Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
09/03/2021Cynnwys
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 13:29 gyda'r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Senedd met by video-conference at 13:29 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Croeso, bawb, i'r Cyfarfod Llawn. Cyn i ni ddechrau, dwi angen 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 y cyfarfod yma, ac mae'r rheini wedi'u nodi ar eich agenda chi. A dwi eisiau atgoffa'r Aelodau hefyd fod y Rheolau Sefydlog sy'n ymwneud â threfn yn y Cyfarfod Llawn yn berthnasol i'r cyfarfod yma.
Welcome to this Plenary session. Before we begin, I need to set out a few points. A 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.
Cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog sydd gyntaf ar yr agenda heddiw, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Janet Finch-Saunders.
The first item is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Janet Finch-Saunders.
1. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am gyflawni cynllun adfer COVID-19 ar gyfer busnesau? OQ56423
1. Will the First Minister make a statement on delivering a COVID-19 recovery plan for businesses? OQ56423
Llywydd, to assist business recovery from COVID-19, the Welsh Government has provided the most generous package of support anywhere in the United Kingdom. On Wednesday last, the finance Minister announced that our 100 per cent business rate relief scheme, which supports over 70,000 businesses, will continue for the whole of the next financial year.
Llywydd, i gynorthwyo busnesau i adfer yn sgil COVID-19, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi darparu'r pecyn cymorth mwyaf hael o'i gymharu ag unrhyw le yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Ddydd Mercher diwethaf, cyhoeddodd y Gweinidog cyllid y bydd ein cynllun rhyddhad ardrethi busnes 100 y cant, sy'n cynorthwyo dros 70,000 o fusnesau, yn parhau drwy'r holl flwyddyn ariannol nesaf.
Thank you. Our strong Prime Minister has provided much certainty and support for our businesses. Only last week, our UK Government extended the coronavirus job retention scheme size and the VAT reduced rate of 5 per cent to the tourism and hospitality sectors. I am sure you will be enthusiastic to join with me and acknowledge that our UK Government's action has saved jobs and businesses in Wales, protecting nearly 400,000 livelihoods, supporting more than 100,000 self-employed people and backing over 50,000 businesses with loans. In fact, our Prime Minister has gone a step further than you, because whilst he's provided a road map out of lockdown for England, you continue to fail to deliver for Wales. Despite the concerns I raised with you in committee on 11 February about the need for clarity as to when hospitality might be opening, we have been left to focus on your tier system, which has completely collapsed, because it is noted that to be in level 3, there should be a confirmed case rate of more than 150 cases per 100,000. Last week, Wales recorded a rolling seven-day average of 57, and is already down now to 44. Do you agree with me that it is really, really awful what you are doing to businesses in Wales by refusing to provide a clear road map out of lockdown and not adhering to your own tier system? Thank you.
Diolch. Mae ein Prif Weinidog yn y DU cryf wedi rhoi llawer o sicrwydd a chymorth i'n busnesau. Dim ond yr wythnos diwethaf, estynnodd ein Llywodraeth ni yn y DU faint y cynllun cadw swyddi drwy gyfnod y coronafeirws a'r gyfradd TAW ostyngedig o 5 y cant i'r sectorau twristiaeth a lletygarwch. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n frwdfrydig i ymuno â mi a chydnabod bod camau Llywodraeth y DU wedi achub swyddi a busnesau yng Nghymru, gan ddiogelu bron i 400,000 o fywoliaethau, cynorthwyo mwy na 100,000 o bobl hunangyflogedig a chefnogi dros 50,000 o fusnesau drwy fenthyciadau. A dweud y gwir, mae ein Prif Weinidog y DU wedi mynd gam ymhellach na chi, oherwydd er ei fod wedi darparu map ffordd allan o'r cyfyngiadau symud i Loegr, rydych chi'n dal i fethu â chyflawni dros Gymru. Er gwaethaf y pryderon a godais gyda chi yn y pwyllgor ar 11 Chwefror ynglŷn â'r angen am eglurder ynghylch pryd y gallai lletygarwch fod yn agor, fe'n gadawyd i ganolbwyntio ar eich system haenau, sydd wedi chwalu'n llwyr, oherwydd ei bod yn nodi y dylai fod cyfradd achosion a gadarnhawyd o fwy na 150 o achosion fesul 100,000 i fod yn lefel 3. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cofnododd Cymru gyfartaledd saith diwrnod treigl o 57, ac mae eisoes wedi gostwng i 44 erbyn hyn. A ydych chi'n cytuno â mi ei bod hi'n wirioneddol ofnadwy yr hyn yr ydych chi'n ei wneud i fusnesau yng Nghymru drwy wrthod darparu map ffordd eglur allan o'r cyfyngiadau symud a pheidio â glynu wrth eich system haenau eich hun? Diolch.
Llywydd, I welcome all the support that the UK Government has provided to businesses in Wales, and have done so since the earliest days of the pandemic. Of course, here in Wales we have provided hundreds of millions of pounds over and above the help that has come to Wales as a result of those UK efforts.
I welcome the Member's recognition of the success of the measures that this Welsh Government has taken to bring coronavirus under control, measures which she will remember she and her party vehemently opposed at the time that they were taken. Had we followed her advice then, we certainly wouldn't be in the relatively benign position that we are in Wales today. We will build from that position, mindful all the time of the continuing precariousness of the recovery from coronavirus, and with the circulation here in Wales of the Kent variant of coronavirus particularly to be borne in mind as we reopen our economy.
On Friday of this week, Llywydd, I will set out further details of how freedoms can be restored in the world of business, in our personal lives, providing priority as ever for our children and young people, and that will give people the clarity they need, with the realism that is required as well.
Llywydd, rwy'n croesawu'r holl gefnogaeth y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi ei rhoi i fusnesau yng Nghymru, ac rwyf i wedi gwneud hynny ers dyddiau cynharaf y pandemig. Wrth gwrs, yma yng Nghymru rydym ni wedi darparu cannoedd o filiynau o bunnoedd yn ychwanegol at y cymorth sydd wedi dod i Gymru o ganlyniad i'r ymdrechion hynny ar lefel y DU.
Rwy'n croesawu cydnabyddiaeth yr Aelod o lwyddiant y mesurau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi eu cymryd i reoli coronafeirws, mesurau y bydd yn cofio iddi hi a'i phlaid eu gwrthwynebu yn chwyrn ar yr adeg y cawsant eu cymryd. Pe byddem ni wedi dilyn ei chyngor hi bryd hynny, yn sicr ni fyddem ni yn y sefyllfa gymharol radlon yr ydym ni ynddi yng Nghymru heddiw. Byddwn yn adeiladu o'r sefyllfa honno, gan gofio drwy'r amser ansefydlogrwydd parhaus yr adferiad yn sgil coronafeirws, a chyda chylchrediad amrywiolyn Caint o'r coronafeirws yma yng Nghymru i'w gadw mewn cof yn arbennig wrth i ni ailagor ein heconomi.
Ddydd Gwener yr wythnos hon, Llywydd, byddaf yn cyflwyno rhagor o fanylion am sut y gellir ailgyflwyno rhyddid ym myd busnes, yn ein bywydau personol, gan roi blaenoriaeth fel erioed i'n plant a'n pobl ifanc, a bydd hynny yn rhoi'r eglurder sydd ei angen ar bobl, gyda'r realaeth sydd ei hangen hefyd.
First Minister, whatever your plans for helping Welsh businesses, will you ensure that they are fair and equitable? I've previously raised the plight of high-street arcades, which your Government refuses to help. These businesses have suffered the same losses as other leisure businesses, and yet you are denying them any recourse to business support. Welsh Government will gladly collect their business rates, yet do not want to help these businesses stay afloat. Like other businesses in the leisure sector, their costs have continued to spiral, but, as they remain closed, they have no income. Without support, these businesses could close permanently, with the loss of many jobs, and these jobs are for their employees who will eventually bear the brunt of all of this. Their plight is now desperate, so will you please reconsider your position? Diolch.
Prif Weinidog, beth bynnag fo'ch cynlluniau ar gyfer helpu busnesau Cymru, a wnewch chi sicrhau eu bod nhw'n deg ac yn gyfiawn? Rwyf i wedi codi trafferthion arcedau'r stryd fawr o'r blaen, y mae eich Llywodraeth yn gwrthod eu helpu. Mae'r busnesau hyn wedi dioddef yr un colledion â busnesau hamdden eraill, ac eto rydych chi'n gwrthod unrhyw hawl iddyn nhw gael cymorth busnes. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn hapus i gasglu eu hardrethi busnes, ond eto nid yw eisiau helpu'r busnesau hyn i barhau i weithredu. Fel busnesau eraill yn y sector hamdden, mae eu costau wedi parhau i gynyddu, ond, gan eu bod nhw'n dal i fod ar gau, nid oes ganddyn nhw unrhyw incwm. Heb gymorth, gallai'r busnesau hyn gau yn barhaol, gan arwain at golli llawer o swyddi, ac mae'r swyddi hyn ar gyfer eu cyflogeion a fydd yn ysgwyddo baich hyn i gyd yn y pen draw. Mae eu sefyllfa yn enbyd erbyn hyn, felly a wnewch chi ailystyried eich safbwynt, os gwelwch chi'n dda? Diolch.
Well, Llywydd, it has been the aim of the Welsh Government throughout the pandemic to use the funding that we have to fill the gaps in the help that comes from the UK Government. It simply isn't possible with the funding we have to fill every single gap that exists. Nevertheless, £1.9 billion has left the coffers of the Welsh Government and is already in the hands of businesses here in Wales—tens of thousands of businesses, in every part of our country, benefiting from the schemes that the Welsh Government has put in place and the speed at which that help has left us and arrived with businesses themselves. The Welsh Government has set aside £200 million in our budget for the next financial year to be able to continue the support that we provide to Welsh businesses. And as we do that, we always review the schemes that we have, to see whether it is possible to do more to help more businesses in the future. But ,as I say, our funding has been used always to fill the gaps in the schemes that the UK Government has responsibility for, and it simply isn't possible to extend that to every eventuality.
Wel, Llywydd, nod Llywodraeth Cymru drwy gydol y pandemig fu defnyddio'r cyllid sydd gennym ni i lenwi'r bylchau yn y cymorth a ddaw oddi wrth Lywodraeth y DU. Nid yw'n bosibl gyda'r cyllid sydd gennym ni i lenwi pob un bwlch sy'n bodoli. Serch hynny, mae £1.9 biliwn wedi gadael coffrau Llywodraeth Cymru ac mae eisoes yn nwylo busnesau yma yng Nghymru—degau o filoedd o fusnesau, ym mhob rhan o'n gwlad, yn elwa ar y cynlluniau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi eu rhoi ar waith a pha mor gyflym y mae'r cymorth hwnnw wedi ein gadael ni ac wedi cyrraedd y busnesau eu hunain. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi neilltuo £200 miliwn yn ein cyllideb ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf i allu parhau'r cymorth yr ydym ni'n ei ddarparu i fusnesau Cymru. Ac wrth i ni wneud hynny, rydym ni bob amser yn adolygu'r cynlluniau sydd gennym ni, i weld a yw hi'n bosibl gwneud mwy i helpu mwy o fusnesau yn y dyfodol. Ond, fel y dywedais, defnyddiwyd ein cyllid erioed i lenwi'r bylchau yn y cynlluniau y mae Llywodraeth y DU yn gyfrifol amdanyn nhw, ac nid yw'n bosibl ymestyn hynny i bob posibilrwydd.
The 'for Wales, see England' approach that the Conservatives seem to be adopting will actually lead to a reduction in business support, as we've seen over the last year or so. First Minister, in taking forward Wales out of the lockdown—we're able to do this because of the success, of course, of the approach taken by the Welsh Government—I'm particularly concerned about the support that you will be able to provide to small businesses. There are many businesses in my constituency in Blaenau Gwent who are very grateful for the support that's been provided by the Welsh Government over the last year or so. They're now looking towards beginning to trade again and looking at how they can rebuild their businesses. Is it possible to outline how those smaller businesses will be supported as we move forward over the coming months?
Bydd y dull 'ar gyfer Cymru, gweler Lloegr' y mae'n ymddangos bod y Ceidwadwyr yn ei fabwysiadu yn arwain mewn gwirionedd at lai o gymorth busnes, fel yr ydym ni wedi ei weld dros y flwyddyn neu ddwy ddiwethaf. Prif Weinidog, wrth symud Cymru allan o'r cyfyngiadau symud—rydym ni'n gallu gwneud hyn oherwydd llwyddiant, wrth gwrs, yr agwedd a fabwysiadwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru—rwy'n pryderu'n benodol am y cymorth y byddwch chi'n gallu ei roi i fusnesau bach. Mae llawer o fusnesau yn fy etholaeth i ym Mlaenau Gwent sy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y cymorth a roddwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru dros y flwyddyn neu ddwy ddiwethaf. Maen nhw'n edrych tuag at ddechrau masnachu unwaith eto erbyn hyn ac yn edrych ar sut y gallan nhw ailadeiladu eu busnesau. A yw hi'n bosibl amlinellu sut y bydd y busnesau llai hynny yn cael eu cynorthwyo wrth i ni symud ymlaen dros y misoedd nesaf?
Llywydd, I thank Alun Davies for that. He's absolutely right, of course, as the Welsh Governance Centre report demonstrated only a few weeks ago, that, had we simply followed the schemes that are in place across our border, Welsh businesses would be millions and millions of pounds worse off than they are by being located in Wales, because of the help that we have been able to mobilise for them. And I know the Welsh Conservative Party doesn't like to acknowledge that; it does indeed, as Alun Davies said, have only one prescription for Wales, and that is that we should copy exactly what is done by people across the border—£300 million less would have been available to businesses in Wales. Almost all the help that the Welsh Government provides, of course, goes to small and medium-sized enterprises. We took a very conscious decision not to extend rate relief to businesses with a rateable value of over £500,000, and that released tens and tens of millions of pounds that we have put into the hands of small businesses here in Wales. I know that Alun Davies welcomed the extra £30 million that we announced for the sector-specific fund in leisure, tourism and hospitality only a couple of weeks ago. And the £200 million that we have in reserve, which we will use next year, will be targeted at those businesses that exist in every high street here in Wales. And they would, absolutely, as my colleague Alun Davies says, much rather be trading and they'd much rather be earning a living than waiting for the next cheque from the Welsh Government. But while the current pandemic persists, we will make sure that, where they cannot trade, the Welsh Government will step in to assist them.
Llywydd, diolchaf i Alun Davies am hynna. Mae yn llygad ei le, wrth gwrs, fel y dangosodd adroddiad Canolfan Llywodraethiant Cymru dim ond ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, pe byddem ni wedi dilyn y cynlluniau sydd ar waith dros ein ffin, y byddai busnesau Cymru filiynau a miliynau o bunnoedd yn waeth eu byd nag y maen nhw drwy fod wedi eu lleoli yng Nghymru, oherwydd y cymorth yr ydym ni wedi gallu ei roi iddyn nhw. Ac rwy'n gwybod nad yw Plaid Geidwadol Cymru yn hoffi cydnabod hynny; yn wir, fel y dywedodd Alun Davies, dim ond un presgripsiwn sydd ganddi ar gyfer Cymru, a hynny yw y dylem ni efelychu yn union yr hyn sy'n cael ei wneud gan bobl dros y ffin—byddai £300 miliwn yn llai wedi bod ar gael i fusnesau yng Nghymru. Mae bron yr holl gymorth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei ddarparu, wrth gwrs, yn mynd i fusnesau bach a chanolig eu maint. Fe wnaethom benderfyniad ymwybodol iawn i beidio ag ymestyn rhyddhad ardrethi i fusnesau â gwerth ardrethol o dros £500,000, a rhyddhaodd hynny ddegau a degau o filiynau o bunnoedd yr ydym ni wedi eu rhoi yn nwylo busnesau bach yma yng Nghymru. Gwn fod Alun Davies wedi croesawu'r £30 miliwn ychwanegol a gyhoeddwyd gennym ni ar gyfer y gronfa sector-benodol ym maes hamdden, twristiaeth a lletygarwch dim ond wythnos neu ddwy yn ôl. A bydd y £200 miliwn sydd gennym ni wrth gefn, y byddwn ni'n ei ddefnyddio y flwyddyn nesaf, yn cael ei dargedu at y busnesau hynny sy'n bodoli ym mhob stryd fawr yma yng Nghymru. A byddai'n llawer yn well ganddyn nhw, yn sicr, fel y mae fy nghyd-Aelod Alun Davies yn ei ddweud, fod yn masnachu a byddai llawer yn well ganddyn nhw fod yn ennill bywoliaeth nag yn aros am y siec nesaf gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Ond tra bod y pandemig presennol yn parhau, byddwn yn gwneud yn siŵr, pan na allan nhw fasnachu, y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn camu i mewn i'w cynorthwyo.
2. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i wella mynediad i addysg bellach ac uwch i weithwyr yng Nghymru a allai fod yn bwriadu ailhyfforddi? OQ56422
2. What is the Welsh Government doing to improve access to further and higher education for workers in Wales who might be looking to retrain? OQ56422
I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. The Welsh Government has invested £40 million in jobs and skills this year, supporting individuals seeking new or alternative employment or training. Our personal learning account programme helps employed people improve their skills or reskill in priority sectors, delivering learning flexibly around each individual’s existing work and other commitments, and doing so through colleges right across Wales.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi buddsoddi £40 miliwn mewn swyddi a sgiliau eleni, gan gynorthwyo unigolion sy'n chwilio am gyflogaeth neu hyfforddiant newydd neu amgen. Mae ein rhaglen cyfrif dysgu personol yn helpu pobl gyflogedig i wella eu sgiliau neu ailsgilio mewn sectorau â blaenoriaeth, gan ddarparu dysgu mewn modd hyblyg gan ystyried gwaith ac ymrwymiadau eraill presennol pob unigolyn, ac yn gwneud hynny drwy golegau ledled Cymru.
Thank you for that answer, First Minister. I was very pleased to see in your Government's budget the commitment to expand the personal learning account programme. Now, this programme, as you say, provides vital support to employed workers, but also those furloughed workers and individuals at risk of redundancy. We know one of the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic has been the loss of jobs and the greater hesitancy of businesses to invest, which would have created new jobs and offered greater opportunities for those seeking employment. The Welsh Government scheme to support people getting higher level skills and qualifications in priority sectors now prepares our workforce for a range of opportunities as we see the economy recover. Could you, therefore, provide an update on this fund and how it will be delivered to those individuals?
Diolch am yr ateb yna, Prif Weinidog. Roeddwn i'n falch iawn o weld yng nghyllideb eich Llywodraeth yr ymrwymiad i ehangu'r rhaglen cyfrif dysgu personol. Nawr, mae'r rhaglen hon, fel y dywedwch, yn rhoi cymorth hanfodol i weithwyr cyflogedig, ond hefyd i'r gweithwyr hynny sydd ar ffyrlo ac unigolion sydd mewn perygl o gael eu diswyddo. Rydym ni'n gwybod mai un o effeithiau pandemig y coronafeirws fu colli swyddi a mwy o betruso ymhlith busnesau o ran buddsoddi, a fyddai wedi creu swyddi newydd ac wedi cynnig mwy o gyfleoedd i'r rhai sy'n chwilio am waith. Mae cynllun Llywodraeth Cymru i gynorthwyo pobl i ennill sgiliau a chymwysterau lefel uwch mewn sectorau blaenoriaeth erbyn hyn yn paratoi ein gweithlu ar gyfer amrywiaeth o gyfleoedd wrth i ni weld yr economi yn adfer. A allech chi, felly, roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y gronfa hon a sut y bydd yn cael ei darparu i'r unigolion hynny?
Llywydd, I thank David Rees for that important question. I know that my colleague Rebecca Evans, as finance Minister, was very keen to find additional funding for the personal learning account programme—£5.4 million additional funding there—because of the outstanding success it has already been. And, as David Rees said, Llywydd, for workers it provides courses and qualifications that are fully funded by the Welsh Government, organised to be manageable around those individuals' existing commitments. They're available regardless of previous qualifications, and 3,000 people have already started personal learning account courses and we have 6,000 and more applications for the scheme.
And for employers, Llywydd, it offers a flexible and responsive scheme designed to overcome current and future skill shortages, sector specific, aimed at new and high growth areas in the green economy, engineering, construction, the digital economy and in advanced manufacturing. And in that way, as David Rees says, we will develop a pool of skilled and committed workers ready to take advantage of those new opportunities and attracting those new opportunities into parts of Wales, creating the jobs of the future.
Llywydd, diolchaf i David Rees am y cwestiwn pwysig yna. Gwn fod fy nghyd-Weinidog Rebecca Evans, fel Gweinidog cyllid, yn awyddus iawn i ddod o hyd i gyllid ychwanegol ar gyfer y rhaglen cyfrif dysgu personol—£5.4 miliwn o gyllid ychwanegol yn y fan honno—oherwydd y llwyddiant ysgubol a fu eisoes. Ac, fel y dywedodd David Rees, Llywydd, i weithwyr mae'n cynnig cyrsiau a chymwysterau sy'n cael eu hariannu yn llawn gan Lywodraeth Cymru, wedi'u trefnu i fod yn hylaw o amgylch ymrwymiadau presennol yr unigolion hynny. Maen nhw ar gael waeth beth fo cymwysterau blaenorol pobl, ac mae 3,000 o bobl eisoes wedi dechrau cyrsiau cyfrif dysgu personol ac mae gennym ni 6,000 a mwy o geisiadau ar gyfer y cynllun.
Ac i gyflogwyr, Llywydd, mae'n cynnig cynllun hyblyg ac ymatebol sydd â'r nod o oresgyn prinder sgiliau ar hyn o bryd ac yn y dyfodol, sy'n benodol i'r sector, wedi'i dargedu at ardaloedd twf newydd ac uchel yn yr economi werdd, peirianneg, adeiladu, yr economi ddigidol ac mewn gweithgynhyrchu uwch. Ac yn y modd hwnnw, fel y mae David Rees yn ei ddweud, byddwn yn datblygu cronfa o weithwyr medrus ac ymroddedig sy'n barod i fanteisio ar y cyfleoedd newydd hynny a denu'r cyfleoedd newydd hynny i rannau o Gymru, gan greu swyddi'r dyfodol.
Even before the pandemic, First Minister, I'm sure you would agree that the shape of the global economy was changing, which is why, in recognition of this, the Welsh Conservatives, in addition to ReAct, will introduce a second chance fund to help anyone of any age to pursue level 3 qualifications in college to help them move from the low pay, low skills trap up the career ladder no matter where they started. And that's the thinking behind our plans for scaling up of degree apprenticeships as well. Do you not agree, though, that routes to excellence have narrowed under this Welsh Government and, instead of funnelling everyone through Master's degrees, we should be looking at aptitudes and attitudes to ensure more people in Wales get the skills they need to succeed personally and to believe that they play a valuable role in helping our country to prosper?
Hyd yn oed cyn y pandemig, Prif Weinidog, rwy'n siŵr y byddech chi'n cytuno bod ffurf yr economi fyd-eang yn newid, a dyna pam, gan gydnabod hyn, y bydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, yn ogystal â ReAct, yn cyflwyno cronfa ail gyfle i helpu unrhyw un o unrhyw oedran i astudio ar gyfer cymwysterau lefel 3 yn y coleg i'w helpu i symud o'r fagl cyflog isel, sgiliau isel i fyny'r ysgol yrfaol waeth ble y dechreuon nhw. A dyna'r meddylfryd sy'n sail i'n cynlluniau ar gyfer cynyddu prentisiaethau gradd hefyd. Onid ydych chi'n cytuno, serch hynny, bod llwybrau i ragoriaeth wedi culhau o dan y Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru ac, yn hytrach na sianelu pawb drwy raddau Meistr, y dylem ni fod yn edrych ar ddoniau ac agweddau i sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yng Nghymru yn cael y sgiliau sydd eu hangen arnyn nhw i lwyddo yn bersonol ac i gredu eu bod nhw'n chwarae rhan werthfawr i helpu ein gwlad i ffynnu?
Well, I agree with what the Member says about the changing nature of the global economy and the need for Government to go on investing in the skills that our workforce will need to face that future. I don't, of course, agree at all with what the Member said about narrowing opportunities. Opportunities over the last five years have extended enormously because of the changes that we have made in higher education. Following the Diamond review, we have record numbers of students in higher education in Wales, particularly opening up opportunities for people wanting to undertake part-time study on a level that is not replicated anywhere else in the United Kingdom.
I'm glad to have the support of the Welsh Conservatives for the Welsh Government's degree apprenticeship programme: £20 million invested in this innovative programme during recent years, 200 employers involved in it and 600 students. It's just another example of innovative ways in which this Welsh Government has expanded opportunities, alongside the personal learning accounts that David Rees referred to—a whole range of ways in which people in Wales now have access to opportunities for reskilling and upskilling that will make sure that, when those opportunities become available, we have a workforce here in Wales ready to take advantage of them.
Wel, rwy'n cytuno â'r hyn y mae'r Aelod yn ei ddweud am natur newidiol yr economi fyd-eang a'r angen i'r Llywodraeth barhau i fuddsoddi yn y sgiliau y bydd eu hangen ar ein gweithlu i wynebu'r dyfodol hwnnw. Nid wyf i, wrth gwrs, yn cytuno o gwbl â'r hyn a ddywedodd yr Aelod am gyfleoedd yn culhau. Mae cyfleoedd dros y pum mlynedd diwethaf wedi ehangu yn aruthrol oherwydd y newidiadau yr ydym ni wedi eu gwneud ym maes addysg uwch. Yn dilyn adolygiad Diamond, mae gennym ni'r niferoedd uchaf erioed o fyfyrwyr mewn addysg uwch yng Nghymru, gan greu cyfleoedd yn enwedig i bobl sydd eisiau astudio yn rhan-amser ar lefel nad yw'n cael ei weld yn unman arall yn y Deyrnas Unedig.
Rwy'n falch o gael cefnogaeth y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig i raglen prentisiaeth gradd Llywodraeth Cymru: buddsoddwyd £20 miliwn yn y rhaglen arloesol hon yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf, mae 200 o gyflogwyr yn rhan ohoni a 600 o fyfyrwyr. Mae'n enghraifft arall o'r ffyrdd arloesol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ehangu cyfleoedd drwyddynt, ochr yn ochr â'r cyfrifon dysgu personol y cyfeiriodd David Rees atyn nhw—ystod eang o ffyrdd y mae pobl yng Nghymru yn gallu manteisio erbyn hyn ar gyfleoedd i ailsgilio ac uwchsgilio a fydd yn gwneud yn siŵr, pan fydd y cyfleoedd hynny ar gael, bod gennym ni weithlu yma yng Nghymru sy'n barod i fanteisio arnyn nhw.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Questions now from the party leaders. The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, what is your view of the situation involving Liberty Steel and its associated companies, and its likely impact on jobs here in Wales?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, beth yw eich barn chi am y sefyllfa yn ymwneud â Liberty Steel a'i gwmnïau cysylltiedig, a'i effaith debygol ar swyddi yma yng Nghymru?
I'm not going to speculate on the future of Liberty Steel—a very important company here in Wales, and one that the Welsh Government has supported in the past. I have a letter in front of me from Mr Gupta, the executive chair of GFG Alliance, which is the parent company of Liberty Steel, written to my colleague Ken Skates on 4 March, so at the end of last week, in which Mr Gupta sets out the trading position of Liberty Steel and reinforces the commitment that GFG has to Wales. We as a Government will continue to work with the company and with the steel sector more generally to secure the future that we are confident, in the right conditions and in the right way, the steel industry has here in Wales.
Nid wyf i'n mynd i ddyfalu am ddyfodol Liberty Steel—cwmni pwysig iawn yma yng Nghymru, ac un y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei gefnogi yn y gorffennol. Mae gen i lythyr o fy mlaen gan Mr Gupta, cadeirydd gweithredol GFG Alliance, sef rhiant gwmni Liberty Steel, a ysgrifennwyd at fy nghyd-Weinidog Ken Skates ar 4 Mawrth, felly diwedd yr wythnos diwethaf, lle mae Mr Gupta yn nodi sefyllfa fasnachu Liberty Steel ac yn atgyfnerthu'r ymrwymiad sydd gan GFG i Gymru. Byddwn ni fel Llywodraeth yn parhau i weithio gyda'r cwmni a chyda'r sector dur yn fwy cyffredinol i sicrhau'r dyfodol yr ydym ni'n ffyddiog, o dan yr amodau cywir ac yn y ffordd gywir, sydd gan y diwydiant dur yma yng Nghymru.
I agree with you, First Minister; Liberty Steel is an important player here in Wales, and that's the reason for the question. It's important to understand what financial support has been made available to Liberty Steel in the past and whether any additional support, given that you've alluded to a letter being delivered from the company to the economy Minister, has been requested by the company to secure its operations in Wales. Can you inform us whether there's an offer on the table at the moment from the Welsh Government to support Liberty Steel's operations or associated companies here in Wales?
Rwy'n cytuno â chi, Prif Weinidog; mae Liberty Steel yn gwmni pwysig yma yng Nghymru, a dyna'r rheswm am y cwestiwn. Mae'n bwysig deall pa gymorth ariannol a roddwyd ar gael i Liberty Steel yn y gorffennol ac a yw'r cwmni wedi gofyn am unrhyw gymorth ychwanegol, o ystyried eich bod chi wedi cyfeirio at lythyr yn cael ei anfon gan y cwmni at Weinidog yr economi, i sicrhau ei weithrediadau yng Nghymru. A allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni pa un a oes cynnig ar y bwrdd ar hyn o bryd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi gweithrediadau Liberty Steel neu gwmnïau cysylltiedig yma yng Nghymru?
The letter from Liberty Steel did not request additional funding from the Welsh Government; that wasn't the purpose of the correspondence. The purpose of the correspondence was to set out the difficulties that Greensill, the financial provider to GFG Alliance, has experienced, but to put on the table as well the strong current trading position of Liberty Steel Group. Steel prices in Europe are currently trading at a 13-year high and the aluminium market is more buoyant than it has been for some time past. In his letter, Mr Gupta makes it plain that factories that the alliance owns in these fields are operating at full capacity to meet high demand and generating positive cash flows. What the letter demonstrates, I think, is the close relationship that has existed between the company and the Welsh Government, and the confidence that the company wishes to continue to create in its future. We will work alongside the company in order to secure the jobs that it provides here in Wales and in order to secure the future of the sector more generally.
Nid oedd y llythyr gan Liberty Steel yn gofyn am arian ychwanegol gan Lywodraeth Cymru; nid dyna oedd diben yr ohebiaeth. Diben yr ohebiaeth oedd nodi'r anawsterau y mae Greensill, y darparwr ariannol i GFG Alliance, wedi eu cael, ond i roi ar y bwrdd hefyd sefyllfa fasnachu bresennol gref Liberty Steel Group. Ar hyn o bryd, mae prisiau dur yn Ewrop yn masnachu ar y lefel uchaf ers 13 mlynedd ac mae'r farchnad alwminiwm yn fwy bywiog nag y bu ers cryn amser yn y gorffennol. Yn ei lythyr, mae Mr Gupta yn ei gwneud yn eglur bod ffatrïoedd y mae'r gynghrair yn berchen arnyn nhw yn y meysydd hyn yn gweithredu yn llawn i fodloni'r galw mawr ac i gynhyrchu llifau arian parod cadarnhaol. Yr hyn y mae'r llythyr yn ei ddangos, yn fy marn i, yw'r berthynas agos sydd wedi bodoli rhwng y cwmni a Llywodraeth Cymru, a'r hyder y mae'r cwmni yn dymuno parhau i'w greu yn ei ddyfodol. Byddwn yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â'r cwmni er mwyn sicrhau'r swyddi y mae'n eu darparu yma yng Nghymru ac er mwyn sicrhau dyfodol y sector yn fwy cyffredinol.
Talking of support, First Minister, Friday is a notable day, with the latest review of lockdown restrictions here in Wales. Your Minister for mental health and well-being has said that, with lockdown and people in Wales, if you give an inch, they'll take a mile. Can I first check whether this is your assessment? Do you agree with her? Or do you take my assessment that it's the hard work of the people of Wales over this lockdown period that will allow you, now, to lift some of these restrictions? Can you confirm what type of announcements we might be looking at on Friday, in particular around non-essential retail? Will you be opening up gyms like the Minister for well-being has previously suggested? And will you, as you alluded to in the press over the last few days, be lifting the stay-at-home rule and introducing a five-mile rule, like we saw last summer?
Wrth sôn am gymorth, Prif Weinidog, mae dydd Gwener yn ddiwrnod nodedig, gyda'r adolygiad diweddaraf o gyfyngiadau symud yma yng Nghymru. Mae eich Gweinidog iechyd a llesiant meddwl wedi dweud, gyda'r cyfyngiadau symud a phobl yng Nghymru, os byddwch chi'n rhoi modfedd, y byddan nhw'n cymryd milltir. A gaf i wirio yn gyntaf ai dyma eich asesiad chi? A ydych chi'n cytuno â hi? Neu a ydych chi'n derbyn fy asesiad i mai gwaith caled pobl Cymru dros y cyfnod hwn o gyfyngiadau symud a fydd yn eich galluogi chi, nawr, i lacio rhai o'r cyfyngiadau hyn? A allwch chi gadarnhau pa fath o gyhoeddiadau y gallem ni fod yn edrych arnyn nhw ddydd Gwener, yn enwedig o ran manwerthu nad yw'n hanfodol? A fyddwch chi'n agor campfeydd fel y mae'r Gweinidog llesiant wedi ei awgrymu yn y gorffennol? Ac a fyddwch chi, fel yr ydych chi wedi cyfeirio ato yn y wasg dros y dyddiau diwethaf, yn diddymu'r rheol aros gartref ac yn cyflwyno rheol pum milltir, fel y gwelsom ni yr haf diwethaf?
I'm afraid the leader of the opposition will have to wait until Friday. That is when the three-week cycle ends. The Cabinet will continue to discuss the package of measures that we will be able to propose then during the remainder of this week. But he's right to say that at the end of the last three-week review, I said that I hoped that this will be the last three weeks in which we have to ask people in Wales to stay at home and that we would be able to move beyond that. I said then as well that we would continue to make the return to education as quickly and as safely as possible for our children our top priority, and that, alongside that, we would look to find ways of allowing people to do more in their personal lives and to begin the reopening of new aspects of the Welsh economy. That continues to be the list of issues that we discuss as a Cabinet and I'm looking forward to being able to make announcements on that on Friday.
The fact that numbers in Wales of people suffering from coronavirus continue to go down, the fact that the stress and strain on our health service is reducing in the way that it is—that is undoubtedly the achievement that belongs to people here in Wales, for everything that they have done to abide by the difficult ask that we have made of them during recent weeks, in order to bring this latest wave of the pandemic under control. As we lift restrictions, I will once again be appealing to people in Wales not to approach this by asking themselves, 'How far can the rules be stretched, what is the most that I can get away with as restrictions are lifted?' We continue to face a public health emergency. Nobody knows how the Kent variant will react as we begin to restore aspects of our daily lives. I will be appealing once again to people in Wales to ask themselves the question not, 'What can I do?' but, 'What should I do in order to go on making my contribution to keeping myself, others and the whole of Wales safe?'
Rwy'n ofni y bydd yn rhaid i arweinydd yr wrthblaid aros tan ddydd Gwener. Dyna pryd y bydd y cylch tair wythnos yn dod i ben. Bydd y Cabinet yn parhau i drafod y pecyn o fesurau y byddwn ni'n gallu ei gynnig bryd hynny yn ystod gweddill yr wythnos hon. Ond mae e'n iawn wrth ddweud, ar ddiwedd yr adolygiad tair wythnos diwethaf, i mi ddweud fy mod i'n gobeithio mai hwn fydd y cyfnod tair wythnos olaf pan fydd yn rhaid i ni ofyn i bobl yng Nghymru aros gartref ac y byddem ni'n gallu symud y tu hwnt i hynny. Dywedais bryd hynny hefyd y byddem ni'n parhau i wneud dychwelyd i addysg cyn gynted ac mor ddiogel â phosibl i'n plant yn brif flaenoriaeth, ac y byddem ni, ochr yn ochr â hynny, yn ceisio dod o hyd i ffyrdd o ganiatáu i bobl wneud mwy yn eu bywydau personol a dechrau ailagor agweddau newydd ar economi Cymru. Dyna'r rhestr o faterion yr ydym ni'n eu trafod fel Cabinet o hyd ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at allu gwneud cyhoeddiadau ar hynny ddydd Gwener.
Mae'r ffaith fod niferoedd y bobl yng Nghymru sy'n dioddef o coronafeirws yn parhau i ostwng, y ffaith bod y straen a'r pwysau ar ein gwasanaeth iechyd yn lleihau yn y ffordd y mae—dyna'n sicr y llwyddiant sy'n perthyn i bobl yma yng Nghymru, am bopeth y maen nhw wedi ei wneud i gadw at y gofyniad anodd yr ydym ni wedi ei orfodi arnyn nhw yn ystod yr wythnosau diweddar, er mwyn rheoli'r don ddiweddaraf hon o'r pandemig. Wrth i ni lacio cyfyngiadau, byddaf yn apelio unwaith eto ar bobl yng Nghymru i beidio â mynd i'r afael â hyn drwy ofyn iddyn nhw eu hunain, 'Pa mor bell y gellir ymestyn y rheolau, beth yw'r mwyaf y gallaf i wthio pethau wrth i gyfyngiadau gael eu llacio?' Rydym ni'n dal i wynebu argyfwng iechyd y cyhoedd. Nid oes neb yn gwybod sut y bydd amrywiolyn Caint yn ymateb wrth i ni ddechrau ailgyflwyno agweddau ar ein bywydau bob dydd. Byddaf yn apelio unwaith eto i bobl yng Nghymru ofyn y cwestiwn iddyn nhw eu hunain nid, 'Beth allaf i ei wneud?' ond, 'Beth ddylwn i ei wneud er mwyn parhau i wneud fy nghyfraniad at gadw fy hun, pobl eraill a Chymru gyfan yn ddiogel?'
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price.
First Minister, upon winning your party's leadership election in December 2018, you said that, in a fractured world, Members of the Senedd should strive for 'a kinder sort of politics'. Last week, your Labour colleague and leader of Neath Port Talbot council, Rob Jones, was forced to step aside after a recording emerged of him making despicable comments about our fellow Senedd Member Bethan Sayed. Yesterday marked International Women's Day, with this year's theme, 'choose to challenge', encouraging people to challenge stereotypes and bias wherever they arise in order to effect change. With that in mind, will you place on record your condemnation of Councillor Jones's remarks, and choose to challenge his appalling misogyny? And, should his temporary resignation, in your view, be permanent?
Prif Weinidog, ar ôl ennill etholiad arweinyddiaeth eich plaid ym mis Rhagfyr 2018, dywedasoch y dylai Aelodau'r Senedd, mewn byd toredig, ymdrechu i gael 'math mwy caredig o wleidyddiaeth'. Yr wythnos diwethaf, gorfodwyd eich cyd-aelod Llafur ac arweinydd cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot, Rob Jones, i gamu o'r neilltu ar ôl i recordiad ddod i'r amlwg ohono yn gwneud sylwadau ffiaidd am ein cyd-Aelod o'r Senedd Bethan Sayed. Roedd hi'n Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod ddoe, gyda thema eleni, 'dewis herio', yn annog pobl i herio stereoteipiau a rhagfarn lle bynnag y maen nhw'n codi er mwyn sicrhau newid. Gyda hynny mewn golwg, a wnewch chi gofnodi eich condemniad o sylwadau'r Cynghorydd Jones, a dewis herio ei gasineb ofnadwy at fenywod? Ac, a ddylai ei ymddiswyddiad dros dro, yn eich barn chi, fod yn barhaol?
I was concerned to read accounts of what Councillor Jones had said, and I'm sure that he has done the right thing in stepping aside from the leadership of Neath Port Talbot council while those remarks are properly investigated by the monitoring officer and by the ombudsman here in Wales. That's why he has been suspended from his membership of the Labour Party while those inquiries can be completed. I think that it would be sensible for anyone to await the outcome of those inquiries before drawing conclusions about what should happen next. But I'm sure that Councillor Jones was right to step down from the leadership of the council and to refer himself to the monitoring officer and to the public services ombudsman. We will now await the outcome of those inquiries.
Roeddwn i'n bryderus o ddarllen adroddiadau am yr hyn a ddywedodd y Cynghorydd Jones, ac rwy'n siŵr ei fod wedi gwneud y peth iawn wrth gamu o'r neilltu o arweinyddiaeth cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot tra bod y swyddog monitro a'r ombwdsmon yma yng Nghymru yn ymchwilio yn briodol i'r sylwadau hynny. Dyna pam y mae wedi cael ei wahardd o'i aelodaeth o'r Blaid Lafur tra gellir cwblhau'r ymchwiliadau hynny. Rwy'n credu y byddai'n synhwyrol i unrhyw un aros am ganlyniad yr ymchwiliadau hynny cyn dod i gasgliadau am yr hyn a ddylai ddigwydd nesaf. Ond rwy'n siŵr bod y Cynghorydd Jones yn iawn i gamu i lawr o arweinyddiaeth y cyngor ac i gyfeirio ei hun at y swyddog monitro ac at yr ombwdsmon gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Byddwn yn aros nawr am ganlyniad yr ymchwiliadau hynny.
But surely, First Minister, even now you can issue an outright condemnation of his remarks. The recording also reveals a sinister way of going about politics, doesn't it? He, astonishingly, alludes to favouring projects supported by Labour councillors for public funding. Citing the example of Alltygrug cemetery in Ystalyfera, he talks about telling officers to go and search down behind the back of the sofa to pay for a project that, he boasts, resulted in people turning to the Labour Party. I have written to the auditor general, First Minister, requesting that he not only investigates the remarks made by Councillor Jones in the recording, but also ensures that robust checks and balances are in place to safeguard against the potential misuse of public funds for party political purposes in Welsh public authorities. Would you support such an investigation?
Ond siawns, Prif Weinidog, hyd yn oed nawr y gallwch chi gondemnio ei sylwadau yn llwyr. Mae'r recordiad hefyd yn datgelu ffordd sinistr o ymgymryd â gwleidyddiaeth, onid yw? Yn rhyfeddol, mae'n cyfeirio at ffafrio prosiectau a gefnogir gan gynghorwyr Llafur ar gyfer arian cyhoeddus. Gan gyfeirio at enghraifft mynwent Alltygrug yn Ystalyfera, mae'n sôn am ddweud wrth swyddogion am fynd i chwilio i lawr y tu ôl i gefn y soffa i dalu am brosiect a arweiniodd, mae'n brolio, at bobl yn troi at y Blaid Lafur. Rwyf i wedi ysgrifennu at yr archwilydd cyffredinol, Prif Weinidog, yn gofyn iddo nid yn unig ymchwilio i'r sylwadau a wnaed gan y Cynghorydd Jones yn y recordiad, ond iddo hefyd sicrhau bod mesurau rhwystrau a gwrthbwysau cadarn ar waith i ddiogelu rhag y camddefnydd posibl o arian cyhoeddus at ddibenion plaid wleidyddol mewn awdurdodau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru. A fyddech chi'n cefnogi ymchwiliad o'i fath?
It is important that investigations are carried out, and it's important that those investigations are allowed to come to their own conclusions, rather than politicians on the floor of the Senedd anticipating those conclusions and asking others to agree with the conclusions at which they have apparently already arrived. There's no place for misogyny in any part of Welsh life or in any political party. I remember that Mr Price himself launched an inquiry into misogyny in Plaid Cymru in June or July of 2019. I have looked to see if I can find the result of that inquiry, but I have not been able to locate it myself, and that may simply be because I've not looked in the right place. But just as he was right, I'm sure, to have that inquiry carried out in his party, so it is right that the allegations that have been made against Councillor Jones should be investigated, and certainly the results of those inquiries will be made public.
Mae'n bwysig bod ymchwiliadau yn cael eu cynnal, ac mae'n bwysig bod yr ymchwiliadau hynny yn cael dod i'w casgliadau eu hunain, yn hytrach na gwleidyddion ar lawr y Senedd yn rhagweld y casgliadau hynny ac yn gofyn i eraill gytuno â'r casgliadau y maen nhw eisoes wedi eu cyrraedd, yn ôl pob golwg .Nid oes unrhyw le i gasineb at fenywod mewn unrhyw ran o fywyd Cymru nac mewn unrhyw blaid wleidyddol. Rwy'n cofio bod Mr Price ei hun wedi lansio ymchwiliad i gasineb at fenywod ym Mhlaid Cymru ym mis Mehefin neu fis Gorffennaf 2019. Rwyf i wedi edrych i weld a allaf i ddod o hyd i ganlyniad yr ymchwiliad hwnnw, ond nid wyf i wedi gallu dod o hyd iddo fy hunan, ac efallai mai'r rheswm am hynny yw nad wyf i wedi edrych yn y lle iawn. Ond yn union fel yr oedd ef yn iawn, rwy'n siŵr, i sicrhau bod yr ymchwiliad hwnnw yn cael ei gynnal yn ei blaid, mae hefyd yn iawn y dylid ymchwilio i'r honiadau a wnaed yn erbyn y Cynghorydd Jones, ac yn sicr bydd canlyniadau'r ymchwiliadau hynny yn cael eu cyhoeddi.
I just ask him finally: could you admit that the words used by Councillor Jones to describe Bethan Sayed are absolutely appalling? You have all the information, surely, that anyone needs to make that statement now.
In last week's budget, the UK Government faced fierce criticism for the way in which its so-called levelling-up fund favoured Conservative constituencies. In the first tranche of funding, 39 of the 45 areas due to receive support are represented by Conservative Members of Parliament. As my colleague Liz Saville Roberts put it,
'our public money is being snatched for the budget of Tory bungs.'
The revelations that have come to light as part of the Neath Port Talbot saga have worrying echoes of this, First Minister. Are you confident that the case of Neath Port Talbot is not just the tip of the iceberg, and that Wales doesn't have its own problem of cash for colleagues on Labour's watch?
Gofynnaf iddo yn derfynol: a wnewch chi gyfaddef bod y geiriau a ddefnyddiwyd gan y Cynghorydd Jones i ddisgrifio Bethan Sayed yn gwbl warthus? Mae gennych chi yr holl wybodaeth, siawns, sydd ei hangen ar unrhyw un i wneud y datganiad hwnnw nawr.
Yn y gyllideb yr wythnos diwethaf, wynebodd Llywodraeth y DU feirniadaeth ffyrnig am y ffordd yr oedd ei chronfa lefelu i fyny, fel y'i gelwir, yn ffafrio etholaethau Ceidwadol. Yn y gyfran gyntaf o gyllid, cynrychiolir 39 o'r 45 ardal sydd i fod i gael cymorth gan Aelodau Seneddol Ceidwadol. Fel y dywedodd fy nghydweithiwr Liz Saville Roberts,
mae ein harian cyhoeddus yn cael ei ddwyn ar gyfer y gyllideb o byngs y Torïaid.'
Ceir atsain o hynny sy'n peri pryder yn y datgeliadau sydd wedi dod i'r amlwg yn rhan o saga Castell-nedd Port Talbot, Prif Weinidog. A ydych chi'n ffyddiog nad crib y rhewfryn yn unig yw achos Castell-nedd Port Talbot, ac nad oes gan Gymru ei phroblem ei hun o ran arian i gydweithwyr o dan oruchwyliaeth y blaid Lafur?
I condemn misogyny wherever it is to be found. I think it is right that there should be inquiries into those matters, and I think that it is right that those inquiries should then be made public. That will happen in the case of Councillor Jones, and I think that that applies as much to his party as it does to mine.
Trying to deduce a generalised smear from one incident to what happens right across Wales does not seem to me to be a sensible or proportionate way of responding to that. I took the precaution, thinking that this might be raised this afternoon, to look at the record of the Welsh Government in the way that we use funds right across Wales. Let me just give him a few results of that. In fact, I'll focus for a time just on one, the twenty-first century schools programme—a major Government programme, providing schools and colleges fit for the twenty-first century. There are 25 schools in Plaid Cymru-controlled Carmarthenshire, 11 schools in independent-controlled Pembrokeshire, nine schools in Plaid Cymru-controlled Ceredigion, 18 in Plaid Cymru-controlled Gwynedd, 14 in Plaid Cymru-controlled Ynys Môn and 14 in Conservative-controlled Conwy. The record of the Welsh Government stands up to examination in every scheme that we have, and there is no possible implication that could be drawn, for the way in which funds are used by this Welsh Government, on party political lines. We do so always on open, transparent and needs-based criteria. That is the right and proper way.
The levelling-up fund, to which Adam Price referred, is the opposite of that. That will now be in the hands of the Secretary of State in the communities, local government and housing department of the UK Government, a department that knows very little of Wales, and there's no-one here to assist them to find out more. I remember what the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons said about out the Secretary of State when he awarded towns fund funding to 60 out of 61 constituencies in England that were either Conservative marginals or on the list of seats that the Conservative party hoped to win at an election. That is a very worrying precedent, and one very different to the way in which this Welsh Labour Government goes about using public funds in Wales.
Rwy'n condemnio casineb at fenywod lle bynnag y'i gwelir. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n iawn y dylai fod ymchwiliadau i'r materion hynny, ac rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n iawn i'r ymchwiliadau hynny gael eu cyhoeddi wedyn. Bydd hynny yn digwydd yn achos y Cynghorydd Jones, ac rwy'n meddwl bod hynny yr un mor berthnasol i'w blaid ef ag y mae i'm plaid i.
Nid yw'n ymddangos i mi bod ceisio tynnu achos o daflu baw cyffredinol o un digwyddiad i'r hyn sy'n digwydd ledled Cymru yn ffordd synhwyrol na chymesur o ymateb i hynny. Cymerais y rhagofal, gan feddwl y gallai hyn gael ei godi y prynhawn yma, i edrych ar hanes Llywodraeth Cymru yn y ffordd yr ydym ni'n defnyddio arian ledled Cymru gyfan. Gadewch i mi roi ychydig o ganlyniadau iddo o hynny. Yn wir, canolbwyntiaf am gyfnod ar un yn unig, rhaglen ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain—un o brif raglenni y Llywodraeth, sy'n darparu ysgolion a cholegau sy'n addas ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. Ceir 25 o ysgolion yn Sir Gaerfyrddin o dan reolaeth Plaid Cymru, 11 ysgol yn Sir Benfro o dan reolaeth annibynnol, naw ysgol yng Ngheredigion o dan reolaeth Plaid Cymru, 18 yng Ngwynedd a reolir gan Blaid Cymru, 14 yn Ynys Môn o dan reolaeth Plaid Cymru a 14 yng Nghonwy o dan reolaeth y Ceidwadwyr. Mae hanes Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwrthsefyll archwiliad ym mhob cynllun sydd gennym ni, ac nid oes unrhyw oblygiad posibl y gellid ei wneud, am y ffordd y mae arian yn cael ei ddefnyddio gan y Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru, ar linellau pleidiol wleidyddol. Rydym ni bob amser yn gwneud hynny ar sail meini prawf agored, tryloyw sy'n seiliedig ar anghenion. Dyna'r ffordd gywir a phriodol.
Mae'r gronfa lefelu i fyny, y cyfeiriodd Adam Price ati, i'r gwrthwyneb o hynny. Bydd honno bellach yn nwylo'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol yn adran cymunedau, llywodraeth leol a thai Llywodraeth y DU, adran nad yw'n gwybod llawer iawn am Gymru, ac nid oes neb yma i'w cynorthwyo i ddarganfod mwy. Rwy'n cofio'r hyn a ddywedodd Pwyllgor Cyfrifon Cyhoeddus Tŷ'r Cyffredin am yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol pan ddyfarnodd gyllid cronfa trefi i 60 o'r 61 etholaeth yn Lloegr a oedd naill ai yn rhai ymylol yn nwylo'r Ceidwadwyr neu ar y rhestr o seddi yr oedd y blaid Geidwadol yn gobeithio eu hennill mewn etholiad. Mae hwnnw yn gynsail sy'n peri pryder mawr, ac yn un sy'n wahanol iawn i'r ffordd y mae'r Llywodraeth Lafur hon yng Nghymru yn mynd ati i ddefnyddio arian cyhoeddus yng Nghymru.
3. Pa gamau pellach y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i wireddu potensial economaidd Casnewydd yn llawn? OQ56414
3. What further steps will the Welsh Government take to fully realise the economic potential of Newport? OQ56414
I thank John Griffiths for that question. The Welsh Government continues to work closely with the local authority and others in Newport to support initiatives that promote economic potential in the city, from the Market Arcade development to the Chartist Tower refurbishment and the visitor facilities at Newport's landmark transporter bridge.
Diolchaf i John Griffiths am y cwestiwn yna. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i weithio yn agos gyda'r awdurdod lleol ac eraill yng Nghasnewydd i gefnogi mentrau sy'n hybu potensial economaidd yn y ddinas, o ddatblygiad Arcêd y Farchnad i adnewyddu Tŵr y Siartwyr a'r cyfleusterau i ymwelwyr ym mhont gludo nodedig Casnewydd.
Diolch yn fawr, First Minister. The steel industry remains a very important part of Newport's economy, with Tata Steel at Llanwern, for example, and also, of course, Liberty Steel at Uskmouth. We know, First Minister, that if the UK as a whole is going to have the sort of industrial future it deserves, steel must play an important part in that as a strategic sector. And we also know that organisations like Liberty Steel are taking forward green and sustainable steel policies that will enable that strong future for the steel industry. As was mentioned earlier in these questions, First Minister, there is a current financing difficulty for Liberty Steel. Greensill Capital has gone into administration, and they were Liberty Steel's main financial backers, so there's a need now for refinancing, which the company is taking forward, and there was a meeting with the unions to discuss matters this morning. First Minister, as far as Welsh Government is concerned, are you able to assure me that Welsh Government will stay in very close communication with the company, with the trade unions and, indeed, with UK Government, to make sure that this plant in Newport has a strong future? It is performing strongly, it is sustainable, and it's part of that strong steel sector that we want to see continuing in Wales.
Diolch yn fawr, Prif Weinidog. Mae'r diwydiant dur yn parhau i fod yn rhan bwysig iawn o economi Casnewydd, gyda Tata Steel yn Llanwern, er enghraifft, a hefyd, wrth gwrs, Liberty Steel ym Mrynbuga. Rydym ni'n gwybod, Prif Weinidog, os yw'r DU yn ei chyfanrwydd yn mynd i gael y math o ddyfodol diwydiannol y mae'n ei haeddu, bod yn rhaid i ddur chwarae rhan bwysig yn hynny fel sector strategol. Ac rydym ni hefyd yn gwybod bod sefydliadau fel Liberty Steel yn bwrw ymlaen â pholisïau dur gwyrdd a chynaliadwy a fydd yn galluogi'r dyfodol cryf hwnnw i'r diwydiant dur. Fel y soniwyd yn gynharach yn y cwestiynau hyn, Prif Weinidog, ceir anhawster ariannu ar hyn o bryd i Liberty Steel. Mae Greensill Capital wedi mynd i ddwylo'r gweinyddwyr, a nhw oedd prif gefnogwyr ariannol Liberty Steel, felly mae angen ail-gyllido nawr, ac mae'r cwmni yn bwrw ymlaen â hynny, a chafwyd cyfarfod gyda'r undebau i drafod materion y bore yma. Prif Weinidog, cyn belled ag y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn y cwestiwn, a allwch chi fy sicrhau i y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i gyfathrebu yn agos iawn gyda'r cwmni, gyda'r undebau llafur ac, yn wir, gyda Llywodraeth y DU, i wneud yn siŵr bod dyfodol cryf i'r gwaith hwn yng Nghasnewydd? Mae'n perfformio yn gryf, mae'n gynaliadwy, ac mae'n rhan o'r sector dur cryf hwnnw yr ydym ni eisiau ei weld yn parhau yng Nghymru.
Well, Llywydd, I completely agree with John Griffiths on the importance of the steel sector—a strategic sector, a sector that has needed greater help from the UK Government than it has received during the pandemic. I was glad that there was a meeting of the Steel Council on Friday of last week; there's been far too long a gap between the last meeting of the council and this one. But it was well attended—attended by Ken Skates on behalf of the Welsh Government, and representatives from the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland, as well as the UK Government, the trade unions and others. So, it's good that the Steel Council is meeting again. The Welsh Government will play a full part in the council. We will make the case for steel making here in Wales, including the developments, as John Griffiths said, that have been very important in Newport. The innovative work that Liberty Steel has undertaken, the plans that Tata Steel, I know, are very keen to continue to discuss with the UK Government in order to secure a long-term and green future for that industry, as well, and the Welsh Government will do everything we can, as we always have, to support the steel industry, and call on other partners with other parts to play, to make sure that they are equally engaged.
Wel, Llywydd, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â John Griffiths am bwysigrwydd y sector dur—sector strategol, sector sydd wedi bod angen mwy o gymorth gan Lywodraeth y DU nag y mae wedi ei gael yn ystod y pandemig. Roeddwn i'n falch bod cyfarfod o'r Cyngor Dur wedi ei gynnal ddydd Gwener yr wythnos diwethaf; bu bwlch rhy fawr o lawer rhwng cyfarfod diwethaf y cyngor a'r un yma. Ond roedd nifer dda yn bresennol—ac roedd Ken Skates yn bresennol ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru, a chynrychiolwyr o Lywodraeth yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon, yn ogystal â Llywodraeth y DU, yr undebau llafur ac eraill. Felly, mae'n dda bod y Cyngor Dur yn cyfarfod unwaith eto. Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn chwarae rhan lawn yn y cyngor. Byddwn yn gwneud y ddadl dros gynhyrchu dur yma yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys y datblygiadau, fel y dywedodd John Griffiths, sydd wedi bod yn bwysig iawn yng Nghasnewydd. Mae'r gwaith arloesol y mae Liberty Steel wedi ei wneud, y cynlluniau y mae Tata Steel, mi wn, yn awyddus iawn i barhau i'w trafod gyda Llywodraeth y DU er mwyn sicrhau dyfodol hirdymor a gwyrdd i'r diwydiant hwnnw, hefyd, a bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud popeth o fewn ein gallu, fel yr ydym ni wedi ei wneud erioed, i gefnogi'r diwydiant dur, a galw ar bartneriaid eraill sydd â rhannau eraill i'w chwarae, i wneud yn siŵr eu bod nhw yn ymgysylltu i'r un graddau.
Can I concur completely with the sentiments just expressed in terms of the need of providing a sustainable steel industry across Wales?
Can I widen this out into the fortunes of the wider Newport economy and south-east Wales economy—the Monmouthshire economy, I should say—both of which are dependent on a modern sustainable transport infrastructure? I wonder if you could update us on the development of the south Wales metro, where we are with that, and, specifically, whether the potential for a metro hub at the Celtic Manor, which I have raised before with the economy Minister—the economy and transport Minister—has been discussed with relevant stakeholders. A hub at that point within the metro system would provide the missing link between Newport railway station and towns in my constituency, such as Monmouth, which, after 6 o'clock, are very much cut off from the Newport transport infrastructure. So, I wonder if you could update us on the development of the metro.
A gaf i gytuno yn llwyr â'r safbwyntiau sydd newydd gael eu mynegi o ran yr angen i ddarparu diwydiant dur cynaliadwy ledled Cymru?
A gaf i ehangu hyn i ffawd economi ehangach Casnewydd ac economi'r de-ddwyrain—economi Sir Fynwy, dylwn i ddweud—y mae'r ddwy ohonyn nhw yn dibynnu ar seilwaith trafnidiaeth cynaliadwy modern? Tybed a allech chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni am ddatblygiad metro de Cymru, lle'r ydym ni gyda hynny, ac, yn benodol, a yw'r potensial ar gyfer canolfan fetro yn y Celtic Manor, yr wyf i wedi ei godi o'r blaen gyda Gweinidog yr economi—Gweinidog yr economi a thrafnidiaeth—wedi ei drafod gyda rhanddeiliaid perthnasol. Byddai canolfan yn y man hwnnw o fewn y system metro yn darparu'r cyswllt coll rhwng gorsaf reilffordd Casnewydd a threfi yn fy etholaeth i, fel Trefynwy, sydd, ar ôl 6 o'r gloch, wedi eu torri i ffwrdd yn llwyr o seilwaith trafnidiaeth Casnewydd. Felly, tybed a allech chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni am ddatblygiad y metro.
Llywydd, I thank Nick Ramsay for that question, and despite the challenges that the pandemic period have thrown up, the Welsh Government's plans for the south Wales metro remain there, remain funded and remain as ambitious as they have always been. I will ask my colleague Ken Skates to update the Member on the specific issue of the Celtic Manor connection to the metro.FootnoteLink
Alongside that, Llywydd, we're looking forward to the publication of the Peter Hendry UK connectivity review, to which the Welsh Government provided evidence, and to which Lord Burns, as chair of the Burns commission, provided evidence as well, because alongside the metro for the economy of south-east Wales and Monmouthshire, we need the UK Government to commit to the upgrading of that second line that already exists, with plans for the Burns commission set out in detail—six new stations potentially along it—making a great deal of difference to connectivity in that part of Wales, and with a real opportunity in the connectivity review for the UK Government to demonstrate its commitment to connectivity between south-east Wales and our trading partners across the border, and to do it according to a plan that has already been drawn up, and very convincingly articulated.
Llywydd, diolchaf i Nick Ramsay am y cwestiwn yna, ac er gwaethaf yr heriau y mae cyfnod y pandemig wedi eu hachosi, mae cynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer metro de Cymru yn dal i fod yno, yn dal i fod wedi eu hariannu ac yn dal i fod mor uchelgeisiol ag y buon nhw erioed. Byddaf yn gofyn i'm cyd-Weinidog Ken Skates roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelod am fater penodol cyswllt y Celtic Manor â'r metro.FootnoteLink
Ochr yn ochr â hynny, Llywydd, rydym ni'n edrych ymlaen at gyhoeddiad adolygiad cysylltedd y DU Peter Hendry, y darparodd Llywodraeth Cymru dystiolaeth iddo, ac y darparodd yr Arglwydd Burns, fel cadeirydd comisiwn Burns, dystiolaeth iddo hefyd, oherwydd ochr yn ochr â'r metro ar gyfer economi de-ddwyrain Cymru a Sir Fynwy, rydym ni angen i Lywodraeth y DU ymrwymo i uwchraddio'r ail reilffordd honno sy'n bodoli eisoes, gyda chynlluniau ar gyfer comisiwn Burns wedi eu nodi yn fanwl—chwe gorsaf newydd o bosibl ar ei hyd—gan wneud llawer iawn o wahaniaeth i gysylltedd yn y rhan honno o Gymru, a chyda chyfle gwirioneddol yn yr adolygiad cysylltedd i Lywodraeth y DU ddangos ei hymrwymiad i gysylltedd rhwng y de-ddwyrain a'n partneriaid masnachu dros y ffin, a'i wneud yn unol â chynllun sydd eisoes wedi ei lunio, ac wedi ei gyflwyno yn argyhoeddiadol iawn.
4. Pa asesiad y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i wneud o berfformiad Cadw ledled Gogledd Cymru? OQ56393
4. What assessment has the First Minister made of the performance of Cadw across North Wales? OQ56393
Llywydd, Cadw continues to discharge its statutory responsibilities, and to sustain its custodianship of sites across Wales, in ways which observe the restrictions made necessary by the coronavirus emergency.
Llywydd, mae Cadw yn parhau i gyflawni ei gyfrifoldebau statudol, ac i gynnal ei geidwadaeth o safleoedd ledled Cymru, mewn ffyrdd sy'n cadw at y cyfyngiadau sy'n angenrheidiol oherwydd argyfwng y coronafeirws.
Thank you. First Minister, Kinmel Hall was in the headlines again recently. It's been dubbed the Welsh Versailles, but has fallen into dangerous disrepair, and this piece of Welsh heritage is at very serious risk of being lost forever, despite being a grade I listed building. I see that one of Cadw's first priorities is caring for the historic environment. First Minister, what is the point of the listing system and what is the point of Cadw if neither serve to protect Wales's heritage? Thank you.
Diolch. Prif Weinidog, roedd Neuadd Cinmel yn y penawdau unwaith eto yn ddiweddar. Mae wedi cael ei alw yn Versailles Cymru, ond mae wedi dadfeilio i gyflwr peryglus, ac mae'r darn hwn o dreftadaeth Cymru mewn perygl difrifol iawn o gael ei golli am byth, er ei fod yn adeilad rhestredig gradd I. Rwy'n gweld mai un o flaenoriaethau cyntaf Cadw yw gofalu am yr amgylchedd hanesyddol. Prif Weinidog, beth yw diben y system restru a beth yw diben Cadw os nad yw'r naill na'r llall yn diogelu treftadaeth Cymru? Diolch.
Llywydd, I thank Mandy Jones for that, and I share her concerns about Kinmel Hall and the reports of the deterioration in the state of the building that I and she will have read in reports. The position though is this, isn't it: Kinmel Hall is a privately owned facility; it's not in public ownership. Cadw has discharged its responsibility, which is to list the building. After that, it is for the local authority—it's the local authority that has the responsibility to make sure that the building is maintained in a state that matches the listing that Cadw has awarded to it. And the local authority has the power to issue statutory repairs and urgent works notices. Now, I understand that, while the current owners in the past have been reluctant to recognise the need for action to address the state of the building, in more recent times, there has been a greater appetite on their part to take the steps that are necessary, and that Conwy County Borough Council is in discussions with them to make sure that those steps are undertaken. Cadw remains involved, but in a supporting role to the local planning authority, providing them with options that are available in protecting the business—the building, I beg your pardon. But it is not Cadw's responsibility, once the listing has been carried out, to make sure that the building is kept in a proper state of repair. That is the responsibility of the owners, and where the owners are in default of that responsibility, it's for the local authority to step up and make sure that the actions that ought to be taken are taken.
Llywydd, diolchaf i Mandy Jones am hynna, ac rwy'n rhannu ei phryderon am Neuadd Cinmel a'r adroddiadau am y dirywiad i gyflwr yr adeilad y byddaf i a hithau wedi eu darllen mewn adroddiadau. Fodd bynnag, dyma'r sefyllfa: Mae Neuadd Cinmel yn gyfleuster sy'n eiddo preifat; nid yw mewn perchnogaeth gyhoeddus. Mae Cadw wedi cyflawni ei gyfrifoldeb, sef rhestru'r adeilad. Ar ôl hynny, mater i'r awdurdod lleol—yr awdurdod lleol sy'n gyfrifol am wneud yn siŵr bod yr adeilad yn cael ei gynnal mewn cyflwr sy'n cyfateb i'r rhestriad y mae Cadw wedi ei ddyfarnu iddo. Ac mae gan yr awdurdod lleol y grym i gyhoeddi atgyweiriadau statudol a hysbysiadau gwaith brys. Nawr, rwy'n deall, er bod y perchnogion presennol yn y gorffennol wedi bod yn amharod i gydnabod yr angen i weithredu i fynd i'r afael â chyflwr yr adeilad, yn fwy diweddar, bu mwy o awydd ar eu rhan i gymryd y camau sy'n angenrheidiol, a bod Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy mewn trafodaethau gyda nhw i wneud yn siŵr bod y camau hynny yn cael eu cymryd. Mae Cadw yn dal i gymryd rhan, ond mewn swyddogaeth ategol i'r awdurdod cynllunio lleol, gan roi dewisiadau iddyn nhw sydd ar gael i ddiogelu'r busnes—yr adeilad, mae'n ddrwg gen i. Ond nid cyfrifoldeb Cadw, ar ôl i'r rhestriad gael ei wneud, yw gwneud yn siŵr bod yr adeilad yn cael ei gadw mewn cyflwr priodol. Cyfrifoldeb y perchnogion yw hynny, a phan fo'r perchnogion yn methu â chyflawni'r cyfrifoldeb hwnnw, mater i'r awdurdod lleol yw dod i'r amlwg a gwneud yn siŵr bod y camau y dylid eu cymryd yn cael eu cymryd.
First Minister, I've listened very carefully to your answer in respect of Kimnel Hall, which, as you will be aware, is in my constituency. It is a very precious building, it's a very important part of our national heritage as a nation, and, of course, the Welsh Government does have the ability to be able to step in, acquire this building, and to make sure that it is protected for future generations. As you will know, Cadw do not only work with local authorities and list buildings, they actually do act as custodian for many important historical buildings across Wales. So, my constituents would like to see the Welsh Government and Cadw working with both the local authority and the current owners, but where those current owners do not have the appetite or the resources to protect this building for future generations, can I ask: will the Welsh Government consider stepping in and acquiring this building as part of our national heritage? It is Wales's largest country home, it is known as the Versailles of Wales, and it does deserve that extra level of protection that other buildings that might be in a similar dilapidated state don't require. So, can you step in if the need arises?
Prif Weinidog, rwyf i wedi gwrando yn astud iawn ar eich ateb am Neuadd Cinmel, sydd, fel y gwyddoch, yn fy etholaeth i. Mae'n adeilad gwerthfawr iawn, mae'n rhan bwysig iawn o'n treftadaeth genedlaethol ni fel cenedl, ac, wrth gwrs, mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru y gallu i gamu i mewn, caffael yr adeilad hwn, a gwneud yn siŵr ei fod yn cael ei ddiogelu ar gyfer cenedlaethau'r dyfodol. Fel y byddwch chi'n gwybod, mae Cadw nid yn unig yn gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol ac yn rhestru adeiladau, maen nhw mewn gwirionedd yn gweithredu fel ceidwad ar gyfer llawer o adeiladau hanesyddol pwysig ledled Cymru. Felly, hoffai fy etholwyr weld Llywodraeth Cymru a Cadw yn gweithio gyda'r awdurdod lleol a'r perchnogion presennol, ond pan nad oes gan y perchnogion presennol hynny yr awydd na'r adnoddau i ddiogelu'r adeilad hwn ar gyfer cenedlaethau'r dyfodol, a gaf i ofyn: a wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru ystyried camu i mewn a chaffael yr adeilad hwn yn rhan o'n treftadaeth genedlaethol? Dyma gartref gwledig mwyaf Cymru, fe'i gelwir yn Versailles Cymru, ac mae'n haeddu'r lefel ychwanegol honno o ddiogelwch nad oes ei hangen ar adeiladau eraill a allai fod mewn cyflwr adfeiliedig tebyg. Felly, a allwch chi gamu i mewn os bydd yr angen yn codi?
Llywydd, I thank Darren Millar for that contribution, and I share a lot of what he has said about the significance of Kinmel Hall, its importance to Wales as a whole. Where Cadw has responsibility for the upkeep of monuments, buildings and sites, it is because those sites are in public ownership, and Kinmel Hall is not in public ownership, it has private owners, and as far as I am aware, those owners have never shown an appetite for the building to be taken out of their ownership and acquired by the Government on behalf of the Welsh population more generally. It would be a very big step, wouldn't it, for the Government to compulsorily remove a building from private ownership, and that would not be my preferred course of action. If there is an appetite on the part of the owners for a different ownership model in future, then, of course, the Welsh Government would be part of that conversation. We're not the only possibility there, of course. I know Darren Millar will be very well aware of the National Trust's operation here in Wales, and there are a number of ways in which privately-owned buildings can make their way into wider forms of ownership with different levels of custodianship for the future.
Llywydd, diolchaf i Darren Millar am y cyfraniad yna, ac rwy'n rhannu llawer o'r hyn y mae wedi ei ddweud am arwyddocâd Neuadd Cinmel, ei phwysigrwydd i Gymru gyfan. Lle mae Cadw yn gyfrifol am gynnal a chadw henebion, adeiladau a safleoedd, y rheswm yw bod y safleoedd hynny mewn perchnogaeth gyhoeddus, ac nad yw Neuadd Cinmel mewn perchnogaeth gyhoeddus, mae ganddi berchnogion preifat, a hyd y gwn i, nid yw'r perchnogion hynny erioed wedi dangos awydd i'r adeilad gael ei dynnu allan o'u perchnogaeth a chael ei gaffael gan y Llywodraeth ar ran poblogaeth Cymru yn fwy cyffredinol. Byddai'n gam mawr iawn, oni fyddai, i'r Llywodraeth dynnu adeilad o berchnogaeth breifat yn orfodol, ac nid dyna fyddai fy newis i o ran ffordd o weithredu. Os oes awydd ar ran y perchnogion am wahanol fodel perchnogaeth yn y dyfodol, yna, wrth gwrs, byddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhan o'r sgwrs honno. Nid ni yw'r unig bosibilrwydd yn hynny o beth, wrth gwrs. Gwn y bydd Darren Millar yn ymwybodol iawn o weithrediad yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol yma yng Nghymru, ac mae nifer o ffyrdd y gall adeiladau preifat wneud eu ffordd i fathau ehangach o berchnogaeth â gwahanol lefelau o warchodaeth ar gyfer y dyfodol.
5. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am y defnydd o gyllid sydd heb ei ddyrannu yng nghyllideb flynyddol y llynedd? OQ56385
5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the use of unallocated funding included in last year’s annual budget? OQ56385
Can I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for that, Llywydd? The third supplementary budget of this financial year, to be debated in the Senedd later this afternoon, completes our fiscal spending plans. From a total available resource of £23.3 billion, 99.6 per cent of that funding has been committed by the Welsh Government as set out in the third supplementary budget.
A gaf i ddiolch i Huw Irranca-Davies am hynna, Llywydd? Mae trydedd gyllideb atodol y flwyddyn ariannol hon, a fydd yn cael ei thrafod yn y Senedd yn ddiweddarach y prynhawn yma, yn cwblhau ein cynlluniau gwariant cyllidol. O gyfanswm yr adnoddau sydd ar gael o £23.3 biliwn, mae 99.6 y cant o'r arian hwnnw wedi ei ymrwymo gan Lywodraeth Cymru fel y nodir yn y drydedd gyllideb atodol.
First Minister, I thank you for clarifying that, and I asked you this question because Welsh Government, despite allocating what you've just told us was 99.6 per cent of its resource, has continually come under fire from the Tories here in Wales, whilst at the same time their Chancellor in Westminster holds a COVID reserve that currently stands at £19 billion. So, First Minister, it is clear now that if the Welsh Government had run down all its available COVID guarantee by October 2020, as suggested by the Welsh Conservatives in Wales, then you would not have been able to match the firebreak and the Christmas restrictions with the far-reaching business support that was rapidly put into place. Now, if there's one consistency, First Minister, with the Conservative party currently in Wales, it's to feign fury when our Government in Wales makes the right decisions to keep Wales safe, only to fall silent when their party in Westminster follows suit. So, do you agree with me that the Welsh Conservatives are now so far off Rishi Sunak's radar that they feel confident that he won't even notice when they inadvertently attack him and his policies?
Prif Weinidog, diolch i chi am egluro hynna, a gofynnais y cwestiwn hwn i chi gan fod Llywodraeth Cymru, er iddi ddyrannu'r hyn yr ydych chi newydd ei ddweud wrthym ni oedd yn 99.6 y cant o'i adnodd, wedi ei beirniadu yn barhaus gan y Torïaid yma yng Nghymru, ac ar yr un pryd mae gan eu Canghellor yn San Steffan gronfa COVID wrth gefn sy'n £19 biliwn ar hyn o bryd. Felly, Prif Weinidog, mae'n amlwg erbyn hyn pe byddai Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwario ei holl sicrwydd COVID a oedd ar gael erbyn mis Hydref 2020, fel yr awgrymwyd gan y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yng Nghymru, yna ni fyddech chi wedi gallu cyfateb y cyfnod atal byr a chyfyngiadau'r Nadolig gyda'r cymorth busnes pellgyrhaeddol a roddwyd ar waith yn gyflym. Nawr, os oes un cysondeb, Prif Weinidog, gyda'r blaid Geidwadol yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd, ffugio dicter pan fydd ein Llywodraeth ni yng Nghymru yn gwneud y penderfyniadau cywir i gadw Cymru yn ddiogel yw hwnnw, dim ond i ymdawelu pan fydd eu plaid nhw yn San Steffan yn dilyn ein hesiampl Felly, a ydych chi'n cytuno â mi bod y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig erbyn hyn mor bell oddi ar radar Rishi Sunak fel eu bod nhw'n teimlo'n hyderus na fydd hyd yn oed yn sylwi pan fyddan nhw'n ymosod arno ef a'i bolisïau yn anfwriadol?
Well, Llywydd, I agree with Huw Irranca-Davies. It is surely one thing not to be able to be wise before the event, and that is certainly the record of the Welsh Conservative party, but it's a party that doesn't even manage to be wise after the event, either. Had we taken that party's advice back in October, then, of course, Huw Irranca-Davies is right, we would not have been in a position at all to support Welsh businesses in the way that we have during the remainder of the current financial year. Back in October, we had spent two thirds of our budget at the two-thirds point of this financial year. We had spent three quarters of our budget when we were three quarters of the way through the financial year, and as I said in my original answer, at the end of the financial year, we will have spent 99.6 per cent of all the funding available to the Welsh Government, and that, Llywydd, is a pattern repeated year after year during the whole of the devolution era. Every year, this Welsh Government uses to the maximum the funding that we have available to support businesses and public services here in Wales. And our record compares extraordinarily favourably with UK Government departments, who never manage anything like the same match between funds available and the ability to put it to good use. The record of the Welsh Government here stands up to examination by anybody, and the advice of the Welsh Conservative Party and the nonsense, the absolutely nonsense, that they offered people back in October has been exposed very badly since then by the events that have since unfolded.
Wel, Llywydd, rwy'n cytuno â Huw Irranca-Davies. Mae'n sicr mai un peth yw peidio â gallu bod yn ddoeth cyn y digwyddiad, a dyna'n sicr yw hanes plaid Geidwadol Cymru, ond mae'n blaid sydd ddim hyd yn oed yn llwyddo i fod yn ddoeth ar ôl y digwyddiad, ychwaith. Pe byddem ni wedi cymryd cyngor y blaid honno yn ôl ym mis Hydref, yna, wrth gwrs, mae Huw Irranca-Davies yn iawn, ni fyddem ni wedi bod mewn sefyllfa o gwbl i gynorthwyo busnesau Cymru yn y ffordd yr ydym ni wedi ei wneud yn ystod gweddill y flwyddyn ariannol bresennol. Yn ôl ym mis Hydref, roeddem ni wedi gwario dwy ran o dair o'n cyllideb ddwy ran o dair o'r ffordd i mewn i'r flwyddyn ariannol hon. Roeddem ni wedi gwario tri chwarter ein cyllideb pan oeddem ni dri chwarter y ffordd drwy'r flwyddyn ariannol, ac fel y dywedais i yn fy ateb gwreiddiol, ar ddiwedd y flwyddyn ariannol, byddwn ni wedi gwario 99.6 y cant o'r holl arian sydd ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru, ac mae hwnnw, Llywydd, yn batrwm sydd wedi ei ailadrodd flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn yn ystod holl gyfnod datganoli. Bob blwyddyn, mae'r Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru yn defnyddio'r cyllid mwyaf posibl sydd ar gael gennym ni i gynorthwyo busnesau a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yma yng Nghymru. Ac mae ein record hanes yn cymharu yn eithriadol o ffafriol ag adrannau Llywodraeth y DU, nad ydyn nhw byth yn rheoli unrhyw beth tebyg i'r un gyfatebiaeth rhwng yr arian sydd ar gael a'r gallu i'w ddefnyddio yn dda. Mae hanes Llywodraeth Cymru yn y fan yma yn gallu gwrthsefyll archwiliad gan unrhyw un, ac mae cyngor Plaid Geidwadol Cymru a'r lol, y lol llwyr, a gynigiwyd ganddyn nhw i bobl yn ôl ym mis Hydref wedi cael ei amlygu yn eglur iawn ers hynny gan y digwyddiadau a ddaeth i'r amlwg ers hynny.
The Welsh Government's reserve can hold up to £350 million; on 1 April 2020, the balance was at £335.9 million. Three weeks ago, the Welsh Government and UK Government agreed additional flexibility, beyond the Wales reserve, going into 2021-22, enabling the Welsh Government to carry over any unallocated element of the extra £650 million provided by the UK Government into the 2021-22 financial year, on top of the existing provision to transfer funding between years. This financial year, the Welsh Government is carrying forward around £660.2 million of extra 2020-21 funding to 2021-22. The Finance Committee has recommended the Welsh Government publish an outturn report for 2020-21, with a similar level of detail to that for 2019-20. So, how does the Welsh Government respond to this, and how will you ensure additional transparency regarding Welsh Government budgets where, for example, the Welsh Government has failed to allocate any of the extra UK Government funding, unlike Scotland, meaning that you have failed to allocate £1.3 billion in the budget your Government is announcing today?
Caiff cronfa wrth gefn Llywodraeth Cymru ddal hyd at £350 miliwn; ar 1 Ebrill 2020, roedd y balans yn £335.9 miliwn. Dair wythnos yn ôl, cytunodd Llywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU ar hyblygrwydd ychwanegol, y tu hwnt i gronfa wrth gefn Cymru, yn parhau i 2021-22, gan alluogi Llywodraeth Cymru i gario drosodd unrhyw elfen heb ei dyrannu o'r £650 miliwn ychwanegol a ddarparwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU i mewn i flwyddyn ariannol 2021-22, ar ben y ddarpariaeth bresennol i drosglwyddo cyllid rhwng blynyddoedd. Yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cario tua £660.2 miliwn o gyllid ychwanegol 2020-21 drosodd i 2021-22. Mae'r Pwyllgor Cyllid wedi argymell bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyhoeddi adroddiad alldro ar gyfer 2020-21, gyda lefel debyg o fanylder i'r adroddiad ar gyfer 2019-20. Felly, sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymateb i hyn, a sut y byddwch chi'n sicrhau tryloywder ychwanegol o ran cyllidebau Llywodraeth Cymru pan fo Llywodraeth Cymru, er enghraifft, wedi methu â dyrannu dim o gyllid ychwanegol Llywodraeth y DU, yn wahanol i'r Alban, sy'n golygu eich bod chi wedi methu â dyrannu £1.3 biliwn yn y gyllideb y mae eich Llywodraeth yn ei chyhoeddi heddiw?
Well, Llywydd, I don't think this Government will need any lessons from the Member on additional transparency. This is the third supplementary budget that we have laid during this financial year. It sets out in absolute detail all the way in which the funding that is available to the Welsh Government has been used. His Government, his Government in Westminster, did not publish a single supplementary budget, and it was only when, very late in the year, many weeks later than they promised, when the estimates were produced, that the additional funding was provided and, sensibly at last, the Treasury agreed that it was too late in the financial year for that money to be sensibly used and that it could be carried forward into the next financial year. That is exactly, therefore, what my colleague Rebecca Evans proposes to do.
We have reported faithfully and regularly on every spending decision that we have made to the Senedd, quite unlike the performance of his party at the UK level. Of course we will publish an outturn report. That happens every year, as a matter of course. We have to report on the final outcome of our budget, and we will do exactly that. It's a great disappointment to me that the Chancellor refused, and continues to refuse, to allow us any additional flexibility with our own money, Llywydd. That is what we have asked for when it comes to the Welsh reserve. We haven't asked for a single extra penny from the Chancellor; we have simply asked that the money that we have as a Government can be managed by us in a way that would maximise the value of that public money at the end of the financial year. Instead, we continue to be treated by the UK Government as though we were simply another Government department, rather than a Government and a Senedd in our own right. And I think that is just another example of the way the UK Government continues to refuse to recognise the realities of the United Kingdom 20 years into devolution.
Wel, Llywydd, nid wyf i'n credu y bydd y Llywodraeth hon angen unrhyw wersi gan yr Aelod ar fwy o dryloywder. Dyma'r drydedd gyllideb atodol yr ydym ni wedi ei gosod yn ystod y flwyddyn ariannol hon. Mae'n nodi yn gwbl fanwl yr holl ffyrdd y defnyddiwyd yr arian sydd ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru. Ni chyhoeddodd ei Lywodraeth ef, ei Lywodraeth ef yn San Steffan, unrhyw gyllideb atodol, a dim ond, yn hwyr iawn yn y flwyddyn, wythnosau lawer yn ddiweddarach nag yr oedden nhw wedi ei addo, pan gynhyrchwyd yr amcangyfrifon, y darparwyd yr arian ychwanegol ac, yn synhwyrol o'r diwedd, cytunodd y Trysorlys ei bod hi'n rhy hwyr yn y flwyddyn ariannol i'r arian hwnnw gael ei ddefnyddio yn synhwyrol ac y ceid ei gario drosodd i'r flwyddyn ariannol nesaf. Dyna'n union, felly, y mae fy nghyd-Weinidog Rebecca Evans yn bwriadu ei wneud.
Rydym ni wedi adrodd yn ffyddlon ac yn rheolaidd ar bob penderfyniad gwario yr ydym ni wedi ei wneud i'r Senedd, yn wahanol iawn i berfformiad ei blaid ef ar lefel y DU. Wrth gwrs y byddwn ni'n cyhoeddi adroddiad alldro. Mae hynny'n digwydd bob blwyddyn, fel mater o drefn. Mae'n rhaid i ni adrodd ar ganlyniad terfynol ein cyllideb, a byddwn ni'n gwneud yn union hynny. Mae'n siom fawr i mi bod y Canghellor wedi gwrthod, ac yn parhau i wrthod, caniatáu unrhyw hyblygrwydd ychwanegol i ni gyda'n harian ein hunain, Llywydd. Dyna'r hyn yr ydym ni wedi gofyn amdano o ran cronfa wrth gefn Cymru. Nid ydym ni wedi gofyn am yr un geiniog ychwanegol gan y Canghellor; rydym ni wedi gofyn yn syml am y gallu i'r arian sydd gennym ni fel Llywodraeth gael ei reoli gennym ni mewn ffordd a fyddai'n sicrhau'r gwerth mwyaf posibl o'r arian cyhoeddus hwnnw ar ddiwedd y flwyddyn ariannol. Yn hytrach, rydym ni'n dal i gael ein trin gan Lywodraeth y DU fel pe byddem ni'n adran arall o'r Llywodraeth, yn hytrach na Llywodraeth a Senedd yn ein rhinwedd ein hunain. Ac rwy'n credu bod honno ddim ond yn un enghraifft arall o'r ffordd y mae Llywodraeth y DU yn parhau i wrthod cydnabod gwirioneddau'r Deyrnas Unedig ar ôl 20 mlynedd o ddatganoli.
Cwestiwn 6, Lynne Neagle.
Question 6, Lynne Neagle.
I can't hear you at this point, Lynne Neagle. I can see that you're unmuted, but are you hard muted on your—?
Ni allaf eich clywed chi ar hyn o bryd, Lynne Neagle. Gallaf weld eich bod chi wedi dad-dawelu, ond a ydych chi wedi eich tawelu yn ganolog ar eich—?
Shall I try again? Is that better?
A wnaf i roi cynnig arall arni? A yw hynna'n well?
Yes, second time around it's much better. Thank you.
Ydy, mae'n llawer gwell yr eildro. Diolch.
6. Pa gamau y bydd y Prif Weinidog yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod lles plant a phobl ifanc yn cael ei flaenoriaethu wrth ystyried llacio'r cyfyngiadau symud? OQ56425
6. What steps will the First Minister take to ensure that the wellbeing of children and young people is prioritised when considering the easing of lockdown restrictions? OQ56425
Llywydd, can I thank Lynne Neagle for that question and for her persistent interest and support for this whole area? Our priority when easing restrictions is to get as many children and young people back as possible as safely as possible back into face-to-face education. As conditions improve, we will explore how supervised outdoor activities can also resume for children in Wales.
Llywydd, a gaf i ddiolch i Lynne Neagle am y cwestiwn yna ac am ei diddordeb a'i chefnogaeth barhaus i'r maes cyfan hwn? Ein blaenoriaeth wrth lacio'r cyfyngiadau yw cael cynifer o blant a phobl ifanc â phosibl mewn modd mor ddiogel â phosibl yn ôl i addysg wyneb yn wyneb. Wrth i'r amodau wella, byddwn yn archwilio sut y gall gweithgareddau awyr agored dan oruchwyliaeth ailddechrau ar gyfer plant yng Nghymru hefyd.
Thank you, First Minister. As you know, COVID rarely causes serious illness in children and young people, but we do know the pandemic has had a huge impact on their learning, on their mental health and on other aspects of their physical health. I very much support the cautious approach to easing lockdown restrictions, and an approach where we continue to follow scientific evidence and advice. I am however very concerned that decisions in the coming days to ease other restrictions will remove the vital headroom necessary to return children to school fully. What assurances can the First Minister give that ensuring that all children can return to school on 15 April after Easter will remain his top priority, and what assurances can he give that future decisions on lockdown easing will have at their very heart the need to to maintain the headroom necessary for children to return to school? And can I also ask whether the First Minister is planning to publish an updated child rights impact assessment in order to align with the latest review of restrictions? Thank you.
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Fel y gwyddoch, yn anaml y bydd COVID yn achosi salwch difrifol mewn plant a phobl ifanc, ond rydym ni'n gwybod bod y pandemig wedi cael effaith enfawr ar eu dysgu, ar eu hiechyd meddwl ac ar agweddau eraill ar eu hiechyd corfforol. Rwyf wir yn cefnogi y dull gofalus o lacio'r cyfyngiadau symud, a dull lle'r ydym ni'n parhau i ddilyn tystiolaeth a chyngor gwyddonol. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n bryderus iawn y bydd penderfyniadau yn y dyddiau nesaf i lacio cyfyngiadau eraill yn cael gwared ar yr hyblygrwydd hanfodol sydd ei angen i ddychwelyd plant i'r ysgol yn llawn. Pa sicrwydd all y Prif Weinidog ei roi y bydd sicrhau y gall pob plentyn ddychwelyd i'r ysgol ar 15 Ebrill ar ôl y Pasg yn parhau i fod yn brif flaenoriaeth iddo, a pha sicrwydd all ef ei roi y bydd yr angen i gynnal yr hyblygrwydd i blant ddychwelyd i'r ysgol yn gwbl ganolog i benderfyniadau yn y dyfodol ar lacio'r cyfyngiadau symud? Ac a gaf i ofyn hefyd pa un a yw'r Prif Weinidog yn bwriadu cyhoeddi asesiad o effaith ar hawliau plant wedi ei ddiweddaru er mwyn cyd-fynd â'r adolygiad diweddaraf o gyfyngiadau? Diolch.
Llywydd, I thank Lynne Neagle for that question, and for all the work that she has done in chairing the children and young persons committee at the Senedd, which has made such a contribution to the way in which we have been able to approach these challenging issues. The top priority for the Welsh Government remains to get our children and young people back into face-to-face education, doing it as quickly but as safely as we can, and that is why we have developed the step-by-step approach, because that is what the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, our own technical advisory cell group and the chief medical officer have always said to us. So, we already have around 30 per cent of children back in school as a result of the return of the foundation phase. On Monday of next week, we will return all primary age children to face-to-face education, examination students in secondary school, and she will have seen and welcomed, I know, the additional flexibilities that the education Minister has proposed for local education authorities and headteachers to bring more children back into school before the Easter holidays. We will look to use the headroom we have to restore some other aspects of Welsh life, but we always do that with a close attention to not doing anything that would impede our ability to return the whole of our children and young people to school immediately after the Easter holidays, and I can give her that assurance that that is always the lens through which we regard the other aspects that we do hope to be able to make some preliminary progress on after this Friday's review is concluded. In the meantime, we will publish all the impact assessments and supporting documents that we have developed over the last 12 months, as we complete this three-week review.
Llywydd, diolchaf i Lynne Neagle am y cwestiwn yna, ac am yr holl waith y mae hi wedi ei wneud yn cadeirio'r pwyllgor plant a phobl ifanc yn y Senedd, sydd wedi gwneud cymaint o gyfraniad at y ffordd yr ydym ni wedi gallu ymdrin â'r materion heriol hyn. Prif flaenoriaeth Llywodraeth Cymru o hyd yw cael ein plant a'n pobl ifanc yn ôl i addysg wyneb yn wyneb, ei wneud mor gyflym ond mor ddiogel ag y gallwn, a dyna pam yr ydym ni wedi datblygu'r dull cam wrth gam, oherwydd dyna y mae'r Grŵp Cynghori Gwyddonol ar Argyfyngau, ein grŵp cell cynghori technegol ein hunain a'r prif swyddog meddygol wedi ei ddweud wrthym ni o'r cychwyn. Felly, mae gennym ni tua 30 y cant o blant yn ôl yn yr ysgol eisoes o ganlyniad i ddychweliad y cyfnod sylfaen. Ddydd Llun yr wythnos nesaf, byddwn yn dychwelyd pob plentyn o oedran cynradd i addysg wyneb yn wyneb, myfyrwyr arholiad yn yr ysgol uwchradd, a bydd hi wedi gweld ac wedi croesawu, mi wn, yr hyblygrwydd ychwanegol y mae'r Gweinidog addysg wedi ei gynnig i awdurdodau addysg lleol a phenaethiaid ddod â mwy o blant yn ôl i'r ysgol cyn gwyliau'r Pasg. Byddwn yn ceisio defnyddio'r hyblygrwydd sydd gennym ni i ailgyflwyno rhai agweddau eraill ar fywyd Cymru, ond rydym ni bob amser yn gwneud hynny gan roi sylw manwl i beidio â gwneud dim a fyddai'n amharu ar ein gallu i ddychwelyd ein plant a'n pobl ifanc i gyd i'r ysgol yn syth ar ôl gwyliau'r Pasg, a gallaf roi'r sicrwydd hwnnw iddi mai dyna, bob amser, yw'r safbwynt sy'n sail i'n hystyriaeth o'r agweddau eraill yr ydym ni'n gobeithio gallu gwneud rhywfaint o gynnydd rhagarweiniol arnyn nhw ar ôl cwblhau adolygiad y dydd Gwener hwn. Yn y cyfamser, byddwn yn cyhoeddi'r holl asesiadau o effaith a'r dogfennau ategol yr ydym ni wedi eu datblygu yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, wrth i ni gwblhau'r adolygiad tair wythnos hwn.
7. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i ddiogelu ei buddsoddiad mewn prosiectau cyfalaf? OQ56426
7. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to protect its investment in capital projects? OQ56426
Llywydd, the Welsh Government makes every effort to maximise the value of its capital investments, in line with best practice for the stewardship of public money.
Llywydd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud pob ymdrech i sicrhau'r gwerth gorau posibl o'i buddsoddiadau cyfalaf, yn unol â'r arferion gorau ar gyfer stiwardiaeth arian cyhoeddus.
Thank you for that answer, First Minister. If Welsh Government hadn't just given Cardiff Airport a £42.6 million grant, it could have recruited 1,000 new NHS nurses and paid them for two years. Recently, the transport Minister blamed the COVID pandemic for the need to write off £40 million of debt that the airport owes to the Welsh taxpayer and award them this further eye-wateringly large grant, but it isn't COVID that is responsible for this, is it? Cardiff Airport has never made a profit under Government ownership, and in the year up to last March—when, according to Mr Skates, it had the highest passenger numbers ever going through the airport—it made its biggest loss ever, even when you take into account the one-off expenditure for that year. It's true that COVID has tipped all our airports into making a loss, but Cardiff was already making big losses before, losing the taxpayer £20 million a year. Passenger numbers aren't expected to recover to pre-COVID levels for more than three years, so, for the foreseeable future, you will have to grant Cardiff Airport at least £20 million a year, the same amount of money as a further year's salary for those 1,000 extra nurses you could have recruited instead. This isn't just a bad deal for north Wales, it's a bad deal for the entire country. Isn't it the case, First Minister, that you're keeping Cardiff Airport in public ownership for political reasons, because you're too embarrassed to admit that it's never going to be viable and you should never have invested a single penny of Welsh people's money into it in the first place? The latest bail-out for Cardiff Airport is so unsound commercially that even the Development Bank of Wales, which deliberately takes greater risk than the market, wouldn't have lent it any money. So, First Minister, is the sky the limit for the amount of good money after bad you're prepared to throw at Cardiff Airport, or will you now protect Welsh public money, stop funding the airport, and spend it on improving the Welsh NHS instead?
Diolch am yr ateb yna, Prif Weinidog. Pe na byddai Llywodraeth Cymru newydd roi grant o £42.6 miliwn i Faes Awyr Caerdydd, gallai fod wedi recriwtio 1,000 o nyrsys GIG newydd a'u talu nhw am ddwy flynedd. Yn ddiweddar, rhoddodd y Gweinidog trafnidiaeth y bai am yr angen i ddileu £40 miliwn o ddyled sy'n ddyledus i drethdalwyr Cymru gan y maes awyr a dyfarnu'r grant aruthrol o fawr hwn iddyn nhw ar bandemig COVID, ond nid COVID sy'n gyfrifol am hyn, nage? Nid yw Maes Awyr Caerdydd erioed wedi gwneud elw o dan berchnogaeth y Llywodraeth, ac yn y flwyddyn hyd at fis Mawrth diwethaf—pan roedd ganddo, yn ôl Mr Skates, y niferoedd uchaf o deithwyr erioed yn mynd drwy'r maes awyr—gwnaeth ei golled fwyaf erioed, hyd yn oed pan fyddwch chi'n cymryd y gwariant untro ar gyfer y flwyddyn honno i ystyriaeth. Mae'n wir bod COVID wedi gwthio ein holl feysydd awyr i wneud colled, ond roedd Caerdydd eisoes yn gwneud colledion mawr cynt, gan golli £20 miliwn y flwyddyn i'r trethdalwr. Ni ddisgwylir i niferoedd teithwyr ddychwelyd i lefelau cyn COVID am fwy na thair blynedd, felly, hyd y gellir rhagweld, bydd yn rhaid i chi roi o leiaf £20 miliwn y flwyddyn i Faes Awyr Caerdydd, yr un swm o arian â chyflog blwyddyn arall ar gyfer y 1,000 o nyrsys ychwanegol hynny y gallech chi fod wedi eu recriwtio yn hytrach na hynny. Nid bargen wael i'r gogledd yn unig yw hon, mae'n fargen wael i'r wlad gyfan. Onid yw'n wir, Prif Weinidog, eich bod chi'n cadw Maes Awyr Caerdydd mewn perchnogaeth gyhoeddus am resymau gwleidyddol, gan ei fod yn achosi gormod o gywilydd i chi gyfaddef na fydd byth yn hyfyw ac na ddylech chi fyth fod wedi buddsoddi yr un geiniog o arian pobl Cymru ynddo yn y lle cyntaf? Mae'r achubiad diweddaraf i Faes Awyr Caerdydd mor ddi-sail yn fasnachol fel na fyddai hyd yn oed Banc Datblygu Cymru, sy'n cymryd mwy o risg yn fwriadol na'r farchnad, wedi rhoi benthyg unrhyw arian iddo. Felly, Prif Weinidog, a oes terfyn i faint o arian da ar ôl drwg yr ydych chi'n barod i'w daflu at Faes Awyr Caerdydd, neu a wnewch chi ddiogelu arian cyhoeddus Cymru nawr, rhoi'r gorau i ariannu'r maes awyr, a'i wario ar wella GIG Cymru yn hytrach?
Llywydd, I don't share the Member's hostility to Cardiff Airport. Her account was as mistaken as it was lengthy. In fact, from top to bottom she misrepresents both the case for investment in Cardiff Airport, the success of that investment, and she is just—. It is just so basically mistaken to assert that the money that has been provided for Cardiff Airport could be used in the Welsh NHS. It's simply not available in that way, and the simplest—the simplest—understanding of how funding operates would have prevented her from making that mistake. Because it's not a mistake, is it? It's just a political assertion that she tries to make. She's wrong about the airport, she's wrong about the funding, and I don't think anybody who has the interests of Wales at heart would be prepared to follow her in the argument she's made.
Llywydd, nid wyf i'n rhannu gelyniaeth yr Aelod tuag at Faes Awyr Caerdydd. Roedd ei chrynodeb mor anghywir ag yr oedd yn hir. Yn wir, o'r brig i'r gwaelod mae'n camliwio'r achos dros fuddsoddi ym Maes Awyr Caerdydd, llwyddiant y buddsoddiad hwnnw, ac mae hi—. Mae'n gamliwiad mor sylfaenol i honni y gellid defnyddio'r arian a ddarparwyd ar gyfer Maes Awyr Caerdydd yn GIG Cymru. Nid yw ar gael yn y ffordd honno, a byddai'r ddealltwriaeth symlaf—symlaf—o sut y mae cyllid yn gweithio wedi ei hatal rhag gwneud y camgymeriad hwnnw. Oherwydd nid yw'n gamgymeriad, nac ydy? Mae'n haeriad gwleidyddol y mae hi'n ceisio ei wneud. Mae hi'n anghywir am y maes awyr, mae hi'n anghywir am y cyllid, ac nid wyf i'n meddwl y byddai unrhyw un sy'n angerddol am fuddiannau Cymru yn barod i'w dilyn yn y ddadl y mae hi wedi ei gwneud.
8. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am ddyfodol Maes Awyr Caerdydd? OQ56388
8. Will the First Minister make a statement on the future of Cardiff Airport? OQ56388
Ah, well, I thank Carwyn Jones for that question on Cardiff Airport. The global aviation industry has been catastrophically affected by the global pandemic. Here we have acted decisively to help secure Cardiff Airport's future, to ensure that it has a sustainable future and to protect the value of the public investment in the airport.
Ah, wel, diolchaf i Carwyn Jones am y cwestiwn yna am Faes Awyr Caerdydd. Mae'r pandemig byd-eang wedi cael effaith drychinebus ar y diwydiant hedfan byd-eang. Yma, rydym ni wedi gweithredu mewn modd pendant i helpu i sicrhau dyfodol Maes Awyr Caerdydd, i sicrhau bod ganddo ddyfodol cynaliadwy ac i ddiogelu gwerth y buddsoddiad cyhoeddus yn y maes awyr.
I thank the First Minister for his answer. I listened to the long question from Michelle Brown. The truth is, of course, that more than 5,000 jobs are dependent on Cardiff Airport, and Anglesey Airport's existence is dependent on Cardiff Airport, but, for Michelle Brown, these jobs are in the wrong part of Wales to be important, and that is the impression that I got. Cardiff Airport was doing very well indeed until the COVID outbreak.
But help me with this, if you would, First Minister. The Welsh Conservatives, through their Government in London, have provided help to airports in England, but they condemn our Welsh Government because it has provided help to our airports in Wales. Can you help me as to why they hold those double standards? Or is it because, deep within the psyche of the Conservative Party, woven into their DNA, together with their fellow travellers like Michelle Brown, there is a strong desire to see Wales fail?
Diolchaf i'r Prif Weinidog am ei ateb. Gwrandewais ar y cwestiwn hir gan Michelle Brown. Y gwir amdani, wrth gwrs, yw bod mwy na 5,000 o swyddi yn ddibynnol ar Faes Awyr Caerdydd, ac mae bodolaeth Maes Awyr Ynys Môn yn ddibynnol ar Faes Awyr Caerdydd, ond, i Michelle Brown, mae'r swyddi hyn yn y rhan anghywir o Gymru i fod yn bwysig, a dyna'r argraff a gefais i. Roedd Maes Awyr Caerdydd yn gwneud yn dda dros ben hyd at yr argyfwng COVID.
Ond helpwch fi gyda hyn, os gwnewch chi, Prif Weinidog. Mae'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, drwy eu Llywodraeth yn Llundain, wedi rhoi cymorth i feysydd awyr yn Lloegr, ond maen nhw'n condemnio ein Llywodraeth ni yng Nghymru gan ei bod hi wedi rhoi cymorth i'n meysydd awyr yng Nghymru. A allwch chi fy helpu i ynghylch pam mae ganddyn nhw'r safonau dwbl hynny? Neu a yw oherwydd, yn nwfn yn enaid y Blaid Geidwadol, yn rhan annatod o'u DNA, ynghyd â'u cyd-deithwyr fel Michelle Brown, bod awydd cryf i weld Cymru yn methu?
Well, Llywydd, the Scottish Government has provided help for Scottish airports, the Northern Ireland Executive has provided support to Belfast airport; the UK Government declined to provide support for Cardiff Airport. It provided support for Bristol Airport, which it had always told us was a direct competitor to Cardiff, the reason why it wasn't possible to devolve air passenger duty to Wales. The Welsh Government has stepped in to protect the national asset that is Cardiff Airport. As Carwyn Jones has said, Llywydd, the airport had been on a strongly improving trajectory as a result of the actions that he took when he was First Minister in making sure that the asset that Cardiff Airport has to be to the Welsh economy was preserved for Welsh people. The 5,000 jobs that depend upon the airport more generally, the 2,400 jobs that depend upon it directly—this Welsh Government will not turn our back on the impact that the pandemic has had upon the airport. We will support it, even when others don't.
Wel, Llywydd, mae Llywodraeth yr Alban wedi rhoi cymorth i feysydd awyr yr Alban, mae Gweithrediaeth Gogledd Iwerddon wedi rhoi cymorth i faes awyr Belfast; gwrthododd Llywodraeth y DU roi cymorth i Faes Awyr Caerdydd. Rhoddodd gymorth i Faes Awyr Bryste, yr oedd wedi dweud wrthym ni erioed ei fod yn gystadleuydd uniongyrchol i Gaerdydd, y rheswm pam nad oedd yn bosibl datganoli'r doll teithwyr awyr i Gymru. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi camu i mewn i ddiogelu ased cenedlaethol, sef Maes Awyr Caerdydd. Fel y mae Carwyn Jones wedi ei ddweud, Llywydd, roedd y maes awyr wedi bod ar lwybr o welliant cryf o ganlyniad i'r camau a gymerodd ef pan oedd yn Brif Weinidog i wneud yn siŵr bod yr ased y mae'n rhaid i Faes Awyr Caerdydd ei fod i economi Cymru yn cael ei gadw ar gyfer pobl Cymru. Y 5,000 o swyddi sy'n dibynnu ar y maes awyr yn fwy cyffredinol, y 2,400 o swyddi sy'n dibynnu arno yn uniongyrchol—ni fydd y Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru yn troi ein cefn ar yr effaith y mae'r pandemig wedi ei chael ar y maes awyr. Byddwn yn ei gefnogi, hyd yn oed pan na fydd eraill yn gwneud hynny.
Finally, question 9, Leanne Wood.
Yn olaf, cwestiwn 9, Leanne Wood.
9. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y cymorth a roddwyd i brosiect Rhondda Skyline? OQ56421
9. Will the First Minister provide an update on support for the Rhondda Skyline project? OQ56421
I thank the Member for that question. Llywydd, the foundational economy challenge fund has supported the Rhondda Skyline project to build on its feasibility study and explore establishing Wales's first landscape-scale, long-term, community land stewardship project around the town of Treherbert.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Llywydd, mae cronfa her yr economi sylfaenol wedi cefnogi prosiect Rhondda Skyline i adeiladu ar ei astudiaeth o ddichonoldeb ac ymchwilio i sefydlu prosiect stiwardiaeth tir cymunedol, hirdymor cyntaf Cymru ar raddfa tirwedd o amgylch tref Treherbert.
First Minister, when the Skyline project was first unveiled, it promised so much. As First Minister, you responded to a question I asked about creating jobs and opportunities in the Rhondda, arguing that the Skyline project was evidence that the Labour Party hadn't forgotten about the Rhondda. In October 2019, you said that you would be prepared to, and I quote:
'do whatever we can to help that very exciting project to come to fruition.'
Well, the project has been diluted from the community having control over a mooted 650 hectares, to now just 80 hectares, by your Government body, Natural Resources Wales, and as if this isn't disappointing enough, even this watered down, modest project has now been rejected out of hand due to NRW/Welsh Government technical internal issues. Similar schemes are run successfully in many countries around the world. There are more than 200 land-owning communities in Scotland doing exactly what the Skyline project wants to do, yet it seems that a model of community economic control of public forestry land cannot get off the ground properly here in Wales.
Why is the Labour-run Welsh Government unable to do this? Can you tell us what's gone wrong with this project?
Prif Weinidog, pan ddadorchuddiwyd prosiect Skyline am y tro cyntaf, roedd yn addo cymaint. Fel Prif Weinidog, fe wnaethoch chi ymateb i gwestiwn a ofynnais i am greu swyddi a chyfleoedd yn y Rhondda, gan ddadlau bod prosiect Skyline yn dystiolaeth nad oedd y Blaid Lafur wedi anghofio am y Rhondda. Ym mis Hydref 2019, fe wnaethoch chi ddweud y byddech chi'n barod i, ac rwy'n dyfynnu:
wneud beth bynnag a allwn ni i helpu'r prosiect cyffrous iawn hwnnw i ddwyn ffrwyth.
Wel, mae'r prosiect wedi'i wanhau o sefyllfa lle mae'r gymuned â rheolaeth dros 650 hectar fel y crybwyllwyd, i ddim ond 80 hectar erbyn hyn, gan gorff eich Llywodraeth chi, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, ac fel pe na byddai hyn yn ddigon siomedig, mae hyd yn oed y prosiect llawer llai, cymedrol, hwn wedi ei wrthod yn llwyr oherwydd materion technegol mewnol Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru/Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae cynlluniau tebyg yn cael eu rhedeg yn llwyddiannus mewn llawer o wledydd ledled y byd. Mae dros 200 o gymunedau sy'n berchen ar dir yn yr Alban yn gwneud yn union yr hyn y mae prosiect Skyline eisiau ei wneud, ac eto mae'n ymddangos na all model o reolaeth economaidd gymunedol ar dir coedwigaeth gyhoeddus ddechrau yn briodol yma yng Nghymru.
Pam nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru sy'n cael ei rhedeg gan Lafur yn gallu gwneud hyn? A allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni beth sydd wedi mynd o'i le gyda'r prosiect hwn?
Well, Llywydd, I'm disappointed to find the Member so keen to pronounce the end of the project. I met with senior officials on all of this yesterday morning. I can assure her that the discussions are not at an end. Discussions are taking place between NRW and the project. Those discussions do have to take into account the advice that NRW has had from the Wales Audit Office; she wouldn't expect them to do anything less. There is a further meeting planned today between NRW and the project. I think she's premature, Llywydd, and I think it doesn't help to rush to a conclusion in the way that she has.
I visited the Skyline project and was very impressed by the people I met and the plans that they had. I'm very glad that the Welsh Government has provided £95,000 through the foundational economy challenge fund to support the project, and I am optimistic that the discussions that continue between the project and NRW will find a way of realising the economic and social benefits that the project offers to people in that part of the Rhondda.
The Minister responsible, Lesley Griffiths, wrote to NRW in December, telling them that she wanted a future for the project that did exactly that, that allowed the full economic and social benefits that it offers to be realised, and I want those discussions to continue on that basis.
Wel, Llywydd, rwy'n siomedig o weld yr Aelod mor awyddus i gyhoeddi diwedd y prosiect. Fe gyfarfûm gydag uwch swyddogion ar hyn i gyd bore ddoe. Gallaf ei sicrhau hi nad yw'r trafodaethau ar ben. Mae trafodaethau'n cael eu cynnal rhwng Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'r prosiect. Mae'n rhaid i'r trafodaethau hynny ystyried y cyngor y mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi ei gael gan Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru; fyddai hi ddim yn disgwyl iddyn nhw wneud dim byd llai. Mae cyfarfod arall wedi'i gynllunio heddiw rhwng Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'r prosiect. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n gynamserol, Llywydd, ac rwy'n credu nad yw'n helpu i ruthro i gasgliad yn y ffordd y gwnaeth hi.
Ymwelais i â'r prosiect Skyline ac fe wnaeth y bobl y cyfarfûm â nhw a'r cynlluniau a oedd ganddyn nhw argraff fawr arnaf. Rwy'n falch iawn bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi darparu £95,000 drwy'r gronfa her economi sylfaenol i gefnogi'r prosiect, ac rwy'n obeithiol y bydd y trafodaethau sy'n parhau rhwng y prosiect a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn dod o hyd i ffordd o wireddu'r manteision economaidd a chymdeithasol y mae'r prosiect yn eu cynnig i bobl yn y rhan honno o'r Rhondda.
Ysgrifennodd y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol, Lesley Griffiths, at Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ym mis Rhagfyr, gan ddweud wrthyn nhw ei bod hi eisiau dyfodol i'r prosiect a fyddai'n gwneud hynny'n union, a fyddai'n caniatáu i'r manteision economaidd a chymdeithasol llawn y mae'n eu cynnig gael eu gwireddu, ac rwyf eisiau i'r trafodaethau hynny barhau ar y sail honno.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf felly yw'r cwestiynau i'r Dirprwy Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Mike Hedges.
The next item is questions to the Deputy Minister, and the first question is from Mike Hedges.
1. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i ddiogelu hawliau dynol pobl anabl? OQ56381
1. What action is the Welsh Government taking to protect the human rights of disabled people? OQ56381
Thank you very much for that question, Mike Hedges. The Welsh Government is committed to leading the way in eliminating discrimination towards disabled people. Our disability equality forum has led the way in highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people during the pandemic.
Diolch yn fawr am y cwestiwn hwnnw, Mike Hedges. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i arwain y ffordd o ran dileu gwahaniaethu tuag at bobl anabl. Mae ein fforwm cydraddoldeb i bobl anabl wedi arwain y ffordd o ran amlygu effaith COVID-19 ar bobl anabl yn ystod y pandemig.
I thank the Minister for that response. People with a disability, especially those with hidden disabilities like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, myalgic encephalomyelitis and deafness, often feel overlooked. What is the Welsh Government doing to ensure that more support can be given to people who have these types of disabilities to ensure they are not disadvantaged?
Diolch i'r Gweinidog am yr ymateb yna. Mae pobl ag anabledd, yn enwedig y rhai ag anableddau cudd fel arthritis, sglerosis ymledol, encephalomyelitis myalgic a byddardod, yn aml yn teimlo eu bod yn cael eu hanwybyddu. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i sicrhau y gellir rhoi mwy o gymorth i bobl sydd â'r mathau hyn o anableddau i sicrhau nad ydyn nhw o dan anfantais?
I recognise the significant challenges, as the Member said, that people living with conditions like MS, ME, arthritis and deafness face. And, also, the additional impact, of course, that COVID has had on carers, friends and families. I know the Member recognises the social model of disability, which the Welsh Government is committed to using, and it makes that important distinction between impairment and disability, recognising that people with impairments are disabled by barriers that commonly exist in society. And we also recognise that not all impairments, as you say, Mike Hedges, are visible, and that hidden impairments must be given the same weighting. And the social model does support those with a hidden disability.
I think it's important to recognise that, in our disability equality forum, we do have a broad membership, including the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, the Wales Council for Deaf People, the MS Society, as well as many other disabled organisations. And we've just employed a network of six disabled people as employment champions, who are going to be working with employers and recognising these hidden impairments, in terms of the barriers and the opportunities we have to overcome them.
Rwy'n cydnabod yr heriau sylweddol, fel y dywedodd yr Aelod, y mae pobl sy'n byw gyda chyflyrau fel MS, ME, arthritis a byddardod yn eu hwynebu. A hefyd, yr effaith ychwanegol, wrth gwrs, y mae COVID wedi'i chael ar ofalwyr, ffrindiau a theuluoedd. Rwy'n gwybod bod yr Aelod yn cydnabod y model cymdeithasol o anabledd, y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i'w ddefnyddio, ac mae'n gwneud y gwahaniaeth pwysig hwnnw rhwng nam ac anabledd, gan gydnabod bod pobl â namau yn cael eu hanalluogi gan rwystrau sy'n bodoli yn gyffredin mewn cymdeithas. Ac rydym ni hefyd yn cydnabod nad yw pob nam, fel y dywedwch chi, Mike Hedges, yn weladwy, a bod yn rhaid rhoi'r un pwysoliad i namau cudd. Ac mae'r model cymdeithasol yn cefnogi'r rhai hynny sydd ag anabledd cudd.
Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig cydnabod bod gennym ni, yn ein fforwm cydraddoldeb i bobl anabl, aelodaeth eang, gan gynnwys Sefydliad Cenedlaethol Brenhinol Pobl Fyddar, Cyngor Pobl Fyddar Cymru, y Gymdeithas MS, yn ogystal â llawer o sefydliadau anabledd eraill. Ac rydym ni newydd gyflogi rhwydwaith o chwech o bobl anabl fel hyrwyddwyr cyflogaeth, a fydd yn gweithio gyda chyflogwyr ac yn cydnabod y namau cudd hyn, o ran y rhwystrau a'r cyfleoedd sydd gennym ni i'w goresgyn.
2. A wnaiff y Dirprwy Weinidog ddatganiad am ymdrechion i atal caethwasiaeth fodern yng ngogledd Cymru? OQ56405
2. Will the Deputy Minister make a statement on efforts to prevent modern slavery in north Wales? OQ56405
I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for that question. We are determined to make all parts of Wales hostile to modern slavery. We are continuing to work with police and crime commissioners and our multi-agency partners in Wales, and across the UK, to protect vulnerable people, and to prevent and put an end to this heinous crime.
Diolch i Rhun ap Iorwerth am y cwestiwn yna. Rydym ni'n benderfynol o wneud pob rhan o Gymru yn elyniaethus i gaethwasiaeth fodern. Rydym yn parhau i weithio gyda chomisiynwyr yr heddlu a throseddu a'n partneriaid amlasiantaeth yng Nghymru, a ledled y DU, i amddiffyn pobl sy'n agored i niwed, ac i atal a rhoi terfyn ar y drosedd ffiaidd hon.
Diolch am yr ateb yna. Mi ges i gyfarfod yn ddiweddar efo Soroptimist International Ynys Môn, mudiad sy'n gwneud gwaith gwerthfawr iawn ym maes caethwasiaeth fodern a county lines, ac yn codi ymwybyddiaeth ac ati. Maen nhw'n poeni bod y pandemig wedi ei gwneud hi'n anoddach i adnabod caethwasiaeth fodern, efo dioddefwyr o bosibl yn fwy ynysig, wedi eu cuddio o'r golwg fwy, yn ystod cyfnodau clo. Mae yna berygl hefyd y gallai caledi economaidd yn sgil y pandemig roi mwy o bobl mewn sefyllfa fregus, lle y gallen nhw fod yn agored i gael eu hegsploitio. Ac mae yna hefyd bryder bod y ffaith bod ysgolion wedi cau yn ei gwneud hi'n anoddach i adnabod plant sydd wedi cael eu tynnu i mewn i county lines. Gaf i ofyn pa astudiaeth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei gwneud o effaith y pandemig ar gaethwasiaeth fodern, a pha fesurau sy'n cael eu rhoi mewn lle i helpu dioddefwyr ar un llaw, ac i atal y troseddwyr ar y llaw arall?
Thank you for that response. I had a meeting recently with Soroptimist International on Anglesey, an organisation doing very valuable work in the area of modern slavery and county lines, and raising awareness and so on. They are concerned that the pandemic has made it more difficult to identify modern slavery, with those suffering being more isolated and more hidden from sight during lockdown periods. There's also a risk that economic hardship, as a result of the pandemic, could place more people in a vulnerable position, where they could be open to exploitation. And there's also a concern that the fact that schools are closed makes it more difficult to identify children who've been drawn into county lines. So, can I ask what study the Welsh Government has made of the impact of the pandemic on modern slavery, and what measures are being put in place in order to help victims on the one hand, and to prevent criminals on the other?
I thank the Member for that important question. The fact that organisations like Soroptimist International are coming forward and taking this as an issue for which they're concerned and seeking evidence, and making representations to tackle modern slavery—. Of course, there is a cross-party group on human trafficking, chaired by Joyce Watson, who actually was also responsible for ensuring that we had the appointment of the Welsh Government anti-slavery co-ordinator. We're the first and only country in the UK to appoint an anti-slavery co-ordinator, even though, of course, not all of the consequences of slavery fall to the devolved Government.
But your points about identifying the impact of COVID, not just in terms of people not coming forward, but identifying victims and awareness raising are crucially important, and we do work closely with key agencies across north Wales. And I think you make also an important point in terms of the issues around county lines. So, we're working with our partners to tackle slavery in county-lines-related crime, to safeguard vulnerable people from becoming victims of exploitation. So, our Welsh Government anti-slavery co-ordinator is working very closely with key agencies in Wales to determine scale, types and location of slavery, and also improving intelligence and recording of incidents in Wales, using the national referral mechanism, NRM, to increase cases within the criminal justice system.
Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn pwysig yna. Mae'r ffaith fod sefydliadau fel Soroptimist International yn dod ymlaen ac yn cymryd hwn fel mater y maen nhw yn pryderu amdano ac yn ceisio tystiolaeth ar ei gyfer, ac yn cyflwyno sylwadau i fynd i'r afael â chaethwasiaeth fodern—. Wrth gwrs, mae grŵp trawsbleidiol ar fasnachu pobl, o dan gadeiryddiaeth Joyce Watson, a oedd hefyd mewn gwirionedd yn gyfrifol am sicrhau ein bod yn penodi cydgysylltydd gwrth-gaethwasiaeth Llywodraeth Cymru. Ni yw'r wlad gyntaf a'r unig wlad yn y DU i benodi cydgysylltydd gwrth-gaethwasiaeth, er, wrth gwrs, nad y Llywodraeth ddatganoledig sy'n gyfrifol am holl ganlyniadau caethwasiaeth.
Ond mae eich pwyntiau am nodi effaith COVID, nid yn unig o ran pobl ddim yn dod ymlaen, ond o ran nodi dioddefwyr a chodi ymwybyddiaeth, yn hollbwysig, ac rydym ni'n gweithio'n agos gydag asiantaethau allweddol ledled y gogledd. Ac rwy'n credu eich bod chi hefyd yn gwneud pwynt pwysig o ran y materion sy'n ymwneud â llinellau cyffuriau. Felly, rydym ni'n gweithio gyda'n partneriaid i fynd i'r afael â chaethwasiaeth mewn troseddau sy'n gysylltiedig â llinellau cyffuriau, er mwyn diogelu pobl sy'n agored i niwed rhag dioddef camfanteisio. Felly, mae cydgysylltydd gwrth-gaethwasiaeth Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio'n agos iawn gydag asiantaethau allweddol yng Nghymru i bennu graddfa, mathau a lleoliad caethwasiaeth, a hefyd i wella gwybodaeth a chofnodi digwyddiadau yng Nghymru, gan ddefnyddio'r dull atgyfeirio cenedlaethol, y Mecanwaith Atgyfeirio Cenedlaethol, i gynyddu achosion o fewn y system cyfiawnder troseddol.
Tynnwyd cwestiwn 3 [OQ56396] yn ôl. Cwestiwn 4, Nick Ramsay. Cwestiwn 4, Nick Ramsay.
Question 3 [OQ56396] is withdrawn. Question 4, Nick Ramsay. Question 4, Nick Ramsay.
Question 4, Nick Ramsay. Am I being heard? Yes, I'm being heard. Nick Ramsay has just disappeared from my screen. No, Nick Ramsay is on my screen. Right, I'm going to move on.
Cwestiwn 4, Nick Ramsay. Ydw i'n cael fy nglywed? Ydw, rwy'n cael fy nglywed. Mae Nick Ramsay newydd ddiflannu o'm sgrin. Na, mae Nick Ramsay ar fy sgrin. Iawn, rwy'n mynd i symud ymlaen.
Cwestiwn 5, Helen Mary Jones.
Question 5, Helen Mary Jones.
5. A wnaiff y Dirprwy Weinidog ddatganiad am gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i'r trydydd sector yng Nghanolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru? OQ56413
5. Will the Deputy Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for the third sector in Mid and West Wales? OQ56413
Thank you, Helen Mary Jones, for that question. The Welsh Government provides core funding for the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and county voluntary councils to enable them to support local voluntary organisations and volunteering groups across Wales, and we've provided £4 million via our third sector COVID response fund to the third sector in Mid and West Wales.
Diolch, Helen Mary Jones, am y cwestiwn yna. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn darparu cyllid craidd ar gyfer Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru a chynghorau gwirfoddol sirol i'w galluogi i gefnogi mudiadau gwirfoddol lleol a grwpiau gwirfoddoli ledled Cymru, ac rydym ni wedi darparu £4 miliwn drwy ein cronfa ymateb COVID trydydd sector i'r trydydd sector yn y canolbarth a'r gorllewin.
I'm grateful to the Deputy Minister for her answer. The Deputy Minister will be aware that in recent years many third sector organisations, and Connecting Youth, Children and Adults in Llanelli, in my region, being one, have been diversifying and trying to make their operations more commercial. For example, in CYCA, they've been trying to let out office space for hot desking, that kind of thing. Now, with the impact of the COVID crisis, these attempts to become more commercial are under threat, they've become more difficult, they may have to be refocused. Can the Deputy Minister tell us this afternoon what support the Welsh Government is able to provide to those kinds of third sector organisations whose incomes have been impacted in the medium term?
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Dirprwy Weinidog am ei hateb. Bydd y Dirprwy Weinidog yn ymwybodol bod llawer o sefydliadau'r trydydd sector yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ac mae Cysylltu Ieuenctid, Plant ac Oedolion yn Llanelli, yn fy rhanbarth i, yn un, wedi bod yn arallgyfeirio ac yn ceisio gwneud eu gweithrediadau yn fwy masnachol. Er enghraifft, yn CYCA, maen nhw wedi bod yn ceisio gosod man swyddfa ar gyfer desgiau poeth, y math yna o beth. Nawr, gydag effaith argyfwng COVID, mae'r ymdrechion hyn i ddod yn fwy masnachol o dan fygythiad, maen nhw wedi mynd yn anoddach, efallai y bydd yn rhaid cael pwyslais gwahanol. A all y Dirprwy Weinidog ddweud wrthym ni y prynhawn yma pa gymorth y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei roi i'r mathau hynny o sefydliadau trydydd sector y mae eu hincwm wedi ei effeithio yn y tymor canolig?
That's a very important question in terms of the pressures on the voluntary sector during the pandemic and the fact they've had to diversify, and many have diversified in order to respond to the pandemic in different ways. I do remember, of course, visiting the CYCA project myself in past times and seeing the good work that they've undertaken.
Of course, back in April of last year, while responding to the pandemic, I did issue this £24 million package of support for Wales's third sector, and the important point about the package was that it was about emergency response, but it was also about resilience, responding to the pandemic and recognising the need to support those that were diversifying. So, I think the coronavirus recovery grant for volunteering was crucially important in terms of meeting those new needs, but also to recognise it was a recovery for the voluntary services funding, which is now £7.5 million, focusing on reducing inequalities across society and resources for change and development, including also infrastructure support, as well as the Welsh Revitalising Trusts, rebuilding after coronavirus. And this is where we can also ensure that third sector organisations can access other sources of support. So, it's resilience, it's emergency funding and it's recovery to support these organisations.
Mae hwnna'n gwestiwn pwysig iawn o ran y pwysau ar y sector gwirfoddol yn ystod y pandemig a'r ffaith ei fod wedi gorfod arallgyfeirio, ac mae llawer wedi arallgyfeirio er mwyn ymateb i'r pandemig mewn gwahanol ffyrdd. Rwy'n cofio, wrth gwrs, ymweld â phrosiect CYCA fy hun yn y gorffennol a gweld y gwaith da y maen nhw wedi ei wneud.
Wrth gwrs, yn ôl ym mis Ebrill y llynedd, wrth ymateb i'r pandemig, cyhoeddais y pecyn cymorth hwn gwerth £24 miliwn i drydydd sector Cymru, a'r pwynt pwysig am y pecyn oedd ei fod yn ymwneud ag ymateb brys, ond roedd hefyd yn ymwneud â chadernid, ymateb i'r pandemig a chydnabod yr angen i gefnogi'r rhai a oedd yn arallgyfeirio. Felly, rwy'n credu bod y grant adfer ar gyfer gwirfoddoli yn sgil y coronafeirws yn hollbwysig o ran diwallu'r anghenion newydd hynny, ond hefyd i gydnabod ei fod yn adferiad i gyllid y gwasanaethau gwirfoddol, sydd bellach yn £7.5 miliwn, gan ganolbwyntio ar leihau anghydraddoldebau ar draws cymdeithas ac adnoddau ar gyfer newid a datblygu, gan gynnwys hefyd cymorth seilwaith, yn ogystal ag Ymddiriedolaethau Adfywio Cymru, ailadeiladu ar ôl coronafeirws. A dyma lle gallwn ni hefyd sicrhau bod sefydliadau'r trydydd sector yn gallu cael gafael ar ffynonellau cymorth eraill. Felly, mae'n gadernid, mae'n gyllid brys ac mae'n adferiad i gefnogi'r sefydliadau hyn.
Cwestiwn 6, Janet Finch-Saunders. Cwestiwn 6, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Question 6, Janet Finch-Saunders. Question 6, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Calling Llandudno bay. Janet Finch-Saunders, can you hear me? I can see you, Janet Finch-Saunders. Are you listening? No.
Galw bae Llandudno. Janet Finch-Saunders, a allwch chi fy nghlywed i? Rwy'n gallu eich gweld chi, Janet Finch-Saunders. Ydych chi'n gwrando? Na.
Nick Ramsay, cwestiwn 4.
Nick Ramsay, question 4.
Can you hear me now?
Ydych chi'n gallu fy nghlywed i nawr?
Yes.
Ydw.
Good. I'm not sure what is going on. [Laughter.] Gremlins in the system. Okay.
Da iawn. Dydw i ddim yn siŵr beth sy'n digwydd. [Chwerthin.] Gremlins yn y system. Iawn.
4. A wnaiff y Dirprwy Weinidog amlinellu cyfraniad y sector gwirfoddol a gwirfoddoli yn ystod y pandemig? OQ56401
4. Will the Deputy Minister outline the contribution of the voluntary sector and volunteering during the pandemic? OQ56401
Thank you very much, Nick Ramsay. Of course, the voluntary sector in Wales has played, as I said, a significant and crucial role in our efforts to fight the pandemic. It's about delivering key services, co-ordinating local support and helping to support our dedicated and compassionate volunteers. I'm sure you would join me, and all of us today, in saying a huge 'thank you' to all our volunteers and voluntary sector organisations.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Nick Ramsay. Wrth gwrs, mae'r sector gwirfoddol yng Nghymru wedi chwarae rhan bwysig a hanfodol yn ein hymdrechion i ymladd y pandemig, fel y dywedais i. Mae'n ymwneud â darparu gwasanaethau allweddol, cydgysylltu cefnogaeth leol a helpu i gefnogi ein gwirfoddolwyr ymroddedig a thosturiol. Rwy'n siŵr y byddech chi'n ymuno â mi, a phob un ohonom ni heddiw, i ddweud 'diolch' enfawr i'n holl wirfoddolwyr a sefydliadau'r sector gwirfoddol.
Diolch, Deputy Minister, I would agree with that. Throughout Wales we've seen acts of true heroism, with people getting involved in their local communities, supporting those who have been lonely and isolated. According to Age Cymru, loneliness and isolation are a daily reality for many older people: 75,000 older people in Wales have reported always or often feeling lonely. I've raised the issue of rural loneliness before, Deputy Minister. I wonder what discussions you might have had or could have with the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to discuss how that particular aspect of loneliness in rural areas can be dealt with, and how the volunteering sector can assist in providing support.
Diolch, Dirprwy Weinidog, fe fyddwn i'n cytuno â hynny. Ledled Cymru rydym ni wedi gweld gweithredoedd o wir arwriaeth, gyda phobl yn cymryd rhan yn eu cymunedau lleol, yn cefnogi'r rhai sydd wedi bod yn unig ac yn ynysig. Yn ôl Age Cymru, mae unigrwydd ac arwahanrwydd yn realiti dyddiol i lawer o bobl hŷn: mae 75,000 o bobl hŷn yng Nghymru wedi dweud eu bod bob amser neu yn aml yn teimlo'n unig. Rwyf wedi codi mater unigrwydd gwledig o'r blaen, Dirprwy Weinidog. Tybed pa drafodaethau y gallech chi fod wedi eu cael neu y gallech chi eu cael gyda Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig i drafod sut y gellir ymdrin â'r agwedd benodol honno ar unigrwydd mewn ardaloedd gwledig, a sut y gall y sector gwirfoddoli helpu i ddarparu cymorth.
Well, Nick Ramsay raises a very important issue in relation to the services that are provided by the voluntary sector, but the new needs, if you like, that have arisen. There have always been needs in terms of particular pressures and issues in rural areas, but you're also focusing on loneliness and isolation. I think that's where the third sector and voluntary sector have really risen to the occasion, because we do have our county voluntary councils across the whole of Wales in every county, and they are, particularly in the rural areas—the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations, of course, covering Monmouthshire—looking at those particular needs. Many also have their older people's forums looking at these issues relating to isolation and loneliness.
I would say this is a cross-Government issue, and so, yes, in terms of the rural issues, it is a matter to share and work on with the Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs, but it's also very much the responsibility of the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan, who obviously has taken a key role in working with the Older People's Commissioner for Wales, older people's organisations, particularly as a result of the pandemic, to look at ways in which we can reach out and relieve that loneliness and isolation. But it is about how we can ensure that the third sector has the resource and the support, particularly, in terms of volunteering, Age Cymru, Age Connect Wales, to make those befriending organisational links that are so important to older people.
Wel, mae Nick Ramsay yn codi mater pwysig iawn ynglŷn â'r gwasanaethau a ddarperir gan y sector gwirfoddol, ond yr anghenion newydd, os mynnwch chi, sydd wedi codi. Bu anghenion erioed o ran pwysau a materion penodol mewn ardaloedd gwledig, ond rydych chi hefyd yn canolbwyntio ar unigrwydd ac arwahanrwydd. Rwy'n credu mai dyna ble mae'r trydydd sector a'r sector gwirfoddol wedi ymateb yn dda i'r sefyllfa mewn gwirionedd, oherwydd mae gennym ein cynghorau gwirfoddol sirol ledled Cymru ym mhob sir, ac maen nhw, yn enwedig yn yr ardaloedd gwledig—Cymdeithas Mudiadau Gwirfoddol Gwent, wrth gwrs, yn cwmpasu sir Fynwy—yn edrych ar yr anghenion penodol hynny. Mae gan lawer hefyd eu fforymau pobl hŷn sy'n edrych ar y materion hyn sy'n ymwneud ag arwahanrwydd ac unigrwydd.
Byddwn i'n dweud bod hwn yn fater traws-Lywodraethol, ac felly, ie, o ran y materion gwledig, mae'n fater i'w rannu a gweithio arno gyda Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd a Materion Gwledig, ond mae hefyd yn sicr yn gyfrifoldeb i'r Dirprwy Weinidog dros Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, Julie Morgan, sy'n amlwg wedi ymarfer swyddogaeth allweddol wrth weithio gyda Chomisiynydd Pobl Hŷn Cymru, sefydliadau pobl hŷn, yn enwedig o ganlyniad i'r pandemig, i edrych ar ffyrdd y gallwn ni estyn allan a lliniaru'r unigrwydd a'r arwahanrwydd hwnnw. Ond mae'n ymwneud â sut y gallwn ni sicrhau bod gan y trydydd sector yr adnoddau a'r cymorth, yn enwedig, o ran gwirfoddoli, Age Cymru, Cyswllt Oedran Cymru, i wneud y cysylltiadau sefydliadol cyfeillio hynny sydd mor bwysig i bobl hŷn.
Let's try again: question 6, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Beth am i ni roi cynnig arall arni: cwestiwn 6, Janet Finch-Saunders.
6. A wnaiff y Dirprwy Weinidog ddatganiad am ddiogelu hawliau dynol pobl hŷn yng Nghymru? OQ56424
6. Will the Deputy Minister make a statement on protecting the human rights of older people in Wales? OQ56424
Thank you, Janet Finch-Saunders. The Welsh Government is committed to upholding and protecting the rights of older people in Wales. Throughout the pandemic, we've worked with the older people’s commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission Cymru and Age Cymru to monitor its impact on older people’s rights and take appropriate action.
Diolch, Janet Finch-Saunders. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i gynnal a diogelu hawliau pobl hŷn yng Nghymru. Trwy gydol y pandemig, rydym ni wedi gweithio gyda'r comisiynydd pobl hŷn, Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol Cymru ac Age Cymru i fonitro ei effaith ar hawliau pobl hŷn a chymryd camau priodol.
Yes, and I would implore you as the Welsh Government to listen to Helena Herklots, our outstanding older people's commissioner. In her manifesto for 2021, she has set out the action that's needed immediately and in the longer term to ensure that older people are not left behind. This includes putting the right legal framework in place to protect and promote older people's rights, so it should come as no surprise to you that I was delighted to read the commissioner's calls for an older people's rights (Wales) Act, which would enshrine the United Nations principles for older persons in domestic law to protect and promote older people's rights in the delivery of all public services. Last year, we called for legislation to protect and promote the rights of older people in Wales, so I'm really supportive of the commissioner's legislative calls. Will you support those calls? Diolch.
Ydych, a byddwn i yn erfyn arnoch chi fel Llywodraeth Cymru i wrando ar Helena Herklots, ein comisiynydd pobl hŷn eithriadol. Yn ei maniffesto ar gyfer 2021, mae hi wedi nodi'r camau y mae eu hangen ar unwaith ac yn y tymor hwy i sicrhau nad yw pobl hŷn yn cael eu gadael ar ôl. Mae hyn yn cynnwys rhoi'r fframwaith cyfreithiol cywir ar waith i ddiogelu a hybu hawliau pobl hŷn, felly ni ddylai fod yn syndod o gwbl i chi fy mod i wrth fy modd yn darllen galwadau'r comisiynydd am Ddeddf hawliau pobl hŷn (Cymru), a fyddai'n ymgorffori egwyddorion y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar gyfer pobl hŷn yn y gyfraith ddomestig i ddiogelu a hybu hawliau pobl hŷn wrth ddarparu pob gwasanaeth cyhoeddus. Y llynedd, fe wnaethom ni alw am ddeddfwriaeth i ddiogelu a hybu hawliau pobl hŷn yng Nghymru, felly rwy'n gefnogol iawn i alwadau'r comisiynydd am ddeddfwriaeth. A fyddwch chi'n cefnogi'r galwadau hynny? Diolch.
Diolch, Janet Finch-Saunders. Of course, as you know, we've got a long and proud history of supporting older people's rights. We were the first UK nation to establish an older people's commissioner, and those older people's commissioners over the years—including, of course, Helena now—have played such an important role in advocating and championing older people. We invest £1.5 million a year to support the role of the older people's commissioner. But, throughout the pandemic in particular, we've worked with the older people's commissioner, the Equality and Human Rights Commission Cymru and Age Cymru to monitor the impact on older people’s rights. The older people's commissioner does hold weekly meetings with the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, and the dialogue, of course, is about how we can protect the rights of older people, and you will be very much aware of the recent publication of 'Protecting our Health', the chief medical officer's special report on the pandemic. That has also drawn attention to all intergenerational needs, and we have our public consultation on a new strategy for older people. The UN principles for older persons have informed the development of this strategy, and that's very much based on our commitment to ensuring that we reject ageism and age discrimination.
But I think, finally, Janet Finch-Saunders, you will be pleased to hear that we're awaiting the outcome of the final report on our research into advancing equality and strengthening human rights, which is looking at ways in which we should consider whether we should have legislation to incorporate UN conventions into Welsh legislation. That research, which has been undertaken by Swansea and Bangor universities with Diverse Cymru, is due to be published before the end of this Senedd and, I know, will inform us in terms of taking this forward.
Diolch, Janet Finch-Saunders. Wrth gwrs, fel y gwyddoch chi, mae gennym ni hanes hir a balch o gefnogi hawliau pobl hŷn. Ni oedd y wlad gyntaf yn y DU i sefydlu comisiynydd pobl hŷn, ac mae'r comisiynwyr pobl hŷn hynny dros y blynyddoedd—gan gynnwys Helena yn awr, wrth gwrs—wedi chwarae rhan mor bwysig wrth eirioli a hyrwyddo pobl hŷn. Rydym ni'n buddsoddi £1.5 miliwn y flwyddyn i gefnogi swydd y comisiynydd pobl hŷn. Ond, trwy gydol y pandemig yn arbennig, rydym ni wedi gweithio gyda'r comisiynydd pobl hŷn, Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol Cymru ac Age Cymru i fonitro'r effaith ar hawliau pobl hŷn. Mae'r comisiynydd pobl hŷn yn cynnal cyfarfodydd wythnosol gyda'r Dirprwy Weinidog dros Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, ac mae'r ddeialog, wrth gwrs, yn ymwneud â sut y gallwn ni ddiogelu hawliau pobl hŷn, ac fe fyddwch chi'n ymwybodol iawn o gyhoeddi 'Diogelu ein Hiechyd' yn ddiweddar, adroddiad arbennig y prif swyddog meddygol ar y pandemig. Mae hyn hefyd wedi tynnu sylw at yr holl anghenion sy'n pontio'r cenedlaethau, ac mae gennym ni ein hymgynghoriad cyhoeddus ar strategaeth newydd ar gyfer pobl hŷn. Mae egwyddorion y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar gyfer pobl hŷn wedi llywio'r gwaith o ddatblygu'r strategaeth hon, ac mae hynny'n seiliedig i raddau helaeth ar ein hymrwymiad i sicrhau ein bod yn gwrthod rhagfarn a gwahaniaethu ar sail oedran.
Ond rwy'n credu, yn olaf, Janet Finch-Saunders, y byddwch chi'n falch o glywed ein bod ni'n disgwyl canlyniad yr adroddiad terfynol ar ein hymchwil i hybu cydraddoldeb a chryfhau hawliau dynol, sy'n edrych ar ffyrdd y dylem ni eu defnyddio i ystyried pa un a ddylem ni gael deddfwriaeth i ymgorffori confensiynau'r Cenhedloedd Unedig yn neddfwriaeth Cymru. Mae'r ymchwil hwnnw, sydd wedi ei gynnal gan brifysgolion Abertawe a Bangor gyda Diverse Cymru, i fod i gael ei gyhoeddi cyn diwedd y Senedd hon ac, rwy'n gwybod, y bydd yn ein llywio o ran bwrw ymlaen â hyn.
Diolch i'r Dirprwy Weinidog.
Thank you, Deputy Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf yw'r datganiad 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 the statement. Rebecca Evans.
Diolch, Llywydd. There is one change to this week's business. The debate on the four sets of climate change regulations has been postponed until next week. Draft business for the remaining two weeks of term is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae un newid i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Mae'r ddadl ar y pedair set o reoliadau newid hinsawdd wedi'i gohirio tan yr wythnos nesaf. Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y pythefnos sydd ar ôl o'r tymor 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.
I call for a single Welsh Government statement on support for Llangollen railway. The directors of this wonderful Welsh standard-gauge heritage railway announced last week that they've taken the reluctant step of inviting their bank to appoint a receiver. The trust board stated it will,
'need to take steps to negotiate with the receiver to try to secure the line and preserve rolling stock and infrastructure to the extent possible. It is intended to recommence operations in due course but this is dependent upon legal and regulatory approvals, including licensing, all of which will clearly take time.'
The impact this will have on their staff, volunteers, customers, suppliers, locomotive owners and their organisations, and anyone else with connections to the railway, is potentially serious, as is the potential wider impact on the visitor economy in Llangollen and throughout the Dee valley. I have therefore been asked to raise this in the Welsh Parliament and alert the First Minister and request a Welsh Government statement accordingly.
Rwy'n galw am un datganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar gefnogaeth i reilffordd Llangollen. Cyhoeddodd cyfarwyddwyr y rheilffordd treftadaeth wych hon yr wythnos diwethaf eu bod, yn anfoddog, wedi cymryd y cam o wahodd eu banc i benodi derbynnydd. Dywedodd bwrdd yr ymddiriedolaeth y bydd
angen cymryd camau i drafod gyda'r derbynnydd er mwyn ceisio sicrhau'r rheilffordd a chadw cerbydau a seilwaith gyhyd â phosibl. Bwriedir ailddechrau gweithredu maes o law ond mae hyn yn dibynnu ar gymeradwyaethau cyfreithiol a rheoliadol, gan gynnwys trwyddedu, a bydd pob un ohonynt yn amlwg yn cymryd amser.
Gallai effaith hyn ar eu staff, gwirfoddolwyr, cwsmeriaid, cyflenwyr, perchnogion locomotifau a'u sefydliadau, ac unrhyw un arall sydd â chysylltiadau â'r rheilffordd, fod yn ddifrifol, yn ogystal â'r effaith ehangach bosibl ar yr economi ymwelwyr yn Llangollen a ledled dyffryn Dyfrdwy. Felly, gofynnwyd imi godi hyn yn Senedd Cymru a rhybuddio'r Prif Weinidog a gofyn am ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn unol â hynny.
I'm grateful to Mark Isherwood for raising the Llangollen railway in the Chamber this afternoon, and it is absolutely, as he describes, a concerning situation. I will invite him to write to the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism in the first instance, who I know will discuss this matter with the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, to provide a written update on the situation to Mark Isherwood, bearing in mind that we now only have the two weeks of business in the Chamber that remain to us.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i Mark Isherwood am godi mater rheilffordd Llangollen yn y Siambr y prynhawn yma, ac mae'n sefyllfa sy'n peri pryder, fel y mae'n ei disgrifio. Rwy'n ei wahodd i ysgrifennu at y Dirprwy Weinidog Diwylliant, Chwaraeon a Thwristiaeth yn y lle cyntaf, ac rwy'n gwybod y bydd ef yn trafod y mater hwn gyda Gweinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a'r Gogledd, i roi'r wybodaeth ysgrifenedig ddiweddaraf ynghylch y sefyllfa i Mark Isherwood, o gofio mai dim ond pythefnos o fusnes sydd ar ôl gennym ni nawr yn y Siambr.
I'd like to ask for two statements today, Trefnydd, if I may. May I request a written statement from the education Minister on whether she would consider a Wales-wide extension on school consultations that have been taking place under pandemic circumstances? I know this is an issue for many communities in my region, in Powys particularly, and in Carmarthenshire. Following recent revision of Welsh Government guidelines to local authorities, Carmarthenshire County Council's executive board decided last week to extend consultations on four different proposals, including the proposals with regard to Ysgol Mynyddygarreg, until 16 July. I would appreciate an update from the Minister as to whether she feels that, given how difficult it has been for communities to organise and respond to consultations during the pandemic, it would be appropriate to have a national extension on these consultations.
I would further like to ask the Trefnydd for a statement on the situation at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea. The Trefnydd will be very aware, I'm sure, that workers are considering strike action because of working conditions there. They do not feel safe. Now, obviously, the DVLA itself is not devolved, but the Welsh Government does have responsibility for enforcing safe working practices. Could I ask the Trefnydd for a statement from the appropriate Welsh Minister to outline what further the Welsh Government can do to help those workers, many of whom, of course, live in Llanelli, in my region? And would she be prepared to join me today in sending a message of solidarity to those workers as they consider whether or not they must take industrial action, as I, as a Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd, am happy to do?
Hoffwn i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad heddiw, Trefnydd, os caf i. A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad ysgrifenedig gan y Gweinidog Addysg ynghylch a fyddai'n ystyried estyniad i Gymru gyfan ar ymgynghoriadau ysgolion sydd wedi bod yn digwydd dan amgylchiadau pandemig? Rwy'n gwybod bod hyn yn broblem i lawer o gymunedau yn fy rhanbarth i, ym Mhowys yn arbennig, ac yn sir Gaerfyrddin. Yn dilyn adolygiad diweddar o ganllawiau Llywodraeth Cymru i awdurdodau lleol, penderfynodd bwrdd gweithredol Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin yr wythnos diwethaf i ymestyn ymgynghoriadau ar bedwar cynnig gwahanol, gan gynnwys y cynigion o ran Ysgol Mynyddygarreg, tan 16 Gorffennaf. Byddwn i'n gwerthfawrogi cael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan y Gweinidog ynghylch a yw'n teimlo, o ystyried pa mor anodd y bu i gymunedau drefnu ac ymateb i ymgynghoriadau yn ystod y pandemig, y byddai'n briodol cael estyniad cenedlaethol ar yr ymgynghoriadau hyn.
Hoffwn i ofyn ymhellach i'r Trefnydd am ddatganiad ynghylch y sefyllfa yn yr Asiantaeth Trwyddedu Gyrwyr a Cherbydau yn Abertawe. Bydd y Trefnydd yn ymwybodol iawn, rwy'n siŵr, bod gweithwyr yn ystyried streicio oherwydd yr amodau gwaith yno. Nid ydyn nhw'n teimlo'n ddiogel. Nawr, yn amlwg, nid yw'r DVLA ei hun wedi'i ddatganoli, ond Llywodraeth Cymru sy'n gyfrifol am orfodi arferion gweithio diogel. A gaf i ofyn i'r Trefnydd am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog Cymru priodol i amlinellu beth arall y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud i helpu'r gweithwyr hynny, y mae llawer ohonyn nhw, wrth gwrs, yn byw yn Llanelli, yn fy rhanbarth i? Ac a fyddai hi'n barod i ymuno â mi heddiw i anfon neges o undod i'r gweithwyr hynny wrth iddyn nhw ystyried a oes raid iddynt gymryd camau diwydiannol ai peidio, fel yr wyf fi, fel Aelod Plaid Cymru o'r Senedd, yn hapus i'w wneud?
Again, I'm grateful to Helen Mary Jones for raising two important issues this afternoon. I know that the Minister for Education will have listened carefully to the request for a Wales-wide extension in respect of consultations and the examples that you've given about the extensions of three such consultations in Carmarthenshire. She'll give due consideration to that request, I'm very sure.
On the matter of the DVLA, clearly it is a matter of huge concern to us that people don't feel safe in the workplace, and you'll be aware of the representations that the Welsh Government has made in support of the workforce there at the DVLA in the period leading up to now, and of course we continue to support those workers. Welsh Government has put into law measures to keep people safe in the workplace, but, clearly, those measures do need to be implemented, then, by the employers. So, I'd be very happy to provide that update to the Senedd via my colleague the Minister for the economy, in terms of the support that we've been able to offer DVLA workers so far and the representations that we've been making on their behalf to ensure that they are safe in the workplace.FootnoteLink
Unwaith eto, rwy'n ddiolchgar i Helen Mary Jones am godi dau fater pwysig y prynhawn yma. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd y Gweinidog Addysg wedi gwrando'n astud ar y cais am estyniad i Gymru gyfan o ran ymgynghoriadau a'r enghreifftiau yr ydych chi wedi'u rhoi ynghylch ymestyn tri ymgynghoriad o'r fath yn sir Caerfyrddin. Bydd hi'n rhoi ystyriaeth briodol i'r cais hwnnw, rwy'n siŵr iawn.
O ran mater y DVLA, mae'n amlwg ei fod yn destun pryder mawr i ni nad yw pobl yn teimlo'n ddiogel yn y gweithle, a byddwch chi'n ymwybodol o'r sylwadau a wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi'r gweithlu yno yn y DVLA yn y cyfnod yn arwain at nawr, ac wrth gwrs rydym ni'n parhau i gefnogi'r gweithwyr hynny. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhoi mesurau cyfreithiol ar waith i gadw pobl yn ddiogel yn y gweithle, ond, yn amlwg, mae angen i'r mesurau hynny gael eu gweithredu, wedyn, gan y cyflogwyr. Felly, byddwn i'n hapus iawn i ddarparu'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf honno i'r Senedd drwy fy nghydweithiwr, Gweinidog yr Economi, o ran y gefnogaeth yr ydym ni wedi gallu ei chynnig i weithwyr DVLA hyd yma a'r sylwadau yr ydym ni wedi bod yn eu cyflwyno ar eu rhan i sicrhau eu bod yn ddiogel yn y gweithle.FootnoteLink
I just wondered if we could have some clarity over the relevance of the consultation by the Food Standards Agency on revising food inspection regulations, which they launched just before we knew about the thin EU transition deal. It does rather pose a question mark as to whether it is seeking to undermine the standard we have come to expect, rather than simply an adjustment of the code. And this, indeed, was flagged up as a concern by Professor Terry Marsden when he was giving evidence to the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee last week. So, I wondered if we could have a statement from Lesley Griffiths to give us the Government's view as to what this could mean for undermining the very high standards of Welsh food that we currently enjoy.
Tybed a fyddai modd inni gael rhywfaint o eglurder ynghylch perthnasedd yr ymgynghoriad gan yr Asiantaeth Safonau Bwyd ar ddiwygio rheoliadau arolygu bwyd, a lansiwyd ganddi ychydig cyn inni wybod am gytundeb pontio gwan â'r UE. Mae'n codi cwestiwn ynghylch a yw'n ceisio tanseilio'r safon yr ydym ni wedi dod i'w disgwyl, yn hytrach na'i fod yn fater o addasu'r cod. A chafodd hyn ei nodi, yn wir, fel pryder gan yr Athro Terry Marsden pan oedd ef yn rhoi tystiolaeth i'r Pwyllgor Newid Hinsawdd, yr Amgylchedd a Materion Gwledig yr wythnos diwethaf. Felly, tybed a gawn ni ddatganiad gan Lesley Griffiths i roi barn y Llywodraeth ynghylch yr hyn y gallai hyn ei olygu o ran tanseilio safonau uchel iawn bwyd Cymru, fel sydd gennym ni ar hyn o bryd.
Well, Welsh Government absolutely shares the concerns that Jenny Rathbone has been raising for a long period of time about the impact of a thin deal on the standards that we have in respect of food, and also wider standards in respect of the environment and workers' rights, and so forth. I will ask Lesley Griffiths to provide that update to Jenny Rathbone on what the implications are of the particular consultation that the FSA is currently undertaking.
Wel, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhannu'n llwyr y pryderon y mae Jenny Rathbone wedi bod yn eu codi ers amser maith o ran effaith cytundeb gwan ar y safonau sydd gennym ni o ran bwyd, a hefyd safonau ehangach o ran yr amgylchedd a hawliau gweithwyr, ac yn y blaen. Byddaf i'n gofyn i Lesley Griffiths roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf honno i Jenny Rathbone o ran goblygiadau'r ymgynghoriad penodol hwnnw y mae'r ASB yn ei gynnal ar hyn o bryd.
Trefnydd, as you know, yesterday was International Women's Day and, along with other Members, I was happy to show my support and commitment to developing a more equal Wales. I supported the Welsh Cakes for Welsh Women's Aid campaign by hosting a virtual coffee morning with my staff to discuss the work of Welsh Women's Aid, and to remind ourselves of the support services they offer and how to access them. In light of that, could I request an up-to-date statement from the Welsh Government in relation to its efforts to tackle domestic abuse? You may be aware that, in August last year, Dyfed Powys Police received 900 reports of domestic abuse, compared with 350 incidents a month in 2017, and that shows the need to urgently tackle domestic abuse in communities right across Wales.
Secondly, could I ask for a statement from the Welsh Government in relation to the resumption of elective surgery across Wales? I've received representations from people in Pembrokeshire who are waiting for treatment in considerable discomfort and pain, and they're calling for support and assurances that they will receive treatment. The health Minister has made it clear that it could take the Welsh NHS five years to tackle the backlog in treatments, and I appreciate that there will be a debate on this issue tomorrow, but I believe that it is critical that we have a statement from the Minister on his specific plans to resume all NHS treatments and surgeries across Wales, and how he plans to expedite those services so that people waiting for treatment across Wales can be assured that the Welsh Government has a plan in place to ensure that non-COVID treatments can be delivered sooner rather than later.
Ddoe, fel y gwyddoch chi, Trefnydd, oedd Diwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod ac, ynghyd ag Aelodau eraill, roeddwn i'n hapus i ddangos fy nghefnogaeth ac ymrwymiad i ddatblygu Cymru fwy cyfartal. Cefnogais i'r ymgyrch Picau ar y Maen ar gyfer Cymorth i Fenywod Cymru drwy gynnal bore coffi rhithwir gyda fy staff i drafod gwaith Cymorth i Fenywod Cymru, ac i atgoffa ein hunain o'r gwasanaethau cymorth y maen nhw'n eu cynnig a sut i fanteisio ar eu gwasanaethau. Yng ngoleuni hynny, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad cyfredol gan Lywodraeth Cymru ynglŷn â'i hymdrechion i fynd i'r afael â cham-drin domestig? Efallai eich bod chi'n ymwybodol bod Heddlu Dyfed Powys, ym mis Awst y llynedd, wedi cael 900 o adroddiadau am gam-drin domestig, o'i gymharu â 350 o achosion y mis yn 2017, ac mae hynny'n dangos yr angen i ymdrin ar frys â cham-drin domestig mewn cymunedau ledled Cymru.
Yn ail, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru ynglŷn ag ailddechrau llawdriniaeth ddewisol ledled Cymru? Rwyf i wedi cael sylwadau gan bobl yn Sir Benfro sydd mewn cryn boen ac anghysur ac yn aros am driniaethau, ac maen nhw'n galw am gefnogaeth a sicrwydd y byddan nhw yn cael eu triniaethau. Mae'r Gweinidog Iechyd wedi egluro y gallai gymryd pum mlynedd i GIG Cymru fynd i'r afael â'r ôl-groniad o driniaethau, ac rwy'n sylweddoli y bydd dadl ar y mater hwn yfory. Ond rwy'n credu ei bod yn hollbwysig inni gael datganiad gan y Gweinidog ar ei gynlluniau penodol i ailddechrau holl driniaethau a llawdriniaethau'r GIG ledled Cymru, a sut mae'n bwriadu hwyluso'r gwasanaethau hynny fel y gall pobl sy'n aros am driniaeth ledled Cymru fod yn sicr bod gan Lywodraeth Cymru gynllun ar waith i ddarparu triniaethau nad ydyn nhw'n rhai COVID cyn gynted ag y bo modd.
I'd be very pleased to ask my colleague the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip to provide that update to colleagues on Welsh Government efforts to tackle domestic abuse in Wales. It's been a continuing concern for us throughout lockdown and the fact that, for many people, home isn't a safe place. And I'm sure that the Deputy Minister will be very pleased to provide the latest on Welsh Government action in this respect.
And, as you say, there is a debate tomorrow afternoon on the resumption of elective surgery, but I do know that my colleague the health Minister is working on a plan for the next steps for the NHS and that he does intend to publish something by the end of this month that will encapsulate, I hope, the kind of vision that Paul Davies is seeking this afternoon.
Byddwn i'n falch iawn o ofyn i fy nghyd-Weinidog, y Dirprwy Weinidog a'r Prif Chwip, roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf honno i gydweithwyr ynghylch ymdrechion Llywodraeth Cymru i ymdrin â cham-drin domestig yng Nghymru. Mae hyn wedi bod yn bryder parhaus inni drwy gydol y cyfyngiadau symud, a'r ffaith nad yw'r cartref, i lawer o bobl, yn fan diogel. Ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Dirprwy Weinidog yn falch iawn o ddarparu'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ar gamau'r Llywodraeth Cymru yn hyn o beth.
Ac, fel y dywedwch, bydd dadl brynhawn yfory ar ailddechrau llawdriniaethau dewisol. Ond rwy'n gwybod bod fy nghyd-Weinidog, y Gweinidog Iechyd, yn gweithio ar gynllun ar gyfer y camau nesaf i'r GIG a'i fod yn bwriadu cyhoeddi rhywbeth erbyn diwedd y mis hwn a fydd yn crynhoi, gobeithio, y math o weledigaeth y mae Paul Davies yn ei cheisio y prynhawn yma.
Concerns have been raised by charities working with people with cancer that many people throughout this country may have missed a cancer diagnosis. Now, people leaving it too late to get concerning and persistent symptoms checked out was a problem in the Rhondda before the COVID crisis. Too many people were getting a cancer diagnosis at a late stage, often when they turned up for treatment at the accident and emergency department. As we move beyond COVID, the Rhondda needs to see a concerted effort to tackle this cancer diagnosis backlog. Can we have a statement from the Government so that we can understand how the Government is planning specifically to do that, especially in an area like ours with greater health inequalities? Could you include in that statement support for a specialist, accessible cancer diagnosis centre in the Rhondda?
Will you also agree to light up all Welsh Government public buildings to remember all of those that we have lost to COVID on the memory day of 23 March?
Mae pryderon wedi'u codi gan elusennau sy'n gweithio gyda phobl â chanser y gallai llawer o bobl ledled y wlad hon fod wedi colli diagnosis o ganser. Nawr, yn y Rhondda, roedd yn broblem, cyn argyfwng COVID, fod pobl yn gadael pethau'n rhy hwyr cyn mynd i weld y meddyg am symptomau pryderus a pharhaus. Roedd llawer gormod o bobl yn cael diagnosis o ganser yn hwyr, a hynny'n aml wrth iddyn nhw fynd i gael triniaeth yn yr adran damweiniau ac achosion brys. Wrth inni symud y tu hwnt i COVID, mae angen i'r Rhondda weld ymdrech ar y cyd i fynd i'r afael â'r ôl-groniad hwn o ddiagnosis canser. A gawn ni ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth fel y gallwn ni ddeall sut y mae'r Llywodraeth yn cynllunio'n benodol i wneud hynny, yn enwedig mewn ardal fel ein hardal ni sydd â mwy o anghydraddoldebau iechyd? A allech chi gynnwys yn y datganiad hwnnw gefnogaeth i ganolfan diagnosis canser arbenigol a hygyrch yn y Rhondda?
A wnewch chi hefyd gytuno i oleuo holl adeiladau cyhoeddus Llywodraeth Cymru er cof am bawb yr ydym ni wedi'u colli i COVID ar ddiwrnod coffa 23 Mawrth?
Thank you for raising two really important issues. On the first, I just want to reinforce what Leanne Wood has said this afternoon about how important it is to go to your GP should you have any concerns about symptoms that might be related to cancer. The message really is that your NHS is still there for you in these difficult times. Our cancer recovery guidance has been part of the NHS framework planning system since quarter 2 of last year. Health boards are already planning their treatment capacity for cancer care on a quarterly basis, and also responding on a day-to-day basis to deliver as much cancer treatment as they possibly can in the context of the pressures on their services. As we start to emerge now from this second wave, we are looking specifically at how we can move permanently to recover cancer services, and feeding that into our border recovery plans for the NHS, which I have just referred to in an answer to Paul Davies. I can also add that, in February, my colleague the Minister for health held a national meeting with NHS Wales to discuss the recovery of cancer services specifically. Proposals are currently being developed to support that recovery, again as part of that broader recovery approach that I described. So, there will be further information coming forth in due course—as I say, by the end of the month—in respect of the recovery of the NHS.
On the matter of the memory day, I can confirm that we are currently giving very good thought to how best we can mark what will be very sober moment, I think, in terms of the journey that we have all been through in respect of coronavirus. I'm sure that we will be able to say more on that very shortly.
Diolch am godi dau fater pwysig iawn. Ar y cyntaf, hoffwn i ategu'r hyn y mae Leanne Wood wedi'i ddweud y prynhawn yma ynglŷn â pha mor bwysig yw mynd at eich meddyg teulu pe bai gennych chi unrhyw bryderon am symptomau a allai fod yn gysylltiedig â chanser. Y neges mewn gwirionedd yw bod eich GIG yn dal i fod yno ichi yn y cyfnod anodd hwn. Mae ein canllawiau adfer canser wedi bod yn rhan o system cynllunio fframwaith y GIG ers chwarter 2 y llynedd. Mae'r byrddau iechyd eisoes yn cynllunio eu capasiti i drin gofal canser bob chwarter, a hefyd yn ymateb o ddydd i ddydd i ddarparu cymaint o driniaethau canser ag y gallan nhw yng nghyd-destun y pwysau ar eu gwasanaethau. Wrth inni ddechrau dod allan yn awr o'r ail don hon, rydym ni'n edrych yn benodol ar sut y gallwn symud yn barhaol i adfer gwasanaethau canser, a throsglwyddo hynny i'n cynlluniau adfer ffiniol ar gyfer y GIG, yr wyf i newydd gyfeirio atyn nhw mewn ateb i Paul Davies. Gallaf ychwanegu hefyd fod fy nghyd-Weinidog, y Gweinidog Iechyd, wedi cynnal cyfarfod cenedlaethol ym mis Chwefror, gyda GIG Cymru, i drafod adfer gwasanaethau canser yn benodol. Mae cynigion yn cael eu datblygu ar hyn o bryd i gefnogi'r adferiad hwnnw, unwaith eto fel rhan o'r dull adfer ehangach hwnnw yr oeddwn i wedi'i ddisgrifio. Felly, bydd rhagor o wybodaeth yn cael ei chyflwyno maes o law—fel y dywedais i, erbyn diwedd y mis—o ran adferiad y GIG.
Ar fater y diwrnod coffa, gallaf gadarnhau ein bod ni ar hyn o bryd yn ystyried yn ofalus iawn y ffordd orau y gallwn ni nodi'r hyn a fydd yn foment ddwys iawn, yn fy marn i, ar y daith yr ydym ni i gyd wedi bod drwyddi o ran y coronafeirws. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwn ni'n gallu dweud mwy am hynny cyn bo hir.
Trefnydd, I know that one of the Ministers who assiduously watches this is our tourism Minister. So, I wonder if, through you, I could ask for a statement or for some clarification on the latest move by Tripadvisor, which has worried many of the small to medium-sized tourism operators in my constituency. Tripadvisor already takes 15 per cent commission on any sales that come through its site. For a small operator, that's quite a significant chunk. But, interestingly, in the last couple of months, they've sent out an e-mail to all operators to say that, under their new terms and conditions, they're bringing in rights, in perpetuity, for them to have complete access to any pictures and other materials on the websites. Now, this could be completely normal practice. Who knows? But, they are worried that if they decline this kind offer from Tripadvisor to have in-perpetuity rights to all content from their websites—and some of the content on their websites, by the way, Trefnydd, includes Visit Wales content as well—then they will be kicked off Tripadvisor. No matter what you say about Tripadvisor, good or bad, they are a powerful generator of interest in small and medium-sized operators. I will write to the Minister on this as well, Trefnydd, but I wonder if, though your offices, I could seek a statement or some clarification on what guidance can be given to small and medium-sized operators on this assertive new move from Tripadvisor.
Trefnydd, rwy'n gwybod mai un o'r Gweinidogion sy'n gwylio hyn yn ofalus yw ein Gweinidog Twristiaeth. Felly, tybed a allwn i, drwoch chi, ofyn am ddatganiad neu am rywfaint o eglurhad ar y cam diweddaraf gan Tripadvisor, sydd wedi poeni llawer o'r gweithredwyr twristiaeth bach a chanolig eu maint yn fy etholaeth i. Mae Tripadvisor eisoes yn cymryd comisiwn o 15 y cant ar unrhyw werthiannau sy'n dod drwy ei safle. I'r gweithredwr bach, mae hynny'n rhan eithaf sylweddol. Ond, yn ddiddorol, yn ystod yr ychydig fisoedd diwethaf, anfonwyd e-bost at bob gweithredwr i ddweud, o dan eu telerau ac amodau newydd, eu bod yn cyflwyno hawliau, am byth, iddyn nhw gael defnydd llawn o unrhyw luniau a deunyddiau eraill ar y gwefannau. Nawr, gallai hyn fod yn ymarfer gwbl normal. Pwy â ŵyr? Ond, maen nhw'n poeni, os byddan nhw'n gwrthod y cynnig caredig hwn gan Tripadvisor i gael hawliau am byth dros bob deunydd sy'n cael ei gynnwys ar eu gwefannau—a gyda llaw, Trefnydd, mae rhywfaint o'r deunydd cynnwys ar eu gwefannau, yn golygu deunydd Croeso Cymru hefyd—yna byddan nhw'n cael eu taflu oddi ar Tripadvisor. Ni waeth beth a ddywedwch chi am Tripadvisor, da neu ddrwg, maen nhw'n bwerus o ran creu diddordeb mewn gweithredwyr bach a chanolig eu maint. Byddaf i'n ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog ynghylch hyn hefyd, Trefnydd, ond tybed a gaf i, drwy eich swyddogaethau, ofyn am ddatganiad neu rywfaint o eglurhad ynghylch pa ganllawiau y mae modd eu rhoi i weithredwyr bach a chanolig eu maint ar y cam pendant newydd hwn gan Tripadvisor.
Thank you to Huw Irranca-Davies for raising this. I can see on the corner of the screen my colleague the Deputy Minister for tourism, and he's been listening intently to the situation that you have described this afternoon. I know that he will be keen to explore what support we can offer to the small businesses that are affected within the tourism sector and will look forward to your correspondence with further detail.
Diolch i Huw Irranca-Davies am godi hyn. Rwy'n gallu gweld, yng nghornel y sgrin, fy nghyd-Weinidog, y Dirprwy Weinidog Twristiaeth, ac mae ef wedi bod yn gwrando'n astud ar y sefyllfa yr ydych chi wedi'i disgrifio y prynhawn yma. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd yn awyddus i archwilio pa gymorth y gallwn ni ei gynnig i'r busnesau bach yr effeithir arnynt yn y sector twristiaeth ac y bydd yn edrych ymlaen at eich gohebiaeth fanylach.
Trefnydd, can I call for two statements? The first is from the Minister with responsibility for mental health on the mental health and well-being benefits of angling in Wales. I've been contacted by many people who like to go fishing, often alone, in solitary places, who have found it really difficult to cope with life during the latest lockdown, because they've been unable to drive to local fishing spots. I do think that this is something that the Welsh Government does need to carefully consider in the forthcoming review of the coronavirus restrictions. Whether the review considers fishing or not, I do think that this important pastime for many thousands of people across Wales does merit some consideration by the Minister responsible for mental health in the future.
Can I also, Trefnydd, call for a statement from you with your finance Minister hat on to provide an update to the Senedd on the development of a procurement advice note on the public contract regulations for discretionary grounds for consideration of excluding businesses from public tenders? You'll be aware that we had some correspondence on this issue last year following your response to a written question that gave rise to concerns that the Welsh Government was planning on publishing a procurement advice note that would primarily impact the nation of Israel. I would be grateful if you could give us an update on this particular matter, because you did suggest in your last correspondence that you'd be making some final decisions on this in December. It's now March, and I think that people do deserve an update. Thank you.
Trefnydd, a gaf i alw am ddau ddatganiad? Daw'r cyntaf gan y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol am iechyd meddwl ar fanteision iechyd meddwl a lles pysgota yng Nghymru. Mae llawer o bobl sy'n hoffi mynd i bysgota, yn aml ar eu pennau eu hunain, mewn mannau unig, wedi cysylltu â mi. Maen nhw wedi ei chael hi'n anodd iawn ymdopi â bywyd yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud diweddaraf, oherwydd nid ydynt wedi gallu gyrru i fannau pysgota lleol. Rwy'n credu bod hyn yn rhywbeth y mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru ei ystyried yn ofalus yn yr adolygiad a gawn cyn bo hir o gyfyngiadau coronafeirws. Pa un a yw'r adolygiad yn ystyried pysgota ai peidio, rwy'n credu bod y diddordeb hwn sy'n bwysig i filoedd lawer o bobl ledled Cymru yn haeddu rhywfaint o ystyriaeth gan y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol am iechyd meddwl yn y dyfodol.
A gaf i hefyd, Trefnydd, alw am ddatganiad gennych chi, fel Gweinidog Cyllid, i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Senedd ynghylch datblygu nodyn cyngor caffael ar y rheoliadau contract cyhoeddus am resymau dewisol dros ystyried eithrio busnesau rhag tendrau cyhoeddus? Byddwch chi'n ymwybodol ein bod ni wedi cael rhywfaint o ohebiaeth ar y mater hwn y llynedd yn dilyn eich ymateb i gwestiwn ysgrifenedig a arweiniodd at bryderon bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu cyhoeddi nodyn cyngor caffael a fyddai'n effeithio'n bennaf ar genedl Israel. Byddwn i'n ddiolchgar pe gallech chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni am y mater penodol hwn, oherwydd fe wnaethoch chi awgrymu yn eich gohebiaeth ddiwethaf y byddech chi'n gwneud rhai penderfyniadau terfynol ar hyn ym mis Rhagfyr. Mae bellach yn fis Mawrth, ac rwy'n credu bod pobl yn haeddu cael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf. Diolch.
On the first issue, which was the request for a statement on the mental health and well-being benefits of angling, I know that the Minister with responsibility for mental health will have listened very carefully to that request. Of course, when we're deliberating all matters relating to restrictions that we are putting on people's lives, we do understand how difficult things are for people. All of the things that normally support our well-being, whether it's angling or the gym or seeing family and friends—having those things removed from us clearly does have a strong and difficult impact on people's lives. We're very aware of that when taking those decisions. But as I say, the Minister will have heard that specific request.
As I said when we last discussed the procurement advice note, I have agreed to take further advice. We have had that advice now, which I'm still considering. But I will write to you shortly in terms of the way forward. Thank you.
O ran y mater cyntaf, sef y cais ynghylch datganiad ar fanteision pysgota o ran iechyd meddwl a lles, rwy'n gwybod y bydd y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol am iechyd meddwl wedi gwrando'n astud iawn ar y cais hwnnw. Wrth gwrs, pan fyddwn ni'n trafod yr holl faterion sy'n ymwneud â'r cyfyngiadau yr ydym ni'n eu rhoi ar fywydau pobl, rydym ni'n deall pa mor anodd yw pethau i bobl. Mae'r holl bethau sydd fel arfer yn cefnogi ein lles, boed hynny'n bysgota neu gampfa neu weld teulu a ffrindiau—mae cael y pethau hynny wedi'u eu cymryd oddi wrthym ni yn amlwg yn cael effaith gryf ac anodd ar fywydau pobl. Rydym ni'n ymwybodol iawn o hynny wrth wneud ein penderfyniadau. Ond fel y dywedais i, bydd y Gweinidog wedi clywed y cais penodol hwnnw.
Fel y dywedais i y tro diwethaf y cawsom drafodaeth ar y nodyn cyngor caffael, rwyf wedi cytuno i gael rhagor o gyngor. Rydym wedi cael y cyngor hwnnw nawr, ac rwy'n dal i ystyried hynny. Ond byddaf i'n ysgrifennu atoch chi cyn bo hir ynghylch y ffordd ymlaen. Diolch.
Two issues, if I may, Trefnydd. Firstly, can I add my voice—including Darren Millar, actually, last week—to those calling for the reopening of garden centres across Wales? Now that COVID-19 cases appear to be below the number that originally triggered the lockdown, if we are going to look for businesses to reopen first in the shorter term, then garden centres, I think, should be at the top of that list. They are large areas, mainly open air, with plenty of opportunities for social distancing. So, I wonder if we can have an update from the Minister on any discussions with the garden centre sector on reopening them as swiftly as possible.
Secondly, the BBC documentary The Story of Welsh Art aired recently. I'm not sure how many Members saw it. That featured Abergavenny's world-renowned Jesse tree, a fifteenth-century sculpture at St Mary's priory church depicting the lineage of Christ from the Bible. Other Welsh treasures from across Wales were part of that programme. Wales is blessed with cultural treasures that have attracted tourists to Wales for many years and can do so again in the future. So, I wonder if we could have a framework or an update from the Minister, as we come out of lockdown, as to how Wales's cultural heritage can be used to kick start the tourism economy again across Wales, so that as we build back better and grow back greener, we also grow back culturally stronger and we put the treasures of Wales at the centre of that growing-back process.
Dau fater, os caf i, Trefnydd. Yn gyntaf, a gaf i ychwanegu fy llais—gan gynnwys Darren Millar, mewn gwirionedd, yr wythnos diwethaf—at y rhai sy'n galw am ailagor canolfannau garddio ledled Cymru? Nawr bod achosion COVID-19 yn ymddangos yn is na'r nifer a sbardunodd y cyfyngiadau symud yn wreiddiol, os ydym yn bwriadu ailagor busnesau, yn gyntaf yn y tymor byr, yna dylai canolfannau garddio, rwy'n credu, fod ar frig y rhestr honno. Maen nhw'n ardaloedd mawr, yn yr awyr agored yn bennaf, gyda digon o gyfleoedd i gadw pellter cymdeithasol. Felly, tybed a allwn ni gael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan y Gweinidog ynghylch unrhyw drafodaethau gyda'r sector canolfannau garddio o ran eu hailagor cyn gynted â phosibl.
Yn ail, cafodd rhaglen ddogfen y BBC The Story of Welsh Art ei dangos yn ddiweddar. Nid wyf yn siŵr faint o'r Aelodau a welodd y rhaglen. Roedd yn dangos y goeden Jesse fyd-enwog yn y Fenni, cerflun o'r bymthegfed ganrif yn eglwys priordy'r Santes Fair sy'n dangos llinach Crist o'r Beibl. Roedd trysorau Cymreig eraill o bob cwr o Gymru yn rhan o'r rhaglen honno. Mae Cymru wedi'i bendithio â thrysorau diwylliannol sydd wedi denu twristiaid i Gymru ers blynyddoedd lawer a bydd yn gallu gwneud hynny eto yn y dyfodol. Felly, tybed a gawn ni fframwaith neu'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan y Gweinidog, wrth inni ddod allan o'r cyfyngiadau symud, ynghylch sut y mae modd defnyddio treftadaeth ddiwylliannol Cymru i roi hwb cychwynnol i'r economi dwristiaeth eto ledled Cymru. Drwy adeiladu'n ôl yn well a thyfu'n wyrddach, gallwn hefyd dyfu'n ôl yn gryfach yn ddiwylliannol a rhoi trysorau Cymru wrth wraidd y broses honno o dyfu'n ôl .
Nick Ramsay will have heard the First Minister outlining the steps that we're taking as we move towards that three-weekly review on 12 March. He'll be considering all the representations that colleagues have made over the recent weeks, but then also, of course, taking the advice that we receive from our scientific and medical advisers in terms of determining where we are able to make those easements. I don't want to pre-empt anything that the First Minister might say on Friday. Discussions are still going on within Cabinet and advice is still being taken as we move towards that review point.
I completely agree that our cultural treasures have huge potential for us in terms of helping us with the recovery, both in terms of the kind of tourism that we would want to see from elsewhere within the UK, but also our own staycations and our own tourism that we will probably want to undertake within our own country over the course of the summer. Because I think if the coronavirus has taught us anything, it's about valuing those things that we have here on our doorstep. I think that those cultural treasures such as the Jesse tree at St Mary's, which Nick Ramsay has described, serve to be very good examples of that. I can see that the Minister is listening again carefully to the suggestion about the role that these treasures can play in our recovery.
Bydd Nick Ramsay wedi clywed y Prif Weinidog yn amlinellu'r camau yr ydym ni'n eu cymryd wrth symud tuag at yr adolygiad tair wythnos hwnnw ar 12 Mawrth. Bydd ef yn ystyried yr holl gynrychiolaethau a gyflwynwyd gan gydweithwyr yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf, ond wedyn hefyd, wrth gwrs, yn cymryd y cyngor a gawn ni gan ein cynghorwyr gwyddonol a meddygol i benderfynu ar ble y gallwn ni lacio pethau. Nid wyf i eisiau achub y blaen ar unrhyw beth y gallai'r Prif Weinidog ei ddweud ddydd Gwener. Mae trafodaethau'n dal i fynd rhagddynt o fewn y Cabinet ac mae cyngor yn dal i gael ei gymryd wrth inni symud tuag at y pwynt adolygu hwnnw.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr fod gan ein trysorau diwylliannol botensial enfawr o ran ein helpu ni gyda'r gwaith adfer, o ran y math o dwristiaeth y byddem ni eisiau ei gweld o fannau eraill yn y DU, ond hefyd ein gwyliau ni yma yng Nghymru a'n twristiaeth ein hunain y byddwn ni fwy na thebyg eisiau manteisio arnynt yn ein gwlad ein hunain yn ystod yr haf. Oherwydd rwy'n credu os yw'r coronafeirws wedi dysgu unrhyw beth inni, mae'n ymwneud â gwerthfawrogi'r pethau hynny sydd gennym yma ar garreg ein drws. Rwy'n credu bod y trysorau diwylliannol hynny megis coeden Jesse yn eglwys y Santes Fair, y mae Nick Ramsay wedi'i disgrifio, yn enghreifftiau da iawn o hynny. Rwy'n gallu gweld bod y Gweinidog yn gwrando'n astud eto ar yr awgrym am y rhan y gall y trysorau hyn ei chwarae yn ein hadferiad.
Finally, Delyth Jewell.
Yn olaf, Delyth Jewell.
As we approach the end of this Senedd term, Trefnydd, and as we mark National Intergenerational Week, I'd like a statement, please, from the Government on the importance of intergenerational solidarity. I'd like the statement to acknowledge the real loneliness that's been suffered by both younger and older members of our society, as well as the ageism that's been too present in our national discourse throughout the pandemic. Often, the young and old were pitted against one another in the context of lockdowns in the press, with some commentary focusing on young people's apparent selfishness and others insinuating that protecting older and more vulnerable people was in some ways too high a price to pay. Both of those narratives have been deeply damaging. Both young and older groups have been marginalised and both need support and a stronger voice in decision making to be central in our communities.
At the end of last year, Trefnydd, a number of us set up a cross-party group on intergenerational solidarity, and this week we'll publish our recommendations to mark intergenerational week. It's in response to these that I'd like to see a Government statement, please. Our group feels, with one voice, that plans for recovery from COVID should promote solidarity between generations, that a Minister should be tasked with overseeing this, that more funding should be given to community groups to promote intergenerational solidarity, and that it should be embedded in the curriculum. As we mark our way coming out of the pandemic, decisions over vaccine prioritisation, protecting the public and reopening society are current, they are layered and they are complicated. Reasserting intergenerational solidarity is vital in the context of each of those decisions, because relationships between generations enrich our society, they matter, and they should be strengthened.
Wrth inni nesáu at ddiwedd y tymor Seneddol hwn, Trefnydd, ac wrth inni nodi Wythnos Genedlaethol Pontio'r Cenedlaethau, fe hoffwn i gael datganiad, os gwelwch chi'n dda, gan y Llywodraeth ynglŷn â phwysigrwydd pontio rhwng cenedlaethau. Fe hoffwn i gael datganiad sy'n cydnabod yr unigrwydd gwirioneddol a ddioddefodd aelodau iau a hŷn yn ein cymdeithas ni, yn ogystal â'r rhagfarn ar sail oedran sydd wedi bod yn rhan rhy amlwg o'n sgwrs genedlaethol ni drwy gydol y pandemig. Yn aml, roedd yr hen a'r ifanc yn cael eu rhoi benben â'i gilydd yn y wasg yng nghyd-destun cyfyngiadau symud, gyda rhywfaint o'r sylwebaeth yn canolbwyntio ar hunanoldeb ymddangosiadol pobl ifanc ac eraill yn awgrymu bod amddiffyn pobl hŷn a mwy agored i niwed mewn rhai ffyrdd yn bris a oedd yn rhy uchel i'w dalu. Mae'r ddau naratif hyn wedi bod yn niweidiol iawn. Mae grwpiau o bobl ifanc a phobl hŷn fel ei gilydd wedi cael eu gwthio i'r ymylon; ac mae angen cymorth a llais cryfach ar y ddwy garfan wrth wneud penderfyniadau ar gyfer bod wrth galon ein cymunedau ni.
Ddiwedd y llynedd, Trefnydd, fe sefydlodd nifer ohonom grŵp trawsbleidiol ar bontio'r cenedlaethau, a'r wythnos hon fe fyddwn ni'n cyhoeddi ein hargymhellion ni i nodi wythnos pontio'r cenedlaethau. Mewn ymateb i'r rhain fe hoffwn i gael datganiad gan y Llywodraeth, os gwelwch chi'n dda. Mae ein grŵp ni'n teimlo, gydag un llais, y dylai cynlluniau ar gyfer adferiad wedi COVID hyrwyddo undod rhwng cenedlaethau, y dylai Gweinidog fod yn gyfrifol am oruchwylio hynny, y dylid rhoi mwy o arian i grwpiau cymunedol i hyrwyddo undod rhwng cenedlaethau, ac y dylai hynny gael ei ymgorffori yn y cwricwlwm. Wrth inni ymlwybro ar ein ffordd allan o'r pandemig, mae'r penderfyniadau ynghylch blaenoriaethu brechlynnau, diogelu'r cyhoedd, ac ailagor cymdeithas yn gyfredol, maen nhw'n amrywiol ac yn gymhleth. Mae ailgyhoeddi pwysigrwydd dealltwriaeth rhwng cenedlaethau yn hanfodol yng nghyd-destun pob un o'r penderfyniadau hyn, oherwydd mae'r berthynas rhwng cenedlaethau yn cyfoethogi ein cymdeithas ni, mae'n bwysig, ac fe ddylid ei chryfhau.
I am really grateful for the way that Delyth Jewell has just framed the work that the cross-party group has undertaken. If a copy hasn't yet found its way to the Welsh Government, I'd be really keen for us to have a copy, so that we can consider and explore those recommendations that you've just described. Because I completely agree that the framing of some of the debate that we've had throughout the pandemic has sought to pit groups against each other. But, actually, we're all in this together, and some of the people who have been most damaged by the pandemic have been our oldest citizens and also our youngest citizens; both of those groups are paying the highest price in different ways. So, I'm very keen to see the piece of work and explore the ideas that Delyth and her colleagues will be bringing forward.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y ffordd y mae Delyth Jewell newydd bortreadu'r gwaith a wnaeth y grŵp trawsbleidiol. Os nad oes copi gan Lywodraeth Cymru eto, fe fyddwn i'n awyddus iawn inni gael un, fel y gallwn ni ystyried ac archwilio'r argymhellion hyn yr ydych chi newydd eu disgrifio. Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr fod y dull o fynegi peth o'r ddadl a gawsom ni drwy gydol y pandemig wedi ceisio rhoi grwpiau benben â'i gilydd. Ond, mewn gwirionedd, rydym ni i gyd yn rhan o hyn, ac mae'r rhai sydd wedi gweld effaith fwyaf y pandemig wedi bod o blith ein dinasyddion hynaf ni, ac o blith ein dinasyddion ieuengaf ni hefyd; y ddau grŵp hyn sydd wedi talu'r pris uchaf mewn gwahanol ffyrdd. Felly, rwy'n awyddus iawn i weld y darn hwn o waith ac archwilio'r syniadau y bydd Delyth a'i chydweithwyr yn eu cyflwyno.
Diolch i'r Trefnydd.
I thank the Trefnydd.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ar y diweddaraf am frechiadau COVID-19. Y Gweinidog, Vaughan Gething.
The next item is a statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services, an update on COVID-19 vaccinations. The Minister, Vaughan Gething.
I'm proud to announce that we have had another week of real progress and highlights for our vaccination programme here in Wales. One million people have now had their first dose of this potentially life-saving vaccine. This is fantastic news—another significant milestone for this truly remarkable programme. Once again, we've reached this marker ahead of the indicator date set out in our recently published strategy update. This is thanks to the sheer hard work and determination of the many hundreds of people working both behind the scenes and in vaccine delivery clinics right across the country.
I am sincerely and genuinely grateful to each and every person who has taken up their offer of the vaccine. They have played their part, done their bit, in this national effort to keep Wales safe, and they should be proud of the contribution they have made in this national effort. Every single dose really does count. Every vaccine administered is a step closer to a brighter future for us all. The vaccines are safe and effective, and I urge everyone to take up their offer when it is their turn. I look forward to having my own first vaccine in the coming days.
We're making significant progress towards achieving milestone two, as set out in our vaccine strategy update. More than 85 per cent of people between the ages of 65 and 69 have already received their first dose of the vaccine, and people in the 50 to 64 years old age groups are already being called for their appointments. With four in 10 of the adult population now vaccinated with at least one dose, we are making excellent progress.
I want to end by thanking everyone who has played their part, not just in the success to date, but more so, to recognise that this has come with support from all sides within this place and outside it, and I look forward to more support for our vaccination programme in the days and weeks ahead. We still have a significant task ahead of us, but I'm confident that we'll achieve it on time and in a really successful way, as we have done to date. Thank you, Llywydd.
Rwy'n falch o gyhoeddi ein bod ni wedi cael wythnos arall o gynnydd ac uchafbwyntiau gwirioneddol yn ein rhaglen frechu ni yma yng Nghymru. Erbyn hyn, fe gafodd miliwn o bobl eu dos cyntaf o'r brechlyn hwn sydd â'r gallu i achub bywydau. Newyddion rhagorol, felly—carreg filltir bwysig arall i'r rhaglen wirioneddol ryfeddol hon. Unwaith eto, rydym ni wedi cyrraedd y nod hwn o flaen y dyddiad a ymddangosodd yn ein diweddariad ni o'r strategaeth a gyhoeddwyd yn ddiweddar. Fe ddigwyddodd hynny oherwydd gwaith caled a phenderfyniad y cannoedd ar gannoedd o bobl sy'n gweithio y tu ôl i'r llenni ac mewn clinigau i weinyddu'r brechlynnau ledled y wlad.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn i bob unigolyn sydd wedi manteisio ar gynnig o'r brechlyn. Maen nhw wedi gwneud eu rhan, wedi sefyll yn y bwlch, yn yr ymdrech genedlaethol hon i gadw Cymru'n ddiogel, ac fe ddylen nhw fod yn falch o'r cyfraniad a wnaeth pob un ohonynt yn yr ymdrech genedlaethol hon. Mae pob un dos yn wirioneddol bwysig. Mae pob brechlyn a roddir yn golygu un cam yn nes at ddyfodol mwy disglair i bob un ohonom ni. Mae'r brechlynnau yn ddiogel ac yn effeithiol, ac rwy'n annog pawb i fanteisio ar y cynnig pan ddaw eu tro nhw. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at gael fy mrechlyn cyntaf innau yn ystod y dyddiau nesaf.
Rydym yn gwneud cynnydd sylweddol o ran cyrraedd yr ail garreg filltir, fel y'i nodir yn ein diweddariad ni ar y strategaeth frechu. Mae dros 85 y cant o bobl rhwng 65 a 69 oed wedi cael eu dos cyntaf o'r brechlyn eisoes, ac mae pobl yn y grwpiau oedran 50 i 64 oed wedi cael eu galw am eu hapwyntiadau nhw. Gyda phedwar o bob 10 o'r boblogaeth oedolion wedi cael eu brechu unwaith o leiaf erbyn hyn, rydym ni'n gwneud cynnydd ardderchog.
Fe hoffwn i orffen drwy ddiolch i bawb sydd wedi gwneud eu rhan nhw, nid yn unig yn y llwyddiant a fu hyd yn hyn, ond yn fwy felly, i gydnabod bod hyn wedi digwydd gyda chefnogaeth o bob ochr yn y fan hon a'r tu allan, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at gael mwy o gefnogaeth i'n rhaglen frechu yn y dyddiau a'r wythnosau sydd i ddod. Mae gennym dasg sylweddol o'n blaenau ni o hyd, ond rwy'n hyderus y byddwn ni'n ei chyflawni mewn da bryd ac mewn ffordd wirioneddol lwyddiannus, fel y gwnaethom ni hyd yn hyn. Diolch, Llywydd.
Thank you, Minister, for your statement, and once again, it is good news that we are vaccinating as many people as we are at present in Wales. I do have a couple of questions to ask you, though, in general about the vaccine programme.
The first is that 15 per cent of care home staff have yet to be vaccinated, compared to less than 5 per cent of residents, and it's a much lower take-up than the healthcare staff—87.5 per cent of them have been vaccinated. Are you satisfied that all is being done to convince the more sceptical members of staff to get vaccinated, and what can we do to encourage them, because, as we know, our care home residents are among the most vulnerable in our communities?
My second question is about hospital outbreaks of coronavirus. What review is going on into the causes of hospital outbreaks? They're still occurring in pockets, and they're very detrimental to the starting up of services. Excuse me. I have read your framework for COVID-19 testing for hospital patients in Wales, but, of course, it doesn't really cover prevention within hospitals, and I wondered if you felt that we should do more to try and move that agenda along. I know, for example, in Hywel Dda University Health Board, we have quite a significant hospital outbreak at present in Withybush, and it is stopping the resumption of services.
While we're on the subject of health boards, would you consider what advice might be able to be given to health boards on cancelling and rearranging vaccine appointments? Many people have contacted me to say that they've received texts, they're desperate to go for their vaccine, they can't get there for one reason or another, but they haven't been able to get hold of anyone to rearrange it. And there's a feeling of guilt—I have to confess, I'm one of those—where I couldn't get back to anybody to rearrange my vaccine appointment, so I missed the first one, couldn't tell anyone, and they're now trying to make the second one. But I'm just one voice; I have been contacted by loads of people. They either get text messages where there's no phone number to go back to or no e-mail that they can drop it. And, of course, we can't all just suddenly appear to a particular date or a particular time. Can we do something about it? Because I think it's holding up some people being able to access vaccines, especially some of the more hard-to-reach groups that we've talked about many times before.
Andrew Evans, the chief pharmaceutical officer, has said that we have the capacity in Wales to deliver more than 30,000 vaccines a day. Now, we've not hit 30,000 vaccines a day since 4 March. I do understand some of it's to do with the supply, but reading your COVID update, dated 9 March, you're expecting that to increase with supply of vaccine, starting from this week and going forward, that there should be no problems. Do you think we'll be able to achieve that 30,000?
Finally, I just wanted to ask you about future plans. Mass vaccination centres—a number of them are in buildings and facilities that are used for other things, like leisure centres, and eventually they will kick back into play, and, therefore, we will not be able to use them as mass vaccination centres. Staff and volunteers are helping us at present, but at some point, they will have to go back to their other lives or to their day job. What plans are being put in place or looked at now to ensure that we still have the facilities and the human resource to be able to carry on vaccinating at pace, especially if we do anticipate a third wave? Of course, we're beginning to think that we may need to have a regular annual vaccination in order to protect us from coronavirus and the different mutations that pop up, therefore, we need to be able to build this into our system, and I wonder if you could update the Senedd on that. Thank you very much indeed. Apologies for the coughing fit.
Diolch, Gweinidog, am eich datganiad chi, ac unwaith eto, dyma newyddion da ein bod ni'n brechu cynifer o bobl ar hyn o bryd yng Nghymru. Er hynny, mae gennyf i un neu ddau o gwestiynau i'w gofyn i chi, am y rhaglen frechu, yn gyffredinol.
Y cyntaf yw nad yw 15 y cant o staff cartrefi gofal wedi cael eu brechu eto, o'i gymharu â llai na 5 y cant o breswylwyr, ac mae hwnnw'n rhif llawer is na'r staff gofal iechyd—mae 87.5 y cant ohonyn nhw wedi cael eu brechu. A ydych chi'n fodlon bod popeth yn cael ei wneud i argyhoeddi'r aelodau staff mwy amheus i gael eu brechu, a beth a allwn ni ei wneud i'w hannog nhw, oherwydd, fel y gwyddom ni, mae trigolion ein cartrefi gofal ymhlith y rhai mwyaf agored i niwed yn ein cymunedau ni?
Mae fy ail gwestiwn i'n ymwneud ag achosion coronafeirws mewn ysbytai. Pa adolygiad sy'n cael ei wneud ar hyn o bryd o ran achosion yn torri allan mewn ysbytai? Maen nhw'n digwydd yma a thraw o hyd, ac maen nhw'n rhwystr i ailddechrau gwasanaethau. Esgusodwch fi. Rwyf wedi darllen eich fframwaith chi ar gyfer profion COVID-19 i gleifion mewn ysbytai yng Nghymru, ond, wrth gwrs, nid yw hynny'n cynnwys atal yr haint mewn ysbytai mewn gwirionedd, ac roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed a oeddech chi'n teimlo y dylem ni wneud mwy i geisio symud yr agenda honno ymlaen. Fe wn i, er enghraifft, ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda, fod gennym nifer o achosion wedi torri allan ar hyn o bryd yn Llwynhelyg, ac mae hynny'n rhwystr i ailddechrau gwasanaethau.
Gan ein bod yn sôn am fyrddau iechyd, a fyddech chi'n ystyried pa gyngor y gellid ei roi i fyrddau iechyd o ran gohirio ac aildrefnu apwyntiadau brechu? Mae llawer o bobl wedi cysylltu â mi i ddweud eu bod nhw wedi cael negeseuon testun, ac maen nhw'n awyddus iawn i fynd i gael eu brechlyn nhw, ond ni allant gyrraedd y fan am ryw reswm neu ei gilydd, ond nid ydyn nhw wedi llwyddo i gael gafael ar neb i aildrefnu. Ac mae yna deimlad o euogrwydd—mae'n rhaid imi gyfaddef, rwyf i'n un o'r rhain—lle na allwn gael gafael ar neb i aildrefnu fy apwyntiad i, felly fe gollais i'r un cyntaf, ond ni allwn i ddweud wrth neb, ac maen nhw'n ceisio gwneud yr ail un nawr. Ond dim ond un llais yn unig ydw i; mae torreth o bobl wedi cysylltu â mi. Maen nhw naill ai'n cael negeseuon testun lle nad oes rhif ffôn i'w ffonio na chyfeiriad e-bost i'w ddefnyddio. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae'n amhosibl i bawb ymddangos yn sydyn bob amser ar gyfer dyddiad neu amser penodol. A allwn ni wneud rhywbeth ynghylch hynny? Oherwydd rwy'n credu bod hyn yn atal rhai rhag cael y brechlynnau, yn enwedig rhai o'r grwpiau sy'n fwy anodd eu cyrraedd yr ydym ni wedi sôn amdanyn nhw lawer tro cyn hyn.
Mae Andrew Evans, y prif swyddog fferyllol, wedi dweud bod y capasiti gennym ni yng Nghymru i weinyddu mwy na 30,000 o frechlynnau bob dydd. Nawr, nid ydym wedi taro 30,000 o frechlynnau mewn diwrnod ers 4 Mawrth. Rwy'n deall bod rhywfaint o hynny'n ymwneud â diffyg cyflenwad, ond wrth ddarllen eich diweddariad chi ar COVID, dyddiedig 9 Mawrth, rydych chi'n disgwyl i hynny gynyddu gyda'r cyflenwad o frechlynnau, gan ddechrau o'r wythnos hon ac wrth symud ymlaen, na ddylai fod unrhyw broblemau. A ydych chi o'r farn y byddwn ni'n gallu cyflawni'r nod hwnnw o 30,000?
Yn olaf, roeddwn i'n awyddus i'ch holi chi ynglŷn â chynlluniau'r dyfodol. Canolfannau brechu torfol—mae nifer ohonyn nhw mewn adeiladau a chyfleusterau a ddefnyddir ar gyfer pethau eraill, fel canolfannau hamdden, ac yn y pen draw fe fyddan nhw'n dechrau cynnal eu gweithgareddau priodol nhw unwaith eto, ac, felly, ni fyddwn ni'n gallu eu defnyddio nhw'n ganolfannau brechu torfol. Mae staff a gwirfoddolwyr yn ein helpu ni ar hyn o bryd, ond rywbryd, fe fydd yn rhaid iddyn nhw ddychwelyd at eu bywydau a'u swyddogaethau arferol. Pa gynlluniau sy'n cael eu rhoi ar waith neu a ystyrir ar hyn o bryd i sicrhau y bydd gennym gyfleusterau ac adnoddau dynol i allu parhau o hyd i frechu ar gyflymder, yn enwedig os ydym yn rhagweld trydedd don? Wrth gwrs, rydym ni'n dechrau meddwl efallai y bydd angen cael brechiad blynyddol rheolaidd er mwyn ein hamddiffyn ni rhag coronafeirws a'r gwahanol fwtadiadau sy'n dod i'r amlwg, ac felly fe fydd angen inni allu cynnwys hyn yn ein system ni. Tybed a wnewch chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Senedd am hynny? Diolch yn fawr iawn. Ymddiheuriadau am y pwl o beswch.
I wish I could have brought you more water, Angela. [Laughter.]
Mae'n drueni na allwn roi cwpanaid arall o ddŵr ichi, Angela. [Chwerthin.]
Thank you.
Diolch.
Thank you for the questions. There's no need to apologise for needing to take a break with a cough. On care home staff and the vaccination rate, you're right to point out there was a lower rate of take-up amongst staff compared to residents. That's partly a feature of the vaccine hesitancy we see from a range of age groups. Of course, care home staff are made up of people of a range of different ages, including the younger age group, where we recognise that for people under 40, there's a larger hesitancy about the need or the reason to take up the vaccine. Some of the vaccine myths that are being spread by anti-vaxxers, the works of fiction, affect people who have or may want to have children again in the future. So, there is a concern that it may affect male or female fertility; there is absolutely no basis to that, but it is a persistent myth that is reappearing in every part of the UK and further afield as well. It's one of those areas where, actually, I think that one of the best things we can do, again, is to work right across the UK, regardless of our differing political stripes in each of the Governments, and even in this place too, to be really clear there is absolutely no truth to that, and it's about how we have a trusted and a unified message to persuade people to take up the vaccine, to reconsider the evidence about it. As I say, the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine doesn't come because I say that it's safe and effective, but I have a responsibility to be clear about it. It comes on the most trusted conversations people have and people they believe: our health service staff, scientists and often family and friends, people that you're close to, and that, unfortunately is both where people get trusted information, but it's also how misinformation can spread as well. So, there's a constant job of persuasion to do. Despite that, we are seeing very high levels of vaccination take-up within care homes, but certainly more for us to do, and you'll see that again when we move into the vaccination stage after groups 1 to 9 have been completed.
On hospital outbreaks, and the work we do on the nosocomial transmission, that's transmission between health and care staff and others, it's part of the reason why we think that there's been a stubborn continuance in north-west Wales. There's been an outbreak in Ysbyty Gwynedd, and we think that's led to higher figures there than would otherwise have been the case. We're about to publish an update on the advice and guidance on testing in hospitals. A significant part of that is about our work on nosocomial transmission, and we set out there how we're using both lateral flow devices, as well as polymerase chain reaction tests. Of course, that work is led by the deputy chief medical officer and the chief nursing officer here in Wales, so it's led by people who've got real professional leadership and respect, and it's also supported by the consistent advice that Public Health Wales have provided on how to minimise the prospects for nosocomial transmission, because those outbreaks can cause real harm. It's a positive feature of the reducing rates of coronavirus that those outbreaks will be less frequent than they would otherwise have been, and that's thanks to the hard work of everyone right across the country in helping to drive transmission rates down.
On your concern about health boards cancelling or rearranging appointments, I recognise that this happens from time to time, and it's about those people who may or may not be able to reset their appointments. I had to rearrange my own mother's appointment to take place as well, and it took some time to get through on the booking line, but I eventually did, and there was no trouble at all in rearranging the appointment. It is about the real encouragement of people to make the effort to rebook and to be really clear that the NHS won't leave people behind. So, if people do have difficulty attending their appointments, and they haven't been able to get through, they can still rebook and they should do so and take up the offer that is available, including if people have just changed their minds and now want to opt in to taking the vaccine.
I think you're right to point out the future challenges we'll have about multivaccination centres returning to their former purpose at some point in the future. It's a good problem to have, about our success in driving down the transmission and the need to have current facilities available in a different way. The positive aspect, though, is we have 546 different venues where the vaccine is already being delivered. So, as we get through more and more stages and successfully vaccinate the current groups of the population, the challenge will reduce. But your point about the longer term future is a fair one, too. We'll learn lots from this phase of vaccination about what we are likely to need to do in terms of redelivering a COVID vaccine in the future. What we don't know yet is when that would be and the sort of programme we'd have, because the current flu vaccination programme, for example, is largely delivered in general practice and community pharmacies. We still don't yet know if that normalisation is going to be possible in, if you like, the next stage of the vaccine, after we've protected the adult population in Wales. But we do think that we've already got the flexibility for future delivery to cover all adults within the country.
Finally, on Andrew Evans's point about our need to deliver and our ability to deliver more than 30,000 doses a day, yes we do think we're going to be able to do that. We haven't done so in the recent past. That is simply a factor of supply. But, we do think that, through the rest of this week, you're going to start to see those figures return to about 30,000 doses in a day, and you'll see that carry on for a brief period of time, then a lull and then a steady rate of vaccine delivery as supply normalises out. And, on that basis, we're still in the fortunate position of having the best vaccination rate of any UK nation, with a greater portion of people in Wales having had both doses of the vaccine. That's good news for us, but it also shows that we're at the head of a very successful group of nations right across the UK at present, and I look forward to having more success to report in the coming days and weeks.
Diolch am y cwestiynau. Nid oes angen ymddiheuro am orfod cymryd hoe fach oherwydd peswch. O ran staff cartrefi gofal a'r gyfradd frechu, rydych chi'n iawn i dynnu sylw at y niferoedd is ymhlith staff sy'n manteisio ar y brechlyn o'u cymharu â niferoedd y preswylwyr. Mae honno'n nodwedd o'r petruster am y brechlyn a welwn ni mewn amrywiaeth o grwpiau oedran. Wrth gwrs, mae staff cartrefi gofal yn cynnwys pobl o wahanol oedrannau, gan gynnwys y grŵp oedran iau, lle rydym ni'n sylweddoli bod mwy o betruster ynghylch yr angen neu'r rheswm dros fanteisio ar y brechlyn i bobl dan 40 oed. Mae rhai o'r mythau hyn ynglŷn â brechlynnau a gaiff eu lledaenu gan y garfan wrth-frechu, y gweithiau ffuglen, yn effeithio ar bobl sy'n awyddus, efallai, i gael plant eto yn y dyfodol. Felly, mae yna bryder y gallai hyn effeithio ar ffrwythlondeb dynion neu fenywod; nid oes sail o gwbl i hynny, ond mae hon yn chwedl barhaus sy'n ailymddangos ym mhob rhan o'r DU a'r tu hwnt hefyd. Dyma un o'r meysydd hynny lle rwyf i'n credu mai un o'r pethau gorau y gallwn ni ei wneud, unwaith eto, yw gweithio ledled y DU, ni waeth beth fyddo lliw ein cotiau gwleidyddol ni ym mhob un o'r Llywodraethau, ac yn y fan hon hefyd hyd yn oed, i fod yn eglur iawn nad oes yna unrhyw wirionedd o gwbl yn hynny. Ac mae'n ymwneud â chyflwyno neges ddibynadwy ac unol i berswadio pobl i fanteisio ar y brechlyn, ac ailystyried y dystiolaeth amdano. Fel y dywedais, nid yw diogelwch nac effeithiolrwydd y brechlyn yn digwydd oherwydd fy mod i'n dweud ei fod yn ddiogel ac yn effeithiol, ond mae gennyf gyfrifoldeb i fod yn eglur iawn ynghylch hynny. Mae hynny'n deillio o'r sgyrsiau mwyaf dibynadwy a gaiff pobl gyda'r bobl y maen nhw'n eu credu: sef staff ein gwasanaeth iechyd, gwyddonwyr a theulu a ffrindiau yn aml, pobl yr ydych chi'n agos atyn nhw. Ac yn anffodus, er y gall pobl rannu gwybodaeth sy'n ddibynadwy, mae cyfeiliorni a chamwybodaeth hefyd yn digwydd fel hyn. Felly, mae'r gwaith o berswadio pobl yn waith parhaus. Er gwaethaf hynny, rydym yn gweld cyfraddau uchel iawn o frechu mewn cartrefi gofal, ond yn sicr mae mwy i'w wneud, ac fe fyddwch chi'n gweld hynny eto pan fyddwn yn symud i'r cam brechu ar ôl cwblhau grwpiau 1 i 9.
O ran achosion yn torri allan mewn ysbytai, a'r gwaith a wnawn ni ynglŷn â throsglwyddiad nosocomiaidd, hynny yw trosglwyddiad rhwng staff iechyd a gofal a phobl eraill, dyna ran o'r rheswm pam rydym ni'n credu bod yr ystyfnigrwydd yn parhau n y gogledd-orllewin. Bu achosion yn Ysbyty Gwynedd, ac rydym ni'n credu bod hynny wedi arwain at ffigurau uwch yn y fan honno nag a fyddai wedi bod fel arall. Rydym ni ar fin cyhoeddi diweddariad ar y cyngor a'r arweiniad ynglŷn â phrofi mewn ysbytai. Mae rhan sylweddol o hynny'n ymwneud â'n gwaith ni ar drosglwyddiad nosocomiaidd, ac rydym yn nodi yno sut rydym yn defnyddio dyfeisiau llif ochrol yn ogystal â phrofion adwaith cadwyn polymerase. Wrth gwrs, fe gaiff y gwaith hwnnw ei arwain gan y dirprwy brif swyddog meddygol a'r prif swyddog nyrsio yma yng Nghymru, felly fe gaiff ei arwain gan bobl sydd ag arweinyddiaeth a pharch proffesiynol gwirioneddol. Fe gaiff ei gefnogi hefyd gan y cyngor parhaus a ddarparodd Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru ynglŷn â sut i leihau'r rhagolygon ar gyfer trosglwyddiad nosocomiaidd, oherwydd fe all yr achosion hynny achosi niwed gwirioneddol. Nodwedd gadarnhaol o'r gostyngiad yng nghyfraddau coronafeirws fydd bod yr achosion hynny'n llai lluosog nag y bydden nhw wedi bod fel arall, a diolch am waith caled pawb ledled y wlad wrth helpu i leihau'r cyfraddau trosglwyddo.
O ran eich pryder chi ynghylch byrddau iechyd yn canslo neu'n aildrefnu apwyntiadau, rwy'n cydnabod bod hyn yn digwydd o bryd i'w gilydd, ac mae hyn yn ymwneud â phobl yn gallu aildrefnu eu hapwyntiadau nhw neu beidio. Fe fu'n rhaid i mi aildrefnu apwyntiad fy mam innau hefyd, ac fe gymerodd beth amser imi fynd trwodd ar y ffôn, ond fe wnes i yn y pen draw, ac nid oedd yna unrhyw drafferth o gwbl i aildrefnu'r apwyntiad. Mae'n ymwneud ag annog pobl i wneud yr ymdrech i aildrefnu a bod yn eglur iawn na fydd y GIG yn gadael neb ar ôl. Felly, os yw pobl yn ei chael hi'n anodd bod yn bresennol ar gyfer eu hapwyntiadau nhw, ac nad ydyn nhw wedi gallu mynd drwodd ar y ffôn, fe allan nhw aildrefnu o hyd ac fe ddylen nhw wneud hynny a derbyn y cynnig sydd ar gael, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys pobl sydd newydd newid eu meddyliau ac yn dymuno cael y brechlyn nawr.
Rwy'n credu eich bod chi'n iawn i dynnu sylw at yr heriau a fydd gennym ni yn y dyfodol ynghylch canolfannau aml-frechu yn dychwelyd i'w diben blaenorol yn y dyfodol. Ond mae honno'n broblem dda i'w chael, mae'n ymwneud â'n llwyddiant ni wrth yrru'r trosglwyddiad i lawr a'r angen i sicrhau bod cyfleusterau cyfredol ar gael mewn ffordd arall. Yr agwedd gadarnhaol, serch hynny, yw bod gennym 546 o wahanol leoliadau lle mae'r brechlyn yn cael ei weinyddu eisoes. Felly, wrth inni fynd trwy fwy o gamau eto a brechu'r grwpiau presennol o'r boblogaeth yn llwyddiannus, fe fydd yr her yn lleihau. Ond mae eich pwynt chi am ddyfodol y tymor hwy yn un teg hefyd. Fe fyddwn ni'n dysgu llawer o'r cam brechu hwn am yr hyn y mae'n debygol y bydd angen inni ei wneud o ran gweinyddu brechlyn COVID eto yn y dyfodol. Yr hyn nad ydym ni'n ei wybod eto yw pryd y gallai hynny fod a'r math o raglen a fyddai'n rhaid inni ei chael. Mae'r rhaglen frechu bresennol rhag y ffliw, er enghraifft, yn cael ei gweinyddu mewn practisau cyffredinol a fferyllfeydd cymunedol yn bennaf. Nid ydym yn gwybod eto a fydd y normaleiddio hwnnw'n bosibl yng ngham nesaf y brechlyn, os mynnwch chi, ar ôl inni ddiogelu'r boblogaeth o oedolion yng Nghymru. Ond rydym yn credu bod yr hyblygrwydd gennym ni eisoes ar gyfer cyflawni yn y dyfodol i gynnwys pob oedolyn yn y wlad.
Yn olaf, ynglŷn â phwynt Andrew Evans am ein hangen ni i gyflawni a'n gallu i ddarparu mwy na 30,000 dos y dydd, ydym, rydym yn credu y byddwn ni'n gallu gwneud hynny. Nid ydym wedi gwneud hynny yn y gorffennol diweddar. Maint y cyflenwad yw'r unig reswm am hynny. Ond, rydym ni yn credu, yn ystod gweddill yr wythnos hon, y byddwch chi'n dechrau gweld y ffigurau hynny'n mynd yn ôl i tua 30,000 dos y dydd, ac fe fyddwch chi'n gweld hynny'n parhau am gyfnod byr, yna fe fydd cyfnod tawelach ac yna fe fydd cyfradd gyson o weinyddu brechlynnau wrth i'r cyflenwad normaleiddio. Ac, ar y sail honno, rydym ni'n dal i fod yn y sefyllfa ffodus o gael y gyfradd orau o frechu yn unrhyw un o wledydd y DU, gyda chyfran fwy o bobl yng Nghymru wedi cael dau ddos o'r brechlyn. Mae hynny'n newyddion da i ni, ond mae'n dangos hefyd ein bod ni ar frig grŵp llwyddiannus iawn o genhedloedd ledled y DU ar hyn o bryd, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at adrodd am fwy o lwyddiant yn y dyddiau a'r wythnosau nesaf.
A gaf i eto longyfarch pawb sydd wedi sicrhau ein bod ni wedi cyrraedd y cerrig milltir rhyfeddol yma—dros 1 filiwn o bobl wedi cael y dos gyntaf, ac 1.2 miliwn, bron, wedi cael y dos gyntaf neu'r ail. Mae'n argoeli'n dda ar gyfer cyrraedd y targedau yn y misoedd i ddod.
Gwnaf i gwpwl o bwyntiau, fel dwi'n ei wneud bob wythnos. Does dim eisiau ichi ymateb i'r rhain, Weinidog, achos rydyn ni'n gwybod ein bod ni'n anghytuno arnyn nhw. Dwi'n meddwl ein bod ni mewn lle mor dda y gallem ni fod yn rhedeg cynllun paralel efo hwn er mwyn sicrhau bod gweithwyr sy'n fwyaf tebygol o ddod ar draws y feirws yn gallu cael eu brechu ynghynt. Ond dydyn ni ddim yn cytuno ar hynny. Hefyd, mi wnaf i ofyn eto, fel dwi wedi ei wneud gymaint, plis gawn ni'r data llawn ar faint o bob brechiad sy'n cael ei roi i bob gwlad? A dweud y gwir, mae'r dyddiau diwethaf wedi bod yn enghraifft dda o pam y byddai hynny'n ddefnyddiol. Mae yna lot wedi bod yn cysylltu efo fi dros y dyddiau diwethaf yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith bod yna fwy yn gymharol o'r ail ddos wedi bod yn cael ei roi yng Nghymru. Mae pobl yn gweld ein bod ni'n disgyn ar ei hôl hi, yn eu llygaid nhw, o ran y dos cyntaf. Buasai'n ddefnyddiol cael eglurhad gennych chi ar y record yn fan hyn o beth sy'n digwydd yma, pam fod y strategaeth yma wedi sifftio tuag at yr ail ddos, ac a oes a wnelo hynny mewn unrhyw ffordd â'r ffaith bod yna ddiffygion yn y cyflenwad o un o'r ddau frechiad yn dod i Gymru. Felly, eglurwch beth sydd wedi digwydd yn y fan honno, achos mae pobl yn edrych yn ofalus iawn ar y data—lot o bobl—ac maen nhw'n gallu gweld patrymau ac maen nhw'n gallu gweld bod yna newid wedi bod mewn dyddiau diweddar.
Dau gwestiwn sydyn arall: gofalwyr di-dâl—dwi'n sicr yn falch eu bod nhw wedi cael eu cynnwys rŵan yng ngrŵp blaenoriaeth chwech ar gyfer y brechiad. Dwi'n gwybod bod y ffurflen ar-lein rŵan ar gael iddyn nhw i'w lenwi gan y rhan fwyaf o'r byrddau iechyd. Dwi'n meddwl bod pob un heblaw un wedi ei wneud o ar gael. A gaf i jest gofyn pa waith cyhoeddusrwydd sy'n cael ei wneud i wneud yn siŵr bod gofalwyr di-dâl yn ymwybodol o'r ffurflen yna a lle i ddod o hyd iddo fo?
A'r ail gwestiwn ydy ynglŷn ag asthma. Mae ymchwil yn dangos bod pobl efo asthma mewn perygl ychydig yn uwch o fynd i'r ysbyty os ydyn nhw'n cael y feirws yma, a hefyd yn llawer mwy tebygol o ddioddef COVID hir. Ond, dwi wedi cael un enghraifft o etholwraig yn methu â ffeindio allan os oedd hi'n gymwys i gael y brechiad. Yn y pen draw, mi gafodd hi. Bues i'n cyfathrebu efo'r bwrdd iechyd ar ei rhan hi. Ond dwi'n deall bod yna wybodaeth wedi cael ei rhannu efo meddygfeydd rŵan ynglŷn â phwy efo asthma ac ati ddylai fod yn gymwys. A fyddech chi'n gallu gwneud y wybodaeth yna'n gyhoeddus?
May I once again congratulate everyone who has ensured that we've reached these incredible milestones—over 1 million people having their first dose; almost 1.2 million will have had either their first or second doses. It bodes very well for reaching targets in the coming months.
I'll make a few points, as I do every week. You don't need to respond to these, Minister, because we know that we disagree. I think we're in such a good place that we could be running a parallel programme with this in order to ensure that those workers who are most likely to be exposed to the virus could be vaccinated earlier, but we disagree on that, I know. I'll also ask once again, as I've done so many times, please can we have the full data on how much of each vaccine is provided to each nation? The past few days have been a good example of why that would be useful. Many have been contacting me over the past few days drawing attention to the fact that there is relatively more of the second dose being provided in Wales—people seeing that we are falling behind in their eyes in terms of the first dose. Now, it would be useful to have clarity from you on the record as to what is happening. Why has this strategy shifted towards the second dose and does that have anything to do with the fact that there are deficiencies in the supplies of one of the two vaccines coming to Wales? So, explain to us what's happening there, because people are looking very carefully at the data and they can see patterns emerging, and they can see that there has been change over the past few days.
Two brief questions: unpaid carers—I'm certainly pleased that they've now been included in priority group six for vaccination. I know that the online form is available so that they can fill it in. I think it's available from most of the health boards, I think all bar one. Could I just ask what publicity work is being undertaken to ensure that unpaid carers are aware of that form and where to access it?
And the second question is on asthma. Now, research shows that people with asthma are at a slightly higher risk of being admitted to hospital if they catch this virus. They're also far more likely to suffer long COVID. But I've had one example of a constituent failing to find out whether she qualified for the vaccine. Ultimately, she got the vaccine. I was in touch with the health board on her behalf. But I understand some information has been provided to surgeries as to who with asthma should qualify. So, could you make that information publicly available?
Thank you for the points and the questions. I welcome your congratulations to the NHS-led team for the significant achievement already achieved to date, and the confidence in the future delivery of this NHS-led vaccination programme in Wales. And, again, you're right, we do disagree on the JCVI advice, how we should follow it, and whether we should prioritise one group and deprioritise others. So, that's a point of fact that we disagree on that.
On second-dose delivery, we've made a choice on managing our stock of the Pfizer vaccine so that we can run the second doses effectively. It's about how efficient our programme is in making sure people receive their second dose in time, and that we don't end up with a problem later in this month where we potentially won't have enough second-dose stock available. And that would be a really big problem, I think. There are many people concerned about having to mix vaccines. Well, we're not doing that in Wales: a very clear approach to this. We're being efficient, and we have a different risk appetite, I think, to other countries about how they're going to run these doses deliberately, because you're right that there is some difference in the figures. The overall total of first doses delivered—the UK average is 33.5 per cent of first doses for the whole population; it's just short of that here in Wales. On the second dose, it's 1.7 per cent, but it's 5.8 per cent on second doses in Wales. And on the total doses delivered, the UK average is 35.2 per cent; in Wales, it's 37.5 per cent. So, we're delivering more vaccines per head than any other UK nation. And that information is available in the public domain, and I'm looking to make sure we publish not just the tables on the figures, but also some of those figures on UK comparison points as well. So, you don't have to wait for my statement; they'll be a regular part of how we publish information. And each country is already publishing their figures on how they use their vaccine stocks. So, rather than me trying to give a commentary on a run on how other countries are doing, I can talk about what we're doing and how we're effectively managing the stocks we have in a way that I think is highly successful.
On unpaid carers, it's possible that I'll be talking with the chair of one of the health boards who doesn't have the online form available later this week to understand why they haven't got that online form available. It is available online, and awareness of it is being spread not just through primary care, but, actually, crucially, through carers' organisations, who—. We went through a programme of co-designing the form—the Government, the NHS and those carers' organisations—and so we settled on something that we all think will work. And that takes you through a series of questions to make sure that you get your entitlement. That information is then entered into the Welsh immunisation system, and that should then generate the appointment. So, we want to see as much use of that online form as possible to give people a consistent experience across the country.
On asthma, you're right, there has been a letter that's gone from one of the senior clinical leads in the Government, and there's a letter that's gone out to primary care, and, given that it will have gone out to a whole range of primary care providers, I think that's essentially public. I'll just make sure that arrangements are made to publish that advice, so everyone can see how that advice has been provided for primary care to then manage their lists of people in a way that, again, should be as consistent as possible across the country. I don't think there's any difficulty in doing it, and I'm sure we can issue a simple written statement in the coming days to do so.
Diolch am y pwyntiau a'r cwestiynau. Rwy'n croesawu eich bod chi'n llongyfarch y tîm a arweinir gan y GIG oherwydd y cyflawniad sylweddol a wnaed hyd yma, a'r hyder wrth gyflawni'r rhaglen frechu hon a arweinir gan y GIG yng Nghymru i'r dyfodol. Ac, unwaith eto, rydych chi'n iawn, rydym yn anghytuno ar gyngor y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu, a sut y dylem ni ddilyn hwnnw, ac a ddylem ni flaenoriaethu un grŵp ac amddifadu un arall o flaenoriaeth. Felly, mae honno'n ffaith ein bod ni'n anghytuno ar hynny.
O ran dosbarthu ail ddos, rydym wedi gwneud dewis o ran rheoli ein stoc ni o frechlyn Pfizer fel y gallwn ni weinyddu'r ail ddos yn effeithiol. Mae hyn yn ymwneud â pha mor effeithlon yw ein rhaglen ni o ran sicrhau bod pobl yn cael eu hail ddos nhw mewn da bryd, a'n bod ni'n osgoi problem yn ddiweddarach yn y mis hwn pan na fydd digon o stoc o'r ail ddos ar gael inni o bosibl. Ac fe fyddai honno'n broblem fawr iawn, yn fy marn i. Mae llawer o bobl yn pryderu am orfod cymysgu brechlynnau. Wel, nid ydym ni am wneud hynny yng Nghymru: mae'r agwedd at hyn yn glir iawn. Rydym ni'n ceisio bod yn effeithlon, ac mae ein hagwedd ni tuag at risg yn wahanol, rwy'n credu, o'i chymharu â gwledydd eraill ynglŷn â'u dull nhw o weinyddu'r dosau hyn yn fwriadol, oherwydd rydych chi'n iawn fod yna rywfaint o wahaniaeth yn y ffigurau. Cyfanswm cyffredinol y dosau cyntaf a ddarparwyd—cyfartaledd y DU yw 33.5 y cant o'r dosau cyntaf ar gyfer y boblogaeth gyfan; mae ychydig o dan hynny yma yng Nghymru. Ar gyfer yr ail ddos, mae'n 1.7 y cant, ond mae'n 5.8 y cant ar gyfer yr ail ddos yng Nghymru. Ac ar gyfer cyfanswm y dosau a ddarparwyd, cyfartaledd y DU yw 35.2 y cant; yng Nghymru, mae'r cyfanswm yn 37.5 y cant. Felly, rydym ni'n gweinyddu mwy o frechlynnau y pen nag unrhyw wlad arall yn y DU. Ac mae'r wybodaeth honno ar gael i'r cyhoedd, ac rwy'n awyddus i sicrhau ein bod ni'n cyhoeddi nid yn unig y tablau ar y ffigurau, ond rhai o'r ffigurau hynny ynglŷn â phwyntiau o gymhariaeth â'r DU hefyd. Felly, nid oes raid ichi aros am fy natganiad i; fe fyddan nhw'n rhan reolaidd o'r ffordd yr ydym ni'n cyhoeddi gwybodaeth. Ac mae pob gwlad yn cyhoeddi ei ffigurau eisoes ynglŷn â sut maen nhw'n defnyddio eu stociau nhw o frechlynnau. Felly, yn hytrach nag ymgais gennyf i yn rhoi sylwebaeth ar y sefyllfa mewn gwledydd eraill, rwy'n gallu siarad am yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud a sut rydym ni'n rheoli'r stociau sydd gennym ni'n effeithiol mewn ffordd sydd, yn fy marn i, yn llwyddiannus i raddau helaeth iawn.
O ran gofalwyr di-dâl, mae'n bosibl y byddaf i'n siarad yn nes ymlaen yr wythnos hon gyda chadeirydd un o'r byrddau iechyd lle nad yw'r ffurflen ar-lein yn weithredol er mwyn deall pam nad yw'r ffurflen ar-lein honno ar gael ganddyn nhw. Mae ar gael ar-lein, ac mae pobl yn cael eu gwneud yn ymwybodol ohoni nid yn unig drwy ofal sylfaenol ond, yn hollbwysig, drwy sefydliadau'r gofalwyr, sydd—. Fe aethom ni drwy raglen o gyd-ddylunio'r ffurflen—y Llywodraeth, y GIG a'r sefydliadau hynny i ofalwyr—ac fe wnaethom ni setlo ar rywbeth yr ydym ni o'r farn y bydd yn gweithio. Ac mae'r ffurflen honno'n eich tywys chi drwy gyfres o gwestiynau i sicrhau eich bod chi'n cael yr hyn sy'n haeddiannol. Yna, fe gaiff yr wybodaeth honno ei bwydo i system imiwneiddio Cymru, ac yna fe ddylai hynny gynhyrchu'r apwyntiad. Felly, rydym ni'n awyddus i weld cymaint o ddefnydd â phosibl o'r ffurflen ar-lein honno er mwyn darparu profiad cyson i bobl ledled y wlad.
O ran asthma, rydych chi'n iawn, mae llythyr wedi cael ei anfon gan un o'r uwch arweinwyr clinigol yn y Llywodraeth, ac mae llythyr wedi mynd allan i ofal sylfaenol, ac, o ystyried y bydd hwnnw wedi mynd allan i ystod eang o ddarparwyr gofal sylfaenol, rwy'n credu ei fod yn gyhoeddus yn y bôn. Fe fyddaf yn sicrhau bod trefniadau'n cael eu gwneud i gyhoeddi'r cyngor hwnnw, fel y gall pawb weld sut y darparwyd y cyngor hwnnw ac fe all gofal sylfaenol reoli eu rhestrau nhw o bobl wedyn mewn ffordd a ddylai fod, unwaith eto, mor gyson â phosibl ledled y wlad. Nid wyf i o'r farn fod unrhyw anhawster wrth wneud hynny, ac rwy'n siŵr y gallwn ni gyhoeddi datganiad ysgrifenedig syml ar hynny yn ystod y dyddiau nesaf.
The people of Islwyn who I represent congratulate you and the Welsh Labour Government on hitting the historic milestone of the millionth vaccination. In my constituency of Islwyn, the mass vaccination in Newbridge leisure centre is effectively, and with skill, vaccinating large numbers of people. Minister, with four out of 10 of the Welsh adult population having had at least one dose, what is your message to the communities of Islwyn in regard to the progress being made to vaccinate every adult by 31 July?
Mae pobl Islwyn, yr wyf i'n eu cynrychioli, yn eich llongyfarch chi a Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru ar achlysur cyrraedd carreg filltir hanesyddol, sef miliwn o frechiadau. Yn fy etholaeth i, sef Islwyn, mae'r brechu torfol yng nghanolfan hamdden Trecelyn yn effeithiol iawn, ac yn fedrus iawn, yn brechu niferoedd mawr o bobl. Gweinidog, gyda phedwar o bob 10 ymhlith poblogaeth oedolion Cymru wedi cael o leiaf un dos, beth yw eich neges chi i gymunedau Islwyn o ran y cynnydd sy'n cael ei wneud i frechu pob oedolyn erbyn 31 Gorffennaf?
I think people can have a high level of confidence about where we're going to get to, both in the middle of April, and, indeed, by the end of July, depending on supply. And it's supply that is the only issue that potentially holds us back. I think, to be fair, you'd have the same if you spoke to any of the NHS-led programmes in the UK. We could have delivered more by now if more supply was available. That's not a criticism; it's a statement of where we are, and I think that goes back to Angela Burns's questions as well. So, if you're waiting for your vaccine, and you're in groups 1 to 9, you can be confident that you will have had it, or should have been offered it, by the middle of April. I think that means we're in good shape to be offering the rest of the adult population in Wales their vaccine, if supplies hold up, from the middle of April onwards. And, again, the longer-term forecast on the stability of vaccine supply should mean we can do that by the end of July. It gets more uncertain the further into the future we are, but, in the conversations I've had not just with the UK Minister on vaccine supply, but other health Ministers in the UK, and, indeed, the two vaccine suppliers at present, both Pfizer and AstraZeneca,I think we will get a level of supply that allows us to do that. And that, again, will give us different choices about how the public can go about their business and return to more normality, all the while we're managing the risk of what is still an unfinished pandemic. But I'm grateful to hear that the constituency you represent are proud of what we're doing in this NHS-led programme.
Rwy'n credu y gall pobl fod â lefel uchel iawn o hyder am ein sefyllfa ni, ar ganol mis Ebrill, ac, yn wir, erbyn diwedd mis Gorffennaf hefyd, gan ddibynnu ar y cyflenwadau. A'r cyflenwad yw'r unig fater a allai ein dal ni'n ôl. Rwy'n credu, a bod yn deg, mai'r un fyddai'r ateb pe byddech chi'n siarad ag unrhyw un o'r rhaglenni a arweinir gan y GIG yn y DU. Fe allem fod wedi gwneud mwy erbyn hyn pe byddai yna fwy o gyflenwad wedi bod ar gael. Nid beirniadaeth mohoni; dim ond datgan ein sefyllfa ni, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n mynd yn ôl at gwestiynau Angela Burns hefyd. Felly, os ydych chi'n aros am eich brechlyn chi, a'ch bod chi yn perthyn i grwpiau 1 i 9, fe allwch fod yn hyderus y byddwch wedi cael cynnig un, neu fe ddylech gael cynnig un, erbyn canol mis Ebrill. Rwyf i o'r farn fod hynny'n golygu ein bod ni mewn sefyllfa dda i fod yn cynnig brechlyn i weddill y boblogaeth oedolion yng Nghymru, os bydd y cyflenwadau yn ateb y gofyn, o ganol mis Ebrill ymlaen. Ac, unwaith eto, fe ddylai'r rhagolwg i'r tymor hwy, o ran sefydlogrwydd y cyflenwad o frechlynnau, olygu y gallwn ni wneud hynny erbyn diwedd mis Gorffennaf. Mae'n mynd yn fwy ansicr po bellaf i'r dyfodol yr edrychwn. Ond, yn y sgyrsiau yr wyf i wedi eu cael nid yn unig â Gweinidog y DU ynglŷn â'r cyflenwad o frechlynnau, ond gyda Gweinidogion Iechyd eraill yn y DU, ac, yn wir, gyda'r ddau gwmni sy'n cyflenwi'r brechlynnau yr ydym ni'n eu defnyddio ar hyn o bryd, sef Pfizer ac AstraZeneca, rwyf i o'r farn y bydd gennym y lefel o gyflenwad i ganiatáu inni wneud hynny. Ac fe fydd hynny, unwaith eto, yn rhoi dewisiadau amrywiol inni ynglŷn â sut y gall y cyhoedd fwrw ymlaen â'u bywydau a chael mwy o normalrwydd, gan barhau i reoli'r perygl oherwydd yr hyn sy'n dal i fod yn bandemig nad yw wedi dod i ben eto. Ond rwy'n falch iawn o glywed bod yr etholaeth yr ydych chi'n ei chynrychioli yn gwerthfawrogi'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yn y rhaglen hon dan arweiniad y GIG.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r Rheoliadau Diogelu Iechyd (Cyfyngiadau Coronafeirws) (Rhif 5) (Cymru) (Diwygio) (Rhif 4) 2021. A dwi'n galw ar y Gweinidog unwaith eto i gyflwyno'r rheoliadau yma—Vaughan Gething.
The next item is the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2021. And I call on the Minister once again—Vaughan Gething.
Cynnig NDM7614 Rebecca Evans
Cynnig bod y Senedd, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 27.5:
1. Yn cymeradwyo Rheoliadau Diogelu Iechyd (Cyfyngiadau Coronafeirws) (Rhif 5) (Cymru) (Diwygio) (Rhif 4) 2021 a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 26 Chwefror 2021.
Motion NDM7614 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:
1. Approves The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2021 laid in the Table Office on 26 February 2021.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Thank you, Llywydd. I move the motion before us. Members will be aware the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) Regulations 2020 were reviewed on 18 February, and concluded that the whole of Wales should remain at alert level 4. This means that everyone must continue to stay at home for now. All non-essential retail, hospitality venues, licensed premises and leisure facilities must remain closed. This also means that people are generally unable to form extended households, otherwise known as 'bubbles'. Until the most recent amendments to the regulations, the only exception has been for single responsible adult households, adults living alone, or living alone with children, who could form a support bubble with one other household. Since Wales moved to alert level 4, households needing contact on compassionate grounds, or to assist with childcare, have been able to do so.
The regulations have, however, been amended so that households with any children under the age of one can form a support bubble—again, with one other household. This seeks to ensure that new parents or carers of children under one can receive support from friends or family during the crucial first year of a baby's life. This will also help with the baby's development. The amended restriction regulations also allow 16 and 17-year-olds living alone, or with people of the same age, without any adults, to similarly form a support bubble. And finally, the regulations have been amended to allow all venues approved for the solemnisation of weddings, formation of a civil partnership, or alternative wedding ceremonies, to open for this limited purpose. To be clear, wedding receptions, at present, are still not permitted.
We've clearly set out that our first priority is to get as many children and students back to face-to-face learning as soon as possible. With this in mind, our approach to easing restrictions will be in gradual steps. We will continue to listen to the medical and scientific advice, then assess the impact of the changes that we make. Despite the huge progress in rolling out vaccines that we've just discussed and the improving public health situation, we have seen how quickly the situation can deteriorate. Faced with new variants of coronavirus, especially the much faster spreading Kent variant, we cannot provide as much certainty and predictability as we would otherwise like. We will give as much notice to people and businesses as we can do ahead of any change. When we believe it is safe to ease restrictions, we will do so. I ask Members to support these regulations, which continue to play an important part in adapting the coronavirus rules here in Wales to ensure that they remain both effective and proportionate. Thank you.
Diolch, Llywydd. Rwy'n cynnig y cynnig sydd ger bron. Mae'r Aelodau yn ymwybodol bod Rheoliadau Diogelu Iechyd (Cyfyngiadau Coronafeirws) (Rhif 5) (Cymru) 2020 wedi cael eu hadolygu ar 18 Chwefror, ac fe ddaethpwyd i'r casgliad y dylai Cymru i gyd aros ar lefel rhybudd 4. Mae hyn yn golygu bod yn rhaid i bawb ddal ati i aros gartref am y tro. Mae'n rhaid i'r holl siopau nad ydynt yn hanfodol, mannau lletygarwch yn ogystal â safleoedd trwyddedig a chyfleusterau hamdden aros ar gau. Mae hyn yn golygu nad yw pobl, ar y cyfan, yn gallu ffurfio aelwydydd estynedig, sef yr hyn a elwir hefyd yn 'swigod'. Hyd nes i'r diwygiadau diweddaraf gael eu gwneud i'r rheoliadau, yr unig eithriad fu ar gyfer aelwydydd un oedolyn cyfrifol, oedolion sy'n byw ar eu pennau eu hunain, neu sy'n byw ar eu pennau eu hunain gyda phlant, a allai ffurfio swigod cymorth gydag un aelwyd arall. Ers i Gymru symud i rybudd lefel 4, mae aelwydydd sydd angen cyswllt ar sail dosturiol, neu i gynorthwyo gyda gofal plant, wedi gallu gwneud hynny.
Fodd bynnag, cafodd y rheoliadau eu diwygio fel y gall aelwydydd ag unrhyw blant dan un oed ffurfio swigod cymorth—unwaith eto, gydag un aelwyd arall. Mae hyn yn ceisio sicrhau y gall rhieni newydd neu warcheidwaid plant dan flwydd oed gael cymorth gan ffrindiau neu deulu yn ystod blwyddyn gyntaf hanfodol bywyd baban. Fe fydd hyn yn helpu gyda datblygiad y baban hefyd. Yn ogystal â hynny, mae'r rheoliadau diwygiedig ar gyfer y cyfyngiadau yn caniatáu i bobl ifanc 16 ac 17 oed sy'n byw ar eu pennau eu hunain, neu gyda phobl o'r un oedran, heb unrhyw oedolion, ffurfio swigod cymorth yn yr un modd. Ac yn olaf, mae'r rheoliadau diwygiedig yn caniatáu i bob lleoliad a gymeradwyir ar gyfer gweinyddu priodasau, seremonïau partneriaeth sifil, neu seremonïau priodas amgen, agor at y diben cyfyngedig hwn. I fod yn eglur, ni chaniateir ciniawau priodas ar hyn o bryd.
Rydym wedi nodi'n glir mai ein blaenoriaeth gyntaf ni yw gweld cymaint o blant a myfyrwyr â phosibl yn dychwelyd i addysg wyneb yn wyneb cyn gynted ag y bo modd. Gyda hyn mewn golwg, fe fydd ein dull ni o lacio'r cyfyngiadau yn digwydd mewn camau graddol. Fe fyddwn ni'n parhau i wrando ar y cyngor meddygol a gwyddonol ac, wedi hynny, fe fyddwn ni'n asesu effaith y newidiadau a wnaed. Er gwaethaf y cynnydd enfawr o ran gweinyddu brechlynnau yr ydym ni newydd sôn amdano, a'r sefyllfa sy'n gwella o ran iechyd y cyhoedd, rydym wedi gweld pa mor gyflym y gall y sefyllfa ddirywio. Yn wyneb amrywiolion newydd o'r coronafeirws, yn arbennig amrywiolyn Caint, sy'n ymledu ar raddfa lawer cyflymach, ni allwn ddarparu cymaint o sicrwydd na rhagweld cymaint ag y byddem ni'n ei hoffi fel arall. Fe fyddwn ni'n rhoi cymaint o rybudd i bobl a busnesau ag y gallwn ni cyn gwneud unrhyw newidiadau. Pan fyddwn ni o'r farn ei bod yn ddiogel llacio'r cyfyngiadau, fe fyddwn ni'n gwneud hynny. Rwy'n gofyn i'r Aelodau gefnogi'r rheoliadau hyn, sy'n parhau i fod â rhan bwysig wrth addasu rheolau coronafeirws yma yng Nghymru er mwyn sicrhau eu bod nhw'n dal i fod yn effeithiol a chymesur. Diolch.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
Thank you. Can I now call the Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, Mick Antoniw?
Diolch i chi. A gaf i alw nawr ar Gadeirydd y Pwyllgor Deddfwriaeth, Cyfiawnder a'r Cyfansoddiad, Mick Antoniw?
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I've just a few short comments to make. We considered these regulations at our meeting yesterday morning, and our report contains three merits points that will be familiar to Members. Our first merits point notes the Welsh Government's justification for any potential interference with human rights. We've drawn particular attention to a number of key paragraphs in the explanatory memorandum that make direct reference to articles 2, 5, 8, 9, and 11 of the European charter of fundamental rights and article 1 of the first protocol. And our second and third merits points note that there has been no formal consultation on the regulations, and that a regulatory impact assessment has not been carried out by the Welsh Government. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Mae gennyf i ychydig o sylwadau byr i'w rhoi. Fe wnaethom ni ystyried y rheoliadau hyn yn ein cyfarfod ni bore ddoe, ac mae ein hadroddiad ni'n cynnwys tri phwynt teilyngdod sy'n gyfarwydd iawn i'r Aelodau. Mae ein pwynt teilyngdod cyntaf ni'n nodi cyfiawnhad Llywodraeth Cymru dros unrhyw ymyrraeth bosibl â hawliau dynol. Rydym wedi tynnu sylw arbennig at nifer o baragraffau allweddol yn y memorandwm esboniadol sy'n cyfeirio'n uniongyrchol at erthyglau 2, 5, 8, 9 ac 11 o siarter hawliau sylfaenol Ewrop ac erthygl 1 o'r protocol cyntaf. Ac mae ein hail a'n trydydd pwynt teilyngdod yn nodi na fu yna ymgynghoriad ffurfiol ar y rheoliadau, ac nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cynnal asesiad effaith rheoleiddiol. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd.
Dau newid yn y fan hyn rydyn ni'n cytuno â nhw, y cyntaf yn ymwneud â mangreoedd ar gyfer seremonïau priodas sifil a phartneriaethau sifil, y llall yn caniatáu i aelwydydd efo, beth bynnag, un plentyn dan un oed ffurfio aelwyd estynedig. Dwi yn falch o weld hyn yn digwydd o ran llesiant, a dwi'n cyfeirio'n benodol at y gwaith mae Bethan Sayed wedi'i wneud yn y maes yma'n benodol, dwi'n meddwl, yn codi ymwybyddiaeth, fel rhiant ifanc ei hun hefyd, wrth gwrs. Felly, fel dwi'n dweud, mi fyddwn ni'n cefnogi hwn.
Gwnaf i gyfeirio, os caf i, jest yn sydyn, at yr adolygiad nesaf. Dwi yn gobeithio, eto o ran llesiant, y byddwn ni'n gallu symud i gyfnod 'aros yn lleol', rŵan, yn hytrach nag 'aros gartref'. Dwi'n credu buasai fo yn gwneud gwahaniaeth mawr o ran llesiant pobl, a dwi'n edrych ymlaen at gael mwy o fap ynglŷn â'r ffordd ymlaen. Ond Ynys Môn ydy fy etholaeth i. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod Ynys Môn yn un o'r ardaloedd lle mae nifer yr achosion ar ei uchaf. Rydym ni'n gwybod am yr effaith mae'r math newydd o goronafeirws yn ei gael, pa mor hawdd ydy o i ledaenu. Rydym ni'n gweld y ffigurau diweddaraf, eto'r prynhawn yma, ynglŷn â nifer yr achosion yn Ysbyty Gwynedd ac yn y blaen. Felly, mae'n rhaid symud ymlaen yn bwyllog iawn, iawn, iawn. Felly, jest cwestiwn sydyn: sut bydd y Llywodraeth yn cyfathrebu mor glir â phosib na all pobl ddefnyddio'r ffaith bod cil y drws yn agor fel rheswm i wthio'r drws yna ar agor led y pen, achos dydyn ni ddim yn barod am hynny?
Two changes here that we agree with, the first relating to venues for weddings and civil partnerships, and the second allowing households with one child under the age of one to form an extended household. I'm very pleased to see this happening in terms of well-being, and I make specific reference to the work that Bethan Sayed has done in this particular area, where she's been raising awareness as a young parent herself, of course. So, as I say, we will be supporting this.
I will refer, if I may, just briefly, to the next review. I do hope, in terms of well-being, that we will be able to move to a 'stay local' instruction, rather than a 'stay at home', which I think would make a great difference in terms of people's well-being, and I look forward to having more of a road map on the way forward. But Ynys Môn is my constituency. We know that Ynys Môn is one of the areas where the number of cases is highest, and we know of the impact that the new coronavirus variant has, how quickly it spreads, and we see the latest figures this afternoon and the number of cases in Ysbyty Gwynedd and so on. Therefore, we must move on very cautiously. So, just a brief question: how will the Government communicate as clearly as possible the message that people can't use the fact that the door is being pushed ajar as a reason to push that door open, because we're not ready for that?
Thank you. Could I call on the Minister for Health and Social Services to reply to the debate? Vaughan Gething.
Diolch. A gaf i alw ar y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol i ymateb i'r ddadl? Vaughan Gething.
Thank you, once again, to the legislation and justice committee for their scrutiny of the regulations. Once again, the regular reviews they undertake do help us to make sure that the legislation fulfils its purpose and is appropriately drafted, and they have, from time to time, picked up what I think are small, but important, differences in the regulations, which we have then corrected, once they have reviewed them. That is always helpful.
On Rhun ap Iorwerth's point, I'm grateful for the support for these regulations. On your broader point about possible future regulations, you will have heard both myself and the First Minister refer to the possibility of a 'stay local' period before there is a wider move in travel. And there is nothing perfect about that, but we recognise that, in moving from one stage to another, an intermediate 'stay local' stage may well be useful. And this is about people being sensible with any rules or guidance. And if we're going to provide guidance on it, it is just that, not a hard and fast rule, and we ask people to be sensible about how they exercise that. And I recognise that, if I lived in the middle of Powys, what 'stay local' might mean could be very different to living here in Penarth or in the Cardiff part of my constituency. And so we ask people to exercise the level of common sense and support that has seen us to this point now. What I would not want to see is for people to take an approach to any potential easing that takes us well beyond where we need to be, because I want to see a safe and phased progress out of our current restrictions that does not mean we need to put the brakes on again.
People need to be cognisant of, if they are going to travel, to make sure they're still observing the other restrictions that will still be there and in place, and in particular the challenges for all of us about making sure we keep our distance from people, good hand hygiene and not mixing indoors in particular. That's still the most dangerous and risky form of contact and, as I've said, the Kent variant does mean that this is a much more transmissible variant than the one that we have currently dealt with, and so that's why the extra caution is needed. It's for all of us, though, to play our part so we can have different choices to make in the future, and different choices that I certainly hope we can all agree we would not want to have to reverse back from.
So, thank you for your general comments and support, and I look forward to hoping that Members will now agree the regulations before us.
Diolch i'r pwyllgor deddfwriaeth a chyfiawnder, unwaith eto, am graffu ar y rheoliadau. Unwaith eto, mae adolygiadau rheolaidd y pwyllgor hwn yn ein helpu ni i sicrhau bod y ddeddfwriaeth yn ateb ei diben a'i bod wedi ei drafftio'n addas, ac mae'r pwyllgor, o bryd i'w gilydd, wedi sylwi ar wahaniaethau bychan, ond pwysig iawn, yn fy marn i, yn y rheoliadau, y gwnaethom ni eu cywiro, ar ôl i'r pwyllgor eu hadolygu. Mae hynny o gymorth mawr bob amser.
Ynglŷn â phwynt Rhun ap Iorwerth, rwy'n ddiolchgar am y gefnogaeth i'r rheoliadau hyn. Ynglŷn â'ch pwynt ehangach chi am reoliadau posibl yn y dyfodol, rydych chi wedi clywed y Prif Weinidog a minnau'n cyfeirio at y posibilrwydd o gyfnod 'aros yn lleol' cyn y gellir cael symudiad ehangach o ran teithio. Ac nid oes dim byd yn berffaith yn hynny, ond rydym ni'n cydnabod, wrth symud o un cam i'r llall, y gallai cyfnod pontio 'aros yn lleol' fod yn ddefnyddiol. Ac mae hyn yn golygu pobl yn ymddwyn yn synhwyrol gydag unrhyw reolau neu ganllawiau. Ac os byddwn ni'n rhoi arweiniad ar hyn, dyna'n union fyddai hynny, nid rheol haearnaidd. Rydym yn gofyn i bobl fod yn synhwyrol ynglŷn â sut y maen nhw'n mynd o gwmpas hynny. Ac rwy'n sylweddoli, pe byddwn i'n byw yng nghanol Powys, y gallai 'aros yn lleol' olygu rhywbeth gwahanol iawn i fyw yma ym Mhenarth neu yn y rhan o Gaerdydd sydd yn fy etholaeth i. Ac felly rydym yn gofyn i bobl ddefnyddio eu synnwyr cyffredin a dangos y gefnogaeth sydd wedi ein cynnal ni hyd yr awr hon. Yr hyn nad ydym yn awyddus i'w weld yw pobl yn cymryd agwedd tuag at unrhyw lacio posibl sy'n ein dwyn ni ymhell y tu hwnt i'r sefyllfa y mae angen inni fod ynddi hi, oherwydd rwy'n eiddgar i weld cynnydd graddol a diogel wrth symud oddi wrth ein cyfyngiadau presennol a fyddai'n golygu na fyddai angen inni arafu unwaith eto.
Os ydyn nhw'n mynd i deithio, mae angen i bobl gydnabod a gwneud yn siŵr eu bod yn dal i gadw at y cyfyngiadau eraill a fydd yn parhau i fod yn weithredol ac yn eu lle, ac yn enwedig yr heriau i bob un ohonom ni wrth sicrhau ein bod yn cadw pellter oddi wrth bobl, yn cofio am hylendid dwylo, ac yn enwedig ddim yn cymysgu dan do. Hwnnw yw'r dull mwyaf peryglus o gysylltu â phobl o hyd ac, fel y dywedais i, mae amrywiolyn Caint yn golygu ei fod yn amrywiolyn sy'n llawer haws iddo drosglwyddo na'r un yr ydym wedi bod yn ymdrin ag ef hyd yma, ac felly dyna pam mae angen gofal ychwanegol. Mater i bob un ohonom ni, serch hynny, yw gwneud ein rhan fel y gallwn wneud dewisiadau eraill yn y dyfodol, a dewisiadau eraill yr wyf i'n sicr yn gobeithio y gallwn ni i gyd gytuno na fyddem yn dymuno eu bod yn cael eu gwrthdroi.
Felly, diolch am eich sylwadau a'ch cefnogaeth gyffredinol, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at obeithio y bydd yr Aelodau yn cytuno nawr ar y rheoliadau sydd ger bron.
Thank you. The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? No, I don't see objections. Therefore, the motion is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Diolch. Y cynnig yw ein bod ni'n derbyn y cynnig. A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Nac oes, nid wyf i'n gweld unrhyw un sy'n gwrthwynebu. Gan hynny, fe dderbynnir y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Items 5, 6, 7 and 8 have been postponed on our agenda until next week.
Cafodd eitemau 5, 6, 7 ac 8 ar ein hagenda ni eu gohirio tan yr wythnos nesaf.
Therefore, item 9 is the Equality Act 2010 (Authorities subject to a duty regarding Socio-economic Inequalities) (Wales) Regulations 2021, and I call on the Deputy Minister and the Chief Whip to move the motion, Jane Hutt.
Felly, eitem 9 yw Rheoliadau Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 (Awdurdodau sy'n ddarostyngedig i ddyletswydd ynghylch Anghydraddoldebau Economaidd-Gymdeithasol) (Cymru) 2021, ac rwy'n galw ar y Dirprwy Weinidog a'r Prif Chwip i gynnig y cynnig, Jane Hutt.
Cynnig NDM7616 Rebecca Evans
Cynnig bod y Senedd, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 27.5:
1. Yn cymeradwyo bod y fersiwn ddrafft o Reoliadau Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 (Awdurdodau sy’n ddarostyngedig i ddyletswydd ynghylch Anghydraddoldebau Economaidd-gymdeithasol) (Cymru) 2021 yn cael ei llunio yn unol â’r fersiwn ddrafft a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 9 Chwefror 2021.
Motion NDM7616 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:
1. Approves that the draft The Equality Act 2010 (Authorities subject to a duty regarding Socio-economic Inequalities) (Wales) Regulations 2021 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 9 February 2021.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Members will be aware that on 15 July 2020 the First Minister, in his legislative programme statement, announced that the socioeconomic duty was one of five areas for delivery before the end of this Senedd term. This is one of our levers to reduce inequality, and I'm pleased that today we're able to debate the regulations laid before Members of the Senedd, which are a key part of delivering this commitment. If passed, the regulations will place a duty on certain public bodies, requiring them when making strategic decisions, such as deciding priorities and setting objectives, to consider how their decisions might help to reduce inequalities associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. The regulations before you simply list the Welsh public bodies who are captured by the duty, so the definition of a relevant authority means I'm restricted as to which public bodies the duty can apply. However, I have captured every public body that falls inside this definition, ensuring maximum benefit to the people of Wales. The duty also links to plans for the draft social partnership and public procurement (Wales) Bill, which is out for consultation. Both pieces of legislation seek to strengthen our social partnership arrangements and fair work agenda, as both help to address inequality from different perspectives.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. Mae'r Aelodau yn ymwybodol bod y Prif Weinidog, yn ei ddatganiad rhaglen ddeddfwriaethol ar 15 Gorffennaf 2020, wedi cyhoeddi bod y ddyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol yn un o bum maes i'w cyflawni cyn diwedd y tymor Seneddol hwn. Dyma un o'n hysgogiadau ni i leihau anghydraddoldeb, ac rwy'n falch ein bod ni'n gallu trafod y rheoliadau a osodwyd gerbron Aelodau'r Senedd heddiw, sef rhan allweddol o gyflawni'r ymrwymiad hwn. Os byddant yn cael eu pasio, fe fydd y rheoliadau'n rhoi dyletswydd ar rai cyrff cyhoeddus, ac yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol iddynt, wrth wneud penderfyniadau strategol fel penderfynu ar flaenoriaethau a phennu amcanion, ystyried sut y gallai eu penderfyniadau nhw helpu i leihau anghydraddoldebau sy'n gysylltiedig ag anfantais economaidd-gymdeithasol. Mae'r rheoliadau sydd ger eich bron yn rhestru cyrff cyhoeddus Cymru sy'n cael eu cynnwys o ran y ddyletswydd hon, felly mae'r diffiniad o awdurdod perthnasol yn golygu fy mod i wedi fy nghyfyngu i'r cyrff cyhoeddus hynny y gall y ddyletswydd hon fod yn berthnasol iddyn nhw. Serch hynny, rwyf wedi cynnwys pob corff cyhoeddus y mae'r diffiniad hwn yn berthnasol iddo, gan sicrhau'r budd mwyaf posibl i bobl Cymru. Mae'r ddyletswydd yn cysylltu hefyd â chynlluniau ar gyfer y Bil partneriaeth gymdeithasol a chaffael cyhoeddus (Cymru) drafft, sy'n destun ymgynghoriad ar hyn o bryd. Mae'r ddau ddarn o ddeddfwriaeth yn ceisio cryfhau ein trefniadau ni gyda'r bartneriaeth gymdeithasol a'r agenda gwaith teg sydd gennym ni, gan fod y ddau beth yn helpu i fynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldeb o wahanol safbwyntiau.