Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
23/02/2021Cynnwys
Contents
Yn y fersiwn ddwyieithog, mae’r golofn chwith yn cynnwys yr iaith a lefarwyd yn y cyfarfod. Mae’r golofn dde yn cynnwys cyfieithiad o’r areithiau hynny.
In the bilingual version, the left-hand column includes the language used during the meeting. The right-hand column includes a translation of those speeches.
Cyfarfu'r Senedd drwy gynhadledd fideo am 13:30 gyda'r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Senedd met by video-conference at 13:30 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Prynhawn da, a chroeso i'r Cyfarfod Llawn. Cyn i ni ddechrau, dwi eisiau nodi ychydig o bwyntiau. Mae Cyfarfod Llawn a gynhelir drwy gynhadledd fideo, yn unol â Rheolau Sefydlog Senedd Cymru, yn gyfystyr â thrafodion y Senedd at ddibenion Deddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006. Bydd rhai o ddarpariaethau Rheol Sefydlog 34 yn gymwys ar gyfer Cyfarfod Llawn heddiw, ac mae'r rheini wedi'u nodi ar eich agenda chi. A dwi eisiau atgoffa Aelodau hefyd fod y Rheolau Sefydlog sy'n ymwneud â threfn yn y Cyfarfod Llawn yn berthnasol i'r cyfarfod yma.
Good afternoon and welcome to this Plenary session. Before we begin, I want to set out a few points. A Plenary meeting held by video-conference, in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Welsh Parliament, constitutes Senedd proceedings for the purposes of the Government of Wales Act 2006. Some of the provisions of Standing Order 34 will apply for today's Plenary meeting, and these are noted on your agenda. I would also remind Members that Standing Orders relating to order in Plenary meetings apply to this meeting.
Yr eitem gyntaf, felly, yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Vikki Howells.
The first item is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Vilkki Howells.
1. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i wella mynediad at ofal iechyd meddwl brys? OQ56338
1. What is the Welsh Government doing to improve access to emergency mental health care? OQ56338
Llywydd, on 21 December, the Minister for mental health, Eluned Morgan, published 'Beyond the Call', the Welsh Government review of urgent access to mental health services. Cabinet agreement has since been secured to implementation of the report’s recommendations across the range of ministerial responsibilities.
Llywydd, ar 21 Rhagfyr, cyhoeddodd y Gweinidog iechyd meddwl, Eluned Morgan, 'Tu Hwnt i'r Alwad', adolygiad Llywodraeth Cymru o fynediad brys at wasanaethau iechyd meddwl. Ers hynny, sicrhawyd cytundeb y Cabinet i weithredu argymhellion yr adroddiad ar draws yr ystod o gyfrifoldebau gweinidogol.
Thank you, First Minister, for that answer. I'm particularly concerned about our children and young people accessing the appropriate care in terms of the pressures placed on them during the pandemic. So, it's welcome that the Welsh Government has prioritised them with the recent £9.4 million for the schools in-reach pilot and children and mental health adolescent services. However, the pandemic has also highlighted the all too real health inequalities faced by far too many communities across Wales, including in my own constituency of Cynon Valley. How is the Welsh Government tackling this in service provision?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog, am yr ateb yna. Rwy'n pryderu yn arbennig am ein plant a'n pobl ifanc yn gallu cael y gofal priodol o ran y pwysau a roddwyd arnyn nhw yn ystod y pandemig. Felly, mae i'w groesawu bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi eu blaenoriaethu gyda'r £9.4 miliwn diweddar ar gyfer y cynllun arbrofol mewngymorth ysgolion a gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl plant a'r glasoed. Fodd bynnag, mae'r pandemig hefyd wedi amlygu'r anghydraddoldebau iechyd gwirioneddol iawn a wynebir gan lawer gormod o gymunedau ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys yn fy etholaeth i, sef Cwm Cynon. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd i'r afael â hyn wrth ddarparu gwasanaethau?
Llywydd, I thank Vikki Howells for that supplementary question. It gives me an opportunity, hearing her mention health inequalities, to remind colleagues here that this week is the fiftieth anniversary of Dr Julian Tudor Hart's paper in The Lancet on the inverse care law, a paper that has had a genuinely global impact far beyond Wales. It was sent to me, Llywydd, again this week by our former colleague Dr Brian Gibbons, reminding me of the continued relevance of that 50-year-old seminal piece of work. And, of course, Vikki Howells is right, as was Dr Gibbons, that the pandemic has exposed those fault lines in our society all over again. And in emergency mental health services, Llywydd, we know that those people who have the least access to mainstream services often have to gain and obtain health services through emergency routes. It's why the 'Beyond the Call' review was so important, to make sure that those routes are as clear and as easy as possible for people to read.
Members who've had a chance to have a look at it will know that it tracks the 950 calls every day that come into emergency and out-of-normal-hours services across Wales from people with a mental health need of one sort or another. It looks to see what happens to those people, and only three out of 10 of them, Llywydd, turn out to need simply an NHS response; there are other aspects of their lives that need attention as well. So, the report's focus is on collaboration, on timeliness, on crisis planning for people who are known to have a pre-existing condition, on a missing person protocol, particularly important for young people, as Vikki Howells focused on in her supplementary question, and a single point of entry to help those who need help to get it in a crisis. And I'm very pleased to say that we've now got pilots, 111 pilots, in Swansea Bay, Hywel Dda and Aneurin Bevan health boards, all designed to put that aspect of the report into practice, so that we can do better in the way that Vikki Howells asked in her original question, to make sure that emergency mental health care is available to people at that point of need.
Llywydd, diolchaf i Vikki Howells am y cwestiwn atodol yna. Mae'n rhoi cyfle i mi, o'i chlywed yn sôn am anghydraddoldebau iechyd, i atgoffa cyd-Aelodau yn y fan yma mai'r wythnos hon yw hanner can mlwyddiant papur Dr Julian Tudor Hart yn The Lancet ar y gyfraith gofal gwrthdro, papur sydd wedi cael effaith wirioneddol fyd-eang ymhell y tu hwnt i Gymru. Fe'i hanfonwyd ataf, Llywydd, eto yr wythnos hon gan ein cyn-gyd-Aelod Dr Brian Gibbons, yn fy atgoffa o berthnasedd parhaus y darn arloesol hwnnw o waith sy'n 50 mlwydd oed. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae Vikki Howells yn iawn, fel yr oedd Dr Gibbons, bod y pandemig wedi amlygu'r mannau gwan hynny yn ein cymdeithas unwaith yn rhagor. Ac mewn gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl brys, Llywydd, rydym ni'n gwybod bod yn rhaid yn aml i'r bobl hynny sydd â'r lleiaf o fynediad at wasanaethau prif ffrwd gaffael a chael gwasanaethau iechyd trwy lwybrau brys. Dyna pam yr oedd yr adolygiad 'Tu Hwnt i'r Alwad' mor bwysig, i wneud yn siŵr bod y llwybrau hynny mor eglur ac mor hawdd â phosibl i bobl eu darllen.
Bydd aelodau sydd wedi cael cyfle i edrych arno yn gwybod ei fod yn olrhain y 950 o alwadau bob dydd sy'n cael eu derbyn gan wasanaethau brys a gwasanaethau y tu allan i oriau arferol ledled Cymru gan bobl sydd ag angen yn ymwneud ag iechyd meddwl o ryw fath neu'i gilydd. Mae'n edrych i weld beth sy'n digwydd i'r bobl hynny, a dim ond tri o bob 10 ohonyn nhw, Llywydd, y darganfyddir mai dim ond ymateb GIG sydd ei angen arnyn nhw yn y pen draw; ceir agweddau eraill ar eu bywydau y mae angen rhoi sylw iddyn nhw hefyd. Felly, mae'r adroddiad yn canolbwyntio ar gydweithredu, ar brydlondeb, ar gynllunio ar gyfer argyfwng i bobl y gwyddys bod ganddyn nhw gyflwr sy'n bodoli eisoes, ar brotocol person coll, sy'n arbennig o bwysig i bobl ifanc, fel y canolbwyntiodd Vikki Howells arno yn ei chwestiwn atodol, ac un pwynt mynediad i helpu'r rhai sydd angen cymorth ei gael mewn argyfwng. Ac rwy'n falch iawn o ddweud bod gennym ni gynlluniau arbrofol erbyn hyn, 111 o gynlluniau arbrofol, ym myrddau iechyd Bae Abertawe, Hywel Dda ac Aneurin Bevan, pob un â'r nod o roi'r agwedd honno ar yr adroddiad ar waith, fel y gallwn ni wneud yn well yn y ffordd y gofynnodd Vikki Howells yn ei chwestiwn gwreiddiol, i wneud yn siŵr bod gofal iechyd meddwl brys ar gael i bobl ar yr adeg honno o angen.
First Minister, do you agree with me that priority needs to be given to capital investment in modern acute facilities? It's still the case that some are old fashioned, inappropriate, too large, with adolescents, for instance, in adult facilities, and anyone suffering acute mental distress and/or psychosis can find their trauma is increased by grossly inappropriate facilities sometimes, including being held in prison cells whilst placements are sought. This is unacceptable in the modern age.
Prif Weinidog, a ydych chi'n cytuno â mi bod angen rhoi blaenoriaeth i fuddsoddiad cyfalaf mewn cyfleusterau acíwt modern? Mae'n dal yn wir bod rhai yn hen ffasiwn, yn anaddas, yn rhy fawr, gyda phobl ifanc, er enghraifft, mewn cyfleusterau oedolion, a gall unrhyw un sy'n dioddef trallod meddwl acíwt a/neu seicosis ganfod bod eu trawma yn cael ei gynyddu gan gyfleusterau anaddas iawn weithiau, gan gynnwys cael eu cadw mewn celloedd carchar wrth chwilio am leoliadau. Mae hyn yn annerbyniol yn yr oes fodern.
Llywydd, I do absolutely agree with David Melding that people should get the help they need in the right setting. It's completely unacceptable that someone who has primarily a mental health need or condition should end up in a criminal justice context. I know that David Melding will be pleased that one of the 'Beyond the Call' recommendations that has been implemented is that we should have conveyance pilots—that people who are in acute mental distress should not be taken to where they can get help in the back of a police car. And we have three of those pilots going on at the moment with St John Ambulance Cymru—in Swansea Bay, Cwm Taf Morgannwg, and here in Cardiff and the Vale. And it's precisely in order to address the sorts of circumstances that David Melding has referenced—that those people should get the help they need in a way that is sensitive to the distress that they are experiencing, and not in places or by means that add to that distress. And that will need further investment. I'm very pleased to say that we still hope that the Tonna in-patient perinatal mental health service will open to patients in April of this year, and that will be in physical conditions that meet the standards of the twenty-first century.
Llywydd, rwy'n cytuno yn llwyr â David Melding y dylai pobl gael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnyn nhw yn y lleoliad iawn. Mae'n gwbl annerbyniol y dylai rhywun sydd ag angen neu gyflwr iechyd meddwl yn bennaf ganfod eu hunain mewn cyd-destun cyfiawnder troseddol. Gwn y bydd David Melding yn falch mai un o argymhellion 'Tu Hwnt i'r Alwad' a roddwyd ar waith yw y dylem ni gael cynlluniau arbrofol trawsgludiad—na ddylid mynd â phobl sydd mewn trallod meddwl acíwt i le y gallan nhw gael cymorth yng nghefn car heddlu. Ac mae gennym ni dri o'r cynlluniau arbrofol hynny yn cael eu cynnal ar hyn o bryd gydag Ambiwlans Sant Ioan Cymru—ym Mae Abertawe, Cwm Taf Morgannwg, ac yma yng Nghaerdydd a'r Fro. Ac mae'n union er mwyn mynd i'r afael â'r mathau o amgylchiadau y mae David Melding wedi cyfeirio atyn nhw—y dylai'r bobl hynny gael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnyn nhw mewn ffordd sy'n sensitif i'r trallod y maen nhw'n ei ddioddef, ac nid mewn mannau neu drwy ddulliau sy'n ychwanegu at y trallod hwnnw. A bydd angen buddsoddiad pellach ar gyfer hynny. Rwy'n falch iawn o ddweud ein bod ni'n dal i obeithio y bydd gwasanaeth iechyd meddwl amenedigol cleifion mewnol Tonna yn agor i gleifion ym mis Ebrill eleni, a bydd hynny mewn amodau ffisegol sy'n bodloni safonau'r unfed ganrif ar hugain.
First Minister, I've raised this matter of the mental health effects of the lockdown policy since it was evident that the three weeks to flatten the curve was nothing of the sort. We won't know the full effects of lockdown policy in terms of suicide, mental health crises, cancers and waiting times for a long time yet. That said, your Government seems to be investing heavily in mental health services, with £10 million additional funding to deal with the effects of lockdown. Can you tell the Chamber how this sum was calculated, please, and how, specifically, it will benefit those unfortunate enough to need access to emergency mental health services? Thank you.
Prif Weinidog, rwyf i wedi codi'r mater hwn o effeithiau'r polisi cyfyngiadau symud ar iechyd meddwl gan ei bod yn amlwg nad oedd y tair wythnos i lyfnhau'r gromlin yn ddim byd o'r fath. Ni fyddwn ni'n gwybod effeithiau llawn polisi'r cyfyngiadau symud o ran hunanladdiad, argyfyngau iechyd meddwl, canserau ac amseroedd aros am amser maith hyd yma. Wedi dweud hynny, mae'n ymddangos bod eich Llywodraeth yn buddsoddi yn helaeth mewn gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl, gyda £10 miliwn o gyllid ychwanegol i ymdrin ag effeithiau'r cyfyngiadau symud. A allwch chi ddweud wrth y Siambr sut y cyfrifwyd y swm hwn, os gwelwch yn dda, a sut, yn benodol, y bydd o fudd i'r rhai hynny sy'n ddigon anffodus o fod angen mynediad at wasanaethau iechyd meddwl brys? Diolch.
I thank the Member for her question. Of course, we have recognised throughout that there is more than one sort of harm that comes from coronavirus, and the impact on people's mental health and well-being is certainly one of the things to which we have always attempted to pay close attention. I know the Member will be pleased that the British Medical Journal recently reported on evidence that there has not been a rise in suicide rates in the early part of the pandemic. But I agree with what Mandy Jones said that these are early days, and that the impact of the pandemic will go on for many months, and longer than that, to come. But it was at least encouraging that the worst feared impacts in those early days did not appear to have materialised.
The additional investment in mental health is actually £43 million in the draft budget. That comes on top of the fact that mental health is the single largest budget line within the health service here in Wales. That £43 million has to do an awful lot, Llywydd, of course: it has to strengthen services in the community; it has to make sure that young people do not, as David Melding alluded, end up in age-inappropriate settings if they need in-patient treatment; it has to make sure that we go on improving services for people with dementia and the need for mental health services later on in life. But it will have been calculated in the normal ways, in partnership with the health service, the third sector and those who do so much to help provide services for people in Wales with a mental health condition.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am ei chwestiwn. Wrth gwrs, rydym ni wedi cydnabod o'r cychwyn bod mwy nag un math o niwed sy'n dod o coronafeirws, ac mae'r effaith ar iechyd meddwl a llesiant pobl yn sicr yn un o'r pethau yr ydym ni wedi ceisio rhoi sylw gofalus iddo erioed. Gwn y bydd yr Aelod yn falch bod y British Medical Journal wedi adrodd yn ddiweddar ar dystiolaeth na fu cynnydd i gyfraddau hunanladdiad yn ystod cyfnod cynnar y pandemig. Ond rwy'n cytuno â'r hyn a ddywedodd Mandy Jones mai dyddiau cynnar yw'r rhain, ac y bydd effaith y pandemig yn parhau am fisoedd lawer, ac yn hwy na hynny, i ddod. Ond roedd o leiaf yn galonogol nad oedd yn ymddangos bod yr effeithiau gwaethaf a ofnwyd yn y dyddiau cynnar hynny wedi dod i'r amlwg.
Y buddsoddiad ychwanegol mewn iechyd meddwl yn y gyllideb ddrafft yw £43 miliwn mewn gwirionedd. Daw hynny ar ben y ffaith mai iechyd meddwl yw'r llinell gyllideb unigol fwyaf yn y gwasanaeth iechyd yma yng Nghymru. Mae'n rhaid i'r £43 miliwn hwnnw wneud llawer iawn, Llywydd, wrth gwrs: mae'n rhaid iddo gryfhau gwasanaethau yn y gymuned; mae'n rhaid iddo sicrhau nad yw pobl ifanc, fel y soniodd David Melding, yn mynd i leoliadau sy'n amhriodol i'w hoedran os oes angen triniaeth arnyn nhw fel cleifion mewnol; mae'n rhaid iddo wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n parhau i wella gwasanaethau i bobl â dementia a'r angen am wasanaethau iechyd meddwl yn ddiweddarach mewn bywyd. Ond bydd wedi cael ei gyfrifo yn y ffyrdd arferol, mewn partneriaeth â'r gwasanaeth iechyd, y trydydd sector a'r rhai sy'n gwneud cymaint i helpu i ddarparu gwasanaethau i bobl yng Nghymru sydd â chyflwr iechyd meddwl.
2. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am ailagor ysgolion? OQ56303
2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the reopening of schools? OQ56303
Llywydd, opening up education remains the Welsh Government’s main priority. Our youngest learners started to return to schools this week. As announced on Friday, if the public health situation continues to improve, more children will return to their classrooms from 15 March, in a safe and flexible way.
Llywydd, agor addysg yw prif flaenoriaeth Llywodraeth Cymru o hyd. Dechreuodd ein dysgwyr ieuengaf ddychwelyd i ysgolion yr wythnos hon. Fel y cyhoeddwyd ddydd Gwener, os bydd sefyllfa iechyd y cyhoedd yn parhau i wella, bydd mwy o blant yn dychwelyd i'w hystafelloedd dosbarth o 15 Mawrth, mewn modd diogel a hyblyg.
Thank you, First Minister, for your answer. I certainly welcome that schools have reopened as of yesterday for younger children. A concern raised with me is that school uniform seems to be classed as a non-essential item and is unable to be purchased. Shoe shops are closed, meaning that children cannot be measured to get approximate-sized shoes. So, what advice can you provide to parents in supporting them to obtain school uniforms and shoes before their children return to school? And what consideration has been given to relaxing the wearing of school uniforms in schools, given the fact that children grow out of clothes and shoes so quickly and schools are closed for such long periods of time?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog, am eich ateb. Rwy'n sicr yn croesawu'r ffaith bod ysgolion wedi ailagor ddoe ar gyfer plant iau. Un pryder a godwyd gyda mi yw ei bod hi'n ymddangos bod gwisg ysgol yn cael ei hystyried yn eitem nad yw'n hanfodol ac na ellir ei phrynu. Mae siopau esgidiau ar gau, sy'n golygu na ellir mesur plant i gael esgidiau maint bras. Felly, pa gyngor allwch chi ei roi i rieni i'w cynorthwyo i gael gwisg ysgol ac esgidiau cyn i'w plant ddychwelyd i'r ysgol? A pha ystyriaeth sydd wedi ei rhoi i lacio gwisgo gwisgoedd ysgol mewn ysgolion, o ystyried y ffaith fod plant yn tyfu allan o ddillad ac esgidiau mor gyflym a bod ysgolion ar gau am gyfnodau mor faith?
Well, Llywydd, I thank Russell George for those points, which are all points that I think are absolutely right ones to raise in this context. The instruction of the Welsh Government to schools is that they must take a flexible approach to uniforms in these extraordinary periods. No child should be sent home from school in Wales because they're unable to obtain a uniform in the extraordinary circumstances of recent weeks, and I'm sure that schools will exercise good sense in the way that they approach this matter.
We're in discussions with the retail sector to see if there's anything we can do to help meet emergency needs when children don't have shoes, in the way that the Member explained, and I know that schools themselves will look to assist where there are genuine difficulties of that sort. The system just needs to react to the circumstances in the way that shows some flexibility and simple good sense in order to make sure that families do not find themselves facing additional difficulties on the journey back into education.
Wel, Llywydd, diolchaf i Russell George am y pwyntiau yna, sydd i gyd yn bwyntiau yr wyf i'n credu eu bod nhw'n gwbl gywir i'w codi yn y cyd-destun hwn. Cyfarwyddyd Llywodraeth Cymru i ysgolion yw bod yn rhaid iddyn nhw fabwysiadu agwedd hyblyg at wisgoedd yn y cyfnodau eithriadol hyn. Ni ddylid anfon unrhyw blentyn adref o'r ysgol yng Nghymru oherwydd nad yw'n gallu cael gwisg ysgol o dan amgylchiadau eithriadol yr wythnosau diwethaf, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd ysgolion yn arfer synnwyr da yn y ffordd y maen nhw'n ymdrin â'r mater hwn.
Rydym ni'n cynnal trafodaethau gyda'r sector manwerthu i weld a oes unrhyw beth y gallwn ni ei wneud i helpu i ddiwallu anghenion brys pan nad oes gan blant esgidiau, yn y ffordd yr esboniodd yr Aelod, a gwn y bydd yr ysgolion eu hunain yn ceisio cynorthwyo lle ceir anawsterau gwirioneddol o'r math hwnnw. Mae angen i'r system ymateb i'r amgylchiadau yn y ffordd sy'n dangos rhywfaint o hyblygrwydd a synnwyr da syml er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr nad yw teuluoedd yn wynebu anawsterau ychwanegol ar y daith yn ôl i addysg.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Questions now from the party leaders. The leader of the Conservatives, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, in response to Russell George's question, you said that education and reopening of education was your No. 1 priority, and I think we'd all subscribe to that. But, regrettably, Ministers have confirmed that some year groups going back to school will not return to school until after the Easter break. So, if you're in years 7, 8, 9 or 10, you will not be returning until after the Easter break, under the current conditions that your Government has outlined. How can you allow, if there's any headroom going through the month of March, for schoolchildren to remain out of school and be opening up other parts of the economy by lifting the restrictions? Has education slipped down your priority list? Or, if it still your No. 1 priority, will you make sure that any headroom that develops through the month of March sees schoolchildren return across all year groups in Wales?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, mewn ymateb i gwestiwn Russell George, dywedasoch mai addysg ac ailagor addysg oedd eich prif flaenoriaeth, ac rwy'n credu y byddem ni i gyd yn cytuno â hynny. Ond, yn anffodus, mae Gweinidogion wedi cadarnhau na fydd rhai grwpiau blwyddyn sy'n mynd yn ôl i'r ysgol yn dychwelyd i'r ysgol tan ar ôl gwyliau'r Pasg. Felly, os ydych chi ym mlynyddoedd 7, 8, 9 neu 10, ni fyddwch chi'n dychwelyd tan ar ôl gwyliau'r Pasg, o dan yr amodau presennol y mae eich Llywodraeth wedi eu hamlinellu. Sut gallwch chi ganiatáu, os oes unrhyw hyblygrwydd wrth fynd trwy fis Mawrth, i blant ysgol aros allan o'r ysgol a bod yn agor rhannau eraill o'r economi drwy godi'r cyfyngiadau? A yw addysg wedi llithro i lawr eich rhestr o flaenoriaethau? Neu, os mai addysg yw eich prif flaenoriaeth o hyd, a wnewch chi wneud yn siŵr bod unrhyw hyblygrwydd sy'n datblygu trwy fis Mawrth yn golygu bod plant ysgol yn dychwelyd ar draws pob grŵp blwyddyn yng Nghymru?
Well, Llywydd, returning children and young people to face-to-face learning is the top priority of this Government, but we will do so in a way that is consistent with the science and the advice that we have. Members here will have seen the TAC report, published on 5 February, which sets out that advice and which echoes the advice that has been provided by SAGE. And that advice is simple: that if we were to return all children to school on a single day in Wales, that would raise the R number in Wales between 10 per cent and 50 per cent. We are, therefore, very specifically recommended not to do that. What we are recommended to do is to return children to school in tranches, to pause between those tranches, so that we can properly gather the evidence of the impact of that return on the circulation of the virus here in Wales. So, it is not as simple as saying, 'If you have the headroom, return all children to school' because to do so in that way would involve very significant risks of its own.
We will return the foundation phase this week. We will pause and we will review the evidence that emerges from that return. Provided the evidence is positive, all primary-aged children will return to school on 15 March, together with examination students in secondary school. We will then pause, as the scientific advice requires us to do, to review the impact of that, and, provided that goes well, then we will return other students to school, where we want them to be. If, in the meantime, that means we are able to offer any further easements in other areas, to allow our economy or our daily lives to begin—to begin—the journey back to normality, then, of course, we would want to do that.
Wel, Llywydd, dychwelyd plant a phobl ifanc i ddysgu wyneb yn wyneb yw prif flaenoriaeth y Llywodraeth hon, ond byddwn ni'n gwneud hynny mewn ffordd sy'n gyson â'r wyddoniaeth a'r cyngor yr ydym yn ei gael. Bydd yr Aelodau yn y fan yma wedi gweld adroddiad y gell cyngor technegol, a gyhoeddwyd ar 5 Chwefror, sy'n cyflwyno'r cyngor hwnnw ac sy'n adleisio'r cyngor a ddarparwyd gan SAGE. Ac mae'r cyngor hwnnw yn syml: pe byddem ni'n dychwelyd pob plentyn i'r ysgol ar un diwrnod yng Nghymru, byddai hynny'n codi'r rhif R yng Nghymru rhwng 10 y cant a 50 y cant. Felly, rydym ni'n cael ein hargymell yn benodol iawn i beidio â gwneud hynny. Yr hyn yr argymhellir i ni ei wneud yw dychwelyd plant i'r ysgol mewn cyfrannau, i oedi rhwng y cyfrannau hynny, fel y gallwn ni gasglu yn iawn y dystiolaeth o effaith y dychweliad hwnnw ar gylchrediad y feirws yma yng Nghymru. Felly, nid yw mor syml â dweud, 'Os yw'r hyblygrwydd gennych chi, dychwelwch bob plentyn i'r ysgol' oherwydd byddai gwneud hynny yn y ffordd honno yn golygu risgiau sylweddol iawn ei hun.
Byddwn yn dychwelyd y cyfnod sylfaen yr wythnos hon. Byddwn yn oedi a byddwn yn adolygu'r dystiolaeth sy'n deillio o'r dychweliad hwnnw. Cyn belled â bod y dystiolaeth yn gadarnhaol, bydd pob plentyn oedran cynradd yn dychwelyd i'r ysgol ar 15 Mawrth, ynghyd â myfyrwyr arholiad yn yr ysgol uwchradd. Byddwn wedyn yn oedi, fel y mae'r cyngor gwyddonol yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i ni ei wneud, i adolygu effaith hynny, ac, ar yr amod bod hynny yn mynd yn dda, yna byddwn yn dychwelyd myfyrwyr eraill i'r ysgol, lle'r ydym ni eisiau iddyn nhw fod. Os yw hynny'n golygu, yn y cyfamser, y gallwn ni gynnig unrhyw hawddfreintiau pellach mewn meysydd eraill, i ganiatáu i'n heconomi neu ein bywydau beunyddiol gychwyn—cychwyn—y daith yn ôl i normalrwydd, yna, wrth gwrs, byddem ni eisiau gwneud hynny.
First Minister, it is a matter of regret that certain cohorts of children will not be going back to school until after Easter, and that is the choice that you are taking, despite saying it is your No. 1 priority to get schoolchildren back to face-to face learning as quickly as possible. I was very specific in the way I asked the question about using the headroom that is available through the month of March to allow this to happen in a more timely manner. Regrettably, you chose not to engage with that, and it is a fact that the Government will be leaving a significant cohort of pupils out of school. That is a choice that the Government is taking.
If we look at choices and priorities, the Federation of Small Businesses have talked about radio silence coming from the Government today when it comes to interacting with business over the conditions that the Government would expect to see before opening up swathes of the economy. It is unfortunate that such a substantial business organisation has referred to radio silence coming from the Welsh Government and a lack of a road map being put in place so business can understand what would be expected of them from the Government before they reopen. Can you use this Plenary opportunity to put on the record what conditions you expect to be in place before parts of the economy are reopened and business can plan accordingly? Will you confirm whether you will be bringing forward a road map that has clear gateways and conditions to travel through so that businesses know when they will be able to reopen and begin trading? Because that would be the best recovery any business can expect to have—by trading under normal conditions.
Prif Weinidog, mae'n destun gofid na fydd rhai carfannau o blant yn mynd yn ôl i'r ysgol tan ar ôl y Pasg, a dyna'r dewis yr ydych chi'n ei wneud, er i chi ddweud mai eich prif flaenoriaeth yw cael plant ysgol i fynd yn ôl i ddysgu wyneb yn wyneb cyn gynted â phosibl. Roeddwn i'n benodol iawn yn y ffordd y gofynnais y cwestiwn am ddefnyddio'r hyblygrwydd sydd ar gael trwy fis Mawrth i ganiatáu i hyn ddigwydd yn fwy prydlon. Yn anffodus, fe wnaethoch chi ddewis peidio ag ymgysylltu â hynny, ac mae'n ffaith y bydd y Llywodraeth yn gadael carfan sylweddol o ddisgyblion allan o'r ysgol. Mae hwnnw yn ddewis y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei wneud.
Os edrychwn ni ar ddewisiadau a blaenoriaethau, mae'r Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach wedi sôn am dawelwch llwyr gan y Llywodraeth heddiw pan ddaw'n fater o ryngweithio â'r byd busnes ynghylch yr amodau y byddai'r Llywodraeth yn disgwyl eu gweld cyn agor rhannau helaeth o'r economi. Mae'n anffodus bod sefydliad busnes mor sylweddol wedi cyfeirio at dawelwch llwyr gan Lywodraeth Cymru a diffyg map ffyrdd yn cael ei roi ar waith fel y gall byd busnes ddeall yr hyn y byddai'r Llywodraeth yn ei ddisgwyl ganddyn nhw cyn iddyn nhw ailagor. A allwch chi ddefnyddio'r cyfle hwn yn y Cyfarfod Llawn i gofnodi pa amodau yr ydych chi'n disgwyl iddyn nhw fod ar waith cyn ailagor rhannau o'r economi ac y gall byd busnes gynllunio yn unol â hynny? A wnewch chi gadarnhau pa un a fyddwch chi'n cyflwyno map ffyrdd sydd â phyrth ac amodau eglur i deithio drwyddyn nhw fel bod busnesau yn gwybod pryd y byddan nhw'n cael ailagor a dechrau masnachu? Oherwydd dyna fyddai'r adferiad gorau y gall unrhyw fusnes ddisgwyl ei gael—trwy fasnachu o dan amodau arferol.
Let me just help the Member a second time in relation to schools. We will return students to schools as fast as it is safe to do so. The advice we have is that it would not be safe to do what he is suggesting. If it is the policy of the Conservative Party in Wales to return children to conditions that are not safe for them or for their staff, then let him say so. This Government will not do that; we will follow the science, whatever happens elsewhere. The science is that you must return children in tranches and you must pause between each one. I set out the road map of the Welsh Government in December; we updated it again on Friday of last week. I hope the Member has had a chance to consider that. He wouldn't need to ask me for one if he had taken the trouble to do so. That sets out the way in which we will lift the restrictions that currently are necessary for businesses and in our personal lives. It's clear from what he's said today that businesses in Wales would know where they were if he were to be in charge, because they wouldn't be going back at all, because it would be clear that he wouldn't be able to do that and do what he has just said in relation to education. The Welsh Government will not follow his advice on that. If we are in a position to begin the reopening of businesses in Wales earlier than he would be able to do so, then that is what we will do. We will do it in partnership, of course, with business organisations, as we always do, and we will be discussing those possibilities with them during the three weeks that we now have before the next review has to conclude.
Gadewch i mi helpu'r Aelod yr eildro o ran ysgolion. Byddwn yn dychwelyd myfyrwyr i ysgolion cyn gynted ag y bydd yn ddiogel i wneud hynny. Y cyngor sydd gennym ni yw na fyddai'n ddiogel gwneud yr hyn y mae e'n ei awgrymu. Os mai polisi'r Blaid Geidwadol yng Nghymru yw dychwelyd plant i amodau nad ydyn nhw'n ddiogel iddyn nhw na'u staff, yna gadewch iddo ddweud hynny. Ni wnaiff y Llywodraeth hon hynny; byddwn yn dilyn y wyddoniaeth, beth bynnag sy'n digwydd mewn mannau eraill. Y wyddoniaeth yw bod yn rhaid i chi ddychwelyd plant mewn cyfrannau ac mae'n rhaid i chi oedi rhwng pob un. Cyflwynais fap ffyrdd Llywodraeth Cymru ym mis Rhagfyr; fe'i diweddarwyd gennym ni unwaith eto ddydd Gwener yr wythnos diwethaf. Rwy'n gobeithio bod yr Aelod wedi cael cyfle i ystyried hwnnw. Ni fyddai angen iddo ofyn i mi am un pe byddai wedi mynd i'r drafferth i wneud hynny. Mae hwnnw yn nodi'r ffordd y byddwn ni'n codi'r cyfyngiadau sy'n angenrheidiol ar hyn o bryd i fusnesau ac yn ein bywydau personol. Mae'n amlwg o'r hyn y mae ef wedi ei ddweud heddiw y byddai busnesau yng Nghymru yn gwybod ble'r oedden nhw pe byddai ef wrth y llyw, oherwydd ni fydden nhw'n dychwelyd o gwbl, oherwydd byddai'n eglur na fyddai'n gallu gwneud hynny a gwneud yr hyn y mae newydd ei ddweud o ran addysg. Ni fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn dilyn ei gyngor ar hynny. Os byddwn ni mewn sefyllfa i ddechrau ailagor busnesau yng Nghymru yn gynharach nag y byddai ef yn gallu gwneud hynny, yna dyna fyddwn ni'n ei wneud. Byddwn ni'n gwneud hynny mewn partneriaeth, wrth gwrs, â sefydliadau busnes, fel y byddwn ni yn ei wneud bob amser, a byddwn yn trafod y posibiliadau hynny gyda nhw yn ystod y tair wythnos sydd gennym ni nawr cyn i'r adolygiad nesaf ddod i ben.
First Minister, you've taken your usual condescending tone. You might be the professor in the Bay, but you're the professor without a plan out of lockdown and that's a real problem for the economy and for schoolchildren the length and breadth of Wales. What you can do with the powers that are available to you is put some support in for businesses by extending the business rate relief scheme. Will you at least in this third question engage positively and commit today to extending the business rate relief scheme that has been extended in other parts of the UK and would be a relief to many businesses facing business rate demands? Because in the absence of any coherent plan to bring the economy out of lockdown and with the evidence provided by the Federation of Small Businesses that there's radio silence coming from the Welsh Government, try and pull one lever at least to help the economy regain its confidence.
Prif Weinidog, rydych chi wedi mabwysiadu eich tôn nawddoglyd arferol. Efallai mai chi yw'r athro yn y Bae, ond chi yw'r athro heb gynllun allan o'r cyfyngiadau symud ac mae hynny yn broblem wirioneddol i'r economi ac i blant ysgol ar hyd a lled Cymru. Yr hyn y gallwch chi ei wneud gyda'r pwerau sydd ar gael i chi yw rhoi rhywfaint o gymorth i fusnesau drwy ymestyn y cynllun rhyddhad ardrethi busnes. A wnewch chi o leiaf yn y trydydd cwestiwn hwn ymateb yn gadarnhaol ac ymrwymo heddiw i ymestyn y cynllun rhyddhad ardrethi busnes sydd wedi cael ei ymestyn mewn rhannau eraill o'r DU ac a fyddai'n rhyddhad i lawer o fusnesau sy'n wynebu biliau ardrethi busnes? Oherwydd yn absenoldeb unrhyw gynllun cydlynol i ddod â'r economi allan o'r cyfyngiadau symud a chyda'r dystiolaeth a ddarparwyd gan y Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach bod distawrwydd llwyr yn dod gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ceisiwch dynnu un ysgogiad o leiaf i helpu'r economi adennill ei hyder.
Llywydd, 64,000 businesses in Wales have already received rate relief as a result of the decisions of this Welsh Government. I understand how important that is to businesses, but we will wait until Wednesday of next week, 3 March, to see the Chancellor's budget, so that we are clear about how much money we have as a Government for all the different purposes that we have to discharge in the next financial year. If the Chancellor makes provision for rate relief, then we will be able to provide rate relief here in Wales. I'm not prepared to commit to using the money we have next year until I am clear on the quantum of funding that will be available not just for businesses, but to support the health service during this pandemic, to support local authorities in the work that they do, to make sure that third sector organisations, the arts, all those many things that we have to attend to—until I know how much money is available to the Welsh Government next year, I'm not prepared to come to a conclusion on any one aspect of it. To do so would be simply irresponsible. Once we know, on Wednesday of next week, whether Wales is to have money taken away from us next year again, as we have on so many occasions during the 10 years that his Government has imposed austerity on Wales, or whether we have the money that we need to attend to the calls of businesses and others—once we know, this Government will make allocations to those key sectors during the month of March. I hope very much that we will be in a position to do as the leader of the Conservatives here has suggested, and to offer further help to businesses in Wales, but we won't be in a position to do that until we know what his Government in Westminster has got in store for us.
Llywydd, mae 64,000 o fusnesau yng Nghymru eisoes wedi cael rhyddhad ardrethi o ganlyniad i benderfyniadau'r Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru. Rwy'n deall pa mor bwysig yw hynny i fusnesau, ond byddwn yn aros tan ddydd Mercher yr wythnos nesaf, 3 Mawrth, i weld cyllideb y Canghellor, fel ein bod ni'n eglur ynghylch faint o arian sydd gennym ni fel Llywodraeth at yr holl wahanol ddibenion y mae'n rhaid i ni eu cyflawni yn y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf. Os bydd y Canghellor yn darparu ar gyfer rhyddhad ardrethi, yna byddwn ni'n gallu darparu rhyddhad ardrethi yma yng Nghymru. Nid wyf i'n barod i ymrwymo i ddefnyddio'r arian sydd gennym ni y flwyddyn nesaf tan fy mod i'n eglur ynghylch cwantwm y cyllid a fydd ar gael nid yn unig i fusnesau, ond i gynorthwyo'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn ystod y pandemig hwn, i gynorthwyo awdurdodau lleol yn y gwaith y maen nhw'n ei wneud, i wneud yn siŵr bod sefydliadau'r trydydd sector, y celfyddydau, yr holl bethau niferus hynny y mae'n rhaid i ni roi sylw iddyn nhw—tan yr wyf i'n gwybod faint o arian sydd ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru y flwyddyn nesaf, nid wyf i'n barod i ddod i gasgliad ar unrhyw un agwedd arno. Byddai gwneud hynny yn anghyfrifol. Cyn gynted ag y byddwn ni'n gwybod, ddydd Mercher yr wythnos nesaf, pa un a fydd Cymru yn colli arian unwaith eto y flwyddyn nesaf, fel sydd wedi digwydd ar gynifer o achlysuron yn ystod y 10 mlynedd y mae ei Lywodraeth ef wedi gorfodi cyni cyllidol ar Gymru, neu pa un a yw'r arian sydd ei angen arnom ni gennym ni i ymateb i alwadau busnesau ac eraill—cyn gynted ag y byddwn ni'n gwybod, bydd y Llywodraeth hon yn gwneud dyraniadau i'r sectorau allweddol hynny yn ystod mis Mawrth. Rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr y byddwn ni mewn sefyllfa i wneud fel y mae arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr yn y fan yma wedi ei awgrymu, a chynnig cymorth pellach i fusnesau yng Nghymru, ond ni fyddwn ni mewn sefyllfa i wneud hynny tan y byddwn ni'n gwybod beth sydd gan ei Lywodraeth ef yn San Steffan ar y gweill ar ein cyfer.
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price.
First Minister, how many care workers in Wales currently receive less than the real living wage?
Prif Weinidog, faint o weithwyr gofal yng Nghymru sy'n cael llai na'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol ar hyn o bryd?
I'm quite sure the Member will be able to give me an answer to that question. I'm well aware that publicly provided social care in most parts of Wales does provide the real living wage, and in the private sector, where most residential care is provided, there are employers who are yet to do so. We are using our grant in aid to the sector to encourage the provision of the real living wage, and we hope that we will be able to make significant progress as a result of the additional money that we provide.
Rwy'n eithaf sicr y bydd yr Aelod yn gallu rhoi ateb i mi i'r cwestiwn hwnnw. Rwy'n gwbl ymwybodol bod gofal cymdeithasol a ddarperir yn gyhoeddus yn y rhan fwyaf o Gymru yn darparu'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol, ac yn y sector preifat, lle darperir y rhan fwyaf o ofal preswyl, ceir cyflogwyr nad ydyn nhw wedi gwneud hynny hyd yn hyn. Rydym ni'n defnyddio ein cymorth grant i'r sector i annog y ddarpariaeth o'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol, ac rydym ni'n gobeithio y byddwn ni'n gallu gwneud cynnydd sylweddol o ganlyniad i'r arian ychwanegol yr ydym ni'n ei ddarparu.
According to the Resolution Foundation, First Minister, more than half of all care workers in Wales currently receive less than the real living wage—poverty wages, in other words. That was unacceptable before the pandemic and it's certainly unacceptable now. That's not just my view; it's also the view expressed recently by your party's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, who has called for the Government in England to commit to a care worker minimum wage of £10 an hour. Are you prepared to match that commitment to a £10 an hour minimum wage for all care workers here in Wales?
Yn ôl y Resolution Foundation, Prif Weinidog, mae mwy na hanner yr holl weithwyr gofal yng Nghymru yn cael llai na'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol ar hyn o bryd—cyflogau tlodi, mewn geiriau eraill. Roedd hynny yn annerbyniol cyn y pandemig ac mae'n sicr yn annerbyniol nawr. Nid fy marn i yn unig yw hynny; dyna'r farn a fynegwyd hefyd yn ddiweddar gan ddirprwy arweinydd eich plaid, Angela Rayner, sydd wedi galw ar y Llywodraeth yn Lloegr i ymrwymo i isafswm cyflog o £10 yr awr i weithwyr gofal. A ydych chi'n barod i gyfateb yr ymrwymiad hwnnw i isafswm cyflog o £10 yr awr i'r holl weithwyr gofal yma yng Nghymru?
I certainly agree with the Member that it's unacceptable that people who have done so much at the front line during the pandemic are not paid at a level that recognises the value and importance of the work that they do. Of course, if my party at Westminster succeeds in persuading the UK Government to make such a payment, there will be money that will come to Wales to allow us to fund such a commitment. But I always have to ask myself where the money will come from. Week by week, he asks me to spend money that he hasn't got and I haven't got, and I'm keeping a running total of his many, many unfunded commitments that he constantly tries to press upon me. The Welsh Government is using the money we have in a way that would promote the payment of the real living wage in the social care sector. That is a business investment, in my view, for those private organisations that fail to do so at the moment. In the money that we provide, we are doing everything we can to make sure that that is made their priority. If more money comes our way, we'll be able to do even more.
Rwy'n sicr yn cytuno â'r Aelod ei bod hi'n annerbyniol nad yw pobl sydd wedi gwneud cymaint yn y rheng flaen yn ystod y pandemig yn cael eu talu ar lefel sy'n cydnabod gwerth a phwysigrwydd y gwaith y maen nhw'n ei wneud. Wrth gwrs, os bydd fy mhlaid i yn San Steffan yn llwyddo i berswadio Llywodraeth y DU i wneud taliad o'r fath, bydd arian a fydd yn dod i Gymru i ganiatáu i ni ariannu ymrwymiad o'r fath. Ond mae'n rhaid i mi ofyn i mi fy hun bob amser o ble fydd yr arian yn dod. Wythnos ar ôl wythnos, mae'n gofyn i mi wario arian nad yw ganddo ef ac nad yw gennyf i, ac rwy'n cadw cyfanswm o'i ymrwymiadau niferus iawn sydd heb eu hariannu, y mae'n ceisio eu pwyso arnaf i yn gyson. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn defnyddio'r arian sydd gennym ni mewn ffordd a fyddai'n hyrwyddo talu'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol yn y sector gofal cymdeithasol. Buddsoddiad busnes yw hwnnw, yn fy marn i, i'r sefydliadau preifat hynny sy'n methu â gwneud hynny ar hyn o bryd. Yn yr arian yr ydym ni'n ei ddarparu, rydym ni'n gwneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i wneud yn siŵr bod hynny yn cael ei wneud yn flaenoriaeth iddyn nhw. Os daw mwy o arian i ni, byddwn yn gallu gwneud hyd yn oed mwy.
First Minister, the Scottish Government has already committed last year to ensuring that all care workers in Scotland receive the real living wage. Why aren't you prepared to make that commitment here in Wales? The unions are calling for it, the care sector is calling for it, the Bevan Foundation is calling for it. Yes, you're absolutely right, it would be a priority to deliver for a Plaid Cymru Government. The Labour Party is committed to supporting it in England and Scotland. They just put an amendment there this week to go further than the current commitment of the Scottish Government. Why won't you commit to doing it as a Government, to making the same commitment, where you have the power to make such a difference to tens of thousands of care workers' lives, and the people who depend upon them?
Prif Weinidog, mae Llywodraeth yr Alban eisoes wedi ymrwymo y llynedd i sicrhau bod pob gweithiwr gofal yn yr Alban yn cael y cyflog byw gwirioneddol. Pam nad ydych chi'n barod i wneud yr ymrwymiad hwnnw yma yng Nghymru? Mae'r undebau yn galw amdano, mae'r sector gofal yn galw amdano, mae Sefydliad Bevan yn galw amdano. Byddai, rydych chi yn llygad eich lle, byddai'n flaenoriaeth i'w gyflawni i Lywodraeth Plaid Cymru. Mae'r Blaid Lafur wedi ymrwymo i'w gefnogi yn Lloegr a'r Alban. Maen nhw newydd gynnig gwelliant yno yr wythnos hon i fynd ymhellach nag ymrwymiad presennol Llywodraeth yr Alban. Pam na wnewch chi ymrwymo i'w wneud fel Llywodraeth, i wneud yr un ymrwymiad, lle mae gennych chi'r grym i wneud cymaint o wahaniaeth i ddegau o filoedd o fywydau gweithwyr gofal, a'r bobl sy'n dibynnu arnyn nhw?
The only priority the leader of Plaid Cymru has is to make fine-sounding speeches in which he promises anybody that he will be able to solve their problems. So, this is a priority for him—well, that's good to know. Last week, it was a priority for him to spend money on free school meals. The week before that, it was a priority for him to provide childcare for all families with a child above the age of one. The week before that it was to spend £6 billion on investment, which he hasn't got. Priorities, Llywydd, mean not just simply saying things that he thinks people will want to hear. It means having to make decisions that match the harsh realities of budgets with the ambitions that we have. This Government had a real ambition to improve conditions in the social care workforce. It's why we decided that it would be a registered profession. We have a real ambition to make sure that people are properly paid in it, and we will find the money to match our priorities. Simply adding, week after week, to totally uncosted wish lists, which is all he ever has to offer me, really is a remarkable performance of voodoo economics that he conjures up here on a weekly basis, and he's done it again today.
Yr unig flaenoriaeth sydd gan arweinydd Plaid Cymru yw gwneud areithiau sy'n swnio'n dda lle mae'n addo i unrhyw un y bydd yn gallu datrys eu problemau. Felly, mae hyn yn flaenoriaeth iddo fe—wel, mae'n braf cael gwybod hynny. Yr wythnos diwethaf, roedd yn flaenoriaeth iddo wario arian ar brydau ysgol am ddim. Yr wythnos cyn hynny, roedd yn flaenoriaeth iddo ddarparu gofal plant i bob teulu â phlentyn dros un oed. Yr wythnos cyn hynny y flaenoriaeth oedd gwario £6 biliwn ar fuddsoddiad, nad oes ganddo. Mae blaenoriaethau, Lywydd, yn golygu nid yn unig dweud pethau y mae'n credu y bydd pobl eisiau eu clywed. Mae'n golygu gorfod gwneud penderfyniadau sy'n cyd-fynd â realiti llym cyllidebau â'r uchelgeisiau sydd gennym ni. Roedd gan y Llywodraeth hon uchelgais wirioneddol i wella amodau yn y gweithlu gofal cymdeithasol. Dyna pam y gwnaethom ni benderfynu y byddai'n broffesiwn cofrestredig. Mae gennym ni uchelgais wirioneddol i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl yn cael eu talu yn briodol ynddo, a byddwn yn dod o hyd i'r arian i gyflawni ein blaenoriaethau. Mae ychwanegu, wythnos ar ôl wythnos, at restrau dymuniadau heb eu costio o gwbl, sef y cwbl sydd ganddo ef byth i'w gynnig i mi, wir yn berfformiad rhyfeddol o economeg fwdw y mae'n ei gonsurio yn y fan yma bob wythnos, ac mae wedi gwneud hynny unwaith eto heddiw.
3. Pa gamau penodol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cymryd i leihau effaith pandemig COVID-19 ar fenywod yn y gweithle? OQ56335
3. What specific actions has the Welsh Government taken to lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women in the workplace? OQ56335
To provide just two specific actions, the Working Wales service has been used by over 6,500 women across Wales during lockdown, and the business start-up grant has attracted 60 per cent of its applications from women. All of this and more is drawn together in today's publication of our economic resilience and construction mission.
I roi dim ond dau gam gweithredu penodol, mae dros 6,500 o fenywod ledled Cymru wedi defnyddio gwasanaeth Cymru'n Gweithio yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud, ac mae'r grant dechrau busnes wedi denu 60 y cant o'i geisiadau oddi wrth fenywod. Mae hyn i gyd a mwy yn cael ei ddwyn ynghyd yng nghyhoeddiad heddiw o'n cenhadaeth cydnerthedd economaidd ac adeiladu.
Thank you for the response. We know that women have been, sadly, disproportionately affected by the pandemic, with women making up 80 per cent of childcare, care and leisure services, 75 per cent in administrative and secretarial, and 60 per cent working in sales and customer services—sectors that have been hit hard. We've just talked about childcare, but I think one of the most essential changes that you could make would be that women seeking employment and/or training have access to childcare, as well as those who are in the current scheme, so that they can feel empowered to go out to work again. We are awaiting judgment as to whether the UK Government have acted illegally in reducing the self-employment income support scheme payments for women who have taken maternity leave. I would like to know here today whether the Welsh Government have taken any action to support new mothers in Wales, who will have taken an unfair financial hit by this failure. What risks were flagged in your build back better scheme? We know that school closures have affected women, who are doing a lot of the childcare and the schooling. How will the Welsh Government ensure that Wales will not only build back better, but build back equal?
Diolch am yr ymateb. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod menywod, yn anffodus, wedi cael eu heffeithio yn anghymesur gan y pandemig, gan fod menywod yn cynrychioli 80 y cant o wasanaethau gofal plant, gofal a hamdden, 75 y cant mewn gwasanaethau gweinyddol ac ysgrifenyddol, a 60 y cant yn gweithio ym maes gwerthu a gwasanaethau cwsmeriaid—sectorau sydd wedi eu taro'n galed. Rydym ni newydd siarad am ofal plant, ond rwy'n credu mai un o'r newidiadau mwyaf hanfodol y gallech chi ei wneud fyddai bod gan fenywod sy'n chwilio am waith a/neu hyfforddiant fynediad at ofal plant, yn ogystal â'r rhai sydd yn y cynllun presennol, fel y gallan nhw deimlo eu bod wedi'u grymuso i fynd allan i weithio eto. Rydym ni'n aros i weld a yw Llywodraeth y DU wedi gweithredu yn anghyfreithlon i leihau taliadau'r cynllun cymhorthdal incwm hunangyflogaeth i fenywod sydd wedi cymryd absenoldeb mamolaeth. Hoffwn wybod yn y fan yma heddiw pa un a yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cymryd unrhyw gamau i gynorthwyo mamau newydd yng Nghymru, a fydd wedi cael ergyd ariannol annheg gan y methiant hwn. Pa risgiau a nodwyd yn eich cynllun ailgodi'n gryfach? Rydym ni'n gwybod bod cau ysgolion wedi effeithio ar fenywod, sy'n gwneud llawer o'r gofal plant a'r addysgu. Sut gwnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru sicrhau y bydd Cymru nid yn unig yn ailgodi’n gryfach, ond yn ailgodi'n gyfartal?
Let me begin by agreeing with the sentiments that Bethan Sayed was expressing at the very end of her supplementary question. I've never myself used the mantra 'build back better'; I always say 'build back fairer', because if it isn't fairer, it's not going to be better. She's right to point out the disproportionate impact that the last 12 months has had on women in Wales, as it has on young people, as it has on people from BAME communities. The Welsh Government lobbies the UK Government all the time when it taken actions of which we disapprove and that do not fit with our wish to create a more equal Wales, as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 requires us to do. When we publish our spending decisions and the decisions that we have made during lockdown, we accompany them with an equality impact assessment, because we try to see all those decisions through the lens of the equality impact that those decisions have on people. We publish those equality impacts alongside the decisions that we make.
I'm very glad indeed that we have a fertile debate here in Wales all the time about how we can do more and do better to make sure that the decisions that we make during the pandemic, and especially as we come out of it, are focused on those people whose needs are the greatest, where the adverse impact has been the most profound, and where we can use the powers that we have to make a real difference. In that sense, my starting point and the starting point of the Member are the same. We might come to different conclusions about the practical implementation of some of those things, but I don't for a minute dissent from the underlying thrust of what she's said this afternoon.
Gadewch i mi ddechrau drwy gytuno â'r safbwyntiau yr oedd Bethan Sayed yn eu mynegi ar ddiwedd ei chwestiwn atodol. Nid wyf i erioed wedi defnyddio'r mantra 'ailgodi'n gryfach' fy hun; rwyf i bob amser yn dweud 'ailgodi'n decach', oherwydd os nad yw'n decach, nid yw'n mynd i fod yn well. Mae hi'n iawn i dynnu sylw at yr effaith anghymesur y mae'r 12 mis diwethaf wedi ei chael ar fenywod yng Nghymru, fel y mae ar bobl ifanc, fel y mae ar bobl o gymunedau BAME. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn lobïo Llywodraeth y DU drwy'r amser pan ei bod wedi cymryd camau nad ydym ni'n eu cymeradwyo ac nad ydyn nhw'n cyd-fynd â'n dymuniad i greu Cymru fwy cyfartal, fel y mae Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015 yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i ni ei wneud. Pan fyddwn ni'n cyhoeddi ein penderfyniadau gwario a'r penderfyniadau yr ydym ni wedi eu gwneud yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud, rydym ni'n eu hategu gydag asesiad o'r effaith ar gydraddoldeb, gan ein bod ni'n ceisio gweld yr holl benderfyniadau hynny drwy lens yr effaith ar gydraddoldeb y mae'r penderfyniadau hynny yn ei chael ar bobl. Rydym ni'n cyhoeddi'r effeithiau hynny ar gydraddoldeb ochr yn ochr â'r penderfyniadau yr ydym ni'n eu gwneud.
Rwy'n falch iawn yn wir ein bod ni'n cael dadl ffrwythlon yma yng Nghymru drwy'r amser ynglŷn â sut y gallwn ni wneud mwy a gwneud yn well i wneud yn siŵr bod y penderfyniadau yr ydym ni'n eu gwneud yn ystod y pandemig, ac yn enwedig wrth i ni ddod allan ohono, yn canolbwyntio ar y bobl hynny y mae eu hanghenion fwyaf, lle mae'r effaith niweidiol wedi bod y mwyaf dwys, a lle y gallwn ni ddefnyddio'r pwerau sydd gennym ni i wneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol. Yn yr ystyr hwnnw, mae fy man cychwyn i a man cychwyn yr Aelod yr un fath. Efallai y byddwn ni'n dod i wahanol gasgliadau ynghylch gweithrediad ymarferol rhai o'r pethau hynny, ond nid wyf am funud yn anghydweld â byrdwn sylfaenol yr hyn y mae hi wedi ei ddweud y prynhawn yma.
I think that's the same for all of us, First Minister. Let's just have a quick look at that disproportionate effect. We've got 72 per cent of working mothers working fewer hours and cutting their earnings due to lack of child care, and during lockdown mothers were doing 35 per cent of uninterrupted work hours that the average father did. I'm sure that those figures from the Chwarae Teg 'State of the Nation' report didn't really surprise you. But what about the fact that women in Wales are twice as likely as men to be key workers, because if you look at those figures together, it's clear that a serious proportion of women key workers stepped back from work because of other COVID-driven demands on them? Regardless of the school hub provision, where attendance was lower than anticipated and I'm sure you'll be asking 'why?' yourself, in due course, it's women who have had to—and I mean 'had to'—put their employers second. As most of those key workers will be public sector workers—obviously, there are private sector workers as well—what levers are at your disposal to ensure that their pay and promotion prospects are not compromised by their COVID-period work record?
Rwy'n credu bod hynny yr un fath i bob un ohonom ni, Prif Weinidog. Gadewch i ni edrych yn gyflym ar yr effaith anghymesur honno. Mae gennym ni 72 y cant o famau sy'n gweithio yn gweithio llai o oriau ac yn torri eu henillion oherwydd diffyg gofal plant, ac yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud roedd mamau yn gwneud 35 y cant o oriau gwaith di-dor yr oedd y tad cyffredin yn ei wneud. Rwy'n siŵr nad oedd y ffigurau hynny o adroddiad 'Cyflwr y Genedl' Chwarae Teg yn eich synnu rhyw lawer. Ond beth am y ffaith bod menywod yng Nghymru ddwywaith mor debygol â dynion o fod yn weithwyr allweddol, oherwydd os edrychwch chi ar y ffigurau hynny gyda'i gilydd, mae'n amlwg bod cyfran sylweddol o weithwyr allweddol benywaidd wedi camu yn ôl o'r gwaith oherwydd gofynion eraill arnyn nhw a ysgogwyd gan COVID? Ni waeth beth fo'r ddarpariaeth canolfannau ysgol, lle'r oedd presenoldeb yn is na'r disgwyl ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n gofyn 'pam?' eich hun, maes o law, menywod sydd wedi gorfod—ac rwy'n golygu 'gorfod'—rhoi eu cyflogwyr yn ail. Gan mai gweithwyr sector cyhoeddus fydd y rhan fwyaf o'r gweithwyr allweddol hynny—yn amlwg, ceir gweithwyr sector preifat hefyd—pa ysgogiadau sydd ar gael i chi i sicrhau nad yw eu rhagolygon o ran cyflog a dyrchafiad yn cael eu peryglu gan eu hanes gwaith yn ystod cyfnod COVID?
I agree that the final point is an important one. I'm afraid I don't think we all do start from the same place. If we did, we wouldn't have a Government that is still not prepared to guarantee that the £20 additional each week for people claiming universal credit is going to be continued beyond the end of March, would we? That's a decision that will fall very disproportionately indeed on women and the work that they do in families. Nor is the furlough scheme based on the sort of principles that the Member has just outlined. Seven in 10 requests for furlough turned down for working mothers—that's what the TUC found in the report that they have recently published. So, I'm afraid it's not as easy as saying, 'We all want to do the right thing', because not everybody seems to me to be in that position. I agree, however, with the final thing that Suzy Davies said, that there will be things that we may be able to do as people return to work, beyond coronavirus and certainly in the public services, that where people have gaps in their employment because they have had to deal with the many different demands that coronavirus has placed on them, they should not be disadvantaged into the long term because of the way in which they have had to make decisions to deal with the many pressures that devolve on them during a crisis.
Rwy'n cytuno bod y pwynt olaf yn un pwysig. Rwy'n ofni nad wyf i'n meddwl ein bod ni i gyd yn dechrau o'r un lle. Pe byddem ni, ni fyddai gennym ni Lywodraeth nad yw'n barod o hyd i sicrhau y bydd yr £20 ychwanegol bob wythnos i bobl sy'n hawlio credyd cynhwysol yn parhau y tu hwnt i ddiwedd mis Mawrth, oni fyddai? Mae hwnnw yn benderfyniad a fydd yn disgyn yn anghymesur iawn yn wir ar fenywod a'r gwaith y maen nhw'n ei wneud mewn teuluoedd. Ac nid yw'r cynllun ffyrlo ychwaith yn seiliedig ar y math o egwyddorion y mae'r Aelod newydd eu hamlinellu. Gwrthodwyd saith o bob 10 cais am ffyrlo i famau sy'n gweithio—dyna a ganfu'r TUC yn yr adroddiad y maen nhw wedi ei gyhoeddi yn ddiweddar. Felly, mae gen i ofn nad yw mor hawdd â dweud, 'Rydym ni i gyd eisiau gwneud y peth iawn', oherwydd nid yw'n ymddangos i mi bod pawb yn y sefyllfa honno. Rwy'n cytuno, fodd bynnag, â'r peth olaf a ddywedodd Suzy Davies, sef y bydd pethau y gallem ni eu gwneud efallai wrth i bobl ddychwelyd i'r gwaith, y tu hwnt i coronafeirws ac yn sicr yn y gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, lle mae gan bobl fylchau yn eu cyflogaeth oherwydd y bu'n rhaid iddyn nhw ymdrin â'r gwahanol ofynion niferus y mae coronafeirws wedi eu gorfodi arnyn nhw, ni ddylen nhw fod o dan anfantais i'r hirdymor oherwydd y ffordd y bu'n rhaid iddyn nhw wneud penderfyniadau i ymdrin â'r pwysau niferus sy'n disgyn arnyn nhw yn ystod argyfwng.
First Minister, as you've said so often, it is women in the workplace who have been disproportionately at the front end of exposure to the pandemic. They work in retail and care and health and other public-facing roles disproportionately, and in low-paid or casual roles where sometimes the unionised voice for the workforce can be regrettably weaker, yet the pressure can be greater to turn up for work at all costs, including personal health and well-being, and the domestic pressures to put food on the table and pay the bills is also acute.
So, First Minister, as the vaccine roll-out progresses and we can hopefully anticipate more return in the weeks and months ahead to many workplaces, including non-essential retail and personal services and hospitality, where women are over-represented once again in customer-facing roles, then what more can we do than we did last year to ensure that employers put in place every measure possible to protect their staff and customers at work and that the UK Government and Welsh Government have the right measures in place to support those who have to withdraw from the workplace for COVID-related reasons, and not least that the UK Government does not cut that £20 a week from universal credit, because that will hammer women at work and at home too?
Prif Weinidog, fel yr ydych chi wedi ei ddweud mor aml, menywod yn y gweithle sydd wedi bod yn anghymesur ar y rheng flaen o ran amlygiad i'r pandemig. Maen nhw'n gweithio ym meysydd manwerthu a gofal ac iechyd a swyddi eraill sy'n wynebu'r cyhoedd yn anghymesur, ac mewn swyddi achlysurol neu â chyflogau isel lle gall llais undebol y gweithlu fod yn wannach yn anffodus, ac eto gall y pwysau fod yn fwy i ddod i weithio ar bob cyfrif, gan gynnwys iechyd a llesiant personol, ac mae'r pwysau domestig i roi bwyd ar y bwrdd a thalu'r biliau hefyd yn ddifrifol.
Felly, Prif Weinidog, wrth i'r broses o gyflwyno'r brechlyn fynd rhagddi a'r gobaith yw y gallwn ni ragweld mwy o enillion yn yr wythnosau a'r misoedd nesaf i lawer o weithleoedd, gan gynnwys gwasanaethau manwerthu a phersonol nad ydynt yn hanfodol a lletygarwch, lle mae menywod wedi'u gorgynrychioli unwaith eto mewn swyddi sy'n wynebu cwsmeriaid, yna beth arall allwn ni ei wneud na wnaethom ni y llynedd i sicrhau bod cyflogwyr yn rhoi pob mesur posibl ar waith i ddiogelu eu staff a'u cwsmeriaid yn y gwaith a bod gan Lywodraeth y DU a Llywodraeth Cymru y mesurau cywir ar waith i gynorthwyo'r rhai y mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw fod yn absennol o'r gweithle am resymau sy'n ymwneud â COVID, ac yn bwysig nad yw Llywodraeth y DU yn torri'r £20 yr wythnos hwnnw o gredyd cynhwysol, oherwydd bydd hynny yn ergyd drom i fenywod yn y gwaith ac yn y cartref hefyd?
Well, Llywydd, I'm sure that Huw Irranca-Davies will recognise the actions that the Welsh Government has already taken to protect workforces where women are disproportionately represented, so our decision early on to make PPE available free in the social care sector was a really important guarantee that those workers knew they would have the protection that that has provided. As you know, it's charged to care homes across our border, where we made the decision from the beginning that the protection of those workers was our top priority and getting them the protection they needed and getting it to them free was an investment by us in the well-being of that workforce, as is the continued scheme that we have to make sure that people are paid sick pay fully in the social care sector, so that they don't feel, as Huw Irranca said, obliged to come back to work when they know that it's not right for them to do so. And in the retail sphere where, again, women are disproportionately part of the workforce, we announced in January that workplaces would have to carry out new risk assessments with higher standards to make sure that workplaces are safe against the new variant of the disease. And we were supported in doing so by employers here in Wales. And those higher standards—making sure that workplaces are properly protected and everything is done to make sure that workers and people who use those settings are kept safe—will continue to be at the forefront of everything that we do as a Government during the rest of this calendar year, when coronavirus is still going to be part of our lives.
And I'll say again, because I so much agree with Huw Irranca-Davies: the thought that up to a third of working families in Wales could find themselves with £1,000 less to meet the needs of their families—people who use that money to do simple things like keep the lights on and keep food on the table—the thought that this Government has kept those families waiting, not knowing what their position would be, it's genuine cruelty. Imagine living in those conditions and knowing that, in just a few weeks' time, you wouldn't have that extra support. I think it's shameful, and I really, really hope that, on 3 March, the Chancellor will finally make good the distress that that has caused to those families.
Wel, Llywydd, rwy'n siŵr y bydd Huw Irranca-Davies yn cydnabod y camau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes wedi eu cymryd i ddiogelu gweithluoedd lle mae menywod wedi'u cynrychioli yn anghymesur, felly roedd ein penderfyniad yn gynnar i sicrhau bod cyfarpar diogelu personol ar gael am ddim yn y sector gofal cymdeithasol yn sicrwydd pwysig iawn bod y gweithwyr hynny yn gwybod y bydden nhw'n cael yr amddiffyniad y mae hynny wedi ei ddarparu. Fel y gwyddoch, mae cartrefi gofal dros ein ffin yn gorfod talu amdano, ond gwnaethom ni'r penderfyniad o'r cychwyn mai amddiffyn y gweithwyr hynny oedd ein prif flaenoriaeth ac roedd cael yr amddiffyniad yr oedd ei angen arnyn nhw a'i gael iddyn nhw am ddim yn fuddsoddiad gennym ni yn llesiant y gweithlu hwnnw, ac felly hefyd y cynllun parhaus sydd gennym ni i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl yn cael tâl salwch llawn yn y sector gofal cymdeithasol, fel nad ydyn nhw'n teimlo, fel y dywedodd Huw Irranca, bod yn rhaid iddyn nhw ddod yn ôl i'r gwaith pan fyddan nhw'n gwybod nad yw'n iawn iddyn nhw wneud hynny. Ac yn y maes manwerthu lle mae menywod, unwaith eto, yn rhan anghymesur o'r gweithlu, cyhoeddasom ym mis Ionawr y byddai'n rhaid i weithleoedd gynnal asesiadau risg newydd gyda safonau uwch i wneud yn siŵr bod gweithleoedd yn ddiogel rhag amrywiolion newydd y clefyd. Ac fe'n cynorthwywyd i wneud hynny gan gyflogwyr yma yng Nghymru. A bydd y safonau uwch hynny—gwneud yn siŵr bod gweithleoedd yn cael eu diogelu yn briodol a bod popeth yn cael ei wneud i wneud yn siŵr bod gweithwyr a phobl sy'n defnyddio'r lleoliadau hynny yn cael eu cadw'n ddiogel—yn parhau i fod yn flaenllaw ym mhopeth yr ydym ni'n ei wneud fel Llywodraeth yn ystod gweddill y flwyddyn galendr hon, pan fydd coronafeirws yn dal i fod yn rhan o'n bywydau.
Ac fe ddywedaf eto, gan fy mod i'n cytuno gymaint â Huw Irranca-Davies: mae'r syniad y gallai hyd at draean o deuluoedd sy'n gweithio yng Nghymru ganfod eu hunain gyda £1,000 yn llai i ddiwallu anghenion eu teuluoedd—pobl sy'n defnyddio'r arian hwnnw i wneud pethau syml fel cadw'r goleuadau ymlaen a chadw bwyd ar y bwrdd—mae'r syniad bod y Llywodraeth hon wedi cadw'r teuluoedd hynny yn aros, heb wybod beth fyddai eu sefyllfa, mae'n greulondeb gwirioneddol. Dychmygwch fyw o dan yr amodau hynny a gwybod na fyddech chi, ymhen ychydig wythnosau'n unig, yn cael y cymorth ychwanegol hwnnw. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn gywilyddus, ac rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr iawn y bydd y Canghellor, ar 3 Mawrth, o'r diwedd yn gwneud iawn am y trallod y mae hynny wedi ei achosi i'r teuluoedd hynny.
4. Pa gymorth ariannol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i ddarparu i yrwyr tacsis i'w helpu drwy'r pandemig? OQ56337
4. What financial support has the Welsh Government provided for taxi drivers to help them through the pandemic? OQ56337
I thank Jenny Rathbone for that, Llywydd. During the pandemic, taxi drivers have been able to obtain financial support from the economic recovery fund, including four rounds of discretionary grants. A further £1.1 million has been allocated for free personal protective equipment and cleaning products for drivers to help them protect themselves and passengers from COVID-19.
Diolchaf i Jenny Rathbone am hynna, Llywydd. Yn ystod y pandemig, mae gyrwyr tacsis wedi gallu cael cymorth ariannol gan y gronfa adfer economaidd, gan gynnwys pedair rownd o grantiau dewisol. Dyrannwyd £1.1 miliwn arall ar gyfer cyfarpar diogelu personol am ddim a chynhyrchion glanhau i yrwyr i'w helpu i amddiffyn eu hunain a theithwyr rhag COVID-19.
Thank you, First Minister. I'd like to pay tribute to the Unite union for having highlighted the extent to which taxi drivers were suffering from being unable to qualify for the UK Government grants. And also to pay tribute to the Welsh Government for reaching out to taxi drivers and enabling them to get some targeted compensation for the disappearance of most of their customers as a result of the pandemic restrictions. I think it's an excellent example of how the Government has used its limited resources to fill gaps in support to small businesses and freelancers that's not available elsewhere. But I also want to pay tribute to the taxi drivers themselves, because as a result of these really quite small sums of money that you've made available to them, they decided to reciprocate by raising over £10,000 in Cardiff for three local foodbanks, and it was quite humbling to witness the handing over of a cheque at the Al-Ikhlas centre in Adamsdown, which has been providing weekly food parcels to people in desperate need for over a year. So, I think—
Diolch yn fawr, Prif Weinidog. Hoffwn dalu teyrnged i undeb Unite am dynnu sylw at y graddau yr oedd gyrwyr tacsis yn dioddef o fethu â bod yn gymwys ar gyfer grantiau Llywodraeth y DU. A hefyd i dalu teyrnged i Lywodraeth Cymru am estyn allan at yrwyr tacsis a chaniatáu iddyn nhw gael rhywfaint o iawndal wedi'i dargedu am ddiflaniad y rhan fwyaf o'u cwsmeriaid o ganlyniad i gyfyngiadau'r pandemig. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn enghraifft wych o sut mae'r Llywodraeth wedi defnyddio ei hadnoddau cyfyngedig i lenwi bylchau mewn cymorth i fusnesau bach a gweithwyr llawrydd nad yw ar gael mewn mannau eraill. Ond rwyf i hefyd eisiau talu teyrnged i'r gyrwyr tacsis eu hunain, oherwydd o ganlyniad i'r symiau eithaf bach hyn o arian yr ydych chi wedi eu darparu iddyn nhw, fe wnaethon nhw benderfynu ymateb trwy godi dros £10,000 yng Nghaerdydd i dri banc bwyd lleol, ac roedd yn deimlad eithaf diymhongar gweld siec yn cael ei roi yng nghanolfan Al-Ikhlas yn Adamsdown, sydd wedi bod yn darparu parseli bwyd wythnosol i bobl mewn angen dybryd ers dros flwyddyn. Felly, rwy'n meddwl—
Can you come to your question, now, Jenny Rathbone?
A allwch chi ddod at eich cwestiwn, nawr, Jenny Rathbone?
Yes, thank you. So, looking to the future and our need to ensure that we have a clean, decarbonised public transport system, what financial support could be made available to taxi drivers to enable them to upgrade their vehicles to the clean air standards that we're going to be requiring in the future, so that they'll be able to continue serving the communities that they obviously have such regard for?
Gallaf, diolch. Felly, gan edrych i'r dyfodol a'n hangen i sicrhau bod gennym ni system cludiant cyhoeddus lân, wedi'i datgarboneiddio, pa gymorth ariannol ellid ei ddarparu i yrwyr tacsis i ganiatáu iddyn nhw uwchraddio eu cerbydau i'r safonau aer glân y byddwn yn eu gwneud yn ofynnol yn y dyfodol, fel y byddan nhw'n gallu parhau i wasanaethu'r cymunedau y mae'n amlwg bod ganddyn nhw gymaint o feddwl ohonyn nhw?
Well, Llywydd, I thank Jenny Rathbone. I want to join her in paying tribute to the work of taxi drivers here in Cardiff, who've worked so hard to be able to support those foodbanks. She and I—and I'm sure many other Members in the Senedd today—have significant numbers of taxi drivers who live in our constituencies, and the pandemic hit them really hard—really hard. I'm very glad that our discretionary funds particularly have had an impact on the sector. Cardiff Council, as of Friday last week, had approved over 2,700 discretionary grants to those with the stated occupation of 'taxi driver', worth over £5 million. And the latest round—the £30 million announced on the fifth of this month—will provide a further £2,000 grant for self-employed taxi drivers.
The modernisation of the fleet is a real challenge for them. It's why we have been very glad to develop a number of green taxi pilot schemes in the Cardiff capital region, in Pembrokeshire and in Denbighshire, to allow drivers to use zero-emission vehicles on a free try-before-you-buy basis. Fifty taxis are being purchased, with 30 days for a taxi drivers to use them free of charge, in the hope that that will stimulate demand within the sector for the sort of transport that Jenny Rathbone has very long championed. We're looking, as a Government, at options for grants, leasing arrangements and so on, so that we can stimulate the appetite for that sort of provision. We'll be there to support the sector in that, as well.
Wel, Llywydd, diolchaf i Jenny Rathbone. Hoffwn ymuno â hi i dalu teyrnged i waith gyrwyr tacsis yma yng Nghaerdydd, sydd wedi gweithio mor galed i allu cynorthwyo'r banciau bwyd hynny. Mae ganddi hi a minnau—a llawer o Aelodau eraill yn y Senedd heddiw, rwy'n siŵr—nifer sylweddol o yrwyr tacsis sy'n byw yn ein hetholaethau, ac fe'u tarwyd yn galed iawn gan y pandemig—yn galed iawn. Rwy'n falch iawn bod ein cronfeydd dewisol yn arbennig wedi cael effaith ar y sector. Roedd Cyngor Caerdydd, erbyn dydd Gwener yr wythnos diwethaf, wedi cymeradwyo dros 2,700 o grantiau dewisol i'r rhai â'r alwedigaeth ddatganedig 'gyrrwr tacsi', gwerth dros £5 miliwn. A bydd y rownd ddiweddaraf—y £30 miliwn a gyhoeddwyd ar y pumed o'r mis hwn—yn darparu grant pellach o £2,000 i yrwyr tacsi hunangyflogedig.
Mae moderneiddio'r fflyd yn her wirioneddol iddyn nhw. Dyna pam yr ydym ni wedi bod yn falch iawn o ddatblygu nifer o gynlluniau arbrofol tacsis gwyrdd ym mhrifddinas-ranbarth Caerdydd, yn sir Benfro ac yn Sir Ddinbych, i ganiatáu i yrwyr ddefnyddio cerbydau dim allyriadau ar sail ceisio cyn prynu am ddim. Mae hanner cant o dacsis yn cael eu prynu, gyda 30 diwrnod i yrwyr tacsi eu defnyddio yn rhad ac am ddim, yn y gobaith y bydd hynny yn ysgogi galw yn y sector am y math o drafnidiaeth y mae Jenny Rathbone wedi ei hyrwyddo ers amser maith. Rydym ni'n edrych, fel Llywodraeth, ar ddewisiadau ar gyfer grantiau, trefniadau prydlesu ac yn y blaen, fel y gallwn ni ysgogi'r awydd am y math hwnnw o ddarpariaeth. Byddwn ni yno i gynorthwyo'r sector yn hynny hefyd.
5. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i annog mwy o fenywod a merched i astudio a dilyn gyrfaoedd mewn gwyddoniaeth, technoleg, peirianneg a mathemateg? OQ56339
5. What is the Welsh Government doing to encourage more women and girls to study and follow careers in science, technology, engineering and maths? OQ56339
Llywydd, the Welsh Government actively supports all girls and young women in Wales to study STEM subjects and pursue careers in STEM. We provide annual funding to STEM organisations within the education sector. This year, the Welsh Government will support the International Women’s Day event on gender equality in STEM subjects, to be held here in Wales.
Llywydd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi cymorth gweithredol i bob merch a menyw ifanc yng Nghymru i astudio pynciau STEM a dilyn gyrfaoedd STEM. Rydym ni'n darparu cyllid blynyddol i sefydliadau STEM yn y sector addysg. Eleni, bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi digwyddiad Diwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod ar gydraddoldeb rhywiol mewn pynciau STEM, i'w gynnal yma yng Nghymru.
Thank you, First Minister. Throughout the pandemic, we've seen some remarkable work and achievements of scientists and engineers. From producing vaccines in record time to testing systems, identifying new variants, producing data analysis and the development of new medicines and protective equipment, the pandemic has highlighted the vital role of STEM.
Amongst those achievements have been some amazing women leading: Dr Moore, who led the effort to establish COVID testing in Wales; Dr Hayhurst, who is the lead scientist on a new form of rapid testing; and, of course, Dr Gillian Richardson, who leads our fantastic COVID vaccination programme in Wales, which is the quickest of all the UK nations. These women are leading in their fields, but, sadly, we all know that women and girls are far less likely to pursue STEM subjects in school, and, as such, do not follow on into these careers.
The pandemic has elevated our scientists and engineers onto a public platform, and highlighted how important their work is for all of us. How can we use this last year to promote STEM subjects to our young women and girls, and make sure that we get more Dr Moores, Dr Hayhursts and Dr Richardsons in the future?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Drwy gydol y pandemig, rydym ni wedi gweld gwaith a llwyddiannau rhyfeddol gwyddonwyr a pheirianwyr. O gynhyrchu brechlynnau yn yr amser cyflymaf erioed i systemau profi, nodi amrywiolion newydd, cynhyrchu dadansoddiadau data a datblygu meddyginiaethau a chyfarpar diogelu newydd, mae'r pandemig wedi tynnu sylw at swyddogaeth hanfodol STEM.
Ymhlith y llwyddiannau hynny bu rhai menywod anhygoel yn arwain: Dr Moore, a arweiniodd yr ymdrech i sefydlu profion COVID yng Nghymru; Dr Hayhurst, sef y prif wyddonydd ar ffurf newydd o brofion cyflym; ac, wrth gwrs, Dr Gillian Richardson, sy'n arwain ein rhaglen frechu COVID wych yng Nghymru, sef y cyflymaf o holl wledydd y DU. Mae'r menywod hyn yn arwain yn eu meysydd, ond, yn anffodus, rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod bod menywod a merched yn llawer llai tebygol o astudio pynciau STEM yn yr ysgol, ac, o'r herwydd, nid ydyn nhw'n dilyn ymlaen i'r gyrfaoedd hyn.
Mae'r pandemig wedi dyrchafu ein gwyddonwyr a'n peirianwyr i lwyfan cyhoeddus, ac wedi tynnu sylw at ba mor bwysig yw eu gwaith i bob un ohonom ni. Sut gallwn ni ddefnyddio'r flwyddyn ddiwethaf hon i hyrwyddo pynciau STEM i'n menywod ifanc a'n merched, a gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n cael mwy fel Dr Moore, Dr Hayhurst a Dr Richardson yn y dyfodol?
I thank Jayne Bryant for that and agree with her about the outstanding quality of individuals we have here in Wales as role models for young women thinking of careers in STEM subjects. There's been some good progress in recent times; more girls than boys now study biology, physics and chemistry in Wales at GCSE level, and over half of our nearly 20,000 STEM apprenticeships in Wales are now taken up by young women rather than young men. So, there are some breakthroughs that are happening.
Role models are really important in that. The women in STEM board that we have here in Wales—it met last October and was attended by our colleagues Jane Hutt and Kirsty Williams to make clear the Welsh Government's support for the leadership of women in those subjects here in Wales and in those jobs that Jayne Bryant highlighted, and the way in which they can inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
I know that Jayne Bryant will be interested that, at the start of March, Careers Wales is holding an event very close to her part of the world, designed specifically to try to attract young women into the jobs in semiconductor professions and so on that are clustered around the south-east of Wales, and where persuading young women to think of those jobs as their futures is absolutely part of the way in which that event is being organised.
Diolchaf i Jayne Bryant am hynna ac rwy'n cytuno â hi am ansawdd rhagorol unigolion sydd gennym ni yma yng Nghymru fel esiamplau i fenywod ifanc sy'n ystyried gyrfaoedd mewn pynciau STEM. Cafwyd rhywfaint o gynnydd da yn ddiweddar; mae mwy o ferched na bechgyn yn astudio bioleg, ffiseg a chemeg yng Nghymru ar lefel TGAU erbyn hyn, ac mae dros hanner ein bron i 20,000 o brentisiaethau STEM yng Nghymru bellach wedi'u llenwi gan fenywod ifanc yn hytrach na dynion ifanc. Felly, ceir rhai datblygiadau arloesol sy'n digwydd.
Mae esiamplau yn bwysig iawn yn hynny o beth. Y bwrdd menywod mewn STEM sydd gennym ni yma yng Nghymru—cyfarfu fis Hydref diwethaf ac roedd ein cyd-Aelodau Jane Hutt a Kirsty Williams yn bresennol i egluro cefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i arweinyddiaeth menywod yn y pynciau hynny yma yng Nghymru ac yn y swyddi hynny y tynnodd Jayne Bryant sylw atynt, a'r ffordd y gallan nhw ysbrydoli eraill i ddilyn yn ôl eu traed.
Gwn y bydd gan Jayne Bryant ddiddordeb bod Gyrfa Cymru, ddechrau mis Mawrth, yn cynnal digwyddiad sy'n agos iawn at ei rhan hi o'r byd, wedi ei gynllunio yn benodol i geisio denu menywod ifanc i'r swyddi mewn proffesiynau lled-ddargludyddion ac yn y blaen sydd wedi'u clystyru o amgylch de-ddwyrain Cymru, a lle mae perswadio menywod ifanc i feddwl am y swyddi hynny fel eu dyfodol yn rhan bendant o'r ffordd y mae'r digwyddiad hwnnw yn cael ei drefnu.
First Minister, I'm 42 now and had a couple of friends—strong-willed ladies—who broke the mould all those many, many moons ago, when I was younger, and had glittering careers as engineers in a very, very male-dominated environment; it was virtually unheard of when I was younger. The situation, as has been outlined just now, has got an awful lot of better, but it still has a long way to go to be how it should be.
These are vital areas that we need our future generations of all genders to excel at now, making it particularly more accessible for women, obviously, and women to be encouraged to sign up to. As you've outlined, the take-up for apprenticeships has got better, but it still has a long way to go. Career advice in schools tends to guide women towards apprenticeships that are in sectors where pay is less than those dominated by men. But what is the Welsh Government doing to tackle the gender imbalance in career advice in schools? And how are you working with the Fair Work Commission to stop the perpetuation of gender inequality and to meet the equality objectives that your Government has set? Thank you.
Prif Weinidog, rwy'n 42 oed erbyn hyn ac roedd gen i un neu ddau o ffrindiau—menywod cryf—a oedd y cyntaf o'u math, flynyddoedd lawer iawn yn ôl, pan oeddwn i'n iau, a gafodd yrfaoedd disglair fel peirianwyr mewn amgylchedd sy'n cael ei reoli yn llwyr gan ddynion; nid oedd yn bodoli bron pan oeddwn i'n iau. Mae'r sefyllfa, fel yr amlinellwyd nawr, wedi gwella'n fawr iawn, ond mae ganddi ffordd bell i fynd o hyd i fod fel y dylai fod.
Mae'r rhain yn feysydd hanfodol yr ydym ni angen i genedlaethau'r dyfodol o bob rhyw ragori ynddyn nhw nawr, gan ei gwneud yn fwy hygyrch i fenywod yn arbennig, yn amlwg, ac annog menywod i ymrwymo iddyn nhw. Fel yr ydych chi wedi ei amlinellu, mae'r nifer sy'n manteisio ar brentisiaethau wedi gwella, ond mae ffordd bell i fynd o hyd. Mae cyngor gyrfaoedd mewn ysgolion yn tueddu i lywio menywod tuag at brentisiaethau sydd mewn sectorau lle mae cyflog yn llai na'r rhai sy'n llawn dynion. Ond beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â'r anghydbwysedd rhwng y rhywiau o ran cyngor gyrfaoedd mewn ysgolion? A sut ydych chi'n gweithio gyda'r Comisiwn Gwaith Teg i atal anghydraddoldeb rhwng y rhywiau rhag parhau ac i gyflawni'r amcanion cydraddoldeb y mae eich Llywodraeth wedi eu pennu? Diolch.
Well, Llywydd, the event that I referred to in answering Jayne Bryant's question is an event that will be run by the careers service, so I would be very disappointed if it were the case that the careers service is actively continuing stereotypical directions for young men or young women in the workplace, and I'm sure that that is not the intention of the service.
It's an uphill battle, as the Member will know. I agree with her that there's far more that needs to be done. I have a young grandson, and you have to work really hard to make sure that you don't end up just buying things that are pushed at us all as being the right things for young boys to have, rather than offering a more rounded idea of what life could be like. And that is certainly true for young women who have got all of those things pushed at them by the commercial world and so on. So, the Welsh Government puts its shoulder to the wheel in the opposite direction, using the services that we have, and the many people who are there in private businesses as well as in the public service who want to make sure that that wider range of opportunities is positively promoted to young women and girls entering the workplace. We do it in a world that still has some pretty deep-seated conventional attitudes and so on, but that just means that that work is all the more necessary.
Wel, Llywydd, mae'r digwyddiad y cyfeiriais ato wrth ateb cwestiwn Jayne Bryant yn ddigwyddiad a fydd yn cael ei redeg gan y gwasanaeth gyrfaoedd, felly byddwn yn siomedig iawn pe byddai'r gwasanaeth gyrfaoedd yn parhau yn fwriadol â chyfarwyddiadau ystrydebol i ddynion ifanc neu fenywod ifanc yn y gweithle, ac rwy'n siŵr nad dyna yw bwriad y gwasanaeth.
Mae'n frwydr galed, fel y bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod. Rwy'n cytuno â hi bod llawer mwy y mae angen ei wneud. Mae gen i ŵyr ifanc, ac mae'n rhaid i chi weithio yn galed iawn i wneud yn siŵr nad ydych chi'n prynu pethau sy'n cael eu gwthio atom ni i gyd fel y pethau iawn i fechgyn ifanc eu cael, yn hytrach na chynnig syniad mwy cytbwys o sut y gallai bywyd fod. Ac mae hynny'n sicr yn wir i fenywod ifanc sydd wedi cael yr holl bethau hynny wedi eu gwthio atyn nhw gan y byd masnachol ac yn y blaen. Felly, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn torchi ei llewys ac yn gwthio i'r cyfeiriad arall, gan ddefnyddio'r gwasanaethau sydd gennym ni, a'r nifer fawr o bobl sydd yno mewn busnesau preifat yn ogystal ag yn y gwasanaeth cyhoeddus sydd eisiau gwneud yn siŵr bod yr amrywiaeth ehangach honno o gyfleoedd yn cael ei hyrwyddo yn gadarnhaol i fenywod ifanc a merched sy'n dod i mewn i'r gweithle. Rydym ni'n gwneud hynny mewn byd sydd yn dal i fod â rhai agweddau confensiynol eithaf dwfn ac yn y blaen, ond mae hynny'n golygu bod y gwaith hwnnw yn fwy angenrheidiol byth.
Cwestiwn 6, Helen Mary Jones.
Question 6, Helen Mary Jones.
[Inaudible.]
[Anghylwadwy.]
I'm not hearing Helen Mary's question.
Nid wyf i'n clywed cwestiwn Helen Mary.
I'm sorry, Llywydd, I think my microphone was in the incorrect position.
Mae'n ddrwg gen i, Llywydd, rwy'n credu bod fy meicroffon yn y lle anghywir.
Yes, it was on top of your head. [Laughter.]
Oedd, roedd ar dop eich pen. [Chwerthin.]
Clearly the incorrect position. I do apologise. [Laughter.]
Y lle anghywir, yn amlwg. Mae'n ddrwg gen i. [Chwerthin.]
Carry on.
Ewch ymlaen.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am gyflwyno'r brechlyn yng Nghanolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru? OQ56315
6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the vaccination roll-out in Mid and West Wales? OQ56315
Llywydd, I thank the Member for that question. Vaccines are currently being administered in 260 sites in the health boards that cover Mid and West Wales. We remain on track in all parts of Wales to deliver the milestone set out in our national vaccination strategy. In the coming days, we will exceed 1 million doses of vaccine delivered here in Wales.
Llywydd, diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Mae brechlynnau'n cael eu rhoi ar hyn o bryd mewn 260 o safleoedd yn y byrddau iechyd sy'n cwmpasu Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru. Rydym ni'n dal ar y trywydd iawn ym mhob rhan o Gymru i gyflawni'r garreg filltir a nodwyd yn ein strategaeth frechu genedlaethol. Yn y dyddiau nesaf, byddwn yn mynd y tu hwnt i 1 filiwn dos o frechlyn a roddwyd yma yng Nghymru.
I thank the First Minister for his answer and I know that we are all very impressed by the amazing work that's gone into delivering the vaccination programme. But the First Minister will be aware that the families and friends of people with learning disabilities living in residential settings continue to be very concerned about the fact that those people they care about so much have not yet been prioritised. I've personally lost count of the number of representations I've received—from Llanelli to Powys, from Pembrokeshire to Pen Llŷn—from families who are concerned, and given that Mencap estimate that there are only about 3,500 people in that category of learning disabled people who live in residential settings.
I was encouraged the hear the health Minister, Vaughan Gething, on ITV saying last night that there may be guidance available in a day or two to enable the Welsh Government to provide those vaccines. Now, if this is able to go ahead, can I ask the First Minister if he and the health Minister will place a priority on learning disabled people within priority group 6? The local health board tells me that that priority group is very large indeed, and I'm sure it would be a huge reassurance to those families and friends if the First Minister and his health Minister were able to prioritise learning disabled people within priority 6, if indeed they are to be included in that priority.
Diolchaf i'r Prif Weinidog am ei ateb a gwn fod y gwaith anhygoel sydd wedi ei wneud i gyflawni'r rhaglen frechu wedi creu argraff fawr arnom ni i gyd. Ond bydd y Prif Weinidog yn ymwybodol bod teuluoedd a chyfeillion pobl ag anableddau dysgu sy'n byw mewn lleoliadau preswyl yn parhau i bryderu'n fawr am y ffaith nad yw'r bobl hynny y maen nhw'n poeni amdanyn nhw gymaint wedi cael eu blaenoriaethu hyd yma. Rwyf i'n bersonol wedi colli cyfrif o nifer y sylwadau yr wyf i wedi eu derbyn—o Lanelli i Bowys, o sir Benfro i Ben Llŷn—gan deuluoedd sy'n pryderu, ac o gofio bod Mencap yn amcangyfrif mai dim ond tua 3,500 o bobl yn y categori hwnnw o bobl ag anabledd dysgu sy'n byw mewn lleoliadau preswyl.
Roedd yn galonogol clywed y Gweinidog iechyd, Vaughan Gething, ar ITV yn dweud neithiwr y gallai fod canllawiau ar gael mewn diwrnod neu ddau i alluogi Llywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu'r brechlynnau hynny. Nawr, os gall hyn ddigwydd, a gaf i ofyn i'r Prif Weinidog a fydd ef a'r Gweinidog iechyd yn rhoi blaenoriaeth i bobl ag anabledd dysgu yng ngrŵp blaenoriaeth 6? Mae'r bwrdd iechyd lleol yn dweud wrthyf i bod y grŵp blaenoriaeth hwnnw yn hynod o fawr, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddai'n gysur enfawr i'r teuluoedd a'r ffrindiau hynny pe byddai'r Prif Weinidog a'i Weinidog iechyd yn gallu blaenoriaethu pobl ag anableddau dysgu o fewn blaenoriaeth 6, os eu bod nhw mewn gwirionedd yn mynd i gael eu cynnwys yn y flaenoriaeth honno.
Well, Llywydd, I thank Helen Mary Jones for that important supplementary question, and I think there is some good news coming for those families who are absolutely understandably concerned. I've seen the advice that the Minister will consider today on this matter in relation to prioritisation of group 6. Helen Mary Jones will know that the broad category of number 6 is underlying health conditions, and within that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation identifies people with severe and profound learning disabilities. But the advice that I've seen going to the Minister advocates an inclusive approach, where the approach is less on gatekeeping than on ensuring that nobody entitled to vaccination is missed out.
So, the proposal is to use GP registers of people with a learning disability as the basis of identifying eligible individuals, and that that should be supplemented by professional judgment and wider local knowledge, held, for example, by third sector organisations or by local authorities. And the advice goes beyond simple identification to creating the right conditions for people with a learning disability to be able to come forward comfortably, to feel at ease in receiving vaccination and thus to maximise take-up. So, the Minister will be considering that advice today, but I hope the Member is reassured that the approach that it takes is not one in which we take 'severe and profound' as a definition designed to minimise the number of people who can come through in that group, but to take a more inclusive approach, making sure that nobody who is entitled misses out. That is the approach we will want to take in Wales.
And, Llywydd, maybe I should just say that the fact that we have GP registers of people with a learning disability, of course, is due to a very early decision made in the very first term of devolution, when David Melding brought forward a proposition for an annual health check for people with learning disabilities, supported around the Chamber at the time, and, as a result, we have these registers and are able now to use them, put them to good work, to make sure that people with learning disabilities are able to be vaccinated in line with that group 6 priority.
Wel, Llywydd, diolchaf i Helen Mary Jones am y cwestiwn atodol pwysig yna, ac rwy'n credu bod rhywfaint o newyddion da yn dod i'r teuluoedd hynny sy'n bryderus, a hynny'n gwbl ddealladwy. Rwyf i wedi gweld y cyngor y bydd y Gweinidog yn ei ystyried heddiw ar y mater hwn o ran blaenoriaethu grŵp 6. Bydd Helen Mary Jones yn gwybod mai cyflyrau iechyd sylfaenol yw categori eang rhif 6, ac o fewn hynny mae'r Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu yn nodi pobl ag anableddau dysgu difrifol a dwys. Ond mae'r cyngor yr wyf i wedi ei weld yn mynd at y Gweinidog yn argymell dull cynhwysol, lle mae'r dull yn canolbwyntio llai ar borthgadw nag ar sicrhau nad oes neb sydd â hawl i gael brechiad yn cael ei fethu.
Felly, y cynnig yw defnyddio cofrestrau meddygon teulu o bobl ag anabledd dysgu fel y sail i nodi unigolion cymwys, ac y dylai hynny gael ei ategu gan farn broffesiynol a gwybodaeth leol ehangach, a ddelir, er enghraifft, gan sefydliadau trydydd sector neu gan awdurdodau lleol. Ac mae'r cyngor yn mynd y tu hwnt i nodi syml i greu'r amodau cywir i bobl ag anabledd dysgu allu dod ymlaen yn gyfforddus, i deimlo'n hapus i dderbyn brechiad ac felly i sicrhau bod cymaint â phosibl yn manteisio arno. Felly, bydd y Gweinidog yn ystyried y cyngor hwnnw heddiw, ond rwy'n gobeithio bod yr Aelod yn fwy tawel ei meddwl nad yw'r dull y mae'n ei fabwysiadu yn un lle'r ydym ni'n cymryd 'difrifol a dwys' fel diffiniad sydd â'r bwriad o sicrhau y gall cyn lleied â phosibl o bobl ddod drwodd yn y grŵp hwnnw, ond i fabwysiadu dull mwy cynhwysol, gan wneud yn siŵr nad oes neb sydd â hawl yn cael eu methu. Dyna'r dull y byddwn ni eisiau ei fabwysiadu yng Nghymru.
A, Llywydd, efallai y dylwn i ddweud bod y ffaith bod gennym ni gofrestrau meddygon teulu o bobl ag anabledd dysgu, wrth gwrs, yn ganlyniad i benderfyniad cynnar iawn a wnaed yn nhymor cyntaf un datganoli, pan gyflwynodd David Melding gynnig o archwiliad iechyd blynyddol i bobl ag anableddau dysgu, a gefnogwyd ym mhob rhan o'r Siambr ar y pryd , ac, o ganlyniad, mae gennym ni'r cofrestrau hyn ac rydym ni bellach yn gallu eu defnyddio, gwneud gwaith da gyda nhw, i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl ag anableddau dysgu yn gallu cael eu brechu yn unol â'r flaenoriaeth grŵp 6 honno.
First Minister, that's really good news on the learning disability issue. Are you able to offer equally good news for unpaid carers? Because my inbox, and I'm sure every other Senedd Member's inbox, is absolutely full of people who are unpaid carers, desperate to have a vaccine, because if they get sick, the people who need their help—the elderly relative or the disabled child, whoever it may be—don't have anyone else to look after them. I note with the JCVI that they do talk about the whole caring situation, and they do have an addendum, and it says:
'Other groups at higher risk, including those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill, should also be offered vaccination alongside these groups.'
There's a number of instances where either you or the health Minister has said, 'Yes, the decision's coming; it's going to happen', and then it's been put off while you're waiting to see what the JCVI say. They already say that, so are you able to offer the same kind of hope to those unpaid carers who are so desperate and so worried over this issue?
Prif Weinidog, mae hynny'n newyddion da iawn am y mater anabledd dysgu. A allwch chi gynnig newyddion yr un mor dda i ofalwyr di-dâl? Oherwydd mae fy mewnflwch i, ac rwy'n siŵr bod mewnflwch pob Aelod arall o'r Senedd, yn llawn i'r ymylon o bobl sy'n ofalwyr di-dâl, yn awyddus iawn i gael brechlyn, oherwydd os byddan nhw'n mynd yn sâl, nid oes gan y bobl sydd angen eu cymorth—y perthynas oedrannus neu'r plentyn anabl, pwy bynnag y bo—neb arall i ofalu amdanyn nhw. Rwy'n sylwi gyda'r Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu eu bod nhw'n siarad am yr holl sefyllfa ofalu, ac mae ganddyn nhw adendwm, ac mae'n dweud:
Dylid hefyd cynnig brechiad i grwpiau eraill sydd mewn mwy o berygl, gan gynnwys y rhai sy'n cael lwfans gofalwr, neu'r rhai sy'n brif ofalwr am berson oedrannus neu anabl y gallai ei les fod mewn perygl os bydd y gofalwr yn mynd yn sâl, ochr yn ochr â'r grwpiau hyn.
Ceir nifer o achosion lle'r ydych chi neu'r Gweinidog iechyd wedi dweud, 'Ydy, mae'r penderfyniad yn dod; mae'n mynd i ddigwydd', ac yna mae wedi cael ei ohirio tra byddwch chi'n aros i weld beth mae'r cyd-bwyllgor yn ei ddweud. Maen nhw eisoes yn dweud hynny, felly a allwch chi gynnig yr un math o obaith i'r gofalwyr di-dâl hynny sydd mor ddiobaith ac mor bryderus ynghylch y mater hwn?
Well, I don't recognise what the Member says about decisions made and then delayed. We have said all along we will follow the JCVI advice and that includes including unpaid carers within priority group 6. Alongside the advice we will publish on people with learning disabilities, we will publish this week the definitions that we will use to make sure that unpaid carers are able to come forward and be vaccinated as part of that group. It cannot be, as the Member will understand, a simple self-certification, otherwise anybody would be able to walk through the door and get vaccinated on their own say-so. All four Governments in the UK are agreed that we cannot do that. We therefore do have to use definitions to make sure that the right people are prioritised, and we're trying to do that on an aligned basis across the UK to make sure that those definitions are common between us. We'll publish the detailed guidance on that this week. I'm very keen indeed, of course, that people who are unpaid carers get the vaccination as fast as possible because of the enormously valuable work they do and the vulnerability of those people who rely on their care.
Wel, nid wyf i'n cydnabod yr hyn y mae'r Aelod yn ei ddweud am benderfyniadau yn cael eu gwneud ac yna eu hoedi. Rydym ni wedi dweud o'r cychwyn y byddwn ni'n dilyn cyngor y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu ac mae hynny yn cynnwys cynnwys gofalwyr di-dâl yng ngrŵp blaenoriaeth 6. Ochr yn ochr â'r cyngor y byddwn ni'n ei gyhoeddi ar bobl ag anableddau dysgu, byddwn yn cyhoeddi yr wythnos hon y diffiniadau y byddwn ni'n eu defnyddio i wneud yn siŵr bod gofalwyr di-dâl yn gallu dod ymlaen a chael eu brechu yn rhan o'r grŵp hwnnw. Ni all fod, fel y bydd yr Aelod yn deall, yn hunanardystiad syml, neu fel arall byddai unrhyw un yn gallu cerdded drwy'r drws a chael ei frechu ar sail yr hyn y mae'n ei ddweud ei hun. Mae pob un o'r pedair Llywodraeth yn y DU yn cytuno na allwn ni wneud hynny. Felly, mae'n rhaid i ni ddefnyddio diffiniadau i wneud yn siŵr bod y bobl iawn yn cael blaenoriaeth, ac rydym ni'n ceisio gwneud hynny ar sail gyson ledled y DU i wneud yn siŵr bod y diffiniadau hynny yn gyffredin rhyngom ni. Byddwn yn cyhoeddi'r canllawiau manwl ar hynny yr wythnos hon. Rwy'n awyddus iawn, wrth gwrs, bod pobl sy'n ofalwyr di-dâl yn cael y brechiad cyn gynted â phosibl oherwydd y gwaith hynod werthfawr y maen nhw'n ei wneud a natur agored i niwed y bobl hynny sy'n dibynnu ar eu gofal.
7. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i blant a phobl ifanc sy'n dysgu gartref? OQ56340
7. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for children and young people learning at home? OQ56340
Llywydd, getting children and young people back into school remains our top priority. The range of measures to support remote learning include additional support for practitioners, significant investment in devices, support for learners with additional needs and the £29 million Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards programme.
Llywydd, cael plant a phobl ifanc yn ôl i'r ysgol yw ein prif flaenoriaeth o hyd. Mae'r ystod o fesurau i gynorthwyo dysgu o bell yn cynnwys cymorth ychwanegol i ymarferwyr, buddsoddiad sylweddol mewn dyfeisiau, cymorth i ddysgwyr ag anghenion ychwanegol a'r rhaglen Recriwtio, Adfer a Chodi Safonau gwerth £29 miliwn.
Thank you, First Minister, and it was absolutely fantastic to see our youngest children going back to school yesterday, and unlike Andrew R.T. Davies and, it seems, Boris Johnson, I think it's really important that Governments should follow their own scientific advice, which means that our children in Wales will be learning at home for a longer period, as we manage that return to school safely. With this in mind, and given the recognition that there's been from the Education Policy Institute about the pace—and very welcome pace—with which Welsh Government has got digital support out there to families, what further investment is planned to ensure that all children and young people can learn at home for the period that we now hope will be as short as possible?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog, ac roedd yn hollol wych gweld ein plant ieuengaf yn mynd yn ôl i'r ysgol ddoe, ac yn wahanol i Andrew R.T. Davies ac, mae'n ymddangos, Boris Johnson, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn i Lywodraethau ddilyn eu cyngor gwyddonol eu hunain, sy'n golygu y bydd ein plant yng Nghymru yn dysgu gartref am gyfnod hwy, wrth i ni reoli'r dychweliad hwnnw i'r ysgol yn ddiogel. Gyda hyn mewn golwg, ac o gofio'r gydnabyddiaeth a gafwyd gan y Sefydliad Polisi Addysg am y cyflymder—a chyflymder sydd i'w groesawu'n fawr—y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi sicrhau bod cymorth digidol ar gael i deuluoedd, pa fuddsoddiad pellach sydd wedi ei gynllunio i sicrhau y gall pob plentyn a pherson ifanc ddysgu gartref am y cyfnod yr ydym ni'n gobeithio erbyn hyn y bydd mor fyr â phosibl?
Well, Llywydd, I thank Lynne Neagle for that, and thank her for the work that she and her committee have carried out in support of returning children and young people to face-to-face learning as quickly but as safely as we need to. I've seen her letter to the education Minister of earlier this month, which, I think, sets out very fairly indeed the balance that has to be there between the urgency of the need to get those young people back into education, but always doing so in line with the best scientific advice to keep them and those who look after them in that setting safe from this deadly disease.
I thank the Member for what she has said about investment in the Hwb edtech programme. We're very lucky, Llywydd, I think, that when coronavirus hit, we'd already had nearly £100 million-worth of investment in Hwb. It genuinely is a global-leading set of resources that we've been able to mobilise for young people here in Wales. And, as Lynne Neagle will know, earlier this month, the education Minister decided to invest a further £15 million in education technology in schools next year, and that is very much focused on ensuring that there are devices available for young people who need them, but also that there is connectivity for digitally excluded learners. And the £15 million that we were able to announce just a few days ago now means we can be sure that we can support those learners right through to the end of this academic year.
Wel, Llywydd, diolchaf i Lynne Neagle am hynna, a diolchaf iddi am y gwaith y mae hi a'i phwyllgor wedi ei wneud i gynorthwyo dychwelyd plant a phobl ifanc i ddysgu wyneb yn wyneb mor gyflym ond mor ddiogel ag y mae angen i ni ei wneud. Rwyf i wedi gweld ei llythyr at y Gweinidog Addysg yn gynharach y mis hwn, sydd, rwy'n credu, yn nodi yn deg iawn y cydbwysedd y mae'n rhaid ei sicrhau rhwng brys yr angen i gael y bobl ifanc hynny yn ôl i addysg, ond gwneud hynny bob amser yn unol â'r cyngor gwyddonol gorau i'w cadw nhw a'r rhai sy'n gofalu amdanyn nhw yn y lleoliad hwnnw yn ddiogel rhag y clefyd marwol hwn.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am yr hyn y mae hi wedi ei ddweud am fuddsoddi yn rhaglen technoleg addysg Hwb. Rydym ni'n ffodus iawn, Llywydd, rwy'n credu, pan darodd coronafeirws, ein bod ni eisoes wedi cael gwerth bron i £100 miliwn o fuddsoddiad yn Hwb. Mae wir yn gyfres o adnoddau sy'n arwain y byd yr ydym ni wedi gallu ei chyflwyno ar gyfer pobl ifanc yma yng Nghymru. Ac, fel y bydd Lynne Neagle yn gwybod, yn gynharach y mis hwn, penderfynodd y Gweinidog Addysg fuddsoddi £15 miliwn arall mewn technoleg addysg mewn ysgolion y flwyddyn nesaf, ac mae hynny yn rhoi pwyslais mawr ar sicrhau bod dyfeisiau ar gael i bobl ifanc sydd eu hangen, ond hefyd bod cysylltedd i ddysgwyr sydd wedi'u hallgáu yn ddigidol. Ac mae'r £15 miliwn yr oeddem ni'n gallu ei gyhoeddi ychydig ddyddiau yn ôl yn golygu erbyn hyn y gallwn ni fod yn siŵr y gallwn ni gynorthwyo'r dysgwyr hynny yr holl ffordd hyd at ddiwedd y flwyddyn academaidd hon.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 8, Llyr Gruffydd.
Finally, question 8, Llyr Gruffydd.
8. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am y defnydd o'r iaith Gymraeg yng ngharchar Berwyn yn Wrecsam? OQ56309
8. Will the First Minister make a statement on the use of the Welsh language in Berwyn prison in Wrexham? OQ56309
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Ysgrifennodd y Gweinidog Iechyd Meddwl, Llesiant a'r Gymraeg at yr Is-Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Seneddol yn y Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder ar 16 Chwefror i fynegi pryder am yr honiadau am brofiadau siaradwyr Cymraeg yng ngharchar y Berwyn, ac yn gofyn am eglurder am yr amserlen i weithredu mesurau i wella'r sefyllfa.
Thank you very much, Llywydd. The Minister for Mental Health, Well-being and the Welsh Language wrote to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Ministry for Justice on 16 February to express concern about the allegations made about the experiences of Welsh speakers at Berwyn prison, and to seek clarity on the timescale for implementing changes to improve the situation.
Byddwch chi'n gwybod bod carchar y Berwyn, wrth gwrs, wedi cael ei feirniadu'n gryf gan y bwrdd monitro annibynnol y llynedd am fethu darparu ar gyfer carcharorion Cymraeg eu hiaith, ac wrth gwrs wedi gwadu rhai hawliau i'r carcharorion hynny am eu bod nhw'n siarad Cymraeg. Nawr, chwe mis yn ddiweddarach, mewn gohebiaeth â mi, mae'r carchar wedi cadarnhau eu bod nhw ddim hyd yn oed yn gwybod faint o'u staff nhw eu hunain sy'n medru'r Gymraeg, felly sut y gallan nhw honni eu bod nhw'n sicrhau y ddarpariaeth angenrheidiol, dwi ddim yn siŵr. Ac mae yna honiad difrifol wedi bod hefyd—dwi'n siŵr eich bod chi'n ymwybodol o hyn—fod un carcharor wedi dioddef ymosodiad oherwydd y sylw a gafodd ei achos ef o safbwynt yr iaith Gymraeg yn y cyfryngau.
Nawr, mae'r holl sefyllfa yma yn amlygu methiant llwyr i gwrdd â hawliau sylfaenol siaradwyr Cymraeg. Dwi'n gwybod bod carchardai ddim wedi'u datganoli, ond mae elfennau ynglŷn â'r iaith wedi'u datganoli, ac, wrth gwrs, mae hyn yn digwydd yng Nghymru. Mae mwy o siaradwyr Cymraeg yn dal i fod mewn carchardai y tu allan i Gymru na sydd yna yng ngharchar y Berwyn, sy'n profi i fi fod yr addewid gwreiddiol y byddai Berwyn yn helpu i gwrdd ag anghenion Cymru yn gelwydd noeth. Felly, byddwn i'n eich annog chi yn y modd cryfaf posibl i sicrhau bod y sefyllfa yma'n newid. Y cwestiwn sylfaenol yw: pam ein bod ni'n dal i weld siaradwyr Cymraeg yn cael eu trin yn eilradd yma yng Nghymru?
You will be aware that Berwyn prison has been harshly criticised by the independent monitoring board last year for failing to provide for Welsh-speaking prisoners, and had denied certain rights to those prisoners because they were Welsh speaking. Now, six months later, the prison has confirmed, in correspondence with me, that they don't even know how many of their own staff are able to communicate through the medium of Welsh, so how can they claim that they are securing the necessary provision, I'm not sure. And there's been a serious allegation too—and I'm sure you'll be aware of this—that one prisoner had suffered an attack because of the coverage given to his case in the media in relation to the Welsh language.
Now, this whole situation highlights a fundamental failure in meeting the rights of Welsh speakers. I know that prisons are not devolved, but elements to do with the Welsh language are, and this is happening in Wales. There are still more Welsh speakers in prisons outside Wales than there are in Berwyn prison, which proves to me that the original pledge that Berwyn would help to meet the needs of Wales was completely misleading. So, I would encourage you in the strongest possible terms to ensure that this situation changes. The fundamental question is: why are we still seeing Welsh speakers being treated as second-class citizens here in Wales?
Llywydd, diolch yn fawr i Llyr Gruffydd am y cwestiynau ychwanegol yna. Mae'n hollol annerbyniol i fi os yw pobl yn y Berwyn ddim yn cael eu trin dan y gyfraith sydd gyda ni yma yng Nghymru. A dwi wedi gweld adroddiad blynyddol y bwrdd monitro annibynnol yn y Berwyn, sydd yn codi pryderon am ddefnydd o'r Gymraeg yn y carchar. Dyna pam mae Eluned Morgan wedi ysgrifennu at Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig yn gofyn am sicrwydd bod cynllun iaith Cymraeg y Berwyn yn cael ei weithredu. Nawr, dwi'n siŵr y bydd Llyr Gruffydd yn gwybod bod gan Gomisiynydd y Gymraeg gyfarfod ar yr 2 Mawrth gyda'r bobl yn y Berwyn am y mater hwn. Mae'r awdurdodau yn y Berwyn wedi nodi'r camau y maent yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod hawliau i ddefnyddio'r Gymraeg yn cael eu cynnal, a nawr mae angen i ni weld y camau hynny'n cael eu cymryd, nid jest ar bapur, ond yn mywydau'r bobl yn y carchar, fel mae Llyr Gruffydd wedi awgrymu y prynhawn yma.
Llywydd, I'd like to thank Llyr Gruffydd for those supplementary questions. It is entirely unacceptable to me if people in Berwyn are not being treated according to the laws that we have in place here in Wales. And I have seen the annual report of the independent monitoring board in the Berwyn, which does raise concerns about the use of the Welsh language within the prison. That's why Eluned Morgan has written to the UK Government seeking assurances that the Welsh language scheme at Berwyn is being implemented. Now, I'm sure that Llyr Gruffydd will be aware that the Welsh Language Commissioner has a meeting on the 2 March with representatives of Berwyn prison to discuss this very issue. The authorities at Berwyn prison have outlined steps that they're taking to ensure that rights to use the Welsh language are supported, and we now need to see those steps being taken. We don't just want to see them on paper, but we want to see them having an impact on the lives of those in the prison, as Llyr Gruffydd has suggested this afternoon.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r dataganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, a dwi'n galw ar y Trefnydd i wneud y datganiad hynny. Rebecca Evans.
The next item is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement. Rebecca Evans.
Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. The draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Diolch, Llywydd. Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi'i nodi ar y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd i'w weld ymhlith papurau'r cyfarfod sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau'n electronig.
Organiser, could I seek a statement please from the planning Minister in relation to guidance that has come out from Natural Resources Wales to planning authorities in Wales regarding phosphates and the calculations that planning authorities need to use in determining applications when it comes to phosphates on land and in building projects? I'm led to believe that many applications now are being held up because local authorities do not have the expertise to deal with this particular guidance, and NRW are unable to provide real detailed guidance to help local authorities determine applications. This is having a big impact economically because, obviously, the planning process is at the heart of many economic developments. And for NRW to have issued such guidance without the help and support that planning authorities, and in particular planning officers, would need is almost reckless, I would suggest. So, could we have a statement from the planning Minister as to what her thoughts are around this guidance being issued by NRW, but, more importantly, what assistance she would expect to see from NRW to planning authorities to help them determine applications across Wales?
Trefnydd, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad os gwelwch yn dda gan y Gweinidog cynllunio ynglŷn â chanllawiau sydd wedi dod gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru at awdurdodau cynllunio yng Nghymru ynghylch ffosffadau a'r cyfrifiadau y mae angen i awdurdodau cynllunio eu defnyddio wrth benderfynu ar geisiadau pan ddaw'n fater o ffosffadau ar dir ac mewn prosiectau adeiladu? Rwy'n cael fy arwain i gredu bod oedi i lawer o geisiadau ar hyn o bryd gan nad oes gan awdurdodau lleol yr arbenigedd i ymdrin â'r canllawiau penodol hyn, ac ni all CNC ddarparu canllawiau manwl gwirioneddol i helpu awdurdodau lleol i benderfynu ar geisiadau. Mae hyn yn cael effaith fawr yn economaidd oherwydd, yn amlwg, mae'r broses gynllunio wrth wraidd llawer o ddatblygiadau economaidd. Ac fe fyddwn i'n awgrymu bod CNC wedi bod yn ddi-hid yn cyhoeddi canllawiau o'r fath heb y cymorth a'r gefnogaeth y byddai eu hangen ar awdurdodau cynllunio, ac yn enwedig swyddogion cynllunio. Felly, a gawn ni ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog cynllunio ynghylch beth yw ei barn hi am y canllawiau hyn sy'n cael eu cyhoeddi gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, ond, yn bwysicach, pa gymorth y byddai hi'n disgwyl ei weld gan CNC i awdurdodau cynllunio i'w helpu i benderfynu ar geisiadau ledled Cymru?
Thank you to Andrew R.T. Davies for raising the issue of planning guidance and phosphates on land and building projects. I might, on this occasion, suggest that he raises this specific issue with the Minister through correspondence, given that it is a detailed matter, and I think a detailed response through correspondence might be more appropriate on this occasion rather than seeking a statement on the floor of the Senedd, especially since we only have now four weeks of term left in which to accommodate the requests that colleagues are coming forward with. But I know that the Minister will be keen to provide a detailed response in writing.
Diolch i Andrew R.T. Davies am godi mater canllawiau cynllunio a ffosffadau ar brosiectau tir ac adeiladu. Fe fyddwn i'n awgrymu, y tro hwn, ei fod yn codi'r mater penodol hwn gyda'r Gweinidog drwy ohebiaeth, o ystyried ei fod yn fater manwl. Rwy'n credu y gallai ymateb manwl drwy ohebiaeth fod yn fwy priodol y tro hwn yn hytrach na gofyn am ddatganiad ar lawr y Senedd, yn enwedig gan mai dim ond pedair wythnos o'r tymor sydd gennym ni ar ôl bellach i ddarparu ar gyfer y ceisiadau y mae cyd-Aelodau'n eu cyflwyno. Ond rwy'n gwybod y bydd y Gweinidog yn awyddus i ddarparu ymateb manwl yn ysgrifenedig.
I'd like to ask for a statement about vaccinating people with learning disabilities and unpaid carers. I wrote to the First Minister and health Minister two weeks ago, setting out the evidence base for prioritising people with learning disabilities living in care homes for vaccination. I haven't received a reply to the letter, although the First Minister did just confirm in Plenary that a decision is imminent, given that the health Minister has received updated advice. Now, it is a real shame, Trefnydd, that he couldn't make the decision in advance of his statement on vaccinations today, which would have allowed Members an opportunity to scrutinise the circumstances surrounding these events. I'd like to know, for example, why it was necessary for the Welsh Government to wait for the advice, which has presumably come from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, when it could unilaterally move police medics up to group 2 without receiving new advice. I'd also like to know why this group of people with learning disabilities was allowed to fall through the gap initially, meaning that it took a dedicated campaign for the correct decision to be made.
A similar issue exists for unpaid carers. I've spoken to staff in both the Aneurin Bevan health board and Cwm Taf, and they're both waiting to have guidance about how to identify unpaid carers so that they can work with GPs to make sure that they get the priority. This surely goes to the heart of why we need a register of unpaid carers in Wales. It speaks to how unappreciated these people are that the Government doesn't have an easy way of finding out who they are. Something is so wrong with how we treat these selfless, brave people. So, I hope the Trefnydd can press upon the health Minister the need for these issues to be scrutinised in the Senedd in the interests of transparency, so that we can be assured that lessons will be learned.
Hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad ynghylch brechu pobl ag anableddau dysgu a gofalwyr di-dâl. Ysgrifennais at y Prif Weinidog a'r Gweinidog iechyd bythefnos yn ôl, yn nodi'r sylfaen dystiolaeth ar gyfer blaenoriaethu brechu pobl ag anableddau dysgu sy'n byw mewn cartrefi gofal. Nid wyf wedi cael ateb i'r llythyr, er i'r Prif Weinidog newydd gadarnhau yn y Cyfarfod Llawn fod penderfyniad ar fin digwydd, o gofio bod y Gweinidog iechyd wedi cael y cyngor diweddaraf. Nawr, mae'n drueni mawr, Trefnydd, na fyddai wedi gallu gwneud y penderfyniad cyn ei ddatganiad ar frechiadau heddiw, gan y byddai hynny wedi rhoi cyfle i'r Aelodau graffu ar yr amgylchiadau sy'n gysylltiedig â'r digwyddiadau hyn. Hoffwn i wybod, er enghraifft, pam yr oedd angen i Lywodraeth Cymru aros am y cyngor, sydd fwy na thebyg wedi dod gan y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Frechu ac Imiwneiddio, pan oedd modd iddi symud meddygon yr heddlu yn unochrog i fyny i grŵp 2 heb gael cyngor newydd. Hoffwn i wybod hefyd pam y caniatawyd i'r grŵp hwn o bobl ag anableddau dysgu ddisgyn drwy'r bwlch yn y lle cyntaf, sy'n golygu ei bod wedi cymryd ymgyrch bwrpasol i wneud y penderfyniad cywir.
Mae mater tebyg yn bodoli o ran gofalwyr di-dâl. Rwyf wedi siarad â staff ym mwrdd iechyd Aneurin Bevan a Chwm Taf, ac mae'r ddau fwrdd yn aros i gael arweiniad ar sut i nodi gofalwyr di-dâl fel y gallan nhw weithio gyda meddygon teulu i sicrhau eu bod yn cael y flaenoriaeth. Mae'n sicr bod hyn yn mynd at wraidd y rheswm pam mae angen inni gael cofrestr o ofalwyr di-dâl yng Nghymru. Mae'n dangos i ba raddau nad yw'r bobl hyn yn cael eu gwerthfawrogi nad oes gan y Llywodraeth ffordd hawdd o ddarganfod pwy ydyn nhw. Mae rhywbeth o'i le ynghylch y ffordd yr ydym ni'n trin y bobl anhunanol a dewr hyn. Felly, gobeithio y gall y Trefnydd bwyso ar y Gweinidog iechyd fod angen i'r materion hyn gael eu craffu yn y Senedd er mwyn sicrhau tryloywder, fel y gallwn ni fod yn sicr y bydd gwersi'n cael eu dysgu.
Thank you to Delyth Jewell for raising this, and, of course, the First Minister responded to both of these issues, about people with learning disabilities and unpaid carers, in his contribution during First Minister's questions this afternoon. We have put on the business statement for the coming weeks a statement every single week on vaccinations from the Minister for Health and Social Services, in order to provide that opportunity for colleagues—to provide that robust scrutiny on the various issues affecting their constituents in relation to vaccination, and that's the next item of business this afternoon. But there will be further opportunities to have that detailed discussion too.
Diolch i Delyth Jewell am godi hyn, ac, wrth gwrs, ymatebodd y Prif Weinidog i'r ddau fater hyn, o ran pobl ag anableddau dysgu a gofalwyr di-dâl, yn ei gyfraniad yn ystod cwestiynau'r Prif Weinidog y prynhawn yma. Rydym ni wedi rhoi datganiad ar frechiadau gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol bob wythnos ar y datganiad busnes ar gyfer yr wythnosau nesaf, er mwyn rhoi'r cyfle hwnnw i gyd-Aelodau—i ddarparu'r craffu cadarn hwnnw ar y gwahanol faterion sy'n effeithio ar eu hetholwyr o ran brechu, a dyna'r eitem nesaf o fusnes y prynhawn yma. Ond bydd cyfleoedd pellach i gael y drafodaeth fanwl honno hefyd.
Trefnydd, I wonder if we can find time for a debate before we break for the election in May on the remarkable history and enduring legacy of Robert Owen, son of Newtown and of Wales, and, indeed, of the world? Textile manufacturer, philanthropist, social reformer, and of course one of the founders of the co-operative movement and of utopian socialism too. And to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, what is the point of a map without utopia on it? On 14 May this year, we will mark the two-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the birth of this visionary individual, Robert Owen, who championed working people, who sought to improve their working and living conditions, and whose work led to the development not only of the co-operative movement, but of the trade union movement. He supported free co-educational establishments and legislation on child labour. So, as nations and parliaments around the world celebrate the global legacy of this our son of Wales, should we not also find the opportunity to mark his legacy here at home, here in this Senedd, our Parliament of Wales, and, as we look to the sixth Senedd term, consider how we further his ambitions for a fairer and more just society and economy in which all have an equal say and an equal stake?
And on a related theme, Trefnydd, we are at the start of Fairtrade Fortnight in Wales. It's a celebration of the Fairtrade movement worldwide, and something that goes to the very heart of the co-operative movement, and indeed something at the heart of the Co-operative Party in Wales. And Members here—of the Co-operative Party and other groups—will be taking part in online events, highlighting the work done across the world to promote worker-run and worker-owned fair-trade production. So, could we have at least a statement from Welsh Government on support for the Fairtrade movement, which could also highlight the Fairtrade Fortnight events in Wales, including climate change chats with Jennifer, a Fairtrade coffee farmer from Uganda, Fairtrade recipe and cooking events, educational events, poetry readings, and more? Surely it's important now more than ever, with the added challenge of the global pandemic, as well as climate change, that we reassert our support in Wales for the Fairtrade movement. So, I hope, Trefnydd, we can have a statement on this during Fairtrade Fortnight, if not a full debate here in our Senedd.
Trefnydd, tybed a gawn ni ddod o hyd i amser ar gyfer dadl cyn inni dorri ar gyfer yr etholiad ym mis Mai ar hanes rhyfeddol ac etifeddiaeth barhaus Robert Owen, un o feibion y Drenewydd a Chymru, ac, yn wir, y byd? Gwneuthurwr tecstiliau, dyngarwr, diwygiwr cymdeithasol, ac wrth gwrs un o sylfaenwyr y mudiad cydweithredol a sosialaeth iwtopaidd hefyd. Ac i aralleirio Oscar Wilde, beth yw pwynt map heb iwtopia arno? Ar 14 Mai eleni, byddwn ni'n nodi dau gant a hanner can mlwyddiant geni'r unigolyn llawn gweledigaeth hwn, Robert Owen. Roedd yn lladmerydd o blaid pobl sy'n gweithio, ac fe geisiodd wella eu hamodau gweithio a byw, ac fe arweiniodd ei waith at ddatblygu nid yn unig y mudiad cydweithredol, ond y mudiad undebau llafur. Roedd yn cefnogi sefydliadau cyd-addysgol am ddim a deddfwriaeth ar lafur plant. Felly, wrth i genhedloedd a seneddau ledled y byd ddathlu etifeddiaeth fyd-eang un o feibion Cymru, oni ddylem ni hefyd ddod o hyd i'r cyfle i nodi ei etifeddiaeth yma gartref, yma yn y Senedd hon, yn Senedd Cymru ac, wrth inni edrych ar chweched tymor y Senedd, ystyried sut yr ydym ni'n hyrwyddo ei uchelgeisiau ar gyfer cymdeithas ac economi decach a mwy cyfiawn lle mae gan bawb lais cyfartal a chyfran gyfartal?
Ac ar thema gysylltiedig, Trefnydd, mae'n gychwyn ar Bythefnos Masnach Deg yng Nghymru. Mae'n dathlu'r mudiad Masnach Deg ledled y byd, ac yn rhywbeth sy'n mynd at galon y mudiad cydweithredol, ac yn wir mae'n rhywbeth sydd wrth wraidd y Blaid Gydweithredol yng Nghymru. Ac fe fydd yr Aelodau yma—o'r Blaid Gydweithredol a grwpiau eraill—yn cymryd rhan mewn digwyddiadau ar-lein, gan dynnu sylw at y gwaith a gaiff ei wneud ledled y byd i hyrwyddo cynhyrchu masnach deg sy'n eiddo i weithwyr a gweithwyr. Felly, a gawn ni o leiaf ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi'r mudiad Masnach Deg, a allai hefyd dynnu sylw at ddigwyddiadau Pythefnos Masnach Deg yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys sgyrsiau newid hinsawdd gyda Jenipher, ffermwr coffi Masnach Deg o Uganda, a digwyddiadau ryseitiau a choginio Masnach Deg, digwyddiadau addysgol, darlleniadau barddoniaeth, a mwy? Siawns nad yw'n bwysig nawr yn fwy nag erioed, gyda her ychwanegol y pandemig byd-eang, yn ogystal â newid hinsawdd, ein bod ni'n cadarnhau drachefn ein cefnogaeth yng Nghymru i'r mudiad Masnach Deg. Felly, gobeithio, Trefnydd, y gallwn ni gael datganiad ynghylch hyn yn ystod Pythefnos Masnach Deg, os nad dadl lawn yma yn ein Senedd ni.
Thank you to Huw Irranca-Davies for raising both of those issues this afternoon. I'm really pleased to say that the Welsh Government is exploring working with the Arts Council of Wales to celebrate the two-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the birth of Robert Owen. An artist in residence was appointed in August to engage with the local community in Newtown, and now the artist has produced a report, with several recommendations, which are currently under review. So, I'm sure that we'll be able to say more on those plans in due course. Of course, co-operation is at the heart of everything the Welsh Government does, and I'm really pleased that my colleague Lee Waters will be making a statement on the foundational economy this afternoon. I think that's one of those areas where you can really see our co-operative approaches coming to life and being delivered through the choices that we're making.
And, absolutely, we reiterate our support for the Fairtrade movement. I know, in normal times, when we're not meeting on Zoom, in years previously we've all really enjoyed meeting farmers from Uganda who've come to the Senedd and talked to us about their experiences and what a difference it makes to them when we all commit to fair trade. So, I think it's very much at the heart of our delivery and living up to our Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, of being a globally responsible Wales, to ensure that we do take the opportunities to support fair trade when they are presented.
Diolch i Huw Irranca-Davies am godi'r ddau fater hynny y prynhawn yma. Rwy'n falch iawn o ddweud bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn edrych ar y posibilrwydd o weithio gyda Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru i ddathlu dau gant a hanner can mlwyddiant geni Robert Owen. Cafodd artist preswyl ei benodi ym mis Awst i ymgysylltu â'r gymuned leol yn y Drenewydd, ac erbyn hyn mae'r artist wedi cynhyrchu adroddiad, gyda nifer o argymhellion, sy'n cael eu hadolygu ar hyn o bryd. Felly, rwy'n siŵr y byddwn ni'n gallu dweud mwy am y cynlluniau hynny maes o law. Wrth gwrs, mae cydweithredu wrth wraidd popeth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud, ac rwy'n falch iawn y bydd fy nghydweithiwr Lee Waters yn gwneud datganiad ynghylch yr economi sylfaenol y prynhawn yma. Rwy'n credu mai dyna un o'r meysydd hynny lle y gallwch weld ein dulliau cydweithredol yn dod yn fyw ac yn cael eu darparu drwy'r dewisiadau yr ydym ni'n eu gwneud.
Ac, yn sicr, rydym ni'n ailadrodd ein cefnogaeth i'r mudiad Masnach Deg. Rwy'n gwybod, fel rheol, pan nad ydym ni'n cyfarfod ar Zoom, yn y blynyddoedd a fu, rydym i gyd wedi mwynhau cwrdd â ffermwyr o Uganda sydd wedi dod i'r Senedd a siarad â ni am eu profiadau a pha wahaniaeth y mae'n ei wneud iddyn nhw pan fyddwn ni i gyd yn ymrwymo i fasnach deg. Felly, rwy'n credu ei fod yn bendant wrth wraidd ein darpariaeth ni ac yn cyflawni ein Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015, o fod yn Gymru sy'n gyfrifol yn fyd-eang, er mwyn sicrhau ein bod yn manteisio ar y cyfleoedd i gefnogi masnach deg pan gânt eu cyflwyno.
Trefnydd, can I call for two statements today? The first is a request for a statement on the impact of people taking abortion medication at home. You'll be aware that the Welsh Government, the health Minister, announced that he was changing the rules regarding the ability to take abortion medication at home at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. But the problem is that between 1 April, when the arrangements changed, and 31 December last year, they saw a doubling of the numbers of call-outs to 999 for the ambulance service and a doubling of the number of ambulances that had to be dispatched to women who had taken abortion medication at home. I'm very concerned about that, because I know that the Welsh Government has just completed a consultation period about the possibility of these arrangements becoming permanent. But there are people who are very concerned about the increased call-outs to the ambulance service, the lack of medical supervision that these women experience and, of course, the fact that there are no safeguards to ensure that these women are not being coerced by partners.
The second statement that I'd like to see is a statement on big cats in the Welsh countryside from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs. You'll be aware that in north-east Wales there's been a spate of sightings of big cats in the Welsh countryside in recent months. Many members of the farming community in particular are concerned about the impact that these may have on their livestock in the future, yet we are without any statement from the Welsh Government at the moment as to what investigations are being undertaken into these sightings. Can I ask for an urgent statement on that from the Welsh Government Minister for rural affairs as soon as possible? Thank you.
Trefnydd, a gaf i alw am ddau ddatganiad heddiw? Y cyntaf yw cais am ddatganiad ar effaith pobl sy'n cymryd meddyginiaeth erthylu gartref. Byddwch chi'n ymwybodol bod Llywodraeth Cymru, y Gweinidog iechyd, wedi cyhoeddi ar ddechrau pandemig y coronafeirws, ei fod yn newid y rheolau ynglŷn â'r gallu i gymryd meddyginiaeth erthylu gartref. Ond y broblem yw, rhwng 1 Ebrill, pan newidiodd y trefniadau, a 31 Rhagfyr y llynedd, eu bod wedi gweld nifer y galwadau i 999 yn dyblu ar gyfer y gwasanaeth ambiwlans a dyblu yn nifer yr ambiwlansys y bu'n rhaid eu hanfon at fenywod a oedd wedi cymryd meddyginiaeth erthylu gartref. Rwy'n pryderu'n fawr ynghylch hynny, oherwydd rwy'n gwybod bod Llywodraeth Cymru newydd gwblhau cyfnod ymgynghori ynglŷn â'r posibilrwydd y bydd y trefniadau hyn yn dod yn rhai parhaol. Ond mae yna bobl sy'n pryderu'n fawr am y galwadau cynyddol i'r gwasanaeth ambiwlans, y diffyg goruchwyliaeth feddygol a brofir gan y menywod hyn ac, wrth gwrs, y ffaith nad oes unrhyw fesurau diogelu i sicrhau nad yw'r menywod hyn yn cael eu gorfodi gan bartneriaid.
Yr ail ddatganiad yr hoffwn i ei weld yw datganiad ar gathod mawr yng nghefn gwlad Cymru gan Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig. Byddwch chi'n ymwybodol, yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru, bod nifer fawr o gathod mawr wedi'u gweld yng nghefn gwlad Cymru yn ystod y misoedd diwethaf. Mae llawer o aelodau'r gymuned ffermio yn arbennig yn pryderu am yr effaith y gallai'r rhain ei chael ar eu da byw yn y dyfodol, ac eto nid ydym ni wedi cael unrhyw ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar hyn o bryd ynghylch pa ymchwiliadau sy'n cael eu cynnal i'r achosion hyn. A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad brys ynghylch hynny gan Weinidog Materion Gwledig Llywodraeth Cymru cyn gynted â phosibl? Diolch.
Thank you. On the first issue that Darren Millar raised, which was the issue of abortion medication to be taken at home, as he says, the consultation ended, I believe, today, in terms of whether or not to make those arrangements permanent. I know that the Minister will be listening very carefully to representations that he's made this afternoon, but also those representations that have been made through that consultation process, with a view to coming to an informed decision on the way forward there.
In relation to big cats in the Welsh countryside and the concern that that raises amongst the farming community, particularly in the area that he represents, I know that the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs will have been listening very carefully to that request for further information and a further statement on that.
Diolch. O ran y mater cyntaf a gododd Darren Millar, sef mater meddyginiaeth erthylu i'w chymryd gartref, fel y mae yn ei ddweud, daeth yr ymgynghoriad i ben heddiw, rwy'n credu, o ran a ddylai'r trefniadau hynny gael eu gwneud yn barhaol ai peidio. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd y Gweinidog yn gwrando'n astud iawn ar sylwadau a gafodd eu cyflwyno ganddo y prynhawn yma, ond hefyd y sylwadau hynny a gafodd eu cyflwyno drwy gydol y broses ymgynghori honno, gyda'r bwriad o ddod i benderfyniad gwybodus ar y ffordd ymlaen.
O ran cathod mawr yng nghefn gwlad Cymru a'r pryder y mae hynny'n ei godi ymysg y gymuned ffermio, yn enwedig yn yr ardal y mae'n ei chynrychioli, rwy'n gwybod y bydd Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig wedi bod yn gwrando'n astud iawn ar y cais hwnnw am ragor o wybodaeth a datganiad pellach ynghylch hynny.
We are seriously lacking in charging points for electric vehicles in the Rhondda. The map of Wales shows that there is nothing in the Rhondda Fach or in the Rhondda Fawr, and the nearest charging points, depending on where you live in the Rhondda, are Hirwaun, Aberdare or just outside Llantrisant. Now, it's no wonder that only 0.17 per cent of vehicles used in Wales are currently electric. A recent consultation and electric vehicle strategy have recently been announced by your Government, with a vague target of ensuring that
'by 2025, all users of electric cars and vans in Wales are confident that they can access electric vehicle charging infrastructure when and where they need it.'
But this vehicle technology exists now. We can't wait until 2025. Why can't they be installed in public car parks now, for example? People want to make the switch to electric vehicles and we're in the middle of a climate crisis. People want to be able to make their own contribution to that. Given that there are plans to phase out petrol and diesel cars, don't you think there should be much, much more urgency on this? So, can we have a statement from the Government to explain when we can see movement on this and what your plans are to see some sort of swift legislation? Clearly, it may not be possible within this Senedd term, but is it something that you would be supportive of in the next Senedd term, when Plaid Cymru is running the Government?
Mae yna brinder affwysol o fannau gwefru ar gyfer cerbydau trydan yn y Rhondda. Mae map Cymru yn dangos nad oes dim byd yn y Rhondda Fach nac yn y Rhondda Fawr, a'r pwyntiau gwefru agosaf, yn dibynnu ar ble yr ydych chi'n byw yn y Rhondda, yw Hirwaun, Aberdâr neu ychydig y tu allan i Lantrisant. Nawr, nid yw'n syndod mai dim ond 0.17 y cant o gerbydau trydan sy'n cael eu defnyddio yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd. Mae gan ymgynghoriad a strategaeth cerbydau trydan a gafodd eu cyhoeddi yn ddiweddar gan eich Llywodraeth chi, y targed amwys o sicrhau
'erbyn 2025, bod holl ddefnyddwyr ceir a faniau trydan yng Nghymru yn hyderus y gallan nhw gael mynediad i seilwaith gwefru cerbydau trydan pryd a ble y mae ei angen arnyn nhw.'
Ond mae'r dechnoleg gwefru cerbydau yn bodoli nawr. Ni allwn aros tan 2025. Pam nad oes modd eu gosod mewn meysydd parcio cyhoeddus nawr, er enghraifft? Mae pobl eisiau newid i gerbydau trydan ac rydym yng nghanol argyfwng hinsawdd. Mae pobl eisiau gallu gwneud eu cyfraniad nhw eu hunain i hynny. O ystyried bod cynlluniau i ddiddymu'n raddol geir petrol a diesel, onid ydych chi'n credu y dylai fod llawer mwy o frys ar hyn? Felly, a gawn ni ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth i egluro pryd y gallwn ni weld cynnydd o ran hyn a beth yw eich cynlluniau i weld rhyw fath o ddeddfwriaeth gyflym? Yn amlwg, efallai na fydd yn bosibl o fewn tymor y Senedd hon, ond a yw'n rhywbeth y byddech chi'n gefnogol iddo yn nhymor nesaf y Senedd, pan fydd Plaid Cymru yn rhedeg y Llywodraeth?
Thank you to Leanne Wood for raising the issue this afternoon. I do know that the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales is considering how best to update colleagues on the transport strategy, which, of course, includes a section on vehicles and ensuring that we move to a more sustainable picture in Wales in terms of vehicles, specifically relating to electric vehicles and ensuring that people have access to those charging points that they need in order to make that transition. So, I do know that he's considering how best to provide that update in the time that we have left. But in the meantime, before he is able to do that, I will ask him to provide a written update on this specific issue to Leanne Wood to address those concerns that she's raised this afternoon.FootnoteLink
Diolch i Leanne Wood am godi'r mater hwn y prynhawn yma. Rwy'n gwybod bod Gweinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a'r Gogledd yn ystyried y ffordd orau o roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i gyd-Aelodau am y strategaeth drafnidiaeth, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn cynnwys adran ar gerbydau a sicrhau ein bod ni'n symud tuag at ddarlun mwy cynaliadwy yng Nghymru o ran cerbydau, gan ymwneud yn benodol â cherbydau trydan, a sicrhau y gall pobl gael gafael ar y pwyntiau gwefru hynny y mae arnyn nhw eu hangen i gyflawni'r newid hwnnw. Felly, rwy'n gwybod ei fod yn ystyried beth yw'r ffordd orau o ddarparu'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ar hynny yn yr amser sydd gennym ni ar ôl. Ond yn y cyfamser, cyn iddo allu gwneud hynny, gofynnaf iddo roi diweddariad ysgrifenedig ar y mater penodol hwn i Leanne Wood i fynd i'r afael â'r pryderon hynny a godwyd ganddi hi y prynhawn yma.FootnoteLink
Will the Government make a statement condemning the appalling behaviour of the European Commission in banning the import of live bivalve molluscs from the UK? Although they say they are implementing restrictions on all non-European countries, it was agreed that they would not do this in the negotiations that took place prior to Brexit. Even the chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Fisheries, Pierre Karleskind, condemned the move, saying he was on Britain's side in this matter. As he says, the waters around the coast of the UK have not suddenly become polluted because of Brexit. This move will, of course, open up the possibility of tit-for-tat measures by the British Government, so will the Welsh Government back, in particular, the Welsh fishing community, which is very dependent upon this trade, by voicing its condemnation of this disgraceful act?
A wnaiff y Llywodraeth ddatganiad yn condemnio ymddygiad gwarthus y Comisiwn Ewropeaidd wrth wahardd mewnforio molysgiaid deufalf byw o'r DU? Er eu bod yn dweud eu bod yn gweithredu cyfyngiadau ar bob gwlad nad yw'n rhan o Ewrop, cytunwyd na fydden nhw'n gwneud hyn yn y trafodaethau a gynhaliwyd cyn Brexit. Roedd hyd yn oed cadeirydd Pwyllgor Pysgodfeydd Senedd Ewrop, Pierre Karleskind, yn condemnio'r weithred, gan ddweud ei fod yn ochri â Phrydain yn y mater hwn. Fel y dywed, nid yw'r dyfroedd o amgylch arfordir y DU wedi cael eu llygru'n sydyn oherwydd Brexit. Bydd y cam hwn, wrth gwrs, yn agor y posibilrwydd o fesurau talu'r pwyth yn ôl gan Lywodraeth Prydain, felly a wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru gefnogi, yn benodol, gymuned bysgota Cymru, sy'n ddibynnol iawn ar y fasnach hon, drwy fynegi ei chondemniad o'r weithred warthus hon?
I do know that the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs is involved in the discussions on this particular issue and I will ask her to provide an update to colleagues on where we are in relation to the export issues that David Rowlands has just described.
Rwy'n gwybod bod Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig yn rhan o'r trafodaethau ar y mater penodol hwn a byddaf i'n gofyn iddi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i gyd-Aelodau ynghylch ein sefyllfa ni o ran y materion allforio y mae David Rowlands newydd eu disgrifio.
Can I ask for two statements and a general debate, if I could, please? The first statement follows on from the previous question, in fact. In terms of our experience of Brexit so far, no matter where you stood on the question itself, I think it's fair to say that it's been pretty much a disaster for these last two months. We haven't just seen the fishing industry affected, we've seen most of our major manufacturers and industries affected by the very poor deal that was agreed before Christmas, and the consequences of being a third country now are having a real implication for our economy and for people and their jobs and livelihoods. Is it possible for the Government to bring forward a statement on the impact of Brexit and the damage that Brexit is doing to our economy so that we can discuss these matters before dissolution?
The second statement I'd like to ask for, Minister, is on the governance of the United Kingdom. The Counsel General gave some very striking evidence to the external affairs committee yesterday, where he described the deterioration in relationships between the Governments of the United Kingdom. It is important, I think, that we have a debate on these matters so that we can understand fully what the difficulties are, and also, then, understand the measures that may be taken by this Senedd in terms of addressing them.
The final issue, Minister, is a general debate on the organisation of business in this Senedd. We will be, at the end of next month, losing a number of highly experienced and respected Members, and I think it is a very good practice to debate not only our Standing Orders, but how we organise ourselves at the end of a Senedd to learn the lessons from what has happened over the previous years. I would certainly be interested to hear particularly from those Members who have said that they do not intend to return in the next Senedd to understand from their experience how they believe the way we manage ourselves and manage business can be improved in the sixth Senedd. Thank you.
A gaf i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad a dadl gyffredinol, os caf i, os gwelwch chi'n dda? Mae'r datganiad cyntaf yn dilyn y cwestiwn blaenorol, mewn gwirionedd. O ran ein profiad o Brexit hyd yn hyn, ni waeth ble'r oeddech chi'n sefyll ar y cwestiwn ei hun, rwy'n credu ei bod yn deg dweud ei fod wedi bod yn drychineb yn ystod y ddau fis diwethaf. Nid yn unig yr ydym wedi gweld yr effaith ar y diwydiant pysgota, ond rydym wedi gweld effaith y fargen wael iawn, y cytunwyd arni cyn y Nadolig, ar y rhan fwyaf o'n prif weithgynhyrchwyr a diwydiannau. Ac mae canlyniadau bod yn drydedd wlad bellach yn golygu goblygiadau gwirioneddol i'n heconomi ac i bobl a'u swyddi a'u bywoliaeth. A yw'n bosibl i'r Llywodraeth gyflwyno datganiad ynghylch effaith Brexit a'r niwed y mae Brexit yn ei wneud i'n heconomi fel y gallwn ni drafod y materion hyn cyn diddymu'r Senedd?
Mae'r ail ddatganiad yr hoffwn i ofyn amdano, Gweinidog, yn ymwneud â llywodraethu'r Deyrnas Unedig. Rhoddodd y Cwnsler Cyffredinol dystiolaeth drawiadol iawn i'r pwyllgor materion allanol ddoe, pan ddisgrifiodd y dirywiad yn y berthynas rhwng Llywodraethau'r Deyrnas Unedig. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig inni gael dadl ar y materion hyn fel y gallwn ddeall yn iawn beth yw'r anawsterau, a hefyd, felly, ddeall y mesurau y gallai'r Senedd hon eu cymryd o ran mynd i'r afael â nhw.
Y mater olaf, Gweinidog, yw dadl gyffredinol ar drefniant busnes yn y Senedd hon. Byddwn ni, ddiwedd y mis nesaf, yn colli nifer o Aelodau profiadol ac uchel eu parch, ac rwy'n credu ei bod yn arfer da iawn trafod nid yn unig ein Rheolau Sefydlog, ond sut yr ydym ni'n trefnu ein hunain ar ddiwedd Senedd i ddysgu gwersi o'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd yn ystod y blynyddoedd blaenorol. Yn sicr, byddai gennyf i ddiddordeb mewn clywed yn benodol gan yr Aelodau hynny sydd wedi dweud nad ydyn nhw'n bwriadu dychwelyd yn y Senedd nesaf, er mwyn deall o'u profiad nhw sut y credant y byddai modd gwella'r ffordd yr ydym ni'n rheoli ein hunain ac yn rheoli busnes yn y chweched Senedd. Diolch.
That's an interesting idea that I'll certainly pursue in the first instance with the Llywydd in terms of understanding how we as an organisation can learn from the experiences of those colleagues who made the decision not to return next time, or not to seek re-election, certainly, to be returned. I think that will be an interesting piece of work. On the Business Committee, we've been looking at our Standing Orders, and we'll be bringing forward a range of potential changes for colleagues to have the opportunity to debate and vote on in the coming weeks. Obviously, that will then need to have accompanying guidance issued for colleagues as well. But I'll take that point up with the Llywydd straight away.
In terms of those really important strategic issues that you've talked about—the governance of the UK and also the impact, overall, of Brexit—I'll make sure that I have a discussion with the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition in the first instance to explore what's the best way to have those discussions and provide those updates.
Mae hynny'n syniad diddorol a byddaf i'n sicr yn ei ddilyn, yn y lle cyntaf gyda'r Llywydd, o ran deall sut y gallwn ni fel sefydliad ddysgu o brofiadau'r cydweithwyr hynny a wnaeth y penderfyniad i beidio â dychwelyd y tro nesaf, neu i beidio â cheisio cael eu hail ailethol, yn sicr, i gael eu dychwelyd. Rwy'n credu y bydd hwnnw'n ddarn diddorol o waith. O ran y Pwyllgor Busnes, rydym wedi bod yn edrych ar ein Rheolau Sefydlog, a byddwn yn cyflwyno amrywiaeth o newidiadau posibl i gydweithwyr gael y cyfle i drafod a phleidleisio arnyn nhw yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf. Yn amlwg, bydd angen cyhoeddi canllawiau cysylltiedig ar gyfer cydweithwyr wedyn hefyd. Ond byddaf i'n codi'r pwynt hwnnw gyda'r Llywydd ar unwaith.
O ran y materion strategol pwysig iawn hynny yr ydych wedi sôn amdanynt—llywodraethu'r DU a hefyd effaith Brexit, yn gyffredinol—byddaf i'n sicrhau fy mod yn cael trafodaeth gyda'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Pontio Ewropeaidd yn y lle cyntaf i geisio dod o hyd i'r ffordd orau o gael y trafodaethau hynny a darparu'r diweddariadau hynny.
Trefnydd, can I request a statement from the health Minister about the vaccination of adults with learning disabilities in residential settings? I heard what the First Minister said in response to an earlier question about the prioritisation of people with learning disabilities, because people with learning disabilities are more likely to be at serious risk of complications should they catch COVID-19. I've been contacted by a number of organisations in my constituency who are very worried that residents will have to be transported at different times for their individual vaccinations. I appreciate that the health Minister is already looking at the prioritisation issue, which I very much welcome, but given the distress this could cause, I'd be grateful if the Welsh Government could provide some clarity on the administering of vaccines to people with learning disabilities in care settings and outline what steps are being taken to ensure that residents in care facilities are able to receive their vaccines in the comfort of their own setting, rather than each resident having to travel for their vaccine appointment. I appreciate that, in response to Delyth Jewell, you said that there would be an opportunity to ask questions during the next agenda item, but I think a clear statement on this issue from the Government is important and would be very helpful.
Secondly, could I also request a statement on support for care homes generally during the pandemic? Care Forum Wales has made it clear that, without vital financial support, some care homes across Wales are at risk of closure. During the pandemic, costs have gone up as care homes have had to increase staffing and implement additional infection control measures, therefore it's vital that the Welsh Government commits to a funding model that provides those settings with stability to protect those residents living in care settings and to protect future provision and ensure that the whole sector is sustainable for the future. Therefore I'd be very grateful if the Welsh Government could make time to provide a statement on its support for the sector and its plans to safeguard care homes in Wales before the end of the Senedd term.
Trefnydd, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog iechyd am frechu oedolion ag anableddau dysgu mewn lleoliadau preswyl? Clywais i'r hyn a ddywedodd y Prif Weinidog mewn ymateb i gwestiwn cynharach am flaenoriaethu pobl ag anableddau dysgu, oherwydd mae pobl ag anableddau dysgu yn fwy tebygol o fod mewn perygl difrifol o gael cymhlethdodau os ydyn nhw'n dal COVID-19. Mae nifer o sefydliadau yn fy etholaeth i wedi cysylltu â mi sy'n poeni'n fawr y bydd yn rhaid cludo trigolion ar wahanol adegau ar gyfer eu brechiadau unigol. Rwy'n sylweddoli bod y Gweinidog iechyd eisoes yn edrych ar y mater blaenoriaethu, ac rwy'n croesawu hynny'n fawr. Ond o ystyried y trallod y gallai hyn ei achosi, byddwn i'n ddiolchgar pe gallai Llywodraeth Cymru roi rhywfaint o eglurder ynghylch rhoi brechlynnau i bobl ag anableddau dysgu mewn lleoliadau gofal ac amlinellu pa gamau sy'n cael eu cymryd i sicrhau bod preswylwyr mewn cyfleusterau gofal yn gallu cael eu brechlynnau yng nghysur eu lleoliad eu hunain, yn hytrach na bod pob preswylydd yn gorfod teithio ar gyfer ei apwyntiad brechlyn. Rwy'n sylweddoli ichi ddweud, mewn ymateb i Delyth Jewell, y byddai cyfle i ofyn cwestiynau yn ystod yr eitem nesaf ar yr agenda, ond rwy'n credu bod datganiad clir ar y mater hwn gan y Llywodraeth yn bwysig ac y byddai'n ddefnyddiol iawn.
Yn ail, a gaf i hefyd ofyn am ddatganiad ar gymorth i gartrefi gofal yn gyffredinol yn ystod y pandemig? Mae Fforwm Gofal Cymru wedi egluro bod rhai cartrefi gofal ledled Cymru mewn perygl o gau heb gymorth ariannol hanfodol. Yn ystod y pandemig, mae costau wedi codi wrth i gartrefi gofal orfod cynyddu nifer eu staff a gweithredu mesurau rheoli heintiau ychwanegol. Felly mae'n hanfodol bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymrwymo i fodel ariannu sy'n rhoi sefydlogrwydd i'r lleoliadau hynny i ddiogelu'r preswylwyr sy'n byw mewn lleoliadau gofal ac i ddiogelu darpariaeth yn y dyfodol a sicrhau bod y sector cyfan yn gynaliadwy ar gyfer y dyfodol. Felly, byddwn i'n ddiolchgar iawn pe gallai Llywodraeth Cymru roi'r amser i ddarparu datganiad ar ei chefnogaeth i'r sector a'i chynlluniau i ddiogelu cartrefi gofal yng Nghymru cyn diwedd tymor y Senedd.
On the first issue relating to vaccinations for people with a learning disability, clearly this is an extremely important issue and all of us will care very deeply in ensuring that the people who are affected should get their vaccine as quickly as possible and in as convenient and as problem-free a way as possible. I'm sure that, when the Minister does provide his update to colleagues on this issue, he will seek to address those specific points that Paul Davies and others today have described in their contributions so far.
We did have the opportunity last week to have a statement on the future of social care from the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, and that sets out the approach that the Welsh Government is taking in terms of working with the sector to try to ensure that it does have a really positive and sustainable future. Also, I do know that the Minister for Health and Social Services is considering how best to update the Senedd on the work of the inter-ministerial group on paying for care. So, there will be a further opportunity I think before the end of term—time allowing—for us to have some further discussions on that important issue, too.
O ran y mater cyntaf sy'n ymwneud â brechiadau i bobl ag anabledd dysgu, mae'n amlwg bod hwn yn fater eithriadol o bwysig a bydd pob un ohonom ni'n poeni'n fawr iawn ynghylch sicrhau y dylai'r bobl sydd wedi'u heffeithio yn cael eu brechlyn cyn gynted â phosibl ac mewn ffordd mor gyfleus ac mor ddi-broblem â phosibl. Rwy'n siŵr, pan fydd y Gweinidog yn rhoi ei ddiweddariad i gydweithwyr ar y mater hwn, y bydd yn ceisio mynd i'r afael â'r pwyntiau penodol hynny y mae Paul Davies ac eraill wedi'u disgrifio heddiw yn eu cyfraniadau hyd yma.
Cawsom gyfle yr wythnos ddiwethaf i gael datganiad ar ddyfodol gofal cymdeithasol gan y Dirprwy Weinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, ac mae hynny'n nodi'r dull y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei ddefnyddio o ran gweithio gyda'r sector i geisio sicrhau bod ganddo ddyfodol cadarnhaol a chynaliadwy iawn. Hefyd, gwn fod y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol yn ystyried y ffordd orau o roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Senedd am waith y grŵp rhyng-weinidogol ar dalu am ofal. Felly, bydd cyfle pellach, fe gredaf, cyn diwedd y tymor— os yw amser yn caniatáu—inni gael trafodaethau pellach ar y mater pwysig hwnnw hefyd.
I appreciate that we're going to be looking at an inquiry into the Welsh Government's COVID response in the next Senedd, Trefnydd, but I wonder whether it would be possible to have a statement from the education Minister, or maybe even the local government Minister, actually, before April on any early findings of an evaluation of the school or hub provision for vulnerable children and children of key workers. I'm sure we'll both have constituents, Trefnydd, who have complained about the initial criteria set by Swansea council, for example, who then changed their minds. But there has been inconsistency across Wales on criteria and a level of uncertainty about exactly what learners are doing when they attend these hubs or their schools. I think we really need to know why attendance turned out to be so low in the end, and in particular why only 4 per cent of vulnerable children made use of the provision. Thanks
Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi y byddwn ni'n ystyried ymchwiliad i ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i COVID yn y Senedd nesaf, Trefnydd, ond tybed a fyddai'n bosibl cael datganiad cyn mis Ebrill gan y Gweinidog Addysg, neu efallai hyd yn oed y Gweinidog llywodraeth leol, mewn gwirionedd, ar unrhyw ganlyniadau cynnar o werthusiad o ddarpariaeth ysgolion neu hybiau ar gyfer plant a phlant sy'n agored i niwed a phlant gweithwyr allweddol. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd gan y ddau ohonom ni etholwyr, Trefnydd, sydd wedi cwyno ynghylch y meini prawf cychwynnol a bennwyd gan gyngor Abertawe, er enghraifft, ac yna fe newidion nhw eu meddyliau. Ond mae anghysondeb wedi bod ledled Cymru o ran meini prawf a lefel o ansicrwydd ynghylch beth yn union y mae dysgwyr yn ei wneud pan fyddan nhw'n mynychu'r canolfannau hyn neu eu hysgolion. Rwy'n credu bod gwir angen inni wybod pam mae'r presenoldeb wedi bod mor isel yn y pen draw, ac yn enwedig pam mai dim ond 4 y cant o blant agored i niwed a ddefnyddiodd y ddarpariaeth. Diolch
Thank you for raising the issue this afternoon. I do know that the Minister for Education will obviously have been listening very carefully to that request for a deeper analysis, if you like, of the way in which the hub provision has been used and the pupils who have benefited from it, and a better understanding of why those who haven't engaged with that didn't do so. I know that she'll give that particular request some serious thought.
Diolch am godi'r mater y prynhawn yma. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd y Gweinidog Addysg yn amlwg wedi bod yn gwrando'n astud iawn ar y cais hwnnw am ddadansoddiad dyfnach, os hoffech chi, o'r ffordd y cafodd y ddarpariaeth hyb ei defnyddio a'r disgyblion sydd wedi elwa ohoni, a gwell dealltwriaeth o'r rhesymau pam na wnaeth rhai ohonynt ymgysylltu â hynny. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd hi'n ystyried y cais penodol hwnnw o ddifrif.
Finally, Nick Ramsay.
Yn olaf, Nick Ramsay.
Two issues, if I may, Trefnydd. Firstly, can I echo the sentiments of Huw Irranca-Davies in his issues earlier regarding Fairtrade Fortnight? Normally, I would be attending the local launch of Fairtrade Fortnight in my local constituency town of Abergavenny, but understandably, this year that's not possible due to the pandemic, so it has been substituted with online events. I think we should still recognise the localism of fair trade and promote that, so I wonder if we could have a statement, as Huw called for, on how we can better support fair trade and recognise the important role it can play, not just across the world, but locally as we build back better and build back fairer.
Secondly and finally, my usual call at this time of the year for a statement on the effect of flooding on the trunk road network. The usual heavy flooding closed the A4042 at Llanellen recently, during the heavy rain. I know that some remedial work has been done and the economy and transport Minister announced this not so long ago, but concerns remain about access to the new Grange University Hospital at this time of year. So, I wonder if we could have an update from the Minister on what is being done to make sure that at this time of the year, that road and other key roads in the trunk road network are passable and certainly fit for ambulances and emergency vehicles.
Dau fater, os caf i, Trefnydd. Yn gyntaf, a gaf i adleisio teimladau Huw Irranca-Davies yn ei faterion yn gynharach ynghylch Pythefnos Masnach Deg? Fel rheol, fe fyddwn i'n mynd i lansiad lleol Pythefnos Masnach Deg yn fy nhref etholaeth leol yn y Fenni, ond yn ddealladwy, eleni nid yw hynny'n bosibl oherwydd y pandemig, ac mae digwyddiadau ar-lein wedi cymryd ei le. Rwy'n credu y dylem ni barhau i gydnabod elfen leol masnach deg a hyrwyddo hynny, felly tybed a gawn ni ddatganiad, fel y galwodd Huw amdano, ar sut y gallwn ni gefnogi masnach deg yn well a chydnabod y rhan bwysig y gall ei chwarae, nid yn unig ledled y byd, ond yn lleol wrth inni adeiladu'n ôl yn well ac adeiladu'n ôl yn decach.
Yn ail ac yn olaf, fy ngalwad arferol ar yr adeg hon o'r flwyddyn am ddatganiad ar effaith llifogydd ar y rhwydwaith cefnffyrdd. Caeodd y llifogydd trwm arferol yr A4042 yn Llanelen yn ddiweddar, yn ystod y glaw trwm. Rwy'n gwybod bod rhywfaint o waith adfer wedi'i wneud a chyhoeddodd Gweinidog yr economi a thrafnidiaeth hyn ychydig o amser yn ôl, ond mae pryderon yn parhau ynghylch mynediad i'r Ysbyty Athrofaol y Faenor newydd ar yr adeg hon o'r flwyddyn. Felly, tybed a gawn ni'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan y Gweinidog ynghylch yr hyn sy'n cael ei wneud i sicrhau, ar yr adeg hon o'r flwyddyn, fod y ffordd honno a ffyrdd allweddol eraill yn y rhwydwaith cefnffyrdd yn glir, ac yn sicr yn addas ar gyfer ambiwlansys a cherbydau brys.
I recognise the support that Nick Ramsay has always given to the fair-trade movement, and I'm pleased again to reiterate the Welsh Government's support for fair trade and our recognition of the difference that it can make to the lives of so many people.
In terms of the request for a statement on flooding, Nick Ramsay specifically has an interest in the trunk road network, and how we can keep that moving. I would invite him to write to the Minister in relation to the specific roads and the specific areas where he has a local concern, but I can say that the Welsh Government has already met its commitment to invest in flood defences and by the end of this Senedd term, we will have invested over £390 million in flood and coastal erosion risk management. That's reduced the risk to over 47,000 properties here in Wales and I think that that does speak to the level of investment that we are putting in, but also the level of risk that there is to property. It's clearly an area where we in Wales will need to continue focusing our efforts in future.
Rwy'n cydnabod y gefnogaeth barhaol a roddodd Nick Ramsay i'r mudiad masnach deg ac, unwaith eto, rwy'n falch o ailfynegi cefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i fasnach deg a'n cydnabyddiaeth ni o'r gwahaniaeth y gall hyn ei wneud i fywydau llaweroedd o bobl.
O ran y cais am ddatganiad ynglŷn â llifogydd, mae gan Nick Ramsay ddiddordeb penodol yn y rhwydwaith cefnffyrdd, a sut y gallwn ni barhau i gael symudiad ar hwnnw. Fe fyddwn i'n ei wahodd ef i ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog ynglŷn â'r ffyrdd a'r meysydd arbennig hyn y mae ganddo ef bryderon amdanyn nhw'n lleol, ond fe allaf i ddweud bod Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes wedi cyflawni ei hymrwymiad i fuddsoddi mewn amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd ac erbyn diwedd y tymor Seneddol hwn, fe fyddwn ni wedi buddsoddi dros £390 miliwn mewn rheoli peryglon llifogydd ac erydu arfordirol. Mae hynny wedi lleihau'r risg i fwy na 47,000 o dai yma yng Nghymru ac rwyf i o'r farn fod hynny'n tystiolaethu i lefel ein buddsoddiad ni yn hynny o beth, ond i ddifrifoldeb y peryglon sydd yna i eiddo hefyd. Mae hwn yn amlwg yn faes lle bydd angen i ni yng Nghymru barhau i ganolbwyntio ein hymdrechion i'r dyfodol.
Diolch i'r Trefnydd.
Thank you, Trefnydd.
Yr eitem nesaf yw'r datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ar y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am frechiadau COVID-19. Dwi'n galw ar y Gweinidog i wneud ei ddatganiad. Vaughan Gething.
The next item is a statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services on COVID-19 vaccinations. I call on the Minister to make that statement. Vaughan Gething.
On 11 January, I published our vaccination strategy for Wales. A huge amount has happened in just over six weeks. Our programme has gone from strength to strength. Later this week, I'll publish an update to the strategy, to both reflect on progress and to provide some further detail on our current and upcoming priorities.
More than 860,000 people in Wales, all of whom are amongst the groups of people most likely to suffer serious harm from coronavirus, have now received their first dose of the vaccine. Second doses, which are important for longer-term protection in particular, are also being rolled out, with almost 50,000 people having had theirs already. This is an incredible effort from team Wales. My thanks go to all those involved from our NHS Wales, public and private sector partners, the military support, and the many volunteers who have stepped up. My thanks also go to the hundreds of thousands of people that have taken up their offer of the vaccine and in doing so have played their part in our national effort to keep Wales safe. The evidence is still emerging, but confidence is building that the vaccine programme is a critical factor in our journey out of lockdown and on to a brighter future.
Members, I hope, will have seen the really encouraging research that emerged from Scotland and England yesterday. There is a long way to go still, but the impressive start to our vaccine programme has brought with it hope for all of us. Members will have seen the announcements from the UK Government over recent days about speeding up vaccine roll-out. We have always said that our vaccination programme can go faster, but is subject to increased predictable vaccine supply. Late yesterday evening, we received confirmation that we should expect to see some of our vaccine supplies earlier than originally expected. So, we are now urgently working through plans to match delivery capacity to that supply profile. We want to ensure that as many people as possible can be vaccinated as soon as those earlier supplies allow.
As I say, we've said for some time that we could move faster with more supply. I expect that here in Wales we will be able to match the pace of England in rolling out the vaccination programme, and people should have high confidence in our ability to do so given the success of the Wales programme to date. I will have more to say in the coming days once my officials and our NHS have had time to work through last night’s information. Thank you, Llywydd.
Ar 11 Ionawr, fe gyhoeddais i ein strategaeth frechu ar gyfer Cymru. Mae llawer iawn wedi digwydd mewn ychydig dros chwe wythnos. Mae ein rhaglen ni wedi mynd o nerth i nerth. Yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon, fe fyddaf yn cyhoeddi diweddariad i'r strategaeth, i fwrw golwg yn ôl ar y cynnydd a rhoi rhagor o fanylion am ein blaenoriaethau presennol ni yn ogystal â'n blaenoriaethau i'r dyfodol.
Mae dros 860,000 o bobl yng Nghymru, sydd i gyd yn y grwpiau o bobl sydd fwyaf tebygol o ddioddef niwed difrifol oherwydd coronafeirws, wedi derbyn eu dos cyntaf nhw o'r brechlyn erbyn hyn. Hefyd, mae ail ddosau, sy'n bwysig ar gyfer amddiffyniad yn y tymor hwy yn arbennig, yn cael eu gweinyddu, gyda bron 50,000 o bobl wedi cael eu rhai nhw eisoes. Mae hon yn ymdrech anhygoel gan y tîm cenedlaethol. Rwy'n diolch i bawb sy'n gysylltiedig â'r GIG yng Nghymru, ein partneriaid ni yn y sectorau cyhoeddus a phreifat, y gefnogaeth gan y lluoedd arfog, a'r llu o wirfoddolwyr sydd wedi dod i'r adwy. Rwy'n diolch i'r cannoedd o filoedd o bobl hefyd sydd wedi derbyn y cynnig a roddwyd iddyn nhw o'r brechlyn ac wrth wneud hynny maen nhw wedi chwarae eu rhan yn ein hymdrech genedlaethol ni i gadw Cymru'n ddiogel. Mae'r dystiolaeth yn parhau i ddod i'r amlwg, ond mae'r hyder yn magu yn y rhaglen frechu fel ffactor hollbwysig yn ein taith ni allan o'r cyfyngiadau symud ac ymlaen i ddyfodol sy'n fwy disglair.
Rwy'n gobeithio bod yr Aelodau wedi gweld yr ymchwil galonogol iawn o'r Alban a Lloegr a ddaeth i'r amlwg ddoe. Mae llawer i'w wneud eto, ond mae'r dechrau arbennig o dda i'n rhaglen frechu ni wedi dod â gobaith i bob un ohonom ni. Mae'r Aelodau wedi gweld y cyhoeddiadau gan Lywodraeth y DU dros y dyddiau diwethaf ynghylch cyflymu'r broses o gyflwyno brechlynnau. Rydym ni wedi dweud bob amser y gallai ein rhaglen frechu ni gyflymu, ond mae hynny'n dibynnu ar gyflenwad mwy o frechlynnau y gellir ei ragweld. Yn hwyr neithiwr, fe gawsom ni gadarnhad y dylem weld rhai o'n cyflenwadau ni o frechlynnau yn cyrraedd yn gynt na'r disgwyl. Felly, rydym ni'n gweithio, fel mater o frys, ar gynlluniau i sicrhau bod ein capasiti ni i weinyddu yn cyfateb i'r cyflenwad a ragwelir nawr. Rydym ni'n awyddus i sicrhau y gellir brechu cymaint o bobl â phosibl cyn gynted ag y bydd y cyflenwadau cynharach nawr yn caniatáu hynny.
Fel y dywedaf, rydym wedi mynegi ers peth amser y gallem symud yn gynt pe byddai'r cyflenwad yn fwy. Rwy'n disgwyl y byddwn ni yma yng Nghymru yn gallu mynd ar yr un cyflymder â Lloegr wrth gyflwyno'r rhaglen frechu, ac fe ddylai pobl fod yn hyderus iawn o ran ein gallu i gyflawni hynny o ystyried llwyddiant rhaglen Cymru hyd yn hyn. Fe fydd gennyf i ragor i'w ddweud yn y dyddiau nesaf pan fydd fy swyddogion i a'r GIG yng Nghymru wedi cael amser i weithio drwy'r wybodaeth a gyflwynwyd neithiwr. Diolch, Llywydd.
Minister, thank you very much for your statement today. It is clearly good news. I don't use the word 'phenomenal' very often, but I do think that the vaccine roll-out in both the whole of the UK, in all our four nations, and in Wales has been absolutely phenomenal. I'm really pleased to hear you say that you believe that you'll be able to keep pace with the speed of the vaccine programme in England, and I just want to, like you, say an enormous, heartfelt 'thank you' to everybody involved in this programme. I think it is a real testament to humankind's ability to fight back against a virus that is very keen to try to cause us as much damage as it possibly can, and I congratulate all involved.
I've got just a couple of questions in three areas. The first is about the second dose. There doesn't seem to be consistency in provision of dates for second jabs. Some people are offered an appointment on receipt of the first jab, others are told they will be contacted, and it seems to be different not just between health boards, but within health boards. I wonder if you could offer some clarity on that. And what happens if somebody misses their second dose because they can't get to the appointment, and it's beyond that little time window that we've been given? Is there a problem? Do they have to start again? These are questions that have been raised with me by a number of people, and if you have any clarity you can offer there, I'd be very grateful.
My second area of questioning is about fairness. We have a very clear priority system, and we also have, sometimes, doses that are not used up at the end of the day, and therefore the organisations handing these out are trying to find people to come in and take up those doses. That's great. However, Dyfed-Powys police officers have been telling me that they have received an e-mail from within their force saying that they're not allowed to receive the vaccine if they are not in the appropriate JCVI group, even if they're called at a session where there are spare doses going. I wonder if you can look into this, because I've also had a few reports from other forces that have different views, and I just wonder if we can have some clarity, because I know that police officers feel that they are on the front line, and they do not feel that they're being treated with fairness. They're not asking for priority here—they just want to be fair, and if I can walk by a centre and be offered a spare dose, why can't a police officer?
Finally, I do have to just return to the question of carers, because it is a confusing situation. Yesterday, you said that unpaid carers and people with learning disabilities could be put into priority group 6 for vaccines, but on 2 February you were quoted by BBC Wales as saying that unpaid carers would be in priority group 6, in line with the JCVI advice. Now, this uncertainty is causing concern and worry for people who are vulnerable or looking after vulnerable people. I see that both NHS England and Scotland are already outlining guidance on vaccinating unpaid carers in group 6. NHS England wrote to local trusts on how to identify them on 20 February, and NHS Scotland have revised their guidance in the last 24 hours. You'll be aware that the green book on immunisation against infectious diseases states that vaccination of unpaid carers in priority group 6 should include
'Those who are eligible for a carer’s allowance, or those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality'.
It also clarifies that
'those clinically vulnerable to COVID include children with severe neuro-disabilities, those who are designated Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV), adults who have underlying health conditions, and those who need care because of advanced age.'
So, carers are saying to me that the JCVI are already very clearly saying that, if you're in receipt of a carer's allowance, you are allowed to go into category 6. They are saying that when they go and ask the health board, their local GP, 'Can I have that vaccination?', they are told, 'No, we've got to wait for guidance, you have to wait for decisions from the Welsh Government'. I know that the First Minister mentioned that there would be something coming through during First Minister's questions today, but carers, to be frank, are feeling that they were promised one thing, now the goalposts have changed again. Are you able to offer any clarity today to carers—unpaid carers who perform such a vital role in our society—and actually offer them a real, consistent and clear message as to when they will be able to have their vaccine? I would really appreciate if you could shed any light on that subject. Thank you very much, Minister.
Gweinidog, diolch yn fawr i chi am eich datganiad heddiw. Newydd da yw hwn yn amlwg. Nid wyf i'n defnyddio'r gair 'gwyrthiol' yn aml iawn, ond rwy'n credu bod cyflwyniad y brechlyn drwy'r holl DU, ym mhob un o'r pedair gwlad sydd ynddi, ac yng Nghymru, wedi bod yn gwbl wyrthiol. Rwy'n falch iawn o'ch clywed chi'n dweud y credwch y gallwch fynd ar yr un cyflymder â'r rhaglen frechu yn Lloegr, ac rwy'n awyddus iawn i ddweud diolch o galon, fel y gwnaethoch chi, wrth bawb sydd â rhan yn y rhaglen hon. Rwyf i o'r farn ei bod yn tystiolaethu i allu'r ddynolryw i wrthsefyll feirws sy'n awyddus iawn i achosi cymaint o niwed ag sy'n bosibl, ac rwy'n llongyfarch pawb sy'n gysylltiedig â hyn.
Dim ond ychydig o gwestiynau sydd gennyf i, a hynny mewn tri maes. Mae'r cyntaf yn ymwneud â'r ail ddos. Nid yw'n ymddangos bod unrhyw gysondeb o ran rhoi dyddiadau ar gyfer ail bigiadau. Fe gaiff rhai gynnig apwyntiad yn syth ar ôl cael y pigiad cyntaf, fe ddywedir wrth eraill y bydd rhywun yn cysylltu â nhw, ac mae'n ymddangos bod gwahaniaethau nid yn unig rhwng byrddau iechyd, ond o fewn byrddau iechyd unigol. Tybed a wnewch chi daflu rhywfaint o oleuni ar hynny. A beth sy'n digwydd pe bai rhywun yn methu ei ail ddos oherwydd iddyn nhw gael eu rhwystro ar ddiwrnod yr apwyntiad, ac mae wedi mynd yn hwyrach na'r cyfnod byr hwnnw o amser a bennwyd ar ein cyfer ni? A yw hynny'n broblem? A fyddai'n rhaid iddyn nhw ddechrau o'r dechrau? Cwestiynau yw'r rhain y mae nifer o bobl wedi eu codi gyda mi, a phe byddai gennych chi unrhyw eglurder y gallech chi ei gynnig yn hyn o beth, fe fyddwn i'n ddiolchgar iawn.
Mae ail faes fy ymholiadau yn ymwneud â thegwch. Mae gennym system eglur iawn o flaenoriaethau, ac rydym ni'n gweld dosau weithiau nad ydynt wedi eu defnyddio ar derfyn dydd, ac felly mae'r sefydliadau sy'n gweinyddu'r rhain yn ceisio dod o hyd i bobl i ddod i mewn i gael y dosau hynny. Wel, da iawn hynny wir. Eto i gyd, mae swyddogion yn heddlu Dyfed-Powys wedi dweud wrthyf i eu bod wedi cael e-bost mewnol gan eu heddlu nhw'n dweud nad oes hawl ganddynt i gael y brechlyn os nad ydyn nhw yn y grŵp priodol yn ôl y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu, hyd yn oed pe bydden nhw'n cael eu galw i sesiwn lle mae'r dosau dros ben yn cael eu rhannu. Tybed a wnewch chi ymchwilio i hyn, oherwydd rwyf wedi clywed sawl adroddiad gan luoedd eraill yr heddlu yn mynegi safbwyntiau sy'n wahanol. Felly tybed a gawn ni rywfaint o eglurder, oherwydd fe wn i fod swyddogion yr heddlu'n teimlo eu bod nhw ar y rheng flaen, ac nid ydynt yn teimlo eu bod yn cael eu trin yn iawn. Nid gofyn am flaenoriaeth y maen nhw—gofyn am degwch, ac os wyf i'n cael cerdded i mewn i ganolfan a chael cynnig dos sydd dros ben, pam na chaiff swyddog yn yr heddlu wneud hynny?
Yn olaf, mae'n rhaid imi ddychwelyd at fater gofalwyr, oherwydd mae'r sefyllfa'n un ddryslyd. Ddoe, roeddech chi'n dweud y gellid rhoi gofalwyr di-dâl a phobl ag anableddau dysgu yng ngrŵp blaenoriaeth 6 ar gyfer brechlynnau, ond ar 2 Chwefror fe gawsoch chi eich dyfynnu gan BBC Wales yn dweud y byddai gofalwyr di-dâl yng ngrŵp blaenoriaeth 6, yn unol â chyngor y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu. Nawr, mae'r ansicrwydd hwn yn peri pryder i bobl sy'n agored i niwed neu sy'n gofalu am bobl sy'n agored i niwed. Rwy'n sylwi bod y GIG yn Lloegr a'r Alban yn amlinellu canllawiau eisoes ar frechu gofalwyr di-dâl yng ngrŵp 6. Fe ysgrifennodd y GIG yn Lloegr at yr ymddiriedolaethau lleol ynglŷn â sut i'w hadnabod nhw ar 20 Chwefror, ac mae'r GIG yn yr Alban wedi diwygio eu canllawiau nhw yn ystod y 24 awr ddiwethaf. Rydych chi'n ymwybodol bod y llyfr gwyrdd ar imiwneiddio rhag clefydau heintus yn nodi y dylai brechu gofalwyr di-dâl yng ngrŵp blaenoriaeth 6 gynnwys
Y rhai sy'n gymwys i gael lwfans gofalwr, neu'r rhai sy'n unig ofalwr neu'n brif ofalwr i unigolyn oedrannus neu anabl sydd mewn mwy o berygl o farwolaeth oherwydd COVID-19.
Mae hwn yn egluro hefyd fod
y rhai sy'n glinigol agored i niwed oherwydd COVID yn cynnwys plant â niwro-anableddau difrifol, y rhai a gaiff eu dynodi yn Glinigol Eithriadol o Agored i Niwed (CEV), oedolion sydd â chyflyrau iechyd isorweddol, a'r rhai sydd ag angen gofal oherwydd oedran mawr.
Felly, mae gofalwyr yn dweud wrthyf i fod y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu yn dweud yn glir iawn eisoes, os ydych chi'n cael lwfans gofalwr, mae yna ganiatâd ichi fod yng nghategori 6. Mae gofalwyr yn dweud, pan fyddan nhw'n mynd i ofyn i'r bwrdd iechyd, neu eu meddyg teulu lleol a allan nhw gael y brechiad, yr ateb yw, 'Na chewch, mae'n rhaid i ni aros am arweiniad, mae'n rhaid i chi aros am benderfyniadau gan Lywodraeth Cymru'. Fe wn i fod y Prif Weinidog wedi sôn y byddai rhywbeth yn dod i'r amlwg yn ystod cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog heddiw, ond mae gofalwyr, a dweud y gwir, yn teimlo eu bod wedi cael addewid, ac yna mae'r amodau wedi newid eto. A wnewch chi heddiw roi eglurder i ofalwyr—gofalwyr di-dâl sy'n cyflawni swyddogaeth mor hanfodol yn ein cymdeithas ni—a chynnig neges wirioneddol, gyson a chlir iddyn nhw o ran pryd y byddan nhw'n gallu cael eu brechu? Fe fyddwn i'n falch iawn pe byddech chi'n taflu rhywfaint o oleuni ar y pwnc hwn. Diolch yn fawr iawn, Gweinidog.
Thank you. I'll start with that final question because unpaid carers will be dealt with in group 6. I've answered lots of questions on that, and I'm really happy to restate the position to try to deal with some of the understandable concern that some people will have. So, we have had to work through—and we've done this deliberately with national carers organisations—how we define unpaid carers in such a way that we can get those people invited. And one of the examples I've given is that I regularly take my mother her shopping, so I deliver it to her house, but I wouldn't say that that act means that I would get through into priority group 6. I will be in priority group 6, but that's because I have an underlying chronic kidney condition. So, that's the reason why I'll get an invite for priority group 6. So, we've been working through with carers organisations to try to agree an approach that makes sense.
Now, what England have done is they're looking to identify people through general practice lists. That was an approach we considered but, ultimately, I've decided not to do that because that would essentially mean that looking at GPs lists—the extra requirements we'd then have for GPs, and you can anticipate the extra number of calls that GPs would get. I don't think that would be a sensible and efficient way to take unpaid carers through. So, I'm expecting imminently to be able to confirm some guidance for unpaid carers and for health boards to deliver that, and it is literally a matter of a number of days, and I expect that guidance will be published, and that should then give the clarity in public for everyone who is asking for it, but I'm making it really clear: unpaid carers are in group 6, and it's how we make sure that they're invited for their appointment rather than if, and that's a really important point to make.
On your point about fairness about spare end-of-day vaccine, well, I know you said that if you could be offered an end-of-day vaccine, why can't a police officer? That's because I suspect you're just a day or two older than 50, so you're within priority groups up to one to nine, Angela, whereas police officers, many of them won't be. What we have done, though, is been really clear in the guidance we've given out internally, and I think Gill Richardson, the senior responsible officer for the vaccine programme has said so in public as well, and sent a note out more broadly to say we're now in a position where groups 5 to 9 are a big chunk of the population, and we would expect health boards to be able to manage that group and, certainly, at this point in going through groups 5 to 9, to have spare groups of people at the end of the day that can be called on, because, actually, for people over the age of 50, lots of those people will be mobile and able to attend at very short notice.
If it isn't possible to do that then, yes, we do think it's appropriate to offer other people that end-of-day vaccine to make sure that doses aren't wasted. I don't think we're going to find high numbers, but if for the sake of dealing with six potential vaccines, whether that's a firefighter or a police officer or somebody else, then the Welsh Government certainly isn't saying, 'You cannot have that vaccine—it must be thrown away'. That clearly doesn't make sense, and that isn't the position we're adopting. And, as I say, we've sent a note out to clarify that within the system as well. So, the challenge of the message that you refer to I don't think reflects our stated position, and it should not represent practice. And I hope that helps to resolve that issue, not just in Dyfed Powys but more generally; I've heard the same sort of urban myth and concern being spoken about elsewhere as well.
On the second doses, I'm happy to confirm that we do expect that late doses can still be provided. So, we all understand that there are different reasons in life why a second dose appointment may be missed; someone may be ill, there may be a good reason why they can't attend on the stated time. That second dose can be rearranged, and my understanding is that it doesn't mean that there is no value in the person having to start again from dose 1 and going through dose 2. Actually, there's good data on the inter-dose interval being longer being a good thing in terms of the level of protection and the longevity of it. So, if someone gets their second dose in week 13 instead of week 11 or 12, that in itself shouldn't be a problem for their protection long term. Equally, if you miss your second appointment and need to rearrange it, it doesn't mean you are somehow being told to go back, do not pass 'Go' and collect £200—it isn't that sort of approach that we're taking.
And then on the consistency, a number of appointments have actually been rearranged to bring doses forward, particularly for those people receiving the Pfizer jab. I expect there will be a consistent approach in that everyone will be directly told when their appointment is. Some people have been given an indication for their second date at the point of the first vaccination. More and more, though, we're expecting to advise people, after they've had their first dose, when that second dose will be. I think the most important thing is to make sure that people aren't left behind. I agree with you: this has been a phenomenal effort in Wales. It's a pleasure to be leading other UK nations, but every one of the four UK nations can take some real pride in the way that our collective NHSes have delivered the programme.
Diolch. Rwyf am ddechrau gyda'r cwestiwn olaf oherwydd bydd gofalwyr di-dâl yn cael eu rhoi yng ngrŵp 6. Rwyf wedi ateb llawer o gwestiynau ynglŷn â hynny, ac rwy'n hapus iawn i ailddatgan y sefyllfa i geisio ymgodymu â rhywfaint o'r pryder a fydd gan rai, yn ddealladwy iawn. Felly, fe fu'n rhaid inni weithio trwy—ac rydym wedi gwneud hyn yn fwriadol gyda gofalwyr a sefydliadau cenedlaethol—ddull o ddiffinio gofalwyr di-dâl yn y fath fodd fel y gallwn sicrhau gwahoddiad i'r bobl hynny. Ac un o'r enghreifftiau a roddais i yw fy mod i'n mynd â nwyddau o'r siop at fy mam yn rheolaidd, felly rwy'n mynd â'r nwyddau i'w thŷ hi, ond ni fyddwn i'n ystyried bod y weithred honno'n golygu fy mod yn cael fy nghyfrif yn grŵp blaenoriaeth 6. Fe fyddaf i yng ngrŵp blaenoriaeth 6, ond y rheswm am hynny yw bod gennyf gyflwr cronig sylfaenol ar yr arennau. Felly, dyna'r rheswm pam y byddaf i'n cael fy ngwahodd yng ngrŵp blaenoriaeth 6. Felly, rydym wedi bod yn gweithio gyda sefydliadau gofalwyr i geisio cytuno ar ddull sy'n gwneud synnwyr.
Nawr, yr hyn y maen nhw'n ei wneud yn Lloegr yw ceisio nodi pobl yn ôl rhestrau'r meddygfeydd. Roedd hwnnw'n ddull a ystyriwyd gennym ni ond, yn y pen draw, rwyf wedi penderfynu peidio â gwneud hynny oherwydd fe fyddai'n golygu, yn ei hanfod, wrth edrych ar restrau meddygon teulu—gofynion ychwanegol ar feddygon teulu wedyn, ac fe allwch chi ragweld y galwadau ychwanegol niferus y byddai'r meddygon teulu yn eu cael. Nid wyf i o'r farn y byddai honno wedi bod yn ffordd synhwyrol ac effeithlon o gynnwys gofalwyr yn y grŵp. Felly, rwy'n disgwyl gallu cadarnhau rhywfaint o arweiniad yn fuan i ofalwyr di-dâl a'r byrddau iechyd ar gyfer cyflawni hynny, a mater o ychydig ddyddiau yw hynny, yn llythrennol, ac rwy'n disgwyl y caiff canllawiau eu cyhoeddi, ac fe ddylai hynny roi'r eglurder wedyn yn gyhoeddus i bawb sy'n gofyn amdano. Ond rwy'n ei gwneud hi'n eglur iawn : mae gofalwyr di-dâl yng ngrŵp 6, ac mae'n ymwneud â sut yr ydym am wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn cael eu gwahodd i'w hapwyntiadau yn hytrach nag os ydyn nhw'n cael eu gwahodd, ac mae hwnnw'n bwynt pwysig iawn i'w wneud.
O ran eich pwynt chi ynglŷn â thegwch o ran brechiadau sydd ar ôl ar derfyn dydd, wel, gwn eich bod wedi dweud, pe byddech chi'n cael cynnig brechlyn ar derfyn dydd, pam ddim un o swyddogion yr heddlu? Y rheswm am hynny yw eich bod chi, rwy'n amau, ryw ychydig bach dros eich hanner cant, felly rydych chi o fewn grwpiau blaenoriaeth o un i naw, Angela, ac ni fydd llawer iawn o swyddogion yr heddlu yn yr un sefyllfa. Yr hyn a wnaethom ni, er hynny, yw bod yn eglur iawn yn y canllawiau a ddosbarthwyd yn fewnol. Ac rwy'n credu bod Gill Richardson, yr uwch swyddog sy'n gyfrifol am y rhaglen frechu wedi dweud hynny'n gyhoeddus hefyd, ac wedi anfon nodyn yn fwy cyffredinol i ddweud ein bod ni mewn sefyllfa erbyn hyn lle mae grwpiau 5 i 9 yn gyfran helaeth o'n poblogaeth ni. Fe fyddem ni'n disgwyl i fyrddau iechyd allu rheoli'r garfan honno ac, yn sicr, ar hyn o bryd wrth fynd drwy grwpiau 5 i 9, i fod â grwpiau dros ben o bobl ar ddiwedd y dydd y gellir galw arnyn nhw, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, i bobl dros 50 oed, fe fydd llawer o'r rhain yn hyblyg ac yn gallu mynd i mewn ar fyr rybudd.
Os nad yw'n bosibl gwneud felly, yna rydym ni o'r farn ei bod hi'n briodol cynnig y brechlyn i bobl eraill ar derfyn y dydd i sicrhau nad oes dosau yn mynd yn wastraff. Nid wyf yn credu y gwelwn ni niferoedd uchel, ond ar gyfer ymdrin â chwe brechlyn o bosibl, i ddiffoddwr tân neu i swyddog heddlu neu i rywun arall, yna yn sicr nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru am ddweud, 'Nid yw'r brechlyn hwn ar eich cyfer chi—mae'n rhaid ei daflu i ffwrdd'. Mae'n amlwg nad yw hynny'n gwneud unrhyw synnwyr, ac nid ydym yn gwneud y safiad hwnnw. Ac, fel y dywedais, rydym wedi anfon nodyn allan i egluro hynny o fewn y system hefyd. Felly, nid wyf i o'r farn fod her y neges yr ydych chi'n cyfeirio ati yn adlewyrchiad cywir o'n safbwynt ni, ac ni ddylai hynny fod yn arfer ar lawr gwlad. Gobeithio bod hynny'n helpu i ddatrys y mater hwnnw, nid yn unig yn ardal Dyfed Powys ond yn fwy cyffredinol; rwyf wedi clywed chwedlau a phryderon o'r fath yn cael eu mynegi mewn mannau eraill hefyd.
Ynglŷn â'r ail ddos, rwy'n hapus i gadarnhau ein bod ni'n disgwyl y gellir parhau i weinyddu dosau'n hwyr. Felly, rydym ni i gyd yn deall y ceir gwahanol resymau mewn bywyd am golli apwyntiad am ail ddos; fe all rhywun fod yn sâl, efallai y bydd rheswm da arall pan na allan nhw fod yn bresennol ar yr amser penodedig. Fe ellir aildrefnu'r ail ddos hwnnw, a'm dealltwriaeth i yw nad oes unrhyw werth i'r unigolyn orfod dechrau eto gyda dos 1 ac ymlaen wedyn i ddos 2. Mewn gwirionedd, mae data cadarn ar gael bod cyfnod hwy rhwng dosau yn beth da mewn gwirionedd o ran lefel yr amddiffyniad a'i hirhoedledd. Felly, os bydd rhywun yn cael ei ail ddos yn ystod wythnos 13 yn hytrach nag wythnos 11 neu 12, ni ddylai hynny ynddo'i hun achosi problem o ran ei ddiogelu yn yr hirdymor. Yn yr un modd, pe byddech chi'n colli eich ail apwyntiad a bod angen ichi ad-drefnu, nid yw hynny'n golygu y bydd rhywun yn dweud wrthych chi am fynd yn ôl i ddechrau'r gêm—nid hwnnw yw ein dull ni o weithredu.
Ac yna, o ran cysondeb, fe gafodd nifer o apwyntiadau eu had-drefnu er mwyn cyflymu'r gwaith o gyflwyno'r dosau, yn arbennig felly i'r bobl hynny sy'n cael y pigiad Pfizer. Rwy'n disgwyl y bydd yna ddull cyson o weithredu ac y caiff pawb wybod yn uniongyrchol pa bryd y bydd eu hapwyntiad nhw. Mae rhai pobl wedi cael rhyw syniad o'u hail ddyddiad wrth gael eu brechlyn cyntaf. Yn gynyddol, serch hynny, rydym ni'n disgwyl rhoi gwybod i bobl, ar ôl iddyn nhw gael eu dos cyntaf, pryd y gweinyddir eu hail ddos. Rwy'n credu mai'r peth pwysicaf yw sicrhau nad yw pobl yn cael eu gadael ar ôl. Rwy'n cytuno â chi: mae hon wedi bod yn ymdrech aruthrol yng Nghymru. Mae'n hyfryd bod ar y blaen i wledydd eraill y DU, ond fe all pob un o bedair gwlad y DU ymfalchïo'n fawr yn y ffordd y mae ein gwasanaethau iechyd gwladol cyfunol ni wedi cyflwyno'r rhaglen hon.
Diolch. Thank you for the statement and, again, I would want to thank everybody involved in the quite remarkable vaccination efforts in all parts of Wales. The first issue I want to raise is on communication. The First Minister said, a week ago, on the Radio 4 Today programme, that people aged over 50 were imminently about to receive their invitations for their vaccine. He said, and I quote, that
'People aged over 50 will already be booked in for their appointments next week... and those people will be getting their vaccine from Monday onwards.'
We know that's not the case. We haven't reached the 50-somethings in large numbers yet. Priority groups will be done in turn. Now, I'm sure the First Minister wasn't trying to mislead, but it did cause a lot of confusion, so please can we be careful with communication?
I want to turn to the possible broadening of vaccination priority categories. Again, I have regularly called for bringing into the prioritisation lists those working in key roles, in schools, in public transport, the police, other emergency services and so on. Your Government has consistently said, 'No, we'll stick with the JCVI advice', but can I urge you to consider a different approach? There's nothing wrong at all in the JCVI priority list; the older you are and the more fragile your health is, you are more at risk as an individual—I think that's clear enough. But there's another risk factor, and that's how much you're exposed to the virus. Say you have two 45-year-olds, both healthy, not in the top nine priority groups. The one who goes in to clean a school or teach or assist in classes full of pupils and other staff faces more of a risk of being exposed to the virus than the 45-year-old working, say, in an administrative job and working from home. To me, it makes absolute sense that the former should be prioritised somewhat over the latter.
Also, can I encourage again a very early change in the rules on vaccinating people with learning disabilities? We're hearing positive noises. We're talking about people who may be vulnerable not just physically but also vulnerable in terms of being able to cope with contracting COVID; just get them through the vaccination system, please.
And with unpaid carers too, there's still confusion on this. Yes, we know that unpaid carers in general are now in group 6, but we're desperate to have those clear national guidelines so people know where they stand.
And finally, I've been in contact with a care home owner today. He described a hole in the wall of protecting care homes, with 6,000 unvaccinated care workers, and that's certainly a worry, but the point he wanted to make with me was that three of his staff have been told they can't have their vaccine for a number of weeks—that's something I'm going to be taking up with the health board—but he's concerned about a number of staff who don't want to receive the vaccine because they have believed some of the anti-vaccine mantra so prevalent in parts of social media. I know this is something that you're concerned about as well. I asked you last week during a briefing session what work Welsh Government is doing to share a counter-narrative debunking those myths, so I wonder if you could update us on work being done in that arena. Thank you.
Diolch. Diolch i chi am y datganiad ac, unwaith eto, fe hoffwn i ddiolch i bawb sydd â rhan yn yr ymdrech gwbl ryfeddol i frechu ym mhob rhan o Gymru. Mae'r mater cyntaf yr wyf i'n awyddus i'w godi'n ymwneud â chyfathrebu. Fe ddywedodd y Prif Weinidog, wythnos yn ôl, ar raglen Today Radio 4, fod pobl dros 50 oed ar fin cael eu gwahodd ar gyfer eu brechlynnau. Fe ddywedodd ef, ac rwy'n dyfynnu,-
Fe fydd pobl dros 50 oed yn dechrau cael eu hapwyntiadau nhw wythnos nesaf... a bydd y rhain yn cael eu brechlynnau o ddydd Llun ymlaen.
Fe wyddom nad yw hynny wedi digwydd. Nid ydym wedi cyrraedd y grŵp yn eu 50au i raddau helaeth eto. Bydd y grwpiau blaenoriaeth yn cael eu trin yn eu tro. Nawr, rwy'n siŵr nad oedd y Prif Weinidog yn ceisio camarwain unrhyw un, ond achosodd dipyn o ddryswch, felly a gawn ni fod yn fwy gofalus gyda'n cyfathrebu?
Fe hoffwn i droi at y posibilrwydd o ehangu'r categorïau blaenoriaeth ar gyfer brechu. Unwaith eto, rwyf i wedi galw'n barhaus am gynnwys rhai sy'n gweithio mewn swyddi allweddol, mewn ysgolion, ym maes trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, yr heddlu, gwasanaethau brys eraill ac yn y blaen ar y rhestrau blaenoriaeth. Mae eich Llywodraeth chi wedi dweud yn gyson, 'Na, rydym am lynu wrth gyngor y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu'. Ond a gaf i bwyso arnoch chi i ystyried dull gwahanol o weithredu? Nid oes dim o'i le o gwbl ar restrau blaenoriaeth y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu; os ydych chi'n hŷn neu'n fregus eich iechyd, rydych chi mewn mwy o berygl fel unigolyn—rwy'n credu bod hynny'n ddigon amlwg. Ond mae yna ffactor risg arall, sef pa mor debygol yr ydych chi o fod mewn cysylltiad â'r feirws. Bwriwch fod gennych chi ddau unigolyn 45 oed, sy'n iach, heb fod yn y naw prif grŵp blaenoriaeth. Mae'r un sy'n mynd i lanhau neu i ddysgu neu i gynorthwyo mewn dosbarthiadau mewn ysgol sy'n llawn disgyblion a staff eraill yn wynebu mwy o risg o ddod i gysylltiad â'r feirws na'r unigolyn 45 oed sy'n gweithio, dywedwch, mewn swydd weinyddol ac o gartref. Yn fy marn i, mae'n gwneud synnwyr pur y dylid blaenoriaethu rhywfaint ar y cyntaf dros yr olaf.
Yn ogystal â hynny, a gaf i bwyso unwaith eto am newid yn fuan iawn yn y rheolau ynglŷn â brechu pobl ag anableddau dysgu? Rydym yn clywed sibrydion cadarnhaol. Rydym yn sôn am bobl a allai fod yn agored i niwed nid yn unig yn gorfforol ond yn agored i niwed o ran y gallu i ymdopi â dioddef COVID; mynnwch eu bod nhw'n cael mynd drwy'r system frechu, os gwelwch chi fod yn dda.
Ac o ran gofalwyr di-dâl hefyd, fe geir dryswch o hyd ynglŷn â hyn. Ydym, rydym ni'n gwybod bod gofalwyr di-dâl yng ngrŵp 6 ar y cyfan erbyn hyn, ond rydym yn awyddus iawn i gael y canllawiau cenedlaethol clir hynny fel bod pobl yn gwybod ble maen nhw'n sefyll.
Ac yn olaf, rwyf wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â pherchennog cartref gofal heddiw. Roedd yntau'n disgrifio twll yn y mur sy'n diogelu cartrefi gofal, gyda 6,000 o weithwyr gofal heb eu brechu, ac mae hynny'n destun gofid yn sicr. Ond y pwynt yr oedd ef yn awyddus i'w wneud gyda mi oedd bod tri o'i staff ef wedi cael gwybod na allan nhw gael eu brechu am nifer o wythnosau—mae hynny'n rhywbeth y byddaf i'n ei godi gyda'r bwrdd iechyd—ond mae e'n pryderu am nifer o'r staff nad ydyn nhw'n dymuno cael eu brechu oherwydd eu bod nhw wedi credu rhai o'r chwedlau gwrth-frechlyn sy'n frith mewn rhannau o'r cyfryngau cymdeithasol. Fe wn i eich bod chi'n pryderu am hyn hefyd. Fe ofynnais ichi'r wythnos diwethaf yn ystod sesiwn friffio pa waith y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i gyfathrebu gwybodaeth i danseilio'r chwedlau hynny, felly tybed a wnewch chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni am y gwaith sy'n cael ei wneud yn y maes hwnnw. Diolch.
I'll deal with the last point first, because there is a real concern about the level of misinformation and dishonesty in trying to dissuade people from having the vaccine and a range of scare stories that are being promoted. And I should say that I'm grateful for the way that Members across the political spectrum have looked to be really consistent in urging people to take the vaccine. You'll have seen not just the celebrities who have gone out and encouraged people from black and Asian origin groups to have the vaccine, but also you saw politicians from across the political divide doing the same thing as well. You wouldn't normally have Diane Abbott and James Cleverly endorsing the same message, but it very much has happened.
The sewer of misinformation that is available is a real concern for all of us, and in particular as we go through the age groups, the concerns that have been given are a real threat to all of us. So, we know that employers in each of those areas are reinforcing those messages, and we know that, locally, our general practitioners and others are doing it and to the point of vaccination, those conversations take place. But it's really about the amount of information we're able to get out earlier, and some of that is because it's the organic spread of this, whether it's through WhatsApp or Facebook or other social media platforms, it's being able to combat that in those areas as well. You'll see that this is a challenge, not just in the Government, about who the message comes from, because while some people will believe what I have to say when I say that I've spoken to our chief medical officer and this is the advice, but there are many others who need to hear that directly from others. So, it's a multiplicity of voices, especially those people who are from those communities of concern, other care workers talking about their experiences and in particular independent medics, as opposed to others. And you'll see that we're promoting that on Welsh Government platforms and others, and I hope that Members do find it easy enough to find sources of information if you're getting concerns about this. If Members do have concerns about where that information is, then please do contact me and I'll happily make sure that something goes out to Members more generally to point people to reliable sources of information.
On your starting point about the clarity in communications, groups 5 to 9 include all people over the age of 50 and that's the point the First Minister was making. We're working through that in terms of priorities. We're into groups 5 and 6 already, people will be receiving invites and will be going through in turn. I do expect, as I said earlier, to be able to at least match the pace of the roll-out in England, which means that we should be able to do that earlier than the end of April, which is good news for everyone, and then to start with the rest of the adult population.
And that gets me, I guess, into your middle question, which is about broadening vaccine priorities. I know that you say you're not looking to de-prioritise other people, but the reality is that if you broaden vaccination categories, if you add more people in over and above the JCVI prioritisation, then you are de-prioritising other people. And I take on board your point about who these people are. It's either a choice—and we've asked JCVI for advice—of whether there are particular occupations that should be prioritised above age groups or together with other age groups. And then there may be some difficult value questions, because actually, if you work in retail, or if you're a taxi driver, or if you're a post office worker, then you have different risks to other people, and I know that lots of the conversation is about teachers or the police, but if there are other groups with a larger occupational profile in terms of acquiring COVID. So, we may face a challenge—and it depends what the JCVI says—about whether we have key workers as a category or individual workers, and within that, I'll be interested in advice around how specific that advice would be and how quickly our whole programme can move. Now, I need to receive and consider that JCVI advice and I'm expecting that that isn't very far into the future, so this isn't going to be theoretical for much longer. I'll need to make an actual decision and as soon as I have made a decision, I'll be clear about what that is and provide that to the public as well as Members, and of course, we'll have the published advice from the JCVI to work from. So, I understand the case that the Member makes, but I have to say that, without clarity in how that would work and making sure that we protect people at the greatest risk as soon as possible, it's not a position that I think should affect groups 5 to 9, who are still progressing through at some pace.
Fe wnaf i ymdrin â'r pwynt olaf yn gyntaf, oherwydd mae yna bryder gwirioneddol ynghylch y lefel o wybodaeth gyfeiliornus a'r anonestrwydd wrth geisio perswadio pobl i beidio â chael y brechlyn ac mae yna gasgliad o straeon arswyd sy'n cael eu hyrwyddo. Ac fe ddylwn i ddweud fy mod i'n ddiolchgar am y ffordd y mae'r Aelodau o bob lliw gwleidyddol wedi bod yn gyson iawn yn eu hanogaeth i bobl gael y brechlyn. Rydym wedi gweld nid yn unig enwogion yn mynd allan ac yn cymell pobl o grwpiau o darddiad du ac Asiaidd i gael y brechlyn, ond rydym wedi gweld gwleidyddion o bob argyhoeddiad gwleidyddol yn gwneud yr un fath hefyd. Fel arfer, ni fyddai Diane Abbott a James Cleverly yn cymeradwyo'r un genadwri, ond mae hyn wedi digwydd i raddau helaeth iawn.
Mae'r domen o wybodaeth gyfeiliornus sydd ar gael i'r cyhoedd yn bryder gwirioneddol i bob un ohonom ni, ac yn arbennig wrth inni fynd trwy'r grwpiau oedran, mae'r pryderon a fynegwyd yn fygythiad gwirioneddol i bob un ohonom ni. Felly, fe wyddom fod y cyflogwyr ym mhob un o'r meysydd hynny'n ategu'r genadwri honno, ac fe wyddom fod y meddygon teulu ac eraill, yn lleol, yn gwneud hynny, a hyd at y safle brechu mae sgyrsiau felly'n digwydd. Ond mae'n ymwneud mewn gwirionedd â faint o wybodaeth y gallwn ni ei chyfathrebu'n gynharach, mae hynny i ryw raddau oherwydd natur systemig ymlediad y straeon hyn, boed hynny drwy WhatsApp neu Facebook neu lwyfannau eraill yn y cyfryngau cymdeithasol, mae'n golygu gallu gwrthsefyll yr wybodaeth anghywir yn y mannau hynny hefyd. Fe welwch chi faint yr her, nid yn unig yn y Llywodraeth, ynglŷn â phwy sy'n cyfathrebu'r neges, oherwydd er y bydd rhai pobl yn credu'r hyn a ddywedaf pan wyf yn dweud fy mod i wedi siarad â'n prif swyddog meddygol ac mai dyma'r cyngor, ond mae llawer o bobl eraill y mae angen iddyn nhw gael clywed hynny'n uniongyrchol gan rywun arall. Felly, mae'n rhaid wrth lawer o leisiau, yn enwedig i'r bobl hynny sy'n dod o'r cymunedau sy'n peri fwyaf o bryder, a gweithwyr gofal eraill yn siarad am eu profiadau nhw ac yn benodol feddygon annibynnol, yn hytrach nag eraill. Ac fe fyddwch chi'n gweld ein bod ni'n hyrwyddo hynny ar lwyfannau Llywodraeth Cymru a llwyfannau eraill, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd yr Aelodau yn ei chael hi'n ddigon hawdd dod o hyd i ffynonellau o wybodaeth os ydych chi'n clywed pryderon am hyn. Os oes gan Aelodau bryderon ynghylch ble mae'r wybodaeth honno ar gael, cysylltwch â mi ac fe fyddaf yn hapus i sicrhau bod rhywbeth yn cael ei anfon allan at yr Aelodau yn fwy cyffredinol i dynnu sylw pobl at ffynonellau dibynadwy o wybodaeth.
O ran eich pwynt cychwynnol ar eglurder o ran cyfathrebu, mae grwpiau 5 i 9 yn cynnwys pawb dros 50 oed a dyna'r pwynt yr oedd y Prif Weinidog yn ei wneud. Rydym ni'n gweithio drwy'r rhain o ran y blaenoriaethau. Rydym wedi cyrraedd grwpiau 5 a 6 yn barod, ac fe fydd pobl yn cael eu gwahoddiadau ac fe fyddan nhw'n cael mynd drwodd yn eu tro. Rwy'n disgwyl, fel y dywedais i'n gynharach, y byddwn o leiaf yn gallu mynd ar yr un cyflymder â'r cyflwyniad yn Lloegr, sy'n golygu y dylem ni allu gwneud hynny'n gynharach na diwedd mis Ebrill, sy'n newydd da i bawb, ac yna i ddechrau ar weddill y boblogaeth sy'n oedolion.
Ac mae hynny'n fy arwain i, rwy'n credu, at ateb y cwestiwn yn y canol, sy'n ymwneud ag ehangu blaenoriaethau'r brechlyn. Fe wn i eich bod chi'n dweud nad ydych chi'n ceisio dadflaenoriaethu pobl eraill, ond y gwir amdani yw, pe byddech chi'n ehangu'r categorïau ar gyfer brechu, pe byddech chi'n ychwanegu mwy o bobl at y grwpiau sydd gan y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu i'w blaenoriaethu, yna fe fyddwch chi'n amddifadu pobl eraill o'r flaenoriaeth. Ac rwy'n deall eich pwynt chi ynglŷn â gofyn pwy yw'r unigolion hyn. Dewis yw hwn, felly—ac rydym ni wedi gofyn i'r Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu am gyngor—ynghylch a oes yna alwedigaethau penodol y dylid eu blaenoriaethu uwchlaw grwpiau oedran neu ynghyd â grwpiau oedran eraill. Ac yna efallai y bydd rhai cwestiynau anodd o ran ein gwerthoedd ni, oherwydd mewn gwirionedd, os ydych chi'n gweithio ym maes manwerthu, neu os ydych chi'n gyrru tacsi, neu os ydych chi'n gweithio yn swyddfa'r post, yna mae eich risgiau chi'n wahanol i risgiau pobl eraill, a gwn fod llawer o'r drafodaeth hon yn ymwneud ag athrawon neu'r heddlu, ond a oes yna grwpiau eraill â phroffil galwedigaethol mwy o ran caffael COVID. Felly, fe allem ni fod yn wynebu her—ac mae hyn yn dibynnu ar yr hyn a ddywed y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu—ynghylch a ydym ni'n cynnwys gweithwyr allweddol mewn categori neu weithwyr unigol, ac o fewn hynny, fe hoffwn i gael cyngor ynghylch pa mor benodol y gallai'r cyngor hwnnw fod a pha mor gyflym y gall ein rhaglen gyfan ni symud. Nawr, mae angen imi gael y cyngor hwnnw gan y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu a'i ystyried, ac rwy'n disgwyl na fydd raid imi aros yn hir iawn, felly nid rhywbeth damcaniaethol fydd hyn am lawer mwy o amser. Fe fydd angen imi wneud penderfyniad gwirioneddol a chyn gynted ag y byddaf i wedi gwneud penderfyniad, fe fyddaf yn mynegi hwnnw'n eglur ac yn cyfathrebu hwnnw i'r cyhoedd yn ogystal ag i'r Aelodau, ac wrth gwrs, fe fyddwn yn gweithio ar sail y cyngor a gyhoeddir gan y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu. Felly, rwy'n deall y ddadl sydd gan yr Aelod. Ond rhaid dweud, heb eglurder am sut y byddai hynny'n gweithio a sicrhau ein bod yn amddiffyn y bobl sydd yn y perygl mwyaf cyn gynted â phosibl, nid yw'r safbwynt hwnnw'n un a fyddai'n effeithio ar grwpiau 5 i 9, sy'n parhau i symud ymlaen ar beth cyflymder.
Thank you for your statement, Minister. I would like to, once again, thank all those who have made this enormous task possible and all those who will move heaven and earth to vaccinate us all in the coming months. I'm pleased to say that, last Thursday, in Margam, they had 100 per cent turnout, which is a tremendous result.
In a few weeks, we will have delivered vaccines to all those in the priority groups and will move on to the remaining population. So, Minister, how will you approach that programme? Will there be a prioritisation list? Have you given any consideration to those who are at greater risk, but not included in the earlier JCVI list, such as asthma sufferers and adults with learning disabilities, particularly those in assisted living, as well as carers, from whom I've had many, many e-mails? Minister, I would also urge you to consider prioritising those in the at-risk professions, such as teachers, police officers, firefighters, prison officers and, of course, our customer-facing retail staff.
Finally, Minister, it is concerning that there are those working in health and care who are refusing to get vaccinated. Whilst that is their right, we cannot allow their choices to put others at risk. So, will you ensure that staff who choose not to get vaccinated are prevented from having face-to-face contact with vulnerable patients until the completion of the vaccination programme? Thank you very much. Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch i chi am eich datganiad, Gweinidog. Fe hoffwn i, unwaith eto, ddiolch i bawb sydd wedi gwneud y dasg enfawr hon yn bosibl a phawb a fydd yn gwneud y gwaith aruthrol o'n brechu ni i gyd yn ystod y misoedd nesaf. Rwy'n falch o ddweud, ddydd Iau diwethaf, ym Margam, fod 100 y cant wedi cadw eu hapwyntiadau, sy'n ganlyniad rhagorol.
Ymhen ychydig wythnosau, fe fyddwn ni wedi rhoi brechlynnau i bawb yn y grwpiau blaenoriaeth ac fe fyddwn ni'n symud ymlaen at weddill y boblogaeth. Felly, Gweinidog, sut ydych chi am fynd ati gyda'r rhaglen honno? A fydd yna restr blaenoriaeth? A ydych chi wedi rhoi unrhyw ystyriaeth i'r rhai sydd mewn mwy o berygl, ond nad ydyn nhw wedi eu cynnwys yn y rhestr gynharach o eiddo'r Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu, fel dioddefwyr asthma ac oedolion ag anableddau dysgu, yn enwedig y rhai sy'n cael cymorth i fyw, yn ogystal â gofalwyr, yr wyf i wedi cael llawer iawn o negeseuon e-bost ganddyn nhw? Gweinidog, rwyf i am eich annog chi hefyd i ystyried blaenoriaethu'r rhai sydd yn y proffesiynau mwy peryglus, fel athrawon, swyddogion yr heddlu, diffoddwyr tân, swyddogion carchardai ac, wrth gwrs, y staff manwerthu sy'n wynebu cwsmeriaid.
Yn olaf, Gweinidog, mae yna rai sy'n gweithio ym maes iechyd a gofal sy'n gwrthod cael eu brechu, ac mae hynny'n peri pryder. Er bod ganddyn nhw'r hawl i wrthod, ni allwn ganiatáu i'w dewisiadau nhw roi pobl eraill mewn perygl. Felly, a wnewch chi sicrhau bod staff sy'n dewis peidio â chael eu brechu yn cael eu hatal rhag cael cyswllt wyneb yn wyneb â chleifion sy'n agored i niwed hyd nes bydd y rhaglen frechu wedi dod i ben? Diolch yn fawr iawn. Diolch.
In respect of the questions about the next phase after we've completed priority groups 5 to 9, I think I've dealt with those at some length in response to both Angela Burns and Rhun ap Iorwerth, including the point about at-risk professions and people with learning disabilities that I've committed to dealing with in the very near future. I certainly hope that I will have dealt with people with learning disabilities and how that advice will be effected prior to answering questions in the Chamber tomorrow. Members will then get an opportunity to ask me questions about a choice that I hope will be made public by then.
On vaccine refusal, I think this is rather more difficult. I understand the point that the Member makes about whether people who have refused a vaccine or not had a vaccine, whether they should be prevented from going into certain patient-facing areas. This is what we get into going back into a debate about whether the vaccine is, essentially, compulsory. That would, essentially, make the vaccine compulsory for front-line members of staff in health and social care. It's an issue we're working through with not just leaders in those areas but trade unions and others about what the ethical interplay is between this, because there isn't a requirement, a legal requirement, for people to take the vaccine. We do, then, need to think through what that means and it's not a straightforward point.
It's also a broader question not just for health and care, but for a range of other professions, where if people are returning to work and social distancing isn't possible, then what does that mean? To give you an example, one of the occupational groups that has had significant mortality from COVID is chefs and kitchen workers. If you remember the time when we were able to eat out, you'd often see people in a kitchen and social distancing wasn't always possible. Yet, actually, if we get back to being able to reopen that part of hospitality, some employers will be thinking through what they're going to do if people are not going to take the vaccine.
It's a difficult question, where people will express a degree of keenness or reluctance to work with others. This is not straightforward in terms of people disclosing the form of treatment they have and haven't had, and the vaccination is very much part of it. So, I recognise the point the Member is making, but I don't think it's quite as simple as, 'You can't undertake duties unless you prove that you've had the vaccine.' I think this is a debate that we're a long way from concluding.
O ran y cwestiynau am y cam nesaf ar ôl inni gwblhau grwpiau blaenoriaeth 5 i 9, rwy'n credu fy mod i wedi ymdrin â'r rhain yn drylwyr iawn mewn ymatebion i Angela Burns a Rhun ap Iorwerth, gan gynnwys y pwynt am broffesiynau sydd mewn perygl a phobl ag anableddau dysgu yr wyf i wedi ymrwymo i ymdrin â nhw yn y dyfodol agos iawn. Rwy'n sicr yn gobeithio y byddaf i wedi ymdrin â phobl ag anableddau dysgu a sut i roi'r cyngor hwnnw ar waith cyn ateb cwestiynau yn y Siambr yfory. Fe gaiff yr Aelodau gyfle wedyn i ofyn cwestiynau i mi ynglŷn â dewis a fydd, rwy'n gobeithio, wedi cael ei wneud yn gyhoeddus erbyn hynny.
O ran y rhai sy'n gwrthod brechlynnau, mae hwn yn fater sydd braidd yn fwy dyrys, yn fy marn i. Rwy'n deall y pwynt y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud ynghylch pobl sydd wedi gwrthod brechlyn neu heb gael brechlyn, a gofyn a ddylid eu hatal nhw rhag bod mewn ardaloedd lle maen nhw'n dod wyneb yn wyneb â chleifion. Yma rydym yn mynd yn ôl i'r ddadl ynghylch a yw'r brechlyn, yn ei hanfod, yn rhywbeth a ddylai fod yn orfodol. Fe fyddai hynny, yn ei hanfod, yn gwneud y brechlyn yn orfodol i aelodau rheng flaen y staff ym maes iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Mae hwn yn fater yr ydym ni'n gweithio drwyddo nid yn unig o ran yr arweinyddiaeth yn yr ardaloedd hynny ond gydag undebau llafur ac eraill ynglŷn â'r hyn sydd ar waith yn foesegol, oherwydd nid oes gofyniad cyfreithiol i bobl gael y brechlyn. Mae angen inni feddwl, felly, am yr hyn y mae hynny'n ei olygu ac nid pwynt syml mohono.
Mae hwn yn gwestiwn ehangach hefyd, nid yn unig ar gyfer iechyd a gofal, ond ar gyfer ystod o broffesiynau eraill. Os yw pobl yn mynd yn ôl i'w gwaith ac nad oes modd cadw pellter cymdeithasol yno, beth mae hynny'n ei olygu? I roi enghraifft ichi, un o'r grwpiau galwedigaethol sydd wedi gweld cyfraddau marwolaeth sylweddol oherwydd COVID yw cogyddion a gweithwyr cegin. Os ydych chi'n cofio'r cyfnod pan oeddem ni'n gallu bwyta allan, roeddech chi'n gweld pobl mewn cegin yn aml ac nid oedd cadw pellter cymdeithasol yn bosibl bob amser iddyn nhw. Ac eto, mewn gwirionedd, os byddwn yn mynd yn ôl i allu ailagor y rhan honno o letygarwch, fe fydd rhai cyflogwyr yn meddwl am beth i'w wneud pe na fyddai pobl yn barod i gael y brechlyn.
Mae hwn yn gwestiwn anodd, ac fe fydd pobl yn mynegi rhyw gymaint o ddyhead neu amharodrwydd i weithio gyda phobl eraill. Nid yw hyn yn fater syml o ran gwneud i bobl ddatgelu pa driniaethau a gawsant neu beidio, ac mae'r brechiad yn rhan hanfodol o hyn. Felly, rwy'n cydnabod y pwynt y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud. Ond nid wyf yn credu bod hynny mor syml â dweud, 'Ni chewch ymgymryd â dyletswyddau oni bai eich bod yn gallu profi eich bod wedi cael y brechlyn.' Rydym ymhell o ddatrys y ddadl hon, yn fy marn i.
Minister, the vaccine roll-out is proceeding very effectively and efficiently, which we're all very grateful for, but, obviously, we need a very good take-up of the vaccine if we are going to have Wales as protected as we would like it to be. It is good, generally, but there are some gaps, and you've referred already to black and ethnic minorities, for example. I know there's emerging information in terms of some our more deprived communities not taking up the vaccine opportunities in the numbers that we would like. You've already talked about role models, Minister, and communication and messaging. As this information becomes available, in terms of gaps in vaccine take-up, how will you be monitoring that and responding to it, in terms of adapting messaging and communication, and working with those who reach out into these communities and can help to improve the position as we go through this programme?
Gweinidog, mae'r broses o gyflwyno'r brechlyn yn mynd rhagddi'n effeithiol ac yn effeithlon iawn, ac rydym ni i gyd yn ddiolchgar iawn am hynny ond, yn amlwg, mae angen i gymaint â phosibl fanteisio ar y brechlyn os ydym ni am ddiogelu Cymru fel y byddem ni'n dymuno ei wneud. Mae pethau'n mynd yn dda, yn gyffredinol, ond mae yna rai bylchau, ac rydych chi wedi cyfeirio eisoes at leiafrifoedd du ac ethnig, er enghraifft. Fe wn i fod gwybodaeth wedi dod i'r amlwg, o ran rhai o'n cymunedau mwy difreintiedig ni, nad ydyn nhw'n manteisio ar y cyfleoedd i frechu yn y niferoedd yr hoffem eu gweld. Rydych wedi sôn yn barod am batrymau ymddygiad, Gweinidog, a chyfathrebu a chenadwri. Wrth i'r wybodaeth hon ddod i'r amlwg, o ran y bylchau yn y niferoedd sy'n manteisio ar y brechlyn, sut wnewch chi fonitro ac ymateb i hynny, o ran addasu'r genadwri a'r cyfathrebu, a gweithio gyda'r rhai sy'n mynd â'r newydd allan i'r cymunedau hyn ac sy'n gallu helpu i wella'r sefyllfa wrth inni fwrw ymlaen â'r rhaglen hon?
Thank you for the question. In terms of take-up, we are already seeing evidence of a differential in take-up, both through our most advantaged and least advantaged communities. So, the least well-off 20 per cent of the population have a 5 per cent to 6 per cent differential in take-up compared to our most advantaged population group, and we've seen that in groups 1 to 4. We do though also see a bigger differential between some different groups. So, black Afro-Caribbean and some Asian groups have a much lower take-up. That isn't complete data, but we do know that there is a material difference. So, there's work that's already been done, not just at the round-table that I've joined, but there's a wide range of work being done positively and proactively.
You'll have seen Muslim doctors undertaking a range of work and you'll see leadership in different faith groups as well. And I think we all have a role to play as well in terms of what we can do, and I look forward to joining you and Jayne Bryant for an event this week to talk about vaccine take-up within Newport. We are also deliberately working with a range of people in the faith community and a range of voluntary groups to promote take-up, because this is the best thing people can do for themselves, their family and their community, to get a vaccine that is safe and effective, and one that has gone through a rigorous assessment. So, I think the more we can do to really promote that the better. Health boards themselves, of course, also have outreach workers. Every health board has got outreach workers to work with different communities within their health board area. So, that deliberate and positive outreach, together with the approach of others, and also our ability to interrogate the data to see where there may still be a gap and to think what we may need to do. So, you may well be seeing more direct messages from not just faith leaders, but the potential to use some of those venues as vaccination centres to encourage more people to come forward.
Diolch am y cwestiwn. O ran y nifer sy'n manteisio ar y brechlyn, rydym ni eisoes yn gweld tystiolaeth o wahaniaeth yn y niferoedd sy'n manteisio ar y cyfle, yn ein cymunedau mwyaf breintiedig a lleiaf breintiedig fel ei gilydd. Felly, mae gan yr 20 y cant sydd dlotaf yn ariannol yn y boblogaeth niferoedd rhwng 5 y cant i 6 y cant yn llai na'r niferoedd sy'n manteisio ar y brechlyn yn grŵp poblogaeth mwyaf cefnog, ac rydym wedi gweld hynny yn grwpiau 1 i 4. Er hynny, rydym ni'n gweld gwahaniaeth hefyd sy'n fwy ymysg rhai grwpiau amrywiol. Mae gan bobl o dras Affro-Caribïaidd du a rhai grwpiau o dras Asiaidd niferoedd sy'n llawer llai. Nid yw'r data hynny'n gyflawn, ond fe wyddom fod yna wahaniaeth sylweddol. Felly, fe gafodd gwaith ei wneud eisoes, nid yn unig wrth y bwrdd crwn yr wyf i wedi ymuno ag ef, ond fe geir ystod eang o waith sy'n cael ei wneud mewn dull cadarnhaol a rhagweithiol.
Rydych wedi gweld meddygon Mwslimaidd yn ymgymryd ag ystod o waith ac wedi gweld arweiniad gan wahanol grwpiau ffydd hefyd. Ac rwy'n credu bod gan bob un ohonom ni ran yn y gwaith hefyd o ran yr hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at ymuno â chi a Jayne Bryant ar gyfer digwyddiad yr wythnos hon i drafod y brechlynnau yng Nghasnewydd. Rydym yn gweithio'n fwriadol gydag amrywiaeth o bobl yn y gymuned ffydd yn ogystal ag amrywiaeth o grwpiau gwirfoddol i gynyddu'r niferoedd sy'n manteisio ar y brechlynnau, oherwydd dyma'r peth gorau y gall pobl ei wneud er eu lles nhw eu hunain, eu teuluoedd, a'u cymunedau, sef cael triniaeth ddiogel ac effeithiol, ac un sydd wedi mynd drwy asesiad trwyadl. Felly, po fwyaf y gwnawn ni i hyrwyddo hynny, gorau i gyd, yn fy marn i. Wrth gwrs, mae gan y byrddau iechyd eu hunain weithwyr allgymorth hefyd. Mae gan bob bwrdd iechyd weithwyr allgymorth i weithio gyda gwahanol gymunedau yn ardal eu bwrdd iechyd nhw. Felly, yr allgymorth pwrpasol a chadarnhaol hwnnw, ynghyd â dulliau pobl eraill, a'n gallu ninnau hefyd i graffu ar y data i weld lle y gall bwlch fodoli o hyd ac ystyried yr hyn y gellid bod angen inni ei wneud. Felly, mae'n ddigon posibl y byddwch chi'n gweld cenadwri fwy uniongyrchol nid yn unig gan arweinwyr ffydd, ond y posibilrwydd o ddefnyddio rhai o'r lleoliadau hyn fel canolfannau brechu er mwyn annog mwy o bobl i ddod am eu brechiad.
I congratulate everybody who is involved in not only closing the initial first-dose gap with England and Scotland, but also now closing the second-dose gap also. So, credit where it's due. I know I raised that with you previously and you said there would be good news ahead and you were right. So, well done.
But what assurance can you give to the constituent whose daughter is an elite Paralympic F20 world champion shot putter, hoping to go to Tokyo to the Paralympic games this summer, who may need to go to the Europeans in Poland at the end of May to qualify for Tokyo, but who's in vaccination priority group 6, has not yet had a vaccination, and where her mother rightly states it would be a real shame if she missed the opportunity to go to Poland and therefore jeopardise her chances of a gold medal in Tokyo because she's not been vaccinated in time?
And secondly and finally, how do you respond to the Chirk patient who contacted me yesterday, stating that contrary to the Welsh Government's proclamation about getting all of its over-70s vaccinated a day before England, Chirk surgery only completed the last of the first doses for people in this category today—i.e. yesterday; and, people in younger age groups who would already have been vaccinated if they lived in Shropshire, 100 yards away, are facing a two to three-week wait? Chirk's flu vaccine service is consistently excellent, so it plainly isn't their fault. The political borders in this area often don't match other lines, such as the divisions between GP practices, and in this particular instance, the problem is with the supply of vaccines to Chirk surgery, which is in Wales and part of the Welsh NHS system. Thank you.
Rwy'n llongyfarch pawb sydd wedi bod â rhan nid yn unig yng nghau'r bwlch a oedd ar y dechrau rhwng Cymru â Lloegr a'r Alban o ran gweinyddu'r dos cyntaf, ond wrth gau'r bwlch o ran yr ail ddos nawr hefyd. Felly, mae'n rhaid canmol hynny. Fe wn imi godi hynny gyda chi o'r blaen ac roeddech chi'n dweud y byddai newyddion da i ddod ac roeddech chi'n iawn. Felly, da iawn wir.
Ond pa sicrwydd y gallwch chi ei roi i'r etholwraig y mae ei merch hi'n bencampwraig y byd Paralympaidd F20 am daflu maen, sy'n gobeithio mynd i Tokyo i'r gemau Paralympaidd yn yr haf eleni, y gallai fod angen iddi fynd i'r gemau Ewropeaidd yng Ngwlad Pwyl ar ddiwedd mis Mai i fod yn gymwys ar gyfer Tokyo, ond sydd yng ngrŵp 6 o'r blaenoriaethau brechu, a heb gael ei brechiad eto. Mae ei mam yn dweud calon y gwir y byddai'n drueni mawr pe bai'n colli'r cyfle i fynd i Wlad Pwyl ac felly'n peryglu ei chyfle i ennill medal aur yn Tokyo am nad yw wedi ei brechu mewn digon o amser?
Ac yn ail ac yn olaf, sut ydych chi am ymateb i glaf o'r Waun a gysylltodd â mi ddoe, gan ddweud, yn groes i'r datganiad a wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru bod pawb dros 70 oed wedi eu brechu ddiwrnod o flaen Lloegr, mai heddiw'n unig—hynny yw ddoe y gorffennodd meddygfa'r Waun roi'r dosau olaf o'r brechlyn cyntaf i bobl yn y categori hwn; ac mae pobl mewn grwpiau oedran iau a fyddai eisoes wedi eu brechu pe bydden nhw'n byw yn Swydd Amwythig, rhyw 100 llath i lawr y ffordd, yn wynebu aros am bythefnos i dair wythnos? Mae gwasanaeth brechu'r Waun yn rhagorol bob amser o ran brechlynnau ffliw, felly mae'n amlwg nad arnyn nhw y mae'r bai. Yn aml, nid yw'r ffiniau gwleidyddol yn yr ardal hon yn cyfateb i ffiniau eraill, fel y ffiniau rhwng practisau meddygon teulu, ac yn yr achos penodol hwn, y broblem yw'r cyflenwad o frechlynnau i feddygfa'r Waun, sydd yng Nghymru ac yn rhan o system GIG Cymru. Diolch.
Thank you. On your first point, as you're aware, the time in the first few weeks when there was criticism over the vaccine roll-out programme in Wales was a time when we were building our infrastructure, and I think it's been proven that that was the right thing to do. We built a way to deliver that meant we could move at real pace in a sustained manner. So, that's why we are still at present the leading UK nation when it comes to the proportion of the population for first doses—more than a third of the adult population have already had their first dose. And we are in second place within the UK nations, just behind Northern Ireland, when it comes to the percentage of second doses we've delivered. And that's in particular the material progress we've made over the last week or so on delivering more and more second doses.
In terms of your constituent and her concern that she's in group 6 and has yet to have her vaccine, I expect that we will, as I said, match the pace in England where they think they can complete all groups up to priority group 9 by the middle of April. So, I don't think that your constituent will have to wait very much longer. The additional supply that we've been told will be brought forward will allow us to deliver at a much quicker pace, because every part of our system has said that with more certainty over supply and clarity of early supply, we can go even faster. So, I hope that will give your constituent and many others confidence in the weeks ahead. And when it comes to groups 1 to 4, we pledged that we'd have the offer for everyone in groups 1 to 4, and it was the same in every other UK nation. There will have been some catch-up in terms of the actual delivery.
When it comes to vaccine supply, of course, this does rely on the supplies we're getting through UK procurement. I should say that procuring the vaccine for the whole of the UK is a UK Government responsibility, but it's a responsibility that has broadly been done well. We have had significant volumes of vaccine supply to help us get on with our job of delivering that vaccine. We've had some smoothing out and a dip in the last two weeks in vaccine supply. That was predicted and expected. That's why we've seen a minor dip within that. I think within Wales, within England, within every country, you could have vaccine delivery centres that have a slightly different supply compared to each other, but overall, we're going very fast. I think that trying to look at Wales as somehow being responsible for a problem in vaccine supply is not an accurate way to go about describing the challenges that we have, and in any event, I think the speed of the roll-out in Wales, and in every other UK nation, is something we could all take a deal of pride in.
Diolch. O ran eich pwynt cyntaf, fel y gwyddoch chi, roedd y cyfnod yn ystod yr wythnosau cyntaf, pan oedd y rhaglen i weinyddu brechlynnau yng Nghymru yn cael ei beirniadu, yn gyfnod pan oeddem ni'n adeiladu ein seilwaith ni, ac rwy'n credu i hynny gael ei gyfiawnhau. Fe wnaethom drefnu ffordd o gyflawni a oedd y golygu y gallem symud ar gyflymder gwirioneddol mewn modd cynaliadwy. Felly, dyna pam rydym ni'n parhau i fod ar y blaen yn y DU ar hyn o bryd o ran cyfran y boblogaeth sydd wedi cael y dosau cyntaf—mae mwy na thraean o'r boblogaeth oedolion wedi cael eu dos cyntaf nhw eisoes. Ac rydym ni yn yr ail safle ymysg gwledydd y DU, ychydig y tu ôl i Ogledd Iwerddon, o ran canran yr ail ddosau yr ydym ni wedi eu gweinyddu. A dyna'r cynnydd gwirioneddol a wnaed dros yr wythnos neu'r pythefnos diwethaf o ran gweinyddu mwy a mwy o ail ddosau.
O ran eich etholwraig chi a'i phryder bod ei merch yng ngrŵp 6 ac nad yw wedi cael ei brechlyn eto, rwy'n disgwyl y byddwn ni, fel y dywedais i, yn mynd ar yr un cyflymder â Lloegr lle maen nhw'n credu y gallan nhw gwblhau pob grŵp hyd at grŵp blaenoriaeth 9 erbyn canol mis Ebrill. Felly, nid wyf yn credu y bydd yn rhaid i'ch etholwraig aros llawer mwy eto. Fe fydd y cyflenwad ychwanegol y dywedwyd wrthym ei fod ar y ffordd yn ein galluogi ni i gyflawni'n gynt o lawer, oherwydd mae pob rhan o'n system ni wedi dweud, gyda mwy o sicrwydd ynghylch cyflenwad ac eglurder cyflenwad cynnar, y gallwn ni fynd yn gyflymach eto hyd yn oed. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd hynny o gysur i'ch etholwraig chi a llawer un arall yn yr wythnosau i ddod. Ac o ran grwpiau 1 i 4, fe wnaethom ni addo y byddai pawb yng ngrwpiau 1 i 4 yn cael cynnig y brechlyn, ac felly yr oedd hi ym mhob gwlad arall yn y DU. Fe fydd yna rywfaint o ddal i fyny wedi bod o ran y ddarpariaeth wirioneddol.
O ran y cyflenwad o frechlynnau, wrth gwrs, mae hyn yn dibynnu ar y cyflenwadau yr ydym yn eu cael drwy gaffael yn y DU. Fe ddylwn i ddweud mai cyfrifoldeb Llywodraeth y DU yw caffael y brechlyn ar gyfer y DU gyfan, ond fe lwyddwyd yn dda iawn ar y cyfan o ran y cyfrifoldeb hwn. Rydym wedi cael llawer iawn o frechlynnau i'n helpu ni i fwrw ymlaen â'n gwaith ni o weinyddu'r brechlyn hwn. Rydym wedi gweld y cyflenwad o'r brechlyn yn gwastatáu ac yn gostwng ychydig yn ystod y pythefnos diwethaf. Cafodd hynny ei ragweld ac roedd hynny i'w ddisgwyl. Dyna pam rydym ni wedi gweld gostyngiad bach yn hynny o beth. Rwy'n credu y gallech chi, yng Nghymru, yn Lloegr, ym mhob gwlad, fod â chanolfannau gweinyddu brechlynnau sy'n cael cyflenwad ychydig yn wahanol o'u cymharu â'i gilydd, ond ar y cyfan, rydym ni'n mynd yn gyflym iawn. Nid wyf yn credu mai ystyried Cymru yn gyfrifol, rywsut, am y broblem gyda'r cyflenwad o frechlynnau yw'r ffordd gywir o fynd ati i ddisgrifio'r heriau sydd gennym, a beth bynnag, rwy'n credu bod cyflymder y cyflwyniad yng Nghymru, ac ym mhob gwlad arall yn y DU, yn rhywbeth y gallem ni i gyd ymfalchïo'n fawr ynddo.
Minister, you probably enjoyed, as I did, watching Sir Gareth Edwards's video the other day of his visit to the vaccination centre in Bridgend behind the rugby club. He said in the video that it wasn't true that it was always the case that he enjoyed every visit to the Brewery Field in Bridgend. But it was a great message to all my constituents about the desirability of getting the vaccination and responding to it and getting down to do it. I look forward as well, Minister, to the opening of the Maesteg community vaccination centre in the recreation centre on 1 March. That's really welcome.
Minister, could I ask you—? I watched the Prime Minister's press conference yesterday evening, which lauded, as we all do, the incredible speed of the roll-out of the vaccination across all parts of the UK, including here in Wales. But, sometimes, he has a tendency to look a little bit too far in the future and to overpromise and underdeliver. We heard last night that, from the end of May, we might be looking at international flights for tourism and holidays, and that nightclubs would be opening on 21 June on the back of mass testing of people in the queues before they go in.
Could you, Minister, comment on those announcements, which have significantly heightened expectations because of the BBC spread across the UK, that nightclubs will be opening, flights will be running from the end of May and so on? How confident can we be, Minister, this far out, that we do not risk rerunning past mistakes of going too far too fast, particularly by the UK Government, and introducing new strains of the virus from around the world, and that we avoid having a devastating resurgence of this virus and new strains throughout next winter? Let's be cautious, step by step, and in some ways, underpromise but overdeliver.
Gweinidog, fe wnaethoch chi, mae'n debyg, fwynhau, fel y gwnes innau, wylio fideo Syr Gareth Edwards y diwrnod o'r blaen o'i ymweliad ef â'r ganolfan frechu ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr y tu cefn i'r clwb rygbi yno. Fe ddywedodd ef yn y fideo nad oedd bob amser wedi mwynhau pob ymweliad â Maes y Bragdy ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr, mewn gwirionedd. Ond roedd honno'n neges ardderchog i'm hetholwyr i am y fantais fawr o gael gwahoddiad am frechiad ac ymateb i hynny a mynd i'w gael. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen hefyd, Gweinidog, at agor canolfan frechu gymunedol Maesteg yn y ganolfan hamdden ar 1 Mawrth. Mae hynny i'w groesawu'n fawr.
Gweinidog, a gaf i ofyn i chi—? Fe wyliais i gynhadledd Prif Weinidog y DU i'r wasg neithiwr, a oedd yn canmol, fel y gwna pawb ohonom ni, y cyflymder anhygoel wrth gyflwyno'r brechiadau ledled y DU gyfan, gan gynnwys yma yng Nghymru. Ond, weithiau, mae ganddo duedd i edrych ychydig yn rhy bell i'r dyfodol ac addo gormod a methu â chyrraedd y nod. Fe glywsom ni neithiwr y gallem ni, o ddiwedd mis Mai, fod yn edrych ar deithiau awyr rhyngwladol ar gyfer twristiaeth a gwyliau, ac y byddai clybiau nos yn agor ar 21 Mehefin ar ôl cynnal profion torfol ar bobl yn y ciwiau cyn iddyn nhw gael mynediad.
A wnewch chi, Gweinidog, roi eich sylwadau chi ar y cyhoeddiadau hynny, sydd wedi cynyddu disgwyliadau yn sylweddol oherwydd darllediad y BBC ledled y DU, y bydd y clybiau nos yn agor, y bydd teithiau awyr yn hedfan o ddiwedd mis Mai ac yn y blaen? Pa mor hyderus y gallwn ni fod, Gweinidog, mor gynnar â hyn, nad oes yna berygl inni ailadrodd camgymeriadau'r gorffennol o fynd yn rhy gyflym o lawer unwaith eto, yn enwedig gan Lywodraeth y DU, a chyflwyno mathau newydd o'r feirws o bob cwr o'r byd, a'n bod ni'n osgoi gweld y feirws dinistriol hwn yn ailgodi a mathau newydd yn ymledu drwy gydol y gaeaf nesaf? Gadewch inni fod yn ofalus, gam wrth gam, ac mewn rhai ffyrdd, beidio ag addo gormod ond gwneud yn well na'r disgwyl.
Thank you for the question. I did see the clip of Sir Gareth Edwards, the greatest living Welshman, talking to the First Minister. I think it was very positive in terms of his own experience and what that meant. I hope that other people have had a chance to watch that, and that it will encourage others to make sure that they too go and get their vaccine and receive a warm welcome in the Brewery Field.
On the Prime Minister's conference yesterday, I think the first point to make is that it's a much better conversation to be having about what we can do in the future, rather than talk about the things we still can't do. We should all have a sense of optimism about the future, but the future is not certain. We have made a deliberate choice to be faithful to the scientific evidence and public health advice that we receive, which is why we have a different approach to school opening in Wales. It is directly in line with the evidence and advice we've had. They've made a different policy choice in England, as they're entitled to do. So, they're storing up to have, if you like, a 'big bang' approach on 8 March. That isn't what our advice says that we should do. It's a choice for English Ministers to do that, and they're entitled to do so, but our risk appetite is different, which is why we're following the advice.
When I think about international travel, it is one of the things that really bothers me about the future and reimportation, because, by May, we won't have completed the adult population with their first dose, let alone the second dose as well. I remember very well last summer's experience where I changed the rules on quarantine and what people could expect to do when a flight from Zante was in mid-air. We did that because the evidence was mounting at that point about reimportation of coronavirus when we had very low coronavirus levels. Remember that we had levels of two to three in 100,000 at one point in the summer, and we're now talking about the rates being much lower when we're just about 80 in 100,000. So, there has to be real caution for the future.
You may or may not have heard the deputy chief medical officer this morning on Radio Wales, making very clear the point that we simply can't predict months and months into the future what the position will be with the spread of coronavirus with a much more virulent strain, in the sense of its ability to transmit, so much, much more likely to spread. To give, somehow, a baked-in roadmap, with dates not data, going into the middle of the summer, I don't think is the right approach. I think we need to manage people's expectations, and understand that most people are cautious, and want to be assured that, coming out of this, we're not going to lurch into the future and then have to lurch back into lockdown, if at all possible.
I just don't think it's realistic that nightclubs are going to be open in the way that is described in June. I'd be delighted to be wrong, but I'm much more interested in keeping Wales safe, in keeping people alive and well, and not having to introduce much more restrictive measures to restrict national life, with all the public health harm that you'd have to avoid in doing so, but also the economic damage you'd do in bringing back sectors of the economy that we hope to open in a sustained fashion. So, we'll continue to take our approach as to how we keep Wales safe in a cautious, evidence-led way.
Diolch am y cwestiwn. Do, fe welais i'r clip o Syr Gareth Edwards, un o fawrion y genedl, yn siarad â'r Prif Weinidog. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n beth cadarnhaol iawn o ran ei brofiad ef ei hun a'r hyn yr oedd hynny'n ei olygu i bobl Cymru. Rwy'n gobeithio bod pobl eraill wedi cael cyfle i wylio'r clip hwnnw, ac y bydd hynny'n eu hannog nhw i wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn mynd i gael y brechlyn hefyd ac yn cael croeso cynnes ym Maes y Bragdy.
O ran cynhadledd Prif Weinidog y DU ddoe, rwy'n credu mai'r pwynt cyntaf i'w wneud yw ei bod yn well o lawer cael sgwrs am yr hyn y byddwn ni'n gallu ei wneud yn y dyfodol, yn hytrach na siarad am y pethau na allwn ni eu gwneud nhw heddiw. Fe ddylem ni i gyd gael teimlad o obaith ynglŷn â'r dyfodol, ond nid yw'r dyfodol yn sicr. Rydym wedi gwneud dewis bwriadol i lynu'n dynn wrth y dystiolaeth wyddonol a'r cyngor iechyd cyhoeddus a gawn ni, a dyna pam mae gennym ni ddull gwahanol o agor ysgolion yng Nghymru. Mae hynny'n cyd-fynd yn uniongyrchol â'r dystiolaeth a'r cyngor a gawsom ni. Maen nhw wedi gwneud dewis polisi gwahanol yn Lloegr, ac mae'r hawl ganddyn nhw i wneud hynny. Felly, maen nhw'n dal yn ôl nes cael 'clec fawr' ar 8 Mawrth, os hoffech chi. Nid oedd y cyngor a gawsom ni yn dweud y dylem wneud hynny. Dewis Gweinidogion Lloegr yw gwneud hynny, ac mae ganddyn nhw'r hawl i wneud hynny, ond mae ein harchwaeth ni am risg yn un gwahanol, a dyna pam rydym ni'n dilyn y cyngor.
Pan fyddaf yn meddwl am deithio rhyngwladol, dyma un o'r pethau sy'n fy ngofidio i'n fawr ynglŷn â'r dyfodol ac ailgyflwyniad posibl, oherwydd erbyn mis Mai, ni fyddwn wedi cwblhau rhoi'r dos cyntaf i'r boblogaeth gyfan o oedolion, heb sôn am ail ddos. Rwy'n cofio profiad haf y llynedd yn dda iawn, pan newidiais i'r rheolau ynglŷn â'r cwarantîn a'r hyn y gallai pobl ddisgwyl ei wneud pan oedd awyren o Zante yn yr awyr. Fe wnaethom hynny oherwydd bod y dystiolaeth yn cynyddu bryd hynny o ran ailgyflwyno'r coronafeirws, pan oedd gennym ni lefelau isel iawn o'r coronafeirws. Fe gofiwch mai lefelau o ddau hyd dri ym mhob 100,000 oedd gennym ni ar un amser yn ystod yr haf, ac rydym ni'n sôn erbyn hyn fod y lefelau'n is o lawer pan fyddwn ni wedi cyrraedd 80 ym mhob 100,000. Felly, fe fydd yn rhaid bod yn ofalus iawn i'r dyfodol.
Efallai eich bod wedi clywed y dirprwy brif swyddog meddygol ar Radio Wales fore heddiw yn egluro'r pwynt yn dda iawn na allwn ragweld misoedd lawer i'r dyfodol beth fydd y sefyllfa o ran ymlediad y coronafeirws gydag amrywiad llawer mwy ffyrnig, yn yr ystyr o'i allu i drosglwyddo rhwng pobl, fel y gallai fod yn llawer mwy tebygol o ymledu. Nid wyf i o'r farn, rywsut, fod gosod cynllun cadarn, gyda dyddiadau ac nid data, sy'n ymestyn hyd yr haf, yn ddull addas o gyflawni hyn. Rwy'n credu bod angen inni reoli disgwyliadau pobl, a deall bod y rhan fwyaf o bobl yn ofalus, ac yn dymuno cael sicrwydd nad ydym ni, wrth ddod allan o hyn, yn troedio'n simsan i'r dyfodol ac yna'n gorfod troedio yn ôl i lawr yn simsan i gyfyngiadau symud, os oes modd o gwbl osgoi hynny.
Nid wyf i'n credu ei bod yn realistig agor y clybiau nos ym mis Mehefin yn y ffordd a gaiff ei disgrifio. Fe fyddwn i'n falch o fod yn anghywir, ond mae gennyf i lawer mwy o ddiddordeb mewn diogelwch Cymru, a chadw pobl yn fyw ac yn iach, na gorfod cyflwyno mesurau llawer mwy cyfyngol i gyfyngu ar fywyd cenedlaethol, gyda'r holl niwed i iechyd y cyhoedd y byddai'n rhaid i chi ei osgoi wrth wneud hynny, ond hefyd y niwed economaidd y byddech chi'n ei achosi o ran ailgychwyn sectorau o'r economi yr ydym ni'n gobeithio eu hagor mewn modd cynaliadwy. Felly, fe fyddwn ni'n dal ati i ymdrin â'r ffordd yr ydym ni am gadw Cymru'n ddiogel mewn ffordd ofalus sy'n cael ei harwain gan dystiolaeth.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf yw'r datganiad gan Weinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru ar y genhadaeth o ran cadernid ac ailadeiladu economaidd. Mi fyddaf i'n trosglwyddo'r Gadair nawr i'r Dirprwy Lywydd, Ann Jones. I wneud y datganiad, felly, Ken Skates.
The next item is a statement by the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales on the economic resilience and reconstruction mission. I will now pass the Chair to the Deputy Llywydd, Ann Jones. I call on Ken Skates to make the statement.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
This last year has been incredibly difficult for everyone—for the business having to close to prevent the spread of the virus, for the young person unable to find their first job, or the family struggling to get by because of a drop in household income. It has been one of the most challenging any of us have ever experienced. Whilst the work to combat the virus obviously goes on, it is important to consider how Wales can emerge from the direct impact of the virus and tackle with renewed vigour the deep-seated challenges that Wales faces, and to help our people, businesses and communities to prevail and to prosper. Over the last few months, I've been discussing these important issues with partners, and today we publish our economic resilience and recovery mission. It sets out what many people told me directly—that in Wales we have the talent, the energy and the ideas to rebuild our economy in a better and fairer way. Our mission offers grounded optimism against a backdrop of the most challenging circumstances.
We've responded at pace to minimise the pandemic's impacts on business and workers. Our support package of more than £2 billion is the most generous business support package anywhere in the United Kingdom. For small, medium and large businesses in the hospitality, leisure and tourism sector, and related supply chain, we are now adding a further £30 million of emergency financial support for operating cost grants. Our targeted rates relief scheme has already allowed us to provide more support to thousands of smaller businesses, whilst ensuring that major essential retailers, such as large supermarkets, continue to pay rates. The UK Government has yet to confirm whether it will extend non-domestic rates support in England. I urge them to do so, and to do this as quickly as possible, so that we can have absolute certainty on the funding available for Wales as a result. We are making all of the preparations necessary to support a rapid response for Welsh businesses as soon as the Chancellor provides us with certainty on the funding that is required.
As we look to move forward, we recognise that there are businesses that are integral to the visitor economy, such as events and the late-night economy, that are likely to be hard hit in the longer term, and we’ll actively review our options for providing further support here. Despite our unequalled support, over the next 12 months, unemployment in Wales and across the UK will grow. Too many of our citizens will see their jobs go or the hours they work reduce, and be faced with few job vacancies on offer. This will be worse for young workers, women, people from minority ethnic communities, older workers, disabled people, those with health conditions, and those in low-skill occupations. So, our reconstruction work must support these hardest-hit individuals. The impact of the pandemic, coupled with exiting the European Union, threatens to reverse the progress that we've made in reducing unemployment and economic inactivity in Wales over the last decade. There will be profound implications for the future of work, our communities and our well-being, as well as the physical fabric of our town centres and our transport system.
Mae'r flwyddyn ddiwethaf hon wedi bod yn eithriadol o anodd i bawb—i'r busnes a oedd yn gorfod cau i atal lledaeniad y feirws, i'r person ifanc sy'n methu dod o hyd i'w swydd gyntaf, neu'r teulu sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd ymdopi oherwydd lleihad yn incwm y cartref. Bu'n un o'r blynyddoedd mwyaf heriol y mae unrhyw un ohonom ni wedi eu profi erioed. Er bod y frwydr yn erbyn y feirws yn amlwg yn parhau, mae'n bwysig ystyried sut y gall Cymru ddod trwy effaith uniongyrchol y feirws a mynd i'r afael ag egni o'r newydd â'r heriau dwfn y mae Cymru'n eu hwynebu, a helpu ein pobl, ein busnesau a'n cymunedau i orchfygu a ffynnu. Dros y misoedd diwethaf, rwyf wedi bod yn trafod y materion pwysig hyn gyda phartneriaid, a heddiw rydym ni'n cyhoeddi ein cenhadaeth o ran cadernid ac ailadeiladu economaidd. Mae'n nodi'r hyn a ddywedodd llawer o bobl wrthyf yn uniongyrchol—bod gennym ni yng Nghymru y ddawn, yr egni a'r syniadau i ailadeiladu ein heconomi mewn ffordd well a thecach. Mae ein cenhadaeth yn cynnig optimistiaeth sylfaenol yn wyneb yr amgylchiadau mwyaf heriol.
Rydym wedi ymateb yn gyflym i leihau effeithiau'r pandemig ar fusnesau a gweithwyr. Ein pecyn cymorth o fwy na £2 biliwn yw'r pecyn cymorth busnes mwyaf hael yn unman yn y Deyrnas Unedig. I fusnesau bach, canolig a mawr yn y sector lletygarwch, hamdden a thwristiaeth, a'r gadwyn gyflenwi gysylltiedig, rydym ni nawr yn ychwanegu £30 miliwn arall o gymorth ariannol brys ar ffurf grantiau ar gyfer costau gweithredu. Mae ein cynllun rhyddhad ardrethi penodol eisoes wedi ein galluogi ni i roi mwy o gymorth i filoedd o fusnesau llai, gan sicrhau bod manwerthwyr hanfodol mawr, megis archfarchnadoedd mawr, yn parhau i dalu ardrethi. Nid yw Llywodraeth y DU wedi cadarnhau eto a fydd yn ymestyn cymorth ardrethi annomestig yn Lloegr. Rwy'n ei hannog i wneud hynny, ac i wneud hyn cyn gynted â phosibl, fel y gallwn ni gael sicrwydd llwyr ynghylch y cyllid sydd ar gael i Gymru o ganlyniad. Rydym ni'n gwneud yr holl baratoadau angenrheidiol er mwyn ymateb yn gyflym i fusnesau Cymru cyn gynted ag y bydd y Canghellor yn rhoi sicrwydd inni ynghylch y cyllid sydd ei angen.
Wrth inni geisio symud ymlaen, rydym yn cydnabod bod busnesau sy'n rhan annatod o'r economi ymwelwyr, megis digwyddiadau ac economi hwyr y nos, sy'n debygol o gael eu taro'n galed yn y tymor hwy, a byddwn yn mynd ati i adolygu ein dewisiadau ar gyfer darparu cymorth pellach yma. Er gwaethaf ein cefnogaeth ddihafal, dros y 12 mis nesaf, bydd diweithdra yng Nghymru a ledled y DU yn cynyddu. Bydd gormod o'n dinasyddion yn gweld eu swyddi'n diflannu neu eu horiau gwaith yn lleihau, gydag ychydig o swyddi gwag ar gael i ddewis o'u plith. Bydd hyn yn waeth i weithwyr ifanc, menywod, pobl o gymunedau lleiafrifoedd ethnig, gweithwyr hŷn, pobl anabl, y rhai â chyflyrau iechyd, a'r rhai mewn galwedigaethau sgiliau isel. Felly, rhaid i'n gwaith ailadeiladu gefnogi'r unigolion hyn sydd wedi dioddef waethaf. Mae effaith y pandemig, ynghyd ag ymadael â'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, yn bygwth gwrthdroi'r cynnydd yr ydym ni wedi'i wneud o ran lleihau diweithdra ac anweithgarwch economaidd yng Nghymru dros y degawd diwethaf. Bydd goblygiadau dwfn i ddyfodol gwaith, ein cymunedau a'n llesiant, yn ogystal â gwead ffisegol canol ein trefi a'n system drafnidiaeth.
Our mission sets out our vision for a well-being economy that drives prosperity, is environmentally sound, and helps everybody realise their potential. It should be seen alongside the other important work that we are doing right across Government to build a stronger, fairer and greener future, including obviously our new Wales transport strategy, the manufacturing action plan, which will be published later this week, and our determination to meet our new stretching climate change targets. A prosperous Wales is one in which Wales has a steady focus on resilience with a capacity for transformation, and we'll take action to support a diverse base of outward-looking firms with positive innovation programmes, good productivity levels and an engaged workforce equipped with the skills in a changing world.
A green economy demands high levels of circularity, where resources are kept in use, adding economic value and where waste is avoided. A truly green economy is integral to a low-carbon society, so we will invest in low-carbon and climate resilience infrastructure, renewable energy projects and sustainable homes, in turn, using these as opportunities for business innovation and the chance to create good-quality, grounded jobs of the future here in Wales. An equal society and an equal economy means investing in the productive potential of all people, making sure that nobody is left behind. We'll build ambition, encourage learning for life and support people to make the most of their potential. Our regional approach will support a fair distribution of opportunities and we'll continue to demand, to advocate for and to champion fair work.
First of all, we must strengthen the foundational economy. The crisis has reinforced the vital importance of key workers, and the critical role they play in our well-being and in every sector of our economy. We need to radically rethink the places we live in and the way our homes and our communities work, putting into practice the 'town centre first' principle and developing regional co-working hubs, as part of our transforming towns programme of work. We must realise the potential and the opportunity of putting new footfall back onto our high streets so that they can again become the vibrant hubs for the people who live there. Secondly, we will pursue our COVID commitment so that the impact of the pandemic levels across Wales leaves nobody behind, creating opportunities to retain and upskill. We need to harness an invigorated entrepreneurial culture, renewed enthusiasm for volunteering and an appetite for lifelong and online learning. New technology can, of course, reduce the isolation of some communities, creating opportunities to live, work and learn from all corners of Wales.
Thirdly, we should accelerate adaptation by business for the future. We'll provide support to innovate and diversify, which meets the dual challenges of COVID-19 and EU exit, and make businesses fit and sustainable for the future. The Development Bank of Wales will, therefore, receive an additional £270 million for the expansion of the Wales flexible investment fund to continue investing in general business loans and equity through what we expect to be an extended period of economic reconstruction and adjustment. We'll also speed up business decarbonisation and boost circularity of resource use. Driving digital innovation and tackling digital exclusion are central to our commitment to promote equality and help people realise their potential.
Fourthly, we'll maximise the impact of future major investments as magnet projects to embrace and exploit new and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, pulling in employment, skills, expertise and development to Wales. This will include a strong emphasis on research and development, innovation, regional stimulus plans, clustering of SMEs and development of new skills. Finally, we will fortify our pursuit for social value in our relationships with business. We'll refresh and strengthen the economic contract so that businesses properly embrace and incorporate its values, embedding fair work, low carbon and climate resilience. Valuing deeply the well-being of all Welsh citizens frames our response to this pandemic. The fundamentals of our economy—the people, the communities and the businesses within it—are strong, and together I know that we can succeed.
Mae ein cenhadaeth yn amlinellu ein gweledigaeth ar gyfer economi llesiant sy'n creu ffyniant, sy'n amgylcheddol gadarn, ac yn helpu pawb i wireddu eu potensial. Dylid ei gweld ochr yn ochr â'r gwaith pwysig arall yr ydym ni'n ei wneud ym mhob rhan o'r Llywodraeth i adeiladu dyfodol cryfach, tecach a gwyrddach, gan gynnwys yn amlwg ein strategaeth drafnidiaeth newydd i Gymru, y cynllun gweithredu ar weithgynhyrchu, a gyhoeddir yn ddiweddarach yr wythnos hon, a'n penderfyniad i gyrraedd ein targedau newid hinsawdd heriol newydd. Mae Cymru ffyniannus yn un lle mae Cymru yn rhoi pwyslais cyson ar gydnerthedd gyda'r gallu i drawsnewid, a byddwn yn mynd ati i gefnogi sylfaen amrywiol o gwmnïau blaengar sydd â rhaglenni arloesi cadarnhaol, lefelau cynhyrchiant da a gweithlu brwdfrydig sydd â'r sgiliau mewn byd sy'n newid.
Mae economi werdd yn gofyn am fwy o gylchdroi, lle parheir i ddefnyddio adnoddau, gan ychwanegu gwerth economaidd a lle caiff gwastraff ei osgoi. Mae economi wirioneddol werdd yn rhan annatod o gymdeithas carbon isel, felly byddwn yn buddsoddi mewn seilwaith carbon isel a chydnerthedd yn yr hinsawdd, prosiectau ynni adnewyddadwy a chartrefi cynaliadwy, yn eu tro, gan ddefnyddio'r rhain yn gyfleoedd ar gyfer arloesi ym myd busnes a'r posibilrwydd o greu swyddi o ansawdd da yn y dyfodol yma yng Nghymru. Mae cymdeithas gyfartal ac economi gyfartal yn golygu buddsoddi ym mhotensial cynhyrchiol pawb, gan sicrhau na chaiff neb ei esgeuluso. Byddwn yn meithrin uchelgais, yn annog dysgu am oes ac yn cefnogi pobl i fanteisio i'r eithaf ar eu potensial. Bydd ein dull rhanbarthol yn cefnogi dosbarthu cyfleoedd yn deg a byddwn yn parhau i fynnu, i eiriol dros waith teg ac i'w hyrwyddo.
Yn gyntaf oll, rhaid inni gryfhau'r economi sylfaenol. Mae'r argyfwng wedi atgyfnerthu pwysigrwydd hanfodol gweithwyr allweddol, a'u swyddogaeth hollbwysig yn ein llesiant ac ym mhob sector o'n heconomi. Mae angen inni ailystyried yn sylweddol y lleoedd yr ydym ni'n byw ynddyn nhw a'r ffordd y mae ein cartrefi a'n cymunedau'n gweithio, gan weithredu'r egwyddor 'canol tref yn gyntaf' a datblygu canolfannau cydweithio rhanbarthol, yn rhan o'n rhaglen waith trawsnewid trefi. Rhaid inni sylweddoli'r posibilrwydd a'r cyfle i gael ymwelwyr newydd yn ôl ar ein strydoedd mawr fel y gallan nhw unwaith eto ddod yn ganolfannau bywiog i'r bobl sy'n byw yno. Yn ail, byddwn yn parhau gyda'n hymrwymiad i COVID fel nad yw effaith y lefelau pandemig ledled Cymru yn gadael neb ar ôl, gan greu cyfleoedd i gadw pobl mewn swyddi a chynyddu eu sgiliau. Mae angen i ni harneisio diwylliant entrepreneuraidd bywiog, brwdfrydedd o'r newydd dros wirfoddoli ac awydd am ddysgu gydol oes ac ar-lein. Gall technoleg newydd, wrth gwrs, leihau pa mor ynysig yw rhai cymunedau, gan greu cyfleoedd i fyw, gweithio a dysgu o bob cwr o Gymru.
Yn drydydd, dylem helpu busnesau i addasu'n gynt ar gyfer y dyfodol. Byddwn yn darparu cymorth i arloesi ac arallgyfeirio, sy'n ymateb i heriau deuol COVID-19 ac ymadael â'r UE, ac yn gwneud busnesau'n addas ac yn gynaliadwy ar gyfer y dyfodol. Felly, bydd Banc Datblygu Cymru yn cael £270 miliwn ychwanegol ar gyfer ehangu cronfa fuddsoddi hyblyg Cymru i barhau i fuddsoddi mewn benthyciadau busnes cyffredinol ac ecwiti drwy'r hyn y disgwyliwn y bydd yn gyfnod estynedig o ailadeiladu ac addasu economaidd. Byddwn hefyd yn cyflymu'r broses o ddatgarboneiddio busnesau ac yn rhoi hwb i gylcholdeb defnyddio adnoddau. Mae ysgogi arloesedd digidol a mynd i'r afael ag allgáu digidol yn ganolog i'n hymrwymiad i hyrwyddo cydraddoldeb a helpu pobl i wireddu eu potensial.
Yn bedwerydd, byddwn yn manteisio i'r eithaf ar effaith buddsoddiadau mawr yn y dyfodol fel prosiectau atynnu i gofleidio a manteisio ar dechnolegau newydd a tharfol megis deallusrwydd artiffisial, gan ddenu cyflogaeth, sgiliau, arbenigedd a datblygiad i Gymru. Bydd hyn yn cynnwys pwyslais cryf ar ymchwil a datblygu, arloesi, cynlluniau ysgogi rhanbarthol, clystyru busnesau bach a chanolig a datblygu sgiliau newydd. Yn olaf, byddwn yn dwysáu ein hymgyrch am werth cymdeithasol yn ein perthynas â busnesau. Byddwn yn adnewyddu ac yn cryfhau'r contract economaidd fel bod busnesau'n croesawu ac yn ymgorffori ei werthoedd yn briodol, gan ymgorffori gwaith teg, carbon isel a chydnerthedd o ran yr hinsawdd. Mae gwerthfawrogi llesiant holl ddinasyddion Cymru yn sail i'n hymateb i'r pandemig hwn. Mae hanfodion ein heconomi—y bobl, y cymunedau a'r busnesau oddi mewn iddi—yn gryf, a gyda'n gilydd rwy'n gwybod y gallwn ni lwyddo.
Can I thank the Minister for his statement today and the advanced copy, as always? I think, from my perspective, Minister, any additional support for Welsh businesses has to be welcomed, so, certainly, from my perspective, I and colleagues welcome the additional support for the Development Bank of Wales. There are large elements of what you said that I can agree with. Clearly, I'm going to focus on some areas that I think that you've missed in your plan and statement today.
What the statement doesn't set out today is clarity for businesses in terms of coming out of the lockdown. That's not just my view, that is the view of the Federation of Small Businesses, business groups. I had an example this morning of a retail business operating a number of outlets in my constituency: 'Can we order stock or not?' They order seasonal stock. So, they believe that their comparison companies in other parts of the UK have got more of a plan of where they're going than they do here in Wales. And they accept that dates change and priorities change, but to have that indicative plan in place.
Minister, you say that the new funding for the Development Bank of Wales will improve the supply for the long term of accessible business finance. That is something that I think is desperately needed, so I agree with that. I think what is disappointing is that the Government's been slow on the implementation of the fourth phase of business support. Businesses are crying out for clarity, for you to provide an aspirational timetable for a route out of this crisis. I think what businesses do need is, they need to hear from you on extending the business rates holiday, providing additional support for the hospitality sector, for example, and by using the underspend from the sector-specific fund to ensure that any unused financial support is allocated quickly and where needed. So, of course, I welcome your comments on that.
You refer to health, well-being, decarbonisation, foundational economy, digital skills, regenerating town centres, green economy, all these areas are right, and I agree with all that you've said in that regard. But what your statement doesn't talk about—and there seems to be a lack of information in your plan, your mission, with regard to supporting the productivity and the competitiveness and job creation. And, if I'm honest, what I was most disappointed in, actually, is there's no mention of entrepreneurship, the support for start-ups, and there's very little detail in the 30-page document. So, how are you going to do this? When we came out of the first lockdown across the UK, there was great entrepreneurial spirit across the UK, and that needs to be enhanced. Those who are bringing forward that entrepreneurial spirit need to be encouraged. So, other parts of the UK have schemes that do that; what are you doing in Wales in terms of encouraging that entrepreneurship here in Wales?
You were quite optimistic, Minister, when I previously referred to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report and setting up an arm's length body: you said that that is something to explore and examine. So, I very much welcomed that at the time. I think we do need an arm's length body to sell Wales to the world, support our indigenous businesses, promote Wales, bring forward that inward investment. I agree with the OECD report in terms of that arm's length agency, and I do think we need cross-party support if we're going to bring back such an agency as well. So, I'd welcome your views on that.
Minister, I'd ask you how you would respond to this morning's analysis from Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, who has said that he is perplexed that the Welsh Government does not consider productivity as a key issue for the economy, given that Wales is the least productive country in the UK without a clear strategy to close the gap. You say, Minister, that you've outlined plans to work with the tourism and hospitality sectors to develop a recovery plan to provide short-term support to develop resilience and profitability over the longer term. Can you set out your thinking on what the recovery plan might include on the short-term support from Welsh Government, and in terms of the long term in providing through that plan?
And finally, your plan, or your mission, sets out plans to repurpose town centres away from the traditional high street as, as you said, we no longer rely on retail alone. How will you balance the support for repurposing town and city centres with supporting the retail sector, so that it can continue to play a key role in the Welsh economy?
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad heddiw a'r copi ymlaen llaw, fel bob amser? Credaf, o'm safbwynt i, Gweinidog, fod yn rhaid croesawu unrhyw gymorth ychwanegol i fusnesau Cymru, felly, yn sicr, o'm safbwynt i, rwyf i a'm cyd-Aelodau'n croesawu'r gefnogaeth ychwanegol i Fanc Datblygu Cymru. Gallaf gytuno â llawer iawn o'r hyn a ddywedoch chi. Yn amlwg, rwy'n mynd i ganolbwyntio ar rai meysydd y credaf eich bod wedi'u hesgeuluso yn eich cynllun a'ch datganiad heddiw.
Yr hyn nad yw'r datganiad yn ei amlinellu heddiw yw eglurder i fusnesau o ran dod allan o'r cyfyngiadau symud. Nid fy marn i yn unig yw hynny, dyna farn y Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach, grwpiau busnes. Cefais enghraifft y bore yma o fusnes manwerthu'n sy'n gweithredu nifer o allfeydd yn fy etholaeth: 'Allwn ni archebu stoc ai peidio?' Maen nhw'n archebu stoc dymhorol. Felly, maen nhw'n credu bod gan gwmnïau tebyg iddyn nhw mewn rhannau eraill o'r DU fwy o gynllun ar gyfer y dyfodol na sydd gan rai yng Nghymru. Ac maen nhw'n derbyn bod dyddiadau'n newid a blaenoriaethau'n newid, ond bod y cynllun dangosol hwnnw ar waith.
Gweinidog, rydych chi'n dweud y bydd y cyllid newydd ar gyfer Banc Datblygu Cymru yn gwella'r cyflenwad ar gyfer cyllid busnes hygyrch yn y tymor hir. Mae hynny'n rhywbeth y credaf fod ei angen yn ddybryd, felly cytunaf â hynny. Credaf mai'r hyn sy'n siomedig yw y bu'r Llywodraeth yn araf ynghylch gweithredu pedwerydd cam y cymorth busnes. Mae busnesau'n crefu am eglurder, er mwyn ichi ddarparu amserlen uchelgeisiol ar gyfer llwybr allan o'r argyfwng hwn. Credaf mai'r hyn y mae ar fusnesau ei angen yw, mae angen iddyn nhw glywed gennych chi am ymestyn y cyfnod o hepgor ardrethi busnes, darparu cymorth ychwanegol i'r sector lletygarwch, er enghraifft, a thrwy ddefnyddio'r tanwariant o'r gronfa sector-benodol i sicrhau y caiff unrhyw gymorth ariannol na chafodd ei ddefnyddio ei ddyrannu'n gyflym ac i le y mae ei angen. Felly, wrth gwrs, croesawaf eich sylwadau ar hynny.
Rydych chi'n cyfeirio at iechyd, llesiant, datgarboneiddio, economi sylfaenol, sgiliau digidol, adfywio canol trefi, economi werdd, mae'r holl feysydd hyn yn iawn, a chytunaf â'r cyfan yr ydych chi wedi'i ddweud yn hynny o beth. Ond yr hyn nad yw eich datganiad yn sôn amdano—ac mae'n ymddangos bod diffyg gwybodaeth yn eich cynllun, eich cenhadaeth, o ran cefnogi'r cynhyrchiant a chystadleurwydd a chreu swyddi. Ac, os ydw i'n onest, yr hyn yr oeddwn yn siomedig iawn ynddo, mewn gwirionedd, yw nad oes sôn am entrepreneuriaeth, y gefnogaeth i fusnesau newydd, ac ychydig iawn o fanylion sydd yn y ddogfen 30 tudalen. Felly, sut ydych chi'n mynd i wneud hyn? Pan ddaethom ni allan o'r cyfyngiadau symud cyntaf ledled y DU, roedd ysbryd entrepreneuraidd mawr ledled y DU, ac mae angen gwella hynny. Mae angen annog y rhai sy'n meithrin yr ysbryd entrepreneuraidd hwnnw. Felly, mae gan rannau eraill o'r DU gynlluniau sy'n gwneud hynny; beth ydych chi'n ei wneud yng Nghymru o ran annog yr entrepreneuriaeth honno yma yng Nghymru?
Roeddech chi yn eithaf cadarnhaol, Gweinidog, pan gyfeiriais o'r blaen at adroddiad y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd a sefydlu corff hyd braich: fe ddywedoch chi fod hynny'n rhywbeth i'w ystyried a'i gloriannu. Felly, roeddwn yn croesawu hynny'n fawr ar y pryd. Credaf fod angen corff hyd braich arnom ni i werthu Cymru i'r byd, cefnogi ein busnesau cynhenid, hyrwyddo Cymru, cyflwyno'r mewnfuddsoddiad hwnnw. Cytunaf ag adroddiad y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd o ran yr asiantaeth hyd braich honno, ac rwyf yn credu bod angen cefnogaeth drawsbleidiol arnom ni os ydym ni eisiau ailsefydlu asiantaeth o'r fath hefyd. Felly, byddwn yn croesawu eich barn ar hynny.
Gweinidog, byddwn yn gofyn i chi sut y byddech yn ymateb i ddadansoddiad y bore yma gan yr Athro Dylan Jones-Evans, sydd wedi dweud ei fod mewn dryswch ynglŷn â pham nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn ystyried cynhyrchiant yn fater allweddol i'r economi, o gofio mai Cymru yw'r wlad leiaf cynhyrchiol yn y DU heb strategaeth glir i gau'r bwlch. Rydych chi'n dweud, Gweinidog, eich bod wedi amlinellu cynlluniau i weithio gyda'r sectorau twristiaeth a lletygarwch i ddatblygu cynllun adfer i ddarparu cymorth tymor byr i ddatblygu cydnerthedd a phroffidioldeb dros y tymor hwy. A allwch chi roi eich barn am yr hyn y gallai'r cynllun adfer ei gynnwys ynglŷn â'r cymorth tymor byr gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ac o ran y tymor hir wrth ddarparu drwy'r cynllun hwnnw?
Ac yn olaf, mae eich cynllun, neu eich cenhadaeth, yn amlinellu cynlluniau i roi diben newydd i ganol trefi a chefnu ar y stryd fawr draddodiadol gan nad ydym ni, fel y dywedoch chi, yn dibynnu mwyach ar fanwerthu yn unig. Sut y byddwch yn cydbwyso'r gefnogaeth i greu diben newydd i ganol trefi a dinasoedd â chefnogi'r sector manwerthu, fel y gall barhau i fod â rhan allweddol yn economi Cymru?
Can I thank Russell George for his comments and his questions? As always, Russell has been incredibly constructive, not just today, in terms of the critique that he's offered and the questions that he poses, but also in the many weeks and months prior to the announcement of this mission today when he was able to offer, during a series of discussions, very constructive points to me and my officials. And we're very grateful to him and other Members across the entire Chamber for their contributions to the work that we have concluded today with the publication of the mission.
Dirprwy Lywydd, first of all, in terms of additional support, obviously the £270 million additional investment for the Development Bank of Wales brings the total fund for the Wales flexible investment fund to £500 million, which in turn will lever in a significant sum in private investment, taking the total fund to around about £1 billion of investment in businesses, which is a huge sum of money to be seeing invested in Welsh businesses in the years to come, and it will support and create tens of thousands of jobs. And, of course, I've already announced that there will be the further £30 million of support for hospitality and tourism, and during the course of my statement I also confirmed that we are awaiting word from the Chancellor regarding the business rates holiday in England, which would enable us, then, to progress such a scheme here in Wales with the consequentials that would follow.
I have to say that, in terms of the road map, the First Minister earlier confirmed that the control plan that was produced in December is still our guiding document, and that it was updated, obviously, last week. The First Minister has given a very clear signal for what's being considered as part of the regular three-week review period, and prior to this statement, the health Minister, I think, gave a very convincing argument as to why setting dates at this stage for all forms of activity is very dangerous indeed. We know that new variants are incredibly disruptive in terms of time frames for how we would wish to reopen the economy, and so promising dates that can't necessarily be delivered against, I think, could be very damaging for the economy and for businesses that would expect to be able to reopen, but which, at a very, very short notice, as the health Minister has already said today, perhaps would be left very disappointed indeed.
I think productivity and entrepreneurship actually run right through the mission. I think, within the document, there are various beacons, as we have called them, that would lead to productivity and entrepreneurship improving. In terms of productivity, obviously, the focus is on skills and on magnetising investment and a design to drive up productivity. And in terms of entrepreneurship, the COVID commitment contains direct support for individuals wishing to start their own business—in particular, the barriers fund, which provides grants for people who are furthest from the employment market to start up their business, and to do so with the support, obviously, and the guidance of Business Wales.
I don't think we can use productivity alone as the measure of success or failure of an economy. An economy must serve the purpose of enhancing the well-being of its citizens, and the measure of productivity does not do that in isolation, and that's why we are keen to ensure that the national indicators are used as the measure of success for the economy. But, obviously, today's labour market statistics demonstrate just how valuable a devolved administration can be in keeping a cap on joblessness, and today we saw the unemployment figures published, and in Wales, during the latest period, unemployment has fallen; in the UK it has risen. There is now a gap of around 0.7 per cent between Wales and the UK average. Now, there is a long, long journey ahead of us, but that gap does demonstrate just how valuable our support for businesses has been. We've been able to secure something in the region of, according to the very latest data that I've had through today, about 145,000 jobs in Wales, which would explain, therefore, the gap in unemployment. And we will go on ensuring that support is available for businesses in Wales as we move through this pandemic. We've already completed the fourth round of the economic resilience fund and we intend to use any commitment made to date wherever possible to maximise support for businesses that offer value for money.
Of course, in regard to some of the other points that Russell George made in terms of town centres and city centres and the relationship between our transforming towns initiative and retail, well, retail is really very much at the heart of the transforming towns initiative, because unless town are transformed into more vibrant environments, then retail will continue to struggle. People must want to access their town centres, and in so doing, they will then utilise services that are contained within them. So, retail does, without a doubt, have a bright future within town centres, but that bright future will only be delivered if town centres are attractive places for people to visit, to live in and to work in. That's why the transforming towns initiative is so vitally important in delivering vibrant environments within urban areas.
A gaf i ddiolch i Russell George am ei sylwadau a'i gwestiynau? Fel bob amser, mae Russell wedi bod yn anhygoel o adeiladol, nid heddiw'n unig, o ran y feirniadaeth y mae wedi'i chynnig a'r cwestiynau y mae'n eu gofyn, ond hefyd yn yr wythnosau a'r misoedd lawer cyn cyhoeddi'r genhadaeth hon heddiw ble gallodd gynnig, yn ystod cyfres o drafodaethau, sylwadau adeiladol iawn i mi a'm swyddogion. Ac rydym ni'n ddiolchgar iawn iddo ef ac Aelodau eraill ym mhob rhan o'r Siambr am eu cyfraniadau i'r gwaith yr ydym ni wedi'i gwblhau heddiw gyda chyhoeddi'r genhadaeth.
Dirprwy Lywydd, yn gyntaf oll, o ran cymorth ychwanegol, mae'n amlwg bod y buddsoddiad ychwanegol o £270 miliwn i Fanc Datblygu Cymru yn dod â chyfanswm y gronfa ar gyfer cronfa fuddsoddi hyblyg Cymru i £500 miliwn, a fydd yn ei dro yn denu swm sylweddol mewn buddsoddiad preifat, gan fynd â chyfanswm y gronfa i tua £1 biliwn o fuddsoddiad mewn busnesau, sy'n swm enfawr o arian i'w weld yn cael ei fuddsoddi mewn busnesau yng Nghymru yn y blynyddoedd i ddod, a bydd yn cefnogi ac yn creu degau o filoedd o swyddi. Ac, wrth gwrs, rwyf eisoes wedi cyhoeddi y bydd y £30 miliwn ychwanegol o gymorth ar gyfer lletygarwch a thwristiaeth, ac yn ystod fy natganiad, cadarnheais hefyd ein bod yn aros am air gan y Canghellor ynglŷn â'r gwyliau ardrethi busnes yn Lloegr, a fyddai'n ein galluogi ni, felly, i ddatblygu cynllun o'r fath yma yng Nghymru gyda'r symiau canlyniadol a fyddai'n dilyn.
Mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, o ran y map ffordd, fod y Prif Weinidog wedi cadarnhau'n gynharach mai'r cynllun rheoli a gynhyrchwyd ym mis Rhagfyr yw ein dogfen arweiniol o hyd, a'i fod wedi'i ddiweddaru, yn amlwg, yr wythnos diwethaf. Mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi rhoi arwydd clir iawn o'r hyn sy'n cael ei ystyried yn rhan o'r cyfnod adolygu rheolaidd o dair wythnos, a chyn y datganiad hwn, cyflwynodd y Gweinidog iechyd, rwy'n credu, ddadl argyhoeddiadol iawn ynghylch pam y mae pennu dyddiadau ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer pob math o weithgaredd yn beryglus iawn yn wir. Gwyddom fod amrywiolion newydd yn tarfu'n fawr ar y ffordd y byddem yn dymuno ailddechrau'r economi, ac felly gallai addo dyddiadau na ellir eu cyflawni o reidrwydd, rwy'n credu, fod yn niweidiol iawn i'r economi ac i fusnesau a fyddai'n disgwyl gallu ailagor, ond a fyddai, ar fyr rybudd, fel y dywedodd y Gweinidog iechyd eisoes heddiw, efallai yn siomedig iawn yn wir.
Rwy'n credu bod cynhyrchiant ac entrepreneuriaeth yn rhan greiddiol o'r genhadaeth. Credaf, yn y ddogfen, fod gwahanol lusernau, fel yr ydym ni wedi'u galw nhw, a fyddai'n arwain at welliant o ran cynhyrchiant ac entrepreneuriaeth. O ran cynhyrchiant, yn amlwg, mae'r pwyslais ar sgiliau ac ar ddenu buddsoddiad a dyluniad i gynyddu cynhyrchiant. Ac o ran entrepreneuriaeth, mae ymrwymiad COVID yn cynnwys cymorth uniongyrchol i unigolion sy'n dymuno dechrau eu busnes eu hunain—yn arbennig, y gronfa rwystrau, sy'n darparu grantiau i bobl sydd bellaf o'r farchnad gyflogaeth i ddechrau eu busnes, ac i wneud hynny gyda chymorth, yn amlwg, ac arweiniad Busnes Cymru.
Dydw i ddim yn credu y gallwn ni ddefnyddio cynhyrchiant yn unig yn fesur o lwyddiant neu fethiant economi. Rhaid i economi wasanaethu'r diben o wella llesiant ei dinasyddion, ac nid yw mesur cynhyrchiant yn gwneud hynny ar wahân, a dyna pam yr ydym yn awyddus i sicrhau y caiff y dangosyddion cenedlaethol eu defnyddio fel modd o fesur llwyddiant yr economi. Ond, yn amlwg, mae ystadegau'r farchnad lafur heddiw'n dangos pa mor werthfawr y gall gweinyddiaeth ddatganoledig fod o ran nodi uchafswm nifer ar gyfer ddiweithdra, a heddiw gwelsom gyhoeddi'r ffigurau diweithdra, ac yng Nghymru, yn ystod y cyfnod diweddaraf, mae diweithdra wedi gostwng; yn y DU mae wedi codi. Erbyn hyn mae bwlch o tua 0.7 y cant rhwng Cymru a chyfartaledd y DU. Nawr, mae taith hir, hir o'n blaenau, ond mae'r bwlch hwnnw'n dangos pa mor werthfawr fu ein cefnogaeth i fusnesau. Rydym ni wedi gallu sicrhau oddeutu 145,000 o swyddi yng Nghymru, yn ôl y data diweddaraf yr wyf wedi ei gael heddiw, a fyddai'n esbonio, felly, y bwlch mewn diweithdra. A byddwn yn parhau i sicrhau bod cymorth ar gael i fusnesau yng Nghymru wrth i ni fynd drwy'r pandemig hwn. Rydym ni eisoes wedi cwblhau pedwerydd cylch y gronfa cadernid economaidd ac rydym ni'n bwriadu defnyddio unrhyw ymrwymiad a wnaed hyd yma lle bynnag y bo modd er mwyn sicrhau'r cymorth mwyaf posibl i fusnesau sy'n cynnig gwerth am arian.
Wrth gwrs, o ran rhai o'r sylwadau eraill a wnaeth Russell George ynghylch canol trefi a chanol dinasoedd a'r berthynas rhwng ein menter trawsnewid trefi a manwerthu, wel, mae manwerthu wrth wraidd y fenter trawsnewid trefi, oherwydd oni chaiff trefi eu trawsnewid yn fannau mwy bywiog, yna bydd y sector manwerthu'n parhau i frwydro. Rhaid i bobl fod eisiau mynd i ganol eu trefi, ac wrth wneud hynny, byddant wedyn yn defnyddio gwasanaethau sydd wedi'u cynnwys ynddyn nhw. Felly, yn ddi-os, mae gan fanwerthu ddyfodol disglair yng nghanol trefi, ond dim ond os yw canol trefi yn lleoedd deniadol i bobl ymweld â nhw, i fyw ynddyn nhw ac i weithio ynddyn nhw y caiff y dyfodol disglair hwnnw ei gyflawni. Dyna pam y mae'r fenter trawsnewid trefi mor hanfodol bwysig o ran darparu mannau bywiog mewn ardaloedd trefol.
I'd like to give a broad welcome to the economic resilience and reconstruction mission that the Minister has published today, and be grateful to him for his statement and for the advanced copy as always. The direction of travel echoes very much what Plaid Cymru has been saying, and the Minister is right to say that I'm sure there's broad support for the general direction across much of this Chamber, and I do look forward to studying in more detail, particularly with regard to the targets, what the Minister is setting out.
I think I need to begin to say, though, Dirprwy Lywydd, that I think we need to be a bit more ambitious. Now, we obviously need to be realistic about what we can achieve, but I think it's clear that the aftermath of the COVID crisis does give us an opportunity to do things differently, and I think we should be aiming for a prosperous, not just a more prosperous Wales; a green, not just a greener economy, because greener than what, with some of the challenges that we face in terms of decarbonisation; and an equal or a fair economy, not just more equal. I was struck by what the First Minister said earlier about not talking about building back better, but building back in a fair way. So, I think that just some of that language perhaps needs to be a little bit more ambitious.
I want to begin by asking the Minister a little bit more about the process for developing these ideas. He sets out a goal for a well-being economy, which we would very strongly support, as he knows. But I wonder if the Minister can tell us how the well-being goals within the future generations and well-being Act have been built into the design of this reconstruction mission and something about the process by which that was done, because that does, of course, involve asking people to do things in really quite a different way. If he can tell us a little bit more specifically about the involvement of business in the process, because, obviously, as the Minister himself has said, businesses will be absolutely key in delivering the building of this new economy, and I'm very much hoping to hear from the Minister—they've been there on the ground. If he can also say something about the role of local government in helping to design this mission—if we've learnt anything through this crisis, it's how important that local knowledge is in terms of delivering national priorities.
I'd like to turn, Dirprwy Lywydd, if I may, to targets, and I'm very pleased to say that there are some, and I want to spend some more time looking specifically at those, but I do have some initial thoughts. I was pleased to see that there are equality targets there, and there is a specific target around levelling the playing field between women and men. But I know that the Minister is very well aware that black people and people of colour have been really disproportionately affected by the impact of COVID, which, of course, has compounded long-standing inequalities in that regard in our economy. I hope that as this process goes on, the Minister will be able to work with those communities to develop some targets to help address those inequalities, and I'd also want to say that there have been some positives, of course, perhaps from the working-from-home agenda for disabled workers, and I'd also like to see some specific targets in there about how we can make sure that the gains are not lost, but that it also doesn't lead to disabled workers ending up being more isolated.
With regard to the poverty target, I wonder if the Minister can tell us why we're measuring ourselves against a UK median here. That seems singularly unambitious. We know the gap between the rich and poor across the UK is bad. I'm sure the Minister will probably agree with me that there's a real danger in the next couple of years that it gets worse, rather than better, given the approach in some ways of the UK Government. So, I wonder if the Minister can look at that again.
Now, with regard to productivity, I absolutely heard what the Minister said to Russell George, that we can't use productivity as a measure in isolation, but I hope the Minister would agree with me that the fact that people work very hard in Wales and that productivity stays low is not good for people's well-being. And I wonder if he will consider—I take what he says about a cross-cutting theme on productivity, but that would be true of some of the other areas where he has chosen to set targets—and whether he will consider looking at some specific productivity targets, perhaps in specific sectors.
Now, this will obviously be predominantly for the next Welsh Government to deliver, and we would want to see that Government being more ambitious, and I want to ask the Minister some questions about resourcing. If we're to make some of the major investments that we need to make to create the jobs that the Minister knows are going to be lost, we will need to borrow to invest. And I know the Welsh Government will ask the UK Government for permission to do that, but we need a plan B if that doesn't happen. So, can the Minister assure us today that he will use, if he is in Government after the election, all the Welsh Government's powers in full to borrow to invest? And will he have further discussions with local authorities to see what can be done to utilise their borrowing powers and for the Welsh Government to resource that borrowing? That is certainly something that a Plaid Cymru Government would do.
I wonder if the Minister can tell us, in driving this mission forward, whether there are things that he would be envisaging stopping doing. Because with some of the new plans, if we don't have masses of extra resources and there are elements of activity that are not delivering to these goals, will he examine what he needs to stop doing? And with regard to monitoring and evaluation, can the Minister say very specifically how the targets will be monitored? And one quite small, specific, but important point is how he would be envisaging compliance with the economic contract being monitored. We in Plaid Cymru strongly support the economic contract, but it becomes a piece of paper unless businesses are aware that there will be some form of monitoring of their compliance.
Finally, Deputy Presiding Officer, I just want to say that I regard this mission as a valuable step in the right direction, but we on these benches believe it is time for much more ambition. Perhaps we need a leap, rather than a step.
Hoffwn roi croeso gwresog i'r genhadaeth o ran cadernid ac ailadeiladu economaidd y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i chyhoeddi heddiw, a bod yn ddiolchgar iddo am ei ddatganiad ac am y copi ymlaen llaw fel bob amser. Mae'r cyfeiriad yn adleisio'n fawr yr hyn y mae Plaid Cymru wedi bod yn ei ddweud, ac mae'r Gweinidog yn iawn wrth ddweud fy mod yn siŵr bod cefnogaeth sylweddol i'r cynnwys ar y cyfan yn sawl rhan o'r Siambr hon, ac edrychaf ymlaen at astudio'n fanylach, yn enwedig o ran y targedau, yr hyn y mae'r Gweinidog yn ei amlinellu.
Credaf fod angen imi ddechrau dweud, serch hynny, Dirprwy Lywydd, fy mod yn credu bod angen inni fod ychydig yn fwy uchelgeisiol. Nawr, mae'n amlwg bod angen i ni fod yn realistig ynglŷn â'r hyn y gallwn ni ei gyflawni, ond rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n glir bod canlyniadau