Y Cyfarfod Llawn
Plenary
12/10/2022Cynnwys
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 yn y Siambr a thrwy gynhadledd fideo am 13:30 gyda'r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Senedd met in the Chamber and by video-conference at 13:30 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Prynhawn da a chroeso i'r Cyfarfod Llawn y prynhawn yma. Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda ni yw'r cwestiynau i Weinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Sarah Murphy.
Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's Plenary. The first item on our agenda is questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, and the first question is from Sarah Murphy.
1. Sut mae'r Gweinidog yn gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol i sicrhau bod digon o leoedd ysgolion ar gael i ddisgyblion ar draws Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr? OQ58521
1. How is the Minister working with local authorities to ensure enough school places are available for pupils across Bridgend? OQ58521
Local authorities are responsible for planning school places. They must ensure that there are sufficient schools providing primary and secondary education for pupils in their areas. I am not aware of any local authority that does not have enough school places.
Awdurdodau lleol sy'n gyfrifol am gynllunio lleoedd ysgolion. Mae'n rhaid iddynt sicrhau bod digon o ysgolion yn darparu addysg gynradd ac uwchradd i ddisgyblion yn eu hardaloedd. Nid wyf yn ymwybodol o unrhyw awdurdod lleol lle nad oes digon o leoedd ysgolion.
Thank you, Minister, and I appreciate your response to this question. I know from many parents in my constituency and, of course, across Wales, that they want to be able to send their children to good schools, close to their homes. But this has been a slight issue for parents and pupils in my community, so it is really great to hear about the £1.8 million investment from Bridgend County Borough Council schools in housing developments to increase classrooms and pupil capacity, at Bryntirion Comprehensive School, and that there are plans in place to extend the number of places at Coety Primary School, which is situated in a recent housing development. But I just want to highlight, specifically with Coety Primary School, unfortunately when the housing development was developed, and the school is in the centre of it, there just weren't enough places for the pupils, especially as the housing development now has expanded. So, there has been a gap where there were not enough places in that school for the children living directly around it, and that gap has meant that children have had to go further away and also siblings, in some cases, haven't been able to attend the same school. I understand that it can be tricky to predict how many places will be needed in new schools, but what more can be done, really, to allow a bit more flexibility around this when we have new housing and school developments?
Diolch, Weinidog, ac rwy’n gwerthfawrogi eich ymateb i’r cwestiwn hwn. Gwn ar ôl clywed gan lawer o rieni yn fy etholaeth, a ledled Cymru wrth gwrs, eu bod eisiau gallu danfon eu plant i ysgolion da, yn agos at eu cartrefi. Ond mae hon wedi bod yn broblem i rieni a disgyblion yn fy nghymuned, felly mae’n wych clywed am y buddsoddiad o £1.8 miliwn gan Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr i ysgolion mewn datblygiadau tai i gynyddu'r nifer o ystafelloedd dosbarth a lleoedd disgyblion, yn Ysgol Gyfun Bryntirion, a bod cynlluniau ar waith i gynyddu nifer y lleoedd yn Ysgol Gynradd Coety, sydd wedi'i lleoli mewn datblygiad tai diweddar. Ond hoffwn nodi, yn benodol mewn perthynas ag Ysgol Gynradd Coety, yn anffodus, pan adeiladwyd y datblygiad tai, ac mae'r ysgol yn ei ganol, nad oedd digon o leoedd ar gyfer y disgyblion, yn enwedig gan fod y datblygiad tai wedi ehangu bellach. Felly, mae bwlch lle nad oedd digon o leoedd yn yr ysgol honno ar gyfer y plant sy'n byw o'i chwmpas, ac mae'r bwlch hwnnw wedi golygu bod plant wedi gorfod mynd ymhellach i ffwrdd, ac mewn rhai achosion, fod brodyr a chwiorydd heb allu mynychu'r un ysgol. Rwy’n deall y gall fod yn anodd rhagweld faint o leoedd y bydd eu hangen mewn ysgolion newydd, ond beth arall y gellir ei wneud i ganiatáu rhywfaint yn fwy o hyblygrwydd yn hyn o beth pan fyddwn yn adeiladu datblygiadau tai ac ysgolion newydd?
Thank you to Sarah Murphy for welcoming the investment, including that which the Welsh Government provides into schools in Bridgend, as elsewhere. It was good to visit Bryntirion Comprehensive School with her recently. She is right to say, of course, that it is important that we make sure that schools and other public services are aligned with developments in housing. Our planning system is key in this in helping us to ensure that, as new housing developments come forward, there is sufficient school capacity available within communities. Authorities should take a strategic and long-term approach towards provision of community facilities, which obviously includes schools, when they are preparing their development plans. Those plans set out how places will change over a 15-year period—how many new houses will be built and where they will be located. And so, as part of that, we would expect for infrastructure, including school provision, to be a crucial consideration when planning those new housing developments. But I recognise that, sometimes, there is a gap between provision and the need arising, perhaps inevitably.
Diolch i Sarah Murphy am groesawu’r buddsoddiad, gan gynnwys yr hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei ddarparu i ysgolion ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr, fel mewn mannau eraill. Roedd yn braf ymweld ag Ysgol Gyfun Bryntirion gyda hi'n ddiweddar. Mae'n llygad ei lle, wrth gwrs, yn dweud ei bod yn bwysig inni sicrhau bod ysgolion a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill yn gydnaws â datblygiadau ym maes tai. Mae ein system gynllunio yn allweddol yn hyn o beth i’n helpu i sicrhau, wrth i ddatblygiadau tai newydd gael eu hadeiladu, fod digon o leoedd ysgolion ar gael mewn cymunedau. Dylai awdurdodau fabwysiadu ymagwedd strategol a hirdymor tuag at ddarparu cyfleusterau cymunedol, sy'n amlwg yn cynnwys ysgolion, pan fyddant yn paratoi eu cynlluniau datblygu. Mae’r cynlluniau hynny’n nodi sut y bydd lleoedd yn newid dros gyfnod o 15 mlynedd—faint o dai newydd a gaiff eu hadeiladu a ble y cânt eu lleoli. Ac felly, fel rhan o hynny, byddem yn disgwyl i seilwaith, gan gynnwys darpariaeth ysgolion, fod yn ystyriaeth hollbwysig wrth gynllunio’r datblygiadau tai newydd hynny. Ond rwy’n cydnabod, weithiau, fod bylchau rhwng y ddarpariaeth a’r angen, sydd efallai'n anochel.
Minister, in 2011, the Welsh Government published a circular called 'Measuring the capacity of schools in Wales', to support local authorities to plan school places, to report on surplus capacity and to set school admission numbers. Now, using data, as my colleague Sarah Murphy has rightly said—we use data to plan our school places—is vital, like birth rates, the number of new-build homes, migration data and new families moving to new areas. So, what is the Minister now doing to ensure that any supporting guidance is fit for purpose to support local authorities in planning school places now and for the future?
Weinidog, yn 2011, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru gylchlythyr o’r enw, 'Mesur capasiti ysgolion yng Nghymru’, i gynorthwyo awdurdodau lleol i gynllunio lleoedd ysgolion, i adrodd ar leoedd gwag ac i bennu niferoedd derbyn ysgolion. Nawr, mae defnyddio data, fel y dywedodd fy nghyd-Aelod Sarah Murphy yn gwbl gywir—rydym yn defnyddio data i gynllunio ein lleoedd ysgolion—yn hanfodol, fel cyfraddau genedigaethau, nifer y cartrefi newydd a gaiff eu hadeiladu, data mudo a theuluoedd newydd yn symud i ardaloedd newydd. Felly, beth y mae’r Gweinidog yn ei wneud yn awr i sicrhau bod unrhyw ganllawiau ategol yn addas i'r diben er mwyn cefnogi awdurdodau lleol i gynllunio lleoedd ysgolion yn awr ac ar gyfer y dyfodol?
I'm content the guidance is sufficient to enable authorities to do that. Bridgend is a local authority that has more primary school places, in both Welsh and English-medium provision, and similarly in secondary provision, than there are pupils on the roll. There will be, as I discussed with Sarah Murphy a moment ago—. We are not, unfortunately, in the position where parents are always able to have the school of their first choice—that's not the system that we run. There's a balancing between that choice and the availability of places locally to that school, but, on a local authority basis, I can assure you that there are sufficient places to meet the demand that arises.
Rwy'n fodlon fod y canllawiau'n ddigonol i alluogi awdurdodau i wneud hynny. Mae Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn awdurdod lleol a chanddo fwy o leoedd ysgolion cynradd, mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg yn ogystal â rhai cyfrwng Saesneg, ac yn yr un modd mewn darpariaeth uwchradd, nag sydd o ddisgyblion. Fel y trafodais gyda Sarah Murphy funud yn ôl—. Yn anffodus, nid ydym mewn sefyllfa lle mae rhieni bob amser yn gallu anfon eu plant i'r ysgol o'u dewis cyntaf—nid dyna'r system sydd gennym. Mae cydbwysedd rhwng y dewis hwnnw ac argaeledd lleoedd yn lleol i’r ysgol honno, ond ar sail awdurdodau lleol, gallaf roi sicrwydd i chi fod digon o leoedd i ddiwallu'r angen sy'n codi.
2. Pa gefnogaeth y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei darparu i fyfyrwyr prifysgol ar draws canolbarth a gorllewin Cymru wrth i'r argyfwng costau byw ddwysáu? OQ58543
2. What support is the Government providing to university students across mid and west Wales as the cost-of-living crisis intensifies? OQ58543
Cymru sy'n cynnig y pecyn cymorth mwyaf hael yn y Deyrnas Unedig, ac mae'r lefelau uchaf o gymorth grant nad oes angen ei ad-dalu yn targedu'r bobl sydd ei angen fwyaf. Rŷn ni'n cydweithio'n agos â'r sector i sicrhau eu bod nhw'n ystyried pob opsiwn i gefnogi myfyrwyr y mae'r argyfwng costau byw yn effeithio arnyn nhw.
Wales offers the most generous package of support in the UK, and the highest levels of non-repayable grant support being targeted to those most in need. We are working closely with the sector to ensure that they are considering all options to support students impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Efallai y dylwn i fod yn datgan diddordeb gan fod dwy ferch gen i yn y brifysgol ar hyn o bryd, a dwi wedi cael nifer o e-byst gan fyfyrwyr, nifer ohonyn nhw yn y ddwy brifysgol sy'n digwydd bod yn fy rhanbarth i. Felly, dwi'n ymwybodol iawn o'r straen cynyddol y mae'n myfyrwyr prifysgol yn ei wynebu yn sgil yr argyfwng costau byw. Yn wir, tra bo chwyddiant yn parhau i godi, mae'r pecyn cynhaliaeth sy'n cael ei roi i fyfyrwyr ond wedi codi rhyw 3.5 y cant, sydd wrth gwrs yn is na lefel chwyddiant. Ac yn ôl ymchwil diweddar gan Undeb Cenedlaethol Myfyrwyr Cymru, gwelwyd bod 92 y cant o fyfyrwyr yn pryderu am eu gallu i reoli eu harian, gyda bron hanner yn dweud bod hyn yn effeithio ar eu hiechyd meddwl. Yn wir, wrth roi tystiolaeth i'r Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg yn ddiweddar, dywedodd llywydd UCMC bod un myfyriwr o Gaerfyrddin ond â rhyw £100 ar ôl, ar ôl talu rhent a biliau yn ystod tymor yr hydref. Felly, gan ystyried hyn, a wnewch chi, Weinidog, sicrhau bod pecyn cynhaliaeth ar gael i fyfyrwyr sydd o leiaf ar yr un lefel â chwyddiant?
Thank you very much. Perhaps I should be declaring an interest because I have two daughters at university at the moment, and I've had a number of e-mails from students, many of them in the two universities that happen to be located in my region. So, I'm very aware of the increasing pressure on university students as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. Indeed, whilst inflation continues to rise, the package of support provided to students has only increased around 3.5 per cent, which is of course lower than the level of inflation. And according to recent research by the National Union of Students Wales, it was seen that 92 per cent of students are concerned about their ability to manage their finances, with almost half saying that this is having an impact on their mental health. Indeed, in giving evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee recently, the president of NUS Wales said that one student in Carmarthen had only £100 left after paying rent and bills during the autumn term. So, bearing this in mind, will you, Minister, ensure that a package of support is available to students that at least keeps pace with inflation?
Diolch i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Ein blaenoriaeth ni yma yng Nghymru yw sicrhau bod gan fyfyrwyr fynediad at gefnogaeth sy'n caniatáu iddyn nhw gwrdd â costau dyddiol, a hefyd bod gan ein sefydliadau addysg uwch ni fynediad at lefelau addas a digonol o arian ar gyfer hynny. Fel rwy'n dweud, mae gennym ni yma yng Nghymru eisoes y pecyn mwyaf cefnogol o unrhyw ran o'r Deyrnas Gyfunol. Mae'n sicr yn wir bod pob prifysgol yn cynnig ffynhonnell i roi cefnogaeth benodol i fyfyrwyr o dan bwysau. Mae peth o'r gwasgedd a pheth o'r pwysau sy'n dod ar y ffynonellau hynny yn deillio o'r ffaith nad yw myfyrwyr o rannau eraill o'r Deyrnas Gyfunol yn cael yr un gefnogaeth, felly mae mwy o alw ar y ffynonellau arian argyfwng hynny yn ein prifysgolion ni yma yng Nghymru. Rwyf wedi ysgrifennu'n ddiweddar at Gyngor Cyllido Addysg Uwch Cymru i sicrhau eu bod nhw'n gallu rhoi gwybod i fi fod digon o gefnogaeth ar gael drwy'r prifysgolion. O ran ein cefnogaeth ni fel rhan o'r system ariannu ehangach, mae gan bob myfyriwr access at isafswm o gefnogaeth sy'n gyfystyr â'r cyflog byw. Rwy'n bwriadu gwneud datganiad yn yr wythnosau nesaf ynglŷn â sut y bydd hynny'n edrych yn y dyfodol. Felly, bydd mwy o wybodaeth ar gael i'r Aelod, ac i Aelodau eraill, bryd hynny.
I thank the Member for that question. Our priority here in Wales is to ensure that students have access to support that allows them to meet their daily living costs, and also that our higher education institutions have access to appropriate and sufficient levels of funding for that. As I've said, we in Wales already have the most generous support package of any part of the UK. It's certainly true that every university provides specific support to students under particular pressure. Some of the pressure on those sources of funding emerges from the fact that students from other parts of the UK aren't getting the same level of support, so there is more demand for those crisis funds in our universities here in Wales. I have written recently to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to ensure that they can assure me that there is sufficient support available through the universities. In terms of our support through the broader funding system, every student has access to a minimum level of support, which equates to the living wage. I intend to make a statement in the next few weeks as to how that will look for the future. So, there will be more information available to the Member, and other Members, at that point.
Minister, I just want to raise an issue with you that I wanted to just check if you're aware of. A constituent of mine—a Welsh student—applied to an educational provider in England on a professional barrister training course, only to be told by the provider that they weren't willing to access the funding through Student Finance Wales. Now, this isn't an issue of concern—. This isn't a responsibility of the Welsh Government, but I am disappointed that Welsh students—and, from my own investigation, this seems to be the case—are being treated differently to English students if they're applying through Student Finance Wales. It's not an issue that I believe is the responsibility of the Welsh Government or, indeed, Student Finance Wales, but I do wonder whether you are aware of this situation, and is this something you'd be willing to challenge providers in England or, indeed, any other part of the UK, because would you agree with me that it would be entirely wrong for a Welsh student to be penalised? In this case, the parent has had to fund the course and the fees themselves; had the family been in England, that wouldn't have been the case. Are you aware of these issues? I'm very happy to write to you with more details.
Weinidog, hoffwn godi mater yr oeddwn am wneud yn siŵr eich bod yn ymwybodol ohono. Gwnaeth un o fy etholwyr—myfyriwr o Gymru—gais i ddarparwr addysgol yn Lloegr ar gyfer cwrs hyfforddi bargyfreithwyr proffesiynol, a chawsant wybod gan y darparwr nad oeddent yn fodlon cael mynediad at y cyllid drwy Cyllid Myfyrwyr Cymru. Nawr, nid yw hwn yn fater o bryder—. Nid yw hyn yn gyfrifoldeb i Lywodraeth Cymru, ond rwy'n siomedig fod myfyrwyr o Gymru—ac o fy ymchwil fy hun, ymddengys bod hyn yn wir—yn cael eu trin yn wahanol i fyfyrwyr o Loegr os ydynt yn gwneud cais drwy Cyllid Myfyrwyr Cymru. Ni chredaf ei fod yn fater sy'n gyfrifoldeb i Lywodraeth Cymru, nac yn wir i Cyllid Myfyrwyr Cymru, ond tybed a ydych yn ymwybodol o’r sefyllfa hon, ac a yw hyn yn rhywbeth y byddech yn fodlon herio darparwyr yn Lloegr neu unrhyw ran arall o'r DU yn ei gylch, oherwydd a fyddech yn cytuno â mi y byddai’n gwbl anghywir i fyfyriwr o Gymru gael eu cosbi? Yn yr achos hwn, mae'r rhiant wedi gorfod ariannu'r cwrs a'r ffioedd eu hunain; pe bai'r teulu wedi bod yn Lloegr, ni fyddai hynny wedi digwydd. A ydych yn ymwybodol o'r materion hyn? Rwy'n fwy na pharod i ysgrifennu atoch gyda rhagor o fanylion.
I'd be very grateful if the Member could write to me about that specific case, and I will look into that. We have a mechanism, a system, in Wales that enables course providers in any part of the UK to be accredited, as the Member obviously knows, and that isn't based on geography; it's based on objective accreditation and criteria, which then enables a Welsh student to be able to access that provider in any part of the UK and have the support that is available through Student Finance Wales. So, I'm disturbed to hear what the Member has outlined today and I'd be grateful if he would write to me about that.
Byddwn yn ddiolchgar iawn pe gallai’r Aelod ysgrifennu ataf ynglŷn â'r achos penodol hwnnw, a byddaf yn ymchwilio iddo. Mae gennym fecanwaith, system, yng Nghymru sy’n galluogi darparwyr cyrsiau mewn unrhyw ran o’r DU i gael eu hachredu, fel y mae’r Aelod yn amlwg yn gwybod, ac nid yw’n seiliedig ar ddaearyddiaeth; mae’n seiliedig ar feini prawf ac achredu gwrthrychol, sydd wedyn yn galluogi myfyriwr o Gymru i allu cael mynediad at y darparwr hwnnw mewn unrhyw ran o’r DU, a chael y cymorth sydd ar gael drwy Cyllid Myfyrwyr Cymru. Felly, mae clywed yr hyn y mae'r Aelod wedi'i amlinellu heddiw yn peri gofid i mi, a byddwn yn ddiolchgar pe gall ysgrifennu ataf ynglŷn â hynny.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Laura Anne Jones.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. The Conservative spokesperson, Laura Anne Jones.
Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, I have always been supportive of the idea that sex education needed to be updated in Wales. It was archaic and needed changing, but in the right way. I find the already apparent failures that we're seeing to get RSE right quite upsetting. If things are not adapted, we will miss an opportunity here to genuinely make better sex education for children and young people across Wales. The good from the much-needed changes that we're seeing in sex education will be lost due to not ensuring age appropriateness of content and language when delivering such important messaging to our children and young people. As I heavily stressed to the former Minister, Kirsty Williams, who has three children of her own, the new content of what was being taught needed to—and she agreed—(a) use vocabulary that can be understood by the child/young person that's being taught, and (b), and most importantly, make sure that the content was not confusing and was age appropriate. We are one month into this new term and the official beginning of the new curriculum RSE being delivered, and it's abundantly clear from parents and teachers alike that some of the teaching materials that have been recommended are concerning to them. And they are most certainly not—a worrying number of materials recommended—age appropriate after all. As a mother to a 12 and three-year-old myself, I'm deeply concerned about what we're hearing—
Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog, rwyf bob amser wedi bod yn gefnogol i’r syniad fod angen diweddaru addysg rhyw yng Nghymru. Roedd wedi dyddio ac roedd angen ei newid, ond yn y ffordd iawn. Mae'r methiannau amlwg a welwn mewn perthynas ag addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb yn peri gofid i mi. Os na chaiff pethau eu haddasu, byddwn yn colli cyfle yma i fynd ati o ddifrif i wella addysg rhyw i blant a phobl ifanc ledled Cymru. Bydd y lles o'r newidiadau mawr eu hangen yr ydym yn eu gweld mewn addysg rhyw yn cael eu colli drwy beidio â sicrhau cynnwys ac iaith sy'n addas i oedran wrth gyflwyno negeseuon mor bwysig i'n plant a'n pobl ifanc. Fel y pwysleisiais yn gryf wrth y cyn Weinidog, Kirsty Williams, sydd â thri o blant ei hun, roedd angen i gynnwys newydd yr hyn a gâi ei ddysgu—ac roedd hi'n cytuno—(a) ddefnyddio geirfa y gall y plentyn/unigolyn ifanc sy'n cael eu dysgu ei deall, a (b), ac yn bwysicaf oll, sicrhau nad oedd y cynnwys yn peri dryswch a'i fod yn addas i'r oedran. Rydym fis i mewn i’r tymor newydd hwn a dechrau cyflwyno'r cwricwlwm addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb newydd yn swyddogol, ac mae’n gwbl amlwg fod rhywfaint o’r deunydd addysgu a argymhellwyd yn peri pryder i rieni ac athrawon. Ac yn sicr, nid ydynt—gormod lawer o'r deunydd a argymhellir—yn addas i'r oedran wedi’r cyfan. Fel mam i blentyn 12 oed a phlentyn tair oed fy hun, rwy'n bryderus iawn ynglŷn â'r hyn a glywn—
You are going to have to come to a question now; you have three questions in this session, and you're already 50 per cent over time.
Mae'n rhaid ichi ofyn cwestiwn yn awr; mae gennych dri chwestiwn yn y sesiwn hon, ac rydych eisoes 50 y cant dros amser.
Minister, let me read you an excerpt from a book—
Weinidog, gadewch imi ddarllen dyfyniad i chi o lyfr—
No, no, no; I don't think you have time. You can read that in your next question within your next minute. Can you come to a question?
Na, na, na; ni chredaf fod gennych amser. Gallwch ei ddarllen yn eich cwestiwn nesaf yn ystod eich munud nesaf. A wnewch chi ddod at gwestiwn?
Okay. Minister, it's important that everyone be whoever they want to be, and we need to teach understanding and respect for all. But don't you agree with me that what is being taught absolutely needs to be right for that child's age, so they (1) understand the language being used, and (2) are emotionally mature enough to digest the content of it?
Iawn. Weinidog, mae’n bwysig fod pawb yn gallu bod yn bwy bynnag y dymunant fod, ac mae angen inni addysgu dealltwriaeth a pharch at bawb. Ond onid ydych yn cytuno â mi fod angen i'r hyn sy'n cael ei ddysgu fod yn gwbl addas ar gyfer oedran y plentyn hwnnw, fel eu bod (1) yn deall yr iaith a ddefnyddir, a (2) yn ddigon aeddfed yn emosiynol i dreulio ei gynnwys?
Well, I'll begin by saying that being a parent isn't a prerequisite for caring about the well-being of our children in Wales. [Assembly Members: 'Hear, hear.'] and that my priority as Minister, which is shared very widely in this Chamber, is to make sure that our young people are protected and are enabled to live lives that are healthy and safe. We work with the NSPCC in order to make sure that the resources that we've provided, the code and the legislation, meet that standard. There are those who disagree with what we are doing. They need to account for their own motivations, but that is the basis upon which we are introducing the reforms.
The Member repeats unspecific, generic, broad-based points that she made the last time I was answering questions in this Chamber. As a consequence of the very dangerous implication, I think, that she was making, I wrote to her inviting her to spell out to me any specific examples that she was alluding to in the Chamber and she has not replied.
Wel, rwyf am ddechrau drwy ddweud nad yw bod yn rhiant yn rhagofyniad ar gyfer poeni am les ein plant yng Nghymru. [Aelodau’r Senedd: 'Clywch, clywch.’] ac mai fy mlaenoriaeth fel Gweinidog, a rennir yn eang iawn yn y Siambr hon, yw sicrhau bod ein pobl ifanc yn cael eu hamddiffyn ac yn cael eu galluogi i fyw bywydau iach a diogel. Rydym yn gweithio gyda’r NSPCC i sicrhau bod yr adnoddau a ddarparwyd gennym, y cod a’r ddeddfwriaeth, yn bodloni’r safon honno. Ceir rhai sy'n anghytuno â'r hyn a wnawn. Mae angen iddynt roi cyfrif am eu cymhellion eu hunain, ond dyna'r sail ar gyfer cyflwyno’r diwygiadau.
Mae’r Aelod yn ailadrodd pwyntiau cyffredinol ac amhenodol a wnaeth y tro diwethaf y bûm yn ateb cwestiynau yn y Siambr hon. O ganlyniad i’r awgrym peryglus iawn a wnaeth, rwy'n credu, ysgrifennais ati i'w gwahodd i egluro unrhyw enghreifftiau penodol y cyfeiriodd atynt yn y Siambr, ac nid yw wedi ateb.
Thank you, Minister. I was getting on to that; I'm just about to read you an excerpt from a book that is meant to be for five-year-olds. This book, which was recommended, is called Who are you?, Minister, with one quote from it saying:
'When babies are born, people ask if it's a boy or a girl. Babies can't talk, so grown-ups make a guess by looking at their bodies'
—for five-year-olds.
This next sentence in the book:
'People can be transgender, queer, non-binary, gender fluid, transgender-neutral, a-gender, gender-neutral, bigender, third gender and two-spirit.'
Now, it is not the content that I'm concerned about, Minister; it's the content in a book for a five-year-old that I am getting at. I am not having a go at the teaching profession, a profession I hold in high regard. It is the materials that are being recommended by this Government for them to teach, that they themselves are concerned about, heads are concerned about, and parents are concerned about. That is what I am doing. And you sent me a letter, as did a member of the union, who's a former Labour staffer, I hasten to had, and I just want to say again on record that I would never dream of attacking a profession that I hold in such high regard. It is the content, Minister. It is my job to hold you to account and to speak up for the parents who are concerned about what is being sent out as advisory to look at for their children. A five-year-old being able to say all those big words, Minister—can you understand?
Diolch, Weinidog. Roeddwn yn dod at hynny; rwyf ar fin darllen dyfyniad i chi o lyfr sydd i fod ar gyfer plant pump oed. Weinidog, enw’r llyfr hwn, a argymhellwyd, yw Who are you?, sy'n cynnwys y dyfyniad hwn:
'Pan fydd babanod yn cael eu geni, mae pobl yn gofyn ai merch neu fachgen ydyn nhw. Ni all babanod siarad, felly mae oedolion yn dyfalu drwy edrych ar eu cyrff.'
—ar gyfer plant pump oed.
Y frawddeg nesaf yn y llyfr yw hon:
'Gall pobl fod yn drawsryweddol, yn cwiar, yn anneuaidd, yn rhyweddhylifol, yn anrhyweddol, yn niwtral o ran rhywedd, yn ddeurywedd, yn drydydd rhywedd ac yn ddau-enaid.'
Nawr, nid y cynnwys sy'n fy mhoeni, Weinidog; fy mhwynt yw ei fod yn gynnwys mewn llyfr ar gyfer plentyn pum mlwydd oed. Nid wyf yn ymosod ar y proffesiwn addysgu, proffesiwn y mae gennyf barch mawr ato. Dyma’r deunyddiau sy’n cael eu hargymell gan y Llywodraeth hon iddynt eu haddysgu, y maent hwy eu hunain yn pryderu yn eu cylch, y mae penaethiaid yn pryderu yn eu cylch, ac y mae rhieni’n pryderu yn eu cylch. Dyna rwy'n ei wneud. Ac fe anfonoch chi lythyr ataf, fel y gwnaeth aelod o'r undeb, sy'n gyn-aelod o staff Llafur, prysuraf i ychwanegu, a hoffwn ddweud eto ar goedd na fyddwn byth yn breuddwydio ymosod ar broffesiwn y mae gennyf barch mor fawr ato. Mae'n ymwneud â'r cynnwys, Weinidog. Fy swydd i yw eich dwyn i gyfrif a siarad ar ran y rhieni sy'n pryderu am yr hyn yr argymhellir y dylid edrych arno ar gyfer eu plant. Plentyn pump oed yn gallu dweud yr holl eiriau mawr hynny, Weinidog—a allwch chi ddeall?
You are going to have to ask your question, Laura Anne Jones. I don't know what's so difficult about asking a question. Come to your question.
Bydd yn rhaid ichi ofyn eich cwestiwn, Laura Anne Jones. Nid wyf yn gwybod beth sydd mor anodd am ofyn cwestiwn. Dewch at eich cwestiwn.
Thank you, Llywydd. Will you now take immediate action to ensure that local authority, school and youth service education resources are age appropriate, and immediately remove those that aren't, and also those that signpost to Mermaids? Will you commit to reviewing materials that are found to be unnecessary for this age group, and ensure that the materials are led by science, as well as including gender ideology, age appropriateness—
Diolch, Lywydd. A wnewch chi gymryd camau ar unwaith i sicrhau bod adnoddau addysg awdurdodau lleol, ysgolion a gwasanaethau ieuenctid yn addas i'r oedran, a chael gwared ar y rhai nad ydynt yn addas ar unwaith, a hefyd y rheini sy'n cyfeirio pobl at Mermaids? A wnewch chi ymrwymo i adolygu deunyddiau y gwelwyd eu bod yn ddiangen ar gyfer y grŵp oedran hwn, a sicrhau bod y deunyddiau’n cael eu harwain gan wyddoniaeth, yn ogystal â chynnwys ideoleg rhywedd, addasrwydd i oedran—
You've already asked three questions in that series of questions. You are not to ask your third question. You've asked plenty of questions in this session—already four minutes of time spent on it. Can I ask the Minister, please, to respond to any of those questions?
Rydych eisoes wedi gofyn tri chwestiwn yn y gyfres honno o gwestiynau. Nid ydych i ofyn eich trydydd cwestiwn. Rydych wedi gofyn digon o gwestiynau yn y sesiwn hon—mae pedwar munud o amser wedi'i dreulio ar hyn eisoes. A gaf fi ofyn i’r Gweinidog ymateb i unrhyw rai o’r cwestiynau hynny, os gwelwch yn dda?
I'll put it as neutrally as I can. I think the Member does a disservice to the young people of Wales in the way in which she's going about this line of questioning. I'm perfectly prepared to answer questions, as I did last time. I invited her to draw to my attention specific material that she alleged, the last time we spoke, was in use in schools. She has not done that. I would invite her to do that, so that it can be resolved, rather than used simply as a debating point on her behalf.
Ceisiaf fod mor niwtral ag y gallaf. Credaf fod yr Aelod yn gwneud anghymwynas â phobl ifanc Cymru gyda'r ffordd y mae'n gofyn y cwestiynau hyn. Rwy’n berffaith barod i ateb cwestiynau, fel y gwneuthum y tro diwethaf. Fe'i gwahoddais i dynnu fy sylw at ddeunydd penodol yr honnai, y tro diwethaf inni siarad, ei fod yn cael ei ddefnyddio mewn ysgolion. Nid yw wedi gwneud hynny. Hoffwn ei gwahodd i wneud hynny, fel y gellir datrys y mater, yn hytrach na’i ddefnyddio fel pwynt dadl ar ei rhan.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Sioned Williams.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Sioned Williams.
Diolch, Llywydd. Weinidog, mae effaith yr argyfwng costau byw cyn waethed, os nad yn waeth, na'r argyfwng COVID i rai myfyrwyr. Dyna oedd barn is-ganghellor Prifysgol De Cymru, Ben Calvert, wrth roi tystiolaeth i'r Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg yr wythnos diwethaf. Rhybuddiodd ef ei fod yn poeni'n benodol am fyfyrwyr hŷn, a oedd mewn perygl o adael cyrsiau allweddol, fel graddau gofal iechyd a nyrsio, am nad oedden nhw'n medru fforddio costau byw. Mae'r myfyrwyr ar gyrsiau fel hyn hefyd, wrth gwrs, yn methu â gweithio i gael incwm ychwanegol yn sgil y ffaith eu bod yn gorfod bod ar leoliadau gwaith fel rhan o'u cwrs. Mae arolwg Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr Cymru yn cefnogi y datganiad pryderus yma, yn datgelu bod 28 y cant o fyfyrwyr yng Nghymru â llai na £50 y mis i fyw arno; 92 y cant yn pryderu am eu gallu i ymdopi yn ariannol; 11 y cant yn defnyddio banciau bwyd; a theimla 89 y cant nad yw Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Gyfunol, nac ychwaith Llywodraeth Cymru, yn gwneud digon i'w cefnogi yn ystod yr argyfwng yma. Dwi'n nodi eich ateb chi i Cefin Campbell i'r cwestiwn blaenorol, a dwi'n edrych ymlaen at eich datganiad ynglŷn â dyfodol y pecyn cynhaliaeth, ond a oes yna rywbeth gall y Llywodraeth ei wneud i ymrwymo i ddarparu grantiau ychwanegol, naill ai yn uniongyrchol neu drwy gronfeydd caledi prifysgolion, i'w helpu drwy y cyfnod anodd hwn yn benodol, i wneud yn iawn am y ffaith bod y pecyn cyllid myfyrwyr bellach yn annigonol, yn sgil chwyddiant, fod rhai myfyrwyr wedi'u cau mas o'r gefnogaeth costau byw—
Thank you, Llywydd. Minister, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis is as bad, if not worse, than the effects of COVID for some students. That was the view of the vice-chancellor of the University of South Wales, Ben Calvert, as he gave evidence to the Children, Young People, and Education Committee last week. He warned that he was particularly concerned about mature students who were at risk of leaving key courses, such as healthcare and nursing courses, because they couldn't afford the cost of living. Students on such courses also can't work to make additional income, as a result of the fact that they do have to be on work placements as part of their course. The National Union of Students Wales's survey supports this concerning statement, revealing that 28 per cent of students in Wales have less than £50 a month to live on; 92 per cent are concerned about their ability to cope financially; 11 per cent are using food banks; and 89 per cent feel that neither the UK Government nor the Welsh Government are doing enough to support them during this crisis. I note your response to Cefin Campbell to the previous question, and I look forward to hearing your statement on the future of the support package, but is there anything that the Government can do to commit to provide additional grants, either directly or through university hardship funds to help them through this difficult period particularly, to make up for the fact that the student finance package is inadequate as a result of inflation, that some students are excluded from the cost-of-living support—
Dwi'n mynd i orfod gofyn i'r Aelod ddod i gwestiwn.
I am going to have to ask the Member to come to a question.
Sori, iawn.
Sorry, okay.
Fel wnes i sôn yn gynharach, mae hon yn sefyllfa heriol iawn i fyfyrwyr am y rhesymau mae Sioned Williams yn sôn amdanyn nhw. Mae gan bob prifysgol yng Nghymru gronfa galedi i sicrhau bod darpariaeth ar gael i'r rheini sydd yn y sefyllfaoedd mwyaf heriol. Mae maint y cronfeydd hynny yn amrywio o sefydliad i sefydliad. Rwyf wedi gofyn i HEFCW roi sicrwydd i mi fod yr hyn sy'n cael ei ddarparu gan ein prifysgolion ni yn ddigonol, bod access digonol ar gael drwy'r prifysgolion i gefnogaeth ariannol ar gyfer y cyfnod anodd hwn. Ond ar gyfer blynyddoedd yn y dyfodol—y flwyddyn nesaf ymlaen—byddaf yn gwneud datganiad maes o law ynglŷn â'r lefel o gefnogaeth.
As I said earlier, this is a very challenging time for students for the reasons that Sioned Williams outlined. Every university in Wales has a hardship fund to ensure that provision is available for those who are in the most challenging circumstances. The size of those funds does vary from institution to institution. I have asked HEFCW to give me an assurance that what is provided by our universities is adequate, that there is adequate access via the universities to financial support during this difficult time. But for future years—next year onwards—I'll be making a statement in due course about the level of support.
Diolch, Weinidog. Mae rhent myfyrwyr yn benodol, wrth gwrs, wedi codi 29 y cant yng Nghymru dros y tair blynedd diwethaf, ac, erbyn hyn, yn llyncu bron i 60 y cant o'r pecyn cyllid myfyrwyr ar gyfartaledd. Fel plaid, rŷn ni wedi bod yn galw am weithredu mesurau costau byw brys a radical, fel rhewi rhent a gwahardd troi allan, gan y bydd y cynnydd mewn rhent yn drychinebus i nifer o fyfyrwyr sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd i ymdopi, gan effeithio'n negyddol ar eu hiechyd meddwl a chorfforol nhw, ac ar eu hastudiaethau, wrth gwrs. A yw'r Llywodraeth yn mynd i wrando ar alwadau rhai fel llywydd undeb myfyrwyr Cymru, Orla Tarn, sydd wedi datgan ei bod o blaid gosod cap ar rent ar lety a thai myfyrwyr, fel sy'n digwydd yn yr Alban, gan alw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddilyn Llywodraeth yr Alban i gefnogi myfyrwyr Cymru yn yr un modd?
Thank you, Minister. Student rent particularly has increased by 29 per cent in Wales over the past three years, and now takes up almost 60 per cent of the student support package as an average. As a party, we've been calling for urgent and radical cost-of-living measures, such as rent freezes and prohibiting evictions, because this increase will be disastrous for a number of students, having negative impacts on their mental and physical health, and also on their studies, of course. Will the Government listen to the calls of those, such as Orla Tarn, the president of NUS Wales, who has stated that she is in favour of putting a cap on student rent, as happens in Scotland, calling on the Welsh Government to follow the Scottish Government in supporting Welsh students in the same manner?
Rwy'n cwrdd gyda llywydd NUS Cymru yn y dyddiau sydd i ddod i drafod hyn gyda nhw, oherwydd gwnes i weld y dystiolaeth gafodd ei rhoi i'r pwyllgor. Fel bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod, rŷn ni wedi edrych yn fanwl ar yr hyn sy'n cael ei gynnig yn yr Alban, a dyw e ddim yn edrych efallai ar y wyneb mor hael ac y mae ef—. Mae'n edrych yn fwy hael efallai ar yr wyneb nag yw e go iawn. Rŷn ni hefyd yn poeni'n ddirfawr am yr hyn rŷn ni'n gweld yn digwydd yn yr Alban, hynny yw, bod pobl yn tynnu allan o'r farchnad rhentu preifat, sydd yn creu heriau mwy sylweddol i fyfyrwyr ac i eraill. Ond dyma un o'r pethau rwy'n bwriadu eu trafod gyda llywydd NUS Cymru pan fyddaf yn cwrdd gyda nhw yn y diwrnodau nesaf.
I am meeting with the president of NUS Wales in the coming days to discuss that with them, because I heard the evidence given to the committee. As the Member will know, we've looked in detail at what is being provided in Scotland, and it doesn't look on the face of it as generous—. Perhaps, on the face of it, it does seem more generous than it really is. And we're very concerned about what we see happening in Scotland—many people are withdrawing from the private rented sector, which creates more challenges for students and others. But this is one of the things I do intend to discuss with the president of NUS Wales when I meet with them in the coming days.
3. Sut mae'r Gweinidog yn sicrhau bod y system addysg yn rhoi sgiliau bywyd hanfodol i bobl ifanc? OQ58514
3. How is the Minister ensuring that the education system provides young people with essential life skills? OQ58514
The Curriculum for Wales's mandatory four purposes provide the shared vision and aspiration for every child and young person. The purposes, and the integral skills that support them, set high expectations to ensure every learner gains a broad and balanced education, including the skills they need to thrive.
Mae pedwar diben gorfodol y Cwricwlwm i Gymru yn darparu’r weledigaeth a’r dyhead a rennir ar gyfer pob plentyn a pherson ifanc. Mae’r dibenion, a’r sgiliau craidd sy’n eu cefnogi, yn gosod disgwyliadau uchel i sicrhau bod pob dysgwr yn cael addysg eang a chytbwys, gan gynnwys y sgiliau sydd eu hangen arnynt i ffynnu.
Thank you, Minister. We all know the importance of young people leaving school with a good education. However, having a good education should be more than just receiving good grades. It should be about giving young people the skills that they need to deal with life. Life skills help people focus on many facets of their lives and are essential in helping them manage stress and to solve the problems they may face throughout their lives. The life skills that I'm referring to include developing effective communication, financial literacy, decision making, time organisation, stress management, as well as more basic skills, such as cooking and sewing. So, Minister, how is the education system in Wales providing young people with the essential life skills required to fully prepare them for the future? Because, as much as it's important for someone to know pi equals 22/7 or 3.14, it's also incredibly vital that young people know early on how to pay a bill, fill out a mortgage form, learn how to invest their money, and how to submit tax returns as well.
Diolch, Weinidog. Gŵyr pob un ohonom pa mor bwysig yw hi fod pobl ifanc yn gadael yr ysgol gydag addysg dda. Fodd bynnag, dylai addysg dda olygu mwy na chael graddau da yn unig. Dylai ymwneud â rhoi'r sgiliau sydd eu hangen arnynt i bobl ifanc allu ymdopi â bywyd. Mae sgiliau bywyd yn helpu pobl i ganolbwyntio ar sawl agwedd ar eu bywydau ac maent yn hanfodol i'w helpu i reoli straen a datrys y problemau y gallent eu hwynebu drwy gydol eu hoes. Mae'r sgiliau bywyd y cyfeiriaf atynt yn cynnwys datblygu sgiliau cyfathrebu effeithiol, llythrennedd ariannol, gwneud penderfyniadau, trefnu amser, rheoli straen, yn ogystal â sgiliau mwy sylfaenol fel coginio a gwnïo. Felly, Weinidog, sut y mae’r system addysg yng Nghymru yn darparu’r sgiliau bywyd hanfodol sydd eu hangen ar bobl ifanc i’w paratoi’n llawn ar gyfer y dyfodol? Oherwydd, er mor bwysig yw hi i rywun wybod bod pi yn hafal i 22/7 neu 3.14, mae hefyd yn hynod hanfodol fod pobl ifanc yn gwybod yn gynnar sut i dalu bil, llenwi ffurflen forgais, dysgu sut i fuddsoddi eu harian, a sut i gyflwyno ffurflenni treth hefyd.
The Member will be aware, of course, that our new curriculum in schools has the provision of life skills very much at its heart. We want practitioners to have the agency to be able to develop their curricula to support learners to develop exactly those sorts of life skills. The four purposes that are at the heart of the curriculum are underpinned by a range of 33 characteristics, which comprise a range of different life skills, very much inspired by the report of 2019 by the last Welsh Youth Parliament, which I'm sure she's familiar with, 'Life skills, skills for life.' That was one of the key issues that was raised by the Youth Parliament then. That's been a really important part in our thinking about how we take the curriculum forward. So, I welcome her commitment to this area—it's one that we all share—and we look forward to seeing the curriculum rolling out through our schools, providing the range of life skills, some of which she highlighted in her question.
Bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol, wrth gwrs, fod darpariaeth sgiliau bywyd yn gwbl ganolog i'n cwricwlwm newydd mewn ysgolion. Rydym am i addysgwyr gael rhwydd hynt i allu datblygu eu cwricwla i gefnogi dysgwyr i ddatblygu’r union fathau hynny o sgiliau bywyd. Mae’r pedwar diben sydd wrth wraidd y cwricwlwm wedi’u seilio ar ystod o 33 o nodweddion sy’n creu amrywiaeth o wahanol sgiliau bywyd, ac sydd wedi’u hysbrydoli’n fawr gan adroddiad gan Senedd Ieuenctid ddiwethaf Cymru yn 2019, y mae'n gyfarwydd ag ef rwy'n siŵr, 'Sgiliau Bywyd, Sgiliau Byw.' Roedd hynny'n un o’r materion allweddol a godwyd gan y Senedd Ieuenctid ar y pryd. Mae hynny wedi bod yn rhan bwysig iawn o'n ffordd o feddwl ynglŷn â sut i fwrw ymlaen â'r cwricwlwm. Felly, croesawaf ei hymrwymiad i'r maes hwn—mae'n un y mae pob un ohonom yn ei rannu—ac edrychwn ymlaen at weld y cwricwlwm yn cael ei gyflwyno yn ein hysgolion, ac yn darparu'r ystod o sgiliau bywyd, y tynnodd hi sylw at rai ohonynt yn ei chwestiwn.
I'd like to thank Natasha Asghar for tabling this important question. Minister, given what young people have been through with COVID, what they're going to go through with the cost-of-living crisis, it is essential, is it not, that, through the new curriculum, they're able to attain those essential life skills, particularly in financial literacy and mental health awareness. Would you join me in recognising the hard work in the previous Senedd by Bethan Sayed, who really did push very hard the need for young people to develop essential financial skills?
Hoffwn ddiolch i Natasha Asghar am gyflwyno’r cwestiwn pwysig hwn. Weinidog, o ystyried yr hyn y mae pobl ifanc wedi bod drwyddo gyda COVID, yr hyn y maent ar fin mynd drwyddo gyda'r argyfwng costau byw, mae'n hanfodol eu bod, drwy'r cwricwlwm newydd, yn gallu dysgu'r sgiliau bywyd hanfodol hynny, yn enwedig mewn llythrennedd ariannol ac ymwybyddiaeth iechyd meddwl. A wnewch chi ymuno â mi i gydnabod y gwaith caled yn y Senedd flaenorol gan Bethan Sayed, a bwysleisiodd yr angen i bobl ifanc ddatblygu sgiliau ariannol hanfodol?
Yes, indeed, and I pay tribute to Ken Skates's work as well in relation to the area of mental health awareness in particular. I absolutely agree with the burden of his question. We know that life skills such as financial literacy, alongside decision making and mental health and emotional well-being, are critical elements of a transformative curriculum. Not everybody, of course, voted for that curriculum when they were given that opportunity. He will know that the guidance sets out developing financial literacy for the study of the number system in mathematics, it's complemented in the health and well-being area through exploration of risk and personal debt and its consequences, and the curriculum brings those areas together. So, whichever part of the curriculum the young person is studying, there's an opportunity to bring those aspects together, to align them, to give them the full suite of skills, including those of mental health awareness and financial literacy, which Ken Skates has just emphasised.
Yn wir, ac rwy'n talu teyrnged i waith Ken Skates hefyd mewn perthynas â maes ymwybyddiaeth iechyd meddwl yn arbennig. Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â byrdwn ei gwestiwn. Gwyddom fod sgiliau bywyd fel llythrennedd ariannol, ynghyd â gwneud penderfyniadau ac iechyd meddwl a lles emosiynol, yn elfennau hanfodol o gwricwlwm trawsnewidiol. Nid pawb, wrth gwrs, a bleidleisiodd dros y cwricwlwm hwnnw pan roddwyd cyfle iddynt wneud hynny. Fe fydd yn gwybod bod y canllawiau’n egluro sut i ddatblygu llythrennedd ariannol ar gyfer astudio’r system rifau mewn mathemateg, caiff ei ategu ym maes iechyd a lles drwy archwilio risg a dyled bersonol a’i chanlyniadau, ac mae’r cwricwlwm yn dod â’r meysydd hynny ynghyd. Felly, ni waeth pa ran o’r cwricwlwm y mae pobl ifanc yn ei hastudio, mae cyfle i ddod â’r agweddau hynny ynghyd, i’w gosod ochr yn ochr, er mwyn rhoi’r gyfres lawn o sgiliau iddynt, gan gynnwys sgiliau ymwybyddiaeth iechyd meddwl a llythrennedd ariannol, y mae Ken Skates newydd eu pwysleisio.
Part of the new curriculum and the core skills we're trying to develop in our young people is also that confidence. It's some real hardcore nitty-gritty things, but it's also confident, creative children who are willing to speak out and engage. You can often tell when you walk into a class and they're chatting away—well behaved, but chatting.
We just had Bryncethin primary up in the gallery today. I asked them, Minister, on this question, 'If I was to ask him something related to this, what would I do?', and the hands just shot up and it was just great to see. So, Minister, I'll give you the question, at the risk of flooring you now. The question that they asked was—from primary school children— how do we build more new, exciting schools in Wales?
Rhan arall o'r cwricwlwm newydd a'r sgiliau craidd yr ydym yn ceisio eu datblygu yn ein pobl ifanc yw hyder. Mae'n ymwneud â phethau cymhleth a sylfaenol iawn, ond mae a wnelo hefyd â phlant hyderus a chreadigol sy'n barod i godi eu llais a chymryd rhan. Yn aml, gallwch ddweud pan fyddwch yn cerdded i mewn i ystafell ddosbarth ac maent yn sgwrsio â'i gilydd—yn ymddwyn yn dda, ond yn sgwrsio.
Cawsom ysgol gynradd Bryncethin i fyny yn yr oriel heddiw. Gofynnais iddynt, Weinidog, mewn perthynas â'r cwestiwn hwn, 'Pe bawn yn gofyn rhywbeth iddo sy'n ymwneud â hyn, beth fyddwn i'n ei wneud?', a saethodd y dwylo i fyny, ac roedd yn wych gweld hynny. Felly, Weinidog, rwyf am ofyn y cwestiwn i chi, er y bydd efallai'n eich llorio chi. Y cwestiwn y gwnaethant ei ofyn—hyn gan blant ysgol gynradd—oedd sut yr ydym yn adeiladu mwy o ysgolion newydd, cyffrous yng Nghymru?
Fantastic. Well, one of the opportunities that I hope that Bryncethin and other schools will take up is the sustainable schools challenge fund, which I launched recently, which is an opportunity to build schools on a pilot basis using natural materials—so, wood, stone—and to do that designing them with the young people and staff in schools, as a real curriculum opportunity. I think many of us have been to the first net-zero school in Wales, which is South Point primary in the Vale of Glamorgan, and have seen there the QR codes around the building, which explain the story of the building to the young people as a teaching tool: why is it built in this way? How does it operate? What is its environmental impact? I think that's a real opportunity for us in bringing the curriculum together with questions around the school estate. But a fantastic question from Bryncethin primary.
Gwych. Un o’r cyfleoedd y gobeithiaf y bydd ysgol Bryncethin ac ysgolion eraill yn manteisio arnynt yw’r gronfa her ysgolion cynaliadwy, a lansiwyd gennyf yn ddiweddar, sy’n gyfle i adeiladu ysgolion ar sail cynllun peilot gan ddefnyddio deunyddiau naturiol—felly pren, cerrig—a gwneud hynny gan eu dylunio gyda'r bobl ifanc a staff mewn ysgolion, fel cyfle cwricwlaidd gwirioneddol. Credaf fod llawer ohonom wedi bod yn yr ysgol sero net gyntaf yng Nghymru, sef ysgol gynradd Trwyn y De ym Mro Morgannwg, ac wedi gweld y codau QR yno o amgylch yr adeilad, sy’n egluro hanes yr adeilad i’r bobl ifanc fel offeryn addysgu: pam ei fod wedi'i adeiladu yn y ffordd hon? Sut y mae'n gweithredu? Beth yw ei effaith amgylcheddol? Credaf fod hwnnw'n gyfle gwirioneddol i ni ddod â'r cwricwlwm ynghyd â chwestiynau ynghylch yr ystad ysgolion. Ond cwestiwn gwych gan ysgol gynradd Bryncethin.
4. Beth yw disgwyliad Llywodraeth Cymru o ran categori iaith y ddwy ysgol arloesol newydd dan ei her ysgolion cynaliadwy? OQ58540
4. What are the Welsh Government's expectations regarding the language category of the two new innovative schools under its sustainable schools challenge? OQ58540
Mae her yr ysgolion cynaliadwy yn canolbwyntio ar gynaliadwyedd drwy arloesi a chydweithio. Gan y rhagwelir y bydd prosiectau arfaethedig o fewn rhaglen buddsoddi ysgolion a nodwyd gan awdurdodau lleol, rydym yn disgwyl i amcanion allweddol rhaglen cymunedau cynaliadwy ar gyfer dysgu gael eu hystyried hefyd, y mae hybu'r iaith Gymraeg wrth gwrs yn un ohonyn nhw.
The sustainable schools challenge focuses on sustainability through innovation and collaboration. As proposed projects are anticipated to be within local authorities' identified school investment programme, we expect the key objectives of the sustainable communities for learning programme also to be considered, and of course promoting the Welsh language is one of those.
Diolch, Weinidog. Yn sicr, fe fyddwn ni yn gofyn ichi ymrwymo i sicrhau bod y ddwy ysgol hon yn rhai Cymraeg neu yn rai fydd yn dod yn ysgolion Cymraeg. Yn amlwg, mae'n allweddol bwysig. Roedden ni'n trafod wythnos diwethaf yr adroddiad 'Cymraeg 2050' a'r angen am fuddsoddi mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg os ydyn ni am gyrraedd y nod o filiwn o siaradwyr. Ond, ar yr un pryd, a ninnau mewn argyfwng hinsawdd, byddech hefyd yn disgwyl bod pob ysgol newydd, nid dim ond y ddwy newydd hon, gyda chynaliadwyedd yn ganolog iddynt. Byddwch yn ymwybodol, dwi'n siŵr, fod cynlluniau ar gyfer safle newydd i Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llyn-y-Forwyn yng Nglynrhedynog wedi ei gyflwyno gan gyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf. Heb os, mae dirfawr angen adeilad newydd ar yr ysgol hon, ac mae'r cynlluniau i'w croesawu. Ond rhaid imi fynegi pryder bod y cynlluniau â cheir yn ganolog iddi, gan nodi y bydd ardal gollwng benodol ar y safle, 30 o lefydd parcio ar gyfer staff a 40 o lefydd parcio ychwanegol wedi'u neilltuo ar gyfer rhieni yn ystod amserau gollwng a chasglu. Cyferbynnwch hyn â 24 o lefydd parcio beiciau a 12 lle ar gyfer parcio sgwter. Sut, felly, y byddwch yn sicrhau bod pob ysgol newydd yn adlewyrchu blaenoriaethau'r Llywodraeth o ran yr iaith a chynaliadwyedd?
Thank you, Minister. Certainly, I will be asking you to commit to ensuring that these two schools are Welsh-medium schools or ones that will become Welsh-medium schools. Clearly, it is vitally important. We discussed last week the 'Cymraeg 2050' report and the need for investment in Welsh-medium schools if we are to reach that target of a million Welsh speakers. But, at the same time, bearing in mind that we're facing a climate crisis, one would expect that every new school, not just these two new schools, would have sustainability at their heart. You'll be aware, I'm sure, that plans for a new site for Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llyn-y-Forwyn in Glynrhedynog have been put forward by Rhondda Cynon Taf council. There is no doubt that the school needs a new building, and these plans are to be very much welcomed. But I must express a concern that the plans have cars as a central component, noting that there will be a specific drop-off point on the site, 30 parking spaces for staff and 40 additional parking spaces allocated for parents during drop-off and pick-up time. Contrast this with 24 bike parking spaces and 12 spaces for scooters. How, therefore, will you ensure that every new school reflects the Government's priorities in terms of the language and sustainability?
Dwi'n gobeithio'n fawr iawn bod un o'r ysgolion, o leiaf, sy'n ennill y gystadleuaeth hon yn ysgol cyfrwng Cymraeg. Mae'n dibynnu ar ba gynigion a ddaw i law, wrth gwrs, ond dyna beth fyddai fy ngobaith i, yn sicr, am resymau amlwg.
O ran yr her roedd yr Aelod yn cynnig am ysgolion yn y dyfodol, fel y bydd hi eisoes yn gwybod, mae gofyniad ar unrhyw ysgol newydd sy'n cael ei gynnig i'w hariannu'n rhannol gan Lywodraeth Cymru—mae gofyniad eu bod nhw'n sero net o ran carbon yn y dyfodol, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys hefyd safonau uchel o ran active travel a mynediad at yr ysgol. Felly, mae'r canllawiau hynny eisoes yn eu lle; maen nhw'n gyhoeddus, ac mae cyfle i'r Aelod gael golwg arnyn nhw, ac, os oes ganddi unrhyw awgrymiadau pellach, byddwn i'n hapus i'w clywed nhw.
Well, I'm very eager that one of the schools that's successful here would be a Welsh-medium school. It depends on the applications made, but that would be my hope, for obvious reasons.
In terms of the challenge that the Member posed in terms of future schools, as she knows, there is a requirement on any new school that's to be partially funded by Welsh Government that they would be net zero in terms of carbon for the future, and that includes high targets in terms of active travel and access to the school. That guidance is already in place; it's in the public domain, and the Member is welcome to have a look, and, if she has any further comments, she's welcome to give them.
Minister, the sustainable schools challenge is aimed at upgrading existing school infrastructure to become more environmentally sustainable, but I'm sure you will be aware of the shocking fire that took place at Manorbier primary school in my constituency on Monday, which has caused massive damage to the school building. Thankfully, no-one was hurt. This is down, in part, to the fantastic leadership of headteacher Mrs Sharon Davies and her staff, making sure all staff and pupils were safe, and I'm sure you'll join me in thanking them for their work in this. But can you outline what support is being made available to Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure that disruption to pupils' learning is at a minimum? And what support is available to them as they repair and rebuild this school? Diolch.
Weinidog, nod yr her ysgolion cynaliadwy yw uwchraddio’r seilwaith ysgolion presennol i'w wneud yn fwy amgylcheddol gynaliadwy, ond rwy’n siŵr y byddwch yn ymwybodol o’r tân ofnadwy a fu yn ysgol gynradd Maenorbŷr yn fy etholaeth i ddydd Llun, a achosodd ddifrod enfawr i adeilad yr ysgol. Diolch byth, ni chafodd neb ei anafu. Mae hyn, yn rhannol, oherwydd arweinyddiaeth wych y pennaeth, Mrs Sharon Davies, a’i staff, a wnaeth yn siŵr fod yr holl staff a'r disgyblion yn ddiogel, ac rwy’n siŵr y gwnewch chi ymuno â mi i ddiolch iddynt am eu gwaith yn hyn o beth. Ond a wnewch chi nodi pa gymorth sydd ar gael i Gyngor Sir Penfro i sicrhau y ceir cyn lleied â phosibl o darfu ar ddysgu disgyblion? A pha gymorth sydd ar gael iddynt wrth iddynt atgyweirio ac ailadeiladu’r ysgol? Diolch.
I did see the incident at Manorbier, and I pay tribute to the work of the school leadership and staff in protecting the young people and making sure that the appropriate arrangements were in place. There are ongoing discussions between the Government and local authorities about what we can do to support them where there are particular examples that arise in addition to the capital arrangements already available to authorities. And I'm sure this will be part of those discussions already under way.
Gwelais y digwyddiad ym Maenorbŷr, ac rwy'n talu teyrnged i waith arweinwyr a staff yr ysgol yn diogelu'r bobl ifanc a sicrhau bod y trefniadau priodol ar waith. Mae trafodaethau'n mynd rhagddynt rhwng y Llywodraeth ac awdurdodau lleol ynglŷn â’r hyn y gallwn ei wneud i’w cefnogi lle ceir enghreifftiau penodol yn codi sy'n ychwanegol at y trefniadau cyfalaf sydd eisoes ar gael i awdurdodau. Ac rwy’n siŵr y bydd hyn yn rhan o’r trafodaethau sydd eisoes yn mynd rhagddynt.
5. Pa gymorth y mae’r Llywodraeth yn ei roi i ysgolion Arfon a'r awdurdod lleol wrth iddynt gyflwyno’r cod addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb newydd? OQ58513
5. What support is the Government providing to schools in Arfon and the local authority as they introduce the new relationships and sexuality education code? OQ58513
Rŷn ni’n parhau i weithio’n agos gyda Chyngor Gwynedd a gyda chonsortiwm GwE i sicrhau bod ysgolion yn Arfon yn cael eu cefnogi’n llawn i weithredu’r cod addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb, gan gynnwys cyfleoedd dysgu proffesiynol ac adnoddau. Rŷn ni wedi cyhoeddi pecyn adnoddau addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb ar Hwb i gefnogi ysgolion i drafod y mater sensitif hwn gyda rhieni a gofalwyr.
We continue to work closely with Gwynedd Council and the GwE consortium to ensure schools in Arfon are fully supported to implement the RSE framework, including professional learning opportunities and resources. We have published an RSE toolkit on Hwb to support schools to engage with parents and carers about this sensitive issue.
Rydych chi'n ymwybodol iawn o'r camwybodaeth sy'n cael ei ledaenu gan rai yn fy etholaeth i a thu hwnt i hynny am y cod. Mae'r ffug newyddion mewn perig o danseilio'r polisi a'r gwaith o gyflwyno addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb, polisi rydym ni ar y meinciau yma yn gyfan gwbl gefnogol ohono fo. Yn y cyfamser, wrth gwrs, mae yna bryder nad ydy'r adnoddau a'r deunyddiau dysgu newydd wedi bod yn cyrraedd yr ysgolion yn brydlon. Mae angen y deunyddiau newydd yma i gefnogi'r cod newydd, ac mae hyn wedi creu rhywfaint o wagle ar gyfer lledaenu'r ffug wybodaeth. Dwi'n falch o glywed bod pethau yn symud ymlaen efo hynny, ond fyddwn i’n licio cael sicrwydd gennych chi y prynhawn yma fod yna amserlen bendant mewn lle ar gyfer cyflwyno digonedd o'r adnoddau dysgu yma sydd eu hangen, yn ychwanegol i'r hyn sydd wedi cael ei ddarparu'n barod. So, fedrwch roi ryw syniad o bryd fydd hynny'n digwydd?
You will be highly aware of the misinformation that's being spread by some in my constituency and beyond, indeed, on this code. This fake news is at risk of undermining the policy and the work of introducing relationships and sexuality education, a policy that we on these benches are entirely supportive of. In the meantime, of course, there is concern that the new materials and resources haven't been arriving in schools in time. We need these resources to support the new code, and this has created something of a vacuum for the spread of this misinformation. I'm pleased to hear that progress is being made there, but I would like an assurance from you this afternoon that there is a definite timetable in place for introducing sufficient amounts of these teaching resources that are required, in addition to what has already been provided. So, can you give us some idea as to when that will happen?
Wel, mae e eisoes yn digwydd. Rŷn ni mewn proses barhaus o ddarparu adnoddau cynyddol yn y maes hwn ac mewn rhannau eraill o'r cwricwlwm hefyd. Mae'r adnoddau sydd eisoes ar gael wedi'u cyhoeddi ar Hwb, sydd ar gael i bob ysgol. Dyw pob ysgol, dwi ddim yn credu, ddim yn dewis cael mynediad ato fe, ond mae'r adnoddau yno ar-lein i bawb. Ond beth efallai fyddai'n ddefnyddiol byddai i mi ysgrifennu at bob un Aelod yn rhoi linciau i'r rheini, fel eich bod chi'n gallu, fel Aelodau, os ŷch chi'n dymuno, rhannu'r rheini ymhellach gydag etholwyr lleol a phreswylwyr lleol sy'n dod i gysylltiad â chi, i sicrhau ein bod ni i gyd yn rhannu'r wybodaeth iawn am y cwricwlwm.
Well, it is already happening. We are in an ongoing process of providing increasing amounts of resources in this field and on other parts of the curriculum too. The resources that are already available have been published on Hwb, which is available to every school. I don't think that every school chooses to access that, but the resources are available online to everyone. But what might be useful would be for me to write to every Member sharing links to those, so that you as Members, if you wish to do so, can share them with local constituents and residents who contact you, to ensure that we all share the correct information about the curriculum.
I'm afraid to say that this Welsh Labour Government's deliverance of social policy on children and young people in Wales is a classic case of the Government pandering to the woke warriors of this world, unfortunately. [Interruption.] And where you may not like to hear this, Minister, but this is the reality, sadly. Who are the state to dictate to children what's best for them? It's not yours, it's not mine, it's not anyone's business—
Yn anffodus, mae arnaf ofn fod y modd y mae Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru yn cyflwyno polisi cymdeithasol i blant a phobl ifanc yng Nghymru yn achos clasurol o'r Llywodraeth yn plesio'r rhyfelwyr woke yn ein plith. [Torri ar draws.] Ac efallai nad ydych yn hoffi clywed hyn, Weinidog, ond dyma'r realiti yn anffodus. Pwy yw'r wladwriaeth i ddweud wrth blant beth sydd orau iddynt? Nid eich lle chi yw gwneud hynny, nid fy lle i yw gwneud hynny, nid yw'n fusnes i neb—
Can we just allow the Member to carry on with his question, please? Can we have some quiet?
A gawn ni ganiatáu i'r Aelod barhau â'i gwestiwn, os gwelwch yn dda? A gawn ni rywfaint o dawelwch?
Thank you, Llywydd. It's not yours, it's not mine, or anyone's business other than the parents. They should be deciding what sort of education their child receives and whether they want to engage with sex education, and not you, Minister. How on earth do you expect children as young as five to even understand or begin to comprehend this sort of information? Parents the length and breadth of Wales are flabbergasted by this Government's barmy implementation of this policy. And looking at some of the names of the books on offer under this policy for children aged five to seven, called Jacob's New Dress, Pink is for Boys, Oliver Button is a Sissy, and Princess Kevin, to name but a few, is this really the direction we want to be heading in, Minister? And what sort of message is this giving to parents in Wales who are anxious to see their children build their academic rigour rather than their level of wokeness? And finally, to ask a simple question: yes or no, do you have faith in parents that they know best for their children?
Diolch, Lywydd. Nid eich lle chi yw gwneud hynny, nid fy lle i yw gwneud hynny, nid yw'n fusnes i neb ar wahân i'r rhieni. Hwy ddylai fod yn penderfynu pa fath o addysg y mae eu plentyn yn ei chael ac a ydynt am ymgysylltu ag addysg rhyw, ac nid chi, Weinidog. Sut ar y ddaear y disgwyliwch i blant mor ifanc â phump oed ddeall neu ddechrau deall y math yma o wybodaeth? Mae rhieni ar hyd a lled Cymru yn rhyfeddu at y ffaith bod y Llywodraeth hon yn gweithredu'r polisi hwn. Ac o edrych ar rai o enwau'r llyfrau sy'n cael eu cynnig o dan y polisi hwn i blant rhwng pump a saith oed, o'r enw Jacob's New Dress, Pink is for Boys, Oliver Button is a Sissy, a Princess Kevin, i enwi ond ychydig, ai dyma'r cyfeiriad yr ydym eisiau anelu ato mewn gwirionedd, Weinidog? A pha fath o neges y mae hyn yn ei roi i rieni yng Nghymru sy'n awyddus i weld eu plant yn adeiladu ar eu deallusrwydd academaidd yn hytrach na pha mor woke ydynt? Ac yn olaf, i ofyn cwestiwn syml: oes neu nac oes, a oes gennych chi ffydd fod rhieni'n gwybod beth sydd orau i'w plant?
The mischaracterisation of the curriculum for political advantage is incredibly disreputable. He is the second Member from his benches to use this opportunity—
Mae camddisgrifio'r cwricwlwm er mantais wleidyddol yn anhygoel o amharchus. Ef yw'r ail Aelod o'i feinciau i ddefnyddio'r cyfle hwn—
The Minister doesn't need any help, I don't think, from his backbenchers on this. I'll allow the Minister to continue in some silence, please.
Nid wyf yn credu bod y Gweinidog angen unrhyw help gan aelodau'r meinciau cefn ar hyn. Rwyf am ganiatáu i'r Gweinidog barhau mewn tawelwch, os gwelwch yn dda.
—to traduce the work that teachers are doing across schools to make sure our young people are safe, healthy and protected. I am committed to that and I'm disappointed to hear that he is not.
—i bardduo'r gwaith y mae athrawon yn ei wneud ar draws ysgolion i sicrhau bod ein pobl ifanc yn ddiogel ac yn iach. Rwy'n ymroddedig i hynny ac rwy'n siomedig o glywed nad ydyw ef.
6. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y gwaith gwella yn Ysgol Gynradd yr Eglwys yng Nghymru Santes Monica, Caerdydd? OQ58538
6. Will the Minister provide an update on the improvement works at St. Monica's Church in Wales Primary School, Cardiff? OQ58538
The local authority has advised that a contractor has been appointed and work commenced onsite during the summer holiday period. [Interruption.] Works are expected to continue into 2023.
Yn ôl yr awdurdod lleol mae contractiwr wedi cael ei benodi ac mae gwaith wedi dechrau ar y safle yn ystod gwyliau'r haf. [Torri ar draws.] Mae disgwyl i'r gwaith barhau i mewn i 2023.
Thank you, Minister. I'm grateful for your response. I bring this question before you in addition to our previous correspondence because I simply believe what is happening at St Monica's is nothing short of scandalous, and an issue that Cardiff Council is simply not resolving. [Interruption.] The situation is dire; the reception and year 1—
Diolch. Rwy'n ddiolchgar am eich ymateb. Rwy'n gofyn y cwestiwn hwn yn ychwanegol at ein gohebiaeth flaenorol oherwydd rwy'n credu bod yr hyn sy'n digwydd yn ysgol Santes Monica yn sgandal, ac nid yw Cyngor Caerdydd yn datrys y broblem. [Torri ar draws.] Mae'r sefyllfa'n enbyd; mae dosbarthiadau derbyn a blwyddyn 1—
Sorry to cut across you—it's not your fault, Joel James; it's the fault of backbenchers from the Government's own backbench, and others, continuing the last question in a discussion between them. They can do that outside of the Chamber, please. I want to hear what the Minister and the person asking the question has to say.
Mae'n ddrwg gennyf dorri ar eich traws—nid chi sydd ar fai, Joel James; bai Aelodau meinciau cefn y Llywodraeth ei hun ydyw, ac eraill, sy'n parhau i drafod y cwestiwn olaf rhyngddynt. Gallant wneud hynny y tu allan i'r Siambr, os gwelwch yn dda. Rwyf eisiau clywed beth sydd gan y Gweinidog a'r person sy'n gofyn y cwestiwn i'w ddweud.
Thank you, Llywydd. The situation is dire; the reception and year 1 classes are squeezed into the school hall, which not only has inadequate toilet facilities, but ultimately renders the school hall completely out of action, meaning that the entire school no longer has PE lessons if the weather is bad. The scaffolding around the school, which has been in place for four years without any work being carried out on the site, has reduced the outdoor playground to such an extent that it is only just viable for an emergency evacuation point, and, again, there is no room whatsoever for PE lessons to be undertaken.
Although some work has now started, as you've alluded to, on the auxiliary buildings, Cardiff Council continues to provide no timeline for works on the main school building, and it is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Indeed, on rainy days, water runs down the interior walls, carpets are continuously wet and there's extensive black mould on nearly every wall. I feel so devastated that, in the capital city of this country, children, teachers and their headteacher have to work in such an environment, and they feel powerless to do anything about it. Minister, in the strongest terms possible, I would stress to you the need for your personal intervention in this matter. The Welsh Government cannot simply rely on Cardiff Council to solve it, because they seem incapable of doing so. Therefore, Minister, what assurances will you provide to the children and the teachers at St Monica's school that you will personally deal with this matter? Thank you.
Diolch, Lywydd. Mae'r sefyllfa'n enbyd; mae dosbarthiadau derbyn a blwyddyn 1 yn cael eu gwasgu i mewn i neuadd yr ysgol, sydd nid yn unig heb gyfleusterau toiled digonol, ond sydd yn y pen draw yn golygu nad oes modd defnyddio neuadd yr ysgol, sy'n golygu nad yw'r ysgol gyfan yn cael gwersi addysg gorfforol mwyach os yw'r tywydd yn wael. Mae'r sgaffaldiau o amgylch yr ysgol, sydd wedi bod yno ers pedair blynedd heb i unrhyw waith gael ei wneud ar y safle, wedi lleihau maint y maes chwarae awyr agored i'r fath raddau fel nad yw ond yn ymarferol ar gyfer gwacáu mewn argyfwng, ac unwaith eto, nid oes lle o gwbl i gynnal gwersi addysg gorfforol.
Er bod rhywfaint o waith ar yr adeiladau ategol wedi dechrau erbyn hyn, fel y nodwyd gennych, nid yw Cyngor Caerdydd wedi darparu unrhyw amserlen ar gyfer y gwaith ar brif adeilad yr ysgol, ac mae'n dirywio ar raddfa frawychus. Yn wir, ar ddyddiau glawog, mae dŵr yn llifo i lawr y waliau mewnol, mae carpedi'n wlyb yn barhaus ac mae llwydni du helaeth ar bron bob wal. Rwy'n siomedig iawn fod yn rhaid i blant, athrawon a'u pennaeth weithio mewn amgylchedd o'r fath ym mhrifddinas y wlad hon, a'u bod yn teimlo'n ddi-rym i wneud unrhyw beth yn ei gylch. Weinidog, hoffwn bwysleisio yn y termau cryfaf posibl fod angen i chi ymyrryd yn bersonol yn y mater hwn. Ni all Llywodraeth Cymru ddibynnu ar Gyngor Caerdydd i'w ddatrys, oherwydd ymddengys eu bod yn analluog i wneud hynny. Felly, Weinidog, pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei roi i'r plant a'r athrawon yn ysgol Santes Monica y byddwch yn mynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn yn bersonol? Diolch.
The health, safety and well-being of learners and staff and the whole school community are obviously of paramount importance. The governing bodies of schools and local authorities are responsible for health and safety in schools and have a duty to ensure the safety of learners and staff at all times. The Member has written to me on two occasions in relation to this, and I've asked Welsh Government officials to request an update on the progress of the project, in response to that. Officials from the authority have been working closely with the school regarding the works. Following consultation and surveys over the summer, works to the early learning and outbuilding area, in particular, have been identified as a priority, and work has started over the summer holiday. Works to the main building and additional remediation works are due to commence during the autumn term. I hope he finds that update helpful, but I would suggest to him that he maintains his contact with Cardiff Council in relation to that particular situation.
Mae iechyd, diogelwch a llesiant dysgwyr a staff a chymuned yr ysgol gyfan yn amlwg o'r pwys mwyaf. Mae cyrff llywodraethu ysgolion ac awdurdodau lleol yn gyfrifol am iechyd a diogelwch mewn ysgolion ac mae dyletswydd arnynt i sicrhau diogelwch dysgwyr a staff bob amser. Mae'r Aelod wedi ysgrifennu ataf ar ddau achlysur mewn perthynas â hyn, ac rwyf wedi gofyn i swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru geisio diweddariad ar gynnydd y prosiect mewn ymateb i hynny. Bu swyddogion yr awdurdod yn gweithio'n agos gyda'r ysgol mewn perthynas â'r gwaith. Yn dilyn ymgynghoriad ac arolygon dros yr haf, mae gwaith i'r ardal dysgu cynnar ac adeilad allanol, yn arbennig, wedi cael eu nodi fel blaenoriaeth, ac mae'r gwaith wedi dechrau dros wyliau'r haf. Bydd gwaith i'r prif adeilad a gwaith atgyweirio ychwanegol yn dechrau yn ystod tymor yr hydref. Rwy'n gobeithio bod y diweddariad hwnnw o gymorth, ond byddwn yn awgrymu ei fod yn cadw mewn cysylltiad â Chyngor Caerdydd mewn perthynas â'r sefyllfa benodol hon.
7. Pa asesiad y mae'r Gweinidog wedi ei wneud o ganlyniadau TGAU a Safon Uwch haf 2022? OQ58512
7. What assessment has the Minister made of the summer 2022 GCSE and A-level results? OQ58512
Reflecting a transition back to established exam standards, results were awarded broadly at the midway point between 2021 and 2019. Our learners demonstrated immense resilience in their performances and, as a testament to this, a record number of young people from Wales will be going to university this year.
Gan adlewyrchu trawsnewid yn ôl i safonau arholiadau sefydledig, dyfarnwyd canlyniadau ar oddeutu'r pwynt hanner ffordd rhwng 2021 a 2019. Dangosodd ein dysgwyr ddycnwch aruthrol yn eu perfformiadau ac yn dystiolaeth o hynny, bydd y nifer uchaf erioed o bobl ifanc o Gymru yn mynd i'r brifysgol eleni.
Can I thank you for that answer, Minister? I visited all the secondary schools in Swansea East on GCSE results day, and I visited those that had A-level results on A-level results day. They were happy with the results, but, as the Minister knows, there were problems with some of the questions set. He knows this because I've raised it with him on several occasions. What discussions has the Minister had with Qualifications Wales and the WJEC to ensure that problems with examination questions do not happen again this year?
Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Bûm yn ymweld â phob ysgol uwchradd yn Nwyrain Abertawe ar ddiwrnod y canlyniadau TGAU, ac fe ymwelais â'r rhai a gafodd ganlyniadau Safon Uwch ar ddiwrnod canlyniadau Safon Uwch. Roeddent yn hapus gyda'r canlyniadau, ond fel y mae'r Gweinidog yn gwybod, roedd problemau gyda rhai o'r cwestiynau a osodwyd. Mae'n gwybod hyn oherwydd rwyf wedi codi'r mater gydag ef ar sawl achlysur. Pa drafodaethau a gafodd y Gweinidog gyda Cymwysterau Cymru a CBAC i sicrhau na fydd problemau'n codi gyda chwestiynau arholiad eto eleni?
It's a good question, and I have continuing discussions with both Qualifications Wales and WJEC in relation to some of the issues that arose over the course of the summer exam series. He will remember, of course, that both Qualifications Wales and WJEC wrote to centres in advance of results days explaining what had happened, what their reviews had revealed and the steps that they were taking in order to respond to those, which included altering marking schemes and grade boundaries in relation to papers that were affected. There is some element of this that happens in many years, unfortunately. Of course, I accept that this year, given the heightened anxiety of learners, those challenges will have been more keenly felt by young people. I would want to be very clear, though, in reassuring them that these steps put in place were able to reflect the situations that arose and able to compensate for that in the marking schemes, giving fair outcomes to all learners. But, obviously, as in each of these years, which have been pretty unique in how we've responded to COVID, there are things to learn for future years, and I am confident those lessons will have been learned for future years.
Mae'n gwestiwn da, ac rwyf wedi parhau i drafod gyda Cymwysterau Cymru a CBAC mewn perthynas â rhai o'r materion a gododd yn ystod y gyfres o arholiadau'r haf. Bydd yn cofio, wrth gwrs, i Cymwysterau Cymru a CBAC ysgrifennu at ganolfannau cyn y dyddiau canlyniadau i esbonio'r hyn a ddigwyddodd, yr hyn yr oedd eu hadolygiadau wedi'i ddatgelu a'r camau yr oeddent yn eu cymryd i ymateb i'r rheini, a oedd yn cynnwys newid cynlluniau marcio a ffiniau graddau'r papurau yr effeithiwyd arnynt. Mae rhyw elfen o hyn yn digwydd mewn nifer o flynyddoedd yn anffodus. Wrth gwrs, rwy'n derbyn eleni, o ystyried gorbryder dwysach dysgwyr, y bydd yr heriau hynny wedi cael eu teimlo'n waeth gan bobl ifanc. Er hynny, rwyf eisiau bod yn glir iawn wrth sicrhau bod y camau hyn a roddwyd ar waith wedi gallu adlewyrchu'r sefyllfaoedd a gododd ac wedi gallu gwneud iawn am hynny yn y cynlluniau marcio, gan roi canlyniadau teg i bob dysgwr. Ond yn amlwg, fel ym mhob un o'r blynyddoedd hyn, sydd wedi bod yn eithaf unigryw yn y ffordd yr ydym wedi ymateb i COVID, mae yna bethau i'w dysgu ar gyfer blynyddoedd i ddod, ac rwy'n hyderus y bydd y gwersi hynny wedi'u dysgu ar gyfer blynyddoedd i ddod.
Minister, we know that many educationalists have, for years, called for a focus on the science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects. In Swansea this year, maths was the most popular A-level subject and acknowledged as one of the toughest subjects. No fewer than 59.6 per cent achieved A* or A with 85.7 per cent attaining a C grade or above. This is an exceptional result. What can we learn from this success as we seek to inspire young people to pursue the STEM subjects?
Weinidog, gwyddom fod llawer o addysgwyr, ers blynyddoedd, wedi galw am ffocws ar y pynciau gwyddoniaeth, technoleg, peirianneg a mathemateg. Yn Abertawe eleni, mathemateg oedd y pwnc Safon Uwch mwyaf poblogaidd ac fe'i cydnabuwyd fel un o'r pynciau anoddaf. Fe gafodd 59.6 y cant A* neu A ac fe lwyddodd 85.7 y cant i ennill gradd C neu uwch. Mae hwn yn ganlyniad eithriadol. Beth y gallwn ei ddysgu o'r llwyddiant hwn wrth inni geisio ysbrydoli pobl ifanc i ddilyn y pynciau STEM?
Absolutely. We are pleased to see young people taking up STEM subjects and will do everything we can to continue doing that. There has been a challenge in terms of the gender gap of young people taking up STEM subjects, but the work that we have been doing through our partners has helped to address that to some extent. The 'Talented Women for a Successful Wales' report gave us some indications about how best we could try and close the gender gap in STEM, and those actions are actions that the Government is taking forward. But I congratulate everybody who had good results in maths and every other subject this summer. I think it's an incredible testament to their resilience, their creativity, and it's a thing to celebrate.
Yn sicr. Rydym yn falch o weld pobl ifanc yn ymgymryd â phynciau STEM a byddwn yn gwneud popeth yn ein gallu i barhau i wneud hynny. Mae her wedi bod o ran y bwlch rhwng y rhywiau ymhlith pobl ifanc sy'n gwneud pynciau STEM, ond mae'r gwaith y buom yn ei wneud drwy ein partneriaid wedi helpu i fynd i'r afael â hynny i ryw raddau. Darparodd adroddiad 'Menywod Dawnus ar gyfer Cymru Lwyddiannus' rai argymhellion inni mewn perthynas â'r ffordd orau i geisio cau'r bwlch rhwng y rhywiau ym maes STEM ac mae'r Llywodraeth yn gweithredu'r camau hynny. Ond hoffwn longyfarch pawb a gafodd ganlyniadau da mewn mathemateg a phob pwnc arall yr haf hwn. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn brawf anhygoel o'u gwytnwch, eu creadigrwydd, ac mae'n beth i'w ddathlu.
8. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad ar fentrau penodol Llywodraeth Cymru i leihau'r bwlch tlodi o ran cyrhaeddiad myfyrwyr yn dilyn y pandemig? OQ58537
8. Will the Minister make a statement on specific Welsh Government initiatives to narrow the poverty gap in student attainment following the pandemic? OQ58537
Yes. My statement to the Chamber in March and the speech that I gave to the Bevan Foundation in June set out my intention to tackle the impact of poverty on attainment, and I've put in place a range of measures to realise this objective, from introducing attainment champions to exploring ways to incentivise teachers to work in the most disadvantaged areas.
Gwnaf. Roedd fy natganiad i'r Siambr ym mis Mawrth a'r araith a roddais i Sefydliad Bevan ym mis Mehefin yn nodi fy mwriad i fynd i'r afael ag effaith tlodi ar gyrhaeddiad, ac rwyf wedi rhoi ystod o fesurau ar waith i wireddu'r amcan hwn, o gyflwyno hyrwyddwyr cyrhaeddiad i archwilio ffyrdd o gymell athrawon i weithio yn yr ardaloedd mwyaf difreintiedig.
Thank you very much for that response, Minister. I very much welcome the statement that the Minister made some months ago, and it would be useful to hear an update from the Minister on the progress that's being made, to ensure that children and young people from all backgrounds have an equality of opportunity to progress their education. We all know and we're all aware that children who come from particularly difficult and deprived backgrounds have suffered during the pandemic, and have seen that attainment gap widen. You were very bullish, if you don't mind me saying so, Minister, that you are able to narrow this attainment gap in the future, and I hope that your optimism is well placed. But can you provide us with further updates to ensure that all of us here understand the work that the Welsh Government is doing to narrow the attainment gap, and to ensure that everything is done that's possible to be done to ensure that children that we all represent who come from the most difficult backgrounds have the opportunity that we would all want them to have in achieving their potential?
Diolch yn fawr iawn am yr ymateb hwnnw, Weinidog. Rwy'n croesawu'r datganiad a wnaeth y Gweinidog rai misoedd yn ôl, a byddai'n ddefnyddiol clywed diweddariad gan y Gweinidog am y cynnydd sy'n cael ei wneud, er mwyn sicrhau bod plant a phobl ifanc o bob cefndir yn cael cyfle cyfartal i symud ymlaen gyda'u haddysg. Rydym i gyd yn gwybod ac rydym i gyd yn ymwybodol fod plant sy'n dod o gefndiroedd arbennig o anodd a difreintiedig wedi dioddef yn ystod y pandemig, ac rydym wedi gweld y bwlch cyrhaeddiad hwnnw'n ehangu. Rydych yn ffyddiog iawn, os nad oes ots gennych imi ddweud, Weinidog, y byddwch yn gallu lleihau'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad hwn yn y dyfodol, a gobeithio y caiff eich optimistiaeth ei wireddu. Ond a allwch chi roi diweddariadau pellach i ni i sicrhau bod pob un ohonom yma'n deall y gwaith y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i leihau'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad, a sicrhau bod popeth yn cael ei wneud i sicrhau bod y plant yr ydym yn eu cynrychioli sy'n dod o'r cefndiroedd anoddaf yn cael y cyfle y byddai pawb ohonom eisiau iddynt ei gael er mwyn iddynt allu cyflawni eu potensial?
I couldn't agree more with the Member. Our strategy's called 'High Standards and Aspirations for All', and that's to recognise that every single learner, regardless of their background, is entitled to have a school system that encourages their aspiration and gives them the best possible opportunity at fulfilling their potential.
The range of measures that I set out, both in March and June, support teachers in developing their practice to support disadvantaged learners: some of that is about initial teacher education; some of it is about our new professional learning programmes; some of it is about a focus at a leadership level, on leadership strategies in schools, to support teachers; and some of it is about getting teachers to work in the schools that most need the skills of the best teachers. But there are also a number of interventions specifically to support learners directly: some of that's about reading and oracy, and you will recall me talking about the language and literacy programme for an additional 2,000 young people, which Bangor University's working with us on, to support communication skills and reading skills. But there are some challenging discussions that we will need to have as well around the practice of setting in schools and at which point that is most appropriate. There's a broader discussion, I think, for us to have in relation to that.
The key, I think, in relation to both sets of measures that I set out is that they're a whole-system approach. It's a focus from early years, through to the schools and through further education, higher education and lifelong learning, and that common objective across the system, I think, is the key to making progress in this area. The school system, the education system, cannot do this on its own, but there are certainly things that we can do to contribute to closing the attainment gap. I am planning on bringing forward a statement before the end of this term, updating Members on where we are in relation to each of these initiatives.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr gyda'r Aelod. Enw ein strategaeth yw 'Safonau ac Uchelgeisiau Uchel i Bawb', a hynny i gydnabod bod gan bob dysgwr, ni waeth beth fo'u cefndir, hawl i gael system ysgol sy'n annog eu dyheadau ac sy'n rhoi'r cyfle gorau posibl iddynt gyflawni eu potensial.
Mae'r ystod o fesurau a nodais, ym mis Mawrth a mis Mehefin, yn cynorthwyo athrawon i ddatblygu eu harferion i gefnogi dysgwyr difreintiedig: mae rhywfaint o hynny'n ymwneud ag addysg gychwynnol i athrawon; mae rhywfaint ohono'n ymwneud â'n rhaglenni dysgu proffesiynol newydd; mae rhywfaint ohono'n ymwneud â ffocws ar lefel arweinyddiaeth, ar strategaethau arwain mewn ysgolion, i gefnogi athrawon; ac mae rhywfaint ohono'n ymwneud â chael athrawon i weithio yn yr ysgolion sydd fwyaf o angen sgiliau'r athrawon gorau. Ond mae yna hefyd nifer o ymyriadau penodol i gefnogi dysgwyr yn uniongyrchol: mae rhywfaint o hynny'n ymwneud â darllen a llafaredd, ac fe fyddwch yn cofio imi sôn am y rhaglen iaith a llythrennedd ar gyfer 2,000 o bobl ifanc ychwanegol y mae Prifysgol Bangor yn gweithio gyda ni arni i gefnogi sgiliau cyfathrebu a sgiliau darllen. Ond mae yna rai trafodaethau heriol y bydd angen inni eu cael hefyd ynglŷn â'r arfer o setio mewn ysgolion ac ar ba bwynt y mae hynny'n fwyaf priodol. Rwy'n credu bod yna drafodaeth ehangach i ni ei chael mewn perthynas â hynny.
Yr allwedd, rwy'n credu, mewn perthynas â'r ddwy gyfres o fesurau a nodais yw eu bod yn ddulliau system gyfan. Mae'n ffocws o'r blynyddoedd cynnar, drwodd i'r ysgolion a thrwy addysg bellach, addysg uwch a dysgu gydol oes, ac rwy'n credu mai'r amcan cyffredin hwnnw ar draws y system yw'r allwedd i wneud cynnydd yn y maes hwn. Ni all y system ysgolion, y system addysg, wneud hyn ar ei phen ei hun, ond yn sicr mae yna bethau y gallwn eu gwneud i gyfrannu at gau'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad. Rwy'n bwriadu cyflwyno datganiad cyn diwedd y tymor hwn i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau am ein sefyllfa mewn perthynas â phob un o'r cynlluniau hyn.
9. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau uniondeb canlyniadau TGAU a Safon Uwch? OQ58539
9. How does the Welsh Government ensure the integrity of GCSE and A-level results? OQ58539
We are continuously working with Qualifications Wales and WJEC to ensure the integrity of all our results. This includes secure, standardised assessments, detailed quality-assured processes and anonymised and monitored marking processes that are applied consistently across Wales. In addition, transparency is maintained throughout the process via regular stakeholder engagement.
Rydym yn gweithio'n barhaus gyda Cymwysterau Cymru a CBAC i sicrhau uniondeb ein holl ganlyniadau. Mae hyn yn cynnwys asesiadau safonedig diogel, prosesau manwl o ansawdd, a phrosesau marcio dienw sy'n cael eu monitro ac sy'n cael eu cymhwyso'n gyson ledled Cymru. Yn ogystal, caiff tryloywder ei gynnal drwy gydol y broses drwy ymgysylltu rheolaidd â rhanddeiliaid.
Can I thank the Minister for his reassuring answer? As a global, forward-thinking nation, harnessing and nurturing our children's abilities to compete in a global market is vital if we are to attract families and employment opportunities into Wales. So, the recent consultation launched by Qualifications Wales, which could put less emphasis on traditional exams from 2025, has caused concern amongst some within the profession that this could put children in Wales at a disadvantage compared to their peers in England and further afield. With staff and pupils still having to adjust to the implementation of a new curriculum, along with potential future employers concerned about the integrity of moving further away from exams than our neighbours and others, how is the Minister going to ensure that children in Wales are an equally attractive prospect to employers as their global counterparts would be?
A gaf fi ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ateb calonogol? Fel cenedl fyd-eang, flaengar, mae harneisio a meithrin galluoedd ein plant i gystadlu mewn marchnad fyd-eang yn hanfodol os ydym am ddenu teuluoedd a chyfleoedd gwaith i Gymru. Felly, mae'r ymgynghoriad diweddar a gafodd ei lansio gan Cymwysterau Cymru, a allai roi llai o bwyslais ar arholiadau traddodiadol o 2025 ymlaen, wedi achosi pryder ymhlith rhai yn y proffesiwn y gallai hyn roi plant yng Nghymru dan anfantais o'u cymharu â'u cyfoedion yn Lloegr a thu hwnt. Gyda staff a disgyblion yn dal i orfod addasu i weithrediad cwricwlwm newydd, ynghyd â'r ffaith bod darpar gyflogwyr y dyfodol yn pryderu am uniondeb symud ymhellach oddi wrth arholiadau na'n cymdogion ac eraill, sut y mae'r Gweinidog am sicrhau y bydd plant yng Nghymru yn gallu cynnig rhywbeth yr un mor ddeniadol i gyflogwyr â'u cymheiriaid yn fyd-eang?
I don't think that one follows from another. Qualifications Wales is consulting on the role of exams in the future and how qualifications are assessed. I think that it would be wrong of us, having experienced the last two or three years, when there has been a lot of change in our school system around how we approach teaching and assessment, simply to put that to one side without looking at whether there is a case for adjusting the balance in the future, and looking at different ways of examining, by the way.
I think that the important thing at this point is that we lead an ambitious, creative discussion about how we can make sure that young people in the future have access to the best qualifications and are assessed in the most appropriate way, reflecting the principles of the curriculum, that makes sure they continue to be acknowledged internationally, and gives them the best opportunities of any part of the world, not simply—as I think was the inference in his question—comparable to those across our border, but across the globe.
Nid wyf yn credu bod un yn dilyn y llall. Mae Cymwysterau Cymru yn ymgynghori ar rôl arholiadau yn y dyfodol a sut y caiff cymwysterau eu hasesu. O ystyried y ddwy neu dair blynedd diwethaf, pan fo llawer o newid wedi bod yn ein system ysgolion o ran sut yr awn ati i addysgu ac asesu, rwy'n credu y byddai'n anghywir i ni roi hynny i un ochr heb edrych a oes achos dros addasu'r cydbwysedd yn y dyfodol, ac edrych ar wahanol ffyrdd o arholi wrth wneud hynny.
Rwy'n credu mai'r peth pwysig ar hyn o bryd yw ein bod yn arwain trafodaeth uchelgeisiol, greadigol ynglŷn â sut y gallwn wneud yn siŵr fod gan bobl ifanc yn y dyfodol fynediad at y cymwysterau gorau a'u bod yn cael eu hasesu yn y ffordd fwyaf priodol, gan adlewyrchu egwyddorion y cwricwlwm, sy'n sicrhau eu bod yn parhau i gael eu cydnabod yn rhyngwladol, ac sy'n rhoi'r cyfleoedd gorau iddynt o gymharu â rhannau eraill o'r byd, sydd nid yn unig yn cymharu â'r rhai ar draws y ffin—fel yr awgrymai ei gwestiwn, rwy'n credu—ond ar draws y byd.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
I thank the Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Jane Dodds.
The next item, therefore, is questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services, and the first question is from Jane Dodds.
Diolch, Lywydd. Prynhawn da, Weinidiog. Mi ges i amser da ym mis Medi pan oeddwn yn ymweld â chlinig—
Thank you, Llywydd. Good afternoon, Minister. I had a good time in September when I visited a clinic—
Rydych chi angen gofyn y cwestiwn ar y papur.
You need to ask the question on the order paper.
Sori. Rŷch chi'n iawn.
Sorry. You're right.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am ddyfodol gwasanaethau deintyddol cymunedol? OQ58536
1. Will the Minister make a statement on the future of community dental services? OQ58536
Ym mis Awst 2022, cyhoeddodd y prif swyddog deintyddol ganllawiau wedi’u diweddaru ar rôl y gwasanaeth deintyddol cymunedol. Roedd hyn yn cynnwys ehangu swyddi swyddogion deintyddol cyflogedig i gefnogi cymunedau sydd â mynediad cyfyngedig, neu ddim mynediad o gwbl, at wasanaethau deintyddol cyffredinol sy’n cael eu darparu fel arfer drwy’r model contractwyr annibynnol.
In August 2022, the chief dental officer published updated guidance on the role of the community dental service. This included the expansion of salaried dental officer posts, to support local communities who have limited or no access to general dental services normally provided by the independent contractor model.
Diolch. Ces i amser gwych yn ymweld â chlinig a oedd yn rhoi gwasanaethau deintyddol cymunedol yn Llanelli ym mis Medi. Hoffwn ddiolch i bawb sydd wedi bod yn gweithio yn y cymunedau ar draws Cymru, yn enwedig yn ystod cyfnod coch y pandemig, yn sicrhau bod triniaeth frys ar gael.
Thank you. I had an excellent time visiting a clinic providing community dental services in Llanelli in September. I'd like to thank everyone who has been working in communities across Wales, particularly during the red period of the pandemic, to ensure that emergency services were available.
In visiting the community dental services in Llanelli, I learned a lot about what they do in meeting the needs of vulnerable people: people who have disabilities, mental health difficulties, and also refugees. But there was a concern around the erosion of community dental services. They were really impacted by the pressure on the general dentistry service, and some of their emergency slots were being filled, actually, from those general dentistry emergencies. This often means that there's no availability for vulnerable patients in need of emergency care. So, I wonder if you would commit to ring-fencing the funding and protecting this provision. I wonder if you would join me on a visit, perhaps to Llanelli in our region, to hear from the wonderful staff in providing the service that they do. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Wrth ymweld â'r gwasanaethau deintyddol cymunedol yn Llanelli, dysgais lawer am yr hyn y maent yn ei wneud i ddiwallu anghenion pobl agored i niwed: pobl sydd ag anableddau, trafferthion iechyd meddwl, a ffoaduriaid hefyd. Ond roedd pryder ynghylch erydu gwasanaethau deintyddol cymunedol. Roedd y pwysau ar y gwasanaeth deintyddol cyffredinol yn effeithio arnynt yn fawr, ac roedd rhai o'u slotiau brys yn cael eu llenwi gan yr achosion deintyddiaeth gyffredinol brys hynny. Mae hyn yn aml yn golygu nad oes lle ar gael ar gyfer cleifion agored i niwed sydd angen gofal brys. Felly, tybed a wnewch chi ymrwymo i glustnodi'r cyllid a diogelu'r ddarpariaeth hon. Tybed a wnewch chi ymuno â mi ar ymweliad, â Llanelli yn ein rhanbarth efallai, i glywed gan y staff gwych sy'n darparu gwasanaeth. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Thanks very much, and it's very heartening to hear about the work that they are undertaking in those community dental services in Llanelli. The good news is that we have given an additional £2 million worth of recurrent funding since 2022 to improve access, and many of the health boards have used that funding to invest in their community dental services—and that's true, I know, both in Powys and Carmarthenshire, which are in our region. So, they are already using some of that money specifically for what you hoped that they would do.
I guess the other point is that the new dental contract means that we are expecting 112,000 new patient appointments to be possible, and that should free up those slots that you were suggesting are being taken up by people who should really be going elsewhere. So, because of that contractual change, we'll expect more of those community slots to be freed up.
Diolch yn fawr, ac mae'n galonogol iawn clywed am y gwaith y maent yn ei wneud yn y gwasanaethau deintyddol cymunedol hynny yn Llanelli. Y newyddion da yw ein bod ni wedi rhoi gwerth £2 filiwn ychwanegol o gyllid rheolaidd ers 2022 i wella mynediad, ac mae llawer o'r byrddau iechyd wedi defnyddio'r arian hwnnw i fuddsoddi yn eu gwasanaethau deintyddol cymunedol—ac mae hynny'n wir, rwy'n gwybod, ym Mhowys a sir Gaerfyrddin, sydd yn ein rhanbarth. Felly, maent eisoes yn defnyddio rhywfaint o'r arian hwnnw'n benodol ar gyfer yr hyn yr oeddech wedi'i obeithio y byddent yn ei wneud.
Y pwynt arall mae'n debyg yw bod y contract deintyddol newydd yn golygu ein bod yn disgwyl i 112,000 o apwyntiadau newydd fod yn bosibl, a dylai hynny ryddhau'r slotiau yr oeddech yn dweud eu bod yn cael eu cymryd gan bobl a ddylai fod yn mynd i rywle arall mewn gwirionedd. Felly, oherwydd y newid cytundebol hwnnw, byddwn yn disgwyl i fwy o'r slotiau cymunedol hynny gael eu rhyddhau.
Thank you, Jane Dodds, for raising this question. Yesterday, the First Minister told the Chamber that tens of thousands of new appointments will be made, and that was very welcome. We look forward to where and when these will be made available—when we will start seeing them. I am continuing to receive correspondence from anxious constituents, as we all are here, who are struggling to access NHS dentistry services. Currently just 17 per cent of practices in Monmouthshire are taking on new patients, according to the British Dental Association. Accessing an NHS dentist in Wales as a new patient is currently near impossible, or requires a wait of a couple of years, but if a patient joins a scheme like Denplan, you can almost be seen immediately. Clearly there is something wrong here to allow that to happen. Minister, can you outline today what concrete steps the Welsh Government is taking to help retention and to encourage people to enter the dentist industry? How can you make sure NHS patients aren't disadvantaged by the desire of some dentists to take on more private patients?
Diolch am godi'r cwestiwn hwn, Jane Dodds. Ddoe, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog wrth y Siambr y bydd degau o filoedd o apwyntiadau newydd yn cael eu creu ac mae hynny i'w groesawu'n fawr. Edrychwn ymlaen at gael gwybod lle a phryd y bydd y rhain ar gael—pryd y byddwn yn dechrau eu gweld. Rwy'n parhau i gael gohebiaeth gan etholwyr pryderus, fel pawb arall yma, sy'n cael trafferth cael mynediad at wasanaethau deintyddiaeth y GIG. Ar hyn o bryd, dim ond 17 y cant o bractisau yn sir Fynwy sy'n derbyn cleifion newydd, yn ôl Cymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain. Mae cael mynediad at ddeintydd y GIG yng Nghymru fel claf newydd bron yn amhosibl ar hyn o bryd, neu'n golygu aros am flwyddyn neu ddwy, ond os yw claf yn ymuno â chynllun fel Denplan, gallwch gael eich gweld bron yn syth. Yn amlwg, mae rhywbeth o'i le yma os yw hynny'n digwydd. Weinidog, a wnewch chi amlinellu heddiw pa gamau pendant y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i helpu i gadw staff ac i annog pobl i ddilyn gyrfa yn y diwydiant deintyddiaeth? Sut y gallwch sicrhau nad yw cleifion y GIG o dan anfantais oherwydd awydd rhai deintyddion i dderbyn mwy o gleifion preifat?
Thanks very much. We are already seeing a difference as a result of that new contract. So, 73,000 new patients have already gained access this year, and as I say, we expect that to reach 112,000 new patients during that financial year. So already it is making a difference. We also have the new dental academy in Bangor, which we hope is going to provide access to between 12,000 and 15,000 patients, and that's going to be open for six days a week.
The point is, although there's a lot of noise in the system about NHS dentists leaving, the reality is that only 14 per cent of the contracts have been handed back. Eighty-nine per cent of the total dental contract value has moved on to the new contract. But you don't lose those from the NHS—you redistribute them. So it's not lost just because they go somewhere else. They're just redistributed.
We have been recruiting more dentists, and I'm certainly putting a lot of pressure on Health Education and Improvement Wales to make sure that we drive up the number of dental therapists in future, because I do think we have to get to a new model where we're talking about a team approach rather than everything being reliant on the dentist.
Diolch yn fawr. Rydym eisoes yn gweld gwahaniaeth o ganlyniad i'r contract newydd hwnnw. Felly, mae 73,000 o gleifion newydd eisoes wedi cael mynediad eleni, ac fel rwy'n dweud, rydym yn disgwyl i'r ffigur hwnnw gyrraedd 112,000 o gleifion newydd yn ystod y flwyddyn ariannol honno. Felly mae'n gwneud gwahaniaeth yn barod. Hefyd, mae gennym yr academi ddeintyddol newydd ym Mangor, ac rydym yn gobeithio y bydd honno'n darparu mynediad i rhwng 12,000 a 15,000 o gleifion, a bydd honno ar agor chwe diwrnod yr wythnos.
Y pwynt yw, er bod llawer o sŵn yn y system am ddeintyddion y GIG yn gadael, y gwir amdani yw mai dim ond 14 y cant o'r cytundebau sydd wedi'u trosglwyddo'n ôl. Mae 89 y cant o gyfanswm gwerth y contract deintyddol wedi symud ymlaen i'r contract newydd. Ond nid ydych yn colli rheini o'r GIG—rydych yn eu hailddosbarthu. Felly nid ydynt yn cael eu colli oherwydd eu bod yn mynd i rywle arall. Cânt eu hailddosbarthu.
Rydym wedi bod yn recriwtio mwy o ddeintyddion, ac rwy'n sicr yn rhoi llawer o bwysau ar Addysg a Gwella Iechyd Cymru i wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn cynyddu nifer y therapyddion deintyddol yn y dyfodol, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod rhaid inni sefydlu model newydd lle rydym yn sôn am ddull tîm yn hytrach na bod popeth yn ddibynnol ar y deintydd.
Weinidog, mae'n amlwg bod yna broblem o fewn y maes yma. Ddydd Gwener diwethaf ces i ddau e-bost oddi wrth etholwyr am fethu â chael gwasanaeth i'w plant nhw. Roedd un yn cael ei hannog i fynd yn breifat gan y deintydd, a dywedwyd wrth y llall gan eu deintydd nhw y byddan nhw'n aros i'w plentyn dwyflwydd oed nhw am o leiaf dwy flynedd cyn cael apwyntiad. Mae iechyd dannedd plant Cymru yn ofid. Mae'r dystiolaeth yn dangos ein bod ni tu ôl Lloegr yn barod. Ar gychwyn mis Gorffennaf y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, fe wnaethoch chi ddweud y bydd gwasanaethau deintyddol yn mynd nôl i'r arfer wedi i wasanaethau brys gael eu delio â nhw yn gyntaf. Pryd mae hynny'n mynd i ddigwydd, Weinidog?
Minister, it's clear that there is a problem in this area. Last Friday I had two e-mails from constituents saying that they were concerned that they couldn't access service for their children. One had been encouraged to go private by the dentist, and the other had been told by their dentist that they would have to wait for their two-year-old child at least two years before they would have an appointment. The dental health of children in Wales is a concern. The evidence shows that we are already behind England in that regard. At the beginning of July last year, you said that dental services would go back to normal once emergency treatments had been dealt with first. When will that happen, Minister?
We are getting to a point now where—. Obviously, we're still in a situation where COVID is a reality. One in 50 people have COVID, so we do have to bear in mind that anywhere where there's an aerosol-generating situation, there's an increased risk of the spread of COVID. So, there is bound to be a slight reduction in the level of activity.
When it comes to children, we're hoping to look at new models of how we can look at that, and there's a lot of work that I've asked my team to look at where we can perhaps consider innovative ways of addressing the issue of child dentistry. Because I am aware that we need to ensure that people get into the right frame of mind, when it comes to teeth health, at a very early age. So, that work is ongoing, and I hope I'll be able to report to you at some point soon on where we're at with that.
Rydym yn cyrraedd pwynt nawr lle—. Yn amlwg, rydym yn dal mewn sefyllfa lle mae COVID yn realiti. Mae gan un o bob 50 o bobl COVID, felly mae'n rhaid i ni gofio, mewn unrhyw sefyllfa sy'n cynhyrchu aerosol, ceir mwy o risg o ledaenu COVID. Felly, mae'n siŵr y bydd gostyngiad bach yn lefel y gweithgarwch.
O ran plant, rydym yn gobeithio edrych ar fodelau newydd o sut y gallwn edrych ar hynny, ac rwyf wedi gofyn i fy nhîm ystyried lle efallai y gallwn ystyried ffyrdd arloesol o fynd i'r afael â mater deintyddiaeth plant. Oherwydd rwy'n ymwybodol fod angen inni sicrhau bod pobl yn meddwl yn y ffordd briodol, mewn perthynas ag iechyd dannedd, o oedran cynnar iawn. Felly, mae'r gwaith hwnnw'n parhau, ac rwy'n gobeithio y gallaf adrodd ar beth yw'r sefyllfa gyda hynny rywbryd yn fuan.
2. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i wella gofal brys acíwt mewn ysbytai ym Mrycheiniog a Sir Faesyfed? OQ58529
2. What is the Welsh Government doing to enhance acute emergency care in hospitals in Brecon and Radnorshire? OQ58529
While I have a role to set the strategic direction for healthcare services in Wales and to hold the NHS to account, it's Powys health board that is responsible for the planning and delivery of services at a local level and for ensuring they meet the needs of the communities that they serve.
Er bod gennyf rôl i osod cyfeiriad strategol ar gyfer gwasanaethau gofal iechyd yng Nghymru a dwyn y GIG i gyfrif, bwrdd iechyd Powys sy'n gyfrifol am gynllunio a darparu gwasanaethau ar lefel leol ac am sicrhau eu bod yn diwallu anghenion y cymunedau y maent yn eu gwasanaethu.
Thank you, Minister. Emergency treatment for acute conditions such as stroke or cardiac arrest is more difficult for those people who live in my constituency in rural areas. With stroke and cardiac events it's the minutes and seconds that make the difference between living and dying, and if you do survive, the time of intervention has a direct result on your recovery. In my constituency people are forced to travel over 45 minutes for care into England or other counties in Wales. I hear repeatedly residents contacting me who are saying they're waiting over seven hours for an ambulance, and they're being told to put their loved ones in a car and drive them to a hospital. These trips are extremely dangerous and distressing for family members. So, Minister, I'd like to know what discussions you have had with Powys Teaching Health Board to ensure timely access to emergency treatments for the residents I have in Brecon and Radnorshire, so that they are not disadvantaged by not having any district hospitals within Powys.
Diolch. Mae triniaeth frys ar gyfer cyflyrau acíwt fel strôc neu ataliad ar y galon yn anos i'r bobl sy'n byw mewn ardaloedd gwledig yn fy etholaeth. Gyda digwyddiadau strôc a chardiaidd, mae munudau ac eiliadau'n gallu golygu'r gwahaniaeth rhwng byw a marw, ac os ydych yn goroesi, mae amseriad yr ymyrraeth yn cael canlyniad uniongyrchol ar eich adferiad. Yn fy etholaeth i, mae pobl yn cael eu gorfodi i deithio dros 45 munud i gael gofal yn Lloegr neu siroedd eraill yng Nghymru. Rwy'n clywed trigolion dro ar ôl tro yn cysylltu â mi i ddweud eu bod yn aros dros saith awr am ambiwlans a'u bod yn gorfod rhoi eu hanwyliaid mewn car a'u gyrru i ysbyty. Mae'r teithiau hyn yn beryglus dros ben ac yn ofidus i aelodau'r teulu. Felly, Weinidog, hoffwn wybod pa drafodaethau a gawsoch gyda Bwrdd Iechyd Addysgu Powys i sicrhau mynediad amserol at driniaethau brys i'r preswylwyr sydd gennyf ym Mrycheiniog a sir Faesyfed, fel nad ydynt o dan anfantais o ganlyniad i'r ffaith nad oes unrhyw ysbytai dosbarth ym Mhowys.
Thanks very much. You're absolutely right; we've got to make sure that equity is something that prevails across Wales. We have a clinical lead for stroke in Wales, and with the support of the stroke implementation group manager and the national allied health professional lead for stroke, we're developing plans for regional stroke services in Wales. That includes how hyperacute stroke services, now referred to as comprehensive regional stroke centres, will be configured to ensure that equitable access. When it comes to Powys, as part of that process, it's clear that arrangements linking those comprehensive regional stroke centres are going to have to fit in and to slot into what happens in England. I know that the population of Powys will be interested to hear that, and they are in liaison with the services in England to make sure that that plan does actually take into consideration the fact that, actually, people cross the border into England.
Diolch yn fawr. Rydych yn hollol gywir; mae'n rhaid inni wneud yn siŵr fod tegwch yn rhywbeth sy'n bodoli ledled Cymru. Mae gennym arweinydd clinigol ar gyfer strôc yng Nghymru, a gyda chymorth rheolwr y grŵp gweithredu ar gyfer strôc a'r arweinydd cenedlaethol proffesiynol perthynol i iechyd ar gyfer strôc, rydym yn datblygu cynlluniau ar gyfer gwasanaethau strôc rhanbarthol yng Nghymru. Mae hynny'n cynnwys sut y bydd gwasanaethau strôc hyperacíwt, y cyfeirir atynt bellach fel canolfannau strôc rhanbarthol cynhwysfawr, yn cael eu ffurfweddu i sicrhau mynediad teg. O ran Powys, fel rhan o'r broses honno, yn amlwg bydd rhaid i'r trefniadau sy'n cysylltu'r canolfannau strôc rhanbarthol cynhwysfawr hynny gyd-fynd â'r hyn sy'n digwydd yn Lloegr. Gwn y bydd gan boblogaeth Powys ddiddordeb mewn clywed hynny, ac maent mewn cysylltiad â'r gwasanaethau yn Lloegr i wneud yn siŵr fod y cynllun hwnnw'n ystyried y ffaith fod pobl, mewn gwirionedd, yn croesi'r ffin i Loegr.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr yn gyntaf i ofyn cwestiwn i'r Dirprwy Weinidog Iechyd Meddwl a Llesiant. James Evans.
Questions now from party spokespeople. The Conservative spokesperson, first of all, to ask a question to the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being. James Evans.
Diolch, Llywydd. Deputy Minister, do you think people who present with a mental health problem should be guaranteed mental health assessment within a month?
Diolch, Lywydd. Ddirprwy Weinidog, a ydych yn credu y dylai pobl sydd â phroblem iechyd meddwl gael sicrwydd o asesiad iechyd meddwl o fewn mis?
Thank you for that question. Clearly, our aim in Wales is to have a 'no wrong door' service. We have targets in place in Wales for primary mental health services and access to other services. Services are under pressure at the moment and we are taking action to recover performance with health boards.
Diolch am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Yn amlwg, ein nod yng Nghymru yw cael gwasanaeth 'dim drws anghywir'. Mae gennym dargedau ar waith yng Nghymru ar gyfer gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl sylfaenol a mynediad at wasanaethau eraill. Mae gwasanaethau dan bwysau ar hyn o bryd ac rydym yn cymryd camau i adfer perfformiad gyda'r byrddau iechyd.
Thank you for that answer, Deputy Minister. Your own UK Labour leader, Keir Starmer, said that a UK Labour Government would guarantee mental health treatment within a month, but your child and adolescent mental health services statistics show that the Government here in Wales is failing. Only 50 per cent of children who are using mental health services get their assessment within a month. In some health boards, three in four children are waiting longer than a month for an assessment, and in Aneurin Bevan, 85 per cent of children are waiting longer than a month for therapeutic intervention. This is just, frankly, unacceptable. So, do you believe that your Government is failing children's mental health in Wales?
Diolch am yr ateb hwnnw, Ddirprwy Weinidog. Dywedodd eich arweinydd Llafur yn y DU, Keir Starmer, y byddai Llywodraeth Lafur yn y DU yn gwarantu triniaeth iechyd meddwl o fewn mis, ond mae ystadegau eich gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc yn dangos bod y Llywodraeth yma yng Nghymru yn methu. Dim ond 50 y cant o blant sy'n defnyddio gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl sy'n cael eu hasesiad o fewn mis. Mewn rhai byrddau iechyd, mae tri phlentyn o bob pedwar yn aros yn hwy na mis ar gyfer asesiad, ac yn Aneurin Bevan, mae 85 y cant o blant yn aros yn hwy na mis am ymyrraeth therapiwtig. Mae hyn yn annerbyniol a dweud y gwir. Felly, a ydych yn credu bod eich Llywodraeth yn gwneud cam â phlant sydd ag anghenion iechyd meddwl yng Nghymru?
Had the Member been here yesterday and joined us for my statement on our 'Together for Mental Health' strategy, he would have heard me talk in detail about these. Keir Starmer is entitled to set out his policies for the forthcoming Labour Government in England, but it may surprise you to learn that health is devolved in Wales. I absolutely do not accept that we are failing the children of Wales. As you are well aware, the pandemic has had an impact on waiting times. We've seen a significant rise in referrals and a rise in the acuity of children who are coming forward.
We have instituted the delivery unit review of specialist CAMHS. That's due to report this month. In addition to that, we are working, along with the delivery unit, with every health board in Wales to make sure that they recover their CAMHS position. I am awaiting that report from the delivery unit, and the implementation of its recommendations will be key. Again, had you been here yesterday, you would have also heard me describe the whole range of support we are providing at an early intervention and school level, which is designed to prevent problems escalating to specialist CAMHS.
Pe bai'r Aelod wedi bod yma ddoe ac wedi ymuno â ni ar gyfer fy natganiad ar ein strategaeth 'Law yn Llaw at Iechyd Meddwl', byddai wedi fy nghlywed yn siarad yn fanwl am y rhain. Mae hawl gan Keir Starmer i amlinellu ei bolisïau ar gyfer y Llywodraeth Lafur sydd i ddod yn Lloegr, ond fe allai fod yn syndod i chi glywed bod iechyd wedi ei ddatganoli yng Nghymru. Nid wyf yn derbyn o gwbl ein bod yn gwneud cam â phlant Cymru. Fel y gwyddoch yn iawn, mae'r pandemig wedi cael effaith ar amseroedd aros. Rydym wedi gweld cynnydd sylweddol yn nifer yr atgyfeiriadau a chynnydd yn aciwtedd yr achosion a welir.
Rydym wedi sefydlu arolwg yr uned gyflawni o wasanaethau CAMHS arbenigol. Disgwylir iddynt adrodd y mis hwn. Yn ogystal â hynny, rydym yn gweithio, ynghyd â'r uned gyflawni, gyda phob bwrdd iechyd yng Nghymru i wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn adfer eu sefyllfa CAMHS. Rwy'n aros am yr adroddiad hwnnw gan yr uned gyflawni, a bydd gweithredu ei argymhellion yn allweddol. Unwaith eto, pe baech chi wedi bod yma ddoe, byddech wedi fy nghlywed hefyd yn disgrifio'r ystod gyfan o gymorth yr ydym yn ei ddarparu ar lefel ymyrraeth gynnar ac ar lefel ysgol, sydd wedi'i gynllunio i atal problemau rhag gwaethygu i lefel gwasanaethau CAMHS arbenigol.
It's interesting that it also shows that the Labour leader in the UK doesn't believe that the Welsh Government have got any ambition when it comes to health services. That's probably why he's setting his own targets, because he doesn't want to base himself on the failings here. The figures are quite clear that there is a mental health crisis with our children, which is made worse by the Government here not getting on top of it. And no matter how much you stand and say things are difficult, you should be getting on top of this problem.
I also find it unacceptable that nearly 50 children and young people under the age of 18, most of whom were female, were detained under sections 151 and 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in the last quarter. Do you think that it's acceptable to detain young children? What are this Government's plans to fix this problem, and if you don't think that that is a failure of this Government, what exactly do you think a failure is?
Mae'n ddiddorol ei fod hefyd yn dangos nad yw arweinydd y Blaid Lafur yn y DU yn credu bod gan Lywodraeth Cymru unrhyw uchelgais mewn perthynas â gwasanaethau iechyd. Mae'n debyg mai dyna pam ei fod yn gosod ei dargedau ei hun, oherwydd nad yw eisiau cysylltu ei hun â'r methiannau yma. Mae'r ffigurau'n hollol glir fod argyfwng iechyd meddwl yn wynebu ein plant, sy'n cael ei waethygu gan y ffaith nad yw'r Llywodraeth hon yn ymdrin ag ef. Ac ni waeth sawl gwaith y dywedwch fod pethau'n anodd, dylech fod yn ymdrin â'r broblem hon.
Mae'n annerbyniol i mi fod bron i 50 o blant a phobl ifanc o dan 18 oed, y rhan fwyaf ohonynt yn fenywaidd, wedi cael eu rhoi dan gadwad o dan adrannau 151 a 136 o Ddeddf Iechyd Meddwl 1983 yn y chwarter diwethaf. A ydych yn credu ei bod yn dderbyniol rhoi plant ifanc dan gadwad? Beth yw cynlluniau'r Llywodraeth hon i ddatrys y broblem, ac os nad ydych yn credu bod hwnnw'n fethiant ar ran y Llywodraeth hon, beth yn union y mae methiant yn ei olygu i chi?
Well, I think you'll find, James, that there is no section 151 of the Mental Health Act. Obviously, there are protections in place under the law to detain people who are in mental health crisis. We want to see the numbers of young people who are being detained reduced. That's why we're investing all this money in early intervention, prevention, in sanctuary services and in crisis care. But there will always be some people who will need to be detained for their own protection under the Mental Health Act. And we monitor those cases very carefully, and you can see when someone is being detained—by the action that is taken following the detention, with lots of them being referred into secondary services—that those decisions are taken to keep people safe.
Wel, rwy'n credu y gwelwch chi, James, nad oes adran 151 o’r Ddeddf Iechyd Meddwl. Yn amlwg, mae amddiffyniadau ar waith o dan y gyfraith i gadw pobl sydd mewn argyfwng iechyd meddwl dan gadwad. Rydym am weld nifer y bobl ifanc sy'n cael eu cadw dan gadwad yn lleihau. Dyna pam ein bod yn buddsoddi'r holl arian hwn mewn ymyrraeth gynnar, atal, mewn gwasanaethau noddfa ac mewn gofal argyfwng. Ond bydd bob amser rhai pobl y bydd angen eu cadw dan gadwad er eu lles eu hunain o dan y Ddeddf Iechyd Meddwl. Ac rydym yn monitro'r achosion hynny'n ofalus iawn, a gallwch weld, pan fydd rhywun yn cael eu cadw dan gadwad—drwy'r camau a gymerir wedyn, gyda llawer ohonynt yn cael eu hatgyfeirio at wasanaethau eilaidd—fod y penderfyniadau hynny'n cael eu gwneud i gadw pobl yn ddiogel.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru nesaf, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson next, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Ar 20 Medi, mi ddywedodd y Prif Weinidog mai ffigurau a data Elusen Ambiwlans Awyr Cymru sydd y tu cefn i gynlluniau'r elusen i gau'i ddau safle yn y Trallwng a Chaernarfon a symud yr hofrenyddion i un safle. Dwi, a rhai o fy nghyd-Aelodau, wedi ysgrifennu ato fo i nodi mai ffigurau y Llywodraeth ydy'r rhain—ffigurau EMRTS yn y gwasanaeth iechyd—ac i ofyn iddo gywiro’r record. Mi fuaswn i'n gwerthfawrogi pe tasai'r Gweinidog yn cadarnhau hynny heddiw hefyd. Os ydy o'n help, mi ddyfynnai o eiriau'r elusen ei hun, bod yr analysis,
On 20 September, the First Minister said that the figures and data of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity are behind the plans to close its two sites in Welshpool and Caernarfon and to move the helicopters to one site. I and other Members have written to him to state that it's the Government figures that are behind the emergency medical retrieval and transfer service figures in the health service, and we've asked him to correct the Record. I'd appreciate it if the Minister could confirm that that has happened today. If it helps, I'll quote the words of the charity itself, stating that the analysis,
'has been conducted by our medical partners, the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS)'.
'wedi'i wneud gan ein partneriaid meddygol, y Gwasanaeth Casglu a Throsglwyddo Meddygol Brys (EMRTS)'.
Rŵan, oherwydd ansicrwydd ynglŷn ag union sail y data yma, na, yn wir, beth yn union mae'r data yn ei ddweud wrthym ni, ydy'r Gweinidog yn barod i gomisiynu adolygiad annibynol o'r data yna ac, yn benodol, i gael yr adolygiad i ystyried impact tebygol y newid ar yr ardaloedd hynny sydd fwyaf anodd eu cyrraedd ar y ffordd ac sydd ymhellach o'r canolfannau gofal brys—llefydd fel pendraw Llŷn, gogledd Môn a Phowys?
Now, because of uncertainty regarding the exact basis for these data, nor, indeed, what exactly the data are telling us, is the Minister willing to commission an independent review of those data and, specifically, to have the review consider the likely impact of the change on those areas that are hardest to reach by road and that are further from the emergency care centers—places such as the furthest points in Llŷn, north Anglesey and Powys?
Diolch yn fawr. Look, at the moment, we're all working on the basis of a leaked report. So, the important thing is that we let the system and the process work its way through. Now, I know that the chief ambulance service commissioner is acting independently of the air ambulance service and the key thing for us to do, first of all, is to find out, once the report has been published properly, whether this does constitute a change in service, and if it does, then obviously the community health councils will be engaged. And at that point, they will determine whether the proposed changes represent that service change, and if they do, then that will trigger a formal consultation. And it's at that point, of course, that we will then have to look at the data. But let me tell you about the data, because I've looked into this and asked what data has been used: we were assured about the rigour of the comprehensive data modelling. What I am told is that it is difficult for us to publish—
Diolch yn fawr. Edrychwch, ar hyn o bryd, mae pob un ohonom yn gweithio ar sail adroddiad a ddatgelwyd yn answyddogol. Felly, y peth pwysig yw ein bod yn gadael i'r system a'r broses wneud eu gwaith. Nawr, gwn fod prif gomisiynydd y gwasanaeth ambiwlans yn gweithredu’n annibynnol ar y gwasanaeth ambiwlans awyr, a’r peth allweddol i ni ei wneud, yn gyntaf oll, yw darganfod, ar ôl i’r adroddiad gael ei gyhoeddi’n briodol, a yw hyn yn gyfystyr â newid gwasanaeth, ac os ydyw, yna yn amlwg, byddwn yn ymgysylltu â'r cynghorau iechyd cymuned. Ac ar y pwynt hwnnw, byddant yn penderfynu a yw'r newidiadau arfaethedig yn cynrychioli newid gwasanaeth, ac os ydynt, bydd hynny'n sbarduno ymgynghoriad ffurfiol. Ac ar y pwynt hwnnw, wrth gwrs, bydd yn rhaid inni edrych ar y data. Ond gadewch imi ddweud wrthych am y data, gan fy mod wedi ymchwilio i hyn ac wedi gofyn pa ddata a ddefnyddiwyd: cawsom sicrwydd ynghylch trylwyredd y gwaith modelu data cynhwysfawr. Yr hyn a ddywedir wrthyf yw ei bod yn anodd inni gyhoeddi—
It's your data.
Eich data chi ydyw.
I know. I'm going to come to that, Rhun. It's difficult for us to publish that data, because it could identify patients, and that's what I've been told. That's what I've been told, and I'm very happy to put that in writing to you.
Rwy'n gwybod hynny. Rwy'n mynd i ddod at hynny, Rhun. Mae'n anodd inni gyhoeddi'r data hwnnw, gan y gallai ei gwneud yn bosibl adnabod cleifion, a dyna a ddywedwyd wrthyf. Dyna a ddywedwyd wrthyf, ac rwy'n fwy na pharod i roi hynny i chi yn ysgrifenedig.
That is absolute nonsense.
Mae hynny'n nonsens llwyr.
Fy ofn i ydy bod yr ardaloedd mwyaf gwledig yn mynd i golli allan wrth i'r ambiwlans fynd ar ôl targedau niferoedd cleifion gall cael eu cyrraedd efo'r hofrennydd heb ystyried yn iawn y tebygrwydd y gallai'r rheini gael eu cyrraedd yn reit gyflym ar y ffordd beth bynnag mewn ardaloedd poblog.
Liciwn i dynnu sylw y Gweinidog at adroddiad, 'Service Evaluation of the Emergency Medical Retrieval & Transfer Service (EMRTS) Cymru', a gafodd ei gyhoeddi llai na blwyddyn yn ôl. Mae o'n nodi,
My concern is that the most rural areas are going to lose out because the ambulance will go after the patient number targets that can be reached by the helicopter without properly considering the likelihood that those could be reached quite quickly by road anyway in populated areas.
I'd like to draw the Minister's attention to the report, 'Service Evaluation of the Emergency Medical Retrieval & Transfer Service (EMRTS) Cymru', which was published less than a year ago. It notes that,
'Despite the service substantially improving equity overall, there remained residual inequity in provision in the North West, and expansion into this area was to be considered.'
In a written statement in April this year, responding to that report, the Minister was full of praise about—and I quote—'the positive findings' of the report.
Now, I'm sure that the same arguments could be made for Powys, but on this particular issue, how can moving the helicopter further away, moving the road vehicles further away, be an expansion of the EMRTS services in the north-west in particular? It can't be about the expansion of flying hours—that helps everybody; we'd all welcome that. How would closing Caernarfon constitute an expansion of provision in the north-west as a means to tackle residual inequity in provision, or what's changed since your statement in April?
'Er i'r gwasanaeth wneud gwelliannau mawr o ran cydraddoldeb yn gyffredinol, roedd anghydraddoldeb yn parhau yn y ddarpariaeth yn y Gogledd Orllewin, a nodwyd y dylid ystyried ehangu i'r ardal hon.'
Mewn datganiad ysgrifenedig ym mis Ebrill eleni, wrth ymateb i'r adroddiad hwnnw, roedd y Gweinidog yn ganmoliaethus iawn ynghylch—ac rwy'n dyfynnu—'canfyddiadau cadarnhaol' yr adroddiad.
Nawr, rwy’n siŵr y gellid gwneud yr un dadleuon ar gyfer Powys, ond ar y mater penodol hwn, sut y gall symud yr hofrennydd ymhellach i ffwrdd, symud y cerbydau ffyrdd ymhellach i ffwrdd, fod yn gyfystyr ag ehangu gwasanaethau Gwasanaeth Casglu a Throsglwyddo Meddygol Brys yn y gogledd-orllewin yn benodol? Ni all ymwneud â chynyddu oriau hedfan—mae hynny'n helpu pawb; byddai pob un ohonom yn croesawu hynny. Sut y byddai cau Caernarfon yn gyfystyr ag ehangu’r ddarpariaeth yn y gogledd-orllewin fel modd o fynd i’r afael ag anghydraddoldeb parhaus yn y ddarpariaeth, neu beth sydd wedi newid ers eich datganiad ym mis Ebrill?
Look, the air ambulance is an independent charity. They're the ones who make these decisions, and they have looked at the efficiency of their services. And you would be the first to say to me, 'Why aren't we getting to people quicker?' [Interruption.] You've asked in the past, 'Why aren't we getting to people quicker?' And they are saying, 'We can get more efficiencies—'[Interruption.] Well, other people have asked, Rhun. And, let's be clear, we need to get to people quicker—that is a problem that we need to address. And the air ambulance is trying to address that very issue. They've looked at the efficiencies, they've provided some data, and they have made that assessment. Now, we haven't engaged in that process yet, because it's still not a formal process. At that point, we will engage with the process, when it becomes formal.
Edrychwch, mae'r ambiwlans awyr yn elusen annibynnol. Hwy sy'n gwneud y penderfyniadau hyn, ac maent wedi edrych ar effeithlonrwydd eu gwasanaethau. A chi fyddai'r cyntaf i ddweud wrthyf, 'Pam nad ydym yn cyrraedd pobl yn gyflymach' [Torri ar draws.] Rydych wedi gofyn yn y gorffennol, 'Pam nad ydym yn cyrraedd pobl yn gyflymach?' Ac maent yn dweud, 'Gallwn gael mwy o effeithlonrwydd'—[Torri ar draws.] Wel, mae pobl eraill wedi gofyn, Rhun. A gadewch imi ddweud yn glir, mae angen inni gyrraedd pobl yn gyflymach—mae honno'n broblem y mae angen inni fynd i'r afael â hi. Ac mae'r ambiwlans awyr yn ceisio mynd i'r afael â'r union broblem honno. Maent wedi edrych ar yr effeithlonrwydd, maent wedi darparu rhywfaint o ddata, ac maent wedi gwneud yr asesiad hwnnw. Nawr, nid ydym wedi ymwneud â'r broses honno eto, gan nad yw'n broses ffurfiol o hyd. Ar y pwynt hwnnw, byddwn yn ymwneud â’r broses, pan ddaw’n ffurfiol.
3. Pa asesiad y mae'r Gweinidog wedi ei wneud o adroddiad 'Niferoedd Nyrsio 2022' y Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol mewn perthynas â gogledd Cymru? OQ58531
3. What assessment has the Minister made of the Royal College of Nursing's '2022 Nursing in Numbers' report in relation to north Wales? OQ58531
The RCN’s report outlines the challenges placed on our workforce by the COVID pandemic and a global shortage of nursing staff. I am committed to ensuring that Wales has the right number of nurses and healthcare staff to meet the care needs of our people.
Mae adroddiad y Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol yn amlinellu’r heriau y mae pandemig COVID a phrinder staff nyrsio byd-eang wedi eu creu i'n gweithlu. Rwyf wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau bod gan Gymru’r nifer cywir o nyrsys a staff gofal iechyd i ddiwallu anghenion gofal ein pobl.
Thank you, Minister, for your initial answer there. And just for the record, just to be clear, my brother and sister are both nurses in the national health service as well.
At the end of last month, Minister, I had the pleasure of attending the Royal College of Nursing's Listen to Nursing event at the Senedd here, sponsored by your party colleague, Buffy Williams. And it was great to meet those nursing staff, who do continue to provide real high-quality care, day after day. During this event, the RCN released their '2022 Nursing in Numbers' report, which showed that, in Wales, there are currently 2,900 nursing vacancies, and in the area that I represent, in north Wales, in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, there are 650 nursing vacancies up in north Wales at the moment. So, I'm sure, Minister, you'd agree with me, and as you initially outlined, that there is a challenge in recruiting and retaining nurses in Wales. So, in light of this, what further and specific action do you think that you and Welsh Government could carry out to, first of all, recruit more nurses, and, also, to make sure that we're retaining those hard-working nurses that we already have?
Diolch, Weinidog, am eich ateb cychwynnol. Ac ar gyfer y cofnod, er eglurder, mae fy mrawd a chwaer yn nyrsys yn y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol hefyd.
Ddiwedd y mis diwethaf, Weinidog, cefais y pleser o fynychu digwyddiad Gwrando ar Nyrsio y Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol yma yn y Senedd, a noddwyd gan eich cyd-Aelod o'ch plaid, Buffy Williams. Ac roedd yn wych cyfarfod â'r staff nyrsio hynny, sy'n parhau i ddarparu gofal o ansawdd uchel, ddydd ar ôl dydd. Yn y digwyddiad hwn, cyhoeddodd y Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol eu hadroddiad 'Niferoedd Nyrsio 2022', a oedd yn dangos, yng Nghymru, fod 2,900 o swyddi nyrsio yn wag ar hyn o bryd, ac yn yr ardal rwy'n ei chynrychioli, yng ngogledd Cymru, ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr, fod 650 o swyddi nyrsio gwag i fyny yng ngogledd Cymru ar hyn o bryd. Felly, rwy’n siŵr y byddech yn cytuno â mi, Weinidog, ac fel yr amlinellwyd gennych ar y cychwyn, mae'n her i recriwtio a chadw nyrsys yng Nghymru. Felly, yng ngoleuni hyn, pa gamau penodol pellach y credwch y gallech chi a Llywodraeth Cymru eu cymryd, yn gyntaf oll, i recriwtio mwy o nyrsys, ac i sicrhau hefyd ein bod yn cadw'r nyrsys gweithgar sydd gennym yn barod?
Thanks very much. Well, you'll be aware that we're investing record levels in terms of training for the NHS—£262 million just in this financial year. The number of training places for nurses has increased over 69 per cent since 2016—that's 2,396 more nurses that have come on to the system. So, part of the problem is that we've got to actually make sure that we retain people—that's the real challenge as far as I'm concerned. I've asked Health Education and Improvement Wales to work with the RCN to look at what we can do in this space to help retention.
I think it's also worth emphasising that we've recruited an additional 400 international nurses this year. And I was very pleased, on Monday, to meet the health Minister for Kerala in India, who we're going to now be making a partnership with, so that we can recruit directly from Kerala, so that we can have a direct route to qualified, high-quality students. And it was good to hear, actually, that—. Because you always feel quite guilty about taking nurses from a developing country, although India's pretty developed now in many parts, but I think what's important is that we understand what is their motivation. And they were very clear to me that they are happy to train them up, they're happy to send them over. And what happens is that the remittances are sent back to Kerala, and that's why it's in their interest also for us to take on these nurses. So, there are some plans in place, we know that we've got a lot further to go, but this is a global pressure that everybody's really facing.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Wel, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol ein bod yn buddsoddi'r lefelau uchaf erioed mewn hyfforddiant ar gyfer y GIG—£262 miliwn yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon yn unig. Mae nifer y lleoedd hyfforddi ar gyfer nyrsys wedi cynyddu dros 69 y cant ers 2016— 2,396 yn rhagor o nyrsys ar y system. Felly, rhan o'r broblem yw bod rhaid inni sicrhau ein bod yn cadw pobl—dyna'r her wirioneddol o'm rhan i. Rwyf wedi gofyn i Addysg a Gwella Iechyd Cymru weithio gyda'r Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol i edrych ar yr hyn y gallwn ei wneud yn y maes hwn i helpu i gadw nyrsys.
Credaf ei bod yn werth pwysleisio hefyd ein bod wedi recriwtio 400 o nyrsys rhyngwladol ychwanegol eleni. Ac roeddwn yn falch iawn, ddydd Llun, o gyfarfod â Gweinidog iechyd Kerala yn India, y byddwn yn partneru â hwy, fel y gallwn recriwtio'n uniongyrchol o Kerala, ac fel y gallwn gael llwybr uniongyrchol at fyfyrwyr cymwys o ansawdd uchel. Ac roedd yn dda clywed, mewn gwirionedd, fod—. Oherwydd rydych bob amser yn teimlo braidd yn euog am fynd â nyrsys o wlad sy'n datblygu, er bod India yn eithaf datblygedig bellach mewn sawl rhan, ond credaf mai'r hyn sy'n bwysig yw ein bod yn deall beth yw eu cymhelliant. Ac roeddent yn dweud yn glir iawn wrthyf eu bod yn fwy na pharod i'w hyfforddi, maent yn fwy na pharod i'w hanfon draw yma. A'r hyn sy'n digwydd yw bod y taliadau'n cael eu hanfon yn ôl i Kerala, a dyna pam ei bod o fudd iddynt hwythau hefyd ein bod yn cyflogi'r nyrsys hyn. Felly, mae rhywfaint o gynlluniau ar waith, gwyddom fod mwy o lawer gennym i'w wneud, ond mae hwn yn bwysau byd-eang y mae pawb yn ei wynebu.
4. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n eu cymryd i wella cyfathrebu gyda chleifion o fewn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr? OQ58519
4. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve communication with patients within the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area? OQ58519
The health board is in targeted intervention for communications and engagement. This means that there is direct and focused action by Welsh Government to improve communication within the health board.
Mae’r bwrdd iechyd yn destun ymyrraeth wedi'i thargedu ar gyfer cyfathrebu ac ymgysylltu. Golyga hyn fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cymryd camau gweithredu uniongyrchol i ganolbwyntio ar wella cyfathrebu o fewn y bwrdd iechyd.
Thank you, Minister. I just felt compelled to raise this with you, given that, of late, I'm being approached by many constituents who feel that, either when they or their loved ones are in hospital, they get told very little. More worryingly, of the cases that I've raised recently with the health board, only 68 per cent have been responded to within their target of 21 working days. Now, officials have explained to me that delays occur due to clinicians being unable to answer questions immediately, or it can be that medical notes have got lost or have been difficult to find. In one case, I sent a letter last November, and it was only responded to in September this year because, in the end, it went to the ombudsman. An oncologist has apologised, stating that there were some issues in locating clinical notes for that particular patient. This is not the first time that this has been raised with me; it's happening too frequently. This is wholly unacceptable, Minister.
So, what can you do to ensure that, however busy a ward is, notes are written up at the appropriate time, so that the patients themselves know exactly, or their families, but also, that when complaints go in, we're not left waiting—when we're representing these constituents—months on end because the notes haven't been written up with due diligence, and so, it just holds the complaints process up? Thank you.
Diolch, Weinidog. Roeddwn yn teimlo bod rhaid imi godi hyn gyda chi o ystyried bod llawer o etholwyr wedi dod ataf yn ddiweddar i ddweud eu bod yn teimlo, pan fyddant hwy neu eu hanwyliaid yn yr ysbyty, mai ychydig iawn o wybodaeth a gânt. Mae'n fater gofid pellach mai 68 y cant yn unig o’r achosion a godais yn ddiweddar gyda’r bwrdd iechyd sydd wedi cael ymateb o fewn eu targed o 21 diwrnod gwaith. Nawr, mae swyddogion wedi egluro wrthyf fod oedi'n digwydd am fod clinigwyr yn methu ateb cwestiynau ar unwaith, neu efallai fod nodiadau meddygol wedi mynd ar goll, neu'n anodd dod o hyd iddynt. Mewn un achos, anfonais lythyr fis Tachwedd diwethaf, ac ni chafwyd ymateb tan fis Medi eleni oherwydd, yn y diwedd, fe'i hanfonwyd at yr ombwdsmon. Mae oncolegydd wedi ymddiheuro, gan ddweud y bu rhai problemau o ran dod o hyd i nodiadau clinigol ar gyfer y claf penodol hwnnw. Nid dyma'r tro cyntaf i hyn gael ei ddwyn i fy sylw; mae'n digwydd yn rhy aml. Mae hyn yn gwbl annerbyniol, Weinidog.
Felly, beth y gallwch ei wneud i sicrhau, ni waeth pa mor brysur yw ward, fod nodiadau’n cael eu hysgrifennu ar yr adeg briodol, fel bod y cleifion eu hunain neu eu teuluoedd yn gwybod yn union, ond hefyd, pan fydd cwynion yn cael eu gwneud, na chawn ein gadael i aros—pan ydym yn cynrychioli'r etholwyr hyn—am fisoedd lawer am nad yw'r nodiadau wedi'u hysgrifennu gyda diwydrwydd dyladwy, gan greu rhwystr yn y broses gwyno? Diolch.
Thanks. Well, first of all, clinicians should be writing notes; they should be writing notes at the time of treatment. So, there's no excuse for that; that's a requirement. But, in terms of lost notes, I think part of the answer to this is to digitise, which is why I've spent quite a lot of my time trying to make sure that we make sure that we have a far more modern NHS, that we invest in the NHS. And we are investing more per head than England is. So, we're investing about £18 per head compared to £11.50. And that digital transformation programme will make sure that we are in a situation where we can know exactly what's going on, that the systems will speak to each other, and then, we won't have the situation where notes are lost.
Diolch. Wel, yn gyntaf oll, dylai clinigwyr fod yn ysgrifennu nodiadau; dylent fod yn ysgrifennu nodiadau ar adeg y driniaeth. Felly, nid oes unrhyw esgus dros hynny; mae hynny'n ofyniad. Ond o ran nodiadau'n mynd ar goll, credaf fod digideiddio'n rhan o’r ateb i hyn, a dyna pam fy mod wedi treulio cryn dipyn o fy amser yn ceisio sicrhau ein bod yn gwneud yn siŵr fod gennym GIG llawer mwy modern, ein bod yn buddsoddi yn y GIG. Ac rydym yn buddsoddi mwy y pen nag y mae Lloegr. Felly, rydym yn buddsoddi oddeutu £18 y pen, o gymharu ag £11.50. A bydd y rhaglen drawsnewid ddigidol honno’n sicrhau ein bod mewn sefyllfa lle gallwn wybod beth yn union sy’n digwydd, y bydd y systemau’n siarad â’i gilydd, ac yna, ni fydd gennym sefyllfa lle mae nodiadau’n mynd ar goll.
5. Pa gamau y mae'r Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd i sicrhau fod capasiti'r GIG yng ngogledd Cymru yn ddigon i ateb y galw? OQ58528
5. What action is the Government taking to ensure that the capacity of the NHS in north Wales is sufficient to meet demand? OQ58528
Mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr yn gyfrifol am ddarparu gwasanaethau gofal iechyd o safon, sy’n ddiogel ac yn gynaliadwy i’r boblogaeth leol. Mae hyn yn cael ei wneud ar sail y dystiolaeth a’r cyngor clinigol gorau a diweddaraf. Rŷn ni hefyd wedi darparu buddsoddiad ychwanegol i’w cefnogi.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is responsible for the provision of safe, sustainable, high-quality healthcare services for its local population, based on the best and most up-to-date clinical evidence and advice. We've also provided additional investment to support them.
Rŷn ni'n gwybod, wrth gwrs, bod un o bob wyth swydd nyrsio yn wag yn y gogledd. Rŷn ni hefyd yn gwybod, yn ôl cadeirydd y bwrdd iechyd, o'r 642 o feddygon teulu sydd gennym ni yn y gogledd, mae chwarter ohonyn nhw dros 65, a mae disgwyl i draean o'r 642 yna ymddeol yn y pum mlynedd nesaf. Ac rŷn ni hefyd yn gwybod, wrth gwrs, bod dim niferoedd digonol yn dod mewn i lenwi'r swyddi ar eu holau nhw. Mae 20 y cant o swyddi yn cael eu llenwi gan ddoctoriaid locum, dros dro, ar hyn o bryd, cyn bod y rhai roeddwn i'n sôn amdanyn nhw yn ymddeol.
Ydych chi felly'n derbyn mai un o fethiannau hanesyddol y Llywodraeth yma, a Llywodraethau blaenorol, yw'r methiant i gynllunio'n ddigonol ar gyfer gweithlu y dyfodol yn y sector yma, a chanlyniad y methiant hynny, wrth gwrs, wedyn, yw bod gennym ni lefelau staffio sy'n crebachu, ei bod hi'n costio mwy i'r pwrs cyhoeddus wedyn i lenwi'r gwagle yna, ac, wrth gwrs, bod e'n gadael mwy o bwysau a baich ar ysgwyddau y rhai sydd ar ôl?
We know, of course, that one in eight nursing posts is vacant in north Wales. We also know from the chair of the health board that of the 642 GPs that we have in north Wales, a quarter of them are over 65, and a third of that 642 are expected to retire in the next five years. And we also know that there aren't adequate numbers coming through to fill those posts. Twenty per cent of posts are filled by locum doctors at the moment, before those I mentioned will retire.
Do you therefore accept that one of the historical failings of this Government, and previous Governments, is the failure to sufficiently plan for the future workforce in this sector, and the upshot of that failure, then, is that we have shrinking staffing levels, that it costs more to the public purse to fill those vacant posts, and it puts more pressure and burden on the shoulders of those left behind?
Wel, rŷn ni wedi bod yn hyfforddi pobl, ac rŷn ni wedi gweld 54 y cant mwy o bobl yn gweithio yn yr NHS dros yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf. Yn Betsi nawr, rŷn ni'n gweld bod bron i 20,000 o bobl yn gweithio i'r bwrdd iechyd, ac mae yna gynlluniau i recriwtio 380 mwy yn ystod y ddwy flynedd nesaf. A'r syniad sydd fanna yw bod y bwrdd eisiau cael pobl leol i gymryd y llefydd yna, felly mae gyda nhw gynllun ar gyfer hynny. A beth sy'n bwysig felly yw bod y cynllunio hynny yn cael ei wneud. Mi wnes i gael cyfarfod gyda'r GMC yr wythnos diwethaf. Roedden nhw'n dangos yn union faint o bobl sy'n mynd i adael oherwydd eu bod nhw yn dod lan at y ffaith eu bod nhw'n mynd i gael eu pensiwn— 'ymddeol', dyna'r gair—ac ymddeol cyn bo hir.
Felly, beth sy'n bwysig nawr yw ein bod ni'n cymryd y ffigurau yna i gyd. Rŷch chi wedi gweld bod y Blaid Lafur yn genedlaethol wedi dweud ein bod ni'n awyddus i weld lot mwy o feddygon yn cael eu hyfforddi ac, yn sicr, o ran hyfforddi nyrsys, fel roeddech chi'n clywed o'r cwestiwn blaenorol, rŷn ni eisoes yn hyfforddi lot mwy nag yr oedden ni yn y gorffennol—yn fwy na 69 y cant yn fwy nag ŷm ni wedi yn y gorffennol. Y drafferth yw mae'n rhaid i ni gadw pobl yn y system, a dyna ble mae’r tensiwn. Ac rŷch chi'n deall bod lot o bwysau wedi bod ar y bobl yma dros y ddwy flynedd diwethaf.
Well, we have been training people, and we have seen 54 per cent more people working in the NHS over the past 20 years. In Betsi now, we see that almost 20,000 people work for the health board, and there are plans to recruit 380 more during the next two years. And the idea there is that the board wants to get local people to take those posts, so they have a plan for that. And what is important therefore is that that planning is done. I had a meeting with the General Medical Council last week. They demonstrated exactly how many people are going to leave because they're going to retire—'retirement', that's the word.
So, what is important now is that we take all of those figures on board. You know that the Labour Party nationally have said that they are eager to see far more doctors being trained. And certainly, in terms of nurse training, as you heard from the previous question, we are already training far more nurses than we were in the past; more than 69 per cent more than we have in the past. The difficulty is is that we have to retain people in the system; that's where the tension is. And we understand that there has been great deal of pressure on these people over the past two years.
Minister, you'll know I've raised in the past my concerns about the length of delays at our hospitals—Ysbyty Gwynedd, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and, of course, Maelor. Now, you'll also know that I believe that community hospitals, and in particular Llandudno district general hospital, have a key role to play in addressing some of these issues. I know that you've been listening, because a bridging service trial has now been undertaken at the Aberconwy ward, an operating theatre has been reintroduced, and a new stroke unit is going to be based there. I'd love a timescale on that, please. But there's more that can be done. Only 43.7 per cent of patients spent less than the four-hour target time at A&E Glan Clwyd, yet at MIU Llandudno the figure is a stomping 97.6 per cent. So there we have it: the MIU is performing exceptionally well. So, Minister, will you look at—? It hasn't got an overnight doctor and things like that, and there are ways where, I think, you could enhance provision in these community hospitals, and, without doubt, that will take the pressure of these larger hospitals, which are really struggling to cope. Thank you.
Weinidog, fe fyddwch yn gwybod fy mod wedi mynegi fy mhryderon yn y gorffennol am hyd yr oedi yn ein hysbytai—Ysbyty Gwynedd, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, ac wrth gwrs, Ysbyty Maelor Wrecsam. Nawr, fe fyddwch hefyd yn gwybod fy mod yn credu bod gan ysbytai cymunedol, ac yn enwedig ysbyty cyffredinol dosbarth Llandudno, ran allweddol i'w chwarae i fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r materion hyn. Gwn eich bod wedi bod yn gwrando, gan fod treial gwasanaeth pontio wedi’i gynnal yn ward Aberconwy bellach, mae theatr lawdriniaethau wedi’i hailagor, ac mae uned strôc newydd yn mynd i gael ei lleoli yno. Carwn gael amserlen ar gyfer hynny, os gwelwch yn dda. Ond mae mwy y gellir ei wneud. Dim ond 43.7 y cant o gleifion a dreuliodd lai na’r amser targed o bedair awr yn adran ddamweiniau ac achosion brys Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, ac eto, mae’r ffigur yn uned mân anafiadau Llandudno yn 97.6 y cant, sy'n anhygoel. Felly, dyna ni: mae'r uned mân anafiadau'n perfformio'n eithriadol o dda. Felly, Weinidog, a wnewch chi edrych ar—? Nid oes ganddynt feddyg dros nos a phethau felly, a chredaf fod yna ffyrdd y gallech wella’r ddarpariaeth yn yr ysbytai cymunedol hyn, a heb os, bydd hynny’n lleddfu rhywfaint ar y pwysau ar yr ysbytai mwy hyn, sy’n ei chael hi’n anodd iawn ymdopi. Diolch.
Thanks very much. I'm really pleased to hear that things are going from strength to strength in Llandudno, and, certainly, when I visited there, one of the things I really focused on was what are these people doing there, how long have they been here, what's the plan for these people, and it was clear. I met one man there, I remember, who'd had his leg amputated, but he was in a second floor flat. So, it was clear that he was never going to be able to go home, but they hadn't started working that out until he was coming to the end of his treatment. Well, you could have been working that out weeks before, so it's trying to get people to understand the need to work through those things. As soon as they come in through the door, what is the plan to exit these people? I'm really pleased to hear that that bridging service is working really well. And you're quite right—part of what we need to do now across the whole of Wales is to make sure that people understand that there are alternatives to A&E: that they can go to urgent primary care centres, that they can go to same-day emergency care centres, that they can phone 111, they can go their local pharmacy. All of these things are options that weren't there a few years ago, but we have got a plan, obviously, and we have been trying a campaign, Help Us to Help You, to make sure that people know where they should go to get the right help at the right place at the right time.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Rwy’n falch iawn o glywed bod pethau’n mynd o nerth i nerth yn Llandudno, ac yn sicr, pan ymwelais â’r ysbyty hwnnw, un o’r pethau y canolbwyntiais arnynt oedd beth y mae’r bobl hyn yn ei wneud yno, pa mor hir y maent wedi bod yma, beth yw'r cynllun ar gyfer y bobl hyn, ac roedd yn amlwg. Cyfarfûm ag un dyn yno, rwy'n cofio, a oedd wedi cael torri'i goes i ffwrdd, ond roedd yn byw mewn fflat ail lawr. Felly, roedd yn amlwg nad oedd yn mynd i allu mynd adref, ond nid oeddent wedi dechrau datrys y broblem honno hyd nes ei fod yn dod at ddiwedd ei driniaeth. Wel, gallech fod wedi dechrau datrys y broblem honno wythnosau ynghynt, felly mae a wnelo hyn â cheisio cael pobl i ddeall yr angen i weithio drwy'r pethau hynny. Cyn gynted ag y dônt i mewn drwy'r drws, beth yw'r cynllun ar gyfer rhyddhau'r bobl hyn? Rwy'n falch iawn o glywed bod y gwasanaeth pontio hwnnw'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Ac rydych yn llygad eich lle—rhan o'r hyn y mae angen inni ei wneud ledled Cymru gyfan yn awr yw sicrhau bod pobl yn deall bod dewisiadau eraill ar gael heblaw am adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys: y gallant fynd i ganolfannau gofal sylfaenol brys, gallant fynd i ganolfannau gofal brys ar yr un diwrnod, gallant ffonio 111, gallant fynd i'w fferyllfa leol. Mae’r holl bethau hyn yn opsiynau nad oedd ar gael rai blynyddoedd yn ôl, ond mae gennym gynllun, yn amlwg, ac rydym wedi bod yn rhoi cynnig ar ymgyrch, Helpwch Ni i’ch Helpu Chi, i sicrhau bod pobl yn gwybod i ble y dylent fynd i gael y cymorth iawn yn y lle iawn ar yr adeg iawn.
6. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â chanser y coluddyn? OQ58530
6. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to tackle bowel cancer? OQ58530
We're working to improve bowel cancer outcomes by improving diagnostic pathways, lowering the screening age in line with UK National Screening Committee recommendations, and improving the quality of bowel cancer treatment.
Rydym yn gweithio i wella canlyniadau canser y coluddyn drwy wella llwybrau diagnostig, gostwng yr oedran sgrinio yn unol ag argymhellion Pwyllgor Sgrinio Cenedlaethol y DU, a gwella ansawdd triniaeth canser y coluddyn.
Thank you, Minister. I'm really pleased to see the recent lowering of the bowel cancer screening age to 55, as we know that screening people earlier means cancer can be identified earlier. However, it is also important that treatment can be accessed as speedily as possible. So, I was concerned to note that, in July, just 36 per cent of lower gastrointestinal patients in Cwm Taf Morgannwg started their first treatment within 62 days of being suspected of having cancer. As you will know, that is significantly below the suspected cancer pathway performance target. So, what action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure rapid access to treatment?
Diolch, Weinidog. Rwy'n falch iawn o weld yr oedran sgrinio ar gyfer canser y coluddyn yn gostwng yn ddiweddar i 55, gan y gwyddom fod sgrinio pobl yn gynharach yn golygu y gellir canfod canser yn gynharach. Fodd bynnag, mae hefyd yn bwysig y gellir cael mynediad at driniaeth cyn gynted â phosibl. Felly, roedd yn flin gennyf nodi, ym mis Gorffennaf, mai 36 y cant yn unig o gleifion â chanserau yn y bibell gastroberfeddol isaf yng Nghwm Taf Morgannwg a ddechreuodd eu triniaeth gyntaf o fewn 62 diwrnod i'r pwynt pan amheuid bod canser arnynt. Fel y gwyddoch, mae hynny’n sylweddol is na'r targed perfformiad ar gyfer llwybr lle’r amheuir canser. Felly, pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau mynediad cyflym at driniaeth?
Thanks very much, Vikki. Those figures are clearly too low and unacceptable. That's one of the reasons why today I called a cancer summit meeting—a calling together all of the health boards and the leads for cancer in each of the health boards. One of the issues in particular in relation to lower gastrointestinal cancers is that we've seen, partly as a result of that increased screening, a 38 per cent increase in demand for the service—38 per cent. That's a huge increase, and clearly we didn't have the capacity to cope with that, and that explains why those levels are so low. But we've got to do something about that, and that's why it was heartening to hear this morning that Cwm Taf Morgannwg are going to increase the number of rooms in the mobile units at the treatment centres to carry out these operations, and that they've also confirmed a single optimal pathway, which makes sure that patients are sent directly to tests so that they don't have a long time waiting before they start on their journey to really try and get the support that they need.
Diolch yn fawr, Vikki. Mae’r ffigurau hynny’n amlwg yn rhy isel ac yn annerbyniol. Dyna un o'r rhesymau pam y gelwais am gyfarfod uwchgynhadledd canser heddiw—gan alw'r holl fyrddau iechyd a'r arweinwyr canser ym mhob un o'r byrddau iechyd ynghyd. Un o'r materion yn fwyaf arbennig mewn perthynas â chanserau yn y bibell gastroberfeddol isaf yw ein bod wedi gweld, yn rhannol o ganlyniad i'r cynnydd mewn sgrinio, cynnydd o 38 y cant yn y galw am y gwasanaeth—38 y cant. Mae hwnnw'n gynnydd enfawr, ac yn amlwg, nid oedd gennym gapasiti i ymdopi â hynny, ac mae hynny'n egluro pam fod y lefelau hynny mor isel. Ond mae'n rhaid inni wneud rhywbeth am hynny, a dyna pam ei bod yn galonogol clywed y bore yma fod bwrdd Cwm Taf Morgannwg yn mynd i gynyddu nifer yr ystafelloedd yn yr unedau symudol yn y canolfannau triniaeth i gynnal y llawdriniaethau hyn, a'u bod hefyd wedi cadarnhau llwybr delfrydol sengl, sy'n sicrhau bod cleifion yn cael eu hanfon yn uniongyrchol am brofion fel nad oes ganddynt amser hir i aros cyn iddynt ddechrau ar eu taith i geisio cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt.
Minister, we all know that early diagnosis of bowel cancer is vital. It is a fact that nearly everyone who is diagnosed at the earliest stage will survive. Yet, for years, we have failed to detect this illness quickly enough in Wales. We were ranked twenty-fifth out of 29 European countries for our five-year survival rate. With half of bowel cancer patients being diagnosed at a late stage, four years ago, the United Kingdom National Screening Committee recommended that people aged 50 to 74 should be tested. In Wales, people aged between 50 and 55 are not yet being tested and will have to wait years before this age group is treated the same as elsewhere in the UK. This reprehensible performance by Welsh Ministers has put the lives of many people at risk. So, what action are you taking to ensure those between the age of 50 and 55 are supported now, before the screening age is lowered in two years' time? Thank you.
Weinidog, gŵyr pob un ohonom ei bod yn hanfodol cael diagnosis cynnar o ganser y coluddyn. Mae'n ffaith y bydd bron pawb sy'n cael diagnosis ar y cam cynharaf yn goroesi. Serch hynny, ers blynyddoedd, rydym wedi methu canfod y salwch hwn yn ddigon cyflym yng Nghymru. Roeddem yn bumed ar hugain allan o 29 o wledydd yn Ewrop ar gyfer y gyfradd oroesi pum mlynedd. Gyda hanner y cleifion canser y coluddyn yn cael diagnosis yn hwyrach, bedair blynedd yn ôl, argymhellodd Pwyllgor Sgrinio Cenedlaethol y Deyrnas Unedig y dylai pobl rhwng 50 a 74 oed gael prawf. Yng Nghymru, nid yw pobl rhwng 50 a 55 oed yn cael eu profi eto, a bydd rhaid inni aros am flynyddoedd cyn i’r grŵp oedran hwn gael ei drin yr un fath ag mewn mannau eraill yn y DU. Mae’r perfformiad gwarthus hwn gan Weinidogion Cymru wedi peryglu bywydau llawer o bobl. Felly, pa gamau yr ydych yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod pobl rhwng 50 a 55 oed yn cael eu cefnogi yn awr, cyn i'r oedran sgrinio gael ei ostwng ymhen dwy flynedd? Diolch.
Thank you. I'm glad to see that we've reduced the age at which we're now sending out faecal immunochemical tests to the over-55s, but you're right, we've got to go further, but we've got to do it at the same time as increasing capacity. We are now looking at training more clinicians, so that when that demand—and you've heard that demand, a 38 per cent increase—. That is a huge increase, so you've got to prepare for that. We've got new equipment and new facilities, and I'm sure you will have heard also, at the beginning of the week, about our rapid diagnostic centres that are the first to be rolled out in the United Kingdom, and that should also help as well. So, all of those things will come in, but there's no point expanding until we're ready to support the people when they get the diagnosis. So, we're at that point—we're building the capacity. Certainly, I was heartened to hear this morning that those measures and those steps are being put in place across Wales.
Diolch. Rwy'n falch o weld ein bod bellach wedi gostwng yr oedran yr ydym yn anfon profion imiwnocemegol ar ysgarthion i bobl dros 55 oed, ond rydych yn llygad eich lle, mae'n rhaid inni wneud mwy, ond mae'n rhaid inni wneud hynny ar yr un pryd â chynyddu capasiti. Rydym wrthi'n edrych ar hyfforddi mwy o glinigwyr er mwyn sicrhau, pan fydd y galw hwnnw—ac rydych wedi clywed am y galw hwnnw, cynnydd o 38 y cant—. Mae hwnnw'n gynnydd enfawr, felly rhaid ichi baratoi ar gyfer hynny. Mae gennym offer newydd a chyfleusterau newydd, ac rwy’n siŵr y byddwch wedi clywed hefyd, ddechrau’r wythnos, am ein canolfannau diagnosis cyflym, y rhai cyntaf i gael eu cyflwyno yn y Deyrnas Unedig, a dylai hynny fod o gymorth hefyd. Felly, bydd yr holl bethau hynny'n cael eu cyflwyno, ond nid oes diben ehangu hyd nes ein bod yn barod i gefnogi'r bobl pan fyddant yn cael y diagnosis. Felly, rydym ar y pwynt hwnnw—rydym yn adeiladu'r capasiti. Yn sicr, roedd yn galonogol clywed y bore yma fod y mesurau hynny a’r camau hynny'n cael eu rhoi ar waith ledled Cymru.
7. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n eu cymryd i hyrwyddo e-sigaréts i ysmygwyr? OQ58526
7. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to promote e-cigarettes to smokers? OQ58526
Whilst we recognise that e-cigarettes are being used by some of those wanting to quit smoking, the evidence around their long-term impact is still emerging. We intend to look closely at our policy on e-cigarettes in Wales, including for smoking cessation, as part of our new tobacco control delivery plan.
Er ein bod yn cydnabod bod e-sigaréts yn cael eu defnyddio gan rai pobl sydd am roi’r gorau i ysmygu, mae’r dystiolaeth ynghylch eu heffaith hirdymor yn dal i ddatblygu. Rydym yn bwriadu edrych yn fanwl ar ein polisi ar e-sigaréts yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys ar gyfer rhoi’r gorau i ysmygu, fel rhan o’n cynllun cyflawni newydd ar reoli tybaco.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. On Tuesday of last week, in First Minister's questions, the First Minister said that the evidence is that, for most people who use an e-cigarette, it is as well as and not instead of a conventional cigarette—85 per cent in recent studies show a dual use. That is what he said. My office spoke to ASH Wales soon after, and they are not sure where this figure has come from. They also asked their sister organisation, ASH UK, and they also don't seem to know where this figure has come from. The stat seems to contradict the GP survey marks that vaping is most prevalent within the ex-smoker group. Minister, in Wales, the average percentage of smokers is 18 per cent and just 7 per cent for e-cigarettes. Of those using e-cigarettes, 76 per cent use them to quit smoking. So, Minister, don't you think it's time you started recognising e-cigarettes for their benefits and their role in weaning smokers off cigarettes so that we can finally reduce our smoking numbers in Wales?
Diolch, Ddirprwy Weinidog. Ddydd Mawrth diwethaf, yn y cwestiynau i’r Prif Weinidog, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog mai’r dystiolaeth yw, i’r rhan fwyaf o bobl sy’n defnyddio e-sigarét, eu bod yn gwneud hynny yn ogystal ag yn hytrach nag yn lle sigaréts confensiynol—nodwyd defnydd deuol gan 85 y cant mewn astudiaethau diweddar. Dyna a ddywedodd. Siaradodd fy swyddfa ag ASH Cymru yn fuan wedyn, ac nid ydynt yn siŵr o ble y daeth y ffigur hwn. Fe wnaethant ofyn hefyd i'w chwaer-sefydliad, ASH UK, ac nid yw'n ymddangos eu bod hwythau ychwaith yn gwybod o ble y daeth y ffigur hwn. Ymddengys bod yr ystadegyn yn gwrth-ddweud canfyddiad arolwg y meddygon teulu fod defnyddio e-sigaréts yn fwyaf cyffredin o fewn y grŵp cyn-ysmygwyr. Weinidog, yng Nghymru, y ganran gyfartalog o ysmygwyr yw 18 y cant, a dim ond 7 y cant ar gyfer e-sigaréts. O'r rhai sy'n defnyddio e-sigaréts, mae 76 y cant yn eu defnyddio i roi'r gorau i ysmygu. Felly, Weinidog, onid ydych yn credu ei bod yn bryd ichi ddechrau cydnabod manteision e-sigaréts a’u rôl yn diddyfnu ysmygwyr oddi ar sigaréts fel y gallwn leihau o'r diwedd y niferoedd sy'n ysmygu yng Nghymru?
Thank you to Laura Anne Jones for that. Smoking is, of course, extremely damaging to health, and stopping smoking is the single most important step someone can take to improve their health. We recognise that, for some people, e-cigarettes and other nicotine products are being used to help them to stop smoking, and current evidence suggests they are substantially less harmful than smoking tobacco. We know that around seven in 10 smokers want to quit, and our free NHS service, Help Me Quit, is available to support smokers and, since 2017, has helped over 75,000 smokers. We know that getting NHS support increases smokers' chances of success by up to 300 per cent compared to going it alone. As with other unlicensed nicotine-containing products, Help Me Quit service providers cannot provide access to e-cigarettes until such a time that there are licensed options available for us to consider. In July, we published our new tobacco strategy, 'A smoke-free Wales', where we set out our ambition for Wales to become smoke free by 2030. We have historically had a cautious approach to e-cigarette products in Wales given the evidence on their long-term effects is still developing and their potential appeal to children and young people. We are very clear that e-cigarettes should never be used by children, young people and non-smokers. As part of our tobacco delivery plan, we intend to look closely at our policy position on e-cigarettes in Wales, including their role in tobacco-smoking cessation. Reports of the increase in use of e-cigarettes by children is very concerning. We will also be looking at what more could be done to prevent their use by children and young people.
Diolch i Laura Anne Jones. Mae ysmygu, wrth gwrs, yn hynod niweidiol i iechyd, a rhoi'r gorau i ysmygu yw'r un cam pwysicaf y gall rhywun ei gymryd i wella eu hiechyd. Rydym yn cydnabod, i rai pobl, fod e-sigaréts a chynhyrchion nicotin eraill yn cael eu defnyddio i’w helpu i roi’r gorau i ysmygu, ac mae tystiolaeth gyfredol yn awgrymu eu bod yn llawer llai niweidiol nag ysmygu tybaco. Gwyddom fod oddeutu saith o bob 10 ysmygwr yn dymuno rhoi’r gorau iddi, ac mae ein gwasanaeth GIG rhad ac am ddim, Helpa Fi i Stopio, ar gael i gefnogi ysmygwyr, ac ers 2017, mae wedi helpu dros 75,000 o ysmygwyr. Gwyddom fod cael cymorth gan y GIG yn cynyddu gobaith ysmygwyr o lwyddo hyd at 300 y cant o gymharu â cheisio rhoi'r gorau iddi ar eu pen eu hunain. Fel gyda chynhyrchion didrwydded eraill sy'n cynnwys nicotin, ni all darparwyr gwasanaeth Helpa Fi i Stopio ddarparu mynediad at e-sigaréts hyd nes bod opsiynau trwyddedig ar gael i ni eu hystyried. Ym mis Gorffennaf, cyhoeddwyd ein strategaeth tybaco newydd, 'Cymru Ddi-fwg’, lle gwnaethom nodi ein huchelgais i Gymru ddod yn ddi-fwg erbyn 2030. Yn hanesyddol, rydym wedi mabwysiadu ymagwedd ofalus tuag at gynhyrchion e-sigaréts yng Nghymru o gofio bod y dystiolaeth ar eu heffeithiau hirdymor yn dal i ddatblygu, ynghyd â’u hapêl bosibl i blant a phobl ifanc. Rydym yn glir iawn na ddylai plant, pobl ifanc a phobl nad ydynt yn ysmygu ddefnyddio e-sigaréts ar unrhyw gyfrif. Fel rhan o’n cynllun cyflawni ar dybaco, rydym yn bwriadu edrych yn fanwl ar ein safbwynt polisi ar e-sigaréts yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys eu rôl ar gyfer rhoi'r gorau i ysmygu tybaco. Mae adroddiadau am y cynnydd yn y defnydd o e-sigaréts gan blant yn peri cryn bryder. Byddwn hefyd yn edrych ar beth arall y gellir ei wneud i atal plant a phobl ifanc rhag eu defnyddio.
8. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gyflwyno'r rhaglen frechu COVID-19? OQ58516
8. Will the Minister provide an update on the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccination programme? OQ58516
As of 11 October, a total of 363,000 COVID-19 vaccination boosters have been administered in Wales. The programme is on track for all eligible people to receive an invitation for their booster by 30 November, in line with the commitment given in our winter respiratory vaccination strategy, which was published on 15 July.
Hyd at 11 Hydref, roedd cyfanswm o 363,000 o bigiadau atgyfnerthu COVID-19 wedi’u rhoi yng Nghymru. Mae’r rhaglen ar y trywydd iawn i roi gwahoddiad i'r holl bobl gymwys gael eu pigiad atgyfnerthu erbyn 30 Tachwedd, yn unol â’r ymrwymiad a roddwyd yn ein strategaeth frechu’r gaeaf yn erbyn feirysau anadlol, a gyhoeddwyd gennym ar 15 Gorffennaf.
Thank you, Minister. That's excellent news. The vaccine, of course, is the most effective way to defend ourselves against COVID, and, in order to live with the virus, it's incumbent on us all to accept the jab when it's available to us. It's also vital that the roll-out of the programme continues in the most efficient and equitable way. Are you confident that people are able to have the vaccine in a consistent time frame across all communities and for each age group in Wales?
Diolch, Weinidog. Dyna newyddion rhagorol. Y brechlyn, wrth gwrs, yw'r ffordd fwyaf effeithiol o ddiogelu ein hunain rhag COVID, ac er mwyn byw gyda'r feirws, mae'n ddyletswydd ar bob un ohonom i gael y pigiad pan fydd ar gael i ni. Mae hefyd yn hanfodol fod y broses o gyflwyno'r rhaglen yn parhau yn y ffordd fwyaf effeithlon a theg. A ydych yn hyderus fod pobl yn gallu cael y brechlyn o fewn amserlen gyson ar draws pob cymuned ac ar gyfer pob grŵp oedran yng Nghymru?
Thanks very much. Well, we are talking about trying to get this booster to 1.6 million eligible people in Wales. That's being delivered through 400 vaccination sites, so I think that does give you the coverage that should allow people to take up that opportunity. As I say, our target is to get to a 75 per cent uptake of that cohort, and so far we're on track. So, we're getting to it. I'm slightly concerned that we're not getting the response from health and care workers that I had hoped we'd get, so I would encourage people to try and encourage those health and care workers in particular to take up that opportunity, in addition, of course, to vulnerable people, and to come forward if it's offered. I know that, in Clwyd South, for example, 34 per cent of the people eligible have already had their vaccinations.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Wel, rydym yn sôn am geisio darparu'r pigiad atgyfnerthu i 1.6 miliwn o bobl gymwys yng Nghymru. Mae'r gwaith hwnnw'n cael ei gyflawni drwy 400 o safleoedd brechu, felly credaf fod y ddarpariaeth honno'n ddigonol i ganiatáu i bobl fanteisio ar y cyfle hwnnw. Fel y dywedaf, ein targed yw cyrraedd 75 y cant o'r garfan honno, a hyd yn hyn, rydym ar y trywydd iawn i gyflawni'r targed hwnnw. Felly, rydym yn gwneud cynnydd. Rwyf ychydig yn bryderus nad ydym yn cael yr ymateb gan weithwyr iechyd a gofal yr oeddwn wedi gobeithio'i gael, felly hoffwn annog pobl i geisio annog y gweithwyr iechyd a gofal hynny'n benodol i fanteisio ar y cyfle, yn ogystal, wrth gwrs, â phobl agored i niwed, ac i'w gael os caiff ei gynnig. Yn Ne Clwyd, er enghraifft, gwn fod 34 y cant o’r bobl sy’n gymwys eisoes wedi cael eu brechiadau.
Question 9, Cefin Campbell.
Cwestiwn 9, Cefin Campbell.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Wythnos diwethaf, Weinidog, ges i—
Thank you very much. Last week, Minister—
Y cwestiwn ar y papur trefn, plis.
The question on the order paper, please, again.
Sori, sori, dwi'n neidio ymlaen gormod.
Sorry, I skipped ahead.
It's a catching habit.
Mae'n arfer heintus.
9. Pa asesiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i gynnal o lefelau staffio'r GIG yng nghanolbarth a gorllewin Cymru? OQ58544
9. What assessment has the Welsh Government undertaken of NHS staffing levels in mid and west Wales? OQ58544
Diolch yn fawr. Mae gweithlu Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda nawr wedi cyrraedd lefel na welwyd erioed o’r blaen. Ond, rŷn ni’n cydnabod yr heriau o ran y gweithlu yn y canolbarth a’r gorllewin ar yr un pryd â’r pwysau sydd ar wasanaethau yn sgil galw sylweddol.
Thank you very much. The Hywel Dda University Health Board workforce is now at record levels, but we recognise the workforce challenges in mid and west Wales alongside significant demand pressures on services.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Yr wythnos diwethaf, fel dywedais i, ges i'r pleser o gwrdd â'r RCN fan hyn yn y Senedd i gael trafod eu hadroddiad diweddaraf, ac yn y nos ges i'r pleser o gwrdd â nifer o nyrsys o ranbarth y gorllewin a'r canolbarth a chlywed am y pwysau gwaith aruthrol maen nhw'n ei wynebu: prinder staff; tâl annigonol; morâl yn isel; ac yn dweud eu bod nhw wedi blino'n lân; teimlo'n ddigalon achos bod nhw'n methu gwneud eu gwaith yn iawn; problemau strategol megis cynlluniau annigonol i gadw nyrsys yn eu gwaith; recriwtio annigonol; cynllunio cefnogaeth i'r gweithlu, ac yn y blaen. Felly, ynghyd â'u cyflogau isel ac amodau gwaith heriol, dyw hi ddim yn syndod, felly, fod cymaint o nyrsys yn gadael y sector. Ond y broblem yw, ar draws ardal Hywel Dda, fod tua 540 o swyddi gwag ar gyfer nyrsys cofrestredig, gyda'r uchaf yng Nghymru, ac mae'r bwrdd iechyd yma hefyd gyda'r uchaf yn cyflogi nyrsys sy'n cael eu talu gan asiantaeth. Mae hwn wedi codi 46 y cant yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf ac yn costio'n agos i £29 miliwn. Felly, ac ystyried hyn, Weinidog, pa gamau fyddwch chi'n eu cymryd i greu strategaeth ar gyfer cadw mwy o nyrsys yn y proffesiwn?
Thank you very much. Last week, as I said, I had the pleasure of meeting with the RCN here in the Senedd to discuss their latest report, and in the evening I had the pleasure of meeting a number of nurses from the mid and west Wales region. I heard about the huge work pressures that they're facing: a lack of staff; insufficient pay; morale being low; and they said that they were exhausted, that they were disheartened because they couldn't do their work as they wished to. There are also strategic problems, such as insufficient planning to retain nurses, insufficient recruitment and planning of support for the workforce, and so on. So, alongside the low wages and challenging working environment, I'm not surprised that so many nurses are leaving the sector. The problem is that, across the Hywel Dda area, there are around 540 registered nurse vacancies. This is amongst the highest in Wales. This health board also has one of the highest levels of nurses employed via agencies. This has increased 46 per cent over the past year and costs close to £29 million. So, bearing all of this in mind, Minister, what steps will you be taking to put together a strategy for retaining more nurses in the profession?
Diolch yn fawr. Mae hon yn ardal lle dwi wedi gofyn i'm swyddogion i wirioneddol edrych arni yn fanwl. Mae'n anodd gwneud hyn, achos, fel rŷch chi'n gallu dychmygu, o ran retention, os oes 1,000 o bobl gyda chi off yn sâl gyda COVID, beth ŷch chi’n mynd i’w wneud i lenwi’r gwagle oedd yna? Sut ŷch chi’n mynd i gymryd pwysau off y bobl sydd yn gorfod gwneud i fyny am y gwagleoedd yna? Ac os nad ydym ni’n defnyddio pobl o asiantaeth, mae’r pwysau arnyn nhw’n mynd i fod yn waeth. Nawr, dwi’n anhapus iawn o ran faint rŷn ni’n gwario ar asiantaeth ar hyn o bryd, a dyna pam dwi wedi gofyn i HEIW ganolbwyntio ar y gwaith yma ac i sicrhau ein bod ni’n gweithredu gyda’r undebau, yn gyflym, i sicrhau ein bod ni mewn sefyllfa well. Ond, ar ddiwedd y dydd, beth sydd ei angen yw cael mwy o nyrsys i aros ac i gario ymlaen gyda’r hyfforddiant rŷn ni’n gwneud. Ond mae’n rhaid dweud bod Hywel Dda nawr â lefelau staffio ar lefelau sydd heb gael eu gweld o’r blaen. Mae 11,000 o bobl yn gweithio i’r bwrdd iechyd, ac, o ran nyrsys, mae 136 yn fwy nag oedd yno dair blynedd yn ôl. Felly, mae mwy nag oedd yna. Y drafferth yw bod y galw yn mynd i fyny drwy’r amser, a dyna yw’r broblem. Mae’n poblogaeth ni’n heneiddio, mae’r pwysau’n waeth. Felly, mae’n bwysig ein bod ni’n gwneud y cynllunio strategol yna ar gyfer gweithlu’r dyfodol.
Thank you very much. This is an area that I have asked my officials to focus on. It's difficult to do it, because, as you can imagine, in terms of retention, if you have 1,000 people off sick with COVID, what are you going to do to fill those vacancies? How are you going to take the pressure off those people who have to make up for that sick leave? And if we don't use agency nurses, then the pressures are going to be even greater. Now, I'm very unhappy in terms of how much we spend on agency staff at the moment, and that's why I've asked HEIW to focus on this work and to ensure that we work with the unions, quickly, to ensure that we're in a better position. But, at the end of the day, what's needed is to convince more nurses to remain and to continue with training provision. But I have to say that the staffing levels in Hywel Dda are now at unprecedented levels. Eleven thousand people work for the health board, and, in terms of nurses, there are 136 more than there were three years ago. So, there are more staff. But the demand is increasing constantly, and that's the problem. We have an ageing population and so the pressures are greater. So, it is important that we do that strategic planning for the future workforce.
Ac yn olaf, Russell George.
Finally, Russell George.
Thank you, Llywydd. Minister, during the recent Petitions Committee debate, you said,
'it's simply inaccurate to suggest that extending section 25B to all of those areas would result in giving Wales "the full team of nurses", as the petition puts it, and that's simply because, at the moment, those nurses don't exist.'
What I'm just trying to rectify, myself, and give you an opportunity to expand and clarify, is that the Welsh Government—yourself—claim there are various recruitment strategies, including international recruitment as well, and you talk about record investment in education and training programmes. So, surely, if that is the case, those two don’t really sit with each other. I wonder if you can, perhaps, give some further context to your comments during the Petitions Committee debate.
Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog, yn ystod dadl Pwyllgor Deisebau yn ddiweddar, fe ddywedoch chi,
'mae'n anghywir awgrymu y byddai ymestyn adran 25B i gynnwys pob un o'r meysydd hynny'n arwain at roi'r "tîm llawn o nyrsys" i Gymru, fel y mae'r ddeiseb yn ei roi, a hynny'n syml am nad yw'r nyrsys hynny'n bodoli ar hyn o bryd.'
Yr hyn rwy'n ceisio ei gywiro, fy hun, a rhoi cyfle i chi ehangu ac egluro, yw bod Llywodraeth Cymru—chi eich hun—yn honni bod yna strategaethau recriwtio amrywiol, gan gynnwys recriwtio rhyngwladol hefyd, ac rydych chi'n siarad am y buddsoddiadau uchaf erioed mewn rhaglenni addysg a hyfforddiant. Felly, os yw hynny'n wir, nid yw'r ddau beth yn gyson â'i gilydd. Tybed a wnewch chi roi ychydig o gyd-destun pellach, efallai, i'ch sylwadau yn ystod y ddadl Pwyllgor Deisebau.
Okay, so, when you write a law, you've got to comply with the law, and if the law says, 'You've got have x many nurses in a particular ward', you've got to comply with that law. If you can't do that because you don’t have the nurses, you're in breach of the law. So, what's the point of writing a law that you know you can't comply with? And at the moment, it's really difficult for us to comply because we don't have enough nurses.
So, what we need, and I accept that—. We're already doing a lot in terms of workforce recruitment. We're training more than we’ve ever trained before. We're doing international recruitment. But I do think that what we need to do now is to focus on retention, because we're losing people as fast as we’re training them. So, that's the area that I think that we need to focus on. And if we can do that we'll be in a much, much better position. These people are exhausted. They've been working their socks off for two years. So, we do need to give them the support—so, working with the unions and with HEIW to really understand what is the pressure and what more can we do to take the pressure off them—and then we'll be in a position to starting writing laws that we can comply with.
Iawn, felly, pan fyddwch chi'n llunio deddf, mae'n rhaid ichi gydymffurfio â'r gyfraith, ac os yw'r gyfraith yn dweud, 'Rhaid i chi gael x o nyrsys mewn ward benodol', mae'n rhaid ichi gydymffurfio â'r gyfraith honno. Os na allwch wneud hynny am nad oes gennych chi'r nyrsys, rydych chi'n torri'r gyfraith. Felly, beth yw'r pwynt llunio deddf y gwyddoch na allwch gydymffurfio â hi? Ac ar hyn o bryd, mae'n anodd iawn inni gydymffurfio am nad oes gennym ddigon o nyrsys.
Felly, yr hyn sydd ei angen arnom, ac rwy'n derbyn hynny—. Rydym eisoes yn gwneud llawer ar recriwtio gweithlu. Rydym yn hyfforddi mwy nag a wnaethom erioed o'r blaen. Rydym yn recriwtio'n rhyngwladol. Ond rwy'n credu mai'r hyn sydd angen inni ei wneud yn awr yw canolbwyntio ar gadw staff, oherwydd rydym yn colli pobl mor gyflym ag yr ydym yn eu hyfforddi. Felly, dyna'r maes y credaf fod angen inni ganolbwyntio arno. Ac os gallwn ni wneud hynny fe fyddwn mewn sefyllfa lawer iawn gwell. Mae'r bobl yma wedi blino'n lân. Maent wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed iawn ers dwy flynedd. Felly, mae angen inni roi cefnogaeth iddynt—felly, gweithio gyda'r undebau a'r AaGIC i ddeall yn iawn beth yw'r pwysau a beth arall y gallwn ei wneud i dynnu'r pwysau oddi arnynt—ac yna byddwn mewn sefyllfa i ddechrau llunio deddfau y gallwn gydymffurfio â hwy.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
I thank the Minister.
Does yna ddim cwestiynau o dan eitem 3.
No topical questions are accepted under item 3.
Eitem 4, felly, yw'r datganiadau 90 eiliad. Mae'r unig ddatganiad y prynhawn yma gan Heledd Fychan.
Item 4 is the 90-second statements. The only statement today is from Heledd Fychan.
Diolch, Llywydd. A hithau wedi bod yn Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol Iechyd Meddwl ar 10 Hydref, hoffwn gymryd y cyfle heddiw i ddathlu un grŵp penodol yn fy rhanbarth, sef y Metalidads.
Thank you, Llywydd. Bearing in mind that it was World Mental Health Day on 10 October, I would like to take the opportunity today to celebrate one particular group in my region, namely the Metalidads.
The Metalidads, also known as the Fathers of Metal, bring together that holy trinity of fatherhood, mental health and heavy metal and meet twice weekly in the town of Barry to encourage local dads to get out of the house and away from the children and partners in order to form new friendships and get involved in fun activities and initiatives such as beach litter picks, fundraising for local causes, family film clubs, grub and games night, going to gigs and even learning how to French plait their children's hair, ready for when they go to school.
Using their social media platform, they discuss taboo topics such as depression, trouble conceiving children, child bereavement, autism diagnosis, tackling awkward toddler sleeping patterns and struggles within a marriage as a way of destigmatising serious talking points and to support each other through different lived experiences.
This year, Metalidads have reached out and engaged with and interviewed multiple globally recognized bands and musicians in heavy metal royalty to normalise the question of 'Are you okay?'
Mae'r Metalidads, a adwaenir hefyd fel y Fathers of Metal, yn dwyn ynghyd y drindod sanctaidd honno, sef tadolaeth, iechyd meddwl a cherddoriaeth metel trwm ac yn cyfarfod ddwywaith yr wythnos yn nhref y Barri i annog tadau lleol i ddod allan o'r tŷ ac i ffwrdd oddi wrth y plant a'r partneriaid er mwyn ffurfio cyfeillgarwch newydd a chymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau a mentrau hwyliog fel casglu sbwriel traeth, codi arian ar gyfer achosion lleol, clybiau ffilm i deuluoedd, nosweithiau bwyd a gemau, mynd i gigs a hyd yn oed dysgu sut i blethu gwallt eu plant yn barod ar gyfer yr adeg pan fyddant yn mynd i'r ysgol.
Gan ddefnyddio eu platfform cyfryngau cymdeithasol, maent yn trafod pynciau tabŵ fel iselder, trafferthion cenhedlu plant, profedigaeth yn sgil colli plant, diagnosis o awtistiaeth, ymdopi â phatrymau cysgu trafferthus plant bach a thrafferthion priodasol fel ffordd o ddadstigmateiddio pynciau siarad difrifol ac i gefnogi ei gilydd drwy wahanol brofiadau bywyd.
Eleni, mae Metalidads wedi estyn allan ac wedi ymgysylltu â nifer o fandiau a cherddorion sy'n enwog yn fyd-eang ym myd cerddoriaeth metel trwm, ac wedi eu cyfweld, er mwyn normaleiddio'r cwestiwn 'Wyt ti'n iawn?'
Mae grwpiau o'r fath mor bwysig o ran cefnogi rhieni, a dwi'n siŵr bydd fy nghyd-Aelodau yn cytuno bod angen inni gefnogi sefydliadau a mentrau lleol yn ein cymunedau sy'n cynnig y math yma o gefnogaeth sydd yn achub bywydau. Yn sicr, fe ges i groeso cynnes iawn gan y Metalidads, a chael budd mawr o'u cyfarfod.
Such groups are so important to support parents, and I'm sure that my fellow Members will agree that we need to support local organisations and initiatives in our communities that offer this kind of support that saves lives. Indeed, I received a very warm welcome by the Metalidads and derived great benefit from meeting them.
To end with a frequently used quote by the Fathers of Metal,
'whether it's whammy bars or weaning, Napalm Death or nappies...it's always good to talk.'
Rock on.
Rwyf am orffen gyda dyfyniad a ddefnyddir yn aml gan y Fathers of Metal,
'boed yn far tremolo neu'n ddiddyfnu, yn Napalm Death neu'n glytiau...mae hi bob amser yn dda i siarad.'
Rociwch ymlaen.
Eitem 5 yw'r eitem nesaf, dadl ar adroddiad Pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig ar adolygiad o Reoliadau Adnoddau Dŵr (Rheoli Llygredd Amaethyddol) (Cymru) 2021. Dwi'n galw ar Gadeirydd y pwyllgor i gyflwyno'r cynnig. Paul Davies.
Item 5 is the next item, the debate on the Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee report on the review of the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021. I call on the Chair of the committee to move the motion. Paul Davies.
Cynnig NDM8090 Paul Davies
Cynnig bod y Senedd:
Yn nodi adroddiad Pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig ar ei Ymchwiliad: Adolygiad o’r Rheoliadau Adnoddau Dŵr (Rheoli Llygredd Amaethyddol) (Cymru) 2021, a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 8 Mehefin 2022.
Motion NDM8090 Paul Davies
To propose that the Senedd:
Notes the report of the Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee on its Inquiry: Review of The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021, which was laid in the Table Office on 8 June 2022.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Diolch, Llywydd, and I move the motion tabled in my name. Llywydd, it feels like a long time ago that the Senedd unanimously passed a motion for a committee to urgently review the Welsh Government's Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021. And that's because it was.
The Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee took this task extremely seriously, agreeing to embark on this review at our first meeting. However, as Members will be aware, the committee's report was delayed because of a judicial review into the legality of the regulations, which was out of the committee's hands. That judicial review was important to this debate, not just to explain why the committee's report took so long to produce, but also to highlight just how significant these regulations are.
Whilst all regulations we vote on are important, these agricultural pollution regulations affect things that are core to sustaining life in Wales—food production, our water quality and the wider environment. The Welsh Government believe that the regulations will ultimately reduce pollution in our rivers, avoid pollution swapping and prevent or minimise increased losses of nutrients in the environment. The Minister made it very clear that by taking this approach the regulations deliver against a wide range of Wales's responsibilities and provide a holistic response to environmental challenges related to agricultural production.
Nevertheless, in order to implement these regulations, many farmers will be required to undertake compliance work, which will include significant construction work at a significant cost, and that could threaten their viability. Therefore, it's crucial that these regulations set the right balance between protecting our natural environment and maintaining a workable regulatory system for Welsh farmers.
Now, before I run through the report and its recommendations, I just want to highlight the Welsh Government's response to our report and its relevance to this debate. The Welsh Government's response was due on 14 September, and yet it was eventually laid on 5 October, which was the absolute deadline for inclusion on today's Plenary agenda. This delay severely hampered Members' ability to scrutinise the Government's response, and as such it has an impact on this debate. Therefore, I sincerely hope that in the future all Ministers will reflect on the importance of responding to Senedd committee reports in a timely manner, so that we can have fully informed debates on Senedd committee reports.
Now, the Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee launched a consultation on the regulations, which ran over the summer of 2021, and a wide range of stakeholders—including anglers, farmers and environmental organisations—responded to the consultation. Members will not be surprised to know that the regulations have proved controversial. In response to our consultation, farmers have referred to them as 'draconian' and 'punitive', and they raised concerns that they will be prohibitively expensive to implement and may push farms out of business.
On the other hand, we received evidence from environmental organisations and anglers who welcomed the regulations, arguing that they are long overdue. They told us that the current system does not deter the worst agricultural polluters, and that action in the form of these regulations went some way to curb the pollution in our rivers. So, as a committee, we were acutely aware that these regulations needed to strike the right balance and were as effective as possible. Once the judicial review had concluded, the committee was able to continue with our inquiry and lay our report.
Llywydd, it contains 10 recommendations, and, as time is limited this afternoon, I'd like to concentrate on three specific areas: support for implementation, derogations, and concerns around farming by calendar. Firstly, one of the pressing issues raised was the cost to farmers of implementing these regulations, and it was made pretty clear to the committee that farms could be put out of business. Therefore, I was pleased to see a commitment from the Welsh Government of an additional £20 million to help farmers implement these regulations, as was made clear in the written statement that accompanied the Welsh Government's response to the committee's report. I'm also pleased to see a commitment from the Welsh Government to provide the committee with a detailed breakdown of the provisions being made, including direct financial support and additional funding to advisory services. And perhaps in responding to this debate, the Minister will confirm when the committee can expect that information.
Similarly, there needs to be support for public bodies. Natural Resources Wales have estimated that they will require 60 additional staff to deliver the bare minimum, with possibly over 200 staff members needed to deliver the full product of enforcement around these regulations. Of course, a patchy, under-resourced enforcement regime will give us the worst of both worlds, and I was a little concerned to read in the Government's response that the service level agreement for the regulations has not yet been agreed by Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government. Surely Natural Resources Wales will need time to recruit and train additional staff, and so it's vital that a service level agreement is put in place as soon as possible. So, I do hope the Minister will give us an update on its development and any further information she has on how long it may take Natural Resources Wales to be in a position to enforce these regulations.
Llywydd, the committee also received some concerns regarding derogations. We were concerned that the withdrawal of the derogation for qualifying grassland farms would put Welsh farmers at a competitive disadvantage, and so we recommended that the Welsh Government reintroduces the derogation that allowed qualifying grassland farms to spread up to 250 kg per hectare of nitrogen. Farming unions warned that the decision not to include the derogation could require destocking on many Welsh farms, with impacts on farm viability, critical mass within the supply chain and employment, and that the lower rate of 170 kg per hectare could lead to the offshoring of production to countries with lower standards. Therefore, I'm pleased to see, in the written statement accompanying the Government's response, that Welsh farms will now be able to apply for a licence to spread a higher amount of nitrogen. And I do hope the Minister will today provide assurances to Welsh farmers that this measure will not result in further bureaucracy for them.
Finally, I want to mention farming by calendar. Part 5 of the Welsh Government's regulations stipulates closed periods, when spreading is prohibited. And whilst there are exceptions for some holding and soil types, the closed period runs from October to January, with some further restrictions running until the end of February. The committee heard strong arguments about the importance of flexibility for farmers in when they spread slurry, and that was really reinforced to us during our committee trip to the Agriculture Research Centre at Gelli Aur in Carmarthenshire. We had already heard great things about their work on slurry processing and the use of technology to determine the best time to spread. During the visit, we were shown equipment that supports an app the centre has been developing. It was an impressive combination of a weather station and sensors that monitor the conditions, where the information gathered is fed into an app that processes the data and gives farmers a red, amber or green status for spreading slurry. We were told that the system was tested during the 2021-22 closed period, and the findings were that the app was showing a green status for spreading through February and March, meaning that the weather and ground conditions meant it was fine to spread slurry. However, almost as soon as the closed period ended, the app flagged the conditions as red, indicating it was not suitable for spreading slurry. Of course, we are all very aware of how unpredictable the weather can be, so it's vital that farmers are allowed to move over to a technology-backed system based on real world, live conditions, not a calendar system based on seasonal averages, as soon as possible.
The committee recommended that the Welsh Government should prioritise any suitable alternative proposals that utilise technology rather than closed periods for spreading, and, whilst I very much welcome the Welsh Government’s openness to new suggestions, I am disappointed their response puts the onus on the farming community rather than the Government proactively pursuing technological alternatives to farming by calendar. Therefore, I hope the Minister will reflect on this and give it further consideration.
Llywydd, the committee's report covers everything from water quality data to enforcement and incorporating the regulations into national minimum standards, and I urge every Member in this Chamber to read our report. We have asked the Welsh Government to review the effectiveness of alternative technological measures, to be fully transparent about the funding support available to farmers, and to provide assurances that there is adequate resourcing and guidance for Natural Resources Wales to monitor and enforce these regulations. As a committee, we intend to keep reviewing these regulations in the months and years ahead to ensure their effectiveness, and so, on that note, Llywydd, I look forward to Members' contributions to this debate. Diolch.
Diolch, Lywydd, ac rwy'n gwneud y cynnig a gyflwynwyd yn fy enw. Lywydd, mae'n teimlo fel amser maith er pan basiodd y Senedd gynnig yn unfrydol dros gael pwyllgor i adolygu Rheoliadau Adnoddau Dŵr Llywodraeth Cymru (Rheoli Llygredd Amaethyddol) (Cymru) 2021 ar fyrder. A'r rheswm am hynny yw oherwydd ei bod hi'n amser maith ers hynny.
Roedd Pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach, a Materion Gwledig o ddifrif ynglŷn â'r gwaith, ac fe gytunodd i gychwyn ar yr adolygiad yn ein cyfarfod cyntaf. Fodd bynnag, fel y bydd yr Aelodau'n gwybod, cafodd adroddiad y pwyllgor ei ohirio oherwydd adolygiad barnwrol i gyfreithlondeb y rheoliadau, mater a oedd allan o ddwylo'r pwyllgor. Roedd yr adolygiad barnwrol hwnnw'n bwysig i'r ddadl hon, nid yn unig i egluro pam y cymerodd gymaint o amser i gynhyrchu adroddiad y pwyllgor, ond hefyd i dynnu sylw at ba mor arwyddocaol yw'r rheoliadau hyn.
Er bod yr holl reoliadau y pleidleisiwn arnynt yn bwysig, mae'r rheoliadau llygredd amaethyddol hyn yn effeithio ar bethau sy'n greiddiol i gynnal bywyd yng Nghymru—cynhyrchu bwyd, ansawdd ein dŵr a'r amgylchedd ehangach. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru o'r farn y bydd y rheoliadau'n lleihau llygredd yn ein hafonydd yn y pen draw, yn osgoi cyfnewid llygredd ac yn atal neu'n lleihau gollwng mwyfwy o faetholion i'r amgylchedd. Dywedodd y Gweinidog yn glir iawn fod y rheoliadau, drwy weithredu yn y modd hwn, yn cyflawni yn erbyn ystod eang o gyfrifoldebau Cymru ac yn darparu ymateb cyfannol i heriau amgylcheddol sy'n gysylltiedig â chynhyrchiant amaethyddol.
Serch hynny, er mwyn gweithredu'r rheoliadau hyn, bydd gofyn i lawer o ffermwyr gyflawni gwaith cydymffurfio, a fydd yn cynnwys gwaith adeiladu sylweddol ar gost sylweddol, a gallai hynny fygwth eu hyfywedd. Felly, mae'n hanfodol fod y rheoliadau hyn yn gosod y cydbwysedd cywir rhwng gwarchod ein hamgylchedd naturiol a chynnal system reoleiddio ymarferol i ffermwyr Cymru.
Nawr, cyn imi redeg drwy'r adroddiad a'i argymhellion, rwyf am dynnu sylw at ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i'n hadroddiad a'i berthnasedd i'r ddadl hon. Roedd disgwyl ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru ar 14 Medi, ac eto fe'i gosodwyd yn y pen draw ar 5 Hydref, sef y dyddiad terfynol olaf ar gyfer ei gynnwys ar agenda'r Cyfarfod Llawn heddiw. Fe wnaeth yr oedi hwn amharu'n ddifrifol ar allu Aelodau i graffu ar ymateb y Llywodraeth, ac o'r herwydd mae'n effeithio ar y ddadl hon. Felly, rwy'n mawr obeithio y bydd pob Gweinidog yn y dyfodol yn ystyried pwysigrwydd ymateb i adroddiadau pwyllgorau'r Senedd mewn modd amserol, fel y gallwn gael dadleuon cwbl wybodus ar adroddiadau pwyllgorau'r Senedd.
Nawr, lansiodd Pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach, a Materion Gwledig ymgynghoriad ar y rheoliadau, a gynhaliwyd dros haf 2021, ac fe wnaeth ystod eang o randdeiliaid—gan gynnwys pysgotwyr, ffermwyr a sefydliadau amgylcheddol—ymateb i'r ymgynghoriad. Ni fydd yr Aelodau'n synnu clywed bod y rheoliadau'n ddadleuol. Mewn ymateb i'n hymgynghoriad, mae ffermwyr wedi cyfeirio atynt fel rhai didostur a chosbol, ac fe wnaethant fynegi pryderon y byddant yn afresymol o ddrud i'w gweithredu ac y gallant achosi i ffermydd fynd i'r wal.
Ar y llaw arall, cawsom dystiolaeth gan sefydliadau amgylcheddol a physgotwyr a oedd yn croesawu'r rheoliadau, gan ddadlau ei bod yn hen bryd eu cael. Fe wnaethant ddweud wrthym nad yw'r system bresennol yn atal y llygrwyr amaethyddol gwaethaf, a bod gweithredu ar ffurf y rheoliadau hyn yn mynd rywfaint o'r ffordd i leihau'r llygredd yn ein hafonydd. Felly, fel pwyllgor, roeddem yn ymwybodol iawn fod angen i'r rheoliadau daro'r cydbwysedd cywir a'u bod mor effeithiol â phosibl. Pan ddaeth yr adolygiad barnwrol i ben, llwyddodd y pwyllgor i barhau gyda'n hymchwiliad a gosod ein hadroddiad.
Lywydd, mae'n cynnwys 10 argymhelliad, ac am fod yr amser yn gyfyngedig y prynhawn yma, hoffwn ganolbwyntio ar dri maes penodol: cymorth ar gyfer cyflawni, rhanddirymiadau, a phryderon ynghylch ffermio yn ôl y calendr. Yn gyntaf, un o'r materion mwyaf dybryd a godwyd oedd y gost i ffermwyr o gyflawni'r rheoliadau hyn, ac fe'i gwnaed yn eithaf clir i'r pwyllgor y gallai ffermydd fynd i'r wal. Felly, roeddwn yn falch o weld ymrwymiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru i roi £20 miliwn ychwanegol tuag at helpu ffermwyr i gyflawni'r rheoliadau hyn, fel y nodwyd yn y datganiad ysgrifenedig ddaeth gydag ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i adroddiad y pwyllgor. Rwy'n falch hefyd o weld ymrwymiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu dadansoddiad manwl i'r pwyllgor o'r darpariaethau a wneir, gan gynnwys cymorth ariannol uniongyrchol a chyllid ychwanegol i wasanaethau cynghori. Ac wrth ymateb i'r ddadl hon, efallai y gall y Gweinidog gadarnhau pryd y gall y pwyllgor ddisgwyl yr wybodaeth honno.
Yn yr un modd, mae angen cefnogaeth i gyrff cyhoeddus. Mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi amcangyfrif y byddant hwy angen 60 o staff ychwanegol i ddarparu'r isafswm llwyr, ac o bosibl fod angen dros 200 o aelodau staff i ddarparu gorfodaeth lawn mewn perthynas â'r rheoliadau hyn. Wrth gwrs, bydd trefn orfodi dameidiog heb ddigon o adnoddau yn rhoi'r gwaethaf o'r ddau fyd i ni, ac roeddwn yn poeni braidd wrth ddarllen yn ymateb y Llywodraeth nad yw'r cytundeb lefel gwasanaeth ar gyfer y rheoliadau wedi ei gytuno eto gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a Llywodraeth Cymru. Bydd angen amser ar Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i recriwtio a hyfforddi staff ychwanegol, ac felly mae'n hanfodol fod cytundeb lefel gwasanaeth yn cael ei roi ar waith cyn gynted â phosibl. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Gweinidog yn rhoi diweddariad i ni ar ei ddatblygiad ac unrhyw wybodaeth bellach sydd ganddi am ba mor hir y gallai gymryd i Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru fod mewn sefyllfa i allu gorfodi'r rheoliadau hyn.
Lywydd, clywodd y pwyllgor bryderon hefyd ynghylch rhanddirymiadau. Roeddem yn pryderu y byddai tynnu'r rhanddirymiad ar gyfer ffermydd glaswelltir cymwys yn ôl yn rhoi ffermwyr Cymru dan anfantais gystadleuol, ac felly argymhellwyd y byddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn ailgyflwyno'r rhanddirymiad a oedd yn caniatáu i ffermydd glaswelltir cymwys wasgaru hyd at 250 kg yr hectar o nitrogen. Rhybuddiodd undebau ffermio y gallai'r penderfyniad i beidio â chynnwys y rhanddirymiad alw am ddadstocio ar lawer o ffermydd Cymru, gan effeithio ar hyfywedd ffermydd, màs critigol o fewn y gadwyn gyflenwi a chyflogaeth, ac y gallai'r gyfradd is o 170 kg yr hectar arwain at gynhyrchu alltraeth mewn gwledydd sydd â safonau is. Felly, rwy'n falch o weld, yn y datganiad ysgrifenedig i gyd-fynd ag ymateb y Llywodraeth, y bydd ffermydd Cymru yn gallu gwneud cais yn awr am drwydded i wasgaru mwy o nitrogen. Ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Gweinidog yn rhoi sicrwydd i ffermwyr Cymru heddiw na fydd y mesur hwn yn arwain at fiwrocratiaeth bellach iddynt.
Yn olaf, rwyf am sôn am ffermio yn ôl y calendr. Mae Rhan 5 o reoliadau Llywodraeth Cymru'n pennu cyfnodau gwaharddedig, pan fo gwasgaru wedi'i wahardd. Ac er bod eithriadau i rai mathau o ddaliadau a phridd, bydd y cyfnod gwaharddedig yn para o fis Hydref tan fis Ionawr, gyda rhai cyfyngiadau pellach yn para tan ddiwedd mis Chwefror. Clywodd y pwyllgor ddadleuon cryf am bwysigrwydd hyblygrwydd i ffermwyr ar gyfer pryd i wasgaru slyri, ac fe gafodd hynny ei atgyfnerthu i ni mewn gwirionedd yn ystod taith ein pwyllgor i Ganolfan Ymchwil Amaeth Gelli Aur yn sir Gaerfyrddin. Roeddem eisoes wedi clywed pethau mawr am eu gwaith ar brosesu slyri a defnyddio technoleg i benderfynu ar yr amser gorau i wasgaru. Yn ystod yr ymweliad, dangoswyd offer i ni sy'n cefnogi ap y bu'r ganolfan yn ei ddatblygu. Roedd yn gyfuniad trawiadol o orsaf dywydd a synwyryddion sy'n monitro'r amodau, lle mae'r wybodaeth a gesglir yn cael ei bwydo i mewn i ap sy'n prosesu'r data ac yn rhoi statws coch, oren neu wyrdd i ffermwyr ar gyfer gwasgaru slyri. Cawsom wybod bod y system wedi ei phrofi yn ystod cyfnod gwaharddedig 2021-22, a'r canfyddiadau oedd bod yr ap yn dangos statws gwyrdd ar gyfer gwasgaru trwy fis Chwefror a mis Mawrth, sy'n golygu bod y tywydd a'r amodau tir yn iawn ar gyfer gwasgaru slyri. Fodd bynnag, bron cyn gynted ag y daeth y cyfnod gwaharddedig i ben, fe wnaeth yr ap ddynodi bod yr amodau'n goch, gan nodi nad oeddent yn addas ar gyfer gwasgaru slyri. Wrth gwrs, rydym i gyd yn ymwybodol iawn o ba mor anrhagweladwy y gall y tywydd fod, felly mae'n hanfodol fod ffermwyr yn cael newid i system a gefnogir gan dechnoleg yn seiliedig ar y byd go iawn, amodau byw, nid system galendr sy'n seiliedig ar gyfartaledd tymhorol, a hynny cyn gynted â phosibl.
Argymhellodd y pwyllgor y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru flaenoriaethu unrhyw argymhellion amgen addas sy'n defnyddio technoleg yn hytrach na chyfnodau gwaharddedig ar gyfer gwasgaru slyri ac er fy mod yn croesawu'r ffordd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn agored i awgrymiadau newydd, rwy'n siomedig fod eu hymateb yn rhoi'r baich cyfrifoldeb ar y gymuned ffermio yn hytrach na bod y Llywodraeth yn mynd ati'n rhagweithiol i fynd ar drywydd dewisiadau technolegol eraill yn lle ffermio yn ôl y calendr. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio y gwnaiff y Gweinidog roi ystyriaeth bellach i hyn.
Lywydd, mae adroddiad y pwyllgor yn cwmpasu popeth o ddata ansawdd dŵr i orfodaeth ac ymgorffori'r rheoliadau mewn safonau gofynnol cenedlaethol, ac rwy'n annog pob Aelod yn y Siambr i ddarllen ein hadroddiad. Rydym wedi gofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru adolygu effeithiolrwydd mesurau technolegol amgen, i fod yn gwbl dryloyw ynghylch y cymorth cyllido sydd ar gael i ffermwyr, ac i ddarparu sicrwydd bod yna adnoddau ac arweiniad digonol i Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru allu monitro a gorfodi'r rheoliadau hyn. Fel pwyllgor, rydym yn bwriadu parhau i adolygu'r rheoliadau hyn yn y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd nesaf i sicrhau eu heffeithiolrwydd, ac felly, ar y nodyn hwnnw, Lywydd, edrychaf ymlaen at gyfraniadau'r Aelodau yn y ddadl hon. Diolch.
I welcome the opportunity to speak in this afternoon's debate. The Welsh Government's NVZ policy, the topic of this report, has been a flagship yet controversial policy of this and former Welsh Governments. Therefore, it was only right that this Senedd tasked the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee to urgently review these regulations. I know that the Minister has been keen to stress that these aren't NVZs, but with Parts 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 of the water resources regulations word for word the same as that of an NVZ policy, then I'm afraid to say that if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it is indeed a duck.
Focusing on the report itself, I was disappointed to see the Welsh Government reject recommendation 1 of this paper, that
'The Welsh Government should re-introduce the derogation which allowed qualifying grassland farms to spread up to 250 kg/ha of nitrogen.'
Now, I appreciate that this was rejected on the basis that last week's joint statement with Plaid Cymru, as your co-operation partner, superseded recommendation 1, however, the content of that statement does leave the industry and me with several concerns. Despite the narrative that was pushed out, the statement did not offer our agricultural community any change in policy, unlike what recommendation 1 would have delivered. And, once again, the consultation announced on a possible licensing scheme will see the same evidence submitted and the same arguments discussed, so I really hope we don't see the same old outcome delivered. Because nothing, in terms of derogation, has been guaranteed, and let's not forget that a lower derogation limit puts Welsh farmers at a competitive disadvantage against other farmers across the UK, as committee Chair, Paul Davies, outlined earlier.
I also note with interest that the Welsh Government accepted recommendation 3 of the report, that
'The Minister should set out to the Committee her considerations of the impact these Regulations may have on the planning system'.
Despite accepting the proposal, the Welsh Government's response failed to recognise the fact that large numbers of planning applications will have to be submitted and processed in order for farms to meet the Welsh Government's regulations. Indeed, whilst it's the Welsh Government's view that the infrastructure requirements of the regulations do not significantly differ from pre-existing regulatory baselines, your response, Minister, fails to acknowledge that small-scale family farms do not have the existing infrastructure in place to adhere to these regulations. In return, this will mean that new planning applications will have to be submitted for infrastructure, with the potential for these applications to swamp local authorities, many of which already have planning departments under immense stress. Having read your response, I am not confident that you are fully aware of the impact and the way in which these applications will impede local authorities.
And finally, taking me to recommendation 6, I was disappointed to learn that you have not accepted this proposal in full. The purpose of this recommendation was to illustrate the pressure that a bovine TB breakdown will cause on adhering to your regulations. There has been no clarification as to whether farms with herd breakdowns will be permitted to exceed the 170 kg per hectare nitrate limit. In these circumstances, farms under TB restrictions that are unable to move on cattle could see their stock numbers substantially increase, yet there is no explanation as to whether there has been consideration of this with these regulations. By adhering to TB regulations, by following the letter of the law on cattle movements when on a breakdown, farmers could be inadvertently contravening the water regulations. This can't be an oversight, so I seek some clarity that these farms won't be unfairly punished.
I remember being a young newspaper reporter, many years ago, discussing whether an all-Pembrokeshire or an all-Wales NVZ would be rolled out. Now, some six or seven years later, we are still discussing and debating the finer details of this policy. I hope you reconsider and accept all 10 recommendations submitted by the committee, implementing them in their fullest form. I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank our committee Chair, Paul Davies, all those who gave evidence and the clerking staff. Diolch, Llywydd.
Rwy'n croesawu'r cyfle i siarad yn y ddadl y prynhawn yma. Mae polisi parth perygl nitradau Llywodraeth Cymru, pwnc yr adroddiad hwn, wedi bod yn bolisi blaenllaw ond dadleuol gan y Llywodraeth hon a Llywodraethau blaenorol yng Nghymru. Felly, nid oedd ond yn iawn i'r Senedd ofyn i'r Pwyllgor Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig adolygu'r rheoliadau hyn ar frys. Gwn fod y Gweinidog wedi bod yn awyddus i bwysleisio nad parthau perygl nitradau yw'r rhain, ond gyda Rhannau 2, 3, 4, 5 a 7 o'r rheoliadau adnoddau dŵr yr un fath air am air â pholisi parth perygl nitradau, mae arnaf ofn, os yw'n edrych fel hwyaden ac yn cwacian fel hwyaden, yna hwyaden yw hi.
Gan ganolbwyntio ar yr adroddiad ei hun, cefais fy siomi wrth weld Llywodraeth Cymru'n gwrthod argymhelliad 1 yn y papur hwn,
'Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru ailgyflwyno’r rhanddirymiad a oedd yn caniatáu i
ffermydd glaswelltir cymwys daenu hyd at 250 kg/ha o nitrogen.'
Nawr, rwy'n sylweddoli fod hwn wedi ei wrthod ar y sail fod datganiad ar y cyd yr wythnos diwethaf gyda Phlaid Cymru, fel eich partner cydweithio, wedi disodli argymhelliad 1, ond mae cynnwys y datganiad hwnnw'n creu sawl pryder i'r diwydiant ac i minnau. Er gwaethaf y naratif a gafodd ei hyrwyddo, nid oedd y datganiad yn cynnig unrhyw newid polisi i'n cymuned amaethyddol, yn wahanol i'r hyn y byddai argymhelliad 1 wedi'i gyflawni. Ac unwaith eto, bydd yr ymgynghoriad a gyhoeddwyd ar gynllun trwyddedu posibl yn gweld yr un dystiolaeth yn cael ei chyflwyno a'r un dadleuon yn cael eu trafod, felly rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr na welwn yr un hen ganlyniad yn cael ei gyflawni. Oherwydd nid oes dim wedi'i warantu o ran rhanddirymiad, a gadewch inni beidio ag anghofio bod terfyn rhanddirymiad is yn rhoi ffermwyr Cymru dan anfantais gystadleuol yn erbyn ffermwyr eraill ar draws y DU, fel y disgrifiodd Cadeirydd y pwyllgor, Paul Davies, yn gynharach.
Nodaf hefyd gyda diddordeb fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn argymhelliad 3 o'r adroddiad,
'Dylai’r Gweinidog amlinellu i’r Pwyllgor ei hystyriaethau o’r effaith y gallai’r
Rheoliadau hyn ei chael ar y system gynllunio'.
Er iddi dderbyn yr argymhelliad, fe fethodd ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru gydnabod y ffaith y bydd yn rhaid cyflwyno a phrosesu nifer fawr o geisiadau cynllunio er mwyn i ffermydd fodloni rheoliadau Llywodraeth Cymru. Yn wir, er mai barn Llywodraeth Cymru yw nad yw gofynion seilwaith y rheoliadau'n wahanol iawn i linellau sylfaen rheoleiddiol sy'n bodoli eisoes, nid yw eich ymateb chi, Weinidog, yn cydnabod nad oes gan ffermydd teuluol ar raddfa fach seilwaith yn ei le ar hyn o bryd er mwyn cadw at y rheoliadau hyn. O'r herwydd, bydd hyn yn golygu y bydd yn rhaid cyflwyno ceisiadau cynllunio newydd ar gyfer seilwaith, gyda'r perygl y bydd y ceisiadau hyn yn boddi awdurdodau lleol mewn gwaith, gydag adrannau cynllunio nifer ohonynt eisoes o dan straen aruthrol. Ar ôl darllen eich ymateb, nid wyf yn hyderus eich bod yn gwbl ymwybodol o'r effaith a'r ffordd y bydd y ceisiadau hyn yn llyffetheirio awdurdodau lleol.
Ac yn olaf, os caf droi at argymhelliad 6, cefais fy siomi o glywed nad ydych wedi derbyn yr argymhelliad hwn yn llawn. Pwrpas yr argymhelliad oedd dangos y pwysau y bydd achos TB mewn gwartheg yn ei achosi wrth lynu wrth eich rheoliadau. Ni chafwyd eglurhad ynglŷn ag a fydd ffermydd gydag achosion o TB yn eu buchesi yn cael mynd y tu hwnt i'r terfyn nitrad o 170 kg yr hectar. Dan yr amgylchiadau hyn, gallai ffermydd o dan gyfyngiadau TB nad ydynt yn gallu symud gwartheg weld nifer eu stoc yn cynyddu'n sylweddol, ond eto nid oes eglurhad ynglŷn ag a fu ystyriaeth o hyn gyda'r rheoliadau hyn. Drwy gadw at reoliadau TB, drwy ddilyn llythyren y gyfraith ar symudiadau gwartheg pan geir achos o TB, gallai ffermwyr dorri'r rheoliadau dŵr yn anfwriadol. Ni all hyn fod yn amryfusedd, felly rwy'n ceisio eglurder na fydd y ffermydd hyn yn cael eu cosbi'n annheg.
Rwy'n cofio bod yn ohebydd papur newydd ifanc, flynyddoedd maith yn ôl, yn trafod a fyddai parth perygl nitradau'n cael ei gyflwyno drwy sir Benfro neu drwy Gymru gyfan. Nawr, oddeutu chwech neu saith mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, rydym yn dal i drafod a dadlau manylion y polisi hwn. Gobeithio y gwnewch chi ailystyried a derbyn pob un o'r 10 argymhelliad a gyflwynwyd gan y pwyllgor, gan eu gweithredu'n llawn. Hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hefyd i ddiolch i Gadeirydd ein pwyllgor, Paul Davies, pawb a roddodd dystiolaeth a'r staff clercio. Diolch, Lywydd.
Diolch i'r pwyllgor, y Cadeirydd a'r holl staff, fel y dywedodd Sam Kurtz, am eu gwaith trylwyr iawn yn gwneud yr ymchwil yma. Mae'n rhaid dechrau drwy gydnabod ein bod ni yn gweld llawer gormod o achosion o lygredd dŵr yn ein dyfroedd, ac mae’n rhaid i bawb gymryd cyfrifoldeb a chwarae eu rhan—y ffermwyr, ie, ond hefyd y cwmnïau dŵr, cwmnïau adeiladu a phawb arall. Ond, mae’n rhaid i ni hefyd gydnabod rôl y diwydiant amaethyddol yn ein cymunedau gwledig, o ran ei gyfraniad gwerthfawr i’r economi leol, ei gyfraniad amhrisiadwy i ddiwylliant a chymuned, heb sôn wrth gwrs am ei rôl ganolog, sef cynhyrchu bwyd maethlon o ansawdd.
Mae’r argymhelliad cyntaf un, ynghylch y derogation, yn mynd at galon y broblem. Fel y dywed yr undebau amaethyddol yn eu cyfraniad, byddai'r rheoliadau newydd wedi arwain at y rhan fwyaf o ffermwyr gwartheg Cymru yn gorfod stocio llai, gan effeithio ar eu hyfywedd, yn ogystal â hyfywedd busnesau eraill, megis ffatrïoedd llaeth, ac yn y blaen.
Yn yr adroddiad, rydym ni’n gweld Aled Jones o'r NFU a’r FUW yn rhybuddio y byddai’r rheoliadau newydd, fel ag yr oedden nhw, yn hynod o niweidiol, yn enwedig i ffermydd bach ucheldir Cymru. Heb air o gelwydd, roeddwn i yn gweld ffermwyr yn fy etholaeth i yn dweud eu bod nhw am gael gwared ar wartheg yn llwyr o’r ucheldiroedd. I rai, roedd hynny am olygu eu bod nhw yn mynd allan o ffermio yn gyfan gwbl, i eraill roedd yn golygu eu bod nhw am stocio mwy o ddefaid ar y mynydd. Rŵan, yr eironi wrth gwrs efo hynny ydy y byddai tynnu gwartheg i ffwrdd o’r ucheldir a rhoi defaid yn eu lle yn arwain at fwy o niwed bioamrywiaeth. Mae’r RSPB a chyrff eraill yn dadlau bod angen gwartheg i bori ein hucheldiroedd, ac mae hyn yn cael ei nodi yn yr adroddiad.
Ond yn ogystal â hyn, byddai gorfodi y newid yma mor sydyn yn gwneud yr un peth i’n cymunedau amaethyddol ag y gwnaeth Margaret Thatcher i’n cymunedau glofaol, sef creu niwed parhaol, a hynny dros nos. Dyna pam fod y cyhoeddiad diweddar rhwng Plaid Cymru a’r Llywodraeth ynghylch oedi cyflwyno y cam nesaf ac edrych i gyflwyno system drwyddedi i ffermwyr, er mwyn iddyn nhw fedru lledaenu hyd at 250 kg o nitrogen ar eu tir, i’w groesawu. Nid yn unig y bydd yn sicrhau parhad asgwrn cefn ein cymunedau gwledig a phob dim sydd ynghlwm â hynny, yn economaidd ac yn ddiwylliannol, ond bydd hefyd o fudd sylweddol i fioamrywiaeth yng Nghymru, ac mae hynny i’w groesawu yn gynnes.
Mae’r adroddiad yn ei gwneud yn glir bod y costau o adeiladu yr isadeiledd angenrheidiol yn anferthol, ac yn cynyddu, ac mae’r ail argymhelliad yn ei gwneud yn glir bod angen tryloywder ynghylch pa gefnogaeth sydd ar gael i ffermwyr. Mae’n amlwg nad oedd y swm a ddynodwyd yn wreiddiol yn ddigon o bell ffordd, fel roedd tystiolaeth Gareth Hughes o’r FUW yn nodi. Felly, mae’n dda o beth gweld bod y Llywodraeth, yn y cytundeb efo Plaid Cymru, wedi sicrhau £20 miliwn yn ychwanegol er mwyn ceisio sicrhau bod gan ffermwyr yr isadeiledd ac adnoddau angenrheidiol. A fydd o’n ddigon? Hwyrach ddim, ond mae’n llawer iawn gwell na’r sefyllfa roeddem ni ynddi ynghynt.
Yn olaf, mae’r adroddiad yn cyfeirio at yr angen i ffermwyr adeiladu neu wella storfeydd slyri. Rŵan, unwaith eto, dowch i Ddwyfor Meirionnydd ac fe wnaf i eich cyflwyno chi i ffermwyr oedd yn trio am ganiatâd cynllunio i adeiladu storfeydd slyri newydd, ond oedd yn cael trafferthion cael caniatâd cynllunio. Mae’n hawdd iawn dweud ar bapur fod angen gwneud hyn, llall ac arall, ond mae’n fater gwahanol iawn gweithredu'r uchelgeisiau hynny yn y byd go iawn. Felly, wrth ystyried argymhelliad 3, mae’n dda gweld bod y Llywodraeth, yn eu cytundeb efo Plaid Cymru, am sicrhau dwy flynedd yn ychwanegol, yr amser yna i alluogi y gwaith yma i fynd rhagddo, a sicrhau y just transition hwnnw sydd angen ar ffermwyr. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Thank you to the committee, the Chair and all of the staff, as Sam Kurtz said, for their very thorough work on this inquiry. We must begin by acknowledging that we see far too many cases of water pollution in our waterways, and everyone must take responsibility and play their part—the farmers, yes, but also the water companies, construction companies, and everyone else. But, we must also recognise the role of the agricultural industry in our rural communities, in terms of its valuable contribution to our local economy, its invaluable contribution to culture and community, not to mention its central role, namely producing high-quality, nutritious food.
The first recommendation regarding the derogation goes to the heart of the problem. As the agricultural unions state in their response, the new regulations would have led to the majority of cattle farmers in Wales having to stock fewer cattle, impacting their viability, as well as the viability of related businesses, such as dairy factories and so on.
In the report, we see Aled Jones of the NFU as well as the FUW warning that the new regulations, as they stood, would be hugely damaging, particularly to the small upland farms of Wales. No word of a lie, I saw farmers in my constituency who were telling me that they would be getting rid of all of their cattle from the uplands. For some, this would mean that they would have to give up farming entirely, and for others, it meant stocking more sheep on the hills. Now, the irony with that, of course, is that removing cattle from the uplands and replacing them with sheep would lead to more damage in terms of biodiversity. The RSPB and other bodies argue that cattle are needed to graze our uplands, and this is noted in the report.
But in addition to this, forcing such a change so quickly would do the same to our agricultural communities as Margaret Thatcher did to our mining communities, which is to cause lasting damage almost overnight. That is why the recent joint statement between Plaid Cymru and the Government with regard to pausing the introduction of the next phase and considering the introduction of a licensing system for farmers, to enable them to spread up to 250 kg of nitrogen on their land, is to be warmly welcomed. Not only will this ensure the continuity of the backbone of our rural communities and everything associated with that, economically and culturally, but it will be of significant benefit to biodiversity in Wales, and that is very much to be welcomed too.
The report makes clear that the costs of building the necessary infrastructure are huge, and increasing, and the second recommendation makes it clear that transparency is needed regarding what support is available to farmers. It is clear that the amount initially allocated was nowhere near sufficient, as the evidence given by Gareth Hughes from the FUW noted. It is, therefore, good to see that the Government, in its agreement with Plaid Cymru, has secured an additional £20 million to try to ensure that farmers have the necessary infrastructure and resources. Will this be enough? Perhaps not, but it is much better than what was previously on offer in the previous situation.
Finally, the report refers to the need for farmers to construct or enhance their slurry storage. Now, once again, come to Dwyfor Meirionnydd and I’ll introduce you to farmers who sought planning permission to build new slurry storage facilities, but who found it difficult to obtain planning consent. It is very easy to state on paper that this, that or the other should be done, but it's a very different matter to act on those ambitions in the real world. So, in considering recommendation 3, it is good to see that the Government, again in its agreement with Plaid Cymru, will allow an additional two years to enable this work to progress, and to ensure the just transition that farmers need. Thank you very much.
I live in my constituency, in Caerphilly, and we have a concentrated area of farms, and around those farms are many houses, and you can imagine that constituents are very concerned about how slurry is dealt with and how these issues are regulated—perhaps more so in farms that are more isolated and less close to communities. Therefore, I think the regulations have been broadly welcomed by residents in Caerphilly, if not by all farms, and I think that's reflected in some of the comments that have been made by Mabon ap Gwynfor and by Sam Kurtz. And of course, it's reasonable to say that one size doesn't fit all, which was the direction of the report that's been produced.
I've got to disagree with the Chair on one point: he said that he was concerned that the Government took time to respond to the committee report. Well, actually, given the importance of these regulations and the importance of the issue to the Senedd as a whole, I think getting these right, getting the response right, and carrying two thirds of the Senedd with us when it comes to the implementation of the regulations is important, and I think that was what was managed in the days leading up to the Government's response. I think, therefore, you can see now that the Government's response should have—I would be surprised if it didn't have—a two-thirds majority of support in the Senedd, despite some of the concerns still expressed by the Conservatives who have spoken so far.
And I'd also say with regard to the regulations, these regulations have been subject to a quadruple set of scrutiny, more than many other regulations we see, so they've seen a Senedd debate, they've seen the committee inquiry, they've seen a judicial review, and the debate today. Those four things have scrutinised these regulations, plus many questions that I and many others have raised in the Chamber throughout the course of the last few years. So, there is certainly a case to be made that the Government have allowed a great deal of scrutiny of these regulations. I would say they've listened. I would say they've listened particularly with regard to recommendation 1, and as Sam Kurtz recognised, recommendation 1 is subject to the agreement now between Plaid Cymru and the Government, and I think that effectively addresses some of those concerns. I think what we're seeing today is a listening Government that is listening to the residents in my constituency who are concerned about agricultural pollution, but also to those farmers who have concerns about the impacts. The money that is now being put towards that, plus the additional consultation, demonstrate that this Government have effectively listened without reducing their commitment to controlling nitrogen pollution.
So, I'd welcome the Government's response on the whole, and I'm glad I was able to take part in the inquiry, because it certainly showed all aspects of this process to me. I would say to the Minister now that she has done a good job in ensuring that we can make progress and protect our environments, our rural environments, from nitrogen pollution.
Rwy'n byw yn fy etholaeth, yng Nghaerffili, ac mae gennym ardal sydd â chrynodiad o ffermydd, ac o amgylch y ffermydd hynny ceir llawer o dai, a gallwch ddychmygu bod etholwyr yn poeni'n fawr ynglŷn â sut yr ymdrinnir â slyri a sut y caiff y materion hyn eu rheoleiddio—efallai'n fwy felly nag mewn ffermydd sy'n fwy ynysig ac yn llai agos at gymunedau. Felly, rwy'n credu bod y rheoliadau wedi cael eu croesawu'n gyffredinol gan drigolion Caerffili, os nad gan bob fferm, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny wedi cael ei adlewyrchu yn rhai o'r sylwadau a wnaed gan Mabon ap Gwynfor a Sam Kurtz. Ac wrth gwrs, mae'n rhesymol dweud na cheir un ateb sy'n mynd i fod yn addas ym mhob achos, sef cyfeiriad yr adroddiad a gynhyrchwyd.
Mae'n rhaid i mi anghytuno gyda'r Cadeirydd ar un pwynt: dywedodd ei fod yn pryderu bod y Llywodraeth wedi cymryd amser i ymateb i adroddiad y pwyllgor. Wel, mewn gwirionedd, o ystyried pwysigrwydd y rheoliadau hyn a phwysigrwydd y mater i'r Senedd gyfan, rwy'n credu bod cael y rhain yn iawn, cael yr ymateb yn iawn, a chario dwy ran o dair o'r Senedd gyda ni pan ddaw'n fater o weithredu'r rheoliadau yn bwysig, a chredaf mai dyna lwyddwyd i'w wneud yn y dyddiau cyn ymateb y Llywodraeth. Rwy'n credu, felly, y gallwch weld yn awr y dylai ymateb y Llywodraeth ennyn—byddwn yn synnu pe na bai wedi ennyn—mwyafrif o ddwy ran o dair o gefnogaeth yn y Senedd, er gwaethaf rhai o'r pryderon sy'n dal i gael eu mynegi gan y Ceidwadwyr a siaradodd hyd yma.
A byddwn yn dweud hefyd o ran y rheoliadau, mae'r rheoliadau hyn wedi bod yn destun pedair rownd o graffu, mwy na llawer o reoliadau eraill a welwn, felly maent wedi bod yn destun dadl yn y Senedd, yn destun ymchwiliad y pwyllgor, yn destun adolygiad barnwrol, a'r ddadl heddiw. Mae'r pedwar peth wedi craffu ar y rheoliadau hyn, ynghyd â llawer o gwestiynau a ofynnwyd gennyf fi a llawer o rai eraill yn y Siambr dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Felly, yn sicr mae achos i'w wneud bod y Llywodraeth wedi caniatáu llawer iawn o graffu ar y rheoliadau hyn. Byddwn yn dweud eu bod wedi gwrando. Byddwn yn dweud eu bod wedi gwrando'n enwedig ar argymhelliad 1, ac fel y cydnabu Sam Kurtz, mae argymhelliad 1 yn ddarostyngedig i'r cytundeb rhwng Plaid Cymru a'r Llywodraeth yn awr, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n mynd i'r afael â rhai o'r pryderon hynny'n effeithiol. Rwy'n credu mai'r hyn a welwn heddiw yw Llywodraeth sy'n gwrando ar y trigolion yn fy etholaeth sy'n poeni am lygredd amaethyddol, ond hefyd ar y ffermwyr sydd â phryderon am yr effeithiau. Mae'r arian sydd bellach yn cael ei roi tuag at hynny, ynghyd â'r ymgynghoriad ychwanegol, yn dangos bod y Llywodraeth hon wedi gwrando'n effeithiol heb leihau eu hymrwymiad i reoli llygredd nitrogen.
Felly, byddwn yn croesawu ymateb y Llywodraeth ar y cyfan, ac rwy'n falch fy mod i wedi gallu cymryd rhan yn yr ymchwiliad, oherwydd yn sicr fe ddangosodd bob agwedd ar y broses i mi. Byddwn yn dweud wrth y Gweinidog yn awr ei bod wedi gwneud gwaith da yn sicrhau y gallwn wneud cynnydd a diogelu ein hamgylcheddau, ein hamgylcheddau gwledig, rhag llygredd nitrogen.
Gaf i ymestyn diolch i'r pwyllgor hefyd ac i Gadeirydd y pwyllgor?
May I thank the committee and the committee Chair?
A huge amount of work has been done by the committee, for which we're very grateful, to make the case for a more proportionate response to what is a really serious issue. I haven't spoken to any farmer who doesn't recognise that the water quality needs to be better. Everybody wants to work together on this, a team Wales approach.
I have written to the First Minister to ask for an economic impact assessment. I did this in August, recognising that increased costs form part of farmers' concerns around the future. I'm concerned that the unintended consequences of these regulations will be felt far beyond the individual farm gate, because not enough attention has been paid to the wider impact on our rural communities, or implications for pre- and post-farm-gate supply chains. I was reminded only today that the proposed 170 kg derogation limit would result in a destocking of dairy cattle at 17 per cent—a loss to us of some 330 million litres of milk production. We really do need to work together to ensure that the four-year review period, included in the regulations, looks not just at the impact of the regulations on reducing agricultural pollution, but at the impact of the regulations on the industry itself.
My first question, if I may, Minister, is to understand a little bit more about the proposed licensing scheme and how that sits in relation to recommendation 1 of the report. I have questions, for example, as to how many farm businesses can expect to benefit. Will there be any learning to inform potential changes to the regulations? What are the parameters of that consultation to ensure it's fair, balanced and evidence led, and what are the successful criteria for that consultation? Farmers have repeatedly said that a delay alone is just a sticking plaster, so we do need clarity for farmers around what this licensing scheme actually entails in the long term.
I'd like to also focus on recommendation 2, and the costs of introducing these regulations. The funding package to date falls far below what the Government's own figures are for the upfront cost of around £360 million. The FUW have estimated that the cost could actually be in the region of £450 million, which is a huge difference. The additional £20 million last week can't be put into context without being provided with full detail of financial support to date, and, in the face of ever-growing cost pressures on our farmers, it does sound like a drop in the ocean.
The new technology, as highlighted by Paul Davies, is really interesting, and I am concerned that the new technology coming forward could actually negate the need for new slurry stores to be built. Some farmers will have forked out huge sums only to find that the expenditure wasn't needed, putting huge additional cost pressures on farms. So, there needs to be some alignment between the proposed licensing scheme, the four-year review period and the introduction of alternative measures. To be provocative, my question would be: why can't we wait until the new technology comes into play and see the effect that that has?
We do really need clarity around what additional resources are needed, for example, from NRW, highlighted by the Chair and by others as well. Without that effective regulatory role, these regulations simply punish farmers. Also, I pick up the point from my colleague Mabon ap Gwynfor around the capacity of local authority planning departments. They are massively overstretched. In Ceredigion, I understand that there is one planning officer who is dealing with all of the farmers who are putting in applications for slurry stores at the moment.
We need a team Wales approach. In the light of the announcement made by the Government and Plaid Cymru last week, I'd welcome clarity on whether the deadline for alternative proposals will be extended, and whether the Welsh Government will now revisit the alternative proposals put forward by the sector. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Mae'r pwyllgor wedi gwneud llawer iawn o waith, ac rydym yn ddiolchgar iawn amdano, gwaith sy'n dadlau'r achos dros ymateb mwy cymesur i fater gwirioneddol ddifrifol. Nid wyf wedi siarad ag unrhyw ffermwr nad yw'n cydnabod bod angen i ansawdd dŵr fod yn well. Mae pawb eisiau cydweithio ar hyn, dull tîm Cymru o weithredu.
Rwyf wedi ysgrifennu at Brif Weinidog Cymru i ofyn am asesiad o'r effaith economaidd. Fe wneuthum hynny ym mis Awst, gan gydnabod bod costau uwch yn rhan o bryder ffermwyr ynglŷn â'r dyfodol. Rwy'n pryderu y bydd canlyniadau anfwriadol y rheoliadau hyn i'w teimlo ymhell y tu hwnt i giât y fferm unigol, oherwydd ni roddwyd digon o sylw i'r effaith ehangach ar ein cymunedau gwledig, na goblygiadau i gadwyni cyflenwi cyn ac ar ôl giât y fferm. Cefais fy atgoffa heddiw ddiwethaf y byddai'r terfyn rhanddirymiad 170 kg arfaethedig yn arwain at gyfradd ddadstocio gwartheg llaeth o 17 y cant—colled i ni o oddeutu 330 miliwn litr o gynhyrchiant llaeth. Mae gwir angen inni weithio gyda'n gilydd i sicrhau bod y cyfnod adolygu pedair blynedd, sydd wedi'i gynnwys yn y rheoliadau, yn edrych nid yn unig ar effaith y rheoliadau ar leihau llygredd amaethyddol, ond ar effaith y rheoliadau ar y diwydiant ei hun.
Fy nghwestiwn cyntaf, os caf, Weinidog, yw deall ychydig mwy am y cynllun trwyddedu arfaethedig a sut y mae hynny'n cyd-fynd ag argymhelliad 1 yn yr adroddiad. Mae gennyf gwestiynau, er enghraifft, ynglŷn â faint o fusnesau fferm a all ddisgwyl elwa. A fydd unrhyw wersi i'w dysgu i lywio newidiadau posibl i'r rheoliadau? Beth yw paramedrau'r ymgynghoriad i sicrhau ei fod yn deg, yn gytbwys ac yn cael ei arwain gan dystiolaeth, a beth yw'r meini prawf llwyddiant ar gyfer yr ymgynghoriad? Mae ffermwyr wedi dweud dro ar ôl tro mai dim ond ateb dros dro yw gohirio'n unig, felly mae angen eglurder i ffermwyr ynglŷn â beth y mae'r cynllun trwyddedu yn ei olygu'n hirdymor mewn gwirionedd.
Hoffwn hefyd ganolbwyntio ar argymhelliad 2, a chostau cyflwyno'r rheoliadau hyn. Mae'r pecyn cyllido hyd yma yn llawer is na'r hyn yw ffigyrau'r Llywodraeth ei hun ar gyfer y gost ymlaen llaw o tua £360 miliwn. Mae'r FUW wedi amcangyfrif y gallai'r gost fod tua £450 miliwn mewn gwirionedd, sy'n wahaniaeth enfawr. Ni ellir rhoi'r £20 miliwn ychwanegol yr wythnos diwethaf yn ei gyd-destun heb gael manylion llawn am gymorth ariannol hyd yma, ac yn wyneb pwysau costau sy'n cynyddu'n barhaus i'n ffermwyr, mae'n swnio fel diferyn bach yn y môr.
Fel y nododd Paul Davies, mae'r dechnoleg newydd yn ddiddorol iawn, ac rwy'n pryderu y gallai'r dechnoleg newydd sy'n datblygu negyddu'r angen i adeiladu storfeydd slyri newydd. Bydd rhai ffermwyr wedi gwario symiau enfawr o arian a chanfod wedyn nad oedd angen y gwariant, gan roi pwysau costau ychwanegol enfawr ar ffermydd. Felly, mae angen cysoni rhwng y cynllun trwyddedu arfaethedig, y cyfnod adolygu pedair blynedd a chyflwyno mesurau amgen. I fod yn bryfoclyd, fy nghwestiwn fyddai: pam na chawn ni aros nes bod y dechnoleg newydd yn dod yn weithredol a gweld pa effaith a gaiff?
Mae gwir angen eglurder ynghylch pa adnoddau ychwanegol sydd eu hangen, gan CNC er enghraifft, fel y nododd y Cadeirydd a chan eraill hefyd. Heb y rôl reoleiddio effeithiol honno, cosbi ffermwyr yn unig y mae'r rheoliadau hyn. Hefyd, rwy'n nodi'r pwynt gan fy nghyd-Aelod Mabon ap Gwynfor ynghylch capasiti adrannau cynllunio awdurdodau lleol. Maent dan bwysau aruthrol. Yng Ngheredigion, rwy'n deall mai un swyddog cynllunio sy'n ymdrin â'r holl ffermwyr sy'n gwneud ceisiadau ar gyfer storfeydd slyri ar hyn o bryd.
Mae angen dull tîm Cymru o weithredu. Yng ngoleuni'r cyhoeddiad a wnaed gan y Llywodraeth a Phlaid Cymru yr wythnos diwethaf, byddwn yn croesawu eglurder ynglŷn ag a fydd y dyddiad cau ar gyfer cynigion amgen yn cael ei ymestyn, ac a fydd Llywodraeth Cymru'n ailedrych yn awr ar y cynigion amgen a gyflwynwyd gan y sector. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Can I start by commending the committee for a fabulous report? But it is a shame that we ever got to having to have this report. I've just listened to Jane Dodds from the Liberal Democrats preach how bad this is for farmers, but if her party had stepped up in the last term of the Senedd and supported farmers, like Plaid Cymru and us on the Conservative benches did, we would never, ever be in this situation. So, I find some of her comments quite hypocritical.
What I do want to talk about to the Minister—and we do welcome some of the announcements that you have made—is around the additional £20 million, and on recommendation 3 about the pressure this is going to put on our planning authorities. I do not believe, and nor do the industry, that this additional £20 million is going to help farmers to cope with these regulations when they come in, with the infrastructure costs, and everything associated with that. I've got a number of friends who are farmers, who say that some of the money that you're making available won't even put the concrete in the ground to allow this to happen.
What I'd like to hear from the Minister—. Yes, additional money is welcomed, but we're going to have to see more investment, because if you're asking farmers yet again to fork out more and more money, it's going to make farm businesses unviable and unsustainable, going forward. I'm sure we don't want to see these regulations driving our farmers from the land, from producing food to keep our public fed and watered. Because if we see our farmers leaving, our rural communities right across our country are going to die. I know that's not something that I want to see, and my colleagues don't want to see here. So, additional funding is welcomed, and I do hope that you put more money available to support the recommendations that you've put forward. Thank you.
A gaf fi ddechrau drwy ganmol y pwyllgor am adroddiad gwych? Ond mae'n drueni inni gyrraedd sefyllfa lle bu'n rhaid cael yr adroddiad hwn. Rwyf newydd wrando ar Jane Dodds o’r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol yn pregethu pa mor ddrwg yw hyn i ffermwyr, ond pe bai ei phlaid wedi camu i’r adwy yn nhymor y Senedd ddiwethaf a chefnogi ffermwyr, fel y gwnaeth Plaid Cymru a ninnau ar feinciau’r Ceidwadwyr, ni fyddem byth yn y sefyllfa hon. Felly, credaf fod rhai o’i sylwadau braidd yn rhagrithiol.
Yr hyn yr hoffwn ei drafod gyda'r Gweinidog—ac rydym yn croesawu rhai o’r cyhoeddiadau a wnaed gennych—yw'r £20 miliwn ychwanegol, ac argymhelliad 3, sy'n ymwneud â'r pwysau y bydd hyn yn ei roi ar ein hawdurdodau cynllunio. Ni chredaf, ac nid yw'r diwydiant yn credu ychwaith, fod yr £20 miliwn ychwanegol hwn yn mynd i helpu ffermwyr i ymdopi â’r rheoliadau hyn pan fyddant ar waith, gyda’r costau seilwaith, a phopeth sy’n gysylltiedig â hynny. Mae gennyf nifer o ffrindiau sy'n ffermwyr ac sy'n dweud na fydd rhywfaint o'r arian yr ydych yn ei ddarparu hyd yn oed yn rhoi'r concrit yn y ddaear i ganiatáu i hyn ddigwydd.
Yr hyn yr hoffwn ei glywed gan y Gweinidog—. Ydy, mae arian ychwanegol i’w groesawu, ond rydym yn mynd i orfod gweld mwy o fuddsoddiad, oherwydd os ydych yn gofyn i ffermwyr dalu mwy a mwy o arian eto fyth, mae hynny’n mynd i wneud busnesau fferm yn anhyfyw ac yn anghynaliadwy yn y dyfodol. Rwy’n siŵr nad ydym am weld y rheoliadau hyn yn gyrru ein ffermwyr oddi ar y tir, ac yn eu hatal rhag cynhyrchu bwyd a diod ar gyfer ein cyhoedd. Oherwydd os bydd ein ffermwyr yn rhoi'r gorau iddi, mae ein cymunedau gwledig ledled ein gwlad yn mynd i farw. Gwn nad yw hynny'n rhywbeth rwyf fi am ei weld, ac nid yw fy nghyd-Aelodau yma am ei weld. Felly, mae cyllid ychwanegol i'w groesawu, ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddwch yn darparu mwy o arian i gefnogi'r argymhellion a gyflwynwyd gennych. Diolch.