Y Cyfarfod Llawn
Plenary
15/11/2023Cynnwys
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, bawb, i'r Cyfarfod Llawn y prynhawn yma. Yr eitem gyntaf fydd y cwestiynau i’r Gweinidog Cyfiawnder Cymdeithasol, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Jayne Bryant.
Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's Plenary meeting. The first item will be questions to the Minister for Social Justice, and the first question is from Jayne Bryant.
1. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'u cael gyda Gweinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg ynghylch mynd i'r afael â bwlio gwrth-LHDTC+ mewn ysgolion? OQ60230
1. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language about tackling anti-LGBTQ+ bullying in schools? OQ60230
Bullying is completely unacceptable. We want to see an end to all forms of bullying and we are updating our statutory anti-bullying guidance, 'Rights, respect, equality', which sets out that LGBTQ+ related bullying is included within a school bullying prevention strategy in a way that considers learners' needs.
Mae bwlio'n gwbl annerbyniol. Rydym am weld diwedd ar bob math o fwlio ac rydym yn diweddaru ein canllawiau gwrth-fwlio statudol, 'Hawliau, parch, cydraddoldeb', sy'n nodi bod bwlio gwrth-LHDTC+ yn cael ei gynnwys yn strategaeth atal bwlio ysgolion mewn ffordd sy'n ystyried anghenion dysgwyr.
Thank you for that answer, Deputy Minister, and for that firm commitment. We can't underestimate the impact that anti-LGBTQ+ bullying, or any form of bullying, can have on young people, and it's only right that we all make a stand on this. This week is Anti-bullying Week, and the theme this year is 'Make a Noise about Bullying'. The Anti-bullying Alliance, which co-ordinates Anti-bullying Week every year, says on their website,
'This Anti-Bullying Week let’s come together to have discussions about what bullying means to us, how banter can turn into something more hurtful, and what we can do to stop bullying. Together, we can make a difference and take a stand against bullying.
'From the playground to Parliament, and from our phones to our homes, let’s make a noise about bullying.'
So, Deputy Minister, can I ask what is the Welsh Government doing to support Anti-bullying Week, and do you agree with me that it's important that we all have a responsibility to talk about and tackle bullying?
Diolch am eich ateb, Ddirprwy Weinidog, ac am yr ymrwymiad cadarn hwnnw. Ni allwn danamcangyfrif yr effaith y gall bwlio gwrth-LHDTC+, neu unrhyw fath o fwlio, ei chael ar bobl ifanc, ac mae'n gwbl briodol ein bod yn gwneud safiad ar hyn. Mae’r wythnos hon yn Wythnos Gwrth-fwlio, a’r thema eleni yw ‘Gwnewch Sŵn am Fwlio’. Mae’r Gynghrair Gwrth-fwlio, sy’n cydgysylltu'r Wythnos Gwrth-fwlio bob blwyddyn, yn dweud ar eu gwefan,
'Dewch inni ddod at ein gilydd yn yr Wythnos Gwrth-fwlio i drafod beth mae bwlio'n ei olygu i ni, sut mae tynnu coes yn gallu troi’n rhywbeth mwy niweidiol, a beth y gallwn ei wneud i atal bwlio. Gyda’n gilydd, gallwn wneud gwahaniaeth a gwneud safiad yn erbyn bwlio.'
'O’r maes chwarae i’r Senedd, ac o’n ffonau i’n cartrefi, gadewch inni wneud sŵn am fwlio.’
Felly, Ddirprwy Weinidog, a gaf fi ofyn beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i gefnogi'r Wythnos Gwrth-fwlio, ac a ydych chi'n cytuno â mi ei bod yn bwysig fod gan bob un ohonom gyfrifoldeb i siarad am fwlio ac i fynd i'r afael â bwlio?
Can I thank the Member, Jayne Bryant, for her question? And I absolutely agree that we all have a responsibility to tackle bullying and to talk about it, and you're right to say that we can't underestimate the impact that anti-LGBTQ+ bullying, or any form of bullying for that matter, can have on young people in their lives. We’re working closely, as the Welsh Government, with the Anti-bullying Alliance, who are behind Anti-bullying Week and we’ve worked in partnership with them since the last Senedd term, which has meant that we’ve had new bilingual resources to help prevent bullying and they’re available each autumn for learners and practitioners, including 2023.
We talk about what you said, the impact of LGBTQ+ bullying and the impact it has on people as they’re growing up, and I think I've touched on it here in this Chamber very briefly before—that I was bullied at secondary school. I thought then it was because I was different. I think that children had recognised something in me that I had yet to recognise in myself, and I think if you reflected on it now, we would call it for what it was: homophobic bullying. It went on for four and a half years and it only stopped when I decided I’d had enough, because I’d heard the group were going to put itching powder in my clothes after PE and I just couldn't bare the thought of that humiliation. So, that was the point when one of my friends made me go and tell a teacher so that we could stop it. So, it took me a long time to build my self-belief back after that happened. So, as you said in those words, 'from the playground to Parliament', it is really important that we make a noise about bullying. We share our experiences, however difficult they might be, and so it really is true that, if we share them in this Parliament, hopefully that is something that then transmits to playgrounds and settings throughout our communities in Wales.
A gaf fi ddiolch i’r Aelod, Jayne Bryant, am ei chwestiwn? A chytunaf yn llwyr fod gan bob un ohonom gyfrifoldeb i fynd i'r afael â bwlio ac i sôn amdano, ac rydych yn llygad eich lle yn dweud na allwn danamcangyfrif yr effaith y gall bwlio gwrth-LHDTC+, neu unrhyw fath o fwlio o ran hynny, ei chael ar bobl ifanc yn eu bywydau. Rydym yn gweithio’n agos, fel Llywodraeth Cymru, gyda’r Gynghrair Gwrth-fwlio, sy'n gyfrifol am yr Wythnos Gwrth-fwlio, ac rydym wedi gweithio mewn partneriaeth â nhw ers tymor diwethaf y Senedd, sydd wedi golygu ein bod wedi cael adnoddau dwyieithog newydd i helpu i atal bwlio, ac maent ar gael bob hydref i ddysgwyr ac addysgwyr, gan gynnwys yn 2023.
Rydym yn siarad am yr hyn a ddywedoch chi, effaith bwlio LHDTC+ a’r effaith a gaiff ar bobl wrth iddynt dyfu i fyny, a chredaf fy mod wedi crybwyll hyn yn y Siambr hon o’r blaen—fy mod wedi cael fy mwlio yn yr ysgol uwchradd. Roeddwn yn meddwl ar y pryd fod hynny'n digwydd am fy mod yn wahanol. Credaf fod plant wedi nodi rhywbeth ynof nad oeddwn wedi'i nodi ynof fy hun ar y pryd, a phe baech yn meddwl amdano nawr, rwy'n credu y byddem yn ei alw yr hyn ydoedd: bwlio homoffobig. Parhaodd am bedair blynedd a hanner a dim ond pan benderfynais fy mod wedi cael digon y daeth i ben, am fy mod wedi clywed bod y grŵp yn bwriadu rhoi powdr cosi yn fy nillad ar ôl y wers addysg gorfforol, ac ni allwn oddef meddwl am y fath gywilydd. Felly, dyna pryd y gwnaeth un o fy ffrindiau wasgu arnaf i ddweud wrth athro fel y gallem roi diwedd ar y peth. Felly, cymerodd amser hir imi ailadeiladu fy hunanhyder ar ôl i hynny ddigwydd. Felly, fel y dywedoch chi yn y geiriau hynny, ‘o’r maes chwarae i’r Senedd’, mae’n bwysig iawn ein bod yn gwneud sŵn am fwlio. Rydym yn rhannu ein profiadau, ni waeth pa mor anodd ydynt, ac felly mae’n wir, os ydym yn eu rhannu yn y Senedd hon, fod hynny, gobeithio, yn rhywbeth sydd wedyn yn cael ei drosglwyddo i feysydd chwarae a lleoliadau ar draws ein cymunedau yng Nghymru.
I agree with the Member for Newport West—bullying is a blight in our schools and something that we all need to be working towards to condemn and eradicate. We have recently seen online reports of schools in Wales seeing a rise in pupils potentially identifying as a cat or 'furries'. I completely agree with the headteacher in the school in question in the most recent news story on this that these children do not need litter trays; they need proper mental health support and extra funding into our schools. They don't need a Government encouraging children and young people to identify as a cat, a carrot, a 'furry' or whatever.
As well as disrupting pupils' education, putting our teachers in an impossible situation, it is inherently going to increase bullying in our schools. Don't you agree with me that, as proven by the recent press, pushing the extremes of the ideology that you want into our classrooms is only going to have a negative impact, increase bullying, and that what we do actually need is more mental health support in our schools, which, even though we keep being told by you and the education Minister that more money is going into our schools for mental health support, I am not seeing happening on the ground?
Cytunaf â’r Aelod dros Orllewin Casnewydd—mae bwlio'n falltod yn ein hysgolion ac yn rhywbeth y mae angen i bob un ohonom weithio tuag at ei gondemnio a’i ddileu. Rydym wedi gweld adroddiadau ar-lein yn ddiweddar am gynnydd yn nifer y disgyblion mewn ysgolion yng Nghymru a allai fod yn hunan-adnabod fel cath neu 'furries'. Cytunaf yn llwyr â phennaeth yr ysgol dan sylw yn y stori ddiweddaraf am hyn nad oes angen blychau gwasarn cathod ar y plant hyn; mae angen cymorth iechyd meddwl priodol arnynt, a chyllid ychwanegol i’n hysgolion. Nid oes angen Llywodraeth arnynt sy'n annog plant a phobl ifanc i hunan-adnabod fel cath, moronen, 'furry' neu beth bynnag.
Yn ogystal ag amharu ar addysg disgyblion, gan roi ein hathrawon mewn sefyllfa amhosibl, mae’n anochel y bydd yn cynyddu bwlio yn ein hysgolion. Onid ydych yn cytuno â mi, fel y profwyd gan y straeon diweddar yn y wasg, na fydd gwthio eithafion yr ideoleg yr ydych ei heisiau yn ein hystafelloedd dosbarth ond yn mynd i gael effaith negyddol, cynyddu bwlio, ac mai'r hyn sydd ei angen arnom mewn gwirionedd yw mwy o gymorth iechyd meddwl yn ein hysgolion, ac er eich bod chi a'r Gweinidog addysg yn dweud wrthym o hyd fod mwy o arian yn mynd i'n hysgolion ar gyfer cymorth iechyd meddwl, nid wyf yn ei weld yn digwydd ar lawr gwlad?
It's sad but not shocking that you seek to sensationalise what is a really important and challenging issue for young people and also for teachers and support staff in schools who want to do the right thing by young people and stamp out bullying in all of our learning settings. And it's about actually creating a strategy that's inclusive, that people feel they're supported, and they'll be able to—. There are young people here in the gallery today watching, and our message to them is that we don't seek to sensationalise and rest on those major headlines, but to do the right thing and make sure that they can learn in an environment where they're supported and feel included.
Mae'n drist, ond nid yn syfrdanol, eich bod yn ceisio creu stori gyffrogarol o fater sy'n wirioneddol bwysig a heriol i bobl ifanc, a hefyd i athrawon a staff cymorth mewn ysgolion sydd am wneud y peth iawn ar ran pobl ifanc a chael gwared ar fwlio ym mhob un o'n lleoliadau dysgu. Ac mae'n ymwneud â chreu strategaeth sy'n gynhwysol, fod pobl yn teimlo eu bod yn cael eu cefnogi, ac y byddant yn gallu—. Mae pobl ifanc yn gwylio yma yn yr oriel heddiw, a’n neges iddyn nhw yw nad ydym am greu straeon cyffrogarol na phenawdau mawr, ond yn hytrach ein bod yn ceisio gwneud y peth iawn a sicrhau y gallant ddysgu mewn amgylchedd lle cânt eu cefnogi a lle maent yn teimlo eu bod yn cael eu cynnwys.
2. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ystyried gwneud cais i fod yn rhan o fynegai Rainbow Europe yr International Lesbian and Gay Association er mwyn mesur cynnydd yn erbyn y nod o fod yn wlad LHDT-gyfeillgar? OQ60219
2. Will the Minister consider applying to be a part of the International Lesbian and Gay Association's Rainbow Europe index in order to measure progress against the aim of being an LGBT-friendly country? OQ60219
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn trafod â thîm ILGA Europe i weld beth yw’r ffordd orau o dynnu sylw at gynnydd Cymru yn erbyn y nod o fod y wlad fwyaf cyfeillgar yn Ewrop i bobl LGBTQ+. Mae hyn yn profi yr ymrwymiad sydd yn y cynllun gweithredu LGBTQ+ i gryfhau a dangos ein gwerthoedd a’n cefnogaeth yng Nghymru a thu hwnt.
The Welsh Government are already in contact with the ILGA Europe team to explore how best to highlight progress in Wales against our ambition of being the most LGBTQ+ friendly country in Europe. This reflects the commitment set out in the LGBTQ+ action plan to strengthen and show our LGBTQ+ values in Wales and beyond.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Gweinidog. Roedd e'n ysbrydoliaeth i fod yn Melita yn ddiweddar a gweld, adeg EuroPride, y cynnydd aruthrol sydd wedi bod yn y wlad honno, oedd yn wlad draddodiadol gymdeithasol geidwadol. Doedd dim cynnydd wedi bod o ran hawliau LHDTC+ am 40 mlynedd ers dad-droseddoli perthnasau cyfunrywiol. Ond nawr, mae Melita wedi bod yn rhif 1 ym mynegai Enfys Ewrop am y saith mlynedd diwethaf oherwydd penderfynoldeb sicrhau bod hawliau yn cael eu parchu, tra'n bod ni, ar yr un llaw, wedi gweld y Deyrnas Gyfunol, wrth gwrs, yn syrthio'n is ac yn is, a nawr yn safle 17, oherwydd yr agweddau hyll dŷn ni wedi clywed o'r meinciau Ceidwadol eto y prynhawn yma.
I'm grateful to the Minister. It was an inspiration to be in Melita recently, and to see during EuroPride the huge progress that has been made there. It was a traditionally conservative society. There'd been no progress in terms of LGBTQ+ rights for 40 years since the decriminialisation of homosexual relationships. But now, Melita has been No. 1 in the Rainbow index for the past seven years because of the determination to ensure that rights are respected, whilst, at the same time, we've seen the United Kingdom falling down the index, down to seventeenth position, because of those attitudes that we've heard from the Conservative benches again this afternoon.
Diolch am eich cwestiwn. Dwi'n cytuno bod safle bresennol yr UK yn ofnadwy ac yn embaras.
Thank you for the question. I agree that the UK's current position is terrible and is an embarrassment.
We were once number 1. The UK was once ranked the most LGBT+ friendly nation in Europe, and, as you say, we're now seventeenth out of 49 European countries. And I saw your coverage when you were out there in Malta, and, I must say, part of me was slightly jealous that I didn't get to go out to EuroPride—maybe one day. But we're very much working, as part of the LGBTQ+ action plan—which Plaid Cymru are part of, as our co-operation agreement partners—on how we can actually make sure that Wales's position, and the work we're trying to do, is included with the work of the ILGA Europe team. So, we're exploring options on how we can highlight the work that we're doing, and our position across the UK, and why we digress in taking that different approach. And I know a team of Welsh Government officials had a preliminary meeting with the ILGA Europe policy team last summer. So, we continue those conversations to explore how we can do that, and one way of doing it is, possibly, through the annual review, usually published each January. So, I'm happy to keep the Member updated on that work.
Roeddem yn arfer bod yn rhif 1. Ar un adeg, y DU oedd y wlad fwyaf cyfeillgar i bobl LHDT+ yn Ewrop, ac fel y dywedwch, rydym bellach yn yr ail safle ar bymtheg allan o 49 o wledydd Ewropeaidd. A gwelais fideos ohonoch allan ym Malta, ac mae'n rhaid imi ddweud bod rhan ohonof braidd yn genfigennus na chefais innau fynd allan i EuroPride—efallai un diwrnod. Ond rydym yn gweithio'n galed, fel rhan o'r cynllun gweithredu LHDTC+—y mae Plaid Cymru yn rhan ohono, fel ein partneriaid yn y cytundeb cydweithio—ar sut y gallwn sicrhau bod safle Cymru, a'r gwaith y ceisiwn ei wneud, wedi'i gynnwys gyda gwaith tîm ILGA Europe. Felly, rydym yn archwilio opsiynau i weld sut y gallwn dynnu sylw at y gwaith a wnawn, a'n sefyllfa ledled y DU, a pham ein bod yn mynd i gyfeiriad arall wrth ddefnyddio'r dull gwahanol hwnnw. A gwn fod tîm o swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cael cyfarfod rhagarweiniol gyda thîm polisi ILGA Europe yr haf diwethaf. Felly, rydym yn parhau â’r sgyrsiau hynny i archwilio sut y gallwn wneud hynny, ac un ffordd o’i wneud, o bosibl, yw drwy’r adolygiad blynyddol, a gyhoeddir bob mis Ionawr fel arfer. Felly, rwy’n fwy na pharod i roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i’r Aelod am y gwaith hwnnw.
As Adam Price has already said, the United Kingdom is represented on the Rainbow Europe index. And one of the things the index looks at is whether LGBT people are supported, whatever their background, whatever their gender, their social class, their race, their disability, or even the way they vote. And that's why I wanted to raise this year's Pride Cymru, where the First Minister wore a badge that said he'd never kissed a Tory. And in doing so, he was accused of belittling LGBT Conservatives. And I've got a quote from one of them who I spoke to in anticipation of this question, who said,
'I'm sure it's all a big joke for the First Minister. He has no idea of the struggles that I've lived through as an LGBT person. Imagine living in a country where your own leader actively pursues a campaign of discrimination against you.'
This is Anti-bullying Week. We've heard from Jayne Bryant already that banter can turn into something more hurtful. So, will the Labour Party in future stop the distribution of these badges?
Fel y mae Adam Price eisoes wedi'i ddweud, cynrychiolir y Deyrnas Unedig ar fynegai Rainbow Europe. Ac un o'r pethau y mae'r mynegai yn eu hystyried yw i ba raddau y mae pobl LHDT yn cael eu cefnogi, ni waeth beth fo'u cefndir, eu rhywedd, eu dosbarth cymdeithasol, eu hil, eu hanabledd, neu hyd yn oed y ffordd y maent yn pleidleisio. A dyna pam yr hoffwn godi digwyddiad Pride Cymru eleni, lle gwisgodd y Prif Weinidog fathodyn a ddywedai nad oedd erioed wedi cusanu Tori. Ac wrth wneud hynny, cafodd ei gyhuddo o fychanu Ceidwadwyr LHDT. Ac mae gennyf ddyfyniad gan un ohonynt y siaradais â nhw wrth baratoi ar gyfer y cwestiwn hwn, a ddywedodd,
'Mae’n siŵr fod y cyfan yn jôc fawr i’r Prif Weinidog. Nid oes ganddo unrhyw syniad o'r brwydrau rwyf wedi byw drwyddynt fel unigolyn LHDT. Dychmygwch fyw mewn gwlad lle mae eich arweinydd eich hun yn mynd ati i wahaniaethu yn eich erbyn.'
Mae hon yn Wythnos Gwrth-fwlio. Rydym eisoes wedi clywed gan Jayne Bryant y gall tynnu coes droi'n rhywbeth mwy niweidiol. Felly, a wnaiff y Blaid Lafur atal dosbarthiad y bathodynnau hyn yn y dyfodol?
So, I remember when this slogan came up originally, and it was first paraded at a Pride march in London, where there was the slogan 'I've never kissed a Tory'. And, the next year, the LGBTQ Conservative group came out with one saying, 'I kissed a Tory', so it was certainly taken in the way it was intended then. And, again, I think we seek to trivialise what is a really, really challenging time for members of the LGBTQ+ community by latching at those party political scoring points, when we should actually be working together to support communities. And actually, Tom, maybe more of your members should turn up at Pride to support our young people and our LGBTQ+ community in Wales.
Rwy’n cofio pan ddaeth y slogan hon i'r amlwg gyntaf, ac fe’i lleisiwyd gyntaf mewn gorymdaith Pride yn Llundain, gyda'r slogan ‘Nid wyf erioed wedi cusanu Tori’. A’r flwyddyn nesaf, daeth grŵp Ceidwadwyr LHDTC allan gydag un yn dweud ‘Rwyf wedi cusanu Tori’, felly yn sicr, fe’i cymerwyd yn y ffordd y'i bwriadwyd bryd hynny. Ac unwaith eto, credaf ein bod yn bychanu adeg wirioneddol heriol i aelodau'r gymuned LHDTC+ drwy geisio sgorio'r pwyntiau gwleidyddol pleidiol hynny, pan ddylem fod yn gweithio gyda'n gilydd i gefnogi cymunedau. Ac mewn gwirionedd, Tom, efallai y dylai mwy o'ch aelodau ddod i Pride, i gefnogi ein pobl ifanc a'n cymuned LHDTC+ yng Nghymru.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, Altaf Hussain.
Questions now from party spokespeople. The Welsh Conservatives spokesperson, Altaf Hussain.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. Minister, this week, we mark Anti-bullying Week. Bullying can take many forms and occur in many settings, from the playground to the boardroom, and far too many people are subjected to bullying. And that bullying usually relates to a protected characteristic. Last week, a report to Bridgend County Borough Council highlighted a large uptick in racist abuse in schools across the county borough. Minister, how are you working with the Minister for education in order to tackle racist bullying in our schools?
Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog, yr wythnos hon, rydym yn nodi Wythnos Gwrth-fwlio. Gall bwlio ddigwydd ar sawl ffurf a gall ddigwydd mewn llawer o leoliadau, o’r maes chwarae i ystafell y bwrdd, ac mae gormod lawer o bobl yn dioddef bwlio. Ac mae'r bwlio hwnnw fel arfer yn ymwneud â nodwedd warchodedig. Yr wythnos diwethaf, tynnodd adroddiad i Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr sylw at gynnydd mawr mewn cam-drin hiliol mewn ysgolion ar draws y fwrdeistref sirol. Weinidog, sut rydych chi'n gweithio gyda’r Gweinidog addysg i fynd i’r afael â bwlio hiliol yn ein hysgolion?
Thank you very much, Altaf Hussain, for that really important question. We've just had a really important exchange about tackling bullying in schools in relation to our 'Rights, respect and equality' bullying guidance, which is actually being updated. And of course, this fits completely with our 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan'. Indeed, yesterday, I was very pleased to have the opportunity to go to an INSET day in Cardiff on how schools in Cardiff, bringing this together, were subscribing to the 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan' via the diversity anti-racism professional learning, which is being supported by the Welsh Government and led by Cardiff Metropolitan University. And the teachers and the pupils there that I met signed up to the 'Anti-racist Wales Action plan'. Of course, a part of that is making sure and identifying any incidences of bullying. But also, what was so wonderful about that school is that they've produced their own anti-racist Wales action plan—the school that I visited, St Paul's Church in Wales Primary School, in Grangetown—and they were proud of it. And they believe that this is the way in which they can learn effectively as citizens of Cardiff and of Wales.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Altaf Hussain, am eich cwestiwn gwirioneddol bwysig. Rydym newydd gael sgwrs wirioneddol bwysig am fynd i’r afael â bwlio mewn ysgolion mewn perthynas â’n canllawiau ar fwlio, 'Hawliau, parch, cydraddoldeb', sydd wrthi'n cael eu diweddaru. Ac wrth gwrs, mae hyn yn cyd-fynd yn llwyr â’n 'Cynllun Gweithredu Cymru Wrth-hiliol'. Yn wir, ddoe, roeddwn yn falch iawn o’r cyfle i fynd i ddiwrnod HMS yng Nghaerdydd ar sut roedd ysgolion yng Nghaerdydd, gan ddod â hyn ynghyd, yn cydymffurfio â'r 'Cynllun Gweithredu Cymru Wrth-hiliol' drwy ddysgu proffesiynol amrywiaeth a gwrth-hiliaeth, sy'n cael ei gefnogi gan Lywodraeth Cymru a’i arwain gan Brifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd. Ac ymrwymodd yr athrawon a'r disgyblion y cyfarfûm â nhw yno i'r 'Cynllun Gweithredu Cymru Wrth-hiliol'. Wrth gwrs, mae rhan o hynny'n ymwneud â gwneud yn siŵr a nodi unrhyw achosion o fwlio. Ond hefyd, yr hyn a oedd mor wych am yr ysgol honno yw eu bod wedi cynhyrchu eu cynllun gweithredu Cymru wrth-hiliol eu hunain—yr ysgol yr ymwelais â hi, Ysgol Gynradd yr Eglwys yng Nghymru Sant Paul, yn Grangetown—ac roeddent yn falch ohono. Ac maent yn credu mai dyma’r ffordd y gallant ddysgu’n effeithiol fel dinasyddion Caerdydd a Chymru.
Thank you, Minister. I would like to expand upon the answer that Jayne Bryant got earlier. We know that bullying, whether that is racist abuse, attacks related to a child's disability, or anti-LGBT, can be relentless in this modern tech-enabled era. There's often no escape, Minister. How is your Government working with the four police cyber crime teams and Tarian to help get the message out to young people that not only is this type of bullying a potential hate crime, but could also be a cyber crime? Surely, the best way to tackle this type of bullying is to educate young people on the consequences of such actions.
Diolch, Weinidog. Hoffwn ymhelaethu ar yr ateb a gafodd Jayne Bryant yn gynharach. Gwyddom y gall bwlio, boed yn gam-drin hiliol, ymosodiadau sy’n ymwneud ag anabledd plentyn, neu’n wrth-LHDT, fod yn ddi-baid yn yr oes fodern dechnolegol sydd ohoni. Yn aml, nid oes dihangfa, Weinidog. Sut mae eich Llywodraeth yn gweithio gyda phedwar tîm seiberdroseddu'r heddlu a Tarian i helpu i gyfleu’r neges i bobl ifanc nid yn unig fod y math hwn o fwlio yn drosedd casineb bosibl, ond y gallai fod yn seiberdrosedd hefyd? Yn sicr, y ffordd orau o fynd i’r afael â’r math hwn o fwlio yw drwy addysgu pobl ifanc am ganlyniadau gweithredoedd o’r fath.
I'm also grateful for that question and the follow-on question. As I said, we're updating our statutory anti-bullying guidance, led, of course, by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language. It's also really important that it's strengthening our approaches to prevent and tackle any prejudice-based bullying of all forms. Of course, we've also heard that this is going to be including homophobic and transphobic bullying as well. But in terms of the wide range of bullying, which can of course be part of and lead to hate crimes, we know that our new curriculum, which is being rolled out in schools, is helping us tackle this. I think what's important is that we're working with stakeholders, including the police, in fact, and I think, as you say, this is something that we have to recognise in terms of cyber-based bullying as well. It's something where we've got a multi-agency action plan, for example, to tackle peer-on-peer sexual harassment in education settings, and very specific actions in terms of the way we can address this, but particularly, I think, considering the needs of learners with protected characteristics.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar am y cwestiwn hwnnw hefyd a'r cwestiwn dilynol. Fel y dywedais, rydym yn diweddaru ein canllawiau gwrth-fwlio statudol, a arweinir, wrth gwrs, gan Weinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg. Mae hefyd yn bwysig iawn eu bod yn cryfhau ein dulliau o atal a mynd i'r afael â bwlio ar sail rhagfarn o unrhyw fath. Ac wrth gwrs, rydym hefyd wedi clywed y bydd hyn yn cynnwys bwlio homoffobig a thrawsffobig hefyd. Ond o ran yr ystod eang o fwlio, a all fod yn rhan o droseddau casineb ac arwain at droseddau casineb, fe wyddom fod ein cwricwlwm newydd, sy’n cael ei gyflwyno yn yr ysgolion, yn ein helpu i fynd i’r afael â hyn. Credaf mai'r hyn sy'n bwysig yw ein bod yn gweithio gyda rhanddeiliaid, gan gynnwys yr heddlu, ac fel y dywedwch, credaf fod hyn yn rhywbeth y mae'n rhaid inni ei gydnabod mewn perthynas â seiberfwlio hefyd. Mae'n rhywbeth lle mae gennym gynllun gweithredu amlasiantaethol, er enghraifft, i fynd i'r afael ag aflonyddu rhywiol rhwng cymheiriaid mewn lleoliadau addysg, a chamau gweithredu penodol iawn o ran y ffordd y gallwn fynd i'r afael â hyn, ond yn arbennig, gan ystyried anghenion dysgwyr â nodweddion gwarchodedig.
Thank you again, Minister. Of course, the consequences of this type of bullying go far beyond the potential of a crime record for the bully. The bullied individual has to deal with them long after the abuse has stopped, often dealing with lifelong trauma. Sadly, as has been recently highlighted by a report from Samaritans UK, many LGBTQ+ young people take their own lives. As many as one in four reported a past suicide attempt. Samaritans UK are calling for better support networks for LGBTQ+ young people. Lived experience advisers have said that sometimes the most important support people can get is from within their community. Recreational and well-being groups led by and for LGBTQ+ people can be a lifeline. Minister, what can the Welsh Government do to help establish and finance such groups? Thank you very much.
Diolch eto, Weinidog. Wrth gwrs, mae canlyniadau’r math hwn o fwlio yn mynd ymhell y tu hwnt i'r posibilrwydd o record droseddol i'r bwli. Mae’n rhaid i’r unigolyn sy’n cael eu bwlio ymdrin â'r canlyniadau ymhell ar ôl i’r gamdriniaeth ddod i ben, a gorfod ymdopi â thrawma gydol oes yn aml. Yn anffodus, fel yr amlygwyd yn ddiweddar mewn adroddiad gan Samaritans UK, mae llawer o bobl ifanc LHDTC+ yn lladd eu hunain. Dywed cymaint ag un o bob pedwar eu bod wedi ceisio lladd eu hunain yn y gorffennol. Mae Samaritans UK yn galw am well rhwydweithiau cymorth i bobl ifanc LHDTC+. Mae cynghorwyr sydd â phrofiad o'u bywydau eu hunain wedi dweud bod y cymorth pwysicaf y gall pobl ei gael i'w gael weithiau yn eu cymuned eu hunain. Gall grwpiau hamdden a llesiant a arweinir gan, ac ar gyfer pobl LHDTC+ fod yn achubiaeth. Weinidog, beth y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud i helpu i sefydlu ac ariannu grwpiau o’r fath? Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Thank you very much. I think this very much follows on from the responses from the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership earlier on. And it is good that you have drawn our attention to reports, like the one from Samaritans UK, and that we link closely to and look at any evidence that we can have and any recommendations to support us. But I did mention the curriculum, and I think what's becoming very clear is that our relationships and sexuality education strand of the curriculum is very important and is assisting, helping learners to form and maintain a range of relationships based on mutual trust and respect. That's the foundation of relationships and sexuality education, and schools and settings have such an important role to play. I can only just reflect on what a change that would have been for our Deputy Minister, and I know this has been expressed in the Chamber—if we'd had that relationships and sexuality education during your childhood and other childhoods here today. And what's very important is the empowerment, safety and respect strand of the mandatory RSE code. So, I do believe we have got all the tools—we've got the tools—we've got the commitment from our teaching professionals, as well as our learners, to address this fully.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Credaf fod hyn yn dilyn ymlaen, i raddau helaeth, o'r ymatebion gan y Dirprwy Weinidog Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol yn gynharach. Ac mae'n dda eich bod wedi tynnu ein sylw at adroddiadau, fel yr un gan Samaritans UK, a'n bod yn ystyried ac yn cysylltu'n agos ag unrhyw dystiolaeth y gallwn ei chael ac unrhyw argymhellion i'n cefnogi. Ond soniais am y cwricwlwm, a chredaf mai’r hyn sy’n dod yn glir iawn yw bod elfen addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb ein cwricwlwm yn bwysig iawn ac o gymorth, gan helpu dysgwyr i ffurfio a chynnal ystod o berthnasoedd yn seiliedig ar barch ac ymddiriedaeth ar y ddwy ochr. Dyna sylfaen addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb, ac mae gan ysgolion a lleoliadau ran mor bwysig i’w chwarae. Ni allaf ond ystyried y newid y byddai hynny wedi'i wneud i’n Dirprwy Weinidog, a gwn fod hyn wedi’i fynegi yn y Siambr—pe byddem wedi cael addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb o'r fath yn ystod eich plentyndod a phlentyndod eraill yma heddiw. A'r hyn sy'n bwysig iawn yw elfen rymuso, diogelwch a pharch y cod addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb gorfodol. Felly, credaf fod gennym yr holl ddulliau gweithredu—mae gennym y dulliau—mae gennym ymrwymiad ein gweithwyr addysgu proffesiynol, yn ogystal â'n dysgwyr, i fynd i'r afael â hyn yn llawn.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Sioned Williams.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Sioned Williams.
Diolch, Llywydd. Prynhawn da, Weinidog. As we have seen in the figures released today, inflation is falling, but that does not mean that most goods and services are cheaper to buy, rather that prices are rising less quickly, and the Resolution Foundation has warned that the scale of the UK's inflation shock has left a legacy of far higher prices. And over the past two years the cost of energy has surged by 49 per cent, while food prices have risen by 28 per cent, far greater than the 14 per cent on average earnings over this period, and, of course, rents and mortgages have already increased. It could be argued that the financial crisis facing Welsh households, indeed, this winter, is even more acute than last year, as much of the Government support available has evaporated and any savings have already been used by households. Citizens Advice Cymru continue to see historically high numbers of people in need of crisis support.
Plaid Cymru's proud of the steps we have already taken with the Government to put more money into people's pockets and help budgets go further through the co-operation agreement, with free school meals, of course, to primary school children and securing additional free childcare. But as underlined by many of the recommendations of the report of the expert group on the cost-of-living crisis, which Plaid Cymru's echoed in our calls this week, there is more the Labour Government in Wales should be doing to support those in need. So, will the Minister respond to those calls, which are within the power of the Welsh Government and many of which have already been budgeted for, for instance the work on the Welsh benefits system and the implementation of the next iteration of the Warm Homes programme? Do you accept that there's been slow progress in these steps that have been identified by the expert group as being so important? So, when can we receive updates on those, please?
Diolch, Lywydd. Prynhawn da, Weinidog. Fel y gwelsom yn y ffigurau a gyhoeddwyd heddiw, mae chwyddiant yn gostwng, ond nid yw hynny’n golygu bod y rhan fwyaf o nwyddau a gwasanaethau yn rhatach i’w prynu, dim ond fod prisiau’n codi’n llai cyflym, ac mae Sefydliad Resolution wedi rhybuddio bod difrifoldeb argyfwng chwyddiant y DU wedi arwain at brisiau llawer uwch. A thros y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf, mae cost ynni wedi codi 49 y cant, tra bo prisiau bwyd wedi codi 28 y cant, llawer mwy na'r 14 y cant ar enillion cyfartalog dros y cyfnod hwn, ac wrth gwrs, mae rhenti a morgeisi eisoes wedi cynyddu. Gellid dadlau bod yr argyfwng ariannol sy’n wynebu aelwydydd Cymru y gaeaf hwn hyd yn oed yn fwy difrifol na’r llynedd, gan fod llawer o’r cymorth sydd ar gael gan y Llywodraeth wedi diflannu ac unrhyw arbedion eisoes wedi’u defnyddio gan aelwydydd. Mae Cyngor ar Bopeth Cymru yn parhau i weld y niferoedd uchaf erioed o bobl sydd angen cymorth mewn argyfwng.
Mae Plaid Cymru yn falch o’r camau rydym eisoes wedi’u cymryd gyda’r Llywodraeth i roi mwy o arian ym mhocedi pobl ac i helpu cyllidebau i fynd ymhellach drwy’r cytundeb cydweithio, gyda chinio ysgol am ddim, wrth gwrs, i blant ysgol gynradd, a sicrhau mwy o ofal plant am ddim. Ond fel y tanlinellwyd gan lawer o argymhellion adroddiad y grŵp arbenigol ar yr argyfwng costau byw, a adleisiwyd gan Blaid Cymru yn ein galwadau yr wythnos hon, mae mwy y dylai Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru ei wneud i gefnogi’r rheini sydd mewn angen. Felly, a wnaiff y Gweinidog ymateb i’r galwadau hynny, sydd o fewn pŵer Llywodraeth Cymru, ac y cyllidebwyd ar gyfer llawer ohonynt eisoes, er enghraifft y gwaith ar system fudd-daliadau Cymru a rhoi iteriad nesaf rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd ar waith? A ydych yn derbyn mai cynnydd araf a wnaed ar y camau hyn y nododd y grŵp arbenigol eu bod mor bwysig? Felly, pryd y gallwn gael diweddariadau ar y rheini, os gwelwch yn dda?
Diolch yn fawr. Well, this is something where bringing all those reports together the evidence is very clear and, indeed, the consultation that we undertook in terms of moving forward with our child poverty strategy—. We did commission, of course, the technical advisory group to look at the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. Yes, we can see that despite the reduction in inflation, we know the cost-of-living crisis and the impact, particularly in terms of fuel poverty and food poverty, is hitting households hard in Wales. But we are committed, as you know, to supporting those disadvantaged households through all those programmes that provide targeted support to alleviate financial pressures.
I think what's really important is that we have allocated over £18 million to support community food organisations, for example, to tackle food poverty and a wide range of services. But I think it's important to recognise that our new Warm Homes programme is now announced and it's on its way, and I think, just looking at the last year of delivery of the Nest scheme, for example—it's the last year, but actually from a progress meeting with Nest only a couple of weeks ago, on 31 October, some highlights: 2,246 households received a free package of energy efficiency measures and 7,813 households received free advice on energy efficiency. And the ways in which we, across Government—of course, it is the Minister for Climate Change as well as me—are investing in tackling fuel poverty and food poverty are crucially important to respond to this important report and the evidence that's coming through of the continuing impact of the UK Government's failure to address the needs of people in Wales, particularly the fact that they are not responding to our calls for a social tariff, and they're not responding to our calls to stop the standing charges as well, in terms of prepayment meters.
Diolch yn fawr. Wel, mae hyn yn rhywbeth lle mae’r dystiolaeth yn glir iawn wrth ddod â’r holl adroddiadau hynny ynghyd, ac yn wir, mae’r ymgynghoriad a gynhaliwyd gennym o ran bwrw ymlaen â’n strategaeth tlodi plant—. Fe wnaethom gomisiynu'r grŵp cynghori technegol i edrych ar effaith yr argyfwng costau byw. Er gwaethaf y gostyngiad mewn chwyddiant, fe wyddom fod yr argyfwng costau byw a'r effaith, yn enwedig o ran tlodi tanwydd a thlodi bwyd, yn taro cartrefi’n galed yng Nghymru. Ond rydym wedi ymrwymo, fel y gwyddoch, i gefnogi’r aelwydydd difreintiedig hynny drwy’r holl raglenni sy’n darparu cymorth wedi’i dargedu i leddfu pwysau ariannol.
Credaf mai'r hyn sy'n wirioneddol bwysig yw ein bod wedi dyrannu dros £18 miliwn i gefnogi sefydliadau bwyd cymunedol, er enghraifft, i fynd i'r afael â thlodi bwyd ac ystod eang o wasanaethau. Ond credaf ei bod yn bwysig cydnabod bod ein rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd newydd bellach wedi’i chyhoeddi ac ar ei ffordd, a chredaf, o edrych ar flwyddyn olaf cynllun Nyth, er enghraifft—dyma'r flwyddyn olaf, ond dyma rai uchafbwyntiau o gyfarfod cynnydd gyda Nyth ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, ar 31 Hydref: cafodd 2,246 o aelwydydd becyn am ddim o fesurau effeithlonrwydd ynni a chafodd 7,813 o aelwydydd gyngor am ddim ar effeithlonrwydd ynni. Ac mae'r ffyrdd yr ydym ni, ar draws y Llywodraeth—y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd yn ogystal â minnau wrth gwrs—yn buddsoddi mewn mynd i'r afael â thlodi tanwydd a thlodi bwyd yn hanfodol bwysig i ymateb i'r adroddiad pwysig hwn a'r dystiolaeth sy'n dod i'r amlwg o effaith barhaus methiant Llywodraeth y DU i fynd i’r afael ag anghenion pobl yng Nghymru, yn enwedig y ffaith nad ydynt yn ymateb i’n galwadau am dariff cymdeithasol, nac yn ymateb i’n galwadau am roi diwedd ar daliadau sefydlog mesuryddion rhagdalu ychwaith.
Diolch. Turning now to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine, which has cost thousands of lives, this conflict is exacerbating, as you know, an already very serious refugee crisis in the region. There are 1.5 million internally displaced people in Gaza, which is more than half of the population, and half of all housing in the besieged Gaza strip has already been destroyed or damaged. Scotland's First Minister, Humza Yousaf, along with City of Sanctuary, has called on the UK Government to welcome Palestinian refugees to the UK and for the international community to commit to a worldwide refugee programme for the people of Gaza. Once the UK has done this, the First Minister of Scotland has said that their country is willing to offer safety and sanctuary to those being forced to flee death, disease and destruction.
Within the nation of sanctuary and asylum-seeker plan, one of the action points is to continue to promote Welsh values of welcoming those fleeing the violence and persecution of war. So, given this, what discussions have you had with the UK Government regarding the creation of a refugee resettlement scheme for those in Gaza who want to and are able to leave? Do you echo the calls of Humza Yousaf? Is Wales ready and willing to welcome all refugees from Gaza and not only those with British passports, especially given the Tory Westminster Government's determination to break international law to enact its cruel immigration policies?
Diolch. Gan droi yn awr at y gwrthdaro parhaus yn Israel a Phalesteina, sydd wedi arwain at golli miloedd o fywydau, fel y gwyddoch mae’r gwrthdaro hwn yn gwaethygu argyfwng ffoaduriaid sydd eisoes yn ddifrifol iawn yn y rhanbarth. Mae 1.5 miliwn o bobl wedi’u dadleoli’n fewnol yn Gaza, sy’n fwy na hanner y boblogaeth, ac mae hanner yr holl dai yn llain Gaza, sydd o dan warchae, eisoes wedi’u dinistrio neu eu difrodi. Mae Prif Weinidog yr Alban, Humza Yousaf, ynghyd â City of Sanctuary, wedi galw ar Lywodraeth y DU i groesawu ffoaduriaid Palesteinaidd i’r DU ac i’r gymuned ryngwladol ymrwymo i raglen ffoaduriaid fyd-eang ar gyfer pobl Gaza. Pan fydd y DU wedi gwneud hyn, mae Prif Weinidog yr Alban wedi dweud bod eu gwlad yn fodlon cynnig diogelwch a noddfa i’r rheini sy’n cael eu gorfodi i ffoi rhag marwolaeth, afiechyd a dinistr.
Yn y cynllun cenedl noddfa a cheiswyr lloches, un o’r pwyntiau gweithredu yw parhau i hyrwyddo’r gwerthoedd Cymreig o groesawu’r rhai sy’n ffoi rhag trais ac erledigaeth rhyfel. Felly, o ystyried hyn, pa drafodaethau a gawsoch gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â chreu cynllun adsefydlu ffoaduriaid ar gyfer y rheini yn Gaza sy'n dymuno ac sy'n gallu gadael? A ydych chi'n adleisio galwadau Humza Yousaf? A yw Cymru yn fodlon ac yn barod i groesawu pob ffoadur o Gaza ac nid y rheini sydd â phasbortau Prydeinig yn unig, yn enwedig o ystyried penderfyniad Llywodraeth Dorïaidd San Steffan i dorri cyfraith ryngwladol er mwyn rhoi ei pholisïau mewnfudo creulon mewn grym?
Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams. It is very important that we continue—and we debated this last week—to do what we can, not just in terms of community cohesion, which I expressed and updated Members on ways in which we're engaging with communities in Wales, but also that we look at what we can do as a nation of sanctuary. Obviously, matters relating to immigration remain the responsibility of the UK Government, and this does include potential refugee resettlement schemes. We're in regular contact with the UK Government to look at the situation and also we recognise that there haven't been any announcements by the UK Government on any resettlement packages for those from Gaza and Israel wishing to seek sanctuary in Wales. But I'm sure that you will be pleased, as we all supported those regulations yesterday, the homelessness regulations, that we're doing what we can to provide support for those who have got status or dual status to come and be supported in terms of housing. So, we need to look at what humanitarian support can be given. Absolutely, humanitarian law is the foundation of humanitarian action, and we will continue to work, particularly in maintaining contact and, indeed, obviously, liaising with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office about those people who also in Wales have been caught up in the conflict.
Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams. Mae'n bwysig iawn ein bod yn parhau—a buom yn trafod hyn yr wythnos diwethaf—i wneud yr hyn a allwn, nid yn unig o ran cydlyniant cymunedol, fel y mynegais ac y rhoddais yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau am ffyrdd yr ydym yn ymgysylltu â chymunedau yng Nghymru, ond hefyd ein bod yn edrych ar yr hyn y gallwn ei wneud fel cenedl noddfa. Yn amlwg, mae materion sy'n ymwneud â mewnfudo'n parhau i fod yn gyfrifoldeb i Lywodraeth y DU, ac mae hyn yn cynnwys cynlluniau posibl ar gyfer adsefydlu ffoaduriaid. Rydym mewn cysylltiad rheolaidd â Llywodraeth y DU i edrych ar y sefyllfa, ac rydym hefyd yn cydnabod na chafwyd unrhyw gyhoeddiadau gan Lywodraeth y DU ar unrhyw becynnau adsefydlu ar gyfer y bobl o Gaza ac Israel sy'n dymuno ceisio noddfa yng Nghymru. Ond gan ein bod i gyd wedi cefnogi'r rheoliadau hynny ddoe, y rheoliadau digartrefedd, rwy’n siŵr y byddwch yn falch ein bod yn gwneud yr hyn a allwn i ddarparu cymorth i’r rheini sydd â statws neu statws deuol i ddod i gael cymorth o ran tai. Felly, mae angen inni edrych ar ba gymorth dyngarol y gellir ei roi. Yn sicr, cyfraith ddyngarol yw sylfaen gweithredu dyngarol, a byddwn yn parhau i weithio, yn enwedig o ran cadw mewn cysylltiad, a chysylltu â’r Swyddfa Dramor, y Gymanwlad a Datblygu ynghylch y bobl yng Nghymru hefyd sydd wedi cael eu dal yn y gwrthdaro.
3. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi banciau bwyd ym Mlaenau Gwent? OQ60237
3. How is the Welsh Government supporting foodbanks in Blaenau Gwent? OQ60237
Since 2019 the Welsh Government has allocated over £18 million to support foodbanks and community food organisations across Wales, including in Blaenau Gwent, to tackle food poverty and provide a wider range of services to help individuals and households maximise their income and build financial resistance.
Ers 2019, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dyrannu dros £18 miliwn i gefnogi banciau bwyd a sefydliadau bwyd cymunedol ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys ym Mlaenau Gwent, i fynd i’r afael â thlodi bwyd a darparu ystod ehangach o wasanaethau i helpu unigolion a chartrefi i gynyddu eu hincwm a meithrin cadernid ariannol.
I'm grateful to the Minister for that response. The Trussell Trust tells us that last December, last Christmas, was the busiest month on record for accessing foodbanks, and if ever there is an indictment of a failure of Government, it is the 3 million people—the population of Wales—across the United Kingdom who depend on foodbanks every year. In Blaenau Gwent we've seen an increase of 23 per cent in people accessing foodbanks over the last year.
Minister, the Welsh Government has a record in supporting the poorest and most vulnerable people when they've been let down by UK Ministers. The Welsh Government has, for many years, supported foodbanks and community organisations to sustain and support families, particularly, perhaps, at Christmas. Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club this year is supporting families by providing food on Christmas Day. But isn't it an indictment of Government, and does the Minister agree with me, that we shouldn't be relying on foodbanks and rugby clubs to sustain families on Christmas Day? In the twenty-first century, we should be doing better than this. Will the Welsh Government put pressure on the United Kingdom Government and say to the United Kingdom Government, 'Children who go hungry on Christmas Day is an indictment on 13 years of Conservative Government, an indictment on austerity, an indictment on economic failure, and an indictment on their claims to care about the most vulnerable people in our society'?
Diolch i’r Gweinidog am ei hymateb. Dywed Ymddiriedolaeth Trussell wrthym mai mis Rhagfyr diwethaf, y Nadolig diwethaf, oedd y mis prysuraf erioed o ran y niferoedd a ddefnyddiodd fanciau bwyd, ac nad oes enghraifft well o fethiant y Llywodraeth na’r 3 miliwn o bobl—poblogaeth Cymru—ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig sy'n dibynnu ar fanciau bwyd bob blwyddyn. Ym Mlaenau Gwent, rydym wedi gweld cynnydd o 23 y cant yn nifer y bobl sy'n defnyddio banciau bwyd dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf.
Weinidog, mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru hanes o gefnogi’r bobl dlotaf a mwyaf agored i niwed pan fydd Gweinidogion y DU wedi gwneud cam â nhw. Ers blynyddoedd lawer, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cynorthwyo banciau bwyd a sefydliadau cymunedol i gynnal a chefnogi teuluoedd, yn enwedig, efallai, ar adeg y Nadolig. Eleni, mae Clwb Rygbi Glynebwy yn cefnogi teuluoedd drwy ddarparu bwyd ar Ddydd Nadolig. Ond onid yw'r Llywodraeth yn haeddu ei chondemnio am hyn, ac a yw’r Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi na ddylem fod yn dibynnu ar fanciau bwyd a chlybiau rygbi i gynnal teuluoedd ar Ddydd Nadolig? Yn yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, dylem fod yn gwneud yn well na hyn. A wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru roi pwysau ar Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig a dweud wrthi, ‘Mae plant sy’n llwglyd ar Ddydd Nadolig yn gondemniad o 13 mlynedd o Lywodraeth Geidwadol, yn gondemniad o gyni, yn gondemniad o fethiant economaidd, ac yn gondemniad o'u honiadau eu bod yn malio am y bobl fwyaf bregus yn ein cymdeithas'?
Well, thank you very much, Alun Davies. It is an indictment. In fact, the evidence that's coming through of the impact of austerity—. Austerity, 13 years of austerity—let's take us back to those early days. The introduction of the bedroom tax, for example, what impact that had. And, actually, I do recall debates in this Chamber, where we have linked the growth of foodbanks directly back to these 13 years of austerity. The so-called welfare reforms, which were welfare cuts, cuts to welfare. We have a very fragile welfare state left, which is a state that we are trying to build and defend here in Wales.
But I do want to thank the foodbanks in your constituency, because I went to visit them a year or so ago, and we've now funded food partnerships all over Wales. There are co-ordinators, and there are lots of activities. All across the Chamber, you will know of the foodbanks, the pantries, the community groups, churches, mosques, everybody coming together, because they see this need in their communities. And in Blaenau Gwent, you've got support from Tai Calon, the local health board, Public Health Wales, the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations, Natural Resources Wales and the local authority all contributing now to the Blaenau Gwent foodbank. And also I thank the foodbank in Ebbw Vale who started, themselves, to access the Fuel Bank Foundation services, and they were giving out fuel vouchers even before we came in, as a Welsh Government, to fund the Fuel Bank Foundation.
Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn, Alun Davies. Mae’n gondemniad. Mewn gwirionedd, mae'r dystiolaeth sy'n dod i'r amlwg o effaith cyni—. Cyni, 13 mlynedd o gyni—gadewch inni feddwl am y dyddiau cynnar hynny. Cyflwyno’r dreth ystafell wely, er enghraifft, yr effaith a gafodd hynny. Ac mewn gwirionedd, rwy'n cofio dadleuon yn y Siambr hon lle rydym wedi gwneud cysylltiad uniongyrchol rhwng twf banciau bwyd a'r 13 mlynedd o gyni. Y diwygiadau lles honedig, sef toriadau lles, toriadau i les. Gwladwriaeth les fregus iawn sydd gennym ar ôl, gwladwriaeth yr ydym yn ceisio ei hadeiladu a’i hamddiffyn yma yng Nghymru.
Ond hoffwn ddiolch i'r banciau bwyd yn eich etholaeth, gan imi ymweld â nhw tua blwyddyn yn ôl, ac rydym bellach wedi ariannu partneriaethau bwyd ledled Cymru. Mae yna gydgysylltwyr, ac mae yna lawer o weithgareddau. Ar draws y Siambr, fe fyddwch yn gwybod am y banciau bwyd, y pantrïoedd, y grwpiau cymunedol, eglwysi, mosgiau, pawb yn dod ynghyd am eu bod yn gweld yr angen yn eu cymunedau. Ac ym Mlaenau Gwent, mae gennych gymorth gan Tai Calon, y bwrdd iechyd lleol, Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru, Cymdeithas Mudiadau Gwirfoddol Gwent, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'r awdurdod lleol, oll yn cyfrannu bellach at fanc bwyd Blaenau Gwent. A diolch hefyd i'r banc bwyd yng Nglynebwy a ddechreuodd, eu hunain, gael mynediad at wasanaethau'r Sefydliad Banc Tanwydd, a buont yn dosbarthu talebau tanwydd hyd yn oed cyn i ni, fel Llywodraeth Cymru, ddechrau ariannu'r Sefydliad Banc Tanwydd.
The need in Blaenau Gwent is indeed massive. People are really struggling during this cost-of-living crisis. My office has been in touch with TK's and Community Group food share in Cwm, and they've been finding it difficult to meet demand. Their supplies ran very low recently, but fortunately they have been replenished in time for the Christmas rush, as a result of local harvest appeals through schools and churches. As Alun said, Ebbw Vale RFC are generously offering free takeaway Christmas dinners for people in need.
This is where we are after 13 years of austerity and 13 years of Tory Westminster leadership. How can the Welsh Government make it easier for community groups to access funds they need to carry on ever-expanding their incredible anti-poverty work? These funds are not just needed for food purchases but also for increasing dry and cold storage capacity. As things stand, grant applications are not straightforward, especially for elderly volunteers and should be made more accessible for groups like TK's and Community Group food share in Cwm. Diolch.
Mae'r angen ym Mlaenau Gwent yn enfawr. Mae pobl yn ei chael hi'n wirioneddol anodd yn ystod yr argyfwng costau byw hwn. Mae fy swyddfa wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â chynllun rhannu bwyd TK's & Community Group yng Nghwm, ac maent wedi bod yn ei chael hi'n anodd ateb y galw. Roedd eu cyflenwadau'n isel iawn yn ddiweddar, ond yn ffodus, cawsant eu hailgyflenwi mewn pryd ar gyfer rhuthr y Nadolig, o ganlyniad i apeliadau lleol drwy ysgolion ac eglwysi. Fel y dywedodd Alun, mae Clwb Rygbi Glynebwy, yn hael iawn, yn cynnig ciniawau Nadolig am ddim i bobl mewn angen ddod i'w nôl.
Dyma'r sefyllfa yr ydym ynddi ar ôl 13 mlynedd o gyni a 13 mlynedd o arweinyddiaeth y Torïaid yn San Steffan. Sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei gwneud yn haws i grwpiau cymunedol gael mynediad at yr arian sydd ei angen arnynt i ddal ati gyda'u gwaith gwrthdlodi anhygoel, sy'n tyfu'n barhaus? Mae angen yr arian hwn nid yn unig er mwyn prynu bwyd ond hefyd er mwyn cynyddu capasiti storio sych ac oer. Fel y saif pethau ar hyn o bryd, nid yw ceisiadau grant yn syml, yn enwedig ar gyfer gwirfoddolwyr oedrannus, a dylid eu gwneud yn fwy hygyrch i grwpiau fel cynllun rhannu bwyd TK's & Community Group yng Nghwm. Diolch.
Diolch yn fawr, Peredur. Following up that important question from Alun Davies, I've already mentioned the funding that we've been providing to support community food organisations, and I've also mentioned—which links to it—the funding we're giving to the Fuel Bank Foundation. Just on that point about the Fuel Bank Foundation, many people are in fuel and food poverty. In fact, we know that many people are no longer able to cook food because of the cost of electricity, so there's more use of cold food. And actually, this is where the pantries that are developing, like the food sharing in Cwm and other pantries around Wales—Big Bocs Bwyd, FareShare—providing fresh food and fruit, as well as perhaps tinned food and food that needs to be heated—. But we're doing everything that we can, not just in terms of providing funding for community food organisations, which helps to access food supplies, but also to pay for those fridge-freezers.
I met with the National Lottery last week, and they were telling me that they have put out a huge amount of funding through their Awards for All, which is a very accessible source of funding. But, of course, we also provide funding directly for people through the discretionary assistance fund. I think the support that we're giving to these food partnerships—. I met them—. All 22 local authorities have now got food partnership co-ordinators. I met them last month. They are helping to access and work with other agencies, including linking to their public services boards to access the incredibly important funding that they need. But I think it is going to be something where we need to link all of this in terms of tackling food poverty, tackling fuel poverty, and also, yes, again, raising it—as I do regularly—with the UK Government, who have withdrawn many of the sources of funding that they have got to help people directly, so then people turn back to their communities, and that's where we need to come in and do what we can to support.
Diolch yn fawr, Peredur. Yn dilyn y cwestiwn pwysig hwnnw gan Alun Davies, rwyf eisoes wedi sôn am yr arian y buom yn ei ddarparu i gefnogi sefydliadau bwyd cymunedol, ac rwyf hefyd wedi crybwyll—sy'n gysylltiedig â hyn—yr arian a roddwn i'r Sefydliad Banc Tanwydd. Ar y pwynt am y Sefydliad Banc Tanwydd, mae llawer o bobl mewn tlodi tanwydd a thlodi bwyd. Yn wir, gwyddom fod llawer o bobl bellach yn methu coginio bwyd oherwydd cost trydan, felly mae mwy o ddefnydd o fwyd oer. A dweud y gwir, dyma lle mae'r pantrïoedd sy'n datblygu, fel y pantri rhannu bwyd yng Nghwm a phantrïoedd eraill o amgylch Cymru—Big Bocs Bwyd, FareShare—yn darparu bwyd a ffrwythau ffres, yn ogystal â bwyd tun a bwyd sydd angen ei gynhesu—. Ond rydym yn gwneud popeth yn ein gallu, nid yn unig i ddarparu cyllid i sefydliadau bwyd cymunedol, sy'n helpu i gael gafael ar gyflenwadau bwyd, ond hefyd i dalu am rewgelloedd ac oergelloedd.
Cyfarfûm â'r Loteri Genedlaethol yr wythnos diwethaf, ac roeddent yn dweud wrthyf eu bod wedi rhoi llawer iawn o gyllid drwy Arian i Bawb, sy'n ffynhonnell hygyrch iawn o gyllid. Ond wrth gwrs, rydym hefyd yn darparu cyllid yn uniongyrchol i bobl drwy'r gronfa cymorth dewisol. Rwy'n credu bod y gefnogaeth a roddwn i'r partneriaethau bwyd yma—. Fe wneuthum gyfarfod â nhw—. Erbyn hyn mae gan bob un o'r 22 awdurdod lleol gydlynwyr partneriaeth bwyd. Cyfarfûm â nhw fis diwethaf. Maent yn helpu i gael mynediad at asiantaethau eraill a gweithio gyda nhw, gan gynnwys cysylltu â'u byrddau gwasanaethau cyhoeddus i gael gafael ar y cyllid hynod bwysig sydd ei angen arnynt. Ond rwy'n credu y bydd angen i ni gysylltu hyn i gyd er mwyn mynd i'r afael â thlodi bwyd, mynd i'r afael â thlodi tanwydd, a hefyd, ie, unwaith eto, ei godi—fel rwy'n ei wneud yn rheolaidd—gyda Llywodraeth y DU, sydd wedi cael gwared ar lawer o'r ffynonellau cyllid sydd ganddynt i helpu pobl yn uniongyrchol, ac yna felly mae pobl yn troi yn ôl at eu cymunedau, a dyna lle mae angen i ni ddod i mewn a gwneud yr hyn a allwn i gefnogi.
4. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi cyn-filwyr y lluoedd arfog? OQ60213
4. How does the Welsh Government support armed forces veterans? OQ60213
There is a range of provision and activity across Welsh Government in support of our armed forces veterans in Wales, in line with the armed forces covenant. This support includes funding for armed forces liaison officers, provision of mental health support through Veterans' NHS Wales, and working with partners on employment events for service leavers and veterans.
Mae amrywiaeth o ddarpariaeth a gweithgarwch ar draws Llywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi cyn-filwyr ein lluoedd arfog yng Nghymru, yn unol â chyfamod y lluoedd arfog. Mae'r cymorth hwn yn cynnwys cyllid ar gyfer swyddogion cyswllt y lluoedd arfog, darparu cymorth iechyd meddwl drwy wasanaeth GIG Cymru i Gyn-filwyr, a gweithio gyda phartneriaid ar ddigwyddiadau cyflogaeth ar gyfer cyn-filwyr a'r rhai sy'n gadael gwasanaeth.
Thank you, Minister. Remembrance, of course, is a time for everybody to come together, to unite across cultures, backgrounds and all faiths to remember those who have served to protect our democratic freedoms and ways of life. And I'm sure that you'll be familiar with the Royal British Legion's campaign, Credit their Service. It calls on councils to revise their policies to ensure that military compensation is not included in means testing for benefits, and at present only three local authorities fully disregard the compensation; I'm pleased to say that one of those local authorities is my own in Wrexham. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with both UK Government and representatives of local authorities in Wales on this issue, and would you join me in supporting the Royal British Legion's campaign?
Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. Mae adeg y cofio, wrth gwrs, yn amser i bawb ddod at ei gilydd, i uno ar draws diwylliannau, cefndiroedd a phob ffydd i gofio'r rhai sydd wedi gwasanaethu i amddiffyn ein rhyddid democrataidd a'n ffyrdd o fyw. Ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n gyfarwydd ag ymgyrch y Lleng Brydeinig Frenhinol, Credit their Service. Mae'n galw ar gynghorau i adolygu eu polisïau i sicrhau nad yw iawndal milwrol yn cael ei gynnwys mewn profion modd ar gyfer budd-daliadau, ac ar hyn o bryd tri awdurdod lleol yn unig sy'n diystyru'r iawndal yn llawn; rwy'n falch o ddweud bod Wrecsam, fy awdurdod lleol i, yn un o'r awdurdodau lleol hynny. Pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU a chynrychiolwyr awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru mewn perthynas â'r mater hwn, ac a wnewch chi ymuno â mi i gefnogi ymgyrch y Lleng Brydeinig Frenhinol?
Can I thank Ken Skates for his question? You're right to raise the work of the Royal British Legion, particularly as we come out of the annual remembrance period. We know the Royal British Legion play a key part in communities. We'll predominantly be familiar with them in the remembrance period for the poppy selling, but you raise the work that they do around campaigning and calling for change as well. We work very closely with the Royal British Legion, not least because they're a member of our armed forces expert group. We have been in contact with them with regard to the Credit their Service campaign, and also officials have met with the Office for Veterans' Affairs in the UK Government too regarding the issues raised in the campaign. We've also raised that with the Welsh Local Government Association too, and our armed forces liaison officers, who are the contacts who work really closely with local authorities and who deliver so much support to our veterans and armed forces community who are in Wales.
It's my understanding that the campaign covers both devolved and reserved matters, and so we're going to work with those partners to examine what further action might be required on our part. It's something that I'm committed to and happy to discuss, and happy to follow up with the Member with my colleague Rebecca Evans, who's got responsibility not just for finance but local government, to see actually are there more things that we can do in Wales to live by our principles, the principles of the armed forces covenant, to make sure we support our veterans and armed forces community.
A gaf fi ddiolch i Ken Skates am ei gwestiwn? Rydych chi'n iawn i godi gwaith y Lleng Brydeinig Frenhinol, yn enwedig o ystyried bod adeg y cofio blynyddol newydd fod. Rydym yn gwybod bod y Lleng Brydeinig Frenhinol yn chwarae rhan allweddol mewn cymunedau. Byddwn yn fwyaf cyfarwydd â nhw yn gwerthu pabïau yn ystod cyfnod y cofio, ond rydych yn cyfeirio at y gwaith a wnânt mewn perthynas ag ymgyrchu a galw am newid hefyd. Rydym yn gweithio'n agos iawn gyda'r Lleng Brydeinig Frenhinol, yn enwedig oherwydd eu bod yn aelod o grŵp arbenigol y lluoedd arfog. Rydym wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â nhw ynghylch eu hymgyrch Credit their Service, ac mae swyddogion wedi cyfarfod â'r Swyddfa Materion Cyn-filwyr yn Llywodraeth y DU mewn perthynas â'r materion a godwyd yn yr ymgyrch. Rydym wedi codi hynny hefyd gyda Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, a'n swyddogion cyswllt y lluoedd arfog, sef y cysylltiadau sy'n gweithio'n agos iawn gydag awdurdodau lleol ac sy'n darparu cymaint o gefnogaeth i'n cyn-filwyr a chymuned y lluoedd arfog yng Nghymru.
Fy nealltwriaeth i yw bod yr ymgyrch yn ymdrin â materion datganoledig a materion a gedwir yn ôl, ac felly rydym am weithio gyda'r partneriaid hynny i archwilio pa gamau pellach y gallai fod eu hangen ar ein rhan ni. Mae'n rhywbeth yr wyf wedi ymrwymo iddo ac yn hapus i'w drafod, ac rwy'n hapus i fynd ar ei drywydd gyda'r Aelod gyda fy nghyd-Aelod, Rebecca Evans, sydd â chyfrifoldeb nid yn unig am gyllid ond llywodraeth leol hefyd, i weld a oes mwy o bethau y gallwn eu gwneud yng Nghymru yn unol â'n hegwyddorion, egwyddorion cyfamod y lluoedd arfog, i sicrhau ein bod yn cefnogi ein cyn-filwyr a chymuned y lluoedd arfog.
I'd like to thank my colleague, Ken Skates, for raising this question today. Deputy Minister, my colleague Darren Millar, who’s chairman of the cross-party group on the armed forces, wrote to you in a written question about the armed forces covenant leads in our health boards across Wales. I’m aware that some of our health boards do have these people in post, but there are those health boards across our country that do not have anybody there representing our veterans, and these posts are vital to raise the issues that veterans come to them with, so they can access services in our NHS here in Wales. So, I’d be interested to know what work you’ve done with NHS Wales to make sure that we can get these armed forces covenant leads in every health board right across Wales so they can represent our fantastic veterans here in our fantastic country.
Hoffwn ddiolch i fy nghyd-Aelod, Ken Skates, am godi'r cwestiwn hwn heddiw. Ddirprwy Weinidog, mae fy nghyd-Aelod, Darren Millar, sy'n gadeirydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar y lluoedd arfog, wedi ysgrifennu atoch mewn cwestiwn ysgrifenedig am arweinwyr cyfamod y lluoedd arfog yn ein byrddau iechyd ledled Cymru. Rwy'n ymwybodol fod rhai o'n byrddau iechyd wedi penodi pobl i'r swyddi hyn, ond mae yna fyrddau iechyd eraill ledled ein gwlad nad oes ganddynt unrhyw un i gynrychioli ein cyn-filwyr, ac mae'r swyddi hyn yn hanfodol i godi'r materion y mae cyn-filwyr yn eu codi gyda nhw, fel y gallant gael mynediad at wasanaethau ein GIG yma yng Nghymru. Felly, hoffwn wybod pa waith a wnaethoch gyda GIG Cymru i sicrhau y gallwn gael arweinwyr cyfamod y lluoedd arfog ym mhob bwrdd iechyd ledled Cymru fel y gallant gynrychioli ein cyn-filwyr gwych yma yn ein gwlad wych.
I thank James Evans for his question. I know, especially given your constituency, you have a strong interest in support for the armed forces community in Wales. I was actually at the Heath hospital in Cardiff on Friday with Maisy Provan, who’s a support officer there, to see the work that they are doing there in terms of not just supporting staff at the health board who are veterans who’ve served, whether reserve or whole-time, and the work that they’re doing on a monthly basis, but also how they’re doing work to better identify veterans who may be in hospital and their needs, and do even very simple things like put a magnetic poppy on the board by their bed as well. So, we are working with a range of partners. They’re funded by the armed forces covenant. So, we are working with partners, including health boards, to make sure we do target support and increase awareness of the armed forces community, the issues they have.
We very much recognise the work of those dedicated covenant officers, such as those in some of our health boards. I think there’s a challenge in terms of how much we can fund across Wales in the circumstances we’re in, but we’re happy to work with those. I know that Cardiff and Vale were particularly keen to see how they could embed that work going forward, so perhaps it's something we can talk about at our next armed forces expert group, of which Darren Millar is an observer member, in terms of actually how, within the resources we have, we may better be able to share some of that best practice in support in health boards across Wales.
Diolch i James Evans am ei gwestiwn. Rwy'n gwybod, yn enwedig o ystyried eich etholaeth, fod gennych ddiddordeb mawr mewn cefnogi cymuned y lluoedd arfog yng Nghymru. Roeddwn yn ysbyty'r Mynydd Bychan yng Nghaerdydd ddydd Gwener gyda Maisy Provan, sy'n swyddog cymorth yno, i weld y gwaith y maent yn ei wneud yno, nid yn unig yn cefnogi staff y bwrdd iechyd sy'n gyn-filwyr sydd wedi gwasanaethu, boed wrth gefn neu'n llawnamser, a'r gwaith y maent yn ei wneud bob mis, ond hefyd y gwaith y maent yn ei wneud ar wella'r broses o nodi cyn-filwyr a allai fod yn yr ysbyty, ynghyd â'u hanghenion, a gwneud pethau syml iawn fel rhoi pabi magnetig ar y bwrdd wrth ymyl eu gwely. Felly, rydym yn gweithio gydag amrywiaeth o bartneriaid. Cânt eu hariannu gan gyfamod y lluoedd arfog. Felly, rydym yn gweithio gyda phartneriaid, gan gynnwys byrddau iechyd, i sicrhau ein bod yn targedu cefnogaeth ac yn cynyddu ymwybyddiaeth o gymuned y lluoedd arfog, y problemau sy'n eu hwynebu.
Rydym yn sicr yn cydnabod gwaith y swyddogion cyfamod ymroddedig hynny, fel y rhai sydd i'w cael yn rhai o'n byrddau iechyd. Rwy'n credu bod yna her o ran faint y gallwn ei ariannu ar draws Cymru o dan yr amgylchiadau, ond rydym yn hapus i weithio gyda'r rheini. Rwy'n gwybod bod Caerdydd a'r Fro yn arbennig o awyddus i weld sut y gallent sefydlu'r gwaith hwnnw wrth symud ymlaen, felly efallai ei fod yn rhywbeth y gallwn siarad amdano yng nghyfarfod nesaf grŵp arbenigol y lluoedd arfog, y mae Darren Millar yn aelod arsylwi, mewn perthynas â sut y gallwn, o fewn yr adnoddau sydd gennym, rannu arferion gorau o ran cymorth â byrddau iechyd ledled Cymru.
Thank you to Ken for raising the issue of veterans’ support, at this time of the year in particular. But, Minister, there’s a group deep in the Rhondda—it’s in Buffy Williams’s local patch but it also serves people and veterans across my area, and across others Members’ as well, and it does minor miracles every single day, working with and for veterans. It’s a chap called Paul Bromwell from the Rhondda valley. He founded Valley Veterans, a veterans-led charity supporting and improving the mental and physical health and well-being of veterans through equine and horticultural activities. He himself is a former Welsh Guardsman, a Falkland islands campaign veteran. He organised the group 16 years ago after struggling to get back to grips with civilian life and after having himself a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder as well. Would you join me, Minister, and others in this Chamber join me, in congratulating Paul Bromwell from Valley Veterans, who recently secured a Point of Light award from the Prime Minister for being such an inspirational volunteer, and for the minor miracles he and others perform in the Rhondda, and across the Rhondda area wider, for so many veterans every single day?
Diolch i Ken am godi mater cymorth i gyn-filwyr, ar yr adeg hon o'r flwyddyn yn enwedig. Ond Weinidog, mae yna grŵp yn Rhondda—mae yn ardal leol Buffy Williams ond mae hefyd yn gwasanaethu pobl a chyn-filwyr ar draws fy ardal i, ac ar draws ardaloedd Aelodau eraill hefyd, ac mae'n gwneud gwyrthiau bach bob dydd, gan weithio gyda chyn-filwyr a thros gyn-filwyr. Dyn o'r enw Paul Bromwell o gwm Rhondda sy'n ei arwain. Sefydlodd Cyn-filwyr y Cymoedd, elusen dan arweiniad cyn-filwyr sy'n cefnogi a gwella iechyd a lles meddyliol a chorfforol cyn-filwyr drwy weithgareddau ceffylau a garddio. Mae ef ei hun yn gyn-aelod o'r gwarchodlu Cymreig, yn un o gyn-filwyr ymgyrch Ynysoedd y Falkland. Trefnodd y grŵp 16 mlynedd yn ôl ar ôl cael trafferth ailafael â bywyd sifil ac ar ôl cael diagnosis o anhwylder straen ôl-drawmatig ei hun. A wnewch chi ac eraill yn y Siambr ymuno â mi, Weinidog, i longyfarch Paul Bromwell o Cyn-filwyr y Cymoedd, a gafodd wobr Point of Light yn ddiweddar gan y Prif Weinidog am fod yn wirfoddolwr mor ysbrydoledig, ac am y gwyrthiau bach y mae ef ac eraill yn eu gwneud yn Rhondda, ac ar draws ardal Rhondda yn ehangach, i gynifer o gyn-filwyr bob dydd?
Yes, can I very, very much thank the Member for raising this in the Senedd Siambr today? I know Buffy Williams will be pleased that you have got this mentioned on the record, because I know that she knows Paul well. I actually had the privilege of meeting him myself at a Falklands 40 event last year, and also a number of veterans awards events and others across Wales. You're right; he is an incredible inspiration to me and to many others and the support he provides to his peers is second to none, and the impact he's having is incredibly positive and is felt in communities, as you say, right across the south Wales Valleys. So, yes, I was very pleased to learn yesterday that Paul Bromwell from Valleys Veterans had received that Point of Light award from the Prime Minister, and I would not hesitate in joining with you in congratulating Paul on that very well-deserved recognition.
Ie, a gaf fi ddiolch yn fawr iawn i'r Aelod am godi hyn yn Siambr y Senedd heddiw? Rwy'n gwybod y bydd Buffy Williams yn falch eich bod wedi crybwyll hyn yn gyhoeddus, oherwydd gwn ei bod hi'n adnabod Paul yn dda. Cefais y fraint o'i gyfarfod mewn digwyddiad Falklands 40 y llynedd, a hefyd nifer o ddigwyddiadau gwobrau cyn-filwyr a digwyddiadau eraill ledled Cymru. Rydych chi'n iawn; mae'n ysbrydoliaeth anhygoel i mi ac i lawer o bobl eraill ac mae'r gefnogaeth y mae'n ei darparu i'w gyfoedion heb ei hail, ac mae'r effaith y mae'n ei chael yn hynod gadarnhaol ac yn cael ei theimlo mewn cymunedau ledled Cymoedd de Cymru, fel y dywedwch. Felly, roeddwn yn falch iawn o glywed ddoe fod Paul Bromwell o Cyn-filwyr y Cymoedd wedi cael y wobr Point of Light gan y Prif Weinidog, a hoffwn ymuno â chi i longyfarch Paul ar y gydnabyddiaeth haeddiannol honno.
5. Pa asesiad y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i wneud o effaith digartrefedd ar nod Llywodraeth Cymru o hyrwyddo ffyniant a threchu tlodi? OQ60224
5. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of homelessness on the Welsh Government's aim of promoting prosperity and tackling poverty? OQ60224
Diolch. Welsh Government remains committed to ending homelessness, ensuring everyone has a safe home that meets their needs to support a healthy and prosperous life. We recognise poverty is an underlying structural cause of homelessness and our work to tackle poverty is critical in achieving our goal to end homelessness.
Diolch. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i fod yn ymrwymedig i roi diwedd ar ddigartrefedd, gan sicrhau bod gan bawb gartref diogel sy'n diwallu eu hanghenion i gefnogi bywyd iach a llewyrchus. Rydym yn cydnabod bod tlodi yn un o achosion strwythurol sylfaenol digartrefedd ac mae ein gwaith i fynd i'r afael â thlodi yn hanfodol er mwyn cyflawni ein nod o roi diwedd ar ddigartrefedd.
Thank you, Minister. At Christmas time last year, a local priest contacted me to say that a homeless man seeking help in the church hall sought support from local services, and was given a tent and told that they'd see him after Christmas. I raised this in the Chamber, and the Trefnydd agreed that this was unacceptable. But, until this week, the UK Government had a Home Secretary who argued that, for homeless people, living in tents was a life choice. Thank goodness she has gone, but I wonder how much faith you have that that same cruelty won't pervade the policies of this same old brand-new UK Cabinet. How confident are you that poverty will not continue to be seen as a lifestyle choice by Westminster? And, within your powers, will you talk urgently with the climate change Minister about a rent freeze for private renters, an eviction moratorium and the immediate implementation of the Warm Homes programme? And can you give an assurance, Minister, that, this Christmas, no homeless person in poverty, seeking help from social services, will be told to make do with a tent?
Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. Adeg y Nadolig y llynedd, cysylltodd offeiriad lleol â mi i ddweud bod dyn digartref a oedd yn ceisio cymorth yn neuadd yr eglwys wedi gofyn am gymorth gan wasanaethau lleol, ac fe roddwyd pabell iddo a dywedwyd wrtho y byddent yn ei weld ar ôl y Nadolig. Codais hyn yn y Siambr, a chytunodd y Trefnydd fod hyn yn annerbyniol. Ond tan yr wythnos hon, roedd gan Lywodraeth y DU Ysgrifennydd Cartref a oedd yn dadlau bod byw mewn pabell yn ddewis bywyd i bobl ddigartref. Diolch byth ei bod wedi mynd, ond tybed faint o ffydd sydd gennych na fydd yr un creulondeb yn treiddio i bolisïau'r un hen Gabinet newydd sbon hwn yn y DU. Pa mor hyderus ydych chi na fydd tlodi'n parhau i gael ei ystyried yn ddewis ffordd o fyw gan San Steffan? Ac o fewn eich pwerau, a wnewch chi fynd ati ar frys i siarad â'r Gweinidog newid hinsawdd am rewi rhenti i rentwyr preifat, moratoriwm ar droi allan a gweithredu'r rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd ar unwaith? Ac a allwch chi roi sicrwydd, Weinidog, na ddywedir wrth unrhyw unigolyn digartref mewn tlodi sy'n ceisio cymorth gan y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol i wneud y tro â phabell y Nadolig hwn?
Diolch yn fawr. I mean, it is shocking what was said by the former Home Secretary. I can't see that anyone across the Chamber would have subscribed to that view, that living in a tent is a lifestyle choice. It was shocking then. She's no longer Home Secretary, but we know that those views are prevalent, particularly—obviously, clearly—in the Conservative Party, which led to those calls.
It wasn't reflected in the King's Speech, but we are quite worried about what they might do in terms of the Vagrancy Act 1824, and the fact that there's this sort of attempt to criminalise, even, those who are homeless. But what we have to do is take responsibility here in Wales for supporting our homeless people. I think that it's very important, and this is something that is linked very much to our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru, to address the need to tackle homelessness. I was glad to see the homelessness White Paper, investing £210 million in homelessness and housing support services.
It is about how authorities can work to reduce the number of people in temporary accommodation, of which—. Many are, as you know, in temporary accommodation, particularly B&B and hotel accommodation. In fact, for the last two years, we've provided those interventions through the budget worth more than £3.3 billion, and an extra £6 million for the discretionary homelessness prevention fund.
We should not be in a position where we have the example of that person who went to a priest, and then went to the authority, and a tent was provided. We know that that is not what we would want to be provided in terms of a service here in Wales. But I think that this is something where we are working hard. The homelessness prevention grant and the homelessness White Paper, obviously, which was very well supported when it came to the Senedd, will help us to tackle this. But it is very difficult.
We have an ending homelessness action plan. It's an all-age plan. It's a no-one left out approach to homelessness. It has saved lives. But it is very difficult, when we are in a situation where £900 million has been taken out of our budget this year, Llywydd, as everyone knows, as a result of the last, the March, spring budget and the spending review. So, we will be addressing these issues in Wales to make sure that no one is left out.
Diolch yn fawr. Hynny yw, mae'r hyn a ddywedodd y cyn-Ysgrifennydd Cartref yn frawychus. Nid wyf yn credu y byddai unrhyw un ar draws y Siambr wedi rhannu'r farn honno, fod byw mewn pabell yn ddewis ffordd o fyw. Roedd yn frawychus. Nid yw'n Ysgrifennydd Cartref mwyach, ond rydym yn gwybod bod y safbwyntiau hynny'n gyffredin, yn enwedig—yn amlwg—yn y Blaid Geidwadol, a arweiniodd at y galwadau hynny.
Ni chafodd ei adlewyrchu yn Araith y Brenin, ond rydym yn eithaf pryderus am yr hyn y gallent ei wneud gyda Deddf Crwydraeth 1824, a'r ffaith bod yna ymgais o fath i droseddoli pobl ddigartref. Ond yr hyn y mae'n rhaid inni ei wneud yw cymryd cyfrifoldeb yma yng Nghymru am gefnogi ein pobl ddigartref. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn bwysig iawn, ac mae hyn yn rhywbeth sy'n gysylltiedig â'n cytundeb cydweithio â Phlaid Cymru, sef mynd i'r afael â'r angen i drechu digartrefedd. Roeddwn yn falch o weld y Papur Gwyn ar ddigartrefedd, a buddsoddi £210 miliwn mewn digartrefedd a gwasanaethau cymorth tai.
Mae'n ymwneud â sut y gall awdurdodau weithio i leihau nifer y bobl mewn llety dros dro y mae—. Mae llawer ohonynt, fel y gwyddoch, mewn llety dros dro, yn enwedig llety gwely a brecwast a gwestai. Mewn gwirionedd, am y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf, rydym wedi darparu ymyriadau drwy'r gyllideb sy'n werth mwy na £3.3 biliwn, a £6 miliwn ychwanegol ar gyfer y gronfa atal digartrefedd ddisgresiynol.
Ni ddylem fod mewn sefyllfa lle mae gennym enghraifft fel yr unigolyn a aeth at offeiriad, ac yna at yr awdurdod, a'r cyfan a gafodd oedd pabell. Rydym yn gwybod nad dyna'r ddarpariaeth y byddem ei heisiau fel gwasanaeth yma yng Nghymru. Ond rwy'n credu ein bod yn gweithio'n galed ar hyn. Bydd y grant atal digartrefedd a'r Papur Gwyn ar ddigartrefedd, yn amlwg, a gafodd groeso mawr pan ddaeth i'r Senedd, yn ein helpu i fynd i'r afael â hyn. Ond mae'n anodd iawn.
Mae gennym gynllun gweithredu ar gyfer rhoi diwedd ar ddigartrefedd. Mae'n gynllun ar gyfer pobl o bob oed. Mae'n ddull o weithredu ar ddigartrefedd nad yw'n hepgor neb. Mae wedi achub bywydau. Ond mae'n anodd iawn, a ninnau mewn sefyllfa lle mae £900 miliwn wedi'i dorri o'n cyllideb eleni, Lywydd, fel y gŵyr pawb, o ganlyniad i gyllideb y gwanwyn ym mis Mawrth a'r adolygiad o wariant. Felly, byddwn yn mynd i'r afael â'r materion hyn yng Nghymru i sicrhau nad oes neb yn cael eu hepgor.
I'll declare my interest again, in terms of property ownership. I have said time and time again in this Senedd, Minister, that it is your Welsh Labour Government that is failing on housing policy in Wales, and you're making the homelessness crisis worse: 10,931 individuals are currently now living in temporary accommodation, and, in my constituency, it is predominantly B&Bs and hotel rooms. Families in a hotel room. It's unacceptable.
Ninety—yes, 90—Welsh charities say that the homelessness sector is at risk of collapse due to a surge in demand and successive real-terms budget cuts by your Government. Cymorth Cymru and Community Housing Cymru say that without an urgent increase in the housing supporting grant, which funds the vast majority of support for the homeless in Wales, the entire system will collapse. So, will you, Minister, be encouraging your colleagues in the Welsh Government to act on the call of the third sector, and, indeed, the Welsh Conservatives on these benches, by taking homelessness more seriously and start building the much-needed homes that we need here in Wales? Diolch.
Rwyf am ddatgan buddiant eto o ran perchnogaeth ar eiddo. Rwyf wedi dweud dro ar ôl tro yn y Senedd hon, Weinidog, mai eich Llywodraeth Lafur chi yng Nghymru sy'n methu ar bolisi tai yng Nghymru, ac rydych yn gwaethygu'r argyfwng digartrefedd: mae 10,931 o unigolion bellach yn byw mewn llety dros dro, ac yn fy etholaeth i, ystafelloedd gwely a brecwast a gwestai ydynt yn bennaf. Teuluoedd mewn ystafell mewn gwesty. Mae'n annerbyniol.
Mae 90—ie, 90—o elusennau Cymreig yn dweud bod y sector digartrefedd mewn perygl o chwalu oherwydd cynnydd yn y galw a thoriadau olynol mewn termau real i'r gyllideb gan eich Llywodraeth. Mae Cymorth Cymru a Cartrefi Cymunedol Cymru yn dweud y bydd y system gyfan yn chwalu heb gynnydd ar frys yn y grant cymorth tai, sy'n ariannu'r mwyafrif helaeth o gymorth i bobl ddigartref yng Nghymru. Felly, Weinidog, a wnewch chi annog eich cyd-Aelodau yn Llywodraeth Cymru i weithredu ar alwad y trydydd sector, a'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig ar y meinciau hyn yn wir, drwy fod o ddifrif ynglŷn â digartrefedd a dechrau adeiladu'r cartrefi y mae eu gwir angen arnom yma yng Nghymru? Diolch.
Yes, well, you obviously didn't listen to the point I made in terms of the fact that we've been deprived of the funding that we need—deprived by your Government of the funding that we need to address this issue. [Interruption.] And also, the fact that you—. I recall when the Minister for Climate Change launched her ending homelessness White Paper here in Wales, you again came up with the same old issues—
Ie, wel, yn amlwg ni wnaethoch wrando ar y pwynt a wneuthum am y ffaith ein bod wedi cael ein hamddifadu o'r cyllid sydd ei angen arnom—mae eich Llywodraeth wedi ein hamddifadu o'r cyllid yr ydym ei angen i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem. [Torri ar draws.] A hefyd, mae'r ffaith eich bod chi—. Rwy'n cofio, pan lansiodd y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd ei Phapur Gwyn ar roi diwedd ar ddigartrefedd yma yng Nghymru, fe wnaethoch chi godi'r un hen bethau unwaith eto—
It's not old—[Inaudible.]
Nid yw'n hen—[Anghlywadwy.]
—and they do not recognise the challenges that we have got after 13 years of austerity. But what's important—and I will say again and the Minister for Climate Change would say it if she was standing here—is that creating more affordable housing is not only a priority for this Government, but a crucial need—[Interruption.] Listen, please, I'm speaking. You're asking the question and I'm responding. It's a crucial need across Wales and investing in social housing, we know, reduces poverty, which was the question that Delyth Jewell asked me, and it improves health and helps drive economic growth.
We are committed to increasing the provision, and we've set out record levels of funding to achieve this—£1.2 billion over the first four years of this Senedd term. It is a challenging time for the sector, but also we are supporting those initiatives, not just to deliver genuinely affordable homes, but also to ensure that we have that temporary housing with the transitional accommodation capital programme. In fact, tomorrow, I'm going to visit the gasworks site of transitional accommodation, which is really important in terms of helping people to move on from homelessness positions, but also to recognise that this is about more than having a roof over your head; it's about how we can break the cycle of homelessness, which has a wide range of causes and consequences. Actually, as the White Paper shows, this is a holistic, person-centred approach on which we're working very closely with the third sector to deliver.
—ac nid ydynt yn cydnabod yr heriau yr ydym wedi'u hwynebu ar ôl 13 mlynedd o gyni. Ond yr hyn sy'n bwysig—ac rwyf am ei ddweud eto, a byddai'r Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd yn ei ddweud pe bai'n sefyll yma—yw bod creu mwy o dai fforddiadwy nid yn unig yn flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth hon ond yn angen allweddol—[Torri ar draws.] Gwrandewch, os gwelwch yn dda, rwy'n siarad. Rydych chi'n gofyn y cwestiwn ac rwy'n ymateb. Mae'n angen allweddol ledled Cymru ac fe wyddom fod buddsoddi mewn tai cymdeithasol yn lleihau tlodi, sef y cwestiwn a ofynnodd Delyth Jewell i mi, ac mae'n gwella iechyd ac yn helpu i sbarduno twf economaidd.
Rydym wedi ymrwymo i gynyddu'r ddarpariaeth, ac rydym wedi nodi'r lefelau uchaf erioed o gyllid i gyflawni hyn—£1.2 biliwn dros y pedair blynedd gyntaf o dymor y Senedd hon. Mae'n gyfnod heriol i'r sector, ond rydym yn cefnogi'r mentrau hynny, nid yn unig i ddarparu cartrefi gwirioneddol fforddiadwy, ond hefyd i sicrhau bod gennym y tai dros dro hynny gyda'r rhaglen gyfalaf ar gyfer llety dros dro. Yn wir, yfory, rwy'n mynd i ymweld â'r hen safle gwaith nwy sy'n llety trosiannol, sy'n bwysig iawn i helpu pobl i symud ymlaen o ddigartrefedd, ond hefyd i gydnabod bod hyn yn ymwneud â mwy na chael to uwch eich pen; mae'n ymwneud â sut y gallwn dorri cylch digartrefedd, sydd ag ystod eang o achosion a chanlyniadau. Mewn gwirionedd, fel y dengys y Papur Gwyn, mae hwn yn ddull cyfannol sy'n canolbwyntio ar yr unigolyn ac rydym yn gweithio'n agos iawn gyda'r trydydd sector i'w gyflawni.
6. Beth wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi Wythnos Cyflog Byw? OQ60238
6. What did the Welsh Government do to support Living Wage Week? OQ60238
I was pleased to be part of the Wales launch for Living Wage Week on 6 November. As part of the week, the Welsh Government engaged in a number of events and communications. But our support for the real living wage is a year-round commitment, and we work with employers, trade unions and a range of partners to further living wage adoption and accreditation.
Roeddwn yn falch o fod yn rhan o lansiad Wythnos Cyflog Byw yng Nghymru ar 6 Tachwedd. Fel rhan o'r wythnos, cymerodd Llywodraeth Cymru ran mewn nifer o ddigwyddiadau a chyfathrebiadau. Ond mae ein cefnogaeth i'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol yn ymrwymiad drwy gydol y flwyddyn, ac rydym yn gweithio gyda chyflogwyr, undebau llafur ac ystod o bartneriaid i hyrwyddo mabwysiadu ac achredu cyflog byw.
I thank you for that answer, Deputy Minister. The week has become an important annual focal point to champion and celebrate the real living wage and the impact that it has. So, I'm proud that Mid and West Wales is seeking to become a living wage region, following the example of Cardiff as a living wage city. Is the Deputy Minister able to provide an update on progress towards that recognition, and do you agree with me that the real living wage should be part of a wider approach to fair work?
Diolch i chi am yr ateb hwnnw, Ddirprwy Weinidog. Mae'r wythnos wedi dod yn ganolbwynt blynyddol pwysig i hyrwyddo a dathlu'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol a'r effaith y mae'n ei chael. Felly, rwy'n falch fod Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru yn ceisio dod yn rhanbarth cyflog byw, gan ddilyn esiampl Caerdydd fel dinas cyflog byw. A yw'r Dirprwy Weinidog yn gallu rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni am gynnydd tuag at y gydnabyddiaeth honno, ac a ydych yn cytuno â mi y dylai'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol fod yn rhan o ddull o weithredu gwaith teg yn ehangach?
Yes, I absolutely agree with the Member for Mid and West Wales, Joyce Watson, that the real living wage is a baseline, not a benchmark, and it should be taken as part of a broader package that supports fair work in workplaces across Wales, whether that's around your terms and conditions, your well-being, your ability to progress and access training or to access trade union support. So, it should be part of that wider package, but we do know that moving to pay the real living wage has a significant impact, not just on those workers, but on the workplaces. I heard it myself, with examples at the launch of Living Wage Week, Welsh-based businesses talking about the impact that it had made in terms of sustaining their workforce and moving to fairer pay and terms and conditions.
You're right to highlight this point that Mid and West Wales is indeed seeking to become recognised as a living wage region. I understand that good progress is being made. Since a steering group was established back in 2022, I know they're working to increase the number of workers paid the real living wage across the region, and the steering group actually hosted an event during Living Wage Week last week, in Carmarthen, to promote the work undertaken. I think it's around 550 employers in Wales who now have real living wage accreditation and around one in five of those are from Mid and West Wales. I had a bit of a look before I came out and, as you see, there are quite a lot of employers there who are now accredited employers in Mid and West Wales, and they range from businesses with two employees to over 2,000, so it shows the possibilities there and the potential for the difference that it can make.
Ydw, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â'r Aelod dros Ganolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru, Joyce Watson, mai llinell sylfaen yw'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol, nid meincnod, a dylid ei ystyried yn rhan o becyn ehangach sy'n cefnogi gwaith teg mewn gweithleoedd ledled Cymru, boed hynny ynghylch eich telerau ac amodau, eich llesiant, eich gallu i ddatblygu a chael mynediad at hyfforddiant neu gael mynediad at gymorth undebau llafur. Felly, dylai fod yn rhan o'r pecyn ehangach hwnnw, ond gwyddom fod newid i dalu'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol yn cael effaith sylweddol, nid yn unig ar y gweithwyr, ond ar y gweithleoedd. Fe'i clywais fy hun, gydag enghreifftiau wrth lansio'r Wythnos Cyflog Byw, o fusnesau Cymreig yn siarad am yr effaith y mae wedi'i chael ar gynnal eu gweithlu a symud i gyflogau ac amodau tecach.
Rydych yn llygad eich lle i dynnu sylw at y pwynt fod ardal Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru yn ceisio cael ei chydnabod fel rhanbarth cyflog byw. Rwy'n deall bod cynnydd da yn cael ei wneud. Ers sefydlu grŵp llywio yn ôl yn 2022, gwn eu bod yn gweithio i gynyddu nifer y gweithwyr sy'n cael y cyflog byw gwirioneddol ar draws y rhanbarth, a chynhaliodd y grŵp llywio ddigwyddiad yn ystod Wythnos Cyflog Byw yr wythnos diwethaf, yng Nghaerfyrddin, i hyrwyddo'r gwaith a gyflawnwyd. Rwy'n credu mai 550 o gyflogwyr yng Nghymru sydd bellach ag achrediad cyflog byw gwirioneddol ac mae tua un o bob pump o'r rheini'n dod o Ganolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru. Edrychais cyn i mi ddod, ac fel y gwelwch, mae cryn dipyn o gyflogwyr yno sydd bellach yn gyflogwyr achrededig yng Nghanolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru, ac maent yn amrywio o fusnesau gyda dau weithiwr i dros 2,000 o weithwyr, felly mae'n dangos y posibiliadau yno a'r potensial ar gyfer y gwahaniaeth y gall ei wneud.
7. Sut mae'r Llywodraeth yn cefnogi'r gymuned Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr yng Nghymru? OQ60215
7. How is the Government supporting the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community in Wales? OQ60215
Diolch am eich cwestiwn.
Thank you for your question.
We support Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities by working with local authorities on their Gypsy, Traveller accommodation assessments. We also provide funding for Gypsy and Traveller sites capital grants and for a Travelling Ahead project at Tros Gynnal Plant Cymru to deliver advice and advocacy to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
Rydym yn cefnogi cymunedau Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr drwy weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol ar eu hasesiadau llety Sipsiwn a Theithwyr. Rydym hefyd yn darparu cyllid ar gyfer grantiau cyfalaf safleoedd Sipsiwn a Theithwyr a chyllid ar gyfer prosiect Teithio Ymlaen yn Tros Gynnal Plant Cymru i ddarparu cyngor ac eiriolaeth i gymunedau Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr.
Diolch, Weinidog. I'm concerned about the woeful progress made with regard to supporting the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in Wales, which is becoming even more acute during the cost-of-living crisis and has been evidenced in both scrutiny work and recent inquiries held by more than one Senedd committee, including the Equality and Social Justice Committee of which I'm a member. The Government, as I understand, financially supports just one small project, which you reference there, that focuses on supporting the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities through advocacy, covering the whole of Wales. I'm sure you'd agree, Minister, that we need to understand and also be reassured that adequate and effective support is being offered to what is, arguably, one of Wales's most marginalised and disadvantaged communities. So, can you outline the role and remit of the project and its host charity, the funding it's received to date and what evaluation has been carried out on any progress report submitted to date?
Diolch, Weinidog. Rwy'n pryderu am y cynnydd truenus a wnaed ar gefnogi'r cymunedau Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr yng Nghymru, sy'n dod yn fwy acíwt byth yn ystod yr argyfwng costau byw fel y gwelsom mewn tystiolaeth drwy waith craffu ac ymchwiliadau diweddar a gynhaliwyd gan fwy nag un o bwyllgorau'r Senedd, gan gynnwys y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol yr wyf yn aelod ohono. Yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, nid yw'r Llywodraeth ond yn cefnogi un prosiect bach yn ariannol, fel y nodwch yno, sy'n canolbwyntio ar gefnogi'r cymunedau Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr drwy eiriolaeth, ar gyfer Cymru gyfan. Rwy'n siŵr y byddech chi'n cytuno, Weinidog, fod angen inni ddeall a chael sicrwydd fod cefnogaeth ddigonol ac effeithiol yn cael ei chynnig i'r hyn y gellid dadlau sy'n un o gymunedau mwyaf ymylol a difreintiedig Cymru. Felly, a allwch chi amlinellu rôl a chylch gwaith y prosiect a'r elusen sy'n ei gefnogi, yr arian a gafodd hyd yma a pha werthusiad a gyflawnwyd ar unrhyw adroddiad cynnydd a gyflwynwyd hyd yma?
Diolch yn fawr. This is a priority for me in my portfolio, and we have to ensure that local authorities are providing adequate and culturally appropriate sites where there is need. And I've mentioned, of course, that we're now working through their Gypsy and Traveller accommodation assessments, and we need to see how robust they are in terms of compliance with guidance and their responsibilities to support individuals.
We do fund, yes, the Travelling Ahead project. It delivers advice and advocacy support to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, and recently they brought together some Gypsy, Traveller families from across Wales, and I met with them to discuss specific concerns. Particularly as a result of that, I'm undertaking meetings with local authorities to discuss their current positions. I also would thank not just the Equality and Social Justice Committee, but the Local Government and Housing Committee for the work that they've done, because there are clear recommendations in that that align with the 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan'.
We're reviewing compliance with local authorities' duties in Part 3 of the Housing Act (Wales) 2014 to ensure there are enough pitches in each area. Also, just to say that I have had a series of meetings with councils across Wales, starting in Newport, and then in Conwy and Denbighshire, and I've got meetings arranged with all authorities. We've created this duty through legislation, we've funded local authorities and we've got funding worth £1.2 million to refurbish existing accommodation, but, clearly, we are not meeting all the needs as we assess the Gypsy, Traveller accommodation assessments, and that's why, working with the local authorities, we've got to deliver on this. It is a priority, and the meetings are taking place.
Diolch yn fawr. Mae hon yn flaenoriaeth i mi yn fy mhortffolio, ac mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau bod awdurdodau lleol yn darparu safleoedd digonol sy'n briodol yn ddiwylliannol lle mae angen. Ac rwyf wedi crybwyll, wrth gwrs, ein bod bellach yn gweithio drwy eu hasesiadau llety Sipsiwn a Theithwyr, ac mae angen inni weld pa mor gadarn ydynt o ran cydymffurfio â chanllawiau a'u cyfrifoldebau i gefnogi unigolion.
Ydym, rydym yn ariannu'r prosiect Teithio Ymlaen. Mae'n darparu cyngor a chymorth eiriolaeth i gymunedau Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr, ac yn ddiweddar daethant â theuluoedd Sipsiwn a Theithwyr o bob rhan o Gymru ynghyd, a chyfarfûm â nhw i drafod pryderon penodol. O ganlyniad i hynny yn arbennig, rwy'n cynnal cyfarfodydd gydag awdurdodau lleol i drafod eu sefyllfaoedd presennol. Rwyf hefyd am ddiolch nid yn unig i'r Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol, ond y Pwyllgor Llywodraeth Leol a Thai hefyd am y gwaith y maent wedi'i wneud, oherwydd mae argymhellion clir yn y gwaith hwnnw sy'n cyd-fynd â'r 'Cynllun Gweithredu Cymru Wrth-hiliol'.
Rydym yn adolygu cydymffurfiaeth â dyletswyddau awdurdodau lleol yn Rhan 3 o Ddeddf Tai (Cymru) 2014 i sicrhau bod digon o leiniau ym mhob ardal. Hefyd, hoffwn ddweud fy mod wedi cael cyfres o gyfarfodydd gyda chynghorau ledled Cymru, gan ddechrau yng Nghasnewydd, ac yna yng Nghonwy a sir Ddinbych, ac mae gennyf gyfarfodydd wedi'u trefnu gyda phob awdurdod. Rydym wedi creu'r ddyletswydd hon drwy ddeddfwriaeth, rydym wedi ariannu awdurdodau lleol ac mae gennym gyllid gwerth £1.2 miliwn i adnewyddu darpariaeth sy'n bodoli, ond yn amlwg, nid ydym yn diwallu'r holl anghenion wrth inni asesu'r asesiadau llety Sipsiwn a Theithwyr, a dyna pam, drwy weithio gyda'r awdurdodau lleol, y mae'n rhaid inni gyflawni ar hyn. Mae'n flaenoriaeth ac mae'r cyfarfodydd yn digwydd.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 8. Tom Giffard.
And finally, question 8. Tom Giffard.
8. Sut mae'r Gweinidog yn gweithio gyda'r heddlu a'r gwasanaethau tân i sicrhau amseroedd ymateb digonol? OQ60251
8. How is the Minister working with police and fire services to ensure adequate response times? OQ60251
I thank you for your question. Our national framework for fire and rescue services requires the services to respond swiftly and effectively to all emergency calls. Responsibility for policing is not devolved, but we work closely with Policing in Wales to support the interface between policing and devolved areas such as housing and health.
Diolch am eich cwestiwn. Mae ein fframwaith cenedlaethol ar gyfer gwasanaethau tân ac achub yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i'r gwasanaethau ymateb yn gyflym ac yn effeithiol i bob galwad frys. Nid yw'r cyfrifoldeb dros blismona wedi'i ddatganoli, ond rydym yn gweithio'n agos gyda Plismona yng Nghymru i gefnogi'r rhyngwyneb rhwng plismona a meysydd datganoledig megis tai ac iechyd.
I thank the Minister for her answer and I'm grateful to hear you acknowledge the importance of responding to emergency fire calls in a timely manner. A few months ago, I raised with the Deputy Minister for social justice about the fire on Windmill farm in north Gower, where bowsers were required and had to be sent from Tumble, which took over an hour to reach the location in north Gower. That was the nearest bowser, if you like, that was available to access north Gower at that time. I've met with the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority since that time, and I was pleased to hear that they were considering adding a new bowser to their roster. Unfortunately, they seemed to consider that Port Talbot was the best place to situate that. Now, as you may already be aware, Minister, there is already a bowser located in Kenfig Hill, but they said that because that resided within the South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, not the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, they couldn’t calculate it towards their target response times, despite the fact it would be as little as five or 10 minutes away from the current bowser location in Kenfig Hill if that were to go ahead. So, whilst I’m grateful that mid and west Wales fire authority have recognised the need for a new bowser, will you work with them to ensure that these administrative boundaries between mid and west Wales fire authority and the south Wales fire authority are not a burden to sensible decision making in this way?
Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ei hateb ac rwy'n falch o'ch clywed yn dweud eich bod yn cydnabod pwysigrwydd ymateb i alwadau tân brys mewn modd amserol. Ychydig fisoedd yn ôl, crybwyllais y tân ar fferm Windmill yng ngogledd Gŵyr wrth y Dirprwy Weinidog cyfiawnder cymdeithasol, lle roedd angen tanceri dŵr a bu'n rhaid iddynt gael eu hanfon o'r Tymbl, a gymerodd dros awr i gyrraedd y lleoliad yng ngogledd Gŵyr. Hwnnw oedd y tancer dŵr agosaf, os mynnwch, a oedd ar gael i gyrraedd gogledd Gŵyr ar y pryd. Rwyf wedi cyfarfod ag Awdurdod Tân ac Achub Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru ers hynny, ac roeddwn yn falch o glywed eu bod yn ystyried ychwanegu tancer dŵr newydd at eu rhestr. Yn anffodus, roedd yn ymddangos eu bod yn meddwl mai Port Talbot oedd y lle gorau i leoli hwnnw. Nawr, fel y gwyddoch eisoes, Weinidog, mae tancer dŵr eisoes wedi'i leoli ym Mynydd Cynffig, ond oherwydd bod hwnnw o fewn Awdurdod Tân ac Achub De Cymru, yn hytrach nag Awdurdod Tân ac Achub Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru, roeddent yn dweud na allent ei gyfrif tuag at eu hamseroedd ymateb targed, er y byddai gyn lleied â phum neu 10 munud i ffwrdd o'r tancer dŵr presennol ym Mynydd Cynffig pe bai hynny'n digwydd. Felly, er fy mod yn ddiolchgar fod awdurdod tân canolbarth a gorllewin Cymru wedi cydnabod yr angen am dancer dŵr newydd, a wnewch chi weithio gyda nhw i sicrhau nad yw'r ffiniau gweinyddol hyn rhwng awdurdod tân canolbarth a gorllewin Cymru ac awdurdod tân de Cymru yn rhwystr yn y ffordd hon rhag gwneud penderfyniadau synhwyrol?
The Deputy Minister for Social Partnership heard that question and she will take that back, I’m sure, and that is an important point based on your original question to her about that response time. Diolch yn fawr.
Clywodd y Dirprwy Weinidog Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol y cwestiwn hwnnw a bydd hi'n ei ystyried, rwy'n siŵr, ac mae'n bwynt pwysig yn seiliedig ar eich cwestiwn gwreiddiol iddi am yr amser ymateb. Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch i’r Gweinidog a’r Dirprwy Weinidog.
I thank the Minister and Deputy Minister.
Cwestiynau i’r Cwnsler Cyffredinol a Gweinidog y Cyfansoddiad nesaf. Y cwestiwn cyntaf gan Mabon ap Gwynfor.
We now have questions for the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution. The first question is from Mabon ap Gwynfor.
1. Pa asesiad y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'i wneud o effaith Bil tybaco a fêps arfaethedig Llywodraeth y DU ar gymwyseddau datganoledig yng Nghymru? OQ60249
1. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the impact of the UK Government's proposed tobacco and vapes Bill on devolved competencies in Wales? OQ60249
Thank you for the question. The Welsh Government, along with the other UK nations, is currently consulting on proposals to create a smoke-free generation and tackle youth vaping. Once the consultation closes, we will analyse the responses and consider the legislative options, including the potential for the tobacco and vapes Bill to apply in Wales.
Diolch am y cwestiwn. Ar hyn o bryd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru, ynghyd â gwledydd eraill y DU, yn ymgynghori ar gynigion i greu cenhedlaeth ddi-fwg a mynd i'r afael â fepio ymhlith pobl ifanc. Pan ddaw'r ymgynghoriad i ben, byddwn yn dadansoddi'r ymatebion ac yn ystyried yr opsiynau deddfwriaethol, gan gynnwys y potensial i roi'r Bil tybaco a fêps ar waith yng Nghymru.
Diolch i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol am yr ymateb yna. Wel, ges i'r pleser o drafod materion o bwys gyda chyngor disgyblion Ysgol Glan y Môr, Pwllheli, yn ddiweddar. O'r holl bethau yr oedd y disgyblion yn pryderu yn eu cylch, y prif beth oedd pryderon am fêps ac argaeledd fêps i blant. Soniodd Elan fod y defnydd o fêps wedi cynyddu ymhlith pobl ifanc, a gofyn pa gefnogaeth oedd i helpu ysgolion a phobl ifanc, ac fe ofynnodd Eimantas beth all y Senedd ei wneud er mwyn stopio fêps rhag cael eu gwerthu i bobl ifanc dan oed. Gwn fod y Llywodraeth wedi cyflwyno canllawiau newydd i ysgolion, ond bydd y Bil newydd ar fêps a thybaco yn Lloegr yn tynhau ar y rheolau o ran hyrwyddo a gwerthu fêps i blant. Felly, ydy'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol yn credu y bydd y Bil tybaco a fêps yn cyfarch pryderon Elan ac Eimantas, ac ydy'r Cwnsler yn credu bod gan Gymru’r cymhwysedd i wneud mwy i reoli defnydd a gwerthiant fêps i blant?
I thank the Counsel General for that response. I had the pleasure of discussing important issues with the pupil council at Ysgol Glan y Môr, Pwllheli, recently. Of all of the issues that the pupils were concerned about, the main issue was concerns around vapes and the availability of vapes to children. Elan said that the use of vapes had increased among young people and asked what support was available to assist schools and young people, and Eimantas asked what the Senedd could do to stop vapes from being sold to young people under age. I know that the Government has introduced new guidelines for schools, but the new Bill on vapes and tobacco and England will tighten the rules in terms of the promotion and sale of vapes to children. So, does the Counsel General believe that the tobacco and vapes Bill will address the concerns of Elan and Eimantas, and does the Counsel General believe that Wales has the competence to do more to control the use and sale of vapes among children?
Thank you for the question, and it’s good to hear that pupils are discussing this, because it is very clear that the growth of vaping has moved away from a substitute for tobacco for smokers who want to give up smoking, and something that is very much being targeted at children. It’s very interesting as well that much of the vape equipment being produced now is in fact being produced by the former tobacco companies, who’ve moved from the one industry into the other.
The four UK Governments launched a consultation on 12 October, and they set out proposals for creating a smoke-free generation and tackling youth vaping, which I think is very important, and of course, this is something that applies across the UK. There is a common interest, and I think this proposal is something that has, I think, a unique element to it. One of the real concerns is, of course, the rise in youth vaping, and one of the objectives must be to reduce the appeal and availability of vaping to children.
So, the areas that are being looked at would be restricting flavours so that vape flavours are no longer targeted at children; regulating the point of display, which is very much often done in such a way that it is actually aimed at children and younger persons; regulating the packaging and presentation; restricting the sale of disposable vapes. This also is an issue when you talk about other things that can be done, potentially with the single-use plastics legislation and powers that we have, and I’m sure that’s something that the Minister will be wanting to consider. Whether regulation should extend to non-nicotine vapes, I think is also important, and I think also taking action on the affordability of vapes, including the introduction of a duty on vapes to increase their price and make them less attractive and less purchasable by children.
I’m grateful to you for raising that. This is obviously something that will be coming back to this Chamber, and I know that Ministers will obviously be concerned to ensure that the Senedd is fully briefed on this issue.
Diolch am y cwestiwn, ac mae'n dda clywed bod disgyblion yn trafod hyn, oherwydd mae'n amlwg iawn fod cynnydd mewn fepio wedi symud i ffwrdd o fod yn ddewis amgen yn lle tybaco i ysmygwyr sydd eisiau rhoi'r gorau i ysmygu, ac yn rhywbeth sy'n cael ei dargedu tuag at blant i raddau helaeth. Mae'n ddiddorol iawn hefyd fod llawer o'r offer fepio sy'n cael ei gynhyrchu nawr yn cael ei gynhyrchu gan yr hen gwmnïau tybaco, sydd wedi symud o'r naill ddiwydiant i'r llall.
Lansiodd pedair Llywodraeth y DU ymgynghoriad ar 12 Hydref, ac fe wnaethant nodi cynigion ar gyfer creu cenhedlaeth ddi-fwg a mynd i'r afael â fepio ymhlith pobl ifanc, sy'n bwysig iawn yn fy marn i, ac wrth gwrs, mae hyn yn rhywbeth sy'n berthnasol ledled y DU. Mae yna ddiddordeb cyffredin, ac rwy'n credu bod yna elfen unigryw i'r cynnig hwn. Un o'r gwir bryderon, wrth gwrs, yw'r cynnydd mewn fepio ymhlith pobl ifanc, ac un o'r amcanion o reidrwydd yw lleihau apêl ac argaeledd fepio i blant.
Felly, ymhlith y meysydd dan ystyriaeth fyddai cyfyngu ar flasau fel nad yw blasau fepio yn cael eu targedu tuag at blant mwyach; rheoleiddio sut y cânt eu harddangos, sy'n aml iawn yn cael ei wneud mewn ffordd sydd wedi'i anelu at blant a phobl iau; rheoleiddio pecynnu a'u hymddangosiad; cyfyngu ar werthu cynnyrch fepio tafladwy. Mae hyn hefyd yn broblem pan fyddwch yn sôn am bethau eraill y gellir eu gwneud, o bosibl gyda'r ddeddfwriaeth ar blastig untro a'r pwerau sydd gennym, ac rwy'n siŵr fod hynny'n rhywbeth y bydd y Gweinidog eisiau ei ystyried. Credaf ei bod hefyd yn bwysig ystyried a ddylid ymestyn rheoleiddio i gynnwys fêps nad ydynt yn cynnwys nicotin, yn ogystal â gweithredu ar fforddiadwyedd fêps, gan gynnwys cyflwyno toll ar fêps i gynyddu eu pris a'u gwneud yn llai deniadol a llai fforddiadwy i blant eu prynu.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i chi am godi hyn. Mae'n amlwg yn rhywbeth a fydd yn dod yn ôl i'r Siambr, a gwn y bydd Gweinidogion yn amlwg yn awyddus i sicrhau bod y Senedd yn cael ei briffio'n llawn ar y mater.
2. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'u cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch effaith Araith y Brenin ar gyfiawnder troseddol yng Nghymru? OQ60245
2. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the UK Government regarding the impact of the King’s Speech on criminal justice in Wales? OQ60245
Thank you for your question. I've not had any discussion with the UK Government about criminal justice following last week’s King’s Speech and ahead of the introduction of both the Sentencing Bill and the Criminal Justice Bill.
Diolch am eich cwestiwn. Nid wyf wedi cael unrhyw drafodaeth gyda Llywodraeth y DU am gyfiawnder troseddol yn dilyn Araith y Brenin yr wythnos diwethaf a chyn cyflwyno'r Bil Dedfrydu a'r Bil Cyfiawnder Troseddol.
I'm grateful to the Counsel General for that answer. I'm sure the Counsel General, like me, would have watched the Supreme Court ruling this morning where the United Kingdom Government was ruled to have acted unlawfully. The judgment appeared to me to be an absolutely devastating judgment, which defeated the United Kingdom Government on almost every point of law.
The response of the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party was to say, 'Ignore the law'. The response of another Conservative MP was to describe judges as the enemies of the people. Counsel General, this place—this Parliament—has been rooted in respect for people, respect for the rule of law. Will the Welsh Government be responding to the Supreme Court ruling in any way? And will you tell this Chamber that this Welsh Government will always respect courts, will not abuse judges, will not say that we ignore the law and will always act in a humane way and deal with people with respect and morality, and will not seek to make examples of human misery and human suffering in order to grab a few cheap headlines?
Diolch i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol am yr ateb hwnnw. Rwy'n siŵr y byddai'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol, fel finnau, wedi gwylio'r Goruchaf Lys yn dyfarnu y bore yma fod Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig wedi gweithredu'n anghyfreithlon. Roedd yn ymddangos bod y dyfarniad yn un cwbl ddinistriol a drechodd Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig ar bron bob pwynt o gyfraith.
Ymateb dirprwy gadeirydd y Blaid Geidwadol oedd dweud, 'Anwybyddwch y gyfraith'. Ymateb AS Ceidwadol arall oedd disgrifio barnwyr fel gelynion y bobl. Gwnsler Cyffredinol, mae'r lle hwn—y Senedd hon—wedi'i sefydlu ar sail parch at bobl, parch at reolaeth y gyfraith. A fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymateb i ddyfarniad y Goruchaf Lys mewn unrhyw ffordd? Ac a wnewch chi ddweud wrth y Siambr y bydd y Llywodraeth hon bob amser yn parchu llysoedd, na fydd yn difrïo barnwyr, na fydd yn dweud ein bod am anwybyddu'r gyfraith ac y bydd bob amser yn ymddwyn mewn ffordd ddyngarol ac yn ymdrin â phobl â pharch a moesoldeb, ac na fydd yn ceisio gwneud esiampl o ddioddefaint a thrallod dynol er mwyn bachu ambell bennawd?
Can I just say that upholding the rule of law, and international law, is one of the fundamental requirements, I think, of any democratic Parliament? We said all along that the Illegal Migration Act 2023 was unworkable. These proposals have not only been unworkable, they are unlawful and they have also wasted £140 million.
It's worth just looking at what the Supreme Court actually said. I've had a copy of the judgment; I'm working my way through it. But this is a summary of the judgment: the UK Government's Rwanda policy has been declared unlawful because there are substantial grounds for believing that asylum seekers would face a real risk of ill-treatment by reason of refoulement to their country of origin if they were removed to Rwanda.
This is a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court and in doing so, they rely on a number of issues: they say that non-refoulement is a core principle of international law, which you mentioned. It is also an area of the refugee convention that we are required to comply with. There is also Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and there is also the Human Rights Act 1998. So, there are three key pillars and it ill behoves any Government, or any elected representative, to suggest that Government should act outside the law.
I hope that those comments that were made were comments that will be disowned by the UK Government and, certainly, in my own position as Counsel General, I certainly disown them because they would be unacceptable to any democratic Parliament.
A gaf fi ddweud bod cynnal rheolaeth y gyfraith, a chyfraith ryngwladol, yn un o ofynion sylfaenol unrhyw senedd ddemocrataidd yn fy marn i? Rydym wedi dweud bod amser fod Deddf Mudo Anghyfreithlon 2023 yn anymarferol. Nid yn unig y mae'r cynigion hyn yn anymarferol, maent yn anghyfreithlon ac maent hefyd wedi gwastraffu £140 miliwn.
Mae'n werth edrych ar yr hyn a ddywedodd y Goruchaf Lys mewn gwirionedd. Rwyf wedi cael copi o'r dyfarniad; rwy'n gweithio fy ffordd drwyddo. Ond dyma grynodeb o'r dyfarniad: datganwyd bod polisi Rwanda Llywodraeth y DU yn anghyfreithlon oherwydd bod sail cryf dros gredu y byddai ceiswyr lloches yn wynebu risg wirioneddol o gamdriniaeth drwy gael eu gorfodi i ddychwelyd i'w gwlad wreiddiol pe byddent yn cael eu symud i Rwanda.
Mae hwn yn benderfyniad unfrydol gan y Goruchaf Lys ac wrth ei wneud, maent yn pwyso ar nifer o bethau: maent yn dweud bod peidio â gorfodi ceiswyr lloches i ddychwelyd i'w gwlad wreiddiol lle maent yn wynebu risg o gael eu cam-drin yn un o egwyddorion craidd cyfraith ryngwladol, y sonioch chi amdani. Mae hefyd yn rhan o'r confensiwn ffoaduriaid y mae'n ofynnol inni gydymffurfio ag ef. Mae i'w weld yn Erthygl 3 o'r Confensiwn Ewropeaidd ar Hawliau Dynol, ac yn Neddf Hawliau Dynol 1998 hefyd. Felly, mae yna dair colofn allweddol ac nid yw'n briodol i unrhyw Lywodraeth, neu unrhyw gynrychiolydd etholedig, awgrymu y dylai'r Llywodraeth weithredu y tu allan i'r gyfraith.
Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd Llywodraeth y DU yn gwrthod y sylwadau hynny ac yn sicr, yn fy swydd fel Cwnsler Cyffredinol, rwy'n bendant yn eu gwrthod oherwydd byddent yn annerbyniol i unrhyw Senedd ddemocrataidd.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, Mark Isherwood.
Questions now from party spokespeople. Welsh Conservative spokesperson, Mark Isherwood.
Diolch, Llywydd. The UN declaration on the rights of disabled persons adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1975 states that all disabled persons have the same rights as other persons and recognises the obstacles created by social institutions and society in general.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted on 13 December 2006 and the UK ratified the convention in 2009. Disability Wales's recently released report, 'Barely Surviving', called, amongst other things, for the Welsh Government to incorporate the UN convention on the rights of disabled persons. It goes on to state that, despite its inclusion in the programme for government, there's still no timeline for incorporation of the UN convention. With limited time remaining in the legislative agenda, the Welsh Government must outline their plan for incorporation.
In 2018, the then National Assembly for Wales voted here in favour of a legislative proposal to incorporate the UN declaration into Welsh law, with cross-party support. So, what discussions and legal advice have your Cabinet colleagues sought from you on incorporating the convention into Welsh law within the time remaining in the legislative agenda?
Diolch, Lywydd. Mae datganiad y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar hawliau pobl anabl a fabwysiadwyd gan Gynulliad Cyffredinol y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar 9 Rhagfyr 1975 yn nodi bod gan bob person anabl yr un hawliau â phobl eraill ac mae'n cydnabod y rhwystrau a grëwyd gan sefydliadau cymdeithasol a chymdeithas yn gyffredinol.
Mabwysiadwyd Confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau Pobl ag Anableddau ar 13 Rhagfyr 2006 a chadarnhaodd y DU y confensiwn yn 2009. Galwodd adroddiad Anabledd Cymru a ryddhawyd yn ddiweddar, 'Prin yn Goroesi', ymhlith pethau eraill, ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ymgorffori confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar hawliau pobl anabl. Mae'n mynd ymlaen i ddweud, er iddo gael ei gynnwys yn y rhaglen lywodraethu, nad oes amserlen o hyd ar gyfer ymgorffori confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig. Gyda'r amser sy'n weddill yn yr agenda ddeddfwriaethol yn gyfyngedig, rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru amlinellu eu cynllun ar gyfer ymgorffori'r confensiwn.
Yn 2018, pleidleisiodd Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru ar y pryd o blaid cynnig deddfwriaethol i ymgorffori datganiad y Cenhedloedd Unedig yng nghyfraith Cymru, gyda chefnogaeth drawsbleidiol. Felly, pa drafodaethau a chyngor cyfreithiol y mae eich cyd-Weinidogion Cabinet wedi gofyn i chi amdanynt ar ymgorffori'r confensiwn yng nghyfraith Cymru o fewn yr amser sy'n weddill yn yr agenda ddeddfwriaethol?
Can I thank you for the question? You do raise some very important issues. Just to say, of course, we are bound by that convention, and we cannot do anything that is contrary to that within our legislation, and indeed the way we operate. And again, many of our activities are very much designed in order to fulfil the obligations of that particular convention. I have been engaged with my colleague the Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt, and with other external participants, in a forum really looking at the issue as to how to incorporate this convention, and also other conventions, into our legislative and constitutional structure. It's not through a lack of willingness to do it, but it is an incredibly complicated process. One of the reasons is the way in which conventions are drafted and how they can be converted into tangible legislation that actually takes you beyond what our obligations are already and creates that clarity and precision in terms of improving not only the position for disabled people but also the implementation of the convention on human rights. Can I say that it is work in progress? There are groups of experts that have been looking at how this might be done. I think, equally, it's fair to say that they've also come across real difficulty, and it is because of the way in which conventions are actually worded—often aspirational. But converting that into workable legislation is a challenge. That work is ongoing. I'm happy to update in due course, but I can tell him I've been working very, very closely on a very regular basis with the Minister for Social Justice on how we might try to achieve this.
A gaf fi ddiolch i chi am y cwestiwn? Rydych chi'n codi rhai materion pwysig iawn. Wrth gwrs, rydym yn rhwym wrth y confensiwn hwnnw, ac ni allwn wneud unrhyw beth sy'n groes i'r hyn sydd yn ein deddfwriaeth, a'r ffordd y gweithredwn yn wir. Ac unwaith eto, mae llawer o'n gweithgareddau wedi'u cynllunio er mwyn cyflawni rhwymedigaethau'r confensiwn penodol hwnnw. Rwyf wedi bod yn ymgysylltu â fy nghyd-Aelod, y Gweinidog Cyfiawnder Cymdeithasol, Jane Hutt, a chyda chyfranogwyr allanol eraill, mewn fforwm sy'n edrych ar y mater a sut i ymgorffori'r confensiwn hwn, a chonfensiynau eraill, yn ein strwythur deddfwriaethol a chyfansoddiadol. Nid oherwydd diffyg parodrwydd i wneud hynny, ond mae'n broses hynod gymhleth. Un o'r rhesymau yw'r ffordd y caiff confensiynau eu drafftio a sut y gellir eu troi'n ddeddfwriaeth bendant sy'n mynd â chi y tu hwnt i'r hyn yw ein rhwymedigaethau eisoes ac sy'n creu eglurder a manylder o ran gwella nid yn unig y sefyllfa i bobl anabl ond hefyd gweithredu'r confensiwn ar hawliau dynol. Mae'n waith sydd ar y gweill. Mae yna grwpiau o arbenigwyr wedi bod yn edrych ar sut y gellid gwneud hyn. Rwy'n credu, yn yr un modd, ei bod yn deg dweud eu bod nhw hefyd wedi dod ar draws anhawster gwirioneddol, a hynny oherwydd y ffordd y mae confensiynau wedi'u geirio—yn aml yn nod i ymgyrraedd ato. Ond mae trosi hynny'n ddeddfwriaeth ymarferol yn her. Mae'r gwaith hwnnw'n parhau. Rwy'n hapus i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf maes o law, ond gallaf ddweud wrtho fy mod wedi bod yn gweithio'n agos iawn ar sail reolaidd gyda'r Gweinidog Cyfiawnder Cymdeithasol ar sut y gallem geisio cyflawni hyn.
Thank you. I, and I'm sure all other Members, would welcome those updates.
But sticking with the Welsh Government's programme for government, you issued a joint statement with the social justice Minister yesterday on research to prepare for the devolution of policing in Wales. This stated that this commitment follows the unanimous recommendation of the Thomas Commission on Justice in Wales in 2019, adding that this includes understanding the impacts on cross-border working. However, despite my repeated questions to you regarding omissions about this from the Thomas commission report, you still failed to address the serious points raised.
The report makes only one reference to the key issue of cross-border criminality, in the context of county lines, and the only solution proposed is joint working across the four Welsh forces in collaboration with other agencies, without any reference to the established joint working with neighbouring partners across the invisible crime and justice border with England.
As I've also repeatedly stated that, when I visited Titan, the north-west regional organised crime unit, with the then Senedd cross-party group on policing—Titan being a collaboration between North Wales Police and north-west England forces—for a presentation on the impact of serious and organised crime, including the link with county lines and the supply of controlled drugs, they told me that evidence given to the Thomas commission was largely ignored in the commission's report. How, therefore, will you ensure that the team you've now commissioned will address this?
Diolch. Buaswn i, a phob Aelod arall, rwy'n siŵr, yn croesawu'r diweddariadau hynny.
Ond os caf aros gyda rhaglen lywodraethu Llywodraeth Cymru, fe wnaethoch chi gyhoeddi datganiad ar y cyd gyda'r Gweinidog cyfiawnder cymdeithasol ddoe ar ymchwil i baratoi ar gyfer datganoli plismona yng Nghymru. Nodai hwnnw fod yr ymrwymiad hwn yn dilyn argymhelliad unfrydol Comisiwn Thomas ar Gyfiawnder yng Nghymru yn 2019, gan ychwanegu bod hyn yn cynnwys deall yr effeithiau ar weithio trawsffiniol. Fodd bynnag, er gwaethaf fy nghwestiynau mynych i chi ynglŷn â hepgoriadau ynghylch hyn o adroddiad comisiwn Thomas, fe wnaethoch chi fethu mynd i'r afael â'r pwyntiau difrifol a godwyd.
Dim ond un cyfeiriad at fater allweddol troseddolrwydd trawsffiniol y mae'r adroddiad yn ei wneud, yng nghyd-destun llinellau cyffuriau, a'r unig ateb a gynigir yw cydweithio ar draws y pedwar heddlu yng Nghymru mewn cydweithrediad ag asiantaethau eraill, heb unrhyw gyfeiriad at y cydweithio sefydledig gyda phartneriaid cyfagos ar draws y ffin trosedd a chyfiawnder anweledig â Lloegr.
Fel rwyf hefyd wedi nodi dro ar ôl tro, pan ymwelais â Titan, uned troseddau cyfundrefnol rhanbarthol gogledd-orllewin Lloegr, gyda grŵp trawsbleidiol y Senedd ar blismona ar y pryd—cynllun cydweithredol yw Titan rhwng Heddlu Gogledd Cymru a heddluoedd gogledd-orllewin Lloegr—ar gyfer cyflwyniad ar effaith troseddau difrifol a chyfundrefnol, gan gynnwys y cysylltiad â llinellau cyffuriau a chyflenwi cyffuriau a reolir, roeddent yn dweud wrthyf fod tystiolaeth a roddwyd i gomisiwn Thomas yn cael ei hanwybyddu i raddau helaeth yn adroddiad y comisiwn. Sut y gallwch chi sicrhau felly y bydd y tîm a gomisiynwyd gennych nawr yn mynd i'r afael â hyn?
Firstly, can I again thank you for raising that? I think it's an important point that you do raise. The issue of the devolution of policing is important. Our concern predominantly with policing, of course, is the integration of policing within all those other aspects of devolved services, which form part of a common jigsaw, in not only the delivering of justice but also dealing with many of the social issues that we have within our society that a modern police force actually has to deal with. It is also something, of course, that has been engaged by the four police and crime commissioners within Wales, all of whom are supportive of this. So, the growth of support for the devolution of policing, I think, is something that has grown, and is basically, I think, accepted fairly commonly among those who are involved in the justice sector, and I think also the same with regard to the police and crime commissioners.
Can I also say, on the devolution of policing, that we already have it in Northern Ireland, and we have it in Scotland? There is devolution in Manchester and it is also in London as well. None of that causes any specific problems. You are right to raise the issue of cross-border. Cross-border is something that is always necessary to be maintained, so that you have that strategic approach to policing across the board, and that will be something that will be very much in mind in terms of the research that we want. We think the arguments in terms of the merits and the rationale for the devolution of policing are pretty clear, and I think they are equally applicable not only to those areas that already have the devolution of policing, but also to other areas of England as well. I think that is recognised, and it's the same with aspects of the devolution of justice.
The reason for carrying out the research, of course, is because we want to actually build on that, to better understand it, to look at the mechanisms as to how the very issues that you raise would actually be dealt with in an environment where, I think, there is also a very recognised rationale for the devolution of policing in so many areas that affect our communities and relate to what is important about the localisation of policing. Considerable work has already been done, again, by the Minister for Social Justice, in terms of the policing partnership, which she is very heavily involved in. I've been grateful to be able to attend on occasion as well. I think the proof of the pudding will be when we see the research from the experts that have very clear expertise and practical expertise in this area. I'm sure that the work they do and the report they eventually produce will be of considerable value to all Members of this Senedd.
Yn gyntaf, a gaf fi ddiolch i chi unwaith eto am godi hyn? Rwy'n credu ei fod yn bwynt pwysig. Mae mater datganoli plismona yn bwysig. Ein pryder yn bennaf am blismona, wrth gwrs, yw integreiddiad plismona o fewn yr holl agweddau eraill ar wasanaethau datganoledig, sy'n rhan o jig-so cyffredin, nid yn unig o ran darparu cyfiawnder ond o ran ymdrin â llawer o'r materion cymdeithasol sydd gennym yn ein cymdeithas y mae'n rhaid i heddlu modern fynd i'r afael â nhw mewn gwirionedd. Mae hefyd yn rhywbeth y mae'r pedwar comisiynydd heddlu a throseddu yng Nghymru wedi ymwneud ag ef, ac mae pob un ohonynt yn gefnogol i hyn. Felly, credaf fod y gefnogaeth i ddatganoli plismona wedi tyfu, ac yn y bôn, yn cael ei dderbyn yn weddol gyffredin ymhlith y rhai sy'n ymwneud â'r sector cyfiawnder, a'r un fath hefyd, rwy'n credu, o ran y comisiynwyr heddlu a throseddu.
A gaf fi ddweud hefyd, ar ddatganoli plismona, fod gennym ni hynny eisoes yng Ngogledd Iwerddon, ac mae gennym ni hynny yn yr Alban? Mae yna ddatganoli ym Manceinion a hefyd yn Llundain. Nid yw'n achosi unrhyw broblemau penodol. Rydych chi'n iawn i godi materion trawsffiniol. Mae angen cynnal materion trawsffiniol bob amser, fel bod gennych ddull strategol o blismona ar draws y bwrdd, a bydd hynny'n rhywbeth a fydd yn cael ei gadw mewn cof mewn perthynas â'r ymchwil yr ydym ei eisiau. Credwn fod y dadleuon ynghylch rhinweddau datganoli plismona a'r sail resymegol drosto yn eithaf clir, ac rwy'n credu eu bod yr un mor berthnasol nid yn unig i'r ardaloedd lle ceir datganoli plismona eisoes, ond hefyd i ardaloedd eraill o Loegr hefyd. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n cael ei gydnabod, ac mae hi'r un fath gydag agweddau ar ddatganoli cyfiawnder.
Y rheswm dros gyflawni'r ymchwil, wrth gwrs, yw oherwydd ein bod eisiau adeiladu ar hynny, i'w ddeall yn well, edrych ar y mecanweithiau o ran sut y byddai'r union faterion rydych chi'n eu codi yn cael eu trin mewn amgylchedd lle credaf fod yna sail resymegol gydnabyddedig dros ddatganoli plismona mewn cymaint o feysydd sy'n effeithio ar ein cymunedau ac sy'n ymwneud â'r hyn sy'n bwysig am leoleiddio plismona. Mae gwaith sylweddol eisoes wedi'i wneud, gan y Gweinidog Cyfiawnder Cymdeithasol, eto, ar y bartneriaeth plismona ac mae hi'n ymwneud yn helaeth â'r bartneriaeth honno. Rwyf innau hefyd wedi bod yn falch iawn o allu mynychu o bryd i'w gilydd. Rwy'n credu y daw'r prawf pan welwn yr ymchwil gan yr arbenigwyr sydd ag arbenigedd clir iawn ac arbenigedd ymarferol yn y maes. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd y gwaith y maent yn ei wneud a'r adroddiad a gynhyrchir ganddynt yn y pen draw o werth mawr i holl Aelodau'r Senedd hon.
Failure to address their statement that evidence given to the Thomas commission was largely ignored would, I am sure you accept, reinforce the impression that you would be pursuing policy-led evidence. Of course, the four police and crime commissioners are also party politicians and the powers of the mayors in London and Manchester, for example, are equivalent to a police and crime commissioner. I trust you're not proposing that those powers should be centred in a single person in Cardiff.
Although your statement yesterday included that the four police forces in Wales have already chosen to work together and with the Welsh Government and other bodies, police officers, from constables to chief constables, repeatedly emphasise that they cannot become involved in policy matters and their involvement is purely operational. When I visited the north-west region organised crime unit, they also told me, as I've said before, that all north Wales emergency planning is done with north-west England, that 95 per cent or more of crime in north Wales is local or operates on a cross-border, east-west basis, and that North Wales Police have no significant operations working on an all-Wales basis.
Although you previously avoided responding to these facts when I've raised them with you, the officers who told me this included senior members of the then north Wales chief constable's command team, and I note that the review you announced yesterday will be led by that former chief constable. Given that justice and policing operate on an east-west basis across Wales, and that most people in Wales live in or near regions straddling the border with England, what assurance can you now provide that objective evidence from police forces and other relevant bodies across the border, but operating with forces and relevant bodies within Wales, will be included in the review?
Rwy'n siŵr y byddech yn derbyn y byddai methu mynd i'r afael â'u datganiad fod tystiolaeth a roddwyd i gomisiwn Thomas yn cael ei hanwybyddu i raddau helaeth yn cryfhau'r argraff y byddech yn dilyn tystiolaeth a arweinir gan bolisi. Wrth gwrs, mae'r pedwar comisiynydd heddlu a throseddu hefyd yn wleidyddion pleidiol ac mae pwerau'r meiri yn Llundain a Manceinion, er enghraifft, yn cyfateb i rai comisiynydd heddlu a throseddu. Hyderaf nad ydych yn cynnig y dylai'r pwerau hynny fod yn nwylo un unigolyn yng Nghaerdydd.
Er bod eich datganiad ddoe yn cynnwys fod y pedwar heddlu yng Nghymru eisoes wedi dewis gweithio gyda'i gilydd a chyda Llywodraeth Cymru a chyrff eraill, mae swyddogion heddlu, o gwnstabliaid i brif gwnstabliaid, yn pwysleisio dro ar ôl tro na allant gymryd rhan mewn materion polisi ac mae eu cyfranogiad yn gwbl weithredol. Pan ymwelais ag uned troseddau cyfundrefnol rhanbarth gogledd-orllewin Lloegr, roeddent yn dweud wrthyf hefyd, fel y dywedais o'r blaen, fod holl gynlluniau argyfwng gogledd Cymru yn cael eu gwneud gyda gogledd-orllewin Lloegr, fod 95 y cant neu fwy o droseddau yng ngogledd Cymru yn lleol neu'n gweithredu ar sail drawsffiniol dwyrain-gorllewin, ac nad oes gan Heddlu Gogledd Cymru unrhyw weithrediadau sylweddol yn gweithio ar sail Cymru gyfan.
Er eich bod wedi osgoi ymateb i'r ffeithiau hyn o'r blaen pan wyf wedi eu codi gyda chi, roedd y swyddogion a ddywedodd hyn wrthyf yn cynnwys uwch aelodau o dîm rheoli prif gwnstabl gogledd Cymru ar y pryd, a nodaf y bydd yr adolygiad a gyhoeddwyd gennych ddoe yn cael ei arwain gan y cyn-brif gwnstabl hwnnw. O ystyried bod cyfiawnder a phlismona yn gweithredu ar batrwm dwyrain-gorllewin ledled Cymru, a bod y rhan fwyaf o bobl yng Nghymru yn byw mewn rhanbarthau neu'n agos i ranbarthau sy'n rhychwantu'r ffin â Lloegr, pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei roi nawr y bydd tystiolaeth wrthrychol gan heddluoedd a chyrff perthnasol eraill ar draws y ffin, ond gan weithredu gyda heddluoedd a chyrff perthnasol yng Nghymru, yn cael ei chynnwys yn yr adolygiad?
Thank you for the points, again, that you raise. I think some of the points, which are criticisms of certain operations of the police, seem to me to be supportive exactly of the reason why we think it is important that there is a devolution of policing, so they could be addressed within that broader framework. But leaving that to one side, I think, having commissioned now this expert evidence, the key way forward is to wait until that evidence comes, to then considerate it, evaluate it and then we'll debate it in this Chamber. The points you raise very generally I think are ones that will be addressed within that report and we'll be able to discuss within this Chamber. I think that is the way that we will take this forward.
Diolch unwaith eto am y pwyntiau a godwyd gennych. Rwy'n credu bod rhai o'r pwyntiau, sy'n feirniadaeth o rai o weithrediadau'r heddlu, yn ymddangos fel pe baent yn cefnogi'r union reswm pam ein bod yn credu ei bod yn bwysig datganoli plismona, fel y gellid mynd i'r afael â nhw o fewn y fframwaith ehangach hwnnw. Ond gan roi hynny i'r naill ochr, rwy'n credu, ar ôl comisiynu'r dystiolaeth arbenigol hon nawr, y ffordd allweddol ymlaen yw aros nes daw'r dystiolaeth honno, ei hystyried wedyn, ei gwerthuso ac yna ei thrafod yn y Siambr hon. Credaf yn gyffredinol fod y pwyntiau a godwch yn rhai a gaiff sylw yn yr adroddiad hwnnw a gallwn eu trafod yn y Siambr hon. Rwy'n credu mai dyna'r ffordd y gwnawn fwrw ymlaen â hyn.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Adam Price.
Yn y ddadl yr wythnos diwethaf ar ansawdd dŵr, roedd mwy nag un Aelod o fwy nag un blaid wedi gwneud yr achos dros gymryd Dŵr Cymru yn ôl mewn i berchnogaeth gyhoeddus. Mi oedd y Prif Weinidog ei hunan, yn ôl ym mis Mai, wedi dweud y byddai fe yn ei groesawu pe bai'r Senedd yn adolygu a oedd y model cydfuddiannol wedi cyflawni'r manteision a addawyd dros 20 mlynedd yn ôl pan grëwyd Glas Cymru, y rhiant gwmni. Fel cam cyntaf yn y broses hynny, fel petai, ydy'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol mewn sefyllfa i gadarnhau bod gennym ni fel Senedd y cymhwysedd i ddeddfu i wladoli Dŵr Cymru fel cwmni dŵr sydd yn bennaf yn gweithredu yng Nghymru?
In last week's debate on water quality, more than one Member of more than one party had made the case for taking Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water back into public ownership. The First Minister himself, back in May, had said that he would welcome it if the Senedd were to review whether the mutual model had achieved the benefits promised over 20 years ago when Glas Cymru, the parent company, was created. As a first step in that process, as it were, is the Counsel General in a situation to confirm that we as a Senedd have the competence to legislate to nationalise Dŵr Cymru as a water company that operates mainly in Wales?
Well, what I can say is that water is not a reserved matter, other than that there are certain restrictions in respect of water, particularly where it may relate to water that is part Wales, part England, et cetera. The concern we would have would be the issue of competence with regard to being wholly or mainly in Wales. So, those are matters that could be considered by this Senedd and, if there were a review, it is certainly a review that would be very valid to be held within this Senedd.
Wel, yr hyn y gallaf ei ddweud yw nad yw dŵr yn fater a gadwyd yn ôl, heblaw bod cyfyngiadau penodol mewn perthynas â dŵr, yn enwedig lle gallai ymwneud â dŵr sy'n rhannol yng Nghymru, yn rhannol yn Lloegr, ac ati. Y pryder a fyddai gennym fyddai mater cymhwysedd o ran bod yn gyfan gwbl neu'n bennaf yng Nghymru. Felly, mae'r rhain yn faterion y gallai'r Senedd hon eu hystyried a phe ceid adolygiad, yn sicr byddai'n briodol iawn ei gynnal o fewn y Senedd hon.
Pan fydd unrhyw gwmni yn cael ei wladoli, mae'r cwestiwn cyfreithiol o lefel addas iawndal ar gyfer ei berchnogion yn codi. Mae yna ddigon o gynseiliau o'r Uchel Lys, y Llys Apêl a Llys Iawnderau Dynol Ewrop sydd yn dyfarnu bod seneddau, yng nghyd-destun gwladoli, yn medru pennu lefel iawndal sydd yn addas yn eu tyb nhw, o fewn y cyd-destun penodol. Yn yr achos yma, gan nad oes yna gyfranddalwyr o gwbl, ydy'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol o'r farn na fyddai iawndal yn gyfreithiol angenrheidiol ac, yn benodol, na fyddai angen chwaith talu iawndal i gredydwyr Dŵr Cymru—deilyddion bondiau a benthycwyr eraill—oherwydd y byddai'r dyledion hynny'n cael eu trosglwyddo o dan yr un telerau i'r cwmni gwladoledig, neu, pe bai yna gymal yn y cytundebau ariannu yn atal hyn rhag digwydd, y byddai'r Senedd â'r pŵer i wyrdroi hynny yn ôl ei phenderfyniad?
When any company is nationalised, the legal question of the appropriate level of compensation for the owners is raised. There are plenty of precedents from the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the European Court of Human Rights that have decided that parliaments, in the context of nationalisation, can set the level of compensation that is appropriate in their view within that specific context. In this case, as there are no shareholders at all, is the Counsel General of the view that compensation would not be legally necessary and, specifically, that there would be no need to pay compensation to creditors of Dŵr Cymru—bond holders and other lenders—because either those debts would be transferred under the same conditions to the nationalised company or, if there was a clause in the funding agreements to prevent that from happening, that the Senedd would have the power to overturn that, according to its own decisions?
Well, the issue of competence is a very complex area and entails many factors. Glas Cymru is a corporate entity. That gives it, certainly, a legal identity. It is a private company, limited by guarantee. So, I suppose, regarding property, there are issues that relate to property that might well be legally engaged. There are also other property interests that would be engaged, as you mentioned, in terms of debts or in terms of bonds, and so on, by which Dŵr Cymru has operated. Those would certainly raise issues and matters that would need to be considered as well.
Any legislation would need to be considered carefully under section 108A of the Government of Wales Act 2006. As I said, Schedule 7A does contain some reservations in relation to water that would need to be very carefully considered. The company has no share capital and, as you said, there are no shareholders, but it does have individuals who are appointed as members who play a role similar to shareholders but with no financial interest. So, I think the best I can say at this stage is this: if there were such a proposal, then careful consideration would need to be given to the issue of competence.
Wel, mae mater cymhwysedd yn faes cymhleth iawn ac mae'n cynnwys llawer o ffactorau. Mae Glas Cymru yn endid corfforaethol. Yn sicr, mae hynny'n rhoi hunaniaeth gyfreithiol iddo. Mae'n gwmni preifat, cyfyngedig trwy warant. Felly, mewn perthynas ag eiddo, mae'n debyg fod yna faterion sy'n ymwneud ag eiddo a allai fod yn berthnasol yn gyfreithiol. Mae yna hefyd fuddiannau eiddo eraill a fyddai'n cael eu cynnwys, fel y dywedoch chi, o ran dyledion neu o ran bondiau ac yn y blaen, lle mae Dŵr Cymru wedi gweithredu. Byddai'r rheini'n sicr yn codi cwestiynau a materion y byddai angen eu hystyried hefyd.
Byddai angen ystyried unrhyw ddeddfwriaeth yn ofalus o dan adran 108A o Ddeddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006. Fel y dywedais, mae Atodlen 7A yn cynnwys rhai cymalau cadw mewn perthynas â dŵr y byddai angen eu hystyried yn ofalus iawn. Nid oes gan y cwmni unrhyw gyfalaf cyfranddaliadau ac fel y dywedoch chi, nid oes ganddo gyfranddalwyr, ond mae ganddo unigolion sy'n cael eu penodi fel aelodau sy'n chwarae rôl debyg i gyfranddalwyr ond heb unrhyw fuddiant ariannol. Felly, rwy'n credu mai'r gorau y gallaf ei ddweud ar hyn o bryd yw hyn: pe ceid cynnig o'r fath, byddai angen rhoi ystyriaeth ofalus i gymhwysedd.
3. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'u cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU ar fwrw ymlaen i ddiddymu Deddf Crwydraeth 1824? OQ60231
3. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the UK Government on progressing the repeal of the Vagrancy Act 1824? OQ60231
Thank you for your question. We welcome the UK Government’s commitment to repeal the Vagrancy Act, something we've called for for some time, but we have concerns that its replacement may not align with our compassionate approach of supporting people experiencing homelessness into stable accommodation. Our officials have stressed this to their counterparts while we await the full details of the proposals.
Diolch am eich cwestiwn. Rydym yn croesawu ymrwymiad Llywodraeth y DU i ddiddymu'r Ddeddf Crwydraeth, rhywbeth y buom yn galw amdano ers peth amser, ond mae gennym bryderon na fydd yr hyn a ddaw yn ei lle yn cyd-fynd â'n dull tosturiol o gynorthwyo pobl sy'n profi digartrefedd i gael llety sefydlog. Mae ein swyddogion wedi pwysleisio hyn i'w swyddogion cyfatebol wrth i ni aros am fanylion llawn yr argymhellion.
Diolch, Cwnsler Cyffredinol. That is also my concern. As I've mentioned before in the Senedd, as a newly qualified barrister, I often saw vulnerable homeless people being prosecuted under this terrible Act, just for trying to survive. As much as we hope that attitudes have changed since then, it seems from recent statements from the now former Home Secretary that that just isn't the case. With a Government that promoted homelessness as a lifestyle choice and wants to punish organisations that provide tents and sleeping bags to people who would otherwise die to the elements, it's no wonder that there's been a massive backlash, with many charities saying they were willing to break the law and to go to prison just to show basic humanity. The former Home Secretary also wanted to apply her proposals to the Criminal Justice Bill, which was announced in the King's Speech, essentially making it a vagrancy Act 2.0. With the announcement last month from the Minister for Climate Change in this Senedd, will the Counsel General oppose any attempts by the UK Government to enforce this inhumane regulation? Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch, Gwnsler Cyffredinol. Dyna fy mhryder innau hefyd. Fel y soniais o'r blaen yn y Senedd, fel bargyfreithiwr newydd gymhwyso, byddwn yn aml yn gweld pobl ddigartref bregus yn cael eu herlyn o dan y Ddeddf ofnadwy hon, am ddim byd mwy na cheisio goroesi. Er cymaint y gobeithiwn fod agweddau wedi newid ers hynny, mae'n ymddangos nad yw hynny'n wir yn ôl datganiadau diweddar gan y cyn-Ysgrifennydd Cartref bellach. Gyda Llywodraeth a hyrwyddodd ddigartrefedd fel dewis ffordd o fyw ac sydd eisiau cosbi sefydliadau sy'n darparu pebyll a sachau cysgu i bobl a fyddai fel arall yn marw o oerfel, nid yw'n syndod fod yna adwaith enfawr wedi bod, gyda llawer o elusennau'n dweud eu bod yn barod i dorri'r gyfraith a mynd i'r carchar er mwyn dangos dyngarwch sylfaenol. Hefyd, roedd y cyn-Ysgrifennydd Cartref eisiau gosod ei chynigion yn y Bil Cyfiawnder Troseddol, a gyhoeddwyd yn Araith y Brenin, gan ei wneud yn Ddeddf crwydraeth 2.0 i bob pwrpas. Gyda'r cyhoeddiad fis diwethaf gan y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd yn y Senedd hon, a wnaiff y Cwnsler Cyffredinol wrthwynebu unrhyw ymdrechion gan Lywodraeth y DU i orfodi'r rheoliad annynol hwn? Diolch yn fawr.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (David Rees) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (David Rees) took the Chair.
You make a number of very valid points. We recently published a consultation on our proposals to end homelessness in Wales, and our focus in this Senedd is on prevention, and when homelessness does occur, the importance is supporting people back into safe accommodation. As I said, the Vagrancy Act 1824, parts of it have been repealed over the years. What the UK Government has said clearly, though, is that it is not going to abolish it until its replacement is in place. Now, we do have concerns about what the replacement might actually be. It's possible the Vagrancy Act replacement may criminalise those who are homeless and in greatest need, whereas the evidence suggests that the focus should always be on supporting homeless people off the streets and into suitable long-term accommodation, rather than criminalising vulnerable people and individuals with complex needs.
I think we also—and I think this probably lies behind some of the comments you made as well—have concerns about some of the comments that have been made about tents and, in effect, victimising homeless people and those who are rough-sleeping. So, we would certainly not be supportive of anything that resulted in criminalisation, rather than something that looked towards actually solving the problem of homelessness and contributing to getting people off the streets. That would be the direction that we would want to take. We will continue to engage with the UK Government, and, of course, when further details of what exactly is proposed are shared with us—. At this stage, we really do not know. It's unfortunate that there hasn't been further detail to share with us so that we knew more about it at this stage, but I can assure you that this is something we're looking at very closely.
Rydych chi'n gwneud nifer o bwyntiau dilys iawn. Yn ddiweddar, fe wnaethom gyhoeddi ymgynghoriad ar ein cynigion i roi diwedd ar ddigartrefedd yng Nghymru, ac mae ein ffocws yn y Senedd hon ar atal, a phan fo digartrefedd yn digwydd, mae'n bwysig cynorthwyo pobl i gael llety diogel. Fel y dywedais, mae rhannau o Ddeddf Crwydraeth 1824 wedi cael eu diddymu dros y blynyddoedd. Yr hyn y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi'i ddweud yn glir, serch hynny, yw nad yw'n mynd i'w dileu nes bod ganddynt ddeddf i gymryd ei lle. Nawr, mae gennym bryderon ynglŷn â beth allai'r ddeddf newydd fod. Mae'n bosibl y gallai'r hyn a ddaw yn lle'r Ddeddf Crwydraeth droseddoli'r rhai sy'n ddigartref ac sydd â'r angen mwyaf, tra bod y dystiolaeth yn awgrymu y dylai'r ffocws bob amser fod ar gynorthwyo pobl ddigartref i ddod oddi ar y strydoedd ac i mewn i lety hirdymor addas, yn hytrach na throseddoli pobl fregus ac unigolion ag anghenion cymhleth.
Rwy'n meddwl hefyd—ac rwy'n credu, mae'n debyg, mai dyma sy'n sail i rai o'r sylwadau a wnaethoch chi hefyd—ein bod yn pryderu am rai o'r sylwadau sydd wedi'u gwneud am bebyll ac erlid pobl ddigartref a'r rhai sy'n cysgu allan i bob pwrpas. Felly, yn sicr ni fyddem yn gefnogol i unrhyw beth a fyddai'n arwain at droseddoli, yn hytrach na rhywbeth a fyddai'n ceisio datrys problem digartrefedd a chyfrannu at gael pobl oddi ar y strydoedd. Dyna'r cyfeiriad y byddem yn dymuno mynd iddo. Byddwn yn parhau i ymgysylltu â Llywodraeth y DU, ac wrth gwrs, pan fydd rhagor o fanylion am beth yn union a gynigir yn cael eu rhannu gyda ni—. Ar hyn o bryd, nid ydym yn gwybod. Mae'n anffodus na fu rhagor o fanylion i'w rhannu gyda ni fel ein bod yn gwybod mwy amdano ar y cam hwn, ond gallaf eich sicrhau bod hyn yn rhywbeth yr ydym yn edrych arno'n agos iawn.
4. Pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch goblygiadau diwygio'r Senedd ar gyfer y setliad datganoli? OQ60252
4. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government regarding the implications of Senedd reform on the devolution settlement? OQ60252
Thank you for your question. There are no implications of Senedd reform for the devolution settlement. I have consulted UK Ministers as necessary, where the Bill provisions have implications for a function of the Secretary of State under the Government of Wales Act.
Diolch am eich cwestiwn. Nid oes goblygiadau yn sgil diwygio'r Senedd i'r setliad datganoli. Rwyf wedi ymgynghori â Gweinidogion y DU yn ôl yr angen, lle mae gan ddarpariaethau'r Bil oblygiadau i swyddogaeth yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol o dan Ddeddf Llywodraeth Cymru.
Thank you, Counsel General, for your answer. I note that, at the start of December, the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership will be bringing forward the electoral candidates list Bill in order to impose gender quotas on the next Senedd elections. Obviously, you will be aware that the special purpose committee looking into Senedd reform, as well as the expert panel and other academics and legal experts, have raised concerns around the competency of the Welsh Government to be able to legislate in this area. I know that's a view that you and the Welsh Government might disagree with, so I would have hoped that the Welsh Government would have worked together with the UK Government to find a way through to make sure that this Bill could be passed. So, imagine my surprise when, earlier today, I contacted the Wales Office to find out whether you had contacted the UK Government and I was told that you hadn't. Can you explain why?
Diolch yn fawr am eich ateb, Gwnsler Cyffredinol. Ddechrau mis Rhagfyr, nodaf y bydd y Dirprwy Weinidog Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol yn cyflwyno'r Bil rhestr ymgeiswyr etholiadol er mwyn gosod cwotâu rhywedd ar gyfer etholiadau nesaf y Senedd. Yn amlwg, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol fod y pwyllgor diben arbennig sy'n edrych ar ddiwygio'r Senedd, yn ogystal â'r panel arbenigol ac academyddion ac arbenigwyr cyfreithiol eraill, wedi mynegi pryderon ynghylch cymhwysedd Llywodraeth Cymru i allu deddfu yn y maes hwn. Rwy'n gwybod bod honno'n farn yr ydych chi a Llywodraeth Cymru'n anghytuno â hi o bosibl, felly buaswn wedi gobeithio y byddai Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cydweithio â Llywodraeth y DU i ddod o hyd i ffordd drwodd i sicrhau y gellid pasio'r Bil hwn. Felly, dychmygwch fy syndod pan gysylltais â Swyddfa Cymru yn gynharach heddiw i weld a oeddech chi wedi cysylltu â Llywodraeth y DU a chael gwybod nad oeddech chi wedi gwneud hynny. A wnewch chi egluro pam?
Well, can I say that, in terms of the legislation that's going through that I'm responsible for, I wrote to the ministerial team at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 11 September, consulting on the implications of Senedd reform for a function of the Secretary of State. The response from the Minister for levelling up contained no specific comments on the legislative proposals. However, the Minister for levelling up did note that there would undoubtedly be great interest in the Senedd reform proposals from those working on elections, and requested to be kept informed on the passage of the legislation. My officials have also engaged with the Ministry of Justice on the potential impact of the legislation on the justice system, and, following their review, the Ministry of Justice confirmed that the proposals had a nil or minimal impact on the UK justice system. The gender quotas Bill, which is the one that you have referred to, is not being brought by me, as it's not within my portfolio of responsibility. But what I can assure you, in terms of my functions as Counsel General—the assurance I give on every piece of legislation I comment on—is that matters that are within competence are a matter for me to comment on, to report on, as they are with the Llywydd as well. If there are matters in that Bill that are relevant to the UK Government, then I'm sure the Minister will engage with the UK Government where it is necessary and appropriate to do so.
Wel, a gaf fi ddweud, o ran y ddeddfwriaeth sy'n mynd drwodd yr wyf yn gyfrifol amdani, ysgrifennais at y tîm gweinidogol yn yr Adran Ffyniant Bro, Tai a Chymunedau ar 11 Medi, i ymgynghori ar oblygiadau diwygio'r Senedd i swyddogaeth yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol. Nid oedd ymateb y Gweinidog ffyniant bro yn cynnwys unrhyw sylwadau penodol ar y cynigion deddfwriaethol. Fodd bynnag, nododd y Gweinidog ffyniant bro y byddai diddordeb mawr yn ddi-os yng nghynigion diwygio'r Senedd gan y rhai sy'n gweithio ar etholiadau, a gofynnodd am ddiweddariadau ar hynt y ddeddfwriaeth. Mae fy swyddogion hefyd wedi ymgysylltu â'r Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder ar effaith bosibl y ddeddfwriaeth ar y system gyfiawnder, ac yn dilyn eu hadolygiad, cadarnhaodd y Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder nad yw'r cynigion yn cael fawr o effaith os o gwbl ar system gyfiawnder y DU. Nid yw'r Bil cwotâu rhywedd, sef yr un y cyfeirioch chi ato, yn cael ei gyflwyno gennyf fi, gan nad yw'n un o gyfrifoldebau fy mhortffolio. Ond yr hyn y gallaf eich sicrhau, o ran fy swyddogaethau fel Cwnsler Cyffredinol—y sicrwydd rwy'n ei roi ar bob darn o ddeddfwriaeth y gwnaf sylwadau arni—yw mai mater i mi wneud sylwadau arnynt, i adrodd arnynt, yw materion sydd o fewn y cymhwysedd, ac i'r Llywydd hefyd. Os oes materion yn y Bil hwnnw sy'n berthnasol i Lywodraeth y DU, rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn ymgysylltu â Llywodraeth y DU lle mae'n angenrheidiol ac yn briodol gwneud hynny.
Those of us who believe in the principles of subsidiarity, and also good scrutiny, believing that good scrutiny makes for good government and actually saves money, will support proposals around Senedd reform, but I wonder whether the Counsel General has turned his attention at all back up the other direction, looking at the possible proposals of a future incoming Government after a UK general election. I wonder what his thoughts are on the proposals, for example, in what is now known colloquially as the Gordon Brown report, not only in terms of a senate of the nations and regions, reflective of the different constituent parts of the UK—smaller, slimmer, more effective, more representative—but also the wider changes included around things such as the Sewel convention. Surely, Senedd reform is a really good step forward. What we now need also is reform of the UK institutions.
Bydd y rhai ohonom sy'n credu yn egwyddorion sybsidiaredd a chraffu da, gan gredu bod craffu da yn arwain at lywodraethu da ac yn arbed arian mewn gwirionedd, yn cefnogi cynigion ynghylch diwygio'r Senedd, ond tybed a yw'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi troi ei sylw o gwbl i'r cyfeiriad arall, gan edrych ar gynigion posibl Llywodraeth a ddaw yn y dyfodol ar ôl etholiad cyffredinol yn y DU. Tybed beth yw ei farn ar y cynigion, er enghraifft, yn yr hyn a elwir ar lafar erbyn hyn yn adroddiad Gordon Brown, nid yn unig mewn perthynas â senedd y gwledydd a'r rhanbarthau, sy'n adlewyrchu gwahanol rannau cyfansoddol y DU—llai, mwy cryno, mwy effeithiol, mwy cynrychiadol—ond hefyd y newidiadau ehangach a gynhwysir ynghylch pethau fel confensiwn Sewel. Mae diwygio'r Senedd yn gam da iawn ymlaen. Yr hyn sydd ei angen arnom nawr hefyd yw diwygio sefydliadau'r DU.
You make a number of very valid points. Of course, included within the Gordon Brown report is also the reform of the House of Lords, which is desperately in need of reform, and where I think the use of peerages is a matter that is increasingly of concern to Parliament, and particularly the abuse of appointments. I'll leave that point there at this stage.
You make a valid point in terms of subsidiarity. Subsidiarity is about bringing decision making as close as possible to the people and the communities that are affected. I think this is something that we've discussed numerous times in this Senedd, but it is a fundamental part of the Gordon Brown report, and I think it is a very important basis for constitutional reform. Of course, Sewel is a convention. Sometimes, the status of a convention, and also a convention that is replicated in statute law in the Government of Wales legislation, is something that should be of importance, so it is of considerable concern that, constitutionally, it is increasingly breached and normalised. I would hope that an incoming Labour Government would want to ensure that the constitutional arrangements before the four nations of the UK are put back on a proper footing. I think the proposal in the Gordon Brown report whereby, in order for Sewel to be breached, there would be, say, a two-thirds majority in Parliament is something that has a lot of merit to it. It's a standard we apply here for constitutional reform. It would well be a standard that could apply in respect of Westminster and perhaps not conclusively resolve but actually go a long way to resolving the contradictions and dysfunction that already exist within our constitutional arrangements.
Rydych chi'n gwneud nifer o bwyntiau dilys iawn. Wrth gwrs, mae diwygio Tŷ'r Arglwyddi hefyd wedi'i gynnwys yn adroddiad Gordon Brown, sefydliad sydd angen ei ddiwygio'n ddybryd, a lle credaf fod urddo arglwyddi'n fater sy'n peri pryder cynyddol i'r Senedd, ac yn enwedig y ffordd y camfanteisir ar y drefn o benodi arglwyddi. Fe'i gadawaf ar hynny ar y cam hwn.
Rydych chi'n gwneud pwynt dilys ynghylch sybsidiaredd. Mae sybsidiaredd yn ymwneud â dod â phenderfyniadau mor agos â phosibl at y bobl a'r cymunedau yr effeithir arnynt. Credaf fod hyn yn rhywbeth yr ydym wedi'i drafod sawl gwaith yn y Senedd hon, ond mae'n rhan sylfaenol o adroddiad Gordon Brown, ac rwy'n credu ei fod yn sail bwysig iawn ar gyfer diwygio cyfansoddiadol. Wrth gwrs, confensiwn yw Sewel. Weithiau, mae statws confensiwn, a hefyd confensiwn sy'n cael ei ailadrodd mewn cyfraith statud yn neddfwriaeth Llywodraeth Cymru, yn rhywbeth a ddylai fod o bwys, felly mae'n peri pryder mawr, yn gyfansoddiadol, ei fod yn cael ei dorri a'i normaleiddio'n gynyddol. Buaswn yn gobeithio y byddai Llywodraeth Lafur newydd eisiau sicrhau bod y trefniadau cyfansoddiadol sydd ger bron pedair gwlad y DU yn cael eu rhoi yn ôl ar sail briodol. Rwy'n credu bod y cynnig yn adroddiad Gordon Brown lle byddai angen mwyafrif o ddwy ran o dair yn y Senedd cyn mynd yn groes i Sewel yn rhywbeth sydd â llawer o rinwedd yn perthyn iddo. Mae'n safon yr ydym yn ei chymhwyso yma ar gyfer diwygio cyfansoddiadol. Mae'n ddigon posibl y byddai'n safon a allai fod yn berthnasol mewn perthynas â San Steffan ac efallai na fyddai'n datrys yn llwyr, ond yn mynd yn bell i ddatrys yr anghysondebau a'r camweithrediad sydd eisoes yn bodoli yn ein trefniadau cyfansoddiadol.
5. Pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch datganoli'r system gyfiawnder i Gymru? OQ60216
5. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government regarding the devolution of the justice system to Wales? OQ60216
We have repeatedly made our position clear with the UK Government over the years since the Commission on Justice in Wales was published, but ultimately they do not support the commission's conclusion that justice should be devolved.
Rydym wedi egluro ein safbwynt dro ar ôl tro wrth Lywodraeth y DU dros y blynyddoedd ers cyhoeddi'r Comisiwn ar Gyfiawnder yng Nghymru, ond yn y pen draw nid ydynt yn cefnogi casgliad y comisiwn y dylid datganoli cyfiawnder.
Diolch. I would support everything that you've said there, Counsel General, especially as, according to the UK Government Ministry of Justice, UK prisons are at 98 per cent capacity, and it has been reported that two thirds of prisons in England and Wales are officially overcrowded, with inmates living in inhumane conditions. In fact, last month, the prison population of England and Wales reached an all-time high and, under this UK Government, Britain already had the highest per capita incarceration rate in western Europe. In response to this, the UK Government scrambled to free up space in overcrowded prisons with plans to send fewer convicted criminals to jail and a senior presiding judge telling judges to delay sentencing of convicted criminals now on bail—and that includes rapists and burglars—because prisons are full. But then this also heaps further pressure on a probation service already in crisis, with officials dealing with appallingly high workloads due to an exodus of both staff and experience. So, in conclusion, this UK Government has led the justice system in England and Wales into a serious crisis due to years of underfunding, backlogs and strikes due to poor work conditions. Considering this, Counsel General, what discussions have you had with the UK Government to address this crisis? And what steps is the Welsh Government planning to take to reduce dangerous overcrowding in our Welsh prison systems? Diolch.
Diolch. Rwy'n cefnogi popeth a ddywedoch chi yno, Gwnsler Cyffredinol, yn fwyaf arbennig oherwydd, yn ôl Gweinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder Llywodraeth y DU, mae carchardai'r DU ar 98 y cant o'u capasiti, ac adroddwyd yn swyddogol fod dwy ran o dair o garchardai Cymru a Lloegr yn orlawn, gyda charcharorion yn byw mewn amodau annynol. Mewn gwirionedd, y mis diwethaf, roedd poblogaeth carchardai Cymru a Lloegr yn uwch nag y bu erioed ac eisoes, o dan Lywodraeth y DU, Prydain oedd â'r gyfradd garcharu uchaf y pen yng ngorllewin Ewrop. Mewn ymateb i hyn, aeth Llywodraeth y DU ati fel lladd nadroedd i ryddhau lle mewn carchardai gorlawn gyda chynlluniau i anfon llai o droseddwyr a gafwyd yn euog i'r carchar ac uwch farnwr gweinyddol yn dweud wrth farnwyr am oedi cyn dedfrydu troseddwyr a gafwyd yn euog ac sydd nawr ar fechnïaeth—ac mae hynny'n cynnwys treiswyr a byrgleriaid—oherwydd bod carchardai'n llawn. Ond mae hyn hefyd yn rhoi pwysau pellach ar wasanaeth prawf sydd eisoes mewn argyfwng, gyda swyddogion yn ymdrin â llwyth gwaith ofnadwy o uchel oherwydd ecsodus o staff a phrofiad. Felly, i gloi, mae'r Llywodraeth hon wedi arwain y system gyfiawnder yng Nghymru a Lloegr i argyfwng difrifol oherwydd blynyddoedd o danariannu, ôl-gronni a streiciau oherwydd amodau gwaith gwael. O ystyried hyn, Gwnsler Cyffredinol, pa drafodaethau a gawsoch gyda Llywodraeth y DU i fynd i'r afael â'r argyfwng hwn? A pha gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu eu cymryd i leihau gorlenwi peryglus yn ein systemau carchar yng Nghymru? Diolch.
Well, the prisons, per se, are not devolved. Of course, we have important roles within the prison system, in terms of health and education, and of course we are preparing the ground in respect of the devolution of youth justice and probation. It is unclear exactly where the UK Government is going with its legislation. What is important, though, is that it is recognising—I think something that was well recognised within the Thomas commission report—that there are too many short sentences. Short sentences do not contribute adequately to our justice system. We know that there are many reasons why we should be moving towards more alternatives to prison and to arrangements within the community. Now, this is something that appears to have been recognised by the UK Government.
The prison system is in crisis. In the 13 years of Tory Government, it has increased from 45,000 to 90,000, but there are also major concerns that we have now that we are becoming increasingly aware of, particularly because of some of the work and the data that is now arising from the work being done by Cardiff University. The issue of having data to understand what is happening in our prisons, and then the prisoners who are then released then into our community and engaging with devolved responsibilities is really significant. We've raised it with Lord Bellamy, the Under-Secretary for justice, and, in fairness, that is a matter that is an ongoing, and regular now, discussion with Lord Bellamy.
But just to give you an example in terms of why our prisons are in such a dysfunctional state at the moment. Not only is it because in Wales we probably have the highest rate of imprisonment in the whole of western Europe—per 10,000 people of colour, 91 will be in prison; per 10,000 of Asian background, 28 will be in prison; those of a mixed-ethnic backgrounds, 41 will be in prison; from white backgrounds, 14 will be in prison. If you're black and you are sentenced, you are likely to get, on average, a 10-month longer sentence. So, the issue of the sentencing policy is, obviously, of some significance. If you're from a black and ethnic minority background, you're likely to serve a longer part of your sentence in prison. So, there are many other—. I could go on with a list of these that show how important it is that we not only address that issue in terms of prisons, that we look at those alternatives, and we'll obviously engage with UK Government on those alternatives. We do, of course, have to ensure that we are retaining confidence in the protection of the public, but what is happening at the moment is a gross and an offensive failure within the prison system and is one of the reasons that underpins our calls for the devolution of justice.
Wel, nid yw'r carchardai, fel y cyfryw, wedi'u datganoli. Wrth gwrs, mae gennym rolau pwysig o fewn y system garchardai, o ran iechyd ac addysg, ac wrth gwrs, rydym yn paratoi'r tir mewn perthynas â datganoli prawf a chyfiawnder ieuenctid. Nid yw'n glir ble'n union mae Llywodraeth y DU yn mynd gyda'i deddfwriaeth. Yr hyn sy'n bwysig, serch hynny, yw ei bod yn sylweddoli—rwy'n credu bod hyn yn rhywbeth a gafodd ei gydnabod yn dda yn adroddiad comisiwn Thomas—fod gormod o ddedfrydau byr. Nid yw dedfrydau byr yn cyfrannu'n ddigonol at ein system gyfiawnder. Gwyddom fod llawer o resymau pam y dylem symud tuag at fwy o ddewisiadau yn lle carchar a thuag at drefniadau o fewn y gymuned. Nawr, mae hyn yn rhywbeth sy'n ymddangos fel pe bai wedi cael ei gydnabod gan Lywodraeth y DU.
Mae'r system carchardai mewn argyfwng. Yn yr 13 mlynedd o Lywodraeth Dorïaidd, mae wedi cynyddu o 45,000 i 90,000, ond rydym yn dod yn fwyfwy ymwybodol o bryderon mawr hefyd nawr, yn enwedig oherwydd peth o'r gwaith a'r data sydd bellach yn deillio o'r gwaith a wneir gan Brifysgol Caerdydd. Mae cael data i ddeall beth sy'n digwydd yn ein carchardai, a'r carcharorion sy'n cael eu rhyddhau wedyn i'n cymuned ac ymwneud â chyfrifoldebau datganoledig yn arwyddocaol iawn. Rydym wedi ei godi gyda'r Arglwydd Bellamy, yr Is-Ysgrifennydd dros gyfiawnder, ac er tegwch, mae'n fater sy'n drafodaeth barhaus, a rheolaidd bellach, gyda'r Arglwydd Bellamy.
Ond rwyf am roi enghraifft i chi sy'n dangos pam mae ein carchardai mewn cyflwr mor gamweithredol ar hyn o bryd. Nid yn unig oherwydd, yng Nghymru, mae'n debyg mai ni sydd â'r gyfradd uchaf o garchariadau yng ngorllewin Ewrop gyfan—fesul 10,000 o bobl o liw, bydd 91 yn y carchar; fesul 10,000 o gefndir Asiaidd, bydd 28 yn y carchar; rhai o gefndiroedd ethnig cymysg, bydd 41 yn y carchar; o gefndiroedd gwyn, bydd 14 yn y carchar. Os ydych chi'n ddu a'ch bod yn cael eich dedfrydu, rydych chi'n debygol o gael dedfryd sydd 10 mis yn hwy ar gyfartaledd. Felly, mae'n amlwg fod cryn arwyddocâd i fater y polisi dedfrydu. Os ydych yn dod o gefndir du ac ethnig leiafrifol, rydych yn debygol o dreulio rhan hwy o'ch dedfryd yn y carchar. Felly, mae llawer o—. Gallwn barhau â rhestr o'r rhain sy'n dangos pa mor bwysig yw hi ein bod nid yn unig yn mynd i'r afael â'r mater hwnnw mewn perthynas â charchardai, ond ein bod yn edrych ar yr opsiynau amgen, ac yn amlwg, byddwn yn ymgysylltu â Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch yr opsiynau amgen hynny. Wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau ein bod yn cadw hyder yn y modd y caiff y cyhoedd eu diogelu, ond yr hyn sy'n digwydd ar hyn o bryd yw methiant difrifol a sarhaus o fewn y system garchardai ac mae'n un o'r rhesymau sy'n sail i'n galwadau am ddatganoli cyfiawnder.
6. Pa gyngor cyfreithiol y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'i roi i Lywodraeth Cymru ynghylch y goblygiadau ar gyfer gwasanaethau i ddefnyddwyr sy'n agored i niwed o ran dyfarniad yr Uchel Lys yn achos R. Shane Williams v Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili ym mis Mehefin 2019 ynghylch cau canolfan hamdden Pontllanfraith? OQ60228
6. What legal advice has the Counsel General provided to the Welsh Government about the implications on services for vulnerable users, of the High Court ruling in the case of R. Shane Williams v Caerphilly County Borough Council in June 2019, regarding the closure of Pontllanfraith leisure centre? OQ60228
Thank you for your question. The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 provides local authorities with the power to provide a range of recreational facilities, including sports centres, and enables local authorities to respond to local needs and priorities. The Equality Act 2010 and associated regulations form part of the local authorities' consideration when exercising their powers.
Diolch am eich cwestiwn. Mae Deddf Llywodraeth Leol (Darpariaethau Amrywiol) 1976 yn rhoi pŵer i awdurdodau lleol ddarparu amrywiaeth o gyfleusterau hamdden, gan gynnwys canolfannau chwaraeon, ac yn galluogi awdurdodau lleol i ymateb i anghenion a blaenoriaethau lleol. Mae Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 a rheoliadau cysylltiedig yn rhan o ystyriaeth yr awdurdodau lleol wrth arfer eu pwerau.
Diolch am hynny.
Thank you for that.
I'm aware that a report about the future of Pontllanfraith leisure centre is being considered by Caerphilly County Borough Council today, recommending a consultation takes place on the permanent closure of the facility, which makes one wonder how the council have satisfied the court ruling from June 2019. What legal ways are there for services for vulnerable users to be protected across Wales, whichever public authority is responsible? How can we make sure that we save our leisure centres?
Rwy'n ymwybodol fod adroddiad am ddyfodol canolfan hamdden Pontllan-fraith yn cael ei ystyried gan Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili heddiw, yn argymell cynnal ymgynghoriad ar gau'r cyfleuster yn barhaol, sy'n gwneud i rywun feddwl sut mae'r cyngor wedi bodloni'r dyfarniad llys o fis Mehefin 2019. Pa ffyrdd cyfreithiol sydd ar gael i ddiogelu gwasanaethau i ddefnyddwyr bregus ledled Cymru, pa bynnag awdurdod cyhoeddus sy'n gyfrifol? Sut y gallwn sicrhau ein bod yn achub ein canolfannau hamdden?
Well, can I just say to the Member, as locally democratic elected bodies, the local authorities are best placed to manage the organisation of leisure services in their areas, and it is their devolved responsibility. As part of their decision making, local authorities should of course be mindful to their public sector equality duties and consider the impact of their decisions on people who have protected characteristics. They also need to consider their duties under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. These provide a parcel of considerations to help local authorities to make reasoned decisions.
Wel, a gaf fi ddweud wrth yr Aelod, fel cyrff etholedig democrataidd lleol, mai'r awdurdodau lleol sydd yn y sefyllfa orau i reoli trefniadaeth gwasanaethau hamdden yn eu hardaloedd, a'u cyfrifoldeb datganoledig nhw yw hynny. Fel rhan o'u penderfyniadau wrth gwrs, dylai awdurdodau lleol fod yn ystyriol o'u dyletswyddau cydraddoldeb sector cyhoeddus ac ystyried effaith eu penderfyniadau ar bobl sydd â nodweddion gwarchodedig. Hefyd, mae angen iddynt ystyried eu dyletswyddau o dan Ddeddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015. Mae'r rhain yn darparu parsel o ystyriaethau i helpu awdurdodau lleol i wneud penderfyniadau rhesymegol.
7. Pa asesiad y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'i wneud o effaith y Bil Dedfrydu newydd a gyhoeddwyd yn Araith y Brenin ar lysoedd yng Nghymru? OQ60232
7. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the impact on courts in Wales of the new Sentencing Bill announced in the King’s Speech? OQ60232
Thank you for your question. We received only outline information on the Sentencing Bill, prior to its introduction yesterday, and I have had no explanation yet of how its provisions may impact devolved policy areas or, indeed, the reserved operation of courts in Wales. We therefore have not yet been in a position to make any assessment.
Diolch am eich cwestiwn. Dim ond gwybodaeth amlinellol a gawsom ar y Bil Dedfrydu cyn iddo gael ei gyflwyno ddoe, ac nid wyf wedi cael unrhyw esboniad eto sut y gallai ei ddarpariaethau effeithio ar feysydd polisi datganoledig neu'n wir ar waith a gedwir yn ôl gan lysoedd yng Nghymru. Felly, nid ydym wedi bod mewn sefyllfa i wneud unrhyw asesiad eto.
Diolch, Cwnsler Cyffredinol. Again, it's worrying to hear the lack of communication between the UK Government and the Welsh Government. The Sentencing Bill, recently announced during the King's Speech, sets out that judges will soon be required to hand down whole life sentences for the most serious cases. But as Sarah Murphy said in her supplementary question, this masks a real crisis in the criminal justice system. Judges are being asked to delay the sentencing of the most serious offenders who are on bail, because there's just no room left in prison. I saw that, last month, there were only 500 spaces left in all prisons in England and Wales, and that even masks the real crisis, because the majority of those were in women's prisons and young offender institutions. Does the Counsel General agree with me that it's the role of Government not to chase positive headlines and to appease a certain group of ideology, and agree with me that justice delayed is very often justice denied? Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch, Gwnsler Cyffredinol. Unwaith eto, mae'n clywed am y diffyg cyfathrebu rhwng Llywodraeth y DU a Llywodraeth Cymru yn destun pryder. Mae'r Bil Dedfrydu, a gyhoeddwyd yn ddiweddar yn ystod Araith y Brenin, yn nodi y bydd yn ofynnol i farnwyr roi dedfrydau oes gyfan cyn bo hir ar gyfer yr achosion mwyaf difrifol. Ond fel y dywedodd Sarah Murphy yn ei chwestiwn atodol, mae hyn yn cuddio argyfwng go iawn yn y system cyfiawnder troseddol. Gofynnir i farnwyr ohirio dedfrydu'r troseddwyr mwyaf difrifol sydd ar fechnïaeth, am nad oes lle ar ôl yn y carchardai. Gwelais mai 500 o leoedd yn unig a oedd ar ôl ym mhob carchar yng Nghymru a Lloegr fis diwethaf, ac mae hynny'n cuddio'r argyfwng go iawn, oherwydd roedd mwyafrif y rheini mewn carchardai i fenywod a sefydliadau troseddwyr ifanc. A yw'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol yn cytuno â mi mai rôl y Llywodraeth yw peidio â mynd ar drywydd penawdau cadarnhaol er mwyn bodloni grŵp sy'n arddel ideoleg benodol, a chytuno fod gohirio cyfiawnder yn aml iawn yn gyfystyr â gwrthod cyfiawnder? Diolch yn fawr.
Thank you for the points that really follow on from Sarah Murphy's comments. Well, you go further than that and, of course, what the Home Office have actually done has been to fund places, to almost book the cells, almost like a Booking.com of police cells, to ensure that there was additional capacity to the prisons. What they've also commented on is how they might book places abroad to outsource the prison places that they haven't been able to provide.
It's 13 years of failure to have any strategic justice policy with regard to prisons. And, of course, what's happened now is the chickens have come home to roost. We've now got to the stage, after 13 years of not only underfunding but the lack of any strategy with regard to prisons, that we now have those particular consequences. You know, it is difficult to understand how the warning signs have not been responded to, when you have doubled the prison population in 13 years of Government. And only now, in the last couple of months of this Government, or the last, I suppose, death throes of this current Government, trying to introduce legislation that attempts to make up for 13 years of failure.
We have a very significant interest as a devolved Government, particularly, for example, the things when prisoners are released, the provisions in terms of accommodation, the efforts to get people into work, what other support mechanisms that there are. Because the alternative, if that doesn't happen, is people end up back in prison, and that has been, of course, part of the problem. The other one is of course that there'll be far too many people in prison on short sentences that actually serve very little purpose. The expensive cost of prisons being used in a way, increasingly, and I think to satisfy populist demand, actually serve no real purpose. Twenty-one per cent of the women that are in prison are imprisoned for periods of one month or less. What purpose on earth does that actually serve?
So, we will obviously consider this legislation, the Sentencing Bill, which will have to be taken in conjunction with the Criminal Justice Bill, to look at what the implications are for us and for our responsibilities. But we certainly have a very, very different direction that we would want to take, and we will certainly feed that in at every opportunity, depending upon how far this legislation actually gets.
Diolch am y pwyntiau sy'n dilyn sylwadau Sarah Murphy mewn gwirionedd. Wel, rydych yn mynd ymhellach na hynny ac wrth gwrs, yr hyn y mae'r Swyddfa Gartref wedi'i wneud yw ariannu lleoedd, archebu'r celloedd bron iawn, bron fel Booking.com o gelloedd yr heddlu, i sicrhau bod capasiti ychwanegol yn y carchardai. Yr hyn y maent hefyd wedi gwneud sylwadau yn ei gylch yw sut y gallent archebu lleoedd dramor i allanoli'r lleoedd carchar nad ydynt wedi gallu eu darparu.
Mae'n 13 mlynedd o fethu cael unrhyw bolisi cyfiawnder strategol mewn perthynas â charchardai. Ac wrth gwrs, mae'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd nawr yn ganlyniad i hynny. Rydym bellach wedi cyrraedd y cam, ar ôl 13 mlynedd, nid yn unig o danariannu ond diffyg unrhyw strategaeth ar gyfer carchardai, lle gwelwn y canlyniadau penodol hyn bellach. Wyddoch chi, mae'n anodd deall sut nad ymatebwyd i'r arwyddion rhybudd, pan fyddwch wedi dyblu poblogaeth y carchar mewn 13 mlynedd o Lywodraeth. A dim ond nawr, yn ystod misoedd olaf y Llywodraeth hon, neu ar wely angau'r Llywodraeth bresennol hon mae'n debyg, maent yn ceisio cyflwyno deddfwriaeth sy'n ymdrechu i wneud iawn am 13 mlynedd o fethiant.
Mae gennym ddiddordeb arwyddocaol iawn fel Llywodraeth ddatganoledig, yn enwedig, er enghraifft, yn y pethau sy'n digwydd pan ryddheir carcharorion, y darpariaethau llety, yr ymdrechion i sicrhau gwaith i bobl, pa fecanweithiau cymorth eraill sydd yna. Oherwydd y sefyllfa arall, os nad yw hynny'n digwydd, yw bod pobl yn y pen draw yn dychwelyd i'r carchar, ac mae hynny, wrth gwrs, wedi bod yn rhan o'r broblem. Yr un arall, wrth gwrs, yw y bydd gormod o lawer o bobl yn y carchar ar ddedfrydau byr heb fawr o bwrpas iddynt. Nid yw'r gost ddrud o ddefnyddio carchardai mewn ffordd, yn gynyddol, ac rwy'n credu i fodloni'r galw poblyddol, yn ateb unrhyw ddiben go iawn. Mae 21 y cant o'r menywod sydd yn y carchar wedi eu carcharu am gyfnodau o fis neu lai. Pa ddiben ar y ddaear y mae hyn yn ei ateb mewn gwirionedd?
Felly, byddwn yn amlwg yn ystyried y ddeddfwriaeth hon, y Bil Dedfrydu, y bydd yn rhaid edrych arni ar y cyd â'r Bil Cyfiawnder Troseddol, i edrych ar beth yw'r goblygiadau i ni ac i'n cyfrifoldebau. Ond yn sicr mae gennym gyfeiriad gwahanol iawn y byddem am ei gymryd, a byddwn yn sicr yn bwydo hynny i mewn ar bob cyfle, yn dibynnu ar ba mor bell y bydd y ddeddfwriaeth hon yn ei gyrraedd mewn gwirionedd.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 8, Delyth Jewell.
And finally, question 8, Delyth Jewell.
8. Pa gyngor cyfreithiol y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi ei roi i Lywodraeth Cymru ynghylch y rhaglen diogelwch tomenni glo? OQ60223
8. What legal advice has the Counsel General given the Welsh Government regarding the coal tip safety programme? OQ60223
Safeguarding our communities remains the Welsh Government’s top priority, and we will continue to discharge our responsibilities to do so. The Welsh Government is looking to bring forward new legislation to allow us to manage disused tips in Wales in 2024.
Diogelu ein cymunedau yw prif flaenoriaeth Llywodraeth Cymru o hyd, a byddwn yn parhau i gyflawni ein cyfrifoldebau i wneud hynny. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu cyflwyno deddfwriaeth newydd i'n galluogi i reoli tomenni nas defnyddir yng Nghymru yn 2024.
Diolch. Thank you for that. The climate change Minister told me yesterday in this Chamber:
'The Secretary of State for Wales has co-chaired the coal tip safety summit for some considerable time.'
Yet in the letter that Members received from the First Minister on the announcement, that said, and I'm quoting here, 'For the record, I should add that the original intention was for this letter to be sent jointly with the Secretary of State for Wales, as agreed and recorded at the coal tip summit, but he now prefers not to add his name'. Counsel General, would you agree with me that this is unusual? What precedents are there for this kind of situation, and what impact will this have or could this have legally and practically on the coal tip safety programme? And would you agree with me that the Secretary of State is failing in the duties here expected of his office?
Diolch am hynny. Dywedodd y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd wrthyf ddoe yn y Siambr hon:
'Mae Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru wedi cyd-gadeirio'r uwchgynhadledd diogelwch tomenni glo ers cryn amser.'
Ac eto, yn y llythyr a gafodd yr Aelodau gan y Prif Weinidog ar y cyhoeddiad, roedd yn dweud, 'Er gwybodaeth, dylwn ychwanegu mai'r bwriad gwreiddiol oedd i'r llythyr hwn gael ei anfon ar y cyd ag Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru, fel y cytunwyd ac y cofnodwyd yn yr uwchgynhadledd ar domenni glo, ond mae'n well ganddo beidio ag ychwanegu ei enw bellach.' Gwnsler Cyffredinol, a fyddech yn cytuno â mi fod hyn yn anarferol? Pa gynseiliau sydd yna ar gyfer sefyllfa o'r fath, a pha effaith y bydd hyn yn ei chael neu y gallai hyn ei chael yn gyfreithiol ac yn ymarferol ar y rhaglen diogelwch tomenni glo? Ac a fyddech yn cytuno â mi fod yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol yn methu yn y dyletswyddau a ddisgwylir ganddo yn ei swydd?
Can I say it is very, very disappointing that that has happened? I, of course, have no direct engagement with that, and the First Minister, of course, commented in response to questions to him. But it is indicative, isn't it, of a UK Government that has basically abandoned any of its obligations to the legacy we have in Wales of such a large proportion of the pre-devolution coal tips. We are disproportionately affected: nearly 40 per cent of the coal tips are in Wales. The mines inquiry's disused tips (Wales) Bill is scheduled for introduction next year. It seeks to enshrine in legislation a long-term, sustainable and fit-for-purpose regulatory regime for disused tip safety. And, of course, there was engagement between the Welsh Government and the UK Government at quite a high level and on a joint basis. There was a joint recognition. It really is I think very disappointing that the Secretary of State for Wales appears now to have abandoned that approach, and abandoned, really, the Valleys of south Wales where so many of these coal tips are situated.
A gaf fi ddweud ei bod hi'n siomedig iawn fod hynny wedi digwydd? Wrth gwrs, nid oes gennyf unrhyw ymgysylltiad uniongyrchol â hynny, ac fe wnaeth y Prif Weinidog sylwadau mewn ymateb i gwestiynau iddo wrth gwrs. Ond mae'n arwydd, onid yw, o Lywodraeth y DU sydd yn y bôn wedi cefnu ar unrhyw un o'i rhwymedigaethau i'r hyn a adawyd ar ôl i ni yng Nghymru o gyfran mor fawr o'r tomenni glo cyn datganoli. Ceir effaith anghymesur arnom: mae bron i 40 y cant o'r tomenni glo yng Nghymru. Mae disgwyl i Fil tomenni nas defnyddir (Cymru) yr ymchwiliad i'r pyllau glo gael ei gyflwyno y flwyddyn nesaf. Mae'n ceisio ymgorffori cyfundrefn reoleiddio hirdymor, gynaliadwy ac addas i'r diben ar gyfer diogelwch tomenni nas defnyddir mewn deddfwriaeth. Ac wrth gwrs, roedd ymgysylltiad rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU ar lefel eithaf uchel ac ar y cyd. Cafwyd cydnabyddiaeth ar y cyd. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n siomedig iawn ei bod yn ymddangos bod Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru bellach wedi cefnu ar y dull hwnnw o fynd ati, ac wedi cefnu ar Gymoedd de Cymru mewn gwirionedd, lle mae cymaint o'r tomenni glo hyn wedi'u lleoli.
Diolch i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol.
I thank the Counsel General.
Eitem 3 yw'r cwestiynau i Gomisiwn y Senedd, a bydd y tri chwestiwn cyntaf yn cael eu hateb gan y Llywydd. Cwestiwn 1, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Item 3 is questions to the Senedd Commission, and the first three questions will be answered by the Llywydd. Question 1, Andrew R.T. Davies.
1. A wnaiff y Comisiwn ddatganiad am y penderfyniad i wahardd GB News o systemau teledu'r Senedd? OQ60226
1. Will the Commission make a statement on the decision to ban GB News from the Senedd's tv systems? OQ60226
Yn dilyn darllediad diweddar ar GB News a oedd yn benodol sarhaus i fenywod mewn bywyd cyhoeddus, penderfynais i dynnu'r sianel oddi ar system deledu fewnol y Senedd. Bydd y gwaharddiad hwnnw'n parhau wrth i'r Comisiwn geisio mewnbwn annibynnol ar gyfer datblygu protocol darlledu a fydd yn darparu eglurder a chysondeb ynghylch y sianeli sydd ar gael ar system deledu fewnol y Senedd.
Following a recent broadcast by GB News that was deliberately offensive to women in public life in particular, I took the decision to remove the channel from the Senedd’s internal television system. That suspension will continue whilst the Commission seeks independent input to develop a broadcasting protocol to provide clarity and consistency on the channels to be available on the Senedd’s internal television system.
Thank you for that answer, Presiding Officer. Would you elaborate on the independent work that you've commissioned as a Commission to set the benchmark for what guidance might be going forward on what's available on the Senedd's internal network? And when might that work be completed, so that the Commission can make an informed decision about reinstating channels, if that's the outcome from the review?
Diolch am yr ateb hwnnw, Lywydd. A wnewch chi ymhelaethu ar y gwaith annibynnol a gomisiynwyd gennych fel Comisiwn i osod y meincnod ar gyfer pa ganllawiau a allai fodoli wrth symud ymlaen ar yr hyn sydd ar gael ar rwydwaith mewnol y Senedd? A phryd y gellir cwblhau'r gwaith hwnnw, fel y gall y Comisiwn wneud penderfyniad gwybodus ynghylch adfer sianeli, os mai dyna ganlyniad yr adolygiad?
I'm genuinely grateful for the opportunity to say a few things on this issue to Members this afternoon. GB News was not suspended by me because I might disagree with its editorial remit. It was not its political content that led to its suspension, it was the totally offensive misogynistic comments of Laurence Fox, facilitated by a GB News presenter. Laurence Fox was allowed unchallenged to speak of a female journalist—and I'm quoting here, Dirprwy Lywydd—and said:
'Show me a single self-respecting man that would like to climb into bed with that woman'.
And then he went on to say:
'Who would want to shag that?'
I'm conscious that my quoting these comments today in this Chamber may well be clipped for social media, and I may well have similar comments said of me by tonight. That's how women can be spoken of on social media and how one woman was spoken of on GB News. Don't expect me to tolerate it and don't expect me to facilitate it to be continued on the Senedd's internal television system. I know you don't condone these comments, Andrew R.T. Davies, but please understand and respect my attempt to protect women and men working in this Senedd from having to witness them on our internal Senedd system.
Now, on to the next steps. Firstly, I have written to the chief executive of GB News to ask what lessons have been learned from the Laurence Fox interview, and what new training and editorial guidance are in place to better deal with such contributions in the future. I've received no reply.
Secondly, GB News remains suspended and the Commission is seeking independent input, as you've outlined, Andrew R.T. Davies, to develop a broadcasting protocol to provide clarity on the channels to be available on the Senedd's internal television system into the future. In the meantime, any Member is, if they are desperate to watch GB News, able to pick up your phone or your laptop in this Senedd and you are able to continue watching it.
These matters will now be considered by the Commission. The independent review is going to look at these issues and provide the advice that the Commission is seeking to have. I’d be very grateful as well for any Members of this Chamber who have any views on this to make them known to me.
But, please, as we continue to discuss and consider these issues, let’s do it in a respectful, dignified way. Let’s not make flippant comments—flippant comments about me and my hair, even, on GB News. I took no offence from that comment, but I would want to ensure that Members, when we’re talking about these things, always consider that it is to have respectful and dignified public debate—that’s what we’re all seeking to ensure in this Senedd and in our communities.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y cyfle i ddweud ychydig o bethau ar y mater hwn wrth yr Aelodau y prynhawn yma. Ni chafodd GB News ei atal gennyf oherwydd fy mod o bosibl yn anghytuno â'i gylch gwaith golygyddol. Nid ei chynnwys gwleidyddol a arweiniodd at ei wahardd, ond sylwadau gwreig-gasaol cwbl sarhaus Laurence Fox, a hwyluswyd gan gyflwynydd GB News. Caniatawyd i Laurence Fox siarad heb ei herio am newyddiadurwr benywaidd—ac rwy'n dyfynnu yma, Ddirprwy Lywydd—a dywedodd:
'Dangoswch imi un dyn sy'n parchu'i hun a fyddai'n dymuno dringo i'r gwely gyda'r fenyw honno.'
Ac yna aeth ymlaen i ddweud:
'Pwy fyddai eisiau cysgu gyda honna?'
Rwy'n ymwybodol y gallai dyfynnu'r sylwadau heddiw yn y Siambr hon ymddangos mewn clipiau ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol, ac mae'n ddigon posibl y bydd sylwadau tebyg yn cael eu gwneud amdanaf innau erbyn heno. Dyna sut y gellir siarad am fenywod ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol a sut y siaradwyd am un fenyw ar GB News. Peidiwch â disgwyl i mi ei oddef a pheidiwch â disgwyl i mi adael iddo barhau i fod ar system deledu fewnol y Senedd. Rwy'n gwybod nad ydych yn cymeradwyo'r sylwadau hyn, Andrew R.T. Davies, ond dylech ddeall a pharchu fy ymgais i amddiffyn menywod a dynion sy'n gweithio yn y Senedd hon rhag gorfod eu gweld ar ein system fewnol yn y Senedd.
Nawr, ymlaen at y camau nesaf. Yn gyntaf, rwyf wedi ysgrifennu at brif weithredwr GB News i ofyn pa wersi a ddysgwyd o gyfweliad Laurence Fox, a pha gyfarwyddyd hyfforddi a golygyddol newydd sydd ar waith i ymdrin yn well â chyfraniadau o'r fath yn y dyfodol. Nid wyf wedi cael unrhyw ymateb.
Yn ail, mae GB News yn parhau i fod wedi'i wahardd ac mae'r Comisiwn yn chwilio am fewnbwn annibynnol, fel yr amlinellwyd gennych, Andrew R.T. Davies, i ddatblygu protocol darlledu i ddarparu eglurder ar y sianeli a ddylai fod ar gael ar system deledu fewnol y Senedd yn y dyfodol. Yn y cyfamser, os ydynt yn ysu i wylio GB News, gall unrhyw Aelod godi'ch ffôn neu eich gliniadur yn y Senedd a gallwch barhau i'w wylio.
Bydd y materion hyn yn cael eu hystyried gan y Comisiwn nawr. Mae'r adolygiad annibynnol yn mynd i edrych ar y materion hyn a darparu'r cyngor y mae'r Comisiwn yn ceisio ei gael. Buaswn yn ddiolchgar iawn hefyd pe bai unrhyw Aelodau o'r Siambr sydd ag unrhyw farn ar hyn yn ei gwneud yn hysbys i mi.
Ond os gwelwch yn dda, wrth inni barhau i drafod ac ystyried y materion hyn, gadewch inni wneud hynny mewn ffordd barchus, urddasol. Gadewch inni beidio â gwneud sylwadau gwamal—sylwadau gwamal amdanaf fi a fy ngwallt, hyd yn oed, ar GB News. Ni wnaeth y sylw hwnnw beri tramgwydd i mi, ond hoffwn sicrhau bod Aelodau, pan fyddwn yn siarad am y pethau hyn, bob amser yn ystyried mai dadl gyhoeddus barchus ac urddasol yw hi—dyna mae pawb ohonom yn ceisio ei sicrhau yn y Senedd hon ac yn ein cymunedau.
I've been contacted by several constituents who are concerned that people are employed at taxpayers' expense to watch television. I agree with them. I have worked in places where the watching of television during working hours would have been a disciplinary offence. Apart from following the Senedd proceedings, and events such as the King's Speech and the autumn statement, why are people watching tv when they should be working?
Mae sawl etholwr wedi cysylltu â mi yn poeni bod pobl yn cael eu cyflogi ar draul trethdalwyr i wylio'r teledu. Rwy'n cytuno â nhw. Rwyf wedi gweithio mewn mannau lle byddai gwylio'r teledu yn ystod oriau gwaith wedi bod yn drosedd ddisgyblu. Ar wahân i ddilyn trafodion y Senedd, a digwyddiadau fel Araith y Brenin a datganiad yr hydref, pam fod pobl yn gwylio'r teledu pan ddylent fod yn gweithio?
I have no idea, is my answer to that question. What it may interest you to know is that the decision to suspend GB News from the internal system—. It took a while for any Member to realise that it had been suspended. So, watching the television or watching that particular channel may not be as widespread as some people might like to think.
Nid oes gennyf unrhyw syniad, dyna fy ateb i'r cwestiwn hwnnw. Yr hyn y gallai fod o ddiddordeb i chi ei wybod yw bod y penderfyniad i wahardd GB News o'r system fewnol—. Cymerodd amser i unrhyw Aelod sylweddoli ei fod wedi'i wahardd. Felly, efallai na fydd gwylio'r teledu neu wylio'r sianel benodol honno mor gyffredin ag y byddai rhai pobl am ei feddwl.
2. A wnaiff y Comisiwn ddatganiad am ddarparu gwasanaethau TGCh ar ystâd y Senedd? OQ60235
2. Will the Commission make a statement on the provision of ICT services on the Senedd estate? OQ60235
Mae'r Comisiwn yn defnyddio ystod eang o dechnolegau modern i gefnogi gwaith yr Aelodau a'u staff cymorth. Ein nod yw darparu technoleg sy'n addas ar gyfer gwahanol arferion gwaith, ac yn caniatâu i ddefnyddwyr weithio yn hyblyg ac yn ddiogel o unrhyw leoliad sydd â chysylltiad â'r rhyngrwyd.
The Commission uses a broad range of modern technologies to support the work of Members and their support staff. We aim to deliver technology that will accommodate different working practices and allow users to work flexibly and safely from any internet-connected location.
I'm grateful to the Llywydd for that response. I submitted this question out of pure frustration, I'm afraid. I was trying to participate in a Zoom meeting in my office in Tŷ Hywel and losing contact, losing the signal, time and time and time again. My experience of working in Tŷ Hywel all too often is that the internal systems are not sufficiently robust to enable me to participate in meetings virtually. I would hope that the Commission will take a view on how we can ensure that we can continue to work virtually, particularly when we're here in Cardiff and want to hold meetings with constituents, and ensure that we do have the ICT systems in place to ensure and to enable us to do that.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Llywydd am yr ymateb hwnnw. Cyflwynais y cwestiwn hwn mewn rhwystredigaeth bur, mae arnaf ofn. Roeddwn yn ceisio cymryd rhan mewn cyfarfod Zoom yn fy swyddfa yn Nhŷ Hywel a cholli cysylltiad, colli'r signal, dro ar ôl tro. Fy mhrofiad i o weithio yn Nhŷ Hywel yn rhy aml o lawer yw nad yw'r systemau mewnol yn ddigon cadarn i fy ngalluogi i gymryd rhan mewn cyfarfodydd yn rhithwir. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Comisiwn yn edrych ar sut y gallwn sicrhau y gallwn barhau i weithio'n rhithwir, yn enwedig pan fyddwn yma yng Nghaerdydd ac am gynnal cyfarfodydd gydag etholwyr, a sicrhau bod gennym systemau TGCh ar waith i sicrhau ac i'n galluogi i wneud hynny.
That's not my experience, I must say, and I'm not familiar with Members having raised with me any problems with accessing Zoom for meetings with their constituents. I use the technology myself. But, if there are problems, I'm more than happy to make sure that we look into them and make sure that that infrastructure is fit for purpose. So, I'm glad you've raised it, and perhaps we can have a specific discussion around what and where the problems are that you've encountered, and, please, if any other Members are encountering such problems, we need to fix them.
Nid dyna fy mhrofiad i, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, ac nid wyf yn ymwybodol fod unrhyw broblemau wedi'u codi gan Aelodau ynghylch defnyddio Zoom ar gyfer cyfarfodydd â'u hetholwyr. Rwy'n defnyddio'r dechnoleg fy hun. Ond os oes problemau, rwy'n fwy na pharod i sicrhau ein bod yn edrych arnynt a sicrhau bod y seilwaith hwnnw'n addas i'r diben. Felly, rwy'n falch eich bod wedi ei godi, ac efallai y gallwn gael trafodaeth benodol ynghylch beth yw'r problemau y daethoch ar eu traws, ac os gwelwch yn dda, os oes unrhyw Aelodau eraill yn wynebu problemau o'r fath, mae angen inni eu datrys.
3. Pa fesurau y mae Comisiwn y Senedd yn eu cymryd i helpu holl staff y Senedd yn ystod yr argyfwng costau byw? OQ60227
3. What measures is the Senedd Commission taking to help all Senedd staff during the cost-of-living crisis? OQ60227
Yn ystod 2023, mae'r Comisiwn wedi talu dau daliad costau byw i staff. Yn gynnar yn 2023, gwnaed taliad o £500 i weithwyr a oedd yn ennill £32,000 neu lai. Mae'r ail daliad o £1,500 yn cael ei dalu mewn dwy ran yn y flwyddyn ariannol yma—y rhan gyntaf ym mis Hydref a'r ail ran derfynol ym mis Chwefror. Bydd y taliad yma ar gael i bawb lan i radd 6. Cafodd yr ail daliad yma ei gytuno ar ôl trafodaethau gydag ochr undebau llafur y Comisiwn.
During 2023, the Commission has made two cost-of-living payments to staff. Early in 2023, a £500 payment was made to employees to earning £32,000 or less. A second payment of £1,500 is being paid in two instalments in this financial year—one in October and the final payment due this February. The payment will be paid to everyone up to grade 6. The second payment was agreed after negotiations with the Commission trade union side.
Diolch am hynny. Rwy'n croesawu’r ffaith bod staff y Comisiwn wedi derbyn y taliad argyfwng costau byw o £1,500 yn ddiweddar. Ymhellach i hyn, a ydy’r Comisiwn wedi gwneud newidiadau priodol, ydych chi'n meddwl, yn dilyn y cynnydd yn y real living wage, i sicrhau bod staff ar fandiau is yn derbyn cyflog cyfatebol, ar y lleiaf?
Rwy’n deall bod y bwrdd taliadau yn penderfynu tâl a thelerau staff cymorth yr Aelodau a’r staff sy’n gweithio i grwpiau'r pleidiau. Mae gan staff cymorth gap o 3 y cant yn flynyddol, sy’n golygu nad ydyn nhw’n derbyn codiad cyflog sy’n adlewyrchu pwysau chwyddiant. Fel rydw i’n ei ddeall, mae’r undebau yn gwthio i gael gwared ar y cap yna ar gyfer staff cymorth.
Pa gamau, felly, mae’r Comisiwn yn eu cymryd i weithio gyda’r bwrdd taliadau i sicrhau bod ganddynt gyllideb ddigonol er mwyn, yn gyntaf, caniatáu cyflog cynyddol a fydd yn gyfatebol i chwyddiant, ac, yn ail, cyllideb a fydd yn sicrhau bod staff cymorth ar fandiau is yn derbyn y real living wage, os gwelwch yn dda?
Thank you for that response. I welcome the news that Commission staff have recently received a cost-of-living payment of £1,500. Further to this, has the Commission made the relevant changes, do you think, following the increase in the real living wage, to ensure that staff on lower pay bands receive the equivalent wage, at the very least?
I understand that the remuneration board determines the pay and conditions of Members' support staff. Support staff currently have a 3 per cent annual cap on their wages, which means that that they have not received wage increases to reflect inflationary pressures. As I understand it, the unions are calling for the cap to be abolished for support staff.
Therefore, what steps is the Commission taking to work with the remuneration board to ensure that they have an adequate budget and funding to allow a wage increase in line with inflation, in the first instance, and, secondly, to ensure that support staff on the lowest pay bands receive the real living wage?
Wel, mae'r bwrdd taliadau yn annibynnol ar y Comisiwn, a’r bwrdd taliadau sy’n gwneud y cais ariannol i’r Comisiwn am yr arian sy’n angenrheidiol iddyn nhw ddarparu eu gwaith. Byddwn ni, yn yr eitem nesaf o fusnes heddiw, yn trafod cyllideb y Comisiwn ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf. Felly, mae’r egwyddor yna o annibyniaeth y bwrdd taliadau a’u rôl nhw yn penderfynu cyflogau yn egwyddor bwysig i’r Comisiwn ei pharchu, ac wrth gwrs yn egwyddor statudol.
Well, the remuneration board is independent of the Commission, and it's the board that makes the financial bid to the Commission for the funds necessary for them to carry out their responsibilities. In the next item of business today, we will be discussing the Commission's budget for the next financial year. So, that principle of the independence of the remuneration board and its role in determining salaries is an important principle that the Commission must respect, and of course a statutory principle also.
Mae cwestiwn 4 i'w ateb gan Joyce Watson. Gareth Davies.
Question 4 is to be answered by Joyce Watson. Gareth Davies.
4. Pa gamau y mae'r Comisiwn yn eu cymryd i wella cyfathrebu â rhanddeiliaid allanol mewn ieithoedd heblaw'r Gymraeg a'r Saesneg? OQ60225
4. What steps is the Commission taking to improve communication with external stakeholders in languages other than English and Welsh? OQ60225
I welcome this question, and thank you for it. We recognise that Welsh and English are the primary languages for our communications, but we do continue to explore opportunities to build relationships with new audiences by communicating in other languages that we know to be popular in Wales. To that end, during our election campaign in 2021, we distributed communications, both online and offline, in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Polish and Urdu. And British Sign Language continues also to be an important language for us, with British Sign Language interpretation used online for First Minister's questions each week, to encourage participation in the work of some of our committees, and for special events, such as the recent 'We Belong Here' event.
Rwy'n croesawu'r cwestiwn hwn ac yn diolch yn fawr amdano. Rydym yn cydnabod mai'r Gymraeg a'r Saesneg yw'r prif ieithoedd ar gyfer ein cyfathrebu, ond rydym yn parhau i archwilio cyfleoedd i feithrin perthynas â chynulleidfaoedd newydd trwy gyfathrebu mewn ieithoedd eraill y gwyddom eu bod yn boblogaidd yng Nghymru. I'r perwyl hwnnw, yn ystod ein hymgyrch etholiadol yn 2021, fe wnaethom ddosbarthu cyfathrebiadau, ar-lein ac all-lein, mewn Arabeg, Bengaleg, Tsieinëeg, Pwyleg ac Wrdw. Ac mae Iaith Arwyddion Prydain yn parhau i fod yn iaith bwysig inni hefyd, gyda dehongliad yn Iaith Arwyddion Prydain yn cael ei ddefnyddio ar-lein ar gyfer cwestiynau'r Prif Weinidog bob wythnos, i annog cyfranogiad yng ngwaith rhai o'n pwyllgorau, ac ar gyfer digwyddiadau arbennig, fel y digwyddiad 'Lle i Ni' yn ddiweddar.
Thank you for that response, Commissioner. I appreciate that. Ultimately, many Members have individuals living within their constituencies who do not have sufficient Welsh or English language to understand sometimes quite technical representations made on their behalf in relation to serious, and occasionally life and death, situations. This means that either Members have to provide untranslated documents, knowing that constituents' ability to access material pertaining to their own lives is compromised, or they can choose to outsource translation to external providers at a huge cost and expense in time whilst general data protection regulation requirements are negotiated. In this instance, based on costs, we would only be able to afford the translation of 24 letters a year, taking all of the costs into account.
The Senedd and its Members have a duty to promote inclusion, accessibility and equality, particularly in respect of providing representations. At present, these values are compromised when representing residents whose English or Welsh does not allow them to access information that has importance in respect of their lives and well-being. As a national Parliament, these values—and the interests of our constituents—would be promoted with the establishment of an affordable in-house or in-house contracted service agreement with a translation service. So, can I ask the Commissioner what work and progress the Commission are undertaking in relation to this matter? And what discussions have you had internally and/or with external bodies on this matter to remedy the problem? Thank you.
Diolch am yr ateb hwnnw, Gomisiynydd. Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi hynny. Yn y pen draw, mae gan lawer o Aelodau unigolion sy'n byw yn eu hetholaethau nad oes ganddynt ddigon o Gymraeg na Saesneg i ddeall sylwadau eithaf technegol weithiau a wneir ar eu rhan mewn perthynas â sefyllfaoedd difrifol, a sefyllfaoedd sy'n fater o fywyd a marwolaeth o bryd i'w gilydd. Mae hyn yn golygu bod rhaid i Aelodau naill ai ddarparu dogfennau heb eu cyfieithu, gan wybod bod gallu etholwyr i gael mynediad at ddeunydd sy'n ymwneud â'u bywydau eu hunain wedi'i gyfyngu, neu gallant ddewis allanoli gwaith cyfieithu i ddarparwyr allanol ar gost enfawr a thraul amser wrth i ofynion y rheoliad cyffredinol ar ddiogelu data gael eu trafod. Yn yr achos hwn, yn seiliedig ar gostau, ni fyddem ond yn gallu fforddio cyfieithu 24 llythyr y flwyddyn, gan ystyried yr holl gostau.
Mae gan y Senedd a'i Haelodau ddyletswydd i hyrwyddo cynhwysiant, hygyrchedd a chydraddoldeb, yn enwedig mewn perthynas â darparu cynrychiolaeth. Ar hyn o bryd, mae'r gwerthoedd hyn yn cael eu peryglu wrth gynrychioli trigolion nad yw eu Cymraeg na'u Saesneg yn caniatáu iddynt gael mynediad at wybodaeth sy'n bwysig i'w bywydau a'u lles. Fel Senedd genedlaethol, byddai'r gwerthoedd hyn—a buddiannau ein hetholwyr—yn cael eu hyrwyddo drwy sefydlu gwasanaeth cyfieithu mewnol fforddiadwy neu gytundeb gwasanaeth wedi'i gontractio'n fewnol gyda gwasanaeth cyfieithu. Felly, a gaf fi ofyn i'r Comisiynydd pa waith a chynnydd y mae'r Comisiwn yn ei wneud mewn perthynas â'r mater hwn? A pha drafodaethau a gawsoch yn fewnol a/neu gyda chyrff allanol ynghylch y mater hwn i ddatrys y broblem? Diolch.
We continue to explore all opportunities and we do welcome Members' feedback, like the one that we've just had now, on any language barriers that their constituents see, so that that can inform all our efforts. As part of our communications and engagement strategy, we are developing improved audience insight to inform our work, including gathering improved insight on language barriers, through information from the census and through work with other partners. But we do recognise that there is always more work to be done in this space, and we will continue with our publications. Of course, your question was about translating materials that you want to send out to your constituents and the affordability and accessibility of being able to do that. I can't give you an immediate answer now, but I will seek to find an answer for you. I have no doubt that there'll be a conversation that will have to be had with the remuneration board that allows the costs for our offices to include this cost as well. So, you will receive an answer from me, but I can't give you a full and comprehensive one right now.
Rydym yn parhau i archwilio pob cyfle ac rydym yn croesawu adborth yr Aelodau, fel yr un yr ydym newydd ei gael nawr, ar unrhyw rwystrau iaith y mae eu hetholwyr yn eu profi, fel y gall hynny lywio ein holl ymdrechion. Fel rhan o'n strategaeth gyfathrebu ac ymgysylltu, rydym yn datblygu gwell mewnwelediad cynulleidfa i lywio ein gwaith, gan gynnwys casglu gwell mewnwelediad ar rwystrau iaith, trwy wybodaeth o'r cyfrifiad a thrwy waith gyda phartneriaid eraill. Ond rydym yn cydnabod bod rhagor o waith i'w wneud bob amser yn hyn o beth, a byddwn yn parhau gyda'n cyhoeddiadau. Wrth gwrs, roedd eich cwestiwn yn ymwneud â chyfieithu deunyddiau rydych chi am eu hanfon at eich etholwyr, a fforddiadwyedd a hygyrchedd i allu gwneud hynny. Ni allaf roi ateb ichi ar unwaith, ond byddaf yn ceisio dod o hyd i ateb ichi. Nid oes gennyf unrhyw amheuaeth y bydd yn rhaid cael sgwrs gyda'r bwrdd taliadau sy'n caniatáu i gostau ein swyddfeydd gynnwys y gost hon hefyd. Felly, fe gewch chi ateb gennyf, ond ni allaf roi un llawn a chynhwysfawr i chi yr eiliad hon.
That's fine. Thanks.
Mae hynny'n iawn. Diolch.
Diolch i'r Comisiynwyr.
I thank the Commissioners.
Eitem 4 yw'r cwestiynau amserol. Dim ond un cwestiwn amserol sydd wedi'i dderbyn heddiw. Galwaf ar Heledd Fychan.
Item 4 is the topical questions. There is only one question accepted today. I call on Heledd Fychan.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad yn sgil cyhoeddi Adolygiad Annibynnol Undeb Rygbi Cymru? TQ910
1. Will the Minister make a statement following the release of the WRU Independent Review? TQ910
Can I thank Heledd Fychan for that question? Members will be aware that I issued a written statement this morning on the publication of the independent panel's report. The Welsh Government welcomes the publication of this report, and we'll be working with all of those who contributed to the findings and recommendations.
A gaf fi ddiolch i Heledd Fychan am y cwestiwn hwnnw? Bydd yr Aelodau'n ymwybodol fy mod wedi cyhoeddi datganiad ysgrifenedig y bore yma ynglŷn â chyhoeddi adroddiad y panel annibynnol. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn croesawu cyhoeddi'r adroddiad hwn, a byddwn yn gweithio gyda phawb a gyfrannodd at y canfyddiadau a'r argymhellion.
Diolch, Dirprwy Weinidog. Mae'r adroddiad a gyhoeddwyd ddoe yn un di-flewyn-ar-dafod ac yn anodd ei ddarllen, gyda thystiolaeth ddirdynnol gan fenywod sydd wedi profi ymddygiad annerbyniol o fewn rygbi Cymru, ac o fewn y corff sy'n gyfrifol am redeg y gêm yng Nghymru.
Rwy'n croesawu ac yn cydnabod bod Undeb Rygbi Cymru wedi derbyn difrifoldeb yr adroddiad yn ei hymateb ddoe, ac yn cytuno gyda chi o ran yr angen i'r undeb weithredu ar yr argymhellion heb oedi er mwyn adfer ymddiriedaeth. Ond rydyn ni hefyd yn gwybod nad oedd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwbl ddall i'r honiadau cyn iddyn nhw weld golau dydd yn rhaglen y BBC Wales Investigates a ddarlledwyd yn Ionawr eleni, a bod yr Aelod Seneddol, Tonia Antoniazzi, wedi ysgrifennu atoch chi ym mis Mai 2022 yn tynnu sylw at bryderon am Undeb Rygbi Cymru ac yn gofyn ichi ymyrryd yn bersonol ar y mater yma.
Mae'n allweddol bod gan y Llywodraeth, sydd â pherthynas ariannol gyda'r undeb, brosesau llym yn eu lle wrth ddyfarnu ar briodoldeb y berthynas honno. Mae Undeb Rygbi Cymru wedi ymrwymo i ddysgu gwersi. Pa wersi ydych chi, Dirprwy Weinidog, wedi'u dysgu, ac oes gwell prosesau wedi eu rhoi yn eu lle i sicrhau gweithredu os oes pryderon o'r fath byth yn cael eu codi gyda chi eto?
Thank you, Deputy Minister. The report published yesterday pulls no punches and makes for difficult reading, with powerful evidence from women who have experienced unacceptable behaviour within Welsh rugby, and within the body responsible for running the game in Wales.
I recognise that the Welsh Rugby Union has acknowledged the report's seriousness in its response yesterday, and this is to be welcomed, and I agree with you in terms of the need for the union to act on the recommendations without delay to restore and regain trust. However, we also know that the Welsh Government were not entirely blind to the allegations before they saw the light of day in the BBC Wales Investigates programme broadcast in January of this year, and that Tonia Antoniazzi MP wrote to you in May 2022 drawing attention to concerns about the WRU and asking you to intervene personally in this matter.
It's crucial that the Government, which has a financial relationship with the union, has stringent processes in place to ensure the propriety of that relationship. The WRU has committed to learning lessons. What lessons have you, Deputy Minister, learned, and have improved processes been put in place to ensure that action is taken if similar concerns are ever raised with you in future?
Thank you for that supplementary question, which, of course, we have examined and explored many times, including when I gave evidence to the committee and when the committee published its report. A number of the recommendations in that report were for Welsh Government and they dealt with the issues of our internal processes and how we respond to issues around whistleblowing, and I accepted all of those recommendations. So, I think we have expressed very clearly that we recognise that things had to change and we have acknowledged that and we've given a full response to the committee on that.
But I think the substantive point here is to acknowledge the investigation into what has happened in the WRU. It was, after all, a report about the behaviour of the WRU, not about the behaviour of Welsh Government. The report really should be serving as a watershed moment that brings a change for the whole of Welsh rugby. I've only had a very short time to consider the report in full, and I'll be meeting with the WRU to discuss the recommendations and their wider plans to address those, hopefully over the next few days. And that discussion is going to include a focus on the expectations that I set out in my letter to the WRU immediately following that BBC investigation documentary, which included the need to ensure that staff were supported and investigations were concluded fully where they related to the alleged individual incidents.
The main issues identified by the report included concerns about disfunction at board level, about poor governance for such a large organisation, and a failure to adequately support the women's and the girls' games. Those issues led to an organisation that failed to address the serious institutional and cultural problems that it faced—a culture that was clearly misogynistic, racist and homophobic. And like you, I'm reassured that the WRU has accepted, without exception, all of the recommendations of the review panel, with significant progress having been made in some of those areas already, which you are aware of.
And the WRU really now has to focus on the task of further reforms to its governance and restoring trust with all of those interested in the game, including, and I think this is important, victims of unacceptable behaviour who so bravely spoke out about their experiences. So, I would welcome the recommendations, like you, in the report and establishing that oversight body to enhance transparency across the organisation. And I'm very much looking forward now to having that conversation with the WRU about how these recommendations will be implemented.
Diolch am y cwestiwn atodol, ac rydym wedi ei archwilio sawl gwaith wrth gwrs, gan gynnwys pan roddais dystiolaeth i'r pwyllgor a phan gyhoeddodd y pwyllgor ei adroddiad. Roedd nifer o'r argymhellion yn yr adroddiad hwnnw ar gyfer Llywodraeth Cymru ac fe wnaethant ymdrin â materion yn ymwneud â'n prosesau mewnol a sut yr ymatebwn i faterion yn ymwneud â chwythu'r chwiban, a derbyniais yr holl argymhellion hynny. Felly, rwy'n credu ein bod wedi mynegi'n glir iawn ein bod yn cydnabod bod yn rhaid i bethau newid ac rydym wedi rhoi ymateb llawn i'r pwyllgor ynglŷn â hynny.
Ond rwy'n credu mai'r pwynt pwysig yma yw cydnabod yr ymchwiliad i'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd yn Undeb Rygbi Cymru (URC). Wedi'r cyfan, adroddiad ydoedd am ymddygiad URC, nid am ymddygiad Llywodraeth Cymru. Dylai'r adroddiad fod yn drobwynt sy'n dod â newid i rygbi Cymru yn ei gyfanrwydd. Nid wyf ond wedi cael amser byr iawn i ystyried yr adroddiad yn llawn, a byddaf yn cyfarfod ag URC i drafod yr argymhellion a'u cynlluniau ehangach i fynd i'r afael â'r rheini, dros y dyddiau nesaf gobeithio. Ac mae'r drafodaeth honno'n mynd i gynnwys ffocws ar y disgwyliadau a nodais yn fy llythyr at URC yn syth ar ôl y rhaglen ddogfen ar ymchwiliad y BBC, a oedd yn cynnwys yr angen i sicrhau bod staff yn cael eu cefnogi a bod ymchwiliadau'n cael eu cwblhau'n llawn lle roeddent yn ymwneud â'r achosion unigol honedig.
Roedd y prif faterion a nodwyd gan yr adroddiad yn cynnwys pryderon am gamweithredu ar lefel y bwrdd, am lywodraethu gwael am sefydliad mor fawr, a methiant i gefnogi gemau'r menywod a'r merched yn ddigonol. Arweiniodd y materion hynny at sefydliad a fethodd fynd i'r afael â'r problemau sefydliadol a diwylliannol difrifol a wynebai—diwylliant a oedd yn amlwg yn wreig-gasaol, yn hiliol ac yn homoffobig. Ac fel chi, rwy'n dawel fy meddwl fod URC wedi derbyn, yn ddieithriad, holl argymhellion y panel adolygu, gyda chynnydd sylweddol wedi'i wneud yn rhai o'r meysydd hynny eisoes, ac rydych yn ymwybodol o hynny.
Ac mae'n rhaid i URC ganolbwyntio nawr ar y dasg o ddiwygio ei llywodraethiant ymhellach ac adfer hyder pawb sydd â diddordeb yn y gêm, gan gynnwys, ac rwy'n credu bod hyn yn bwysig, dioddefwyr ymddygiad annerbyniol a siaradodd mor ddewr am eu profiadau. Felly, fel chi, rwy'n croesawu'r argymhellion yn yr adroddiad a sefydlu'r corff goruchwylio i wella tryloywder ar draws y sefydliad. Ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr nawr at gael sgwrs gydag URC ynglŷn â sut y bydd yr argymhellion hyn yn cael eu gweithredu.
I'm grateful to the Minister for that response. For those of us for whom Welsh rugby has been a lifelong passion, this is a report that is heartbreaking to read. It's heartbreaking to know that the governing body of the game I love has treated people in this way. And reading page after page of accounts of how people have felt, working with and having worked alongside the WRU, it is heartbreaking that our national governing body has behaved in this way. And I therefore very much welcome the response of the WRU to this report, and I welcome the fact that they recognise where they are—that they've accepted the recommendations. I welcome also the response of the Welsh Government in ensuring that they work alongside the WRU to put these things right.
I think Members on all sides of the Chamber will want to reach out in love and solidarity to the people, to the women who have been treated this way by the WRU in the past, and I hope that all of us on all sides of this Chamber will want to work to make these things right, so that we can be proud again of our game, proud of our national sport and proud to go to the stadium and cheer on our teams. And I hope that, as we move forward, this will be seen, as the Minister said, not simply as a watershed moment for the WRU, but as an example of how we can put things right as well. I look forward to working with people in my own constituency and elsewhere to ensure that nobody else ever faces the sort of treatment and behaviour that we’ve seen outlined and exposed in this report.
Rwy’n ddiolchgar i’r Gweinidog am ei hymateb. I’r rhai ohonom sydd wedi teimlo angerdd at rygbi Cymru drwy gydol ein hoes, mae hwn yn adroddiad sy’n dorcalonnus i’w ddarllen. Mae'n dorcalonnus gwybod bod corff llywodraethu'r gamp rwy'n ei charu wedi trin pobl fel hyn. Ac wrth ddarllen tudalen ar ôl tudalen o adroddiadau am sut mae pobl wedi teimlo, wrth weithio gyda, a gweithio ochr yn ochr ag URC, mae’n dorcalonnus fod ein corff llywodraethu cenedlaethol wedi ymddwyn fel hyn. Ac rwy'n croesawu ymateb Undeb Rygbi Cymru i'r adroddiad yn fawr iawn felly, ac yn croesawu'r ffaith eu bod yn cydnabod eu sefyllfa—eu bod wedi derbyn yr argymhellion. Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru o ran sicrhau eu bod yn gweithio ochr yn ochr ag URC i unioni’r pethau hyn.
Credaf y bydd Aelodau ar bob ochr i’r Siambr yn awyddus i estyn allan mewn cariad ac undod at y bobl, at y menywod sydd wedi cael eu trin fel hyn gan URC yn y gorffennol, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd pob un ohonom ar bob ochr i'r Siambr yn dymuno gweithio i unioni'r pethau hyn, fel y gallwn fod yn falch unwaith eto o’n camp, yn falch o’n camp genedlaethol ac yn falch o fynd i’r stadiwm a chefnogi ein timau. Ac rwy'n gobeithio, wrth inni symud ymlaen, y bydd hyn yn cael ei ystyried, fel y dywedodd y Gweinidog, nid yn unig fel trobwynt i URC, ond fel enghraifft o sut y gallwn unioni pethau hefyd. Edrychaf ymlaen at weithio gyda phobl yn fy etholaeth i ac mewn mannau eraill i sicrhau nad oes unrhyw un arall byth yn wynebu'r math o driniaeth ac ymddygiad a ddisgrifiwyd ac a ddatgelwyd yn yr adroddiad hwn.
I don't think there was a question there, Deputy Minister, but if you want to make a comment.
Ni chredaf fod cwestiwn wedi'i ofyn, Ddirprwy Weinidog, ond os hoffech wneud sylw.
There was a question there, it was, 'Does the Minister agree with me?' [Laughter.]
Roedd cwestiwn yno, sef, 'A yw'r Gweinidog yn cytuno â mi?' [Chwerthin.]
Yes, just to thank Alun Davies for those comments and I would like to associate myself with them, because, I think, like all the sporting bodies in Wales, we have a right to expect the WRU to provide a safe environment for its staff, its players, for children and for young people who participate in the game at all levels. And what I would say, in just finishing my response to Alun Davies, is that our ambition for the WRU is for this to work as a catalyst that sees that organisation become a leader and an exemplar for fair treatment across all the nations and all sports, because I think that the WRU now has probably a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change its leadership, which it has done, to change its board, which it is doing, and to lead that cultural change in that organisation that means that people like those who came forward for that BBC interview never, ever have to experience anything like that again in their place of work.
Ie, diolch i Alun Davies am ei sylwadau, a hoffwn gytuno â nhw, oherwydd, fel pob corff chwaraeon yng Nghymru, rwy'n credu bod gennym hawl i ddisgwyl i URC ddarparu amgylchedd diogel i’w staff, ei chwaraewyr, ac i blant a phobl ifanc sy'n cymryd rhan yn y gamp ar bob lefel. A’r hyn yr hoffwn ei ddweud, i orffen fy ymateb i Alun Davies, yw mai ein huchelgais ar gyfer URC yw i hyn weithio fel catalydd i sicrhau bod y sefydliad hwnnw’n dod yn arweinydd ac yn batrwm o driniaeth deg ar draws yr holl genhedloedd a’r holl gampau, gan y credaf fod gan URC gyfle unwaith mewn cenhedlaeth nawr, yn ôl pob tebyg, i newid ei arweinyddiaeth, rhywbeth y mae wedi’i wneud, i newid ei fwrdd, y mae wrthi’n ei wneud, ac i arwain newid diwylliannol yn y sefydliad hwnnw sy’n golygu nad yw pobl fel y rheini a siaradodd am eu profiadau ar gyfer y cyfweliad gyda'r BBC byth yn mynd i orfod profi unrhyw beth felly eto yn eu gweithle.
It is a shame, really, that it took brave individuals coming forward to blow the whistle on this for this scandal, quite frankly, to be seen as widely as it has been. And can I also commend the work of the BBC on this in producing the documentary that they did? But a number of those individuals who came forward, and perhaps other individuals who would have liked to have come forward, were subject to non-disclosure agreements at the Welsh Rugby Union. And reading the report, it seemed as though the Welsh Rugby Union used these non-disclosure agreements almost as a matter of routine. To quote the report, they,
'seemed to be used even where junior staff left with extremely limited compensation'.
And the attitudes to complaints seemed to be that,
'they'll buy it off and bury it with an NDA.'
All these things undermine the culture of openness within the Welsh Rugby Union, and whilst I note that the NDAs were lifted, or waived, I should say, for those who wanted to contribute to the review, can I implore you, Minister, in your discussions to come with the Welsh Rugby Union, that that attitude, that approach, that openness, that you and I hope to see in the Welsh Rugby Union is extended, so that people who are currently subject to those NDAs have them retroactively lifted? Because I think it's very important that we don't end up in a situation where people cannot talk about the mistakes of the past to build a better future.
Mae’n drueni, a dweud y gwir, ei bod wedi cymryd unigolion dewr yn chwythu’r chwiban ar hyn i'r sgandal gael ei gweld ar raddfa mor eang. Ac a gaf fi hefyd ganmol gwaith y BBC ar gynhyrchu’r rhaglen ddogfen? Ond roedd nifer o’r unigolion hynny a siaradodd am eu profiadau, ac efallai unigolion eraill a fyddai wedi hoffi siarad am eu profiadau, yn destun cytundebau peidio â datgelu yn Undeb Rygbi Cymru. Ac wrth ddarllen yr adroddiad, roedd fel petai Undeb Rygbi Cymru yn defnyddio’r cytundebau peidio â datgelu hyn bron fel mater o drefn. I ddyfynnu'r adroddiad, roeddent,
'yn ôl pob tebyg yn cael eu defnyddio hyd yn oed pan oedd staff iau yn gadael gyda fawr iawn o iawndal'.
Ac ymddengys mai'r agwedd at gwynion oedd,
'y byddent yn prynu eu ffafr ac yn claddu'r peth gyda chytundebau peidio â datgelu.'
Mae’r holl bethau hyn yn tanseilio diwylliant o fod yn agored yn Undeb Rygbi Cymru, ac er fy mod yn nodi bod y cytundebau peidio â datgelu wedi’u codi, neu eu hepgor, dylwn ddweud, i’r rhai a oedd am gyfrannu at yr adolygiad, a gaf fi erfyn arnoch, Weinidog, yn eich trafodaethau sydd i ddod gydag Undeb Rygbi Cymru, fod yr agwedd honno, y dull hwnnw o weithredu, y natur agored honno, yr ydych chi a minnau’n gobeithio ei gweld yn Undeb Rygbi Cymru yn cael ei hymestyn, fel bod y bobl sy'n destun i'r cytundebau peidio â datgelu ar hyn o bryd yn eu gweld yn cael eu hepgor yn ôl-weithredol? Oherwydd credaf ei bod yn bwysig iawn nad ydym yn cyrraedd sefyllfa lle na all pobl siarad am gamgymeriadau’r gorffennol er mwyn adeiladu dyfodol gwell.
Can I thank Tom Giffard for that further question? I absolutely agree with what he's saying. Colleagues will know about my background, before coming into the Senedd. I spent 30 years involved in industrial relations, and having to negotiate my way through, on behalf of trade union members, with their employers, very, very difficult sets of circumstances. They often meant that the parties had to part company. And quite often, when those parties part company, you would have something called a compromise agreement. Now, a compromise agreement is something very different, because that does set out the nature of the employment relationship and how that is going to end, how that is going to happen. And it writes into it confidentiality clauses, because it is quite right that people should have their individual circumstances protected, and so that remains confidential. But that's very different to a non-disclosure agreement—the kind that we saw operating within the WRU.
The report quite rightly highlights that that is poor practice, and I would agree with that, absolutely. There are very limited circumstances in which NDAs should be used, and I would hope that, going forward, that does not become the modus operandi, as it has in the past, and that the WRU will again look at that and make sure that any agreements that they have with their employees in the future do not prevent them from doing the kinds of things that we saw in that BBC report, or prevent them from coming along and giving evidence to an inquiry, such as the inquiry we've just seen concluded. Because nobody should be prevented from speaking out and speaking the truth. And that's why I'm also very pleased that the report recommends that the whistleblowing agreements within the WRU should also be—
A gaf fi ddiolch i Tom Giffard am ei gwestiwn pellach? Cytunaf yn llwyr â’r hyn y mae’n ei ddweud. Bydd fy nghyd-Aelodau'n gwybod am fy nghefndir, cyn dod i’r Senedd. Treuliais 30 mlynedd ym maes cysylltiadau diwydiannol, a gorfod negodi fy ffordd, ar ran aelodau o undebau llafur, gyda’u cyflogwyr, drwy amgylchiadau anodd tu hwnt. Roeddent yn aml yn golygu bod yn rhaid i'r ddwy ochr ymwahanu. Ac yn eithaf aml, pan fydd y ddwy ochr yn ymwahanu, byddai gennych rywbeth a elwir yn gytundeb cyfaddawd. Nawr, mae cytundeb cyfaddawd yn rhywbeth gwahanol iawn, gan ei fod yn nodi natur y berthynas gyflogaeth a sut mae honno'n mynd i ddod i ben, sut mae hynny'n mynd i ddigwydd. Ac mae'n cynnwys cymalau cyfrinachedd, gan ei bod yn gwbl briodol y dylai amgylchiadau unigol pobl gael eu diogelu, ac felly mae hynny'n aros yn gyfrinachol. Ond mae hynny'n wahanol iawn i gytundeb peidio â datgelu—y math a welsom ar waith yn URC.
Mae’r adroddiad, yn gwbl briodol, yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith bod hynny’n arfer gwael, a buaswn yn cytuno'n llwyr â hynny. Ni ddylid defnyddio cytundebau peidio â datgelu heblaw mewn amgylchiadau cyfyngedig iawn, a buaswn yn gobeithio, wrth symud ymlaen, nad yw hynny’n dod yn modus operandi, fel sydd wedi digwydd yn y gorffennol, ac y bydd URC yn edrych ar hynny eto ac yn sicrhau nad yw unrhyw gytundebau sydd ganddynt â’u gweithwyr yn y dyfodol yn eu hatal rhag gwneud y mathau o bethau a welsom yn yr adroddiad gan y BBC, nac yn eu hatal rhag rhoi tystiolaeth i ymchwiliad, megis yr ymchwiliad rydym newydd ei weld yn cael ei gwblhau. Oherwydd ni ddylai unrhyw un gael eu hatal rhag codi eu llais a dweud y gwir. A dyna pam fy mod hefyd yn falch iawn fod yr adroddiad yn argymell y dylai'r cytundebau chwythu'r chwiban yn URC hefyd fod—
Diolch i'r Dirprwy Weinidog.
I thank the Deputy Minister.
Just to conclude, Llywydd, it's—
I gloi, Lywydd, mae—
You can go on, if you want to.
Gallwch barhau, os dymunwch.
I thought you were shutting me up; I do apologise. I was just concluding by saying that, to take that in the round, I absolutely agree, in essence, with what Tom Giffard is saying.
Roeddwn yn meddwl eich bod yn fy nhewi; rwy'n ymddiheuro. Roeddwn ar fin cloi drwy ddweud, i roi hynny yn ei gyfanrwydd, rwy’n cytuno’n llwyr, yn ei hanfod, â’r hyn y mae Tom Giffard yn ei ddweud.
Okay. Thank you, Deputy Minister.
Iawn. Diolch, Ddirprwy Weinidog.
Ni chafwyd unrhyw ddatganiadau 90 eiliad.
No 90-second statements were received.
Felly symudwn ymlaen at eitem 6, cynnig i gymeradwyo cyllideb Comisiwn y Senedd ar gyfer 2024-25. Galwaf ar Ken Skates i wneud y cynnig.
So we'll move on to item 6, which is the motion to approve the Senedd Commission's budget for 2024-25. I call on Ken Skates to move the motion.
Cynnig NDM8404 Ken Skates
Cynnig bod y Senedd, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 20.16:
Yn cytuno ar gyllideb Comisiwn y Senedd ar gyfer 2024-25, fel y pennir yn Nhabl 1 o Gyllideb Comisiwn y Senedd ar gyfer 2024-25, a osodwyd gerbron y Senedd ar 8 Tachwedd 2023, a’i bod yn cael ei hymgorffori yn y Cynnig Cyllidebol Blynyddol o dan Reol Sefydlog 20.26(ii).
Motion NDM8404 Ken Skates
To propose that the Senedd in accordance with Standing Order 20.16:
Agrees the budget of the Senedd Commission for 2024-25, as specified in Table 1 of the Senedd Commission Budget 2024-25, laid before the Senedd on 8 November 2023, and that it be incorporated in the Annual Budget Motion under Standing Order 20.26(ii).
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I move the Commission's budget motion for 2024-25, and ask that it be incorporated into the annual budget motion.
As you'll have seen from the budget document, the Commission is seeking a total budget of £72.195 million, comprising £41.5 million for Commission services; £19.2 million for the remuneration board's determination; £101,000 for the office of the Standards Commissioner; £627,000 for costs associated with providing support to the independent remuneration board; £2.1 million to support preparatory work for Senedd reform; £1.5 million for the ways of working programme; and £7.1 million for interest and non-cash items.
Compared to the 2023-24 draft and supplementary budgets, the Commission's business-as-usual operational budget has increased by 2.5 per cent and 3.6 per cent respectively. This increases to 6.6 per cent and 7.6 per cent respectively with the inclusion of funding for those two work programmes: Senedd reform preparation and ways of working. The total increase to the Commission-related expenditure is £3.126 million, of which just over £3 million is to fund the Senedd reform preparation and ways of working programmes.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n gwneud cynnig cyllideb y Comisiwn ar gyfer 2024-25, a gofynnaf iddo gael ei ymgorffori yng nghynnig y gyllideb flynyddol.
Fel y byddwch wedi gweld o ddogfen y gyllideb, mae'r Comisiwn yn gofyn am gyfanswm o £72.195 miliwn o gyllideb, sy'n cynnwys £41.5 miliwn ar gyfer gwasanaethau'r Comisiwn; £19.2 miliwn ar gyfer dyfarniad y bwrdd taliadau; £101,000 ar gyfer swyddfa'r Comisiynydd Safonau; £627,000 am gostau sy'n gysylltiedig â darparu cymorth i'r bwrdd taliadau annibynnol; £2.1 miliwn i gefnogi gwaith paratoi ar gyfer diwygio’r Senedd; £1.5 miliwn ar gyfer y rhaglen ffyrdd o weithio; a £7.1 miliwn ar gyfer llog ac eitemau nad ydynt yn arian parod.
O gymharu â chyllideb ddrafft a chyllidebau atodol 2023-24, mae cyllideb weithredol arferol y Comisiwn wedi cynyddu 2.5 y cant a 3.6 y cant yn y drefn honno. Mae hyn yn cynyddu i 6.6 y cant a 7.6 y cant yn y drefn honno o gynnwys cyllid ar gyfer y ddwy raglen waith: paratoi ar gyfer diwygio’r Senedd a ffyrdd o weithio. Cyfanswm y cynnydd i’r gwariant sy’n ymwneud â’r Comisiwn yw £3.126 miliwn, ac mae ychydig dros £3 miliwn ohono i ariannu'r rhaglen baratoi ar gyfer diwygio’r Senedd a'r rhaglen ffyrdd o weithio.
Dirprwy Lywydd, can I say that I'm very, very grateful to the Finance Committee for their acknowledgement of the introduction of a medium-term resource framework and their understanding of how that will change the Commission processes throughout the year? As part of this new approach, we have included a savings target of £315,000 for savings on the operational budget, in addition to absorbing tough inflationary pressures and managing the Commission operational budget growth to just 2.5 per cent. The work to identify the detail of the savings is scheduled for late autumn, as part of the service planning and workplace planning exercise, and the Commission will approve these savings early in the new year. We thank the committee for their preparedness to change timings of receipt of information. The Commission are confident that the medium-term resource framework process changes will enable better budgeting and a fuller picture of the long-term financial position of the Commission, particularly on multi-year project planning.
Now, the pay award for Commission staff in 2024-25 has been budgeted at the cap of 3 per cent, as per the agreed pay award mechanism, based on the average increase in annual salary of hours and earnings for the last three years. The current pay deal will end in March 2025, and discussions have already begun in regard to the structure of the next pay deal. In line with budgetary processes, we have not provided for any unknown future staff payments in the budget. The budget does not include any provisioning for further cost-of-living payments to staff, which is in line with Treasury budgetary procedures, and should a request come forward, the Commission would have no option but to seek a supplementary budget. We've all seen the impact of the cost-of-living payment made this year by the Commission, the impact in particular on travel, training and the recruitment freeze on Commission staff and, therefore, their workloads. As the Commission budgetary structure cannot carry any reserves, this leaves it unable to manage such a large one-off expenditure without service impact.
We continue to be committed to preparing budgets that are robust, transparent and facilitate the highest level of support to Members in their important work of legislating for the people of Wales and holding the Government to account. We have, therefore, included two additional ring-fenced budgets within the Commission budget this year. The first is to support the preparatory work for Senedd reform. As the Bill has only recently been produced, there is still a level of uncertainty about the work that the Commission will have to undertake. Should the course of the Bill progress differently to our expectations and some of the funding not be required, it will be returned to the Welsh consolidated fund.
The second is the ways of work programme, which is the management structure supporting the delivery of the estate, people and sustainability strategies. The work this year will include addressing Tŷ Hywel's lease expiry in 2032, known as the Bay 32 project, where the Commission will consider options on how to provide the necessary space for Members, their support staff and Commission staff post 2032. Doing nothing is not an option for us as a Parliament. The Bay 32 project will need to progress to deliver a solution on time. Again, at this stage, there is a level of uncertainty about the potential final direction of the decision making. The budget for ways of working, therefore, reflects the need to budget to ensure all options are able to be taken forward for consideration, and again, the Commission undertakes to return any funding that is not required. We also continue to ring-fence the budget for the support of both the remuneration board and the standards commissioner.
I'd like to thank the Finance Committee for its scrutiny of this budget and its continued commitment to ensuring the fairness and transparency of the Commission requirement, whilst continuing to ask questions that drive performance and deliver excellence. And the committee has made 11 recommendations, all of which we have addressed in our response provided to the committee. The first recommendation was that the committee supports this budget, which we note and sincerely appreciate. And the remaining recommendations covered the following areas: medium-term resourcing framework, pay awards and staff well-being, providing further information on the remit of the Bay 32 project, providing details of projects to be invested in, providing information on the external consultancy services requested by the independent remuneration board, encouraging the Commission to continue to explore energy reduction initiatives for both the Senedd estate and constituency offices, and to provide, when available, the Member and public engagement programme for 2024-25. It's important to say that, as with all our work as a Commission, we seek to engage with Members across the Senedd for their views and to ensure that those views are reflected within our service delivery. This is important as we now deliver Senedd reform and the ways of working programme.
We have accepted all the committee's recommendations, and we are, as ever, open to suggestions on how to improve our budgeting process and provide value for money to the Welsh public purse. We're willing to answer any questions that Members may have. In the meantime, I'm happy to put forward this budget on behalf of the Commission and reiterate our commitment to working in a way that is open and transparent, delivering the best possible value for money for the people of Wales.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, a gaf fi ddweud fy mod yn ddiolchgar iawn i'r Pwyllgor Cyllid am eu cydnabyddiaeth o'r fframwaith adnoddau tymor canolig a gyflwynwyd a'u dealltwriaeth o sut y bydd hynny'n newid prosesau'r Comisiwn drwy gydol y flwyddyn? Fel rhan o'r dull newydd hwn, rydym wedi cynnwys targed arbedion o £315,000 ar y gyllideb weithredol, yn ogystal ag amsugno pwysau chwyddiant llym a chadw cynnyd cyllideb weithredol y Comisiwn i 2.5 y cant yn unig. Mae’r gwaith ar nodi manylion yr arbedion wedi’i drefnu ar gyfer diwedd yr hydref, fel rhan o’r ymarfer cynllunio’r gweithle a chynllunio gwasanaethau, a bydd y Comisiwn yn cymeradwyo’r arbedion hyn yn gynnar yn y flwyddyn newydd. Diolch i’r pwyllgor am eu parodrwydd i newid yr amserlen ar gyfer derbyn gwybodaeth. Mae’r Comisiwn yn hyderus y bydd y newidiadau i broses y fframwaith adnoddau tymor canolig yn galluogi gwell cyllidebu a darlun llawnach o sefyllfa ariannol hirdymor y Comisiwn, yn enwedig ar gynllunio prosiectau aml-flwyddyn.
Nawr, mae’r dyfarniad cyflog ar gyfer staff y Comisiwn yn 2024-25 wedi’i gyllidebu ar y cap o 3 y cant, yn unol â’r mecanwaith dyfarniad cyflog a gytunwyd, yn seiliedig ar y cynnydd cyfartalog yn yr arolwg blynyddol o oriau ac enillion ar gyfer y tair blynedd diwethaf. Bydd y cytundeb cyflog presennol yn dod i ben ym mis Mawrth 2025, ac mae trafodaethau eisoes wedi dechrau ynglŷn â strwythur y cytundeb cyflog nesaf. Yn unol â phrosesau cyllidebol, nid ydym wedi darparu ar gyfer unrhyw daliadau staff anrhagweladwy yn y dyfodol yn y gyllideb. Nid yw’r gyllideb yn cynnwys unrhyw ddarpariaeth ar gyfer taliadau costau byw pellach i staff, sy’n unol â gweithdrefnau cyllidebol y Trysorlys, a phe bai cais yn cael ei gyflwyno, ni fyddai gan y Comisiwn unrhyw ddewis ond ceisio cyllideb atodol. Mae pob un ohonom wedi gweld effaith y taliad costau byw a wnaed eleni gan y Comisiwn, yr effaith yn benodol ar deithio, hyfforddiant a rhewi recriwtio staff y Comisiwn, ac felly, eu llwythi gwaith. Gan na all strwythur cyllidebol y Comisiwn gadw unrhyw gronfeydd wrth gefn, golyga hyn na all reoli gwariant untro mor fawr heb effaith ar wasanaeth.
Rydym yn parhau i fod yn ymrwymedig i baratoi cyllidebau sy’n gadarn, yn dryloyw ac sy'n hwyluso’r lefel uchaf o gefnogaeth i Aelodau yn eu gwaith pwysig o ddeddfu ar gyfer pobl Cymru a dwyn y Llywodraeth i gyfrif. Rydym felly wedi cynnwys dwy gyllideb ychwanegol wedi’u clustnodi o fewn cyllideb y Comisiwn eleni. Mae'r gyntaf ar gyfer cefnogi’r gwaith paratoi ar gyfer diwygio’r Senedd. Gan mai'n ddiweddar yn unig y cynhyrchwyd y Bil, mae lefel o ansicrwydd o hyd ynghylch y gwaith y bydd yn rhaid i’r Comisiwn ei wneud. Os bydd y Bil yn symud ymlaen yn wahanol i’n disgwyliadau ac nad oes angen rhywfaint o’r cyllid, caiff ei ddychwelyd i gronfa gyfunol Cymru.
Yr ail yw'r rhaglen ffyrdd o weithio, sef y strwythur rheoli sy'n cefnogi'r gwaith o gyflawni'r strategaethau cynaliadwyedd, ystadau a phobl. Bydd y gwaith eleni'n cynnwys mynd i’r afael â'r ffaith y bydd les Tŷ Hywel yn dod i ben yn 2032, a elwir yn brosiect Bae Caerdydd 2032, lle bydd y Comisiwn yn ystyried opsiynau ar sut i ddarparu’r gofod angenrheidiol i Aelodau, eu staff cymorth a staff y Comisiwn ar ôl 2032. Nid yw gwneud dim yn opsiwn i ni fel Senedd. Bydd angen i brosiect Bae Caerdydd 2032 symud ymlaen i ddarparu datrysiad mewn pryd. Unwaith eto, ar hyn o bryd, ceir lefel o ansicrwydd ynghylch cyfeiriad terfynol posibl y penderfyniadau a wneir. Mae’r gyllideb ar gyfer ffyrdd o weithio, felly, yn adlewyrchu’r angen i gyllidebu er mwyn sicrhau y gellir bwrw ymlaen â’r holl opsiynau i’w hystyried, ac unwaith eto, mae’r Comisiwn yn ymrwymo i ddychwelyd unrhyw gyllid nad oes ei angen. Rydym hefyd yn parhau i glustnodi’r gyllideb ar gyfer cefnogi'r bwrdd taliadau a’r comisiynydd safonau.
Hoffwn ddiolch i'r Pwyllgor Cyllid am ei waith craffu ar y gyllideb hon a'i ymrwymiad parhaus i sicrhau tegwch a thryloywder gofyniad y Comisiwn, gan barhau i ofyn cwestiynau sy'n rhoi hwb i berfformiad ac yn sicrhau rhagoriaeth. Ac mae’r pwyllgor wedi gwneud 11 o argymhellion, ac rydym wedi rhoi sylw i bob un ohonynt yn yr ymateb a ddarparwyd gennym i’r pwyllgor. Yr argymhelliad cyntaf oedd bod y pwyllgor yn cefnogi’r gyllideb hon, ac rydym yn nodi hynny ac yn ei werthfawrogi’n ddiffuant. Ac roedd yr argymhellion eraill yn cwmpasu’r meysydd canlynol: fframwaith adnoddau tymor canolig, dyfarniadau cyflog a llesiant staff, darparu rhagor o wybodaeth am gylch gwaith prosiect Bae Caerdydd 2032, darparu manylion prosiectau i fuddsoddi ynddynt, darparu gwybodaeth am y gwasanaethau ymgynghori allanol y gofynnwyd amdanynt gan y bwrdd taliadau annibynnol, annog y Comisiwn i barhau i archwilio mentrau lleihau ynni ar gyfer ystad y Senedd a swyddfeydd etholaethol, a darparu, pan fo ar gael, y rhaglen ymgysylltu i Aelodau a’r cyhoedd ar gyfer 2024-25. Mae'n bwysig dweud, fel gyda'n holl waith fel Comisiwn, ein bod yn ceisio ymgysylltu ag Aelodau ar draws y Senedd i gael eu barn a sicrhau bod y safbwyntiau hynny'n cael eu hadlewyrchu yn y modd y darperir ein gwasanaethau. Mae hyn yn bwysig wrth inni fynd ati i ddiwygio’r Senedd a chyflwyno'r rhaglen ffyrdd o weithio.
Rydym wedi derbyn holl argymhellion y pwyllgor, ac fel bob amser,