradication of homelessness in allocating funding to the local government and public services portfolio? OAQ52726
Dirprwy Lywydd, we will invest an additional £10 million in the current financial year to tackle homelessness. The draft budget for 2019-20 repeats that £10 million and adds a further £10 million specifically to tackle youth homelessness, making a total of £30 million in new investment in this vitally important area.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, byddwn yn buddsoddi £10 miliwn yn ychwanegol yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon i fynd i'r afael â digartrefedd. Mae'r gyllideb ddrafft ar gyfer 2019-20 yn ailadrodd y £10 miliwn hwnnw ac yn ychwanegu £10 miliwn arall yn benodol ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â digartrefedd ymhlith pobl ifanc, gan wneud cyfanswm o £30 miliwn o fuddsoddiad newydd yn y maes hollbwysig hwn.
Thank you for that answer. Cabinet Secretary, I return today to the matter of rough sleeping; it is not going away. Indeed, we heard yesterday that 65 rough sleepers have died in the last year in the UK. I know that Wrexham has previously been reported as having the highest number of rough sleepers in Wales. Last week, my staff attended the launch of a prototype sleep pod in Newport, designed by Amazing Grace Spaces. These are designed in Wales, made in Wales, providing jobs and upskilling in Wales. I've seen the design and heard about how this sort of scheme could work, providing secure and warm beds for the night, but also providing the support services that those sleeping rough may need to get them back on their feet. Cabinet Secretary, funding and vision are needed. Will the Welsh Government provide the former and demonstrate the latter?
Diolch am eich ateb. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, dychwelaf at fater cysgu allan; nid yw'n rhywbeth sy'n diflannu. Yn wir, clywsom ddoe fod 65 o bobl sy'n cysgu allan wedi marw yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf yn y DU. Gwn fod adroddiadau eisoes wedi bod mai yn Wrecsam y mae'r nifer uchaf o bobl sy'n cysgu allan yng Nghymru. Yr wythnos diwethaf, mynychodd fy staff lansiad prototeip pod cysgu yng Nghasnewydd, a gynlluniwyd gan Amazing Grace Spaces. Mae'r rhain yn cael eu dylunio yng Nghymru, eu cynhyrchu yng Nghymru, gan ddarparu swyddi a gwella sgiliau yng Nghymru. Rwyf wedi gweld y dyluniad ac wedi clywed sut y gallai cynllun o'r math hwn weithio, gan ddarparu gwelyau diogel a chynnes am y nos, yn ogystal â darparu'r gwasanaethau cymorth y gall fod eu hangen ar bobl sy'n cysgu allan i roi dechrau newydd iddynt. Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, mae angen arian a gweledigaeth. A wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru ddarparu'r arian ac arddangos y weledigaeth?
I thank the Member for her question, which had a number of very important points in it. First of all, she's absolutely right, I think, to say that rough sleeping is a phenomenon of austerity. It is a desperate—desperate—judgement on the current UK Government that we have seen the rise in the number of people—[Interruption.] Can you imagine a country—
Diolch i'r Aelod am ei chwestiwn, a oedd yn cynnwys nifer o bwyntiau pwysig iawn. Yn gyntaf oll, mae'n llygad ei lle, yn fy marn i, wrth ddweud bod cysgu allan yn un o ffenomenau cyni. Mae'n adlewyrchiad difrifol—difrifol—ar Lywodraeth bresennol y DU ein bod wedi gweld y cynnydd yn nifer y bobl—[Torri ar draws.] A allwch ddychmygu gwlad—
Thank you. Thank you.
Diolch. Diolch.
—that is the fifth richest country on the face of the globe and has had a Government that has been prepared to tolerate the conditions in which we see more and more people forced to live on our streets? It is an indictment, a visible, everyday indictment of the policies that have been pursued.
Against that background, as Mandy Jones said, the solutions are a mixture of physical infrastructure, the need for more places for people, but, by itself, rough sleeping is not amenable simply to a housing solution, because so many of those people who find themselves in those circumstances have, along the way, accumulated any number of other difficulties in their lives, and they need help to deal with those matters, too.
The Newport example that she cited sounds very interesting. I'm sure that it is known to my colleague the Minister for Housing and Regeneration. She recently, for example, visited Wrexham in north Wales, which Mandy Jones mentioned, in order to see some innovative arrangements that are being put in place there. I've had a recent discussion with the Minister about the plans she has for using the additional money that is now available to her in this very important area, and I don't think I'm letting anything out of the bag in saying that her general approach is to invest more money in those examples that are there already, and we know are succeeding, and then to invest further funds in innovative solutions that we've not been able to attempt so far, and which this additional investment will now unlock.
—y bumed wlad gyfoethocaf ar wyneb y ddaear ac sydd wedi cael Llywodraeth sy'n barod i oddef amodau lle rydym yn gweld mwy a mwy o bobl yn cael eu gorfodi i fyw ar ein strydoedd? Mae'n gyhuddiad, yn gyhuddiad gweladwy bob dydd yn erbyn y polisïau a roddwyd ar waith.
Yn erbyn y cefndir hwnnw, fel y dywedodd Mandy Jones, mae'r atebion yn gymysgedd o seilwaith ffisegol, yr angen am fwy o leoedd i bobl, ond ni ellir mynd i'r afael â chysgu allan drwy ddarparu ateb o ran tai yn unig, gan fod gan gynifer o'r bobl hynny yn yr amgylchiadau hynny nifer o anawsterau eraill yn eu bywydau, ac mae angen cymorth arnynt i fynd i'r afael â'r materion hynny hefyd.
Mae'r enghraifft a nododd yng Nghasnewydd yn swnio'n ddiddorol iawn. Rwy'n siŵr fod fy nghyd-Aelod, y Gweinidog Tai ac Adfywio, yn gwybod amdano. Yn ddiweddar, er enghraifft, ymwelodd â Wrecsam yng ngogledd Cymru, a grybwyllwyd gan Mandy Jones, er mwyn gweld trefniadau arloesol ar waith yno. Cefais drafodaeth gyda'r Gweinidog yn ddiweddar ynglŷn â chynlluniau sydd ganddi ar gyfer defnyddio'r arian ychwanegol sydd ar gael iddi bellach yn y maes pwysig hwn, ac ni chredaf fy mod yn gollwng y gath o'r cwd drwy ddweud mai ei dull o weithredu at ei gilydd yw buddsoddi mwy o arian yn yr enghreifftiau sydd yno eisoes, ac y gwyddom eu bod yn llwyddo, a buddsoddi rhagor o arian wedyn mewn atebion arloesol nad ydym wedi gallu rhoi cynnig arnynt hyd yn hyn, atebion y bydd y buddsoddiad ychwanegol hwn yn eu hwyluso yn awr.
Thank you very much, Cabinet Secretary.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet.
Item 2 on the agenda this afternoon is questions to the Leader of the House and the Chief Whip. The first question is from Nick Ramsay.
Eitem 2 ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma yw cwestiynau i Arweinydd y Tŷ a'r Prif Chwip. Daw'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Nick Ramsay.
1. A wnaiff Arweinydd y Tŷ roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am fand eang cyflym iawn ym Mynwy? OAQ52708
1. Will the Leader of the House provide an update on superfast broadband in Monmouth? OAQ52708
The Superfast Cymru scheme facilitated the roll-out of superfast broadband access to over 5,490 homes and businesses across the town of Monmouth, investing just over £1.68 million. Average speeds across the county of Monmouthshire are over 95 Mbps.
Hwylusodd cynllun Cyflymu Cymru y broses o ddarparu mynediad at fand eang cyflym iawn i dros 5,490 o gartrefi a busnesau yn Nhrefynwy, gan fuddsoddi ychydig dros £1.68 miliwn. Mae cyfartaledd y cyflymder ar draws Sir Fynwy dros 95 Mbps.
That was the Monmouth constituency, as you rightly judged again, leader of the house. I've spoken to a number of residents recently who were at the public meeting that you attended a couple of weeks ago in Llanddewi Rhydderch, in a very rural part of my constituency. As you will be aware—it was along with the local county councillor, Sara Jones, I should say. As you are aware, there is a very poor broadband service in that area, and residents are looking for some solutions from the superfast broadband roll-out. I wonder if you could provide an update to me today on any developments in the wake of that meeting, and whether you have made any progress in getting a better broadband service to people in that area.
Etholaeth Mynwy oedd hynny, fel y tybioch yn iawn unwaith eto, arweinydd y tŷ. Rwyf wedi siarad â nifer o drigolion yn ddiweddar a fynychodd yr un cyfarfod cyhoeddus â chithau ychydig wythnosau yn ôl yn Llanddewi Rhydderch, mewn rhan wledig iawn o fy etholaeth. Fel y gwyddoch—dylwn ddweud eich bod wedi gwneud hynny gyda'r cynghorydd sir lleol, Sara Jones. Fel y gwyddoch, mae'r gwasanaeth band eang yn wael iawn yn yr ardal honno, ac mae trigolion yn chwilio am atebion gan y cynllun cyflwyno band eang cyflym iawn. Tybed a allech roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf imi heddiw ynglŷn ag unrhyw ddatblygiadau yn sgil y cyfarfod hwnnw, ac a ydych wedi gwneud unrhyw gynnydd o ran sicrhau gwell gwasanaeth band eang i bobl yn yr ardal honno.
Yes, it was a very positive meeting, actually, and discussed quite a few innovative solutions that both we could do in co-operation with Monmouthshire council itself, and actually with a group of the residents who are very keen on looking to see if they could have a bespoke solution for their particular community. That does give me the opportunity to say to everybody in the Chamber—no doubt I'll say it quite often during the course of my questions, Deputy Presiding Officer—that we are very keen on supporting innovative community solutions across Wales where there are communities of people who are happy to look at those solutions. The team that facilitates that is engaged in that at the moment.
Roedd yn gyfarfod cadarnhaol iawn, mewn gwirionedd, a thrafodwyd nifer o atebion arloesol y gallem eu rhoi ar waith mewn cydweithrediad â chyngor Sir Fynwy ei hun, yn ogystal â chyda grŵp o'r trigolion sy'n awyddus iawn i weld a allent sicrhau ateb pwrpasol ar gyfer eu cymuned eu hunain. Mae hynny'n rhoi cyfle i mi ddweud wrth bawb yn y Siambr—heb os, byddaf yn dweud hyn yn eithaf aml yn ystod fy nghwestiynau, Ddirprwy Lywydd—ein bod yn awyddus iawn i gefnogi atebion cymunedol arloesol ledled Cymru lle ceir cymunedau o bobl sy'n barod i archwilio'r atebion hynny. Mae'r tîm sy'n hwyluso hynny wrthi'n gwneud hynny ar hyn o bryd.
2. A wnaiff Arweinydd y Tŷ ddatganiad am ddatblygu 5G yng Ngogledd Cymru? OAQ52727
2. Will the Leader of the House make a statement on the development of 5G in North Wales? OAQ52727
Yes, I've appointed Innovation Point to advise, stimulate and co-ordinate activity on 5G across the whole of Wales.
Gwnaf, rwyf wedi penodi'r Arloesfa i gynghori, ysgogi a chydgysylltu gweithgarwch ar 5G ledled Cymru gyfan.
Thank you for that answer. I note from a headline last week that Welsh Government has commissioned advice on the roll-out of 5G in Wales. I hear terms like 'superfast' and 'ultrafast' and, frankly, the mobile coverage and broadband speeds in my region don't seem to live up to either of those names. Can you tell me whether 5G will enable a uniformity of service and speed across my region, or will it just reinforce the different levels of service between the haves and have-nots across north Wales?
Diolch am eich ateb. Nodaf o bennawd yr wythnos diwethaf fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi comisiynu cyngor ar y broses o gyflwyno 5G yng Nghymru. Clywaf dermau fel 'cyflym iawn' a 'gwibgyswllt', ac a dweud y gwir, nid yw'r signal ffôn symudol a chyflymder y band eang yn fy rhanbarth yn cyfiawnhau defnyddio unrhyw un o'r geiriau hynny. A allwch ddweud wrthyf pa un a fydd 5G yn sicrhau cysondeb o ran gwasanaeth a chyflymder ledled fy rhanbarth, neu a fydd yn atgyfnerthu'r gwahanol lefelau o wasanaeth rhwng y lwcus a'r anlwcus yng ngogledd Cymru?
Unfortunately, mobile technology isn't devolved to Wales. If it were I would be able to answer that question in a much more simple fashion. But we are engaged with the UK Government to discuss exactly how the spectrum sales of 5G will be sold, and much will pivot on how they are in fact sold in the end. And that's why we have Innovation Point looking at a whole series of innovative test-beds for 5G so that we can get the evidence together to influence the UK Government's approach to 5G technology when it finally goes onto the market.
Yn anffodus, nid yw technoleg ffonau symudol wedi'i datganoli i Gymru. Pe byddai, gallwn ateb y cwestiwn hwnnw mewn ffordd symlach o lawer. Ond rydym yn gweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU i drafod sut yn union y bydd y sbectrwm 5G yn cael ei werthu, a bydd llawer yn dibynnu ar sut y caiff ei werthu yn y diwedd. A dyna pam fod yr Arloesfa yn edrych ar gyfres gyfan o ardaloedd peilot arloesol ar gyfer 5G fel y gallwn gasglu'r dystiolaeth i ddylanwadu ar ymagwedd Llywodraeth y DU tuag at dechnoleg 5G pan ddaw ar y farchnad yn y pen draw.
Earlier this year, leader of the house, I was in rural parts of western Kenya and I have to say, I was appalled at the fact that their mobile signal seemed to much better than it is in some parts of my own constituency in Clwyd West. So, I'm wondering what action you can take, given the devolved powers that you have over the permitted development rights in terms of the heights of the telephony masts that we have around Wales, to, actually, give a better opportunity for those masts to reach into some deep rural parts of the country in the future by lifting the height restrictions that are currently in place in terms of the planning system?
Yn gynharach eleni, arweinydd y tŷ, roeddwn mewn rhannau gwledig o orllewin Kenya ac mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, roeddwn yn arswydo at y ffaith bod eu signal symudol i'w weld yn well o lawer na'r hyn ydyw mewn rhai rhannau o fy etholaeth yng Ngorllewin Clwyd. Felly, tybed pa gamau y gallwch eu cymryd, o ystyried y pwerau datganoledig sydd gennych dros hawliau datblygu a ganiateir o ran uchder y mastiau teleffoni sydd gennym yng Nghymru, i roi cyfle gwell i'r mastiau hynny gyrraedd rhai rhannau gwledig anghysbell o'r wlad yn y dyfodol drwy godi'r cyfyngiadau ar uchder sydd ar waith ar hyn o bryd yn y system gynllunio?
Yes, the Member will be aware that we went out for consultation on the changes to the permitted development rights and I am expecting to be able to announce the results of that very shortly. Deputy Presiding Officer, I have an oral statement next week—it's very unfortunate that it's timed this way around. But I am hoping—I'm not certain, but I'm hoping to have some announcements to make. It's the Cabinet Secretary for planning's area, but I'm hoping to be able to tell Members what the outcome of that was by that time.
Ie, bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol ein bod wedi ymgynghori ar y newidiadau i'r hawliau datblygu a ganiateir ac rwy'n disgwyl gallu cyhoeddi'r canlyniadau hynny cyn bo hir. Ddirprwy Lywydd, byddaf yn gwneud datganiad llafar yr wythnos nesaf—mae'n anffodus iawn fod pethau wedi'u hamseru yn y ffordd hon. Ond rwy'n gobeithio—nid wyf yn sicr, ond rwy'n gobeithio gwneud rhai cyhoeddiadau. Maes Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros gynllunio yw hwn, ond rwy'n gobeithio gallu dweud wrth yr Aelodau beth oedd canlyniad yr ymgynghoriad erbyn hynny.
It was good to hear that Monmouthshire is going to play a part in the UK Government's rural test-bed for 5G. Cardiff is receiving funds for a local full-fibre network. We know about the first compound semiconductor centre that's going to be based in south Wales and, of course, we know about the Welsh Government's Tech Valleys strategic plan. So, there is a lot of focus and a lot of investment happening, not only from your Government, but from the UK Government, in terms of south Wales. But what more can we do to make sure that areas in north Wales and other parts of Wales aren't always a bit of a second thought that keep having to catch up?
Roedd yn dda clywed y bydd Sir Fynwy yn chwarae rhan yn ardaloedd peilot gwledig Llywodraeth y DU ar gyfer 5G. Mae Caerdydd yn cael arian ar gyfer rhwydwaith ffeibr llawn lleol. Gwyddom am y ganolfan lled-ddargludyddion cyfansawdd gyntaf a fydd wedi'i lleoli yn ne Cymru, ac wrth gwrs, gwyddom am gynllun strategol Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer y Cymoedd Technoleg. Felly, mae llawer o ffocws a llawer o fuddsoddi'n digwydd, nid yn unig gan eich Llywodraeth chi, ond gan Lywodraeth y DU, mewn perthynas â de Cymru. Ond beth arall y gallwn ei wneud i sicrhau nad yw ardaloedd yng ngogledd Cymru a rhannau eraill o Gymru yn ôl-ystyriaeth braidd sy'n gorfod dal i fyny bob amser?
They certainly aren't. Myddelton College, the first Microsoft school in north Wales, is currently benefiting from 5G wireless technology, which the rest of the UK won't start seeing until 2020. So, they're well ahead. College pupils there are working on tablets allowing real-time interaction with teachers for lessons and marking. The school estimates it will save around £100,000 a year on printing paper and pens. So we have got test-beds around Wales, actually, looking at different systems. There are complex ways of financing those, but they are spread across Wales, but deliberately so, and we're very keen on looking to see that we have test-beds in very rural areas, in semi-rural areas, in city and rural areas, and so on, because we know that the technology will have different problems and issues and different benefits in all of those areas. So, we've been very keen to make sure that we have a spread.
Nid yw hynny'n wir o gwbl. Mae Coleg Myddelton, yr ysgol Microsoft gyntaf yng ngogledd Cymru, ar hyn o bryd yn elwa o dechnoleg ddi-wifr 5G, ac ni fydd gweddill y DU yn dechrau gweld hynny tan 2020. Felly, maent ymhell ar y blaen. Mae disgyblion coleg yno yn gweithio ar lechi sy'n caniatáu rhyngweithio mewn amser real gydag athrawon ar gyfer gwersi a marcio. Mae'r ysgol yn amcangyfrif y bydd hynny'n arbed oddeutu £100,000 y flwyddyn ar bapur argraffu a phinnau ysgrifennu. Felly mae gennym ardaloedd peilot ledled Cymru yn edrych ar wahanol systemau. Mae ffyrdd cymhleth o'u hariannu, ond maent wedi'u gwasgaru ledled Cymru, ond yn fwriadol felly, ac rydym yn awyddus iawn i sicrhau bod gennym gynlluniau peilot mewn ardaloedd gwledig iawn, mewn ardaloedd lled-wledig, mewn dinasoedd ac ardaloedd gwledig ac ati, gan y gwyddom y bydd y dechnoleg yn wynebu gwahanol broblemau ac y bydd iddi fanteision gwahanol ym mhob un o'r ardaloedd hynny. Felly, rydym wedi bod yn awyddus iawn i sicrhau eu bod wedi'u gwasgaru'n eang.
Thank you.
Diolch.
We now turn to the party spokespeople, and the first this afternoon for the leader of the house is the Conservative spokesperson, Mark Isherwood.
Trown yn awr at lefarwyr y pleidiau, ac yn gyntaf y prynhawn yma ar gyfer arweinydd y tŷ, llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Mark Isherwood.
Diolch and prynhawn da.
Thank you and good afternoon.
Your responsibilities, as you know, include covering the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and human rights in relation to UN conventions. The Equality Act 2010 requires service—
Mae eich cyfrifoldebau, fel y gwyddoch, yn cynnwys diogelu'r nodweddion gwarchodedig o dan Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 a hawliau dynol mewn perthynas â chonfensiynau'r Cenhedloedd Unedig. Mae Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i ddarparwyr gwasanaethau—
[Inaudible.]—the beginning of that. I'm very sorry, Mark Isherwood, I didn't hear what you started saying. I wonder if you'd be kind enough to repeat it.
[Anghlywadwy.]—dechrau hynny. Mae'n ddrwg iawn gennyf, Mark Isherwood, ni chlywais beth y dechreuoch chi ei ddweud. Tybed a fyddech mor garedig â'i ailadrodd.
I shall repeat it. I'll speak a little bit slower. Your responsibilities include equality, covering the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and human rights in relation to UN conventions. The Equality Act 2010 requires that service providers must think ahead and take steps to address barriers that impede disabled people and states you should not wait until a disabled person experiences difficulties using a service.
The Welsh Government incorporated the UN convention on the rights of disabled people into the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 2 code of practice, which said that
'Local authorities must seek to empower people to produce innovative solutions'
through local networks and communities, and that this
'means putting robust arrangements in place to secure involvement of people in the design and operation of services.'
Now, I've raised this question with Welsh Government Ministers many times: what action will the Welsh Government take to address the growing concern, distress and damage being caused when those very public agencies are failing to carry out those responsibilities and duties? I'll give you just a couple of examples. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Flintshire gave its contract for disability support services to outside agencies, not the agency FDF Centre for Independent Living, on which the local disability community depends, who told me at their AGM that they had not been involved in the decision. The news today from Wrexham, that a number of social businesses providing work for disabled people are set to close, but no reference whatsoever to designing and delivering with the communities affected. We know about the Conwy deaf community having to go to ombudsmen after their British Sign Language services were withdrawn. And, of course, concern in Cardiff that Autism Spectrum Connections Cymru has had to pull back services from its one-stop shop, despite the autism community locally saying they weren't consulted and that they absolutely depend upon those services. So, given your responsibilities in these areas, how will you now ensure that the Welsh Government intervenes to help these local authorities understand better what they must do, and also how that will not only benefit disabled people, but also, ultimately, save them money and help them manage their budgets better?
Fe wnaf ei ailadrodd. Fe siaradaf ychydig yn arafach. Mae eich cyfrifoldebau yn cynnwys cydraddoldeb, diogelu'r nodweddion gwarchodedig o dan Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 a hawliau dynol mewn perthynas â chonfensiynau'r Cenhedloedd Unedig. Mae Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i ddarparwyr gwasanaethau feddwl ymlaen llaw a chymryd camau i fynd i'r afael â rhwystrau i bobl anabl, ac yn dweud na ddylech aros hyd nes y bydd unigolyn anabl yn wynebu anawsterau wrth ddefnyddio gwasanaeth.
Ymgorfforwyd Confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar hawliau pobl anabl gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn Neddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014 Rhan 2: cod ymarfer, a ddywedai fod
'Rhaid i awdurdodau lleol geisio grymuso pobl i gynhyrchu atebion arloesol'
drwy rwydweithiau lleol a chymunedau, a bod hyn
'yn golygu rhoi trefniadau cadarn ar waith i sicrhau cyfraniad pobl at gynllunio a gweithredu gwasanaethau.'
Nawr, rwyf wedi codi'r cwestiwn hwn gyda Gweinidogion Llywodraeth Cymru sawl tro: pa gamau y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â'r pryder, y gofid a'r difrod cynyddol a achosir pan fo asiantaethau cyhoeddus iawn yn methu cyflawni'r cyfrifoldebau a'r dyletswyddau hynny? Rhoddaf ychydig o enghreifftiau i chi. Soniais ychydig wythnosau yn ôl fod Sir y Fflint wedi rhoi eu contract ar gyfer gwasanaethau cymorth anabledd i asiantaethau allanol, nid yr FDF Centre for Independent Living, yr asiantaeth y mae'r gymuned anabledd leol yn dibynnu arni, a dywedasant wrthyf yn eu cyfarfod blynyddol na fuont yn rhan o'r penderfyniad. Y newyddion heddiw o Wrecsam, y bydd nifer o fusnesau cymdeithasol sy'n darparu gwaith ar gyfer pobl anabl yn cau, ond heb unrhyw gyfeiriad o gwbl at gynllunio a darparu gyda'r cymunedau yr effeithir arnynt. Gwyddom am y gymuned fyddar yng Nghonwy yn gorfod mynd at ombwdsmyn ar ôl i'w gwasanaethau Iaith Arwyddion Prydain gael eu diddymu. Ac wrth gwrs, pryder yng Nghaerdydd fod Autism Spectrum Connections Cymru wedi gorfod cael gwared ar wasanaethau o'u siop un stop, er bod y gymuned awtistiaeth leol yn dweud nad ymgynghorwyd â hwy a'u bod yn dibynnu'n llwyr ar y gwasanaethau hynny. Felly, o ystyried eich cyfrifoldebau yn y meysydd hyn, sut y byddwch yn sicrhau yn awr fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymyrryd i gynorthwyo'r awdurdodau lleol hyn i ddeall yn well beth sy'n rhaid iddynt ei wneud, a hefyd sut y bydd hynny nid yn unig o fudd i bobl anabl, ond hefyd, yn y pen draw, yn arbed arian iddynt hwy ac yn eu cynorthwyo i reoli eu cyllidebau'n well?
I'm not aware of all of the details of some of those examples, and I'd be very grateful if Mark Isherwood would kindly pass them on to me; I am aware of some of them. There are three things to say about that. Where somebody has signed up to the ethical code of procurement practice, then they ought to comply with it, and I'll be taking those up with the local authorities in question where that's been breached. It's not a matter for the Government exactly how they carry out the procurements, as long as they do it in line with the guidance. And we will be issuing a new set of guidelines—action on disability—towards the end of November, certainly before the end of the Christmas term, and that will address some of the issues that he raises there, in terms of duties on local authorities and enforcement. That has been very much developed in consultation with disability communities around Wales. It will go out as a consultation, and I very much hope that we will be able to reach a conclusion, alongside our disabled citizens, that suits their needs. And that's very much how we've designed that, in order to facilitate those things.
Nid wyf yn ymwybodol o holl fanylion rhai o'r enghreifftiau hynny, a buaswn yn ddiolchgar iawn pe bai Mark Isherwood mor garedig â'u trosglwyddo i mi; rwy'n ymwybodol o rai ohonynt. Mae gennyf dri pheth i'w ddweud am hynny. Pan fo rhywun wedi ymrwymo i'r cod ymarfer caffael moesegol, dylent gydymffurfio ag ef, a byddaf yn codi hynny gyda'r awdurdodau lleol dan sylw lle nad ydynt yn cydymffurfio â'r cod. Nid mater i'r Llywodraeth yw sut yn union y maent yn cyflawni'r caffael, cyhyd â'u bod yn gwneud hynny'n unol â'r canllawiau. A byddwn yn cyhoeddi set newydd o ganllawiau—camau gweithredu ar anabledd—tuag at ddiwedd mis Tachwedd, yn sicr cyn diwedd tymor y Nadolig, a byddant yn mynd i'r afael â rhai o'r materion y mae'n eu codi, o ran dyletswyddau awdurdodau lleol a gorfodaeth. Cawsant eu datblygu i raddau helaeth drwy ymgynghori â chymunedau anabledd ledled Cymru. Bydd yn cael ei gyflwyno fel ymgynghoriad, a gobeithiaf yn fawr y byddwn yn gallu dod i gasgliad, ochr yn ochr â'n dinasyddion anabl, sy'n addas i'w hanghenion. A dyna'r ffordd rydym wedi ei gynllunio, er mwyn hwyluso'r pethau hynny.
Thank you. Well, I hope that will help local authorities and health boards to better understand how to reconcile their procurement obligations with their obligations to design and deliver services for local people, because there is a conflict between the two.
Again, noting your responsibilities, you know that the Welsh Government's 'A Healthier Wales: our Plan for Health and Social Care' has an ambition to bring health and social care services together, so they're designed and delivered again around the needs and preferences of individuals. And the Welsh Government itself says,
'We may also need to change how we pay for health and social care services.'
Again, noting your responsibilities, how do you respond to, again, a growing concern raised with me of local authorities removing direct payments from people, in discussion with health boards, who are then being moved on to continuing health care? They're losing their independence, they're losing their ability to live in their own homes, sometimes with support, and frequently ending up being told through the health support that they're going to have to go into some sort of statutory residential provision, or commissioned care, rather than having their own front door. And this is exacerbated by a Welsh Government requirement that personal budgets must not be pooled, unlike in Scotland and England, which prevents a local authority pooling the direct payments with the continuing health care budget. How, then, is the Welsh Government going to enable people affected by this to continue to live independently, rather than being forced to lose voice, choice and control over their own lives?
Diolch. Wel, gobeithiaf y bydd hynny'n helpu awdurdodau lleol a byrddau iechyd i gael gwell dealltwriaeth o sut i gysoni eu rhwymedigaethau caffael â'u rhwymedigaethau i gynllunio a darparu gwasanaethau ar gyfer pobl leol, oherwydd mae'r ddau beth yn gwrthdaro.
Unwaith eto, gan nodi eich cyfrifoldebau, fe wyddoch fod yna uchelgais yng nghynllun 'Cymru Iachach: Ein Cynllun ar gyfer Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol' Llywodraeth Cymru i ddod ag iechyd a gwasanaethau gofal cymdeithasol at ei gilydd, fel eu bod yn cael eu cynllunio a'u darparu o amgylch anghenion a dewisiadau unigolion. Ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru ei hun yn dweud,
Efallai y bydd angen i ni newid y ffordd rydym yn talu am wasanaethau iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol.
Unwaith eto, gan nodi eich cyfrifoldebau, sut rydych chi'n ymateb i'r pryder cynyddol sy'n cael ei ddwyn i fy sylw fod awdurdodau lleol, mewn trafodaeth gyda byrddau iechyd, yn mynd â thaliadau uniongyrchol oddi wrth bobl sydd wedyn yn cael eu symud i ofal iechyd parhaus? Maent yn colli eu hannibyniaeth, maent yn colli eu gallu i fyw yn eu cartrefi eu hunain, weithiau gyda chymorth, ac yn aml iawn mae rhywun yn dweud wrthynt, drwy'r cymorth iechyd, y byddant yn gorfod symud i ryw fath o ddarpariaeth breswyl statudol, neu ofal wedi'i gomisiynu, yn hytrach na chael eu cartrefi eu hunain. Ac mae'r ffaith bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynnu na ddylid cyfuno cyllidebau personol, yn wahanol i'r Alban a Lloegr, yn gwneud hyn yn waeth ac yn atal awdurdod lleol rhag cyfuno'r taliadau uniongyrchol gyda'r gyllideb gofal iechyd parhaus. Sut, felly, y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn galluogi'r bobl yr mae hyn yn effeithio arnynt i barhau i fyw'n annibynnol, yn hytrach na chael eu gorfodi i golli llais, dewis a rheolaeth ar eu bywydau eu hunain?
Actually, that's not in my portfolio area, but I do have extensive discussions with the Cabinet Secretary over it. There's a complex set of issues there that Mark Isherwood raises—quite rightly so. It's not my understanding that that's the outcome of the change, but it isn't my portfolio area, so I'll have to write to him, because I'll have to consult with my Cabinet Secretary colleague who is the portfolio holder for that particular fund.
Mewn gwirionedd, nid yw hynny yn fy maes portffolio, ond rwy'n cael trafodaethau helaeth gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ei gylch. Mae Mark Isherwood yn nodi set gymhleth o faterion—a hynny'n gwbl briodol. Nid wyf yn credu mai dyna yw canlyniad y newid, ond nid fy maes portffolio i ydyw, felly bydd yn rhaid i mi ysgrifennu ato, oherwydd bydd yn rhaid i mi ymgynghori â fy nghyd-Aelod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, sy'n gyfrifol am y portffolio ar gyfer y gronfa benodol honno.
Well, given your responsibility for the Equality Act 2010 and the UN convention, I would argue that you have some overarching responsibility, although clearly it's not your departmental responsibility.
Wel, o ystyried eich cyfrifoldeb am Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 a Chonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig, buaswn yn dadlau bod gennych rywfaint o gyfrifoldeb trosfwaol, er nad yw, yn amlwg, yn un o'ch cyfrifoldebau adrannol.
I do; I'm not arguing that I don't. I have had those discussions with the Cabinet Secretary, but I don't have the detail that you're asking for, as it's not my portfolio responsibility.
Oes; nid wyf yn dadlau nad oes. Rwyf wedi cael y trafodaethau hynny gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ond nid oes gennyf y manylion rydych yn gofyn amdanynt, gan nad yw'n rhan o fy nghyfrifoldeb portffolio.
Right. And finally, again, a similar question, relating to another part of your responsibility areas: the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Fairground, Circus-folk, Show-people and Bargees community. They've issued a notice of a training day in Cardiff on 5 December, and I'm wondering how you respond to this, which is within the information on the notice that's gone out:
'The...workshop will focus upon the current policy initiatives associated with the "Well-being of Future Generations Act (Wales, 2015)" have left behind the Romani and Traveller communities of Wales, particularly in terms of the "Well-being Assessments" carried out by the Public Services Boards established by the Act and the recent review of these by Netherwood, Flynn and Lang (2017) for the Future Generations Commissioner, Sophie Howe. These crucial processes have ignored the needs of Romani and Traveller people in "planning today for a better tomorrow"'.
Iawn. Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn tebyg eto, sy'n ymwneud â rhan arall o'ch maes cyfrifoldeb: cymunedau Sipsiwn, Roma, Teithwyr, Ffair, Syrcas, Sioe a Chychwyr. Maent wedi cyhoeddi bod diwrnod hyfforddi'n cael ei gynnal yng Nghaerdydd ar 5 Rhagfyr, ac rwy'n meddwl tybed sut rydych yn ymateb i hyn, sydd yn y wybodaeth yn yr hysbysiad a aeth allan:
Bydd y gweithdy'n canolbwyntio ar sut y mae'r mentrau polisi cyfredol sy'n gysylltiedig â "Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru, 2015)" wedi gadael cymunedau Romani a Theithwyr Cymru ar ôl, yn enwedig o ran yr "Asesiadau Llesiant" a gynhaliwyd gan y Byrddau Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus a sefydlwyd gan y Ddeddf a'r adolygiad diweddar o'r rhain gan Netherwood, Flynn a Lang (2017) ar ran Comisiynydd Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol, Sophie Howe. Mae'r prosesau hanfodol hyn wedi anwybyddu anghenion pobl Romani a Theithwyr wrth "gynllunio heddiw ar gyfer gwell yfory".
I don't accept that, I have to say. We've got three plans in train for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller citizens of Wales. The Welsh Government published the 'Enabling Gypsies, Roma and Travellers' plan on 28 June, which built on the work that we'd undertaken since 2012 around accommodation, education, health and community participation. It introduced new commitments on employment and training as well as building bridges with social services and criminal justice agencies.
We also introduced the Gypsy and Traveller accommodation assessments and they've identified unmet need for 237 residential and 33 transit pitches across Wales. We're currently in the process of undertaking a second annual review of those assessments and we're encouraging local authorities to work with Gypsy and Traveller communities to develop their own small private sites, and that's including liaising with planning authorities and getting the right planning consents in place.
The Member will know, because we've had quite a lot of discussions around how the Gypsy and Traveller site capital grant links to those assessments and the assistance that we're looking to give, both to local authorities and to individual groups where that's appropriate. During 2017-18, for example, £3.4 million of funding was invested in extending the existing site in Gwynedd, creating an additional five pitches, a nine-pitch site in Newport, a two-pitch site extension in Powys and a refurbishment project at several sites in Pembrokeshire. So, we're in very direct contact with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and the liaison has been very good, and the response very good to those plans.
Nid wyf yn derbyn hynny, mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud. Mae gennym dri chynllun ar y gweill ar gyfer dinasyddion o gymunedau Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr yng Nghymru. Cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru y cynllun 'Galluogi Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr' ar 28 Mehefin, a oedd yn adeiladu ar y gwaith rydym wedi'i wneud ers 2012 mewn perthynas â llety, addysg, iechyd a chyfranogiad cymunedol. Roedd yn cyflwyno ymrwymiadau newydd o ran cyflogaeth a hyfforddiant yn ogystal ag adeiladu pontydd gyda gwasanaethau cymdeithasol ac asiantaethau cyfiawnder troseddol.
Rydym hefyd wedi cyflwyno asesiadau llety Sipsiwn a Theithwyr ac maent wedi nodi angen heb ei ddiwallu am 237 o leiniau preswyl a 33 o leiniau tramwy ledled Cymru. Ar hyn o bryd rydym wrthi'n cynnal ail adolygiad blynyddol o'r asesiadau hynny ac rydym yn annog awdurdodau lleol i weithio gyda chymunedau Sipsiwn a Theithwyr i ddatblygu eu safleoedd bach preifat eu hunain, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys cysylltu ag awdurdodau cynllunio a sicrhau bod ganddynt ganiatadau cynllunio cywir ar waith.
Bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod, oherwydd rydym wedi cael llawer o drafodaethau ynglŷn â sut y mae'r grant cyfalaf safleoedd Sipsiwn a Theithwyr yn cysylltu â'r asesiadau hynny a'r cymorth rydym yn gobeithio ei roi, i awdurdodau lleol ac i grwpiau unigol lle bo hynny'n briodol. Yn ystod 2017-18, er enghraifft, buddsoddwyd £3.4 miliwn o gyllid er mwyn ymestyn y safle presennol yng Ngwynedd, gan greu pum llain ychwanegol, safle naw llain yng Nghasnewydd, estyniad i safle dwy lain ym Mhowys a phrosiect adnewyddu nifer o safleoedd yn Sir Benfro. Felly, rydym mewn cysylltiad uniongyrchol â chymunedau Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr ac mae'r ymwneud wedi bod yn dda iawn, a'r ymateb wedi bod yn dda iawn i'r cynlluniau hynny.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Siân Gwenllian.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Siân Gwenllian.
Diolch yn fawr. Mi fyddwch chi'n cofio mai ymgais i ddiddymu'r rheoliadau ynglŷn â dosbarthu bathodynnau glas dros dro oedd un o ddadleuon cyntaf y pumed Cynulliad. Ar yr adeg honno, mi wnaethom ni, ar ochr yma'r Siambr, eich cefnogi chi ar y sail bod cael cynllun diffygiol ar gyfer cynllun bathodynnau glas dros dro yn well na pheidio â chael un o gwbl. Ond, mae diffygion y cynllun newydd hwnnw bellach yn dod yn amlwg—diffygion yr oeddem ni wedi eu rhagweld, wrth gwrs.
Rydym yn gweld bod bathodynnau yn cael eu gwrthod i bobl, a phobl yn colli eu hannibyniaeth o ganlyniad i hynny gan fod disgwyl adferiad i'w hiechyd mewn llai na 12 mis. Mae gofyn i sefydliadau sy'n helpu pobl anabl i ymgeisio am y bathodynnau glas lofnodi dogfennau cyfreithiol sy'n rhoi baich profi'r rheol 12 mis yma ar y sefydliadau yma, efo'r posibilrwydd o ddirwyon uchel os ydyn nhw'n gwneud camgymeriad, sef helpu rhywun sydd efallai dim ond angen cadair olwyn am 11 mis ac nid 12, er enghraifft. A ydych chi'n meddwl, felly, ei bod hi'n amser edrych ar wella'r cynllun yma fel na fyddai'r elusennau'n gorfod wynebu plismona eu cleientiaid?
Thank you very much. You will recall that an attempt to scrap the regulations on the distribution of temporary blue badges was one of the first debates in the fifth Assembly. At that point, we on this side of the Chamber supported you on the basis that having a deficient scheme for the blue badges was better than having no scheme at all. But the deficiencies of that new scheme are now becoming more and more apparent, and these are the problems that we had anticipated, of course.
We see that requests for badges are being denied to people and people are losing their independence as a result because their health is expected to recover in less than 12 months. Institutions that help disabled people to apply for these blue badges are being asked to sign legal documents, which places the burden of proof of this 12-month rule on these organisations, with the possibility of hefty fines if they make errors or mistakes—namely helping someone who only needs a wheelchair for 11 months rather than 12 months perhaps. Do you think therefore that it is time now to look at improving this scheme, so that these charities wouldn’t have to face policing their own clients?
Thank you for raising that, Siân Gwenllian. I'm afraid that that also isn't directly in my portfolio area, although I have had many conversations with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport. I'm not actually familiar with the issue around the charities' applications that you raised there, so I'd be very grateful if you'd write to me and I'll ensure that I'll have that conversation with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport.
Diolch i chi am godi hynny, Siân Gwenllian. Mae arnaf ofn nad yw hyn ychwaith yn fy maes portffolio yn uniongyrchol, er fy mod wedi cael llawer o sgyrsiau gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth. Nid wyf yn gyfarwydd â'r mater ynglŷn â cheisiadau elusennau a nodwyd gennych, felly buaswn yn ddiolchgar iawn pe baech yn ysgrifennu ataf ac fe wnaf yn siŵr fy mod yn cael y sgwrs honno gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth.
Iawn, diolch yn fawr. Mae dipyn bach yn od bod mater sydd yn sylfaenol yn un ynglŷn â chydraddoldeb mewn portffolio arall, ond mi wnaf ysgrifennu efo hynny.
Rwyf yn mynd i barhau i holi ynglŷn â bathodynnau glas achos mae wedi dod yn fwyfwy clir dros y ddegawd ddiwethaf fod agweddau llywodraethau tuag at bobl anabl wedi gogwyddo tuag at osod meini prawf sy'n fwyfwy llym a phrosesau sy'n fwyfwy biwrocrataidd, lle mae gofyn iddyn nhw brofi eu hanabledd a'u hawliau ac maen nhw'n dwyllwyr hyd nes ceir prawf i'r gwrthwyneb. Rydych yn gyfarwydd iawn â chanlyniad y profion taliad annibyniaeth personol—y PIP newydd—sef bod nifer uchel o benderfyniadau yn mynd yn erbyn pobl anabl a bod y penderfyniadau yma'n cael eu gwrthdroi yn aml iawn mewn apêl. Yn wir, mae yna nifer o Aelodau yn y Siambr yma wedi brwydro yn erbyn Llywodraeth San Steffan ynglŷn â'r polisïau yma. Ond mae'r bathodynnau glas o fewn eich rheolaeth chi fel Llywodraeth ac mae ein gwaith achos ni yn amlygu bod yr union beth sy'n digwydd efo PIP yn digwydd efo'r bathodynnau glas. Mae gen i etholwyr sydd wedi eu gwrthod heb asesiadau wyneb yn wyneb, pobl â phroblemau anadlu'n sydd wedi cael gwrthod bathodynnau glas am nad ydyn nhw'n defnyddio cymorthyddion cerdded am yr ychydig gamau y gallan nhw eu cymryd cyn mynd allan o wynt, a nifer o rai eraill sy'n wynebu dehongliad llym o'r rheolau nes cael apêl llwyddiannus. A ydy eich Llywodraeth chi felly mewn perygl o ddisgyn i'r un trap â'r hyn sy'n digwydd efo PIP, sef gwneud i bobl sy'n ceisio am fathodynnau glas deimlo fod y system yn eu herbyn nhw?
Thank you very much for that. It’s a little odd that an issue that is fundamentally about equality is in another portfolio, but I will write to you on that.
I will continue to ask questions on blue badges because it’s becoming more and more apparent that over the past decade the attitudes of governments towards disabled people have veered towards placing criteria that are much harsher and processes that are far more bureaucratic, where they are required to prove their disability in order to access their rights. Unless that proof is provided, they are seen as being misleading. You’re very familiar with the personal independence payments, namely that a high number of decisions go against disabled people and that these decisions are often overturned at appeal. Indeed, there are a number of Members in this Chamber who have fought against the Westminster Government on these policies. But blue badges are within your control as a Government and our casework highlights that the exact same thing that is happening with PIP is also happening with the blue badges. I have constituents who have been rejected without face-to-face assessment, people with respiratory problems who have been refused blue badges because they don’t use walking aids for the few steps that they can take before they're out of breath, and a number of others facing a very harsh interpretation of the rules until they get through a successful appeal. So, is your Government at risk of falling into the same trap as has happened with PIP payments, namely making people who apply for blue badges feel that the system is against them?
I very much hope not. Just to explain, I don't have direct portfolio responsibility for a large number of areas that impact on equalities, because equalities impact on everything. So, I have some direct portfolio responsibilities. But, what I do have responsibility for is ensuring that those equalities duties and obligations are carried out by all of my Cabinet Secretary colleagues. So, I'm not in any way trying to abrogate my responsibility for it; I'm just saying I don't have the detail with me because that detail is held by the Cabinet Secretary.
Having said all of that, the reason I explained that is because I very much want to see the social model of disability embraced throughout Wales, and that is where we do not ask the disabled person to do anything that anybody else wouldn't be asked to do. We simply look to remove the barriers facing that person in accessing all of the aspects of society that they need to access. So, I'm very happy to undertake to go away and speak with the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for the scheme to ensure that we are not doing that.
I too am very vehemently opposed to the way that the PIP assessments have been carried out. I have many constituents who face similar problems. So, I will undertake to go away and speak with the Cabinet Secretary, because if that's happening it really ought not to be.
Rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr na fydd hynny'n digwydd. Er eglurder, nid oes gennyf unrhyw gyfrifoldeb portffolio uniongyrchol am nifer fawr o feysydd sy'n effeithio ar gydraddoldeb, oherwydd mae cydraddoldeb yn effeithio ar bopeth. Felly, mae gennyf rai cyfrifoldebau portffolio uniongyrchol. Ond rwy'n gyfrifol am sicrhau bod y dyletswyddau a'r rhwymedigaethau cydraddoldeb hynny'n cael eu cyflawni gan bob un o fy nghyd-Ysgrifenyddion Cabinet. Felly, nid wyf yn ceisio osgoi fy nghyfrifoldeb mewn unrhyw ffordd; rwy'n dweud nad oes gennyf y manylion gyda mi gan mai Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet sydd â'r manylion hynny.
Wedi dweud hynny i gyd, y rheswm pam yr eglurais hynny yw oherwydd fy mod eisiau gweld y model cymdeithasol o anabledd yn cael ei groesawu ledled Cymru, ac mae'r model hwnnw'n golygu nad ydym yn gofyn i'r unigolyn anabl wneud unrhyw beth na fyddem yn gofyn i unrhyw unigolyn arall ei wneud. Yn syml, rydym yn ceisio cael gwared ar y rhwystrau sy'n wynebu'r unigolyn wrth iddynt gael mynediad at yr holl agweddau ar gymdeithas y mae angen iddynt gael mynediad atynt. Felly, rwy'n hapus iawn i ymrwymo i siarad â'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet sydd â chyfrifoldeb dros y cynllun i sicrhau nad ydym yn gwneud hynny.
Rwyf finnau hefyd yn gwrthwynebu'n chwyrn iawn y ffordd y cynhaliwyd asesiadau'r taliad annibyniaeth personol. Mae gennyf nifer o etholwyr sy'n wynebu problemau tebyg. Felly, rwy'n ymrwymo i siarad ag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, oherwydd os yw'n digwydd, ni ddylai fod yn digwydd o gwbl.
Diolch yn fawr am hynny. Mae yna un agwedd arall buaswn i'n hoffi i chi ei thrafod efo'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet economi, felly, sef y canllawiau sydd ymhlyg efo sefydliadau sydd yn berchen ar fysys mini yn defnyddio bathodynnau glas. Mae rheoliadau'r canllawiau wedi cael eu drafftio'n wael ac mae sefydliad sydd yn gobeithio mynd â phobl anabl allan ar dripiau ac yn y blaen yn cael trafferth efo'r holl system o gael bathodyn glas ar gyfer eu bws mini neu beth bynnag. Mae'r broblem yn y ffordd y mae'r rheoliadau wedi cael eu drafftio ac mae hynny'n creu problem i'r awdurdodau lleol wedyn yn y ffordd y maen nhw’n edrych arnyn nhw a diffyg eglurder.
Felly, a gaf i ofyn ichi hefyd edrych ar y mater yna? Rwy'n meddwl ei bod hi'n bwysig. Rwy'n cymharu beth sy'n digwydd ar hyn o bryd efo bathodynnau glas efo beth sydd wedi bod yn digwydd efo PIP, ac rwy'n siŵr eich bod chi'n cytuno efo fi nad dyna'r ffordd rydym ni eisiau gwneud pethau yng Nghymru.
Thank you for that. There’s one other aspect that I’d like you to discuss with the Cabinet Secretary for the economy, therefore, namely the guidance that is related to organisations that own minibuses that use blue badges. The regulations and the guidance have been drafted poorly and an organisation that would hope to take disabled people out on day trips and so on will have difficulty with the whole system of accessing a blue badge for their minibus or whatever vehicle they use. The problem lies in the drafting of the regulations and that then creates a problem for the local authorities in the way they are considered and there is a lack of clarity.
So, can I ask you to also look at that issue? I do think it’s important. I do compare it with what has happened with PIP payments, and I’m sure you would agree with me that that isn’t the way we want to do things here in Wales.
I absolutely do agree with you that that isn't the way we want to do things here. I will certainly take that up with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport. Indeed, Siân Gwenllian, I'd be very grateful if you'd come to a meeting, if I broker it, between the three of us so that we can discuss the detail.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â chi nad dyna'r ffordd rydym eisiau gwneud pethau yma. Byddaf yn sicr yn dwyn hynny i sylw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth. Yn wir, Siân Gwenllian, buaswn yn ddiolchgar iawn pe baech yn mynychu cyfarfod, pe bawn yn trefnu un, rhwng y tri ohonom fel y gallwn drafod y manylion.
The UKIP spokesperson, David Rowlands.
Llefarydd UKIP, David Rowlands.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Leader of the house, Innovation Point, Wales's leading digital business growth agency announced last week the first meeting of an extra group set up to prepare and shape a coherent national 5G programme in Wales. This will support the wider 5G UK ecosystem and help to position Wales as a world leader in the development and delivery of 5G. Can you give an update on this announcement, leader of the house?
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Arweinydd y tŷ, yr wythnos diwethaf, cyhoeddodd yr Arloesfa, sef asiantaeth flaenllaw Cymru ar gyfer twf busnes digidol, ei bod yn cynnal cyfarfod cyntaf y grŵp ychwanegol a sefydlwyd i baratoi a llunio rhaglen 5G genedlaethol gydlynol yng Nghymru. Bydd hyn yn cefnogi ecosystemau 5G ehangach y DU ac yn helpu i gyflwyno Cymru fel arweinydd byd ym maes datblygu a darparu 5G. A allwch chi roi'r newyddion diweddaraf am y cyhoeddiad hwn, arweinydd y tŷ?
Yes. As I explained in answer to an earlier question, we're extremely keen to support the development of 5G, including a very large number of test beds across Wales. We're looking to test innovative solutions across the various aspects of Welsh society so that we can show what 5G can do in different circumstances and given different criteria. We're very keen indeed, for example, to ensure that in areas where there's no 4G coverage that people don't have to climb a ladder and that they're able to leapfrog up from 0G, frankly, in some areas right up to the top. To that end, we've been having a lot of discussions around how that can be facilitated. That is all tied up with the way the spectrum sale will be done by the UK Government in the end. So, the Member will have heard me talk about the way that 4G was sold off. There's no end to the use of that. I'd like to see that like a planning consent, so if you haven't used it in five years it reverts to the public sector so that we can use it. Whereas in fact what's happened is it's been sold to the private operator and I can't get it back. I very much wish I could.
Gallaf. Fel yr eglurais mewn ateb i gwestiwn cynharach, rydym yn awyddus iawn i gefnogi datblygiad 5G, gan gynnwys nifer fawr iawn o ardaloedd peilot ledled Cymru. Rydym yn bwriadu profi atebion arloesol ar draws y gwahanol agweddau ar gymdeithas yng Nghymru fel y gallwn ddangos beth y gall 5G ei wneud mewn amgylchiadau gwahanol ac o gael gwahanol feini prawf. Rydym yn awyddus iawn i sicrhau, er enghraifft, mewn ardaloedd lle nad oes 4G o gwbl, nad oes angen i bobl ddringo ysgol a'u bod yn gallu llamneidio i fyny o 0G i'r brig, a dweud y gwir, mewn rhai ardaloedd. I'r perwyl hwnnw, rydym wedi bod yn cael llawer o drafodaethau ynglŷn â sut y gallwn hwyluso hynny. Mae hynny i gyd yn gysylltiedig â'r ffordd y bydd Llywodraeth y DU yn cynnal gwerthiant sbectrwm yn y pen draw. Felly, bydd yr Aelod wedi fy nghlywed yn sôn am y ffordd y cafodd 4G ei werthu. Nid oes pen draw i'w ddefnydd. Hoffwn weld hwnnw fel caniatâd cynllunio, felly os nad ydych wedi'i ddefnyddio o fewn pum mlynedd, bydd yn dychwelyd i'r sector cyhoeddus fel y gallwn ei ddefnyddio. Ond yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd mewn gwirionedd yw ei fod wedi cael ei werthu i'r gweithredwr preifat ac ni allaf ei gael yn ôl. Buaswn yn hoffi gallu gwneud hynny'n fawr iawn.
I thank the leader of the house for that answer. It is encouraging, leader of the house, to see that Wales is already establishing itself as a leader in the area of digital innovation through initiatives like the compound semiconductor cluster based in my own South Wales East constituency. Fifth generation technology will undoubtedly be an enabler of new technologies, which can only support and accelerate wider digital opportunities across Wales. What further plans have the Government put in place to take advantage of this new vital technology?
Diolch i arweinydd y tŷ am yr ateb hwnnw. Arweinydd y tŷ, mae'n galonogol gweld fod Cymru eisoes yn dod yn arweinydd ym maes arloesi digidol drwy fentrau fel y clwstwr lled-ddargludyddion cyfansawdd yn fy etholaeth, Dwyrain De Cymru. Yn ddi-os, bydd technoleg y bumed genhedlaeth yn ysgogi technolegau newydd, a fydd yn cefnogi ac yn cyflymu cyfleoedd digidol ehangach ledled Cymru. Pa gynlluniau pellach y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi'u rhoi ar waith i fanteisio ar y dechnoleg newydd hanfodol hon?
Yes, as you said, I've recently agreed with Innovation Point that they will advise on, stimulate and exploit opportunities in the emerging 5G landscape, co-ordinate the work of all key stakeholders and delivery partners, and establish appropriate governance frameworks for that activity.
There's a large number of projects going on around Wales. I mentioned the one in the college, for example. We're also doing it as part of the automotive technology park planned in Ebbw Vale. A very large part of the digital infrastructure proposal for the Swansea bay city region is focused on 5G, and the Cardiff city deal is also looking at it.
I say to the Member that we're very keen to ride that wave, and there's no reason at all why we wouldn't be one of the absolute forerunner take-up nations for that. I should also say to the Member, though, that there are lots of other exciting technologies that don't have quite the buzz, if you like, of 5G. So, all of the way around Wales, we are looking at very effective use of something called long-range wide-area network technology, which is very low frequency. The devices have a hugely long battery life as a result, and they can monitor all kinds of things that give us really useful data around social isolation, for example. So, there is a large number of other technologies that we're taking a very keen interest in as well.
Ie, fel y dywedoch chi, yn ddiweddar, deuthum i gytundeb gyda'r Arloesfa y byddant yn cynghori, yn ysgogi ac yn manteisio ar gyfleoedd y tirlun 5G sy'n dod i'r amlwg, yn cydlynu gwaith yr holl randdeiliaid a'r partneriaid cyflenwi allweddol, ac yn sefydlu fframweithiau llywodraethu priodol ar gyfer y gweithgarwch hwnnw.
Mae nifer fawr o brosiectau ar y gweill ledled Cymru. Soniais am yr un yn y coleg, er enghraifft. Rydym hefyd yn gwneud hyn fel rhan o'r parc technoleg modurol arfaethedig yng Nglyn Ebwy. Mae rhan fawr iawn o'r cynnig seilwaith digidol ar gyfer dinas-ranbarth bae Abertawe yn canolbwyntio ar 5G, ac mae bargen ddinesig Caerdydd hefyd yn edrych arno.
Rwy'n dweud wrth yr Aelod ein bod yn awyddus iawn i wneud yn fawr o'r cyfle, ac nid oes unrhyw reswm o gwbl pam na allwn fod yn un o'r gwledydd sy'n manteisio fwyaf. Fodd bynnag, dylwn hefyd ddweud wrth yr Aelod fod llawer o dechnolegau cyffrous eraill ar gael nad ydynt mor gyffrous, os mynnwch chi, â 5G. Felly, ar draws Cymru gyfan, rydym yn edrych ar ddefnydd effeithiol iawn o'r hyn a elwir yn dechnoleg rhwydwaith ardal eang pell, sydd ag amledd isel iawn. O ganlyniad, mae gan y dyfeisiau oes batri hir iawn a gallant fonitro pob math o bethau sy'n darparu data defnyddiol iawn i ni ar ynysu cymdeithasol, er enghraifft. Felly, mae gennym ddiddordeb brwd mewn nifer fawr o dechnolegau eraill hefyd.
I thank the leader of the house for that enlightening answer. Can I now turn to another matter, which I know you take extremely seriously—that of bullying, particularly in the context of schools? Given the recent tragic incident in St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School in Llanelli, where a young boy, Bradley John, suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, committed suicide whilst on the school premises due to bullying, is the leader of the house content that all schools are treating bullying in an appropriate manner? I understand that the bullying that the boy's parents had complained of on numerous occasions was simply logged as 'incidents'.
Diolch i arweinydd y tŷ am yr ateb esboniadol hwnnw. A gaf fi droi at fater arall yn awr, a gwn eich bod o ddifrif am y mater hwn—sef bwlio, yn enwedig yng nghyd-destun ysgolion? O ystyried y digwyddiad trasig diweddar yn Ysgol Gyfun Gatholig Sant Ioan Llwyd yn Llanelli, lle cyflawnodd bachgen ifanc, Bradley John, a oedd yn dioddef o anhwylder diffyg canolbwyntio a gorfywiogrwydd, hunanladdiad ar safle'r ysgol oherwydd bwlio, a yw arweinydd y tŷ yn fodlon fod pob ysgol yn trin bwlio mewn ffordd briodol? Yn ôl yr hyn rwy'n ei ddeall, roedd rhieni'r bachgen wedi cwyno bod eu mab yn cael ei fwlio ar sawl achlysur ond nodwyd y cwynion hyn fel 'digwyddiadau' yn unig.
We have a very extensive programme of anti-bullying—again, in conjunction with my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Education, who has responsibility for the schools programme. We support a large number of curriculum developments. We've recently supported the healthy relationships and sexual relationships roll-out for the guidelines there. We support, for example, Stonewall Cymru's Come out for LGBT campaigns, and we also work very closely with a large number of other organisations that have members who particularly experience hate crimes, to ensure that our schools are very safe places, as well as the rest of our society. So, we have a very large and extensive framework that schools must comply with in order to ensure that we don't have that sort of behaviour.
Mae gennym raglen wrth-fwlio helaeth iawn—unwaith eto, gyda fy nghyd-Aelod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg, sydd â chyfrifoldeb dros y rhaglen ysgolion. Rydym yn cefnogi nifer fawr o ddatblygiadau cwricwlwm. Yn ddiweddar rydym wedi cefnogi'r gwaith o gyflwyno'r canllawiau ar berthnasoedd iach a pherthnasoedd rhywiol. Rydym yn cefnogi, er enghraifft, ymgyrchoedd Dewch Allan dros LGBT Stonewall Cymru, ac rydym hefyd yn gweithio'n agos iawn gyda nifer fawr o sefydliadau eraill sydd ag aelodau sy'n dioddef troseddau casineb yn arbennig, er mwyn sicrhau bod ein hysgolion yn lleoedd diogel iawn, yn ogystal â gweddill ein cymdeithas. Felly, mae gennym fframwaith mawr a helaeth iawn y mae'n rhaid i ysgolion gydymffurfio ag ef er mwyn sicrhau nad ydym yn cael y math hwnnw o ymddygiad.
Thank you. We'll return to questions on the order paper. Question 3, Paul Davies.
Diolch. Dychwelwn yn awr at y cwestiynau ar y papur trefn. Cwestiwn 3, Paul Davies.
3. A wnaiff Arweinydd y Tŷ roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y gwaith diweddaraf i gyflwyno band eang ym Mhreseli Sir Benfro? OAQ52707
3. Will the Leader of the House provide an update on the latest roll-out of broadband in Preseli Pembrokeshire? OAQ52707
Although we do not hold information specifically relating to Preseli, I can confirm that the Superfast Cymru scheme provided access to fast fibre broadband to over 60,470 homes and businesses in Pembrokeshire, delivering average speeds of over 77 Mbps and investing £15.7 million.
Er nad oes gennym wybodaeth sy'n ymwneud â Phreseli yn benodol, gallaf gadarnhau bod cynllun Cyflymu Cymru wedi darparu mynediad at fand eang ffibr cyflym i dros 60,470 o gartrefi a busnesau yn Sir Benfro, gan ddarparu cyflymder cyfartalog o dros 77 Mbps a buddsoddi dros £15.7 miliwn.
I'm grateful to the leader of the house for also attending a public meeting in my constituency earlier this year to discuss my constituents' concerns regarding broadband. She will be in no doubt about the frustrations that my constituents feel in being unable to access sufficient broadband service. I appreciate that she will be making a statement on the new contract next week, but can she reassure my constituents that communities like Mynachlog-ddu will no longer be left behind, and that this new contract will, in fact, deliver a sufficient broadband service for communities such as Mynachlog-ddu?
Diolch i arweinydd y tŷ am fynychu cyfarfod cyhoeddus yn fy etholaeth yn gynharach eleni i drafod pryderon fy etholwyr mewn perthynas â band eang. Yn ddi-os, fe fydd hi'n gwybod am y rhwystredigaeth y mae fy etholwyr yn ei deimlo am nad ydynt yn gallu cael mynediad at wasanaeth bang eang digonol. Rwy'n sylweddoli y bydd yn gwneud datganiad ar y cytundeb newydd yr wythnos nesaf, ond a yw'n gallu rhoi sicrwydd i fy etholwyr na fydd cymunedau fel Mynachlog-ddu yn cael eu gadael ar ôl, ac y bydd y cytundeb newydd hwn, mewn gwirionedd, yn darparu gwasanaeth band eang digonol ar gyfer cymunedau fel Mynachlog-ddu?
As I said at the meeting—thank you for inviting me, and, as usual, I say to Members where I haven't gone that I'm very happy to go to communities; they're always very useful—the meeting was very useful. It allows me to explain why we are where we are and what's actually happening, and also to understand at first hand some of the frustrations. I think your meeting was no exception. It's very nice when there are one or two people there whose problem we can solve instantly, as well, which is always lovely, and there were, I think, a couple in the room on that occasion.
So, what I will say is exactly what I said at the meeting, which is that if the properties there are not included in the actual contract that's rolled out—and I'm not able to say anything about that until I make the statement, unfortunately, but, as I said to you, we've asked for specific properties so that we don't have some of the comms problems we had with the first phase of superfast—then we will know if they aren't, and we will have an innovative pot of finance specifically to get to communities that are not specifically targeted in those contracts. So, one way or the other, we'll be able to work out a solution. Fast fibre broadband might not be the solution, but we will get fast internet into people's homes.
Fel y dywedais yn y cyfarfod—diolch am fy ngwahodd, ac fel arfer, rwy'n dweud wrth yr Aelodau fy mod yn hapus iawn i ymweld â chymunedau nad wyf wedi ymweld â hwy'n barod; maent yn ddefnyddiol iawn bob amser—roedd y cyfarfod yn ddefnyddiol iawn. Mae'n rhoi cyfle i mi egluro pam ein bod yn y sefyllfa hon a'r hyn sy'n digwydd mewn gwirionedd, a hefyd i glywed am rwystredigaethau'r etholwyr drosof fy hun. Nid oedd eich cyfarfod yn eithriad. Mae'n braf pan allwn ddatrys problemau un neu ddau o'r bobl sy'n bresennol ar unwaith hefyd, sydd bob amser yn hyfryd, ac rwy'n credu bod un neu ddau o'r rheini yn yr ystafell ar yr achlysur hwnnw.
Felly, rwyf am ddweud yr hyn a ddywedais yn y cyfarfod, sef os nad yw'r eiddo yno wedi'u cynnwys yn y cytundeb a gyflwynir—ac nid wyf yn gallu dweud dim am hynny hyd nes y byddaf yn gwneud y datganiad, yn anffodus, ond fel y dywedais wrthych, rydym wedi gofyn am eiddo penodol fel na fyddwn yn profi rhai o'r problemau cyfathrebu a gawsom gyda chyfnod cyntaf Cyflymu Cymru—yna byddwn yn gwybod os nad ydynt, a bydd gennym bot newydd o gyllid ar gyfer cymunedau nad ydynt wedi'u targedu'n benodol yn y cytundebau hynny. Felly, un ffordd neu'r llall, byddwn yn gallu dod o hyd i ateb. Mae'n bosibl nad band eang ffibr cyflym yw'r ateb, ond byddwn yn darparu rhyngrwyd cyflym i gartrefi pobl.
Thank you for your response to Paul Davies. You'll obviously be aware, leader of the house, that rural businesses are particularly impacted when they're unable to access effective broadband services, and this has an ongoing effect on the rural economy. Can you reassure us that, when you're rolling out the new contract—and I appreciate you can't say much in detail about that today—you will be ensuring that all businesses are enabled to access the broadband services that they badly need in Pembrokeshire and in the rest of mid and west Wales?
Diolch i chi am eich ateb i Paul Davies. Mae'n amlwg y byddwch yn gwybod, arweinydd y tŷ, yr effeithir yn arbennig ar fusnesau gwledig pan nad ydynt yn gallu cael mynediad at wasanaethau band eang effeithiol, ac mae hyn yn cael effaith yn sgil hynny ar yr economi wledig. A allwch chi roi sicrwydd i ni, pan fyddwch yn cyflwyno'r cytundeb newydd—ac rwy'n derbyn na allwch rannu manylion y cytundeb hwnnw gyda ni heddiw—y byddwch yn sicrhau bod pob busnes yn gallu cael mynediad at y gwasanaethau band eang y maent yn daer eu hangen yn Sir Benfro ac yng ngweddill canolbarth a gorllewin Cymru?
Yes, so, as I said in response to Paul Davies, you’ll be able to see, once we have the contracts, which premises are and are not included, because we’ve deliberately tendered it in that way. I would encourage business—. I have this conversation—and I’m not sure that I’ve visited alongside you, Helen Mary, so perhaps we should facilitate that as well—and, as I explain, quite often it’s frustrating because businesses wait until the superfast programme gets to them, only to discover that actually it’s not adequate. We run a voucher scheme specifically aimed at businesses and we have a business exploitation team who are very happy to speak to any business about their actual requirements and what the best way of satisfying those is. So, if you do have people who are not in the contract, or actually even if they are, and if you think that they’re underestimating their need for broadband services, then I’m very happy to facilitate the exploitation team coming out to speak to the individual businesses by way of doing it.
Deputy Presiding Officer, if you would just indulge me for a minute, I want to give the example because it’s very common across Wales, so if people are listening, they can hear it: if you run a tourism business and you wait for Superfast Cymru, but you expect more than 40 devices to connect to your system, which is probably 10 people or 20 people at the absolute outside in today’s world, it will not be adequate. So, you need to do something more and so you should contact the business exploitation team.
Ie, felly, fel y dywedais mewn ymateb i Paul Davies, byddwch yn gallu gweld, pan fydd gennym y cytundebau, pa safleoedd sydd wedi'u cynnwys a pha safleoedd nad ydynt wedi'u cynnwys, oherwydd rydym wedi tendro yn y ffordd honno'n fwriadol. Buaswn yn annog busnesau—. Rwy'n cael y sgwrs hon—ac nid wyf yn siŵr a wyf wedi ymweld â mannau gyda chi, Helen Mary, felly efallai y dylem hwyluso hynny hefyd—ac fel rwy'n egluro, mae'n rhwystredig yn aml iawn oherwydd bod busnesau'n aros hyd nes y bydd y rhaglen band eang cyflym iawn yn eu cyrraedd, ac yn darganfod wedyn nad yw'n ddigonol mewn gwirionedd. Rydym yn cynnal cynllun talebau wedi'i anelu'n benodol at fusnesau ac mae gennym dîm datblygu busnes sy'n hapus iawn i siarad ag unrhyw fusnes ynglŷn â beth yw eu gofynion mewn gwirionedd a'r ffordd orau o fodloni'r rheini. Felly, os oes gennych bobl nad ydynt wedi'u cynnwys yn y cytundeb, neu hyd yn oed os ydynt wedi'u cynnwys, a'ch bod yn credu eu bod yn amcangyfrif yn rhy isel beth yw eu hangen am wasanaethau band eang, yna rwy'n hapus iawn i sicrhau bod y tîm datblygu busnes yn dod i siarad â'r busnesau unigol er mwyn cyflawni hynny.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, os maddeuwch chi i mi am funud, rwyf eisiau rhoi enghraifft oherwydd mae'n gyffredin iawn ledled Cymru, felly os oes pobl yn gwrando, gallant ei glywed: os ydych yn gweithredu busnes twristiaeth ac yn aros am Cyflymu Cymru, ond eich bod yn disgwyl i fwy na 40 o ddyfeisiau gysylltu â'ch system, sef 10 o bobl, neu 20 o bobl ar y mwyaf yn y byd fel y mae heddiw, ni fydd yn ddigonol. Gan hynny mae angen i chi wneud rhywbeth mwy ac felly dylech gysylltu â'r tîm datblygu busnes.
4. Beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n ei wneud i hyrwyddo cydweithio digidol rhwng y sector cyhoeddus a'r sector preifat? OAQ52730
4. What is the Welsh Government doing to promote digital collaboration between the public and private sectors? OAQ52730
The Welsh Government works closely with the Welsh tech sector to promote opportunities arising from the digitisation of public sector services.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n gweithio'n agos gyda sector technoleg Cymru i hyrwyddo cyfleoedd sy'n codi o ddigido gwasanaethau sector cyhoeddus.
Thank you, leader of the house. Last week, I attended a digital know-how seminar in Newport, along with representatives of over 75 local charities, SMEs and small businesses. The event was one of many which Lloyds Banking Group have held as part of their pledge to train 2.5 million individuals, SMEs and charities in digital skills by 2020, and this follows some research that found that 55 per cent of Welsh small businesses don't have a website and that only 26 per cent feel they have skills to prevent online fraud and scams. A key aim of the event was to encourage those attending to share knowledge, experience and best practice from their respective fields. So, how is Welsh Government working with employers to equip people with the digital skills needed for the benefit of individuals, SMEs, charities and the public sector?
Diolch i chi, arweinydd y tŷ. Yr wythnos diwethaf, mynychais seminar gwybodaeth ddigidol yng Nghasnewydd, ynghyd â chynrychiolwyr dros 75 o elusennau lleol a BBaChau a busnesau bach. Roedd y digwyddiad yn un o blith llawer y mae Lloyds Banking Group wedi'u cynnal fel rhan o'u haddewid i ddarparu hyfforddiant sgiliau digidol i 2.5 miliwn o unigolion, BBaChau ac elusennau erbyn 2020, a daw yn sgil gwaith ymchwil a ganfu nad oes gan 55 y cant o fusnesau bach yng Nghymru wefan ac mai 26 y cant ohonynt yn unig sy'n teimlo bod ganddynt sgiliau i atal twyll a sgamiau ar-lein. Un o nodau allweddol y digwyddiad oedd annog y rhai a'i mynychodd i rannu gwybodaeth, profiad ac arferion gorau o'u priod feysydd. Felly, sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda chyflogwyr i sicrhau bod gan bobl y sgiliau digidol sydd eu hangen arnynt er budd unigolion, BBaChau, elusennau a'r sector cyhoeddus?
Yes, it's an excellent question. We're working very hard with the private sector to increase support for people to engage with technology as a way to improve their lives. It's a priority area stated within our digital inclusion forward look document. The ability of large national organisations to highlight digital inclusion to wide audiences plays a crucial role in helping to raise awareness, and the event that the Member attended is a very good example of that, actually. Our digital inclusion programme, Digital Communities Wales, works with NatWest, Barclays and Lloyds to better co-ordinate digital inclusion activities across communities for that reason, because they have a big, wide reach across customer and staff bases. We also, through links with the Trades Union Congress and Digital Communities Wales, encourage organisations such as Tesco to consider their digitally excluded customers, whilst ensuring staff have an opportunity to also learn basic digital skills. We use Business Wales's bilingual support service to make it easier for Welsh microbusinesses and SMEs, including social enterprises and aspiring entrepreneurs, to access the information, advice and support they require to start and grow their business. So, I would say to any small Welsh SME that feels that they're in that situation to contact Business Wales and to get the support that they need to get online.
Research, Deputy Presiding Officer, from Welsh researchers shows that businesses that do get online have an exponential growth in their businesses compared to those who do not, and the research is very compelling that businesses that don't embrace the digital world are really struggling to survive.
Ie, mae hwnnw'n gwestiwn ardderchog. Rydym yn gweithio'n galed iawn gyda'r sector preifat i gynyddu cymorth i bobl allu ymwneud â thechnoleg fel ffordd o wella eu bywydau. Mae'n faes blaenoriaeth a nodwyd yn ein dogfen ar gynhwysiant digidol yn y dyfodol. Mae gallu sefydliadau cenedlaethol mawr i dynnu sylw cynulleidfaoedd eang at gynhwysiant digidol yn chwarae rhan hanfodol yn helpu i godi ymwybyddiaeth, ac mae'r digwyddiad a fynychwyd gan yr Aelod yn enghraifft dda iawn o hynny mewn gwirionedd. Mae ein rhaglen cynhwysiant digidol, Cymunedau Digidol Cymru, yn gweithio gyda NatWest, Barclays a Lloyds i wella cydlyniad gweithgareddau cynhwysiant digidol ar draws cymunedau am y rheswm hwnnw, oherwydd mae ganddynt gyrhaeddiad mawr ac eang o ran cwsmeriaid a chanolfannau staff. Hefyd, drwy gysylltiadau â Chyngres yr Undebau Llafur a Cymunedau Digidol Cymru, rydym yn annog sefydliadau megis Tesco i ystyried eu cwsmeriaid sydd wedi'u hallgáu'n ddigidol, gan sicrhau bod staff yn cael cyfle i ddysgu sgiliau digidol sylfaenol hefyd. Rydym yn defnyddio gwasanaeth cymorth dwyieithog Busnes Cymru i'w gwneud yn haws i BBaChau a microfusnesau Cymru, gan gynnwys mentrau cymdeithasol a darpar entrepreneuriaid, gael mynediad at y wybodaeth, y cyngor a'r cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt i ddechrau a thyfu eu busnesau. Felly, buaswn yn dweud wrth unrhyw BBaCh yng Nghymru sy'n teimlo eu bod yn y sefyllfa honno i gysylltu â Busnes Cymru a chael y cymorth y maent ei angen i fynd ar-lein.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, mae gwaith ymchwil gan ymchwilwyr yng Nghymru yn dangos bod busnesau sydd ar-lein yn profi twf esbonyddol yn eu busnesau o gymharu â'r rhai nad ydynt ar-lein, ac mae'r gwaith ymchwil yn dangos yn gadarn iawn fod busnesau nad ydynt yn manteisio ar y byd digidol yn ei chael hi'n anodd iawn goroesi mewn gwirionedd.
Leader of the house, on 18 July, I raised my concerns with you that organisations with proven track records in the UK and throughout Europe for their work on digitising and streamlining public services were struggling to gain access to the Welsh Government. You said in response, and I quote:
'I'm very happy to be the conduit into Government if anybody's experiencing that difficulty. Deputy Presiding Officer, I'm always astonished when I say this, but I'll say it again here in the Chamber: my e-mail address is julie.james@gov.wales. It's astonishing to me how few people take up that opportunity. I'd very much welcome contact from anyone who thinks they can improve public services.'
Now, I'm aware of at least one significant company that took you up on this offer. They contacted you on 18 August by e-mail, they've followed it up with two telephone calls so far into your department and they've not yet received a basic reply let alone any further comment on an appointment or even requesting more details of the services that they offer, and this is for digital streamlining in the NHS. Please can you do something to break this inertia within Welsh Government because we could be missing out on really fantastic ideas to streamline our public services?
Arweinydd y tŷ, ar y 18 o Orffennaf, mynegais fy mhryderon wrthych fod sefydliadau sydd ag enw da yn y DU a ledled Ewrop am eu gwaith ar ddigido a symleiddio gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn ei chael hi'n anodd cael mynediad at Lywodraeth Cymru. Yn ateb, fe ddywedoch chi hyn:
'Rwy'n hapus iawn i fod yn sianel i'r Llywodraeth os oes rhywun yn profi'r anhawster hwnnw. Ddirprwy Lywydd, rwyf bob amser wedi synnu pan fyddaf yn dweud hyn, ond fe'i dywedaf eto yma yn y Siambr: fy nghyfeiriad e-bost yw julie.james@gov.wales. Mae'n syndod i mi cyn lleied o bobl sy'n manteisio ar y cyfle hwnnw. Buaswn yn croesawu ymholiadau gan unrhyw un sy'n credu y gallant wella gwasanaethau cyhoeddus.'
Nawr, rwy'n ymwybodol fod un cwmni sylweddol, o leiaf, wedi manteisio ar y cynnig hwn. Cysylltodd y cwmni hwnnw â chi ar 18 Awst drwy e-bost, ac yn dilyn hynny maent wedi ffonio eich adran ddwywaith hyd yma, ac eto nid ydynt wedi cael ateb sylfaenol heb sôn am unrhyw sylwadau pellach ynglŷn â chyfarfod, na hyd yn oed gofyn am fwy o fanylion am y gwasanaethau y maent yn eu cynnig, ac mae hyn ar gyfer symleiddio digidol yn y GIG. A allwch chi wneud rhywbeth i dorri ar y syrthni hwn o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru, oherwydd gallem fod yn colli syniadau gwirioneddol wych ynglŷn â sut i symleiddio ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus?
Yes, well, I'm very sorry to hear that. I was not aware of that. I'd very much welcome the details of that outside the Chamber and I'll follow it up. I wasn't inundated, unfortunately, with e-mails that I'm aware of. That one clearly slipped through the net. So, I make the same offer again, but I will certainly follow that up. I'm very sorry to hear that and we'll sort it out.
Ie, wel, mae'n ddrwg iawn gennyf glywed hynny. Nid oeddwn yn ymwybodol o hynny. Buaswn yn croesawu'r manylion am hynny y tu allan i'r Siambr, ac fe af ar drywydd y mater hwnnw. Nid wyf yn ymwybodol fy mod wedi cael llwyth o negeseuon e-bost yn anffodus. Mae'n amlwg fod y neges honno wedi llithro drwy'r rhwyd. Felly, rwy'n gwneud yr un cynnig eto, ond byddaf yn sicr yn mynd ar drywydd y mater hwnnw. Mae'n ddrwg iawn gennyf glywed hynny, a byddwn yn mynd i'r afael â'r mater.
5. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â bwlio ar sail rhyw? OAQ52720
5. What action is the Welsh Government taking to tackle gender-based bullying? OAQ52720
Yes, bullying, whether in schools, workplaces or communities, is just unacceptable. We work closely with a wide range of partners, including school staff, the police, refuges, Stonewall Cymru and Victim Support Cymru, to tackle gender-based violence, intimidation and bullying. This includes a strong focus on education and awareness-raising campaigns.
Ie, mae bwlio, boed mewn ysgolion, gweithleoedd neu gymunedau, yn gwbl annerbyniol. Rydym yn gweithio'n agos gydag amrywiaeth eang o bartneriaid, gan gynnwys staff ysgol, yr heddlu, llochesau, Stonewall Cymru a Chymorth i Ddioddefwyr Cymru, i fynd i'r afael â thrais, dychryn a bwlio ar sail rhywedd. Mae hyn yn cynnwys ffocws cryf ar addysg ac ymgyrchoedd codi ymwybyddiaeth.
Thank you for that answer, leader of the house. The increasing instances of online gender-based and homophobic bullying are having a huge impact upon young people in Wales. This week, we learnt that a gay minister is facing repeated online abuse, mostly calls for him to kill himself. Young women are being put off entering politics due to constant torrents of abuse and rape threats they face on social media, and social media bullying has been linked to an increase in child suicide. Leader of the house, what more can you and your colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Education do to help put an end to this type of misery?
Diolch i chi am yr ateb hwnnw, arweinydd y tŷ. Mae achosion cynyddol o fwlio homoffobig a bwlio ar sail rhywedd ar-lein yn cael effaith enfawr ar bobl ifanc yng Nghymru. Yr wythnos hon, cawsom wybod bod gweinidog hoyw yn wynebu cam-drin ar-lein cyson, gan amlaf yn galw arno i ladd ei hun. Mae menywod ifanc yn cael eu cymell i beidio â mynd i fyd gwleidyddiaeth oherwydd y llif cyson o gamdriniaeth a bygythiadau trais rhywiol y maent yn ei wynebu ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol, ac mae bwlio ar gyfryngau gymdeithasol wedi cael ei gysylltu â chynnydd mewn hunanladdiad ymhlith plant. Arweinydd y tŷ, beth arall y gallwch chi a'ch cyd-Aelod, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg, ei wneud i helpu i ddod â'r math hwn o ddioddefaint i ben?
Yes, the cross-Government delivery framework on violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence sets out what we are doing and will be doing to meet the objectives contained in the national strategy on violence against women, domestic violence and sexual violence. Objective 3 is particularly focused on increasing awareness in children and young people of the importance of safe, equal and healthy relationships and that abusive behaviour is also wrong. We've been running two very successful campaigns. The This is Me campaign is trying to make sure that people don't accept gender stereotyping. I hope you've all seen it. It's been one of the most successful in terms of range and reach across Wales that we've ever run and it's been very popular with a number of the colleges and schools that I've visited. I was very privileged to launch it down in Rebecca Evans's constituency, actually, in Gower College, with a large number of very enthusiastic young people who were very keen to come out of the gender stereotypes. I hope you have seen it. It shows a range of things that always make me smile. An enormous piece of equipment pulls up and a person wearing the most beautiful pink wellies you ever saw gets out—obviously an expert driver of this huge piece of machinery and not at all what our unconscious bias would lead us to expect, and there's a male midwife featured there, there's a woman mechanic, but there are also people in their gender stereotypes, because actually there's nothing wrong with that if that's what suits you. So, the purpose of the campaign is to say that you should be the person you want to be, and if that conforms to a gender stereotype, fine, and if it doesn't, that's also fine. It's been very well received and it goes alongside our healthy relationships work, because we know that when people are trying to live up to a gender stereotype that doesn't suit them, that's when a lot of the problems start to occur. So, we've got a large number of programmes aimed at that.
We've got our Don't Be A Bystander campaign, which I hope you've also seen, which encourages people to take action where they see something that might look a bit weird to them and just to say something. We had very powerful testimony from some of the survivors there. Actually, it moved me to tears on one occasion, where one woman said that she was seen coming out of her shed early in the morning in her pyjamas by her neighbour, and her neighbour just said, 'Is everything okay?', because that seemed a bit odd to her, and she said that was the catalyst for her to think, 'No, it really isn't.' So, she said, 'Yes, it was'—this is her testimony, not mine—to the neighbour, but it made her realise that it wasn't, just that one little thing.
So, we've rolled out our 'ask and act' policies. Very large numbers of people have been trained now—if I flip through my papers, I can tell you: I think it's 70,000—and that's what that's doing. So, it's a simple set of things that you can do as a person—it's available if Members want to take it themselves, by the way, the level 1 for just ordinary citizens—that trains you in what to say if you think something is strange, just to give you the confidence to do it. So, people like firefighters, who often go into homes and then they see something—to give them the confidence to be able to know what to do. It's a very simple set of actions and it's very powerful. So, we're very determined, Deputy Presiding Officer, to wipe this kind of gender-based violence out of our communities.
Ie, mae'r fframwaith cyflawni trawslywodraethol ar drais yn erbyn menywod, cam-drin domestig a thrais rhywiol yn nodi'r hyn rydym yn ei wneud a'r hyn y byddwn yn ei wneud i gyflawni'r amcanion a nodir yn y strategaeth genedlaethol ar drais yn erbyn menywod, cam-drin domestig a thrais rhywiol. Mae amcan 3 yn arbennig yn canolbwyntio ar gynyddu ymwybyddiaeth ymhlith plant a phobl ifanc o bwysigrwydd cydberthynas ddiogel, cyfartal ac iach a bod ymddygiad camdriniol yn anghywir hefyd. Rydym wedi bod yn gweithredu dwy ymgyrch lwyddiannus iawn. Mae ymgyrch Dyma Fi yn ceisio gwneud yn siŵr nad yw pobl yn derbyn stereoteipio ar sail rhyw. Gobeithiaf eich bod chi i gyd wedi'i gweld. Mae wedi bod yn un o'r ymgyrchoedd mwyaf llwyddiannus i ni eu gweithredu erioed o ran ei hamrywiaeth a'i chyrhaeddiad ledled Cymru ac mae wedi bod yn boblogaidd iawn gyda nifer o golegau ac ysgolion yr ymwelais â hwy. Roedd yn fraint fawr ei lansio yn etholaeth Rebecca Evans yng Ngholeg Gŵyr, gyda nifer fawr o bobl ifanc frwdfrydig iawn a oedd yn awyddus iawn i gael gwared ar stereoteipiau rhywedd. Gobeithiaf eich bod wedi'i gweld. Mae'n dangos amrywiaeth o bethau sy'n gwneud i mi wenu bob amser. Mae peiriant enfawr yn arafu ac mae person sy'n gwisgo'r esgidiau glaw pinc harddaf a welsoch chi erioed yn dod allan ohono—rhywun sy'n amlwg yn arbenigo ar yrru'r peiriant enfawr hwn, ac yn gwbl groes i'r hyn y byddai ein rhagfarn anymwybodol yn ein harwain i'w ddisgwyl, ac mae'n cynnwys bydwraig gwrywaidd, ynghyd â pheiriannydd benywaidd, ond mae yna rai pobl yn eu stereoteipiau rhywedd hefyd, oherwydd mewn gwirionedd nid oes unrhyw beth o'i le ar hynny os mai dyna sy'n gweddu i chi. Felly, diben yr ymgyrch yw dweud y dylech fod yr hyn rydych eisiau bod, ac os yw hynny'n cydymffurfio â stereoteip rhywedd, iawn, ac os nad yw, mae hynny'n iawn hefyd. Mae wedi cael derbyniad da ac mae'n cyd-fynd â'n gwaith ar gydberthynas iach, oherwydd gwyddom pan fydd pobl yn ceisio cydymffurfio â stereoteip rhywedd nad yw'n gweddu iddynt, dyna pryd y bydd llawer o'r problemau'n dechrau digwydd. Felly, mae gennym nifer fawr o raglenni wedi'u hanelu at hynny.
Mae gennym ein hymgyrch Paid Cadw'n Dawel, ac rwy'n gobeithio eich bod wedi gweld honno hefyd, sy'n annog pobl i gymryd camau a dweud rhywbeth pan fyddant yn gweld rhywbeth a allai ymddangos braidd yn rhyfedd iddynt. Cawsom dystiolaeth bwerus iawn gan rai o'r goroeswyr yno. Mewn gwirionedd, roeddwn yn fy nagrau ar un achlysur, pan ddywedodd un fenyw bod ei chymydog wedi ei gweld yn dod allan o'r sied yn gynnar yn y bore yn ei phyjamas, a bod ei chymydog wedi gofyn 'Yw popeth yn iawn?', oherwydd bod hynny'n ymddangos braidd yn rhyfedd iddi, a dywedodd mai dyna oedd y catalydd a wnaeth iddi feddwl 'Na, nid yw popeth yn iawn.' Felly, fe ddywedodd 'Ydi, popeth yn iawn'—ei geiriau hi yw'r rhain, nid fy ngeiriau i—wrth y cymydog, ond fe wnaeth hynny iddi sylweddoli nad oedd popeth yn iawn, yr un peth bach hwnnw.
Felly, rydym wedi cyflwyno ein polisïau 'gofyn a gweithredu'. Mae nifer fawr iawn o bobl wedi cael eu hyfforddi bellach—os edrychaf drwy fy mhapurau, gallaf ddweud wrthych: credaf mai 70,000 ydyw—a dyna beth y mae hynny'n ei wneud. Felly, mae'n set syml o bethau y gallwch ei wneud fel unigolyn—mae hyfforddiant lefel 1 ar gyfer dinasyddion cyffredin ar gael, gyda llaw, os yw'r Aelodau eisiau ei wneud eu hunain—sy'n eich hyfforddi ar yr hyn y dylech ei ddweud os ydych yn credu bod rhywbeth yn rhyfedd, er mwyn rhoi'r hyder i chi ei wneud. Felly, pobl fel diffoddwyr tân, sy'n aml yn mynd i gartrefi ac yna'n gweld rhywbeth—bydd yr hyfforddiant yn rhoi hyder iddynt allu gwybod beth i'w wneud. Mae'n set syml iawn o gamau gweithredu ac mae'n bwerus iawn. Felly, rydym yn benderfynol iawn, Ddirprwy Lywydd, o gael gwared ar y math hwn o drais ar sail rhywedd o'n cymunedau.
6. A wnaiff Arweinydd y Tŷ roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y ddarpariaeth o fand eang yn Nwyrain Casnewydd? OAQ52711
6. Will the Leader of the House provide an update on broadband coverage in Newport East? OAQ52711
Yes. Although we don't hold information specifically for Newport East, under the Superfast Cymru project we provided access to fast fibre broadband to over 14,000 premises across all parts of Newport, delivering average speeds of over 75 Mbps and investing £2.9 million.
Gwnaf. Er nad oes gennym wybodaeth benodol ar gyfer Dwyrain Casnewydd, o dan y prosiect Cyflymu Cymru darparwyd mynediad band eang ffibr cyflym i dros 14,000 o safleoedd ar draws pob rhan o Gasnewydd, gan sicrhau cyflymder cyfartalog o dros 75 Mbps a buddsoddi £2.9 miliwn.
Thank you for that, leader of the house. As you know, phase 1 of Superfast Cymru did not reach the villages of Langstone, Llanvaches, Bishton and Goldcliff in Newport East, and I'm very grateful a meeting took place with one of your officials and others to discuss the issues. Phase 2 is eagerly awaited by local residents in those villages and I wonder if—an announcement next week, I know, but I wonder if there's anything you can say at this stage in terms of the issues that those residents face.
Diolch ichi am hynny, arweinydd y tŷ. Fel y gwyddoch, ni chyrhaeddodd cam 1 o Cyflymu Cymru bentrefi Langstone, Llanfaches, Trefesgob ac Allteuryn yn Nwyrain Casnewydd, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn fod cyfarfod wedi digwydd gydag un o'ch swyddogion ac eraill i drafod y problemau. Mae'r trigolion lleol yn y pentrefi hynny'n edrych ymlaen yn eiddgar at gyfnod 2, a thybed—cyhoeddiad yr wythnos nesaf, rwy'n gwybod, ond tybed a oes unrhyw beth y gallwch ei ddweud ar hyn o bryd ynglŷn â'r problemau sy'n wynebu'r trigolion hynny.
I haven't got any specific information, unfortunately, that I can give you. It has to await the outcome of the tendering process. But I will just repeat, because it's worth repeating, that we will know who is and isn't in the contract. If you aren't in the contract, then we will have a pot of money specifically designed to help villages or communities of people come together and get a solution. There are a large number of extremely successful projects right around Wales where people are getting gigabit speed, for example. So, I have a group of officials whose sole responsibility it is to facilitate that. I know they've met with the villagers that you mentioned, John Griffiths, and they'll be very happy to facilitate that should that not be part of the programme. I'm not in a position to say one way or the other, I'm afraid, at the moment.
Nid oes gennyf unrhyw wybodaeth benodol y gallaf ei rhoi i chi, yn anffodus. Mae'n rhaid aros am ganlyniad y broses dendro. Ond rwyf am ailadrodd, oherwydd mae'n werth ei ailadrodd, y byddwn yn gwybod pwy sydd a phwy nad yw yn y contract. Os nad ydych yn y contract, bydd gennym bot o arian wedi'i gynllunio'n benodol i helpu pentrefi neu gymunedau o bobl i ddod at ei gilydd a chael ateb. Ceir nifer fawr o brosiectau hynod o lwyddiannus ar draws Cymru lle mae pobl yn cael cyflymder gigabit, er enghraifft. Felly, mae gennyf grŵp o swyddogion a'u hunig gyfrifoldeb yw hwyluso hynny. Gwn eu bod wedi cyfarfod â'r pentrefwyr y sonioch chi amdanynt, John Griffiths, a byddant yn hapus iawn i hwyluso hynny os nad yw hynny'n rhan o'r rhaglen. Mae arnaf ofn nad wyf mewn sefyllfa i ddweud un ffordd neu'r llall ar hyn o bryd.
Cabinet Secretary, according to the Ofcom's 'Connected Nations' report for Wales, the area that has seen the greatest improvement is Newport, where superfast broadband coverage has now reached 96 per cent. However, rural coverage in Wales is only 66 per cent. What plans does the leader have to increase the coverage of superfast broadband in the hard-to-reach or notspot areas to raise south-east Wales to the level enjoyed by Newport, to ensure that the whole region benefits from the prospects of economic growth?
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yn ôl adroddiad 'Cenhedloedd Cysylltiedig' Ofcom ar gyfer Cymru, yr ardal sydd wedi gweld y gwelliant mwyaf yw Casnewydd, lle mae band eang cyflym iawn bellach wedi cyrraedd 96 y cant. Fodd bynnag, 66 y cant yn unig yw'r cysylltedd yng nghefn gwlad Cymru. Pa gynlluniau sydd gan yr arweinydd i gynyddu cysylltedd band eang cyflym iawn mewn ardaloedd anodd eu cyrraedd neu fannau gwan i godi de-ddwyrain Cymru i lefel Casnewydd, er mwyn sicrhau bod y rhanbarth cyfan yn elwa o'r rhagolygon ar gyfer twf economaidd?
Well, that's entirely the whole point of Superfast Cymru—to do exactly that, Mohammad Asghar. As you know, it's an intervention in the market. Without Superfast Cymru, most areas of Wales would never have got any broadband at all. Unfortunately, we are not able to roll it out as infrastructure. We require consent from the UK Government to implement state aid provisions, so it does rather hamper us. I think the figures you refer to are slightly old. The last phase of superfast drove the 66 per cent up very considerably. The least good across Wales is now 83 per cent, in fact. But, overall, we have about 90,000 premises in Wales not served.
Deputy Presiding Officer, when I make the announcements about the contracts next week, we will know how many will be covered with that, and, as I say, we have specific programmes, then, to target the rest of the communities.
Wel, dyna holl bwynt Cyflymu Cymru—i wneud yn union hynny, Mohammad Asghar. Fel y gwyddoch, mae'n ymyrraeth yn y farchnad. Heb Cyflymu Cymru, ni fyddai'r rhan fwyaf o ardaloedd Cymru wedi cael unrhyw fand eang o gwbl. Yn anffodus, nid ydym yn gallu ei gyflwyno fel seilwaith. Mae gofyn inni gael cydsyniad Llywodraeth y DU i weithredu darpariaethau cymorth gwladwriaethol, felly mae'n ein llesteirio braidd. Credaf fod y ffigurau rydych yn cyfeirio atynt ychydig yn hen. Yng nghyfnod diwethaf Cyflymu Cymru, gwelwyd y 66 y cant yn cynyddu'n sylweddol iawn. Y lleiaf da ledled Cymru bellach yw 83 y cant. Ond at ei gilydd, mae gennym oddeutu 90,000 o safleoedd yng Nghymru nad ydynt yn cael gwasanaeth.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, pan fyddaf yn gwneud y cyhoeddiadau am y contractau yr wythnos nesaf, fe fyddwn yn gwybod faint fydd yn cael cysylltedd drwy hynny, ac fel rwy'n dweud, mae gennym raglenni penodol ar gyfer targedu gweddill y cymunedau.
7. A wnaiff Arweinydd y Tŷ roi datganiad am y camau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â thrais yn erbyn menywod a cham-drin domestig? OAQ52718
7. Will the Leader of the House make a statement on Welsh Government action to tackle violence against women and domestic abuse? OAQ52718
Yes. We continue to implement our national strategy. Following input from our national advisers and stakeholders, our delivery framework was published in July. Draft national indicators will be issued for consultation by the end of this year, and we will be supporting a further roll-out of 'ask and act' training.
Gwnaf. Rydym yn parhau i weithredu ein strategaeth genedlaethol. Yn dilyn mewnbwn gan ein cynghorwyr cenedlaethol a'n rhanddeiliaid, cyhoeddwyd ein fframwaith cyflawni ym mis Gorffennaf. Cyhoeddir dangosyddion cenedlaethol drafft ar gyfer ymgynghori erbyn diwedd eleni, a byddwn yn cefnogi'r broses o gyflwyno rhagor o hyfforddiant 'gofyn a gweithredu'.
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. IRIS, the identification and referral to improved safety, is a general practitioner-based domestic abuse and sexual violence training and referral programme, and in my role as patron of Bawso, I'm pleased they are delivering the IRIS model, which has transformed the recognition and referral of domestic abuse in primary care in south Wales. The IRIS scheme is the first of its kind in Wales. It was launched by the police and crime commissioner, together with Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board chair, Maria Battle. Twenty-five GP practices across Cardiff and the Vale have been selected to be part of this innovative project.
The IRIS model was launched in GP surgeries in Cwm Taf in November 2015, and Dr Jackie Gantley, IRIS clinical lead, has stated that prior to commencement of the scheme, there was a very low rate of referral to services. There were only seven referrals identified in a three-year period prior to commencement, whereas in the three years post training, 870 cases have been identified and supported. The project encourages early identification, diversion to appropriate support, preventing further suffering and reducing crisis demand on the police. The victim-centred approach also provides police officers with the opportunity to work more closely with the GPs, enhancing local knowledge of pathways and support available to victims. Will you consider roll-out of the IRIS programme across all communities in Wales in order to tackle domestic violence and abuse?
Diolch ichi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Rhaglen hyfforddi ac atgyfeirio ar gyfer meddygon teulu mewn perthynas â cham-drin domestig a thrais rhywiol yw IRIS, sy'n nodi camdriniaeth ac yn atgyfeirio at well diogelwch, ac yn fy rôl fel noddwr Bawso, rwy'n falch eu bod yn cyflawni'r model IRIS, sydd wedi trawsnewid y gallu i nodi camdriniaeth ac atgyfeirio dioddefwyr cam-drin domestig mewn gofal sylfaenol yn ne Cymru. Cynllun IRIS yw'r cyntaf o'i fath yng Nghymru. Fe'i lansiwyd gan y comisiynydd heddlu a throseddu, ynghyd â chadeirydd Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol Prifysgol Caerdydd a'r Fro, Maria Battle. Dewiswyd 25 o feddygfeydd ledled Caerdydd a'r Fro i fod yn rhan o'r prosiect arloesol hwn.
Lansiwyd y model IRIS mewn meddygfeydd yng Nghwm Taf ym mis Tachwedd 2015, ac mae Dr Jackie Gantley, arweinydd clinigol IRIS, wedi datgan bod y gyfradd atgyfeirio at wasanaethau cyn dechrau'r cynllun yn isel iawn. Saith atgyfeiriad yn unig a nodwyd mewn cyfnod o dair blynedd cyn dechrau'r cynllun, ond yn y tair blynedd ar ôl darparu hyfforddiant, cafodd 870 o achosion eu nodi a'u cefnogi. Mae'r prosiect yn annog nodi achosion yn gynnar, dargyfeirio i gymorth priodol, gan atal dioddefaint pellach a lleihau galwadau argyfwng at yr heddlu. Mae'r dull gweithredu sy'n canolbwyntio ar y dioddefwr hefyd yn rhoi cyfle i swyddogion yr heddlu weithio'n agosach gyda'r meddygon teulu, gan wella gwybodaeth leol am y llwybrau a'r cymorth sydd ar gael i ddioddefwyr. A wnewch chi ystyried cyflwyno rhaglen IRIS ym mhob cymuned yng Nghymru er mwyn mynd i'r afael â thrais a cham-drin domestig?
Yes, it's clearly been a very effective programme, and I know Jane Hutt's long-term interest in programmes that are effective in terms of prevention as well as helping victims. It's a GP practice-based domestic violence training, support and referral programme, and I think it was first trialled in Bristol and Hackney.
As she says, the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales has funded two of the projects, and some of the funding has come through Cardiff and Vale local health board. We've been concentrating on our national training framework, ensuring that violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence training is a core part of the service that our health, fire and rescue and local authority colleagues offer. And as I said earlier, Deputy Presiding Officer, public services have shown a commitment to this training, and I was right in saying over 70,000 people were trained last year. It's a key part of the framework that supports front-line professionals, with detailed guidance and training to help them to ask potential victims about abuse and to take action to help them. GPs are identified as a priority group for 'ask and act' in our statutory guidance. It's a very cost-effective process of informed enquiry to identify and support victims, and it's opening up gateways and opportunities for those who have experienced abuse in every part of our public service. We've just recently run a procurement exercise for further 'ask and act' training for front-line professionals and are on track to achieve national roll-out by 2021.
Under the 2015 Act, local authorities and local health boards are required to develop and publish a local VAWSDASV strategy, setting out the identified needs and priorities for their area. The first strategies were published for 2018–19, and the national advisers will be providing feedback to assist with the further development of the strategies. So, as part of the further feedback, Jane Hutt, I'm more than happy to discuss with my Cabinet colleague for health whether this programme could be part of that.
Ydy, mae'n amlwg ei bod yn rhaglen effeithiol iawn, a gwn am ddiddordeb maith Jane Hutt mewn rhaglenni sy'n effeithiol o ran atal yn ogystal â helpu dioddefwyr. Rhaglen hyfforddiant, cymorth ac atgyfeirio mewn perthynas â thrais domestig yw hi ar gyfer meddygon teulu, a chredaf iddi gael ei threialu gyntaf ym Mryste a Hackney.
Fel y mae'n dweud, ariannodd Comisiynydd Heddlu a Throseddu De Cymru ddau o'r prosiectau, a daeth rhywfaint o'r arian drwy fwrdd iechyd lleol Caerdydd a'r Fro. Rydym wedi canolbwyntio ar ein fframwaith hyfforddi cenedlaethol, gan sicrhau bod hyfforddiant trais yn erbyn menywod, cam-drin domestig a thrais rhywiol yn rhan graidd o'r gwasanaeth a gynigir gan ein cydweithwyr ym maes iechyd, tân ac achub ac awdurdodau lleol. Ac fel y dywedais yn gynharach, Ddirprwy Lywydd, mae gwasanaethau cyhoeddus wedi dangos ymrwymiad i'r hyfforddiant hwn, ac roeddwn yn iawn i ddweud bod dros 70,000 o bobl wedi eu hyfforddi y llynedd. Mae'n rhan allweddol o'r fframwaith sy'n cefnogi gweithwyr proffesiynol rheng flaen, gyda chanllawiau manwl a hyfforddiant i'w helpu i holi dioddefwyr posibl ynglŷn â cham-drin ac i roi camau ar waith i'w helpu. Nodwyd bod meddygon teulu'n grŵp blaenoriaeth ar gyfer 'gofyn a gweithredu' yn ein canllawiau statudol. Proses o ymholi gwybodus yw hi sy'n gosteffeithiol iawn ar gyfer nodi a chynorthwyo dioddefwyr, ac mae'n agor pyrth a chyfleoedd i'r rhai sydd wedi profi camdriniaeth ym mhob rhan o'n gwasanaeth cyhoeddus. Yn ddiweddar rydym wedi cynnal ymarfer caffael ar gyfer hyfforddiant 'gofyn a gweithredu' pellach i weithwyr proffesiynol rheng flaen ac rydym ar y trywydd iawn ar gyfer ei gyflwyno'n genedlaethol erbyn 2021.
O dan Ddeddf 2015, mae'n ofynnol i awdurdodau lleol a byrddau iechyd lleol ddatblygu a chyhoeddi strategaeth trais yn erbyn menywod, cam-drin domestig a thrais rhywiol yn lleol, gan bennu'r anghenion a'r blaenoriaethau a nodwyd ar gyfer eu hardaloedd. Cyhoeddwyd y strategaethau cyntaf ar gyfer 2018-19, a bydd y cynghorwyr cenedlaethol yn darparu adborth i helpu i ddatblygu'r strategaethau ymhellach. Felly, fel rhan o'r adborth pellach, Jane Hutt, rwy'n fwy na hapus i drafod y posibilrwydd o gynnwys y rhaglen hon yn rhan o hynny gyda fy nghyd-Aelod yn y Cabinet dros iechyd.
Cabinet Secretary, can I refer you to a report delivered to the Royal College of Midwives's annual conference last week? This report found that midwives, despite being specifically trained to recognise domestic abuse, often didn't realise when they were themselves the victims. One of the key recommendations to come out of the research was the need for specific policy to support staff who may be experiencing domestic abuse, and I was pleased, in this regard, to note that six of the seven health boards in Wales do have a specific policy. Do you agree with me that all bodies and organisations in the public sector should have such a policy?
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a gaf fi eich cyfeirio at adroddiad a gyflwynwyd i gynhadledd flynyddol Coleg Brenhinol y Bydwragedd yr wythnos diwethaf? Er bod bydwragedd yn cael eu hyfforddi'n benodol i adnabod cam-drin domestig, yn aml iawn ni fyddent yn sylweddoli pan fyddent yn ddioddefwyr eu hunain. Un o argymhellion allweddol yr ymchwil oedd yr angen am bolisi penodol i gefnogi staff a allai fod yn dioddef cam-drin domestig, ac roeddwn yn falch, yn hyn o beth, o nodi bod chwech o'r saith bwrdd iechyd yng Nghymru yn meddu ar bolisi penodol. A ydych yn cytuno y dylai'r holl gyrff a sefydliadau yn y sector cyhoeddus gael polisi o'r fath?
Yes, I absolutely do. It's very much part of our national framework. It's very important as part of the 'ask and act' programme that not only are people trained to recognise what they're seeing in front of them with the people they're working with, but that they are trained to see it themselves. Just to consider whether I can do this without revealing any personal details, but I have been actually present when we've gone through the training, and somebody has actually realised that what we were describing was their own life. So, it can have that effect. But, yes, I absolutely agree it should be—well, it is part of our programme that it should be rolled out to all areas of public service, and, actually, after that, the third sector and then, actually, the whole of the citizenry, which is why I was saying earlier, in response to another Member, that the advice is available, and, actually, if Members are interested, they are very welcome to try it.
Ydw, yn bendant. Mae'n rhan bwysig iawn o'n fframwaith cenedlaethol. Mae'n bwysig iawn fel rhan o'r rhaglen 'gofyn a gweithredu' nid yn unig fod pobl yn cael eu hyfforddi i adnabod yr hyn a welant o'u blaenau gyda'r bobl y maent yn gweithio gyda hwy, ond eu bod yn cael eu hyfforddi i'w weld eu hunain. Rhaid imi ystyried a allaf wneud hyn heb ddatgelu unrhyw fanylion personol, ond rwyf wedi bod yn bresennol mewn gwirionedd pan fyddwn wedi bod yn mynd drwy'r hyfforddiant, a rhywun yn sylweddoli mai'r hyn yr oeddem yn ei ddisgrifio oedd eu bywyd hwy eu hunain. Felly, gall gael yr effaith honno. Ond rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr y dylai fod—wel, mae'n rhan o'n rhaglen y dylid ei gyflwyno i bob maes gwasanaeth cyhoeddus, ac mewn gwirionedd, ar ôl hynny, i'r trydydd sector ac yna, i bob dinesydd, a dyna pam roeddwn yn dweud yn gynharach, mewn ymateb i Aelod arall, fod y cyngor ar gael, ac mewn gwirionedd, os oes gan yr Aelodau ddiddordeb, mae croeso mawr iddynt roi cynnig arno.
Thank you very much, leader of the house.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, arweinydd y tŷ.
Item 3 on the agenda this afternoon: questions to the Assembly Commission. All the questions this afternoon will be answered by the Commissioner Suzy Davies. So, question 1, David Melding.
Eitem 3 ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma: cwestiynau i Gomisiwn y Cynulliad. Y prynhawn yma bydd yr holl gwestiynau'n cael eu hateb gan y Comisiynydd, Suzy Davies. Felly, cwestiwn 1, David Melding.
1. Pa werthusiad y mae'r Comisiwn wedi'i wneud o gyfranogiad y Cynulliad yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2018 ym Mae Caerdydd? OAQ52715
1. What assessment has the Commission made of the Assembly's participation in the 2018 National Eisteddfod in Cardiff Bay? OAQ52715
Diolch am y cwestiwn. Roedd yn wythnos arbennig. Gobeithio eich bod chi i gyd yn cytuno â hynny. Cynhaliwyd gwerthusiad a ddaeth i'r casgliad bod cyfranogiad y Cynulliad yn yr Eisteddfod wedi bod yn llwyddiant ysgubol. Roedd y mesurau yn cynnwys nifer yr ymwelwyr ar yr ystad, y gwaith ymgysylltu a wnaed, y gost, ac enw da y Senedd a'n staff. Roedd y canlyniadau yn cynnwys cynnydd enfawr mewn ymwelwyr â'r ystad: daeth dros 29,000 o bobl i'r Pierhead, a thros 18,000 o bobl i'r Senedd, gan gymryd rhan yng ngwaith ymgynghori pwyllgorau, yn ogystal â chael gwell dealltwriaeth o'n gwaith.
Thank you for the question. It was a remarkable week. I hope that you all agree with that. An evaluation has been conducted that concluded that the Assembly’s participation in the Eisteddfod was an overwhelming success. Measures included footfall onto the estate, the engagement that was achieved, cost, and the reputation of the Senedd and our staff. Outcomes included a huge increase in visitors to the estate: over 29,000 people visited the Pierhead and over 18,000 people visited the Senedd, taking part in committee consultations as well as having a greater understanding of our work.
Roeddwn i wrth fy modd yn gweld poblogrwydd yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, gyda llawer o bobl yn ymweld â'r digwyddiad am y tro cyntaf. Roedd cynnal y Lle Celf yn y Senedd yn ymddangos yn ddefnydd priodol iawn o'r adeilad, a buasai diddordeb gyda fi i glywed am y buddion ehangach a greodd e i'r Cynulliad.
I was delighted to see the popularity of the National Eisteddfod, with very many people visiting the event for the very first time. Having the Lle Celf in the Senedd seemed to be a very appropriate use of the building, and I would be interested to hear about the broader benefits that it brought to the Assembly.
Diolch am hynny hefyd. Roedd cael ein Senedd yng nghanol ein digwyddiad diwylliannol cenedlaethol, a bod yn gartref i'r Lle Celf, pebyll y cymdeithasau a phabell y dysgwyr yn llwyfan gwych ar gyfer ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd. Daeth bron i 7,000 o bobl i ddigwyddiadau ym mhebyll y cymdeithasau, a gwnaeth dros 5,500 o bobl dynnu eu llun yng nghadair y Llywydd yn y Siambr. Nid wyf i wedi gwneud hynny, felly gwell i mi drio tro nesaf. [Chwerthin.]
Roedd yr adborth ffurfiol ac anecdotaidd ynglŷn â'r Lle Celf yn arbennig o dda, ac rwy'n falch i weld ein bod ni wedi cael siawns ers hynny i gael arddangosfa wych gwaith Kyffin Williams, er enghraifft—gobeithio eich bod chi wedi gweld yr arddangosfa yma. Rwyf wrth fy modd fy hunan i gael gwaith mor sylweddol yma yn y Senedd, a hoffwn i hefyd weld mwy o hynny—wrth gwrs, tu mewn i gyfyngiadau anochel ein hadnoddau ariannol a dynol. Ac os oes yna bosibilrwydd i ni iwsio'r ystad yn fwy na rŷm ni'n ei wneud ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer strategaethau ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd, rwy'n siŵr eich bod chi i gyd yn fodlon i gael siawns i wneud hynny.
Thank you for that as well. Having our Senedd at the heart of our national cultural event, and being the home for the Lle Celf, the societies tent and the provision for learners was an excellent opportunity. Nearly 7,000 people attended the events of the societies, and 5,500 people took their photograph in the Llywydd’s chair in the Chamber. I haven’t done that, so maybe I should try next time. [Laughter.]
The formal and anecdotal feedback for the Lle Celf was very positive, and I’m pleased that we’ve had an opportunity since then to show the excellent work of Kyffin Williams, for example—I hope you’ve seen that exhibition. I’m delighted to see works of such cultural significance given a stage in the Senedd, and certainly I’d like to see more of that—within the inevitable constraints of our financial and human resources, of course. And if there's a possibility for us to use the estate more than we do at present for engagement strategies with the public, I’m sure you would all be content with every opportunity to do so.
2. Pa ddigwyddiadau y mae'r Comisiwn wedi'u cynllunio i goffáu canmlwyddiant diwedd y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf? OAQ52740
2. What events does the Commission have planned to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War? OAQ52740
Thank you, Andrew. Well, over the last four years, of course, we've worked with a range of partners to commemorate those who lost their lives, including the 14-18 NOW and Wales for Peace, to hold conferences, a series of guest lectures and panel discussions, including contributions of experts in particular aspects of war. We'll all remember the exhibitions, including the weeping willow exhibition and, of course, the opportunity for Members to bring some of their own memorabilia in, bringing the awfulness of war into very close contact with our own family experiences.
There will be another guest lecture on the role and contribution of women to the first world war, and, finally, a conference in conjunction with Wales for Peace, bringing children and young people from across Wales together, to discuss shaping the future we wish to see—obviously, with the first world war as the context for that.
Diolch i chi, Andrew. Wel, dros y pedair blynedd diwethaf, wrth gwrs, rydym wedi gweithio gydag amrywiaeth o bartneriaid i goffáu'r rhai a gollodd eu bywydau, gan gynnwys 14-18 NOW a Cymru dros Heddwch, i gynnal cynadleddau, cyfres o ddarlithoedd gwadd a thrafodaethau panel, gan gynnwys cyfraniadau arbenigwyr mewn agweddau penodol ar y rhyfel. Byddwn oll yn cofio'r arddangosfeydd, gan gynnwys yr arddangosfa'r helyg wylofus a'r cyfle, wrth gwrs, i'r Aelodau ddod â rhai o'u pethau cofiadwy eu hunain i mewn, gan ddod ag erchylltra rhyfel i gysylltiad agos iawn â'n profiadau teuluol ein hunain.
Cynhelir darlith wadd arall ar rôl a chyfraniad menywod i'r rhyfel byd cyntaf, ac yn olaf, cynhadledd ar y cyd â Cymru dros Heddwch, i ddod â phlant a phobl ifanc o bob rhan o Gymru at ei gilydd i drafod y gwaith o ffurfio'r dyfodol y dymunwn ei weld—gyda'r rhyfel byd cyntaf yn gyd-destun iddo wrth gwrs.
Thank you, Commissioner, for that answer. There have been, you quite rightly pointed out, many commemorative events over the last four years, and in particular the programme that the Welsh Government has led on, which is to be commended, in fairness. But this is the national Parliament of Wales, and as you walk through this building, there is, at the moment, no physical memorial to the fallen in the first world war and the effort of the civilian community that was left at home to feed the nation and to provide those basic services on the home front as well, then. I do think that is missing in this wonderful Parliament building that we have, and I would invite the Commission to look at putting a lasting memorial up that would commemorate the centenary activities but also be a focal point, as was the wonderful poppy display that was outside this building—I think, two years ago now—which captured the public's imagination and is now available for everyone to see at the Imperial War Museums. So, I'd invite the Commissioner to take this forward within the Commission, and hopefully the Commission will come forward with proposals for a lasting memorial that shows what this building and this institution and its Members did to commemorate the centenary.
Diolch am yr ateb hwnnw, Gomisiynydd. Fel y dywedoch chi'n gwbl gywir, bu llawer o ddigwyddiadau coffáu dros y pedair blynedd diwethaf, ac yn arbennig y rhaglen y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi arwain arni, sydd i'w chanmol, a bod yn deg. Ond dyma Senedd genedlaethol Cymru, ac wrth i chi gerdded trwy'r adeilad hwn ar hyn o bryd, ni cheir unrhyw gofeb ffisegol i'r rhai a syrthiodd yn y rhyfel byd cyntaf ac ymdrech y gymuned sifil a adawyd gartref i fwydo'r genedl ac i ddarparu'r gwasanaethau sylfaenol gartref yn ogystal. Credaf fod hynny ar goll yn adeilad hyfryd y Senedd, a hoffwn wahodd y Comisiwn i ystyried gosod cofeb barhaol a fyddai'n coffáu gweithgareddau'r canmlwyddiant ond i fod yn ffocws hefyd, fel arddangosfa wych y pabïau y tu allan i'r adeilad hwn—ddwy flynedd yn ôl bellach, rwy'n credu—a ddaliodd ddychymyg y cyhoedd ac sydd ar gael bellach i bawb ei gweld yn yr Amgueddfa Ryfel Ymerodrol. Felly, hoffwn wahodd y Comisiynydd i fwrw ymlaen â hyn yn y Comisiwn, a gobeithio y bydd y Comisiwn yn cyflwyno cynigion ar gyfer cofeb barhaol sy'n dangos yr hyn a wnaeth yr adeilad hwn a'r sefydliad hwn a'i Aelodau i goffáu'r canmlwyddiant.
Thank you very much for that idea. We're always looking for new ideas in the Commission to improve the building and perhaps convey our connection with the people of Wales. I mean, this is a serious part of our history, and I hope that the temporary exhibitions and the work that's been done in the last few years have helped maintain that link, and particularly for young people, to remind them that this has actually happened. We have the merchant seafarers' memorial outside, but of course that's just one group of contributors to war, and, of course, there are many local men—and it is men—commemorated by that memorial. But of course this is an idea we will consider. The one thing I don't think any of us would want, though, is the building just to become a place to be covered in plaques. I think we would have to be particularly careful about what we choose to say 'yes' to if we're going to be thinking about these types of memorials, but, of course, this is the first world war we're talking about, so I would say it would be a very good contender.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am y syniad hwnnw. Rydym bob amser yn chwilio am syniadau newydd yn y Comisiwn i wella'r adeilad a chyfleu ein cysylltiad efallai gyda phobl Cymru. Hynny yw, mae hon yn rhan ddifrifol o'n hanes, a gobeithiaf fod yr arddangosfeydd dros dro a'r gwaith a wnaed yn yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf wedi helpu i gynnal y cysylltiad hwnnw, ac yn enwedig ar gyfer pobl ifanc, i'w hatgoffa bod hyn wedi digwydd go iawn. Mae gennym gofeb y masnachlongwyr y tu allan, ond wrth gwrs un grŵp yn unig o gyfranwyr i'r rhyfel yw'r rheini, ac wrth gwrs, mae llawer o ddynion lleol—a dynion oeddent—wedi eu coffáu gan y gofeb honno. Ond wrth gwrs mae'n syniad y byddwn yn ei ystyried. Un peth rwy'n meddwl na fyddai neb ohonom ei eisiau, er hynny, yw i'r adeilad ddod yn lle sy'n llawn o blaciau. Rwy'n credu y byddai'n rhaid inni fod yn ofalus iawn ynglŷn â beth y byddwn yn dewis ei gymeradwyo os ydym yn mynd i fod yn meddwl am y mathau hyn o gofebion, ond wrth gwrs, y rhyfel byd cyntaf sydd dan sylw, felly buaswn yn dweud y gwnâi ymgeisydd da iawn.
Well, we are the National Assembly for Wales, and so can I ask that any commemoration activities that are taking place are provided around Wales, not just in Cardiff Bay? I know this is our major place of work, but Wales is a lot bigger than just Cardiff Bay, and I also know that the Commission have staff in other parts of Wales, so please can I ask that other parts of Wales are considered, not just this building?
Wel, Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru ydym ni, ac felly a gaf fi ofyn i chi ddarparu unrhyw weithgareddau coffáu sy'n digwydd mewn rhannau eraill o Gymru, nid yn unig ym Mae Caerdydd? Gwn mai dyma ein prif weithle, ond mae Cymru'n llawer mwy na Bae Caerdydd yn unig, a gwn hefyd fod gan y Comisiwn staff mewn rhannau eraill o Gymru, felly os gwelwch yn dda, a gaf fi ofyn i chi ystyried rhannau eraill o Gymru, ac nid yr adeilad hwn yn unig?
Well, I think it's fair to say that all parts of the public sector, particularly our local authorities, have been great participants in this commemoration over the last four years. We're talking about the end of those commemorations now, and, as we heard earlier, of course, local authorities are strapped for cash at the moment, but the same is true of the Commission in deciding how it needs to divide its resources up. I would hope, though, that the engagement strategy that we have, particularly engaging with schools, has made a contribution to young people's understanding of this across Wales, not just in Cardiff Bay.
Wel, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n deg dweud bod pob rhan o'r sector cyhoeddus, yn enwedig ein hawdurdodau lleol, wedi bod yn gyfranogwyr gwych yn y coffâd hwn dros y pedair blynedd diwethaf. Rydym yn sôn am ddiwedd y digwyddiadau coffáu hynny bellach, ac fel y clywsom yn gynharach wrth gwrs, mae awdurdodau lleol yn brin o arian ar hyn o bryd, ond mae'r un peth yn wir am y Comisiwn o ran penderfynu sut y mae angen iddo rannu ei adnoddau. Buaswn yn gobeithio, fodd bynnag, fod y strategaeth ymgysylltu sydd gennym, yn enwedig ymgysylltu ag ysgolion, wedi cyfrannu at ddealltwriaeth pobl ifanc o hyn ledled Cymru, nid yn unig ym Mae Caerdydd.
Question 3 [OAQ52735] by Julie Morgan has been withdrawn. Question 4—Jayne Bryant.
Tynnwyd cwestiwn 3 [OAQ52735] gan Julie Morgan yn ôl. Cwestiwn 4—Jayne Bryant.
4. Beth y mae'r Comisiwn yn ei wneud i annog pobl ifanc i ymweld â'r Cynulliad? OAQ52731
4. What is the Commission doing to encourage young people to visit the Assembly? OAQ52731
Thank you. Well, we engage with over 20,000 young people each year, half of which engage with us on the estate. Youth groups, colleges and schools are all invited to take part in sessions in Siambr Hywel, and we also travel to schools—that should be more convenient for them. The range of services offered to young people is actually advertised on the website as well—so, I'm just giving that a plug now so that more people know about it—as well as across social media channels, the education and engagement team's youth letter, through the Dysg newsletter, and through the Hwb learning platform.
Diolch. Wel, rydym yn ymgysylltu â dros 20,000 o bobl ifanc bob blwyddyn, a bydd eu hanner yn dod i gysylltiad â ni ar yr ystâd. Gwahoddir grwpiau ieuenctid, colegau ac ysgolion i gymryd rhan mewn sesiynau yn Siambr Hywel, ac rydym hefyd yn teithio i ysgolion—dylai hynny fod yn fwy cyfleus iddynt. Mae ystod y gwasanaethau a gynigir i bobl ifanc yn cael ei hysbysebu ar y wefan hefyd— felly, rwy'n rhoi sylw i hynny yn awr fel bod mwy o bobl yn gwybod—yn ogystal ag ar draws y cyfryngau cymdeithasol, y tîm addysg ac ymgysylltu â phobl ifanc, drwy gylchlythyr Dysg, a thrwy lwyfan dysgu Hwb.
Thank you. A few weeks ago, to mark the centenary of women's suffrage, over 100 brownies and guides from across Gwent, aged between seven and 14, spent two consecutive Saturdays in the Senedd at the Senedd takeover. It was a full day of activities and my colleagues Lynne Neagle, Julie Morgan and I were really impressed with the girls' enthusiasm and ideas. There was even a special badge designed for the occasion. It was the first time that many of them had visited the Senedd, and it was a fantastic opportunity for them to learn more about the history of women's suffrage in Wales. We also recruited voters, and, hopefully, some potential candidates, for the Youth Parliament. A lot of hard work by Assembly staff and Girlguiding Gwent went into planning this activity on a Saturday, so can the Commissioner set out what is being done to attract organisations working with young people to hold innovative events such as this in the Senedd?
Diolch. Ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, i nodi canmlwyddiant y bleidlais i fenywod, treuliodd dros 100 o brownis a geidiaid rhwng saith a 14 oed o bob rhan o Went ddau ddydd Sadwrn olynol yn meddiannu'r Senedd. Roedd yn ddiwrnod llawn o weithgareddau a gwnaeth brwdfrydedd a syniadau'r merched argraff ar fy nghyd-Aelodau, Lynne Neagle, Julie Morgan a minnau. Lluniwyd bathodyn arbennig ar gyfer yr achlysur. Dyma'r tro cyntaf i lawer ohonynt ymweld â'r Senedd, ac roedd yn gyfle gwych iddynt ddysgu mwy am hanes y bleidlais i fenywod yng Nghymru. Recriwtiwyd pleidleiswyr hefyd ar gyfer y Senedd Ieuenctid, a rhai ymgeiswyr posibl, rwy'n gobeithio. Gweithiodd staff y Cynulliad a Girlguiding Gwent yn galed ar gynllunio'r gweithgaredd ar ddydd Sadwrn, felly a wnaiff y Comisiynydd nodi beth sy'n cael ei wneud i ddenu sefydliadau sy'n gweithio gyda phobl ifanc i gynnal digwyddiadau arloesol fel hyn yn y Senedd?
Thank you for that contribution. I'm hoping that the members of staff hear the congratulations that you've offered them, because the girl guides and brownies that you were talking about obviously had an amazing experience, and, if we can compare what their experience was like with those who came in during the Eisteddfod, where understanding of what happens in this place grew really quite significantly, then I hope the same is true for your visitors.
You mentioned the Youth Parliament. Obviously, brownies and girl guides are one of the groups that have been targeted, if that's the right word, to help find candidates for the Youth Parliament. You'll remember that, outside the 40 constituencies, there are 20 seats that will be taken by members of youth groups, and actually Girlguiding Cymru's got an exceptional record. It was here, or engaged with the Assembly, 11 times last year, and that was away from this estate, so I think, as an organisation, it's absolutely right that they're the people who should be taking part in our Youth Parliament.
Did they know about the travel subsidy that they can get to come here? Maybe you don't know the answer to that, but that's one of the main tools that you would use for getting people to come here, rather than our education and outreach service going out. But, apart from the things I've already mentioned, our outreach team does still go out, though there'll be questions about where the balance lies now between that work and the work on the Youth Parliament, because, obviously, we have a set number of staff and the Youth Parliament has obviously been a priority for the Assembly, as we found out in votes on this—well, almost two years ago now, I think.
Diolch ichi am eich cyfraniad. Rwy'n gobeithio bod yr aelodau o staff yn eich clywed yn eu llongyfarch, oherwydd fe gafodd y geidiaid a'r brownis yr oeddech yn sôn amdanynt brofiad anhygoel, ac os gallwn gymharu eu profiad â'r rhai a ddaeth i mewn yn ystod yr Eisteddfod, fe dyfodd dealltwriaeth pobl o'r hyn sy'n digwydd yn y lle hwn yn eithaf sylweddol, ac rwy'n gobeithio bod yr un peth yn wir am eich ymwelwyr chi.
Fe sonioch chi am y Senedd Ieuenctid. Yn amlwg, mae brownis a geidiaid yn un o'r grwpiau sydd wedi'u targedu, os mai dyna'r gair cywir, i helpu i ddod o hyd i ymgeiswyr ar gyfer y Senedd Ieuenctid. Ar wahân i'r 40 etholaeth, fe gofiwch fod 20 o seddi i'w llenwi gan aelodau o grwpiau ieuenctid, ac mewn gwirionedd mae gan Girlguiding Cymru record eithriadol. Bu yma, neu fe ymgysylltodd â'r Cynulliad i ffwrdd o'r ystâd hon, 11 gwaith y llynedd, felly, fel sefydliad, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n hollol iawn mai hwy yw'r bobl a ddylai fod yn cymryd rhan yn ein Senedd Ieuenctid.
A oeddent yn gwybod am y cymhorthdal teithio y gallant ei gael i ddod yma? Efallai nad ydych yn gwybod yr ateb, ond dyna un o'r prif arfau y byddech yn eu defnyddio i gael pobl i ddod yma, yn hytrach na bod ein gwasanaeth addysg ac allgymorth yn mynd allan. Ond ar wahân i'r pethau rwyf wedi'u crybwyll eisoes, mae ein tîm allgymorth yn dal i fynd allan, er y bydd cwestiynau ynglŷn â ble mae'r cydbwysedd bellach rhwng y gwaith hwnnw a'r gwaith ar y Senedd Ieuenctid, oherwydd, yn amlwg, nifer penodol o staff sydd gennym ac mae'r Senedd Ieuenctid wedi bod yn flaenoriaeth i'r Cynulliad, fel y gwelsom yn y bleidlais ar hyn—wel, bron ddwy flynedd yn ôl bellach, rwy'n credu.
5. A wnaiff y Comisiwn ddatganiad am ddarparu adnoddau ar gyfer Senedd Ieuenctid Cymru? OAQ52729
5. Will the Commission make a statement on resourcing the Welsh Youth Parliament? OAQ52729
Absolutely. The Assembly Commission agreed in November 2016 that £100,000 would go in this financial year to help set the institution up and to promote it and to help young people understand what it would be for. And, thereafter, in non-election years, we're talking about £50,000.
Yn sicr. Cytunodd Comisiwn y Cynulliad ym mis Tachwedd 2016 y byddai £100,000 yn mynd yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon tuag at helpu i sefydlu'r corff ac i'w hyrwyddo ac i helpu pobl ifanc i ddeall beth fyddai ei ddiben. Ac ar ôl hynny, mewn blynyddoedd di-etholiad, rydym yn sôn am £50,000.
Thank you very much, Commissioner, for that answer. May I ask on what basis the £50,000 has been agreed? Because I think we need to be sure that—. This is such an exciting initiative—this is one of the best things the Assembly has done for a very, very long time, it's had a huge welcome, and we need to make sure that the resourcing for that is sustainable, I think particularly looking at supporting those groups of young people who may find it harder to engage—some of the young people who will come from the 20, rather than the 40 directly-elected Members. So, can I ask that the Commission keeps that funding under review and to give consideration if it's found that it's not adequate?
Diolch yn fawr iawn am yr ateb hwnnw, Gomisiynydd. A gaf fi ofyn ar ba sail y cytunwyd ar y £50,000? Oherwydd credaf fod angen inni fod yn siŵr—. Mae hon yn fenter mor gyffrous—dyma un o'r pethau gorau a wnaeth y Cynulliad ers amser hir iawn, mae wedi cael croeso mawr, ac mae angen inni wneud yn siŵr fod yr adnoddau ar ei gyfer yn gynaliadwy, yn enwedig ar gyfer cefnogi grwpiau o bobl ifanc a allai ei chael hi'n anos i gymryd rhan—rhai o'r bobl ifanc a fydd yn dod o blith yr 20, yn hytrach na'r 40 o Aelodau a etholir yn uniongyrchol. Felly, a gaf fi ofyn i'r Comisiwn barhau i adolygu'r cyllid hwnnw a rhoi ystyriaeth iddo os gwelir nad yw'n ddigonol?
Oh, absolutely. I can give you that reassurance now. We all want this to work. The figures that we have—. This is the first time we've done it; it's been done on best estimates and comparisons with similar ideas in other Parliaments, if you like. But, if this doesn't turn out to be enough money, we will have to, as a Commission, find extra resources to make sure that we can support it properly, because, if we do this half-heartedly, there's no point in us doing it at all.
O, yn bendant. Gallaf roi'r sicrwydd hwnnw i chi yn awr. Mae pawb ohonom am weld hyn yn gweithio. Mae'r ffigurau sydd gennym—. Dyma'r tro cyntaf i ni ei wneud; mae wedi digwydd ar sail amcangyfrifon gorau a chymariaethau â syniadau tebyg mewn Seneddau eraill. Ond os nad yw'n ddigon o arian, bydd yn rhaid i ni fel Comisiwn ddod o hyd i adnoddau ychwanegol i wneud yn siŵr y gallwn ei gefnogi'n briodol, oherwydd os na fyddwn yn ymroi'n llwyr i hyn, nid oes pwynt i ni ei wneud o gwbl.
6. A wnaiff y Comisiynydd ddatganiad am barodrwydd y Cynulliad a'i swyddfeydd ledled y wlad i ymateb i ymosodiadau terfysgol posibl? OAQ52741
6. Will the Commissioner make a statement on the preparedness of the Assembly and its offices across Wales to respond to potential terrorist attacks? OAQ52741
Thank you for that question. It's a serious question and, as you may notice from budgets in the most recent years, the Commission has already made a significant investment in protective security across the estate but also in Members' offices, which is regularly reviewed, considering the UK threat level from international terrorism. And, as well as providing appropriate security advice and comprehensive safety awareness training to Members and Commission staff, we have increased levels of protection against cyber attack, which, of course, is invisible—we don't get to see that in the same way that we do our security presence, which has also increased—and we work with a number of agencies to develop and deliver a package that's pretty robust.
Diolch ichi am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Mae'n gwestiwn difrifol ac fel y sylwch o gyllidebau yn y blynyddoedd mwyaf diweddar, mae'r Comisiwn eisoes wedi buddsoddi'n sylweddol mewn diogelwch amddiffynnol ar draws yr ystâd ond hefyd yn swyddfeydd yr Aelodau, ac adolygir hyn yn rheolaidd, gan ystyried lefel y bygythiad o derfysgaeth ryngwladol i'r DU. Ac yn ogystal â darparu cyngor diogelwch priodol a hyfforddiant ymwybyddiaeth diogelwch cynhwysfawr i'r Aelodau a staff y Comisiwn, rydym wedi cynyddu lefelau diogelwch rhag ymosodiadau seiber, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn anweledig—nid ydym yn ei weld yn yr un modd ag y gwelwn ein presenoldeb diogelwch, sydd hefyd wedi cynyddu—ac rydym yn gweithio gyda nifer o asiantaethau i ddatblygu a chyflwyno pecyn go gadarn.
Thank you. On 22 March 2017, 50 people were, of course, injured and five tragically killed in a terrorism attack when they drove a car into crowds on Westminster bridge, stabbing, horrifically, a policeman outside the House of Commons. Whilst none of us can predict when or where a terrorist attack might occur, this particular attack does highlight the possibility that democratic institutions are facing. Undoubtedly, we know and we appreciate the very strict security measures that we do have here in Cardiff Bay. However, I do share some concern about the safety and anti-terrorism measures in our Colwyn Bay office. So, will you clarify what measures you are taking—or the Commission, that is—to protect the staff and public using those offices, please?