Y Cyfarfod Llawn
Plenary
04/06/2024Cynnwys
Contents
Yn y fersiwn ddwyieithog, mae’r golofn chwith yn cynnwys yr iaith a lefarwyd yn y cyfarfod. Mae’r golofn dde yn cynnwys cyfieithiad o’r areithiau hynny.
In the bilingual version, the left-hand column includes the language used during the meeting. The right-hand column includes a translation of those speeches.
Cyfarfu'r Senedd yn y Siambr a thrwy gynhadledd fideo am 13:30 gyda'r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Senedd met in the Chamber and by video-conference at 13:30 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Prynhawn da a chroeso, bawb, i'r Cyfarfod Llawn y prynhawn yma. Cyn i ni gychwyn, licen i hysbysu'r Senedd, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 26.75, fod Deddf Seilwaith (Cymru) 2024 wedi cael Cydsyniad Brenhinol ar ddydd Llun 3 Mehefin.
Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's Plenary meeting. Before we begin, I would like to inform the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 26.75, that the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 was given Royal Assent on Monday 3 June.
Yr eitem gyntaf y prynhawn yma fydd y cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan John Griffiths.
The first item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from John Griffiths.
1. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i hybu datblygiad economaidd yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru? OQ61219
1. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to boost economic development in south-east Wales? OQ61219
Thank you for the question. We work with local authorities across the Cardiff capital region to increase economic prosperity. Our regional economic framework for south-east Wales has identified the development of key growth clusters as a priority, alongside our investment in infrastructure supporting the economic mission.
Diolch am y cwestiwn. Rydyn ni’n gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol ar draws prifddinas-ranbarth Caerdydd i gynyddu ffyniant economaidd. Mae ein fframwaith economaidd rhanbarthol ar gyfer y de-ddwyrain wedi nodi bod datblygu clystyrau twf allweddol yn flaenoriaeth, ochr yn ochr â'n buddsoddiad mewn seilwaith sy'n cefnogi'r genhadaeth economaidd.
We're in the midst of a crucial general election for the future of Wales and the UK as a whole. An incoming UK Labour Government would have Gordon Brown's report available to it, recognising the regional inequalities of the UK, and providing major investment for Wales in infrastructure, renewables and clusters in south-east Wales, such as cyber security and the semiconductor industry, as well as easing the transition to green steel. What a contrast to the Tories short-changing Wales by several million pounds in not fulfilling their pledge to replace EU economic aid to Wales pound for pound, and now committing to introduce an outdated national service for our young people, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates would leave Wales £275 million worse off, in taking money from the £1.5 billion so-called shared prosperity scheme, which, of course, was originally earmarked to replace EU economic aid. Do you agree, First Minister, what a stark contrast this is between that regressive policy of the UK Tories and the Welsh Government's young person's guarantee for 16 to 24-year-olds, providing support for a place in education, training, work or self-employment?
Rydyn ni yng nghanol etholiad cyffredinol hanfodol bwysig ar gyfer dyfodol Cymru a'r DU yn ei chyfanrwydd. Byddai adroddiad Gordon Brown ar gael i Lywodraeth Lafur y DU newydd, gan gydnabod anghydraddoldebau rhanbarthol y DU, a darparu buddsoddiad mawr i Gymru mewn seilwaith, ynni adnewyddadwy a chlystyrau yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru, fel seiberddiogelwch a'r diwydiant lled-ddargludyddion, yn ogystal â hwyluso'r broses o drosglwyddo i ddur gwyrdd. Am gyferbyniad i Gymru yn cael sawl miliwn o bunnoedd yn annigonol gan y Torïaid wrth beidio â chyflawni eu haddewid i ddisodli cymorth economaidd yr UE i Gymru fesul punt, ac ymrwymo nawr i gyflwyno gwasanaeth cenedlaethol hen ffasiwn ar gyfer ein pobl ifanc, y mae'r Sefydliad Astudiaethau Cyllid yn amcangyfrif fyddai'n gadael Cymru £275 miliwn yn waeth ei byd, wrth gymryd arian o'r cynllun ffyniant cyffredin honedig gwerth £1.5 biliwn, a glustnodwyd yn wreiddiol, wrth gwrs, i ddisodli cymorth economaidd yr UE. A ydych chi'n cytuno, Prif Weinidog, am gyferbyniad llwyr yw hyn rhwng polisi atchweliadol hwnnw Torïaid y DU a gwarant i bobl ifanc Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer pobl ifanc 16 i 24 oed, gan ddarparu cymorth ar gyfer lle mewn addysg, hyfforddiant, gwaith neu hunangyflogaeth?
Okay, this is now a minute and a half into this party political broadcast. I'm sure you won't be the only one that tries this over the next few weeks, and it will come from all directions, I'm sure. But if we can allow the First Minister to find the question in there and to answer.
Iawn, mae hyn funud a hanner i mewn i'r darllediad gwleidyddol pleidiol hwn bellach. Rwy'n siŵr nad chi fydd yr unig un sy'n rhoi cynnig ar hyn dros yr wythnosau nesaf, a bydd yn dod o bob cyfeiriad, rwy'n siŵr. Ond os gallwn ni ganiatáu i'r Prif Weinidog ddod o hyd i'r cwestiwn yn y fan yna ac ateb.
Thank you for the question. I agree that the national service model proposed as a shock by Rishi Sunak was not just a shock to young people, but a shock to many Conservative MPs and indeed, Ministers—a desperate gimmick at the start of a crucial general election for Wales and Britain. And the Member's right to draw a contrast between that and what we have chosen to do with the young person's guarantee—long-term investment in the future of young people and the skills they need to survive and thrive in the world that we are seeking to create. It's a direct contrast to the Tories taking away money and powers from Wales—£275 million as a minimum every year is lost to Wales because of the shared prosperity fund that now the Tories propose to put into a national service model that no-one thinks is going to work or actually provide a future for young people. That is the Tory record. I believe people will make a definitive choice on 4 July. Look at what they have done to Wales. Look at what we offer. Who on earth would want to stand with the Tories when it comes to 4 or 5 July? I look forward to the verdict of the people of Wales.
Diolch am y cwestiwn. Rwy'n cytuno nad oedd y model gwasanaeth cenedlaethol a gynigiwyd fel sioc gan Rishi Sunak yn sioc i bobl ifanc yn unig, ond yn sioc i lawer o ASau Ceidwadol ac yn wir, Gweinidogion—gimig anobeithiol ar ddechrau etholiad cyffredinol hollbwysig i Gymru a Phrydain. Ac mae'r Aelod yn iawn i dynnu sylw at y cyferbyniad rhwng hynny a'r hyn yr ydym ni wedi dewis ei wneud gyda'r gwarant i bobl ifanc—buddsoddiad hirdymor yn nyfodol pobl ifanc a'r sgiliau sydd eu hangen arnyn nhw i oroesi a ffynnu yn y byd yr ydym ni'n ceisio ei greu. Mae'n gyferbyniad uniongyrchol i'r Torïaid yn cymryd arian a phwerau oddi wrth Cymru—mae £275 miliwn fel isafswm bob blwyddyn yn cael ei golli i Gymru oherwydd y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin y mae'r Torïaid yn cynnig ei gyfrannu bellach at fodel gwasanaeth cenedlaethol nad oes neb yn credu sy'n mynd i weithio na chynnig dyfodol i bobl ifanc mewn gwirionedd. Dyna record y Torïaid. Rwy'n credu y bydd pobl yn gwneud dewis pendant ar 4 Gorffennaf. Edrychwch ar yr hyn y maen nhw wedi ei wneud i Gymru. Edrychwch ar yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei gynnig. Pwy ar y ddaear fyddai eisiau sefyll gyda'r Torïaid pan ddaw i 4 neu 5 Gorffennaf? Edrychaf ymlaen at ddyfarniad pobl Cymru.
First Minister, let's bring it back to Wales now. We're in the Welsh Parliament; let the UK Government focus on their own things. Now, First Minister, businesses in Wales are finding it increasingly difficult to stay afloat following the Welsh Government's decision to cut business rate relief. Labour Ministers' move to slash the relief from 75 per cent to 40 per cent now means that businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 will be left with a rates bill of nearly £8,500. This isn't just a couple of pennies or pounds, First Minister; we're talking about businesses being expected to find thousands of pounds. UK Labour's shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, recently described your party as the natural party of British businesses and said that you are pro worker and pro business. That's simply not true, is it, First Minister, under Labour, because here in Wales we have the highest business rates in Great Britain, extremely low business survival rates, the second lowest gross value added growth since 1999 out of the UK nations, and the highest economic inactivity levels out of the four nations. So, do you think the Welsh Government should finally stop punishing hardworking businesses and start helping them thrive? And do you not think a good place to start would be reintroducing the 75 per cent rate relief support? Thank you.
Prif Weinidog, gadewch i ni ddod a pethau yn ôl i Gymru nawr. Rydym ni yn Senedd Cymru; gadewch i Lywodraeth y DU ganolbwyntio ar eu pethau eu hunain. Nawr, Prif Weinidog, mae busnesau yng Nghymru yn ei chael hi'n fwyfwy anodd cael dau ben llinyn ynghyd yn dilyn penderfyniad Llywodraeth Cymru i dorri rhyddhad ardrethi busnes. Mae cam Gweinidogion Llafur i leihau'r rhyddhad o 75 y cant i 40 y cant bellach yn golygu y bydd busnesau sydd â gwerth ardrethol o £15,000 yn cael eu gadael â bil ardrethi o bron i £8,500. Nid dim ond cwpl o geiniogau neu bunnoedd yw hyn, Prif Weinidog; rydym ni'n sôn am ddisgwyl i fusnesau ddod o hyd i filoedd o bunnoedd. Yn ddiweddar, disgrifiodd Rachel Reeves, Canghellor gwrthblaid Llafur y DU, eich plaid fel plaid naturiol busnesau Prydain a dywedodd eich bod o blaid gweithiwr ac o blaid busnes. Nid yw hynny'n wir, onid yw, Prif Weinidog, o dan Lafur, oherwydd yma yng Nghymru mae gennym ni'r ardrethu busnes uchaf ym Mhrydain Fawr, cyfraddau goroesi busnesau eithriadol o isel, yr ail dwf i wrth ychwanegol gros ers 1999 o wledydd y DU, a'r lefelau anweithgarwch economaidd uchaf o'r pedair gwlad. Felly, a ydych chi'n credu y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru roi'r gorau o'r diwedd i gosbi busnesau sy'n gweithio'n galed a dechrau eu helpu nhw i ffynnu? Ac onid ydych chi'n credu y byddai ailgyflwyno'r cymorth rhyddhad ardrethi o 75 y cant yn lle da i ddechrau? Diolch.
I agree we're not talking about mere pennies or pounds; we're talking about over £1 billion lost to Wales because the Tories broke their manifesto pledge to replace EU funds in full. I remember Andrew R.T. Davies saying repeatedly that Wales would not lose a single penny. We've actually lost more than £1 billion, and, on top of that, our budget is worth £700 million less in real terms than just three years ago. That is the Tory record. That is what the Tories have done to Wales. I'm proud that we are pro worker and pro business. [Interruption.] I look forward to carrying our message into communities and doorsteps across the country. [Interruption.] I want a new start for Wales—
Rwy'n cytuno nad ydym ni'n sôn am ychydig geiniogau neu bunnoedd yn unig; rydym ni'n sôn am dros £1 biliwn a gollwyd i Gymru oherwydd bod y Torïaid wedi torri eu haddewid maniffesto i ddisodli cyllid yr UE yn llawn. Rwy'n cofio Andrew R.T. Davies yn dweud dro ar ôl tro na fyddai Cymru'n colli'r un geiniog. Mewn gwirionedd, rydym ni wedi colli mwy nag £1 biliwn, ac ar ben hynny, mae ein cyllideb werth £700 miliwn yn llai mewn termau real na dim ond tair blynedd yn ôl. Dyna record y Torïaid. Dyna mae'r Torïaid wedi ei wneud i Gymru. Rwy'n falch ein bod ni o blaid gweithwyr ac o blaid busnes. [Torri ar draws.] Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at gario ein neges i gymunedau a cherrig drws ledled y wlad. [Torri ar draws.] Rwyf i eisiau dechrau newydd i Gymru—
I can't hear the First Minister. Can we have some silence, please?
Allaf i ddim clywed y Prif Weinidog. A allwn ni gael ychydig o dawelwch os gwelwch yn dda?
—to turn the page on 14 desperate Tory years.
—droi'r dudalen ar 14 o flynyddoedd Torïaidd anobeithiol.
2. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gymorth Llywodraeth Cymru i fusnesau yng Nghaerffili? OQ61210
2. Will the First Minister provide an update on Welsh Government support for businesses in Caerphilly? OQ61210
Thank you for the question. Our Business Wales service should be the first port of call for any business in the Caerphilly area in need of support. Since 2016, it has supported the creation of over 1,400 jobs, 283 new-start businesses, and provided support to over 1,800 individuals and businesses within Caerphilly.
Diolch am y cwestiwn. Ein gwasanaeth Busnes Cymru ddylai fod y man galw cyntaf i unrhyw fusnes yn ardal Caerffili sydd angen cymorth. Ers 2016, mae wedi cefnogi creu dros 1,400 o swyddi, 283 o fusnesau newydd sbon, ac wedi darparu cymorth i dros 1,800 o unigolion a busnesau yng Nghaerffili.
I was reading just the other day about the futureproofing fund the Welsh Government is introducing. Can he give us more detail about how that's going to benefit businesses in such areas as the retail and leisure sectors in Caerphilly, Ystrad Mynach and Bargoed in my constituency?
Roeddwn i'n darllen y diwrnod o'r blaen am y gronfa diogelu at y dyfodol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei chyflwyno. A all ef roi mwy o fanylion i ni am sut y bydd hynny o fudd i fusnesau mewn meysydd fel y sectorau manwerthu a hamdden yng Nghaerffili, Ystrad Mynach a Bargod yn fy etholaeth i?
Thank you for the question. The futureproofing fund was launched by the economy Secretary on 20 May. It's a £20 million fund to provide discretionary financial assistance to microbusinesses and small and medium-sized enterprises in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. It's designed to help invest in measures to help them reduce their running costs, and to futureproof their businesses. I'm looking forward to seeing the applications that will come in for the different businesses we want to be able to support. It's part of what we look to do in investing in the future of our economy, in the jobs that our local communities and workers need. I want to see more tools in our armoury to do that, not desperately fighting against a deliberate attempt to take money and powers away from this Government and this Senedd. I expect there'll be more that we can do together, with local authorities, with businesses, if we do see a new start on 4 July. But we will carry on doing what we should do, with the powers we have, with the money that we have, to make those positive choices to support businesses in Caerphilly and beyond.
Diolch am y cwestiwn. Lansiwyd y gronfa diogelu at y dyfodol gan Ysgrifennydd yr economi ar 20 Mai. Mae'n gronfa gwerth £20 miliwn i ddarparu cymorth ariannol dewisol i ficrofusnesau a busnesau bach a chanolig eu maint yn y sectorau manwerthu, lletygarwch a hamdden. Ei fwriad yw helpu i fuddsoddi mewn mesurau i'w helpu i leihau eu costau rhedeg, ac i ddiogelu eu busnesau at y dyfodol. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at weld y ceisiadau a fydd yn dod i mewn ar gyfer y gwahanol fusnesau yr ydym ni eisiau gallu eu cefnogi. Mae'n rhan o'r hyn yr ydym ni'n bwriadu ei wneud wrth fuddsoddi yn nyfodol ein heconomi, yn y swyddi sydd eu hangen ar ein cymunedau a'n gweithwyr lleol. Rwyf i eisiau gweld mwy o ddulliau yn ein harfogaeth i wneud hynny, nid ymladd yn daer yn erbyn ymgais fwriadol i gymryd arian a phwerau oddi wrth y Llywodraeth hon a'r Senedd hon. Rwy'n disgwyl y bydd mwy y gallwn ni ei wneud gyda'n gilydd, gydag awdurdodau lleol, gyda busnesau, os byddwch yn gweld dechrau newydd ar 4 Gorffennaf. Ond byddwn yn parhau i wneud yr hyn y dylem ni ei wneud, gyda'r pwerau sydd gennym ni, gyda'r arian sydd gennym ni, i wneud y dewisiadau cadarnhaol hynny i gefnogi busnesau yng Nghaerffili a thu hwnt.
As my colleague has already said, we now see Welsh businesses facing the highest business rates in Britain. You are certainly not the party for small businesses. These businesses, especially in our region, have been crying out for help, and what constituents have been telling us all for months is that this business rate rise will cause businesses to either shut or even move to England. This is obviously damaging to the economy and is an example of this Welsh Government not supporting young people, as you've just said, or any people at all. As we know on these benches, you cannot tax an economy into prosperity. It's all about choices, First Minister. And what worries me even more is that Keir Starmer now states that Wales is his plan for the rest of the UK. So, First Minister, can you tell us how this Government, and when this Government, actually plans to help businesses in my region and beyond, and bring them in line with the rest of the UK, instead of taxing them out of business?
Fel y mae fy nghyd-Aelod eisoes wedi ei ddweud, rydym ni bellach yn gweld busnesau Cymru yn wynebu'r ardrethi busnes uchaf ym Mhrydain. Yn sicr, nid chi yw'r blaid i fusnesau bach. Mae'r busnesau hyn, yn enwedig yn ein rhanbarth ni, wedi bod angen cymorth yn daer, a'r hyn y mae etholwyr wedi bod yn ei ddweud wrthym ni i gyd ers misoedd yw y bydd y cynnydd hwn i ardrethi busnes yn achosi i fusnesau gau neu symud i Loegr hyd yn oed. Mae hyn yn amlwg yn niweidiol i'r economi ac mae'n enghraifft o'r Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru ddim yn cefnogi pobl ifanc, fel yr ydych chi newydd ei ddweud, nac unrhyw bobl o gwbl. Fel yr ydym ni'n ei wybod ar y meinciau hyn, ni allwch drethu economi i ffyniant. Mae'n ymwneud â dewisiadau, Prif Weinidog. A'r hyn sy'n fy mhoeni i fwy fyth yw bod Keir Starmer bellach yn dweud mai Cymru yw ei gynllun ar gyfer gweddill y DU. Felly, Prif Weinidog, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni sut mae'r Llywodraeth hon, a phryd mae'r Llywodraeth hon, mewn gwirionedd yn bwriadu helpu busnesau yn fy rhanbarth i a thu hwnt, a sicrhau eu bod yn cyd-fynd â gweddill y DU, yn hytrach na'u trethu allan o fusnes?
Well, it's an extraordinary thing for a Conservative representative to stand up and talk about taxes. We have the highest tax burden in peacetime, under this UK Conservative Government—the highest tax burden in peacetime. We have the second lowest growth in any G7 country over the last year—all on the Tory watch. And they now say they're the party of business and the party of the economy. Well, people will make a judgment on that on 4 July, and I look forward to that judgment. We are dealing with a deliberate reduction in our budget—£700 million in real terms—and the deliberate taking away of money and powers of more than £1 billion of money that this Parliament and this Government should have determined, to invest in the long-term future of our economy. All of those choices were made by a UK Conservative Government, with cheerleaders in this place. Not a single Welsh Conservative raised their voice in opposition to the taking away of money and powers from Wales. I am confident that we will make a positive case to people in Wales in this election, for our future. And I say again, who on earth would want to stand with the Tories in what is to come after what you have done to Wales?
Wel, mae'n beth rhyfeddol i gynrychiolydd Ceidwadol sefyll ar ei thraed a siarad am drethi. Mae gennym ni'r baich treth uchaf mewn cyfnod o heddwch, o dan y Llywodraeth Geidwadol hon yn y DU—y baich treth uchaf mewn cyfnod o heddwch. Mae gennym ni'r ail dwf isaf o unrhyw wlad G7 dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf—y cwbl o dan oruchwyliaeth y Torïaid. Ac maen nhw'n dweud nawr mai nhw yw plaid busnes a phlaid yr economi. Wel, bydd pobl yn gwneud dyfarniad ar hynny ar 4 Gorffennaf, ac edrychaf ymlaen at y dyfarniad hwnnw. Rydym ni'n ymdrin â gostyngiad bwriadol i'n cyllideb—£700 miliwn mewn termau real—a'r cymryd arian a phwerau bwriadol o fwy na £1 biliwn o arian y dylai'r Senedd hon a'r Llywodraeth hon fod wedi ei derbyn, i'w fuddsoddi yn nyfodol hirdymor ein heconomi. Gwnaed yr holl ddewisiadau hynny gan Lywodraeth Geidwadol y DU, gyda chefnogwyr brwd yn y lle hwn. Ni chododd yr un Ceidwadwr Cymreig eu llais yn erbyn cymryd arian a phwerau oddi wrth Gymru. Rwy'n hyderus y byddwn ni'n gwneud dadl gadarnhaol i bobl yng Nghymru yn yr etholiad hwn, ar gyfer ein dyfodol. Ac rwy'n dweud eto, pwy ar y ddaear fyddai eisiau sefyll gyda'r Torïaid yn yr hyn sydd i ddod ar ôl yr hyn yr ydych chi wedi ei wneud i Gymru?
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Questions now from the party leaders. The leader of the Conservatives, Andrew R.T. Davies.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, yesterday, the BBC broadcast a programme called A Big Stink. You had to feel sympathy and empathy for the poor people of Withyhedge who are suffering the smells and odours that are coming from that tip. You took £200,000 as a leadership donation from that company. We learned from the programme yesterday that that company was under criminal investigation. Can you confirm when you knew that that company was under a criminal investigation?
Diolch, Llywydd. Prif Weinidog, ddoe, darlledodd y BBC raglen o'r enw A Big Stink. Roedd yn rhaid i chi deimlo cydymdeimlad ac empathi tuag at bobl druan Withyhedge sy'n dioddef yr arogleuon sy'n dod o'r domen honno. Fe wnaethoch chi gymryd £200,000 fel rhodd arweinyddiaeth gan y cwmni hwnnw. Fe wnaethom ni ddarganfod o'r rhaglen ddoe bod ymchwiliad troseddol i'r cwmni hwnnw. A allwch chi gadarnhau pryd yr oeddech chi'n gwybod bod y cwmni hwnnw yn destun ymchwiliad troseddol?
Well, of course I feel sympathy for anyone directly affected by the issues raised in the programme around the operating of the site. The Member will know, and I draw attention again to my register of interests, but, actually, this is an area where it would be wholly improper or inappropriate for me to know about the investigation that the BBC reported on. That's when I was first aware of it—when it was reported on. Either in my role as the constituency Member for Cardiff South and Penarth or, indeed, in my role as a Minister within the Government, it would simply not be appropriate for me to be informed of any type of investigation going on into the operation of the site in Pembrokeshire. How could I know about the investigation taking place? And I should not know. That's the point. Whoever is undertaking the investigation needs to be able to undertake the investigation without fear or favour and come to whatever the right outcome is to see the improvement that could and should be made.
Wel, wrth gwrs, rwy'n cydymdeimlo ag unrhyw un sydd wedi'i effeithio yn uniongyrchol gan y materion a godwyd yn y rhaglen ynghylch gweithredu'r safle. Bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod, ac rwy'n tynnu sylw eto at fy nghofrestr buddiannau, ond, mewn gwirionedd, mae hwn yn faes lle byddai'n gwbl anghywir neu'n amhriodol i mi wybod am yr ymchwiliad yr adroddodd y BBC amdano. Dyna pryd roeddwn i'n ymwybodol ohono gyntaf—pan adroddwyd arno. Naill ai yn fy swyddogaeth fel yr Aelod etholaeth dros Dde Caerdydd a Phenarth neu, yn wir, yn fy swyddogaeth fel Gweinidog o fewn y Llywodraeth, ni fyddai'n briodol i mi gael fy hysbysu am unrhyw fath o ymchwiliad sy'n cael ei gynnal i weithrediad y safle yn sir Benfro. Sut allwn i wybod am yr ymchwiliad a oedd yn cael ei gynnal? Ac ni ddylwn i wybod. Dyna'r pwynt. Mae angen i bwy bynnag sy'n cynnal yr ymchwiliad allu cynnal yr ymchwiliad heb ofn na ffafr a dod i beth bynnag yw'r canlyniad cywir i weld y gwelliant y gellid ac y dylid ei wneud.
So, I take it from your answer that you did not know until the point was put to you by the BBC last week. I think I infer that from your answer. So, that leads on to the point where you've said that due diligence was undertaken on all donors to your campaign. What due diligence was actually undertaken, given that you were in receipt of the largest political donation in Welsh political history? Leave alone the other donations, but, on this specific £200,000 donation—given that you said you didn't know the criminal investigation was being undertaken until, I'm assuming, last week, because that's when the BBC put it to you—what due diligence were you and your team undertaking, as any reasonable person would expect to have been undertaken on a donation of that size?
Felly, rwy'n cymryd o'ch ateb nad oeddech chi'n gwybod tan i'r pwynt gael ei wneud i chi gan y BBC yr wythnos diwethaf. Rwy'n credu fy mod i'n casglu hynny o'ch ateb. Felly, mae hynny'n arwain at y pwynt lle'r ydych chi wedi dweud y cyflawnwyd diwydrwydd dyladwy ar bob rhoddwr i'ch ymgyrch. Pa ddiwydrwydd dyladwy a wnaed mewn gwirionedd, o ystyried eich bod chi wedi derbyn y rhodd wleidyddol fwyaf yn hanes gwleidyddol Cymru? Anghofiwch am y rhoddion eraill, ond, ar y rhodd benodol hon o £200,000—o gofio eich bod chi wedi dweud nad oeddech chi'n gwybod bod yr ymchwiliad troseddol yn cael ei gynnal tan, rwy'n tybio, yr wythnos diwethaf, oherwydd dyna pryd y gwnaeth y BBC eich holi amdano—pa ddiwydrwydd dyladwy oeddech chi a'ch tîm yn ei gyflawni, fel y byddai unrhyw berson rhesymol yn disgwyl iddo fod wedi cael ei gyflawni ar rodd o'r maint hwnnw?
Well, of course we undertook all the due diligence we were required to. That's exactly what happened. Again, even the BBC programme could not find an instance where any of the rules had been broken. So, we undertook due diligence. Again, I come back to the point that is being made: it would be improper and inappropriate for me to know about an investigation, whether it's undertaken by a regulator or any other authority with the ability to bring criminal proceedings. There would be no basis for me to be informed, and I should not be informed of that. That is the point. I just don't think there is much reasonable ground for a reasonable person to go over. I've answered these questions repeatedly, and I'll carry on repeatedly responding honestly and truthfully. I should also just correct the Member, as the largest political donation in Welsh political history was actually made to Plaid Cymru.
Wel, wrth gwrs, fe wnaethom ni gyflawni'r holl ddiwydrwydd dyladwy yr oedd yn ofynnol i ni ei gyflawni. Dyna'n union beth ddigwyddodd. Eto, doedd hyd yn oed rhaglen y BBC ddim yn gallu dod o hyd i achos lle'r oedd unrhyw un o'r rheolau wedi cael eu torri. Felly, rydym ni wedi ymrwymo i ddiwydrwydd dyladwy. Eto, rwy'n dychwelyd at y pwynt sy'n cael ei wneud: byddai'n anghywir ac yn amhriodol i mi wybod am ymchwiliad, pa un a yw'n cael ei gynnal gan reoleiddiwr neu unrhyw awdurdod arall â'r gallu i ddwyn achos troseddol. Ni fyddai unrhyw sail i mi gael fy hysbysu, ac ni ddylwn gael fy hysbysu am hynny. Dyna'r pwynt. Nid wyf i'n credu bod llawer o sail resymol i berson rhesymol fynd drosti. Rwyf i wedi ateb y cwestiynau hyn dro ar ôl tro, a byddaf yn parhau i ymateb yn onest ac yn ddidwyll dro ar ôl tro. Dylwn hefyd gywiro'r Aelod, gan y gwnaed y rhodd wleidyddol fwyaf yn hanes gwleidyddol Cymru i Blaid Cymru mewn gwirionedd.
Not on an individual basis, First Minister. The largest individual donation was to your leadership campaign as an individual. You have received £200,000. Now, it's not unreasonable to assume that due diligence was undertaken given such a major donation was undertaken by this businessman. You knew that this businessman had two criminal convictions against him—the owner of this company—yet you were not prepared to ask the searching questions; you were just prepared to bank the money and run. That's the long and the short of it. There's a vote of confidence in you tomorrow here, First Minister. Are you going to win?
Nid ar sail unigol, Prif Weinidog. Roedd y rhodd unigol fwyaf i'ch ymgyrch arweinyddiaeth chi fel unigolyn. Rydych chi wedi derbyn £200,000. Nawr, nid yw'n afresymol tybio y cyflawnwyd diwydrwydd dyladwy o ystyried y gwnaed cyfraniad mor fawr gan y gŵr busnes hwn. Roeddech chi'n gwybod bod gan y gŵr busnes hwn ddwy euogfarn droseddol yn ei erbyn—perchennog y cwmni hwn—ac eto nid oeddech chi'n barod i ofyn y cwestiynau treiddgar; roeddech chi'n barod i fancio'r arian a rhedeg. Dyna hyd a lled y mater. Mae pleidlais o hyder ynoch chi yma yfory, Prif Weinidog. A ydych chi'n mynd i ennill?
Again, I go back to reminding the Member that, on all occasions, I've answered truthfully and honestly about what happened, about the due diligence that was necessary and, indeed, the fact that no rules have been broken, the ministerial code has not been broken. And we come back to—. And I understand why the Conservatives have put forward a motion tomorrow—a non-binding vote, but a vote, nevertheless, in this Parliament. There is a formal method available. I understand why the Member puts the vote forward. I understand, at this time, when people are making choices, why he does not want to talk about his party's record. I understand the points being made about judgment. I understand what that means and looks like. Look at the judgments that I have made and compare them. Look at the judgments I have made on test and trace. Look at the judgements that I have made on PPE during the pandemic, with no corrupt VIP lane in Wales on my watch. Look at the judgments he has made: defending Boris Johnson to the hilt, backing Liz Truss to the hilt. When she made her speech to the Conservative conference, his response was, 'That's a cracking speech'. Ask mortgage holders what they think of her, ask people with business investment what they think of her. If you want to go into what's going to take place with people's judgment, I am very comfortable having any comparison between the two of us.
I am confident about tomorrow. I look forward to the debate, which I will attend. I could and should, in my view, have been elsewhere, but I will be in this Parliament to respond to the debate. And I say again, with the Conservative record of what you have done to Wales, who on earth would be prepared to stand with you? I do not believe the people of Wales will stand with you when it comes to 4 July.
Eto, rwy'n dychwelyd at atgoffa'r Aelod fy mod i, ar bob achlysur, wedi ateb yn onest ac yn ddidwyll am yr hyn a ddigwyddodd, am y diwydrwydd dyladwy a oedd yn angenrheidiol ac, yn wir, y ffaith nad oes unrhyw reolau wedi'u torri, nad yw cod y gweinidogion wedi cael ei dorri. Ac rydym ni'n dychwelyd at—. Ac rwy'n deall pam mae'r Ceidwadwyr wedi cyflwyno cynnig yfory—pleidlais nad yw'n rhwymol, ond pleidlais, serch hynny, yn y Senedd hon. Mae dull ffurfiol ar gael. Rwy'n deall pam mae'r Aelod yn cyflwyno'r bleidlais. Rwy'n deall, ar yr adeg hon, pan fo pobl yn gwneud dewisiadau, pam nad yw eisiau siarad am record ei blaid. Rwy'n deall y pwyntiau sy'n cael eu gwneud ynglŷn â chrebwyll. Rwy'n deall yr hyn y mae hynny'n ei olygu a sut mae'n edrych. Edrychwch ar y dyfarniadau yr wyf i wedi eu gwneud a chymharwch nhw. Edrychwch ar y dyfarniadau yr wyf i wedi eu gwneud ar brofi ac olrhain. Edrychwch ar y dyfarniadau yr wyf i wedi eu gwneud ar gyfarpar diogelu personol yn ystod y pandemig, heb unrhyw lôn VIP lygredig yng Nghymru o dan fy ngoruchwyliaeth i. Edrychwch ar y dyfarniadau y mae ef wedi eu gwneud: amddiffyn Boris Johnson i'r carn, cefnogi Liz Truss i'r carn. Pan wnaeth ei haraith i gynhadledd y Ceidwadwyr, ei ymateb oedd, 'Mae honna'n araith wych'. Gofynnwch i ddeiliaid morgeisi beth yw eu barn amdani, gofynnwch i bobl â buddsoddiad busnes beth yw eu barn amdani. Os ydych chi eisiau trafod yr hyn sy'n mynd i ddigwydd o ran dyfarniad pobl, rwy'n gyffyrddus iawn yn cael unrhyw gymhariaeth rhwng y ddau ohonom ni.
Rwy'n hyderus am yfory. Edrychaf ymlaen at y ddadl, y byddaf yn ei mynychu. Gallwn, a dylwn, yn fy marn i, fod wedi bod yn rhywle arall, ond byddaf yn y Senedd hon i ymateb i'r ddadl. Ac rwy'n dweud eto, gyda record y Ceidwadwyr o'r hyn yr ydych chi wedi ei wneud i Gymru, pwy ar y ddaear fyddai'n barod i sefyll gyda chi? Nid wyf i'n credu y bydd pobl Cymru yn sefyll gyda chi pan ddaw i 4 Gorffennaf.
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. The First Minister has perhaps signalled his attitude towards the vote of no confidence in saying that it is non-binding, but I think we should take it seriously. It's a rare thing for the Senedd to hold votes of no confidence, especially in the First Minister, and so it should be. Whilst we in opposition may not agree with Ministers on policy, we do respect the outcome of democratic elections. But, in this instance, the office of the First Minister has been undermined to such an extent that I have no doubt that the people of Wales have lost confidence in him. There is genuine anger. His acceptance of a £200,000 donation from a convicted polluter has eroded trust in politics, and we see it on the Labour benches themselves, even. Such is the level of concern that it was reported yesterday that a senior figure within the Labour Party offered to loan the First Minister £200,000 so he could pay the donation back. Given that some contrition might have actually shown he understood public anger, why on earth did the First Minister reject that offer?
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Efallai bod y Prif Weinidog wedi nodi ei agwedd tuag at y bleidlais o ddiffyg hyder wrth ddweud nad yw'n rhwymol, ond rwy'n credu y dylem ni ei chymryd o ddifrif. Mae'n beth prin i'r Senedd gynnal pleidleisiau o ddiffyg hyder, yn enwedig yn y Prif Weinidog, ac felly dylai fod. Er efallai na fyddwn ni yn y gwrthbleidiau yn cytuno â Gweinidogion ar bolisi, rydym ni'n parchu canlyniad etholiadau democrataidd. Ond, yn yr achos hwn, mae swydd y Prif Weinidog wedi cael ei thanseilio i'r fath raddau fel nad oes gen i unrhyw amheuaeth bod pobl Cymru wedi colli hyder ynddo. Ceir dicter gwirioneddol. Mae ei dderbyniad o rodd o £200,000 gan lygrwr a gafwyd yn euog wedi erydu ymddiriedaeth mewn gwleidyddiaeth, ac rydym ni'n ei weld ar feinciau Llafur eu hunain, hyd yn oed. Cymaint yw lefel y pryder, yr adroddwyd ddoe bod ffigwr uwch o fewn y Blaid Lafur wedi cynnig rhoi benthyg £200,000 i'r Prif Weinidog fel y gallai ad-dalu'r rhodd. O ystyried y gallai rhywfaint o edifeirwch fod wedi dangos mewn gwirionedd ei fod yn deall dicter y cyhoedd, pam ar y ddaear wnaeth y Prif Weinidog wrthod y cynnig hwnnw?
As I have made clear before, I don't have £200,000 to pay anybody back. I'm not sure if the Member has access to that ready cash; I certainly don't. Having followed the rules for donations and having followed the ministerial code as well—. And I understand the Member wants to make an alternative case that, regardless of not breaking rules, I should nevertheless suffer the ultimate price in political terms. And I say to the Member, the idea that votes of no confidence are not commonplace is just not borne out by any cursory examination of the record. There have been three votes of no confidence within this Senedd term. Every health Minister has faced a vote of no confidence at some point in time. So, this is part and parcel of what happens. I look forward to responding to the debate tomorrow and setting out what this Government has done, what we continue to do: the ceaseless, never-ending commitment to improve our country, the reason why the vote on 4 July matters to this place and the people that we serve. I look forward to carrying on doing my duty as the First Minister of Wales. I look forward to leading a Government that wants to, and will, transform lives of communities in every part of our country. That is what we are here for.
Fel yr wyf i wedi ei wneud yn egluro o'r blaen, nid oes gen i £200,000 i ad-dalu unrhyw un. Nid wyf i'n siŵr a oes gan yr Aelod fynediad at yr arian parod hwnnw; does gen i ddim, yn sicr. Wedi dilyn y rheolau ar gyfer rhoddion ac wedi dilyn cod y gweinidogion hefyd—. Ac rwy'n deall bod yr Aelod eisiau gwneud dadl arall, waeth am unrhyw dorri rheolau, y dylwn i serch hynny ddioddef y pris eithaf mewn termau gwleidyddol. Ac rwy'n dweud wrth yr Aelod, nid yw'r syniad nad yw pleidleisiau o ddiffyg hyder yn gyffredin yn cael ei gadarnhau gan unrhyw archwiliad arwynebol o'r cofnod. Bu tair pleidlais o ddiffyg hyder yn nhymor y Senedd hon. Mae pob Gweinidog Iechyd wedi wynebu pleidlais o ddiffyg hyder ar ryw adeg. Felly, mae hyn yn rhan annatod o'r hyn sy'n digwydd. Edrychaf ymlaen at ymateb i'r ddadl yfory a nodi'r hyn y mae'r Llywodraeth hon wedi ei wneud, yr hyn yr ydym ni'n parhau i'w wneud: yr ymrwymiad parhaus, di-derfyn i wella ein gwlad, y rheswm pam mae'r bleidlais ar 4 Gorffennaf yn bwysig i'r lle hwn ac i'r bobl yr ydym ni'n eu gwasanaethu. Edrychaf ymlaen at barhau i wneud fy nyletswydd fel Prif Weinidog Cymru. Edrychaf ymlaen at arwain Llywodraeth sydd eisiau gweddnewid bywydau cymunedau ym mhob rhan o'n gwlad, ac a fydd yn gwneud hynny. Dyna pam rydym ni yma.
Perhaps the First Minister can clarify whether that means he plans to continue regardless of the result of the vote of no confidence in the Senedd tomorrow. But, once again, no contrition, no remorse, not the slightest acknowledgement by the First Minister that his actions were severely ill-judged. This is even more staggering given that we learnt yesterday that a firm that donated to the First Minister's campaign was subject to a criminal investigation at the time a donation was made. We come back, don't we, to this issue of due diligence and why on earth the First Minister could have put himself in such a compromised position. Let me ask this: if he were given the opportunity again, would he take a different attitude towards due diligence, or would he again prioritise the size of his leadership war chest over what was right and proper?
Efallai y gall y Prif Weinidog egluro pa un a yw hynny'n golygu ei fod yn bwriadu parhau beth bynnag fo canlyniad y bleidlais o ddiffyg hyder yn y Senedd yfory. Ond, unwaith eto, dim edifeirwch, dim cydnabyddiaeth leiaf gan y Prif Weinidog bod ei weithredoedd wedi dangos crebwyll difrifol wael. Mae hyn hyd yn oed yn fwy syfrdanol o gofio ein bod ni wedi darganfod ddoe bod cwmni a roddodd i ymgyrch y Prif Weinidog yn destun ymchwiliad troseddol ar yr adeg y gwnaed rhodd. Rydym ni'n dychwelyd, onid ydym, at y mater hwn o ddiwydrwydd dyladwy a pham ar y ddaear y gallai'r Prif Weinidog fod wedi rhoi ei hun mewn sefyllfa lle'r oedd o dan gymaint o fygythiad. Gadewch i mi ofyn hyn: pe bai'n cael y cyfle eto, a fyddai'n cymryd agwedd wahanol tuag at ddiwydrwydd dyladwy, neu a fyddai'n blaenoriaethu eto ei gronfa ryfel arweinyddiaeth dros yr hyn a oedd yn gywir a phriodol?
Again, the Member has asked me a hypothetical question about the past. I'll go back to what I've said before. It would be improper and inappropriate for me to have known that there was any investigation at the time that investigation started. Can you imagine if I was informed of those investigations, whether it's by the regulator, by the police or any other authority who could undertake an investigation that could lead to a criminal sanction? I can't respond to questions about an investigation I'm not aware of. You can't undertake due diligence on matters that you're not aware of. What I am focused on is being able to turn a new page for Wales on 4 July and the partnership I believe should happen. If you look at our communities and the challenges we face, on the doorstep the cost-of-living crisis is the No. 1 issue, and, more than that, all of the issues it drives: the reality of our budget, the fact that we've lost £700 million in real terms, what that does to being able to properly fund the NHS and public services, to support the economy. Those are the things that drive me in public life. Those are the things that underpin our campaign over the next few weeks and, more than that, how the Government I lead wants to change Wales for the better.
Eto, mae'r Aelod wedi gofyn cwestiwn damcaniaethol i mi am y gorffennol. Dychwelaf at yr hyn yr wyf i wedi ei ddweud o'r blaen. Byddai'n anghywir ac yn amhriodol i mi fod wedi gwybod bod unrhyw ymchwiliad ar yr adeg y dechreuodd yr ymchwiliad hwnnw. A allwch chi ddychmygu pe bawn i wedi cael fy hysbysu am yr ymchwiliadau hynny, boed hynny gan y rheoleiddiwr, gan yr heddlu neu unrhyw awdurdod arall a allai gynnal ymchwiliad a allai arwain at gosb droseddol? Ni allaf ateb cwestiynau am ymchwiliad nad wyf i'n ymwybodol ohono. Ni allwch chi gyflawni diwydrwydd dyladwy ar faterion nad ydych chi'n ymwybodol ohonyn nhw. Yr hyn yr wyf i'n canolbwyntio arno yw gallu troi tudalen newydd i Gymru ar 4 Gorffennaf a'r bartneriaeth yr wyf i'n credu ddylai ddigwydd. Os edrychwch ar ein cymunedau a'r heriau sy'n ein hwynebu, ar garreg y drws, yr argyfwng costau byw yw'r prif fater, ac, yn fwy na hynny, yr holl faterion y mae'n eu ysgogi: realiti ein cyllideb, y ffaith ein bod ni wedi colli £700 miliwn mewn termau real, yr hyn y mae hynny'n ei wneud i allu ariannu'r GIG a'r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn iawn, i gefnogi'r economi. Dyna'r pethau sy'n fy ysgogi i mewn bywyd cyhoeddus. Dyna'r pethau sy'n sail i'n hymgyrch dros yr wythnosau nesaf ac, yn fwy na hynny, sut mae'r Llywodraeth yr wyf i'n ei harwain eisiau newid Cymru er gwell.
Of course, the First Minister did know about the convictions that had already been passed on the person that had given the £200,000. It's nearly a fortnight now since Rishi Sunak looked to the heavens in Downing Street and wished he had an umbrella, but here in Wales, look up and what we see is the parachutes of Labour candidates imposed by Labour's headquarters in London. With the number of MPs slashed in Wales from 40 to 32 in this election, we can't afford, the Senedd can't afford, the Welsh Government can't afford to have our voice further diluted by having candidates or MPs who've shown no past interest whatsoever in pursuing what's right for Wales—issues of fair funding, for example. Landing parachutes in places like Cardiff West and Swansea West is damaging to Welsh democracy, it shows complete disregard for Wales, and for the views and voices, frankly, of local Labour Members, who are, understandably, livid with the UK party leadership. Perhaps the First Minister can tell us if he endorsed the choice of those candidates over local alternatives. And given that Keir Starmer clearly isn't willing to apologise to local Labour members, or to the people of Wales as a whole, will the First Minister do so on his behalf?
Wrth gwrs, roedd y Prif Weinidog yn gwybod am yr euogfarnau a roddwyd eisoes i'r unigolyn a oedd wedi rhoi'r £200,000. Mae bron i bythefnos bellach ers i Rishi Sunak edrych tua'r nefoedd yn Downing Street a dymuno y byddai ganddo ymbarél, ond yma yng Nghymru, edrychwch i fyny a'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei weld yw parasiwtiau ymgeiswyr Llafur a orfodwyd gan bencadlys Llafur yn Llundain. Wrth i nifer yr ASau gael ei thorri yng Nghymru o 40 i 32 yn yr etholiad hwn, ni allwn fforddio, ni all y Senedd fforddio, ni all Llywodraeth Cymru fforddio i'n llais gael ei wanhau ymhellach drwy gael ymgeiswyr neu ASau nad ydyn nhw wedi dangos unrhyw ddiddordeb o gwbl yn y gorffennol mewn mynd ar drywydd yr hyn sy'n iawn i Gymru—materion cyllid teg, er enghraifft. Mae glanio parasiwtiau mewn mannau fel Gorllewin Caerdydd a Gorllewin Abertawe yn niweidiol i ddemocratiaeth Cymru, mae'n dangos diystyrwch llwyr o Gymru, ac o safbwyntiau a lleisiau, a dweud y gwir, Aelodau Llafur lleol, sydd, yn ddealladwy, yn gandryll gydag arweinyddiaeth plaid y DU. Efallai y gall y Prif Weinidog ddweud wrthym ni a wnaeth ef gymeradwyo dewis yr ymgeiswyr hynny dros ddewisiadau lleol amgen. Ac o ystyried bod Keir Starmer yn amlwg ddim yn fodlon ymddiheuro i aelodau Llafur lleol, nac i bobl Cymru yn ei chyfanrwydd, a wnaiff y Prif Weinidog wneud hynny ar ei ran?
I see yet again the leader of Plaid Cymru is obsessed with the internal democracy of the Labour Party. In terms of candidates who are approved to stand, in the two recent instances, there was a joint panel of local members and the elected members of the Welsh executive. Those candidates now need to go out and work alongside local members and, more than that, on your point about Welsh democracy, need to persuade Welsh voters that they are the right person to stand up for their local communities within the UK Parliament. It's a UK Parliament that will have a huge amount of work ahead of it after 14 years of Tory chaos, 14 years where I do not believe families are better off, and the last four and a half chaotic years, with what that has meant to and for Wales. I believe we do need a new start, and that is the case that we will make. If you look not just at the cost-of-living crisis, not just the way that money and powers have been stolen from us in this Parliament, the fear and the division of culture wars, the failure on the economy, the fact that deliberate choices made in the UK Parliament now mean that more children grow up poor in Wales than when this party across the UK first entered Government, those are the things that I believe will drive people to the ballot box to make their choices on every Labour candidate that we put forward. I'm proud to stand on the side of Welsh Labour and the Labour offer in a UK election. I believe that none of us who believe in progressive politics should stand with the Tories. I make that division very clear about what I'm not in favour of and what I believe should happen with and for the people of the country I am proud to lead.
Rwy'n gweld unwaith eto bod gan arweinydd Plaid Cymru obsesiwn gyda democratiaeth fewnol y Blaid Lafur. O ran ymgeiswyr sydd wedi'u cymeradwyo i sefyll, yn y ddau achos diweddar, roedd panel ar y cyd o aelodau lleol ac aelodau etholedig o weithrediaeth Cymru. Mae angen nawr i'r ymgeiswyr hynny fynd allan a gweithio ochr yn ochr ag aelodau lleol ac, yn fwy na hynny, ar eich pwynt am ddemocratiaeth Cymru, mae angen iddyn nhw berswadio pleidleiswyr Cymru mai nhw yw'r person iawn i sefyll dros eu cymunedau lleol o fewn Senedd y DU. Mae'n Senedd y DU a fydd â gwaith aruthrol o'i blaen ar ôl 14 mlynedd o anhrefn Torïaidd, 14 mlynedd lle nad wyf i'n credu bod teuluoedd yn well eu byd, a'r pedair blynedd a hanner anhrefnus diwethaf, gyda'r hyn y mae hynny wedi ei olygu i ac ar gyfer Cymru. Rwy'n credu bod angen dechrau newydd arnom ni, a dyna'r ddadl y byddwn ni'n ei gwneud. Os edrychwch chi nid yn unig ar yr argyfwng costau byw, nid yn unig y ffordd y mae arian a phwerau wedi cael eu dwyn oddi wrthym ni yn y Senedd hon, ofn a rhaniadau rhyfeloedd diwylliant, y methiant o ran yr economi, mae'r ffaith bod dewisiadau bwriadol a wnaed yn Senedd y DU bellach yn golygu bod mwy o blant yn tyfu i fyny yn dlawd yng Nghymru na phan ddaeth y blaid hon ar draws y DU i'r Llywodraeth gyntaf, dyna'r pethau yr wyf i'n credu fydd yn gyrru pobl i'r blwch pleidleisio i wneud eu dewisiadau ar bob ymgeisydd Llafur yr ydym ni'n ei gynnig. Rwy'n falch o sefyll ar ochr Llafur Cymru a chynnig Llafur mewn etholiad ar lefel y DU. Rwy'n credu na ddylai'r un ohonom ni sy'n credu mewn gwleidyddiaeth flaengar sefyll gyda'r Torïaid. Rwy'n gwneud y rhaniad hwnnw yn eglur iawn am yr hyn nad wyf i o'i blaid a'r hyn rwy'n credu ddylai ddigwydd gydag ac ar gyfer pobl y wlad rwy'n falch o'i harwain.
Question 3 [OQ61184] by Jack Sargeant has been withdrawn, for the best possible reason for withdrawing a question. I'm sure we all welcome little Noa Sargeant to this world. Croeso, Noa.
Mae cwestiwn 3 [OQ61184] gan Jack Sargeant wedi cael ei dynnu'n ôl, am y rheswm gorau posibl am dynnu cwestiwn yn ôl. Rwy'n siŵr ein bod ni i gyd yn croesawu Noa Sargeant bach i'r byd hwn. Croeso, Noa.
4. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i hybu economi gogledd Cymru? OQ61188
4. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to boost the economy of north Wales? OQ61188
I hope the economy of north Wales will be boosted by the arrival of Noa Sargeant, but our plan for boosting the Welsh economy is set out in our economic mission, namely to ensure a just transition to a green economy, a platform for young people, fair work, skills and success, with stronger partnerships for stronger regions, the everyday economy we enjoy, and investing for growth.
Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd economi'r gogledd yn cael hwb gan ddyfodiad Noa Sargeant, ond mae ein cynllun ar gyfer hybu economi Cymru wedi'i nodi yn ein cenhadaeth economaidd, sef sicrhau trosglwyddiad cyfiawn i economi werdd, llwyfan i bobl ifanc, gwaith teg, sgiliau a llwyddiant, gyda phartneriaethau cryfach ar gyfer rhanbarthau cryfach, yr economi bob dydd rydym ni'n ei mwynhau, a buddsoddi ar gyfer twf.
Thank you for your answer, First Minister. You will know that north Wales has had significant attention, investment and support in recent years from the UK Conservative Government, who are transforming the economic prospects of the region I represent, with a new free port in Anglesey creating high-quality, long-term jobs, attracting around £1.4 billion-worth of investment; the enablement of a nuclear power plant at Wylfa that is a key part of our nuclear revolution and will create thousands of jobs on the island; a new investment zone in Wrexham and Flintshire, which will be an engine for further economic growth and improving skills and training; and £1 billion committed to upgrading and modernising the north Wales main line, which will improve links across north Wales and into the north-west. All of this is made possible by a UK Conservative Government. Why doesn't Cardiff Labour show the same commitment and faith to north Wales?
Diolch am eich ateb, Prif Weinidog. Byddwch yn gwybod bod y gogledd wedi cael cryn sylw, buddsoddiad a chefnogaeth yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf gan Lywodraeth Geidwadol y DU, sy'n trawsnewid rhagolygon economaidd y rhanbarth yr wyf i'n ei gynrychioli, gyda phorthladd rhydd newydd yn Ynys Môn yn creu swyddi hirdymor o ansawdd uchel, gan ddenu gwerth tua £1.4 biliwn o fuddsoddiad; galluogi pwerdy niwclear yn Wylfa sy'n rhan allweddol o'n chwyldro niwclear ac a fydd yn creu miloedd o swyddi ar yr ynys; parth buddsoddi newydd yn Wrecsam a sir y Fflint, a fydd yn beiriant ar gyfer twf economaidd pellach a gwella sgiliau a hyfforddiant; ac £1 biliwn wedi'i ymrwymo i uwchraddio a moderneiddio prif reilffordd gogledd Cymru, a fydd yn gwella cysylltiadau ar draws y gogledd ac i mewn i ogledd-orllewin Lloegr. Mae hyn i gyd yn cael ei wneud yn bosibl gan Lywodraeth Geidwadol y DU. Pam nad yw Llafur Caerdydd yn dangos yr un ymrwymiad a ffydd i ogledd Cymru?
I admire the Member for saying all that with a straight face. On all of the areas that he's set out, there's joint investment and joint decision making with the Welsh Government, of course. I'm proud to have taken a pragmatic approach to working with a range of very different Ministers in succession on the free port, on growth deals, and indeed on the future of investment zones. And look at what we have done: the investment in Llanberis with Siemens, making sure there are high-quality jobs in rural Wales. Think about what we've done on Ynys Môn, investing in Halen Môn and others—a partnership over a long period of time, working alongside them. Look at what we're doing in north-east Wales with Enfinium and the work we are doing there, with more jobs coming as part of the green revolution that is on our doorstep, and the work we're doing to take advantage of offshore energy.
We could do so much more with a stable and decent Government across the UK, a Government that can make decisions. The reason why we have not seen investment delivered in a new generation of nuclear, whether that is for radioisotopes desperately needed in our national health service or whether it's new small modular reactors or larger technology, is because the Conservatives have never managed to field a Minister who could make a decision. It is because of the chaos in the Conservative Government that that investment has not been delivered. And who on earth knew, when they bought the site of Wylfa from Horizon, when they made an announcement on the day before the general election, that would be a gimmick for the election? I want a Government that is serious about being a partner with the Welsh Government and north Wales to deliver good, high-quality jobs in the green revolution that is coming.
Rwy'n edmygu'r Aelod am ddweud hynna i gyd gydag wyneb syth. O ran yr holl feysydd y mae wedi'u nodi, ceir buddsoddiad ar y cyd a gwneud penderfyniadau ar y cyd â Llywodraeth Cymru, wrth gwrs. Rwy'n falch fy mod i wedi mabwysiadu dull pragmatig o weithio gydag amrywiaeth o Weinidogion gwahanol iawn yn olynol ar y porthladd rhydd, ar fargeinion twf, ac ar ddyfodol parthau buddsoddi yn wir. Ac edrychwch ar yr hyn yr ydym ni wedi ei wneud: y buddsoddiad yn Llanberis gyda Siemens, gan wneud yn siŵr bod swyddi o ansawdd uchel yng nghefn gwlad Cymru. Meddyliwch am yr hyn yr ydym ni wedi ei wneud ar Ynys Môn, buddsoddi yn Halen Môn ac eraill—partneriaeth dros gyfnod hir, yn gweithio ochr yn ochr â nhw. Edrychwch ar yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yn y gogledd-ddwyrain gydag Enfinium a'r gwaith yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yno, gyda mwy o swyddi yn dod yn rhan o'r chwyldro gwyrdd sydd ar garreg ein drws, a'r gwaith yr ydym ni'n ei wneud i fanteisio ar ynni ar y môr.
Gallem ni wneud cymaint mwy gyda Llywodraeth sefydlog a theg ar draws y DU, Llywodraeth a all wneud penderfyniadau. Y rheswm pam nad ydym ni wedi gweld buddsoddiad yn cael ei ddarparu mewn cenhedlaeth newydd o niwclear, boed hynny ar gyfer radioisotopau sydd eu hangen yn daer yn ein gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol neu'n adweithyddion modiwlaidd bach newydd neu'n dechnoleg fwy, yw oherwydd nad yw'r Ceidwadwyr erioed wedi llwyddo i gyflwyno Gweinidog a allai wneud penderfyniad. Oherwydd yr anrhefn yn y Llywodraeth Geidwadol nad yw'r buddsoddiad hwnnw wedi cael ei wneud. A phwy ar y ddaear oedd yn gwybod, pan wnaethon nhw brynu safle Wylfa gan Horizon, pan wnaethon nhw gyhoeddiad ar y diwrnod cyn yr etholiad cyffredinol, y byddai hwnnw'n gimig ar gyfer yr etholiad? Rwyf i eisiau Llywodraeth sydd o ddifrif am fod yn bartner gyda Llywodraeth Cymru a'r gogledd i ddarparu swyddi da o ansawdd uchel yn y chwyldro gwyrdd sydd i ddod.
We've not even seen any development funding for those projects mentioned in north Wales yet. In the last 14 years we've seen the UK Tory Government make vicious real-terms cuts to the building blocks of economic growth: health, social care, housing, wages and local authority budgets. We've seen them starve Wales of the funding it needs, whether through successive austerity budgets or through the deliberate holding back of billions of HS2 funding. We've seen them conspiring to take money out of people's pockets through Liz Truss's mortgage and inflation bombshell. And we've seen them give more levelling-up funding to Canary Wharf in London than the whole of Wales combined this year. Is it not therefore the case, First Minister, that the best thing we can do to boost the economy of north Wales is to vote out the UK Conservative Government on 4 July?
Nid ydym ni hyd yn oed wedi gweld unrhyw gyllid datblygu ar gyfer y prosiectau hynny y soniwyd amdanyn nhw yn y gogledd eto. Yn ystod y 14 mlynedd diwethaf, rydym ni wedi gweld Llywodraeth Dorïaidd y DU yn gwneud toriadau termau real dieflig i flociau adeiladu twf economaidd: iechyd, gofal cymdeithasol, tai, cyflogau a chyllidebau awdurdodau lleol. Rydym ni wedi eu gweld nhw'n amddifadu Cymru o'r cyllid sydd ei angen arni, boed hynny drwy gyllidebau cyni cyllidol olynol neu drwy ddal biliynau o gyllid HS2 yn ôl yn fwriadol. Rydym ni wedi eu gweld nhw'n cynllwynio i dynnu arian allan o bocedi pobl trwy daranfollt morgeisi a chwyddiant Liz Truss. Ac rydym ni wedi eu gweld nhw'n rhoi mwy o gyllid ffyniant bro i Canary Wharf yn Llundain na Chymru gyfan gyda'i gilydd eleni. Onid yw'n wir felly, Prif Weinidog, mai'r peth gorau y gallwn ni ei wneud i roi hwb i economi’r gogledd yw pleidleisio i gael gwared ar Lywodraeth Geidwadol y DU ar 4 Gorffennaf?
I think within the question the Member makes a particular point that says everything you need to know about the Conservatives' attitude to Wales and to whether levelling-up is genuine: the fact that Canary Wharf in London has received more than the whole of Wales combined. That is not a Government committed to investing in the future of the economy, not a Government committed to genuine levelling-up for the communities that need a Government on their side. And no-one should be surprised that this Conservative group are such fans of Liz Truss and the disaster that she unleashed, because, of course, just on their own watch they had a series of unfunded tax cuts they pledged to the people of Wales in 2021. This group of Tories cannot be trusted, nor can the shower down the road who are in the current UK Government. I look forward to seeing them run out of town at the ballot box and a new start for Wales and Britain.
Rwy'n credu o fewn y cwestiwn bod yr Aelod yn gwneud pwynt penodol sy'n dweud popeth y mae angen i chi ei wybod am agwedd y Ceidwadwyr tuag at Gymru a pha un a yw ffyniant bro yn ddilys: y ffaith bod Canary Wharf yn Llundain wedi derbyn mwy na Chymru gyfan gyda'i gilydd. Nid yw honno'n Llywodraeth sydd wedi ymrwymo i fuddsoddi yn nyfodol yr economi, nid yw'n Llywodraeth sydd wedi ymrwymo i ffyniant bro gwirioneddol i'r cymunedau sydd angen Llywodraeth ar eu hochr nhw. Ac ni ddylai neb synnu bod y grŵp Ceidwadol hwn yn gymaint o gefnogwyr Liz Truss a'r drychineb a grëwyd ganddi, oherwydd, wrth gwrs, dim ond o dan eu goruchwyliaeth eu hunain, roedd ganddyn nhw gyfres o doriadau treth heb eu hariannu a addawyd ganddyn nhw i bobl Cymru yn 2021. Ni ellir ymddiried yn y grŵp hwn o Dorïaid, ac ni ellir ymddiried yn y criw anobeithiol i lawr y ffordd sydd yn Llywodraeth bresennol y DU chwaith. Edrychaf ymlaen at eu gweld nhw'n cael eu gorfodi i adael yn y blwch pleidleisio a chychwyn newydd i Gymru a Phrydain.
5. Pa werthusiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud o'r cynllun cymhelliant addysg gychwynnol athrawon ar gyfer pynciau â blaenoriaeth? OQ61195
5. What evaluation has the Welsh Government undertaken of the initial teacher education priority subject incentive scheme? OQ61195
Diolch am y cwestiwn.
Thank you for the question.
Several research reports into attracting graduates into teaching, including the use of incentives, have been published since 2019. Preliminary work to further evaluate the priority subject incentive scheme specifically is currently under way.
Cyhoeddwyd sawl adroddiad ymchwil ar ddenu graddedigion i faes addysgu, gan gynnwys defnyddio cymhellion, ers 2019. Mae gwaith rhagarweiniol i werthuso'r cynllun cymhelliant pynciau blaenoriaeth yn benodol yn mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd.
Diolch. Rŷn ni'n gwybod bod yna broblemau mawr gyda ni o ran recriwtio a chadw athrawon ar draws Cymru gyfan. Yn wir, mae negeseuon etholiadol eich plaid eich hun yn cydnabod bod yr argyfwng hwn wedi digwydd o dan eich arweiniad chi, ac mae hyn yn gyfaddefiad sy'n cael ei adlewyrchu yn un o'ch chwe addewid etholiadol. A does dim prinder cyhoeddiadau wedi bod dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn annog pobl ifanc i feddwl am yrfa fel athrawon neu gynorthwywyr dosbarth, ond a ydyn ni'n gwybod a yw'r ymgyrchoedd hyn wedi bod yn llwyddiannus?
Thank you. We know that there are great problems in terms of recruitment and retaining teachers across the whole of Wales. Indeed, the electoral messages of your own party do recognise that this crisis has happened under your leadership, and this is also reflected in one of your six electoral commitments. And there has been no shortage of announcements in recent years by the Welsh Government encouraging young people to think about a career as teacher or classroom assistants, but we do know whether these campaigns have been successful?
Can you tell me, First Minister, whether the initial teacher education incentive scheme for priority subjects is working, and how do you know this, because I was quite shocked recently to learn from the Cabinet Secretary for Education that the Welsh Government has no data to determine if the recipients of the incentive before 2022-23 are still teaching in Wales, are teaching somewhere else, or not teaching at all? Now, this is a scheme that's been running, in one way or another, for over a decade, with millions of pounds spent on it, and we don't know if any of its previous recipients are still in teaching positions. Now, that I find quite astounding. So, can you confirm, First Minister, that this astonishing oversight will be corrected, and explain to me how?
A allwch chi ddweud wrthyf i, Prif Weinidog, pa un a yw'r cynllun cymhelliant addysg gychwynnol i athrawon ar gyfer pynciau blaenoriaeth yn gweithio, a sut ydych chi'n gwybod hyn, oherwydd cefais dipyn o sioc yn ddiweddar o ddarganfod gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg nad oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru unrhyw ddata i ddarganfod a yw derbynwyr y cymhelliant cyn 2022-23 yn dal i addysgu yng Nghymru, yn addysgu yn rhywle arall neu ddim yn addysgu o gwbl? Nawr, mae hwn yn gynllun sydd wedi bod yn rhedeg, mewn rhyw ffordd neu'i gilydd, ers dros ddegawd, gyda miliynau o bunnoedd wedi'u gwario arno, ac nid ydym ni'n gwybod a oes unrhyw un o'i dderbynwyr blaenorol yn dal i fod mewn swyddi addysgu. Nawr, mae hynny'n gwbl syfrdanol i mi. Felly, a allwch chi gadarnhau, Prif Weinidog, y bydd yr esgeulustod rhyfeddol hwn yn cael ei chywiro, ac esbonio i mi sut?
I think there are a couple of different things, to try to address the Member's questions and points directly. There's the point about how you link data for when people go into the workforce and how you can track where they are, and how you do that successfully, and understand where they've undertaken an incentive. Indeed, incentives for teacher training have been agreed on a cross-party basis during most of the life of devolution, a recognition that you need to have incentives to bring people into the teacher workforce, and then specifically across a range of subjects. So, that's why we're undertaking an evaluation to understand more deliberately, after a period of time of incentives, how successful it has been. We also need to understand without those incentives, where would we have been with the workforce that we need to know what all of us want to see for children and young people.
So, that's why the research is important, but I would say that in the subjects that we have—a range of sciences, design and technology, ICT, maths, modern foreign languages, physics, Welsh and any of those subjects through the medium of Welsh—we know that we need more workforce. It's a challenge for both English-medium education and, indeed, Welsh-medium education for the ambitions that we share. Now, to get there, you've got to understand how you get teachers and then keep them. It's partly about the initial stage about incentives, I think. It's also partly about the environment within the classroom. It's also partly about how they're then supported and the reforms that we are undertaking on changing our curriculum. Lots of teachers positively want to come to Wales because of the journey we're on, and it needs to work to make sure that young people get the best start in life through the first 1,000 days, and into education.
So, yes, we will look at the research and the evidence that is there. The crucial part is: how do we get the workforce we need to understand how we make clear that being a teacher is a fantastic career to make a big difference for the community you live in and you serve, and the country, and it can be a hugely rewarding profession for individuals as well? Sadly, lots of parts of the teaching profession have been attacked on a regular basis by different actors, and that has turned some people—[Inaudible.]—wanting to be teachers through and immediately after the pandemic. That's leveling off a bit, so we need to understand what more we can do to get the high-quality teachers that we need, and each and every one of our constituents and their families want to see in Welsh education.
Rwy'n credu bod un neu ddau o wahanol bethau, i geisio mynd i'r afael â chwestiynau a phwyntiau'r Aelod yn uniongyrchol. Ceir pwynt ynglŷn â sut rydych chi'n cysylltu data ar gyfer pryd mae pobl yn mynd i mewn i'r gweithlu a sut y gallwch chi olrhain ble maen nhw, a sut rydych chi'n gwneud hynny'n llwyddiannus, a deall lle maen nhw wedi cyflawni cymhelliant. Yn wir, cytunwyd ar gymhellion ar gyfer hyfforddiant athrawon ar sail drawsbleidiol yn ystod y rhan fwyaf o oes datganoli, cydnabyddiaeth bod angen i chi gael cymhellion i ddod â phobl i mewn i'r gweithlu athrawon, ac yna yn benodol ar draws amrywiaeth o bynciau. Felly, dyna pam rydym ni'n cynnal gwerthusiad i ddeall yn fwy bwriadol, ar ôl cyfnod o gymhellion, pa mor llwyddiannus fu hynny. Mae angen i ni ddeall hefyd heb y cymhellion hynny, lle byddem ni wedi bod gyda'r gweithlu sydd ei angen arnom i wybod beth mae pob un ohonom ni eisiau ei weld ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc.
Felly, dyna pam mae'r ymchwil yn bwysig, ond byddwn yn dweud yn y pynciau sydd gennym ni—amrywiaeth o wyddorau, dylunio a thechnoleg, TGCh, mathemateg, ieithoedd tramor modern, ffiseg, Cymraeg ac unrhyw un o'r pynciau hynny drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg—rydym ni'n gwybod bod angen mwy o weithlu arnom ni. Mae'n her i addysg cyfrwng Saesneg ac, yn wir, addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg ar gyfer yr uchelgeisiau yr ydym ni'n eu rhannu. Nawr, i gyrraedd yno, mae'n rhaid i chi ddeall sut rydych chi'n cael athrawon ac yna eu cadw. Mae'n rhannol am y cam cychwynnol am gymhellion, rwy'n credu. Mae hefyd yn rhannol am yr amgylchedd yn yr ystafell ddosbarth. Mae hefyd yn ymwneud yn rhannol â sut maen nhw'n cael eu cefnogi a'r diwygiadau yr ydym ni'n eu gwneud ar newid ein cwricwlwm. Mae llawer o athrawon eisiau dod i Gymru yn gadarnhaol oherwydd y daith yr ydym ni arni, ac mae angen iddo weithio i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl ifanc yn cael y dechrau gorau mewn bywyd drwy'r 1,000 o ddiwrnodau cyntaf, ac i fyd addysg.
Felly, byddwn, mi fyddwn yn edrych ar yr ymchwil a'r dystiolaeth sydd yno. Y rhan hanfodol yw: sut ydym ni'n cael y gweithlu sydd ei angen arnom ni i ddeall sut rydym ni'n ei gwneud yn eglur bod bod yn athrawes neu athro yn yrfa wych i wneud gwahaniaeth mawr i'r gymuned yr ydych chi'n byw ynddi ac yn ei gwasanaethu, a'r wlad, a gall fod yn broffesiwn gwerth chweil iawn i unigolion hefyd? Yn anffodus, ymosodwyd ar lawer o rannau o'r proffesiwn addysgu yn rheolaidd gan wahanol weithredwyr, ac mae hynny wedi troi rhai pobl—[Anghlywadwy.]—eisiau bod yn athrawon drwy'r pandemig ac yn syth ar ei ôl. Mae hynny'n gwastadu ychydig, felly mae angen i ni ddeall beth arall y gallwn ni ei wneud i gael yr athrawon o ansawdd uchel sydd eu hangen arnom ni, ac y mae pob un o'n hetholwyr a'u teuluoedd eisiau eu gweld ym myd addysg Cymru.
The First Minister has been talking a lot about the last 14 years. Well, in the last 14 years in England, we've seen massive growth in the education sector in England, thanks to Conservative-led reforms that have delivered the best Programme for International Student Assessment results anywhere in the UK consistently. Meanwhile, the Welsh Labour Government refuses to follow suit, presiding over the worst education scores anywhere in the UK and getting worse.
Now, the initial teacher education priority subject incentive scheme, as the First Minister outlined, includes physics as a profession that can be taught via it. The Welsh Government targeted the recruitment of 61 students to complete the ITE programme for 2023-24. Do you want to know how many did qualify in 2023-24? Three. Is it not, First Minister, one lesson that we can learn from Wales and the Welsh Labour Government that you just can't trust Labour when it comes to education?
Mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi bod yn siarad llawer am y 14 mlynedd diwethaf. Wel, yn ystod y 14 mlynedd diwethaf yn Lloegr, rydym ni wedi gweld twf enfawr yn y sector addysg yn Lloegr, diolch i ddiwygiadau dan arweiniad y Ceidwadwyr sydd wedi sicrhau'r canlyniadau Rhaglen Asesu Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol gorau yn unrhyw le yn y DU yn gyson. Yn y cyfamser, mae Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru yn gwrthod dilyn yr un trywydd, gan lywyddu dros y sgoriau addysg gwaethaf yn unrhyw le yn y DU ac sy'n gwaethygu.
Nawr, mae'r cynllun cymhelliant pynciau blaenoriaeth addysg gychwynnol athrawon, fel yr amlinellodd y Prif Weinidog, yn cynnwys ffiseg fel proffesiwn y gellir ei addysgu drwyddo. Targedodd Llywodraeth Cymru recriwtio 61 o fyfyrwyr i gwblhau'r rhaglen AGA ar gyfer 2023-24. Hoffech chi wybod faint wnaeth gymhwyso yn 2023-24? Tri. Onid yw'n un wers, Prif Weinidog, y gallwn ni ei dysgu gan Gymru a Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru na allwch chi ymddiried yn Llafur o ran addysg?
Actually, what the Member points out is that the incentives are part of the answer, but not the whole answer, and if you want a serious debate about how we get the workforce we need, that contribution doesn't get you to where you need to be. You need to understand what we need to do to make teaching an attractive profession for people to want to study it, and then to stay in it and want to carry on delivering. Now, I went to university with a range of people who are now teachers; I met some of them at the Urdd Eisteddfod, actually—the Aber mafia is everywhere, as the Presiding Officer knows—but to understand why they stayed in Welsh education and what makes a difference, that's part of the work we need to do, as well as a commitment to want to raise standards with and for children and young people.
Part of it is it the environment in which they work in as well, and, of course, we have now seen, on a sustained basis, the largest school and college building programme for new facilities since the 1960s. I'm very proud of what Welsh Labour has done to invest in facilities; we'll carry on working together with the profession, and others, to make clear that teaching is an attractive profession. You can undertake a hugely rewarding and valuable career and make a big difference to communities that you live in. And that is the journey we are on, and I make no apologies for wanting to be positive about the workforce needs we have and how we want to go about meeting them for the future of the country.
Mewn gwirionedd, yr hyn y mae'r Aelod yn ei nodi yw bod y cymhellion yn rhan o'r ateb, ond nid yr ateb cyfan, ac os ydych chi eisiau trafodaeth ddifrifol am sut rydym ni'n cael y gweithlu sydd ei angen arnom, nid yw'r cyfraniad hwnnw yn eich arwain i'r man lle mae angen i chi fod. Mae angen i chi ddeall yr hyn y mae angen i ni ei wneud i wneud addysgu yn broffesiwn deniadol i bobl eisiau ei astudio, ac yna aros ynddo ac eisiau parhau i'w ddarparu. Nawr, es i i'r brifysgol gydag amrywiaeth o bobl sydd bellach yn athrawon; fe wnes i gyfarfod rhai ohonyn nhw yn Eisteddfod yr Urdd, a dweud y gwir—mae maffia Aber ym mhobman, fel y mae'r Llywydd yn gwybod—ond i ddeall pam wnaethon nhw aros mewn addysg Gymraeg a'r hyn sy'n gwneud gwahaniaeth, mae hynny'n rhan o'r gwaith y mae angen i ni ei wneud, yn ogystal ag ymrwymiad i fod eisiau codi safonau gyda phlant a phobl ifanc ac ar eu cyfer.
Rhan ohono yw'r amgylchedd y maen nhw'n gweithio ynddo hefyd, ac, wrth gwrs, rydym ni bellach wedi gweld, yn barhaus, y rhaglen adeiladu ysgolion a cholegau fwyaf ar gyfer cyfleusterau newydd ers y 1960au. Rwy'n falch iawn o'r hyn y mae Llafur Cymru wedi ei wneud i fuddsoddi mewn cyfleusterau; byddwn yn parhau i weithio gyda'r proffesiwn, ac eraill, i'w gwneud yn eglur bod addysgu yn broffesiwn deniadol. Gallwch ymgymryd â gyrfa lawn boddhad a hynod werthfawr a gwneud gwahaniaeth mawr i'r cymunedau yr ydych yn byw ynddyn nhw. A dyna'r daith yr ydym ni arni, ac nid wyf i'n ymddiheuro o gwbl am fod eisiau bod yn gadarnhaol am yr anghenion gweithlu sydd gennym ni a sut rydym ni eisiau mynd ati i'w diwallu ar gyfer dyfodol y wlad.
6. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i amddiffyn lles milgwn rasio, ar y trac rasio yn ogystal ag oddi arno? OQ61220
6. What action is the Welsh Government taking to protect the welfare of racing greyhounds, both on and off the racetrack? OQ61220
Thank you. In March this year we concluded our 12-week consultation on the regulation of animal welfare establishments, activities and exhibits. This refers to companion animals. The consultation proposed licensing owners, keepers and trainers of racing dogs, including greyhounds, with a view to improving their lifelong welfare, from birth to retirement, when bred or raised specifically for sport.
Diolch. Ym mis Mawrth eleni, fe wnaethom ni orffen ein hymgynghoriad 12 wythnos ar reoleiddio sefydliadau, gweithgareddau ac arddangosion lles anifeiliaid. Mae hyn yn cyfeirio at anifeiliaid anwes. Fe wnaeth yr ymgynghoriad gynnig trwyddedu perchnogion, ceidwaid a hyfforddwyr cŵn rasio, gan gynnwys milgwn, gyda'r bwriad o wella eu lles gydol oes, o'u genedigaeth hyd at ymddeol, pan fyddan nhw'n cael eu bridio neu eu magu'n benodol ar gyfer chwaraeon.
Thank you for that response, First Minister. While seeking election to the post of First Minister, you stated on your social media channel that
'Protecting Greyhounds goes beyond just ending the sport—we need to ensure good care throughout a greyhound's life.'
I could not agree more. But does the First Minister agree with me that ending greyhound racing sooner rather than later is key to protecting the welfare of these wonderful animals? Therefore, will you commit to a meeting with the Cut the Chase coalition that has been campaigning on the issue, to discuss their concerns about the well-being of the dogs that are still being used for commercial racing in Wales? Thank you.
Diolch am yr ateb yna, Prif Weinidog. Wrth geisio cael eich ethol i swydd y Prif Weinidog, fe wnaethoch chi ddweud ar eich sianel cyfryngau cymdeithasol
'Mae amddiffyn milgwn yn mynd y tu hwnt i ddod â'r gamp i ben—mae angen i ni sicrhau gofal da drwy gydol oes milgi.'
Allwn i ddim cytuno mwy. Ond a yw'r Prif Weinidog yn cytuno â mi bod rhoi terfyn ar rasio milgwn yn fuan yn hytrach nag yn hwyrach yn allweddol i amddiffyn lles yr anifeiliaid hyfryd hyn? Felly, a wnewch chi ymrwymo i gyfarfod â chlymblaid Cut the Chase sydd wedi bod yn ymgyrchu ar y mater, i drafod eu pryderon am lesiant y cŵn sy'n dal i gael eu defnyddio ar gyfer rasio masnachol yng Nghymru? Diolch.
I thank the Member for his question and the genuineness. I know he is a supporter of the campaign to end greyhound racing and the reasons behind that. I want to thank everyone who took the time to get involved in the consultation; we had over 1,100 consultation responses. So, we're having to go through those, undertake a proper analysis of them, then come out with the response from the Government. It's why I can't give a commitment that I know the Member and others may want to hear, for a specific outcome, because we do need to understand what that response is, in all of its terms, and then to set out what the Government's response will be.
One of the points in the consultation is about whether to support a phased ban, but as I have said, and will go on saying, you need to think about not just greyhounds for today but, actually, the welfare for those greyhounds, if the sport continues or, indeed, if greyhound racing ends. That's what we'll look at. I don't want to prejudge or pre-empt the consultation, but I do take seriously the point the Member makes, and I know that there is genuine cross-party support on this issue.
Diolch i'r Aelod am ei gwestiwn a'r diffuantrwydd. Rwy'n gwybod ei fod yn gefnogwr o'r ymgyrch i ddod â rasio milgwn i ben a'r rhesymau sy'n sail i hynny. Hoffwn ddiolch i bawb a roddodd o'u hamser i gymryd rhan yn yr ymgynghoriad; cawsom dros 1,100 o ymatebion i'r ymgynghoriad. Felly, mae'n rhaid i ni fynd drwy'r rheini, cynnal dadansoddiad priodol ohonyn nhw, yna dod allan gyda'r ymateb gan y Llywodraeth. Dyna pam na allaf i roi ymrwymiad y gwn y gallai'r Aelod ac eraill fod eisiau ei glywed, am ganlyniad penodol, oherwydd mae angen i ni ddeall beth yw'r ymateb hwnnw, yn ei holl dermau, ac yna nodi beth fydd ymateb y Llywodraeth.
Un o'r pwyntiau yn yr ymgynghoriad yw a ddylid cefnogi gwaharddiad graddol ai peidio, ond fel y dywedais i, ac y byddaf yn parhau i'w ddweud, mae angen i chi feddwl nid yn unig am filgwn ar gyfer heddiw ond, mewn gwirionedd, lles y milgwn hynny, os bydd y gamp yn parhau neu, yn wir, os bydd rasio milgwn yn dod i ben. Dyna beth y byddwn ni'n edrych arno. Nid wyf i eisiau rhagfarnu na rhagweld yr ymgynghoriad, ond rwy'n cymryd o ddifrif y pwynt y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud, a gwn fod cefnogaeth drawsbleidiol wirioneddol ar y mater hwn.
Good afternoon, Prif Weinidog. It's not a surprise to many that I wanted to just say a few words on this issue, and I'm grateful to my colleague Altaf Hussain. I do understand totally that you're not able to prejudge any outcome in relation to the consultation period, but just to say a little bit about my dog, Wanda, she is—[Interruption.] No, I won't go into that. She and the previous dog that I owned, the previous racing greyhound, were both very traumatised by racing. Wanda, in fact, ran her last race in October of last year—it was her forty-eigth race in four years. I very much hope that the consultation period will mean that we have a phased ban on greyhound racing.
My question to you is this: hopefully we'll have that outcome—what will you do to secure the safety and protection of greyhounds that are on the racing track in Caerphilly, to ensure that they are protected during that period? Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Bore da, Prif Weinidog. Nid yw'n syndod i lawer fy mod i eisiau dweud ychydig eiriau ar y mater hwn, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar i'm cydweithiwr Altaf Hussain. Rwy'n deall yn llwyr nad ydych chi'n gallu rhagfarnu unrhyw ganlyniad o ran y cyfnod ymgynghori, ond dim ond i ddweud ychydig am fy nghi i, Wanda, mae hi—[Torri ar draws.] Na, ni wnaf i fynd i mewn i hynny. Roedd hi a'r ci blaenorol yr oeddwn ni'n berchen arno, y milgi rasio blaenorol, ill dau wedi'u trawmateiddio'n fawr gan rasio. A dweud y gwir, rhedodd Wanda ei ras olaf ym mis Hydref y llynedd—hon oedd ei hwythfed ras ar ddeugain mewn pedair blynedd. Rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr y bydd y cyfnod ymgynghori yn golygu bod gennym ni waharddiad graddol ar rasio milgwn.
Fy nghwestiwn i chi yw hwn: gobeithio y cawn ni'r canlyniad hwnnw—beth fyddwch chi'n ei wneud i sicrhau diogelwch ac amddiffyniad milgwn sydd ar y trac rasio yng Nghaerffili, i sicrhau eu bod nhw'n cael eu hamddiffyn yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw? Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Thank you for the question. I should say I am a dog owner myself; sometimes we feel that we're owned by the dog. But she's not a greyhound, but I understand they make fantastic family pets. But there is a point here about the broader welfare and what happens with those greyhounds that are bred for racing, whether they make it at racing greyhounds or not, and I know the concerns that are there. The Valley track is now part of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, so it has to meet external standards. We will continue to maintain an interest in what takes place there, regardless of the outcome of the consultation and the Government response.
The local authority don't have statutory responsibilities to inspect the track and understand animal welfare, but we do want to make sure that the GB-wide standards they only signed up to last year, when they joined the GB overarching body, are met. And I do take seriously the point the Member makes about the welfare whilst the sport continues for greyhounds in Wales and beyond and also what might happen if there's a different future, because I take very seriously the welfare of these wonderful animals. I will stop there, because otherwise I'll start talking about family history with greyhounds, which probably is beyond First Minister's questions.
Diolch am y cwestiwn. Dylwn i ddweud fy mod i'n berchennog ci fy hun; rydym ni'n teimlo weithiau mai'r ci sydd berchen arnom ni. Ond nid yw'n filgi, ond rwy'n deall eu bod nhw'n anifeiliaid anwes teuluol gwych. Ond ceir pwynt yma am y lles ehangach a'r hyn sy'n digwydd gyda'r milgwn hynny sy'n cael eu bridio ar gyfer rasio, pa un a ydyn nhw'n ei wneud yn rasio milgwn ai peidio, a gwn am y pryderon sydd yno. Mae trac y Cymoedd bellach yn rhan o Fwrdd Milgwn Prydain Fawr, felly mae'n rhaid iddo fodloni safonau allanol. Byddwn yn parhau i gynnal diddordeb yn yr hyn sy'n digwydd yno, waeth beth fydd canlyniad yr ymgynghoriad ac ymateb y Llywodraeth.
Nid oes gan yr awdurdod lleol gyfrifoldebau statudol i archwilio'r trac a deall lles anifeiliaid, ond rydym ni eisiau gwneud yn siŵr bod y safonau Prydain Fawr gyfan y gwnaethon nhw gytuno iddyn nhw dim ond y llynedd, pan wnaethon nhw ymuno â chorff cyffredinol Prydain Fawr, yn cael eu bodloni. Ac rwy'n cymryd o ddifrif y pwynt y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud am les tra bod y gamp yn parhau i filgwn yng Nghymru a thu hwnt a hefyd beth allai ddigwydd os oes gwahanol ddyfodol, oherwydd rwy'n cymryd lles yr anifeiliaid hyfryd hyn o ddifrif. Byddaf yn stopio yn y fan yna, oherwydd fel arall byddaf yn dechrau siarad am hanes teuluol gyda milgwn, sydd fwy na thebyg y tu hwnt i gwestiynau'r Prif Weinidog.
First Minister, 2 June marks National Greyhound Day. It is a timely reminder that Wales is one of only 10 countries across the entire globe—this includes all UK nations—where commercial greyhound racing still takes place in 2024. Published results from races and trials at the Valley Greyhounds stadium, which sits within the Senedd seat of Islwyn, show that from 3 March to 29 May this year nine dogs were recorded as 'fell' and 15 were recorded as 'knocked over'. The welfare of these precious greyhounds that are fallen in races remains unknown. The Cut the Chase coalition, which consists of the highly respected RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Hope Rescue and Greyhound Rescue Wales, have well documented the truly shocking lack of welfare shown in the greyhound racing industry for the welfare of the animals. First Minister, what timescales and what more details, then, can you give about the outcome of the 12-week consultation considering the future of greyhound racing, and when will that report to the Senedd? I also would like to pick up on the point of what is going to happen in the interim to those dogs and their welfare.
Prif Weinidog, 2 Mehefin yw Diwrnod Cenedlaethol y Milgwn. Mae'n atgof amserol bod Cymru yn un o ddim ond 10 gwlad ar draws y byd i gyd—mae hyn yn cynnwys holl wledydd y DU—lle mae rasio milgwn masnachol yn dal i ddigwydd yn 2024. Mae canlyniadau cyhoeddedig o rasys a threialon yn stadiwm milgwn y Cymoedd, sydd wedi'i leoli yn sedd Islwyn y Senedd, yn dangos y cofnodwyd bod naw ci wedi 'cwympo' a bod 15 wedi cael eu 'bwrw drosodd' rhwng 3 Mawrth a 29 Mai eleni. Mae lles y milgwn gwerthfawr hyn sydd wedi cwympo mewn rasys yn parhau i fod yn anhysbys. Mae'r glymblaid Cut the Chase, sy'n cynnwys sefydliadau uchel eu parch yr RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Hope Rescue a Greyhound Rescue Wales, wedi rhoi llawer o sylw i'r diffyg lles gwirioneddol syfrdanol a ddangosir yn y diwydiant rasio milgwn tuag at les yr anifeiliaid. Prif Weinidog, pa amserlenni a pha fanylion pellach, felly, allwch chi eu rhoi am ganlyniad yr ymgynghoriad 12 wythnos yn ystyried dyfodol rasio milgwn, a phryd fydd hwnnw'n adrodd i'r Senedd? Hoffwn hefyd roi sylw i'r pwynt o'r hyn sy'n mynd i ddigwydd yn y cyfamser i'r cŵn hynny a'u lles.
Thank you for the question. Again, I understand the response the Member would like me to give, but I can't give it because we're going through the response to the consultation, but it is striking, the point the Member makes, that Wales is one of only 10 countries around the globe that still has commercial greyhound racing. We need to understand more about the welfare of the dogs, the standards that the Greyhound Board of Great Britain has for greyhounds to be able to make sure that they are met and that they undertake the welfare engagement they're supposed to, and we have to deal with the response to the consultation. Now, I can't give you an absolute time frame for when that will be published, but the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs is leading the work on this; we will publish a summary of the responses, and we will publish a response from the Government about how we propose to take those matters forward. So, I'd ask Members on all sides to bear with us, to understand we're treating this seriously, with the significant volume of responses that shows a real interest in the issue, and we'll set out the Government's response as soon as we're able to. And again, I recognise the significant and very genuine and well-meant and kind-heartedly-felt concern on all sides of the Chamber.
Diolch am y cwestiwn. Eto, rwy'n deall yr ymateb yr hoffai'r Aelod i mi ei roi, ond na allaf ei roi gan ein bod ni'n mynd drwy'r ymateb i'r ymgynghoriad, ond mae'n drawiadol, y pwynt y mae'r Aelod yn ei wneud, bod Cymru yn un o ddim ond 10 gwlad ledled y byd sy'n dal i fod â rasio milgwn masnachol. Mae angen i ni ddeall mwy am les y cŵn, y safonau sydd gan Fwrdd Milgwn Prydain Fawr ar gyfer milgwn i allu gwneud yn siŵr eu bod nhw'n cael eu bodloni a'u bod nhw'n ymgymryd â'r ymgysylltiad lles y maen nhw i fod i'w wneud, ac mae'n rhaid i ni ymdrin â'r ymateb i'r ymgynghoriad. Nawr, ni allaf roi amserlen bendant i chi ar gyfer pryd y bydd hwnnw'n cael ei gyhoeddi, ond mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Newid Hinsawdd a Materion Gwledig yn arwain y gwaith ar hyn; byddwn yn cyhoeddi crynodeb o'r ymatebion, a byddwn yn cyhoeddi ymateb gan y Llywodraeth ynglŷn â sut rydym ni'n bwriadu bwrw ymlaen â'r materion hynny. Felly, byddwn yn gofyn i Aelodau ar bob ochr i fod yn amyneddgar, i ddeall ein bod ni'n trin hyn o ddifrif, gyda'r nifer sylweddol o ymatebion sy'n dangos gwir ddiddordeb yn y mater, a byddwn yn cyflwyno ymateb y Llywodraeth cyn gynted ag y gallwn. Ac eto, rwy'n cydnabod y pryder sylweddol a diffuant iawn a da ei fwriad a thwymgalon ar bob ochr i'r Siambr.
7. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am y cynnydd o ran mynediad at wasanaethau'r GIG yng ngogledd Cymru? OQ61191
7. Will the First Minister make a statement on progress regarding access to NHS services in north Wales? OQ61191
The Welsh Government continues to work closely with the health board to drive sustainable improvement that enables patients to access safe and timely health and care services. We have set out clear expectations for improvement that will be followed through by myself and the Cabinet Secretary.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i weithio'n agos gyda'r bwrdd iechyd i ysgogi gwelliant cynaliadwy sy'n galluogi cleifion i gael mynediad at wasanaethau iechyd a gofal diogel a phrydlon. Rydym ni wedi nodi disgwyliadau eglur ar gyfer gwelliant y byddaf i ac Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cymryd camau dilynol arnyn nhw.
First Minister, under Labour, the NHS in north Wales is on its knees: the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been in and out of special measures since 2015; there's been a failure to deliver improvements, which has resulted in patients coming to harm; patients are waiting longer than in other parts of the UK for operations and treatments; and we all know that the Glan Clwyd Hospital, which serves the people of Conwy and Denbighshire, has the worst emergency department performance in the country, with one in four people waiting 12 hours or more in A&E. It's totally unacceptable.
Now, in a bid to address some of these issues, 11 years ago, the Welsh Government promised to build a brand-new hospital in Rhyl to serve the coastal strip, improve access to NHS services and alleviate the pressure on Glan Clwyd. It should have been open in 2016, but we're yet to see a spade in the ground, First Minister, and yet, since then, since 2013, you've opened a brand-new hospital in south Wales. Why is north Wales always playing second fiddle to south Wales under your Government? And when will people in Conwy and Denbighshire get this vital facility that patients need?
Prif Weinidog, o dan Lafur, mae'r GIG yn y gogledd ar ei liniau: mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr wedi bod i mewn ac allan o fesurau arbennig ers 2015; mae methiant wedi bod i gyflawni gwelliannau, sydd wedi arwain at gleifion yn dioddef niwed; mae cleifion yn aros yn hirach nag mewn rhannau eraill o'r DU am lawdriniaethau a thriniaethau; ac rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod mai Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, sy'n gwasanaethu pobl Conwy a sir Ddinbych, sydd â'r perfformiad adran achosion brys gwaethaf yn y wlad, gydag un o bob pedwar o bobl yn aros 12 awr neu fwy mewn adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys. Mae'n gwbl annerbyniol.
Nawr, mewn ymgais i fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r materion hyn, 11 mlynedd yn ôl, addawodd Llywodraeth Cymru adeiladu ysbyty newydd sbon yn y Rhyl i wasanaethu'r llain arfordirol, i wella mynediad at wasanaethau'r GIG ac i leddfu'r pwysau ar Glan Clwyd. Dylai fod wedi bod ar agor yn 2016, ond nid ydym ni wedi gweld rhaw yn y ddaear eto, Prif Weinidog, ac eto, ers hynny, ers hynny, ers 2013, rydych chi wedi agor ysbyty newydd sbon yn y de. Pam mae'r gogledd bob amser yn dod yn ail i'r de o dan eich Llywodraeth chi? A phryd fydd pobl yng Nghonwy a sir Ddinbych yn cael y cyfleuster hanfodol hwn y mae cleifion ei angen?
Well, I recognise that long waits are something that I would not try to defend, whether it's emergency care or usual, planned care. There has been a reduction for long waits in north Wales, a more than 20 per cent reduction. There's been a reduction of more than 55 per cent, sorry, in orthopaedic patient waits as well, and there is investment going into the health service in north Wales. Ysbyty Glan Clwyd itself has had a significant refit, not just in the A&E department, but actually a whole-hospital refurbish and refit. We've also seen money going to new mental health units and indeed the orthopaedic unit in Llandudno, which the Cabinet Secretary went to open and to view. So, there is real investment going in. The challenge isn't just in the bricks and the mortar of the hospital, it's in the transformation and modernisation of the service overall, and the need to have not just the numbers of staff, but the way in which they work. It's a partnership for staff and the wider public; a partnership, indeed, with local government and beyond.
Part of our biggest challenge in getting people through hospital-based care is the fact that far too many people who are medically fit are still in a hospital bed. We can't fix that without the resources and the joint working between health, local care, local government and others. And, of course, we're in an environment, as the Member knows very well, where not only our budget has been compromised, with a more than £700 million real-terms reduction in the last three years, but actually that has a real impact on health and its partners as well.
There are real questions for us, and I believe a new page being turned on a UK level will give us more resources and different partnerships to work with. I look forward to listening to the public, understanding the challenges that I know that we face, but, crucially, I look forward to a new partnership that allows us to deliver on the aspirations of this Government and every community across the country.
Wel, rwy'n cydnabod na fyddai amseroedd aros hir yn rhywbeth y byddwn i'n ceisio'u hamddiffyn, p'un a yw'n ofal brys neu'n ofal arferol, wedi'i gynllunio. Mae amseroedd aros hir wedi gostwng yn y gogledd, gostyngiad o fwy nag 20 y cant. Mae gostyngiad o fwy na 55 y cant wedi bod, mae'n ddrwg gennyf i, yn nifer cleifion orthopedig sy'n aros hefyd, ac mae buddsoddiad yn mynd i'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn y gogledd. Mae Ysbyty Glan Clwyd ei hun wedi cael ei adnewyddu'n sylweddol, nid yn unig yn yr adran damweiniau ac achosion brys, ond mae'r ysbyty cyfan wedi'i ailwampio ac adnewyddu mewn gwirionedd. Rydyn ni hefyd wedi gweld arian yn mynd i unedau iechyd meddwl newydd ac yn wir yr uned orthopedig yn Llandudno, yr aeth Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ati i'w hagor a'i gweld. Felly, mae buddsoddiad gwirioneddol yn cael ei gyflwyno. Ond nid ym mrics a morter yr ysbyty yn unig y mae'r her, mae hi'n ymwneud â thrawsnewid a moderneiddio'r gwasanaeth yn gyffredinol, a'r angen i gael nid yn unig nifer y staff, ond y ffordd y maen nhw'n gweithio. Mae'n bartneriaeth ar gyfer staff a'r cyhoedd yn ehangach; partneriaeth, yn wir, gyda llywodraeth leol a thu hwnt.
Rhan o'n her fwyaf o gael pobl drwy ofal mewn ysbytai yw'r ffaith bod gormod o lawer o bobl sy'n ffit yn feddygol yn dal i fod mewn gwelâu ysbyty. Ni allwn ni ddatrys hynny heb yr adnoddau a'r cydweithio rhwng iechyd, gofal lleol, llywodraeth leol ac eraill. Ac, wrth gwrs, rydyn ni mewn amgylchedd, fel y mae'r Aelod yn gwybod yn dda iawn, lle mai nid yn unig ein cyllideb sydd wedi'i pheryglu, gyda gostyngiad o fwy na £700 miliwn mewn termau gwirioneddol yn ystod y tair blynedd diwethaf, ond mewn gwirionedd mae hynny'n cael effaith wirioneddol ar iechyd a'i bartneriaid hefyd.
Mae yna gwestiynau gwirioneddol i ni, ac rwy'n credu y bydd tudalen newydd yn cael ei throi ar lefel y DU yn rhoi mwy o adnoddau a phartneriaethau gwahanol i ni weithio gyda nhw. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at wrando ar y cyhoedd, at ddeall yr heriau rwy'n ymwybodol ein bod ni'n eu hwynebu, ond, yn hollbwysig, rwy'n edrych ymlaen at bartneriaeth newydd sy'n ein galluogi ni i gyflawni dyheadau'r Llywodraeth hon a phob cymuned ledled y wlad.
8. Beth mae'r Prif Weinidog yn ei wneud i leihau'r angen i anfon cleifion yn allanol i glinigau preifat ar gyfer sganiau MRI ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr? OQ61214
8. What is the First Minister doing to reduce the need for the outsourcing of patients to private clinics for MRI scans in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board? OQ61214
Reducing waiting times is a priority for this Government, and we've been clear with health boards that they should utilise all available capacity, including through the independent sector, to reduce waiting times. Our overall objective is to have a genuinely sustainable public national health service.
Mae lleihau amseroedd aros yn flaenoriaeth i'r Llywodraeth hon, ac rydyn ni wedi bod yn glir gyda byrddau iechyd y dylen nhw ddefnyddio'r holl gapasiti sydd ar gael, gan gynnwys drwy'r sector annibynnol, i leihau amseroedd aros. Ein nod cyffredinol yw bod â gwasanaeth iechyd cenedlaethol cyhoeddus gwirioneddol gynaliadwy.
Thank you. Well, interestingly, in Betsi terms, they call it insourcing of external, you know, procedures. Now, 8,568 patient pathways are waiting over 105 weeks, two years, to start treatment, and that's 3,600 per cent more than the whole of England. Now, in an effort to combat this crisis, the health board did turn to insourcing, using private companies. They've been entering contracts with external healthcare providers to provide clinical teams to attend health board sites, see patients and also undertake a number of results from scans. Now, this is only just come to my attention, but, due to funding pressure, the health board recently—. I have constituents waiting several months for scan results. Now, surely, First Minister, you can understand that, anybody going for a scan, it's a worrying time for them; anybody waiting for those results, it's even more worrying. And when those results don't come through, it just causes an additional burden of stress and anxiety. Now, what has happened is, due to funding pressures, the health board made a decision to halt the insourcing of external services on scans with effect from April 2023, a year ago. However, rather than bring in those patients back under the NHS umbrella—
Diolch. Wel, yn ddiddorol, o ran Betsi, maen nhw'n ei alw'n fewnoli triniaethau allanol, wyddoch chi. Nawr, mae 8,568 o lwybrau cleifion yn aros dros 105 wythnos, dwy flynedd, i ddechrau triniaeth, ac mae hynny 3,600 y cant yn fwy na Lloegr gyfan. Nawr, mewn ymdrech i fynd i'r afael â'r argyfwng hwn, fe wnaeth y bwrdd iechyd droi at fewnoli, gan ddefnyddio cwmnïau preifat. Maen nhw wedi bod yn ymrwymo i gontractau gyda darparwyr gofal iechyd allanol i ddarparu timau clinigol i fynychu safleoedd byrddau iechyd, gweld cleifion a hefyd ymgymryd â nifer o ganlyniadau o sganiau. Nawr, dim ond newydd ddod at fy sylw i mae hyn, ond, oherwydd pwysau cyllidol, mae'r bwrdd iechyd yn ddiweddar—. Mae gennyf i etholwyr yn aros sawl mis am ganlyniadau sgan. Nawr, mae'n siŵr, Prif Weinidog, y gallwch chi ddeall bod unrhyw un sy'n mynd am sgan, mae'n gyfnod pryderus iddyn nhw; unrhyw un sy'n aros am y canlyniadau hynny, mae hi hyd yn oed yn fwy pryderus iddyn nhw. A phan nad yw'r canlyniadau hynny'n cael eu cyflwyno, mae'n achosi baich ychwanegol o straen a phryder. Nawr, yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd yw, oherwydd pwysau ariannol, gwnaeth y bwrdd iechyd benderfyniad i atal y gwaith mewnoli gwasanaethau allanol ar sganiau o fis Ebrill 2023, flwyddyn yn ôl. Fodd bynnag, yn hytrach na dod â'r cleifion hynny yn ôl o dan ymbarél y GIG—
I've been very patient. Please get to a question, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Rydw i wedi bod yn amyneddgar iawn. Gofynnwch y cwestiwn, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Yes. So, basically, those patients were then just left in abeyance for months and months and months at a time. Now, they've written to me saying—
Iawn. Felly, yn y bôn, cafodd y cleifion hynny eu rhoi o'r neilltu am fisoedd a misoedd a misoedd ar y tro. Nawr, maen nhw wedi ysgrifennu ataf i yn dweud—
The question now, please, Janet.
Y cwestiwn nawr, Janet os gwelwch yn dda.
Yes, okay. So, what will you do, working with the health Minister, First Minister, to ensure that you look exactly at how the insourcing of external programmes is working? Because to actually stop it for a year and it not be picked up is disgraceful. I want to make sure that doesn't happen again.
Ie iawn. Felly, beth fyddwch chi'n ei wneud, gan weithio gyda'r Gweinidog iechyd, Prif Weinidog, i sicrhau eich bod chi'n edrych ar sut yn union mae mewnoli rhaglenni allanol yn gweithio? Oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, mae ei atal am flwyddyn a pheidio ag ailgydio ag ef yn warthus. Rwyf i eisiau sicrhau nad yw hynny'n digwydd eto.
Two minutes is sufficient for the question there.
Mae dwy funud yn ddigon ar gyfer y cwestiwn yno.
I think, as the Member acknowledged, insourcing is where people are brought into the NHS to deliver some of the scans that are required, and our challenge is, if we want to generate the capacity we need, we need to invest in people and in equipment to do that. And we need to utilise parts of the independent sector to make sure that we don't have unacceptable waits within the system. And in fact, on MRI scans in the last year, there has been about a 30 per cent reduction in people waiting longer than our expectation, so it has made a difference. And that reduction in people waiting has actually taken place despite there being a 14 per cent increase in demand. Now, I know there has been an issue and some people were missed for follow-up. That's something the Cabinet Secretary is aware of. It's also something the health board are aware of. They've reviewed all of those cases to make sure people are put back into the system where they should have been. Part of our challenge is not just in saying what we want to do to recognise there is a problem we need to resolve; it is also, where things go wrong, about whether you are prepared to put it right. That's exactly what has happened in this instance. And we're going to need to invest more in this area to get to a point of being genuinely sustainable, and then we need to find a way to carry on investing in more preventative healthcare as well. That's the challenge we face. I understand it very well as a former health Minister. The Cabinet Secretary for health understands that very well and that is exactly what she is doing: getting on top of long waits and looking to shift our system to more preventative healthcare.
Rwy'n credu, fel y gwnaeth yr Aelod ei gydnabod, mewnoli yw lle mae pobl yn cael eu dwyn i mewn i'r GIG i ddarparu rhai o'r sganiau sydd eu hangen arnyn nhw, a'n her ni yw, os ydyn ni eisiau cynhyrchu'r capasiti sydd ei angen arnon ni, mae angen i ni fuddsoddi mewn pobl ac mewn offer i wneud hynny. Ac mae angen i ni ddefnyddio rhannau o'r sector annibynnol i sicrhau nad oes gennym ni amseroedd aros annerbyniol o fewn y system. Ac mewn gwirionedd, o ran sganiau MRI yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, roedd gostyngiad o tua 30 y cant yn nifer y bobl sy'n aros yn hirach na'n disgwyl, felly mae wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth. Ac mae'r gostyngiad hwnnw yn nifer y bobl sy'n aros wedi digwydd mewn gwirionedd er bod cynnydd o 14 y cant yn y galw. Nawr, rwy'n gwybod bod problem wedi bod a chafodd rhai pobl eu methu ar gyfer apwyntiadau dilynol. Mae hynny'n rhywbeth y mae'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn ymwybodol ohono. Mae hefyd yn rhywbeth y mae'r bwrdd iechyd yn ymwybodol ohono. Maen nhw wedi adolygu'r holl achosion hynny i sicrhau bod pobl yn cael eu rhoi yn ôl i mewn i'r system lle dylen nhw fod wedi bod. Rhan o'n her ni yw nid yn unig dweud yr hyn yr ydyn ni eisiau'i wneud i gydnabod bod yna broblem y mae angen i ni ei datrys; mae hefyd, yn ymwneud â phan fo pethau'n mynd o chwith, ynghylch a ydych chi'n barod i'w gywiro. Dyna'n union a ddigwyddodd yn yr achos hwn. A bydd angen i ni fuddsoddi mwy yn y maes hwn i gyrraedd pwynt o fod yn wirioneddol gynaliadwy, ac yna mae angen i ni ddod o hyd i ffordd i barhau i fuddsoddi mewn gofal iechyd mwy ataliol hefyd. Dyna'r her sy'n ein hwynebu ni. Rwy'n deall hyn yn dda iawn fel cyn weinidog iechyd. Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd yn deall hynny'n dda iawn a dyna'n union y mae hi'n ei wneud: mynd i'r afael ag amseroedd aros hir ac yn bwriadu symud ein system i ofal iechyd mwy ataliol.
Yn olaf, cwestiwn 9, Delyth Jewell.
Finally, question 9, Delyth Jewell.
9. Pa asesiad y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'i wneud o ddigonolrwydd gwasanaethau ysbyty yn Nwyrain De Cymru? OQ61216
9. What assessment has the First Minister made of the adequacy of hospital services in South Wales East? OQ61216
Access to hospital services in South Wales East under sustained pressure, with record demand and need. This inevitably affects both staff and patients. The Welsh Government will continue to work closely with health boards in this region to improve access to safe and timely health and care services.
Mae mynediad i wasanaethau ysbytai yn Nwyrain De Cymru o dan bwysau parhaus, gyda'r galw a'r angen uchaf erioed. Mae'n anochel bod hyn yn effeithio ar staff a chleifion. Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i weithio'n agos gyda byrddau iechyd yn y rhanbarth hwn i wella mynediad at wasanaethau iechyd a gofal diogel ac amserol.
Thank you for that. Our hospitals in Wales seem forever to be close to crisis. I was contacted recently by a constituent whose 92-year-old mother was taken to the Grange hospital after a fall. She was unconscious. Thirteen ambulances were lined up outside when they arrived, and after triage they had to wait for five hours in an ambulance outside before this 92-year-old woman was brought back into the building, and only after they'd complained—all of this before it was established whether she'd had a bleed on the brain. Now, I've spoken before here about how ambulances are the new waiting rooms, that it's normal to see queues of ambulances waiting outside A&E. It shouldn't be normal, but it has become normalised. Now, surely you would agree that that is not adequate, that that is not right. In this election, the Labour Party is focusing on the need to modernise our NHS and they are even campaigning on that in Wales, where their own party runs the health service. Isn't part of this your own fault?
Diolch am hynny. Mae i'w weld bod ein hysbytai yng Nghymru yn agos at argyfwng byth a beunydd. Cysylltodd etholwr â mi yn ddiweddar y cafodd ei fam 92 oed ei chludo i ysbyty'r Faenor ar ôl cwympo. Roedd hi'n anymwybodol. Roedd tri ar ddeg o ambiwlansys yn aros y tu allan pan gyrhaeddon nhw, ac ar ôl brysbennu roedd yn rhaid iddyn nhw aros am bum awr mewn ambiwlans y tu allan cyn i'r fenyw 92 oed yma gael ei symud yn ôl i'r adeilad, a dim ond ar ôl iddyn nhw gwyno—hyn oll cyn iddo gael ei sefydlu a oedd hi'n gwaedu ar yr ymennydd. Nawr, rwyf i wedi sôn o'r blaen yma am sut mae ambiwlansys yw'r ystafelloedd aros newydd, ei bod yn arferol gweld ciwiau o ambiwlansys yn aros y tu allan i adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys. Ni ddylai fod yn normal, ond mae wedi dod yn normal. Nawr, siawns na fyddech chi'n cytuno nad yw hynny'n ddigonol, nad yw hynny'n iawn. Yn yr etholiad hwn, mae'r Blaid Lafur yn canolbwyntio ar yr angen i foderneiddio ein GIG ac maen nhw hyd yn oed yn ymgyrchu ar hynny yng Nghymru, lle mae eu plaid eu hunain yn rhedeg y gwasanaeth iechyd. Onid eich bai chi yw rhan o hyn?
I think if you look at what we are doing—. Let's take the specific point. I'm sorry to hear of the instance that the Member has highlighted. I can't address individual matters, but I hope that the Member, together with the health board, is looking at that, and there are other services available, including Llais and others, to help support the Member if there is a complaint or a concern to be raised, and it's important that concerns are raised. I remember, when the Member for Cardiff West was the health Minister, about the gift of complaints, and understanding that, when complaints are made, they're opportunities for improvement, and to do it in an environment where staff don't feel they're under attack, but, actually, how do you do this better in the future. Some of it is about how we cope with demand. Some of it is about how our whole systems work.
I made the point in earlier questions that part of our challenge is that we have too many people who are medically fit for discharge who can't go into the next phase of their care and treatment outside of a hospital. It's also something about the capacity at the front door. So, at the Grange in particular, they're looking to double the capacity for the total waiting area. That should make a real difference for people that come in, and ambulances can be released to deal with the risk that is in the community at that time. But we've got to deal with the back door, where people can get out of the hospital. Now, this is part of what you need to do to modernise the service: to invest in your staff, to invest in facilities. And I make no apology for campaigning for a modernised national health service, together with the resources we need to keep the staff we have and to recruit the staff that we will need.
If you think about what we have already done to modernise the health service, the new treatment fund that we introduced in the last Senedd term, it does deliver better and faster access to new treatments. We made that choice here in Wales ahead of the rest of the UK. Think about what we've done in optometry. Your high-street optometrist can now deal with a whole range of conditions, taking pressure off healthcare services in a hospital on eye care, and that means people get a better experience and faster access to care. I've seen that within my own family. And in pharmacy, the Conservatives in England are now planning to do what we have already done here in Wales, in reforming pharmacy, in modernising it and having new services delivered closer to where people live. That's a record that we want to build on. I make no apology for wanting to modernise and improve a public national health service with the resources to be able to do so, and I believe the result on 4 July or 5 July will be crucial to how quickly we can do that here in Wales.
Rwy'n credu os edrychwch chi ar yr hyn yr ydyn ni'n ei wneud—. Gadewch i ni gymryd y pwynt penodol. Mae'n ddrwg gennyf i glywed am yr enghraifft y mae'r Aelod wedi tynnu sylw ato. Ni allaf ymdrin â materion unigol, ond rwy'n gobeithio bod yr Aelod, ynghyd â'r bwrdd iechyd, yn edrych ar hynny, ac mae gwasanaethau eraill ar gael, gan gynnwys Llais ac eraill, i helpu i gefnogi'r Aelod os oes angen codi cwyn neu bryder, ac mae'n bwysig bod pryderon yn cael eu codi. Rwy'n cofio, pan oedd yr Aelod dros Orllewin Caerdydd yn Weinidog iechyd, am y rhodd cwynion, a deall, pan fo cwynion yn cael eu gwneud, eu bod yn gyfleoedd i wella, ac i'w wneud mewn amgylchedd lle nad yw staff yn teimlo eu bod o dan y lach, ond yn hytrach, sut ydych chi'n gwneud hyn yn well yn y dyfodol. Mae rhywfaint ohono'n ymwneud â sut yr ydyn ni'n ymdopi â'r galw. Mae rhywfaint yn ymwneud â sut mae ein systemau cyfan yn gweithio.
Fe wnes i'r pwynt mewn cwestiynau cynharach mai rhan o'n her ni yw bod gennym ni ormod o bobl sy'n feddygol ffit i gael eu rhyddhau sydd ddim yn gallu symud i gam nesaf eu gofal a'u triniaeth y tu allan i'r ysbyty. Mae hefyd yn rhywbeth sy'n ymwneud â gallu wrth y drws ffrynt. Felly, yn y Faenor yn benodol, maen nhw'n ceisio dyblu'r capasiti ar gyfer yr holl ardal aros. Dylai hynny wneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i bobl sy'n dod i mewn, ac mae modd rhyddhau ambiwlansys i ymdrin â'r risg sydd yn y gymuned bryd hynny. Ond mae'n rhaid i ni ymdrin â'r drws cefn, lle y gall pobl fynd allan o'r ysbyty. Nawr, mae hyn yn rhan o'r hyn y mae angen i chi'i wneud i foderneiddio'r gwasanaeth: buddsoddi yn eich staff, buddsoddi mewn cyfleusterau. Ac nid wyf i'n ymddiheuro am ymgyrchu dros wasanaeth iechyd gwladol wedi'i foderneiddio, ynghyd â'r adnoddau sydd eu hangen arnon ni i gadw'r staff sydd gennym ni ac i recriwtio'r staff y bydd eu hangen arnon ni.
Os ydych chi'n ystyried yr hyn yr ydyn ni eisoes wedi'i wneud i foderneiddio'r gwasanaeth iechyd, y gronfa triniaethau newydd a gafodd ei chyflwyno gennym ni yn nhymor diwethaf y Senedd, mae'n rhoi gwell mynediad a mynediad cyflymach at driniaethau newydd. Fe wnaethon ni'r dewis hwnnw yma yng Nghymru cyn gweddill y DU. Ystyriwch yr hyn yr ydyn ni wedi'i wneud mewn optometreg. Gall eich optometrydd ar y stryd fawr nawr ymdrin ag amrywiaeth eang o gyflyrau, gan gymryd pwysau oddi ar wasanaethau gofal iechyd mewn ysbyty ar gyfer gofal llygaid, ac mae hynny'n golygu bod pobl yn cael gwell brofiad a mynediad cyflymach at ofal. Rwyf i wedi gweld hynny yn fy nheulu i fy hun. Ac mewn fferylliaeth, mae'r Ceidwadwyr yn Lloegr erbyn hyn yn bwriadu gwneud yr hyn yr ydyn ni eisoes wedi'i wneud yma yng Nghymru, wrth ddiwygio fferylliaeth, ei foderneiddio a darparu gwasanaethau newydd yn agosach at ble mae pobl yn byw. Mae hwnnw'n gyflawniad yr ydyn ni eisiau'i ddatblygu. Nid wyf i'n ymddiheuro fy mod i eisiau moderneiddio a gwella gwasanaeth iechyd cenedlaethol cyhoeddus gyda'r adnoddau i allu gwneud hynny, ac rwy'n credu y bydd y canlyniad ar 4 Gorffennaf neu 5 Gorffennaf yn hanfodol i ba mor gyflym y gallwn ni wneud hynny yma yng Nghymru.
Diolch yn fawr i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf fydd y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes. Y Trefnydd, felly, i wneud y datganiad hwnnw—Jane Hutt.
The next item is the business statement and announcement. I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement.
Mae dwy ddadl a dau ddatganiad llafar wedi cael eu hychwanegu at agenda heddiw; mae'r teitlau i'w gweld yn agenda y Cyfarfod Llawn. Mae busnes drafft y tair wythnos nesaf wedi ei nodi yn y datganiad a'r cyhoeddiad busnes, sydd ar gael i Aelodau yn electronig.
Two debates and two oral statements have been added to today's agenda; the titles are published on the Plenary agenda. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out in the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Minister, can I call for a statement from the Minister for Health and Social Care in respect of the report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists into mental health services at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board? I think that the report that was published recently was very, very troubling. It found that less than half of the 84 key recommendations and improvements that had been promised because of recommendations following independent reviews into mental health services in the past have yet to be implemented. And, as a result of that, patients have been coming to harm and have even lost their lives as a result of the incompetence of local leaders and, indeed, the Welsh Government in being able to get to grips with the problems in that troubled health board.
It was 2013 when we first read the scandalous report into the situation in Tawel Fan. We've read reports about the very poor services being provided by the Hergest unit, and we've had multiple reports since saying that things still need to improve. Why on earth is it taking such a long time for this health board, which is in special measures, to get to grips with these issues, and what on earth is the Welsh Government doing to sort these things out? People deserve to know, and that's why I think we need an urgent statement.
Can I also request a second statement, please, from the economy Minister in relation to the report by Visit Wales last week, which found that people were being put off from coming to Wales as visitors because of the Welsh Labour Government's default 20 mph speed limit policy in Wales? This is a significant concern for people in north Wales, particularly in Conwy and Denbighshire, which rely heavily on the visitor economy, and we must do something to make sure that we don't see a significant decline in visitor numbers as a result of this barmy policy continuing. Thank you.
Gweinidog, a gaf i alw am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol am yr adroddiad gan Goleg Brenhinol y Seiciatryddion i wasanaethau iechyd meddwl ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr? Rwy'n credu bod yr adroddiad a gafodd ei gyhoeddi'n ddiweddar yn hynod ofidus. Canfu fod llai na hanner yr 84 o argymhellion a gwelliannau allweddol a gafodd eu haddo oherwydd argymhellion yn dilyn adolygiadau annibynnol yn y gorffennol i wasanaethau iechyd meddwl heb eu gweithredu eto. Ac, o ganlyniad i hynny, mae cleifion wedi bod yn dod i niwed ac maen nhw hyd yn oed wedi colli eu bywydau o ganlyniad i anallu arweinwyr lleol ac, yn wir, Llywodraeth Cymru wrth allu ymdrin â'r problemau yn y bwrdd iechyd hwnnw sydd mewn trafferthion.
Roedd hi'n 2013 pan ddarllenom ni yn gyntaf yr adroddiad gwarthus i'r sefyllfa yn Tawel Fan. Rydyn ni wedi darllen adroddiadau am y gwasanaethau gwael iawn sy'n cael eu darparu gan uned Hergest, ac rydyn ni wedi cael sawl adroddiad ers hynny yn dweud bod angen gwella pethau o hyd. Pam ar y ddaear ydy hi'n cymryd cymaint o amser i'r bwrdd iechyd hwn, sydd mewn mesurau arbennig, ymdrin â'r materion hyn, a beth ar y ddaear ydy Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i ddatrys y pethau hyn? Mae pobl yn haeddu gwybod, a dyna pam rwy'n credu bod angen datganiad brys arnon ni.
A gaf i hefyd ofyn am ail ddatganiad, os gwelwch yn dda, gan Weinidog yr economi am yr adroddiad gan Croeso Cymru yr wythnos diwethaf, a wnaeth ddarganfod bod pobl yn cael eu perswadio i beidio â dod i Gymru fel ymwelwyr oherwydd polisi terfyn cyflymder 20 mya diofyn Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru yng Nghymru? Mae hyn yn bryder sylweddol i bobl yn y gogledd, yn enwedig yng Nghonwy a sir Ddinbych, sy'n dibynnu'n helaeth ar yr economi ymwelwyr, ac mae'n rhaid i ni wneud rhywbeth i sicrhau nad ydyn ni'n gweld gostyngiad sylweddol yn nifer yr ymwelwyr o ganlyniad i barhad y polisi lloerig hwn. Diolch.
Diolch yn fawr, Darren Millar, am eich cwestiynau.
Thank you very much, Darren Millar, for your questions.
In terms of mental health, of course, you are referring to the report that the Welsh Government commissioned in 2023 from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and it was to undertake that review of four previous mental health reviews and also to look at the extent to which recommendations had been completed—embedded and completed. Now, that report has been completed and—very timely—it was presented to the health board at its meeting on 30 May. So, it's there before them in terms of the health board's review of those recommendations and their implementation.
I think it's also important, and you may be aware of this as a local Member, that Betsi Cadwaladr UHB met with a small group of representatives from families with experience of mental health services within the health board on the evening of 20 May 2024 to discuss the findings of the royal college report prior to its publication. And it's really important that that discussion took place with those families, only in the last fortnight, and that the health board, once again, apologised to those affected by past failings, and also that views were given by the families. Their concerns, of course, were expressed at that meeting, and the call for accountability, transparency and candour from those families was important. I think there has been a media response to that, interest in that, but good evidence of implementation in relation to 37 out of a total of 84 recommendations in the four external reports.
And also, of course, the health board chair has been interviewed and there has been significant media coverage of the report, as well as engagement between the First Minister and an individual who did attempt to present him with a hard copy of the report. So, much engagement with the health board now, and the health board chair—very engaged as it went to the board on 30 May. So, topical to raise today, but, clearly, it is about implementation, and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, of course, is here with us today.
Well, of course, as for the 20 mph debate, I think you took part, Darren Millar, in the important debate that took place on 22 May, and it was an important debate, and, of course, it was the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport who responded and made it very clear that, in all his conversations, he's putting communities at the heart of our thinking and listening to the voices of citizens, and also listening to all those partners who are engaging with this. And it was a very positive debate, and I'm sure you will agree with that.
But what was so important was that this is very important for visitors, and that people must feel safe when travelling, including pedestrians and cyclists, as so many of our visitors are pedestrians and cyclists. And he said he wanted that targeted approach to 20 mph on roads where vulnerable road users mix with heavy traffic, and, of course, that is crucial in terms of having a welcoming, safe community for our tourism and for our visitors, because, finally, I have to say, Llywydd, the principal objective, again, of the policy of 20 mph is to save lives and reduce casualties on our roads. And that's what our visitors want when they come to Wales. And, of course, now we're pressing ahead with refining the policy, which is all to do with engaging with the 22 local authorities and how they're consulting as well, and looking at that from the whole perspective of Wales being a welcoming and open and safe country.
O ran iechyd meddwl, wrth gwrs, rydych chi'n cyfeirio at yr adroddiad a gafodd ei gomisiynu gan Goleg Brenhinol y Seiciatryddion yn 2023, ac roedd hynny i gynnal yr adolygiad hwnnw o bedwar adolygiad iechyd meddwl blaenorol a hefyd ystyried i ba raddau yr oedd argymhellion wedi'u cwblhau—wedi'u hymwreiddio a'u cwblhau. Nawr, mae'r adroddiad hwnnw wedi'i gwblhau ac—yn amserol iawn—cafodd ei gyflwyno i'r bwrdd iechyd yn ei gyfarfod ar 30 Mai. Felly, mae yno o'u blaenau nhw o ran adolygiad y bwrdd iechyd o'r argymhellion hynny a'u gweithrediad.
Rwy'n credu ei bod hefyd yn bwysig, ac efallai eich bod chi'n ymwybodol o hyn fel Aelod lleol, bod Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr wedi cyfarfod â grŵp bach o gynrychiolwyr o deuluoedd sydd â phrofiad o wasanaethau iechyd meddwl yn y bwrdd iechyd ar 20 Mai 2024 i drafod canfyddiadau adroddiad y Coleg Brenhinol cyn ei gyhoeddi. Ac mae'n bwysig iawn bod y drafodaeth honno wedi'i chynnal gyda'r teuluoedd hynny, dim ond yn ystod y pythefnos diwethaf, a bod y bwrdd iechyd, unwaith eto, wedi ymddiheuro i'r rhai y gwnaeth fethiannau'r gorffennol effeithio arnyn nhw, a hefyd bod y teuluoedd wedi cynnig eu barn. Cafodd eu pryderon, wrth gwrs, eu mynegi yn y cyfarfod hwnnw, ac roedd yr alwad am atebolrwydd, tryloywder ac onestrwydd gan y teuluoedd hynny'n bwysig. Rwy'n credu bod ymateb wedi bod gan y cyfryngau i hynny, diddordeb yn hynny, ond tystiolaeth dda o weithredu o ran 37 o gyfanswm o 84 o argymhellion yn y pedwar adroddiad allanol.
A hefyd, wrth gwrs, maen nhw wedi cyfweld â chadeirydd y bwrdd iechyd ac mae cyfryngau wedi rhoi cryn sylw i'r adroddiad, yn ogystal ag ymgysylltu rhwng y Prif Weinidog ac unigolyn a geisiodd gyflwyno copi caled o'r adroddiad iddo. Felly, mae llawer o ymgysylltu â'r bwrdd iechyd nawr, a chadeirydd y bwrdd iechyd—sy'n ymgysylltiedig iawn wrth iddo fynd i'r bwrdd ar 30 Mai. Felly, mae'n amserol i'w godi heddiw, ond, yn amlwg, mae'n ymwneud â gweithredu, ac mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol, wrth gwrs, yma gyda ni heddiw.
Wel, wrth gwrs, o ran y ddadl 20 mya, rwy'n credu eich bod chi wedi cymryd rhan, Darren Millar, yn y ddadl bwysig a gafodd ei chynnal ar 22 Mai, ac roedd yn ddadl bwysig, ac, wrth gwrs, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ogledd Cymru a Thrafnidiaeth a ymatebodd gan ei gwneud yn glir iawn, yn ei holl sgyrsiau, ei fod yn rhoi cymunedau wrth wraidd ein hystyriaeth gan wrando ar leisiau dinasyddion, a hefyd, gan wrando ar yr holl bartneriaid hynny sy'n ymgysylltu â hyn. Ac roedd yn ddadl gadarnhaol iawn, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n cytuno â hynny.
Ond yr hyn yr oedd mor bwysig oedd bod hyn yn bwysig iawn i ymwelwyr, a bod yn rhaid i bobl deimlo'n ddiogel wrth deithio, gan gynnwys cerddwyr a beicwyr, gan fod cymaint o'n hymwelwyr yn gerddwyr a beicwyr. A dywedodd ei fod eisiau gweld y dull wedi'i dargedu hwnnw o 20 mya ar ffyrdd lle mae defnyddwyr ffyrdd agored i niwed yn cymysgu â thraffig trwm, ac, wrth gwrs, mae hynny'n hanfodol o ran cael cymuned groesawgar a diogel i'n twristiaeth ac i'n hymwelwyr ni, oherwydd, yn olaf, mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, Llywydd, prif amcan, unwaith eto, y polisi o 20 mya yw achub bywydau a lleihau anafiadau ar ein ffyrdd ni. A dyna'r hyn y mae ein hymwelwyr ni eisiau pan eu bod yn dod i Gymru. Ac, wrth gwrs, nawr rydyn ni'n bwrw ymlaen â mireinio'r polisi, sy'n ymwneud ag ymgysylltu â'r 22 awdurdod lleol a sut maen nhw'n ymgynghori hefyd, gan edrych ar hynny o safbwynt Cymru gyfan yn wlad groesawgar ac agored a diogel.
Trefnydd, in a similar vein, my focus is also on the safety of pedestrians, and I'd like to request a statement, please, from the Cabinet Secretary for transport regarding taking forward the recommendations made in the pavement parking taskforce report. Obviously, that was delayed until this year, which was understandable from the perspective of pressure on local government, but there are many people impacted by the delay, such as those who use wheelchairs, the visually impaired, those who use buggies, or pedestrians, all saying that pavement parking is a major issue. Obviously, in Valleys communities, we know that's a huge challenge, because if people were not to park on pavements, then there would be other issues. But, in other areas, it is possible and it is impacting. Therefore, I've had this request from many, many constituents—when will we see progress to ensure that, in terms of those who do park selfishly, which means that people can't use pavements safely, those people are able to see action and progress on this?
Trefnydd, ar drywydd tebyg, rwyf i hefyd yn canolbwyntio ar ddiogelwch cerddwyr, a hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad, os gwelwch yn dda, gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros drafnidiaeth ynghylch bwrw ymlaen â'r argymhellion a gafodd eu gwneud yn adroddiad y tasglu parcio ar balmentydd. Yn amlwg, cafodd hynny ei ohirio tan eleni, a oedd yn ddealladwy o safbwynt pwysau ar lywodraeth leol, ond mae'r oedi wedi effeithio ar lawer o bobl, fel y rhai sy'n defnyddio cadeiriau olwyn, y rhai â nam ar eu golwg, y rhai sy'n defnyddio bygis, neu gerddwyr, pob un yn dweud bod parcio ar balmentydd yn broblem fawr. Yn amlwg, yng nghymunedau'r Cymoedd, rydyn ni'n gwybod bod honno'n her enfawr, oherwydd pe na bai pobl yn parcio ar balmentydd, yna byddai materion eraill. Ond, mewn ardaloedd eraill, mae'n bosibl ac mae'n cael effaith arnyn nhw. Felly, rwyf i wedi cael y cais hwn gan nifer fawr o etholwyr—pryd fyddwn ni'n gweld cynnydd i sicrhau, o ran y rhai sy'n parcio'n hunanol, sy'n golygu na all pobl ddefnyddio palmentydd yn ddiogel, bod y bobl hynny'n gallu gweld camau gweithredu a chynnydd ar hyn?
Wel, diolch yn fawr am eich cwestiwn pwysig iawn, achos mae yn gwestiwn pwysig.
Well, thank you very much for your important question, because it is an important question.
We have to look at this when we look at the safety, as you say, of our pedestrians. And that's where pavement parking is dangerous, and it is also why, of course, this was something which was taken forward by the former Minister for transport. And, now, I will certainly raise this with the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport to get an update on where we are with this in terms of delivery.
Mae'n rhaid i ni ystyried hyn wrth edrych ar ddiogelwch ein cerddwyr, fel y dywedwch chi. A dyna lle mae parcio ar balmentydd yn beryglus, a dyna pam, wrth gwrs, fod hyn yn rhywbeth a gafodd ei gyflwyno gan y cyn Weinidog trafnidiaeth. A nawr, yn sicr fe wnaf i godi hyn gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ogledd Cymru a Thrafnidiaeth i gael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf o ran ble yr ydyn ni gyda hyn o ran cyflawni.
I'm seeking two statements. The first one is an update on Airbnb licensing and control. There are concerns that Airbnb are reducing the availability of privately rented accommodation and affecting traditional holiday accommodation. Could we have a statement to indicate what progress has been made on creating a register of all types of visitor accommodation and having planning controls on the creation of Airbnb, and when will a draft Bill on these proposals be produced?
Secondly, I've been contacted by pupils at Hafod school in Swansea, who are concerned about the cost of hiring a bus that is wheelchair accessible to take the children swimming. It is substantially more expensive than a bus that is not wheelchair accessible. Can I ask for a Government statement on wheelchair-accessible bus provision and cost?
Rwy'n gofyn am ddau ddatganiad. Y cyntaf yw diweddariad ar drwyddedu a rheoli Airbnb. Mae pryderon bod Airbnb yn lleihau faint o lety preifat sydd ar gael i'w rentu ac yn effeithio ar lety gwyliau traddodiadol. A gawn ni ddatganiad i nodi pa gynnydd sydd wedi'i wneud o ran creu cofrestr o bob math o lety i ymwelwyr a chael rheolaethau cynllunio ar greu lletyau Airbnb, a phryd y bydd Bil drafft ar y cynigion hyn yn cael ei gynhyrchu?
Yn ail, mae disgyblion yn ysgol Hafod yn Abertawe wedi cysylltu â mi, sy'n pryderu am gost llogi bws sy'n hygyrch i gadair olwyn i fynd â'r plant i nofio. Mae'n sylweddol ddrytach na bws nad yw'n hygyrch i gadeiriau olwyn. A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth am ddarpariaeth a chost bysiau sy'n hygyrch i gadeiriau olwyn?
Diolch yn fawr, Mike Hedges. You raised a really important point about the impact of Airbnb, and, clearly, the evidence is that it does reduce the availability of privately rented accommodation, and it also affects traditional holiday accommodation as well. And I think it's useful to look at the Bevan Foundation report on holiday lets in the private rented sector. And, of course, this is quite regional and local—the local authorities with the largest numbers listed as Airbnbs are Gwynedd, followed by Pembrokeshire and Powys. There are fewer, far fewer, in the south Wales Valleys. But many of them, I think, from that report, of the 21,000-plus listings on Airbnb, 14,000-plus appear to be suitable for long-term habitation, which just proves that—. That's 1 per cent of Wales's dwelling stock. For Gwynedd, it's 4.6 per cent; Pembrokeshire, 3.7 per cent; and Ceredigion, 3.1 per cent.
It's something on which we intend to develop a scheme, where all visitor accommodation providers must show they're adhering to certain requirements to operate. And we've talked about safety for our visitors. We want to show visitors to Wales the importance we do place on their safety, but that's about standards, isn't it, in the tourism sector? And then, of course, we are now looking towards a phased approach, with an initial focus on a statutory registration scheme for all accommodation providers, with the intention of supporting other wider Welsh Government policies, such as a visitor levy scheme and broader housing objectives. It is important, I think, to look back to the statement that was made on 9 January 2024—an oral statement on progress in terms of tackling the Airbnb issue. We've changed planning regulations to allow local planning authorities to control the change of use of permanent homes to short-term lets. And it's interesting to look at Gwynedd county council, who are in the process of introducing local controls using these powers, and others are looking at this. And now England is following the lead provided by Wales. So, thank you for giving us the opportunity to update on that.
But you also raised important issues in terms of public service vehicle accessibility. The regulations are not devolved to Wales and are still led by the UK Government Department for Transport. Those regulations do apply to all new public service vehicles—buses or coaches—which have been introduced since 2000 in England, Scotland and Wales, with a particular capacity. Now, importantly, it's important that all full-size single-deck buses over 7.5 tonnes are fully accessible from January 2016, all double-deckers from January 2017, and they have been required to have wheelchair access from 1 January 2005. It's important to see this in terms of how the operators have got to comply with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations. So, it is about us being proactive. We've talked about being proactive, engaging the UK Government and the Department for Transport on this matter. But I'm very conscious of the fact we've got a disability rights taskforce, which is now co-chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice. I was a co-chair with Professor Debbie Foster, and we had a very active transport group, a taskforce travel working group—disabled people telling us what it's like, and producing recommendations to support inclusive and accessible transport, which I'm sure will be followed through.
Diolch yn fawr, Mike Hedges. Fe wnaethoch chi godi pwynt pwysig iawn am effaith Airbnb, ac, yn amlwg, y dystiolaeth yw ei fod yn lleihau faint o letyau preifat sydd ar gael i'w rhentu, ac mae hefyd yn effeithio ar letyau gwyliau traddodiadol hefyd. Ac rwy'n credu ei bod yn ddefnyddiol ystyried adroddiad Sefydliad Bevan ar letyau gwyliau yn y sector rhentu preifat. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae hyn yn eithaf rhanbarthol a lleol—Gwynedd yw'r awdurdod lleol sydd â'r niferoedd mwyaf wedi'u rhestru fel lletyau Airbnb, ac yna sir Benfro a Phowys. Mae llai, llawer llai, yng Nghymoedd y de. Ond mae'n ymddangos bod llawer ohonyn nhw, rwy'n credu, o'r adroddiad hwnnw, o'r rhestrau 21,000 a mwy ar Airbnb, bod 14,000 a mwy yn addas ar gyfer byw ynddyn nhw hirdymor, sy'n profi bod—. Dyna 1 y cant o stoc anheddau Cymru. Ar gyfer Gwynedd, mae'n 4.6 y cant; sir Benfro, 3.7 y cant; a Cheredigion, 3.1 y cant.
Mae'n rhywbeth yr ydyn ni'n bwriadu datblygu cynllun arno, lle mae'n rhaid i bob darparwr llety ymwelwyr ddangos ei fod yn cadw at rai gofynion i weithredu. Rydyn ni wedi sôn am ddiogelwch i'n hymwelwyr. Rydyn ni eisiau dangos i ymwelwyr â Chymru y pwysigrwydd yr ydyn ni'n ei roi ar eu diogelwch, ond mae hynny'n ymwneud â safonau, on'd ydyw, yn y sector twristiaeth? Ac yna, wrth gwrs, rydyn ni erbyn hyn yn edrych tuag at ddull graddol o weithredu, gan ganolbwyntio i ddechrau ar gynllun cofrestru statudol ar gyfer pob darparwr llety, gan fwriadu cefnogi polisïau ehangach eraill Llywodraeth Cymru, fel cynllun ardoll ymwelwyr ac amcanion tai ehangach. Mae'n bwysig, rwy'n credu, edrych yn ôl ar y datganiad a gafodd ei wneud ar 9 Ionawr 2024—datganiad llafar ar gynnydd o ran ymdrin â mater Airbnb. Rydyn ni wedi newid rheoliadau cynllunio i ganiatáu i awdurdodau cynllunio lleol reoli newid defnydd cartrefi parhaol i lety tymor byr. Ac mae'n ddiddorol ystyried Cyngor Sir Gwynedd, sydd wrthi'n cyflwyno rheolaethau lleol gan ddefnyddio'r pwerau yma, ac mae eraill yn edrych ar hyn. A nawr mae Lloegr yn dilyn yr aweiniaeth y mae Cymru wedi'i rhoi. Felly, diolch i chi am roi'r cyfle i ni roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am hynny.
Ond fe wnaethoch chi hefyd godi materion pwysig o ran hygyrchedd cerbydau gwasanaeth cyhoeddus. Nid yw'r rheoliadau wedi'u datganoli i Gymru ac mae Adran Drafnidiaeth Llywodraeth y DU yn dal yn eu harwain. Mae'r rheoliadau hynny'n berthnasol i bob cerbyd gwasanaeth cyhoeddus newydd—bysiau neu goetsys—sydd wedi'u cyflwyno ers 2000 yng Nghymru, Lloegr a'r Alban, gyda gallu penodol. Nawr, yn bwysig, mae'n bwysig bod pob bws un llawr maint llawn dros 7.5 tunnell yn gwbl hygyrch o fis Ionawr 2016, a phob un deulawr o Ionawr 2017, ac mae wedi bod yn ofynnol iddyn nhw gael mynediad i gadeiriau olwyn o 1 Ionawr 2005. Mae'n bwysig gweld hyn o ran sut mae'n rhaid i'r gweithredwyr gydymffurfio â'r Rheoliadau Hygyrchedd Cerbydau Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus. Felly, mae'n ymwneud â ni'n gweithredu'n rhagweithiol. Rydyn ni wedi sôn am fod yn rhagweithiol, gan ymgysylltu â Llywodraeth y DU a'r Adran Drafnidiaeth ar y mater hwn. Ond rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o'r ffaith bod gennym ni dasglu hawliau anabledd, sydd erbyn hyn yn cael ei gyd-gadeirio gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol. Roeddwn i'n gyd-gadeirydd gyda'r Athro Debbie Foster, ac roedd gennym ni grŵp trafnidiaeth gweithgar iawn, gweithgor teithio'r tasglu—pobl anabl yn dweud wrthyn ni sut beth ydyw, ac yn cynhyrchu argymhellion i gefnogi trafnidiaeth gynhwysol a hygyrch, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd y rhain yn cael eu gweithredu.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (David Rees) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (David Rees) took the Chair.
Trefnydd, I'd like to call for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for health on GP provision in rural areas. I've had shared with me an FOI response from the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, which shows that only one small primary care premises has been built in Wales in the last 10 years. That lack of investment is quite troubling, certainly given the disproportionate impact that smaller surgeries can have when they're built in a rural community. It's also troubling that 99 GP surgeries across Wales have closed in recent years, which creates a further barrier for those rural communities. One example that comes up in my region is that of Hanmer surgery, which has been recently covered in a Channel 4 television programme, highlighting the quality of care that people receive there, but also highlighting that the premises is not fit for purpose and that investment is required. Local people are frustrated at the pace of progress, which is painfully slow. So, I'd like a statement addressing what will be done to bring those GP services closer to people who live in rural Wales. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Trefnydd, hoffwn i alw am ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd ar ddarpariaeth meddygon teulu mewn ardaloedd gwledig. Mae ymateb wedi'i rannu gyda mi i gais Rhyddid Gwybodaeth gan Bartneriaeth Cydwasanaethau GIG Cymru, sy'n dangos mai dim ond un safle gofal sylfaenol bach sydd wedi'i adeiladu yng Nghymru yn ystod y 10 mlynedd diwethaf. Mae'r diffyg buddsoddi hwnnw'n peri eithaf pryder, yn sicr o ystyried yr effaith anghymesur y gall meddygfeydd llai ei chael pan fyddan nhw'n cael eu hadeiladu mewn cymuned wledig. Mae hefyd yn peri pryder bod 99 o feddygfeydd teulu ledled Cymru wedi cau yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf, sy'n creu rhwystr arall i'r cymunedau gwledig hynny. Un enghraifft sy'n codi yn fy rhanbarth i yw llawdriniaeth Hanmer, sydd wedi'i chynnwys yn ddiweddar mewn rhaglen deledu ar Channel 4, sy'n tynnu sylw at ansawdd y gofal y mae pobl yn ei dderbyn yno, ond hefyd yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith nad yw'r safle'n addas i'r diben a bod angen buddsoddi. Mae pobl leol yn rhwystredig ar gyflymder y cynnydd, sy'n boenus o araf. Felly, hoffwn i gael datganiad yn ymdrin â'r hyn sy'n cael ei wneud i ddod â'r gwasanaethau meddygon teulu hynny yn agosach at bobl sy'n byw yng nghefn gwlad Cymru. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Thank you for that question. Access to primary care services is crucial, because it delivers better access to doctors, nurses, dentists, optometrists and all those other health professionals who are essential to transforming services, and it's a Government commitment.
I think it's important just to say, for the record, that, every month, GPs make contact with 322,000 people in north Wales. They refer 30,000 people to hospitals for secondary care each month. The First Minister was responding to a question on this earlier on. Also, the fact is that there are practices that have experienced recent challenges around staffing and there are financial incentives for GP training in Wales. The targeted incentive scheme in Wales provides £20,000 to GP trainees to take up a training post in north Wales, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire or Powys. I'll just say that, in terms of one particular medical centre, the West End Medical Centre, a new GP is starting this week, the week commencing 3 June, and a further two within the next few months. So, that shows the great efforts being made by the practice team to engage to recruit, to engage with the community to make improvements. Clearly, the Cabinet Secretary and her officials are reviewing progress to improve permanent staffing not just for that practice, but through other practices to make sure that those GP services in rural areas are supported.
Diolch am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Mae mynediad at wasanaethau gofal sylfaenol yn hanfodol, gan ei fod yn rhoi gwell mynediad at feddygon, nyrsys, deintyddion, optometryddion a'r holl weithwyr iechyd proffesiynol eraill hynny sy'n hanfodol i drawsnewid gwasanaethau, ac mae'n ymrwymiad gan y Llywodraeth.
Rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig dweud, ar gyfer y cofnod, bod meddygon teulu, bob mis, yn cysylltu â 322,000 o bobl yn y gogledd. Maen nhw'n atgyfeirio 30,000 o bobl at ysbytai ar gyfer gofal eilaidd bob mis. Roedd y Prif Weinidog yn ymateb i gwestiwn ar hyn yn gynharach. Hefyd, y ffaith yw bod yna arferion sydd wedi wynebu heriau diweddar o ran staffio ac mae cymhellion ariannol ar gyfer hyfforddi meddygon teulu yng Nghymru. Mae'r cynllun cymhelliant wedi'i dargedu yng Nghymru yn rhoi £20,000 i hyfforddeion meddygon teulu i ymgymryd â swyddi hyfforddi yn y gogledd, Ceredigion, sir Benfro neu Bowys. Fe wnaf i ond dweud, o ran un ganolfan feddygol benodol, Canolfan Feddygol y West End, bod meddyg teulu newydd yn dechrau'r wythnos hon, yr wythnos sy'n dechrau 3 Mehefin, a dau arall o fewn y misoedd nesaf. Felly, mae hynny'n dangos yr ymdrechion mawr sy'n cael eu gwneud gan dîm y practis i ymgysylltu â recriwtio, i ymgysylltu â'r gymuned i wneud gwelliannau. Yn amlwg, mae'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet a'i swyddogion yn adolygu'r cynnydd i wella staffio parhaol nid yn unig ar gyfer y practis hwnnw, ond trwy bractisau eraill i sicrhau bod y gwasanaethau meddygon teulu hynny mewn ardaloedd gwledig yn cael eu cefnogi.
I'd like to have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning on Denbighshire County Council's replacement of the mixed recycling blue bin with the three-tier trolley-box system where waste has to be separated—previously, it was a co-mingled system. The new system has been rolled out this week, on Monday, much to the dismay of residents across Denbighshire. My initial concern is that the decision was made without the consent of residents, who deeply dislike the new bin system. The reason given for the change has been the need to increase recycling rates, but Denbighshire already has one of the best recycling rates in Wales, at 65.9 per cent. So, I think the real reason for the change is their desire to cut costs, and I'm sure that the money offered by the Welsh Government was also an incentive for the change too. It's plainly obvious that these new bins will in fact discourage recycling as many residents would rather toss their rubbish into the general bin than spend time rifling through waste, separating it into different compartments. So, could I get a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning on the Welsh Government's position on Denbighsire County Counil ploughing ahead with unpopular policies without the consent of residents?
Hoffwn i gael datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol, Tai a Chynllunio ar y ffaith bod Cyngor Sir Ddinbych wedi newid biniau glas ailgylchu cymysg i system blwch troli â thair lefel lle mae'n rhaid gwahanu gwastraff—yn flaenorol, roedd yn system gymysg. Mae'r system newydd wedi'i chyflwyno ddydd Llun yr wythnos hon, er mawr siom i drigolion ledled sir Ddinbych. Fy mhryder cychwynnol i yw bod y penderfyniad wedi'i wneud heb ganiatâd trigolion, nad ydyn nhw'n hoffi'r system biniau newydd o gwbl. Yr angen i gynyddu cyfraddau ailgylchu yw'r rheswm dros y newid, ond mae gan sir Ddinbych eisoes un o'r cyfraddau ailgylchu gorau yng Nghymru, sef 65.9 y cant. Felly, rwy'n credu mai'r gwir reswm dros y newid yw eu hawydd i dorri costau, ac rwy'n siŵr bod yr arian a gafodd ei gynnig gan Lywodraeth Cymru hefyd yn gymhelliant ar gyfer y newid hefyd. Mae'n amlwg iawn y bydd y biniau newydd hyn, mewn gwirionedd, yn annog pobl i beidio ailgylchu gan y byddai'n well gan lawer o drigolion daflu eu sbwriel i'r bin cyffredinol na threulio amser yn twrio trwy wastraff, gan ei wahanu i wahanol adrannau. Felly, a gaf i ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol, Tai a Chynllunio ar safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru ar Gyngor Sir Ddinbych yn bwrw ymlaen â pholisïau amhoblogaidd heb gydsyniad preswylwyr?
You've already recognised the good recycling rates in Denbighshire. Let's thank the citizens of Denbighshire, and the local authority in terms of leadership, for achieving those good rates. Wales is absolutely at the forefront globally of delivering on recycling. I hope you are proud of that as well. Actually, in many authorities, including the one I live in, across Wales residents have responded to the changes in the arrangements for our recycling. It is important that we recognise that separating that recycling is important for the destination of those recycled goods, and there's a lot of support given by local authorities. Some authorities have been doing this for decades, or certainly a decade or two. So, Denbighshire is actually catching up with that. I think you will find that people will adjust to it. It is something that is best practice and it is being rolled out successfully across Wales. And, of course, it is again, through the ways in which recycling is now progressing in Wales, making sure that Wales—as I'm sure Denbighshire and the citizens of Denbighshire will recognise—will be at the forefront of those really impressive recycling rates.
Rydych chi eisoes wedi cydnabod y cyfraddau ailgylchu da yn sir Ddinbych. Gadewch i ni ddiolch i ddinasyddion sir Ddinbych, a'r awdurdod lleol o ran arweinyddiaeth, am gyflawni'r cyfraddau da hynny. Mae Cymru ar flaen y gad yn fyd-eang o ran cyflawni ailgylchu. Gobeithio eich bod chi'n falch o hynny hefyd. Mewn gwirionedd, mewn llawer o awdurdodau, gan gynnwys yr un yr wyf i'n byw ynddo, mae trigolion ledled Cymru wedi ymateb i'r newidiadau yn y trefniadau ar gyfer ein hailgylchu. Mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n cydnabod bod gwahanu, bod ailgylchu yn bwysig ar gyfer cyrchfan y nwyddau hynny i'w hailgylchu, ac mae awdurdodau lleol yn rhoi llawer o gefnogaeth. Mae rhai awdurdodau wedi bod yn gwneud hyn ers degawdau, neu yn sicr ddegawd neu ddwy. Felly, mae sir Ddinbych yn adennill tir mewn gwirionedd. Rwy'n credu y byddwch chi'n gweld y bydd pobl yn addasu iddo. Mae'n rhywbeth sy'n arfer gorau ac mae'n cael ei gyflwyno'n llwyddiannus ledled Cymru. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae hi eto, drwy'r ffyrdd y mae ailgylchu erbyn hyn yn mynd rhagddo yng Nghymru, yn sicrhau y bydd Cymru—fel rwy'n siŵr y bydd sir Ddinbych a dinasyddion sir Ddinbych yn cydnabod—ar flaen y gad yn y cyfraddau ailgylchu rhagorol hynny.
Ac yn olaf, Laura Anne Jones.
And finally, Laura Anne Jones.
Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer. I would like to request a statement, please, Trefnydd, from the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Sport and Social Justice on the mapping of sports facilities in Wales. It's clear from conversations with sporting bodies and organisations that it's currently extremely hard to find a clear list of sporting facilities right across Wales and even harder to find them on any sort of map. This Welsh Government claims to want to encourage sporting participation, lift up our future sporting starts, cut down the obesity rate, and ensure we have a healthy Wales. So, surely, mapping out where sporting facilities actually are is essential to ensure equality of provision for all in Wales. Currently, there is no information available. So, I'd be grateful if the Cabinet Secretary for sport could provide a written or oral statement on mapping out facilities in Wales. Thanks.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad, os gwelwch yn dda, Trefnydd, gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant, Chwaraeon a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol ar fapio cyfleusterau chwaraeon yng Nghymru. Mae'n amlwg o sgyrsiau gyda chyrff a sefydliadau chwaraeon ei bod ar hyn o bryd yn anodd iawn dod o hyd i restr glir o gyfleusterau chwaraeon ledled Cymru a hyd yn oed yn anoddach ddod o hyd iddyn nhw ar unrhyw fath o fap. Mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn honni ei bod eisiau annog pobl i gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon, dyrchafu ein dechreuadau chwaraeon yn y dyfodol, lleihau'r gyfradd gordewdra, a sicrhau bod gennym ni Gymru iach. Felly, yn sicr, mae mapio lle mae cyfleusterau chwaraeon mewn gwirionedd yn hanfodol er mwyn sicrhau cydraddoldeb darpariaeth i bawb yng Nghymru. Ar hyn o bryd, nid oes unrhyw wybodaeth ar gael. Felly, byddwn i'n ddiolchgar os gallai Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros chwaraeon roi datganiad ysgrifenedig neu ar lafar ar fapio cyfleusterau yng Nghymru. Diolch.
Diolch yn fawr am eich cwestiwn.
Thank you very much for your question.
Sporting facilities are crucial, aren't they, both locally based and nationally provided. They are key to access sport, physical health and well-being, particularly for our children and young people. Again, local authorities have a crucial role to play in terms of provision and support, although it's really tough and they're hard pressed, because of the austerity and the lack of funding from the UK Government to the Welsh Government, and thence to local authorities, to maintain and improve sporting facilities. But can I also say that Sport Wales plays a really important role as well? The funding that comes through Sport Wales is very accessible, and also information about the sporting facilities is provided locally, regionally and nationally.
I think it's also important to look at this from the perspective of our schools. We were reflecting earlier on the transformational programme of school development, and, actually, many of those new schools that we've got—primary and secondary—have also not just got their own state-of-the-art sporting facilities, but they are available to the community as well, and that's where it's very important. But I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice will be looking at, in terms of her portfolio, the very important connections, of course, between providing that information, providing the facilities, and the importance of accessibility, particularly for our children and young people, but for our adults as well, as they also take part not just themselves in terms of enjoying a sport, but also enjoying supporting their children and young people on the touchline and in training, which many of them do.
Mae cyfleusterau chwaraeon yn hanfodol, on'd ydyn nhw, y ddarpariaeth yn lleol ac yn genedlaethol. Maen nhw'n allweddol i alluogi chwaraeon, iechyd corfforol a lles, yn enwedig ar gyfer ein plant a'n pobl ifanc. Eto, mae gan awdurdodau lleol swyddogaeth hanfodol o ran darpariaeth a chymorth, er ei bod hi'n anodd iawn ac maen nhw dan bwysau mawr, oherwydd y cyni a'r diffyg cyllid gan Lywodraeth y DU i Lywodraeth Cymru, ac oddi yno i awdurdodau lleol, i gynnal a gwella cyfleusterau chwaraeon. Ond a gaf i ddweud hefyd fod Chwaraeon Cymru â rhan bwysig iawn hefyd? Mae'r cyllid a ddaw drwy Chwaraeon Cymru yn hawdd iawn ei gael, a darperir gwybodaeth hefyd am y cyfleusterau chwaraeon yn lleol, yn rhanbarthol ac yn genedlaethol.
Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig edrych ar hyn o safbwynt ein hysgolion hefyd. Roeddem ni'n meddwl yn gynharach am y rhaglen drawsnewidiol o ddatblygiad ysgolion, ac, mewn gwirionedd, mae llawer o'r ysgolion newydd hynny sydd gennym ni—cynradd ac uwchradd—hefyd nid yn unig wedi cael eu cyfleusterau chwaraeon eu hunain, o'r radd flaenaf, ond maen nhw ar gael i'r gymuned hefyd, a dyna sy'n bwysig iawn. Ond rwy'n siŵr y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol yn ystyried, o ran ei phortffolio hi, y cysylltiadau pwysig iawn, wrth gwrs, rhwng darparu'r wybodaeth honno, darparu'r cyfleusterau, a phwysigrwydd hygyrchedd, yn enwedig i'n plant a'n pobl ifanc, ond i'n hoedolion hefyd, gan eu bod nhw'n cymryd rhan nid yn unig eu hunain o ran mwynhau cymryd rhan mewn unrhyw chwaraeon, ond wrth fwynhau cefnogi eu plant a'u pobl ifanc ar ochr y maes chwarae ac mewn hyfforddiant, fel mae llawer ohonyn nhw'n gwneud.
Diolch i'r Trefnydd.
Thank you, Trefnydd.
Nesaf, mae'r cynnig i atal Rheolau Sefydlog dros dro er mwyn caniatáu i eitem 3, adroddiad yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig, gael ei thrafod. Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol i wneud y cynnig. Eluned Morgan.
Next, we have a motion to suspend Standing Orders to allow item 3, the infected blood inquiry report, to be debated. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to move the motion. Eluned Morgan.
Cynnig NNDM8596 Jane Hutt
Cynnig bod y Senedd, yn unol â Rheolau Sefydlog 33.6 a 33.8:
Yn atal Rheol Sefydlog 12.20(i), 12.22(i) a’r rhan honno o Reol Sefydlog 11.16 sy’n ei gwneud yn ofynnol bod y cyhoeddiad wythnosol o dan Reol Sefydlog 11.11 yn darparu’r amserlen ar gyfer busnes yn y Cyfarfod Llawn yr wythnos ganlynol, er mwyn caniatáu i NNDM8595 gael ei ystyried yn y Cyfarfod Llawn ddydd Mawrth, 4 Mehefin 2024.
Motion NNDM8596 Jane Hutt
To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Orders 33.6 and 33.8:
Suspends Standing Order 12.20(i), 12,22(i) and that part of Standing Order 11.16 that requires the weekly announcement under Standing Order 11.11 to constitute the timetable for business in Plenary for the following week, to allow NNDM8595 to be considered in Plenary on Tuesday, 4 June 2024.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Yn ffurfiol.
Formally.
Y cynnig yw atal Rheolau Sefydlog dros dro. A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Nac oes. Felly, derbynnir y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
The proposal is to suspend Standing Orders. Does any Member object? No. The motion is therefore agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Detholwyd y gwelliannau canlynol: gwelliannau 1, 2 a 3 yn enw Heledd Fychan.
The following amendments have been selected: amendments 1, 2 and 3 in the name of Heledd Fychan.
Nesaf, mae eitem 3, dadl ar adroddiad yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig. Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol i wneud y cynnig. Eluned Morgan.
Next, we have item 3, the debate on the infected blood inquiry report. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to move the motion. Eluned Morgan.
Cynnig NNDM8595 Jane Hutt
Cynnig bod y Senedd:
1. Yn cydnabod:
a) y niwed a'r dioddefaint a achoswyd i filoedd o bobl yn sgil y sgandal gwaethaf o ran triniaethau yn hanes y GIG;
b) ymgyrchu diflino a gwaith caled pawb a gafodd eu heintio ac sydd wedi dioddef, i geisio'r gwir; ac
c) ymddiheuriad Llywodraeth y DU am y degawdau hir o fethiant moesol wrth galon ein bywyd cenedlaethol.
2. Yn croesawu adroddiad terfynol yr Ymchwiliad Gwaed Heintiedig a gyhoeddwyd ar 20 Mai 2024 a'i argymhellion.
3. Yn croesawu gwaith y pedair gwlad i sefydlu Awdurdod Iawndal Gwaed Heintiedig.
4. Yn nodi y bydd taliadau iawndal pellach yn cael eu gwneud i bobl a gafodd eu heintio ac sydd wedi dioddef yn sgil y sgandal.
Motion NNDM8595 Jane Hutt
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Recognises:
a) the harm and suffering caused to thousands of people in the worst treatment scandal in the history of the NHS;
b) the tireless campaign and hard work of all those infected and affected to seek the truth; and
c) the UK Government’s apology for the decades-long moral failure at the heart of our national life.
2. Welcomes the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry published on 20 May 2024 and its recommendations.
3. Welcomes the four-nations work to put in place an Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
4. Notes that further compensation payments will be made to people infected and affected by the scandal.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for the opportunity to have this debate today, following the publication of the infected blood inquiry's final report last month. I want to be clear: this was the worst treatment scandal in the history of the NHS. While it predated devolution, as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care in Wales, I want to apologise to all those who were infected and have been affected by this terrible tragedy. I want to pay tribute to the infected and affected, some of whom I met earlier today and are in the gallery this afternoon to listen to this debate. There's been so much suffering by so many people. They fought for decades for the truth to be told, and they must be commended for this.
I've just met some of those victims and heard their stories: Tony and Pat Summers, fighting for justice for decades for their son, Paul; Rose, who lost her brother in 1990, aged 44; Suzanne, setting out how her mother was a tiny bit anaemic and received tainted blood from a service that was supposed to heal her but ended up killing her and depriving her of the opportunity of meeting her nine great-grandchildren; the harrowing story I heard from Margaret Sugar about how her son Lee suffered and how her son Craig is still paying a price; Joanne, who explained how her brother-in-law was ostracised in school because he had HIV and the school failed to keep it private; Kirk, who is still suffering and is determined to ensure justice is done; Sharon and Ceri, whose father died and nobody told them he had a hepatoma; Ruth, whose husband died in 1989, and wasn’t told he had hep C. They’ve all fought for decades for the truth to be told.
The culmination of the infected blood inquiry on 20 May and Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations provided them with many of the answers to so many of the questions they’ve been asking for so long. The sense of vindication and relief is palpable. But so too is the anger that this was ever allowed to happen. I want to thank the members of the cross-party group who have also supported the victims and campaigned for a UK inquiry to take place. I want to pay a special tribute to Julie Morgan, who has worked tirelessly for many, many decades with Haemophilia Wales, helping people like Tony Lane. I also want to pay tribute to the chair, Lynne Kelly. Together, they’ve fought for the inquiry, they’ve lobbied for ex-gratia payments, for parity and a compensation package.
Dirprwy Lywydd, following the conclusion of the infected blood inquiry and the publication of the final report, we’ve already started work to consider its recommendations. We’ve set up an infected blood inquiry next steps for Wales group, chaired by our new deputy chief medical officer, Dr Push Mangat, and it will meet for the very first time soon. It will work with health boards, the Welsh Blood Service, Public Health Wales and policy officials to ensure we look at the wrongs of the past and work together to ensure this can never happen again. There are some issues we can and we will progress quickly; others will take more time. I’ll report back to Members as this work progresses.
I met John Glen, the responsible Cabinet Office Minister, just after the general election was announced, and said the Welsh Government will continue to work on a four-nations basis to implement improvements across the UK. In response, he told me that the election would not hold the work up. Members will recall that this Senedd gave its consent to the provisions in the UK Victims and Prisoners Bill to establish the new compensation arrangements for people infected and affected. The Victims and Prisoners Bill was approved by the UK Parliament as part of the wash-up process, and has now received Royal Assent. This means the new infected blood compensation authority will be formally set up and payments will be made.
Compensation is a matter for and will be funded by the UK Government, but my officials will continue to work with their counterparts in Whitehall to ensure there is a smooth transition for beneficiaries to the new arrangements. Those people who were infected and affected will rightly be able to claim compensation and we will assist them in this process. We’ll also do all we can to ensure that all those eligible for further interim compensation payments receive it as quickly as possible. A second interim payment to those living beneficiaries who are registered on a support scheme will be made within 90 days. Further interim payments will be made to the estates of those registered who were infected and the Wales infected blood support scheme will continue to make ex-gratia payments to provide welfare and psychological support until the transition is complete.
Sir Robert Francis, who wrote the compensation report for the Cabinet Office, will be holding a series of engagement events over the summer about the compensation package put forward by the UK Government. This will help ensure those able to make claims have the correct information and, where necessary, have their views heard on the proposals.
I’m now going to turn to speak in Welsh, so you may need your headphones.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Diolch am y cyfle i gael y ddadl hon heddiw, yn dilyn cyhoeddiad adroddiad terfynol yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig fis diwethaf. Rwy'n awyddus i fod yn eglur: hon oedd y sgandal waethaf yn hanes triniaethau'r GIG. Er ei bod yn rhagflaenu datganoli, gan mai fi yw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol yng Nghymru, rwy'n dymuno ymddiheuro i bawb a gafodd eu heintio ac sydd wedi eu heffeithio gan y drasiedi ofnadwy hon. Rwy'n dymuno rhoi teyrnged i'r rhai sydd wedi eu heintio a'u heffeithio, ac fe gwrddais i â rhai ohonyn nhw'n gynharach heddiw ac maen nhw yn yr oriel y prynhawn yma i wrando ar y ddadl hon. Mae cymaint o bobl wedi dioddef. Fe fuon nhw'n ymladd am ddegawdau a dweud y gwir, ac mae'n rhaid eu canmol nhw am hynny.
Rwyf i newydd gwrdd â rhai o'r dioddefwyr hynny ac wedi clywed eu straeon: Tony a Pat Summers, sydd wedi brwydro am gyfiawnder i'w mab, Paul, am ddegawdau; Rose, a gollodd ei brawd yn 1990, yn 44 oed; Suzanne, a ddywedodd mai ychydig yn anaemig oedd ei mam pan gafodd hi waed heintiedig gan wasanaeth a oedd i fod i'w gwella hi ond a wnaeth ei lladd hi yn y pen draw a'i hamddifadu o'r cyfle i fod yn hen nain i naw; y stori ddirdynnol a glywais gan Margaret Sugar am sut y bu i'w mab Lee ddioddef a sut mae ei mab Craig yn talu pris o hyd; Joanne, a esboniodd sut y cafodd ei brawd yng nghyfraith ei wrthod yn yr ysgol am fod ganddo HIV a methiant yr ysgol i gadw hynny'n breifat; Kirk, sy'n dal i ddioddef ac sy'n benderfynol o sicrhau cyfiawnder; Sharon a Ceri, y bu farw eu tad heb i unrhyw un ddweud wrthyn nhw fod ganddo hepatoma; Ruth, y bu farw ei gŵr yn 1989, ac ni ddywedwyd wrtho fod ganddo hep C. Maen nhw i gyd wedi brwydro ers degawdau i'r gwir gael ei ddatgelu.
Daeth yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig i'w gyflawniad ar 20 Mai a gwnaeth argymhellion Syr Brian Langstaff roi llawer o'r atebion iddyn nhw i lawer o'r cwestiynau y maen nhw wedi bod yn eu gofyn cyhyd. Mae'r ymdeimlad o gyfiawnhad a rhyddhad yn amlwg. Ond felly hefyd y dicter oherwydd i hyn gael eu caniatáu i ddigwydd erioed. Fe hoffwn i ddiolch i aelodau'r grŵp trawsbleidiol sydd wedi cefnogi'r dioddefwyr hefyd ac wedi ymgyrchu dros gynnal ymchwiliad yn y DU. Fe hoffwn i roi teyrnged arbennig i Julie Morgan, sydd wedi gweithio yn ddiflino ers degawdau lawer gyda Haemophilia Wales, gan helpu pobl fel Tony Lane. Rwyf i am roi teyrnged hefyd i'r cadeirydd, Lynne Kelly. Gyda'i gilydd, maen nhw wedi brwydro am yr ymchwiliad, maen nhw wedi lobïo am daliadau ex-gratia, am gydraddoldeb a phecyn iawndal.
Dirprwy Lywydd, yn dilyn casgliad yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig a chyhoeddiad yr adroddiad terfynol, rydym ni wedi dechrau gweithio eisoes i ystyried ei argymhellion. Fe wnaethom ni sefydlu grŵp ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig - camau nesaf Cymru, dan gadeiryddiaeth ein dirprwy brif swyddog meddygol newydd, Dr Push Mangat, ac fe fydd yn cyfarfod am y tro cyntaf yn fuan. Bydd yn gweithio gyda byrddau iechyd, Gwasanaeth Gwaed Cymru, Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru a swyddogion polisi i sicrhau ein bod ni'n ystyried camweddau'r gorffennol ac yn gweithio gyda'n gilydd i sicrhau na all rhywbeth fel hyn fyth ddigwydd eto. Mae yna rai materion y byddwn ni'n gallu bwrw ymlaen â nhw'n gyflym, ac fe wnawn ni hynny; fe fydd eraill yn cymryd mwy o amser. Fe fyddaf i'n adrodd yn ôl i'r Aelodau wrth i'r gwaith hwn fynd rhagddo.
Fe wnes i gyfarfod â John Glen, y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol am hyn yn Swyddfa'r Cabinet, ychydig ar ôl cyhoeddi'r etholiad cyffredinol, ac fe ddywedais i y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i weithio ar sail pedair gwlad i weithredu gwelliannau ledled y DU. Mewn ymateb i hynny, fe ddywedodd wrthyf na fyddai'r etholiad yn oedi'r gwaith. Mae'r Aelodau yn siŵr o fod yn cofio bod y Senedd hon wedi rhoi ei chydsyniad i'r darpariaethau ym Mil Dioddefwyr a Charcharorion y DU i sefydlu'r trefniadau iawndal newydd ar gyfer pobl sydd wedi eu heintio a'u heffeithio. Cafodd y Bil Dioddefwyr a Charcharorion ei gymeradwyo gan Senedd y DU yn rhan o broses cau pen y mwdwl y Senedd honno, ac mae wedi cael Cydsyniad Brenhinol erbyn hyn. Mae hyn yn golygu y bydd yr awdurdod iawndal gwaed heintiedig newydd yn cael ei sefydlu yn ffurfiol ac fe fydd y taliadau yn cael eu gwneud.
Mater i Lywodraeth y DU yw'r iawndal a'i ariannu, ond fe fydd fy swyddogion i'n parhau i weithio gyda'u cymheiriaid yn Whitehall i sicrhau y bydd trosglwyddiad rhwydd i fuddiolwyr ar gyfer y trefniadau newydd. Bydd y bobl hynny a gafodd eu heintio a'u heffeithio yn gallu hawlio iawndal, a hynny'n briodol, ac fe fyddwn ni'n eu cynorthwyo nhw gyda'r broses hon. Fe fyddwn ni'n gwneud popeth yn ein gallu i sicrhau y bydd pawb sy'n gymwys i gael taliadau iawndal interim pellach yn eu derbyn cyn gynted â phosibl hefyd. Fe fydd ail daliad dros dro yn cael ei wneud ymhen 90 diwrnod i'r buddiolwyr sy'n fyw ac sydd ar gofrestr cynllun cymorth. Bydd taliadau dros dro pellach yn cael eu gwneud i ystadau'r rhai a gofrestrwyd ac fe fydd cynllun cymorth gwaed heintiedig Cymru yn parhau i wneud taliadau ex gratia i ddarparu cymorth lles a seicolegol hyd nes y caiff y pontio ei gwblhau.
Bydd Syr Robert Francis, a ysgrifennodd yr adroddiad iawndal i Swyddfa'r Cabinet, yn cynnal cyfres o ddigwyddiadau dros yr haf ar gyfer ymgysylltu ynglŷn â'r pecyn iawndal a gyflwynwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU. Bydd hyn yn helpu i sicrhau bod y wybodaeth gywir gan y rhai sy'n gallu gwneud hawliadau a hefyd, lle bod angen, y gellir clywed eu barn ar y cynigion.
Rwyf am droi i'r Gymraeg nawr, felly efallai y bydd angen eich clustffonau arnoch chi.
Dirprwy Lywydd, roedd hi'n drychineb i bob un gafodd eu heintio a’u heffeithio. Gwaetha'r modd, dyw nifer fawr ohonyn nhw ddim gyda ni bellach. Dwi eisiau sicrhau pobl sy'n gwrando heddiw bod newidiadau wedi cael eu gwneud ac, yn bwysig iawn, bod y gwasanaeth a’r cyflenwad gwaed yn dra gwahanol erbyn hyn. Mae pawb sy’n rhoi gwaed yn wirfoddolwr di-dâl, ac mae’r risg o waed wedi'i heintio yn mynd i gyflenwad gwaed y Deyrnas Unedig yn llai nag un mewn 20 miliwn ar gyfer HIV a hepatitis C. Mae modd i unrhyw un sy'n poeni y gallai fod wedi heintio gael gafael ar becyn profi gartref trwy wasanaeth ar-lein Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru neu drwy eu bwrdd iechyd neu feddygfa.
Dirprwy Lywydd, it was a tragedy for everyone who was infected and affected. Sadly, many of them are no longer with us. I want to give assurances to those listening today that changes have been made and, very importantly, that the service and the blood supply is very different now. Everyone who is a blood donor is an unpaid volunteer, and the risk of infected blood going into the UK blood supply is less than one in 20 million for HIV and hepatitis C. Anyone who is concerned that they may have been infected can access a home testing kit through the Public Health Wales online service or through their health board or surgery.
Dirprwy Lywydd, the scandal of infected blood is a dark stain on the history of the NHS and of our public institutions. We must be better, and we must do better than the denials, the false reassurances, the complacency, the cover-ups, the obfuscations and the repeated failures at an individual, institutional and Government level that characterised and compounded this awful tragedy, which cost so many people their lives and their futures.
Dirprwy Lywydd, mae sgandal gwaed heintiedig yn taflu cysgod tywyll ar hanes y GIG a'n sefydliadau cyhoeddus. Mae'n rhaid i ni fod yn well, ac mae'n rhaid i ni wneud yn well na'r gwadiadau, y sicrwydd di-sail, yr hunanfodlonrwydd, y celu, y cymylu a'r methiannau dro ar ôl tro ar lefel unigolion, sefydliadau a Llywodraeth a fu'n nodweddu ac a waethygodd y drasiedi enbyd hon, a achosodd i gymaint o bobl golli eu bywydau a'u dyfodol.
Rwyf wedi dethol y tri gwelliant i'r cynnig. Galwaf ar Mabon ap Gwynfor i gynnig gwelliannau 1, 2 a 3 a gyflwynwyd yn enw Heledd Fychan.
I have selected the three amendments to the motion. I call on Mabon ap Gwynfor to move amendments 1, 2 and 3 tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan.
Gwelliant 1—Heledd Fychan
Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:
Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i gyflwyno sylwadau i Lywodraeth y DU i sicrhau bod yr holl unigolion yr effeithir arnynt yng Nghymru yn derbyn eu hail daliad iawndal interim o fewn 90 diwrnod i gyhoeddi adroddiad Langstaff.
Amendment 1—Heledd Fychan
Add as new point at end of motion:
Calls on the Welsh Government to make representations to the UK Government to ensure that all affected individuals in Wales receive their second interim compensation payment within 90 days of the publication of the Langstaff report.
Gwelliant 2—Heledd Fychan
Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:
Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddeddfu holl argymhellion adroddiad Langstaff sy'n ymwneud â meysydd cyfrifoldeb datganoledig yn llawn ac yn ddi-oed.
Amendment 2—Heledd Fychan
Add as new point at end of motion:
Calls on the Welsh Government to enact all recommendations of the Langstaff report pertaining to devolved areas of responsibility in full and without delay.
Gwelliant 3—Heledd Fychan
Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:
Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i estyn allan yn rhagweithiol at yr holl unigolion yr effeithir arnynt yng Nghymru gyda'r cynnig o gefnogaeth a chwnsela perthnasol.
Amendment 3—Heledd Fychan
Add as new point at end of motion:
Calls on the Welsh Government to proactively reach out to all affected individuals in Wales with the offer of relevant support and counselling.
Cynigiwyd gwelliannau 1, 2 a 3.
Amendments 1, 2 and 3 moved.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd, a diolch i'r Llywodraeth am gytuno i gyflwyno'r ddadl yma heddiw. Er ei bod yn ddadl sydd yn amlwg yn haeddu sylw brys, y gwir ydy na ddylem ni fod yn y sefyllfa yma o orfod cael y ddadl yn y lle cyntaf.
Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you to the Government for agreeing to bring forward this debate this afternoon. Although it is a debate that clearly deserves urgent attention, the truth is that we shouldn't be in this situation of having to have the debate in the first instance.
The findings of the Langstaff report on the infected blood scandal are an utterly damning indictment of an entrenched culture of institutional abuse, governmental neglect and political obfuscation that was allowed to fester in our body politic for decades and that led to tragic consequences on an unprecedented scale. First and foremost, it is right that we pay tribute to the inspirational campaigning of the affected individuals who have fought tirelessly for justice in the face of powerful vested interests that sought to silence their plight at every turn. Thanks must also be expressed to my colleague Rhun ap Iorwerth for his chairing of the cross-party group and his consistent support to all those affected. So too I'd like to thank Julie Morgan for her immense contribution in this fight.
Though nothing will fully repair the damage inflicted on their lives by this scandal, I hope the report can provide those individuals impacted with some degree of closure and finally initiate the long-overdue process of accountability. I also hope that this proves to be a watershed moment in addressing the glaring imbalance of power at the very heart of our criminal justice system. From the Hillsborough disaster to the Post Office Horizon scandal, the wheels of justice can often turn far too slowly when it come to the misdemeanours and failings of the wealthy, the elite and the well-connected, as is sadly attested by the fact that numerous victims have gone to their graves long before justice has come to light.
It is for this reason I believe there is a particular responsibility on us as elected representatives, regardless of our political affiliations, to reflect on the report with the utmost humility that it deserves and to strive at all times to never lose sight of the true meaning of public service. It is in this spirit we have introduced a series of amendments to the Government's original motion to this debate. Last month, the Cabinet Secretary confirmed in her response to my topical question on this matter that she had received assurances from the UK Government that the second interim compensation payment of £210,000 to affected individuals registered on the support scheme will be paid within 90 days of the publication of the report. Our first amendment, therefore, calls on the Welsh Government to do everything it can to ensure this pledge is fulfilled as promised. It is vital that restitution for affected individuals, however meagre it may be in the context of their suffering, is not held up by a change in Government at Westminster.
I'd also welcome an update from the Cabinet Secretary in her response as to the duration of the regular payment scheme. Concern has been raised that regular payments are only planned up to April 2025, at present. So, does the Welsh Government have any intention of extending these payments beyond this point?
We also believe that the Welsh Government has a duty to be proactive in reaching out to the 264 people currently registered on the Wales infected blood support scheme with offers of relevant support and counselling, as set out in our third amendment. Of course, such was the protracted nature of this scandal, it straddled the pre and post-devolution eras in Wales, over which time, the range and complexity of powers assigned to the Senedd have evolved significantly. The report emphasises that the inability of both the Wales Office and the earliest Welsh Governments to challenge or scrutinise the settled position of successive UK administrations on the issue of infected blood use is a sad commentary on the effectiveness of these inter-governmental arrangements. Clearly, therefore, the frameworks of governance both here in the Senedd and on a pan-UK level can never again be allowed to fail so egregiously. And from the perspective of the Welsh Government, this means utilising the levers at its disposal as effectively and as extensively as possible.
Mae canfyddiadau adroddiad Langstaff ar y sgandal gwaed heintiedig yn gyhuddiad llwyr ddamniol yn erbyn diwylliant ymwreiddiedig o gam-drin sefydliadol, esgeulustod llywodraethol a chymylu gwleidyddol a ganiatawyd i gronni yn ein corff gwleidyddol ers degawdau ac a arweiniodd at ganlyniadau trychinebus ar raddfa ddigynsail. Yn gyntaf i gyd, mae hi'n iawn i ni roi teyrnged i ymgyrchu ysbrydoledig yr unigolion a gafodd eu heffeithio sydd wedi brwydro dros gyfiawnder yn ddiflino yn wyneb buddiannau breintiedig grymus a geisiodd roi taw ar eu trafferthion ar bob cam. Dylid diolch hefyd i fy nghydweithiwr Rhun ap Iorwerth am ei gadeiryddiaeth o'r grŵp trawsbleidiol a'i gefnogaeth gyson i bawb a gafodd ei effeithio. Felly hefyd fe hoffwn ddiolch i Julie Morgan am ei chyfraniad aruthrol i'r frwydr hon.
Er na all unrhyw beth lwyr atgyweirio'r difrod a achoswyd i fywydau gan y sgandal hon, rwy'n gobeithio y gall yr adroddiad roi rhywfaint o ddiweddglo ar y mater i'r unigolion hynny a gafodd eu heffeithio a chychwyn y broses atebolrwydd y bu llawer gormod o aros amdani. Rwy'n gobeithio hefyd y bydd hwn yn drobwynt o ran mynd i'r afael â grym sy'n amlwg yn anghytbwys ac sydd yng nghraidd ein system cyfiawnder troseddol. O drychineb Hillsborough i sgandal Horizon Swyddfa'r Post, yn rhy aml fe all olwynion cyfiawnder droi yn llawer yn rhy araf o ran camymddygiad a methiannau'r cyfoethog, yr elît a'r rhai â chysylltiadau da fel, yn anffodus, y mae'r ffaith i gymaint o ddioddefwyr fynd i'w beddau ymhell cyn i gyfiawnder ddod i'r golwg yn tystio i hynny.
Am y rheswm hwn, rwy'n credu bod cyfrifoldeb arbennig arnom ni'r cynrychiolwyr etholedig, ni waeth beth fo'n cysylltiadau gwleidyddol, i fyfyrio ar yr adroddiad gyda'r gwyleidd-dra mwyaf teilwng ac ymdrechu bob amser i beidio â cholli golwg fyth ar wir ystyr gwasanaeth cyhoeddus. Yn yr ysbryd hwn, rydym ni wedi cyflwyno cyfres o welliannau i gynnig gwreiddiol y Llywodraeth i'r ddadl hon. Fis diwethaf, fe gadarnhaodd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn ei hymateb i fy nghwestiwn ynglŷn â'r mater hwn ei bod hi wedi cael sicrwydd gan Lywodraeth y DU y bydd yr ail daliad iawndal dros dro o £210,000 i unigolion a gafodd eu heffeithio sydd wedi eu cofrestru ar y cynllun cymorth yn cael ei dalu o fewn 90 diwrnod i gyhoeddiad yr adroddiad. Mae ein gwelliant cyntaf ni, felly, yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i wneud popeth yn ei gallu i sicrhau y bydd yr addewid hwn yn cael ei gadw fel yr addawyd. Mae'n hanfodol nad yw iawndal i unigolion yr effeithir arnynt, waeth pa mor fach y gallai fod yng nghyd-destun eu dioddefaint, yn cael ei ddal yn ôl gan newid yn y Llywodraeth yn San Steffan.
Fe fyddwn i'n croesawu diweddariad hefyd gan yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn ei hymateb ynghylch hyd y cynllun taliadau rheolaidd. Mynegwyd pryder mai dim ond hyd at fis Ebrill 2025 y bwriedir gwneud taliadau rheolaidd, ar hyn o bryd. Felly, a oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru unrhyw fwriad i ymestyn y taliadau hyn y tu hwnt i'r dyddiad hwnnw?
Rydym ni o'r farn hefyd fod dyletswydd ar Lywodraeth Cymru i fod yn rhagweithiol wrth estyn allan at y 264 o bobl sydd wedi'u cofrestru ar gynllun cymorth gwaed heintiedig Cymru ar hyn o bryd gyda chynigion o gefnogaeth a chwnsela perthnasol, fel mae ein trydydd diwygiad yn ei nodi. Wrth gwrs, fe gymerodd y sgandal hon gymaint o amser, gwnaeth hi bontio'r cyfnod cyn ac ar ôl datganoli yng Nghymru, ac yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw, mae ystod a chymhlethdod y pwerau a neilltuwyd i'r Senedd wedi esblygu yn sylweddol. Mae'r adroddiad yn pwysleisio bod anallu Swyddfa Cymru a Llywodraethau cynharaf Cymru i herio neu graffu ar sefyllfa sefydlog gweinyddiaethau olynol y DU ar fater y defnydd o waed heintiedig yn rhoi sylwebaeth ddigalon iawn ar effeithiolrwydd y trefniadau rhynglywodraethol hyn. Yn amlwg, felly, ni ellir caniatáu i'r fframweithiau llywodraethu yma yn y Senedd nac ar lefel y DU gyfan fyth eto â methu mewn ffordd mor eithriadol. Ac o safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru, mae hyn yn golygu defnyddio'r ysgogiadau sydd ar gael iddi yn y ffordd fwyaf effeithiol ac eang â phosibl.
Felly, am y rheswm hwn, mae ein gwelliant terfynol yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i weithredu argymhellion yr adroddiad sy'n ymwneud â meysydd cymhwysedd datganoledig yn llawn ac yn ddi-oed. Mae'r penodau tywyllaf yma yn hanes y gwasanaeth iechyd, a'r sefydliad gwleidyddol yn ehangach, yn wers hollbwysig yn y modd y mae sefydliadau sydd i fod i ymgorffori'r egwyddor o wneud dim niwed yn gallu cael eu hecsbloetio, gan arwain at fwy o niwed yn y pen draw. Mae'n ddyletswydd, felly, arnom i ddioddefwyr y sgandal hwn, i gynnal y tryloywder a'r atebolrwydd mwyaf mewn bywyd cyhoeddus, a ddylai cynnwys mesurau diogelu cadarn ar gyfer chwythwyr chwiban a grymuso lleisiau'r rhai mwyaf agored i niwed yn ein cymdeithas. Hyderaf, felly, y byddwch yn cefnogi ein gwelliannau heddiw. Diolch.
So, for this reason, our final amendment calls on the Welsh Government to implement the recommendations of the report that relate to devolved areas of competence fully and without delay. These darkest chapters in the history of our health service, and the political institution more broadly, are a crucial lesson in the way that institutions that are supposed to incorporate the principle of doing no harm can be exploited, leading to further harm, ultimately. It is a duty upon us, therefore, for the victims of this scandal, to maintain the greatest accountability and transparency in public life, which should include firm safeguarding measures for whistleblowers and empower those most vulnerable in our society. I am confident, therefore, that you will support our amendments this afternoon. Thank you.
Mae llawer o Aelodau sy'n dymuno siarad ar yr eitem hon, felly os bydd Aelodau'n cadw eu cyfraniadau'n fyr, byddaf yn gallu galw mwy o siaradwyr. Sam Rowlands.
There are many Members who wish to speak on this item, so if Members could keep their contributions brief, I'll be able to call more speakers. Sam Rowlands.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I also thank the Welsh Government for bringing forward this important debate today? Whilst, technically, it is a debate, there are no party lines here when it comes to the issue at hand, and we on these benches agree with all the proposals that the Government has set out and also with the amendments that Plaid Cymru have put forward here today. And it's simply because the infected blood scandal is one of the most grotesque miscarriages of justice in British history. Each of the victims had their entire lives turned upside down, destroyed or even lost in such agonising circumstances, and it's entirely right now that the priorities of Governments, both here and in Westminster, are ensuring that compensation gets to those victims and the families of those victims as well.
It's a cliché, but we also need to ensure that lessons are learnt from this as well. It must be a priority that we never allow cover-ups and, essentially, corruption of this kind to happen again in our institutions, and in particular our largest public institutions that are there to protect and serve the people that we represent. Cabinet Secretary, like you, I'd like to share a couple of stories that residents have shared with me in terms of some of their awful experiences. A resident in north Wales, who was a recipient of the Welsh infected blood support scheme, shared his story with me of being infected as a child with hepatitis B and HIV and hepatitis C, spending months in intensive care. He described the lifelong impact on him, his wife and parents as 'long gnawing at our spirits'. So, aside from the physical health impact, that 'long gnawing at our spirits', which was constantly with them. Another constituent was infected with hepatitis C through treatments for Von Willebrand disease, and her mother also infected, and both had to undergo liver transplants—clearly a very, very serious procedure that has long-term impacts for them and their family. And there are many traumatic details to these cases and far too many others. All of these people are in our thoughts here today, as we engage in this debate.
Of course, we did have the opportunity to discuss the inquiry report before our recess a couple of weeks ago, but Cabinet Secretary, as you pointed out, there have been some updates in the interim, and I'm pleased that, on 24 May, as part of the pre-election wash-up process, the Victims and Prisoners Bill was granted, as you say, by Royal Assent, creating the infected blood compensation authority, which will be responsible for making these final payments to victims. There are, of course, a number of moving parts within that, so I wonder, Cabinet Secretary, if, as part of your closing, you'll be able to just clarify that confidence that you have that, with the general election taking place now, and some of those moving parts, you have that confidence that this compensation will indeed get through to people who rightfully deserve it in the quickest timescale possible; we're told that by 24 August is the deadline.
I'm also pleased, as you mentioned, Cabinet Secretary, that the interim chair of the IBCA, Sir Robert Francis, made a statement that they are working as quickly as possible to be in a position to receive those applications and make those awards, so I'd like to understand how you may be working with the IBCA to help that process happen with the much-needed haste.
I'm conscious that there are many speakers here today, Deputy Presiding Officer, but I simply want to thank the Welsh Government for bringing forward this debate and recognise all of the hard work done by so many people over so many years to ensure that justice is finally being done. Thank you.
Diolch i chi, Dirprwy Lywydd. A gaf i ddiolch hefyd i Lywodraeth Cymru am gyflwyno'r ddadl bwysig hon heddiw? Er, yn dechnegol, nid dadl mohoni, nid oes safbwyntiau pleidiol yma o ran y mater dan sylw, ac rydym ni ar y meinciau hyn yn cytuno â'r holl gynigion a nododd y Llywodraeth a hefyd gyda'r gwelliannau a gyflwynodd Plaid Cymru yma heddiw. A'r cyfan oherwydd bod gwarth gwaed heintiedig yn un o'r camweddau mwyaf erchyll a fu erioed yn hanes cyfiawnder ym Mhrydain. Cafodd bywydau pob un o'r dioddefwyr eu troi wyneb i waered, bywydau wedi eu dinistrio neu hyd yn oed eu colli mewn amgylchiadau mor ingol, ac mae hi'n gwbl gyfiawn ei bod hi'n flaenoriaeth nawr i Lywodraethau, yma ac yn San Steffan, i sicrhau bod iawndal yn cael ei roi i'r dioddefwyr hynny a theuluoedd y dioddefwyr hynny hefyd.
Mae'n ystrydeb, ond mae angen i ni sicrhau yn ogystal fod gwersi yn cael eu dysgu o hyn hefyd. Mae'n rhaid iddi fod yn flaenoriaeth na fyddwn ni fyth yn caniatáu i bethau gael eu celu ac, yn y bôn, nad oes llygredd o'r fath yn digwydd eto yn ein sefydliadau, ac yn enwedig ein sefydliadau cyhoeddus mwyaf sy'n bodoli i amddiffyn a gwasanaethu'r bobl yr ydym yn eu cynrychioli. Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, fel chi, fe hoffwn innau rannu cwpl o straeon y mae trigolion wedi dweud wrthyf amdanyn nhw o ran rhai o'u profiadau mwyaf ingol. Rhannodd un o drigolion y gogledd, a oedd wedi cael gwaed o gynllun cymorth gwaed heintiedig Cymru, ei stori gyda mi o gael ei heintio yn blentyn â hepatitis B a HIV a hepatitis C, ac fe dreuliodd fisoedd mewn gofal dwys. Disgrifiodd yr effaith gydol oes arno, ei wraig a'i rieni fel 'rhywbeth yn cnoi ar ein heneidiau ers talwm'. Felly, ar wahân i'r effaith ar iechyd corfforol, y 'rhywbeth yn cnoi ar ein heneidiau ers talwm' hwnnw a oedd gyda nhw trwy'r amser. Cafodd etholwr arall ei heintio â hepatitis C trwy driniaethau ar gyfer clefyd Von Willebrand, ac fe gafodd ei mam ef ei heintio hefyd, ac fe fu'n rhaid i'r ddwy gael trawsblaniad iau—sy'n amlwg yn driniaeth ddifrifol iawn, iawn sydd ag effeithiau hirdymor arnyn nhw a'u teulu. Ac mae llawer o fanylion trawmatig i'r achosion hyn a llawer gormod o rai eraill. Mae'r bobl hyn i gyd yn ein meddyliau ni yma heddiw, wrth i ni gymryd rhan yn y ddadl hon.
Wrth gwrs, fe gawsom ni gyfle i drafod adroddiad yr ymchwiliad cyn ein toriad ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, ond Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, fel roeddech chi'n ei nodi, bu rhai diweddariadau yn y cyfamser, ac rwy'n falch fod y Bil Dioddefwyr a Charcharorion, ar 24 Mai, wedi cael cydsyniad yn rhan o'r broses cau pen y mwdwl cyn etholiad, y cafodd y Bil Dioddefwyr a Charcharorion, fel rydych chi'n dweud, Gydsyniad Brenhinol, sy'n creu'r awdurdod i roi iawndal am waed heintiedig, a fydd yn gyfrifol am wneud y taliadau terfynol hyn i ddioddefwyr. Wrth gwrs, mae nifer o rannau symudol yn hynny, felly tybed, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, pe gallech chi, yn rhan o'ch diweddglo, egluro'r hyder sydd gennych chi, gyda'r etholiad cyffredinol yn digwydd nawr, a rhai o'r materion newidiol hynny, yr hyder sydd gennych chi y bydd yr iawndal hwn yn wir yn cyrraedd y bobl sy'n ei haeddu â phob cyfiawnder yn yr amserlen gyflymaf bosibl; fe ddywedir wrthym ni mai erbyn 24 Awst yw'r dyddiad cau.
Rwy'n falch hefyd, fel roeddech chi'n sôn, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, bod cadeirydd dros dro'r awdurdod iawndal gwaed heintiedig, Syr Robert Francis, wedi gwneud datganiad eu bod ni'n gweithio mor gyflym â phosibl i fod mewn sefyllfa i dderbyn y ceisiadau hynny a gwneud y dyfarniadau hynny, felly fe hoffwn i ddeall sut y gallech fod yn gweithio gyda'r awdurdod iawndal gwaed heintiedig i helpu'r broses honno fynd rhagddi gyda'r cyflymder y mae cymaint o angen amdano.
Rwy'n ymwybodol bod llawer o siaradwyr yma heddiw, Dirprwy Lywydd, ond fe hoffwn i ddiolch i Lywodraeth Cymru am gyflwyno'r ddadl hon a chydnabod yr holl waith caled a wnaeth cymaint o bobl dros gymaint o flynyddoedd i sicrhau cyfiawnder o'r diwedd. Diolch.
I'm very pleased that we're joined in the public gallery by a large group of those infected and affected here in Wales, including my constituents, Sybil and Bev, and chair of Haemophilia Wales, Lynne Kelly. I'd like to pay a particular tribute to Lynne Kelly to thank her for the sensitive, determined way that she has led this group. Because it's those that have had their lives incomprehensibly turned upside down that must be at the forefront of this debate today. I'd like to, therefore, put on record the experiences of two of my constituents, Sybil and Bev, illustrative of the experience, of course, of many others.
Sybil had a heart operation in 1989. Ten years later, she received a letter from the head of the Wales blood transfusion service and got the news that she had blood infected with hepatitis C. She was told not to use the same crockery or cutlery as her husband, and not to have an intimate relationship. Sybil received no counselling. She had to attend the infectious disease clinic at the University Hospital of Wales, and described how she felt dirty because she had hepatitis C. The side effects of her treatment were worse than having chemotherapy. The publishing of the infected blood inquiry's report on 20 May was a milestone in the campaign for justice. In Sybil's own words, 'No-one can possibly begin to understand how I currently feel when hearing Sir Brian Langstaff's opening comments say, "This was no accident".'
I'll now turn to Bev, whose two brothers, Gareth and Haydn, died 10 months apart in 2010 after receiving infected blood contaminated with HIV and hepatitis C. Gareth and Haydn were key figures in the campaign to provide support and justice to haemophiliacs and their families through Birchgrove Wales, Haemophilia Wales, the National Birchgrove Group and the Tainted Blood campaign group, and, in fact, they started off by meeting as a group in the Birchgrove pub in my constituency in Cardiff North, but now, of course, it has become Birchgrove Wales.
When haemophilia patients were told about their HIV diagnosis, it was a terrifying ordeal—a death sentence, with life-expectancy estimates of between two and five years. The stigma was horrendous and the majority of patients kept their status secret. The groups that Gareth and Haydn set up to support those who had been infected were a lifeline. Bev told me that Gareth was angry, outspoken and determined, whereas Haydn was much quieter and measured in his approach, working away and quietly researching.
With devolution in 1999, campaigning to get the truth gathered strength, and Gareth, as chair of the newly formed Haemophilia Wales, presented the case for a public inquiry at the first cross-party group held in the newly formed Assembly. When Bev travelled to London on 20 May, she described it as an 'emotional, uplifting experience' to hear the outcome and see survivors from across the UK, but this was filled with huge sadness given the fact that her brothers, Gareth and Haydn, with their huge input towards the inquiry, were not there to hear it. She wished they could have been there.
But the fight is not over. Brian Langstaff has said that it was not an accident, and that has been a huge comfort, I think, to many of the people infected and affected. But there are great worries about whether Sir Brian's full list of recommendations will be implemented. There are concerns about the monthly support scheme, and many people are worried that they might be financially worse off if Sir Brian's recommendations are not acted upon. I think many people believe that false hope has been given. And I think, if you look at the history of what's happened to this group, you can absolutely understand why people feel that way. This is a fantastic report, Brian Langstaff was absolutely great in everything he said, but now we've got to make sure that it is implemented, and I know that the Cabinet Secretary will do all she possibly can within our powers here to make sure that all those recommendations are implemented. It's taken 40 years to get to this point, and we need to learn from past mistakes and do the right thing from the outset.
Rwy'n falch iawn fod grŵp mawr o'r rhai sydd wedi eu heintio a'u heffeithio yma yng Nghymru yn ymuno â ni yn yr oriel gyhoeddus, gan gynnwys fy etholwyr, Sybil a Bev, a chadeirydd Haemophilia Wales, Lynne Kelly. Fe hoffwn i roi teyrnged arbennig i Lynne Kelly i ddiolch iddi hi am y ffordd deimladwy a phenderfynol y mae hi wedi arwain y grŵp hwn. Oherwydd mae'n rhaid i'r rhai y mae eu bywydau wedi cael eu troi yn gwbl wyneb i waered fod yn flaenllaw yn y ddadl hon heddiw. Fe hoffwn, felly, roi profiadau dau o fy etholwyr, Sybil a Bev, sy'n dangos profiad llawer o rai eraill, wrth gwrs, ar y cofnod heddiw.
Cafodd Sybil lawdriniaeth ar ei chalon yn 1989. Ddeng mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, cafodd lythyr gan bennaeth gwasanaeth trallwyso gwaed Cymru a chafodd y newyddion ei bod wedi cael gwaed a oedd wedi'i heintio â hepatitis C. Dywedwyd wrthi am beidio â defnyddio'r un llestri na'r un cyllyll a ffyrc â'i gŵr, a pheidio â chael cyfathrach agos. Ni chafodd Sybil unrhyw gwnsela. Bu'n rhaid iddi fynychu'r clinig clefydau heintus yn Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru, ac fe ddisgrifiodd sut y byddai hi'n teimlo yn aflan oherwydd bod ganddi hepatitis C. Roedd sgil effeithiau ei thriniaeth yn waeth na chael cemotherapi. Roedd cyhoeddi adroddiad yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig ar 20 Mai yn garreg filltir yn yr ymgyrch dros gyfiawnder. Yng ngeiriau Sybil ei hun, 'Ni all neb ddechrau amgyffred sut rwy'n teimlo ar hyn o bryd wrth glywed sylwadau agoriadol Syr Brian Langstaff pan ddywedodd, "Nid damwain oedd hon"'.
Rwyf i am droi nawr at Bev, y bu farw ei dau frawd, Gareth a Haydn, mewn 10 mis o'i gilydd yn 2010 ar ôl cael gwaed heintiedig a oedd wedi'i heintio â HIV a hepatitis C. Roedd Gareth a Haydn yn ffigurau allweddol yn yr ymgyrch i ddarparu cefnogaeth a chyfiawnder i bobl â hemoffilia a'u teuluoedd trwy Birchgrove Cymru, Haemophilia Wales, Grŵp Cenedlaethol Birchgrove a grŵp ymgyrchu Tainted Blood, ac, mewn gwirionedd, fe ddechreuon nhw drwy gyfarfod fel grŵp yn nhafarn y Birchgrove yn fy etholaeth i yng Ngogledd Caerdydd, ond erbyn hyn, wrth gwrs, mae wedi dod yn Birchgrove Cymru.
Pan ddywedwyd wrth gleifion haemoffilia am eu diagnosis o HIV, roedd yn brofiad arswydus—dedfryd o farwolaeth, gydag amcangyfrifon disgwyliad oes o rhwng dwy a phum mlynedd. Roedd y gwarthnod yn erchyll ac roedd y mwyafrif o gleifion yn cadw eu cyflwr yn gyfrinachol. Roedd y grwpiau a sefydlodd Gareth a Haydn i gefnogi'r rhai a oedd wedi eu heintio yn achubiaeth i'r bobl hyn. Dywedodd Bev wrthyf fod Gareth yn ddig, yn ddi-flewyn-ar-dafod ac yn benderfynol, tra bod Haydn yn llawer tawelach ac yn bwyllog yn ei ddull o weithio, gan weithio i ffwrdd ac ymchwilio yn dawel.
Gyda datganoli yn 1999, aeth yr ymgyrchu i fynd at y gwir o nerth i nerth, ac fe gyflwynodd Gareth, fel cadeirydd Haemophilia Wales a oedd newydd gael ei sefydlu, yr achos dros ymchwiliad cyhoeddus yn y grŵp trawsbleidiol cyntaf a gynhaliwyd yn y Cynulliad a oedd newydd ei ffurfio. Pan deithiodd Bev i Lundain ar 20 Mai, roedd hi'n ei ddisgrifio fel 'profiad emosiynol, dyrchafol' wrth glywed y canlyniad a gweld goroeswyr o bob rhan o'r DU, ond llanwyd hi â thristwch enfawr o ystyried nad oedd ei brodyr hi, Gareth a Haydn, gyda'u cyfraniad enfawr tuag at yr ymchwiliad, yno i'w glywed. Roedd hi'n dymuno y bydden nhw wedi gallu bod yno gyda hi.
Ond nid yw'r frwydr wedi ei hennill eto. Mae Brian Langstaff wedi dweud nad damwain oedd hon, ac mae hynny wedi bod o gysur mawr, rwy'n credu, i lawer o'r bobl sydd wedi eu heintio a'u heffeithio. Ond mae pryderon eang o ran a fydd rhestr lawn argymhellion Brian Langstaff yn cael ei gweithredu. Mae pryderon ynglŷn â'r cynllun cymorth misol, ac mae llawer o bobl yn poeni y gallen nhw fod yn dlotach yn ariannol os na weithredir ar argymhellion Syr Brian. Rwy'n credu bod llawer o bobl yn credu mai gobaith di-sail a roddwyd. Ac rwy'n credu, os edrychwch chi ar hanes yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd i'r grŵp hwn, fe allwch chi ddeall yn iawn pam mae pobl yn teimlo felly. Mae hwn yn adroddiad gwych, roedd Brian Langstaff yn hollol wych ym mhopeth a ddywedodd, ond nawr mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau bod hynny'n cael ei roi ar waith, ac fe wn i y bydd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn gwneud popeth yn ei gallu gyda'r pwerau sydd gennym ni yma i sicrhau bod yr argymhellion hynny i gyd yn cael eu gweithredu. Mae hi wedi cymryd 40 mlynedd i gyrraedd y sefyllfa hon, ac mae angen i ni ddysgu o gamgymeriadau'r gorffennol a gwneud yr hyn sy'n iawn o'r dechrau'n deg.
Mi oedd hi'n anrhydedd go iawn i fod yn Llundain ychydig wythnosau'n ôl i wrando ar Syr Brian Langstaff yn cyhoeddi ei adroddiad terfynol. Mi oedd Julie Morgan yno hefyd, a chymaint o'r rhai sydd wedi bod yn ymgyrchu dros y blynyddoedd yma yng Nghymru. Mi oedd o'n ddigwyddiad emosiynol iawn, iawn, efo llawer iawn yn eu dagrau, wrth gwrs, ac yn cofio am y rheini oedd yn methu bod yno—y rhai oedd wedi gorfod talu efo'u bywydau am y sgandal yma ddylai fod erioed wedi digwydd ac, ie, oedd ddim o gwbl yn ddamwain. Ac yno oedden nhw i glywed y canfyddiadau ac i dderbyn y cyfiawnder roedden nhw'n ei haeddu, ac i glywed y gwir, wrth gwrs, dŷn ni i gyd yn gwybod oedd yn wirionedd drwy'r cyfan.
Etholwyr i mi, Mr a Mrs Hutchinson, wnaeth fy nghyflwyno i i fawredd y sgandal yma, a dwi wedi cadw mewn cysylltiad rheolaidd efo nhw dros y blynyddoedd. Drwyddyn nhw y dysgais i am yr anghyfiawnder. Drwyddyn nhw y des i'n rhan o'r grŵp trawsbleidiol ar waed wedi'i heintio, yn cael ei gadeirio gan Julie Morgan ar y pryd. A phan ddaeth Julie Morgan yn Weinidog yn y Llywodraeth, fy mraint i oedd cael cymryd drosodd fel cadeirydd, a gweithio'n agos efo Lynne Kelly a'r holl unigolion a theuluoedd hynny sydd wedi rhoi eu bywydau yn llythrennol, neu eu hamser, eu hegni a'u holl angerdd i frwydro am y cyfiawnder dydyn ni ddim wedi'i gael eto, ond o leiaf rydyn ni'n agos at ei gael. Mi oedd gwrando arnyn nhw unwaith eto amser cinio heddiw—y brodyr wedi colli eu chwiorydd, y chwiorydd wedi colli eu brodyr, pobl wedi colli eu rhieni, rhieni wedi colli eu plant; y stigma, y galw enwau, y cywilydd sydd wedi bod yn gysgod dros gymaint o fywydau.
Dwi ddim yn mynd i wneud pwyntiau ychwanegol o ran yr hyn dŷn ni angen ei weld gan Lywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth Prydain, fwy na sydd wedi cael ei ddweud gan Mabon ap Gwynfor ar ran y meinciau Plaid Cymru yma'n barod, ond i ategu y geiriau hynny a gwneud y pwynt na allwn ni ildio eiliad yn ein penderfynoldeb i gyrraedd at ben draw hyn a chael y cyfiawnder gwirioneddol, oherwydd mae yna garreg filltir bwysig wedi'i chyrraedd yn y datganiad hwnnw gan Syr Brian Langstaff a gwaith yr ymchwiliad, ond dim ond carreg filltir ydy hi ar hyn o bryd.
Mi ddaeth yr ymddiheuriadau a'r ymateb taer gan Weinidogion yn San Steffan oriau, mewn difri, cyn i etholiad cyffredinol gael ei alw, felly mae pethau ar stop, ond mae'n rhaid inni rŵan, dan y Llywodraeth nesaf, o ba bynnag liw fydd honno, fod mor benderfynol ag erioed o fwrw'r maen i'r wal, er mwyn y rheini sy'n dal i ymgyrchu, a'r rheini sydd, oherwydd eu bod nhw wedi talu i'r eithaf am hyn, yn methu â gwneud hynny bellach. Mae'n ddyletswydd arnom ni, a'n dyled ni iddyn nhw ydy gwneud popeth y gallwn ni i sicrhau bod y cyfiawnder yna'n dod.
It was an honour to be in London some weeks ago to listen to Sir Brian Langstaff announcing his final report. Julie Morgan was there as well, and so many of those who have been campaigning over the years in Wales. It was an extremely emotional event, with many in tears, of course, and remembering those who could not be there—those who had paid with their lives for the scandal that should never have happened and, yes, that was no accident. And they were there to hear the findings and to accept the justice that they deserved, and to hear the truth, of course—we all know that it was the truth all along.
Mr and Mrs Hutchinson, my constituents, presented me to the scale of the scandal, and I've kept in touch with them over the years. It was through them that I learned of this injustice. Through them I became part of the cross-party group on infected blood, which was chaired by Julie Morgan at the time. And when she became a Minister in the Government, it was my honour to take over as chair and co-operate and work closely with Lynne Kelly and all of the individuals and families who have given their lives literally, or their time, their energy and all their passion to fighting for the justice that we haven't quite had yet, but we're very close to getting it. Listening to them again at lunchtime today—the brothers who had lost their sisters, the sisters who had lost their brothers, people having lost their parents, parents who had lost their children; the stigma, the name calling, the shame that has cast a shadow over so many lives.
I'm not going to make additional points in terms of what we need to see from the Welsh Government and the UK Government, more than what has been said by Mabon ap Gwynfor on behalf of the Plaid Cymru benches here, but just to echo those words and just to make the point that we can't miss a second in our determination to reach the end of this journey and get that real justice, because an important milestone has been reached in that statement by Sir Brian Langstaff and the work of the inquiry, but it's only a milestone at present.
The apologies and the strong response from the Ministers in Westminster came just hours, indeed, before a general election was called, so things have been halted, but we now, under the next Government, of whatever stripe, need to be just as determined as we were ever to press ahead with this, for those who are still campaigning, and those who, because they've paid the ultimate price for this, can't do that anymore. It's our duty, and our debt to them is to do everything that we can to ensure that they get that justice.
Mark Isherwood. Mark, you are unmuted.
Mark Isherwood. Mark, rydych chi wedi eich dad-dawelu.
Oh, I'm speaking. Thank you. The damning findings of the infected blood inquiry published on 25 May shone a light on one of the biggest treatment scandals in NHS history. An estimated 3,000 people infected with HIV and hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products have died. Around 400 people in Wales are known to have been infected, excluding those who died without it being known they were infected. Haemophilia Wales state that 283 patients in Wales were infected with hepatitis C in the 1970s and 1980s, and over 70 people with haemophilia died in Wales alone.
As the five-year inquiry stated, infected blood was not an accident and was avoidable. The truth had been hidden and victims had been repeatedly failed. Haemophilia Wales has asked me to speak about the impact of infected blood on North Wales constituent Jane Jones and her family. Jane was infected with hepatitis C through treatment for Von Willebrand disease, a rare clotting disorder. She was not told about her infection. Her late mother Anona was also infected with hepatitis C and both underwent liver transplants due to hepatitis C. Jane travelled from north Wales to London to hear the recommendations made by Sir Brian Langstaff, chair of the infected blood inquiry. She was interviewed by the media in Welsh and English for weeks ahead of the inquiry and on the day itself, and was chosen to represent Welsh victims and Haemophilia Wales. On 21 May, Jane represented Haemophilia Wales and Welsh infected blood victims in Parliament and watched John Glen's statement on infected blood compensation from the Speaker's gallery.
Haemophilia Wales are very grateful for the important role Jane and her mother played campaigning for the public inquiry to finally get to the truth about what happened. Both maintained that they had never been informed about the risks of the treatment and were then not told about their infections. As Jane said in her statement to the inquiry, being infected with hepatitis C is something you would not wish upon an animal.
A Denbighshire constituent, Rose Richards, has also written asking me to speak on her behalf in this debate. She is an affected person both as a carrier of the haemophilia gene and as a sister to a haemophiliac brother who died of AIDS in 1990 aged 46, after receiving contaminated factor VIII treatment in the early 1980s. She is also a core participant in the infected blood inquiry and has submitted two written statements to it. She made a decision on whether to have children based on information that withheld the truth about the known risk of serious harm. Her sons, born in 1983 and 1985, both have haemophilia. Fortunately, neither required factor VIII until it was a safer product in the late 1980s. As she states, however, the experience of hearing of other parents losing their children has been harrowing now that we know the truth about the scandal. She added that, although Sir Brian Langstaff recommended that the current ongoing support payments under the Wales infected blood support scheme should continue for infected persons and spouses or partners of infected persons who have died, and compensation should be paid in addition to the support payments, there's been no commitment to honour this. She concluded that, 'As a group we're very concerned about any further Government delay.’ Victims continue to die at the rate of one every four days without justice.
Speaking here in the 2017 debate, calling on the UK Government to hold a full public inquiry into the contaminated blood tragedy of the 1970s and 1980s, I quoted Monica Summers, whose husband Paul, a contaminated blood bank victim, died on 16 December 2008, aged 44. Their daughter was five years old. Monica said,
‘Every day for 18 months she asked “when is daddy coming home?” She turned 13 years in October and we both struggle. My husband didn’t have a choice, it was made for him and he and he lost his life because of decisions taken by others. Yet over 30 years later we are still trying to get some agreement. Please let the next decisions be made by voices of people who are currently suffering with HIV and Hepatitis C, by the widows and families left behind trying to heal and build a new normal life.'
Their daughter would now be 20. As I said then, contaminated blood has had and continues to have a devastating impact on the lives of thousands of infected people and their families.
O, fi sydd i siarad. Diolch. Roedd canfyddiadau damniol yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig a gyhoeddwyd ar 25 Mai yn taflu goleuni ar un o'r sgandalau mwyaf yn hanes triniaethau'r GIG. Amcangyfrifir bod 3,000 o bobl a heintiwyd â HIV a hepatitis C ar ôl cael cynhyrchion gwaed heintiedig wedi marw. Gwyddys bod tua 400 o bobl yng Nghymru wedi cael eu heintio, ac eithrio'r rhai a fu farw heb gael gwybod eu bod wedi eu heintio. Mae Haemophilia Wales yn dweud bod 283 o gleifion yng Nghymru wedi cael eu heintio â hepatitis C yn y 1970au a'r 1980au, a bu farw dros 70 o bobl â hemoffilia yng Nghymru yn unig.
Fel y gwnaeth yr ymchwiliad pum mlynedd ei fynegi, nid damwain ydoedd ac roedd modd ei osgoi. Cafodd y gwirionedd ei gelu a chafodd dioddefwyr eu siomi dro ar ôl tro. Mae Haemophilia Wales wedi gofyn i mi siarad am effaith gwaed heintiedig ar etholwraig o'r gogledd, Jane Jones, a'i theulu. Cafodd Jane ei heintio â hepatitis C trwy driniaeth ar gyfer clefyd Von Willebrand, anhwylder prin ar y gwaed. Ni chafodd wybod am yr haint a oedd arni. Cafodd ei diweddar fam, Anona, ei heintio â hepatitis C hefyd ac fe gafodd y ddwy drawsblaniad iau oherwydd hepatitis C. Teithiodd Jane o'r gogledd i Lundain i glywed argymhellion Syr Brian Langstaff, cadeirydd yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig. Cafodd ei chyfweld gan y cyfryngau Cymraeg a Saesneg am wythnosau cyn yr ymchwiliad ac ar y diwrnod ei hun, fe gafodd ei dewis i gynrychioli dioddefwyr Cymru a Haemophilia Wales. Ar 21 Mai, cynrychiolodd Jane Haemophilia Wales a dioddefwyr gwaed heintiedig Cymru yn y Senedd gan fod yno i weld datganiad John Glen ar iawndal gwaed heintiedig o oriel y Llefarydd.
Mae Haemophilia Wales yn ddiolchgar iawn iddi am ran bwysig Jane a'i mam yn yr ymgyrch dros gael ymchwiliad cyhoeddus i ganfod y gwirionedd o'r diwedd ynglŷn â'r hyn a ddigwyddodd. Roedd y ddwy yn honni nad oedden nhw erioed wedi cael gwybod am risgiau'r driniaeth ac na chawson nhw wybod wedyn eu bod nhw wedi eu heintio. Fel y dywedodd Jane yn ei datganiad i'r ymchwiliad, mae cael eich heintio â hepatitis C yn rhywbeth na fyddech chi'n ei ddymuno ar eich gelyn pennaf.
Mae etholwraig o sir Ddinbych, Rose Richards, wedi ysgrifennu hefyd yn gofyn i mi siarad ar ei rhan yn y ddadl hon. Mae hi wedi ei heffeithio am ei bod yn cario genyn haemoffilia ac fel chwaer i frawd a oedd â haemoffilia a fu farw o AIDS yn 46 oed ym 1990, ar ôl derbyn triniaeth ffactor VIII halogedig yn gynnar yn y 1980au. Mae hi hefyd yn gyfranogwr craidd yn yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig ac mae hi wedi cyflwyno dau ddatganiad ysgrifenedig i hwnnw. Fe wnaeth hi benderfyniad ynghylch a ddylai gael plant ar sail y wybodaeth a oedd yn dal y gwir yn ôl am y risg hysbys o niwed difrifol. Mae gan ei meibion hi, a aned ym 1983 a 1985, haemoffilia. Yn ffodus, nid oedd angen ffactor VIII ar y ddau hyd nes ei fod yn gynnyrch mwy diogel ar ddiwedd yr 1980au. Fel mae hi'n dweud, er hynny, mae'r profiad o glywed rhieni eraill yn colli eu plant wedi bod yn ddirdynnol nawr ein bod ni'n gwybod y gwir am y sgandal. Ychwanegodd hi, er bod Syr Brian Langstaff yn argymell y dylai'r taliadau cymorth parhaus presennol o dan gynllun cymorth gwaed heintiedig Cymru barhau i bobl a phriod heintiedig neu bartneriaid pobl heintiedig a fu farw, ac y dylid talu iawndal yn ychwanegol at y taliadau cymorth, ni fu unrhyw ymrwymiad i anrhydeddu hyn. Fe ddaeth hi i'r casgliad, 'Fel grŵp, rydym ni'n bryderus iawn ynglŷn ag unrhyw oedi eto gan y Llywodraeth.' Mae dioddefwyr yn parhau i farw ar gyfradd o un bob pedwar diwrnod heb gael cyfiawnder.
Wrth siarad yma mewn dadl yn 2017, wrth alw ar Lywodraeth y DU i gynnal ymchwiliad cyhoeddus llawn i drychineb gwaed heintiedig y 1970au a'r 1980au, fe ddyfynnais i Monica Summers, y bu farw ei gŵr Paul, a oedd yn ddioddefwr oherwydd banc gwaed heintiedig, ar 16 Rhagfyr 2008, yn 44 oed. Pum mlwydd oed oedd eu merch. Dywedodd Monica,
'Bob dydd am 18 mis roedd hi'n holi "pryd bydd dadi'n dod adref?" Fe drodd hi'n 13 oed ym mis Hydref ac mae'r ddwy ohonom ni'n dal i'w chael hi'n anodd. Ni chafodd fy ngŵr ddewis, fe wnaeth rhywun ddewis drosto ac fe gollodd ei fywyd oherwydd penderfyniadau a wnaeth eraill. Ond dros 30 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach rydym ni'n dal i geisio rhywfaint o gytundeb. Gadewch i'r penderfyniadau nesaf gael eu gwneud gan leisiau pobl sy'n dioddef o HIV a Hepatitis C ar hyn o bryd, gan y gweddwon a'r teuluoedd sy'n cael eu gadael ar ôl ac sy'n ceisio gwella ac adeiladu bywyd normal newydd.'
Byddai eu merch yn 20 oed erbyn hyn. Fel y dywedais i bryd hynny, mae gwaed heintiedig wedi cael ac yn parhau i gael effaith ddinistriol ar fywydau miloedd o bobl a heintiwyd a'u teuluoedd.
Dirprwy Lywydd, I'm aware of three victims of the contaminated blood scandal from my constituency in Newport East: Colin John Smith, Terry Webley and Bill Dumbleton, all victims of the shocking failures of the health and political systems that were involved and have been set out in the report. At the event earlier held by Haemophilia Wales and chaired by Lynne Kelly, such an amazing campaigner on these issues and such a source of strength and support to the families, I met Joanne Davies who spoke about her husband Gavin's brother, Terry Webley, who died aged 10, and of the ignorance and fear that we've already heard about, the stigma that existed around HIV/AIDS at that time, which meant that they were avoided within the community, the families involved, that the schools didn't provide the support that they should have, that the local media weren't sensitive or understanding and showed little empathy, there was bullying and name calling involved and, of course, that has an ongoing impact on the health of the families, and, in Joanne's case, the health of her husband Gavin and the wider family.
And also present were Colin and Janet Smith, who lost their son Colin John Smith, who died aged seven of AIDS weighing just 13lb, having been a victim of those failings. And I know that their house, Dirprwy Lywydd, was daubed with abuse and graffiti as a result of the situation of Colin John Smith, that it was difficult to get him into school and that there were problems at the school and, again, that there were these problems within the wider community. It was a terrible scandal and indictment of the systems at the time, Dirprwy Lywydd, and so many families suffered in the way that these families did. Colin John Smith knew that he was dying and was in fact giving his toys, before he died, to his brothers. You just think of that huge torrent of emotion that engulfed families at the time, so many families, and the terrible failings of those systems set out in the report following the inquiry.
But I would just like to say in closing, Dirprwy Lywydd, that, as we reflect on that suffering—and we'll hear further examples here today, and we've heard those examples through the inquiry report and also proceedings up at the House of Commons in Westminster—when we reflect on the scale of the human tragedy and suffering involved, I really think it's important that we also reflect on the massive human spirit that's involved in those families of the victims, the love and the commitment that was sustained over such a period of time and is still sustained today that produced the campaign, produced the inquiry and the report that got that recognition for the victims and their families, which should now lead to the speedy action that others have called for today.
And I would just like to close with the words of Janet Smith, Colin John Smith's mother, when she spelt out what this campaign, what the inquiry, what the report is about for the victims and the families. Janet said:
'I want recognition. I want my son to have his name back. His name is Colin John Smith. And that's what I want people to remember.'
Dirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n ymwybodol o dri dioddefwr y sgandal gwaed heintiedig o fy etholaeth i yn Nwyrain Casnewydd: Colin John Smith, Terry Webley a Bill Dumbleton, ac mae pob un ohonyn nhw wedi dioddef oherwydd methiannau gresynus y systemau iechyd a gwleidyddol a oedd yn gysylltiedig â hyn ac a nodwyd yn yr adroddiad. Yn y digwyddiad a gynhaliwyd yn gynharach gan Haemophilia Wales ac a gadeiriwyd gan Lynne Kelly, a fu'n ymgyrchydd mor anhygoel ynglŷn â'r materion hyn ac yn ffynhonnell mor wych o gadernid a chefnogaeth i'r teuluoedd, fe gwrddais i â Joanne Davies a sonioddd am frawd ei gŵr Gavin, sef Terry Webley, a fu farw yn 10 oed, ac am yr anwybodaeth a'r ofn a glywsom ni amdano eisoes, y stigma a oedd yn bodoli ynghylch HIV/AIDS ar y pryd, a oedd yn golygu eu bod yn cael eu hosgoi yn y gymuned, y teuluoedd dan sylw, nad oedd yr ysgolion yn darparu'r gefnogaeth y dylen nhw fod wedi ei rhoi, nad oedd y cyfryngau lleol yn garedig nac yn deall ac nad oedden nhw'n dangos llawer o gydymdeimlad, roedd bwlio a galw enwau yn gysylltiedig â hynny ac, wrth gwrs, mae'r effaith ar iechyd y teuluoedd yn parhau, ac, yn achos Joanne, ar iechyd ei gŵr Gavin a'r teulu yn fwy eang.
Ac yn bresennol hefyd yr oedd Colin a Janet Smith, a gollodd eu mab Colin John Smith, a fu farw yn saith oed o AIDS yn pwyso dim ond 13 pwys, ar ôl dioddef methiannau o'r fath. Ac rwy'n gwybod bod eu tŷ nhw, Dirprwy Lywydd, wedi cael ei paentio â sarhâd a graffiti oherwydd cyflwr Colin John Smith, a'i bod hi'n anodd ei gael mewn i ysgol a bod problemau yn yr ysgol wedyn ac, unwaith eto, problemau fel hyn yn y gymuned yn fwy eang. Roedd hi'n sgandal ofnadwy ac yn gyhuddiad o systemau'r cyfnod, Dirprwy Lywydd, ac fe ddioddefodd cymaint o deuluoedd yn y ffordd y gwnaeth y teuluoedd hyn. Roedd Colin John Smith yn gwybod ei fod ar farw a'r hyn a wnaeth mewn gwirionedd oedd rhoi ei deganau, cyn iddo farw, i'w frodyr. Rydych chi'n meddwl am y don enfawr honno o emosiwn a ddaeth dros deuluoedd yn y cyfnod hwnnw, cymaint o deuluoedd, a methiannau ofnadwy'r systemau hynny a nodir yn yr adroddiad yn dilyn yr ymchwiliad.
Ond fe hoffwn i ddweud wrth gloi, Dirprwy Lywydd, wrth i ni fyfyrio ar y dioddefaint hwnnw—ac fe fyddwn ni'n clywed enghreifftiau pellach yma heddiw, ac fe glywsom ni'r enghreifftiau hynny drwy adroddiad yr ymchwiliad a'r achosion i fyny yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin yn San Steffan hefyd—pan fyddwn ni'n myfyrio ar raddfa'r drasiedi i bobl a'r dioddefaint cysylltiedig, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig i ni fyfyrio ar ba mor gadarnhaol yw ysbryd y bobl yn nheuluoedd y dioddefwyr, y cariad a'r ymrwymiad sydd wedi cael ei gynnal dros gyfnod hirfaith ac sy'n dal i gael ei gynnal heddiw a hwnnw a gynhyrchodd yr ymgyrch, a gynhyrchodd yr ymchwiliad a'r adroddiad a gafodd y gydnabyddiaeth honno i'r dioddefwyr a'u teuluoedd, fe ddylai hynny arwain nawr at y camau cyflym y mae eraill wedi galw amdanynt heddiw.
Ac fe hoffwn i orffen gyda geiriau Janet Smith, mam Colin John Smith, pan fynegodd hi'n union beth yw ystyr yr ymgyrch hon, yr ymchwiliad, yr adroddiad i'r dioddefwyr a'r teuluoedd nhw. Meddai Janet:
'Mae angen cydnabyddiaeth arnaf i. Rwyf eisiau i fy mab gael ei enw yn ôl. Ei enw yw Colin John Smith. A dyna yr wyf i eisiau i bobl ei gofio.'
'To save face and to save expense, there has been a hiding of much of the truth.'
Sir Brian Langstaff's damning and shocking words must be at the very forefront of our minds as we consider the impact of the infected blood scandal on the constituents that we represent here. There are two sisters from the Swansea valley in the public gallery today, Sharon and Rhian. They wanted me to highlight their family's situation and suffering in relation to this appalling and unforgivable scandal, because their story highlights how the unique circumstances of each family affected must be considered, recognised and fairly and equally compensated without further delay. Their late father, Arwyn Davies, from Trebanos, was a haemophiliac. He was under the care of, and trusted in, the medical professions that provided treatment for his condition. He attended both Cardiff and Swansea haemophilia centres, and Mr Bloom was his main consultant. Arwyn Davies died on 18 March 1992, aged 60 years. His death certificate stated he died of hepatitis C, hepatoma and haemophilia.
His whole career was spent as a local government officer, but, in the 1980s, his health began to deteriorate and he had to take early retirement from work, and little over a year later he was dead. His wife Eira passed away in 2018, 26 years after her husband, and only after their mother's passing did Rhian and Sharon become aware of what was written on their father's death certificate. During those 26 years, no contact was made to inform any of the family of any of the risks they had been made subject to, or to inform them they were entitled to any kind of benefit payments. It was so hard to hear from Sharon and Rhian about their long and distressing battle to obtain medical records relating to their father, as they campaigned for justice for their family. But they finally got proof, which confirmed their father was given contaminated factor and that the consultants were aware of how he had died.
Since obtaining this information, they've been working with the infected blood inquiry and Haemophilia Wales to ensure that someone is held to account. And although Sir Brian Langstaff took the unusual step of announcing interim compensation ahead of the final report, this was only for the living infected and the bereaved widows. There has been no commitment by the UK Government to the recommendation in the second interim report on compensation, of April 2023, which called for interim compensation payment for the previously unrecognised deaths, and, to date, children who lost parents, like Rhian and Sharon, have never been provided with compensation or recognition of their father's death. They haven't even received a letter of apology from their local health board. So, my question is: how will the Welsh Government endeavour to ensure the UK Government do not delay progress any further?
And within the new regulation of infected blood compensation, under the heading, 'Estate application', it states:
'where an affected person has died it is not possible for the personal representatives of their estate to apply for compensation.'
Cabinet Secretary, do you agree that is unjustifiable when people, such as Rhian and Sharon's mother Eira, suffered and endured financial hardship and ill health, with no financial support, following the death of Arwyn? Does the Welsh Government therefore accept that the right thing to do in circumstances like this family's would be to ensure that the family of the affected be allowed to benefit from compensation? I believe it's not only morally right, it's also a symbol of an apology rightly owed by the state—the state, remember, who covered up—to those impacted by this scandal, those whose whole lives have been scarred by loss and by lies? And how further will the Welsh Government ensure that all of those now currently living with haemophilia, like Arwyn's grandson, Sharon's son, are provided with the best possible support by public services, not having to explain the implications of their condition to education settings and healthcare settings, for example, each time, which is what's happening, so that wider steps can be put in place to increase awareness and ensure safety for all those who live with haemophilia? Diolch.
'I arbed wyneb ac arbed cost, cafodd llawer o'r gwirionedd ei gelu.'
Mae'n rhaid i eiriau damniol a brawychus Syr Brian Langstaff fod yn flaenllaw yn ein meddyliau wrth i ni ystyried effaith y sgandal gwaed heintiedig ar etholwyr yr ydym ni'n eu cynrychioli yma. Mae dwy chwaer o Gwm Tawe yn yr oriel gyhoeddus heddiw, Sharon a Rhian. Roedden nhw'n dymuno i mi dynnu sylw at sefyllfa a dioddefaint eu teulu nhw o ran y sgandal echrydus ac anfaddeuol hon, oherwydd mae eu stori nhw'n tynnu sylw at sut y mae'n rhaid ystyried, a chydnabod a gwneud cyfiawnder yn deg ac yn gyfartal heb oedi dim mwy. Roedd eu diweddar dad, Arwyn Davies, o Drebanos, â haemoffilia. Roedd dan ofal y proffesiynau meddygol ac roedd yn ymddiried ynddyn nhw, a oedd yn darparu triniaeth ar gyfer ei gyflwr. Roedd yn mynd i ganolfannau haemoffilia Caerdydd ac Abertawe, a Mr Bloom oedd ei brif ymgynghorydd. Bu farw Arwyn Davies ar 18 Mawrth 1992, yn 60 mlwydd oed. Roedd tystysgrif ei farwolaeth yn nodi ei fod wedi marw o hepatitis C, hepatoma a haemoffilia.
Treuliodd ei yrfa gyfan yn swyddog llywodraeth leol, ond, yn yr 1980au, dechreuodd ei iechyd ddirywio a bu'n rhaid iddo ymddeol yn gynnar o'i waith, ac ychydig dros flwyddyn yn ddiweddarach roedd wedi marw. Bu farw ei wraig Eira yn 2018, 26 mlynedd ar ôl ei gŵr, a dim ond ar ôl marwolaeth eu mam y daeth Rhian a Sharon yn ymwybodol o'r hyn a nodwyd ar dystysgrif marwolaeth eu tad. Yn ystod y 26 mlynedd hynny, ni wnaed unrhyw gyswllt i roi gwybod i unrhyw un o'r teulu am unrhyw un o'r risgiau yr oedden nhw wedi dod yn agored iddynt, nac i'w hysbysu bod ganddyn nhw hawl i unrhyw fath o daliadau budd-dal. Roedd hi mor anodd clywed gan Sharon a Rhian am eu brwydr faith a dolurus i gael gafael ar gofnodion meddygol a oedd yn ymwneud â'u tad, wrth iddyn nhw ymgyrchu dros gyfiawnder i'w teulu. Ond fe gawson nhw brawf o'r diwedd, a oedd yn cadarnhau mai wedi cael ffactor heintiedig yr oedd eu tad a bod y meddygon ymgynghorol yn ymwybodol o achos ei farwolaeth.
Ers cael y wybodaeth hon, maen nhw wedi bod yn gweithio gyda'r ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig a Haemophilia Wales i sicrhau bod rhywun yn cael ei ddwyn i gyfrif. Ac er i Syr Brian Langstaff gymryd y cam anarferol o gyhoeddi iawndal dros dro cyn yr adroddiad terfynol, dim ond ar gyfer y rhai sy'n fyw a gafodd eu heintio a'r gweddwon mewn profedigaeth yr oedd hyn. Ni chafwyd unrhyw ymrwymiad gan Lywodraeth y DU i'r argymhelliad yn yr ail adroddiad interim ar iawndal, ym mis Ebrill 2023, a oedd yn galw am daliad iawndal dros dro am y marwolaethau nas cydnabuwyd yn flaenorol, ac, hyd yma, nid yw plant a gollodd rieni, fel Rhian a Sharon, erioed wedi cael iawndal na chydnabyddiaeth o farwolaeth eu tad. Nid ydyn nhw wedi cael llythyr ymddiheuriad gan eu bwrdd iechyd lleol, hyd yn oed. Felly, fy nghwestiwn i yw: sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymdrechu i sicrhau nad yw Llywodraeth y DU yn oedi'r cynnydd ymhellach?
Ac yn y rheoliad newydd o iawndal gwaed heintiedig, o dan y pennawd, 'Cais ystad', mae'n nodi:
'pan fo unigolyn yr effeithiwyd arno wedi marw, nid yw'n bosibl i gynrychiolwyr personol eu hystad wneud cais am iawndal.'
Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, a ydych chi'n cytuno nad oes modd cyfiawnhau hynny pan ddioddefodd pobl, fel mam Rhian a Sharon, sef Eira, galedi ariannol a salwch, heb unrhyw gymorth ariannol, yn dilyn marwolaeth Arwyn? A yw Llywodraeth Cymru felly yn derbyn mai'r peth iawn i'w wneud mewn amgylchiadau fel un y teulu hwn fyddai sicrhau bod y teulu yr effeithiwyd arno'n cael manteisio ar iawndal? Rwy'n credu nid yn unig mai dyna sy'n foesol gywir, ond ei fod hefyd yn arwydd o ymddiheuriad dyledus gan y wladwriaeth—y wladwriaeth, cofiwch, a gelodd y mater—i'r rhai y mae'r sgandal hon wedi effeithio arnyn nhw, y rhai y mae eu bywydau cyfan wedi eu creithio gan golled a chan gelwyddau? A pha mor bell y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd i sicrhau y bydd pawb sydd bellach yn byw gyda hemoffilia, fel ŵyr Arwyn, mab Sharon, yn cael y cymorth gorau posibl gan wasanaethau cyhoeddus, heb orfod egluro goblygiadau eu cyflwr i leoliadau addysg a lleoliadau gofal iechyd, er enghraifft, bob tro, sef yr hyn sy'n digwydd, er mwyn rhoi camau ehangach ar waith i gynyddu ymwybyddiaeth a sicrhau diogelwch i bawb sy'n byw gyda haemoffilia? Diolch.
I remember the day eight years ago, I was sitting next to Julie Morgan in this Chamber, and it was just after lunch time, and she said, 'There's a cross-party group I'm chairing, would you come and meet some of your constituents who are affected by this scandal?' And I went to meet with them—and I can see Kirk Ellis in the gallery today—and it had a huge impact on me and I wanted to join that campaign, so I'm proud to be vice-chair of the Senedd cross-party group on haemophilia and contaminated blood.
I just want to give some examples of those constituents I've met and have been in touch with since then. Janet Morgan and her daughter Felicity wrote to me to talk about their late husband and father who was a haemophiliac, who was infused with factor VIII and, as a result, was infected with hepatitis C. He received a number of clinical trial medications that made him very ill, and he and his family were robbed of a normal life. Felicity was only 12 years old when her father was informed that he had hepatitis C and three to five years to live. The loss of their husband and father in 2010 shook them and still deeply affects them as a family, as he was such a loving husband, father and grandfather, and their lives have never been the same.
I was contacted by Susan Hughes, whose brother Alan Jones was a haemophiliac who was infected with HIV and hepatitis C after receiving contaminated blood in the 1980s at the age of 15. He was told at the age of 17, without his parents being present, that he had contracted the viruses. Alan had learning difficulties after suffering a brain haemorrhage at the age of three, and he passed away in 1994 at the age of just 25 of a brain tumour caused by the AIDS virus. Alan and Susan's parents have now sadly passed away themselves, and they never saw justice.
I was contacted by Professor Nicholas Moran, whose late brothers, Peter and Tim, who were twins, were co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C by NHS contaminated blood products. They died at a young age due to HIV-related illnesses. Their mother's health suffered consequently, and her passing was a direct result of that. Professor Moran is a senior surgeon who's worked exclusively in the NHS for over four decades, but he has told me that he is so shaken by the outcome of this scandal that his confidence in the service has been shattered, particularly by the devastating revelations of Sir Brian Langstaff's report. As a result, he has decided to leave the NHS. He wants to see the recommendations from Sir Brian’s report implemented fully and without delay, and he’s concerned that although the UK Government has announced that interim payments will be made to infected persons, there has been no commitment to support affected relatives or previously unrecognised deaths.
I come to Kirk Ellis. Kirk gave me this tie, which is in the colours of the campaign, outside Wayne David’s office in Bedwas, I think it was three years ago now. We were still working on just basic compensation levels at that point. He regularly attends meetings of the cross-party group, and, as I’ve mentioned, he’s in the public gallery. I met him just after lunch today, and he said he’s got real concerns about the UK Government’s proposed compensation scheme. He could actually end up worse off in spite of the payments if he was to get the lump sum mentioned in the compensation scheme statement, as the support payments he receives would then stop. His lump sum would last him and his family for 20 years at most, and he points out that in Scotland the Scottish Government has guaranteed that ongoing current support payments are for life, as well as the lump sum compensation payments proposed by the UK Government in response to Sir Brian’s report. What he wants the Welsh Government to do—he recognises that this was a pre-devolution issue—is to make sure that that issue is resolved, that he isn’t reliant on just 20 years of funding as a result of the compensation, and that he isn’t caught in the trap of having that income that reduces, then, the disability benefits to which he was previously entitled.
And finally, I want to pay tribute to Wayne David, the now former MP for Caerphilly. Wayne worked very hard on this issue in the House of Commons, and presented a petition recently on the infected blood inquiry in the Chamber of the House of Commons. The petition called for immediate compensation to be given to those who had been affected by contaminated blood, and, jointly, our constituents Lee Stay and Kirk Ellis had added a number of local names to that petition. I think Wayne’s campaigning spirit on this will be missed from the House of Commons, but I think he’s worked hard too to make sure that we see the outcome that we’ve got today, albeit, I still think, as a staging post in the journey of providing full justice to the families and people affected by this scandal.
Rwy'n cofio'r diwrnod wyth mlynedd yn ôl, roeddwn i'n eistedd wrth ymyl Julie Morgan yn y Siambr hon, ac ychydig ar ôl amser cinio, fe ddywedodd hi, 'Mae yna grŵp trawsbleidiol yr wyf i'n ei gadeirio, a wnewch chi ddod i gwrdd â rhai o'ch etholwyr chi sydd wedi'u heffeithio gan y sgandal hon?' Ac fe es i gyfarfod â nhw—ac rwy'n gallu gweld Kirk Ellis yn yr oriel heddiw—ac fe gafodd hynny effaith aruthrol arnaf i ac roeddwn i'n awyddus i ymuno â'r ymgyrch honno, ac felly rwy'n falch o fod yn is-gadeirydd grŵp trawsbleidiol y Senedd ar haemoffilia a gwaed heintiedig.
Fe hoffwn i roi rhai enghreifftiau i chi o'r etholwyr hynny yr wyf i wedi cwrdd â nhw ac wedi bod mewn cysylltiad â nhw ers hynny. Ysgrifennodd Janet Morgan a'i merch Felicity ataf i sôn am ei diweddar ŵr a thad a oedd â haemoffilia, a gafodd ei drwytho â ffactor VIII ac, o ganlyniad i hynny, fe gafodd ei heintio â hepatitis C. Cafodd nifer o feddyginiaethau clinigol arbrofol a oedd yn ei wneud yn wan iawn, a chafodd ef a'i deulu eu hamddifadu o fywyd normal. Dim ond 12 oed oedd Felicity pan gafodd ei thad wybod bod ganddo hepatitis C a thair i bum mlynedd o fywyd ar ôl. Fe wnaeth colli gŵr a'u tad yn 2010 eu hysgwyd ac mae hynny'n dal i effeithio'n fawr ar eu teulu, gan ei fod yn ŵr, tad a thaid mor annwyl, ac nid yw eu bywydau fyth wedi bod yr un fath.
Cysylltodd Susan Hughes â mi, yr oedd ei brawd Alan Jones â haemoffilia ac fe gafodd ei heintio â HIV a hepatitis C ar ôl derbyn gwaed heintiedig yn y 1980au yn 15 oed. Cafodd wybod hynny'n 17 oed, heb i'w rieni fod yn bresennol, sef ei fod wedi cael y firysau. Roedd gan Alan anawsterau dysgu ar ôl dioddef gwaedlif ar yr ymennydd yn dair oed, ac fe fu farw yn 1994 yn ddim ond 25 oed o diwmor ar yr ymennydd a achoswyd gan y firws AIDS. Mae rhieni Alan a Susan wedi marw eu hunain bellach yn drist, ac ni welson nhw gyfiawnder erioed.
Cysylltodd yr Athro Nicholas Moran â mi, y cafodd ei ddiweddar frodyr, Peter a Tim, a oedd yn efeilliaid, eu cyd-heintio â HIV a hepatitis C gan gynhyrchion gwaed heintiedig y GIG. Bu'r ddau farw yn ifanc oherwydd salwch sy'n gysylltiedig â HIV. Dioddefodd iechyd eu mam o ganlyniad, ac roedd ei marwolaeth hi o ganlyniad uniongyrchol i hynny. Mae'r Athro Moran yn uwch lawfeddyg sydd wedi gweithio ar hyd ei yrfa yn y GIG ers dros bedwar degawd, ond fe ddywedodd ef wrthyf ei fod wedi cael ei ysgwyd gymaint o ganlyniad i'r sgandal hon fel bod ei hyder yn y gwasanaeth wedi cael ei chwalu, yn enwedig gan ddatguddiadau dinistriol adroddiad Syr Brian Langstaff. O ganlyniad i hynny, mae wedi penderfynu ymadael â'r GIG. Mae'n dymuno gweld argymhellion adroddiad Syr Brian yn cael eu gweithredu yn eu llawnder ac yn ddiymdroi, ac mae'n pryderu, er bod Llywodraeth y DU wedi cyhoeddi y bydd taliadau dros dro yn cael eu gwneud i bobl a gafodd eu heintio, ni chafwyd unrhyw ymrwymiad i gefnogi perthnasau a effeithwyd na chydnabod marwolaethau nad oedden nhw wedi cael eu nodi yn flaenorol.
Rwy'n dod at Kirk Ellis. Kirk a roddodd y tei yma i mi, sydd â lliwiau'r ymgyrch arno, y tu allan i swyddfa Wayne David ym Medwas, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n dair blynedd oddi ar hynny erbyn hyn. Roeddem ni'n dal i weithio ar gyfraddau iawndal sylfaenol ar yr adeg honno. Bydd ef yn mynychu cyfarfodydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol yn rheolaidd, ac, fel y soniais i, mae ef yn yr oriel gyhoeddus. Fe wnes i gyfarfod ag ef ychydig ar ôl cinio heddiw, ac fe ddywedodd fod pryderon gwirioneddol ganddo ynglŷn â chynllun iawndal arfaethedig Llywodraeth y DU. Gallai hwnnw mewn gwirionedd fod yn waeth yn y pen draw er gwaethaf y taliadau pe byddai ef yn cael y cyfandaliad a grybwyllir yn natganiad y cynllun iawndal, oherwydd fe fyddai'r taliadau cymorth y mae'n eu derbyn yn dod i ben wedyn. Fe fyddai ei gyfandaliad ef yn para 20 mlynedd ar y mwyaf iddo ef a'i deulu, ac mae'n nodi bod Llywodraeth yr Alban yn yr Alban wedi gwarantu y bydd y taliadau cymorth cyfredol parhaus yn para am oes, yn ogystal â'r taliadau cyfandaliad iawndal a gynigiwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU mewn ymateb i adroddiad Syr Brian. Yr hyn y mae ef yn dymuno i Lywodraeth Cymru ei wneud—mae'n cydnabod mai mater cyn datganoli oedd hwn—yw sicrhau bod y mater hwnnw yn cael ei ddatrys, ac nad yw'n ddibynnol ar ddim ond 20 mlynedd o gyllid o ganlyniad i'r iawndal, ac nad yw'n cael ei ddal yn y fagl o weld yr incwm hwnnw'n lleihau, wedyn, sef incwm y budd-daliadau anabledd yr oedd hawl ganddo i'w cael o'r blaen.
Ac yn olaf, rwy'n dymuno rhoi teyrnged i Wayne David, cyn AS Caerffili erbyn hyn. Gweithiodd Wayne yn galed iawn ar y mater hwn yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin, ac fe gyflwynodd ddeiseb yn ddiweddar ar yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig yn Siambr Tŷ'r Cyffredin. Roedd y ddeiseb yn galw am roi iawndal ar unwaith i'r rhai a gafodd eu heffeithio gan waed heintiedig, ac ar y cyd ag ef, roedd ein hetholwyr Lee Stay a Kirk Ellis wedi ychwanegu nifer o enwau lleol at y ddeiseb honno. Rwy'n credu y bydd Tŷ'r Cyffredin yn gweld eisiau ysbryd ymgyrchu Wayne ar hyn, ond rwy'n credu ei fod ef wedi gweithio yn galed hefyd i sicrhau ein bod ni'n gweld y canlyniad sydd gennym heddiw, er fy mod i o'r farn o hyd, mai un cam ar y daith o ddarparu cyfiawnder llawn ydyw i'r teuluoedd a'r bobl y mae'r sgandal hon yn effeithio arnyn nhw.
Firstly, I want to pay tribute to all those who have campaigned on this issue and continue to campaign. Some are here with us today, and we will remember the ones who are not. As the Cabinet Secretary highlighted, before FMQs, there was an opportunity to listen to those affected by this scandal, and I don’t think anyone could have left that room without a clear understanding of the injustice faced by families. You would have heard how people in positions of authority vilified these families for raising concerns, accused them of lying, accused them of giving life to rumours. Corruption is the long and short of it, isn't it—a bid to save money. What an indictment of our system.
Last week, I was contacted by Deborah James, a constituent in Bridgend, who told me the story of her brother. Her brother, a serving police officer, died aged 31 in 1982, as a result of receiving contaminated blood at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Deborah shared that he had been battling Hodgkin's lymphoma, and had been given the all-clear following chemotherapy. However, complications meant that he had internal bleeding and was taken to Cardiff, where he received several pints of blood to replace the blood that he was losing. They were advised that he had received what was referred to as 'a bad pint', and that he had been infected with hepatitis C. Due to the impact on his liver, Deborah's brother suffered jaundice. It would hurt for him to have them hug him, and—I'm quoting Deborah here—they have not as a family ever recovered from what happened in those last few weeks of his life.
One of the key things that stood out for me in the meeting earlier was something that was said: an apology means nothing if there's no recognition of what people have gone through. Compensation is one way of giving recognition, and whilst an interim compensation payment of £210,000 to those infected will be made, disappointingly there's been no commitment to make the interim compensation payment available for the unrecognised, as highlighted by other Members. I would hope the Minister could comment on this, because this is, of course, a concern for families—specifically how we can help those families whose relatives died but the cause of death was registered as something else.
There's no denying that deaths were covered up, documents were destroyed—it was in the report. For Deborah's family, it has taken 42 years to get to the truth. The worry now is that, despite recognition that what happened was not an accident, families will be denied compensation because of destroyed documents during those cover-ups. I will conclude, Dirprwy Lywydd, by referring back to Deborah's words to me: 'It is inconceivable that, 42 years after his death, and following Sir Brian's report, there is still uncertainty, and battles for those infected and affected are still to be fought'.
Yn gyntaf i gyd, fe hoffwn i roi teyrnged i bawb sydd wedi ymgyrchu dros y mater hwn ac sy'n parhau i wneud hynny. Mae rhai gyda ni yma heddiw, ac fe gofiwn ni'r rhai nad ydyn nhw. Fel y gwnaeth yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dynnu sylw ato, cyn y Cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, roedd yna gyfle i wrando ar y rhai yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw gan y sgandal hon, ac nid wyf i'n credu y gallai unrhyw un fod wedi gadael yr ystafell honno heb ddealltwriaeth eglur o'r anghyfiawnder y mae teuluoedd wedi ei wynebu. Fe fyddech chi wedi clywed sut y gwnaeth pobl mewn safleoedd o awdurdod ddifenwi'r teuluoedd am godi pryderon, gan eu cyhuddo o ddweud celwydd, eu cyhuddo o godi bwganod. Anonestrwydd, dim llai, onid e—ymgais i arbed arian. Wel am gyhuddiad yn erbyn ein cyfundrefn ni.
Wythnos diwethaf, fe gysylltodd Deborah James, etholwraig ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr, â mi i adrodd hanes ei brawd. Bu ei brawd, a oedd yn swyddog heddlu gweithredol, farw yn 31 oed yn 1982, o ganlyniad i gael gwaed heintiedig yn Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru yng Nghaerdydd. Datgelodd Deborah wrthyf ei fod wedi bod yn brwydro yn erbyn lymffoma Hodgkin, a'i fod wedi cael diagnosis cadarnhaol yn dilyn cemotherapi. Serch hynny, roedd cymhlethdodau yn golygu iddo ddioddef gwaedu mewnol ac fe'i cludwyd i Gaerdydd, lle cafodd sawl peint o waed yn lle'r gwaed yr oedd yn ei golli. Dywedwyd wrthyn nhw ei fod wedi cael yr hyn y cyfeiriwyd ato'n 'beint drwg', a'i fod wedi cael ei heintio â hepatitis C. Oherwydd yr effaith ar ei iau, dioddefodd brawd Deborah glefyd melyn. Roedd yn ei frifo iddo eu cael nhw'n ei gofleidio, ac—rwy'n dyfynnu Deborah nawr—nid ydyn nhw erioed wedi dod dros yr hyn a ddigwyddodd yn ystod wythnosau olaf ei fywyd.
Un o'r pethau allweddol a oedd yn sefyll allan i mi yn y cyfarfod yn gynharach heddiw oedd rhywbeth a gafodd ei ddweud: nid yw ymddiheuriad yn golygu dim os nad oes cydnabyddiaeth o'r hyn y mae pobl wedi bod trwyddo. Mae iawndal yn un ffordd o gydnabod, ac er y bydd yna daliad iawndal dros dro o £210,000 yn cael ei roi i'r rhai a gafodd eu heintio, yn siomedig iawn, ni chafwyd ymrwymiad i sicrhau y bydd y taliad iawndal dros dro yn cael ei wneud pan nad oes cydnabyddiaeth, fel y mynegodd Aelodau eraill. Fe fyddwn i'n gobeithio y gallai'r Gweinidog roi sylw ar hyn, oherwydd mae hwnnw, wrth gwrs, yn ofid i deuluoedd—yn benodol o ran sut y byddwn ni'n cynorthwyo'r teuluoedd hynny a gollodd eu perthnasau ond mai achos arall a roddwyd i'r farwolaeth a dyna'r hyn a gafodd ei gofrestru.
Ni ellir gwadu bod marwolaethau wedi cael eu celu, cafodd dogfennau eu difa—roedd hynny yn yr adroddiad. I deulu Deborah, mae hi wedi cymryd 42 o flynyddoedd i gael gwybod y gwirionedd. Y pryder nawr yw, er gwaethaf y gydnabyddiaeth nad damwain oedd yr hyn a ddigwyddodd, y bydd teuluoedd yn cael eu hamddifadu o iawndal oherwydd y cafodd dogfennau eu difa yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw o guddio'r gwir. Rwyf i am orffen, Dirprwy Lywydd, drwy gyfeirio yn ôl at eiriau Deborah wrthyf i: "Prin y gellir credu, 42 mlynedd ar ôl ei farwolaeth, ac yn dilyn adroddiad Syr Brian, bod ansicrwydd yn parhau, a bod brwydrau eto i ddod dros y rhai a heintwyd ac a effeithwyd'.
We've already heard from the Cabinet Secretary for health and many other people about the tens of thousands infected and affected, as well as the 3,000 people who died of infected blood. But this isn't just about a treatment scandal, as Luke Fletcher has already said. This is about a criminal cover-up. And it's that that I wish to address my remarks to today. Sir Brian Langstaff catalogues three separate sets of documents that were lost, or deliberately destroyed in most cases, and the failure to safeguard these documents, which were supposed to be kept in a safe place, precisely to be able to be called upon by victims to consolidate their claim for compensation.
The first lot were papers relating to the Advisory Committee on the Virological Safety of Blood. It was discovered back in the middle of 1995 that one of the volumes had been destroyed, in September 1994. No attempt was made to safeguard all the remaining volumes of documents, which were then destroyed between October 1997 and November 1998. This is truly, truly shocking. We have to understand how it was that the Department of health was allowed to continue to try and cover this up, even after Yvette Cooper asked for a report, which was called the self-sufficiency report, when she became the Under-secretary of State for Public Health in 2002.
This led to an extraordinary cover-up. An initial report by a senior officer at the Department of health was actually delivered to somebody on the day before Christmas 2002, and it did not emerge to the light of day until a further three years, by which time it had been doctored from a factual account of what the document said about self-sufficiency to an excuse for why it hadn't been possible to avert this terrible scandal. These are really, really devastating points that we really need to take seriously.
Lord Owen's papers, the former Secretary of State for health, completely disappeared, because obviously they revealed things that they did not want to admit. And in one case, the Department of health was saying it was probably destroyed by a junior member of staff. Really? I just cannot see that. It's absolutely unjustifiable and egregious behaviour by our public servants.
To this end, we really do have to challenge the defensive culture of cover-up and get behind Sir Brian Langstaff's calls for Ministers to consider statutory duties of candour for civil servants and Ministers in all their day-to-day work.
I am very pleased that Mark Drakeford, under his leadership, did introduce this duty of candour last year, but we need to ensure that this extends to leaders in our health services as well. There is clearly much more that we need to consider on this. But we have to ensure that leaders in the Welsh NHS, including board members, really are going to be following through with this and that our own civil servants also are not continuing to be less than candid with the truth.
Rydyn ni eisoes wedi clywed gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd a llawer o bobl eraill am y degau o filoedd sydd wedi'u heintio a'u heffeithio, yn ogystal â'r 3,000 o bobl a fu farw o waed heintiedig. Ond nid sgandal triniaeth yn unig yw hyn, fel y dywedodd Luke Fletcher eisoes. Mae hyn yn ymwneud â chuddio gweithredoedd troseddol. A dyna yr hoffwn i fynd i'r afael ag ef yn fy sylwadau heddiw. Mae Syr Brian Langstaff yn catalogio tair set wahanol o ddogfennau a gollwyd, neu a ddifrodwyd yn fwriadol yn y rhan fwyaf o achosion, a'r methiant i ddiogelu'r dogfennau hyn, a oedd i fod i gael eu cadw mewn man diogel, er mwyn i ddioddefwyr allu galw arnyn nhw i atgyfnerthu eu cais am iawndal.
Roedd y set gyntaf yn bapurau yn ymwneud â'r Pwyllgor Cynghori ar Ddiogelwch Feiregol Gwaed. Darganfuwyd yn ôl yng nghanol 1995 fod un o'r cyfrolau wedi ei ddinistrio, ym mis Medi 1994. Ni wnaed unrhyw ymdrech i ddiogelu'r holl gyfrolau o ddogfennau a oedd yn weddill, a gafodd eu dinistrio rhwng Hydref 1997 a Thachwedd 1998. Mae hyn yn wirioneddol, wirioneddol frawychus. Mae'n rhaid i ni ddeall sut y caniatawyd i'r Adran iechyd barhau i geisio cuddio hyn, hyd yn oed ar ôl i Yvette Cooper ofyn am adroddiad, a alwyd yn adroddiad hunangynhaliaeth, pan ddaeth yn Is-ysgrifennydd Gwladol Iechyd y Cyhoedd yn 2002.
Arweiniodd hyn at achos rhyfeddol o geisio cuddio'r hyn ddigwyddodd. Cyflwynwyd adroddiad cychwynnol gan uwch swyddog yn yr Adran iechyd i rywun ar y diwrnod cyn Nadolig 2002, ac ni ddaeth i olau dydd am dair blynedd arall, ac erbyn hynny roedd wedi cael ei ddoctora o gyfrif ffeithiol o'r hyn y dywedodd y ddogfen am hunangynhaliaeth i esgus pam nad oedd wedi bod yn bosibl osgoi'r sgandal ofnadwy hon. Mae'r rhain yn bwyntiau gwirioneddol, gwirioneddol ddinistriol y mae'n rhaid i ni eu cymryd o ddifrif.
Fe ddiflannodd papurau'r Arglwydd Owen, y cyn-Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros iechyd, yn llwyr, oherwydd yn amlwg roedden nhw'n datgelu pethau nad oedden nhw am eu cyfaddef. Ac mewn un achos, roedd yr Adran iechyd yn dweud ei bod yn debygol iddyn nhw gael eu dinistrio gan aelod iau o staff. O ddifrif? Dydw i ddim yn gallu gweld hynny. Mae'n ymddygiad cwbl ddigyfiawnhad a dybryd gan ein gweision cyhoeddus.
I'r perwyl hwn, mae'n rhaid i ni wir herio diwylliant amddiffynnol celu a chefnogi galwadau Syr Brian Langstaff i Weinidogion ystyried dyletswyddau statudol gonestrwydd ar gyfer gweision sifil a Gweinidogion yn eu holl waith o ddydd i ddydd.
Rwy'n falch iawn bod Mark Drakeford, o dan ei arweinyddiaeth, wedi cyflwyno'r ddyletswydd gonestrwydd hon y llynedd, ond mae angen i ni sicrhau ei bod yn ymestyn i arweinwyr yn ein gwasanaethau iechyd hefyd. Mae'n amlwg bod llawer mwy i'w ystyried ar hyn. Ond mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau y bydd arweinwyr y GIG yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys aelodau'r bwrdd, yn dilyn hyn mewn gwirionedd ac nad yw ein gweision sifil ein hunain ychwaith yn parhau i fod yn llai na gonest â'r gwir.
Mi hoffwn i gysylltu fy hun efo nifer o'r sylwadau sydd eisoes wedi cael eu gwneud. Weithiau, mae yna gysylltiad yn dod gan etholwr sydd jest yn eich taro chi, a dwi'n meddwl ein bod ni i gyd wedi derbyn e-byst gan deuluoedd a'r rheini sydd wedi dioddef ac yn parhau i ddioddef heddiw sydd wedi cael yr effaith hwnnw. Felly, dwi'n mynd i ddefnyddio fy amser i roi llais a rhannu rhai o'r straeon hynny, yn ôl yr hyn sydd wedi'i ofyn ohonof.
Efallai bod nifer ohonoch chi wedi darllen neu weld ar y teledu stori Owain Harris am ei dad, Norman. Roedd gan Norman haemoffilia, ac yn y 1970au a’r 1980au cynnar fe ddechreuodd ar driniaeth newydd ar gyfer y cyflwr. Yng nghanol yr 1980au, fe gafodd wybod ei fod wedi dal hepatitis C a bod ganddo HIV. Pedair oed oedd ei fab Owain ar y pryd, ac ni wnaeth ei rieni rannu'r diagnosis llawn gydag o tan oedd o’n 26 oed. Bu Norman farw yn 2012. Mae Owain, ei chwaer a’i fam wedi rhoi tystiolaeth fel rhan o’r ymchwiliad, ond dim ond y mis diwethaf y gwnaethon nhw am y tro cyntaf siarad yn gyhoeddus am hyn, gydag Owain yn dweud, 'Roedd hwn yn cover-up llwyr gan y sefydliad.'
I'd like to associate myself with a number of the comments that have already been made. Sometimes, there is a contact made by a constituent that really strikes you, and I think that we've all received e-mails from families and from those who have suffered and who continue to suffer today that have had that impact. So, I'm going to use my time to give a voice and share some of those stories, according to what has been asked of me.
Maybe many of you have read about or seen on tv the story of Owain Harris regarding his father, Norman. Norman had haemophilia, and in the 1970s and the early 1980s he began a new treatment for the condition. In the mid 1980s, he was told that he had contracted hepatitis C and that he had HIV. His son, Owain, was four years old at the time, and his parents did not share the full diagnosis with him until he was 26 years old. Norman died in 2012. Owain, his sister and his mother have given evidence as part of the inquiry, but it was only last month that they spoke publicly about this for the first time, with Owain saying, 'This was a total cover-up by the establishment.'
David shared with me in his own words, 'I was infected with hepatitis C in the early 1980s, likely between the age of nine and 13. I was informed of my diagnosis aged 23 in 1994, and ever since this date have been permanently in a state of worry about my health and my mortality.' He went on to share with me the impact this has had on his life, including having to fight tooth and nail to get access to the new retroviral drugs that were becoming available towards the end of 2014.
Another constituent, Paul from Cardiff, said, 'I'm one of the haemophiliacs that has been infected in the mid 1970s, early 1980s, with hep C. This has made life a living nightmare. I had to undertake horrendous treatments. I could not continue working due to my mental health and the stigma. I have hidden myself away, no longer feeling able to interact with others and became isolated. People reacted to my condition at many times with abuse. It has left me with life-long complications, not to mention not being able to have children and causing many relationship issues through my life.' He urges us as a Senedd, 'Please, with people passing away at an average of four a week, all we want is to have some of our life that is ours and not stolen from us by this deliberate use of infected blood, which has destroyed mine and many others' lives.'
Another constituent, who wants to remain anonymous, shared the story of her father, who died 20 years ago at just 38 years old. Carol told me of her father Ian’s death in 2004, at the age of 48.
Rhannodd David gyda mi yn ei eiriau ei hun, 'Cefais fy heintio â hepatitis C ar ddechrau'r 1980au, yn debygol rhwng naw a 13 oed. Cefais wybod am fy diagnosis yn 23 oed yn 1994, a byth ers y dyddiad hwn rwyf wedi bod mewn cyflwr o bryder parhaol am fy iechyd a fy marwoldeb.' Aeth ymlaen i rannu gyda mi effaith hyn ar ei fywyd, gan gynnwys gorfod ymladd yn galed i gael y cyffuriau retrofirysol newydd a oedd ar gael tua diwedd 2014.
Dywedodd etholwr arall, Paul o Gaerdydd, 'Rwy'n un o'r haemoffiliacs sydd wedi'i heintio yng nghanol y 1970au, dechrau'r 1980au, gyda hep C. Mae hyn wedi gwneud bywyd yn hunllef. Roedd yn rhaid i mi ymgymryd â thriniaethau erchyll. Allwn i ddim parhau i weithio oherwydd fy iechyd meddwl a'r stigma. Rwyf wedi cuddio fy hun i ffwrdd, ddim bellach yn teimlo fy mod yn gallu rhyngweithio ag eraill ac wedi dod yn ynysig. Gwnaeth pobl ymateb i fy nghyflwr ar sawl achlysur gydag ymosodiad geiriol. Mae wedi fy ngadael â chymhlethdodau gydol oes, heb sôn am beidio â gallu cael plant ac achosi llawer o broblemau yn fy mherthnasoedd trwy fy mywyd.' Mae'n ein hannog ni fel Senedd, 'Os gwelwch yn dda, gyda phobl yn marw ar gyfartaledd o bedwar yr wythnos, y cyfan yr ydym ni ei eisiau yw cael rhywfaint o'n bywyd ni sy'n eiddo i ni a heb ei ddwyn oddi wrthym gan y defnydd bwriadol hwn o waed heintiedig, sydd wedi dinistrio fy mywyd i a bywydau llawer o bobl eraill.'
Rhannodd etholwr arall, sydd eisiau aros yn ddienw, stori ei thad, a fu farw 20 mlynedd yn ôl yn ddim ond 38 mlwydd oed. Dywedodd Carol wrthyf am farwolaeth ei thad Ian yn 2004, yn 48 oed.
Ysgrifennodd Rachel ataf gan ddweud,
'Bu farw fy nhad (oedd yn hemoffilig) o AIDS yn 1990 ar ôl salwch chwe mlynedd, lle gwastraffodd ei gorff a'i ymennydd i ddim.'
Rachel wrote to me, saying,
'My father (who was a haemophiliac) died of AIDS in 1990, after a six-year illness, during which his body and brain wasted away.'
You referenced at the beginning, Cabinet Secretary, the Sugar family. And it is important that we do tell the story of Leigh, a much-loved son, husband and father, who was a mild haemophiliac, infected with his first and only treatment at the age of 14, following a fall from his horse. He was only told of his infection 14 years later, by which time he was married and had five and three-year-old daughters. He died at the age of 44 from liver cancer, having been infected with hepatitis C. His family shared that he spent the last year of his life in intense pain and suffering, and that his father Graham died three years ago, never seeing justice. They describe their family as 'having been torn apart by contaminated blood'.
I'd like to pay tribute to all the victims and their families who’ve campaigned for justice and who've been brave enough to share with us their suffering and continued pain. We can acknowledge that today, apologise for all they’ve been through, but also state unitedly that we will ensure everything possible that can be done to right this terrible, terrible wrong is done. It should never have happened and nothing we do will put this right, but we can try and offer that support. This is going to have an impact for generations to come on these families affected. Therefore, I'd like to finish by asking the Cabinet Secretary: what support is being provided to those still living with the infection, who are in pain, who are suffering, but also their families, who are still in pain and suffering? We need to be able to provide not just compensation, but ongoing support, and I'd like to know how they will be able to access that support. Diolch.
Fe wnaethoch chi gyfeirio ar y dechrau, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, at y teulu Sugar. Ac mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n adrodd hanes Leigh, mab, gŵr a thad annwyl iawn, a oedd yn haemoffiliag ysgafn, a gafodd ei heintio â'i driniaeth gyntaf a'i unig driniaeth yn 14 oed, yn dilyn cwymp o'i geffyl. 14 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach y cafodd wybod am ei haint am y tro cyntaf, ac erbyn hynny roedd yn briod ac roedd ganddo ferched pump a thair oed. Bu farw yn 44 oed o ganser yr iau, ar ôl cael ei heintio â hepatitis C. Rhannodd ei deulu iddo dreulio blwyddyn olaf ei fywyd mewn poen a dioddefaint dwys, a bod ei dad Graham wedi marw dair blynedd yn ôl, heb weld cyfiawnder. Maen nhw'n dweud bod eu teulu 'wedi ei rwygo ar wahân gan waed heintiedig'.
Hoffwn dalu teyrnged i'r holl ddioddefwyr a'u teuluoedd sydd wedi ymgyrchu dros gyfiawnder ac sydd wedi bod yn ddigon dewr i rannu eu dioddefaint a'u poen parhaus gyda ni. Gallwn ni gydnabod hynny heddiw, ymddiheuro am bopeth y maen nhw wedi bod drwyddo, ond hefyd ddatgan yn unedig y byddwn yn sicrhau y gwneir popeth posibl y gellir ei wneud i unioni'r cam ofnadwy, ofnadwy hwn. Ni ddylai byth fod wedi digwydd ac ni fydd unrhyw beth a wnawn yn unioni hyn, ond gallwn ni geisio cynnig y gefnogaeth honno. Mae hyn yn mynd i gael effaith ar genedlaethau i ddod ar y teuluoedd hyn yr effeithiwyd arnynt. Felly, hoffwn orffen drwy ofyn i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet: pa gymorth sy'n cael ei ddarparu i'r rhai sy'n dal i fyw gyda'r haint, sydd mewn poen, sy'n dioddef, ond hefyd eu teuluoedd, sy'n dal i fod mewn poen a dioddefaint? Mae angen i ni allu darparu nid yn unig iawndal, ond cefnogaeth barhaus, a hoffwn wybod sut y byddant yn gallu cael gafael ar y cymorth hwnnw. Diolch.
Like other speakers before me, I would like to read the testimony of two of my constituents whose lives have been irrevocably changed by the contaminated blood scandal. And I think it speaks volumes, as to the stigma still attached to this, that both of my constituents have asked that their stories remain anonymous. One of my constituents contracted hepatitis C from contaminated blood whilst being treated for leukaemia between 1985 and 1989. They have now lived with hepatitis for 35 years, undergoing five gruelling courses of interferon, numerous invasive and non-invasive tests, reduced career prospects and limitations on the size of their family. Prior to diagnosis, they were sent to one of the first AIDS wards in London and then to a mental health institution in Cardiff, because the medical professionals thought that they were making their illness up. Fortunately, my constituent tells me they have worked hard to manage their condition and are now in good health, but they say there are many less fortunate, who they believe deserve so much more.
My other constituent was just 17 years old and ready to start their life, when they were told by their haemophilia doctor that they'd contracted HIV from contaminated blood. They were told not to tell anyone, not even their mother. Doctors told them that they would live about 18 months. They've seen their fellow haemophiliac friends dying of AIDS in the hospital, and they thought that they would die in the same way. This was a death sentence. They had three nervous breakdowns over the years, attempted suicide three times, and for years spent spells in and out of hospital. The stigma associated with HIV, they say, is unbearable, and they meet this in all aspects of their daily life. In 1994 this same constituent was told that they were also infected with hepatitis C. They underwent three courses of treatment with horrendous side effects. They haven't been able to have children, get life assurance or mortgage protection, due to the impact of HIV and hepatitis C.
My constituents say they hope that the inquiry's recommendations will prevent things like this from ever happening again, that people will not be tested without consent, that commercial interests will not take precedence over patient safety. They hope that future generations do not have to suffer the pain and stigma that they have, and that medical professionals will be educated to ensure that they are treated with the respect that they deserve.
Fel siaradwyr eraill o fy mlaen, hoffwn ddarllen tystiolaeth dau o fy etholwyr y mae eu bywydau wedi eu newid yn anadferadwy gan y sgandal gwaed heintiedig. Ac rwy'n credu ei fod yn dweud y cyfan, o ran y stigma sy'n dal ynghlwm wrth hyn, bod fy etholwyr ill dau wedi gofyn i'w straeon aros yn ddienw. Fe wnaeth un o fy etholwyr ddal hepatitis C o waed heintiedig tra'r oedd yn cael triniaeth am lewcemia rhwng 1985 a 1989. Mae bellach wedi byw gyda hepatitis am 35 mlynedd, gan gael pum cwrs anodd o interfferon, nifer o brofion mewnwthiol ac anfewnwthiol, gobeithion gyrfa is a chyfyngiadau ar faint y teulu. Cyn cael diagnosis, cafodd ei anfon i un o'r wardiau AIDS cyntaf yn Llundain ac yna i sefydliad iechyd meddwl yng Nghaerdydd, oherwydd bod y gweithwyr meddygol proffesiynol yn meddwl ei fod yn dychmygu ei salwch. Yn ffodus, mae fy etholwr yn dweud wrthyf ei fod wedi gweithio'n galed i reoli ei cyflwr a'i fod bellach mewn iechyd da, ond mae'n dweud bod llawer o bobl yn llai ffodus, ac mae'n credu eu bod yn haeddu cymaint yn fwy.
Dim ond 17 oed oedd fy etholwr arall ac yn barod i ddechrau ei fywyd, pan ddywedwyd wrtho gan ei feddyg haemoffilia ei fod wedi dal HIV o waed heintiedig. Dywedwyd wrtho am beidio â dweud wrth neb, dim hyd yn oed ei fam. Dywedodd meddygon y byddai'n byw tua 18 mis. Mae wedi gweld ei ffrindiau haemoffiliag yn marw o AIDS yn yr ysbyty, ac roedd yn meddwl y byddai'n marw yn yr un ffordd. Roedd hon yn ddedfryd o farwolaeth. Cafodd dri chwalfa'r nerfau dros y blynyddoedd, ceisio lladd ei hun dair gwaith, ac am flynyddoedd bu'n treulio cyfnodau i mewn ac allan o'r ysbyty. Mae'r stigma sy'n gysylltiedig ag HIV, meddai, yn annioddefol, ac mae'n gweld hyn ym mhob agwedd ar ei fywyd bob dydd. Yn 1994 dywedwyd wrth yr un etholwr ei fod hefyd wedi'i heintio â hepatitis C. Cafodd dri chwrs o driniaeth gyda sgîl-effeithiau erchyll. Nid yw wedi gallu cael plant, cael sicrwydd bywyd nac amddiffyniad morgais, oherwydd effaith HIV a hepatitis C.
Dywed fy etholwyr eu bod yn gobeithio y bydd argymhellion yr ymchwiliad yn atal pethau fel hyn rhag digwydd eto, na fydd pobl yn cael eu profi heb ganiatâd, na fydd buddiannau masnachol yn cael blaenoriaeth dros ddiogelwch cleifion. Maen nhw'n gobeithio na fydd yn rhaid i genedlaethau'r dyfodol ddioddef y boen a'r stigma y mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw, ac y bydd gweithwyr meddygol proffesiynol yn cael eu haddysgu i sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu trin gyda'r parch y maen nhw'n ei haeddu.
Siân Gwenllian? Na. Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i ymateb i'r ddadl.
Siân Gwenllian? No. I call on the Cabinet Secretary to reply to the debate.
Diolch yn fawr. I want to thank all Members who have contributed to this important debate today. I think it's been a really emotional debate, and it has been quite heart-wrenching to hear some of the stories of your constituents. There are just a few points I want to address. First of all, one of the issues that people have asked about is those who are unrecognised. Part of the issue here is that records are required to make claims. Now, we are aware that there have been issues with NHS records in the past. Both our Wales infected blood support scheme and the new infected blood compensation authority will work with those infected and affected to gather the information required for claims to be made. In terms of young beneficiaries, this is an issue that my officials have raised with the Cabinet Office, and we've been given an assurance that this is something that they're looking into.
In terms of immediate next steps, Sir Robert Francis, along with the interim CEO of the IBCA, David Foley, will meet with the main campaign groups, including Lynne Kelly of Haemophilia Wales, to discuss looking at the proposals for compensation to check if they're fair. They will check if the scheme will work, and they will check if anything has been missed. And what they learn from these meetings will help frame the work of the IBCA. In terms of future and current schemes, representations have been made in each of the nations to retain the support schemes. Discussions, I know, are in their infancy, and officials will take on board the representations received.
I'd like to make it clear that we will be accepting all of Plaid Cymru's amendments.
Diolch yn fawr. Hoffwn ddiolch i'r holl Aelodau sydd wedi cyfrannu at y ddadl bwysig hon heddiw. Rwy'n credu ei bod wedi bod yn ddadl emosiynol iawn, ac mae wedi bod yn eithaf torcalonnus clywed rhai o straeon eich etholwyr. Dim ond ychydig bwyntiau rwyf eisiau mynd i'r afael â nhw. Yn gyntaf oll, un o'r materion y mae pobl wedi gofyn amdano yw'r rhai nad ydyn nhw'n cael eu cydnabod. Rhan o'r broblem yma yw bod angen cofnodion i wneud hawliadau. Nawr, rydym yn ymwybodol bod problemau wedi bod gyda chofnodion y GIG yn y gorffennol. Bydd ein cynllun cymorth gwaed heintiedig yng Nghymru a'r awdurdod iawndal gwaed heintiedig newydd yn gweithio gyda'r rhai sydd wedi'u heintio a'r rhai y mae hyn wedi effeithio arnyn nhw i gasglu'r wybodaeth sydd ei hangen er mwyn i hawliadau gael eu gwneud. O ran buddiolwyr ifanc, mae hwn yn fater y mae fy swyddogion wedi'i godi gyda Swyddfa'r Cabinet, ac rydym wedi cael sicrwydd bod hyn yn rhywbeth y maen nhw'n edrych arno.
O ran y camau uniongyrchol nesaf, bydd Syr Robert Francis, ynghyd â Phrif Swyddog Gweithredol dros dro yr IBCA, David Foley, yn cwrdd â'r prif grwpiau ymgyrchu, gan gynnwys Lynne Kelly o Haemophilia Wales, i drafod edrych ar y cynigion am iawndal i wirio a ydyn nhw'n deg. Byddan nhw'n gwirio a fydd y cynllun yn gweithio, a byddan nhw'n gwirio a oes unrhyw beth wedi'i fethu. A bydd yr hyn y byddan nhw'n ei ddysgu o'r cyfarfodydd hyn yn helpu i fframio gwaith yr IBCA. O ran cynlluniau cyfredol a chynlluniau yn y dyfodol, mae sylwadau wedi'u gwneud ym mhob un o'r gwledydd i gadw'r cynlluniau cymorth. Megis dechrau mae'r trafodaethau, rwy'n gwybod, a bydd swyddogion yn ystyried y sylwadau a dderbyniwyd.
Hoffwn ei gwneud yn glir y byddwn ni'n derbyn holl welliannau Plaid Cymru.
Dwi hefyd eisiau talu teyrnged i Rhun ap Iorwerth am ei waith e fel arweinydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar hemoffilia a gwaed wedi'i heintio. Dwi'n gwybod eich bod chi wedi bod yn brwydro am flynyddoedd lawer gyda'r rheini sydd wedi bod yn ymladd am gyfiawnder.
I also want to pay tribute to Rhun ap Iorwerth for his work as chair of the cross-party group on haemophilia and infected blood. I know that you have been fighting very hard for many years, along with those who have been battling for justice.
I'd like some time to go through the report. He has taken years to write this report and we need to give it the respect it deserves, and so we will do that. And I want to assure Jenny Rathbone that there is, as you have noted, already a duty of candour in the NHS in Wales, including the one that applies to leaders in the health service. Tonight I think we unite as a Chamber and as a Parliament, and I'm sure you'll join with me to pay tribute to those who have suffered as a result of this, the greatest scandal in the history of the NHS. Diolch.
Hoffwn i gael amser i fynd drwy'r adroddiad. Mae wedi cymryd blynyddoedd i ysgrifennu'r adroddiad hwn ac mae angen i ni roi'r parch y mae'n ei haeddu iddo, ac felly byddwn ni'n gwneud hynny. Ac rwyf am sicrhau Jenny Rathbone bod yna ddyletswydd gonestrwydd eisoes yn y GIG yng Nghymru, fel y nodwyd gennych, gan gynnwys yr un sy'n berthnasol i arweinwyr yn y gwasanaeth iechyd. Heno rwy'n credu ein bod ni'n uno fel Siambr ac fel Senedd, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n ymuno â mi i dalu teyrnged i'r rhai sydd wedi dioddef o ganlyniad i hyn, y sgandal fwyaf yn hanes y GIG. Diolch.
Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn gwelliant 1? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Na. Felly, derbynnir gwelliant 1 yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
The proposal is to agree amendment 1. Does any Member object? No. Amendment 1 is therefore agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Derbyniwyd y gwelliant yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Amendment agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Y cwestiwn nesaf yw: a ddylid derbyn gwelliant 2? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Nac oes. Felly, derbynnir gwelliant 2 yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
The proposal is to agree amendment 2. Does any Member object? No. Amendment 2 is therefore agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Derbyniwyd y gwelliant yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Amendment agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn gwelliant 3? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Nac oes. Felly, derbynnir gwelliant 3 yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
The proposal is to agree amendment 3. Does any Member object? No. Amendment 3 is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Derbyniwyd y gwelliant yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Amendment agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Cynnig NNDM8595 fel y'i diwygiwyd:
Cynnig bod y Senedd:
1. Yn cydnabod:
a) y niwed a'r dioddefaint a achoswyd i filoedd o bobl yn sgil y sgandal gwaethaf o ran triniaethau yn hanes y GIG;
b) ymgyrchu diflino a gwaith caled pawb a gafodd eu heintio ac sydd wedi dioddef, i geisio'r gwir; ac
c) ymddiheuriad Llywodraeth y DU am y degawdau hir o fethiant moesol wrth galon ein bywyd cenedlaethol.
2. Yn croesawu adroddiad terfynol yr Ymchwiliad Gwaed Heintiedig a gyhoeddwyd ar 20 Mai 2024 a'i argymhellion.
3. Yn croesawu gwaith y pedair gwlad i sefydlu Awdurdod Iawndal Gwaed Heintiedig.
4. Yn nodi y bydd taliadau iawndal pellach yn cael eu gwneud i bobl a gafodd eu heintio ac sydd wedi dioddef yn sgil y sgandal.
5. Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i gyflwyno sylwadau i Lywodraeth y DU i sicrhau bod yr holl unigolion yr effeithir arnynt yng Nghymru yn derbyn eu hail daliad iawndal interim o fewn 90 diwrnod i gyhoeddi adroddiad Langstaff.
6. Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddeddfu holl argymhellion adroddiad Langstaff sy'n ymwneud â meysydd cyfrifoldeb datganoledig yn llawn ac yn ddi-oed.
7. Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i estyn allan yn rhagweithiol at yr holl unigolion yr effeithir arnynt yng Nghymru gyda'r cynnig o gefnogaeth a chwnsela perthnasol.
Motion NNDM8595 as amended:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Recognises:
a) the harm and suffering caused to thousands of people in the worst treatment scandal in the history of the NHS;
b) the tireless campaign and hard work of all those infected and affected to seek the truth; and
c) the UK Government’s apology for the decades-long moral failure at the heart of our national life.
2. Welcomes the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry published on 20 May 2024 and its recommendations.
3. Welcomes the four-nations work to put in place an Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
4. Notes that further compensation payments will be made to people infected and affected by the scandal.
5. Calls on the Welsh Government to make representations to the UK Government to ensure that all affected individuals in Wales receive their second interim compensation payment within 90 days of the publication of the Langstaff report.
6. Calls on the Welsh Government to enact all recommendations of the Langstaff report pertaining to devolved areas of responsibility in full and without delay.
7. Calls on the Welsh Government to proactively reach out to all affected individuals in Wales with the offer of relevant support and counselling.
Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn y cynnig wedi ei ddiwygio? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Nac oes. Felly, derbynnir y cynnig wedi ei ddiwygio yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
The proposal is to agree the motion as amended. Does any Member object? No. The motion as amended is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Derbyniwyd y cynnig fel y'i diwygiwyd yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Motion as amended agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Eitem 4 heddiw yw'r datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg: ymgynghoriad ar y flwyddyn ysgol. Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg, Lynne Neagle.
Item 4 is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: a consultation on the school year. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Three weeks ago I was pleased to come to this Chamber and to talk to Members about my priorities for the education system in Wales. I have always championed the rights of children and young people, and in that statement I made clear my commitment to raising attainment, to being ambitious for every learner in Wales and to supporting our most disadvantaged learners and closing the attainment gap. To me, these are central ambitions and, as I said, ones I want and expect the whole education system to work together to achieve.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Dair wythnos yn ôl, roeddwn i'n falch o ddod i'r Siambr hon a siarad â'r Aelodau am fy mlaenoriaethau ar gyfer y system addysg yng Nghymru. Rwyf bob amser wedi hyrwyddo hawliau plant a phobl ifanc, ac yn y datganiad hwnnw fe nodais yn glir fy ymrwymiad i godi cyrhaeddiad, i fod yn uchelgeisiol ar gyfer pob dysgwr yng Nghymru ac i gefnogi ein dysgwyr mwyaf difreintiedig a chau'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad. I mi, mae'r rhain yn uchelgeisiau canolog ac, fel y dywedais i, maen nhw'n rhai yr wyf eisiau ac yr wyf yn disgwyl i'r system addysg gyfan gydweithio i'w cyflawni.
As Members know, the Government committed in the programme for government to explore reform of the school year, and I would like to thank my predecessor, Jeremy Miles, for all of his efforts in that work. I would also like to thank Siân Gwenllian for her efforts and support in taking this forward.
With learner outcomes at its core, we have looked at the system as a whole to see how the way we structure the school calendar could better support school staff to improve the educational experiences of our young people, particularly our most disadvantaged, while aligning more effectively with how people and families live and work.
On 13 November last year we announced the launch of the consultation on the school year. Today I am publishing the findings of that consultation, which closed on 12 February. Having received over 16,000 responses, it is clearly one of the Welsh Government's widest reaching consultations, and it is fair to say that the issue of the school year is one that reaches across society, with views on all sides. This is reflected in the responses, where views were split almost evenly on every question posed and every option put forward.
The consultation set out three core proposals. They were, first, to maintain the status quo; the second would see a five-week summer, a two-week break in the autumn, and the flexibility to decouple the Easter end-of-term break from the Easter festival; the third and final option built on this, and would look to move to a four-week summer, introduce a two-week break in May, and arrange for AS, A-level and GCSE results to issue on the same day.
Members will see that while the results indicate there is support for changes to the pattern of the school year, there was no strong preference for any of the options put forward. In this context, I have returned to the evidence base for change, and again, as Members will be aware, this is not clear-cut.
There is evidence that suggests the summer period contributes to learning loss, and there are obvious concerns around how we support those children for whom school is safer than home. But there is also evidence that shows the benefit of an extended break for the well-being of both children and the workforce, and how that contributes positively to family life. This is just one example of many, and Members can see more detail in the information previously published on our website.
In my statement last week I said I would listen to the views of those working within the education system, and to the views of children, young people and parents, and I have taken time to consider the comments made in response to the consultation and to listen to the differing views and opinions. As a result, I have taken the decision that we will not implement any changes to the pattern of the school year within this Senedd term. It is important to be clear about this, and so I am also confirming today that I have asked local authorities and other relevant bodies to publish term dates for 2025-26. I do, however, want to continue to look at what more can be done to support our children and young people, their learning and the all-important actions needed to raise attainment, standards and aspirations.
Over the remainder of this Senedd term, I intend to continue exploring the proposals set out in our second option in the consultation: a five-week summer, a two-week break in the autumn, and the flexibility to decouple the Easter end-of-term break from the Easter festival. However, getting reform right means ensuring it is properly planned out and has the time and space to succeed. I want to take this time to discuss with children and young people, parents, the workforce and other partners both what these changes might mean and when would be the right time for them. No final decisions will be taken in this Senedd term, as I feel strongly that we need to remain focused on our existing and ambitious programme of reform over this period, and I am acutely aware we are already asking a lot of teachers and schools.
In the coming months, I will prioritise support on curriculum design, progression and assessment. I will work with teachers to ensure the right support reaches their classrooms and that they have the knowledge, resources and confidence to ensure every learner and every part of Wales feel the benefit of the curriculum.
As I set out before recess, I will also focus on ALN reform. I want to ensure firm legislative foundations are in place, and I want to strengthen implementation by improving the consistency of the approach being taken. That certainly does not mean we won’t be doing anything to address the impact of the long summer break here and now. Our immediate priority will be to maximise the support available to learners during the summer holidays, including doing more to target that provision towards the poorest communities and increasing the educational value of that provision.
We will look to increase the impact of the school holiday enrichment programme and enhance our community-focused schools programme, including through the work being undertaken by the school improvement partnership programme. I am pleased Julie Morgan MS has agreed to lead a review of SHEP for the Welsh Government on how provisions can be maximised during the summer holidays to ensure they are reaching those children and young people who need it most. I look forward to working with her on this important piece of work.
The issues raised in the consultation show that this is an area where there are lots of interests, including from sectors and organisations not involved in the education of our children and young people. And so I do need to be clear that, as Cabinet Secretary, my priority is the well-being and learning of our children and young people. That will be the driving force behind my actions and will be central to the further exploration of the proposals.
To conclude, I am fully committed to ensuring our education system supports all children and their ambitions. I will continue to explore changes to the pattern of the school year where these can support attainment, ambition and well-being, particularly for those who are most disadvantaged, to give them the best opportunities in learning and life. And I will do this over the remainder of this Senedd term, working in partnership with the education sector, children, young people and parents to ensure that we make the right changes at the right time. Diolch.
Fel y gŵyr yr Aelodau, ymrwymodd y Llywodraeth yn y rhaglen lywodraethu i archwilio diwygio'r flwyddyn ysgol, a hoffwn ddiolch i fy rhagflaenydd, Jeremy Miles, am ei holl ymdrechion yn y gwaith hwnnw. Hoffwn ddiolch hefyd i Siân Gwenllian am ei hymdrechion a'i chefnogaeth wrth fwrw ymlaen â hyn.
Gyda deilliannau dysgwyr yn ganolog iddi, rydym wedi edrych ar y system yn ei chyfanrwydd i weld sut y gallai'r ffordd yr ydym yn strwythuro calendr yr ysgol gefnogi staff ysgolion yn well i wella profiadau addysgol ein pobl ifanc, yn enwedig ein rhai mwyaf difreintiedig, ac alinio'n fwy effeithiol â'r ffordd y mae pobl a theuluoedd yn byw ac yn gweithio ar yr un pryd.
Ar 13 Tachwedd y llynedd, cyhoeddwyd lansiad yr ymgynghoriad ar y flwyddyn ysgol. Heddiw, rwy'n cyhoeddi canfyddiadau'r ymgynghoriad hwnnw, a ddaeth i ben ar 12 Chwefror. Ar ôl derbyn dros 16,000 o ymatebion, mae'n amlwg yn un o ymgyngoriadau mwyaf pellgyrhaeddol Llywodraeth Cymru, ac mae'n deg dweud bod mater y flwyddyn ysgol yn un sy'n cyrraedd ar draws cymdeithas, gyda barn ar bob ochr. Caiff hyn ei adlewyrchu yn yr ymatebion, lle rhannwyd barn bron yn gyfartal ar bob cwestiwn a ofynnwyd a phob opsiwn a gyflwynwyd.
Roedd yr ymgynghoriad yn nodi tri chynnig craidd sef, yn gyntaf, i gynnal y status quo; byddai'r ail yn gweld pum wythnos o haf, toriad o bythefnos yn yr hydref, a'r hyblygrwydd i ddatgysylltu toriad diwedd tymor y Pasg o ŵyl y Pasg; roedd y trydydd opsiwn a'r opsiwn olaf yn adeiladu ar hyn, a byddai'n edrych ar symud i bedair wythnos o haf, cyflwyno toriad o bythefnos ym mis Mai, a threfnu i ganlyniadau UG, Safon Uwch a TGAU gael eu cyhoeddi ar yr un diwrnod.
Bydd yr Aelodau'n gweld, er bod y canlyniadau'n dangos bod cefnogaeth i newidiadau i batrwm y flwyddyn ysgol, nid oedd dewis cryf i unrhyw un o'r opsiynau a gyflwynwyd. Yn y cyd-destun hwn, rwyf wedi dychwelyd i'r sylfaen dystiolaeth ar gyfer newid, ac unwaith eto, fel y gŵyr yr Aelodau, nid yw hyn yn glir.
Mae yna dystiolaeth sy'n awgrymu bod cyfnod yr haf yn cyfrannu at golli dysgu, ac mae yna bryderon amlwg ynghylch sut rydym yn cefnogi'r plant hynny y mae'r ysgol yn fwy diogel na'u cartref. Ond mae yna dystiolaeth hefyd sy'n dangos budd toriad estynedig i les plant a'r gweithlu, a sut mae hynny'n cyfrannu'n gadarnhaol at fywyd teuluol. Un enghraifft o blith llawer yw hon, a gall Aelodau weld mwy o fanylion yn y wybodaeth a gyhoeddwyd yn flaenorol ar ein gwefan.
Yn fy natganiad yr wythnos diwethaf, fe ddywedais i y byddwn i'n gwrando ar farn y rhai sy'n gweithio o fewn y system addysg, ac ar farn plant, pobl ifanc a rhieni, ac rwyf wedi cymryd amser i ystyried y sylwadau a wnaed mewn ymateb i'r ymgynghoriad ac i wrando ar y farn a'r safbwyntiau gwahanol. O ganlyniad, rwyf wedi penderfynu na fyddwn yn rhoi unrhyw newidiadau i batrwm y flwyddyn ysgol ar waith yn ystod tymor y Senedd hon. Mae'n bwysig bod yn glir am hyn, ac felly rwyf hefyd yn cadarnhau heddiw fy mod i wedi gofyn i awdurdodau lleol a chyrff perthnasol eraill gyhoeddi dyddiadau tymhorau ar gyfer 2025-26. Fodd bynnag, rwyf am barhau i edrych ar beth arall y gellir ei wneud i gefnogi ein plant a'n pobl ifanc, eu dysgu a'r camau hollbwysig sydd eu hangen i godi cyrhaeddiad, safonau a dyheadau.
Dros weddill tymor y Senedd hon, rwy'n bwriadu parhau i archwilio'r cynigion a nodwyd yn ein hail opsiwn yn yr ymgynghoriad: pum wythnos o haf, toriad o bythefnos yn yr hydref, a'r hyblygrwydd i ddatgysylltu toriad diwedd tymor y Pasg o ŵyl y Pasg. Fodd bynnag, mae diwygio pethau'n iawn yn golygu sicrhau ei fod wedi'i gynllunio'n iawn a'i fod yn cael yr amser a'r lle i lwyddo. Rwyf am gymryd yr amser hwn i drafod gyda phlant a phobl ifanc, rhieni, y gweithlu a phartneriaid eraill yr hyn y gallai'r newidiadau hyn ei olygu a phryd fyddai'r amser iawn ar eu cyfer nhw. Ni fydd unrhyw benderfyniadau terfynol cael eu gwneud yn nhymor y Senedd hon, gan fy mod i'n teimlo'n gryf bod angen i ni barhau i ganolbwyntio ar y rhaglen uchelgeisiol o ddiwygiadau sy'n gennym eisoes yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, ac rwy'n ymwybodol iawn ein bod ni'n gofyn llawer gan athrawon ac ysgolion.
Yn ystod y misoedd nesaf, byddaf yn blaenoriaethu cymorth ar ddylunio'r cwricwlwm, cynnydd ac asesu. Byddaf yn gweithio gydag athrawon i sicrhau bod y gefnogaeth gywir yn cyrraedd eu hystafelloedd dosbarth a bod ganddyn nhw'r wybodaeth, yr adnoddau a'r hyder i sicrhau bod pob dysgwr a phob rhan o Gymru yn teimlo budd y cwricwlwm.
Fel y dywedais i cyn y toriad, byddaf hefyd yn canolbwyntio ar ddiwygio ADY. Rwyf am sicrhau bod sylfeini deddfwriaethol cadarn ar waith, ac rwyf am gryfhau gweithredu trwy wella cysondeb y dull gweithredu sy'n cael ei gymryd. Yn sicr, nid yw hynny'n golygu na fyddwn ni'n gwneud unrhyw beth i fynd i'r afael ag effaith toriad hir yr haf nawr. Ein blaenoriaeth gyntaf fydd sicrhau bod dysgwyr yn cael y cymorth mwyaf posibl yn ystod gwyliau'r haf, gan gynnwys gwneud mwy i dargedu'r ddarpariaeth honno tuag at y cymunedau tlotaf a chynyddu gwerth addysgol y ddarpariaeth honno.
Byddwn ni'n ceisio cynyddu effaith y rhaglen gwella gwyliau'r haf a gwella ein rhaglen ysgolion sy'n canolbwyntio ar y gymuned, gan gynnwys drwy'r gwaith sy'n cael ei wneud gan y rhaglen partneriaeth gwella ysgolion. Rwy'n falch bod Julie Morgan AS wedi cytuno i arwain adolygiad o SHEP i Lywodraeth Cymru ar sut y gellir gwneud y mwyaf o ddarpariaethau yn ystod gwyliau'r haf i sicrhau eu bod yn cyrraedd y plant a'r bobl ifanc hynny sydd eu hangen fwyaf. Edrychaf ymlaen at weithio gyda hi ar y gwaith pwysig hwn.
Mae'r materion a godwyd yn yr ymgynghoriad yn dangos bod hwn yn faes lle mae llawer o ddiddordebau, gan gynnwys o sectorau a sefydliadau nad ydyn nhw'n ymwneud ag addysg ein plant a'n pobl ifanc. Ac felly mae angen i mi fod yn glir, fel yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, mai fy mlaenoriaeth i yw lles a dysgu ein plant a'n pobl ifanc. Dyna fydd y sbardun y tu ôl i'm gweithredoedd a bydd yn ganolog wrth fynd ati i archwilio'r cynigion ymhellach.
I gloi, rwyf wedi ymrwymo'n llwyr i sicrhau bod ein system addysg yn cefnogi pob plentyn a'i uchelgeisiau. Byddaf yn parhau i archwilio newidiadau i batrwm y flwyddyn ysgol lle gall y rhain gefnogi cyrhaeddiad, uchelgais a lles, yn enwedig i'r rhai mwyaf difreintiedig, er mwyn rhoi'r cyfleoedd gorau iddyn nhw mewn dysgu ac mewn bywyd. A byddaf yn gwneud hyn dros weddill tymor y Senedd hon, gan weithio mewn partneriaeth â'r sector addysg, plant, pobl ifanc a rhieni i sicrhau ein bod ni'n gwneud y newidiadau cywir ar yr adeg gywir. Diolch.
Daeth y Llywydd i’r Gadair.
The Llywydd took the Chair.
Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement today and for meeting with me earlier this afternoon to discuss the contents of the statement? I welcome the fact that the Welsh Government has kicked into the long grass its latest plans for changes to the school year. But we should be very clear that these plans haven't gone away for good, and they appear as though they might be back with a vengeance in two years' time, should this complacent Welsh Labour Government remain in power by then.
We know that it was a hugely unpopular policy across a range of sectors in Wales and, back in January, 11 different bodies came together, including teaching unions, farming unions and representatives from the tourism sector and many more, and wrote to the education Minister at the time to warn about the damage that these plans could cause right across Wales. The letter said, and I quote:
'This proposal runs the risk of fixing a problem that does not exist, when there is also little public appetite for such a change.'
End quote. And they're right. The evidence base for bringing forward the change is weak at best. These ideas about lost learning over the summer months are flawed to begin with. We know that this evidence is often based on countries like the USA, which have a much have a much longer summer break than we do. In fact, our summer break is already amongst the shortest in Europe, and these plans would have seen it reduced further. And countries above us in the Programme for International Student Assessment rankings—and there are many of them—have significantly longer summer breaks than we do.
But even recent research from the USA shows that Welsh Government's core assumption that poorer pupils are disproportionately impacted by the summer break is flawed in the first place. Research conducted just before the pandemic by American academics Megan Kuhfeld and Karyn Lewis said, and I again quote,
'recent data does not show that summer test score drops are concentrated among students in poverty'.
End quote. So, does the Welsh Government now accept that the academic evidence about the impact a summer holiday has on lower income earners has changed, or is the Cabinet Secretary still clinging onto outdated assumptions about the issue?
But let me return to that earlier letter, because in it they say, and I quote:
'The education unions are also incredulous that, at a time when schools are facing a crisis in funding, recruitment and pupil behaviour, the Welsh Government should be so engaged in this entirely unnecessary distraction.'
I'm sure they don't use a word like 'incredulous' lightly. But they're entirely right. After 25 years of this Welsh Labour Government we've seen hardworking pupils and staff completely undermined by Labour's record of falling standards. We've been at the bottom of UK-wide league tables in every single subject assessed by PISA every time that we've been assessed. What a damning indictment of the shambolic education policies of this Welsh Labour Government. We also know that the policy so far has cost the Welsh taxpayer £350,000. What a difference that could have made to our schools. The message from parents and teachers alike is clear, Cabinet Secretary: we don't want this proposal delayed; we want it consigned to the dustbin of history for good.
More widely, the tourism and hospitality sector were clear that these changes would mean businesses closed and jobs lost. That's on top of the other policies pursued by this Welsh Labour Government, such as a tourism tax, which seem intended to decimate a sector on which one in seven jobs in Wales relies. The agricultural sector was also clear that it would massively damage those farms that have diversified to capitalise on the summer months. And similarly, the Royal Welsh Show said that schools remaining open during show week would lead to a £1 million loss to the show and threaten its future financial viability. Representatives from across these sectors said in that damning letter that these are
'a few of many arguments that we have all repeated time and again to Welsh Government officials, but no one is listening.'
So, did the Welsh Government do its due diligence on the impact that these changes would have on other sectors in Wales, and why does she think that they said that no-one is listening?
And finally, it would be remiss of me not to note, Llywydd, where this sits in the wider picture of the last few weeks of decisions taken by this Welsh Labour Government. In the last few weeks alone, we've seen a sustainable farming scheme delayed, ALN reform under review, changes to council tax in Wales shelved, 20 mph rowed back on, and now school year reform kicked into the long grass. These are policies brought forward by the Welsh Labour Government in this term—money wasted on development and consultation—and then shelved in the face of opposition. That's simple. The reason for that is simple. It's because this is a divided and a weak Labour Party in the Senedd that can't agree on anything, and a weak First Minister who can't command the authority of his group. And we, the Welsh public, are all paying the price for it. When Keir Starmer said that the Welsh Labour Government was a blueprint for a UK Labour Government, I now understand what he means. [Interruption.] I know he likes to flip-flop, but now I know where he gets his inspiration from.
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet am ei datganiad heddiw ac am gyfarfod â mi yn gynharach y prynhawn yma i drafod cynnwys y datganiad? Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwthio ei chynlluniau diweddaraf ar gyfer newidiadau i'r flwyddyn ysgol i'r naill ochr. Ond dylem fod yn glir iawn nad yw'r cynlluniau hyn wedi diflannu am byth, ac mae'n ymddangos y gallen nhw ddychwelyd o ddifrif ymhen dwy flynedd, os bydd y Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru hunanfodlon hon yn parhau mewn grym erbyn hynny.
Rydym yn gwybod ei fod yn bolisi hynod amhoblogaidd ar draws ystod o sectorau yng Nghymru ac, yn ôl ym mis Ionawr, daeth 11 o wahanol gyrff at ei gilydd, gan gynnwys undebau athrawon, undebau ffermio a chynrychiolwyr o'r sector twristiaeth a llawer mwy, ac fe wnaethon nhw ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog addysg ar y pryd i rybuddio am y difrod y gallai'r cynlluniau hyn ei achosi ledled Cymru. Fe ddywedodd y llythyr, ac rwy'n dyfynnu:
'Mae yna risg y bydd y cynnig hwn yn datrys problem nad yw'n bodoli, pan nad oes llawer o awydd ymhlith y cyhoedd am newid o'r fath.'
Diwedd y dyfyniad. Ac maen nhw'n iawn. Mae'r sylfaen dystiolaeth ar gyfer cyflwyno'r newid yn wan ar y gorau. Mae'r syniadau hyn am ddysgu coll dros fisoedd yr haf yn ddiffygiol i ddechrau. Rydym yn gwybod bod y dystiolaeth hon yn aml yn seiliedig ar wledydd fel UDA, sy'n cael toriad haf llawer hirach nag yr ydym ni'n ei wneud. Mewn gwirionedd, mae ein gwyliau haf eisoes ymhlith y byrraf yn Ewrop, a byddai'r cynlluniau hyn wedi ei leihau ymhellach. Ac mae gwledydd sy'n uwch na ni o ran safleoedd y Rhaglen Ryngwladol Asesu Myfyrwyr—ac mae llawer ohonyn nhw—yn cael toriadau haf llawer hirach na ni.
Ond mae hyd yn oed ymchwil ddiweddar o UDA yn dangos bod rhagdybiaeth graidd Llywodraeth Cymru bod toriad yr haf yn cael effaith anghymesur ar ddisgyblion tlotach yn ddiffygiol yn y lle cyntaf. Yn ôl ymchwil a gynhaliwyd ychydig cyn y pandemig gan yr academyddion Americanaidd Megan Kuhfeld a Karyn Lewis, ac rwy'n dyfynnu eto,
'nid yw data diweddar yn dangos bod gostyngiadau mewn sgoriau profion haf wedi'u crynhoi ymhlith myfyrwyr sydd mewn tlodi'.
Diwedd y dyfyniad. Felly, a yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn derbyn nawr bod y dystiolaeth academaidd am effaith gwyliau haf ar enillwyr incwm is wedi newid, neu a yw'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn dal i lynu wrth ragdybiaethau hen ffasiwn am y mater?
Ond gadewch imi ddychwelyd at y llythyr cynharach hwnnw, oherwydd ynddo maen nhw'n dweud, ac rwy'n dyfynnu:
'Mae'r undebau addysg hefyd yn anghrediniol, ar adeg pan fo ysgolion yn wynebu argyfwng o ran cyllid, recriwtio ac ymddygiad disgyblion, fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi cymaint o sylw i rywbeth sy'n gwbl ddiangen.'
Rwy'n siŵr nad ydyn nhw'n defnyddio gair fel 'anghrediniol' yn ysgafn. Ond maen nhw'n hollol gywir. Ar ôl 25 mlynedd o'r Llywodraeth Lafur hon yng Nghymru, rydym wedi gweld disgyblion a staff gweithgar yn cael eu tanseilio'n llwyr gan record Llafur o safonau sy'n gostwng. Rydym wedi bod ar waelod tablau cynghrair ledled y DU ym mhob un pwnc a aseswyd gan PISA bob tro rydym wedi cael ein hasesu. Am dditiad damniol o bolisïau addysg di-drefn y Llywodraeth Lafur hon yng Nghymru. Rydym yn gwybod hefyd fod y polisi hyd yma wedi costio £350,000 i drethdalwyr Cymru. Y gwahaniaeth y gallai hynny fod wedi'i wneud i'n hysgolion. Mae'r neges gan rieni ac athrawon fel ei gilydd yn glir, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet: dydyn ni ddim eisiau i'r cynnig hwn gael ei ohirio; rydym eisiau iddo gael ei fwrw i ebargofiant am byth.
Yn ehangach, roedd y sector twristiaeth a lletygarwch yn glir y byddai'r newidiadau hyn yn golygu y byddai busnesau'n cau a swyddi'n cael eu colli. Mae hynny'n ychwanegol at y polisïau eraill y mae'r Llywodraeth Lafur hon yng Nghymru yn eu dilyn, fel treth dwristiaeth, y mae'n ymddangos eu bod yn bwriadu difrodi sector y mae un o bob saith swydd yng Nghymru yn dibynnu arno. Roedd y sector amaethyddol hefyd yn glir y byddai'n achosi niwed aruthrol i'r ffermydd hynny sydd wedi arallgyfeirio i fanteisio ar fisoedd yr haf. Ac yn yr un modd, dywedodd Sioe Frenhinol Cymru y byddai ysgolion yn aros ar agor yn ystod wythnos y sioe yn arwain at golled o £1 filiwn i'r sioe ac yn bygwth ei hyfywedd ariannol yn y dyfodol. Dywedodd cynrychiolwyr o bob un o'r sectorau hyn yn y llythyr damniol hwnnw bod y rhain yn
'rhai o blith llawer o ddadleuon yr ydym oll wedi ailadrodd dro ar ôl tro i swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru, ond does neb yn gwrando.'
Felly, a wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru ei diwydrwydd dyladwy ar yr effaith y byddai'r newidiadau hyn yn ei chael ar sectorau eraill yng Nghymru, a pham mae hi'n credu eu bod nhw wedi dweud nad oes neb yn gwrando?
Ac yn olaf, byddai'n esgeulus i mi beidio â nodi, Llywydd, lle mae hyn yn y darlun ehangach o ran y penderfyniadau a wnaed gan Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru dros yr ychydig wythnosau diwethaf. Yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf yn unig, rydym wedi gweld cynllun ffermio cynaliadwy yn cael ei ohirio, diwygiadau ADY yn cael eu hadolygu, newidiadau i'r dreth gyngor yng Nghymru yn cael eu rhoi o'r neilltu, cam yn ôl o ran 20 mya, a nawr diwygiadau i'r flwyddyn ysgol yn cael eu gwthio i'r naill ochr. Mae'r rhain yn bolisïau a gyflwynwyd gan Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru yn ystod y tymor hwn—arian yn cael ei wastraffu ar ddatblygu ac ymgynghori—ac sydd wedi cael eu rhoi o'r neilltu wedyn yn wyneb gwrthwynebiad. Mae hynny'n syml. Mae'r rheswm am hynny'n syml. Y rheswm am hyn yw bod hon yn Blaid Lafur ranedig a gwan yn y Senedd nad yw'n gallu cytuno ar unrhyw beth, a Phrif Weinidog gwan na all reoli ei grŵp. Ac rydym ni, y cyhoedd yng Nghymru, i gyd yn talu'r pris am hynny. Pan ddywedodd Keir Starmer fod Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru yn lasbrint i Lywodraeth Lafur y DU, rwy'n deall nawr beth mae'n ei olygu. [Torri ar draws.] Rwy'n gwybod ei fod yn hoffi ffit-ffatian, ond nawr rwy'n gwybod o ble mae'n cael ei ysbrydoliaeth.
Allow the Member to finish his contribution, please.
Gadewch i'r Aelod orffen ei gyfraniad, os gwelwch yn dda.
So, in closing, Cabinet Secretary, the next time a Labour Minister gets to their feet in this Senedd Chamber, or a hypothetical Labour Minister in Westminster, and announces a policy, how can we have any faith that it will actually happen?
Felly, wrth gloi, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, y tro nesaf y bydd Gweinidog Llafur yn codi ar ei draed yn Siambr y Senedd hon, neu Weinidog Llafur damcaniaethol yn San Steffan, ac yn cyhoeddi polisi, sut allwn ni gael unrhyw ffydd y bydd yn digwydd mewn gwirionedd?
Can I thank Tom Giffard for his remarks? He started so positively, didn't he, and it all kind of went downhill from there, really, but there we are. I don't regard this as being kicked into the long grass. As you've highlighted, Tom, the evidence base on reform of the school year is a mixed picture. Much of it is based on America, which has an entirely different system to us. Much of it was based on something called year-round education. So, we have looked at the evidence base, but we've also conducted a really thorough consultation, which I hope you've had the opportunity to review, and that consultation was mixed and contradictory. A majority of people thought there were better ways to redesign the school year, but a majority of people also wanted to keep the status quo, and there was no majority for any one of the options available. So, rather than kicking it into the long grass, I regard this as listening—listening to the consultation that we undertook. Why would we have a consultation and we then not listen? And this was a consultation that had more than 16,000 responses. That's the biggest consultation we've ever had in education.
I'm very well aware of the letter that you referred to from the trade unions, which was sent to my colleague Jeremy Miles, and I'm aware of the trade union concerns about the proposals. I've also taken every opportunity I've had since coming into post to talk to front-line staff about these plans. And it is for that reason, as well as listening to the consultation and in recognition that we are asking an awful lot of our schools—they are recovering from a pandemic, they are implementing major reforms with Curriculum for Wales and ALN, they're dealing with some huge challenges with attendance, and I want to make sure that they have the time and the space to focus on delivering those reforms, and, while that happens, we will continue to explore these discussions with our partners and stakeholders.
You referred to the tourism and hospitality sector, and I'm sure you'll have seen that their views were indeed reflected in the consultation, and there was engagement with both sectors and indeed with the Royal Welsh Show throughout the consultation. And I've been very clear, I think, that the decisions that I make on this will be made on the basis of what is in the best interests of children and young people and the school workforce that supports them. But we will still, of course, continue to engage with wider stakeholders, which is right and proper to do.
I'm probably not going to dignify your party political rant at the end with a response.
A gaf i ddiolch i Tom Giffard am ei sylwadau? Fe ddechreuodd mor gadarnhaol, on'd do fe, ac fe aeth popeth i lawr yr allt o'r fan yna, ond dyna ni. Dydw i ddim yn ystyried bod hyn wedi cael ei wthio o'r neilltu. Fel yr ydych wedi nodi, Tom, mae'r sylfaen dystiolaeth ar ddiwygio'r flwyddyn ysgol yn ddarlun cymysg. Mae llawer ohono'n seiliedig ar America, sydd â system hollol wahanol i ni. Roedd llawer ohono'n seiliedig ar rywbeth o'r enw addysg drwy gydol y flwyddyn. Felly, rydym wedi edrych ar y sylfaen dystiolaeth, ond rydym hefyd wedi cynnal ymgynghoriad trylwyr iawn, y gobeithiaf eich bod chi wedi cael y cyfle i'w ddarllen, ac roedd yr ymgynghoriad hwnnw'n gymysg ac yn groesddywedol. Roedd mwyafrif o bobl o'r farn bod yna ffyrdd gwell o ailgynllunio'r flwyddyn ysgol, ond roedd mwyafrif o bobl hefyd eisiau cadw'r status quo, a doedd yna ddim mwyafrif ar gyfer unrhyw un o'r opsiynau oedd ar gael. Felly, yn hytrach na'i wthio o'r neilltu, rwy'n ystyried hyn yn gwrando—gwrando ar yr ymgynghoriad a gynhaliwyd gennym. Pam fydden ni'n cael ymgynghoriad ac wedyn ddim yn gwrando? Ac roedd hwn yn ymgynghoriad a gafodd dros 16,000 o ymatebion. Dyna'r ymgynghoriad mwyaf rydym erioed wedi'i gael ym maes addysg.
Rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o'r llythyr y gwnaethoch chi gyfeirio ato gan yr undebau llafur, a anfonwyd at fy nghyd-Aelod, Jeremy Miles, ac rwy'n ymwybodol o bryderon yr undebau llafur am y cynigion. Rwyf hefyd wedi manteisio ar bob cyfle rwyf wedi'i gael ers ymgymryd â'r swydd i siarad â staff rheng flaen am y cynlluniau hyn. Ac am y rheswm hwnnw, yn ogystal â gwrando ar yr ymgynghoriad ac i gydnabod ein bod ni'n gofyn llawer iawn gan ein hysgolion—maen nhw'n gwella ar ôl pandemig, maen nhw'n gweithredu diwygiadau mawr gyda'r Cwricwlwm i Gymru ac ADY, maen nhw'n delio â rhai heriau enfawr o ran presenoldeb, ac rwyf eisiau sicrhau eu bod nhw'n cael yr amser a'r lle i ganolbwyntio ar gyflawni'r diwygiadau hynny, a thra bod hynny'n digwydd, byddwn ni'n parhau i archwilio'r trafodaethau hyn gyda'n partneriaid a'n rhanddeiliaid.
Fe wnaethoch chi gyfeirio at y sector twristiaeth a lletygarwch, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi wedi gweld bod eu barn wedi'i hadlewyrchu yn yr ymgynghoriad, a bu ymgysylltu â'r ddau sector ac yn wir gyda'r Sioe Frenhinol drwy gydol yr ymgynghoriad. Ac rwyf wedi bod yn glir iawn, rwy'n credu, y bydd y penderfyniadau y byddaf yn eu gwneud ar hyn yn cael eu gwneud ar sail yr hyn sydd er budd gorau plant a phobl ifanc a gweithlu'r ysgol sy'n eu cefnogi. Ond fe fyddwn ni dal, wrth gwrs, yn parhau i ymgysylltu â rhanddeiliaid ehangach, y mae'n iawn ac yn briodol i'w wneud.
Dydw i ddim, fwy na thebyg, yn mynd i ymateb i'ch llith pleidiol wleidyddol ar y diwedd.
Diolch i’r Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am y datganiad heddiw. Yn amlwg, mi wnaethoch chi gyfeirio at y ffaith bod nifer o hyn yn deillio o’r cytundeb cydweithio, a sôn am waith Siân Gwenllian ar hyn. Yn amlwg, mi fydd yna nifer o bobl yn siomedig dyw'r diwygiadau radical hir-ddisgwyliedig yma ddim yn digwydd, ac, fel rydych chi wedi cydnabod ac fel sy’n glir o’r dystiolaeth, mae’r ymateb wedi bod yn gymysg iawn, ac mae nifer eisiau gweld newid, felly er bod yna nerfusrwydd ymhlith rhai, ac, yn amlwg, mae’n rhaid inni wrando ar y straen aruthrol sydd o ran athrawon, a’u lleisiau nhw o ran hyn yn y sefyllfa eithriadol o heriol, dwi’n meddwl bod yn rhaid inni edrych hefyd o ran yr amserlen ehangach yna o ran sut ydym ni am fynd â hynny rhagddo. Ac efallai mai'r cwestiwn i'w ofyn ydy: oeddem ni'n edrych ar ddigon o opsiynau? Oes yna opsiynau hyd yn oed yn fwy radical y dylem ni fod yn eu hystyried?
Dwi yn falch o glywed eich bod wedi rhoi tasg i Julie Morgan o ran rhaglen gwella'r gwyliau haf, oherwydd dwi’n credu ei fod o’n eithriadol o bwysig, onid ydy? Hyd yn oed os bydden ni’n lleihau'r gwyliau haf i bum wythnos, mae hynny’n dal i adael pum wythnos i rai plant sy’n methu cael pryd o fwyd iach fel maen nhw’n ei gael yn yr ysgol, sy’n methu cael mynediad i’r math o weithgareddau ac ati sydd ar gael i rai eraill o’u cyfoedion nhw.
Felly, mae yna broblem ehangach fan hyn, onid oes, o ran edrych ar gyd-destun plant a phobl ifanc, o ran un peth ydy’r gefnogaeth yn yr ysgol, ond hefyd beth ydym ni’n ei wneud yn y gwyliau haf? Dwi wedi bod yn rhan o’r gwaith ar y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg, a chlywed am yr heriau aruthrol o ran rhieni sydd gyda phlant efo anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, neu blant gydag anableddau, o ran gallu cael mynediad at unrhyw fath o ofal plant yn y gwyliau haf o gwbl, felly. Felly, dydy o ddim yn gwneud gwahaniaeth pa mor hir ydy’r gwyliau; mae yna ddiffyg darpariaeth.
Felly, ydw i’n iawn i gymryd, o’r ffaith eich bod chi yn oedi gweithredu rŵan—? Ydy hyn yn mynd i fod yn waith ehangach i edrych ar yr holl becyn o gefnogaeth sydd ar gael o ran gofal plant, o ran darpariaeth y gwyliau haf, ac ydym ni’n mynd i weld cynigion mwy radical yn dod gerbron? Oherwydd un o'r pethau oedd yn dod yn glir gan athrawon a rhieni, dwi’n meddwl, o'r ymchwil oedd doedd pobl ddim eisiau ein gweld ni'n tincro er mwyn newid pethau, ond bod pobl eisiau gweld newid fyddai hefyd yn ateb rhai o'r heriau hynny. Yn amlwg, mi oedd yna bryderon o ran y sioe frenhinol, yr effaith ar yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol ac ati, sydd hefyd, fel sydd eisoes wedi ei amlinellu, nid jest yn bwysig o ran twristiaeth, ond hefyd economi leol nifer o’n hardaloedd ni, ac yn rhan bwysig o'r calendr. Felly, mae rhaid inni edrych yn ehangach.
Os caf i ofyn un cwestiwn hefyd: o ran y rhaglen gwella'r gwyliau haf, pa mor hir, beth ydy’r amserlen ar gyfer y gwaith hwnnw, ac ai'r bwriad ydy bod yna bethau yn cael eu rhoi mewn lle ar gyfer gwyliau yr haf yma? Oherwydd dwi eisoes yn cael banciau bwyd ac ati yn cysylltu gyda mi sydd eisiau gwybod pa gymorth fydd ar gael.
Ac a gaf fi ofyn hefyd: fyddwch chi'n edrych ar yr elfen o ddarpariaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg? Oherwydd yn aml—. Mi oedd Trystan Edwards o ysgol Garth Olwg, fu’n rhan o’r gweithgor oedd yn edrych ar hyn, ar y radio y bore yma, ac roedd o’n sôn, wrth gwrs, fod un o’r heriau efo addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg ydy faint o golli’r Gymraeg sydd yn digwydd yn ystod y gwyliau haf, ac, yn anffodus, er bod yna weithgareddau gwych yn cael eu trefnu gan yr Urdd ac ati, y mentrau iaith ledled Cymru, nid pawb sy'n gallu cael mynediad at y gweithgareddau hynny ar hyn o bryd. Yn sicr, yn fy rhanbarth i, doedd y cynllun SHEP yn aml ddim ar gael drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, neu dim ond nifer fach o sesiynau cyfrwng Cymraeg oedd ar gael. Felly, sut ydyn ni'n sicrhau bod beth bynnag sydd ar gael hefyd gyda'r elfen yna o ran y Gymraeg ynddo fo? Felly, os cawn ni eglurder o ran amserlen ar gyfer y gwyliau haf yma, ond hefyd o ran mynd â'r gwaith yma rhagddo, ei fod o ddim yn rhywbeth sydd yn dod yn angof, ond ein bod ni'n gweld y gweithredu radical sydd ei angen i sicrhau'r gorau i bob un o'n dysgwyr ni. Diolch.
I thank the Cabinet Secretary for the statement today. Evidently, you did refer to the fact that a lot of this stems from the co-operation agreement, and you mentioned Siân Gwenllian's work on this. Evidently, there will be a number of people that will be disappointed that these radical reforms, these long-awaited reforms, aren’t going to happen, and, as you've recognised and as is clear from the evidence, the response has been mixed, very mixed, and a number of people do want to see change, so even though there is nervousness among some people, and, evidently, we have to listen to the stress being experienced by teachers and listen to their voices in this challenging situation, I think that we do have to look also at the broader timetable in terms of how we are going to proceed with that. And maybe the question to ask is: were we looking at enough options? Are there even more radical options that we should be considering?
I am pleased to hear that you have given Julie Morgan the task in terms of improving the SHEP programme, because I think it is very important. Even if we do reduce the school holidays to five weeks, that still leaves five weeks for some children who can't get a healthy meal as they do at school, and who can't have access to the kinds of activities and so forth that are available to others in their peer group.
So, there is a wider problem here, isn't there, in terms of looking at the context of young people and children, in terms of it's one thing to look at the support provided in schools, but what do we do in the holidays? I've been part of the work on the Children, Young People and Education Committee, and I've heard about the great challenges in terms of parents with additional learning needs children and those with disabilities in terms of having access to any kind of childcare during the summer holidays at all. So, it doesn't matter how long the holidays are; there is a lack of provision.
So, am I right to assume that, in terms of the fact that you are going to delay this—? Is this going to be broader work, looking at all of the package of support that's available in terms of childcare and provision during the summer holidays, and are we going to see more radical proposals being submitted? Because one of the things that emerged very clearly from teachers and parents from the research was that people didn't want to see us tinkering just to change things, but that people did want to see change that would meet some of those challenges. There were concerns, obviously, in terms of the Royal Welsh Show and the impact upon the National Eisteddfod, which, of course, as has already been outlined, are not just important in terms of tourism, but also the local economies in many areas, and a very important part of the calendar. So, we need to look more broadly at this.
If I could ask one question as well: in terms of the SHEP programme, what's the timescale for that work, and is it the intention that things are put in place for this summer's holidays? Because I'm already having food banks and so forth contacting me asking me what support will be available.
And could I also ask: will you be looking at the element of Welsh-medium provision? Because often—. Trystan Edwards from Garth Olwg school, who is part of the working group looking at this, was on the radio this morning, and he was talking about the challenges with the Welsh-medium schools in terms of Welsh-medium learning loss that happens over the summer holidays, and, even though there are excellent activities that are organised by the Urdd and so forth, and the mentrau iaith across Wales, not everyone can have access to those activities at present. Certainly, in my region, the SHEP wasn't always available through the medium of Welsh, or there were only a small number of Welsh-medium sessions available. So, how do we ensure that whatever is available also caters for that Welsh-medium element? So, if we could have clarity in terms of the timetable for this coming summer holiday, but also taking this work forward, that it isn't forgotten, but that we do see the radical action that is needed to ensure the best opportunities for all of our learners. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Heledd. As you highlighted, this work was part of our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru. I was very grateful for the work that we did together on it, especially the very constructive relationship that I had with Siân Gwenllian on this, and also Dafydd Trystan as well, who was helping with that work. As you've highlighted, the response was very mixed, and I'm grateful for your acknowledgement that this is about listening.
In terms of the work that Julie is going to do on SHEP, we've asked that this be a rapid review. I need to have further discussions with Julie about how that will look. I'm sure you recognise that Julie has a really sterling record of working with young people who are experiencing disadvantage, so I also want to take into account her views about what should be included as well. It's my understanding that, for this year's SHEP, plans have already been made, so it will be more likely that this will be for the following year, although we've already agreed to extend SHEP this year despite the really difficult financial circumstances.
I understand completely what you're saying about ALN, and you'll have heard me tell the committee how concerned I am to make sure that we get support for ALN right. My colleague Jayne Bryant leads on childcare issues, and I know that she, like myself and Lesley Griffiths, is waiting for the committee's report on access to childcare and education for disabled children. We will want to make sure that we consider that carefully and respond to the recommendations.
In terms of what you've said about Welsh-medium education, I think that's a very important point. This was something that was considered as part of the consultation in terms of learning loss for those children where they didn't have a Welsh-speaking family at home. Again, the views were quite mixed, and it didn't come out with a strong range of views. But we do provide SHEP in quite a number of authorities through the medium of Welsh, and in some local authorities we have a dual-track provision in Welsh and English. I acknowledge that it could be more and better. I'll certainly make sure that that's one of the things that Julie looks at, and I'm happy, if it's helpful, to write to you with a list of the local authorities that offer SHEP through the medium of Welsh.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Heledd. Fel y sonioch chi, roedd y gwaith hwn yn rhan o'n cytundeb cydweithio â Phlaid Cymru. Roeddwn i'n ddiolchgar iawn am y gwaith a wnaethom gyda'n gilydd arno, yn enwedig y berthynas adeiladol iawn yr oedd gennyf â Siân Gwenllian ar hyn, a Dafydd Trystan hefyd, a oedd yn helpu gyda'r gwaith hwnnw. Fel y sonioch chi, cymysg iawn oedd yr ymateb, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar am eich cydnabyddiaeth bod hyn yn ymwneud â gwrando.
O ran y gwaith y mae Julie yn mynd i'w wneud ar SHEP, rydym wedi gofyn i hwn fod yn adolygiad cyflym. Mae angen i mi gael trafodaethau pellach gyda Julie ynglŷn â sut y bydd hynny'n edrych. Rwy'n siŵr eich bod chi'n cydnabod bod gan Julie record wirioneddol ragorol o weithio gyda phobl ifanc sy'n profi anfantais, felly rwyf hefyd eisiau ystyried ei barn am yr hyn y dylid ei gynnwys hefyd. Yn ôl yr hyn rwyf yn ei ddeall, ar gyfer SHEP eleni, mae cynlluniau eisoes wedi'u gwneud, felly mae'n fwy tebygol y bydd hyn ar gyfer y flwyddyn ganlynol, er ein bod ni eisoes wedi cytuno i ymestyn SHEP eleni er gwaethaf yr amgylchiadau ariannol anodd iawn.
Rwy'n deall yn iawn yr hyn rydych chi'n ei ddweud am ADY, ac fe fyddwch chi wedi fy nghlywed i'n dweud wrth y pwyllgor pa mor bryderus ydw i i sicrhau ein bod ni'n cael cymorth ar gyfer ADY yn iawn. Mae fy nghyd-Aelod, Jayne Bryant, yn arwain ar faterion gofal plant, ac rwy'n gwybod ei bod hi, fel fi a Lesley Griffiths, yn aros am adroddiad y pwyllgor ar fynediad at ofal plant ac addysg ar gyfer plant anabl. Byddwn ni eisiau sicrhau ein bod ni'n ystyried hynny'n ofalus ac yn ymateb i'r argymhellion.
O ran yr hyn rydych chi wedi'i ddweud am addysg Gymraeg, rwy'n credu bod hynny'n bwynt pwysig iawn. Roedd hyn yn rhywbeth a ystyriwyd fel rhan o'r ymgynghoriad o ran colli dysgu ar gyfer y plant hynny lle nad oedd ganddyn nhw deulu Cymraeg eu hiaith gartref. Unwaith eto, roedd y farn yn eithaf cymysg, ac ni chafwyd ystod gref o safbwyntiau. Ond rydym yn darparu SHEP mewn cryn nifer o awdurdodau drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, ac mewn rhai awdurdodau lleol mae gennym ni ddarpariaeth ddeuol yn y Gymraeg a'r Saesneg. Rwy'n cydnabod y gallai fod yn fwy ac yn well. Byddaf yn sicr yn sicrhau mai dyna fydd un o'r pethau y bydd Julie yn edrych arno, ac rwy'n fwy na pharod, os yw'n ddefnyddiol, i ysgrifennu atoch gyda rhestr o'r awdurdodau lleol sy'n cynnig SHEP drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.
Cabinet Secretary, I'd like to thank you for having the courage to resist political pressure and to really listen to the responses to the Welsh Government's consultation on the school year. Speaking as a former teacher and being mindful of the scale of the radical reforms that we are already expecting our schools to undertake, I think that your focus on raising standards is exactly where we need to be. Pausing these plans will allow our schools to focus on that, in particular addressing attendance and attainment issues amongst our most disadvantaged pupils. So, Cabinet Secretary, could you expand on how you intend to tackle these two key issues?
Secondly, Cabinet Secretary, I wholeheartedly welcome your decision to appoint Julie Morgan MS to oversee a review of the school holiday enrichment programme. I make a habit of visiting SHEP programmes in my constituency every summer, and I'm always impressed by the excellent nutritional meals and the fun educational tasks that are on offer. Uptake, though, is always an issue, and what I see is that while SHEP programmes are always located in our more disadvantaged communities, I still don't feel, truly, that they are reaching the most disadvantaged pupils within those communities. So, can you confirm that the review will take a real hard, long, nuts-and-bolts look at how we can truly reach those most disadvantaged pupils?
Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, hoffwn ddiolch i chi am fod yn ddigon dewr i wrthsefyll pwysau gwleidyddol ac i wrando ar yr ymatebion i ymgynghoriad Llywodraeth Cymru ar y flwyddyn ysgol. Wrth siarad fel cyn-athro a chan ystyried graddfa'r diwygiadau radical yr ydym eisoes yn disgwyl i'n hysgolion ymgymryd â nhw, rwy'n credu mai eich ffocws ar godi safonau yw'r union le y mae angen i ni fod. Bydd gohirio'r cynlluniau hyn yn caniatáu i'n hysgolion ganolbwyntio ar hynny, yn enwedig mynd i'r afael â materion presenoldeb a chyrhaeddiad ymhlith ein disgyblion mwyaf difreintiedig. Felly, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, a allech chi ymhelaethu ar sut rydych chi'n bwriadu mynd i'r afael â'r ddau fater allweddol hyn?
Yn ail, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, rwy'n croesawu'n llwyr eich penderfyniad i benodi Julie Morgan AS i oruchwylio adolygiad o'r rhaglen gwella gwyliau'r haf. Rwy'n arfer ymweld â rhaglenni SHEP yn fy etholaeth bob haf, ac mae'r prydau maethol rhagorol a'r tasgau addysgol hwyliog sydd ar gael wastad yn creu argraff arnaf. Fodd bynnag, mae'r nifer sy'n manteisio yn broblem bob amser, a'r hyn a welaf yw, er bod rhaglenni SHEP bob amser wedi'u lleoli yn ein cymunedau mwy difreintiedig, dydw i dal ddim i deimlo, mewn gwirionedd, eu bod nhw'n cyrraedd y disgyblion mwyaf difreintiedig yn y cymunedau hynny. Felly, allwch chi gadarnhau y bydd yr adolygiad yn cymryd golwg galed, hir a manwl ar sut y gallwn ni gyrraedd y disgyblion mwyaf difreintiedig hynny go iawn?
Can I thank Vikki Howells for her comments and for her support? I particularly welcome you drawing on your experience as a teacher and that recognition of the amount of reform that we're asking schools to manage at the moment. I've been very clear since coming into post that raising attainment is a priority for me. I certainly don't recognise the bleak picture that was painted by Tom Giffard, but I do recognise that our PISA results last time around were disappointing and that we need to focus on raising attainment across the board.
Officials are currently working on a plan that will allow us to raise educational attainment across Wales, putting equity, inclusion and well-being at the centre, and there'll be four strands of work to achieve that. The first is that attainment for us includes inclusion, equity, aspiration and stretch. Secondly, the curriculum and additional learning needs reform are central to our achievement of improved standards in Wales. Thirdly, we need to set up our national leadership to bring our partners together to all focus on improved standards, and you'll be aware of the school improvement partnership programme, which is currently in the second phase of its work. Fourthly, as I've said many times, mental health and well-being is fundamental to this whole agenda.
You're absolutely right to recognise the issues around attendance. The attendance figures in Wales are going in the right direction, but there's more to do. I'm particularly concerned about the attendance of children and young people who are eligible for free school meals. So, we're really looking at what more we can do in that space. I'm chairing the national attendance taskforce, which now has all its work streams and sub-groups in place, and I hope that we can bring a real laser focus to that work.
Thank you for your comments on SHEP; I would certainly encourage any Member to go and visit their local SHEP schemes during the summer. You're right to highlight the issues around uptake and that's something I've been worried about myself. I know that there is a fair amount of soft targeting that goes on with SHEP that's based on local knowledge from the people who are running the schemes, but one of the things I'm very keen for Julie to really look at is how we can make sure that the schemes are reaching those children who are—I hate the term 'hard to reach'—least likely to engage with the SHEP programme, to make sure that nobody is left out.
A gaf i ddiolch i Vikki Howells am ei sylwadau ac am ei chefnogaeth? Rwy'n croesawu'n arbennig y ffaith eich bod chi wedi tynnu ar eich profiad fel athro a'r gydnabyddiaeth honno o ran faint o waith diwygio yr ydym yn gofyn i ysgolion ei reoli ar hyn o bryd. Rwyf wedi bod yn glir iawn ers i mi ymgymryd â'r swydd bod codi cyrhaeddiad yn flaenoriaeth i mi. Yn sicr, dydw i ddim yn cydnabod y darlun llwm a baentiwyd gan Tom Giffard, ond rwyf yn cydnabod bod ein canlyniadau PISA diwethaf yn siomedig a bod angen i ni ganolbwyntio ar godi cyrhaeddiad yn gyffredinol.
Mae swyddogion wrthi'n gweithio ar gynllun a fydd yn ein galluogi i godi cyrhaeddiad addysgol ledled Cymru, gan roi tegwch, cynhwysiant a lles wrth wraidd hynny, a bydd pedair elfen o waith i gyflawni hynny. Y gyntaf yw bod cyrhaeddiad i ni yn cynnwys cynhwysiant, tegwch, dyhead ac ymestyn. Yn ail, mae'r cwricwlwm a diwygio anghenion dysgu ychwanegol yn ganolog i gyflawni safonau gwell yng Nghymru. Yn drydydd, mae angen i ni sefydlu ein harweinyddiaeth genedlaethol er mwyn dod â'n partneriaid at ei gilydd i ganolbwyntio ar safonau gwell, ac fe fyddwch chi'n ymwybodol o'r rhaglen partneriaeth gwella ysgolion, sydd ar ail gam ei gwaith ar hyn o bryd. Yn bedwerydd, fel yr wyf wedi'i ddweud sawl gwaith, mae iechyd meddwl a lles yn hanfodol i'r agenda hon yn ei chyfanrwydd.
Rydych chi'n hollol iawn i gydnabod y materion sy'n ymwneud â phresenoldeb. Mae'r ffigurau presenoldeb yng Nghymru yn mynd i'r cyfeiriad cywir, ond mae mwy i'w wneud. Rwy'n arbennig o bryderus am bresenoldeb plant a phobl ifanc sy'n gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim. Felly, rydym yn edrych ar beth arall y gallwn ni ei wneud o ran hynny. Rwy'n cadeirio'r tasglu presenoldeb cenedlaethol, y mae ei holl ffrydiau gwaith a'i is-grwpiau ar waith erbyn hyn, ac rwy'n gobeithio y gallwn ni ddod â ffocws manwl go iawn i'r gwaith hwnnw.
Diolch am eich sylwadau ar SHEP; byddwn i'n sicr yn annog unrhyw Aelod i fynd i ymweld â'i gynlluniau SHEP lleol yn ystod yr haf. Rydych chi'n iawn i dynnu sylw at y materion sy'n ymwneud â'r nifer sy'n cymryd rhan ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth rydw i wedi bod yn poeni amdano fy hun. Rwy'n gwybod bod cryn dipyn o dargedu meddal sy'n mynd ymlaen gyda SHEP sy'n seiliedig ar wybodaeth leol gan y bobl sy'n rhedeg y cynlluniau, ond un o'r pethau rwy'n awyddus iawn i Julie edrych arno mewn gwirionedd yw sut y gallwn ni wneud yn siŵr bod y cynlluniau'n cyrraedd y plant hynny sydd—rwy'n casáu'r term 'anodd eu cyrraedd'—yn lleiaf tebygol o ymgysylltu â'r rhaglen SHEP, er mwyn sicrhau nad oes neb yn cael ei adael allan.
Gaf i ddiolch ichi am eich datganiad, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet? Dwi'n meddwl bod cymryd cam yn ôl yng ngoleuni'r ymatebion i'r ymgynghoriad yn gam synhwyrol. Dwi'n synnu bod yna ddim cyfeiriad penodol yn eich datganiad chi at yr effaith y byddai rhai o'r cynigion wedi'i chael ar y sioe fawr a'r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, yn enwedig gan fod hynny wedi bod yn nodwedd flaenllaw iawn yn y crynodeb rŷch chi wedi'i gyhoeddi heddiw o'r ymatebion, ac yn sicr rhywbeth roeddem ni, fel plaid, wedi gwneud yn glir ynglŷn â'n gwrthwynebiad ni i newidiadau fyddai'n cael effaith negyddol ar y sioe neu'r Eisteddfod. Rŷch chi wedi dweud na fydd yna benderfyniad terfynol, felly, yn cael ei wneud yn y Senedd yma, ond yn eich datganiad, rŷch chi hefyd yn dweud y byddwch chi nawr, fel Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ac fel Llywodraeth, yn parhau i archwilio'r ail gynnig yn benodol yn yr ymgynghoriad yn ystod gweddill y Senedd yma. Ond, wrth gwrs, mi oedd hwnnw'n un o'r cynigion fyddai wedi cael effaith ar y sioe frenhinol yn enwedig. Felly, allwch chi gadarnhau, wrth ichi ddatblygu'r gwaith yna, nid yn unig y byddwch chi'n ymwybodol o'r angen i warchod buddiannau'r sioe fawr a'r Eisteddfod, ond y byddwch chi'n sicrhau na fydd unrhyw newid yn y pen draw yn arwain at effaith negyddol ar y gwyliau hynny?
May I thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary? I think taking a step back in light of the responses to the consultation is sensible. I am surprised that there was no specific reference in your statement to the impact that some of the proposals would have had on the Royal Welsh and the National Eisteddfod, particularly as this was a very prominent feature in the summary that you published of the responses, and certainly something that we, as a party, have made clear in terms of our opposition to changes that would have a negative impact on the Royal Welsh or the Eisteddfod. You've said that no final decision will be taken in this Senedd term, but in your statement, you also say that you now, as Cabinet Secretary and as a Government, will continue to look at the second proposal in the consultation during the rest of this Senedd term. But, of course, that was one of the proposals that would have had an impact on the Royal Welsh particularly. So can you confirm that, as you develop that work, you will not only be aware of the need to protect the interests of the Royal Welsh and the Eisteddfod, but that you will also ensure that any changes ultimately implemented will not lead to a negative impact on those festivals?
Thank you very much, Llyr. As you highlight, the Royal Welsh Show and the Eisteddfod did feature in the consultation and there have been discussions with relevant organisations in relation to that. I want to be really clear, though, that I think this is a decision that has to be taken on the basis of what is best for children and young people, but I know too that there are communities in Wales that really value taking their children and young people to visit the Royal Welsh Show. Indeed, the consultation itself reflected that there was a need to make sure that major events were catered for in that respect. So, I understand that this is a cause of concern for Members representing rural areas, and you do have my assurance that we will continue to engage with the Royal Welsh Show, the Eisteddfod and other organisations about this as we take this work forward.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llyr. Fel y dywedwch chi, fe gafodd y Sioe Frenhinol a'r Eisteddfod eu cynnwys yn yr ymgynghoriad ac mae trafodaethau wedi bod gyda sefydliadau perthnasol mewn perthynas â hynny. Rwyf am fod yn glir iawn, serch hynny, fy mod i'n credu bod hwn yn benderfyniad y mae'n rhaid ei wneud ar sail yr hyn sydd orau i blant a phobl ifanc, ond rwy'n gwybod hefyd fod cymunedau yng Nghymru sydd wir yn gwerthfawrogi mynd â'u plant a'u pobl ifanc i ymweld â'r Sioe Frenhinol. Yn wir, roedd yr ymgynghoriad ei hun yn adlewyrchu'r angen i wneud yn siŵr bod digwyddiadau mawr yn cael eu darparu ar eu cyfer yn hynny o beth. Felly, rwy'n deall bod hyn yn achos pryder i Aelodau sy'n cynrychioli ardaloedd gwledig, ac fe allaf eich sicrhau y byddwn ni'n parhau i ymgysylltu â'r Sioe Frenhinol, yr Eisteddfod a sefydliadau eraill ynglŷn â hyn wrth i ni fwrw ymlaen â'r gwaith hwn.
I wish to welcome the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, and there are arguments and value on both sides of this issue. But the consultation on the change to the school calendar in Wales has received 16,000 responses, and we must note that this is the biggest ever education consultation in Wales. The list of organisations opposed is very extensive, as is the very mixed response from parents, pointing to a commonsense approach needing to be adopted. It is right to consult on this matter, and it is also right to listen and then act on that consultation.
Today, as our school communities continue to strive forward away from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic and struggle out of the darkness of austerity, we know that their challenges are profound and we cannot, and should not, underestimate this, none more so than the drop in school attendance seen across Wales, critically by some of the poorest children in our society, our most vulnerable cohort.
Cabinet Secretary, thank you for the clarity that you've given today; it will be broadly welcomed. In terms of the assurance that you can give us today—to the children, teachers, staff and families across Islwyn—that you will prioritise and focus the Welsh Government on tackling attendance, the implementation of the new curriculum, the needed additional learning needs reform, the development of a stronger school holiday enrichment programme, the reduction in teachers' bureaucracy and, finally, the need to strengthen staff retention across Welsh schools, we need that prioritisation.
Hoffwn groesawu'r datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg, ac mae yna ddadleuon a gwerth ar ddwy ochr y mater hwn. Ond mae'r ymgynghoriad ar y newid i'r calendr ysgolion yng Nghymru wedi derbyn 16,000 o ymatebion, ac mae'n rhaid i ni nodi mai dyma'r ymgynghoriad addysg mwyaf erioed yng Nghymru. Mae'r rhestr o sefydliadau sy'n gwrthwynebu yn helaeth iawn, felly hefyd yr ymateb cymysg iawn gan rieni, sy'n dangos bod angen mabwysiadu dull synnwyr cyffredin. Mae'n iawn ymgynghori ar y mater hwn, ac mae hefyd yn iawn gwrando ar yr ymgynghoriad hwnnw ac yna gweithredu arno.
Heddiw, wrth i'n cymunedau ysgol barhau i geisio symud ymlaen o gysgod pandemig COVID-19 a brwydro allan o dywyllwch cyni, rydym yn gwybod bod yr heriau maen nhw'n eu hwynebu yn rhai dwys a gallwn ni ddim, a dylen ni ddim, danbrisio hyn, yn enwedig y gostyngiad mewn presenoldeb ysgol a welwyd ledled Cymru, yn dyngedfennol gan rai o'r plant tlotaf yn ein cymdeithas, ein carfan fwyaf bregus.
Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, diolch am yr eglurder rydych chi wedi'i roi heddiw; bydd yn cael ei groesawu'n eang. O ran y sicrwydd y gallwch chi ei roi i ni heddiw—i'r plant, yr athrawon, y staff a'r teuluoedd ar draws Islwyn—y byddwch chi'n sicrhau bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn blaenoriaethu ac yn canolbwyntio ar fynd i'r afael â phresenoldeb, rhoi'r cwricwlwm newydd ar waith, ymgymryd â'r diwygiadau sydd eu hangen o ran anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, datblygu rhaglen gwella gwyliau'r haf gryfach, lleihau'r fiwrocratiaeth sy'n wynebu athrawon ac, yn olaf, mynd i'r afael â'r angen i gryfhau cadw staff ar draws ysgolion Cymru, mae angen y blaenoriaethu hwnnw arnom.
Thank you very much, Rhianon, for that welcome for the announcement today, which is very much appreciated. I'm very happy to give you the assurance that attendance is absolutely critical. Children aren't going to learn and thrive if they're not in school, and we know that we've got more work to do in that space. We're rolling out ambitious Curriculum for Wales reforms, and I've been very clear that we've got more work to do on our ALN reforms. There are the workload issues that you've just mentioned as well—we are doing lots of work on that. We have a strategic workforce group within the Welsh Government; we're developing a digital tool for headteachers to do workforce impact assessments. You raise an important point as well when you talk about retention, because one of the issues that the workforce were concerned about was that these proposals could impact on the retention of the workforce. So, I think it's why it is really important that as we take this work forward, we do so in partnership with the workforce and with our trade union partners.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Rhianon, am y croeso hwnnw i'r cyhoeddiad heddiw, sy'n cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr. Rwy'n hapus iawn i roi'r sicrwydd i chi fod presenoldeb yn gwbl hanfodol. Dydy plant ddim yn mynd i ddysgu a ffynnu os nad ydyn nhw yn yr ysgol, ac rydym yn gwybod bod gennym fwy o waith i'w wneud o ran hynny. Rydym yn cyflwyno diwygiadau uchelgeisiol i'r Cwricwlwm i Gymru, ac rwyf wedi bod yn glir iawn bod gennym fwy o waith i'w wneud ar ein diwygiadau ADY. Mae yna faterion llwyth gwaith hefyd fel yr ydych newydd eu crybwyll—rydym yn gwneud llawer o waith ar hynny. Mae gennym grŵp gweithlu strategol o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru; rydym yn datblygu teclyn digidol i benaethiaid wneud asesiadau o'r effaith ar y gweithlu. Rydych chi'n codi pwynt pwysig hefyd am gadw, oherwydd un o'r materion yr oedd y gweithlu yn poeni amdano oedd y gallai'r cynigion hyn effeithio ar gadw'r gweithlu. Felly, rwy'n credu mai dyna pam ei bod yn bwysig iawn, wrth i ni fwrw ymlaen â'r gwaith hwn, ein bod ni'n gwneud hynny mewn partneriaeth â'r gweithlu a chyda'n partneriaid undebau llafur.
I just wanted to draw a focus on the impacts of what the change might have meant. I did post a video on my Facebook page asking people who live in Caerphilly what they thought, and it was very much mixed, which reflects the responses you got. One of the things that came through strongly from the people with whom I attend, with my daughter with ALN, the Sparrows group is that in the summer there are a lot more free activities available for them, and you can't keep a child with additional learning needs in the house continually over the summer holidays, or any holidays. We went to Morgan Jones Park on the weekend; there's a splash pad there, and there are lots of good-weather outdoor activities that tend to close up in the October half term. In the October half term, we tend to see soft play, trampolining—those things that you've got to pay for under a roof—and it is much more costly for families, particularly families who are in that position and also more likely to be on lower incomes. So, I welcome this pause, but I also would ask you to keep in mind what I've said, if you decide to proceed in future.
Roeddwn i eisiau canolbwyntio ar effeithiau'r hyn y gallai'r newid fod wedi ei olygu. Fe wnes i bostio fideo ar fy nhudalen Facebook yn gofyn i bobl sy'n byw yng Nghaerffili am eu barn, ac roedd yn gymysg iawn, sy'n adlewyrchu'r ymatebion a gawsoch. Un o'r pethau a ddaeth drwodd yn amlwg ymhlith y bobl rwy'n mynychu grŵp Sparrows gyda nhw, gyda fy merch sydd ag ADY, yw bod llawer mwy o weithgareddau am ddim ar gael iddyn nhw yn yr haf, a gallwch chi ddim cadw plentyn ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol yn y tŷ yn barhaus dros wyliau'r haf, neu unrhyw wyliau. Fe aethon ni i Barc Morgan Jones dros y penwythnos; mae yna bad sblasio yno, ac mae yna lawer o weithgareddau awyr agored tywydd da sy'n tueddu i gau yn hanner tymor mis Hydref. Yn hanner tymor mis Hydref, rydym yn tueddu i weld chwarae meddal, trampolinio—y pethau hynny y mae'n rhaid i chi dalu amdanyn nhw o dan do—ac mae'n llawer mwy costus i deuluoedd, yn enwedig i deuluoedd sydd yn y sefyllfa honno ac sydd hefyd yn fwy tebygol o fod ar incwm is. Felly, rwy'n croesawu'r saib hwn, ond byddwn i hefyd yn gofyn i chi gadw mewn cof yr hyn rwyf wedi'i ddweud, os byddwch chi'n penderfynu bwrw ati yn y dyfodol.
Thank you very much, Hefin. Indeed, those issues did come out through the consultation: concerns about things like heating your home in an extended October half term and the fact that it is harder to find free activities to do. But the other side of that was that there was also a recognition of the fatigue that kids and the workforce experience during that very long run into Christmas. The debate we're having today really highlights how mixed and contradictory these issues are, and how there is that work to be done to balance out those contradictions.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Hefin. Yn wir, daeth y materion hynny i'r amlwg drwy'r ymgynghoriad: pryderon am bethau fel gwresogi eich cartref yn ystod hanner tymor estynedig ym mis Hydref a'r ffaith ei bod yn anoddach dod o hyd i weithgareddau i'w gwneud yn rhad ac am ddim. Ond yr ochr arall i hynny oedd bod yna gydnabyddiaeth hefyd o'r blinder y mae plant a'r gweithlu yn ei brofi yn ystod y tymor hir iawn hwnnw hyd at y Nadolig. Mae'r ddadl rydym yn ei chael heddiw wir yn tynnu sylw at ba mor gymysg a gwrthgyferbyniol yw'r materion hyn, a sut mae'r gwaith hwnnw i'w wneud i gydbwyso'r anghysondebau hynny.
I listened carefully to the Cabinet Secretary's disappointing statement this afternoon. I noticed that she chose to begin and end her statement by referring to her commitment to the best interest of children. Of course, the quality of her commitment is not an issue this afternoon—that's evident week after week here in the Chamber. It's the quality of her decision making that we are scrutinising, not the quality of her commitment. And let's be clear that what we've heard this afternoon is the abandonment of a manifesto commitment made by the Labour Party at the last election. And the Minister shouldn't seek to shelter behind semantics in saying to me that this was a commitment to explore reform of the school day, because she knows perfectly well that her predecessors published a plan—not an exploration, but a plan—to implement that commitment, and that will now not be happening in this Senedd term. And what was that plan, Llywydd? It would have moved one week—one week—in five years from the school holidays in the summer to the autumn half term. Nobody I think could claim that the Government was rushing headlong down some radical path, but it was a start. It was a start on a journey that would have improved the outcomes for children in Wales. I regret the political damage. I regret the reputational damage that will be done to Wales, just as other parts of the United Kingdom were looking at Wales and pointing to us as an example of what a progressive Government could do. What I really regret is the damage that will be done to the life chances of the children who are at the heart of this policy.
Colleagues here will know of the difficulties experienced on the Ely estate here in Cardiff. I'll say to the Cabinet Secretary: the children that I am concerned about, their families will not be worrying, as was said in your statement, about the quality-of-life opportunities that come with an extended summer break. Those families will approach the summer holidays in a spirit of anxiety, sometimes amounting to fear. And the life chances of those children rely absolutely on what the school can do for them, and the fantastic schools that there are on the estate who do so much to invest in those children who have no chances—[Interruption.]—otherwise, and who work through them all, from September to July. And in July, those children have had—
Fe wrandawais i'n ofalus ar ddatganiad siomedig yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet y prynhawn yma. Fe sylwais i ei bod hi wedi dewis dechrau a gorffen ei datganiad drwy gyfeirio at ei hymrwymiad i fudd gorau plant. Wrth gwrs, dydy ansawdd ei hymrwymiad ddim yn fater y prynhawn yma—mae hynny'n amlwg wythnos ar ôl wythnos yma yn y Siambr. Ansawdd ei phenderfyniadau hi yr ydym yn craffu arno, nid ansawdd ei hymrwymiad. A gadewch i ni fod yn glir mai'r hyn rydym wedi'i glywed y prynhawn yma yw cefnu ar ymrwymiad maniffesto a wnaed gan y Blaid Lafur yn yr etholiad diwethaf. A dylai'r Gweinidog ddim ceisio cysgodi y tu ôl i semanteg wrth ddweud wrthyf mai ymrwymiad i archwilio diwygio'r diwrnod ysgol oedd hwn, oherwydd mae hi'n gwybod yn iawn bod ei rhagflaenwyr wedi cyhoeddi cynllun—nid archwiliad, ond cynllun—i weithredu'r ymrwymiad hwnnw, a bydd hynny ddim yn digwydd nawr yn nhymor y Senedd hon. A beth oedd y cynllun hwnnw, Llywydd? Byddai wedi symud un wythnos—un wythnos—mewn pum mlynedd o wyliau'r ysgol yn yr haf i hanner tymor yr hydref. Gallai neb, dydw i ddim yn meddwl, honni bod y Llywodraeth yn rhuthro'n bendramwnwgl i lawr rhyw lwybr radical, ond roedd yn ddechrau. Roedd yn ddechrau ar daith a fyddai wedi gwella'r deilliannau i blant yng Nghymru. Rwy'n gresynu at y niwed gwleidyddol. Rwy'n gresynu at y difrod a fydd yn cael ei wneud i enw da Cymru, yn union fel yr oedd rhannau eraill o'r Deyrnas Unedig yn edrych ar Gymru ac yn pwyntio atom fel enghraifft o'r hyn y gallai Llywodraeth flaengar ei wneud. Yr hyn rwy'n gresynu ato fwyaf yw'r difrod a fydd yn cael ei wneud i gyfleoedd bywyd y plant sydd wrth wraidd y polisi hwn.
Bydd cyd-Aelodau yma yn gwybod am yr anawsterau a brofwyd ar ystad Trelái yma yng Nghaerdydd. Dywedaf wrth yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet: fydd y plant rwy'n poeni amdanyn nhw, eu teuluoedd ddim yn poeni, fel y dywedwyd yn eich datganiad, am y cyfleoedd ansawdd bywyd sy'n dod gyda thoriad estynedig dros yr haf. Bydd y teuluoedd hynny yn agosáu at wyliau'r haf yn teimlo'n bryderus, weithiau'n ofnus. Ac mae cyfleoedd bywyd y plant hynny yn dibynnu'n llwyr ar yr hyn y gall yr ysgol ei wneud iddyn nhw, a'r ysgolion gwych ar yr ystad sy'n gwneud cymaint i fuddsoddi yn y plant hynny sydd heb gyfle—[Torri ar draws.]—fel arall, ac sy'n gweithio trwyddyn nhw i gyd, o fis Medi i fis Gorffennaf. Ac ym mis Gorffennaf, mae'r plant hynny wedi cael—
Hefin David is seeking to heckle at this point. I'm allowing the Member to carry on with his contribution. Mark Drakeford.
Mae Hefin David yn ceisio heclo ar hyn o bryd. Rwy'n caniatáu i'r Aelod barhau â'i gyfraniad. Mark Drakeford.
Diolch, Llywydd. Those children, in July, have had the benefit of everything that that school can do. [Interruption.] And then those children go away—
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae'r plant hynny, ym mis Gorffennaf, wedi cael budd o bopeth y gall yr ysgol honno ei wneud. [Torri ar draws.] Ac yna mae'r plant hynny'n mynd i ffwrdd—
Excuse me, don't question my decision to allow Mark Drakeford to—. You said, 'This is ridiculous', me allowing Mark Drakeford to continue. It's not. I've allowed you discretion time after time to continue on important issues for yourself, so remember that, Hefin David. I'm allowing Mark Drakeford to continue.
Esgusodwch fi, peidiwch â chwestiynu fy mhenderfyniad i ganiatáu i Mark Drakeford—. Fe ddywedoch chi, 'Mae hyn yn hurt', fy mod i'n caniatáu i Mark Drakeford barhau. Dyw e ddim. Rwyf wedi caniatáu disgresiwn i chi dro ar ôl tro i barhau ar faterion sy'n bwysig i chi eich hun, felly cofiwch hynny, Hefin David. Rwy'n caniatáu i Mark Drakeford barhau.
Diolch, Llywydd. When those children go away in July, in those six weeks, they will not see a book, they will have no opportunity to play in a way that allows them to appreciate what maths can do for them in their lives, and when they come back in September, the school starts all over again. The idea that there is no learning loss in the lives of those children is absolutely absurd. What this policy would have done is it would have begun to close the gap in the lives of those children. Here is a Government that could have done something to help them, but it has decided not to. What explanation does the Cabinet Secretary think I should offer those children who now find their interests in second place, against those of the reactionary forces that will always be attached to the status quo?
Diolch, Llywydd. Pan fydd y plant hynny'n mynd i ffwrdd ym mis Gorffennaf, yn y chwe wythnos hynny, fyddan nhw ddim yn gweld llyfr, fyddan nhw ddim yn cael cyfle i chwarae mewn ffordd sy'n eu galluogi i werthfawrogi'r hyn y gall mathemateg ei wneud iddyn nhw yn eu bywydau, a phan fyddan nhw'n dod yn ôl ym mis Medi, mae'r ysgol yn dechrau eto. Mae'r syniad nad oes unrhyw ddysgu yn cael ei golli ym mywydau'r plant hynny yn hollol hurt. Yr hyn y byddai'r polisi hwn wedi'i wneud yw y byddai wedi dechrau cau'r bwlch ym mywydau'r plant hynny. Dyma Lywodraeth a allai fod wedi gwneud rhywbeth i'w helpu, ond mae wedi penderfynu peidio â gwneud hynny. Pa esboniad y mae'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn credu y dylwn i ei gynnig i'r plant hynny sydd bellach yn gweld bod eu buddiannau nhw yn yr ail safle, yn erbyn rhai'r grymoedd adweithiol a fydd wastad ynghlwm wrth y status quo?
Can I thank Mark Drakeford for his comments? I do regret the tone of some of those comments, which I do feel call into question my own commitment to children and young people, which is the only reason I am standing in this job, and the reason I have done every job that I have done in this Chamber: to promote the rights and the well-being of children and young people. And with respect, Mark, I think I have set out very clearly my reasons for this decision today. It is about listening to a consultation. You cannot have a consultation and then just ignore that consultation. That would not be acceptable. But it’s also about recognising that we have to implement a series of major reforms and tackle some serious attainment issues in our schools. And do you know who suffers most from those attainment challenges? It's those very children that you are talking about. Getting those children out of poverty is what I am interested in doing, through implementing our reforms. To think that a week's change in the school year is going to make a difference to the systemic challenges we’re facing in education is, quite frankly, fiddling while Rome burns, and I’m really, really sorry that you have chosen to couch it in those terms.
The persistent absence rates for free-school-meal children at secondary school are 50-plus per cent. That is an astonishing figure, and it is that which we have to address. It is not about tweaking a week here or there. And this is not about reactionary forces. [Interruption.] Can you let me finish? Because I let you speak, didn’t I? I didn't say a word while you were speaking. This is not about reactionary forces. This is about me making a decision based on a 16,000-plus consultation and what I am hearing on the ground about a school system that is struggling and overwhelmed with reform, that is finding it challenging to raise attainment, and which is also struggling for funding. So, that is what I am prioritising, and I make no apologies for that decision. I have made that decision after many weeks of careful consideration, in what I consider to be the best interests of all children and young people, including the children on the Ely estate, who I care passionately about.
A gaf i ddiolch i Mark Drakeford am ei sylwadau? Rwy'n difaru naws rhai o'r sylwadau hynny, yr wyf yn teimlo eu bod yn cwestiynu fy ymrwymiad fy hun i blant a phobl ifanc, sef yr unig reswm pam fy mod i'n gwneud y swydd hon, a'r rheswm pam rwyf wedi gwneud pob swydd rwyf wedi'i gwneud yn y Siambr hon: i hyrwyddo hawliau a lles plant a phobl ifanc. A chyda pharch, Mark, rwy'n credu fy mod i wedi nodi'n glir iawn fy rhesymau dros y penderfyniad hwn heddiw. Mae'n ymwneud â gwrando ar ymgynghoriad. Gallwch chi ddim cael ymgynghoriad ac yna anwybyddu'r ymgynghoriad hwnnw. Fyddai hynny ddim yn dderbyniol. Ond mae hefyd yn ymwneud â chydnabod bod yn rhaid i ni weithredu cyfres o ddiwygiadau mawr a mynd i'r afael â rhai materion cyrhaeddiad difrifol yn ein hysgolion. A wyddoch chi pwy sy'n dioddef fwyaf o'r heriau hynny o ran cyrhaeddiad? Yr union blant hynny rydych chi'n sôn amdanyn nhw. Cael y plant hynny allan o dlodi yw'r hyn y mae gen i ddiddordeb yn ei wneud, trwy roi ein diwygiadau ar waith. A dweud y gwir, mae meddwl bod newid wythnos yn y flwyddyn ysgol yn mynd i wneud gwahaniaeth i'r heriau systemig rydym yn eu hwynebu ym myd addysg yn chwarae'r crwth a Rhufain yn llosgi, ac mae'n ddrwg iawn, iawn gen i eich bod chi wedi dewis ei roi fel yna.
Mae'r cyfraddau absenoldeb parhaus ar gyfer plant sy'n cael prydau ysgol am ddim yn yr ysgol uwchradd yn 50 y cant a mwy. Mae hynny'n ffigwr rhyfeddol, a dyna'r hyn y mae'n rhaid i ni fynd i'r afael ag ef. Dydy e ddim yn ymwneud â newid wythnos yma ac acw. A dydy hyn ddim yn ymwneud â grymoedd adweithiol. [Torri ar draws.] Allwch chi adael i mi orffen? Oherwydd fe wnes i adael i chi siarad, on'd do fe? Wnes i ddim dweud gair tra roeddech chi'n siarad. Dydy hyn ddim yn ymwneud â grymoedd adweithiol. Mae hyn yn ymwneud â phenderfyniad rwy'n ei wneud yn seiliedig ar ymgynghoriad 16,000 a mwy a'r hyn rwy'n ei glywed ar lawr gwlad am system ysgol sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd ymdopi ac yn cael ei llethu â diwygiadau, sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd codi cyrhaeddiad, ac sydd hefyd yn cael trafferth dod o hyd i gyllid. Felly, dyna'r hyn rwy'n ei flaenoriaethu, a dydw i ddim yn ymddiheuro am y penderfyniad hwnnw. Rwyf wedi gwneud y penderfyniad hwnnw ar ôl wythnosau lawer o ystyriaeth ofalus, er budd gorau pob plentyn a pherson ifanc yn fy marn i, gan gynnwys y plant ar ystad Trelái, yr wyf yn teimlo'n angerddol amdanyn nhw.
Diolch i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet.
I thank the Cabinet Secretary.
Yr eitem nesaf fydd y datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol, ar ailddatgan ein gwerthoedd. Felly, yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, Lesley Griffiths.
The next item is the statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice on reaffirming our values. Cabinet Secretary, Lesley Griffiths.
Diolch, Llywydd. I am pleased to make this statement on my priorities for the culture and social justice portfolio. This is a diverse portfolio that reaches across many aspects of Government, and which has the potential to make profound and lasting change to the lives of people and communities across Wales. Culture, heritage, sport and social justice are interconnected pillars, and when leveraged effectively can help build a more inclusive, equitable and vibrant society. I want to harness the collective impact of these elements to address systemic inequalities, strengthen community cohesion and ensure Wales continues to be a nation of sanctuary.
One of my main priorities is to make progress on tackling poverty, in particular child poverty. More than 3,000 people helped to develop our child poverty strategy, and overwhelmingly the message from stakeholders is we do have the right objectives and priorities. Our focus now is on delivering them in a way that is person-centred, kind and compassionate, including ensuring people are financially and digitally included, and able to claim all the benefits they are entitled to.
There is a commitment to children's rights across my portfolio in tackling poverty, ensuring the right to play and the right to meet, addressing discrimination, protection from violence and abuse, and enabling them to participate freely in cultural life.
Another key priority will be to continue our focus on ensuring equality, inclusion and respect for human rights. Our recently published national equality objectives set out our long-term vision for the future. Disabled people are often excluded from employment and other opportunities, including arts, cultural and sporting activities. We will continue our work to advance equity for disabled people, taking account of people's lived experience. The important work of the disability rights taskforce is supporting the development of a plan that will capture our ambition and help us focus on making changes to measurably improve disabled people’s lives.
I am wholly committed to driving forward on the 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan' and making a reality of our vision of becoming an anti-racist nation by 2030. We have committed more than £5 million over 2022 to 2025 to support this work. I am proud our LBGTQ+ action plan has been recognised by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance as a good example, and a potential model for others. I will continue to lead the work to make Wales the most LGBTQ+-friendly nation in Europe.
In all areas of my portfolio, as across Welsh Government, the third sector and volunteers play a vital role in delivering services and supporting communities. Tomorrow I will be speaking at Gofod3, as we mark together Volunteers' Week.
Turning to criminal justice, we will continue our efforts to improve outcomes for people in the justice system. Although criminal justice is not yet devolved to Wales, these services regularly interface with devolved areas such as housing, healthcare and education. Through our women’s justice blueprint and youth justice blueprint, we are embedding a preventative, evidence-based approach to justice that addresses the underlying causes of offending and supports people towards fulfilling, crime-free lives. In 2024 to 2025, we will extend the women’s pathfinder approach to the whole of Wales to further strengthen our support for often vulnerable women, as well as maintaining our strong focus on tackling violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence through the VAWDASV blueprint.
I will also have a clear focus on delivering a strong cultural, heritage and sports offer. The cultural well-being of Wales is indivisible from our society, our environment and our economy. I recognise the intrinsic value of culture and commit to the principle that every person in Wales has the right to access, create, participate in and to see themselves reflected in the cultural activity of our nation. Our ambition is for culture in Wales to be thriving, with a long-term strategic plan for investment. I recently published the consultation for our culture strategy, which provides a policy framework for our public and culture sectors in Wales, defining the strategic direction for the arts, museums, libraries, archives and the historic environment sectors.
The priorities set out in the strategy have been developed during a period of severe financial constraint. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the financial landscape, and I know many organisations are facing difficult financial challenges. The public sector in Wales has been impacted by cuts in funding over a number of years, and the culture sector feels fragile and vulnerable. I am aware of the impact the reduction in our indicative grant-in-aid allocation for 2024-25 will have on our culture, arts and sports arm's-length bodies. I have acted to mitigate the full scale of the budget pressures on them, but there is no budget flexibility that can prevent significant reductions to their budgets.
My priority is to ensure the allocations are targeted towards continuing to deliver our programme for government commitments. Collaboration with Government and within the sector is more important now than ever. I know how resilient the arts and cultural sectors are, and I have long admired their can-do attitude. I recognise the very real contribution heritage and the work of Cadw can make to my wider priorities of inclusion and equality—widening access for all to the outstanding historic sites and landscapes of Wales, and telling the wider stories of Wales.
I know there is nothing like a great football match in your hometown for bringing people together, which is why we must continue to work together to find innovative solutions to the challenges we all face across a range of sports. Through working together across Government and with our external partners, we have the opportunity to address and dismantle many of the harmful barriers and causes of inequality and poverty experienced by people in Wales. I am determined to do my part in making Wales a prosperous, equitable and safer place for all its citizens. Diolch.
Diolch, Llywydd. Rwy'n falch o wneud y datganiad hwn ar fy mlaenoriaethau ar gyfer y portffolio diwylliant a chyfiawnder cymdeithasol. Mae hwn yn bortffolio amrywiol sy'n ymestyn ar draws sawl agwedd ar y Llywodraeth, ac sydd â'r potensial i wneud newid dwys a pharhaol i fywydau pobl a chymunedau ledled Cymru. Mae diwylliant, treftadaeth, chwaraeon a chyfiawnder cymdeithasol yn bileri rhyng-gysylltiedig, a phan gânt eu hysgogi'n effeithiol gallan nhw helpu i adeiladu cymdeithas fwy cynhwysol, teg a bywiog. Rwyf am harneisio effaith gyfunol yr elfennau hyn i fynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldebau systemig, cryfhau cydlyniant cymunedol a sicrhau bod Cymru'n parhau i fod yn genedl noddfa.
Un o fy mhrif flaenoriaethau yw gwneud cynnydd o ran trechu tlodi, yn enwedig tlodi plant. Helpodd mwy na 3,000 o bobl i ddatblygu ein strategaeth tlodi plant, a'r neges a gafwyd amlaf o lawer gan randdeiliaid yw bod gennym ni'r amcanion a'r blaenoriaethau cywir. Ein ffocws nawr yw eu darparu mewn ffordd sy'n garedig, yn dosturiol ac sy'n canolbwyntio ar y person, gan gynnwys sicrhau bod pobl yn cael eu cynnwys yn ariannol ac yn ddigidol, ac yn gallu hawlio'r holl fudd-daliadau y mae ganddyn nhw hawl i'w cael.
Mae ymrwymiad i hawliau plant ar draws fy mhortffolio o ran trechu tlodi, sicrhau'r hawl i chwarae a'r hawl i gyfarfod, mynd i'r afael â gwahaniaethu, amddiffyn rhag trais a chamdriniaeth, a'u galluogi i gymryd rhan yn rhydd mewn bywyd diwylliannol.
Blaenoriaeth allweddol arall fydd parhau â'n ffocws ar sicrhau cydraddoldeb, cynhwysiant a pharch at hawliau dynol. Mae ein hamcanion cydraddoldeb cenedlaethol a gyhoeddwyd yn ddiweddar yn nodi ein gweledigaeth hirdymor ar gyfer y dyfodol. Mae pobl anabl yn aml yn cael eu heithrio o gyflogaeth a chyfleoedd eraill, gan gynnwys gweithgareddau celfyddydol, diwylliannol a chwaraeon. Byddwn ni'n parhau â'n gwaith i hyrwyddo tegwch i bobl anabl, gan ystyried profiad bywyd pobl. Mae gwaith pwysig y tasglu hawliau anabledd yn cefnogi datblygiad cynllun a fydd yn nodi ein huchelgais ac yn ein helpu i ganolbwyntio ar wneud newidiadau i wella bywydau pobl anabl yn fesuradwy.
Rwy'n gwbl ymrwymedig i fwrw ymlaen â 'Cynllun Gweithredu Cymru Wrth-hiliol' a gwireddu ein gweledigaeth o fod yn genedl wrth-hiliol erbyn 2030. Rydym wedi ymrwymo mwy na £5 miliwn rhwng 2022 a 2025 i gefnogi'r gwaith hwn. Rwy'n falch bod ein cynllun gweithredu LHDTC+ wedi'i gydnabod gan y Comisiwn Ewropeaidd yn erbyn Hiliaeth ac Anoddefiad fel enghraifft dda, ac yn fodel posibl i eraill. Byddaf yn parhau i arwain y gwaith i sicrhau mai Cymru yw'r genedl fwyaf cyfeillgar i LHDTC+ yn Ewrop.
Ym mhob maes yn fy mhortffolio, fel sy'n digwydd ar draws Llywodraeth Cymru, mae'r trydydd sector a gwirfoddolwyr yn chwarae rhan hanfodol wrth ddarparu gwasanaethau a chefnogi cymunedau. Yfory byddaf yn siarad yn Gofod3, wrth i ni ddathlu Wythnos Gwirfoddolwyr gyda'n gilydd.
Gan droi at gyfiawnder troseddol, byddwn ni'n parhau â'n hymdrechion i wella canlyniadau i bobl yn y system gyfiawnder. Er nad yw cyfiawnder troseddol wedi'i ddatganoli i Gymru eto, mae'r gwasanaethau hyn yn rhyngweithio'n rheolaidd â meysydd datganoledig fel tai, gofal iechyd ac addysg. Trwy ein glasbrint cyfiawnder menywod a'n glasbrint cyfiawnder ieuenctid, rydym yn ymgorffori dull ataliol o ymdrin â chyfiawnder sy'n seiliedig ar dystiolaeth, sy'n mynd i'r afael ag achosion sylfaenol troseddu ac sy'n helpu pobl i fyw bywydau cyflawn, di-drosedd. Yn 2024 i 2025, byddwn ni'n ymestyn dull y rhaglen fraenaru i fenywod i Gymru gyfan i gryfhau ymhellach ein cefnogaeth i fenywod sy'n aml yn agored i niwed, yn ogystal â chynnal ein ffocws cryf ar fynd i'r afael â thrais yn erbyn menywod, cam-drin domestig a thrais rhywiol trwy glasbrint VAWDASV.
Byddaf hefyd yn canolbwyntio'n glir ar ddarparu cynnig diwylliannol, treftadaeth a chwaraeon cryf. Mae llesiant diwylliannol Cymru yn anwahanadwy o'n cymdeithas, ein hamgylchedd a'n heconomi. Rwy'n cydnabod gwerth cynhenid diwylliant ac yn ymrwymo i'r egwyddor bod gan bob person yng Nghymru yr hawl i gael mynediad, i greu, i gyfranogi ac i weld eu hunain yn cael eu hadlewyrchu yng ngweithgarwch diwylliannol ein cenedl. Ein huchelgais yw bod diwylliant yng Nghymru yn ffynnu, gyda chynllun strategol hirdymor ar gyfer buddsoddi. Yn ddiweddar, fe gyhoeddais i'r ymgynghoriad ar gyfer ein strategaeth ddiwylliant, sy'n darparu fframwaith polisi ar gyfer ein sectorau cyhoeddus a diwylliant yng Nghymru, gan ddiffinio'r cyfeiriad strategol ar gyfer sectorau'r celfyddydau, amgueddfeydd, llyfrgelloedd, archifau a'r amgylchedd hanesyddol.
Mae'r blaenoriaethau a nodir yn y strategaeth wedi'u datblygu yn ystod cyfnod o gyfyngiadau ariannol difrifol. Byddai'n esgeulus i mi beidio â chydnabod y dirwedd ariannol, ac rwy'n gwybod bod llawer o sefydliadau yn wynebu heriau ariannol anodd. Mae toriadau mewn cyllid dros nifer o flynyddoedd wedi effeithio ar y sector cyhoeddus yng Nghymru, ac mae'r sector diwylliant yn teimlo'n fregus. Rwy'n ymwybodol o'r effaith y bydd y gostyngiad yn ein dyraniad cymorth grant dangosol ar gyfer 2024-25 yn ei chael ar ein cyrff hyd braich diwylliant, y celfyddydau a chwaraeon. Rwyf wedi gweithredu i liniaru pwysau llawn y gyllideb arnyn nhw, ond does dim hyblygrwydd yn y gyllideb a all atal gostyngiadau sylweddol i'w cyllidebau.
Fy mlaenoriaeth i yw sicrhau bod y dyraniadau'n cael eu targedu tuag at barhau i gyflawni'r ymrwymiadau yn ein rhaglen lywodraethu. Mae cydweithio â'r Llywodraeth ac o fewn y sector yn bwysicach nawr nag erioed. Rwy'n gwybod pa mor wydn yw'r sectorau celfyddydol a diwylliannol, ac rwyf wedi edmygu eu hagwedd gallu gwneud ers tro. Rwy'n cydnabod y cyfraniad gwirioneddol y gall treftadaeth a gwaith Cadw ei wneud i'm blaenoriaethau ehangach o gynhwysiant a chydraddoldeb—ehangu mynediad i bawb i safleoedd a thirweddau hanesyddol eithriadol Cymru, ac adrodd straeon ehangach Cymru.
Rwy'n gwybod nad oes unrhyw beth fel gêm bêl-droed wych yn eich tref enedigol i ddod â phobl at ei gilydd, a dyna pam mae'n rhaid i ni barhau i weithio gyda'n gilydd i ddod o hyd i atebion arloesol i'r heriau rydym i gyd yn eu hwynebu ar draws ystod o chwaraeon. Trwy gydweithio ar draws y Llywodraeth a chyda'n partneriaid allanol, mae gennym gyfle i fynd i'r afael â llawer o rwystrau ac achosion niweidiol anghydraddoldeb a thlodi a brofir gan bobl yng Nghymru, a'u dymchwel. Rwy'n benderfynol o wneud fy rhan i sicrhau bod Cymru'n lle ffyniannus, teg a mwy diogel i'w holl dinasyddion. Diolch.
Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary, albeit a very non-committal one. I have to admit I found the statement rather interesting because you mentioned culture, yet we have the Welsh National Opera's future literally hanging in the balance, and I can't say I'm very reassured by any of the statement. There doesn't seem to be any clear plan ahead on anything that you've mentioned, particularly sport, as what seems to be an afterthought at the end of your statement, with no commitments on how to improve the current state of play in Wales.
You mention your LGBTQ+ action plan. To press ahead with this now, in light of the Cass review findings, would be irresponsible and could potentially put children and young people at risk. The Welsh Government's LGBTQ+ action plan needs to be reviewed in light of Dr Cass's findings. So, Cabinet Secretary, I ask once again: when can concerned Welsh citizens—and this Senedd—expect a review of the plan to be undertaken? These priorities are not the current priorities of the people of Wales.
However, I was pleased to hear you mention, albeit briefly, sport in today's statement, as something known to bring communities together, as you know, and to change lives. The Labour Government, in the last two decades, have completely let down the people of Wales in regards to sporting facilities. Sport just does not and has not ever received the investment it desperately needs, from community to national level, over the last 2.5 decades—embarrassingly so, when you compare it to the rest of the UK. This Government is meant to want to be a leader in sport participation at grass-roots level, and should be wanting to be a leader at elite level too. We will not achieve this, or even come close, on this current trajectory. It is clear to everyone, particularly in rural areas, that access to sporting facilities is increasingly difficult or non-existent, and yet it gets worse in winter time, due to the lack of all-weather sporting facilities, particularly, again, in rural areas, where they're found lacking. Cabinet Secretary, when sport is a leveller, it provides health benefits, it instils national pride, it improves well-being, when is it going to get the level of investment it so desperately deserves, due to the huge role it plays in the prevention of health ailments, as well as, of course, people's right to have access to sporting facilities, wherever they are in Wales, close by?
And finally, Cabinet Secretary, continuing again with sports, it is vitally important that women and girls are supported in order to grow women's sports, going forward. For reasons of both safety and fairness, the Welsh and UK Conservatives support strengthening the Equality Act 2010 to enshrine the rights of women and girls in sports in Wales through an emphasis on biological sex. Everyone should have the opportunity to play sports, but women should not be penalised by having male biological advantage—by having to accept biological males into their category. It is harming female sports and having a negative impact on the participation levels of both women and girls. I suppose, before Labour can start to claim they properly support women, they need to first learn, of course, how to define one. So, Cabinet Secretary, can you commit today to protecting biological women's sports, please? Thank you.
Diolch am eich datganiad, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, er nad yw'n un ymrwymol iawn. Mae'n rhaid i mi gyfaddef bod y datganiad yn un diddorol iawn yn fy marn i oherwydd fe wnaethoch chi sôn am ddiwylliant, ac eto mae dyfodol Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru, yn llythrennol, yn hongian yn y fantol, a galla' i ddim dweud bod unrhyw ran o'r datganiad wedi tawelu fy meddwl. Dydy hi ddim yn ymddangos bod unrhyw gynllun clir ar unrhyw beth rydych chi wedi sôn amdano, yn enwedig chwaraeon, sy'n ymddangos fel pe bai'n ôl-ystyriaeth ar ddiwedd eich datganiad, a does dim ymrwymiadau ar sut i wella'r sefyllfa bresennol yng Nghymru.
Rydych chi'n sôn am eich cynllun gweithredu LHDTC+. Byddai bwrw ymlaen â'r cynllun hwn nawr, yng ngoleuni canfyddiadau adolygiad Cass, yn anghyfrifol a gallai beri risg i blant a phobl ifanc o bosibl. Mae angen i gynllun gweithredu LHDTC+ Llywodraeth Cymru gael ei adolygu yng ngoleuni canfyddiadau Dr Cass. Felly, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, gofynnaf unwaith eto: pryd all dinasyddion pryderus Cymru—a'r Senedd hon—ddisgwyl i adolygiad o'r cynllun gael ei gynnal? Nid blaenoriaethau presennol pobl Cymru yw'r blaenoriaethau hyn.
Fodd bynnag, roeddwn i'n falch o'ch clywed yn sôn, er yn fyr, am chwaraeon yn y datganiad heddiw, fel rhywbeth y gwyddys ei fod yn dod â chymunedau ynghyd, fel y gwyddoch chi, ac yn newid bywydau. Mae'r Llywodraeth Lafur, yn ystod y ddau ddegawd diwethaf, wedi siomi pobl Cymru yn llwyr o ran cyfleusterau chwaraeon. Nid yw chwaraeon yn cael, ac nid ydyn nhw erioed wedi cael y buddsoddiad sydd ei wir angen arnyn nhw, o lefel gymunedol i lefel genedlaethol, dros y 2.5 degawd diwethaf—mae'n gywilyddus o gymharu â gweddill y DU. Mae'r Llywodraeth hon i fod eisiau bod yn arweinydd ym maes cyfranogiad mewn chwaraeon ar lawr gwlad, a dylai fod eisiau bod yn arweinydd ar lefel elitaidd hefyd. Fyddwn ni ddim yn cyflawni hyn, na hyd yn oed yn dod yn agos ato, ar y llwybr presennol hwn. Mae'n amlwg i bawb, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd gwledig, bod mynediad at gyfleusterau chwaraeon yn fwyfwy anodd neu'n amhosibl, ac eto mae'n gwaethygu yn ystod y gaeaf, oherwydd diffyg cyfleusterau chwaraeon pob tywydd, yn enwedig, unwaith eto, mewn ardaloedd gwledig, lle mae diffyg cyfleusterau o'r fath. Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, pan fo chwaraeon yn wastatäwr, mae'n darparu buddion iechyd, mae'n ennyn balchder cenedlaethol, mae'n gwella llesiant, pryd y bydd yn cael y lefel o fuddsoddiad y mae'n ei haeddu cymaint, oherwydd y rôl enfawr y mae'n ei chwarae wrth atal anhwylderau iechyd, yn ogystal, wrth gwrs, â hawl pobl i gael mynediad at gyfleusterau chwaraeon yn agos atyn nhw, lle bynnag y maen nhw yng Nghymru?
Ac yn olaf, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, gan barhau eto gyda chwaraeon, mae'n hanfodol bwysig bod menywod a merched yn cael eu cefnogi er mwyn tyfu chwaraeon menywod, wrth symud ymlaen. Am resymau diogelwch a thegwch, mae'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig a Cheidwadwyr y DU yn cefnogi cryfhau Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 i ymgorffori hawliau menywod a merched mewn chwaraeon yng Nghymru drwy roi pwyslais ar ryw biolegol. Dylai pawb gael y cyfle i chwarae chwaraeon, ond dylai menywod ddim cael eu cosbi trwy fod â mantais fiolegol gwrywaidd—trwy orfod derbyn gwrywod biolegol i'w categori. Mae'n niweidio chwaraeon benywaidd ac yn cael effaith negyddol ar lefelau cyfranogiad menywod a merched. Mae'n debyg, cyn y gall Llafur ddechrau honni eu bod yn cefnogi menywod yn iawn, fod angen iddyn nhw ddysgu yn gyntaf, wrth gwrs, sut i ddiffinio un. Felly, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, allwch chi ymrwymo heddiw i ddiogelu chwaraeon menywod biolegol, os gwelwch yn dda? Diolch.
Thank you. Well, I did say at the start of my statement that I've got a very diverse portfolio, so it is very hard to kind of narrow it down to your priorities, but if I can encompass it in three from that statement—and I made this very clear to my Cabinet colleagues—tackling poverty has to be the top priority, and that obviously includes child poverty. But we know children are in poverty because their parents are in poverty, so I use the phrase 'tackling poverty', which obviously includes child poverty. For me, community cohesion or community safety is very important, because I think, for our constituents and for everybody in Wales, they need to feel safe in that community and in their home. And the third is a general bringing together. It wasn't an afterthought at all; it was bringing together arts, culture and sport, because I think the three of them—we have a tremendous amount to offer here in Wales.
I recognise that we don't have enough money to be able to support our arts, culture and sport sector in the way that we would all want to, but we have to be pragmatic and in Government you have to make tough decisions, and, unfortunately, our financial situation meant those tough decisions had to be made. But I do want to reassure everyone that I continue with to work with the WNO. I've got a meeting tomorrow with Rhianon Passmore. I've met with WNO. I think, last time I was in the Chamber, I had already met with them to see what we could do, because I absolutely recognise that they're a jewel in our crown, and I think I mentioned, in our question session, that, from a global point of view, they're very widely recognised. So, you know, I can't offer reassurances about funding, but what I can offer is my commitment to continue to work with all parts of the arts sector, the culture sector and the sport sector.
I absolutely agree that sport brings people together, and, if I think about my own experience, my daughter, who comes to the football with me, she lives two hours from home, but, on a Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock, we get together, and that's the case—. I look around the Racecourse stadium, and I can see that right across the Racecourse stadium, so, for me, that is really important. From an elite point of view, I think we punch above our weight in Wales.
Going back to grass roots, we do need to see more all-weather pitches, for instance, because, as you say, it's not just in the winter, is it, that we have flooded pitches et cetera. I've met with the FAW to discuss the plan that they have, and we just need to work together to make sure that funding is there. We've also got other people who are very happy to help us in this way with grass-roots sports, and I and my officials have had meetings and we will continue to do that.
Around the LGBTQ+ action plan that you mentioned, as you know, that plan was published in February 2023, so I don't think we need to have a review of it; we need to focus our efforts on implementation and on making substantial and positive impacts to the lives of LGBTQ+ people here in Wales. We will make sure we update progress against each activity and action point in the plan, and they will be monitored.
The point you make at the end, and I think you referred to the Equality Act—. There is no reference to biological sex in the Equality Act. I'm not quite sure what the UK Government—the Tories—are planning around attempts to amend the Act on that basis, but I think they need to tread very carefully.
Diolch. Wel, fe wnes i ddweud ar ddechrau fy natganiad fod gen i bortffolio amrywiol iawn, felly mae'n anodd iawn ei gyfyngu i'ch blaenoriaethau chi, ond os gallaf ei gwmpasu mewn tri o'r datganiad hwnnw—ac fe wnes i hyn yn glir iawn i'm cyd-Aelodau yn y Cabinet—trechu tlodi ddylai fod yn brif flaenoriaeth, ac mae hynny'n amlwg yn cynnwys tlodi plant. Ond rydym yn gwybod bod plant mewn tlodi oherwydd bod eu rhieni mewn tlodi, felly rwy'n defnyddio'r ymadrodd 'trechu tlodi', sy'n amlwg yn cynnwys tlodi plant. I mi, mae cydlyniant cymunedol neu ddiogelwch cymunedol yn bwysig iawn, oherwydd rwy'n credu, i'n hetholwyr ac i bawb yng Nghymru, mae angen iddyn nhw deimlo'n ddiogel yn y gymuned honno ac yn eu cartref. A'r trydydd yw dod â phobl ynghyd yn gyffredinol. Doedd e' ddim yn ôl-ystyriaeth o gwbl; roedd yn ymwneud â dod â'r celfyddydau, diwylliant a chwaraeon at ei gilydd, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod y tri ohonyn nhw—mae gennym ni lawer iawn i'w gynnig yma yng Nghymru.
Rwy'n cydnabod nad oes gennym ddigon o arian i allu cefnogi ein sector celfyddydol, diwylliant a chwaraeon yn y ffordd y byddem i gyd yn dymuno, ond mae'n rhaid i ni fod yn bragmatig ac yn y Llywodraeth mae'n rhaid i chi wneud penderfyniadau anodd, ac, yn anffodus, roedd ein sefyllfa ariannol yn golygu bod yn rhaid gwneud y penderfyniadau anodd hynny. Ond rwyf am roi sicrwydd i bawb fy mod i'n parhau i weithio gydag Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru. Mae gen i gyfarfod gyda Rhianon Passmore yfory. Rwyf wedi cyfarfod ag Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru. Rwy'n credu, y tro diwethaf i mi fod yn y Siambr, roeddwn i eisoes wedi cwrdd â nhw i weld beth allem ei wneud, oherwydd rwy'n cydnabod yn llwyr eu bod nhw'n em yn ein coron ni, ac rwy'n credu fy mod wedi sôn, yn ein sesiwn holi, eu bod, o safbwynt byd-eang, yn cael eu cydnabod yn eang iawn. Felly, wyddoch chi, galla' i ddim cynnig sicrwydd am gyllid, ond yr hyn y gallaf ei gynnig yw fy ymrwymiad i barhau i weithio gyda phob rhan o'r sector celfyddydau, y sector diwylliant a'r sector chwaraeon.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr bod chwaraeon yn dod â phobl at ei gilydd, ac, os ydw i'n meddwl am fy mhrofiad i fy hun, mae fy merch, sy'n dod i'r pêl-droed gyda fi, yn byw dwy awr o gartref, ond, ar brynhawn Sadwrn am 3 o'r gloch, rydym yn dod at ein gilydd, a dyna'r achos—. Rwy'n edrych o gwmpas stadiwm y Cae Ras, a gallaf weld hynny ar draws stadiwm y Cae Ras, felly, i mi, mae hynny'n bwysig iawn. O safbwynt chwaraeon elitaidd, rwy'n credu ein bod ni'n gwneud yn well na'r disgwyl yng Nghymru.
Gan fynd yn ôl at lawr gwlad, mae angen i ni weld mwy o gaeau pob tywydd, er enghraifft, oherwydd, fel y dywedwch chi, nid dim ond yn y gaeaf mae caeau yn gorlifo ac ati. Rwyf wedi cwrdd â Chymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru i drafod y cynllun sydd ganddyn nhw, a'r hyn sydd angen i ni ei wneud yw cydweithio i sicrhau bod cyllid yno. Mae gennym ni hefyd bobl eraill sy'n hapus iawn i'n helpu ni yn y ffordd hon gyda chwaraeon llawr gwlad, ac rwyf i a fy swyddogion wedi cael cyfarfodydd a byddwn ni'n parhau i wneud hynny.
O ran y cynllun gweithredu LHDTC+ y sonioch amdano, fel y gwyddoch chi, cafodd y cynllun hwnnw ei gyhoeddi ym mis Chwefror 2023, felly dydw i ddim yn credu bod angen i ni gael adolygiad ohono; mae angen i ni ganolbwyntio ein hymdrechion ar weithredu ac ar wneud effeithiau sylweddol a chadarnhaol i fywydau pobl LHDTC+ yma yng Nghymru. Byddwn ni'n sicrhau ein bod yn diweddaru'r cynnydd sy'n cael ei wneud yn erbyn pob gweithgaredd a phwynt gweithredu yn y cynllun, a byddan nhw'n cael eu monitro.
Y pwynt rydych chi'n ei wneud ar y diwedd, ac rwy'n credu y gwnaethoch chi gyfeirio at y Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb—. Does dim cyfeiriad at ryw biolegol yn y Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb. Dydw i ddim yn hollol siŵr beth mae Llywodraeth y DU—y Torïaid—yn ei gynllunio o gwmpas ymdrechion i ddiwygio'r Ddeddf ar y sail honno, ond rwy'n credu bod angen iddyn nhw droedio'n ofalus iawn.
Diolch am y datganiad, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet. Dwi'n falch o glywed y ffocws sydd gyda chi ar dlodi plant yn enwedig. Mae'n gywilyddus, yn fy marn i, cyn lleied rŷn ni wedi clywed gan arweinwyr Llafur a Thorïaidd yn ystod yr ymgyrch etholiadol yma am y miliynau sy'n mynd heb hanfodion bywyd, am y ffaith bod defnydd o fanciau bwyd ar ei lefel uchaf erioed. Dyw taflu termau o gwmpas fel 'tyfu'r economi' ddim yn banacea; mae twf economaidd yn cymryd blynyddoedd. Heb gynlluniau trethiant a gwariant gwahanol, fe welwn ni doriadau i wasanaethau cyhoeddus a lefelau tlodi yn cael eu normaleiddio, achos, fel rŷch chi'n gwybod, mae lefel tlodi plant yng Nghymru gyda'r uchaf yn y Deyrnas Gyfunol.
Pan wyf wedi holi'r Llywodraeth—Llywodraeth Cymru—am yr hyn maen nhw'n ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â'r sgandal genedlaethol hon, rwyf bob tro yn clywed mewn ymateb, 'Llywodraeth San Steffan sydd bennaf ar fai', a dwi'n cytuno bod yna lawer y dylai ac y gallai Llywodraeth San Steffan ei wneud i ddileu tlodi plant, gan gynnwys, wrth gwrs, cael gwared ar y cap dau blentyn ar fudd-daliadau, sy'n dyfnhau tlodi plant yng Nghymru.
Yn ôl yr End Poverty Coalition, mae dros 65,000 o blant Cymru sydd mewn tlodi yn cael eu taro gan y polisi annynol hwn. Mae Torsten Bell, cyfarwyddwr y Resolution Foundation, fel ag yr oedd, ond sydd nawr, wrth gwrs, yn gobeithio cynrychioli Gorllewin Abertawe dros Lafur yn San Steffan, wedi dweud bod cost cael gwared ar y cap yma yn ddim o'i gymharu â'r gost o'i gadw—neu efallai bod hwnna'n un o'r tweets mae wedi eu dileu erbyn hyn.
Ydych chi'n cytuno gydag ymgeisydd Llafur Gorllewin Abertawe, felly, neu gyda'ch arweinydd, Keir Starmer, sydd wedi dweud bod hyn yn anfforddiadwy, tra bod arfau yn gwbl fforddiadwy? Ac a fyddwch chi fel aelod o Lywodraeth Cymru sy'n gyfrifol am fesurau i ddileu tlodi plant yn gwneud yr achos dros gael gwared ar y cap dau blentyn i Lywodraeth nesaf San Steffan er mwyn plant Cymru?
Ac, wrth gwrs, mae yna gamau sy'n llwyr o fewn rheolaeth Llywodraeth Cymru. A wnewch chi wrando ar gyngor arbenigwyr polisi a grwpiau ymgyrchu tlodi plant, y comisiynydd plant, adroddiad y pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol, a seiliodd ein hargymhellion ar dystiolaeth ryngwladol, a sicrhau bod y camau hynny'n rhai effeithiol, y rhai sydd yn y strategaeth tlodi plant, drwy osod targedau statudol i fesur cynnydd, sicrhau perchnogaeth, a ffocysu a gyrru gweithredu? Achos yn wahanol i'r hyn gawsom ni yn eich datganiad, doedden nhw ddim yn fodlon o gwbl gyda'r strategaeth tlodi plant. Mae'r awgrym yna i ddefnyddio cerrig milltir cenedlaethol yn lle targedau. Dwi'n meddwl taw Dr Victoria Winckler o Sefydliad Bevan a darodd yr hoelen ar ei phen pan ddywedodd hi:
Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. I'm pleased to hear the focus that you have on child poverty in particular. It's shameful, in my opinion, how little we've heard from the leaders of Labour and the Tories during the election campaign about the millions who are without the basics of life, and about the fact that the use of foodbanks is at an all-time high. Throwing around terms like 'growing the economy' is no panacea; economic growth takes years. Without different taxation and spending plans, we will see cuts to public services and levels of poverty being normalised, because, as you know, the level of child poverty in Wales is amongst the highest in the UK.
When I've asked the Government—the Welsh Government—about what it's doing to tackle this national scandal, I always hear in response that the Westminster Government is mainly to blame, and I do agree that there is much that the Westminster Government could and should do to eradicate child poverty, including, of course, removing the two-child cap on benefits, which is exacerbating child poverty in Wales.
According to the End Poverty Coalition, more than 65,000 children in Wales who are in poverty are being affected by this inhumane policy. Torsten Bell, the director of the Resolution Foundation, as he was, but who now hopes to represent Swansea West for the Labour Party in Westminster, has said that the cost of getting rid of the cap is nothing compared to the cost of keeping it—or maybe that's one of the tweets that he has now deleted.
So, do you agree with the Swansea West Labour candidate, or with your leader, Keir Starmer, who has said that this is unaffordable, while arms and weapons are entirely affordable? And will you, as the member of the Welsh Government responsible for measures to eradicate child poverty, make the case for getting rid of the two-child cap to the next Westminster Government, for the sake of the children of Wales?
And of course, there are actions that are completely within the purview of the Welsh Government. Will you listen to the advice of policy experts and child poverty campaign groups, the children's commissioner, and the report of the Equality and Social Justice Committee, which based its recommendations on international evidence, and ensure that those actions are effective ones—those that are in the child poverty strategy—by setting statutory targets to measure progress, ensure ownership, and focus and drive action? Because, unlike what we had from you in your statement, they weren't content at all with the child poverty strategy. That suggestion is there to use national milestones instead of targets. I think that Dr Victoria Winckler from the Bevan Foundation hit the nail on the head when she said:
'It's a bit like marking your own homework. I think that it's difficult to monitor progress when you don't have clear targets, because you are just reporting on trends. You're not actually reporting on the effectiveness of your own interventions.'
'Mae ychydig fel marcio'ch gwaith cartref eich hun. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn anodd monitro cynnydd pan nad oes gennych chi dargedau clir, oherwydd dim ond adrodd ar dueddiadau ydych chi. Dydych chi ddim yn adrodd ar effeithiolrwydd eich ymyriadau eich hun mewn gwirionedd.'
A wnawn ni weld newid, felly, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet? Ydych chi'n barod i wrando ar y cyngor hwn a dangos eich bod o ddifrif am wneud popeth posib i sicrhau bod eich gwaith yn y maes hwn mor effeithiol â phosib?
Rŷch chi hefyd yn dweud bod y frwydr i godi plant o dlodi wrth hanfod eich holl waith. Felly, pa waith byddwch chi'n ei wneud i yrru'r gwaith i greu system budd-daliadau Cymreig, a allai fod yn drawsnewidiol o ran mynd i'r afael â thlodi plant? Fe ellid cyflawni hynny cymaint yn haws pe byddai'r pwerau gennym ni yng Nghymru, wrth gwrs. Felly, pa wahaniaeth y mae'r siarter budd-daliadau, sydd wedi’i gyflwyno gyda chi, wedi ei wneud yn barod? Wnewch chi roi diweddariad inni ar hynny? Ac oes yna waith modelu wedi ei wneud o ran sut byddai creu system statudol yn fwy effeithiol o ran lliniaru tlodi plant?
Ac, wrth gwrs, rydyn ni ar hyn o bryd yn dathlu Mis Pride, Mis Balchder. Ac wrth inni wneud hynny, rhaid inni ailddatgan ein hymrwymiad i bobl LHDTC+ Cymru ein bod yn parchu eu hawliau ac y byddwn yn ymladd dros eu hawliau. Mae Plaid Cymru yn credu y dylid datganoli pwerau sy'n ymwneud â'r Ddeddf Cydnabod Rhywedd 2004 i Gymru er mwyn helpu i sicrhau hawl pobl draws i fyw eu bywydau fel y dymunant, gydag urddas, ac yn rhydd o ormes. Ac o ystyried yr hyn glywon ni gan y Torïaid ddoe—yr ymgais ciaidd i chwarae gwleidyddiaeth gyda bywydau pobl—ydych chi fel Llywodraeth yn cadw at yr hyn oedd yn eich maniffesto diwethaf chi, sef gweithio i ddatganoli y Ddeddf Cydnabod Rhywedd a chefnogi ein cymuned draws? Diolch.
Will we therefore see a change, Cabinet Secretary? Are you ready to listen to this advice and show that you're serious about doing everything possible to ensure that your work in this area is as effective as possible?
You also say that the fight to lift children out of poverty will be at the heart of all of your work. So, what work will you do to drive the work to create a Welsh benefits system, which could be transformative in terms of tackling child poverty? That could be achieved so much more easily if we had the powers in Wales, of course. So, what difference has the benefits charter that has been submitted made already? Will you give us an update on that? And has there been modelling work done in terms of how creating a statutory system would be more effective in terms of alleviating child poverty?
And, of course, we are currently celebrating Pride Month. And as we do so, we must reaffirm our commitment to the LGBTQ+ people of Wales that we respect their rights and that we will fight for their rights. Plaid Cymru believes that powers relating to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 should be devolved to Wales in order to help ensure the right of trans people to live their lives as they wish, with dignity, and free from oppression. And considering what we heard from the Tories yesterday—the cowardly attempt to play politics with the lives of people—are you as a Government sticking to what was in your last manifesto, namely to work to devolve the Gender Recognition Act and support our trans community? Thank you.
Thank you very much and I absolutely recognise the importance you too put on working with us around eradicating child poverty. When I came into the portfolio, having been in this portfolio 10 years ago, it's incredibly disappointing to see child poverty at such a high level.
I'm very happy to listen to policy experts. I've already met with the children's commissioner, I've met with the Bevan Foundation, and we've had a discussion around the child poverty strategy. I have to say, I am a Minister that impulsively looks to targets, and I had a conversation with my predecessor, Jane Hutt, around that. But I do think the child poverty monitoring framework that we do have in place should be allowed to be exactly what it is—monitored. So, when I met with the children's commissioner yesterday, we will have a report within the first year against this monitoring framework. I think it is based on a range of very relevant measures of poverty. It's an assessment of progress in the delivery of our policy commitments. It's also about listening to children and adults and families with lived experience of poverty. I really think that will support us to have a look at the impact of our approach, but I think it is really important that if, in a year’s time, we look and we think that the implementation of what we are doing to try and reduce poverty, and that includes child poverty—. I'm not somebody that's going to commit for five years and not to do something differently. There's no point just keeping on doing the same things, even the same things differently. You may have to do very different things.
We do have levers as a Government, I absolutely accept that, but we also have to accept that some of those levers are with the UK Government, and I'll be very happy to have those conversations when we do have a Labour Government in place. But, as a Welsh Government, obviously, we've worked with Plaid Cymru as part of the co-operation agreement around our childcare offer, around food in schools—these are things that actively make a difference—the school essentials grant, the education maintenance allowance and, of course, the council tax reduction scheme, because the idea is to get as much money into people's pockets.
You mentioned the Welsh benefits charter. I don't have the figures to hand, but I'll be, certainly, very happy to update Members when we do have that first data to be able to evidence what we're doing, and I do think we have made a big impact. But I think it would be great if the UK Government could perhaps have some sort of campaign that we could all get behind to make sure people are aware of what they are entitled to. And, again, this is something I had started to talk about with the UK Government, but we'll have to wait until after the general election now.
I absolutely agree with what you say around Pride Month. It is something that should be celebrated and respected, and I mentioned in my earlier answer to Laura Anne Jones that our focus has been on the implementation of the LGBTQ+ plan that was published last year.
Diolch yn fawr iawn ac rwy'n cydnabod yn llwyr y pwysigrwydd rydych chi hefyd yn ei roi ar weithio gyda ni i ddileu tlodi plant. Pan ddes i i mewn i'r portffolio, ar ôl bod yn y portffolio hwn 10 mlynedd yn ôl, mae'n hynod siomedig gweld tlodi plant ar lefel mor uchel.
Rwy'n hapus iawn i wrando ar arbenigwyr polisi. Rwyf eisoes wedi cyfarfod â'r comisiynydd plant, rwyf wedi cyfarfod â Sefydliad Bevan, ac rydym wedi cael trafodaeth ynghylch y strategaeth tlodi plant. Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, rwy'n Weinidog sy'n edrych yn reddfol at dargedau, a chefais sgwrs gyda fy rhagflaenydd, Jane Hutt, ynghylch hynny. Ond rwyf yn credu y dylid caniatáu i'r fframwaith monitro tlodi plant sydd gennym fod yn union fel ag y mae—wedi'i fonitro. Felly, pan wnes i gyfarfod â'r comisiynydd plant ddoe, bydd gennym ni adroddiad o fewn y flwyddyn gyntaf yn erbyn y fframwaith monitro hwn. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn seiliedig ar ystod o fesurau tlodi perthnasol iawn. Mae'n asesiad o gynnydd wrth gyflawni ein hymrwymiadau polisi. Mae hefyd yn ymwneud â gwrando ar blant ac oedolion a theuluoedd sydd â phrofiad bywyd o dlodi. Rwyf wir yn meddwl y bydd hynny'n ein helpu ni i weld beth yw effaith ein dull gweithredu ni, ond rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn ein bod ni, ymhen blwyddyn, yn edrych ac yn meddwl am yr hyn rydym yn ei wneud i geisio lleihau tlodi, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys tlodi plant—. Dydw i ddim yn rhywun sy'n mynd i ymrwymo am bum mlynedd a pheidio â gwneud rhywbeth yn wahanol. Does dim pwynt parhau i wneud yr un pethau, hyd yn oed yr un pethau'n wahanol. Efallai y bydd angen i chi wneud pethau gwahanol iawn.
Mae gennym ni ddulliau ysgogi fel Llywodraeth, rwy'n derbyn hynny'n llwyr, ond mae'n rhaid i ni hefyd dderbyn bod rhai o'r dulliau ysgogi hynny gyda Llywodraeth y DU, a byddaf yn hapus iawn i gael y sgyrsiau hynny pan fydd gennym ni Lywodraeth Lafur ar waith. Ond, fel Llywodraeth Cymru, yn amlwg, rydym wedi gweithio gyda Phlaid Cymru fel rhan o'r cytundeb cydweithio ynghylch ein cynnig gofal plant, ynghylch bwyd mewn ysgolion—mae'r rhain yn bethau sy'n mynd ati i wneud gwahaniaeth—y grant hanfodion ysgol, y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg ac, wrth gwrs, cynllun gostyngiadau'r dreth gyngor, oherwydd y syniad yw cael cymaint o arian i bocedi pobl.
Fe wnaethoch chi sôn am siarter budd-daliadau Cymru. Does gen i ddim y ffigurau wrth law, ond byddaf i, yn sicr, yn hapus iawn i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau pan fydd gennym y data cyntaf hwnnw i allu dangos tystiolaeth o'r hyn rydym yn ei wneud, ac rwy'n credu ein bod ni wedi cael effaith fawr. Ond rwy'n credu y byddai'n wych pe gallai Llywodraeth y DU efallai gael rhyw fath o ymgyrch y gallem ni i gyd ei chefnogi i sicrhau bod pobl yn ymwybodol o'r hyn y mae ganddyn nhw yr hawl i'w gael. Ac unwaith eto, mae hyn yn rhywbeth roeddwn i wedi dechrau siarad amdano gyda Llywodraeth y DU, ond bydd yn rhaid i ni aros tan ar ôl yr etholiad cyffredinol nawr.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â'r hyn rydych chi'n ei ddweud am fis Pride. Mae'n rhywbeth y dylid ei ddathlu a'i barchu, ac fe soniais i yn fy ateb cynharach i Laura Anne Jones am y ffaith ein bod ni wedi bod yn canolbwyntio ar roi'r cynllun LHDTC+ a gyhoeddwyd y llynedd ar waith.
Cabinet Secretary, thank you very much for the statement, and I'm going to restrain my comments today to the performance sector of Wales. Welsh culture, Welsh arts and the music of Wales are for everyone, and not just for the elite or those who can afford it. But it is also right that excellence as a concept is recognised within our cultural strategy, and currently it is not. Achieving diversity of access and achieving pathways to excellence and achieving individual potential are not mutually exclusive concepts, so that artistic goal of excellence needs to be firmly in place within that strategy. But it is a simple fact, and it is not political point scoring, to state that the shrinkage of the state, public services and public spending has created an arid environment within which the Welsh Government has had to operate to safeguard Welsh cultural life. That is a simple fact. And I acknowledge the Cabinet Secretary's words that, and I quote, 'I'm aware of the impact the reduction in our indicative grant in aid allocation for 2024-25 will have on our culture, arts and sports arm's-length bodies, and I've acted to mitigate the full scale of the budget pressures on them, but there is no budget flexibility that can prevent significant reductions to their budgets.'
This is undoubtedly correct, and raises questions for us as to how our arm's-length bodies operate their governance and their decision making. Why is this so important? Today on the Senedd steps, I met with some really passionate members of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama junior department, because on Saturdays the learners, aged from four to 18, gather to learn, and the funding decisions that are made by the Arts Council of Wales now threaten that existence. On 21 May, as the chair of the cross-party group on music, I was also able to welcome the renowned conductor, Carlo Rizzi, and members of the Welsh National Opera to the steps of the Senedd, where they protested for their very existence. So, it is absolutely right that we get it right and, Cabinet Secretary, I welcome your willingness to meet with the interim general director of Welsh National Opera, as well as me, to discuss the huge concerns that exist. And it is right that our organisations of excellence, such as the Welsh National Opera, are not lost but recognised and supported by their arm's-length bodies who keep them alive.
Cabinet Secretary, as we reaffirm our cultural values, we must ensure that, as well as grass-roots participation, excellence within our cultural life is safeguarded. We have to do both. Cabinet Secretary, with the forthcoming general election offering a new direction for the British populace, what future options are available to the Welsh Government to reshape the threats to Welsh culture, and how can you work with a new UK Government to revise long-standing bi-national agreements that have supported Welsh cultural life for decades? Thank you.
Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, diolch yn fawr iawn am y datganiad, ac rwy'n mynd i gyfyngu fy sylwadau heddiw i'r sector perfformiad yng Nghymru. Mae diwylliant Cymru, y celfyddydau Cymreig a cherddoriaeth Cymru ar gyfer pawb, ac nid dim ond ar gyfer yr elît neu'r rhai sy'n gallu eu fforddio. Ond mae hefyd yn iawn bod rhagoriaeth fel cysyniad yn cael ei chydnabod o fewn ein strategaeth ddiwylliannol, ac nid felly y mae hi ar hyn o bryd. Nid yw sicrhau amrywiaeth o ran mynediad a chyflawni llwybrau at ragoriaeth a chyflawni potensial unigol yn gysyniadau sy'n annibynnol ar ei gilydd, felly mae angen i'r nod artistig hwnnw o ragoriaeth fod wedi'i gynnwys yn gadarn yn y strategaeth honno. Ond mae'n ffaith syml, ac nid yw'n sgorio pwyntiau gwleidyddol, i ddatgan bod crebachu'r wladwriaeth, gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a gwariant cyhoeddus wedi creu amgylchedd cras lle bu'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru weithredu i ddiogelu bywyd diwylliannol Cymru. Mae hynny'n ffaith syml. Ac rwy'n cydnabod geiriau'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, ac rwy'n dyfynnu, 'Rwy'n ymwybodol o'r effaith y bydd y gostyngiad yn ein dyraniad cymorth grant dangosol ar gyfer 2024-25 yn ei chael ar ein cyrff hyd braich diwylliant, celfyddydau a chwaraeon, ac rwyf wedi gweithredu i liniaru pwysau llawn y gyllideb arnyn nhw, ond does dim hyblygrwydd yn y gyllideb a all atal gostyngiadau sylweddol i'w cyllidebau.'
Mae hyn yn sicr yn gywir, ac mae'n codi cwestiynau i ni o ran sut mae ein cyrff hyd braich yn gweithredu o ran llywodraethu a gwneud penderfyniadau. Pam mae hyn mor bwysig? Heddiw ar risiau'r Senedd, fe gwrddais i â rhai aelodau angerddol iawn o adran iau Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru, oherwydd ar ddydd Sadwrn mae'r dysgwyr, sydd rhwng pedair a 18 oed, yn ymgynnull i ddysgu, ac mae'r penderfyniadau cyllido a wneir gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru yn bygwth y fodolaeth honno nawr. Ar 21 Mai, fel cadeirydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar gerddoriaeth, roeddwn i hefyd yn gallu croesawu'r arweinydd enwog, Carlo Rizzi, ac aelodau o Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru i risiau'r Senedd, lle buon nhw'n protestio am eu bodolaeth. Felly, mae'n gwbl briodol ein bod ni'n gwneud hyn yn iawn ac, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, rwy'n croesawu eich parodrwydd i gwrdd â chyfarwyddwr cyffredinol dros dro Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru, yn ogystal â minnau, i drafod y pryderon enfawr sy'n bodoli. Ac mae'n iawn nad yw ein sefydliadau rhagoriaeth, fel Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru, yn cael eu colli ond yn cael eu cydnabod a'u cefnogi gan eu cyrff hyd braich sy'n eu cadw'n fyw.
Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, wrth i ni ailddatgan ein gwerthoedd diwylliannol, mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau, yn ogystal â chyfranogiad ar lawr gwlad, bod rhagoriaeth o fewn ein bywyd diwylliannol yn cael ei diogelu. Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud y ddau. Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, gyda'r etholiad cyffredinol sydd ar ddod yn cynnig cyfeiriad newydd i bobl Prydain, pa opsiynau sydd ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru yn y dyfodol i ail-lunio'r bygythiadau i ddiwylliant Cymru, a sut allwch chi weithio gyda Llywodraeth newydd y DU i adolygu cytundebau hirsefydlog rhwng y ddwy genedl sydd wedi cefnogi bywyd diwylliannol Cymru ers degawdau? Diolch.
Thank you. Well, as I think I mentioned earlier, I have already met with the WNO, with the interim director, and I look forward to meeting with you also. I think it's fair to say we've never quite seen or heard a protest like the one we had from the WNO.
Certainly, the discussions I had with the WNO, because—. It's a very unusual organisation in that it's funded by Arts Council England and the Arts Council of Wales, and that was because it had been recognised for the work it does in England too. I also think a lot of people probably aren't aware of the, if you like, extracurricular work that the WNO does, particularly in a health setting. I've had a discussion with my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for health to see if there's anything we can do to help support them there. That was certainly the first time I ever came across the WNO, when they came to my constituency and did work in a very deprived part of my constituency with young children, because, as you say, it's absolutely for everybody.
The priorities that I've set out in the cultural strategy—. And I'd like to pay tribute to the work of my predecessor, Dawn Bowden, because Dawn did most of the work around the culture strategy in very difficult financial constraints. We're not asking the culture sector to do more with less. What we're doing is setting out very clear priorities with them, to help decision making at a more granular level, so asking them to work in partnership a bit more, because even with a new Labour UK Government, we have to accept that there won't be as much money, perhaps, as we would want. But, certainly, I think there will be a focus, if we do have a Labour Government, on arts and culture in a way that currently isn't the case. So, what I've said to the WNO, what I've said to the Arts Council of Wales, is that we mustn't throw the baby out with the bath water. We mustn't lose skills that will be very, very hard to get back. But I pledge to continue having those conversations.
Diolch. Wel, fel y soniais yn gynharach, rwy'n credu, rwyf eisoes wedi cwrdd ag Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru, gyda'r cyfarwyddwr dros dro, ac edrychaf ymlaen at gwrdd â chi hefyd. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn deg dweud nad ydym erioed wedi gweld nac wedi clywed protest fel yr un a gawsom gan Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru.
Yn sicr, y trafodaethau a gefais gydag Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru, oherwydd—. Mae'n sefydliad anarferol iawn gan ei fod yn cael ei ariannu gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Lloegr a Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, a hynny oherwydd ei fod wedi cael ei gydnabod am y gwaith mae'n ei wneud yn Lloegr hefyd. Rwy'n credu hefyd nad yw llawer o bobl yn ymwybodol fwy na thebyg o'r gwaith allgyrsiol, os mynnwch chi, mae Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru yn ei wneud, yn enwedig mewn lleoliad iechyd. Rwyf wedi cael trafodaeth gyda fy nghyd-Aelod, yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros iechyd, i weld a oes unrhyw beth y gallwn ni ei wneud i helpu i'w cefnogi yno. Yn sicr, dyna'r tro cyntaf i mi ddod ar draws Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru, pan ddaethon nhw i fy etholaeth a gwneud gwaith mewn rhan ddifreintiedig iawn o fy etholaeth gyda phlant ifanc, oherwydd, fel y dywedwch chi, mae ar gyfer pawb.
Mae'r blaenoriaethau rwyf wedi'u nodi yn y strategaeth ddiwylliannol—. A hoffwn dalu teyrnged i waith fy rhagflaenydd, Dawn Bowden, oherwydd fe wnaeth Dawn y rhan fwyaf o'r gwaith o amgylch y strategaeth ddiwylliant o dan gyfyngiadau ariannol anodd iawn. Dydyn ni ddim yn gofyn i'r sector diwylliant wneud mwy gyda llai. Yr hyn rydym yn ei wneud yw nodi blaenoriaethau clir iawn gyda nhw, i helpu i wneud penderfyniadau ar lefel fwy gronynnog, felly gofyn iddyn nhw weithio mewn partneriaeth ychydig yn fwy, oherwydd hyd yn oed gyda Llywodraeth Lafur newydd yn y DU, mae'n rhaid i ni dderbyn na fydd cymaint o arian, efallai, ag y byddem ei eisiau. Ond, yn sicr, rwy'n credu y bydd yna ffocws, os byddwn ni'n cael Llywodraeth Lafur, ar y celfyddydau a diwylliant mewn ffordd nad yw'n wir ar hyn o bryd. Felly, yr hyn rwyf wedi'i ddweud wrth Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru, yr hyn rwyf wedi'i ddweud wrth Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, yw na ddylem daflu ymaith y da i ganlyn y drwg. Rhaid i ni beidio â cholli sgiliau a fydd yn anodd iawn, iawn eu cael yn ôl. Ond rwy'n addo parhau i gael y sgyrsiau hynny.
I'd be grateful if you could please respond to one of Sioned Williams's points in your response to me, just in terms of clarifying what the position of the Government is on the two-child cap—something that is, of course, of huge concern to many of us because of that very cruel policy.
I will focus my contribution in terms of arts and culture, and I would ask you, perhaps, to reflect on one of your sentences where you said that you admired the can-do attitude and resilience of the arts and cultural sector. Well, yes, that has been the case but the 'can-do' has turned into 'can't any longer', and everyone has a breaking point and, unfortunately, that has been reached. These are not threats anymore—we have lost experts, key expertise. Those skills are gone. The damage is done in terms of our national institutions, to both the national library and Amgueddfa Cymru. I sponsored at lunchtime an event by Prospect, where there were many of those experts there. It was heartbreaking, Cabinet Secretary, and I would urge you to perhaps have the conversation with Members of both Prospect and PCS to hear about that heartbreaking—. They can't do more. They're really concerned about the future of the national collections, but also the accessibility of jobs within our national institutions, because they say they will not be able to provide opportunities for young people, that it will become elitist, and that's not what we want to see. So, please, can I ask you to reflect on that comment, because there is a seriousness to the situation of our national institutions, and what I'd like to know is how is the Government going to address this in the short term, not just the long term?
Byddwn yn ddiolchgar pe gallech ymateb i un o bwyntiau Sioned Williams yn eich ymateb i mi, dim ond i egluro beth yw safbwynt y Llywodraeth ar y cap dau blentyn—rhywbeth sydd, wrth gwrs, o bryder enfawr i lawer ohonom oherwydd y polisi creulon iawn hwnnw.
Byddaf yn canolbwyntio fy nghyfraniad ar y celfyddydau a diwylliant, a byddwn yn gofyn i chi, efallai, fyfyrio ar un o'ch brawddegau pan ddywedoch chi eich bod yn edmygu agwedd a gwytnwch y sector celfyddydau a diwylliannol. Wel, ie, mae hynny wedi bod yn wir ond mae'r 'gallu gwneud' wedi troi'n 'ddim yn gallu mwyach', ac mae gan bawb bwynt torri ac, yn anffodus, mae hynny wedi ei gyrraedd. Nid bygythiadau yw'r rhain bellach—rydym wedi colli arbenigwyr, arbenigedd allweddol. Mae'r sgiliau hynny wedi mynd. Mae'r difrod wedi'i wneud o ran ein sefydliadau cenedlaethol, i'r Llyfrgell Genedlaethol ac Amgueddfa Cymru. Noddais amser cinio ddigwyddiad gan Prospect, lle roedd llawer o'r arbenigwyr hynny yno. Roedd yn dorcalonnus, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, a byddwn i'n eich annog i efallai gael y sgwrs gydag Aelodau Prospect a PCS i glywed am y sefyllfa dorcalonnus honno—. Gallan nhw ddim gwneud mwy. Maen nhw'n bryderus iawn am ddyfodol y casgliadau cenedlaethol, ond hefyd hygyrchedd swyddi o fewn ein sefydliadau cenedlaethol, oherwydd maen nhw'n dweud na fyddan nhw'n gallu darparu cyfleoedd i bobl ifanc, y bydd yn dod yn elitaidd, ac nid dyna rydyn ni eisiau ei weld. Felly, os gwelwch yn dda, a gaf i ofyn ichi fyfyrio ar y sylw hwnnw, oherwydd mae difrifoldeb i sefyllfa ein sefydliadau cenedlaethol, a'r hyn yr hoffwn ei wybod yw sut mae'r Llywodraeth yn mynd i fynd i'r afael â hyn yn y tymor byr, nid dim ond y tymor hir?
Thank you. I have already met with both Prospect and PCS, and I think I'm having a separate meeting with the Musicians' Union, who I've also met, but I think they've asked for a further meeting. You will know that, as part of the co-operation agreement, Dawn Bowden and Siân Gwenllian, one of the things they did, on the funding that I think had been set aside for this financial year to implement the culture strategy, it has been used to save as many jobs as possible. I do recognise, obviously, there have been voluntary redundancies, but I have been reassured that they have tried to ensure that not all the skills from one specific area have gone. Okay, it might be spread a bit more thinly to try and protect some of those skills, but, as I said, I'm very happy to continue working with them. Some of the organisations are requesting a very small amount of money. Now, if that money should come forward, if we do have a Labour Government, because I do think we would have some, if you look at what they're pledging—and, obviously, the manifesto is yet to come out—we would get consequentials of funding. So, what I try to say to everybody is, 'If you can just hang on for a little bit longer and we can see if we can find some more money.' But we are in a very difficult financial position and I don't want to underplay that.
Sorry, I thought I had referred to two-child cap. What I had said is I will continue to have those discussions, because I think we all recognise what a powerful lever that could be.
Diolch. Rwyf eisoes wedi cyfarfod â Prospect a PCS, ac rwy'n credu fy mod i'n cael cyfarfod ar wahân gydag Undeb y Cerddorion, yr wyf hefyd wedi cyfarfod â nhw, ond rwy'n credu eu bod nhw wedi gofyn am gyfarfod pellach. Fel y gwyddoch chi, fel rhan o'r cytundeb cydweithio, Dawn Bowden a Siân Gwenllian, un o'r pethau a wnaethant, o ran yr arian a roddwyd o'r neilltu rwy'n credu ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol hon i roi'r strategaeth ddiwylliant ar waith, mae wedi cael ei ddefnyddio i achub cynifer o swyddi â phosibl. Rwy'n cydnabod, yn amlwg, bod diswyddiadau gwirfoddol wedi bod, ond rwyf wedi cael sicrwydd eu bod nhw wedi ceisio sicrhau nad yw'r holl sgiliau o un maes penodol wedi mynd. Iawn, efallai y bydd yn cael ei ledaenu ychydig yn fwy tenau i geisio diogelu rhai o'r sgiliau hynny, ond, fel y dywedais i, rwy'n hapus iawn i barhau i weithio gyda nhw. Mae rhai o'r sefydliadau yn gofyn am swm bach iawn o arian. Nawr, os byddwn ni'n cael yr arian hwnnw, os byddwn ni'n cael Llywodraeth Lafur, oherwydd rwy'n credu y byddai gennym ni rywfaint, os edrychwch chi ar yr hyn maen nhw'n ei addo—ac, yn amlwg, nid yw'r maniffesto wedi cael ei gyhoeddi eto—byddem yn cael cyllid canlyniadol. Felly, yr hyn rwy'n ceisio ei ddweud wrth bawb yw, 'Os gallwch chi aros ychydig yn hirach a gallwn ni weld a allwn ni ddod o hyd i ychydig mwy o arian.' Ond rydym mewn sefyllfa ariannol anodd iawn a dydw i ddim eisiau tanbwysleisio hynny.
Mae'n ddrwg gen i, roeddwn i'n meddwl fy mod i wedi cyfeirio at y cap dau blentyn. Yr hyn roeddwn i wedi'i ddweud yw y byddaf yn parhau i gael y trafodaethau hynny, oherwydd rwy'n credu ein bod ni i gyd yn cydnabod pa mor bwerus y gallai'r dull ysgogi hwnnw fod.
Finally, Carolyn Thomas.
Yn olaf, Carolyn Thomas.
Diolch, Llywydd. For me, Welsh Labour values are ensuring that nobody gets left behind, and access to play, music, culture can easily become affordable for only those that are wealthy if they're not subsidised by public funding, and that funding's been cut so much over the last 10 years, and it worries me when I hear rhetoric as well saying that we need to grow the economy before we can have funding for public services. I don't think that needs to be the way forward, and I hope you can make representations about that.
Also, I'm worried about much in this is being politicised as well, such as Wales being a nation of sanctuary, which means helping refugees belong to communities that are cohesive; it's not about asylum seekers. So, how do you address that as well, going forward, because when you get a groundswell of the public having that misinformation, then that helps control political decisions and makes the decisions go in the wrong way, if you know what I mean.
And lots of decisions are based on GDP and business. How do we give value to health and well-being, because most people just see need a certain level of happiness and well-being, access to music, culture, and equality, to live, not two houses and wealth. We have the future generations and well-being Act, so how do we apply that as a measure? And how can we give measure to all these valuable things to make an equal society? I'm sorry, that's not a really good question, but it's what I feel matters and what makes us as a Welsh Labour Party important, to make sure nobody's left behind. Thank you.
Diolch, Llywydd. I mi, mae gwerthoedd Llafur Cymru yn ymwneud â sicrhau nad oes neb yn cael ei adael ar ôl, a gall mynediad at chwarae, cerddoriaeth, diwylliant ddod yn fforddiadwy yn hawdd i'r rhai sy'n gyfoethog yn unig os nad ydyn nhw'n cael eu hariannu gan gyllid cyhoeddus, ac mae'r cyllid hwnnw wedi'i dorri cymaint dros y 10 mlynedd diwethaf, ac mae'n fy mhoeni pan fyddaf yn clywed rhethreg hefyd yn dweud bod angen i ni dyfu'r economi cyn y gallwn ni gael cyllid ar gyfer gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Dydw i ddim yn credu bod angen i hynny fod y ffordd ymlaen, ac rwy'n gobeithio y gallwch chi wneud sylwadau am hynny.
Hefyd, rwy'n poeni bod llawer o hyn yn cael ei wleidyddoli hefyd, megis Cymru fel cenedl noddfa, sy'n golygu helpu ffoaduriaid i berthyn i gymunedau sy'n gydlynol; dydy e' ddim yn ymwneud â cheiswyr lloches. Felly, sut ydych chi'n mynd i'r afael â hynny hefyd, wrth symud ymlaen, oherwydd pan gewch chi niferoedd mawr o'r cyhoedd gael y wybodaeth anghywir honno, yna mae hynny'n helpu i reoli penderfyniadau gwleidyddol ac yn gwneud i'r penderfyniadau fynd y ffordd anghywir, os ydych chi'n gwybod beth rwy'n ei olygu.
Ac mae llawer o benderfyniadau yn seiliedig ar gynnyrch domestig gros a busnes. Sut ydyn ni'n rhoi gwerth i iechyd a lles, oherwydd mae'r rhan fwyaf o bobl angen lefel benodol o hapusrwydd a lles, mynediad at gerddoriaeth, diwylliant a chydraddoldeb, i fyw, nid dau dŷ a chyfoeth. Mae gennym ni Ddeddf cenedlaethau'r dyfodol a llesiant, felly sut allwn ni gymhwyso honno fel mesur? A sut allwn ni fesur yr holl bethau gwerthfawr hyn er mwyn gwneud cymdeithas gyfartal? Mae'n ddrwg gennyf, dydy hwnnw ddim yn gwestiwn da iawn, ond dyna rwy'n teimlo sy'n bwysig ac sy'n ein gwneud ni fel Plaid Lafur Cymru yn bwysig, i sicrhau nad oes neb yn cael ei adael ar ôl. Diolch.
Thank you. I was just reflecting, when you were talking about nation of sanctuary and cohesive communities, that this morning I met with HOPE Not Hate, and we had a very interesting discussion about information sharing and how important that is. We'd focused this morning, because we were talking about lessons to learn—it was before I came into portfolio—about ensuring that we avoid a situation like we had in Llanelli, with Stradey Park, and the importance of two Governments working together. I've been unable to meet the Home Secretary. I've been in post now about 11 weeks and I appreciate now we've got a general election, so I'm not going to meet the Home Secretary until there's a new one. But it's really important that information is given that's correct, that you don't have rhetoric, as I think you referred to it, where people don't understand the facts, because that can lead to the very opposite of what we want in relation to community cohesion. So, I think that is really important.
We have fantastic organisations in our communities who want to be part of nation of sanctuary, who want to be part of welcoming asylum seekers and refugees. We only have to see the way we opened our doors—when I was in this portfolio 10 years ago, it was Syrian refugees. Now, obviously, it's Ukrainian refugees that have been welcomed here. So, we are a nation of sanctuary, and I will do all I can to ensure that that continues.
I absolutely agree with what you say about health and well-being and arts and culture, and I've said a couple of times I think the arts are a great redeemer of life. It is really important that they're not elitist and as many people as possible can do that so that they can thrive and not just survive.
Diolch. Roeddwn i wrthi'n myfyrio, pan oeddech chi'n sôn am genedl noddfa a chymunedau cydlynol, fy mod i bore yma wedi cyfarfod â HOPE Not Hate, a chawson ni drafodaeth ddiddorol iawn am rannu gwybodaeth a pha mor bwysig yw hynny. Fe wnaethon ni ganolbwyntio'r bore 'ma, oherwydd roedden ni'n sôn am wersi i'w dysgu—roedd cyn i mi ddod i mewn i bortffolio—am sicrhau ein bod ni'n osgoi sefyllfa fel yr oedd gennym ni yn Llanelli, gyda Gwesty Parc y Strade, a phwysigrwydd dwy Lywodraeth yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd. Nid wyf wedi gallu cyfarfod â'r Ysgrifennydd Cartref. Rydw i wedi bod yn y swydd nawr tua 11 wythnos ac rwy'n sylweddoli nawr bod gennym ni etholiad cyffredinol, felly dydw i ddim yn mynd i gyfarfod â'r Ysgrifennydd Cartref nes bod un newydd. Ond mae'n bwysig iawn bod gwybodaeth yn cael ei rhoi sy'n gywir, nad ydych chi'n cael rhethreg, fel y gwnaethoch chi gyfeirio ato rwy'n credu, lle nad yw pobl yn deall y ffeithiau, oherwydd gall hynny arwain at y gwrthwyneb yn llwyr i'r hyn yr ydym ei eisiau o ran cydlyniant cymunedol. Felly, rwy'n credu bod hynny'n bwysig iawn.
Mae gennym ni sefydliadau gwych yn ein cymunedau sydd eisiau bod yn rhan o genedl noddfa, sydd eisiau bod yn rhan o groesawu ceiswyr lloches a ffoaduriaid. Does dim ond rhaid i ni weld y ffordd y gwnaethom ni agor ein drysau—pan oeddwn i yn y portffolio hwn 10 mlynedd yn ôl, ffoaduriaid o Syria ydoedd. Nawr, yn amlwg, ffoaduriaid o Wcráin sydd wedi cael eu croesawu yma. Felly, rydym yn genedl noddfa, a byddaf yn gwneud popeth o fewn fy ngallu i sicrhau bod hynny'n parhau.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â'r hyn rydych chi'n ei ddweud am iechyd a lles a'r celfyddydau a diwylliant, ac rwyf wedi dweud ychydig o weithiau fy mod i'n credu bod y celfyddydau'n achubwr bywyd gwych. Mae'n bwysig iawn nad ydyn nhw'n elitaidd a bod cynifer o bobl â phosibl yn gallu gwneud hynny fel y gallan nhw ffynnu ac nid goroesi yn unig.
Diolch i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet.
I thank the Cabinet Secretary.
Y datganiad nesaf fydd yr un gan y Gweinidog Gofal Cymdeithasol ar drawsnewid gwasanaethau plant. Y Gweinidog, felly, i gyflwyno'r datganiad—Dawn Bowden.
The next statement will be from the Minister for Social Care on transforming children's services. The Minister to make that statement—Dawn Bowden.
Diolch, Llywydd. Just before recess, I had the very real privilege of introducing the Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill to this Senedd as one of my first acts as the Minister for Social Care. During the statement, there were many questions from Members about children’s services in general. I therefore welcome this opportunity to provide Members with a timely update about our progress in delivering the eight distinct programme for government commitments that will radically transform children’s social care in Wales. So, I hope that this will cover in more detail some of the areas that we discussed during the statement on the health and social care Bill.
I want to start by saying that I am firmly committed to delivering this ambitious agenda by doing all that I can, and all that this Government can, to support families to successfully care for their children. I also want to pay tribute to my predecessor, Julie Morgan, who has made so much progress in this area. This is the biggest transformation of children’s services in our lifetime. We want to change the way that services are delivered so that we focus on keeping families together, a preventative agenda, with fewer children being taken into care and with children’s needs at the heart of everything that we do.
Our care-experienced annual summits have provided a voice for care-experienced children and young people to share their experiences and to share their ideas with Ministers about the changes that they think need to be made. We're taking forward work to deliver the commitments made in the care-experienced summit declaration, which was the first of its kind in the UK. The First Minister and I are committed to achieving the ambition outlined by the young ambassadors, and we will both be signing the declaration with care-experienced young people later this month, emphasising our commitment to its delivery.
Our transformation delivery group has been established for more than a year now, and care-experienced young people have a seat on this group, which has been charged with taking forward two areas of work. The first is focused on data and metrics, and the second on early help and prevention, recognising the need for intensive, wrap-around edge-of-care support for care-experienced parents to reduce the risk of their children being removed from their care.
We're investing £1.6 million to bolster and scale up parental advocacy. These projects support parents to engage with social workers, third sector organisations, the family courts and other professionals to resolve issues that are negatively impacting their family. The funding will ensure that new services are established in each of the seven regions in Wales as part of a national roll-out of parental advocacy.
At the centre of the transform work is the development and the delivery of the national practice framework. This will be the first set of national standards for children’s services in Wales and will be designed to sit alongside other all-Wales procedures, such as all-Wales safeguarding procedures. We have developed and engaged on the first six standards, and we are now developing the full draft of the framework, which will be shared with professionals and practitioners over the summer. The full framework will be published by the end of the year.
Diolch, Llywydd. Ychydig cyn y toriad, cefais y fraint wirioneddol o gyflwyno'r Bil Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol (Cymru) i'r Senedd hon fel un o'm gweithredoedd cyntaf fel y Gweinidog Gofal Cymdeithasol. Yn ystod y datganiad, cafwyd llawer o gwestiynau gan yr Aelodau am wasanaethau plant yn gyffredinol. Felly, rwy'n croesawu'r cyfle hwn i roi diweddariad amserol i'r Aelodau ar ein cynnydd o ran cyflawni'r wyth ymrwymiad penodol yn y rhaglen lywodraethu a fydd yn trawsnewid gofal cymdeithasol plant yng Nghymru yn sylweddol. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd hyn yn ymdrin yn fanylach â rhai o'r meysydd a drafodwyd gennym yn ystod y datganiad ar y Bil iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol.
Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddweud fy mod wedi ymrwymo'n gadarn i gyflawni'r agenda uchelgeisiol hon drwy wneud popeth o fewn fy ngallu i, a phopeth y gall y Llywodraeth hon ei wneud, i gefnogi teuluoedd i ofalu am eu plant yn llwyddiannus. Rwyf hefyd am dalu teyrnged i'm rhagflaenydd, Julie Morgan, sydd wedi gwneud cymaint o gynnydd yn y maes hwn. Dyma'r trawsnewidiad mwyaf o wasanaethau plant yn ystod ein hoes. Rydym am newid y ffordd y caiff gwasanaethau eu darparu fel ein bod yn canolbwyntio ar gadw teuluoedd gyda'i gilydd, agenda ataliol, gyda llai o blant yn cael eu derbyn i ofal ac anghenion plant wrth wraidd popeth a wnawn.
Mae ein huwchgynadleddau blynyddol profiad o ofal wedi rhoi llais i blant a phobl ifanc sydd â phrofiad o fod mewn gofal rannu eu profiadau a rhannu eu syniadau â Gweinidogion am y newidiadau maen nhw'n credu y mae angen eu gwneud. Rydym yn bwrw ymlaen â gwaith i gyflawni'r ymrwymiadau a wnaed yn natganiad yr uwchgynhadledd profiad o ofal, sef y cyntaf o'i fath yn y DU. Mae'r Prif Weinidog a minnau wedi ymrwymo i gyflawni'r uchelgais a amlinellwyd gan y llysgenhadon ifanc, a bydd y ddau ohonom yn llofnodi'r datganiad gyda phobl ifanc sydd â phrofiad o fod mewn gofal yn ddiweddarach y mis hwn, gan bwysleisio ein hymrwymiad i'w gyflawni.
Mae mwy na blwyddyn wedi mynd heibio erbyn hyn ers i'n grŵp cyflawni ar gyfer trawsnewid gael ei sefydlu, ac mae gan bobl ifanc sydd â phrofiad o fod mewn gofal sedd ar y grŵp hwn, sy'n gyfrifol am fwrw ymlaen â dau faes gwaith. Mae'r cyntaf yn canolbwyntio ar ddata a metrigau, a'r ail ar atal a chymorth cynnar, gan gydnabod yr angen am gymorth dwys, cofleidiol ar ffiniau gofal ar gyfer rhieni sydd â phrofiad o fod mewn gofal er mwyn lleihau'r risg y bydd eu plant yn cael eu cymryd oddi arnynt.
Rydym yn buddsoddi £1.6 miliwn i gryfhau a chynyddu eiriolaeth rhieni. Mae'r prosiectau hyn yn cefnogi rhieni i ymgysylltu â gweithwyr cymdeithasol, sefydliadau trydydd sector, llysoedd teulu a gweithwyr proffesiynol eraill i ddatrys materion sy'n cael effaith negyddol ar eu teulu. Bydd y cyllid yn sicrhau bod gwasanaethau newydd yn cael eu sefydlu ym mhob un o'r saith rhanbarth yng Nghymru fel rhan o'r broses o gyflwyno eiriolaeth rhieni yn genedlaethol.
Yn ganolog i'r gwaith trawsnewid mae datblygu a chyflwyno'r fframwaith ymarfer cenedlaethol. Dyma fydd y set gyntaf o safonau cenedlaethol ar gyfer gwasanaethau plant yng Nghymru a bydd yn cael ei chynllunio i gyd-fynd â gweithdrefnau eraill Cymru gyfan, megis gweithdrefnau diogelu Cymru gyfan. Rydym wedi datblygu a gweithio ar y chwe safon gyntaf ac, erbyn hyn, rydym yn datblygu drafft llawn y fframwaith, a fydd yn cael ei rannu â gweithwyr proffesiynol ac ymarferwyr dros yr haf. Bydd y fframwaith llawn yn cael ei gyhoeddi erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer took the Chair.
The Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill with its core provision to eliminate private profit from children’s care will, if passed, meet another of our programme for government commitments to help transform children’s care. However, as I explained in my last statement to you, eliminating private profit is about much more than just the future model of ownership and profit. It's about building resilience into this fragile sector; it’s about how we best meet the care and support needs of children and young people; about how we keep them in their local communities and how we do all that we can to support them to be with their families.
We launched the corporate parenting charter in September last year, and I’m pleased to report that, so far, 40 organisations have signed up, including the Welsh Government and Welsh Ministers. We are continuing to encourage all public bodies and private organisations and the third sector to become corporate parents, and I would urge you to do the same. We will be strengthening guidance for local authorities and health boards about corporate parenting with a dedicated chapter in the Part 6 code of practice under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. This will set out much more clearly their duties as corporate parents and drive a strengthened and cross-sector strategic approach to corporate parenting.
I want to turn now to how we are meeting the programme for government commitment to support children with complex needs. Between 2021 and 2023, we have made £3.5 million of regional accommodation funding available to deliver 15 projects across Wales. This has resulted in the creation of 26 new beds for children with complex needs and support for a further 62 children and young people. Since then, we have allocated a further £23 million and we continue to receive proposals through the housing with care fund. This will deliver an additional 96 beds and, of these, five homes are already operating, with 15 beds.
The health and social care regional integration fund also includes a significant investment of around £18 million a year to support families to stay together safely and to provide therapeutic support for care-experienced children. We have also continued to invest heavily in our national fostering scheme, Foster Wales, to improve the ability of local authority fostering services to recruit and retain foster carers. We are committed to ensuring that kinship foster carers receive the same support as mainstream foster carers, and through the Foster Wales national commitment we're working towards an agreed package of training, support and rewards being consistently available to all foster carers through all 22 local authority fostering services in Wales.
The final programme for government commitment commits us to continue to support and uphold the rights of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people and is very much in line with our nation of sanctuary approach. In Wales, we treat all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children as looked-after children. We are proud to take a 'child first' approach, which upholds the best interests, rights and entitlements of providing care and support to all children in Wales. I am committed to working with all local authorities and third sector partners to ensure that all unaccompanied children have access to the care, services and support they need whilst under the care of local authorities in Wales. We will not demonise or politicise these very vulnerable children and young people. We will give them a warm welcome and the same opportunities as children and young people in Wales.
Dirprwy Lywydd, we want all children in Wales to have the best possible start in life and to reach their full potential. Transforming children’s services to put their needs first will deliver better outcomes for children, young people and their families. Diolch yn fawr.
Bydd y Bil Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol (Cymru) gyda'i ddarpariaeth graidd i ddileu elw preifat o ofal plant, os caiff ei basio, yn bodloni un arall o'r ymrwymiadau yn ein rhaglen lywodraethu i helpu i drawsnewid gofal plant. Fodd bynnag, fel yr eglurais yn fy natganiad diwethaf i chi, mae dileu elw preifat yn ymwneud â llawer mwy na dim ond y model o berchnogaeth ac elw yn y dyfodol. Mae'n ymwneud ag adeiladu gwytnwch yn y sector bregus hwn; mae'n ymwneud â'r ffordd orau o ddiwallu anghenion gofal a chymorth plant a phobl ifanc; mae'n ymwneud â sut rydym yn eu cadw yn eu cymunedau lleol a sut rydym yn gwneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i'w cefnogi i fod gyda'u teuluoedd.
Gwnaethom lansio'r siarter rhianta corfforaethol ym mis Medi y llynedd, ac rwy'n falch o nodi bod 40 o sefydliadau wedi cytuno i'w chefnogi hyd yma, gan gynnwys Llywodraeth Cymru a Gweinidogion Cymru. Rydym yn parhau i annog pob corff cyhoeddus a sefydliad preifat a'r trydydd sector i ddod yn rhieni corfforaethol, a byddwn yn eich annog i wneud yr un peth. Byddwn yn cryfhau canllawiau i awdurdodau lleol a byrddau iechyd ynghylch rhianta corfforaethol gyda phennod benodol yng nghod ymarfer Rhan 6 o dan Ddeddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014. Bydd hyn yn nodi'n llawer cliriach eu dyletswyddau fel rhieni corfforaethol ac yn gyrru dull strategol cryfach a thraws-sector o ymdrin â rhianta corfforaethol.
Rwyf am droi nawr at sut rydym yn bodloni'r ymrwymiad yn y rhaglen lywodraethu i gefnogi plant ag anghenion cymhleth. Rhwng 2021 a 2023, rydym wedi sicrhau bod £3.5 miliwn o gyllid llety rhanbarthol ar gael i ddarparu 15 o brosiectau ledled Cymru. Mae hyn wedi arwain at greu 26 o welyau newydd ar gyfer plant ag anghenion cymhleth a chefnogaeth i 62 o blant a phobl ifanc eraill. Ers hynny, rydym wedi dyrannu £23 miliwn arall ac rydym yn parhau i dderbyn cynigion drwy'r gronfa tai â gofal. Bydd hyn yn darparu 96 o welyau ychwanegol ac, o'r rhain, mae pum cartref eisoes yn weithredol, gyda 15 o welyau.
Mae'r gronfa integreiddio rhanbarthol ar gyfer iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol hefyd yn cynnwys buddsoddiad sylweddol o tua £18 miliwn y flwyddyn i gefnogi teuluoedd i aros gyda'i gilydd yn ddiogel ac i ddarparu cymorth therapiwtig i blant sydd â phrofiad o fod mewn gofal. Rydym hefyd wedi parhau i fuddsoddi'n helaeth yn ein cynllun maethu cenedlaethol, Maethu Cymru, i wella gallu gwasanaethau maethu awdurdodau lleol i recriwtio a chadw gofalwyr maeth. Rydym wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau bod gofalwyr maeth sy'n berthnasau yn derbyn yr un gefnogaeth â gofalwyr maeth prif ffrwd, a thrwy ymrwymiad cenedlaethol Maethu Cymru rydym yn gweithio tuag at sicrhau bod pecyn o hyfforddiant, cefnogaeth a manteision y cytunwyd arno ar gael yn gyson i bob gofalwr maeth drwy bob un o’r 22 o wasanaethau maethu awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru.
Mae'r ymrwymiad olaf yn y rhaglen lywodraethu yn ein hymrwymo i barhau i gefnogi a chynnal hawliau plant a phobl ifanc ar eu pennau eu hunain sy'n ceisio lloches ac mae'n cyd-fynd i raddau helaeth â'n dull cenedl noddfa. Yng Nghymru, rydym yn trin pob plentyn ar ei ben ei hun sy'n ceisio lloches fel plentyn sy'n derbyn gofal. Rydym yn falch o fabwysiadu dull 'plentyn yn gyntaf', sy'n cynnal buddiannau gorau a hawliau darparu gofal a chymorth i bob plentyn yng Nghymru. Rwy'n ymrwymedig i weithio gyda phob awdurdod lleol a phartneriaid yn y trydydd sector i sicrhau bod pob plentyn ar ei ben ei hun yn cael mynediad at y gofal, y gwasanaethau a'r cymorth sydd eu hangen arno tra ei fod dan ofal awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru. Ni fyddwn yn pardduo nac yn gwleidyddoli'r plant a'r bobl ifanc hyn sy'n agored iawn i niwed. Byddwn yn rhoi croeso cynnes iddynt a'r un cyfleoedd â phlant a phobl ifanc yng Nghymru.
Dirprwy Lywydd, rydym am i bob plentyn yng Nghymru gael y dechrau gorau posibl mewn bywyd a chyrraedd ei lawn botensial. Bydd trawsnewid gwasanaethau plant i roi eu hanghenion yn gyntaf yn sicrhau canlyniadau gwell i blant, pobl ifanc a'u teuluoedd. Diolch yn fawr.
Thank you for your statement, Minister. Transforming children's care is one of the most important tasks facing the Welsh Government. As the Minister rightly accepts, far too many children are entering the formal care system—higher than any other nation in the United Kingdom. We must do everything in our power to not only ensure the safety of children, but also ensure that they don't needlessly enter into the care system. I therefore welcome the commitment to a preventative agenda.
As I stated in our interaction during Foster Care Fortnight, the Step Up Step Down programme was delivering promising results. Minister, in your response to Julie Morgan, you stated that it was too early to evaluate the programme, but you'd hoped to visit the Northern Ireland pilot. Can you provide any further updates on that visit? I also welcome the development of a national practice framework. We need a national set of standards, and I would be grateful, Minister, if you could expand upon the timeline for the introduction of the full framework and how binding the standards will be upon public, private and third sector providers.
With regard to the corporate parenting charter, Minister, can you outline whether or not there are still local authorities that have not signed up to the charter? Sadly, there is still too much variation in numbers of looked-after children per 10,000 of the population by local authority area. Some local authorities have doubled the number of looked-after children when compared to other councils with similar demographics. Also, more alarmingly, we still have local authorities that have lost track of children in their care. Therefore, Minister, how do you plan to address this variance and do you believe that the charter will help address instances of children missing in care?
Finally, Minister, I want to reiterate my commitment to you to work with you to ensure the transforming of children's services, putting children first and helping to guarantee our children in Wales have the best possible start in life. Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch am eich datganiad, Gweinidog. Trawsnewid gofal plant yw un o'r tasgau pwysicaf sy'n wynebu Llywodraeth Cymru. Fel y mae'r Gweinidog yn derbyn yn briodol, mae llawer gormod o blant yn mynd i mewn i'r system gofal ffurfiol—nifer uwch nag mewn unrhyw wlad arall yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu, nid yn unig i sicrhau diogelwch plant, ond hefyd i sicrhau nad ydynt yn mynd i mewn i'r system gofal yn ddiangen. Felly, rwy'n croesawu'r ymrwymiad i agenda ataliol.
Fel y dywedais wrth i ni ryngweithio yn ystod Pythefnos Gofal Maethu, roedd y rhaglen 'Step Up Step Down' yn sicrhau canlyniadau addawol. Gweinidog, yn eich ymateb i Julie Morgan, dywedoch ei bod hi'n rhy gynnar i werthuso'r rhaglen, ond eich bod wedi gobeithio ymweld â pheilot Gogledd Iwerddon. A allwch roi unrhyw ddiweddariadau pellach ar yr ymweliad hwnnw? Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu datblygu fframwaith ymarfer cenedlaethol. Mae angen set genedlaethol o safonau arnom, a byddwn yn ddiolchgar, Gweinidog, pe gallech ehangu ar yr amserlen ar gyfer cyflwyno'r fframwaith llawn a pha mor rhwymol fydd y safonau ar ddarparwyr yn y sector cyhoeddus, y sector preifat a'r trydydd sector.
O ran y siarter rhianta corfforaethol, Gweinidog, a allwch amlinellu a oes awdurdodau lleol o hyd nad ydynt wedi cytuno i gefnogi'r siarter? Yn anffodus, mae gormod o amrywiaeth o hyd yn nifer y plant sy'n derbyn gofal fesul 10,000 o'r boblogaeth yn ôl ardal awdurdod lleol. Mae rhai awdurdodau lleol wedi gweld nifer y plant sy'n derbyn gofal yn dyblu o gymharu â chynghorau eraill sydd â demograffeg debyg. Hefyd, yn fwy brawychus, mae gennym awdurdodau lleol o hyd sydd wedi colli golwg ar blant yn eu gofal. Felly, Gweinidog, sut ydych chi'n bwriadu mynd i'r afael â'r amrywiad hwn ac a ydych yn credu y bydd y siarter yn helpu i fynd i'r afael ag achosion o blant sydd ar goll o ofal?
Yn olaf, Gweinidog, rwyf am ailadrodd fy ymrwymiad i chi i weithio gyda chi i sicrhau bod gwasanaethau plant yn cael eu trawsnewid, gan roi plant yn gyntaf a helpu i sicrhau bod ein plant yng Nghymru yn cael y dechrau gorau posibl mewn bywyd. Diolch yn fawr.
Thank you, Altaf. Firstly, can I thank you very much for those comments? I welcome the opportunity to work with you. I think that there is largely consensus around what we're trying to achieve here. This is about trying to reduce the number of children who we find in care across Wales, and everything that we are doing through this transformation programme and our eight programme for government commitments that are seeking to deliver this is about achieving that aim. As we talked about previously, I introduced the Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill, which is about eliminating profit in children's care, but it's about much more than that; it is about having a complete rebalancing of the way in which we deliver care for children and, where we have to, how we deliver residential care. This whole programme is about reducing the demand for that type of residential care. Because what we all know is that the best place for a child to be, where that can be done safely, is to stay with their families in their communities. And that is very much what our preventative agenda is all about.
You talked about the national practice framework; we're aiming to have that in place by September, by the autumn, and it is going to be a mix of mandatory requirements and practice pointers. It's about key aspects of practice being consistent across Wales. I'll give you an example. We have 22 local authorities across Wales, and we see some local authorities taking more children into care than other local authorities. And that is not because those children are particularly different; it is because of different approaches that we see in different local authorities. Some social services and some social workers work very hard to maintain those children with their families. They are, if you like, slightly less risk averse, but being less risk averse is quite labour intensive, and you've got to work very hard with those families. We have to see a major cultural shift across all of our local authorities to do that. We hope very much that, with a national framework that develops those pointers and develops those practices, social workers in those areas will feel more confident about working in the way that we want them to work and keep as many children out of care as possible.
On corporate parenting, we're very pleased with the number of organisations so far that have signed up. Forty organisations—and the vast majority of local authorities—have signed up. Some have still not signed up, and it's not because of a lack of willingness to do so. I think for many organisations that have not yet signed up, it's about them not being fully clear about what the responsibility would be. That's why we're going to incorporate and strengthen the guidance, as I said in my statement, to ensure that we incorporate that into Part 6 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 so it will become much clearer. A number of organisations have said to us that they are willing to do this, but they want to make sure that they are prepared for it before they do it. They don't want to go into doing something and then find that they really can't deliver what we need of them. So, I think it is better for those organisations to work with us on identifying where the gaps are in their organisation that might prevent them from signing up, and then, when they are ready to do so, that we sign them up. It's an ongoing process that we have, but I'm very pleased that we do have 40 organisations now signed up.
The national framework, I think, will also help us to address the issue that you have raised around missing children in care. There are very few of them—statistically, that is a very, very small number—but any number is too many. Unfortunately, in some of the ones that we see with the highest level of children missing in care, it tends to be amongst unaccompanied asylum seekers. That is for a whole number of very complex reasons, not least of all that some of these children coming across here are trafficked and some are just unaccompanied, and they are moved into a new culture and a new environment. It is a frightening time for them, and we have seen one or two of those disappear. That does bother me, because I wonder where those children end up, particularly if they are children who have been trafficked. But I am very confident that the provisions within the national practice framework, when it's rolled out and when it's applied consistently across every local authority area, will help us to identify and ensure that that doesn't happen.
Diolch, Altaf. Yn gyntaf, a gaf i ddiolch yn fawr iawn i chi am y sylwadau hynny? Rwy'n croesawu'r cyfle i weithio gyda chi. Rwy'n credu bod consensws i raddau helaeth ynghylch yr hyn yr ydym yn ceisio'i gyflawni yma. Mae hyn yn ymwneud â cheisio lleihau nifer y plant a welwn mewn gofal ledled Cymru, ac mae popeth yr ydym yn ei wneud drwy'r rhaglen drawsnewid hon a'r wyth ymrwymiad yn ein rhaglen lywodraethu sy'n ceisio cyflawni hyn yn ymwneud â chyflawni'r nod hwnnw. Fel y soniwyd yn flaenorol, cyflwynais y Bil Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol (Cymru), sy'n ymwneud â dileu elw mewn gofal plant, ond mae'n ymwneud â llawer mwy na hynny; mae'n ymwneud ag ail-gydbwyso'n llwyr y ffordd rydym yn darparu gofal i blant a, lle mae'n rhaid, y ffordd rydym yn darparu gofal preswyl. Mae'r rhaglen gyfan hon yn ymwneud â lleihau'r galw am y math hwnnw o ofal preswyl. Oherwydd yr hyn y mae pob un ohonom yn ei wybod yw mai’r lle gorau i blant fod, lle gellir gwneud hynny'n ddiogel, yw i aros gyda'u teuluoedd yn eu cymunedau. A dyna hanfod ein hagenda ataliol.
Fe wnaethoch chi sôn am y fframwaith ymarfer cenedlaethol; rydym yn anelu at roi hwn ar waith erbyn mis Medi, erbyn yr hydref, ac mae'n mynd i fod yn gymysgedd o ofynion gorfodol a chyfarwyddiadau ymarfer. Mae'n ymwneud â sicrhau bod agweddau allweddol ar ymarfer yn gyson ledled Cymru. Rhoddaf enghraifft i chi. Mae gennym 22 o awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru, a gwelwn rai awdurdodau lleol yn cymryd mwy o blant i ofal nag awdurdodau lleol eraill. Ac nid yw hynny oherwydd bod y plant hynny'n arbennig o wahanol; mae'n ymwneud â'r gwahanol ddulliau a welwn mewn gwahanol awdurdodau lleol. Mae rhai gwasanaethau cymdeithasol a rhai gweithwyr cymdeithasol yn gweithio'n galed iawn i sicrhau bod y plant hynny'n aros gyda'u teuluoedd. Maen nhw, os mynnwch chi, ychydig yn llai gwrthwynebus i risg, ond mae bod yn llai gwrthwynebus i risg yn eithaf llafurddwys, ac mae'n rhaid i chi weithio'n galed iawn gyda'r teuluoedd hynny. Mae'n rhaid i ni weld newid diwylliannol mawr ar draws ein holl awdurdodau lleol i wneud hynny. Rydym yn gobeithio'n fawr, gyda fframwaith cenedlaethol sy'n datblygu'r awgrymiadau hynny ac yn datblygu'r arferion hynny, y bydd gweithwyr cymdeithasol yn yr ardaloedd hynny yn teimlo'n fwy hyderus ynghylch gweithio yn y ffordd yr ydym am iddynt weithio a chadw cynifer o blant â phosibl allan o ofal.
O ran rhianta corfforaethol, rydym yn hapus iawn gyda nifer y sefydliadau sydd wedi cofrestru hyd yma. Mae deugain o sefydliadau—a'r mwyafrif helaeth o awdurdodau lleol—wedi cofrestru. Nid yw rhai wedi cofrestru o hyd, ac nid yw hynny oherwydd diffyg parodrwydd i wneud hynny. Rwy'n credu i lawer o sefydliadau nad ydynt wedi cofrestru eto, nid ydynt yn gwbl glir ynghylch beth fyddai'r cyfrifoldeb. Dyna pam rydym yn mynd i ymgorffori a chryfhau'r canllawiau, fel y dywedais yn fy natganiad, i sicrhau ein bod yn ymgorffori hynny yn Rhan 6 o Ddeddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014 fel y bydd yn dod yn llawer cliriach. Mae nifer o sefydliadau wedi dweud wrthym eu bod yn barod i wneud hyn, ond maen nhw am sicrhau eu bod yn barod ar ei gyfer cyn iddyn nhw ei wneud. Dydyn nhw ddim eisiau mynd i mewn i wneud rhywbeth ac yna canfod na allant gyflawni'r hyn sydd ei angen arnom. Felly, rwy'n credu ei bod yn well i'r sefydliadau hynny weithio gyda ni i nodi ble mae'r bylchau yn eu sefydliad a allai eu hatal rhag cofrestru, ac yna, pan fyddant yn barod i wneud hynny, ein bod yn eu cofrestru. Mae'r broses sydd gennym yn un barhaus, ond rwy'n falch iawn bod gennym 40 o sefydliadau wedi cofrestru erbyn hyn.
Bydd y fframwaith cenedlaethol, rwy'n credu, hefyd yn ein helpu i fynd i'r afael â'r mater yr ydych wedi'i godi ynghylch plant sydd ar goll o ofal. Ychydig iawn ohonyn nhw sydd—yn ystadegol, mae hwnnw'n nifer bach iawn, iawn—ond mae unrhyw nifer yn ormod. Yn anffodus, mewn rhai o'r rhai a welwn gyda'r lefel uchaf o blant sydd ar goll o ofal, mae'n tueddu i fod ymhlith ceiswyr lloches ar eu pennau eu hunain. Mae hynny am nifer o resymau cymhleth iawn, yn anad dim bod rhai o'r plant hyn sy'n dod yma yn cael eu masnachu ac mae rhai ar eu pennau eu hunain, ac maent yn cael eu symud i ddiwylliant newydd ac amgylchedd newydd. Mae'n gyfnod brawychus iddyn nhw, ac rydym wedi gweld un neu ddau o'r rheini'n diflannu. Mae hynny'n fy mhoeni, oherwydd tybed i ble aiff y plant hynny yn y pen draw, yn enwedig os ydyn nhw'n blant sydd wedi cael eu masnachu. Ond rwy'n hyderus iawn y bydd y darpariaethau o fewn y fframwaith ymarfer cenedlaethol, pan gaiff ei gyflwyno a phan gaiff ei gymhwyso'n gyson ar draws pob ardal awdurdod lleol, yn ein helpu i nodi a sicrhau na fydd hynny'n digwydd.
A gaf i gychwyn drwy ddatgan buddiant, gan fod fy ngwraig wych yn gweithio i elusen yn y sector yma? Mae adeiladu cenedl sydd yn galluogi cenedlaethau'r dyfodol i ffynnu, lle nad yw un plentyn yn cael ei adael ar ei ôl oherwydd amgylchiadau personol sydd y tu hwnt i'w reolaeth, yn achos sydd yn greiddiol i ethos a daliadau Plaid Cymru. Oherwydd ein cred ddiysgwyd yn hyn, mi rydym ni yn ymfalchïo bod y rhaglen yma ar gyfer gwasanaethau plant yn cynnwys y mesur blaengar o gael gwared ag elw o'r sector plant sydd yn derbyn gofal, a oedd, wrth gwrs, yn rhan o'r cytundeb cydweithredu a oedd yn bodoli rhyngom ni a'r Llywodraeth.
Yn wahanol i ddaliadau craidd y Blaid Geidwadol, ac, yn wir, carfan sylweddol o'r Blaid Lafur Brydeinig, yn cynnwys yr Ysgrifennydd iechyd cysgodol, mi rydym ni yn ymwrthod yn llwyr â'r mantra mai'r farchnad sydd yn gwybod orau pan fo'n dod i ddarparu ar gyfer anghenion iechyd a lles ein cymdeithas, ac yn enwedig, felly, plant bregus. Fe wnaeth yr Awdurdod Cystadleuaeth a Marchnadoedd y pwynt yn glir yn eu hadroddiad yn 2022 drwy ddangos sut mae'r farchnad plant mewn gofal yn gwyro yn sylweddol ac yn anghymesur o blaid darparwyr preifat, gyda'r darparwyr yma yn medru codi crocbris am eu gwasanaethau, wrth i allu awdurdodau lleol i ddarparu'r gofal maeth eu hunain erydu yn sylweddol yn sgil 14 mlynedd o lymder ideolegol Ceidwadol. Canlyniad hyn ydy model o wasanaethau plant mewn gofal sydd wedi torri yn sylfaenol yma yng Nghymru, ac sydd wedi tanseilio'n gyfan gwbl yr elfennau hollbwysig o barhad gofal pan ei fod yn dod at ddarparu'r gwasanaeth, a lleoliad ardaloedd daearyddol.
May I start by declaring an interest, as my wonderful wife works for a charity in this sector? Building a nation that enables future generations to prosper, where no child is left behind because of personal circumstances that are beyond their control, is a cause that is at the core of the ethos and values of Plaid Cymru. Because of our unshakeable belief in this, we take pride in the fact that this programme for children's services includes the progressive act of eradicating profit from the children-in-care sector, which was part of the co-operation agreement that existed between ourselves and the Government.
Unlike the core beliefs of the Conservative Party, and, indeed, a large part of the UK Labour Party, including the shadow health Secretary, we totally reject the mantra that it is the market that knows best when it comes to providing for the health and well-being needs of our society, particularly so for vulnerable children. The Competition and Markets Authority made the point clearly in their report in 2022 by demonstrating how the market for children in care leans disproportionately in favour of private providers, with these providers being able to charge extremely high prices for their services, as the ability of local authorities to provide foster services themselves is seriously degraded because of 14 years of Conservative austerity. The result of this is a model of services for children in care that is broken, fundamentally, here in Wales, and that has entirely undermined those crucial elements of the continuity of care when it comes to providing services, and geographical areas.
Reform in this area was long overdue, and we therefore welcome the Government's commitment to take forward the Plaid Cymru policy through the health and social care Bill. But much like the Cabinet Secretary for health's attempt to persuade voters that her party is at the forefront of modernising the NHS in Wales, the idea that Welsh Labour can be trusted with the transformation of children's services more broadly, after 25 years in power, has to be taken with a large pinch of salt. After all, a quarter of a century since the dawn of devolution, almost a third of children in Wales live in a state of poverty, with calls for the Welsh Government to develop child poverty strategies underpinned by robust and clear targets continuing to fall on deaf ears. Meanwhile, recent statistics from Social Care Wales underline alarming gaps in the childcare workforce, with the number of vacancies in children's social care having increased in 2022 by 38.3 per cent, of which over 50 per cent were vacancies for qualified social workers.
We understand the inherent limitations of the Government's resources in this respect, which ultimately stems back to the unfairness of the Barnett formula that has left Wales short-changed year on year. But despite being the nation to which the Labour Party owes, arguably, the most, both in terms of its electoral success and its very existence, it is a damning indictment of how Wales is taken for granted by Keir Starmer that he refuses to commit to scrapping the unjust Barnett formula. This sense of complacency has been encapsulated by Labour's six general election campaign pledges for Wales, of which four have been the devolved responsibility of the Welsh Labour Government for years. Quite frankly, this is an insult to the intelligence of Welsh voters. But instead of calling out the apathy of the UK leader, and demanding better for Wales from the incoming Government, Welsh Ministers have seemingly been content to adopt a 'wait and hope for the best' approach, while our key public services, including children's services, continue to buckle from a lack of funding.
We can't wish for a brighter future for our children into being simply from goodwill alone, you need the practical resources to build it. So, my question, at the end of my contribution to the Minister is: will the Labour Party, UK-wide, commit to reforming the Barnett formula, and funding formula for Wales, in order to achieve what the Minister has set out to achieve here today?
Roedd hi'n hen bryd diwygio yn y maes hwn, ac felly rydym yn croesawu ymrwymiad y Llywodraeth i fwrw ymlaen â pholisi Plaid Cymru drwy'r Bil iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Ond yn debyg iawn i ymgais yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros iechyd i berswadio pleidleiswyr bod ei phlaid ar flaen y gad o ran moderneiddio'r GIG yng Nghymru, mae'n rhaid cymryd y syniad y gellir ymddiried yn Llafur Cymru i drawsnewid gwasanaethau plant yn ehangach, ar ôl 25 mlynedd mewn grym, gyda phinsiad mawr o halen. Wedi'r cyfan, chwarter canrif ers dechrau datganoli, mae bron i draean o blant yng Nghymru yn byw mewn cyflwr o dlodi, gyda galwadau ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddatblygu strategaethau tlodi plant wedi'u cefnogi gan dargedau cadarn a chlir yn parhau i syrthio ar glustiau byddar. Yn y cyfamser, mae ystadegau diweddar gan Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru yn tanlinellu bylchau brawychus yn y gweithlu gofal plant, gyda chynnydd o 38.3 y cant yn nifer y swyddi gwag ym maes gofal cymdeithasol plant yn 2022, yr oedd dros 50 y cant ohonynt yn swyddi gwag i weithwyr cymdeithasol cymwysedig.
Rydym yn deall cyfyngiadau cynhenid adnoddau'r Llywodraeth yn hyn o beth, sydd yn y pen draw yn deillio o annhegwch fformiwla Barnett sydd wedi gadael Cymru ar ei cholled o'r naill flwyddyn i'r llall. Ond er mai hi yw'r wlad, y gellid dadlau, y mae'r Blaid Lafur yn fwyaf dyledus iddi, o ran ei llwyddiant etholiadol a'i bodolaeth, mae'n dditiad damniol o'r ffordd y caiff Cymru ei chymryd yn ganiataol gan Keir Starmer ei fod yn gwrthod ymrwymo i gael gwared ar fformiwla anghyfiawn Barnett. Mae'r ymdeimlad hwn o hunanfodlonrwydd wedi'i grynhoi gan chwe addewid ymgyrch etholiad cyffredinol Llafur i Gymru, y mae pedwar ohonynt wedi bod yn gyfrifoldeb datganoledig Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru ers blynyddoedd. A dweud y gwir, mae hyn yn sarhad ar ddeallusrwydd pleidleiswyr Cymru. Ond yn hytrach na beirniadu difaterwch arweinydd y DU, a mynnu gwell i Gymru o'r Llywodraeth sy'n dod i mewn, ymddengys fod Gweinidogion Cymru wedi bod yn fodlon mabwysiadu dull 'aros a gobeithio am y gorau', tra bod ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus allweddol, gan gynnwys gwasanaethau plant, yn parhau i blygu oherwydd diffyg cyllid.
Ni allwn ddymuno am ddyfodol mwy disglair i'n plant o ewyllys da yn unig, mae angen yr adnoddau ymarferol arnoch i'w adeiladu. Felly, fy nghwestiwn i, ar ddiwedd fy nghyfraniad i'r Gweinidog yw: a wnaiff y Blaid Lafur, ledled y DU, ymrwymo i ddiwygio fformiwla Barnett, a fformiwla ariannu Cymru, er mwyn cyflawni'r hyn y mae'r Gweinidog wedi nodi y bwriedir ei gyflawni yma heddiw?
It could change for the worse.
Gallai newid er gwaeth.
Under Labour?
O dan Lafur?
[Inaudible.]
[Anghlywadwy.]
Diolch, Mabon. Thank you for those comments. We are clearly well and truly in the middle of a general election now, aren't we, so most of those comments were directed at UK Labour, rather than at Welsh Labour, in terms of what I as a Welsh Minister can do and am doing. So, I will concentrate on responding to the things that I'm responsible for, and then we will carry on and campaign for our respective parties outside of this Chamber. I hope that I will see Keir Starmer in No. 10 after 4 July, and I'm sure that we will be in a far better position than we are now.
Clearly, from our financial position at this moment in time, we know nothing about where we will be from March 2025. We have finances and budget settlements up to March 2025. A new incoming Government is going to have a very different approach to a whole range of things, so we can't really speak beyond that. But one of the things that I would say, to keep us on a positive footing, because I don't think there is a huge difference between us on what we are seeking to do here, is that we do have a joint aspiration on the transformation of children's services. And you're quite right, we worked very well together on the co-operation agreement, and I very much regret the ending of that agreement, particularly around areas of the elimination programme in particular. We've worked closely, we've worked collaboratively, and we had a joint agenda and we were on that path to delivering that joint agenda. We now have to deliver that alone, as a Welsh Government, but I hope that it will still continue to receive the support of Plaid Cymru, as it appears to have the general support of the Conservative benches as well.
There are challenges—of course there are challenges. We can't pretend that there are not. I am launching a new workforce strategy this week, which is addressing a number of the points that you have raised. We have done an awful lot in that area already, particularly around bringing in the real living wage into the social care workforce. But beyond pay, training and career development, professionalisation, the setting up of Social Care Wales and all of that—it's all helping towards moving us to a professionalised social care workforce, where we can grow our own as well, where we can have people that come in as social care workers but can develop within that role to become social workers, and eventually become our social services leaders in the future.
So, I’ve got a great ambition for that. This is something that I have championed since way before I came into this Senedd. As you will appreciate, I was a Unison official back in the day, so I have been championing this for an awful long time, and we have seen an amazing amount of success and progress in that area, but there's still a huge way to go. We are working in partnership with our trade unions, and we have the social care forum, and we are delivering now proposals for moving those kinds of pay conditions, progression policies, into the private sector as well as into the public and third sector. So, an awful lot more to do, but I think we are still on that road.
On elimination, I just want to re-emphasise, really, I suppose, the points that you were making, Mabon, that the removal of profit from the care of looked-after children is something that we are absolutely committed to do, and we are committed to do it because we know that it is what children themselves—the voices from care, the care-experienced children themselves—have said, that they are strongly opposed to organisations profiting from the experience of being in care, and we need to listen to them. We need to listen to the voices of care-experienced children. And we’re not talking about very young children—we’re talking about teenagers that have been through the system and are now at that age where they can articulate what they were probably feeling as very young children, but are now able to articulate, and we must listen to them.
The concept of profit being paid to shareholders on the backs of the most vulnerable people in our society is something that is anathema to me, and I am sure it is to you, and I want to see that money that is currently going in profit to shareholders being reinvested in the care of our children and young people.
So, yes, a very ambitious programme. Most of our programme is already costed. I’ve set out quite clearly some of the spending already, and I would look for that to be developed and increase as we go along.
I will be in committee on Thursday with you, where you will be scrutinising the Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill, and I am sure we will explore this a lot further then. But as I say, my position standing here today is that we are totally committed to not only delivering the health and social care Bill, but all elements of the transformation of children's services, which will contribute to the success of that Bill.
Diolch, Mabon. Diolch am y sylwadau hynny. Rydym yn amlwg yng nghanol etholiad cyffredinol o ddifrif erbyn hyn, onid ydyn, felly cyfeiriwyd y rhan fwyaf o'r sylwadau hynny at Lafur y DU, yn hytrach nag at Lafur Cymru, o ran yr hyn y gallaf i fel Gweinidog Cymru ei wneud a'r hyn rwyf yn ei wneud. Felly, byddaf yn canolbwyntio ar ymateb i'r pethau rwy'n gyfrifol amdanynt, ac yna byddwn yn parhau ac yn ymgyrchu dros ein partïon priodol y tu allan i'r Siambr hon. Rwy'n gobeithio y byddaf yn gweld Keir Starmer yn Rhif 10 ar ôl 4 Gorffennaf, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwn ni mewn sefyllfa lawer gwell nag yr ydym ni nawr.
Yn amlwg, o'n sefyllfa ariannol ar hyn o bryd, nid ydym yn gwybod dim o ran ble fyddwn ni o fis Mawrth 2025. Mae gennym ni gyllid a setliadau cyllideb hyd at fis Mawrth 2025. Mae Llywodraeth newydd sy'n dod i mewn yn mynd i fod â dull gwahanol iawn o ymdrin ag ystod eang o bethau, felly ni allwn siarad y tu hwnt i hynny mewn gwirionedd. Ond un o'r pethau y byddwn i'n ei ddweud, i'n cadw ar sail gadarnhaol, oherwydd nid wyf yn credu bod gwahaniaeth enfawr rhyngom o ran yr hyn yr ydym yn ceisio ei wneud yma, yw bod gennym ddyhead ar y cyd i drawsnewid gwasanaethau plant. Ac rydych chi'n llygad eich lle, fe wnaethon ni weithio'n dda iawn gyda'n gilydd ar y cytundeb cydweithio, ac rwy'n difaru'n fawr iawn bod y cytundeb hwnnw wedi dod i ben, yn enwedig o ran meysydd o'r rhaglen dileu yn benodol. Rydym wedi gweithio'n agos, rydym wedi gweithio ar y cyd, ac roedd gennym agenda ar y cyd ac roeddem ar y llwybr hwnnw i gyflawni'r agenda ar y cyd honno. Mae'n rhaid i ni gyflawni hynny ar ein pennau ein hunain nawr, fel Llywodraeth Cymru, ond rwy'n gobeithio y bydd yn parhau i gael cefnogaeth Plaid Cymru, gan ei bod yn ymddangos bod ganddi gefnogaeth gyffredinol meinciau'r Ceidwadwyr hefyd.
Mae yna heriau—wrth gwrs mae yna heriau. Allwn ni ddim esgus nad oes unrhyw heriau. Rwy'n lansio strategaeth gweithlu newydd yr wythnos hon, sy'n mynd i'r afael â nifer o'r pwyntiau rydych wedi'u codi. Rydym wedi gwneud llawer iawn yn y maes hwnnw eisoes, yn enwedig o ran dod â'r cyflog byw gwirioneddol i mewn i'r gweithlu gofal cymdeithasol. Ond y tu hwnt i gyflogau, hyfforddiant a datblygu gyrfa, proffesiynoli, sefydlu Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru a hynny i gyd—mae'r cyfan yn helpu tuag at ein symud i weithlu gofal cymdeithasol proffesiynol, lle gallwn ni ddatblygu ein gweithlu ein hunain hefyd, lle gallwn ni gael pobl sy'n dod i mewn fel gweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol ond sy'n gallu datblygu o fewn y rôl honno i ddod yn weithwyr cymdeithasol ac sydd, yn y pen draw, yn dod yn arweinwyr ein gwasanaethau cymdeithasol yn y dyfodol.
Felly, mae gen i gryn uchelgais ar gyfer hynny. Mae hyn yn rhywbeth yr wyf wedi'i hyrwyddo ers ymhell cyn i mi ddod i mewn i'r Senedd hon. Fel y byddwch yn ei werthfawrogi, roeddwn i'n swyddog Unsain ers talwm, felly rydw i wedi bod yn hyrwyddo hyn ers amser maith, ac rydym wedi gweld llawer iawn o lwyddiant a chynnydd anhygoel yn y maes hwnnw, ond mae llawer iawn o waith i'w wneud o hyd. Rydym yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth â'n hundebau llafur, ac mae gennym y fforwm gofal cymdeithasol, ac erbyn hyn rydym yn cyflwyno cynigion ar gyfer symud y mathau hynny o amodau cyflog, polisïau datblygiad cyflog, i'r sector preifat yn ogystal ag i'r sector cyhoeddus a'r trydydd sector. Felly, mae llawer mwy o waith i'w wneud, ond rwy'n credu ein bod ni yn dal i fod ar y ffordd honno.
O ran dileu, rwyf eisiau ail-bwysleisio, am wn i, y pwyntiau roeddech chi'n eu gwneud, Mabon, bod cael gwared ar elw o ofal plant sy'n derbyn gofal yn rhywbeth rydym wedi ymrwymo'n llwyr i'w wneud, ac rydym wedi ymrwymo i'w wneud oherwydd ein bod yn gwybod mai dyna beth mae plant eu hunain—y lleisiau o ofal, y plant sydd â phrofiad o fod mewn gofal eu hunain—wedi dweud, eu bod yn gwrthwynebu'n gryf sefydliadau yn elwa o'r profiad o fod mewn gofal, ac mae angen i ni wrando arnynt. Mae angen i ni wrando ar leisiau plant sydd â phrofiad o fod mewn gofal. A dydyn ni ddim yn sôn am blant ifanc iawn—rydym yn sôn am bobl ifanc yn eu harddegau sydd wedi bod drwy'r system ac sydd bellach wedi cyrraedd yr oedran hwnnw lle maen nhw'n gallu mynegi sut roeddent yn teimlo fwy na thebyg yn blant ifanc iawn, ond sydd bellach yn gallu ei fynegi, ac mae'n rhaid i ni wrando arnyn nhw.
Mae'r cysyniad o elw yn cael ei dalu i gyfranddalwyr ar gefnau'r bobl fwyaf agored i niwed yn ein cymdeithas yn anathema i mi, ac rwy'n siŵr ei fod i chithau, ac rydw i am weld yr arian hwnnw sy'n mynd mewn elw i gyfranddalwyr ar hyn o bryd yn cael ei ailfuddsoddi yng ngofal ein plant a'n pobl ifanc.
Felly, ydy, mae'n rhaglen uchelgeisiol iawn. Mae'r rhan fwyaf o'n rhaglen eisoes wedi'i chostio. Rwyf wedi nodi'n hollol glir rywfaint o'r gwariant yn barod, a byddwn yn edrych i hwnnw gael ei ddatblygu a chynyddu wrth i ni fynd ymlaen.
Byddaf yn y pwyllgor ddydd Iau gyda chi, lle byddwch yn craffu ar y Bil Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol (Cymru), ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwn yn archwilio hyn ymhellach o lawer bryd hynny. Ond fel y dywedais, fy safbwynt i wrth sefyll yma heddiw yw ein bod wedi ymrwymo'n llwyr, nid yn unig i gyflawni'r Bil iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, ond pob elfen o drawsnewid gwasanaethau plant, a fydd yn cyfrannu at lwyddiant y Bil hwnnw.
I want to focus on Parts 3 and 4, but I also want to make the point that I welcome working with Plaid Cymru on removing that profit element from the care sector. But due to time restrictions, I want to focus on 3 and 4. Part 3 is about sharing, through a good practice forum, the needs of children with complex needs who find themselves needing residential care. The money, the £25.4 million that has gone into that integrated care fund and housing care fund for accommodating those individuals, is critical. The reason I am then linking to Part 4, recognising the corporate parental role here, is pretty obvious, because I'm hoping, Minister—and this is my question, really—that that will be underpinned by an independent inspectorate that will report. In my view—. I will ask, request, that that's an annual report to local authorities and local health boards, so that that can be scrutinised, and those people in those areas, particularly local authorities, can be satisfied that the children that they are still responsible for as corporate parents, but may not reside within their jurisdiction—that they can satisfy themselves through those reports that those children have been looked after effectively, efficiently, but also being cared for rightly.
Rwyf am ganolbwyntio ar Rannau 3 a 4, ond rwyf hefyd am nodi fy mod yn croesawu gweithio gyda Phlaid Cymru ar ddileu'r elfen elw honno o'r sector gofal. Ond oherwydd cyfyngiadau amser, rwyf am ganolbwyntio ar 3 a 4. Mae Rhan 3 yn ymwneud â rhannu, drwy fforwm arferion da, anghenion plant ag anghenion cymhleth sy'n cael eu hunain mewn sefyllfa lle mae angen gofal preswyl arnynt. Mae'r arian, y £25.4 miliwn sydd wedi mynd i mewn i'r gronfa gofal integredig honno a'r gronfa tai â gofal ar gyfer lletya'r unigolion hynny, yn hanfodol. Mae'r rheswm pam fy mod i wedyn yn cysylltu â Rhan 4, gan gydnabod rôl y rhiant corfforaethol yma, yn eithaf amlwg, oherwydd rwy'n gobeithio, Gweinidog—a dyma fy nghwestiwn i, a dweud y gwir—y bydd hynny'n cael ei ategu gan arolygiaeth annibynnol a fydd yn adrodd. Yn fy marn i—. Gofynnaf mai adroddiad blynyddol i awdurdodau lleol a byrddau iechyd lleol yw hwnnw, fel y gellir craffu arno, ac y gall y bobl hynny yn yr ardaloedd hynny, yn enwedig awdurdodau lleol, fod yn fodlon bod y plant y maent yn dal i fod yn gyfrifol amdanynt fel rhieni corfforaethol, ond nad ydynt yn byw o fewn eu hawdurdodaeth efallai—y gallant fodloni eu hunain drwy'r adroddiadau hynny bod y plant hynny wedi derbyn gofal yn effeithiol, yn effeithlon, ond hefyd eu bod yn cael gofal priodol.
Thank you, Joyce Watson, for those comments, and I think that's a very important point that you make. Inspection is absolutely critical to the development of these services. We have a very good inspectorate in Wales. We have Care Inspectorate Wales at the moment, which is independent of Government. We made sure that that inspectorate is fully funded so that they can continue with those inspections and their joint inspections of child protection arrangementsthe—the JICPAs, as they call them—which are really important where we have joint education, care and so on, police inspections, the whole gambit.
And we've got some really good examples of some of the projects that are delivering the new style or new types of care for children with complex needs. There are two in particular that I'd like to mention. There's an example called MyST in Gwent, and that provides specialist mental health services to children and people up to the age of 21 who are looked after, and involves children through social care and very complex mental health needs arising from early trauma. And that has been a really successful programme. So, again, these are models of centres that have been established with that fund that you referred to that I think could be an example of how we roll out in other areas.
There's another example called MAPS, and they provide up to 12 sessions of therapy to children and young people that are looked after by behaviour analysts, so they can work with young people to stablilise emotions and so on. And it will be absolutely critical that those services receive the proper inspection, that we get feedback on not only that they are delivering what we want them to deliver, but it's being done in an appropriate way in an appropriate setting, and we're getting the outcomes that we very clearly need. And, of course, that will also be covered in the health and social care Act, in the third Part of the Act around the regulations that need to be amended for other Acts to bring them in line with this.
Diolch, Joyce Watson, am y sylwadau hynny, ac rwy'n credu bod hwnnw'n bwynt pwysig iawn rydych chi'n ei wneud. Mae arolygu yn gwbl hanfodol i ddatblygiad y gwasanaethau hyn. Mae gennym arolygiaeth dda iawn yng Nghymru. Mae gennym Arolygiaeth Gofal Cymru ar hyn o bryd, sy'n annibynnol ar y Llywodraeth. Gwnaethom yn siŵr bod yr arolygiaeth honno yn cael ei hariannu'n llawn fel y gallant barhau gyda'r arolygiadau hynny a'u harolygiadau ar y cyd o drefniadau amddiffyn plant —y JICPAs, fel y'u gelwir—sy'n bwysig iawn lle mae gennym addysg ar y cyd, gofal ac ati, arolygiadau'r heddlu, y gambit cyfan.
Ac mae gennym rai enghreifftiau da iawn o rai o'r prosiectau sy'n darparu'r dull newydd neu'r mathau newydd o ofal i blant ag anghenion cymhleth. Mae yna ddau yn benodol yr hoffwn sôn amdanynt. Mae enghraifft o'r enw MyST yng Ngwent, ac mae hynny'n darparu gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl arbenigol i blant a phobl hyd at 21 oed sy'n derbyn gofal, ac mae'n cynnwys plant drwy ofal cymdeithasol ac anghenion iechyd meddwl cymhleth iawn sy'n deillio o drawma cynnar. Ac mae honno wedi bod yn rhaglen lwyddiannus iawn. Felly, unwaith eto, mae'r rhain yn fodelau o ganolfannau sydd wedi'u sefydlu gyda'r gronfa honno y cyfeirioch ati a allai fod yn enghraifft o'r ffordd rydym yn eu cyflwyno mewn ardaloedd eraill, yn fy marn i.
Mae yna enghraifft arall o'r enw MAPS, ac maen nhw'n darparu hyd at 12 o sesiynau therapi i blant a phobl ifanc sy'n derbyn gofal gan ddadansoddwyr ymddygiad, fel y gallant weithio gyda phobl ifanc i sefydlu emosiynau ac yn y blaen. Ac fe fydd yn gwbl hanfodol bod y gwasanaethau hynny'n cael yr arolygiad priodol, ein bod yn cael adborth nid yn unig eu bod yn darparu'r hyn yr ydym am iddynt ei gyflawni, ond bod hynny'n cael ei wneud mewn ffordd briodol mewn lleoliad priodol, ac rydym yn cael y canlyniadau y mae eu hangen arnom yn glir iawn. Ac, wrth gwrs, bydd hynny hefyd yn cael ei gynnwys yn y Ddeddf iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, yn nhrydedd Rhan y Ddeddf ynghylch y rheoliadau y mae angen eu diwygio ar gyfer Deddfau eraill i'w cysoni â hyn.
Ac yn olaf, Gareth Davies.
And finally, Gareth Davies.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you very much for your statement this afternoon, Minister, but I do take issue with eliminating the profits, unfortunately, but it's nothing new, you'll be pleased to know, because I've debated this for a long time with your predecessor, Julie Morgan, both in the Senedd and in the Health and Social Care Committee, because I had the social services brief for three years. So, I covered it quite extensively.
The issue I do have is that, obviously, you make the comparison to shareholders in bigger companies, which is a more valid point, but I was approached when I did have the social services portfolio by small business owners who have invested a lot of money into those businesses, and personal investment into those for many years. And they actually contacted me to say that they haven't been consulted by the Welsh Government in that ensuing period from 2021 when the co-operation agreement was formed, and I was rather hoping that with a new First Minister and the end of the co-operation agreement it would stop, but that's not the case.
Could you update the Senedd this afternoon in terms of what consultation the Welsh Government have had with private childcare providers in that regard, because they do make up 80 per cent of the sector currently? It's an ambitious target, so I'm just wondering what consultation you've had with those sectors. Thanks.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Diolch yn fawr iawn am eich datganiad y prynhawn yma, Gweinidog, ond rwy'n anghytuno â dileu'r elw, yn anffodus, ond nid yw'n ddim byd newydd, byddwch yn falch o glywed, oherwydd rwyf wedi trafod hyn ers amser maith gyda'ch rhagflaenydd, Julie Morgan, yn y Senedd ac yn y Pwyllgor Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol, oherwydd cefais y briff gwasanaethau cymdeithasol am dair blynedd. Felly, fe ymdriniais ag ef yn eithaf helaeth.
Y broblem sydd gennyf yw, yn amlwg, rydych chi'n gwneud y gymhariaeth â chyfranddalwyr mewn cwmnïau mwy, sy'n bwynt mwy dilys, ond cysylltwyd â mi pan oedd gen i'r portffolio gwasanaethau cymdeithasol gan berchnogion busnesau bach sydd wedi buddsoddi llawer o arian yn y busnesau hynny, a buddsoddiad personol i'r rheini ers blynyddoedd lawer. A gwnaethant gysylltu â mi i ddweud nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymgynghori â nhw yn ystod y cyfnod dilynol hwnnw o 2021 pan ffurfiwyd y cytundeb cydweithio, ac roeddwn i'n gobeithio, gyda Phrif Weinidog newydd a diwedd y cytundeb cydweithio, y byddai'n dod i ben, ond nid yw hynny'n wir.
A allech roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Senedd y prynhawn yma am pa ymgynghoriad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i gael gyda darparwyr gofal plant preifat ynglŷn â hynny, gan eu bod nhw'n cyfrif am 80 y cant o'r sector ar hyn o bryd? Mae'n darged uchelgeisiol, felly rwy'n meddwl tybed pa ymgynghoriad rydych chi wedi'i gael gyda'r sectorau hynny. Diolch.
I think you are also on the health committee, Gareth, so we'll be exploring this—
Rwy'n credu eich bod chi ar y pwyllgor iechyd hefyd, Gareth, felly byddwn ni'n archwilio hyn—
I'm not anymore.
Dydw i ddim mwyach.
Oh, you're not anymore. Okay. So, you won't be exploring this with me on Thursday. Okay. Well, I won't go through the removing the profit aspects because, as you say, that is well rehearsed; we're not going to agree on that, but I do understand the points that you make. We have set out very clearly in the Bill the various models of not-for-profit organisations that we feel can operate in this area, so they are third sector, they are charities, it's local authority and so on.
Now, what we will be doing is giving an opportunity for many of the smaller organisations that you're talking about, many of whom—. I'm not suggesting for one moment that these organisations, these small businesses that are running children's homes are not doing so effectively and they're not doing it in the right way, but we just don't feel that the sector is currently resilient enough, because the private sector, in our view, does not provide that same level of resilience. And local authorities will be expected to produce a resilience plan, where they will have to identify that they have enough places for children in their local area, for their own children, so that we don't have so many children going out of county and so on. What I would say is that we are talking about a transition period; we are not talking about a cliff edge, where all of these private providers will suddenly stop operating in the market. Many of them will have long-term contracts with local authorities, they will have children in their care where, those children, that is their homes, and we're not intending to pull the rug from under those. And there will be very occasional circumstances where the most complex and unusual sets of circumstances may require us to place a child in a private provision, and the Bill does provide for that as well. What will happen is that, from April 2027, no new private providers will be authorised into the market.
But what I would say, in terms of the consultation, is that the third sector, private sector and local authority providers are all part of the eliminate programme board, along with the children's commissioner, along with Voices from Care Cymru, along with service commissioners, trade unions—they're all on that board and have all been feeding into the development of the provisions of the Bill, and we will continue talking to them. The Bill has a long way to go yet; we're still only at Stage 1. I suspect there will be a number of amendments that will come through at Stages 2 and 3, and quite rightly so, because this will need to be tinkered with as we go along. We need to get it right. We need to get it right; we want to make sure that this Bill does not deliver unintended consequences. So, all the people that you're talking about—the private sector, public sector, third sector—will continue to be involved in the discussions with us as we progress the Bill.
O, dydych chi ddim mwyach. Iawn. Felly, fyddwch chi ddim yn archwilio hyn gyda mi ddydd Iau. Iawn. Wel, wna'i ddim mynd drwy'r agweddau dileu'r elw oherwydd, fel y dywedwch, mae hynny wedi cael ei drafod yn helaeth; dydyn ni ddim yn mynd i gytuno ar hynny, ond rwy'n deall y pwyntiau rydych yn eu gwneud. Rydym wedi nodi'n glir iawn yn y Bil y gwahanol fodelau o sefydliadau nid-er-elw y teimlwn y gallan nhw weithredu yn y maes hwn, sef sefydliadau trydydd sector, elusennau, awdurdod lleol ac yn y blaen.
Nawr, yr hyn y byddwn ni'n ei wneud yw rhoi cyfle i lawer o'r sefydliadau llai rydych yn sôn amdanynt, y mae llawer ohonyn nhw—. Nid wyf yn awgrymu am eiliad nad yw'r sefydliadau hyn, y busnesau bach hyn sy'n rhedeg cartrefi plant yn gwneud hynny'n effeithiol ac nad ydynt yn ei wneud yn y ffordd iawn, ond nid ydym yn teimlo bod y sector yn ddigon gwydn ar hyn o bryd, oherwydd nid yw'r sector preifat, yn ein barn ni, yn darparu'r un lefel honno o wydnwch. A bydd disgwyl i awdurdodau lleol lunio cynllun cydnerthedd, lle bydd yn rhaid iddynt nodi bod ganddynt ddigon o leoedd i blant yn eu hardal leol, ar gyfer eu plant eu hunain, fel nad oes gennym gymaint o blant yn mynd allan o'r sir ac yn y blaen. Yr hyn fyddwn i'n ei ddweud yw ein bod ni'n sôn am gyfnod pontio; nid ydym yn sôn am ymyl clogwyn, lle bydd yr holl ddarparwyr preifat hyn yn rhoi'r gorau i weithredu yn y farchnad yn sydyn. Bydd gan lawer ohonynt gontractau tymor hir gydag awdurdodau lleol, bydd ganddynt blant yn eu gofal lle dyna yw cartrefi'r plant hynny, ac nid ydym yn bwriadu tanseilio'r rheini. Ac fe fydd amgylchiadau achlysurol iawn lle gall y setiau mwyaf cymhleth ac anarferol o amgylchiadau ei gwneud yn ofynnol i ni leoli plentyn mewn darpariaeth breifat, ac mae'r Bil yn darparu ar gyfer hynny hefyd. Yr hyn a fydd yn digwydd yw, o fis Ebrill 2027, ni fydd unrhyw ddarparwyr preifat newydd yn cael eu hawdurdodi i'r farchnad.
Ond beth fyddwn i’n ei ddweud, o ran yr ymgynghoriad, yw bod darparwyr y trydydd sector, y sector preifat a darparwyr awdurdodau lleol i gyd yn rhan o fwrdd y rhaglen dileu, ynghyd â'r comisiynydd plant, ynghyd â Voices from Care Cymru, ynghyd â chomisiynwyr gwasanaethau, undebau llafur—maen nhw i gyd ar y bwrdd hwnnw ac maen nhw i gyd wedi bod yn cyfrannu at ddatblygu darpariaethau'r Bil, a byddwn ni'n parhau i siarad â nhw. Mae tipyn o waith i'w wneud ar y Bil eto; dim ond ar Gyfnod 1 ydym o hyd. Rwy'n amau y bydd yna nifer o welliannau yng Nghyfnodau 2 a 3, a hynny'n gwbl briodol, oherwydd bydd angen newid hyn wrth i ni fynd ymlaen. Mae angen i ni ei gael yn iawn. Mae angen i ni ei gael yn iawn; rydym am sicrhau nad yw'r Bil hwn yn cyflawni canlyniadau anfwriadol. Felly, bydd yr holl bobl rydych yn sôn amdanynt—y sector preifat, y sector cyhoeddus, y trydydd sector—yn parhau i fod yn rhan o'r trafodaethau gyda ni wrth i ni symud y Bil yn ei flaen.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
I thank the Minister.
Eitem 7 heddiw yw datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ogledd Cymru a Thrafnidiaeth: trawsnewid y rheilffyrdd, y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y metro yn ne Cymru a’r rhaglen i ddiweddaru’r fflyd. Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, Ken Skates.
Item 7 today is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport: transforming rail, an update on the delivery of the south Wales metro and the fleet upgrade programme. I call on the Cabinet Secretary, Ken Skates.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Back in November 2015, the then First Minister Carwyn Jones described the south Wales metro as representing the future of public transport in south-east Wales. With the timetable change taking place on the core Valleys lines this week, that future is fast becoming a reality, with more frequent journeys for passengers, improving connectivity, connecting people and creating opportunity. The new timetable is a step change towards the 'turn up and go' service that the metro will provide.
Transport for Wales are now running six trains an hour between Caerphilly and Cardiff and eight trains an hour between Pontypridd and Cardiff—two additional services every hour on both of these routes, providing more choice and more flexibility for passengers. And for the first time, there are Sunday services on the City line in Cardiff, allowing more people to use public transport for leisure or work in the city centre. The new, improved timetable is designed for the brand-new electric trains that will be introduced throughout this year. We are able to make this change to the timetable because of the progress being made to upgrade the infrastructure itself. Every week we're a step closer to the final delivery of this transformational £1 billion programme. Just last week, TfW successfully completed the energisation of the Treherbert line. This will provide power for the new fleet to begin testing and eventually run passenger services on that line. And last month we made history, as the very first electric train ran north of Cardiff to Pontypridd during daylight hours.
These incremental milestones mark vital steps in our vision to build a world-class metro, offering passengers a glimpse of what the future holds across the core Valleys lines network, a transformation made possible by an investment of £1 billion. It's enabling us to deliver high-quality 'turn up and go' services, brand-new trains and rolling out pay-as-you-go ticketing across the south Wales metro. These improvements show what can be achieved when Welsh Government has the powers and the funding to invest in our railway. We are delivering real change for passengers.
Now, our ability to make transformational change outside the core Valleys lines is more limited. Those powers, and funding, remain with the UK Government. But I am determined that no part of Wales will be left behind. We are coming towards the end of our fleet upgrade programme—over £800 million in brand-new, modern trains serving every corner of Wales. You can now travel from Llandudno to Wrexham, from Holyhead to Milford Haven, or Ebbw Vale to Cardiff, all on brand-new trains that are more comfortable, more reliable and more accessible. We've now received 70 per cent of the new fleet, with more trains being delivered all the time. Some of these are in daily service and some are being used for driver training. By the end of the programme, 90 per cent of journeys with TfW will be on new trains.
Dirprwy Lywydd, we've gone from having one of the oldest train fleets in Britain to having one of the very newest. We will have 484 carriages available, compared to just 270 carriages that we inherited from Arriva Trains Wales in 2018. And these new trains will underpin the consistent high levels of performance that we are determined to deliver.
We know that performance has not always been good enough. Replacing the entire fleet and delivering the largest ever infrastructure investment in Wales has been difficult to manage, but we are emerging from those twin challenges and we have turned a corner. We're starting to reap the rewards of hard work and years of investment.
Transport for Wales have improved their performance right across Wales and the borders. Overall, they are more reliable than any other train operating service within Wales. The latest performance results show year-on-year improvements. In April, 3.4 per cent of all TfW services were cancelled compared to 7.5 per cent last year, and punctuality on the core Valleys lines was over 90 per cent, an almost 10 per cent improvement on last year. And we are doing this whilst carrying more passengers across our services. Transport for Wales are providing a much more reliable and higher quality service for passengers on the Wrexham to Bidston line. New trains operating additional services are encouraging more people to travel on this important cross-border route.
Of course there is more to do, but we will not be complacent. It is time to recognise the real changes that passengers are experiencing. I'm proud of the journey that we are on, and how far we have come since the establishment of Transport for Wales. We have a unique approach in Wales. We will always put passengers first, adjusting our services to meet the demands of when people want and need to travel. We are providing more capacity on the busiest services, and we are delivering more services to reflect demand. This means that in Wales we are now celebrating increased services, improved performance, better customer experience, better reliability and brand-new trains. In short, we are delivering positive, transformational change and there is even more to come in the future. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Yn ôl ym mis Tachwedd 2015, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog ar y pryd, Carwyn Jones, fod metro de Cymru yn cynrychioli dyfodol trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn ne-ddwyrain Cymru. Gyda'r newid yn yr amserlen yn digwydd ar reilffyrdd craidd y Cymoedd yr wythnos hon, mae'r dyfodol hwnnw'n dod yn realiti yn gyflym, gyda theithiau amlach i deithwyr, gwella cysylltedd, cysylltu pobl a chreu cyfle. Mae'r amserlen newydd yn newid sylweddol tuag at y gwasanaeth 'cyrraedd a mynd' y bydd y metro yn ei ddarparu.
Mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru bellach yn rhedeg chwe thrên yr awr rhwng Caerffili a Chaerdydd ac wyth trên yr awr rhwng Pontypridd a Chaerdydd—dau wasanaeth ychwanegol bob awr ar y ddau lwybr yma, gan roi mwy o ddewis a mwy o hyblygrwydd i deithwyr. Ac am y tro cyntaf, mae gwasanaethau Sul ar linell y Ddinas yng Nghaerdydd, sy'n caniatáu i fwy o bobl ddefnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ar gyfer hamdden neu weithio yng nghanol y ddinas. Mae'r amserlen newydd, well, wedi'i chynllunio ar gyfer y trenau trydan newydd sbon a fydd yn cael eu cyflwyno drwy gydol y flwyddyn hon. Gallwn wneud y newid hwn i'r amserlen oherwydd y cynnydd sy'n cael ei wneud i uwchraddio'r seilwaith ei hun. Bob wythnos rydym gam yn nes at gyflawni yn derfynol y rhaglen drawsnewidiol hon gwerth £1 biliwn. Dim ond yr wythnos diwethaf, llwyddodd Trafnidiaeth Cymru i gwblhau egnioli llinell Treherbert. Bydd hyn yn rhoi pŵer i'r fflyd newydd ddechrau cael eu profi ac yn y pen draw rhedeg gwasanaethau teithwyr ar y llinell honno. A fis diwethaf fe wnaethom hanes, wrth i'r trên trydan cyntaf un redeg i'r gogledd o Gaerdydd i Bontypridd yn ystod oriau golau dydd.
Mae'r cerrig milltir cynyddrannol hyn yn nodi camau hanfodol yn ein gweledigaeth i adeiladu metro o'r radd flaenaf, gan gynnig cipolwg i deithwyr ar yr hyn sydd i ddod yn y dyfodol ar draws rhwydwaith craidd llinellau'r Cymoedd, trawsnewidiad a wnaed yn bosibl trwy fuddsoddiad o £1 biliwn. Mae'n ein galluogi i ddarparu gwasanaethau 'cyrraedd a mynd' o ansawdd uchel, trenau newydd sbon a chyflwyno tocynnau talu wrth fynd ar draws metro de Cymru. Mae'r gwelliannau hyn yn dangos yr hyn y gellir ei gyflawni pan fydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru y pwerau a'r cyllid i fuddsoddi yn ein rheilffyrdd. Rydym yn darparu newid gwirioneddol i deithwyr.
Nawr, mae ein gallu i wneud newid trawsnewidiol y tu allan i linellau craidd y Cymoedd yn fwy cyfyngedig. Mae'r pwerau hynny, a'r cyllid, yn parhau i fod gyda Llywodraeth y DU. Ond rwy'n benderfynol na fydd unrhyw ran o Gymru yn cael ei gadael ar ôl. Rydym yn dod tuag at ddiwedd ein rhaglen uwchraddio fflyd—dros £800 miliwn mewn trenau modern newydd sbon sy'n gwasanaethu pob cornel o Gymru. Gallwch nawr deithio o Landudno i Wrecsam, o Gaergybi i Aberdaugleddau, neu o Lynebwy i Gaerdydd, i gyd ar drenau newydd sbon sy'n fwy cyfforddus, yn fwy dibynadwy ac yn fwy hygyrch. Rydym bellach wedi derbyn 70 y cant o'r fflyd newydd, ac mae mwy o drenau yn cael eu darparu drwy'r amser. Mae rhai o'r rhain mewn gwasanaeth dyddiol ac mae rhai yn cael eu defnyddio ar gyfer hyfforddi gyrwyr. Erbyn diwedd y rhaglen, bydd 90 y cant o deithiau gyda Trafnidiaeth Cymru ar drenau newydd.
Dirprwy Lywydd, rydym wedi mynd o fod ag un o'r fflydoedd trên hynaf ym Mhrydain i fod ag un o'r rhai mwyaf newydd. Bydd gennym 484 o gerbydau ar gael, o'i gymharu â dim ond 270 o gerbydau a etifeddwyd gennym gan Trenau Arriva Cymru yn 2018. A bydd y trenau newydd hyn yn sail i'r lefelau uchel cyson o berfformiad yr ydym yn benderfynol o'u cyflawni.
Rydym yn gwybod nad yw perfformiad bob amser wedi bod yn ddigon da. Mae disodli'r fflyd gyfan a chyflawni'r buddsoddiad mwyaf erioed mewn seilwaith yng Nghymru wedi bod yn anodd ei reoli, ond rydym yn gadael yr heriau deublyg hynny ac rydym wedi troi cornel. Rydym yn dechrau elwa ar enillion gwaith caled a blynyddoedd o fuddsoddiad.
Mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi gwella eu perfformiad ledled Cymru a'r gororau. Ar y cyfan, maent yn fwy dibynadwy nag unrhyw wasanaeth trên arall yng Nghymru. Mae'r canlyniadau perfformiad diweddaraf yn dangos gwelliannau o flwyddyn i flwyddyn. Ym mis Ebrill, cafodd 3.4 y cant o holl wasanaethau Trafnidiaeth Cymru eu canslo o'i gymharu â 7.5 y cant y llynedd, ac roedd prydlondeb ar reilffyrdd craidd y Cymoedd dros 90 y cant, gwelliant o bron i 10 y cant ers y llynedd. Ac rydym yn gwneud hyn gan gludo mwy o deithwyr ar draws ein gwasanaethau. Mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn darparu gwasanaeth llawer mwy dibynadwy ac o ansawdd uwch i deithwyr ar linell Wrecsam i Bidston. Mae trenau newydd sy'n gweithredu gwasanaethau ychwanegol yn annog mwy o bobl i deithio ar y llwybr trawsffiniol pwysig hwn.
Wrth gwrs, mae mwy i'w wneud, ond ni fyddwn yn hunanfodlon. Mae'n bryd cydnabod y newidiadau gwirioneddol y mae teithwyr yn eu profi. Rwy'n falch o'r daith yr ydym arni, a pha mor bell yr ydym wedi dod ers sefydlu Trafnidiaeth Cymru. Mae gennym ddull unigryw yng Nghymru. Byddwn bob amser yn rhoi teithwyr yn gyntaf, gan addasu ein gwasanaethau i fodloni gofynion pryd mae pobl eisiau ac angen teithio. Rydym yn darparu mwy o gapasiti ar y gwasanaethau prysuraf, ac rydym yn darparu mwy o wasanaethau i adlewyrchu'r galw. Mae hyn yn golygu ein bod bellach yng Nghymru yn dathlu mwy o wasanaethau, gwell perfformiad, gwell profiad i gwsmeriaid, gwell dibynadwyedd a threnau newydd sbon. Yn fyr, rydym yn cyflawni newid cadarnhaol, trawsnewidiol ac mae hyd yn oed mwy i ddod yn y dyfodol. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Thank you so much, Cabinet Secretary, for this afternoon's statement. All of us here, I'm sure, can agree that we want to see top-quality, reliable rail services and integrated transport across the country, with our communities better connected. I don't think anyone can honestly dispute that. But, as things stand, I would argue that residents aren't getting the service that they deserve, despite huge amounts of public cash being pumped into Transport for Wales.
Cabinet Secretary, you talk about the metro with such positivity, but the scheme's architect has come out with some rather stringent criticism. Now, Professor Mark Barry, the man who actually conceived the idea of the south Wales metro, described the scheme, and I quote, as a 'raw deal' for Cardiff and insisted the city wasn't really getting a metro. Professor Barry also said that the scheme, the cost of which has ballooned to north of £1 billion, would not result in any extra services at more than half of the capital city stations. That's quite a big comment to make, Cabinet Secretary. Do you agree with Professor Barry's remarks? And how will you ensure that this transport project does in fact deliver for Cardiff? Increased services, especially later in the evening and on Sundays, will almost certainly be welcomed by many. However, questions are being raised, Cabinet Secretary, about how you will ensure that they will indeed arrive on time. The reason for my concern is because, as we all know, Transport for Wales has racked up more than 1 million minutes worth of delays in 2023—the worst on record to date.
You mention in your statement that punctuality on the core Valleys lines was 90 per cent. That is, of course, welcome news, but how will the Welsh Government ensure that this is maintained going forward? Having repeatedly called for an all-Wales travel card to be introduced, I'm genuinely hand on heart thrilled to see the pay-as-you-go rail fares rolled out, with passengers able to use their bank cards and smart devices to get around, and I do hope, even being the regional Member for south-east Wales, we'll be able to see this in all corners of Wales going forward.
Cabinet Secretary, you said that the Government expects 90 per cent of journeys to be made on new trains by the end of the metro programme, so how confident are you that this target will be hit, and when do you expect us to be hitting the 100 per cent coverage? As part of the metro work, some 40 stations are being renovated. One of the big issues I've been working on in this role is ensuring that public transport hubs are indeed accessible for all. So, Cabinet Secretary, can I get a commitment from you today that the needs of people with disabilities, women and vulnerable users have been taken into account as part of the improvement works, and that things like tactile paving, tannoy systems, in fact accessible and really productive closed-circuit television are going to be installed to ensure passenger safety is paramount, going forward?
New stations are also being built under this project, yet a cloud of uncertainty is hanging over the Cardiff parkway station. As things stand, the east of Cardiff isn't currently served by a railway station, so this development in St Mellons would be key to connecting passengers and ensuring residents in this area benefit from this investment. I've raised this before with you, Cabinet Secretary, and I know you'll be reluctant to perhaps go into specifics right now, but can you please outline a timeline for when a decision is likely to be made on this project?
Cabinet Secretary, there's a lot to be hopeful about, and I do have a level of confidence in you, but it is imperative that the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales get this right and get it right now, because for far too long people in Wales have been let down by a poor public transport network, and that simply has to change. Thank you so much, Deputy Presiding Officer.
Diolch yn fawr, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, am y datganiad y prynhawn yma. Gall pob un ohonom yma, rwy'n siŵr, gytuno ein bod am weld gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd dibynadwy o'r safon uchaf a thrafnidiaeth integredig ledled y wlad, gyda'n cymunedau'n fwy cysylltiedig. Nid wyf yn credu y gall unrhyw un ddadlau â hynny i fod yn onest. Ond, fel y mae pethau'n sefyll, byddwn i'n dadlau nad yw trigolion yn cael y gwasanaeth y maen nhw'n ei haeddu, er bod llawer iawn o arian cyhoeddus yn cael ei roi i Trafnidiaeth Cymru.
Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, rydych chi'n sôn am y metro gyda chymaint o bositifrwydd, ond mae pensaer y cynllun wedi mynegi rhywfaint o feirniadaeth eithaf llym. Nawr, disgrifiodd yr Athro Mark Barry, y dyn a luniodd y syniad o fetro de Cymru mewn gwirionedd, y cynllun, ac rwy'n dyfynnu, fel 'bargen wael' i Gaerdydd a mynnodd nad oedd y ddinas yn cael metro mewn gwirionedd. Dywedodd yr Athro Barry hefyd na fyddai'r cynllun, y mae ei gost wedi cynyddu i fwy nag £1 biliwn, yn arwain at unrhyw wasanaethau ychwanegol mewn mwy na hanner gorsafoedd y brifddinas. Mae hynny'n sylw eithaf mawr i'w wneud, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet. Ydych chi'n cytuno â sylwadau'r Athro Barry? A sut fyddwch chi'n sicrhau bod y prosiect trafnidiaeth hwn yn cyflawni dros Gaerdydd mewn gwirionedd? Bydd mwy o wasanaethau, yn enwedig yn hwyrach gyda'r nos ac ar ddydd Sul, bron yn sicr o gael eu croesawu gan lawer. Fodd bynnag, mae cwestiynau'n cael eu codi, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, ynglŷn â sut y byddwch yn sicrhau y byddant yn cyrraedd mewn pryd. Y rheswm dros fy mhryder yw oherwydd, fel y gwyddom i gyd, mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi cronni gwerth mwy na miliwn o funudau o oedi yn 2023—y gwaethaf a gofnodwyd hyd yma.
Rydych chi'n sôn yn eich datganiad bod prydlondeb ar linellau craidd y Cymoedd yn 90 y cant. Mae hynny, wrth gwrs, yn newyddion i'w groesawu, ond sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau bod hyn yn cael ei gynnal wrth symud ymlaen? Ar ôl galw dro ar ôl tro am gyflwyno cerdyn teithio Cymru gyfan, rwyf wirioneddol wrth fy modd o weld y prisiau rheilffyrdd talu wrth fynd yn cael eu cyflwyno, gyda theithwyr yn gallu defnyddio eu cardiau banc a'u dyfeisiau clyfar i fynd o gwmpas, ac rwy'n gobeithio, hyd yn oed fel yr Aelod rhanbarthol dros dde-ddwyrain Cymru, y byddwn yn gallu gweld hyn ym mhob cwr o Gymru wrth symud ymlaen.
Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, fe wnaethoch chi ddweud bod y Llywodraeth yn disgwyl i 90 y cant o deithiau gael eu gwneud ar drenau newydd erbyn diwedd y rhaglen metro, felly pa mor hyderus ydych chi y bydd y targed hwn yn cael ei gyflawni, a phryd ydych chi'n disgwyl i ni fod yn cyflawni'r cwmpas 100 y cant? Fel rhan o'r gwaith metro, mae tua 40 o orsafoedd yn cael eu hadnewyddu. Un o'r materion mawr rydw i wedi bod yn gweithio arno yn y rôl hon yw sicrhau bod hybiau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn hygyrch i bawb. Felly, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, a gaf i ymrwymiad gennych chi heddiw bod anghenion pobl ag anableddau, menywod a defnyddwyr bregus wedi cael eu hystyried fel rhan o'r gwaith gwella, a bod pethau fel palmentydd cyffyrddol, systemau uwchseinyddion tannoy, yn wir, teledu cylch cyfyng hygyrch a gwirioneddol gynhyrchiol yn mynd i gael eu gosod i sicrhau bod diogelwch teithwyr yn hollbwysig, wrth symud ymlaen?
Mae gorsafoedd newydd hefyd yn cael eu hadeiladu o dan y prosiect hwn, ac eto mae cwmwl o ansicrwydd yn hongian dros orsaf parcffordd Caerdydd. Fel y mae pethau, nid oes gorsaf reilffordd sy'n gwasanaethu dwyrain Caerdydd ar hyn o bryd, felly byddai'r datblygiad hwn yn Llaneirwg yn allweddol i gysylltu teithwyr a sicrhau bod trigolion yr ardal hon yn elwa ar y buddsoddiad hwn. Rwyf wedi codi hyn o'r blaen gyda chi, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, ac rwy'n gwybod y byddwch yn amharod i fynd i fanylion ar hyn o bryd, ond a allwch chi amlinellu amserlen ar gyfer pryd y bydd penderfyniad yn debygol o gael ei wneud ar y prosiect hwn?
Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, mae llawer i fod yn obeithiol amdano, ac mae gen i lefel o hyder ynoch chi, ond mae'n hanfodol bod Llywodraeth Cymru a Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn gwneud hyn yn iawn ac yn ei wneud yn iawn nawr, oherwydd ers llawer yn rhy hir mae rhwydwaith trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus gwael wedi siomi pobl yng Nghymru ac, yn syml, mae'n rhaid i hynny newid. Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd.
Well, can I thank Natasha Asghar for her questions and for her positive tone, indeed? I would agree entirely that the prospect of integrated public transport across Wales is exciting and is shared across the political spectrum. And through the bus Bill and other changes, we hope to be able to fully integrate timetables, ticketing and ensure that people in north, south and mid Wales—everywhere in Wales—are able to enjoy a fully integrated public transport system of the highest standard.
Now, in terms of the comments that have been made about Cardiff, they are specific, I understand, to the City line and the regularity of services on that particular route. My understanding is that it would not be possible to conduct the sort of Metro-level services on that line without infrastructure upgrades to infrastructure that is the responsibility of Network Rail. So, ultimately, it comes down to UK Government, because it's part of the main line infrastructure arrangement, to actually make the decision about financing the infrastructure upgrades that are required. So, actually, it's something that we could work together on, I believe, if we could influence UK Government to make the investment required to ensure that the City line can enjoy the same degree of service regularity.
Now, in terms of 2023’s figures, I would agree that they were not good enough, but they have been improving, and we are at a point now where 84 per cent of rail services arrive within three minutes of the timetable, and if we look at the performance of operators across Wales between 1 April and 27 April—and this is just a snapshot of how things are going in 2024, but it does show that there have been significant improvements in Transport for Wales services—we will find that, in the whole of the Wales and borders area, the punctuality rate is 77.9 per cent for that particular month. That is higher any other operator, including Avanti, West Coast, CrossCountry and Great Western. And if you also look at the core Valleys lines, as you identified, the punctuality there has been 90 per cent.
In terms of new rolling stock, we have seen an enormous delivery of the £800 million fleet, and that's across Wales. That applies to the whole of Wales—it's not just confined to the core Valleys areas. And within the next two years, we will see the entire train order delivered, and that will, as I said in my statement, mean that we will have one of the newest fleets anywhere in the United Kingdom, compared to us having inherited one of the oldest fleets back in 2018.
I'd agree entirely as well with Natasha Asghar about the need to ensure that stations are accessible for all, and this was something that the spokesperson and I discussed when we met recently, and there is an advisory group that is able to work with Transport for Wales to ensure that the right sort of infrastructure and the right sort of support is put in place at stations. So, we're increasing the number of ambassadors, for example, but we're also looking at tactile paving to ensure that people who are of partial sighted ability or limited mobility are able to navigate around stations safely.
I'm afraid I can't go into any detail regarding Cardiff parkway at this moment. The Member, and I'm sure most Members in the Chamber, will be aware of the review that’s being conducted into that, and it may well come to me for decision, so I can't comment on that I'm afraid. But I'm sure a decision will be made in the not-too-distant future.
And finally, in regard to pay-as-you-go, I'd share again the enthusiasm of the Member for this particular scheme. It's based on the scheme that is widely used in London. Ultimately, what I would love to see happen is full integration of bus and rail service ticketing and the adoption of pay-as-you-go for all forms of public transport in Wales in the future. That won't be achieved in the short term, because of the amount of infrastructure and technology that is required, but, certainly, as an ultimate objective, I think pay-as-you-go across the bus and train network would be a great ambition to deliver on.
Wel, a gaf i ddiolch i Natasha Asghar am ei chwestiynau ac am ei thôn bositif, yn wir? Byddwn yn cytuno'n llwyr bod y posibilrwydd o drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus integredig ledled Cymru yn gyffrous ac yn cael ei rannu ar draws y sbectrwm gwleidyddol. A thrwy'r Bil bysiau a newidiadau eraill, gobeithiwn allu integreiddio amserlenni, tocynnau a sicrhau bod pobl yn y gogledd, y de a'r canolbarth—ym mhobman yng Nghymru—yn gallu mwynhau system trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus gwbl integredig o'r safon uchaf.
Nawr, o ran y sylwadau sydd wedi'u gwneud am Gaerdydd, maen nhw'n benodol, rwy'n deall, i linell y Ddinas a rheoleidd-dra gwasanaethau ar y llwybr penodol hwnnw. Fy nealltwriaeth i yw na fyddai'n bosibl cynnal y math o wasanaethau lefel Metro ar y llinell honno heb uwchraddio seilwaith y mae Network Rail yn gyfrifol amdano. Felly, yn y pen draw, mae'n fater i Lywodraeth y DU, gan ei bod yn rhan o'r trefniant seilwaith prif linell, i wneud y penderfyniad mewn gwirionedd ynghylch ariannu'r uwchraddiadau seilwaith sydd eu hangen. Felly, mewn gwirionedd, mae'n rhywbeth y gallem weithio gyda'n gilydd arno, rwy'n credu, pe gallem ddylanwadu ar Lywodraeth y DU i wneud y buddsoddiad sydd ei angen i sicrhau bod llinell y Ddinas yn gallu mwynhau'r un lefel o reoleidd-dra o ran gwasanaethau.
Nawr, o ran ffigurau 2023, byddwn yn cytuno nad oedden nhw'n ddigon da, ond maen nhw wedi bod yn gwella, ac rydyn ni ar bwynt nawr lle mae 84 y cant o wasanaethau rheilffyrdd yn cyrraedd o fewn tair munud i'r amserlen, ac os edrychwn ni ar berfformiad gweithredwyr ledled Cymru rhwng 1 Ebrill a 27 Ebrill—a dim ond cipolwg yw hwn o sut mae pethau'n mynd yn 2024, ond mae'n dangos bod gwelliannau sylweddol wedi bod yng ngwasanaethau Trafnidiaeth Cymru—fe welwn ni, yn ardal Cymru gyfan a'r gororau, mai'r gyfradd brydlondeb yw 77.9 y cant ar gyfer y mis penodol hwnnw. Mae hynny'n uwch nag unrhyw weithredwr arall, gan gynnwys Avanti, West Coast, CrossCountry a Great Western. Ac os edrychwch chi hefyd ar linellau craidd y Cymoedd, fel y nodoch chi, mae'r prydlondeb yno wedi bod yn 90 y cant.
O ran cerbydau newydd, rydym wedi gweld danfoniad enfawr o'r fflyd gwerth £800 miliwn, ac mae hynny ledled Cymru. Mae hynny'n berthnasol i Gymru gyfan—nid dim ond i ardaloedd craidd y Cymoedd y mae wedi'i gyfyngu. Ac o fewn y ddwy flynedd nesaf, byddwn yn gweld yr archeb trenau gyfan yn cael ei darparu, a bydd hynny, fel y dywedais i yn fy natganiad, yn golygu y bydd gennym un o'r fflydoedd mwyaf newydd yn unrhyw le yn y Deyrnas Unedig, o'i gymharu â'n bod wedi etifeddu un o'r fflydoedd hynaf yn ôl yn 2018.
Byddwn yn cytuno'n llwyr hefyd â Natasha Asghar ynghylch yr angen i sicrhau bod gorsafoedd yn hygyrch i bawb, ac roedd hyn yn rhywbeth y bu'r llefarydd a minnau yn ei drafod pan wnaethom ni gyfarfod yn ddiweddar, ac mae grŵp cynghori sy'n gallu gweithio gyda Trafnidiaeth Cymru i sicrhau bod y math cywir o seilwaith a'r math cywir o gymorth yn cael ei roi ar waith mewn gorsafoedd. Felly, rydym yn cynyddu nifer y llysgenhadon, er enghraifft, ond rydym hefyd yn edrych ar balmentydd cyffyrddol i sicrhau bod pobl sydd yn rhannol ddall neu sydd â symudedd cyfyngedig yn gallu llywio o amgylch gorsafoedd yn ddiogel.
Rwy'n ofni na allaf fynd i unrhyw fanylion ynghylch parcffordd Caerdydd ar hyn o bryd. Bydd yr Aelod, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd y rhan fwyaf o Aelodau yn y Siambr, yn ymwybodol o'r adolygiad sy'n cael ei gynnal i hynny, ac mae'n ddigon posibl y bydd yn dod ataf i wneud penderfyniad, felly ni allaf wneud sylw ar hynny rwy'n ofni. Ond rwy'n siŵr y bydd penderfyniad yn cael ei wneud yn y dyfodol agos.
Ac yn olaf, o ran talu wrth fynd, byddwn yn rhannu brwdfrydedd yr Aelod unwaith eto am y cynllun penodol hwn. Mae'n seiliedig ar y cynllun a ddefnyddir yn eang yn Llundain. Yn y pen draw, yr hyn yr hoffwn ei weld yn digwydd yw integreiddio tocynnau gwasanaeth bysiau a rheilffyrdd yn llawn a mabwysiadu talu wrth fynd ar gyfer pob math o drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yng Nghymru yn y dyfodol. Ni fydd hynny'n cael ei gyflawni yn y tymor byr, oherwydd faint o seilwaith a thechnoleg sydd eu hangen, ond, yn sicr, fel amcan yn y pen draw, rwy'n credu y byddai talu wrth fynd ar draws y rhwydwaith bysiau a threnau yn uchelgais gwych i'w gyflawni.
Diolch, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet—dwi byth yn cofio beth ydy hynny yn Gymraeg—am ein diweddaru ni ar y cynlluniau hyn. Fe wnes i ddal trên dan yr amserlen newydd y bore yma, ac roedd e'n braf i ddod i'r bae heb orfod newid yn Stryd y Frenhines.
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary—I can never remember what that is in Welsh—for updating us on these plans. I caught a train on the new timetable this morning, and it was nice to be able to come to the bay without having to change at Queen Street.
I understand that, while some of the new trains have been rolled out already, more are supposed to be added in time for the National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd that we're all very excited about. Could I ask if the programme is still on time to be able to deliver that? And could you outline what part that will play in providing extra capacity to encourage greater attendance, of course, at this Eisteddfod and how it would assist in helping people get home safely at the end of those days?
Rwy'n deall, er bod rhai o'r trenau newydd wedi'u cyflwyno'n barod, bod mwy i fod i gael eu hychwanegu mewn pryd ar gyfer yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol ym Mhontypridd yr ydym i gyd yn gyffrous iawn yn ei chylch. A gaf i ofyn a yw'r rhaglen yn dal ar amser i allu cyflawni hynny? Ac a allech chi amlinellu pa ran fydd yn ei chwarae wrth ddarparu capasiti ychwanegol i annog mwy o bresenoldeb, wrth gwrs, yn yr Eisteddfod hon a sut y byddai'n helpu pobl i gyrraedd adref yn ddiogel ar ddiwedd y dyddiau hynny?
Er mwyn cael y gorau o'r metro, wrth gwrs, rhaid edrych ymhellach na beth fydd yn fuddiol i deithwyr heddiw yn unig, er mwyn gwneud yn siwr bod newidiadau ymddygiad yn dod.
In order to get the most out of the metro, of course, you have to look further than what will be beneficial for the passengers of today only, in order to make sure that behaviour change does follow.
We need to look at densification of development, particularly what affordable housing will be developed, as well as physical and social regeneration projects near those transport hubs in many of our towns in the Valleys that have previously been overlooked. Professor Mark Barry has already been raised this afternoon. He has previously called for a metro development corporation to lead on that work that I've just mentioned. Is that something that you would commit to working to achieve, please?
Finally, I'd like to raise the issue of the devolution and the funding of Transport for Wales, and not just Transport for Wales, but transport of Wales and in Wales. A lot of these new developments, really, I think that they are to be welcomed. There is a lot here that is exciting. But the current arrangements that we have that constrain what is possible—and you've already mentioned what's not going to be possible at the moment for the City line—are simply an unfairness, a fundamental unfairness for Wales. The Welsh Government has had to pay for the south Wales network, these changes, out of the overall budget. Transport infrastructure is not devolved. And one of the most unfair manifestations of this—we'll have a debate on this tomorrow—is the fact that we're having to fork out £4 billion for high-speed rail networks in England, and not a single piece of track for that is laid in Wales.
Now, in the context of what we've been discussing this afternoon, imagine, all of us, what could have been done with that money. Cabinet Secretary, I'm sure that you would agree with how not just frustrating but unjust that is, because, under the current arrangements, would you agree that surely we cannot—? As to the ambition that we can have for transport and throughout the network without those devolved powers, there is a cap on that ambition, isn't there? Without the Barnettisation of transport infrastructure spend for England, there is a cap on what will be possible.
Mae angen i ni edrych ar ddwysáu datblygiad, yn enwedig pa dai fforddiadwy fydd yn cael eu datblygu, yn ogystal â phrosiectau adfywio ffisegol a chymdeithasol ger y canolfannau trafnidiaeth hynny yn llawer o'n trefi yn y Cymoedd sydd wedi cael eu hanwybyddu yn flaenorol. Mae'r Athro Mark Barry eisoes wedi ei godi y prynhawn yma. Mae wedi galw yn flaenorol am gorfforaeth datblygu metro i arwain ar y gwaith hwnnw yr wyf newydd ei grybwyll. Ydy hynny'n rhywbeth y byddech chi'n ymrwymo i weithio i'w gyflawni, os gwelwch yn dda?
Yn olaf, hoffwn godi mater datganoli ac ariannu Trafnidiaeth Cymru, ac nid Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn unig, ond trafnidiaeth Cymru ac yng Nghymru. Mae llawer o'r datblygiadau newydd hyn, mewn gwirionedd, rwy'n credu y dylid eu croesawu. Mae llawer iawn yma sy'n gyffrous. Ond mae'r trefniadau presennol sydd gennym ni sy'n cyfyngu ar yr hyn sy'n bosib—ac rydych chi eisoes wedi sôn beth na fydd yn bosib ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer llinell y Ddinas—yn annheg, yn annhegwch sylfaenol i Gymru. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gorfod talu am rwydwaith de Cymru, y newidiadau hyn, allan o'r gyllideb gyffredinol. Nid yw seilwaith trafnidiaeth wedi'i ddatganoli. Ac un o'r amlygiadau mwyaf annheg o hyn—fe gawn ni ddadl ar hyn yfory—yw'r ffaith ein bod ni'n gorfod talu £4 biliwn ar gyfer rhwydweithiau rheilffyrdd cyflym yn Lloegr, a does dim un darn o drac ar gyfer hynny yn cael ei osod yng Nghymru.
Nawr, yng nghyd-destun yr hyn rydyn ni wedi bod yn ei drafod y prynhawn yma, dychmygwch, bawb, yr hyn y gellid bod wedi'i wneud gyda'r arian hwnnw. Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, rwy'n siŵr y byddech chi'n cytuno, nid yn unig â pha mor rhwystredig yw hyn ond pa mor anghyfiawn yw hyn, oherwydd, o dan y trefniadau presennol, a fyddech chi'n cytuno siawns na allwn ni—? O ran yr uchelgais y gallwn ei gael ar gyfer trafnidiaeth a thrwy'r rhwydwaith heb y pwerau datganoledig hynny, mae cap ar yr uchelgais hwnnw, onid oes? Heb Farnetteiddio gwariant seilwaith trafnidiaeth ar gyfer Lloegr, mae cap ar yr hyn fydd yn bosib.
Does dim rheswm pam na allem ni gael y pwerau hyn wedi'u datganoli. Mae gwledydd dros Ewrop yn rheoli isadeiledd trawsffiniol yn effeithiol. Does gan Gymru ddim llais yng nghymaint o'r penderfyniadau.
There is no reason why we could not have these powers devolved. Countries across Europe manage cross-border infrastructure effectively. Wales has no say in so many of these decisions.
An economy that is based entirely around Westminster will never work for Wales. We can see this in the failure of the levelling-up programme. We need to have control, surely, over our own funding for our transport network to truly level up our communities. So, do you agree that we need, in order to have that ambition, those extra powers to get us to where we need to be?
Ni fydd economi sydd wedi'i lleoli'n gyfan gwbl o amgylch San Steffan byth yn gweithio i Gymru. Gallwn ni weld hyn ym methiant y rhaglen ffyniant bro. Mae angen i ni fod â rheolaeth, siawns, dros ein cyllid ein hunain er mwyn i'n rhwydwaith trafnidiaeth sicrhau ffyniant bro yn ein cymunedau. Felly, a ydych chi'n cytuno bod arnom angen, er mwyn bod â'r uchelgais hwnnw, y pwerau ychwanegol hynny i gyrraedd lle mae angen i ni fod?
Dirprwy Lywydd, can I thank Delyth Jewell for her questions? I share many of the concerns the Member has raised this afternoon. I would say at the outset that I do not have specific detail about the trains that are going to be coming into use in the next couple of months that will be appropriate for carrying passengers to the Eisteddfod, but what I can say is that, on some key routes, we have now seen the train fleet return to around about 90 per cent where they are new. On the north Wales main line it's 80 per cent, and on the Wrexham to Bidston line, for example, all services are provided by new trains. At the moment, we've got 342 of the 484 carriages that will ultimately be available, and 71 per cent of those are new as well, but I will write to the Member regarding how we are introducing new trains to the network in the next couple of months.
Now, in terms of what's being undertaken at a regional level and regarding the south-east Wales metro and, indeed, metro plans elsewhere, the Member will be aware that corporate joint committees at the moment are taking greater responsibility for transport planning, and, at the moment, they are putting together regional transport plans. They are also putting together the regional development plans and, at a regional level, through the corporate joint committees, there is a great keenness to make sure that the two plans for transport and for permissible development are processed at the same time so that they are able to integrate fully and so that sensible decisions can be made regarding development alongside transport provision.
Now, I could talk at length regarding the deal that Wales gets regarding rail infrastructure. If any Member is interested, I can provide the evidence that I gave to the UK parliamentary committee for transport a few weeks ago, but, in brief, what I’d say is we do need to have a phased process of devolution alongside fair funding for rail investment in Wales. As things stand, because we are part of the Wales and western region for investment through Network Rail, we are essentially having to compete with routes right from the Thames valley across to Penzance, and, unfortunately, because of the Treasury Green Book and the way that it operates in terms of investment decisions, we will always be competing with more affluent areas that carry larger number of passengers, and therefore we will be at a disadvantage, because, normally, that’s where the investment goes to, to those areas where you get the greatest return, where the Treasury are able to deem that a particular project has a strong benefit-cost ratio. So, we do need reform of not just the decision making that takes place, and to devolve the decision-making process, but we also have to have a fair funding mechanism in place alongside that.
Now, the reason I gave evidence to the committee a few weeks ago is because they were interested in the draft rail Bill in the establishment of Great British rail, and it’s my firm feel that if Great British rail were to be taken forward, then we as Welsh Ministers, Wales as a nation, would have to be able to determine how and/or where funding for rail investment is carried out, and that would obviously be to the benefit of the Wales and borders service area that we are responsible for.
Dirprwy Lywydd, a gaf i ddiolch i Delyth Jewell am ei chwestiynau? Rwy'n rhannu llawer o'r pryderon y mae'r Aelod wedi'u codi y prynhawn yma. Byddwn i'n dweud ar y dechrau nad oes gen i fanylion penodol am y trenau fydd yn cael eu defnyddio yn ystod yr ychydig fisoedd nesaf a fydd yn briodol ar gyfer cludo teithwyr i'r Eisteddfod, ond yr hyn y gallaf ei ddweud yw, ar rai llwybrau allweddol, ein bod bellach wedi gweld y fflyd trenau yn dychwelyd i tua 90 y cant lle maen nhw'n newydd. Ar brif linell y gogledd mae'n 80 y cant, ac ar y llinell rhwng Wrecsam a Bidston, er enghraifft, mae'r holl wasanaethau yn cael eu darparu gan drenau newydd. Ar hyn o bryd, mae gennym 342 o'r 484 o gerbydau a fydd ar gael yn y pen draw, ac mae 71 y cant o'r rhai hynny yn newydd hefyd, ond byddaf yn ysgrifennu at yr Aelod ynglŷn â sut yr ydym yn cyflwyno trenau newydd i'r rhwydwaith yn ystod yr ychydig fisoedd nesaf.
Nawr, o ran yr hyn sy'n cael ei wneud ar lefel ranbarthol ac o ran metro de-ddwyrain Cymru ac, yn wir, cynlluniau metro mewn mannau eraill, bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol bod cyd-bwyllgorau corfforedig ar hyn o bryd yn cymryd mwy o gyfrifoldeb am gynllunio trafnidiaeth, ac, ar hyn o bryd, maen nhw'n llunio cynlluniau trafnidiaeth rhanbarthol. Maen nhw hefyd yn llunio'r cynlluniau datblygu rhanbarthol ac, ar lefel ranbarthol, trwy'r cyd-bwyllgorau corfforedig, mae awydd mawr i sicrhau bod y ddau gynllun ar gyfer trafnidiaeth ac ar gyfer datblygiad a ganiateir yn cael eu prosesu ar yr un pryd fel eu bod yn gallu integreiddio'n llawn ac fel y gellir gwneud penderfyniadau synhwyrol ynghylch datblygu ochr yn ochr â darpariaeth trafnidiaeth.
Nawr, gallwn siarad yn helaeth am y fargen y mae Cymru'n ei chael o ran seilwaith rheilffyrdd. Os oes gan unrhyw Aelod ddiddordeb, gallaf ddarparu'r dystiolaeth a roddais i bwyllgor trafnidiaeth seneddol y DU ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, ond, yn gryno, yr hyn y byddwn i'n ei ddweud yw bod angen i ni fod â phroses raddol o ddatganoli ochr yn ochr â chyllid teg ar gyfer buddsoddi mewn rheilffyrdd yng Nghymru. Fel y mae pethau, oherwydd ein bod yn rhan o ranbarth Cymru a'r gorllewin ar gyfer buddsoddi trwy Network Rail, rydym yn y bôn yn gorfod cystadlu â llwybrau o ddyffryn Tafwys draw i Penzance, ac, yn anffodus, oherwydd Llyfr Gwyrdd y Trysorlys a'r ffordd y mae'n gweithredu o ran penderfyniadau buddsoddi, byddwn bob amser yn cystadlu ag ardaloedd mwy cefnog sy'n cludo mwy o deithwyr, ac felly byddwn o dan anfantais, oherwydd, fel arfer, dyna lle mae'r buddsoddiad yn mynd, i'r ardaloedd hynny lle cewch yr elw mwyaf, lle gall y Trysorlys ystyried bod gan brosiect penodol gymhareb cost a budd gref. Felly, mae angen diwygio, nid yn unig y penderfyniadau sy'n cael eu gwneud, a datganoli'r broses benderfynu, ond mae'n rhaid i ni hefyd fod â mecanwaith ariannu teg ar waith ochr yn ochr â hynny.
Nawr, y rheswm pam y rhoddais dystiolaeth i'r pwyllgor ychydig wythnosau yn ôl yw oherwydd bod ganddyn nhw ddiddordeb yn y Bil rheilffyrdd drafft wrth sefydlu rheilffyrdd Prydain Fawr, ac rwy'n credu yn bendant pe bai rheilffyrdd Prydain Fawr yn cael eu datblygu, yna byddai'n rhaid i ni fel Gweinidogion Cymru, Cymru fel cenedl, allu penderfynu sut a/neu ble y caiff cyllid ar gyfer buddsoddiad rheilffyrdd ei wneud, ac yn amlwg byddai hynny er budd ardal gwasanaeth Cymru a'r gororau yr ydym yn gyfrifol amdani.
Thank you for your statement. First, I'm sure you'd want to join me in paying tribute to Lee Waters for the excellent ambition and energy he put into driving forward this £800 million investment in brand-new trains. I welcome the improvements on the City line, because it's serving the part of Cardiff where there was a huge number of houses built without a proper public transport system put in, which obviously has caused an enormous amount of congestion and air pollution. So, any improvement on the City line is really going to benefit people in Cardiff.
I wondered if I could ask you a little bit more about the pay-as-you-go ticketing and the link of the bus reregulation programme, so that the south Wales metro is both rail and buses. And the other thing is, I wondered if, before the general election was called, you'd had any opportunity to talk to the UK Government about where and when we're going to get the investment in the four lines running east of Cardiff Central that continue to be the responsibility of the underfunded Network Rail and the UK Government. Otherwise, we are going to continue to have people commuting into Cardiff who live east and north of Newport by car because the services are just not good enough, and so I wondered if you could say a little bit more about that.
Diolch am eich datganiad. Yn gyntaf, rwy'n siŵr y byddech chi am ymuno â mi i dalu teyrnged i Lee Waters am yr uchelgais a'r egni rhagorol a roddodd i mewn i ysgogi'r buddsoddiad o £800 miliwn hwn mewn trenau newydd sbon. Rwy'n croesawu'r gwelliannau ar linell y Ddinas, oherwydd ei bod yn gwasanaethu'r rhan o Gaerdydd lle adeiladwyd nifer enfawr o dai heb system trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus briodol, sydd yn amlwg wedi achosi llawer iawn o dagfeydd a llygredd aer. Felly, mae unrhyw welliant ar linell y Ddinas wir yn mynd i fod o fudd i bobl yng Nghaerdydd.
Meddwl oeddwn i tybed a allwn i ofyn ychydig mwy i chi am y tocyn talu wrth fynd a chysylltiad y rhaglen ailreoleiddio bysiau, fel bod metro de Cymru yn rheilffyrdd a bysiau. A'r peth arall yw, tybed a oeddech chi, cyn galw'r etholiad cyffredinol, wedi cael unrhyw gyfle i siarad â Llywodraeth y DU am ble a phryd y byddwn yn cael y buddsoddiad yn y pedair llinell sy'n rhedeg i'r dwyrain o Gaerdydd Canolog sy'n parhau i fod yn gyfrifoldeb i Network Rail nad yw'n cael ei ariannu'n ddigonol a Llywodraeth y DU. Fel arall, rydyn ni'n mynd i barhau i fod â phobl yn cymudo i Gaerdydd sy'n byw i'r dwyrain a'r gogledd o Gasnewydd mewn car oherwydd nad yw'r gwasanaethau'n ddigon da, ac felly meddwl oeddwn i tybed allech chi ddweud ychydig mwy am hynny.
Can I thank Jenny Rathbone for her questions and her contribution, and agree that Lee Waters made a huge contribution to this ambitious project? I'd also like to pay tribute to my predecessor as transport Minister, Edwina Hart, and Edwina Hart's predecessor as well, Carl Sargeant, all of whom were heavily involved in the development of the south Wales metro, and the creation of Transport for Wales. Perhaps, above all, I should pay tribute to the former First Minister, Carwyn Jones, as well, effectively whose vision this was. Both Carwyn Jones and Mark Drakeford, as well, as First Minister, were huge supporters of this scheme, and it has truly been a group effort, a team effort, to get to where we are so far today. It will go on being a team effort, involving all of the regions of Wales as we seek to modernise the rail network across our country.
In terms of the four lines to the east of Cardiff Central, I'm afraid no commitment was given to me prior to the general election by UK Government Ministers of the need to upgrade the infrastructure and the willingness to do so. The City line, of course, will see improvements itself. We would like to see further improvements in terms of service provision in the future to that particular line, but, as I said to Natasha Asghar, unfortunately, we are relying on the UK Government for a decision over investment in that particular piece of infrastructure.
With regard to pay-as-you-go ticketing, I think this is a really, really exciting initiative, and, essentially, it's based on new zonal fares, so it will always capture you the least expensive option for tickets. It will also have a capped rate, as well, so that you are never paying more than you would do if you were to purchase the individual tickets. Effectively, it's how people pay for travel on the London underground. It's already in operation on services on the Ebbw line and between Newport and Pontyclun, and it's going to roll out to the entire south Wales metro area this year. But, as Jenny Rathbone mentioned, the ultimate ambition is to have this as an integrated payment system, integrated with bus services, and, ultimately, not just in the south-east Wales metro area. I'd like to see it taken further; I'd like to see this become a national approach, but it would require a huge amount of investment in the infrastructure at stations and in digital infrastructure. But it is not an ambition that we should shy away from.
A gaf i ddiolch i Jenny Rathbone am ei chwestiynau a'i chyfraniad, a chytuno bod Lee Waters wedi gwneud cyfraniad enfawr i'r prosiect uchelgeisiol hwn? Hoffwn hefyd dalu teyrnged i'm rhagflaenydd fel Gweinidog trafnidiaeth, Edwina Hart, a rhagflaenydd Edwina Hart hefyd, Carl Sargeant, a oedd i gyd yn ymwneud yn helaeth â datblygu metro de Cymru, a chreu Trafnidiaeth Cymru. Efallai, yn anad dim, y dylwn dalu teyrnged i'r cyn-Brif Weinidog, Carwyn Jones, hefyd, gan mai ei weledigaeth ef oedd hyn i bob pwrpas. Roedd Carwyn Jones a Mark Drakeford hefyd, fel Prif Weinidog, yn gefnogwyr brwd i'r cynllun hwn, ac mae wir wedi bod yn ymdrech grŵp, ymdrech tîm, i gyrraedd lle'r ydym ni hyd yma heddiw. Bydd yn parhau i fod yn ymdrech tîm, gan gynnwys holl ranbarthau Cymru wrth i ni geisio moderneiddio'r rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd ledled ein gwlad.
O ran y pedair llinell i'r dwyrain o Gaerdydd Canolog, rwy'n ofni na roddwyd unrhyw ymrwymiad i mi cyn yr etholiad cyffredinol gan Weinidogion Llywodraeth y DU o'r angen i uwchraddio'r seilwaith a'r parodrwydd i wneud hynny. Bydd llinell y Ddinas, wrth gwrs, yn gweld gwelliannau ei hun. Hoffem weld gwelliannau pellach o ran darparu gwasanaethau yn y dyfodol i'r llinell benodol honno, ond, fel y dywedais i wrth Natasha Asghar, yn anffodus, rydym yn dibynnu ar Lywodraeth y DU am benderfyniad ynghylch buddsoddi yn y darn penodol hwnnw o seilwaith.
O ran tocynnau talu wrth fynd, rwy'n credu bod hon yn fenter hynod, hynod gyffrous, ac, yn y bôn, mae'n seiliedig ar docynnau newydd ar sail parth, felly bydd bob amser yn rhoi'r opsiwn lleiaf drud i chi am docynnau. Bydd yna hefyd gyfradd wedi'i chapio, fel na fyddwch chi byth yn talu mwy nag y byddech chi'n ei wneud pe baech chi'n prynu'r tocynnau unigol. I bob pwrpas, dyma sut mae pobl yn talu am deithio ar drenau tanddaearol Llundain. Mae eisoes ar waith ar wasanaethau ar linell Glynebwy a rhwng Casnewydd a Phont-y-clun, ac mae'n mynd i gael ei gyflwyno i holl ardal metro de Cymru eleni. Ond, fel y soniodd Jenny Rathbone, yr uchelgais yn y pen draw yw bod â hyn fel system dalu integredig, wedi'i hintegreiddio â gwasanaethau bysiau, ac, yn y pen draw, nid yn ardal metro de-ddwyrain Cymru yn unig. Hoffwn ei weld yn cael ei gymryd ymhellach; hoffwn weld hyn yn dod yn ddull cenedlaethol, ond byddai angen buddsoddiad enfawr yn y seilwaith mewn gorsafoedd ac mewn seilwaith digidol. Ond nid yw'n uchelgais y dylem ei osgoi.
May I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement? Obviously, there's a great deal of excitement in the region that I represent about some of the changes that are coming into play and, obviously, the new fleet is very welcome. But, you will know that one of the concerns was around toilets on the new fleet. This is a huge concern of constituents of mine, especially looking at the timetable where, in the evenings, there will be one an hour. So, there are concerns, then, about what they are supposed to do. Do they have to wait on a platform for an hour? So, if they do need to go to the toilet, the advice was to get off the train, use the facilities at those stations. Is there a guarantee those facilities will be open? Also, terms of passenger safety, will that be assured, because people are nervous about the idea of getting off a train late in the evening. So, on just some of the practicalities, I wonder if you could clarify.
Also, in terms of the last train from Treherbert back to Cardiff Bay, the last one is at 21:12, which means if you want to enjoy dinner in the Valleys or go to the Parc and Dare in Treorchy, actually, you'd have to leave before the end of the play. So, what plans are there to extend so that we're connecting not only Cardiff to the Valleys, but ensuring that people can access the services and spend money in our Valleys before returning to Cardiff?
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet am ei ddatganiad? Yn amlwg, mae llawer iawn o gyffro yn y rhanbarth yr wyf yn ei gynrychioli ynghylch rhai o'r newidiadau sy'n dod i rym ac, yn amlwg, mae'r fflyd newydd i'w chroesawu'n fawr. Ond, fe fyddwch chi'n gwybod bod un o'r pryderon yn ymwneud â thoiledau ar y fflyd newydd. Mae hyn yn bryder enfawr i etholwyr i mi, yn enwedig o edrych ar yr amserlen lle, gyda'r nos, bydd un bob awr. Felly, mae pryderon am yr hyn y maen nhw i fod i'w wneud. Oes rhaid iddyn nhw aros ar blatfform am awr? Felly, os oes angen iddyn nhw fynd i'r toiled, y cyngor oedd dod oddi ar y trên, defnyddio'r cyfleusterau yn y gorsafoedd hynny. A oes sicrwydd y bydd y cyfleusterau hyn ar agor? Hefyd, o ran diogelwch teithwyr, fydd hynny'n cael ei sicrhau, oherwydd mae pobl yn nerfus am y syniad o ddod oddi ar drên yn hwyr gyda'r nos. Felly, ar rai o'r pethau ymarferol yn unig, tybed a allech chi egluro.
Hefyd, o ran y trên olaf o Dreherbert yn ôl i Fae Caerdydd, mae'r un olaf am 21:12, sy'n golygu os ydych chi am fwynhau swper yn y Cymoedd neu fynd i'r Parc a'r Dâr yn Nhreorci, mewn gwirionedd, byddai'n rhaid i chi adael cyn diwedd y ddrama. Felly, pa gynlluniau sydd yna i'w hymestyn fel ein bod yn cysylltu nid yn unig Caerdydd â'r Cymoedd, ond yn sicrhau bod pobl yn gallu cael mynediad at y gwasanaethau a gwario arian yn ein Cymoedd cyn dychwelyd i Gaerdydd?
These are superb questions that I have raised recently and will be continuing to raise with Transport for Wales in the coming weeks. I am meeting with the chief executive in a couple of weeks' time, and it was my intention, actually, to raise the issue of cleanliness of stations, of safety at stations and the provision of toilets, having myself recently travelled late in the evening between Chester and Wrexham. The service provision was excellent, but it did strike me that we have to ensure, for women in particular, that stations are as safe as they can possibly be.
In terms of toilets, the south-east Wales metro will be no different to pretty much any other metro in the United Kingdom or around the globe. I don't know of another metro that has on-transport toilets. Certainly, in terms of trains, there can be toilets included, but in terms of metro vehicles—so, the trams, if you like—very few manufacturers, if any, provide such vehicles with toilets on board, and it's largely because of how narrow they are and disability access being difficult with how narrow they are. But it does mean that the provision of toilets at stations is vitally important. I'll take up the Member's points with the chief executive of Transport for Wales. I'll ask him to outline any service provision that is going to be improved in the coming months and years regarding toilet facilities and safety at stations, because I think this is a really important point to make for people who would, perhaps, use train services of an evening but are put off because of a fear over their security or the provision of toilet facilities.
All our services are revenue dependent. Basically, they have to have a subsidy in order to operate, with the exception of very few services, primarily those between Cardiff and Manchester and, I believe, north Wales mainline services to Manchester as well. They are the ones that generate the highest levels of revenue. Our ambition for later evening services is based on the need to increase the farebox from other services. The whole point of the metro within the south-east Wales area is that we'll be providing more services to more passengers, which will generate a higher farebox, which will then enable us to use the subsidy in other areas of Wales and, indeed, later into the evening and potentially earlier into the morning. So, essentially, we're going to be raising the farebox in order to pay for enhanced services right across Wales.
Mae'r rhain yn gwestiynau gwych yr wyf wedi'u codi yn ddiweddar a byddaf yn parhau i'w codi gyda Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf. Rwy'n cyfarfod â'r prif weithredwr ymhen cwpl o wythnosau, a fy mwriad, mewn gwirionedd, oedd codi mater glendid gorsafoedd, diogelwch mewn gorsafoedd a darparu toiledau, ar ôl i mi deithio yn hwyr gyda'r nos rhwng Caer a Wrecsam yn ddiweddar. Roedd y ddarpariaeth gwasanaeth yn ardderchog, ond fe wnaeth fy nharo i fod yn rhaid i ni sicrhau, i fenywod yn benodol, fod gorsafoedd mor ddiogel ag y gallant fod.
O ran toiledau, ni fydd metro de-ddwyrain Cymru yn wahanol i fwy neu lai unrhyw fetro arall yn y Deyrnas Unedig neu ledled y byd. Nid wyf yn gwybod am fetro arall sydd â thoiledau ar drafnidiaeth. Yn sicr, o ran trenau, gellir cynnwys toiledau, ond o ran cerbydau metro—felly, y tramiau, os hoffech chi—ychydig iawn o weithgynhyrchwyr, os o gwbl, sy'n darparu toiledau ar gerbydau o'r fath, ac mae'n bennaf oherwydd pa mor gul ydyn nhw a bod mynediad anabledd yn anodd gan eu bod mor gul. Ond mae'n golygu bod darparu toiledau mewn gorsafoedd yn hanfodol bwysig. Byddaf yn codi pwyntiau'r Aelod gyda phrif weithredwr Trafnidiaeth Cymru. Fe ofynnaf iddo amlinellu unrhyw ddarpariaeth gwasanaeth a fydd yn cael ei gwella yn ystod y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd nesaf o ran cyfleusterau toiledau a diogelwch mewn gorsafoedd, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod hwn yn bwynt pwysig iawn i'w wneud i bobl a fyddai, efallai, yn defnyddio gwasanaethau trên gyda'r nos ond yn cael eu hatal oherwydd ofn am eu diogelwch neu'r ddarpariaeth o gyfleusterau toiled.
Mae ein holl wasanaethau yn ddibynnol ar refeniw. Yn y bôn, mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw gael cymhorthdal er mwyn gweithredu, ac eithrio ychydig iawn o wasanaethau, yn bennaf y rhai rhwng Caerdydd a Manceinion ac, rwy'n credu, gwasanaethau prif linell gogledd Cymru i Fanceinion hefyd. Nhw yw'r rhai sy'n cynhyrchu'r lefelau uchaf o refeniw. Mae ein huchelgais ar gyfer gwasanaethau yn hwyrach gyda'r nos yn seiliedig ar yr angen i gynyddu'r arian o docynnau o wasanaethau eraill. Holl bwynt y metro o fewn ardal de-ddwyrain Cymru yw y byddwn yn darparu mwy o wasanaethau i fwy o deithwyr, a fydd yn cynhyrchu mwy o arian, a fydd wedyn yn ein galluogi i ddefnyddio'r cymhorthdal mewn ardaloedd eraill o Gymru ac, yn wir, yn hwyrach gyda'r nos ac o bosibl yn gynharach yn y bore. Felly, yn y bôn, rydyn ni'n mynd i fod yn cynyddu'r arian o docynnau er mwyn talu am wasanaethau gwell ledled Cymru.
Daeth y Llywydd i’r Gadair.
The Llywydd took the Chair.
Cabinet Secretary, as we've already mentioned in this statement, outside the core Valleys lines, the Welsh Government's ability to make transformational change is more limited, and obviously partnership with the UK Government is vital. As you do, I'm sure, I hope for a new UK Labour Government in short order. How would you work with a new UK Labour Government, if we have one, on projects such as new rail stations at Magor, Llanwern and Somerton in Newport East, which could help bring that transformational change beyond the core Valleys lines? And would you agree with me that having CAF, the train manufacturer, in Wales—again in Newport East, in my constituency—has been very important in contributing to the new rolling stock and will be very important for the present and future?
Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, fel yr ydym eisoes wedi crybwyll yn y datganiad hwn, y tu allan i linellau craidd y Cymoedd, mae gallu Llywodraeth Cymru i wneud newid trawsnewidiol yn fwy cyfyngedig, ac yn amlwg mae partneriaeth â Llywodraeth y DU yn hanfodol. Fel chi, rwy'n siŵr, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd Llywodraeth Lafur newydd yn y DU cyn hir. Sut fyddech chi'n gweithio gyda Llywodraeth Lafur newydd yn y DU, os gawn ni un, ar brosiectau fel gorsafoedd rheilffyrdd newydd ym Magwyr, Llanwern a Somerton yn Nwyrain Casnewydd, a allai helpu i ddod â'r newid trawsnewidiol hwnnw y tu hwnt i linellau craidd y Cymoedd? Ac a fyddech chi'n cytuno â mi bod cael CAF, y gwneuthurwr trenau, yng Nghymru—eto yn Nwyrain Casnewydd, yn fy etholaeth i—wedi bod yn bwysig iawn wrth gyfrannu at y cerbydau newydd ac y bydd yn bwysig iawn ar gyfer y presennol a'r dyfodol?
I thank John Griffiths for his questions. I would agree, the presence of CAF in Newport is enormously important for the region and for the whole of Wales. We're very proud to have been able to attract CAF to Wales, building those fantastic 197 trains that many of us use on a very regular basis, increasing the quality of service provided and providing reliability. The presence of CAF, I think, has also brought the attention of decision makers at a UK level to what we could deliver further west in Wales, the global centre for rail excellence. We know that train manufacturers have to undergo testing, but that testing takes place on main lines and on branch lines. It would be something for the whole of Europe to celebrate in terms of the rail industry if we could deliver the global centre for rail excellence. And it's something I would hope a future UK Government—and as I see it, hopefully a future Labour Government—would indeed invest in.
In terms of the additional stations that John Griffiths outlined, of course, the south-east Wales commission identified these additional stations as being vitally important as part of the report by Lord Burns and his team, and it was also identified through the union connectivity review as being vitally important. So, as we look towards a future UK Government, we will, no doubt, be discussing investment opportunities right across Wales. But, of course, the two big pieces of work recently regarding rail infrastructure have concerned north Wales, with the north Wales transport commission, and then the south-east Wales transport commission, looking specifically at the Newport area and the wider area around the M4. So, we're keen to make sure that we can progress with delivery against those reports, and that would include, of course, additional railway stations.
Diolch i John Griffiths am ei gwestiynau. Byddwn yn cytuno, mae presenoldeb CAF yng Nghasnewydd yn hynod bwysig i'r rhanbarth ac i Gymru gyfan. Rydym yn falch iawn ein bod wedi gallu denu CAF i Gymru, gan adeiladu'r trenau 197 gwych hynny y mae llawer ohonom yn eu defnyddio'n rheolaidd iawn, gan gynyddu ansawdd y gwasanaeth a ddarperir a rhoi dibynadwyedd. Mae presenoldeb CAF, rwy'n credu, hefyd wedi tynnu sylw'r rhai sy'n gwneud penderfyniadau ar lefel y DU i'r hyn y gallem ni ei gyflawni ymhellach i'r gorllewin yng Nghymru, y ganolfan ragoriaeth fyd-eang ar gyfer rheilffyrdd. Rydym yn gwybod bod yn rhaid i weithgynhyrchwyr trenau gynnal profion, ond mae'r profion hynny yn digwydd ar brif linellau ac ar linellau cangen. Byddai'n rhywbeth i Ewrop gyfan ei ddathlu o ran y diwydiant rheilffyrdd pe gallem ddarparu'r ganolfan ragoriaeth fyd-eang ar gyfer rheilffyrdd. Ac mae'n rhywbeth y byddwn i'n gobeithio y byddai Llywodraeth y DU yn y dyfodol—ac fel y gwelaf i hi, Llywodraeth Lafur yn y dyfodol gobeithio—yn wir yn buddsoddi ynddo.
O ran y gorsafoedd ychwanegol a amlinellodd John Griffiths, wrth gwrs, nododd comisiwn de-ddwyrain Cymru fod y gorsafoedd ychwanegol hyn yn hanfodol bwysig fel rhan o'r adroddiad gan yr Arglwydd Burns a'i dîm, ac fe'i nodwyd hefyd trwy adolygiad cysylltedd yr undeb yn un sy'n hanfodol bwysig. Felly, wrth i ni edrych tuag at Lywodraeth y DU yn y dyfodol, byddwn ni, heb os, yn trafod cyfleoedd buddsoddi ledled Cymru. Ond, wrth gwrs, mae'r ddau ddarn mawr o waith yn ddiweddar ynglŷn â seilwaith rheilffyrdd wedi ymwneud â'r gogledd, gyda chomisiwn trafnidiaeth gogledd Cymru, ac yna comisiwn trafnidiaeth y de-ddwyrain, gan edrych yn benodol ar ardal Casnewydd a'r ardal ehangach o amgylch yr M4. Felly, rydym yn awyddus i sicrhau y gallwn symud ymlaen â'r gwaith o gyflawni yn erbyn yr adroddiadau hynny, a byddai hynny, wrth gwrs, yn cynnwys gorsafoedd rheilffordd ychwanegol.
Diolch i Ysgifennydd y Cabinet am y datganiad yna.
I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that statement.
Nesaf, rydyn ni angen cael y cynnig i atal Rheolau Sefydlog dros dro er mwyn caniatáu i eitem 8 ddigwydd, y ddadl ar y diwydiant dur. Os caf i ofyn i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet gynnig i atal Rheolau Sefydlog.
We will now move to the motion to suspend Standing Orders to allow item 8, on the steel industry in Wales, to be debated. If I could call on the Cabinet Secretary to formally move that we suspend Standing Orders.
Cynnig NNDM8598 Jane Hutt
Cynnig bod y Senedd, yn unol â Rheolau Sefydlog 33.6 a 33.8:
Yn atal Rheol Sefydlog 12.20(i), 12.22(i) a’r rhan honno o Reol Sefydlog 11.16 sy’n ei gwneud yn ofynnol bod y cyhoeddiad wythnosol o dan Reol Sefydlog 11.11 yn darparu’r amserlen ar gyfer busnes yn y Cyfarfod Llawn yr wythnos ganlynol, er mwyn caniatáu i NNDM8597 gael eu hystyried yn y Cyfarfod Llawn ddydd Mawrth, 4 Mehefin 2024.
Motion NNDM8598 Jane Hutt
To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Orders 33.6 and 33.8:
Suspends Standing Order 12.20(i), 12,22(i) and that part of Standing Order 11.16 that requires the weekly announcement under Standing Order 11.11 to constitute the timetable for business in Plenary for the following week, to allow NNDM8597 to be considered in Plenary on Tuesday, 4 June 2024.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Cynnig yn ffurfiol.
I formally move.
Ydy, mae'r cynnig yn cael ei wneud. Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid atal Rheolau Sefydlog dros dro? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Na, does yna ddim gwrthwynebiad, ac felly mae hynny'n cael ei ganiatáu.
Yes, it is moved. The proposal is to suspend Standing Orders. Does any Member object? No. There are no objections, and therefore that is agreed.
Derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Detholwyd y gwelliannau canlynol: gwelliannau 1 a 2 yn enw Darren Millar, a gwelliannau 3, 4, 5 a 6 yn enw Heledd Fychan.
The following amendments have been selected: amendments 1 and 2 in the name of Darren Millar, and amendments 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the name of Heledd Fychan.
Mae hynny'n ein caniatáu ni i glywed y ddadl ar y diwydiant dur. Felly, yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros yr Economi i wneud y cynnig—Jeremy Miles.
That does enable us to move to the debate on the steel industry in Wales. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Economy to move the motion—Jeremy Miles.
Cynnig NNDM8597 Jane Hutt
Cynnig bod y Senedd:
1. Yn credu bod gan gynhyrchu dur ddyfodol hyfyw yng Nghymru o fewn proses bontio sy'n cefnogi dyfodol cryfach, gwyrddach i economi Cymru.
2. Yn credu bod cadw'r gallu i gynhyrchu dur sylfaenol yng Nghymru yn ganolog i fuddiannau economaidd Cymru ac i'r llwybr at sero-net.
Motion NNDM8597 Jane Hutt
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Believes there is a viable future for steelmaking in Wales within a transition that supports a stronger, greener future for the Welsh economy.
2. Believes that retaining the capacity to produce primary steel in Wales is central to Wales’s economic interests and the pathway to net-zero.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae dur yn rhan bwysig o'n bywyd ni, ac rŷn ni'n ffodus bod gyda ni'r gallu i wneud dur sylfaenol a dur arc trydan yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd. Dur yw sylfaen ein diwydiant gweithgynhyrchu ehangach ac mae'n cynhyrchu deunyddiau sy'n gwbl hanfodol os rŷn ni am newid i sero net. Yn yr un modd ag ym mhob sector o'n heconomi, mae cwmnïau yn y sector dur wedi bod yn canolbwyntio ar sut y gallan nhw hefyd, er mwyn i ni fedru gwireddu'n hymrwymiadau o ran y newidiadau i'r hinsawdd sydd i'w gweld ymhob cwr o'r byd. Mae'n hanfodol bod y sector yn parhau'n gonglfaen i'n heconomi ni ac yn dal i fod wrth galon ein cymunedau. Mae newid i wneud dur mewn ffordd carbon isel yn hollbwysig er mwyn cyrraedd y nod hwnnw.
Dwi o'r farn bod gan y diwydiant cynhyrchu dur ddyfodol hyfyw yng Nghymru os awn ni ati i newid mewn ffordd a fydd yn helpu i greu dyfodol cryfach a gwyrddach i economi Cymru. Er efallai bod y newid ym Mhort Talbot yn golygu y bydd y gwaith cynhyrchu dur yn cael ei ddiogelu yng Nghymru at y dyfodol, dwi, fel chithau, yn poeni'n fawr iawn am raddfa'r newidiadau yn Tata, am ba mor gyflym maen nhw'n digwydd, ac am golli capasiti i wneud dur sylfaenol yn y tymor byr a'r tymor canolig.
Thank you, Llywydd. Steel is an important part of our lives, and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to make primary steel and electric arc steel in Wales. Steel is the basis for our broader manufacturing industry and produces materials that are crucial if we are to move to net zero. As with every sector of our economy, companies in the steel sector have been focusing on how they can too, in order for us to achieve our commitments in terms of the changes to our climate that are seen across the world. It is crucial that the sector continues to be a cornerstone of our economy and continues to be at the heart of our communities. Changing to low-carbon steel is crucially important to reach that objective.
I'm of the view that the steel production industry has a viable future in Wales if we can change in a way that will help to create a stronger, greener future for the Welsh economy. Although the change in Port Talbot means that steel manufacturing will be safeguarded in Wales for the future, I, like you, am very concerned indeed about the scale of the changes by Tata, how quickly they are happening, and about the loss of capacity to produce steel in the short and medium terms.
We recognise, Llywydd, that research and development is taking place to explore how electric arc furnace steel can produce a wider range of products, but key sectors in the UK—automotive and packaging, for example—still require products produced from virgin steel. Tata is having to import the slab and hot rolled coil substrate required during the transition for its downstream businesses.
As Members are aware, Tata Steel announced on 25 April its decision to reject the multi-union proposal. We did not want to see this decision. It will now progress to closing blast furnace 5 in June and blast furnace 4 in September, along with the wind-down of the heavy end at Port Talbot. The continuous annealing processing line will close in March 2025. We believe a better plan is available. Had Tata accepted the recommendations in the multi-union report commissioned by the UK steel committee, this would've meant a longer, slower and fairer transition. It is extremely frustrating that a deal was not reached at an earlier stage in negotiations between Tata Steel and the UK Government. An earlier deal could also have led to a longer and fairer transition. It is also disappointing that the Welsh Government was excluded from negotiations, leaving us unsighted on aspects that touch on devolved competence.
For many months now, steel workers and their families, businesses and communities have been bracing themselves for job losses that would occur as a result of an early transition to electric arc steel production at Port Talbot. The level of job losses that we are facing is devastating. Tata Steel has announced that up to 2,800 jobs are expected to be lost as part of its transition plan, around 2,500 of which would be impacted in tranches over the next 18 months, with the first tranche now expected this September. The company expects that a further 300 roles would be lost in around three years' time at the Llanwern site. The full scale of job losses, including those in the wider economy, is not fully known, but could be up to 9,500.
To ensure immediate support for those impacted, we are working with the Tata transition board to make them aware of and able to access all the support available to the workforce right now. I, and others on the transition board, have made it clear that we want it to be as easy as possible for people to get the support they need and for that to happen quickly. A one-stop-shop information portal has been set up on the Neath Port Talbot website. This provides information on all the support available to people and businesses and I would ask Members for your help in promoting it to your constituents.
The transition board has agreed five broad areas for support. These cover job matching, skills and employability, the establishment of a supply chain transition fund, the establishment of a business growth and start-up fund, support for mental health and well-being, and regeneration projects that will help ensure a future for the economy in Port Talbot. The Welsh Government has programmes already in place to assist employees affected by redundancy to get back into work. Our employability and skills programmes ReAct+ and Communities for Work Plus can provide support for training and mentoring to those who wish to remain in the labour market. Business Wales provides support for individuals facing redundancy should they wish to consider starting their own business, as well as accessing business finance.
Alongside the priority of immediate support to workers, we must look at the opportunities to develop local economies and sustainable employment, particularly in Port Talbot and the surrounding area. We need to retain as many Tata workers as we possibly can. These are highly skilled workers, and we need their talent and their commitment to remain in Wales. The transition board has commissioned a local economic action plan setting out proposals that could, potentially, limit the short-term impacts and provide for a positive future for the region in the longer term. The transition board will use the LEAP as a road map in considering the allocation of funding.
Many of the future economic opportunities are linked to our wider effort to transition to net zero in south Wales. The Celtic free port has a very clear focus on manufacturing and port infrastructure to support floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea, building on their connections to two deep seaports. Celtic has also identified specific opportunities for clean energy linked to hydrogen, sustainable fuel, carbon capture and storage, cleaner steel and low-carbon logistics. From a manufacturing and supply chain perspective, there are opportunities for Wales-based companies in areas such as the development of floating and fixed offshore wind, making our housing stock more energy efficient through the optimised retrofit programme, building our capacity to power vehicles in the future through electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and the manufacture of components for electric vehicles. We are building supply chain maps to help companies bidding for offshore wind licences to be able to find a Welsh supply chain.
Significant increases in renewable generation to meet increased demand will require new electricity transmission network infrastructure. Analysis from our 'Future Energy Grids for Wales' report shows that our electricity demand may almost triple by 2050. This will bring significant supply chain opportunities. Through the work carried out by the south Wales industrial cluster, now being taken forward with Net Zero Industry Wales, there is a vision for how industry can be decarbonised right across south Wales. Developments in potential carbon capture utilisation and storage solutions are looking at significant next-stage investments. These could be critical in enabling decarbonisation of industrial assets and accelerating decarbonisation solutions across south Wales, including the supply of hydrogen.
Recently, Celsa was awarded more than £13 million from the industrial energy transformation fund for a new furnace with all of the accompanying site-based infrastructure to operate with up to 100 per cent hydrogen fuel. The project will be a significant step in Celsa's decarbonisation pathway. I welcome the UK Government's shortlisting of Associated British Ports Port Talbot for a share of its £160 million floating offshore manufacturing and infrastructure scheme. However, it is recognised throughout the sector that the Celtic sea requires more than one port to deliver an integrated solution to maximise the economic benefits for the UK, and I am, therefore, keen to explore additional funding from the UK Government for the port of Pembroke.
Llywydd, the loss of jobs due to the speed of the transition away from blast-furnace steel making is heartbreaking. I'm committed to doing all that we can to support workers faced with redundancy, their families and the wider community. The loss of the capability that blast-furnace technology provides is a huge concern for the economy, and I urge Tata Steel to consider options now in light of the decision to hold an early general election and the very welcome prospect of a Labour Government. The loss of jobs in the wider economy is also potentially devastating, and I'm committed to working with our partners, including a future UK Government, to identify and to support future opportunities in new markets.
Rydym yn cydnabod, Llywydd, bod ymchwil a datblygu yn mynd rhagddo i archwilio sut y gall dur o ffwrneisi arc drydan gynhyrchu ystod ehangach o gynhyrchion, ond mae sectorau allweddol yn y DU—modurol a phecynnu, er enghraifft—dal angen cynhyrchion sydd wedi'u gwneud o ddur crai. Mae Tata yn gorfod mewnforio'r slab a'r swbstrad coiliau rholio poeth sydd eu hangen yn ystod y cyfnod pontio ar gyfer y busnesau y mae'n eu cyflenwi.
Fel y gŵyr yr Aelodau, cyhoeddodd Tata Steel ar 25 Ebrill ei benderfyniad i wrthod y cynnig a gyflwynwyd gan sawl undeb. Doedd arnom ni ddim eisiau gweld y penderfyniad hwn. Bydd nawr yn mynd ymlaen i gau ffwrnais chwyth 5 ym mis Mehefin a ffwrnais chwyth 4 ym mis Medi, ynghyd â dirwyn gwaith trwm Port Talbot i ben. Bydd y llinell brosesu anelio barhaus yn cau ym mis Mawrth 2025. Credwn fod cynllun gwell ar gael. Pe bai Tata wedi derbyn yr argymhellion yn yr adroddiad gan yr undebau a gomisiynwyd gan bwyllgor dur y DU, byddai hyn wedi golygu cyfnod pontio hirach, arafach a thecach. Mae'n rhwystredig iawn na chyrhaeddwyd cytundeb yn gynharach yn y trafodaethau rhwng Tata Steel a Llywodraeth y DU. Gallai cytundeb cynharach hefyd fod wedi arwain at drawsnewidiad hirach a thecach. Mae hefyd yn siomedig bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i heithrio o drafodaethau, gan ein gadael yn y niwl braidd ar agweddau sy'n ymwneud â chymhwysedd datganoledig.
Ers misoedd lawer bellach, mae gweithwyr dur a'u teuluoedd, busnesau a chymunedau wedi bod yn paratoi am y swyddi a fyddai'n cael eu colli o ganlyniad i drosglwyddo cynnar i gynhyrchu dur arc drydan ym Mhort Talbot. Mae lefel y swyddi rydym yn wynebu eu colli yn ofnadwy. Mae Tata Steel wedi cyhoeddi y bydd disgwyl i hyd at 2,800 o swyddi gael eu colli fel rhan o'i gynllun pontio, ac y cai tua 2,500 o'r rhain eu heffeithio bob yn dipyn dros y 18 mis nesaf, gyda'r disgwyl y bydd y gyfran gyntaf o swyddi'n cael eu colli ym mis Medi nawr. Mae'r cwmni'n disgwyl y cai 300 o swyddi pellach eu colli ymhen tua thair blynedd ar safle Llanwern. Ni wyddir yn iawn faint yn union o swyddi a fydd yn cael eu colli, gan gynnwys y rhai yn yr economi ehangach, ond gallai fod hyd at 9,500.
Er mwyn sicrhau cefnogaeth ar unwaith i'r rhai yr effeithir arnyn nhw, rydym yn gweithio gyda bwrdd pontio Tata i'w gwneud yn ymwybodol o'r holl gefnogaeth sydd ar gael i'r gweithlu fel y gallan nhw elwa ar hynny nawr. Rydw i, ac eraill ar y bwrdd pontio, wedi ei gwneud hi'n glir fod arnom ni eisiau iddo fod mor hawdd â phosibl i bobl gael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnyn nhw ac i hynny ddigwydd yn gyflym. Mae porth gwybodaeth cynhwysfawr wedi ei sefydlu ar wefan Castell-nedd Port Talbot. Mae hyn yn rhoi gwybodaeth am yr holl gymorth sydd ar gael i bobl a busnesau a byddwn yn gofyn i'r Aelodau am eich help i'w hyrwyddo i'ch etholwyr.
Mae'r bwrdd pontio wedi cytuno ar bum maes eang ar gyfer cefnogaeth. Mae'r rhain yn cynnwys paru swyddi, sgiliau a chyflogadwyedd, sefydlu cronfa bontio'r gadwyn gyflenwi, sefydlu cronfa twf busnes a dechrau busnes, cymorth ar gyfer iechyd meddwl a lles, a phrosiectau adfywio a fydd yn helpu i sicrhau dyfodol i'r economi ym Mhort Talbot. Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru raglenni eisoes ar waith i gynorthwyo gweithwyr sydd wedi cael eu diswyddo i ddychwelyd i'r gwaith. Gall ein rhaglenni cyflogadwyedd a sgiliau ReAct+ a Cymunedau am Waith a Mwy ddarparu cymorth hyfforddiant a mentora i'r rhai sy'n dymuno aros yn y farchnad lafur. Mae Busnes Cymru yn darparu cymorth i unigolion sy'n wynebu colli eu swyddi os ydyn nhw'n dymuno ystyried dechrau eu busnes eu hunain, yn ogystal â chael gafael ar gyllid busnes.
Ochr yn ochr â blaenoriaeth cymorth brys i weithwyr, rhaid i ni edrych ar y cyfleoedd i ddatblygu economïau lleol a chyflogaeth gynaliadwy, yn enwedig ym Mhort Talbot a'r ardal gyfagos. Mae angen i ni gadw cynifer o weithwyr Tata ag y gallwn ni. Mae'r rhain yn weithwyr medrus iawn, ac mae angen eu doniau a'u hymrwymiad i aros yng Nghymru. Mae'r bwrdd pontio wedi comisiynu cynllun gweithredu economaidd lleol sy'n nodi cynigion a allai, o bosibl, gyfyngu ar yr effeithiau tymor byr a darparu ar gyfer dyfodol cadarnhaol i'r rhanbarth yn y tymor hwy. Bydd y bwrdd pontio yn defnyddio'r cynllun gweithredu fel canllaw wrth ystyried dyrannu cyllid.
Mae llawer o'r cyfleoedd economaidd yn y dyfodol yn gysylltiedig â'n hymdrech ehangach i bontio i sero net yn ne Cymru. Mae gan y porthladd rhydd Celtaidd bwyslais clir iawn ar weithgynhyrchu a seilwaith porthladdoedd i gefnogi ffermydd gwynt arnofiol ar y môr Celtaidd, gan adeiladu ar eu cysylltiadau â dau borthladd dwfn. Mae'r Porthladd Celtaidd hefyd wedi nodi cyfleoedd penodol ar gyfer ynni glân sy'n gysylltiedig â hydrogen, tanwydd cynaliadwy, dal a storio carbon, dur glanach a logisteg carbon isel. O safbwynt gweithgynhyrchu a'r gadwyn gyflenwi, mae cyfleoedd i gwmnïau yng Nghymru mewn meysydd fel datblygu gwynt arnofiol a sefydlog ar y môr, gwneud ein stoc dai yn fwy ynni-effeithlon trwy'r rhaglen ôl-osod er mwyn optimeiddio, adeiladu ein gallu i bweru cerbydau yn y dyfodol trwy seilwaith gwefru cerbydau trydan, a gweithgynhyrchu cydrannau ar gyfer cerbydau trydan. Rydym yn adeiladu mapiau cadwyni cyflenwi i helpu cwmnïau sy'n gwneud cais am drwyddedau gwynt ar y môr i allu dod o hyd i gadwyn gyflenwi yng Nghymru.
Bydd cynnydd sylweddol yn yr ynni adnewyddadwy a gynhyrchir i ateb y galw cynyddol yn gofyn am seilwaith rhwydwaith trosglwyddo trydan newydd. Mae dadansoddiad o'n hadroddiad 'Gridiau Ynni'r Dyfodol i Gymru' yn dangos y gallai ein galw am drydan dreblu bron iawn erbyn 2050. Bydd hyn yn dod â chyfleoedd sylweddol i'r gadwyn gyflenwi. Trwy'r gwaith a wnaed gan glwstwr diwydiannol de Cymru, sydd bellach yn cael ei ddatblygu gyda Diwydiant Sero Net Cymru, mae gweledigaeth o ran sut y gellir datgarboneiddio diwydiant ledled de Cymru. Mae datblygu ffyrdd posib o ddal a storio carbon yn edrych ar fuddsoddiadau sylweddol ar gyfer eu camau nesaf. Gallai'r rhain fod yn hanfodol wrth alluogi datgarboneiddio asedau diwydiannol a chyflymu datrysiadau datgarboneiddio ar draws de Cymru, gan gynnwys cyflenwi hydrogen.
Yn ddiweddar, dyfarnwyd mwy na £13 miliwn i Celsa o'r gronfa trawsnewid ynni diwydiannol ar gyfer ffwrnais newydd gyda'r holl seilwaith ar y safle i weithredu gyda hyd at 100 y cant o danwydd hydrogen. Bydd y prosiect yn gam sylweddol yn llwybr datgarboneiddio Celsa. Rwy'n croesawu penderfyniad Llywodraeth y DU i gynnwys Associated British Ports Port Talbot ar y rhestr fer am gyfran o'i chynllun gweithgynhyrchu a seilwaith ffermydd gwynt arnofiol ar y môr gwerth £160 miliwn. Fodd bynnag, cydnabyddir ledled y sector bod angen mwy nag un porthladd ar y môr Celtaidd i ddarparu ateb integredig i sicrhau'r buddion economaidd mwyaf posibl i'r DU, ac felly, rwy'n awyddus i archwilio cyllid ychwanegol gan Lywodraeth y DU ar gyfer porthladd Penfro.
Llywydd, mae colli swyddi oherwydd cyflymder y trawsnewid o wneud dur mewn ffwrneisi chwyth yn dorcalonnus. Rwyf wedi ymrwymo i wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i gefnogi gweithwyr sy'n wynebu colli swyddi, eu teuluoedd a'r gymuned ehangach. Mae colli'r gallu y mae technoleg ffwrneisi chwyth yn ei ddarparu yn bryder enfawr i'r economi, ac rwy'n annog Tata Steel i ystyried dewisiadau nawr yng ngoleuni'r penderfyniad i gynnal etholiad cyffredinol cynnar a'r posibilrwydd gwych iawn y bydd Llywodraeth Lafur. Gall colli swyddi yn yr economi ehangach hefyd fod yn ddinistriol, ac rwyf wedi ymrwymo i weithio gyda'n partneriaid, gan gynnwys Llywodraeth y DU yn y dyfodol, i nodi a chefnogi cyfleoedd yn y dyfodol mewn marchnadoedd newydd.
Rwyf wedi dethol y chwe gwelliant i'r cynnig, a dwi'n galw ar Samuel Kurtz i gynnig gwelliannau 1 a 2.
I have selected the six amendments to the motion, and I call on Samuel Kurtz to move amendments 1 and 2.
Gwelliant 1—Darren Millar
Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:
Yn gresynu nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhoi unrhyw gefnogaeth ariannol i Tata Steel ers 2019.
Amendment 1—Darren Millar
Add as new point at end of motion:
Regrets that since 2019, the Welsh Government has not provided any financial support to Tata Steel.
Gwelliant 2—Darren Millar
Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:
Yn croesawu grant £500 miliwn Llywodraeth y DU i Tata Steel i gefnogi cadw swyddi gweithwyr dur ac ymrwymiad Llywodraeth y DU i gefnogi'r gronfa bontio gwerth £100 miliwn ar gyfer ailhyfforddi a sgiliau.
Amendment 2—Darren Millar
Add as new point at end of motion:
Welcomes the UK Government’s £500 million grant to Tata Steel to support the retention of steel workers’ jobs and the UK Government’s commitment to supporting the £100 million transition fund for retraining and skills.
Cynigiwyd gwelliannau 1 a 2.
Amendments 1 and 2 moved.
Diolch, Llywydd. I thank the Government for bringing forward this debate, the topic of which this Senedd has rightly spent much of its time over the last few months debating. I move the amendments in the name of my colleague Darren Millar, and confirm that the Welsh Conservatives will be supporting amendments 3 and 4, but not 5 and 6.
Steel making as an industry is one that contributes to every aspect of the country. We've been clear on this side of the Chamber that we wanted to see one blast furnace remain open during the transition from blast to electric arc. We're disappointed that Tata did not take this course of action.
Cabinet Secretary, I was grateful for the mentions during your opening of this debate to the potential opportunities as we move forward in that transition period. I noticed the mentions to the Celtic free port, floating offshore wind—two elements that I've been a big advocate for. And knowing the contributions of other Members in this Chamber, who I'm sure will speak later on—the Member for Aberavon, for example—the need for that just transition in this instance is really important. The Celtic free port will be an opportunity for new jobs in the area of Port Talbot and the wider communities, but it's that transition from here now to that future point and how we support workers in that area.
I'd also like to commend at this point the work of the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs committee on their inquiry into steel making following the announcement by Tata last year, ably chaired by Paul Davies, and Luke Fletcher on the committee as well, who I'm sure will follow me in speaking in this debate. I think some good work was done in that committee in exploring steel making in Wales. Some opportunities, yes, but also seeing the challenges they're currently facing. Cabinet Secretary, you raised some of those around grid capacity, as one example. But I think the report by the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee does need to be taken into consideration when discussing the future of steel making in Wales, because I think the quality of it really does speak for itself.
But while these changes are set to go ahead and the workforce deal with the anxiety of redundancies, let's ask ourselves what this Labour Government has done to support them. Nothing. What funding has the Welsh Labour Government provided to the workers in Port Talbot since 2019? Nothing. What has the Labour Government contributed to the transition board created to support workers and the wider community? Nothing. And while on this topic, the previous First Minister said in March of this year that the Secretary of State, and I quote,
'has never once visited Port Talbot.'
Well, that's just not true, I'm afraid. The Secretary of State has twice visited Port Talbot, in April and September of last year. And when the Secretary of State for Wales offered to speak to the First Minister, that call was not answered.
I've raised in this Chamber before the concerns that employees who have specific skills will not be able to transfer those skills to other jobs without undertaking more qualifications, because their current accreditation is for Tata employment only. Now, the Labour Government here has often raised that, when it has supported Tata workers—that was before 2019, as I've noted—it was in terms of training and skills development. So, what I'd like to know is what guarantees were there that the support, once given by the Welsh Government, had specific strings attached to it, meaning employees would have fully transferable qualifications, or was previous Welsh Government support given without any caveats?
We welcome the £500 million-worth of support from the UK Government, without which Tata would have shut Port Talbot completely. Steelworkers will be retained, skills won't be lost, and steel will continue to be made in Wales, just not how we would have liked it to have been in terms of that transition period that I'm sure will be touched on further on.
We also welcome the £100 million transition fund, 80 per cent of which comes from the UK Government, 20 per cent from Tata, that will go towards, as the Cabinet Secretary pointed out, skills and employability, supply chain, business growth and start-ups, supporting mental health and well-being, and the wider regeneration of Port Talbot. We really should lean into this fund and the work that it could do, not just for those made redundant but for the wider community too. So, it is a shame, a real shame, I believe, that this Labour Government has decided not to contribute in monetary terms to this fund.
And Labour pose—
Diolch, Llywydd. Diolch i'r Llywodraeth am gyflwyno'r ddadl hon, ar bwnc y mae'r Senedd hon wedi treulio llawer o'i hamser dros y misoedd diwethaf yn ei drafod, a hynny'n gwbl briodol. Cynigiaf y gwelliannau yn enw fy nghyd-Aelod Darren Millar, ac rwy'n cadarnhau y bydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn cefnogi gwelliannau 3 a 4, ond nid 5 a 6.
Mae gwneud dur fel diwydiant yn un sy'n cyfrannu at bob agwedd ar y wlad. Rydym ni wedi bod yn glir ar yr ochr yma i'r Siambr yr hoffem ni weld un ffwrnais chwyth yn parhau ar agor yn ystod y cyfnod pontio o ffwrneisi chwyth i ffwrneisi arc drydan. Rydym ni'n siomedig na fu i Tata wneud hyn.
Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, roeddwn yn ddiolchgar eich bod chi wedi sôn wrth agor y ddadl hon am y cyfleoedd posibl wrth inni symud ymlaen yn y cyfnod pontio hwnnw. Sylwais eich bod chi wedi sôn am y porthladd rhydd Celtaidd, ffermydd gwynt arnofiol ar y môr—dwy elfen yr ydw i wedi bod yn eiriolwr mawr drostyn nhw. Ac o wybod cyfraniadau Aelodau eraill yn y Siambr hon, a fydd, rwy'n siŵr, yn siarad yn nes ymlaen—yr Aelod dros Aberafan, er enghraifft—mae'r angen am y trosglwyddiad cyfiawn hwnnw yn yr achos hwn yn bwysig iawn. Bydd y porthladd rhydd Celtaidd yn gyfle am swyddi newydd yn ardal Port Talbot a'r cymunedau ehangach, ond mae a wnelo hyn â'r newid hwnnw o'r fan hon nawr i'r adeg yna yn y dyfodol a sut rydym ni'n cefnogi gweithwyr yn yr ardal honno.
Fe hoffwn i hefyd ganmol yn y fan yma waith pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig ar eu hymchwiliad i wneud dur yn dilyn cyhoeddiad Tata y llynedd, dan gadeiryddiaeth gref Paul Davies, a Luke Fletcher ar y pwyllgor hefyd, a fydd, rwy'n siŵr, yn fy nilyn i wrth siarad yn y ddadl hon. Rwy'n credu bod rhywfaint o waith da wedi'i wneud yn y pwyllgor hwnnw wrth archwilio cynhyrchu dur yng Nghymru. Rhai cyfleoedd, ie, ond hefyd o ran gweld yr heriau maen nhw'n eu hwynebu ar hyn o bryd. Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, fe wnaethoch chi grybwyll rhai o'r rheini ynghylch capasiti'r grid, fel un enghraifft. Ond rwy'n credu bod angen ystyried adroddiad Pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig wrth drafod dyfodol cynhyrchu dur yng Nghymru, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod ansawdd y gwaith hwnnw wir yn siarad drosto'i hun.
Ond tra bod y newidiadau hyn yn mynd rhagddyn nhw a'r gweithlu'n delio â phryder diswyddiadau, gadewch i ni ofyn i ni'n hunain beth mae'r Llywodraeth Lafur hon wedi'i wneud i'w cefnogi. Dim. Pa gyllid y mae Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru wedi'i ddarparu i'r gweithwyr ym Mhort Talbot ers 2019? Dim. Beth mae'r Llywodraeth Lafur wedi cyfrannu at y bwrdd pontio a grëwyd i gefnogi gweithwyr a'r gymuned ehangach? Dim. A thra rydw i'n sôn am y pwnc hwn, dywedodd Prif Weinidog blaenorol Cymru ym mis Mawrth eleni fod yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol, ac rwy'n dyfynnu,
'erioed wedi ymweld â Phort Talbot.'
Wel, dydy hynny ddim yn wir, mae arna i ofn. Mae'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol wedi ymweld â Phort Talbot ddwywaith, ym mis Ebrill a mis Medi'r llynedd. A phan gynigiodd Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru siarad â Phrif Weinidog Cymru, ni chafodd yr alwad honno ei hateb.
Rwyf wedi sôn yn y Siambr hon o'r blaen am y pryderon na fydd gweithwyr sydd â sgiliau penodol yn gallu trosglwyddo'r sgiliau hynny i swyddi eraill heb ymgymryd â mwy o gymwysterau, oherwydd bod yr achrediad sydd ganddyn nhw ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer Tata yn unig. Nawr, mae'r Llywodraeth Lafur yn y fan yma yn aml wedi codi hynny, pan fo wedi cefnogi gweithwyr Tata—roedd hynny cyn 2019, fel rydw i wedi nodi—roedd hynny o ran hyfforddiant a datblygu sgiliau. Felly, yr hyn yr hoffwn i ei wybod yw pa sicrwydd a oedd yno fod gan y gefnogaeth, a roddwyd unwaith gan Lywodraeth Cymru, amodau penodol ynghlwm wrtho, gan olygu y byddai gan weithwyr gymwysterau cwbl drosglwyddadwy, neu a roddwyd cymorth blaenorol gan Lywodraeth Cymru heb unrhyw amodau?
Rydym ni'n croesawu'r £500 miliwn o gymorth gan Lywodraeth y DU, y byddai Tata wedi cau Port Talbot yn llwyr hebddo. Bydd gweithwyr dur yn cael eu cadw, ni fydd sgiliau'n cael eu colli, a bydd dur yn parhau i gael ei wneud yng Nghymru, ond nid fel y byddem wedi hoffi iddo fod o ran y cyfnod pontio hwnnw a gaiff ei grybwyll, rwy'n siŵr, yn nes ymlaen.
Rydym ni hefyd yn croesawu'r gronfa bontio gwerth £100 miliwn, y daw 80 y cant ohoni o Lywodraeth y DU, 20 y cant o Tata, a fydd yn mynd tuag at, fel y nododd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, sgiliau a chyflogadwyedd, y gadwyn gyflenwi, twf busnes a busnesau newydd, cymorth iechyd meddwl a lles, ac adfywiad ehangach Port Talbot. Fe ddylem ni wir fanteisio ar y gronfa hon a'r gwaith y gallai ei gwneud, nid yn unig i'r rhai a ddiswyddwyd ond i'r gymuned ehangach hefyd. Felly, mae'n drueni, mae'n drueni mawr, rwy'n credu, bod y Llywodraeth Lafur hon wedi penderfynu peidio â chyfrannu'n ariannol i'r gronfa hon.
Ac mae Llafur yn honni—
Will you take an intervention?
A wnewch chi dderbyn ymyriad?
Yes, of course.
Gwnaf, wrth gwrs.
It's going to be part of my contribution, but do you accept the fact that—? You've used 2019, I'll go back to 2016, if you want to, and tell you the UK Government failed to do anything in 2016 for the Welsh steelworkers. But let's talk about the current—. Do you accept that the Welsh Government has actually invested money now? There's money available, people are using it, under the PLA for access to learning—the personal learning accounts—because they've actually changed the cap criteria for workers at Tata and the contractors to allow them to access that. So, there is money available today for people to actually retrain, redevelop, under the PLA.
Bydd yn rhan o fy nghyfraniad i, ond a ydych chi'n derbyn y ffaith fod—? Rydych chi wedi defnyddio 2019, fe af i yn ôl i 2016, os hoffech chi, a dweud wrthych chi fod Llywodraeth y DU wedi methu â gwneud unrhyw beth yn 2016 ar gyfer gweithwyr dur Cymru. Ond gadewch i ni siarad am y sefyllfa bresennol—. A ydych chi'n derbyn bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi buddsoddi arian mewn gwirionedd nawr? Mae arian ar gael, mae pobl yn ei ddefnyddio, o dan y cyfrifon ar gyfer manteisio ar ddysgu—y cyfrifon dysgu personol—oherwydd maen nhw wedi newid y meini prawf trothwy i weithwyr Tata a'r contractwyr er mwyn caniatáu iddyn nhw fanteisio ar hynny. Felly, mae arian ar gael heddiw i bobl ailhyfforddi, ailddatblygu, o dan y cyfrifon dysgu personol.
We could go back to the year 2000 and how little was done by the Labour UK Government in the year 2000. But the point that the Member for Aberavon makes is valid, and I will give consideration to the point that changes have been made. But when it comes to the transition board itself, and the specifics aligned to the transition board, the amount of experience and expertise on that transition board—I think that's where there is sadness that the Welsh Government hasn't taken a more proactive funding involvement in that transition board. I'm very conscious of the time, so I will, if I may, just continue ever so slightly, Llywydd. I'm grateful for the intervention from the Member for Aberavon.
In terms of what Labour's choices will be—and we talked about it, and previous Members have spoken before; let's wait and see what a UK Labour Government will bring—what will a Labour Government bring? They've got £3 billion for a green steel programme, but that already equates and includes the £500 million that the Conservative UK Government has allocated to Port Talbot. So, is there any more money coming from that green steel plan from Labour? We might hear some more of that from Members here today. But what else is happening? Because there's no guarantee whatsoever that a UK Labour Government—an incoming, potentially, I hope not, UK Labour Government—would actually do anything different to what's happened at the moment. And there might be Members here who may have to eat their hat—I may be one of them—but I stand to be corrected. I do not see any involvement there in that sense.
I do believe that there is a positive steel-making future for Wales. I think there is an opportunity for steel making in Wales. We've touched on the Celtic free port, we've touched on the opportunities around infrastructure. Procurement I think is also something that we can look to explore, and, obviously, the opportunities around floating offshore wind. But when it comes to the decisions being made by this Parliament, and this Government specifically, I think Members of the south Wales industrial cluster, and areas along the south-Wales corridor, will understand that the Conservative Government have put their hand in their pocket, and Welsh Labour here in the Senedd have not. Diolch, Llywydd.
Fe allem ni fynd yn ôl i'r flwyddyn 2000 a chyn lleied a wnaed gan Lywodraeth Lafur y DU yn y flwyddyn 2000. Ond mae'r pwynt y mae'r Aelod dros Aberafan yn ei wneud yn ddilys, ac fe wnaf i ystyried y sylw bod newidiadau wedi'u gwneud. Ond o ran y bwrdd pontio ei hun, a'r manylion penodol sy'n cyd-fynd â'r bwrdd pontio, faint o brofiad ac arbenigedd sydd ar y bwrdd pontio hwnnw—rwy'n credu mai dyna lle mae tristwch nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cymryd rhan fwy rhagweithiol o ran cyllid yn y bwrdd pontio hwnnw. Rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o'r amser, felly fe wnaf i, os caf i, barhau am ychydig, Llywydd. Rwy'n ddiolchgar am yr ymyrraeth gan yr Aelod dros Aberafan.
O ran beth fydd dewisiadau Llafur—a buom yn siarad am hyn, ac mae Aelodau blaenorol wedi siarad o'r blaen; gadewch i ni aros i weld beth ddaw yn sgil Llywodraeth Lafur y DU—beth fydd gan Lywodraeth Lafur i'w gynnig? Mae ganddyn nhw £3 biliwn ar gyfer rhaglen dur gwyrdd, ond mae hynny eisoes yn cyfateb ac yn cynnwys y £500 miliwn y mae Llywodraeth Geidwadol y DU wedi'i ddyrannu i Bort Talbot. Felly, a oes mwy o arian yn dod o'r cynllun dur gwyrdd hwnnw gan Lafur? Efallai y clywn ni fwy am hynny gan Aelodau yma heddiw. Ond beth arall sy'n digwydd? Oherwydd does dim sicrwydd o gwbl y byddai Llywodraeth Lafur y DU—Llywodraeth Lafur arfaethedig, o bosib, gobeithio ddim, i'r DU—yn gwneud unrhyw beth gwahanol i'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd ar hyn o bryd. Ac efallai y bydd Aelodau yma y gall fod angen iddyn nhw dynnu eu geiriau'n ôl—efallai fy mod yn un ohonyn nhw—ond rwy'n hapus i gael fy nghywiro. Nid wyf yn gweld unrhyw gysylltiad yn y fan yna yn hynny o beth.
Rydw i yn credu bod dyfodol cadarnhaol i greu dur yng Nghymru. Rwy'n credu bod cyfle i wneud dur yng Nghymru. Rydym ni wedi crybwyll y porthladd rhydd Celtaidd, rydym ni wedi crybwyll y cyfleoedd ynghylch seilwaith. Rwy'n credu bod caffael hefyd yn rhywbeth y gallwn ni geisio ei archwilio, ac, yn amlwg, y cyfleoedd o ran ffermydd gwynt arnofiol ar y môr. Ond o ran y penderfyniadau a wneir gan y Senedd hon, a'r Llywodraeth hon yn benodol, rwy'n credu y bydd Aelodau clwstwr diwydiannol de Cymru, ac ardaloedd ar hyd coridor de Cymru, yn deall bod y Llywodraeth Geidwadol wedi rhoi eu llaw yn eu poced, ac nid yw Llafur Cymru yma yn y Senedd wedi gwneud hynny. Diolch, Llywydd.
Galwaf ar Luke Fletcher nawr i gynnig gwelliannau 3, 4, 5 a 6, a gyflwynwyd yn enw Heledd Fychan. Luke Fletcher.
I call on Luke Fletcher to move amendments 3, 4, 5 and 6, tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan. Luke Fletcher.
Gwelliant 3—Heledd Fychan
Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:
Yn gresynu bod Tata wedi gwrthod cynllun aml-undeb a fyddai wedi diogelu swyddi ac wedi cadw un o'r ffwrneisi chwyth ar agor yng ngwaith dur Port Talbot.
Amendment 3—Heledd Fychan
Add as new point at end of motion:
Regrets that Tata has rejected a multi-union plan which would have protected jobs and kept open one of the blast furnaces at the Port Talbot steelworks.
Gwelliant 4—Heledd Fychan
Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:
Yn gresynu at y diffyg eglurder ynghylch sut y byddai'r cynllun gwerth £3 biliwn gan Lafur y DU ar gyfer dur yn amddiffyn swyddi ac yn cefnogi datgarboneiddio yng ngwaith dur Port Talbot.
Amendment 4—Heledd Fychan
Add as new point at end of motion:
Regrets a lack of clarity on how UK Labour's £3 billion plan for steel would protect jobs and support decarbonisation at the Port Talbot steelworks.
Gwelliant 5—Heledd Fychan
Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:
Yn galw ar Lywodraeth nesaf y DU i gymryd y camau angenrheidiol i ddod â gwaith dur Port Talbot i berchnogaeth gyhoeddus.
Amendment 5—Heledd Fychan
Add as new point at end of motion:
Calls on the next UK Government to take the necessary steps to bring the Port Talbot steelworks into public ownership.
Gwelliant 6—Heledd Fychan
Ychwanegu pwynt newydd ar ddiwedd y cynnig:
Yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru, yn absenoldeb cynllun gan Lywodraeth y DU, i archwilio opsiynau deddfwriaethol ar gyfer prynu'r ffwrneisi chwyth yn orfodol ym Mhort Talbot, ynghyd â'r potensial o greu cwmni dur cydweithredol Cymreig.
Amendment 6—Heledd Fychan
Add as new point at end of motion:
Calls on the Welsh Government, in the absence of a plan from UK Government, to explore legislative options for the compulsory purchase of the blast furnaces in Port Talbot, as well as the potential of creating a Welsh steel co-operative.
Cynigiwyd gwelliannau 3, 4, 5 a 6.
Amendments 3, 4, 5 and 6 moved.
Diolch, Llywydd. I move the amendments tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan. I'll start by saying that Plaid Cymru support what is set out in the original motion. As far as this goes, we are clear that there is a future for primary steel making in Wales and that our steelworkers should be supported, but this is, frankly, a statement of the obvious. The original motion doesn't get us to taking the actions we need to take to ensure that there is a future for steel in Wales. Without outlining these, there would be little point in passing the motion.
This debate comes at the eleventh hour, with the first blast furnace due to close this month. Despite this, the original text of the motion is almost identical to the one we debated back in February. The motion as presented doesn't condemn Tata's decision, and nor does it set out a vision for a brighter future. It simply says that we believe there should be a future, with no specific steps outlined on the path to it. At a time when workers in the communities are desperate for action, we need to do more than reaffirm what has already been said. We need to move this debate forward as, I must say, I and my colleagues in Plaid Cymru have been trying to do for months.
I will say that I take issue with the way in which the whole debate has been characterised by the Tories. This line being pushed constantly that Welsh Government hasn't contributed financially to Tata is only part of the picture, isn't it? In fairness to the Labour Government, back in 2016, as Dai Rees pointed out, and in fairness, actually, to Carwyn Jones—we all have heard the stories of him camping outside the offices in Mumbai—Tata wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the actions taken back then. I'd also say it's difficult to know where you can slot in support if you're not involved in the initial conversations around setting up the transition board, and are not receiving the correct data either from Tata.
Successive Conservative Governments in Westminster share the lion's share of the blame for why things are the way that they are. They have lacked vision in setting out what the future of steel and, more broadly, the industrial sector could look like, and with straight faces, Conservative Ministers have stood up to say that a £500 million package to Tata in exchange for 9,500 job losses is a fair transaction. They haven't had the courage to take control of the situation and forge a new path—a path independent of a multinational organisation that cares nothing for the communities that rely on it.
We've heard from the Conservatives that this isn't what they would have liked to happen, so why accept that this is it? Unfortunately, it's the lack of courage that Labour and this Welsh Labour Government has risked mirroring. Here is an opportunity to set out what exactly is meant by the £3 billion for steel. So far, no-one has been able to tell me precisely how much of that will go to Port Talbot directly. Here is an opportunity to show a way forward, how this Senedd can make a meaningful intervention. Here is an opportunity to live up to the mantra that we do things differently in Wales. I stand by what I've said all along. Why should we allow a multinational half the world away to dictate the future of our communities? Tata won't change their mind, they've made that clear—even if there is a change in Government. So, why should we continue to stare down the barrel of the gun that is post-industrial deprivation that is threatening to rear its head again?
Take control. Nationalise the site in Port Talbot. Let's make the investments ourselves, let's set the strategic direction ourselves and let's regain some dignity. Because right now, our communities are looking to us for leadership, and I fear that we will have failed them if this motion passes unamended. It's not as if there isn't a plan ready to go, the unions have already done the work.
I don't think any of us here would want to look back at this time and wonder whether one thing or another could have worked. Now, he who dares, wins. Well, the Government should dare to win. Let's push for nationalisation of Tata's site. Failing that, let's look at how we can conserve its assets there, to secure a future for primary steel making in Wales. And let's create a path to a new future for our workers and their communities.
Diolch, Llywydd. Cynigiaf y gwelliannau a gyflwynwyd yn enw Heledd Fychan. Dechreuaf drwy ddweud bod Plaid Cymru yn cefnogi'r hyn a nodir yn y cynnig gwreiddiol. Yn hyn o beth, rydym ni'n glir bod dyfodol ar gyfer gwneud dur sylfaenol yng Nghymru ac y dylid cefnogi ein gweithwyr dur, ond mae hyn, a dweud y gwir, yn datgan yr amlwg. Nid yw'r cynnig gwreiddiol yn ein galluogi i gymryd y camau y mae angen i ni eu cymryd i sicrhau bod dyfodol i ddur yng Nghymru. Heb amlinellu'r rhain, ni fyddai fawr ddiben pasio'r cynnig.
Daw'r ddadl hon ar yr unfed awr ar ddeg, gyda'r disgwyl y bydd y ffwrnais chwyth gyntaf yn cael ei chau y mis yma. Er gwaethaf hyn, mae testun gwreiddiol y cynnig bron yn union yr un fath â'r un a drafodwyd gennym ni yn ôl ym mis Chwefror. Nid yw'r cynnig fel y'i cyflwynwyd yn condemnio penderfyniad Tata, ac nid yw'n nodi gweledigaeth ar gyfer dyfodol mwy disglair. Mae'n dweud yn syml ein bod yn credu y dylai fod dyfodol, heb unrhyw gamau penodol wedi'u hamlinellu ar y llwybr tuag ato. Ar adeg pan fo gweithwyr yn y cymunedau yn ysu am weithredu, mae angen i ni wneud mwy nag ailddatgan yr hyn a ddywedwyd eisoes. Mae angen i ni symud y ddadl hon ymlaen oherwydd fel, y mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, yr ydw i a fy nghyd-Aelodau ym Mhlaid Cymru wedi bod yn ceisio ei wneud ers misoedd.
Byddaf yn dweud fy mod yn anghytuno â'r ffordd y mae'r holl ddadl wedi'i nodweddu gan y Torïaid. Mae'r un hen gân nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyfrannu'n ariannol at Tata yn ddim ond yn rhan o'r darlun, onid ydyw? Er tegwch i'r Llywodraeth Lafur, yn ôl yn 2016, fel y nododd Dai Rees, ac er tegwch, mewn gwirionedd, i Carwyn Jones—rydym ni i gyd wedi clywed y straeon amdano yn gwersylla y tu allan i'r swyddfeydd ym Mumbai—ni fyddai Tata yma oni bai am yr hyn a wnaed yn ôl bryd hynny. Byddwn hefyd yn dweud ei bod hi'n anodd gwybod ble y gallwch chi wneud lle i gefnogaeth os nad ydych chi'n rhan o'r sgyrsiau cychwynnol ynghylch sefydlu'r bwrdd pontio, ac nad ydych chi'n derbyn y data cywir chwaith gan Tata.
Mae Llywodraethau Ceidwadol olynol yn San Steffan yn rhannu cyfran enfawr o'r bai ynghylch pam fod pethau fel y maen nhw. Dydyn nhw ddim wedi dangos gweledigaeth wrth amlinellu sut ddyfodol allai fod i ddur ac, yn ehangach, i'r sector diwydiannol, a gyda wynebau syth, mae Gweinidogion Ceidwadol wedi sefyll i ddweud bod pecyn gwerth £500 miliwn i Tata yn gyfnewid am golli 9,500 o swyddi yn drafodiad teg. Fuon nhw ddim yn ddigon dewr i gymryd rheolaeth o'r sefyllfa a chreu llwybr newydd—llwybr sy'n annibynnol ar sefydliad rhyngwladol sy'n hidio dim am y cymunedau sy'n dibynnu arno.
Rydym ni wedi clywed gan y Ceidwadwyr nad dyma beth fydden nhw wedi hoffi digwydd, felly pam derbyn mai dyma ddiwedd y gân? Yn anffodus, mae'n ymwneud â'r diffyg dewrder y mae Llafur a'r Llywodraeth Lafur hon yng Nghymru wedi bod mewn perygl o'i adlewyrchu. Dyma gyfle i nodi beth yn union a olygir gan y £3 biliwn ar gyfer dur. Hyd yn hyn, does neb wedi gallu dweud wrtha i'n union faint o hynny fydd yn mynd i Bort Talbot yn uniongyrchol. Dyma gyfle i ddangos ffordd ymlaen, sut y gall y Senedd hon ymyrryd yn ystyrlon. Dyma gyfle i fyw'r broffes ein bod ni'n gwneud pethau'n wahanol yng Nghymru. Rwy'n glynu wrth yr hyn yr ydw i wedi'i ddweud erioed. Pam ddylen ni ganiatáu i gwmni rhyngwladol hanner ffordd rownd y byd bennu dyfodol ein cymunedau? Fydd Tata ddim yn newid eu meddwl, maen nhw wedi gwneud hynny'n glir—hyd yn oed os oes newid yn y Llywodraeth. Felly, pam ddylem ni barhau i syllu i waelod pydew amddifadedd ôl-ddiwydiannol sy'n bygwth ein llyncu ni eto?
Cymerwch reolaeth. Cenedlaetholwch y safle ym Mhort Talbot. Gadewch i ni wneud y buddsoddiadau ein hunain, gadewch i ni osod y cyfeiriad strategol ein hunain a gadewch i ni adennill rhywfaint o urddas. Oherwydd ar hyn o bryd, mae ein cymunedau'n edrych atom ni am arweinyddiaeth, ac rwy'n ofni y byddwn ni wedi eu methu os bydd y cynnig hwn yn pasio heb unrhyw welliannau. Dyw e ddim fel pe na bai cynllun yn barod i fynd, mae'r undebau eisoes wedi gwneud y gwaith.
Dydw i ddim yn credu y byddai unrhyw un ohonom ni yma eisiau edrych yn ôl ar yr adeg yma a meddwl tybed a allai un peth neu'r llall fod wedi gweithio. Nawr, y sawl sy'n mentro sy'n ennill. Wel, dylai'r Llywodraeth fentro. Gadewch i ni wthio am wladoli safle Tata. Os na lwyddwn ni â hynny, gadewch i ni edrych ar sut y gallwn ni warchod ei asedau yno, er mwyn sicrhau dyfodol ar gyfer gwneud dur sylfaenol yng Nghymru. A gadewch i ni greu llwybr at ddyfodol newydd i'n gweithwyr a'u cymunedau.
Can I thank the Government for bringing this forward? It is an important debate we have discussed. Because as you've already pointed out—three people already have said—blast furnace No. 5 shuts down this month, blast furnace No. 4 in September. Now, I remember, actually, the explosion at No. 5, where three men lost their lives. That was 20-odd years ago, and it has been rebuilt. So, we understand the timescale for No. 5.
It's about steel making. It's about the industry. The UK has actually been producing steel, and it's one of our sovereign assets. It's a foundational industry. It makes steel in everything we use. How many of us got up this morning and used the microwave for our breakfast, or the toasters? Drove our car in? Came by train? Rode a bike in, possibly? Opened the fridge, got the milk out for their Weetabix this morning. The steel we use every day is here. Some of that, actually, was made in Port Talbot. Whether you've got tins of baked beans, or I fed my dog this morning with a tin. Was that from Port Talbot? We don't know, but it is the steel we use.
It's a foundational industry. It builds our manufacturing base. And yet we are here debating what's happening to that industry. That it's going to disappear. Primary steel making will not be here. We'll get rid of it, or Tata will get rid of it, and unfortunately, the UK Government has supported them in doing that by putting £500 million in without any conditions upon it to ensure there's a transition to other forms of primary steel making.
You can go green with primary steel making. It's a disappointment that the UK government didn't even think about it. And it did take them—what? We nagged and pressurised for how many years to get some form of steel sector deal, or even a strategy on steel? And when they come out with it, their strategy is £500 million, get rid of the blast furnaces. That's it.
So, whether we are living in a geopolitical world or not, we are vulnerable without primary steel making in this country. And so Port Talbot becomes a crucial contributor to that sector. But it's not just steel for our town. It's more than that, because it runs through generations of families in our town. And I go to schools and I see children who want to aspire to what their parents are doing in their job lives, or what their grandparents did, whether that be in the Port Talbot steelworks or in the industries that serve Port Talbot steelworks. They see it. And as one of our Community union officers said at the conference a few years back, steel is in our DNA. It's part of us.
Now, there is an alternative. We've talked about this before. The steel trade unions, as has been highlighted, put this Syndex plan forward. Not their plan, by the way—it's an experts' plan. They put it forward and it has been rejected, and it's a shame Tata just threw it out like that, because it worked. It survived the blast furnaces; No. 4 would keep working whilst they built an electric arc. By the way, the electric arc they're talking about would be the biggest ever built. Most other places are not building 3 million tonne electric arcs, they're building 1.5 million tonne electric arcs, to work with blast furnaces. And Tata are building blast furnaces in India. Germany's building blast furnaces. It seems strange that we're not doing that, that we're getting rid of it, and we're going to rely upon imported steel for our tins and our cars and our microwaves.
But along with steelworkers, we do need to accept change. It's coming. We don’t deny that. But it's how we get that change happening, how we transition into the process of the green direction. And that's what should be grasped. And I hope that any incoming government—and I hope it's a red government, but it could be any government coming in—grasps the opportunity of saying, ‘Actually, let's change it’. Let's work with our communities. Let's get the people who we're putting on the dole, who we're putting out of opportunities, children who are seeing their hope disappear—let’s put something there for them, let's grab those opportunities to do so. And I hope that the UK Government coming in will actually do that.
Now, the question about £3 billion. Let's be honest about it. We don't know where it'll be spent, but we do know there's a figure there. There was never a figure with the previous Governments. And you do also have to negotiate where that figure is spent and how it's used to actually build a green steel economy. What elements do you want to focus upon? What elements can you encourage other industries to come in and put their revenue in? So, it's important that we know that there's money there, and we know that there is a negotiation that will go on as to how that money is spent.
The other aspect we've talked about—I'm going to go on; I've got a little time. About the amendments that were put in—. The Conservative amendments, I'm sorry, but, prior to what we've seen in previous years, say MacGregor, 2016, when you did nothing—I'm sorry, I can't listen to those discussions. And I accept what you say—. No. 3, I totally accept amendment 3. No. 4, clarity is okay, we need to get it, but No. 5 and No. 6, I'm listening. I'm keen to listen, but there are so many practicalities. Compulsory purchase of blast furnaces—what does that mean? Who's going to be employed to do that? Are you going to employ people? How is it going to actually transfer raw materials in if you're going to keep it going? Where's the steel going to go if you keep it going? If you shut it down, how is it going to be managed? Where is it going to be staying? How will you operate it? How do you access it, because, actually, the land around it is not accessible?
So, there are a lot of practicalities here. Great headlines, but what actually does it mean to the people in the town, to the people in the works to actually see how it can work? And if you want to mothball it, that's what they're doing now. So, it's no different to what Tata are proposing, just shutting it down and mothballing it. So, it is important, what are the deals there, and with the—. Nationalisation, you and I both, Luke, went to the talk on nationalisation. He put forward a temporary nationalisation just to keep it going temporarily until we actually get somebody to buy into it, but, the investment required to do all that, where's that going to come from? Because, let's be honest, we haven't got it in this Government, in this Senedd. It's not just the £3 billion that we're talking about; we need joint investment in that case, so if you're going to talk about nationalisation, how are you going to fund the nationalisation? How are you going to get the marketplaces? Who's going to manage it? How is it going to be delivered? Because you're in a business world, not a public service world. So, there are a lot of questions I want to hear answers to on those points that I haven't yet heard.
I've gone over my time, Llywydd; I'm going to stop. But one thing. The people of Port Talbot want to see this Government fight for them. They want to see us working for them. They want to see UK Government doing so. And that's why, in my view, we have to change the Government, because the previous Governments have not done that.
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Llywodraeth am gyflwyno hyn? Mae'n ddadl bwysig yr ydym ni wedi ei thrafod. Oherwydd fel rydych chi eisoes wedi nodi—mae tri pherson eisoes wedi dweud—bydd ffwrnais chwyth Rhif 5 yn cau y mis hwn, ffwrnais chwyth Rhif 4 ym mis Medi. Nawr, rwy'n cofio, mewn gwirionedd, y ffrwydrad yn Rhif 5, lle collodd tri dyn eu bywydau. Roedd hynny 20 mlynedd yn ôl, ac mae wedi cael ei hailadeiladu. Felly, rydym ni'n deall yr amserlen ar gyfer Rhif 5.
Mae'n ymwneud â chreu dur. Mae'n ymwneud â'r diwydiant. Mae'r DU wedi bod yn cynhyrchu dur mewn gwirionedd, ac mae'n un o'n hasedau sofran. Mae'n ddiwydiant sylfaenol. Mae'n gwneud dur ym mhopeth rydym ni'n ei ddefnyddio. Sawl un ohonom ni gododd y bore yma a defnyddio'r microdon ar gyfer ein brecwast, neu'r tostiwr? Gyrrodd yma yn ein car? Daeth yma ar y trên? Daeth ar gefn beic, o bosib? Agorodd yr oergell, estynnodd y llaeth ar gyfer eu Weetabix y bore yma. Mae'r dur rydym ni'n ei ddefnyddio bob dydd yma. Fe wnaed rhywfaint o hynny, mewn gwirionedd, ym Mhort Talbot. P'un a oes gennych chi duniau o ffa pôb, neu fe wnes i fwydo fy nghi y bore yma gyda thun. Oedd hynny'n dod o Bort Talbot? Dydyn ni ddim yn gwybod, ond dyma'r dur rydym ni'n ei ddefnyddio.
Mae'n ddiwydiant sylfaenol. Mae'n adeiladu ein sylfaen gweithgynhyrchu. Ac eto rydym ni yma yn trafod beth sy'n digwydd i'r diwydiant hwnnw. Ei fod yn mynd i ddiflannu. Ni fyddwn yn gwneud dur sylfaenol yma. Byddwn yn cael gwared ohono, neu bydd Tata yn cael gwared ohono, ac yn anffodus, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi eu cefnogi i wneud hynny drwy roi £500 miliwn heb unrhyw amodau arno i sicrhau bod trosglwyddo i fathau eraill o wneud dur sylfaenol.
Fe allwch chi ddefnyddio dulliau gwyrdd i wneud dur sylfaenol. Mae'n siom nad oedd llywodraeth y DU hyd yn oed wedi meddwl am y peth. Ac fe gymerodd hi iddyn nhw—beth? Fe wnaethon ni blagio a phwyso am sawl blwyddyn i gael rhyw fath o fargen i'r sector dur, neu hyd yn oed strategaeth ar ddur? A phan wnaethan nhw'n cyflwyno hynny, eu strategaeth yw £500 miliwn, cael gwared ar y ffwrneisi chwyth. Dyna ni.
Felly, p'un a ydym ni'n byw mewn byd geowleidyddol ai peidio, rydym ni'n agored i niwed os nad yw dur sylfaenol yn cael ei wneud yn y wlad hon. Ac felly mae Port Talbot yn dod yn gyfrannwr hanfodol i'r sector hwnnw. Ond nid dim ond dur ar gyfer ein dinas. Mae'n fwy na hynny, oherwydd bu'n rhan o deuluoedd yn ein tref ers cenedlaethau. Ac rwy'n mynd i ysgolion ac rwy'n gweld plant sydd eisiau ymgyrraedd at yr hyn y mae eu rhieni'n ei wneud yn eu bywydau gwaith, neu'r hyn a wnaeth eu neiniau a theidiau, boed hynny yng ngwaith dur Port Talbot neu yn y diwydiannau sy'n gwasanaethu gwaith dur Port Talbot. Maen nhw'n ei weld. Ac fel y dywedodd un o'n swyddogion undeb cymunedol yn y gynhadledd ychydig flynyddoedd yn ôl, mae dur yn ein DNA. Mae'n rhan ohonom ni.
Nawr, mae yna ddewis arall. Rydym ni wedi trafod hyn o'r blaen. Mae'r undebau llafur dur, fel yr amlygwyd, wedi cyflwyno'r cynllun Syndex hwn. Nid eu cynllun nhw, gyda llaw—cynllun arbenigwyr yw e. Fe wnaethon nhw ei gyflwyno ac mae wedi cael ei wrthod, ac mae'n drueni bod Tata wedi ei wrthod felly, oherwydd fe weithiodd. Goroesodd y ffwrneisi chwyth; byddai rhif 4 yn parhau i weithio wrth iddyn nhw adeiladu ffwrnais arc drydan. Gyda llaw, y ffwrnais arc drydan maen nhw'n sôn amdani fyddai'r un fwyaf a adeiladwyd erioed. Nid yw'r rhan fwyaf o leoedd eraill yn adeiladu ffwrneisi arc drydan 3 miliwn tunnell, maen nhw'n adeiladu ffwrneisi arc drydan 1.5 miliwn tunnell, i weithio gyda ffwrneisi chwyth. Ac mae Tata yn adeiladu ffwrneisi chwyth yn India. Mae'r Almaen yn adeiladu ffwrneisi chwyth. Mae'n ymddangos yn rhyfedd nad ydym ni'n gwneud hynny, ein bod ni'n cael gwared arnyn nhw, a byddwn yn dibynnu ar ddur wedi'i fewnforio ar gyfer ein tuniau a'n ceir a'n microdonnau.
Ond ynghyd â gweithwyr dur, mae angen i ni dderbyn newid. Mae'n dod. Dydym ni ddim yn gwadu hynny. Ond mae'n ymwneud â sut rydym ni'n sicrhau bod y newid hwnnw'n digwydd, sut rydym ni'n trosglwyddo i broses y cyfeiriad gwyrdd. A dyna beth y dylid ei gofleidio. A gobeithiaf y bydd unrhyw lywodraeth newydd—ac rwy'n gobeithio mai llywodraeth goch fydd hi, ond gallai fod yn unrhyw lywodraeth newydd—yn achub ar y cyfle i ddweud, 'I ddweud y gwir, gadewch i ni ei newid'. Gadewch i ni weithio gyda'n cymunedau. Gadewch i ni gael y bobl rydym ni'n eu rhoi ar y clwt, rydym ni'n eu hamddifadu o gyfleoedd, plant sy'n gweld eu gobaith yn diflannu—gadewch i ni roi rhywbeth yno iddyn nhw, gadewch i ni achub ar y cyfleoedd hynny i wneud hynny. Ac rwy'n gobeithiaf y bydd Llywodraeth newydd y DU yn gwneud hynny mewn gwirionedd.
Nawr, y cwestiwn ynghylch £3 biliwn. Gadewch i ni fod yn onest am hynny. Dydym ni ddim yn gwybod ble y caiff ei wario, ond rydym ni yn gwybod bod yna ffigwr yna. Ni fu erioed ffigwr gyda'r Llywodraethau blaenorol. Ac mae'n rhaid i chi hefyd drafod ble mae'r ffigwr hwnnw'n cael ei wario a sut mae'n cael ei ddefnyddio i adeiladu economi dur gwyrdd mewn gwirionedd. Pa elfennau mae arnoch chi eisiau canolbwyntio arnyn nhw? Pa elfennau allwch chi annog diwydiannau eraill i ymrwymo a chyfrannu eu refeniw atyn nhw? Felly, mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n gwybod bod yna arian, ac rydym ni'n gwybod y bydd trafodaeth o ran sut i wario'r arian yna.
Yr agwedd arall rydym ni wedi sôn amdani—rwy'n mynd i barhau; mae gen i ychydig o amser. Ynglŷn â'r gwelliannau a gafodd eu cyflwyno—. Gwelliannau'r Ceidwadwyr. Mae'n ddrwg gen i, ond, cyn yr hyn rydym ni wedi'i weld mewn blynyddoedd blaenorol, dyweder MacGregor, 2016, pan wnaethoch chi ddim—mae'n ddrwg gen i, alla i ddim gwrando ar y trafodaethau hynny. Ac rwy'n derbyn yr hyn rydych chi'n ei ddweud—. Rhif 3, rwy'n derbyn gwelliant 3 yn llwyr. Rhif 4, mae eglurder yn iawn, mae angen i ni ei gael, ond Rhif 5 a Rhif 6, rwy'n gwrando. Rwy'n awyddus i wrando, ond mae cymaint o bethau ymarferol. Prynu ffwrneisi chwyth yn orfodol—beth mae hynny'n ei olygu? Pwy fydd yn cael ei gyflogi i wneud hynny? Ydych chi'n mynd i gyflogi pobl? Sut mae'n mynd i drosglwyddo deunyddiau crai mewn gwirionedd os ydych chi'n mynd i'w gadw i fynd? Lle mae'r dur yn mynd i fynd os ydych chi'n ei gadw i fynd? Os ydych chi'n ei gau, sut y caiff ei reoli? Lle bydd yn aros? Sut fyddwch chi'n ei weithredu? Sut ydych chi'n cael mynediad iddo, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, nid yw'r tir o'i gwmpas yn hygyrch?
Felly, mae llawer o bethau ymarferol yma. Penawdau gwych, ond beth mae'n ei olygu mewn gwirionedd i bobl y dref, i'r bobl yn y gwaith i weld mewn gwirionedd sut y gall weithio? Ac os oes arnoch chi eisiau rhoi'r gorau i'w ddefnyddio, dyna maen nhw'n ei wneud nawr. Felly, nid yw'n wahanol i'r hyn y mae Tata yn ei gynnig, dim ond ei gau a rhoi'r gorau i'w ddefnyddio. Felly, mae hi yn bwysig, beth yw'r bargeinion yno, a chyda'r—. Cenedlaetholi, fe aethoch chi a fi ein dau, Luke, i'r sgwrs ar wladoli. Fe gyflwynodd wladoli dros dro dim ond i'w gadw i fynd dros dro nes ein bod ni mewn gwirionedd yn cael rhywun i'w gefnogi, ond, y buddsoddiad sydd ei angen i wneud hynny i gyd, o ble y daw hynny? Oherwydd, gadewch i ni fod yn onest, does gennym ni ddim hynny yn y Llywodraeth hon, yn y Senedd hon. Nid dim ond y £3 biliwn rydym ni'n sôn amdano; mae angen buddsoddiad ar y cyd arnom ni yn yr achos hwnnw, felly os ydych chi'n mynd i siarad am wladoli, sut ydych chi'n mynd i ariannu'r gwladoli? Sut fyddwch chi'n cael y marchnadoedd? Pwy sy'n mynd i'w reoli? Sut y bydd yn cael ei gyflawni? Oherwydd rydych chi ym myd busnes, nid byd gwasanaeth cyhoeddus. Felly, mae llawer o gwestiynau yr hoffwn i glywed atebion iddyn nhw ynghylch y pwyntiau hynny nad ydw i wedi'u clywed eto.
Mae amser wedi mynd yn drech na fi, Llywydd; rydw i'n mynd i dewi. Ond un peth. Mae pobl Port Talbot eisiau gweld y Llywodraeth hon yn ymladd drostyn nhw. Maen nhw eisiau ein gweld ni'n gweithio iddyn nhw. Maen nhw eisiau gweld Llywodraeth y DU yn gwneud hynny. A dyna pam, yn fy marn i, mae'n rhaid i ni newid y Llywodraeth, oherwydd nid yw'r Llywodraethau blaenorol wedi gwneud hynny.
In every statement and debate we have on Tata—and we've had a few, as Members have mentioned—we always hear the Welsh Government refer to the difference a Westminster Labour Government could make to the future of the plant at Port Talbot and the fate of the thousands of its workers, and today was no exception. And, of course, we heard Keir Starmer say when he was in Wales last week that he would fight for every single job and for the future of steel in Wales. But there were no details on what that actually looks like, and you asked a number of questions, David Rees. Well, I would say that the Welsh Government and Keir Starmer are the people who need to work and should have been working on the answers to those questions, because the political reporters who were reporting on Keir Starmer's visit pointed this out. Gareth Lewis of BBC Wales was among those who said of the statement that no-one is quite sure what it means, and of this £3 billion steel fund, what exactly are they going to do with it, Gareth Lewis asked. And so, for me, the question that really needs to be answered today, although it should have been answered, perhaps, months ago, is: what is the plan?
Tata have not indicated they've got any interest in keeping the blast furnaces open, even if Labour win this election and are in Government by July. So, what exactly will a Labour Government in Westminster do to convince Tata to change their minds? What's the deal that will keep the blast furnaces running? Or is there another plan, as our amendments make clear and outline? Will Keir Starmer act on these calls to nationalise Port Talbot steelworks temporarily? All the ideas that Adam Price and Luke Fletcher have contributed to this debate over many months.
What will change? Because the workers, their families, their communities and all the businesses that serve them, the clubs and groups that depend on society and social life in this area, they really deserve more than soundbites. They need more than warm words. We have called on Welsh Government to act in that regard. As I said, we've spelt out ways in which Welsh jobs and Welsh steel could be safeguarded, but that action could now be backed and supported by a Labour Government in Westminster earlier than was anticipated. So, we need planning, action and details—yes, we do. What dialogue is happening with Tata? It's Government's job to work these things out, to look at the scenarios, answer the questions, do the modelling. It is disappointing that Tata have rejected the unions' plan, but we can't just wring our hands, we can't say, 'There's a shame.' There are questions here that need to be answered by this Government and the incoming Labour Government in Westminster.
Ym mhob datganiad a dadl a gawn ni ynghylch Tata—ac rydym ni wedi cael cryn dipyn ohonyn nhw, fel y crybwyllodd yr Aelodau—rydym ni bob amser yn clywed Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyfeirio at y gwahaniaeth y gallai Llywodraeth Lafur San Steffan ei wneud i ddyfodol y ffatri ym Mhort Talbot a thynged y miloedd o'i gweithwyr, ac nid oedd heddiw yn eithriad. Ac, wrth gwrs, fe glywsom ni Keir Starmer yn dweud pan oedd yng Nghymru yr wythnos diwethaf y byddai'n ymladd dros bob un swydd ac am ddyfodol dur yng Nghymru. Ond doedd dim manylion ynghylch beth mae hynny'n ei olygu mewn gwirionedd, ac fe wnaethoch chi ofyn nifer o gwestiynau, David Rees. Wel, mi fuaswn i'n dweud mai Llywodraeth Cymru a Keir Starmer yw'r bobl sydd angen gweithio ac a ddylai fod wedi bod yn gweithio ar yr atebion i'r cwestiynau hynny, oherwydd tynnodd y gohebwyr gwleidyddol a oedd yn adrodd ar ymweliad Keir Starmer sylw at hyn. Roedd Gareth Lewis o BBC Cymru ymhlith y rhai a ddywedodd am y datganiad nad oes neb yn hollol siŵr beth mae'n ei olygu, ac o'r gronfa ddur hon gwerth £3 biliwn, beth yn union maen nhw'n mynd i'w wneud â hi, gofynnodd Gareth Lewis. Ac felly, i mi, y cwestiwn sydd wir angen ei ateb heddiw, er y dylid bod wedi ei ateb, efallai, fisoedd yn ôl, yw: beth yw'r cynllun?
Nid yw Tata wedi nodi bod ganddyn nhw unrhyw ddiddordeb mewn cadw'r ffwrneisi chwyth ar agor, hyd yn oed os bydd Llafur yn ennill yr etholiad hwn ac mewn Llywodraeth erbyn mis Gorffennaf. Felly, beth yn union fydd Llywodraeth Lafur yn San Steffan yn ei wneud i argyhoeddi Tata i newid eu meddyliau? Beth yw'r fargen a fydd yn cadw'r ffwrneisi chwyth ynghyn? Neu oes yna gynllun arall, fel y mae ein gwelliannau'n ei wneud yn glir ac yn ei amlinellu? A wnaiff Keir Starmer weithredu ar y galwadau hyn i wladoli gwaith dur Port Talbot dros dro? Yr holl syniadau y mae Adam Price a Luke Fletcher wedi cyfrannu at y ddadl hon dros fisoedd lawer.
Beth fydd yn newid? Oherwydd mae'r gweithwyr, eu teuluoedd, eu cymunedau a'r holl fusnesau sy'n eu gwasanaethu, y clybiau a'r grwpiau sy'n dibynnu ar gymdeithas a bywyd cymdeithasol yn yr ardal hon, maen nhw wir yn haeddu mwy na sylwadau bachog. Mae angen mwy na geiriau cysurus arnyn nhw. Rydym ni wedi galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i weithredu yn hynny o beth. Fel y dywedais, rydym ni wedi nodi ffyrdd y gellid diogelu swyddi a dur Cymru yng Nghymru, ond gallai'r camau hynny gael eu cefnogi a'u hyrwyddo gan Lywodraeth Lafur yn San Steffan yn gynharach na'r disgwyl. Felly, mae angen cynllunio, gweithredu a manylion arnom ni—oes, yn wir. Pa drafod sy'n digwydd gyda Tata? Gwaith y Llywodraeth yw trafod y pethau hyn, edrych ar y posibiliadau, ateb y cwestiynau, gwneud y modelu. Mae'n siomedig bod Tata wedi gwrthod cynllun yr undebau, ond allwn ni ddim anobeithio, allwn ni ddim dweud, 'Dyna drueni.' Mae cwestiynau yma y mae angen i'r Llywodraeth hon a'r Llywodraeth Lafur newydd a ddaw i San Steffan eu hateb.
As somebody who used to work in the research centre in Port Talbot pre MacGregor, and when it was under public ownership, I have some comments I'd like to make.
The Port Talbot steelworks is currently an integrated steel production plant, capable of producing nearly 5 million tonnes of steel slab per annum from iron ore. 'Integrated' means that you get the iron ore and the coke in, and you send out the cold rolled steel. So, everything is done on the one site. It's the larger of the two major steel plants in the UK. Over 4,000 people currently work at the plant, probably the same number again are working for contractors, and there's probably the same number again that are dependent on the works. The slab is rolled either on site at Port Talbot or taken to Llanwern to make steel strip products. Iron coming into Port Talbot, iron oxide, needs to be extracted from the ore in a blast furnace. The oxygen must be removed from the iron oxide in order to leave the iron. That's iron making; it's not steel making—steel making takes place later on in the process, at the basic oxygen steel plant. It then moves into steel making. Modern steel-making processes can be divided into three steps: primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary steel making involves smelting iron into steel. Secondary steel making involves adding or removing other elements, such as alloying agents and dissolved gases. Tertiary steel making involves casting into sheet, rolls or other forms.
With an electric arc furnace, you are effectively recycling previously used steel. An electric arc furnace is a furnace that heats steel by using an electric arc, hence the name. To produce a tonne of steel in an electric arc furnace requires approximately 400 kWh per tonne. There are two main problems with electric arc furnaces. The first is the cost of electricity. In 2021, ArcelorMittal temporarily paused production at some of its plants at peak time, as soaring energy costs hit Europe's largest steel maker. That's happened with lots of other people who are using electric arc, when they discover that the cost of using electricity becomes uncompetitive. The company said the pause was aligned with the hourly daily changes in electricity prices, adding that they were in response to the high energy prices, which were making it very challenging to produce steel at an economical price.
In 2019, according to the World Steel Association, there were over 3,500 different grades of steel, encompassing unique physical, chemical and environmental properties. Far too often, we use the word 'steel' in the same way as we use the word 'plastic', as if it is one thing. It's a series of different items. The carbon content of steel is from 0.1 per cent to 1.5 per cent, but most is 0.1 per cent to 0.25 per cent carbon. There are four main types of steel, namely carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, tool steel, plus, we have electrical steel, which the old works used to work on before it was, unfortunately, closed. While carbon steels contain trace amounts of alloying elements, and account for 90 per cent of total steel production, they can be further categorised into low-carbon steels, medium-carbon steels, and high-carbon steels. From this, it's obvious that just collecting steel and melting it will not work. It will need grading into types of steel.
To compulsorily purchase the blast furnaces, first, the Welsh Government need to try and negotiate to buy them. Why would Tata not want to transfer them to someone else, because, when iron and steel making end, they will be a liability? Unless you have a steel-making plant to send the iron ore to, then a blast furnace is of no use. In January this year, Saltzgitter blast furnace A was fired up following a complete modernisation, lasting just over 100 days. With the complete relining of the blast furnace concluded, the Saltzgitter group took a key operational step forward, securing its pig iron supply as it transforms towards low-carbon dioxide steel production by 2033. During the construction phase, blast furnace A was completely relined. Amongst other things, the refractory lining was renewed, with 3,000 tonnes of carbon bricks and other refractory material. The complex process and control technology was also modernised; just over €100 million was invested in the relining and upgrading. Why can the Saltzgitter group upgrade their blast furnace and Tata can't? Why, throughout the rest of the world, are people having blast furnaces that are becoming low-carbon blast furnaces? And although it's not a fully proven technology, the use of hydrogen, instead of carbon, to reduce the iron oxide into iron is feasible, and I think it's a direction in which I would like to see us going. I don't believe there's a future for electric arc furnaces; I think that's just stage 1 of the closure process. And I think that we do need to keep the blast furnace, we do need to keep making iron and steel, and I think that, whatever we do, we may need to, again, take it back into public ownership, like it was when I was working there, though the people who worked there during that time will say those weren't exactly halcyon days.
Fel rhywun a arferai weithio yn y ganolfan ymchwil ym Mhort Talbot cyn MacGregor, a phan oedd dan berchnogaeth gyhoeddus, mae gen i rai sylwadau yr hoffwn i eu gwneud.
Ar hyn o bryd mae gwaith dur Port Talbot yn waith cynhyrchu dur integredig, sy'n gallu cynhyrchu bron i 5 miliwn tunnell o slabiau dur y flwyddyn o fwyn haearn. Mae 'integredig' yn golygu eich bod yn rhoi'r mwyn haearn a'r golosg i mewn, a'ch bod yn anfon allan y dur wedi'i rolio'n oer. Felly, mae popeth yn cael ei wneud ar yr un safle. Dyma'r mwyaf o'r ddau waith dur mawr yn y DU. Mae dros 4,000 o bobl yn gweithio yn y gwaith ar hyn o bryd, mae'n debyg bod yr un nifer eto yn gweithio i gontractwyr, ac mae'n debyg bod yr un nifer eto yn dibynnu ar y gwaith. Mae'r slab yn cael ei rolio naill ai ar y safle ym Mhort Talbot neu'n cael ei gludo i Lanwern i wneud cynhyrchion o stribedi dur. Mae angen i haearn sy'n dod i mewn i Bort Talbot, haearn ocsid, gael ei echdynnu o'r mwyn mewn ffwrnais chwyth. Rhaid tynnu'r ocsigen o'r ocsid haearn er mwyn gadael yr haearn. Dyna wneud yr haearn; nid gwneud dur—gwneir dur yn ddiweddarach yn y broses, yn y gwaith dur ocsigen sylfaenol. Yna symudir i gynhyrchu dur. Gellir rhannu prosesau gwneud dur modern yn dri cham: sylfaenol, eilaidd a thrydyddol. Mae gwneud dur sylfaenol yn cynnwys mwyndoddi haearn i ffurfio dur. Mae gwneud dur eilaidd yn cynnwys ychwanegu neu dynnu elfennau eraill, megis asiantau aloi a nwyon toddedig. Mae gwneud dur trydyddol yn golygu castio i ddalen, rholiau neu ffurfiau eraill.
Gyda ffwrnais arc drydan, rydych chi i bob pwrpas yn ailgylchu dur a ddefnyddiwyd yn flaenorol. Ffwrnais sy'n cynhesu dur trwy ddefnyddio arc drydan yw ffwrnais arc drydan, sy'n egluro'r enw. Er mwyn cynhyrchu tunnell o ddur mewn ffwrnais arc drydan mae angen tua 400 kWh y dunnell. Mae dwy brif broblem gyda ffwrneisi arc drydan. Y gyntaf yw cost trydan. Yn 2021, bu i ArcelorMittal roi'r gorau i gynhyrchu dros dro yn rhai o'i ffatrïoedd ar yr oriau brig, wrth i gostau ynni anferthol daro gwneuthurwr dur mwyaf Ewrop. Mae hynny wedi digwydd gyda llawer o bobl eraill sy'n defnyddio ffwrneisi arc drydan, pan fyddan nhw'n darganfod bod y gost o ddefnyddio trydan yn anghystadleuol. Dywedodd y cwmni fod yr oedi yn cyd-fynd â'r newidiadau beunyddiol fesul awr ym mhrisiau trydan, gan ychwanegu eu bod mewn ymateb i'r prisiau ynni uchel, oedd yn ei gwneud hi'n heriol iawn i gynhyrchu dur am bris economaidd.
Yn 2019, yn ôl Cymdeithas Dur y Byd, roedd dros 3,500 o raddau gwahanol o ddur, gan gwmpasu priodweddau ffisegol, cemegol ac amgylcheddol unigryw. Yn llawer rhy aml, rydym ni'n defnyddio'r gair 'dur' yn yr un modd ag yr ydym ni'n defnyddio'r gair 'plastig', fel petai'n un peth. Mae'n gyfres o wahanol eitemau. Mae cynnwys carbon dur yn amrywio o 0.1 y cant i 1.5 y cant, ond mae'r rhan fwyaf yn cynnwys rhwng 0.1 y cant a 0.25 y cant o garbon. Mae pedwar prif fath o ddur, sef dur carbon, dur aloi, dur di-staen, dur offer, ac mae gennym ni ddur trydanol, yr oedd yr hen waith yn arfer gweithio arno cyn iddo gau, yn anffodus. Er bod duroedd carbon yn cynnwys symiau bychain iawn o elfennau aloi, ac yn cyfrif am 90 y cant o gyfanswm y dur a gynhyrchir, gellir eu categoreiddio ymhellach i dduroedd carbon isel, duroedd carbon canolig, a duroedd carbon uchel. O hyn, mae'n amlwg na fydd casglu dur a'i doddi yn gweithio. Bydd angen ei raddio i fathau o ddur.
Er mwyn prynu'r ffwrneisi chwyth yn orfodol, yn gyntaf, mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru geisio negodi i'w prynu. Pam na fyddai Tata eisiau eu trosglwyddo i rywun arall, oherwydd, pan fydd gwneud haearn a dur yn dod i ben, byddant yn faich? Oni bai bod gennych chi ffatri gwneud dur i anfon y mwyn haearn iddo, yna nid yw ffwrnais chwyth o unrhyw ddefnydd. Ym mis Ionawr eleni, cafodd ffwrnais chwyth Saltzgitter A ei thanio yn dilyn moderneiddio llwyr, a barodd ychydig dros 100 diwrnod. Wrth i'r gwaith o leinio'r ffwrnais chwyth yn llwyr ddod i ben, cymerodd grŵp Saltzgitter gam gweithredol allweddol ymlaen, gan sicrhau ei gyflenwad haearn bwrw wrth iddo drawsnewid tuag at gynhyrchu dur carbon deuocsid isel erbyn 2033. Yn ystod y cyfnod adeiladu, cafodd ffwrnais chwyth A ei hail-leinio'n llwyr. Ymhlith pethau eraill, adnewyddwyd y leinin anhydrin, gyda 3,000 o dunelli o frics carbon a deunydd anhydrin arall. Moderneiddiwyd y broses gymhleth a'r dechnoleg reoli hefyd; buddsoddwyd ychydig dros €100 miliwn yn yr ail-leinio a'r uwchraddio. Pam y gall grŵp Saltzgitter uwchraddio eu ffwrnais chwyth ac na all Tata uwchraddio? Pam, ledled gweddill y byd, fod gan bobl ffwrneisi chwyth sy'n dod yn ffwrneisi chwyth carbon isel? Ac er nad yw'n dechnoleg sydd wedi'i phrofi'n llawn, mae'r defnydd o hydrogen, yn hytrach na charbon, i leihau'r ocsid haearn i haearn yn ymarferol, ac rwy'n credu ei fod yn gyfeiriad yr hoffwn ein gweld yn mynd iddo. Dydw i ddim yn credu bod dyfodol i ffwrneisi arc drydan; rwy'n credu mai dim ond cam 1 o'r broses gau yw hynny. Ac rwy'n credu bod angen i ni gadw'r ffwrnais chwyth, mae angen i ni barhau i wneud haearn a dur, ac rwy'n credu, beth bynnag a wnawn ni, y gallai fod angen i ni, unwaith eto, ddod â'r gwaith yn ôl i berchnogaeth gyhoeddus, fel yr oedd pan oeddwn i'n gweithio yno, er y bydd y bobl a oedd yn gweithio yno bryd hynny yn dweud nad oedd y dyddiau hynny'n fêl i gyd.
We need to turn 'save our steel' from a slogan into a plan, don't we, and we've only got days, possibly weeks, to do that. So, we have to work together, and the resources of Government now have to be used, because it's only Government, ultimately, that have the ability, working with the unions, to actually bring forward a plan. And we've seen, haven't we, in the statements in the last few days, the complete arrogance from Tata. We now have to meet that arrogance with steely resolve on our part. Look at what the CEO, Rajesh Nair, has said just in the last few days: (a) they've taken off the table now the offer, in terms of the redundancy payments to the workers, because the workers have had the affront of using their trade union democratic vote to actually vote to defend their communities and their jobs. And so Tata have said, 'Well, we're no longer giving that to you.' But not only that, they've said that they're now
'reviewing whether we should now plan to bring forward the dates for the closure of BF5',
meant to close already this month. And what they're saying is, 'Look, we're going to go in quicker, in the next few days.' So, we need to act. We need to act now. Now, we've got, probably—almost certainly—a change of Government at Westminster in four weeks' time, so that's the gap, right, and we've got to fill that gap. We've got to defend the steel industry in Wales for the next four weeks. We're not going to get any help from Westminster in the meantime; the Parliament there is dissolved. This is the only Parliament for Wales at the moment, and it's the only one that can act. And we have the powers. We have the powers. We've checked. The Government lawyers will say the same, no doubt, as the Senedd lawyers: we have the powers to bring forward emergency legislation, using our Standing Orders—the Deputy Presiding Officer will know the method. It could be done in days. It could be done in days to bring forward a short Bill that will impose a compulsory purchase on those blast furnaces and the heavy end.
Now, Dai Rees, you're absolutely right. The critical thing here is the method of the decommissioning and, you know, there are umpteen different ways in which a blast furnace can be decommissioned, can be switched off, and some of them allow you—. Because sometimes there are outages, in terms of sometimes you manage demand, et cetera, so this happens. Sometimes you do it in order to reline. There are sometimes ways in which you switch off the furnace in order to restart it, and that has happened, indeed, at Port Talbot, hasn't it? It's happened at many steelworks around the world. But there are other ways that you can decommission a blast furnace, because you are absolutely clear that the direction of travel is in one direction only, and there is no way coming back economically from that. And that's what we have to prevent. That's the plan that we need, and what I suggest is: let's work with the consultants that worked with the unions, Syndex, to come up with a plan that actually builds the bridge over the next few weeks. I give way.
Mae angen i ni droi 'achub ein dur' o fod yn slogan i fod yn gynllun, onid oes, a dim ond dyddiau, wythnosau o bosib, sydd gennym ni i wneud hynny. Felly, mae'n rhaid i ni weithio gyda'n gilydd, ac mae'n rhaid defnyddio adnoddau'r Llywodraeth nawr, oherwydd dim ond Llywodraeth, yn y pen draw, sydd â'r gallu, gan weithio gyda'r undebau, i gyflwyno cynllun mewn gwirionedd. Ac rydym ni wedi gweld, onid ydym ni, yn y datganiadau yn ystod y dyddiau diwethaf, yr haerllugrwydd llwyr gan Tata. Nawr mae'n rhaid i ni ymateb i'r haerllugrwydd hwnnw gyda phendantrwydd cadarn. Edrychwch ar yr hyn y mae'r Prif Swyddog Gweithredol, Rajesh Nair, wedi'i ddweud yn ystod yr ychydig ddyddiau diwethaf: (a) eu bod wedi tynnu'r cynnig oddi ar y bwrdd nawr, o ran y taliadau diswyddo i'r gweithwyr, oherwydd bod y gweithwyr wedi bod mor hy â defnyddio eu pleidlais ddemocrataidd drwy undeb llafur i bleidleisio mewn gwirionedd i amddiffyn eu cymunedau a'u swyddi. Ac felly mae Tata wedi dweud, 'Wel, dydym ni ddim yn rhoi hynny i chi mwyach.' Ond nid yn unig hynny, maen nhw wedi dweud eu bod nhw bellach yn
'adolygu a ddylem ni nawr gynllunio i gau ffwrnais chwyth 5 ynghynt',
sydd eisoes i fod i gau y mis hwn. A'r hyn maen nhw'n ei ddweud yw, 'Edrychwch, rydym ni'n mynd i wneud pethau yn gyflymach, yn ystod y dyddiau nesaf.' Felly, mae angen i ni weithredu. Mae angen i ni weithredu nawr. Nawr, mae'n debyg, y bydd gennym ni, bron yn sicr—newid Llywodraeth yn San Steffan ymhen pedair wythnos, felly dyna'r bwlch, iawn, ac mae'n rhaid i ni lenwi'r bwlch hwnnw. Mae'n rhaid i ni amddiffyn y diwydiant dur yng Nghymru am y pedair wythnos nesaf. Dydym ni ddim yn mynd i gael unrhyw help gan San Steffan yn y cyfamser; mae'r Senedd yno wedi ei diddymu. Dyma'r unig Senedd i Gymru ar hyn o bryd, a dyma'r unig un sy'n gallu gweithredu. Ac mae gennym ni'r pwerau. Mae gennym ni'r pwerau. Rydym ni wedi gwirio. Bydd cyfreithwyr y Llywodraeth yn dweud yr un peth, heb os, â chyfreithwyr y Senedd: mae gennym ni'r pwerau i gyflwyno deddfwriaeth frys, gan ddefnyddio ein Rheolau Sefydlog—bydd y Dirprwy Lywydd yn gwybod y dull. Gellir ei wneud mewn dyddiau. Gellid ei wneud mewn dyddiau i gyflwyno Bil byr a fydd yn gosod gorchymyn prynu gorfodol ar y ffwrneisi chwyth hynny a'r agweddau gwaith trwm.
Nawr, Dai Rees, rydych chi'n hollol gywir. Y peth tyngedfennol yma yw dull y datgomisiynu a, wyddoch chi, mae yna ddwsinau o wahanol ffyrdd y gellir datgomisiynu ffwrnais chwyth, gellir ei diffodd, ac mae rhai ohonyn nhw'n caniatáu i chi—. Oherwydd weithiau does dim o'u hangen, o ran weithiau rydych chi'n rheoli'r galw, ac ati, felly mae hyn yn digwydd. Weithiau rydych chi'n gwneud hynny er mwyn ail-leinio. Weithiau mae yna ffyrdd rydych chi'n diffodd y ffwrnais er mwyn ei hailgychwyn, ac mae hynny wedi digwydd, yn wir, ym Mhort Talbot, onid ydyw? Mae wedi digwydd mewn llawer o weithfeydd dur ledled y byd. Ond mae yna ffyrdd eraill y gallwch chi ddatgomisiynu ffwrnais chwyth, oherwydd rydych chi'n hollol glir bod cyfeiriad y teithio i un cyfeiriad yn unig, ac nid oes unrhyw ffordd yn ôl yn economaidd o hynny. A dyna beth sy'n rhaid i ni ei atal. Dyna'r cynllun sydd ei angen arnom ni, a'r hyn rwy'n ei awgrymu yw: gadewch i ni weithio gyda'r ymgynghorwyr a weithiodd gyda'r undebau, Syndex, i lunio cynllun sydd mewn gwirionedd yn pontio'r wythnosau nesaf. Rwy'n ildio.
I thank the Member for giving way, and I fully understand what you're saying, the plan about decommissioning. You're quite right: decommissioning can either basically decommission it to be reused or decommission it to close it down, effectively. But I still ask the question—a compulsory purchase order on a blast furnace; I understand what you're saying—what do you do with the blast furnace? Who do you employ? How do you employ? What are all those other aspects that I need to know about? I'm trying to get answers for those aspects: how it would actually work and deliver for the people to ensure that we can shut it down and therefore enter a situation in which it can be reignited.
Diolch i'r Aelod am ildio, ac rwy'n deall yn iawn beth rydych chi'n ei ddweud, y cynllun ynglŷn â datgomisiynu. Rydych chi'n llygad eich lle: gall datgomisiynu naill ai ei datgomisiynu i gael ei hailddefnyddio neu ei datgomisiynu i'w chau, i bob diben. Ond rwy'n dal i ofyn y cwestiwn—gorchymyn prynu gorfodol ar ffwrnais chwyth; rwy'n deall beth rydych chi'n ei ddweud—beth ydych chi'n ei wneud gyda'r ffwrnais chwyth? Pwy ydych chi'n ei gyflogi? Sut ydych chi'n cyflogi? Beth yw'r holl agweddau eraill hynny y mae angen i mi wybod amdanyn nhw? Rwy'n ceisio cael atebion ar gyfer yr agweddau hynny: sut y byddai'n gweithio ac yn cyflawni i'r bobl i sicrhau y gallwn ni ei diffodd ac felly bod mewn sefyllfa lle gellir ei hail-danio.
We will have to create a company, a holding company, that will run the blast furnace and the associated heavy end for that period at the minimum that is necessary in order to maintain the integrity of the asset, and we need to do work very, very quickly—over the next few days, ideally—to work out what is the cost of that, what exactly—. The best experts are the ones that you know, Dai—the people that work there. So, there are answers to all of these questions that can be found working with the unions and also with the unions' advisers, the Syndex consultants who are experts in the steel industry, to come up with a plan for a Welsh steel holding company, at least, while we consider what the future could look like. As other Members have said, I believe that the long-term future is in public ownership, though the idea of a Welsh steel co-operative as well should be considered as part of the mix. But our immediate plan has to defend the site against Tata's stated intention, which is to get rid of it, to turn it off in a way that it can be never restored. We have the legal power to prevent that; let's get the plan ready and bring that legislation forward on the floor of the Senedd.
Bydd yn rhaid i ni greu cwmni, cwmni daliannol, a fydd yn rhedeg y ffwrnais chwyth a'r agweddau gwaith trwm cysylltiedig ar gyfer y cyfnod hwnnw ar yr isafswm sy'n angenrheidiol i gynnal yr ased, ac mae angen i ni weithio'n gyflym iawn, iawn—dros y dyddiau nesaf, yn ddelfrydol—i gyfrifo beth yw cost hynny, beth yn union—. Yr arbenigwyr gorau yw'r rhai rydych chi'n eu hadnabod, Dai—y bobl sy'n gweithio yno. Felly, mae atebion i'r holl gwestiynau hyn i'w cael o weithio gyda'r undebau a hefyd gyda chynghorwyr yr undebau, ymgynghorwyr Syndex sy'n arbenigwyr yn y diwydiant dur, i lunio cynllun ar gyfer cwmni daliannol dur o Gymru, o leiaf, wrth i ni ystyried sut olwg allai fod ar y dyfodol. Fel y mae Aelodau eraill wedi'i ddweud, credaf fod y dyfodol hirdymor mewn perchnogaeth gyhoeddus, er y dylid ystyried y syniad o gydweithfa ddur i Gymru hefyd yn rhan o hyn. Ond mae'n rhaid i'n cynllun uniongyrchol amddiffyn y safle rhag bwriad datganedig Tata, sef cael gwared arno, ei ddiffodd mewn ffordd na ellir byth ei hadfer. Mae gennym y pŵer cyfreithiol i atal hynny; gadewch i ni baratoi'r cynllun a chyflwyno'r ddeddfwriaeth honno ar lawr y Senedd.
As David Rees mentioned with Port Talbot, so too with Llanwern in Newport: there's a tremendous history of steel making that resonates today, and many people still think of Newport as, to some extent, a steel town, now city.
In the early 1960s, when Llanwern was opened, some 13,000 employees and contractors were on site and there was a huge amount of accommodation created locally to house those workers, and many of the housing estates around Newport were at least partially built for Llanwern steelworkers. It was very much modern and state-of-the-art when it was first opened and very much integrated, and of course it's gone through a series of very drastic changes since that time, with the end of steel making and other partial closures of the works and redevelopment of part of the site. But it still remains a major employer locally in Newport, and of course very significant for employment in the wider south-east Wales area, including many of our Valleys communities.
So, the idea that some 300 jobs will go at Llanwern in a few years' time, as proposed under the current plans, is obviously very, very unwelcome in the Newport and wider area. We have a role to play, those of us who are local politicians, to make sure that Llanwern is considered in that overall steel picture in Wales, because understandably, of course, there is huge concentration on Port Talbot because of the number of jobs there, the capacity there, and of course the integration of Port Talbot with the other steelworks in Wales, but Llanwern, as I say, is very significant as an employer as well, and as with the other steel plants, it's not just those directly employed there; it's the contractors, it's the spend in the local economy, it's suppliers, it's all those wider issues. And the average age of the workforce at Llanwern is much younger than people think, in the early 30s, and we have quite a number of apprentices who very much want a future within the industry.
When you talk to people—just to echo again what David Rees and others have said—they really do express astonishment at the attitude of the current UK Labour Government in not seeming to realise that fundamental importance of the steel industry, for defence, for example, in what we know is such a dangerous and uncertain world at the moment; the importance for infrastructure, which we so badly need; for renewables, with their significance for the future; for construction and for manufacturing. People are absolutely amazed that there doesn't seem to be enough of an appreciation in the UK Government of that strategic, fundamental importance of our steel industry. So, of course, what we hope for in the Labour movement, working with our trade union colleagues and the workforce, is that we will have that new UK Labour Government in short order, with that £3 billion on the table to be used, with a very new approach, a very different attitude to the importance of steel making and the importance of our steel communities.
And I must say, when I was at the event in Abergavenny, Keir Starmer spoke very, very strongly and very passionately about the steel industry and the need to protect those jobs, the need to take that industry forward. There was a very strong commitment and a very strong sense of prioritisation, and it was one of the issues that he very much stressed on that occasion, and I think that augurs well for the partnership that we can have between a Labour Government in Wales and a new Labour Government in the UK.
The unions have done a lot of work with Syndex. There is a very significant amount of detail. It's there on the table to be used. Yes, decisions have been taken, but the timing of the election has now changed this, as others have mentioned. It's much earlier than nearly everybody expected, and that does give us new opportunities. The question is: will those opportunities be grasped, even at this late stage, by Tata, to understand the difference of this election date and the commitment from a new UK Labour Government? It's not too late. Let's hope sense prevails.
Fel y soniodd David Rees gyda Phort Talbot, felly hefyd gyda Llanwern yng Nghasnewydd: mae hanes aruthrol o wneud dur sy'n atseinio heddiw, ac mae llawer o bobl yn dal i feddwl am Gasnewydd, i ryw raddau, fel tref ddur, neu ddinas, bellach.
Ar ddechrau'r 1960au, pan agorwyd Llanwern, roedd tua 13,000 o weithwyr a chontractwyr ar y safle a chrëwyd llawer iawn o gyfleusterau llety yn lleol i gartrefu'r gweithwyr hynny, ac adeiladwyd llawer o'r ystadau tai o amgylch Casnewydd o leiaf yn rhannol ar gyfer gweithwyr dur Llanwern. Roedd yn fodern iawn ac o'r radd flaenaf pan gafodd ei agor gyntaf ac yn integredig iawn, ac wrth gwrs mae wedi mynd trwy gyfres o newidiadau llym iawn ers hynny, gyda diwedd gwneud dur a chau agweddau eraill ar y gwaith yn rhannol ac ailddatblygu rhan o'r safle. Ond mae'n dal i fod yn gyflogwr mawr yn lleol yng Nghasnewydd, ac wrth gwrs yn arwyddocaol iawn ar gyfer cyflogaeth yn ardal ehangach de-ddwyrain Cymru, gan gynnwys llawer o'n cymunedau yn y Cymoedd.
Felly, mae'r syniad y bydd tua 300 o swyddi yn mynd yn Llanwern ymhen ychydig flynyddoedd, fel y cynigiwyd o dan y cynlluniau presennol, yn amlwg yn newyddion drwg iawn, iawn yng Nghasnewydd a'r ardal ehangach. Mae gennym ni ran, y rhai ohonom ni sy'n wleidyddion lleol, i sicrhau bod Llanwern yn cael ei ystyried yn y darlun dur cyffredinol hwnnw yng Nghymru, oherwydd yn ddealladwy, wrth gwrs, mae yna ganolbwyntio enfawr ar Bort Talbot oherwydd nifer y swyddi yno, y capasiti yno, ac wrth gwrs sut mae Port Talbot wedi ei integreiddio â'r gweithfeydd dur eraill yng Nghymru, ond mae Llanwern, fel y dywedais, yn arwyddocaol iawn fel cyflogwr hefyd, ac fel gyda'r gweithfeydd dur eraill, nid yw'n ymwneud â'r rhai sy'n cael eu cyflogi'n uniongyrchol yno yn unig; mae'r contractwyr, y gwariant yn yr economi leol, y cyflenwyr, yr holl faterion ehangach hynny. Ac mae oedran cyfartalog y gweithlu yn Llanwern yn llawer iau nag y mae pobl yn ei feddwl, yn y 30au cynnar, ac mae gennym ni gryn nifer o brentisiaid sydd wir eisiau dyfodol yn y diwydiant.
Pan fyddwch chi'n siarad â phobl—dim ond i adleisio eto beth mae David Rees ac eraill wedi'i ddweud—maen nhw wir yn dweud eu bod wedi'u syfrdanu gan agwedd Llywodraeth Lafur bresennol y DU wrth beidio â sylweddoli pwysigrwydd sylfaenol y diwydiant dur, o ran amddiffyn, er enghraifft, yn yr hyn rydym ni'n ei wybod sy'n fyd mor beryglus ac ansicr ar hyn o bryd; y pwysigrwydd ar gyfer seilwaith, yr ydym ni yn daer ei angen; ar gyfer ynni adnewyddadwy, gyda'i arwyddocâd ar gyfer y dyfodol; ar gyfer adeiladu ac ar gyfer gweithgynhyrchu. Mae pobl yn synnu'n fawr nad yw'n ymddangos bod digon o werthfawrogiad yn Llywodraeth y DU o bwysigrwydd strategol a sylfaenol ein diwydiant dur. Felly, wrth gwrs, yr hyn yr ydym ni'n gobeithio amdano yn y mudiad Llafur, gan weithio gyda'n cydweithwyr yn yr undebau llafur a'r gweithlu, yw y bydd gennym ni'r Llywodraeth Lafur newydd honno yn y DU yn fuan, gyda'r £3 biliwn hwnnw ar y bwrdd i'w ddefnyddio, gyda dull newydd iawn, agwedd wahanol iawn at bwysigrwydd gwneud dur a phwysigrwydd ein cymunedau dur.
Ac mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, pan oeddwn yn y digwyddiad yn y Fenni, siaradodd Keir Starmer yn gryf iawn, iawn ac yn angerddol iawn am y diwydiant dur a'r angen i ddiogelu'r swyddi hynny, yr angen i symud y diwydiant hwnnw ymlaen. Roedd ymrwymiad cryf iawn ac ymdeimlad cryf iawn o flaenoriaethu, ac roedd yn un o'r materion a bwysleisiodd yn fawr y tro hwnnw, ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n argoeli'n dda i'r bartneriaeth y gallwn ni ei chael rhwng Llywodraeth Lafur yng Nghymru a Llywodraeth Lafur newydd yn y DU.
Mae'r undebau wedi gwneud llawer o waith gyda Syndex. Mae llawer iawn o fanylion. Mae yno ar y bwrdd i'w ddefnyddio. Oes, mae penderfyniadau wedi eu gwneud, ond mae amseru'r etholiad bellach wedi newid hyn, fel y mae eraill wedi sôn. Mae'n llawer cynt nag yr oedd bron pawb yn ei ddisgwyl, ac mae hynny'n rhoi cyfleoedd newydd i ni. Y cwestiwn yw: a fydd Tata, hyd yn oed mor hwyr â hyn yn y dydd, yn manteisio ar y cyfleoedd hynny i ddeall gwahaniaeth dyddiad yr etholiad hwn ac ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Lafur newydd yn y DU? Nid yw'n rhy hwyr. Gobeithio y bydd synnwyr yn ennill y dydd.
So, I rise to support the motion tabled by Jane Hutt, and I'm fundamentally of the mind that the motion is of profound importance to UK and Wales plc, namely that this Senedd believes retaining the capacity to produce primary steel in Wales is central to Wales's economic interests and the pathway to net zero. And I stress again, not only to Wales, but the United Kingdom. And 'a devolved administration', 'a DA', is how the UK Cabinet refers to Wales, and I can only state what a diminished, blinkered and myopic view of Wales and the United Kingdom the Tories have if they do not wish to see Wales and the UK retain its core ability to produce primary steel in Wales.
A UK Labour Government will invest in our steel industry. It will ensure the just transition to green steel, which is fuelled by the strong skills and true talent and amazing ambition of our Welsh steelworkers. Indeed, as has been said, Labour has earmarked £3 billion in total of investment over five years across the UK steel industry if we are elected. UK Labour's national wealth fund will invest £2.5 billion on top of the Government's planned measly £500 million in UK steel over the course of the next Parliament, and that is significant. Indeed, historic investments are now being made by our European steel-making competitors in green steel, but the Tory Government's chronic lack of ambition for Britain and its abysmal vacuum of any long-term strategy has let thousands of skilled workers down. It has also let their families down, and ultimately will result, if this continues, in a less safe United Kingdom.
Employment in the steel industry has been critically important to the communities of Islwyn throughout the recent decades, and has played a pivotal role in growing the Welsh economy and rising living standards. Indeed, in Islwyn is Tŷ Sign, and that's the largest housing estate in Caerphilly borough council, built in the early 1960s as a housing village for the Llanwern steelworks. It's a proud and strong community, and it's where three of my children were born and where I raised my family, and I know first-hand the importance of the steel industry to communities such as mine. And indeed, the Zodiac plant is critical to the automotive sector too.
But the Welsh Government has, on several occasions, explained to the Welsh Conservatives that Tata has not formally requested any funding since 2019. Over a period of many years, when Tata has applied for funding, whether it be for skills, research and development, or environmental projects, the Welsh Government has provided financial support, amounting to more than £17.5 million since 2009, and it's recognised by the business, by the steel trade unions and the UK Government, as a matter of common sense and fact, that the Welsh Government does not possess the requisite resources or powers that would allow it to intervene on the scale required for the transition necessary. And that's a fundamental issue. The UK Government has offered the £500 million pot to secure the current deal with Tata Steel UK, but this amount is equal to only 2.2 per cent of the annual budget Welsh Ministers are able to allocate directly. And for context, 2.2 per cent of the equivalent annual budget for the UK that Ministers can call on is not worth that; it's worth £11 billion. That context is everything.
So, given the high, but disproportionate role the Welsh steel industry plays in the wider UK sector, it is well understood, outside of political points scoring, that the UK as a whole bears a responsibility for the sovereign asset. This is why the forthcoming general election is so vital for Wales and the United Kingdom. And Labour will prioritise protecting our steel industry and the Tories will not.
Felly, rwy'n codi i gefnogi'r cynnig a gyflwynwyd gan Jane Hutt, ac yn sylfaenol, rwyf o'r farn bod y cynnig o bwysigrwydd dwys i'r DU a Chymru ccc, sef bod y Senedd hon yn credu bod cadw'r gallu i gynhyrchu dur sylfaenol yng Nghymru yn ganolog i fuddiannau economaidd Cymru a'r llwybr at sero net. Ac rwy'n pwysleisio eto, nid yn unig i Gymru, ond i'r Deyrnas Unedig. A 'gweinyddiaeth ddatganoledig', 'DA', yw sut mae Cabinet y DU yn cyfeirio at Gymru, a gallaf ond dweud mor fychan, cyfyngedig a myopig yw safbwynt y Torïaid o Gymru a'r Deyrnas Unedig os nad ydynt am weld Cymru a'r DU yn cadw ei gallu craidd i gynhyrchu dur sylfaenol yng Nghymru.
Bydd Llywodraeth Lafur y DU yn buddsoddi yn ein diwydiant dur. Bydd yn sicrhau'r pontio teg i ddur gwyrdd, sy'n cael ei ysgogi gan sgiliau cryf a gwir dalent ac uchelgais anhygoel ein gweithwyr dur yng Nghymru. Yn wir, fel y dywedwyd, mae Llafur wedi clustnodi cyfanswm o £3 biliwn o fuddsoddiad dros bum mlynedd ar draws diwydiant dur y DU os cawn ein hethol. Bydd cronfa cyfoeth cenedlaethol Llafur y DU yn buddsoddi £2.5 biliwn ar ben y £500 miliwn pitw sydd wedi'i gynllunio gan y Llywodraeth mewn dur y DU yn ystod Senedd nesaf y DU, ac mae hynny'n sylweddol. Yn wir, mae buddsoddiadau hanesyddol bellach yn cael eu gwneud gan ein cystadleuwyr gwneud dur Ewropeaidd mewn dur gwyrdd, ond mae diffyg uchelgais cronig y Llywodraeth Dorïaidd i Brydain a'i diffyg affwysol o unrhyw strategaeth hirdymor wedi siomi miloedd o weithwyr medrus. Mae hefyd wedi siomi eu teuluoedd, ac yn y pen draw bydd yn arwain, os bydd hyn yn parhau, at Deyrnas Unedig llai diogel.
Mae cyflogaeth yn y diwydiant dur wedi bod yn hanfodol bwysig i gymunedau Islwyn dros y degawdau diwethaf, ac mae wedi chwarae rhan ganolog wrth dyfu economi Cymru a chodi safonau byw. Yn wir, yn Islwyn mae Tŷ Sign, a dyna'r ystad dai fwyaf yng nghyngor bwrdeistref Caerffili, a adeiladwyd ar ddechrau'r 1960au fel pentref o dai ar gyfer gwaith dur Llanwern. Mae'n gymuned balch a chryf, a dyma lle ganwyd tri o fy mhlant a lle y codais fy nheulu, ac rwy'n gwybod yn uniongyrchol pa mor bwysig yw'r diwydiant dur i gymunedau fel fy un i. Ac yn wir, mae safle Zodiac yn hanfodol i'r sector modurol hefyd.
Ond mae Llywodraeth Cymru, ar sawl achlysur, wedi egluro wrth y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig nad yw Tata wedi gofyn am unrhyw arian yn ffurfiol ers 2019. Dros gyfnod o flynyddoedd lawer, pan fo Tata wedi gwneud cais am gyllid, boed hynny ar gyfer sgiliau, ymchwil a datblygu, neu brosiectau amgylcheddol, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi darparu cymorth ariannol, sy'n cyfateb i fwy na £17.5 miliwn ers 2009, ac mae'n cael ei gydnabod gan y busnes, gan yr undebau llafur dur a Llywodraeth y DU, fel mater o ffaith a synnwyr cyffredin, nad oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru yr adnoddau na'r pwerau angenrheidiol a fyddai'n caniatáu iddi ymyrryd ar y raddfa sydd ei hangen ar gyfer y cyfnod pontio angenrheidiol. Ac mae hynny'n fater sylfaenol. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi cynnig y pot gwerth £500 miliwn i sicrhau'r cytundeb presennol gyda Tata Steel UK, ond mae'r swm hwn yn cyfateb i ddim ond 2.2 y cant o'r gyllideb flynyddol y gall Gweinidogion Cymru ei dyrannu'n uniongyrchol. Ac ar gyfer cyd-destun, nid yw 2.2 y cant o'r gyllideb flynyddol gyfatebol ar gyfer y DU y gall Gweinidogion alw arni werth hynny; mae'n werth £11 biliwn. Y cyd-destun hwnnw yw popeth.
Felly, o ystyried y rôl uchel ond anghymesur y mae diwydiant dur Cymru yn ei chwarae yn sector ehangach y DU, deallir yn dda, heblaw am sgorio pwyntiau gwleidyddol, fod y DU yn ei chyfanrwydd yn ysgwyddo cyfrifoldeb am yr ased sofran. Dyna pam mae'r etholiad cyffredinol sydd i ddod mor hanfodol i Gymru a'r Deyrnas Unedig. A bydd Llafur yn blaenoriaethu amddiffyn ein diwydiant dur ac ni fydd y Torïaid.
Yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet i ymateb nawr i'r ddadl, Jeremy Miles.
The Cabinet Secretary to respond to the debate, Jeremy Miles.
Diolch, Llywydd. Well, we've heard in the debate this evening a shared view across the Chamber that there is a viable future for steel making in Wales within that transition that supports a stronger, greener future for the Welsh economy. And I think it is very important that that is a clear message that this Senedd sends on a cross-party basis. We've heard today, in particular, from David Rees and John Griffiths, but from others as well, about how extraordinarily difficult things are right now for employees and their families, as well as those within local communities.
I want to address a number of points made in the debate, briefly, in closing. Sam Kurtz made a speech, which I felt was unusually, if I may say, defensive and misrepresentative of the situation. I don't believe there is an audience for political knockabout in relation to a situation where there are 9,000 plus jobs at risk, and the debate should be based upon facts, even where we disagree. So, for the sake of correcting the Record, let me explain what the financial commitments that each party has made are: the £500 million from the Conservative Party, I don't believe has yet even been spent; the £80 million, which has been earmarked for the transition board, not a single penny of that has, actually, been spent. Not a single penny of it is helping a single worker. That's the reality on the ground. The Welsh Government is committing funds. We have budgets around ReAct and Communities for Work, which total about £25 million on a Wales-wide basis. Our personal learning accounts budget on a Wales-wide basis is around £21 million. We've extended the eligibility of that for workers at Tata and in the supply chain. They'll be able to claim against those budgets. Those funds are being spent already. Those funds are actively being spent to support the workforce already. So, I think it's important to have that proper context for the discussion. And he talks about 'strings attached'. If the strings that the UK Government have attached to the £500 million are going to lead to 9,000 plus job losses, I think that's a bad deal. I think that is a bad deal and a better deal could have been struck by a better UK Government.
I'll address the points that both Luke Fletcher and Adam Price made, in an effort—and I accept the goodwill effort—to seek alternatives to the plan. I don't see how the compulsory purchase of one asset in an integrated steel production facility by a body that has no capacity to manage those assets can be part of the solution. I think that the points that David Rees made in the debate exploring that are good points, they're valid points, they show an open mind. But I think there are very significant questions around that proposal. Similarly, in relation to the nationalisation of Tata, I don't think that reflects—
Diolch, Llywydd. Wel, rydyn ni wedi clywed yn y ddadl heno farn gyffredin ar draws y Siambr fod dyfodol hyfyw ar gyfer cynhyrchu dur yng Nghymru o fewn y cyfnod pontio hwnnw sy'n cefnogi dyfodol cryfach, gwyrddach i economi Cymru. Ac rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig iawn bod honno'n neges glir y mae'r Senedd hon yn ei hanfon ar sail drawsbleidiol. Rydyn ni wedi clywed heddiw, yn arbennig, gan David Rees a John Griffiths, ond gan eraill hefyd, am ba mor eithriadol o anodd yw pethau ar hyn o bryd i weithwyr a'u teuluoedd, yn ogystal â'r rhai hynny o fewn cymunedau lleol.
Rwyf eisiau mynd i'r afael â nifer o bwyntiau a wnaed yn y ddadl, yn gryno, wrth gloi. Gwnaeth Sam Kurtz araith, yr oeddwn i o'r farn ei bod yn anarferol, os caf ddweud, o amddiffynnol ac yn gamgynrychioliadol o'r sefyllfa. Nid wyf yn credu bod cynulleidfa ar gyfer ymryson gwleidyddol yn gysylltiedig â sefyllfa lle mae 9,000 a mwy o swyddi mewn perygl, a dylai'r drafodaeth fod yn seiliedig ar ffeithiau, hyd yn oed pan fyddwn ni'n anghytuno. Felly, er mwyn cywiro'r Cofnod, gadewch imi egluro beth yw'r ymrwymiadau ariannol y mae pob plaid wedi'u gwneud: y £500 miliwn gan y Blaid Geidwadol, nid wyf yn credu ei fod hyd yn oed wedi'i wario hyd yn hyn; yr £80 miliwn, sydd wedi'i glustnodi ar gyfer y bwrdd pontio, nid yw yr un dimai goch o hwnnw wedi'i wario, mewn gwirionedd. Nid yw yr un dimai goch ohono yn helpu yr un gweithiwr. Dyna'r realiti ar lawr gwlad. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymrwymo cyllid. Mae gennym gyllidebau o amgylch ReAct a Cymunedau am Waith, sy'n gyfanswm o tua £25 miliwn ar sail Cymru gyfan. Mae ein cyllideb cyfrifon dysgu personol ar draws Cymru gyfan oddeutu £21 miliwn. Rydym wedi ymestyn cymhwysedd y rheini i weithwyr Tata ac yn y gadwyn gyflenwi. Byddan nhw'n gallu hawlio yn erbyn y cyllidebau hynny. Mae'r cyllid hwnnw eisoes yn cael ei wario. Mae'r cyllid hwnnw'n cael ei wario'n weithredol i gefnogi'r gweithlu yn barod. Felly, rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig cael y cyd-destun priodol hwnnw ar gyfer y drafodaeth. Ac mae'n sôn am 'amodau ynghlwm'. Os yw'r amodau y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi'u rhoi ynghlwm â'r £500 miliwn yn mynd i arwain at golli 9,000 a mwy o swyddi, rwy'n credu bod hynny'n fargen wael. Rwy'n credu bod honno'n fargen wael ac y gallai Llywodraeth well y DU fod wedi taro bargen well.
Fe wnaf ymdrin â'r pwyntiau a wnaeth Luke Fletcher ac Adam Price, mewn ymdrech—ac rwy'n derbyn yr ymdrech ewyllys da—i geisio dewisiadau amgen i'r cynllun. Nid wyf yn gweld sut y gall prynu gorfodol un ased mewn cyfleuster cynhyrchu dur integredig gan gorff nad oes ganddo ddim gallu i reoli'r asedau hynny fod yn rhan o'r ateb. Rwy'n credu bod y pwyntiau a wnaeth David Rees yn y ddadl sy'n archwilio hynny yn bwyntiau da, maen nhw'n bwyntiau dilys, maen nhw'n dangos meddwl agored. Ond rwy'n credu bod cwestiynau pwysig iawn ynglŷn â'r cynnig hwnnw. Yn yr un modd, mewn perthynas â gwladoli Tata, nid wyf yn credu bod hynny'n adlewyrchu—
Would you give way?
A wnewch chi ildio?
Yes, certainly.
Gwnaf, yn sicr.
Everyone accepts that there are important questions to answer. The issue is that only you, as the Government, have the resources to be able to provide those answers. So, will you be voting, will you be accepting the amendment that refers to this option? And will you then be commissioning that work from your officials, working together with the trade unions and their advisers?
Mae pawb yn derbyn bod cwestiynau pwysig i'w hateb. Y broblem yw mai dim ond chi, fel y Llywodraeth, sydd â'r adnoddau i allu darparu'r atebion hynny. Felly, a fyddwch chi'n pleidleisio, a fyddwch chi'n derbyn y gwelliant sy'n cyfeirio at yr opsiwn hwn? Ac a fyddwch chi wedyn yn comisiynu'r gwaith hwnnw gan eich swyddogion, gan weithio gyda'r undebau llafur a'u cynghorwyr?
It's important for the Government to engage with the realities on the ground. And whilst the points that Adam Price and Luke Fletcher are making are important contributions to the debate, I don't think they reflect the reality on the ground at Tata. And I think at this point, it's important that we engage with that.
It is essential that the company does everything it can to avoid compulsory redundancies within a workforce that has been particularly loyal. It is essential that it works with the transition board to ensure that employees get the help and support to reskill that they need, and it is essential that the transition board works faster to deliver that support. [Interruption.]
Mae'n bwysig i'r Llywodraeth ymgysylltu â'r realiti ar lawr gwlad. Ac er bod y pwyntiau y mae Adam Price a Luke Fletcher yn eu gwneud yn gyfraniadau pwysig i'r ddadl, dydw i ddim yn credu eu bod yn adlewyrchu'r realiti ar lawr gwlad yn Tata. Ac rwy'n credu ar hyn o bryd, mae'n bwysig ein bod yn ymgysylltu â hynny.
Mae'n hanfodol bod y cwmni'n gwneud popeth o fewn ei allu i osgoi diswyddiadau gorfodol o fewn gweithlu sydd wedi bod yn arbennig o ffyddlon. Mae'n hanfodol ei fod yn gweithio gyda'r bwrdd pontio i sicrhau bod gweithwyr yn cael y cymorth a'r gefnogaeth i ailsgilio sydd eu hangen arnyn nhw, ac mae'n hanfodol bod y bwrdd pontio'n gweithio'n gyflymach i ddarparu'r cymorth hwnnw. [Torri ar draws.]
Thank you for taking the intervention. Do you agree—I think Adam Price highlighted the point—that we do need to talk to Tata, because the threat that Tata are putting on their workforce is totally unacceptable? They've come to an agreement, and now, because the workers have actually come to a view, they wish to express their view of how bad the deal is, and they wish to take action. By the way, it's not strike action; this is just work to rule and this is simply stopping overtime. So, it's not that, actually, they're going on strike, but the threat of taking away the offer to the workers has to be rescinded, and will you talk to Tata to ensure that they too understand that what they're doing, actually, is making the situation a lot worse than it could be?
Diolch am gymryd yr ymyriad. Ydych chi'n cytuno—rwy'n credu bod Adam Price wedi tynnu sylw at y pwynt—bod angen i ni siarad â Tata, oherwydd mae'r bygythiad y mae Tata yn ei roi ar eu gweithlu yn gwbl annerbyniol? Maen nhw wedi dod i gytundeb, a nawr, oherwydd bod y gweithwyr wedi dod i farn, maen nhw eisiau mynegi eu barn am ba mor wael yw'r fargen, ac maen nhw'n dymuno gweithredu. Gyda llaw, nid gweithredu drwy streicio mohono; gweithio yn ôl y rheolau yn unig yw hwn sef, yn syml, stopio goramser. Felly, nid, mewn gwirionedd, eu bod nhw'n mynd ar streic, ond mae'n rhaid diddymu'r bygythiad o dynnu'r cynnig i'r gweithwyr yn ôl, ac a wnewch chi siarad â Tata i sicrhau eu bod nhw hefyd yn deall bod yr hyn y maen nhw'n ei wneud, mewn gwirionedd, yn gwneud y sefyllfa'n llawer gwaeth nag y gallai fod?
Yes, and I agree with that point. I think David Rees makes a very, very important point. There have been negotiations around the terms of support for workers, and there has been an enhanced package, as it's been described, and it's important that continues to be available to workers so they have the best available support that Tata can provide. So, I would absolutely endorse the point that David Rees has made.
What we are seeing is the speed of the transition to electric arc furnace steel making already having an impact today. The loss of the capability that blast furnace technology provides is a huge concern to our economy and makes us effectively reliant upon imports. We have now a decision to call an early general election. That does change the landscape in which Tata has taken its decision, and I would urge them not to take decisions that are irreversible against the context of that new landscape, when we have the prospect of a new Government with a new commitment to an industrial strategy, a new commitment to renewable energy infrastructure and a new commitment to steel production. That is the new reality, and I think Tata needs to reflect on that and look again at the decisions it's taken. We will then have a partner working with us as a Welsh Labour Government to protect steel making in Wales.
Gwnaf, ac rwy'n cytuno â'r pwynt hwnnw. Rwy'n credu bod David Rees yn gwneud pwynt pwysig iawn, iawn. Bu trafodaethau ynghylch telerau cymorth i weithwyr, a chafwyd pecyn gwell, fel y disgrifiwyd ef, ac mae'n bwysig bod hynny'n parhau i fod ar gael i weithwyr fel bod ganddyn nhw'r cymorth gorau sydd ar gael y gall Tata ei ddarparu. Felly, byddwn i yn cymeradwyo'n llwyr y pwynt y mae David Rees wedi'i wneud.
Yr hyn rydyn ni'n ei weld yw cyflymder y trawsnewid i ddur ffwrnais arc drydan yn cael effaith eisoes heddiw. Mae colli'r gallu y mae technoleg ffwrnais chwyth yn ei ddarparu yn bryder enfawr i'n heconomi ni ac yn ein gwneud yn ddibynnol i bob pwrpas ar fewnforion. Bellach mae gennym benderfyniad i alw etholiad cyffredinol cynnar. Mae hynny'n newid y dirwedd y mae Tata wedi gwneud ei benderfyniad oddi mewn iddi, a byddwn yn eu hannog nhw i beidio â gwneud penderfyniadau na ellir eu gwrthdroi yn erbyn cyd-destun y dirwedd newydd honno, pan fo gennym y posibilrwydd o Lywodraeth newydd gydag ymrwymiad newydd i strategaeth ddiwydiannol, ymrwymiad newydd i seilwaith ynni adnewyddadwy ac ymrwymiad newydd i gynhyrchu dur. Dyna'r realiti newydd, ac rwy'n credu bod angen i Tata fyfyrio ar hynny ac edrych eto ar y penderfyniadau y mae wedi'u gwneud. Bydd gennym wedyn bartner yn gweithio gyda ni fel Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru i amddiffyn cynhyrchu dur yng Nghymru.
Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid derbyn gwelliant 1? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? [Gwrthwynebiad.] Oes, mae yna wrthwynebiad i welliant 1. Felly, fe wnawn ni ohirio'r bleidlais ar yr eitem yma, a gweddill y gwelliannau a'r cynnig, tan y cyfnod pleidleisio. Ac oni bai bod tri Aelod yn gwrthwynebu, fe fyddwn ni'n symud nawr i'r cyfnod pleidleisio. Does yna ddim gwrthwynebiad.
The proposal is to agree amendment 1. Does any Member object? [Objection.] Yes, there is objection to amendment 1. Therefore, we will defer voting under this item, and the rest of the amendments and the motion, until voting time. And unless three Members wish for the bell to be rung, we will now move immediately to voting time. There are no objections to that.
Gohiriwyd y pleidleisio tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.
Voting deferred until voting time.
Felly, awn ni at y gyfres o bleidleisiau o dan eitem 8, ar y ddadl rŷn ni newydd ei chlywed ar y diwydiant dur yng Nghymru. Mae'r bleidlais gyntaf ar welliant 1, ac fe gymerwn ni bleidlais ar welliant 1, a gyflwynwyd yn enw Darren Millar. Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid 14, neb yn ymatal, 36 yn erbyn. Felly, mae gwelliant 1 wedi ei wrthod.
We will, therefore, move to the series of votes under item 8, on the debate that we've just heard on the steel industry in Wales. The first vote is on amendment 1, and we will vote on amendment 1, tabled in the name of Darren Millar. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 14, no abstentions, 36 against. Therefore, amendment 1 is not agreed.
Eitem 8: Dadl ar y Diwydiant Dur yng Nghymru. Gwelliant 1, cyflwynwyd yn enw Darren Millar: O blaid: 14, Yn erbyn: 36, Ymatal: 0
Gwrthodwyd y gwelliant
Item 8: Debate on the Steel Industry in Wales. Amendment 1, tabled in the name of Darren Millar: For: 14, Against: 36, Abstain: 0
Amendment has been rejected
Gwelliant 2 sydd nesaf, wedi ei gyflwyno gan Darren Millar. Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid 14, neb yn ymatal, 36 yn erbyn. Mae gwelliant 2 wedi ei wrthod.
Amendment 2 is next, tabled in the name of Darren Millar. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 14, no abstentions, 36 against. Amendment 2 is not agreed.
Eitem 8: Dadl ar y Diwydiant Dur yng Nghymru. Gwelliant 2, cyflwynwyd yn enw Darren Millar: O blaid: 14, Yn erbyn: 36, Ymatal: 0
Gwrthodwyd y gwelliant
Item 8: Debate on the Steel Industry in Wales. Amendment 2, tabled in the name of Darren Millar: For: 14, Against: 36, Abstain: 0
Amendment has been rejected
Gwelliant 3 fydd nesaf. Mae gwelliant 3 wedi ei gyflwyno gan Heledd Fychan. Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid 49, neb yn ymatal, un yn erbyn. Felly, mae gwelliant 3 wedi ei dderbyn.
Amendment 3 is next, tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 49, no abstentions, one against. Therefore, amendment 3 is agreed.
Eitem 8: Dadl ar y Diwydiant Dur yng Nghymru. Gwelliant 3, cyflwynwyd yn enw Heledd Fychan: O blaid: 49, Yn erbyn: 1, Ymatal: 0
Derbyniwyd y gwelliant
Item 8: Debate on the Steel Industry in Wales. Amendment 3, tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan: For: 49, Against: 1, Abstain: 0
Amendment has been agreed
Gwelliant 4 nesaf, yn enw Heledd Fychan. Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid 24, neb yn ymatal, 26 yn erbyn. Mae gwelliant 4 wedi ei wrthod.
Amendment 4 is next, in the name of Heledd Fychan. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 24, no abstentions, 26 against. Amendment 4 is not agreed.
Eitem 8: Dadl ar y Diwydiant Dur yng Nghymru. Gwelliant 4, cyflwynwyd yn enw Heledd Fychan: O blaid: 24, Yn erbyn: 26, Ymatal: 0
Gwrthodwyd y gwelliant
Item 8: Debate on the Steel Industry in Wales. Amendment 4, tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan: For: 24, Against: 26, Abstain: 0
Amendment has been rejected
Gwelliant 5, yn enw Heledd Fychan. Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid 11, neb yn ymatal, 39 yn erbyn. Mae gwelliant 5 wedi ei wrthod.
Amendment 5, in the name of Heledd Fychan. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 11, no abstentions, 39 against. Amendment 5 is not agreed.
Eitem 8: Dadl ar y Diwydiant Dur yng Nghymru. Gwelliant 5, cyflwynwyd yn enw Heledd Fychan: O blaid: 11, Yn erbyn: 39, Ymatal: 0
Gwrthodwyd y gwelliant
Item 8: Debate on the Steel Industry in Wales. Amendment 5, tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan: For: 11, Against: 39, Abstain: 0
Amendment has been rejected
Gwelliant 6, yn enw Heledd Fychan. Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid 10, neb yn ymatal, 40 yn erbyn. Felly, mae'r gwelliant yna wedi ei wrthod.
Amendment 6, in the name of Heledd Fychan. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 10, no abstentions, 40 against. Therefore, the amendment is not agreed.
Eitem 8: Dadl ar y Diwydiant Dur yng Nghymru. Gwelliant 6, cyflwynwyd yn enw Heledd Fychan: O blaid: 10, Yn erbyn: 40, Ymatal: 0
Gwrthodwyd y gwelliant
Item 8: Debate on the Steel Industry in Wales. Amendment 6, tabled in the name of Heledd Fychan: For: 10, Against: 40, Abstain: 0
Amendment has been rejected
Mae'r bleidlais olaf ar y cynnig wedi ei ddiwygio.
The final vote is on the motion as amended.
Cynnig NNDM8597 fel y'i diwygiwyd:
Cynnig bod y Senedd:
1. Yn credu bod gan gynhyrchu dur ddyfodol hyfyw yng Nghymru o fewn proses bontio sy'n cefnogi dyfodol cryfach, gwyrddach i economi Cymru.
2. Yn credu bod cadw'r gallu i gynhyrchu dur sylfaenol yng Nghymru yn ganolog i fuddiannau economaidd Cymru ac i'r llwybr at sero-net.
3. Yn gresynu bod Tata wedi gwrthod cynllun aml-undeb a fyddai wedi diogelu swyddi ac wedi cadw un o'r ffwrneisi chwyth ar agor yng ngwaith dur Port Talbot.
Motion NNDM8597 as amended:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Believes there is a viable future for steelmaking in Wales within a transition that supports a stronger, greener future for the Welsh economy.
2. Believes that retaining the capacity to produce primary steel in Wales is central to Wales’s economic interests and the pathway to net-zero.
3. Regrets that Tata has rejected a multi-union plan which would have protected jobs and kept open one of the blast furnaces at the Port Talbot steelworks.
Agor y bleidlais. Cau'r bleidlais. O blaid 50, neb yn ymatal, neb yn erbyn. Felly, mae'r cynnig yna wedi ei dderbyn.
Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 50, no abstentions, none against. Therefore, the motion as amended is agreed.
Eitem 8: Dadl ar y Diwydiant Dur yng Nghymru. Cynnig wedi'i ddiwygio: O blaid: 50, Yn erbyn: 0, Ymatal: 0
Derbyniwyd y cynnig fel y'i diwygiwyd
Item 8: Debate on the Steel Industry in Wales. Motion as amended: For: 50, Against: 0, Abstain: 0
Motion as amended has been agreed
Dyna ddiwedd ar y pleidleisio a diwedd ar ein gwaith ni am heddiw.
That concludes voting and brings our business to a close for today.
Daeth y cyfarfod i ben am 19:22.
The meeting ended at 19:22.