Y Cyfarfod Llawn
Plenary
03/12/2024Cynnwys
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. Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda ni y prynhawn yma fydd y cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Adam Price.
Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's Plenary meeting. The first item on our agenda this afternoon will be questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Adam Price.
1. A yw Llywodraeth Cymru'n agored i sefydlu cronfa effaith weledol, yn debyg i’r cynllun a gyflwynwyd gan Ofgem yn 2014, ond wedi’i ffocysu ar gefnogi’r broses o danddaearu llinellau trydan newydd? OQ62006
1. Is the Welsh Government open to establishing a visual impact fund, similar to the scheme introduced by Ofgem in 2014, but focused on supporting the process of undergrounding new electricity cables? OQ62006
Mae’n rhaid i Gymru fod yn barod i wneud newidiadau sylweddol i seilwaith ynni, i wneud yn siŵr bod ein cartrefi ni a’n busnesau ni yn gynaliadwy ar gyfer y dyfodol. Mae’r mecanweithiau ar gyfer talu am seilwaith newydd yn fater i Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig, ond mae Llywodraeth Cymru’n buddsoddi'n adnoddau ni mewn cynllunio rhwydweithiau strategol, a bydd hyn yn helpu i leihau’r effaith gyffredinol.
Wales must be prepared to make significant changes to energy infrastructure, to ensure our homes and businesses are sustainable for the future. The mechanisms for paying for new infrastructure are a reserved matter to the UK Government, but the Welsh Government is investing resources in strategic network planning, which will help to reduce overall impact.
Diolch i’r Prif Weinidog am yr ateb. Fel y dywedais i, 10 mlynedd yn ôl, mi oedd Ofgem wedi creu cronfa—tua £1 biliwn dros y cyfnod yna. Ond er mwyn tanddaearu llinellau presennol, onid oes cyfle gyda ni yng Nghymru i wneud hynny ar gyfer llinellau newydd, i roi cyfle i ni arbrofi gyda thechnolegau newydd o ran tanddaearu, hefyd, wrth gwrs, a ffordd i ni ddatgarboneiddio yn gyflymach—oherwydd mae yna wrthwynebiad, wrth gwrs, i beilonau ar hyn o bryd—wrth i ni greu cronfa all wedyn dalu am y gwaddol ar ôl er mwyn gwneud llinellau yn economaidd? Gallwn ni wedyn danddaearu 100 y cant, sef polisi Llywodraeth Cymru, rhoi Cymru ar y blaen o ran y dechnoleg tanddaearu yma, a chael cefnogaeth cymunedau i’r cynlluniau datgarboneiddio, yn hytrach na’r gwrthwynebiad sydd yn digwydd ar hyn o bryd oherwydd y gofid ynglŷn â pheilonau.
Thank you for that response, First Minister. As I said, 10 years ago, Ofgem created a fund of around £1 billion over that period. But to underground existing cables, isn’t there an opportunity for us here in Wales to do that for new cabling too, to provide us with an opportunity to experiment with new technologies in terms of undergrounding, and also, of course, a means of decarbonising more swiftly—because there is opposition to pylons at the moment—as we create a fund that could then pay for the legacy of that in order to make these lines economical? We could then underground 100 per cent, which is the Welsh Government’s policy, put Wales in the vanguard in terms of this undergrounding technology, and get the support of communities to these decarbonisation plans, rather than the opposition that exists at the moment because of concerns about pylons.
Diolch yn fawr. Wel, dwi’n meddwl bod rhaid i ni gydnabod y bydd effeithiau mawr ar y grid yn y dyfodol. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae ein polisi ni yn un sy’n gofyn am danddaearu lle bo hynny’n bosibl. Ond dwi’n meddwl bod yn rhaid i ni gyd dderbyn bod hwnna’n gostus tu hwnt—lot yn fwy costus—ac, felly, mae’n rhaid i ni drefnu a deall bod hwn yn ardal lle mae energy networks heb eu datganoli. Pe byddem ni'n cymryd ymlaen y cyfrifoldeb ar gyfer tanddaearu, byddai hynny’n gostus tu hwnt, ac fe fyddai’n rhaid i ni dorri’r arian o rywle arall.
Ond dwi'n meddwl ei bod hi’n bwysig ein bod ni yn derbyn ac yn clywed yr hyn sydd gan bobl leol i’w ddweud, ond mae’n rhaid i ni hefyd dderbyn bod costau ar gyfer egni yn uchel yn barod, ac, felly, mae’n rhaid i ni jest fod yn sensitif o ran gweld y costau hynny yn mynd yn uwch.
Rŷch chi’n dod o orllewin Cymru. Dwi jest eisiau talu teyrnged heddiw—
Thank you very much. I think that we have to acknowledge that there will be major impacts on the grid in the future, and, of course, our policy is one that requires undergrounding where that’s possible. But I think that we all have to accept that that is very expensive—much more expensive, in fact—and, therefore, we have to understand that this is an area where energy networks are non-devolved. If we were to take on the responsibility for undergrounding, that would be extremely expensive and we would have to cut funding from other areas.
However, I do think it is important that we do accept and hear what local people have to say, but we also have to accept that costs for energy are already very high, and, therefore, we have to be sensitive in terms of seeing those costs rising again.
You come from west Wales, and I just want to pay tribute today—
I want to pay tribute today to another west Walian, Terry Griffiths, who was a proud son of Llanelli—a great Welshman. He did so much for us in being world snooker champion on so many occasions. And I’d like to pay tribute to him today, and also to wish the women’s football team good luck this evening in the European football play-offs in Dublin. I’m sure we’ll all be behind them 100 per cent.
Hoffwn dalu teyrnged heddiw i orllewinwr arall, Terry Griffiths, a oedd yn un o feibion balch Llanelli—Cymro gwych. Gwnaeth gymaint i ni o fod yn bencampwr snwcer y byd ar gynifer o achlysuron. A hoffwn dalu teyrnged iddo heddiw, a hefyd dymuno pob lwc i dîm pêl-droed y menywod heno yn y gemau pêl-droed ail gyfle Ewropeaidd yn Nulyn. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwn ni i gyd yn eu cefnogi nhw 100 y cant.
First Minister, earlier this year in the Senedd, we had a motion, of course, calling for an update on 'Planning Policy Wales' to specifically mandate undergrounding rather than just it being a preferred option, as is currently the Welsh Government’s position—the preferred option, but not prepared to put that into planning guidance. Of course, I heard what you said to Adam Price in his question today. And you responded to me earlier this year—of course, undergrounding, if it’s feasible, if it’s possible, if it’s affordable, but, sometimes, that simply won’t be possible. But what I would say, First Minister, is that I’m concerned that the Welsh Government planning guidance is lagging behind, potentially, technological advances. If you look to continental Europe, we can see huge steps forward in undergrounding, and, in fact, there are Welsh companies—Welsh contractors—that are very much involved in that in continental Europe. So, can I ask you: if it’s still the Welsh Government’s position to not change planning guidance in this regard, can you at least start the process of investigating these new technological advances, with a view to making and changing the Welsh Government guidance, and, eventually, for you to support a position where you will only support cabling if it’s underground?
Prif Weinidog, yn gynharach eleni yn y Senedd, cawsom gynnig, wrth gwrs, yn galw am ddiweddariad ar 'Polisi Cynllunio Cymru' i orfodi yn benodol tanddaearu yn hytrach na'i gael fel opsiwn a ffefrir yn unig, sef safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru ar hyn o bryd—yr opsiwn a ffefrir, ond nid yn barod i gynnwys hynny mewn canllawiau cynllunio. Wrth gwrs, clywais yr hyn y gwnaethoch chi ei ddweud wrth Adam Price yn ei gwestiwn heddiw. Ac fe wnaethoch chi ymateb i mi yn gynharach eleni—wrth gwrs, tanddaearu, os yw'n ymarferol, os yw'n bosibl, os yw'n fforddiadwy, ond, weithiau, yn syml, ni fydd hynny'n bosibl. Ond yr hyn y byddwn i'n ei ddweud, Prif Weinidog, yw fy mod i'n pryderu bod canllawiau cynllunio Llywodraeth Cymru ar ei hôl hi o ran datblygiadau technolegol, o bosibl. Os edrychwch chi ar Ewrop gyfandirol, gallwn weld camau enfawr ymlaen o ran tanddaearu, ac, a dweud y gwir, ceir cwmnïau o Gymru—contractwyr o Gymru—sy'n chwarae rhan fawr yn hynny o beth yn Ewrop gyfandirol. Felly, a gaf i ofyn i chi: os mai safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru o hyd yw peidio â newid canllawiau cynllunio yn hyn o beth, a allwch chi o leiaf ddechrau'r broses o ymchwilio i'r datblygiadau technolegol newydd hyn, gyda'r bwriad o lunio a newid canllawiau Llywodraeth Cymru, ac, yn y pen draw, i chi gefnogi safbwynt lle byddwch chi'n cefnogi ceblau dim ond os ydyn nhw'n danddaearol?
The Welsh Government is already involved in strategic planning groups at the GB level, but, on top of that, we've established an independent grid group to develop the principles in terms of our approach to new grid proposals in Wales. Now, they will be reporting towards the end of March. They will be undertaking the kind of investigations that you are proposing.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes yn cymryd rhan mewn grwpiau cynllunio strategol ar lefel Prydain Fawr, ond, ar ben hynny, rydym ni wedi sefydlu grŵp grid annibynnol i ddatblygu'r egwyddorion o ran ein dull o ymdrin â chynigion grid newydd yng Nghymru. Nawr, byddan nhw'n adrodd tua diwedd mis Mawrth. Byddan nhw'n cynnal y math o ymchwiliadau yr ydych chi'n eu cynnig.
Good afternoon, Prif Weinidog. I just want to follow up on both of those points, if that's okay. It's really important that we have a planning policy that's fit for purpose not just for now, but for the future—so, a planning policy that has within it an absolute assumption that the underground lines are absolutely placed underground, and that there is an exception if they can't be placed underground. The second thing is around the cost. I just wonder if the Welsh Government is open to considering doing an economic assessment around the costs for undergrounding versus that for the pylons at the moment, including what that looks like for the future of our communities in relation to that visual impact, because once those pylons are up, they will scar the landscape for the rest of our time, but undergrounding means that they cannot be seen and that our beautiful countryside stays as it is. So, will the Welsh Government consider doing an economic impact assessment, looking at those options for the future? Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Prynhawn da, Prif Weinidog. Hoffwn ofyn cwestiynau dilynol ar y ddau bwynt hynny, os yw hynny'n iawn. Mae'n bwysig iawn bod gennym ni bolisi cynllunio sy'n addas at y diben nid yn unig ar gyfer nawr, ond ar gyfer y dyfodol—felly, polisi cynllunio sy'n cynnwys tybiaeth bendant bod y llinellau tanddaearol yn cael eu gosod yn bendant o dan y ddaear, a bod eithriad os na ellir eu gosod o dan y ddaear. Mae'r ail beth yn ymwneud â'r gost. Tybed a yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn agored i ystyried cynnal asesiad economaidd ynghylch y costau ar gyfer tanddaearu yn erbyn y gost ar gyfer peilonau ar hyn o bryd, gan gynnwys sut mae hynny'n edrych ar gyfer dyfodol ein cymunedau o ran yr effaith weledol honno, oherwydd unwaith y bydd y peilonau hynny wedi eu codi, byddan nhw'n creithio'r dirwedd am weddill ein hoes, ond mae tanddaearu yn golygu na ellir eu gweld nhw a bod ein cefn gwlad hardd yn aros fel y mae. Felly, a wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru ystyried cynnal asesiad o'r effaith economaidd, gan edrych ar yr opsiynau hynny ar gyfer y dyfodol? Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Diolch yn fawr. That's precisely what the independent grid group is looking at, looking at the cost-benefit analysis. I think we've got to be clear that there are costs to putting it underground as well. So, if there's a problem, for example, in the grid, it could take a lot longer—and I mean weeks rather than days—to fix. So, it's not a one-way issue here; there are other things that we have to consider. And, as I say, I think we have got to bear in mind that energy costs are already high. If you underground, where the costs are likely to be higher, then they will be passed on to the consumer. And I just think we've got to be absolutely clear about that at a time when people are fearful about the amount they have to pay. So, there's a balance to strike here, which is why that independent grid group is really important. We'll wait for their recommendations, towards the end of March.
Diolch yn fawr. Dyna'n union y mae'r grŵp grid annibynnol yn edrych arno, gan edrych ar y dadansoddiad cost a budd. Rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid i ni fod yn eglur bod costau o'i roi o dan y ddaear hefyd. Felly, os oes problem, er enghraifft, yn y grid, gallai gymryd llawer mwy o amser—ac rwy'n golygu wythnosau yn hytrach na diwrnodau—i'w thrwsio. Felly, nid yw'n fater unffordd yn y fan yma; ceir pethau eraill y mae'n rhaid i ni eu hystyried. Ac, fel y dywedais i, rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid i ni gofio bod costau ynni eisoes yn uchel. Os byddwch chi'n tanddaearu, lle mae'r costau yn debygol o fod yn uwch, yna byddan nhw'n cael eu trosglwyddo i'r defnyddiwr. Ac rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid i ni fod yn gwbl eglur am hynny ar adeg pan fo pobl yn ofni faint y mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw ei dalu. Felly, mae cydbwysedd i'w sicrhau yma, a dyna pam mae'r grŵp grid annibynnol hwnnw yn bwysig iawn. Byddwn yn aros am eu hargymhellion, tua diwedd mis Mawrth.
2. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am y ddarpariaeth gwasanaethau deintyddol yng Ngogledd Cymru? OQ62007
2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the provision of dental services in North Wales? OQ62007
Mae yna 88 o bractisau deintyddol ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr. Yn 2023-24, fe wnaeth y practisau hyn weld mwy na 170,000 o gleifion a rhoi dros 238,000 cwrs o driniaeth ar yr NHS. Mae hyn yn cynnwys cwrs llawn o driniaeth ar gyfer bron i 28,000 o gleifion newydd a gofal brys i fwy nag 14,200 o gleifion newydd.
There are 88 dental practices in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. In 2023-24, they saw over 170,000 patients and provided over 238,000 courses of NHS treatment. This includes full courses of treatment for nearly 28,000 new patients and urgent care for over 14,200 new patients.
You made a similar assertion recently, when you claimed, and I quote, that:
'The UK government will take inspiration from NHS Wales on dentistry, where reforms have unlocked almost 400,000 more appointments in the last two years'.
Now, the British Dental Association were quite brutally scathing in their response to that assertion of yours. They said, and again I quote, Llywydd, that this
'is not only grossly misleading',
in their words,
'it is an insult to the intelligence of professionals and public alike. No amount of government rhetoric and spin can change the reality that NHS dentistry in Wales is ailing and, in some parts, becoming ischaemic'.
Now, that's the BDA, not my words. So, isn't it about time that you faced up to the reality of dental services in Wales? When will your Government stop the flow of dentists out of the NHS and subsequently leaving so many communities across Wales high and dry when it comes to accessing basic dental services?
Rydych chi wedi gwneud honiad tebyg yn ddiweddar, pan wnaethoch chi honni, ac rwy'n dyfynnu:
'Bydd Llywodraeth y DU yn cael ysbrydoliaeth gan GIG Cymru o ran deintyddiaeth, lle mae diwygiadau wedi datgloi bron i 400,000 yn fwy o apwyntiadau yn ystod y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf.'
Nawr, roedd Cymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain yn ddifrïol dros ben yn eu hymateb i'r honiad hwnnw gennych chi. Fe wnaethon nhw ddweud, ac eto rwy'n dyfynnu, Llywydd, bod hyn
'nid yn unig yn gamarweiniol dros ben',
yn eu geiriau nhw,
'mae'n sarhad ar ddeallusrwydd gweithwyr proffesiynol a'r cyhoedd hefyd. Ni all unrhyw faint o rethreg a sbin gan y llywodraeth newid y realiti bod deintyddiaeth GIG yng Nghymru yn wantan ac, mewn rhai rhannau, yn troi'n isgemig'.
Nawr, Cymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain sy'n dweud hynny, nid fy ngeiriau i. Felly, onid yw'n hen bryd i chi wynebu realiti gwasanaethau deintyddol yng Nghymru? Pryd wnaiff eich Llywodraeth atal y llif o ddeintyddion allan o'r GIG ac yna'n gadael cynifer o gymunedau ledled Cymru ar y clwt o ran cael mynediad at wasanaethau deintyddol sylfaenol?
Well, I'll tell you about facts: the fact is that we've produced and delivered almost 400,000 new dental treatments. So, the BDA need to look at those figures, and, if they want to challenge them, then, yes, bring it on, because, actually, this is the contract that they have signed. Now, you're right—dentists have an option. They choose to work for the NHS or for the private sector, and the fact is that many of them choose to work for the private sector. Now, the fact is that we have to make sure that there's enough money in the system to deliver what we're able to. Now, there is a real shortage in terms of supply of dentists—this is not a Welsh-only issue, which is why what we do is to make sure that we try and increase the support around the dentists, make sure we train more dental hygienists, dental therapists, and we're really pleased to have seen that that's been done particularly in north Wales.
Wel, fe wnaf i ddweud wrthych chi am ffeithiau: y ffaith yw ein bod ni wedi cynhyrchu a darparu bron i 400,000 o driniaethau deintyddol newydd. Felly, mae angen i Gymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain edrych ar y ffigurau hynny, ac, os ydyn nhw eisiau eu herio, yna, iawn, rhowch gynnig arni, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, dyma'r contract y maen nhw wedi ei lofnodi. Nawr, rydych chi'n iawn—mae gan ddeintyddion opsiwn. Maen nhw'n dewis gweithio i'r GIG neu i'r sector preifat, a'r gwir amdani yw bod llawer ohonyn nhw'n dewis gweithio i'r sector preifat. Nawr, y ffaith yw bod yn rhaid i ni wneud yn siŵr bod digon o arian yn y system i gyflawni'r hyn y gallwn ni ei gyflawni. Nawr, ceir prinder gwirioneddol o ran cyflenwad o ddeintyddion—nid problem Cymru yn unig yw hon, a dyna pam mai'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yw gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n ceisio cynyddu'r gefnogaeth o amgylch y deintyddion, gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n hyfforddi mwy o hylenwyr deintyddol, therapyddion deintyddol, ac rydym ni'n falch iawn o fod wedi gweld bod hynny wedi cael ei wneud, yn enwedig yn y gogledd.
First Minister, your plan is not working. There are over 700,000 people in north Wales, and you said only 170,000 people saw a dentist in the past 12 months. That’s clearly not good enough. I have constituents who travel to Scotland in order to access an NHS dentist and others who are travelling to Albania to get their teeth sorted. Why isn’t your plan working? Well, it’s your contract. Your contract, frankly, is not good enough. It doesn’t give the right sort of support to dentists to encourage them to stay within the NHS. Will you look again at your new contract to make sure that it is fit for purpose and go back to the drawing board, working with the BDA, to come up with something that is more attractive and keeps people in the profession that they want to work in?
Prif Weinidog, nid yw eich cynllun yn gweithio. Mae dros 700,000 o bobl yn y gogledd, ac fe wnaethoch chi ddweud mai dim ond 170,000 o bobl a welodd ddeintydd yn ystod y 12 mis diwethaf. Yn amlwg, nid yw hynny'n ddigon da. Mae gen i etholwyr sy'n teithio i'r Alban er mwyn cael mynediad at ddeintydd GIG ac eraill sy'n teithio i Albania i gael trefn ar eu dannedd. Pam nad yw eich cynllun yn gweithio? Wel, eich contract chi yw ef. Nid yw eich contract chi, a bod yn gwbl blaen, yn ddigon da. Nid yw'n rhoi'r math iawn o gymorth i ddeintyddion i'w hannog i aros yn y GIG. A wnewch chi edrych eto ar eich contract newydd i wneud yn siŵr ei fod yn addas i'r diben ac ailfeddwl, gan weithio gyda Chymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain, i feddwl am rywbeth sy'n fwy deniadol ac yn cadw pobl yn y proffesiwn y maen nhw eisiau gweithio ynddo?
Well, we are reforming the contract. We’ve been working with the sector very closely to make sure that NHS work is more attractive and to make sure that we increase the dental workforce. As I say, that’s the broader dental workforce, not just the dentists. You will be aware that, when NHS contracts are handed back, they are reprocured, they go out—we don’t lose the NHS dentistry when people choose to work in the private sector. And, of course, if people travel to Scotland then they will have to pay in Scotland; that is not an NHS dentist that they will be seeing.
Wel, rydym ni'n diwygio'r contract. Rydym ni wedi bod yn gweithio'n agos iawn gyda'r sector i wneud yn siŵr bod gwaith GIG yn fwy deniadol ac i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n cynyddu'r gweithlu deintyddol. Fel y dywedais i, y gweithlu deintyddol ehangach yw hwnnw, nid y deintyddion yn unig. Byddwch yn ymwybodol, pan fydd contractau GIG yn cael eu dychwelyd, eu bod nhw'n cael eu hail-gaffael, eu bod nhw'n mynd allan—nid ydym ni'n colli'r ddeintyddiaeth GIG pan fydd pobl yn dewis gweithio yn y sector preifat. Ac, wrth gwrs, os yw pobl yn teithio i'r Alban yna bydd yn rhaid iddyn nhw dalu yn yr Alban; nid deintydd GIG yw hwnnw y byddan nhw'n ei weld.
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. There’s nothing like a good cheer on a Tuesday, is there? [Laughter.]
First Minister, the assisted dying Bill passed its First Reading in the House of Commons on Friday. It was an unwhipped vote. We had a similar debate here some weeks ago. I thought it was one of the best debates in the 17 years I’ve been here, where all Members expressed their heartfelt opinion on this. But, it is a fact that this piece of legislation could become law—a high probability of that. The Government has a role to lead on this here to make provision and prepare. What actions is the Welsh Government taking to move the health service, move social care, move local councils and the education system to a place where people can genuinely feel that there is a choice in the final weeks and months of their lives, rather than services that maybe aren’t able to provide that good death and, ultimately, people use the law to take an early death?
Diolch, Llywydd. Does dim byd fel bloedd fawr ar ddydd Mawrth, nac oes? [Chwerthin.]
Prif Weinidog, pasiodd y Bil marw â chymorth ei Ddarlleniad Cyntaf yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin ddydd Gwener. Roedd hi'n bleidlais heb ei chwipio. Cawsom ddadl debyg yma rai wythnosau yn ôl. Roeddwn i'n meddwl ei bod hi'n un o'r dadleuon gorau yn y 17 mlynedd yr wyf i wedi bod yma, lle mynegodd yr holl Aelodau eu barn o'r galon ar hyn. Ond, mae'n ffaith y gallai'r darn hwn o ddeddfwriaeth ddod yn gyfraith—tebygolrwydd uchel o hynny. Mae gan y Llywodraeth swyddogaeth i arwain ar hyn yma i wneud darpariaeth a pharatoi. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i symud y gwasanaeth iechyd, i symud gofal cymdeithasol, i symud cynghorau lleol a'r system addysg i sefyllfa lle gall pobl wir deimlo bod dewis yn ystod wythnosau a misoedd olaf eu bywydau, yn hytrach na gwasanaethau nad ydyn nhw efallai'n gallu darparu'r farwolaeth dda honno, ac yn y pen draw, mae pobl yn defnyddio'r gyfraith i gael marwolaeth gynnar?
Thanks very much, Andrew. I’d like to start by paying tribute to you and for the service you’ve given in this Chamber over a long period of time as leader. I know that you have passionately held beliefs and you’ve argued your cause here in the Senedd. We’ve always had political differences, but I’ve always appreciated the way that you’ve read the room, in particular on those big occasions. So, I’d like to thank you for the way that you’ve conducted yourself, on the whole, with me in the Senedd. [Laughter.]
On the question of assisted dying, clearly, the vote last week has significant implications for us as well. It’s the first stage of a Bill; there’s a long way to go with this. There’ll be a lot of detailed work that has to be done. We will need to undertake our own assessment to establish whether we need to proceed with a legislative consent motion on this issue. The focus that we have tried to make in the past few years is to really focus on quality end-of-life care, and we have put significant resources into that. And I do think that that’s got to be the first stage of whatever comes next.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Andrew. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy dalu teyrnged i chi ac am y gwasanaeth yr ydych chi wedi ei roi yn y Siambr hon dros gyfnod hir fel arweinydd. Rwy'n gwybod bod gennych chi gredoau yr ydych chi'n angerddol amdanyn nhw a'ch bod chi wedi dadlau eich achos yma yn y Senedd. Bu gennym ni wahaniaethau gwleidyddol erioed, ond rwyf i wedi gwerthfawrogi erioed y ffordd yr ydych chi wedi deall sefyllfaoedd, yn enwedig ar yr achlysuron mawr hynny. Felly, hoffwn ddiolch i chi am y ffordd yr ydych chi wedi ymddwyn, ar y cyfan, gyda mi yn y Senedd. [Chwerthin.]
O ran y cwestiwn o farw â chymorth, yn amlwg, mae gan y bleidlais yr wythnos ddiwethaf oblygiadau sylweddol i ninnau hefyd. Dyma gam cyntaf Bil; mae ffordd bell i fynd gyda hwn. Bydd llawer o waith manwl y mae'n rhaid ei wneud. Bydd angen i ni gynnal ein hasesiad ein hunain i weld a oes angen i ni fwrw ymlaen â chynnig cydsyniad deddfwriaethol ar y mater hwn. Y pwyslais yr ydym ni wedi ceisio ei wneud yn ystod yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf yw gwir ganolbwyntio ar ofal diwedd oes o ansawdd, ac rydym ni wedi cyfrannu adnoddau sylweddol at hynny. Ac rwyf i'n credu ei bod yn rhaid mai dyna fydd cam cyntaf beth bynnag a ddaw nesaf.
Thank you for your kind remarks, First Minister. If the Presiding Officer will indulge me ever so slightly, I’ve had the privilege of three First Ministers to ask FMQs to. The first one, Carwyn Jones, I always knew when he was coming both guns blazing because he’d pull his cuffs. Just as I was asking the question, the cuffs would get adjusted, and I'd think, ‘Here it comes.’ Mark Drakeford would always flip the paper around and play with the top of the paper, and I knew he was coming for me at that point. I haven’t quite had enough time to work out the telltale signs for when you’re coming for me, but it has been a huge privilege to stand here and question the whole frontbench, but in particular the First Ministers, because that is a privilege that hopefully the country benefits from by all politicians shining that light on Government and, ultimately, being in Government if you're successful at elections. Regrettably, I was not successful at elections, and I never made the Government bench. But I have found it a huge privilege to stand here as leader of the opposition and, in some small way, make a difference to Welsh democracy and build a stronger Welsh democracy, which we have today, than when I took over in 2011.
But back to the substance of the questions that I was putting to you, First Minister, the point about palliative care is really important. Many experts in that field believe that it is an under-resourced sector and that there is a need for a complete refresh on the initiatives that Government has put forward for that sector to be able to meet the needs of people in end-of-life situations. Will you use the convening power of Government to bring those with an interest in providing that end-of-life care here in Wales together so that we can prepare for that legislative change and, ultimately, people will not feel forced to end their lives and use the legislation if that's not what their wish is?
Diolch am eich sylwadau caredig, Prif Weinidog. Os gwnaiff y Llywydd faddau i mi ryw fymryn bach, rwyf i wedi cael y fraint o dri Prif Weinidog i ofyn i cwestiynau iddyn nhw. Y cyntaf, Carwyn Jones, roeddwn i bob amser yn gwybod pryd yr oedd yn dod tân amdani gan y byddai'n tynnu ei gyffiau. Fel yr oeddwn i'n gofyn y cwestiwn, byddai'r cyffiau yn cael eu haddasu, a byddwn i'n meddwl, 'Dyma ni.' Byddai Mark Drakeford bob amser yn troi'r papur o gwmpas ac yn chwarae gyda phen y papur, ac roeddwn i'n gwybod ei fod yn dod ar fy ôl i bryd hynny. Nid wyf i wedi cael digon o amser i weithio allan yr arwyddion ar gyfer pryd rydych chi'n dod ar fy ôl i, ond mae wedi bod yn fraint enfawr sefyll yma a holi'r fainc flaen gyfan, ond yn enwedig y Prif Weinidogion, oherwydd mae honno'n fraint y bydd y wlad yn elwa ohoni gobeithio, o bob gwleidydd yn disgleirio'r golau hwnnw ar y Llywodraeth ac yn y pen draw, bod mewn Llywodraeth os ydych chi'n llwyddiannus mewn etholiadau. Yn anffodus, nid oeddwn i'n llwyddiannus mewn etholiadau, ac ni chyrhaeddais feinciau'r Llywodraeth erioed. Ond rwyf i wedi ei chael yn fraint enfawr sefyll yma fel arweinydd yr wrthblaid ac, mewn rhyw ffordd fach, gwneud gwahaniaeth i ddemocratiaeth Cymru ac adeiladu democratiaeth gryfach yng Nghymru, sydd gennym ni heddiw, na phan gymerais yr awenau yn 2011.
Ond yn ôl at sylwedd y cwestiynau yr oeddwn i'n eu gofyn i chi, Prif Weinidog, mae'r pwynt am ofal lliniarol yn bwysig iawn. Mae llawer o arbenigwyr yn y maes hwnnw yn credu ei fod yn sector nad oes ganddo ddigon o adnoddau a bod angen adnewyddu'n llwyr y mentrau y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi eu cyflwyno i'r sector hwnnw allu diwallu anghenion pobl mewn sefyllfaoedd diwedd oes. A wnewch chi ddefnyddio grym cynnull y Llywodraeth i ddod â'r rhai sydd â diddordeb mewn darparu'r gofal diwedd oes hwnnw yma yng Nghymru at ei gilydd fel y gallwn ni baratoi ar gyfer y newid deddfwriaethol hwnnw ac, yn y pen draw, na fydd pobl yn teimlo eu bod nhw'n cael eu gorfodi i roi terfyn ar eu bywydau a defnyddio'r ddeddfwriaeth os nad dyna yw eu dymuniad?
Thanks very much. I think you're absolutely right; this focus on palliative, end-of-life care is really critical. I'm really pleased to inform you that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care met with hospices together last week, and the NHS. There has been a long-standing group that has been looking at how we do end-of-life care. There has been a significant amount of work to see how we can prepare better. You'll be aware that, over the winter, for example, in the committee that works with local government, there has been increased money put in so that you can give that support, including over the weekends. All of that helps people to die in dignity at home. So, there has been a huge amount of work put into this already in Wales. I think we are further ahead than they are in England in many respects, as you heard Ilora Finlay say recently. But there is always more work that we can do. We have to recognise that we have an ageing population and the services are going to become more critical in terms of the demand that will be put upon them in future.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Rwy'n credu eich bod chi'n gwbl gywir; mae'r pwyslais hwn ar ofal lliniarol, diwedd oes yn wirioneddol hanfodol. Rwy'n falch iawn o'ch hysbysu bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol wedi cyfarfod â hosbisau gyda'i gilydd yr wythnos diwethaf, a'r GIG. Bu grŵp hirsefydlog sydd wedi bod yn edrych ar sut rydym ni'n ymgymryd â gofal diwedd oes. Bu llawer iawn o waith i weld sut y gallwn ni baratoi'n well. Byddwch yn ymwybodol, dros y gaeaf, er enghraifft, yn y pwyllgor sy'n gweithio gyda llywodraeth leol, y rhoddwyd mwy o arian i mewn fel y gallwch chi roi'r cymorth hwnnw, gan gynnwys dros y penwythnosau. Mae hynny i gyd yn helpu pobl i farw gydag urddas gartref. Felly, gwnaed llawer iawn o waith ar hyn eisoes yng Nghymru. Rwy'n credu ein bod ni ymhellach ymlaen nag y maen nhw yn Lloegr mewn sawl ffordd, fel y clywsoch chi Ilora Finlay yn ei ddweud yn ddiweddar. Ond mae mwy o waith y gallwn ni ei wneud bob amser. Mae'n rhaid i ni gydnabod bod gennym ni boblogaeth sy'n heneiddio ac mae'r gwasanaethau yn mynd i ddod yn fwy allweddol o ran y galw a fydd yn cael ei roi arnyn nhw yn y dyfodol.
That is my real concern—that the services will not be able to meet that demand and people will revert to the legislation to terminate their life before they wish to. That isn't giving people an informed position of choice. We, as policy makers, must do all we can to avoid that.
There is one thing that the Government can do, and the First Minister highlighted that the finance Minister was meeting the Chief Secretary to the Treasury some weeks ago on the national insurance rise that hospices will have to pay. Has there been any progress in convincing colleagues in the Treasury that hospices, GP surgeries and other parts of the health estate here in Wales, and the social care estate, are going to be exempt from paying the NI uplift that potentially could devastate some providers and leave a desert of provision in some parts of Wales?
Dyna fy mhryder gwirioneddol—na fydd y gwasanaethau yn gallu bodloni'r galw hwnnw ac y bydd pobl yn troi at y ddeddfwriaeth i roi terfyn ar eu bywyd cyn eu bod nhw'n dymuno gwneud hynny. Nid yw hyn yn rhoi sefyllfa gytbwys o ddewis i bobl. Mae'n rhaid i ni, fel llunwyr polisi, wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i osgoi hynny.
Mae un peth y gall y Llywodraeth ei wneud, ac amlygodd y Prif Weinidog fod y Gweinidog cyllid yn cyfarfod â Phrif Ysgrifennydd y Trysorlys rai wythnosau yn ôl ar y cynnydd i yswiriant gwladol y bydd yn rhaid i hosbisau ei dalu. A fu unrhyw gynnydd o ran argyhoeddi cydweithwyr yn y Trysorlys y bydd hosbisau, meddygfeydd teulu a rhannau eraill o'r ystad iechyd yma yng Nghymru, a'r ystad gofal cymdeithasol, yn cael eu heithrio o dalu'r codiad Yswiriant Gwladol a allai fod yn ofnadwy i rai darparwyr a gadael anialwch o ddarpariaeth mewn rhai rhannau o Gymru?
Thanks very much. I think we're all very concerned about the need to make sure that there are very strong safeguards in place so that the vulnerable don't feel any pressure in any way with assisted dying. There's a long way to go, as I say, and there will need to be a lot of probing in relation to that, and we'll have our responsibility as a Government to make sure that we look in detail at the implications of this Bill for Wales.
When it comes to hospices, I was always very sensitive to the fact that they do collect a lot of money themselves. They are charitable organisations, very often, but they take huge pressure off the NHS. And so it is absolutely incumbent on us to stand with them and support them. I know that this was an issue that was discussed by the Cabinet Secretary with the hospices in that meeting this week. I think that there's still some more room to go in terms of discussion on this issue, but I think we're really sensitive to the pressures that they're under.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Rwy'n credu ein bod ni i gyd yn bryderus iawn am yr angen i wneud yn siŵr bod mesurau diogelu cryf iawn ar waith fel nad yw'r rhai sy'n agored i niwed yn teimlo unrhyw bwysau mewn unrhyw ffordd o ran marw â chymorth. Mae ffordd bell iawn i fynd, fel y dywedais i, a bydd angen llawer o holi manwl yn hynny o beth, a bydd gennym ni ein cyfrifoldeb fel Llywodraeth i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n edrych yn fanwl ar oblygiadau'r Bil hwn i Gymru.
O ran hosbisau, roeddwn i bob amser yn sensitif iawn i'r ffaith eu bod nhw'n casglu llawer o arian eu hunain. Sefydliadau elusennol ydyn nhw, yn aml iawn, ond maen nhw'n cymryd pwysau enfawr oddi ar y GIG. Ac felly mae ddyletswydd lwyr arnom ni i sefyll gyda nhw a'u cefnogi. Rwy'n gwybod bod hwn yn fater a drafodwyd gan yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet gyda'r hosbisau yn y cyfarfod hwnnw yr wythnos hon. Rwy'n credu bod mwy o le i fynd o hyd o ran trafodaeth ar y mater hwn, ond rwy'n credu ein bod ni'n sensitif iawn i'r pwysau sydd arnyn nhw.
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth.
Diolch, Lywydd, ac a gaf innau ddymuno'n dda i arweinydd y grŵp Ceidwadol?
Thank you, Llywydd, and may I also wish the leader of the Conservatives well?
I'd like to take this opportunity to wish the leader of the Conservative group well after his decision to stand down and acknowledge his contribution to the work of the Senedd over many years. He knows that I disagree with many aspects of his politics and his political direction. I guess there's only one place where we've genuinely been on the same side, and that's on the Senedd rugby team. I've been very pleased to be on the same side as him then, given that he's a hard man to bring down. [Laughter.] But on a personal level, I wish him well.
First Minister, gas and electricity prices will increase in the new year, which means higher bills for many people who cannot afford it. When the Conservatives were in Government, the First Minister said:
'As the energy price cap rises again, we need an emergency budget now, to freeze energy prices, and to tax oil and gas giants.'
Does she stand by that tweet of hers from August 2020 or has she changed her mind so as not to embarrass her party boss, Sir Keir Starmer?
Hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i ddymuno'n dda i arweinydd y grŵp Ceidwadol ar ôl ei benderfyniad i ymddiswyddo a chydnabod ei gyfraniad at waith y Senedd dros flynyddoedd lawer. Mae'n gwybod fy mod i'n anghytuno â llawer o agweddau ar ei wleidyddiaeth a'i gyfeiriad gwleidyddol. Mae'n debyg mai dim ond un lle yr ydym ni wir wedi bod ar yr un ochr, sef yn nhîm rygbi'r Senedd. Rwyf i wedi bod yn falch iawn o fod ar yr un ochr ag ef bryd hynny, o gofio ei fod yn ddyn anodd ei dynnu i lawr. [Chwerthin.] Ond ar lefel bersonol, rwy'n dymuno'n dda iddo.
Prif Weinidog, bydd prisiau nwy a thrydan yn cynyddu yn y flwyddyn newydd, sy'n golygu biliau uwch i lawer o bobl nad ydyn nhw'n gallu ei fforddio. Pan oedd y Ceidwadwyr mewn Llywodraeth, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog:
'Wrth i'r cap ar brisiau ynni godi eto, mae angen cyllideb frys arnom ni nawr, i rewi prisiau ynni, ac i drethu cewri olew a nwy.'
A yw hi'n cadw at y trydariad hwnnw ganddi o fis Awst 2020 neu a yw hi wedi newid ei meddwl er mwyn peidio â chodi cywilydd ar bennaeth ei phlaid, Syr Keir Starmer?
We know that electricity and gas prices have increased significantly since then. The war in Ukraine has put huge pressure on us, and much of that increase is now baked in, which is causing a lot of difficulties for people in paying their bills. We've all got to understand that there are compromises to be made here as well. On the previous question, for example, in relation to making sure that everything is undergrounded, we have to understand that there will be a knock-on effect there in terms of electricity and gas prices. So, we've got to be clear that we can't have it all, and at some point we have to make some very difficult decisions. We, of course, in the Welsh Government have contributed a huge amount through our Warm Homes approach, and there's significant money going into that.
Rydym ni'n gwybod bod prisiau trydan a nwy wedi cynyddu'n sylweddol ers hynny. Mae'r rhyfel yn Wcráin wedi rhoi pwysau enfawr arnom ni, ac mae llawer o'r cynnydd hwnnw wedi'i ymgorffori bellach, sy'n achosi llawer o anawsterau i bobl o ran talu eu biliau. Mae'n rhaid i ni gyd ddeall bod cyfaddawdau i'w gwneud yma hefyd. O ran y cwestiwn blaenorol, er enghraifft, o ran gwneud yn siŵr bod popeth yn cael ei roi o dan y ddaear, mae'n rhaid i ni ddeall y bydd sgil-effaith yn y fan honno o ran prisiau trydan a nwy. Felly, mae'n rhaid i ni fod yn eglur na allwn ni gael y cyfan, ac ar ryw adeg mae'n rhaid i ni wneud penderfyniadau anodd iawn. Rydym ni, wrth gwrs, yn Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyfrannu llawer iawn drwy ein dull Cartrefi Clyd, ac mae arian sylweddol yn mynd i mewn i hwnnw.
She was suggesting back then that there needed to be a response to rising prices, and I'm asking whether she still believes that there needs to be a response to rising prices. It begs the question how much listening she has actually been doing in recent months. People are telling me that the cost-of-living crisis is biting this winter, yet the First Minister no longer supports freezing energy prices, as she once did, and, of course, she keeps on defending the winter fuel allowance cut. People who've been faithful to Labour for many, many years are asking what has become of Labour and whose side the First Minister is on.
It's reported that Sir Keir Starmer is relaunching his premiership this week, in itself an admission that the promise of change meant very little. In the build-up to that relaunch, what pressure has the First Minister been putting on the Prime Minister to reinstate the winter fuel allowance, or is she so willing to back the decision to cut it that she won't even try?
Roedd hi'n awgrymu yn ôl bryd hynny bod angen ymateb i brisiau cynyddol, ac rwy'n gofyn a yw hi'n dal i gredu bod angen ymateb i brisiau cynyddol. Mae'n arwain at y cwestiwn faint o wrando y mae wedi bod yn ei wneud yn ystod y misoedd diwethaf mewn gwirionedd. Mae pobl yn dweud wrthyf i fod yr argyfwng costau byw yn brathu y gaeaf hwn, ac eto nid yw'r Prif Weinidog yn cefnogi rhewi prisiau ynni mwyach, fel yr oedd ar un adeg, ac, wrth gwrs, mae'n parhau i amddiffyn y toriad i lwfans tanwydd y gaeaf. Mae pobl sydd wedi bod yn ffyddlon i Lafur ers blynyddoedd maith yn gofyn beth sydd wedi digwydd i Lafur ac ar ochr pwy mae'r Prif Weinidog.
Dywedir bod Syr Keir Starmer yn ail-lansio ei brif weinidogaeth yr wythnos hon, sy'n gyfaddefiad ynddo'i hun mai prin iawn oedd yr addewid o newid yn ei olygu. Yn y cyfnod cyn yr ail-lansiad hwnnw, pa bwysau y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi bod yn ei roi ar Brif Weinidog y DU i ail-gyflwyno lwfans tanwydd y gaeaf, neu a yw mor barod i gefnogi'r penderfyniad i'w dorri na wnaiff hyd yn oed roi cynnig arni?
I'm responsible for certain things in Wales, and the Prime Minister is responsible for certain things under his remit. The winter fuel allowance is something very much within the UK remit—that was their decision. What I can tell you is that I have responsibilities for things here, and I was really proud today to announce an extra £157 million going in to support public services in Wales. There's more money for health, more money for education, more money for the arts. All of those things are as a result of the fact that we have a Labour Government in Westminster that understands that, yes, of course, many older people are concerned with the cold, but they're also concerned about getting money into the NHS—they are the people who use the service more than anybody else.
Rwy'n gyfrifol am bethau penodol yng Nghymru, ac mae Prif Weinidog y DU yn gyfrifol am bethau penodol o dan ei gylch gwaith ef. Mae lwfans tanwydd y gaeaf yn rhywbeth sy'n sicr yn rhan o gylch gwaith y DU—eu penderfyniad nhw oedd hwnnw. Yr hyn y gallaf ei ddweud wrthych chi yw bod gen i gyfrifoldebau am bethau yma, ac roeddwn i'n falch iawn heddiw o gyhoeddi £157 miliwn ychwanegol yn mynd at gynorthwyo gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru. Mae mwy o arian ar gyfer iechyd, mwy o arian ar gyfer addysg, mwy o arian ar gyfer y celfyddydau. Mae'r holl bethau hynny o ganlyniad i'r ffaith bod gennym ni Lywodraeth Lafur yn San Steffan sy'n deall, ydy, wrth gwrs, mae llawer o bobl hŷn yn poeni am yr oerfel, ond maen nhw hefyd yn poeni am gael arian i mewn i'r GIG—nhw yw'r bobl sy'n defnyddio'r gwasanaeth mwy na neb arall.
I'm asking the First Minister to make the case for Wales and for vulnerable people in Wales, and I would remind her that costs on the NHS will increase as people suffer the cold this winter.
Last week, I met representatives from Age Cymru and pensioners who are campaigning for the winter fuel allowance to be reinstated. Age UK says that 37 per cent of older people will find it hard to manage over the winter without it. Remember, this wasn't a change in policy to take the winter fuel payment away from millionaires—it hits many people living in poverty.
The Scottish Government has identified money in its budget next year to provide a universal payment—that's the Scottish Government's choice, and it's all about choices. In her interview with Will Hayward published last week, the First Minister said:
'I think decisions impacting Wales should be made by the people of Wales and by their representatives.'
With that in mind, and given Scotland's more generous settlement from the UK Government, does the First Minister not want to try to find a way of following Labour's lead, or is the money coming to Wales from the UK Labour Government not enough to pay for it?
Rwy'n gofyn i'r Prif Weinidog wneud y ddadl dros Gymru a thros bobl agored i niwed yng Nghymru, a byddwn yn ei hatgoffa y bydd y costau ar y GIG yn cynyddu wrth i bobl ddioddef yr oerfel y gaeaf hwn.
Yr wythnos diwethaf, cefais gyfarfod â chynrychiolwyr o Age Cymru a phensiynwyr sy'n ymgyrchu dros ail-gyflwyno lwfans tanwydd y gaeaf. Mae Age UK yn dweud y bydd 37 y cant o bobl hŷn yn ei chael hi'n anodd ymdopi dros y gaeaf hebddo. Cofiwch, nid newid polisi oedd hwn i gymryd taliad tanwydd y gaeaf oddi wrth filiwnyddion—mae'n taro llawer o bobl sy'n byw mewn tlodi.
Mae Llywodraeth yr Alban wedi nodi arian yn ei chyllideb y flwyddyn nesaf i ddarparu taliad cynhwysol—dyna ddewis Llywodraeth yr Alban, ac mae'r cwbl yn ymwneud â dewisiadau. Yn ei chyfweliad gyda Will Hayward a gyhoeddwyd yr wythnos diwethaf, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog:
'Rwy'n credu y dylai penderfyniadau sy'n effeithio ar Gymru gael eu gwneud gan bobl Cymru a chan eu cynrychiolwyr.'
Gyda hynny mewn golwg, ac o gofio setliad mwy hael yr Alban gan Lywodraeth y DU, onid yw'r Prif Weinidog eisiau ceisio dod o hyd i ffordd o ddilyn arweiniad Llafur, neu a yw'r arian sy'n dod i Gymru gan Lywodraeth Lafur y DU ddim yn ddigon i dalu amdano?
I'm always going to ask for more money from the UK Government—that's what I'm here to do. I'm here to stand up for Wales and that's what I will do. I'll be seeing the Prime Minister on Friday, and, once again, I'll be making it clear to him that I expect more for my nation: thank you very much, we've had the £25 million for the coal tips, but we want more; we also want more in terms of HS2. All of those things I will be bringing up with the Prime Minister, and I will always make sure that we're standing up for Wales.
But I tell you what we do in Government, and this might be something worth him listening to: we do have to make tough choices. And when you say, 'Why don't you spend it on that?', it's easy for you to sit there and say that, but you never ever tell us what you're going to cut. We have made decisions in relation to that extra £157 million that's coming in year, which is not insignificant, and there's £1 billion coming next year. We have to make difficult decisions. We are making them on the basis of what people told me over the summer were important to them. Things that were important to them were education, health and the economy. That's what we're focusing our attention on.
Rwyf i bob amser yn mynd i ofyn am fwy o arian gan Lywodraeth y DU—dyna'r wyf i yma i'w wneud. Rwyf i yma i sefyll dros Gymru a dyna fyddaf i yn ei wneud. Byddaf yn gweld Prif Weinidog y DU ddydd Gwener, ac, unwaith eto, byddaf yn ei gwneud yn eglur iddo fy mod i'n disgwyl mwy i'm cenedl: diolch yn fawr iawn, rydym ni wedi cael y £25 miliwn ar gyfer y tomenni glo, ond rydym ni eisiau mwy; rydym ni hefyd eisiau mwy o ran HS2. Byddaf yn codi'r holl bethau hynny gyda Phrif Weinidog y DU, a byddaf bob amser yn gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n sefyll dros Gymru.
Ond fe ddywedaf wrthych chi beth rydym ni'n ei wneud yn y Llywodraeth, ac efallai fod hyn yn rhywbeth y byddai'n werth iddo wrando arno: mae'n rhaid i ni wneud dewisiadau anodd. A phan fyddwch chi'n dweud, 'Pam na wnewch chi ei wario ar hynna?', mae'n hawdd i chi eistedd yno a dweud hynny, ond dydych chi byth yn dweud wrthym ni beth rydych chi'n mynd i'w dorri. Rydym ni wedi gwneud penderfyniadau o ran y £157 miliwn ychwanegol hwnnw sy'n dod mewn blwyddyn, nad yw'n ddibwys, ac mae £1 biliwn yn dod y flwyddyn nesaf. Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud penderfyniadau anodd. Rydym ni'n eu gwneud ar sail yr hyn a ddywedodd pobl wrthyf i dros yr haf a oedd yn bwysig iddyn nhw. Y pethau a oedd yn bwysig iddyn nhw oedd addysg, iechyd a'r economi. Dyna'r ydym ni'n canolbwyntio ein sylw arnyn nhw.
As others have had their say on Andrew R.T. Davies, if I may say something too. I don't know whether this will have been your last FMQs as leader of the opposition—I don't know your standing orders as a party well enough to know whether that's the case—but you are the comeback kid of this Chamber anyway. Just to say to you, Andrew—and this may surprise you, actually—that you are held in high regard in this Chamber, and especially by me. Today, I'm sure that this Chamber would wish as one to thank you for your contribution as leader of the opposition, and to wish you well into the future. As Llywydd, there is nothing I like better than a cheeky backbencher, and I foresee more cheek on the backbenches from now on.
Gan fod mae eraill wedi cael dweud eu dweud ar Andrew R.T. Davies, os caf i ddweud rhywbeth hefyd. Nid wyf i'n gwybod ai dyma fydd eich sesiwn cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog olaf fel arweinydd yr wrthblaid—nid wyf i'n ddigon cyfarwydd â'ch rheolau sefydlog fel plaid i wybod ai dyna'r achos—ond chi yw dewin dod yn ôl y Siambr hon beth bynnag. Dim ond i ddweud wrthych chi, Andrew—ac efallai y bydd hyn yn eich synnu, a dweud y gwir—eich bod chi'n uchel eich parch yn y Siambr hon, ac yn enwedig gennyf i. Heddiw, rwy'n siŵr y byddai'r Siambr hon yn dymuno diolch i chi yn unfrydol am eich cyfraniad fel arweinydd yr wrthblaid, a dymuno'n dda i chi ymhell i'r dyfodol. Fel Llywydd, nid oes dim yr wyf i'n ei hoffi yn well nag aelod hyf o'r meinciau cefn, ac rwy'n rhagweld mwy o hyfdra ar y meinciau cefn o hyn ymlaen.
Felly, diolch, Andrew, am gyfraniad pwysig iawn.
So, thank you for your very important contribution, Andrew.
Question 3 to your neighbour, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Cwestiwn 3 i'ch cymydog, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Thank you. And thank you, Grandad.
Diolch. A diolch, Tad-cu.
3. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am amseroedd aros triniaethau canser yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr? OQ61965
3. Will the First Minister make a statement on cancer treatment waiting times in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area? OQ61965
All NHS organisations are struggling to meet rising demand for cancer investigation and treatment. Cancer performance at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is not where it needs to be. We're working closely with the health board to recover and sustain an improvement in its performance.
Mae holl sefydliadau'r GIG yn ei chael hi'n anodd bodloni'r galw cynyddol am ymchwiliadau a thriniaeth canser. Nid yw perfformiad canser ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr lle mae angen iddo fod. Rydym ni'n gweithio'n agos gyda'r bwrdd iechyd i adfer a chynnal gwelliant yn ei berfformiad.
First Minister, as the previous health Minister, you will be aware just how bad things are when it comes to patient treatment in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. In September, only 51 per cent of patients at this board began their first definitive cancer treatment within 62 days of initial suspicion—a deeply concerning figure when you consider that in England the figure is 67 per cent. Hospital waiting lists across Wales have now risen for eight consecutive months, reaching a record high of over 801,300 patient pathways in November. NHS England, by contrast, has made significant progress—and I am talking about the previous UK Conservative Government—in addressing long waits after the pandemic, with only 3.3 per cent of patients waiting over a year for treatment, compared to 23 per cent in Wales. Alarmingly too, just 113 patients in England have been waiting more than two years, while Wales has a staggering 23,701, including 10,000 of these within the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. It is shocking.
Prif Weinidog, fel y Gweinidog iechyd blaenorol, byddwch yn ymwybodol pa mor wael yw pethau o ran triniaeth cleifion ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr. Ym mis Medi, dim ond 51 y cant o gleifion yn y bwrdd hwn ddechreuodd eu triniaeth ganser ddiffiniol gyntaf o fewn 62 diwrnod o amheuaeth gychwynnol—ffigur sy'n peri pryder mawr pan ystyriwch chi mai 67 y cant yw'r ffigur yn Lloegr. Mae rhestrau aros ysbytai ledled Cymru bellach wedi codi am wyth mis yn olynol, gan gyrraedd y lefel uchaf erioed o dros 801,300 o lwybrau cleifion ym mis Tachwedd. Mae GIG Lloegr, ar y llaw arall, wedi gwneud cynnydd sylweddol—ac rwy'n sôn am Lywodraeth Geidwadol flaenorol y DU—o ran mynd i'r afael ag arosiadau hir ar ôl y pandemig, â dim ond 3.3 y cant o gleifion yn aros dros flwyddyn am driniaeth, o'i gymharu â 23 y cant yng Nghymru. Yn frawychus hefyd, dim ond 113 o gleifion yn Lloegr sydd wedi bod yn aros mwy na dwy flynedd, tra bod gan Gymru nifer syfrdanol o 23,701, gan gynnwys 10,000 o'r rhain ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr. Mae'n ofnadwy.
You need to ask your question now, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Mae angen i chi ofyn eich cwestiwn nawr, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Some cases involve three-year waits, with nearly 1,500 patients enduring extreme delays. So, what will you do now, First Minister? What are you doing to expand the use of the private sector and other health facilities to bring those treatment waiting times down for the people who really need it? Diolch.
Mae rhai achosion yn golygu arosiadau o dair blynedd, gyda bron i 1,500 o gleifion yn dioddef oediadau eithafol. Felly, beth fyddwch chi'n ei wneud nawr, Prif Weinidog? Beth ydych chi'n ei wneud i ehangu'r defnydd o'r sector preifat a chyfleusterau iechyd eraill i ddod â'r amseroedd aros hynny am driniaeth i lawr i'r bobl sydd wir ei hangen? Diolch.
Thanks very much. This is an area where we've absolutely got to get better. There has, however, been a huge increase in demand for cancer services across the whole of the UK, and Betsi’s no exception. I just want to give you a sense of how that increase in demand has been. Gynaecological referrals have increased by 40 per cent since 2019. Lower gastrointestinal referrals increased by 46 per cent. Skin referrals increased by 47 per cent. So, it does take time to ramp up a system when you get that kind of increase in demand.
It is something, though, that I know the Cabinet Secretary is absolutely focused on. I know he discussed it with the chair of the health board improvement board and they are meeting again in December. Underperformance relates in Betsi to four main types of cancer: urological cancers, cancer of the breast, lower gastrointestinal tract and skin cancers. So, we have got to make sure that the workforce is there and there is enough capacity, but there are systems that could improve. They are on it. I get a sense that they really are on it now. They get what they need to do, but they need to do better. So, just to give you an example, straight-to-test activity in Cardiff and the Vale is around 15 per cent higher, in Cardiff, than it is in Betsi. So, there is improvement work they can do on their systems. It is not always about money and about people.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Mae hwn yn faes lle mae'n rhaid i ni wella, yn sicr. Fodd bynnag, bu cynnydd enfawr i'r galw am wasanaethau canser ledled y DU gyfan, ac nid yw Betsi yn eithriad. Hoffwn roi syniad i chi o sut mae'r cynnydd hwnnw i alw wedi bod. Mae atgyfeiriadau gynaecolegol wedi cynyddu 40 y cant ers 2019. Cynyddodd nifer yr atgyfeiriadau gastroberfeddol isaf 46 y cant. Cynyddodd atgyfeiriadau croen 47 y cant. Felly, mae'n cymryd amser i ehangu system pan fyddwch chi'n cael y math hwnnw o gynnydd i alw.
Fodd bynnag, mae'n rhywbeth yr wyf i'n gwybod bod yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn canolbwyntio'n llwyr arno. Rwy'n gwybod ei fod wedi ei drafod gyda chadeirydd bwrdd gwella'r bwrdd iechyd ac maen nhw'n cyfarfod eto ym mis Rhagfyr. Mae tanberfformio yn ymwneud â phedwar prif fath o ganser yn Betsi: canserau wrolegol, canser y fron, y llwybr gastroberfeddol isaf a chanserau'r croen. Felly, mae'n rhaid i ni wneud yn siŵr bod y gweithlu yno a bod digon o gapasiti, ond ceir systemau a allai wella. Maen nhw'n mynd i'r afael ag ef. Rwy'n teimlo eu bod nhw wir yn mynd i'r afael ag ef nawr. Maen nhw'n deall yr hyn y mae angen iddyn nhw ei wneud, ond mae angen iddyn nhw wneud yn well. Felly, dim ond i roi enghraifft i chi, mae gweithgarwch syth i brawf yng Nghaerdydd a'r Fro tua 15 y cant yn uwch, yng Nghaerdydd, nag ydyw yn Betsi. Felly, mae gwaith gwella y gallan nhw ei wneud ar eu systemau. Nid yw'n bob amser yn ymwneud ag arian a phobl.
Diolch i Janet Finch-Saunders am y cwestiwn yma. Fe wnes i godi amseroedd canser cenedlaethol gyda’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yr wythnos diwethaf, ac fe wnaeth o gydnabod ei fod o’n siomedig yn y perfformiad, a dweud bod y darlun yn amrywio o le i le. Mae’n amlwg, felly, fod yna broblem yn Betsi Cadwaladr yn benodol.
Mae gen i achosion yn fy etholaeth i. Mae un etholwr wedi dod mewn yn dweud ei bod hi’n aros saith wythnos am famogram; etholwraig arall yn aros am driniaeth canser y croen, ac yn aros 24 wythnos am y driniaeth. Wrth gwrs, mae diagnosis cynnar yn hanfodol, ond mae’n hanfodol er mwyn medru cael triniaeth ar gyfer yr afiechyd. Felly, ydy’r Prif Weinidog yn meddwl ei fod o’n dderbyniol bod pobl yn fy etholaeth i yn gorfod aros cyhyd am driniaeth? A pham fod yna loteri cod post rhwng ardaloedd yng Nghymru ar gyfer diagnosis a thriniaeth?
Thank you to Janet Finch-Saunders for asking this question. I raised national cancer waiting times with the Cabinet Secretary last week, and he acknowledged that he was disappointed in the performance, and he did say that the picture varied from place to place. It is clear, therefore, that there is a problem at Betsi Cadwaladr specifically.
I have cases in my own constituency. One constituent came in and said that she was waiting seven weeks for a mammogram. Another constituent waiting for skin cancer treatment was waiting 24 weeks for that treatment. Now, of course, early diagnosis is crucial, but it is crucial in order to get treatment for the disease. So, does the First Minister believe that it is acceptable that people in my constituency have to wait so long for treatment? And why is there a postcode lottery between areas in Wales when it comes to treatment and diagnosis?
Diolch yn fawr. Mae’n drueni, achos roedd Betsi yn arfer bod yn arbennig o dda o gymharu â byrddau iechyd eraill yng Nghymru. Felly, mae’n drueni eu bod nhw wedi mynd am yn ôl—neu efallai eu bod nhw ddim wedi mynd am yn ôl, ond jest eu bod nhw ddim wedi gallu cadw i fyny â'r gofyn yna, sydd wedi cynyddu cymaint dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf.
Ond fel dwi’n dweud, beth sydd wedi digwydd yw eu bod nhw nawr, dwi’n meddwl, yn gwella’r sefyllfa. Jest o ran, er enghraifft, dermatology, mae dau clinical lead wedi cael eu penodi. Yn ddiweddar iawn, roedd yna broblem yn arbennig yn y gorllewin yn eich ardal chi, lle'r oedd pob un yn ddibynnol ar un consultant, ac, wrth gwrs, mae hynna’n creu system sydd ddim yn robust iawn. Felly, mae pethau’n gwella, mae yna lwybr clir, ond, yn amlwg, fe fydd y Gweinidog sydd â chyfrifoldeb dros hyn yn cadw golwg craff ar bethau.
Thank you. It is a shame, because Betsi used to be very good compared to other health boards in Wales, so it is a great shame that they have taken a backward step—or maybe they have not taken a backward step, but maybe they just have not been able to keep up with that demand, which has increased so much over recent years.
But as I said, what has happened is that they now, I think, are improving the situation. Just in terms of dermatology, for example, two clinical leads have been appointed. Only very recently, there was a problem particularly in the west in your area, where everyone was reliant on one consultant, and, of course, that creates a system that is not very robust. So, things are improving. There is a clear pathway, but, evidently, the Minister with responsibility for this issue will keep a watching brief on it.
4. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i leihau amseroedd aros ambiwlansys yng Ngorllewin Caerfyrddin a De Sir Benfro? OQ61992
4. What action is the Welsh Government taking to reduce ambulance waiting times in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire? OQ61992
Rŷn ni’n cymryd camau i reoli anghenion gofal brys pobl yn y gymuned a gwella’r gwaith cynllunio i’w rhyddhau nhw o ofal iechyd. Bydd hyn yn rhyddhau capasiti ambiwlansys brys. Yn yr wythnosau diwethaf rŷn ni wedi lansio’r her 50 diwrnod, wedi lansio canllawiau newydd ar gyfer trosglwyddo cleifion o ambiwlansys ac wedi recriwtio 26 o glinigwyr i roi cyngor o bell o ganolfannau cyswllt 999.
We are taking action to manage people with urgent care needs in the community and improve discharge planning. This will free-up emergency ambulance capacity. In recent weeks we have launched the 50-day challenge, launched new ambulance patient handover guidance and we have recruited 26 clinicians to provide remote advice from 999 contact centres.
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Just recently a Pembrokeshire-based emergency medical technician wrote to me expressing his frustration that Pembrokeshire-based ambulances often leave the Hywel Dda health board area—called to Waunarlwydd from Tenby, then to another emergency 60 miles away, he eventually ended up delayed, unable to offload patients outside of Morriston Hospital. This left Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire without adequate ambulance cover, and is sadly a common occurrence.
Since 2015 amber response times have gone from 11 minutes to over 113 minutes—a damning indictment of the Labour Government's failure and its mishandling of the health services here in Wales. Now, because you can't meet your targets, you're looking to move the goalposts and change the targets in the new year. So, will you just admit it, Prif Weinidog—the Welsh Labour Government haven't got a clue how to improve health services in Wales?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Dim ond yn ddiweddar, ysgrifennodd technegydd meddygol brys o sir Benfro ataf yn mynegi ei rwystredigaeth bod ambiwlansys o sir Benfro yn aml yn gadael ardal bwrdd iechyd Hywel Dda—yn cael eu galw i Waunarlwydd o Ddinbych-y-pysgod, yna i argyfwng arall 60 milltir i ffwrdd, cafodd ei oedi yn y pen draw, gan fethu â dadlwytho cleifion y tu allan i Ysbyty Treforys. Gadawodd hyn Orllewin Caerfyrddin a De Sir Benfro heb ddigon o ddarpariaeth ambiwlans, ac yn anffodus mae'n ddigwyddiad cyffredin.
Ers 2015, mae amseroedd ymateb oren wedi mynd o 11 munud i dros 113 munud—arwydd damniol o fethiant y Llywodraeth Lafur a'i chamreolaeth o'r gwasanaethau iechyd yma yng Nghymru. Nawr, oherwydd na allwch chi gyrraedd eich targedau, rydych chi'n bwriadu newid y rheolau a newid y targedau yn y flwyddyn newydd. Felly, a wnewch chi gyfaddef, Prif Weinidog—nad oes gan Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru unrhyw syniad sut i wella gwasanaethau iechyd yng Nghymru?
Well, I just think it's really important to recognise, once again, this is also about increased demand from the public—a massive increase in demand just in the Hywel Dda region. October saw the joint second-highest number of red calls on record ever. So, let me just be clear that also what's really significant is that, despite that massive increase, they reported the best ambulance performance in Wales for response to red calls within eight minutes in October. So, you're quite right—we have to make sure that all parts of this system work, but, actually, that focus, that increase, and that increase in performance in relation to the red calls—which, of course, is the most critical one to respond to—has improved.
When it comes to reforming the way we look at this, this, of course, was a recommendation from the health committee to review how it was done, something that was done quite a long time ago in England. We've kept to this for a long time. We are following the recommendations of the committee. There does need to be a recognition of that huge increase in demand, and making sure that we respond to the most urgent patients.
Wel, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig iawn cydnabod, unwaith eto, bod hyn hefyd yn ymwneud â chynnydd yn y galw gan y cyhoedd—cynnydd enfawr yn y galw yn rhanbarth Hywel Dda. Ym mis Hydref, cafwyd y nifer gydradd ail uchaf o alwadau coch erioed. Felly, gadewch i mi fod yn eglur hefyd mai'r hyn sydd wir yn arwyddocaol, er gwaethaf y cynnydd enfawr hwnnw, eu bod nhw wedi adrodd y perfformiad ambiwlansys gorau yng Nghymru ar gyfer ymateb i alwadau coch o fewn wyth munud ym mis Hydref. Felly, rydych chi'n gwbl gywir—mae'n rhaid i ni wneud yn siŵr bod pob rhan o'r system hon yn gweithio, ond, mewn gwirionedd, mae'r pwyslais hwnnw, y cynnydd hwnnw, a'r cynnydd hwnnw mewn perfformiad o ran y galwadau coch—sef, wrth gwrs, yr un mwyaf allweddol i ymateb iddo—wedi gwella.
O ran diwygio'r ffordd yr ydym ni'n edrych ar hyn, argymhelliad oedd hwn, wrth gwrs, gan y pwyllgor iechyd i adolygu sut yr oedd yn cael ei wneud, rhywbeth a wnaed gryn dipyn o amser yn ôl yn Lloegr. Rydym ni wedi cadw at hyn ers amser maith. Rydym ni'n dilyn argymhellion y pwyllgor. Mae angen cydnabod y cynnydd enfawr hwnnw i'r galw, a gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n ymateb i'r cleifion mwyaf brys.
5. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi pobl yn y system cyfiawnder ieuenctid? OQ61988
5. How does the Welsh Government support people in the youth justice system? OQ61988
Although youth justice services are reserved, our devolved services, like healthcare, housing and education, play a crucial role in supporting children in the justice system. We work closely with the UK Government to support children through these services and through joint initiatives like the youth justice blueprint.
Er bod gwasanaethau cyfiawnder ieuenctid wedi eu cadw yn ôl, mae ein gwasanaethau datganoledig, fel gofal iechyd, tai ac addysg, yn chwarae rhan hanfodol o ran cynorthwyo plant yn y system gyfiawnder. Rydym ni'n gweithio'n agos gyda Llywodraeth y DU i gynorthwyo plant drwy'r gwasanaethau hyn a thrwy fentrau ar y cyd fel y glasbrint cyfiawnder ieuenctid.
Diolch am yr ateb.
Thank you for the response.
A couple of weeks ago I visited the John Kane Centre in my constituency, which is the base for the Cardiff youth justice service, and the Cardiff team is one of the teams in Wales that has a specialist speech and language therapist based at the centre as part of the team. And we all know how important that is, in view of the fact that 60 per cent of children sentenced in the youth justice system in England and Wales have speech, language and communication needs. All this, of course, was highlighted in the report of the Equality and Social Justice Committee.
What can the First Minister and her Government do to ensure that all young people in the youth justice system in Wales have access to a speech and language therapist that will help them understand what is happening to them in the youth justice system, particularly in the courts?
Wythnos neu ddwy yn ôl, ymwelais â Chanolfan John Kane yn fy etholaeth, sef y ganolfan ar gyfer gwasanaeth cyfiawnder ieuenctid Caerdydd, ac mae tîm Caerdydd yn un o'r timau yng Nghymru sydd â therapydd iaith a lleferydd arbenigol yn y ganolfan yn rhan o'r tîm. Ac rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod pa mor bwysig yw hynny, o ystyried y ffaith bod gan 60 y cant o blant a ddedfrydwyd yn y system cyfiawnder ieuenctid yng Nghymru a Lloegr anghenion lleferydd, iaith a chyfathrebu. Amlygwyd hyn oll, wrth gwrs, yn adroddiad y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol.
Beth all y Prif Weinidog a'i Llywodraeth ei wneud i sicrhau bod gan bob unigolyn ifanc yn y system cyfiawnder ieuenctid yng Nghymru fynediad at therapydd iaith a lleferydd a fydd yn eu helpu i ddeall yr hyn sy'n digwydd iddyn nhw yn y system cyfiawnder ieuenctid, yn enwedig yn y llysoedd?
Thanks very much, Julie. I remember this conversation—it was very difficult—in relation to the Equality and Social Justice Committee's recommendations in relation to this, and I responded at the time as the health Minister. Part of my response highlighted the challenges in this area because there are only around 800 registered speech and language therapists in Wales, and they face a huge demand. So, we do have to work out how we prioritise, and what we are prioritising is services like Flying Start to reach children at the earliest opportunity. So, getting the support in earlier we thought would stop some of the knock-on effect, perhaps, into youth justice later.
I know that the Welsh Government convened a summit on this issue in January, and that was facilitated by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. They suggested new designs to give professionals in the justice system the ability to identify communication issues, react appropriately and recognise when they need to refer to specialist support. So, that's not necessarily only through access to speech and language therapy.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Julie. Rwy'n cofio'r sgwrs hon—roedd yn anodd iawn—o ran argymhellion y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol mewn perthynas â hyn, ac fe wnes i ymateb ar y pryd fel y Gweinidog iechyd. Tynnodd rhan o'm hymateb sylw at yr heriau yn y maes hwn gan mai dim ond tua 800 o therapyddion iaith a lleferydd cofrestredig sydd yng Nghymru, ac maen nhw'n wynebu galw enfawr. Felly, mae'n rhaid i ni weithio allan sut rydym ni'n blaenoriaethu, a'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei flaenoriaethu yw gwasanaethau fel Dechrau'n Deg i gyrraedd plant cyn gynted â phosibl. Felly, o gael y cymorth i mewn yn gynharach, roeddem ni'n meddwl y byddai'n atal rhywfaint o'r sgil-effeithiau, efallai, i gyfiawnder ieuenctid yn ddiweddarach.
Gwn fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi trefnu uwchgynhadledd ar y mater hwn ym mis Ionawr, a hwyluswyd honno gan Goleg Brenhinol y Therapyddion Iaith a Lleferydd. Fe wnaethon nhw awgrymu cynlluniau newydd i roi'r gallu i weithwyr proffesiynol yn y system gyfiawnder nodi problemau cyfathrebu, ymateb yn briodol a chydnabod pryd mae angen iddyn nhw gyfeirio at gymorth arbenigol. Felly, nid yw hynny o reidrwydd trwy fynediad at therapi iaith a lleferydd yn unig.
I'd like to thank my colleague Julie Morgan for raising such an important question. As has been mentioned, unfortunately 60 per cent of those in the youth justice system have speech and language difficulties. This rises up to a staggering 79 per cent within the Neath Port Talbot council area. From your time as health Minister, you'll know about the link between speech and language issues and early childhood hearing loss, and I wonder, First Minister, has a study ever been conducted on the hearing abilities of those within the youth justice system and, if not, would you commit to analysing it? Thank you.
Hoffwn ddiolch i'm cyd-Aelod Julie Morgan am godi cwestiwn mor bwysig. Fel y soniwyd, yn anffodus mae gan 60 y cant o'r rhai yn y system cyfiawnder ieuenctid anawsterau iaith a lleferydd. Mae hyn yn codi i ganran syfrdanol o 79 y cant yn ardal cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot. O'ch cyfnod fel Gweinidog iechyd, byddwch yn gwybod am y cysylltiad rhwng problemau iaith a lleferydd a cholli clyw yn gynnar mewn plentyndod, a meddwl ydw i tybed, Prif Weinidog, a oes astudiaeth erioed wedi cael ei chynnal ar alluoedd clywed y rhai sydd yn y system cyfiawnder ieuenctid ac, os nad oes, a fyddech chi'n ymrwymo i'w ddadansoddi? Diolch.
Thanks very much. I can't remember reading that in the committee's report, but I'm very happy to go and take another look, to see if that was an issue that they raised. Obviously, that is something that should also be considered, if this is an issue.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Nid wyf i'n gallu cofio darllen hynny yn adroddiad y pwyllgor, ond rwy'n hapus iawn i fynd a chymryd golwg arall, i weld a oedd hwnnw'n fater a godwyd ganddyn nhw. Yn amlwg, mae hynny'n rhywbeth y dylid ei ystyried hefyd, os yw hyn yn broblem.
Brif Weinidog, as you've heard from the previous questions, the availability of data is crucial to improve the justice system here in Wales, and due to the lack of published disaggregated Welsh data, we've been totally dependent on the tireless work and the freedom of information requests of Dr Robert Jones from the Wales Governance Centre. Now, however, at the end of November, the Ministry of Justice said that they will no longer respond to Dr Jones's requests, as they deem his applications to be vexatious. Now, he needs to do these applications, and he's been doing them since 2013, because the MOJ has failed to routinely publish these data. Now, this didn't happen under a hostile Conservative Government, it happened under a Labour Government, who's supposed to be committed to improve the justice system here in Wales.
Now, these aren't vexatious applications, it's helped the Welsh Government, it's helped the Trefnydd—the Trefnydd can attest to that—it's helped countless committees here, in Westminster, and in the Welsh Government. Will you speak to officials at the MOJ and make sure that his applications will be accepted, and to highlight to them that his applications are anything but vexatious, but are crucial to the development of the Welsh justice system here in Wales? Diolch yn fawr.
Prif Weinidog, fel yr ydych chi wedi ei glywed o'r cwestiynau blaenorol, mae sicrhau bod data ar gael yn hanfodol i wella'r system gyfiawnder yma yng Nghymru, ac oherwydd diffyg data wedi'u dadgyfuno cyhoeddedig ar gyfer Cymru, rydym ni wedi bod yn gwbl ddibynnol ar waith diflino a cheisiadau rhyddid gwybodaeth Dr Robert Jones o Ganolfan Llywodraethiant Cymru. Nawr, fodd bynnag, ddiwedd mis Tachwedd, dywedodd y Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder na fyddan nhw'n ymateb i geisiadau Dr Jones mwyach, gan eu bod nhw o'r farn bod ei geisiadau'n flinderus. Nawr, mae angen iddo wneud y ceisiadau hyn, ac mae wedi bod yn eu gwneud ers 2013, gan fod y Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder wedi methu â chyhoeddi'r data hyn fel mater o drefn. Nawr, ni ddigwyddodd hyn o dan Lywodraeth Geidwadol elyniaethus, digwyddodd o dan Lywodraeth Lafur, sydd i fod i fod wedi ymrwymo i wella'r system gyfiawnder yma yng Nghymru.
Nawr, nid yw'r rhain yn geisiadau blinderus, mae wedi helpu Llywodraeth Cymru, mae wedi helpu'r Trefnydd—gall y Trefnydd dystio i hynny—mae wedi helpu pwyllgorau di-rif yma, yn San Steffan, ac yn Llywodraeth Cymru. A wnewch chi siarad â swyddogion yn y Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder a gwneud yn siŵr y bydd ei geisiadau yn cael eu derbyn, a thynnu eu sylw at y ffaith fod ei geisiadau yn unrhyw beth ond blinderus, ond yn hanfodol i ddatblygiad system gyfiawnder Cymru yma yng Nghymru? Diolch yn fawr.
Thanks very much. I'm sure you'll be delighted to hear that Jane Hutt, the social justice Secretary, will be meeting Dr Jones next week to discuss some of these issues.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n falch iawn o glywed y bydd Jane Hutt, yr Ysgrifennydd cyfiawnder cymdeithasol, yn cyfarfod â Dr Jones yr wythnos nesaf i drafod rhai o'r materion hyn.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi diweddariad ar waith adfer gwaith diffygiol o dan gynllun Arbed yn Arfon ar ôl cynnal yr arolygon dros yr haf? OQ61986
6. Will the First Minister provide an update on remedial work on the defective work under the Arbed scheme in Arfon after undertaking reviews over the summer? OQ61986
Mae swyddogion wedi adolygu’r arolygon a gafodd eu cynnal yn Arfon dros yr haf ac yn edrych ar opsiynau rhesymol o fewn cyfyngiadau ein hadnoddau. Bydd cyngor yn cael ei anfon at Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai er mwyn ystyried y ffordd orau o fynd ati i ddatrys y mater ar gyfer perchnogion tai sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio.
Officials have reviewed the surveys undertaken in Arfon during the summer and are exploring reasonable options within our resource constraints. Advice will be sent to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government for consideration on how best to proceed to resolve the issue for affected home owners.
Diolch am yr ateb. A dyma ni yng nghanol gaeaf gwlyb a stormus arall, ac mae rhai o fy etholwyr i yn dal i ddisgwyl, yn dal i ddisgwyl i Lywodraeth Cymru weithredu ar eu haddewidion i wneud gwaith adferol ar eu cartrefi. Dyma etholwyr sydd wedi rhoi eu ffydd yng nghynllun Arbed, cynllun eich Llywodraeth chi, oedd yn addo gwella eu cartrefi, ond, mewn gwirionedd, mae dwsinau o bobl yng Ngharmel, Fron, Dinorwig a Deiniolen, cymunedau sydd efo'r stoc tai ymhlith y salaf yng Nghymru—maen nhw wedi cael eu gadael i lawr. Mae eu cartrefi nhw mewn cyflwr gwaeth rŵan na chyn iddyn nhw ymuno â chynllun Arbed flynyddoedd yn ôl bellach.
O'r diwedd, tua diwedd cyfnod Julie James fel yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet tai, fe ddaeth gobaith, ac fe gynhaliwyd arolygon ar 42 o dai dros yr haf diwethaf, yn dilyn pwyso cyson gen i, ond does yna ddim byd wedi digwydd ers hynny, a dwi'n mawr obeithio nad oes yna dro pedol yn mynd i fod rŵan ar ôl codi gobeithion. Dwi'n cymryd ychydig bach o gysur o'ch ateb chi, ond beth ydy'r amserlen ar gyfer adfer y gwaith diffygiol, os gwelwch yn dda?
Thank you for the answer. And here we are in the midst of another wet and stormy winter, and some of my constituents are still waiting, waiting for the Welsh Government to act on its promises to carry out remedial work on their homes. These are voters who have put their faith in the Arbed scheme, your Government's scheme, which promised to improve their homes, but, in reality, there are dozens of people in Carmel, Fron, Dinorwig and Deiniolen, communities whose housing stock is among the poorest in Wales, who have been let down. Their homes are in a worse condition now than they were before they joined the Arbed scheme some years ago now.
At last, towards the end of Julie James's tenure as the Cabinet Secretary for housing, there was hope, and surveys were carried out on 42 houses last summer, following constant pressure from me, but nothing has happened since then, and I greatly hope that there is to be no u-turn now after hopes have been raised. I take some comfort from your answer, but what is the timescale for restoring the defective work, please?
Wel, diolch yn fawr, Siân. Mae wedi cymryd mwy o amser na'r disgwyl i ymateb achos natur fanwl yr adroddiadau, a bydd y swyddogion yn ysgrifennu at ddeiliaid tai i'w hysbysu bod y broses yn parhau. Nawr, unwaith y bydd penderfyniad wedi'i gytuno gydag Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Dai a Llywodraeth Leol, bydd deiliaid tai yn derbyn y camau nesaf a'r amserlen ar gyfer pryd fydd unrhyw waith posibl yn cael ei wneud. Ac, wrth gwrs, bydd hwnna'n amodol, i ryw raddau, ar amodau'r tywydd. Felly, rŷn ni'n gwybod bod tua 393 o dai wedi elwa o Arbed yn Arfon, ac mae 57 o'r rheini gyda'r potensial i gael problemau.
Thank you very much, Siân. It has taken longer than expected to respond because of the detailed nature of the reports, and officials will write to home owners to inform them that the process is ongoing. Now, once a decision is agreed with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, home owners will be informed of the next steps and the timetable as to when any possible work will be done. And, of course, that will be, to some extent, conditional on weather conditions. So, we know that around 393 homes have benefited from Arbed in Arfon, and 57 of those have the potential for problems.
I'm grateful to Siân Gwenllian for raising the question on behalf of her constituents today, and thank you for your response as well, First Minister. You recognise that far too many people have been adversely affected by this faulty scheme in Arfon and across north Wales, and you've mentioned the numbers of people who have been impacted. It does start to feel, though, that there's a lack of urgency around this being resolved sooner rather than later, so I wonder whether you would acknowledge that there does seem to be a lack of urgency of seeing this matter resolved, and what lessons you and the Government have learnt as a result of people impacted by this faulty scheme.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i Siân Gwenllian am godi'r cwestiwn ar ran ei hetholwyr heddiw, a diolch am eich ymateb chithau hefyd, Prif Weinidog. Rydych chi'n cydnabod bod llawer gormod o bobl wedi cael eu heffeithio'n andwyol gan y cynllun diffygiol hwn yn Arfon ac ar draws y gogledd, ac rydych chi wedi sôn am nifer y bobl sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio. Fodd bynnag, mae'n dechrau teimlo bod diffyg brys ynghylch datrys hyn cyn gynted â phosibl, felly tybed a fyddech chi'n cydnabod ei bod hi'n ymddangos bod diffyg brys o weld y mater hwn yn cael ei ddatrys, a pha wersi ydych chi a'r Llywodraeth wedi eu dysgu o ganlyniad i bobl yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw gan y cynllun diffygiol hwn.
Well, thanks very much. Look, I think we have got to learn lessons, and it's lessons from previous schemes like the community energy saving programme scheme, and we've seen the remedial work that we've had to undertake in Huw Irranca's constituency—that work has already commenced. There is no obligation on the Welsh Labour Government to, contractually or legally, correct this issue; we are doing it because we think it's the right thing to do. So, this is going to be supportive of those people who've had shoddy work done, but, obviously, we have tightened up the situation under any new schemes to make sure that we don't have the situation arise again.
Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn. Edrychwch, rwy'n credu bod rhaid i ni ddysgu gwersi, a gwersi yw'r rhain o gynlluniau blaenorol fel cynllun y rhaglen arbed ynni cymunedol, ac rydym ni wedi gweld y gwaith adfer y bu'n rhaid i ni ymgymryd ag ef yn etholaeth Huw Irranca—bod y gwaith hwnnw wedi cychwyn eisoes. Nid oes unrhyw rwymedigaeth ar Lywodraeth Lafur Cymru i gywiro'r mater hwn, yn gytundebol nac yn gyfreithiol; rydym ni'n gwneud felly am ein bod ni'n credu mai dyna'r peth iawn i'w wneud. Felly, fe fydd hyn yn estyn cymorth i'r bobl hynny sydd wedi gweld gwaith gwael yn cael ei wneud, ond, yn amlwg, rydym ni wedi tynhau'r sefyllfa o dan unrhyw gynlluniau newydd i sicrhau nad yw'r sefyllfa honno'n codi eto.
7. Pa asesiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud o ganfyddiadau adroddiadau 'False Economy of Big Food' a 'Changing the Conversation' gan y Food, Farming and Countryside Commission? OQ62005
7. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the findings of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission's 'False Economy of Big Food' and 'Changing the Conversation' reports? OQ62005
The Welsh Government is very well aware of the issues in these reports about negative features of the food system, which is why we are pursuing important food-related policies such as 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales', and universal primary free school meals, and are committed to a community food strategy.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymwybodol iawn o'r materion yn yr adroddiadau hyn ynglŷn â nodweddion negyddol y system fwyd, a dyna pam rydym ni'n dilyn polisïau pwysig sy'n gysylltiedig â bwyd fel 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach', a phrydau ysgol am ddim i holl blant ysgolion cynradd, ac rydym ni wedi ymrwymo i'r strategaeth bwyd cymunedol.
Thank you, First Minister. We know that the cost to society of allowing these junk food companies to continue to make that the dominant food that people are eating, and the cost to the health service and our economy, makes it, I hope, a priority for the UK Government to legislate to tax ultra-processed foods and be able to use the proceeds to make fresh food available to all.
Now, the Presiding Officer will be familiar with the very successful campaign by Ysgol y Deri pupils in Ceredigion to get Welsh fruit and vegetables served in their school, and other pupils and patients are demanding food grown in Wales, which is obviously going to enhance their well-being. So, what plans does the Welsh Government have to use public procurement to pump prime expansion of fresh fruit and vegetables grown in Wales, particularly to communities where none is available?
Diolch i chi, Prif Weinidog. Fe wyddom ni fod y gost i'r gymdeithas yn sgil caniatáu i'r cwmnïau bwyd sothach hyn ddal ati i wneud y bwyd hwnnw yr un y mae pobl yn ei fwyta amlaf, a'r gost i'r gwasanaeth iechyd a'n heconomi, yn gwneud hyn, rwy'n gobeithio, yn flaenoriaeth i Lywodraeth y DU o ran deddfu i drethu bwyd wedi'i brosesu'n helaeth er mwyn gallu defnyddio'r elw i sicrhau bod bwyd ffres ar gael i bawb.
Nawr, mae'r Llywydd yn siŵr o fod yn gyfarwydd â'r ymgyrch lwyddiannus iawn gan ddisgyblion Ysgol y Deri yng Ngheredigion i weini ffrwythau a llysiau o Gymru yn eu hysgol, ac mae disgyblion a chleifion eraill yn mynnu cael bwyd sydd wedi'i dyfu yng Nghymru, a fydd yn amlwg yn gwella eu llesiant. Felly, pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ddefnyddio caffael cyhoeddus i bwmpio ehangu ffrwythau a llysiau ffres a dyfir yng Nghymru, yn enwedig i gymunedau lle nad ydynt ar gael?
Thanks very much. I know how passionately you feel about this, Jenny. I was really shocked with the figure that came up in that report—£286 billion, the cost of junk food to the UK public realm. It's clearly something we all need to take very seriously. The Welsh Government's role in this, I think, is to make sure we set the strategic agenda, and what we've done is to do that through creating the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023. That will require public procurement in Wales to be undertaken in a socially responsible way. So, we've said in Part 3 of that Act that it's going to be started at the end of 2025, or early 2026, and that remains the position. I know that the future generations commissioner is very much focused on this, and I'll be really excited to visit Cegin y Bobl, which is an initiative also that's driving standards in schools, and I look forward to visiting that next week. The Welsh Veg in Schools project, that's another thing that I think we should be proud of, and that's a project that involves six local authorities, and the joy of this, of course, is that it links up the local agricultural communities and the growers locally, and we've got to see more of that, and it's going in the right direction. Things have improved, certainly. In hospital meals, for example, £14 million is spent on food and drink from Welsh suppliers. So, things are improving, but, obviously, there's a long way to go.
Diolch yn fawr. Rwy'n gwybod pa mor angerddol yr ydych chi'n teimlo ynglŷn â hyn, Jenny. Fe gefais i sioc fawr gan y ffigur a oedd yn ymddangos yn yr adroddiad hwnnw—£286 biliwn, sef cost bwyd sothach i fywyd cyhoeddus y DU. Mae'n amlwg yn rhywbeth y mae'n rhaid i ni i gyd ei gymryd o ddifrif. Swyddogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru yn hyn o beth, rwy'n credu, yw sicrhau ein bod ni'n pennu'r agenda strategol, a'r hyn a wnaethom ni oedd gwneud felly drwy greu Deddf Partneriaeth Gymdeithasol a Chaffael Cyhoeddus (Cymru) 2023. Fe fydd honno'n ei gwneud yn ofynnol i gaffael cyhoeddus yng Nghymru gael ei wneud mewn ffordd sy'n gyfrifol yn gymdeithasol. Felly, rydym wedi mynegi yn Rhan 3 o'r Ddeddf honno y bydd yn cael ei rhoi ar waith ar ddiwedd 2025, neu ar ddechrau 2026, a honno yw'r sefyllfa o hyd. Rwy'n gwybod bod comisiynydd cenedlaethau'r dyfodol yn canolbwyntio ar hyn i raddau helaeth iawn, ac fe fyddaf i'n teimlo'n gyffrous iawn wrth ymweld â Chegin y Bobl, sef menter hefyd sy'n codi safonau mewn ysgolion, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at ymweld â honno'r wythnos nesaf. Prosiect Llysiau o Gymru ar gyfer ysgolion Cymru, mae hwnnw'n rhywbeth arall y dylem ni fod yn falch ohono yn fy marn i, ac mae hwnnw'n brosiect sy'n cynnwys chwe awdurdod lleol, a hyfrydwch hwnnw, wrth gwrs, yw ei fod yn cysylltu'r cymunedau amaethyddol lleol a'r rhai sy'n tyfu yn lleol, ac mae'n rhaid i ni weld mwy o hynny, ac mae hynny'n mynd i'r cyfeiriad cywir. Mae pethau wedi gwella, wrth gwrs. O ran prydau mewn ysbytai, er enghraifft, mae £14 miliwn yn cael ei wario ar fwyd a diod oddi wrth gyflenwyr o Gymru. Felly, mae pethau yn gwella, ond, yn amlwg, mae yna ffordd bell i fynd eto.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 8, Lesley Griffiths.
Finally, question 8, Lesley Griffiths.
8. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod targedau ambiwlans galwadau coch yn cael eu cyrraedd? OQ61976
8. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure red call ambulance targets are met? OQ61976
I'm pleased to report that the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust responded to a record number of category red patients in eight minutes during October 2024. Now, we are taking action to improve the service further through focusing on reducing handover delays, our 50-day integrated care winter challenge, and recruitment of more ambulance clinicians.
Rwy'n falch o adrodd bod Ymddiriedolaeth GIG Prifysgol Gwasanaethau Ambiwlans Cymru wedi ymateb i'r nifer fwyaf erioed o gleifion categori coch o fewn wyth munud yn ystod mis Hydref 2024. Nawr, rydym ni'n cymryd camau i wella'r gwasanaeth ymhellach trwy ganolbwyntio ar leihau oedi wrth drosglwyddo, ein her o ran gofal integredig 50 diwrnod yn ystod y gaeaf, a recriwtio mwy o glinigwyr ambiwlans.
Last week, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care updated Members on work he is undertaking to improve overall ambulance response times, including red call targets. However, alongside this work, it is absolutely vital that we have a holistic approach taken to ensuring that patient flow, once a patient does arrive in the emergency department, is improved. Could you please outline what action is being taken to decrease those handover delays and reduce the number of ambulances sitting outside our emergency departments?
Yr wythnos diwethaf, rhoddodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol ddiweddariad i'r Aelodau am y gwaith y mae'n ei wneud i wella amseroedd ymateb cyffredinol ambiwlansys, gan gynnwys nodau o ran galwadau coch. Er hynny, ochr yn ochr â'r gwaith hwn, mae hi'n gwbl hanfodol bod dull cyfannol gennym ni o sicrhau bod llif cleifion, wrth i gleifion gyrraedd yr adrannau achosion brys, yn gwella. A wnewch chi amlinellu pa gamau sy'n cael eu cymryd i fyrhau'r oediadau hynny wrth drosglwyddo a lleihau nifer yr ambiwlansys sy'n sefyll y tu allan i'n hadrannau brys?
Thanks very much. We've added significantly to the ambulance service capacity in recent times. For example, we've seen the recruitment, recently, of advanced paramedic practitioners just this year to more than 100 across Wales. That's, again, a new initiative. So, we keep on adding to these initiatives that are already in place. I've just come back from the COVID inquiry. I was explaining to them that we'd increased the numbers in our front-line services by 100 in the particular year that they were looking at. There's been an investment in the Cymru high-acuity responder unit, a £3 million investment in that. We're investing £12 million in new ambulances. So, all of those things are helping.
But, you're right, it's about the flow that we've got to address all the time. Think about the flow. We've got to fix the back end of the system. I'm really pleased that some of the additional money that has been announced this week will go towards supporting that, getting that flow right, making sure we've got additional capacity, but also the work of the care action committee in making sure that we try and keep people in their homes and don't get them into hospital, and we look after them at home, which means reinforcing the support within the community. And all that is about recruitment and moving people out of hospitals and into the community. It's not straightforward when you've got waiting lists to deal with as well, but I think there's a real recognition that that flow issue is where the real problem is, and there's a huge amount of work, I know, that goes in to try and correct that.
Diolch yn fawr. Rydym ni wedi ychwanegu llawer at gapasiti'r gwasanaeth ambiwlans yn ddiweddar. Er enghraifft, rydym ni wedi gweld recriwtio ymarferwyr parafeddygol uwch yn ddiweddar hyd at fwy na 100 ledled Cymru. Unwaith eto, mae honno'n fenter newydd. Felly, rydym ni'n parhau i ychwanegu at y mentrau hyn sydd ar waith eisoes. Rwyf i newydd ddod yn ôl o'r ymchwiliad i COVID. Roeddwn i'n egluro iddyn nhw ein bod ni wedi cynyddu'r niferoedd yn ein gwasanaethau rheng flaen, 100 ychwanegol yn y flwyddyn arbennig a oedd ganddyn nhw dan sylw. Fe fu yna fuddsoddiad yn yr uned ymateb aciwtedd uchel Cymru, buddsoddiad o £3 miliwn yn honno. Rydym ni'n buddsoddi £12 miliwn mewn ambiwlansys newydd. Felly, mae'r pethau hyn i gyd o gymorth.
Ond, rydych chi'n iawn, mae'n ymwneud â rheoli'r llif y mae'n rhaid ymdrin ag ef trwy'r amser. Meddyliwch chi am y llif. Mae'n rhaid i ni drwsio'r tu cefn y system. Rwy'n falch iawn y bydd rhywfaint o'r arian ychwanegol a gyhoeddwyd yr wythnos hon yn mynd tuag at gefnogi hynny, rheoli'r llif hwnnw'n iawn, a sicrhau bod capasiti ychwanegol gennym ni, ond fe geir gwaith y pwyllgor gweithredu gofal hefyd o ran sicrhau ein bod ni'n ceisio cadw pobl yn eu cartrefi ac nad ydyn nhw'n gorfod mynd i'r ysbyty, ac rydym ni'n gofalu amdanyn nhw gartref, sy'n golygu atgyfnerthu'r gefnogaeth sydd yn y gymuned. Ac mae hyn i gyd yn ymwneud â recriwtio a symud pobl o'r ysbyty ac i'r gymuned. Nid yw hi'n hawdd pan fo rhestrau aros gennych chi i ymdrin â nhw hefyd, ond rwy'n credu bod cydnabyddiaeth wirioneddol mai'r broblem honno o ran y llif yw'r broblem wirioneddol, ac mae llawer iawn o waith, fe wn, yn mynd i mewn i geisio unioni hynny.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf yw eitem, felly, fydd y cwestiynau i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Cyflawni, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Gareth Davies.
The next item is questions to the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery, and the first question is from Gareth Davies.
1. Sut y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol yn gweithio gyda chydweithwyr yn y Cabinet i sicrhau bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyflawni ei thargedau dros y 18 mis nesaf? OQ61974
1. How is the Counsel General working with Cabinet colleagues to ensure the Welsh Government delivers on its targets over the next 18 months? OQ61974
Thank you for the question. In my role as Minister of delivery I'm providing additional capacity to support my Cabinet colleagues and bringing people together across the Government to find innovative ways of delivering delivery of all of our priorities at pace.
Diolch i chi am y cwestiwn. Yn rhinwedd fy swydd yn Weinidog cyflawni, rwy'n darparu gallu ychwanegol ar gyfer rhoi cefnogaeth i'm cyd-Aelodau yn y Cabinet a dod â phobl at ei gilydd ar draws y Llywodraeth i ganfod ffyrdd arloesol o gyflawni ein blaenoriaethau ni i gyd yn ddi-oed.
Thank you very much for that response, Counsel General. Obviously, we're embarking on the final 18 months of this Senedd term before we embark on the 2026 Senedd elections, and something that is going to change is the size of the Senedd, obviously, from 60 Members up to 96. And, obviously, in questions across Cabinet members, we hear of cuts to budgets, councils struggling, and NHS funds also struggling. With the additional £120 million that the Senedd reform’s going to cost over a period of five years, does the Government still believe that that's a wise use of taxpayers' money, given the financial situation that we're currently facing, by expanding this Senedd by 36 Members in 2026?
Diolch yn fawr iawn am yr ateb yna, Cwnsler Cyffredinol. Yn amlwg, rydym ni'n cychwyn ar 18 mis olaf tymor y Senedd hon cyn i ni ddechrau ar etholiadau'r Senedd yn 2026, a rhywbeth a fydd yn newid maint y Senedd, yn amlwg, o 60 Aelod hyd at 96. Ac, yn amlwg, mewn cwestiynau ar draws aelodau'r Cabinet, rydym ni'n clywed am doriadau i gyllidebau, cynghorau mewn cyfyngder, ac mae arian i'r GIG dan bwysau hefyd. Gyda'r £120 miliwn ychwanegol y bydd diwygiad y Senedd yn ei gostio dros gyfnod o bum mlynedd, a yw'r Llywodraeth o'r farn o hyd fod hwnnw'n ddefnydd doeth o arian trethdalwyr, o ystyried y sefyllfa ariannol yr ydym ni'n ei hwynebu ar hyn o bryd, drwy ehangu'r Senedd hon gyda 36 Aelod arall eto yn 2026?
Thank you for that question. I'm not quite sure how it relates to my role as Minister of delivery or as Counsel General, but an interesting shoehorning of a political point into this question time. The Senedd reform agenda is very much about delivering the best legislative capacity for the people of Wales. It is very much about making sure that this Senedd passes the very best possible set of laws that it can in delivering for the people of Wales, and it is about ensuring that each backbencher and each member of the Government in the new Senedd will be able to play a good part in delivering a proper legislative programme, with the right amount of scrutiny and the right amount of consideration, so that each of those laws can be the best law it possibly can be. I have never ever thought that 60 people can do that for a nation, and I'm very glad to see that extra legislative capacity going in place.
Diolch i chi am y cwestiwn yna. Nid wyf i'n hollol siŵr sut mae hynna'n cysylltu â'm swyddogaeth i yn Weinidog cyflawni neu'n Gwnsler Cyffredinol, ond mae'n ffordd ddiddorol o wthio pwynt gwleidyddol i mewn i'r amser hwn ar gyfer cwestiynau. Mae agenda diwygio'r Senedd yn ymwneud i raddau helaeth iawn â chyflawni'r gallu deddfwriaethol gorau er mwyn pobl Cymru. Mae'n ymwneud i raddau helaeth iawn â sicrhau y bydd y Senedd hon yn pasio'r set orau bosibl o ddeddfau y gall hi wrth gyflawni ar ran pobl Cymru, ac mae'n ymwneud â sicrhau y bydd pob aelod ar y meinciau cefn a phob aelod o'r Llywodraeth yn y Senedd newydd yn gallu chwarae rhan dda yng nghyflwyniad rhaglen ddeddfwriaethol sy'n gymwys, gyda'r gyfran briodol o graffu a'r gyfran briodol o ystyriaeth, fel y gall pob un o'r deddfau hynny fod y gyfraith orau bosibl. Nid wyf wedi bod o'r farn erioed y gall 60 o bobl wneud hynny dros genedl gyfan, ac rwy'n falch iawn o weld y gallu deddfwriaethol ychwanegol hwnnw'n cael ei roi ar waith.
Un targed sydd yn bell iawn, iawn o'i chyflawni ydy'r targed i godi 20,000 o gartrefi cymdeithasol newydd erbyn 2026. Mae'n rhaid i mi gondemnio’r diffyg cyflawni. Dim ond 5,775 o'r cartrefi sydd wedi cael eu hadeiladu erbyn diwedd 2023-24. Mae'r diffyg tryloywder am y cynllun yn peri pryder hefyd. Does yna ddim sicrwydd y bydd pob un o'r nifer bychan yma yn parhau fel tai cymdeithasol i'r dyfodol, a does yna ddim sicrwydd eu bod nhw'n cael eu hadeiladu yn y llefydd cywir er mwyn datrys lle mae'r problemau ar eu gwaethaf. Gydag eich Llywodraeth chi mor bell i ffwrdd o'r targed, a diffyg tryloywder er mwyn rhoi hyder i ni fod y rhain y math cywir o gartrefi yn y llefydd priodol, sut byddwch chi'n symud y gwaith ymlaen? Sut byddwch chi yn cyflawni? A sut gallwch chi honni bod eich Llywodraeth chi yn delio efo'r argyfwng tai?
One target that is very far from being achieved is the target to build 20,000 new social homes by 2026. I have to condemn this lack of delivery. Only 5,775 of these homes had been built by the end of 2023-24. The lack of transparency regarding the plan is also very concerning. There is no guarantee that every one of these very few homes will continue to be social homes into the future, and there is no guarantee that they are being built in the right places in order to solve where the problems are at their worst. With your Government so far away from the target, and a lack of transparency to give us confidence that these are the right kinds of homes in the right places, how will you move this work forward? How will you deliver? And how can you claim that your Government is dealing with the housing crisis?
Thank you for that, Siân. Individual Cabinet Secretaries remain responsible for the delivery of priorities in their portfolio. So, the housing target is the responsibility of my colleague in the Cabinet Jayne Bryant. But you will know, of course, that I was the housing Minister up until extremely recently. I'm very familiar with that target. As part of my responsibility as Minister for Delivery, I am assisting Jayne Bryant in overseeing the work of the taskforce, which is now led by Lee Waters MS, in looking to see how we can accelerate the delivery of houses right across Wales—of course, the right house in the right place.
You'll also be very familiar with the fact, I know, from our previous exchanges on this subject, that we have deliberately targeted homes for social rent. We obviously deliver affordable homes as well, and, for example, the Help to Buy system, but these are specifically targeted at homes for social rent, because that was the greatest need at the point in time of the manifesto commitment last time.
We have experienced a series of things that have caused that target to be really difficult to attain, but I still think that we can make it. I have said a number of times publicly that we are hanging onto it by the skin of our teeth, but that does not mean to say that we should lose the ambition to deliver.
So, I think—. It's not for me to say exactly where we are now—you must ask the correct Cabinet Secretary for that—but I can assure you that, across the Government, one of my tasks is making sure that all of the levers across the Government that we need to deliver that target are in place. So, I've recently had discussions, for example, with the Minister for finance. I've had discussions with Rebecca Evans, who now has responsibility for planning. I've had conversations with Jayne Bryant in her housing role, but also in her local government role, to make sure that all of those levers are in place, and that's very much what I do bring to this role—bringing a diverse set of people together to make sure that we do exercise all the levers.
I have never been prepared to say that we have given up on that target, and I am not prepared to say so now, and I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary, when you ask her, will agree with that.
Diolch i chi am hynna, Siân. Yr Ysgrifenyddion Cabinet unigol sy'n dal i fod yn gyfrifol am gyflawni blaenoriaethau yn eu portffolio nhw. Felly, fy nghyd-Aelod yn y cabinet Jayne Bryant sy'n gyfrifol am y targed o ran tai. Ond fe wyddoch chi, wrth gwrs, mai fi oedd y Gweinidog tai hyd at yn ddiweddar iawn. Rwy'n gyfarwydd iawn â'r targed hwnnw. Fel rhan o'm cyfrifoldeb i'n Weinidog Cyflawni, rwy'n cynorthwyo Jayne Bryant i oruchwylio gwaith y tasglu, sydd dan arweiniad Lee Waters AS erbyn hyn, wrth geisio ystyried sut y gallwn ni gyflymu'r gwaith o godi tai ledled Cymru—wrth gwrs, y tŷ cywir yn y man cywir.
Rydych chi'n siŵr o fod yn gyfarwydd iawn â'r ffaith hefyd, fe wn, am ein bod ni wedi cael dadleuon am y pwnc hwn yn flaenorol, ein bod ni wedi targedu'n fwriadol gartrefi i'w rhoi ar rent cymdeithasol. Rydym ni'n amlwg yn darparu cartrefi fforddiadwy hefyd, ac er enghraifft, mae'r gyfundrefn Cymorth i Brynu, ond mae'r rhain wedi eu targedu'n benodol at gartrefi ar gyfer rhent cymdeithasol, oherwydd hwnnw oedd yr angen mwyaf ar yr adeg y rhoddwyd ymrwymiad yn y maniffesto'r tro diwethaf.
Rydym ni wedi profi cyfres o bethau sydd wedi achosi'r targed hwnnw i fod yn anodd iawn ei gyrraedd, ond rwy'n dal i fod o'r farn y gallwn ni wneud hynny. Rwyf i wedi dweud sawl gwaith ar goedd gwlad ein bod ni'n dal ato â chroen ein dannedd, ond nid yw hynny'n golygu dweud y dylem ni golli'r uchelgais o ran cyflawni.
Felly, rwy'n credu—. Nid fy lle i yw dweud yn hollol beth yw ein sefyllfa nawr—fe fydd yn rhaid i chi ofyn i'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet priodol ynglŷn â hynny—ond fe allaf i eich sicrhau chi, ar draws y Llywodraeth, mai un o'r tasgau sydd gennyf i yw sicrhau y bydd pob un o'r ysgogiadau sydd ei angen arnom ni ar waith ar draws y Llywodraeth ar gyfer cyflawni'r targed hwnnw. Felly, fe gefais i drafodaethau yn ddiweddar, er enghraifft, gyda'r Gweinidog cyllid. Fe gefais i drafodaethau gyda Rebecca Evans, sy'n gyfrifol am gynllunio erbyn hyn. Rwyf i wedi cael sgyrsiau gyda Jayne Bryant yn ei swyddogaeth hi o ran tai, ond yn ei swyddogaeth o ran llywodraeth leol hefyd, i wneud yn siŵr y bydd pob un o'r ysgogiadau hynny ar waith, a dyna'r hyn yr wyf i'n ei gyflwyno yn y swydd hon i raddau helaeth—gan ddod â set amrywiol o bobl at ei gilydd i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n defnyddio pob un o'r ysgogiadau.
Nid wyf erioed wedi bod yn barod i ddweud ein bod wedi rhoi'r ffidil yn y to o ran y targed hwnnw, ac nid wyf i'n barod i ddweud hynny nawr, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, pan wnewch chi ofyn iddi hi, yn cytuno â hynny.
I really welcome the £157 million that's just been announced in-year for delivering the priorities of the First Minister, especially in public services. Fixing our roads was one of the priorities of the First Minister, and, with highways and pavements and bridges really being impacted by flooding, I'd like to hear an announcement about that. I recently visited Flintshire, who are using a Pothole Pro machine, which is three times faster and more effective than the standard way of repairing roads. They just need the tar. So, I would like to ask you: will there be an announcement soon regarding fixing our highways in the budget? Thank you.
Rwyf yn wir yn croesawu'r £157 miliwn sydd newydd gael ei gyhoeddi yn ystod y flwyddyn ar gyfer cyflawni blaenoriaethau'r Prif Weinidog, yn enwedig o ran gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Roedd trwsio ein ffyrdd ni'n un o flaenoriaethau'r Prif Weinidog, a gyda phriffyrdd a phalmentydd a phontydd yn cael eu difrodi gan lifogydd, fe hoffwn glywed cyhoeddiad ynglŷn â hynny. Yn ddiweddar, fe ymwelais i â sir y Fflint, sy'n defnyddio peiriant Pothole Pro, sydd dair gwaith yn gynt ac yn fwy effeithiol na'r ffordd arferol o drwsio ffyrdd. Dim ond y tarmac sydd ei angen arnyn nhw. Felly, fe hoffwn i ofyn i chi: a fydd yna gyhoeddiad yn dod yn fuan ynglŷn â thrwsio ein priffyrdd ni yn y gyllideb? Diolch i chi.
Thank you very much for that question, Carolyn Thomas. I have to say that the Minister for finance has been very clear with every single member of the Cabinet that we are not to pre-announce the budget, so I'm afraid you will have to wait with bated breath until his statement on the budget, as far be it from me to go against that piece of advice from him.
I will say, though, that the entire point of the road review that was undertaken by this Government earlier in the piece was to make sure that we refocused on maintaining the road system that we had before we added to it with other roads. That's not to say, of course, that we haven't added some roads, which are entirely necessary to the system—certainly not an anti-road policy of any sort. But it is making sure that we fix our roof before we build the extension. So, I feel sure that I can assure you that we do have those priorities firmly in place, but I am afraid that I'm not going to respond to your very nice invitation to breach the budget confidentiality until the Minister for finance does so.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am y cwestiwn yna, Carolyn Thomas. Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud bod y Gweinidog cyllid wedi bod yn eglur iawn gyda phob un aelod o'r Cabinet na ddylem ni gyhoeddi'r gyllideb ymlaen llaw, felly rwy'n ofni y bydd yn rhaid i chi aros ar bigau'r drain tan ei ddatganiad ef ar y gyllideb, oherwydd nid fy lle i o gwbl fyddai mynd yn groes i'r darn hwnnw o gyngor ganddo ef.
Fodd bynnag, yr hyn yr wyf i am ei ddweud yw mai holl bwynt yr adolygiad ffyrdd a gynhaliwyd gan y Llywodraeth hon yn gynharach yn y darn hwnnw oedd sicrhau ein bod ni'n canolbwyntio ar gynnal a chadw'r system ffyrdd a oedd gennym cyn i ni ychwanegu at hynny gyda ffyrdd eraill. Nid yw hynny'n golygu, wrth gwrs, na wnaethom ni ychwanegu rhai ffyrdd, sy'n gwbl angenrheidiol i'r system—yn sicr nid oes polisi gwrth-ffyrdd o unrhyw fath. Ond mae hyn yn gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n trwsio'r to cyn codi'r estyniad. Felly, rwy'n teimlo yn sicr y gallaf i eich sicrhau chi fod y blaenoriaethau hynny gennym ni'n gadarn yn eu lle, ond mae arnaf i ofn nad wyf i am ymateb i'ch gwahoddiad caredig iawn i dorri cyfrinachedd y gyllideb hyd nes y bydd y Gweinidog cyllid yn gwneud hynny.
2. A wnaiff y Cwnsler Cyffredinol ddatganiad am ei chynlluniau i wella cyflawni o ran Llywodraeth Cymru dros y 18 mis nesaf? OQ61966
2. Will the Counsel General make a statement on her plans to improve Welsh Government delivery over the next 18 months? OQ61966
Thank you, Janet. As Minister for Delivery, I have been supporting the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language and my Cabinet colleagues to align conversations on the draft budget with delivery of the Government's priorities. It remains the responsibility of the relevant portfolio Cabinet Secretaries to lead the delivery of the specific priorities, however.
Diolch i chi, Janet. Fel Gweinidog Cyflawni, rwyf i wedi bod yn cefnogi Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid a'r Gymraeg a'm cyd-Aelodau yn y Cabinet i drefnu sgyrsiau ar y gyllideb ddrafft ynghyd â chyflawni blaenoriaethau'r Llywodraeth. Mae'r cyfrifoldeb o ran arwain y gwaith o gyflawni'r blaenoriaethau penodol yn aros gyda'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet sydd â'r portffolio perthnasol, serch hynny.
Thank you. Of course, we sparred a lot over the last few years in terms of housing, and the lack of it, and the housing crisis that now faces us. As it stands, between 8,900 and 9,200 homes have been completed. Without further funds from Welsh Government, Audit Wales estimates that only 16,000 to 16,700 can be delivered by March 2026. It’s thought that an additional £580 million to £740 million may be required, beyond current budget assumptions, to deliver that 20,000 target for new, low-carbon social rented homes by 2026.
My own local authority have spent £4.5 million during the financial year 2023-24, which is set to go up, unbelievably, more. In 2022-23, the expenditure was just under £4 million, and £3 million the previous year, so you can see the pattern. Times this by each local authority, and we have a massive ticking time bomb of people living in temporary accommodation, such as hotels and things like that.
So, what discussions has the Welsh Government held on implementing the Local Government and Housing Committee’s recommendation to establish a national development corporation to accelerate house building by acquiring that land and planning the housing projects available across Wales? Diolch.
Diolch i chi. Wrth gwrs, fe wnaethon ni groesi cleddyfau yn aml dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf ynglŷn â thai, a'r diffyg yn hynny o beth, a'r argyfwng tai sy'n ein hwynebu ni erbyn hyn. Ar hyn o bryd, mae rhwng 8,900 a 9,200 o gartrefi wedi cael eu gorffen. Heb ragor o arian oddi wrth Lywodraeth Cymru, mae Archwilio Cymru yn amcangyfrif mai dim ond 16,000 i 16,700 a all gael eu darparu erbyn mis Mawrth 2026. Credir y gallai fod angen o £580 miliwn hyd at £740 miliwn yn ychwanegol, y tu hwnt i ragdybiaethau cyllidebol cyfredol, i gyflawni'r nod hwnnw o 20,000 ar gyfer cartrefi newydd, carbon isel cymdeithasol ar rent erbyn 2026.
Mae fy awdurdod lleol i fy hun wedi gwario £4.5 miliwn yn ystod blwyddyn ariannol 2023-24, a fydd yn codi mwy, sy'n anodd credu. Yn 2022-23, roedd y gwariant ychydig yn llai na £4 miliwn, a £3 miliwn yn y flwyddyn flaenorol, ac felly fe allwch chi weld y patrwm. Lluoswch chi hynny fesul pob awdurdod lleol unigol, ac mae gennym fom amser enfawr yn tician o ran y bobl sy'n byw mewn llety dros dro, fel gwestai a phethau o'r fath.
Felly, pa drafodaethau a gynhaliodd Llywodraeth Cymru ynglŷn â gweithredu argymhelliad y Pwyllgor Llywodraeth Leol a Thai i sefydlu corfforaeth datblygu cenedlaethol ar gyfer cyflymu'r gwaith o adeiladu tai drwy gaffael y tir hwnnw a chynllunio'r prosiectau tai sydd ar gael ledled Cymru? Diolch.
Well, thank you, Janet. I do find some of your proposals particularly tin eared to the political situation, because when I first started as the housing Minister in the Senedd before this one, we could build somewhere in the region of seven social homes for £1 million, give or take—six to eight, but seven, more or less, for £1 million. After 14 years of Tory disaster on the economy, and in particular the Liz Truss disaster, we can build four. So, the idea that you can stand there and tell me that you’re really worried about the extra money that we need just takes my breath away.
So, of course we have had to put additional investment into that programme as a result of the economic conditions that we face. We’ve also had severe supply chain issues, particularly around the price of timber worldwide, and there’s a number of other issues. However, I still say—and I said it in response to Siân Gwenllian—that, in supporting Jayne Bryant—because it is now her priority, as the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for it—we have a number of things in play that are designed to make sure that we maximise the number of homes that we deliver under the programme.
We have a number of other ways—it’s not just building homes. It never has been about just building homes. There are a number of other things we do as well. We have a programme of acquisition, for example, and we have an exemplar housing programme that supports the development of houses across the piece—the private sector as well—to the highest standard of social homes.
I remain optimistic that we are hanging on to that target, and I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of recommending to the First Minister that we step away from it. Because those homes are very needed, and amongst the reasons they’re needed is because the Tory Governments over the years sold off social housing and refused to let local authorities replace it. So, I’m afraid I’m not really enamoured of your crocodile tears.
Wel, diolch yn fawr, Janet. Rwy'n credu bod rhai o'ch cynigion yn arbennig o glustfyddar i'r sefyllfa wleidyddol, oherwydd pan ddechreuais i gyntaf fel Gweinidog tai yn y Senedd cyn hon, fe allem ni adeiladu rhywle oddeutu saith cartref cymdeithasol am £1 miliwn, fwy neu lai—chwech hyd wyth, ond saith, fwy neu lai, am £1 miliwn. Ar ôl 14 mlynedd o drychineb Torïaidd o ran yr economi, a thrychineb Liz Truss yn arbennig felly, dim ond pedwar yr ydym ni'n gallu eu hadeiladu. Felly, mae'r syniad eich bod chi'n gallu chi sefyll yn y fan acw a dweud wrthyf i eich bod chi'n gofidio yn fawr am yr arian ychwanegol sydd ei angen arnom ni'n anodd iawn ei gredu.
Felly, wrth gwrs, rydym ni wedi gorfod buddsoddi mwy yn y rhaglen honno o ganlyniad i'r amodau economaidd sy'n ein hwynebu. Rydym ni wedi cael problemau difrifol yn y gadwyn gyflenwi hefyd, yn enwedig o ran pris pren ledled y byd, ac fe geir nifer o faterion eraill. Serch hynny, rwy'n dal i ddweud—ac fe ddywedais i hynny mewn ymateb i Siân Gwenllian—sef, wrth gefnogi Jayne Bryant—oherwydd mai ei blaenoriaeth hi erbyn hyn, fel Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet gyda chyfrifoldeb am hynny—mae gennym ni nifer o bethau ar waith a gynlluniwyd i sicrhau ein bod ni'n sicrhau'r niferoedd mwyaf o gartrefi yr ydym ni'n eu cyflwyno yn unol â'r rhaglen.
Mae gennym ni nifer o ffyrdd eraill—nid yw'n ymwneud ag adeiladu cartrefi yn unig. Nid yw erioed wedi bod yn ymwneud ag adeiladu cartrefi yn unig. Mae yna nifer o bethau eraill yr ydym ni'n eu gwneud hefyd. Mae'r rhaglen gaffael gennym ni, er enghraifft, a'r rhaglen dai enghreifftiol sy'n cefnogi datblygiad tai ar draws y maes—y sector preifat hefyd—i'r safon uchaf o gartrefi cymdeithasol.
Rwy'n dal i fod yn obeithiol ein bod ni'n dal at y targed hwnnw, ac nid oes unrhyw fwriad o gwbl gennyf i argymell i'r Prif Weinidog ein bod ni'n troi ein cefnau arno. Oherwydd mae taer angen y cartrefi hynny, ac ymhlith y rhesymau pam y mae cymaint o angen amdanyn nhw yw am fod Llywodraethau Torïaidd dros y blynyddoedd wedi gwerthu tai cymdeithasol ac wedi gwrthod gadael i awdurdodau lleol godi rhai eraill yn eu lle nhw. Felly, mae arnaf i ofn na chefais i fy swyno felly gan eich ffug-wylofain chi.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Mark Isherwood.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. Conservative spokesperson, Mark Isherwood.
Diolch, Llywydd. 'From Caernarfon to Caerdydd: Reimagining Justice in Wales 2030', the consultation and discussion paper published by the Law Society in September, states that law firms operating in Wales will face a series of external challenges by the end of the decade. These include specialisation, recruitment and retention, technology, including AI, and the sustainability of the small local high-street firms.
How, therefore, have you responded, or will you respond, to the related statement in the paper that the Welsh Government is well placed to support the legal sector through increased support as an essential sector? 'We believe', they said,
'that The Welsh Government could...make renewed attempts at working in collaboration with the UK Government around these issues'.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae 'From Caernarfon to Caerdydd: Reimagining Justice in Wales 2030', papur ymgynghoriad a thrafodaeth a gyhoeddodd Cymdeithas y Cyfreithwyr, yn nodi y bydd cwmnïau cyfreithiol sy'n gweithredu yng Nghymru yn wynebu cyfres o heriau allanol erbyn diwedd y degawd. Mae'r rhain yn cynnwys heriau o ran arbenigedd, recriwtio a chadw, technoleg, gan gynnwys deallusrwydd artiffisial, a chynaliadwyedd cwmnïau bychain lleol ar y stryd fawr.
Sut, felly, ydych chi wedi ymateb, neu a wnewch chi ymateb, i'r datganiad cysylltiedig yn y papur bod Llywodraeth Cymru mewn sefyllfa dda i gefnogi'r sector cyfreithiol trwy fwy o gefnogaeth am ei fod yn sector hanfodol? 'Rydym ni o'r farn', medden nhw,
'y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru...wneud ymdrechion o'r newydd i gydweithio â Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch y materion hyn'.
Thank you, Mark. It’s a very good paper, and I’ve had the opportunity to discuss it with the Law Society. It has continued a trend across Wales, where firms have found it more and more difficult to continue in existence. I’m afraid the decimation of the legal aid system has really not helped there, where a large number of smaller firms relied very heavily on legal aid income in order to maintain the specialisms that they also maintained in those firms. That has become increasingly problematic with the decimation of legal aid.
I am looking forward to a law officers meeting in London—which was meant to be this week, but has, unfortunately, been delayed until January—in which I am hoping to discuss, across all four nations, what can be done to support legal services, particularly outside our cities. As a Government that believes in the rule of law, it is absolutely essential that people have access to good legal services, in order to be able to maintain their rights in a democracy. So, I assure you that I will be taking that up. I continue to have discussions with the Law Society locally, and I've asked them to do a small piece of work—I think I mentioned it to you the last time we had this exchange—on my behalf, and I'm looking forward to continuing those discussions with them. But I absolutely share that concern: we must have access to legal services across the piece for people in Wales.
Diolch i chi, Mark. Mae hwnnw'n bapur da iawn, ac rwyf i wedi cael cyfle i'w drafod gyda Chymdeithas y Cyfreithwyr. Mae hyn wedi parhau â'r duedd ledled Cymru, lle mae cwmnïau wedi bod yn ei chael hi'n gynyddol anodd i ddal ati i weithio. Rwy'n ofni nad yw dadsefydlu'r system cymorth cyfreithiol wedi helpu yn hyn o beth mewn gwirionedd, pan oedd nifer fawr o gwmnïau llai yn dibynnu yn fawr iawn ar incwm o gymorth cyfreithiol ar gyfer cynnal yr arbenigeddau y maen nhw'n eu cynnal hefyd yn y cwmnïau hyn. Mae hynny wedi mynd yn fwyfwy problemus gyda'r toriadau aruthrol i gymorth cyfreithiol.
Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at gyfarfod swyddogion y gyfraith yn Llundain—a ddylai fod yn digwydd yr wythnos hon, ond sydd, yn anffodus, wedi cael ei ohirio tan fis Ionawr—pryd y byddaf i'n gobeithio cael trafod, ar draws y pedair gwlad, yr hyn y gellir ei wneud i gefnogi gwasanaethau cyfreithiol, yn enwedig y tu allan i'n dinasoedd. Mewn Llywodraeth sy'n credu yn rheolaeth y gyfraith, mae hi'n gwbl hanfodol bod pobl yn medru cael gafael ar wasanaethau cyfreithiol da, i allu cynnal eu hawliau mewn gwlad ddemocrataidd. Felly, rwy'n eich sicrhau chi y byddaf yn codi hynny. Rwy'n parhau i gynnal trafodaethau gyda Chymdeithas y Cyfreithwyr yn lleol, ac rwyf i wedi gofyn iddyn nhw wneud darn bach o waith—rwy'n credu fy mod wedi sôn am hynny y tro diwethaf y gwnaethom ni drafod y pwnc hwn—ar fy rhan, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at barhau â'r trafodaethau hynny gyda nhw. Ond rwy'n rhannu'r pryder hwnnw'n sicr: mae'n rhaid bod gwasanaethau cyfreithiol ar gael yn gyffredin ym mhobman er mwyn pobl yng Nghymru.
Thank you. Clearly, this relates to the external challenges that they said lie ahead, and the many factors that have led to the situation currently applying. But whilst the paper states it's unashamedly Wales-centric, it adds that considerations and recommendations within this paper are applicable to areas of England with similar socioeconomic and demographic characteristics to Wales, such as the north-east and rural north-west England. Although I emphasised to your predecessors on many occasions that the cross-border nature of criminal activity must be central to the operation of justice and policing in Wales, the paper also identifies cross-border transactions as one of the key areas in which we do not have accurate, up-to-date data.
What action have you therefore taken, and will you take, to engage with the regions of England where the considerations and recommendations within the Law Society's paper are also applicable? And how have you responded, or will you respond, to the paper's statement that the Welsh and UK Governments should analyse the current available data sets and use this intelligence to initiate a systematic improvement in data in relation to the legal sector in Wales?
Diolch i chi. Yn amlwg, mae hyn yn ymwneud â'r heriau allanol yr oedden nhw'n dweud sydd o'n blaenau ni, a'r ffactorau niferus sydd wedi arwain at y sefyllfa sy'n berthnasol yn gyfredol. Ond er bod y papur yn datgan ei fod yn ddiedifar o ran ei fod yn canolbwyntio ar Gymru yn unig, mae'n ychwanegu bod ystyriaethau ac argymhellion yn y papur hwn sy'n berthnasol i ardaloedd yn Lloegr sydd â nodweddion economaidd-gymdeithasol a demograffig tebyg i Gymru, fel y gogledd-ddwyrain a gogledd-orllewin gwledig Lloegr. Er fy mod i wedi pwysleisio'r ffaith sawl gwaith i'ch rhagflaenwyr chi bod rhaid i natur drawsffiniol gweithgarwch troseddol fod yn ganolog i weithrediad cyfiawnder a phlismona yng Nghymru, mae'r papur yn nodi trafodiadau trawsffiniol hefyd fel un o'r meysydd allweddol lle nad yw'r data cywir, cyfoes gennym ni.
Pa gamau a wnaethoch chi eu cymryd felly, ac rydych chi am eu cymryd nhw, i ymgysylltu â rhanbarthau Lloegr lle mae'r ystyriaethau a'r argymhellion ym mhapur Cymdeithas y Cyfreithwyr yn berthnasol hefyd? A sut ydych chi wedi ymateb, neu a wnewch chi ymateb, i ddatganiad y papur y dylai Llywodraethau Cymru a'r DU ddadansoddi'r setiau cyfredol o ddata sydd ar gael a defnyddio'r wybodaeth honno i gychwyn gwelliant systematig i'r data o ran y sector cyfreithiol yng Nghymru?
Thank you, Mark. So, I agree with that entirely. I'm hoping to raise that at the law officers meeting, as I mentioned. I'm also hoping to go to Manchester to look at the Manchester model on probation, with my colleague Jane Hutt, in the near future. We are looking at aspects of and exploring the further devolution of youth justice and probation to the Senedd. As part of that discussion, we will be talking to the metro mayors, amongst others, about how that works for them.
I do think it's fundamental to the point I made earlier, really: we need to see a full revision of the legal aid service across Wales and we need to understand the fundamentals of that, not only in citizens' access to justice, but actually in the viability of providing legal services across the piece. Because unless that work is properly paid, many of the smaller firms on high streets up and down the land, outside of cities, really cannot make ends meet, and therefore they cannot keep going, and that in itself is a real problem. So, I absolutely will be having those conversations with all of the law officers from the UK, and I hope very much to do that, in conjunction with the Deputy First Minister and the Minister for social justice, with the metro mayors as well.
Diolch i chi, Mark. Felly, rwy'n cytuno â hynna'n gyfan gwbl. Rwy'n gobeithio codi hynny yng nghyfarfod swyddogion y gyfraith, fel soniais i. Rwy'n gobeithio mynd i Fanceinion hefyd i edrych ar fodel Manceinion ynglŷn â phrawf, gyda'm cyd-Aelod Jane Hutt, yn y dyfodol agos. Rydym ni'n edrych ar agweddau ac yn archwilio datganoli cyfiawnder ieuenctid a phrawf ymhellach i'r Senedd. Yn rhan o'r drafodaeth honno, fe fyddwn ni'n siarad â'r meiri metro, ymhlith eraill, ynglŷn â sut mae hynny'n gweithio iddyn nhw.
Rwy'n credu bod hyn yn sylfaenol i'r pwynt a wnes i'n gynharach, mewn gwirionedd: mae angen i ni weld adolygiad llawn o'r gwasanaeth cymorth cyfreithiol ledled Cymru ac mae angen i ni ddeall hanfodion hwnnw, nid yn unig o ran argaeledd cyfiawnder i'r dinasyddion, ond o ran hyfywedd darparu gwasanaethau cyfreithiol yn gyffredinol, mewn gwirionedd. Oherwydd oni bai fod y gwaith hwnnw'n cael ei dalu amdano'n deg, ni all llawer o'r cwmnïau llai sydd ar y stryd fawr ym mhob cwr o'r wlad, y tu allan i'r dinasoedd, gael dau ben llinyn ynghyd, ac felly ni allan nhw barhau, ac mae honno'n broblem wirioneddol ynddi ei hun. Felly, fe fyddaf i'n cynnal y sgyrsiau hynny gyda phob un o swyddogion y gyfraith sydd yn y DU, ac rwy'n gobeithio yn fawr y byddaf i'n gwneud hynny, ar y cyd â'r Dirprwy Brif Weinidog a'r Gweinidog cyfiawnder cymdeithasol, gyda'r meiri metro hefyd.
Diolch. Continuing with the cross-border theme, the Thomas commission report makes only one reference to the key issue of cross-border criminality in the context of county lines, and the only solution it proposed was joint working across the four Welsh forces, in collaboration with other agencies, without any reference to established joint working with neighbouring partners across the invisible crime and justice border with England.
During a discussion of the prison problem on Radio 4's The Briefing Room programme last week, a former prison governor, inspector of prisons and head of an anti-corruption unit stated that, given that many of the services required to manage offenders, ex-offenders, and promote rehabilitation are already devolved to England's metro mayors, criminal justice should also be devolved to them, with prisons for serious crime retained at UK level. Given that many of the services required to manage offenders, ex-offenders and promote rehabilitation are also already devolved to Wales, what consideration have you given, or will you give, to a model such as this in discussion with UK Government counterparts?
Diolch. Gan barhau â'r thema drawsffiniol, dim ond un cyfeiriad y mae adroddiad comisiwn Thomas yn ei wneud at y mater allweddol o droseddu trawsffiniol a hynny yng nghyd-destun llinellau cyffuriau, a'r unig ateb a gynigiwyd ynddo oedd cydweithio ar draws y pedwar llu yng Nghymru, mewn cydweithrediad ag asiantaethau eraill, heb unrhyw gyfeiriad at y cydweithio sydd wedi cael ei sefydlu â phartneriaid cyfagos dros y ffin anweledig o ran trosedd a chyfiawnder sydd gennym ni â Lloegr.
Yn ystod trafodaeth ar broblem y carchardai ar y rhaglen The Briefing Room ar Radio 4 yr wythnos diwethaf, dywedodd cyn-lywodraethwr carchardai, arolygydd carchardai a phennaeth uned gwrth-lygredd, o ystyried bod llawer o'r gwasanaethau y mae eu hangen i reoli troseddwyr, cyn-droseddwyr, a hyrwyddo adsefydlu wedi cael eu datganoli eisoes i feiri yn Lloegr, y dylid datganoli cyfiawnder troseddol iddyn nhw hefyd, gyda charchardai am droseddau difrifol yn cael eu cadw ar lefel y DU. O ystyried bod llawer o'r gwasanaethau y mae eu hangen i reoli troseddwyr, cyn-droseddwyr a hyrwyddo adsefydlu wedi cael eu datganoli i Gymru eisoes, pa ystyriaeth a wnaethoch chi ei rhoi, neu y byddwch chi'n ei rhoi, i batrwm fel hyn yn eich trafodaethau ag aelodau cyfatebol yn Llywodraeth y DU?
Thank you, Mark. So, that's not actually in my portfolio, but I'm very involved in the discussions. That's a piece of work that's split between myself, the Minister for social justice and the Deputy First Minister. We're actually having a trilateral meeting to discuss it—Thursday, is it? Yes, Thursday this week. Because I accept the premise. The Welsh Government has long had an ambition to have criminal justice devolved to us, and we want to make youth justice the first step of that. It's the only part of child-centred services that isn't currently devolved to the Senedd, and we think it would make a lot of sense to start there. We will of course be pursuing that, and I was very pleased to see that exploring that possibility was part of the UK Labour Government's manifesto. As I said, we will be discussing that and a range of other issues with the metro mayors.
Various colleagues in the Government, not myself, have responsibility for the co-ordination of policing, which isn’t devolved of course, but the co-ordination and fallout from that is very much part of that. My colleague Jane Hutt has been very involved in those discussions. I did myself have the chance to meet the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales very recently and she brought up the point as well. So, we will be looking at that very carefully. I do think that county lines is one of the most difficult things we face. It is a terrible exploitation by organised crime of very vulnerable people in very difficult circumstances, and absolutely the fallout from that falls onto Welsh services. So, we take a close interest in that. As I say, my colleague Jane Hutt has been working on that for many years.
Diolch i chi, Mark. Felly, nid yw hynny yn fy mhortffolio i mewn gwirionedd, ond mae gennyf i ran fawr yn y trafodaethau. Darn o waith yw hwnnw'r wyf i'n ei rannu â'r Gweinidog cyfiawnder cymdeithasol a'r Dirprwy Brif Weinidog. Fe fyddwn ni'n cynnal cyfarfod teirochrog i drafod hyn mewn gwirionedd—ddydd Iau, onid e? Ie, ar ddydd Iau'r wythnos hon. Oherwydd rwy'n derbyn y rhagosodiad. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod ag uchelgais ers amser maith i gael gweld datganoli cyfiawnder troseddol i ni, ac rydym ni'n awyddus i gyfiawnder ieuenctid fod yn gam cyntaf i hynny. Dyma'r unig ran o wasanaethau sy'n canolbwyntio ar y plentyn na chafodd ei ddatganoli i'r Senedd hon ar hyn o bryd, ac rydym ni o'r farn y byddai hi'n gwneud llawer o synnwyr i ddechrau yn y fan honno. Wrth gwrs, fe fyddwn ni'n mynd ar drywydd hynny, ac roeddwn i'n falch iawn o weld bod archwilio'r posibilrwydd hwnnw'n rhan o faniffesto Llywodraeth Lafur y DU. Fel dywedais i, fe fyddwn ni'n trafod hynny ac amrywiaeth o faterion eraill gyda'r meiri metro.
Cyd-Aelodau amrywiol yn y Llywodraeth, nid myfi fy hunan, sydd â chyfrifoldeb am gydlynu plismona, na chafodd ei ddatganoli wrth gwrs, ond mae'r cydgysylltu a'r adladd o hynny'n rhan bwysig iawn o'r peth. Mae fy nghyd-Aelod i, Jane Hutt wedi bod â rhan bwysig yn y trafodaethau hynny. Fe gefais i gyfle i gwrdd â Chomisiynydd Heddlu a Throseddu De Cymru yn ddiweddar iawn ac roedd hi'n codi'r pwynt hwnnw hefyd. Felly, fe fyddwn ni'n ystyried hyn yn ofalus. Rwyf i o'r farn mai'r llinellau cyffuriau yw un o'r materion anoddaf yr ydym ni'n eu hwynebu. Camfanteisio dychrynllyd ar bobl agored i niwed mewn amgylchiadau anodd iawn gan droseddu cyfundrefnol yw hynny, ac yn gwbl sicr mae'r canlyniadau yn sgil hynny yn dod i ran gwasanaethau Cymru. Felly, mae gennym ni ddiddordeb mawr yn hynny o beth. Fel dywedais i, mae fy nghyd-Aelod Jane Hutt wedi bod yn gweithio ar hynny ers blynyddoedd lawer.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Adam Price.
Diolch, Llywydd. Tomorrow, a landmark case is being heard at the US Supreme Court, whose central question has direct relevance to secondary legislation introduced by the Welsh Government earlier in the year. The American Civil Liberties Union claim that the ban introduced by the state of Tennessee on prescribing puberty-blocking medicine to trans youth, while allowing their continued prescription for other purposes, is discriminatory on the basis of sex and gender identity and contrary to the equal protection provisions of the US constitution. The case is obviously being held in a different jurisdiction, but the policy introduced by the Welsh Government is similar in its effects, and article 14 of the European convention on human rights mirrors the provisions in terms of equal protection. So, can I ask the Counsel General if she agrees with her direct counterpart, I suppose, in this case, the attorney general of the state of Tennessee, that a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth does not discriminate on the basis of either sex or gender identity?
Diolch, Llywydd. Yfory, fe glywir achos pwysig yng Ngoruchaf Lys yr Unol Daleithiau, y mae ei gwestiwn canolog yn berthnasol yn uniongyrchol i is-ddeddfwriaeth a gyflwynwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn gynharach yn ystod y flwyddyn. Mae Undeb Hawliau Sifil America yn honni bod y gwaharddiad a gyflwynwyd gan dalaith Tennessee ar bresgripsiynau ar gyfer meddyginiaethau i atal y glasoed i ieuenctid traws, tra bod presgripsiynau yn cael eu caniatáu ar gyfer dibenion eraill, yn wahaniaethol ar sail hunaniaeth rhyw a rhywedd ac yn groes i ddarpariaethau diogelu cyfartal cyfansoddiad yr UD. Yn amlwg, mae'r achos yn cael ei gynnal mewn awdurdodaeth arall, ond mae'r polisi a gyflwynwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn debyg o ran ei effeithiau, ac mae erthygl 14 o'r confensiwn Ewropeaidd ar hawliau dynol yn adlewyrchu'r darpariaethau o ran amddiffyniad cyfartal. Felly, a gaf i ofyn i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol a yw hi'n cytuno â'i swyddog cyfatebol, mae'n debyg, yn yr achos hwn, twrnai cyffredinol talaith Tennessee, nad yw gwaharddiad ar ofal cadarnhau rhywedd ar gyfer ieuenctid traws yn wahaniaethol ar sail hunaniaeth rhyw na rhywedd?
I’m not familiar with the case at all, Adam. I’d be very grateful if you want to send me anything about it. I hadn’t picked it up. I’ll be looking at it from a very interested point. Obviously, the overall policy isn’t mine to look at, but I’d be very interested to see what the legal arguments there are. It’s something that we do need to keep an eye on. We are a very different jurisdiction, and indeed a very different social make-up, I’m very pleased to say. Opinion polls across Britain show a very different social attitude to the kinds of issues that you’re raising there. But I’m afraid I’m not familiar with the case at all and am not able to really comment on it with any legal certainty. But I’d be more than happy to look at it, it sounds very interesting.
Nid wyf i'n gyfarwydd â'r achos o gwbl, Adam. Fe fyddwn i'n ddiolchgar iawn pe baech yn anfon unrhyw beth amdano ataf. Doeddwn i ddim wedi clywed amdano. Byddaf yn edrych arno â diddordeb mawr. Yn amlwg, nid fy un i yw'r polisi cyffredinol, ond byddai gen i ddiddordeb mawr mewn gweld beth yw'r dadleuon cyfreithiol sydd yna. Mae'n rhywbeth y mae'n rhaid i ni gadw llygad arno. Rydym yn awdurdodaeth wahanol iawn, ac yn wir yn gyfansoddiad cymdeithasol gwahanol iawn, rwy'n falch iawn o ddweud. Mae arolygon barn ar draws Prydain yn dangos agwedd gymdeithasol wahanol iawn at y mathau o faterion rydych chi'n eu codi yna. Ond mae arnaf ofn nad wyf yn gyfarwydd â'r achos o gwbl ac nid wyf yn gallu gwneud sylwadau arno mewn gwirionedd gydag unrhyw sicrwydd cyfreithiol. Ond byddwn i'n fwy na hapus i edrych arno, mae'n swnio'n ddiddorol iawn.
I'm very grateful to the Counsel General for that offer of looking at the case and the issues that it raises in our context here in Wales. Earlier this year, the Welsh Government introduced a regulation to prohibit the prescription by GPs of puberty-suppressing medicines for new patients under 18 with gender dysphoria that were not part of a clinical trial. The explanatory memorandum for the regulation said that the Welsh Government’s obligations in respect of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 'have been considered'. The Welsh Government is of course under a legal duty to give due regard to the convention under the terms of the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011. Article 12 says that the opinions of children and young people should be considered when people make decisions about things that involve them. Yet that same explanatory memorandum, Counsel General, said,
'No consultation is taking place with persons to represent the interests of those who may require puberty blockers for gender dysphoria.'
How is that consistent in legal terms with the Welsh Government’s obligations under the convention? And can the Counsel General say or find out if a child rights impact assessment report was produced?
Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol am gynnig fel yna i ystyried yr achos a'r materion y mae'n eu codi yn ein cyd-destun ni yma yng Nghymru. Yn gynharach eleni, fe gyflwynodd Llywodraeth Cymru reoliad i wahardd presgripsiynau meddyginiaethau gan feddygon teulu sy'n atal y glasoed ar gyfer cleifion newydd o dan 18 oed â dysfforia rhywedd nad oedden nhw'n rhan o dreial clinigol. Roedd y memorandwm esboniadol ar gyfer y rheoliad yn dweud bod rhwymedigaethau Llywodraeth Cymru o ran Confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau'r Plentyn 'wedi cael eu hystyried'. Wrth gwrs, mae dyletswydd gyfreithiol ar Lywodraeth Cymru i roi sylw dyledus i'r confensiwn yn unol â thelerau Mesur Hawliau Plant a Phobl Ifanc (Cymru) 2011. Mae Erthygl 12 yn dweud y dylid ystyried barn plant a phobl ifanc pan fydd pobl yn gwneud penderfyniadau am bethau sy'n gysylltiedig â nhw. Ac eto, roedd yr union femorandwm esboniadol hwnnw, Cwnsler Cyffredinol, yn dweud:
'Ni chynhelir ymgynghoriad â phersonau i gynrychioli buddiannau’r rhai a allai fod angen meddyginiaethau atal y glasoed ar gyfer dysfforia rhywedd.'
Sut mae hynny'n gyson mewn termau cyfreithiol â rhwymedigaethau Llywodraeth Cymru o dan y confensiwn? Ac a wnaiff y Cwnsler Cyffredinol ddweud neu ddarganfod a gafodd unrhyw adroddiad ei lunio i asesu'r effaith ar hawliau plant?
I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that second one, I will certainly find out for you. I’m not really familiar with the ins and outs of it, I’m afraid. I’m just being told by my colleague that it’s an NHS England—[Interruption.] Sorry, say again. [Interruption.] Yes, we access the services via NHS England. But, Adam, I’m afraid I just don’t know the detail that you’ve read out there. I will have to respond to you in writing. I’d actually really appreciate a conversation with you about it as well; it’s something I’m very interested in. So, I will look into that for you, but I don’t have that answer at my fingertips, I’m afraid.
Rwy'n ofni nad wyf i'n gwybod yr ateb i'r ail gwestiwn, ond yn sicr fe wnaf i chwilio i chi. Nid wyf i'n gyfarwydd iawn â'r manylion, mae arnaf i ofn. Rwyf i newydd gael gwybod gan fy nghyd-Aelod mai GIG Lloegr—[Torri ar draws.] Mae'n ddrwg gen i, dywedwch chi unwaith eto. [Torri ar draws.] Ydym, rydym yn defnyddio'r gwasanaethau drwy GIG Lloegr. Ond, Adam, mae arnaf i ofn nad wyf i'n gwybod manylion yr hyn y gwnaethoch chi ei ddarllen nawr. Fe fydd yn rhaid i mi ymateb yn ysgrifenedig i chi. Fe fyddwn i'n gwerthfawrogi sgwrs gyda chi hefyd; mae hwn yn rhywbeth y mae gennyf i ddiddordeb mawr ynddo. Felly, fe fyddaf i'n edrych i mewn i hynny i chi, ond nid yw'r ateb gennyf i chi ar flaenau fy mysedd nawr, mae arnaf i ofn.
The regulations were originally introduced in England, but identical provisions have been produced in Wales. In fact, there is a measure currently before the Senedd that amends them.
The Council of Europe this week has raised serious legal and ethical concerns about the implications of only offering puberty-blocking treatment to patients that are on a clinical trial. In particular, it cites the additional protocol to the Oviedo convention, which says that persons being asked to participate in a research project shall be informed of their right to refuse consent and they shouldn't be subject to any form of discrimination. For many young people, the only way to receive puberty-suppressing treatment now will be to participate in the trial, which calls into question whether consent can be constituted as free and informed in those situations. So, can the Counsel General give a view now, or undertake to give us a view in due course, having considered the matter further, as to whether she believes that the policy of the Welsh Government is consistent with the terms of the Oviedo convention, as I have suggested them? And I look forward to having a further conversation with her on this matter.
Yn wreiddiol, yn Lloegr y cafodd y rheoliadau eu cyflwyno, ond mae darpariaethau o'r un fath yn union wedi cael eu llunio yng Nghymru. Yn wir, mae yna fesur gerbron y Senedd ar hyn o bryd sy'n eu diwygio nhw.
Mae Cyngor Ewrop wedi codi pryderon cyfreithiol a moesegol difrifol yr wythnos hon ynglŷn â goblygiadau cynnig triniaeth atal y glasoed i gleifion sydd ar dreialon clinigol yn unig. Yn benodol, mae hyn cyfeirio at y protocol a ychwanegwyd at gonfensiwn Oviedo, sy'n dweud y bydd pobl y gofynnir iddyn nhw gymryd rhan mewn prosiect ymchwil fod yn ymwybodol o'u hawl nhw i wrthod cydsyniad ac na ddylen nhw fod yn destun unrhyw fath o wahaniaethu. I lawer o bobl ifanc, yr unig ffordd i dderbyn triniaeth atal y glasoed nawr fydd cymryd rhan mewn treial, sy'n gofyn y cwestiwn a ellir rhoi cydsyniad rhydd ac ar sail gwybodaeth yn y sefyllfaoedd hynny. Felly, a wnaiff y Cwnsler Cyffredinol fynegi barn nawr, neu ymrwymo i fynegi barn i ni maes o law, ar ôl ystyried y mater ymhellach, ynghylch a yw hi o'r farn fod polisi Llywodraeth Cymru yn gyson â thelerau confensiwn Oviedo, fel rhoddais i awgrym ohonyn nhw? Rwy'n edrych ymlaen at gael sgwrs arall gyda hi ynglŷn â'r mater hwn.
I'm not in a position to answer that, Adam. I just do not have enough information at my fingertips and it needs a carefully considered answer. It's something I'm very interested in looking at. I will certainly have a further conversation with you about it and respond in writing. I'll have a further conversation with my colleague the Minister for health on the subject as well. So, I'll have to come back to you on that, I'm afraid.
Nid wyf i mewn sefyllfa i ateb hynna, Adam. Nid oes gwybodaeth ddigonol gennyf i ar flaenau fy mysedd ac mae angen rhoi ateb ystyriol gofalus iawn i hyn. Mae'r mater yn un y mae gennyf i ddiddordeb mawr i roi ystyriaeth iddo. Yn sicr, fe gaf i drafodaeth arall gyda chi ynglŷn â hyn ac fe fyddaf i'n ymateb yn ysgrifenedig. Rwyf i am gael sgwrs bellach gyda fy nghyd-Weinidog y Gweinidog iechyd ynglŷn â'r pwnc hefyd. Felly, fe fydd yn rhaid i mi ddod yn ôl atoch ynglŷn â hynna, mae arnaf i ofn.
3. Sut y bydd y Bil tribiwnlysoedd arfaethedig yn sicrhau annibyniaeth swyddogaethau paneli apêl gwahardd ysgolion? OQ61970
3. How will the planned tribunals Bill ensure the independence of school exclusion appeal panels’ functions? OQ61970
Diolch, Rhys. Under the proposals set out in our White Paper, the functions currently exercised by the school exclusion appeal panels would be transferred to a new first-tier tribunal for Wales. This would be administered by a statutory body, at arm's length from the Welsh Government.
Diolch, Rhys. Yn ôl y cynigion sy'n cael eu nodi yn ein Papur Gwyn, fe fyddai'r swyddogaethau sydd ar hyn o bryd yn cael eu hymarfer gan baneli apeliadau gwahardd o ysgolion yn cael eu trosglwyddo i dribiwnlys haen gyntaf newydd i Gymru. Fe fyddai hwnnw'n cael ei weinyddu gan gorff statudol, hyd braich oddi wrth Lywodraeth Cymru.
Thank you very much, Cwnsler Cyffredinol. If we went this afternoon to the youth court in Cardiff or Swansea, I can guarantee you that we'd meet youngsters who had been excluded from school. It's well documented, the impact that long-term school exclusion can have on young people entering the criminal justice system. Now, I was disappointed, and I mentioned this to the previous Counsel General, that the school exclusion panels were not included in the Welsh tribunal reform, because the work they do is hugely influential on a young person's life. Now, it is important, as you're well aware, that their work is independent and also appears to be independent. However, the members of these panels are often appointed by the local authorities, the clerks are employed by the local authorities and the hearings are usually held within local authority buildings—so, it all sways towards one party of the appeal. Currently, the only route of appeal is a judicial review, which is beyond the means of most of us. Hopefully this review of the tribunal system can include the second, upper tribunal as part of the appeal process for school exclusion. But, how will you secure that justice with regard to school exclusion appeals so that's it's not only done, but seen to be done? Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi, Cwnsler Cyffredinol. Pe byddem ni'n mynd i lys ieuenctid yng Nghaerdydd neu Abertawe, fe allaf i eich sicrhau chi y byddem ni'n cwrdd â phobl ifanc a oedd wedi cael eu gwahardd o'u hysgolion. Mae'r dystiolaeth yn amlwg iawn o ran yr effaith y gall gwaharddiad hirdymor o ysgol ei chael ar bobl ifanc sy'n mynd drwy'r system cyfiawnder troseddol. Nawr, fe gefais i fy siomi, ac fe soniais am hynny gyda'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol blaenorol, nad oedd y paneli gwahardd o ysgolion yn cael eu cynnwys yn y diwygiad o dribiwnlysoedd Cymru, oherwydd mae'r gwaith maen nhw'n ei wneud yn hynod ddylanwadol ar fywyd unigolyn ifanc. Nawr, mae hi'n bwysig, fel rydych chi'n gwybod yn iawn, bod eu gwaith nhw'n annibynnol a'i fod yn cael ei weld fel gwaith annibynnol. Eto i gyd, fe gaiff aelodau'r paneli hyn eu penodi yn aml gan yr awdurdodau lleol, mae'r clercod yn cael eu cyflogi gan yr awdurdodau lleol ac mae'r gwrandawiadau er yn cael eu cynnal fel arfer o fewn adeiladau'r awdurdod lleol—felly, mae'r cyfan yn troi tuag at un parti yn yr apêl. Ar hyn o bryd, yr unig lwybr ar gyfer apelio yw adolygiad barnwrol, sydd y tu hwnt i fodd y rhan fwyaf ohonom ni. Rwy'n gobeithio y gall yr adolygiad hwn o system y tribiwnlysoedd gynnwys yr ail dribiwnlys, yr un uchaf fel rhan o'r broses apelio yn erbyn gwaharddiadau o ysgolion. Ond, sut fyddwch chi'n sicrhau'r cyfiawnder hwnnw o ran apelau gwahardd o'r ysgol fel bydd hynny nid yn unig yn cael ei wneud, ond y gwelir ei fod yn cael ei wneud hefyd? Diolch yn fawr.
Thank you very much for that. So, protecting judicial independence and giving greater structural independence to the administration of justice is absolutely a key objective of the structural reforms we're proposing to modernise the tribunal system. So, you've got to the nub of the matter straight off, which is exactly that it needs to be done and it needs to be seen to be done. I don't consider, personally, that those involved in the current exclusion of a child from school approach those decisions lightly—far from it—and, in a previous life, I was part of the process myself. We took very seriously both the training and the independence of the process. But, the consequences for the child and for the school are of the highest significance, you're absolutely right. And my colleague the Minister for education is very exercised about the whole issue around exclusions and making sure that each child has the right opportunity for an education. So, the decision making must be consistent and it must be unquestionably independent in the future. The Thomas commission said that decisions of this weight should have judicial scrutiny. So, I think we're in agreement about that. We've been clear that our intention is to replace the locally constituted panels with decisions in the new tribunal system at the first tier, and that approach has had clear support from respondents to the White Paper consultation across the board as well. So, that is our intention. If we're able to bring the tribunals Bill forward in this Senedd term, which I very much hope we will be able to do, then that is our intention currently.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am hynna. Felly, mae amddiffyn annibyniaeth farnwrol a rhoi mwy o annibyniaeth strwythurol i weinyddu cyfiawnder yn llwyr yn un o amcanion allweddol y diwygiadau strwythurol yr ydym ni'n eu cynnig ar gyfer moderneiddio'r system tribiwnlysoedd. Felly, rydych chi wedi mynd at graidd y mater yn syth, sef bod angen gwneud hynny ac mae angen gweld hynny'n cael ei wneud. Nid wyf i'n ystyried, fy hunan, bod y rhai sy'n ymdrin nawr â gwahardd plentyn o'r ysgol yn gwneud y penderfyniadau hynny ar chwarae bach—ymhell o hynny—ac, mewn gyrfa flaenorol, roeddwn i fy hunan â rhan yn y broses honno. Fe wnaethom ni gymryd yr hyfforddiant ac annibyniaeth y broses o ddifrif, fel ei gilydd. Ond, mae'r canlyniadau i'r plentyn a'r ysgol o'r pwysigrwydd mwyaf, rydych chi'n hollol gywir. Ac mae fy nghyd-Weinidog y Gweinidog addysg yn ymboeni llawer iawn ynghylch yr holl faterion sy'n ymwneud â gwaharddiadau a sicrhau y bydd pob plentyn yn cael cyfle teg i ddysgu. Felly, mae'n rhaid i'r broses o wneud penderfyniadau fod yn gyson ac mae'n rhaid iddi fod yn annibynnol yn y dyfodol, yn ddiamau. Roedd comisiwn Thomas yn mynegi y dylai penderfyniadau o'r pwysigrwydd hwn fod â chraffu barnwrol arnyn nhw. Felly, rwy'n credu ein bod ni'n cytuno â hynny. Rydym ni wedi bod yn eglur mai ein bwriad ni yw disodli'r paneli a gyfansoddir yn lleol gyda phenderfyniadau yn y system dribiwnlysoedd newydd ar yr haen gyntaf, ac mae'r dull hwnnw wedi cael cefnogaeth glir oddi wrth yr ymatebwyr i ymgynghoriad y Papur Gwyn yn eang iawn hefyd. Felly, dyna ein bwriad ni. Os gallwn ni gyflwyno Bil y Tribiwnlysoedd yn nhymor y Senedd hon, yr wyf i'n gobeithio yn fawr y gallwn ni wneud felly, yna dyna yw ein bwriad ni'n ar hyn o bryd.
4. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'u cael â'r Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder i sicrhau bod data cyfiawnder wedi'u dadgyfuno ar gael i Gymru? OQ61971
4. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that disaggregated justice data is available for Wales? OQ61971
Having Wales-specific data is very important to understand how justice services are working in Wales—as I've just been discussing with Mark Isherwood, in fact—including the impact on devolved services. We've taken forward a number of our own initiatives in this area, as well as our continuing conversations with the Ministry of Justice.
Mae bod â data sy'n benodol i Gymru yn bwysig iawn ar gyfer deall sut mae gwasanaethau cyfiawnder yn gweithio yng Nghymru—fel rwyf i newydd fod yn ei drafod gyda Mark Isherwood, mewn gwirionedd—gan gynnwys yr effaith ar wasanaethau datganoledig. Rydym ni wedi bwrw ymlaen â nifer o'n mentrau ein hunain yn y maes hwn, yn ogystal â'n sgyrsiau parhaus gyda'r Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder.
I agree with you, Cwnsler Cyffredinol, and the Ministry of Justice agrees with us. Back in 2017, a working group from the Ministry of Justice said that it is important to have disaggregated Welsh data, and that’s been echoed by politicians here, by committees here and in Westminster. In fact, the Equality and Social Justice Committee inquiry into women’s experience of the criminal justice said that they couldn’t have a full picture of how women from Wales experience the criminal justice system because of the lack of disaggregated data. Now, a perfect example of this is a recent freedom of information application by Dr Robert Jones for the number of Welsh women who are pregnant in prisons being refused because it was too complicated. Now, we are told we won’t have any FOI requests from Dr Robert Jones. So, how on earth we going to know (1) how many Welsh people are in prison, (2) how many women from Wales are in prison and where they are held, and (3) the breakdown of Welsh prisoners by ethnicity. My question is simple: if the Ministry of Justice sees the applications by Robert Jones as vexatious, when will we have routinely published Welsh disaggregated data? Diolch yn fawr.
Rwy'n cytuno â chi, Cwnsler Cyffredinol, ac mae'r Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder yn cytuno â ni. Nôl yn 2017, dywedodd gweithgor o'r Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder ei bod hi'n bwysig i ni fod â data wedi'u dadgyfuno ar gyfer Cymru, ac mae hynny wedi cael ei adleisio gan wleidyddion yn y fan hon, gan bwyllgorau yn y fan hon ac yn San Steffan. Mewn gwirionedd, roedd ymchwiliad y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol i brofiad menywod o gyfiawnder troseddol yn dweud na allen nhw fod â darlun llawn o brofiad menywod o Gymru o'r system cyfiawnder troseddol oherwydd diffyg data wedi'u dadgyfuno. Nawr, enghraifft berffaith o hyn yw gwrthod cais rhyddid gwybodaeth gan Dr Robert Jones yn ddiweddar am niferoedd y menywod beichiog o Gymru sydd mewn carchardai am fod hynny'n rhy gymhleth. Nawr, fe ddywedir wrthym ni na fyddwn yn cael unrhyw geisiadau Rhyddid Gwybodaeth oddi wrth Dr Robert Jones. Felly, sut ar y ddaear y byddwn ni'n gwybod (1) faint o Gymry sydd yn y carchar, (2) faint o fenywod o Gymru sydd yn y carchar ac ym mha le y maen nhw'n cael eu dal, a (3) dadansoddiad yn ôl ethnigrwydd o garcharorion o Gymru. Mae fy nghwestiwn i'n syml: os yw'r Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder yn ystyried ceisiadau Robert Jones yn drafferthus, pryd fyddwn ni'n gweld cyhoeddi data wedi'u dadgyfuno ar gyfer Cymru fel mater o drefn? Diolch yn fawr.
We agree with you about the importance of the data, just to be really clear. The Welsh Government absolutely agrees with that. My colleague the Minister for social justice—and a large number of other titles, the Trefnydd and chief whip—is meeting them tomorrow, or this week, certainly. [Interruption.] Tomorrow, is it? [Interruption.] Anyway, it’s very soon. One of the conversations is exactly about that, Rhys. It is exactly about how we can make sure that we have the right services in place if we don’t have the right data on which to base them. We are very sure that we need that disaggregated data. We are pushing for it. I can’t comment on the FOI matter; that’s not a matter for us. But I can assure you that we are pushing ourselves for as much disaggregated data as possible. We will be speaking to HM Prison and Probation Service about the data in Welsh prisons, but I can tell you that both I and my colleague the Minister for social justice have been exercised about women’s roles in the prison service and where they end up, and what we know about them, for some considerable time. So, I completely agree with the thrust of your question. I can assure you we are pushing as hard as we can to get that data so we can properly understand the impact of it.
Rydym ni'n cytuno â chi ynglŷn â phwysigrwydd y data, dim ond i fod yn eglur iawn. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cytuno yn gyfan gwbl â hynny. Mae fy nghyd-Weinidog y Gweinidog cyfiawnder cymdeithasol—a nifer fawr o deitlau eraill, y Trefnydd a'r prif chwip—yn cyfarfod â nhw yfory, neu'r wythnos hon, yn sicr. [Torri ar draws.] Yfory? [Torri ar draws.] Beth bynnag, yn fuan iawn. Fe fydd un o'r sgyrsiau'n ymwneud â hynny'n union, Rhys. Mae'n ymwneud â sut yn union y gallwn ni sicrhau bod y gwasanaethau priodol gennym ni ar waith os nad yw'r data cywir gennym ni i fod yn sail iddyn nhw. Rydym ni'n sicr ynglŷn â'r angen am ddata wedi'u dadgyfuno. Rydym ni'n pwyso am hynny. Ni allaf i roi sylw ar y mater rhyddid gwybodaeth; nid mater i mi mohono. Ond fe allaf i eich sicrhau chi ein bod ni'n gwthio am gymaint o ddata wedi'u dadgyfuno â phosibl. Fe fyddwn ni'n siarad â Gwasanaeth Carchardai a Phrawf EF am y data yng ngharchardai Cymru, ond fe allaf i ddweud wrthych chi fod fy nghyd-Weinidog y Gweinidog cyfiawnder cymdeithasol, a minnau wedi ymboeni am swyddogaeth menywod yn y gwasanaeth carchardai a lle maen nhw'n mynd yn y pen draw, a'r hyn a wyddom ni amdanyn nhw, ers cryn amser. Felly, rwy'n cytuno yn llwyr â'ch cwestiwn chi. Fe allaf i eich sicrhau chi ein bod ni'n gwthio mor galed ag y gallwn i gael y data er mwyn gallu ddeall effaith hynny'n gyflawn.
I just want to add my concerns to those raised by Rhys ab Owen because, without Robert Jones’s hard work using FOIs to find out what the situation is, we wouldn’t know that there is a 40 per cent over-representation of black and ethnic minority people in our prisons as well as the continued increased use of prison sentences for imprisoning women with sentences of as little as one month, which have absolutely no value in terms of rehabilitation; they just cause women to lose their jobs, their homes and their children. So, I would like to add my concerns to those of others that we must have disaggregated data as well as a clear path to the devolving of criminal justice so that we can address these horrendous problems and rectify them here in Wales.
Fe hoffwn i ategu'r pryderon a gododd Rhys ab Owen oherwydd, heb waith caled Robert Jones yn defnyddio ceisiadau rhyddid gwybodaeth i ddarganfod beth yw'r sefyllfa, ni fyddem ni'n gwybod bod pobl ddu a lleiafrifoedd ethnig yn cael eu gorgynrychioli 40 y cant yn ein carchardai ni'n ogystal â'r defnydd cynyddol a pharhaus o ddedfrydau o garchar sy'n carcharu menywod gyda dedfrydau o gyfnodau cyn lleied â mis, sydd heb fod o unrhyw werth o gwbl o ran adsefydlu; maen nhw'n achosi i fenywod golli eu swyddi, eu cartrefi a'u plant nhw. Felly, fe hoffwn i ychwanegu fy mhryderon at rai pobl eraill o ran bod rhaid i ni fod â data wedi'u dadgyfuno yn ogystal â llwybr eglur at ddatganoli cyfiawnder troseddol er mwyn mynd i'r afael â'r problemau erchyll hyn a'u hunioni nhw yma yng Nghymru.
I'm absolutely agreeing with that. The data in the fact files are not fully verified because of the way that Dr Jones has had to put them together. But if the Ministry of Justice published data on the justice system in Wales on a more routine and transparent basis, it would negate the need for that amount of work. So, this is a point that my colleague Jane Hutt is going to be making very forcibly.
Of course, the roots of over-representation of certain ethnic minorities in the criminal justice system run very deep indeed, and that's why we need the comprehensive approach that is our 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan', which we just refreshed now in November, and why we need to take action on it. It's why we also welcome the criminal justice system in Wales devising its own anti-racism plan, including specific commitments in areas such as staffing and leadership within the system to try to make a small inroad into taking that forward.
I could not agree with you more about the disruptive and unnecessary impact of short prison sentences, specifically on women, but also, actually, on young men. Quite often, they're too short to have any kind of rehabilitative impact, and just long enough to completely destroy any semblance of a normal life—so, about the worst of all possible worlds. So, I couldn't agree with you more there. We also know that women are imprisoned for offences that, if you were a man, you would be unlikely to be imprisoned for, so there is real discrimination in the system there as well. There is clearly a lot more work to do, but over the period of the women's justice blueprint, which I really do want to pay tribute to my colleague Jane Hutt for, we have managed to divert around 2,300 women into early intervention support instead of prison. So, it is well worth doing. We need to continue to do that and redouble our efforts. So, I'm in agreement with you—the better the data we have, the better provision we can make, the better understanding we have of the impact and the better our provision can be. So, I think we're all in agreement.
Rwy'n cytuno â hynny'n llwyr. Nid yw'r data yn y ffeiliau ffeithiol wedi eu gwirio yn llawn oherwydd y ffordd y bu'n rhaid i Dr Jones eu rhoi nhw at ei gilydd. Ond pe byddai'r Weinyddiaeth Gyfiawnder yn cyhoeddi data ar y system gyfiawnder yng Nghymru ar sail fwy rheolaidd a thryloyw, fe fyddai hynny'n negyddu'r angen am y swm hwnnw o waith. Felly, mae hwn yn bwynt y bydd fy nghyd-Aelod Jane Hutt yn ei wneud yn rymus iawn.
Wrth gwrs, mae gwreiddiau gorgynrychiolaeth lleiafrifoedd ethnig penodol yn y system cyfiawnder troseddol yn treiddio yn ddwfn iawn wir, a dyna pam mae angen y dull cynhwysfawr arnom ni sef ein 'Cynllun Gweithredu Cymru Wrth-hiliol', yr ydym ni newydd ei adnewyddu nawr ym mis Tachwedd, a pham mae angen i ni weithredu ar hwnnw. Dyna pam rydym ni'n croesawu bod y system cyfiawnder troseddol yng Nghymru yn dyfeisio ei chynllun gwrth-hiliaeth ei hun hefyd, sy'n cynnwys ymrwymiadau penodol mewn meysydd fel staffio ac arweinyddiaeth yn y system i geisio gwneud cynnydd bychan ar gyfer bwrw ymlaen â hynny.
Ni allwn gytuno mwy â chi am effaith rwygol a diangen dedfrydau o amser byr o garchar, yn benodol ar fenywod, ond hefyd, mewn gwirionedd, ar wŷr ifanc. Yn aml iawn, maen nhw'n rhy fyr i fod ag unrhyw fath o effaith adferol, a dim ond yn ddigon hir i ddinistrio unrhyw lun o fywyd normal yn llwyr—felly, a dyna'r sefyllfa waethaf bosibl. Ni allwn gytuno mwy â chi yn hynny o beth. Fe wyddom ni hefyd fod menywod yn cael eu carcharu am droseddau, pe byddech chi'n wryw, yn annhebygol o gael eich carcharu amdanyn nhw, ac felly fe geir gwahaniaethu gwirioneddol yn y system yn hynny o beth hefyd. Mae hi'n amlwg fod llawer mwy o waith i'w wneud eto, ond dros gyfnod glasbrint cyfiawnder menywod, yr wyf i wir yn awyddus i roi teyrnged i'm cyd-Aelod Jane Hutt amdano, rydym ni wedi llwyddo i ddargyfeirio tua 2,300 o fenywod i gefnogaeth ymyrraeth gynnar yn hytrach na'u bod yn mynd i garchar. Felly, mae gwneud hynny'n werth chweil. Mae angen i ni barhau i wneud hynny a chynyddu ein hymdrechion. Felly, rwy'n cytuno â chi—y gorau fydd y data sydd gennym ni y gorau fydd y ddarpariaeth a wnawn ni, a'r well ddealltwriaeth a gawn ni o'r effaith a gwell fydd ein darpariaeth. Felly, rwy'n credu ein bod ni i gyd yn gytûn.
Sorry, just to add to the list of Welsh data that's needed, we don't have Wales-only data on parental imprisonment, Welsh deaths in custody, as well as pregnancies and births. These are very vulnerable people who we have a responsibility for and to. So, I'm pleased to hear that you agree on the importance of this and that it's being pushed forward by your colleague. It really feels essential we get that within a short period of time in order for us to be able to see exactly what the picture is and the services that are necessary, and also the challenges that we can make as well. To not know how many Welsh people have died in custody, not just here in Wales, but across the UK, is shocking to me, and I'm sure it is to you. So, I'm pleased to hear that this is being pushed forward, and thank you for your commitment to this. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Mae'n ddrwg gen i, dim ond i ychwanegu at y rhestr o ddata sydd eu hangen ar gyfer Cymru, nid oes data ar gyfer Cymru yn unig gennym ni ynglŷn â charcharu rhieni, na marwolaethau yn y ddalfa yng Nghymru, nac ychwaith ynglŷn â beichiogrwydd a genedigaethau. Mae'r rhain yn bobl sy'n agored i niwed y mae gennym ni gyfrifoldeb amdanyn nhw ac ar eu rhan nhw. Felly, rwy'n falch o glywed eich bod chi'n cytuno ar bwysigrwydd hyn a'i fod yn cael ei wthio ymlaen gan eich cyd-Aelod chi. Mae hi wir yn teimlo yn hanfodol ein bod ni'n sicrhau hynny mewn cyfnod byr o amser i ni allu gweld yr union olwg ar y darlun a'r gwasanaethau sy'n angenrheidiol, a'r heriau y gallwn ni eu rhoi hefyd. Mae methu â gwybod faint o Gymry sydd wedi marw yn y ddalfa, nid yn unig yma yng Nghymru, ond ledled y DU, yn frawychus yn fy marn i, ac rwy'n siŵr eich bod chithau o'r un farn. Felly, rwy'n falch o glywed bod hynny'n cael ei wthio yn ei flaen, a diolch i chi am eich ymrwymiad i hyn. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Thank you for that, Jane. I do absolutely agree with that—we do, of course, need to know. We do have to have some parameter discussions though. 'Welsh' is an interesting concept. I have always regarded myself as Welsh, but I spent 10 years living in London and would have had a London address, so there is a little bit of work for us to understand what we mean by 'Welsh'—people with a Welsh address at the point of imprisonment, for example, or expatriate Welsh people living in London. Sorry for the 'expatriate', but you know what I mean. So, there is a little bit of work to do about what we mean by that. People with dependents in Wales, for example, is one of the things.
My colleague is working very hard on this agenda. I and the Deputy First Minister are assisting in terms of what we can bring to bear with our particular ministerial partners in the UK Government, and, as I say, I'm meeting with the law officers more generally to discuss it. This isn't an issue just for Wales; this is an issue for the whole system. We are as good as the data we have in terms of the provision we make, so I absolutely agree with all of that.
And then, just the last thing to say on it is that that data around families, how many children are living with a family member in prison in the system and the impact that has on their continued well-being, their attendance at school, their general health, and mental health in particular, is one of the biggest impacts we have. The difficulty of a parent returning from prison, maintaining access with their children and making sure that that child has the full benefit of that is also one of the difficulties we have, and you can't really do anything about either of those without the data to go with it, either. So, there is a pressing need for this data, and we will be advancing that with all of our power.
Diolch yn fawr, Jane. Rwy'n cytuno yn llwyr â hynny—mae angen i ni, wrth gwrs, fod â'r wybodaeth. Serch hynny, mae'n rhaid i ni gael rhai trafodaethau ynglŷn â pharamedrau. Mae ystyr 'Cymry' yn gysyniad diddorol. Rwyf i wedi ystyried fy hunan yn Gymraes, ond fe dreuliais i 10 mlynedd yn byw yn Llundain ac fe fyddai gennyf i gyfeiriad yn Llundain, felly mae ychydig bach o waith i ni ei wneud er mwyn deall ystyr pwy sy'n 'Gymry'—pobl sydd â chyfeiriad yng Nghymru yn ystod cyfnod eu carchariad, er enghraifft, neu Gymry alltud sy'n byw yn Llundain. Mae'n ddrwg gen i ddefnyddio'r term 'alltud', ond fe wyddoch chi beth yr wyf i'n ei feddwl. Felly, mae ychydig o waith i'w wneud eto ynglŷn â'r ystyron a ddefnyddiwn ni. Mae pobl sydd â dibynyddion yng Nghymru, er enghraifft, yn un o'r materion hynny.
Mae fy nghyd-Aelod i'n gweithio yn galed iawn ar yr agenda hon. Mae'r Dirprwy Brif Weinidog a minnau'n cynorthwyo o ran yr hyn y gallwn ei ddwyn ger bron gyda'n partneriaid gweinidogol arbennig yn Llywodraeth y DU, ac fel dywedais i, rwy'n cyfarfod â swyddogion y gyfraith yn fwy cyffredinol i drafod hyn. Nid mater i Gymru yn unig mohono; mae hon yn broblem i'r system gyfan. Dim ond cystal â'r data sydd gennym ni'r ydym ni o ran y ddarpariaeth a wnawn ni, felly rwy'n cytuno yn llwyr â'r cwbl o hynny.
Ac wedyn, y peth olaf i'w ddweud ynglŷn â hyn yw mai'r data hynny ynghylch teuluoedd, faint o blant sy'n byw gydag aelod o'r teulu yn y carchar yn y system a'r effaith y mae hynny'n ei chael ar barhad eu llesiant nhw, eu presenoldeb nhw yn yr ysgol, eu hiechyd nhw'n gyffredinol, a'u hiechyd meddwl nhw'n arbennig felly, yw un o'r effeithiau mwyaf yr ydym ni'n ei chael. Yr anawsterau pan fo rhiant yn dod adref o garchar, cadw cysylltiad gyda'r plant a sicrhau bod y plentyn arbennig hwnnw'n cael y budd llawn o hyn yw un o'r anawsterau a gawn ni hefyd, ac ni allwch wneud unrhyw beth am y naill beth na'r llall heb y data sy'n cyd-fynd â hyn chwaith. Felly, mae angen dybryd am y data hwn, ac fe fyddwn ni'n hyrwyddo hynny gyda'n holl allu.
Yn olaf, cwestiwn 5, Gareth Davies.
Finally, question 5, Gareth Davies.
5. A wnaiff y Cwnsler Cyffredinol ddatganiad am bumed adroddiad blynyddol llywydd Tribiwnlysoedd Cymru? OQ61975
5. Will the Counsel General make a statement on the president of Welsh Tribunals's fifth annual report? OQ61975
Thank you. The president of Welsh Tribunals's fifth annual report, Sir Gary Hickinbottom’s first in his term as president, was laid before the Senedd earlier this year by my predecessor. The First Minister and I met with the president to discuss his report, and I expect a debate will be scheduled in due course.
Diolch i chi. Rhoddwyd pumed adroddiad blynyddol llywydd Tribiwnlysoedd Cymru, sef y cyntaf gan Syr Gary Hickinbottom yn ystod ei dymor yn llywydd, ger bron y Senedd yn gynharach eleni gan fy rhagflaenydd i. Fe wnaeth Prif Weinidog Cymru a minnau gyfarfod â'r llywydd i drafod ei adroddiad, ac rwy'n disgwyl y bydd dadl yn cael ei threfnu maes o law.
Thank you very much, Counsel General. I understand that the Welsh Government has plans to introduce a Bill to the Senedd next year to reform Welsh tribunals, and I'm keen to know if the Counsel General can provide some more clarity as to what she hopes will be included in the Bill, and whether she has some certainty regarding the timetabling of the Bill. The president of the Welsh Tribunals's fifth annual report, like the previous two reports, highlighted that the Welsh tribunals have suffered from a lack of resources for a number of years, and their funding requirements seem to be spiralling upwards. I think making the tribunal service more accountable to the people is a good idea, but we need to know how this will look and how the funding issues will be solved. The president also said that the Welsh tribunals not having access to training materials from the Judicial College is becoming a real issue. So, I'd like to know if the Counsel General is also working to persuade the Judicial College to extend their remit to cover devolved tribunals. Also, on the funding issue, the spiralling costs are, of course, largely due to inflation, but I'd like to know how the Welsh Government's plans for reform will ensure that an independent Welsh tribunals service will receive sufficient resources and will not require significant funding increases year on year. Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi, Cwnsler Cyffredinol. Rwy'n deall bod gan Lywodraeth Cymru gynlluniau i gyflwyno Bil i'r Senedd y flwyddyn nesaf i ddiwygio tribiwnlysoedd Cymru, ac rwy'n awyddus i wybod a all y Cwnsler Cyffredinol roi rhywfaint mwy o eglurder ynghylch yr hyn y mae hi'n ei obeithio a fydd yn cael ei gynnwys yn y Bil, ac a oes ganddi hi rywfaint o sicrwydd i'w roi ynghylch amserlennu'r Bil. Roedd pumed adroddiad blynyddol llywydd Tribiwnlysoedd Cymru, fel y ddau adroddiad blaenorol, yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith bod tribiwnlysoedd Cymru wedi dioddef oherwydd prinder adnoddau ers nifer o flynyddoedd, ac mae hi'n ymddangos bod eu gofynion nhw o ran cyllido yn cynyddu'n sylweddol. Rwy'n credu mai syniad da yw gwneud y gwasanaeth tribiwnlys yn fwy atebol i'r bobl, ond mae angen i ni wybod sut olwg fydd ar hyn a sut y bydd y materion o ran cyllid yn cael eu datrys. Roedd y llywydd yn dweud hefyd nad yw tribiwnlysoedd Cymru yn gallu cael gafael ar ddeunyddiau hyfforddi o'r Coleg Barnwrol a bod honno'n mynd yn broblem wirioneddol. Felly, fe hoffwn i wybod a yw'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol yn gweithio hefyd i ddwyn perswâd ar y Coleg Barnwrol i ymestyn ei gylch gwaith i gwmpasu tribiwnlysoedd datganoledig. Yn ogystal â hynny, o ran cyllido, fe achosir y costau cynyddol, wrth gwrs, gan chwyddiant yn bennaf, ond fe hoffwn i wybod sut y bydd cynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer diwygio yn sicrhau y bydd gwasanaeth tribiwnlysoedd annibynnol yng Nghymru yn cael digon o adnoddau ac na fydd angen codiadau cyllid sylweddol o un flwyddyn i'r llall. Diolch i chi.
Thank you very much for that, Gareth. The president of Welsh Tribunals's annual report sets out an assessment of past performance and priorities for future improvement. It's an important report. We've made a decision as a Government that we will lay the report before the Senedd each year and we will facilitate a debate in Government time. In previous years, that debate has taken place at around this time of the year, but due to the number of meetings that have taken place between Ministers and the president, it is slightly delayed. That's not because it's not important, it's because the chronology is important and it's important to lay it at the right time and they must be done in order. So, we will be bringing that debate and you will have the opportunity to make those points again. We do take them very seriously, the ones that are directed at the Welsh Government, and all views expressed by the president are taken seriously. That's an important part of why the First Minister and I met him very recently, and I've met him myself, as well.
We do continue to work on the development of the tribunals Bill and we plan to address recommendations from both the Commission on Justice in Wales and the Law Commission report on devolved tribunals in Wales in the Bill. I'm afraid I can't say at what stage the Bill will be introduced, because that's dependent on the First Minister's legislative statement. But I can tell you that we are working diligently on preparing the Bill and I hope that it will be in the fifth year of this Senedd, but we have a number of hurdles, including my discussion with the Business Committee about the programme. I am hoping that the First Minister will be able to introduce her legislative statement on the fifth year slightly earlier than we would normally do so in order to be able to prepare us for fifth-year Bills. So, I'm very much looking forward to that, but I'm not able to say categorically at this point that it's definitely in the programme—that will be a matter for the First Minister.
Diolch yn fawr iawn am hynna, Gareth. Mae adroddiad blynyddol llywydd Tribiwnlysoedd Cymru yn nodi asesiad o berfformiad a blaenoriaethau'r gorffennol ar gyfer gwella yn y dyfodol. Mae'n adroddiad pwysig. Rydyn ni wedi gwneud penderfyniad fel Llywodraeth y byddwn ni'n gosod yr adroddiad gerbron y Senedd bob blwyddyn a byddwn ni'n hwyluso dadl yn amser y Llywodraeth. Yn y blynyddoedd blaenorol, mae'r ddadl honno wedi digwydd tua'r adeg hon o'r flwyddyn, ond oherwydd nifer y cyfarfodydd sydd wedi digwydd rhwng Gweinidogion a'r llywydd, mae wedi'i oedi ychydig. Nid oherwydd nad yw'n bwysig yw hynny, ond oherwydd bod y gronoleg yn bwysig ac mae'n bwysig ei osod ar yr adeg iawn ac mae'n rhaid eu gwneud mewn trefn. Felly, byddwn ni'n cyflwyno'r ddadl honno a byddwch chi'n cael cyfle i wneud y pwyntiau hynny eto. Rydyn ni'n eu cymryd o ddifrif, y rhai sy'n cael eu cyfeirio at Lywodraeth Cymru, ac mae'r holl safbwyntiau sy'n cael eu mynegi gan y llywydd yn cael eu cymryd o ddifrif. Mae hynny'n rhan bwysig o pam y gwnaeth y Prif Weinidog a minnau gwrdd ag ef yn ddiweddar iawn, ac rwyf i wedi cwrdd ag ef fy hun, hefyd.
Rydyn ni'n parhau i weithio ar ddatblygu'r Bil tribiwnlysoedd ac rydyn ni'n bwriadu ymdrin ag argymhellion gan adroddiad Comisiwn y Gyfraith ar Gyfiawnder yng Nghymru ac adroddiad Comisiwn y Gyfraith ar dribiwnlysoedd datganoledig yng Nghymru yn y Bil. Mae araf i ofn na allaf i ddweud ar ba gam y bydd y Bil yn cael ei gyflwyno, oherwydd mae hynny'n ddibynnol ar ddatganiad deddfwriaethol y Prif Weinidog. Ond gallaf i ddweud wrthych chi ein bod ni'n gweithio'n ddiwyd ar baratoi'r Bil ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd yn y bumed flwyddyn yn y Senedd hon, ond mae gennym ni nifer o rwystrau, gan gynnwys fy nhrafodaeth â'r Pwyllgor Busnes am y rhaglen. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Prif Weinidog yn gallu cyflwyno ei datganiad deddfwriaethol yn y bumed flwyddyn ychydig yn gynt nag y bydden ni fel arfer yn gwneud hynny, er mwyn gallu ein paratoi ni ar gyfer Biliau yn y bumed flwyddyn. Felly, rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at hynny, ond nid wyf i'n gallu dweud yn bendant ar hyn o bryd ei bod yn bendant yn y rhaglen—mater i'r Prif Weinidog fydd hynny.
Diolch i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol.
Thank you, Counsel General.
Y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes sydd nesaf. Mae'r datganiad yma gan y Trefnydd, Jane Hutt.
The next item is the business statement and announcement. I call on the Trefnydd, Jane Hutt.
Diolch, Lywydd. Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Mae busnes drafft y tair wythnos nesaf wedi'i nodi yn y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd ar gael i Aelodau yn electronig.
Thank you, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which is available to Members electronically.
Can I call for two statements today from the Welsh Government, please? The first is in relation to waiting times, in particular in north Wales, from the Cabinet Secretary for health. I was very surprised to see that, of the 24,000 people in Wales waiting for over two years for treatment, over 10,000 of those—42 per cent—are patients in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area. That's 42 per cent of those waiting over two years, in spite of the fact that just 22 per cent of Wales's population lives in that region. Clearly, it's unacceptable to have such regional inequality in terms of access to health services, and we do need to see action taken by the Welsh Government to make sure that north Wales's capacity to deal with those waiting lists is addressed. So, I would appreciate it if we could have a specific statement from the Welsh Government on the issue in north Wales.
Secondly, the Royal National Institute of Blind People published a report on barriers to those people with sight impairments in terms of their ability to cast their ballots at elections in a secret way. Many of those people who were subjected to a survey—only 26 per cent, I think—said that they currently feel able to vote independently. Clearly, we need to do something about that to make sure that our democracy, which was founded on a secret ballot, is something that people can enjoy whether they have a disability or not. I would appreciate knowing from the Welsh Government what action they intend to take in order to address this, particularly at the next Senedd elections, given that they're looming.
A gaf i alw am ddau ddatganiad heddiw gan Lywodraeth Cymru, os gwelwch yn dda? Mae'r cyntaf o ran amseroedd aros, yn enwedig yn y gogledd, gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd. Cefais i fy synnu'n fawr o weld, o'r 24,000 o bobl yng Nghymru sy'n aros am dros ddwy flynedd am driniaeth, bod dros 10,000 o'r rheini—42 y cant—yn gleifion yn ardal Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr. Dyna 42 y cant o'r rhai sy'n aros dros ddwy flynedd, er gwaethaf y ffaith mai dim ond 22 y cant o boblogaeth Cymru sy'n byw yn y rhanbarth hwnnw. Yn amlwg, mae'n annerbyniol cael anghydraddoldeb rhanbarthol o'r fath o ran mynediad at wasanaethau iechyd, ac mae angen i ni weld Llywodraeth Cymru yn cymryd y camau gweithredu i sicrhau bod gallu'r gogledd i ymdrin â'r rhestrau aros hynny yn cael sylw. Felly, byddwn i'n gwerthfawrogi pe gallen ni gael datganiad penodol gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar y mater yn y gogledd.
Yn ail, cyhoeddodd Sefydliad Cenedlaethol Brenhinol Pobl Ddall adroddiad ar y rhwystrau i'r bobl hynny sydd â nam ar eu golwg o ran eu gallu i fwrw eu pleidleisiau mewn ffordd gyfrinachol mewn etholiadau. O'r llawer o bobl hynny a oedd yn destun arolwg—dywedodd dim ond 26 y cant, rwy'n credu—eu bod ar hyn o bryd yn teimlo'u bod yn gallu pleidleisio'n annibynnol. Yn amlwg, mae angen i ni wneud rhywbeth am hynny i sicrhau bod ein democratiaeth, a gafodd ei seilio ar bleidlais gudd, yn rhywbeth y gall pobl ei fwynhau p'un ai oes ganddyn nhw anabledd ai peidio. Byddwn i'n gwerthfawrogi gwybod gan Lywodraeth Cymru pa gamau y maen nhw'n bwriadu eu cymryd er mwyn mynd i'r afael â hyn, yn enwedig yn etholiadau'r Senedd nesaf, o gofio eu bod ar y gorwel.
Diolch yn fawr, Darren Millar. Thank you for those questions. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has noted your question in terms of waiting times in north Wales, and of course, addresses these with Betsi Cadwaladr, alongside all the other health boards. And, indeed, the First Minister also responded, but I can assure you that this is noted on the record today.
Your second point is very relevant today, as it is the UN's international day of disabled people. We've just launched a really important Disability Wales Access to Politics peer network. This, as you know, is also part of the way in which we're working together and consulting on draft diversity and inclusion guidance towards enabling people to put themselves forward—diverse people, reflecting the diversity of Wales—for the Senedd election, and, indeed, local government elections. So, I will take this back, because I would say that it's the responsibility of my colleague Jayne Bryant as Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Housing, and myself, in terms of overcoming those barriers, particularly responding to the RNIB report, which, of course, we have to address.
Diolch yn fawr, Darren Millar. Diolch am y cwestiynau yna. Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol wedi nodi'ch cwestiwn o ran amseroedd aros yn y gogledd, ac wrth gwrs, yn ymdrin â'r rhain gyda Betsi Cadwaladr, ochr yn ochr â'r holl fyrddau iechyd eraill. Ac, yn wir, ymatebodd y Prif Weinidog hefyd, ond gallaf i eich sicrhau chi bod hyn wedi'i nodi ar y cofnod heddiw.
Mae eich ail bwynt yn berthnasol iawn heddiw, gan ei fod yn ddiwrnod rhyngwladol pobl anabl y Cenhedloedd Unedig. Rydyn ni newydd lansio rhwydwaith cymheiriaid Mynediad i Wleidyddiaeth Anabledd Cymru pwysig iawn. Mae hyn, fel y gwyddoch chi, hefyd yn rhan o'r ffordd yr ydyn ni'n cydweithio ac yn ymgynghori ar ganllawiau amrywiaeth a chynhwysiant drafft tuag at alluogi pobl i gyflwyno eu hunain—pobl amrywiol, gan adlewyrchu amrywiaeth Cymru—ar gyfer etholiad y Senedd, ac, yn wir, etholiadau llywodraeth leol. Felly, fe gymeraf hyn yn ôl, oherwydd byddwn i'n dweud mai cyfrifoldeb fy nghyd-Ysgrifennydd Jayne Bryant yw hi fel Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai, a minnau, o ran goresgyn y rhwystrau hynny, yn enwedig ymateb i adroddiad yr RNIB, y mae'n rhaid i ni, wrth gwrs, fynd i'r afael ag ef.
Trefnydd, I'd like to request a statement following the press release yesterday issued by the First Minister regarding the £157 million of additional funding. I think it's important that we have clarity in terms of the breakdown, because it says in the press release that it's a mixture of both revenue and capital—to have that breakdown would be extremely helpful. Obviously, a written statement has been issued regarding one element, which is the Arts Council of Wales's job protection and organisation resilience fund. Given the interest that there has been in this Chamber and from the committee chaired by Delyth Jewell on this matter, I think having clarity and an opportunity to discuss are really important—also to give clarity to these organisations. We know there have been so many job losses, and so many organisations have had to stop functioning or cut services, so to really understand the impact of this funding, and what it means for these organisations across Wales, is crucial.
Trefnydd, hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad yn dilyn y datganiad i'r wasg ddoe a gafodd ei gyhoeddi gan y Prif Weinidog ynghylch y £157 miliwn o gyllid ychwanegol. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig bod gennym ni eglurder o ran y dadansoddiad, oherwydd mae'n dweud yn y datganiad i'r wasg ei fod yn gymysgedd o refeniw a chyfalaf —byddai cael y dadansoddiad hwnnw'n hynod ddefnyddiol. Yn amlwg, mae datganiad ysgrifenedig wedi'i gyhoeddi ynghylch un elfen, sef cronfa diogelu swyddi a gwytnwch sefydliadau Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru. O ystyried y diddordeb sydd wedi bod yn y Siambr hon a gan y pwyllgor dan gadeiryddiaeth Delyth Jewell ar y mater hwn, rwy'n credu bod cael eglurder a chyfle i drafod yn bwysig iawn—hefyd er mwyn rhoi eglurder i'r sefydliadau hyn. Rydyn ni'n gwybod bod cymaint o swyddi wedi'u colli, ac mae cymaint o sefydliadau wedi gorfod rhoi'r gorau i weithredu neu dorri gwasanaethau, felly mae deall effaith y cyllid hwn, a'r hyn y mae'n ei olygu i'r sefydliadau hyn ledled Cymru, yn hanfodol.
Diolch yn fawr, Heledd Fychan. I'm sure you will have welcomed the £157 million, but we will, of course, provide that clarity of detail.
Diolch yn fawr, Heledd Fychan. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi wedi croesawu'r £157 miliwn, ond wrth gwrs, gwnawn ni ddarparu'r eglurder o fanylion hwnnw.
Could I ask for a statement on the provision of primary care services? In the spring of this year, the Aneurin Bevan health board awarded the contract for primary care services in Brynmawr to a Dr Ahmed and a Dr Allinson. Both are directors of over 70 companies, mainly called E Harley Street. Since the awarding of this contract, we've seen a serious and continuing deterioration of services in Brynmawr. I also understand that E Harley Street owes doctors and locums up to £250,000, and many doctors are now, understandably, refusing to work for E Harley Street and refusing to work in Brynmawr. I further understand that the company has significant debts to HMRC and to suppliers. On top of this, the practice manager was summarily dismissed last week. So, this company, with questionable business practices, can't find doctors and can't pay its bills.
In our experience in Blaenau Gwent, this does not reflect the founding values of the national health service. Clearly, many of these matters are for the health board, but the Welsh Government does have oversight of the delivery of health services across Wales and has to take a view when we have these businesses that seem more intent on the pursuit of profit than the delivery of services affecting the primary care and fundamental services offered to my constituents. I hope we can have a statement, Trefnydd, to understand what happens when a provider of services fails.
A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad ar ddarparu gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol? Yn y gwanwyn eleni, dyfarnodd bwrdd iechyd Aneurin Bevan y contract ar gyfer gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol ym Mrynmawr i Dr Ahmed a Dr Allinson. Mae'r ddau yn gyfarwyddwyr dros 70 o gwmnïau, ac E Harley Street yw'r enw arnyn nhw'n bennaf. Ers dyfarnu'r contract hwn, rydyn ni wedi gweld dirywiad difrifol a pharhaus gwasanaethau ym Mrynmawr. Rwyf i hefyd yn deall bod gan E Harley Street ddyled o hyd at £250,000 i feddygon a gweithwyr locwm, ac mae llawer o feddygon erbyn hyn, yn ddealladwy, yn gwrthod gweithio i E Harley Street ac yn gwrthod gweithio ym Mrynmawr. Rwy'n deall ymhellach, fod gan y cwmni ddyledion sylweddol i CThEF ac i gyflenwyr. Ar ben hyn, cafodd rheolwr y practis ei ddiswyddo yn ddiseremoni. Felly, ni all y cwmni hwn, gydag arferion busnes amheus, ddod o hyd i feddygon ac ni allan nhw dalu eu biliau.
Yn ein profiad ni ym Mlaenau Gwent, nid yw hyn yn adlewyrchu gwerthoedd sylfaenol y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol. Yn amlwg, mae llawer o'r materion hyn ar gyfer y bwrdd iechyd, ond mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru oruchwyliaeth o'r broses o ddarparu gwasanaethau iechyd ledled Cymru ac mae'n rhaid bod gennym ni farn pan fo gennym ni'r busnesau hyn sy'n ymddangos yn fwy penderfynol o fynd ar drywydd elw na darparu gwasanaethau sy'n effeithio ar y gofal sylfaenol a'r gwasanaethau sylfaenol sy'n cael eu cynnig i fy etholwyr. Rwy'n gobeithio y gallwn ni gael datganiad, Trefnydd, i ddeall beth sy'n digwydd pan fydd darparwr gwasanaethau yn methu.
Thank you very much, Alun Davies. The Welsh Government is aware of local concerns, and you've brought this to our attention here in the Chamber today, around practices managed by E Harley Street. It is, as you say, the responsibility of the health board, the planning and delivery of primary medical services to their population, including managing contracts for primary care services. Those general medical services contracts were awarded by Aneurin Bevan earlier this year. But the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care will write to you on this matter and will be able to update you on the response.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Alun Davies. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymwybodol o bryderon lleol, ac rydych chi wedi tynnu ein sylw ato yma yn y Siambr heddiw, ynghylch practisau sydd wedi'u rheoli gan E Harley Street. Fel y dywedwch, chi, cyfrifoldeb y bwrdd iechyd yw cynllunio a darparu gwasanaethau meddygol sylfaenol i'w boblogaeth, gan gynnwys rheoli contractau ar gyfer gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol. Cafodd y contractau gwasanaethau meddygol cyffredinol hynny eu dyfarnu gan Aneurin Bevan yn gynharach eleni. Ond bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol yn ysgrifennu atoch chi ar y mater hwn a bydd yn gallu rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i chi yn yr ymateb.
Trefnydd, I would like to request an urgent statement from the Cabinet Secretary for health on ambulance response times in relation to falls. The weekend before last, an elderly woman from my region fell and broke her hip. The family called for an ambulance and then they were asked to wait. The patient was initially instructed not to have any food, water or pain medication until an ambulance had arrived. After waiting for nearly a day, the family were instructed that the patient could have something to eat and drink, along with some pain medication. Finally, after 30 hours, with no sign of an ambulance, the family decided to transport the patient themselves, despite a suspected hip fracture, as the alternative was to leave the elderly woman lying on the floor in serious pain and discomfort.
Sadly, this case is far from unique. I appreciate that the Cabinet Secretary has instigated a review into the appropriateness of emergency ambulance response measures and targets. However, I would suggest that such reviews take time and that people are dying, and will die, in the interim. While working as an orthopaedic surgeon, I undertook extensive research and produced several papers on mortality rates in people with hip fractures. Any delay in treatment resulted in increased mortality. I found that a delay in operating within 48 hours of the fracture occurring resulted in a doubling of the mortality rate, regardless of age. A 65-year-old person was just as likely to die as a frail 95-year-old. What hope do our constituents have if they can't even get to a hospital in the first place? Therefore, Trefnydd, it is vital that the Welsh Government addresses these issues, and I call for an urgent statement. Diolch yn fawr.
Trefnydd, hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad brys gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd ar amseroedd ymateb ambiwlansys o ran cwympiadau. Y penwythnos cyn yr un diwethaf, cwympodd menyw oedrannus o fy rhanbarth gan dorri ei chlun. Galwodd y teulu am ambiwlans ac yna gofynnwyd iddyn nhw aros. Ar y dechrau, cafodd y claf gyfarwyddyd i beidio â chael unrhyw fwyd, dŵr na meddyginiaeth poen nes bod ambiwlans wedi cyrraedd. Ar ôl aros am bron i ddiwrnod, cafodd y teulu gyfarwyddyd y gallai'r claf gael rhywbeth i'w fwyta a'i yfed, ynghyd â rhywfaint o feddyginiaeth poen. Yn olaf, ar ôl 30 awr, heb unrhyw arwydd o ambiwlans, penderfynodd y teulu gludo'r claf eu hunain, er gwaethaf yr amheuaeth ei bod wedi torri'i chlun, gan mai'r dewis arall oedd gadael y fenyw oedrannus yn gorwedd ar y llawr mewn poen ac anghysur difrifol.
Yn anffodus, nid yw'r achos hwn yn unigryw o bell ffordd. Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi bod yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet wedi cychwyn adolygiad i briodoldeb mesurau a thargedau ymateb brys ambiwlansys. Fodd bynnag, byddwn i'n awgrymu bod adolygiadau o'r fath yn cymryd amser a bod pobl yn marw, ac y byddan nhw yn marw, yn y cyfamser. Wrth weithio fel llawfeddyg orthopedig, ymgymerais i ag ymchwil helaeth a lluniais i sawl papur ar gyfraddau marwolaeth ymhlith pobl â thoriadau clun. Arweiniodd unrhyw oedi mewn triniaeth at fwy o farwolaethau. Gwnes i ddarganfod bod oedi cyn rhoi llawdriniaeth o fewn 48 awr i'r toriad ddigwydd wedi arwain at ddyblu'r gyfradd marwolaethau, beth bynnag oedd yr oedran. Roedd person 65 oed yr un mor debygol o farw â dyn agored i niwed 95 oed. Pa obaith sydd gan ein hetholwyr os na allan nhw hyd yn oed gyrraedd ysbyty yn y lle cyntaf? Felly, Trefnydd, mae'n hanfodol bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymdrin â'r materion hyn, ac rwy'n galw am ddatganiad brys. Diolch yn fawr.
Thank you very much indeed, Altaf Hussain. Thank you for sharing not only the circumstances you raise with us today, but also your experience as a former clinician, as an elected Member to this Senedd, which we, of course, respect. It is important, as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has been responding, particularly in terms of ambulance services. The issue around ambulance patient handover delays across Wales is something that he is addressing, because it does have an impact on ambulance service resources. We've been very clear about this with health boards. It was set out in the NHS Wales planning framework and featured as part of LHB chairs' objectives. We've invested £180 million in additional funding this year, which is to help safely manage more people in the community, avoid unnecessary transport and admission to hospital and to deliver integrated solutions. And, of course, we've got the new ambulance patient handover guidance from 29 October. But I know that the Cabinet Secretary will be addressing this as part of his 50-day challenge statement this afternoon.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Altaf Hussain. Diolch i chi am rannu nid yn unig yr amgylchiadau yr ydych chi'n eu codi gyda ni heddiw, ond hefyd am eich profiad fel cyn-glinigwr, fel Aelod etholedig i'r Senedd hon, yr ydyn ni, wrth gwrs, yn ei barchu. Mae'n bwysig, fel y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol wedi bod yn ymateb, yn enwedig o ran gwasanaethau ambiwlans. Mae'r mater o ran oedi wrth drosglwyddo cleifion ambiwlans ledled Cymru yn rhywbeth y mae'n ymdrin ag ef, oherwydd mae'n cael effaith ar adnoddau'r gwasanaeth ambiwlans. Rydyn ni wedi bod yn glir iawn am hyn gyda'r byrddau iechyd. Cafodd ei nodi yn fframwaith cynllunio GIG Cymru a chafodd ei gynnwys fel rhan o amcanion cadeiryddion BILlau. Rydyn ni wedi buddsoddi £180 miliwn mewn cyllid ychwanegol eleni, sydd i helpu i reoli mwy o bobl yn y gymuned yn ddiogel, osgoi cludiant a mynediad diangen i'r ysbyty a darparu atebion integredig. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae gennym ni ganllawiau trosglwyddo cleifion ambiwlans newydd o 29 Hydref. Ond gwn i y bydd yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn ymdrin â hyn fel rhan o'i ddatganiad her 50 diwrnod y prynhawn yma.
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (David Rees) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (David Rees) took the Chair.
I'd like a debate in Government time, please, to address the ongoing challenges after storm Bert. The flooding that hit our communities last week dominated headlines, and even though the water levels have gone down, the damage remains. I want to make sure the focus doesn't leave those places when the clean-up ends, because people are frightened. So many streets and businesses that were hit by flooding in 2020 have been affected again in Ystrad Mynach, Llanbradach, Blackwood and Bedwas. People are worried about when it will happen again. We're only at the beginning of the winter. We can expect more storms. We need to reassure residents that there's a plan to protect them.
We've also seen a coal tip slip down a mountain in Cwmtillery and a sinkhole open in a housing estate in Merthyr Tydfil, which seems to have been caused by a culvert collapsing in heavy rain. People across the Valleys will be worrying. There have been landslips in other villages too. So, can we have a Government debate to address people's concerns and explain what urgent steps the Government will take to protect our communities and all the people who live there?
Hoffwn i gael dadl yn amser y Llywodraeth, os gwelwch yn dda, i ymdrin â'r heriau parhaus ar ôl storm Bert. Roedd y llifogydd a darodd ein cymunedau yr wythnos diwethaf wedi cael lle blaenllaw yn y penawdau, ac er bod lefelau'r dŵr wedi gostwng, mae'r difrod yn parhau. Rwyf i eisiau sicrhau nad yw canolbwyntio ar y lleoedd hynny yn dod i ben pan ddaw'r gwaith glanhau i ben, oherwydd bod pobl yn ofnus. Effeithiwyd eto ar gymaint o strydoedd a busnesau a gafodd eu taro gan lifogydd yn 2020 yn Ystrad Mynach, Llanbradach, y Coed Duon a Bedwas. Mae pobl yn poeni ynghylch pryd y bydd hyn yn digwydd eto. Dim ond ar ddechrau'r gaeaf yr ydyn ni. Gallwn ni ddisgwyl mwy o stormydd. Mae angen i ni dawelu meddwl trigolion drwy eu sicrhau bod cynllun i'w diogelu.
Rydyn ni hefyd wedi gweld tomen lo yn llithro i lawr mynydd yng Nghwmtyleri a llyncdwll yn agor mewn ystad dai ym Merthyr Tudful, sy'n ymddangos fel petai wedi'i achosi gan gwlfert yn chwalu mewn glaw trwm. Bydd pobl ar draws y Cymoedd yn poeni. Mae tirlithriadau wedi digwydd mewn pentrefi eraill hefyd. Felly, a allwn ni gael dadl y Llywodraeth i ymdrin â phryderon pobl ac i egluro pa gamau brys y bydd y Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd i ddiogelu ein cymunedau a'r holl bobl sy'n byw ynddyn nhw?
Thank you very much, Delyth Jewell. It is important that you return to this issue today, because of the impact of the flooding events in the communities that you represent, and also in the region, but also, of course, what Alun Davies has brought in terms of the situation in his constituency, in terms of the landslide and the impact it is having on the community, and the clear-up. Of course, funding was announced last week, but we need to make sure the communications get out there in terms of how people can seek the support that they need through these very difficult days after that flooding, when the publicity goes off the front page.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Delyth Jewell. Mae'n bwysig eich bod chi'n dychwelyd i'r mater hwn heddiw, oherwydd effaith y llifogydd yn y cymunedau yr ydych chi'n eu cynrychioli, a hefyd yn y rhanbarth, ond hefyd, wrth gwrs, yr hyn y mae Alun Davies wedi'i gyflwyno o ran y sefyllfa yn ei etholaeth ef, o ran y tirlithriad a'r effaith y mae'n ei gael ar y gymuned, a'r gwaith clirio. Wrth gwrs, cafodd cyllid ei gyhoeddi'r wythnos diwethaf, ond mae angen i ni sicrhau bod y cyfathrebu yn cyrraedd ei nod o ran sut y gall pobl fynd ar drywydd y gefnogaeth sydd ei hangen arnyn nhw yn ystod y dyddiau anodd iawn hyn ar ôl y llifogydd hynny, pan fydd y cyhoeddusrwydd yn symud oddi ar y dudalen flaen.
I'd like to ask you, please, for an urgent statement on the issue of fuel poverty. We've seen the changes to winter fuel payments introduced by the UK Labour Government significantly increase hardship for thousands of pensioners this winter, and in my home county of Powys, 90 per cent of pensioners will lose out on this vital support. The Welsh Government's Warm Homes programme, whilst well intentioned, is progressing far too slowly. At the current pace, the Bevan Foundation reports it will take 136 years to address all fuel-poor households, which is an unacceptable generational failure. It's further exacerbated by outdated data on fuel poverty here in Wales, relying on housing stock surveys decades old, hampering our ability to be effective.
We are, once again, halfway through this winter, and this issue has been raised time and time again. So, what will you do on behalf of the Government here in Wales to ensure that our homes are warm and that this programme can continue at pace and at scale? Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Hoffwn i ofyn i chi, os gwelwch yn dda, am ddatganiad brys ar fater tlodi tanwydd. Rydyn ni wedi gweld y newidiadau i daliadau tanwydd gaeaf a gafodd eu cyflwyno gan Lywodraeth Lafur y DU yn cynyddu caledi i filoedd o bensiynwyr y gaeaf hwn yn sylweddol, ac yn fy sir enedigol, Powys, bydd 90 y cant o bensiynwyr ar eu colled o ran y cymorth hanfodol hwn. Mae rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd Llywodraeth Cymru, er ei bod yn llawn bwriadau da, yn mynd rhagddi'n llawer rhy araf. Ar y cyflymder presennol, mae Sefydliad Bevan yn dweud y bydd yn cymryd 136 o flynyddoedd i ymdrin â phob aelwyd sy'n dlawd o ran tanwydd, sy'n fethiant annerbyniol i'r genhedlaeth hon. Mae hyn yn cael ei waethygu ymhellach gan ddata wedi dyddio ar dlodi tanwydd yma yng Nghymru, sy'n dibynnu ar arolygon degawdau'n ôl o stoc dai, gan amharu ar ein gallu i fod yn effeithiol.
Unwaith eto, rydyn ni hanner ffordd drwy'r gaeaf hwn, ac mae'r mater hwn wedi'i godi dro ar ôl tro. Felly, beth fyddwch chi'n ei wneud ar ran y Llywodraeth yma yng Nghymru i sicrhau bod ein cartrefi'n glyd a bod y rhaglen hon yn gallu parhau'n ddi-oed ac ar raddfa fawr? Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Diolch yn fawr, Jane Dodds. I would like to make a statement. I will seek the business time, or indeed start with a written statement. I do want to respond to the all-important question, into these winter months, of how we as a Government are tackling fuel poverty and investing in Warm Homes, because it is a joint responsibility of myself and Jane Bryant, just in terms of the Warm Homes Nest scheme. It's £30 million to reduce the number of low-income households living in cold, damp homes, and that's our primary mechanism to tackle fuel poverty. But, of course, what's important for those households who do benefit from the Warm Homes Nest scheme is not only packages to insulate and decarbonise their home, but also advice and guidance to all of those households. In fact, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government I know has answered questions on this point.
We have to maximise income, build financial resilience, put money back into people's pockets, and I think the discretionary assistance fund and the crisis fund for people provide support for fuel and energy costs in crisis situations. We're supporting the UK Government's campaign to get eligible pensioners signed up for pension credit, so that they can access the winter fuel support scheme. But also, we are investing in the Fuel Bank Foundation, as you know, with £700,000 more funds to enable people on prepayment meters and off-grid to access that funding. But to bring it all together, I will do a statement, and find time to do a statement on tackling fuel poverty in Wales.
Diolch yn fawr, Jane Dodds. Hoffwn i wneud datganiad. Byddaf i'n gwneud cais am yr amser busnes, neu'n wir yn dechrau gyda datganiad ysgrifenedig. Rwyf i eisiau ymateb i'r cwestiwn hollbwysig, yn ystod misoedd y gaeaf hwn, ynghylch sut yr ydyn ni fel Llywodraeth yn ymdrin â thlodi tanwydd ac yn buddsoddi mewn Cartrefi Clyd, oherwydd mae'n gyfrifoldeb ar y cyd i mi a Jane Bryant, o ran cynllun Cartrefi Clyd Nyth. Mae'n £30 miliwn i leihau nifer yr aelwydydd incwm isel sy'n byw mewn cartrefi oer, llaith, a dyna'n prif ddull i ymdrin â thlodi tanwydd. Ond, wrth gwrs, yr hyn sy'n bwysig i'r aelwydydd hynny sy'n elwa ar gynllun Cartrefi Clyd Nyth yw nid yn unig pecynnau i inswleiddio a datgarboneiddio eu cartref, ond hefyd cyngor ac arweiniad i bob un o'r aelwydydd hynny. Mewn gwirionedd, rwy'n gwybod bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Dai a Llywodraeth Leol wedi ateb cwestiynau ar y pwynt hwn.
Mae'n rhaid i ni fanteisio i'r eithaf ar incwm, datblygu cydnerthedd ariannol, rhoi arian yn ôl ym mhocedi pobl, ac rwy'n credu bod y gronfa cymorth dewisol a'r gronfa argyfwng i bobl yn rhoi cymorth ar gyfer costau tanwydd ac ynni mewn sefyllfaoedd argyfwng. Rydyn ni'n cefnogi ymgyrch Llywodraeth y DU i gael pensiynwyr cymwys i gofrestru ar gyfer credyd pensiwn, fel y gallan nhw gael mynediad at y cynllun cymorth tanwydd gaeaf. Ond hefyd, rydyn ni'n buddsoddi yn y Sefydliad Banc Tanwydd, fel y gwyddoch chi, gyda £700,000 yn fwy o arian i alluogi pobl ar fesuryddion rhagdalu ac oddi ar y grid i gael mynediad at y cyllid hwnnw. Ond er mwyn dod â'r cyfan at ei gilydd, byddaf i'n gwneud datganiad, ac yn dod o hyd i amser i wneud datganiad ar ymdrin â thlodi tanwydd yng Nghymru.
Trefnydd, following the devastating flooding caused by storm Bert, the Welsh Government's response to helping businesses affected was found severely lacking. Could we therefore have a statement, please, from the Welsh Government outlining what financial support is available for businesses that have been affected?
And also, additionally, sorry, can we have a statement from the Welsh Government to hear their plan on how they intend to enable those with disabilities to have as unrestricted a life as possible? It was very disappointing today, this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, that the Government statement was cut from the agenda, considering the impact it normally has.
Trefnydd, yn dilyn y llifogydd dinistriol a gafodd eu hachosi gan storm Bert, roedd ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i helpu busnesau yr effeithiwyd arnynt yn ddiffygiol iawn. A gawn ni ddatganiad felly, os gwelwch yn dda, gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn amlinellu pa gymorth ariannol sydd ar gael i fusnesau yr effeithiwyd arnynt?
A hefyd, yn ogystal, mae'n ddrwg gennyf i, a gawn ni ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru i glywed eu cynllun o ran sut y maen nhw'n bwriadu galluogi'r rhai ag anableddau i gael bywyd mor anghyfyngedig â phosibl? Roedd hi'n siomedig iawn heddiw, Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Pobl ag Anableddau, fod datganiad y Llywodraeth wedi'i dorri o'r agenda, gan ystyried yr effaith y mae'n ei chael fel arfer.
Thank you very much, Laura Anne Jones. I know the economy Minister has already responded and is taking forward the issues in terms of support and response to the businesses who are affected by the flooding. Again, it goes back to Delyth Jewell's point, that we need to make sure that this is obviously, clearly on the agenda. It's clear, for Welsh Government, we're taking those responsibilities forward.
I was very pleased to attend today—I'm sure many of you were able to attend the events that took place in the Senedd for the International Day of Disabled People. What was really good was that we were able to speak about Disability Wales's Access to Politics peer network, which we as a Welsh Government are funding. I issued a written statement today on the International Day of Disabled People, and I will be doing an oral statement in the new year to update on the plans we have to deliver our disability rights action plan.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Laura Anne Jones. Rwy'n gwybod bod Gweinidog yr Economi eisoes wedi ymateb ac yn bwrw ymlaen â'r materion o ran cefnogaeth ac ymateb i'r busnesau y mae'r llifogydd yn effeithio arnyn nhw. Unwaith eto, mae'n mynd yn ôl at bwynt Delyth Jewell, bod angen i ni sicrhau bod hyn yn amlwg, yn amlwg ar yr agenda. Mae'n amlwg, i Lywodraeth Cymru, ein bod ni'n bwrw ymlaen â'r cyfrifoldebau hynny.
Roeddwn i'n falch iawn o fod yn bresennol heddiw—rwy'n siŵr bod llawer ohonoch chi wedi gallu bod yn bresennol yn y digwyddiadau a gafodd eu cynnal yn y Senedd ar gyfer Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Pobl Anabl. Yr hyn oedd yn dda iawn oedd ein bod ni'n gallu siarad am rwydwaith cymheiriaid Mynediad at Wleidyddiaeth Anabledd Cymru, yr ydyn ni fel Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei ariannu. Cyhoeddais i ddatganiad ysgrifenedig heddiw ar Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol Pobl Anabl, a byddaf i'n gwneud datganiad llafar yn y flwyddyn newydd i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y cynlluniau sydd gennym ni i gyflawni ein cynllun gweithredu hawliau anabledd.
A gaf i ddatganiad gan yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol am y cyhoeddiad a gafodd ei wneud wythnos diwethaf gan Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda ynglŷn â'r posibilrwydd y bydd rhaid aros efallai 10 mlynedd arall cyn gweld adeiladu ysbyty newydd yng ngorllewin Cymru? Nawr, i'r rhai ohonon ni sydd yn byw yn yr ardal, rŷn ni'n gwybod bod yr ysbytai presennol, Glangwili a Llwynhelyg, yn ei gweld hi'n anodd darparu'r lefel o gefnogaeth glinigol sydd ei hangen. Fe ddechreuodd y sgyrsiau am ysbyty newydd nôl yn 2006, felly gyda'r oedi o 10 mlynedd, efallai bydd 28 mlynedd o godi gobeithion ac addewidion gwag wedi digwydd. Felly, mae hyn, fel y gwyddoch chi, yn cwbl annerbyniol.
Felly, mae angen buddsoddiad brys ar ystadau. Mae angen technoleg newydd, cyfleusterau pwrpasol a chyfarpar clinigol modern er mwyn darparu'r gofal gorau posibl i gleifion yr ardal. Felly, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet i esbonio sut mae e'n bwriadu cyflawni hyn a sut mae'r Llywodraeth yn bwriadu cefnogi'r bwrdd iechyd i weld adeiladu ysbyty newydd yn yr ardal?
Could I have a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care about the announcement that was made last week by Hywel Dda University Health Board about the possibility that it may be necessary to wait another 10 years before seeing the building of a new hospital in west Wales? Now, for those of us who live in that area, we know that the current hospitals, Glangwili and Withybush, find it difficult to provide the level of clinical support that's needed. The conversations about the new hospital started in 2006, so with a delay of 10 years, it may be 28 years of raising hopes and empty promises. So, as you know, this is entirely unacceptable.
So, there is a need for urgent investment on the estates. We need new technology, purpose-built facilities and modern clinical equipment in order to provide the best possible care for patients in the area. Therefore, could I ask for a statement by the Cabinet Secretary to explain how he intends to deliver this and how the Welsh Government intends to support the health board to see the building of a new hospital in the area?
Diolch yn fawr am eich cwestiwn pwysig iawn.
Thank you very much for that very important question.
It's quite clear that this is part of capital planning for modernising and renewing our estates across Wales, which is the responsibility of the health boards, but very clearly working in partnership in terms of our NHS estates capital programme. But your points have been taken and noted today.
Mae'n gwbl amlwg bod hyn yn rhan o gynllunio cyfalaf ar gyfer moderneiddio ac adnewyddu ein hystadau ledled Cymru, sy'n gyfrifoldeb y byrddau iechyd, ond yn amlwg iawn yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth o ran ein rhaglen gyfalaf ystadau'r GIG. Ond mae eich pwyntiau wedi'u cymryd a'u nodi heddiw.
I would like to ask for two Government statements. The first is on physician assistance. Like many Members in the Senedd, I've had substantial correspondence on the subject. Those in favour argue that it provides additional qualified support to physicians, thus improving productivity. Those against say we would be better off spending the money producing more doctors. I have no strong views either way on this but I would like to have a Government statement saying what the Government's thinking is on physician assistance.
I'm also asking for a statement on the Teacher Booker system that the Welsh Government are trialling. I believe in the direct employment of supply teachers either by schools or local authorities. I have never supported a supply agency model of providing supply teachers, so an update on where you've got with the Teacher Booker system I think would be useful.
Hoffwn i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth. Mae'r cyntaf ar gymorth i feddygon. Fel llawer o Aelodau yn y Senedd, rwyf i wedi cael gohebiaeth sylweddol ar y pwnc. Mae'r rhai sydd o blaid yn dadlau ei fod yn darparu cymorth cymwys ychwanegol i feddygon, gan wella cynhyrchiant. Mae'r rhai yn erbyn yn dweud y byddai'n well i ni wario'r arian yn cynhyrchu mwy o feddygon. Nid oes gennyf i unrhyw farn gref y naill ffordd na'r llall ar hyn, ond hoffwn i gael datganiad gan y Llywodraeth yn dweud beth yw barn y Llywodraeth ar gymorth i feddygon.
Rwyf i hefyd yn gofyn am ddatganiad ar y system Teacher Booker y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei dreialu. Rwy'n credu mewn cyflogaeth uniongyrchol athrawon cyflenwi naill ai gan ysgolion neu gan awdurdodau lleol. Nid wyf i erioed wedi cefnogi model asiantaeth gyflenwi ar gyfer darparu athrawon cyflenwi, felly rwy'n credu y byddai'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf o ran ble yr ydych chi arni gyda'r system Teacher Booker yn ddefnyddiol.
Diolch yn fawr am eich cwestiynau.
Thank you very much for those questions.
On that point, obviously, I would raise this with the education Minister. But also we have asked in terms of the—. We need a tripartite approach to define the scope of work, because we do have 200 physician associates in Wales, and we need to understand it across the board in terms of its role.
Ar y pwynt yna, yn amlwg, byddwn i'n codi hyn gyda'r Gweinidog addysg. Ond hefyd rydyn ni wedi gofyn o ran y—. Mae angen dull teirochrog arnon ni i ddiffinio cwmpas y gwaith, oherwydd mae gennym ni 200 o gymdeithion meddygol yng Nghymru, ac mae angen i ni ddeall drwyddi draw beth yw'r rôl.
I would like to have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for health, if possible, please, because two weeks ago I raised the issue that Glan Clwyd Hospital, to my grave concern, are conducting 4,000 fewer operations in 2023 than they were in 2019, and this is despite long waiting times locally and nationally, which the Cabinet Secretary for health is going to speak about next. But before Christmas we don't have a statement or any sets of questions forthcoming from the Government in order to raise this issue. So, can I please have a statement regarding this matter, what the Welsh Government's response is and what remedial work the Welsh Government will undertake with Betsi Cadwaladr in order to solve this problem, which, essentially—? Before COVID-19, they were conducting, as I say, 4,000 more operations than they currently are, and we need to get to the bottom of what the reason is behind some of those staggering statistics.
Hoffwn i gael datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd, os yn bosibl, os gwelwch yn dda, oherwydd bythefnos yn ôl fe godais i'r mater bod Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, er pryder enfawr i mi, yn cynnal 4,000 yn llai o lawdriniaethau yn 2023 nag yr oedd yn 2019, ac mae hyn er gwaethaf amseroedd aros hir yn lleol ac yn genedlaethol, y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd yn mynd i siarad amdano nesaf. Ond cyn y Nadolig nid oes gennym ni ddatganiad nac unrhyw gyfres o gwestiynau ar ddod gan y Llywodraeth er mwyn codi'r mater yma. Felly, a gaf i ddatganiad am y mater hwn, beth yw ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru a pha waith adfer y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud gyda Betsi Cadwaladr er mwyn datrys y broblem hon, sydd, yn ei hanfod—? Cyn COVID-19, roedden nhw'n cynnal, fel yr wyf i'n ei ddweud, 4,000 yn fwy o lawdriniaethau nag y maent ar hyn o bryd, ac mae angen i ni ganfod y rheswm y tu ôl i rai o'r ystadegau syfrdanol hynny.
Well, I think you're going to be able to have an opportunity now to question, very shortly, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, because this is, you know, in terms of the way forward, the 50-day recognition of what we can do in terms of productivity. I think you're going to hear some really important, positive news, as you know, from the statement, in due course.
Wel, rwy'n credu y byddwch chi'n gallu cael cyfle nawr i gwestiynu, yn fuan iawn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol, oherwydd mae hyn, wyddoch chi, o ran y ffordd ymlaen, y gydnabyddiaeth 50 diwrnod o'r hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud o ran cynhyrchiant. Rwy'n credu eich bod chi'n mynd i glywed newyddion pwysig, cadarnhaol iawn, fel y gwyddoch chi, o'r datganiad, maes o law.
I'd like to ask for two statements, Trefnydd. I'd like the Government to make a statement on its response to the ongoing situation in Gaza, and particularly its response to the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales's recent letter to the First Minister, which states that the conflict demands Wales's continued attention and action, both for those affected abroad and for communities in Wales, in line with our statutory commitments to be a globally responsible nation under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The war directly affects many people here in Wales, with many having lost loved ones, and there are constituents in all parts of Wales holding vigils and weekly protests in order to draw attention to the horrors that are happening there on a daily basis. Over a year has now passed since the Senedd formally discussed the situation in Gaza. Since then, the situation has changed and escalated, so we need to hear the Government's response to the calls made by so many of its citizens. It's the defining moral issue of our time, and it's an issue that is directly relevant to the Welsh Government's responsibilities.
I would also like to echo the disappointment of Laura Anne Jones to the decision to scrap the planned oral statement for today on the International Day of Disabled People. As well, I welcome that you're going to give an oral statement in the spring on the progress of the disability rights taskforce. But I would also draw your attention to the fact that we need to hear about the lack of progress too, and the reasons for that, on incorporating the United Nations convention on the rights of disabled people, and also address the disability employment gap, which is considerably higher in Wales than in the rest of the UK. Diolch.
Hoffwn i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad, Trefnydd. Hoffwn i'r Llywodraeth wneud datganiad ar ei hymateb i'r sefyllfa barhaus yn Gaza, ac yn enwedig ei hymateb i lythyr diweddar Comisiynydd Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol Cymru at y Prif Weinidog, sy'n nodi bod y gwrthdaro yn mynnu sylw a gweithredu parhaus gan Gymru, i'r rhai yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw dramor ac i gymunedau yng Nghymru, yn unol â'n hymrwymiadau statudol i fod yn genedl sy'n gyfrifol yn fyd-eang o dan Ddeddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015. Mae'r rhyfel yn effeithio'n uniongyrchol ar lawer o bobl yma yng Nghymru, gyda llawer wedi colli anwyliaid, ac mae etholwyr ym mhob rhan o Gymru yn cynnal gwylnosau a phrotestiadau wythnosol er mwyn tynnu sylw at yr erchyllterau sy'n digwydd yno yn ddyddiol. Erbyn hyn mae dros flwyddyn wedi mynd heibio ers i'r Senedd drafod y sefyllfa yn Gaza yn ffurfiol. Ers hynny, mae'r sefyllfa wedi newid a dwysáu, felly mae angen i ni glywed ymateb y Llywodraeth i'r galwadau sy'n cael eu gwneud gan gymaint o'i dinasyddion. Hwn yw mater moesol diffiniol ein hoes, ac mae'n fater sy'n uniongyrchol berthnasol i gyfrifoldebau Llywodraeth Cymru.
Hoffwn i hefyd adleisio siom Laura Anne Jones yn sgil y penderfyniad i gael gwared ar y datganiad llafar arfaethedig ar gyfer heddiw ar Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol Pobl Anabl. Yn ogystal, rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith eich bod chi'n mynd i roi datganiad llafar yn y gwanwyn ar gynnydd y tasglu hawliau anabledd. Ond byddwn ni hefyd yn tynnu'ch sylw at y ffaith bod angen i ni glywed am y diffyg cynnydd hefyd, a'r rhesymau dros hynny, o ran ymgorffori confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar hawliau pobl anabl, a hefyd ymdrin â'r bwlch cyflogaeth anabledd, sy'n sylweddol uwch yng Nghymru nag yng ngweddill y DU. Diolch.
Diolch yn fawr am eich cwestiwn—dau gwestiwn pwysig iawn.
Thank you very much for your question—two very important questions.
I've just seen today the letter from the future generations commissioner, which I'm grateful for in terms of—. You may be aware that we are looking to ways in which we can discuss, debate the situation in Gaza, in this Senedd, which is very important, as you say. I know the First Minister has responded to questions very directly on this—obviously, not devolved, but we have our responsibilities in terms of our communities, which we are engaging with, and that's important for all of us here in this Chamber.
Yes, I've issued a written statement today on the International Day of Disabled People. You will see in it that I address not only just progress in terms of the disability rights taskforce—I want to give much more detail in an oral statement in the new year—but also I have addressed the issue of progress and the work that's being undertaken, which you'll be aware, is part of the human rights advisory group that I chair, in relation to the incorporation of the UN convention on the rights of disabled people into Welsh law.
Rydw i newydd weld heddiw y llythyr gan gomisiynydd cenedlaethau'r dyfodol, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar amdano o ran —. Efallai eich bod chi'n ymwybodol ein bod ni'n ystyried y ffyrdd y gallwn ni drin a thrafod y sefyllfa yn Gaza, yn y Senedd hon, sy'n bwysig iawn, fel y dywedwch chi. Rwy'n gwybod bod y Prif Weinidog wedi ymateb i gwestiynau yn uniongyrchol iawn ar hyn—yn amlwg, nid yw wedi'i ddatganoli, ond mae gennym ni ein cyfrifoldebau o ran ein cymunedau, yr ydyn ni'n ymgysylltu â nhw, ac mae hynny'n bwysig i bob un ohonon ni yma yn y Siambr hon.
Do, fe gyhoeddais i ddatganiad ysgrifenedig heddiw ar Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol Pobl Anabl. Fe welwch ynddo fy mod i'n ymdrin nid yn unig â chynnydd o ran y tasglu hawliau anabledd—rwyf i eisiau rhoi llawer mwy o fanylion mewn datganiad llafar yn y flwyddyn newydd—ond hefyd rwyf i wedi ymdrin â'r mater o gynnydd a'r gwaith sy'n cael ei wneud, y byddwch chi'n ymwybodol ei fod yn rhan o'r grŵp cynghori hawliau dynol rwy'n ei gadeirio, o ran ymgorffori confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar hawliau pobl anabl i mewn i gyfraith Cymru.
Well, I chaired the session of the International Day of Disabled People Senedd event with Disability Wales earlier, promoting the rights and well-being of disabled people. And I call for a Welsh Government oral statement here accordingly, because that's what they've called for today.
This year the theme, as you know, is amplifying the leadership of disabled people for an inclusive and sustainable future, emphasising the importance of advancing leadership and agency of disabled people and disabled people's organisations. In Wales, however, substantial progress is still needed to meet national obligations, under the sustainable development goals and the United Nations convention on the rights of disabled people.
Disability Wales welcomed the Welsh Government's creation of the disability rights taskforce, to produce an action plan with recommendations for tackling systemic barriers to disabled people's equality and rights in Wales. However, when I opened the All Wales People First touring exhibition in north Wales yesterday, I again heard that the requirement, in the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, to give disabled people real voice, choice and control in decisions that affect their lives was not being complied with. I call for an oral statement to this Senedd, this Parliament, in this Chamber accordingly.
Wel, fe wnes i gadeirio sesiwn digwyddiad y Senedd Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Pobl Anabl gydag Anabledd Cymru yn gynharach, gan hyrwyddo hawliau a llesiant pobl anabl. Ac rwy'n galw am ddatganiad llafar gan Lywodraeth Cymru yma yn unol â hynny, oherwydd dyna’r hyn y maen nhw wedi galw amdano heddiw.
Eleni, y thema, fel y gwyddoch chi, yw helaethu arweinyddiaeth pobl anabl ar gyfer dyfodol cynhwysol a chynaliadwy, gan bwysleisio pwysigrwydd hyrwyddo arweinyddiaeth a galluogedd pobl anabl a sefydliadau pobl anabl. Yng Nghymru, fodd bynnag, mae angen cynnydd sylweddol o hyd i gyflawni rhwymedigaethau cenedlaethol, o dan y nodau datblygu cynaliadwy a chonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar hawliau pobl anabl.
Croesawodd Anabledd Cymru gwaith Llywodraeth Cymru yn creu'r tasglu hawliau anabledd, i lunio cynllun gweithredu gydag argymhellion ar gyfer ymdrin â rhwystrau systemig rhag cydraddoldeb a hawliau pobl anabl yng Nghymru. Fodd bynnag, pan agorais i arddangosfa deithiol Pobl yn Gyntaf Cymru Gyfan yn y gogledd ddoe, clywais i unwaith eto nad oes cydymffurfiaeth â'r gofyniad, yn Neddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014, i roi llais, dewis a rheolaeth wirioneddol i bobl anabl o ran penderfyniadau sy'n effeithio ar eu bywydau nhw. Rwy'n galw am ddatganiad llafar i'r Senedd hon, yn y Siambr hon yn unol â hynny.
Thank you very much, and as I've said, I'm doing an oral statement to address those points in the new year. But I do urge you to look at my written statement.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, ac fel y dywedais i, rwy'n gwneud datganiad llafar i ymdrin â'r pwyntiau hynny yn y flwyddyn newydd. Ond rwy'n eich annog chi i edrych ar fy natganiad ysgrifenedig.
Ac yn olaf, Mabon ap Gwynfor.
And finally, Mabon ap Gwynfor.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I ask for a statement from the Government on what action the Government can take to assist people fleeing violence and genocide in Darfur and southern Sudan? I got the opportunity to meet young men from southern Sudan. They were Zaghawa people who were living primarily in Chad, because they were fleeing the genocide, and then travelling from Chad through Northern Africa to Tunisia, over the ocean into Italy, and then through to France, and they were explaining why they wanted to come to the UK and to Wales for assistance, simply because they could speak—. They learnt English in school, and they learnt about the UK.
There’s no safe passage for people from southern Sudan to Wales and to the UK, but they need assistance. They are facing genocide. They were explaining how many of their family members had been killed and murdered, and young boys were being brought in to fight a civil war there. So, they need as much help as possible, and I’d like to understand what assistance the Welsh Government could provide to the people of that area.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth ar ba gamau y gall y Llywodraeth eu cymryd i gynorthwyo pobl sy'n ffoi rhag trais a hil-laddiad yn Darfur a de Sudan? Cefais i'r cyfle i gwrdd â phobl ifanc o dde Sudan. Pobl Zaghawa oedden nhw a oedd yn byw yn bennaf yn Chad, oherwydd eu bod yn ffoi o'r hil-laddiad, ac yna'n teithio o Chad trwy Ogledd Affrica i Tunisia, dros y cefnfor i'r Eidal, ac yna drwodd i Ffrainc, ac roedden nhw'n esbonio pam y maen nhw eisiau dod i'r DU ac i Gymru am gymorth, dim ond oherwydd eu bod nhw'n gallu siarad—. Fe wnaethon nhw ddysgu Saesneg yn yr ysgol, ac fe wnaethon nhw ddysgu am y Deyrnas Unedig.
Does dim llwybr diogel i bobl o dde Sudan i Gymru ac i'r DU, ond mae angen cymorth arnyn nhw. Maen nhw'n wynebu hil-laddiad. Roedden nhw'n esbonio faint o aelodau o'u teulu oedd wedi cael eu lladd a'u llofruddio, ac roedd bechgyn ifanc yn cael eu dwyn i mewn i ymladd rhyfel cartref yno. Felly, mae angen cymaint o help â phosibl arnyn nhw, a hoffwn i ddeall pa gymorth y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru ei roi i bobl yr ardal honno.
Thank you for drawing that to our attention today, Mabon ap Gwynfor, and I very much look to our Wales and Africa programme, and indeed look also to the engagement that we have with our diaspora from Sudan here in Wales and the sub-Saharan diaspora advisory committee. So, thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we will obviously look at it in terms of what we could do, or how we can also make representations, indeed, to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Diolch am dynnu hynny i'n sylw heddiw, Mabon ap Gwynfor, ac rwy'n meddwl am ein rhaglen Cymru ac Affrica ac, yn wir, rwy'n meddwl hefyd am yr ymgysylltiad sydd gennym gyda'n diaspora o Sudan yma yng Nghymru a'r pwyllgor cynghori alltudion Is-Sahara. Felly, diolch i chi am dynnu ein sylw at hyn, a byddwn ni'n amlwg yn edrych arno o ran yr hyn y gallem ei wneud, neu sut y gallwn ni hefyd gyflwyno sylwadau, yn wir, i'r Swyddfa Dramor, y Gymanwlad a Datblygu.
Diolch i'r Trefnydd.
Thank you, Trefnydd.
Eitem 4 heddiw yw'r datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol, her 50 diwrnod newydd i helpu cleifion i adael yr ysbyty ac i wella gofal cymunedol. A galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, Jeremy Miles.
Item 4 today is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, new 50-day challenge to improve hospital discharge and community care. And I call on the Cabinet Secretary, Jeremy Miles.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Mae ein gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol o dan bwysau sylweddol. Mae’r darlun yng Nghymru yn debyg i’r un mewn rhannau eraill o’r Deyrnas Unedig. Mae pobl yn byw yn hirach, sy’n gadarnhaol iawn, i raddau helaeth yn sgil safonau byw gwell a datblygiadau mewn gofal iechyd. Ond mae mwy o bobl yn byw gyda chyflyrau iechyd cronig a hir dymor, sy’n golygu bod ganddyn nhw anghenion iechyd a gofal cymhleth. Mae hyn, yn ei dro, yn rhoi mwy o alw, wrth gwrs, ar ein gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal. Yr her i ni yw darparu’r cydbwysedd cywir o ofal a chymorth mor agos at adref â phosib i gefnogi pobl fel y gallan nhw fywydau annibynnol yn eu cymunedau lleol.
Ond, ar hyn o bryd, dŷn ni ddim wedi cael y cydbwysedd hwn yn iawn.
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Our health and social care services are under significant pressure. The picture in Wales is similar to that in other parts of the UK. People are living longer, which is a real positive, and that's thanks in large part to improved living standards and advances in healthcare. But more people are living with multiple chronic, long-term health conditions, which means they have complex health and care needs. This, in turn, puts greater demands on our health and care services. Our challenge is to provide the right balance of care and support at or as close to home as possible to support people so that they can live independent lives in their local communities.
But, at the moment, we haven’t got this balance right.
We know this because around 1,600 people are currently delayed in hospital. They are medically ready to leave, but they are unable to go because they are waiting for an assessment or a package of care to support them at home. For these people, staying in hospital for a long time is not good for their long-term health and well-being.
There are also many people who are being admitted to hospital who could have been better supported either at home or in the community, if the right services were available. We want people to be cared for in their own homes, or in their local communities, wherever possible, because all the evidence shows that’s where they do best.
Such high levels of delayed discharges, or pathways of care delays, have knock-on consequences for the wider health and care system. Because the back door to the NHS is effectively closed, there is no flow through the system and the front door increasingly becomes jammed. We see this in long waits for people to be admitted to a hospital bed, in ambulances queuing for hours outside emergency departments to hand over patients, and in a lack of ambulance capacity to respond to new 999 calls in the community.
Dirprwy Lywydd, the NHS and local authorities have worked very hard in the two years since the pandemic to address these pressure points, to reduce the number of people who are delayed in hospital and to increase community capacity. Since I've been in post, the Minister for social care and I have been having monthly care action committee meetings with local authorities and NHS colleagues to discuss actions to address pathways of care delays and build community capacity. These meetings have given us a real focus on those people who are currently delayed in hospital today and the reasons why. I'll say more about the care action committee in a moment.
The real solution lies in longer-term transformation, and the development of an integrated community care system for Wales, with the right balance of community capacity to help people stay well at home. This will create the best possible opportunity to strengthen preventative services to help people live well for as long as possible.
While we work towards this long-term transformation, we continue with our focus on immediate actions through the care action committee. Since 2023, the committee has had three key priorities, each designed to support improvements in the here and now and to lead to better experiences and outcomes for people. These are, firstly, reducing pathways of care delays; secondly, increasing weekend district nursing and palliative care nursing hours to support seven-day access; and, thirdly, enhancing community support for step-up and step-down care to and from hospital.
The Minister for social care and I have met all the seven regions to hear in detail about their joint working, about what is working well and what’s having the greatest impact. I have been very encouraged by the work and the plans already in place across Wales, and have seen many examples of strong relationships and actions being implemented, but these need to be shared more widely. Examples include the pink army in the Cardiff and Vale region, which is using integrated and innovative approaches to providing community care and supporting discharge. The west Wales integrated urgent care model and navigation streaming hub are providing complex and integrated care in the community, preventing people needing to be admitted to hospital, as well as supporting timely discharge for others. And Cwm Taf Morgannwg’s optimise model and integrated white board technology are supporting a cross-sector approach to planning and managing access to care.
The care action committee work led to the development of the 50-day integrated winter care challenge and the list of the 10 best practice initiatives. The 50-day challenge, which is almost at its halfway point, is designed to rapidly accelerate existing work and create a consistent national effort to improve health and social care flow in the run-up to end of the year, when winter pressures traditionally reach their peak. This will not solve the entire problem of hospital flow or pathways of care delays, but it will ensure a collective national focus on the issue and the best practice interventions, it will help more people return home in time for Christmas, and give us valuable learning about what works and where the gaps still are. It will also set the stage for continued improvements and lead to a more sustainable, resilient and consistent level of system performance, steering us towards our long-term goal of an integrated community care system for Wales.
To support the 50-day challenge, we already have key resources and programmes in place. This includes the £146 million regional integration fund, £5 million to increase allied health professional capacity, and £11.95 million through the Further Faster initiative to build community capacity specifically. Recognising the extreme pressures on our system, I have secured an additional £19 million to support the 50-day challenge. This includes £10 million for local authorities to support reablement and domiciliary care capacity, and £9 million for the NHS specifically for community-based care.
Dirprwy Lywydd, our health and social care system faces significant challenges, particularly during the winter months, but, by working across the NHS and local government, and by focusing on what we know works, with some additional investments, we are taking robust steps to build capacity in our communities and to help people return home when they are ready. The 50-day challenge is just one part of this effort. It's a focused and accelerated approach to addressing immediate pressures, whilst also laying the groundwork for longer-term transformation. With the continued commitment and collaboration of our health and social care partners, we can create a more resilient and effective system that meets the needs of people both today and in the future.
Rydyn ni'n gwybod hyn oherwydd mae tua 1,600 o bobl yn wynebu oedi cyn cael eu rhyddhau o'r ysbyty ar hyn o bryd. Maen nhw'n barod i adael yn feddygol, ond gallan nhw ddim mynd oherwydd maen nhw'n aros am asesiad neu becyn gofal i'w cefnogi gartref. I'r bobl hyn, dydy aros yn yr ysbyty am amser hir ddim yn dda i'w hiechyd a'u lles yn yr hirdymor.
Mae yna hefyd lawer o bobl sy'n cael eu derbyn i'r ysbyty a allai fod wedi cael gwell cefnogaeth naill ai gartref neu yn y gymuned, pe bai'r gwasanaethau cywir ar gael. Rydym am i bobl gael gofal yn eu cartrefi eu hunain, neu yn eu cymunedau lleol, lle bynnag y bo modd, oherwydd mae'r holl dystiolaeth yn dangos mai dyna lle maen nhw'n gwneud orau.
Mae lefelau mor uchel o oedi cyn rhyddhau cleifion, neu oedi o ran llwybrau gofal, yn effeithio wedyn ar y system iechyd a gofal ehangach. Oherwydd bod y drws cefn i'r GIG wedi cau i bob pwrpas, does dim llif drwy'r system ac mae'r drws ffrynt yn cael ei jamio fwyfwy. Rydyn ni'n gweld hyn o ran yr arosiadau hir i bobl gael eu derbyn i wely ysbyty, o ran yr ambiwlansys sy'n ciwio am oriau y tu allan i adrannau brys i drosglwyddo cleifion, ac o ran diffyg capasiti ambiwlansys i ymateb i alwadau 999 newydd yn y gymuned.
Dirprwy Lywydd, mae'r GIG ac awdurdodau lleol wedi gweithio'n galed iawn yn y ddwy flynedd ers y pandemig i fynd i'r afael â'r pwyntiau pwysau hyn, i sicrhau bod llai o bobl yn wynebu oedi cyn cael eu rhyddhau o'r ysbyty ac i gynyddu capasiti cymunedol. Ers i mi fod yn y swydd, mae'r Gweinidog gofal cymdeithasol a minnau wedi bod yn cael cyfarfodydd pwyllgor gweithredu gofal misol gydag awdurdodau lleol a chydweithwyr yn y GIG i drafod camau i fynd i'r afael ag oedi o ran llwybrau gofal ac adeiladu capasiti cymunedol. Mae'r cyfarfodydd hyn wedi rhoi ffocws gwirioneddol i ni ar y bobl hynny sy'n wynebu oedi cyn cael eu rhyddhau o'r ysbyty heddiw a'r rhesymau pam. Fe ddywedaf fwy am y pwyllgor gweithredu gofal yn y man.
Yr ateb go iawn yw trawsnewidiad tymor hwy, a datblygu system gofal cymunedol integredig i Gymru, gyda'r cydbwysedd cywir o gapasiti cymunedol i helpu pobl i aros yn iach gartref. Bydd hyn yn creu'r cyfle gorau posibl i gryfhau gwasanaethau ataliol i helpu pobl i fyw'n dda am gyhyd â phosibl.
Tra ein bod ni'n gweithio tuag at y trawsnewidiad hirdymor hwn, rydyn ni'n parhau i ganolbwyntio ar gamau gweithredu uniongyrchol drwy'r pwyllgor gweithredu gofal. Ers 2023, mae'r pwyllgor wedi meddu ar dair blaenoriaeth allweddol, y mae pob un wedi'i chynllunio i gefnogi gwelliannau nawr ac i arwain at brofiadau a chanlyniadau gwell i bobl. Y rhain yw, yn gyntaf, lleihau oedi o ran llwybrau gofal; yn ail, cynyddu oriau nyrsio ardal a nyrsio gofal lliniarol ar benwythnosau i gefnogi mynediad saith diwrnod; ac, yn drydydd, gwella cefnogaeth gymunedol ar gyfer gofal camu i fyny a chamu i lawr i'r ysbyty ac oddi yno.
Mae'r Gweinidog gofal cymdeithasol a minnau wedi cwrdd â'r saith rhanbarth i glywed yn fanwl am eu gwaith ar y cyd, am yr hyn sy'n gweithio'n dda a'r hyn sy'n cael yr effaith fwyaf. Rwyf wedi cael fy nghalonogi'n fawr gan y gwaith a'r cynlluniau sydd eisoes ar waith ledled Cymru, ac rwyf wedi gweld llawer o enghreifftiau o berthnasoedd a chamau gweithredu cryf yn cael eu gweithredu, ond mae angen i'r rhain gael eu rhannu'n ehangach. Mae enghreifftiau'n cynnwys y fyddin binc yn rhanbarth Caerdydd a'r Fro, sy'n defnyddio dulliau integredig ac arloesol o ddarparu gofal cymunedol a chefnogi rhyddhau cleifion. Mae'r ganolfan ffrydio llywio a'r model gofal brys integredig yn y gorllewin yn darparu gofal cymhleth ac integredig yn y gymuned, sy'n golygu nad oes angen i bobl gael eu derbyn i'r ysbyty, yn ogystal â chefnogi rhyddhad cleifion eraill yn amserol. Ac mae model optimeiddio a thechnoleg bwrdd gwyn integredig Cwm Taf Morgannwg yn cefnogi dull traws-sector o gynllunio a rheoli mynediad at ofal.
Arweiniodd gwaith y pwyllgor gweithredu gofal at ddatblygu'r her gofal gaeaf integredig 50 diwrnod a'r rhestr o'r 10 menter arfer orau. Nod yr her 50 diwrnod, sydd bron wedi cyrraedd hanner ffordd, yw cyflymu'r gwaith sy'n mynd rhagddo'n barod yn gyflym a chreu ymdrech genedlaethol gyson i wella llif iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn y cyfnod cyn diwedd y flwyddyn, pan fydd pwysau'r gaeaf fel arfer ar eu hanterth. Ni fydd hyn yn datrys y broblem gyfan o ran y llif mewn ysbytai nac oedi o ran llwybrau gofal, ond bydd yn sicrhau bod yna ffocws cenedlaethol cyfunol ar y mater a'r ymyriadau arfer gorau, bydd yn helpu mwy o bobl i ddychwelyd adref mewn pryd ar gyfer y Nadolig, a bydd yn rhoi gwybodaeth werthfawr i ni am yr hyn sy'n gweithio a lle mae'r bylchau yn dal i fodoli. Bydd hefyd yn gosod y llwyfan ar gyfer gwelliannau parhaus ac yn arwain at lefel fwy cynaliadwy, gwydn a chyson o berfformiad o ran y system, gan ein llywio tuag at ein nod hirdymor o system gofal cymunedol integredig i Gymru.
Er mwyn cefnogi'r her 50 diwrnod, mae gennym adnoddau a rhaglenni allweddol ar waith yn barod. Mae hyn yn cynnwys y gronfa integreiddio ranbarthol gwerth £146 miliwn, £5 miliwn i gynyddu capasiti gweithwyr proffesiynol perthynol i iechyd, a £11.95 miliwn drwy'r fenter Ymhellach, yn Gyflymach i feithrin capasiti cymunedol yn benodol. Gan gydnabod y pwysau eithafol ar ein system, rwyf wedi sicrhau £19 miliwn ychwanegol i gefnogi'r her 50 diwrnod. Mae hyn yn cynnwys £10 miliwn ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol i gefnogi ailalluogi a chapasiti gofal cartref, a £9 miliwn i'r GIG yn benodol ar gyfer gofal yn y gymuned.
Dirprwy Lywydd, mae ein system iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn wynebu heriau sylweddol, yn enwedig yn ystod misoedd y gaeaf, ond, drwy weithio ar draws y GIG a llywodraeth leol, a thrwy ganolbwyntio ar yr hyn rydyn ni'n gwybod sy'n gweithio, gyda rhai buddsoddiadau ychwanegol, rydyn ni'n cymryd camau cadarn i feithrin capasiti yn ein cymunedau ac i helpu pobl i ddychwelyd adref pan fyddan nhw'n barod. Dim ond un rhan o'r ymdrech hon yw'r her 50 diwrnod. Mae'n ffordd benodol a chyflym o fynd i'r afael â phwysau uniongyrchol, ac mae'n gosod y sylfeini ar gyfer trawsnewidiad tymor hwy ar yr un pryd. Gydag ymrwymiad a chydweithrediad parhaus ein partneriaid iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, gallwn ni greu system fwy gwydn ac effeithiol sy'n diwallu anghenion pobl heddiw ac yn y dyfodol.
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement in the Chamber here this afternoon. I certainly welcome your acknowledgement of the problems with hospital discharge and the challenges with community care being delivered as well, and I join you in recognising the efforts by our really hard-working health and social care workers across Wales in looking to tackle this problem and work within the systems that are put upon them. And as you’ve acknowledged in your statement today, there is more to be done than just a 50-day burst to solve these problems. Whilst there is some good that is likely to come out because of this, you acknowledge, rightly, that this is not the answer to all the problems; this is something that is going to help address some of the challenges that present themselves at the moment.
It is fair to say that, across the board, pressures facing our NHS are systemic and long term. You will recognise the record waiting lists, which continue to rise, with patient pathways now north of 800,000. You’ll also recognise that 23.3 per cent of the waits in Wales are a year or longer, with, I’m sure you’d acknowledge, too many people languishing in pain for far too long. It’s right to recognise that, sadly, in some hospitals, 20 per cent of beds are occupied by patients who either are waiting to leave or who need to leave, and it’s creating record levels of demand on our health and care services. Indeed, the challenges around the long-term plan for dealing with these waits have also been acknowledged by the Welsh NHS Confederation. In response to the 50-day challenge, they said that the challenge is insufficient on its own and will not achieve a sustainable health and care system in the long term.
So, I wonder, Cabinet Secretary, looking ahead, if you’d be able to talk to some of the more long-term solutions that you see, especially learning from this 50-day challenge that is being worked through at the moment. You’ve, helpfully, listed a number of exciting initiatives from across Wales that are going to be shared, we hope, across the nation, but when will you be indicating how many of the types of initiatives you see are to be there in the long term as well, not just for this 50-day period, so we can see that positive longer term change in our health service?
You’ve also acknowledged the important role of local authorities—councils—in helping to unblock some of the existing issues in the system at the moment. We know that councils are overstretched and under pressure, and I welcome the additional £10 million that you’ve announced here today. I’d be interested to know how much you think that is going to satisfy those funding challenges that councils have at the moment, so that they can adequately undertake the duties that are put upon them. Because what we can’t see is a risk of a passing on of the buck of responsibility to our councils without the appropriate level of funding to enable them to deliver the things that are being asked of them.
Finally, Deputy Presiding Officer, ensuring that people who are ready for discharge aren’t taking up beds that are desperately needed is the big challenge, not just in Wales but across other health systems as well, and that needs to be acknowledged. I wonder, on the specific problems and the specific challenges we have in Wales, whether some of that needs to be addressed through our staffing levels and how we have our training plans appropriately in place to ensure that our staffing levels are right in the future as well. So, I’d be interested to hear from you, Cabinet Secretary, how you’re working with colleagues across the Cabinet table to ensure that the career paths and the careers in both health and social care continue to be attractive and with a clear plan to attract people into those really important roles. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Diolch, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, am eich datganiad yn y Siambr yma y prynhawn yma. Rwy'n sicr yn croesawu eich cydnabyddiaeth o'r problemau o ran rhyddhau cleifion o'r ysbyty a'r heriau o ran darparu gofal cymunedol hefyd, ac rwy'n ymuno â chi i gydnabod ymdrechion ein gweithwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol sy'n gweithio'n galed iawn ledled Cymru i geisio mynd i'r afael â'r broblem hon ac i weithio o fewn y systemau sy'n cael eu rhoi arnyn nhw. Ac fel rydych chi wedi cydnabod yn eich datganiad heddiw, mae mwy i'w wneud na dim ond bwrlwm 50 diwrnod i ddatrys y problemau hyn. Er bod rhywfaint o ddaioni yn debygol o gael ei weld oherwydd hyn, rydych chi'n cydnabod, yn briodol, nad dyma'r ateb i'r holl broblemau; mae hyn yn rhywbeth sy'n mynd i helpu i fynd i'r afael â rhai o'r heriau rydyn ni'n eu gweld ar hyn o bryd.
Mae'n deg dweud, ar draws y bwrdd, bod y pwysau sy'n wynebu ein GIG yn systemig ac yn hirdymor. Byddwch chi'n cydnabod y rhestrau aros uchaf erioed, sy'n parhau i gynyddu, gyda mwy nag 800,000 o gleifion ar lwybrau gofal erbyn hyn. Byddwch chi hefyd yn cydnabod bod 23.3 y cant o'r arosiadau yng Nghymru yn flwyddyn neu fwy, ac rwy'n siŵr y byddech chi'n cydnabod bod gormod o bobl yn gwingo mewn poen am lawer rhy hir. Mae'n iawn cydnabod, yn anffodus, mewn rhai ysbytai, bod 20 y cant o welyau yn cael eu meddiannu gan gleifion sydd naill ai'n aros i adael neu y mae angen iddyn nhw adael, ac mae'n creu'r lefelau uchaf erioed o alw ar ein gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal. Yn wir, mae'r heriau sy'n gysylltiedig â'r cynllun hirdymor ar gyfer delio â'r arosiadau hyn wedi'u cydnabod hefyd gan Gydffederasiwn GIG Cymru. Mewn ymateb i'r her 50 diwrnod, fe ddywedon nhw nad yw'r her yn ddigonol ar ei phen ei hun ac na fydd yn sicrhau system iechyd a gofal gynaliadwy yn yr hirdymor.
Felly, tybed, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, wrth edrych tua'r dyfodol, a fyddech chi'n gallu siarad am rai o'r atebion mwy hirdymor rydych chi'n eu gweld, yn enwedig yr hyn sy'n cael ei ddysgu o'r her 50 diwrnod hon sy'n mynd rhagddi ar hyn o bryd. Rydych chi, yn ddefnyddiol, wedi rhestru nifer o fentrau cyffrous o bob rhan o Gymru sy'n mynd i gael eu rhannu, gobeithio, ledled y wlad, ond pryd fyddwch chi'n nodi faint o'r mathau o fentrau rydych chi'n eu gweld fydd yno yn y tymor hir hefyd, nid dim ond am y cyfnod hwn o 50 diwrnod, fel y gallwn ni weld y newid cadarnhaol hwnnw yn y tymor hwy yn ein gwasanaeth iechyd?
Rydych chi hefyd wedi cydnabod rôl bwysig awdurdodau lleol—cynghorau—wrth helpu i ddatrys rhai o'r materion presennol yn y system ar hyn o bryd. Rydyn ni'n gwybod bod cynghorau o dan bwysau mawr, ac rwy'n croesawu'r £10 miliwn ychwanegol rydych chi wedi'i gyhoeddi yma heddiw. Byddai gennyf ddiddordeb mewn gwybod i ba raddau, ydych chi'n meddwl, y bydd hynny'n bodloni'r heriau cyllido hynny sydd gan gynghorau ar hyn o bryd, fel y gallan nhw ymgymryd â'r dyletswyddau sy'n cael eu rhoi arnyn nhw yn ddigonol. Oherwydd yr hyn na allwn ni ei weld yw risg y bydd y baich cyfrifoldeb yn cael ei drosglwyddo i'n cynghorau heb y lefel briodol o gyllid i'w galluogi i gyflawni'r pethau y gofynnir amdanynt.
Yn olaf, Dirprwy Lywydd, sicrhau nad yw pobl sy'n barod i gael eu rhyddhau yn cymryd gwelyau y mae taer eu hangen yw'r her fawr, nid yn unig yng Nghymru ond ar draws systemau iechyd eraill hefyd, ac mae angen cydnabod hynny. Tybed, o ran y problemau penodol a'r heriau penodol sydd gennym yng Nghymru, a oes angen mynd i'r afael â rhywfaint o hynny drwy ein lefelau staffio a'r ffordd y mae gennym ni ein cynlluniau hyfforddi mewn lle yn briodol i sicrhau bod ein lefelau staffio yn iawn yn y dyfodol hefyd. Felly, byddai gennyf ddiddordeb mewn clywed, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, sut rydych chi'n gweithio gyda chydweithwyr ar draws bwrdd y Cabinet i sicrhau bod llwybrau gyrfa a'r gyrfaoedd ym maes iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn parhau i fod yn ddeniadol a bod yna gynllun clir i ddenu pobl i'r rolau pwysig iawn hynny. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
I thank Sam Rowlands for those questions. He is right to say that the challenge of making sure that we can safely discharge home as rapidly as possible people who are waiting to leave hospital obviously is not a challenge unique to us in Wales; it’s a challenge that all parts of the NHS in all parts of the UK face.
What we have been able to do over the last couple of months in particular, as I was touching on in my initial statement, is really work very closely with regions, both health boards and local authorities, to be pragmatic about it, really, and to identify what are the most effective interventions, and they are all things, or at least the majority are things, on the list of 10 interventions that we are asking regions to put in place, that are already in place in different parts of Wales, we note, and that's where the evidence has come from.
We've seen in Cardiff and the Vale that the use of the pink army there and the integrated discharge arrangements has had a beneficial effect, as we've seen in the Member's own region as well, in different ways—I think they call it the 'blue army' in north Wales, for example. And they have a trusted assessor role, where assessment is done obviously in a much more streamlined, holistic way, and cuts out those delays in getting multiple assessments. So, there are things that are already happening. I've probably been using every single opportunity since I became Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to emphasise just how important it is not just to be trying new approaches, but to identify what's already in the system that is working well and get better at sharing that, and this is exactly what this is designed to test, if you like. So, that's the approach that we're looking at here.
He's right to say, and I'm grateful to him for acknowledging that I had said this in the statement, that this is not a 50-day done and dusted project. One partner, one of the health boards, described it to me as, 'An intense focus in 50 days on the 20 years ahead', if you like, because of the demographic shift that all countries are facing, and I think I would recognise that.
So, the approaches, which are on the list of 10 things, are long-term changes. They are approaches that, if embedded successfully, as we hope they will be, will help to reconfigure the working relationship in particular between local authorities and health boards. But, ultimately, the long-term shift needs to be that which I was talking about in the statement, to make sure that as many people are treated outside hospital as possible. And we know that if you don't need to be in hospital, it's not a good place for you to be. That's why it's so important for us to help people to be discharged safely, so that focus on community services, and we support that with significant funding. But the Member is right to say that one of the challenges in making rapid progress at scale is the resource pressure that councils in particular are feeling, and that's why the £10 million focused specifically on reablement is about making sure that we can make people's discharge sustainable at home.
He asked me if I thought that there was sufficient resource in the system. Obviously it's been a difficult period for local authorities, facing competitive pressures in a range of key statutory and non-statutory responsibilities. In addition to the £10 million, much of the balance of £9 million will end up supporting local authorities in their responsibilities for care, so GPs supporting care homes, enabling people to be discharged into community beds, so that healthcare assessments can happen outside the hospital. All of those add up to a picture of support for local authorities, as well as the reablement funding specifically.
Diolch i Sam Rowlands am y cwestiynau hynny. Mae'n iawn i ddweud nad yw'r her o sicrhau ein bod ni'n gallu rhyddhau pobl sy'n aros i adael ysbyty adref yn ddiogel cyn gynted â phosib yn amlwg yn her sy'n unigryw i ni yng Nghymru; mae'n her sy'n wynebu pob rhan o'r GIG ym mhob rhan o'r DU.
Yr hyn rydyn ni wedi gallu ei wneud dros yr ychydig fisoedd diwethaf yn benodol, fel y gwnes i ei grybwyll yn fy natganiad cychwynnol, yw gweithio'n agos iawn gyda rhanbarthau, byrddau iechyd ac awdurdodau lleol, i fod yn bragmataidd yn ei gylch, mewn gwirionedd, ac i nodi beth yw'r ymyriadau mwyaf effeithiol, ac maen nhw i gyd yn bethau, neu o leiaf mae'r mwyafrif yn bethau, sydd ar y rhestr o 10 ymyriad rydyn ni'n gofyn i ranbarthau eu rhoi ar waith, sydd eisoes ar waith mewn gwahanol rannau o Gymru, nodwn, a dyna lle mae'r dystiolaeth wedi dod.
Rydyn ni wedi gweld yng Nghaerdydd a'r Fro bod y defnydd o'r fyddin binc yno a'r trefniadau rhyddhau integredig wedi cael effaith fuddiol, fel rydyn ni wedi'i weld yn rhanbarth yr Aelod ei hun hefyd, mewn gwahanol ffyrdd—rwy'n credu eu bod nhw'n ei alw'n 'fyddin las' yn y gogledd, er enghraifft. Ac mae ganddyn nhw rôl asesydd dibynadwy, lle mae asesiad yn cael ei wneud yn amlwg mewn ffordd llawer symlach, cyfannol, ac mae'n osgoi'r oedi hynny wrth gael asesiadau lluosog. Felly, mae yna bethau sydd eisoes yn digwydd. Mae'n debyg fy mod wedi bod yn defnyddio pob cyfle ers i mi ddod yn Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol i bwysleisio pa mor bwysig yw hi nid yn unig i fod yn rhoi cynnig ar ddulliau newydd, ond i nodi beth sydd eisoes yn y system sy'n gweithio'n dda a rhannu hynny'n well, a dyma'n union y mae hyn wedi'i gynllunio i'w brofi, os mynnwch chi. Felly, dyna'r dull gweithredu rydyn ni'n edrych arno yma.
Mae'n iawn i ddweud, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar iddo am gydnabod fy mod wedi dweud hyn yn y datganiad, nad prosiect 50 diwrnod a dyna fe yw hwn. Fe wnaeth un partner, un o'r byrddau iechyd, ei ddisgrifio i mi fel, 'Ffocws dwys mewn 50 diwrnod ar yr 20 mlynedd sydd i ddod', os mynnwch chi, oherwydd y newid demograffig y mae pob gwlad yn ei wynebu, ac rwy'n credu y byddwn i'n cydnabod hynny.
Felly, mae'r dulliau gweithredu, sydd ar y rhestr o 10 o bethau, yn newidiadau hirdymor. Maen nhw'n ddulliau gweithredu a fydd, os cânt eu gwreiddio'n llwyddiannus, fel y gobeithiwn, yn helpu i ad-drefnu'r berthynas waith yn benodol rhwng awdurdodau lleol a byrddau iechyd. Ond, yn y pen draw, mae angen i'r newid hirdymor fod yr hyn yr oeddwn i'n sôn amdano yn y datganiad, er mwyn sicrhau