Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd

Plenary - Fifth Senedd

04/12/2019

Cyfarfu’r Cynulliad am 13:30 gyda’r Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) yn y Gadair. 

The Assembly met at 13:30 with the Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) in the Chair.

Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to the Plenary session. 

Prynhawn da, bawb, a chroeso i'r Cyfarfod Llawn.

1. Cwestiynau i Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth
1. Questions to the Minister for Economy and Transport

The first item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the Minister for Economy and Transport. Question 1, Hefin David. 

Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda y prynhawn yma yw cwestiynau i Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth. Cwestiwn 1, Hefin David.

Darpariaeth Cerbydau ar y Rheilffordd
The Provision of Rolling Stock

1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am y ddarpariaeth cerbydau ar y rheilffordd rhwng Rhymni a Chaerdydd? OAQ54785

1. Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of rolling stock on the Rhymney to Cardiff rail line? OAQ54785

Yes, of course. In the short term, Transport for Wales is proposing to utilise class 769 rolling stock on the Rhymney line until new rolling stock starts to be introduced in 2023, and this will then enable it to increase the service frequency further, as part of the metro transformation.

Gwnaf, wrth gwrs. Yn y tymor byr, mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn cynnig defnyddio cerbydau dosbarth 769 ar reilffordd Rhymni hyd nes bod cerbydau newydd yn dechrau cael eu cyflwyno yn 2023, a bydd hyn wedyn yn eu galluogi i gynyddu amlder y gwasanaeth, fel rhan o drawsnewidiad y metro.

Following discussions with constituents about the use of the line and following the debate we had two weeks ago, I met with Transport for Wales officials last week to talk about some of the overcrowding issues and some of the problems with services. And we also talked about derogation from the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and as a result of that, because Parliament isn't currently sitting, I've written to Grant Shapps—this letter here—to ask for fast derogation from the Act. Could the Minister provide us with an update on how that is going, but also can we get a definitive explanation now of how many more trains will be on the line next year and how capacity will be enhanced in the next two years? I think it's important we put that absolutely on the record and for clarity. 

Yn dilyn trafodaethau gydag etholwyr ynghylch y defnydd o'r rheilffordd ac yn dilyn y ddadl a gawsom bythefnos yn ôl, cyfarfûm â swyddogion Trafnidiaeth Cymru yr wythnos diwethaf i drafod rhai o'r problemau gorlenwi a rhai o'r problemau gyda gwasanaethau. A buom hefyd yn siarad am randdirymu Deddf Gwahaniaethu ar sail Anabledd 1995, ac o ganlyniad i hynny, gan nad yw'r Senedd yn eistedd ar hyn o bryd, rwyf wedi ysgrifennu at Grant Shapps—y llythyr hwn—i ofyn am randdirymu’r Ddeddf yn gyflym. A allai'r Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni ynglŷn â hynny, ond hefyd, a gawn ni ateb pendant yn awr ynglŷn â faint yn rhagor o drenau a fydd ar y rheilffordd y flwyddyn nesaf a sut y bydd capasiti yn gwella yn ystod y ddwy flynedd nesaf? Credaf ei bod yn bwysig ein bod yn cofnodi hynny’n bendant ac er eglurder.

Absolutely, and the Member is very right. I think his constituents deserve to know how many additional trains will be on that important railway line in the coming months and years. But, if I can just pick up on the very important point of the request for derogation on the persons of reduced mobility legislation requirements, it should be noted, Dirprwy Lywydd, that we are not alone. We understand that many other train operating companies, including Scot Rail, Great Western Railway, Northern, and East Midlands Trains are in a similar position, and they are understood to be seeking a dispensation to operate significant numbers of non-PRM-compliant trains into 2020. I am pleased to be able to inform Members that, as far as I'm concerned, all work has been completed satisfactorily by officials here and in London, and we now await the Secretary of State's approval as soon as the general election has been concluded, whoever that Secretary of State might be. I have to say though, Diprwy Lywydd, that it is our view that the decision needn't have been pushed back beyond 12 December and could have been made during the election period.

Turning to services on the Rhymney line, I am aware, so too are TfW, about concerns regarding capacity. I can inform the Member that Pacer trains will be focused as four-carriage trains on the majority of Rhymney line services from the 15 December timetable change, with the class 37 loco-hauled trains continuing to operate as the larger and, it has to be said, far more modern class 769s are introduced in 2020. Transport for Wales will be introducing nine class 769 units, which will be dedicated to the Rhymney line. These will each have four carriages and will therefore have a capacity of 558 per train. That compares to the total capacity of four Pacer carriages of 422 and to the total capacity of the loco-hauled trains of around 320.

Of course, in 2023, those new Stadler tri-mode fast, light inter-city and regional trains will be introduced on the network and on the Rhymney line. I can assure the Member that TfW are always reviewing projections for the number of customers utilising services, and they can act flexibly to ensure that capacity can be increased if demand requires it. 

Yn sicr, ac mae'r Aelod yn llygad ei le. Credaf fod ei etholwyr yn haeddu gwybod faint o drenau ychwanegol a fydd ar y rheilffordd bwysig honno yn ystod y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd nesaf. Ond os caf nodi'r pwynt pwysig iawn ynglŷn â’r cais am randdirymiad mewn perthynas â gofynion y ddeddfwriaeth pobl â chyfyngiadau symudedd, dylid nodi, Ddirprwy Lywydd, nad ydym ar ein pennau ein hunain. Rydym yn deall fod llawer o gwmnïau gweithredu trenau eraill, gan gynnwys Scot Rail, Great Western Railway, Northern ac East Midlands Trains mewn sefyllfa debyg, a deellir eu bod yn ceisio rhyddhad i weithredu nifer sylweddol o drenau nad ydynt yn cydymffurfio â rheoliadau pobl â chyfyngiadau symudedd yn 2020. Rwy’n falch o allu rhoi gwybod i’r Aelodau o'm rhan i fod yr holl waith wedi’i gwblhau’n foddhaol gan swyddogion yma ac yn Llundain, ac rydym bellach yn aros am gymeradwyaeth yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol cyn gynted ag y bydd yr etholiad cyffredinol wedi dod i ben, pwy bynnag fydd yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol hwnnw. Mae’n rhaid i mi ddweud, serch hynny, Ddirprwy Lywydd, mai ein barn ni yw nad oedd angen i'r penderfyniad gael ei ohirio y tu hwnt i 12 Rhagfyr ac y gallai fod wedi'i wneud yn ystod cyfnod yr etholiad.

Gan droi at wasanaethau ar reilffordd Rhymni, rwy'n ymwybodol, ac mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn ymwybodol, o'r pryderon ynghylch capasiti. Gallaf roi gwybod i’r Aelod y bydd trenau Pacer ar waith fel trenau pedwar cerbyd ar y rhan fwyaf o wasanaethau rheilffordd Rhymni wedi’r newid i’r amserlen ar 15 Rhagfyr, gyda'r trenau dosbarth 37 sy'n cael eu tynnu gan injan yn parhau i weithredu wrth i’r trenau dosbarth 769, sy’n fwy o faint ac yn fwy modern o lawer, mae'n rhaid dweud, gael eu cyflwyno yn 2020. Bydd Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn cyflwyno naw uned dosbarth 769, a fydd yn gwasanaethu rheilffordd Rhymni. Bydd gan bob un o’r rhain bedwar cerbyd ac felly bydd ganddynt gapasiti o 558 y trên. Mae hynny'n cymharu â chyfanswm capasiti o 422 ar gyfer pedwar cerbyd Pacer, a chyfanswm capasiti o tua 320 ar gyfer y trenau sy'n cael eu tynnu gan injan.

Wrth gwrs, yn 2023, bydd trenau rhyng-ddinesig a rhanbarthol ysgafn cyflym tri-moddol Stadler newydd yn cael eu cyflwyno ar y rhwydwaith, ac ar reilffordd Rhymni. Gallaf roi sicrwydd i’r Aelod fod Trafnidiaeth Cymru bob amser yn adolygu’r amcanestyniadau o nifer y cwsmeriaid sy'n defnyddio gwasanaethau, a gallant weithredu mewn modd hyblyg i sicrhau y gellir cynyddu'r capasiti os bydd y galw’n gwneud hynny’n ofynnol.

Further to Hefin's question, news that the provision of rolling stock to boost the capacity of Valleys lines has been delayed has left passengers frustrated and dismayed in the south Wales Valleys. Overcrowding is a serious problem, and passenger numbers on the Valleys lines are increasing 7 per cent year on year. Minister, can you update the Assembly when you expect Transport for Wales to put the new rolling stock? You've just mentioned additional ones by next year and 2023. I think it's getting too late for this sort of thing to improve, but what is the hindrance there of getting the rolling stock into service, and can you advise what discussion you have had with TfW with regard to easing the overcrowding that already exists in the south-east Wales Valleys lines and other parts? Thank you. 

Gan ychwanegu at gwestiwn Hefin, mae'r newyddion fod y ddarpariaeth o gerbydau i gynyddu capasiti rheilffyrdd y Cymoedd wedi’i gohirio wedi golygu bod teithwyr yng Nghymoedd de Cymru'n teimlo’n rhwystredig ac yn siomedig. Mae gorlenwi'n broblem ddifrifol, ac mae nifer y teithwyr ar reilffyrdd y Cymoedd yn cynyddu 7 y cant bob blwyddyn. Weinidog, a allwch roi diweddariad i'r Cynulliad ynghylch pryd rydych yn disgwyl i Trafnidiaeth Cymru roi'r cerbydau newydd ar waith? Rydych newydd sôn am rai ychwanegol erbyn y flwyddyn nesaf a 2023. Credaf ei bod yn mynd yn rhy hwyr i'r math hwn o beth wella, ond beth yw'r rhwystr rhag gallu rhoi'r cerbydau ar waith, ac a allwch ddweud wrthym pa drafodaeth rydych wedi'i chael gyda Trafnidiaeth Cymru ynglŷn â lliniaru’r problemau gorlenwi sydd eisoes yn bodoli ar reilffyrdd Cymoedd de-ddwyrain Cymru ac mewn mannau eraill? Diolch.

Mohammad Asghar raises a point that has been regularly discussed in this Chamber, and it concerns the lack of action that was taken under the previous franchise agreement, which was agreed on the basis of zero passenger growth, and therefore there was a lack of trains available when we inherited the franchise—over which period, in the past 15 years, we've seen a considerable increase in passenger numbers. We were aware of the need to ensure that, when we took over the franchise, additional rolling stock was available, and that's why we placed an order for the class 769 units, which were due for introduction in May 2018. And as a result of the company's failure to deliver the 769s, we've had to seek that derogation from UK Government concerning PRM. I'm pleased to say that TfW has been working tirelessly to identify where it can get new rolling stock from—and replacement rolling stock—in order to ease capacity. And as I said to Hefin David, there will be a significant increase in capacity on the Rhymney line from next year. And as we move through to the introduction of those brand-new trains in 2023, we will see further increases in capacity across the network. From December of this year, we'll also see a significant increase, of more than 60 per cent, in the number of seats and services available on Sundays. This is a huge, huge step forward and ensures that the franchise is a true seven-day week service.

Mae Mohammad Asghar yn codi pwynt sydd wedi’i drafod yn rheolaidd yn y Siambr hon, ac mae'n ymwneud â'r diffyg camau gweithredu a gymerwyd o dan gytundeb y fasnachfraint flaenorol, a gytunwyd ar sail dim cynnydd yn nifer y teithwyr, ac felly roedd diffyg trenau ar gael pan etifeddwyd y fasnachfraint—a dros y cyfnod hwnnw, yn ystod y 15 mlynedd diwethaf, rydym wedi gweld cynnydd sylweddol yn nifer y teithwyr. Roeddem yn ymwybodol o'r angen i sicrhau, pan ddaethom yn gyfrifol am y fasnachfraint, fod cerbydau ychwanegol ar gael, a dyna pam yr archebwyd unedau dosbarth 769, a oedd i fod i gael eu cyflwyno ym mis Mai 2018. Ac o ganlyniad i fethiant y cwmni i ddarparu’r unedau 769, bu'n rhaid i ni geisio'r rhanddirymiad hwnnw gan Lywodraeth y DU mewn perthynas â rheoliadau pobl â chyfyngiadau symudedd. Rwy'n falch o ddweud bod Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio'n ddiflino i nodi o ble y gallant gael cerbydau newydd—a cherbydau yn lle cerbydau eraill—er mwyn gwella capasiti. Ac fel y dywedais wrth Hefin David, bydd cynnydd sylweddol yn y capasiti ar reilffordd Rhymni o'r flwyddyn nesaf ymlaen. Ac wrth i ni agosáu at gyflwyno'r trenau newydd sbon hynny yn 2023, byddwn yn gweld cynnydd pellach yn y capasiti ar draws y rhwydwaith. O fis Rhagfyr eleni, byddwn hefyd yn gweld cynnydd sylweddol, o fwy na 60 y cant, yn nifer y seddi a'r gwasanaethau sydd ar gael ar ddydd Sul. Mae hwn yn gam enfawr ymlaen, ac mae’n sicrhau bod y fasnachfraint yn wasanaeth saith diwrnod yr wythnos go iawn.

13:35

Minister, passengers on the Rhymney line have been promised the 769s and increased capacity since May 2018, and they're still waiting. Now, I take your point about what you've said to Hefin David—that, when the 769s are introduced, there will be an increase in capacity. But you said that TfW are going to be acting flexibly about looking at the capacity of the new trains when they are replacing the 769s in 2023. Can you just confirm that the increased capacity that we'll see in 2023 is just an increased capacity from now, isn't it, and it's not an increased capacity—as things stand, from the 769s, there will be a decrease in capacity in 2023?

Weinidog, mae'r teithwyr ar reilffordd Rhymni wedi cael addewidion ynghylch y trenau 769, a mwy o gapasiti, ers mis Mai 2018, ac maent yn dal i aros. Nawr, rwy’n derbyn eich pwynt ynglŷn â’r hyn rydych wedi'i ddweud wrth Hefin David—sef, pan fydd y trenau 769 yn cael eu cyflwyno, y bydd hynny’n arwain at gynnydd yn y capasiti. Ond dywedasoch y bydd Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn gweithredu mewn modd hyblyg o ran edrych ar gapasiti'r trenau newydd pan fyddant yn rhoi trenau ar waith yn lle’r trenau 769 yn 2023. A allwch gadarnhau mai dim ond capasiti uwch o gymharu â nawr yw’r capasiti uwch y byddwn yn ei weld yn 2023, ac nad yw'n gapasiti uwch—fel y mae pethau, ar ôl y trenau 769, bydd gostyngiad yn y capasiti yn 2023?

I think there was some research carried out by a very able rail enthusiast. However, I'm not convinced that the data that was utilised was fully accurate. And I met just today, actually, with TfW to discuss this very issue again, and we agreed that there is an absolute need not just to increase capacity in the short term—in the next two years—but to then maintain that capacity, and, if necessary, to increase it still further, if passengers demand it. If there is a further increase in passenger demand, then TfW will be acting flexibly to meet the demand from constituents in that part of Wales.

Credaf fod rhywun sy’n frwdfrydig a galluog iawn ym myd trenau wedi gwneud rhywfaint o waith ymchwil. Fodd bynnag, nid wyf yn argyhoeddedig fod y data a ddefnyddiwyd yn gwbl gywir. A chyfarfûm heddiw, mewn gwirionedd, â Trafnidiaeth Cymru, i drafod yr union fater hwn eto, ac roeddem yn cytuno bod gwir angen nid yn unig cynyddu capasiti yn y tymor byr—yn y ddwy flynedd nesaf—ond cynnal y capasiti hwnnw wedyn, ac os oes angen, ei gynyddu ymhellach fyth, os yw’r teithwyr yn galw am hynny. Os bydd galw'r teithwyr yn cynyddu ymhellach, bydd Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn gweithredu mewn modd hyblyg i ateb y galw gan etholwyr yn y rhan honno o Gymru.

Cyllid Grant
Grant Funding

2. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am gyllid grant ar gyfer busnesau lleol yn Aberconwy? OAQ54790

2. Will the Minister make a statement on grant funding for local businesses in Aberconwy? OAQ54790

Yes, of course. We offer a wide range of funding options to all types of businesses across Wales. As an example of recent funding in Aberconwy, we've supported 16 businesses with their research and development projects through SMARTCymru, with a total value of £1.1 million, over half of which was grant funding.

Gwnaf, wrth gwrs. Rydym yn cynnig ystod eang o opsiynau cyllido i bob math o fusnesau ledled Cymru. Fel enghraifft o gyllid diweddar yn Aberconwy, rydym wedi cefnogi 16 o fusnesau gyda'u prosiectau ymchwil a datblygu drwy SMARTCymru â chyfanswm o £1.1 miliwn, gyda hanner y ffigur hwnnw yn gyllid grant.

Thank you. With Wales celebrating Small Business Saturday this weekend, it is essential that the Welsh Government, and you as Minister, are doing everything you can to support business development, and Aberconwy certainly does have a fantastic range of small businesses. Now, according to the Welsh local shop report 2020, 73 per cent of independently owned convenience stores fund investments in their own businesses from their reserves. So, so many—in fact, the majority—are going without any financial support. So I suppose it then makes us want to scrutinise the grants that you do provide, to make sure that these have been given wisely.

Now, in 2016, the Welsh Government provided £400,000 to G.M. Jones to build the most fantastic bespoke suite of offices. Now, you know I've raised several written Assembly questions on this, because the property has laid empty for more years than I can remember, and it was only occupied for a few months before the business, sadly, went into demise. I'm approached on a frequent basis about smaller businesses wanting to perhaps use these offices. I've phoned myself and spoken to Business Wales, and I've tried against all odds to see new life breathed into these properties, because, at the end of the day, it's had £400,000 of taxpayers' money and now there is no business there at all. It's in the rural part of my constituency. So, I'm very keen to see this business occupied and fully utilised so that we can't say that there's been a waste of taxpayers' money. What actions are you taking or could you be taking to work with our local authority and other stakeholders to see how we can bring a resolution to this issue going forward, because I can tell you that other business owners in Conwy and, indeed residents are furious to see this wonderful suite of offices just falling into decline through non-occupation?

Diolch. Gan fod Cymru'n dathlu Dydd Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach y penwythnos hwn, mae'n hanfodol fod Llywodraeth Cymru, a chithau fel Gweinidog, yn gwneud popeth yn eich gallu i gefnogi datblygiad busnesau, ac yn sicr mae gan Aberconwy ystod wych o fusnesau bach. Nawr, yn ôl adroddiad siopau lleol Cymru 2020, mae 73 y cant o siopau cyfleus annibynnol yn ariannu buddsoddiadau yn eu busnesau eu hunain o’u cronfeydd wrth gefn. Mae llawer iawn, iawn ohonynt—y rhan fwyaf, mewn gwirionedd—yn mynd heb unrhyw gymorth ariannol. Felly mae'n debyg fod hynny yn ein gwneud yn awyddus i graffu ar y grantiau rydych yn eu darparu, er mwyn sicrhau eu bod wedi'u darparu’n ddoeth.

Nawr, yn 2016, darparodd Llywodraeth Cymru £400,000 i G.M. Jones, i adeiladu swyddfeydd pwrpasol hollol wych. Nawr, gwyddoch fy mod i wedi codi sawl cwestiwn ysgrifenedig yn y Cynulliad ynglŷn â hyn, gan fod yr eiddo wedi bod yn wag am fwy o flynyddoedd nag y cofiaf, a dim ond am ychydig fisoedd y bu rhywun yno cyn i'r busnes fynd i’r wal, yn anffodus. Mae pobl yn cysylltu â mi yn rheolaidd ynghylch busnesau llai o faint sy’n awyddus i ddefnyddio'r swyddfeydd hyn o bosibl. Rwyf wedi ffonio fy hun, wedi siarad â Busnes Cymru, ac rwyf wedi ceisio, yn groes i bob gobaith, sicrhau bywyd newydd i'r eiddo, oherwydd, yn y pen draw, mae wedi cael £400,000 o arian trethdalwyr, ac erbyn hyn nid oes busnes yno o gwbl. Mae yn y rhan wledig o fy etholaeth. Felly, rwy'n awyddus iawn i weld y busnes hwn yn cael ei feddiannu a'i ddefnyddio'n llawn fel na allwn ddweud bod arian trethdalwyr wedi’i wastraffu. Pa gamau rydych yn eu cymryd neu y gallech fod yn eu cymryd i weithio gyda'n hawdurdod lleol a rhanddeiliaid eraill i weld sut y gallwn ddatrys y mater hwn yn y dyfodol, gan y gallaf ddweud wrthych fod perchnogion busnesau eraill yng Nghonwy, ac yn wir, y trigolion, yn gandryll wrth weld y swyddfeydd gwych hyn yn dirywio am eu bod yn wag?

13:40

Well, there's certainly demand for business units, for office space, and for industrial units as well across north Wales, and in particular in the area that the Member represents. I will ask my chief regional officer in north Wales to liaise with Business Wales and with Conwy County Borough Council to assess the demand that is currently in existence for business units of this type and to ensure that they are matching that demand with the operators of the particular units so that we can get jobs created in that area.

It has to be said that Business Wales have done an excellent job across north Wales since 2015 in assisting the creation of more than 740 new enterprises, which, in turn, have created more than 2,780 jobs. I'll make sure that our regional team works closely with the local authority and with Business Wales to realise the potential of this particular facility.

Wel, yn sicr, mae yna alw am unedau busnes, am ofod swyddfa, ac am unedau diwydiannol hefyd ar draws gogledd Cymru, ac yn arbennig yn yr ardal y mae'r Aelod yn ei chynrychioli. Fe ofynnaf i fy mhrif swyddog rhanbarthol yng ngogledd Cymru gysylltu â Busnes Cymru a Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy i asesu'r galw sy'n bodoli ar hyn o bryd am unedau busnes o'r math hwn ac i sicrhau eu bod yn ateb y galw hwnnw gyda gweithredwyr yr unedau dan sylw fel y gallwn sicrhau bod swyddi'n cael eu creu yn yr ardal honno.

Mae'n rhaid dweud bod Busnes Cymru wedi gwneud gwaith rhagorol ar draws gogledd Cymru ers 2015 wrth helpu i greu mwy na 740 o fentrau newydd, sydd, yn eu tro, wedi creu mwy na 2,780 o swyddi. Byddaf yn sicrhau bod ein tîm rhanbarthol yn gweithio'n agos gyda'r awdurdod lleol a gyda Busnes Cymru i wireddu potensial y cyfleuster penodol hwn.

Thank you for that answer, Ken—for Conwy. That's absolutely brilliant. I really appreciate it.

Minister, micro- and small businesses are the backbone of our economy. I am pleased that my party recognises this and is committed to levelling the playing field. We pledge to review the business rates regime and give local businesses and our high street the shot in the arm they need. What are your plans to support local businesses in my and your region?

Diolch am eich ateb, Ken—ar ran Conwy. Mae hynny'n hollol wych. Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi hynny'n fawr.

Weinidog, microfusnesau a busnesau bach yw asgwrn cefn ein heconomi. Rwy’n falch fod fy mhlaid yn cydnabod hyn ac wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau mwy o chwarae teg. Rydym yn addo adolygu'r drefn ardrethi busnes a rhoi'r hwb sydd ei angen ar fusnesau lleol a'n stryd fawr. Beth yw eich cynlluniau i gefnogi busnesau lleol yn rhanbarth y ddau ohonom?

Well, there are a huge range of initiatives that are offered by Welsh Government and our partners, including local authorities. We've provided an additional £2.4 million to local authorities to provide additional discretionary rates relief for local businesses, allowing them to respond to specific local needs. In 2019-20, something in the region of £9.5 million in rate relief will be offered to Conwy County Borough Council, of which £6.4 million will be through our small business rates relief scheme.

However, we'll also offer support through Business Wales, through the Development Bank of Wales, and through direct support from Welsh Government, and I will ensure that, as part of the development of the regional economic framework in north Wales, small businesses across the region are taken into full account when they develop future initiatives.

Wel, mae ystod enfawr o fentrau ar gael gan Lywodraeth Cymru a'n partneriaid, gan gynnwys awdurdodau lleol. Rydym wedi darparu £2.4 miliwn ychwanegol i awdurdodau lleol er mwyn darparu mwy o ryddhad ardrethi yn ôl disgresiwn i fusnesau lleol, gan ganiatáu iddynt ymateb i anghenion lleol penodol. Yn 2019-20, bydd oddeutu £9.5 miliwn mewn rhyddhad ardrethi yn cael ei gynnig i Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy, gyda £6.4 miliwn ohono'n cael ei gynnig drwy ein cynllun rhyddhad ardrethi busnesau bach.

Fodd bynnag, byddwn hefyd yn cynnig cefnogaeth drwy Busnes Cymru, drwy Fanc Datblygu Cymru, a thrwy gymorth uniongyrchol gan Lywodraeth Cymru, a byddaf yn sicrhau, fel rhan o ddatblygiad y fframwaith economaidd rhanbarthol yng ngogledd Cymru, fod busnesau bach ar draws y rhanbarth yn cael eu hystyried yn llawn wrth iddynt ddatblygu mentrau yn y dyfodol.

Cwestiynau Heb Rybudd gan Lefarwyr y Pleidiau
Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Thank you. We now turn to spokespersons' questions and the first this afternoon is the Conservative spokesperson, Russell George.

Diolch. Symudwn ymlaen yn awr at gwestiynau'r llefarwyr a’r cyntaf y prynhawn yma yw llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Russell George.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Minister, according to the latest UK economic outlook from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Welsh economy will grow by just 1 per cent this year and fall back slightly in 2020 with a small growth rate of just 0.8 per cent. Are you happy with the PwC analysis that the Welsh economy will grow at one of the slowest rates of any part of the UK next year? And in response to this research, what specific steps is your Government taking to address low productivity?

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Weinidog, yn ôl y rhagolwg economaidd diweddaraf ar gyfer y DU gan PricewaterhouseCoopers, ni fydd economi Cymru ond yn tyfu 1 y cant yn unig eleni ac yn cwympo ychydig yn 2020 gyda chyfradd twf bach o 0.8 y cant yn unig. A ydych yn fodlon â dadansoddiad PwC y bydd economi Cymru yn tyfu ar un o'r cyfraddau arafaf mewn unrhyw ran o'r DU y flwyddyn nesaf? Ac mewn ymateb i'r ymchwil, pa gamau penodol y mae eich Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â chynhyrchiant isel?

Well, no, I'm not happy, and it's quite clear that Brexit continues to suppress growth, particularly here in Wales, where 60 per cent of our exports are reliant on the 500 million customers within the European Union. In order to drive up productivity, we, through the economic action plan, are focusing our grants, our loans—our business support in all forms—on those businesses of the future: those businesses that are going to be futureproofed in terms of artificial intelligence and digitalisation.

A great example of how we are using our resources strategically in this regard came last Thursday when we opened the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in north Wales—a centre that will lead to the securing of the Wing of Tomorrow programme and which will inject £4 billion in gross value added to the regional economy. That's a perfect example of how we are using our resources to drive up productivity.

It's worth saying that, since devolution, Wales has had the fifth highest increase in GVA per head compared to the 12 UK countries and English regions. But there is no doubt whatsoever that the growth of the economy is being suppressed by the disaster that is Brexit.

Wel, na, nid wyf yn fodlon, ac mae'n gwbl amlwg fod Brexit yn parhau i lesteirio twf, yn enwedig yma yng Nghymru, lle mae 60 y cant o'n hallforion yn ddibynnol ar y 500 miliwn o gwsmeriaid yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Er mwyn cynyddu cynhyrchiant, drwy'r cynllun gweithredu ar yr economi, rydym yn canolbwyntio ein grantiau, ein benthyciadau—ein cymorth i fusnesau ar bob ffurf—ar fusnesau'r dyfodol: busnesau a fydd wedi'u diogelu at y dyfodol o ran deallusrwydd artiffisial a digideiddio.

Cafwyd enghraifft wych o sut rydym yn defnyddio ein hadnoddau'n strategol yn hyn o beth ddydd Iau diwethaf pan agorwyd y Ganolfan Ymchwil i Weithgynhyrchu Uwch gennym yng ngogledd Cymru—canolfan a fydd yn arwain at ddiogelu rhaglen Adain Yfory ac a fydd yn ychwanegu £4 biliwn mewn gwerth ychwanegol gros at yr economi ranbarthol. Dyna enghraifft berffaith o sut y defnyddiwn ein hadnoddau i wella cynhyrchiant.

Mae'n werth dweud, ers datganoli, mai yng Nghymru y bu'r pumed cynnydd uchaf o ran gwerth ychwanegol gros y pen o gymharu â gwledydd y DU a rhanbarthau Lloegr. Ond nid oes unrhyw amheuaeth fod twf yr economi yn cael ei lesteirio gan drychineb Brexit.

Well, Minister, devolution was intended to significantly improve the economic performance of Wales, and yet when it comes to re-energising the Welsh economy, instead of taking that opportunity to proactively boost the economy, I would suggest that the Government has failed to create the right conditions to attract inward investment.

In your response, Minister, you talked about offering grants to various businesses, but I would say, instead, the Welsh Government's business policy has very much focused on throwing money at businesses like Kancoat, Mainport Engineering and Griffin Place Communications—all received Government funding and all are failed projects. I would absolutely accept that the Government does need to take risks. I accept that. But you have to also take into account that balance between risk and benefit, and I do believe that that balance is wrong. And the auditor general accepts this himself, saying that

'The Welsh Government has not yet implemented an approach to balancing potential risks and benefits'.

So, can I ask, Minister, with such a list of poor investments, how can the people of Wales be confident that the Welsh Government can make responsible decisions when it comes to Welsh businesses and managing the Welsh economy effectively?

Wel, Weinidog, bwriad datganoli oedd gwella perfformiad economaidd Cymru yn sylweddol, ond serch hynny, o ran ailfywiogi economi Cymru, yn lle achub ar y cyfle i roi hwb rhagweithiol i'r economi, buaswn yn awgrymu bod y Llywodraeth wedi methu creu'r amodau cywir i ddenu buddsoddiad o'r tu allan.

Yn eich ymateb, Weinidog, fe sonioch chi am gynnig grantiau i fusnesau amrywiol, ond buaswn yn dweud, yn lle hynny, fod polisi busnes Llywodraeth Cymru wedi canolbwyntio i raddau helaeth ar daflu arian at fusnesau fel Kancoat, Mainport Engineering a Griffin Place Communications—mae pob un wedi cael arian gan y Llywodraeth ac mae pob un ohonynt yn brosiectau sydd wedi methu. Buaswn yn derbyn yn llwyr fod angen i'r Llywodraeth fentro. Rwy'n derbyn hynny. Ond mae'n rhaid i chi hefyd ystyried y cydbwysedd rhwng risg a budd, a chredaf fod y cydbwysedd hwnnw'n anghywir. Ac mae'r archwilydd cyffredinol yn derbyn hyn ei hun, gan ddweud

'Hyd yma, nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gweithredu dull o gydbwyso'r risgiau a'r manteision posibl'.

Felly, a gaf fi ofyn, Weinidog, gyda'r fath restr o fuddsoddiadau gwael, sut y gall pobl Cymru fod yn hyderus y gall Llywodraeth Cymru wneud penderfyniadau cyfrifol mewn perthynas â busnesau Cymru a rheoli economi Cymru yn effeithiol?

13:45

For every list of so-called poor investments, we can produce a list of successful investments, investments in businesses like Aston Martin Lagonda, who are choosing to make Wales their home of electrification; of businesses like INEOS Automotive, who we've secured very recently in the face of fierce competition from around the world; businesses like Airbus, who we are helping to secure the future of the Wing of Tomorrow programme for. I think it's important to say that we're often accused of being risk averse in Welsh Government. We are equally accused of having too high a risk appetite. Having the balance right is incredibly difficult to achieve in the eyes and minds of every single person.

Many of the investments that the Member has outlined and could outline are investments in the past that predate the economic action plan, and specifically the economic contract, which must be signed by businesses seeking our financial resource. And within the economic contract, they have to clearly demonstrate how they have growth potential, not just themselves but also for the supply chain; how they're promoting fair work; how they're leading to decarbonise Wales and their own footprint; and also how they're contributing to the improvements in health and mental health within the workforce. This is an important development over the past 18 months, which is intended not just to drive productivity, but also to drive inclusive growth, and that is something that we're incredibly proud of.

In addition, all evidence now shows that support for businesses from Business Wales has led to higher survival rates than amongst businesses that do not have Business Wales support, and, as a consequence of years of strategic investment, we now have near-record-high employment rates, record-low inactivity rates, more businesses in existence than ever before in Wales, a higher birth rate here in Wales than the UK average, and crucially important, we now have opportunities emerging right across Wales for businesses to start up through that support that Business Wales offers. 

Am bob rhestr o fuddsoddiadau gwael honedig, gallwn gynhyrchu rhestr o fuddsoddiadau llwyddiannus, buddsoddiadau mewn busnesau fel Aston Martin Lagonda, sydd wedi dewis Cymru fel cartref trydaneiddio; busnesau fel INEOS Automotive, a sicrhawyd gennym yn ddiweddar iawn yn wyneb cystadleuaeth frwd o bedwar ban byd; busnesau fel Airbus, yr ydym yn eu cynorthwyo i ddiogelu dyfodol rhaglen Adain Yfory. Credaf ei bod yn bwysig dweud ein bod yn aml yn cael ein cyhuddo o fod yn amharod i fentro yn Llywodraeth Cymru. Rydym yn cael ein cyhuddo yr un mor aml o fentro gormod. Mae'n anodd iawn cael y cydbwysedd yn iawn ym marn pob unigolyn.

Mae llawer o'r buddsoddiadau y mae'r Aelod wedi'u hamlinellu ac y gallai eu hamlinellu yn fuddsoddiadau yn y gorffennol a wnaed cyn y cynllun gweithredu ar yr economi, ac yn benodol y contract economaidd sy'n rhaid i fusnesau sy'n ceisio ein hadnoddau ariannol ei lofnodi. Ac yn y contract economaidd, mae'n rhaid iddynt ddangos yn glir sut y mae ganddynt botensial i dyfu, nid yn unig eu hunain ond hefyd ar gyfer y gadwyn gyflenwi; sut y maent yn hyrwyddo gwaith teg; sut y maent yn arwain tuag at ddatgarboneiddio Cymru a'u hôl troed eu hunain; a hefyd sut y maent yn cyfrannu at welliannau ym maes iechyd ac iechyd meddwl yn y gweithlu. Mae hwn yn ddatblygiad pwysig dros y 18 mis diwethaf gyda'r nod nid yn unig o sbarduno cynhyrchiant, ond o sbarduno twf cynhwysol hefyd, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth rydym yn hynod falch ohono.

Yn ogystal, mae'r holl dystiolaeth bellach yn dangos bod cefnogaeth i fusnesau gan Busnes Cymru wedi arwain at gyfraddau goroesi uwch nag ymhlith busnesau nad ydynt wedi cael cefnogaeth gan Busnes Cymru, ac o ganlyniad i flynyddoedd o fuddsoddi strategol, mae gennym bellach gyfraddau cyflogaeth sydd bron gyfuwch ag erioed, cyfraddau anweithgarwch is nag erioed, mwy o fusnesau'n bodoli nag erioed o'r blaen yng Nghymru, a chyfradd genedigaethau uwch yma yng Nghymru na chyfartaledd y DU, ac yn hanfodol bwysig, mae gennym gyfleoedd yn dod i'r amlwg ledled Cymru bellach i fusnesau gychwyn drwy'r gefnogaeth honno y mae Busnes Cymru yn ei chynnig.

Thank you for the answer, Minister. I do appreciate it's a difficult job getting that risk right between risk and getting that balance right between the two, but, of course, the auditor general has said that 

'The Welsh Government has not yet implemented an approach to balancing potential risks and benefits'.

Of course, one area that we do need to focus on is in relation to our small and medium-sized businesses because they do face a very uncertain time at the moment with competition from online companies and also we're seeing reduced footfall that is greater, unfortunately, in Wales, on our Welsh high streets, than in other parts of the UK. So, over the past week, I've been promoting—I know other Members around this Chamber have been promoting—Small Business Saturday, a campaign promoting people to shop locally, particularly this weekend.

I was also pleased to attend the launch of the Association of Convenience Stores' report yesterday, hosted by my colleague Janet Finch-Saunders. Some of the issues that they raise in their report are absolutely devolved to the Welsh Government, issues like business rates, extending the high street rate relief beyond March 2020, scrapping business rates altogether, planning, also protecting retail centres and ensuring that the planning system enables retailers to diversify more easily. Some of these areas are being done in other parts of the UK that are not being done in Wales.

So, I would say, Minister, with Small Business Saturday coming up this weekend, can you tell us what the Welsh Government is doing specifically to support Welsh businesses? And can you also tell us what new actions your Government will now take to create the right conditions for growth for small, medium-sized and independent businesses here in Wales?

Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Rwy'n derbyn ei bod hi'n anodd cael y risg honno'n iawn rhwng mentro a sicrhau'r cydbwysedd iawn rhwng y ddau, ond wrth gwrs, mae'r archwilydd cyffredinol wedi dweud

'Hyd yma, nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gweithredu dull o gydbwyso'r risgiau a'r manteision posibl'.

Wrth gwrs, un maes y mae angen i ni ganolbwyntio arno yw ein busnesau bach a chanolig gan eu bod yn wynebu cyfnod ansicr iawn ar hyn o bryd gyda chystadleuaeth gan gwmnïau ar-lein, ac rydym hefyd yn cael llai o bobl ar ein strydoedd mawr yng Nghymru yn anffodus, nag a welir mewn rhannau eraill o'r DU. Felly, dros yr wythnos ddiwethaf, bûm yn hyrwyddo—gwn fod Aelodau eraill o amgylch y Siambr hon wedi bod yn hyrwyddo—Dydd Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach, ymgyrch sy'n annog pobl i siopa'n lleol, yn enwedig y penwythnos hwn.

Roeddwn hefyd yn falch o fynychu lansiad adroddiad Cymdeithas y Siopau Cyfleus ddoe, a gynhaliwyd o dan ofal fy nghyd-Aelod Janet Finch-Saunders. Mae rhai o'r materion a godant yn eu hadroddiad wedi'u datganoli'n llwyr i Lywodraeth Cymru, materion fel ardrethi busnes, ymestyn rhyddhad ardrethi'r stryd fawr y tu hwnt i fis Mawrth 2020, cael gwared ag ardrethi busnes yn gyfan gwbl, cynllunio, yn ogystal ag amddiffyn canolfannau manwerthu a sicrhau bod y system gynllunio yn galluogi manwerthwyr i arallgyfeirio'n haws. Mae rhai o'r pethau hyn yn cael eu cyflawni mewn rhannau eraill o'r DU ac nid ydynt yn cael eu cyflawni yng Nghymru.

Felly, Weinidog, gyda Dydd Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach ar y ffordd y penwythnos hwn, a allwch ddweud wrthym beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud yn benodol i gefnogi busnesau Cymru? Ac a allwch ddweud wrthym hefyd pa gamau newydd y bydd eich Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd yn awr i greu'r amodau cywir ar gyfer twf busnesau bach, canolig ac annibynnol yma yng Nghymru?

13:50

Can I thank Russell George for that question and echo his support for Small Business Saturday? I do hope that all Members will support that initiative and will encourage their constituents to do so as well.

There are many, many areas of support that the Welsh Government offers that contribute to the vibrancy of town centres as they face an incredibly challenging period, not least because of consumer behaviours leading to more orders going online and less on our high streets. But one new particular initiative that I think the Member will be interested in is one that is being developed by my colleague Hannah Blythyn, and that concerns a 'town centre first' approach, not just in terms of retail, but also in terms of where the public sector choose to invest in offices and facilities. I think it's vitally important that we look at the example in Pontypridd over how Transport for Wales has chosen to invest within the town centre there, which, in turn, is leading to further investment by other businesses. This is the sort of model that we now wish to see rolled out right across the length and breadth of Wales. And, of course, the finance Minister is very aware of the need to ensure that the business rates regime benefits those businesses that are facing an uncertain future.

A gaf fi ddiolch i Russell George am ei gwestiwn ac adleisio'i gefnogaeth i Ddydd Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach? Gobeithio y bydd pob Aelod yn cefnogi'r fenter honno ac yn annog eu hetholwyr i wneud hynny hefyd.

Mae llawer iawn o feysydd cymorth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cynnig sy'n cyfrannu at fywiogrwydd canol trefi wrth iddynt wynebu cyfnod anhygoel o heriol, yn anad dim oherwydd ymddygiad defnyddwyr sy'n arwain at fwy o archebu ar-lein a llai ar y stryd fawr. Ond un fenter newydd arbennig y credaf y bydd gan yr Aelod ddiddordeb ynddi yw'r un sy'n cael ei datblygu gan fy nghyd-Aelod Hannah Blythyn, ac sy'n ymwneud â dull 'canol y dref yn gyntaf', nid yn unig o ran manwerthu, ond hefyd o ran ble mae'r sector cyhoeddus yn dewis buddsoddi mewn swyddfeydd a chyfleusterau. Credaf ei bod yn hanfodol bwysig inni edrych ar yr enghraifft ym Mhontypridd a gweld sut y mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi dewis buddsoddi yng nghanol y dref yno, ac mae hynny, yn ei dro, yn arwain at fuddsoddiad pellach gan fusnesau eraill. Dyma'r math o fodel rydym am ei weld yn cael ei gyflwyno ledled Cymru. Ac wrth gwrs, mae'r Gweinidog cyllid yn ymwybodol iawn o'r angen i sicrhau bod y drefn ardrethi busnes o fudd i'r busnesau hynny sy'n wynebu dyfodol ansicr.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rŵan, Weinidog, rydyn ni’n gwybod bod oedi ar drenau a gorlenwi ar drenau yn gallu cael effaith uniongyrchol ar gynhyrchiant o fewn yr economi yng Nghymru. Mae llawer o weithwyr yng Nghymru yn gorfod penderfynu gadael eu cartrefi yn gynharach er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr eu bod yn gallu cael ar drên neu gyrraedd gwaith mewn pryd. Mae pobl eraill yn cyrraedd y gwaith yn hwyr. Ydy’r Llywodraeth wedi gwneud asesiad o faint mae oedi a gorlenwi trenau yn ei gostio i’r economi, yn cynnwys oriau sy’n cael eu colli yn y gweithle?

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Minister, we know that delays on trains and overcrowding on trains can have a direct impact on the economy and productivity in Wales. A number of workers in Wales have to decide to leave home earlier in order to get on a train or to get to work on time; others arrive at their workplace late. Has the Government made an assessment of how much delay and overcrowding of trains cost the economy, including hours lost in the workplace?

We are able to, on a periodic basis, calculate the amount of time lost and then, setting that against average earnings, we are able to assess the sort of loss to the economy as a whole. Clearly, we do not wish to see any time lost for passengers and we don't wish to see a penny lost for the economy, and that's why we're investing £5 billion in this franchise period in the new franchise agreement, including £800 million for new rolling stock and almost £200 million for improved stations.

We're also integrating public transport better through legislation, including the buses (Wales) Bill and further reforms on bus services; the introduction of better infrastructure for active travel and for bus rapid transport, so that people can choose to leave their car at home in full knowledge that they'll be able to get to work by public transport in just as little time as they would by their own car, if not in less time than that.

O bryd i'w gilydd, rydym yn gallu cyfrifo faint o amser sy'n cael ei golli ac yna, gan osod hynny yn erbyn enillion cyfartalog, gallwn asesu'r math o golled i'r economi yn ei chyfanrwydd. Yn amlwg, nid ydym am weld teithwyr yn colli unrhyw amser ac nid ydym am weld yr economi'n colli'r un geiniog, a dyna pam ein bod yn buddsoddi £5 biliwn yn nghyfnod y fasnachfraint hon yng nghytundeb y fasnachfraint newydd, gan gynnwys £800 miliwn ar gyfer cerbydau newydd a bron i £200 miliwn ar gyfer gwella gorsafoedd.

Rydym hefyd yn integreiddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn well drwy ddeddfwriaeth, gan gynnwys Bil bysiau (Cymru) a diwygiadau pellach i wasanaethau bysiau; cyflwyno gwell seilwaith ar gyfer teithio llesol ac ar gyfer bysiau cyflym, fel y gall pobl ddewis gadael eu car gartref gan wybod yn iawn y byddant yn gallu cyrraedd y gwaith ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus mewn cyn lleied o amser ag y byddent yn ei wneud yn eu car eu hunain, os nad mewn llai o amser na hynny.

Mae gorlenwi’n gallu ei gwneud hi’n brofiad amhleserus ar drên hefyd. Roeddwn i’n clywed gan aelod o dîm Plaid Cymru yma yn y Cynulliad, yn digwydd bod, yn gynharach, yn trio teithio ar drên Maesteg i lawr i gêm y Barbariaid dros y penwythnos, a theithwyr yn methu â chael ar drên oherwydd bod trenau’n llawn. Mi oedd fy merch fy hun yn adrodd am siwrnai ar draws llinell y gogledd yn yr wythnosau diwethaf lle'r oedd pobl yn sefyll yn y tŷ bach oherwydd bod y trên yn rhy llawn. Dydy o ddim yn dderbyniol.

Overcrowding can make it an unpleasant experience on a train. I heard from a member of Plaid Cymru's team here in the Assembly earlier, as it happens, about trying to travel down on the train from Maesteg to the Barbarians' game over the weekend, and passengers couldn't get on the train because trains were full. My own daughter was telling me of a journey across the north Wales line in the last few weeks where people were standing in the toilet because the train was overcrowded. It's not acceptable.

We know we have a lack of capacity now and, of course, you talk of your ambition to increase capacity, which is good, but it is concerning to note that the capacity for the new trains, the new FLIRT trains, coming in in 2023, and the capacity quoted by Transport for Wales for standing passengers is higher than the figure quoted on the manufacturer's data sheet. The manufacturer's figures are based on providing 0.3 sq m per person, while Transport for Wales use 0.25 sq m. It's the lowest in the UK, I think, as most operators use 0.45 sq m. Even London overground have moved to using 0.35 since 2017.

You keep on telling us about your plans to increase capacity, but it sounds to me as if what you're planning to do is just stack them high, and that won't make for a good passenger experience.

Gwyddom fod gennym ddiffyg capasiti ar hyn o bryd, ac wrth gwrs, rydych yn sôn am eich uchelgais i gynyddu capasiti, sy'n beth da, ond mae'n destun pryder fod y capasiti ar gyfer y trenau newydd, y trenau rhyng-ddinesig a rhanbarthol ysgafn cyflym tri-moddol newydd, a fydd yn cael eu cyflwyno yn 2023, a'r capasiti a ddyfynnwyd gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru ar gyfer teithwyr sy'n sefyll ar eu traed yn uwch na'r ffigur a ddyfynnir ar daflen ddata'r gwneuthurwr. Mae ffigurau'r gwneuthurwr yn seiliedig ar ddarparu 0.3 metr sgwâr y pen, tra bo Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn defnyddio 0.25 metr sgwâr. Dyma'r ffigur isaf yn y DU, rwy'n credu, gan fod y mwyafrif o weithredwyr yn defnyddio 0.45 metr sgwâr. Mae hyd yn oed rheilffordd uwchddaearol Llundain wedi newid i ddefnyddio 0.35 ers 2017.

Rydych yn dweud a dweud wrthym am eich cynlluniau i gynyddu capasiti, ond ymddengys i mi mai'r hyn rydych yn bwriadu ei wneud yw eu pentyrru'n uchel, ac ni fydd hynny'n creu profiad da i deithwyr.

No, not at all, not with the order book amounting to £800 million and state-of-the-art trains coming into being from 2023. TfW use industry guidance and industry standards when it comes to calculating capacity, and I'm pleased to say that on the Maesteg line we will see class 170 trains introduced. They'll be among the 12 class 170s that will be rolled out from December this year, in the short term ensuring that capacity issues are addressed while we await the new rolling stock from 2023.

Na, ddim o gwbl, nid gyda'r llyfr archebion yn dod i gyfanswm o £800 miliwn a threnau o'r radd flaenaf ar waith o 2023. Mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn defnyddio canllawiau'r diwydiant a safonau'r diwydiant wrth gyfrifo capasiti, ac rwy'n falch o ddweud y byddwn yn gweld trenau dosbarth 170 yn cael eu cyflwyno ar reilffordd Maesteg. Byddant ymysg y 12 trên dosbarth 170 a fydd yn cael eu cyflwyno o fis Rhagfyr eleni, a byddant yn sicrhau yn y tymor byr fod problemau capasiti'n cael sylw wrth inni aros am y cerbydau newydd o 2023.

13:55

We're talking about overcrowding now, and a lack of capacity now, at a time, of course, when we want more people to use trains in the future. One thing that's done to try to persuade more older people to use the train is to allow them to use concessionary bus passes for various discounts. Some lines allow free travel.

A rail user from the north contacted me, though, after hearing about what was on offer to passengers in other parts of Wales. There is a third off tickets to travel on the Cardiff and Valleys network off peak—which is good, of course—but there is no equivalent discount for travellers in the north. Now, I find that unacceptable. We need to treat rail users equally, wherever they are. I'm grateful for a letter that I've received from you, saying that you will introduce a 10 per cent discount across the north. Why a third off in one part of Wales and 10 per cent off in another?

I've been scribbling here too, comparing two similar journeys, one of them in the Cardiff and Valleys area. Treherbert to Cardiff is 25 miles and a train ticket costs £6.10. That sounds about right to me. With a third off, that's down to £4. Holyhead to Bangor is 25 miles again—the same distance. That's over £10 a journey. With 10 per cent off, that brings it down to £9. How come you can pay £4 for a journey in one part of Wales, and over £9—more than double that—in another part of Wales? It sounds to me, and it will sound to a lot of people, with figures like that and a lack of equality for passengers that Labour's railway is not a railway that treats passengers equally wherever they are in Wales. 

Rydym yn sôn am orlenwi yn awr, a diffyg capasiti yn awr, mewn cyfnod, wrth gwrs, pan ydym am i fwy o bobl ddefnyddio trenau yn y dyfodol. Un peth a wneir i geisio perswadio mwy o bobl hŷn i ddefnyddio trenau yw caniatáu iddynt ddefnyddio tocynnau bws rhatach i gael gostyngiadau amrywiol. Mae rhai rheilffyrdd yn caniatáu teithio am ddim.

Cysylltodd defnyddiwr rheilffyrdd o'r gogledd â mi, serch hynny, ar ôl clywed am yr hyn a oedd ar gael i deithwyr mewn rhannau eraill o Gymru. Gellir cael gostyngiad o draean oddi ar gost tocynnau wrth deithio ar rwydwaith Caerdydd a'r Cymoedd yn ystod adegau tawel—sy'n beth da, wrth gwrs—ond ni cheir gostyngiad cyfatebol i deithwyr yn y gogledd. Nawr, credaf fod hynny'n annerbyniol. Mae angen i ni drin defnyddwyr y rheilffyrdd yn gyfartal, ble bynnag y maent. Rwy'n ddiolchgar am lythyr a gefais gennych yn dweud y byddwch yn cyflwyno gostyngiad o 10 y cant ar draws y gogledd. Pam y gostyngiad o draean mewn un rhan o Gymru a gostyngiad o 10 y cant mewn rhan arall?

Rwyf wedi bod yn sgriblan yma hefyd, ac yn cymharu dwy siwrnai debyg, un ohonynt yn ardal Caerdydd a'r Cymoedd. Mae Treherbert i Gaerdydd yn daith 25 milltir ac mae tocyn trên yn costio £6.10. Mae hynny'n swnio'n iawn i mi. Gyda gostyngiad o draean, mae hynny'n dod i lawr i £4. Mae Caergybi i Fangor yn siwrnai 25 milltir eto—yr un pellter. Mae hynny'n costio dros £10 y siwrnai. Gyda gostyngiad o 10 y cant, daw hynny â'r gost i lawr i £9. Sut y gallwch dalu £4 am siwrnai mewn un rhan o Gymru, a dros £9—mwy na dwywaith hynny—mewn rhan arall o Gymru? Mae'n ymddangos i mi, a bydd yn ymddangos i lawer o bobl, gyda ffigurau fel hynny a diffyg cydraddoldeb i deithwyr, nad yw rheilffordd y blaid Lafur yn rheilffordd sy'n trin teithwyr yn gyfartal ble bynnag y maent yng Nghymru.

I should just remind Members from the outset that some fares are regulated fares, regulated by the UK Government, and others are in our control. Where they are in our control, we've seen an average—as has been publicly recognised recently—decrease of 1 per cent in fares. In some parts of Wales, there will be very considerable decreases in fares, including in north Wales. Rhun ap Iorwerth is right to point to the 10 per cent reduction there. Across the network, there has been a 34 per cent discount in off-peak fares set by TfW for annual season ticket holders, for themselves and up to one accompanying person within defined geographic boundaries. Now, that's important.

So, too, is concessionary off-peak travel for under-11s. We're moving towards a far fairer fare regime for young people. We are offering concessionary off-peak travel for under-16s, and the student railcard will be more beneficial as well, and the saver railcard. Wherever we can, we are introducing a fairer fare regime for passengers. I'm pleased that whether it be in north Wales, where we're seeing a 10 per cent decrease in those fares, or whether it be on the Rhymney line, where—as was talked about earlier—anytime day return tickets will reduce by 9.52 per cent, we are introducing a strong degree of social justice to the public transport fare regime.

Dylwn atgoffa'r Aelodau o'r cychwyn cyntaf fod pris rhai siwrneiau yn brisiau a reoleiddir gan Lywodraeth y DU, a bod eraill o dan ein rheolaeth ni. Lle maent o dan ein rheolaeth, rydym wedi gweld gostyngiad yn y prisiau—fel y cydnabuwyd yn gyhoeddus yn ddiweddar—o 1 y cant ar gyfartaledd. Mewn rhai rhannau o Gymru, bydd gostyngiadau sylweddol iawn yn y prisiau, gan gynnwys yng ngogledd Cymru. Mae Rhun ap Iorwerth yn iawn i dynnu sylw at y gostyngiad o 10 y cant yno. Ar draws y rhwydwaith, cafwyd gostyngiad o 34 y cant ym mhrisiau tocynnau adegau tawel a osodwyd gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru ar gyfer deiliaid tocynnau tymor blynyddol, ar eu cyfer hwy eu hunain a hyd at un unigolyn arall o fewn ffiniau daearyddol diffiniedig. Nawr, mae hynny'n bwysig.

Mae teithio rhatach ar adegau tawel i blant dan 11 oed hefyd yn bwysig. Rydym yn symud tuag at brisiau tocynnau tecach o lawer i bobl ifanc. Rydym yn cynnig teithio rhatach ar adegau tawel i rai dan 16 oed, a bydd y cerdyn rheilffordd i fyfyrwyr yn fwy buddiol hefyd, a cherdyn 'saver'. Lle bynnag y gallwn, rydym yn cyflwyno prisiau tocynnau tecach i deithwyr. Rwy'n falch o hynny, boed yng ngogledd Cymru, lle rydym yn gweld gostyngiad o 10 y cant yn y prisiau, neu ar reilffordd Rhymni—fel y crybwyllwyd yn gynharach—lle bydd prisiau tocynnau diwrnod dwyffordd unrhyw bryd yn gostwng 9.52 y cant, rydym yn cyflwyno cryn dipyn o gyfiawnder cymdeithasol i drefn brisiau tocynnau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus.

Thank you. The Brexit Party spokesperson, David Rowlands.

Diolch. Llefarydd Plaid Brexit, David Rowlands.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Following the announcement in June this year that the automotive company TVR had selected a west Wales company to furnish their factory unit on the Ebbw Vale automotive technology site, which was a very welcome announcement in itself—that they had chosen a Welsh company to do that—can the Minister give us an update on the progress made so far with regard to the refurbishment of that unit? And, can he give us any indication as to the actual commencement of car production by TVR? 

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Yn dilyn y cyhoeddiad ym mis Mehefin eleni fod cwmni modurol TVR wedi dewis cwmni yng ngorllewin Cymru i ddodrefnu eu huned ffatri ar safle technoleg fodurol Glyn Ebwy, a oedd yn gyhoeddiad calonogol iawn ynddo'i hun—eu bod wedi dewis cwmni o Gymru i wneud hynny—a all y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i ni am y cynnydd a wnaed hyd yn hyn ar adnewyddu'r uned honno? Ac a all roi unrhyw syniad i ni pryd y bydd TVR yn dechrau cynhyrchu ceir?

Of course. Discussions are ongoing with the company, and we are awaiting their confirmation that they have raised the requisite investment.

Wrth gwrs. Mae'r trafodaethau yn mynd rhagddynt gyda’r cwmni, ac rydym yn aros am eu cadarnhad eu bod wedi codi’r buddsoddiad angenrheidiol.

Well, I thank the Minister for his answer. My question really was made more in hope than in expectation, given that, obviously, the actual dates for commencement would be with the TVR company itself.

Turning to the development of the park itself, can you give us any details as to other companies that have expressed an interest in coming to Ebbw Vale, and could you confirm reports that the Williams Advanced Engineering Ltd company, part of the Williams Formula 1 team, are still interested in developing a presence on the site? This, after all, is a vital project if we are ever to revitalise an area that has been in the economic doldrums since the closure of the steelworks some 17 years ago.

Wel, diolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ateb. Mewn gwirionedd, gofynnais fy nghwestiwn mewn gobaith yn fwy na disgwyliad, o gofio, yn amlwg, mai gan gwmni TVR eu hunain y byddai'r dyddiadau ar gyfer dechrau.

Gan droi at ddatblygiad y parc ei hun, a allwch roi unrhyw fanylion inni ynglŷn â chwmnïau eraill sydd wedi mynegi diddordeb mewn dod i Lyn Ebwy, ac a allech gadarnhau adroddiadau fod cwmni Williams Advanced Engineering Ltd, sy'n rhan o dîm Fformiwla 1 Williams, yn dal i fod â diddordeb mewn datblygu presenoldeb ar y safle? Mae hwn, wedi'r cyfan, yn brosiect hanfodol os ydym am adfywio ardal sydd wedi bod yn economaidd farwaidd ers cau'r gwaith dur oddeutu 17 mlynedd yn ôl.

14:00

I'm delighted to be able to say that I'll be with Williams tomorrow, at the automotive summit that we've convened, and at the dinner tomorrow evening for the Wales automotive forum. I'm sure they wouldn't be present in Wales tomorrow if they weren't interested in a presence in Wales for the longer term. I'll be discussing it with them, and, of course, if we can attract such a prestigious company, then Welsh Government will be fully supportive.

Rwy'n falch iawn o allu dweud y byddaf gyda Williams yfory, yn yr uwchgynhadledd fodurol rydym wedi'i chynnull, ac yn y cinio nos yfory ar gyfer fforwm modurol Cymru. Rwy'n siŵr na fyddent yn bresennol yng Nghymru yfory pe na bai ganddynt ddiddordeb mewn presenoldeb yng Nghymru yn y tymor hwy. Byddaf yn trafod hynny gyda hwy, ac wrth gwrs, os gallwn ddenu cwmni mor enwog, bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwbl gefnogol.

Cefnogi'r Economi yng Nghanol De Cymru
Supporting the Economy in South Wales Central

3. Pa gamau y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i gefnogi'r economi yng Nghanol De Cymru dros y 12 mis nesaf? OAQ54789

3. What steps will the Welsh Government take to support the economy in South Wales Central over the next 12 months? OAQ54789

We'll continue to support the economy through the economic action plan, and in the case of South Wales Central businesses, via the south-east Wales chief regional officer.

Byddwn yn parhau i gefnogi'r economi drwy'r cynllun gweithredu ar yr economi, ac yn achos busnesau yng Nghanol De Cymru, drwy brif swyddog rhanbarthol de-ddwyrain Cymru.

Thanks. Now, a crucial part of the economy is transport, and we've been hearing a lot already this afternoon about the problem of overcrowding on the rail services. We've heard about it in the Rhymney valley and we've heard about it on the Maesteg line, but, of course, it is a feature of nearly all our railway lines that there is massive overcrowding. Now, you have spoken about increasing the capacity, but, of course, we are all waiting, as we've been waiting for a long time, to see an improvement. I note that in Labour's general election manifesto, you're promising to cut the price of a season ticket by a third. Well, we all realise that Corbyn's promising the earth in an attempt to bribe the electorate, but back in the real world, how on earth is Transport for Wales going to be able to cope with the likely spike in demand when you're already struggling to provide a decent service?

Diolch. Nawr, mae trafnidiaeth yn rhan allweddol o'r economi, ac rydym wedi clywed cryn dipyn o sôn yn barod y prynhawn yma am y broblem gyda gorlenwi ar y gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd. Rydym wedi clywed am hynny yng nghwm Rhymni ac rydym wedi clywed am hynny ar reilffordd Maesteg, ond wrth gwrs, mae gorlenwi difrifol yn nodwedd o bob un o'n rheilffyrdd, bron â bod. Nawr, rydych wedi sôn am gynyddu'r capasiti, ond wrth gwrs, rydym oll yn aros, ac wedi bod yn aros ers amser maith, am welliant. Ym maniffesto Llafur ar gyfer yr etholiad cyffredinol, nodaf eich bod yn addo gostyngiad o draean i bris tocyn tymor. Wel, mae pob un ohonom yn sylweddoli bod Corbyn yn addo'r ddaear mewn ymgais i lwgrwobrwyo'r etholwyr, ond yn ôl yn y byd go iawn, sut ar y ddaear y bydd Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn gallu ymdopi â'r cynnydd tebygol yn y galw pan ydych eisoes yn ei chael hi'n anodd darparu gwasanaeth addas?

Well, unlike during the period when the previous franchise agreement was being devised, when we were working on the current franchise arrangements we ensured that various passenger modelling was taken into account so that the operator and development partner was in no doubt whatsoever of what tasks would have to be undertaken to meet passenger demand. So, as a consequence, there are serious and significant opportunities to be able to increase capacity at certain points within the contract, as and when it is needed. Unlike under the previous agreement, TfW are able to operate in a flexible manner under this agreement and, as I said earlier, we'll be investing £5 billion into the rail network over the coming 15 years.

Wel, yn wahanol i'r adeg pan oedd cytundeb y fasnachfraint flaenorol yn cael ei lunio, pan oeddem yn gweithio ar drefniadau'r fasnachfraint gyfredol, gwnaethom sicrhau bod gwahanol weithgarwch modelu teithwyr yn cael ei ystyried fel nad oedd gan y gweithredwr a'r partner datblygu unrhyw amheuaeth ynghylch pa dasgau y byddai'n rhaid eu cwblhau i ateb y galw gan deithwyr. Felly, o ganlyniad, mae cyfleoedd gwirioneddol a sylweddol i allu cynyddu capasiti ar bwyntiau penodol yn y contract, yn ôl yr angen. Yn wahanol i'r cytundeb blaenorol, mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn gallu gweithredu mewn modd hyblyg o dan y cytundeb hwn, ac fel y dywedais yn gynharach, byddwn yn buddsoddi £5 biliwn yn y rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd dros y 15 mlynedd nesaf.

Minister, since 2012 the economic activity rate in Rhondda Cynon Taf has increased from 69 per cent to 75 per cent—much of this, I think, through behind-the-scenes, anyway, active co-operation between the UK Government and the Welsh Government, and I commend you for that work. It seems to me that skills and training are particularly important in achieving these improved figures, and as you are emphasising the foundational economy, it seems to me that this approach is now bearing fruit in some of our most deprived areas.

Weinidog, ers 2012, mae cyfraddau gweithgarwch economaidd yn Rhondda Cynon Taf wedi cynyddu o 69 y cant i 75 y cant—mae llawer o hyn, rwy'n credu, wedi digwydd drwy gydweithredu gweithredol y tu ôl i'r llen, beth bynnag, rhwng Llywodraeth y DU a Llywodraeth Cymru, ac rwy’n eich canmol am y gwaith hwnnw. Ymddengys i mi fod sgiliau a hyfforddiant yn arbennig o bwysig i gyflawni'r ffigurau gwell hyn, a chan eich bod yn pwysleisio'r economi sylfaenol, ymddengys i mi fod y dull hwn bellach yn dwyn ffrwyth yn rhai o'n hardaloedd mwyaf difreintiedig.

Absolutely. I couldn't agree more with David Melding, and in terms of the foundational economy challenge fund, I'm pleased that Rhondda Housing Association have been successful in securing £100,000 to regenerate Tonypandy town centre with creative new approaches to using local skills and ensuring that there is a sustainable and long-term future for the town centre.

Yn sicr. Ni allwn gytuno mwy â David Melding, ac o ran cronfa her yr economi sylfaenol, rwy'n falch fod Cymdeithas Tai Rhondda wedi llwyddo i sicrhau £100,000 i adfywio canol tref Tonypandy gyda dulliau newydd creadigol o ddefnyddio sgiliau lleol a sicrhau bod dyfodol cynaliadwy a hirdymor i ganol y dref.

Gwella Economi Gorllewin Caerfyrddin a De Sir Benfro
Improving the Economy of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire

4. Pa fentrau sydd ar waith gan Lywodraeth Cymru i wella economi Gorllewin Caerfyrddin a De Sir Benfro? OAQ54788

4. What initiatives does the Welsh Government have in place to improve the economy of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire? OAQ54788

I'm pleased to say that we have a number of initiatives for improving the economy of the whole of Wales, including, of course, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire. These are set out in the economic action plan and include investing in people, in places and businesses, through skills, infrastructure and direct business support.

Rwy'n falch o ddweud bod gennym nifer o fentrau ar gyfer gwella economi Cymru gyfan, gan gynnwys, wrth gwrs, Gorllewin Caerfyrddin a De Sir Benfro. Nodir y rhain yn y cynllun gweithredu ar yr economi ac maent yn cynnwys buddsoddi mewn pobl, mewn lleoedd a busnesau, drwy sgiliau, seilwaith a chymorth uniongyrchol i fusnesau.

Thank you for that, but I would like to know how that really translates into action. Last weekend was the Pembroke castle Christmas fair, and it was a great event. Loads of people came into Pembroke to go to the Christmas fair, but as I walked back to my car, which was the other end of Pembroke high street, it really brought home to me yet again the death of that high street. When I first moved to Pembrokeshire some 15 years ago it was a vibrant, busy high street, it had a supermarket there right in the centre of the town, it had lots and lots of individual shops—it had the butcher and practically the baker and the candlestick maker. But now it's just—what do you call those people who do racing bets? Betting shops, that's it—[Interruption.] Bookies. Thank you. I didn't want to mention their name—I can only think of their name. [Laughter.] I wasn't trying to advertise them. [Laughter.] [Interruption.] Thank you. No, don't.

So, it's bookies, it's charity shops, and everything is pretty much boarded up, and I do wonder what we can actually do to bring the kind of life back into that type of high street, because if it's not Pembroke, it's Pembroke Dock, and it's becoming Narberth, which has been a jewel in the Pembrokeshire crown for a long time. Whitland—dead on its feet. St Clears—going the same way. The traditional shops are closing down, but I don't see how these policies of yours can be translated. And I know that the Conservative manifesto is planning to establish a market town fund to help improve the local economy, and I notice that you did mention an initiative to my colleague Russell George, but I just wonder if you could expend on that, because it's desperately sad to see these great towns wither away on the vine.

Diolch, ond hoffwn wybod sut y mae hynny'n trosi'n gamau gweithredu. Y penwythnos diwethaf, cynhaliwyd ffair Nadolig yng nghastell Penfro, ac roedd yn ddigwyddiad gwych. Daeth llwyth o bobl i Benfro i fynd i’r ffair Nadolig, ond wrth i mi gerdded yn ôl at fy nghar, a oedd ar ben arall stryd fawr Penfro, cefais fy atgoffa unwaith eto o farwolaeth y stryd fawr honno. Pan symudais i Sir Benfro gyntaf oddeutu 15 mlynedd yn ôl, roedd yn stryd fawr fywiog, brysur, roedd ganddi archfarchnad yno yng nghanol y dref, roedd ganddi lawer iawn o siopau unigol—roedd ganddi'r cigydd, ac i bob pwrpas, y pobydd a'r gwneuthurwr canwyllbrenni. Ond bellach, dim ond—beth ydych chi'n galw'r bobl sy'n gwneud betiau rasio? Siopau betio, dyna ni—[Torri ar draws.] Bwcis. Diolch. Nid oeddwn am grybwyll eu henw—nid wyf ond yn gallu cofio eu henw. [Chwerthin.] Nid oeddwn yn ceisio eu hysbysebu. [Chwerthin.] [Torri ar draws.] Diolch. Na, peidiwch.

Felly, bwcis, siopau elusen, ac mae popeth, fwy neu lai, ar gau, a tybed beth y gallwn ei wneud mewn gwirionedd i ddod â'r math o fywyd yn ôl i'r math hwnnw o stryd fawr, oherwydd os nad ydym yn sôn am Benfro, rydym yn sôn am Ddoc Penfro, ac am Arberth, sydd wedi bod yn un o drysorau Sir Benfro ers amser maith. Hendy-gwyn ar Daf—cwbl farwaidd. Sanclêr—mae'n mynd yr un ffordd. Mae'r siopau traddodiadol yn cau, ond nid wyf yn gweld sut y gellir trosi'r polisïau hyn sydd gennych. A gwn fod maniffesto’r Ceidwadwyr yn bwriadu sefydlu cronfa trefi marchnad i helpu i wella’r economi leol, a sylwaf i chi grybwyll menter wrth fy nghyd-Aelod Russell George, ond tybed a allech ymhelaethu ar hynny, gan ei bod yn drist iawn gweld y trefi gwych hyn yn dirywio.

14:05

Absolutely, and this is not a problem that is confined to the Member's constituency. We can point to town centres right across the UK and beyond, where there are struggles because of changing consumer behaviours. And it's absolutely right now that we focus not just on retail as a process of an exchange of goods and money, but retail as an experience, and some of the most successful town centres and high streets are ones where there is a vibrant atmosphere, where there are activities taking place on a very regular basis, where we don't just have retail, but a very strong mix in terms of the businesses that operate there.

The 'town centre first' initiative that I mentioned in answer to Russell George is being led by Hannah Blythyn, who is here right now. I will ask Hannah to provide more detail to Members regarding this particular initiative.FootnoteLink It does include the development of more business improvement districts, because I think it's absolutely vital that businesses own responsibility as well for improving the vibrancy of the high street. What I've been able to appreciate is that those towns that are most resilient in the face of on-line purchasing are those that offer a good number of activities like Christmas fairs and so forth, and in my own constituency, those town centres and village centres as well that are thriving in the face of challenge are those that bring people in for various activities on a week-by-week basis.

I think it's also important to say that whilst we all wish to support Small Business Saturday this Saturday, the principles that underpin Small Business Saturday should apply to every day of the week and every week of the year, and it is important that we as Members encourage our constituents to support town centres. It's all too easy sometimes for us ourselves to end up, just for the sake of convenience, popping to a supermarket rather than to go into a town centre. We do need to lead by example. That's something that I will commit to doing myself, not just on this Saturday, but thereafter. But I do think that the 'town centre first' initiative and the encouragement of more business improvement districts, which are a proven intervention, will lead to a greater degree of vibrancy in our town centres.

Yn sicr, ac nid yw hon yn broblem sydd wedi'i chyfyngu i etholaeth yr Aelod. Gallwn bwyntio at ganol trefi ledled y DU a thu hwnt, lle mae trafferthion yn sgil newid yn ymddygiad cwsmeriaid. Ac mae'n gwbl iawn ein bod yn canolbwyntio yn awr nid yn unig ar fanwerthu fel proses o gyfnewid nwyddau ac arian, ond manwerthu fel profiad, ac mae rhai o'r ardaloedd lle mae canol y dref a'r stryd fawr yn ffynnu yn fannau lle mae'r awyrgylch yn fywiog, lle mae gweithgareddau'n cael eu cynnal yn rheolaidd iawn, lle nad manwerthu'n unig sydd gennym, ond cymysgedd cryf iawn o fusnesau'n gweithredu yno.

Mae'r fenter 'canol y dref yn gyntaf' y soniais amdani wrth ateb Russell George yn cael ei harwain gan Hannah Blythyn, sydd yma yn awr. Fe ofynnaf i Hannah roi mwy o fanylion i'r Aelodau ynghylch y fenter benodol hon.FootnoteLink Mae'n cynnwys datblygu mwy o ardaloedd gwella busnes, gan y credaf ei bod yn gwbl hanfodol fod busnesau hefyd yn cael cyfrifoldeb dros wella bywiogrwydd y stryd fawr. Yr hyn rwyf wedi gallu ei werthfawrogi yw mai'r trefi mwyaf gwydn yn wyneb prynu ar-lein yw'r rhai sy'n cynnig nifer dda o weithgareddau fel ffeiriau Nadolig ac ati, ac yn fy etholaeth fy hun, y trefi a'r pentrefi sy'n ffynnu yn wyneb her yw'r rheini sy'n dod â phobl i mewn i ganol y dref ar gyfer gweithgareddau amrywiol o wythnos i wythnos.

Credaf ei bod hefyd yn bwysig dweud, er bod pob un ohonom yn dymuno cefnogi Dydd Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach ddydd Sadwrn, y dylai'r egwyddorion sy'n sail i Ddydd Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach fod yn berthnasol i bob diwrnod o'r wythnos a phob wythnos o'r flwyddyn, ac mae'n bwysig ein bod ni fel Aelodau yn annog ein hetholwyr i gefnogi canol trefi. Mae'n rhy hawdd weithiau i ninnau, er hwylustod, alw mewn archfarchnad yn hytrach na mynd i ganol y dref. Mae angen inni arwain drwy esiampl. Mae hynny'n rhywbeth y byddaf yn ymrwymo i'w wneud fy hun, nid yn unig y dydd Sadwrn hwn, ond wedi hynny. Ond credaf y bydd y fenter 'canol y dref yn gyntaf', a'r gwaith o annog mwy o ardaloedd gwella busnes, sy'n ymyrraeth y profwyd ei bod yn gweithio, yn arwain at fwy o fywiogrwydd yng nghanol ein trefi.

Trafnidiaeth Gyhoeddus o fewn Cymoedd y Gogledd
Public Transport within the Northern Valleys

5. A wnaiff y Gweinidog amlinellu blaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer gwella trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus o fewn cymoedd y gogledd? OAQ54802

5. Will the Minister outline the Welsh Government's priorities for improving public transport within the northern valleys? OAQ54802

Yes, of course. We are moving forward with our ambitious vision to reshape public transport infrastructure and services across Wales, including local bus services, rail services, active travel, the metro projects and, of course, the buses (Wales) Bill.

Gwnaf, wrth gwrs. Rydym yn bwrw ymlaen gyda'n gweledigaeth uchelgeisiol i ail-lunio seilwaith a gwasanaethau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys gwasanaethau bysiau lleol, gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd, teithio llesol, prosiectau'r metro, ac wrth gwrs, Bil bysiau (Cymru).

Thank you, Minister, for that overarching answer. Now, this wasn't the supplementary I planned to ask, but recent disruption to rail services within my community has changed my focus today. I must say, I've had a good relationship with Transport for Wales since they've taken over the services, but the events last week were nothing short of chaotic—trains cancelled, passengers turfed off at random stations, some people's round journey to work taking over four and a half hours there and back, and being dropped off at stations nowhere near their home, with resultant impacts on childcare and all sorts of other pressures. This is simply not acceptable. I appreciate that some issues, like line-side disruption, are beyond Transport for Wales's control, but there needs to be a plan B. Problems accessing replacement buses during rush hour when they're out doing the school run should be anticipated, and there should a fallback plan for that. Much is made of the 15 December timetable changes, but to many of my constituents, disappointment has bred distrust. How is the Welsh Government working with Transport for Wales to get this right? What measures will be put in place to minimise the risk of the problems seen in recent weeks, so that my constituents don't experience such poor services again?

Diolch am eich ateb cyffredinol, Weinidog. Nawr, nid hwn oedd y cwestiwn atodol roeddwn wedi bwriadu ei ofyn, ond mae tarfu diweddar ar wasanaethau rheilffyrdd yn fy nghymuned wedi newid fy ffocws heddiw. Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, rwyf wedi cael perthynas dda gyda Trafnidiaeth Cymru ers iddynt ddod yn gyfrifol am y gwasanaethau, ond roedd y digwyddiadau yr wythnos diwethaf yn anhrefn llwyr—trenau wedi'u canslo, teithwyr yn cael eu taflu allan mewn gorsafoedd ar hap, taith rhai pobl i'r gwaith ac adref yn cymryd mwy na phedair awr a hanner yno ac yn ôl, a chael eu gollwng mewn gorsafoedd nad oeddent yn agos at eu cartref, ac effaith hynny ar ofal plant a phob math o bwysau eraill. Nid yw hyn yn dderbyniol o gwbl. Rwy'n derbyn bod rhai problemau, fel nam i gyfarpar gerllaw'r rheilffyrdd, y tu hwnt i reolaeth Trafnidiaeth Cymru, ond mae angen cynllun B. Dylid rhagweld problemau gyda chael mynediad at fysiau yn ystod yr oriau brig pan fydd y bysiau arferol yn cludo plant i ac o'r ysgol, a dylid cael cynllun wrth gefn ar gyfer hynny. Bu llawer o sôn am y newidiadau i'r amserlen ar 15 Rhagfyr, ond i lawer o fy etholwyr, mae siom wedi arwain at ddiffyg ymddiriedaeth. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda Trafnidiaeth Cymru i unioni hyn? Pa fesurau a roddir ar waith i leihau risg y problemau a welwyd yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf, fel nad yw fy etholwyr yn dioddef gwasanaethau mor wael eto?

14:10

I'd like to thank Vikki Howells for the question, and for raising this matter previously with me directly. I was able to speak again to Transport for Wales this morning, where I impressed upon them the absolute and urgent need to ensure that there are contingency plans in place.

As the Member rightly identifies, on the afternoon of Wednesday, 27 November, there was disruption to TfW services on the Aberdare line due to a signalling problem, which, of course, is managed by Network Rail. The problem was compounded by the difficulty in sourcing replacement buses, because local buses were at that time booked for school transport. There was also a further disruption later that evening when a bus hit a railway bridge, and then Network Rail, rightly so, had to carry out safety inspections to make sure that trains were safe to cross it. TfW did manage to source replacement buses and the line was reopened at 8 o'clock in the evening, but I recognise that many, many of my colleague's constituents were infuriated by the lack of timely service on that particular occasion.

Although these incidents are outside of TfW's control, TfW have assured me that they are urgently reviewing how replacement buses are procured, because they too feel that it's right for passengers to be able to expect services to commence as soon as possible after an incident occurs. I will be writing to Members soon with details of that urgent work and the outcomes from it.

Hoffwn ddiolch i Vikki Howells am ei chwestiwn, ac am godi'r mater hwn gyda mi yn uniongyrchol cyn hyn. Llwyddais i siarad eto â Trafnidiaeth Cymru y bore yma, gan bwysleisio'r angen diamod i sicrhau fod cynlluniau wrth gefn ar waith ar frys.

Fel y nododd yr Aelod, yn gwbl gywir, ar brynhawn dydd Mercher, 27 Tachwedd, bu tarfu ar wasanaethau Trafnidiaeth Cymru ar reilffordd Aberdâr oherwydd problem gyda'r signalau, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn cael eu rheoli gan Network Rail. Gwaethygwyd y broblem gan yr anhawster i ddod o hyd i fysiau i weithredu yn lle'r trenau, gan fod bysiau lleol, ar y pryd, wrthi'n darparu cludiant o'r ysgol. Cafwyd tarfu pellach yn ddiweddarach y noson honno ar ôl i fws daro pont reilffordd, ac yna bu’n rhaid i Network Rail, yn gwbl briodol, gynnal archwiliadau diogelwch i sicrhau ei bod yn ddiogel i drenau ei chroesi. Llwyddodd Trafnidiaeth Cymru i ddod o hyd i fysiau yn lle'r trenau ac ail-agorwyd y rheilffordd am 8 o’r gloch yr hwyr, ond rwy’n cydnabod bod llawer iawn o etholwyr fy nghyd-Aelod wedi eu cythruddo gan y diffyg gwasanaeth amserol ar yr achlysur penodol hwnnw.

Er bod y digwyddiadau hyn y tu hwnt i reolaeth Trafnidiaeth Cymru, mae Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi rhoi sicrwydd i mi eu bod yn mynd ati ar frys i adolygu'r ffordd y caiff bysiau yn lle trenau eu caffael, gan eu bod hwythau hefyd yn teimlo ei bod yn iawn i deithwyr allu disgwyl i wasanaethau gychwyn cyn gynted â phosibl ar ôl digwyddiad. Byddaf yn ysgrifennu at yr Aelodau cyn bo hir gyda manylion y gwaith brys hwnnw a'i ganlyniadau.

Many people have been interested in the potential for train services to be extended north in the Rhondda valley, and Plaid Cymru have campaigned on this for many years, and I really do hope that it can be brought to fruition by this Government and Transport for Wales. The difference that a new station in Tynewydd could make at the top of the Rhondda would be huge. It would make public transport much more accessible for some of the most isolated communities in my constituency. There's no train line in the Rhondda Fach. There used to be a rail bus link over from Maerdy over the hill to Penrhys to Ystrad station.

What is the latest position on extending the train line into the Rhondda Fawr to Tynewydd? And can you tell us what is the possibility of improving links to the Rhondda Fach in terms of rail? And people in the Rhondda have also been affected by the recent overcrowding problems, and they've had enough of listening to excuses. So, what assurances can you provide that there will be enough capacity for the people in the Rhondda, whether these improvements that I've asked you about this afternoon come to fruition or not?

Mae gan lawer o bobl ddiddordeb yn y potensial i ymestyn gwasanaethau trên i'r gogledd yng nghwm Rhondda, ac mae Plaid Cymru wedi ymgyrchu ar hyn ers blynyddoedd lawer, ac rwy'n mawr obeithio y gall y Llywodraeth hon a Trafnidiaeth Cymru sicrhau bod hynny'n dwyn ffrwyth. Byddai'r gwahaniaeth y gallai gorsaf newydd yn Nhynewydd ei wneud ar ben uchaf y Rhondda yn enfawr. Byddai'n gwneud trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn llawer mwy hygyrch i rai o'r cymunedau mwyaf ynysig yn fy etholaeth. Nid oes rheilffordd yn y Rhondda Fach. Roedd cyswllt bws a thrên yn arfer gweithredu o'r Maerdy dros y bryn i Benrhys i orsaf Ystrad Rhondda.

Beth yw'r sefyllfa ddiweddaraf o ran ymestyn y rheilffordd i'r Rhondda Fawr i Dynewydd? Ac a allwch ddweud wrthym beth yw'r posibilrwydd o wella cysylltiadau â'r Rhondda Fach o ran y rheilffyrdd? Ac effeithiwyd ar bobl yn y Rhondda hefyd gan y problemau gorlenwi diweddar, ac maent wedi cael llond bol ar wrando ar esgusodion. Felly, pa sicrwydd y gallwch ei ddarparu y bydd digon o gapasiti i'r bobl yn y Rhondda, p'un a yw'r gwelliannau rwyf wedi eich holi amdanynt y prynhawn yma yn dwyn ffrwyth ai peidio?

I can assure people of the Rhondda that we are doing all we can to address capacity issues on the rail network. Importantly, though, we can't view rail service in isolation from other public transport services. I think it's absolutely right that people should expect an integrated bus and rail service, and that's why next year we'll be introducing legislation to this Chamber concerning the planning and delivery of local bus services, so that we can reintroduce franchising, so that we can allow municipal bus companies to be formed, so that we can integrate ticketing and timetabling and so that we do have that sort of integrated service that existed. I think it was the Rhondda Fach rail and bus link service that I think people in the Rhondda valued. We wish to see more of those type of integrated public transport services rolled out across Wales.

In terms of the extendability of the metro, this is one of the most exciting pieces of work that has been undertaken at the moment—the future phases of the metro—the framework is being completed by Welsh Government. We're already delivering five new stations under the franchise agreement with the operator and development partner. And in the future, as part of the south Wales metro vision, we will see more stations opened, more old railway lines reopened, and new railway lines introduced.

Gallaf roi sicrwydd i bobl y Rhondda ein bod yn gwneud popeth yn ein gallu i fynd i'r afael â materion capasiti ar rwydwaith y rheilffyrdd. Mae'n bwysig, serch hynny, nad ydym yn ystyried y gwasanaeth rheilffordd ar wahân i wasanaethau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus eraill. Credaf ei bod yn hollol iawn i bobl ddisgwyl gwasanaeth bysiau a rheilffyrdd integredig, a dyna pam y byddwn yn cyflwyno deddfwriaeth i'r Siambr hon y flwyddyn nesaf ar gynllunio a darparu gwasanaethau bysiau lleol, fel y gallwn ailgyflwyno masnachfreinio, fel ein bod yn caniatáu i gwmnïau bysiau trefol gael eu ffurfio, fel y gallwn integreiddio tocynnau ac amserlennu ac fel bod gennym y math o wasanaeth integredig a oedd yn arfer bodoli. Credaf mai gwasanaeth cyswllt bws a thrên y Rhondda Fach roedd pobl yn y Rhondda yn ei werthfawrogi. Hoffem weld mwy o wasanaethau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus integredig o'r fath yn cael eu cyflwyno ledled Cymru.

O ran estynadwyedd y metro, dyma un o'r enghreifftiau mwyaf cyffrous o waith sy'n mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd—camau'r metro yn y dyfodol—mae'r fframwaith yn cael ei gwblhau gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Rydym eisoes yn darparu pum gorsaf newydd o dan gytundeb y fasnachfraint gyda'r gweithredwr a'r partner datblygu. Ac yn y dyfodol, fel rhan o weledigaeth metro de Cymru, byddwn yn gweld mwy o orsafoedd yn cael eu hagor, mwy o hen reilffyrdd yn cael eu hailagor, a rheilffyrdd newydd yn cael eu cyflwyno.

Can I tell the Minister that people on every single station stop from Maesteg to Cardiff are really looking forward to the introduction of the refurbished 170 carriages, and the Sunday service from the middle of this month? It's going to be a real shot in the arm for that line and for frequency of services, particularly on a Sunday. And I thank him for his written reply that I've had today on my next campaign, which is later trains out of Cardiff to every stop along the lines to Maesteg.

But can I just say, three of my valleys—and I repeatedly say this—the Garw, the Ogmore and the Gilfach valleys, are entirely served by bus transport. Now, for example, in the Upper Garw valley, without—. There are nearly 30 per cent of people in the Upper Garw without access to private transport, and 15 per cent more than the national average classified as semi-skilled, unskilled manual or lower grade occupations, or unemployed, trying to access work. The community is classified by the Office for National Statistics as 100 per cent rural and we rely entirely on buses. Fifty per cent of the population there travel to work between 10km and 30km, and they rely on buses. So, could I ask him: what hope can I give to those constituents that, as we take these reforms forward, particularly in terms of undoing the disastrous bus deregulation of those decades ago, we can have a bus service that is designed locally and regionally, that goes to the places where people want to go, at the time they want to go, with affordable ticket prices that they can afford to pay for, that is for the people and not for the benefit of shareholders?

A gaf fi ddweud wrth y Gweinidog fod pobl ym mhob gorsaf o Faesteg i Gaerdydd yn edrych ymlaen yn fawr at weld y cerbydau 170 wedi'u hadnewyddu yn cael eu cyflwyno, a'r gwasanaeth ar ddydd Sul o ganol y mis hwn ymlaen? Bydd yn hwb gwirioneddol i'r rheilffordd honno ac i amlder gwasanaethau, yn enwedig ar ddydd Sul. A diolch iddo am yr ateb ysgrifenedig a gefais ganddo heddiw ar fy ymgyrch nesaf, sef trenau hwyrach o Gaerdydd i bob gorsaf ar hyd y rheilffyrdd i Faesteg.

Ond a gaf fi ddweud, mae tri o fy nghymoedd—ac rwy'n dweud hyn dro ar ôl tro—cymoedd Garw, Ogwr a'r Gilfach, yn cael eu gwasanaethu'n llwyr gan drafnidiaeth bws. Nawr, er enghraifft, yng nghwm Garw Uchaf, heb—. Mae bron i 30 y cant o bobl yng nghwm Garw Uchaf heb fynediad at drafnidiaeth breifat, a 15 y cant yn fwy na'r cyfartaledd cenedlaethol wedi'u categoreiddio'n weithwyr lled-fedrus, gweithwyr llaw heb sgiliau neu mewn swyddi ar raddfeydd is, neu'n ddi-waith, ac yn ceisio dod o hyd i waith. Mae'r Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol wedi dosbarthu'r gymuned yn gymuned wledig 100 y cant ac rydym yn dibynnu'n llwyr ar fysiau. Mae 50 y cant o'r boblogaeth yno'n teithio rhwng 10km a 30km i'r gwaith, ac maent yn dibynnu ar fysiau. Felly, a gaf fi ofyn iddo: wrth inni fwrw ymlaen â'r diwygiadau hyn, yn enwedig o ran dadwneud y weithred drychinebus o ddadreoleiddio'r bysiau ddegawdau yn ôl, pa obaith y gallaf ei roi i'r etholwyr hynny y gallwn gael gwasanaeth bysiau sydd wedi'i gynllunio'n lleol ac yn rhanbarthol, sy'n mynd i'r lleoedd y mae pobl am fynd iddynt, ar yr adeg y maent am fynd yno, gyda phrisiau tocynnau fforddiadwy y gallant fforddio talu amdanynt, gwasanaeth sydd ar gyfer y bobl ac nid er budd cyfranddalwyr?

14:15

Well, the Member is absolutely right: we will be designing, through legislation and further reforms, a transport system for buses and for other transport forms that meet passenger interests over profit motive. And, whether it be through the creation of municipal bus companies, through the reintroduction of franchising, through other reforms, we will deliver improved bus transport that is integrated with rail. 

Now, the Member raises the important point of the timetabling of services to ensure that people who work out of hours are able to get to and from employment. A good example of how Welsh Government is intervening in this area right now comes with the Valleys to work transport pilot, which has been developed with the Department for Work and Pensions, and we've been able to announce an out-of-hours minibus pilot to take people into employment. I think that is a great example of how, working in a sub-regional way, with all partners, we are able to provide opportunities for people to get to and from work on public transport at inconvenient hours. 

Wel, mae'r Aelod yn llygad ei le: byddwn yn dylunio, drwy ddeddfwriaeth a diwygiadau pellach, system drafnidiaeth ar gyfer bysiau ac ar gyfer mathau eraill o drafnidiaeth sy'n blaenoriaethu buddiannau teithwyr dros gymhelliant elw. A boed hynny trwy greu cwmnïau bysiau trefol, trwy ailgyflwyno masnachfreinio, trwy ddiwygiadau eraill, byddwn yn darparu gwell trafnidiaeth bysiau sydd wedi'i hintegreiddio â rheilffyrdd.

Nawr, mae'r Aelod yn codi pwynt pwysig ynghylch amserlennu gwasanaethau i sicrhau bod pobl sy'n gweithio y tu allan i oriau yn gallu mynd a dod o'u gwaith. Enghraifft dda o sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymyrryd yn y maes hwn yn awr yw cynllun peilot trafnidiaeth O’r Cymoedd i’r Gwaith, a ddatblygwyd gyda'r Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau, ac rydym wedi gallu cyhoeddi cynllun peilot bws mini y tu allan i oriau i fynd â phobl i'w gwaith. Credaf fod honno'n enghraifft wych o sut y gallwn ddarparu cyfleoedd i bobl fynd a dod o'r gwaith ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus yn ystod oriau anghyfleus drwy weithio mewn ffordd is-ranbarthol gyda'r holl bartneriaid.

Question 6 [OAQ54787] has been withdrawn. Question 7, Nick Ramsay. 

Tynnwyd cwestiwn 6 [OAQ54787] yn ôl. Cwestiwn 7, Nick Ramsay.

Gwella'r Rhwydwaith Cefnffyrdd yn Sir Fynwy
Improving the Trunk Road Network in Monmouthshire

7. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gynlluniau i wella'r rhwydwaith cefnffyrdd yn Sir Fynwy? OAQ54782

7. Will the Minister provide an update on plans to improve the trunk road network in Monmouthshire? OAQ54782

Yes, of course. Transport links are vital to our economy and we are committed to ensuring a robust and well-maintained road network. Our priorities for improving the network are outlined in our national transport finance plan, which was updated in May of this year.

Gwnaf, wrth gwrs. Mae cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth yn hanfodol i'n heconomi ac rydym wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau rhwydwaith ffyrdd cadarn sy'n cael ei gynnal yn dda. Amlinellir ein blaenoriaethau ar gyfer gwella'r rhwydwaith yn ein cynllun cyllid trafnidiaeth cenedlaethol a ddiweddarwyd ym mis Mai eleni.

Thank you, Minister. When I last raised the issue of the A4042 flooding problem at Llanellen with your colleague, the Deputy Minister, a few weeks ago he pointed out, rightly, that the problems are well-known and difficult to deal with and if I had any solutions to let you know. Well, it seemed to me, thinking about this afterwards, that there is one obvious, although costly, solution, which would be a bypass for the village, avoiding this particularly problematic section altogether and also avoiding the bridge, which has problems as well. Plans for a Llanellen bypass and a bypass further south at Penperlleni go back decades but have remained pipe dreams because of the cost issue. Now that the new Grange University Hospital is well under way and will be opening, I believe, next year, I wonder if we could revisit again the possibility of a bypass at this problematic section of the A4042 because, at some point in the future, patients' lives could depend on it and commuters would certainly like to see improvements. 

Diolch, Weinidog. Y tro diwethaf i mi godi'r broblem ynghylch llifogydd ar yr A4042 yn Llanelen gyda'ch cyd-Aelod, y Dirprwy Weinidog, ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, nododd, yn gywir, fod y problemau'n dra chyfarwydd a'i bod yn anodd mynd i'r afael â hwy, ac y dylwn roi gwybod i chi os oedd gennyf unrhyw atebion i'r problemau. Wel, ymddengys i mi, wrth feddwl am hyn wedyn, fod un ateb amlwg i'w gael, er ei fod yn gostus, sef ffordd osgoi i’r pentref, er mwyn osgoi’r rhan arbennig o broblemus hon yn gyfan gwbl, yn ogystal ag osgoi’r bont, sy'n peri problemau hefyd. Mae cynlluniau ar gyfer ffordd osgoi Llanelen a ffordd osgoi ymhellach i'r de ym Mhenperlleni wedi eu crybwyll ers degawdau ond maent wedi parhau i fod yn freuddwydion gwrach oherwydd y gost. Gan fod ysbyty newydd, Ysbyty Athrofaol y Grange, bellach ar y gweill ac yn agor, rwy’n credu, y flwyddyn nesaf, tybed a allem ailedrych ar y posibilrwydd o ffordd osgoi ar gyfer y rhan broblemus hon o’r A4042, oherwydd ar ryw adeg yn y dyfodol, gallai bywydau cleifion ddibynnu arni a byddai cymudwyr yn sicr yn awyddus i weld gwelliannau.

Well, through the new Wales transport strategy, which will be published next year, we'll be able to take a view of all opportunities to improve the resilience of the road network, and not just the resilience of the road network, but other means of being able to get people from A to B. You've seen, for example, bus services, active travel and rail services. Now, I think it's fair to say that, following discussions with the landowner and the tenant farmer, the farmer did extraordinary work in clearing ditches within his land back in 2018, 2019. I am very grateful for that work to help with the flooding on the A4042. We keep it well monitored and we will consider all means to address any further flooding that takes place. 

Wel, drwy strategaeth drafnidiaeth newydd Cymru, a gyhoeddir y flwyddyn nesaf, byddwn yn gallu ystyried yr holl gyfleoedd i wella cydnerthedd y rhwydwaith ffyrdd, ac nid yn unig cydnerthedd y rhwydwaith ffyrdd, ond dulliau eraill o fynd â phobl o A i B. Rydych wedi gweld, er enghraifft, gwasanaethau bysiau, teithio llesol a gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd. Nawr, credaf ei bod yn deg dweud, yn dilyn trafodaethau gyda'r tirfeddiannwr a'r ffermwr tenant, fod y ffermwr wedi gwneud gwaith rhyfeddol yn clirio ffosydd ar ei dir yn ôl yn 2018, 2019. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y gwaith hwnnw i helpu gyda'r llifogydd ar yr A4042. Rydym yn monitro'r sefyllfa yn agos a byddwn yn ystyried pob ffordd o fynd i'r afael ag unrhyw lifogydd pellach.

2. Cwestiynau i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Brexit (yn rhinwedd ei gyfrifoldebau fel Gweinidog Brexit)
2. Questions to the Counsel General and Brexit Minister (in respect of his Brexit Minister responsibilities)

Item 2 on the agenda is questions to the Council General and Brexit Minister in respect of his Brexit Minister responsibilities. Question 1 is from Suzy Davies. 

Eitem 2 ar yr agenda yw'r cwestiynau i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol a'r Gweinidog Brexit yn rhinwedd ei gyfrifoldebau fel Gweinidog Brexit. Daw cwestiwn 1 gan Suzy Davies.

Addysg ar ôl Brexit
Education post Brexit

1. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'u cael gyda'r Gweinidog Addysg ynghylch darparu addysg ar ôl Brexit? OAQ54800

1. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Minister for Education regarding the provision of education post-Brexit? OAQ54800

Good afternoon. I regularly discuss post-Brexit issues with the Minister for Education, including through the Cabinet sub-committee on EU transition and main Cabinet meetings, and I have also met with her separately to discuss this on numerous occasions.

Prynhawn da. Rwy’n trafod materion ôl-Brexit yn rheolaidd gyda’r Gweinidog Addysg, gan gynnwys drwy is-bwyllgor y Cabinet ar drefniadau pontio'r UE a phrif gyfarfodydd y Cabinet, ac rwyf hefyd wedi cyfarfod â hi ar wahân i drafod hyn ar sawl achlysur.

I'm pleased to hear that, Minister. In March, you told me that, and I quote, a significant piece of work was necessary around the qualifications that Welsh Government will accept from teachers coming here to work from EU countries, the countries in which they qualified. When I called for an update about this work from the Trefnydd in June, unfortunately she wasn't able to help me, but, since then, from September this year, all new teachers will need qualifications approved by the Education Workforce Council. It's now been nine months since you said that this significant piece of work would be necessary. How have you and the education Minister worked together to ensure that EU nationals can continue or even begin to teach here as of exit day? Thank you.

Rwy'n falch o glywed hynny, Weinidog. Ym mis Mawrth, fe ddywedoch chi wrthyf, ac rwy’n dyfynnu, fod angen gwneud gwaith pwysig mewn perthynas â'r cymwysterau y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu derbyn gan athrawon a ddaw yma i weithio o wledydd yr UE, y gwledydd y gwnaethant gymhwyso ynddynt. Pan alwais am ddiweddariad am y gwaith hwn gan y Trefnydd ym mis Mehefin, yn anffodus, ni lwyddodd fy helpu, ond ers hynny, o fis Medi eleni, bydd angen i Gyngor y Gweithlu Addysg gymeradwyo cymwysterau pob athro newydd. Mae naw mis wedi bod bellach ers i chi ddweud y byddai'r gwaith pwysig hwn yn angenrheidiol. Sut rydych chi a'r Gweinidog addysg wedi gweithio gyda'ch gilydd i sicrhau y gall gwladolion yr UE barhau neu hyd yn oed ddechrau dysgu yma o'r diwrnod rydym yn gadael? Diolch.

14:20

Well, the Member will be aware that the Assembly has had regulations that, effectively, in a 'no deal' scenario, for example, provide on a unilateral basis the recognition of existing qualifications for EU nationals working in all kinds of regulated professions in Wales, and that includes the teaching profession. There are arrangements that that set of regulations provides for existing employees, and also to seek to validate or recognise qualifications for those whose applications are currently in the system and, indeed, for those entering the system after exit. But there is an ongoing risk to UK citizens working in the European Union because, in those circumstances, if we were to leave without a deal—we don't, obviously, know on what basis, if at all, we will be leaving at this point—those relationships will not have the benefit of the reciprocal arrangements that currently exist across the European Union. And so those employees working in different parts of the European Union will depend upon the regulatory regime in each individual member state for recognition of their particular qualifications going into the future. 

Wel, bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol fod y Cynulliad wedi cael rheoliadau sydd, i bob pwrpas, mewn senario 'dim cytundeb', er enghraifft, yn darparu, ar sail unochrog, cydnabyddiaeth o gymwysterau presennol ar gyfer gwladolion yr UE sy'n gweithio ym mhob math o broffesiwn a reoleiddir yng Nghymru, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys y proffesiwn addysgu. Mae'r set honno o reoliadau'n darparu trefniadau ar gyfer gweithwyr presennol, ac maent hefyd yn ceisio dilysu neu gydnabod cymwysterau'r rheini y mae eu ceisiadau yn y system ar hyn o bryd, ac yn wir, y rheini a ddaw i mewn i'r system ar ôl i ni adael. Ond ceir risg barhaus i ddinasyddion y DU sy'n gweithio yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, oherwydd o dan yr amgylchiadau hynny, pe baem yn gadael heb gytundeb—nid ydym yn gwybod, wrth gwrs, ar ba sail, os o gwbl, y byddwn yn gadael ar hyn o bryd—ni fydd y cysylltiadau hynny yn elwa o'r trefniadau dwyochrog sy'n bodoli ar draws yr Undeb Ewropeaidd ar hyn o bryd. Ac felly bydd y gweithwyr sy'n gweithio mewn gwahanol rannau o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd yn dibynnu ar y drefn reoleiddiol ym mhob aelod-wladwriaeth unigol i sicrhau bod eu cymwysterau penodol yn cael eu cydnabod yn y dyfodol.

Cydweithredu Trawsffiniol ym Mhrydain ar ôl Brexit
Cross-border Co-operation within Britain post Brexit

2. Pa ddarpariaeth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei gwneud ar gyfer cydweithredu trawsffiniol ym Mhrydain ar ôl Brexit? OAQ54780

2. What provision is the Welsh Government making for cross-border co-operation within Britain post-Brexit? OAQ54780

The Welsh Government already encourages cross-border working, for example through the Mersey-Dee Alliance, and we will continue to support cross-border co-operation post Brexit. We strongly believe in nurturing existing economic links within and beyond Britain, and regret the way in which the outgoing UK Government has put ideology before Wales's economic interests.   

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes yn annog gweithio trawsffiniol, er enghraifft drwy Gynghrair Mersi a'r Ddyfrdwy, a byddwn yn parhau i gefnogi cydweithredu trawsffiniol ar ôl Brexit. Rydym yn credu'n gryf mewn meithrin cysylltiadau economaidd presennol o fewn a'r tu allan i Brydain, ac yn gresynu at y ffordd y mae Llywodraeth ymadawol y DU wedi rhoi blaenoriaeth i ideoleg ar draul buddiannau economaidd Cymru.

You can't resist it, can you? As you know, the UK European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, which secured legislative consent from this Chamber, is developing frameworks to ensure that, whatever happens post Brexit, there is a UK single market so we don't have internal barriers between the nations of the UK. Clearly, framework negotiations are paused at the moment until the outcome of the general election is known and we have a new UK Government in place, but what proposals, if we reach that position, does the Welsh Government have for a body to have oversight and, if necessary, enforcement, where the framework for environment, animal safety, food standards and so on is breached? 

Ni allwch ymwrthod â'r demtasiwn, oni allwch? Fel y gwyddoch, mae Deddf yr Undeb Ewropeaidd (Ymadael) 2018 y DU, a gafodd gydsyniad deddfwriaethol gan y Siambr hon, yn datblygu fframweithiau i sicrhau, ni waeth beth sy’n digwydd ar ôl Brexit, fod marchnad sengl i'w chael yn y DU fel nad oes gennym rwystrau mewnol rhwng gwledydd y DU. Yn amlwg, mae trafodaethau fframwaith wedi eu gohirio ar hyn o bryd hyd nes y cawn ganlyniad yr etholiad cyffredinol a bydd gennym Lywodraeth newydd mewn grym yn y DU, ond os ydym yn cyrraedd y sefyllfa honno, pa argymhellion sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer corff i oruchwylio, ac os oes angen, i orfodi, pan fo'r fframwaith ar gyfer yr amgylchedd, diogelwch anifeiliaid, safonau bwyd ac ati yn cael ei dorri?

Thank you very much for that question, and he highlights, and I'm grateful to him for doing so, the important work that has been going on between Governments in the UK in relation to common frameworks on policy areas that touch upon the internal market if we leave the European Union. There is a subset of that that is specifically about the internal market, which deals with the sorts of issues that are currently dealt with on a regulatory basis as part of the EU single market. The priorities of the Welsh Government in relation to those arrangements are to ensure that Welsh businesses can continue to trade with businesses across the UK, which is a very, very significant market, as he obviously understands, for Welsh businesses, and to ensure that in doing so we are able to maintain the high standards that we would wish to see here for labour rights, social and environmental rights, for example, and also to ensure that the devolution settlement is absolutely protected in those arrangements.

As part of the common frameworks work overall, I have asked officials to look at whether statements by the UK Government that suggest a much, much more deregulatory approach than I'm sure any of us here would be comfortable with are capable of being managed within those existing and planned common frameworks.

On the question of a regulatory body, which his question asks me directly about, it isn't clear at this point whether that is going to be necessary. He will know that our preference has been to ensure that there are inter-governmental relationships, leading ultimately to a council of Ministers across the UK, which are able to manage relationships between the UK Governments, enabling policy divergence to be done on a managed basis. So, that is where the discussion is at this point in time. Obviously, I plan to update the Senedd on developments in this area over the coming weeks and months.

Diolch yn fawr iawn am eich cwestiwn, ac mae'n tynnu sylw, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar iddo am wneud hynny, y gwaith pwysig sydd wedi bod yn mynd rhagddo rhwng y Llywodraethau yn y DU mewn perthynas â fframweithiau cyffredin ar feysydd polisi sy'n ymwneud â'r farchnad fewnol os ydym yn gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Mae is-set i hynny sy'n ymwneud yn benodol â'r farchnad fewnol, sy'n ymdrin â'r mathau o faterion yr ymdrinnir â hwy ar sail reoleiddiol ar hyn o bryd fel rhan o farchnad sengl yr UE. Blaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru mewn perthynas â'r trefniadau hynny yw sicrhau y gall busnesau Cymru barhau i fasnachu â busnesau ledled y DU, sy'n farchnad bwysig iawn, fel y mae'n amlwg yn deall, i fusnesau Cymru, a sicrhau, wrth wneud hynny, ein bod yn gallu cynnal y safonau uchel yr hoffem eu gweld yma ar gyfer hawliau llafur, hawliau cymdeithasol ac amgylcheddol, er enghraifft, a sicrhau hefyd fod y setliad datganoli yn cael ei amddiffyn yn llwyr yn y trefniadau hynny.

Fel rhan o'r gwaith cyffredinol ar y fframweithiau cyffredin, rwyf wedi gofyn i swyddogion edrych i weld a ellir rheoli'r datganiadau gan Lywodraeth y DU sy'n awgrymu dull llawer mwy dadreoleiddiol nag y byddai unrhyw un ohonom yma'n gyfforddus ag ef, rwy'n siŵr, o fewn y fframweithiau cyffredin presennol hynny a'r rhai arfaethedig.

Ar gwestiwn corff rheoleiddio, y mae ei gwestiwn yn fy holi'n uniongyrchol yn ei gylch, nid yw'n glir ar hyn o bryd a fydd ei angen. Fe fydd yn gwybod mai'r dewis a ffafrir gennym yw sicrhau bod cysylltiadau rhynglywodraethol ar waith, gan arwain yn y pen draw at gyngor Gweinidogion ledled y DU, sy'n gallu rheoli cysylltiadau rhwng Llywodraethau'r DU, gan alluogi i bolisïau gael eu dargyfeirio ar sail a reolir. Felly, dyna lle mae'r drafodaeth ar hyn o bryd. Yn amlwg, rwy'n bwriadu rhoi diweddariad i'r Senedd ar ddatblygiadau yn y maes hwn dros yr wythnosau a'r misoedd nesaf.

14:25

One of the key areas of cross-border co-operation post Brexit, but actually post general election, is going to be the extent of engagement between Welsh Government, Wales Office Ministers and also Whitehall departments on the issue of funding streams that have a Wales and UK bite. Now, of course, we have scant details at the moment on the UK shared prosperity fund and, during the course of the election and before, it seems to have gone into hiding in some ways, but the results of the issue of investment in research and innovation that comes from a UK level and also previously from an EU level as well—there is the future of Erasmus and Horizon 2020, there is Whitehall department from business, from energy, from infrastructure that flows and could be flowing into Wales.

So, I'd like to ask the Minister: after the general election is out of the way, will he be immediately knocking on the doors not only of the Wales Office just down the road here, but also in Whitehall departments, to get certainty, and not least, I have to say, over the £370 million per annum that is at risk from the loss of the EU fund at the moment, which we're told will be in the UK shared prosperity funding, but, as the Government has said quite clearly, it's not only the question of making sure that money is available to Wales, but that it's given to Wales and that decisions will be made in Wales in line with the policy framework that we have? But that and other aspects need to be bolted down, because this continuing uncertainty—. Whilst the group that I'm chairing is trying to develop this framework on a national and regional level of future funding within Wales, we really need clarity from the UK Government about what they bring to the table. 

Un o feysydd allweddol cydweithredu trawsffiniol ar ôl Brexit, ond ar ôl yr etholiad cyffredinol mewn gwirionedd, fydd faint o ymgysylltu a geir rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, Gweinidogion Swyddfa Cymru ac adrannau Whitehall ar fater ffrydiau cyllido sy'n berthnasol i Gymru a'r DU. Nawr, wrth gwrs, prin yw'r manylion sydd gennym ar hyn o bryd ynglŷn â chronfa ffyniant gyffredin y DU, ac yn ystod yr etholiad a chyn hynny, ymddengys ei bod wedi mynd i guddio mewn rhai ffyrdd, ond o ran canlyniadau mater buddsoddi mewn ymchwil ac arloesi a ddaw o lefel y DU, ac o lefel yr UE cyn hynny hefyd—mae dyfodol Erasmus a Horizon 2020, mae adran Whitehall o fusnes, o ynni, o seilwaith sy'n llifo ac a allai fod yn llifo i Gymru.

Felly, hoffwn ofyn i'r Gweinidog: ar ôl yr etholiad cyffredinol, a fydd yn curo ar ddrysau nid yn unig Swyddfa Cymru i lawr y ffordd, ond hefyd adrannau Whitehall, er mwyn cael sicrwydd, yn enwedig, mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, ynghylch y £370 miliwn y flwyddyn sydd mewn perygl ar hyn o bryd yn sgil colli cronfa'r UE, y dywedir wrthym y bydd yn rhan o gronfa ffyniant gyffredin y DU, ond fel y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi dweud yn gwbl glir, yn fwy na'r cwestiwn o sicrhau bod arian ar gael i Gymru, mae angen sicrhau ei fod yn cael ei roi i Gymru a bod penderfyniadau'n cael eu gwneud yng Nghymru yn unol â'r fframwaith polisi sydd gennym? Ond mae angen sicrhau hynny ac agweddau eraill, gan fod yr ansicrwydd parhaus hwn—. Er bod y grŵp a gadeiriaf yn ceisio datblygu'r fframwaith hwn ar lefel genedlaethol a rhanbarthol o ran cyllid yng Nghymru yn y dyfodol, mae angen eglurder arnom gan Lywodraeth y DU ynghylch yr hyn y maent yn ei gynnig.

Well, I'll thank the Member, if I may, for that question and also for his work chairing the group to which he referred in his question, which is doing very innovative and creative work, I think, in identifying, not least on the basis of international best practice, how we can best deploy regional investment funds into the future. He talks about relationships between the Welsh Government and various departments of the UK Government. It is my experience that, in relation to the areas that he has specified in his question, those discussions have been—to the extent they've been productive at all—more productive in direct discussions with the relevant departments concerned.

He talks about research and innovation, and he will know, I know, how dependent, for example, our higher education sector is on funds from Horizon 2020. It is absolutely the case that we have insisted at every opportunity with the UK Government that we must have full replacement for the funds that we will lose if we leave the European Union. He will, perhaps, have seen observations in the Conservative manifesto that, whilst repeating the broad assertion that we've heard routinely from the UK Government without any substance to date, also implies within it that control of those funds could operate on a UK-wide level. And I know that he shares with me and with most Members in this Chamber an absolute aversion to that way of dealing into the future. It is essential, both from democratic and a devolution point of view, but also from the point of view of effective investment in priorities across Wales, that those decisions in relation to how that funding is spent are done by the Welsh Government, based upon the sort of advice that I know will emerge from the work that his committee is doing.

Wel, os caf ddiolch i'r Aelod am ei gwestiwn a hefyd am ei waith yn cadeirio'r grŵp y cyfeiriodd ato yn ei gwestiwn, sy'n gwneud gwaith arloesol a chreadigol iawn, yn fy marn i, ar nodi, yn enwedig ar sail arferion gorau rhyngwladol, sut y gallwn ddefnyddio cronfeydd buddsoddi rhanbarthol yn y ffordd orau yn y dyfodol. Mae'n siarad am gysylltiadau rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru a gwahanol adrannau Llywodraeth y DU. Yn fy mhrofiad i, mewn perthynas â'r meysydd a nododd yn ei gwestiwn, mae'r trafodaethau hynny wedi bod—i'r graddau y buont yn gynhyrchiol o gwbl—yn fwy cynhyrchiol mewn trafodaethau uniongyrchol â'r adrannau perthnasol.

Mae'n sôn am ymchwil ac arloesi, a gwn y bydd yn ymwybodol o ba mor ddibynnol, er enghraifft, yw ein sector addysg uwch ar gyllid gan Horizon 2020. Mae'n bendant yn wir ein bod wedi mynnu ar bob cyfle gyda Llywodraeth y DU fod yn rhaid i ni gael cyllid llawn yn lle'r cronfeydd y byddem yn eu colli pe baem yn gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Er bod y Ceidwadwyr yn ailadrodd yr honiad cyffredinol a glywsom yn rheolaidd gan Lywodraeth y DU heb unrhyw sylwedd hyd yn hyn, efallai y bydd wedi gweld sylwadau yn eu maniffesto sy'n awgrymu hefyd y gallai'r gwaith o reoli'r cronfeydd hynny fod yn digwydd ar lefel y DU gyfan. A gwn ei fod yn rhannu fy ngwrthwynebiad llwyr i a'r rhan fwyaf o'r Aelodau yn y Siambr hon i'r ffordd honno o weithredu yn y dyfodol. Mae'n hanfodol, o safbwynt democrataidd a safbwynt datganoli, ond hefyd o safbwynt buddsoddiad effeithiol mewn blaenoriaethau ledled Cymru, fod y penderfyniadau ynglŷn â sut y caiff y cyllid hwnnw ei wario yn cael eu gwneud gan Lywodraeth Cymru, yn seiliedig ar y math o gyngor y gwn y bydd yn deillio o'r gwaith y mae ei bwyllgor yn ei wneud.

Cwestiynau Heb Rybudd gan Lefarwyr y Pleidiau
Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

We'll now turn to spokespeople's questions, and the party spokesperson this afternoon for Plaid Cymru, Delyth Jewell. 

Symudwn ymlaen yn awr at gwestiynau’r llefarwyr, a llefarydd Plaid Cymru y prynhawn yma, Delyth Jewell.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. The Tory mantra for this election is 'Get Brexit done'. We know that's a lie, and what's more, it's now clear that the threat of 'no deal' at the end of 2020 is even greater. Minister, did Boris Johnson or Michael Gove consult with the Welsh Government before telling the press that they have no intention of extending the transition period?

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Mantra'r Torïaid ar gyfer yr etholiad hwn yw eu bod yn mynd i gael Brexit wedi'i wneud. Gwyddom fod hynny'n gelwydd, ac yn fwy na hynny, mae'n amlwg bellach fod y bygythiad o 'ddim cytundeb' ar ddiwedd 2020 hyd yn oed yn fwy. Weinidog, a ymgynghorodd Boris Johnson neu Michael Gove â Llywodraeth Cymru cyn dweud wrth y wasg nad oes ganddynt unrhyw fwriad i ymestyn y cyfnod pontio?

I'm not conscious that that happened and I think she will know that one of our strong concerns about the terms of the deal that the Prime Minister put to Parliament—which I know that she shares—is the fact that there is, as she says in her question, absolutely no prospect in reality of arrangements being put in place by the end of the transition period that we would regard as even remotely acceptable in the context of leaving the European Union. 

Nid wyf yn ymwybodol fod hynny wedi digwydd, a chredaf y bydd hi'n gwybod mai un o'n pryderon mwyaf ynghylch telerau'r cytundeb a gyflwynodd Prif Weinidog y DU i'r Senedd—a gwn ei bod yn rhannu'r pryder hwnnw—yw'r ffaith, fel y dywedodd yn ei chwestiwn, nad oes unrhyw obaith o gwbl mewn gwirionedd y bydd trefniadau y byddem yn eu hystyried yn dderbyniol mewn unrhyw fodd yng nghyd-destun gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd yn cael eu rhoi ar waith erbyn diwedd y cyfnod pontio.

14:30

Yes, a very dismaying situation indeed. Minister, you'll know that this afternoon, our Senedd will debate a Plaid Cymru motion on NHS privatisation. In your Government amendments to the motion, you have not deleted clauses that point out that a future post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the US could well be a disaster for the Welsh NHS. So, I take it that the Government agrees on that point, but it doesn't look like you'll be supporting our solution, which will be, in part, to repeal section 82 of the Government of Wales Act 2006. Now, that section allows the UK Government to essentially ignore devolution when it comes to trade deals. I realise that trade isn't in your portfolio, but you have spoken, in the past, about how section 82 needs to be looked at again, as it was drafted before Brexit. Why wouldn't you support repealing it?

Ie, sefyllfa druenus iawn yn wir. Weinidog, fe fyddwch yn gwybod y bydd ein Senedd, y prynhawn yma, yn trafod cynnig Plaid Cymru ar breifateiddio'r GIG. Yng ngwelliannau eich Llywodraeth i'r cynnig, nid ydych wedi dileu cymalau sy'n nodi y gallai cytundeb masnach ôl-Brexit yn y dyfodol rhwng y DU a'r UDA yn hawdd fod yn drychinebus i GIG Cymru. Felly, rwy'n cymryd bod y Llywodraeth yn cytuno â'r pwynt hwnnw, ond nid ymddengys y byddwch yn cefnogi ein hateb, sef, yn rhannol, diddymu adran 82 o Ddeddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006. Nawr, mae'r adran honno'n caniatáu i Lywodraeth y DU anwybyddu datganoli i bob pwrpas mewn perthynas â chytundebau masnach. Rwy'n sylweddoli nad yw masnach yn rhan o'ch portffolio, ond rydych wedi siarad yn y gorffennol ynglŷn â sut y mae angen edrych ar adran 82 eto gan iddo gael ei ddrafftio cyn Brexit. Pam na fyddech yn cefnogi ei diddymu?

I know that the Member will be familiar with the work of the Institute for Government and its thorough review of the arrangements made by a number of constitutions, a number of states, even those with federal written constitutions, into how they deal with questions of the impact of international agreements on what we would describe here as devolved competence. I will be absolutely clear that she's right to say that I have significant concerns in relation to what we know has emerged from the dossier that has been put into the public domain recently and the mandate that the US Government published in relation to its aspirations from a trade agreement with the UK. It is absolutely clear from that that the UK Government's intention is to seek access to the NHS, and to commercialise it, marketise it and use it to drive up the costs of medicines for the benefit of its own pharmaceutical companies. So, I absolutely share with her the strong anxiety and concern about what appears to be under contemplation.

But, the sort of arrangement that she and the Plaid Cymru motion advocate is, essentially, a veto on international agreements, and our view—and it's articulated, I think, comprehensively, most recently in the document that the First Minister published about the reform of the constitution at large—is that, in common with, I think, all other federal constitutions, not that I claim that ours is federal, apart from the constitution of Belgium, the appropriate mechanism for dealing with that is to provide an embedded mechanism for states that are not the equivalent of the federal state in those constitutions to genuinely influence the mandate and the negotiation of those agreements. And I think that is the better way for us to proceed in relation to this question. 

Gwn y bydd yr Aelod yn gyfarwydd â gwaith yr Institute for Government a'u hadolygiad trylwyr o'r trefniadau a wnaed gan nifer o gyfansoddiadau, nifer o wladwriaethau, hyd yn oed y rheini sy'n meddu ar gyfansoddiadau ysgrifenedig ffederal, o ran y modd y maent yn ymdrin â chwestiynau ynghylch effaith cytundebau rhyngwladol ar yr hyn y byddem yn ei ddisgrifio yma fel cymhwysedd datganoledig. Rwy'n gwbl glir ei bod hi'n llygad ei lle'n dweud bod gennyf bryderon sylweddol ynglŷn â'r hyn y gwyddom ei fod wedi codi o'r ddogfen a wnaed yn gyhoeddus yn ddiweddar a'r mandad a gyhoeddwyd gan Lywodraeth yr UDA mewn perthynas â'u dyheadau ynghylch cytundeb masnach gyda'r DU. Mae'n gwbl amlwg o hynny mai eu bwriad yw ceisio cael mynediad at y GIG, a'i fasnacheiddio, ei farchnadeiddio a'i ddefnyddio i godi costau meddyginiaethau er budd eu cwmnïau fferyllol eu hunain. Felly, rhannaf ei phryderon difrifol ynghylch yr hyn yr ymddengys ei fod dan ystyriaeth.

Ond y math o drefniant y mae hi a chynnig Plaid Cymru o'i blaid yw feto, yn y bôn, ar gytundebau rhyngwladol, a'n barn ni—a chredaf ei bod wedi'i mynegi yn glir iawn, yn fwyaf diweddar yn y ddogfen a gyhoeddodd y Prif Weinidog am ddiwygio'r cyfansoddiad yn gyffredinol—yn gyson â phob cyfansoddiad ffederal arall, rwy'n credu, nid fy mod yn honni bod ein cyfansoddiad ni'n ffederal, ar wahân i gyfansoddiad Gwlad Belg, yw mai'r mecanwaith priodol ar gyfer ymdrin â hynny yw sefydlu mecanwaith i wladwriaethau nad ydynt yn cyfateb i'r wladwriaeth ffederal yn y cyfansoddiadau hyn i ddylanwadu'n wirioneddol ar fandad a negodiadau'r cytundebau hynny. A chredaf fod honno'n ffordd well inni fwrw ymlaen mewn perthynas â'r cwestiwn hwn.

Thank you for that explanation, Minister. I'm not surprised that you share our concern about the situation, and I would urge you, please, to reconsider supporting our solution as well to this in the debate this afternoon. But, you've mentioned already that another part of the proposals that we put forward in our motion relates to us having a veto on trade deals, and you've also referred to the fact that there is a precedent for this in Wallonia in Belgium. That is a region of Belgium. Minister, if I could put it to you: if the region of Wallonia in Belgium has a right to protect its citizens by having a veto on trade deals, and they've only used it once; it's not some kind of glib measure that they use all the time, but if the region of Belgium has that right, why, Minister, do you not think that the nation of Wales should have the same?

Diolch am eich eglurhad, Weinidog. Nid wyf yn synnu eich bod yn rhannu ein pryder ynglŷn â'r sefyllfa, a buaswn yn eich annog, os gwelwch yn dda, i ailystyried cefnogi ein hateb i hyn hefyd yn y ddadl y prynhawn yma. Ond rydych wedi sôn eisoes fod rhan arall o’r cynigion a gyflwynwyd gennym yn ein cynnig yn ymwneud â chael feto ar gytundebau masnach, ac rydych hefyd wedi cyfeirio at y ffaith bod cynsail i hyn yn Walonia yng Ngwlad Belg. Rhanbarth o Wlad Belg yw hwnnw. Weinidog, os caf ofyn i chi: os oes gan ranbarth Walonia yng Ngwlad Belg hawl i amddiffyn ei ddinasyddion drwy gael feto ar gytundebau masnach, ac unwaith yn unig y maent wedi'i defnyddio; nid yw'n rhyw fath o fesur rhwydd y maent yn ei ddefnyddio drwy'r amser, ond os oes gan un o ranbarthau Gwlad Belg yr hawl honno, pam, Weinidog, nad ydych yn credu y dylai cenedl Cymru gael yr un peth?

Because I don't regard the constitutional arrangements of Belgium has remotely comparable to the constitution of the United Kingdom. And the position that she's advocating is consistent with the question of independence, and that's where the question starts and ends, and she knows that these benches to not support that constitutional objective.

I will just point out to her that the example that is most often held up as an exemplar of the involvement of, as they are often described, sub-state Governments in the negotiation of arrangements with the European Union, is the Canadian example, where some of the provinces of Canada were effectively directly involved in those negotiations. Canada's constitution, as I understand it, does not reflect the principles that she is advocating, and Plaid Cymru are advocating in their motion today, and yet, the provinces in that example were involved in those discussions. And those are the sorts of arrangements that we think are substantively effective, and that is what we should focus on. We have repeatedly called on the UK Government to put in place a pragmatic and sensible set of arrangements that would allow us significant involvement in agreeing the mandate. 

And I will also say that, from the point of view of our European Union partners, they recognise very well that there are implications as to how the contents of relationships in the future are implemented and given reality within the devolved constitution of the United Kingdom. So, our argument is, it's in the interest of the UK Government, and its credibility in those discussions, for our Government to have a voice in settling those mandates and negotiations.

Oherwydd nad wyf o'r farn fod unrhyw fodd cymharu trefniadau cyfansoddiadol Gwlad Belg â chyfansoddiad y Deyrnas Unedig. Ac mae'r safbwynt y mae'n dadlau o'i blaid yn gyson â'r cwestiwn ynghylch annibyniaeth, a dyna lle mae'r cwestiwn yn dechrau ac yn gorffen, ac mae hi'n gwybod nad yw'r meinciau hyn yn cefnogi'r amcan cyfansoddiadol hwnnw.

Hoffwn dynnu ei sylw at y ffaith mai'r enghraifft a nodir amlaf fel esiampl o gyfranogiad Llywodraethau is-wladwriaethol, fel y'u gelwir yn aml, wrth negodi trefniadau gyda'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, yw enghraifft Canada, lle bu rhai o daleithiau Canada yn rhan uniongyrchol o'r trafodaethau hynny i bob pwrpas. Nid yw cyfansoddiad Canada, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, yn adlewyrchu'r egwyddorion y mae hi'n dadlau o'u plaid, ac mae Plaid Cymru yn dadlau o'u plaid yn eu cynnig heddiw, ond serch hynny, roedd y taleithiau yn yr enghraifft honno'n rhan o'r trafodaethau hynny. A dyna'r mathau o drefniadau y credwn eu bod yn effeithiol o ran eu sylwedd, a dyna ddylem ganolbwyntio arno. Rydym wedi galw dro ar ôl tro ar Lywodraeth y DU i roi set bragmatig a synhwyrol o drefniadau ar waith a fyddai’n caniatáu inni gymryd rhan arwyddocaol yn y gwaith o gytuno ar y mandad.

A dywedaf hefyd, o safbwynt ein partneriaid yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, eu bod yn cydnabod bod goblygiadau i'w cael o ran sut y caiff cynnwys unrhyw berthynas yn y dyfodol ei weithredu a'i wireddu yng nghyfansoddiad datganoledig y Deyrnas Unedig. Felly, ein dadl ni yw ei bod o fudd i Lywodraeth y DU, a'i hygrededd yn y trafodaethau hynny, i'n Llywodraeth ninnau gael llais wrth drafod y mandadau a'r trafodaethau hynny.

14:35

The Conservative spokesperson, Mark Isherwood.

Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Mark Isherwood.

Diolch, Llywydd. The Minister might recall, I think correctly, that both he and I actually discussed that last matter with the Flemish Government in Brussels.

A week ahead of the UK general election, it's understandable that you would refer disparagingly, as you did a few moments ago, to the UK Conservative manifesto. But nonetheless, will you at least cautiously welcome the statement within it, that the UK shared prosperity fund will be used to bind together the whole of the United Kingdom, and that, in Wales, there will be no loss of equivalent funding?

Diolch, Lywydd. Efallai y bydd y Gweinidog yn cofio, yn gywir, rwy'n credu, iddo ef a minnau drafod y mater diwethaf hwnnw gyda Llywodraeth Fflandrys ym Mrwsel.

Wythnos cyn etholiad cyffredinol y DU, mae'n ddealladwy y byddech yn cyfeirio'n ddilornus, fel y gwnaethoch ychydig eiliadau yn ôl, at faniffesto Ceidwadwyr y DU. Ond serch hynny, a wnewch chi o leiaf groesawu’n ofalus y datganiad a geir ynddo y bydd cronfa ffyniant gyffredin y DU yn cael ei defnyddio i ddod â'r Deyrnas Unedig gyfan ynghyd, ac na fydd unrhyw gyllid cyfatebol yn cael ei golli yng Nghymru?

The UK Government has been long on statements and short on action. And we have been repeatedly clear that what we want is not broad blandishments, but delivery. And the UK Government operates under the misapprehension, in relation to the shared prosperity fund, that what it has been doing to date (a) properly engages the Welsh Government and Welsh interests in the design of that, and (b) is remotely respecting the devolution settlement. So, whilst I read the line in the manifesto, I gave it no more credibility than the numerous other occasions on which it's been used, with no consequence.

Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi gwneud gormod o ddatganiadau a heb wneud digon o weithredu. Ac rydym wedi dweud yn glir dro ar ôl tro ein bod am weld cyflawniad, nid geiriau teg. Ac mae Llywodraeth y DU yn gweithredu o dan y camsyniad, mewn perthynas â'r gronfa ffyniant gyffredin, fod yr hyn y maent wedi bod yn ei wneud hyd yn hyn (a) yn ymgysylltu'n briodol â Llywodraeth Cymru a buddiannau Cymru yn y broses o gynllunio hynny, a (b) yn parchu'r setliad datganoli mewn unrhyw fodd. Felly, er i mi ddarllen y llinell honno yn y maniffesto, nid oedd hi ronyn yn fwy credadwy na'r nifer o achlysuron eraill y cafodd ei defnyddio, heb unrhyw ganlyniad.

Well, I'll tell you what the Conservative Party has given details on: we will guarantee that Wales does not miss out on a penny of funding; we will match funding for agriculture throughout the next UK Parliament; and most importantly, we will actually deliver on the Brexit that the people of Wales voted for and continue to support.

Your UK manifesto tells us how you don't want funding to be allocated, but doesn't give us any idea on how you would allocate funding—Labour muddying the waters in the hope that the people of Wales don't notice that you're betraying Brexit because you don't want to deliver it. So, if you wouldn't mind providing detail, from your perspective, what proposals do you and your party have to replace the way that funding is allocated after the UK leaves the EU?

Wel, fe ddywedaf wrthych beth y mae'r Blaid Geidwadol wedi rhoi manylion yn ei gylch: byddwn yn gwarantu na fydd Cymru yn colli ceiniog o gyllid; byddwn yn darparu cyllid cyfatebol ar gyfer amaethyddiaeth drwy gydol Senedd nesaf y DU; ac yn bwysicaf oll, byddwn yn cyflawni'r Brexit y pleidleisiodd pobl Cymru drosto ac y maent yn parhau i'w gefnogi.

Mae eich maniffesto ar gyfer y DU yn dweud wrthym sut nad ydych am i gyllid gael ei ddyrannu, ond nid yw'n rhoi unrhyw syniad inni sut y byddech yn dyrannu cyllid—Llafur yn cymylu'r dyfroedd yn y gobaith na fydd pobl Cymru yn sylwi eich bod yn bradychu Brexit am nad ydych eisiau ei gyflawni. Felly, os na fyddai ots gennych ddarparu manylion, o'ch safbwynt chi, pa gynigion sydd gennych chi a'ch plaid yn lle'r ffordd y caiff cyllid ei ddyrannu ar ôl i'r DU adael yr UE?

Well, I'll refer him to the contents of the document we published at the end of 2017, which describes our vision for the future of regional funding in Wales and the work of the steering group that Huw Irranca-Davies chairs, which was the subject of our previous exchange and which has led to very interesting, I think, interim proposals. We've been really clear about what the priorities are that we wish to see, as a Government, out of future regional investment in Wales—it's to support sustainable communities, productive businesses, a zero-carbon economy, and to promote equalities throughout Wales, and to do that on a basis where the national, the regional, and the local work together to deliver this most effectively on the ground.

I will say, I hear repeatedly examples from the UK Government of how regional policy has worked effectively in England. I fear if that is the model that the UK Government has in mind across the UK, because it has repeatedly been found—not least by the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament—that the way the local enterprise companies, for example, across England have approached the question of regional investment has been woefully inadequate. And I fear that is what the Conservatives have in mind for Wales.

Wel, fe'i cyfeiriaf at gynnwys y ddogfen a gyhoeddwyd gennym ar ddiwedd 2017, sy'n disgrifio ein gweledigaeth ar gyfer dyfodol cyllid rhanbarthol yng Nghymru a gwaith y grŵp llywio a gadeirir gan Huw Irranca-Davies, sef pwnc ein trafodaeth flaenorol ac sydd wedi arwain at gynigion interim diddorol iawn yn fy marn i. Rydym wedi dweud yn glir iawn beth yw'r blaenoriaethau yr hoffem eu gweld fel Llywodraeth yn sgil buddsoddiad rhanbarthol yng Nghymru yn y dyfodol—sef cefnogi cymunedau cynaliadwy, busnesau cynhyrchiol, economi ddi-garbon, a hyrwyddo cydraddoldeb ledled Cymru, a gwneud hynny ar sail lle mae'r cenedlaethol, y rhanbarthol a'r lleol yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd yn y ffordd fwyaf effeithiol i gyflawni hyn ar lawr gwlad.

Hoffwn ddweud fy mod yn clywed enghreifftiau dro ar ôl tro gan Lywodraeth y DU o sut y mae polisi rhanbarthol wedi gweithio’n effeithiol yn Lloegr. Mae arnaf ofn os mai dyna’r model sydd gan Lywodraeth y DU mewn golwg ledled y DU, gan y daethpwyd i'r casgliad dro ar ôl tro—yn enwedig gan y Pwyllgor Cyfrifon Cyhoeddus yn y Senedd—fod y ffordd y mae’r cwmnïau menter lleol, er enghraifft, ledled Lloegr wedi ymdrin â'r cwestiwn ynghylch buddsoddiad rhanbarthol yn druenus o annigonol. Ac rwy'n ofni mai dyna sydd gan y Ceidwadwyr mewn golwg ar gyfer Cymru.

Well, I was referring to your UK party manifesto, which does not give any idea on how they would allocate the funding. So, it would appear that they either haven't read your document or don't agree with it.

But you stated, quite rightly, that Wales must not lose any equivalent funding as a result of leaving the EU and that all decisions regarding this funding must continue to be taken in Wales, as at present. However, at present, it's a requirement of all European funding awards that projects are able to provide full evidence to support all of their expenditure and project activity. Therefore, the Welsh European Funding Office needs to collate and analyse the information and statistics gathered from individual projects, because that European funding is public money, and all projects are subject to a level of audit and verification to ensure both eligibility of expenditure and activities, with checks against programme guidance and individual grant and contract awards, and even the possibility that money could be reclaimed.

So, when we leave the EU, what proposals do you have in place, to ensure that a replacement system is ready to go, with a Welsh UK funding office able to provide full evidence to support all of this expenditure and project activity in accordance with UK single market rules that, by then, hopefully, the four Governments will have agreed to?

Wel, roeddwn yn cyfeirio at faniffesto eich plaid ar gyfer y DU, nad yw’n rhoi unrhyw syniad sut y byddent yn dyrannu’r cyllid. Felly, ymddengys naill ai nad ydynt wedi darllen eich dogfen neu nad ydynt yn cytuno â hi.

Ond fe ddywedoch chi'n gwbl gywir na ddylai Cymru golli unrhyw gyllid cyfatebol o ganlyniad i adael yr UE a bod yn rhaid parhau i wneud pob penderfyniad ynghylch y cyllid hwn yng Nghymru, fel sy'n digwydd ar hyn o bryd. Fodd bynnag, ar hyn o bryd, mae'n ofynnol mewn perthynas â phob dyfarniad cyllid Ewropeaidd fod prosiectau'n gallu darparu tystiolaeth lawn i gefnogi eu holl wariant a gweithgarwch y prosiect. Felly, mae angen i Swyddfa Cyllid Ewropeaidd Cymru gasglu a dadansoddi'r wybodaeth a'r ystadegau a gasglwyd o brosiectau unigol, gan fod y cyllid Ewropeaidd hwnnw'n arian cyhoeddus, ac mae'n rhaid i bob prosiect wynebu lefel o archwilio a dilysu i sicrhau cymhwysedd gwariant a gweithgarwch, gyda gwiriadau yn erbyn canllawiau rhaglenni a dyfarniadau grantiau a chontractau unigol, a hyd yn oed y posibilrwydd y gellid hawlio arian yn ôl.

Felly, pan fyddwn yn gadael yr UE, pa gynigion sydd gennych ar waith, i sicrhau bod system newydd yn barod i fynd, gyda swyddfa cyllid y DU yng Nghymru a fydd yn gallu darparu tystiolaeth lawn i gefnogi'r holl wariant a gweithgarwch prosiectau yn unol â rheolau marchnad sengl y DU y bydd y pedair Llywodraeth wedi cytuno arnynt erbyn hynny, gobeithio?

14:40

Well, I commend the Member for engaging with the detail of this in a way in which his parliamentary colleagues in Westminster have seemed to refuse to do with the Welsh Government. 

I will just point him to the two strands of work that we've discussed in this Chamber on a number of occasions. One is the work, again, which is the work of the steering group that Huw Irranca-Davies is chairing, which has representations from across all sectors in Wales. And the second piece of work that is germane to this is the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's review that the First Minister commissioned when he was Finance Minister, which is intended to inform, using best practice from other parts of the world, how we develop and deploy regional funds into the future.

We are absolutely committed to, as his question challenges us, deliver a system that is responsive, flexible, integrateable and also attaches the right weight to the question of audit and transparency, which his question identifies. And we hope that that work will lead us to be able to consult in the new year in greater detail in relation to those. But there is a very, very advanced set of work streams, dealing with exactly the sort of questions that he is raising in his own question, and all I would say is I would repeat the request that I've made to the UK Government to engage with us on this. We are really very advanced in our considerations here and we wish that they would engage with us properly on this question rather than continue to give us the promises that they have failed to deliver on so far.

Wel, rwy’n canmol yr Aelod am ymwneud â manylion hyn mewn ffordd yr ymddengys bod ei gyd-Aelodau seneddol yn San Steffan wedi gwrthod ei wneud â Llywodraeth Cymru.

Fe'i cyfeiriaf at y ddau edefyn o waith rydym wedi'u trafod yn y Siambr hon ar sawl achlysur. Un yw'r gwaith, unwaith eto, sef gwaith y grŵp llywio a gadeirir gan Huw Irranca-Davies, sy'n cael sylwadau gan bob sector yng Nghymru. A'r ail faes gwaith sy'n berthnasol i hyn yw adolygiad y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd a gomisiynodd y Prif Weinidog pan oedd yn Weinidog Cyllid, adolygiad y bwriedir iddo lywio'r ffordd y datblygwn ac y defnyddiwn y cronfeydd rhanbarthol yn y dyfodol, gan ddefnyddio arferion gorau o rannau eraill o'r byd.

Rydym wedi ymrwymo'n llwyr, fel y mae ei gwestiwn yn ein herio, i ddarparu system sy'n ymatebol, yn hyblyg, yn integreiddiadwy ac sydd hefyd yn rhoi'r pwysigrwydd cywir i'r cwestiwn ynghylch archwilio a thryloywder, sef yr hyn y mae ei gwestiwn yn ei nodi. Ac rydym yn gobeithio y bydd y gwaith hwnnw'n ein harwain i allu ymgynghori yn fwy manwl yn y flwyddyn newydd mewn perthynas â'r rheini. Ond mae set ddatblygedig iawn o ffrydiau gwaith, sy'n ymdrin â'r un math o gwestiynau y mae'n eu codi yn ei gwestiwn, a'r unig beth y buaswn yn ei ddweud yw y buaswn yn ailadrodd y cais a wneuthum i Lywodraeth y DU i ymgysylltu â ni ar hyn. Rydym wedi datblygu ein hystyriaethau yma i raddau pell iawn ac rydym yn awyddus iddynt ymgysylltu â ni'n briodol ar y cwestiwn hwn yn hytrach na pharhau i roi'r addewidion y maent wedi methu eu cadw hyd yn hyn.

Brexit Heb Gytundeb
'No Deal' Brexit

3. Pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch cynllunio ar gyfer Brexit heb gytundeb? OAQ54791

3. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government regarding planning for a no-deal Brexit? OAQ54791

The Welsh Government has engaged regularly with the UK Government at ministerial and at official level to ensure that Wales is as prepared as possible for a potentially catastrophic 'no deal' Brexit. We have always been clear that we do not support a 'no deal' outcome, but have a responsibility to prepare.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymgysylltu'n rheolaidd â Llywodraeth y DU ar lefel weinidogol ac ar lefel swyddogol i sicrhau bod Cymru mor barod â phosibl ar gyfer Brexit 'dim cytundeb' a allai fod yn drychinebus. Rydym bob amser wedi bod yn glir nad ydym yn cefnogi canlyniad 'dim cytundeb', ond bod cyfrifoldeb arnom i baratoi.

Well, there is no such thing, of course, as a good 'no deal' Brexit. It would be disastrous for Wales. We know that it would do enormous harm to the industries that rely on trade deals with the EU, that our precious NHS is probably up for sale, and that our security and the environment and workers' rights will all be negatively impacted. Yet, the Tory Government will not rule it out; they leave a 'no deal' firmly on the table. 

On the other hand, the UK Labour Government is the only party that does offer the people of Wales and the whole of the UK a democratic way out of this mess by removing the threat of a 'no deal' Brexit, negotiating a better deal and giving that back to the people in a choice to either accept that deal or to remain in the EU. And Welsh Labour would campaign to remain in the event of that referendum. So, do you agree with me that the people of Wales must have the final say on Brexit?

Wel, nid oes y fath beth â Brexit 'dim cytundeb' da wrth gwrs. Byddai'n drychinebus i Gymru. Gwyddom y byddai'n gwneud niwed enfawr i'r diwydiannau sy'n dibynnu ar gytundebau masnach gyda'r UE, ei bod hi'n debyg fod ein GIG gwerthfawr ar werth, ac y bydd effaith negyddol ar ein diogelwch a'r amgylchedd a hawliau gweithwyr. Ac eto, ni fydd Llywodraeth y Torïaid yn ei ddiystyru; maent yn gadael 'dim cytundeb' ar y bwrdd.

Ar y llaw arall, Llywodraeth Lafur y DU yw'r unig blaid sy'n cynnig ffordd ddemocrataidd i bobl Cymru a'r DU gyfan allan o'r llanastr hwn drwy gael gwared ar fygythiad Brexit 'dim cytundeb', negodi cytundeb gwell a'i roi gerbron y bobl mewn dewis naill ai i dderbyn y cytundeb hwnnw neu i aros yn yr UE. A byddai Llafur Cymru'n ymgyrchu i aros pe bai'r refferendwm hwnnw'n cael ei gynnal. Felly, a ydych yn cytuno â mi fod yn rhaid i bobl Cymru gael y gair olaf ar Brexit?

I do agree with that, and I agree with the Member that a Labour Government in Westminster would be taking a 'no deal' Brexit off the table, because I agree with her that there is no such thing as a good 'no deal' Brexit. But I think she and I also agree that there is no such thing as a good Brexit, and therefore, in that situation, if we had the opportunity of a referendum, I know that she and I will be campaigning together, as will all Members on these benches, to remain in the European Union.

Rwy'n cytuno â hynny, ac rwy'n cytuno â'r Aelod y byddai Llywodraeth Lafur yn San Steffan yn tynnu Brexit 'dim cytundeb' oddi ar y bwrdd, gan fy mod yn cytuno â hi nad oes y fath beth â Brexit 'dim cytundeb' da. Ond credaf ei bod hithau a minnau hefyd yn cytuno nad oes y fath beth â Brexit da, ac felly, yn y sefyllfa honno, pe baem yn cael cyfle i gael refferendwm, gwn y byddai hithau a minnau yn ymgyrchu gyda'n gilydd, fel y byddai'r holl Aelodau ar y meinciau hyn, i aros yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd.

Effaith Cynnal Refferendwm Arall ar Brexit ar Economi Cymru
The Impact of Holding Another Referendum on Brexit on the Welsh Economy

4. Pa asesiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud o'r effaith y bydd cynnal refferendwm arall ar Brexit yn ei chael ar economi Cymru? OAQ54796

4. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact that holding another referendum on Brexit will have on the Welsh economy? OAQ54796

The threat of Brexit has stunted the growth of the economy and removing that threat would undoubtedly provide an economic stimulus. In 'A brighter future for Wales’, we set out the evidence of why Wales’s best interests are protected by remaining in the European Union.

Mae bygythiad Brexit wedi crebachu twf yr economi a byddai cael gwared ar y bygythiad hwnnw, heb os, yn darparu ysgogiad economaidd. Yn 'Dyfodol mwy disglair i Gymru', gwnaethom nodi'r dystiolaeth i ddangos pam mai aros yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd yw'r ffordd orau o ddiogelu buddiannau Cymru.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. It's a shame for Wales that you and your Government and your brethren across the border want to continue the uncertainty that's afflicting Welsh businesses because you and your remainer allies in the Liberal Democrats and Plaid didn't get your own way in 2016. Labour have said that you would campaign to stay in if there were another referendum. You want the choice to be between Brexit in name only and remain—that's just a referendum rigged for remain.

All the scaremongering didn't work on the electorate, so now you've been forced to be blatant about your disregard for the democratic will of the British people and the Welsh people. So, with your aim being not just to delay Brexit but to reverse Brexit, do you think that voters will understand that voting Labour is exactly the same as voting for the Lib Dems or Plaid?

Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Mae'n drueni i Gymru eich bod chi a'ch Llywodraeth a'ch brodyr dros y ffin am barhau â'r ansicrwydd sy'n amharu ar fusnesau Cymru gan na chawsoch chi a'ch cynghreiriaid yn y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol a Phlaid Cymru sydd o blaid aros eich ffordd yn 2016. Mae Llafur wedi dweud y byddech yn ymgyrchu i aros pe cynhelid refferendwm arall. Rydych am i'r dewis fod rhwng Brexit mewn enw yn unig ac aros—refferendwm wedi'i rigio ar gyfer aros yw hynny a dim arall.

Ni weithiodd yr holl godi bwganod ar yr etholwyr, felly rydych wedi cael eich gorfodi yn awr i fod yn ddi-flewyn-ar-dafod ynglŷn â'ch diffyg parch tuag at ewyllys democrataidd pobl Prydain a phobl Cymru. Felly, gan mai eich nod yw nid yn unig gohirio Brexit ond gwrthdroi Brexit, a ydych yn credu y bydd pleidleiswyr yn deall bod pleidleisio dros Lafur yn union yr un fath â phleidleisio dros y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol neu Blaid Cymru?

14:45

I find it astonishing that the Member, who represents a part of Wales that has benefited so much from membership of the European Union and which continues to rely on employment opportunities that are supported by membership of the European Union, takes such a cavalier approach in relation to this fundamental economic question. And she invites us to look at a world where the cause of uncertainty is our policy here, where we absolutely know that the kind of hard or 'no deal' Brexit that she advocates would just mean that we'd be having conversations about Brexit in this Chamber for the next decade and beyond.

The notion that the kind of Brexit she wants to see draws to an end uncertainty rather than ushering in decades of continuing uncertainty is completely fictitious. The only way of drawing a line under this is to put this matter back to the public and to campaign and succeed in the campaign to remain.

Mae'n syndod i mi fod gan yr Aelod, sy'n cynrychioli rhan o Gymru sydd wedi elwa cymaint o aelodaeth o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd ac sy'n parhau i ddibynnu ar gyfleoedd cyflogaeth a gefnogir gan aelodaeth o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, agwedd mor ffwrdd-â-hi mewn perthynas â'r cwestiwn economaidd sylfaenol hwn. Ac mae'n ein gwahodd i edrych ar fyd lle mai achos yr ansicrwydd yw ein polisi yma, pan wyddom yn iawn y byddai'r math o Brexit caled neu Brexit 'dim cytundeb' y mae'n dadlau o'i blaid yn golygu y byddem yn cael sgyrsiau am Brexit yn y Siambr hon am y degawd nesaf a thu hwnt.

Mae'r syniad bod y math o Brexit y mae hi am ei weld yn dod â'r ansicrwydd i ben yn hytrach nag arwain at ddegawdau o ansicrwydd parhaus yn gwbl ffug. Yr unig ffordd o dynnu llinell o dan hyn yw rhoi'r mater hwn yn ôl gerbron y cyhoedd ac ymgyrchu a llwyddo gyda'r ymgyrch dros aros.

I think Michelle Brown saying there, 'How do you know what kind of Brexit I want?' shows quite clearly that there's uncertainty even amongst the benches of those who are here because of Brexit. They don't know what they're after.

But the truth of the matter is—I'm sure you'd agree with me, Minister—that at least a referendum allows the people of Wales to look at the evidence that we have now that we didn't have in 2016 in order to make a judgment on what's best for us. And, yes, of course, there are different assessments of what Brexit could do to the economy, and would you as a Minister agree with me that what we have in those different assessments is that it could be bad, very bad, or terribly bad?

Credaf fod y ffaith bod Michelle Brown yn gofyn, 'Sut y gwyddoch pa fath o Brexit rwyf ei eisiau?' yn dangos yn eithaf clir fod ansicrwydd hyd yn oed ymhlith meinciau'r rhai sydd yma oherwydd Brexit. Nid ydynt yn gwybod beth y maent ei eisiau.

Ond y gwir amdani—rwy'n siŵr y byddech yn cytuno, Weinidog—yw fod refferendwm o leiaf yn caniatáu i bobl Cymru edrych ar y dystiolaeth sydd gennym bellach, nad oedd gennym yn 2016, er mwyn llunio barn ynglŷn â'r hyn sydd orau i ni. Ac wrth gwrs, mae yna wahanol asesiadau o'r hyn y gallai Brexit ei wneud i'r economi, ac a fyddech chi fel Gweinidog yn cytuno mai'r hyn sydd gennym yn y gwahanol asesiadau hynny yw y gallai fod yn ddrwg, yn ddrwg iawn, neu'n ofnadwy o ddrwg?

Yes. I think the Member hits the nail on the head—the opportunity of putting the question back to the public allows people to evaluate the evidence as it now sits before us. And we are no longer talking about the speculative consequences of seeking to leave the European Union; we are already talking about the real-life consequences and we haven't actually left yet. So, we know that the economy is 2.5 per cent smaller than it otherwise would be. We had analysis recently that supports that. We know that business investment is about 26 per cent under trend, and that isn't numbers on a page; that is jobs, livelihoods and money in people's pockets.

And he is right to say that even on the UK Government's own analysis, even its best version of its deal, has a significant adverse impact on the economy. It is extraordinary to me that a UK Government could advocate a course of action that, on its own figures, causes damage to the economy of the UK.

Ydw. Credaf fod yr Aelod yn taro'r hoelen ar ei phen—mae'r cyfle i roi'r cwestiwn yn ôl gerbron y cyhoedd yn caniatáu i bobl werthuso'r dystiolaeth sydd gennym bellach. Ac nid ydym yn siarad mwyach am ganlyniadau damcaniaethol ceisio gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd; rydym eisoes yn sôn am y canlyniadau go iawn, ac nid ydym wedi gadael eto. Felly, gwyddom fod yr economi 2.5 y cant yn llai nag y byddai fel arall. Cawsom ddadansoddiad yn ddiweddar sy'n cefnogi hynny. Gwyddom fod buddsoddiad mewn busnesau oddeutu 26 y cant o dan duedd, ac nid ffigurau ar bapur yn unig yw hynny, ond swyddi, bywoliaeth pobl ac arian yn eu pocedi.

Ac mae'n llygad ei le i ddweud, hyd yn oed yn ôl dadansoddiad Llywodraeth y DU ei hun, fod hyd yn oed y fersiwn orau o'u cytundeb yn cael effaith andwyol iawn ar yr economi. Mae'n syndod i mi y gallai Llywodraeth y DU ddadlau o blaid llwybr gweithredu sydd, yn ôl eu ffigurau eu hunain, yn niweidio economi'r DU.

Statws Gwladolion Tramor yr UE
The Status of EU Foreign Nationals

5. Pa drafodaethau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch statws gwladolion tramor yr UE sy'n byw yng Nghanol Caerdydd, pe bai'r DU yn gadael yr UE yn ystod yr ychydig fisoedd nesaf? OAQ54795

5. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government regarding the status of EU foreign nationals residing in Cardiff Central, in the event of the UK leaving the EU in the next couple of months? OAQ54795

We have regular communication at ministerial and official level with the UK Government about the EU settled status scheme and the status of EU nationals resident here. While the scheme is not the kind of arrangement we would ideally wish to see in place, we are doing everything we can to ensure that EU citizens in Cardiff and elsewhere are applying for settled status.

Rydym yn cyfathrebu'n rheolaidd ar lefel weinidogol a swyddogol gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â chynllun statws preswylydd sefydlog i ddinasyddion yr UE a statws gwladolion yr UE sy'n preswylio yma. Er nad y cynllun yw'r math o drefniant y byddem yn dymuno'i weld ar waith yn ddelfrydol, rydym yn gwneud popeth yn ein gallu i sicrhau bod dinasyddion yr UE yng Nghaerdydd ac mewn mannau eraill yn ceisio am statws preswylwyr sefydlog.

Thank you. This week, I spoke to a family—one of them is Welsh, the other is Polish—both of them are working in the national health service as well as looking after two small children. They're worried that they could be split up if Brexit happens, obviously bearing in mind what had happened with the Windrush residents. I understand why they are so anxious about this, and they're not the only constituents who have such concerns.

I appreciate that the Welsh Government has got some good information online about how people should be applying for settled status, including a video taking people through the process, which is obviously very useful. But how do we ensure that all EU citizens are able and are aware of ensuring that they know how to apply for the settled status and are supported to ensure that they get it? Because I have other constituents whose literacy levels are not very good. They are not necessarily working, but they may have lived here for a very, very long time, and to send them back to some country that they might have been born in seems unbelievably inappropriate. So, I just wondered what conversations you've had, or what assurances you've had, from this outgoing Conservative Government that we won't see happening to European citizens what happened to Windrush victims, who were turfed out of this country and sent abroad, never to see their children or grandchildren again because they were too poor to come back?

Diolch. Yr wythnos hon, siaradais â theulu—mae un ohonynt o Gymru, a'r llall o Wlad Pwyl—ac mae'r ddau ohonynt yn gweithio yn y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol ac yn gofalu am ddau blentyn bach. Maent yn poeni y gallent gael eu gwahanu pe bai Brexit yn digwydd, gan gofio, yn amlwg, yr hyn a ddigwyddodd gyda thrigolion Windrush. Rwy'n deall pam eu bod mor bryderus ynglŷn â hyn, ac nid hwy yw'r unig etholwyr sydd â phryderon o'r fath.

Rwy'n derbyn bod gan Lywodraeth Cymru rywfaint o wybodaeth dda ar-lein ynglŷn â sut y dylai pobl geisio am statws preswylwyr sefydlog, gan gynnwys fideo sy'n arwain pobl drwy'r broses, sy'n amlwg yn ddefnyddiol iawn. Ond sut rydym yn sicrhau bod holl ddinasyddion yr UE yn gallu, ac yn sicrhau eu bod yn ymwybodol sut i wneud cais am statws preswylwyr sefydlog ac yn cael eu cynorthwyo i sicrhau eu bod yn ei gael? Oherwydd mae gennyf etholwyr eraill nad yw eu lefelau llythrennedd yn dda iawn. Nid ydynt o reidrwydd yn gweithio, ond efallai eu bod wedi byw yma ers amser maith, ac mae eu hanfon yn ôl i ryw wlad y gallent fod wedi eu geni ynddi yn swnio'n anhygoel o anaddas. Felly, tybed pa sgyrsiau, neu pa sicrwydd a gawsoch gan y Llywodraeth Geidwadol ymadawol hon na fyddwn yn gweld yr un peth yn digwydd i ddinasyddion Ewropeaidd â'r hyn a ddigwyddodd i ddioddefwyr Windrush, a gafodd eu hel o'r wlad hon a'u hanfon dramor, byth i weld eu plant neu eu hwyrion eto am eu bod yn rhy dlawd i ddychwelyd?

14:50

Well, I thank the Member for highlighting that particular situation for us, and I think that she describes circumstances that—. I'm sure most of us will have had constituents coming to us with this level of anxiety and concern in their own different personal circumstances. She will know that we have, as a Government, although this is a reserved matter, and a matter for the Home Office to promote, been putting Welsh Government resources into seeking to make sure that people understand, and are supported in applying for, the EU settled status scheme.

She mentions the video that I've retweeted through my Government Twitter feed today, which explains on a very basic basis to people how they can apply online. I would also refer her and other Members to the eusswales.com website, which brings together all of the resources and sources of support and advice that EU citizens living in Wales can seek in order to support them in applying for settled status.

But I think that, implicit in her question, is a concern that says, 'Well, not everyone lives their life online, perhaps, or will have identified the need to take this action.' And I think that that's absolutely a very real concern. In order to try and address that cohort of people, which could be quite significant, we have sought to distribute posters and leaflets through a range of channels. Some of the work that EYST, and Settled, which were previously called the3million, have been doing as part of that EUSS Wales co-ordination group has been seeking to identify informal networks of different EU citizens' communities. So, looking at where information can be made available in food shops, in cafes, in churches and other social groups, to try and use those fora to raise awareness.

I think you said that one of your constituents worked in the NHS, and there has been an effort to raise awareness among the NHS workforce—obviously, a material number of those are EU citizens—so that they understand what support is available to them from the Welsh Government.     

Wel, diolch i’r Aelod am dynnu ein sylw at y sefyllfa benodol honno, a chredaf ei bod yn disgrifio amgylchiadau sydd—. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd y rhan fwyaf ohonom wedi cael etholwyr yn dod atom gyda'r lefel hon o bryder ynglŷn â'u gwahanol amgylchiadau personol. Er bod hwn yn fater a gedwir yn ôl, ac yn fater i'r Swyddfa Gartref ei hyrwyddo, fe fydd hi'n gwybod ein bod ni, fel Llywodraeth, wedi bod yn darparu adnoddau Llywodraeth Cymru er mwyn ceisio sicrhau bod pobl yn deall, ac yn cael eu cynorthwyo i wneud cais am y cynllun statws preswylwyr sefydlog i ddinasyddion yr UE.

Mae hi'n sôn am y fideo rwyf wedi'i ail-drydar drwy ffrwd Twitter y Llywodraeth heddiw, sy'n esbonio'n syml iawn i bobl sut y gallant wneud cais ar-lein. Buaswn hefyd yn ei chyfeirio hi ac Aelodau eraill at wefan eusswales.com, sy'n dwyn ynghyd yr holl adnoddau a ffynonellau cymorth a chyngor y gall dinasyddion yr UE sy'n byw yng Nghymru eu ceisio er mwyn eu cynorthwyo i ymgeisio am statws preswylwyr sefydlog.

Ond credaf fod ei chwestiwn yn awgrymu pryder sy'n dweud, 'Wel, nid yw pawb yn byw eu bywyd ar-lein, efallai, ac ni fydd pawb wedi nodi'r angen i roi'r camau hyn ar waith.' A chredaf fod hwnnw'n bryder go iawn. Er mwyn ceisio mynd i’r afael â’r garfan honno o bobl, a allai fod yn eithaf sylweddol, rydym wedi ceisio dosbarthu posteri a thaflenni drwy ystod o sianeli. Mae peth o'r gwaith y mae'r Tîm Cymorth Ieuenctid Ethnig, a Settled, a elwid gynt yn the3million, wedi bod yn ei wneud fel rhan o grŵp cydgysylltu EUSS Cymru wedi ceisio nodi rhwydweithiau anffurfiol gwahanol gymunedau o ddinasyddion yr UE. Felly, golyga hynny edrych ar ble y gellir darparu gwybodaeth mewn siopau bwyd, mewn caffis, mewn eglwysi a grwpiau cymdeithasol eraill, er mwyn ceisio defnyddio'r fforymau hynny i godi ymwybyddiaeth.

Credaf i chi sôn bod un o'ch etholwyr yn gweithio yn y GIG, a chafwyd ymdrech i godi ymwybyddiaeth ymhlith gweithlu'r GIG—yn amlwg, mae nifer sylweddol o'r rheini'n ddinasyddion yr UE—fel eu bod yn deall pa gefnogaeth sydd ar gael iddynt gan Lywodraeth Cymru.

Goblygiadau Brexit i GIG Cymru
The Implications of Brexit for the Welsh NHS

6. Pa asesiad y mae'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol wedi'i wneud o oblygiadau Brexit i GIG Cymru? OAQ54797

6. What assessment has the Counsel General made of the implications of Brexit for the Welsh NHS? OAQ54797

Brexit has a range of implications for health and social care services, both in the short and long term. At all times, the overriding priority of the Welsh Government will be to safeguard and protect the interests of the Welsh NHS, its patients and the wider public.

Mae gan Brexit ystod o oblygiadau i wasanaethau iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, yn y tymor byr ac yn hirdymor. Prif flaenoriaeth Llywodraeth Cymru bob amser fydd diogelu a gwarchod buddiannau GIG Cymru, ei gleifion a'r cyhoedd yn gyffredinol.

Thank you, Minister. You referred in your earlier answer to Delyth Jewell to the dossier that was uncovered last week by the Labour Party. That dossier laid bare the fact that our NHS is very much up for sale in any UK-US trade talks. Do you share my concern that if Brexit goes ahead under a Tory Government, we will very much risk the commercialisation and marketisation of our NHS, and would you agree with me that the only way to prevent that is by remaining in the European Union and kicking this Tory Government out?

Diolch, Weinidog. Fe gyfeirioch chi yn eich ateb cynharach i Delyth Jewell at y ddogfen a ddatgelwyd yr wythnos diwethaf gan y Blaid Lafur. Roedd y ddogfen honno'n datgelu'r ffaith bod ein GIG yn sicr yn agored i'w werthu mewn unrhyw sgyrsiau masnach rhwng y DU a'r UDA. A ydych yn rhannu fy mhryder, os aiff Brexit yn ei flaen o dan Lywodraeth Dorïaidd, y byddwn yn rhoi ein GIG mewn perygl o gael ei fasnacheiddio a'i farchnadeiddio, ac a fyddech yn cytuno â mi mai'r unig ffordd i atal hynny yw drwy aros yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd a chael gwared ar y Llywodraeth Dorïaidd hon?

Absolutely. I would endorse 100 per cent what the Member has just said. An incoming Conservative Government would put the NHS on the table in trade talks with Donald Trump. I'm absolutely not assured, as I know that she won't be either, by the attempts by the US President to throw us off that particular scent, which I think is obvious to all of us.

The dossier, as I understand it, relates to conversations between UK and US officials that predated the publication of the US negotiating mandate. So, that mandate, if you have read it, absolutely says nowhere that health services are taken off the table, as the UK Government now seems to be seeking to persuade us. It goes out of its way to talk about access for pharmaceutical markets to the UK. That can only mean one thing in the context of the UK healthcare system. So, I absolutely agree with her. Either the UK Government has not taken this off the table, or it has not done half enough to make the US Government clearly understand that there is no way that the NHS is going to be up for negotiation, and absolutely I agree with her that we must make sure there is no incoming Conservative Government that would put the NHS up for sale. 

Yn sicr. Buaswn yn cymeradwyo'r hyn y mae'r Aelod newydd ei ddweud 100 y cant. Byddai Llywodraeth Geidwadol newydd yn rhoi’r GIG ar y bwrdd mewn trafodaethau masnach gyda Donald Trump. Nid wyf wedi fy narbwyllo o gwbl, a gwn na fydd hithau chwaith, gan ymdrechion Arlywydd yr UDA i'n taflu oddi ar y trywydd hwnnw, sy'n amlwg i bob un ohonom yn fy marn i.

Mae'r ddogfen, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, yn ymwneud â sgyrsiau a gafwyd rhwng swyddogion y DU a'r UDA cyn i fandad negodi'r UDA gael ei gyhoeddi. Felly, nid yw'r mandad hwnnw, os ydych wedi'i ddarllen, yn dweud yn unman fod gwasanaethau iechyd wedi eu tynnu oddi ar y bwrdd, fel yr ymddengys bod Llywodraeth y DU bellach yn ceisio ein perswadio. Mae'n mynd allan o'i ffordd i sôn am fynediad marchnadoedd fferyllol i'r DU. Un peth yn unig y gall hynny ei olygu yng nghyd-destun system ofal iechyd y DU. Felly, cytunaf yn llwyr â hi. Naill ai fod Llywodraeth y DU heb dynnu hyn oddi ar y bwrdd, neu nid yw wedi gwneud hanner digon i egluro'n glir i Lywodraeth yr UDA nad oes unrhyw ffordd y bydd y GIG yn destun negodi, a chytunaf yn llwyr â hi fod yn rhaid i ni sicrhau nad ydym yn cael Llywodraeth Geidwadol newydd a fyddai'n gwneud y GIG yn agored i'w werthu.

14:55

Thank you. Question 7 [OAQ54794] has been withdrawn and question 8 [OAQ54801] has been withdrawn. Therefore, question 9, Vikki Howells.

Diolch. Tynnwyd cwestiwn 7 [OAQ54794] yn ôl a thynnwyd cwestiwn 8 [OAQ54801] yn ôl. Felly, cwestiwn 9, Vikki Howells.

Y Gronfa Ffyniant Gyffredin
The Shared Prosperity Fund

9. A wnaiff y Cwnsler Cyffredinol roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am drafodaethau ynghylch sut y bydd cronfa ffyniant gyffredin yn gweithio yn y dyfodol? OAQ54783

9. Will the Counsel General provide an update on discussions regarding the future working of the shared prosperity fund? OAQ54783

We are deeply concerned that Conservative Party proposals for this fund threaten to undermine devolution and the work under way in Wales. When a new UK Government is formed, we will reinforce our positions for funding in full and for the Welsh Government to retain autonomy on how to spend it.

Rydym yn bryderus iawn fod argymhellion y Blaid Geidwadol ar gyfer y gronfa hon yn bygwth tanseilio datganoli a'r gwaith sy'n mynd rhagddo yng Nghymru. Pan ffurfir Llywodraeth newydd y DU, byddwn yn atgyfnerthu ein safbwyntiau mewn perthynas â chael y cyllid llawn a bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cadw ei hymreolaeth ar sut i'w wario.

Thank you, Counsel General. A successor scheme to European structural funding is absolutely crucial to the Welsh economy, and this was underlined again just two weeks ago in a joint statement by Universities Wales, CollegesWales, the National Union of Students Wales, the Learning and Work Institute, the Federation of Small Businesses, the South Wales Chamber of Commerce, the University and College Union and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action. All of these signatories agree and build a strong case that Welsh prosperity is vitally underpinned by this funding. They also strongly argue that any spending decisions on the successor programme must be made in Wales. Do you agree with me that this is fundamental if the devolved settlement is to be respected?

Diolch, Gwnsler Cyffredinol. Mae cynllun olynol i gyllid strwythurol Ewropeaidd yn gwbl hanfodol i economi Cymru, ac ategwyd hyn unwaith eto bythefnos yn ôl mewn datganiad ar y cyd gan Prifysgolion Cymru, ColegauCymru, Undeb Cenedlaethol Myfyrwyr Cymru, y Sefydliad Dysgu a Gwaith, y Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach, Siambr Fasnach De Cymru, yr Undeb Prifysgolion a Cholegau a Chyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru. Mae'r holl lofnodwyr hyn yn cytuno ac yn adeiladu achos cryf fod y cyllid hwn yn sylfaen hanfodol i ffyniant Cymru. Maent hefyd yn dadlau’n gryf fod yn rhaid i unrhyw benderfyniadau gwariant ar y rhaglen olynol gael eu gwneud yng Nghymru. A ydych yn cytuno â mi fod hyn yn hollbwysig os yw'r setliad datganoli i'w barchu?

I do agree with you on that, and I think the list that you have read out of organisations and bodies in Wales who are concerned about the prospect of the failure of the UK Government to live up to the broad promises that it has made in this area shows, I think, the breadth and depth and unity of perspective across Wales in relation to this question. This is not a minority view. It is a very widely held concern in all sectors across Wales, and it's important, I think, that we continue to speak with one voice in relation to this question. I wrote to the UK Government a few weeks ago, making it absolutely clear I did not regard the way that they were approaching discussions around the shared prosperity fund as in any way respecting the devolution settlement, and making it clear that if they wish to proceed with consultation on the prosperity fund it should be done on a wholly devolved basis, so they would consult in England and we would consult as a Welsh Government in relation to arrangements here in Wales. I've made that request a number of times and I have not had an answer that confirms that is what they will do, and I think if that is the means by which the UK Government seeks to take this forward, that will fundamentally not be in Welsh interests and it will be a breach of the promise they've made repeatedly.

Rwy'n cytuno â chi ar hynny, a chredaf fod y rhestr rydych wedi'i darllen o sefydliadau a chyrff yng Nghymru sy'n pryderu ynglŷn â'r perygl y bydd Llywodraeth y DU yn methu cyflawni'r addewidion mawr a wnaeth yn y maes hwn yn dangos, yn fy marn i, ehangder a dyfnder ac undod y farn ar y cwestiwn hwn ym mhob cwr o Gymru. Nid barn leiafrifol mo hon. Mae'n bryder mawr ym mhob sector ledled Cymru, a chredaf ei bod yn bwysig ein bod yn parhau i siarad ag un llais ar y cwestiwn hwn. Ysgrifennais at Lywodraeth y DU ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, yn dweud yn gwbl glir nad oeddwn o'r farn fod y ffordd roeddent yn ymdrin â thrafodaethau ynghylch y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin yn parchu'r setliad datganoli mewn unrhyw ffordd, ac yn dweud yn glir, os oeddent am fwrw ymlaen i ymgynghori ar y gronfa ffyniant, y dylid gwneud hynny ar sail gwbl ddatganoledig, felly byddent yn ymgynghori yn Lloegr a byddem yn ymgynghori fel Llywodraeth Cymru mewn perthynas â threfniadau yma yng Nghymru. Rwyf wedi gwneud y cais hwnnw sawl gwaith ac nid wyf wedi cael ateb sy'n cadarnhau mai dyma fyddant yn ei wneud, ac os yw hynny'n golygu mai fel hyn y mae Llywodraeth y DU yn dymuno bwrw ymlaen â hyn, credaf na fydd hynny er budd Cymru o gwbl a bydd yn torri'r addewid y maent wedi'i wneud dro ar ôl tro.

Thank you very much, Counsel General.

Diolch yn fawr, Gwnsler Cyffredinol.

3. Cwestiynau Amserol
3. Topical Questions

Item 3 on the agenda is topical questions. There are two this afternoon. The first is to be answered by the Minister for Economy and Transport. David Rees.

Eitem 3 ar yr agenda yw'r cwestiynau amserol. Mae dau gwestiwn y prynhawn yma. Mae'r cyntaf i'w ateb gan Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth. David Rees.

Tata Steel
Tata Steel

1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf yn dilyn cyhoeddiad Tata Steel ynghylch colli 1,000 o swyddi yn y DU? 372

1. Will the Minister provide an update following the announcement by Tata Steel of 1,000 job losses in the UK? 372

Yes, of course. This announcement is extremely disappointing news and this will be a very worrying time for Tata Steel employees and their families. I'm continuing to engage with the company and with trade unions to understand what this means for the business in Wales and the many thousands of loyal people employed across its sites.

Gwnaf, wrth gwrs. Mae'r cyhoeddiad hwn yn newyddion hynod o siomedig a bydd hwn yn gyfnod pryderus iawn i weithwyr Tata Steel a'u teuluoedd. Rwy'n parhau i ymgysylltu â'r cwmni ac undebau llafur i ddeall beth y mae hyn yn ei olygu i'r busnes yng Nghymru a'r miloedd lawer o bobl deyrngar a gyflogir ar ei safleoedd.

I thank the Minister for that answer. Only three weeks ago we heard the news from Tata that they were announcing 3,000 job losses across Europe, and I very much appreciated your written statement on 18 November and your oral statement on 19 November. We're three weeks on and we now get another statement that is as vague, in one sense, as the first statement. In the oral statement on 19 November you actually said the company would work over the next few months, where they would be identifying the job functions, and yet three weeks later we have this announcement that 1,000 will be in the UK. I just wondered whether you were aware of what made them change their minds as to make a further announcement in such a short space of time.

I make no apologies today, Minister, for repeating many of the things we said two, three weeks ago, because they are important issues that Members in this Chamber want answers to, and, more importantly, steelworkers and their families want answers to. As you say, there's uncertainty for steelworkers. In 2016, just after Christmas, we saw announcements from Tata that put steelworkers under threat. Just before Christmas now, in 2019, we see similar announcements, putting steelworkers and their families in uncertainty, with possibilities of job losses in months to come. Do you agree with me that this is a poor way of actually behaving to the workers—as you identified, loyal workers who have been dedicated and given commitment to that industry to ensure that it remains a sustainable, viable industry as best they can?

You've indicated again that you've talked to the trade unions. Have you had a commitment from Tata that the memorandum of understanding that they signed with the trade unions will be honoured so that no compulsory redundancies will be given to workers, because they gave up a commitment in their pension schemes to allow that agreement to be in place?

Have you any more detail as to where those job losses might be? A thousand in the UK. There are 8,000 approximately in Tata UK. The bulk of those, if not nearly all of them, are in Wales. So, this is clearly going to have an implication for Welsh steel jobs. And therefore, it is important that you look at the question as to where these jobs lie and the areas you need to work to to help those communities.

Again, we talked about supply chains, because if jobs go in Tata there's a likelihood that supply chains or contractors and those coming in to do the other jobs are going to be impacted upon. Have you done an analysis and had discussions with Tata about what impact there will be upon its supply chains?

Minister, you also highlighted the fact that there were four areas they picked on in that original letter earlier in November. Employment costs was just one of them. Have you had discussions on the other three, as to how they intend to look at producing a better product mix? How do they intend to reduce procurement costs? What optimisation or production processes will be involved? And will they be looking for help in those areas? Have those discussions yet started?

And do you remain assured that, actually, these job losses will not take place until March 2021, considering that two weeks after the original one we get an update of 1,000 job losses in the UK? When will we have an update as to where those job losses will be? Port Talbot has over half the employees of Tata UK. I cannot see how a large proportion of that 1,000 jobs will not be in Port Talbot. They are constituents of mine, they are friends of mine, they are family of mine.

We need to understand what this means for the community and those workers and their families. Time is going on, they're coming out with these glib comments and large notices of large job losses, but not detail. No-one's telling us where they will lie, no-one's telling us what job functions, what areas, other than 'two-third white collar, one-third blue collar'. That means nothing to many workers. It could be anybody in the works. It is important that we get this detail and it's important now that they communicate with their workforce so they can reassure them as to where it lands.

Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ateb. Dair wythnos yn ôl yn unig, clywsom y newyddion gan Tata y bydd 3,000 o’u swyddi'n cael eu colli ledled Ewrop, ac roeddwn yn gwerthfawrogi eich datganiad ysgrifenedig ar 18 Tachwedd a'ch datganiad llafar ar 19 Tachwedd yn fawr. Dair wythnos yn ddiweddarach, ac rydym bellach yn cael datganiad arall sydd yr un mor amwys, ar un ystyr, â'r datganiad cyntaf. Yn y datganiad llafar ar 19 Tachwedd, fe ddywedoch y byddai'r cwmni'n gweithio dros yr ychydig fisoedd nesaf, lle byddent yn nodi'r swyddogaethau gwaith, ac eto dair wythnos yn ddiweddarach, cawn y cyhoeddiad hwn y bydd 1,000 ohonynt yn y DU. Tybed a oeddech yn ymwybodol o'r hyn a wnaeth iddynt newid eu meddyliau a gwneud cyhoeddiad pellach mewn cyn lleied o amser.

Nid wyf yn ymddiheuro heddiw, Weinidog, am ailadrodd llawer o'r pethau a ddywedwyd gennym ddwy, dair wythnos yn ôl, gan eu bod yn faterion pwysig y mae Aelodau yn y Siambr hon am gael atebion iddynt, ac yn bwysicach fyth, mae gweithwyr dur a'u teuluoedd am gael atebion iddynt. Fel y dywedwch, mae gweithwyr dur yn wynebu ansicrwydd. Yn 2016, ychydig ar ôl y Nadolig, cawsom gyhoeddiadau gan Tata a oedd yn rhoi gweithwyr dur o dan fygythiad. Ychydig cyn y Nadolig hwn, yn 2019, rydym yn gweld cyhoeddiadau tebyg, sy'n peri ansicrwydd i weithwyr dur a'u teuluoedd, gyda phosibilrwydd o golli swyddi yn y misoedd i ddod. A ydych yn cytuno fod hon yn ffordd wael o drin y gweithwyr—fel y dywedoch chi, gweithwyr teyrngar ac ymroddedig sydd wedi rhoi ymrwymiad i'r diwydiant i sicrhau hyd eithaf eu gallu ei fod yn parhau'n ddiwydiant cynaliadwy, hyfyw?

Rydych wedi nodi eto eich bod wedi siarad â'r undebau llafur. A ydych wedi cael ymrwymiad gan Tata y bydd y memorandwm cyd-ddealltwriaeth a lofnodwyd gyda’r undebau llafur yn cael ei barchu fel na fydd yn rhaid dileu swyddi unrhyw weithwyr yn orfodol, gan iddynt ildio ymrwymiad yn eu cynlluniau pensiwn i ganiatáu’r cytundeb hwnnw?

A oes gennych fwy o fanylion ynglŷn â ble y gallai'r swyddi hynny gael eu colli? Mil yn y DU. Mae oddeutu 8,000 yn gweithio i Tata UK. Mae mwyafrif y rheini, os nad pob un ohonynt, bron â bod, yng Nghymru. Felly, mae'n amlwg y bydd hyn yn arwain at oblygiadau i swyddi dur Cymru. Ac felly, mae'n bwysig eich bod yn ystyried ble mae'r swyddi hyn a'r ardaloedd y mae angen i chi weithio gyda hwy i helpu'r cymunedau hynny.

Unwaith eto, buom yn siarad am gadwyni cyflenwi, oherwydd os bydd swyddi'n cael eu colli yn Tata, mae'n debygol yr effeithir ar gadwyni cyflenwi neu gontractwyr a'r rheini sy'n dod i mewn i wneud y swyddi eraill. A ydych wedi gwneud dadansoddiad ac wedi cael trafodaethau gyda Tata ynglŷn â'r effaith ar eu cadwyni cyflenwi?

Weinidog, fe dynnoch chi sylw hefyd at y ffaith iddynt grybwyll pedwar maes yn y llythyr gwreiddiol yn gynharach ym mis Tachwedd. Roedd costau cyflogaeth yn un ohonynt. A ydych wedi cael trafodaethau ar y tri arall, ynglŷn â sut y maent yn bwriadu edrych ar gynhyrchu gwell cymysgedd o gynnyrch? Sut y maent yn bwriadu lleihau costau caffael? Pa brosesau optimeiddio neu gynhyrchu a fydd yn cael eu defnyddio? Ac a fyddant yn edrych am gymorth yn y meysydd hynny? A yw'r trafodaethau hynny wedi cychwyn eto?

Ac a ydych yn dal i fod yn sicr na fydd y swyddi hyn yn cael eu colli tan fis Mawrth 2021, o ystyried ein bod wedi cael diweddariad, bythefnos ar ôl y cyhoeddiad gwreiddiol, yn dweud y bydd 1,000 o swyddi'n cael eu colli yn y DU? Pryd y cawn yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynglŷn â ble fydd y swyddi hynny’n cael eu colli? Mae mwy na hanner gweithwyr Tata UK yn gweithio ym Mhort Talbot. Ni allaf weld sut na fydd cyfran fawr o'r 1,000 o swyddi hynny ym Mhort Talbot. Maent yn etholwyr i mi, maent yn ffrindiau i mi, maent yn deulu i mi.

Mae angen i ni ddeall beth y mae hyn yn ei olygu i'r gymuned a'r gweithwyr hynny a'u teuluoedd. Mae amser yn mynd yn ei flaen, maent yn gwneud y sylwadau parod hyn a’r rhybuddion mawr ynghylch colli llawer o swyddi, ond heb unrhyw fanylion. Nid oes unrhyw un yn dweud wrthym ble y byddant yn cael eu colli, nid oes unrhyw un yn dweud wrthym pa swyddogaethau, pa feysydd, heblaw 'dwy draean yn weithwyr coler wen, a thraean yn weithwyr coler las'. Nid yw hynny'n golygu dim i lawer o weithwyr. Gallai gyfeirio at unrhyw un yn y gweithfeydd. Mae'n bwysig ein bod yn cael y manylion ac mae'n bwysig yn awr eu bod yn cyfathrebu â'u gweithlu fel y gallant roi sicrwydd iddynt ynglŷn â phwy yr effeithir arnynt.

15:00

Can I thank Dai Rees for this topical question? Much of what he's impressed upon us today has been echoed by the European Works Council and the trade unions who are stating very clearly that they wish to have a meaningful consultation with Tata over the coming weeks and months, and that in order to have that meaningful consultation, they need access to as much detail as possible as soon as possible.

Dirprwy Lywydd, after the announcement, there were some comments that I kept hearing about, 'Well, there's a silver lining to this in that two thirds of the jobs are going to be white collar, they're going to be office based.' Look, these are jobs, these are people. Regardless of whether they're working on the shop floor or in an office, these people face losing their livelihoods. And regardless of whether they are white collar or blue collar, we are sympathetic to the position that they're in, and we will stand by them in helping them in whatever way, shape or form we can.

It will be an extremely difficult period for many, many people who will be questioning whether they'll have a job come March 2021 in Tata. The latest announcement adds little more to the announcement from 18 November. Essentially, it confirms the speculation that was taking place back in the middle of November, when the company announced that there would be up to 3,000 job losses across Europe. And at that point, there was a lot of speculation emerging that around 1,600 could be in the Netherlands and a further 350 elsewhere. So, people were then assuming that it would be around about 1,000 here in the UK. The announcement, essentially, confirms that, but it adds no more detail about the jobs or the location of the jobs that could be affected. We have been told again that the work that will take place between now and the new year will be on a role-by-role basis so that by February of next year, we will know not just what jobs face being lost, but also the location of those jobs.

We are keeping open the option of a taskforce to assist. If there is a concentration of jobs lost at any one site, then certainly a taskforce would be a sensible means of supporting those affected workers, and so we are going to keep that as a live option.

In terms of supply chain implications, we're working through this right now. I've previously informed Members that there will be a special manufacturing summit taking place in the new year. The supply chain for the steel industry will of course be a key concern at that summit. By the time of the summit taking place, we hope to have been able to conduct a thorough analysis of the implications of this particular announcement for those locations in and around the existing Tata sites in Wales. I have spoken briefly to Tata steel regarding the other areas where they are seeking to achieve cost savings, including the development of a better product mix and the reduction in procurement costs and the costs of goods and services through more effective and efficient procurement regimes.

I should just say that the date of March 2021 is the end date by which the implementation of this transformation programme concerning employees will have been completed. My concern in 2020 will be in ensuring that there is a seamless transition for anybody who could be out of work by 2021 into other high-quality well-paid employment in the region.

And I'd finally, Dirprwy Lywydd, congratulate Dai Rees on representing the steel sector, and in particular those workers at Port Talbot, with such energy over many years. We have had numerous conversations, we have stood side by side on many occasions in demanding a better deal for the steel sector in Wales, and it's only right that we now once again call on the UK Government to do so and to agree to a steel sector deal that could be transformational for the sector, and to ensure that it deals, once and for all, with making sure that those uncompetitive energy prices are resolved.

A gaf fi ddiolch i Dai Rees am y cwestiwn amserol hwn? Mae llawer o'r hyn y mae wedi'i ddweud heddiw wedi cael ei ategu gan y Cyngor Gwaith Ewropeaidd a'r undebau llafur sy'n datgan yn glir iawn eu bod yn dymuno cael ymgynghoriad ystyrlon â Tata dros yr wythnosau a'r misoedd nesaf, ac er mwyn cael yr ymgynghoriad ystyrlon hwnnw, mae angen iddynt gael cymaint o fanylion â phosibl cyn gynted â phosibl.

Ddirprwy Lywydd, ar ôl y cyhoeddiad, roeddwn yn clywed rhai sylwadau fel, 'Wel, un peth da yn hyn i gyd yw'r ffaith y bydd dwy ran o dair o'r swyddi'n swyddi coler wen, byddant yn swyddi mewn swyddfeydd.' Edrychwch, swyddi yw'r rhain, pobl yw'r rhain. Ni waeth a ydynt yn gweithio ar lawr y ffatri neu mewn swyddfa, mae'r bobl hyn yn wynebu colli eu bywoliaeth. Ac ni waeth a ydynt yn swyddi coler wen neu'n swyddi coler las, rydym yn cydymdeimlo â'r sefyllfa y maent ynddi, a byddwn yn eu cefnogi ym mha ffordd bynnag y gallwn.

Bydd yn gyfnod eithriadol o anodd i lawer o bobl a fydd yn cwestiynu a fydd ganddynt swydd yn Tata ym mis Mawrth 2021. Nid yw'r cyhoeddiad diweddaraf yn ychwanegu llawer mwy at y cyhoeddiad a wnaed ar 18 Tachwedd. Yn y bôn, mae'n cadarnhau'r dyfalu a oedd yn digwydd yn ôl yng nghanol mis Tachwedd, pan gyhoeddodd y cwmni y byddai hyd at 3,000 o swyddi'n cael eu colli ar draws Ewrop. Ac ar y pwynt hwnnw, roedd llawer o ddyfalu y gallai tua 1,600 ohonynt fod yn yr Iseldiroedd a 350 arall mewn mannau eraill. Felly, roedd pobl yn tybio wedyn y byddai oddeutu 1,000 ohonynt yma yn y DU. Mae'r cyhoeddiad, yn ei hanfod, yn cadarnhau hynny, ond nid yw'n ychwanegu mwy o fanylion am y swyddi na lleoliad y swyddi a allai gael eu heffeithio. Dywedwyd wrthym eto y bydd y gwaith a fydd yn digwydd rhwng nawr a'r flwyddyn newydd yn cael ei wneud ar sail rolau unigol fel y byddwn yn gwybod, erbyn mis Chwefror y flwyddyn nesaf, pa swyddi y disgwylir iddynt gael eu colli yn ogystal â lleoliad y swyddi hynny.

Rydym yn cadw'r opsiwn o greu tasglu i gynorthwyo yn agored. Os oes crynhoad o swyddi'n cael eu colli ar unrhyw safle, byddai tasglu yn sicr yn ffordd synhwyrol o gefnogi'r gweithwyr hynny yr effeithir arnynt, ac felly rydym am gadw'r opsiwn hwnnw'n agored.

O ran goblygiadau i'r gadwyn gyflenwi, rydym yn gweithio drwy hyn yn awr. Rwyf eisoes wedi hysbysu Aelodau y bydd uwchgynhadledd weithgynhyrchu arbennig yn cael ei chynnal yn y flwyddyn newydd. Bydd y gadwyn gyflenwi ar gyfer y diwydiant dur, wrth gwrs, yn bryder allweddol yn yr uwchgynhadledd honno. Erbyn yr uwchgynhadledd, rydym yn gobeithio y byddwn wedi gallu cynnal dadansoddiad trwyadl o oblygiadau'r cyhoeddiad hwn i'r lleoliadau hynny yn ac o amgylch safleoedd presennol Tata yng Nghymru. Rwyf wedi cael gair byr â Tata ynglŷn â'r meysydd eraill lle maent yn ceisio arbed costau, gan gynnwys datblygu gwell cymysgedd o gynnyrch a'r gostyngiad mewn costau caffael a chostau nwyddau a gwasanaethau drwy drefniadau caffael mwy effeithiol ac effeithlon.

Hoffwn ddweud mai mis Mawrth 2021 yw'r dyddiad terfynol ar gyfer cwblhau gweithrediad y rhaglen drawsnewid ar gyfer gweithwyr. Fy awydd yn 2020 fydd sicrhau bod cyfnod pontio di-dor i unrhyw un a allai fod yn ddi-waith erbyn 2021 i waith arall o ansawdd uchel sy'n talu'n dda yn y rhanbarth.

Yn olaf, Ddirprwy Lywydd, hoffwn longyfarch Dai Rees ar gynrychioli'r sector dur, ac yn enwedig y gweithwyr ym Mhort Talbot, gyda'r fath egni dros flynyddoedd lawer. Rydym wedi cael nifer o sgyrsiau, rydym wedi sefyll ysgwydd wrth ysgwydd ar sawl achlysur i fynnu gwell bargen i'r sector dur yng Nghymru, ac mae'n briodol ein bod unwaith eto yn awr yn galw ar Lywodraeth y DU i wneud hynny ac i gytuno ar fargen i'r sector dur a allai fod yn drawsnewidiol i'r sector, ac i sicrhau, unwaith ac am byth, ei bod yn datrys problem y prisiau ynni anghystadleuol.

15:05

Thank you for those answers, Minister. I wonder if I can just sort of push you a little bit further on some of the questions you had from David Rees. I just want to start with your last comments though, about March 2021 being the end date for this transformation programme. It's very convenient, isn't it, that that's basically at the end of the five-year guarantee on jobs that we've been given by Tata, and potentially the end of the taskforce and the £60 million offer that you've made to Tata as well? I'm wondering whether you've had any indication from Tata themselves that one of the reasons perhaps they're not doing this more quickly is because of the offer that Welsh Government has made to them over the years, or whether it's something slightly more cynical than that, that they're getting the best out of us that they can before they actually just cut and run.

I'd be grateful as well if you could give us some indication of exactly how much you've known and at what times during the last three weeks or so. As you know, I've written to you a few times and been told, 'Well, you know, the information is coming, but we don't know what.' I think, to be fair, I've had something from you today that says that further information will be available in February 2020 from Tata. 

But, I'll go back to David Rees's questions about where the analysis of what types of jobs are going and where is in all this, because it's easy enough to make these announcements, but without telling us how they concluded which types of jobs are to go, then we should be asking why you're making these announcements at all. Because if you're talking about—. I think you said employment costs were the reason for the announcement being made. We should have some idea which jobs they're actually talking about. And I'm very conscious of course that, back in 2016, some of the jobs that went in the big set of losses there were themselves white-collar workers. There probably aren't that many left in Port Talbot Tata. 

Then finally, I just wanted to ask you, it's not so long ago you told us that you were going to meet Tata about your climate emergency announcement. Have you had any indication from Tata at all whether that has influenced what is likely to be some bad news for Wales? And if they have given you an indication of whether that was a factor, what have you done in order to reassure Tata that that shouldn't be something that they take into account in their commitment to Wales in the future? Thank you.

Diolch ichi am yr atebion hynny, Weinidog. Tybed a allaf eich gwthio ychydig ymhellach ar rai o'r cwestiynau a gawsoch gan David Rees. Hoffwn ddechrau gyda'ch sylwadau olaf, fodd bynnag, ynglŷn â'r ffaith mai mis Mawrth 2021 yw'r dyddiad y bydd y rhaglen drawsnewid hon yn dod i ben. Mae'n gyfleus iawn, onid yw, fod hynny, yn y bôn, ar ddiwedd y warant pum mlynedd ar swyddi a roddwyd i ni gan Tata, a diwedd y tasglu o bosibl a'r cynnig o £60 miliwn a wnaethoch i Tata hefyd? Rwy'n meddwl tybed a gawsoch unrhyw arwydd gan Tata eu hunain mai un o'r rhesymau, efallai, nad ydynt yn gwneud hyn yn gyflymach yw oherwydd y cynnig a wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru iddynt dros y blynyddoedd, neu a yw'n rhywbeth ychydig yn fwy sinigaidd na hynny, eu bod yn cael y gorau y gallant ei gael gennym cyn eu bod yn ei heglu hi.

Buaswn yn ddiolchgar hefyd pe gallech roi rhyw syniad i ni faint yn union rydych wedi ei wybod ac ar ba adegau yn ystod y tair wythnos diwethaf. Fel y gwyddoch, rwyf wedi ysgrifennu atoch ychydig o weithiau ac wedi cael gwybod, 'Wel, wyddoch chi, mae'r wybodaeth yn dod, ond nid ydym yn gwybod beth ydyw.' I fod yn deg, rwy'n credu fy mod wedi cael rhywbeth gennych heddiw sy'n dweud y bydd rhagor o wybodaeth ar gael gan Tata ym mis Chwefror 2020. 

Ond dychwelaf at gwestiynau David Rees ynglŷn â'r dadansoddiad o ba fathau o swyddi a fydd yn cael eu colli a ble, oherwydd mae'n ddigon hawdd gwneud y cyhoeddiadau hyn, ond heb ddweud wrthym sut y maent wedi penderfynu pa fathau o swyddi fydd yn cael eu colli, dylem fod yn gofyn pam eich bod yn gwneud y cyhoeddiadau hyn o gwbl. Oherwydd os ydych yn siarad am—. Rwy'n credu eich bod wedi dweud mai costau cyflogaeth oedd y rheswm dros wneud y cyhoeddiad. Dylai fod gennym ryw fath o syniad pa swyddi y maent yn sôn amdanynt mewn gwirionedd. Ac rwy'n ymwybodol iawn, wrth gwrs, yn ôl yn 2016, fod nifer o'r swyddi a gollwyd yn y gyfres fawr o golledion yno yn swyddi gweithwyr coler wen. Mae'n debygol nad oes cymaint â hynny ar ôl yn Tata Port Talbot.  

Yn olaf, roeddwn eisiau gofyn i chi, nid oes llawer o amser wedi bod ers i chi ddweud wrthym eich bod yn bwriadu cyfarfod â Tata i drafod eich cyhoeddiad argyfwng hinsawdd. A yw Tata wedi rhoi unrhyw arwydd i chi fod hwnnw wedi dylanwadu ar yr hyn sy'n debygol o fod yn newyddion drwg i Gymru? Ac os ydynt wedi awgrymu wrthych fod hynny'n ffactor, beth a wnaethoch i sicrhau Tata na ddylai fod yn rhywbeth iddynt ei ystyried yn eu hymrwymiad i Gymru yn y dyfodol? Diolch.

Can I thank Suzy Davies for her questions? The declaration of a climate emergency has not been a factor in their decision making. Tata themselves recognise that they need to respond to the climate emergency, that they need to make savings in terms of energy costs, and that they need to ensure that they're decarbonising their footprint. We've been working with them, as the Member is aware, on the offer of £8 million of investment in Port Talbot's power plant and also on £666,000 for research and development into new product development. Now, we were making very good progress in these talks in terms of making sure that the conditions were adequate, particularly those concerning the protection of jobs. We were, in turn, very close to reaching an agreement on conditions earlier this year. But, since then, we know what's happened.

There have been a number of announcements, including the collapse of the proposed joint venture with Thyssenkrupp; there's the proposed closure of Orb and now the latest announcement. That has held up the finalisation of an agreement on conditions, but we will not release that money until we are confident that it offers value for money, that investment, and that it will lead to jobs being protected for a good number of years. We are absolutely determined to use our financial resource to guarantee jobs are protected and that investment is protected in Welsh sites.

The Member asks about the time frame for analysing the functions that could be lost as a consequence of the announcement. The detail that we have from Tata is simply that they will be looking at two thirds of the jobs coming from management and office-based roles. We will be meeting with them again very soon, and officials are in very regular contact, in an effort to get a better assessment of precisely what roles could be lost, so that we can begin the process of building support systems for the people most likely to lose their employment.

In terms of the long-term future of Tata, it's been repeatedly said to me by Tata that these measures, the transformation programme, are designed to ensure the long-term survivability of the steel sector, or rather the Tata operations within the steel sector in the UK, and that it will release investment for those sites in Wales and across the border as well. I have no reason not to believe that this is absolutely true. I believe that Tata are acting in good faith when they assure me that this is about investing in the future of those facilities. Nonetheless, I would urge Tata to ensure that they consult meaningfully and engage properly with trade unions in ensuring that every bit of support that can be offered to employees is provided. 

A gaf fi ddiolch i Suzy Davies am ei chwestiynau? Nid yw'r datganiad argyfwng hinsawdd wedi bod yn ffactor wrth iddynt wneud eu penderfyniadau. Mae Tata eu hunain yn cydnabod bod angen iddynt ymateb i'r argyfwng hinsawdd, fod angen iddynt wneud arbedion o ran costau ynni, a bod angen iddynt sicrhau eu bod yn datgarboneiddio eu hôl troed. Rydym wedi bod yn gweithio gyda hwy, fel y gŵyr yr Aelod, ar y cynnig o fuddsoddiad o £8 miliwn yng ngorsaf bŵer Port Talbot a hefyd £666,000 ar gyfer gwaith ymchwil a datblygu i ddatblygu cynnyrch newydd. Nawr, roeddem yn gwneud cynnydd da iawn yn y trafodaethau hyn o ran sicrhau bod yr amodau'n ddigonol, yn enwedig y rheini a oedd yn ymwneud â diogelu swyddi. Yn ein tro, roeddem yn agos iawn at ddod i gytundeb ar amodau yn gynharach eleni. Ond ers hynny, fe wyddom beth sydd wedi digwydd.

Mae nifer o gyhoeddiadau wedi bod, gan gynnwys methiant y fenter arfaethedig ar y cyd â ThyssenKrupp; y bwriad i gau Orb a'r cyhoeddiad diweddaraf yn awr. Mae hynny wedi peri oedi cyn cwblhau cytundeb ar amodau, ond ni fyddwn yn rhyddhau'r arian hwnnw nes ein bod yn hyderus y bydd y buddsoddiad yn cynnig gwerth am arian ac y bydd yn arwain at ddiogelu swyddi am nifer dda o flynyddoedd. Rydym yn gwbl benderfynol o ddefnyddio ein hadnoddau ariannol i warantu bod swyddi'n cael eu diogelu a bod buddsoddiad yn cael ei ddiogelu yng ngweithfeydd Cymru.

Mae'r Aelod yn gofyn am yr amserlen ar gyfer dadansoddi'r swyddogaethau a allai gael eu colli o ganlyniad i'r cyhoeddiad. Yr hyn y mae Tata wedi'i ddweud wrthym yw y byddant yn edrych ar ddwy ran o dair o'r swyddi'n dod o rolau rheoli a rolau swyddfa. Byddwn yn cyfarfod â hwy eto'n fuan iawn, ac mae swyddogion mewn cysylltiad rheolaidd iawn, mewn ymdrech i gael gwell asesiad o ba rolau yn union a allai gael eu colli, fel y gallwn ddechrau'r broses o adeiladu systemau cymorth ar gyfer y bobl sydd fwyaf tebygol o golli eu swyddi.

O ran dyfodol hirdymor Tata, mae Tata wedi dweud wrthyf dro ar ôl tro mai nod y mesurau hyn, y rhaglen drawsnewid, yw sicrhau bod y sector dur, neu, yn hytrach, gweithrediadau Tata o fewn y sector dur yn y DU, yn goroesi yn y tymor hir, ac y bydd yn rhyddhau buddsoddiad ar gyfer y safleoedd yng Nghymru ac ar draws y ffin hefyd. Nid oes gennyf reswm i beidio â chredu bod hyn yn hollol wir. Credaf fod Tata yn gweithredu'n ddidwyll pan fyddant yn fy sicrhau bod hyn yn ymwneud â buddsoddi yn nyfodol y gweithfeydd hynny. Serch hynny, buaswn yn annog Tata i sicrhau eu bod yn ymgynghori'n ystyrlon ac yn ymgysylltu'n briodol ag undebau llafur i sicrhau bod pob cymorth y gellir ei gynnig i weithwyr yn cael ei ddarparu.  

15:10

I know that many of the questions have been asked but I know, from my perspective, I don't appreciate the drip, drip of information that is coming about in this way, especially in the lead-up to Christmas. It's not progressive of the company to do this and it's also eroding the confidence of the workforce. As I said last time, it's all been pretty secretive. Many of the people talking to me are not getting any clear information about what is happening. I e-mailed Tata when they sent the press release out to us, asking for the breakdown for Wales. Surely, if they've made a breakdown for the UK, which has emanated from the European job-loss breakdown, they can come up with some form of figure for Wales so that we can actually put heads together and try to understand how this will impact Wales. So, while they may have put a lot of resource into the local area—and without a doubt, they have—I think the trust in the company will erode if they're going to continue to act in this manner. 

I just wanted to say, from the last time, I think you misconstrued my question a tiny bit with regard to the investment. I wasn't saying we shouldn't invest but I'm saying, as has been reflected by what Suzy Davies said, if we are putting investment in, we need to be 100 per cent clear that plans are going to go ahead, as you've said, Minister, for the future retention of those plants here in Wales. So, my question is: how confident are you that we can get to those agreements so that we can ensure that agreements we've made between Plaid Cymru and the Labour Party, in terms of the power plant and investment that we need, can go ahead in this very precarious environment? Not only are we in the dark, but the people who work there are in the dark as well, and we are not in a good situation to be able to scrutinise effectively in those particular predicaments.

I think most of the questions have been asked already, but I would urge you, with whoever is in existence in the UK Government, whether it's officials or the Prime Minister, to look at how we can reconvene the steel workforce planning on a UK level, so that we can work together on this and make sure that the future of the steel industry is alive and kicking in Wales, as opposed to being eroded time and time again. 

Rwy'n gwybod bod llawer o'r cwestiynau wedi cael eu gofyn ond rwy'n gwybod, o'm safbwynt i, nad wyf yn gwerthfawrogi'r diferion o wybodaeth sy'n dod i'r amlwg fel hyn, yn enwedig yn y cyfnod hwn sy'n arwain at y Nadolig. Nid yw'n weithredu blaengar ar ran y cwmni ac mae hefyd yn erydu hyder y gweithlu. Fel y dywedais y tro diwethaf, mae'r cyfan wedi bod yn eithaf cyfrinachol. Nid yw llawer o'r bobl sy'n siarad â mi yn cael unrhyw wybodaeth glir am yr hyn sy'n digwydd. Anfonais e-bost at Tata pan anfonwyd y datganiad i'r wasg atom, yn gofyn am ddadansoddiad ar gyfer Cymru. Os ydynt wedi creu dadansoddiad ar gyfer y DU, sydd wedi deillio o'r dadansoddiad o'r swyddi a gollwyd yn Ewrop, does bosibl na allant gynnig rhyw fath o ffigur ar gyfer Cymru fel y gallwn roi pennau at ei gilydd a cheisio deall sut y bydd hyn yn effeithio ar Gymru. Felly, er eu bod wedi rhoi llawer o adnoddau i'r ardal leol—ac nid oes amheuaeth eu bod wedi gwneud hynny—rwy'n credu y bydd ymddiriedaeth yn y cwmni yn erydu os byddant yn parhau i weithredu fel hyn.  

Roeddwn eisiau dweud, ers y tro diwethaf, rwy'n credu eich bod wedi camddehongli fy nghwestiwn ychydig bach ynglŷn â'r buddsoddiad. Nid oeddwn yn dweud na ddylem fuddsoddi ond rwy'n dweud, fel yr ategwyd gan yr hyn a ddywedodd Suzy Davies, os ydym yn buddsoddi, mae angen i ni fod 100 y cant yn sicr y bydd y cynlluniau'n mynd rhagddynt, fel rydych wedi'i ddweud, Weinidog, ar gyfer cadw'r gweithfeydd yma yng Nghymru yn y dyfodol. Felly, fy nghwestiwn yw: pa mor hyderus ydych chi y gallwn gael y cytundebau hynny er mwyn sicrhau bod y cytundebau a wnaethom rhwng Plaid Cymru a'r Blaid Lafur, o ran yr orsaf bŵer a'r buddsoddiad sydd ei angen arnom, yn gallu mynd rhagddynt yn yr amgylchedd hynod fregus hwn? Rydym yn y tywyllwch, ond mae'r bobl sy'n gweithio yno yn y tywyllwch hefyd, ac nid ydym mewn sefyllfa dda i allu craffu'n effeithiol mewn trybini o'r fath.

Credaf fod y rhan fwyaf o'r cwestiynau wedi cael eu gofyn yn barod, ond rwy'n eich annog, gyda phwy bynnag sy'n bodoli yn Llywodraeth y DU, boed yn swyddogion neu'r Prif Weinidog, i edrych ar sut y gallwn ailafael yn y gwaith o gynllunio'r gweithlu dur ar lefel y DU, fel y gallwn weithio gyda'n gilydd ar hyn a gwneud yn siŵr fod dyfodol y diwydiant dur yn fyw ac yn iach yng Nghymru, yn hytrach na'i fod yn cael ei erydu dro ar ôl tro.  

15:15

The Member is absolutely right, this is a UK-wide problem. There are many factors that are global, which are, to an extent, out of the UK Government's control, but where the UK Government can have an influence, it must influence the conditions that would provide a more certain future for steel making in the UK. I am not waiting for the end of the general election period to liaise with UK Government. I wrote on 25 November to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy asking her to urgently reconvene the cancelled UK Steel roundtable that the Member rightly mentioned. It's my view that talks are necessary right now. We can't wait until the new year for discussions to talk place, because the ground that we are standing on is shifting on a daily basis, with announcements such as this creating more and more uncertainty for people employed in the sector.

The announcement was very broad; it was very much a headline figure of up to 3,000, with no detail added to it. And as a consequence, the up to 3,000 jobs demonstrates that that figure of 3,000 is not fixed, and that's why I believe that consultation has to take place in a meaningful and urgent way with trade unions to ascertain whether there are ways of reducing that figure and, in particular, whether we can reduce the figure announced for the UK and specifically here in Wales.

Mae'r Aelod yn llygad ei lle, mae hon yn broblem i'r DU gyfan. Mae llawer o ffactorau byd-eang, sydd, i raddau, y tu hwnt i reolaeth Llywodraeth y DU, ond lle gall Llywodraeth y DU ddylanwadu, mae'n rhaid iddi ddylanwadu ar yr amodau a fyddai'n darparu dyfodol mwy sicr i gynhyrchu dur yn y DU. Nid wyf yn aros tan ddiwedd cyfnod yr etholiad cyffredinol i gysylltu â Llywodraeth y DU. Ar 25 Tachwedd, ysgrifennais at yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Fusnes, Ynni a Strategaeth Ddiwydiannol yn gofyn iddi ailgynnull y cyfarfodydd bwrdd crwn ar ddur y DU a gafodd eu canslo ac y cyfeiriodd yr Aelod atynt yn briodol. Yn fy marn i, mae angen trafodaethau yn awr. Ni allwn aros tan y flwyddyn newydd cyn dechrau trafod, oherwydd mae'r sefyllfa'n newid bob dydd, gyda chyhoeddiadau fel hwn yn creu mwy a mwy o ansicrwydd i'r bobl a gyflogir yn y sector.

Roedd y cyhoeddiad yn eang iawn; roedd yn bendant yn ffigur pennawd o hyd at 3,000, heb unrhyw fanylion wedi'u hychwanegu ato. Ac o ganlyniad, mae hyd at 3,000 o swyddi yn dangos nad yw'r ffigur hwnnw o 3,000 yn sefydlog, a dyna pam rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid ymgynghori mewn ffordd ystyrlon a chyflym gydag undebau llafur i ganfod a oes ffyrdd o leihau'r ffigur hwnnw a chanfod, yn arbennig, a allwn leihau'r ffigur a gyhoeddwyd ar gyfer y DU ac yn benodol yma yng Nghymru.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Minister. The second topical question this afternoon will be answered by the Deputy Minister and the Chief Whip. Leanne Wood.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Diolch yn fawr, Weinidog. Bydd yr ail gwestiwn amserol y prynhawn yma'n cael ei ateb gan y Dirprwy Weinidog a'r Prif Chwip. Leanne Wood.

Yr Ymosodiad Terfysgol yn Llundain
The Terror Attack in London

2. Pa asesiad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud o'r bygythiad i ddinasyddion Cymru yn dilyn yr ymosodiad terfysgol yn Llundain ddydd Gwener diwethaf? 373

2. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the threat to Welsh citizens following the terror attack in London last Friday? 373

Welsh Government has received no intelligence to suggest a direct threat to Welsh citizens, but the UK threat level remains substantial. We're continuing to work closely with the police, UK Government departments and other services that are responding to the tragic events of last Friday.

Nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cael unrhyw wybodaeth sy'n awgrymu bygythiad uniongyrchol i ddinasyddion Cymru, ond mae lefel bygythiad y DU yn parhau'n sylweddol. Rydym yn parhau i weithio'n agos gyda'r heddlu, adrannau Llywodraeth y DU a gwasanaethau eraill sy'n ymateb i'r digwyddiadau trasig ddydd Gwener diwethaf.

I want to start by paying tribute to the two young people murdered on London Bridge last week, Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt, and to the values that they stood for. The courageous words of Jack Merritt's father were, in the circumstances, inspirational. And I'm sure that I speak for all Members here and others throughout Wales when I say that we feel for the family and close friends, and that all of us will want to do what we can to reduce the likelihood of a tragedy like this repeating itself.

I've a number of questions for our Government. The first is a matter that falls within the devolution settlement, and that's education. Can you tell us what initiatives are in place to combat far-right extremism in all its forms, especially where violence is a risk? How is supremacist ideology, which puts people above those that they 'other', whether that's in terms of skin colour, nationality, religion or anything else, being challenged within our education system? How are teachers and youth workers trained to ensure that this sensitive and difficult work is done? How are these supremacist ideologies being challenged within the prison education system, for both those people serving terror-related offences within Welsh prisons and for those Welsh prisoners serving their sentences in England?

I'd also like to know what representations are being made to your counterparts in Westminster about the cuts to the National Probation Service and the failures in assessment and monitoring of former inmates released on licence that this latest terror incident has exposed. Are these failures related to austerity and privatisation?

I very much hope that you are already asking these questions and that you are doing all that you can to realise the ongoing demand for the criminal justice system to be devolved to Wales as quickly as possible, so that we can create a system focused on preventing these horrific, violent and ideology-driven incidents, and in keeping people in all of our communities safe.

Hoffwn ddechrau drwy dalu teyrnged i'r ddau berson ifanc a lofruddiwyd ar Bont Llundain yr wythnos diwethaf, Saskia Jones a Jack Merritt, ac i'r gwerthoedd a goleddent. Roedd geiriau dewr tad Jack Merritt, o dan yr amgylchiadau, yn ysbrydoledig. Ac rwy'n siŵr fy mod yn siarad ar ran pob Aelod yma ac eraill ledled Cymru pan ddywedaf ein bod yn cydymdeimlo â'r teulu a'u ffrindiau agos, ac y bydd pob un ohonom eisiau gwneud yr hyn a allwn i leihau'r tebygolrwydd y bydd trychineb fel hon yn digwydd eto.

Mae gennyf nifer o gwestiynau i'n Llywodraeth. Mae'r cyntaf yn fater sy'n dod o dan y setliad datganoli, ac addysg yw hwnnw. A allwch ddweud wrthym pa fentrau sydd ar waith i ymladd eithafiaeth asgell dde yn ei holl ffurfiau, yn enwedig lle mae trais yn risg? Sut y caiff ideoleg oruchafiaethol, sy'n rhoi pobl uwchlaw'r rheini y maent yn eu 'harallu', boed hynny o ran lliw croen, cenedligrwydd, crefydd neu unrhyw beth arall, ei herio yn ein system addysg? Sut y caiff athrawon a gweithwyr ieuenctid eu hyfforddi i sicrhau bod y gwaith sensitif ac anodd hwn yn cael ei wneud? Sut y mae'r ideolegau goruchafiaethol hyn yn cael eu herio o fewn system addysg y carchardai, i'r bobl sy'n bwrw dedfrydau am droseddau sy'n gysylltiedig â therfysgaeth mewn carchardai yng Nghymru ac i'r carcharorion Cymreig sy'n bwrw eu dedfrydau yn Lloegr?

Hoffwn wybod hefyd pa sylwadau sy'n cael eu cyflwyno i'ch swyddogion cyfatebol yn San Steffan ynghylch y toriadau i'r Gwasanaeth Prawf Cenedlaethol a'r methiannau y mae'r digwyddiad terfysgol diweddaraf wedi'u hamlygu o ran asesu a monitro cyn-garcharorion a ryddhawyd ar drwydded. A yw'r methiannau hyn yn gysylltiedig â chyni a phreifateiddio?

Rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr eich bod eisoes yn gofyn y cwestiynau hyn a'ch bod yn gwneud popeth a allwch i wireddu'r galwadau parhaus i ddatganoli'r system cyfiawnder troseddol i Gymru cyn gynted ag y bo modd, fel y gallwn greu system sy'n canolbwyntio ar atal y digwyddiadau erchyll, treisgar hyn sydd wedi'u llywio gan ideoleg, ac sy'n cadw pobl ym mhob un o'n cymunedau'n ddiogel.

I thank Leanne Wood very much for that question, and can I also join her and extend our deepest sympathies to the families of Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt? You're absolutely right, and I'm sure that it's shared across this Chamber. It is about the fact that we feel, as you say so powerfully, for the family and close friends. And also, they were killed on Friday in the attack in the Fishmongers' Hall in London, but also we recognise the huge courage, extraordinary courage, and bravery of members of the public. It was Jack Merritt, we understood, who went out—a young man who was working with offenders. He was at an event—the Learning Together programme. The fact that he went out, and that ex-offenders were also involved in trying to protect the public people working in Fishmongers' Hall—astonishing courage that we saw at this appalling incident. But it is very important that we do learn from this incident, and I'm very grateful for the question today because I think your first point, about education, is absolutely crucial and I'm glad the education Minister is in the Chamber.

Interestingly, last week I met the commissioner for countering extremism to discuss the findings from her report—Sara Khan—'Challenging Hateful Extremism'. It's a report I'll share with the Chamber that they very recently published. We have been working alongside the Welsh Local Government Association to develop a £350,000 hate crime in schools project. This is about building children's critical thinking skills, recognising and challenging hate speech online or offline. Good practice has been recognised in 2018 by the hate crime inspection report. Regional community cohesion is also extremely important. As you'll be aware—Members are aware that we've invested additional funding through the EU transition fund to support our community cohesion regions.

I will follow up your question about the prison education system. I'm shortly going to be visiting both Swansea and Cardiff. I've also visited the prisons HMP Eastwood Park and Styal—women's prisons—but I'm visiting the prisons in Wales and I will be asking questions and have asked questions about the prison education system there. We have to be responsible in terms of our devolved responsibilities in terms of those services, and, again, that's something in terms of working with the education Minister, but also recognising the important report that was recently published about prison education and recognising the recommendations that we've got to now follow through.

Making representations to Westminster in terms of the cuts to our services, the impact of austerity, and, of course, that's very clear in terms of the damage to Wales, including the justice system—. I have to say, again, as you will be clearly aware, that the cuts to legal aid as well as the crisis in our criminal justice system have left our communities less safe, victims less supported and people less able to defend their rights, and that's why our justice commission is so important, the Thomas commission. And I think, importantly, the issues about the probation service and the fact that we have fought hard to reunify the probation service—that is now happening. We do have an opportunity to help shape the future direction of the probation services and that reunification is taking place sooner in Wales than it is in England, and I will certainly want to report back on that because that is taking place. And I, of course, am meeting regularly with UK justice Ministers and clarifying the transition and the impact of that transition following the UK general election.

Diolch yn fawr i Leanne Wood am y cwestiwn hwnnw, ac a gaf fi ymuno â hi a mynegi ein cydymdeimlad dwysaf â theuluoedd Saskia Jones a Jack Merritt? Rydych yn llygad eich lle, ac rwy'n siŵr fod nifer ar draws y Siambr hon yn teimlo'r un fath. Mae'n ymwneud â'r ffaith ein bod yn teimlo, fel y dywedwch mor rymus, dros y teulu a'u ffrindiau agos. A hefyd, cawsant eu lladd ddydd Gwener yn yr ymosodiad yn Fishmongers' Hall yn Llundain, ond hefyd rydym yn cydnabod gwroldeb enfawr ac eithriadol a dewrder aelodau o'r cyhoedd. Rydym yn deall mai Jack Merritt a aeth allan—dyn ifanc a oedd yn gweithio gyda throseddwyr. Roedd mewn digwyddiad—rhaglen Learning Together. Roedd y ffaith iddo fynd allan, a bod cyn-droseddwyr hefyd yn ceisio amddiffyn yr aelodau o'r cyhoedd a oedd yn gweithio yn Fishmongers' Hall—gwelsom ddewrder rhyfeddol yn y digwyddiad ofnadwy hwn. Ond mae'n bwysig iawn ein bod yn dysgu o'r digwyddiad hwn, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y cwestiwn heddiw oherwydd rwy'n credu bod eich pwynt cyntaf, ynglŷn ag addysg, yn gwbl hanfodol ac rwy'n falch fod y Gweinidog addysg yn y Siambr.

Yn ddiddorol, yr wythnos diwethaf, cyfarfûm â'r comisiynydd gwrthsefyll eithafiaeth i drafod canfyddiadau ei hadroddiad—Sara Khan—'Challenging Hateful Extremism'. Mae'n adroddiad a gyhoeddasant yn ddiweddar iawn a byddaf yn ei rannu gyda'r Siambr. Rydym wedi bod yn cydweithio â Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru i ddatblygu prosiect gwerth £350,000 ar droseddau casineb mewn ysgolion. Mae'n ymwneud ag adeiladu sgiliau meddwl beirniadol plant, adnabod a herio iaith casineb ar-lein neu all-lein. Cafodd arferion da eu cydnabod yn 2018 yn adroddiad yr archwiliad i droseddau casineb. Mae cydlyniant cymunedol rhanbarthol yn hynod bwysig hefyd. Fel y byddwch yn gwybod—mae'r Aelodau'n gwybod ein bod wedi buddsoddi arian ychwanegol drwy gronfa bontio'r UE i gefnogi ein rhanbarthau cydlyniant cymunedol.

Rwyf am ateb eich cwestiwn am system addysg y carchardai. Byddaf yn ymweld ag Abertawe a Chaerdydd cyn bo hir. Rwyf hefyd wedi ymweld â charchardai Eastwood Park a Styal—carchardai i fenywod—ond rwy'n ymweld â'r carchardai yng Nghymru a byddaf yn gofyn cwestiynau ac rwyf wedi gofyn cwestiynau am y systemau addysg ynddynt. Mae'n rhaid inni fod yn gyfrifol mewn perthynas â'n cyfrifoldebau datganoledig yn y gwasanaethau hynny, ac unwaith eto, mae hynny'n golygu gweithio gyda'r Gweinidog addysg, yn ogystal â chydnabod yr adroddiad pwysig a gyhoeddwyd yn ddiweddar am addysg yn y carchardai a chydnabod yr argymhellion sy'n rhaid i ni fynd ar eu trywydd yn awr.

O ran cyflwyno sylwadau i San Steffan ar y toriadau i'n gwasanaethau, effaith cyni, ac wrth gwrs, mae hynny'n glir iawn o ran y niwed i Gymru, gan gynnwys y system gyfiawnder—. Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, unwaith eto, fel y gwyddoch yn glir, fod y toriadau i gymorth cyfreithiol yn ogystal â'r argyfwng yn ein system cyfiawnder troseddol wedi gwneud ein cymunedau'n llai diogel, wedi rhoi llai o gymorth i ddioddefwyr ac wedi gwneud pobl yn llai abl i amddiffyn eu hawliau, a dyna pam fod ein comisiwn cyfiawnder mor bwysig, comisiwn Thomas. Ac rwy'n credu, yn bwysig, fod y materion ynglŷn â'r gwasanaeth prawf a'r ffaith ein bod wedi brwydro'n galed i ailuno'r gwasanaeth prawf—mae hynny'n digwydd yn awr. Mae gennym gyfle i helpu i lywio cyfeiriad y gwasanaethau prawf yn y dyfodol a bydd yr ailuno'n digwydd yn gynt yng Nghymru nag yn Lloegr, ac yn sicr byddaf eisiau adrodd yn ôl ar hynny oherwydd mae hynny'n digwydd. Ac wrth gwrs, rwy'n cyfarfod yn rheolaidd â Gweinidogion cyfiawnder y DU ac yn egluro'r trawsnewid ac effaith y newid hwnnw yn dilyn etholiad cyffredinol y DU.

15:20
4. Datganiadau 90 Eiliad
4. 90-second Statements

Item 4 on the agenda are the 90-second statements. We have two this week. The first one—Helen Mary Jones. 

Eitem 4 ar yr agenda yw'r datganiadau 90 eiliad. Mae gennym ddau yr wythnos hon. Y cyntaf—Helen Mary Jones.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. This year sees the tenth anniversary of the Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel, a coalition of 35 organisations across Wales who work with the sub-Saharan and African diaspora communities. The organisations do a wide range of work. Some of them support new citizens who've arrived here in Wales. Some of them work raising funds and resources and providing support to communities in the countries from which their family has come.

We welcome today their Welsh-African Diaspora Development Day to our National Assembly, to our Senedd, and I've been delighted to be asked to host this event. Ten of the organisations will have stalls here and will have an opportunity to show their work to their representatives. There'll performances, guest speakers, and I'm particularly grateful that the Minister for overseas matters has agreed to speak at what will be a very important event.

The Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel will be launching their report today of their work over the last 10 years and looking forward and looking ahead to the next 10 years of their important work here in Wales. I'm delighted that they're able to do so here in the home of our democracy, and it's a great opportunity for us, here in our Senedd, to reconfirm to the over 17,000 citizens of Wales with African roots who live in our nation how much we value their contribution to the vibrant, inclusive, outward-looking nation that we are working together to build.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Eleni, mae'n ddeng mlynedd ers sefydlu'r Panel Cynghori Affrica Is-Sahara, cynghrair o 35 o sefydliadau ledled Cymru sy'n gweithio gyda chymunedau alltud Is-Sahara ac Affrica. Mae'r sefydliadau'n gwneud amrywiaeth eang o waith. Mae rhai ohonynt yn cefnogi dinasyddion newydd sydd wedi cyrraedd Cymru. Mae rhai ohonynt yn gweithio i godi arian ac adnoddau a darparu cymorth i gymunedau yn y gwledydd y mae eu teulu'n hanu ohonynt.

Heddiw, rydym yn croesawu eu Diwrnod Datblygu Cymreig-Affricanaidd i'n Cynulliad Cenedlaethol, i'n Senedd, ac roeddwn wrth fy modd pan ofynnwyd i mi gyflwyno'r digwyddiad hwn. Bydd gan ddeg o'r sefydliadau stondinau yma a byddant yn cael cyfle i ddangos eu gwaith i'w cynrychiolwyr. Bydd perfformiadau, siaradwyr gwadd, ac rwy'n arbennig o ddiolchgar fod y Gweinidog materion tramor wedi cytuno i siarad yn y digwyddiad pwysig iawn hwn.

Heddiw, bydd y Panel Cynghori Affrica Is-Sahara yn lansio adroddiad o'u gwaith dros y 10 mlynedd diwethaf ac yn edrych ymlaen i'r dyfodol i 10 mlynedd nesaf eu gwaith pwysig yma yng Nghymru. Rwyf wrth fy modd eu bod yn gallu gwneud hynny yma yng nghartref ein democratiaeth, ac mae'n gyfle gwych i ni, yma yn ein Senedd, i ail-gadarnhau, i dros 17,000 o ddinasyddion Cymru sydd â gwreiddiau Affricanaidd ac sy'n byw yn ein gwlad, gymaint rydym yn gwerthfawrogi eu cyfraniad i'r genedl fywiog, gynhwysol hon sy'n edrych tuag allan, y gweithiwn gyda'n gilydd i'w hadeiladu.

15:25

As we approach Christmas, the busiest time of year for shopping, I want to salute the Welsh high street. There are fantastic examples out there of how a town centre can draw people in and lock money into a local economy. Treorchy high street is a great example. Its vibrancy and attractiveness has been recognised in a competition to find the best high street in the UK. The shortlisters for this competition were impressed by the fact that 80 per cent of its businesses in Treorchy are independent boutique stores and that 10 new businesses have opened on the high street over the past two years, and people want to support them. Voting has now closed and the winner will be announced in the new year. I wish the Treorchy bid all the very best, and if we win, it'll be richly deserved. In the future, I would like to have help given to all of our high streets in the Rhondda so that they can follow the successful model that has been laid out by Treorchy.

Will people give pause for thought about where they buy their Christmas food and presents this year? Now, I know that there are some things that can't be bought in a small town, but there is plenty that can. Many small businesses live and die by their performance over Christmas, so please, everyone, consider this year how much you can think global and shop local.

Wrth inni nesáu at y Nadolig, yr adeg brysuraf o'r flwyddyn ar gyfer siopa, rwyf eisiau talu teyrnged i'r stryd fawr yng Nghymru. Mae enghreifftiau gwych i'w cael o sut y gall canol tref ddenu pobl i mewn a dod ag arian i economi leol. Mae stryd fawr Treorci yn enghraifft wych. Cydnabuwyd ei bywiogrwydd a'i hatyniad mewn cystadleuaeth i ddod o hyd i'r stryd fawr orau yn y DU. Roedd y ffaith bod 80 y cant o'r busnesau yn Nhreorci yn siopau boutique annibynnol, fod 10 busnes newydd wedi agor ar y stryd fawr yn ystod y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf, a bod pobl eisiau eu cefnogi, wedi plesio'r rhai a oedd yn llunio'r rhestr fer ar gyfer y gystadleuaeth. Mae'r pleidleisio bellach ar ben a chyhoeddir yr enillydd yn y flwyddyn newydd. Rwy'n dymuno'r gorau i gais Treorci, ac os enillwn, bydd yn gwbl haeddiannol. Yn y dyfodol, hoffwn sicrhau bod cymorth yn cael ei roi i bob un o'n strydoedd mawr yn y Rhondda fel y gallant ddilyn llwyddiant Treorci.

A wnaiff pobl roi eiliad i feddwl ble y byddant yn prynu eu hanrhegion a'u bwyd Nadolig eleni? Nawr, rwy'n gwybod bod rhai pethau na ellir eu prynu mewn tref fach, ond mae yna ddigonedd y gellir eu prynu. Mae llawer o fusnesau bach yn byw ac yn marw yn sgil eu perfformiad dros y Nadolig, felly os gwelwch yn dda, bawb, ystyriwch sut y gallwch feddwl yn fyd-eang a siopa'n lleol eleni.

5. Dadl ar Adroddiad y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon: Gwasanaethau Nyrsio Cymunedol ac Ardal
5. Debate on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee Report: Community and District Nursing Services

Item 5 on our agenda this afternoon is the debate on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's report: community and district nursing services. And I call on the Chair of the committee to move that motion—Dai Lloyd.

Eitem 5 ar ein hagenda y prynhawn yma yw'r ddadl ar adroddiad y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon: gwasanaethau nyrsio cymunedol ac ardal. A galwaf ar Gadeirydd y pwyllgor i gyflwyno'r cynnig—Dai Lloyd.

Cynnig NDM7210 Dai Lloyd

Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru:

Yn nodi adroddiad y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon: Gwasanaethau nyrsio cymunedol a nyrsio ardal, a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 21 Awst 2019.

Motion NDM7210 Dai Lloyd

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the report of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee: Community and district nursing services, which was laid in the Table Office on 21 August 2019.

Cynigiwyd y cynnig.

Motion moved.

Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Dwi'n falch o agor y ddadl yma heddiw ar adroddiad y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon ar wasanaethau nyrsio cymunedol a nyrsio ardal. Dyma'r pedwerydd yn y gyfres o ymchwiliadau byr a gynhaliwyd yn ddiweddar gan y pwyllgor.

Cynhaliodd y pwyllgor ymchwiliad undydd i waith timau nyrsio cymunedol a arweinir gan nyrsys ardal ac i ansawdd y gofal nyrsio a ddarperir i bobl yn eu cartrefi. Ar y pwynt hwn, hoffwn gydnabod y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar nyrsio a bydwreigiaeth, gan mai drwy eu gwaith nhw y daeth yr ymchwiliad hwn i fod, a chydnabod arweiniad David Rees.

Mae natur newidiol y ddarpariaeth gofal iechyd a'r symudiad i ddarparu mwy o ofal y tu allan i ysbyty yn golygu bod rôl nyrsys cymunedol wedi dod yn fwyfwy heriol. Mae yna gydnabyddiaeth y gallai'r timau nyrsio cymunedol hyn gyfrannu at wasanaethau gofal iechyd yn y dyfodol, ond prin yw'r wybodaeth am y gwasanaeth hwnnw. Does dim darlun cywir o nifer y timau nyrsio na beth yw eu sgiliau. Dydyn ni ddim yn gwybod faint o bobl sy'n derbyn gofal yn eu cartrefi eu hunain, na lefel y gofal sydd ei angen arnyn nhw. Nid yw'n glir chwaith sut mae gwaith timau nyrsio cymunedol yn cael ei fesur a'i gofnodi, na sut mae ansawdd a diogelwch y gwasanaethau hyn yn cael eu monitro. Yn wir, cawsom ein dychryn o glywed nyrsys cymunedol yn disgrifio'u hunain fel y 'gwasanaeth anweledig'.

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm pleased to open the debate today on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's report on community and district nursing services This is the fourth in the series of spotlight inquiries recently undertaken by the committee.

The committee undertook a one-day inquiry into the activity of district nurse-led community nursing teams and the quality of nursing care provided to people in their own homes. At this point, I'd like to acknowledge the cross-party group on nursing and midwifery, as it was through their work that this inquiry came to fruition, and to acknowledge the leadership of David Rees.

The changing nature of healthcare provision and the move to provide more care outside the hospital setting means that the role of community nurses has become increasingly demanding. There is an acknowledgement that these community nursing teams can contribute to healthcare in the future, but the information about that is very scarce. There is no accurate picture of the number and skill mix of nursing teams. We don't know how many people are receiving care in their own homes or the level of care they need. It's also not clear how community nursing teams' activity is measured and reported, or how the quality and safety of services is monitored. Indeed, we were alarmed to hear community nurses describe themselves as the 'invisible service'.

The Royal College of Nursing told us that two thirds of its members work in the community, meeting the needs of elderly, disabled, and vulnerable patients who may otherwise struggle to visit a hospital. The move towards ever-greater delivery of health services in the community has increased people’s expectations of being able to access treatment in this way, and advances in medicine have made this a reality. Witnesses told us that people already expect to be able to receive extremely complex treatment in their own homes. Demand is likely to increase as a result of earlier discharge from hospital, keeping people at home to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, and more people having complex and multiple conditions.

Community nursing teams act as a valuable link between acute services and primary care and promote independent living. It is therefore worrying to hear that nurses are finding it increasingly difficult to meet these increasing demands on them. The Welsh Government must therefore ensure that the crucial role of community nursing in the future delivery of healthcare is properly recognised in its workforce planning, nurse recruitment and training, and that's recommendation 1.

Turning to children's community nurses: the message from witnesses is that there must be an increase in the number of children's community nurses. According to the Royal College of Nursing, an average-sized district with a child population of 50,000 needs at least 20 full-time equivalent community children's nurses to provide a holistic children's community nursing service. This is partly due to the growing number of children with complex needs being cared for at home. It is worrying, therefore, to hear that we have no clear picture of the number of children's nurses currently working in the community. Further, it is extremely concerning to hear that children are less likely to be cared for at home at the end of life than adults because of shortages in appropriately skilled community nurses.

And, moving to palliative and end-of-life care, despite the crucial role community nurses play in enabling patients with palliative care needs to remain at home, we heard that the palliative and end-of-life care delivery plan makes little reference to them. Without a better understanding of who is being cared for where, and by whom, it is impossible to accurately determine the level of unmet need for palliative care. We believe that the Welsh Government must now publish an update on progress made in developing this action plan—that's recommendation 3—and I invite the Minister to update us on this point today.

Turning to district nursing staffing, the Welsh Government has said that it remains committed to extending the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016 to additional settings. However, for district nursing, an appropriate workforce planning tool, required by the Act to calculate the nurse staffing level needed, is not likely to be ready for some years. We therefore recommended that the Welsh Government must produce and publish a strategy for extending the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016 to all settings, including community and district nursing services, and that's recommendation 4.

And, turning to staff morale, some of the most stark evidence we received in committee came from nurses working in the community, who told us, and I quote:

'I left district nursing after 18 years as I could not cope any longer with the stress. The job workload increased more demand on paper work, and under staffed, and patients could not have the care they deserved.'

And another quote:

'The past five years has seen diminishing resources in front-line services. Nurses leaving and recruitment issues. We do not always look after our staff very well, we expect more and more from them.'

The RCN told us that morale is quite low, particularly at senior levels, because of the tremendous pressure community nurses have been under for a long time. Interestingly, this was not a picture that the health board representatives we spoke to recognised in their areas, and it was concerning to hear such conflicting views.

Finally, I'd like to turn to ICT infrastructure and technology, as one of the main issues raised by nurses working in the community was their inability to access the most appropriate technology to enable them to undertake their roles effectively. Half of the district and community nurses who were asked about their experiences of IT support reported using a variety of equipment, including laptops and Blackberries. The other half reported that they didn't have access to a mobile device at all. One witness told us:

'We have no computerised system for documentation. It's all paper.'

Another issue raised by the nurses was their inability to access office calendar and e-mails. The lack of appropriate technology is not only affecting nurses, but also patients who are trying to contact their community and district nursing services. If we are not providing nurses with the most up-to-date technology, how can we possibly expect them to communicate with and provide the best possible support to their patients?

Dywedodd y Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol wrthym fod dwy ran o dair o'i aelodau'n gweithio yn y gymuned, yn diwallu anghenion cleifion oedrannus, anabl ac agored i niwed a allai, fel arall, ei chael hi'n anodd ymweld ag ysbyty. Mae'r symudiad tuag at ddarparu mwyfwy o wasanaethau iechyd yn y gymuned wedi cynyddu disgwyliadau pobl o allu cael mynediad at driniaeth yn y modd hwn, ac mae datblygiadau mewn meddygaeth wedi gwireddu hyn. Dywedodd tystion wrthym fod pobl eisoes yn disgwyl gallu cael triniaeth gymhleth iawn yn eu cartrefi eu hunain. Mae'r galw'n debygol o gynyddu o ganlyniad i ryddhau pobl o'r ysbyty yn gynharach, cadw pobl gartref i osgoi derbyniadau diangen i'r ysbyty, a bod mwy o bobl yn dioddef o gyflyrau cymhleth a lluosog.

Mae timau nyrsio cymunedol yn gweithredu fel cyswllt gwerthfawr rhwng gwasanaethau acíwt a gofal sylfaenol ac maent yn hyrwyddo byw'n annibynnol. Felly, mae clywed bod nyrsys yn ei chael yn fwyfwy anodd ateb y galwadau cynyddol hyn arnynt yn destun pryder. O'r herwydd, mae'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru sicrhau bod rôl hanfodol nyrsio cymunedol wrth ddarparu gofal iechyd yn y dyfodol yn cael ei chydnabod yn briodol wrth gynllunio gweithlu, recriwtio nyrsys ac mewn hyfforddiant, a dyna argymhelliad 1.

Gan droi at nyrsys cymunedol i blant: y neges gan dystion yw fod yn rhaid cael cynnydd yn nifer y nyrsys cymunedol i blant. Yn ôl y Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol, mae ardal o faint cyfartalog sydd â phoblogaeth o 50,000 o blant angen o leiaf 20 o nyrsys cymunedol i blant, cyfwerth ag amser llawn, i ddarparu gwasanaeth nyrsio cymunedol cyfannol ar gyfer plant. Mae hyn yn rhannol oherwydd y nifer cynyddol o blant ag anghenion cymhleth sy'n derbyn gofal gartref. Mae clywed felly nad oes gennym ddarlun clir o nifer y nyrsys plant sy'n gweithio yn y gymuned ar hyn o bryd yn destun pryder. At hynny, mae clywed bod plant yn llai tebygol o dderbyn gofal gartref ar ddiwedd eu hoes nag oedolion oherwydd prinder nyrsys cymunedol sydd â'r sgiliau addas yn destun pryder mawr iawn.

Gan droi at ofal lliniarol a diwedd oes, er gwaethaf y rôl hollbwysig y mae nyrsys cymunedol yn ei chwarae yn galluogi cleifion sydd ag anghenion gofal lliniarol i aros gartref, clywsom nad yw'r cynllun cyflawni ar gyfer darparu gofal lliniarol a diwedd oes yn cyfeirio llawer atynt. Heb ddealltwriaeth well o bwy sy'n derbyn gofal a lle, a chan bwy, mae'n amhosibl pennu lefel yr angen am ofal lliniarol sydd heb ei ddiwallu. Rydym yn credu bod yn rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru gyhoeddi diweddariad ar gynnydd a wnaed ar ddatblygu'r cynllun gweithredu hwn yn awr—argymhelliad 3 yw hwnnw—a gwahoddaf y Gweinidog i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni ar y pwynt hwn heddiw.

Gan droi at staffio nyrsys ardal, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dweud ei bod yn parhau'n ymrwymedig i ymestyn Deddf Lefelau Staff Nyrsio (Cymru) 2016 i gynnwys lleoliadau ychwanegol. Fodd bynnag, ar gyfer nyrsys ardal, nid yw'n debygol y bydd offeryn priodol ar gyfer cynllunio'r gweithlu, sy'n ofynnol o dan y Ddeddf i gyfrifo'r lefel staff nyrsio sydd ei hangen, yn barod am rai blynyddoedd. Felly, rydym yn argymell bod yn rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru gynhyrchu a chyhoeddi strategaeth ar gyfer ymestyn Deddf Lefelau Staff Nyrsio (Cymru) 2016 i gynnwys pob lleoliad, gan gynnwys gwasanaethau nyrsio cymunedol a nyrsio ardal, ac argymhelliad 4 yw hwnnw.

Gan droi at forâl staff, daeth rhywfaint o'r dystiolaeth fwyaf trawiadol a gafodd y pwyllgor gan nyrsys a oedd yn gweithio yn y gymuned, a ddywedodd wrthym, ac rwy'n dyfynnu:

'Gadewais nyrsio ardal ar ôl 18 mlynedd gan na allwn i ymdopi mwyach â’r straen. Cynyddodd y llwyth gwaith, roedd mwy o alw am waith papur, dim digon o staff ac ni allai cleifion gael y gofal yr oeddent yn ei haeddu.'

A dyfyniad arall:

'Mae’r pum mlynedd diwethaf wedi gweld llai o adnoddau mewn gwasanaethau rheng flaen. Nyrsys yn gadael a phroblemau recriwtio. Nid ydym bob amser yn gofalu am ein staff yn dda iawn, rydym yn disgwyl mwy a mwy ganddyn nhw.'

Dywedodd y Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol wrthym fod morâl yn eithaf isel, yn enwedig ar lefelau uwch, oherwydd y pwysau aruthrol sydd wedi bod ar nyrsys cymunedol ers amser maith. Yn ddiddorol, nid oedd hwn yn ddarlun roedd cynrychiolwyr y byrddau iechyd y buom yn siarad â hwy wedi ei nodi yn eu hardaloedd, ac roedd clywed safbwyntiau mor wahanol yn peri pryder.

Yn olaf, hoffwn droi at seilwaith TGCh a thechnoleg, gan mai un o'r prif faterion a godwyd gan nyrsys sy'n gweithio yn y gymuned oedd eu hanallu i ddefnyddio'r dechnoleg fwyaf priodol i'w galluogi i gyflawni eu rolau'n effeithiol. Dywedodd hanner y nyrsys ardal a'r nyrsys cymunedol y gofynnwyd iddynt am eu profiadau o gymorth TG eu bod yn defnyddio amrywiaeth o offer, gan gynnwys gliniaduron a dyfeisiau 'Blackberry'. Nododd yr hanner arall nad oedd ganddynt ddyfais symudol o gwbl at eu defnydd. Dywedodd un tyst wrthym:

'Does gennym ni ddim system gyfrifiadurol ar gyfer dogfennaeth - mae’n bapur i gyd.'

Mater arall a godwyd gan y nyrsys oedd eu hanallu i gael mynediad at galendr a negeseuon e-bost y swyddfa. Nid yn unig y mae diffyg technoleg briodol yn effeithio ar nyrsys, mae hefyd yn effeithio ar gleifion sy'n ceisio cysylltu â'u gwasanaethau nyrsio cymunedol a nyrsio ardal. Os nad ydym yn darparu'r dechnoleg ddiweddaraf i nyrsys, sut yn y byd y gallwn ddisgwyl iddynt gyfathrebu â'u cleifion a rhoi'r cymorth gorau posibl iddynt?

15:30

Daeth Suzy Davies i’r Gadair.

Suzy Davies took the Chair.

Mae'n annerbyniol nad yw nyrsys sy'n gweithio yn y gymuned yn gallu cael mynediad at wybodaeth am gleifion, apwyntiadau neu negeseuon e-bost ar ddyfeisiau llaw, a'u bod nhw'n dal i ddibynnu ar systemau papur a thechnoleg sydd wedi dyddio. Arhosaf i glywed sylwadau eraill yn y ddadl hon. Diolch yn fawr.

It is unacceptable that nurses working in the community have limited access to patient information, appointments or e-mails via handheld devices and are instead reliant on paper-based systems and outdated technology. I will wait to hear other comments in this debate. Thank you.

I'm very grateful to take part in this debate on the committee report. And the first thing, actually, I'd like to do is pay an enormous tribute to all of the district nurses and community nurses out there in Wales. I speak from personal experience when I say that, after the arrival of No. 1 daughter, it was the district nurse that helped me keep my sanity, because I certainly had no idea what I was supposed to do once I arrived home. They are the unsung heroes, and, in fact, our report describes them as 'the invisible service'. And I think it's worth us all remembering that there's no accurate picture, at national level, of the number and skill mix of nursing teams, nor the numbers in our teams, the acuity levels of the patients that they're having to deal with. And this, of course, impacts on workforce planning, on recruitment and retention. And I think that the Chair of the committee has very, very clearly laid out, actually, the stress levels that district and community nurses face, and how this is driving people out of a profession that we so desperately need, particularly, Minister, if you are going to carry on a direction of travel that we all support, which is about treating people at home, in the community, in their homes, rather than sending them off to hospitals or to other facilities.

And I do find—. And I want to particularly speak to recommendations 6, 7 and 8. Six is about data, 7 and 8 are about training and recruitment. Because I find that the availability of data on nursing services is beyond poor. I recognise that health boards understand that, but not knowing for sure how many nurses in the community are district nurses, or not knowing how many district nurses are nurse practitioners, must seriously hamper the planning and delivery of services. And acknowledging that there are significant challenges in terms of data and the future development of the ICT infrastructure is a step forward. But I have to point out that this is a step that the Welsh Government and the health boards have been standing on for years. So, I'd like to know when will we see the roll-out of the Welsh community care information system. It's only in one health board, and that's Powys, at the moment.

And I just want to read out a couple of little highlighted segments from this report. This is what the people who work in our community services have to cope with—and you think about all the technology that we're surrounded with here to help us do our job—

'We have mobile phones without access to diary or email though colleagues in local authority have both and a functioning electronic system for health records.'

But district nurses, community nurses, don't.

'We have very little IT to support integration and CRT working. District Nurses are on paper; some therapy staff are on therapy manager; social care colleagues on WCCIS.'

'Most of the team have blackberry's, years old, that don't work sufficiently.... We have no computerised system for documentation—it’s all paper.'

And one of the concerns I have—and it runs, actually, across a wide variety of the health service—is I very often write to you, Minister, to ask for data on a range of topics, and you come back, in your written answer, and you say, 'No data held centrally'. Okay, I get that. I will then do an FOI on every single health board, following your answer, and guess what they come back and say? 'No data held centrally. No data recorded. This data isn't known; it's not cut, sliced and diced in this way.' If we don't have this essential data, how can we do workforce planning and management, how can we really target recruitment and retention? Are we not setting up Health Education and Improvement Wales to fail, because, if we can't access the data, and the Minister's obviously not got the data, I don't suppose for one moment HEIW have got the data either.

I would also like to know who will be evaluating the success of the Malinko software pilot at Cwm Taf. I'd be interested to know who's going to be evaluating it, when you expect the evaluation to happen. Because, as I understand it, if it does all that it says it does, then it would be a very good thing to roll out across all of our health boards. But I would like it independently evaluated, given Cwm Taf's current situation.

And my last and final point that I want to make, which is slightly in this report but it is an adjunct to it—we all know that primary care is based on the multidisciplinary team model. However, it is hampered at times by lines of reporting, and that does apply to district and community nurses, because, of course, most of them report back to health boards, rather than clusters or GP practices. Now, I've had a couple of cases where we've had seriously ill constituents—terminal cancer, GP has gone out, they need the support of a district nurse. But because there hasn't been a 13-page form filled in, their doctor, who says, 'This person must be nursed and looked at by a district nurse in their home', hasn't been able to do it, because they've got to go back to the health board and then follow a very convoluted way of being able to provide that service. So, can we just look at that and tightening it up? Because they're an integral part of the primary care team, and they need to be under the auspices of those who lead the primary care function.

Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn i gael cymryd rhan yn y ddadl hon ar adroddiad y pwyllgor. A'r peth cyntaf, mewn gwirionedd, yr hoffwn ei wneud yw talu teyrnged enfawr i'r holl nyrsys ardal a nyrsys cymunedol sydd yng Nghymru. Rwy'n siarad o brofiad personol pan ddywedaf, ar ôl genedigaeth fy merch gyntaf, mai'r nyrs ardal a helpodd fi i gadw fy mhwyll, oherwydd, yn sicr, nid oedd gennyf syniad beth oeddwn i fod i'w wneud ar ôl i mi gyrraedd adref. Maent yn arwyr nad ydynt yn cael digon o glod, ac mewn gwirionedd, mae ein hadroddiad yn eu disgrifio fel 'y gwasanaeth anweledig'. Ac rwy'n credu ei bod yn werth i bawb ohonom gofio nad oes darlun cywir, ar lefel genedlaethol, o nifer a chymysgedd sgiliau timau nyrsio, y niferoedd yn ein timau na lefelau aciwtedd y cleifion y maent yn gorfod ymdrin â hwy. Ac mae hyn, wrth gwrs, yn effeithio ar gynllunio'r gweithlu, ar recriwtio a chadw staff. A chredaf fod Cadeirydd y pwyllgor wedi nodi'n glir iawn y lefelau straen y mae nyrsys ardal a nyrsys cymunedol yn eu hwynebu, a sut y mae hyn yn gwneud i bobl adael proffesiwn rydym ei angen yn daer, yn enwedig, Weinidog, os ydych yn bwriadu parhau â chyfeiriad teithio rydym i gyd yn ei gefnogi, sef trin pobl gartref, yn y gymuned, yn eu cartrefi, yn hytrach na'u hanfon i ysbytai neu gyfleusterau eraill.

Ac rwy'n canfod—. Ac rwyf eisiau siarad yn benodol am argymhellion 6, 7 ac 8. Mae 6 yn ymwneud â data, a 7 ac 8 yn ymwneud â hyfforddiant a recriwtio. Oherwydd gwelaf fod argaeledd data am wasanaethau nyrsio yn wael tu hwnt. Rwy'n cydnabod bod byrddau iechyd yn deall hynny, ond mae'n rhaid bod peidio â gwybod yn sicr faint o nyrsys yn y gymuned sy'n nyrsys ardal, neu beidio â gwybod faint o nyrsys ardal sy'n ymarferwyr nyrsio, yn rhwystro'r gwaith o gynllunio a darparu gwasanaethau yn ddifrifol. Ac mae cydnabod bod heriau sylweddol o ran data a datblygu'r seilwaith TGCh yn y dyfodol yn gam ymlaen. Ond mae'n rhaid i mi nodi bod hwn yn gam y mae Llywodraeth Cymru a'r byrddau iechyd wedi bod yn sefyll arno ers blynyddoedd. Felly, hoffwn wybod pryd y bydd system wybodaeth gofal cymunedol Cymru yn cael ei chyflwyno. Nid yw'r system ond ar waith mewn un bwrdd iechyd ar hyn o bryd, a Phowys yw hwnnw.

Hoffwn ddarllen ychydig o ddarnau sydd wedi'u hamlygu yn yr adroddiad hwn. Dyma'r hyn y mae'n rhaid i'r bobl sy'n gweithio yn ein gwasanaethau cymunedol ymdopi ag ef—ac rydych yn meddwl am yr holl dechnoleg sy'n ein hamgylchynu yma i'n helpu i wneud ein gwaith—

'Mae gennym ni ffonau symudol heb fynediad at ddyddiadur nac e-bost, er bod cydweithwyr yn yr awdurdod lleol yn meddu ar system electronig weithredol ar gyfer cofnodion iechyd.'

Ond nid oes gan nyrsys ardal, nyrsys cymunedol, fynediad at y pethau hyn.

'Ychydig iawn o TG sydd gennym i gefnogi integreiddio a gwaith Timau Adnoddau Cymunedol. Mae Nyrsys Ardal ar bapur; mae rhai staff therapi ar Therapy Manager; cydweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol ar WCCIS.'

'Mae gan y rhan fwyaf o’r tîm ddyfeisiau ‘blackberry’, ond tydyn nhw ddim yn gweithio’n ddigon da.... Does gennym ni ddim system gyfrifiadurol ar gyfer dogfennaeth—mae’n bapur i gyd.'

Ac un o'r pryderon sydd gennyf—ac mae'n rhedeg ar draws amrywiaeth eang o'r gwasanaeth iechyd mewn gwirionedd—yw fy mod yn ysgrifennu atoch yn aml iawn, Weinidog, i ofyn am ddata ar amrywiaeth o bynciau, ac fe ddowch yn ôl ataf yn eich ateb ysgrifenedig, a dweud , 'Ni chedwir unrhyw ddata yn ganolog'. Iawn, rwy'n derbyn hynny. Byddaf yn cyflwyno cais rhyddid gwybodaeth wedyn ar bob bwrdd iechyd, yn dilyn eich ateb, a dyfalwch beth y maent yn ei ddweud? 'Ni chedwir unrhyw ddata yn ganolog. Nid oes unrhyw ddata wedi'i gofnodi. Nid yw'r data hwn yn hysbys; nid yw'n cael ei dorri a'i rannu yn y ffordd hon.' Os nad oes gennym y data hanfodol hwn, sut y gallwn ni reoli a chynllunio'r gweithlu, sut y gallwn fynd ati o ddifrif i dargedu recriwtio a chadw staff? Onid ydym yn sefydlu Addysg a Gwella Iechyd Cymru i fethu, oherwydd, os na allwn gael gafael ar y data, ac yn amlwg nid yw'r data gan y Gweinidog, nid wyf yn tybio am un eiliad fod y data gan Addysg a Gwella Iechyd Cymru chwaith.

Hoffwn wybod hefyd pwy fydd yn gwerthuso llwyddiant cynllun peilot meddalwedd Malinko yng Nghwm Taf. Byddai diddordeb gennyf mewn gwybod pwy fydd yn ei werthuso, pryd rydych yn disgwyl i'r gwerthusiad ddigwydd. Oherwydd, yn ôl yr hyn a ddeallaf, os yw'n gwneud popeth y dywed y mae'n ei wneud, byddai'n beth da iawn i'w gyflwyno ar draws ein holl fyrddau iechyd. Ond hoffwn iddo gael ei werthuso'n annibynnol, o ystyried sefyllfa bresennol Cwm Taf.

A'r pwynt olaf a therfynol yr hoffwn ei wneud, sydd yn yr adroddiad hwn i raddau ond sy'n ategiad iddo—mae pawb yn gwybod bod gofal sylfaenol yn seiliedig ar y model tîm amlddisgyblaethol. Fodd bynnag, mae'n cael ei lesteirio ar adegau gan linellau adrodd, ac mae hynny'n berthnasol i nyrsys ardal a nyrsys cymunedol, oherwydd, wrth gwrs, mae'r rhan fwyaf ohonynt yn adrodd yn ôl i fyrddau iechyd, yn hytrach na chlystyrau neu bractisau meddygon teulu. Nawr, rwyf wedi cael un neu ddau o achosion lle roedd gennym etholwyr difrifol wael—canser angheuol, mae'r meddyg teulu wedi mynd allan, mae angen cefnogaeth nyrs ardal arnynt. Ond gan nad oes ffurflen 13 tudalen wedi'i llenwi, nid yw eu meddyg, sy'n dweud, 'Rhaid i nyrs ardal nyrsio'r person hwn a gofalu amdano yn ei gartref', wedi gallu ei wneud, oherwydd bod yn rhaid iddynt ddychwelyd i'r bwrdd iechyd a dilyn llwybr troellog iawn er mwyn gallu darparu'r gwasanaeth hwnnw. Felly, a gawn ni edrych ar hynny a'i dynhau? Oherwydd maent yn rhan annatod o'r tîm gofal sylfaenol, ac mae angen iddynt fod o dan adain y rhai sy'n arwain y swyddogaeth gofal sylfaenol.

15:35

I'd like to add my voice to what other speakers have already said—our gratitude to all those who contributed to the inquiry. I'd like to pay tribute to our Chair. I think these one-day, short, sharp inquiries are a really useful model and enable us to get to the heart of issues really quickly. I'm particularly grateful to the nursing staff who provided evidence.

Hoffwn ychwanegu fy llais at yr hyn y mae siaradwyr eraill eisoes wedi'i ddweud—diolch i bawb a gyfrannodd at yr ymchwiliad. Hoffwn dalu teyrnged i'n Cadeirydd. Rwy'n credu bod yr ymchwiliadau undydd, byr a sydyn hyn yn fodel defnyddiol iawn sy'n ein galluogi i fynd at wraidd pethau'n gyflym iawn. Rwy'n arbennig o ddiolchgar i'r staff nyrsio a ddarparodd dystiolaeth.

The thing that was left in my head after this inquiry was the term 'the invisible service', and that's already been mentioned by others—the extent to which the work that these nurses do largely goes unseen unless it is not done or unless it goes wrong—and also the evidence that they gave about the level of responsibility of a nurse on her or his own in a family home, in a nursing home, perhaps, where they don't have the whole support network of nursing staff that's available to nursing staff who are working in hospital settings.

Now, like many others, I'm sure, I was very glad to see the Minister accept nine out of the 10 recommendations, until I read in detail what he was saying in response to those recommendations. And I'm afraid that what he was telling us was that much of what we were asking for, what the nursing staff were asking for, was already happening. Well, as Dai Lloyd has said, it's difficult sometimes when you have conflicting evidence, but, when I have nurses before me and I have senior managers before me, I am inclined to believe the front-line staff, who may know better what's going on on the ground.

I was particularly concerned that the Minister's response only highlights additional resourcing, or possible additional resourcing, for one of the recommendations that he accepts. Because if we are to meet his aspiration—an aspiration, I think, shared across this Chamber and across Wales—of moving more services into the community, we will have to have a larger, better supported, better resourced workforce, and that doesn't come for nothing.

I want to turn briefly to the recommendation that the Minister decided to reject, and that is recommendation 4, which is that the Welsh Government should produce and publish a strategy for extending the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016 to all settings, including community and district nursing. Now, while I appreciate it's more difficult to do that—. It's relatively straightforward to know how many nurses at what level of skill are needed to support a particular set of patients in a particular ward because it's relatively easy to work out what their level of need is—the patients' level of need. And it's been difficult to do that, and this, of course, feeds into the points that Angela Burns has already made about the issues with information.

But if we are serious about treating community services with the same level of respect as we treat services that are provided in hospitals, if we are serious about providing community nursing staff with the same level of respect and the same level of support, then surely we must move to make those assessments, to work out the acuity, the sickness, of the patients that they're dealing with and the skills that they need and the time that they need, and, therefore, the level of community and district nursing that is safe for that particular population. And it is beyond me to understand why the Minister does not agree. I would have been perfectly happy to see him say that this will take a longer time, perhaps, than we as a committee were asking for, but simply to suggest that it's not necessary is a real matter of concern.

I want to highlight one particular aspect that I think the Minister may be taking moves towards addressing, and that is issues around terms and conditions for nurses employed by GP practices rather than directly by the health boards. It's very clear to me that the terms and conditions for some of those nurses have not kept pace with the terms of those nurses who are directly employed. A particular concern that's been raised with me by individual nurses in my own region is that they often don't have time for learning. Now we know that's a problem across the whole sector, but, if you're perhaps one nurse on your own, employed by a rural GP practice, it can be incredibly difficult for you to be released to increase your skills. I think the work the Minister highlighted the other day in terms of making sure that GP practices are reporting what levels of staffing they've got now may help with that, but I think it's really, really important that we protect the terms and conditions of that very important group of nursing staff.

I think there's an element of agreement about the issues that face us. The question now has to be how quickly and how effectively we can move to address those issues. It's a word I find myself using again and again, and not one that I particularly want to use, but I'm afraid that there are elements of the Government's response to this report that do appear complacent to me and, more seriously, appear complacent to the nursing workforce. Our nursing workforce staff deserve better than that. Our community nursing workforce deserve better than that from us all, and, very importantly, so do their patients.

I am sure that we all agree with the Minister that we need to grow our community services, but unless we properly resource and respect our community nursing workforce we won't be able to do that.

Y peth a arhosodd yn fy mhen ar ôl yr ymchwiliad hwn oedd y term 'gwasanaeth anweledig', ac mae hynny eisoes wedi cael ei grybwyll gan eraill—y ffaith nad yw'r gwaith y mae'r nyrsys hyn yn ei wneud yn cael ei weld, i raddau helaeth, oni bai eu bod yn peidio â'i wneud neu oni bai fod rhywbeth yn mynd o'i le—a hefyd y dystiolaeth a roesant am lefel cyfrifoldeb nyrs ar ei phen ei hun mewn cartref teuluol, mewn cartref nyrsio, efallai, lle nad oes ganddynt rwydwaith o gymorth gan staff nyrsio sydd ar gael i staff nyrsio sy'n gweithio mewn ysbytai.

Nawr, fel llawer o bobl eraill, rwy'n siŵr, roeddwn yn falch iawn o weld y Gweinidog yn derbyn naw o'r 10 argymhelliad, nes i mi ddarllen yn fanwl yr hyn a ddywedodd mewn ymateb i'r argymhellion hynny. Ac rwy'n ofni mai'r hyn a ddywedodd wrthym oedd fod llawer o'r hyn y gofynnem amdano, yr hyn y gofynnai'r staff nyrsio amdano, eisoes yn digwydd. Wel, fel y dywedodd Dai Lloyd, mae'n anodd weithiau pan fydd gennych dystiolaeth sy'n gwrthdaro, ond pan fo gennyf nyrsys o fy mlaen a phan fo gennyf uwch reolwyr o fy mlaen, rwy'n dueddol o gredu'r staff rheng flaen, sy'n gwybod yn well beth sy'n digwydd ar lawr gwlad.

Roeddwn yn pryderu'n benodol nad yw ymateb y Gweinidog ond yn tynnu sylw at adnoddau ychwanegol, neu adnoddau ychwanegol posibl, ar gyfer un o'r argymhellion y mae'n eu derbyn. Oherwydd os ydym am wireddu ei ddyhead—dyhead, rwy'n credu, a rennir ar draws y Siambr hon a ledled Cymru—i weld mwy o wasanaethau'n cael eu symud i'r gymuned, bydd yn rhaid inni gael gweithlu mwy, gyda mwy o gefnogaeth, gyda gwell adnoddau, ac ni chawn hynny yn rhad ac am ddim.

Hoffwn droi'n fyr at yr argymhelliad y penderfynodd y Gweinidog ei wrthod, sef argymhelliad 4, sy'n dweud y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru gynhyrchu a chyhoeddi strategaeth ar gyfer ymestyn Deddf Lefelau Staff Nyrsio (Cymru) 2016 i gynnwys pob lleoliad, gan gynnwys gwasanaethau nyrsio cymunedol a nyrsio ardal. Nawr, er fy mod yn derbyn ei bod yn anos gwneud hynny—. Mae'n gymharol hawdd canfod faint o nyrsys, gyda pha lefel o sgiliau, sydd eu hangen i gefnogi set benodol o gleifion mewn ward benodol oherwydd ei bod yn gymharol hawdd canfod beth yw lefel eu hangen—lefel angen y cleifion. Ac mae wedi bod yn anodd gwneud hynny, ac mae hyn, wrth gwrs, yn bwydo i mewn i'r pwyntiau y mae Angela Burns eisoes wedi'u gwneud am y problemau gyda gwybodaeth.

Ond os ydym o ddifrif ynglŷn â thrin gwasanaethau cymunedol gyda'r un parch ag y byddwn yn trin gwasanaethau a ddarperir mewn ysbytai, os ydym o ddifrif ynglŷn â darparu'r un lefel o barch a'r un lefel o gymorth i staff nyrsio cymunedol, does bosibl nad oes rhaid inni wneud yr asesiadau hynny, canfod aciwtedd a salwch y cleifion y maent yn ymdrin â hwy a'r sgiliau y maent eu hangen a'r amser y maent ei angen, ac felly, nifer y nyrsys cymunedol a'r nyrsys ardal sy'n ddiogel ar gyfer y boblogaeth benodol honno. Ac ni allaf ddeall pam nad yw'r Gweinidog yn cytuno. Buaswn wedi bod yn berffaith hapus i'w weld yn dweud y byddai hyn yn cymryd mwy o amser, efallai, nag y gofynnem amdano fel pwyllgor, ond mae awgrymu nad yw'n angenrheidiol yn peri pryder gwirioneddol.

Hoffwn dynnu sylw at un agwedd benodol y credaf efallai fod y Gweinidog yn rhoi camau ar waith i fynd i'r afael â hi, sef materion yn ymwneud â thelerau ac amodau ar gyfer nyrsys a gyflogir gan bractisau meddygon teulu yn hytrach nag yn uniongyrchol gan y byrddau iechyd. Mae'n amlwg iawn i mi fod y telerau a'r amodau i rai o'r nyrsys hynny yn llusgo ar ôl telerau nyrsys a gyflogir yn uniongyrchol. Un pryder penodol a godwyd gyda mi gan nyrsys unigol yn fy rhanbarth yw nad oes ganddynt amser ar gyfer dysgu yn aml. Nawr, rydym yn gwybod bod honno'n broblem ar draws y sector cyfan, ond os ydych yn nyrs ar eich pen eich hun, efallai, wedi'ch cyflogi gan bractis meddyg teulu gwledig, gall fod yn anhygoel o anodd i chi gael eich rhyddhau i wella eich sgiliau. Rwy'n credu y gallai'r gwaith a amlygwyd gan y Gweinidog y diwrnod o'r blaen o ran gwneud yn siŵr fod practisau meddygon teulu yn adrodd ar y lefelau staffio sydd ganddynt helpu gyda hynny, ond rwy'n credu ei bod yn wirioneddol bwysig ein bod yn diogelu telerau ac amodau'r grŵp pwysig hwnnw o staff nyrsio.

Rwy'n credu bod yna elfen o gytundeb ynglŷn â'r materion sy'n ein hwynebu. Y cwestiwn yn awr yw pa mor gyflym a pha mor effeithiol y gallwn fynd i'r afael â'r materion hynny. Mae'n air rwy'n ei ddefnyddio dro ar ôl tro, ac nid yw'n un rwyf eisiau ei ddefnyddio fel y cyfryw, ond ofnaf fod elfennau o ymateb y Llywodraeth i'r adroddiad hwn sy'n ymddangos yn hunanfodlon ac yn fwy difrifol, maent yn ymddangos yn hunanfodlon i'r gweithlu nyrsio. Mae staff ein gweithlu nyrsio yn haeddu gwell na hynny. Mae ein gweithlu nyrsio cymunedol yn haeddu gwell na hynny gan bawb ohonom, ac yn bwysig iawn, mae eu cleifion yn haeddu gwell na hynny hefyd.

Rwy'n siŵr ein bod i gyd yn cytuno â'r Gweinidog fod angen inni ddatblygu ein gwasanaethau cymunedol, ond oni bai ein bod yn rhoi adnoddau a pharch priodol i'n gweithlu nyrsio cymunedol, ni fyddwn yn gallu gwneud hynny.

15:45

I thank the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee for their report into community and district nursing services. Community nursing is an essential service that helps keep patients out of hospital and remain in their own homes. As our demography changes, as we all live longer with increasingly complex chronic illness, the services provided by district and community nurses become more essential. 

Over the past two decades, we have lost over 5,000 NHS hospital beds, despite our population increasing by over 200,000. Without district and community nurses, our NHS would be overwhelmed. Despite this, the service continues to be undervalued. Giving evidence to the committee, community nurses described themselves as 'the invisible service', and this is very sad to hear. I therefore welcome the committee's recommendations, which are aimed at improving provision but, more importantly, recognise the absolutely vital role that our district and community nurses play in delivering health and social care in Wales. 

I am pleased that the Welsh Government have accepted nine out of 10 of the recommendations. What I don't understand is the Minister's rationale for rejecting recommendation 4. Extending the nurse staffing levels Act to all settings is the right thing to do. I accept that it won't be easy or doable overnight, but that is not a reason to reject the recommendation out of hand. Welsh Government should accept, at least in principle, that work needs to commence on achieving safe staffing levels now, not at some unspecified future date. 

The Welsh Government have to accept all 10 recommendations and act upon them swiftly if we are to ensure the future of the service. Morale is at an all-time low, yet we, as a nation, are becoming more reliant upon the services provided by our hardworking, dedicated district and community nurses. We have to demonstrate that we value our community nurses; accepting and implementing all 10 of those recommendations would be a good start. Thank you.  

Diolch i'r Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon am ei adroddiad ar wasanaethau nyrsio cymunedol a nyrsio ardal. Mae nyrsio cymunedol yn wasanaeth hanfodol sy'n helpu i gadw cleifion allan o'r ysbyty ac yn caniatáu iddynt aros yn eu cartrefi eu hunain. Wrth i'n demograffeg newid, wrth i ni gyd fyw'n hwy gyda salwch cronig mwyfwy cymhleth, mae'r gwasanaethau a ddarperir gan nyrsys ardal a nyrsys cymunedol yn dod yn fwy hanfodol.  

Dros y ddau ddegawd diwethaf, rydym wedi colli dros 5,000 o welyau ysbyty'r GIG, er bod ein poblogaeth wedi cynyddu dros 200,000. Heb nyrsys ardal a nyrsys cymunedol, byddai ein GIG yn boddi. Er gwaethaf hyn, nid yw'r gwasanaeth yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n ddigonol o hyd. Wrth roi tystiolaeth i'r pwyllgor, disgrifiodd nyrsys cymunedol eu hunain fel y 'gwasanaeth anweledig', ac mae hyn yn drist iawn i'w glywed. Felly, rwy'n croesawu argymhellion y pwyllgor, sydd wedi'u hanelu at wella'r ddarpariaeth, ond yn bwysicach, rwy'n cydnabod y rôl gwbl hanfodol y mae ein nyrsys ardal a'n nyrsys cymunedol yn ei chwarae wrth ddarparu iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru.  

Rwy'n falch fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn naw o'r 10 argymhelliad. Yr hyn nad wyf yn ei ddeall yw rhesymeg y Gweinidog dros wrthod argymhelliad 4. Ymestyn y Ddeddf lefelau staff nyrsio i gynnwys pob lleoliad yw'r peth iawn i'w wneud. Rwy'n derbyn na fydd yn hawdd ac na fydd yn bosibl ei wneud dros nos, ond nid yw hynny'n rheswm dros wrthod yr argymhelliad ar unwaith. Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru dderbyn, mewn egwyddor o leiaf, fod angen dechrau ar y gwaith o sicrhau lefelau staffio diogel yn awr, nid ar ryw ddyddiad amhenodol yn y dyfodol.  

Mae'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru dderbyn pob un o'r 10 argymhelliad a gweithredu arnynt yn gyflym os ydym am sicrhau dyfodol y gwasanaeth. Mae morâl yn is nag erioed, ac eto fel gwlad rydym yn mynd yn fwy dibynnol ar y gwasanaethau a ddarperir gan ein nyrsys ardal a nyrsys cymunedol ymroddedig a gweithgar. Mae'n rhaid inni ddangos ein bod yn gwerthfawrogi ein nyrsys cymunedol; byddai derbyn a gweithredu pob un o'r 10 argymhelliad yn ddechrau da. Diolch.    

Diolch yn fawr. Galwaf ar y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasnaethau Cymdeithasol, Vaughan Gething. 

Thank you very much. I call on the Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething.   

Thank you, acting Deputy Presiding Officer. I want to thank the committee for their inquiry and report into community and district nursing services in Wales. I'm pleased to say that the recommendations do broadly reflect Welsh Government policy, as articulated in our 'A Healthier Wales' vision of more care being delivered closer to home. We know that, as part of a multidisciplinary approach to delivering this aim, registered nurses will continue to play a pivotal role. 

The majority of the recommendations relate directly to the community workforce in terms of planning, recruitment and training. Significant work has already been undertaken to increase the nursing workforce here in Wales with positive results. However, we are never complacent and recognise that there are challenges around the recruitment and retention of nurses in a number of settings. That is why I have again increased health education funding by 13 per cent for the next year, compared to the one that we are in. We went through the figures yesterday on the significant increases in nurse education and training here in Wales over the last six years. 

With the establishment of Health Education and Improvement Wales, we are now in a better position—a better position than ever—to ensure a national strategic approach to understanding our workforce and producing a sustainable supply of nursing staff for the future. The Welsh Government director of workforce and organisational development is liaising closely with Health Inspectorate Wales, as they develop their future workforce strategy, and that will ensure that recommendations 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 factor into that work. 

I recognise, of course, the crucial role that technology plays in community nursing, which was referred to by a number of Members in the debate. That is why the Welsh Government is working with all health boards in supporting investment in modern devices. I meet district nurses in my own constituency and around the country and they do describe some of the frustrations that some Members have referred to. It's again part of the challenge I regularly describe about catching up with what normal life is now like and our ability to do things on mobile devices. This does include the work that I've described within the Government—the prioritisation of mobile devices for community nurses and others who are not based in a hospital setting. We committed in 'A Healthier Wales' to significantly increase investment in digital as a key enabler of change, and that is supported by an increasing emphasis on common national standards across digital devices and applications.

Members will recall that I endorsed the chief nursing officer principles for district nursing in 2017. These are an essential step in the preparation for the further roll-out of the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016. The intelligence provided from that, and the monitoring that my officials from the chief nurse's office regularly undertake, are an important step, and I understand that progress is being made on the ground.

In terms of further work on what the model should look like, we are undertaking an evaluation of the neighbourhood district nursing model. Subject to that being a successful evaluation, I will then consider options for commencing the roll-out of that right across Wales over the next financial year as part of our response to the forthcoming budget round.

I am sorry that I couldn't accept all of the committee's recommendations, and I understand that Members have referred in particular to the one that I didn't. That was specifically recommendation 4, which relates to the extension of the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act. Section 25A of the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act already applies to all settings where nursing care is either provided or commissioned. This duty sets out the overarching responsibility of health boards to ensure that there are sufficient nurses to care for patients sensitively, and health boards are committed to meeting that responsibility.

Regarding the extension of section 25B, C and E of the Act to all settings, the honest truth is that it wouldn't be possible at this time to articulate a strategic vision with any detail that could be considered valuable and worthwhile. There are significant and fundamental differences to the various settings in which nurses provide care, and it is too early to begin to understand the complexity around the variability across all settings.

A substantial piece of mapping will need to be undertaken by the all-Wales nurse staffing programme before a national strategy can be contemplated, but the programme manager has begun the early stages of that work. That's underscored by the reality of the work that is already ongoing that has underpinned the initial stage of roll-out, the pieces of work that are already in train at present, and, of course, the work that took place before my written statement today, where I confirmed that I had commenced the legislative process to extend the Act to paediatric inpatient wards, with the intention that the practical extension will be in place by April 2021. I will, of course, write to the committee setting out current progress across all nurse staffing programme workstreams.

There's a final point that I think is worth mentioning in terms of the debate, and that is that the publication of the committee's report was in August. The Nursing and Midwifery Council, the professional regulator, then announced that it intended to conduct a full review of post-registration recordable qualifications, and has explicitly identified specialist practice qualifications. That could potentially have significant ramifications for community-based roles and the way in which they are defined. Such roles include, specifically, general practice nurses, community children's nurses and, especially, district nurses. I will, though, keep the Assembly—through the committee—appraised of the outcome of that review and the ways that that might affect the practical implementation of W