Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
27/11/2019Cynnwys
Contents
Cyfarfu’r Cynulliad am 13:30 gyda’r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Assembly met at 13:30 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Galw'r Aelodau i drefn.
I call Members to order.
Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda ni y prynhawn yma yw'r cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Addysg, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Bethan Sayed.
The first item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the Minister for Education, and the first question is from Bethan Sayed.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog amlinellu sut y mae adran addysg Llywodraeth Cymru yn cydweithio â'r adran economi a thrafnidiaeth i wella opsiynau trafnidiaeth ar gyfer pobl ifanc sydd mewn addysg a hyfforddiant? OAQ54767
1. Will the Minister outline how the Welsh Government's education department co-operates with the economy and transport department to improve transport options for young people in education and training? OAQ54767
Both departments co-operate in numerous ways, and I recently released a joint ministerial written statement informing Members of our intention to take forward a review identifying all issues involved in post-16 learner travel. Further updates on this review will be provided to Members as it progresses.
Mae'r ddwy adran yn cydweithredu mewn sawl ffordd, ac yn ddiweddar, cyhoeddais ddatganiad ysgrifenedig gweinidogol ar y cyd i roi gwybod i'r Aelodau am ein bwriad i fwrw ymlaen ag adolygiad i nodi'r holl faterion sy'n ymwneud â theithio gan ddysgwyr ôl-16. Bydd yr Aelodau'n cael diweddariadau pellach ar yr adolygiad hwn wrth iddo fynd rhagddo.
Thank you, and I welcome that particular review, because we are seeing worrying trends by cash-strapped local authorities to reduce support for options for learners in Wales. We've seen Neath Port Talbot council consult on changes to post-16 transport earlier this year, which they had to scrap because of the outcry, and now Bridgend council is consulting on abolishing free transport for post-16 learners in school or college, as well as abolishing free transport for nursery-age pupils. So, I do welcome this review.
But, I'm also sure you're aware of the fact that there are wider issues with regard to the affordability of those doing apprenticeships to be able to afford to get to their place of work, or to get to where they need to get to for their term in work. The current MyTravelPass scheme via the Welsh Government doesn't seem to have been as successful as you would have liked, with take-up dramatically less than expected. How are you going to liaise further with your colleagues in the economy department to address the serious and growing problem with regard to how young people are accessing education via the transport system here in Wales?
Diolch, ac rwy'n croesawu'r adolygiad penodol hwnnw, gan ein bod yn gweld tueddiadau sy'n peri gofid gan awdurdodau lleol sy’n brin o arian i leihau cefnogaeth i opsiynau i ddysgwyr yng Nghymru. Rydym wedi gweld cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot yn ymgynghori ar newidiadau i drafnidiaeth ôl-16 yn gynharach eleni, y bu’n rhaid rhoi'r gorau iddynt yn sgil y gwrthwynebiad, a bellach mae cyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn ymgynghori ar gael gwared ar drafnidiaeth am ddim i ddysgwyr ôl-16 yn yr ysgol neu'r coleg, yn ogystal â chael gwared ar drafnidiaeth am ddim i ddisgyblion oed meithrin. Felly, rwy'n croesawu'r adolygiad hwn.
Ond rwy'n siŵr hefyd eich bod yn ymwybodol o'r ffaith bod yna broblemau ehangach o ran gallu’r rheini sy'n gwneud prentisiaethau i fforddio cyrraedd eu gweithle, neu gyrraedd lle mae angen iddynt fod am eu cyfnod yn y gwaith. Ymddengys nad yw cynllun cyfredol FyNgherdynTeithio drwy Lywodraeth Cymru wedi bod mor llwyddiannus ag y byddech wedi dymuno, gyda'r nifer sydd wedi manteisio ar y cynllun yn llai o lawer na'r disgwyl. Sut y byddwch yn gweithio ymhellach â'ch cydweithwyr yn adran yr economi i fynd i'r afael â phroblem ddifrifol a chynyddol mynediad pobl ifanc at addysg drwy'r system drafnidiaeth yma yng Nghymru?
Well, I welcome the Member's support for the interdepartmental review on post-16 learner travel. With regard to MyTravelPass, although the responsibility for that scheme does not lie within my department, I take a keen personal interest because the impetus for that scheme was a budget deal struck between my party, when I was leader of the Liberal Democrats, and the then Welsh Government. So, I have a personal interest in its success. As the Member will know, that started off in 2014 as a scheme that was only available to 16 and 17-year-olds, and transport officials, after negotiation with the bus industry, have implemented an enhanced scheme. So, that now covers 16, 17 and 18-year-olds, 19, 20 and 21-year-olds. So, exactly the kind of individuals that I'm sure Bethan was alluding to—those people who are looking to combine study and work via an apprenticeship scheme. And I'm sure there's more we can all do to publicise the opportunity to use MyTravelPass.
We will continue to work across the department to look to see what more we can do to support individuals with the cost of their transport, whether that is accessing training or more formal full-time education.
Wel, rwy'n croesawu cefnogaeth yr Aelod i'r adolygiad rhyngadrannol o deithio gan ddysgwyr ôl-16. O ran FyNgherdynTeithio, er nad fy adran sy’n gyfrifol am y cynllun hwnnw, mae gennyf gryn dipyn o ddiddordeb personol ynddo gan mai cytundeb cyllidebol a wnaed rhwng fy mhlaid, pan oeddwn yn arweinydd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol, a Llywodraeth Cymru ar y pryd oedd yr ysgogiad ar gyfer y cynllun hwnnw. Felly, mae gennyf ddiddordeb personol yn ei lwyddiant. Fel y gŵyr yr Aelod, cychwynnodd y cynllun yn 2014 fel cynllun a oedd ar gael i bobl ifanc 16 a 17 oed yn unig, ac mae swyddogion trafnidiaeth, ar ôl trafod gyda'r diwydiant bysiau, wedi rhoi cynllun estynedig ar waith. Felly, mae bellach ar gael i bobl ifanc 16, 17 a 18 oed, 19, 20 a 21 oed. Felly, yr union fath o unigolion y cyfeiriodd Bethan atynt, rwy’n siŵr—y bobl hynny sy'n awyddus i gyfuno astudio a gweithio drwy gynllun prentisiaeth. Ac rwy'n siŵr fod mwy y gall pob un ohonom ei wneud i roi cyhoeddusrwydd i'r cyfle i ddefnyddio FyNgherdynTeithio.
Byddwn yn parhau i weithio ar draws yr adran i weld beth arall y gallwn ei wneud i gefnogi unigolion gyda chost eu trafnidiaeth i gael mynediad at hyfforddiant neu addysg amser llawn fwy ffurfiol.
Our green card policy, of course, would resolve the question of free bus transport for post-16 education, training or work. But, of course, I think the position of transport to faith and Welsh-medium schools does need resolving through primary legislation.
My question, though, is about the voice of young people in a local authority's decision on whether a route to school is safe or not. And until the active travel Act provides realistic options on this, because we are talking about journeys of two or three miles, depending on the school, we're still likely to be hearing from the children's commissioner that she's having to remind local authorities of their duty to consult children and young people about those school journeys. I'll suspect we'll also continue to get too much traffic at the school gate too. Would it be easier to press this point on due regard for article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child if school transport were in your portfolio, and do you support extending that due regard duty to local authorities? I'm wondering if your review is covering that as well.
Byddai ein polisi cardiau gwyrdd, wrth gwrs, yn datrys y cwestiwn ynghylch trafnidiaeth am ddim ar fysiau ar gyfer addysg, hyfforddiant neu waith ôl-16. Ond wrth gwrs, credaf fod angen datrys y sefyllfa o ran trafnidiaeth i ysgolion ffydd a chyfrwng Cymraeg drwy ddeddfwriaeth sylfaenol.
Mae fy nghwestiwn, serch hynny, yn ymwneud â llais pobl ifanc ym mhenderfyniad yr awdurdod lleol ynglŷn ag a yw llwybr i'r ysgol yn ddiogel ai peidio. A hyd nes y bydd y Ddeddf teithio llesol yn darparu opsiynau realistig ar hyn, gan ein bod yn sôn am deithiau dwy neu dair milltir o hyd, yn dibynnu ar yr ysgol, rydym yn dal yn debygol o glywed gan y comisiynydd plant ei bod yn gorfod atgoffa awdurdodau lleol o'u dyletswydd i ymgynghori â phlant a phobl ifanc ynghylch y teithiau hynny i’r ysgol. Rwy’n tybio y byddwn yn parhau i weld gormod o draffig ger giatiau’r ysgol hefyd. A fyddai’n haws pwysleisio’r pwynt hwn ynghylch rhoi sylw dyledus i erthygl 12 o Gonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau'r Plentyn pe bai trafnidiaeth i’r ysgol yn rhan o’ch portffolio, ac a ydych yn cefnogi ymestyn y ddyletswydd sylw dyledus honno i awdurdodau lleol? Tybed a yw eich adolygiad yn ystyried hynny hefyd.
Can I thank the Member for the question? I'm aware of the Conservatives' party policy with regard to post-16 travel. It involves scrapping the education maintenance allowance, which is financial support that helps our very poorest students. But the Member is absolutely right—one area we do need to tackle, and our departments are working closely on, is promoting active travel to school to reduce the number of cars that are driven to our school gates. We have a very good example of this just around the corner from this building in Ysgol Hamadryad here in Cardiff Bay, where people walk, cycle, scoot to school. So, there is always more we can do there. As part of our review, we are indeed looking at issues around safety and safe routes, so that will be part of the consideration that we are making, and I will review the comments the Member has made to see whether there are further particulars with regard to the rights-based approach that the review can look at.
A gaf fi ddiolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn? Rwy'n ymwybodol o bolisi plaid y Ceidwadwyr mewn perthynas â theithio ôl-16. Mae'n cynnwys cael gwared â’r lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, sef y cymorth ariannol sy'n helpu ein myfyrwyr tlotaf. Ond mae'r Aelod yn llygad ei lle—un maes y mae angen inni fynd i'r afael ag ef, ac y mae ein hadrannau'n gweithio'n agos arno, yw hyrwyddo teithio llesol i'r ysgol i leihau nifer y ceir sy'n cael eu gyrru at giatiau ein hysgolion. Mae gennym enghraifft dda iawn o hyn nid nepell o'r adeilad hwn yn Ysgol Hamadryad yma ym Mae Caerdydd, lle mae pobl yn cerdded, beicio, a mynd ar sgwter i'r ysgol. Felly mae mwy y gallwn ei wneud bob amser. Fel rhan o'n hadolygiad, rydym yn edrych, yn wir, ar faterion sy’n ymwneud â diogelwch a llwybrau diogel, felly bydd hynny'n rhan o’n hystyriaeth, a byddaf yn adolygu sylwadau’r Aelod i weld a oes elfennau pellach y gall yr adolygiad edrych arnynt o ran dull sy'n seiliedig ar hawliau.
Can I very much welcome the review on post-16 education transport, but also the engagement that I know that is going on at the moment between the Minister and the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport on active travel, on some imaginative thinking on that joint working? But could I ask, beyond those short journeys to school, for which we need to encourage more children to actually get on their bikes and scooters, or walk, quite frankly, and the family and parents as well, in terms of transport by bus, are we open in Welsh Government to thinking of different solutions, as they have in different countries? When I visited Finland last year, and when you look at places like Canada, who are doing this as well, where actually they develop the independence within young people, from a quite young age—and it's not appropriate for everyone, or in every situation—they actually travel to school on public transport. Now, this isn't for everyone, in every situation, particularly in rural areas, and it relies on a very good public transport network as well. But it is interesting that it can be done elsewhere. So, do we include that within our thinking, going forward, if people wanted to take up that option, or including local authorities, which I understand, in Scotland, as well, where, instead of school transport vouchers, or funding for an individual, they offer to actually buy the bike.
A gaf fi groesawu’r adolygiad o drafnidiaeth addysg ôl-16, ond hefyd yr ymgysylltu y gwn ei fod yn mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd rhwng y Gweinidog a Dirprwy Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth ar deithio llesol, ar syniadau dychmygus ynghylch y cydweithio hwnnw? Ond a gaf fi ofyn, y tu hwnt i'r siwrneiau byr hynny i'r ysgol, teithiau y mae angen inni annog mwy o blant i'w gwneud ar eu beiciau a'u sgwteri, neu gerdded, a dweud y gwir, a’r teulu a'r rhieni hefyd, o ran teithio ar fws, a ydym yn agored yn Llywodraeth Cymru i feddwl am wahanol atebion, fel sydd ganddynt mewn gwahanol wledydd? Pan ymwelais â'r Ffindir y llynedd, a phan edrychwch ar leoedd fel Canada, sy'n gwneud hyn hefyd, lle maent yn datblygu annibyniaeth mewn pobl ifanc, o oedran eithaf ifanc—ac nid yw'n briodol i bawb, nac ym mhob sefyllfa—maent yn teithio i'r ysgol ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus. Nawr, nid yw hyn i bawb, ym mhob sefyllfa, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd gwledig, ac mae'n dibynnu ar rwydwaith trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus da iawn hefyd. Ond mae'n ddiddorol y gellir ei wneud yn rhywle arall. Felly, a ydym yn cynnwys hynny yn ein hystyriaethau yn y dyfodol, pe bai pobl yn awyddus i fanteisio ar yr opsiwn hwnnw, neu gynnwys awdurdodau lleol, sydd, yn yr Alban, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, yn lle darparu talebau trafnidiaeth i’r ysgol, neu gyllid i unigolyn, yn cynnig prynu'r beic mewn gwirionedd.
Given the Member's keen interest in active travel, and his very active lobbying in this regard, the Member will be pleased to know that we have revamped our consideration for active travel as part of our twenty-first century schools and colleges programme. And any application coming forward from a local authority that gives poor consideration of active travel to that new building will be rejected, and I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that. Can I say, the use of public transport is not novel in Wales—not even in rural areas? There are many children who catch the T4 bus, on the A470, to travel back and forth to high school, although I must say, sometimes, that does cause concerns for parents, who sometimes would prefer their children to be on a school-transport-only option. So, it's not the case that we have no children travelling on public transport to access education at the moment. Local authorities are looking to those models, where it is appropriate, and I'm sure that they will continue to do so.
O ystyried diddordeb brwd yr Aelod mewn teithio llesol, a’i lobïo gweithgar iawn yn hyn o beth, bydd yr Aelod yn falch o wybod ein bod wedi ailwampio ein hystyriaeth o deithio llesol fel rhan o’n rhaglen ysgolion a cholegau’r unfed ganrif ar hugain. A bydd unrhyw gais a wneir gan awdurdod lleol sy'n rhoi ystyriaeth annigonol i deithio llesol i'r adeilad newydd hwnnw yn cael ei wrthod, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd yn falch o glywed hynny. A gaf fi ddweud, nid yw'r defnydd o drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn newydd yng Nghymru—hyd yn oed mewn ardaloedd gwledig? Mae llawer o blant sy'n dal y bws T4, ar yr A470, i deithio’n ôl ac ymlaen o'r ysgol uwchradd, er bod yn rhaid i mi ddweud, weithiau, fod hynny'n peri pryder i rieni, y byddai'n well ganddynt, weithiau, pe bai eu plant ar opsiwn trafnidiaeth ysgol yn unig. Felly, nid yw'n wir nad oes gennym unrhyw blant yn teithio ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus er mwyn cael mynediad at addysg ar hyn o bryd. Mae awdurdodau lleol yn ystyried y modelau hynny, lle mae hynny’n briodol, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddant yn parhau i wneud hynny.
2. A wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru ddatganiad am effeithiolrwydd y fenter prydau ysgol am ddim i ddisgyblion yng Nghymru? OAQ54750
2. Will the Welsh Government make a statement on the effectiveness of the free-school-meals initiative for pupils in Wales? OAQ54750
Our free-school-meals policy rightly targets support towards the most disadvantaged children in our communities. As a result of our new eligibility criteria, by the time universal credit is fully rolled out—if it ever is—we estimate more children will be eligible for free school meals than under the previous system.
Mae ein polisi prydau ysgol am ddim yn targedu cymorth tuag at y plant mwyaf difreintiedig yn ein cymunedau. O ganlyniad i'n meini prawf cymhwysedd newydd, erbyn i gredyd cynhwysol gael ei gyflwyno'n llawn—os bydd hynny byth yn digwydd—rydym yn amcangyfrif y bydd mwy o blant yn gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim nag o dan y system flaenorol.
Thank you. TCC—that's Trefnu Cymunedol Cymru/Together Creating Communities—is a coalition of over 30 schools, community and faith organisations, and groups across north-east Wales. Last week, I attended the official launch of their all-Wales school hunger campaign at Ysgol y Grango in Rhosllannerchrugog, near Wrexham. Their research had found that many of the most vulnerable pupils aren't getting enough to eat during the school day, with pupils eligible for free school meals spending some of their free-school-meals money on breakfast, because they couldn't get enough resource at home, and, as a result, not having enough money left for the full balanced lunch the free-school-meal allocation was designed to provide. And I pledged there to raise this with you here. Forty-nine per cent of teachers told them that they sometimes had to provide food for pupils themselves, and they said they highlighted the issue not as part of a blame culture anywhere, but because those children need help. How do you respond, therefore, to the campaign's call to increase free-school-meal money to cover breakfast by 80p daily? They said that there were just over 29,000 school pupils affected, and, on current take-up, this was unlikely to cost £3 million per annum, which would address the call of this campaign. So, how do you respond to that call?
Diolch. Cynghrair o dros 30 o ysgolion, sefydliadau cymunedol a ffydd, a grwpiau ledled gogledd-ddwyrain Cymru yw TCC—sef Trefnu Cymunedol Cymru. Yr wythnos diwethaf, mynychais lansiad swyddogol eu hymgyrch dysgu nid llwgu Cymru gyfan yn Ysgol y Grango yn Rhosllannerchrugog, ger Wrecsam. Canfu eu hymchwil nad yw llawer o'r disgyblion mwyaf agored i niwed yn cael digon i'w fwyta yn ystod y diwrnod ysgol, gyda disgyblion sy’n gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim yn gwario peth o'u harian ar gyfer prydau ysgol am ddim ar frecwast am na allent gael digon o fwyd gartref, ac o ganlyniad, nid oes digon o arian ar ôl ganddynt i gael y cinio cytbwys llawn y cynlluniwyd y dyraniad prydau ysgol am ddim i'w ddarparu. A gwneuthum addo yno y buaswn yn codi hyn gyda chi yma. Dywedodd 49 y cant o athrawon wrthynt fod yn rhaid iddynt ddarparu bwyd i'r disgyblion eu hunain weithiau, a dywedasant eu bod yn tynnu sylw at y mater nid fel rhan o ddiwylliant bwrw bai yn unrhyw le, ond am fod angen cymorth ar y plant hynny. Sut rydych yn ymateb, felly, i alwad yr ymgyrch dros gael cynnydd o 80c y dydd yn yr arian ar gyfer prydau ysgol am ddim fel y gellir talu am frecwast? Dywedasant fod ychydig dros 29,000 o ddisgyblion ysgol yn cael eu heffeithio, ac yn ôl y nifer sy’n manteisio arno ar hyn o bryd, byddai'n annhebygol o gostio £3 miliwn y flwyddyn, ac yn mynd i'r afael â galwad yr ymgyrch hon. Felly, sut rydych yn ymateb i'r alwad honno?
Well, firstly, I respond to the call by saying isn't it absolutely incredible, in a nation such as ours, that we have to have a school hunger campaign. Providing an allowance for breakfast for pupils eligible for free school meals in secondary schools is one course of action that I am actively considering at the moment. There are possibly other courses of action, and other solutions, that may be more appropriate to address this problem. What I want to make sure is that whatever we do is appropriate and provides a solution to the issues that the Member outlines. And now, having fulfilled his pledge of raising this issue with me, perhaps Mark Isherwood could do me the courtesy of raising the issue with his party colleagues in Westminster.
Wel, yn gyntaf, rwy'n ymateb i'r alwad drwy ddweud ei bod yn gwbl anhygoel, mewn cenedl fel hon, fod yn rhaid i ni gael ymgyrch dysgu nid llwgu. Mae darparu lwfans ar gyfer brecwast i ddisgyblion sy'n gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim mewn ysgolion uwchradd yn un cam gweithredu rwy’n ei ystyried ar hyn o bryd. Efallai fod camau gweithredu eraill, ac atebion eraill, a allai fod yn fwy priodol i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem hon. Rwyf am sicrhau bod beth bynnag a wnawn yn briodol ac yn darparu ateb i'r materion y mae'r Aelod yn eu hamlinellu. A bellach, ar ôl cyflawni ei addewid i godi'r mater hwn gyda mi, efallai y gall Mark Isherwood godi'r mater gyda chyd-aelodau o’i blaid yn San Steffan.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau, a llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Siân Gwenllian.
Questions now from the party spokespeople, and the Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Siân Gwenllian.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mi hoffwn i drafod eich datganiad ysgrifenedig diweddar sy'n cyhoeddi canlyniadau'r ymgynghoriad i ddiwygio rheoliadau cynlluniau strategol y Gymraeg mewn addysg, sef y WESPS. Mae gweld symudiad pendant tuag at newid yn gadarnhaol iawn. Mae angen cynllunio bwriadus er mwyn datblygu addysg Gymraeg ar draws y wlad, ond mae yna lawer o ffordd i fynd.
Mae'r sefyllfa ddiweddar ym Mlaenau Gwent yn crisialu hyn i mi. Mae trigolion ardal Tredegar a Rhieni Dros Addysg Gymraeg wedi bod yn brwydro am flynyddoedd dros gael ail ysgol cyfrwng Cymraeg yn yr ardal. O'r diwedd, cytunodd y cyngor i wneud hynny ar ôl i ymgyrchwyr gasglu'r data sy'n mesur y galw. Sefydlwyd nifer o gylchoedd meithrin er mwyn paratoi at hyn, ond yna, fis diwethaf, fe welwyd tro pedol gan y cyngor a phenderfynwyd peidio ag agor y cylchoedd meithrin yma, sydd yn gam gwag yn sicr. Sut fydd y dyraniad ariannol o fewn eich portffolio chi yn newid er mwyn galluogi'r newidiadau angenrheidiol sydd eu hangen i wireddu amcanion y diwygiad i'r rheoliadau?
Thank you, Llywydd. I would like to discuss your recent written statement announcing the results of the consultation to amend regulations on the Welsh in education strategic plans. Seeing specific movement towards change is positive indeed, and we do need meaningful planning in order to develop Welsh-medium education across the country, and there’s a long way to go.
The recent situation in Blaenau Gwent encapsulates this for me. The residents of the Tredegar area and Rhieni Dros Addysg Gymraeg have been battling for years for a second Welsh-medium school in that area. At last, the council agreed to do that after the campaigners had gathered the data that assessed demand. A number of cylchoedd meithrin were opened to prepare for this, but then, last month, there was a u-turn from the council and a decision was taken not to open these cylchoedd meithrin, which is certainly a mistake. How will the financial allocation within your portfolio change in order to allow the necessary changes to deliver the objectives of the reform to the regulations?
Can I first of all thank the Member for her support for the report on the way in which we are developing our WESPs in the future?
The situation in Tredegar is one that I am very familiar with. Not only is there clear demand from parents in that area for primary education through the medium of Welsh for their children, the Welsh Government has made available 100 per cent capital funding to build that school. The local authority bid into our capital programme. They have been successful in that. That money is available for the council to build that provision.
However, as you have outlined, there now seems to be a different approach at the council. I have discussed this with both the portfolio holder for education at Blaenau Gwent and the director for education at Blaenau Gwent. It seems remarkable to me that a local authority would bid for that money, be successful in that application when other local authorities were not successful, and now find themselves in the position where they do not, it appears, at least, want to build that school. My officials are looking to consider the points raised with us by Blaenau Gwent council and looking to see if a solution can be found, because, like you, Siân, and like the local Assembly Member, we want to honour and to provide a service that parents and children in that area want.
A gaf fi, yn gyntaf oll, ddiolch i'r Aelod am ei chefnogaeth i'r adroddiad ar y ffordd rydym yn datblygu ein cynlluniau strategol Cymraeg mewn addysg yn y dyfodol?
Mae'r sefyllfa yn Nhredegar yn un rwy'n gyfarwydd iawn â hi. Nid yn unig fod galw clir gan rieni yn yr ardal honno am addysg gynradd drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg i'w plant, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi sicrhau bod cyllid cyfalaf 100 y cant ar gael i adeiladu'r ysgol honno. Mae'r awdurdod lleol wedi gwneud cynnig i'n rhaglen gyfalaf. Buont yn llwyddiannus wrth wneud hynny. Mae'r arian hwnnw ar gael i'r cyngor adeiladu'r ddarpariaeth honno.
Fodd bynnag, fel rydych wedi'i amlinellu, ymddengys bod y cyngor wedi mabwysiadu ymagwedd wahanol bellach. Rwyf wedi trafod hyn gyda deiliad y portffolio ar gyfer addysg ym Mlaenau Gwent a'r cyfarwyddwr addysg ym Mlaenau Gwent. Mae'n rhyfeddol i mi y byddai awdurdod lleol yn gwneud cynnig am yr arian hwnnw, yn llwyddo gyda'r cais hwnnw pan na fu awdurdodau lleol eraill yn llwyddiannus, a bellach mewn sefyllfa lle mae'n ymddangos o leiaf nad ydynt yn awyddus i adeiladu'r ysgol honno. Mae fy swyddogion yn awyddus i ystyried y pwyntiau a godwyd gyda ni gan gyngor Blaenau Gwent ac yn edrych i weld a ellir dod o hyd i ateb, oherwydd fel chithau, Siân, ac fel yr Aelod Cynulliad lleol, rydym am anrhydeddu a darparu gwasanaeth y mae rhieni a phlant yn yr ardal honno yn dymuno'i gael.
Diolch yn fawr. A dwi'n falch iawn eich bod chi yn dyfalbarhau efo'r ymdrechion yna, ac rydw i'n gobeithio'n fawr iawn y bydd y trafodaethau efo'r cyngor yn dwyn ffrwyth yn fuan iawn.
A throi rŵan at y cynllun siarter iaith arloesol, sydd yn cynyddu'r defnydd o'r Gymraeg tu allan i'r dosbarth, mae yna dystiolaeth gref ei bod hi'n llwyddiannus, ond does gan y 'Fframwaith Siarter Iaith' ddim digon o lais yn y cwricwlwm newydd. Mae'n hanfodol fod yna statws i'r fframwaith. Ar hyn o bryd, mae'n cael ei alw'n 'rhan' o gwricwlwm drafft i Gymru 2022, ond meddal iawn ydy hynny. Mae'n cael ei gategoreiddio o dan y pennawd 'rhagor o wybodaeth a chanllawiau'. Byddwn i'n hoffi gweld y fframwaith yn cael ei rymuso, a dwi'n siŵr eich bod chi eisiau gweld hynny hefyd. Felly, mi fyddai'n dda gweld mwy o gyfeiriad at y siarter iaith yn y cwricwlwm pan ddaw'r fersiynau diwygiedig atom ni. A hefyd, hoffwn i wybod gennych chi, am y siarter, ba ddiwygiadau i reoliadau cynlluniau strategol y Gymraeg mewn addysg fydd yn cyfarch yr angen yma i gryfnau'r siarter?
Thank you very much, and I am very pleased that you’re persevering with those efforts, and I very much hope that those discussions with the council will bear fruit very soon.
In turning now to the language charter, which is an innovative scheme that increases the use of the Welsh language outside the classroom, there is strong evidence that it is successful, but the 'Siarter Iaith framework' doesn’t have enough of a role in the new curriculum. It is crucial that there should be status for that framework. At the moment, it is described as part of the draft curriculum for 2022, but that is very soft. It is categorised under the heading of ‘further information and guidance’. I would like to see the framework being strengthened, and I’m sure you would agree. Therefore, it would be good to see more of a reference to the language charter in the curriculum when the amended versions do arrive. And I’d like to hear from you, in relation to the charter, what amendments to the WESPs regulations will actually meet this need to strengthen the charter?
Again, like the Member, I believe that the siarter is a really important way of developing a culture across the school rather than in individual lessons, by actually ensuring that pupils and staff in that school, and parents and supporters of that school, have opportunities in a variety of ways to use the language. And I'm always very pleased to see a wide variety of schools embracing the ethos of that and looking to weave it into the daily life of their school.
It is in itself slightly bigger and broader than simply a curriculum issue. The Member will be aware that, following the substantial number of responses—very high quality and very detailed responses—that we had to the curriculum consultation over the summer, we now find ourselves in a refinement phase, where our practitioners, supported by our experts in HE, are looking to prepare a final draft. That will be available in January of next year.
What is absolutely crucial to me is that, beyond the curriculum, we find opportunities for children to use their language skills, both in Welsh-medium schools but also in our bilingual and our English-medium schools, so that the language is used not simply in lessons, but in the wider life of that school community.
Unwaith eto, fel yr Aelod, credaf fod y siarter yn ffordd bwysig iawn o ddatblygu diwylliant ar draws yr ysgol yn hytrach nag mewn gwersi unigol, drwy sicrhau bod disgyblion a staff yr ysgol honno, a rhieni a chefnogwyr yr ysgol honno, yn cael cyfleoedd i ddefnyddio'r iaith mewn amryw ffyrdd. Ac rwyf bob amser yn falch iawn o weld amrywiaeth eang o ysgolion yn croesawu ethos hynny ac yn ceisio'i blethu i mewn i fywyd pob dydd eu hysgol.
Mae'r mater ynddo'i hun ychydig yn fwy ac yn ehangach na mater cwricwlwm yn unig. Bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod, yn dilyn y nifer sylweddol o ymatebion—ymatebion manwl iawn o ansawdd uchel iawn—a gawsom i'r ymgynghoriad ar y cwricwlwm dros yr haf, ein bod bellach mewn cyfnod mireinio, lle mae ein hymarferwyr, gyda chefnogaeth ein harbenigwyr ym maes addysg uwch, yn bwriadu paratoi drafft terfynol. Bydd hwnnw ar gael ym mis Ionawr y flwyddyn nesaf.
Yr hyn sy'n gwbl hanfodol i mi yw ein bod, y tu hwnt i'r cwricwlwm, yn dod o hyd i gyfleoedd i blant ddefnyddio eu sgiliau iaith, mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg ond hefyd yn ein hysgolion dwyieithog a'n hysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg, fel bod yr iaith yn cael ei defnyddio nid yn unig mewn gwersi, ond ym mywyd ehangach cymuned yr ysgol honno.
Diolch yn fawr. Dwi'n edrych ymlaen, felly, at weld y 'Fframwaith Siarter Iaith' yn cael lle dyledus yn y fersiwn nesaf o'r cwricwlwm Cymreig.
Rhaid imi ddweud dwi yn gefnogol iawn i rai o syniadau'r ymgynghoriad ar y rheoliadau—y symud at dargedau i'w groesawu, y sifft mewn ffocws oddi wrth datblygu ymatebol, sef mesur y galw gan rieni, i symud at y rhagweithiol, y proactive, sef creu'r llefydd addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yn y lle cyntaf, a hefyd y cynllunio hir dymor o dair blynedd i 10 mlynedd er mwyn bod yn fwy uchelgeisiol—croesawu hynna i gyd.
Ond un mater sydd angen ei ystyried yw sut i ddal awdurdodau lleol i gyfrif os maen nhw'n methu â chreu'r datblygiad addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg hollbwysig yn eu hardaloedd nhw. Ac ydych chi'n cytuno efo fi bod angen inni rŵan gael y drafodaeth fawr sydd ei hangen ynglŷn â deddfu er mwyn cryfhau trwy ddeddfu, ac mai hynny ddylai fod y cam nesaf?
Thank you very much, and I look forward to seeing the 'Siarter Iaith framework' given its proper place in the next version of the Welsh curriculum.
I must say that I am very supportive of some of the ideas of the consultation on the regulations—the move towards targets is to be welcomed, the shift in focus from reactive developments, namely measuring demand from parents, to being proactive in the approach, namely creating the Welsh-medium education places in the first place, and also the long-term planning of three to 10 years in order to be more ambitious—I welcome all of that.
But one issue that does need consideration is how to hold local authorities to account if they fail to create this development in Welsh-medium education that is so important in their areas. And would you agree with me that we now need to have that major discussion required on legislation in order to strengthen through legislation, and that that should be the next step?
Well, like you, I'm very keen that we allow the new reformed approach to Welsh in education strategic plans to develop and to bed in within our local authorities.
As a non-Welsh speaker myself who chose this option for my own children, I know how vital provision at meithrin or at Ti a Fi before that—Ti a Fi and meithrin, primary and secondary school, are crucial if we are to meet the Welsh Government's target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050, and simply reacting to demand is not going to be good enough. We have to be proactive in ensuring and promoting the benefits of raising bilingual, and, hopefully, in our new curriculum, trilingual, children.
At this stage, within the timescales that we have in this Government, it would be wrong of me to suggest that we are actively considering legislation as the Member suggests, but I would not rule it out as a potential next step to ensure the success that everybody in this building would want to see for Welsh-medium education provision.
Wel, fel chithau, rwy'n awyddus iawn inni ganiatáu i'r ymagwedd ddiwygiedig newydd tuag at gynlluniau strategol y Gymraeg mewn addysg ddatblygu ac ymsefydlu yn ein hawdurdodau lleol.
Fel rhywun di-Gymraeg a ddewisodd yr opsiwn hwn ar gyfer fy mhlant fy hun, gwn pa mor hanfodol yw darpariaeth yn yr ysgol feithrin neu yn y cylch Ti a Fi cyn hynny—mae cylchoedd Ti a Fi ac ysgolion meithrin, ysgolion cynradd ac uwchradd yn hanfodol os ydym am gyflawni targed Llywodraeth Cymru o filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050, ac ni fydd ymateb i'r galw yn unig yn ddigon da. Mae'n rhaid inni fod yn rhagweithiol wrth sicrhau a hyrwyddo manteision magu plant dwyieithog, a gobeithio, yn ein cwricwlwm newydd, plant teirieithog.
Ar hyn o bryd, o fewn yr amserlenni sydd gennym yn y Llywodraeth hon, buaswn ar fai'n awgrymu ein bod wrthi'n ystyried deddfwriaeth fel y mae'r Aelod yn awgrymu, ond ni fuaswn yn diystyru hynny fel cam nesaf posibl er mwyn sicrhau'r llwyddiant y mae pawb yn yr adeilad hwn yn awyddus i'w weld mewn perthynas â darpariaeth addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg.
Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Suzy Davies.
Conservative spokesperson, Suzy Davies.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Minister, according to the Education Workforce Council website, Welsh Government has introduced targets for the number of students who enter the new PGCE courses in Wales with the intention of qualifying to teach certain subjects. Some of those subjects are identified as priorities, and they include Welsh and modern foreign languages, and I'm looking forward to your reply to Delyth Jewell's question later on.
A few weeks ago, I asked the Minister for the Welsh language how she thought the education system could bear most of the heavy lifting for the strategy of a million speakers by 2050, when only 12 teachers qualified to teach Welsh at secondary level, which stands at just a third of what it was five years ago.
Your target for new entrants for September for Welsh teachers this year was 75, which is very different from 12. Modern foreign languages—your target is 59, when only 18 passed last year, which is half the number it was five years ago. How did you arrive at these new targets and how many successful applications were made for entry this September?
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Weinidog, yn ôl gwefan Cyngor y Gweithlu Addysg, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyflwyno targedau ar gyfer nifer y myfyrwyr sy'n ymgymryd â'r cyrsiau TAR newydd yng Nghymru gyda'r bwriad o gymhwyso i addysgu rhai pynciau. Mae rhai o'r pynciau hynny'n cael eu nodi fel blaenoriaethau, ac maent yn cynnwys Cymraeg ac ieithoedd tramor modern, ac edrychaf ymlaen at eich ateb i gwestiwn Delyth Jewell yn nes ymlaen.
Ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, gofynnais i Weinidog y Gymraeg sut y credai y gallai’r system addysg ysgwyddo’r rhan fwyaf o’r baich ar gyfer y strategaeth o filiwn o siaradwyr erbyn 2050, pan na wnaeth ond 12 athro yn unig gymhwyso i addysgu'r Gymraeg ar lefel uwchradd, sydd draean yn unig o'r ffigur bum mlynedd yn ôl.
Eich targed ar gyfer athrawon Cymraeg newydd erbyn mis Medi eleni oedd 75, sy'n wahanol iawn i 12. Ieithoedd tramor modern—eich targed yw 59, a dim ond 18 a gymhwysodd y llynedd, sef hanner y ffigur bum mlynedd yn ôl. Sut y gwnaethoch benderfynu ar y targedau newydd hyn, a faint o geisiadau llwyddiannus a wnaed i gychwyn ym mis Medi eleni?
Well, the Member is correct to identify an approach that clearly had not been successful in the past, and continuing that approach and hopefully, suddenly thinking that it might change the outcomes—well, somebody did say that doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is the definition of madness. So, we need to try a different approach.
Now setting targets for our initial teacher education providers is important, but we need to reform how we're doing that, but also how we market teaching as a desirable profession has to change—the quality of our ITE is changing—but also, crucially, how we ensure that those people who train to be a teacher actually go on, then, to work in our schools, and not just for a period of one or two years, but continue to make an ongoing commitment to the teaching profession.
I am currently considering an entire systematic reform of how we support initial entrants into our ITE provision and teachers through the first few years of their career, with specific mention of Welsh-medium provision in our secondary schools, which is of concern to me. The Member will be aware that, only this week, we launched a new scheme, where those who have qualified to teach in a primary school but have the potential and the skills to teach either the Welsh language or through the medium of Welsh in a secondary school but are not qualified can gain additional professional learning opportunities to allow them to transfer into a high school. Because what we do know is that, every year, we have a surplus of Welsh-medium primary school teachers who do not find jobs in our system. That's a huge waste of their talents and their resources. We can use those more cleverly, and therefore providing them with the opportunity to transfer into the secondary sector is just one of the new, innovative ways we're looking to address a problem that I'm not shying away from, is there, and we need to take action on.
Wel, mae'r Aelod yn llygad ei lle yn nodi dull na fu, yn amlwg, yn llwyddiannus yn y gorffennol, a byddai parhau â'r dull hwnnw a gobeithio'n sydyn y gallai newid y canlyniadau—wel, dywedodd rhywun mai gwneud yr un peth a disgwyl canlyniad gwahanol yw'r diffiniad o wallgofrwydd. Felly, mae angen inni roi cynnig ar ddull gwahanol.
Nawr, mae gosod targedau ar gyfer ein darparwyr addysg gychwynnol i athrawon yn bwysig, ond mae angen i ni ddiwygio sut y gwnawn hynny, ond mae'n rhaid i'r ffordd rydym yn marchnata addysgu fel proffesiwn dymunol newid hefyd—mae safon ein haddysg gychwynnol i athrawon yn newid—ond hefyd, yn hanfodol, sut rydym yn sicrhau bod y bobl sy'n hyfforddi i fod yn athrawon yn mynd yn eu blaenau wedyn i weithio yn ein hysgolion, ac nid am gyfnod o flwyddyn neu ddwy yn unig, ond eu bod yn parhau i wneud ymrwymiad parhaus i'r proffesiwn addysgu.
Ar hyn o bryd, rwy'n ystyried diwygiad systematig llwyr i'r ffordd rydym yn cefnogi newydd-ddyfodiaid i'n darpariaeth addysg gychwynnol i athrawon ac athrawon yn ystod blynyddoedd cyntaf eu gyrfa, gan gyfeirio'n benodol at ddarpariaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg yn ein hysgolion uwchradd, sy'n peri pryder i mi. Bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol ein bod, yr wythnos hon, wedi lansio cynllun newydd, lle gall y rheini sydd wedi cymhwyso i ddysgu mewn ysgol gynradd, ond sydd â'r potensial a'r sgiliau i addysgu naill ai'r Gymraeg neu drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg mewn ysgol uwchradd, ond sydd heb gymhwyso i wneud hynny, fanteisio ar gyfleoedd dysgu proffesiynol ychwanegol i'w galluogi i drosglwyddo i ysgol uwchradd. Oherwydd yr hyn a wyddom yw fod gennym, bob blwyddyn, ormodedd o athrawon ysgolion cynradd cyfrwng Cymraeg nad ydynt yn gallu cael swyddi yn ein system. Mae hynny'n wastraff enfawr o'u doniau a'u hadnoddau. Gallwn eu defnyddio mewn ffordd fwy clyfar, ac felly mae rhoi cyfle iddynt drosglwyddo i'r sector uwchradd yn un o'r ffyrdd newydd, arloesol rydym yn ceisio mynd i'r afael â phroblem nad wyf yn cilio rhagddi. Mae'r broblem yno, ac mae angen inni fynd i'r afael â hi.
Well, thank you for that answer. Some of that was very interesting, but you didn't actually address the point on how many new applicants for these particular courses have materialised this year or how these targets were reached. Perhaps I can ask you if you're going to be dropping these targets. I imagine it's around now that you'd be sending a remit letter to the Education Workforce Council, so perhaps you can respond to that question when I ask you this next one. Because the Education Workforce Council also states that, and I'm quoting:
'If you are considering a career in teaching in Wales, from September 2019'—
that's this year—
'you will need to obtain qualified teaching status (QTS) by studying on an ITE programme, accredited by the Education Workforce Council (EWC) through its ITE Accreditation Board.'
Now, traditionally, qualified teacher status from England is automatically accepted here, but I recognise the changes to our curriculum, qualifications, and the method of assessment that QTS now goes through in England is quite different from in Wales. Nevertheless, you have said before that you don't want to prevent talented teachers from outside Wales bringing their talent to our schools, but I can't find any information about how those teachers can train up quickly, preferably in situ, to teach in our schools. Presumably, they'd still need to be accredited by the EWC. September has been and gone—how long do you plan to exclude newly qualified teachers from outside Wales from our Welsh schools?
Wel, diolch am eich ateb. Roedd rhywfaint ohono'n ddiddorol iawn, ond ni sonioch chi mewn gwirionedd am y pwynt ynghylch faint o ymgeiswyr newydd ar gyfer y cyrsiau penodol hyn a gafwyd eleni na sut y cyrhaeddwyd y targedau hyn. Efallai y gallaf ofyn i chi a ydych yn mynd i gael gwared â'r targedau hyn. Dychmygaf mai oddeutu nawr y byddech yn anfon llythyr cylch gwaith at Gyngor y Gweithlu Addysg, felly efallai y gallwch ymateb i'r cwestiwn hwnnw pan ofynnaf yr un nesaf i chi. Oherwydd mae Cyngor y Gweithlu Addysg hefyd yn nodi, a dyfynnaf:
'Os ydych chi'n ystyried gyrfa mewn addysgu yng Nghymru, o fis Medi 2019'—
sef eleni—
'bydd angen i chi gael statws addysgu cymwysedig (SAC) trwy astudio ar raglen AGA, wedi'i achredu gan Gyngor y Gweithlu Addysg (CGA), trwy ei Fwrdd Achredu AGA.'
Nawr, yn draddodiadol, mae statws athro cymwysedig o Loegr yn cael ei dderbyn yma'n awtomatig, ond rwy'n cydnabod bod y newidiadau i'n cwricwlwm, ein cymwysterau, a'r dull asesu y mae SAC bellach yn mynd drwyddo yn Lloegr yn dra gwahanol i Gymru. Serch hynny, rydych wedi dweud o'r blaen nad ydych am atal athrawon talentog o'r tu allan i Gymru rhag dod â'u talent i'n hysgolion, ond ni allaf ddod o hyd i unrhyw wybodaeth ynglŷn â sut y gall yr athrawon hynny hyfforddi'n gyflym i addysgu yn ein hysgolion, a gwneud hynny wrth ei gwaith, yn ddelfrydol. Yn ôl pob tebyg, byddai angen iddynt gael eu hachredu gan Gyngor y Gweithlu Addysg o hyd. Mae mis Medi wedi bod ac wedi mynd—am ba mor hir y bwriadwch atal athrawon newydd gymhwyso o'r tu allan i Gymru rhag dod i'n hysgolion yng Nghymru?
There is no intention, as I've set out in previous statements, to cut off a pool of talented people who may be thinking about embarking on a teaching career or actually who want to come home and teach in our new system with our fabulous new curriculum. Therefore, there are plenty of opportunities for those wanting to come across the border or from other countries to teach in our system and there are training opportunities available, crucially in situ—you don't have to go back to a university to do it—to ensure that anybody coming into our system has the skills, knowledge and understanding of our approaches in Wales.
With regard to numbers, the Member will forgive me, I don't have them in front of me, but I'm happy to write to her with them.
Nid oes unrhyw fwriad, fel rwyf wedi'i nodi mewn datganiadau blaenorol, i atal cronfa o bobl dalentog a allai fod yn ystyried cychwyn gyrfa addysgu neu sy'n awyddus i ddod adref i addysgu yn ein system newydd gyda'n cwricwlwm newydd gwych. Felly, mae digon o gyfleoedd i'w cael i'r rheini sydd am ddod dros y ffin neu o wledydd eraill ddysgu yn ein system ac mae cyfleoedd hyfforddi ar gael, yn hollbwysig, wrth y gwaith—nid oes angen ichi fynd yn ôl i brifysgol i wneud hynny—er mwyn sicrhau bod gan unrhyw un a ddaw i'n system y sgiliau, yr wybodaeth a'r ddealltwriaeth o'n dulliau yng Nghymru.
O ran niferoedd, bydd yr Aelod yn maddau i mi, nid ydynt gennyf o'm blaen, ond rwy'n fwy na pharod i'w hanfon ati.
Thank you. I'd really appreciate it. If you could do that, that would be great. Thank you very much. Perhaps you could also send us some numbers on the number of those training opportunities in situ that have been taken up by teachers from outside Wales.
You mentioned this in response to my first question, actually, that you want schools to be employing the new teachers that will be coming through the system as a result of all of this. How will you be making sure that schools can afford to employ more of these teachers and slow down the reliance on supply agencies, which, of course, comes with its own problems? How much of that £195 million education consequential coming to Wales as a result of this year's UK spending review will find its way to Welsh schools specifically? Thank you.
Diolch. Buaswn yn gwerthfawrogi hynny'n fawr. Pe gallech wneud hynny, byddai hynny'n wych. Diolch yn fawr iawn. Efallai y gallech anfon ffigurau atom hefyd ar nifer y cyfleoedd i hyfforddi yn y gwaith y mae athrawon o'r tu allan i Gymru wedi manteisio arnynt.
Fe sonioch chi am hyn yn eich ymateb i fy nghwestiwn cyntaf, mewn gwirionedd, eich bod am i ysgolion fod yn cyflogi'r athrawon newydd a fydd yn dod drwy'r system o ganlyniad i hyn oll. Sut y byddwch yn sicrhau y gall ysgolion fforddio cyflogi mwy o'r athrawon hyn ac arafu'r ddibyniaeth ar asiantaethau cyflenwi, sydd wrth gwrs, yn arwain at broblemau eraill? Faint o'r £195 miliwn o gyllid canlyniadol i addysg sy'n dod i Gymru o ganlyniad i adolygiad gwariant y DU eleni a fydd yn mynd i ysgolion Cymru yn benodol? Diolch.
Well, the Member is well aware of the Government's intention to publish its budget in the middle, now, of December—delayed, I'm aware of that. And it'll be clear to Members how the steps that this Welsh Government has taken to enhance not only the education budget—but also, crucially, the vast majority of school funding goes to schools not via my budget but via the local government Minister and the revenue support grant. And the Member will have a few more weeks to wait before those details are made available to all Members.
Wel, mae'r Aelod yn ymwybodol iawn o fwriad y Llywodraeth i gyhoeddi ei chyllideb yng nghanol mis Rhagfyr, bellach—mae wedi'i gohirio, rwy'n ymwybodol o hynny. A bydd yn amlwg i'r Aelodau sut y mae'r camau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cymryd i wella nid yn unig y gyllideb addysg—ond hefyd, yn hanfodol, mae'r mwyafrif helaeth o gyllid ysgolion yn mynd i ysgolion nid drwy fy nghyllideb i, ond drwy'r Gweinidog llywodraeth leol a'r grant cymorth refeniw. A bydd yn rhaid i'r Aelod aros ychydig wythnosau eto cyn y bydd y manylion hynny ar gael i'r holl Aelodau.
3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am y gefnogaeth sydd ar gael i ofalwyr sydd yn astudio mewn addysg uwch? OAQ54742
3. Will the Minister make a statement on the support available to carers who are higher education students? OAQ54742
In Wales I have made available the most generous package of student support, which includes specific support to help those students with dependants. Last year, we issued £9.8 million as grants for dependants to full-time undergraduate students to help them remain in education.
Yng Nghymru, rwyf wedi sicrhau bod y pecyn cymorth mwyaf hael ar gael i fyfyrwyr, sy'n cynnwys cymorth penodol i helpu myfyrwyr sydd â dibynyddion. Y llynedd, darparwyd £9.8 miliwn gennym fel grantiau ar gyfer dibynyddion myfyrwyr israddedig amser llawn i'w helpu i aros mewn addysg.
Diolch am yr ymateb yna. Mae yna waith rhagorol yn digwydd ym Mhrifysgol Bangor, fy mhrifysgol leol i, er mwyn sicrhau bod gofalwyr yn gallu dilyn cyrsiau prifysgol a'u bod nhw'n cael y gefnogaeth i wneud hynny. Mae'r rhestr o bethau sy'n cael eu gwneud yno yn cynnwys bwrsariaeth o £1,000; mae yna gwrs preswyl yn cael ei gynnal i ofalwyr rhwng 16 a 25 oed i roi blas ar fywyd prifysgol iddyn nhw ac i weld sut y byddan nhw'n gallu ymdopi â hynny; mae yna fand arddwrn yn cael ei gynnig iddyn nhw, sydd yn syniad da, er mwyn iddyn nhw beidio â gorfod egluro i wahanol aelodau staff pam eu bod nhw angen cymryd galwad ffôn neu orfod gadael yn gynnar ac yn y blaen.
Dwi'n deall bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gofyn i'r Ymddiriedolaeth Gofalwyr ddarparu adroddiad yn amlinellu beth allai prifysgolion ei wneud i ddenu gofalwyr. Dwi'n siŵr y bydd gennych chi ddiddordeb mawr mewn dysgu o beth sydd wedi bod yn digwydd ym Mhrifysgol Bangor, ond a allaf ofyn i chi beth fydd yn digwydd o ganlyniad i'r adroddiad hwnnw? Oes yna fwriad i roi rhagor o gyllid, o bosibl, i gefnogi gweithgareddau fel y rheini sydd wedi bod yn digwydd ym Mangor—er enghraifft, i'w galluogi nhw i barhau â'u gwaith rŵan, ond hefyd i gydweithio'n agos efo ysgolion er mwyn dangos yn gliriach y llwybrau i addysg uwch i ofalwyr ifanc?
Thank you for that response. There is excellent work happening in Bangor University, which is my local university, in order to ensure that carers can take university courses and that they are given the support to do that. The list of things done includes a bursary of £1,000; there is a residential course offered to carers between 16 and 25 to give them a flavour of university life and to see how they would cope with that; there is a wristband that's being offered to them, which is a good idea, so that they don't have to explain to various members of staff why they may need to take a phone call or leave early and so on.
I understand that the Welsh Government has asked the Carers Trust to provide a report outlining what universities could do to attract carers. I'm sure you'll be very interested in learning from what has been happening at Bangor University, but could I ask you what will happen as a result of that report? Is there an intention to provide more funding, perhaps, to support activities such as those taking place in Bangor in order, for example, to enable them to continue with their work but also to work closely with schools in order to show more clearly the routes into higher education for young carers?
Well, first of all, can I take this opportunity to congratulate Bangor on the work that they are doing to widen access and participation for this particular group of students? The £1,000 bursary was a really innovative intervention and a fantastic way to highlight National Carers Rights Day, which was the day they officially launched that and the other programmes that they have.
Can I just say that Bangor are not alone in this, in recognising the additional needs that carers do have? The University of South Wales offers carers bursaries of £1,000 for full-time students and £500 for part-time; Cardiff University makes a bursary available of £3,000 to carers over the duration of their course; and Swansea University offer a carers bursary of up to £500.
So, universities are aware of the challenges that this particular group of students meets. But I am concerned that we can do more, and that we should do more, to break down the barriers of pursuing further or higher education for those with caring responsibilities, hence the commissioning of this piece of work so that it can better inform us and the conversations that I have with the funding council and with our universities around what more they can do.
Can I just say—? This lunchtime—I'm not sure if the Member was able to attend—hosted by Hefin David, Cardiff University were here highlighting and showcasing some of their widening-access and participation work, looking to support asylum seekers, those children who are care experienced and those individuals with neurodiversity, who perhaps in the past have not felt that university was for them.
There is much good practice, but the report will give us the information and the suggestions of what more we can do. But I would like to congratulate Bangor on their hard work in this area.
Wel, yn gyntaf oll, a gaf fi achub ar y cyfle hwn i longyfarch Bangor ar y gwaith a wnânt i ehangu mynediad a chyfranogiad ar gyfer y grŵp penodol hwn o fyfyrwyr? Roedd y bwrsari £1,000 yn ymyrraeth arloesol iawn ac yn ffordd wych o dynnu sylw at Ddiwrnod Hawliau Gofalwyr, sef y diwrnod y gwnaethant lansio hynny a'r rhaglenni eraill sydd ganddynt yn swyddogol.
A gaf fi ddweud nad yw Bangor ar eu pen eu hunain yn hyn o beth, o ran cydnabod yr anghenion ychwanegol sydd gan ofalwyr? Mae Prifysgol De Cymru yn cynnig bwrsarïau gofalwyr gwerth £1,000 i fyfyrwyr amser llawn a £500 i fyfyrwyr rhan-amser; mae Prifysgol Caerdydd yn darparu bwrsari o £3,000 i ofalwyr dros gyfnod eu cwrs; ac mae Prifysgol Abertawe yn cynnig bwrsari gofalwyr o hyd at £500.
Felly, mae prifysgolion yn ymwybodol o'r heriau y mae'r grŵp penodol hwn o fyfyrwyr yn eu hwynebu. Ond credaf y gallwn wneud mwy, ac y dylem wneud mwy, i chwalu'r rhwystrau rhag dilyn addysg bellach neu uwch i'r rheini sydd â chyfrifoldebau gofalu, a dyna pam y comisiynwyd y gwaith hwn fel y gall wneud mwy i'n llywio ni a'r sgyrsiau a gaf gyda'r cyngor cyllido a'n prifysgolion ynghylch beth arall y gallant ei wneud.
A gaf fi ddweud—? Amser cinio—nid wyf yn siŵr a fu modd i'r Aelod fynychu—o dan ofal Hefin David, bu Prifysgol Caerdydd yma yn tynnu sylw ac yn arddangos peth o'u gwaith ehangu mynediad a chyfranogiad, i geisio cefnogi ceiswyr lloches, plant â phrofiad o ofal ac unigolion â niwroamrywiaeth, sydd efallai wedi teimlo yn y gorffennol nad oedd y brifysgol ar eu cyfer hwy.
Mae llawer o arferion da ar waith, ond bydd yr adroddiad yn rhoi gwybodaeth ac awgrymiadau inni ynglŷn â beth arall y gallwn ei wneud. Ond hoffwn longyfarch Bangor ar eu gwaith caled yn y maes hwn.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
I would like to endorse the thanks that have been given here today to praise Bangor University for its exceptional efforts to support student carers. It just shows what can be done—in four years, the university has, for example, created a student carers booklet; as has been pointed out, they've introduced a red wristband to help lecturers identify carers; and they've awarded £1,000 bursaries to carers. Similarly, as the Minister has mentioned, the University of South Wales offers a carers bursary worth £1,000 and Swansea University a bursary of up to £500. These are excellent initiatives and they provide a much-needed model of support. Now, as the Minister here in the Welsh Government, will you consider introducing a Wales-wide student carer bursary?
Hoffwn ategu'r diolch a roddwyd yma heddiw i ganmol Prifysgol Bangor am eu hymdrechion ardderchog i gefnogi myfyrwyr sy'n ofalwyr. Mae'n dangos beth y gellir ei wneud—mewn pedair blynedd, mae'r brifysgol, er enghraifft, wedi creu llyfryn i fyfyrwyr sy'n ofalwyr; fel y nodwyd, maent wedi cyflwyno strapen arddwrn goch i helpu darlithwyr i nodi gofalwyr; ac maent wedi dyfarnu bwrsarïau o £1,000 i ofalwyr. Yn yr un modd, fel y nododd y Gweinidog, mae Prifysgol De Cymru yn cynnig bwrsari gofalwyr gwerth £1,000, a Phrifysgol Abertawe yn cynnig bwrsari o hyd at £500. Mae'r rhain yn fentrau rhagorol ac maent yn darparu model cymorth mawr ei angen. Nawr, fel y Gweinidog yma yn Llywodraeth Cymru, a wnewch chi ystyried cyflwyno bwrsari ledled Cymru ar gyfer myfyrwyr sy'n ofalwyr?
Well, if the Member was listening to my initial answer to the Member, she will have heard me say that last year we issued £9.8 million to support 3,400 students with an average grant of £2,800 for those who have dependants, either children or adults, to allow them—[Interruption.] It is universal, for everyone. And, as I said, that was £9.8 million that we supported students with just last year.
Wel, pe bai'r Aelod yn gwrando ar fy ateb cychwynnol i'r Aelod, byddai wedi fy nghlywed yn dweud ein bod, y llynedd, wedi cyhoeddi £9.8 miliwn i gefnogi 3,400 o fyfyrwyr gyda grant cyfartalog o £2,800 i'r rheini sydd â dibynyddion, boed yn blant neu'n oedolion, i ganiatáu iddynt—[Torri ar draws.] Mae'n gyffredinol, i bawb. Ac fel y dywedais, roedd hwnnw'n £9.8 miliwn a ddefnyddiwyd gennym i gefnogi myfyrwyr y llynedd yn unig.
4. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am ddyfodol TGAU a chymwysterau eraill y mae pobl ifanc 16 oed yng Nghymru yn astudio ar eu cyfer? OAQ54739
4. Will the Minister make a statement on the future of GCSEs and other qualifications taken by 16-year-olds in Wales? OAQ54739
Thank you, Andrew. On 18 November, Qualifications Wales, the independent regulator, published a major consultation setting out how it plans to ensure that qualifications at 16 reflect the new curriculum for Wales. This includes the proposal that redesigned GCSEs should form a central part of the qualification offer.
Diolch, Andrew. Ar 18 Tachwedd, cyhoeddodd Cymwysterau Cymru, y rheoleiddiwr annibynnol, ymgynghoriad helaeth a oedd yn nodi sut y mae'n bwriadu sicrhau bod cymwysterau i bobl 16 oed yn adlewyrchu'r cwricwlwm newydd i Gymru. Mae hyn yn cynnwys y cynnig y dylai TGAU wedi'u hailgynllunio fod yn rhan ganolog o'r cynnig cymwysterau.
Thank you, Minister, for that answer. What we do know is that Qualifications Wales have said that there will have to be changes in the exams and the qualifications that people will take at the age of 16 here in Wales, irrespective of what that consultation will say. But what is really important, irrespective of whatever qualification someone takes, whether it's vocational or academic, is that there's good support for teachers and careers advisers in schools. Because we heard yesterday from the Member for South Wales West, Suzy Davies, about the gaming of the system within Wales, so that schools can push their academic credentials higher to be in the league tables.
Do you agree with me, First Minister, Minister—I gave you a promotion then—that what is really important is that, whatever comes out of the consultation also has a strong package of support and advice for teachers and career advisers in schools, so that our learners do take the right examinations, whatever they might be—whether they be academic or vocational—so that they reach their full potential? Because as a father of four children, one thing that has struck me as they've gone through the academic system is that, very often, that advice is lacking severely in our system.
Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Yr hyn a wyddom yw fod Cymwysterau Cymru wedi dweud y bydd yn rhaid sicrhau newidiadau yn y cymwysterau a'r arholiadau y bydd pobl yn eu sefyll yn 16 oed yma yng Nghymru, ni waeth beth fydd yr ymgynghoriad hwnnw'n ei ddweud. Ond yr hyn sy'n wirioneddol bwysig, ni waeth pa gymhwyster y mae rhywun yn ymgymryd ag ef, boed yn un galwedigaethol neu academaidd, yw fod cefnogaeth dda i athrawon a chynghorwyr gyrfaoedd i'w chael mewn ysgolion. Oherwydd clywsom ddoe gan yr Aelod dros Orllewin De Cymru, Suzy Davies, am chwarae’r system yng Nghymru, fel y gall ysgolion wthio eu cymwysterau academaidd yn uwch er mwyn bod yn nhablau’r gynghrair.
A ydych yn cytuno â mi, Brif Weinidog, Weinidog—rwyf newydd roi dyrchafiad i chi—mai'r hyn sy'n wirioneddol bwysig yw fod gan beth bynnag a ddaw o'r ymgynghoriad hefyd becyn cryf o gymorth a chyngor i athrawon a chynghorwyr gyrfaoedd mewn ysgolion, fel bod ein dysgwyr yn sefyll yr arholiadau cywir, beth bynnag ydynt—boed yn rhai academaidd neu alwedigaethol—fel eu bod yn cyflawni eu potensial llawn? Oherwydd fel tad i bedwar o blant, un peth sydd wedi fy nharo wrth iddynt fynd drwy'r system academaidd yw fod y cyngor hwnnw, yn aml iawn, yn brin iawn yn ein system.
Andrew, I think you're absolutely right: what is crucial is that children, young people and their parents have access to great independent careers information and advice. We know that children as young as six are already beginning to form their ideas about careers, and what may or may not be available for them and, far too often, are closing down the choices to them.
The Member, I'm sure, is aware that Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, which I believe is in the Member's region, is currently, on behalf of Welsh Government, piloting what is known as the Gatsby approach to careers advice. Only this morning, I was in Beddau in the secondary school there looking at their reformed approach to information, advice and guidance. Every child and every parent receives an interview on coming into the school; those interviews are repeated in year 9 before children take their choices for GCSEs. Each of the Gatsby criteria are being worked on in that school, developing relationships with local businesses, further education colleges and higher education colleges, and exposing those young people to the plethora of opportunities that are available. But the crucial thing is that each child is treated as an individual, it is not a blanket approach where people receive the same message; there is an individualised, personalised programme for each child. I would commend the approach that has been piloted, and I'm sure the local schools in his region would be very happy for him to visit to see it in action.
Andrew, credaf eich bod yn llygad eich lle: yr hyn sy'n hanfodol yw fod gan blant, pobl ifanc a'u rhieni fynediad at wybodaeth a chyngor gyrfaoedd annibynnol gwych. Gwyddom fod plant mor ifanc â chwech oed eisoes yn dechrau ffurfio eu syniadau am yrfaoedd, a'r hyn a allai fod ar gael iddynt ai peidio, ac yn llawer rhy aml, maent yn culhau'r ystod o ddewisiadau ar eu cyfer.
Mae'r Aelod, rwy'n siŵr, yn ymwybodol fod Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf, sydd yn rhanbarth yr Aelod, rwy'n credu, ar hyn o bryd, ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru, yn treialu'r hyn a elwir yn ddull Gatsby o ddarparu cyngor gyrfaoedd. Y bore yma, roeddwn yn y Beddau yn yr ysgol uwchradd yno yn edrych ar eu dull diwygiedig o ddarparu gwybodaeth, cyngor ac arweiniad. Mae pob plentyn a phob rhiant yn cael cyfweliad wrth gychwyn yn yr ysgol; caiff y cyfweliadau hynny eu hailadrodd ym mlwyddyn 9 cyn i'r plant wneud eu dewisiadau ar gyfer TGAU. Maent yn gweithio ar bob un o'r meini prawf Gatsby yn yr ysgol honno, gan ddatblygu cysylltiadau â busnesau lleol, colegau addysg bellach a cholegau addysg uwch, a dod â'r bobl ifanc i gysylltiad â'r llu o gyfleoedd sydd ar gael. Ond y peth hanfodol yw fod pob plentyn yn cael eu trin fel unigolion, nid yw'n ddull cyffredinol lle mae pobl yn derbyn yr un neges; ceir rhaglen unigol, bersonol ar gyfer pob plentyn. Buaswn yn cymeradwyo'r dull a dreialwyd, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddai'r ysgolion lleol yn ei ranbarth yn fwy na pharod iddo ymweld iddo gael ei weld ar waith.
Many of our students will, at some stage of their careers, seek employment over the border in England. It's only recently that England has diverged from our grading system by moving to one to nine, but I just wonder whether, over the longer term, the education Secretary sees any risks to Welsh students in that divergence getting their qualifications treated as they should be in England, particularly given the emphasis that the Department for Education in Westminster has put on the shift to one to nine being about ensuring greater rigour in their qualifications.
Bydd llawer o'n myfyrwyr, ar ryw adeg yn eu gyrfaoedd, yn chwilio am waith dros y ffin yn Lloegr. Dim ond yn ddiweddar y mae Lloegr wedi gwyro oddi wrth ein system raddio drwy newid i system i un i naw, ond tybed a yw'r Ysgrifennydd addysg, yn y tymor hwy, yn rhagweld unrhyw risgiau i fyfyrwyr Cymru yn sgil y gwahaniaeth hwnnw o ran sicrhau bod eu cymwysterau'n cael eu trin fel y dylent yn Lloegr, yn enwedig o ystyried y pwyslais y mae'r Adran Addysg yn San Steffan wedi'i roi ar y syniad fod y newid i system un i naw yn ymwneud â sicrhau cymwysterau mwy cadarn.
Let me be absolutely clear. Just because England has decided to do something does not mean it is the right decision. I don't know why we basically start from that premise. Maybe the decision to keep A* to G, which is well understood by FE colleges, HE colleges and employers, actually is the right starting point. But the Member is absolutely correct: what is crucial is that any qualification that is sat by a Welsh student has portability and equal rigour, and there is nothing to suggest—nothing at all to suggest—that our GCSEs are any less testing, difficult and stretching than GCSEs across the border. And any suggestion that they are is doing down our individual students and our pupils. That portability will be crucial, and that's why we have an independent qualification system that works with qualification systems in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland to ensure there is that compatibility and that parents and students know that the exams they take in our nation are exams that will be recognised and valued anywhere in the world.
Gadewch i mi ddweud yn gwbl glir. Nid yw'r ffaith bod Lloegr wedi penderfynu gwneud rhywbeth yn golygu mai dyna yw'r penderfyniad cywir. Nid wyf yn gwybod pam ein bod, yn y bôn, yn cychwyn o'r rhagosodiad hwnnw. Efallai mai'r penderfyniad i gadw A* i G, system y mae colegau addysg bellach, colegau addysg uwch a chyflogwyr yn ei deall yn iawn, yw'r man cychwyn cywir mewn gwirionedd. Ond mae'r Aelod yn llygad ei le: yr hyn sy'n hollbwysig yw fod unrhyw gymhwyster y mae myfyriwr o Gymru yn ei sefyll yr un mor gludadwy a chadarn, ac nid oes unrhyw beth i awgrymu—unrhyw beth o gwbl i awgrymu—fod ein TGAU yn llai anodd, ymestynnol a chaled na TGAU dros y ffin. Ac mae unrhyw awgrym eu bod yn gwneud tro gwael â'n myfyrwyr unigol a'n disgyblion. Mae’n hanfodol eu bod yn gludadwy, a dyna pam fod gennym system gymwysterau annibynnol sy’n gweithio gyda systemau cymwysterau yn yr Alban, Lloegr a Gogledd Iwerddon i sicrhau bod y cydweddoldeb hwnnw'n bodoli a bod rhieni a myfyrwyr yn gwybod bod yr arholiadau y maent yn eu sefyll yn ein gwlad yn arholiadau a fydd yn cael eu cydnabod a'u gwerthfawrogi yn unrhyw le yn y byd.
5. Pa gynlluniau sydd gan y Gweinidog i ddiwygio addysg a hyfforddiant ôl-orfodol yn y 12 mis nesaf? OAQ54741
5. What plans does the Minister have to reform post-compulsory education and training in the next 12 months? OAQ54741
Officials are drafting legislation to establish the commission for tertiary education and research, and that will be published in the spring.
Mae swyddogion yn drafftio deddfwriaeth i sefydlu'r comisiwn ar gyfer addysg drydyddol ac ymchwil, ac fe'i cyhoeddir yn y gwanwyn.
I recently met with a representative of the National Union of Students Wales. They pointed out that the current legislation defines student unions and outlines how they should look, but it does not place a duty on post-16 education providers to actually have one. They say any reform of the post-16 compulsory education and training sector provides an opportunity to strengthen the legal footing on which student unions are placed. What plans do you have, Minister, to place a duty on all post-16 education providers to have a student union that is politically autonomous, structurally independent and fully-funded?
Yn ddiweddar, cyfarfûm â chynrychiolydd o Undeb Cenedlaethol Myfyrwyr Cymru. Fe wnaethant dynnu sylw at y ffaith bod y ddeddfwriaeth gyfredol yn diffinio undebau myfyrwyr ac yn amlinellu sut y dylent edrych, ond nid yw'n gosod dyletswydd ar ddarparwyr addysg ôl-16 i gael undeb mewn gwirionedd. Dywedant fod unrhyw ddiwygiad i'r sector addysg a hyfforddiant ôl-orfodol yn darparu cyfle i gryfhau'r sylfaen gyfreithiol sy'n sail i undebau myfyrwyr. Pa gynlluniau sydd gennych, Weinidog, i osod dyletswydd ar bob darparwr addysg ôl-16 i gael undeb myfyrwyr sy'n wleidyddol annibynnol, yn strwythurol annibynnol ac wedi'i ariannu'n llawn?
Student voice will be a central plank of our PCET reform legislation.
Bydd llais myfyrwyr yn rhan ganolog o'n deddfwriaeth i ddiwygio addysg a hyfforddiant ôl-orfodol.
What are your plans—? As I said earlier—I mentioned apprenticeships. What are your plans in this regard to put apprenticeships at the heart of the PCET proposals? I know, of course, that this is an area that is in the economy and transport brief, but in my view—and I'm sure you would agree—an apprenticeship for young people should be viewed as an extension of an educational process rather than something separate from it, and when I speak to those in the apprenticeship world, they seem to feel a bit disassociated from the college set-up. So, I'm just wondering how you can use the PCET changes to make sure that non-work-based key skills and off-site education days can be properly made available to those particular students as well.
Beth yw eich cynlluniau—? Fel y dywedais yn gynharach—soniais am brentisiaethau. Beth yw eich cynlluniau yn hyn o beth i sicrhau bod prentisiaethau yn ganolog yn y cynigion addysg a hyfforddiant ôl-orfodol? Gwn, wrth gwrs, fod hwn yn faes sydd yn y briff economi a thrafnidiaeth, ond yn fy marn i—ac rwy'n siŵr y byddech yn cytuno—dylid ystyried prentisiaeth i bobl ifanc fel estyniad o broses addysgol yn hytrach na rhywbeth ar wahân iddi, a phan siaradaf â'r rheini ym maes prentisiaethau, ymddengys eu bod yn teimlo eu bod wedi'u datgysylltu o drefn y colegau. Felly, tybed sut y gallwch ddefnyddio'r newidiadau i addysg a hyfforddiant ôl-orfodol er mwyn sicrhau bod sgiliau allweddol nad ydynt yn seiliedig ar waith a diwrnodau addysg oddi ar y safle yn cael eu darparu'n briodol i'r myfyrwyr hynny hefyd.
Well, it's important to recognise that our proposals to establish the commission for tertiary education and research will cover all post-compulsory education and training, including work-based learning and apprenticeship providers. It's also really important to recognise the significant growth in the diversity of apprenticeship programmes. Many people will continue, I suspect, to think about an apprenticeship as something that is undertaken by a young person at either age 16 or at 18. But increasingly, we are looking to develop our portfolio of higher-level apprenticeships and, indeed, this year, we have seen the first cohort of our degree apprenticeships, where students are learning on the job and in their university of choice. It's a really important development for students who don't want to make a false dichotomy about learning in an academic institution or developing an apprenticeship. We shouldn't make them make that choice; we should be able to provide an opportunity that allows them to combine both, and that's exactly what we're doing with our degree apprenticeship programme.
But, bringing higher education, further education, sixth forms and work-based learning all under the auspices of one organisation should allow us to see greater diversity of opportunity for students and for students to move more seamlessly through different sectors of post-compulsory education and training.
Wel, mae'n bwysig cydnabod y bydd ein cynigion i sefydlu'r comisiwn ar gyfer addysg drydyddol ac ymchwil yn cwmpasu'r holl addysg a hyfforddiant ôl-orfodol, gan gynnwys darparwyr prentisiaethau a dysgu seiliedig ar waith. Mae hefyd yn bwysig iawn cydnabod y twf sylweddol yn yr amrywiaeth o raglenni prentisiaeth. Rwy'n tybio y bydd llawer o bobl yn parhau i feddwl am brentisiaeth fel rhywbeth y mae unigolyn ifanc yn ei wneud pan fo’n 16 oed neu’n 18 oed. Ond rydym yn fwy a mwy awyddus i ddatblygu ein portffolio o brentisiaethau lefel uwch, ac yn wir, eleni, rydym wedi gweld ein carfan gyntaf o radd-brentisiaethau, lle mae myfyrwyr yn dysgu yn y gwaith ac mewn prifysgol o'u dewis. Mae'n ddatblygiad pwysig iawn i fyfyrwyr nad ydynt am greu deuoliaeth ffug ynglŷn â dysgu mewn sefydliad academaidd neu ddatblygu prentisiaeth. Ni ddylem eu gorfodi i wneud y dewis hwnnw; dylem allu darparu cyfle sy'n caniatáu iddynt gyfuno'r ddau beth, a dyna'n union rydym yn ei wneud gyda'n rhaglen radd-brentisiaeth.
Ond dylai dod ag addysg uwch, addysg bellach, dosbarthiadau chwech a dysgu yn y gwaith oll o dan adain un sefydliad ganiatáu inni sicrhau mwy o amrywiaeth o ran cyfle i fyfyrwyr, ac i fyfyrwyr symud yn fwy di-dor drwy wahanol sectorau addysg a hyfforddiant ôl-orfodol.
6. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i helpu i atal bwlio mewn ysgolion? OAQ54756
6. What is the Welsh Government doing to help prevent bullying in schools? OAQ54756
Thank you, Joyce. I have published this month a suite of guidance entitled 'Rights, respect, equality: Statutory guidance for governing bodies of maintained schools', outlining our new statutory guidance for schools and local authorities to help address and prevent bullying in our education system. These are supported by advisory guidance for children and young people themselves and their parents and carers on how they can help those affected by bullying.
Diolch, Joyce. Y mis hwn, rwyf wedi cyhoeddi cyfres o ganllawiau o dan yr enw 'Hawliau, parch, cydraddoldeb: Canllawiau statudol ar gyfer cyrff llywodraethu ysgolion a gynhelir', sy'n amlinellu ein canllawiau statudol newydd ar gyfer ysgolion ac awdurdodau lleol i helpu i atal a mynd i'r afael â bwlio yn ein system addysg. Fe'u cefnogir gan ganllawiau cynghori i blant a phobl ifanc eu hunain a'u rhieni a'u gofalwyr ar sut y gallant helpu rhai sy'n cael eu bwlio.
Thank you very much. The impact of bullying on an individual's mental health can be devastating and can last for a lifetime. With one in 10 secondary school pupils in Wales experiencing bullying each week, it is crucial that everything that can be done is done. So, I am really pleased to see the launch of the new anti-bullying guidance from the Welsh Government that you've just mentioned. It does include a wealth of resources for schools, governing bodies, parents and carers as well as for children and young people, and I'm sure that it will help all those individuals or has a capacity to help those individuals move forward.
As I've said, there are resources there that parents and carers can access, and I think that that's of the utmost importance, and that the message that bullying is not okay needs to come from home as well as the school. So, I would be very interested to know if schools are actively encouraging parents and carers to access that information so that they can work on the resources at home with their children.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Gall effaith bwlio ar iechyd meddwl unigolyn fod yn ddinistriol a gall bara am oes. Gydag un o bob 10 disgybl mewn ysgolion uwchradd yng Nghymru yn dioddef bwlio bob wythnos, mae'n hanfodol fod popeth y gellir ei wneud yn cael ei wneud. Felly, rwy'n falch iawn o weld lansiad y canllawiau gwrthfwlio newydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru rydych newydd eu crybwyll. Maent yn cynnwys toreth o adnoddau i ysgolion, cyrff llywodraethu, rhieni a gofalwyr yn ogystal â phlant a phobl ifanc, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddant yn helpu'r holl unigolion hynny, neu bawb sydd â gallu i helpu'r unigolion hynny yn y dyfodol.
Fel y dywedais, mae adnoddau yno y gall rhieni a gofalwyr eu defnyddio, a chredaf fod hynny'n hollbwysig, a bod angen i'r neges nad yw bwlio'n iawn ddod o'r cartref yn ogystal â'r ysgol. Felly, byddai gennyf gryn ddiddordeb mewn gwybod a yw ysgolion yn mynd ati i annog rhieni a gofalwyr i ddefnyddio'r wybodaeth honno fel y gallant weithio ar yr adnoddau gartref gyda'u plant.
Thank you, Joyce. Obviously, these are relatively new resources that have been made available to schools, but it would absolutely be my expectation that schools should be able to signpost parents and carers to the resources that are available specifically for them to address behaviour in their own children, understanding what drives a child to bully in the first place and how to support that child. But also, if you are the parent of a child who is subject to bullying, which can be an excruciating position for a parent to be in, not knowing what to do for the best, this latest guidance is a really valuable resource for parents to help them navigate and negotiate that very difficult situation.
But we're not leaving it to schools. Members, if they choose to, today can look on the Education Wales Facebook page, where we are actively targeting parents to make them aware that this guidance is available to them. So, we're not leaving it to schools, we, as a Government, are trying to get out there, using a variety of platforms to draw parents' attention to these new resources.
Diolch, Joyce. Yn amlwg, mae'r rhain yn adnoddau cymharol newydd sydd ar gael i ysgolion, ond yn sicr, buaswn yn disgwyl i ysgolion allu cyfeirio rhieni a gofalwyr at yr adnoddau sydd ar gael yn benodol ar eu cyfer er mwyn iddynt fynd i'r afael ag ymddygiad eu plant eu hunain, deall beth sy'n gwneud i blentyn fwlio yn y lle cyntaf a sut i gefnogi'r plentyn hwnnw. Ond hefyd, os ydych yn rhiant i blentyn sy'n cael eu bwlio, a all fod yn sefyllfa arteithiol i riant fod ynddi, pan nad ydych yn gwybod beth yw'r peth gorau i'w wneud, mae'r canllawiau diweddaraf hyn yn adnodd gwerthfawr iawn i rieni i'w helpu i ymdrin â'r sefyllfa anodd iawn honno.
Ond nid ydym yn gadael hyn i ysgolion. Gall yr Aelodau, os hoffent, edrych ar dudalen Facebook Addysg Cymru heddiw, lle rydym yn mynd ati i dargedu rhieni er mwyn rhoi gwybod iddynt fod y canllawiau hyn ar gael iddynt. Felly, nid ydym yn gadael hyn i ysgolion, rydym ni, fel Llywodraeth, yn ceisio mynd allan yno, gan ddefnyddio amrywiaeth o blatfformau i dynnu sylw rhieni at yr adnoddau newydd hyn.
Minister, Estyn's 'Healthy and happy' report, published in June, highlighted that only a minority of schools keep useful records about bullying, with schools often only recording what they regard as serious. However, by not recording carefully any allegation of bullying by pupils, schools are unable to effectively evaluate their policies, and are actually at risk of being unable to build up a picture over time about pupils whose well-being may be at risk. In light of this, what steps is the Welsh Government taking to encourage schools to record all incidents of bullying? As well as publishing the guidance you've just mentioned, how is the Welsh Government working with schools to develop whole-school approaches to tackling bullying, which has been proven to be the most effective approach to tackling bullying in our schools?
Weinidog, amlygodd adroddiad 'Iach a hapus' Estyn, a gyhoeddwyd ym mis Mehefin, mai lleiafrif o ysgolion yn unig sy'n cadw cofnodion defnyddiol am fwlio, gydag ysgolion yn aml ond yn cofnodi'r hyn y maent yn ei ystyried yn ddifrifol. Fodd bynnag, drwy beidio â chofnodi pob honiad o fwlio gan ddisgyblion yn ofalus, ni all ysgolion werthuso eu polisïau'n effeithiol, ac maent mewn perygl o fethu llunio darlun dros amser am ddisgyblion y gallai eu lles fod mewn perygl. Yng ngoleuni hyn, pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i annog ysgolion i gofnodi pob achos o fwlio? Yn ogystal â chyhoeddi'r canllawiau rydych newydd eu crybwyll, sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gydag ysgolion i ddatblygu dulliau ysgol gyfan o fynd i'r afael â bwlio, gan y profwyd mai dyna'r ffordd fwyaf effeithiol o fynd i'r afael â bwlio yn ein hysgolion?
Thank you, Paul. All schools must, by law, have a school behaviour policy in place, and the 'Rights, respect, equality' statutory anti-bullying guidelines outline the Welsh Government's expectation that all schools in Wales will have a specific anti-bullying policy, setting out how the school will record and monitor incidents of bullying to help take proactive steps to challenge that. So, a crucial part of our new guidance is exactly that. It includes mandatory reporting of bullying incidents, so that schools and local authorities are better equipped with the data that they need; they can monitor trends over time; and they can evaluate the impact of the policies that they have in place in their own school. So, we hope, as a result of this new guidance, there will be a more robust set of data and recording, going forward, which was—I'd be the first person to admit—missing in the old system.
Diolch, Paul. Mae'n rhaid fod gan bob ysgol, yn ôl y gyfraith, bolisi ymddygiad ysgol ar waith, ac mae'r canllawiau gwrthfwlio statudol 'Hawliau, parch, cydraddoldeb' yn amlinellu disgwyliad Llywodraeth Cymru y bydd gan bob ysgol yng Nghymru bolisi gwrthfwlio penodol sy'n nodi sut y bydd yr ysgol yn cofnodi ac yn monitro achosion o fwlio er mwyn helpu i gymryd camau rhagweithiol i fynd i'r afael â hynny. Felly, mae hynny'n union yn rhan hanfodol o'n canllawiau newydd. Mae'n cynnwys gofyniad gorfodol i gofnodi digwyddiadau bwlio, fel bod ysgolion ac awdurdodau lleol wedi'u harfogi'n well â'r data sydd ei angen arnynt; gallant fonitro tueddiadau dros amser; a gallant werthuso effaith y polisïau sydd ganddynt ar waith yn eu hysgol eu hunain. Felly, o ganlyniad i'r canllawiau newydd hyn, rydym yn gobeithio y gellir cael set fwy cadarn o ddata a chofnodion wrth symud ymlaen, sy'n rhywbeth a oedd—a fi fyddai'r cyntaf i gyfaddef—ar goll yn yr hen system.
I believe that we've all had an e-mail from a very concerned grandmother in Wrexham, who tells us that she feels her granddaughter's school is simply not following procedure on bullying, and, in fact, it appears to her that the school is actively obstructing any move to deal with the issues, regardless of the guidelines, past or present. Can you send any extra message that is loud and clear that bullying is not okay and that schools must take allegations seriously, ensuring that all voices are heard and logged?
Credaf fod pob un ohonom wedi cael e-bost gan nain bryderus iawn yn Wrecsam, sy'n dweud wrthym ei bod yn teimlo nad yw ysgol ei hwyres yn dilyn y weithdrefn ar fwlio, ac mewn gwirionedd, mae'n ymddangos iddi hi fod yr ysgol yn rhwystro unrhyw gamau i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem, ni waeth beth fo'r canllawiau, heddiw neu yn y gorffennol. A allwch anfon unrhyw neges ychwanegol sy'n gadarn ac yn glir nad yw bwlio yn iawn, a bod yn rhaid i ysgolion fod o ddifrif ynghylch honiadau, gan sicrhau bod pob llais yn cael ei glywed a'i gofnodi?
Thank you for that. I am very glad to have another opportunity to state quite clearly that there is no place for bullying in any of our educational institutions: our schools, our colleges or our universities. As I said, each school is required by law to have policies in place. If a parent or carer feels that the school is not implementing that policy, in the first instance, that parent or carer should raise those issues of concern with the chair of governors, and there will be robust complaints procedures in place within the school and, indeed, within the local education authority for that parent or carer to follow.
The grandmother that the Member has just referred to may want to avail herself, again, of the new resources that are available for parents and carers, which will be able to provide additional information about what they can do in this situation.
Diolch. Rwy’n falch iawn o gael cyfle arall i ddweud yn glir nad oes lle i fwlio yn unrhyw un o’n sefydliadau addysgol: ein hysgolion, ein colegau na’n prifysgolion. Fel y dywedais, mae'n ofynnol yn ôl y gyfraith i bob ysgol gael polisïau ar waith. Os yw rhiant neu ofalwr yn teimlo nad yw'r ysgol yn gweithredu'r polisi hwnnw, yn y lle cyntaf, dylai'r rhiant neu'r gofalwr godi'r materion hynny sy'n peri pryder gyda chadeirydd y llywodraethwyr, a bydd gweithdrefnau cwyno cadarn ar waith yn yr ysgol, ac yn wir, yn yr awdurdod addysg lleol i'r rhiant neu'r gofalwr eu dilyn.
Efallai y bydd y nain y mae'r Aelod newydd gyfeirio ati yn awyddus i fanteisio ar yr adnoddau newydd sydd ar gael i rieni a gofalwyr, a fydd yn gallu darparu gwybodaeth ychwanegol am yr hyn y gallant ei wneud yn y sefyllfa hon.
7. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am oblygiadau oedi o ran cyhoeddi cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru am 2020-21 i ariannu ysgolion? OAQ54747
7. Will the Minister make a statement on the implications of delaying the publication of the Welsh Government's 2020-21 budget on school funding? OAQ54747
We recognise the implications deferring the publication of our budget will have for setting local authority budgets for 2020-21. The provisional local government settlement, through which the majority of Welsh Government funding for schools is provided, is due to be published on the same day as the draft budget.
Rydym yn cydnabod goblygiadau'r oedi cyn cyhoeddi ein cyllideb i osod cyllidebau awdurdodau lleol ar gyfer 2020-21. Disgwylir i'r setliad llywodraeth leol dros dro, y darperir y rhan fwyaf o arian Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer ysgolion drwyddo, gael ei gyhoeddi ar yr un diwrnod â'r gyllideb ddrafft.
Mi fyddwch chi'n ymwybodol, wrth gwrs, fod nifer o fyrddau llywodraethol ar hyn o bryd yn gwneud penderfyniadau anodd iawn ynglŷn â'u cyllidebau nhw flwyddyn nesaf, sy'n cynnwys diswyddo athrawon, diswyddo cynorthwywyr dosbarth, ac yn y blaen. Ond maen nhw'n gwneud hynny heb wybod, wrth gwrs, beth fydd eu cyllideb nhw ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf, ac os gwrandewch chi ar rai o'r pleidiau gwleidyddol yn yr etholiad cyffredinol, mae'n bosibl na fydd pres ddim yn issue o gwbl yn y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf, ond mi gredaf i hynny pan welaf i fe.
Ond yr hyn dwi'n gofyn, wrth gwrs, yw: beth ŷch chi'n ei wneud i roi sicrwydd cynharach i ysgolion ynglŷn â beth allan nhw ddisgwyl y flwyddyn nesaf, a hefyd sicrwydd mwy hirdymor, oherwydd mae mynd o flwyddyn i flwyddyn yn broblemus, onid yw e? Gallwch chi gael gwell cynllunio strategol o roi sicrwydd mwy hirdymor o ariannu a fyddai, ar ddiwedd y dydd, yn rhoi mwy o werth am yr arian rŷch chi'n ei roi iddyn nhw yn y lle cyntaf.
You will of course be aware that many governing bodies are currently making very difficult decisions on their budgets for next year, including the dismissal of teachers and classroom assistants and so on and so forth. But they do that without knowing what their budgets will actually be for next year, and if you listen to some of the political parties in the general election, then money might not be an issue at all in the next financial year, but I will believe that when I see it.
But what I'm asking, of course, is: what are you doing to give earlier assurances to schools as to what they can expect for next year, and also longer term assurances, because working on a year-to-year basis is problematic, isn't it? You can have better strategic planning from providing longer term assurances in terms of funding, which, at the end of the day, would give you better value for money for the money that you give them in the first instance.
Like you, Llyr, I'll believe it when I see it too. It would make a welcome change.
The issues that you talk about are real and are recognised within the Government. We have been able to give as much reassurance to local authorities as possible without subverting the processes that are required by us, by this Chamber, that the Government has to go through. We have been trying to give a level of assurance to our local government partners.
I couldn't agree with you more: the ability to provide longer term funding forecasts would indeed allow for better planning and better decision making. The reality is, Llyr, I am not in a position to do that because the finance Minister is not in a position to do it either, given that the Welsh Government has only given us an indicative budget for one year as opposed to the Department for Education in England, which has been given an indicative budget for three years.
Fel chithau, Llyr, fe'i credaf pan y'i gwelaf hefyd. Byddai'n newid i'w groesawu.
Mae'r materion y soniwch amdanynt yn rhai go iawn ac mae'r Llywodraeth yn eu cydnabod. Rydym wedi gallu rhoi cymaint o sicrwydd â phosibl i awdurdodau lleol heb danseilio'r prosesau sy'n ofynnol gennym, gan y Siambr hon, y mae'n rhaid i'r Llywodraeth fynd drwyddynt. Rydym wedi ceisio rhoi lefel o sicrwydd i'n partneriaid llywodraeth leol.
Ni allwn gytuno mwy â chi: byddai'r gallu i ddarparu rhagolygon cyllidol mwy hirdymor yn sicr yn caniatáu gwell cynllunio a gwell proses ar gyfer gwneud penderfyniadau. Y gwir amdani, Llyr, yw nad wyf mewn sefyllfa i wneud hynny gan nad yw'r Gweinidog cyllid mewn sefyllfa i wneud hynny chwaith, o gofio mai am flwyddyn yn unig y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhoi cyllideb ddangosol inni, yn wahanol i'r Adran Addysg yn Lloegr, sydd wedi cael cyllideb ddangosol am dair blynedd.
8. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i wrthdroi'r gostyngiad yn nifer y disgyblion sy'n astudio ieithoedd tramor modern ar gyfer TGAU a safon uwch? OAQ54763
8. What actions are the Welsh Government taking to reverse the decline in the number of pupils studying modern foreign languages for GCSEs and A-level? OAQ54763
Thank you, Delyth. Since 2015 we have invested over £2.5 million in the Global Futures programme to ensure that our learners experience the benefits of learning modern foreign languages. This includes funding consortia partners to develop centres of excellence with schools and universities and the student mentoring programme, specifically aimed at increasing uptake of language qualifications.
Diolch, Delyth. Ers 2015, rydym wedi buddsoddi dros £2.5 miliwn yn y rhaglen Dyfodol Byd-eang i sicrhau bod ein dysgwyr yn elwa o fanteision dysgu ieithoedd tramor modern. Mae hyn yn cynnwys ariannu partneriaid consortia i ddatblygu canolfannau rhagoriaeth gydag ysgolion a phrifysgolion a'r prosiect mentora myfyrwyr, sydd wedi'i anelu'n benodol at gynyddu'r nifer sy'n mynd ar drywydd cymwysterau iaith.
I thank the Minister for her answer. The British Council's latest 'Language Trends Wales' survey makes for stark reading for those of us who believe that learning modern foreign languages is important not just to increase the skills base of our young people, but to increase their empathy and to widen their understanding of other cultures. The research shows that the decline in pupils taking these subjects at GCSE and A-level since 2000 has continued unabated, which I'm sure you'll be aware of. This year there was a further 7 per cent decrease at GCSE and also an equivalent 5 per cent decrease at A-level.
The British Council concludes that the incentives and support for modern foreign languages at schools should go much further than what the Welsh Government is currently offering through the Global Futures initiative that you've referred to. Minister, they offer 11 recommendations, mostly based around developing a new multilingual approach in primary schools and supporting teachers to promote modern foreign languages to inspire and motivate children to take them at GCSE. Will you confirm that you will give due consideration to these recommendations when the full report is published, and think again about what needs to be put in place at primary level so that we can start to reverse this lamentable decline in modern foreign language teaching?
Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ei hateb. Mae arolwg 'Tueddiadau Ieithoedd Cymru' diweddaraf y British Council yn ddiddorol iawn i'r rhai ohonom sy'n credu bod dysgu ieithoedd tramor modern yn bwysig nid yn unig er mwyn cynyddu sylfaen sgiliau ein pobl ifanc, ond er mwyn cynyddu eu hempathi ac ehangu eu dealltwriaeth o ddiwylliannau eraill. Dengys yr ymchwil fod y cwymp yn nifer y disgyblion sy'n astudio'r pynciau hyn ar lefel TGAU a Safon Uwch ers 2000 wedi parhau'n ddi-baid, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwch yn ymwybodol o hynny. Eleni, bu gostyngiad pellach o 7 y cant ar lefel TGAU a gostyngiad cyfatebol o 5 y cant ar lefel Safon Uwch.
Daw'r British Council i'r casgliad y dylai'r cymhellion a'r gefnogaeth i ieithoedd tramor modern mewn ysgolion fynd ymhellach o lawer na'r hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei gynnig ar hyn o bryd drwy'r fenter Dyfodol Byd-eang y cyfeirioch chi ati. Weinidog, maent yn cynnig 11 o argymhellion, wedi'u seilio'n bennaf ar ddatblygu dull amlieithog newydd mewn ysgolion cynradd a chynorthwyo athrawon i hyrwyddo ieithoedd tramor modern er mwyn ysbrydoli ac ysgogi plant i'w hastudio ar lefel TGAU. A wnewch chi gadarnhau y byddwch yn rhoi ystyriaeth ddyledus i'r argymhellion hyn pan gaiff yr adroddiad llawn ei gyhoeddi, a meddwl eto am yr hyn y mae angen ei roi ar waith ar lefel ysgolion cynradd fel y gallwn ddechrau gwrthdroi'r dirywiad anffodus hwn mewn addysgu ieithoedd tramor modern?
Can I say that I agree with the Member? We still clearly have a great deal of work to do to address the decline in modern foreign language uptake at GCSE level. The students that take modern foreign languages do exceptionally well at them, but those numbers are a worry to me and a worry, I'm sure, to everybody in this Chamber.
What was more heartening to read in that British Council report was that, actually, whilst there is still that challenge in the secondary sector, the picture is indeed improving in primary, and those initiatives within primary schools are absolutely crucial. I was pleased to read in the report that there is evidence of more primary schools embracing MFL within their own curriculum.
It is my intention, with the publication of the new curriculum for Wales, that we will be explicit that we would expect to see modern foreign languages being brought in as part of the curriculum at the upper age range of our primary schools to give children an opportunity to engage in those subjects early on. But indeed, in some of our pioneer schools—. I was recently at a new through school in the Valleys where the very youngest class was reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar—many of you, I'm sure, are aware of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, that icon of children's literature—and they were learning the fruits that appear in that book, they were learning the words for those fruits in English, yn Gymraeg, and en Español, in Spanish. And for those children, it was just the love of learning those different words that they were being given, and that demonstrates that it is possible to do this.
With regard to Global Futures, it is my intention to refresh the Global Futures plan, but I have to say, as I said earlier, if we carry on doing the same thing, we're going to end up with the same outcomes. So, I want to be convinced by my officials that, actually, what we're going to offer in a new version of Global Futures is really going to address the problem, because just simply carrying on with the same approach from the Government will not see the step change that the British Council is calling for and that you're calling for.
A gaf fi ddweud fy mod yn cytuno â'r Aelod? Mae'n amlwg fod gennym lawer iawn o waith i'w wneud i fynd i'r afael â'r dirywiad yn y nifer sy'n astudio ieithoedd tramor modern ar lefel TGAU. Mae'r myfyrwyr sy'n astudio ieithoedd tramor modern yn gwneud yn arbennig o dda, ond mae'r niferoedd yn peri pryder i mi ac yn peri pryder, rwy'n siŵr, i bawb yn y Siambr hon.
Roedd hi'n fwy calonogol darllen yn adroddiad y British Council, er bod yr her honno'n dal i fodoli yn y sector uwchradd, fod y darlun yn gwella ar y lefel gynradd yn wir, ac mae'r mentrau hynny mewn ysgolion cynradd yn gwbl hanfodol. Roeddwn yn falch o ddarllen yn yr adroddiad fod yna dystiolaeth fod mwy o ysgolion cynradd yn cynnwys ieithoedd tramor modern yn eu cwricwlwm eu hunain.
Fy mwriad wrth gyhoeddi'r cwricwlwm newydd i Gymru yw y byddwn yn dweud yn glir y byddem yn disgwyl gweld ieithoedd tramor modern yn cael eu cyflwyno fel rhan o'r cwricwlwm i'r ystod oedran uwch yn ein hysgolion cynradd i roi cyfle i blant gymryd rhan yn y pynciau hynny'n gynnar. Ond yn wir, yn rhai o'n hysgolion arloesi—. Yn ddiweddar, roeddwn mewn ysgol pob oed newydd yn y Cymoedd lle roedd y dosbarth ieuengaf yn darllen The Very Hungry Caterpillar—mae llawer ohonoch, rwy'n siŵr, yn gwybod am The Very Hungry Caterpillar, yr eicon llenyddiaeth plant hwnnw—ac roeddent yn dysgu'r ffrwythau sy'n ymddangos yn y llyfr, roeddent yn dysgu'r geiriau am y ffrwythau hynny yn Saesneg, yn Gymraeg, ac en Español, yn Sbaeneg. Ac roedd y plant yn dwli dysgu'r gwahanol eiriau, ac mae hynny'n dangos bod modd gwneud hyn.
O ran Dyfodol Byd-eang, fy mwriad yw adnewyddu cynllun Dyfodol Byd-eang, ond mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, fel y dywedais yn gynharach, os ydym yn parhau i wneud yr un peth, byddwn yn y cyrraedd yr un canlyniadau yn y pen draw. Felly, hoffwn gael fy argyhoeddi gan fy swyddogion y bydd yr hyn rydym yn mynd i'w gynnig mewn fersiwn newydd o Dyfodol Byd-eang yn mynd i'r afael â'r broblem o ddifrif, gan na fydd parhau â'r un dull gan y Llywodraeth yn arwain at y newid sylweddol y mae'r British Council a chithau yn galw amdano.
Thank you very much, Minister.
Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog.
Item 2 is questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services, and question 1 this afternoon is from Suzy Davies.
Eitem 2 yw cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, a daw cwestiwn 1 y prynhawn yma gan Suzy Davies.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am ffiniau'r byrddau iechyd newydd yng Ngorllewin De Cymru? OAQ54765
1. Will the Minister provide an update on the new health board boundaries in South Wales West? OAQ54765
Thank you for the question. The only health board boundary change that has taken place since 2009 is to move the Bridgend county borough area from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board to Cwm Taf University Health Board and to form the new Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board. The legislation making that change came into effect on 1 April 2019.
Diolch am eich cwestiwn. Yr unig newid sydd wedi bod i ffiniau'r byrddau iechyd ers 2009 yw symud ardal bwrdeistref sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr o Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Abertawe Bro Morgannwg i Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf i ffurfio'r bwrdd newydd, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg. Daeth y ddeddfwriaeth i wneud y newid hwnnw i rym ar 1 Ebrill 2019.
Thank you very much, Minister. Two years ago, when we were discussing this, you told me that the change in the health board footprint in South Wales West wouldn't make any difference to services there. I recently had confirmation, though, from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, that it's still thinking of closing the GP surgeries in Llanharan and Pencoed, and planning to replace them with a single new surgery in Llanharan, even though they're not able to say yet what those services might be. With the large increases in housing development planned—that's what I was told recently by Marcus Longley—it could mean that—. The main point of the question is that there's going to be quite a lot of housing development in that particular area, so I wonder if you could tell me, since the boundaries have changed, what update you have had from the new board about these particular issues on the very west of their boundary, and whether they're planning to do any new impact assessments rather than relying on those done previously by AMBU. Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Weinidog. Ddwy flynedd yn ôl, pan oeddem yn trafod hyn, fe ddywedoch wrthyf na fyddai'r newid yn ôl troed y bwrdd iechyd yng Ngorllewin De Cymru yn gwneud unrhyw wahaniaeth i'r gwasanaethau yno. Fodd bynnag, cefais gadarnhad yn ddiweddar gan Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg eu bod yn dal i ystyried cau'r meddygfeydd yn Llanharan a Phencoed, ac yn bwriadu agor un feddygfa newydd yn eu lle yn Llanharan, er na allant ddweud eto beth y gallai'r gwasanaethau hynny fod. Gyda chynnydd mawr ar y gweill o ran datblygiadau tai—dyna a ddywedwyd wrthyf yn ddiweddar gan Marcus Longley—gallai hynny olygu—. Prif bwynt y cwestiwn yw y bydd cryn dipyn o ddatblygiadau tai yn yr ardal benodol honno, felly tybed a allech ddweud wrthyf, ers i'r ffiniau newid, pa ddiweddariad rydych wedi'i gael gan y bwrdd newydd ynglŷn â'r materion penodol hyn ar ochr orllewinol bellaf eu ffin, ac a ydynt yn bwriadu cynnal unrhyw asesiadau effaith newydd yn hytrach na dibynnu ar y rhai a wnaed yn flaenorol gan Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Abertawe Bro Morgannwg. Diolch.
I don't think this issue is affected at all in any adverse way by the change in boundaries. In fact, part of the challenge previously for this practice was having centres to operate in different health board areas. And in my conversation with the constituency Member, my understanding is different to the one you've set out. It may be worth you putting that in writing, then I can write to both the constituency Member, who's raised this with me directly, and you to get a clarified issue about it, because it's about planning to deliver the service and to take into account current and future need, and that is part of what we ought to see happening right across primary care.
Ni chredaf fod y newid i'r ffiniau yn effeithio'n andwyol ar y mater hwn o gwbl. Mewn gwirionedd, rhan o'r her i'r practis hwn yn y gorffennol oedd sicrhau bod canolfannau'n gweithredu mewn gwahanol ardaloedd byrddau iechyd. Ac yn fy sgwrs â'r Aelod etholaeth, mae fy nealltwriaeth yn wahanol i'r un a ddisgrifiwyd gennych. Efallai y byddai'n werth i chi ysgrifennu ataf, yna gallaf ysgrifennu at yr Aelod etholaeth, sydd wedi codi hyn gyda mi yn uniongyrchol, a chithau fel y gellir egluro'r mater, gan fod hyn yn ymwneud â chynllunio i ddarparu'r gwasanaeth ac ystyried yr angen ar hyn o bryd ac yn y dyfodol, ac mae hynny'n rhan o'r hyn y dylem ei weld yn digwydd ar draws gofal sylfaenol.
As you said, the Bridgend area is now in Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board area. That means that Parc prison is now in Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board area. As you know, Parc prison is a private prison and the healthcare system, which is devolved, is operated privately under G4S in that private Parc prison and is meant to be under the overview of Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board. Now, evidence to the health committee last week from senior Cwm Taf representatives suggested they had little idea of the health situation going on within Parc prison. Is that acceptable?
Fel y dywedoch, mae ardal Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr bellach yn rhan o ardal bwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg. Golyga hynny fod carchar y Parc bellach yn ardal bwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg. Fel y gwyddoch, mae carchar y Parc yn garchar preifat ac mae'r system gofal iechyd, sydd wedi'i datganoli, yn cael ei gweithredu'n breifat o dan G4S yng ngharchar preifat y Parc ac mae i fod o dan drosolwg bwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg. Nawr, awgrymodd tystiolaeth i'r pwyllgor iechyd yr wythnos diwethaf gan uwch gynrychiolwyr bwrdd Cwm Taf nad oedd ganddynt fawr o syniad ynglŷn â'r sefyllfa iechyd yng ngharchar y Parc. A yw hynny'n dderbyniol?
Well, it's a consequence of the arrangements that have been put in place at a private prison, and that's not a matter that I can intervene on or actually undo. I would much prefer it if prisoner healthcare was run in a different way. I'd personally prefer it if there was an update to the formula to recognise the increase in prisoner population, and the needs that exist. I'd much prefer if we didn't have the private provision in Parc. That is not a matter that I'm in control of, although, obviously, come 13 December, I look forward to a significant change in the way that public services are funded and delivered.
Wel, mae hynny'n ganlyniad i'r trefniadau a roddwyd ar waith mewn carchar preifat, ac nid yw'n fater y gallaf ymyrryd ynddo neu ei ddad-wneud. Byddai'n llawer gwell gennyf pe bai gofal iechyd carcharorion yn cael ei redeg mewn ffordd wahanol. Yn bersonol, byddai'n well gennyf pe ceid diweddariad i'r fformiwla i gydnabod y cynnydd yn y boblogaeth carcharorion, a'r anghenion sy'n bodoli. Byddai'n llawer gwell gennyf pe na bai'r ddarpariaeth breifat gennym yng ngharchar y Parc. Nid yw hynny'n fater rwy'n ei reoli, er, yn amlwg, ar 13 Rhagfyr, edrychaf ymlaen at newid sylweddol yn y ffordd y caiff gwasanaethau cyhoeddus eu hariannu a'u darparu.
I thank Suzy for raising this question, and I may be able to be some help, but I want to ask for some help from the Minister going forward as well. The changes to Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board have indeed been helpful on two significant issues that I know he's been involved in over the last couple of years as well.
One has indeed been the issue of the provision of surgeries for people in the Llanharan and Brynna area. I want to put on record my thanks, I have to say, to Pencoed Medical Centre, who have reintroduced their surgeries back into Llanharan and extended the provision to four and a half days now there. But it does raise the interesting thing of the longer term issue that Suzy raised. We are going to have thousands of new homes within that area, from Pencoed to Llanharan to Pontyclun. There are probably five GP practices around that area, including Talbot Green and Pontyclun, as well as two within Pencoed and so on. At some point, we are going to have to shift the dial here and actually go beyond outreach surgeries, which is great, and thanks to Pencoed Medical Centre for reintroducing that, and onto that. So, I ask him if he will continue to keep engaged with me and with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board to explore that. Because they've done great provision in places like Mountain Ash where they've built new surgeries there. And I think they should be looking to the existing GPs to see which of those would want to be involved in this.
The second aspect that I'd ask him to continue his involvement with is Maesteg day hospital, and actually the wider facilities. It's great that, after a slightly scary consultation before under ABMU, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board have now gone out to actually co-deliver something on the basis of, 'How do we enhance the future of Maesteg hospital?' But the Minister has been integral to helping in this process, and I would simply ask him whether he's willing to keep an interest in this and to keep, where he can, giving gentle prods behind the scenes, so that we get the right solutions for people, whether they're in Llanharan in the east, in Maesteg in the Llynfi, or the Afan valley, I have to say, in the west.
Diolch i Suzy am godi'r cwestiwn hwn, ac efallai y gallaf roi rhywfaint o gymorth, ond hoffwn ofyn am ychydig o help gan y Gweinidog wrth symud ymlaen hefyd. Mae'r newidiadau i Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg wedi bod o gymorth, yn wir, mewn perthynas â dau fater pwysig y gwn ei fod wedi ymdrin â hwy dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf hefyd.
Un, yn wir, oedd mater darpariaeth meddygfeydd i bobl yn ardal Llanharan a Brynna. Hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch, mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, i Ganolfan Feddygol Pencoed, sydd wedi ailgyflwyno eu meddygfeydd yn Llanharan ac wedi ymestyn y ddarpariaeth i bedwar diwrnod a hanner yno bellach. Ond mae'n codi'r mater diddorol mwy hirdymor a gododd Suzy. Rydym yn mynd i gael miloedd o gartrefi newydd yn yr ardal honno, o Bencoed i Lanharan i Bont-y-clun. Mae pum meddygfa yn yr ardal honno yn ôl pob tebyg, gan gynnwys Tonysguboriau a Phont-y-clun, yn ogystal â dwy ym Mhencoed ac yn y blaen. Ar ryw bwynt, bydd angen inni newid y deial yma a mynd y tu hwnt i feddygfeydd allgymorth, sy'n wych, a diolch i Ganolfan Feddygol Pencoed am ailgyflwyno hynny. Felly, gofynnaf iddo a fydd yn parhau i ymgysylltu â mi a gyda Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg i archwilio hynny. Oherwydd maent wedi rhoi darpariaeth wych ar waith mewn lleoedd fel Aberpennar, lle maent wedi adeiladu meddygfeydd newydd yno. A chredaf y dylent fod yn edrych ar y meddygon teulu presennol i weld pa rai o'r rheini a fyddai'n awyddus i fod yn rhan o hyn.
Yr ail agwedd y buaswn yn gofyn iddo barhau i ymwneud â hi yw ysbyty dydd Maesteg, a'r cyfleusterau ehangach mewn gwirionedd. Ar ôl ymgynghoriad ychydig yn frawychus o'r blaen o dan Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, mae'n wych fod Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg bellach wedi mynd ati i gyd-ddarparu rhywbeth ar sail, 'Sut rydym yn gwella dyfodol ysbyty Maesteg?' Ond mae'r Gweinidog wedi bod yn rhan annatod o gynorthwyo'r broses hon, a buaswn yn gofyn iddo'n syml a yw'n barod i gadw diddordeb yn hyn ac i barhau, lle bo modd, i annog yn dyner y tu ôl i'r llen, fel y gallwn sicrhau ein bod yn darparu'r atebion cywir i bobl, p'un a ydynt yn Llanharan yn y dwyrain, ym Maesteg yng nghwm Llynfi, neu gwm Afan, dylwn ddweud, yn y gorllewin.
I'm happy to confirm that, on the Pencoed issue, I remember not just the conversation with the Member but with local councillors and residents about the threat to the Llanharan centre being closed, and I'm pleased it's got a long-term future. And of course in thinking about the future, we need to think about where the need is and where the demand is, as well as the broader challenge that was set out in the primary care conference recently about how clusters work more effectively together so you have a greater partnership right across the primary care team. And I'm more than happy to stay engaged and involved with that.
And the same with the future services to be based at the Maesteg day hospital site, because this is about where and how we deliver services in the future. And I'm sure, even if I wanted to no longer be engaged and involved in them, that the constituency Member would drag me back into doing my job and doing exactly that.
Rwy'n falch o gadarnhau, ar fater Pencoed, fy mod yn cofio nid yn unig y sgwrs gyda'r Aelod ond gyda chynghorwyr a thrigolion lleol am y bygythiad i gau canolfan Llanharan, ac rwy'n falch fod ganddi ddyfodol hirdymor. Ac wrth gwrs, wrth feddwl am y dyfodol, mae angen inni feddwl ynglŷn â ble mae'r angen a ble mae'r galw, yn ogystal â'r her ehangach a nodwyd yn y gynhadledd gofal sylfaenol yn ddiweddar ynglŷn â sut y mae clystyrau'n cydweithio'n fwy effeithiol gyda'i gilydd fel bod gennych fwy o bartneriaeth ym mhob rhan o'r tîm gofal sylfaenol. Ac rwy'n fwy na pharod i barhau i ymgysylltu a chymryd rhan yn hynny.
Ac mae'r un peth yn wir gyda'r gwasanaethau sydd i gael eu lleoli ar safle ysbyty dydd Maesteg yn y dyfodol, gan fod hyn yn ymwneud â ble a sut rydym yn darparu gwasanaethau yn y dyfodol. Ac rwy'n siŵr, hyd yn oed pe na bawn am ymgysylltu a chymryd rhan ynddynt mwyach, y byddai'r Aelod etholaeth yn fy llusgo'n ôl i wneud fy swydd a gwneud yn union hynny.
Question 2, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Cwestiwn 2, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. The Welsh NHS—[Interruption.] To be honest, if you really want to know—
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Cafodd GIG Cymru—[Torri ar draws.] A dweud y gwir, os ydych o ddifrif eisiau gwybod—
No, no. [Laughter.]
Na, na. [Chwerthin.]
Okay, well I'm quite concerned about the question I'm going to have to ask. The Welsh NHS saw the highest ever percentage—
O'r gorau, wel rwy'n eithaf pryderus ynglŷn â'r cwestiwn y bydd yn rhaid i mi ei ofyn. Mae GIG Cymru wedi gweld y ganran uchaf erioed—
No, no. Can you ask the question—
Na, na. A wnewch chi ofyn y cwestiwn—
Sorry, I beg your pardon.
Mae'n ddrwg gennyf.
2. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am ddarpariaeth llawfeddygaeth ddeintyddol frys yng ngogledd Cymru? OAQ54751
2. Will the Minister make a statement on urgent dental surgery provision in north Wales? OAQ54751
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has commenced a review of urgent and emergency dental provision, with the aim of providing a sustainable and improved service. As part of the process and in considering any change, staff and trade unions are being involved and will be formally consulted.
Mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr wedi cychwyn adolygiad o ddarpariaeth ddeintyddol frys ac argyfwng, gyda'r nod o ddarparu gwasanaeth cynaliadwy a gwell. Fel rhan o'r broses ac wrth ystyried unrhyw newid, bydd staff ac undebau llafur yn cymryd rhan, ac ymgynghorir â hwy'n ffurfiol.
Thank you, Minister. The Welsh NHS saw the highest ever percentage of patient pathways waiting between 26 and 36 weeks to start treatment for oral surgery in September 2019. This is directly impacting on my constituents, such as one lady who has a seriously decayed tooth causing facial swelling, severe pain and high infection levels. She's already waited 33 weeks for a simple extraction. Numerous appointments for eye surgery that she requires have had to be cancelled because of the lack of oral surgery and given that she's carrying infection. This lady is 83 years old and, as I've said, she's already waited 33 weeks. The Welsh NHS is failing to meet the 26-week target for surgery. So, what assurances will you give me here today that my constituents will not have to wait so many weeks in agonising pain for urgent, urgent oral surgery again? And will you please perhaps, on this occasion, intervene in this case, and let's get this lady's tooth extracted?
Diolch, Weinidog. Cafodd GIG Cymru y ganran uchaf erioed o lwybrau gofal i gleifion yn aros rhwng 26 a 36 wythnos i ddechrau triniaeth ar gyfer llawdriniaeth ar y geg ym mis Medi 2019. Mae hyn yn cael effaith uniongyrchol ar fy etholwyr, fel un fenyw a chanddi ddant sydd wedi pydru’n ddifrifol gan achosi chwydd i’w hwyneb, poen difrifol a lefelau uchel o haint. Mae hi eisoes wedi aros 33 wythnos i gael ei dynnu. Bu'n rhaid canslo nifer o apwyntiadau ar gyfer llawdriniaeth angenrheidiol ar ei llygad am nad yw wedi cael llawdriniaeth ar y geg, ac oherwydd bod ganddi haint. Mae'r ddynes hon yn 83 oed, ac fel y dywedais, mae hi eisoes wedi aros 33 wythnos. Mae GIG Cymru yn methu cyrraedd y targed 26 wythnos ar gyfer llawdriniaethau. Felly, pa sicrwydd a roddwch i mi yma heddiw na fydd yn rhaid i fy etholwyr aros cymaint o wythnosau mewn poen ofnadwy am lawdriniaeth frys ar y geg eto? Ac a wnewch chi, os gwelwch yn dda, ymyrryd yn yr achos hwn efallai, a gadewch i ni sicrhau bod dant y fenyw hon yn cael ei dynnu?
As you know, I can't comment on an individual matter, which I'm certain I'm not aware of, but if you do write to me with the details, which I'm sure you will do, I'll happily investigate the matter in order to understand what has happened for your individual constituent.
In terms of the broader challenge about improving performance within the national health service, as you're aware, we've invested £50 million to help improve performance within this year. We currently have about 85 per cent of people being seen within the 26-week target for scheduled care, and you're also aware that there are, of course, a range of factors outside our control, including the direct impact of tax and pension changes. So, the Government continues to invest in the future of improving performance; you've seen performance improve in each of the last three years. I expect to be able to deliver further improvements again, bearing in mind the demands we face and we see coming into our system, and, of course, the challenge in investing across public services.
Fel y gwyddoch, ni allaf wneud sylwadau ar fater unigol, a mater rwy'n sicr nad wyf yn ymwybodol ohono, ond os ysgrifennwch ataf gyda'r manylion, ac rwy'n siŵr y gwnewch, rwy'n fwy na pharod ymchwilio i'r mater er mwyn deall beth sydd wedi digwydd i'ch etholwr unigol.
O ran yr her ehangach ynglŷn â gwella perfformiad yn y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol, fel y gwyddoch, rydym wedi buddsoddi £50 miliwn i helpu i wella perfformiad yn ystod eleni. Ar hyn o bryd, mae oddeutu 85 y cant o bobl yn cael eu gweld o fewn y targed 26 wythnos ar gyfer gofal wedi'i drefnu, ac rydych hefyd yn gwybod, wrth gwrs, fod yna ystod o ffactorau y tu hwnt i'n rheolaeth, gan gynnwys effaith uniongyrchol newidiadau treth a phensiwn. Felly, mae'r Llywodraeth yn parhau i fuddsoddi yn nyfodol y gwaith o wella perfformiad; rydych wedi gweld perfformiad yn gwella ym mhob un o'r tair blynedd diwethaf. Rwy’n disgwyl gallu cyflawni gwelliannau pellach eto, gan gofio’r gofynion sy’n ein hwynebu ac a welwn yn dod i mewn i’n system, ac wrth gwrs, yr her o ran buddsoddi yn yr holl wasanaethau cyhoeddus.
Mae etholwyr yn ardal Bangor wedi cysylltu â fi yn mynegi gofid ynglŷn â pha mor amhosib yw hi i gael mynediad at wasanaethau deintyddol. Mae rhestrau deintyddiaeth NHS ar gau, wrth gwrs. Dŷn nhw ddim yn gallu fforddio talu am fynediad i ddarpariaeth breifat, ac mae yna deuluoedd yn dweud wrthyf i eu bod nhw ddim wedi cael gweld deintydd ers dros flwyddyn. Felly, a gaf i ofyn beth ydych chi'n ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem yna, ac yn benodol beth mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei wneud er mwyn sicrhau ein bod ni yn hyfforddi deintyddion yn y gogledd, oherwydd, fel gyda meddygon teulu, wrth gwrs, rŷn ni'n gwybod, os ydy pobl yn cael eu hyfforddi yn y gogledd, maen nhw'n fwy tebygol o aros yn y gogledd i gyflawni eu gwaith?
Constituents in the Bangor area have been in touch with me expressing concerns about the impossibility of accessing dentistry services. The NHS dentistry lists are closed, of course. They can't afford to pay to access private services, and there are families telling me that they haven't seen a dentist for over 12 months. So, can I ask you what you're doing to tackle that problem, and specifically what is the Government doing to ensure that we train dentists in north Wales, because, as with general practitioners, we know that if people are trained in north Wales, they are more than likely to stay in north Wales to practice?
Actually, we are looking at a range of training areas right across the country, including north Wales, for future service provision, and I'll have more to do with the faculty based in Bangor in the near future, to formally open that. But in terms of the specific challenges around Wales, we are actually seeing lots more people each year, compared to a decade ago, certainly across the country. In north Wales, the health board are about to retender a range of dental practices that have closed over the last 12 months. You should see more capacity within the north specifically, but more than that, of course, as I said before, the programme of contract reform is actually about delivering not just greater value, but greater capacity, in primary dental services, and I'm pleased to see that about one in four of our current dental practices in north Wales are engaged in that programme, and I expect more to come. So, that is partly about delivering capacity, but, actually, it's fundamentally about delivering a sustainable, high-quality services that I believe everyone, regardless of where they live, should be able to access here in Wales.
A dweud y gwir, rydym yn edrych ar ystod o ardaloedd hyfforddi ledled y wlad, gan gynnwys gogledd Cymru, ar gyfer darparu gwasanaethau yn y dyfodol, a bydd gennyf fwy i'w wneud â'r gyfadran ym Mangor yn y dyfodol agos, i'w hagor yn ffurfiol. Ond o ran yr heriau penodol yng Nghymru, mewn gwirionedd rydym yn gweld llawer mwy o bobl bob blwyddyn, o gymharu â degawd yn ôl, ar draws y wlad yn sicr. Yng ngogledd Cymru, mae'r bwrdd iechyd ar fin aildendro ystod o bractisau deintyddol sydd wedi cau dros y 12 mis diwethaf. Dylech weld mwy o gapasiti yn y gogledd yn benodol, ond yn fwy na hynny, wrth gwrs, fel rwyf wedi'i ddweud eisoes, mae'r rhaglen diwygio contractau yn ymwneud mewn gwirionedd â darparu nid yn unig mwy o werth, ond mwy o gapasiti, mewn gwasanaethau deintyddol sylfaenol, ac rwy'n yn falch o weld bod oddeutu un o bob pedwar o'n practisau deintyddol presennol yng ngogledd Cymru yn cymryd rhan yn y rhaglen honno, ac rwy'n disgwyl mwy i ddod. Felly, mae hynny'n ymwneud yn rhannol â darparu capasiti, ond mewn gwirionedd, mae'n ymwneud yn sylfaenol â darparu gwasanaethau cynaliadwy o ansawdd uchel y credaf y dylai pawb allu cael mynediad atynt yma yng Nghymru ble bynnag y maent yn byw.
Turning to spokespeople's questions, and the first is from Angela Burns, the Conservative spokesperson.
Symudwn ymlaen at gwestiynau'r llefarwyr, a daw'r cyntaf gan Angela Burns, llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr.
Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. As a result of serious concerns about the quality and safety of care within maternity services at Cwm Taf, you commissioned an investigation into the provision of those maternity services. You asked the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists to undertake the investigation. This they did in January of 2019, and the royal colleges subsequently produced a report that the Welsh Government published on 30 April. It is a damning report. During the investigation, the royal colleges were so alarmed that they took the highly unusual step of making interim recommendations designed to secure immediate improvements in patient safety. The investigation found a service that was working under extreme pressure and under sub-optimal clinical and managerial leadership. The maternity services, Minister, were already in enhanced monitoring, warning bells were ringing, the field work on the unpublished colleges' report had been undertaken some eight weeks earlier. Therefore, do you think it was appropriate that you agreed Cwm Taf's integrated medium-term plan on 27 March?
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Ddirprwy Lywydd. O ganlyniad i bryderon difrifol ynghylch safon a diogelwch gofal yn y gwasanaethau mamolaeth ym mwrdd Cwm Taf, fe gomisiynoch chi ymchwiliad i ddarpariaeth y gwasanaethau mamolaeth hynny. Fe ofynnoch chi i Goleg Brenhinol y Bydwragedd a Choleg Brenhinol yr Obstetryddion a'r Gynaecolegwyr gynnal yr ymchwiliad. Fe wnaethant hynny ym mis Ionawr 2019, ac yn dilyn hynny, lluniodd y colegau brenhinol adroddiad a gyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru ar 30 Ebrill. Mae'n adroddiad damniol. Yn ystod yr ymchwiliad, brawychwyd y colegau brenhinol i'r fath raddau nes eu bod wedi cymryd y cam hynod anghyffredin o wneud argymhellion dros dro wedi'u llunio i sicrhau gwelliannau ar unwaith mewn perthynas â diogelwch cleifion. Daeth yr ymchwiliad i'r casgliad fod y gwasanaeth yn gweithio o dan bwysau eithafol ac o dan arweinyddiaeth glinigol a rheolaethol is-optimaidd. Roedd y gwasanaethau mamolaeth, Weinidog, eisoes yn destun monitro uwch, roedd y clychau rhybudd yn canu, roedd y gwaith maes ar adroddiad y colegau heb ei gyhoeddi wedi'i gynnal oddeutu wyth wythnos ynghynt. Felly, a ydych yn credu ei bod yn briodol eich bod wedi cymeradwyo cynllun tymor canolig integredig bwrdd Cwm Taf ar 27 Mawrth?
'Yes' is the straight answer, because it's important that there is a plan and the plan itself makes sense. And having had the interim step from the joint royal colleges' report, of course I considered the matter fully, and whether it would be better or not to not approve that plan. I believe it's the right thing for the organisation, and I believe their capacity to deliver and continue to deliver in other areas should continue. But, of course, there is heightened scrutiny. So, I did take the step to raise the escalation status of the organisation, the targeted intervention. And as for the improvements on maternity services, well, Members in this Chamber have heard me say on more than one occasion, openly, where we are on the journey of improvement, with the work of the independent oversight panel, and that, indeed, the changes that the recent governance review recognised have taken place under the new leadership within that organisation.
'Ydw' yw'r ateb syml, gan ei bod yn bwysig fod cynllun ar waith a bod y cynllun ei hun yn gwneud synnwyr. Ac ar ôl cael y cam dros dro gan yr adroddiad ar y cyd gan y colegau brenhinol, wrth gwrs, ystyriais y mater yn llawn, ac a fyddai’n well cymeradwyo’r cynllun hwnnw ai peidio. Credaf mai dyma'r peth iawn i'r sefydliad, a chredaf y dylai eu gallu i gyflawni a pharhau i gyflawni mewn meysydd eraill barhau. Ond wrth gwrs, mae'r craffu'n ddwysach. Felly, cymerais y cam o godi statws uwchgyfeirio'r sefydliad, yr ymyrraeth wedi'i thargedu. Ac o ran y gwelliannau i'r gwasanaethau mamolaeth, wel, mae'r Aelodau yn y Siambr hon wedi fy nghlywed yn dweud ar fwy nag un achlysur, yn agored, beth yw ein sefyllfa ar y daith wella, gyda gwaith y panel trosolwg annibynnol, ac yn wir, y newidiadau y mae'r adolygiad llywodraethu diweddar wedi cydnabod eu bod wedi digwydd o dan yr arweinyddiaeth newydd yn y sefydliad hwnnw.
Let's be clear: Cwm Taf was already struggling. There were reports from Healthcare Inspectorate Wales in 2015, which raised concerns about the quality of patient experience, the delivery of safe and effective care, and the quality of management and leadership. There was a report by the workforce and organisational development team in 2016, which identified significant issues, including the perception of a blame culture and a lack of time. There was a 2017 Wales Deanery visit that highlighted six areas of concern. There was a 2018 General Medical Council survey, which highlighted concerns, a 2018 Healthcare Inspectorate Wales report, which highlighted concerns, a 2018 internal report by the associate medical director, which produced a governance review and an implementation plan that wasn't implemented. May to September 2018 saw three deep dives into reported and unreported incidents on Datix, including the discovery of all those stillborn deaths, a September 2018 internal report by a consultant midwife that was ignored, a 2018 report by the Human Tissue Authority, which identified concerns in a number of areas throughout the health board, including maternity services. And a 2018 report by the Wales Audit Office, raising concerns over quality and governance arrangements. Minister, you did not sign off on the IMTPs of Hywel Dda University Health Board, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, or Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board. So, can you explain to us what was so different about Cwm Taf that, despite all the foregoing, you felt you could agree their IMTP?
Gadewch inni fod yn glir: roedd bwrdd Cwm Taf eisoes yn ei chael hi'n anodd. Cafwyd adroddiadau gan Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru yn 2015, a gododd bryderon ynghylch ansawdd profiad y claf, darpariaeth gofal diogel ac effeithiol, ac ansawdd rheoli ac arwain. Cafwyd adroddiad gan dîm y gweithlu a datblygu sefydliadol yn 2016, a nododd faterion sylweddol, gan gynnwys y canfyddiad o ddiwylliant bwrw bai a diffyg amser. Cafwyd ymweliad gan Ddeoniaeth Cymru yn 2017, a amlygodd chwe maes pryder. Cafwyd arolwg gan y Cyngor Meddygol Cyffredinol yn 2018, a amlygodd bryderon, adroddiad gan Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru yn 2018, a amlygodd bryderon, adroddiad mewnol yn 2018 gan y cyfarwyddwr meddygol cyswllt, a arweiniodd at adolygiad llywodraethu a chynllun gweithredu na chafodd ei weithredu. Rhwng mis Mai a mis Medi 2018, cafwyd tri adroddiad at wraidd digwyddiadau a gofnodwyd ac na chofnodwyd ar Datix, gan gynnwys darganfod yr holl farwolaethau marwanedig hynny, adroddiad mewnol ym mis Medi 2018 gan fydwraig ymgynghorol a anwybyddwyd, adroddiad yn 2018 gan yr Awdurdod Meinweoedd Dynol, a nododd bryderon mewn nifer o feysydd ym mhob rhan o'r bwrdd iechyd, gan gynnwys gwasanaethau mamolaeth. Ac adroddiad yn 2018 gan Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru, a gododd bryderon ynghylch ansawdd a threfniadau llywodraethu. Weinidog, ni chymeradwyoch Gynlluniau Tymor Canolig Integredig Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr, na Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Abertawe Bro Morgannwg. Felly, a allwch egluro i ni beth oedd mor wahanol am fwrdd Cwm Taf fel eich bod, er gwaethaf yr holl bethau uchod, yn teimlo y gallech gymeradwyo eu cynllun tymor canolig integredig?
Well, I think it's important to recognise that, in the reports that the Member has quoted elements from, there are also a wider range of positive reports about the activity of the health board. Trying to recast in a wholly negative light the activity of the former Cwm Taf health board is not something that I think is either fair or balanced. The honest truth has been set out, in both the recent governance review, and indeed in the joint royal colleges' report that I intervened on and commissioned. Some of the areas that the Member has referred to were actually dealt with in my statement in autumn of last year, in requiring further improvement. So, far from the Government looking askance and ignoring the issues, we have intervened, we have taken steps and measures. And I look forward to further progress being not just made by the health board, but actually the independent oversight and assurance we will get not only from the independent oversight panel, but from the work both of the Wales Audit Office and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales. And more than that, in my recent visits to meet people in maternity services, I met staff on both sites; it was an honest and an open conversation, and a much more public one. And I'll be going back to meet families before the end of the calendar year, as indeed I promised to do. I think a balanced view is the one that I took when I approved the plan, and it's still the right thing for that plan to be approved today.
Wel, credaf ei bod yn bwysig cydnabod, yn yr adroddiadau y mae'r Aelod wedi dyfynnu elfennau ohonynt, fod yno hefyd ystod ehangach o adroddiadau cadarnhaol am weithgarwch y bwrdd iechyd. Nid yw ceisio bwrw cysgod ar weithgarwch cyn fwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf yn rhywbeth sy'n deg neu'n gytbwys yn fy marn i. Mae'r gwirionedd plaen wedi'i nodi, yn yr adolygiad llywodraethu diweddar, ac yn wir, yn yr adroddiad ar y cyd gan y colegau brenhinol y gwneuthum ymyrryd arno a'i gomisiynu. Ymdriniwyd â rhai o'r meysydd y cyfeiria'r Aelod atynt yn fy natganiad yn yr hydref y llynedd mewn gwirionedd, o ran yr angen i wella ymhellach. Felly, ymhell o fod y Llywodraeth yn bod yn ddrwgdybus ac yn anwybyddu'r problemau, rydym wedi ymyrryd, rydym wedi cymryd camau a rhoi mesurau ar waith. Ac edrychaf ymlaen at weld cynnydd pellach, nid yn unig gan y bwrdd iechyd, ond y sicrwydd a'r trosolwg annibynnol y byddwn yn eu cael, nid yn unig gan y panel trosolwg annibynnol, ond o waith Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru ac Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru. Ac yn fwy na hynny, ar fy ymweliadau diweddar â phobl mewn gwasanaethau mamolaeth, cyfarfûm â staff ar y ddau safle; roedd yn sgwrs onest ac agored, ac yn un llawer mwy cyhoeddus. A byddaf yn mynd yn ôl i gyfarfod â theuluoedd cyn diwedd y flwyddyn galendr, fel yr addewais wneud yn wir. Credaf fod fy safbwynt pan gymeradwyais y cynllun yn un cytbwys, ac mae'n dal yn iawn i'r cynllun hwnnw gael ei gymeradwyo heddiw.
Well, let's be clear—the five operational objectives that provide a framework for Cwm Taf's IMTP plan include: to improve the quality, safety and patient experience, and to provide strong governance and assurance. Now, Dai Lloyd has already raised the evidence that we had from the director of community mental health and primary care at Cwm Taf over Parc prison. We're not questioning the fact that, in fact, G4S are supposed to be the ones running the community services; what he has responsibility for is governance, to ensure that those services are being delivered. And yet, his response to most of the committee questions was, 'I don't know. I don't know. I don't know', despite the fact that they've had that prison, not only in their care since the beginning of this year, but there's been an 18-month lead-in to it. So, it's all about the governance, and this has been brought out again by the joint Wales Audit Office and HIW report, which absolutely slates the lack of governance and audit control within this health board.
In your Cabinet paper, on 27 March, you said that all of the IMTPs of all of the health boards had been subjected to a robust assessment process. How, Minister, did you or your officials not pick up on this tsunami of concerns? Is the reality that, for the last few years, Cwm Taf has been held up as the grade A health board, the lodestar, the ones that all other health boards should try to emulate, and it couldn't be allowed to fail? Because there is beginning to smell a systemic issue throughout this health board. And before you come back with some quick quip on this, I'd like to remind you that even the maternity services oversight panel interim report is very clear, as is David Jenkins very clear about the fact that this is a cultural change that has to happen throughout the whole health board, that there are systemic issues, and the governance arrangements, if nothing else—which is one of the things in that IMTP that they waxed lyrical about, and say is absolutely spot on—are poor. Their audit committee hasn't met for ages, to discuss some of these issues. So, Minister, I'll just ask you this: did you look at Cwm Taf's performance robustly and dispassionately? Did you look but did not see? Did you look, did you see—did it not matter?
Wel, gadewch i ni fod yn glir—mae'r pum amcan gweithredol sy'n darparu fframwaith ar gyfer Cynllun Tymor Canolig Integredig bwrdd Cwm Taf yn cynnwys: gwella ansawdd, diogelwch a phrofiad y claf, a darparu sicrwydd a llywodraethu cryf. Nawr, mae Dai Lloyd eisoes wedi codi'r dystiolaeth a gawsom gan y cyfarwyddwr iechyd meddwl cymunedol a gofal sylfaenol ym mwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf ynglŷn â charchar y Parc. Nid ydym yn cwestiynu'r ffaith mai G4S, mewn gwirionedd, yw'r rhai sydd i fod yn rhedeg y gwasanaethau cymunedol; yr hyn y mae ganddo gyfrifoldeb amdano yw llywodraethu, er mwyn sicrhau bod y gwasanaethau hynny'n cael eu darparu. Ac eto, ei ymateb i'r rhan fwyaf o gwestiynau'r pwyllgor oedd, 'Wn i ddim. Wn i ddim. Wn i ddim', er gwaethaf y ffaith eu bod wedi cael y carchar hwnnw, nid yn unig yn eu gofal ers dechrau eleni, ond bu cyfnod o 18 mis yn arwain at hynny. Felly, mae'n ymwneud yn llwyr â llywodraethu, ac mae hyn wedi'i amlygu unwaith eto gan yr adroddiad ar y cyd gan Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru ac Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru, sy'n beirniadu'r diffyg llywodraethu a rheolaeth archwilio yn y bwrdd iechyd hwn yn llym.
Yn eich papur Cabinet, ar 27 Mawrth, fe ddywedoch fod pob un o gynlluniau tymor canolig integredig pob un o'r byrddau iechyd wedi bod yn destun proses asesu gadarn. Sut, Weinidog, na wnaethoch chi na'ch swyddogion sylwi ar y tswnami hwn o bryderon? Ai'r gwir yw bod bwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf, dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf, wedi'i ganmol fel y bwrdd iechyd o'r radd flaenaf, y nod, yr un y dylai pob bwrdd iechyd arall geisio'i efelychu, ac na ellid caniatáu iddo fethu? Oherwydd mae'n dechrau ymddangos bod yna broblem systemig yn y bwrdd iechyd hwn drwyddo draw. A chyn i chi ddod yn ôl gydag ateb parod cyflym i hyn, hoffwn eich atgoffa bod hyd yn oed adroddiad interim panel trosolwg y gwasanaethau mamolaeth yn glir iawn, fel y mae David Jenkins yn glir iawn ynglŷn â'r ffaith bod hwn yn newid diwylliannol y mae’n rhaid iddo digwydd drwy'r bwrdd iechyd cyfan, fod problemau systemig yn bodoli, a bod y trefniadau llywodraethu, os nad unrhyw beth arall—sef un o'r pethau yn y cynllun tymor canolig integredig hwnnw roeddent yn frwd iawn yn ei gylch, ac yn dweud ei fod yn gwbl gywir—yn wael. Nid yw eu pwyllgor archwilio wedi cyfarfod ers oesoedd i drafod rhai o'r materion hyn. Felly, Weinidog, gofynnaf hyn ichi: a wnaethoch chi edrych ar berfformiad bwrdd Cwm Taf yn gadarn ac yn ddiduedd? A wnaethoch chi edrych a methu gweld? A wnaethoch chi edrych, a gweld—ond nad oedd ots?
I think that's an appalling way to finish a question—as if it does not matter. Everything that I do in this job and the choices I make are about people in Wales who work in our service, people in Wales who need the health service. Far from there being a tsunami of unanswered concerns—. And, again, the overstated nature, in terms of the language you're using, I think really doesn't do you any credit, Angela Burns—[Interruption.] The reality is that having understood, following the joint report commissioned by the royal colleges, the nature of the concerns that existed, every organisation has looked again across the NHS at what it is doing and why. And if you look at the previous Wales Audit Office governance reviews, they don't reveal the same level of concern, and the detailed work they've done together with Health Inspectorate Wales doesn't reveal either.
There is a requirement for cultural change, and I've been very, very open about that and about the expectation that not just needs to take place but to be evidenced and to be felt by staff and the public. And, indeed, the new leadership in place within the health board, not just the interim chief executive, but the different approach being taken by the wider team, including independent members, is part of that as well. I'm looking forward to there being real evidence on where the health board is, and I will absolutely make choices about each and any NHS organisation dispassionately and with the interests of the public in mind.
Credaf fod honno'n ffordd warthus o orffen cwestiwn—fel pe na bai ots. Mae popeth a wnaf yn y swydd hon a'r dewisiadau a wnaf yn ymwneud â phobl yng Nghymru sy'n gweithio yn ein gwasanaeth, pobl yng Nghymru sydd angen y gwasanaeth iechyd. Ymhell o fod yn tswnami o bryderon heb eu hateb—. Ac unwaith eto, ni chredaf fod y gor-ddweud, o ran yr iaith a ddefnyddiwch, yn glod i chi mewn gwirionedd, Angela Burns—[Torri ar draws.] Y gwir amdani yw, ar ôl deall, yn dilyn yr adroddiad ar y cyd a gomisiynwyd gan y colegau brenhinol, natur y pryderon a oedd yn bodoli, fod pob sefydliad wedi edrych eto ar draws y GIG ar yr hyn y maent yn ei wneud a pham. Ac os edrychwch ar adolygiadau llywodraethu blaenorol Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru, nid ydynt yn dangos yr un lefel o bryder, ac nid yw'r gwaith manwl y maent wedi'i wneud ynghyd ag Arolygiaeth Iechyd Cymru yn dangos hynny chwaith.
Mae angen newid diwylliannol, ac rwyf wedi bod yn agored iawn ynglŷn â hynny ac ynghylch y disgwyliad nid yn unig fod angen i'r newid hwnnw ddigwydd ond bod angen tystiolaeth ohono a bod angen i'r staff a'r cyhoedd ei deimlo. Ac yn wir, mae'r arweinyddiaeth newydd sydd ar waith yn y bwrdd iechyd, nid yn unig y prif weithredwr dros dro, ond yr ymagwedd wahanol sy'n cael ei mabwysiadu gan y tîm ehangach, gan gynnwys aelodau annibynnol, yn rhan o hynny hefyd. Edrychaf ymlaen at gael tystiolaeth ddilys o sefyllfa'r bwrdd iechyd, a byddaf yn gwneud dewisiadau ynglŷn â phob un o sefydliadau'r GIG yn ddiduedd a chan ystyried lles y cyhoedd.
Thank you. Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Helen Mary Jones.
Diolch. Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Helen Mary Jones.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, I'm really keen to understand why it was that the seven previous reports into the issues at Cwm Taf hadn't raised concerns with you, hadn't brought you to the point where you eventually did take the action that you took. And I have to bring you back to the question of the integrated medium-term plans, because there were some plans that you chose not to sign off, you chose to sign off the Cwm Taf plan—only a month after that, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists report was made public. When were you aware, Minister, of the content of that report? And can you explain to us—? You've said to Angela Burns that you thought it was appropriate to sign off the plan, but can you explain to us, because I didn't really hear you answer Angela Burns in that regard as to—? Did you know what was in that report? You'd commissioned that report, you knew there were problems—did you know what was in that report before it was published, before you signed off the plan? If it was appropriate for you to sign off that plan, why was it inappropriate for you to refuse to—? Why did you refuse to sign off other plans for health boards where, apparently, there certainly were difficulties—don't let us talk about Betsi Cadwaladr—but, for whatever reason—? I suppose what I'm trying to get to, Deputy Presiding Officer—forgive me—is things were obviously in part of Cwm Taf in a very serious state. You chose to sign off their plan. Things in other health boards were—there were clearly other difficulties: you didn't sign those off. Could you please give us a bit of insight into what was the thinking behind saying, 'Yes, we'll sign off Cwm Taf's plan, but we won't sign off these others'? What were they doing, or failing to do, that was so terribly wrong that made what was going on in Cwm Taf appear comparatively acceptable?
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Weinidog, rwy'n wirioneddol awyddus i ddeall pam nad oedd y saith adroddiad blaenorol ar y problemau ym mwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf yn destun pryder i chi, a pham na wnaethant eich arwain i weithredu fel y gwnaethoch yn y pen draw. Ac mae'n rhaid imi ddod â chi'n ôl at gwestiwn y cynlluniau tymor canolig integredig, gan fod rhai cynlluniau y dewisoch beidio â'u cymeradwyo, fe ddewisoch chi gymeradwyo cynllun bwrdd Cwm Taf—fis yn unig ar ôl hynny, cyhoeddwyd adroddiad Coleg Brenhinol y Bydwragedd a Choleg yr Brenhinol yr Obstetryddion a'r Gynaecolegwyr. Weinidog, pryd y daethoch yn ymwybodol o gynnwys yr adroddiad hwnnw? Ac a allwch chi egluro i ni—? Rydych wedi dweud wrth Angela Burns eich bod yn meddwl ei bod yn briodol cymeradwyo'r cynllun, ond a allwch egluro i ni, gan na chlywais i chi'n ateb Angela Burns ar hynny o ran—? A oeddech yn gwybod beth oedd yn yr adroddiad hwnnw? Roeddech wedi comisiynu'r adroddiad hwnnw, roeddech yn gwybod bod problemau—a oeddech yn gwybod beth oedd yn yr adroddiad hwnnw cyn iddo gael ei gyhoeddi, cyn i chi gymeradwyo'r cynllun? Os oedd yn briodol i chi gymeradwyo'r cynllun hwnnw, pam ei bod yn amhriodol i chi wrthod—? Pam y gwrthodoch chi gymeradwyo cynlluniau eraill ar gyfer byrddau iechyd lle roedd yna anawsterau mae'n debyg—gadewch inni beidio â sôn am Betsi Cadwaladr—ond am ba bynnag reswm—? Mae'n debyg mai'r hyn rwy'n ceisio'i ofyn, Ddirprwy Lywydd—maddeuwch imi—yw fod pethau'n amlwg mewn cyflwr difrifol iawn mewn rhan o fwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf. Fe ddewisoch chi gymeradwyo eu cynllun. Roedd pethau mewn byrddau iechyd eraill—roedd yn amlwg fod anawsterau eraill: ni wnaethoch gymeradwyo'r rheini. A allech roi ychydig o oleuni inni ar y meddwl y tu ôl i, 'Iawn, fe wnawn ni gymeradwyo cynllun bwrdd Cwm Taf, ond nid ydym am gymeradwyo'r lleill'? Beth oeddent yn ei wneud, neu'n methu ei wneud, a oedd mor ofnadwy o wael nes ei fod yn gwneud i'r hyn a oedd yn digwydd ym mwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf edrych yn gymharol dderbyniol?
When you sign off a three-year plan you have to understand the nature of the narrative, what's being proposed and whether there's the ability to deliver on the change that is being described within that plan. And having a strategic direction is actually really important for organisations, regardless of their escalation status. And it's part of the challenge in north Wales that they've been living hand to mouth for far too long and they'll need, even if they don't move into normal monitoring, to have a plan for the future. It is part of the challenge they're facing. In Hywel Dda, they recognise that until they have further traction on their financial challenges, they're unlikely to have a three-year plan that the board can sign off and actually expect to be approved here.
The position in Cwm Taf was plainly different. Having had a three-year plan, having made progress on a range of areas, and the challenges about quality and some of the governance issues that have been highlighted—some of those were addressed through time with a range of criticism in the reports. But the idea that all of those issues were ignored or not highlighted or not considered simply isn't true. And in any of these judgments, it is a balanced judgment about what to do with and for that organisation. I made the judgment that I did. I think it was the right thing to do.
I actually think that having a plan in the here and now for Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board is actually really helpful about its future direction. But it does not underplay or move away from the challenges about quality and the ability to actually evidence that they are making the progress that they are plainly required to do, and indeed the heightened level of interest in and scrutiny of the organisation makes that very, very obvious. I have been open, and I will continue to be open about any choices that I make for any NHS organisation, including Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.
Pan ydych yn cymeradwyo cynllun tair blynedd, mae'n rhaid i chi ddeall natur y naratif, yr hyn sy'n cael ei gynnig ac a yw'r gallu yno i gyflawni'r newid sy'n cael ei ddisgrifio yn y cynllun hwnnw. Ac mae cael cyfeiriad strategol yn bwysig iawn i sefydliadau, ni waeth beth yw eu statws uwchgyfeirio. Ac mae'n rhan o'r her yng ngogledd Cymru eu bod wedi bod yn byw o'r llaw i'r genau ers llawer gormod o amser a bydd angen iddynt gael cynllun ar gyfer y dyfodol hyd yn oed os nad ydynt yn newid i fonitro arferol. Mae'n rhan o'r her y maent yn ei hwynebu. Yn Hywel Dda, maent yn cydnabod, hyd nes eu bod yn gwneud mwy i fynd i'r afael â'u heriau ariannol, eu bod yn annhebygol o gael cynllun tair blynedd y gall y bwrdd ei gymeradwyo a disgwyl iddo gael ei gymeradwyo yma.
Roedd y sefyllfa ym mwrdd Cwm Taf yn amlwg yn wahanol. Ar ôl cael cynllun tair blynedd, ar ôl gwneud cynnydd ar ystod o feysydd, a’r heriau ynghylch ansawdd a rhai o’r materion llywodraethu a amlygwyd—aethpwyd i’r afael â rhai o’r rheini dros amser gyda llawer o feirniadaeth yn yr adroddiadau. Ond nid yw'r syniad fod yr holl faterion hynny wedi'u hanwybyddu neu na chawsant eu hamlygu neu eu hystyried yn wir. Ac yn unrhyw un o'r dyfarniadau hyn, mae'n ddyfarniad cytbwys ynglŷn â beth i'w wneud gyda ac ar gyfer y sefydliad hwnnw. Gwneuthum y dyfarniad a wneuthum. Credaf mai dyna oedd y peth iawn i'w wneud.
Mewn gwirionedd, credaf fod cael cynllun ar waith yn awr ar gyfer bwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg yn wirioneddol ddefnyddiol o ran ei gyfeiriad yn y dyfodol. Ond nid yw'n tanseilio nac yn ymbellhau oddi wrth yr heriau ynghylch ansawdd a'r gallu i ddarparu tystiolaeth eu bod yn gwneud y cynnydd y mae'n amlwg yn ofynnol iddynt ei wneud, ac yn wir, mae'r lefel uwch o ddiddordeb a chraffu ar y sefydliad yn gwneud hynny'n amlwg tu hwnt. Rwyf wedi bod yn agored, a byddaf yn parhau i fod yn agored ynghylch unrhyw ddewisiadau a wnaf ar gyfer unrhyw un o sefydliadau'r GIG, gan gynnwys Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg.
I'm struggling to understand this, and perhaps we're all suffering from general election fatigue and there's something the matter with my brain, but the Minister has just said that he was confident that Cwm Taf had the ability to deliver on that three-year plan that he signed off. Now, bear in mind, Deputy Presiding Officer, that this was before any of the interventions that the Minister has said will sort everything out. And let's be absolutely clear that the level of governance and management at that point, when he did that sign-off, was really, really poor. I still don't understand, from what the Minister has said, why he was happy to sign that off. Either he knew and he thought it could be overcome, or he didn't know, and that's a problem in itself, but he wasn't prepared to sign off those other plans.
Now, if we look back to the HIW and audit office report, they are being fairly clear that the Minister was measuring the wrong things. If these plans are only about the financial condition of a local health board, then let's call them that and let's deal with that, and I'm not for one moment saying that where local health boards are struggling with their finances, that shouldn't be addressed. But I cannot understand how the Minister felt that those individuals running that health board, who had allowed this appalling toxic culture to develop—and it's clear that it's not only in maternity services that that's really poor—when he signed off that plan, were in a fit state to deliver. That was long before he put his measures in. The measures he's put in may or may not work. I am just at a loss to understand that, and I want to know form the Minister whether he accepts that there are structural and systematic problems in the governance and leadership of the NHS that go beyond one health board at a time.
Rwy'n ei chael hi'n anodd deall hyn, ac efallai fod pob un ohonom yn dioddef o flinder yn sgil yr etholiad cyffredinol a bod rhywbeth o'i le gyda fy ymennydd, ond mae'r Gweinidog newydd ddweud ei fod yn hyderus fod gan fwrdd Cwm Taf y gallu i gyflawni'r cynllun tair blynedd a gymeradwywyd ganddo. Nawr, cofiwch, Ddirprwy Lywydd, fod hyn cyn unrhyw un o'r ymyriadau y mae'r Gweinidog wedi dweud y byddant yn datrys popeth. A gadewch imi ddweud yn gwbl glir fod lefel y llywodraethu a'r rheoli bryd hynny, pan gymeradwywyd y cynllun ganddo, yn wirioneddol wael. Nid wyf yn deall o hyd, o'r hyn y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i ddweud, pam ei fod yn barod i gymeradwyo hynny. Naill ai ei fod yn gwybod ac roedd yn credu y gellid goresgyn y broblem, neu nid oedd yn gwybod, ac mae honno'n broblem ynddi'i hun, ond nid oedd yn barod i gymeradwyo'r cynlluniau eraill hynny.
Nawr, os edrychwn yn ôl ar adroddiad Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru a'r swyddfa archwilio, maent yn dweud yn weddol glir fod y Gweinidog yn mesur y pethau anghywir. Os yw'r cynlluniau hyn yn ymwneud â chyflwr ariannol bwrdd iechyd lleol yn unig, gadewch i ni eu galw'n hynny a gadewch inni fynd i'r afael â hynny, ac nid wyf yn dweud am un eiliad, lle mae byrddau iechyd lleol yn cael trafferth gyda'u trefniadau ariannol, na ddylid rhoi sylw i hynny. Ond ni allaf ddeall sut y teimlai'r Gweinidog fod yr unigolion sy'n rhedeg y bwrdd iechyd hwnnw, a oedd wedi caniatáu i'r diwylliant gwenwynig echrydus hwn ddatblygu—ac mae'n amlwg nad yn y gwasanaethau mamolaeth yn unig y mae'n wirioneddol wael—pan gymeradwyodd y cynllun hwnnw, sut y teimlai eu bod mewn sefyllfa dda i'w gyflawni. Roedd hynny ymhell cyn iddo roi ei fesurau i mewn. Efallai y bydd y mesurau y mae wedi'u rhoi i mewn yn gweithio neu efallai na fyddant yn gweithio. Ni allaf ddeall hynny, ac rwy'n awyddus i wybod gan y Gweinidog a yw'n derbyn bod problemau strwythurol a systematig yn nhrefniadau llywodraethu ac arweinyddiaeth y GIG sy'n mynd y tu hwnt i un bwrdd iechyd ar y tro.
Well, there's a range of questions in there, and, of course, I said before, you can't know what you don't know when you're making choices. I took measures to intervene in the health board once the report had been received and I then promptly published it. So, the intervention shows that we did act when the level of concern was there to do so. And indeed, putting in place an interim chief executive—that was an action that was fostered from the Government here as well. So, we've hardly been stand-off when it comes to the health board. And I don't think it is fair to put words into the mouth of HIW and the Wales Audit Office, in terms of saying that I or my officials were measuring or looking at the wrong thing.
If you look at the system reviews that have taken place within the national health service here in Wales, both before this term or at the start of this term with the parliamentary review, no-one has come up and said that there is a fundamental problem in the governance and structure of the health service here in Wales. Our challenge is how we make our structures work and how we hold each other to account in the different parts that are executive teams, independent members and, of course, in the scrutiny that I regularly face here as well.
Now, ultimately, it will be revealed in the outcomes for people and in the facts and figures about what our health service continues to deliver. It is entirely possible to be a high-performing organisation and to get some things wrong. Our challenge is to recognise the scale of what needs to improve within Cwm Taf Morgannwg and to be open about whether that has happened or not and, if not, what further steps need to take place.
Wel, roedd sawl cwestiwn yn y fan honno, ac wrth gwrs, rwyf wedi dweud eisoes, ni allwch wybod yr hyn nad ydych yn ei wybod wrth wneud dewisiadau. Rhoddais fesurau ar waith i ymyrryd yn y bwrdd iechyd ar ôl derbyn yr adroddiad, ac yna fe'i cyhoeddais ar unwaith. Felly, mae'r ymyrraeth yn dangos ein bod wedi gweithredu pan oedd lefel y pryder yno i wneud hynny. Ac yn wir, roedd rhoi prif weithredwr dros dro ar waith—roedd hwnnw'n gam a gafodd ei feithrin gan y Llywodraeth yma hefyd. Felly, prin y cafwyd gwrthdaro llwyr o ran y bwrdd iechyd. Ac ni chredaf ei bod yn deg rhoi geiriau yng ngheg Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru a Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru, o ran dweud fy mod i neu fy swyddogion yn mesur neu'n edrych ar y peth anghywir.
Os edrychwch ar yr adolygiadau o'r system a gynhaliwyd yn y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol yma yng Nghymru, cyn y tymor hwn neu ar ddechrau'r tymor hwn gyda'r adolygiad seneddol, nid oes unrhyw un wedi dweud bod problem sylfaenol gyda threfniadau llywodraethu a strwythur y gwasanaeth iechyd yma yng Nghymru. Yr her i ni yw sut rydym yn sicrhau bod ein strwythurau yn gweithio a sut rydym yn dwyn ein gilydd i gyfrif yn y gwahanol rannau sy'n dimau gweithredol, yn aelodau annibynnol, ac wrth gwrs, yn rhan o'r gwaith craffu rwy'n ei wynebu yma'n rheolaidd hefyd.
Nawr, yn y pen draw, bydd y canlyniadau i bobl ac yn y ffeithiau a'r ffigurau ynghylch yr hyn y mae ein gwasanaeth iechyd yn parhau i'w gyflawni yn datgelu popeth. Mae'n gwbl bosibl bod yn sefydliad sy'n perfformio'n dda a gwneud rhai pethau'n anghywir. Yr her i ni yw cydnabod graddau'r hyn y mae angen iddo wella ym mwrdd Cwm Taf Morgannwg a bod yn agored ynglŷn ag a yw hynny wedi digwydd ai peidio, ac os nad yw wedi digwydd, pa gamau pellach y mae angen eu cymryd.
Well, well, 'you can't know what you don't know'. Well, Minister, you'd had seven reports before you signed off on that plan. You'd had seven reports from different parts of the health service that were telling you that there was a crucial service and that if you put all of that bad evidence together before you get the royal college's report, you can see that there are things seriously going wrong.
I'm afraid that the Minister cannot stand here and say that he didn't know, or if he is telling us that he didn't know, then that takes us into a completely different area of competence, which is not where I want to go this afternoon.
I think the Minister must accept—and it isn't us saying this; it is Health Inspectorate Wales and the audit office—that there are systematic structural problems with the governance, and Angela Burns is helpfully giving us the page reference—page 33. There are systematic problems not just in that health board. And isn't it time for the Minister to look again—to look at what the committee's report, which we discussed yesterday, said about some of the areas that the legislation that he's proposing will not address?
Isn't it time for him to consider a single, integrated, truly independent health and care inspectorate that can look at all these issues across the board? Is it not time for him to take steps to align the health and social care complaints procedures and make sure that they're rigorous and make sure, for all those families who were ignored again, and again, and again when they raised concerns in Cwm Taf, that that will not happen again. Isn't it time for us to have truly independent whistleblowing procedures for health and care services in Wales, because if the Minister believes there is one, he's probably the only person left in this country who does.
And is it not time, when it comes to quality of leadership—and this is so important—for the proper regulation of non-clinical NHS managers, including an agreed competence framework, consistent structures for training and development, and accountability procedures on a par with those to which clinical professionals are held? Will he today look at the seriousness of these issues and consider amending the quality and engagement Bill, as the committee has requested, to address all those issues, or, better still, withdraw and rewrite it, or does he expect us to believe that everything's fine?
Wel, wel, 'ni allwch wybod yr hyn nad ydych yn ei wybod'. Wel, Weinidog, roeddech wedi cael saith adroddiad cyn i chi gymeradwyo'r cynllun hwnnw. Roeddech wedi cael saith adroddiad o wahanol rannau o'r gwasanaeth iechyd a ddywedai wrthych fod yna wasanaeth hanfodol a phe baech yn rhoi'r holl dystiolaeth wael honno ynghyd cyn i chi gael adroddiad y coleg brenhinol byddech wedi gweld bod pethau'n mynd yn ddifrifol o chwith.
Mae arnaf ofn na all y Gweinidog sefyll yma a dweud nad oedd yn gwybod, neu os yw'n dweud wrthym nad oedd yn gwybod, mae hynny'n mynd â ni i mewn i faes cwbl wahanol o ran cymhwysedd, ac nid wyf am fynd i'r fan honno y prynhawn yma.
Credaf fod yn rhaid i'r Gweinidog dderbyn—ac nid ni sy'n dweud hyn; Arolygiaeth Gofal Iechyd Cymru a'r swyddfa archwilio sy'n dweud hyn—fod problemau strwythurol systematig gyda'r trefniadau llywodraethu, ac mae Angela Burns yn ddigon caredig i roi rhif y dudalen i ni—tudalen 33. Mae problemau systematig i'w cael nid yn unig yn y bwrdd iechyd hwnnw. Ac onid yw'n bryd i'r Gweinidog edrych eto—edrych ar yr hyn a ddywedodd adroddiad y pwyllgor, a drafodwyd gennym ddoe, ynglŷn â rhai o'r meysydd na fydd y ddeddfwriaeth y mae'n ei chynnig yn mynd i'r afael â hwy?
Onid yw'n bryd iddo ystyried un arolygiaeth iechyd a gofal integredig wirioneddol annibynnol a all edrych ar yr holl faterion hyn yn gyffredinol? Onid yw'n bryd iddo gymryd camau i alinio gweithdrefnau cwynion iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol a sicrhau eu bod yn drylwyr a sicrhau, i'r holl deuluoedd a anwybyddwyd drosodd a throsodd wedi iddynt leisio pryderon yng Nghwm Taf, na fydd hynny'n digwydd eto. Onid yw'n bryd inni gael gweithdrefnau chwythu'r chwiban gwirioneddol annibynnol ar gyfer gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal yng Nghymru, oherwydd os yw'r Gweinidog yn credu bod gennym un ar waith, mae'n debyg mai ef yw'r unig berson ar ôl yn y wlad sy'n credu hynny.
Ac onid yw'n bryd, o ran ansawdd yr arweinyddiaeth—ac mae hyn mor bwysig—rheoleiddio rheolwyr anghlinigol y GIG yn briodol, gan gynnwys fframwaith cymhwysedd y cytunwyd arno, strwythurau cyson ar gyfer hyfforddi a datblygu, a gweithdrefnau atebolrwydd ar yr un lefel â'r rheini sydd ar waith ar gyfer clinigwyr proffesiynol? A wnaiff edrych heddiw ar ddifrifoldeb y materion hyn ac ystyried diwygio’r Bil ansawdd ac ymgysylltu, fel y mae’r pwyllgor wedi gofyn, i fynd i’r afael â’r holl faterion hynny, neu'n well byth, ei dynnu’n ôl a’i ailysgrifennu, neu a yw’n disgwyl inni gredu bod popeth yn iawn?
Well, I've never tried to stand up and say, 'Everything is fine, look the other way.' That is just not the approach that I've taken at all. And I just don't think that an exercise in post-event justification is particularly helpful or useful in terms of taking forward our national health service.
The range of the issues that the Member raises—. She's entitled to have views that say she wants to reorganise parts of the health service. She's perfectly entitled to have those views, but in terms of trying to say that what is now required is to amend or withdraw the healthcare quality and governance Bill that the Assembly passed through Stage 1 yesterday I just don't think is the right thing at all. Because what the significance of what the Member has talked about is that this is entirely new legislation that takes us in a different direction, so in the parts on quality and candour that the Bill actually sets out—and we will go through the scrutiny of that Bill, through Stage 2, and I hope Stage 3 as well—that's a different matter entirely. And we've rehearsed before the issues around whether to have an entirely different management and registration system for managers within the national health service. I'm open-minded as to what the future could and should look like, but I'm practical about how we deliver that, and I don't think that a couple of speeches in the Chamber and a demand to change legislation is really an honest answer to how we could get there.
Wel, nid wyf erioed wedi ceisio sefyll a dweud, 'Mae popeth yn iawn, edrychwch y ffordd arall.' Nid dyna fy agwedd o gwbl. Ac ni chredaf fod ymarfer cyfiawnhau ar ôl y digwyddiad yn arbennig o ddefnyddiol nac o gymorth i ddatblygu ein gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol.
Mae'r nifer o faterion a godwyd gan yr Aelod—. Mae ganddi hawl i gael barn sy'n dweud ei bod am ad-drefnu rhannau o'r gwasanaeth iechyd. Mae ganddi berffaith hawl i'r farn honno, ond o ran ceisio dweud mai'r hyn sydd ei angen yn awr yw newid neu dynnu'n ôl y Bil ansawdd a llywodraethu gofal iechyd a basiwyd gan y Cynulliad yng Nghyfnod 1 ddoe, ni chredaf mai dyna'r peth iawn o gwbl. Oherwydd arwyddocâd yr hyn y mae'r Aelod wedi sôn amdano yw bod hon yn ddeddfwriaeth hollol newydd sy'n mynd â ni i gyfeiriad gwahanol, felly yn y rhannau ar ansawdd a gonestrwydd y mae'r Bil yn eu nodi mewn gwirionedd—a byddwn yn craffu ar y Bil hwnnw, drwy Gyfnod 2, a Chyfnod 3 hefyd, gobeithio—mae hynny'n fater cwbl wahanol. Ac rydym wedi sôn eisoes am y materion sy'n ymwneud ag a ddylid cael system reoli a chofrestru hollol wahanol ar gyfer rheolwyr yn y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol. Mae gennyf feddwl agored ynglŷn â sut y gallai a sut y dylai'r dyfodol edrych, ond rwy'n ymarferol o ran sut y cyflawnwn hynny, ac ni chredaf fod ambell araith yn y Siambr a galw am newid deddfwriaeth yn ateb gonest i sut y gallem gyrraedd yno mewn gwirionedd.
Thank you. The Brexit Party spokesperson, Caroline Jones.
Diolch. Llefarydd Plaid Brexit, Caroline Jones.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, I was shocked to learn that, out of nearly 0.5 million calls to 999 last year, around a quarter of the calls were not serious. Welsh ambulance service staff were tied up with dealing with calls ranging from a stubbed toe to hiccups, instead of helping people in genuine need. The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust has launched a campaign to encourage the sensible use of the ambulance service. Minister, what can we, here, in this Chamber do to support the Be Wise Save Lives campaign?
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Weinidog, cefais fy synnu wrth glywed, o bron i 0.5 miliwn o alwadau 999 y llynedd, nad oedd oddeutu chwarter y galwadau yn rhai difrifol. Roedd staff gwasanaeth ambiwlans Cymru yn brysur yn ymdrin â galwadau a oedd yn amrywio o bobl wedi taro bys eu troed i igian, yn hytrach na helpu pobl mewn gwir angen. Mae Ymddiriedolaeth GIG Gwasanaethau Ambiwlans Cymru wedi lansio ymgyrch i annog defnydd synhwyrol o'r gwasanaeth ambiwlans. Weinidog, beth y gallwn ei wneud yma yn y Siambr hon i gefnogi ymgyrch Byddwch yn Ddoeth, Achubwch Fywydau?
Well, the Be Wise Save Lives campaign sadly is run every year, or a version of it, because we regularly understand that there are people who don't make the best use of our emergency services and, in particular, in this case, the Welsh ambulance service. It's partly about equipping the public with information so that they can choose for themselves—the Choose Well campaign that we run each year—and it's also partly about asking people to have some common sense and to show some respect for the way in which they use the Welsh ambulance service. And all of us, regardless of our party perspectives, I think, could take some time to try to support and promote that campaign so that all of our constituents make better use of emergency services and those who are in real need of that emergency service are more likely to receive the help they will need at that point in time.
Wel, yn anffodus, mae ymgyrch Byddwch yn Ddoeth, Achubwch Fywydau yn cael ei chynnal bob blwyddyn, neu fersiwn ohoni, gan ein bod yn deall yn rheolaidd nad yw rhai pobl yn gwneud y defnydd gorau o'n gwasanaethau brys, ac yn benodol, yn yr achos hwn, gwasanaeth ambiwlans Cymru. Mae'n ymwneud yn rhannol â rhoi gwybodaeth i'r cyhoedd fel y gallant ddewis drostynt eu hunain—yr ymgyrch Dewis Doeth rydym yn ei chynnal bob blwyddyn—ac mae hefyd yn ymwneud yn rhannol â gofyn i bobl gael rhywfaint o synnwyr cyffredin a dangos parch yn y ffordd y maent yn defnyddio gwasanaeth ambiwlans Cymru. A chredaf y gallai pob un ohonom, ni waeth beth yw ein safbwyntiau pleidiol, roi peth amser i geisio cefnogi a hyrwyddo’r ymgyrch honno fel bod pob un o’n hetholwyr yn gwneud gwell defnydd o wasanaethau brys, a bod y rhai sydd wir angen y gwasanaeth brys hwnnw yn fwy tebygol o gael y cymorth y bydd ei angen arnynt ar yr adeg honno.
Thank you for that answer, Minister. And, of course, as we enter the winter period, the pressure placed upon the ambulance service is enormous. We have seen record rates of sickness absence in the Welsh ambulance trust, putting more pressure on the service. Difficulty in accessing out-of-hours care continues to drive patients towards our overstretched accident and emergency departments, which has a knock-on effect on ambulance handover times. So, Minister, what steps has your Government taken to ensure the efficient handover of patients at emergency departments this winter in order to ensure our ambulance service is not stretched to breaking point?
Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Ac wrth gwrs, wrth inni fynd i mewn i'r gaeaf, mae'r pwysau ar y gwasanaeth ambiwlans yn enfawr. Rydym wedi gweld y cyfraddau uchaf erioed o absenoldeb oherwydd salwch yn ymddiriedolaeth ambiwlans Cymru, sy'n rhoi mwy o bwysau ar y gwasanaeth. Mae trafferth i gael mynediad at ofal y tu allan i oriau yn parhau i yrru cleifion tuag at ein hadrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys, sydd eisoes wedi eu gorymestyn, ac mae hynny, yn ei dro, yn cael effaith ar amseroedd trosglwyddo ambiwlansys. Felly, Weinidog, pa gamau y mae eich Llywodraeth wedi'u cymryd i sicrhau bod cleifion mewn adrannau brys yn cael eu trosglwyddo'n effeithlon y gaeaf hwn er mwyn sicrhau nad yw ein gwasanaeth ambiwlans yn cael ei ymestyn hyd at dorri?
Well, there is a range of measures that are already in place and being introduced as part of the winter plans. Of the money that I previously announced, some of it went directly to health boards and some went to nationally directed services, and, indeed, £17 million was determined between regional partnership boards. Lots of it is about looking at the whole system. It's partly about taking pressure off the front door of an A&E unit, but it's much more than that. It is about keeping people well at home so that they don't need to go into an emergency department. It's also about getting people through and out of the hospital when it's no longer the right place for their care. And we are dealing with record demands being placed on our health service. It isn't just that October was the busiest month in terms of emergency department attendances but, for the ambulance service, it was the busiest October ever, with the highest number of red calls ever—a growth of 35 per cent in the most serious calls to our ambulance service since the new clinical response model was introduced just four years ago. So, part of our challenge is delivering that capacity. I'll set out again in the future the measures that are already taking place and how that is helping us to try to deliver appropriate, compassionate and timely care even through the winter period.
Wel, mae nifer o fesurau eisoes ar waith ac yn cael eu cyflwyno fel rhan o gynlluniau'r gaeaf. O'r arian a gyhoeddais o'r blaen, aeth rhywfaint ohono'n uniongyrchol i fyrddau iechyd ac aeth rhywfaint i wasanaethau a gyfarwyddir yn genedlaethol, ac yn wir, pennwyd £17 miliwn rhwng y byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol. Mae llawer o hynny'n ymwneud ag edrych ar y system gyfan. Mae'n ymwneud yn rhannol â chael gwared ar y pwysau o ddrws blaen yr uned ddamweiniau ac achosion brys, ond mae'n llawer mwy na hynny. Mae'n ymwneud â chadw pobl yn iach gartref fel nad oes angen iddynt fynd i adran achosion brys. Mae hefyd yn ymwneud â sicrhau bod pobl yn dod allan o'r ysbyty pan nad dyna'r lle iawn ar gyfer eu gofal mwyach. Ac rydym yn ymdrin â'r nifer fwyaf erioed o alwadau ar ein gwasanaeth iechyd. Nid yn unig mai mis Hydref oedd y mis prysuraf o ran y nifer a fynychodd adrannau brys, ond i'r gwasanaeth ambiwlans, hwn oedd y mis Hydref prysuraf erioed, gyda'r nifer fwyaf o alwadau coch erioed—cynnydd o 35 y cant yn y galwadau mwyaf difrifol i'n gwasanaeth ambiwlans ers cyflwyno'r model ymateb clinigol newydd bedair blynedd yn ôl. Felly, mae rhan o'n her yn ymwneud â darparu'r capasiti hwnnw. Byddaf yn nodi eto yn y dyfodol y mesurau sydd eisoes ar waith a sut y mae hynny'n ein helpu i geisio darparu gofal priodol, tosturiol ac amserol hyd yn oed dros gyfnod y gaeaf.
3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am ymdrechion i wella cyfathrebu rhwng y GIG a chleifion yng Nghymru? OAQ54738
3. Will the Minister make a statement on efforts to improve communication between the NHS and patients in Wales? OAQ54738
Our plan for health and social care, 'A Healthier Wales', aims to strengthen the voice of the citizen and ensure that we listen to and engage with the people of Wales. Information is provided to patients in a variety of ways to try to meet the varying needs and preferences of people across the country.
Nod ein cynllun ar gyfer iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, 'Cymru Iachach', yw cryfhau llais y dinesydd a sicrhau ein bod yn gwrando ar bobl Cymru ac yn ymgysylltu â hwy. Darperir gwybodaeth i gleifion mewn amryw o ffyrdd i geisio diwallu anghenion a dewisiadau amrywiol pobl ledled y wlad.
I thank the Minister for that answer, but not only is communication between NHS staff and patients critical, but, I'm sure we'd all agree, good communication throughout all NHS institutions can be crucial in patient care. We've had several instances brought to us by constituents that this communication is often not satisfactory, in particular communication between Nevill Hall Hospital in my area with other hospitals. In a specific instance, their communication with both the Princess of Wales Hospital and the Royal Glamorgan has resulted in poor patient care. Is this the result of the patient being moved through different hospital boards?
This hiatus in communication between patient medical records is having a direct effect on quality and continuity in the care a patient receives. As has been alluded to, good information on patient treatment regimes is critical to the care and outcomes of that treatment. We've also been made aware that medical practitioners, strangely, including consultants, cannot directly access patient information from Velindre. Would the Minister please look closely at these apparent failures?
Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ateb, ond nid yn unig fod cyfathrebu rhwng staff y GIG a chleifion yn hollbwysig, rwy'n siŵr y byddai pob un ohonom yn cytuno y gall cyfathrebu da drwy holl sefydliadau'r GIG fod yn hanfodol i ofal cleifion. Mae etholwyr wedi tynnu ein sylw at sawl achos lle nad yw'r cyfathrebu hwn yn foddhaol yn aml, ac yn benodol, cyfathrebu rhwng Ysbyty Nevill Hall yn fy ardal i ac ysbytai eraill. Mewn un achos penodol, mae eu cyfathrebu ag Ysbyty Tywysoges Cymru ac Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg wedi arwain at ofal gwael i gleifion. Ai dyma ganlyniad symud cleifion drwy wahanol fyrddau ysbytai?
Mae'r bwlch cyfathrebu hwn rhwng cofnodion meddygol cleifion yn cael effaith uniongyrchol ar ansawdd a pharhad y gofal y mae claf yn ei dderbyn. Fel y dywedwyd, mae gwybodaeth dda am drefniadau triniaeth cleifion yn allweddol i ofal a chanlyniadau'r driniaeth honno. Rydym wedi cael gwybod hefyd na all ymarferwyr meddygol, yn rhyfedd iawn, gan gynnwys meddygon ymgynghorol, gael mynediad uniongyrchol at wybodaeth cleifion o Felindre. A wnaiff y Gweinidog edrych yn ofalus ar y methiannau ymddangosiadol hyn?
We've had a real challenge in making sure that, as we've normalised the way in which we use information in our everyday lives, the health service catches up with that, in the way that we move some of the industrial-scale records that we create, with all of the different patient episodes that the health service provides—over 18 million patient interactions for a country of just over 3 million in one year. Our challenge is to make sure that that is available to people who require that information in front of them when they're actually providing care with and for that person.
We've made lots of progress in the last 10 years in doing that, but our challenge is that there is still much more to be done. That's why the announcements I've made on digital infrastructure and connectivity in the service matter so much, and it's why actually having a new fit-for-purpose system in primary care matters as well—to make sure that information is properly available to whoever needs it and, more than that, in the contract reform programme we have, to make sure we have a version of the patient record available to other healthcare professionals that we are directing and encouraging people to use, whether that's in ophthalmology on a high street in an optician or, indeed, in a pharmacy or other settings.
Rydym wedi wynebu her wirioneddol wrth sicrhau, wrth inni normaleiddio'r ffordd rydym yn defnyddio gwybodaeth yn ein bywydau bob dydd, fod y gwasanaeth iechyd yn dal i fyny â hynny, yn y ffordd rydym yn symud y cofnodion rydym yn eu creu ar raddfa ddiwydiannol, gyda'r holl wahanol episodau gofal cleifion y mae'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn eu darparu—dros 18 miliwn o ryngweithiadau cleifion mewn un flwyddyn mewn gwlad ag ychydig dros 3 miliwn o boblogaeth. Yr her i ni yw sicrhau bod yr wybodaeth ar gael wrth law i'r bobl sydd ei hangen pan fyddant yn darparu gofal gyda ac ar gyfer yr unigolyn hwnnw.
Rydym wedi gwneud llawer o gynnydd dros y 10 mlynedd diwethaf yn hynny o beth, ond yr her i ni yw fod mwy o lawer i'w wneud o hyd. Dyna pam fod y cyhoeddiadau a wneuthum ar seilwaith digidol a chysylltedd yn y gwasanaeth mor bwysig, a dyna pam fod cael system addas i'r diben newydd mewn gofal sylfaenol yn bwysig hefyd—i sicrhau bod gwybodaeth ar gael i bwy bynnag sydd ei hangen, ac yn fwy na hynny, yn y rhaglen ddiwygio contractau sydd gennym, i sicrhau bod gennym fersiwn o gofnod y claf ar gael i weithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol eraill rydym yn eu cyfarwyddo ac yn annog pobl i'w defnyddio, boed hynny ym maes offthalmoleg ar y stryd fawr mewn siop optegydd, neu'n wir, mewn fferyllfa neu leoliadau eraill.
Minister, the Welsh Language Commissioner recently launched a campaign to raise awareness of the need for further development of a bilingual workforce in the NHS in Wales. He warned that Welsh-speaking patients are suffering and may even be put at risk if they cannot communicate with health professionals through the medium of Welsh.
International research shows that people with dementia lose the ability to communicate in their second language after some time or later in age. Minister, what action are you taking to ensure that healthcare services are designed so that patients can receive treatment and care through the medium of Welsh or their own language? Thank you.
Weinidog, yn ddiweddar, lansiodd Comisiynydd y Gymraeg ymgyrch i godi ymwybyddiaeth o’r angen i ddatblygu gweithlu dwyieithog ymhellach yn y GIG yng Nghymru. Rhybuddiodd fod cleifion sy'n siarad Cymraeg yn dioddef ac y gallant wynebu risg, hyd yn oed, os na allant gyfathrebu â gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.
Dengys ymchwil ryngwladol fod pobl â dementia yn colli'r gallu i gyfathrebu yn eu hail iaith ar ôl peth amser neu pan fyddant yn hŷn. Weinidog, pa gamau rydych yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod gwasanaethau gofal iechyd yn cael eu cynllunio fel y gall cleifion dderbyn triniaeth a gofal drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg neu eu hiaith eu hunain? Diolch.
We're making significant efforts to think about how we recruit and train people, and how we open up careers in healthcare at a much earlier age. For example, we've done some work with Welsh-medium schools about encouraging some of their students to consider a career in the health service, not just to be a doctor but the wider range of care services available.
When we think about what we're doing to support people, for example, we're retaining the bursary to make sure that people who study locally in a range of those nursing and wider associated healthcare professional roles are supported by the bursary. That means that people who are local to home are more likely to study locally and more likely to carry on working there, because a range of those people aren't traditional undergraduates at the age of 18 or 19. When they start, they're often people who have their own responsibilities.
So, where and how we train our staff, and where and how we recruit them, matters. Making sure that people have the idea that a career in the health service is open and available to them at a much earlier point is part of the work that we're doing to do just that.
Rydym yn gwneud ymdrechion sylweddol i feddwl ynglŷn â sut rydym yn recriwtio a hyfforddi pobl, a sut rydym yn agor y drws i yrfaoedd mewn gofal iechyd yn llawer cynharach. Er enghraifft, rydym wedi gwneud peth gwaith gydag ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg ar annog rhai o'u myfyrwyr i ystyried gyrfa yn y gwasanaeth iechyd, nid yn unig i fod yn feddyg ond yr ystod ehangach o wasanaethau gofal sydd ar gael.
Pan feddyliwn am yr hyn a wnawn i gefnogi pobl, er enghraifft, rydym yn cadw'r fwrsariaeth i sicrhau bod pobl sy'n astudio'n lleol mewn ystod o rolau nyrsio a gofal iechyd proffesiynol cysylltiedig ehangach yn cael eu cefnogi gan y fwrsariaeth. Golyga hynny fod pobl sy'n lleol i'w cartref yn fwy tebygol o astudio'n lleol ac yn fwy tebygol o barhau i weithio yno, gan nad yw ystod o'r bobl hynny'n israddedigion traddodiadol 18 neu 19 oed. Pan fyddant yn cychwyn, maent yn aml yn bobl sydd â'u cyfrifoldebau eu hunain.
Felly, mae ble a sut rydym yn hyfforddi ein staff, a ble a sut rydym yn eu recriwtio, yn bwysig. Mae sicrhau bod pobl yn ymwybodol fod gyrfa yn y gwasanaeth iechyd yn agored ac ar gael iddynt yn gynharach o lawer yn rhan o'r gwaith a wnawn i wneud yn union hynny.
Minister, I'm sure I'm not the only Member who's had problems of patients seeking help with getting their ears syringed from their GP, and being inaccurately referred to the private sector, where they charge up to £75. So, could you tell us how you're going to ensure that GP surgeries are communicating accurately with patients as to how they can access these services within secondary care, if they can't get that service from their own GP?
Weinidog, rwy'n siŵr nad fi yw'r unig Aelod sydd wedi cael problemau'n ymwneud â chleifion yn ceisio cymorth i gael eu clustiau wedi'u chwistrellu gan eu meddyg teulu, a chael eu cyfeirio'n anghywir at y sector preifat, lle maent yn codi hyd at £75. Felly, a allech ddweud wrthym sut y byddwch yn sicrhau bod meddygfeydd yn cyfathrebu'n gywir â chleifion ynglŷn â sut y gallant gael mynediad at y gwasanaethau hyn o fewn gofal eilaidd, os na allant gael y gwasanaeth hwnnw gan eu meddyg teulu eu hunain?
The first point is just a point about language, because ear syringing is a particular method of removing wax that is no longer National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved, and so we try not to refer to ear syringing—I know it's not just about changing language, it is a particular method itself—but to ear wax management, to try to make sure that, where people can, they can self-manage or, indeed, if they need intervention, have that provided. It is an NHS service, so people should not be referred into the private sector and be told that there is no NHS service available. There are a range of pilots taking place within the health service, some in north-east Wales, on having primary care audiology clinics available, but also within south-west Wales in the Cwm Tawe cluster. They've also got the same sort of approach in making audiology much more widely available. We will be re-communicating with colleagues in primary care about the range of services that are available, and to reiterate the message that it is an NHS Wales service and people should be provided with an NHS provider to do just that.
Pwynt am yr iaith yn unig yw'r pwynt cyntaf, oherwydd mae chwistrellu clustiau yn ddull arbennig o gael gwared â chwyr nad yw bellach yn cael ei gymeradwyo gan y Sefydliad Cenedlaethol dros Ragoriaeth mewn Iechyd a Gofal, ac felly rydym yn ceisio peidio â chyfeirio at chwistrellu clustiau—gwn nad yw'n ymwneud â newid iaith yn unig, mae'n ddull arbennig ynddo'i hun—ond yn hytrach at reoli cwyr clust, i geisio sicrhau, lle bo'n bosibl, fod pobl yn gallu ei reoli eu hunain neu'n wir, os oes angen ymyriad arnynt, ei fod yn cael ei ddarparu. Gwasanaeth GIG ydyw, felly ni ddylid atgyfeirio pobl i'r sector preifat a dweud wrthynt nad oes gwasanaeth GIG ar gael. Mae amrywiaeth o gynlluniau peilot yn digwydd o fewn y gwasanaeth iechyd, rhai yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru, i sicrhau bod clinigau awdioleg gofal sylfaenol ar gael, ond hefyd yn ne-orllewin Cymru yng nghlwstwr Cwm Tawe. Maent yn gweithredu yn yr un math o ffordd drwy sicrhau bod awdioleg ar gael yn ehangach o lawer. Byddwn yn ail-gyfathrebu â chydweithwyr ym maes gofal sylfaenol ynglŷn â'r amrywiaeth o wasanaethau sydd ar gael, ac yn ailadrodd y neges mai gwasanaeth GIG Cymru ydyw a dylai pobl gael darparwr GIG i wneud hynny.
4. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am berfformiad Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Bae Abertawe? OAQ54748
4. Will the Minister make a statement on the performance of Swansea Bay University Health Board? OAQ54748
I expect patients to be seen and treated in a timely manner and within our targets. We have made available £50 million to health boards to build on the recent progress and improve waiting times further by March 2020. Swansea Bay University Health Board has received its share of this national funding.
Rwy'n disgwyl i gleifion gael eu gweld a'u trin mewn modd amserol ac o fewn ein targedau. Rydym wedi sicrhau bod £50 miliwn ar gael i fyrddau iechyd allu adeiladu ar y cynnydd a wnaed yn ddiweddar a gwella amseroedd aros ymhellach erbyn mis Mawrth 2020. Mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Bae Abertawe wedi derbyn ei gyfran o'r cyllid cenedlaethol hwn.
Performance data due to be discussed at Swansea bay health board meeting this week makes for difficult reading, as it shows significant problems in a number of areas. In October, ambulances waited outside A&E departments for 2,778 hours, and waits for planned care are also worsening, with 4,256 patients waiting more than 36 weeks for treatment, an increase of over 2,000 since April. Now, despite the health board being in targeted intervention since September 2016, the figures in many areas are getting worse, not better, and a reflection of a lack of capacity in both health and social care. So, what are you doing, Minister, to turn things around?
Mae'n anodd darllen y data perfformiad a fydd yn cael ei drafod yng nghyfarfod Bwrdd Iechyd Bae Abertawe yr wythnos hon, gan ei fod yn dangos problemau sylweddol mewn nifer o feysydd. Ym mis Hydref, arhosodd ambiwlansys y tu allan i adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys am 2,778 o oriau, ac mae amseroedd aros ar gyfer gofal wedi'i gynllunio'n gwaethygu hefyd, gyda 4,256 o gleifion yn aros mwy na 36 wythnos am driniaeth, cynnydd o fwy na 2,000 ers mis Ebrill. Nawr, er bod y bwrdd iechyd wedi bod yn destun ymyrraeth wedi'i thargedu ers mis Medi 2016, mae'r ffigurau mewn llawer o feysydd yn gwaethygu yn hytrach na gwella, ac mae'n adlewyrchiad o ddiffyg capasiti mewn iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Felly, beth rydych yn ei wneud i wella'r sefyllfa, Weinidog?
Well, it is more than just the money that we've announced. Part of this is outside the control of the health board; we've discussed recently the tax and pension challenges, the fact that that has taken out capacity within each of our health boards, but that isn't the whole story and I won't try and say that it is. So, I've had correspondence recently from the interim chair of the health board about the steps they are taking on a range of these measures. They have now recovered protected capacity for some of their orthopaedic capacity to try to eat into that. They expect to improve to the end of this year, but there are challenges in both unscheduled care that make a real difference to scheduled care. Part of the reason why they've seen a movement backwards is because of the challenge of unscheduled care, needing to have bed space for unscheduled care patients. That's why I go back to the whole system because, actually, those medically fit people shouldn't be in a hospital bed; they should be in a different setting with the care and support they need. That's partly about the health service; it's also partly about the partnership with our colleagues in local government and housing in particular.
So, I do expect that he will see, by the end of the year, further progress; I expect, more importantly than that, the citizens of the Swansea university health board area will see further improvement in the delivery and the timely delivery of patient care.
Wel, mae'n ymwneud â mwy na'r arian rydym wedi'i gyhoeddi yn unig. Mae rhan o hyn y tu hwnt i reolaeth y bwrdd iechyd; rydym wedi trafod yr heriau mewn perthynas â threth a phensiwn yn ddiweddar, y ffaith bod hynny wedi arwain at lai o gapasiti ym mhob un o'n byrddau iechyd, ond nid dyna'r stori lawn ac ni cheisiaf honni hynny. Felly, rwyf wedi cael gohebiaeth yn ddiweddar gan gadeirydd dros dro y bwrdd iechyd am y camau y maent yn eu cymryd mewn perthynas ag amryw o'r mesurau hyn. Bellach, maent wedi adfer capasiti wedi'i ddiogelu ar gyfer rhywfaint o'u capasiti orthopedig i geisio gwella hwnnw. Maent yn disgwyl gwella erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn hon, ond mae heriau'n ymwneud â gofal heb ei drefnu sy'n gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i ofal wedi'i drefnu. Rhan o'r rheswm pam eu bod wedi profi cam yn ôl yw oherwydd yr her sy'n ymwneud â gofal heb ei drefnu, yr angen i gael gwelyau ar gyfer cleifion gofal heb ei drefnu. Dyna pam rwy'n mynd yn ôl at y system gyfan oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, ni ddylai pobl sy'n ffit yn feddygol fod mewn gwely ysbyty; dylent fod mewn lleoliad gwahanol gyda'r gofal a'r cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt. Mae hynny'n ymwneud yn rhannol â'r gwasanaeth iechyd; mae hefyd yn ymwneud yn rhannol â'r bartneriaeth gyda'n cydweithwyr mewn llywodraeth leol a thai yn arbennig.
Felly, rwy'n disgwyl y bydd yn gweld cynnydd pellach erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn; yn bwysicach na hynny, rwy'n disgwyl y bydd dinasyddion ardal bwrdd iechyd prifysgol Abertawe yn gweld gwelliant pellach yn y modd y darperir gofal amserol i gleifion.
Minister, thank you for that answer and can I support Dai Lloyd's question? Because I've got a case of a constituent who actually last night phoned for an ambulance because their daughter required medical help. It took an hour and a half for a first responder, and that person then put a morphine injection drip in, eight hours for an ambulance, and when they got to Morriston Hospital they were sitting in the ambulance waiting outside. I visited Morriston Hospital A&E last week; there were 10 ambulances outside. There is a huge problem at this point in time, and we're not even at peak winter pressure yet. I appreciate that the ambulances are sitting there, they can't get out the people, people can't get off ambulances to go into A&E, can't get through A&E into beds in the hospital, because people can't get out of the hospital. There is a systemic problem somewhere in Morriston. Will you call in the chair and chief executive of the health board to actually ask them to explain to you directly how they are addressing this problem? We can't expect to go through winter, and our constituents can't expect to go through the winter, sitting in ambulances outside an A&E unit because they haven't yet resolved the problem of getting patients through the hospital.
Weinidog, diolch am yr ateb hwnnw ac a gaf fi gefnogi cwestiwn Dai Lloyd? Oherwydd mae gennyf etholwr a ffoniodd am ambiwlans neithiwr mewn gwirionedd oherwydd bod eu merch angen cymorth meddygol. Cymerodd awr a hanner i ymatebwr cyntaf gyrraedd, a rhoddwyd drip morffin iddi, bu'n rhaid aros wyth awr am ambiwlans, a phan gyraeddasant Ysbyty Treforys rhaid oedd aros yn yr ambiwlans y tu allan. Ymwelais ag adran ddamweiniau ac achosion brys Ysbyty Treforys yr wythnos diwethaf; roedd 10 ambiwlans y tu allan. Mae'n broblem enfawr yn awr, ac nid ydym wedi cyrraedd cyfnod prysuraf y gaeaf eto hyd yn oed. Rwy'n sylweddoli bod yr ambiwlansys yn aros yno, ni allant gludo'r bobl allan, ni all pobl ddod oddi ar yr ambiwlansys i mewn i'r adran ddamweiniau ac achosion brys, ni allant symud drwy'r adran ddamweiniau ac achosion brys i welyau yn yr ysbyty, oherwydd nad yw pobl yn gallu gadael yr ysbyty. Mae problem systemig yn rhywle yn Ysbyty Treforys. A wnewch chi gysylltu â chadeirydd a phrif weithredwr y bwrdd iechyd i ofyn iddynt esbonio'n uniongyrchol i chi sut y maent yn mynd i'r afael â'r broblem hon? Ni allwn ddisgwyl mynd drwy'r gaeaf, ac ni all ein hetholwyr ddisgwyl mynd drwy'r gaeaf, yn eistedd mewn ambiwlansys y tu allan i uned ddamweiniau ac achosion brys am nad ydynt eto wedi datrys y broblem o symud cleifion drwy'r ysbyty.
I'm seeing the chair of the health board in question on Monday to have this discussion.
Byddaf yn gweld cadeirydd y bwrdd iechyd dan sylw ddydd Llun i gael y drafodaeth hon.
5. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am ddarpariaeth gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghanol De Cymru? OAQ54760
5. Will the Minister make a statement on social care provision in South Wales Central? OAQ54760
Our ambition, as set out in 'A Healthier Wales', is to bring health and social care services together so that they're designed and delivered around the needs and preferences of individuals, with a much greater emphasis on keeping people healthy and well across all regions of Wales.
Ein huchelgais, fel y'i nodir yn 'Cymru Iachach', yw dod â gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ynghyd fel eu bod yn cael eu cynllunio a'u darparu o amgylch anghenion a dewisiadau unigolion, gyda llawer mwy o bwyslais ar gadw pobl yn iach ar draws pob rhanbarth yng Nghymru.
Minister, I've had a very distressing e-mail from a constituent whose 90-year-old mother was first admitted into hospital on 8 August. The situation was stabilised, and she was physically well enough to go home a couple of weeks later. She's still in hospital. They still have not had a care package to keep her at home, and, as my constituent says, 'Until hospitalisation, mum was going out every day to lunch clubs and senior groups, which has been vital for her mental health and has been a major factor in preventing her deteriorating mentally'. They're now concerned that, even if she does get back home, she will just not have the skills to, even with support, continue what's left of her life—she is 90—and the institutionalisation that's gone on day in, day out, despite the care that she gets in the hospital, is just an illustration of how we do not combine this approach of social care and hospital services working effectively, even to the point, sometimes, that we're not getting the assessments made by the right team because there are arguments about whose responsibility it is—is it the hospital team or is it the community team—to do the primary assessment. It really is a mess and we must sort it out if we're going to do the best for our constituents.
Weinidog, rwyf wedi cael e-bost gofidus iawn gan etholwr yn dweud bod ei fam 90 oed wedi cael ei derbyn i'r ysbyty am y tro cyntaf ar 8 Awst. Cafodd y sefyllfa ei sefydlogi, ac roedd yn ddigon iach yn gorfforol i fynd adref ychydig wythnosau'n ddiweddarach. Mae'n dal i fod yn yr ysbyty. Maent yn dal i aros am becyn gofal i'w chadw gartref, ac fel y dywed fy etholwr, 'Cyn iddi fynd i'r ysbyty, roedd mam yn mynd allan bob dydd i glybiau cinio a grwpiau'r henoed, sydd wedi bod yn hollbwysig i'w hiechyd meddwl ac sydd wedi bod yn ffactor pwysig i'w hatal rhag dirywio'n feddyliol'. Maent yn bryderus yn awr, hyd yn oed os yw'n mynd adref, na fydd ganddi'r sgiliau, hyd yn oed gyda chymorth, i barhau â'r hyn sydd ar ôl o'i bywyd—mae'n 90 oed—ac nid yw'r sefydliadu sy'n digwydd bob dydd, er gwaethaf y gofal a gaiff yn yr ysbyty, ond yn enghraifft o'r ffordd nad ydym yn cyfuno'r dull hwn o ofal cymdeithasol a gwasanaethau ysbyty i weithio'n effeithiol, hyd yn oed i'r pwynt, weithiau, lle nad yw'r asesiadau'n cael eu gwneud gan y tîm cywir oherwydd bod dadleuon ynglŷn â chyfrifoldeb pwy—tîm yr ysbyty neu'r tîm cymunedol—yw cynnal yr asesiad cyntaf. Mae'n llanastr go iawn ac mae'n rhaid inni ei ddatrys os ydym am wneud y gorau dros ein hetholwyr.
I thank David Melding for that question and I'm very sorry for the experiences that his constituent has had. Overall, there is a reducing trend in the level of patients who are delayed in hospital beds in the South Wales Central region. However, I am concerned about a variation between the different local authorities in the region, with some areas recently seeing an increase on last year's numbers and others a decrease. I'm very much aware that there are still too many patients who are awaiting packages of domiciliary care services to facilitate their discharge. We know that the demands for services have increased a lot recently, in recent years, and we are making great efforts to try to ensure that people are able to leave hospital at a timely pace, or are able to be prevented from going into hospital in the first place, by the services working together, and it's absolutely essential, as the Member says, that health and the local authority work together to ensure that this happens. We do have some very good examples, mainly funded through the integrated care fund, where this does happen, but I absolutely accept that there is a lot of work to do on this issue and the Minister for health and I will be going around and discussing this with the different local health boards in the near future.
Diolch i David Melding am y cwestiwn hwnnw ac mae'n ddrwg iawn gennyf am y profiadau a gafodd ei etholwr. Yn gyffredinol, mae nifer y cleifion sy'n gorfod oedi mewn gwelyau ysbyty yn rhanbarth Canol De Cymru yn gostwng. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n bryderus ynglŷn ag amrywio rhwng y gwahanol awdurdodau lleol yn y rhanbarth, gyda niferoedd rhai ardaloedd yn cynyddu'n ddiweddar ers y llynedd ac eraill yn gostwng. Rwy'n ymwybodol iawn fod gormod o gleifion o hyd yn aros am becynnau gwasanaethau gofal cartref i hwyluso'r broses o'u rhyddhau o'r ysbyty. Gwyddom fod y galw am wasanaethau wedi cynyddu llawer yn ddiweddar, yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ac rydym yn ymdrechu'n galed i geisio sicrhau y gall pobl adael yr ysbyty mewn modd amserol, neu fod modd eu hatal rhag gorfod mynd i'r ysbyty yn y lle cyntaf drwy sicrhau bod y gwasanaethau'n gweithio gyda'i gilydd, ac mae'n gwbl hanfodol, fel y dywed yr Aelod, fod iechyd a'r awdurdod lleol yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd i sicrhau bod hyn yn digwydd. Mae gennym rai enghreifftiau da iawn, a ariennir yn bennaf drwy'r gronfa gofal integredig, lle mae hyn yn digwydd, ond rwy'n sicr yn derbyn bod llawer o waith i'w wneud a bydd y Gweinidog iechyd a minnau'n mynd o gwmpas ac yn trafod hyn gyda'r gwahanol fyrddau iechyd lleol yn y dyfodol agos.
6. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y trefniadau llywodraethu ar gyfer byrddau iechyd yng Nghymru? OAQ54757
6. Will the Minister provide an update on the governance arrangements for health boards in Wales? OAQ54757
Health boards in Wales need to ensure they have robust governance in place and act in a manner that upholds the values set for the Welsh public service.
Mae angen i fyrddau iechyd yng Nghymru sicrhau bod ganddynt drefniadau llywodraethu cadarn ar waith a gweithredu mewn ffordd sy'n cynnal y gwerthoedd a bennwyd ar gyfer gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru.
I'm sure that the Minister will agree with me that, ultimately, governance arrangements can't be separated from those appointed to perform the acts of governance themselves that are needed. The Minister himself, in the case of Betsi Cadwaladr, of course, plays a very active personal role. He's chaired the monthly accountability meetings since July 2018 and the chief executive, Gary Doherty, has made a couple of important appointments, in particular, turnaround director, Phillip Burns, who previously worked for the King's College hospital trust, in whose report for 2017-18 I see that a forecast deficit position of £38.8 million ended up at £142.3 million, forcing the chairman of the board, Lord Kerslake, to resign—hardly an endorsement in Mr Burns' skills at turning around any entity. He and Mr Doherty worked together in the Blackpool NHS board and he appointed also another staffer from Blackpool, Nick Varney, as a turnaround consultant. The Minister himself commented on Mr Varney in a special measures report in 2018, where he said:
'It has been disheartening and unacceptable that during 2017/18 issues have escalated in relation to the financial position and some key areas of performance'.
Blackpool itself at the time was under scrutiny from the Care Quality Commission during or just after the tenures of these three individuals. So, what investigative work did the directors at Betsi Cadwaladr and the Minister himself do to ascertain the quality of Mr Burns's and Mr Varney's work before taking them on as employees? Were the Minister and other directors aware that Mr Doherty, Mr Varney and Mr Burns were all networking buddies and staff at Blackpool NHS at the same or closely overlapping times? Does he agree that cronyism of this kind does nothing to increase public confidence in the governance arrangements for the NHS in Wales, and he and his party should be ashamed when these gold-plated appointments are persisted in being made at a time when nurses' terms and conditions in Bersi Cadwaladr have been eroded by scrapping—talks were going on to scrap their paid breaks?
Rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi na ellir gwahanu trefniadau llywodraethu yn y pen draw oddi wrth y rhai a benodwyd i gyflawni'r gweithredoedd llywodraethu angenrheidiol eu hunain. Mae'r Gweinidog ei hun, yn achos Betsi Cadwaladr, wrth gwrs, yn chwarae rhan bersonol weithgar iawn. Mae wedi cadeirio'r cyfarfodydd atebolrwydd misol ers mis Gorffennaf 2018 ac mae'r prif weithredwr, Gary Doherty, wedi gwneud ambell benodiad pwysig, ac yn fwyaf arbennig, y cyfarwyddwr trawsnewid, Phillip Burns, a fu'n gweithio i ymddiriedolaeth ysbyty Coleg y Brenin cyn hynny, ac yn ei adroddiad ar gyfer 2017-18, gwelaf fod diffyg a ragwelwyd o £38.8 miliwn wedi tyfu i fod yn £142.3 miliwn yn y pen draw, gan orfodi cadeirydd y bwrdd, yr Arglwydd Kerslake, i ymddiswyddo—prin fod hynny'n glod i sgiliau Mr Burns yn trawsnewid unrhyw endid. Arferai ef a Mr Doherty weithio gyda'i gilydd ym mwrdd GIG Blackpool a phenododd aelod arall o Blackpool, Nick Varney, fel ymgynghorydd trawsnewid. Gwnaeth y Gweinidog ei hun sylw ar Mr Varney mewn adroddiad ar fesurau arbennig yn 2018, lle dywedodd:
Mae wedi bod yn ddigalon ac yn annerbyniol fod problemau wedi cynyddu yn ystod 2017/18 mewn perthynas â'r sefyllfa ariannol a rhai meysydd perfformiad allweddol.
Roedd y Comisiwn Ansawdd Gofal yn craffu ar Blackpool ei hun yn ystod neu ychydig ar ôl i'r tri unigolyn hyn fod yn eu swyddi. Felly, pa ymchwiliadau a wnaeth y cyfarwyddwyr yn Betsi Cadwaladr a'r Gweinidog ei hun i ganfod ansawdd gwaith Mr Burns a Mr Varney cyn eu penodi fel gweithwyr cyflogedig? A oedd y Gweinidog a chyfarwyddwyr eraill yn ymwybodol fod Mr Doherty, Mr Varney a Mr Burns i gyd yn gyfeillion rhwydweithio ac yn staff yn GIG Blackpool ar yr un adeg neu ar adegau'n gorgyffwrdd yn agos? A yw'n cytuno nad yw ffrindgarwch o'r fath yn gwneud dim i gynyddu hyder y cyhoedd yn nhrefniadau llywodraethu'r GIG yng Nghymru, a dylai fod cywilydd arno ef a'i blaid pan fydd y penodiadau llewyrchus hyn yn dal i gael eu gwneud ar adeg pan fo telerau ac amodau nyrsys yn Betsi Cadwaladr wedi cael eu herydu drwy gael gwared ar—roedd trafodaethau'n mynd rhagddynt i gael gwared ar eu hamser egwyl â thâl?
I don't think the Member is in the greatest position to talk about cronyism in public life. When it comes to the position of the staff at Betsi Cadwaladr and the requirement to improve the finance function, our expectation is that staff are appointed in a manner that is consistent with our expectations and the requirements of the health board—it is not a nice-to-have, it is about them being objectively able to do their job.
In response to the point about the turnaround director's performance, actually, the initial view is that he is making a real difference to improving the finance function of the health board. That isn't just the view of officials here, it is the view expressed to us by officials in the Wales Audit Office too. There is significant distance to travel, but, actually, when he referred to Lord Kerslake, when he stood down from the King's College trust, he made it very clear that he did not think it was possible to manage with the sums of money available within the English system. He made the point about having a fair expectation for a fair funding settlement for the health service across the UK. You also highlight, of course, that the King's College trust, with a similar level of income compared to Betsi Cadwaladr, has a deficit of about four to five times the amount.
The challenges faced by the health board in north Wales are achievable to turn around, and it is my expectation they will do, but I'll be open and honest about whether they do so, bearing in mind the recent steps I've taken in setting out a renewed special measures framework for north Wales.
Nid wyf yn credu bod yr Aelod yn y sefyllfa orau i siarad am ffrindgarwch mewn bywyd cyhoeddus. O ran sefyllfa staff Betsi Cadwaladr a'r angen i wella'r swyddogaeth gyllid, rydym yn disgwyl i staff gael eu penodi mewn modd sy'n cydymffurfio â'n disgwyliadau a gofynion y bwrdd iechyd—nid rhywbeth braf i'w gael ydyw, mae'n ymwneud â sicrhau eu bod yn gallu gwneud eu gwaith yn wrthrychol.
Mewn ymateb i'r pwynt am berfformiad y cyfarwyddwr trawsnewid, mewn gwirionedd, y farn gyntaf yw ei fod yn gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i wella swyddogaeth gyllid y bwrdd iechyd. Nid barn y swyddogion yma yn unig yw honno, mae'n farn a fynegwyd wrthym gan swyddogion yn Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru hefyd. Mae cryn bellter i deithio, ond mewn gwirionedd, pan gyfeiriodd at yr Arglwydd Kerslake, pan ymddiswyddodd o ymddiriedolaeth Coleg y Brenin, fe'i gwnaeth yn glir iawn nad oedd yn credu ei bod yn bosibl ymdopi â'r symiau o arian a oedd ar gael o fewn y system yn Lloegr. Gwnaeth y pwynt ynglŷn â sicrhau disgwyliad teg am setliad cyllido teg i'r gwasanaeth iechyd ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig. Rydych chi hefyd, wrth gwrs, yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith bod gan ymddiriedolaeth Coleg y Brenin, sydd â lefel debyg o incwm o'i chymharu â Betsi Cadwaladr, ddiffyg o oddeutu pedair i bum gwaith y swm.
Mae'r heriau sy'n wynebu'r bwrdd iechyd yng ngogledd Cymru yn rhai y gellir eu trawsnewid, ac rwy'n disgwyl y byddant yn gwneud hynny, ond fe fyddaf yn agored ac yn onest ynglŷn ag a ydynt yn gwneud hynny, o gofio'r camau diweddar rwyf wedi'u cymryd i osod fframwaith mesurau arbennig wedi'i hadnewyddu ar gyfer gogledd Cymru.
When it comes to governance, it's vital that the independent directors of health boards have a robust background, and understand how these large organisations run. Many have turnovers in excess of £1 billion. In the Cwm Taf case, report after report has indicated that there's been a breakdown in governance. What confidence, Minister, can you give us that your department, and yourself in particular, have learnt from mistakes that have happened in Cwm Taf to make sure that future appointments are robust, and the individuals that you put in place do have that intimate knowledge of how such large, intricate organisations work, so that we can get on top of some of these horrendous stories that come out of organisations such as Cwm Taf and the personal tragedies that have been inflicted in maternity services, sadly, on many expectant mums and families?
Mewn perthynas â llywodraethu, mae'n hanfodol fod gan gyfarwyddwyr annibynnol byrddau iechyd gefndir cadarn, a'u bod yn deall sut y gweithredir y sefydliadau mawr hyn. Mae gan lawer ohonynt drosiant o fwy na £1 biliwn. Yn achos Cwm Taf, mae sawl adroddiad wedi nodi bod y trefniadau llywodraethu wedi methu. Pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei roi i ni, Weinidog, fod eich adran, a chithau'n arbennig, wedi dysgu o'r camgymeriadau a wnaed yng Nghwm Taf i sicrhau bod penodiadau'n gadarn yn y dyfodol, a bod yr unigolion rydych yn eu penodi'n meddu ar wybodaeth drylwyr ynglŷn â sut y mae sefydliadau mor fawr a chymhleth yn gweithio, fel y gallwn fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r straeon erchyll hyn sy'n deillio o sefydliadau megis Cwm Taf a'r trasiedïau personol a achoswyd, yn anffodus, mewn gwasanaethau mamolaeth i nifer o ddarpar famau a'u teuluoedd?
Well, there are some separate points there. The first is that I should remind everyone that independent members go through a public appointments process. It is a robust process, overseen by the commissioner for appointments, and that is not a devolved function, actually. The challenge then is about how they behave when they go to their organisations. There's a point about culture and leadership there, and that's part of the reason we've taken the steps that we have done, on not just induction, but the ongoing expectation for independent members and the way we expect them to behave. It's why David Jenkins's insight and report have been particularly helpful about the change in the nature of behaviour within Cwm Taf Morgannwg to properly recognise what they should be doing, to recognise that mistakes were made in the past, to recognise that insight, and then to be able to move on. But we're definitely changing where the induction takes place and the duties those independent members have throughout their period of time as a public appointment.
Wel, ceir rhai pwyntiau gwahanol yn y fan honno. Yn gyntaf, dylwn atgoffa pawb fod aelodau annibynnol yn mynd drwy broses benodi gyhoeddus. Mae'n broses gadarn, a oruchwylir gan y comisiynydd penodiadau, ac nid yw honno'n swyddogaeth ddatganoledig, mewn gwirionedd. Yr her wedyn yw sut y byddant yn ymddwyn pan fyddant yn mynd i'w sefydliadau. Mae pwynt am ddiwylliant ac arweinyddiaeth yn y fan honno, ac mae hynny'n rhan o'r rheswm pam ein bod wedi cymryd y camau rydym wedi'u cymryd, nid yn unig mewn perthynas ag ymsefydlu, ond y disgwyliad parhaus ar gyfer aelodau annibynnol a'r ffordd rydym yn disgwyl iddynt ymddwyn. Dyna pam y bu ystyriaeth ac adroddiad David Jenkins yn arbennig o ddefnyddiol mewn perthynas â'r newid yn natur yr ymddygiad ym mwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg i gydnabod yn briodol yr hyn y dylent fod yn ei wneud, i gydnabod bod camgymeriadau wedi cael eu gwneud yn y gorffennol, i gydnabod yr ystyriaeth honno, a gallu symud ymlaen wedyn. Ond rydym yn bendant yn newid lle bydd ymsefydlu'n digwydd a'r dyletswyddau a fydd gan yr aelodau annibynnol hynny drwy gydol eu cyfnod fel penodiadau cyhoeddus.
Thank you very much, Minister.
Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog.
Item 3 on the agenda this afternoon is topical questions, and the first topical question this afternoon is from Jack Sargeant.
Eitem 3 ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma yw'r cwestiynau amserol, ac mae'r cwestiwn amserol cyntaf y prynhawn yma gan Jack Sargeant.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn helpu pobl ifanc sy'n profi trais mewn perthynas? 369
1. Will the Minister make a statement on how the Welsh Government is helping young people who experience violence in relationships? 369
I thank Jack Sergeant for that question. We provide a range of support to young people who experience violence in their relationships, either directly through counselling services, or indirectly via awareness-raising training for professionals who work with young people, to ensure that they respond appropriately to any identified support needs of the young people they come into contact with.
Diolch i Jack Sergeant am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Darparwn amrywiaeth o gymorth i bobl ifanc sy'n profi trais mewn perthynas, naill ai'n uniongyrchol drwy wasanaethau cwnsela, neu'n anuniongyrchol drwy hyfforddiant codi ymwybyddiaeth i weithwyr proffesiynol sy'n gweithio gyda phobl ifanc, er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn ymateb yn briodol i unrhyw anghenion cymorth a nodwyd sydd gan y bobl ifanc y dônt i gysylltiad â hwy.
Diolch yn fawr, Deputy Minister. Violence in children and young people's relationships is a serious public health issue. Cardiff University recently undertook extensive research into this matter, and they found that there are gaps in support. Deputy Minister, if we do not address this issue, our future generations could fall between the gap of domestic violence support and child social services. What steps can the Welsh Government take to respond to the report's findings?
Minister, I know that you have long championed the cause of ending relationship abuse, and I was delighted to stand alongside you on Monday to mark White Ribbon Day at the vigil organised by our colleague and friend, Joyce Watson AM. Now, one area I think you'll be particularly interested in is the White Ribbon youth advocate programme, which encourages young people to sign the White Ribbon promise. Deputy Minister, will you explore how the Welsh Government can support this programme, particularly with online content, which is more likely to be accessed by our younger generation?
Diolch yn fawr, Ddirprwy Weinidog. Mae trais mewn perthynas yn fater iechyd cyhoeddus difrifol ymhlith plant a phobl ifanc. Cynhaliodd Prifysgol Caerdydd ymchwil helaeth i'r mater hwn yn ddiweddar, a chanfuwyd bod bylchau yn y cymorth. Ddirprwy Weinidog, os nad ydym yn mynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn, gallai cenedlaethau'r dyfodol syrthio drwy'r bwlch rhwng cymorth trais yn y cartref a gwasanaethau cymdeithasol ar gyfer plant. Pa gamau y gall Llywodraeth Cymru eu cymryd i ymateb i ganfyddiadau'r adroddiad?
Weinidog, gwn eich bod wedi hyrwyddo'r achos o roi diwedd ar gam-drin mewn perthynas, ac roeddwn yn falch iawn o gael sefyll wrth eich ochr ddydd Llun i nodi Diwrnod Rhuban Gwyn yn yr wylnos a drefnwyd gan ein cyd-Aelod a'n cyfaill, Joyce Watson AC. Nawr, un maes rwy'n credu y bydd gennych ddiddordeb arbennig ynddo yw rhaglen eiriolwr ieuenctid y Rhuban Gwyn, sy'n annog pobl ifanc i lofnodi addewid y Rhuban Gwyn. Ddirprwy Weinidog, a wnewch chi archwilio sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru gefnogi'r rhaglen hon, yn enwedig gyda chynnwys ar-lein, sy'n fwy tebygol o gael ei weld gan ein cenhedlaeth iau?
Thank you, again, Jack Sargeant. I was very pleased to be beside you on the vigil. What was good about the vigil was that it was a cross-party vigil and we had speakers from across the Chamber, but it wouldn't have happened without Joyce Watson, who has supported and initiated that vigil every day, and, indeed, earlier in the day, we were in the cathedral, which also Joyce initiated, 16 years ago. It was an important event.
Just in terms of the importance of your question, I joined one of the workshops where we heard from youth advocates from Gwent Police, and they were some of the first White Ribbon youth advocates in the UK coming forward. My officials are working with colleagues in education to design and pilot a health and well-being peer mentoring challenge for the advanced Welsh baccalaureate, which will also promote the Welsh White Ribbon youth advocate programme. Also, we'll be looking at the best ways to raise awareness of this programme online, with our communications and education colleagues, to ensure that we can reach as many people as possible.
Diolch, unwaith eto, Jack Sargeant. Roeddwn yn falch iawn o fod wrth eich ochr yn yr wylnos. Yr hyn a oedd yn dda am yr wylnos oedd ei bod yn wylnos drawsbleidiol a bod gennym siaradwyr o bob rhan o'r Siambr, ond ni fyddai wedi digwydd heb Joyce Watson, sydd wedi cefnogi a chychwyn yr wylnos honno bob dydd, ac yn wir, yn gynharach yn y dydd, roeddem yn yr eglwys gadeiriol, rhywbeth arall a gychwynnwyd gan Joyce 16 mlynedd yn ôl. Roedd yn ddigwyddiad pwysig.
O ran pwysigrwydd eich cwestiwn, ymunais ag un o'r gweithdai lle clywsom gan eiriolwyr ieuenctid o Heddlu Gwent, a hwy oedd rhai o'r eiriolwyr ieuenctid Rhuban Gwyn cyntaf yn y DU. Mae fy swyddogion yn gweithio gyda chydweithwyr yn y byd addysg i gynllunio a threialu her fentora cymheiriaid iechyd a lles ar gyfer diploma uwch bagloriaeth Cymru, a fydd hefyd yn hyrwyddo rhaglen eiriolwr ieuenctid Rhuban Gwyn Cymru. Hefyd, byddwn yn edrych ar y ffyrdd gorau o godi ymwybyddiaeth o'r rhaglen hon ar-lein, gyda'n cydweithwyr cyfathrebu ac addysg, er mwyn sicrhau y gallwn gyrraedd cynifer o bobl ag sy'n bosibl.
I'd like to thank Jack Sargeant for raising this really important question today. I wonder if the Minister agrees with me that one of the issues that's key in the way that young people perceive healthy relationships and what's acceptable is the exposure at a very young age of so many of our young men and women to pornography, some of it of a very violent nature, which infects their idea of what is a normal or what is a healthy and respectful relationship. I'd like to ask the Minister today if she will have further discussions with the Minister for Health and Social Services about what more we might be able to do through the new curriculum, but also immediately, to work with schools, and also with youth groups, where some young people who perhaps find it harder to take a message in a classroom might hear that in a more informal setting to counteract some of these terrible misogynistic messages that our young people receive from, particularly, online content that is so difficult to control.
Hoffwn ddiolch i Jack Sargeant am godi'r cwestiwn gwirioneddol bwysig hwn heddiw. Tybed a yw'r Gweinidog yn cytuno mai un o'r materion sy'n allweddol yn y ffordd y mae pobl ifanc yn dirnad perthynas iach a'r hyn sy'n dderbyniol yw'r modd y daw cynifer o ddynion a menywod ifanc i gysylltiad â phornograffi yn ifanc iawn, ac mae rhywfaint ohono'n dreisgar iawn ei natur, sy'n heintio eu syniad o'r hyn sy'n normal neu'r hyn sy'n berthynas iach a pharchus. Hoffwn ofyn i'r Gweinidog heddiw a wnaiff hi gael trafodaethau pellach gyda'r Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ynglŷn â beth arall y gallem ei wneud drwy'r cwricwlwm newydd, ond hefyd ar unwaith, i weithio gydag ysgolion, a gyda grwpiau ieuenctid, fel bod rhai pobl ifanc, sydd efallai yn ei chael yn anos derbyn neges mewn ystafell ddosbarth, yn gallu clywed y neges honno mewn lleoliad mwy anffurfiol er mwyn gwrthweithio rhai o'r negeseuon gwreig-gasaol ofnadwy y mae ein pobl ifanc yn eu cael, yn enwedig o gynnwys ar-lein, sydd mor anodd ei reoli.
I do welcome that question, Helen Mary Jones, and I know that the Minister for Education is also joining me today in accepting that. There are a number of approaches that we're already taking, for example, I'm sure you'll be aware of the Spectrum project that we're funding, going into schools to teach about healthy relationships. We actually do have a 'This is not OK' communications campaign aimed at children and young people, and it has to take on board what they might also be facing and experiencing in terms of pornography and misogyny.
We're funding counselling in schools, as we've said, but also, most importantly, developing the new cross-curricula education on sexuality and relationships, and also, it is about working with young people more informally, as you say. That is where we have to also work with those volunteers as well as professionals who work with children and young people. Training professionals to ask and act so that they recognise the signs of violence and abuse is crucial in terms of signposting for support.
Rwy'n croesawu'r cwestiwn hwnnw, Helen Mary Jones, a gwn fod y Gweinidog Addysg hefyd yn derbyn hynny heddiw. Rydym eisoes wedi mabwysiadu nifer o ddulliau, er enghraifft, rwy'n siŵr y byddwch yn ymwybodol o'r prosiect Sbectrwm rydym yn ei ariannu, sy'n mynd i ysgolion i addysgu am berthnasoedd iach. Mewn gwirionedd, mae gennym ymgyrch gyfathrebu 'Dyw hyn ddim yn iawn' wedi'i hanelu at blant a phobl ifanc, ac mae'n rhaid i'r ymgyrch honno ystyried yr hyn y gallent fod yn ei wynebu a'i brofi o ran pornograffi a gwreig-gasineb hefyd.
Rydym yn ariannu cwnsela mewn ysgolion, fel rydym wedi'i ddweud, ond hefyd, yn bwysicaf oll, rydym yn datblygu'r addysg drawsgwricwlaidd newydd ar rywioldeb a pherthnasoedd, a hefyd, mae'n ymwneud â gweithio gyda phobl ifanc yn fwy anffurfiol, fel y dywedwch. Mae'n rhaid inni hefyd weithio gyda'r gwirfoddolwyr yn ogystal â gweithwyr proffesiynol sy'n gweithio gyda phlant a phobl ifanc. Mae hyfforddi gweithwyr proffesiynol i ofyn a gweithredu fel eu bod yn adnabod arwyddion trais a cham-drin yn hollbwysig o safbwynt cyfeirio pobl at gymorth.
I have to congratulate Cardiff University for actually looking at this; for seeing the link between all violence and relationship violence, and doing some work underneath it. I think that there is more work that needs to be done. What we have here in this headline is just that: figures. But what we really need to start to understand is what's behind those figures, what is it that produces those figures? When we say that it's a public health issue, it is, but the emotional scars will stay with people for life, and the mental stress and the stigma will also potentially stay with those individuals for life. To experience that at such a young time, when you're first starting out on your journey as an independent individual, is really, really difficult.
Some five years ago, I did a very quick online survey of 100 young people under the age of 21, and I was shocked then by the responses to several questions, but one specifically:'Do you think it's okay to slap your partner?' Over 50 per cent said, 'Yes, that's fine', and there wasn't really a great separation between girls and boys, although there were more girls than boys who thought that that was okay. So, knowing that, then, and knowing this, now, I think the best thing that perhaps we can do, moving forward, is to ensure that all places where children are and where they congregate, whether that's a school, a sports club, a youth club, or any other venue, we have well-supported and funded programmes that teach them about control, and what control looks like. If they happen to meet somebody who says, 'I think it's great, you look lovely, let's have a nice meal at home', and every time, you're only ever being taken out to where they live, and being more and more isolated, individual young people will think that that's a compliment; they won't necessarily see that that's the start of a controlling, potentially highly abusive and dangerous situation for them to be in.
There are many organisations out there who offer this help, and many organisations who would be pleased to help us help those young people. So, my question here today is knowing what we know now, we can't afford to ignore it, we can't afford for any of those young people to become one of those statistics that I had, the candles here—163 women killed by men last year. So, we must intervene now, and we must, actually, now put our money where our mouth is.
Mae'n rhaid imi longyfarch Prifysgol Caerdydd am edrych ar hyn mewn gwirionedd; am weld y cysylltiad rhwng trais yn gyffredinol a thrais mewn perthynas, a gwneud gwaith arno. Credaf fod angen gwneud mwy o waith. Yr unig beth sydd gennym yn y pennawd yw hynny'n union: ffigurau. Ond mae angen inni ddechrau deall beth sydd y tu ôl i'r ffigurau hynny, beth sy'n cynhyrchu'r ffigurau hynny? Pan fyddwn yn dweud ei fod yn fater iechyd cyhoeddus, mae hynny'n wir, ond bydd y creithiau emosiynol yn aros gyda phobl am oes, a bydd y straen feddyliol a'r stigma hefyd, o bosibl, yn aros gyda'r unigolion hynny am oes. Mae profi hynny mor ifanc, pan fyddwch yn cychwyn ar eich taith fel unigolyn annibynnol, yn wirioneddol anodd.
Oddeutu pum mlynedd yn ôl, cynhaliais arolwg cyflym ar-lein i 100 o bobl ifanc dan 21 oed, ac fe'm synnwyd gan yr ymatebion i sawl cwestiwn, ond un yn benodol: 'A ydych chi'n credu ei bod hi'n iawn i slapio eich partner?' Dywedodd dros 50 y cant, 'Ydw, mae hynny'n iawn', ac nid oedd gwahaniaeth mawr rhwng merched a bechgyn, er bod mwy o ferched na bechgyn yn meddwl bod hynny'n iawn. Felly, o wybod hynny, a chan wybod hyn yn awr, credaf mai'r peth gorau y gallwn ei wneud, wrth symud ymlaen, yw sicrhau, ym mhob man lle mae plant a lle mae plant yn ymgynnull, boed yn yr ysgol, mewn clwb chwaraeon, clwb ieuenctid, neu unrhyw leoliad arall, fod gennym raglenni wedi'u cefnogi a'u hariannu'n dda sy'n eu haddysgu am reolaeth, a sut beth yw rheolaeth. Os ydynt yn digwydd cyfarfod â rhywun sy'n dweud, 'Rwy'n credu ei fod yn wych, rwyt ti'n edrych yn hyfryd, gad i ni gael pryd o fwyd braf gartref', a bob tro, ni fyddant yn mynd â chi i unman heblaw lle maent yn byw, a chael eich ynysu fwyfwy, bydd rhai pobl ifanc yn meddwl bod hynny'n ganmoliaeth; ni fyddant o reidrwydd yn gweld y gallai hynny arwain at reoli, a sefyllfa a allai fod yn hynod o gamdriniol a pheryglus iddynt fod ynddi.
Mae llawer o sefydliadau'n cynnig y cymorth hwn, a llawer o sefydliadau a fyddai'n falch o'n helpu ni i helpu'r bobl ifanc hynny. Felly, fy nghwestiwn i yma heddiw yw, gan gwybod yr hyn rydym yn ei wybod yn awr, ni allwn fforddio ei anwybyddu, ni allwn fforddio i unrhyw un o'r bobl ifanc hynny ddod yn un o'r ystadegau a gefais, y canhwyllau yma—163 o fenywod a gafodd eu lladd gan ddynion y llynedd. Felly, mae'n rhaid inni ymyrryd yn awr, ac mae'n rhaid inni roi ein harian ar ein gair mewn gwirionedd.
Well, I also thank Joyce Watson for that question and for, obviously, the leadership she's taken. I agree that Cardiff University has produced a very valuable piece of work, particularly looking at our young people. I think on Monday night, many people in the Chamber today heard of those moving experiences of survivors—a young woman, a survivor, who talked about how she couldn't have come out of her experiences of abuse and coercive control without the support of New Pathways. Of course, there are a number of organisations, Women's Aid and Bawso, who were all there on Monday, who are supporting, and Llamau and Hafan Cymru—so many. But also, I have to mention the young police officer from north Wales who told of his life when his mother was stabbed and killed, and the impact it's had on his life. He is now a serving police office in the North Wales Police in the domestic abuse unit. Survivors are crucial to the way forward, in terms of policy.
And I'm glad that we also launched a communications campaign during freshers' week this year, and those messages were targeted at university students. This was the third phase of 'This is Not Love. This is Control'. Diolch yn fawr.
Wel, hoffwn ddiolch hefyd i Joyce Watson am y cwestiwn hwnnw ac yn amlwg, am yr arweiniad y mae wedi'i roi. Cytunaf fod Prifysgol Caerdydd wedi cynhyrchu darn gwerthfawr iawn o waith, gan edrych yn arbennig ar ein pobl ifanc. Nos Lun, rwy'n credu, clywodd llawer o bobl sydd yn y Siambr heddiw am brofiadau emosiynol goroeswyr—siaradodd menyw ifanc, goroeswr, ynglŷn â sut na fyddai wedi gallu ymdopi â'i phrofiadau o gamdriniaeth a rheolaeth drwy orfodaeth heb gefnogaeth Llwybrau Newydd. Wrth gwrs, mae nifer o sefydliadau, Cymorth i Fenywod a BAWSO, a oedd i gyd yno ddydd Llun, yn rhoi cefnogaeth, a Llamau a Hafan Cymru—cynifer ohonynt. Ond hefyd, mae'n rhaid i mi sôn am y swyddog heddlu ifanc o ogledd Cymru a siaradodd am yr adeg y cafodd ei fam ei thrywanu a'i lladd, a'r effaith a gafodd ar ei fywyd. Mae bellach yn swyddog heddlu sy'n gwasanaethu yn uned cam-drin domestig Heddlu Gogledd Cymru. Mae goroeswyr yn hanfodol i'r ffordd ymlaen, o ran polisi.
Ac rwy'n falch ein bod hefyd wedi lansio ymgyrch gyfathrebu yn ystod wythnos y glas eleni, ac roedd y negeseuon hynny wedi'u targedu at fyfyrwyr prifysgol. Hwn oedd trydydd cam 'Nid cariad yw hyn. Rheolaeth yw hyn'. Diolch yn fawr.
Thank you. The second topical question this afternoon is from Andrew R.T. Davies.
Diolch. Mae'r ail gwestiwn amserol y prynhawn yma gan Andrew R.T. Davies.
2. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am statws yr asesiad o'r effaith amgylcheddol a wnaed ar losgydd y Barri, o gofio bod profion yn y gwaith eisoes wedi dechrau? 370
2. Will the Minister make a statement on the status of the environmental impact assessment made of the Barry incinerator, given that testing at the plant has already commenced? 370
The written statement of May 2019 announced our intention to consult on an environmental statement that the developer of the plant was offering to prepare in relation to planning permission 2015/00031/OUT. That environmental statement has since been received and we have procured an independent consultant, WSP, to assist and undertake an analysis of the information submitted on behalf of the developer. I will undertake the public consultation described in the statement.
Cyhoeddodd datganiad ysgrifenedig mis Mai 2019 ein bwriad i ymgynghori ar ddatganiad amgylcheddol roedd datblygwr y safle yn cynnig ei baratoi mewn perthynas â chaniatâd cynllunio 2015/00031/OUT. Mae'r datganiad amgylcheddol hwnnw wedi dod i law ers hynny ac rydym wedi caffael ymgynghorydd annibynnol, Cynllun Gofodol Cymru, i gynorthwyo a chynnal dadansoddiad o'r wybodaeth a gyflwynwyd ar ran y datblygwr. Byddaf yn cynnal yr ymgynghoriad cyhoeddus a ddisgrifir yn y datganiad.
Thank you, Minister, for that answer, and I'm grateful for the organiser's update in the business statement yesterday over this evidence coming before the Welsh Government. Can you give us an assurance on two fronts, please? One, that the evidence that has been provided by the developer is of the quality that an environmental impact assessment would have had to have been at. And secondly, that no commercial operations will begin at the incinerator until the Welsh Government has formed its opinion, based on the evidence that the developer has given you.
Diolch am yr ateb hwnnw, Weinidog, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar am ddiweddariad y trefnydd yn y datganiad busnes ddoe mewn perthynas â'r dystiolaeth hon a gyflwynir i Lywodraeth Cymru. A allwch chi roi sicrwydd inni mewn perthynas â dau beth, os gwelwch yn dda? Yn gyntaf, fod y dystiolaeth a ddarparwyd gan y datblygwr o'r un ansawdd ag y byddai asesiad o'r effaith amgylcheddol wedi bod. Ac yn ail, na fydd unrhyw weithgarwch masnachol yn dechrau ar safle'r llosgydd hyd nes y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ffurfio'i barn, ar sail y dystiolaeth y mae'r datblygwr wedi'i rhoi i chi.
I thank the Member. I know that the Member has a longstanding ongoing interest in this area. Clearly, the information that the developer will bring in terms of the environmental statement is in line with what we would expect. Clearly, this will be analysed by the independent consultant to look at any gaps and anything that we need to take forward, and we will consider everything carefully and with due diligence as the Member would anticipate and expect.
Diolch i'r Aelod. Gwn fod gan yr Aelod ddiddordeb parhaus yn y maes hwn ers amser. Yn amlwg, mae'r wybodaeth y bydd y datblygwr yn ei chyflwyno mewn perthynas â'r datganiad amgylcheddol yn cyd-fynd â'r hyn y byddem yn ei ddisgwyl. Yn amlwg, caiff ei ddadansoddi gan yr ymgynghorydd annibynnol i edrych ar unrhyw fylchau ac unrhyw beth y mae angen inni fwrw ymlaen ag ef, a byddwn yn ystyried popeth yn ofalus, a chyda diwydrwydd dyladwy, fel y byddai'r Aelod yn ei ragweld ac yn ei ddisgwyl.
There is, of course, a wider question here, isn't there? Because we always hear these warm words from the Welsh Government about the need for a clean air Act, but you allow a technology that sees incinerators release various air pollutants, including nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter, lead, mercury, dioxins, et cetera, et cetera. You introduce the Well-being of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015, with its emphasis on the preventative approach, yet you allow a technology that can have serious public health effects, including increased cancer risk through to respiratory illnesses, cardiac disease, reproductive, developmental and neurological problems. You declare a climate emergency as well, of course, yet the Barry incinerator, as we know, will add over 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, breaching the first, the third, the fourth and the seventh well-being goals, stemming, of course, from the well-being of future generations Act.
So, is it not time, now, for a moratorium on such incinerators, or, at least, a moratorium until you address some of the underlying issues around waste that your proposed new zero-waste strategy should deal with, when we see it? But, if you are intent on pursuing support for this kind of technology, then should we not at the very least be banning incinerators from being built anywhere near schools, hospitals, residential areas and the like?
Wrth gwrs, mae yna gwestiwn ehangach yma, onid oes? Rydym bob amser yn clywed y geiriau calonogol hyn gan Lywodraeth Cymru am yr angen am Ddeddf aer glân, ond rydych yn caniatáu technoleg lle mae llosgyddion yn rhyddhau gwahanol lygryddion aer, gan gynnwys nitrogen ocsid, sylffwr deuocsid, deunydd gronynnol, plwm, mercwri, deuocsinau, ac ati. Rydych yn cyflwyno Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015, gyda'i phwyslais ar y dull ataliol, ac eto rydych yn caniatáu technoleg a all gael effeithiau difrifol ar iechyd y cyhoedd, gan gynnwys mwy o risg o ganser ac afiechydon anadlol, clefyd y galon, problemau atgenhedlu, datblygiadol a niwrolegol. Rydych yn datgan argyfwng hinsawdd hefyd, wrth gwrs, ac eto bydd llosgydd y Barri, fel y gwyddom, yn ychwanegu dros 100,000 tunnell o garbon deuocsid i'n hatmosffer, gan dorri'r nod llesiant cyntaf, yn ogystal â'r trydydd, y pedwerydd a'r seithfed, sy'n deillio, wrth gwrs, o Ddeddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol.
Felly, onid yw'n bryd yn awr i ni roi moratoriwm ar losgyddion o'r fath, neu o leiaf roi moratoriwm arnynt hyd nes y byddwch wedi mynd i'r afael â rhai o'r problemau sylfaenol yn ymwneud â gwastraff y dylai eich strategaeth ddiwastraff newydd arfaethedig fynd i'r afael â hwy pan gawn ei gweld? Ond os ydych yn benderfynol o barhau i gefnogi'r math hwn o dechnoleg, oni ddylem o leiaf fod yn gwahardd llosgyddion rhag cael eu codi yn agos at ysgolion, ysbytai, ardaloedd preswyl ac ati?
The Member does raise a wider debate in terms of actually how we deal effectively with our non-recyclable waste as a responsible nation. I know the Member agrees with me that we have a duty, as a responsible nation, to prevent it both from polluting the environment or seeing that problem exported to other countries. That's the reason why we have invested in infrastructure to extract electricity and heat from this material and to dispose of it safely and to the highest environmental standards.
However, I think it's important that we recognise that the incineration of waste for heat and power should, indeed, be a transitionary step. The long-term solution is to move away from single-use plastic and the use of fossil fuels, and that we move to ban some of those single-use plastic products, but also taking steps to ensure that responsibility for end-of-life costs of materials is placed more on the producer, and in line with the producer-pays principle.
The Member refers to the upcoming new zero-waste strategy, which actually aims to not just focus on waste, but a circular economy and a move beyond where we have been before. An element of that is to look at actually what we do, and have responsibility for our own waste, and I would invite the Member to be part of that conversation in terms of actually how we deal with our waste that we cannot recycle at present but that we want to reduce in the future.
Mae'r Aelod yn codi dadl ehangach o ran sut yr awn i'r afael â'r gwastraff nad oes modd ei ailgylchu yn effeithiol fel gwlad gyfrifol. Gwn fod yr Aelod yn cytuno â mi fod gennym ddyletswydd, fel gwlad gyfrifol, i'w atal rhag llygru'r amgylchedd a'i atal rhag cael ei allforio i wledydd eraill. Dyna'r rheswm pam ein bod wedi buddsoddi mewn seilwaith i echdynnu trydan a gwres o'r deunydd hwn a chael gwared arno'n ddiogel ac yn unol â'r safonau amgylcheddol uchaf.
Fodd bynnag, rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig ein bod yn cydnabod y dylai llosgi gwastraff ar gyfer gwres a phŵer fod yn gam dros dro. Yr ateb yn y tymor hir yw rhoi'r gorau i ddefnyddio plastig untro a defnyddio tanwyddau ffosil, a'n bod yn gwahardd rhai o'r cynhyrchion plastig untro hynny, ond hefyd yn cymryd camau i sicrhau bod mwy o gyfrifoldeb am gostau diwedd oes deunyddiau yn cael ei roi ar ysgwyddau'r cynhyrchydd, ac yn unol â'r egwyddor 'y llygrwr sy'n talu'.
Mae'r Aelod yn cyfeirio at y strategaeth ddiwastraff newydd sydd ar y gweill gyda'r nod o ganolbwyntio nid yn unig ar wastraff ond ar economi gylchol a symud y tu hwnt i ble rydym wedi bod o'r blaen. Elfen o hynny yw edrych ar yr hyn rydym yn ei wneud mewn gwirionedd, a bod yn gyfrifol am ein gwastraff ein hunain, a hoffwn wahodd yr Aelod i fod yn rhan o'r sgwrs honno o ran sut rydym yn ymdrin â'n gwastraff na allwn ei ailgylchu ar hyn o bryd ond y byddwn eisiau ei leihau yn y dyfodol.
This is a very simple question: will you bring forward legislation to prevent incinerators like the one in Barry, like the one proposed in Trowbridge, like the one proposed in Usk—will you bring forward legislation to prevent such incinerators being able to be opened in Wales? It's a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer, really.
Mae hwn yn gwestiwn syml iawn: a wnewch chi gyflwyno deddfwriaeth i atal llosgyddion fel yr un yn y Barri, fel yr un arfaethedig yn Trowbridge, fel yr un arfaethedig ym Mrynbuga—a wnewch chi gyflwyno deddfwriaeth i atal pobl rhag gallu agor llosgyddion o'r fath yng Nghymru? Mae'n ateb 'gwnaf' neu 'na wnaf' syml, mewn gwirionedd.
It's not. Deputy Presiding Officer, I'll refer the Member to my previous response to Llyr Gruffydd—that this is a wider debate to be had, and one that we need to have, going forward, when we discuss our future waste strategy.
Nac ydy. Ddirprwy Lywydd, hoffwn gyfeirio'r Aelod at fy ymateb blaenorol i Llyr Gruffydd—fod hon yn ddadl ehangach i'w chael, a'i bod yn un y mae angen inni ei chael, wrth symud ymlaen, pan fyddwn yn trafod ein strategaeth wastraff ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr.