Y Cyfarfod Llawn
Plenary
29/11/2023Cynnwys
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. Yr eitem gyntaf y prynhawn yma yw'r cwestiynau i’r Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd. Mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Luke Fletcher.
Good afternoon and welcome to this Plenary meeting. The first item this afternoon is questions to the Minister for Climate Change, and the first question is from Luke Fletcher.
1. Pa ystyriaeth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i rhoi i’r argymhellion yn adroddiad Comisiwn Seilwaith Cenedlaethol Cymru, 'Paratoi Cymru ar gyfer Ynni Adnewyddadwy 2050'? OQ60341
1. What consideration has the Welsh Government given to the recommendations of the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales report, 'Preparing Wales for a Renewable Energy 2050'? OQ60341
I thank the commission for their work and welcome the report. The recommendations build on the action we are already taking to meet our vision for Wales to fully meet our electricity needs from renewable sources by 2035. I will be formally responding to the report in the new year.
Diolch i’r comisiwn am eu gwaith ac rwy'n croesawu'r adroddiad. Mae’r argymhellion yn adeiladu ar y camau rydym eisoes yn eu cymryd i gyflawni ein gweledigaeth i Gymru ddiwallu ein holl anghenion trydan drwy ffynonellau adnewyddadwy erbyn 2035. Byddaf yn ymateb yn ffurfiol i’r adroddiad yn y flwyddyn newydd.
Diolch am yr ateb, Weinidog.
Thank you for the answer, Minister.
The last couple of years have shown how volatile our energy supply systems can be and how vulnerable our communities are to those price shocks. Any means of insulating ourselves from that should be explored. Now, it was good to see the report emphasise the importance that the community energy sector holds in the process of decarbonising our energy system. But it also highlights many of the barriers that the community energy sector faces, such as the lack of a cohesive policy field as well as grid backlog and costs. Another important barrier is local energy trading, which has the potential to bring that long-term energy stability to our communities. So, I’d like to ask the Minister whether any work has been carried out on assessing the barriers to local trade, and, if not, whether this is on the Government’s radar.
Mae’r ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf wedi dangos pa mor anwadal y gall ein systemau cyflenwi ynni fod a pha mor agored i niwed yw ein cymunedau i’r cynnydd mawr yn y prisiau. Dylid archwilio unrhyw fodd o ynysu ein hunain rhag hynny. Nawr, roedd yn dda gweld yr adroddiad yn pwysleisio pwysigrwydd y sector ynni cymunedol yn y broses o ddatgarboneiddio ein system ynni. Ond mae hefyd yn amlygu llawer o’r rhwystrau y mae’r sector ynni cymunedol yn eu hwynebu, megis diffyg maes polisi cydlynol yn ogystal ag ôl-groniad yn y grid a chostau. Ceir rhwystr pwysig arall i fasnachu ynni lleol, sydd â’r potensial i ddarparu sefydlogrwydd ynni hirdymor i’n cymunedau. Felly, hoffwn ofyn i’r Gweinidog a oes unrhyw waith wedi’i wneud ar asesu’r rhwystrau i fasnach leol, ac os nad oes, a yw hyn ar radar y Llywodraeth?
Yes, thank you very much for that question. The answer is 'yes'. We've been working, of course, as part of the co-operation agreement, on Ynni Cymru, which is a company that is going to be directed towards the community energy sector in Wales. Although the company is not fully formed yet, it is up and running in the sense that it has a shadow board and some employees. And amongst the many things that we’re agreeing to do is to look at exactly the point you’re making, alongside a number of the other barriers, actually, in Wales.
The grid backlog is not an insignificant backlog, but we are looking at—as I think you know, because you’ve got some in your area—some closed loop systems, for example, and where those projects are able to generate more than enough energy, we are certainly looking to see what can be done by way of trade. Also, there are different storage solutions for that and different mechanisms. So, we do see it as part of the ongoing work of Ynni Cymru, and we will be working with them to do that.
Longer term, I was very upset indeed to see the Chancellor not capping the price of energy in the autumn statement. It’s quite clear that families are going to continue to struggle this year. And the fundamental problem there, of course, is that the energy market is broken, as you know, and so what we actually need is a different mechanism for charging for renewables, because it’s completely ludicrous that, despite the fact that we have adequate renewables already, it's all pegged to the marginal price of gas. If we were just able to change that one thing alone, we would transform our communities and all of their energy requirements. So, we will continue to lobby for that, alongside our work with the grid and with the company.
Ie, diolch yn fawr iawn am eich cwestiwn. Yr ateb yw 'do'. Rydym wedi bod yn gweithio, wrth gwrs, fel rhan o’r cytundeb cydweithio, ar Ynni Cymru, sef cwmni sy’n mynd i gael ei gyfeirio tuag at y sector ynni cymunedol yng Nghymru. Er nad yw'r cwmni wedi'i ffurfio'n llawn eto, mae ar waith yn yr ystyr fod ganddo fwrdd cysgodol a rhywfaint o weithwyr. Ac un o'r nifer o bethau rydym yn cytuno i’w gwneud yw edrych ar yr union bwynt a wnewch, ochr yn ochr â nifer o’r rhwystrau eraill yng Nghymru.
Nid yw ôl-groniad y grid yn ôl-groniad ansylweddol, ond rydym yn edrych—fel y gwyddoch, rwy’n credu, gan fod gennych rai yn eich ardal—ar systemau dolen gaeedig, er enghraifft, a lle gall y prosiectau hynny gynhyrchu mwy na digon o ynni, rydym yn sicr yn edrych i weld beth y gellir ei wneud o ran masnach. Hefyd, mae gwahanol atebion storio ar gyfer hynny a gwahanol fecanweithiau. Felly, rydym yn ei ystyried yn rhan o waith parhaus Ynni Cymru, a byddwn yn gweithio gyda nhw i wneud hynny.
Yn fwy hirdymor, rwy'n siomedig iawn yn wir nad yw'r Canghellor wedi capio pris ynni yn natganiad yr hydref. Mae’n gwbl amlwg fod teuluoedd yn mynd i barhau i'w chael hi'n anodd eleni. A'r broblem sylfaenol yno, wrth gwrs, yw bod y farchnad ynni wedi torri, fel y gwyddoch, ac felly, yr hyn sydd ei angen arnom mewn gwirionedd yw mecanwaith gwahanol ar gyfer codi tâl am ynni adnewyddadwy, gan ei bod yn gwbl warthus fod popeth yn seiliedig ar bris ymylol nwy er bod gennym ddigon o ynni adnewyddadwy eisoes. Pe baem yn gallu newid yr un peth hwnnw'n unig, byddem yn trawsnewid ein cymunedau a'u holl ofynion ynni. Felly, byddwn yn parhau i lobïo am hynny, ochr yn ochr â’n gwaith gyda’r grid a chyda’r cwmni.
I‘m grateful to Luke Fletcher for submitting this question. Having looked at the report and the summary of the recommendations—the need for leadership and a strategic approach, a grid fit for the future of Wales, a built environment, community benefit and ownership—there’s a lot in this report that I would agree with. And noting, Minister, your first response to Luke in terms of your response to this in the new year, just on planning, if I may, could I just probe you with regard to the summary response?
'By 2025, where renewable energy planning applications...have a mandated, statutory time allocation, decisions should default to a positive if the time allocation elapses with no response'.
Also,
'By 2025, a pooled planning resource for energy should be created, to share expertise and technical skills for articulating planning policies, engaging with the public and considering planning applications.'
Not to prejudge your response for the new year, but could I just get your thoughts on those issues with regard to planning, because we know planning is a real barrier when it comes to unlocking the opportunities around renewables? Diolch, Llywydd.
Rwy’n ddiolchgar i Luke Fletcher am gyflwyno’r cwestiwn hwn. Ar ôl edrych ar yr adroddiad a’r crynodeb o’r argymhellion—yr angen am arweinyddiaeth a dull strategol, grid sy’n addas ar gyfer Cymru'r dyfodol, yr amgylchedd adeiledig, buddion a pherchnogaeth gymunedol—mae llawer yn yr adroddiad hwn y buaswn yn cytuno ag ef. A chan nodi, Weinidog, eich ymateb cyntaf i Luke yn eich ymateb i hyn yn y flwyddyn newydd, ar gynllunio'n unig, os caf, a gaf fi eich holi ynglŷn â chrynodeb yr ymateb?
'Erbyn 2025, lle mae gan geisiadau cynllunio ynni adnewyddadwy… amserlen statudol, orfodol, dylai penderfyniadau fod yn gadarnhaol yn ddiofyn os yw’r amserlen yn mynd heibio heb unrhyw ymateb'.
Hefyd,
'Erbyn 2025, dylid creu adnodd cynllunio cyfunol ar gyfer ynni er mwyn rhannu arbenigedd a sgiliau technegol ar gyfer mynegi polisïau cynllunio, ymgysylltu â’r cyhoedd ac ystyried ceisiadau cynllunio.'
Nid wyf yn dymuno achub y blaen ar eich ymateb ar gyfer y flwyddyn newydd, ond a gaf fi eich barn ar y materion hynny mewn perthynas â chynllunio, gan y gwyddom fod cynllunio yn rhwystr go iawn i ddatgloi'r cyfleoedd sydd ynghlwm wrth ynni adnewyddadwy? Diolch, Lywydd.
Yes, well, certainly I will be responding formally in January, but just right now, the national planning policy supports the principle of developing renewable and low-carbon energy from all technology. It is technology neutral quite deliberately, and it also supports renewable technologies at all scales as well. So, there’s no barrier to that there.
There’s a comprehensive suite of guidance alongside 'Planning Policy Wales' to achieve our energy goals. And then, in 'Future Wales', we’ve got the national policy on low-carbon and renewable energy development. We’ve got a series of policies—policies 16, 17, 18 in particular—that identify priority areas for district heat networks, for example, for the delivery of large-scale renewable energy projects and also pre-assessed areas for large-scale wind.
We’ve also got a presumption in favour of repowering in those areas, subject to the criteria set out in policy 18, which you'll be aware of, which are undergrounding where possible, and so on. And then, in permitted development rights, we already allow the development of a wide selection of low-carbon and renewable energy technologies without the need to submit any kind of planning application. There are a couple of restrictions in particular areas, you won't be surprised—so, a conservation area, or an area of outstanding natural beauty, for example. But, broadly speaking, there are already permitted development rights in place. We are currently reviewing the guidance on air-source heat pumps, because we currently have guidance in place that restricts them to within 3m of a neighbouring property. That's because some of the older models are very noisy indeed, and we want to make sure that people are able to install the ones that are not noisy. But, as the infrastructure commission has pointed out, there's always more that can be done, there's more technology coming along, and so on, so I will be responding positively to their suggestions.
Iawn, wel, yn sicr, byddaf yn ymateb yn ffurfiol ym mis Ionawr, ond ar hyn o bryd, mae’r polisi cynllunio cenedlaethol yn cefnogi egwyddor datblygu ynni adnewyddadwy a charbon isel o bob technoleg. Mae’n dechnoleg niwtral, yn gwbl fwriadol, ac mae hefyd yn cefnogi technolegau adnewyddadwy o bob maint hefyd. Felly, nid oes rhwystr i hynny yno.
Ceir cyfres gynhwysfawr o ganllawiau ochr yn ochr â ‘Polisi Cynllunio Cymru’ i gyflawni ein nodau ynni. Ac yna, yn 'Cymru’r Dyfodol’, mae gennym y polisi cenedlaethol ar ddatblygu ynni adnewyddadwy a charbon isel. Mae gennym gyfres o bolisïau—yn enwedig polisïau 16, 17, 18—sy’n nodi ardaloedd â blaenoriaeth ar gyfer rhwydweithiau gwresogi ardal, er enghraifft, ar gyfer cyflawni prosiectau ynni adnewyddadwy ar raddfa fawr a hefyd ardaloedd sydd wedi’u rhag-asesu ar gyfer datblygiadau ynni gwynt mawr.
Mae gennym hefyd ragdybiaeth o blaid adbweru yn yr ardaloedd hynny, yn amodol ar y meini prawf a nodir ym mholisi 18, y byddwch yn ymwybodol ohonynt, yn ymwneud â gosod llinellau tanddaearol lle bo modd, ac ati. Ac yna, mewn hawliau datblygu a ganiateir, rydym eisoes yn caniatáu datblygu llawer iawn o dechnolegau ynni carbon isel ac adnewyddadwy heb fod angen cyflwyno unrhyw fath o gais cynllunio. Ceir rhai cyfyngiadau mewn ardaloedd penodol, ni fyddwch yn synnu—felly, ardaloedd cadwraeth, neu ardaloedd o harddwch naturiol eithriadol, er enghraifft. Ond yn fras, mae hawliau datblygu a ganiateir eisoes ar waith. Rydym wrthi'n adolygu’r canllawiau ar bympiau gwres ffynhonnell aer, gan fod gennym ganllawiau ar waith ar hyn o bryd sy’n eu hatal rhag bod o fewn 3m i eiddo cyfagos. Y rheswm am hynny yw bod rhai o'r modelau hŷn yn swnllyd iawn, ac rydym am sicrhau y gall pobl osod y rhai nad ydynt yn swnllyd. Ond fel y mae'r comisiwn seilwaith wedi nodi, mae mwy y gellir ei wneud bob amser, mae mwy o dechnoleg yn dod i'r amlwg, ac yn y blaen, felly byddaf yn ymateb yn gadarnhaol i'w hawgrymiadau.
2. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cydweithredu ag asiantaethau allanol wrth weithredu'r cynllun adfer natur? OQ60312
2. How does the Welsh Government collaborate with external agencies when implementing the nature recovery plan? OQ60312
Thank you for that question, Mark. My officials work with a wide range of stakeholders, including Natural Resources Wales, local authorities, national parks, environmental non-governmental organisations, and the farming unions through the nature recovery action plan implementation group. We collaborate with NRW on the nature networks programme and fund the local nature partnerships to implement NRAP at the local level.
Diolch am eich cwestiwn, Mark. Mae fy swyddogion yn gweithio gydag ystod eang o randdeiliaid, gan gynnwys Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, awdurdodau lleol, parciau cenedlaethol, cyrff anllywodraethol amgylcheddol, a’r undebau ffermio drwy grŵp gweithredu’r cynllun gweithredu adfer natur. Rydym yn cydweithio â CNC ar y rhaglen rhwydweithiau natur ac yn ariannu’r partneriaethau natur lleol i roi'r cynllun gweithredu adfer natur ar waith ar lefel leol.
Diolch. The 'Review of the wider societal, biodiversity and ecosystem benefits of curlew recovery in Wales' report, commissioned by Natural Resources Wales, who you referred to, shows that curlew recovery would benefit around 70 species, both directly and indirectly, underpinning our understanding of curlew as an indicator species. By definition, this also means that, if we lose them, up to 70 species could be lost or damaged also. In your 7 July written response to me regarding concerns about afforestation, renewable energy infrastructure and curlew conservation, you welcomed my concern about the conservation and recovery of curlew breeding in Wales, and referred to the environmental permitting duties of public bodies in Wales. However, constituents working with Gylfinir Cymru recently contacted me, stating,
'Through a freedom of information request, we're privy to a lot of Natural Resources Wales correspondence regarding the proposed Gaerwen windfarm site, south-west of Corwen. At no point do they even mention curlews. This is centred on Llyn Mynyllod, where we've observed both curlew and lapwing'.
Without urgent action on issues such as this, and the suite of predators waiting to gobble up curlew chicks, the curlew will be gone as a breeding population in Wales within a decade. So, what immediate action do you now propose, collaborating with Gylfinir Cymru members—and many of the organisations you mentioned are Gylfinir Cymru members—to prevent this?
Diolch. Mae’r adroddiad ar yr adolygiad o fanteision bioamrywiaeth ac ecosystemau ehangach adfer y gylfinir a gomisiynwyd gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, y cyfeirioch chi ato, yn dangos y byddai adfer y gylfinir o fudd i oddeutu 70 o rywogaethau, yn uniongyrchol ac yn anuniongyrchol, gan ategu ein dealltwriaeth o’r gylfinir fel rhywogaeth ddangosol. Drwy ddiffiniad, mae hyn hefyd yn golygu, pe baem yn eu colli, y gallai hyd at 70 o rywogaethau eraill gael eu colli neu eu niweidio hefyd. Yn eich ymateb ysgrifenedig ataf ar 7 Gorffennaf ynghylch pryderon am goedwigo, seilwaith ynni adnewyddadwy a chadwraeth y gylfinir, fe wnaethoch chi groesawu fy mhryder ynghylch cadwraeth ac adfer gylfinirod sy'n nythu yng Nghymru, a chyfeirio at ddyletswyddau trwyddedu amgylcheddol cyrff cyhoeddus yng Nghymru. Fodd bynnag, cysylltodd etholwyr sy’n gweithio gyda Gylfinir Cymru â mi yn ddiweddar, gan nodi,
'Drwy gais rhyddid gwybodaeth, rydym yn gyfarwydd â llawer o ohebiaeth Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ynghylch safle fferm wynt arfaethedig Gaerwen, i’r de-orllewin o Gorwen. Nid ydynt yn sôn am y gylfinir yn unman. Mae hyn wedi'i ganoli ar Lyn Mynyllod, lle rydym wedi gweld gylfinirod a chornchwiglod'.
Heb gamau gweithredu brys ar faterion fel hyn, a’r gyfres o ysglyfaethwyr sy’n aros i fwyta cywion gylfinirod, bydd y gylfinir wedi diflannu fel poblogaeth nythu yng Nghymru ymhen degawd. Felly, pa gamau rydych chi'n cynnig eu cymryd ar unwaith, gan gydweithio ag aelodau Gylfinir Cymru—ac mae llawer o'r sefydliadau y sonioch chi amdanynt yn aelodau o Gylfinir Cymru—i atal hyn?
I can't comment on individual planning applications, Mark, but if you want to write to me separately about a specific application, I'm obviously very happy to look at that. Just on Gylfinir Cymru in particular, we're obviously engaged with them, as you know. We're currently considering a series of funding applications from them, to fund a collaborative approach. You know I'm very keen to do this. We're also looking at ways that we can provide opportunities to enable curlew to thrive. We are very, very clear that any tree planting proposals respect curlew and other ground-nesting species that need open landscapes. Alongside my colleague Lesley Griffiths, we're looking to see how we can make sure that the sustainable farming schemes, and other schemes, are flexible enough to make sure we get our tree planting in place, but with the right tree in the right place, as we always say. And, of course, many of the open grasslands that support curlew are also supporting very many other species, and are natural carbon sinks in and of themselves, as you know, from the meadows and the grasslands, and also some of the upland peat areas, and so on. I can't comment on the individual planning application, but if you want to write to me with it, I'm more than happy to look into it.
Ni allaf wneud sylwadau ar geisiadau cynllunio unigol, Mark, ond os hoffech ysgrifennu ataf fel arall ynglŷn â chais penodol, rwy’n amlwg yn fwy na pharod i edrych ar hynny. Ar Gylfinir Cymru yn benodol, rydym yn amlwg yn ymgysylltu â nhw, fel y gwyddoch. Ar hyn o bryd, rydym yn ystyried cyfres o geisiadau am gyllid ganddynt, i ariannu dull cydweithredol. Gwyddoch fy mod yn awyddus iawn i wneud hyn. Rydym hefyd yn edrych ar ffyrdd y gallwn ddarparu cyfleoedd i alluogi'r gylfinir i ffynnu. Rydym yn glir iawn fod unrhyw gynigion plannu coed yn parchu’r gylfinir a rhywogaethau eraill sy’n nythu ar y ddaear ac sydd angen tirweddau agored. Ochr yn ochr â fy nghyd-Aelod, Lesley Griffiths, rydym yn edrych i weld sut y gallwn sicrhau bod y cynlluniau ffermio cynaliadwy, a chynlluniau eraill, yn ddigon hyblyg, i wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn plannu ein coed, ond gyda'r goeden gywir yn y lle cywir, fel y dywedwn bob amser. Ac wrth gwrs, mae llawer o’r glaswelltiroedd agored sy’n cynnal y gylfinir hefyd yn cynnal llawer iawn o rywogaethau eraill, ac yn ddalfeydd carbon naturiol ynddynt eu hunain, fel y gwyddoch, o’r dolydd a’r glaswelltiroedd, a hefyd rhai o fawnogydd yr ucheldir, ac yn y blaen. Ni allaf wneud sylw ar y cais cynllunio unigol, ond os hoffech ysgrifennu ataf yn ei gylch, rwy’n fwy na pharod i ymchwilio iddo.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. The Conservative spokesperson, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Diolch, Llywydd. Good afternoon, Minister. Now, we all know only too well that there is a serious housing crisis in Wales. We know too that, to address this crisis, more homes must be built, and soon. Now, this cannot be achieved, of course, without an effective planning system in place. Minister, I have held several meetings across the house building and construction sector over the summer, and I've picked up so many concerns about how the planning application delays now are impeding them in their ability to take housing schemes forward. They all noted delays—serious delays—in planning permission coming forward, allowing these much-needed homes to be built. They also pointed to the overstretched planning departments. In every corner, in every local authority, there is an overstretch in the planning department. In our planning departments in totality, there are 135 vacant posts, there are vacancies in our legal departments, and, as was noted only yesterday, we simply do not have enough building control officers in Wales. We saw the direct impact of this in the summer, when Flintshire County Council issued a statement warning of delays in the planning process because of a severe shortage of staff. The chief planning officer for Wrexham warned that all officers are running very high caseloads. We're going to fail—. The Government is going to fail to deliver the number of new homes needed in Wales if you don't unblock the planning process. With the infrastructure Bill coming forward, and the greater emphasis on planning in Wales, what steps can you take to assist our planning departments in recruiting planning officials?
Diolch, Lywydd. Prynhawn da, Weinidog. Nawr, gŵyr pob un ohonom fod yna argyfwng tai difrifol yng Nghymru. Er mwyn mynd i’r afael â’r argyfwng hwn, fe wyddom hefyd fod yn rhaid adeiladu mwy o gartrefi, a hynny’n fuan. Nawr, ni ellir cyflawni hyn, wrth gwrs, heb fod system gynllunio effeithiol ar waith. Weinidog, rwyf wedi cynnal sawl cyfarfod ar draws y sector adeiladu tai dros yr haf, ac rwyf wedi clywed cymaint o bryderon ynghylch y ffordd y mae oedi yn y broses ceisiadau cynllunio bellach yn rhwystro eu gallu i fwrw ymlaen â chynlluniau tai. Nododd pob un ohonynt oedi—oedi difrifol—cyn cael caniatâd cynllunio, a fyddai'n caniatáu i’r cartrefi mawr eu hangen hyn gael eu hadeiladu. Roeddent hefyd yn tynnu sylw at yr adrannau cynllunio sydd dan ormod o bwysau. Ym mhob cornel, ym mhob awdurdod lleol, mae adrannau cynllunio dan ormod o bwysau. At ei gilydd, mae 135 o swyddi gwag yn ein hadrannau cynllunio, mae swyddi gwag yn ein hadrannau cyfreithiol, ac fel y nodwyd ddoe ddiwethaf, nid oes gennym ddigon o swyddogion rheolaeth adeiladu yng Nghymru. Gwelsom effaith uniongyrchol hyn yn yr haf, pan gyhoeddodd Cyngor Sir y Fflint ddatganiad yn rhybuddio am oedi yn y broses gynllunio oherwydd prinder staff difrifol. Rhybuddiodd prif swyddog cynllunio Wrecsam fod pob swyddog yn ymdrin â llwythi achosion mawr iawn. Rydym yn mynd i fethu—. Mae'r Llywodraeth yn mynd i fethu darparu nifer y cartrefi newydd sydd eu hangen yng Nghymru os nad ydych yn dadflocio’r broses gynllunio. Gyda chyflwyno’r Bil seilwaith, a mwy o bwyslais ar gynllunio yng Nghymru, pa gamau y gallwch eu cymryd i gynorthwyo ein hadrannau cynllunio i recriwtio swyddogion cynllunio?
Well, Janet, where to start with you, honestly? You have pushed 10 years of austerity onto local authorities and, in the last budget, there's been absolutely nothing for them. There's no point in shaking your head at me; I remember you saying that what we needed to do was get rid of back-office posts. Well, these are the posts you're now complaining are not there. You can't have your cake and eat it. If you take away from front-line posts in local authorities due to austerity, what you get is no lawyers, no planners, no building control officers, and that's what we're looking at. So, you can't just take the problem at the end of the cycle and then shout at me that it's not happening.
So, we are doing a whole number of things right across Wales to try and put right the severe austerity programme that has hit our local authorities. It is near impossible for them to expand given their current financial difficulties. So, what we are doing, exactly as you say, is we are working on regional arrangements, which I do not particularly remember you supporting, to try and get those regional arrangements in place, so that we have a better career structure. We're actually working with our construction forum and with our developers to make sure that they, frankly, don't poach them as soon as they're trained and five-years qualified, which has been happening right across Wales for some considerable period of time. And, as I said in my statement yesterday, we're funding specific training programmes for some of the most hard-to-recruit professions. But there is absolutely no doubt at all that it's the austerity programme, driven by the UK Conservative Government, that has caused this problem.
Wel, Janet, ble i ddechrau gyda chi, mewn difrif? Rydych wedi gorfodi 10 mlynedd o gyni ar awdurdodau lleol, ac yn y gyllideb ddiwethaf, nid oedd unrhyw beth o gwbl iddynt. Nid oes unrhyw bwynt ichi ysgwyd eich pen arnaf; rwy'n eich cofio'n dweud mai’r hyn yr oedd angen inni ei wneud oedd cael gwared ar swyddi swyddfa gefn. Wel, dyma'r swyddi rydych chi nawr yn cwyno nad ydynt yno. Ni allwch ei chael hi bob ffordd. Os ydych yn cael gwared â swyddi rheng flaen mewn awdurdodau lleol oherwydd cyni, yr hyn a gewch yw dim cyfreithwyr, dim cynllunwyr, dim swyddogion rheolaeth adeiladu, a dyna rydym yn ei weld. Felly, ni allwch gymryd y broblem ar ddiwedd y cylch ac yna gweiddi arnaf nad yw'n digwydd.
Rydym yn gwneud nifer fawr o bethau ledled Cymru i geisio unioni’r rhaglen gyni lawdrwm sydd wedi taro ein hawdurdodau lleol. Mae bron yn amhosibl iddynt ehangu o ystyried eu trafferthion ariannol presennol. Felly, yr hyn a wnawn, yn union fel y dywedwch, yw gweithio ar drefniadau rhanbarthol, na allaf eich cofio'n eu cefnogi, i geisio cael y trefniadau rhanbarthol hynny ar waith, fel bod gennym well strwythur gyrfaoedd. Mewn gwirionedd, rydym yn gweithio gyda'n fforwm adeiladu a chyda'n datblygwyr i sicrhau nad ydynt yn eu potsio cyn gynted ag y byddant wedi hyfforddi ac wedi cymhwyso am bum mlynedd, sydd wedi bod yn digwydd ledled Cymru ers peth amser. Ac fel y dywedais yn fy natganiad ddoe, rydym yn ariannu rhaglenni hyfforddi penodol ar gyfer rhai o'r proffesiynau anoddaf eu recriwtio. Ond nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth mai'r rhaglen gyni, a orfodwyd gan Lywodraeth Geidwadol y DU, sydd wedi achosi'r broblem hon.
Just as a point of clarification, it's not me shouting at you; it's actually you shouting at me—
Er eglurhad, nid fi sy'n gweiddi arnoch chi; mewn gwirionedd, chi sy'n gweiddi arnaf fi—
I most certainly am not shouting
Nid wyf yn gweiddi o gwbl.
—in response to me scrutinising you.
—mewn ymateb i mi yn craffu arnoch.
I'll decide if people are shouting in this Chamber, so just carry on with the content of the question. please.
Fe benderfynaf fi a yw pobl yn gweiddi yn y Siambr hon, felly parhewch â'r cwestiwn, os gwelwch yn dda.
Okay. And, just as another point of clarification, however, the only time I've ever asked for back-office posts, I've asked for a north Wales regional payroll. I've never, ever asked for a reduction in our much-needed planning officers, legal officers. That needed saying.
Now, some housing developers, during the engagement I undertook with them, have said that they would be willing to work with the Welsh Government, or individual local authorities, to help to fund these posts, either putting a planning consultant into a local authority department, or have them working in there, but working with the local authority. And they believe this would help to reduce the workload of our local planning authorities, enabling a quicker turnaround of applications. In the last financial year alone, local authorities spent nearly £1 million on planning consultants. So, stakeholders have been clear with me that planning authorities could reduce the burden by working on a more regional basis also. You could probably start ring-fencing revenue generated from planning fees. Looking at them, are they high enough to be able to recruit the staff needed to bring forward these local planning authority officers? One thing that's been raised with me, Minister—
Iawn. Ac er eglurhad ar bwynt arall, fodd bynnag, yr unig dro rwyf fi erioed wedi gofyn am swyddi swyddfa gefn, roeddwn yn gofyn am gyflogres ranbarthol i ogledd Cymru. Nid wyf erioed wedi gofyn am ostyngiad yn nifer ein swyddogion cynllunio, swyddogion cyfreithiol, mawr eu hangen. Roedd angen dweud hynny.
Nawr, mae rhai datblygwyr tai, yn yr ymgysylltiad a gefais gyda nhw, wedi dweud y byddent yn fodlon gweithio gyda Llywodraeth Cymru, neu awdurdodau lleol unigol, i helpu i ariannu'r swyddi hyn, naill ai drwy roi ymgynghorydd cynllunio mewn adran awdurdod lleol, neu eu cael yn gweithio yno, ond yn gweithio gyda'r awdurdod lleol. Ac maent yn credu y byddai hyn yn helpu i leihau llwyth gwaith ein hawdurdodau cynllunio lleol, gan ei gwneud hi'n bosibl prosesu ceisiadau yn gyflymach. Yn y flwyddyn ariannol ddiwethaf yn unig, gwariodd awdurdodau lleol bron i £1 filiwn ar ymgynghorwyr cynllunio. Felly, mae rhanddeiliaid wedi dweud yn glir wrthyf y gallai awdurdodau cynllunio leihau’r baich drwy weithio ar sail fwy rhanbarthol hefyd. Mae'n debyg y gallech ddechrau clustnodi refeniw a gynhyrchir o ffioedd cynllunio. O edrych arnynt, a ydynt yn ddigon uchel i allu recriwtio’r staff sydd eu hangen i gael y swyddogion awdurdodau cynllunio lleol hyn? Un peth sydd wedi cael ei godi gyda mi, Weinidog—
I am sorry to cut across. I've been very generous in the first question, which was almost two minutes. This is now a minute a half. So, if you can ask your question.
Mae'n ddrwg gennyf am dorri ar draws. Rwyf wedi bod yn hael iawn gyda'r cwestiwn cyntaf, a oedd bron yn ddwy funud. Mae hwn bellach yn funud a hanner. Felly, os gallwch ofyn eich cwestiwn.
They would like you to review the pre-planning application process. They believe that's unwieldy and it's delaying the actual application process. So, would you consider working with our house building industry and planning officers across Wales to review how the performance of local planning authorities can be improved?
Hoffent pe baech yn adolygu'r broses o wneud cais cyn cynllunio. Maent yn credu ei bod yn lletchwith ac yn llesteirio'r broses ymgeisio ei hun. Felly, a wnewch chi ystyried gweithio gyda’n diwydiant adeiladu tai a swyddogion cynllunio ledled Cymru i adolygu sut y gellir gwella perfformiad awdurdodau cynllunio lleol?
Well, we already do that, Janet. We have a construction forum that all SME builders are invited to. If you know of any house builders who aren't coming to that forum, do tell me who they are; we invite all of them. We do that very regularly. We have an overarching construction forum, and then specific work streams for housing construction, which, of course, includes planning and a number of other areas, of course, like phosphates and so on. We have the phosphate summit coming at the end of this week. We do a lot of work already. But if you're aware of any house builders who feel that they're not included in that forum, do let me know who they are.
Wel, rydym eisoes yn gwneud hynny, Janet. Mae gennym fforwm adeiladu y gwahoddir pob adeiladwr BBaCh iddo. Os gwyddoch am unrhyw adeiladwyr tai nad ydynt yn mynychu'r fforwm hwnnw, dywedwch wrthyf pwy ydynt; rydym yn gwahodd pob un ohonynt. Rydym yn gwneud hynny’n rheolaidd iawn. Mae gennym fforwm adeiladu trosfwaol, ac yna ffrydiau gwaith penodol ar gyfer adeiladu tai, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn cynnwys cynllunio a nifer o feysydd eraill, wrth gwrs, fel ffosffadau ac yn y blaen. Mae gennym yr uwchgynhadledd ffosffadau ddiwedd yr wythnos hon. Rydym yn gwneud llawer o waith yn barod. Ond os ydych yn ymwybodol o unrhyw adeiladwyr tai sy'n teimlo nad ydynt wedi'u cynnwys yn y fforwm hwnnw, rhowch wybod i mi pwy ydynt.
That's actually really positive, because it may well be that the housing construction people we've met with are the ones that are not attending your forum, and if not, why not? So, I'll go back to them on that.
Now, the average time for planning permission to be approved is 374 days; it's well over a year. In Bridgend, planning permission for residential developments is taking up to five years. Developers are informing me that it is taking them, on average, three years from planning application to laying the first brick. Housing associations and constituents are clear with me: we need more rented social housing and we need genuine affordable housing. Whilst we are in the midst of the planning and houses crisis, will you explore options to fast-track applications for those much-needed rented social homes and affordable housing that we so need here in Wales?
Mae hynny'n gadarnhaol iawn, mewn gwirionedd, oherwydd efallai'n wir mai'r adeiladwyr tai rydym wedi cyfarfod â nhw yw'r rhai nad ydynt yn mynychu eich fforwm, ac os nad ydynt, pam? Felly, fe af yn ôl atynt ar hynny.
Nawr, yr amser cyfartalog ar gyfer cymeradwyo caniatâd cynllunio yw 374 diwrnod; ymhell dros flwyddyn. Ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr, mae caniatâd cynllunio ar gyfer datblygiadau preswyl yn cymryd hyd at bum mlynedd. Mae datblygwyr yn dweud wrthyf ei bod yn cymryd tair blynedd iddynt, ar gyfartaledd, o’r cais cynllunio i osod y fricsen gyntaf. Mae cymdeithasau tai ac etholwyr yn dweud yn glir wrthyf: mae angen mwy o dai rhent cymdeithasol ac mae angen tai gwirioneddol fforddiadwy arnom. Er ein bod yng nghanol yr argyfwng cynllunio a thai, a wnewch chi archwilio opsiynau i roi ceisiadau ar gyfer y cartrefi rhent cymdeithasol a’r tai fforddiadwy mawr eu hangen hyn yma yng Nghymru ar lwybr carlam?
There are three things tied up in that. First off, obviously, we need the commercials—I can't believe we're doing it this way round, actually. The commercial sector needs to build, because we need the 106 houses coming out of that, so obviously we need all of the planning applications to go ahead. We are exploring ways to make sure that some of the ones with 50 per cent social housing attached to them are going ahead. I've got the phosphates summit tomorrow, actually—tomorrow morning—so we're looking to see whether we've got very specific things we can do to release some of the several thousand homes stuck behind phosphates. We've been successful up in north Wales, actually, on a couple of the sites. We're hoping to be able to extend that further south. We've got—I can't remember off the top of my head—but around 1,500 homes unlocked just recently up in north Wales as a result of some of the things that we've been able to do. So, I hope, coming out of the summit tomorrow, we will be able to advance that a bit further.
We are looking to see what we can do with developers who have land to make sure that the applications that they have are real, because quite a lot of them have land that's marked in the local development plan for housing, but they don't actually have a planning application in. So, what we're doing is looking, just at the moment, at the ones that actually have a planning application in, but then we need to work with the people who own the land that's marked in the LDP for housing to understand why they haven't brought forward a planning application. That could be because they're perceiving that the phosphate issue is there and they don't want to put the effort in upfront, but there may be a range of other areas. So, we are very specifically targeting sites in the LDPs across Wales that are earmarked for housing, to look to see if we can work with the land holders to understand what the hold-up is.
Mae tri pheth ynghlwm wrth hynny. Yn gyntaf, yn amlwg, mae angen yr adeiladu masnachol arnom—ni allaf gredu ein bod yn gwneud pethau yn y drefn hon, a dweud y gwir. Mae angen i’r sector masnachol adeiladu, gan fod arnom angen y 106 o dai sy’n dod allan o hynny, felly yn amlwg, mae angen i bob un o’r ceisiadau cynllunio hynny gael eu cymeradwyo. Rydym yn archwilio ffyrdd o sicrhau bod rhai o’r ceisiadau lle mae 50 y cant ohonynt yn dai cymdeithasol yn mynd rhagddynt. Mae gennyf yr uwchgynhadledd ffosffadau yfory, mewn gwirionedd—bore yfory—felly rydym yn edrych i weld a oes gennym bethau penodol iawn y gallwn eu gwneud i ryddhau rhywfaint o'r miloedd o gartrefi sy'n sownd y tu ôl i ffosffadau. Rydym wedi bod yn llwyddiannus i fyny yng ngogledd Cymru ar un neu ddau o'r safleoedd. Rydym yn gobeithio gallu ymestyn hynny ymhellach i'r de. Mae gennym—ni allaf gofio faint yn union—ond mae oddeutu 1,500 o gartrefi wedi'u datgloi yn y gogledd yn ddiweddar o ganlyniad i rywfaint o'r pethau yr ydym wedi gallu eu gwneud. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio, ar ôl yr uwchgynhadledd yfory, y byddwn yn gallu gwneud mwy o gynnydd gyda hynny.
Rydym yn edrych i weld beth y gallwn ei wneud gyda datblygwyr sydd â thir i sicrhau bod y ceisiadau sydd ganddynt yn rhai gwirioneddol, gan fod gan gryn dipyn ohonynt dir sydd wedi’i nodi yn y cynllun datblygu lleol ar gyfer tai, ond nid oes cais cynllunio wedi'i wneud ganddynt mewn gwirionedd. Felly, yr hyn a wnawn yw edrych, ar hyn o bryd, ar y rhai sydd wedi gwneud cais cynllunio, ond wedyn mae angen inni weithio gyda'r bobl sy'n berchen ar y tir sydd wedi'i nodi ar gyfer tai yn y CDLl i ddeall pam nad ydynt wedi cyflwyno cais cynllunio. Gallai hynny fod oherwydd eu bod yn credu bod y broblem ffosffad yno ac nid ydynt am wneud yr ymdrech ymlaen llaw, ond efallai y bydd amrywiaeth o feysydd eraill. Felly, rydym yn mynd ati yn benodol iawn i dargedu safleoedd yn y CDLlau ledled Cymru sydd wedi’u clustnodi ar gyfer tai, i edrych i weld a allwn weithio gyda’r deiliaid tir i ddeall beth yw’r rhwystr.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Delyth Jewell.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Delyth Jewell.
Diolch, Llywydd. Gweinidog, the Government's fuel poverty plan sets out that the Welsh Government is committed to consulting on how to build and strengthen the Warm Homes programme by the end of 2021, to publish the findings in the spring of 2022 and take the new programme forward from 2023. The First Minister said in March, during committee scrutiny, that while the new programme was due to be in place by the end of this year, there had been a delay. Nest has been extended to March 2024, so I'm assuming that the Warm Homes programme will start in April or the new financial year. If that is the case, that will leave thousands of households cold throughout the winter, in fuel poverty or pushed further into debt because of heating costs and low energy efficiency. I know, Minister, that you won't be happy about the fact that that is happening, but through delaying, this is condemning people to the cold, isn't it, with disastrous effects for human health and well-being, household budgets and the environment. So, could you tell us, please, when exactly we can expect the roll-out of the new Warm Homes programme? And could you tell us why it's being delayed until the spring, please?
Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog, mae cynllun tlodi tanwydd y Llywodraeth yn nodi bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i ymgynghori ar sut i adeiladu a chryfhau rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd erbyn diwedd 2021, i gyhoeddi’r canfyddiadau yng ngwanwyn 2022 ac i fwrw ymlaen â'r rhaglen newydd o 2023 ymlaen. Dywedodd y Prif Weinidog ym mis Mawrth, yn ystod gwaith craffu’r pwyllgor, er y bu disgwyl i’r rhaglen newydd fod ar waith erbyn diwedd eleni, ei bod wedi'i gohirio. Mae rhaglen Nyth wedi'i hymestyn i fis Mawrth 2024, felly rwy'n cymryd y bydd rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd yn dechrau ym mis Ebrill neu yn y flwyddyn ariannol newydd. Os yw hynny’n wir, bydd hynny’n gadael miloedd o aelwydydd yn oer drwy gydol y gaeaf, mewn tlodi tanwydd neu’n cael eu gwthio ymhellach i ddyled oherwydd effeithlonrwydd ynni isel a chostau gwresogi. Weinidog, rwy'n gwybod na fyddwch yn hapus ynglŷn â’r ffaith bod hynny’n digwydd, ond drwy ohirio, mae'n condemnio pobl i’r oerfel, onid yw, gydag effeithiau trychinebus ar iechyd a lles pobl, cyllidebau cartrefi a'r amgylchedd. Felly, a allwch ddweud wrthym, os gwelwch yn dda, pryd yn union y gallwn ddisgwyl i'r rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd newydd gael ei chyflwyno? Ac a allwch ddweud wrthym pam ei bod yn cael ei gohirio tan y gwanwyn, os gwelwch yn dda?
So, it's actually out to tender at the moment and it just depends who wins it. If the person who wins it is able to start immediately, then we'll start immediately; if the person who wins it needs a ramp-up time, we'll have to take that into account. That will be part of the tender process. We've extended Nest to March as a precautionary measure; it doesn't necessarily mean it won't go into effect. So, if the successful tenderer was able to start the following Monday, then we would be very happy for them to do so. It is a question of them being ramped up and enabled to actually do it. So, that's what we're held up on. The original delay was actually just getting some of the arcane procurement rules now that we're out of the EU sorted out. So, it took us a little longer to get the tender out than we'd have liked, and then you're just in an inexorable process of timescale. So, I can't do anything about that now.
We have made sure that the Nest programme is there, just so that there isn't nothing, but I do agree, I'd much rather it had started up beforehand. So, you know, with a following wind we'll get somebody who can do it much sooner than March, and we have been very clear in the tender process that we want that to happen.
Mae wedi'i rhoi allan ar dendr ar hyn o bryd mewn gwirionedd, ac mae'n dibynnu pwy sy'n ennill y tendr hwnnw. Os yw'r sawl sy'n ei ennill yn gallu cychwyn ar unwaith, byddwn yn dechrau ar unwaith; os oes angen amser i baratoi ar y sawl sy'n ei ennill, bydd yn rhaid inni ystyried hynny. Bydd hynny’n rhan o’r broses dendro. Rydym wedi ymestyn Nyth i fis Mawrth fel mesur rhagofalus; nid yw o reidrwydd yn golygu na fydd yn dod i rym. Felly, pe bai’r tendrwr llwyddiannus yn gallu dechrau y dydd Llun canlynol, byddem yn fwy na pharod iddynt wneud hynny. Mae'n ymwneud â'u paratoi a'u galluogi i wneud hynny. Felly, dyna sy'n achosi'r oedi. Roedd yr oedi gwreiddiol yn ymwneud â chael trefn ar rai o’r rheolau caffael aneglur nawr ein bod wedi gadael yr UE. Felly, cymerodd fwy o amser nag y byddem wedi'i hoffi inni osod y tendr, ac yna rydych mewn proses ddiwrthdro o ran yr amserlen. Felly, ni allaf wneud dim am hynny ar hyn o bryd.
Rydym wedi sicrhau bod rhaglen Nyth yno, er mwyn sicrhau bod rhywbeth ar waith, ond rwy'n cytuno, byddai'n llawer gwell gennyf pe bai wedi dechrau ymlaen llaw. Felly, gyda lwc, bydd rhywun a all ei wneud yn llawer cynt na mis Mawrth, ac rydym wedi dweud yn glir iawn yn y broses dendro ein bod am i hynny ddigwydd.
Thank you. Brexit obviously casts a long shadow on so many aspects of our lives. Evidently, the programme has been plagued by delays—and I know that you're conceding that—and there are consequences, as has been outlined already. Now, we don't underestimate the scale of the challenge that Wales has amongst the oldest, least energy-efficient housing stock in Europe. I know that it's going to take a lot of effort and resource to bring houses up to standard so that everyone can live in a warm, energy-efficient home. Now, looking at the potential timeline to bring the housing stock up to that standard, there are concerns that the programme won't be at the necessary scale or delivered at the pace required to bring that change about. There is a concern that this has come about because of a lack of urgency on the Welsh Government's part to achieve a satisfactory level of energy efficiency in that stock. What would your response be to that, please? And how many homes would the Government aim for the Warm Homes programme to target by the end of this Senedd term, please?
Diolch. Mae Brexit yn amlwg yn taflu cysgod hir dros gymaint o agweddau ar ein bywydau. Yn amlwg, mae'r rhaglen wedi'i llesteirio gan oedi—a gwn eich bod yn cyfaddef hynny—ac mae yna ganlyniadau, fel yr amlinellwyd eisoes. Nawr, nid ydym yn diystyru maint yr her fod stoc dai Cymru ymhlith yr hynaf a'r lleiaf effeithlon o ran ynni yn Ewrop. Gwn y bydd yn cymryd llawer o ymdrech ac adnoddau i godi safon ein tai fel y gall pawb fyw mewn cartref cynnes ac effeithlon o ran ynni. Nawr, o edrych ar yr amserlen bosibl ar gyfer gwella'r stoc dai i'r safon honno, ceir pryderon na fydd y rhaglen yn cael ei chyflawni ar y raddfa angenrheidiol nac ar y cyflymder angenrheidiol i sicrhau'r newid hwnnw. Ceir pryder fod hyn wedi digwydd oherwydd diffyg brys ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru i gyflawni lefel foddhaol o effeithlonrwydd ynni yn y stoc dai honno. Beth fyddai eich ymateb i hynny, os gwelwch yn dda? A faint o gartrefi yr hoffai'r Llywodraeth i raglen Cartrefi Clyd eu targedu erbyn diwedd tymor y Senedd hon, os gwelwch yn dda?
So, this is about trying to find a good solution, which both gives temporary, better warmth to people and long-term decarbonisation and better energy efficiency. So, it's actually quite a hard line to travel. So, what we've decided—and I've reported on this in previous Senedds—what we've tried to do is hit the sweet spot between, for example, repairing and making an existing gas boiler more efficient and replacing it with a decarbonised system, which frequently needs more work done in the house. So, that's possible under the Warm Homes programme—if that's what your house needs, that's what your house will be able to get. Under Nest, that wasn't so; we didn't do a whole-house thing, we just did a 'What's your heat source? Let's upgrade it' kind of programme.
We've also been very keen to move this one on to neighbourhoods as well, so if you have a neighbourhood where—. Because we've been doing our local area energy audits, if we have a neighbourhood where a street is quite clearly in need of upgrade, but there are two people in that street who are not eligible for the programme for various reasons, that won't be a prohibition for doing it. It would've been before. So, we can do much more efficient programmes across an area, across a whole terrace is a classic example, where you do all of the insulation in one go. We wouldn't have been able to do that before, so we're very keen to work on that. That would be, then, a full decarbonisation. And you'll know that this isn't the only programme that's doing that as well: we run the retrofit programme and we've just announced the new Welsh housing quality standard, and that is deliberately going to overskill its workforce so that we can get systems running for owner-occupiers.
I'm delighted that the local housing allowance has gone up, back to 30 per cent. I mean, it would be better if it was 50 per cent, but 30 per cent, let's not disparage that, because that means that we'll have a lot more private rented sector properties coming into leasehold Wales schemes, because that means that we will have those for five to 15 years—15 years is better, obviously, but five is the minimum—and then we bring those homes up to standard. So, it's a way to decarbonise and increase the efficiency of the PRS, which is outside the Warm Homes programme, because those landlords wouldn't be eligible for that.FootnoteLink So, we've a number of other schemes that jigsaw together to try and get to the people who are the most vulnerable. I just met Marie Curie on the steps, actually, outside, and I accepted a petition off them. We've agreed that my officials will work with them to make sure that we can get as many people that they're aware of into the programme as well.
Mae hyn yn ymwneud â cheisio dod o hyd i ateb da, sy'n rhoi rhagor o gynhesrwydd i bobl dros dro ac yn datgarboneiddio ac yn sicrhau gwell effeithlonrwydd ynni yn y tymor hir. Felly, mewn gwirionedd, mae'n llwybr eithaf anodd ei gerdded. Felly, yr hyn rydym wedi'i benderfynu—ac rwyf wedi adrodd ar hyn mewn Seneddau blaenorol—yr hyn rydym wedi ceisio ei wneud yw sicrhau cydbwysedd rhwng, er enghraifft, atgyweirio a gwneud boeler nwy presennol yn fwy effeithlon a gosod system wedi'i datgarboneiddio yn ei le, sy'n aml yn golygu mwy o waith yn y tŷ. Felly, mae hynny'n bosibl o dan raglen Cartrefi Clyd—os mai dyna sydd ei angen ar eich tŷ, dyna fydd eich tŷ yn gallu ei gael. O dan Nyth, nid felly yr oedd hi; nid oeddem yn canolbwyntio ar y tŷ cyfan, roedd gennym ryw fath o raglen 'Beth yw eich ffynhonnell wres? Gadewch inni ei huwchraddio.'
Rydym wedi bod yn awyddus iawn hefyd i symud yr un hon ymlaen i gymdogaethau hefyd, felly os oes gennych gymdogaeth lle mae—. Gan ein bod wedi bod yn cynnal ein harchwiliadau ynni ardal leol, os oes gennym gymdogaeth lle mae'n amlwg fod angen uwchraddio stryd, ond bod dau berson ar y stryd honno nad ydynt yn gymwys ar gyfer y rhaglen am wahanol resymau, ni fydd hynny'n eu gwahardd rhag gwneud y gwaith. Byddai hynny wedi atal y gwaith yn y gorffennol. Felly, gallwn wneud rhaglenni llawer mwy effeithlon ar draws ardal, er enghraifft, ar deras cyfan, lle rydych yn gwneud yr holl waith inswleiddio ar yr un pryd. Ni fyddem wedi gallu gwneud hynny o’r blaen, felly rydym yn awyddus iawn i weithio ar hynny. Byddai hynny, felly, yn ddatgarboneiddio llawn. Ac fe fyddwch yn gwybod nad hon yw'r unig raglen sy'n gwneud hynny hefyd: rydym yn gweithredu'r rhaglen ôl-osod ac rydym newydd gyhoeddi safon ansawdd tai newydd Cymru, ac mae hynny'n mynd i orsgilio eu gweithlu yn fwriadol fel y gallwn roi systemau ar waith ar gyfer perchen-feddianwyr.
Rwyf wrth fy modd fod y lwfans tai lleol wedi codi yn ôl i 30 y cant. Hynny yw, byddai'n well pe bai'n 50 y cant, ond 30 y cant, gadewch inni beidio â throi ein trwynau ar hynny, gan fod hynny'n golygu y bydd gennym lawer mwy o eiddo yn y sector rhentu preifat yn dod i mewn i gynlluniau lesddaliad Cymru, gan fod hynny'n golygu ein bod yn cael y rheini am bump i 15 mlynedd—mae 15 mlynedd yn well, yn amlwg, ond pump yw'r isafswm—ac yna rydym yn sicrhau bod y cartrefi hynny'n cyrraedd y safon. Felly, mae'n ffordd o ddatgarboneiddio a chynyddu effeithlonrwydd y sector rhentu preifat, sydd y tu allan i raglen Cartrefi Clyd, gan na fyddai'r landlordiaid hynny yn gymwys ar gyfer hynny.FootnoteLink Felly, mae gennym nifer o gynlluniau eraill sy'n cydblethu â'i gilydd i geisio cyrraedd y bobl fwyaf agored i niwed. Cyfarfûm â Marie Curie ar y grisiau y tu allan, mewn gwirionedd, a derbyniais ddeiseb ganddynt. Rydym wedi cytuno y bydd fy swyddogion yn gweithio gyda nhw i sicrhau y gallwn gael cymaint ag y gallwn o'r bobl y maent yn ymwybodol ohonynt i mewn i'r rhaglen hefyd.
3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi diweddariad ar gymorth i bobl yn Arfon sydd wedi eu heffeithio yn negyddol gan y cynllun Arbed? OQ60333
3. Will the Minister provide an update on support for people in Arfon who have been negatively affected by the Arbed scheme? OQ60333
Diolch, Siân. My officials have investigated the options available for residents in Arfon and I would be very happy to have another meeting with you to discuss the situation and a potential way forward.
Diolch, Siân. Mae fy swyddogion wedi ymchwilio i’r opsiynau sydd ar gael i drigolion Arfon ac rwy'n fwy na pharod i gael cyfarfod arall gyda chi i drafod y sefyllfa a ffordd bosibl ymlaen.
Dwi ddim yn siŵr iawn faint o gyfarfodydd sydd angen cael eu cynnal ynglŷn â'r mater yma. Fel dŷch chi'n gwybod, dwi wedi bod yn sôn am hyn ac mae perchnogion tai yn Arfon wedi bod yn mynd ar ôl hyn ers blynyddoedd bellach, ac mae yna dal bobl sydd ddim yn cael cymorth gan y cwmni a wnaeth osod yr insiwleiddiad, na thrwy'r warant gafodd ei roi iddyn nhw pan wnaed y gwaith.
Mae yna un arall o'r cwmnïau gosod yma, rŵan, wedi mynd i drafferthion—cwmni oedd yn rhan o gynllun Arbed yn Arfon—ac mae gennym ni, rŵan, grŵp pellach o bobl efo nunlle i droi. Trigolion ydy'r rhain sy'n gorfod byw efo insiwleiddiad wal allanol diffygiol, a phob math o broblemau wedi codi yn sgil hynny, a dim modd i dalu am waith atgyweirio eu hunain a nunlle i droi am gymorth. Gaeaf arall o bryder, felly. A'r rhain yn bobl sydd wedi rhoi'u ffydd mewn cynllun effeithlonrwydd ynni, sy'n cael ei gefnogi gan y Llywodraeth, ac wedi cael eu siomi.
Felly, iawn, cawn ni gyfarfod eto, ond beth yn benodol fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud rŵan i helpu'r bobl yma? Ac i fynd yn ôl at y pwynt roedd Delyth Jewell yn ei godi yn gynharach ynglŷn â chynlluniau newydd sydd ar droed, sut dŷch chi'n disgwyl i bobl Arfon ymddiried yn y cynlluniau newydd yma os nad ydyn nhw yn cael help rŵan i ymdopi efo problemau sydd wedi codi efo'r hen gynlluniau?
I'm not sure how many meetings we need to have about this issue. As you know, I've been talking about this and home owners in Arfon have been pursuing this for years now, and there are still people who cannot obtain help from the company that installed the insulation, or through the guarantee that was given to them when the work was done.
Another of those companies is in trouble now—a company that was part of the Arbed scheme in Arfon—and we now have a further group of people with nowhere to turn. These are residents who have to live with inadequate external wall insulation, and all kinds of problems have arisen because of that, and no way to pay for their own remediation work and nowhere to turn for support. Another winter of worry, therefore. And these are people who have put their faith in an energy efficiency scheme, supported by the Government, and have been let down.
So, fine, we'll have another meeting, but what specific action will the Welsh Government take now to help these people? And returning to the point that Delyth Jewell raised earlier in terms of new schemes that are afoot, how do you expect the people of Arfon to trust these new schemes if they don't receive support in helping them to cope with the problems that have arisen from the old schemes?
Diolch, Siân. I do appreciate your frustration at this. So, as you know, we've been working with you on this for a little while now. Back in 2021, every household in the Arfon scheme was contacted to prompt them on the documentation, including the guarantees that they should retain and act on, and we provided a copy of documents to everyone who responded requesting them. I do hope that, where they were able to, they were able to pursue redress through the warranty schemes that were in place. I do also accept, though, Siân, that some of the companies have gone under and there are others that are in trouble, so I'm very happy to work with you on very specific properties where that's happened.
Let's have a meeting to discuss the nitty-gritty, but my understanding is that the thermal insulation properties have worked on it, but the look of it, the external finish, is poor, and we accept that it is poor. If you're aware that the thermal insulation has failed, that's a different matter, because that triggers some other legal redress routes for us. So, I'm very happy to have a very specific meeting with you about the individuals, because I think this is one where one size fits all just isn't going to work for us, so let's do that. I understand your frustration, but I think it's worth that final push.
Diolch, Siân. Rwy'n deall eich rhwystredigaeth gyda hyn. Felly, fel y gwyddoch, rydym wedi bod yn gweithio gyda chi ar hyn ers peth amser bellach. Yn ôl yn 2021, cysylltwyd â phob cartref yng nghynllun Arfon i’w cynorthwyo gyda'r ddogfennaeth, gan gynnwys y gwarantau y dylent eu cadw a gweithredu arnynt, a darparwyd copi o’r dogfennau gennym i bawb a ymatebodd yn gofyn amdanynt. Lle roedd modd, rwy'n gobeithio eu bod wedi gallu mynd ar drywydd iawndal drwy’r cynlluniau gwarant a oedd ar waith. Rwyf hefyd yn derbyn, serch hynny, Siân, fod rhai o’r cwmnïau wedi mynd i'r wal ac eraill mewn trafferthion, felly rwy’n fwy na pharod i weithio gyda chi ar eiddo penodol iawn lle mae hynny wedi digwydd.
Gadewch inni gael cyfarfod i drafod y manylion, ond fy nealltwriaeth i yw bod y nodweddion inswleiddio thermol wedi gweithio, ond mae ei olwg, y gorffeniad allanol, yn wael, ac rydym yn derbyn ei fod yn wael. Os ydych yn ymwybodol fod yr insiwleiddio thermol wedi methu, mae hynny'n fater gwahanol, gan fod hynny’n agor rhai llwybrau iawndal cyfreithiol eraill ar ein cyfer. Felly, rwy'n fwy na pharod i gael cyfarfod penodol iawn gyda chi ynglŷn â'r unigolion, gan fy mod yn credu bod hon yn sefyllfa lle nad yw un ateb addas i bawb yn mynd i weithio i ni, felly gadewch inni wneud hynny. Rwy'n deall eich rhwystredigaeth, ond credaf ei bod yn werth gwneud yr ymdrech olaf honno.
I'm grateful to Siân Gwenllian for raising this concern on behalf of her residents, also my residents as a regional Member. You mentioned 2021 in your response to Siân Gwenllian, Minister, and we also know that 2021 was when Audit Wales had serious concerns about the Welsh Government's Warm Homes programme, and they were calling for it to be greener, clearer and more tightly managed—the same programme that Delyth Jewell referred to in her question earlier. We know now that much of the programme of work isn't going to take place until after the winter of this year, so there are clearly some concerns as to the roll-out of that programme. So, I wonder, for the sake of those residents in Arfon, and for residents across Wales who will be looking to this programme of work to support them, what lessons have been learned from the Arbed scheme that you're hoping to be rectified for future programmes.
Rwy’n ddiolchgar i Siân Gwenllian am godi’r pryder hwn ar ran ei thrigolion, a fy nhrigolion innau fel Aelod rhanbarthol. Fe sonioch chi am 2021 yn eich ymateb i Siân Gwenllian, Weinidog, a gwyddom hefyd mai yn 2021 y nododd Archwilio Cymru bryderon difrifol am raglen Cartrefi Clyd Llywodraeth Cymru, a galw am iddi fod yn wyrddach, yn gliriach a chael ei rheoli’n dynnach—yr un rhaglen y cyfeiriodd Delyth Jewell ati yn ei chwestiwn yn gynharach. Gwyddom bellach nad yw llawer o'r rhaglen waith yn mynd i fod yn weithredol tan ar ôl y gaeaf eleni, felly mae'n amlwg fod pryderon ynghylch cyflwyno'r rhaglen honno. Felly, tybed, er lles y trigolion hynny yn Arfon, ac er lles trigolion ledled Cymru sy'n gobeithio cael cymorth drwy'r rhaglen waith hon, pa wersi a ddysgwyd o gynllun Arbed y gobeithiwch eu hunioni ar gyfer rhaglenni'r dyfodol?
Thank you, Sam. We certainly have learned the lessons from these schemes, and we had problems elsewhere, as well—my colleague Huw Irranca-Davies had a number of issues in Caerau and other places in his constituency as well. So, it's subsequently introduced independent quality assurance and subcontractor performance management measures into the Warm Homes programme, so they're independently checked and backed for the exact reason that we've got this problem, and, Siân, I apologise, I didn't answer that bit of your question. But we're going to work very hard to make sure that we have a route to redress for anything that goes wrong in the new programme, learning from these lessons.
There are specific problems where the basic functionality works, so the thermal bit has worked, but the external—it's ruined the look of your home, which is very distressing for people. We have better redress if the thermal bit hasn't worked than we do if its cosmetic. I don't want to trivialise that, cosmetic is a big deal, don't get me wrong, but we have a different legal redress route if the actual thing didn't work. I think some of the difficulty we've had in Arfon is that my information is that the thermal bit has worked, but it's very poorly finished. That's a slightly different and slightly more difficult legal problem to sort out. But I'm very happy to work with you to try and get individual solutions to that.
Diolch, Sam. Rydym yn sicr wedi dysgu’r gwersi o’r cynlluniau hyn, a chawsom broblemau mewn mannau eraill hefyd—cafodd fy nghyd-Aelod Huw Irranca-Davies nifer o broblemau yng Nghaerau a mannau eraill yn ei etholaeth hefyd. Felly, ers hynny, mae wedi cyflwyno mesurau annibynnol ar gyfer sicrwydd ansawdd a rheoli perfformiad isgontractwyr i’r rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd, felly cânt eu gwirio’n annibynnol a’u cefnogi am yr union reswm pam fod gennym y broblem hon, a Siân, rwy'n ymddiheuro, ni wneuthum ateb y rhan honno o'ch cwestiwn. Ond rydym yn mynd i weithio'n galed iawn i sicrhau bod gennym lwybr at iawndal am unrhyw beth sy'n mynd o'i le yn y rhaglen newydd, gan ddysgu o'r gwersi hyn.
Ceir problemau penodol er bod y gweithrediad sylfaenol yn gweithio, felly mae'r darn thermol wedi gweithio, ond yr olwg allanol—mae wedi difetha golwg eich cartref, sy'n peri cryn ofid i bobl. Mae gennym well iawndal os nad yw'r darn thermol wedi gweithio nag sydd gennym os yw'r broblem yn un gosmetig yn unig. Nid wyf am fychanu hynny, mae'r elfen gosmetig yn sicr yn bwysig, ond mae gennym lwybr iawndal cyfreithiol gwahanol os nad yw'r peth ei hun wedi gweithio. Rwy'n credu mai peth o'r drafferth a gawsom yn Arfon yw bod y darn thermol wedi gweithio, ond mae'r gorffeniad yn wael iawn. Mae honno'n broblem gyfreithiol ychydig yn wahanol ac ychydig yn anos ei datrys. Ond rwy'n fwy na pharod i weithio gyda chi i geisio cael atebion unigol i hynny.
4. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi diweddariad am yr adolygiad o'r Mesur Teithio gan Ddysgwyr (Cymru), a gynhaliwyd yn 2021? OQ60328
4. Will the Minister provide an update on the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure review, which was carried out in 2021? OQ60328
Diolch, Heledd. The Deputy Minister for Climate Change is in discussions with the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language about the findings of the recent review undertaken on the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008 and potential next steps. A written statement will be issued once these discussions have concluded. And then, not part of the formal answer, Llywydd, but just to say that, as the Deputy Minister isn't here at the moment, I have a meeting arranged for Wednesday, 13 December with the Minister for education myself to take it up with him.
Diolch, Heledd. Mae’r Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd wrthi’n cynnal trafodaethau â Gweinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg am ganfyddiadau’r adolygiad diweddar a gynhaliwyd ar Fesur Teithio gan Ddysgwyr (Cymru) 2008 a’r camau nesaf posibl. Bydd datganiad ysgrifenedig yn cael ei gyhoeddi pan ddaw'r trafodaethau hyn i ben. Ac er nad yw'n rhan o'r ateb ffurfiol, Lywydd, hoffwn ddweud, gan nad yw'r Dirprwy Weinidog yma ar hyn o bryd, fod gennyf gyfarfod wedi'i drefnu ar gyfer dydd Mercher, 13 Rhagfyr gyda'r Gweinidog addysg fy hun i fynd i'r afael â'r mater gydag ef.
Thank you, Minister. It's certainly welcome to know that something is imminent, because for over a year now we've been hearing that the next steps will be shared with us. I know the Deputy Minister shared with Luke Fletcher back on 19 October 2022 that next steps would be shared, so we are desperate. In the meantime, authorities such as Rhondda Cynon Taf are looking to actually change. They have been going above and beyond their duties, but, because of financial challenges, they're looking to do the statutory now. This will obviously have a huge impact, and that inconsistency of experience is something that's of concern, especially when it's a barrier to children actually getting to school at present.
I wonder if you could please indicate what support is going to be available to ensure that any changes that local authorities are proposing to bring in that might be contrary to what you'd like to happen, given the review—. How are we going to support to ensure that no pupil is unable to access school? Because, in many of our Valleys that we represent, three miles up and down hill, there are no safe routes. It's not just a matter of using an active travel route, their only choice is a bus, and, unfortunately, that's going to be a further barrier as local authorities look to charge for even more pupils accessing that bus.
Diolch, Weinidog. Yn sicr, mae'n galonogol clywed bod rhywbeth ar y gweill, oherwydd ers dros flwyddyn bellach, rydym wedi bod yn clywed y bydd y camau nesaf yn cael eu rhannu gyda ni. Gwn fod y Dirprwy Weinidog wedi rhannu gyda Luke Fletcher yn ôl ar 19 Hydref 2022 y byddai’r camau nesaf yn cael eu rhannu, felly rydym ar bigau'r drain. Yn y cyfamser, mae awdurdodau fel Rhondda Cynon Taf yn ystyried gwneud newidiadau gwirioneddol. Maent wedi bod yn mynd y tu hwnt i'w dyletswyddau, ond oherwydd heriau ariannol, maent bellach yn ystyried y pethau statudol nawr. Bydd hyn yn amlwg yn cael effaith enfawr, ac mae'r anghysondeb hwnnw o ran profiad yn rhywbeth sy'n peri pryder, yn enwedig pan fo'n rhwystr i blant rhag cyrraedd yr ysgol ar hyn o bryd.
Tybed a allwch nodi pa gymorth fydd ar gael i sicrhau y gallai unrhyw newidiadau y mae awdurdodau lleol yn cynnig eu cyflwyno a allai fod yn groes i'r hyn yr hoffech iddo ddigwydd, o ystyried yr adolygiad—. Sut rydym yn mynd i gefnogi i sicrhau nad oes unrhyw ddisgybl yn methu cyrraedd yr ysgol? Oherwydd mewn llawer o’r Cymoedd a gynrychiolwn, dair milltir i fyny ac i lawr allt, nid oes llwybrau diogel. Nid yw'n fater o ddewis defnyddio llwybr teithio llesol, eu hunig ddewis yw bws, ac yn anffodus, mae hynny'n mynd i fod yn rhwystr pellach wrth i awdurdodau lleol geisio codi tâl ar fwy byth o ddisgyblion i ddefnyddio'r bws hwnnw.
Thank you, Heledd. I mean, you're right; we have some excellent practices around Wales but it's very differential, depending on your topography and the location of your schools and your communities and all the rest of it. So, we've agreed, as I understand it—this is not my area at all, so I'm just picking it up, but—we've agreed, as I understand it, that the learner Measure does need reform and a review. We're looking to see what exactly that will consist of and how it matches with our wider bus reforms. So, I plan to have the meeting with the Minister to just go through all of the issues and see how many of them can be looked at in a shorter term scale and how many of them are reliant on future legislation and so on. I'm afraid I'm not in a position to answer you at the moment, but, as soon as I've had that meeting, I'm more than happy to meet with you and have a discussion about it.
Diolch yn fawr, Heledd. Rydych chi'n iawn; mae gennym ni arferion rhagorol ledled Cymru ond mae'n amrywio'n fawr, yn dibynnu ar eich topograffi a lleoliad eich ysgolion a'ch cymunedau a'r cyfan oll. Felly, rydym wedi cytuno, fel rwy'n deall—nid fy maes i yw hwn, felly rwy'n ei godi, ond—rydym wedi cytuno, fel rwy'n deall, fod angen diwygio ac adolygu'r Mesur dysgwyr. Rydym yn edrych i weld beth yn union fydd hynny'n ei olygu a sut mae'n cyd-fynd â'n diwygiadau ehangach i fysiau. Felly, rwy'n bwriadu cael cyfarfod gyda'r Gweinidog i fynd drwy'r holl faterion sy'n codi a gweld faint ohonynt y gellir edrych arnynt yn y tymor byrrach a faint ohonynt sy'n ddibynnol ar ddeddfwriaeth yn y dyfodol ac yn y blaen. Rwy'n ofni nad wyf mewn sefyllfa i'ch ateb ar hyn o bryd, ond cyn gynted ag y byddaf wedi cael y cyfarfod hwnnw, rwy'n fwy na pharod i gyfarfod â chi a chael trafodaeth yn ei gylch.
Thank you.
Diolch.
5. Pa gamau y mae'r Gweinidog yn eu cymryd i gefnogi'r sector hydrogen yng Nghymru? OQ60335
5. What steps is the Minister taking to support the hydrogen sector in Wales? OQ60335
Diolch, Janet. The climate emergency demands we use all the tools at our disposal to accelerate progress to a net-zero energy system. Working with regional partners, we are considering options to support the acceleration and deployment of hydrogen infrastructure across Wales, working across sectors including transport, power generation and hydrogen hub pilots.
Diolch yn fawr, Janet. Mae'r argyfwng hinsawdd yn mynnu ein bod yn defnyddio'r holl arfau sydd ar gael i ni i gyflymu cynnydd tuag at system ynni sero net. Gan weithio gyda phartneriaid rhanbarthol, rydym yn ystyried opsiynau i gefnogi cyflymu a defnyddio seilwaith hydrogen ledled Cymru, gan weithio ar draws sectorau gan gynnwys trafnidiaeth, cynhyrchu pŵer a hybiau treialu hydrogen.
Thank you. Despite the excellent efforts of HyCymru, the Wales Hydrogen Trade Association, it is fair to point out the advancement of the hydrogen economy in Wales is falling behind other nations. Norway has a hydrogen-powered ferry. We've asked for a similar scheme between Wales and Ireland; nothing has happened as yet. Next year, Scotland will have a hydrogen gas neighbourhood. Again, we've asked how perhaps similar projects can go ahead here in Wales, and now the USA has announced—jeepers—$7 billion in funding for the US to establish six to 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs across America, where support is available for the production, processing, delivery, storage and end use of hydrogen. Will you follow the lead of the USA? And let's be adventurous by making Wales one big hydrogen hub. Diolch.
Diolch. Er gwaethaf ymdrechion rhagorol HyCymru, Cymdeithas Masnach Hydrogen Cymru, mae'n deg tynnu sylw at y ffaith bod datblygiad yr economi hydrogen yng Nghymru yn llusgo ar ôl gwledydd eraill. Mae gan Norwy fferi sy'n cael ei bweru gan hydrogen. Rydym wedi gofyn am gynllun tebyg rhwng Cymru ac Iwerddon; nid oes unrhyw beth wedi digwydd hyd yma. Y flwyddyn nesaf, bydd gan yr Alban gymdogaeth nwy hydrogen. Unwaith eto, rydym wedi gofyn sut y gall prosiectau tebyg fynd rhagddynt yma yng Nghymru, a nawr mae'r UDA wedi cyhoeddi—mawredd—$7 biliwn o gyllid i'r Unol Daleithiau sefydlu chwech i 10 hyb hydrogen glân rhanbarthol ledled America, lle mae cefnogaeth ar gael ar gyfer cynhyrchu, prosesu, cyflenwi, storio a defnydd terfynol o hydrogen. A wnewch chi ddilyn arweiniad yr Unol Daleithiau? A gadewch inni fod yn anturus drwy wneud Cymru'n un hyb hydrogen mawr. Diolch.
Well, you started so well, Janet, but, as usual, you feel the need to run us down. So, let me tell you what we are actually doing, and perhaps you could talk it up a bit. And you’re very welcome to come to Swansea and get on the hydrogen bus that they're running there, for example. [Interruption.] Exactly. So, we've awarded funding worth more than £2.6 million and other support to projects across Wales through the smart living hybrid small business research initiative scheme over the last two years. It supported 23 feasibility studies in research and development and four demonstrator and prototyping projects for hydrogen deployment across Wales in this period. The hybrid demonstrator projects have been especially significant with regard to furthering the use of hydrogen in our public fleets. The hybrid SBRI projects also directly supported three hydrogen feasibility projects in north Wales, the hybrid momentum project run by Baileys and Partners in Tal-y-bont in Gwynedd, which delivered a detailed feasibility study into the technical design and cost of the development of a green hydrogen hub and the market opportunities for customers for hydrogen fuel in rural areas. Through the hybrid FerMontation project, we’ve supported Menter Môn on Ynys Môn to do a feasibility study on the use of hydrogen in precision fermentation in food production, and we have several pan-Wales hybrid SBRI projects with a strong north Wales focus. The hybrid Wales hydrogen train feasibility and prototyping reports that Arup produced with TfW input identified several rail lines in north Wales as most suitable for trials for hydrogen trains, including the Heart of Wales line, the Cambrian line, the North Wales Coast, and the Conwy Valley lines. And Flintshire County Council has commissioned a project to refine the concept of a hydrogen hub, with support from the north Wales growth deal and Welsh Government money. There's currently a prior information notice on Sell2Wales by Ambition North Wales to engage with potential commercial partners, and they've gone out to appoint a commercial partner with a competitive selection process there. The Hydrogen Sponsor Challenge closed on 11 September 2023, with three applications, which will now go through the rigorous appraisal process.
We also published the Wales hydrogen pathway in December 2020, and we've got a strong goal-led focus on it. You're very aware, I know, of the HyNet project up in north Wales, with opportunities for both carbon capture for north Wales and for hydrogen. And we have monthly meetings between Welsh Government officials and the HyNet project team to look at that.
So, I think, Llywydd, I think it's fair to say that, far from nothing going on, there's an enormous amount going on. Perhaps the Member would like to talk it up, rather than talk it down.
Wel, fe ddechreuoch chi mor dda, Janet, ond fel arfer, rydych chi'n teimlo'r angen i ladd arnom. Felly, gadewch imi ddweud wrthych beth rydym yn ei wneud mewn gwirionedd, ac efallai y gallech chi roi ychydig o glod i hynny. Ac mae croeso mawr i chi ddod i Abertawe a mynd ar y bws hydrogen y maent yn ei redeg yno, er enghraifft. [Torri ar draws.] Yn union. Felly, rydym wedi dyfarnu gwerth mwy na £2.6 miliwn o gyllid a chymorth arall i brosiectau ledled Cymru drwy gynllun ymchwil busnesau bach hybrid y fenter byw'n glyfar dros y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf. Cefnogodd 23 o astudiaethau dichonoldeb mewn ymchwil a datblygu a phedwar prosiect arddangos a phrototeipio ar gyfer defnyddio hydrogen ledled Cymru yn y cyfnod hwn. Mae'r prosiectau arddangos hybrid wedi bod yn arbennig o arwyddocaol wrth hyrwyddo'r defnydd o hydrogen yn ein fflydoedd cyhoeddus. Roedd prosiectau'r cynllun ymchwil busnesau bach hybrid hefyd yn cefnogi tri phrosiect dichonoldeb hydrogen yn uniongyrchol yng ngogledd Cymru, y prosiect momentwm hybrid a weithredir gan Baileys and Partners yn Nhal-y-bont yng Ngwynedd, a gyflwynodd astudiaeth ddichonoldeb fanwl ar gyfer cynllun technegol a chost datblygu hyb hydrogen gwyrdd a chyfleoedd y farchnad i gwsmeriaid ar gyfer tanwydd hydrogen mewn ardaloedd gwledig. Drwy'r prosiect hybrid FerMontation, rydym wedi cefnogi Menter Môn ar Ynys Môn i wneud astudiaeth ddichonoldeb ar y defnydd o hydrogen mewn eplesu manwl wrth gynhyrchu bwyd, ac mae gennym nifer o brosiectau cynllun ymchwil busnesau bach hybrid Cymru gyfan gyda ffocws cryf ar ogledd Cymru. Nododd adroddiadau dichonoldeb a phrototeipio trenau hydrogen hybrid Cymru fod Arup gyda mewnbwn Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi nodi bod sawl rheilffordd yng ngogledd Cymru yn addas iawn ar gyfer treialu trenau hydrogen, gan gynnwys rheilffordd Calon Cymru, rheilffordd Cambrian, a rheilffyrdd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru, a Dyffryn Conwy. Ac mae Cyngor Sir y Fflint wedi comisiynu prosiect i fireinio'r cysyniad o hyb hydrogen, gyda chefnogaeth gan fargen twf gogledd Cymru ac arian Llywodraeth Cymru. Ar hyn o bryd mae hysbysiad gwybodaeth ymlaen llaw ar GwerthwchiGymru gan Uchelgais Gogledd Cymru i ymgysylltu â phartneriaid masnachol posibl, ac maent wedi dechrau ar y broses o benodi partner masnachol gyda phroses ddethol gystadleuol yno. Daeth yr Her Ariannu Hydrogen i ben ar 11 Medi 2023, gyda thri chais a fydd nawr yn mynd drwy'r broses arfarnu drwyadl.
Hefyd, fe wnaethom gyhoeddi llwybr hydrogen Cymru ym mis Rhagfyr 2020, ac mae gennym ffocws cryf yn cael ei arwain gan nodau. Rydych chi'n ymwybodol iawn, rwy'n gwybod, o brosiect HyNet yng ngogledd Cymru, gyda chyfleoedd i ddal carbon ar gyfer gogledd Cymru ac ar gyfer hydrogen. Ac rydym yn cynnal cyfarfodydd misol rhwng swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru a thîm prosiect HyNet i edrych ar hynny.
Felly, Lywydd, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n deg dweud, ymhell o fod dim byd yn digwydd, fod yna lawer iawn yn digwydd. Efallai y carai'r Aelod ganmol, yn hytrach na lladd ar hynny.
6. Pa waith y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i leihau'r perygl o lifogydd i drigolion Sir Ddinbych? OQ60317
6. What work is the Welsh Government undertaking to minimise flood risks for residents in Denbighshire? OQ60317
Thank you, Gareth, for the question. We've provided over £75 million for flood risk management activities across Wales in this financial year, 2023-24, with £5.25 million revenue and £12 million capital funding available to all lead local flood authorities, including Denbighshire County Council.
Diolch yn fawr am y cwestiwn, Gareth. Rydym wedi darparu dros £75 miliwn ar gyfer gweithgareddau rheoli perygl llifogydd ledled Cymru yn ystod y flwyddyn ariannol hon, 2023-24, gyda refeniw o £5.25 miliwn a £12 miliwn o gyllid cyfalaf ar gael i bob awdurdod llifogydd lleol blaenllaw, gan gynnwys Cyngor Sir Ddinbych.
Thank you very much for your response, Minister. North Wales was devastated by storm Babet in late October, but particularly affecting Denbighshire, where fire services were called to attend seven flooding incidents and 11 primary and secondary schools were forced to close, and extensive damage was caused to homes and businesses. We are seeing an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, and there's an increase in the severity of the damage caused. This is not the first time in the past couple of years that Denbighshire has been devastated by floods. Lessons have not been learned in the past, so, a month on from these floods, I would appreciate the Welsh Government outlining what plans they have started to put into place, as I mentioned to you recently in the topical question.
Natural Resources Wales has previously failed to mitigate the impact of storms in Denbighshire. We have recently, however, heard positive feedback from Natural Resources Wales regarding drainage work about the waterfall in Dyserth, which is a step in the right direction. I recently met with the owners of the New Inn in Dyserth, which has just reopened after repairing flood damage at great cost. We need to provide reassurance to residents and business owners in towns and villages like Dyserth and St Asaph that this is not going to happen again.
The financial toll on my constituents is substantial, the trauma is long lasting, and the education lost through school closures has not been reclaimed. This is frustrating, particularly when the damage is preventable. So, could the Minister please outline what the Welsh Government is doing to work with NRW and local authorities to ensure that vital maintenance work is undertaken and undertaken more frequently, giving some reassurance to my constituents in the Vale of Clwyd? Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am eich ymateb, Weinidog. Cafodd Gogledd Cymru ei daro gan storm Babet ddiwedd mis Hydref, ond effeithiodd ar sir Ddinbych yn enwedig, lle cafodd y gwasanaethau tân eu galw i fynychu saith achos o lifogydd a gorfodwyd 11 ysgol gynradd ac uwchradd i gau, ac achoswyd difrod helaeth i gartrefi a busnesau. Rydym yn gweld cynnydd yn amlder digwyddiadau tywydd eithafol, ac mae cynnydd yn nifrifoldeb y difrod a achosir. Nid dyma'r tro cyntaf yn ystod yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf i sir Ddinbych gael ei tharo gan lifogydd. Nid yw'r gwersi wedi'u dysgu o'r gorffennol, felly, fis wedi'r llifogydd hyn, hoffwn i Lywodraeth Cymru amlinellu pa gynlluniau y maent wedi dechrau eu rhoi ar waith, fel y soniais wrthych yn ddiweddar mewn cwestiwn amserol.
Mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi methu lliniaru effaith stormydd yn sir Ddinbych o'r blaen. Serch hynny, yn ddiweddar, rydym wedi clywed adborth cadarnhaol gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ynghylch gwaith draenio o gwmpas y rhaeadr yn Nyserth, sy'n gam i'r cyfeiriad cywir. Yn ddiweddar, cyfarfûm â pherchnogion y New Inn yn Nyserth, sydd newydd ailagor ar ôl atgyweirio difrod llifogydd ar gost fawr. Mae angen inni roi sicrwydd i drigolion a pherchnogion busnesau mewn trefi a phentrefi fel Dyserth a Llanelwy nad yw hyn yn mynd i ddigwydd eto.
Mae'r baich ariannol ar fy etholwyr yn sylweddol, mae'r trawma'n para'n hir, ac nid yw'r addysg a gollwyd trwy gau ysgolion wedi cael ei hadfer. Mae hyn yn rhwystredig, yn enwedig pan fo modd atal y difrod. Felly, a allai'r Gweinidog amlinellu'r hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i weithio gydag CNC ac awdurdodau lleol i sicrhau bod gwaith cynnal a chadw hanfodol yn cael ei wneud, a'i wneud yn amlach, gan roi rhywfaint o sicrwydd i fy etholwyr yn Nyffryn Clwyd? Diolch.
Yes, thank you, Gareth. I just want to say I'm absolutely aware of how devastating the impacts of flooding can be on homes and livelihoods, and lives even, so I want to extend my sympathy to everyone who was affected by the storms. Unfortunately, this is a pattern that's increasing in frequency all the time. Climate change is on us. This isn't something that's—. This is existential right now, this isn't some future problem that we've got to deal with, and we need to take drastic measures to do something about climate change, including adaptation. So, last year, we agreed a three-year capital budget, which totalled £102 million, to better plan our investment over a number of years and to support our at-risk communities. We provide £34 million in capital funding to our risk management authorities this financial year as part of our ongoing commitment to invest in flood and coastal risk management.
NRW manage flood defences to reduce the risk to over 73,000 properties across Wales. So, for example, the St Asaph scheme, completed in 2018, which cost £6 million, performed really well in the recent storms and prevented flooding to 293 homes and 121 businesses. I just use that as an example of the fact that the schemes work. So, people need to be reassured that, when the schemes are put in place, they do actually work. We've made available over £900,000 for Denbighshire County Council to progress with seven schemes to reduce the risk of flooding to communities, and we're investing over £102 million in Denbighshire to progress three schemes in east Rhyl, central Rhyl and Prestatyn.
We're also working with Denbighshire on a £1.5 million development for five natural flood management schemes in Denbighshire. There's the small-scale works grant scheme available also, with a simplified application process, to fund local authorities to carry out really small-scale works and maintenance. They're up to a value of £200,000 and are targeted towards works to reduce flood risk to individual homes. So, your constituents might well want to approach Denbighshire about how that's going—and we've approved two schemes submitted by Denbighshire County Council this year, which total £195,000. So, you know, there are things afoot to do this; I'm afraid, though, the increasing frequency of these storms will mean that many more people are affected by it, but I encourage you to help your constituents to engage with Denbighshire to make sure that, when they plan their projects, they are taking those into account.
Diolch yn fawr, Gareth. Rwyf am ddweud fy mod yn gwbl ymwybodol o ba mor ddinistriol y gall effeithiau llifogydd fod ar gartrefi a bywoliaeth pobl, a bywydau hyd yn oed, felly rwyf am estyn fy nghydymdeimlad â phawb a effeithiwyd gan y stormydd. Yn anffodus, mae hwn yn batrwm sy'n cynyddu o ran ei amlder drwy'r amser. Mae newid hinsawdd gyda ni. Nid yw'n rhywbeth sydd—. Mae'n broblem ddirfodol nawr, nid problem y bydd rhaid inni fynd i'r afael â hi yn y dyfodol, ac mae angen inni roi mesurau llym ar waith i wneud rhywbeth am newid hinsawdd, gan gynnwys addasu. Felly, y llynedd, fe wnaethom gytuno ar gyllideb gyfalaf tair blynedd, cyfanswm o £102 miliwn, i gynllunio ein buddsoddiad yn well dros nifer o flynyddoedd ac i gefnogi ein cymunedau sydd mewn perygl. Rydym yn darparu £34 miliwn o gyllid cyfalaf i'n hawdurdodau rheoli risg y flwyddyn ariannol hon fel rhan o'n hymrwymiad parhaus i fuddsoddi mewn rheoli perygl llifogydd ac arfordirol.
Mae CNC yn rheoli amddiffynfeydd rhag llifogydd er mwyn lleihau'r risg i dros 73,000 eiddo ledled Cymru. Felly, er enghraifft, fe wnaeth cynllun Llanelwy, a gwblhawyd yn 2018, ac a gostiodd £6 miliwn, berfformio'n dda iawn yn y stormydd diweddar ac atal llifogydd i 293 o gartrefi a 121 o fusnesau. Rwy'n defnyddio hynny fel enghraifft o'r ffaith bod y cynlluniau'n gweithio. Felly, mae angen rhoi sicrwydd i bobl, pan fydd y cynlluniau'n cael eu rhoi ar waith, eu bod yn gweithio. Rydym wedi darparu dros £900,000 i Gyngor Sir Ddinbych fwrw ymlaen â saith cynllun i leihau'r perygl o lifogydd i gymunedau, ac rydym yn buddsoddi dros £102 miliwn yn sir Ddinbych i ddatblygu tri chynllun yn nwyrain y Rhyl, canol y Rhyl a Phrestatyn.
Rydym hefyd yn gweithio gyda sir Ddinbych ar ddatblygiad gwerth £1.5 miliwn ar gyfer pum cynllun rheoli llifogydd yn naturiol yn sir Ddinbych. Mae cynllun grant gwaith graddfa fach ar gael hefyd, gyda phroses ymgeisio symlach, i ariannu awdurdodau lleol i wneud gwaith a chynnal a chadw ar raddfa fach iawn. Maent yn darparu hyd at £200,000 ac maent ar gyfer gwaith i leihau'r perygl o lifogydd i gartrefi unigol. Felly, mae'n ddigon posibl y bydd eich etholwyr am fynd at sir Ddinbych i weld sut mae hynny'n mynd—ac rydym wedi cymeradwyo dau gynllun a gyflwynwyd gan Gyngor Sir Ddinbych eleni, gwerth cyfanswm o £195,000. Felly, wyddoch chi, mae pethau ar y gweill i wneud hyn; mae arnaf ofn, serch hynny, y bydd amlder cynyddol y stormydd hyn yn golygu bod llawer mwy o bobl yn cael eu heffeithio gan newid hinsawdd, ond rwy'n eich annog i helpu eich etholwyr i ymgysylltu â sir Ddinbych i sicrhau eu bod yn ystyried y rheini pan fyddant yn cynllunio eu prosiectau.
7. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn annog pobl i deithio ar drenau yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru? OQ60315
7. How is the Welsh Government encouraging people to travel by train in north-east Wales? OQ60315
Diolch, Jack. Improving services on the Wrexham-Bidston line has been a priority for the Welsh Government this year. From December passengers will see brand-new class 197 trains on the line, alongside the class 230 trains, with a new more robust timetable providing additional services in north-east Wales.
Diolch, Jack. Mae gwella gwasanaethau ar reilffordd Wrecsam-Bidston wedi bod yn flaenoriaeth i Lywodraeth Cymru eleni. O fis Rhagfyr ymlaen, bydd teithwyr yn gweld trenau dosbarth 197 newydd sbon ar y rheilffordd, ochr yn ochr â'r trenau dosbarth 230, gydag amserlen newydd fwy cadarn yn darparu gwasanaethau ychwanegol yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru.
I'm grateful to the Minister outlining the priority of the Welsh Government there, and the Minister will be aware I've raised the topic of the Wrexham-Bidston line on a number of occasions here in the Senedd. It was just last week I met again with residents who rely on the Wrexham-Bidston line. They're frustrated by the cancellations, they're frustrated by the use of the bus replacement services, especially at those peak commuting times to get to work and to get back from work in particular. I'm aware of the Transport for Wales announcement of the 45-minute increase in frequency on the line, and, of course, I welcome this, however, I am seeking your further intervention again, Minister, to push Transport for Wales to further improve the reliability on the line, to end the use of bus replacement services and the need for them, and, importantly, to communicate directly with the residents in Alyn and Deeside about the delivery and the progress on these much-needed improvements.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r Gweinidog am amlinellu blaenoriaeth Llywodraeth Cymru yno, a bydd y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol fy mod wedi codi mater rheilffordd Wrecsam-Bidston ar sawl achlysur yma yn y Senedd. Yr wythnos diwethaf cyfarfûm unwaith eto â thrigolion sy'n dibynnu ar reilffordd Wrecsam-Bidston. Maent yn rhwystredig oherwydd canslo trenau, maent yn rhwystredig ynghylch y gwasanaethau bysiau yn lle trenau, yn enwedig ar adegau cymudo brig i gyrraedd y gwaith ac i gyrraedd yn ôl o'r gwaith yn enwedig. Rwy'n ymwybodol o gyhoeddiad Trafnidiaeth Cymru fod yr amlder yn cynyddu i 45 munud ar y rheilffordd, ac wrth gwrs, rwy'n croesawu hyn, ond rwy'n gofyn i chi ymyrryd ymhellach bellach eto, Weinidog, i wthio Trafnidiaeth Cymru i wella dibynadwyedd y rheilffordd ymhellach, i ddod â'r defnydd o wasanaethau bysiau yn lle trenau a'r angen amdanynt i ben, ac yn bwysig, i gyfathrebu'n uniongyrchol â thrigolion Alun a Glannau Dyfrdwy ynghylch y gwaith o gyflawni a'r cynnydd ar y gwelliannau mawr eu hangen hyn.
Thank you, Jack. I think it is fair to say that passengers have had a very poor experience using the rail services, and indeed the rail replacement services, on the Wrexham-Bidston line. I think we would put our hands up to that; we're very sorry for all of the disruption that's gone on there. We have engaged closely with local reps—yourself, of course; you've raised it a number of times—and rail user groups to understand the challenges that have been faced. Transport for Wales have implemented a five-point improvement plan that's being delivered by a dedicated manager for the line, which is, I think, now making a positive difference to the performance of the service. I hope you know who that dedicated manager is, but, if you don't, I'm very happy to put you in touch with them, and that's the direct route to communication, then, for residents. I'm very pleased that we have that dedicated manager in there to make sure that the improvements happen. We do recognise that more needs to be done, which is why Transport for Wales are implementing a new timetable on the line from this December—so, that's from the day after tomorrow, by my reckoning. They are confident this will provide a more reliable and frequent service for all passengers, very specifically including those who rely on the line to travel to and from work. I'm sure, Jack, that you'll be able to keep me in touch with the improvements there and let me know whether they are working very well or not working as well as we'd like.
Diolch, Jack. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn deg dweud bod teithwyr wedi cael profiad gwael iawn yn defnyddio'r gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd, ac yn wir y gwasanaethau bysiau yn lle trenau, ar reilffordd Wrecsam-Bidston. Rwy'n credu y byddem yn cyfaddef hynny; mae'n ddrwg gennym am yr holl drafferthion sydd wedi digwydd yno. Rydym wedi ymgysylltu'n agos â chynrychiolwyr lleol—chi eich hun, wrth gwrs; rydych chi wedi ei godi nifer o weithiau—a grwpiau defnyddwyr rheilffyrdd i ddeall yr heriau y maent wedi'u hwynebu. Mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi gweithredu cynllun gwella pum pwynt sy'n cael ei ddarparu gan reolwr dynodedig ar gyfer y rheilffordd, sydd bellach, rwy'n credu, yn gwneud gwahaniaeth cadarnhaol i berfformiad y gwasanaeth. Rwy'n gobeithio eich bod chi'n gwybod pwy yw'r rheolwr dynodedig, ond os nad ydych, rwy'n hapus iawn i'ch rhoi mewn cysylltiad â nhw, a dyna'r llwybr uniongyrchol at gyfathrebu i breswylwyr. Rwy'n falch iawn fod gennym y rheolwr dynodedig yno i sicrhau bod y gwelliannau'n digwydd. Rydym yn cydnabod bod angen gwneud mwy, a dyna pam mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn gweithredu amserlen newydd ar y rheilffordd o fis Rhagfyr eleni—felly, o'r diwrnod ar ôl yfory, rwy'n credu. Maent yn hyderus y bydd hyn yn darparu gwasanaeth mwy dibynadwy ac aml i bob teithiwr, gan gynnwys yn benodol iawn y rhai sy'n dibynnu ar y rheilffordd i deithio i'r gwaith ac oddi yno. Rwy'n siŵr, Jack, y byddwch chi'n gallu fy nghadw i mewn cysylltiad â'r gwelliannau yno a rhoi gwybod i mi a ydynt yn gweithio'n dda iawn neu heb fod yn gweithio cystal ag yr hoffem.
8. Pa asesiad y mae'r Gweinidog wedi ei wneud o effaith seilwaith y grid ar drigolion yng Nghanolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru? OQ60321
8. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of grid infrastructure on residents in Mid and West Wales? OQ60321
Diolch am y cwestiwn, Cefin.
Thank you for the question, Cefin.
We expect companies proposing new grid to follow planning policy that new power lines should be undergrounded where possible and their impact mitigated where undergrounding is not possible. We need a strategic solution to updating our grid infrastructure to give people reliable access to clean heat, transport and good jobs.
Rydym yn disgwyl i gwmnïau sy'n cynnig grid newydd ddilyn polisi cynllunio y dylid gosod llinellau pŵer newydd o dan y ddaear lle bo hynny'n bosibl a lliniaru eu heffaith pan nad yw'n bosibl eu gosod yn danddaearol. Mae angen ateb strategol arnom i ddiweddaru ein seilwaith grid i roi mynediad dibynadwy i bobl at wres glân, trafnidiaeth a swyddi da.
Thank you for the reassurance around the undergrounding, but, in last week's autumn statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced plans to expedite planning processes for new pylons, as well as for people living closest to new pylons and electricity substations, offering up to £10,000 off their energy bills over 10 years. We've yet to see any real detail about these plans, and proposed future reductions in tariffs will provide little comfort to households facing a further 5 per cent hike in the energy price cap this winter. Indeed, this fiscal event really was thin gruel for Welsh households suffering in the face of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and the UK Government missed an opportunity to take up Plaid Cymru's calls for a new social energy tariff. So, we know there are a number of parts of Mid and West Wales where proposals for new pylons remain in development and under contestation, so can I ask the Minister what assessment your Government has undertaken of the implications of these announcements for Wales? And in light of UK Government's plans around these changes to planning processes, how will you work to ensure meaningful community consultation around proposals, including the options for undergrounding, and how will you look to ensure tangible, sustainable and lasting community benefits from these developments?
Diolch am y sicrwydd ynghylch gosod llinellau tanddaearol, ond yn natganiad yr hydref yr wythnos diwethaf, cyhoeddodd Canghellor y Trysorlys gynlluniau i gyflymu prosesau cynllunio ar gyfer peilonau newydd, yn ogystal ag i'r bobl sy'n byw agosaf at beilonau newydd ac is-orsafoedd trydan, gan gynnig hyd at £10,000 oddi ar eu biliau ynni dros 10 mlynedd. Nid ydym eto wedi gweld unrhyw fanylion go iawn am y cynlluniau hyn, ac ni fydd gostyngiadau arfaethedig mewn tariffau yn y dyfodol yn rhoi llawer o gysur i aelwydydd sy'n wynebu codiad o 5 y cant pellach yn y cap ar brisiau ynni y gaeaf hwn. Yn wir, ychydig iawn a gynigiai'r digwyddiad cyllidol hwn i aelwydydd Cymru sy'n dioddef yn wyneb argyfwng costau byw parhaus, ac fe gollodd Llywodraeth y DU gyfle i dderbyn galwadau Plaid Cymru am dariff ynni cymdeithasol newydd. Felly, fe wyddom fod yna nifer o rannau o Ganolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru lle mae cynigion ar gyfer peilonau newydd yn parhau i gael eu datblygu ac yn cael eu herio, felly a gaf fi ofyn i'r Gweinidog pa asesiad y mae eich Llywodraeth wedi'i wneud o oblygiadau'r cyhoeddiadau hyn i Gymru? Ac yng ngoleuni cynlluniau Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch y newidiadau i'r prosesau cynllunio, sut y byddwch yn gweithio i sicrhau ymgynghoriad cymunedol ystyrlon ar gynigion, gan gynnwys yr opsiynau ar gyfer gosod llinellau tanddaearol, a sut y byddwch yn ceisio sicrhau buddion cymunedol pendant, cynaliadwy a pharhaol o'r datblygiadau hyn?
Yes, thank you, Cefin. So, there's quite a bit of complexity there. We don't know very much more about it than you do. We know what was in the autumn statement. But I do have an inter-ministerial group planned with the Minister, so I do plan a series of questions about exactly how they propose that to work. Our understanding, though it's not a firm understanding, is that it's only for new developments as well, which is not much consolation if you've already got a pilot of that sort, and I don't really understand the rationale for that. It also isn't terribly much money when you consider that it's spread out over a long period of time, and, as you've eloquently said, it doesn't make up for the ridiculous energy market that we're currently in. So, there are a number of flaws that you can immediately see. I'm afraid I don't know much more about what the intention was. I can see from news reports across England that it hasn't been very well received in England either. I think people regard it as a not very good bribe for having something they don't want. So, that is not our approach.
Our approach is to make sure that our communities are fully informed and understand what's going on, that we underground where that's at all possible; where it isn't possible, that we do mitigation. We're working with the National Grid to figure out ways that we can pre-look at transmission routes across Wales. There aren't very many. So, we will be able to figure out where they are because we have large amounts of protected landscape, we have peatlands, we have protected—. There are lots of things where you don't want the transmission lines to go. There aren't that many routes, so we can work properly with those communities to understand the impacts, where we can underground, and what that looks like.
The applications that are existing at the moment are a range of applications, some of which will come into the Welsh planning process, but some of which will go to the UK planning process. So, we're working with the UK Government to try and make sure that our planning policies are implemented where it's a UK Government process, because the level is above where we are, and then for onshore wind we're looking to make sure that the grid itself works with us.
I recently went to a renewable developers conference in Newport, where we discussed a gold standard for community benefits that could be rolled out by everyone, where we could assist communities to understand what was possible. Many of the community benefits that are delivered at the moment are very, very worthwhile, but where we could get communities together, for example, to help with retrofitting and energy efficiency and other measures that are rarely asked for by communities at the moment, because they require help to put those bits together. And then, working with yourselves as part of the co-operation agreement, we hope that Ynni Cymru and the enablers that we've put in place will be able to help communities to put their best foot forward, if you like, in asking for what those community benefit schemes should look like. So, there are a number of things to do and, Llywydd, I will update the Senedd once I've met with the Minister, if I've got any more information.
Diolch, Cefin. Felly, mae tipyn o gymhlethdod yno. Nid ydym yn gwybod llawer mwy am hyn na chithau. Rydym yn gwybod beth oedd yn natganiad yr hydref. Ond mae gennyf grŵp rhyng-weinidogol wedi'i gynllunio gyda'r Gweinidog, felly rwy'n cynllunio cyfres o gwestiynau ynglŷn â sut yn union y maent yn argymell y dylai hynny weithio. Ein dealltwriaeth ni, er nad yw'n ddealltwriaeth gadarn, yw mai dim ond ar gyfer datblygiadau newydd y mae'r arian, nad yw'n llawer o gysur os oes gennych gynllun peilot o'r math hwnnw eisoes, ac nid wyf yn deall y rhesymeg dros hynny. Nid yw ychwaith yn llawer iawn o arian pan ystyriwch ei fod wedi ei wasgaru dros gyfnod hir, ac fel rydych chi wedi dweud, nid yw'n gwneud iawn am y farchnad ynni hurt yr ydym ynddi ar hyn o bryd. Felly, mae yna nifer o ddiffygion y gallwch eu gweld ar unwaith. Mae arnaf ofn nad wyf yn gwybod llawer mwy am beth oedd y bwriad. Gallaf weld o adroddiadau newyddion ledled Lloegr nad yw wedi cael derbyniad da iawn yn Lloegr ychwaith. Rwy'n credu bod pobl yn ei ystyried yn llwgrwobr tila braidd am gael rhywbeth nad ydynt ei eisiau. Felly, nid dyna yw ein ffordd ni o weithredu.
Ein dull ni o weithredu yw sicrhau bod ein cymunedau'n wybodus ac yn deall beth sy'n digwydd, ein bod yn gosod llinellau o dan y ddaear lle mae hynny'n bosibl; lle nad yw'n bosibl, ein bod yn lliniaru. Rydym yn gweithio gyda'r Grid Cenedlaethol i ddarganfod ffyrdd y gallwn edrych ymlaen llaw ar lwybrau trosglwyddo ledled Cymru. Nid oes llawer ohonynt. Felly, byddwn yn gallu darganfod ble maent oherwydd bod gennym lawer iawn o dirwedd warchodedig, mae gennym fawnogydd, mae gennym—. Mae yna lawer o bethau lle nad ydych chi am i'r llinellau trosglwyddo fynd. Nid oes cymaint â hynny o lwybrau, felly gallwn weithio'n iawn gyda'r cymunedau i ddeall yr effeithiau, ble mae modd inni eu gosod yn danddaearol, a sut mae hynny'n edrych.
Mae'r ceisiadau sy'n bodoli ar hyn o bryd yn ystod o geisiadau, gyda rhai ohonynt yn dod i mewn i broses gynllunio Cymru, ond bydd rhai ohonynt yn mynd yn rhan o broses gynllunio'r DU. Felly, rydym yn gweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU i geisio sicrhau bod ein polisïau cynllunio yn cael eu gweithredu lle mae'n broses Llywodraeth y DU, oherwydd mae'r lefel yn uwch na lle rydym ni arni, ac yna ar gyfer gwynt ar y tir, rydym yn ceisio sicrhau bod y grid ei hun yn gweithio gyda ni.
Yn ddiweddar, euthum i gynhadledd datblygwyr ynni adnewyddadwy yng Nghasnewydd, lle buom yn trafod safon aur ar gyfer buddion cymunedol y gallai pawb eu cyflwyno, lle gallem gynorthwyo cymunedau i ddeall beth sy'n bosibl. Mae llawer o'r buddion cymunedol sy'n cael eu darparu ar hyn o bryd yn werth chweil, ond lle gallem gael cymunedau at ei gilydd, er enghraifft, i helpu gydag ôl-osod ac effeithlonrwydd ynni a mesurau eraill nad yw cymunedau yn gofyn amdanynt yn aml ar hyn o bryd, oherwydd bod angen help arnynt i roi'r darnau hynny at ei gilydd. Ac yna, gan weithio gyda chi fel rhan o'r cytundeb cydweithio, gobeithiwn y bydd Ynni Cymru a'r galluogwyr yr ydym wedi'u rhoi ar waith yn gallu helpu cymunedau i wneud eu gorau wrth ofyn sut bethau fyddai'r cynlluniau budd cymunedol hynny. Felly, mae nifer o bethau i'w gwneud, a Lywydd, byddaf yn rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Senedd pan fyddaf wedi cyfarfod â'r Gweinidog, os bydd gennyf fwy o wybodaeth.
Yn olaf, Jane Dodds.
And lastly, Jane Dodds.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Good afternoon, Minister. Just to follow up from Cefin's point, if I may. In Mid and West Wales, we have a number of developments, as I'm sure you know, from companies to expand the grid, which of course in principle we all accept needs to be done. However, there are significant implications in terms of consultation and engagement with communities. I just really wanted to follow up on that concept that you've just talked about in terms of community benefits. I don't know if you know about Octopus Energy, but Octopus are based around the UK and in Caerphilly and West Yorkshire, I understand that one wind turbine there, actually, for the community, allows them to engage and to register for the energy fan club. So, 'fan'—I take that as that. And if they do that, then they have an app on their phone that tells them when the wind is blowing, and therefore they can get a reduced 50 per cent off their energy bills. That, for me, is an incredible community benefit, and I just wondered what your views were about taking that forward, and in order for us to include that in the mix of community benefits. That is direct money for people for their energy bills. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Prynhawn da, Weinidog. Os caf fynd ar ôl pwynt Cefin. Yng Nghanolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru, mae gennym nifer o ddatblygiadau, fel y gwyddoch rwy'n siŵr, o gwmnïau i ehangu'r grid, sydd wrth gwrs mewn egwyddor yn rhywbeth rydym i gyd yn derbyn bod angen ei wneud. Fodd bynnag, mae goblygiadau sylweddol o ran ymgynghori ac ymgysylltu â chymunedau. Roeddwn eisiau dilyn y cysyniad yr ydych newydd siarad amdano gyda buddion cymunedol. Nid wyf yn gwybod a ydych chi'n gwybod am Octopus Energy, ond mae Octopus wedi'u lleoli ledled y DU ac yng Nghaerffili a Gorllewin Swydd Efrog, rwy'n deall bod un tyrbin gwynt yno ar gyfer y gymuned mewn gwirionedd, sy'n caniatáu iddynt ymgysylltu a chofrestru ar gyfer y clwb cefnogwr ynni. Ac os ydynt yn gwneud hynny, mae ganddynt ap ar eu ffôn sy'n dweud wrthynt pryd mae'r gwynt yn chwythu, ac felly gallant gael gostyngiad o 50 y cant oddi ar eu biliau ynni. Mae hynny, i mi, yn fudd cymunedol anhygoel, ac roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed beth oedd eich barn chi ynglŷn â bwrw ymlaen â hynny, ac i ni gynnwys hynny yn y cymysgedd o fuddion cymunedol. Mae hwnnw'n arian uniongyrchol i bobl ar gyfer eu biliau ynni. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Yes, absolutely, Jane. We're very interested indeed in having a small amount of community ownership in some of the bigger energy projects. I've spoken at great length to many of the developers about when they build projects, including floating wind projects, I have to say, whether they would be prepared as part of a collaboration with a Welsh state energy developer to build one or two turbines specifically for community ownership. The Welsh Government could de-risk that and then pass the ownership on to communities over a much longer period of time, because nobody's going to be able to afford to do it upfront, but we could de-risk that for communities. And you're absolutely right—spot on. That allows them access to the energy itself and not just the benefits package that goes with it.
In the longer term, I'd like to see a Government reform the energy system, so that you don't have the ridiculous nonsense of what is a community benefit and what isn't. And also there's the issue that at the moment community benefits go to communities hosting the generation of energy, but not the transmission of energy, and the transmission is actually more controversial, in many instances, than the actual generation. So, I was pleased to see the UK Government at least accept the concept of transmission communities, but they've gone about it in a way that I don't particularly think is very effective, nor will it get the buy-in we want. But I'm very keen to make sure that we push the kind of community-ownership model that you're talking about there, and which we do have a couple of models around Wales of.
Yn hollol, Jane. Mae gennym ddiddordeb mawr mewn cael ychydig bach o berchnogaeth gymunedol yn rhai o'r prosiectau ynni mwy o faint. Rwyf wedi siarad yn helaeth â llawer o'r datblygwyr ynglŷn â phan fyddant yn adeiladu prosiectau, gan gynnwys prosiectau gwynt arnofiol mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, i weld a fyddent yn cael eu paratoi fel rhan o gydweithrediad â datblygwr ynni gwladol yng Nghymru i adeiladu un neu ddau o dyrbinau yn benodol ar gyfer perchnogaeth gymunedol. Gallai Llywodraeth Cymru ddadrisgio hynny a throsglwyddo'r berchnogaeth wedyn i gymunedau dros gyfnod llawer hwy, oherwydd ni fydd unrhyw un yn gallu fforddio ei wneud yn uniongyrchol, ond gallem ni ddadrisgio hynny i gymunedau. Ac rydych chi'n hollol iawn—yn llygad eich lle. Mae hynny'n caniatáu iddynt gael mynediad at yr ynni ei hun ac nid y pecyn buddion sy'n mynd gydag ef yn unig.
Yn fwy hirdymor, hoffwn weld Llywodraeth yn diwygio'r system ynni, fel nad oes gennych y nonsens hurt o ran beth sy'n fudd cymunedol a'r hyn nad yw'n fudd. Hefyd mae'r ffaith bod buddion cymunedol ar hyn o bryd yn mynd i gymunedau sy'n cynnal cynhyrchiant ynni, ond nid trosglwyddiad ynni, ac mae'r trosglwyddiad mewn gwirionedd yn fwy dadleuol mewn llawer o achosion na'r cynhyrchiant ei hun. Felly, roeddwn yn falch o weld Llywodraeth y DU o leiaf yn derbyn y cysyniad o gymunedau trosglwyddo, ond maent wedi mynd ati mewn ffordd nad wyf yn credu ei bod yn arbennig o effeithiol, ac ni fydd yn cael y gefnogaeth yr hoffem ei gweld ychwaith. Ond rwy'n awyddus iawn i sicrhau ein bod yn gwthio'r math o fodel perchnogaeth gymunedol y soniwch chi amdano, ac y mae gennym un neu ddau o fodelau ohono ledled Cymru.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, fydd y cwestiynau i Weinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg. Y cwestiwn cyntaf gan Cefin Campbell.
The next item will be the questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language. The first question is from Cefin Campbell.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am y ddarpariaeth o ran addysgu ieithoedd tramor modern yng Nghanolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru? OQ60322
1. Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of modern foreign language teaching in Mid and West Wales? OQ60322
Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru weledigaeth a strategaeth glir i gefnogi dysgu ieithoedd tramor modern yng Nghymru. Mae cynllun strategol 'Dyfodol Byd-eang: Cynllun i wella a hyrwyddo ieithoedd rhyngwladol yng Nghymru 2022 i 2025', a gafodd ei lansio fis Tachwedd diwethaf, yn amlinellu sut y byddwn ni'n gwella ein darpariaeth ac yn hyrwyddo ieithoedd rhyngwladol yng Nghymru.
The Welsh Government has a clear vision and strategy to support modern foreign language learning in Wales. The strategic plan, 'Global Futures: A plan to improve and promote international languages in Wales 2022 to 2025', launched last November, sets out how we will improve provision and promote international languages in Wales.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Mae nifer o bobl wedi cysylltu â fi, ar draws y rhanbarth a dweud y gwir, yn nodi eu pryderon ynghylch darpariaeth addysgu ieithoedd tramor modern. Fe glywes i yn ddiweddar iawn gan fyfyriwr, yn Aberystwyth yn digwydd bod, oedd am barhau â’i astudiaethau mewn Almaeneg i lefel A, ond fe wrthodwyd y cyfle iddo fe achos doedd dim darpariaeth e-ddysgu mwyach ar gael. Ac rŷn ni wedi gweld, ar draws y rhanbarth dwi'n ei chynrychioli, gostyngiad yn y ddarpariaeth ieithoedd modern yn gyffredinol dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, a'r niferoedd o fyfyrwyr sydd yn astudio. Yng Ngheredigion ar hyn o bryd, heblaw mewn un ysgol, Ffrangeg yw’r unig iaith dramor sy'n cael ei chynnig ar gyfer TGAU—a TGAU yn unig, nid lefel A. Mae hyn yn batrwm cyffredinol ar draws y rhanbarth. Felly, gaf i ofyn, er mor bwysig yw dysgu ieithoedd i'n heconomi fyd-eang ni, a’n heconomi ni yng Nghymru, a fyddech chi'n gallu sicrhau bod gennych chi strategaeth i fynd i'r afael â hyn? A pha mor bryderus ŷch chi ynglŷn â’r sefyllfa bresennol?
Thank you very much. A number of people have contacted me, across my region, expressing their concerns about the provision of modern foreign language teaching. I heard very recently from a student, in Aberystwyth as it happens, who wanted to continue to study German at A-level, but he was denied that opportunity because the e-learning provision was no longer available to him. And I have seen, across the region that I represent, a reduction in the provision of modern foreign languages generally over recent years, and the numbers of students studying those subjects. In Ceredigion at the moment, apart from one school, French is the only foreign language provided at GCSE level—and that is only at GCSE, not A-level. And that is a general pattern across the region. So, despite the importance of language learning for our global economy, and our economy here in Wales, could you give us an assurance that you do have a strategy to tackle this issue? And how concerned are you about the current situation?
Mae hynny'n gwestiwn teilwng iawn. Rwy'n bryderus iawn am y sefyllfa, ac mae'r Aelod yn iawn i ddweud bod gostyngiad wedi bod, a gostyngiad sylweddol mewn rhai ieithoedd tramor modern. Mae'r her sy'n wynebu dysgu’r Almaeneg yn un penodol, ac rwy'n cael llythyrau’n aml wrth Aelodau ac wrth y cyhoedd ynglŷn â’r pryder o ran Almaeneg yn benodol.
O ran beth rŷn ni'n mynd i'w wneud fel Llywodraeth, neu beth rŷn ni eisoes yn ei wneud, mae gennym ni fwy nag un rhaglen i geisio cynyddu’r diddordeb mewn ieithoedd tramor modern yn ein hysgolion ni. Felly, yn y cyfnod cynradd, wrth gwrs, ac yn mynd nawr drwy’r cyfnod uwchradd hefyd, mae'r elfen honno o gyflwyno iaith ryngwladol yn gynnar yn addysg ein plant ni, rwy'n credu, yn un bwysig iawn. Mi es i'n ôl i fy ysgol gynradd fy hunan ddiwedd y flwyddyn academaidd ddiwethaf a chlywed dosbarth yn canu caneuon yn y Sbaeneg. Fydden i ddim wedi gweld hynny'n digwydd yn fy nghyfnod i yn yr ysgol. Ond rwy'n derbyn mai rhywbeth fydd yn cael canlyniadau yn y tymor hir yw hynny.
Mae gennym ni hefyd raglen mentora drwy law Prifysgol Caerdydd sydd yn rhoi cefnogaeth uniongyrchol i ysgolion uwchradd: myfyrwyr yn mynd yn ôl i'r ysgolion rheini i fentora o ran ieithoedd modern. A hefyd mae gennym ni raglen drwy’r Brifysgol Agored sydd yn dysgu athrawon sut i ddysgu ieithoedd modern ac, ynghyd â hynny, rhyw fuddsoddiad o dros £2.5 miliwn i gynyddu argaeledd a diddordeb mewn cymryd ieithoedd tramor modern ar gyfer TGAU.
Mae'r her yn un sylweddol. Dyw e ddim yn un sydd yn unig yma yng Nghymru, er dyw hynny, wrth gwrs, ddim yn unrhyw gysur. Bydden i'n annog ysgolion—ac, ar ddiwedd y dydd, ysgolion sy'n gwneud y penderfyniadau o ran y mix o ieithoedd sydd yn cael eu dysgu yn eu hysgolion nhw—bydden i yn annog ysgolion i ymwneud â'r rhaglen Dyfodol Byd-eang a'r partneriaid sydd yno i ddarparu cefnogaeth i ysgolion am sut i newid y sefyllfa yma.
That's a very valid question. I'm very concerned about this situation, and the Member's right to say that there has been a reduction, and a significant reduction in some modern foreign languages. The challenges facing German learning is a specific one, and I receive many letters from Members and from the public about that concern regarding German specifically.
In terms of what we're going to do as a Government, or what we're already doing, we have more than one programme to try and increase interest in modern foreign languages in our schools. So, in the primary stage, of course, and extending to the secondary stage as well now, that element of introducing an international language early in the education of our children is very important, I think. I went back to my own old primary school in the last academic year and heard a class singing Spanish songs. We wouldn't have seen that during my period in school. But I do accept that that will be something that will have long-term results.
We also have a mentoring programme through Cardiff University that provides direct support to secondary schools: students going back to those schools to mentor children with modern languages. We also have an Open University programme that teaches teachers how to teach modern languages and, along with that, an investment of over £2.5 million to increase the availability and interest in taking modern foreign languages at GCSE level.
It's a significant challenge. It doesn't exist only in Wales, but that's no comfort, of course. I would encourage schools—and, at the end of the day, the schools make the decisions in terms of the mix of languages that are taught at their schools—I would encourage schools to get involved in the Global Futures programme and the partners that are there to provide support to schools about how to change the situation.
2. Pa waith y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i sicrhau presenoldeb da gan ddisgyblion yn ysgolion Sir Ddinbych? OQ60325
2. What work is the Welsh Government undertaking to ensure good pupil attendance at schools in Denbighshire? OQ60325
We've provided significant investment for family engagement officers, with funding this year totalling £6.5 million. This is in addition to the £2.5 million provided to the education welfare service this year, to provide much-needed additional capacity.
Rydym wedi darparu buddsoddiad sylweddol ar gyfer swyddogion ymgysylltu â theuluoedd, gyda chyfanswm y cyllid eleni yn £6.5 miliwn. Mae hyn yn ychwanegol at y £2.5 miliwn a ddarparwyd i'r gwasanaeth lles addysg eleni, i ddarparu capasiti ychwanegol mawr ei angen.
Thank you very much for your response, Minister. We've learnt recently that Rhyl High School, in my constituency, has been put into a situation where they've had to introduce shorter days in order to encourage pupils back into school. I'm sure the Minister will agree that this solution is sub-optimal for the school and students alike. I welcome the group that the Minister is setting up in order to tackle school absence, but as we know, there is a national crisis regarding school attendance and much more work needs to be undertaken by the Welsh Government to put this right.
The lockdowns introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic had far-reaching repercussions for the economy, mental health, and health more broadly, but education was particularly hard hit. Sadly, not enough has been done to successfully reintroduce pupils back into the classroom and ensure that any lost learning has been rectified. The fallout from learning from home is still clearly being felt, with pupils failing to acclimatise to school, and the institutions, such as Rhyl High School, struggling to get pupils back into the classroom. Teachers and other professionals have expressed how a lack of in-person teaching has affected not only pupil literacy and numeracy skills, but also their social skills.
So, how, Minister, do you plan to work with schools to ensure they get the support necessary to rapidly increase school attendance without turning to drastic measures such as shortening the school day, which I'm sure we can both agree is hugely detrimental to a child's education? Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am eich ymateb, Weinidog. Rydym wedi clywed yn ddiweddar fod Ysgol Uwchradd y Rhyl yn fy etholaeth i wedi cael ei rhoi mewn sefyllfa lle maent wedi gorfod cyflwyno diwrnodau byrrach er mwyn annog disgyblion yn ôl i'r ysgol. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog yn cytuno bod yr ateb hwn ymhell o fod yn ddelfrydol i'r ysgol a'r myfyrwyr fel ei gilydd. Rwy'n croesawu'r grŵp y mae'r Gweinidog yn ei sefydlu er mwyn mynd i'r afael ag absenoldeb ysgol, ond fel y gwyddom, mae'n argyfwng cenedlaethol o ran lefelau presenoldeb mewn ysgolion ac mae angen gwneud llawer mwy o waith gan Lywodraeth Cymru i unioni hyn.
Cafodd y cyfyngiadau symud a gyflwynwyd o ganlyniad i bandemig COVID-19 ôl-effeithiau pellgyrhaeddol i'r economi, iechyd meddwl, ac iechyd yn ehangach, ond cafodd addysg ei tharo'n arbennig o galed. Yn anffodus, nid oes digon wedi'i wneud i ailgyflwyno disgyblion yn ôl i'r ystafell ddosbarth yn llwyddiannus a sicrhau bod unrhyw ddysgu a gollwyd yn cael ei adfer. Mae'n amlwg fod canlyniadau dysgu gartref yn dal i gael eu teimlo, gyda'r disgyblion yn methu ymgynefino ag ysgol, a'r sefydliadau, fel Ysgol Uwchradd y Rhyl, yn ei chael hi'n anodd cael disgyblion yn ôl i mewn i'r ystafell ddosbarth. Mae athrawon a gweithwyr proffesiynol eraill wedi mynegi sut mae diffyg addysgu wyneb yn wyneb wedi effeithio nid yn unig ar sgiliau llythrennedd a rhifedd disgyblion, ond hefyd ar eu sgiliau cymdeithasol.
Felly, Weinidog, sut ydych chi'n bwriadu gweithio gydag ysgolion i sicrhau eu bod yn cael y gefnogaeth angenrheidiol i gynyddu presenoldeb ysgol yn gyflym heb droi at fesurau llym fel byrhau'r diwrnod ysgol, ac rwy'n siŵr y gall y ddau ohonom gytuno bod hynny'n niweidiol iawn i addysg plentyn? Diolch.
Well, I agree with the broad point the Member makes in relation to the impact of COVID on standards of literacy, numeracy and attainment generally in our schools; it has had a very detrimental impact. At the time, we were very clear as a Government that every decision we took in relation to schools during the pandemic was taken on the basis of a balance of harms: the risk of infection on the one hand, but the obvious risk of the impact of not being in school or having remote learning on the other hand. The Member's question, I think, illustrates why that approach was so important, as was our commitment that schools would be the last things to close and the first things to open.
On his broad point in relation to attendance generally, he will know from my earlier answer on the establishment of the national taskforce, with experience not just from education but from social services, health, the police, parents and academics with a particular interest and experience of this, that what we are going to try and do is to identify the best practice already happening in the system—and there is a lot of it—and to make sure that all schools have the benefit of that, so that they can draw on that, adapt it, build on it, and have it work for their own areas.
On the point that the Member makes in relation to Rhyl High School in particular, let me be clear that the situation there is a little different, I think, from how the Member described it. It is not a shortening of the school day in general; it is letting some children start school a little bit later in the day to avoid a busy registration period on a temporary basis, to encourage young people back to school who may have struggled to attend. I know that he will be keen to make sure that we are trying whatever steps are practical to ensure young people are back in school, and that is the sort of thing that Rhyl High School, as I understand it, is attempting to do.
Wel, rwy'n cytuno â'r pwynt cyffredinol y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud mewn perthynas ag effaith COVID ar safonau llythrennedd, rhifedd a chyrhaeddiad yn gyffredinol yn ein hysgolion; mae wedi cael effaith niweidiol iawn. Ar y pryd, roeddem yn glir iawn fel Llywodraeth fod pob penderfyniad a wnaem mewn perthynas ag ysgolion yn ystod y pandemig yn cael ei wneud ar sail cydbwyso niwed: y risg o haint ar y naill law, ond y risg amlwg o effaith peidio â bod yn yr ysgol neu ddysgu o bell ar y llaw arall. Rwy'n credu bod cwestiwn yr Aelod yn dangos pam fod y dull hwnnw mor bwysig, yn ogystal â'n hymrwymiad mai ysgolion fyddai'r pethau olaf i'w cau a'r pethau cyntaf i'w hagor.
Ar ei bwynt ynghylch presenoldeb yn gyffredinol, bydd yn gwybod o fy ateb cynharach ar sefydlu'r tasglu cenedlaethol, gyda phrofiad nid yn unig o fyd addysg ond gan y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, iechyd, yr heddlu, rhieni ac academyddion sydd â diddordeb yn hyn a phrofiad penodol ohono, mai'r hyn y byddwn yn ceisio ei wneud yw nodi'r arferion gorau sydd eisoes yn digwydd yn y system—ac mae llawer ohonynt—a sicrhau bod pob ysgol yn cael budd o hynny, fel y gallant bwyso ar hynny, ei addasu, adeiladu arno, a'i gael i weithio ar gyfer eu hardaloedd eu hunain.
Ar y pwynt y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud mewn perthynas ag Ysgol Uwchradd y Rhyl yn benodol, gadewch imi fod yn glir fod y sefyllfa ychydig yn wahanol yno, rwy'n credu, i'r ffordd y cafodd ei disgrifio gan yr Aelod. Nid byrhau'r diwrnod ysgol yn gyffredinol ydyw; mae'n gadael i rai plant ddechrau'r ysgol ychydig yn hwyrach yn y dydd i osgoi cyfnod cofrestru prysur ar sail dros dro, i annog pobl ifanc a allai fod wedi ei chael hi'n anodd mynychu i ddod yn ôl i'r ysgol. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd yn awyddus i wneud yn siŵr ein bod yn rhoi cynnig ar unrhyw gamau sy'n ymarferol i sicrhau bod pobl ifanc yn ôl yn yr ysgol, a dyna'r math o beth y mae Ysgol Uwchradd y Rhyl, fel rwy'n ei ddeall, yn ceisio ei wneud.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Laura Anne Jones.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. Conservative spokesperson, Laura Anne Jones.
Diolch, Presiding Officer. Minister, we've recently seen school governors submit a 7,000-strong petition and give evidence raising grave concerns about the 'frightening' financial situation facing schools in Wales, with warnings that some schools are operating 'hand to mouth'. Since 2010, schools have received a 1.1 per cent real terms increase in funding, which equates to a rise of 0.7 per cent per pupil. This is clearly not satisfactory, and only serves to harm Welsh education. Dr Martin Price, chair of the Vale of Glamorgan school governors' association, has said that
'quite a proportion of schools in Wales are running on empty or, effectively, in private sector terms, are bankrupt',
and that
'not enough money is going into many schools, if not most schools in Wales, in order to deliver what their legal requirements are in terms of education'.
You say you care about the education of our children in Wales, and I hope you do, Minister, but you're certainly not putting your money where your mouth is. Clearly not enough money is getting to where it's really needed. Minister, is this a record you're proud of, and if not, why have you seen it fit to cut the education budget this year once again, and when will this Government feel it fit to fund schools properly?
Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog, yn ddiweddar gwelsom lywodraethwyr ysgolion yn cyflwyno deiseb a lofnodwyd gan 7,000 o bobl ac yn rhoi tystiolaeth yn codi pryderon difrifol am y sefyllfa ariannol 'frawychus' sy'n wynebu ysgolion yng Nghymru, gyda rhybuddion bod rhai ysgolion yn gweithredu 'o'r llaw i'r genau'. Ers 2010, mae ysgolion wedi derbyn cynnydd o 1.1 y cant o gyllid mewn termau real, sy'n cyfateb i gynnydd o 0.7 y cant y disgybl. Mae'n amlwg nad yw hyn yn foddhaol, a'i fod yn niweidiol i addysg yng Nghymru. Mae Dr Martin Price, cadeirydd cymdeithas llywodraethwyr ysgolion Bro Morgannwg, wedi dweud
'mae cyfran sylweddol o ysgolion yng Nghymru yn gweithredu heb unrhyw arian neu, yn nhermau'r sector preifat, yn fethdalwyr i bob pwrpas',
ac
'nid oes digon o arian yn mynd i mewn i lawer o ysgolion, os nad y rhan fwyaf o ysgolion yng Nghymru, i allu cyflawni eu gofynion cyfreithiol mewn perthynas ag addysg'.
Rydych chi'n dweud eich bod chi'n poeni am addysg ein plant yng Nghymru, ac rwy'n gobeithio eich bod, Weinidog, ond yn sicr nid ydych chi'n rhoi eich arian ar eich gair. Yn amlwg, nid oes digon o arian yn cyrraedd lle mae ei wir angen. Weinidog, a yw hon yn record rydych chi'n falch ohoni, ac os nad ydyw, pam eich bod chi wedi torri'r gyllideb addysg eleni eto, a phryd y bydd y Llywodraeth hon yn teimlo'r angen i ariannu ysgolion yn iawn?
Well, I hope the Member will not want to have said anything that misrepresents what we've done this year, because, in fact, school budgets have not been cut this year. As she will know from our previous exchanges in relation to this, the in-year reductions that we’ve had to make this year have been on the basis of demand-led programmes, where the demand has not met that which we have provided for in our budget. So, front-line school budgets have not been impacted in the way that I think her question implied.
She is right to say that school budgets in many schools are under pressure, as are local authority budgets, as is the Welsh Government’s budget. In the last two years, we have been able as a Government to increase the funding available to local councils, which are, of course, directly responsible for funding schools, by very considerable sums. However, the impact of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis has, of course, eroded the value of that increase, and the level of demand, both on local government budgets and indeed on our own, has increased. So, that is the context in which we are operating at the moment.
We will do everything we can to make sure that as much funding as possible gets to the front line in schools. We were together in a committee meeting this morning where I outlined the very significant sums that we are investing in relation to the additional learning needs reforms, which come from my budget, but also in relation to curriculum reform and many other initiatives. And this is in addition to the revenue support grant that funds schools directly.
Wel, rwy'n gobeithio na fydd yr Aelod eisiau dweud unrhyw beth sy'n camliwio'r hyn a wnaethom eleni, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, nid yw cyllidebau ysgolion wedi'u torri eleni. Fel y bydd hi'n gwybod o'n trafodaethau blaenorol mewn perthynas â hyn, mae'r gostyngiadau yn ystod y flwyddyn y bu'n rhaid inni eu gwneud eleni wedi bod ar sail rhaglenni a arweinir gan alw, lle nad yw'r galw wedi bod mor uchel ag y darparwyd ar ei gyfer yn ein cyllideb. Felly, nid yw cyllidebau rheng flaen i ysgolion wedi cael eu heffeithio yn y ffordd y credaf fod ei chwestiwn yn awgrymu.
Mae hi'n iawn i ddweud bod cyllidebau ysgolion mewn llawer o ysgolion dan bwysau, fel y mae cyllidebau awdurdodau lleol, fel y mae cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru. Yn ystod y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf, fel Llywodraeth rydym wedi gallu darparu symiau sylweddol o gyllid ychwanegol i gynghorau lleol, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn uniongyrchol gyfrifol am ariannu ysgolion. Fodd bynnag, mae effaith chwyddiant a'r argyfwng costau byw, wrth gwrs, wedi erydu gwerth y cynnydd hwnnw, ac mae lefel y galw, ar gyllidebau llywodraeth leol a'n cyllideb ni yn wir, wedi cynyddu. Felly, dyna'r cyd-destun y gweithredwn ynddo ar hyn o bryd.
Byddwn yn gwneud popeth yn ein gallu i sicrhau bod cymaint o gyllid â phosibl yn cyrraedd y rheng flaen mewn ysgolion. Fe fuom gyda'n gilydd mewn cyfarfod pwyllgor y bore yma lle amlinellais y symiau sylweddol iawn yr ydym yn eu buddsoddi ar gyfer y diwygiadau anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, sy'n dod o fy nghyllideb i, ond hefyd ar gyfer diwygio'r cwricwlwm a llawer o gynlluniau eraill. Ac mae hyn yn ychwanegol at y grant cynnal refeniw sy'n ariannu ysgolion yn uniongyrchol.
Minister, you keep mentioning small pots of money that you've provided. The reality on the ground is that schools are struggling, and whatever you say you're doing, it's clearly not working. Perhaps it's because this Labour Government has chronically underfunded education in Wales year on year, decade after decade, whereas in England the Conservative Government have increased funding for education year on year.
I've already quoted from the Petitions Committee, but that wasn't all that was said, Minister. Matthew Gilbert, headteacher at Barry Island Primary School, described the financial pressures as 'frightening'. He said:
'I've had over 20 years in education and I've never experienced such difficulties with finance.'
He raised concerns about equality, saying that it's difficult to provide one-to-one support given increasing numbers of pupils with complex needs presenting themselves, as was raised this morning, amid constrained finances. He said:
'we have to set deficit budgets. Otherwise, we won't be able to provide those children with one-to-one support'.
He went on to say:
'we want to break the deprivation, to enable children to read and to write and to break that poverty gap.... But as it stands, the deficit situation is dire.... We are forced to be hand to mouth, and the cupboards are empty.'
And to truly add insult to injury, Minister, Mr Gilbert then went on to say that his schools—and I'm aware that other schools are the same—often have to chase small community grants that should be a luxury, not a necessity, to prop up maxed-out school budgets just to get the basics done.
Following that, I'd like to read one more small quote to you in regard to the education budget that you've slashed, Minister:
'We have made choices, and I'm telling you what choices we've made. I'm proud of them.'
That was you, Minister, earlier this year, proudly championing real-terms cuts to education. You constantly shrug off blame and fail to accept accountability for your department's clear and evident failures. Minister, do you accept Mr Gilbert's characterisation of education in Wales and everyone else's that I speak to, or is it someone else's fault as per usual?
Weinidog, rydych chi'n dal i grybwyll potiau bach o arian a ddarparqyd gennych. Y realiti ar lawr gwlad yw bod ysgolion yn ei chael hi'n anodd, a beth bynnag y dywedwch eich bod yn ei wneud, mae'n amlwg nad yw'n gweithio. Efallai mai'r rheswm am hyn yw bod y Llywodraeth Lafur hon wedi tanariannu addysg yng Nghymru flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn, ddegawd ar ôl degawd, ond yn Lloegr mae'r Llywodraeth Geidwadol wedi cynyddu'r cyllid ar gyfer addysg flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn.
Rwyf eisoes wedi dyfynnu'r Pwyllgor Deisebau, ond nid dyna'r cyfan a ddywedwyd, Weinidog. Yn ôl Matthew Gilbert, pennaeth Ysgol Gynradd Ynys y Barri, mae'r pwysau ariannol yn 'frawychus'. Dywedodd:
'Rwyf wedi gweithio ym myd addysg ers dros 20 mlynedd ac nid wyf erioed wedi profi anawsterau o'r fath gyda chyllid.'
Mynegodd bryderon am gydraddoldeb, gan ddweud ei bod hi'n anodd darparu cefnogaeth un i un o ystyried y niferoedd cynyddol o ddisgyblion ag anghenion cymhleth, fel y nodwyd y bore yma, a chyllid cyfyngedig. Dywedodd:
'mae'n rhaid inni osod cyllidebau diffyg. Fel arall, ni fyddwn yn gallu rhoi cymorth un i un i'r plant hynny'.
Aeth rhagddo i ddweud:
'rydym eisiau cael gwared ag amddifadedd, er mwyn galluogi plant i ddarllen ac ysgrifennu ac rydym eisiau cael gwared ar y bwlch tlodi hwnnw.... Ond fel y mae pethau, mae'r sefyllfa o ran y diffyg yn enbyd.... Cawn ein gorfodi i fyw o'r llaw i'r genau, ac mae'r cypyrddau'n wag.'
Ac i rwbio halen yn y briw, Weinidog, aeth Mr Gilbert ymlaen i ddweud bod ei ysgolion—ac rwy'n ymwybodol bod ysgolion eraill yr un fath—yn aml yn gorfod mynd ar drywydd grantiau cymunedol bach, a ddylai fod yn foethusrwydd nid yn anghenraid, i gynnal cyllidebau ysgolion lle nad oes arian ar ôl er mwyn cyflawni'r pethau sylfaenol yn unig.
Yn dilyn hynny, hoffwn ddarllen un dyfyniad bach arall i chi mewn perthynas â'r gyllideb addysg yr ydych wedi'i thorri, Weinidog:
'Rydym wedi gwneud dewisiadau, ac rwy'n dweud wrthych pa ddewisiadau rydym wedi'u gwneud. Rwy'n falch ohonyn nhw.'
Chi a ddywedodd hynny, Weinidog, yn gynharach eleni, gan honni eich bod yn falch o fod wedi gwneud toriadau mewn termau real i addysg. Rydych yn methu derbyn bai yn gyson ac yn methu derbyn atebolrwydd am fethiannau clir ac amlwg eich adran. Weinidog, a ydych chi'n derbyn disgrifiad Mr Gilbert o addysg yng Nghymru a phawb arall rwy'n siarad â nhw, neu a yw'n fai rhywun arall, fel arfer?
I certainly don’t accept your characterisation of it. The situation in which we are working through the Welsh Government is one in which we are experiencing the direct consequences of a—. And she invites me to compare the position in Wales and England and she will absolutely find, if she looks at education funding, that the picture she paints is completely misleading and incorrect. The position, if she wants to compare, is that the Welsh Government’s budget is affected by a Conservative Government in Westminster running a high-tax, high-inflation, low-growth, low-investment, high-interest-rate economy. That is what is happening, and it is impossible to avoid the consequences of that in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. The only way of bringing about that step change in public service investment that we want to see right across the UK is through the election of a Labour Government.
Yn sicr, nid wyf yn derbyn eich disgrifiad o'r mater. Mae'r sefyllfa rydym yn gweithio ynddi drwy Lywodraeth Cymru yn un lle rydym yn profi canlyniadau uniongyrchol—. Ac mae hi'n fy ngwahodd i gymharu'r sefyllfa yng Nghymru a Lloegr ac fe fydd hi'n canfod, yn sicr, os yw'n edrych ar gyllid addysg, fod y darlun y mae hi'n ei beintio'n gwbl gamarweiniol ac anghywir. Y sefyllfa, os yw hi am gymharu, yw bod cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru yn cael ei heffeithio gan Lywodraeth Geidwadol yn San Steffan, sy'n gweithredu economi o drethi uchel, chwyddiant uchel, twf isel, buddsoddiad isel a chyfradd llog uchel. Dyna sy'n digwydd, ac mae'n amhosibl osgoi canlyniadau hynny yng Nghymru, yr Alban neu Ogledd Iwerddon. Yr unig ffordd o sicrhau'r newid sylweddol yr ydym eisiau ei weld ledled y DU o ran buddsoddiad mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yw drwy ethol Llywodraeth Lafur.
I'm getting quite used to hearing this 'It's not me, guv' attitude from the Minister. Once again, we've been delivered another load of empty words, which is becoming a speciality of yours.
David Blackwell, headteacher of Sir Richard Gwyn Catholic High School in Barry, raised concerns, quoting a massive recruitment and retention crisis:
'we're seeing the quality of applicants alongside the number of applicants dramatically decreasing.'
He went on to say that
'there are fewer people working in my school when the needs are greater than I've ever seen in the 23 to 24 years I've been working in schools.'
And to top that off, the average reading age of a child entering secondary school is two years lower than it was five years ago. Minister, this is a damning indictment of your time in office. Schools aren't happy, your unions aren't happy, teachers aren't happy, school governors aren't happy and parents and children are not happy. You've failed a generation of learners, and yet you still stand there and parrot the same lines back to me, week after week. How many professionals will it take for me to quote to you before you take urgent action? Schools don't need another review, Minister, like you promised yesterday; they need sufficient financial support right now, given the gravity of the situation. Minister, when can schools expect to see some light at the end of this very bleak tunnel? And do you accept the damaging effect that Welsh Labour has had on education by cutting the budget not once but twice under your tenure?
Rwy'n dechrau arfer â chlywed yr agwedd 'Nid fy mai i' gan y Gweinidog. Unwaith eto, rydym wedi cael llwyth arall o eiriau gwag, rhywbeth rydych yn dod i arbenigo ynddo.
Mynegwyd pryderon gan David Blackwell, pennaeth Ysgol Uwchradd Gatholig Syr Richard Gwyn yn y Barri, a soniodd am argyfwng recriwtio a chadw enfawr:
'rydym yn gweld ansawdd yr ymgeiswyr ynghyd â nifer yr ymgeiswyr yn dirywio'n ddramatig.'
Aeth rhagddo i ddweud
'mae llai o bobl yn gweithio yn fy ysgol pan fo'r anghenion yn fwy nag a welais erioed yn y 23 i 24 mlynedd y bûm yn gweithio mewn ysgolion.'
Ac i goroni'r cyfan, mae oedran darllen cyfartalog plentyn sy'n dechrau yn yr ysgol uwchradd ddwy flynedd yn is na'r hyn ydoedd bum mlynedd yn ôl. Weinidog, mae hwn yn gondemniad enbyd o'ch cyfnod yn y swydd. Nid yw ysgolion yn hapus, nid yw eich undebau yn hapus, nid yw athrawon yn hapus, nid yw llywodraethwyr ysgolion yn hapus ac nid yw rhieni a phlant yn hapus. Rydych wedi siomi cenhedlaeth o ddysgwyr, ac eto rydych chi'n dal i sefyll yno ac yn ailadrodd yr un llinellau wrthyf, wythnos ar ôl wythnos. Faint o weithwyr proffesiynol sydd angen i mi eu dyfynnu cyn y byddwch yn rhoi camau brys ar waith? Nid oes angen adolygiad arall ar ysgolion, Weinidog, fel yr addawoch chi ddoe; maent angen cymorth ariannol digonol nawr, o ystyried difrifoldeb y sefyllfa. Weinidog, pryd y gall ysgolion ddisgwyl gweld rhywfaint o oleuni ym mhen draw'r twnnel llwm iawn hwn? Ac a ydych yn derbyn yr effaith niweidiol y mae Llafur Cymru wedi'i chael ar fyd addysg drwy dorri'r gyllideb nid unwaith ond ddwywaith yn ystod eich cyfnod yn y swydd?
I don't know quite how many times to put this, but the Member makes a case that is entirely unfounded. The number of points that she makes that are not borne out by reality is a new level, even for her. What I will accept is that there are heads right across Wales, many of whom she has quoted there, working hard day in, day out, with teachers and teaching assistants, to deliver for our young people in what are increasingly challenging circumstances. And I'm sure she'll want to join me and others in the Chamber in thanking them for the hard work that they do.
Nid wyf yn gwybod sawl gwaith y mae angen i mi ddweud hyn, ond mae'r Aelod yn gwneud pwynt sy'n gwbl ddi-sail. Mae nifer y pwyntiau y mae'n eu gwneud nad ydynt yn seiliedig ar realiti yn cyrraedd lefel newydd, hyd yn oed iddi hi. Yr hyn y gwnaf ei dderbyn yw bod yna benaethiaid ledled Cymru, ac mae hi wedi dyfynnu llawer ohonynt yno, sy'n gweithio'n galed o ddydd i ddydd, gydag athrawon a chynorthwywyr addysgu, i gyflawni dros ein pobl ifanc mewn amgylchiadau sy'n gynyddol heriol. Ac rwy'n siŵr y byddai eisiau ymuno â mi ac eraill yn y Siambr i ddiolch iddynt am y gwaith caled y maent yn ei wneud.
Lleafarydd Plaid Cymru, Heledd Fychan.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Heledd Fychan.
Diolch, Llywydd. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cyhoeddwyd yr adroddiad ystadegol ar batrymau cyrhaeddiad mewn darllen a rhifedd, gan ddefnyddio data ar lefel genedlaethol, asesiadau personol, ynghyd â'ch datganiad ysgrifenedig cysylltiedig. Heb os, roedd y canlyniadau hyn, ar y cyfan, yn siomedig ac yn bryderus, yn arbennig o ran bod cyrhaeddiad cyfartalog disgyblion mewn rhifedd yng Nghymru yn bedwar mis yn is nag yn 2018-19, ac, o ran darllen yn Saesneg, pedwar mis yn is nag yn 2018-19. Roedd y dirywiad mwyaf gyda darllen yn y Gymraeg, a ddangosodd ostyngiad o 11 mis mewn cyrhaeddiad cyfartalog, o'i gymharu â 2018-19. Gaf i ofyn yn benodol, felly, Weinidog, pa waith sy'n mynd rhagddo i ddeall pam ein bod ni'n gweld gwahaniaeth mor fawr rhwng y canlyniadau yn y Saesneg a'r Gymraeg—dwi'n derbyn bod peth o'r atebion, efallai, o ran COVID—ond yn benodol hefyd o ran cefnogi cynnydd y dysgwyr hyn, a rhoi sicrwydd i rieni fel nad ydym yn eu colli o addysg Gymraeg, sydd efallai'n bryderus o weld cymaint o wahaniaeth rhwng y Gymraeg a'r Saesneg?
Thank you, Llywydd. Last week saw the publication of the statistical report on patterns in reading and numeracy attainment, using national data as well as personal assessment, along with, of course, your related written statement. Without doubt, these results were generally disappointing and worrying, particularly given that average pupil attainment in numeracy in Wales was four months behind what it was in 2018-19, and, in terms of English reading, was four months behind what it was in 2018-19. The greatest decline was in Welsh reading, which showed that pupils were 11 months behind in average attainment as compared to 2018-19. Can I ask you specifically, therefore, Minister, what work is being done to understand why we are seeing such a great discrepancy between the results in English and in Welsh—I accept that some of this may relate to COVID—and, specifically, to support the progress and attainment of these pupils, and to give parents assurance so that we don’t lose them from Welsh-medium education, which is a concern given the difference between the languages?
Ydy, mae hi'n bryderus, ac mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n cyhoeddi'r ffigurau yma ac yn gallu cael y math o drafodaeth rŷn ni'n ei chael heddiw, ac i wneud hynny mewn ffordd dryloyw. Felly, mae hynny dwi'n credu yn gam ymlaen. Mae'r Aelod yn iawn i ddweud bod gwahaniaeth yn y ffigurau rhwng y ddau. Mae rhai o'r effeithiau yn rhai cyffredin, yn sgil COVID, ac rŷn ni hefyd yn gwybod, ar gyfer dysgwyr o aelwydydd lle nad yw'r Gymraeg yn cael ei siarad, bod yr effaith ar eu gafael ar y Gymraeg o beidio â bod yn yr ysgol yn debygol o fod yn fwy andwyol oherwydd hynny. Felly, dyna'r rhagdybiaeth, os hoffwch chi. Ond mae gwaith yn mynd rhagddo nawr, yn sgil cyhoeddi'r ffigurau hynny, i edrych o dan y data, i weld pa wersi y gallwn ni eu dysgu o hynny. Fel y bydd yr Aelod yn ei wybod, dwi wedi datgan heddiw ddiweddariad i'n cynllun darllen a llythrennedd ni, a hefyd cynllun newydd ar gyfer rhifedd. Mae her yn y ddau faes, ac mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n cydnabod beth sydd wedi digwydd yn sgil COVID ac yn ymateb i hynny'n rhagweithiol.
Yes, it is a concern, and it’s important that we do publish these figures and that we can have this kind of discussion that we’re having today, and to do that in a transparent way. So, that is a step forward, I think. The Member is right to say that there is a difference in the figures between the two things. Some of the impacts are common, in terms of COVID, and we also know, as regards learners from households where Welsh is not spoken, the impact on their grasp of the Welsh language of not being in school is likely to be more detrimental as a result. So, that’s the assumption, if you like. But there is work ongoing, following the publication of the figures, to look under the bonnet of the data, to see what lessons we can learn from that. As the Member knows, I’ve provided an update to our numeracy and literacy programme, and announced a new programme on numeracy. There are challenges in both areas, but it is important that we do recognise what has happened in the wake of COVID and that we react positively.
Diolch. Un o'r pryderon, efallai, ydy pa negeseuon sy'n mynd i'r rhieni, er mwyn rhoi'r sicrwydd iddyn nhw na fydd eu plant nhw'n dioddef drwy barhau o fewn y cyfrwng Cymraeg.
Os caf i droi wedyn at adroddiad arall a ddaeth allan yn ddiweddar, sef yr un gan Gomisiynydd y Gymraeg ynglŷn ag addysg ôl-orfodol a'r Gymraeg, mi fyddwch chi'n gweld bod yna wahaniaethau mawr rhwng y rheini sydd ôl-16 mewn ysgol a'r rheini mewn coleg, ac mae hynny er gwaethaf gwaith gwych y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol yn hyn o beth. Felly, gaf i ofyn yn benodol, o weld bod yna gymaint o wahaniaeth, a bod yna rai cynghorau sir hefyd wedi newid i fodel o fod yn annog cau chweched dosbarth a symud fwy i fodel o gael y dysgwyr mewn coleg, ac o weld yr effaith y mae hyn yn ei gael wedyn o ran y nifer sy'n astudio drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg ôl-16, pa gamau pellach sy'n cael eu cymryd a chefnogaeth i'r coleg Cymraeg fynd ymhellach efo'r gwaith hwn?
Thank you. One of the concerns, maybe, is the messages conveyed to parents, to give them an assurance that their children aren’t going to suffer by remaining within the Welsh-medium sector.
If I could turn then to another report that was recently published, namely the one by the Welsh Language Commissioner on post-compulsory education and the Welsh language, you will see that there are major differences between those in the post-16 sector in schools and those in colleges, and that’s despite the excellent work of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol in this regard. So, can I ask you specifically, given that there is such a difference, and that there are some councils that have changed to a model of encouraging the closure of sixth forms and moving more towards having their learners in college, and having seen the impact this can have in terms of those studying through the medium of Welsh in the post-16 sector, what further steps are being taken and what support is being provided to the coleg Cymraeg to take this work further?
Mae hwnna'n gwestiwn pwysig iawn, ac mae hi wir yn bwysig, dwi'n credu, i sicrhau nid jest bod cynnig hafal, os hoffwch chi, rhwng y chweched dosbarth a choleg ôl-16, ond hefyd o ran ffyniant y Gymraeg yn yr economi leol. Mae lot o bobl yn mynd i'r coleg addysg bellach, efallai, a fydd yn gweithio yn yr economi leol, ac mae sicrhau bod cyfleoedd gyda nhw i ddysgu yn y Gymraeg a bod yn weithwyr drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg—. Mae'n bwysig iawn ein bod ni'n llwyddo i wneud hynny.
Mae gwaith da yn digwydd mewn colegau ar draws Cymru. Roeddwn i yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol eleni yn siarad â choleg Llandrillo Menai—mae pethau arloesol y maen nhw wedi bod yn eu gwneud, a dweud y gwir, i annog pobl ifanc i gymryd cyrsiau drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg yn eu coleg nhw, ac mae cyfleoedd i ni ddysgu, dwi'n credu, o'r arfer da sydd yn digwydd, a sicrhau bod hynny'n cael ei ledaenu ar draws ein colegau ni i gyd.
Beth byddwn i yn dweud yw fy mod i'n gweld bod pobl yn derbyn bod hyn yn her a bod angen gwella'r ddarpariaeth. Mae heriau o ran y gweithlu, ac rŷn ni'n ceisio mynd i'r afael â hynny yn ein cynllun recriwtio cyfrwng Cymraeg dros y ddegawd nesaf. Mae'r gwaith mae'r coleg Cymraeg yn ei wneud yn bwysig, ac mae'r gyllideb wedi cynyddu iddyn nhw allu ehangu'r ddarpariaeth, ac mae nhw wedi gwneud hynny mewn ffordd sydd yn galonogol iawn. Mae mwy, wrth gwrs, i'w wneud.
Bydd yr Aelod hefyd yn gwybod bod un o'r cyfleoedd pwysig ar y gorwel yn dod i law yn y flwyddyn newydd, hynny yw gyda sefydlu'r comisiwn newydd, a rôl benodol y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, fel dwi nawr wedi dynodi, i roi cyngor penodol i'r comisiwn am hyn—sut allwn ni gael cydweithio gwell rhwng ysgolion, chweched dosbarth a'r colegau addysg bellach, fel ein bod ni'n gallu cynyddu'r ddarpariaeth honno, a'i wneud yn fwy cyson ac yn fwy hafal ym mhob rhan o Gymru.
That’s a very important question, and it's really important, I think, to ensure not only that there is an equal offer between sixth forms and colleges, but also in terms of the prosperity of the Welsh language in the local economy. Many people going to the local FE college, maybe, will be working locally, and ensuring that they’ll have opportunities to learn through the medium of Welsh and to work through the medium of Welsh—. It will be very important that we succeed in doing that.
There is good work happening in colleges across Wales. I was in the National Eisteddfod this year talking to Llandrillo Menai college about the innovative things that they’ve been doing to encourage Welsh-language courses in their colleges, and there are opportunities for them to learn from the good practice that's happening, and ensuring that that's disseminated across our colleges.
What I would say is that I do see that people accept that this is a challenge and that we need to improve provision. There are challenges in terms of the workforce, of course, and we're trying to tackle that in our Welsh-medium recruitment plan over the next 10 years. The work that the coleg Cymraeg is doing is important, and the budget has increased for them to be able to expand that provision, and they have done that in a way that is very encouraging. There is more to be done, of course.
The Member will know that one of the most important opportunities on the horizon will come in the new year, with the establishment of the new commission, and the specific role of the coleg Cymraeg of being designated to provide specific advice to the commission about this—on how we can have better collaboration between schools and sixth forms, and further education colleges, so that we can increase that provision, and make it more consistent and have greater equity across Wales.
3. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod ysgolion yn addysgu dysgwyr am hanes lleol? OQ60326
3. What action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that schools teach learners about local history? OQ60326
9. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn hyrwyddo addysgu hanes lleol mewn ysgolion cynradd? OQ60314
9. How is the Welsh Government promoting the teaching of local history in primary schools? OQ60314
Llywydd, I understand you've given permission for question 3 and question 9 to be grouped.
Everyone should learn about, and critically engage with, the history of their local area and of our country. That is why, within the Curriculum for Wales, it is mandatory for schools to teach the history of their locality and of Wales.
Lywydd, deallaf eich bod wedi rhoi caniatâd i gwestiwn 3 a chwestiwn 9 gael eu grwpio.
Dylai pawb ddysgu am hanes eu hardal leol a'n gwlad ac ymgysylltu'n feirniadol â'r hanes hwnnw. Dyna pam, yn y Cwricwlwm i Gymru, y mae'n orfodol i ysgolion ddysgu hanes eu hardal leol a Chymru.
I'm very, very pleased to hear that that requirement is in the new curriculum. One aspect of local history that is often overlooked, and was the topic of discussion at a recent cross-party group meeting on the armed forces and cadets, is our local military history. I appreciate there are many interpretations of that, but local heroes in our communities, and their stories, can really help to enthuse our young people and engage them in history in a way that nothing else can.
Even as an adult, I enjoy visiting local churchyards, looking at local gravestones, and visiting local memorials. I was struck just this week to hear about William Donaghy of Towyn near Abergele. He saw active service in north Africa and in Italy during world war two, and was awarded with a distinguished conduct medal for his service and leadership when he was severely injured in the Salerno landings in Italy, having served in north Africa with the Desert Rats.
So, there are fascinating local people, and I think that this is a really effective way to engage our young people with the whole world of history and the treasure of history on their doorsteps. So, what, specifically, is the Welsh Government doing in particular to promote engagement with our military history in our communities, especially with all those names, all those memorials, and the names on the memorials across the nation?
Rwy'n falch iawn o glywed bod y gofyniad hwnnw yn y cwricwlwm newydd. Un agwedd ar hanes lleol sy'n aml yn cael ei hanwybyddu, a rhywbeth a oedd yn destun trafodaeth mewn cyfarfod diweddar o'r grŵp trawsbleidiol ar y lluoedd arfog a'r cadetiaid, yw ein hanes milwrol lleol. Rwy'n derbyn bod llawer o ddehongliadau o hynny, ond gall arwyr lleol yn ein cymunedau, a'u straeon, helpu i ennyn brwdfrydedd ein pobl ifanc ac ennyn eu diddordeb mewn hanes mewn ffordd na all unrhyw beth arall ei wneud.
Hyd yn oed fel oedolyn, rwy'n mwynhau ymweld â mynwentydd lleol, edrych ar gerrig beddi lleol, ac ymweld â chofebion lleol. Cefais fy nharo yr wythnos hon pan glywais am William Donaghy o Dowyn ger Abergele. Gwelodd frwydro yng ngogledd Affrica ac yn yr Eidal yn ystod yr ail ryfel byd, a dyfarnwyd medal ymddygiad rhagorol iddo am ei wasanaeth a'i arweiniad pan gafodd ei anafu'n ddifrifol yn ystod glaniadau Salerno yn yr Eidal, ar ôl gwasanaethu yng ngogledd Affrica gyda'r Desert Rats.
Felly, mae yna bobl leol hynod ddiddorol, ac rwy'n credu bod hon yn ffordd effeithiol iawn o ennyn diddordeb ein pobl ifanc mewn hanes yn gyffredinol a thrysorau hanes ar garreg eu drws. Felly, beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud yn benodol i hyrwyddo ymgysylltiad â'n hanes milwrol yn ein cymunedau, yn enwedig gyda'r holl enwau hynny, yr holl gofebion hynny, a'r enwau ar y cofebion ledled y wlad?
I think the Member makes an important point. I think that the description that he has given can be an important part of that sense of cynefin, which is one of the founding concepts of the curriculum—that sense of belonging to the history, but also to understand the world through the experiences of figures, including those with military experience, in one's local community. In my own constituency a few weeks ago—the First Minister attended as well—there was a service to commemorate a soldier who'd been shot for desertion and had been pardoned subsequently. And I was very pleased to see lots of young people there to mark the occasion as well.
I think the example that he gives is one of many, many ways in which schools will want to reflect on local figures, both from history and from the current time. It is about history, but it's about more than that, isn't it? It's about local contexts more broadly—geography, religion, values and so on—and I think that is one of the richnesses of our curriculum. Teachers, I'm sure, in his constituency, as in mine, and elsewhere, will be looking for those opportunities to be able to enrich the learning of our young people.
Credaf fod yr Aelod yn gwneud pwynt pwysig. Rwy'n credu y gall y disgrifiad y mae wedi'i roi fod yn rhan bwysig o'r ymdeimlad o gynefin, sy'n un o gysyniadau sylfaenol y cwricwlwm—yr ymdeimlad o berthyn i'r hanes, ond hefyd i ddeall y byd drwy brofiadau ffigurau, gan gynnwys pobl sydd â phrofiad milwrol, yn ein cymunedau lleol. Yn fy etholaeth i, ychydig wythnosau yn ôl—fe fynychodd y Prif Weinidog hefyd—cynhaliwyd gwasanaeth i goffáu milwr a oedd wedi cael ei saethu am encilio ac a oedd wedi cael maddeuant yn sgil hynny. Ac roeddwn yn falch iawn o weld llawer o bobl ifanc yno i nodi'r achlysur hefyd.
Rwy'n credu bod yr enghraifft y mae'n ei rhoi yn un o sawl ffordd y bydd ysgolion eisiau myfyrio ar ffigurau lleol, o hanes ac o'r cyfnod presennol. Mae'n ymwneud â hanes, ond mae'n ymwneud â mwy na hynny, onid yw? Mae'n ymwneud â chyd-destunau lleol yn ehangach—daearyddiaeth, crefydd, gwerthoedd ac yn y blaen—a chredaf fod hynny'n rhan o gyfoeth ein cwricwlwm. Bydd athrawon yn ei etholaeth ef, fel yn fy etholaeth i, ac mewn mannau eraill, rwy'n siŵr, yn chwilio am y cyfleoedd hynny i allu cyfoethogi dysgu ein pobl ifanc.
Jack Sargeant.
Jack Sargeant.
Diolch, Llywydd. I'm grateful to you for grouping question 3 and my question 9, and I support the comments of Darren Millar with regard to the teaching of local military history, as someone who sits on the cross-party group for the armed forces as well. After all, it's local history that engages children in a way that little else does. I recently visited Ysgol Tŷ Ffynnon in Shotton and saw the work that pupils did on a local history project there. These children live in a community steeped in the history of industry. They created a timeline—a local timeline and a national timeline. It included going from Owain Glyndŵr, right to Nye Bevan and the impact of the NHS, through to Shotton steelworks, right on our doorstep. The modern section of the timeline included the creation of this very Senedd. It also included the building of Ysgol Tŷ Ffynnon itself, a new state-of-the-art school, funded by Welsh Labour’s twenty-first century schools programme. Minister, will you join me in congratulating the students and the staff at Ysgol Tŷ Ffynnon for their work, and will you encourage other schools across our nation to do the same to learn more about their local history?
Diolch, Lywydd. Rwy'n ddiolchgar i chi am grwpio fy nghwestiwn i, cwestiwn 9, â chwestiwn 3, ac rwy'n cefnogi sylwadau Darren Millar ynghylch addysgu hanes milwrol lleol, fel rhywun sydd hefyd yn rhan o'r grŵp trawsbleidiol ar y lluoedd arfog a'r cadetiaid. Wedi'r cyfan, mae hanes lleol yn ennyn diddordeb plant mewn ffordd nad oes fawr ddim arall yn ei wneud. Yn ddiweddar, ymwelais ag Ysgol Tŷ Ffynnon yn Shotton a gwelais y gwaith y mae disgyblion wedi'i wneud fel rhan o brosiect hanes lleol yno. Mae'r plant hyn yn byw mewn cymuned sy'n llawn o hanes diwydiant. Fe wnaethant greu llinell amser—llinell amser leol a llinell amser genedlaethol. Roedd yn mynd o Owain Glyndŵr, i Nye Bevan ac effaith y GIG, i waith dur Shotton, ar garreg ein drws. Roedd rhan fodern y llinell amser yn cynnwys creu'r Senedd hon. Roedd hefyd yn cynnwys adeiladu Ysgol Tŷ Ffynnon ei hun, ysgol newydd o'r radd flaenaf, a ariannwyd gan raglen ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain Llafur Cymru. Weinidog, a wnewch chi ymuno â mi i longyfarch y disgyblion a'r staff yn Ysgol Tŷ Ffynnon am eu gwaith, ac a wnewch chi annog ysgolion eraill drwy ein gwlad i wneud yr un peth i ddysgu mwy am eu hanes lleol?
I absolutely will. I thank Jack Sargeant for highlighting the fantastic work that Tŷ Ffynnon primary school is doing. It’s a reminder, isn’t it, that our history in Wales is a history both of princes and also of radicals, and that richness and the fullness of it is what we want our young people to learn about. I think it’s great also to hear how they’re making use of sustainable communities for learning funding, to use the school space for this purpose. I reflect, if I may, that one of the challenges that we have in schools at the moment is how we can re-engage some of our learners who may be feeling anxious, who may be feeling uncertain about being back in school. And the one thing I think we can probably all agree on is that that sense of belonging, that you have a community and a history that you belong to, is a really important part of being on that journey, and I think the kind of example that he’s given today is a really powerful illustration of that.
Gwnaf, yn sicr. Diolch i Jack Sargeant am dynnu sylw at y gwaith gwych y mae ysgol gynradd Tŷ Ffynnon yn ei wneud. Mae'n ein hatgoffa, onid yw, fod ein hanes yng Nghymru yn cynnwys tywysogion a radicaliaid hefyd, ac rydym eisiau i'n pobl ifanc ddysgu am gyfoeth a llawnder yr hanes hwnnw. Rwy'n credu hefyd ei bod yn wych clywed sut maent yn defnyddio cyllid cymunedau dysgu cynaliadwy, i ddefnyddio gofod yr ysgol at y diben hwn. Rwy'n credu mai un o'r heriau sydd gennym mewn ysgolion ar hyn o bryd yw sut y gallwn ail-ymgysylltu â rhai o'n dysgwyr a allai fod yn teimlo'n bryderus, a allai fod yn teimlo'n ansicr ynglŷn â bod yn ôl yn yr ysgol. A'r un peth y credaf y gallwn i gyd gytuno arno mae'n debyg yw bod yr ymdeimlad o berthyn, fod gennych gymuned a hanes rydych chi'n perthyn iddynt, yn rhan bwysig iawn o fod ar y daith honno, a chredaf fod y math o esiampl y mae wedi'i rhoi heddiw yn adlewyrchiad pwerus iawn o hynny.
I very much agree that young people in our schools relate very strongly to their local history, which they can see all around them, and it’s a very good learning and teaching tool. Would you agree with me, Minister, that it’s also important in delivering this local history aspect in our schools that schools link with outside organisations like the local history societies? Locally here in Gwent, a working group of Gwent Archives is able to provide materials and resources, and, in Newport, there’s a very vibrant group that takes forward our celebrations of our amazing Chartist history. These external groups, I think, can really add something to the teaching of local history.
Rwy'n cytuno'n gryf fod pobl ifanc yn ein hysgolion yn ymgysylltu'n gadarn iawn â'u hanes lleol, y gallant ei weld o'u cwmpas, ac mae'n offeryn dysgu ac addysgu da iawn. A fyddech chi'n cytuno â mi, Weinidog, ei bod hi hefyd yn bwysig, wrth gyflwyno'r hanes lleol hwn yn ein hysgolion, fod ysgolion yn cysylltu â sefydliadau allanol fel y cymdeithasau hanes lleol? Yn lleol yma yng Ngwent, mae gweithgor o Archifau Gwent yn gallu darparu deunyddiau ac adnoddau, ac yng Nghasnewydd, mae yna grŵp bywiog iawn sy'n bwrw ymlaen â'n dathliadau o hanes rhyfeddol y Siartwyr. Rwy'n credu y gall y grwpiau allanol hyn ychwanegu rhywbeth at addysgu hanes lleol.
Yes, I absolutely would endorse that. In the discussions that I have from time to time with the third sector in relation to their contribution to our school curriculum, one of the discussions that we have is how we can facilitate those connections between schools and teachers who are busy working on and designing school curricula and the work of external bodies in our civic communities. Actually, if we follow the principles of the curriculum and allow that element of co-design, I think there’s a very significant opportunity for schools, who are in a constant process of creativity, recreation and redesign in relation to the curriculum, and having that external source of inspiration and a partner to support that work, I’m sure, would be very valued by schools.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr. Yn y trafodaethau a gaf o bryd i'w gilydd gyda'r trydydd sector mewn perthynas â'u cyfraniad i'n cwricwlwm ysgolion, un o'r trafodaethau a gawn yw sut y gallwn hwyluso'r cysylltiadau rhwng ysgolion ac athrawon sy'n brysur yn llunio ac yn gweithio ar gwricwla ysgolion a gwaith cyrff allanol yn ein cymunedau. A dweud y gwir, os ydym yn dilyn egwyddorion y cwricwlwm ac yn caniatáu'r elfen o gydgynllunio, rwy'n credu bod cyfle sylweddol iawn i ysgolion, sydd mewn proses gyson o greadigrwydd, ail-greu ac ailgynllunio mewn perthynas â'r cwricwlwm, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddai ysgolion yn gwerthfawrogi cael y ffynhonnell allanol honno o ysbrydoliaeth a phartner i gefnogi'r gwaith hwnnw.
4. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn annog ysgolion i weithio gyda chyflogwyr fel bod dysgwyr yn cael gwybod mwy am gyfleoedd posibl ym myd gwaith yn y dyfodol? OQ60334
4. How does the Welsh Government encourage schools to work with employers so that learners are better informed about potential future opportunities in the world of work? OQ60334
Building strong and successful relationships between employers, colleges and schools to support learners in their next steps is essential to improving their job prospects and to help them understand the values that local employers have, and we have a number of initiatives in Wales to support this. And I thank the Member for the work that he has done to set out how we can build on this.
Mae meithrin cysylltiadau cryf a llwyddiannus rhwng cyflogwyr, colegau ac ysgolion i gefnogi dysgwyr gyda'u camau nesaf yn hanfodol i wella eu rhagolygon swydd ac i'w helpu i ddeall y gwerthoedd sydd gan gyflogwyr lleol, ac mae gennym nifer o gynlluniau yng Nghymru i gefnogi hyn. A diolch i'r Aelod am y gwaith y mae wedi'i wneud ar nodi sut y gallwn adeiladu ar hyn.
And in that work that he refers to, I said that the
‘Welsh Government should ensure that further education institutions, employers and other relevant stakeholders have appropriate access to learners throughout their school career,’
from primary onwards, but ‘particularly at age 11-16.’ The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the Federation of Small Businesses have recently produced a new report that echoes that, in which they say that, in terms of the policy agenda, the Welsh Government and the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research should build on that, with
‘its themes on transitions to world of work and a commitment to work-related learning, alongside a wider strategy to prime growth in SMEs to open new opportunities.’
Of course, small businesses find it very difficult to engage with the education environment, and perhaps find it more difficult than larger firms. So, how is the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research making progress on those recommendations, and what further can be done to ensure that we get there?
Ac yn y gwaith y mae'n cyfeirio ato, dywedais
'Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru sicrhau bod sefydliadau addysg bellach, cyflogwyr a rhanddeiliaid perthnasol eraill yn cael mynediad priodol at ddysgwyr drwy gydol eu gyrfa ysgol,'
o'r ysgol gynradd ymlaen, ond 'yn enwedig pan yn 11-16 oed.' Mae'r Sefydliad Siartredig Personél a Datblygu a'r Ffederasiwn y Busnesau Bach wedi cynhyrchu adroddiad newydd yn ddiweddar sy'n adleisio hynny, lle maent yn dweud, mewn perthynas â'r agenda bolisi, y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru a'r Comisiwn Addysg Drydyddol ac Ymchwil adeiladu ar hynny, gyda'i
'themâu ar bontio i fyd gwaith ac ymrwymiad i ddysgu sy'n gysylltiedig â gwaith, ochr yn ochr â strategaeth ehangach i baratoi twf mewn busnesau bach a chanolig i agor cyfleoedd newydd.'
Wrth gwrs, mae busnesau bach yn ei chael hi'n anodd iawn ymgysylltu â'r amgylchedd addysg, ac efallai eu bod yn ei chael hi'n anos na chwmnïau mwy o faint. Felly, sut mae'r Comisiwn Addysg Drydyddol ac Ymchwil yn gwneud cynnydd ar yr argymhellion hynny, a beth arall y gellir ei wneud i sicrhau ein bod yn cyflawni hyn?
Well, just to echo the point that the Member makes, I had the opportunity of being able to speak at the launch of the report that he refers to, and it's a report that certainly Members should read. I thought that it had some very salutary recommendations and some insights that we could all reflect on. I think there are some practical things that we have undertaken as a Government, following the report that Hefin David himself provided to us. So, following the pilot of the tailored work experience project last year, we've increased the funding to Careers Wales to support year 10 and year 11 learners, those who have struggled to re-engage with their education after the pandemic. We've also commissioned work to be completed on a set of work placement guidance for employers and schools, to support exactly the kind of links that Hefin David was referring to in his question. And we've also commissioned a review of teacher-employer encounters at a secondary school level, actually, which aims to understand what is currently happening in terms of those placements between teachers and employment settings and to try and pilot potential models for delivery for the future. There are two pilots being taken forward in Swansea and Anglesey at the moment. And when I read the review of the teacher-employer encounters, I was heartened to see that, alongside placements with, as one might expect, some of the larger employers, there were also examples of working with smaller employers as well. And I absolutely agree with him that, in an economy as we have, where small and medium-sized enterprises play such a large part, it is absolutely essential that we make the connections between the work placements they can provide and schools as well, both at a primary and secondary level.
Wel, er mwyn adleisio'r pwynt y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud, cefais gyfle i siarad yn lansiad yr adroddiad y mae'n cyfeirio ato, ac mae'n adroddiad y dylai'r Aelodau ei ddarllen yn sicr. Roeddwn yn credu bod ynddo rai argymhellion buddiol iawn a rhai syniadau y gallem i gyd fyfyrio arnynt. Rwy'n credu bod yna rai pethau ymarferol a wnaethom fel Llywodraeth, yn dilyn yr adroddiad a roddodd Hefin David ei hun i ni. Felly, yn dilyn cynllun peilot y prosiect profiad gwaith wedi'i deilwra y llynedd, rydym wedi cynyddu'r cyllid i Gyrfa Cymru i gefnogi dysgwyr ym mlwyddyn 10 a blwyddyn 11 sydd wedi cael trafferth i ail-ymgysylltu â'u haddysg ar ôl y pandemig. Rydym hefyd wedi comisiynu gwaith ar gyfres o ganllawiau lleoliad gwaith ar gyfer cyflogwyr ac ysgolion, i gefnogi'r math o gysylltiadau yr oedd Hefin David yn cyfeirio atynt yn ei gwestiwn. Ac rydym hefyd wedi comisiynu adolygiad o ymwneud athrawon a chyflogwyr ar lefel ysgol uwchradd i geisio deall beth sy'n digwydd ar hyn o bryd, gyda'r lleoliadau hynny, rhwng athrawon a lleoliadau cyflogaeth a cheisio treialu modelau cyflawni posibl ar gyfer y dyfodol. Mae dau gynllun peilot yn mynd rhagddynt yn Abertawe ac Ynys Môn ar hyn o bryd. A phan ddarllenais yr adolygiad o'r ymwneud rhwng athrawon a chyflogwr, ynghyd â lleoliadau gyda rhai o'r cyflogwyr mwy o faint, fel y byddai rhywun yn ei ddisgwyl, cefais fy nghalonogi o weld fod yna enghreifftiau o weithio gyda chyflogwyr llai hefyd. Ac rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr ag ef, mewn economi fel ein heconomi ni, lle mae mentrau bach a chanolig yn chwarae rhan mor fawr, mae'n gwbl hanfodol ein bod yn gwneud y cysylltiadau rhwng y lleoliadau gwaith y gallant eu darparu ac ysgolion hefyd, ar lefel gynradd ac uwchradd.
Minister, connecting schoolchildren with potential future employers is absolutely key, and it's something that I've been genuinely working very hard on across south-east Wales to achieve. With my tech hat on for five seconds or so, I was fortunate enough to visit Sony's south Wales hub recently to celebrate 50 years of Japanese business in Wales. Whilst there, I found out more about the company's educational programmes, which aim to inspire the next generation and showcase career pathways. Since 2012, Minister, they have welcomed more than 25,000 students to their UK technology centre, just to start their journey in the industry. The programmes give pupils a chance to experience a manufacturing environment and learn specific skills, including coding. It's a truly remarkable scheme, Minister, and I was particularly pleased to discover Sony's educational programme to get more girls into STEM, which is thriving. Minister, I've been spreading the message about these free sessions with schools across my region of South Wales East, but pupils up and down Wales should have access to this sort of thing as well. So, Minister, will you join me in praising Sony's scheme and also commit to helping raise awareness of it within schools in all four corners of Wales?
Weinidog, mae cysylltu plant ysgol â chyflogwyr posibl yn y dyfodol yn gwbl allweddol, ac mae'n rhywbeth y bûm yn gweithio'n galed i'w gyflawni ledled de-ddwyrain Cymru. Gan wisgo fy het dechnoleg am ryw bum eiliad, roeddwn i'n ddigon ffodus i ymweld â chanolfan Sony yn ne Cymru yn ddiweddar i ddathlu 50 mlynedd o fusnes Japaneaidd yng Nghymru. Tra oeddwn yno, cefais wybod mwy am raglenni addysgol y cwmni, sy'n ceisio ysbrydoli'r genhedlaeth nesaf ac arddangos llwybrau gyrfa. Ers 2012, Weinidog, rydym wedi croesawu mwy na 25,000 o ddisgyblion i'w canolfan dechnoleg yn y DU, i ddechrau eu taith yn y diwydiant. Mae'r rhaglenni'n rhoi cyfle i ddisgyblion brofi amgylchedd gweithgynhyrchu a dysgu sgiliau penodol, gan gynnwys codio. Mae'n gynllun gwirioneddol ryfeddol, Weinidog, ac roeddwn yn arbennig o falch o ddarganfod rhaglen addysgol Sony i geisio denu mwy o ferched i feysydd STEM, ac mae honno'n rhaglen sy'n ffynnu. Weinidog, rwyf wedi bod yn lledaenu'r neges am y sesiynau rhad ac am ddim hyn gydag ysgolion ledled Dwyrain De Cymru, ond dylai disgyblion ledled Cymru gael mynediad at y math hwn o beth hefyd. Felly, Weinidog, a wnewch chi ymuno â mi i ganmol cynllun Sony ac ymrwymo i helpu i godi ymwybyddiaeth ohono mewn ysgolion ym mhob cwr o Gymru?
That scheme sounds like a very interesting development, and I'd like to find out more about it. So, if she'd care to share some of that information with me, I'd be grateful.
Mae'r cynllun hwnnw'n swnio fel datblygiad diddorol iawn, a hoffwn ddarganfod mwy amdano. Felly, hoffwn pe gall rannu peth o'r wybodaeth honno gyda mi.
5. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn lliniaru cost y diwrnod ysgol i deuluoedd ar draws gogledd Cymru? OQ60343
5. How is the Welsh Government alleviating the cost of the school day for families across north Wales? OQ60343
Ymhlith pethau eraill, mae ein grant hanfodion ysgol wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth sylweddol i lawer o deuluoedd incwm is ledled Cymru, gan helpu i leihau'r pryder ynghylch prynu gwisg a chyfarpar ysgol, er enghraifft. Mae cyllid o £2.5 miliwn wedi'i ddarparu i deuluoedd yn y gogledd yn 2023-24.
Among other things, our schools essential grant has made a significant difference to many low-income families across Wales, helping to reduce the worries surrounding the purchase of school uniform and equipment, for example. Funding of £2.5 million has been made available for families in north Wales in 2023-24.
Dyw teuluoedd, wrth gwrs, sy'n byw mwy na 2 filltir o ysgol gynradd neu fwy na 3 milltir o ysgol uwchradd ddim yn cael mynediad i drafnidiaeth ysgol. Nawr, mae hynny yn gadael rhai o'r teuluoedd tlotaf, efallai, sydd heb gar ond sydd efallai yn byw bron i 2 neu bron i 3 milltir i ffwrdd o'r ysgol, yn ddibynnol ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, ac mae hynny'n dod â chost. Felly, y sefyllfa sydd gennym ni yw bod y llai abl i fforddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn gorfod talu am hynny er mwyn cael eu plant i'r ysgol. Nawr, yn ôl Arriva Bus, mae tocyn tymor i blentyn yn £125, sydd yn gost enfawr, wrth gwrs, os ŷch chi'n byw ar y dibyn ariannol yna, a hynny ar gyfer bob plentyn, bob tymor. Ydych chi'n meddwl bod hynny'n deg, Gweinidog? Ac os nad ŷch chi, a ydych chi'n barod i ystyried edrych ar hynny?
Families living more than 2 miles from a primary school or more than 3 miles from a secondary school can't access school transport. Now, that does leave some of the poorest families, perhaps, who don't have a car but live almost 2 miles or almost 3 miles away from school, reliant on public transport, and that comes at a cost. So, the situation we have is that the less able to afford public transport are having to pay for that in order to get their children to school. According to Arriva Bus, a season ticket for a child is £125, which is a huge cost if you're on the financial precipice, and that's for every child, every term. Do you think that's fair, Minister? And if you don't, are you willing to consider looking at the issue?
Wel, mae'r Aelod yn gwybod bod gwaith eisoes yn digwydd i edrych ar y trefniadau ar gyfer trafnidiaeth i'r ysgol. Mae adolygiad wedi digwydd o'r Mesur eisoes, ac rwy'n cyfarfod â'r Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd yn y dyddiau nesaf i drafod canlyniadau'r adolygiad hynny. Beth fydd yn heriol yw mynd i'r afael â rhai o'r newidiadau sy'n golygu newid y gyfraith, ond mae cyfle gyda ni i edrych ar ystod o bethau y gallem ni wneud yng nghyd-destun canllawiau statudol, er enghraifft, i gryfhau'r disgwyliadau ac i ddysgu o rai o'r arferion da sy'n digwydd mewn rhai mannau yng Nghymru. Felly, byddwn ni'n gallu gwneud datganiad maes o law ynglŷn â chanlyniadau'r drafodaeth honno.
Well, the Member knows that work is already going on to look at the arrangements for school transport. A review has happened of the Measure already, and I'm meeting with the Minister for Climate Change in the coming days to discuss the results of that review. What will be a challenge is tackling some of the changes that mean changing the law, but we do have an opportunity to look at a range of things that we could do in the context of statutory guidance, for example, to strengthen the expectations and to learn from some of the good practice that is happening in some places in Wales. So, we'll be able to make a statement in due course about the results of that discussion.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (David Rees) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (David Rees) took the Chair.
Yet again, as a result of this Plaid-Labour Welsh co-operation agreement, we see that all primary school children in Wales will now receive free school meals by 2024. The cost to the taxpayers of this is £40 million in 2022-23, £70 million on 2023-24, and £90 million in 2024-25. Now, there is no doubt that lower income families will be benefiting from this. However, there are parents who do not need this who can afford to contribute, and they want to contribute. At a time when school governing bodies are having to look for savings, it makes no sense at all that children of affluent parents who can afford to pay are not allowed to. Now, I meet and speak with my headteachers on a regular basis. They don't know whether they can afford staff from year to year and, in fact, some are having to lay off staff. So, will you at some stage, Minister, look at this universal free meals policy with the aim of establishing if it can be amended, so that those who can afford to pay, do so? And, more importantly, will you look at whether that's the best use of taxpayers' money in terms of prudence?
Unwaith eto, o ganlyniad i'r cytundeb cydweithio rhwng y Blaid Lafur a Phlaid Cymru, gwelwn y bydd pob plentyn ysgol gynradd yng Nghymru bellach yn cael prydau ysgol am ddim erbyn 2024. Y gost i drethdalwyr am hyn yw £40 miliwn yn 2022-23, £70 miliwn yn 2023-24, a £90 miliwn yn 2024-25. Nawr, nid oes amheuaeth y bydd teuluoedd incwm is yn elwa o'r cynllun hwn. Fodd bynnag, mae yna rieni nad ydynt ei angen sy'n gallu fforddio cyfrannu, ac maent eisiau cyfrannu. Ar adeg pan fo cyrff llywodraethu ysgolion yn gorfod chwilio am arbedion, nid yw'n gwneud synnwyr o gwbl nad yw rhieni cefnog sy'n gallu fforddio talu am eu plant yn cael gwneud hynny. Nawr, rwy'n cyfarfod ac yn siarad gyda fy mhenaethiaid yn rheolaidd. Nid ydynt yn gwybod a allant fforddio staff o flwyddyn i flwyddyn, ac mewn gwirionedd, mae rhai'n gorfod diswyddo staff. Felly, ar ryw gam, Weinidog, a wnewch chi edrych ar y polisi prydau am ddim i bawb gyda'r nod o sefydlu a ellir ei ddiwygio, fel bod y rhai sy'n gallu fforddio talu yn gwneud hynny? Ac yn bwysicach fyth, a wnewch chi edrych i weld ai dyna'r defnydd gorau a mwyaf darbodus o arian trethdalwyr?
Well, let me reassure the Member that I have already looked at the scheme, and I think it is a scheme that delivers for families right across Wales, many of whom might not be eligible for free school meals but are still finding it very, very difficult, and many of those will be in her constituency.
Wel, gadewch i mi roi sicrwydd i'r Aelod fy mod i eisoes wedi edrych ar y cynllun, ac rwy'n credu ei fod yn gynllun sy'n darparu ar gyfer teuluoedd ledled Cymru, ac mae'n bosibl y bydd llawer ohonynt nad ydynt yn gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim ond maent yn dal i'w chael hi'n anodd iawn, a bydd llawer o'r rheini yn ei hetholaeth hi.
6. Pa asesiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud o gyfraddau presenoldeb mewn ysgolion uwchradd yn Islwyn? OQ60342
6. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of attendance rates in secondary schools in Islwyn? OQ60342
Attendance rates across all schools in Wales remain a concern. That's why I have established the attendance taskforce to set priorities and identify further tangible actions to drive improvements in attendance and re-engage our learners.
Mae cyfraddau presenoldeb ar draws pob ysgol yng Nghymru yn parhau i fod yn bryder. Dyna pam fy mod wedi sefydlu'r tasglu presenoldeb i osod blaenoriaethau a nodi camau pellach pendant i ysgogi gwelliannau mewn presenoldeb ac ail-ymgysylltu â'n dysgwyr.
Thank you, Minister. You've gone on record as stating that addressing school absenteeism is your No. 1 priority, and, as you've acknowledged, educational data suggest absence levels are higher than before the global pandemic hit Wales and the UK. So, I very much welcome the brave decision to redefine the terminology of 'persistent' to include pupils missing 10 per cent of school compared to 20 per cent, and to address the issues much earlier. There has been much debate around reform of the school year, branded school uniform costs and period dignity—the actual cost of school. But we know that the cost of living is undoubtedly affecting and impacting on our very poorest children the most, and potentially impacting on the actual attendance of our most vulnerable pupils. Minister, then, what update can you give us today on the setting up of the innovative national attendance taskforce, and can I urge you to continue to direct your officials to focus all energies on this key national priority?
Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. Cawsoch eich cofnodi'n dweud mai mynd i'r afael ag absenoldeb mewn ysgolion yw eich prif flaenoriaeth, ac fel rydych wedi ei gydnabod, mae data addysgol yn awgrymu bod lefelau absenoldeb yn uwch na chyn i'r pandemig byd-eang daro Cymru a'r DU. Felly, rwy'n croesawu'r penderfyniad dewr i ailddiffinio'r term 'cyson' i gynnwys disgyblion sy'n colli 10 y cant o'r ysgol o'i gymharu ag 20 y cant, ac i fynd i'r afael â'r problemau yn llawer cynharach. Mae llawer o drafod wedi bod mewn perthynas â diwygio'r flwyddyn ysgol, costau gwisg ysgol wedi'u brandio ac urddas mislif—gwir gost ysgol. Ond gwyddom fod costau byw, yn ddi-os, yn cael yr effaith fwyaf ar ein plant tlotaf, ac o bosibl yn effeithio ar bresenoldeb ein disgyblion mwyaf agored i niwed. Weinidog, pa wybodaeth newydd allwch chi ei rhoi i ni heddiw ar sefydlu'r tasglu presenoldeb cenedlaethol arloesol, ac a gaf fi eich annog i barhau i gyfarwyddo eich swyddogion i ganolbwyntio eu holl egni ar y flaenoriaeth genedlaethol allweddol hon?
Yes, I'm very happy to tell the Member that the first meeting of the national attendance taskforce is taking place on Monday of next week, and that will be an opportunity and a recognition, I think, that the range of partners around that table—all of whom in different ways have their own relationship with families, with children who are not at school—are able to learn from the practice that the others have, and that multi-agency way of working, I think, is really important. But what I will be wanting to hear from the taskforce is a deep understanding of some of the more complex reasons why young people aren't coming to school, because the situation has become worse since COVID, as she mentioned in her question, and that is for a range of complex reasons.
But, actually, I want this to be focused on action so that we can understand what is working well already in schools in Wales, and how we can spread that best practice and, crucially, what more we can do to make sure that this is a national priority for all of us. All the good things that we are doing in schools, all the reforms that we are bringing in to give every young person the best start in life in Wales, if young people aren't in school, they're not able to take advantage of those. So, it's crucial that we do everything we can to tackle this.
Rwy'n hapus iawn i ddweud wrth yr Aelod fod cyfarfod cyntaf y tasglu presenoldeb cenedlaethol yn cael ei gynnal ddydd Llun nesaf, a bydd hwnnw'n gyfle ac yn gydnabyddiaeth, rwy'n credu, fod yr ystod o bartneriaid o amgylch y bwrdd hwnnw—mae gan bob un ohonynt, mewn gwahanol ffyrdd, eu perthynas eu hunain â theuluoedd, gyda phlant nad ydynt yn yr ysgol—yn gallu dysgu o'r arferion sydd gan y lleill, ac mae'r ffordd amlasiantaethol honno o weithio yn bwysig iawn yn fy marn i. Ond yr hyn y byddaf eisiau ei glywed gan y tasglu yw dealltwriaeth ddofn o rai o'r rhesymau mwy cymhleth pam nad yw pobl ifanc yn dod i'r ysgol, oherwydd mae'r sefyllfa wedi gwaethygu ers COVID, fel y soniodd yn ei chwestiwn, a hynny am amrywiaeth o resymau cymhleth.
Ond mewn gwirionedd, rwyf eisiau i'r ffocws fod ar weithredu fel y gallwn ddeall yr hyn sydd eisoes yn gweithio'n dda mewn ysgolion yng Nghymru, a sut y gallwn ledaenu'r arferion gorau hynny, ac yn hollbwysig, beth arall y gallwn ei wneud i sicrhau bod hon yn flaenoriaeth genedlaethol i bob un ohonom. Er yr holl bethau da a wnawn mewn ysgolion, yr holl ddiwygiadau a gyflwynwn i roi'r dechrau gorau mewn bywyd i bob unigolyn ifanc yng Nghymru, os nad yw pobl ifanc yn yr ysgol, ni allant fanteisio ar y rheini. Felly, mae'n hanfodol ein bod yn gwneud popeth yn ein gallu i fynd i'r afael â hyn.
7. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod ysgolion yn bodloni anghenion cyfathrebu disgyblion anabl? OQ60313
7. What action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure that schools meet the communication needs of disabled pupils? OQ60313
The Welsh Government is taking action through our education reforms so that all learners, including those with communication needs, can access education that enables them to reach their potential. For disabled pupils with additional learning needs, the ALN system helps ensure their additional learning provision is properly planned and protected.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithredu drwy ein diwygiadau addysg fel bod pob dysgwr, gan gynnwys y rhai ag anghenion cyfathrebu, yn gallu cael mynediad at addysg sy'n eu galluogi i gyflawni eu potensial. Ar gyfer disgyblion anabl ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, mae'r system ADY yn helpu i sicrhau bod eu darpariaeth ddysgu ychwanegol yn cael ei chynllunio a'i diogelu'n briodol.
Thank you. Questioning you here in May, I asked you to respond to National Deaf Children's Society Cymru's warnings of a looming educational crisis for deaf children in Wales. In your response, you stated that you would reflect further on their report to see what more you could do. At October's cross-party group for deaf issues, NDCS Cymru highlighted the alarming inadequacies in specialist education support for deaf children. Wales faces a recruitment and retention crisis in relation to teachers of the deaf, with one in five having left the profession since 2011 and a further one in three due to retire over the next decade—an issue a Senedd petition currently collecting signatures highlights. The ALN code, which you referred to, states that deaf children and young people, alongside those who are blind or sight impaired,
'are more likely to have ALN by virtue of the fact the impairment is likely to prevent or hinder them from making use of educational or training facilities and is likely to call for ALP.'
How will you therefore respond to the statement by NDCS Cymru members, and this petition, that it is not the case on the ground, due to the falling numbers of teachers of the deaf alongside the other issues with the roll-out of the ALN reforms?
Diolch. Wrth eich holi chi yma ym mis Mai, gofynnais i chi ymateb i rybuddion y Gymdeithas Genedlaethol i Blant Byddar fod yna argyfwng addysgol ar y gorwel i blant byddar yng Nghymru. Yn eich ymateb, fe ddywedoch chi y byddech yn rhoi ystyriaeth bellach i'w hadroddiad i weld beth arall y gallech ei wneud. Yng nghyfarfod y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar faterion pobl fyddar ym mis Hydref, soniodd y Gymdeithas Genedlaethol i Blant Byddar am yr annigonolrwydd dychrynllyd mewn cymorth addysg arbenigol i blant byddar. Mae Cymru'n wynebu argyfwng recriwtio a chadw athrawon disgyblion byddar, gydag un o bob pump wedi gadael y proffesiwn ers 2011 a disgwylir y bydd un o bob tri arall yn ymddeol dros y degawd nesaf—mater y mae deiseb Seneddol, sy'n casglu llofnodion ar hyn o bryd, yn ei amlygu. Mae'r cod ADY, y cyfeirioch chi ato, yn nodi bod plant a phobl ifanc byddar, ynghyd â'r rhai sy'n ddall neu sydd ag amhariad ar eu golwg,
'yn fwy tebygol o fod ag ADY yn rhinwedd y ffaith bod y nam yn debygol o'u hatal neu eu rhwystro rhag defnyddio cyfleusterau addysgol neu hyfforddi ac mae'n debygol o alw am DDdY.'
Sut ydych chi'n ymateb i'r datganiad gan aelodau'r Gymdeithas Genedlaethol i Blant Byddar, felly, a'r ddeiseb hon, nad yw'n wir ar lawr gwlad, oherwydd y gostyngiad yn niferoedd yr athrawon sy'n dysgu disgyblion byddar ochr yn ochr â'r materion eraill sy'n codi wrth gyflwyno'r diwygiadau ADY?
We continue to keep these issues under review, and we have invested over three academic years to support postgraduate training for local authority-based teachers of learners with sensory impairment, which includes teachers for the deaf. Teachers of the deaf and other specialists are obviously a crucial part of the education workforce and are crucial in delivering on the additional learning needs reforms. They provide a range of professional support and advice to the workforce more broadly, which is why we have provided that investment, to increase that capacity. But the Act itself requires local authorities as well to review their arrangements for pupils of ALN and take into account the capability of their workforce and what future skills mix they need in that workforce. We'll continue to keep this under review and to make whatever future provision we feel is necessary.
Rydym yn parhau i adolygu’r materion hyn yn barhaus, ac rydym wedi buddsoddi dros dair blynedd academaidd i gefnogi hyfforddiant ôl-raddedig i athrawon sy’n gweithio mewn awdurdodau lleol ar gyfer dysgwyr ag amhariad ar y synhwyrau, sy’n cynnwys athrawon plant byddar. Mae athrawon plant byddar ac arbenigwyr eraill yn amlwg yn rhan hanfodol o’r gweithlu addysg ac yn hollbwysig wrth gyflawni’r diwygiadau anghenion dysgu ychwanegol. Maent yn darparu ystod o gymorth a chyngor proffesiynol i’r gweithlu yn fwy cyffredinol, a dyna pam ein bod wedi darparu’r buddsoddiad, i gynyddu’r capasiti hwnnw. Ond mae’r Ddeddf ei hun yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol hefyd i awdurdodau lleol adolygu eu trefniadau ar gyfer disgyblion ag ADY ac ystyried gallu eu gweithlu a pha gymysgedd sgiliau sydd ei angen arnynt yn y gweithlu hwnnw yn y dyfodol. Byddwn yn parhau i adolygu hyn ac i wneud pa ddarpariaeth bynnag y teimlwn fod ei hangen yn y dyfodol.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 8, Heledd Fychan.
And finally, question 8, Heledd Fychan.
8. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi’r gwaith o addysgu ieithoedd modern mewn ysgolion? OQ60331
8. How is the Welsh Government supporting the teaching of modern languages in schools? OQ60331
Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru weledigaeth a strategaeth glir i gefnogi dysgu ieithoedd tramor modern yng Nghymru. Mae cynllun strategol 'Dyfodol Byd-eang' tan 2025, a lansiwyd fis Tachwedd diwethaf, yn amlinellu sut y byddwn ni'n mynd ati i wella darpariaeth a hyrwyddo ieithoedd rhyngwladol yng Nghymru.
The Welsh Government has a clear vision and strategy to support modern foreign language learning in Wales. The 'Global Futures' strategic plan to 2025, launched last November, sets out how we will improve provision and promote international languages in Wales.
Diolch, Weinidog, a dwi'n meddwl bod y ffaith bod Cefin Campbell a minnau wedi rhoi cwestiynau ar hyn yn dangos bod hyn yn bryderus, yn enwedig o weld y ffigyrau o ran Almaeneg—58 oedd wedi cymryd lefel A ynddo fo, a oedd yr isaf o ran y Deyrnas Unedig. Dwi'n derbyn y pwynt dŷch chi'n ei wneud o ran y Brifysgol Agored a'r gwaith pwysig yna, ac roeddwn wedi clywed ganddyn nhw fod 150 o athrawon wedi elwa o'r rhaglen honno. Ond yn amlwg, un o'r pryderon hefyd ydy bod y Cyngor Prydeinig, o ran edrych ar y trends, yn dweud mai ond un ymhob 14 o ysgolion cynradd sydd efo'r gallu i fynd ati o ran dysgu ieithoedd modern ar y funud.
Felly, gaf i ofyn—oherwydd, yn amlwg, nid dim ond gwlad ddwyieithog ydy Cymru, ond un amlieithog—ydych chi'n meddwl bod mwy y gallem ni fod yn ei wneud, hefyd, o ran annog disgyblion sydd efo gallu ieithoedd modern i chwarae rhan flaenllaw yn rhannu'r iaith? Achos mae'n bwysig eithriadol, a ninnau ddim yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd bellach, ein bod ni efo'r gallu i fod yn datblygu sgiliau yn yr ieithoedd yma, a sicrhau bod pawb, o ba bynnag ysgol maen nhw, yn cael y cyfle i ddysgu ieithoedd amgen i Gymraeg a Saesneg.
Thank you, Minister, and I think the fact that Cefin Campbell and myself have tabled questions on this issue shows that it is an issue of concern, particularly in seeing the figures around the teaching of German—only 58 were taking A-level, and that was the lowest in the UK. I accept your point in terms of the Open University and the important work that's ongoing there, and we heard from them that there are 150 teachers that had benefited from that programme. But clearly, one of the other concerns is that the British Council, in looking at the trends, have said that only one in 14 primary schools have the capacity to teach modern foreign languages at the moment.
Therefore, may I ask—because, clearly, Wales is not just a bilingual country, it's a multilingual country—do you think that there is more that we could do in encouraging pupils who do have abilities in modern foreign languages to play a prominent role in sharing their language skills? Because it's extremely important, given that we're outside the European Union now, that we do have the ability to develop these language skills, and to ensure that everyone, whatever their school, has an opportunity to learn languages other than English and Welsh.
Dwi'n cytuno gyda beth mae'r Aelod yn ei ddweud. Mae hi'n iawn i ddweud efallai fod yna her benodol yn y cynradd. Felly, mae rhaglen y Brifysgol Agored wedi ffocysu yn benodol ar greu capasiti mewn ysgolion cynradd, a dyna yw pwrpas y rhaglen honno. O ran y gwaith mae myfyrwyr yn gallu ei wneud, byddaf i eisiau gweld beth yw canlyniadau'r gwaith peilot o ran mentora rhwng myfyrwyr ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd ac ysgolion uwchradd, yn yr achos hynny, i weld a allem ni ledaenu hynny, achos byddai hynny, rwy'n credu, yn ffordd o greu synnwyr o bwysigrwydd dysgu ieithoedd tramor modern.
Rwy'n credu bod yr Aelod yn gwneud pwynt teilwng fod y ffaith ein bod ni tu allan i'r Undeb Ewropeaidd yn golygu bod angen i ni gadw'r ffocws ar hyn. Un o'r pethau sydd wedi dod fel canlyniad i Taith, rwy'n credu, ydy—. Roeddwn i mewn cyfarfod yn ddiweddar yn clywed gan ddisgyblion mewn ysgol gyfun yn y de am eu profiad nhw o fod yn cydweithio gydag ysgolion mewn rhannau eraill o Ewrop. Mae hynny, rwy'n credu, yn rhan bwysig o'r cyd-destun ehangach o'n hatgoffa ni pam mae e'n bwysig ein bod ni'n dysgu ieithoedd tramor modern.
I agree with what the Member says. She's right to say that there is a specific challenge in the primary sector. Therefore, the Open University programme is specifically focused on creating capacity in primary schools, and that's the purpose of that programme. In terms of the work that students can do, I will want to see the results of the pilot scheme in terms of mentoring between university students in Cardiff and secondary school students, in that case, to see whether we can spread that, because I think that would be a way of creating a sense of the importance of learning modern foreign languages.
I think that the Member makes a very valid point that the fact that we're outside the European Union means that we have to maintain a focus on this. One of the things that has emerged as a result of Taith is—. I was in a meeting recently hearing from pupils in a comprehensive school in south Wales about their experiences of collaborating with schools in other parts of Europe. That, I think, is an important part of the broader context, in reminding us of why it's important to learn modern foreign languages.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Nid oes unrhyw gwestiynau amserol wedi'u derbyn heddiw.
No topical questions were accepted today.
Felly, symudaf ymlaen at eitem 4, y datganiadau 90 eiliad. Ac yn gyntaf, Huw Irranca-Davies.
So, we will move to item 4, the 90-second statements. First of all, Huw Irranca-Davies.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Pontyclun Bosom Pals are celebrating their fifteenth anniversary, celebrating 15 years of continuous support for those diagnosed with breast cancer and support for their families and carers too. The breast cancer support group, who cover Pontyclun and the surrounding areas, from Pontypridd to Pencoed, are such an important part in so many lives. And I'm proud, as a trustee of the group, to continue my support for them and to shine the light on the incredible work that they do. It can be lonely at times, before and after treatment, for the patient and for the family. Mental health can also deteriorate and it's why it's so important that groups like Bosom Pals exist to give an escape from everyday life, an escape from the worries of diagnosis, of treatment and of remission too.
They meet once a month. They offer a much-needed break, a breather to patients, to their families and to the carers, to spend time together and with the wider community. A time to enjoy some of the many events they arrange: fundraising events with some dancing, special lunches, afternoon teas, pampering sessions, Christmas lunches even, and days out too, and they're only a phone call away.
Sue Hadlow, Pontyclun Bosom Pals ambassador, is a key figure in making all this work. When you have good people at the helm, good things can happen. And thanks also to Wayne from the Boar’s Head too, who gives the ladies a place to meet. Without people like these, the opportunity for many to chat and laugh with others just wouldn't be available. And from January they're offering further support to the community, extending their normal monthly meetings from regular breast cancer support meetings to provide warm hubs as well.
So, on a final point, Dirprwy Lywydd, just in Sue's words: ‘Sometimes during treatment, you need a hug, a smile or a chat. We give all of this and hopefully more, hoping this will help you through those darkest days.' Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Mae Pontyclun Bosom Pals yn dathlu eu pymthegfed pen-blwydd, yn dathlu 15 mlynedd o gefnogaeth barhaus i bobl sydd wedi cael diagnosis o ganser y fron a chefnogaeth i'w teuluoedd a'u gofalwyr hefyd. Mae’r grŵp cymorth canser y fron, sy’n gwasanaethu Pont-y-clun a’r ardaloedd cyfagos, o Bontypridd i Bencoed, yn rhan mor bwysig o gymaint o fywydau. Ac fel un o ymddiriedolwyr y grŵp, rwy'n falch o barhau fy nghefnogaeth iddynt a thynnu sylw at y gwaith anhygoel y maent yn ei wneud. Gall fod yn unig ar adegau, cyn ac ar ôl triniaeth, i'r claf ac i'r teulu. Gall iechyd meddwl ddirywio hefyd, a dyna pam ei bod mor bwysig fod grwpiau fel Bosom Pals yn bodoli er mwyn rhoi dihangfa o fywyd bob dydd, dihangfa rhag pryderon ynghylch diagnosis, triniaeth a gwellhad hefyd.
Maent yn cyfarfod unwaith y mis. Maent yn cynnig seibiant mawr ei angen, hoe fach i gleifion, i’w teuluoedd ac i’r gofalwyr, i dreulio amser gyda’i gilydd a chyda’r gymuned ehangach. Amser i fwynhau rhai o’r nifer o ddigwyddiadau y maent yn eu trefnu: digwyddiadau codi arian gyda dawnsio, ciniawau arbennig, te prynhawn, sesiynau maldodi, hyd yn oed cinio Nadolig, a diwrnodau allan hefyd, ac maent o fewn galwad ffôn.
Mae Sue Hadlow, llysgennad Pontyclun Bosom Pals, yn ffigur allweddol wrth wneud i hyn oll weithio. Pan fydd gennych bobl dda wrth y llyw, gall pethau da ddigwydd. A diolch hefyd i Wayne o'r Boar's Head, sy'n rhoi lle i'r menywod gyfarfod. Heb bobl fel y rhain, ni fyddai llawer ohonynt yn cael cyfle i sgwrsio a chwerthin gydag eraill. Ac o fis Ionawr ymlaen, maent yn cynnig cymorth pellach i'r gymuned, gan ymestyn eu cyfarfodydd misol arferol o gyfarfodydd cymorth canser y fron rheolaidd i ddarparu canolfannau clyd hefyd.
Felly, ar bwynt olaf, Ddirprwy Lywydd, yng ngeiriau Sue: 'Weithiau yn ystod y driniaeth, mae angen cwtsh, gwên neu sgwrs arnoch. Rydym yn rhoi hyn oll, a mwy gobeithio, gan obeithio y bydd hyn yn eich helpu drwy'r dyddiau tywyllaf hynny.' Diolch yn fawr iawn.
At one time, Cwmdare was surrounded by four coal mines. This was, perhaps, not surprising—the steam coal mined in the area was extremely sought after, used for ships, trains and power plants. By 1971, after a century of exploitation only Bwllfa Dare was still in operation, and the decision was taken to reclaim the land. The next two years saw tremendous transformation—coal and slag tips were cleared, the course of the River Dare was diverted, artificial lakes were created.
In 1973 the completion of the works saw Dare Valley Country Park opening to the public. The park was the first in England and Wales to be created from land previously utilised by industry. It comprises some 500 acres of woodland pasture and moorland mountainside and the southernmost glacial cwms in Britain. A nature lover's paradise, the park is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. It also contains powerful reminders of the area's industrial past.
The facilities that the park offers have been enhanced over the years, with the recent addition being the first family bike park in the UK, bringing over 0.25 million people from both near and far to visit the park each year to enjoy what is one of the best examples of land regeneration in a coal spoil environment in Britain. This Sunday a fantastic festive fiftieth birthday party will be held for Dare Valley Country Park and I look forward to joining the community in these celebrations.
Ar un adeg, roedd Cwmdâr wedi'i amgylchynu gan bedwar pwll glo. Nid oedd hyn yn syndod, efallai—roedd galw mawr am y glo ager a gâi ei gloddio yn yr ardal, ac a ddefnyddid ar gyfer llongau, trenau a gweithfeydd pŵer. Erbyn 1971, ar ôl canrif o gloddio, dim ond Bwllfa Dare oedd yn dal i weithredu, a phenderfynwyd adfer y tir. Dros y ddwy flynedd nesaf, cafwyd trawsnewidiad aruthrol—cliriwyd tomenni glo a slag, dargyfeiriwyd cwrs afon Dâr, crëwyd llynnoedd artiffisial.
Ym 1973, ar ôl cwblhau'r gwaith, agorodd Parc Gwledig Cwm Dâr i'r cyhoedd. Y parc hwn oedd y parc cyntaf yng Nghymru a Lloegr i gael ei greu o dir a arferai gael ei ddefnyddio gan ddiwydiant. Mae'n cynnwys oddeutu 500 erw o goetir pori a rhostir mynydd a chymoedd rhewlifol mwyaf deheuol Prydain. Yn baradwys i rai sy'n caru natur, mae'r parc yn gartref i amrywiaeth eang o blanhigion ac anifeiliaid. Mae hefyd yn cynnwys pethau sy'n ein hatgoffa'n gryf am orffennol diwydiannol yr ardal.
Mae’r cyfleusterau y mae’r parc yn eu cynnig wedi’u gwella dros y blynyddoedd, a’r ychwanegiad diweddar yw’r parc beicio teuluol cyntaf yn y DU, sy'n denu dros 0.25 miliwn o bobl o bob man i ymweld â’r parc bob blwyddyn ac i fwynhau un o’r enghreifftiau gorau o adfer tir mewn amgylchedd sborion glo ym Mhrydain. Ddydd Sul, bydd parti Nadoligaidd yn cael ei gynnal i ddathlu hanner canmlwyddiant Parc Gwledig Cwm Dâr, ac edrychaf ymlaen at ymuno â'r gymuned yn y dathliadau hyn.
This Friday, 1 December marks World AIDS Day 2023. Last night I sponsored a reception in the Senedd for World AIDS Day to raise awareness of the 2030 goals to end HIV diagnosis and stigma, and to mark the achievements of Fast Track Cymru.
Thanks to organisations and professionals like the Terrence Higgins Trust Cymru and Fast Track we have come a long way from the judgment, isolation and, all too often, death sentence in the 1980s to the present day, where effective treatment means people living with the disease have normal life expectancy and cannot transmit to others.
Earlier this year the Welsh Government launched its 'HIV Action Plan for Wales 2023-2026' to challenge, educate and change public knowledge and attitudes, so we see less judgment and isolation, to ensure more and more people start to think about their sexual health, so we see an increase in the number of people testing for HIV and to completely eradicate the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS, and so people feel confident and safe to access treatment and to live a normal life. The work required to reach the targets of the Welsh Government's HIV action plan will require the continuation of partnership working and a commitment to the required funding. Often in politics, campaigns, ambitions and making real change—it can feel a long old slog, an uphill battle, with often not much to show for it. But in Wales we already have a plan and we already have the unwavering dedication; all we need is the funding. This is a unique opportunity to change lives, and I, for one, am excited. I would like to thank all at Terrence Higgins Trust Cymru and Fast Track Cymru, and look forward to another year of action.
Dydd Gwener, 1 Rhagfyr yw Diwrnod AIDS y Byd 2023. Neithiwr, noddais dderbyniad yn y Senedd ar gyfer Diwrnod AIDS y Byd i godi ymwybyddiaeth o nodau 2030 i roi diwedd ar ddiagnosis o HIV a'r stigma sy'n gysylltiedig â HIV, ac i nodi cyflawniadau Fast Track Cymru.
Diolch i sefydliadau a gweithwyr proffesiynol fel Ymddiriedolaeth Terrence Higgins Cymru a Fast Track, rydym wedi dod yn bell o’r feirniadaeth, yr ynysigrwydd, ac yn rhy aml o lawer, y ddedfryd o farwolaeth yn y 1980au, a heddiw, mae triniaeth effeithiol yn golygu bod gan bobl sy'n byw gyda’r clefyd ddisgwyliad oes arferol, ac na allant ei drosglwyddo i eraill.
Yn gynharach eleni, lansiwyd 'Cynllun Gweithredu HIV i Gymru 2023 i 2026' gan Lywodraeth Cymru i herio, addysgu a newid gwybodaeth ac agweddau'r cyhoedd, fel ein bod yn gweld llai o feirniadaeth ac ynysigrwydd, er mwyn sicrhau bod mwy a mwy o bobl yn dechrau meddwl am eu hiechyd rhywiol, fel ein bod yn gweld cynnydd yn nifer y bobl sy'n cael profion am HIV ac yn dileu'r stigma sy'n gysylltiedig â HIV ac AIDS yn llwyr, ac fel bod pobl yn teimlo'n hyderus ac yn ddiogel i gael triniaeth ac i fyw bywyd normal. Bydd y gwaith sydd ei angen i gyrraedd targedau cynllun gweithredu HIV Llywodraeth Cymru yn galw am barhau gwaith partneriaeth ac ymrwymiad i'r cyllid angenrheidiol. Yn aml mewn gwleidyddiaeth, gall ymgyrchoedd, uchelgeisiau a gwneud newid gwirioneddol—gall deimlo fel gwaith caled, brwydr anodd, yn aml heb lawer i’w ddangos dros hynny. Ond yng Nghymru, mae gennym gynllun eisoes, ac mae gennym yr ymroddiad diwyro eisoes; y cyfan sydd ei angen arnom yw’r cyllid. Mae hwn yn gyfle unigryw i newid bywydau, ac yn bersonol, rwy'n llawn cyffro. Hoffwn ddiolch i bawb yn Ymddiriedolaeth Terrence Higgins Cymru a Fast Track Cymru, ac edrychaf ymlaen at flwyddyn arall o weithredu.
Diolch, bawb.
Thank you, all.
Eitem 5 yw'r datganiad gan Sam Rowlands—cyflwyno Bil arfaethedig Aelod: Bil Addysg Awyr Agored Breswyl (Cymru). Galwaf ar Sam Rowlands i wneud y datganiad.
Item 5 is a statement by Sam Rowlands on the introduction of a Member-proposed Bill: the Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill. I call on Sam Rowlands to make the statement.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity to introduce the Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill to the Senedd here this afternoon. Will Wales lead the way? That's a question I've been asked on social media about this Bill. Will Wales lead the way in ensuring that all children in Welsh schools are able to have high-quality residential outdoor education experiences? Will Wales lead the way in giving those children better educational outcomes and life-changing experiences? Will Wales lead the way by passing a residential outdoor education Bill that provides a practical solution to encouraging better physical and mental health outcomes whilst improving education and environmental awareness? I think these are questions for all of us in this place this afternoon.
It feels like a long time ago when the Senedd gave me leave to proceed with this Bill in October 2022, and even longer ago, in July of that year, when I won the Members' ballot. The journey has been a real learning curve for me, not only in the work of this Senedd behind the scenes but through meeting and working with a whole range of individuals and groups that are committed to outdoor education and doing the very best for children in Wales and beyond. I'm very grateful to all of those who have supported and inputted in this process so far.
So, firstly this afternoon, I'd like to outline exactly what residential outdoor education is. These are experiences that involve a range of activities taking place from a residential setting involving participants being together away from home. The activities are often challenging and adventurous, providing opportunities for physical activity, engagement with the natural environment and development of the competencies at the heart of the Curriculum for Wales—healthy, confident individuals who are creative contributors; ambitious and capable learners; and ethically informed citizens.
Wales has a rich heritage of outdoor education. Many Members here will, no doubt, have experienced an outdoor education residential as part of their childhood; perhaps at Glan-llyn in north Wales or the Storey Arms, if you went to school closer to Cardiff, or maybe Tregoyd House on the other side of Bronllys. For some of you, this time may have offered you your first experience of outdoor activities that maybe became a lifetime pursuit. For many of our young people, especially in our poorer communities, this too may be their first opportunity to have these amazing experiences. Not only are these times great for the people participating, with all of the known benefits, we know that the outdoor activity sector is an economic catalyst in Wales, currently worth around £1.5 billion. So, developing an interest in the outdoors not only promotes a healthy lifestyle, with all its future benefits to our health service, but lays a foundation for improved economic well-being also.
But this Bill is really about focusing on the opportunities for our young people, and there are huge amounts of evidence showing that outdoor education residentials offer significant opportunities for children and young people's personal and social development. Research evidence clearly shows the benefits that can accrue from outdoor education, demonstrating outdoor education residentials as a key part of a young person's education journey. The benefits reach beyond the individual in a school setting, having a potential longer term impact on lifelong learning, health, employment, the economy and the environment. The detail of this evidence is clearly set out in the explanatory memorandum that accompanies the Bill, available to you today.
So, I guess the question is: why is there a need for a Bill? To my mind, there are two core reasons why the Bill is necessary and would benefit schoolchildren across Wales. The first is to establish a course of residential outdoor education as an entitlement on the curriculum, rather than merely an enrichment. This, to me, acknowledges and cements an outdoor education residential as a key aspect of statutory education in Wales. So, this Bill would enable all pupils in maintained schools to experience that residential outdoor education. The Welsh Ministers would have a duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure that a course of residential outdoor education is provided once to all pupils in maintained schools, free of charge to them. Children and young people would be encouraged, but not compelled, to participate in that experience.
The second reason why I believe that the Bill is necessary is so that every child and young person in those maintained schools is given an opportunity to participate without charge in a course of residential outdoor education by providing the financial means for them to do so. This will address a situation whereby a family's economic circumstances might mean that children and young people miss out, either because their school did not organise an outdoor education residential, or their school does, but they cannot participate due to financial constraints.
And let me be clear: these experiences can be life changing for so many. Why should a child from a poorer background be denied this important educational opportunity and milestone that so many children from wealthier backgrounds can easily access? We know that affordability and financial constraints are significant barriers to some people taking up the opportunity for a residential outdoor experience. Put simply, the Bill will ensure that no child or young person is prevented from experiencing residential outdoor education once in their school lives because their family cannot afford it.
At this point, I think it's important to recognise the impact that not going on a residential has also. It's not just about the benefits that are gained by those who attend, which are significant, but the gap that this creates for those who do not. For those children and young people whose families cannot afford to support their children attending, we know that missing out on the ability to participate fully in school life results in low self-esteem and lower levels of confidence, which harms well-being. And unfortunately, at the present time, access to these benefits is inequitable. There are inconsistences and variation in whether schools organise an outdoor education residential for their pupils. We know that learners in around a third of primary schools and between a third and a half of secondary schools currently miss out, as these experiences are not offered. And where residentials are offered, the availability of variable levels of financial support from schools and local authorities means that parents on low incomes are often unable to meet the financial contribution necessary for their children to take part, and so they're missing out on key educational experiences that have the potential to be transformational in their young lives. We know that, in around a third of schools that do organise outdoor education residentials, fewer than 75 per cent of pupils participate, with financial constraints being the main reason.
For colleagues in Government, this Bill will help Welsh Government to meet its socioeconomic duty. It supports the innovation strategy and contributes to the well-being goals related to mental and physical health, equitable access, the Welsh language and the environment. In so doing, the Bill will position Wales at the forefront of outdoor education in the UK, capitalising on our rich landscape, culture and economic opportunities. Welsh Government has consistently highlighted both equity and well-being as fundamental principles of education in Wales. This Bill will ensure that aspects of each are embedded in our education system, and not subject to the significant pressures on local authority budgets or the costs of allocations for other competing policy priorities. There is strong and widespread support for the proposals behind this Bill. The consultation has shown almost unanimous importance placed on outdoor education, and the vast majority are in favour of an opportunity to participate in residential outdoor education. Unfortunately, far too many have not had the opportunity, with the financial commitment required being beyond the reach of hard-pressed families.
So, at the start of this, Members, I asked a question: will Wales lead the way? I think we can lead the way. Let's ensure that all our young people have this great opportunity made available to them. Let's lead the way here in Wales. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Rwy’n hynod ddiolchgar am y cyfle hwn i gyflwyno Bil Addysg Awyr Agored Breswyl (Cymru) i’r Senedd yma y prynhawn yma. A wnaiff Cymru arwain y ffordd? Dyna gwestiwn a ofynnwyd i mi ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol am y Bil hwn. A wnaiff Cymru arwain y ffordd a sicrhau bod holl blant ysgol Cymru yn gallu cael profiadau addysg awyr agored breswyl o ansawdd uchel? A wnaiff Cymru arwain y ffordd a rhoi gwell canlyniadau addysgol a phrofiadau sy’n newid bywydau i’r plant hynny? A wnaiff Cymru arwain y ffordd drwy basio Bil addysg awyr agored breswyl sy’n darparu ateb ymarferol i annog gwell canlyniadau iechyd corfforol a meddyliol wrth wella addysg ac ymwybyddiaeth o'r amgylchedd? Credaf fod y rhain yn gwestiynau i bob un ohonom yn y lle hwn y prynhawn yma.
Mae’n teimlo fel amser maith yn ôl pan roddodd y Senedd ganiatâd imi fwrw ymlaen â’r Bil hwn ym mis Hydref 2022, a hyd yn oed yn hirach yn ôl, ym mis Gorffennaf y flwyddyn honno, pan enillais bleidlais yr Aelodau. Mae’r daith wedi bod yn gromlin ddysg wirioneddol i mi, nid yn unig yng ngwaith y Senedd hon y tu ôl i’r llenni ond drwy gyfarfod a gweithio gydag ystod eang o unigolion a grwpiau sydd wedi ymrwymo i addysg awyr agored ac sy’n gwneud y gorau oll dros blant Cymru a thu hwnt. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn i bawb sydd wedi cefnogi a chyfrannu at y broses hon hyd yma.
Felly, yn gyntaf y prynhawn yma, hoffwn amlinellu beth yn union yw addysg awyr agored breswyl. Profiadau yw'r rhain sy'n cynnwys amrywiaeth o weithgareddau sy'n digwydd mewn lleoliad preswyl lle mae'r cyfranogwyr oddi cartref gyda'i gilydd. Mae’r gweithgareddau’n aml yn heriol ac anturus, gan ddarparu cyfleoedd ar gyfer gweithgarwch corfforol, ymgysylltu â’r amgylchedd naturiol a datblygu’r cymwyseddau sydd wrth wraidd y Cwricwlwm i Gymru—unigolion iach, hyderus sy’n gyfranwyr creadigol; dysgwyr uchelgeisiol a galluog; a dinasyddion moesegol wybodus.
Mae gan Gymru dreftadaeth gyfoethog o addysg awyr agored. Bydd llawer o Aelodau yma, yn ddiau, wedi cael profiad o gwrs preswyl addysg awyr agored yn rhan o’u plentyndod; efallai yng Nglan-llyn yng ngogledd Cymru neu'r Storey Arms, os aethoch i'r ysgol yn nes at Gaerdydd, neu efallai Tregoyd House yr ochr draw i Fronllys. I rai ohonoch, efallai mai'r amser hwn oedd eich profiad cyntaf o weithgareddau awyr agored sydd wedi troi'n ddiddordeb gydol oes o bosibl. I lawer o’n pobl ifanc, yn enwedig yn ein cymunedau tlotach, efallai mai hwn hefyd fydd eu cyfle cyntaf i gael y profiadau anhygoel hyn. Mae'r amseroedd hyn yn wych i’r bobl sy’n cymryd rhan, gyda’r holl fanteision y gwyddom amdanynt, ond fe wyddom hefyd fod y sector gweithgareddau awyr agored yn gatalydd economaidd yng Nghymru, sy’n werth oddeutu £1.5 biliwn ar hyn o bryd. Felly, mae datblygu diddordeb yn yr awyr agored yn hybu ffordd iach o fyw, gyda’i holl fanteision i’n gwasanaeth iechyd yn y dyfodol, ac mae hefyd yn gosod sylfaen ar gyfer gwella lles economaidd.
Ond mewn gwirionedd mae’r Bil hwn yn canolbwyntio ar y cyfleoedd i’n pobl ifanc, ac mae llawer iawn o dystiolaeth yn dangos bod cyrsiau preswyl addysg awyr agored yn cynnig cyfleoedd sylweddol ar gyfer datblygiad personol a chymdeithasol plant a phobl ifanc. Mae tystiolaeth ymchwil yn dangos yn glir y manteision a all ddeillio o addysg awyr agored, gan ddangos bod cyrsiau preswyl addysg awyr agored yn rhan allweddol o daith addysg unigolyn ifanc. Mae'r buddion yn ymestyn y tu hwnt i'r unigolyn mewn lleoliad ysgol, gan gael effaith hirdymor bosibl ar ddysgu gydol oes, iechyd, cyflogaeth, yr economi a'r amgylchedd. Mae manylion y dystiolaeth hon wedi’u nodi’n glir yn y memorandwm esboniadol sy’n dod gyda’r Bil, ac sydd ar gael i chi heddiw.
Felly, rwy’n dyfalu mai’r cwestiwn yw: pam fod angen Bil? Yn fy marn i, mae dau reswm sylfaenol pam fod Bil yn angenrheidiol a pham y byddai o fudd i blant ysgol ledled Cymru. Y cyntaf yw i sefydlu cwrs o addysg awyr agored breswyl fel hawl yn y cwricwlwm, yn hytrach na chyfoethogiad yn unig. Mae hyn, i mi, yn cydnabod ac yn cadarnhau bod cwrs addysg awyr agored breswyl yn agwedd allweddol ar addysg statudol yng Nghymru. Felly, byddai’r Bil yn galluogi pob disgybl mewn ysgolion a gynhelir i gael profiad o’r addysg awyr agored breswyl honno. Byddai dyletswydd ar Weinidogion Cymru i gymryd pob cam rhesymol i sicrhau bod cwrs o addysg awyr agored breswyl yn cael ei ddarparu unwaith i bob disgybl mewn ysgolion a gynhelir, yn rhad ac am ddim iddynt. Byddai plant a phobl ifanc yn cael eu hannog, ond nid eu gorfodi, i gymryd rhan yn y profiad hwnnw.
Yr ail reswm pam y credaf fod y Bil yn angenrheidiol yw er mwyn i bob plentyn ac unigolyn ifanc mewn ysgolion a gynhelir gael cyfle i gymryd rhan yn rhad ac am ddim mewn cwrs addysg awyr agored breswyl drwy ddarparu’r modd ariannol iddynt wneud hynny. Bydd hyn yn mynd i'r afael â sefyllfa lle gallai amgylchiadau economaidd teulu olygu bod plant a phobl ifanc yn colli cyfle, naill ai am nad oedd eu hysgol wedi trefnu cwrs addysg awyr agored breswyl, neu fod eu hysgol yn gwneud hynny, ond na allant gymryd rhan oherwydd cyfyngiadau ariannol.
A gadewch imi ddweud yn glir: gall y profiadau hyn newid bywydau cymaint o blant. Pam y dylid amddifadu plentyn o gefndir tlotach o’r cyfle addysgol a’r garreg filltir bwysig hon y gall cymaint o blant o gefndiroedd cyfoethocach gael mynediad hawdd ati? Gwyddom fod fforddiadwyedd a chyfyngiadau ariannol yn rhwystrau sylweddol i rai pobl rhag manteisio ar y cyfle i gael profiad awyr agored preswyl. Yn syml, bydd y Bil yn sicrhau na chaiff unrhyw blentyn neu unigolyn ifanc eu hatal rhag cael addysg awyr agored breswyl unwaith yn eu bywyd ysgol am na all eu teulu ei fforddio.
Ar y pwynt hwn, credaf ei bod yn bwysig cydnabod yr effaith y mae peidio â mynd ar gwrs preswyl yn ei chael hefyd. Mae’n ymwneud â mwy na’r manteision a gaiff y rhai sy’n mynychu, sy’n sylweddol, mae'n ymwneud hefyd â'r bwlch y mae hyn yn ei greu i’r rhai nad ydynt yn mynychu. I’r plant a’r bobl ifanc hynny na all eu teuluoedd fforddio talu i'w plant fynychu, gwyddom fod colli’r cyfle i gymryd rhan lawn ym mywyd yr ysgol yn arwain at lefelau hunan-barch a hyder is, sy’n niweidio llesiant. Ac yn anffodus, ar hyn o bryd, mae mynediad at y buddion hyn yn anghyfartal. Ceir anghysondebau ac amrywio rhwng ysgolion o ran trefnu cwrs addysg awyr agored breswyl ar gyfer eu disgyblion. Gwyddom fod dysgwyr mewn oddeutu traean yr ysgolion cynradd a rhwng traean a hanner yr ysgolion uwchradd yn cael eu hamddifadu o'r cyfle ar hyn o bryd, gan nad yw’r profiadau hyn yn cael eu cynnig. A lle caiff cyrsiau preswyl eu cynnig, mae’r lefelau amrywiol o gymorth ariannol sydd ar gael gan ysgolion ac awdurdodau lleol yn golygu'n aml nad yw rhieni ar incwm isel yn gallu talu’r cyfraniad ariannol sy’n angenrheidiol i’w plant gymryd rhan, ac felly maent yn colli cyfle i gael profiadau addysgol allweddol sydd â photensial i drawsnewid eu bywydau ifanc. Mewn oddeutu traean o’r ysgolion sy’n trefnu sesiynau preswyl addysg awyr agored, gwyddom fod llai na 75 y cant o ddisgyblion yn cymryd rhan, a chyfyngiadau ariannol yw’r prif reswm.
I fy nghyd-Aelodau yn y Llywodraeth, bydd y Bil hwn yn helpu Llywodraeth Cymru i gyflawni ei dyletswydd economaidd-gymdeithasol. Mae’n cefnogi’r strategaeth arloesi ac yn cyfrannu at y nodau llesiant sy’n ymwneud ag iechyd meddwl a chorfforol, mynediad teg, y Gymraeg a’r amgylchedd. Wrth wneud hynny, bydd y Bil yn rhoi Cymru ar flaen y gad gydag addysg awyr agored yn y DU, gan fanteisio ar ein tirwedd gyfoethog, ein diwylliant a’n cyfleoedd economaidd. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi nodi tegwch a llesiant yn gyson fel egwyddorion sylfaenol mewn addysg yng Nghymru. Bydd y Bil hwn yn sicrhau bod agweddau ar y ddwy elfen wedi’u gwreiddio yn ein system addysg, ac nad ydynt yn ddarostyngedig i'r pwysau sylweddol ar gyllidebau awdurdodau lleol na chostau dyraniadau ar gyfer blaenoriaethau polisi eraill sy’n cystadlu â’i gilydd. Mae cefnogaeth gref ac eang i’r cynigion y tu ôl i’r Bil hwn. Mae’r ymgynghoriad wedi dangos, bron yn unfrydol, pa mor bwysig yw addysg awyr agored i bobl, ac mae’r mwyafrif helaeth o blaid y cyfle i gymryd rhan mewn addysg awyr agored breswyl. Yn anffodus, mae llawer gormod o blant nad ydynt wedi cael y cyfle, gyda'r ymrwymiad ariannol sydd ei angen y tu hwnt i gyrraedd teuluoedd sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd.
Felly, ar ddechrau hyn, Aelodau, gofynnais gwestiwn: a wnaiff Cymru arwain y ffordd? Credaf y gallwn arwain y ffordd. Gadewch inni sicrhau bod y cyfle gwych hwn ar gael i'n holl bobl ifanc. Gadewch inni arwain y ffordd yma yng Nghymru. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
I just want to remind Members, please, that this is a statement, not a debate. It's a statement by a Member introducing a Bill, as a Government Member in charge of a Bill would also be making, so it's questions to the Member. Minister.
Hoffwn atgoffa’r Aelodau, os gwelwch yn dda, mai datganiad yw hwn, nid dadl. Mae'n ddatganiad gan Aelod sy'n cyflwyno Bil, fel y byddai Aelod o'r Llywodraeth sy'n gyfrifol am Fil hefyd yn ei wneud, felly cawn gwestiynau i'r Aelod. Weinidog.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I start by recognising the contribution that residential outdoor learning can bring to the development and well-being of our young people? I have very fond memories myself of that as a child, and I have seen at first-hand in my current role the positive impact that it has. Learning outside and experiencing what the outdoors has to offer broadens horizons, enriches young people's learning, helps them to keep physically healthy and can support their mental and emotional well-being as well. We know that the environment a child learns in is crucial. That's true whether they are three or 16. That's why learning outdoors is important, and why the curriculum expects schools to think about how it supports learning.
To help learners become healthy and confident individuals and build a lifelong positive relationship with outdoor environments, learners need continuous opportunities to learn, play and explore outdoors through all stages of mandatory education. It is much, much more than a single experience, and that is what the Curriculum for Wales expects.
This Government has and will continue to emphasise the role of outdoor learning across the curriculum in areas including health and well-being, science and technology, humanities and expressive arts, and to value the commitment and contribution that the residential outdoor education sector brings to education in Wales. In March 2021, we established a bespoke fund of £2 million to support the sector during the pandemic, when social distancing regulations meant that most were unable to operate. The establishment of the fund recognised that the sector has always been a valued part of the educational experience for children and young people, and that it was important that the sector was able to remain viable and able to trade successfully again once the pandemic was over. There is more that could be done, of course, and I'd like to be clear that my offer to the Member, made earlier this year, to work with me and others on ways to strengthen, support and continue to develop the contribution residential outdoor education makes to education in Wales and to the development of our children and young people, that offer still stands.
However, this support has to be developed within the confines of the real-world financial circumstances in which we currently have to make decisions about funding for education and for our wider public services. The First Minister has been very clear with the Senedd and the public over recent months that the budget situation for public services is under extreme pressure. Just last week, in response to the UK Chancellor's autumn budget statement, the finance Minister stated that the Welsh Government's budget for 2024-25 is now £3 billion lower than it would have been if it had grown in line with the economy since 2010. The finance Minister is currently preparing the draft budget for 2024-25, which we intend to publish on 19 December.
Let's be clear right now, however, that, as the First Minister has already said, we are facing significant financial pressures. This is the toughest financial situation we have faced since devolution. Members will be aware that this toxic combination of record inflation and high energy prices has already led us to look at in-year budget reductions. As I mentioned earlier, we've worked hard in my portfolio to protect front-line services through making reductions in revenue funding from underspends in demand-led budgets and grants. But, after more than a decade of austerity, we know that finances are extremely tight.
The explanatory memorandum estimates that the additional cost to the taxpayer would be up to £19.7 million a year. You've heard what I said about the value of outdoor education and what I've said about wanting to do more, but a Bill that creates a need for a £20 million cost for schools and councils—. I'm afraid I'm not simply willing to cut front-line school budgets to fund that legislation. This Bill is not a broad statement of support for outdoor learning. We would all vote for it unanimously if that was the case. The Bill places an absolute obligation on the Welsh Government to provide and fund all outdoor residential education provision, whatever that may be and whatever the cost. That is simply not affordable.
The EM states:
'The proposal was to establish a Bill to place a statutory duty on local authorities to ensure that young people receiving maintained education are provided with the opportunity to experience residential outdoor education, for at least one week, at some stage during their school years',
but the Bill doesn't place the obligation to provide that on local authorities, as stated in the EM, but instead places it directly on the Welsh Ministers, whilst, at the same time, requiring them to fund the provision of residential outdoor education, secured, presumably, by others—it isn’t clear. The EM states that:
'Children and young people will be encouraged but not compelled to participate',
but, unfortunately, in requiring the Welsh Ministers to make this a mandatory part of the curriculum, it does make it compulsory. That does not add up to a sensible set of legislative provisions.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. A gaf fi ddechrau drwy gydnabod y cyfraniad y gall addysg awyr agored breswyl ei wneud i ddatblygiad a llesiant ein pobl ifanc? Mae gennyf atgofion melys iawn o hynny fel plentyn, ac rwyf wedi gweld yn uniongyrchol yn fy rôl bresennol yr effaith gadarnhaol a gaiff. Mae dysgu yn yr awyr agored a phrofi’r hyn sydd gan yr awyr agored i’w gynnig yn ehangu gorwelion, yn cyfoethogi dysgu pobl ifanc, yn eu helpu i gadw’n iach yn gorfforol ac yn gallu cefnogi eu lles meddyliol ac emosiynol hefyd. Gwyddom fod yr amgylchedd y mae plentyn yn dysgu ynddo yn hollbwysig. Mae hynny’n wir boed eu bod yn dair oed neu’n 16 oed. Dyna pam fod dysgu yn yr awyr agored yn bwysig, a pham fod y cwricwlwm yn disgwyl i ysgolion feddwl sut mae’n cefnogi dysgu.
Er mwyn helpu dysgwyr i ddod yn unigolion iach a hyderus a meithrin perthynas gadarnhaol gydol oes gydag amgylcheddau awyr agored, mae angen cyfleoedd parhaus ar ddysgwyr i ddysgu, chwarae ac archwilio yn yr awyr agored drwy bob cam o addysg orfodol. Mae’n llawer mwy nag un profiad, a dyna mae’r Cwricwlwm i Gymru yn ei ddisgwyl.
Mae’r Llywodraeth hon wedi, a bydd yn parhau, i bwysleisio rôl dysgu awyr agored ar draws y cwricwlwm mewn meysydd sy’n cynnwys iechyd a llesiant, gwyddoniaeth a thechnoleg, y dyniaethau a’r celfyddydau mynegiannol, ac i werthfawrogi’r ymrwymiad a’r cyfraniad y mae’r sector addysg awyr agored breswyl yn ei wneud i addysg yng Nghymru. Ym mis Mawrth 2021, fe wnaethom sefydlu cronfa bwrpasol gwerth £2 filiwn i gefnogi’r sector yn ystod y pandemig, pan oedd rheoliadau cadw pellter cymdeithasol yn golygu nad oedd y rhan fwyaf yn gallu gweithredu. Roedd sefydlu’r gronfa yn cydnabod bod y sector bob amser wedi bod yn rhan werthfawr o’r profiad addysgol i blant a phobl ifanc, a’i bod yn bwysig fod y sector yn gallu parhau i fod yn hyfyw ac yn gallu gweithredu’n llwyddiannus unwaith eto pan fyddai'r pandemig drosodd. Mae mwy y gellid ei wneud, wrth gwrs, a hoffwn ddweud yn glir fod fy nghynnig i’r Aelod, a wnaed yn gynharach eleni, i weithio gyda mi ac eraill ar ffyrdd o gryfhau, cefnogi a pharhau i ddatblygu’r cyfraniad y mae addysg awyr agored breswyl yn ei wneud i addysg yng Nghymru ac i ddatblygiad ein plant a’n pobl ifanc, yn dal i sefyll.
Fodd bynnag, mae’n rhaid datblygu’r cymorth hwn o fewn cyfyngiadau’r amgylchiadau ariannol gwirioneddol y mae'n rhaid inni wneud penderfyniadau ynddynt ar hyn o bryd ynghylch cyllid ar gyfer addysg ac ar gyfer ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus ehangach. Mae’r Prif Weinidog wedi dweud yn glir iawn wrth y Senedd a’r cyhoedd dros y misoedd diwethaf fod sefyllfa’r gyllideb ar gyfer gwasanaethau cyhoeddus o dan bwysau aruthrol. Yr wythnos diwethaf, mewn ymateb i ddatganiad cyllideb yr hydref Canghellor y DU, dywedodd y Gweinidog cyllid fod cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer 2024-25 bellach £3 biliwn yn is nag y byddai wedi bod pe bai wedi tyfu'n unol â’r economi ers 2010. Mae’r Gweinidog cyllid wrthi’n paratoi’r gyllideb ddrafft ar gyfer 2024-25, y bwriadwn ei chyhoeddi ar 19 Rhagfyr.
Gadewch inni gydnabod nawr, fodd bynnag, ein bod ni, fel y mae’r Prif Weinidog wedi’i ddweud eisoes, yn wynebu pwysau ariannol sylweddol. Dyma’r sefyllfa ariannol anoddaf a wynebwyd gennym ers datganoli. Bydd yr Aelodau’n ymwybodol fod y cyfuniad gwenwynig o chwyddiant uwch nag erioed a phrisiau ynni uchel eisoes wedi ein harwain i edrych ar ostyngiadau yn ystod y flwyddyn yn y gyllideb. Fel y soniais yn gynharach, rydym wedi gweithio'n galed yn fy mhortffolio i ddiogelu gwasanaethau rheng flaen drwy wneud gostyngiadau mewn cyllid refeniw o danwariant mewn grantiau a chyllidebau seiliedig ar alw. Ond ar ôl mwy na degawd o gyni, gwyddom fod cyllid yn hynod o brin.
Mae’r memorandwm esboniadol yn amcangyfrif y byddai cost ychwanegol i’r trethdalwr o hyd at £19.7 miliwn y flwyddyn. Rydych wedi clywed yr hyn a ddywedais am werth addysg awyr agored a'r hyn a ddywedais am fod yn awyddus i wneud mwy, ond mae Bil sy'n creu angen am gost o £20 miliwn i ysgolion a chynghorau—. Mae arnaf ofn nad wyf yn fodlon torri cyllidebau rheng flaen ysgolion i ariannu'r ddeddfwriaeth honno. Nid datganiad cyffredinol o gefnogaeth i addysg awyr agored yw'r Bil hwn. Byddai pob un ohonom yn pleidleisio drosto’n unfrydol pe bai hynny’n wir. Mae’r Bil yn gosod rhwymedigaeth ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu ac ariannu’r holl ddarpariaeth addysg awyr agored breswyl, beth bynnag y bo a beth bynnag y bo’r gost. Nid yw hynny'n fforddiadwy.
Mae'r memorandwm esboniadol yn nodi mai:
'Y cynnig oedd sefydlu Bil i roi dyletswydd statudol ar awdurdodau lleol i sicrhau bod pobl ifanc sy’n cael addysg a gynhelir yn cael y cyfle i brofi addysg awyr agored breswyl, am o leiaf wythnos, ar ryw adeg yn ystod eu blynyddoedd ysgol',
ond nid yw’r Bil yn gosod y rhwymedigaeth i ddarparu hynny ar awdurdodau lleol, fel y nodir yn y memorandwm esboniadol, ond yn hytrach, mae'n ei gosod yn uniongyrchol ar Weinidogion Cymru, gan ei gwneud yn ofynnol, ar yr un pryd, iddyn nhw ariannu’r ddarpariaeth o addysg awyr agored breswyl, wedi'i gael gan eraill, yn ôl pob tebyg—nid yw'n glir. Mae’r memorandwm esboniadol yn nodi:
'Bydd plant a phobl ifanc yn cael eu hannog—ond nid yn cael eu gorfodi—i gymryd rhan',
ond yn anffodus, wrth ei gwneud yn ofynnol i Weinidogion Cymru wneud hyn yn rhan orfodol o’r cwricwlwm, mae’n ei wneud yn orfodol. Nid yw honno’n set synhwyrol o ddarpariaethau deddfwriaethol.
You need to conclude now, Minister.
Mae angen i chi ddirwyn i ben, Weinidog.
So, while I commend the Member’s Bill in its intentions, and I share his commitment, I would like to ask him to explain to the Senedd what services he would propose to cut in order to pay for his proposals. Much of those services directly benefit the learners who he has said are his focus in this Bill. My invitation to him still stands: let us find another way to work through our new curriculum to let our young people experience the advantages and the joys of outdoor learning.
Felly, er fy mod yn cymeradwyo bwriadau Bil yr Aelod, ac yn rhannu ei ymrwymiad, hoffwn ofyn iddo egluro i’r Senedd pa wasanaethau y byddai’n cynnig eu torri er mwyn talu am ei gynigion. Mae llawer o’r gwasanaethau hynny o fudd uniongyrchol i’r dysgwyr y mae wedi dweud eu bod yn canolbwyntio arnynt yn y Bil hwn. Mae fy ngwahoddiad iddo'n dal i sefyll: gadewch inni ddod o hyd i ffordd arall o weithio drwy ein cwricwlwm newydd i adael i’n pobl ifanc brofi manteision a llawenydd dysgu yn yr awyr agored.
You did get a question at the end, so—.
Cawsoch gwestiwn ar y diwedd, felly—.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you, Minister, for your response to my statement here this afternoon. And I certainly share your acknowledgement that outdoor education is more than just a single experience. But I think, as you would acknowledge, there is a significant amount of evidence that shows that that single experience does go a long way as part of that journey of outdoor education, often for many children—and for many people in this room, I guess—being a memorable moment within that journey of outdoor education, building on a significant amount of learning through that time together. And I certainly acknowledge also the support that Government provided to the outdoor education sector during the COVID times, as you outlined as well. I’m certainly grateful for your continued offer of engagement around this broader issue of outdoor education, particularly the residential aspect of that. I certainly continue to be open from my side as well to those conversations.
On the budget side, it's a fair challenge. There’s a Bill in front of us today that costs money, as Welsh Government often put Bills in front of Members here that have significant costs behind them, and I guess everything we do in this place, and we hear it often from the First Minister, is about priority. There’s an around £22 billion budget that the Welsh Government has in hand to spend every year. As the Minister pointed out, the cost of this particular Bill is a very small part of that: a £22,000 million budget and I’m seeking less than £20 million of that to put in place something that could be life-changing for so many people.
So, I guess it’s about priority in the first instance when it comes to that funding, and the second part within that, I guess, I think is a challenge for all of us in this place from time to time: it’s about thinking beyond the immediate, around the preventative agenda. It’s a challenge for all Governments, I think with electoral cycles as well: how do we think beyond the immediate time in front of us and the immediate years ahead of us? There’s a huge amount of evidence to show the level of involvement that young people have with the outdoors and the long-term impact that has on their health; indeed, recent research presented through the British Educational Research Association shows significant connections between older people’s health, activity levels and the experiences they had as young people in engaging in outdoor education.
We know we have a challenge in front of us when it comes to our health as a population, and we know that we have things like the future generations legislation, which seeks to minimise risks to future generations. I guess we also need to consider about our generations today and their future, what risks do we need to minimise for them, and I think these experiences would go a long way to doing that and would certainly make a big impact on the future budgets of Welsh Governments.
Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd, a diolch, Weinidog, am eich ymateb i fy natganiad yma y prynhawn yma. Ac rwy’n sicr yn rhannu eich cydnabyddiaeth fod addysg awyr agored yn fwy nag un profiad yn unig. Ond credaf, fel y byddech chi'n cydnabod, fod cryn dipyn o dystiolaeth yn dangos bod y profiad unigol hwnnw’n mynd ymhell fel rhan o’r daith addysg awyr agored honno, sy'n aml, i lawer o blant—ac i lawer o bobl yn yr ystafell hon, rwy’n tybio—yn foment gofiadwy ar y daith addysg awyr agored, gan adeiladu ar gryn dipyn o ddysgu drwy'r amser hwnnw gyda'i gilydd. Ac rwy’n sicr yn cydnabod y cymorth a roddodd y Llywodraeth i’r sector addysg awyr agored yn ystod cyfnod COVID hefyd, fel y gwnaethoch chi nodi. Rwy'n sicr yn ddiolchgar am eich cynnig parhaus i ymgysylltu ynghylch mater ehangach addysg awyr agored, yn enwedig yr agwedd breswyl ar hynny. Rwy’n sicr yn parhau i fod yn agored o fy ochr innau hefyd i’r sgyrsiau hynny.
Ar y gyllideb, mae’n her deg. Mae Bil ger ein bron heddiw sy'n costio arian, fel y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn aml yn rhoi Biliau ger bron yr Aelodau yma sydd â chostau sylweddol ynghlwm wrthynt, ac mae'n debyg fod popeth a wnawn yn y lle hwn, ac rydym yn clywed hyn yn aml gan y Prif Weinidog, yn ymwneud â blaenoriaethau. Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru gyllideb o oddeutu £22 biliwn i'w gwario bob blwyddyn. Fel y nododd y Gweinidog, rhan fach iawn o hynny yw cost y Bil penodol hwn: cyllideb o £22,000 miliwn ac rwy’n gofyn am lai nag £20 miliwn ohoni i roi rhywbeth ar waith a allai newid bywydau cymaint o bobl.
Felly, tybiaf ei fod yn ymwneud â blaenoriaethau yn y lle cyntaf, o ran y cyllid hwnnw, a'r ail ran o hynny, mae'n debyg, yw her i bob un ohonom yn y lle hwn o bryd i'w gilydd: mae'n ymwneud â meddwl y tu hwnt i'r uniongyrchol, ac am yr agenda ataliol. Mae'n her i bob Llywodraeth, rwy'n credu, gyda chylchoedd etholiadol hefyd: sut mae meddwl y tu hwnt i'r amser sydd o'n blaenau a'r blynyddoedd sydd o'n blaenau? Mae llawer iawn o dystiolaeth yn dangos yr effaith hirdymor y mae faint o amser a gaiff pobl ifanc yn yr awyr agored yn ei chael ar eu hiechyd; yn wir, mae ymchwil ddiweddar a gyflwynwyd drwy Gymdeithas Ymchwil Addysgol Prydain yn dangos cysylltiadau arwyddocaol rhwng iechyd pobl hŷn, lefelau gweithgarwch a’r profiadau a gawsant yn bobl ifanc wrth gymryd rhan mewn addysg awyr agored.
Gwyddom fod yna her o’n blaenau o ran ein hiechyd fel poblogaeth, a gwyddom fod gennym bethau fel deddfwriaeth cenedlaethau’r dyfodol, sy’n ceisio lleihau risgiau i genedlaethau’r dyfodol. Rwy'n tybio bod angen inni ystyried cenedlaethau heddiw a'u dyfodol nhw hefyd, pa risgiau sydd angen inni eu lleihau ar eu cyfer, a chredaf y byddai'r profiadau hyn yn mynd ymhell i wneud hynny, ac yn sicr, yn cael effaith fawr ar gyllidebau Llywodraethau Cymru yn y dyfodol.
Firstly, congratulations to Sam Rowlands, my colleague who represents North Wales, on introducing this Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill today. It’s a pleasure to speak on this first reading, and I wholeheartedly support his Bill. I know how much time and effort that he’s put into it—countless visits, meetings and dialogue with professionals in this sector—so, I thank him for that. I admire the aim of this Bill, which is to enable all pupils from maintained schools to experience residential outdoor education free of charge for a minimum of four days or five nights in their school career. As we all know, outdoor education residentials offer a wide range of benefits that impact on pupils’ personal and social development. We've seen how beneficial and important that is, obviously, during the pandemic and post pandemic within the education life of a child.
The benefits reach beyond the individual in a school setting and have a potential long-term impact on lifelong learning, health, employment and economic outcomes, and the environment, as you outlined. So, I was disappointed to hear the Minister’s response just now. And I’m sure the Member would agree with me that it’s all about priorities, isn’t it? I’d say that this sort of Bill would hold more financial benefit than 36 more politicians in this place.
So, I’d like to ask you if you could expand on how you believe that this would help the worst-off in our society and, obviously, go a long way to helping tackle the growing number of mental health issues within our schools at the moment.
It is not just important to help families financially to ensure equality of opportunity within education, which this Bill would provide; as my colleague knows, the Bill has the potential to go a long way to supporting those learners with additional learning needs and disabilities specifically. As the explanatory memorandum states,
‘For children and young people with ALN it can be argued that these benefits are even more profound'—
that this Bill could provide—
'and life-changing. Bendrigg Trust, a specialist provider for disabled and disadvantaged people from across the UK, states that "high-quality residentials provide 'opportunities for students with disabilities to be engaged in physical activities' which is greatly needed as 86% of families with disabled children go without leisure activities".'
And this is a picture that I recognise from visiting schools across Wales and talking to parents with children with severe disabilities, who tend to miss out on school activities and trips for a variety of reasons.
So, there’s a real need for truly inclusive outdoor provision, with real opportunities to experience risk in a controlled manner, to ensure that everyone can enjoy our beautiful country. By making a course of residential outdoor education an entitlement within the curriculum, every child with ALN or with a disability will have the opportunity to access the benefits, no matter their circumstances. And this could be life-changing for many across Wales, and often it serves as a leveller for many pupils and brings pupils together.
Finally, I’d just like to—. I’d like to ask the Member—. Sorry, what groups has the Member engaged with during this process—those with ALN and disabilities—and talked to them? I’d be interested to hear what they said when you presented your Bill idea to them.
Finally, I’d like to comment on how I too believe this could be truly transformational in terms of education in Wales. It is clear, as the research shows, that this Bill would lead to truly positive outcomes relating to confidence, communication, resilience, social skills and independence. I remember my own outdoor education excursions to Forest Coal Pit in Talybont as such fun, and real bonding experiences between all children from all backgrounds and all colours. And they were often the first time that children would have an experience away from their parents as well. And you’re right that the benefits carry on after that school experience, because I still enjoy those experiences now, spurred on by that spark it ignited back in my school days, and I know that that’s a love that I’ve carried on with my own children.
This can only bode well for learning in the classroom as well, tackling bullying and future challenges that learners will face in later life. The Bill will give learners a real boost that they so badly need after the damaging effects of the pandemic and school closures. As I visit schools across Wales, I see that outdoor activities are always hugely enjoyed and engaged in and welcomed by pupils, and I’d like to ask him about what some of those young people’s reactions were when he presented them with that Bill. And, of course, I’d like to just finally say that I urge everyone in this Chamber today to support Sam Rowlands’s Bill today. The cost, Minister, will pay for itself in prevention, of course, which is better than cure. And I wish you luck, Sam, and you have my full support.
Yn gyntaf, llongyfarchiadau i Sam Rowlands, fy nghyd-Aelod sy’n cynrychioli Gogledd Cymru, ar gyflwyno Bil Addysg Awyr Agored Breswyl (Cymru) heddiw. Mae'n bleser siarad ar y darlleniad cyntaf hwn, ac rwy'n cefnogi ei Fil yn llwyr. Gwn faint o amser ac ymdrech y mae wedi’u rhoi iddo—ymweliadau, cyfarfodydd a sgyrsiau di-rif gyda gweithwyr proffesiynol yn y sector hwn—felly, diolch iddo am hynny. Rwy’n edmygu nod y Bil hwn, sef galluogi pob disgybl o ysgolion a gynhelir i gael profiad o addysg awyr agored breswyl yn rhad ac am ddim am o leiaf bedwar diwrnod neu bum noson yn ystod eu gyrfa ysgol. Fel y gŵyr pob un ohonom, mae cyrsiau addysg awyr agored breswyl yn cynnig ystod eang o fuddion sy’n effeithio ar ddatblygiad personol a chymdeithasol disgyblion. Rydym wedi gweld pa mor fuddiol a phwysig yw hynny, yn amlwg, yn ystod y pandemig ac ar ôl y pandemig ym mywyd addysgol plentyn.
Mae’r buddion yn ymestyn y tu hwnt i’r unigolyn mewn lleoliad ysgol ac yn cael effaith hirdymor bosibl ar ddysgu gydol oes, iechyd, cyflogaeth a chanlyniadau economaidd, a’r amgylchedd, fel yr amlinellwyd gennych. Felly, roeddwn yn siomedig o glywed ymateb y Gweinidog nawr. Ac rwy'n siŵr y byddai'r Aelod yn cytuno â mi fod y cyfan yn fater o flaenoriaethau, onid yw? Buaswn yn dweud y byddai’r math hwn o Fil yn arwain at fwy o fudd ariannol na 36 o wleidyddion ychwanegol yn y lle hwn.
Felly, hoffwn ofyn i chi ymhelaethu ar sut y credwch y byddai hyn yn helpu'r bobl dlotaf yn ein cymdeithas, ac yn amlwg, yn mynd ymhell i helpu i fynd i'r afael â'r nifer cynyddol o broblemau iechyd meddwl yn ein hysgolion ar hyn o bryd.
Mae'n bwysig nid yn unig i helpu teuluoedd yn ariannol i sicrhau cyfle cyfartal o fewn addysg, sy'n rhywbeth y byddai’r Bil hwn yn ei ddarparu; fel y gŵyr fy nghyd-Aelod, mae gan y Bil botensial hefyd i fynd ymhell i gefnogi dysgwyr ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol ac anableddau yn benodol. Fel y dywed y memorandwm esboniadol,
'Ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc ag ADY, gellir dadlau bod y manteision hyn hyd yn oed yn fwy dwys'—
y manteision y gallai’r Bil hwn eu darparu—
'ac yn gallu newid bywydau. Mae Ymddiriedolaeth Bendrigg, darparwr arbenigol ar gyfer pobl anabl a difreintiedig o bob rhan o’r DU, yn datgan bod cyrsiau preswyl o ansawdd uchel yn darparu cyfleoedd i fyfyrwyr ag anableddau gymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau corfforol y mae ei angen yn fawr arnynt gan nad yw 86% o deuluoedd â phlant anabl yn cymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau hamdden.'
Ac mae hwn yn ddarlun rwy'n ei adnabod o ymweld ag ysgolion ledled Cymru a siarad â rhieni â phlant ag anableddau difrifol, sy’n dueddol o golli cyfle i fwynhau gweithgareddau a theithiau ysgol am amrywiaeth o resymau.
Felly, mae gwir angen darpariaeth addysg awyr agored wirioneddol gynhwysol, gyda chyfleoedd gwirioneddol i brofi risg dan reolaeth, er mwyn sicrhau bod pawb yn gallu mwynhau ein gwlad brydferth. Drwy wneud cwrs addysg awyr agored breswyl yn hawl o fewn y cwricwlwm, bydd pob plentyn ag ADY neu anabledd yn cael cyfle i fanteisio ar y buddion, ni waeth beth fo’u hamgylchiadau. A gallai hyn newid bywydau llawer o blant ledled Cymru, ac yn aml, mae'n darparu cyfle teg i lawer o ddisgyblion ac yn dod â disgyblion at ei gilydd.
Yn olaf, hoffwn—. Hoffwn ofyn i’r Aelod—. Mae’n ddrwg gennyf, pa grwpiau y mae’r Aelod wedi ymgysylltu â nhw yn ystod y broses hon—y rhai ag ADY ac anableddau—ac wedi siarad â nhw? Hoffwn glywed beth roedden nhw'n ei ddweud pan gyflwynoch chi eich syniad am y Bil iddynt.
Yn olaf, hoffwn wneud sylw ar sut rwyf innau hefyd yn credu y gallai hyn fod yn wirioneddol drawsnewidiol i addysg yng Nghymru. Mae’n amlwg, fel y dengys yr ymchwil, y byddai’r Bil hwn yn arwain at ganlyniadau gwirioneddol gadarnhaol yn ymwneud â hyder, cyfathrebu, gwytnwch, sgiliau cymdeithasol ac annibyniaeth. Rwy’n cofio'r hwyl a gefais ar fy nheithiau addysg awyr agored fy hun i Forest Coal Pit yn Nhal-y-bont, a phrofiadau a oedd yn dod â phob plentyn o bob cefndir a phob lliw yn agosach at ei gilydd. Ac yn aml, dyma'r tro cyntaf i blant gael profiad o fod oddi wrth eu rhieni hefyd. Ac rydych yn llygad eich lle fod y manteision yn parhau ar ôl y profiad ysgol hwnnw, gan fy mod yn dal i fwynhau'r profiadau hynny nawr, wedi'u sbarduno gan y sbarc a daniodd yn ôl yn fy nyddiau ysgol, a gwn fod hwnnw'n gariad rwyf wedi ei drosglwyddo i fy mhlant fy hun.
Ni all hyn ond argoeli’n dda ar gyfer dysgu yn yr ystafell ddosbarth hefyd, gan fynd i’r afael â bwlio a heriau y bydd dysgwyr yn eu hwynebu yn ddiweddarach mewn bywyd. Bydd y Bil yn rhoi'r hwb gwirioneddol sydd ei angen ar ddysgwyr ar ôl effeithiau niweidiol y pandemig a chau ysgolion. Wrth imi ymweld ag ysgolion ledled Cymru, gwelaf fod disgyblion bob amser yn mwynhau gweithgareddau awyr agored yn fawr ac yn cymryd rhan ynddynt ac yn eu croesawu, a hoffwn ofyn iddo beth oedd rhai o ymatebion y bobl ifanc hynny pan soniodd wrthynt am y Bil. Ac wrth gwrs, hoffwn ddweud, i gloi, fy mod yn annog pawb yn y Siambr i gefnogi Bil Sam Rowlands heddiw. Bydd y gost, Weinidog, yn talu amdani’i hun drwy atal, wrth gwrs, sy’n well na gwella. Ac rwy'n dymuno pob lwc i chi, Sam, ac yn rhoi fy nghefnogaeth lawn i chi.
Well, thank you very much, Laura Anne Jones, for that contribution as well, and certainly for acknowledging the benefits of the Bill, particularly within the classroom. I thought it was an interesting piece by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, which carried out a piece of research over a seven-year period in recent times, involving 60 schools incorporating forms of residentials. And just to back up what Laura Anne Jones has said there, they found that well-planned and progressive residentials had a positive impact on multiple factors, including relationships, resilience, self-confidence and well-being, engagement with learning—which was an interesting part from the classroom-experience point of view—achievement, knowledge, skills and understanding and also teacher pedagogy.
And the aside there from the teacher side is an interesting part when it comes to, as you acknowledge, benefits in the classroom. Because again, research clearly points that these experiences, where teachers are going away often with the pupils that they are spending time with, spending time in a different environment, research shows greater knowledge of students, their interests and aspirations, which transfers back into the classroom, and improved relationships with students, which promotes engagement in the classroom. And Laura Anne Jones herself has highlighted in recent times some of the issues that some teachers are experiencing in terms of inappropriate behaviour, and bad behaviour, in our schools. And these types of experiences help to build those positive relationships between teachers and pupils.
On the points you raised around children with additional learning needs, I'm pleased that on the face of the Bill, the duty within there ensures that there must be provision
'that residential outdoor education is suitable to a pupil’s age, ability, aptitude and any additional learning needs'.
Because as you rightly pointed out, far too few children with additional learning needs get to have these experiences. And indeed, of the 37 special schools that we have in Wales, last year, only nine of those schools actually organised any of these experiences, despite the fact that there is very specialist provision out there to support pupils at those times.
In terms of the engagement, as you'd expect, there has been a huge amount of engagement with all sorts of organisations over the last 18 months. I undertook a consultation back in January this year, broadly around the idea of the Bill. I undertook a consultation with children and young people as well before the summer, then a formal consultation over the summer period as well. In terms of young people's reaction to this, as you'd expect, they are extremely positive about these experiences, and certainly would want to see these made more available to them and their school friends in the future.
And interestingly—not from the engagement I undertook, but through the research I undertook—when pupils were asked about their anxieties about school, in the top three consistently from pupils, regarding school anxieties, was the inability to go on school trips or school residential trips themselves. So, for them as young people, they are fully aware, in that classroom at the time, if their family cannot afford to have these experiences, the impact it has on them. And I'm sure all of us would like to see that anxiety removed.
Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn am y cyfraniad hwnnw hefyd, Laura Anne Jones, ac yn sicr am gydnabod manteision y Bil, yn enwedig yn yr ystafell ddosbarth. Roeddwn i'n meddwl ei fod yn ddarn diddorol gan Sefydliad Paul Hamlyn, a wnaeth ymchwil dros gyfnod o saith mlynedd yn ddiweddar, gan gynnwys 60 o ysgolion a oedd yn ymgorffori ffurfiau ar gyrsiau preswyl. Ac i gefnogi'r hyn a ddywedodd Laura Anne Jones yno, fe welsant fod cyrsiau preswyl blaengar wedi'u cynllunio'n dda wedi cael effaith gadarnhaol ar sawl ffactor, gan gynnwys perthnasoedd, gwytnwch, hunanhyder a llesiant, diddordeb mewn dysgu—a oedd yn rhan ddiddorol o safbwynt profiad yr ystafell ddosbarth—cyflawniad, gwybodaeth, sgiliau a dealltwriaeth a hefyd addysgeg athrawon.
Ac mae ochr yr athro yn rhan ddiddorol o ran manteision yn yr ystafell ddosbarth, fel rydych chi'n cydnabod. Oherwydd unwaith eto, mae ymchwil yn nodi'n glir fod y profiadau hyn, lle mae athrawon yn mynd i ffwrdd yn aml gyda'r disgyblion y maent yn treulio amser gyda nhw, a threulio amser mewn amgylchedd gwahanol, mae ymchwil yn dangos mwy o wybodaeth am fyfyrwyr, eu diddordebau a'u dyheadau, sy'n trosglwyddo'n ôl i'r ystafell ddosbarth, a gwell perthynas â myfyrwyr, sy'n hyrwyddo ymgysylltiad yn yr ystafell ddosbarth. Ac yn ddiweddar mae Laura Anne Jones ei hun wedi tynnu sylw at rai o'r problemau y mae rhai athrawon yn eu profi ar ffurf ymddygiad amhriodol, ac ymddygiad gwael, yn ein hysgolion. Ac mae'r mathau hyn o brofiadau'n helpu i feithrin y perthnasoedd cadarnhaol hynny rhwng athrawon a disgyblion.
Ar y pwyntiau a godwyd gennych ynglŷn â phlant ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, rwy'n falch fod y ddyletswydd yno, ar wyneb y Bil, yn sicrhau bod yn rhaid darparu
'bod addysg breswyl yn yr awyr agored yn addas ar gyfer oedran, gallu, a dawn disgybl ac unrhyw anghenion dysgu ychwanegol'.
Oherwydd fel y nodwyd gennych yn briodol, mae llawer gormod o blant ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol yn cael eu hamddifadu o'r profiadau hyn. Ac yn wir, o'r 37 ysgol arbennig sydd gennym yng Nghymru, y llynedd, dim ond naw o'r ysgolion hynny a drefnodd unrhyw un o'r profiadau hyn mewn gwirionedd, er bod darpariaeth arbenigol iawn ar gael i gefnogi disgyblion ar yr adegau hynny.
Ar ymgysylltu, fel y byddech yn disgwyl, bu llawer iawn o ymgysylltu â phob math o sefydliadau dros y 18 mis diwethaf. Cynhaliais ymgynghoriad yn ôl ym mis Ionawr eleni, ar syniad y Bil yn fras. Cynhaliais ymgynghoriad gyda phlant a phobl ifanc hefyd cyn yr haf, ac ymgynghoriad ffurfiol dros gyfnod yr haf hefyd. O ran ymateb pobl ifanc i hyn, fel y byddech yn disgwyl, maent yn hynod o gadarnhaol am y profiadau hyn, ac yn sicr byddent am weld y rhain ar gael yn fwy eang iddyn nhw a'u ffrindiau ysgol yn y dyfodol.
Ac yn ddiddorol—nid o'r ymgysylltu a wneuthum, ond drwy'r ymchwil—pan ofynnwyd i ddisgyblion am eu pryderon ynghylch yr ysgol, y tri uchaf yn gyson gan ddisgyblion, o ran pryderon ysgol, oedd yr anallu i fynd ar dripiau ysgol neu deithiau preswyl ysgol eu hunain. Felly, iddyn nhw fel pobl ifanc, yn yr ystafell ddosbarth ar y pryd, os na all eu teulu fforddio cael y profiadau hyn, maent yn gwbl ymwybodol o'r effaith y mae'n ei chael arnyn nhw. Ac rwy'n siŵr y byddai pob un ohonom yn hoffi gweld y pryder hwnnw'n cael ei ddileu.
Dwi'n falch o'r cyfle i siarad ar hyn heddiw, ac, o ran y nod, rydym ni fel plaid yn gefnogol.
I'm pleased to have the opportunity to talk on this today, and, in terms of the objective, we as a party are supportive.
I must make a point though in terms of universality—something that I support—as your colleague Janet Finch-Saunders mentioned earlier the free school meal provisions, and that people who can afford to pay should be able to afford it. Well, actually, we do pay for things like free school meals through our taxes. I do support this, but we need to have a consistency from those benches in terms of what universality means and why it's important that these kinds of experiences don't have that price tag attached, and that everybody can access. So, I would ask you to respond in terms of why are we picking and choosing universality, because this is a matter of principle.
And similarly, I don't know how many times the Conservative benches have spent the additional money for more politicians. That's not the point here. And that's why I do support what you're proposing here, in terms of ensuring that every child has that equity of opportunity, and that should apply—[Interruption.]
Rhaid imi wneud pwynt serch hynny ynghylch cyffredinolrwydd—rhywbeth rwy'n ei gefnogi—fel y soniodd eich cyd-Aelod Janet Finch-Saunders yn gynharach am y darpariaethau prydau ysgol am ddim, ac y dylai pobl sy'n gallu fforddio talu allu ei fforddio. Wel, mewn gwirionedd, rydym yn talu am bethau fel prydau ysgol am ddim drwy ein trethi. Rwy'n cefnogi hyn, ond mae angen inni gael cysondeb oddi ar y meinciau hynny ynghylch yr hyn y mae cyffredinolrwydd yn ei olygu a pham ei bod yn bwysig nad oes pris ynghlwm wrth y mathau hyn o brofiadau, a bod pawb yn gallu eu cael. Felly, hoffwn ofyn i chi nodi wrth ymateb pam ein bod yn dewis a dethol cyffredinolrwydd, oherwydd mae hyn fater o egwyddor.
Ac yn yr un modd, nid wyf yn gwybod faint o weithiau mae'r meinciau Ceidwadol wedi gwario'r arian ychwanegol ar fwy o wleidyddion. Nid dyna'r pwynt yma. A dyna pam rwy'n cefnogi'r hyn rydych chi'n ei gynnig yma, o ran sicrhau bod pob plentyn yn cael cyfle cyfartal, a dylai hynny fod yn berthnasol—[Torri ar draws.]
I would like to listen to the questions coming from the Member, and not listen to conversations across the Chamber between two backbenchers—well, the leader of the opposition and a backbencher of the Government. Heledd. Sorry.
Hoffwn wrando ar y cwestiynau sy'n dod gan yr Aelod, a pheidio â gwrando ar sgyrsiau ar draws y Siambr rhwng dau Aelod ar y meinciau cefn—wel, arweinydd yr wrthblaid ac Aelod ar feinciau cefn y Llywodraeth. Heledd. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf.