Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
04/02/2020Cynnwys
Contents
Cyfarfu’r Cynulliad am 13:30 gyda’r Llywydd (Elin Jones) yn y Gadair.
The Assembly met at 13:30 with the Llywydd (Elin Jones) in the Chair.
Galw'r Aelodau i drefn.
I call Members to order.
Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein agenda ni y prynhawn yma yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Carwyn Jones.
The first item on our agenda this afternoon is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Carwyn Jones.
1. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am y diwygiadau i gymorth i fyfyrwyr mewn prifysgolion? OAQ55044
1. Will the First Minister make a statement on the reforms to university student support? OAQ55044
Llywydd, Wales has the fairest, most progressive and sustainable student support system anywhere in the United Kingdom. It includes parity for part time and postgraduate students. The Welsh Government's target of a 10 per cent increase in the number of Welsh postgraduate students by the end of this Senedd term has already been achieved.
Llywydd, mae gan Gymru y system cymorth i fyfyrwyr decaf, fwyaf blaengar a chynaliadwy mewn unrhyw le yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Mae'n cynnwys cydraddoldeb i fyfyrwyr rhan-amser ac ôl-raddedig. Mae targed Llywodraeth Cymru o gynnydd o 10 y cant i nifer myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig Cymru erbyn diwedd tymor y Senedd hon eisoes wedi'i gyflawni.
Thank you, First Minister. Can I congratulate the Government on the success of the reformed support packages for higher education? In particular, of course, we see an increase of more than 1,500 students who are now studying at postgrad level, and that shows that we continue in Wales to produce graduates of the highest calibre, and of course they contribute so much to us having a high-skills economy. First Minister, do you agree with me that this increase in postgraduate students is a sign of the success of the Government in looking to build the skills pipeline that we need in order to create a high-quality, high-wage economy?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. A gaf i longyfarch y Llywodraeth ar lwyddiant y pecynnau cymorth diwygiedig ar gyfer addysg uwch? Yn arbennig, wrth gwrs, rydym ni'n gweld cynnydd o fwy na 1,500 o fyfyrwyr sy'n astudio ar lefel ôl-raddedig erbyn hyn, ac mae hynny'n dangos ein bod ni'n parhau yng Nghymru i gynhyrchu graddedigion o'r radd flaenaf, ac wrth gwrs, maen nhw'n cyfrannu cymaint at y ffaith bod gennym ni economi sgiliau uchel. Prif Weinidog, a ydych chi'n cytuno â mi bod y cynnydd hwn i nifer y myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig yn arwydd o lwyddiant y Llywodraeth o ran ceisio adeiladu'r biblinell sgiliau sydd ei hangen arnom i greu economi o ansawdd uchel â chyflogau uchel?
I thank Carwyn Jones for that supplementary question. He's absolutely right, Llywydd, to draw the link between the investment we make in the higher education sector and the future success of the Welsh economy. The figures that he points to are remarkable. They show a 7 per cent increase in part-time students as a result of the policies followed by this Government. They show a 9 per cent increase in postgraduate students. And they really are an investment, as Carwyn Jones has said, in the sort of skills that we will need in the Welsh economy in the future. And it comes from that key insight of the Diamond review that it was living costs in the here and now, not tuition fees, that were the greatest barrier to people coming into higher education, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
And I know that the Member will be particularly pleased, because of the close interest he's always shown in this, with the decision to abolish means testing altogether for care leavers up to the age of 25, and the fact that we are consulting currently on potential changes to support for disabled students, to make sure that they too have as full and unfettered access to our higher education system as we can design for them.
Diolchaf i Carwyn Jones am y cwestiwn atodol yna. Mae yn llygad ei le, Llywydd, i wneud y cysylltiad rhwng y buddsoddiad yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yn y sector addysg uwch a llwyddiant economi Cymru yn y dyfodol. Mae'r ffigurau y mae'n cyfeirio atyn nhw yn rhyfeddol. Maen nhw'n dangos cynnydd o 7 y cant i nifer y myfyrwyr rhan-amser o ganlyniad i'r polisïau a ddilynwyd gan y Llywodraeth hon. Maen nhw'n dangos cynnydd o 9 y cant i nifer y myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig. Ac maen nhw wir yn fuddsoddiad, fel y mae Carwyn Jones wedi ei ddweud, yn y math o sgiliau y bydd eu hangen arnom ni yn economi Cymru yn y dyfodol. Ac mae'n dod o'r wybodaeth allweddol hon o adolygiad Diamond mai costau byw ar hyn o bryd, nid ffioedd dysgu, oedd y rhwystr mwyaf i bobl ddod i mewn i addysg uwch, ar lefel israddedig ac ôl-raddedig.
A gwn y bydd yr Aelod yn arbennig o falch, oherwydd y diddordeb mawr y mae wedi ei ddangos yn hyn erioed, gyda'r penderfyniad i ddileu profion modd yn gyfan gwbl i'r rhai sy'n gadael gofal tan eu bod yn 25 oed, a'r ffaith ein bod ni'n ymgynghori ar hyn o bryd ar newidiadau posibl i gymorth i fyfyrwyr anabl, i wneud yn siŵr eu bod hwythau hefyd yn cael mynediad mor lawn a dilyffethair at ein system addysg uwch ag y gallwn ni ei lunio ar eu cyfer.
This reminds me a little bit of the Programme for International Student Assessment results, which is a welcome halt to a persistent downward trend but still some way to go from where we were six years ago. If you look at undergraduates—obviously, we're all going to welcome any growth in numbers in undergraduates, even though that's smaller than the growth in the number of postgraduates—can you tell us something about whether they're choosing to go to Wales's universities? Because, obviously, part of the Diamond dividend is supposed to be an improvement for the security of university funding, as well as improving the opportunities for Welsh students. I am curious to know whether the Diamond dividend that you were expecting is actually what we're seeing in the latest figures.
Mae hyn yn fy atgoffa i ryw raddau o ganlyniadau'r Rhaglen Ryngwladol Asesu Myfyrwyr, sy'n ddiwedd i'w groesawu ar duedd gyson ar i lawr, ond mae tipyn o ffordd i fynd o hyd o'r fan lle'r oeddem ni chwe blynedd yn ôl. Os edrychwch chi ar israddedigion—yn amlwg, rydym ni i gyd yn mynd i groesawu unrhyw dwf i nifer yr israddedigion, er bod hwnnw'n llai na'r twf i nifer yr ôl-raddedigion—a allwch chi ddweud rhywbeth wrthym ni ynghylch pa un a ydyn nhw'n dewis mynd i brifysgolion Cymru? Oherwydd, yn amlwg, mae gwella diogelwch cyllid prifysgolion Cymru i fod yn rhan o ddifidend Diamond, yn ogystal â gwella'r cyfleoedd i fyfyrwyr Cymru. Rwy'n chwilfrydig i wybod pa un ai'r difidend Diamond yr oeddech chi'n ei ddisgwyl yw'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei weld mewn gwirionedd yn y ffigurau diweddaraf.
Well, Llywydd, the Diamond dividend is there for anybody to see in the draft budget that we placed in front of the Assembly on 16 December, where we are reinvesting into higher education the Diamond dividend in exactly the way that the original report suggested. I want Welsh young people to feel confident to study wherever they think their future would be best enhanced. And that can be in Welsh universities, of course, with many, many brilliant departments and possibilities; but I want Welsh young people to be able to study elsewhere in the United Kingdom as well. And I don't regard it as a measure of success or failure of the system whether students decide to study in Wales or elsewhere. I want them in higher education; I want them to be where they think their future will be best secured.
Wel, Llywydd, mae difidend Diamond yno i unrhyw un ei weld yn y gyllideb ddrafft a osodwyd gennym ni gerbron y Cynulliad ar 16 Rhagfyr, lle'r ydym ni'n ail-fuddsoddi difidend Diamond mewn addysg uwch yn yr union ffordd yr awgrymodd yr adroddiad gwreiddiol. Rwyf i eisiau i bobl ifanc Cymru deimlo'n hyderus i astudio ble bynnag y maen nhw'n credu y byddai eu dyfodol yn cael ei wella orau. A gall hynny fod ym mhrifysgolion Cymru, wrth gwrs, gyda llawer iawn o adrannau a phosibiliadau gwych; ond rwyf i eisiau i bobl ifanc Cymru allu astudio mewn mannau eraill yn y Deyrnas Unedig hefyd. Ac nid wyf i'n credu ei fod yn fesur o lwyddiant na methiant y system fod myfyrwyr yn penderfynu astudio yng Nghymru neu yn rhywle arall. Rwyf i eisiau iddyn nhw fod mewn addysg uwch; rwyf i eisiau iddyn nhw fod lle maen nhw'n credu y bydd eu dyfodol yn cael ei sicrhau orau.
Phase 1 of Diamond's reforms, which is the student-facing reforms, are being and have been implemented; but we are talking here about phase 2, in relation to the institutional reforms. I do welcome the uptake in part-time students, and I do reflect on the fact that this is improving in Wales. But I have spoken to some HE institutions that say that, in line with the increase in part-time students, many of them will have more complex needs and they will need more investment from an institutional perspective. So, what are you doing in that regard to ensure that higher education institutions are robust and resilient for the future here in Wales?
Mae cam 1 diwygiadau Diamond, sef y diwygiadau sy'n wynebu myfyrwyr, yn cael eu gweithredu ac wedi cael eu gweithredu; ond rydym ni'n sôn yn y fan yma am gam 2, yn ymwneud â'r diwygiadau sefydliadol. Rwy'n croesawu'r cynnydd i nifer y myfyrwyr rhan-amser, ac rwy'n myfyrio ar y ffaith bod hyn yn gwella yng Nghymru. Ond rwyf i wedi siarad â rhai sefydliadau addysg uwch sy'n dweud, yn unol â'r cynnydd i nifer y myfyrwyr rhan-amser, y bydd gan lawer ohonyn nhw anghenion mwy cymhleth a bydd angen mwy o fuddsoddiad arnyn nhw o safbwynt sefydliadol. Felly, beth ydych chi'n ei wneud yn hynny o beth i sicrhau bod sefydliadau addysg uwch yn gadarn ac yn gydnerth ar gyfer y dyfodol yma yng Nghymru?
I thank the Member for that question, and for her recognition of the way in which the Diamond reforms have reached out to part-time students. I know it's an issue that she's raised before on the floor of the Assembly, and I'm sure she is right that people coming back into higher education through the part-time route will have many other things in their lives that they are juggling, many other demands that they are having to meet. And higher education institutions have a responsibility to respond to those needs. It's why that is particularly highlighted in the remit letter that the Minister for Education has supplied to the higher education sector in Wales this year. We are investing in those higher education institutions, they are seeing the Diamond dividend. They must play their part as well in making sure that the help that they give to students from non-conventional backgrounds coming into higher education is good enough to make sure that those people can succeed.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna, ac am ei chydnabyddiaeth o'r ffordd y mae diwygiadau Diamond wedi cynorthwyo myfyrwyr rhan-amser. Rwy'n gwybod ei fod yn fater y mae hi wedi ei godi o'r blaen ar lawr y Cynulliad, ac rwy'n siŵr ei bod hi'n iawn y bydd gan bobl sy'n dod yn ôl i addysg uwch drwy'r llwybr rhan-amser lawer o bethau eraill yn eu bywydau y maen nhw yn eu jyglo, llawer o ofynion eraill y mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw eu bodloni. Ac mae gan sefydliadau addysg uwch gyfrifoldeb i ymateb i'r anghenion hynny. Dyna pam y tynnir sylw arbennig at hynny yn y llythyr cylch gwaith y mae'r Gweinidog Addysg wedi ei ddarparu i'r sector addysg uwch yng Nghymru eleni. Rydym ni'n buddsoddi yn y sefydliadau addysg uwch hynny, maen nhw'n gweld difidend Diamond. Mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw chwarae eu rhan hefyd i sicrhau bod y cymorth y maen nhw'n ei roi i fyfyrwyr o gefndiroedd anghonfensiynol sy'n dod i addysg uwch yn ddigon da i wneud yn siŵr y gall y bobl hynny lwyddo.
2. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i gefnogi plant sydd mewn tlodi yng Nghymru? OAQ55025
2. What action is the Welsh Government taking to support children in poverty in Wales? OAQ55025
I thank Mike Hedges for that question. The major levers for addressing child poverty remain firmly with the UK Government. The Welsh Government is focused on using devolved powers to leave more money in the pockets of families with children, particularly those children living in poverty.
Diolchaf i Mike Hedges am y cwestiwn yna. Llywodraeth y DU sy'n dal i fod yn gwbl gyfrifol am y prif ddulliau o fynd i'r afael â thlodi plant. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn canolbwyntio ar ddefnyddio pwerau datganoledig i adael mwy o arian ym mhocedi teuluoedd sydd â phlant, yn enwedig y plant hynny sy'n byw mewn tlodi.
Can I thank the First Minister for that response? I very much welcome that the Welsh Government has committed to additional funding for the discretionary assistance fund, which has helped individuals and their families during times of crisis and, quite frankly, destitution. To ensure the fund's long-term future, additional funding will be required. Will the First Minister outline his proposals for the fund in future years?
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Prif Weinidog am yr ateb yna? Rwy'n croesawu'n fawr iawn bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i gyllid ychwanegol ar gyfer y gronfa cymorth dewisol, sydd wedi helpu unigolion a'u teuluoedd yn ystod cyfnodau o argyfwng ac, a bod yn onest, amddifadedd. Er mwyn sicrhau dyfodol hirdymor y gronfa, bydd angen cyllid ychwanegol. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog amlinellu ei gynigion ar gyfer y gronfa yn y blynyddoedd i ddod?
I thank Mike Hedges for that supplementary question. He is absolutely right to point to the success of the decision made here in the National Assembly to have a national scheme. When the social fund was abandoned by the UK Government, here in Wales we decided that we would have a fund that would be run on a Wales-wide basis with no local lottery in it. In England, we know that many local authorities took the money that they were given when the social fund was broken up and provide no service for poor people with it at all.
Here, we have helped 280,000 applications to the fund since its inception. The budget has increased year on year in this Assembly term. It was £7 million in the first year of this Assembly term; it's £11.2 million in this year. It went up £2 million in this financial year; it will go up by another £1 million in the next financial year. The number of applications has gone up remarkably quickly in an age of austerity: 65,000 applications in the first year of this Assembly term; 160,000 in this financial year, to the end of December; so it's going to be more than 100,000 additional applicants to the fund.
And not only have we sustained it, Llywydd, by more money to keep the fund available to people, but we've extended its scope as well. We've made sure that it can respond to the needs of refugees and asylum seekers here in Wales. We've made sure it's available to people who are discharged from prison with absolutely no possessions at all. I wish there wasn't a need for a discretionary assistance fund. I wish that the social security system provided people with enough to be able to meet their needs without this final safety net of the welfare state. But while it is needed, here in Wales we go on investing in it and making sure that those whose needs are the very toughest in our society have somewhere in Wales that they can go.
Diolchaf i Mike Hedges am y cwestiwn atodol yna. Mae yn llygad ei le i dynnu sylw at lwyddiant y penderfyniad a wnaed yma yn y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol i gael cynllun cenedlaethol. Pan gefnodd Llywodraeth y DU ar y gronfa gymdeithasol, fe wnaethom ni benderfynu yma yng Nghymru y byddai gennym ni gronfa a fyddai'n cael ei rhedeg ar sail Cymru gyfan heb unrhyw loteri leol ynddi. Yn Lloegr, rydym ni'n gwybod bod llawer o awdurdodau lleol wedi cymryd yr arian a roddwyd iddyn nhw pan gafwyd gwared ar y gronfa gymdeithasol heb ddarparu unrhyw wasanaeth ar gyfer pobl dlawd gydag ef o gwbl.
Yma, rydym ni wedi helpu 280,000 o geisiadau i'r gronfa ers ei sefydlu. Mae'r gyllideb wedi cynyddu o flwyddyn i flwyddyn yn ystod tymor y Cynulliad hwn. Roedd yn £7 miliwn ym mlwyddyn gyntaf y tymor Cynulliad hwn; Mae'n £11.2 miliwn yn y flwyddyn hon. Aeth i fyny £2 filiwn yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon; bydd yn mynd i fyny £1 filiwn arall yn y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf. Mae nifer y ceisiadau wedi codi'n rhyfeddol o gyflym mewn oes o gyni cyllidol: 65,000 o geisiadau ym mlwyddyn gyntaf tymor y Cynulliad hwn; 160,000 yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon, hyd at ddiwedd Rhagfyr; felly mae'n mynd i fod yn fwy na 100,000 o ymgeiswyr ychwanegol i'r gronfa.
Ac nid yn unig yr ydym ni wedi ei chynnal, Llywydd, trwy roi mwy o arian i gadw'r gronfa ar gael i bobl, ond rydym ni wedi ehangu ei chwmpas hefyd. Rydym ni wedi gwneud yn siŵr ei bod yn gallu ymateb i anghenion ffoaduriaid a cheiswyr lloches yma yng Nghymru. Rydym ni wedi sicrhau ei bod ar gael i bobl sy'n cael eu rhyddhau o'r carchar heb unrhyw eiddo o gwbl. Byddai'n dda gennyf pe na byddai angen cronfa cymorth dewisol. Hoffwn pe byddai'r system nawdd cymdeithasol yn rhoi digon i bobl allu diwallu eu hanghenion heb y rhwyd diogelwch olaf hwn y wladwriaeth les. Ond tra bod ei hangen, yma yng Nghymru rydym ni'n parhau i fuddsoddi ynddi ac mewn gwneud yn siŵr bod gan y rhai eu anghenion yr anoddaf un yn ein cymdeithas, rywle yng Nghymru y gallan nhw fynd yno.
First Minister, Wales was the only UK nation to see a rise in child poverty in 2017-18. And of course, poverty is considered a contributory factor to children ending up in care. Last week, Cardiff University published the results of a survey of school students aged 11 to 16. They show: that young people in residential care had the lowest mental well-being score; that 56 per cent are being exposed to bullying; that more than a third had been badly affected by alcohol in the past 30 days; and that nearly a third had used cannabis in the last month. Your Government seems to be failing our most vulnerable young people: children in care. So, what responsibility will you take and what urgent action will you take to ensure that stronger support is provided to help improve the lives of our children in our care system?
Prif Weinidog, Cymru oedd yr unig wlad yn y DU lle bu cynnydd mewn tlodi plant yn 2017-18. Ac wrth gwrs, ystyrir bod tlodi yn ffactor sy'n cyfrannu at blant yn gorfod bod mewn gofal yn y pen draw. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cyhoeddodd Prifysgol Caerdydd ganlyniadau arolwg o fyfyrwyr ysgol 11 i 16 oed. Maen nhw'n dangos: mai pobl ifanc mewn gofal preswyl oedd â'r sgôr llesiant meddyliol isaf; bod 56 y cant yn agored i gael eu bwlio; bod alcohol wedi cael effaith wael ar dros draean yn ystod y 30 diwrnod blaenorol; a bod bron i draean wedi defnyddio canabis yn ystod y mis diwethaf. Mae'n ymddangos bod eich Llywodraeth yn siomi ein pobl ifanc fwyaf agored i niwed: plant mewn gofal. Felly, pa gyfrifoldeb wnewch chi ei gymryd a pha gamau brys wnewch chi eu cymryd i sicrhau bod mwy o gymorth yn cael ei ddarparu i helpu i wella bywydau ein plant yn ein system ofal?
Llywydd, it takes an extraordinary ability to distort the facts to provide a question of that sort. Because of the decisions of the Member's Government in Westminster, the Institute of Fiscal Studies—[Interruption.] I see that the minute you're provided with some real facts, the opposition thinks that the answer is to muddy the waters by muttering. The Institute of Fiscal Studies tells us that, because of the actions of Conservative Governments since 2010, there will be 50,000 more children in poverty in Wales in 2020 than there were in 2010.
Are you not ashamed? Are you not really and deeply ashamed of the fact that the direct result of cuts in benefits to families living on the breadline by your Government produces 50,000 children, who have only one childhood to live, having to live that childhood in Wales in poverty? If you are a child in Wales being brought up in a single-parent family, the direct results of the decisions that your Government has made mean that that family has £3,720 less to manage on, to provide for that child, to give that child the future that that child deserves. That's the truth of the matter behind the question that the Member raises.
I wish there were fewer children in care in Wales. I want to work with local authorities to do everything we can to reduce the number of children who have to be taken away from their families. But is it any wonder that families struggle and cannot do what they want to do for their children, when every single week they have tens and tens of fewer pounds to manage with, because of the actions that the Conservative Government in Westminster have deliberately and callously taken?
Llywydd, mae'n cymryd gallu anghyffredin i ystumio'r ffeithiau i ddarparu cwestiwn o'r math yna. Oherwydd penderfyniadau Llywodraeth yr Aelod yn San Steffan, mae'r Sefydliad Astudiaethau Cyllid—[Torri ar draws.] Rwy'n gweld bod yr wrthblaid yn credu mai'r ateb yw cymylu'r dyfroedd drwy fwmian y funud y cyflwynir ffeithiau go iawn i chi. Mae'r Sefydliad Astudiaethau Cyllid yn dweud wrthym ni, oherwydd gweithredoedd Llywodraethau Ceidwadol ers 2010, y bydd 50,000 yn fwy o blant mewn tlodi yng Nghymru yn 2020 nag a oedd yn 2010.
Onid oes gennych chi gywilydd? Onid oes gennych chi gywilydd gwirioneddol a dwys o'r ffaith bod canlyniad uniongyrchol toriadau i fudd-daliadau i deuluoedd sy'n byw mewn tlodi gan eich Llywodraeth yn cynhyrchu 50,000 o blant, sydd â dim ond un plentyndod i'w fyw, yn gorfod byw'r plentyndod hwnnw yng Nghymru mewn tlodi? Os ydych chi'n blentyn yng Nghymru yn cael ei fagu mewn teulu un rhiant, mae canlyniadau uniongyrchol y penderfyniadau y mae eich Llywodraeth chi wedi eu gwneud yn golygu bod gan y teulu hwnnw £3,720 yn llai i fyw arno, i ddarparu ar gyfer y plentyn hwnnw y dyfodol y mae'r plentyn hwnnw'n ei haeddu. Dyna wirionedd y mater sydd y tu ôl i'r cwestiwn y mae'r Aelod yn ei godi.
Byddai'n dda gen i pe byddai llai o blant mewn gofal yng Nghymru. Rwyf i eisiau gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol i wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i leihau nifer y plant y mae'n rhaid mynd â nhw oddi wrth eu teuluoedd. Ond a oes unrhyw ryfedd bod teuluoedd yn ei chael hi'n anodd ac na allan nhw wneud yr hyn y maen nhw eisiau ei wneud dros eu plant, pan fo ganddyn nhw ddegau ar ddegau o bunnoedd yn llai i fyw arnyn nhw bob wythnos, oherwydd y camau y mae'r Llywodraeth Geidwadol yn San Steffan wedi eu cymryd yn fwriadol ac yn ddidrugaredd
The First Minister is, of course, right to point out that many of the levers for tackling child poverty do, at present, reside with the Westminster Government, and I was pleased to hear what he had to say about the discretionary assistance fund in his response to Mike Hedges. But I wonder if the First Minister will agree with me that the most effective way to deal with children growing up in poverty is to put money into their parents'—particularly their mothers'—pockets. I take that from what he's just said to Janet Finch-Saunders.
I wonder if he'd agree with me that, now we do face another five years of a Boris Johnson-led Government, we cannot expect—[Interruption.] Well, I'm very glad that Janet Finch-Saunders thinks that's a good idea, because I can tell you that the single mothers in the region that I represent would not, on the whole, agree with her. But given that that is the case, Llywydd, I wonder if the First Minister would agree with me that now is the time to look at making urgent progress on what we can do to seek further devolution of the benefits system to Wales, so that we can use our discretion. We have the evidence that suggests that devolution of the benefits system could, in fact, take pressure off the Welsh budget for some of the reasons that he's just described in his response to Janet Finch-Saunders.
So, I wonder if he would be prepared to commit today to looking to make urgent progress in seeking to devolve some of those key levers that currently do not rest in the hands of this place, so that we can put money into parents'—particularly mothers'—pockets and lift some more of our children out of poverty. Because we certainly can't, as he's just said himself, rely on the other end of the M4 corridor to do that for us.
Mae'r Prif Weinidog yn llygad ei le, wrth gwrs, wrth ddweud mai Llywodraeth San Steffan sy'n gyfrifol am lawer o'r dulliau o fynd i'r afael â thlodi plant ar hyn o bryd, ac roeddwn i'n falch o glywed yr hyn a ddywedodd am y gronfa cymorth dewisol yn ei ymateb i Mike Hedges. Ond tybed a wnaiff y Prif Weinidog gytuno â mi mai'r ffordd fwyaf effeithiol o ymdrin â phlant sy'n cael eu magu mewn tlodi yw rhoi arian ym mhocedi eu rhieni—a phocedi eu mamau yn arbennig. Rwy’n cymryd hynny o'r hyn y mae ef newydd ei ddweud wrth Janet Finch-Saunders.
Tybed a fyddai'n cytuno â mi, nawr ein bod ni'n wynebu pum mlynedd arall o Lywodraeth dan arweiniad Boris Johnson, na allwn ddisgwyl—[Torri ar draws.] Wel, rwy'n falch iawn bod Janet Finch-Saunders yn credu bod hynny'n syniad da, oherwydd gallaf ddweud wrthych chi na fyddai'r mamau sengl yn y rhanbarth yr wyf i'n ei gynrychioli, ar y cyfan, yn cytuno â hi. Ond gan mai dyna yw'r gwirionedd, Llywydd, tybed a fyddai'r Prif Weinidog yn cytuno â mi mai dyma'r amser i ystyried gwneud cynnydd brys ar yr hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud i geisio datganoli pellach o'r system fudd-daliadau i Gymru, fel y gallwn ni ddefnyddio ein disgresiwn. Mae gennym ni'r dystiolaeth sy'n awgrymu y gallai datganoli'r system fudd-daliadau, mewn gwirionedd, dynnu pwysau oddi ar gyllideb Cymru am rai o'r rhesymau y mae ef newydd eu disgrifio yn ei ymateb i Janet Finch-Saunders.
Felly, tybed a fyddai'n barod i ymrwymo heddiw i geisio gwneud cynnydd brys o ran ceisio datganoli rhai o'r dulliau allweddol hynny nad ydyn nhw yn nwylo'r lle hwn ar hyn o bryd, fel y gallwn ni roi arian ym mhocedi rhieni—a mamau yn arbennig—a chodi mwy o'n plant allan o dlodi. Oherwydd yn sicr, ni allwn, fel y mae ef newydd ei ddweud ei hun, ddibynnu ar ben arall coridor yr M4 i wneud hynny drosom ni.
I thank the Member for that question. I agree with the first point she makes that putting money into the pockets of people who live in poverty is the best answer to the poverty that they experience. It's why there's £90 million extra in our draft budget for families living in those circumstances, on top of all the things that this Government already does: from the council tax reduction scheme, through to Families First and Flying Start.
I've always, myself, Llywydd, made a distinction between the administration of the benefit system and the devolution of it. I believe that the benefit system ought to be part of a glue that holds the United Kingdom together and that it's a way in which the better off make their contributions so that the less well off are able to enjoy the chances that they themselves have been fortunate enough to have in their lives.
The administration of the benefit system has been the subject of work in the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee. We have commissioned work from the Wales Centre for Public Policy. And, given the fact of another five years of a Conservative Government, I agree that working on that agenda has a new urgency.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Rwy'n cytuno â'r pwynt cyntaf y mae hi'n ei wneud mai rhoi arian ym mhocedi pobl sy'n byw mewn tlodi yw'r ateb gorau i'r tlodi y maen nhw'n ei ddioddef. Dyna pam mae £90 miliwn yn ychwanegol yn ein cyllideb ddrafft ar gyfer teuluoedd sy'n byw o dan yr amgylchiadau hynny, ar ben yr holl bethau y mae'r Llywodraeth hon eisoes yn eu gwneud: o'r cynllun gostyngiadau'r dreth gyngor, i Teuluoedd yn Gyntaf a Dechrau'n Deg.
Rwyf i bob amser, Llywydd, wedi gwahaniaethu rhwng y broses o weinyddu'r system fudd-daliadau a'i datganoli. Rwy'n credu y dylai'r system fudd-daliadau fod yn rhan o lud sy'n dal y Deyrnas Unedig at ei gilydd a'i bod yn ffordd y mae'r rhai mwy cefnog yn gwneud eu cyfraniadau fel bod y rhai llai cefnog yn gallu o'u cael yn eu bywydau.
Mae'r broses o weinyddu'r system fudd-daliadau wedi bod yn destun gwaith yn y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb, Llywodraeth Leol a Chymunedau. Rydym ni wedi comisiynu gwaith gan Ganolfan Polisi Cyhoeddus Cymru. Ac, o gofio'r ffaith o bum mlynedd arall o Lywodraeth Geidwadol, rwy'n cytuno bod brys newydd o ran gweithio ar yr agenda honno.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd yr wrthblaid, Paul Davies.
Questions now from the party leaders. Leader of the opposition, Paul Davies.
First Minister, your party colleague and MP for Wigan, Lisa Nandy, made it clear that she believes that people in north Wales do not feel that devolution is working for them. First Minister, is she right?
Prif Weinidog, fe'i gwnaed yn eglur gan gyd-Aelod o'ch plaid ac AS Wigan, Lisa Nandy, ei bod hi'n credu nad yw pobl yng ngogledd Cymru yn teimlo bod datganoli'n gweithio iddyn nhw. Prif Weinidog, ydi hi'n iawn?
Well, Llywydd, I had the advantage of the Member in being in the room when that question was answered. Had he wished to be there, we would no doubt have found a ticket for him, provided he was willing to pay for it.
What Lisa Nandy, the MP for Wigan, was saying was this: that people throughout the United Kingdom, when they live at a geographical distance from where decisions are made, can feel disconnected from that decision. She was pointing to people who live in Wigan compared to decisions made in London, and she was saying that people who live in other parts of Wales can feel disconnected from decisions made here. And I don't disagree with her; I think geography does matter. I think when people live further away from decisions, it's harder for them to feel connected to them. I think that is true anywhere in the United Kingdom, and anywhere where distance is at play. And in that leadership hustings, I was very encouraged to hear a whole range of ideas as to how we can reconnect citizens with the important decisions that are made in their lives—ideas we can use here in Wales; ideas that Governments elsewhere in the United Kingdom should also be attending to.
Wel, Llywydd, roedd gen i fantais dros yr Aelod sef fy mod i yn yr ystafell pan atebwyd y cwestiwn hwnnw. Pe byddai ef wedi dymuno bod yno, rwy'n siŵr y byddem ni wedi dod o hyd i docyn iddo, cyn belled â'i fod yn fodlon talu amdano.
Yr hyn yr oedd Lisa Nandy, yr AS dros Wigan, yn ei ddweud oedd hyn: y gall pobl ledled y Deyrnas Unedig, pan eu bod yn byw ar bellter daearyddol o'r man lle mae penderfyniadau'n cael eu gwneud, deimlo'n ddatgysylltiedig oddi wrth y penderfyniad hwnnw. Roedd hi'n cyfeirio at bobl sy'n byw yn Wigan o'u cymharu â phenderfyniadau yn cael eu gwneud yn Llundain, ac roedd hi'n dweud y gall pobl sy'n byw mewn rhannau eraill o Gymru deimlo'n ddatgysylltiedig oddi wrth penderfyniadau sy'n cael eu gwneud yn y fan yma. Ac nid wyf i'n anghytuno â hi; rwy'n credu bod daearyddiaeth yn bwysig. Rwy'n credu pan fydd pobl yn byw ymhellach i ffwrdd oddi wrth penderfyniadau, mae'n anoddach iddyn nhw deimlo cysylltiad â nhw. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n wir yn unman yn y Deyrnas Unedig, ac yn unrhyw fan lle mae pellter yn berthnasol. Ac yn yr hustyngau arweinyddiaeth hynny, cefais fy nghalonogi'n fawr o glywed amrywiaeth eang o syniadau ynghylch sut y gallwn ni ailgysylltu dinasyddion â'r penderfyniadau pwysig sy'n cael eu gwneud yn eu bywydau—syniadau y gallwn ni eu defnyddio yma yng Nghymru; syniadau y dylai Llywodraethau mewn mannau eraill yn y Deyrnas Unedig fod yn rhoi sylw iddyn nhw hefyd.
Well, Lisa Nandy might think that devolution isn't working, First Minister, but we all know that it's not devolution that's the problem, it's the party running the Welsh Government that's the real problem, and that's why we need change. Now, First Minister, the people of north Wales feel rightly let down by your Government and frustrated at the lack of progress being made to tackle the issues that matter most to them, particularly when it comes to health services. It should be a great source of embarrassment and concern that Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is the worst-performing health board when it comes to accident and emergency waiting times, with just 66.8 per cent of patients being seen within the critical four-hour period.
Indeed, Dr Mark Payne, the clinical director of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, told staff in an e-mail that 20 January was the worst start to a day he had seen in 13 years working at Ysbyty Gwynedd. First Minister, do you accept that the A&E waiting times at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board are a cause for concern? And can you tell us what urgent action your Government is now taking to turn around this poor performance, given that you are directly in charge of this health board?
Wel, efallai fod Lisa Nandy o'r farn nad yw datganoli'n gweithio, Prif Weinidog, ond rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod nad datganoli yw'r broblem, ond y blaid sy'n rhedeg Llywodraeth Cymru yw'r broblem mewn gwirionedd, a dyna pam mae angen newid arnom ni. Nawr, Prif Weinidog, mae pobl y gogledd yn teimlo, a hynny'n briodol, eu bod wedi cael eu siomi gan eich Llywodraeth ac yn teimlo'n rhwystredig ynglŷn â'r diffyg cynnydd sy'n cael ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â'r materion sydd bwysicaf iddyn nhw, yn enwedig o safbwynt gwasanaethau iechyd. Dylai fod yn destun cywilydd a phryder mawr mai Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr yw'r bwrdd iechyd sy'n perfformio waethaf o ran amseroedd aros mewn adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys, ac mai dim ond 66.8 y cant o gleifion sy'n cael eu gweld o fewn y cyfnod critigol o bedair awr.
Yn wir, dywedodd Dr Mark Payne, cyfarwyddwr clinigol Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr, wrth staff mewn e-bost mai 20 Ionawr oedd y dechrau gwaethaf i ddiwrnod yr oedd wedi ei weld mewn 13 mlynedd o weithio yn Ysbyty Gwynedd. Prif Weinidog, a ydych chi'n derbyn bod amseroedd aros mewn adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys ym Mwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr yn destun pryder? Ac a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni pa gamau brys y mae eich Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd erbyn hyn i weddnewid y perfformiad gwael hwn, o gofio mai chi sy'n gyfrifol am y bwrdd iechyd hwn yn uniongyrchol?
Well, Llywydd, accident and emergency departments across the United Kingdom have been under pressure over this winter, and Betsi Cadwaladr performs a great deal better than many A&E departments under the control of his party across the border in England—[Interruption.] I know they don't like it when you tell them the facts of the matter, but that is the fact. You quote Betsi Cadwaladr's figures to me as though there was a direct connection between a political party and those results. If that's the case, how come where his party is in charge results are far worse in many places?
The system is under pressure; it's under pressure everywhere. Things in Betsi Cadwaladr have been resilient over this winter to those pressures. There are days when the pressures are greater than they have ever been, and that is true in Betsi Cadwaladr as in other parts of the country. What I think is remarkable is the resilience of the staff to that; the resilience of those staff to the criticisms that they constantly hear from his party. But they go on providing that service to patients across north Wales in accident and emergency departments, in elective care, in primary care and in the work of the ambulance service. Yes, the pressures are real; the response to them is real as well.
Wel, Llywydd, mae adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys ledled y Deyrnas Unedig wedi bod o dan bwysau dros y gaeaf hwn, ac mae Betsi Cadwaladr yn perfformio'n well o lawer na llawer o adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys o dan reolaeth ei blaid ef dros y ffin yn Lloegr—[Torri ar draws.] Rwy'n gwybod nad ydyn nhw'n ei hoffi pan eich bod chi'n dweud wrthyn nhw am ffeithiau'r mater, ond dyna'r ffaith. Rydych chi'n dyfynnu ffigurau Betsi Cadwaladr i mi fel pe byddai cysylltiad uniongyrchol rhwng plaid wleidyddol a'r canlyniadau hynny. Os yw hynny'n wir, pam mae canlyniadau yn llawer gwaeth mewn nifer o leoedd lle mae ei blaid ef mewn grym?
Mae'r system o dan bwysau; mae hi dan bwysau ym mhobman. Mae pethau yn Betsi Cadwaladr wedi bod yn gadarn dros y gaeaf hwn i'r pwysau hynny. Ceir diwrnodau pan fydd y pwysau yn fwy nag y bu erioed, ac mae hynny'n wir yn Betsi Cadwaladr fel mewn rhannau eraill o'r wlad. Yr hyn sy'n rhyfeddol yn fy marn i yw cadernid y staff i hynny; cadernid y staff hynny i'r beirniadaethau y maen nhw'n eu clywed yn gyson gan ei blaid ef. Ond maen nhw'n parhau i ddarparu'r gwasanaeth hwnnw i gleifion ledled y gogledd mewn adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys, mewn gofal dewisol, mewn gofal sylfaenol ac yng ngwaith y gwasanaeth ambiwlans. Ydy, mae'r pwysau'n bodoli; mae'r ymateb iddo'n bodoli hefyd.
I know, First Minister, that you don't want to talk about your own failures, but you are directly responsible for running the health service in north Wales, and clearly, you are failing to do so. Now, last week, you said that we want a culture in the NHS in Wales where, when things go wrong, people feel empowered to speak up. But yet, whenever anyone raises an issue or scrutinises your record, like today, you tell us we're dragging the NHS through the mud. And let me remind you of the recent 'Psychological Therapies Review in North Wales' report that showed significant unwarranted variation in provision, access, teamworking practices and culture amongst the multidisciplinary workforce at all levels; unacceptably long waits in some areas; and a lack of strategic clarity and oversight at health board and divisional levels. It really doesn't get any more damning than that, First Minister.
Now, we know that Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is set to post a deficit of £35 million in this financial year. That is £10 million above the target set by your own Government, and that's in spite of almost £83 million that has already been spent on intervention and improvement support. First Minister, given that the health board has been in special measures since June 2015 and is under your direct control, how exactly now will you turn around the unacceptably high waiting times for A&E services in north Wales? How will you address the lack of improvement in mental health following the serious failings identified in the psychological therapies review? And what urgent action will you now take to address the current leadership and the ongoing special measures arrangements to actually deliver the service improvements that the people of north Wales actually deserve?
Rwy'n gwybod, Prif Weinidog, nad ydych chi eisiau siarad am eich methiannau eich hun, ond rydych chi'n uniongyrchol gyfrifol am redeg y gwasanaeth iechyd yn y gogledd, ac rydych chi'n amlwg yn methu â gwneud hynny. Nawr, yr wythnos diwethaf, dywedasoch ein bod ni eisiau diwylliant yn y GIG yng Nghymru lle mae pobl, pan fydd pethau'n mynd o chwith, yn teimlo bod ganddyn nhw'r grym i leisio eu barn. Ond eto, pryd bynnag y bydd unrhyw un yn sôn am broblem neu'n craffu ar eich hanes, fel heddiw, rydych chi'n dweud wrthym ni ein bod ni'n llusgo'r GIG drwy'r mwd. A gadewch i mi eich atgoffa o'r adroddiad diweddar 'Adolygiad o Therapïau Seicolegol yng Ngogledd Cymru' a ddangosodd amrywiad sylweddol na ellir ei gyfiawnhau o ran darpariaeth, mynediad, arferion gwaith tîm a diwylliant ymhlith y gweithlu amlddisgyblaeth ar bob lefel; amseroedd aros annerbyniol o hir mewn rhai ardaloedd; a diffyg eglurder a goruchwyliaeth strategol ar lefelau bwrdd iechyd ac is-adrannol. Ni all fod yn fwy damniol na hynny, Prif Weinidog.
Nawr, rydym ni'n gwybod bod Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr yn bwriadu cyhoeddi diffyg o £35 miliwn yn y flwyddyn ariannol hon. Mae hynny yn £10 miliwn yn uwch na'r targed a osodwyd gan eich Llywodraeth chi eich hun, ac mae hynny er gwaethaf bron i £83 miliwn a wariwyd eisoes ar ymyrraeth a chymorth i wella. Prif Weinidog, o gofio bod y bwrdd iechyd wedi bod mewn mesurau arbennig ers mis Mehefin 2015 a'i fod o dan eich rheolaeth uniongyrchol chi, sut yn union y byddwch chi'n mynd ati nawr i wrthdroi'r amseroedd aros annerbyniol o uchel ar gyfer gwasanaethau damweiniau ac achosion brys yn y gogledd? Sut gwnewch chi fynd i'r afael â'r diffyg gwelliant i iechyd meddwl yn dilyn y diffygion difrifol a ganfuwyd yn yr adolygiad o therapïau seicolegol? A pha gamau brys y byddwch chi'n eu cymryd nawr i roi sylw i'r arweinyddiaeth bresennol a'r trefniadau mesurau arbennig parhaus er mwyn darparu'r gwelliannau i wasanaethau y mae pobl y gogledd yn eu haeddu mewn gwirionedd?
Llywydd, I'm aware of the psychological therapies report, because it was a report commissioned by the health board. When I said last week that I want a culture in the NHS where people feel willing to speak out and are willing to talk openly about the challenges they face, organising that report by the board itself is an example of what I was talking about. It is the board itself recognising that there is a challenge, it is the board commissioning a report, it is the board learning from its staff about things that need to be better for the future. And I think that is a good sign of the board being willing to work with its staff to learn from them and to find a plan to make improvements, alongside other improvements in mental health.
The Member paid not a moment's heed to the work that has gone on in Betsi Cadwaladr to improve mental health services, which have been improved in many different aspects. Psychological therapies is one aspect. You choose one aspect and you've never got a good word to say for it when there was an opportunity for you to do so, when you could have recognised the work that has gone on by clinicians to improve aspects of mental health services. You've never got a generous word to say about everything they do and everything that is done for patients. And Llywydd, I will give patients in north Wales this assurance: whereas his party continuously criticises us for providing the funding to that health board to go on providing services to patients in north Wales, while we expect and while we work with the health board to bear down on the deficit that it has run up, and while we are disappointed that it hasn't been able to make all the progress we wanted to see made this year, this Government always steps in to make sure that the impact of that is not felt by patients; that they are not disadvantaged by that. We find the money—we find the money from within our budget here. We will do it again this year, and that is a symbol of our determination to go on providing a service for patients in north Wales.
Llywydd, rwy'n ymwybodol o'r adroddiad therapïau seicolegol, gan ei fod yn adroddiad a gomisiynwyd gan y bwrdd iechyd. Pan ddywedais yr wythnos diwethaf fy mod i eisiau gweld diwylliant yn y GIG lle mae pobl yn teimlo'n fodlon i leisio eu barn ac yn fodlon siarad yn agored am yr heriau y maen nhw'n eu hwynebu, mae trefnu'r adroddiad hwnnw gan y bwrdd ei hun yn enghraifft o'r hyn yr oeddwn i'n sôn amdano. Dyma'r bwrdd ei hun yn cydnabod bod her, dyma'r bwrdd yn comisiynu adroddiad, dyma'r bwrdd yn dysgu gan ei staff am bethau y mae angen iddyn nhw fod yn well ar gyfer y dyfodol. Ac rwy'n credu bod hynny'n arwydd da bod y bwrdd yn barod i weithio gyda'i staff i ddysgu ganddyn nhw ac i ddod o hyd i gynllun i wneud gwelliannau, ynghyd â gwelliannau eraill ym maes iechyd meddwl.
Ni roddodd yr Aelod unrhyw sylw o gwbl i'r gwaith sydd wedi ei wneud yn Betsi Cadwaladr i wella gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl, sydd wedi cael eu gwella mewn llawer o wahanol agweddau. Mae therapïau seicolegol yn un agwedd. Rydych chi'n dewis un agwedd ac nid oes gennych chi fyth air da i'w ddweud amdano pan y bu cyfle i chi wneud hynny, pan allech chi fod wedi cydnabod y gwaith sydd wedi ei wneud gan glinigwyr i wella agweddau ar wasanaethau iechyd meddwl. Does gennych chi fyth air hael i'w ddweud am bopeth y maen nhw'n ei wneud a phopeth sy'n cael ei wneud i gleifion. A Llywydd, rhoddaf y sicrwydd hwn i gleifion yn y gogledd: tra bod ei blaid ef yn ein beirniadu'n barhaus am ddarparu'r cyllid i'r bwrdd iechyd hwnnw i barhau i ddarparu gwasanaethau i gleifion yn y gogledd, tra'r ydym ni'n disgwyl a thra ein bod ni'n gweithio gyda'r bwrdd iechyd i roi sylw i'r diffyg y mae wedi mynd iddo, ac er ein bod ni'n siomedig nad yw wedi llwyddo i wneud yr holl gynnydd yr oeddem ni eisiau ei weld eleni, mae'r Llywodraeth hon bob amser yn cymryd camau i wneud yn siŵr nad yw effaith hynny'n cael ei theimlo gan gleifion; nad ydyn nhw'n cael eu rhoi o dan anfantais gan hynny. Rydym ni'n dod o hyd i'r arian—rydym ni'n dod o hyd i'r arian o'n cyllideb yn y fan yma. Byddwn ni'n gwneud hynny eto eleni, ac mae hynny'n arwydd o'n penderfyniad i barhau i ddarparu gwasanaeth i gleifion yn y gogledd.
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
The Leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Who is responsible for making the accident and emergency service at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital unsafe?
Pwy sy'n gyfrifol am wneud y gwasanaeth damweiniau ac achosion brys yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg yn anniogel?
Services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital are the responsibility of the local health board, and it is the local health board that is taking action with its local population, with those people who represent people in that locality— [Interruption.]
Y bwrdd iechyd lleol sy'n gyfrifol am wasanaethau yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg, a'r bwrdd iechyd lleol sy'n cymryd camau gyda'i boblogaeth leol, gyda'r bobl hynny sy'n cynrychioli pobl yn yr ardal honno—[Torri ar draws.]
Darren Millar, I'm sorry to name you, but you seem to be the most vocal person in this Chamber this afternoon. Please allow the First Minister to respond to Plaid Cymru. I did allow you to carry on with your vocalisation during questions by your own leader, but I won't allow it to carry on during questions from another party's leader. Adam Price—sorry, the First Minister was answering.
Darren Millar, mae'n ddrwg gen i eich enwi chi, ond mae'n ymddangos mai chi yw'r person mwyaf uchel eich cloch yn y Siambr y prynhawn yma. Gadewch i'r Prif Weinidog ymateb i Blaid Cymru. Fe wnes i ganiatáu i chi barhau gyda'ch sylwadau yn ystod cwestiynau gan eich arweinydd eich hun, ond ni wnaf i ganiatáu iddo barhau yn ystod cwestiynau gan arweinydd plaid arall. Adam Price—mae'n ddrwg gen i, roedd y Prif Weinidog yn ateb.
I'll finish the sentence, Llywydd. The health board is responsible for those services. It must work with its local politicians, its local population and its local clinicians to make a plan for that service for the future.
Fe wnaf i orffen y frawddeg, Llywydd. Y bwrdd iechyd sy'n gyfrifol am y gwasanaethau hynny. Mae'n rhaid iddo weithio gyda'i wleidyddion lleol, ei boblogaeth leol a'i glinigwyr lleol i lunio cynllun ar gyfer y gwasanaeth hwnnw yn y dyfodol.
The health Minister's responsibilities are listed on your own Government's website as having 'oversight of NHS delivery and performance'. Therefore, there can be no doubt as to who is responsible for allowing the situation at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital to deteriorate. Staffing levels at all three of Cwm Taf Morgannwg's A&E units are well below UK-wide standards. The UK average is 7,000 people to every one consultant—it's 15,000 to one in Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine recommends that a hospital about the size of the Royal Glamorgan should have around 10 consultants. Why have you allowed it to get to this stage? During the recent general election, Labour's shadow health Secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, highlighted the 'extreme' and 'catastrophic' risk as a result of losing some 24-hour services in the north-east of England. His answer:
'We pledge that within the first 100 days of a Labour Government we will get on top of this.'
You've been in charge in Wales not for 100 days, but for 20 years. Where have you been?
Mae cyfrifoldebau'r Gweinidog iechyd wedi eu rhestru ar wefan eich Llywodraeth eich hun fel 'goruchwylio darpariaeth a pherfformiad yn y GIG'. Felly, ni all fod unrhyw amheuaeth pwy sy'n gyfrifol am ganiatáu i'r sefyllfa yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg ddirywio. Mae lefelau staffio ym mhob un o dair uned damweiniau ac achosion brys Cwm Taf Morgannwg yn llawer is na'r safonau ar gyfer y DU gyfan. 7,000 o bobl i bob un meddyg ymgynghorol yw cyfartaledd y DU—mae'n 15,000 i bob un ym mwrdd iechyd Cwm Taf Morgannwg.
Mae'r Coleg Brenhinol Meddygaeth Frys yn argymell y dylai fod tua 10 meddyg ymgynghorol mewn ysbyty sydd oddeutu maint Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg. Pam ydych chi wedi caniatáu iddo gyrraedd y sefyllfa hon? Yn ystod yr etholiad cyffredinol diweddar, tynnodd Ysgrifennydd iechyd yr wrthblaid Lafur, Jonathan Ashworth, sylw at y perygl 'eithafol' a 'thrychinebus' o ganlyniad i golli rhai gwasanaethau 24 awr yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Lloegr. Ei ateb:
Rydym ni'n addo y byddwn ni'n mynd i'r afael â hyn yn ystod 100 diwrnod cyntaf Llywodraeth Lafur.
Rydych chi wedi bod yn gyfrifol yng Nghymru nid am 100 diwrnod, ond am 20 mlynedd. Ble ydych chi wedi bod?
Llywydd, the figures that the Member quoted at the start of his supplementary question are entirely wrong. He's dividing the wrong thing by the wrong thing. In a way, it's not the issue, but I think he ought to look carefully, so that when he does quote figures he tries to get them accurate, because he is very inaccurate in what he has said.
The real issue, though, is this: the Welsh Government funds the national health service at record levels, we have more consultants working in the national health service in Wales than ever before, we have more A&E consultants working in the health service than ever before and we have a pipeline of A&E consultants of the future being produced in the Welsh NHS with the training systems that we have. Right across the United Kingdom, there is a shortage of consultants to work in accident and emergency departments. The Welsh Government works every day to try to put that right here in Wales.
Llywydd, mae'r ffigurau a ddyfynnwyd gan yr Aelod ar ddechrau ei gwestiwn atodol yn gwbl anghywir. Mae e'n rhannu'r peth anghywir gan y peth anghywir. Mewn ffordd, nid dyma'r mater dan sylw, ond credaf y dylai edrych yn ofalus, fel ei fod ceisio cael ffigurau'n gywir pan fydd yn eu dyfynnu, oherwydd mae'n anghywir iawn o ran yr hyn y mae wedi ei ddweud.
Y broblem wirioneddol, fodd bynnag, yw hyn: mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ariannu'r gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol ar lefel uwch nag erioed, mae gennym ni fwy o feddygon ymgynghorol yn gweithio yn y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol yng Nghymru nag erioed o'r blaen, mae gennym ni fwy o feddygon damweiniau ac achosion brys ymgynghorol yn gweithio yn y gwasanaeth iechyd nag erioed o'r blaen ac mae gennym ni biblinell o feddygon ymgynghorol y dyfodol yn cael eu cynhyrchu yn y GIG yng Nghymru gyda'r systemau hyfforddi sydd gennym ni. Ceir prinder meddygon ymgynghorol i weithio mewn adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig gyfan. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio bob dydd i geisio unioni hynny yma yng Nghymru.
In creating the NHS in 1948, Aneurin Bevan won an argument around the Cabinet table, against the likes of Herbert Morrison, that regional boards within the NHS had to be accountable to, and working under the direction of, a health Minister, otherwise it would not be a national health service, hence the famous apocryphal quote about dropped bedpans in Tredegar reverberating around the corridors of Whitehall.
Your argument yesterday that the decision as to whether to downgrade A&E services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital is primarily a matter for clinicians not politicians is against the founding principles of the NHS, it's against the founding principles of this Senedd and it's even against the core values of your own party, which is why so many of your own Members are joining with Plaid Cymru and others in ignoring your advice to protest against these changes. Aren't the people of the Rhondda, the central Valleys and, indeed, the rest of Wales entitled to expect a First Minister who will intervene on their behalf, instead of simply saying, 'Nothing to do with me'?
Wrth greu'r GIG ym 1948, enillodd Aneurin Bevan ddadl o amgylch bwrdd y Cabinet, yn erbyn rhai fel Herbert Morrison, bod yn rhaid i fyrddau rhanbarthol yn y GIG fod yn atebol i Weinidog iechyd, a gweithio o dan ei gyfarwyddyd, neu fel arall ni fyddai'n wasanaeth iechyd gwladol, a dyna pam y cafwyd y dyfyniad enwog apocryffaidd am bedyll gwelyau yn cael eu gollwng yn Nhredegar yn atseinio yng nghoridorau Whitehall.
Mae eich dadl ddoe bod y penderfyniad ynghylch pa un a ddylid israddio gwasanaethau damweiniau ac achosion brys yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg yn fater i glinigwyr yn bennaf ac nid gwleidyddion yn mynd yn groes i egwyddorion sylfaenol y GIG, mae'n mynd yn groes i egwyddorion sylfaenol y Senedd hon ac mae hyd yn oed yn mynd yn groes i werthoedd craidd eich plaid eich hun, a dyna pam y mae cynifer o'ch Aelodau eich hun yn ymuno â Phlaid Cymru ac eraill i anwybyddu eich cyngor i brotestio yn erbyn y newidiadau hyn. Onid oes gan bobl y Rhondda, y Cymoedd canolog ac, yn wir, gweddill Cymru yr hawl i ddisgwyl cael Prif Weinidog a fydd yn ymyrryd ar eu rhan, yn hytrach na dim ond dweud, 'Dim byd i'w wneud â mi'?
Well, the people of the Rhondda and the people who use the Royal Glamorgan Hospital are absolutely entitled to make sure that their views are known; that, through their local representatives, they engage with the health board and they make sure that the health board provides them with information; and that they feed ideas to the health board. Of course they are right to have that engaged relationship with the decision making.
The point I made yesterday, and I make it again this afternoon, is that when a decision has to be made as to whether a service is safe, whether it is of the right quality and whether it is sustainable into the future, then the right people to ask about that when the decision comes to be made, not while the decision is in preparation, are the people who are experts in the service that is being provided. I think that is a really important principle—that if you want to know whether a cardiac service is safe and sustainable, then you'd be better off getting your advice from people who are experts in cardiac surgery.
Wel, yn sicr mae gan bobl y Rhondda a'r bobl sy'n defnyddio Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg yr hawl i wneud yn siŵr bod eu barn yn hysbys; eu bod, drwy eu cynrychiolwyr lleol, yn ymgysylltu â'r bwrdd iechyd a'u bod yn gwneud yn siŵr bod y bwrdd iechyd yn darparu gwybodaeth iddyn nhw; a'u bod nhw'n cynnig syniadau i'r bwrdd iechyd. Wrth gwrs, maen nhw'n iawn i gael y berthynas ymgysylltiol honno â'r broses o wneud penderfyniadau.
Y pwynt a wneuthum ddoe, ac fe'i gwnaf eto y prynhawn yma, yw pan fo'n rhaid gwneud penderfyniad ynghylch pa un a yw gwasanaeth yn ddiogel, pa un a yw o'r ansawdd priodol a pha un a yw'n gynaliadwy i'r dyfodol, yna'r bobl iawn i'w holi am hynny pan fydd hi'n amser gwneud penderfyniad, nid tra bydd y penderfyniad wrthi'n cael ei baratoi, yw'r bobl sy'n arbenigwyr yn y gwasanaeth sy'n cael ei ddarparu. Rwy'n credu bod honno'n egwyddor wirioneddol bwysig—sef os ydych chi eisiau gwybod pa un a yw gwasanaeth cardiaidd yn ddiogel ac yn gynaliadwy, yna byddai'n well i chi gael eich cyngor gan bobl sy'n arbenigwyr ym maes llawfeddygaeth gardiaidd.
Arweinydd Plaid Brexit, Mark Reckless.
Leader of the Brexit Party, Mark Reckless.
Now we have left the EU, could I ask you, First Minister, about how the Welsh Government should be consulted on future trade agreements and what your priorities are? Of course, if the UK Government had listened to you before, when you said tariffs would devastate the UK car industry by causing it to relocate to the EU, they might be surprised by this week's news. Groupe PSA, who make Peugeot, Citroën and Vauxhall marks, said they would respond to tariffs within the EU by stepping up the company's presence in the UK at Ellesmere Port, where, of course, many in north-east Wales work. Meanwhile, Nissan plan to shut EU plants and relocate production to the UK, aiming to quintuple their share of the market from 4 per cent to 20 per cent, displacing EU imports. Despite this, are you as First Minister saying that the UK Government should have to agree its trade policy with you—in effect, a veto?
Nawr ein bod ni wedi gadael yr UE, a gaf i ofyn i chi, Prif Weinidog, sut y dylid ymgynghori â Llywodraeth Cymru ar gytundebau masnach yn y dyfodol a beth yw eich blaenoriaethau? Wrth gwrs, pe byddai Llywodraeth y DU wedi gwrando arnoch chi o'r blaen, pan ddywedasoch y byddai tariffau'n dinistrio diwydiant ceir y DU drwy beri iddo adleoli i'r UE, efallai y bydden nhw'n synnu o glywed y newyddion yr wythnos hon. Dywedodd Groupe PSA, sy'n gwneud ceir Peugeot, Citroën a Vauxhall, y bydden nhw'n ymateb i dariffau yn yr UE trwy gynyddu presenoldeb y cwmni yn y DU yn Ellesmere Port, lle, wrth gwrs, mae llawer o bobl yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru yn gweithio. Yn y cyfamser, mae Nissan yn bwriadu cau gweithfeydd yn yr UE ac adleoli'r gwaith cynhyrchu i'r DU, gyda'r nod o gynyddu eu cyfran o'r farchnad bum gwaith o 4 y cant i 20 y cant, gan ddisodli mewnforion o'r UE. Er gwaethaf hyn, a ydych chi fel Prif Weinidog yn dweud y dylai fod yn rhaid i Lywodraeth y DU gytuno ar ei pholisi masnach gyda chi—feto, i bob pwrpas?
Llywydd, we left the European Union on Friday of last week. I think it's a little early by Tuesday of this week to have already decided what its impacts will be, particularly as there are no tariffs and there are no non-tariff barriers at the moment, because we are still in the transition period. So, I think he will have to let a little more time go before he can tell whether his rosy view of the future will turn out to be delivered.
My view of the right relationship between the UK Government and devolved administrations across the United Kingdom is that, when the UK Government comes to frame its negotiating mandate and its negotiating position with other countries, whether that is the EU or with other, third countries, the UK Government's hand would be strengthened if it was able to say to those who it is negotiating with that what it says represents not just the views of the UK Government, but of other Governments across the United Kingdom, and that therefore structures should be put in place to allow that to be attempted, and that the attempt should be made honestly and genuinely by all parties concerned. I think that will be right for Wales; I think it'll be right for the United Kingdom as well.
Llywydd, gadawsom yr Undeb Ewropeaidd ddydd Gwener yr wythnos diwethaf. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi braidd yn gynnar erbyn dydd Mawrth yr wythnos hon i fod wedi penderfynu eisoes beth fydd effeithiau hynny, yn enwedig gan nad oes tariffau ac nad oes unrhyw rwystrau heblaw am dariffau ar hyn o bryd, gan ein bod ni'n dal i fod yn y cyfnod pontio. Felly, rwy'n credu y bydd yn rhaid iddo adael i ychydig mwy o amser fynd heibio cyn y gall ddweud pa un a fydd ei safbwynt obeithiol o'r dyfodol yn cael ei wireddu.
Yn fy marn i, y berthynas iawn rhwng Llywodraeth y DU a'r gweinyddiaethau datganoledig ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig yw, pan ddaw Llywodraeth y DU i lunio ei mandad negodi a'i safbwynt negodi gyda gwledydd eraill, boed hynny yr UE neu gyda gwledydd eraill, trydydd gwledydd, byddai Llywodraeth y DU yn gryfach pe gallai ddweud wrth y rhai y mae'n negodi â nhw bod yr hyn y mae'n ei ddweud yn cynrychioli nid yn unig safbwyntiau Llywodraeth y DU, ond safbwyntiau Llywodraethau eraill ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig, ac felly y dylid rhoi strwythurau ar waith i ganiatáu ymgais ar hynny, ac y dylai'r ymgais gael ei gwneud yn onest ac yn ddiffuant gan yr holl bartïon dan sylw. Rwy'n credu mai dyna fydd yn iawn i Gymru; rwy'n credu y bydd yn iawn i'r Deyrnas Unedig hefyd.
Thank you. Of course, it's not me who's saying these things, but the car companies, as reported in the Financial Times. But it should not be a surprise that, when the EU sells £265 billion-worth of goods to us and we only sell £170 billion-worth of goods to them, if you make trade more expensive through tariffs, that production would relocate on a net basis from the EU to the UK in light of those tariffs. I would prefer to see free trade and I would also support, I think, broadly what the First Minister has just said; I think there had been suggestions before of UK Government having to agree its approach, but to the extent the First Minister was just talking about—consultation—I support him in that, and agree that the UK Government's hand would be strengthened if there was wide support for its negotiating stance.
I would, however, caution the First Minister against assuming he'd have support in Wales for confronting the UK Government on this issue. We're reminded today that support for abolishing this place is greater than support for independence, yet your Minister, Ken Skates, has just written to Members of Parliament to tell them to change rail devolution—and I quote—to
'address...concerns being raised by the growing independence movements in both Scotland and Wales.'
First Minister, surely it's preposterous to pressurise the UK Government as if you're Cardiff's Nicola Sturgeon.
Diolch. Wrth gwrs, nid fi sy'n dweud y pethau hyn, ond y cwmnïau ceir, fel yr adroddwyd yn y Financial Times. Ond ni ddylai fod yn syndod, pan fo'r UE yn gwerthu gwerth £265 biliwn o nwyddau i ni, a'n bod ni ddim ond yn gwerthu gwerth £170 biliwn o nwyddau iddyn nhw, os byddwch chi'n gwneud masnach yn ddrytach trwy dariffau, y byddai'r broses gynhyrchu yn adleoli ar sail net o'r UE i'r DU yng ngoleuni'r tariffau hynny. Byddai'n well gen i weld masnach rydd a byddwn hefyd yn cefnogi'n fras, rwy'n credu, yr hyn y mae'r Prif Weinidog newydd ei ddweud; rwy'n credu y bu awgrymiadau yn flaenorol o Lywodraeth y DU yn gorfod cytuno ar ei dull o weithredu, ond i'r graddau yr oedd y Prif Weinidog yn sôn amdanyn nhw nawr— ymgynghori—rwy'n ei gefnogi yn hynny o beth, ac yn cytuno y byddai sefyllfa Llywodraeth y DU yn cryfhau pe byddai cefnogaeth eang i'w safbwynt negodi.
Fodd bynnag, byddwn yn rhybuddio'r Prif Weinidog rhag tybio y byddai'n cael cefnogaeth yng Nghymru i wrthwynebu Llywodraeth y DU ar y mater hwn. Rydym ni'n cael ein hatgoffa heddiw bod cefnogaeth i ddiddymu'r lle hwn yn fwy na'r gefnogaeth i annibyniaeth, ac eto mae eich Gweinidog, Ken Skates, newydd ysgrifennu at Aelodau Seneddol i ddweud wrthyn nhw am newid datganoli rheilffyrdd—ac rwy'n dyfynnu—i
fynd i'r afael â phryderon sy'n cael eu codi gan y mudiadau annibyniaeth sy'n tyfu yng Nghymru ac yn yr Alban.
Prif Weinidog, siawns ei bod hi'n afresymol i roi pwysau ar Lywodraeth y DU fel pe byddech chi'n Nicola Sturgeon Caerdydd.
Well, Llywydd, I have no policy of confrontation with the UK Government, or with the Scottish or with the Northern Irish Governments either. The Welsh Government comes to the door in all the discussions that we have looking to be a positive contributing member of those inter-governmental discussions. Where I differ from him, however, is this: when our interests are different to those of the UK Government, of course, we will always speak up for them and nothing will stop us from making sure that, when we think that something is in the interests of Wales, whether that is in car manufacturing, whether that is in the way that rail funding is organised across the United Kingdom, then we will do our job. We will stand up to that responsibility and we will never leave them in any doubt—not because we are looking for confrontation, but because we have a job of work to do that means that this Senedd is here to represent people's views in Wales, and we must do that without fear of any contradiction by others.
Wel, Llywydd, nid oes gen i unrhyw bolisi o wrthdaro â Llywodraeth y DU, na chyda Llywodraethau'r Alban na Gogledd Iwerddon ychwaith. Daw Llywodraeth Cymru i'r drws ym mhob un o'r trafodaethau yr ydym ni'n eu cael gyda'r nod o fod yn aelod cyfrannol cadarnhaol o'r trafodaethau rhynglywodraethol hynny. Fodd bynnag, yr hyn yr wyf i'n anghytuno ag ef yn ei gylch yw hyn: pan fo'n buddiannau ni'n wahanol i rai Llywodraeth y DU, wrth gwrs, byddwn i bob amser yn siarad o'u plaid ac ni fydd dim yn ein hatal rhag gwneud yn siŵr, pan fyddwn ni'n credu bod rhywbeth er lles Cymru, boed hynny'n weithgynhyrchu ceir, boed hynny yn y ffordd y caiff cyllid rheilffyrdd ei drefnu ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig, yna byddwn yn gwneud ein gwaith. Byddwn yn cyflawni'r cyfrifoldeb hwnnw ac ni fyddwn byth yn eu gadael mewn unrhyw amheuaeth—nid am ein bod ni'n chwilio am ddadl, ond am fod gennym ni waith i'w wneud sy'n golygu bod y Senedd hon yma i gynrychioli safbwyntiau pobl yng Nghymru, ac mae'n rhaid i ni wneud hynny heb ofni unrhyw wrthddywediad gan eraill.
3. Sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi adfywio trefi yng Nghymru? OAQ55028
3. How is the Welsh Government supporting the regeneration of towns in Wales? OAQ55028
I thank the Member for that. The Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government's transforming towns announcement last week set out the significant investment the Welsh Government makes in supporting the regeneration of towns across Wales. We now intend to adopt and promote a town-centre-first approach to new developments.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Nododd cyhoeddiad trawsnewid trefi y Dirprwy Weinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol yr wythnos diwethaf y buddsoddiad sylweddol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i helpu i adfywio trefi ledled Cymru. Rydym ni bellach yn bwriadu mabwysiadu a hyrwyddo dull canol trefi yn gyntaf o ymdrin â datblygiadau newydd.
Thank you for your answer, First Minister. I was really pleased to hear about the package of measures brought together under the transforming towns agenda, and they show, I believe, the Welsh Government's commitment to towns like Mountain Ash and Aberdare in my constituency.
Now, with my interest in a vacant land tax, it will come as no surprise to you that I particularly welcome the additional £13.6 million funding to tackle empty and dilapidated buildings and land. Can the First Minister say a little more about this, especially in the context of the recent consultation on compulsory purchase orders, which will give local authorities enhanced powers to drive this forward and to tackle urban blight?
Diolch am eich ateb, Prif Weinidog. Roeddwn i'n falch iawn o glywed am y pecyn o fesurau a ddygwyd ynghyd o dan yr agenda trawsnewid trefi, ac maen nhw'n dangos, rwy'n credu, ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i drefi fel Aberpennar ac Aberdâr yn fy etholaeth i.
Nawr, gyda fy niddordeb mewn treth ar dir gwag, ni fydd yn syndod i chi fy mod i'n croesawu'n arbennig y cyllid ychwanegol o £13.6 miliwn i fynd i'r afael ag adeiladau a thir gwag sydd wedi dadfeilio. A all y Prif Weinidog ddweud ychydig mwy am hyn, yn enwedig yng nghyd-destun yr ymgynghoriad diweddar ar orchmynion prynu gorfodol, a fydd yn rhoi mwy o bwerau i awdurdodau lleol fwrw ymlaen â hyn a mynd i'r afael â malltod trefol?
I thank Vikki Howells for that. I thank her for her recognition of the transforming towns package and the way that it will reach into towns in her constituency. The Member's interest in vacant land tax is well known, having led debates on it here on the floor of the Assembly.
Llywydd, my view is that most empty properties and undeveloped sites in Wales can be remedied by agreed actions between owners, developers and public authorities. That's why we're putting £10 million into bringing empty homes in Wales back into beneficial use; that's why our £40 million stalled sites fund works with developers and owners to be able to invest in those sites so that they have a new commercial value. But, right across Wales, we have buildings that stand stubbornly empty, where their owners have often disappeared, where attempts by public authorities to reach out to them so that the blight caused by those empty properties can be remedied have no answer. That's why we have a £13.6 million fund to tackle empty and dilapidated buildings and lands, and that's why we need strengthened compulsory purchase orders to give local authorities the power they need when persuasion has broken down, when all the efforts that public authorities make to try to bring about improvement on an agreed basis—where those buildings and those empty pieces of land cause a blight on communities, prevent the regeneration of town centres, public authorities need the money we are giving them and the powers that we will supply to them to take decisive action.
Diolchaf i Vikki Howells am hynna. Diolchaf iddi am gydnabod y pecyn trawsnewid trefi a'r ffordd y bydd yn cyrraedd trefi yn ei hetholaeth hi. Mae diddordeb yr Aelod mewn treth ar dir gwag yn hysbys iawn, ar ôl iddi arwain dadleuon ar y pwnc yn y fan yma ar lawr y Cynulliad.
Llywydd, fy marn i yw y gellir datrys y rhan fwyaf o eiddo gwag a safleoedd nad ydynt wedi ei datblygu yng Nghymru trwy gamau gweithredu a gaiff eu cytuno rhwng perchenogion, datblygwyr ac awdurdodau cyhoeddus. Dyna pam yr ydym ni'n cyfrannu £10 miliwn at ddod â chartrefi gwag yng Nghymru yn ôl i ddefnydd buddiol; dyna pam mae ein cronfa safleoedd segur gwerth £40 miliwn yn gweithio gyda datblygwyr a pherchnogion i allu buddsoddi yn y safleoedd hynny fel bod ganddyn nhw werth masnachol newydd. Ond, ledled Cymru, mae gennym ni adeiladau sy'n sefyll yn ystyfnig o wag, lle mae eu perchnogion yn aml wedi diflannu, lle nad oes unrhyw ateb i ymdrechion awdurdodau cyhoeddus i gysylltu â nhw fel bod modd unioni'r malltod a achosir gan yr eiddo gwag hwnnw. Dyna pam mae gennym ni gronfa o £13.6 miliwn i fynd i'r afael ag adeiladau a thiroedd gwag ac adfeiliedig, a dyna pam yr ydym ni angen gorchmynion prynu gorfodol cryfach i roi'r grym i awdurdodau lleol sydd ei angen arnyn nhw pan fydd perswâd wedi methu, pan fydd yr holl ymdrechion y mae awdurdodau cyhoeddus yn eu gwneud i geisio sicrhau gwelliant ar sail y cytunwyd arni—lle mae'r adeiladau hynny a'r darnau gwag hynny o dir yn falltod ar gymunedau, yn atal adfywiad canol trefi, mae awdurdodau cyhoeddus angen yr arian yr ydym ni'n ei roi iddyn nhw a'r pwerau y byddwn ni'n eu cyflenwi iddyn nhw i gymryd camau pendant.
A vital step towards regenerating town centres has to be taking firm action to deal with the terrible plight of homelessness that causes so much great suffering to vulnerable people and has a very visible impact on town centres and city centres. Now, new figures on homelessness released by the Welsh Government today do show an increase in rough-sleeping. I know it's only a snapshot, but they do suggest an increase of around 20 per cent for a two-week period in October 2019 compared with the previous year, and I note that Newport and Caerphilly fare particularly badly.
Now, First Minister, the answer isn't criminalising vulnerable homeless people, surely, and taking away their meagre possessions, as some councils are doing, but surely the answer is properly funding homelessness services and implementing robust action plans, such as the one put forward by the Crisis organisation. So, could you tell me, please, what steps your Government will be taking to deal with this increasingly desperate problem of homelessness on Welsh streets?
Un cam hanfodol tuag at adfywio canol trefi yw cymryd camau pendant i ymdrin â malltod erchyll digartrefedd sy'n achosi cymaint o ddioddefaint mawr i bobl agored i niwed ac sy'n cael effaith amlwg iawn ar ganol trefi a chanol dinasoedd. Nawr, mae ffigurau newydd ar ddigartrefedd a gyhoeddwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru heddiw yn dangos cynnydd i'r niferoedd sy'n cysgu ar y stryd. Rwy'n gwybod mai dim ond cipolwg yw hwn, ond maen nhw'n awgrymu cynnydd o tua 20 y cant yn ystod cyfnod o bythefnos ym mis Hydref 2019 o'i gymharu â'r flwyddyn flaenorol, ac rwy'n sylwi bod Casnewydd a Chaerffili yn gwneud yn arbennig o wael.
Nawr, Prif Weinidog, nid gwneud pobl ddigartref agored i niwed yn droseddwyr yw'r ateb, does bosib, a chymryd eu heiddo prin oddi arnyn nhw, fel y mae rhai cynghorau yn ei wneud, ond siawns mai'r ateb yw ariannu gwasanaethau digartrefedd yn briodol a gweithredu cynlluniau cadarn, fel yr un a gynigiwyd gan y sefydliad Crisis. Felly, a allech chi ddweud wrthyf i, os gwelwch yn dda, pa gamau y bydd eich Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd i ymdrin â'r broblem gynyddol anobeithiol hon o ddigartrefedd ar strydoedd Cymru?
Well, I thank the Member for that question. I completely agree with her, of course, that criminalisation is not the answer to homelessness and rough-sleeping. I thank the Member, as well, for drawing attention to the figures published today. Some Members here will remember the debate we had last year when the figures went down, when there was a general feeling, from people's lived experience of seeing a rise in street homelessness, that it was hard to square a falling figure with what we are seeing. And, as a result of the discussions we had here, the methodology for this year has been revised and improved, and I think you can see some of that in the figures that were published today. They show, as ever, a mixed picture: five local authorities showing falls in the number of rough-sleepers, including Gwynedd, Wrexham and Cardiff, with significant falls, and then rises in other parts of Wales as well.
The Welsh Government is investing record sums in responding to homelessness. We have new ways in which we are trying to respond to rough-sleeping through the Housing First initiative, which is already helping over 60 people over this winter to go directly into accommodation. We do it in the teeth of the gale of austerity, which is the underlying cause of people losing their homes, losing their livelihoods, and finding themselves in this desperate situation. We will use the figures published today to work with our colleagues in local authorities, in the third sector, to see what more can be done, using the report that was commissioned by Julie James for this winter, chaired by the chief executive of Crisis, so we can learn lessons from elsewhere as well.
Wel, diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â hi, wrth gwrs, nad troseddoli yw'r ateb i ddigartrefedd a chysgu ar y stryd. Diolchaf i'r Aelod hefyd am dynnu sylw at y ffigurau a gyhoeddwyd heddiw. Bydd rhai Aelodau yn y fan yma yn cofio'r ddadl a gawsom y llynedd pan aeth y ffigurau i lawr, pryd yr oedd teimlad cyffredinol, o brofiad personol pobl o weld cynnydd mewn digartrefedd ar y stryd, ei bod yn anodd cysoni ffigur is gyda'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei weld. Ac, o ganlyniad i'r trafodaethau a gawsom ni yn y fan yma, mae'r fethodoleg ar gyfer eleni wedi cael ei diwygio a'i gwella, ac rwy'n credu y gallwch chi weld rhywfaint o hynny yn y ffigurau a gyhoeddwyd heddiw. Maen nhw'n dangos, fel bob amser, darlun cymysg: gostyngiad i nifer y rhai sy'n cysgu ar y stryd mewn pum awdurdod lleol, gan gynnwys Gwynedd, Wrecsam a Chaerdydd, lle cafwyd gostyngiadau sylweddol, ac yna cynnydd mewn rhannau eraill o Gymru hefyd.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn buddsoddi'r symiau mwyaf erioed mewn ymateb i ddigartrefedd. Mae gennym ni ffyrdd newydd yr ydym ni'n rhoi cynnig arnyn nhw i ymateb i gysgu ar y stryd drwy'r fenter Tai yn Gyntaf, sydd eisoes yn helpu dros 60 o bobl dros y gaeaf hwn i fynd yn syth i lety. Rydym ni'n gwneud hynny yn nannedd tymestl cyni cyllidol, sef yr hyn sydd wrth wraidd pobl yn colli eu cartrefi, yn colli eu bywoliaeth, ac yn canfod eu hunain yn y sefyllfa enbyd hon. Byddwn yn defnyddio'r ffigurau a gyhoeddwyd heddiw i weithio gyda'n cydweithwyr mewn awdurdodau lleol, yn y trydydd sector, i weld beth arall y gellir ei wneud, gan ddefnyddio'r adroddiad a gomisiynwyd gan Julie James ar gyfer y gaeaf hwn, dan gadeiryddiaeth prif weithredwr Crisis, fel y gallwn ddysgu gwersi o fannau eraill hefyd.
4. Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i hyfforddi a recriwtio ymgynghorwyr meddygol ar gyfer ysbytai? OAQ55057
4. What is the Welsh Government doing to train and recruit medical consultants for hospitals? OAQ55057
I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. Through additional investment in our workforce, health boards and trusts in Wales employ more NHS consultants than at any time previously. The overall hospital consultant workforce has grown by more than 10 per cent over the last five years.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna, Llywydd. Trwy fuddsoddiad ychwanegol yn ein gweithlu, mae byrddau ac ymddiriedolaethau iechyd yng Nghymru yn cyflogi mwy o feddygon ymgynghorol GIG nag ar unrhyw adeg o'r blaen. Mae'r gweithlu meddygon ymgynghorol cyffredinol mewn ysbytai wedi tyfu gan fwy na 10 y cant dros y pum mlynedd diwethaf.
We all know about the consultants shortage, but the local ratio locally of 15,000 people to one consultant is more than twice as bad as the UK average of 7,000, and, First Minister, those figures are not wrong, because those figures were being quoted just last night in a public meeting by health board officials. This gets to the very heart of the question at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, which looks set to lose 24-hour consultant-led services. So, at a packed meeting that Plaid Cymru organised in Porth last night, the anger and frustration from people were palpable. False assurances have been given in the past about hospital services. Just eight months ago, in June of last year, I asked you to give guarantees about the future of A&E at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital and the recruitment of unfilled posts, and, in reply to me, you said, and I quote,
'where people move on, and people do get new jobs and go further in their careers, those posts will be replaced. They will be replaced, we hope, by substantive posts, and a number of expressions of interest for vacancies at the Royal Glamorgan have already been received and are being considered by the health board. If we have to fill those posts on a temporary basis by locum appointments, then that's what we will do. That is the future for that emergency department, and I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to put that on the record here this afternoon.'
Can you, First Minister, tell the people in the Rhondda what has changed since last June? Can you tell me why you were prepared to give those assurances then, but you're now advising local politicians to stay out of the discussion about the future of the Royal Glamorgan's A&E department?
Rydym ni i gyd yn gwybod am y prinder meddygon ymgynghorol, ond mae'r gymhareb leol yn lleol o 15,000 o bobl i un meddyg ymgynghorol yn fwy na dwywaith mor wael â chyfartaledd y DU o 7,000, a, Prif Weinidog, nid yw'r ffigurau hynny'n anghywir, oherwydd roedd y ffigurau hynny'n cael eu dyfynnu neithiwr ddiwethaf mewn cyfarfod cyhoeddus gan swyddogion byrddau iechyd. Mae hyn yn mynd at wraidd y cwestiwn yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg, sy'n edrych fel pe byddai ar fin colli gwasanaethau 24 awr dan arweiniad meddygon ymgynghorol. Felly, mewn cyfarfod gorlawn a drefnwyd gan Blaid Cymru yn y Porth neithiwr, roedd dicter a rhwystredigaeth pobl yn amlwg. Rhoddwyd sicrwydd ffug yn y gorffennol ynghylch gwasanaethau ysbyty. Cwta wyth mis yn ôl, ym mis Mehefin y llynedd, gofynnais i chi roi sicrwydd ynghylch dyfodol yr adran damweiniau ac achosion brys yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg a recriwtio i swyddi heb eu llenwi, ac, mewn ymateb i mi, dywedasoch, ac rwy'n dyfynnu,
'A phan fydd pobl yn symud ymlaen, a phobl yn cael swyddi newydd ac yn mynd ymhellach yn eu gyrfaoedd, bydd swyddi eraill yn cymryd eu lle, swyddi parhaol, gobeithio, ac mae nifer o ddatganiadau o ddiddordeb ar gyfer swyddi gwag yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg eisoes wedi'u derbyn ac yn cael eu hystyried gan y bwrdd iechyd. Os bydd yn rhaid i ni lenwi'r swyddi hynny dros dro drwy benodi meddygon locwm, dyna a wnawn ni. Dyna'r dyfodol i'r adran achosion brys honno, ac rwy'n falch iawn fy mod i wedi cael y cyfle i gofnodi hynny yn y fan yma y prynhawn yma.'
A allwch chi, Prif Weinidog, ddweud wrth y bobl yn y Rhondda beth sydd wedi newid ers mis Mehefin diwethaf? A allwch chi ddweud wrthyf i pam yr oeddech chi'n barod i roi'r sicrwydd hwnnw bryd hynny, ond eich bod chi'n cynghori gwleidyddion lleol i beidio â chymryd rhan yn y drafodaeth am ddyfodol adran damweiniau ac achosion brys Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg erbyn hyn?
Well, Llywydd, let me repeat what I said earlier: my advice to local politicians is that they should play an active and engaged part in the debate that will now be carried out by the local health board. I know my colleague Mick Antoniw and others have been holding meetings with their constituents, and that is exactly the role that local politicians should play—making sure that the views, the possibilities, that people might be able to contribute to the discussion, that all of that is well known and properly debated.
When I spoke in June of last year, I said what I said because it was the position at the time that the local health board were attempting to recruit substantively to vacancies; if they weren't able to recruit substantively, that they would aim to recruit locum consultants in their place. That is what the health board was doing then; it's what the health board has done in the interim. There comes a point when local clinicians believe that continuing the current service is not viable, would not be safe for patients, and they wanted to discuss alternatives with their local population. I hope that the health board will take every step to make sure that it engages directly with local representatives and local patients as part of that. But, given that that is the conclusion they have reached, they are surely right to have that conversation.
Wel, Llywydd, gadewch i mi ailadrodd yr hyn a ddywedais yn gynharach: fy nghyngor i wleidyddion lleol yw y dylen nhw chwarae rhan weithredol ac ymgysylltiol yn y ddadl a fydd yn cael ei chynnal nawr gan y bwrdd iechyd lleol. Gwn fod fy nghyd-Aelod Mick Antoniw ac eraill wedi bod yn cynnal cyfarfodydd gyda'u hetholwyr, a dyna'r union ran y dylai gwleidyddion lleol ei chwarae—gwneud yn siŵr bod y safbwyntiau, y posibiliadau, y byddai pobl efallai'n gallu eu cyfrannu at y drafodaeth, bod hynny i gyd yn hysbys ac yn cael ei drafod yn briodol.
Pan siaradais i ym mis Mehefin y llynedd, dywedais yr hyn a ddywedais gan mai dyna oedd y sefyllfa ar y pryd pan oedd y bwrdd iechyd lleol yn ceisio recriwtio'n sylweddol i swyddi gwag; os nad oedden nhw'n gallu recriwtio'n sylweddol, y bydden nhw'n ceisio recriwtio meddygon ymgynghorol locwm yn hytrach. Dyna'r oedd y bwrdd iechyd yn ei wneud bryd hynny; dyna mae'r bwrdd iechyd wedi ei wneud yn y cyfamser. Daw adeg pan fydd clinigwyr lleol yn credu nad yw parhau â'r gwasanaeth presennol yn ddichonadwy, na fyddai'n ddiogel i gleifion, ac roedden nhw eisiau trafod dewisiadau eraill gyda'u poblogaeth leol. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y bwrdd iechyd yn cymryd pob cam i wneud yn siŵr ei fod yn ymgysylltu'n uniongyrchol â chynrychiolwyr lleol a chleifion lleol yn rhan o hynny. Ond, o gofio mai dyna'r casgliad y maen nhw wedi dod iddo, siawns eu bod nhw'n iawn i gael y sgwrs honno.
The Member for Rhondda rightly raises the amount of, or numbers of, patients that each consultant has to deal with, but, of course, another issue is about the spread of consultants across specialisms. If we're looking to be effective in outcomes and effective in the deployment of money, one of the things we must ensure is that, when a patient comes into hospital, they do not then submit to the revolving-door syndrome, where they leave because something is fixed, but actually, they had a number of things wrong with them, a number of conditions, or a mental health issue, and then, just a month later, or a few months later, they are readmitted again under a different consultant. This is partly driven by the fact that so many consultants are very specialism driven.
First Minister, can you please tell me what HEIW might be doing to ensure that we look at patients in a more holistic way, by employing more general medical consultants in hospital and more orthogeriatricians, for example? Elderly people, they go in because they've broken a hip, but they actually then develop pneumonia, or they have mental health issues, or dementia that's not picked up—bang, they're back in again. It doesn't help the NHS; it doesn't help the person to stay at home. If, while we had them there, we dealt with them in an effective way instead of just focusing on one issue, I believe that we could transform some elements of our services within hospitals. I'd be interested to hear your opinion.
Mae'r Aelod dros y Rhondda yn iawn i godi nifer, neu niferoedd, y cleifion y mae'n rhaid i bob meddyg ymgynghorol ymdrin â nhw, ond, wrth gwrs, mae mater arall yn ymwneud â gwasgariad meddygon ymgynghorol ar draws arbenigeddau. Os ydym ni eisiau bod yn effeithiol o ran canlyniadau ac yn effeithiol o ran defnyddio arian, un o'r pethau y mae'n rhaid i ni ei sicrhau, pan ddaw claf i'r ysbyty, yw na fydd wedyn yn ildio i'r syndrom drws troi, lle mae'n gadael oherwydd bod rhywbeth wedi ei drwsio, ond mewn gwirionedd, roedd ganddo nifer o bethau o'i le, nifer o gyflyrau, neu broblem iechyd meddwl, ac yna, dim ond mis yn ddiweddarach, neu ychydig fisoedd yn ddiweddarach, mae'n cael ei aildderbyn unwaith eto o dan wahanol feddyg ymgynghorol. Mae hyn yn digwydd yn rhannol oherwydd y ffaith bod cymaint o feddygon ymgynghorol yn cael eu hysgogi gan arbenigedd.
Prif Weinidog, a allwch chi ddweud wrthyf i beth y gallai AaGIC fod yn ei wneud i sicrhau ein bod ni'n edrych ar gleifion mewn ffordd fwy cyfannol, trwy gyflogi mwy o feddygon ymgynghorol cyffredinol yn yr ysbyty a mwy o orthogeriatregwyr, er enghraifft? Pobl oedrannus, maen nhw'n mynd i mewn oherwydd eu bod nhw wedi torri clun, ond maen nhw'n datblygu niwmonia, neu mae ganddyn nhw broblemau iechyd meddwl, neu ddementia nad yw'n cael ei ganfod—bang, maen nhw'n ôl i mewn unwaith eto. Nid yw'n helpu'r GIG; nid yw'n helpu'r person i aros gartref. Pe byddem ni, tra eu bod nhw yno gennym ni, yn ymdrin â nhw mewn ffordd effeithiol yn hytrach na chanolbwyntio ar un broblem yn unig, rwy'n credu y gallem ni weddnewid rhai elfennau o'n gwasanaethau mewn ysbytai. Byddai gennyf ddiddordeb mewn clywed eich barn.
Thank you. Llywydd, I had hoped not to take time up putting this on the record, but it's the third time these figures have been mentioned, so I feel that I must. The ratio of consultants to patients in England is derived by dividing the number of people attending major accident and emergency departments by the number of consultants. The figure quoted for Wales is derived by dividing the number of consultants into the people who attend all accident and emergency departments and minor injury units as well, and given that thousands and thousands of people attend minor injury units it is no surprise that, if you divide consultants into a different sort of total, you come up with a different sort of result.
So, I didn't want to have to go into all of that, but that's why I said in answer to Adam Price that the figure he quoted was not to be relied upon, because it is comparing apples and pears. As I said, it wasn't for me the central point of what he said, but given that it's been twice repeated since, I just want to make sure that people understand the basis of the figures that have been quoted and why they're not a reliable comparison in any way.
To the substantive point that Angela Burns makes, which I think is a very important one, when I was the health Minister, I worked with UK health Ministers on a report that the UK Minister had commissioned from the vice-chancellor of Sheffield university, as I recall, which proposed a new cadre of generalist consultants working with older people. Now, in many parts of what the health service does, the trend over the last 20 years to have ever greater sub-speciality is in the interest of patients. If you are going for an orthopaedic operation, you'd rather have it from somebody who is a specialist in the particular procedure rather than somebody who has a go at everything.
But when it comes to older people, in the way that Angela Burns said, people present with a whole variety of different conditions that have an impact upon one another, and what you don't want, I believe, is that patient being handed from one slice of speciality to another. You need a doctor trained as part of that new cadre of generalists.
I think the truth is that that effort—which I say her Government had a leading hand in generating—didn't make the traction that we had hoped, and that's largely because the thrust of general colleges is in the opposite direction. We have to do more to persuade the profession as well that the nature of medicine for older people needs a different sort of response than the one that has been the dominant trend for nearly 20 years.
Diolch. Llywydd, roeddwn i wedi gobeithio peidio â chymryd amser yn rhoi hyn ar y cofnod, ond dyma'r trydydd tro y soniwyd am y ffigurau hyn, felly rwy'n teimlo bod yn rhaid i mi. Mae'r gymhareb o feddygon ymgynghorol i gleifion yn Lloegr yn deillio o rannu nifer y bobl sy'n mynd i adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys mawr gyda nifer y meddygon ymgynghorol. Mae'r ffigur a ddyfynnir ar gyfer Cymru yn deillio o rannu nifer y meddygon ymgynghorol gyda'r bobl sy'n mynd i'r holl adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys ac unedau mân anafiadau hefyd, ac o gofio bod miloedd ar filoedd o bobl yn mynd i unedau mân anafiadau, nid yw'n syndod, os byddwch chi'n rhannu meddygon ymgynghorol i wahanol fath o gyfanswm, y byddwch chi'n cael gwahanol fath o ganlyniad.
Felly, doeddwn i ddim eisiau gorfod mynd i mewn i hynny i gyd, ond dyna pam y dywedais wrth ateb Adam Price na ddylid dibynnu ar y ffigur a ddyfynnodd, gan ei fod yn achos o gymharu afalau a gellyg. Fel y dywedais, nid oedd ar fy nghyfer i, pwynt canolog yr hyn a ddywedodd, ond o ystyried ei fod wedi cael ei ailadrodd ddwywaith ers hynny, rwyf i eisiau gwneud yn siŵr bod pobl yn deall sail y ffigurau sydd wedi eu dyfynnu a pham nad ydyn nhw'n gymhariaeth ddibynadwy mewn unrhyw ffordd.
O ran y prif bwynt y mae Angela Burns yn ei wneud, sy'n un pwysig iawn yn fy marn i, pan oeddwn i'n Weinidog iechyd, gweithiais gyda Gweinidogion iechyd y DU ar adroddiad yr oedd Gweinidog y DU wedi ei gomisiynu gan is-ganghellor prifysgol Sheffield, os cofiaf yn iawn, a oedd yn cynnig carfan newydd o feddygon ymgynghorol cyffredinol yn gweithio gyda phobl hŷn. Nawr, mewn llawer o rannau o'r hyn y mae'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn ei wneud, mae'r duedd dros yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf i gael mwy fyth o is-arbenigedd er budd cleifion. Os ydych chi'n mynd i gael llawdriniaeth orthopedig, byddai'n well gennych chi ei gael gan rywun sy'n arbenigo yn y driniaeth benodol yn hytrach na rhywun sy'n rhoi cynnig ar bopeth.
Ond o ran pobl hŷn, yn y ffordd y dywedodd Angela Burns, mae pobl yn dod gydag amrywiaeth eang o wahanol gyflyrau sy'n cael effaith ar ei gilydd, a'r hyn nad ydych chi ei eisiau, rwy'n credu, yw bod y claf hwnnw'n cael ei drosglwyddo o un darn o arbenigedd i'r llall. Rydych chi angen meddyg sydd wedi ei hyfforddi yn rhan o'r garfan newydd honno o gyffredinolwyr.
Rwy'n credu mai'r gwir amdani yw na chafodd yr ymdrech honno—yr wyf i'n dweud bod gan ei Llywodraeth hi ran flaenllaw yn ei chreu—yr effaith yr oeddem ni wedi ei obeithio, ac mae hynny i raddau helaeth oherwydd bod ymdrechion colegau cyffredinol i'r cyfeiriad arall. Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud mwy i berswadio'r proffesiwn hefyd bod natur meddygaeth i bobl hŷn angen gwahanol fath o ymateb i'r hyn a fu'r tuedd blaenllaw am bron i 20 mlynedd.
5. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am ddarparu'r gronfa gofal integredig? OAQ55058
5. Will the First Minister provide an update on the delivery of the integrated care fund? OAQ55058
I thank the Member for that. Across the whole of Wales, the £124 million integrated care fund brings together health, social care and housing services, supports multi-disciplinary working, focuses on innovation, prevention and early intervention, and helps people live their lives in their own way.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Ledled Cymru gyfan, mae'r gronfa gofal integredig £124 miliwn yn dod â gwasanaethau iechyd, gofal cymdeithasol a thai ynghyd, yn cefnogi gwaith amlddisgyblaethol, yn canolbwyntio ar arloesi, atal ac ymyrraeth gynnar, ac yn helpu pobl i fyw eu bywydau yn eu ffordd eu hunain.
Thank you, First Minister. The investment in the integrated care fund and the progress it has delivered, I believe, is a key part of the whole-system approach that Wales needs to meet the demands on hospital and care services. I've seen examples in my own constituency of the fund supporting a more seamless transition between health and care and breaking down some of the barriers that can be a burden both for patients and their families. But as the annual report for 2018-19 makes clear, the lessons that arise and the best practice being delivered must be adopted at pace. So, what further actions can your Government take to ensure the lessons from the integrated care fund are delivered across a wider range of services?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Mae'r buddsoddiad yn y gronfa gofal integredig a'r cynnydd y mae wedi ei gyflawni yn rhan allweddol, rwy'n credu, o'r dull system gyfan sydd ei angen ar Gymru i fodloni'r gofyniad ar wasanaethau ysbyty a gofal. Rwyf i wedi gweld enghreifftiau yn fy etholaeth fy hun o'r gronfa yn cefnogi trosglwyddiad mwy di-dor rhwng iechyd a gofal ac yn chwalu rhai o'r rhwystrau a all fod yn faich ar gleifion a'u teuluoedd. Ond fel y mae'r adroddiad blynyddol ar gyfer 2018-19 yn ei gwneud yn eglur, mae'n rhaid i'r gwersi sy'n codi a'r arfer gorau sy'n cael ei ddarparu gael eu mabwysiadu'n gyflym. Felly, pa gamau pellach y gall eich Llywodraeth eu cymryd i sicrhau bod gwersi'r gronfa gofal integredig yn cael eu darparu ar draws amrywiaeth ehangach o wasanaethau?
I thank the Member for that question. Thank you for the recognition of the work that the integrated care fund has done in the Member's own constituency. I'm sure that she is familiar with the stay well at home service that operates in Merthyr and the work that is being done in the Rhymney valley, through the fund, to improve services for people with learning disabilities.
There is a range of things, Llywydd, that the Welsh Government does to make sure that the lessons of the fund are spread across Wales. We have strengthened the membership of the regional partnership boards in the last year by making sure that housing is directly represented on the board, because so many of the lessons are lessons that are best implemented in collaboration with housing services. We hold an annual event where people from across Wales come together to make sure they share the learning from the fund over the previous 12 months and, as it happens, that annual event will happen on Wednesday of next week.
And we retain a small amount of the integrated care fund revenue funding every year to promote nationally those projects that have been most outstandingly successful at a local level, and where we are sure that that idea, that new initiative deserves to be delivered right across Wales.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn yna. Diolch am gydnabod y gwaith y mae'r gronfa gofal integredig wedi ei wneud yn etholaeth yr Aelod ei hun. Rwy'n siŵr ei bod hi'n gyfarwydd â'r gwasanaeth cadw'n iach gartref sy'n gweithredu ym Merthyr Tudful a'r gwaith sy'n cael ei wneud yng nghwm Rhymni, drwy'r gronfa, i wella gwasanaethau i bobl ag anableddau dysgu.
Ceir amrywiaeth o bethau, Llywydd, y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu gwneud i sicrhau bod gwersi'r gronfa yn cael eu rhannu ledled Cymru. Rydym ni wedi cryfhau aelodaeth y byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf drwy sicrhau bod maes tai yn cael ei gynrychioli'n uniongyrchol ar y bwrdd, gan fod cynifer o'r gwersi yn wersi sy'n cael eu gweithredu orau ar y cyd â gwasanaethau tai. Rydym ni'n cynnal digwyddiad blynyddol lle mae pobl o bob cwr o Gymru yn dod ynghyd i wneud yn siŵr eu bod nhw'n rhannu'r hyn a ddysgwyd o'r gronfa yn ystod y flwyddyn flaenorol ac, fel mae'n digwydd, bydd y digwyddiad blynyddol hwnnw'n cael ei gynnal ddydd Mercher yr wythnos nesaf.
Ac rydym ni'n cadw swm bach o gyllid refeniw'r gronfa gofal integredig yn ôl bob blwyddyn i hyrwyddo'n genedlaethol y prosiectau hynny a fu'n fwyaf eithriadol o lwyddiannus ar lefel leol, a phan ein ni'n sicr bod y syniad hwnnw, y fenter newydd honno, yn haeddu cael ei darparu ledled Cymru gyfan.
First Minister, last year, I note that the Wales Audit Office found that the impact of the integrated care fund in improving outcomes for service users remained unclear and there was little evidence of successful projects being mainstreamed into core budgets. So, can I ask how has the Welsh Government implemented the recommendations that the Wales Audit Office made, and what work has been done to align specifically the use of integrated care fund capital and revenue funding to provide packages of care that will improve outcomes for service users?
Prif Weinidog, y llynedd, sylwais fod Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru wedi canfod bod effaith y gronfa gofal integredig o ran gwella canlyniadau i ddefnyddwyr gwasanaeth yn dal yn aneglur ac mai prin oedd y dystiolaeth o brosiectau llwyddiannus yn cael eu prif ffrydio i gyllidebau craidd. Felly, a gaf i ofyn sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gweithredu'r argymhellion a wnaeth Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru, a pha waith sydd wedi ei wneud i gysoni'n benodol y defnydd o gyllid cyfalaf a refeniw'r gronfa gofal integredig i ddarparu pecynnau gofal a fydd yn gwella canlyniadau i ddefnyddwyr gwasanaeth?
Well, Llywydd, I think that that is a slightly selective reading of the WAO report that had many positive things to say about the fund and the impact that it has had across Wales. Of course it provides recommendations on how things can be done better, and we take that seriously. We wish we had a three-year budget from the UK Government so that we could provide the sort of certainty to service providers on the ground that the WAO report proposed to us.
On the specific issue of aligning the capital and revenue purposes of the fund, just to give the Member one example: in the Gwent area, the capital funding is being used to provide a new five-bedded respite home for children with profound physical and mental health needs. It's doing that because the basis of the fund has been broadened in recent years. As those Members who were part of setting it up will remember, it began very specifically as an initiative to prevent older people being admitted to hospital or to accelerate their discharge. We now use it for a wider range of purposes, including the needs of children with very severe health needs.
Wel, Llywydd, rwy'n credu bod hwnna'n ddarlleniad detholus braidd o adroddiad Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru a oedd â llawer o bethau cadarnhaol i'w dweud am y gronfa a'r effaith y mae wedi'i chael ar Gymru. Wrth gwrs, mae'n cynnig argymhellion ar sut y gellir gwneud pethau'n well, ac rydym ni'n cymryd hynny o ddifrif. Byddai'n dda gennym pe byddai gennym ni gyllideb tair blynedd gan Lywodraeth y DU fel y gallem ni roi'r math o sicrwydd i ddarparwyr gwasanaeth ar lawr gwlad a gynigiwyd i ni gan adroddiad Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru.
Ar y mater penodol o gysoni dibenion cyfalaf a refeniw'r gronfa, dim ond i roi un enghraifft i'r Aelod: yn ardal Gwent, mae'r arian cyfalaf yn cael ei ddefnyddio i ddarparu cartref seibiant pum gwely newydd i blant ag anghenion iechyd meddwl a chorfforol dwys. Mae'n gwneud hynny gan fod sail y gronfa wedi ei hehangu yn y blynyddoedd diweddar. Fel y bydd yr Aelodau hynny a oedd yn rhan o'r broses o'i sefydlu yn cofio, dechreuodd yn benodol iawn fel menter i atal pobl hŷn rhag cael eu derbyn i'r ysbyty neu i gyflymu'r broses o'u rhyddhau. Rydym ni'n ei defnyddio at amrywiaeth ehangach o ddibenion erbyn hyn, gan gynnwys anghenion plant ag anghenion iechyd difrifol iawn.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am y ddarpariaeth ar gyfer damweiniau ac achosion brys yng Nghanol De Cymru? OAQ55023
6. Will the First Minister make a statement on accident and emergency provision in South Wales Central? OAQ55023
I thank the Member for that. Accident and emergency departments across the United Kingdom, including in South Wales Central, have seen significant increases in demand over this winter season. While the system remains busy, it continues to respond every day to the needs of patients.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Bu cynnydd sylweddol i'r galw mewn adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys ledled y Deyrnas Unedig, gan gynnwys yng Nghanol De Cymru, yn ystod y tymor gaeaf hwn. Er bod y system yn dal i fod yn brysur, mae'n parhau i ymateb bob dydd i anghenion cleifion.
I appreciate that you've answered this question on several occasions so far this afternoon, but you can appreciate this is the major issue in my region at the moment: the provision of accident and emergency at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital.
Last week, in the topical question that was put to the health Minister, I made the point that strategic direction for the health service here in Wales is in the hands of the Welsh Government and the health Minister; day-to-day running is the health board, in this particular instance, Cwm Taf. You could stop the closure of A&E provision at Royal Glamorgan Hospital and instruct that health board to have a long-term plan to sustain the services there. The reason consultants haven't gone into the Royal Glamorgan Hospital is because it has had a closure notice over it since the south Wales programme was instigated back in 2014.
Will you now not live up to your responsibility as a Welsh Government and take hold of this situation? Because the strategic importance here is to maintain accident and emergency provision at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. Or will you turn your back on the people who rely on that provision in that hospital and say 'no' and allow that provision to be taken away, against the wishes of your colleagues on your back bench and colleagues across this Chamber who've campaigned vigorously with local communities to maintain that service?
Rwy'n sylweddoli eich bod chi wedi ateb y cwestiwn hwn ar sawl achlysur hyd yn hyn y prynhawn yma, ond gallwch werthfawrogi mai dyma'r brif broblem yn fy rhanbarth i ar hyn o bryd: y ddarpariaeth o wasanaethau damweiniau ac achosion brys yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg.
Yr wythnos diwethaf, yn y cwestiwn amserol a ofynnwyd i'r Gweinidog iechyd, gwneuthum y pwynt fod cyfeiriad strategol y gwasanaeth iechyd yma yng Nghymru yn nwylo Llywodraeth Cymru a'r Gweinidog iechyd; y bwrdd iechyd sy'n gyfrifol am ei redeg o ddydd i ddydd, sef Cwm Taf yn yr achos penodol hwn. Gallech chi roi terfyn ar gau'r ddarpariaeth damweiniau ac achosion brys yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg a rhoi cyfarwyddyd i'r bwrdd iechyd hwnnw lunio cynllun hirdymor i gynnal y gwasanaethau yno. Y rheswm pam nad yw'r meddygon ymgynghorol wedi mynd i Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg yw oherwydd bod ganddo hysbysiad cau yn gysylltiedig ag ef ers cychwyn rhaglen de Cymru yn ôl yn 2014.
A wnewch chi gyflawni eich cyfrifoldeb fel Llywodraeth Cymru nawr a chymryd gafael ar y sefyllfa hon? Oherwydd y pwysigrwydd strategol yn y fan yma yw cynnal y ddarpariaeth damweiniau ac achosion brys yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg. Neu a wnewch chi droi eich cefn ar y bobl sy'n dibynnu ar y ddarpariaeth honno yn yr ysbyty hwnnw a dweud 'na' a chaniatáu i'r ddarpariaeth honno gael ei chymryd i ffwrdd, yn groes i ddymuniadau eich cyd-Aelodau ar eich mainc gefn a chyd-Aelodau ar draws y Siambr hon sydd wedi ymgyrchu'n egnïol gyda chymunedau lleol i gynnal y gwasanaeth hwnnw?
Well, Llywydd, I'm happy to answer another question on this matter, and I'll try and extract the serious point that I think was there in the Member's question. The strategic direction that the Welsh Government provides to the health service in Wales is that the services that are provided must be safe, they must be of a sufficient quality, and they must be sustainable.
I agree with the Member's point that the south Wales programme has provided the surrounding context for services at the Royal Glamorgan, and I agree, if this was the point that he was making, that when the local health board come to consider the future of those services at the Royal Glamorgan they need to revisit the context six years on from the south Wales programme, to make sure that the decisions are being made with the most up-to-date information that is available to them.
But people on the ground closest to those services, expert in the clinical work that an accident and emergency department has to carry out, have to be the people who, in the end, make decisions based on the strategic direction that the Government sets for them—and that is that those services must be safe, they must be sustainable, and they must be of sufficient quality. And I hope that we will listen to what the clinicians say to us on all of that, once they have been informed by all the views that local Members from all sides of this Chamber convey to the board on behalf of the populations they represent.
Wel, Llywydd, rwy'n hapus i ateb cwestiwn arall ar y mater hwn, a byddaf yn ceisio canolbwyntio ar y pwynt difrifol yr wyf yn credu oedd yno yng nghwestiwn yr Aelod. Y cyfeiriad strategol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei ddarparu i'r gwasanaeth iechyd yng Nghymru yw bod yn rhaid i'r gwasanaethau a ddarperir fod yn ddiogel, mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw fod o ansawdd digonol, ac mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw fod yn gynaliadwy.
Rwy'n cytuno â phwynt yr Aelod fod rhaglen de Cymru wedi darparu'r cyd-destun cwmpasol ar gyfer gwasanaethau yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg, ac rwy'n cytuno, os mai dyma'r pwynt yr oedd yn ei wneud, pan ddaw'r bwrdd iechyd lleol i ystyried dyfodol y gwasanaethau hynny yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg y bydd angen iddyn nhw ailedrych ar y cyd-destun chwe blynedd ymlaen o raglen de Cymru, er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr bod y penderfyniadau'n cael eu gwneud gyda'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf sydd ar gael iddyn nhw.
Ond mae'r bobl ar lawr gwlad sydd agosaf at y gwasanaethau hynny, ac sy'n arbenigo yn y gwaith clinigol y mae'n rhaid i adran damweiniau ac achosion brys ei wneud, yn gorfod bod y bobl sydd, yn y pen draw, yn gwneud penderfyniadau ar sail y cyfeiriad strategol y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei osod ar eu cyfer—ac mae hynny'n golygu bod yn rhaid i'r gwasanaethau hynny fod yn ddiogel, mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw fod yn gynaliadwy, ac mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw fod o ansawdd digonol. Ac rwyf yn gobeithio y byddwn ni'n gwrando ar yr hyn a ddywed y clinigwyr wrthym ni am hyn i gyd, ar ôl iddyn nhw gael eu hysbysu gan yr holl safbwyntiau y mae Aelodau lleol o bob ochr i'r Siambr hon yn eu cyfleu i'r bwrdd ar ran y poblogaethau y maen nhw'n eu cynrychioli.
First Minister, it is a fact that there is a national shortage of A&E consultants across England and Wales, but it is my very firm belief that, in such challenging circumstances, health boards—and in particular, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board—must approach recruitment strategically if they are to be successful. For example, advertising for permanent not temporary positions, and drawing up contracts that mean that consultants are not tied to one hospital, but can be contractually obliged to move between two or more sites to help meet changing demands. Do you, First Minister, agree with me on that?
Prif Weinidog, mae'n ffaith fod prinder cenedlaethol o feddygon ymgynghorol mewn adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys ledled Cymru a Lloegr, ond rwyf yn credu'n gryf, mewn amgylchiadau mor heriol, bod yn rhaid i fyrddau iechyd—ac yn enwedig, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf—fynd ati i recriwtio'n strategol os ydyn nhw am fod yn llwyddiannus. Er enghraifft, hysbysebu ar gyfer swyddi parhaol, nid swyddi dros dro, a llunio contractau sy'n golygu nad yw meddygon ymgynghorol ynghlwm wrth un ysbyty, ond y gellir mynnu yn unol â'u contract, eu bod yn symud rhwng dau neu fwy o safleoedd i helpu i ateb gofynion cyfnewidiol. A ydych chi, Prif Weinidog, yn cytuno â mi ar hynny?
Llywydd, I do agree with the final point that the Member has made that we need to look at the contract. I hope that the British Medical Association will be willing to enter into discussions and negotiations with the Welsh Government about the hospital consultant contract here in Wales to see if there are new flexibilities that can be negotiated with the workforce. This is a workforce who are organised, who have unions who speak on their behalf, who have a contract that people have signed up to. I agree with what Vikki Howells has said, that the contract could do to be revisited, that we could do to have those discussions with the BMA about new flexibilities, and I hope that they will be willing to come to the table to conduct those negotiations.
Llywydd, rwy'n cytuno â'r pwynt olaf y mae'r Aelod wedi ei wneud bod angen i ni edrych ar y contract. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd Cymdeithas Feddygol Prydain yn fodlon cynnal trafodaethau gyda Llywodraeth Cymru ynghylch y contract meddygon ymgynghorol mewn ysbytai yma yng Nghymru i weld a oes hyblygrwydd newydd y gellir ei drafod gyda'r gweithlu. Mae hwn yn weithlu sydd yn drefnus, sydd ag undebau sy'n siarad ar eu rhan, sydd â chontract y mae pobl wedi ymrwymo iddo. Cytunaf â'r hyn y mae Vikki Howells wedi ei ddweud, y gallai'r contract gael ei ailystyried, y gallem ei gael y trafodaethau hynny gyda Chymdeithas Feddygol Prydain ynghylch hyblygrwydd newydd, ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddan nhw'n fodlon dod at y bwrdd i gynnal y trafodaethau hynny.
First Minister, the Royal Glamorgan Hospital is in my constituency. In the Taff Ely area, there has been massive housing expansion and, over the course of the next decade or so, there is likely to be in the region of an extra 20,000 new homes. The demography has changed very significantly since the original south Wales programme. Do you agree with me that any clinical review of the provision of accident and emergency should take account of such significant demographic changes?
Prif Weinidog, mae Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg yn fy etholaeth i. Yn ardal Taf Elái, bu cynnydd aruthrol i nifer y tai, ac yn ystod y degawd nesaf fwy neu lai, mae'n debygol y bydd 20,000 o gartrefi newydd ychwanegol. Mae'r ddemograffeg wedi newid yn sylweddol iawn ers rhaglen wreiddiol De Cymru. A ydych chi'n cytuno â mi y dylai unrhyw adolygiad clinigol o ddarpariaeth damweiniau ac achosion brys ystyried newidiadau mor sylweddol o ran demograffeg?
I thank the Member for that, and I echo the answer I gave earlier in this question, that in making decisions six years on from the south Wales programme it is important that those decisions are made in the most up-to-date set of understandings about the current context. Things will have changed in those six years, demographic trends will have changed, house building will have changed. I expect the health board to take account of all of those things as it makes decisions, so that its decisions are made, exactly as Mick Antoniw has said, in the light of contemporary circumstances.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna, a rhoddaf yr un ateb a roddais yn gynharach yn y cwestiwn hwn, sef ei bod yn bwysig, wrth wneud penderfyniadau chwe blynedd ymlaen o raglen de Cymru, bod y penderfyniadau hynny'n cael eu gwneud yn y gyfres fwyaf cyfredol o ddirnadaeth am y cyd-destun presennol. Bydd pethau wedi newid yn ystod y chwe blynedd hynny, bydd tueddiadau demograffig wedi newid, bydd adeiladu tai wedi newid. Disgwyliaf i'r bwrdd iechyd ystyried yr holl bethau hynny wrth iddo wneud penderfyniadau, fel bod ei benderfyniadau yn cael eu gwneud, yn union fel y dywedodd Mick Antoniw, yng ngoleuni amgylchiadau cyfredol.
7. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi'u cael ynghylch statws cyfansoddiadol Cymru o fewn y Deyrnas Unedig? OAQ55041
7. What discussions has the First Minister had regarding Wales's constitutional status within the United Kingdom? OAQ55041
I thank the Member for that. I've had a number of discussions on strengthening the United Kingdom, and Wales's place within it. Respecting devolution, as supported by the people of Wales in successive referendums, is fundamental to ensuring the continuation of the union.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Rwyf wedi cael nifer o drafodaethau ar gryfhau'r Deyrnas Unedig, a lle Cymru oddi mewn iddi. Mae parchu datganoli, fel y'i cefnogwyd gan bobl Cymru mewn refferenda olynol, yn hanfodol er mwyn sicrhau parhad yr undeb.
Is it not clear from the questions we've had today, from all parts of the House, that devolution over the last 20 years of Labour Government has comprehensively failed, and that this is a message that has percolated through to the Welsh people, because there's been a substantial increase in support in the latest YouGov poll, both for full independence on the one hand, and also, for abolishing the Assembly on the other?
Over 20 years, we've seen Wales sink to the bottom of the heap in terms of income in the United Kingdom amongst the home nations; we've heard the litany of failures in the NHS, which the First Minister is keen to ascribe to the United Kingdom Government, which has no responsibility for the day-to-day running of the health service. But it does give him a convenient opportunity to pass the buck, and therefore, avoid taking responsibility. The education system—we're consistently at the bottom of the Programme for International Student Assessment league tables.
He was a keen advocate of the people's vote during the referendum campaign on the EU, and we had to wait 40 years for a referendum after 1975 to reconsider the decision of the British people then. Is it not now time, after 20 years of devolution in Wales, for the Welsh people to give us their views on whether he has succeeded or failed?
Onid yw hi'n glir o'r cwestiynau yr ydym ni wedi eu cael heddiw, o bob rhan o'r Tŷ, bod datganoli yn ystod yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf o Lywodraeth Lafur wedi methu'n llwyr, a bod hon yn neges sydd wedi treiddio drwodd at bobl Cymru, oherwydd bu cynnydd sylweddol yn y gefnogaeth yn y pôl piniwn YouGov diweddaraf, ar gyfer annibyniaeth lawn ar y naill law, a hefyd, ar gyfer diddymu'r Cynulliad ar y llaw arall?
Dros 20 mlynedd, rydym ni wedi gweld Cymru yn suddo i waelod y domen o ran incwm yn y Deyrnas Unedig ymhlith y gwledydd cartref; Rydym ni wedi clywed y rhestr faith o fethiannau yn y GIG, y mae'r Prif Weinidog yn awyddus i'w priodoli i Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig, nad oes ganddi unrhyw gyfrifoldeb dros redeg y gwasanaeth iechyd o ddydd i ddydd. Ond mae'n rhoi cyfle cyfleus iddo roi bai ar rywun arall, ac felly, osgoi cymryd cyfrifoldeb. Y system addysg—rydym ni'n gyson ar waelod tablau cynghrair y Rhaglen Ryngwladol Asesu Myfyrwyr.
Roedd e'n hyrwyddwr brwd o bleidlais y bobl yn ystod ymgyrch y refferendwm ar yr UE, a bu'n rhaid i ni aros 40 mlynedd am refferendwm ar ôl 1975 i ailystyried penderfyniad pobl Prydain bryd hynny. Onid yw hi'n bryd nawr, ar ôl 20 mlynedd o ddatganoli yng Nghymru, i bobl Cymru roi eu barn i ni ar ba un a yw ef wedi llwyddo neu wedi methu?
Well, Llywydd, the Member comes amongst us, as ever, in his prophet-of-doom personality. I disagree with him completely on most things that he has said. I've lost count of the number of times that he has shrilly urged me to respect the results of a referendum; I suggest to him that he might want to do the same thing.
Wel, Llywydd, mae'r Aelod yn dod i'n plith, fel arfer, yn ei bersonoliaeth proffwyd tranc. Rwyf yn anghytuno'n llwyr ag ef ar y rhan fwyaf o bethau y mae wedi eu dweud. Rwyf wedi colli cyfrif o sawl gwaith y mae wedi fy annog i barchu canlyniadau refferendwm; awgrymaf iddo y gallai yntau fod yn dymuno gwneud yr un peth.
Ac yn olaf, cwestiwn 8, Delyth Jewell.
Finally, question 8, Delyth Jewell.
8. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau darpariaeth ddigonol o wasanaethau meddygon teulu yn Nwyrain De Cymru? OAQ55063
8. What action is the Welsh Government taking to ensure adequate provision of GP services in South Wales East? OAQ55063
I thank the Member. Primary care services in South Wales East, as elsewhere, are provided by multidisciplinary clinical teams, brought together in clusters to develop and diversify services for local populations.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod. Darperir gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol yn Nwyrain De Cymru, fel mewn mannau eraill, gan dimau clinigol amlddisgyblaethol, wedi eu dwyn ynghyd mewn clystyrau i ddatblygu ac amrywio gwasanaethau ar gyfer poblogaethau lleol.
Thank you, First Minister. I am concerned at the potential closure of a number of surgeries within my region. Last week, I wrote to the health board to ask for assurance that Lansbury Park and Penyrheol surgeries will be kept open, following the news that the GP there is to retire with no replacement yet appointed, and I'm awaiting a response. I'm worried, however, about the general picture for surgeries in the south east, given that the British Medical Association's GP practice heat map suggests around 32 surgeries may be at risk in the Aneurin Bevan health board region. And a recent survey they conducted found that 82 per cent of GPs in Wales were worried about the sustainability of their practices. Now, BMA Cymru says the root of the problem is due to underinvestment combined with a growing workload for GPs, and they call for a plan from the Welsh Government to train more GPs in Wales, which is a policy Plaid Cymru has long been advocating for.
So, could you tell me, First Minister, what assessment you would make of the situation in terms of GP training and recruitment in the south-east region, and what action your Government will be taking to ensure adequate provision and recruitment of practitioners for the future?
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Rwyf yn pryderu am y posibilrwydd y bydd nifer o feddygfeydd yn fy rhanbarth i yn cau. Yr wythnos diwethaf, ysgrifennais at y bwrdd iechyd i ofyn am sicrwydd y bydd meddygfeydd Parc Lansbury a Penyrheol yn cael eu cadw ar agor, yn dilyn y newyddion bod y meddyg teulu yno yn mynd i ymddeol a neb arall wedi ei benodi yn ei le hyd yma, ac rwy'n aros am ymateb. Rwy'n bryderus, fodd bynnag, am y darlun cyffredinol ar gyfer meddygfeydd yn y de-ddwyrain, o gofio bod map lliwiau Cymdeithas Feddygol Prydain o bractisau meddygon teulu yn awgrymu y gallai oddeutu 32 o feddygfeydd fod mewn perygl yn rhanbarth bwrdd iechyd Aneurin Bevan. A darganfu arolwg diweddar a gynhaliwyd ganddyn nhw fod 82 y cant o feddygon teulu yng Nghymru yn pryderu am gynaliadwyedd eu practisau. Nawr, dywed BMA Cymru fod gwraidd y broblem o ganlyniad i ddiffyg buddsoddiad ynghyd â llwyth gwaith cynyddol i feddygon teulu, ac maen nhw'n galw am gynllun gan Lywodraeth Cymru i hyfforddi mwy o feddygon teulu yng Nghymru, sy'n bolisi y mae Plaid Cymru wedi bod yn dadlau o'i blaid am gryn amser.
Felly, a allwch chi ddweud wrthyf i, Prif Weinidog, pa asesiad y byddech chi'n ei wneud o'r sefyllfa o ran hyfforddi a recriwtio meddygon teulu yn rhanbarth y de-ddwyrain, a pha gamau y bydd eich Llywodraeth yn eu cymryd i sicrhau darpariaeth a recriwtio digonol o ran meddygon teulu ar gyfer y dyfodol?
I thank the Member for that. Llywydd, I'm aware of the developments at the Lansbury Park surgery, and grateful to my colleague, Hefin David, for reporting to me on the meeting he held last week with representatives of the Aneurin Bevan health board on that matter. So, I'm aware of the steps that the health board are taking to advertise for that vacancy, both locally and nationally, and their intention to fill that vacancy.
I agree with the Member on the importance of training places for GPs here in Wales, and she will be glad, I know, to learn that there was a 50 per cent increase in the number of GP training places in Gwent last year, going from 16 to 24 places, providing the foundation for the GP leaders in the Gwent area in the future.
But, primary care services are more than GPs, and the clusters in Caerphilly, the three clusters in Caerphilly, I think, are very good examples of developments that draw in that wider range of primary care clinicians, who are able to provide face-to-face and direct services. So, the first-contact physiotherapy service that is available through the Caerphilly clusters means that a patient with a musculoskeletal condition doesn't have to wait to see a doctor in Caerphilly, they can go direct to the physiotherapist, who will provide them with the right clinical advice. And I think that's a very good example of how we can best sustain primary care services in Wales for the future.
Diolchaf i'r Aelod am hynna. Llywydd, rwy'n ymwybodol o'r datblygiadau ym meddygfa Parc Lansbury, ac yn ddiolchgar i'm cyd-Aelod, Hefin David, am adrodd i mi am y cyfarfod a gynhaliodd yr wythnos diwethaf gyda chynrychiolwyr o fwrdd iechyd Aneurin Bevan ar y mater hwnnw. Felly, rwy'n ymwybodol o'r camau y mae'r bwrdd iechyd yn eu cymryd i hysbysebu ar gyfer y swydd wag honno, yn lleol ac yn genedlaethol, a'u bwriad i lenwi'r swydd honno.
Cytunaf â'r Aelod ynghylch pwysigrwydd lleoedd hyfforddi ar gyfer meddygon teulu yma yng Nghymru, a bydd yn falch, rwy'n gwybod, o glywed y bu cynnydd o 50 y cant yn nifer y lleoedd hyfforddi ar gyfer meddygon teulu yng Ngwent y llynedd, gan fynd o 16 i 24 o leoedd, gan ddarparu'r sylfaen ar gyfer y meddygon teulu arweiniol yn ardal Gwent yn y dyfodol.
Ond, mae gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol yn fwy na meddygon teulu, ac mae'r clystyrau yng Nghaerffili, y tri chlwstwr yng Nghaerffili, yn fy marn i, yn enghreifftiau da iawn o ddatblygiadau sy'n denu'r ystod ehangach honno o glinigwyr gofal sylfaenol, sy'n gallu darparu gwasanaethau wyneb yn wyneb ac uniongyrchol. Felly, mae'r gwasanaeth ffisiotherapi cyswllt cyntaf sydd ar gael drwy glystyrau Caerffili yn golygu nad oes yn rhaid i glaf sydd â chyflwr cyhyrysgerbydol aros i weld meddyg yng Nghaerffili, caiff fynd yn syth at y ffisiotherapydd, a fydd yn rhoi'r cyngor clinigol cywir iddo. Ac rwy'n credu bod honno'n enghraifft dda iawn o sut orau y gallwn gynnal gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol yng Nghymru ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf fyddai wedi bod y cwestiynau i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol, ond ni chyflwynwyd unrhyw gwestiynau yr wythnos yma.
The next item would have been questions to the Counsel General, but no questions were tabled this week.
Felly, yr eitem nesaf yw'r datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes. Rwy'n galw ar y Trefnydd i wneud ei datganiad. Rebecca Evans.
Therefore, the next item is the business statement and announcement. I call on the Trefnydd to make the statement. Rebecca Evans.
There are two changes to this week's business. As no questions were tabled for answer by the Counsel General this week, I've amended today's agenda accordingly. Additionally, the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee's debate has been withdrawn from tomorrow's agenda. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers, available to Members electronically.
Mae dau newid i fusnes yr wythnos hon. Gan nad oedd cwestiynau i'w hateb wedi'u cyflwyno gan y Cwnsler Cyffredinol yr wythnos hon, rwyf wedi diwygio agenda heddiw yn unol â hynny. Yn ogystal â hynny, mae dadl y Pwyllgor Materion Allanol a Deddfwriaeth Ychwanegol wedi'i thynnu'n ôl o agenda yfory. Mae'r busnes drafft ar gyfer y tair wythnos nesaf wedi'i nodi yn y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, sydd i'w weld ymysg papurau'r cyfarfod, sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau'n electronig.
Trefnydd, can I call for two statements today—the first from the Minister for Health and Social Services, in relation to the NHS redress system? I'm having increasing problems getting responses, in a timely fashion, to concerns that I'm raising on behalf of my constituents in north Wales, with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. I've got a very tragic case at the moment, of a woman who, unfortunately, passed away last year. Concerns were raised with the health board in July, and I'm still waiting for a substantive response. I think we'd all agree that it's not satisfactory for a family to have to wait that long for a substantive reply. And I know that that's not the ambition that this Government has in terms of the way that these sorts of things are dealt with. And I think it would be useful to understand how the Welsh Government makes sure that the redress system is working effectively for patients across north Wales, and indeed the whole of the country. And I'm sure that there are some performance indicators that might be usefully applied.
Can I also call for a statement from the Minister for Economy and Transport on the railway network safety system? You will know that Network Rail have a programme to eliminate level crossings across the whole of the United Kingdom. And, unfortunately, we've got level crossings here in Wales, some of which are very, very dangerous. There was a tragedy in my own constituency last year, where a teacher—Stephanie Brettle, from Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan, my former school—was unfortunately killed when she was hit by a train at the Ty Gwyn crossing in Tywyn, on the north Wales coast. Within just a few months of that tragic incident, another lady was killed on the same particular crossing. Now, I appreciate that the Welsh Government isn't directly responsible for the rail infrastructure, or for improving those crossings, but I do think that a Welsh rail safety fund, perhaps, could be established, in order to get a greater sense of priority for these crossings in Wales, where we know that there have been these sorts of tragic incidents. And I would welcome a statement on whatever the Welsh Government can do, in order to enhance the work of Network Rail in eliminating level crossings in Wales over a period. Thank you.
Trefnydd, a gaf i alw am ddau ddatganiad heddiw—y cyntaf gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, mewn cysylltiad â'r system gwneud iawn am gamweddau'r GIG? Mae cael ymatebion, mewn modd amserol, i bryderon yr wyf yn eu codi ar ran fy etholwyr yn y gogledd gyda Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr yn achosi problemau cynyddol i mi. Mae gen i achos trasig iawn ar hyn o bryd, o fenyw, a fu farw y llynedd, yn anffodus. Cafodd pryderon eu codi gyda'r bwrdd iechyd ym mis Gorffennaf, ac rwy'n dal i aros am ymateb sylweddol. Rwy'n credu y byddem ni i gyd yn cytuno nad yw'n foddhaol i deulu orfod aros cyhyd am ateb o sylwedd. Ac rwy'n gwybod nad dyna yw uchelgais y Llywodraeth hon o ran y ffordd y caiff y mathau hyn o bethau eu trin. Ac rwy'n credu y byddai'n ddefnyddiol deall sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau bod y system iawndal yn gweithio'n effeithiol i gleifion ar draws y gogledd, ac yn wir y wlad gyfan. Ac rwy'n siŵr bod rhai dangosyddion perfformiad y byddai modd, o bosibl, eu cymhwyso'n ddefnyddiol.
A gaf i hefyd ofyn am ddatganiad gan Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth ar system ddiogelwch y rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd? Fe fyddwch yn gwybod bod gan Network Rail raglen i ddileu croesfannau rheilffyrdd ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig gyfan. Ac, yn anffodus, mae gennym groesfannau rheilffyrdd yma yng Nghymru, rai ohonyn nhw'n beryglus iawn, iawn. Bu trasiedi yn fy etholaeth i y llynedd, pan gafodd athrawes—Stephanie Brettle, o Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan, fy hen ysgol i—ei lladd, yn anffodus, pan gafodd ei tharo gan drên ar groesfan rheilffordd Tŷ Gwyn yn Nhywyn, ar arfordir y gogledd. O fewn ychydig fisoedd i'r digwyddiad trasig hwnnw, cafodd menyw arall ei lladd ar yr un groesfan honno. Nawr, rwy'n sylweddoli nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn uniongyrchol gyfrifol am y seilwaith rheilffyrdd, nac yn gyfrifol wella'r croesfannau hynny, ond credaf y dylai cronfa ddiogelwch rheilffyrdd Cymru gael ei sefydlu, efallai, er mwyn cael mwy o flaenoriaeth i'r croesfannau hyn yng Nghymru, lle gwyddom fod y mathau hyn o ddigwyddiadau trasig wedi bod. A byddwn i'n croesawu datganiad am beth bynnag y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud, er mwyn gwella gwaith Network Rail i ddileu croesfannau rheilffyrdd yng Nghymru dros gyfnod. Diolch.
I thank Darren Millar for raising both of those issues. The health Minister was here to listen to your concerns about the delay in the response in terms of those representations that you've made on behalf of your constituent to the local health board. And, obviously, that delay is disappointing, so the health Minister has indicated that, if you write to him with the details, then he'll be certain to raise it directly with the health board on your behalf.
And I will ensure that the Minister with responsibility for transport hears your concern about the many tragic incidents that we see across the railways in Wales. I know that Network Rail have recently written to all Assembly Members on this particular issue as well. And perhaps the Minister will be able to write to all Assembly Members with an update on the discussions that he and Transport for Wales are having in that regard.
Diolch i Darren Millar am godi'r ddau fater hynny. Roedd y Gweinidog iechyd yma i wrando ar eich pryderon ynghylch yr oedi yn yr ymateb i'r sylwadau hynny yr ydych chi wedi'u gwneud ar ran eich etholwr i'r bwrdd iechyd lleol. Ac, yn amlwg, mae'r oedi hwnnw'n siomedig. Felly mae'r Gweinidog Iechyd wedi nodi hynny, ac os ysgrifennwch ato gyda'r manylion, yna bydd yn sicr o'i godi'n uniongyrchol gyda'r bwrdd iechyd ar eich rhan.
A byddaf i'n sicrhau bod y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol am drafnidiaeth yn clywed eich pryder am y llu o ddigwyddiadau trasig yr ydym ni'n eu gweld ledled y rheilffyrdd yng Nghymru. Rwy'n gwybod bod Network Rail wedi ysgrifennu'n ddiweddar at holl Aelodau'r Cynulliad ar y mater penodol hwn hefyd. Ac efallai y bydd y Gweinidog yn gallu ysgrifennu at bob Aelod Cynulliad i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y trafodaethau y mae ef a Thrafnidiaeth Cymru yn eu cael yn hynny o beth.
Figures have emerged from a freedom of information request that my office have submitted on school exclusion rates in Rhondda Cynon Taf. The data provided shows that, over the last two years, there has been a marked rise in the number of fixed-term exclusions. The latest available figures show a rise of nearly 60 per cent on the figures from last year. I understand that the council has now sent a report to their children and young people's scrutiny committee on this matter. But whether this matter in RCT is linked to autism, and the lack of support for pupils and parents, remains to be established, but it certainly is something that merits further investigation.
I've recently been researching the experiences of people in the Rhondda trying to access support and services for children with autism, and, it's fair to say, that parents' experiences can be summed up as frustrating, exasperating and heartbreaking. The general feeling is that pupils with autism are, by and large, being failed and it's simply not good enough. So, will the Government bring forward a statement demonstrating how you intend to improve support for people with autism, with a particular emphasis on providing what is needed to allow pupils in school who are neurodivergent to thrive, rather than what is currently happening, where so many of them are being discriminated against and are losing out?
Mae ffigurau wedi deillio o gais rhyddid gwybodaeth a gafodd ei gyflwyno gan fy swyddfa i ar gyfraddau gwahardd o ysgolion yn Rhondda Cynon Taf. Mae'r data a gafodd eu darparu yn dangos bod cynnydd amlwg wedi bod yn nifer y gwaharddiadau cyfnod penodol yn ystod y ddwy flynedd diwethaf. Mae'r ffigurau diweddaraf sydd ar gael yn dangos cynnydd o bron 60 y cant ar ffigurau'r llynedd. Rwy'n deall bod y cyngor bellach wedi anfon adroddiad i'w bwyllgor craffu phlant a phobl ifanc ar y mater hwn. Ond mae eto i'w sefydlu a yw'r mater hwn yn RhCT yn gysylltiedig ag awtistiaeth, a'r diffyg cefnogaeth i ddisgyblion a rhieni, ond yn sicr mae'n rhywbeth sy'n haeddu ymchwiliad pellach.
Yn ddiweddar, rwyf wedi bod yn ymchwilio i brofiadau pobl yn y Rhondda sy'n ceisio cael gafael ar gymorth a gwasanaethau i blant ag awtistiaeth, ac mae'n deg dweud bod modd crynhoi profiadau'r rhieni yn rhai sy'n rhwystredig, yn gythruddol ac yn dorcalonnus. Y teimlad cyffredinol yw bod disgyblion ag awtistiaeth, ar y cyfan, yn cael eu siomi ac yn y bôn, nid yw'n ddigon da. Felly, a wnaiff y Llywodraeth gyflwyno datganiad yn dangos sut yr ydych chi'n bwriadu gwella'r cymorth i bobl ag awtistiaeth, gyda phwyslais penodol ar ddarparu'r hyn sydd ei angen i ganiatáu i ddisgyblion ysgol sy'n niwrowahanol ffynnu, yn hytrach na'r hyn sydd yn digwydd ar hyn o bryd, lle mae gwahaniaethu yn erbyn cynifer ohonyn nhw a'u bod ar eu colled?
Daeth y Dirprwy Lywydd (Ann Jones) i’r Gadair.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.
I know that the Welsh Government provides regular updates on the work that we are doing to support people with autism, including children and young people with autism, through our national autistic spectrum disorder action plan through the national service that we're currently in the process of implementing as well. But I will make sure that the Minister has heard your request for that statement and particularly with your concern about the impact that it might have on young people and children in their ability to stay in school. So, making sure that we take that joined-up approach across Government and so, also liaising with my colleague with responsibility for education to ensure that young people and children with autism get the best support in school to enable them to continue being educated at school. So, I'll ensure that an update is forthcoming to you in one way or another.
Rwy'n gwybod bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf yn rheolaidd am y gwaith yr ydym ni'n ei wneud i gefnogi pobl ag awtistiaeth, gan gynnwys plant a phobl ifanc ag awtistiaeth, drwy ein cynllun gweithredu cenedlaethol ar gyfer anhwylderau'r sbectrwm awtistig, drwy'r gwasanaeth cenedlaethol yr ydym ni yn y broses o'i weithredu ar hyn o bryd hefyd. Ond byddaf i'n gwneud yn siŵr bod y Gweinidog wedi clywed eich cais o ran y datganiad hwnnw, ac yn benodol am eich pryder ynghylch yr effaith y gallai ei chael ar bobl ifanc a phlant yn eu gallu i aros yn yr ysgol. Felly, byddaf yn sicrhau ein bod yn defnyddio'r dull cydgysylltiedig hwnnw ar draws y Llywodraeth a hefyd yn cysylltu â'm cydweithiwr sy'n gyfrifol am addysg i sicrhau bod pobl ifanc a phlant ag awtistiaeth yn cael y cymorth gorau yn yr ysgol i'w galluogi i barhau i gael eu haddysgu yn yr ysgol. Felly, byddaf yn sicrhau bod diweddariad ar gael ichi mewn un ffordd neu'r llall.
Trefnydd, I'd like to ask for two statements today. Yesterday, I held an event on children and type 1 diabetes, which the Deputy Minister came and spoke at. It was an opportunity to celebrate examples of people's strength, determination and success with type 1 diabetes. It was good to welcome so many inspiring young people to the Senedd and to spread the message that you can still thrive with the condition.
A prime example is a story from one of my own constituents from Newport, Hugo Thompson, who, with his friends, rowed across the Atlantic ocean. Hugo's got type 1 diabetes, but it didn't hold him back from becoming the first person with the condition to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in a race that's renowned for being one of the most challenging. But big achievements don't have to be climbing mountains or sailing oceans. Sometimes, it's about having the courage to not let anything hold you back. So, please could we have an update from the Minister on what measures the Welsh Government are taking to ensure that children with type 1 diabetes in Wales are diagnosed quickly and safely and can go on to live happy and healthy lives?
Secondly, I'd like to ask for a statement on corporate fare structures for businesses from Transport for Wales. Last month, a constituent who works for the University of South Wales, got in touch with me to explain that the workplace discount that they used to receive from Arriva Trains Wales is being reduced from 34 per cent to 5 per cent under Transport for Wales. I've spoken to Transport for Wales about this and I gather that this is an attempt to bring educational bodies into line with other businesses by standardising the discounts. While I appreciate the benefits of standardisation, the drop from 29 per cent will mean significant additional costs to staff and seems to go against our need to encourage more people on to public transport. So, please could we have a statement on how the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales plan to work with larger companies and workforces, especially those in the public sector, to ensure that train fares are as affordable as possible?
Trefnydd, hoffwn i ofyn am ddau ddatganiad heddiw. Ddoe, cynhaliais ddigwyddiad ar blant a diabetes math 1, a daeth y Dirprwy Weinidog i siarad ynddo. Roedd yn gyfle i ddathlu enghreifftiau o gryfder, penderfyniad a llwyddiant pobl gyda diabetes math 1. Roedd yn dda croesawu gymaint o bobl ifanc ysbrydoledig i'r Senedd a lledaenu'r neges y gallwch chi barhau i ffynnu gyda'r cyflwr.
Enghraifft amlwg yw stori gan un o'm hetholwyr i o Gasnewydd, Hugo Thompson, sydd, ynghyd â'i ffrindiau, wedi rhwyfo ar draws cefnfor yr Iwerydd. Mae gan Hugo diabetes math 1, ond nid oedd yn ei rwystro rhag bod y cyntaf â'r cyflwr i rwyfo 3,000 milltir ar draws cefnfor yr Iwerydd mewn ras sy'n enwog am fod yn un o'r rhai mwyaf heriol. Ond nid oes raid i gyflawniadau mawr ymwneud â dringo mynyddoedd na hwylio cefnforoedd. Weithiau, mae'n ymwneud â chael y dewrder i beidio â gadael i unrhyw beth eich rhwystro. Felly, a gawn ni'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan y Gweinidog ynghylch pa fesurau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod plant sydd â diabetes math 1 yng Nghymru yn cael diagnosis yn gyflym a diogel ac yn gallu mynd ymlaen i fyw bywydau hapus ac iach?
Yn ail, hoffwn i ofyn am ddatganiad ar strwythurau prisiau corfforaethol i fusnesau gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru. Fis diwethaf, roedd etholwr sy'n gweithio i Brifysgol De Cymru wedi cysylltu â mi i esbonio bod y gostyngiad gweithle yr oeddent yn arfer ei gael gan Drenau Arriva Cymru yn disgyn o 34 y cant i 5 y cant o dan Trafnidiaeth Cymru. Rwyf wedi siarad â Trafnidiaeth Cymru am hyn ac rwy'n deall mai ymgais ydyw i sicrhau bod cyrff addysgol yn cyd-fynd â busnesau eraill drwy safoni'r gostyngiadau. Er fy mod yn gwerthfawrogi manteision safoni, bydd y gostyngiad o 29 y cant yn golygu costau ychwanegol sylweddol i staff ac mae'n ymddangos ei fod yn mynd yn groes i'n hangen i annog mwy o bobl i ddefnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus. Felly, a fyddai modd inni gael datganiad ynghylch sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru a Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn bwriadu gweithio gyda chwmnïau a gweithluoedd mwy, yn enwedig y rheini yn y sector cyhoeddus, i sicrhau bod prisiau tocynnau trên mor fforddiadwy â phosibl?
Thank you to Jayne Bryant, in the first instance, for sharing Hugo's inspirational story with us this afternoon. And I know that the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services was able to attend yesterday evening's event to celebrate the achievement of Hugo and other young people in Wales living with type 1 diabetes—and congratulations to you and to Diabetes UK Cymru on an excellent event.
I think that we would all want to pay tribute to the achievements of young people who have had to manage a difficult condition, as well as their families and the clinical team that supports them. We are obviously committed to providing all people with diabetes in Wales the best possible care and support and we have worked very closely with the NHS and, again, with Diabetes UK Cymru on implementing the diabetes delivery plan for Wales. Diabetes UK Cymru is a key partner in that.
The second issue that you raised on transport fares is one that is primarily a matter for Transport for Wales. But having listened to your concerns, I'll ensure that Welsh Government officials liaise directly with Transport for Wales on that and provide you with a written response to the concerns that you've raised this afternoon.
Diolch i Jayne Bryant, yn y lle cyntaf, am rannu stori ysbrydoledig Hugo gyda ni y prynhawn yma. Rwy'n gwybod bod y Dirprwy Weinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol wedi gallu bod yn bresennol yn y digwyddiad gyda'r nos ddoe i ddathlu llwyddiant Hugo a phobl ifanc eraill yng Nghymru sy'n byw gyda diabetes math 1—a llongyfarchiadau i chi ac i Diabetes UK Cymru ar ddigwyddiad ardderchog.
Credaf y byddem ni i gyd eisiau talu teyrnged i gyflawniadau pobl ifanc sydd wedi gorfod rheoli cyflwr anodd, yn ogystal â'u teuluoedd a'r tîm clinigol sy'n eu cefnogi. Rydym yn amlwg wedi ymrwymo i ddarparu'r gofal a'r cymorth gorau posibl i bawb sydd â diabetes yng Nghymru, ac rydym wedi gweithio'n agos iawn gyda'r GIG ac, unwaith eto, gyda Diabetes UK Cymru ar weithredu'r cynllun cyflawni ar gyfer diabetes yng Nghymru. Mae Diabetes UK Cymru yn bartner allweddol yn hynny.
Mae'r ail fater a godwyd gennych ynglŷn â phrisiau cludiant yn un sy'n fater i Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn bennaf. Ond ar ôl gwrando ar eich pryderon, byddaf i'n sicrhau bod swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru yn cysylltu'n uniongyrchol â Trafnidiaeth Cymru ar hynny ac yn rhoi ymateb ysgrifenedig i chi o'r pryderon yr ydych chi wedi'u codi y prynhawn yma.
Could we have a statement by the First Minister on the launch of the Welsh Government's first ever national strategy for the nation, which, of course, begs the question of why it has taken over 20 years to provide such an overarching document and why is it deemed necessary at this particular time? Perhaps the Minister could also explain why, once again, there are no timelines or signposts in this strategy, which, of course, avoids the possibility of scrutiny of missed targets. For instance, one stated aim in the strategy is to increase exports by 5 per cent, which, given the level of our exports at the present time, would indicate an increase of around £900 million. So, could the Minister also indicate how this is to be judged, given that Tata Steel and Airbus contribute so much to our export figures, over which the Welsh Government has little or no control?
Again, could the Minister explain why no timeline is given for the increase in exports? Is it one year, five years, 10 years or never? Would the Minister also comment on the extraordinary fact that there is little emphasis on manufacturing within the document, given the importance of the sector to Welsh exports? And perhaps he could explain that only one in 10 small or medium-sized enterprises are involved in exporting and yet there is no mention in this strategy of how the Government intends to either encourage or support such businesses in their exporting endeavours.
A gawn ni ddatganiad gan y Prif Weinidog ynghylch lansio strategaeth genedlaethol gyntaf erioed Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer y genedl, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn codi'r cwestiwn pam ei bod hi wedi cymryd dros 20 mlynedd i ddarparu dogfen mor gyffredinol a pham mae ei hangen ar yr adeg benodol hon? Efallai y gallai'r Gweinidog egluro hefyd pam, unwaith eto, nad oes llinell amser na chyfeiriadau yn y strategaeth hon, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn osgoi'r posibilrwydd o graffu ar dargedau sy'n cael eu methu. Er enghraifft, un nod a nodwyd yn y strategaeth yw cynyddu allforion 5 y cant, a fyddai, o ystyried lefel ein hallforion ar hyn o bryd, yn dangos cynnydd o tua £900 miliwn. Felly, a wnaiff y Gweinidog nodi hefyd sut y bydd hyn yn cael ei feirniadu, o gofio bod Tata Steel ac Airbus yn cyfrannu cymaint at ein ffigurau allforio, nad oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru fawr ddim rheolaeth drostyn nhw?
Unwaith eto, a all y Gweinidog egluro pam na roddir amserlen ar gyfer y cynnydd mewn allforion? A yw'n flwyddyn, pum mlynedd, 10 mlynedd neu byth? A wnaiff y Gweinidog sylw hefyd am y ffaith ryfeddol nad oes fawr o bwyslais ar weithgynhyrchu yn y ddogfen, o gofio pwysigrwydd y sector i allforion o Gymru? Ac efallai y gallai egluro mai dim ond un o bob 10 busnes bach neu ganolig sy'n ymwneud ag allforio ac eto nid oes sôn yn y strategaeth hon am sut y mae'r Llywodraeth yn bwriadu naill ai annog neu gefnogi busnesau o'r fath yn eu hymdrechion allforio.
Well, the Minister with responsibility for international relations and the Welsh language consulted widely on the compilation of that international strategy, and, of course, we did have an opportunity to debate it here in the Chamber just recently. But, if you would like to write to the Minister with those very specific questions, I know that she'll be very happy to provide a response.
Wel, fe ymgynghorodd y Gweinidog â chyfrifoldeb dros y Gymraeg a chysylltiadau rhyngwladol yn eang ar lunio'r strategaeth ryngwladol honno, ac, wrth gwrs, cawsom gyfle i'w thrafod yma yn y Siambr yn ddiweddar. Ond, os hoffech ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog gyda'r cwestiynau penodol iawn hynny, rwy'n gwybod y bydd hi'n hapus iawn i ymateb.
Minister, last week the cross-party group on suicide prevention, which I chair, had a presentation from Professor Ann John on the thematic review of deaths by suicide and probable suicide in children 2013-14. The review examines the deaths of 33 children who died by suicide and probable suicide and seeks to identify opportunities for prevention of further suicides. I've said before in this Chamber that I think the review is the closest thing we have to actually hearing the voices of those children and young people who died. I would therefore like to ask for a debate in Government time on this very important review so that all Members can give it the focus and consideration that I believe it deserves.
Gweinidog, yr wythnos diwethaf cafodd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar atal hunanladdiad, yr wyf i'n ei gadeirio, gyflwyniad gan yr Athro Ann John ar yr adolygiad thematig o farwolaethau drwy hunanladdiad a hunanladdiad tebygol mewn plant 2013-14. Mae'r adolygiad yn archwilio marwolaethau 33 o blant a fu farw drwy hunanladdiad a hunanladdiad tebygol ac yn ceisio nodi cyfleoedd i atal hunanladdiadau pellach. Rwyf wedi dweud o'r blaen yn y Siambr hon fy mod o'r farn mai'r adolygiad yw'r peth agosaf sydd gennym ni at glywed lleisiau'r plant a'r bobl ifanc hynny a fu farw. Hoffwn i felly ofyn am ddadl yn amser y Llywodraeth ar yr adolygiad hynod bwysig hwn er mwyn i bob aelod allu canolbwyntio arno a rhoi iddo'r ystyriaeth y credaf ei fod yn ei haeddu.
I'm grateful to Lynne Neagle for raising this issue this afternoon and for the way that she has championed this particularly important issue over a long period in the Assembly. And we did have the opportunity to have an excellent debate, albeit not in Government time, recently, and of course the health Minister has been here to hear that request for a debate on that particular report in future.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i Lynne Neagle am godi'r mater hwn y prynhawn yma ac am y ffordd y mae wedi hyrwyddo'r mater arbennig o bwysig hwn dros gyfnod hir yn y Cynulliad. A chawsom ni gyfle i gael dadl ragorol, er nad yn amser y Llywodraeth, yn ddiweddar, ac wrth gwrs mae'r Gweinidog Iechyd wedi bod yma i glywed y cais hwnnw am ddadl ar yr adroddiad penodol hwnnw yn y dyfodol.
May I ask for a statement from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs about air pollution levels in Newport? The Centre for Cities research institute recently found that the deaths of 113 people in Newport in 2017 were linked to air pollution. This research follows the British Heart Foundation's announcement of a new campaign to highlight the dangers of air pollution and the warnings that hundreds more people in Wales could die from pollution-linked heart attacks and strokes in the next decade. Newport City Council says it has no plans to introduce clean air zones in the city, so can I ask for a statement from the Minister on what action she intends to take to improve air quality in Newport and in other towns and cities across Wales? Thank you.
A gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig am lefelau llygredd aer yng Nghasnewydd? Yn ddiweddar, canfu sefydliad ymchwil Centre for Cities fod marwolaethau 113 o bobl yng Nghasnewydd yn 2017 yn gysylltiedig â llygredd aer. Mae'r ymchwil hon yn dilyn cyhoeddiad y British Heart Fundation am ymgyrch newydd i dynnu sylw at beryglon llygredd aer a'r rhybuddion y gallai cannoedd yn fwy o bobl yng Nghymru farw o drawiad ar y galon sy'n gysylltiedig â llygredd a strociau yn ystod y degawd nesaf. Mae Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd yn dweud nad oes ganddo gynlluniau i gyflwyno parthau aer glân yn y ddinas, felly a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Gweinidog ynghylch pa gamau y mae'n bwriadu eu cymryd i wella ansawdd aer yng Nghasnewydd ac mewn trefi a dinasoedd eraill ledled Cymru? Diolch.
Well, the Minister is currently leading work on the development of a clean air plan for Wales, so I know that she's heard your particular concerns about the area of Newport, but, if you were to write to the Minister with your reflections on the particular issues that you've described in the area of Newport, then I know that she'll take those into consideration throughout the development of that plan.
Wel, mae'r Gweinidog ar hyn o bryd yn arwain gwaith ar ddatblygu cynllun aer glân i Gymru, felly rwy'n gwybod ei bod wedi clywed eich pryderon penodol am ardal Casnewydd. Ond, petaech yn ysgrifennu at y Gweinidog gyda'ch myfyrdodau ar y materion penodol yr ydych chi wedi'u disgrifio yn ardal Casnewydd, yna gwn y bydd yn ystyried y rheini wrth ddatblygu'r cynllun hwnnw.
Trefnydd, there is significant concern in my constituency, and across the wider Valleys communities, about Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board's planned review of accident and emergency services at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. The review is predicated on the south Wales programme document, which is now six years old. That document does not reflect today's pressures on A&E services, nor does it take account of the challenges around recruiting consultants and doctors.
Equally importantly, the south Wales programme does not take account of the huge population growth in the immediate area, nor indeed the significant increase in housing that is planned. Trefnydd, could we have an urgent debate on the future of the south Wales programme to determine whether it remains fit for purpose and to ensure that the concerns of the hundreds of constituents who have contacted me on this issue are fully explored?
Trefnydd, mae pryder sylweddol yn fy etholaeth i, ac ar draws cymunedau ehangach y Cymoedd, ynglŷn ag adolygiad arfaethedig Bwrdd Iechyd Cwm Taf o'r gwasanaethau damweiniau ac achosion brys yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Morgannwg. Mae'r adolygiad yn seiliedig ar ddogfen rhaglen de Cymru, sydd bellach yn chwe blwydd oed. Nid yw'r ddogfen honno'n adlewyrchu pwysau heddiw ar wasanaethau damweiniau ac achosion brys ac nid yw ychwaith yn ystyried yr heriau sy'n ymwneud â recriwtio ymgynghorwyr meddygol a meddygon.
Yr un mor bwysig, nid yw rhaglen de Cymru yn ystyried y twf enfawr yn y boblogaeth yn yr ardal gyfagos, nac yn wir yn ystyried y cynnydd sylweddol mewn tai sydd ar y gweill. Trefnydd, a gawn ni ddadl frys ar ddyfodol rhaglen de Cymru i weld a yw'n parhau i fod yn addas at y diben ac i sicrhau bod pryderon y cannoedd o etholwyr sydd wedi cysylltu â mi ar y mater hwn yn cael eu harchwilio'n llawn?
I'm grateful to Mick Antoniw for raising this issue this afternoon, and I know that he did have the opportunity earlier to express his constituents' concerns directly to the First Minister. The health Minister did answer a series of questions just last week in the Chamber and he does have questions next week, and I'm sure that he'll be pleased to take further questions on this particular issue, but, again, he's been here to hear the request.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar i Mick Antoniw am godi'r mater hwn y prynhawn yma, a gwn i iddo gael y cyfle yn gynharach i fynegi pryderon ei etholwyr yn uniongyrchol i'r Prif Weinidog. Atebodd y Gweinidog Iechyd gyfres o gwestiynau yr wythnos diwethaf yn y Siambr ac mae ganddo ef gwestiynau yr wythnos nesaf, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd yn falch o ofyn rhagor o gwestiynau ar y mater penodol hwn, ond, unwaith eto, mae wedi bod yma i glywed y cais.
Two statements, if I may. Firstly, may I endorse the call by Leanne Wood regarding autistic children and young people? She referred to the situation in the Rhondda. I can confirm that, despite the integrated autism service, the situation in north Wales remains the same as in the Rhondda. I'm contacted, or my office is contacted, daily. The school exclusions and self-exclusions are still happening. I was contacted two weeks ago by a clinician in one of the child and adolescent mental health services in north Wales, desperately concerned about the number of cases they were encountering with exclusions from a college, a further education college, in their area, failures of safeguarding, particularly involving children and young people who'd been victims of sexual abuse and assault, and, above all, the charities that are providing the key support for autistic people and their families receiving no statutory support whatsoever. In every single case, the autistic people are being treated as the problem by public sector officials at senior levels, who have failed to establish their communication and sensory processing needs, and who continue to fight them rather than recognise that they were the cause of the barriers they encountered and they are the solution to removing them. This remains, sadly, a north and south Wales problem.
Secondly, and finally, today is World Cancer Day. The Welsh Government's current cancer delivery plan is coming to an end. I call for a statement on the progress of the next cancer delivery plan to improve cancer services and outcomes. Thanks to research, two in four people in Wales survive their cancer for 10 years or more, but we still have a long way to go. Cancer Research UK's ambition is to accelerate progress and see three in four people surviving the disease by 2034. As constituents told me, we're so close to major steps forward in curing and preventing cancer. However, we're going to need this final push over the coming years to get there. As Cancer Research UK told Members at their event upstairs earlier, they're calling for a commitment to address the gaps in the diagnostic workforce to allow for more testing and improved outcomes for patients in Wales, and they're calling for an assurance that the Welsh Government is committed to a new and ambitious cancer strategy in Wales.
Dau ddatganiad, os caf i. Yn gyntaf, a gaf i gymeradwyo'r alwad gan Leanne Wood ynghylch plant a phobl ifanc awtistig? Cyfeiriodd hi at y sefyllfa yn y Rhondda. Gallaf i gadarnhau, er gwaethaf y gwasanaeth awtistiaeth integredig, fod y sefyllfa yn y gogledd yn aros yr un fath ag yn y Rhondda. Cysylltir â mi, neu cysylltir â fy swyddfa, yn ddyddiol. Mae gwaharddiadau ysgol a hunan-waharddiadau yn dal i ddigwydd. Cysylltodd clinigwr â mi bythefnos yn ôl o un o'r gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl plant a'r glasoed yn y gogledd. Roedd yn pryderu'n fawr am nifer yr achosion a oedd yn eu hwynebu, gyda gwaharddiadau o goleg, coleg addysg bellach, yn eu hardal, methiannau diogelu, yn enwedig yn ymwneud â phlant a phobl ifanc a oedd wedi dioddef camdriniaeth rywiol ac ymosodiad, ac, yn fwy na dim, yr elusennau sy'n darparu'r cymorth allweddol i bobl awtistig a'u teuluoedd nad ydyn nhw'n cael unrhyw gymorth statudol o gwbl. Ym mhob achos unigol, mae'r bobl awtistig yn cael eu trin fel y broblem gan swyddogion y sector cyhoeddus ar lefelau uwch, sydd wedi methu â sefydlu eu hanghenion cyfathrebu a phrosesu synhwyraidd, ac sy'n parhau i'w hymladd yn hytrach na chydnabod mai nhw oedd achos y rhwystrau yr oeddent yn eu hwynebu a nhw yw'r ateb i'w dileu. Yn anffodus, mae hyn yn dal i fod yn broblem yn y gogledd a'r de.
Yn ail, ac yn olaf, heddiw yw Diwrnod Canser y Byd. Mae cynllun cyflawni canser cyfredol Llywodraeth Cymru yn dod i ben. Galwaf am ddatganiad ar gynnydd y cynllun cyflawni nesaf ar gyfer canser i wella gwasanaethau a chanlyniadau canser. Diolch i waith ymchwil, mae dau o bob pedwar person yng Nghymru yn goroesi eu canser am 10 mlynedd neu fwy, ond mae gennym dipyn o ffordd i fynd o hyd. Uchelgais Cancer Research UK yw cyflymu'r cynnydd a gweld tri o bob pedwar yn goroesi'r clefyd erbyn 2034. Fel y dywedodd etholwyr wrthyf, rydym mor agos at gamau breision ymlaen o ran gwella ac atal canser. Fodd bynnag, bydd angen yr hwb olaf hwn arnom ni yn ystod y blynyddoedd nesaf er mwyn cyrraedd yno. Fel y dywedodd Cancer Research UK wrth yr Aelodau yn eu digwyddiad i fyny'r grisiau yn gynharach, maen nhw'n galw am ymrwymiad i fynd i'r afael â'r bylchau yn y gweithlu diagnostig er mwyn caniatáu mwy o brofion a gwell canlyniadau i gleifion yng Nghymru, ac maen nhw'n galw am sicrwydd bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i strategaeth ganser newydd ac uchelgeisiol yng Nghymru.
Thank you to Mark Isherwood for adding his voice to the concerns that were raised by Leanne Wood earlier on during this session. On the second issue, I'm very pleased to be able to respond positively, because the health Minister will be making a statement on progress on the single cancer pathway update on the twenty-fifth of this month.
Diolch i Mark Isherwood am ychwanegu ei lais at y pryderon yr oedd Leanne Wood wedi'u mynegi'n gynharach yn ystod y sesiwn hon. O ran yr ail fater, rwy'n falch iawn o allu ymateb yn gadarnhaol, oherwydd bydd y Gweinidog iechyd yn gwneud datganiad ar y cynnydd o ran y diweddariad ar yr un llwybr canser ar y pumed ar hugain o'r mis hwn.
Trefnydd, can I ask for a statement—request a statement—from the Welsh Government updating the Assembly on Operation Jasmine, specifically the progress made regarding the recommendations of the Flynn report in 2015? As you may be aware, Operation Jasmine was a major Gwent Police investigation, which started in November 2005 and has been estimated to have cost around £15 million. It concerns 63 deaths that were a cause for concern in care homes and nursing homes for older people in south-east Wales. It was recently reported that one of the owners of the affected care homes, Dr Das, has now died, and I know that the absence of a judgment or a legal resolution compounds the family's grief and sense of grievance, and that includes the delays that took place in arranging coroners' hearings into the deaths. I understand that a new coroner for Gwent has now been appointed and that we may now at last see the inquests finally taking place, but, in the 2015 Flynn report, a series of recommendations were made about accountability in the care sector, and I believe we'd all benefit from a Government statement about the progress made, the changes delivered, and any outstanding issues in relation to the Flynn report on Operation Jasmine.
Trefnydd, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad—cais am ddatganiad—gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ddiweddaru'r Cynulliad ar ymgyrch Jasmine, yn benodol y cynnydd sydd wed'i wneud ynghylch argymhellion adroddiad Flynn yn 2015? Fel y gwyddoch chi efallai, roedd Operation Jasmine yn ymchwiliad mawr gan Heddlu Gwent, a ddechreuodd ym mis Tachwedd 2005, ac amcangyfrifir ei fod wedi costio tua £15 miliwn. Mae'n ymwneud â 63 o farwolaethau, a oedd yn destun pryder, mewn cartrefi gofal a chartrefi nyrsio i bobl hŷn yn y de-ddwyrain. Dywedodd adroddiad diweddar fod Dr Das, un o berchnogion y cartrefi gofal yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw, wedi marw erbyn hyn, ac rwy'n gwybod bod absenoldeb dyfarniad neu benderfyniad cyfreithiol yn cymhlethu galar y teulu a'r ymdeimlad o anfodd, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys yr oedi a fu wrth drefnu gwrandawiadau'r crwner i'r marwolaethau. Rwy'n deall bod crwner newydd wedi'i benodi ar gyfer Gwent erbyn hyn ac y gallem ni weld y cwestau'n digwydd o'r diwedd, ond, yn adroddiad 2015 Flynn, gwnaed cyfres o argymhellion ynghylch atebolrwydd yn y sector gofal, ac rwy'n credu y byddem ni i gyd yn elwa ar ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth am y cynnydd sydd wedi bod, y newidiadau sydd wedi'u cyflwyno, ac unrhyw faterion sy'n weddill ynghylch adroddiad Flynn ar ymgyrch Jasmine.
Thank you to Dawn Bowden for raising what is a really important matter; I recall it from my days in the social services portfolio. I know that you're representing particular concerns of constituents, so I will ask the Minister who's the current Minister for social services to provide you with an update on progress and, obviously, she'll have heard the request for that wider statement as well.FootnoteLink
Diolch i Dawn Bowden am godi'r hyn sy'n fater hynod bwysig; rwy'n ei gofio o fy nyddiau ym mhortffolio'r gwasanaethau cymdeithasol. Rwy'n gwybod eich bod yn cynrychioli pryderon penodol etholwyr, felly gofynnaf i'r Gweinidog, sef y Gweinidog gwasanaethau cymdeithasol presennol, roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ichi o ran cynnydd ac, yn amlwg, bydd hi wedi clywed y cais am y datganiad ehangach hwnnw hefyd.FootnoteLink
Out of practice. Trefnydd, it wouldn't be the business statement without me bringing some of my well-trodden pet causes to your attention, as I've done before, the first of those being the ongoing and pressing case for a Chepstow bypass. Could we have an update from the Minister for transport on any discussions that may have happened over recent months with the UK Government to develop this scheme? It does, of course, rely on cross-border partnership. Now that the general election has happened and we have a UK Government in place in Westminster, perhaps we could have an update on whether any discussions have taken place with the new people in place. Congestion in Chepstow is getting worse on a daily basis and the people of Chepstow are quite simply looking to the Welsh Government—and, indeed, looking to the UK Government—to try and resolve this. So, it would be good to have an update.
Secondly, and still on roads, an update on the Heads of the Valleys A465 Clydach Gorge project, which has been going on now for some considerable length of time—it has been subject to a large amount of slippage both in terms of finance and in terms of the timing of that project. I think there was another recent delay announced over the Christmas period. So, it would be good to have an update from the transport Minister on that project as well, and what lessons are being learned from that to make sure that future road and infrastructure projects aren't subject to the same issues.
Thirdly, and finally, the Welsh Government's commitment to a national forest, which I asked the First Minister about before Christmas—I recently spoke with farmers who believe that, in terms of developing that forest, they have a valuable input to make there and, obviously, a lot of farmers are managing a large amount of land across Wales. If farmers provided maybe 5 per cent of their land to trees, you would find that you would have a large amount of land across Wales that would be a great basis for that forest. I don't think it would be the entirety of it, but I think that you could—through liaison with farmers, that could be achieved. We're always talking to them about diversification; perhaps a dialogue with farmers would help. So, could the Minister for rural affairs look into doing that, now that we are here in the new year?
Heb gael digon o ymarfer. Trefnydd, ni fyddai'n ddatganiad busnes oni bai fy mod yn dod â rhai o fy hoff achosion arferol, fel yr wyf i wedi'i wneud o'r blaen, a'r cyntaf o'r rheini yw'r achos parhaus a dybryd ar gyfer ffordd osgoi yng Nghas-gwent. A gawn ni'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan y Gweinidog trafnidiaeth ynghylch unrhyw drafodaethau a allai fod wedi digwydd gyda Llywodraeth y DU yn ystod y misoedd diwethaf i ddatblygu'r cynllun hwn? Wrth gwrs, mae'n dibynnu ar bartneriaeth drawsffiniol. Nawr bod yr etholiad cyffredinol wedi digwydd a bod gennym ni Lywodraeth y DU ar waith yn San Steffan, efallai y gallem ni gael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynghylch a oes unrhyw drafodaethau wedi'u cynnal gyda'r bobl newydd yn eu lle. Mae'r tagfeydd yng Nghas-gwent yn gwaethygu bob dydd ac mae pobl Cas-gwent yn disgwyl bod Llywodraeth Cymru—ac, yn wir, yn disgwyl bod Llywodraeth y DU—yn ceisio datrys hyn. Felly, byddai'n dda cael diweddariad.
Yn ail, ac yn dal ar ffyrdd, yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am brosiect Ceunant Clydach yr A465 ym Mlaenau'r Cymoedd, sydd wedi bod ar y gweill nawr ers cryn amser—mae wedi dioddef llithriant mawr o ran cyllid ac o ran amseriad y prosiect hwnnw. Rwy'n credu bod oedi arall wedi'i gyhoeddi'n ddiweddar dros gyfnod y Nadolig. Felly, byddai'n dda cael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf gan y Gweinidog Trafnidiaeth ynghylch y prosiect hwnnw hefyd, a pha wersi sy'n cael eu dysgu o hynny i sicrhau, yn y dyfodol, nad yw prosiectau ffyrdd a seilwaith yn dioddef yr un problemau.
Yn drydydd, ac yn olaf, y mae ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i goedwig genedlaethol, y gwnes i ofyn i'r Prif Weinidog amdani cyn y Nadolig—roeddwn i wedi siarad yn ddiweddar â ffermwyr sy'n credu, o ran datblygu'r goedwig honno, bod ganddyn nhw gyfraniad gwerthfawr i'w wneud yno ac, yn amlwg, mae llawer o ffermwyr yn rheoli cyfran fawr o dir ledled Cymru. Pe bai ffermwyr yn cynnig o bosibl 5 y cant o'u tir ar gyfer coed, byddech yn gweld y byddai llawer iawn o dir ledled Cymru yn sail wych ar gyfer y goedwig honno. Nid wyf yn credu mai dyna fyddai diwedd y peth, ond rwy'n credu y gallech chi—drwy gysylltu â'r ffermwyr, y gellid cyflawni hynny. Rydym yn siarad gyda nhw am arallgyfeirio drwy'r amser; efallai y byddai deialog gyda'r ffermwyr yn helpu. Felly, a allai'r Gweinidog dros faterion gwledig ystyried gwneud hynny, gan ein bod ni bellach yma yn y flwyddyn newydd?
Great. Okay. So, thank you for raising two of your pet issues and a new one, so that's very welcome. On the first two issues, I would ask you to write directly to the economy and transport Minister to explore what discussions have been had since the last update that he was able to provide. But, on the second, I know that the Minister will be making a very exciting announcement very shortly in terms of the national forest, but I do recognise, as I know that she does, the important role that farmers can play in terms of supporting our ambitions for a national forest. I know that those discussions will be ongoing with farmers and their representative bodies to explore how they can maximise their contribution to what is a very exciting piece of work.
Gwych. Iawn. Felly, diolch am godi dau o'ch hoff faterion ac un newydd, felly mae croeso mawr i hynny. O ran y ddau fater cyntaf, byddwn yn gofyn ichi ysgrifennu'n uniongyrchol at Weinidog yr economi a thrafnidiaeth i weld pa drafodaethau sydd wedi'u cynnal ers y diweddariad diwethaf yr oedd yn bosibl iddo ei ddarparu. Ar yr ail fater, rwy'n gwybod y bydd y Gweinidog yn gwneud cyhoeddiad cyffrous iawn yn fuan iawn o ran y goedwig genedlaethol, ond rwy'n cydnabod, fel y gwn ei bod hi, y rhan bwysig y gall ffermwyr ei chwarae o ran cefnogi ein huchelgeisiau ar gyfer coedwig genedlaethol. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd y trafodaethau hynny'n parhau gyda ffermwyr a'u cyrff cynrychioliadol i archwilio sut y gallan nhw wneud y mwyaf o'u cyfraniad i'r hyn sy'n ddarn o waith cyffrous iawn.
Could we have a statement from Welsh Government on safeguarding the future of the six nations rugby tournament on free-to-view channels? This incredible competition, the crown jewels of international rugby, faces the real threat of disappearing behind a pay wall. Now, the UK Government has classified the six nations as a second-tier event of national importance, which can be provided behind a pay wall by a commercial pay-to-view provider and which then may subsequently be offered to secondary providers, maybe a day after the match, maybe in a highlights programme after midnight, in the mid week, or maybe not at all. This isn't good enough. Faced with the reluctance of the UK Government to give a cast-iron guarantee of a group 1 national significance tournament, Kevin Brennan and fellow Welsh Labour MPs have written to the Welsh Rugby Union to urge them to do all in their power to influence the forthcoming negotiations. Now, I and Labour Members of the Senedd have also written to the WRU because we know that, from recent history, the impact of putting, for example, cricket behind a Sky pay wall was to see participation rates in cricket plummet in the following decade. And when Sky took Formula 1 behind a paywall, audience figures in the UK crashed.
We don't want to see grass-roots participation in rugby in Wales decimated or audiences for the game with the oval ball destroyed by a short-sighted move to make a fast buck by charging to see Wales play rugby in the six nations. For many of us in Wales, rugby is part of our birthright. We were not born with a silver spoon in our mouths, but with an oval ball in the cot next to us and a red shirt waiting for us to grow into it, boys and girls alike.
So, Minister, could we have a statement from the Welsh Government on their position on safeguarding the right of the people of Wales to see, free of charge, our rugby heroes in the six nations, and what representations you can make to influence the upcoming contract negotiations? And by the way, our best wishes to Wales taking on Ireland in Dublin next week after a great start against Italy.
A gawn ni ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar ddiogelu dyfodol twrnamaint rygbi'r chwe gwlad ar sianeli gwylio am ddim? Mae'r gystadleuaeth anhygoel hon, perl rygbi rhyngwladol, yn wynebu'r bygythiad gwirioneddol o ddiflannu y tu ôl i wal dalu. Nawr, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi dosbarthu'r chwe gwlad fel digwyddiad o bwys cenedlaethol ar yr ail haen. Bydd modd ei ddarparu y tu ôl i wal dalu gan ddarparwr masnachol talu i wylio, ac yna efallai y bydd yn cael ei gynnig i ddarparwyr eilaidd, efallai diwrnod ar ôl y gêm, efallai mewn rhaglen uchafbwyntiau ar ôl hanner nos, ganol yr wythnos, neu efallai dim o gwbl. Nid yw hyn yn ddigon da. Yn wyneb amharodrwydd Llywodraeth y DU i roi gwarant bendant o dwrnamaint arwyddocâd cenedlaethol grŵp 1, mae Kevin Brennan a chyd-ASau Llafur o Gymru wedi ysgrifennu at Undeb Rygbi Cymru i'w hannog i wneud popeth o fewn eu gallu i ddylanwadu ar y trafodaethau sydd ar y gweill. Nawr, rwyf fi ac Aelodau Llafur y Senedd hefyd wedi ysgrifennu at Undeb Rygbi Cymru oherwydd gwyddom, o hanes diweddar, mai'r effaith a gafwyd o roi, er enghraifft, criced y tu ôl i wal dalu Sky, oedd gweld y cyfraddau cyfranogi mewn criced yn plymio yn y degawd dilynol. A phan gymerwyd Fformiwla 1 y tu ôl i wal dalu Sky, chwalodd ffigurau'r gynulleidfa yn y DU.
Nid ydym eisiau gweld y cyfranogi mewn rygbi ar lawr gwlad yng Nghymru yn cael ei ddinistrio neu fod cynulleidfaoedd gemau'r bêl hirgron yn cael eu dinistrio gan ymgais gibddall i wneud arian cyflym drwy godi tâl am weld Cymru'n chwarae rygbi yn y chwe gwlad. I lawer ohonom ni yng Nghymru, mae rygbi'n rhan o'n genedigaeth-fraint. Ni chawsom ein geni â llwy arian yn ein cegau, ond gyda phêl hirgron yn y crud nesaf atom a chrys coch yn aros inni dyfu i mewn iddo, yn fechgyn a merched fel ei gilydd.
Felly, Gweinidog, a gawn ni ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru am ei safbwynt ar ddiogelu hawl pobl Cymru i weld, yn rhad ac am ddim, ein harwyr rygbi yn y chwe gwlad, a pha sylwadau y gallwch chi eu gwneud i ddylanwadu ar y trafodaethau contract sydd i ddod ? A gyda llaw, ein dymuniadau gorau i Gymru wrth chwarae Iwerddon yn Nulyn yr wythnos nesaf ar ôl dechrau gwych yn erbyn yr Eidal.
Excellent. Well, thank you very much to Huw Irranca-Davies for the way in which he's framed this particular debate this afternoon, but also for the work that he's been doing in brigading the support of Assembly Members in order to have a voice on this issue.
Welsh Government agrees that it is vital that the six nations tournament remains on terrestrial television and that the majority of the Welsh population are able to watch what is such an important tournament. When the UK Government last consulted on the list of sporting events in 2009, the Welsh Government was very, very clear, even back then, that the six nations tournament should remain free to air. Our view was that the average Welsh viewer would recommend moving the tournament from group B to group A, as you've described, on the list of protected events and therefore ensuring that it would continue on terrestrial television.
I think it is easy to underestimate the benefits that we derive from ensuring that those major sporting occasions are available to the widest number of people. The example that Huw has given in relation to the impact that it had on cricket participation is a perfect illustration of that.
Da iawn. Wel, diolch yn fawr i Huw Irranca-Davies am y ffordd y mae wedi mynegi'r ddadl arbennig hon y prynhawn yma, ac am y gwaith y mae wedi bod yn ei wneud hefyd i gynnull cefnogaeth Aelodau'r Cynulliad i gael llais ar y mater hwn.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cytuno ei bod hi'n hanfodol fod pencampwriaeth y chwe gwlad yn parhau i gael ei dangos ar deledu daearol ac y gall mwyafrif poblogaeth Cymru wylio pencampwriaeth mor bwysig â hon. Pan ymgynghorodd Llywodraeth ddiwethaf y DU ar y rhestr o ddigwyddiadau chwaraeon yn 2009, roedd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eglur iawn, hyd yn oed bryd hynny, y dylai pencampwriaeth y chwe gwlad barhau i fod yn rhad ac am ddim i'w gwylio ar y teledu. Ein barn ni oedd y byddai'r gwyliwr cyffredin yng Nghymru yn argymell symud y bencampwriaeth o grŵp B i grŵp A, fel yr ydych chi wedi ei ddisgrifio, ar y rhestr o ddigwyddiadau chwaraeon a gaiff eu gwarchod a sicrhau felly y byddai'n parhau i gael ei dangos ar deledu daearol.
Rwyf i o'r farn ei bod hi'n hawdd iawn inni danbrisio'r manteision a geir o wneud yn siŵr bod y prif ddigwyddiadau chwaraeon hyn ar gael i'r nifer ehangaf o bobl. Mae'r enghraifft a roddodd Huw o ran yr effaith a gafodd ar bobl yn cymryd rhan mewn criced yn enghraifft berffaith o'r mater dan sylw.
Thank you very much, Trefnydd.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Trefnydd.
Item 4 on the agenda this afternoon is a statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: update on the work of the inter-ministerial group on paying for social care. I call on the Minister for Health and Social Services—Vaughan Gething.
Eitem 4 ar yr agenda y prynhawn yma yw datganiad gan y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol: yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am waith y Grŵp Rhyng-Weinidogol ar Dalu am Ofal Cymdeithasol. Rwy'n galw ar y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol—Vaughan Gething.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you for the opportunity to update the Chamber on the work of the inter-ministerial group on paying for social care.
There is broad concern over the quality and sustainability of social care, both here in Wales and across the wider United Kingdom. If we are to have a meaningful conversation about the future of social care, then we have to consider seriously the quality and reach of social care, together with the funding that it requires, and how we raise this. Social care is a significant budget pressure for local government. Despite the reality of a decade of austerity, budgets have continued to rise annually by around 5.5 per cent over recent years. Across each area of Wales, with each different political leadership, there is a recognition in local government of the scale of the challenge.
This Government has prioritised social care by making it one of the six priorities in our national strategy, 'Prosperity for All'. We've delivered on our manifesto commitment to raise the capital limit for residential care to £50,000. In Wales, we offer the most generous allowance in the UK for the savings and other capital that a person can keep without using those to fund their care. But we believe that we do need to go further. That is what the inter-ministerial group has been considering.
The existing pressures on social care are very real. We have considered Professor Holtham's proposals for a social care levy designed to meet the needs of an ageing demographic. However, pressures exist across other demographic groups, including for working-age adults as well as for older people. Recent research that the inter-ministerial group commissioned from LE Wales highlights uncertainties in projecting future expenditure needs for social care.
Using five illustrative scenarios, LE Wales estimates the need for additional funding over the next three years could range from £35 million a year for 2020 to 2023 to an additional £327 million a year by the same point. And these amounts are projected just to maintain, not extend, current provision.
As I said, we want to go further. Our ambitions for social services in Wales are to keep pace with people's needs and expectations. This will inevitably require additional resources and investment.
Diolch i chi, Dirprwy Lywydd, a diolch am y cyfle i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Siambr am waith y Grŵp Rhyng-Weinidogol ar Dalu am Ofal Cymdeithasol.
Mae pryder cyffredinol ynghylch ansawdd a chynaliadwyedd gofal cymdeithasol yma yng Nghymru a thrwy'r Deyrnas Unedig yn fwy eang hefyd. Os ydym ni'n bwriadu cael trafodaeth ystyrlon am ddyfodol gofal cymdeithasol, yna fe fydd yn rhaid inni roi ystyriaeth ddifrifol i ansawdd a chyrhaeddiad gofal cymdeithasol, ynghyd â'r cyllid sydd ei angen arno, a sut y byddwn yn mynd ati i'w godi. Mae gofal cymdeithasol yn achosi pwysau sylweddol ar y gyllideb i lywodraeth leol. Er gwaethaf degawd o galedi gwirioneddol, mae cyllidebau wedi parhau i godi tua 5.5 y cant yn flynyddol yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Ar draws pob ardal yng Nghymru, gyda phob arweinyddiaeth wleidyddol wahanol, mae llywodraeth leol yn cydnabod maint yr her.
Mae'r Llywodraeth hon wedi blaenoriaethu gofal cymdeithasol drwy ei gwneud hi'n un o'r chwe blaenoriaeth yn ein strategaeth genedlaethol ni, 'Ffyniant i Bawb'. Rydym wedi cyflawni'r ymrwymiad yn ein maniffesto i godi'r terfyn cyfalaf ar gyfer gofal preswyl i £50,000. Yng Nghymru, rydym yn cynnig y lwfans mwyaf hael yn y DU o ran y cynilion a'r cyfalaf arall y gall unigolion eu cadw heb eu defnyddio i ariannu'r gofal a gânt. Ond credwn fod angen inni fynd ymhellach. A dyna mae'r Grŵp Rhyng-Weinidogol wedi bod yn ei ystyried.
Mae pwysau gwirioneddol iawn ar ofal cymdeithasol ar hyn o bryd. Rydym wedi ystyried cynigion Athro Holtham ar gyfer ardoll gofal cymdeithasol a luniwyd i fodloni anghenion demograffeg sy'n heneiddio. Er hynny, mae pwysau'n bodoli ar draws grwpiau demograffig eraill, gan gynnwys oedolion o oedran gweithio a phobl hŷn. Mae ymchwil ddiweddar LE Wales a gomisiynwyd gan y grŵp rhyng-weinidogol yn tynnu sylw at ansicrwydd wrth ragamcanu anghenion gwariant i'r dyfodol ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol.
Gan ddefnyddio pum senario eglurhaol, mae LE Wales yn amcangyfrif y gallai'r angen am arian ychwanegol dros y tair blynedd nesaf amrywio o £35 miliwn y flwyddyn ar gyfer 2020 i 2023 hyd at £327 miliwn ychwanegol y flwyddyn erbyn diwedd yr un cyfnod. Ac amcangyfrifir y bydd angen y symiau hyn er mwyn cynnal, nid ymestyn, y ddarpariaeth gyfredol.
Fel y dywedais i, rydym yn dymuno mynd ymhellach. Ein huchelgais ni ar gyfer gwasanaethau cymdeithasol yng Nghymru yw cyd-fynd ag anghenion a disgwyliadau pobl. Mae'n anorfod y bydd hyn yn gofyn am adnoddau a buddsoddiad ychwanegol.
In previous debates, we've all recognised the amazing work done by social care staff up and down the country, delivering vital care in our communities. We've discussed the need to drive up the quality of care and the vital role it plays in helping people to live quality lives, independently, in settings that meet their needs and expectations.
Social care free at the point of need is an aspiration that many of us share. However, we currently estimate that providing just free personal care and accommodation in a care home is likely to cost over £700 million a year in addition. Our view is this would be well beyond our ability to provide, and it would not, on those figures, address staff terms and conditions. Therefore, our focus has been on developing funded options that are sustainable and deliver better quality care.
With this in mind, the inter-ministerial group has considered a number of areas where investment could have the greatest impact, whilst looking to build on existing initiatives and policies. This includes: exploring new models of care; possibly offsetting elements of social care charges; and a consideration of how to deliver service quality improvements from investment in the social care workforce.
There is widespread recognition of the importance that our workforce plays in the quality and effectiveness of social care. However, the pay and terms of employment don't reflect this. The result is in an estimated annual 30 per cent turnover in the domiciliary care workforce. In my view, it is important that we identify as a priority what we can do to tackle retention and improve continuity and the quality of care. This should also support our approach on the foundation economy and fair work.
We are already driving a number of new models of integrated health and social care through the transformation fund that I announced as part of 'A Healthier Wales', our long-term plan for health and social care. We'll be drawing on the learning from transformation fund projects.
The group is keen to deepen the benefits of our integrated care fund, where the capital programme has strengthened the link between good-quality housing and good health and well-being outcomes. We're exploring the development of new models of housing-related care with the aim of keeping more people independent and out of residential care and acute care for as long as possible.
As I said, we already provide in Wales a generous charging framework, but we recognise the need to keep on improving what we offer. The inter-ministerial group is exploring options around: the introduction of funded non-residential care; a contribution towards the cost of residential care for those who pay the most; and the provision of funded personal care for anyone eligible.
Taking forward any or all of the options that I've just summarised will require investment over and above the resources required to maintain current service levels. We have previously debated the possibility of raising taxes in Wales to generate resources for social care. We need to be confident of delivering a sustainable funding solution that works for Wales.
So, the group has not limited its thinking. We've considered the joint work on the funding of social care by the select committee on health and social care and the select committee on communities and local government in the last UK Parliament. We've also reviewed the available evidence of international models. These illustrate the challenges in establishing a new funding model for social care. Where countries like Germany and Japan have well-established models of funding social care, or models of long-term care insurance, these were based on a clear acceptance of individual contributions for social care insurance.
We have a deep-rooted respect and support for our national health service and remain protective of access to free healthcare at the point of need. The established international models reviewed require changes to remain viable and have restricted benefits for social care or raised financial contributions. This would imply that, if we were to raise taxes to fund an improvement in social care, we would need to align closely with the specific outcomes we want to achieve to deliver a sufficiently flexible and sustainable solution.
There are real choices here for the nation. Building a consensus around the need for change and the nature of that will be fundamental to delivering reform for the future. I'm keen to continue this conversation today and beyond with Members, with committees and wider stakeholders to help inform our direction of travel and to build a picture of our collective vision for the social services that we want for the future of Wales.
Mewn dadleuon blaenorol, rydym ni i gyd wedi cydnabod y gwaith campus y mae staff gofal cymdeithasol yn ei wneud ar hyd a lled y wlad, gan ddarparu gofal hanfodol yn ein cymunedau. Rydym wedi trafod yr angen i wella ansawdd y gofal a'i swyddogaeth hanfodol wrth helpu pobl i fyw bywyd o ansawdd da, yn annibynnol, mewn lleoliadau sy'n ateb eu hanghenion a'u disgwyliadau nhw.
Mae gofal cymdeithasol rhad ac am ddim pan fydd ei angen yn ddyhead y mae llawer ohonom ni'n ei rannu. Eto i gyd, rydym ni'n amcangyfrif ar hyn o bryd bod darparu gofal personol a llety yn rhad ac am ddim mewn cartref gofal yn debygol o gostio dros £700 miliwn y flwyddyn yn ychwanegol. Yn ein barn ni fe fyddai hyn ymhell y tu hwnt i'n gallu ni i'w ddarparu, ac ni fyddai, ar sail y ffigurau hyn, yn mynd i'r afael â thelerau ac amodau'r staff. Felly, rydym wedi canolbwyntio ar ddatblygu dewisiadau a ariennir sy'n gynaliadwy ac yn darparu gofal o safon well.
Gyda hyn mewn golwg, mae'r grŵp rhyng-weinidogol wedi ystyried nifer o feysydd lle gallai buddsoddiad gael yr effaith fwyaf, gan geisio adeiladu ar fentrau a pholisïau sy'n bodoli eisoes. Mae hyn yn cynnwys: archwilio modelau newydd o ofal; gwrthbwyso elfennau o dalu am ofal cymdeithasol o bosibl; ac ystyried sut i sicrhau gwelliannau i ansawdd gwasanaethau yn sgil buddsoddiad yn y gweithlu gofal cymdeithasol.
Ceir ymwybyddiaeth gyffredinol o bwysigrwydd swyddogaeth ein gweithlu ni o ran ansawdd ac effeithiolrwydd gofal cymdeithasol. Er hynny, nid yw cyflogau na thelerau cyflogaeth yn adlewyrchu hyn. Canlyniad hyn yw trosiant blynyddol o 30 y cant, yn ôl yr amcangyfrif, yn y gweithlu gofal cartref. Yn fy marn i, mae'n bwysig ein bod ni, fel mater o flaenoriaeth yn nodi'r hyn y gallwn ni ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â chadw staff a gwella dilyniant ac ansawdd y gofal. Fe ddylai hyn gefnogi ein dull ni o weithredu'r economi sylfaen a gwaith teg.
Rydym eisoes yn ysgogi nifer o fodelau newydd o iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol integredig drwy'r gronfa weddnewid a gyhoeddais yn rhan o 'Cymru Iachach', ein cynllun hirdymor ar gyfer iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Fe fyddwn ni'n manteisio ar yr hyn a gafodd ei ddysgu o brosiectau'r gronfa gweddnewid.
Mae'r grŵp yn awyddus i ehangu manteision ein cronfa gofal integredig, lle mae'r rhaglen gyfalaf wedi cryfhau'r cysylltiad rhwng tai o ansawdd da a chanlyniadau da o ran iechyd a lles. Rydym ni'n ystyried datblygu modelau newydd o ofal sy'n gysylltiedig â thai gyda'r nod o gadw mwy o bobl yn annibynnol ac allan o ofal preswyl a gofal acíwt am gymaint o amser â phosibl.
Fel y dywedais i, rydym eisoes yn darparu fframwaith hael ar gyfer codi tâl yng Nghymru, ond rydym yn cydnabod yr angen i barhau i wella'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei gynnig. Mae'r grŵp rhyng-weinidogol yn ystyried y dewisiadau sy'n ymwneud â: chyflwyno gofal dibreswyl a ariennir; cyfraniad tuag at gost gofal preswyl i'r rheini sy'n talu fwyaf; a darparu gofal personol a ariennir ar gyfer unrhyw un sy'n gymwys.
Fe fydd gweithredu ar unrhyw un neu'r cyfan o'r dewisiadau yr wyf i newydd eu hamlinellu yn gofyn am fuddsoddiad ar ben yr adnoddau sydd eu hangen i gynnal y lefelau presennol o wasanaeth. Rydym eisoes wedi trafod y posibilrwydd o godi trethi yng Nghymru i greu'r adnoddau ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol. Mae angen inni fod yn hyderus y gallwn ni sicrhau datrysiad cynaliadwy o ran ariannu sy'n effeithiol i Gymru.
Felly, nid yw'r grŵp wedi rhoi cyfyngiadau ar ei feddylfryd. Rydym wedi ystyried y gwaith ar y cyd ar ariannu gofal cymdeithasol a wnaed gan y pwyllgor dethol ar iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol a'r pwyllgor dethol ar gymunedau a llywodraeth leol yn ystod Senedd ddiwethaf y DU. Rydym wedi adolygu'r dystiolaeth sydd ar gael o fodelau rhyngwladol hefyd. Mae'r rhain yn amlygu'r heriau sydd i sefydlu model ariannu newydd ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol. Mae gan wledydd fel yr Almaen a Siapan fodelau sefydledig o ariannu gofal cymdeithasol, neu fodelau yswiriant gofal hirdymor, sy'n seiliedig ar gydnabyddiaeth glir o'r angen am gyfraniadau gan unigolion ar gyfer yswiriant gofal cymdeithasol.
Rydym yn parchu ac yn gefnogol iawn i'n gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol ac rydym yn parhau i amddiffyn egwyddor gofal iechyd sydd ar gael yn rhad ac am ddim pan fydd ei angen. Mae angen newidiadau i'r modelau rhyngwladol a adolygwyd er mwyn iddynt allu parhau i fod yn hyfyw, gyda buddion cyfyngedig i ofal cymdeithasol neu gyfraniadau ariannol uwch. Fe fyddai hyn yn awgrymu, pe baem ni'n codi trethi i ariannu gwelliant mewn gofal cymdeithasol, yna byddai angen inni alinio'n agos â'r canlyniadau penodol yr ydym yn dymuno eu cyflawni er mwyn cael datrysiad sy'n ddigon hyblyg a chynaliadwy.
Mae dewisiadau gwirioneddol i'r genedl yma. Bydd dod i gytundeb ynghylch yr angen am newid a natur y cytundeb hwnnw yn hanfodol ar gyfer diwygio i'r dyfodol. Rwy'n awyddus i barhau â'r drafodaeth hon heddiw a thu hwnt gydag Aelodau, gyda phwyllgorau a rhanddeiliaid ehangach i helpu i lywio cyfeiriad y daith a llunio darlun o'n gweledigaeth ar y cyd ar gyfer y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol yr ydym ni'n dymuno eu gweld yn y dyfodol yng Nghymru.
In the run-up, Minister, to the general election your Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn stated in his election bid that Labour would develop a system of free social care in Wales. It is now clear, however, from this statement that you have u-turned already on this and that your solution is to introduce a tax here in Wales.
I would like to thank the Minister for acknowledging the uncertainties in projecting future expenditure needs for social care. This is undeniable. The cost is predicted to grow between £35 million and £327 million a year by 2022-23, which is a huge variation, and makes it that much harder to identify the figure actually needed and to how to fund it going forward.
I would like to share an important message that I hear from those delivering and receiving social care, and they say this: we need to invest more in prevention and early intervention. Too often, things are allowed to—. There's a lack of access to available services, and too often money from the health budget and the social care budget is going in at a very high level when things have reached almost crisis point. Actually, if there were better prevention models, if there were better intervention models, and if money was going in at that lower level, you could assist and support more people at a more reasonable cost, preventing this high-end cost that ultimately arises when people end up in crisis.
According to 'The "Front Door" to Adult Social Care' report by the Wales Audit Office, local authorities are preventing social care demand, but information, advice and assistance—IAA—are not consistently effective. They say themselves they have found a postcode lottery on preventative community services. They also say that regional partnership boards don't always necessarily have the right commitment and buy-in from, on most occasions, our health service, despite our local authorities working really hard in social care departments on very fixed budgets that are not allowed to go into deficit. They find that the regional partnership boards, in some instances, are little more than a talking shop. This, to me, sounds like an ineffective system, so what consideration will you give to making the system we currently have more efficient by putting strong prevention and intervention measures first?
Prevention, of course, is one of the underlying principles of the integrated care fund. Your statement notes that the group is keen to deepen the benefits of the ICF. So why then, tell me, of the 493 projects supported by the ICF in 2018-19, did around 60 per cent of those not continue to receive funding in 2019-20? As a businesswoman, that tells me that the project shouldn't have been started in the first place, or there were excellent projects that you have failed to continue funding. That is not a good way of actually moving forward. This is an important point because, whilst the draft budget provides £130 million into the ICF to help regional partnership boards, the auditor general himself has remarked that there is little evidence that successful projects were being mainstreamed into core budgets.
So, question 2: how can we be sure that the £130 million would not be better spent through a fair distribution of that money between Wales's 22 local authorities, allowing them to lead on prevention and integration and cutting out this ridiculous, costly bureaucracy and financial incapability, because of the money being so ring-fenced and tied to these boards?
Before considering a levy or a tax to our people in Wales, I believe that we need to acknowledge that an extra £1.9 billion will be coming to the Welsh Government following increased health spending in England by the UK Government.
Also, as part of my spokesperson's role within the Welsh Conservatives, I have been proud to work with care home proprietors across north Wales, and I've challenged Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in an effort to secure fairer CHC fees. So, with that, will the inter-ministerial group explore the potential benefits of the Welsh NHS making more finance available to support the social care sector?
What has come through to me is that people are fed up. They're fed up with budgets in health boards being allowed to grow and grow in debt and deficit, yet local authorities are bound to deliver a balanced budget. Quite often, as a result of people stuck in beds in the health service, when they really should be in their own homes or in the respective care surroundings that they need, too often money that should be spent by the health board is actually being picked up by our already-cash-strapped local authorities.
Yn y cyfnod a oedd yn arwain at yr etholiad cyffredinol, Gweinidog, fe ddywedodd arweinydd eich Plaid Lafur chi, Jeremy Corbyn, yn ei gais etholiadol ef y byddai Llafur yn datblygu system o ofal cymdeithasol rhad ac am ddim yng Nghymru. Mae bellach yn amlwg, fodd bynnag, o'r datganiad hwn eich bod chi wedi gwneud tro pedol ynglŷn â hyn yn barod, a'ch ateb chi yw cyflwyno treth yma yng Nghymru.
Fe hoffwn i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am gydnabod bod ansicrwydd wrth ragamcanu anghenion gwariant y dyfodol ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol. Ni ellir gwadu hyn. Rhagwelir y bydd y gost yn cynyddu rhwng £35 miliwn a £327 miliwn y flwyddyn erbyn 2022-23, sy'n amrywiad aruthrol, ac fe wna hynny hi'n anodd iawn nodi'r ffigur sydd wirioneddol ei angen sut i'w ariannu wrth symud ymlaen.
Fe hoffwn i rannu neges bwysig yr wyf i'n ei chlywed gan y rhai sy'n darparu ac yn derbyn gofal cymdeithasol, ac maen nhw'n dweud hyn: mae angen inni fuddsoddi mwy mewn atal ac ymyrryd yn gynnar. Yn rhy aml, fe ganiateir i bethau—. Mae diffyg mynediad at y gwasanaethau sydd ar gael, ac yn rhy aml mae arian yn mynd i mewn o'r gyllideb iechyd a'r gyllideb gofal cymdeithasol ar lefel uchel iawn pan fydd pethau wedi datblygu i fod yn argyfwng. Mewn gwirionedd, pe ceid modelau atal gwell, pe ceid modelau ymyrryd gwell, a phe bai arian yn mynd i mewn ar y lefel is honno, fe allech chi gynorthwyo a chefnogi mwy o bobl am gost fwy rhesymol, gan atal y gost uchel hon sy'n codi yn y pen draw pan fo pobl mewn argyfwng.
Yn ôl yr adroddiad 'Y "Drws Blaen" i ofal cymdeithasol i oedolion' gan Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru, mae awdurdodau lleol yn atal y galw am ofal cymdeithasol, ond nid yw gwybodaeth, cyngor a chymorth—IAA—yn gyson effeithiol. Maen nhw'n dweud eu bod nhw wedi darganfod loteri cod post o ran gwasanaethau cymunedol ataliol. Maen nhw'n dweud hefyd nad oes gan fyrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol yr ymrwymiad na'r ymroddiad priodol gan ein gwasanaeth iechyd, yn y rhan fwyaf o achosion, er gwaethaf y ffaith bod ein hawdurdodau lleol yn gweithio'n galed iawn mewn adrannau gofal cymdeithasol ar gyllidebau cyfyng iawn na chaniateir iddynt fynd i ddyled ynddynt. Maen nhw'n canfod nad yw'r byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol, mewn rhai achosion, yn ddim byd ond siop siarad. Mae hyn, i mi, yn swnio'n debyg i system aneffeithiol, felly pa ystyriaeth a fyddwch chi'n ei rhoi i wneud y system sydd gennym ni ar hyn o bryd yn fwy effeithlon drwy roi'r flaenoriaeth i fesurau cryf i atal ac ymyrryd?
Atal, wrth gwrs, yw un o egwyddorion sylfaenol y gronfa gofal integredig. Mae eich datganiad chi'n nodi bod y grŵp yn awyddus i ymestyn manteision y gronfa gofal integredig. Felly pam, dywedwch wrthyf i, o'r 493 o brosiectau a gefnogwyd gan y gronfa gofal integredig yn 2018-19, y peidiodd tua 60 y cant o'r rhain â pharhau i dderbyn cyllid yn 2019-20? Yn wraig fusnes, mae hynny'n gwneud i mi amau na ddylid bod wedi dechrau'r prosiect yn y lle cyntaf, neu fod yna brosiectau ardderchog na wnaethoch chi barhau i'w hariannu nhw. Nid yw honno'n ffordd dda o symud ymlaen. Mae hwn yn bwynt pwysig oherwydd, er bod y gyllideb ddrafft yn darparu £130 miliwn i'r gronfa gofal integredig i helpu byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol, mae'r Archwilydd Cyffredinol wedi dweud ei hunan mai prin yw'r dystiolaeth bod prosiectau llwyddiannus yn cael eu prif-ffrydio i'r cyllidebau craidd.
Felly, cwestiwn 2: sut y gallwn ni fod yn siŵr na fyddai'n well gwario'r £130 miliwn drwy ddosbarthu'r arian hwnnw'n deg rhwng 22 awdurdod lleol Cymru, gan ganiatáu iddyn nhw arwain o ran atal ac integreiddio a thorri allan y fiwrocratiaeth chwerthinllyd, gostus hon a'r diffyg cyfrifoldeb ariannol, oherwydd bod yr arian hwn wedi'i glustnodi i'r fath raddau ac wedi ei glymu i'r byrddau hyn?
Cyn ystyried ardoll neu drethiant ar ein pobl ni yng Nghymru, rwyf i o'r farn fod angen inni gydnabod y bydd £1.9 biliwn ychwanegol yn dod i Lywodraeth Cymru ar ôl i Lywodraeth y DU gynyddu gwariant ar iechyd yn Lloegr.
Hefyd, yn rhan o'm swyddogaeth i yn llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, rwyf wedi bod yn falch o weithio gyda pherchnogion cartrefi gofal ledled y gogledd, ac rwyf wedi herio Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr mewn ymgais i sicrhau ffioedd cyngor iechyd cymuned sy'n fwy teg. Felly, gyda hynny, a fydd y grŵp rhyng-weinidogol yn ymchwilio i'r manteision posibl o GIG Cymru yn sicrhau bod mwy o arian i gefnogi'r sector gofal cymdeithasol?
Rwy'n teimlo bod pobl wedi cael llond bol. Maen nhw wedi cael llond bol ar gyllidebau mewn byrddau iechyd yn cael eu caniatáu i dyfu a chynyddu yn eu dyledion a'u diffygion ariannol, ond eto mae awdurdodau lleol wedi eu rhwymo i ddarparu cyllideb sy'n gytbwys. Yn aml iawn, o ganlyniad i bobl yn gorwedd yng ngwelyau y gwasanaeth iechyd, pan ddylent mewn gwirionedd fod yn eu cartrefi eu hunain neu yn yr amgylchedd gofal priodol sydd ei angen arnyn nhw, yn rhy aml o lawer mae'r arian y dylai'r bwrdd iechyd fod yn ei wario yn cael ei wario gan ein hawdurdodau lleol sydd eisoes yn brin o arian.
Are you winding up, please?
A ydych chi'n tynnu tua'r terfyn, os gwelwch chi'n dda?
I will, yes.
Finally, from reading your statement, it seems that whilst you could be sailing towards a tax, I do welcome the fact that your group has explored new models of care. If that is the case, I would ask that you kindly place a greater emphasis on alternatives such as the Buurtzorg model. It has revolutionised community care in the Netherlands and has seen overhead costs reduce by 25 per cent. Would you at least, Minister—? You don't often agree with me on anything, but would you agree with me that that model is worth consideration by your Government? Let's look at a model that actually we can look at to be more effective, more beneficial to those who need it, more manageable, and not have to introduce an overburdensome tax to the people of Wales. Thank you.
Ydw, iawn.
Yn olaf, o ddarllen eich datganiad chi, mae'n ymddangos, er y gallech chi fod yn hwylio tuag at drethiant, rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod eich grŵp chi wedi edrych ar fodelau newydd o ofal. Os yw hynny'n wir, fe fyddwn i'n gofyn ichi fod yn ddigon caredig i roi mwy o bwyslais ar ddewisiadau eraill fel model Buurtzorg. Mae hwn wedi chwyldroi gofal cymunedol yn yr Iseldiroedd ac wedi gweld costau gorbenion yn gostwng 25 y cant. A fyddech chi o leiaf, Gweinidog—? Nid ydych yn cytuno â mi ar bethau yn aml iawn, ond a wnewch chi gytuno â mi ei bod hi'n werth i'ch Llywodraeth chi ystyried y model hwnnw? Gadewch inni edrych ar fodel sydd, mewn gwirionedd, yn fwy effeithiol ac yn fwy buddiol i'r rhai sydd ei angen, ac sy'n haws ei reoli, a pheidio gorfod cyflwyno treth a fyddai'n feichus i bobl Cymru. Diolch.
Thank you for the series of comments and questions. I don't want to be overly unkind, but there are a number of factual challenges in the statements that were made by the Conservative spokesperson. It is, of course, the case that Jeremy Corbyn is not the Prime Minister. Labour didn't win the last election. We got a real shoeing at the last election; there's now a Conservative UK Government. The idea that we are therefore going to be held to the last UK election manifesto when we can't possibly influence it is beyond parody. It's a bit of an embarrassing statement for Janet Finch-Saunders to start off with.
It's also worth pointing out that I can see the Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee in here and we recently had a debate on district and community nursing, which considered the Buurtzorg model and the work that the Government is already doing. There was an agreement within this Assembly term on further investment in district nursing, looking at principles from the Buurtzorg model and how they might be applied within Wales. So, we're deliberately increasing our investment in district and community nursing. So, far from this being a new issue, it's actually something that, through the whole of this term, you'll have heard in this Chamber and in the committee and in the report. To be fair, you may not have been in the Chamber at the time, but we've talked about it on several occasions and I'm glad to help to bring you up to date on that.
In terms of the cost pressures, the cost pressures range that I outlined, Deputy Presiding Officer, when you look at what 5.5 per cent over the last seven years or so that is going—the amount that, across local authorities, they are putting into social care, well that's actually nearer the top end of the £30-odd to £300-odd million range. There's a really big cost pressure that, despite austerity, political leadership of every shade is responding to. Independent-led councils, Welsh Conservative-led councils—so, your colleagues Sam Rowlands and Peter Fox, they are making those choices as well—together with Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour-led councils, they're all responding to the reality of the increase in pressures.
We could do broadly what you say and say, 'Just make it more efficient, try to develop some new models and carry on.' And that's a choice. It's a choice that we could make as a country. If we do that though, we have to accept, if we want an honest and mature debate, that that means that there'll be extra pressures on other budgets and it almost certainly means cuts in other areas of expenditure. Now, that's an honest choice that we could all make, but that would be the choice that we would be making. If we really want to see an improvement, we've got to consider the amount of funding that goes into it. At the last UK election, the Conservatives pledged to put £1 billion extra into social care, but that was actually money that they'd already announced. So, actually, there isn't new money that's going to come, arriving from May onwards; we've apparently already had it. It's been passed on in local government budgets through the RSG to local government. And that is only just about keeping pace with where we are. In fact, the NHS Confederation in England said that that funding pledge was well short of what was required—not Labour politicians, but people who are providing health and social care across our border.
We do want to see more efficiency in services, so we do want to see a transformation, we want to see reform and prevention going into how we look at the future of social care, but we also have to address the issue of funding. If we want to improve the quality and the reach and safeguard the dignity of social care, then we've got to have this serious and honest conversation about funding. And that's what we're prepared to do.
I don't want to leave unaddressed issues about the integrated care fund. Part of the reason why some ICF projects don't proceed is that they're piloting and trying new ways of working. And when we often have these debates here, your colleague, Angela Burns, regularly says to me, 'You have to be prepared to go and run projects that may not always succeed. If you're refusing to take any risk, you're not really trying something new.' And you can't then say on the other hand that it’s outrageous that not all of those projects have gone ahead. There will be different reasons why partners on the ground have looked and decided to proceed or not proceed. And actually, across local government, there's widespread support for the ICF and the way that it's worked, the way it’s brought different partnerships together, including health together with different parts of local government, the third sector, and other providers.
And you can't have it both ways on funding when it comes to health consequentials. Your party have regularly said, 'All the health consequentials should go directly into the health service—don't direct them or transfer them anywhere else at all.' We've actually gone well beyond that, and this Government, over the whole of this term, has put a lot more into the health service then direct consequantials that we've had from UK settlements. If you then say you want us to take more money into social care, well, we know we'll have a different debate about money that hasn't gone into the health service. And you can't have it both ways.
We—I—have made a choice to put £30 million last year, from the health budget, into social care. This year, I made the choice to put it up from £30 million to £40 million from the health budget into social care, because we recognise the pressures. So, we're doing the responsible and the right thing already, but the debate about the future should really be an honest and a grown-up one, and that's what I desperately want to see; not to try and have it both ways, but to be honest about what is available. And when we go out to further consultation with more models, we'll be open about that and about the basis of the funding questions for them, so people in this Chamber and beyond can look honestly at what's possible. We don't have a fixed view in the Government about what the exact future models of social care should be, or indeed how they should be funded, but I do hope that, over the coming months, we'll have a deal more maturity than we've heard thus far in the Chamber today, and I look forward to hearing what other parties have to say.
Diolch am y gyfres yna o sylwadau a chwestiynau. Nid wyf i'n dymuno bod yn rhy angharedig, ond mae nifer o ffeithiau y gellir eu herio yn y datganiadau a wnaed gan lefarydd y Ceidwadwyr. Mae'n wir, wrth gwrs, nad Jeremy Corbyn yw'r Prif Weinidog. Ni enillodd Llafur yr etholiad diwethaf. Fe gawsom ni grasfa yn yr etholiad diwethaf; Llywodraeth Geidwadol sydd gennym ni bellach yn y DU. Mae'r syniad ein bod ni'n mynd i orfod cadw at faniffesto'r etholiad diwethaf yn y DU, pan na allwn ddylanwadu arno o gwbl, y tu hwnt i bob rheswm. Mae datganiad dechreuol Janet Finch-Saunders yn codi cywilydd.
Mae'n werth nodi hefyd y gallaf i weld Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon yn y fan hon, ac yn ddiweddar fe gawsom ni ddadl am nyrsio ardal a chymunedol, a roddodd ystyriaeth i fodel Buurtzorg a'r gwaith y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei wneud eisoes. Roedd cytundeb yn ystod tymor y Cynulliad hwn ar fuddsoddiad pellach mewn nyrsio ardal, gan edrych ar egwyddorion o fodel Buurtzorg a sut y gellid eu defnyddio yng Nghymru. Felly, rydym ni'n cynyddu ein buddsoddiad ni'n fwriadol mewn nyrsio rhanbarthol a chymunedol. Felly, ymhell o fod yn fater newydd, mae hwn mewn gwirionedd yn rhywbeth y byddwch chi, drwy gydol y tymor hwn, wedi ei glywed yn y Siambr hon ac yn y pwyllgor ac yn yr adroddiad. A bod yn deg, efallai nad oeddech chi yn y Siambr ar y pryd, ond rydym wedi siarad droeon am hynny ac rwy'n falch o helpu i ddod â'r newyddion diweddaraf ichi am hynny.
O ran y pwysau o ran cost, mae'r ystod o bwysau cost a amlinellais i, Dirprwy Lywydd, pan edrychwch chi ar yr hyn y mae'r 5.5 y cant dros y saith mlynedd diwethaf neu fwy sy'n mynd—y swm y maen nhw'n ei roi i ofal cymdeithasol ar draws awdurdodau lleol, wel mae hynny mewn gwirionedd yn nes at ben uchaf yr ystod o tua £30 i £300 miliwn. Fe geir pwysau mawr iawn o ran cost ac, er gwaethaf cyni, mae arweinyddiaeth wleidyddol o bob lliw yn ymateb iddo. Y cynghorau dan arweinyddiaeth annibynnol, y cynghorau dan arweiniad y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig—felly, eich cyd-Aelodau chi, Sam Rowlands a Peter Fox, maen nhw'n gwneud y dewisiadau hynny hefyd— ynghyd â chynghorau Plaid Cymru a'r cynghorau dan arweiniad Llafur Cymru, maen nhw i gyd yn ymateb i realiti'r cynnydd o ran pwysau.
Fe allem ni wneud yn fras yr hyn a ddywedwch chi a dweud, 'Gwnewch hyn yn fwy effeithlon, ceisiwch ddatblygu modelau newydd a pharhau i wneud hynny.' Ac mae hwnnw yn ddewis. Mae'n ddewis y gallem ni ei wneud fel cenedl. Ond os gwnawn ni hynny, fodd bynnag, mae'n rhaid inni dderbyn, os ydym ni'n dymuno cael dadl onest ac aeddfed, fod hynny'n golygu y bydd pwysau ychwanegol ar gyllidebau eraill ac fe fyddai bron yn sicr o arwain at doriadau mewn meysydd eraill o wariant. Nawr, mae hwnnw'n ddewis gonest y gallai pob un ohonom ni ei wneud, ond dyna'r dewis y byddem ni'n ei wneud. Os ydym ni'n dymuno gweld gwelliant gwirioneddol, mae'n rhaid inni ystyried faint o arian sy'n mynd i mewn i hynny. Yn etholiad diwethaf y DU, roedd y Ceidwadwyr yn addo rhoi £1 biliwn yn ychwanegol i ofal cymdeithasol, ond mewn gwirionedd, dyna'r arian yr oedden nhw wedi ei gyhoeddi eisoes. Felly, nid oes arian newydd i ddod, yn cyrraedd o fis Mai ymlaen; mae'n debyg ein bod eisoes wedi ei gael. Fe gafodd ei drosglwyddo i gyllidebau llywodraeth leol drwy'r grant cynnal refeniw i lywodraeth leol. Ac nid yw hynny ond prin yn ein cadw ni lle'r ydym ni. A dweud y gwir, fe ddywedodd Cydffederasiwn y GIG yn Lloegr fod yr addewid honno o gyllid yn brin o'r hyn a oedd yn ofynnol—nid gwleidyddion Llafur, ond pobl sy'n darparu iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol dros y ffin.
Rydym ni'n awyddus i weld mwy o effeithlonrwydd mewn gwasanaethau, ac felly rydym ni'n awyddus i weld trawsnewid, rydym ni'n awyddus i weld diwygio ac atal yn dylanwadu ar y modd y byddwn ni'n edrych ar ddyfodol gofal cymdeithasol, ond mae'n rhaid i ni fynd i'r afael â mater cyllid hefyd. Os ydym ni'n dymuno gwella ansawdd a chyrhaeddiad a diogelu urddas gofal cymdeithasol, yna mae'n rhaid inni gael y sgwrs ddifrifol ac onest hon ynglŷn â chyllid. Ac rydym yn barod i wneud hynny.
Nid wyf i'n dymuno gadael materion am y gronfa gofal integredig heb eu hateb. Rhan o'r rheswm pam nad yw rhai prosiectau o'r gronfa gofal integredig yn mynd rhagddyn nhw yw eu bod nhw'n treialu ac yn cynnig ffyrdd newydd o weithio. A phan fyddwn ni'n cael y dadleuon hyn yn aml yn y fan hon, mae eich cyd-Aelod, Angela Burns, yn dweud wrthyf i'n rheolaidd, 'Mae'n rhaid ichi fod yn barod i gynnal prosiectau nad ydyn nhw'n llwyddo bob amser. Os gwrthodwch gymryd unrhyw risg, nid ydych yn rhoi cynnig ar unrhyw beth newydd.' Ac ni allwch chi wedyn ddweud ar y llaw arall ei bod hi'n warthus nad yw pob un o'r prosiectau hynny wedi parhau. Fe fydd yna wahanol resymau pam mae partneriaid ar lawr gwlad wedi ystyried a phenderfynu bwrw ymlaen neu beidio. Ac mewn gwirionedd, ar draws llywodraeth leol, mae cefnogaeth eang i'r gronfa gofal integredig a'r ffordd y mae hi wedi gweithio, y ffordd y mae hi wedi dod â gwahanol bartneriaethau at ei gilydd, gan gynnwys iechyd, ynghyd â gwahanol rannau o lywodraeth leol, y trydydd sector, a darparwyr.
Ac ni allwch chi ei chael hi bob ffordd o ran cyllid pan ddaw'n fater o gyllid canlyniadol iechyd. Mae eich plaid chi wedi dweud yn rheolaidd, 'Fe ddylai holl gyllid canlyniadol iechyd fynd yn uniongyrchol i'r gwasanaeth iechyd—peidiwch â'u cyfeirio na'u trosglwyddo nhw i unman arall o gwbl.' Mewn gwirionedd, rydym ni wedi mynd ymhell y tu hwnt i hynny, ac mae'r Llywodraeth hon, gydol y tymor hwn, wedi rhoi llawer mwy i mewn i'r gwasanaeth iechyd na'r cyllid canlyniadol uniongyrchol a gawsom ni o setliadau'r DU. Os ydych chi'n dweud wedyn eich bod chi'n dymuno inni roi mwy o arian i mewn i ofal cymdeithasol, wel, gwyddom y byddwn yn cael dadl wahanol am yr arian nad aeth i'r gwasanaeth iechyd. Ac ni allwch chi ei chael hi bob ffordd.
Rydym ni—rwyf i—wedi gwneud y dewis i roi £30 miliwn, o'r gyllideb iechyd y llynedd, i ofal cymdeithasol. Eleni, fe wneuthum i'r dewis i'w godi o £30 miliwn i £40 miliwn o'r gyllideb iechyd i ofal cymdeithasol, oherwydd rydym ni'n cydnabod y pwysau. Felly, rydym ni'n gwneud y peth cyfrifol a'r peth priodol eisoes, ond fe ddylai'r ddadl am y dyfodol fod yn un onest ac aeddfed, a dyna'r hyn yr wyf i'n awyddus iawn i'w weld; nid ceisio ei chael hi bob ffordd, ond bod yn onest o ran yr hyn sydd ar gael. A phan fyddwn ni'n mynd ati i ymgynghori ymhellach gyda mwy o fodelau, fe fyddwn ni'n agored i hynny a sail y cwestiynau cyllido ar eu cyfer nhw, ac felly fe all pobl yn y Siambr hon a thu hwnt edrych yn onest ar yr hyn sy'n bosibl. Nid oes gennym ni farn bendant yn y Llywodraeth ynghylch beth yn hollol y dylai modelau gofal cymdeithasol fod yn y dyfodol, nac yn wir sut y dylid eu hariannu nhw, ond rwy'n gobeithio, dros y misoedd nesaf, y cawn ni lawer mwy o aeddfedrwydd na'r hyn a glywsom yn y Siambr heddiw hyd yma, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at glywed yr hyn sydd gan y pleidiau eraill i'w ddweud.
I'm not entirely sure what you've announced today, to be honest with you. Maybe you can give us a bit more information about this conversation that you're keen to start today and what form that conversation might take. There are references in your statement to all sorts of international models for paying for care. I read it that you want to have some sort of conversation, as I say, about raising a tax or perhaps a levy to fund social care, but given the long lead-in time for UK Government to agree to the devolution of any new taxes, I think, perhaps, you're happy enough to just keep on kicking that particular can down the road for a while longer.
You're quite right to say, of course, that there is concern about the sustainability of care as a whole—the care that we'll need to provide for our ageing population in future. And you know what? Given the narrative around concern about the cost of providing social care in particular, I can understand why it would appear to make sense to think of some sort of fund, perhaps, to build up to pay for that in future, but I think there are some real flaws in that. We can have a conversation about it, as you say. But we think that the question isn't about finding money for social care; the question is about paying for health and care services in the context of an increasingly older population in future. That means funding for the NHS and funding for social care and funding for good housing and tackling poverty and so on, amongst a whole host of other public services that are needed. The clear gap, I think, in funding, isn't social care, per se, or the NHS, or the other services separately; it's that lack of investment in services that prevents people from becoming ill in the first place and requiring NHS and social care. If we are to build funds—and I think we do need to think differently about models for the future—I think perhaps we should be thinking in terms of building up a transformation fund to get us to that care service that is fit for the twenty-first century and beyond, indeed.
In response, actually, to some comments made by the Conservatives' spokesman, I think we can't just build the future of Welsh health funding on what we hope a UK Government might decide to spend on health in England in years to come. I think, based on the track record of successive Conservative Governments, their willingness to cut services deeply makes me nervous about hanging in there with a begging bowl for decisions on the NHS in England to be made.
I'll come on to just a couple of questions. I have sympathy with the Minister's view that we need an honest conversation about the level of taxation paid. I believe it's a matter of principle that the best way is to fund care, both NHS and social, from general taxation, but I would strongly argue also that, if the Government does intend to raise taxes to fund health and care services, you'll only find support for that if, in exchange, there aren't going to be charges still for people who need those services. For example, that they would not have to sell their homes as well.
A couple of claims were made in your statement. The statement claims that free personal care and care home accommodation could cost £700 million a year, but the accounts for local authorities—recent accounts—show that they've raised only £163 million from charges for social care for over-65s. Of course, you would also have to account for behaviour change, with self-funders moving into the funding, but the gap is still rather considerable. The Barker commission estimated the cost of providing free social care for those with moderate and critical needs for England would be £5 billion, which would translate to Wales as being around £250 million. In fact, LE Wales's own research in 2014 estimated this cost, which included under-65s as well, to be around £350 million. So could you explain why the figure you use is so considerably different to other estimates? A cynic would suggest that you're trying to undermine the case for social care free at the point of need whilst in the same breath claiming to aspire to that. Linked to this, you've stated that the research conducted by LE Wales on the additional funding needs required to maintain existing services by 2022-23, which is not far away, range from between £35 million and £327 million. That seems to me to be an extraordinarily wide range, so perhaps you could explain to me that wide gap in more detail.
Nid wyf i'n hollol siŵr beth yr ydych chi wedi ei gyhoeddi heddiw, a dweud y gwir. Efallai y gwnewch chi roi ychydig mwy o wybodaeth inni am y drafodaeth hon yr ydych chi'n awyddus i'w dechrau heddiw ac ar ba ffurf y gallai'r drafodaeth honno fod. Mae cyfeiriadau yn eich datganiad chi at bob math o fodelau rhyngwladol ar gyfer talu am ofal. Fe ddarllenais i eich bod chi'n awyddus i gael rhyw fath o drafodaeth, fel y dywedais i, am godi treth neu ardoll efallai i dalu am ofal cymdeithasol, ond o ystyried y cyfnod arweiniol hir cyn i Lywodraeth y DU gytuno i ddatganoli unrhyw drethi newydd, yn fy marn i, efallai, rydych chi'n ddigon hapus i ohirio'r mater penodol hwn am gyfnod hwy eto.
Rydych chi yn llygad eich lle wrth ddweud, wrth gwrs, fod yna bryder am gynaliadwyedd gofal yn ei gyfanrwydd—y gofal y bydd angen inni ei ddarparu yn y dyfodol ar gyfer y boblogaeth sy'n heneiddio. A wyddoch chi beth? O ystyried y naratif sy'n ymwneud â'r pryder am gost darparu gofal cymdeithasol yn benodol, gallaf ddeall pam y byddai'n ymddangos ei bod hi'n gwneud synnwyr i feddwl am ryw fath o gronfa, efallai, i'w sefydlu i dalu am hynny yn y dyfodol, ond credaf fod rhai diffygion gwirioneddol yn hynny o beth. Fe allwn ni gael trafodaeth am hyn, fel yr ydych chi'n dweud. Ond rydym ni o'r farn nad yw'r cwestiwn hwn yn ymwneud â dod o hyd i arian ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol; mae'r cwestiwn hwn yn ymwneud â thalu am wasanaethau iechyd a gofal yng nghyd-destun poblogaeth sy'n gynyddol hŷn yn y dyfodol. Mae hynny'n golygu cyllid i'r GIG ac arian ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol ac ariannu ar gyfer tai da a goresgyn tlodi ac yn y blaen, ymhlith llu o wasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill y mae eu hangen nhw. Yn fy marn i, nid y bwlch amlwg o ran ariannu yw gofal cymdeithasol, ynddo'i hun, na'r GIG, na'r gwasanaethau eraill ar wahân; y diffyg buddsoddiad mewn gwasanaethau sy'n atal pobl rhag afiechyd yn y lle cyntaf, a bod ag angen am y GIG a gofal cymdeithasol. Os ydym yn dymuno crynhoi cyllid—ac rwy'n credu bod angen meddwl mewn ffordd wahanol am fodelau i'r dyfodol—rwy'n credu efallai y dylem fod yn meddwl am ddatblygu cronfa weddnewid i'n harwain ni at y gwasanaeth gofal hwnnw sy'n addas ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain a thu hwnt, yn wir.
Mewn ymateb i rai o'r sylwadau a wnaeth llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, nid wyf yn credu y gallwn adeiladu dyfodol cyllid iechyd Cymru ar sail yr hyn y gobeithiwn y bydd Llywodraeth y DU yn penderfynu ei wario ar iechyd yn Lloegr mewn blynyddoedd i ddod. Rwyf i o'r farn, yn seiliedig ar hanes y Llywodraethau Ceidwadol olynol, fod eu parodrwydd nhw i dorri gwasanaethau yn fy ngwneud i'n anesmwyth iawn o ran aros yno yn ymbilio wrth iddyn nhw wneud penderfyniadau ynglŷn â'r GIG yn Lloegr.
Fe af i yn fy mlaen at ychydig o gwestiynau. Rwy'n cydymdeimlo â barn y Gweinidog fod angen trafodaeth onest arnom ynglŷn â lefel y trethi a delir. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n fater o egwyddor mai'r ffordd orau o ariannu gofal, yn y GIG ac yn gymdeithasol, yw o drethiant cyffredinol. Ond fe fyddwn i'n dadlau'n gryf hefyd, os yw'r Llywodraeth yn bwriadu codi trethi i ariannu gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal, na chewch chi gefnogaeth i hynny oni bai, yn gyfnewid, na chodir costau eraill ar bobl sydd angen y gwasanaethau hynny. Er enghraifft, na fyddai'n rhaid iddyn nhw werthu eu cartrefi hefyd.
Roedd yna un neu ddau o honiadau yn eich datganiad chi. Mae'r datganiad yn honni y gallai gofal personol a llety mewn cartrefi gofal yn rhad ac am ddim gostio £700 miliwn y flwyddyn. Ond mae'r cyfrifon ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol—cyfrifon diweddar—yn dangos mai dim ond £163 miliwn y maen nhw wedi ei godi o ffioedd am ofal cymdeithasol i rai dros 65 oed. Wrth gwrs, fe fyddai'n rhaid ichi roi cyfrif hefyd o newid ymddygiad, gyda hunan-arianwyr yn symud i mewn i'r cyllid, ond mae'r bwlch yn parhau i fod yn eithaf sylweddol. Amcangyfrifodd comisiwn Barker mai cost darparu gofal cymdeithasol yn rhad ac am ddim i'r rhai ag anghenion cymedrol a chritigol ar gyfer Lloegr fyddai £5 biliwn. Byddai hynny'n trosi i tua £250 miliwn yng Nghymru. Mewn gwirionedd, fe amcangyfrifodd ymchwil LE Wales ei hun y gost hon yn 2014, a oedd yn cynnwys pobl dan 65 oed hefyd, i fod tua £350 miliwn. Felly, a wnewch chi egluro pam mae'r ffigur a ddefnyddiwch chi mor sylweddol wahanol i amcangyfrifon eraill? Fe fyddai sinig yn awgrymu eich bod chi'n ceisio tanseilio'r achos dros ofal cymdeithasol rhad ac am ddim pan fyddai angen hynny, ac ar yr un gwynt yn honni eich bod chi'n ymgyrraedd at hynny. Yn gysylltiedig â hyn, rydych chi wedi nodi bod yr ymchwil a wnaeth LE Wales ar yr anghenion ariannu ychwanegol sy'n ofynnol i gynnal y gwasanaethau presennol erbyn 2022-23, buan y daw hynny, yn amrywio o rhwng £35 miliwn a £327 miliwn. Mae honno'n ymddangos yn ystod eithriadol o eang i mi, ac felly efallai y gallech chi egluro'r bwlch eang hwnnw'n fanylach.
I'll just deal with the last point first. The research that we've had done, we're going to publish all of it fully before Easter and we expect then for the final to-ing and fro-ing between civil servants and LE Wales to allow us to do that. It will show the range of different assumptions that you make, from the most optimistic about the most minimal level of increase, that's where you get the £35 million, to, if you like, the maximalist position in terms of the impact of the growth. There are a number of different scenarios, but actually tracking what's happened in the last seven years, that 5.5 per cent rise is much nearer to the top-end scenario. So I don't think that the £35 million is the most optimistic; I don't think you're going to see that founded in reality, certainly not within what's happened in the last seven years.
When it comes to the estimates we provide for what different scenarios might produce, for example the £700 million figure in terms of fully funding personal care and accommodation costs, we'll, again, publish all the reasons why that is. So it's not about wanting to make it an unaffordable and unachievable aspiration, but to say 'At this point in time, is this achievable or not?' And that's because of the advantages we have in getting civil servants and others to do that work. So we'll debate openly and it'll be put out into the field, because obviously we don't have a fixed view in the Government about what the exact model future social care should be or, indeed, the exact funding mechanism to try to lever more resources into our system. And that's where we'll be genuinely trying to have an open conversation from Easter onwards, and that's why we've made offers of technical briefings to both the Finance Committee and the two committees, and I think both Chairs are in the room—the Children, Young People and Education Committee will have an interest, together, I'm sure, with the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee—and to make available a briefing from the civil servants who are doing this work to say, 'Here's how we get to these figures, here are the different assumptions, and here's a go at asking the public some open questions about what they want and how they value it.' It's about the balance between improving social care and extending what we have, or just keeping what we have, the choices that will mean, and then what that means about what they are or aren't prepared to pay.
The most generous investing would be that if we all had the funding we needed without having to consider that, but I don't expect there to be a Green Paper any time soon; we've been promised a Green Paper for most of the last decade at a UK Government level. But there are real questions to consider about the impact, together with the rest of the UK system, because what I wouldn't want to see is that we try to provide a benefit to people in Wales and that's clawed back in a different way through the benefits system. So, we do need to think carefully about how to design something that would make sense and deliver an improvement in care for people. And, I think, on that, there isn't much difference between us, but it's about how we could get there.
We've also taken seriously the point about, if we were to go down the line of suggesting there could be a tax rise, we'd have to think about how that could actually be linked directly to an improvement in the care that people receive, to be able to set out clearly what the offer would be if there were further income raised through taxes of any sort. Now, I say 'if' because, as I say, the Government doesn't have a fixed view. But it would be important to be able to understand not just the public view on that, but how you're going to link the two together. I think that's important in terms of people accepting that there really is something for something rather than another way for politicians to take money off them for no particular benefit.
When it comes to health spend, I'm proud of the fact that we've got a Government where we have invested, despite austerity, more than we've had in terms of consequentials. The gap now is that, on average, we spend 9 per cent more than the UK average on health and social care in Wales, and we are taking steps to provide money to join the system more together, to have integrated models of health and social care together. But the way that the systems are funded is different. Social care is means tested, and many people are pretty horrified when they find out about that and they rub up against the system. So, it is a different system, so we do need to look at the funding around social care as a different matter to healthcare. Now, if there was a uniform way of funding it all, well, we could look then again about how that's organised in a different way, but I don't think a reorganisation is the answer to all of the challenges that we face.
And I do want to just be clear that the focus on prevention is absolutely there—from the parliamentary review, to the 'A Healthier Wales' response, to the work we're doing with the transformation fund, prevention is absolutely a central focus on what we're looking to do in reforming and improving health and social care services—and, also, to give the assurance that we have maintained contact with the local government family, and will continue to do so across party. So, I and the Deputy Minister will openly brief local government cabinet members when they meet in their social services policy group. We'll meet them in the spring and over the summer, and I definitely want to hear from them the realities of actually having to make some of these choices in local government, together with the sorts of answers in terms of quality, reach and funding that they're prepared to support.
Fe fyddaf i'n ymdrin â'r pwynt olaf yn gyntaf. Bydd yr ymchwil a wnaethom ni, fe fyddwn yn ei chyhoeddi yn ei chyfanrwydd cyn y Pasg ac yna byddwn yn disgwyl y rownd derfynol o gyfathrebu rhwng gweision sifil a LE Wales i'n galluogi ni i wneud hynny. Fe fydd yn dangos yr amrywiaeth o wahanol ragdybiaethau sydd gennych chi, o'r mwyaf optimistaidd am y cynnydd lleiaf posibl, ac o'r fan honno y daw'r £35 miliwn, at y sefyllfa eithafol, os mynnwch chi, o ran effaith y twf. Ceir nifer o senarios amrywiol, ond wrth olrhain yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd yn y saith mlynedd diwethaf, mae cynnydd o 5.5 y cant yn llawer nes at y senario ar y pen uchaf. Felly nid wyf i o'r farn mai'r £35 miliwn yw'r sefyllfa fwyaf optimistaidd; nid wyf i'n credu eich bod chi am weld hynny'n cael ei wireddu mewn gwirionedd, yn sicr nid yng nghwmpas yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd yn y saith mlynedd diwethaf.
O ran yr amcangyfrifon yr ydym ni'n eu rhoi ar gyfer yr hyn y gallai'r gwahanol senarios ei gynhyrchu, er enghraifft, y ffigur o £700 miliwn o ran ariannu costau gofal personol a llety yn llawn, fe fyddwn ni, unwaith eto, yn cyhoeddi'r holl resymau am hynny. Felly nid yw hyn yn ymwneud ag anelu at rywbeth anfforddiadwy ac anghyraeddadwy, ond dweud 'Ar hyn o bryd, a oes modd cyflawni hyn ai peidio?' Ac mae hynny oherwydd y manteision sydd gennym ni o ran cael gweision sifil ac eraill i wneud y gwaith hwnnw. Felly fe fyddwn ni'n dadlau'n agored ac fe fydd yn cael ei droi allan i'r maes, oherwydd yn amlwg nid oes gennym farn bendant yn y Llywodraeth am yr hyn fydd yr union fodel gofal cymdeithasol y dyfodol, nac, yn wir, yr union fecanwaith cyllido i geisio denu mwy o adnoddau i mewn i'n system ni. A dyna lle byddwn ni'n wirioneddol yn ceisio cael trafodaeth agored o'r Pasg ymlaen, a dyna pam rydym ni wedi cynnig sesiynau briffio technegol i'r Pwyllgor Cyllid a'r ddau bwyllgor, ac rwy'n credu bod y ddau Gadeirydd yn yr ystafell—bydd gan y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl ifanc ac Addysg ddiddordeb, ynghyd â'r Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon, rwy'n siŵr—a darparu sesiwn friffio gan y gweision sifil sy'n gwneud y gwaith hwn i fynegi, 'Dyma sut yr ydym ni'n cyrraedd y ffigurau hyn, dyma'r gwahanol ragdybiaethau, a dyma fynd ati i ofyn cwestiynau agored i'r cyhoedd am yr hyn y maen nhw'n ei ddymuno a sut maen nhw'n gwerthfawrogi hyn.' Mae'n ymwneud â chydbwyso'r gwelliant i ofal cymdeithasol ac ymestyn yr hyn sydd gennym ni, neu gadw'r hyn sydd gennym ni, y dewisiadau y bydd hynny'n ei olygu, ac yna beth mae hynny'n ei olygu o ran yr hyn y maen nhw'n barod i'w dalu neu nad ydyn nhw 'n barod i'w dalu.
Y buddsoddi mwyaf hael fyddai pe byddai gennym ni oll yr arian angenrheidiol heb orfod ystyried hynny, ond nid wyf i'n disgwyl gweld Papur Gwyrdd ymhen dim o dro; cafwyd addewid o Bapur Gwyrdd am y rhan fwyaf o'r degawd diwethaf ar lefel Llywodraeth y DU. Ond mae cwestiynau gwirioneddol i'w hystyried ynglŷn â'r effaith, ynghyd â gweddill system y DU, oherwydd yr hyn na fyddwn i'n dymuno ei weld yw ein bod ni'n ceisio darparu budd i bobl yng Nghymru a bod hwnnw'n cael ei adfachu mewn ffordd arall drwy'r system fudd-daliadau. Felly, mae angen inni feddwl yn ofalus ynglŷn â sut i gynllunio rhywbeth a fyddai'n gwneud synnwyr ac yn sicrhau gwelliant i bobl mewn gofal. Ac, rwy'n credu, o ran hynny, nid oes llawer o wahaniaeth rhyngom ni, ond mae'n ymwneud â sut y gallwn gyrraedd y sefyllfa honno.
Rydym hefyd wedi rhoi ystyriaeth ddifrifol i'r hwnt hwn. Pe byddem ni'n dilyn y trywydd o awgrymu y gellid cael codiad yn y dreth, byddai'n rhaid inni feddwl am sut y gellid cysylltu hynny'n uniongyrchol â gwelliant yn y gofal y mae pobl yn ei gael, a gallu nodi'n glir beth fyddai'r cynnig pe bai incwm pellach yn cael ei godi drwy drethiant o unrhyw fath. Nawr, rwy'n dweud 'pe' oherwydd, fel yr wyf i'n dweud, nid oes gan y Llywodraeth farn bendant. Ond byddai'n bwysig gallu deall nid yn unig farn y cyhoedd ar hynny, ond sut rydych chi am gysylltu'r ddau gyda'i gilydd. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n bwysig o ran pobl yn derbyn bod rhywbeth yn cael ei roi yn gyfnewid am rywbeth arall, yn hytrach na bod hyn yn ffordd arall i wleidyddion gymryd eu harian oddi wrthyn nhw heb unrhyw fudd penodol i hynny.
O ran gwariant ar iechyd, rwy'n falch o'r ffaith fod gennym Lywodraeth sydd wedi buddsoddi, er gwaethaf cyni, fwy na'r hyn a gawsom ni o ran cyllid canlyniadol. Y bwlch nawr yw ein bod ni, ar gyfartaledd, yn gwario 9 y cant yn fwy na chyfartaledd y DU ar iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru, ac rydym ni'n cymryd camau i ddarparu arian i gydgysylltu'r system yn well, ar gyfer cael modelau integredig o iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol gyda'i gilydd. Ond caiff y systemau eu hariannu mewn ffordd wahanol. Mae gofal cymdeithasol yn seiliedig ar brawf modd, ac mae llawer o bobl yn arswydo pan fyddan nhw'n cael gwybod am hynny ac yn gwylltio gyda'r system. Felly, mae'n system wahanol, ac felly mae angen inni edrych ar yr arian sy'n ymwneud â gofal cymdeithasol fel mater ar wahân i ofal iechyd. Nawr, pe byddai ffordd unffurf o ariannu'r cyfan, wel, fe allem edrych eto wedyn ar sut y caiff hynny ei drefnu mewn ffordd arall, ond nid wyf i o'r farn mai ad-drefnu yw'r ateb i bob un o'r heriau sy'n ein hwynebu ni.
Ac rwy'n awyddus i egluro bod canolbwyntio ar atal yno—o'r adolygiad seneddol, i ymateb 'Cymru Iachach', i'r gwaith yr ydym ni'n ei wneud gyda'r gronfa weddnewid, mae atal yn ganolog i'r hyn yr ydym ni'n bwriadu ei wneud wrth ddiwygio a gwella gwasanaethau iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol—ac yn rhoi sicrwydd hefyd ein bod ni wedi cadw mewn cysylltiad â theulu llywodraeth leol, ac fe fyddwn ni'n parhau i wneud hynny ar draws y pleidiau. Felly, fe fydd y Dirprwy Weinidog a minnau'n briffio aelodau cabinet llywodraeth leol yn agored pan fyddan nhw'n cyfarfod yn eu grŵp polisi gwasanaethau cymdeithasol. Fe fyddwn ni'n cwrdd â nhw yn y gwanwyn a thros yr haf, ac rwy'n bendant am glywed y gwirionedd ganddyn nhw o ran gorfod gwneud rhai o'r dewisiadau gwirioneddol hyn mewn llywodraeth leol, ynghyd â'r mathau o atebion o ran ansawdd, cyrhaeddiad a chyllid y maen nhw'n barod i'w cefnogi.
Can I thank the Minister for his statement, and commend the approach of having a conversation, although I would urge some urgency in the conversation, because we've been talking about these things for over 20 years now? I can remember a commission for the long-term care of the elderly reporting in the year 2000 about various things that we're still discussing now, and there's been no work in the meantime. So, while commending the approach, I do think we need some urgency and fleetness of foot. Because it was Aneurin Bevan who removed the fear of paying for healthcare individually by effectively making everybody pay. Regardless of your risk, regardless of your health status, regardless of your personal usage of the healthcare system, everybody pays through general taxation: the nation pooling its collective risk to free the individual from paying for that risk individually—in other words, not having to sell his or her home to pay for healthcare as a result.
We've accepted that for healthcare, and people wouldn't expect, having a conversation with their GP, that I would have to balance the cost vis-à-vis why they should sell their home. We don't have that conversation in health; we have it for social care, though, because, in contrast, people pay for social care individually. Huge costs can be incurred. Your home is at risk, and people have had to sell their homes to finance their long-term social care, because the risk is borne individually, and, therefore, the costs are paid individually, not by the whole nation as a collective.
That's why I think we need a national care service, financed by general taxation, exactly like the NHS, and with national terms and conditions for fully employed staff as well. Let's look at care exactly like we look at health, because, after all, 80 per cent of social care costs now, today, are paid for by public funds. They're publicly funded now—80 per cent of social care costs are publicly funded now. So, Minister, can you confirm whether any type of social care levy will transfer the financial risk from the individual to the nation? And is not your home still at risk with any type of levy or funding that's targeted at a group of individuals, as opposed to everybody? Isn't your home still at risk when paying a social care levy?
After all, in closing, Aneurin Bevan's victory against all odds, including medical opposition and huge vested interests saying it was too complicated, too hard, and too expensive, exactly like we're saying now about social care—that's what Aneurin Bevan faced down at the time, by sheer force of political will, which is why I'm such a fan of his. His victory was to remove the fear of paying for your individual healthcare. We face the same challenge with paying for social care individually today—some of us sooner than others. Thank you.
A gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei ddatganiad, a chymeradwyo'r dull o gynnal trafodaeth? Er hynny fe fyddwn i'n annog rhyw gymaint o frys yn y drafodaeth, gan ein bod ni wedi bod yn trafod y pethau hyn ers dros 20 mlynedd erbyn hyn? Rwy'n cofio comisiwn ar gyfer gofal hirdymor i'r henoed yn adrodd yn y flwyddyn 2000 am wahanol bethau yr ydym ni'n eu trafod o hyd, ac nid oes unrhyw waith wedi digwydd yn y cyfamser. Felly, er fy mod i'n cymeradwyo'r dull, rwy'n credu bod angen dangos rhywfaint o frys a chwimder. Aneurin Bevan waredodd y bobl rhag yr ofn o dalu am ofal iechyd yn unigol drwy wneud i bawb dalu amdano. Nid oes gwahaniaeth beth yw eich risg chi, nid oes gwahaniaeth beth yw eich statws iechyd chi, na beth yw eich defnydd personol chi o'r system gofal iechyd, mae pawb yn talu drwy drethiant cyffredinol: y genedl yn cyfuno ei risg gyfunol i ryddhau'r unigolyn rhag talu am y risg honno'n unigol—mewn geiriau eraill, nid oes raid iddo werthu ei gartref i dalu am ofal iechyd o ganlyniad i hynny.
Rydym wedi derbyn yr egwyddor honno ar gyfer gofal iechyd, ac ni fyddai pobl yn disgwyl, wrth gael sgwrs gyda'u meddyg teulu, y byddai'n rhaid imi gydbwyso'r gost ynglŷn â pham y dylen nhw werthu eu cartref. Nid ydym yn cael y drafodaeth honno ym maes iechyd; ond rydym ni'n ei chael hi ar gyfer gofal cymdeithasol, serch hynny, oherwydd, mewn cyferbyniad, mae pobl yn talu'n unigol am ofal cymdeithasol. Fe all costau aruthrol godi. Mae eich cartref chi mewn perygl, ac mae pobl wedi gorfod gwerthu eu cartrefi i ariannu eu gofal cymdeithasol hirdymor, oherwydd mae'r risg yn cael ei hysgwyddo gan unigolion, ac, felly, mae'r costau'n cael eu talu gan unigolion, nid gan y genedl gyfan yn dorfol.
Dyna pam rwy'n credu bod angen gwasanaeth gofal cenedlaethol arnom ni, wedi cael ei ariannu gan drethiant cyffredinol, yn union fel y GIG, a chyda thelerau ac amodau cenedlaethol ar gyfer staff sy'n cael eu cyflogi'n llawn hefyd. Gadewch inni ystyried gofal yn union fel yr ydym ni'n ystyried iechyd, oherwydd, wedi'r cyfan, mae arian cyhoeddus yn talu am 80 y cant o gostau gofal cymdeithasol nawr. Maent yn cael eu hariannu'n gyhoeddus nawr—fe gaiff 80 y cant o gostau gofal cymdeithasol eu hariannu'n gyhoeddus nawr. Felly, Gweinidog, a wnewch chi gadarnhau y bydd unrhyw fath o ardoll gofal cymdeithasol yn trosglwyddo'r risg ariannol oddi wrth yr unigolyn ac i'r genedl? Ac onid yw eich cartref chi'n parhau i fod mewn perygl gydag unrhyw fath o ardoll neu gyllid a gaiff ei anelu at grŵp o unigolion, yn hytrach nag at bawb? Onid yw eich cartref chi'n parhau i fod mewn perygl wrth dalu ardoll gofal cymdeithasol?
Wedi'r cyfan, wrth gloi, roedd buddugoliaeth Aneurin Bevan yn groes i bob disgwyl, gan gynnwys gwrthwynebiad meddygol a buddiannau breintiedig enfawr yn dweud bod hynny'n rhy gymhleth, yn rhy anodd, ac yn rhy ddrud, yn union fel yr ydym ni'n ei ddweud am ofal cymdeithasol nawr—dyna oedd Aneurin Bevan wedi ei wrthsefyll ar y pryd, trwy rym ewyllys gwleidyddol, a dyna pam yr wyf i'n gymaint o edmygwr ohono. Ei fuddugoliaeth ef oedd dileu'r ofn yr oedd gorfod talu am eich gofal iechyd yn unigol yn ei olygu. Rydym ni'n wynebu'r un her wrth dalu am ofal cymdeithasol yn unigol heddiw—rai ohonom yn gynharach nag eraill yn ein plith. Diolch.
Well, indeed. And some of the drivers in the conversation have been about the predictions on the demographics of the population, which were talked about at the start of devolution. And I recognise there are a number of original Members in the room now, but it's a topic that's been going on, a conversation about what that means in terms of public services. And we're seeing that pressure in the health service; we see the pressure also in social care. It's why the Health Foundation estimated a couple of years ago that the cost would be on average 4.1 per cent. Actually, as I've said, local government is putting more than 4.1 per cent into their social care budget already. So, there's a real pressure and real challenge.
But it is difficult, because you have got to think about how you raise the money, what you get in return, and what that means—not just for the benefits system, but there are challenges about any sort of way to generate extra income. Because there are challenges about inter-generational fairness, on the one hand. If you're nearing retirement age, or expecting to receive social care because of your age, as opposed to children, a young person, or a working-age adult who still needs social care, then you may well say, 'I've paid into the system all my life, and this is what I expect to receive in return'. Whereas, if you're in your 20s, at the start of your working life, you may say, 'I don't expect to receive the benefit of this for some time to come'. And there's a real challenge about what is fair between generations, as well as between people who pay taxes, people who receive care. And there's a challenge about the current means testing environment and reality of social care.
So, we've capped some of the costs that people would pay for domestic care costs; we chose to do that. And that's taken away some of the fears that some people have about paying for care. But we still have challenges. We want to do more. It's not just about whether we have a vision that we'd like to have social care funded like the national health service, but about our capacity to do so. And that's an honest conversation we should have. And when we provide more information in the technical briefings and the conversations from the spring/Easter onwards, I think we'll be able to have that conversation with more facts in the field for all of us to look at. And I think that will be a good thing.
But to improve staff terms and conditions—we could spend lots of money on doing that, and that might improve the quality of care, it might reduce the churn in the workforce, but that in itself won't extend the reach of social care as well. So, these are all choices we'll need to make, and to be clear sighted about them as we make them.
Wel, ie'n wir. Ac mae rhai o'r ysgogiadau yn y drafodaeth wedi ymwneud â'r rhagdybiaethau ar ddemograffeg y boblogaeth, y gwnaethom ni sôn amdanyn nhw ar ddechrau datganoli. Ac rwy'n cydnabod bod nifer o'r Aelodau gwreiddiol yn yr ystafell nawr, ond mae'n bwnc sydd wedi bod yn digwydd, sgwrs am yr hyn y mae hynny'n ei olygu o ran gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Rydym yn gweld y pwysau hwnnw yn y gwasanaeth iechyd; fe welwn ni'r pwysau mewn gofal cymdeithasol hefyd. Dyna pam yr amcangyfrifodd y sefydliad iechyd ddwy flynedd yn ôl y byddai'r gost ar gyfartaledd yn 4.1 y cant. A dweud y gwir, fel y dywedais, mae llywodraeth leol yn rhoi mwy na 4.1 y cant o'i chyllideb i ofal cymdeithasol yn barod. Felly, mae yna bwysau gwirioneddol a her wirioneddol.
Ond mae'n anodd, oherwydd mae'n rhaid ichi ystyried sut y byddwch chi'n codi'r arian, beth rydych chi'n ei gael yn gyfnewid amdano, a beth mae hynny'n ei olygu—nid yn unig ar gyfer y system fudd-daliadau, ond ceir heriau ynghylch unrhyw ffordd o godi incwm ychwanegol. Ceir heriau ynghylch tegwch rhwng y cenedlaethau, ar y naill law. Os ydych chi'n nesáu at oedran ymddeol, neu'n disgwyl derbyn gofal cymdeithasol oherwydd eich oedran chi, yn wahanol i blant, unigolyn ifanc, neu oedolyn o oedran gweithio sydd ag angen gofal cymdeithasol parhaus, yna mae'n ddigon posibl y byddech chi'n dweud, 'Rwyf wedi talu i mewn i'r system gydol fy oes, a dyma'r hyn yr wyf yn disgwyl ei dderbyn yn ôl'. Ond, pe byddech chi yn eich 20au, ar ddechrau eich bywyd gwaith, efallai y byddech chi'n dweud, 'Nid wyf i'n disgwyl gweld unrhyw fudd yn dod o hyn am amser maith i ddod'. Ac mae yma her wirioneddol am yr hyn sy'n golygu tegwch rhwng cenedlaethau, yn ogystal â rhwng pobl sy'n talu trethi a phobl sy'n derbyn gofal. Ac mae her ynglŷn ag amgylchedd y prawf modd cyfredol a sefyllfa wirionedd gofal cymdeithasol.
Felly, rydym wedi capio rhai o'r costau hynny y byddai pobl yn eu talu am gostau gofal cartref; fe wnaethom ni ddewis gwneud hynny. Ac mae hynny wedi cael gwared ar rai o'r ofnau sydd gan rai pobl ynglŷn â thalu am eu gofal. Ond mae gennym ni rai heriau o hyd. Rydym yn awyddus i wneud mwy. Mae'n golygu mwy na dim ond gofyn a oes gennym ni'r weledigaeth o weld gofal cymdeithasol yn cael ei ariannu fel y caiff y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol, ond hefyd a oes gennym y capasiti i wneud hynny. Ac mae honno'n drafodaeth onest y dylem ni ei chael. A phan fyddwn ni'n darparu mwy o wybodaeth yn y sesiynau briffio technegol a'r sgyrsiau o'r gwanwyn/Pasg ymlaen, rwy'n credu y byddwn ni'n gallu cael y drafodaeth honno gyda mwy o ffeithiau yn y maes i bawb ohonom allu edrych arnyn nhw. Ac rwy'n credu y bydd hynny'n beth da.
Ond o ran gwella telerau ac amodau staff—gallem wario llawer o arian ar wneud hynny, ac fe allai hynny wella ansawdd gofal, fe allai leihau'r nifer sy'n gadael y gweithlu, ond ni fyddai ynddo'i hun yn ymestyn cyrhaeddiad gofal cymdeithasol hefyd. Felly, mae'r rhain i gyd yn ddewisiadau y bydd angen inni eu gwneud, a bod yn graff wrth eu gwneud nhw.
Thank you very much, Minister. Thank you.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Gweinidog. Diolch.
Item 5 on the agenda is the Sustainable Drainage (Enforcement) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2020. And I call on the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to move the motion—Lesley Griffiths.
Eitem 5 ar yr agenda yw Gorchymyn Draenio Cynaliadwy (Gorfodi) (Cymru) (Diwygio) 2020. Ac rwy'n galw ar Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig i gynnig y cynnig—Lesley Griffiths.
Cynnig NDM7258 Rebecca Evans
Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru; yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 27.5:
1. Yn cymeradwyo bod y fersiwn ddrafft o Orchymyn Draenio Cynaliadwy (Gorfodi) (Cymru) (Diwygio) 2020 yn cael ei llunio yn unol â’r fersiwn ddrafft a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno ar 14 Ionawr 2020.
Motion NDM7258 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales; in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:
1. Approves that the draft The Sustainable Drainage (Enforcement) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2020 is made in accordance with the draft laid in the Table Office on 14 January 2020.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I must begin with an apology. The National Assembly has previously approved an Order almost identical to this one. However, the Order debated on 26 November last year contained an error, which prevented it coming into force. We only discovered this following the debate. My officials liaised with Assembly officials to identify whether commencement could be achieved by some other means. However, the conclusion we all reached was that the error prevented the instrument being able to come into force at all. As a result, unfortunately, there is no available solution other than to re-lay the instrument. I wrote to the Llywydd on 11 December, informing her of the position and stating my intention to lay a revised Order, as we've now done. Fortunately, the legal change we are seeking to bring about in the Order is not time-critical.
Whilst Members will appreciate that the circumstances of this case are very unusual, I am mindful of the need to avoid this type of error recurring on another statutory instrument. Therefore, we've introduced an additional check, an assurance procedure, to our internal processes, and have informed the relevant teams working on the preparation of subordinate legislation.
The revised Order contains a new provision for commencement. In all other respects, it is identical to the Order approved by the Assembly last November, aside from the year in the title. To recap, this Order concerns sustainable drainage systems on new developments, which was introduced in Wales from 7 January last year. SuDs, as they are more commonly known, will provide multiple benefits for flood-risk reduction, amenity and biodiversity. The original enforcement Order was made to implement the SuDs provisions in Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. Under the Act, approval is required before construction of drainage systems can commence on new sites. The Order applies where approval has not been obtained.
However, a minor amendment is needed to article 21 of the enforcement Order to bring it in line with recent changes to other enforcement legislation. Article 21 limits the fines that can be passed in a summary case to a maximum of £20,000. The Order was drafted before section 85(1) of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 commenced. The 2012 Act removed the upper limit on the fines magistrates' courts could pass for almost all offences. To provide consistency with similar offences we propose to amend the £20,000 limit to simply a fine. This would enable magistrates' courts to pass an unlimited fine, consistent with amendments to other legislation made by the 2012 Act. The proposed amendment does not expose persons convicted under the SuDs legislation to greater liability, as unlimited fines have always been available for this offence in the Crown Court. But it will reduce delay and expense for defendants and the public. I commend the Order to the Assembly.
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Mae'n rhaid imi ddechrau drwy ymddiheuro. Mae'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol wedi cymeradwyo Gorchymyn bron yn union yr un fath â hwn o'r blaen. Er hynny, roedd y Gorchymyn a drafodwyd ar 26 Tachwedd y llynedd yn cynnwys camgymeriad, ac fe'i rhwystrwyd rhag dod i rym. Dim ond ar ôl y ddadl y darganfuwyd hyn. Fe gysylltodd fy swyddogion i â swyddogion y Cynulliad i weld a ellid cychwyn drwy ryw ddull arall. Serch hynny, y casgliad y daeth pawb iddo oedd bod y gwall wedi atal yr offeryn yn gyfan gwbl rhag gallu dod i rym. O ganlyniad, yn anffodus, nid oes unrhyw ateb ar gael ar wahân i ailosod yr offeryn. Ysgrifennais at y Llywydd ar 11 Rhagfyr, yn ei hysbysu am y sefyllfa a datgan fy mwriad i osod Gorchymyn diwygiedig, fel y gwnaethom ni nawr. Yn ffodus, nid yw'r newid cyfreithiol yr ydym ni'n ceisio ei gyflwyno yn y Gorchymyn yn dyngedfennol o ran ei amseriad.
Er y bydd yr Aelodau'n gwerthfawrogi bod amgylchiadau'r achos hwn yn anarferol iawn, rwy'n ymwybodol o'r angen i osgoi gwall fel hyn rhag digwydd eto mewn offeryn statudol arall. Gan hynny, rydym wedi cyflwyno gwiriad ychwanegol, gweithdrefn sicrwydd, i'n prosesau mewnol ni, ac rydym wedi rhoi gwybod i'r timau perthnasol sy'n gweithio ar baratoi is-ddeddfwriaeth.
Mae'r Gorchymyn diwygiedig yn cynnwys darpariaeth newydd ar gyfer ei gychwyn. Ym mhob ystyr arall, mae hwn yn hollol yr un fath â'r Gorchymyn a gymeradwywyd gan y Cynulliad fis Tachwedd diwethaf, ar wahân i'r flwyddyn yn y teitl. I grynhoi unwaith eto, mae'r Gorchymyn hwn yn ymwneud â systemau draenio cynaliadwy ar gyfer datblygiadau newydd, a gyflwynwyd yng Nghymru o 7 Ionawr y llynedd. Bydd SDCau, fel y'u gelwir yn fwy cyffredin, yn cynnig sawl budd o ran lleihau perygl llifogydd, amwynder, a bioamrywiaeth. Fe wnaethpwyd y Gorchymyn Gorfodi gwreiddiol i weithredu'r darpariaethau SDCau yn Atodlen 3 i Ddeddf Rheoli Llifogydd a Dŵr 2010. O dan y Ddeddf, mae angen cymeradwyaeth cyn y gall adeiladu systemau draenio ddechrau ar safleoedd newydd. Mae'r Gorchymyn yn gymwys pan nad oes cymeradwyaeth wedi ei rhoi.
Fodd bynnag, mae angen mân ddiwygiad i erthygl 21 o'r Gorchymyn gorfodi i sicrhau ei fod yn cyd-fynd â newidiadau diweddar i ddeddfwriaeth orfodi arall. Mae erthygl 21 yn cyfyngu ar y dirwyon y gellir eu pasio mewn achos diannod i uchafswm o £20,000. Fe gafodd y Gorchymyn ei ddrafftio cyn i adran 85 (1) o Ddeddf Cymorth Cyfreithiol Dedfrydu a Chosbi Troseddwyr 2012 gychwyn. Roedd Deddf 2012 yn dileu'r terfyn uchaf ar y dirwyon y gallai llysoedd ynadon eu pasio ar gyfer bron pob trosedd. I sicrhau cysondeb â throseddau tebyg, rydym yn cynnig newid y terfyn o £20,000 i ddirwy yn unig. Fe fyddai hyn yn galluogi llysoedd ynadon i basio dirwy ddiderfyn, sy'n gyson â diwygiadau i ddeddfwriaeth arall a wnaethpwyd gan Ddeddf 2012. Nid yw'r diwygiad arfaethedig yn golygu y bydd unigolion a ddyfarnwyd yn euog o dan y ddeddfwriaeth SDCau yn fwy agored i atebolrwydd, gan fod dirwyon diderfyn wedi bodoli erioed am y drosedd hon yn Llys y Goron. Ond fe fydd hyn yn lleihau'r oedi a'r gost i ddiffynyddion a'r cyhoedd. Rwy'n cymeradwyo'r Gorchymyn i'r Cynulliad.
Thank you. Can I call on the Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, Mick Antoniw?
Diolch. A gaf i alw ar Gadeirydd y Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol, Mick Antoniw?
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. We considered this Order at our meeting on 27 January 2020, and subsequently reported one point to the Assembly under Standing Order 21.3. That reporting point noted that this Order was originally approved by the Assembly in Plenary on 26 November 2019, however, it could not be made as it did not contain a commencement provision, as the Minister has reported. I welcome the fact that the explanatory memorandum accompanying the Order notes the previous Order and identifies why it could not be made. The explanation provides helpful clarity for the record. Diolch.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Fe wnaethom ni ystyried y Gorchymyn hwn yn ein cyfarfod ar 27 Ionawr 2020, ac yn dilyn hynny adroddwyd un pwynt i'r Cynulliad o dan Reol Sefydlog 21.3. Nododd y pwynt adrodd hwnnw fod y Gorchymyn hwn wedi ei gymeradwyo'n wreiddiol gan y Cynulliad yn y cyfarfod llawn ar 26 Tachwedd 2019, er hynny, ni ellid ei wneud gan nad oedd yn cynnwys darpariaeth gychwyn, fel yr adroddodd y Gweinidog. Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod y memorandwm esboniadol sy'n cyd-fynd â'r Gorchymyn yn nodi'r Gorchymyn blaenorol ac yn nodi pam na ellid ei wneud. Mae'r esboniad yn cynnig eglurder defnyddiol ar gyfer y cofnod. Diolch.
I did think we had been here before, but I thank the Minister, who's made a fulsome apology and perhaps, I think, has gone further even than necessary in terms of accepting or apologising for error. And I think I'd say also I think it's an issue for us as an Assembly. We debated this before, I spoke and I myself did not notice this error or draw it to the Minister's attention and no other Member did. So, I think it is a joint issue, and I think the Minister has acted correctly by bringing it back in the way that she has.
She's re-emphasised that it's the magistrates, rather than Welsh Government, who'll be applying this fine. And I do have some concern about this concept of an unlimited fine, but when it's applicable generally in so many other areas and is there for the same offence in the Crown Court, I can take no objection of principle to that.
She mentions that there are great advantages in these SuDs applications. I also still just worry that they're also very significant costs and it's an additional hurdle that construction firms in Wales need to get over, and, of course, we want to encourage construction and house building and I just believe there should always be a balance taken in these approaches. But we don't intend to object to the statutory instrument today.
Roeddwn i yn credu ein bod ni wedi bod yma o'r blaen, ond diolchaf i'r Gweinidog, sydd wedi ymddiheuro'n ormodol ac efallai, rwy'n credu, wedi mynd ymhellach na'r angen o ran derbyn neu ymddiheuro am gamgymeriad. Ac rwy'n credu y byddwn i'n dweud hefyd fy mod i'n credu mai mater i ni fel Cynulliad yw hwn. Buom yn trafod hyn o'r blaen, siaradais i ac ni sylwais i fy hun ar y gwall hwn na thynnu sylw'r Gweinidog ato ac ni wnaeth yr un aelod arall ychwaith. Felly, rwy'n credu ei fod yn fater ar y cyd, ac rwy'n credu bod y Gweinidog wedi gweithredu'n gywir drwy ei ailgyflwyno yn y modd y mae hi wedi ei wneud.
Mae hi wedi ail-bwysleisio mai'r ynadon, yn hytrach na Llywodraeth Cymru, a fydd yn gosod y ddirwy hon. Ac mae gennyf rywfaint o bryder ynghylch y cysyniad hwn o ddirwy ddiderfyn, ond pan fydd yn gymwys yn gyffredinol mewn cynifer o feysydd eraill a'i fod yno am yr un drosedd yn Llys y Goron, ni allaf wrthwynebu hynny o ran egwyddor.
Mae'n sôn bod manteision mawr i'r gosodiadau SDCau hyn. Rwy'n poeni o hyd eu bod hefyd yn gostau sylweddol iawn ac mae'n rhwystr ychwanegol y mae angen i gwmnïau adeiladu yng Nghymru ei oresgyn, ac, wrth gwrs, rydym ni eisiau annog adeiladu a chodi tai a chredaf y dylid cael cydbwysedd bob amser yn y dulliau gweithredu hyn. Ond nid ydym yn bwriadu gwrthwynebu'r offeryn statudol heddiw.
Thank you. I call on the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to reply.
Diolch. Galwaf ar Weinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig i ymateb.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I thank both Members for their contributions. I'd just like to say, in answer to Mark Reckless' last point, since this was placed on the order paper, the Association of British Insurers actually came forward with a supportive statement specifically on the point that you raised, in that they very much welcome the plans for boosting the supply of new homes and believe that SuDs can play a pivotal role in ensuring these new properties are built in a manner that helps to manage surface water flood risk at the local level. Because I have seen that there have been some concerns. And I know it's a relatively technical issue—this Order—but I thought it was important to show that, when people do raise that they think it will be an additional burden on the developers, this is what the Association of British Insurers are saying. Thank you.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, a diolch i'r ddau aelod am eu cyfraniadau. Hoffwn ddweud, wrth ateb pwynt diwethaf Mark Reckless, gan i hwn gael ei roi ar bapur y gorchymyn, cyflwynodd Cymdeithas Yswirwyr Prydain ddatganiad cefnogol mewn gwirionedd, yn benodol ar y pwynt y gwnaethoch ei godi, sef eu bod yn croesawu'n fawr y cynlluniau ar gyfer hybu'r cyflenwad o gartrefi newydd a chredwn y gall SDCau chwarae rhan ganolog o ran sicrhau bod yr eiddo newydd hyn yn cael eu hadeiladu mewn modd sy'n helpu i reoli perygl llifogydd dŵr wyneb ar lefel leol. Gan fy mod wedi gweld bod rhai pryderon wedi bod. Ac rwy'n gwybod ei fod yn fater cymharol dechnegol—y Gorchymyn hwn—ond roeddwn yn credu ei bod hi'n bwysig dangos, pan fydd pobl yn mynegi eu bod yn credu y bydd yn faich ychwanegol ar y datblygwyr, mai dyma'r hyn y mae Cymdeithas Yswirwyr Prydain yn ei ddweud. Diolch.
Thank you. The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? No. Therefore, the motion's agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
Diolch. Y cynnig yw bod y cynnig yn cael ei dderbyn. A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? Na. Felly, derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Derbyniwyd y cynnig yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 12.36.
Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.
We now move to item 6, which is a debate on the draft budget of 2020-21, and I call on the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd to move the motion—Rebecca Evans.
Symudwn ymlaen nawr at eitem 6, sy'n ddadl ar gyllideb ddrafft 2020-21, a galwaf ar y Gweinidog Cyllid a'r Trefnydd i gynnig y cynnig—Rebecca Evans.
Cynnig NDM7259 Rebecca Evans
Cynnig bod Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, yn unol â Rheol Sefydlog 20.12:
Yn nodi'r Gyllideb Ddrafft ar gyfer blwyddyn ariannol 2020-21 a osodwyd yn y Swyddfa Gyflwyno gan y Gweinidog Cyllid a’r Trefnydd ar 16 Rhagfyr 2019.
Motion NDM7259 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with Standing Order 20.12:
Notes the Draft Budget for the financial year 2020-21 laid in the Table Office by the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd on 16 December 2019.
Cynigiwyd y cynnig.
Motion moved.
Daeth y Llywydd i’r Gadair.
The Llywydd took the Chair.
I'm pleased to open the debate this afternoon on the Welsh Government's draft budget for 2020-21. This builds on the constructive debate that we had in the first week of this session. Since then, the Finance Committee and the other Assembly committees have scrutinised our spending plans set out in the draft budget. I'd like to place on record my gratitude to the Finance Committee and the other committees for doing so, and for publishing their reports in the truncated timescale as agreed before Christmas.
Today's debate provides an opportunity for me to provide some early reflections on the recommendations and the general themes arising during scrutiny, focusing in particular on the Finance Committee's report. Before I do that, Llywydd, I want to acknowledge the wider context in which this budget has been developed and the challenges that remain, before reminding Members how this budget delivers for the people of Wales.
As I have rehearsed a number of times, the failure of the UK Government to deliver on its multi-year comprehensive spending review last year means I am only in a position to lay a one-year revenue and capital budget. Despite claims that austerity is over, the Welsh Government budget in 2020-21 is nearly £300 million lower in real terms compared to 2010-11.
Within weeks of confirming the long-awaited UK budget will take place on 11 March, the UK Government has once again demonstrated its chaotic approach to managing public finances. With just over a week before we published today's second supplementary budget, the UK Government confirmed both positive and negative adjustments to our budget for 2019-20. Most of the positive consequentials had been confirmed by the Treasury earlier in the year, but not the reductions.
When compared to the planning assumptions we have based our plans on, the net result of these changes is a modest revenue uplift, with a simultaneous reduction of just over £100 million of financial transactions funding and nearly £100 million general capital. This is wholly unacceptable at this stage in the financial year without any prior notice, and by no means the first example of the UK Government ignoring the principles set out in the statement of funding policy.
I've written to the Chief Secretary objecting strongly to the principle of these changes being made so late in the day. We do not accept them, and have pressed for further clarity on the changes at a UK level that result in consequential reductions.
Notwithstanding this, however, we have agreed we will absorb the financial transactions reductions this year, which is prudent financial management in the circumstances. I have also secured the maximum flexibility from Treasury to manage the other adjustments as we move through the next year. Our decision to take this approach is without prejudice to the further discussion on the wider position and the handling of reductions carried forward.
At this stage, I believe it's also prudent not to adjust the spending plans for 2020-21 that I've tabled before the Assembly, given the strong likelihood our settlement for next year will change again on 11 March. It does, however, reinforce our case for additional funding flexibilities and a more formal role for the finance Ministers' quadrilateral in reviewing the statement of funding policy—a theme drawn out in the Finance Committee's report.
As well as possible changes to our settlement, the UK budget could also include changes to tax policy, which might affect decisions about the devolved taxes in Wales. As well as considering proposals to bring forward an early supplementary budget, I am committed to providing an early update on the impact of the UK budget, including the impacts on Welsh tax forecasts.
Llywydd, I'd like to turn to the spending priorities set out in this budget. I am proud of everything we have achieved as a Government, despite the uncertainty and the challenging context that we have faced. This fourth budget of this Assembly, which provides for the final full year of this term, delivers on the key spending pledges we made to the people of Wales in 2016 on all-age apprenticeships, school improvement, childcare, help for small businesses, quick access to new treatments, affordable housing, and much more.
We are bringing our total investment in health and social care to more than £8.7 billion in 2020-21, with an above-inflation increase of more than £400 million; providing a real-terms increase to every local authority through an extra £200 million through the revenue and capital settlement next year, which will bring total funding to nearly £4.5 billion; and we're supporting a world-class education system through the local government settlement and through our £1.8 billion education budget.
Prevention has been at the heart of this budget, supported by our focus on eight cross-cutting priorities of: early years, social care, housing, employability and skills, better mental health, decarbonisation, poverty, and biodiversity. We're investing in the areas where we can maximise our impact over the longer term, and this includes an extra £175 million capital next year, taking our investment to more than £2 billion in affordable housing over this Assembly term; and an additional £19 million to help some of the most vulnerable people living in poverty in our communities, building on existing action totalling more than £1 billion; and increased investment in better mental health and early years through the extra funding for the whole-school approach and Flying Start.
This is a budget that delivers a new level of ambition in the fight to protect the future of our planet, building on the wide range of investments that we're already making. That is why, in the first budget since our declaration of a climate emergency, we are allocating a new £140 million capital package to support our ambitions for decarbonisation and to protect our wonderful environment.
Llywydd, I'd also like to take the opportunity today to provide some early reflections on the key themes arising from scrutiny. With the process of leaving the EU now under way, the importance of ensuring a smooth transition to a post-EU UK funding framework that delivers for all parts of the union is imperative. I welcome the committee's recommendation that recognises the need to review the statement of funding policy, which will be particularly important in the context of post-EU-exit arrangements. I also accept the Finance Committee's recommendation that we continue to negotiate with the UK Government to secure more frequent and structured quadrilateral meetings of UK finance Ministers. This is a matter I will raise with the Scottish finance Minister and Northern Ireland finance Minister tomorrow.
The interaction between our budget timetable and that of the UK Government's is a matter that's been considered in previous years, but the awkwardness this year has been more prominent. I welcome the acknowledgement of the committee that our approach to the timing of this year's budget was practical in the circumstances, and balanced the need to provide early funding certainty for stakeholders against providing time for scrutiny of our plans.
Continuing to drive forward improvements in our budgeting is also an important consideration. For the first time, we have published a budget improvement plan that sets out how we intend to take continuous steps to embed the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 into the budget process. This includes a number of areas identified by the Finance Committee, including improvements to how we assess the impacts of our budget decisions. I welcome the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales's statement that Wales should be commended for being at the forefront of a movement towards well-being budgeting, and I look forward to working with the commissioner as we take forward this ambitious plan.
I am pleased that the Finance Committee has welcomed the single largest ever capital package to help combat climate change. I'm disappointed by claims that the action that we're taking does not match our commitment to tackling the climate emergency. The draft budget will deliver new investment in the areas where the current evidence tells us we can have the greatest impact, as well as investing in other measures such as £64 million next year to defend our communities from the most severe and immediate impacts of climate change. I and my colleagues will respond formally to the recommendations of the Finance Committee report and those of the other Assembly committees in advance of the vote on the final budget next month.
So, Llywydd, to conclude, despite ongoing austerity imposed at the UK level undermining our ability to deliver the investment our country truly deserves, I am proud to introduce a budget that continues to invest in our vital public services while supporting our ambitions for a more equal, more prosperous and greener Wales.
Rwy'n falch o gael agor y ddadl y prynhawn yma ar gyllideb ddrafft Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer 2020-21. Mae hyn yn datblygu'r ddadl adeiladol a gawsom yn ystod wythnos gyntaf y sesiwn hon. Ers hynny, mae'r Pwyllgor Cyllid a phwyllgorau eraill y Cynulliad wedi craffu ar ein cynlluniau gwariant a nodwyd yn y gyllideb ddrafft. Hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch i'r Pwyllgor Cyllid a'r pwyllgorau eraill am wneud hynny, ac am gyhoeddi eu hadroddiadau yn yr amserlen fyrrach nag arfer fel y cytunwyd cyn y Nadolig.
Mae dadl heddiw yn gyfle i mi ddarparu rhai myfyrdodau cynnar ar yr argymhellion a'r themâu cyffredinol sy'n codi wrth graffu, gan ganolbwyntio'n benodol ar adroddiad y Pwyllgor Cyllid. Cyn i mi wneud hynny, Llywydd, rwyf eisiau cydnabod y cyd-destun ehangach y datblygwyd y gyllideb hon oddi mewn iddo a'r heriau sy'n parhau, cyn atgoffa'r Aelodau sut y mae'r gyllideb hon yn cyflawni ar gyfer pobl Cymru.
Fel yr wyf wedi sôn droeon, mae methiant Llywodraeth y DU i gyflawni ei hadolygiad cynhwysfawr o wariant amlflwydd y llynedd yn golygu fy mod i mewn sefyllfa i osod cyllideb refeniw a chyfalaf am un flwyddyn yn unig. Er gwaethaf yr honiadau bod cyni wedi dod i ben, mae cyllideb Llywodraeth Cymru yn 2020-21 bron yn £300 miliwn yn is mewn termau real o'i chymharu â 2010-11.
O fewn wythnosau i gadarnhau y bydd cyllideb hir ddisgwyliedig y DU yn cael ei chynnal ar 11 Mawrth, mae Llywodraeth y DU unwaith eto wedi amlygu ei dull gweithredu anhrefnus o reoli arian cyhoeddus. Ychydig dros wythnos cyn i ni gyhoeddi ail gyllideb atodol heddiw, cadarnhaodd Llywodraeth y DU addasiadau cadarnhaol a negyddol i'n cyllideb ar gyfer 2019-20. Roedd y rhan fwyaf o'r symiau canlyniadol cadarnhaol wedi eu cadarnhau gan y Trysorlys yn gynharach yn y flwyddyn, ond nid felly'r gostyngiadau.
O'i gymharu â'r tybiaethau cynllunio yr ydym wedi seilio ein cynlluniau arnynt, canlyniad net y newidiadau hyn yw cynnydd bach mewn refeniw, gyda gostyngiad ar yr un pryd o ychydig dros £100 miliwn o gyllid trafodion ariannol a bron i £100 miliwn o gyfalaf cyffredinol. Mae hyn yn gwbl annerbyniol ar yr adeg hon yn y flwyddyn ariannol heb unrhyw rybudd ymlaen llaw, ac nid dyma'r enghraifft gyntaf, o bell ffordd, o Lywodraeth y DU yn anwybyddu'r egwyddorion a nodir yn y datganiad o bolisi ariannu.
Rwyf wedi ysgrifennu at y Prif Ysgrifennydd yn gwrthwynebu'n gryf yr egwyddor o wneud y newidiadau hyn mor hwyr yn y dydd. Nid ydym yn eu derbyn, ac rydym wedi pwyso am ragor o eglurder ynglŷn â'r newidiadau ar lefel y DU sy'n arwain at ostyngiadau canlyniadol.
Er gwaethaf hyn, fodd bynnag, rydym wedi cytuno y byddwn ni'n ysgwyddo'r gostyngiadau trafodion ariannol eleni, sy'n rheolaeth ariannol ddarbodus o dan yr amgylchiadau. Rwyf hefyd wedi sicrhau'r hyblygrwydd mwyaf posibl gan y Trysorlys i reoli'r addasiadau eraill wrth i ni symud drwy'r flwyddyn nesaf. Nid yw ein penderfyniad i weithredu fel hyn yn rhagfarnu'r drafodaeth bellach ar y sefyllfa ehangach a'r modd yr ymdriniwyd â'r gostyngiadau a ddygwyd ymlaen.
Ar hyn o bryd, credaf ei bod hefyd yn ddoeth i beidio ag addasu'r cynlluniau gwariant ar gyfer 2020-21 yr wyf wedi eu cyflwyno gerbron y Cynulliad, o ystyried y tebygolrwydd cryf y bydd ein setliad ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf yn newid eto ar 11 Mawrth. Fodd bynnag, mae'n atgyfnerthu ein hachos dros hyblygrwydd cyllid ychwanegol a swyddogaeth fwy ffurfiol i'r Gweinidogion cyllid yn y cyfarfod pedairochrog i adolygu'r datganiad o bolisi ariannu—thema a nodwyd yn adroddiad y Pwyllgor Cyllid.
Yn ogystal â newidiadau posibl i'n setliad, gallai cyllideb y DU hefyd gynnwys newidiadau i bolisi treth, a allai effeithio ar benderfyniadau ynghylch y trethi datganoledig yng Nghymru. Yn ogystal ag ystyried cynigion i gyflwyno cyllideb atodol gynnar, rwyf wedi ymrwymo i roi diweddariad cynnar ar effaith cyllideb y DU, gan gynnwys yr effeithiau ar ragolygon treth Cymru.
Llywydd, hoffwn droi at y blaenoriaethau gwario a nodir yn y gyllideb hon. Rwy'n falch o bopeth yr ydym ni wedi ei gyflawni fel Llywodraeth, er gwaethaf yr ansicrwydd a'r cyd-destun heriol yr ydym wedi eu hwynebu. Mae pedwaredd gyllideb y Cynulliad hwn, sy'n darparu ar gyfer blwyddyn lawn derfynol y tymor hwn, yn cyflawni'r addewidion gwariant allweddol a wnaethom ni i bobl Cymru yn 2016 ynghylch prentisiaethau pob oed, gwella ysgolion, gofal plant, cymorth i fusnesau bach, sicrhau bod triniaethau newydd ar gael yn gyflym, tai fforddiadwy, a llawer mwy.
Bydd cyfanswm ein buddsoddiad mewn iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn fwy na £8.7 biliwn yn 2020-21, gyda chynnydd uwch na chwyddiant o fwy na £400 miliwn; sy'n darparu cynnydd mewn termau real i bob awdurdod lleol drwy £200 miliwn ychwanegol drwy setliad refeniw a chyfalaf y flwyddyn nesaf, a fydd yn gwneud cyfanswm y cyllid bron yn £4.5 biliwn; ac rydym ni'n cefnogi system addysg o'r radd flaenaf drwy'r setliad Llywodraeth Leol a thrwy ein cyllideb addysg £1.8 biliwn.
Mae atal wedi bod wrth wraidd y gyllideb hon, ac fe'i hategir wrth i ni ganolbwyntio ar wyth o flaenoriaethau trawsbynciol, sef: y blynyddoedd cynnar, gofal cymdeithasol, tai, cyflogadwyedd a sgiliau, gwell iechyd meddwl, datgarboneiddio, tlodi a bioamrywiaeth. Rydym ni'n buddsoddi yn y meysydd lle gallwn ni gael yr effaith fwyaf dros y tymor hir, ac mae hyn yn cynnwys £175 miliwn o gyfalaf ychwanegol y flwyddyn nesaf, gan ddod â'n buddsoddiad i fwy na £2 biliwn mewn tai fforddiadwy yn ystod y tymor Cynulliad hwn; a £19 miliwn ychwanegol i helpu rhai o'r bobl fwyaf agored i niwed sy'n byw mewn tlodi yn ein cymunedau, gan adeiladu ar y gweithredu presennol sy'n gyfanswm o fwy na £1 biliwn; a mwy o fuddsoddi mewn iechyd meddwl gwell a'r blynyddoedd cynnar drwy'r cyllid ychwanegol ar gyfer y dull gweithredu ysgol gyfan a Dechrau'n Deg.
Mae hon yn gyllideb sy'n cyflawni lefel newydd o uchelgais yn y frwydr i ddiogelu dyfodol ein planed, gan adeiladu ar yr ystod eang o fuddsoddiadau yr ydym eisoes yn eu gwneud. Dyna pam, yn y gyllideb gyntaf ers ein datganiad ar argyfwng hinsawdd, yr ydym yn dyrannu pecyn cyfalaf newydd gwerth £140 miliwn i gefnogi ein huchelgais ar gyfer datgarboneiddio ac i amddiffyn ein hamgylchedd gwych.
Llywydd, hoffwn hefyd achub ar y cyfle heddiw i gyflwyno rhai myfyrdodau cynnar ar y themâu allweddol sy'n codi o'r broses graffu. Oherwydd bod y broses o adael yr UE ar waith erbyn hyn, mae pwysigrwydd sicrhau newid didrafferth i fframwaith ariannu ôl-UE y DU sy'n cyflawni ar gyfer pob rhan o'r undeb, yn hanfodol. Croesawaf argymhelliad y pwyllgor sy'n cydnabod yr angen i adolygu'r datganiad o bolisi ariannu, a fydd yn arbennig o bwysig yng nghyd-destun trefniadau gadael yr UE. Rwyf hefyd yn derbyn argymhelliad y Pwyllgor Cyllid y dylem ni barhau i drafod â Llywodraeth y DU i sicrhau cyfarfodydd pedairochrog mwy rheolaidd a strwythuredig rhwng Gweinidogion cyllid y DU. Mae hwn yn fater y byddaf yn ei godi gyda Gweinidog Cyllid yr Alban a Gweinidog Cyllid Gogledd Iwerddon yfory.
Mae'r rhyngweithio rhwng amserlen ein cyllideb ni ac amserlen Llywodraeth y DU yn fater sydd wedi ei ystyried mewn blynyddoedd blaenorol, ond mae'r agwedd anghysurus hon wedi bod yn amlycach eleni. Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith fod y pwyllgor yn cydnabod bod ein hymagwedd at amseru'r gyllideb eleni yn ymarferol o dan yr amgylchiadau, ac yn cydbwyso'r angen i roi sicrwydd cyllid cynnar i randdeiliaid gyda'r angen i ddarparu amser ar gyfer craffu ar ein cynlluniau.
Mae parhau i fwrw ymlaen â gwelliannau yn ein cyllidebu hefyd yn ystyriaet