Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
23/10/2018Cynnwys
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 yr agenda'r prynhawn yma yw'r cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog. Rwyf wedi cael gwybod, o dan Reol Sefydlog 12.58, y bydd Arweinydd y Tŷ a'r Prif Chwip, Julie James, yn ateb cwestiynau ar ran y Prif Weinidog y prynhawn yma. Y cwestiwn cyntaf, Hefin David.
The first item on the agenda this afternoon is questions to the First Minister. I have received notification that, under Standing Order 12.58, the Leader of the House and Chief Whip, Julie James, will answer questions on behalf of the First Minister this afternoon. The first question is from Hefin David.
1. Pa gamau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i gefnogi ac annog gweithio hyblyg yng Nghymru? OAQ52839
1. What action is the Welsh Government taking to support and encourage flexible working in Wales? OAQ52839
The Welsh Government is promoting fair employment practices, including flexible working, through the economic contract, the employability plan and the code of practice on ethical employment in supply chains. We have also set up the Fair Work Commission to advise us on what more we can do.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn hybu arferion cyflogaeth teg, gan gynnwys gweithio hyblyg, drwy'r contract economaidd, y cynllun cyflogadwyedd a'r cod ymarfer ar gyflogaeth foesegol mewn cadwyni cyflenwi. Rydym ni hefyd wedi sefydlu Comisiwn Gwaith Teg i'n cynghori ar beth arall y gallwn ni ei wneud.
That's very good to hear. Policy at all levels in the UK has been about family-friendly working, and it's good to hear that the Welsh Government is trying to move beyond that. I took part in a debate the week before last, based on this report from the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, 'Work it out: Parenting and Employment in Wales', and one of the key things that's in that report, in chapter 3, is that we should make workplaces more equal and more flexible. Wherever possible, I think we should be buying people's talent and not their time. With that in mind, what further key steps, and what further detail, can the Welsh Government provide in how they're going to achieve that?
Mae'n braf iawn clywed hynny. Mae polisi ar bob lefel yn y DU wedi ymwneud â gweithio sy'n ystyriol o'r teulu, ac mae'n dda clywed bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ceisio symud y tu hwnt i hynny. Cymerais ran mewn dadl bythefnos yn ôl, yn seiliedig ar yr adroddiad hwn gan y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb, Llywodraeth Leol a Chymunedau 'Wrth eich gwaith: Rhianta a Chyflogaeth yng Nghymru', ac un o'r pethau allweddol sydd yn yr adroddiad hwnnw, ym mhennod 3, yw y dylem ni wneud gweithleoedd yn fwy cyfartal ac yn fwy hyblyg. Pryd bynnag y bo'n bosibl, rwy'n credu y dylem ni fod yn prynu talent pobl ac nid eu hamser. Gyda hynny mewn golwg, pa gamau allweddol eraill, a pha fanylion pellach, all Llywodraeth Cymru eu rhoi o ran sut mae'n mynd i gyflawni hynny?
A core element of the concept of a fair work nation is, of course, the fair employment practices that Hefin David has outlined there. And it is a central focus of the Fair Work Commission, which will be considering whether current measures available to Welsh Government can be taken further, and to identify what new or additional steps might be taken, and including any legislation that might be appropriate. It is worth pointing out that the Welsh Government currently has a shared parental leave scheme, for example, and it's worth saying that very loudly, Llywydd, so that more people will take advantage of it, because there is a real issue of gender inequality in the decisions that people make about their careers around the time of children, and so on. But we do do a range of other things to promote innovative and modern working practices, which is more than flexible working conditions, and they are around looking to see where we can establish output-related working practices that don't disadvantage people, for example, with any disabilities, or who need to have very flexible arrangements, because their talent, as the Member has said, is what you're paying for and not necessarily the time taken to travel to a particular place, and so on. The Business Wales website provides information to employers on how to improve productivity through flexible working arrangements, and the economic contract, as set out in our economic action plan, presents a clear opportunity to engage in dialogue with employers on a range of issues that have the potential to support individuals as well as businesses in accessing the wide range of skills available once you come away from the very standard working environment.
Un o elfennau craidd y syniad o genedl gwaith teg, wrth gwrs, yw'r arferion cyflogaeth teg a amlinellwyd gan Hefin David yn y fan yna. Ac mae'n bwyslais canolog i'r Comisiwn Gwaith Teg, a fydd yn ystyried pa un a ellir bwrw ymlaen â mesurau presennol sydd ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru, ac i nodi pa gamau newydd neu ychwanegol y gellid eu cymryd, a chan gynnwys unrhyw ddeddfwriaeth a allai fod yn briodol. Mae'n werth nodi bod gan Lywodraeth Cymru gynllun absenoldeb rhiant a rennir ar hyn o bryd, er enghraifft, ac mae'n werth dweud hynny'n uchel iawn, Llywydd, fel y bydd mwy o bobl yn manteisio arno, oherwydd ceir problem wirioneddol o anghydraddoldeb rhwng y rhywiau yn y penderfyniadau y mae pobl yn eu gwneud am eu gyrfaoedd ynglŷn ag amser plant, ac ati. Ond rydym ni'n gwneud amrywiaeth o bethau eraill i hybu arferion gwaith arloesol a modern, sy'n fwy nag amodau gweithio hyblyg, ac maen nhw'n ymwneud ag edrych i weld lle gallwn ni sefydlu arferion gwaith sy'n gysylltiedig ag allbwn nad ydyn nhw'n rhoi pobl dan anfantais, er enghraifft, gydag unrhyw anableddau, neu sydd angen trefniadau hyblyg iawn, gan mai eu talent, fel y dywedodd yr Aelod, yw'r hyn yr ydych chi'n talu amdano, ac nid o reidrwydd yr amser a gymerir i deithio i le penodol, ac ati. Mae gwefan Busnes Cymru yn cynnig gwybodaeth i gyflogwyr am sut i wella cynhyrchiant trwy drefniadau gweithio hyblyg, ac mae'r contract economaidd, fel y nodir yn ein cynllun gweithredu economaidd, yn cyflwyno cyfle eglur i gymryd rhan mewn trafodaeth gyda chyflogwyr ar amrywiaeth o faterion sydd â'r potensial i gynorthwyo unigolion yn ogystal â busnesau i gael gafael ar yr amrywiaeth eang o sgiliau sydd ar gael ar ôl i chi ddod oddi wrth yr amgylchedd gweithio safonol iawn.
Leader of the house, I was speaking to some constituents from Newtown this lunchtime, who own a small business in Newtown, and talking about being able to offer flexible working hours. Can you outline how the Welsh Government is supporting small businesses in particular to see the benefits of flexible working, and do you understand that there can be obstacles to flexible working? I see the benefits, but there are obstacles, for small businesses in particular, if they're employing only three people as opposed to 300. And how can you help small businesses in particular in that regard?
Arweinydd y tŷ, roeddwn i'n siarad â rhai o'm hetholwyr o'r Drenewydd yn ystod amser cinio heddiw, sy'n berchen ar fusnes bach yn y Drenewydd, ac yn sôn am allu cynnig oriau gweithio hyblyg. A allwch chi amlinellu sut mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi busnesau bach yn arbennig i weld manteision gweithio hyblyg, ac a ydych chi'n deall y gallai fod rhwystrau i weithio hyblyg? Rwy'n gweld y manteision, ond ceir rhwystrau, i fusnesau bach yn enwedig, os ydyn nhw'n cyflogi dim ond tri o bobl yn hytrach na 300. A sut y gallwch chi helpu busnesau bach yn arbennig yn hynny o beth?
Business Wales is very well placed to assist small and medium-sized enterprises with those kinds of conversations, to see how they can optimise their business practices, to understand whether they have, for example, modern HR procedures and practices in place, and in some cases there is direct financial support for businesses, depending on what their growth plans are, and so on. So, it's well worth advising any such SME that they should get in touch with Business Wales and see what range of packages is on offer, including a rethink, perhaps, of exactly the way the business is structured and what opportunities might be evoked by a slightly different working pattern.
And I give the Member an anecdote, which is this: I had a factory—not in my own constituency, but somewhere in Swansea—approach me and say that there was a skills shortage, when I was skills Minister. Actually, it turned out that they had a working pattern that had a shift that started before the local bus service arrived. And something very small like that can make an enormous difference to the range of skills and talents open to people. So, having that kind of open mind—. Business Wales is well placed to give that kind of advice to businesses.
Mae Busnes Cymru mewn sefyllfa dda iawn i helpu busnesau bach a chanolig eu maint gyda'r mathau hynny o sgyrsiau, i weld sut y gallan nhw sicrhau bod eu harferion busnes y gorau y gallan nhw fod, i ddeall a oes ganddyn nhw, er enghraifft, weithdrefnau ac arferion adnoddau dynol modern ar waith, ac mewn rhai achosion mae cymorth ariannol uniongyrchol ar gael i fusnesau, yn dibynnu ar beth yw eu cynlluniau twf, ac yn y blaen. Felly, mae'n werth cynghori unrhyw BBaCh o'r fath y dylai gysylltu â Busnes Cymru i ddarganfod pa ystod o becynnau sydd ar gael, gan gynnwys ailfeddwl, efallai, yr union ffordd y mae'r busnes wedi ei strwythuro a pha gyfleoedd allai ddeillio o batrwm gweithio rhyw fymryn yn wahanol.
A hoffwn rannu stori gyda'r Aelod, a dyma hi: cefais ffatri—nid yn fy etholaeth fy hun, ond rhywle yn Abertawe—yn dod ataf a dweud bod prinder sgiliau, pan oeddwn i'n Weinidog sgiliau. Mewn gwirionedd, daeth i'r amlwg bod ganddyn nhw batrwm gweithio a oedd yn cynnwys shifft a oedd yn dechrau cyn i'r gwasanaeth bws lleol gyrraedd. A gall rhywbeth bach iawn fel hynny wneud gwahaniaeth enfawr i'r amrywiaeth o sgiliau a doniau sydd ar gael i bobl. Felly, o gael y math hwnnw o feddwl agored—. Mae Busnes Cymru mewn sefyllfa dda i roi'r math hwnnw o gyngor i fusnesau.
2. Pa drafodaethau diweddar y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u cael ynghylch integreiddio gofal cymdeithasol ac iechyd yng ngorllewin Cymru? OAQ52834
2. What recent discussions has the Welsh Government had regarding the integration of health and social care in west Wales? OAQ52834
Welsh Ministers are having regular discussions in west Wales about delivering our ambitious integration agenda for seamless health and social care, as set out in 'A Healthier Wales', including how this can be supported by our £100 million transformation fund.
Mae Gweinidogion Cymru yn cynnal trafodaethau rheolaidd yn y gorllewin ynghylch darparu ein hagenda integreiddio uchelgeisiol ar gyfer iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol di-dor, fel y nodir yn 'Cymru Iachach', gan gynnwys sut y gall hyn gael ei gynorthwyo gan ein cronfa trawsnewid o £100 miliwn.
Thank you, leader of the house. I'm sure that you will be aware that this is an agenda that we've been talking about here in Wales for 18 years, to my sure and certain knowledge, and probably long before devolution. And I'm sure that you will understand that communities are beginning to lose patience with the speed of change. You may be aware that, on 13 June this year, Carmarthenshire County Council passed a motion requesting the Welsh Government to urgently look at the lack of integration between their social care policies, their social care activities and the Hywel Dda Local Health Board. There is real concern, I'm sure you'll acknowledge, in the west about the capacity of that health board to deliver on this ambitious agenda.
We have the announcement of a further £180 million today to deliver seamless health and social care. Of course, we're going to welcome that. I'm unclear whether it's new money, but, put against the £8 billion of the total health budget, it does really slightly look that perhaps we're putting a bit of a sticking plaster on a haemorrhage. What reassurances, leader of the house, can you give that the Welsh Government will focus on this area of work and that communities in the west can see an accelerated pace of change towards that seamless service, which we have all been talking about as the right way to proceed for many years now?
Diolch, arweinydd y tŷ. Rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n ymwybodol bod hon yn agenda yr ydym ni wedi bod yn ei thrafod yma yng Nghymru ers 18 mlynedd, fel y gwn i'n siŵr a phendant, ac ymhell cyn datganoli mae'n debyg. Ac rwy'n siŵr y byddwch chi'n deall bod cymunedau yn dechrau colli amynedd â chyflymder y newid. Efallai y byddwch chi'n gwybod bod Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin wedi gwneud cynnig, ar 13 Mehefin eleni, yn gofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru roi sylw brys i'r diffyg integreiddio rhwng eu polisïau gofal cymdeithasol, eu gweithgareddau gofal cymdeithasol a Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol Hywel Dda. Ceir pryder gwirioneddol, rwy'n siŵr y gwnewch chi gydnabod, yn y gorllewin am allu'r bwrdd iechyd hwnnw i gyflawni'r agenda uchelgeisiol hon.
Mae gennym ni'r cyhoeddiad o £180 miliwn arall heddiw i ddarparu iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol di-dor. Wrth gwrs, rydym ni'n mynd i groesawu hynny. Rwy'n ansicr o ran ai arian newydd yw hwn, ond o'i ystyried yn erbyn cyfanswm y gyllideb iechyd o £8 biliwn, mae'n edrych braidd fel pe byddem ni efallai'n rhoi darn bach o blastr ar waedlif. Pa sicrwydd, arweinydd y tŷ, allwch chi ei roi y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn canolbwyntio ar y maes hwn o waith ac y gall cymunedau yn y gorllewin weld newid yn digwydd yn gyflymach tuag at y gwasanaeth di-dor hwnnw, yr ydym ni i gyd wedi bod yn siarad amdano fel y ffordd iawn i fwrw ymlaen ers blynyddoedd lawer erbyn hyn?
Yes, the Member's right to highlight the benefits of working together in that way. 'A Healthier Wales' identifies the regional partnership boards as key drivers of change in this regard, and, obviously, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 provides for the boards to bring together health, social services, the third sector and other partners to deliver effective, integrated and collaborative care services. I know west Wales are in the process of finalising the proposal, and, last month, the Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care attended a meeting of the west Wales regional board to hear first hand the progress that partners in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Hywel Dda have made to strengthen all of their integrated arrangements. The Member's right to say that we have allocated additional moneys in this year to strengthen our determination to ensure that social care remains a key plank in our health service delivery.
Ydy, mae'r Aelod yn iawn i dynnu sylw at y manteision o gydweithio yn y ffordd honno. Mae 'Cymru Iachach' yn nodi'r byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol fel ysgogwyr allweddol o newid yn hyn o beth, ac, yn amlwg, mae Deddf Gofal Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014 yn darparu i'r byrddau ddod ag iechyd, gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, y trydydd sector a phartneriaid eraill ynghyd i ddarparu gwasanaethau gofal effeithiol, integredig a chydweithredol. Gwn fod y gorllewin wrthi'n llunio'r cynnig terfynol, a, fis diwethaf, roedd y Gweinidog Plant, Pobl Hŷn a Gofal Cymdeithasol yn bresennol yng nghyfarfod bwrdd rhanbarthol gorllewin Cymru i glywed yn bersonol am y cynnydd y mae partneriaid yng Ngheredigion, yn Sir Benfro, yn Sir Gaerfyrddin ac yn Hywel Dda wedi ei wneud i gryfhau eu holl drefniadau integredig. Mae'r Aelod yn iawn i ddweud ein bod ni wedi dyrannu arian ychwanegol eleni i gryfhau ein penderfyniad i sicrhau bod gofal cymdeithasol yn parhau i fod yn elfen allweddol yn ein darpariaeth o'r gwasanaeth iechyd.
Of course, a vital component, which you touched on very slightly in your answer to this, leader of the house, is the role of the third sector. It is extremely important in terms of ensuring that a lot of our services get delivered on the ground. However, the third sector are finding it more and more difficult to engage with health and social care—harder to engage with councils, harder to engage with health boards. This is partly because a lot of the third sector organisations are becoming far more policy orientated rather than the doing of the job. What are you doing to ensure that we have a proper engagement with the third sector, that they're not left out of this integration discussion, and that we engage with the ones who actually can deliver a service and not just the ones who spend a lot of their time and their resources on lobbying us with policy ideas?
Wrth gwrs, un elfen hollbwysig, y cyfeiriasoch ati'n gryno iawn yn eich ateb i hyn, arweinydd y tŷ, yw swyddogaeth y trydydd sector. Mae'n eithriadol o bwysig o ran sicrhau bod llawer o'n gwasanaethau yn cael eu darparu ar lawr gwlad. Fodd bynnag, mae'r trydydd sector yn ei chael hi'n fwyfwy anodd i ymgysylltu ag iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol—yn anoddach i ymgysylltu â chynghorau, yn anoddach i ymgysylltu â byrddau iechyd. Mae hyn yn rhannol oherwydd bod llawer o'r sefydliadau trydydd sector yn dechrau rhoi llawer mwy o bwyslais ar bolisi yn hytrach na gwneud y gwaith. Beth ydych chi'n ei wneud i sicrhau bod gennym ni ymgysylltiad priodol â'r trydydd sector, nad ydyn nhw'n cael eu gadael allan o'r drafodaeth integreiddio hon, ac i ni ymgysylltu â'r rhai sydd wir yn gallu darparu gwasanaeth ac nid dim ond y rhai sy'n treulio llawer o'u hamser a'u hadnoddau ar ein lobïo ni gyda syniadau polisi?
Yes, well, I very much agree with the Member that the third sector is very much part of this integrated plan. Social care is, of course, a key national priority for this Government and we absolutely acknowledge that third sector partners need to be facilitated in order to have those discussions. That's very much part of the conversation that I just outlined, for example, the Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care is having with a range of partners around Wales, with a view to facilitating exactly what the Member has set out.
Ie, wel, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â'r Aelod bod y trydydd sector yn rhan bwysig iawn o'r cynllun integredig hwn. Mae gofal cymdeithasol, wrth gwrs, yn flaenoriaeth genedlaethol allweddol i'r Llywodraeth hon ac rydym ni'n cydnabod yn llwyr bod angen hwyluso partneriaid trydydd sector er mwyn cael y trafodaethau hynny. Mae hynny'n rhan bwysig iawn o sgwrs yr wyf i newydd ei hamlinellu, er enghraifft, y mae'r Gweinidog Plant, Pobl Hŷn a Gofal Cymdeithasol yn ei chael gydag amrywiaeth o bartneriaid ledled Cymru, gyda'r bwriad o hwyluso'r union beth y mae'r Aelod wedi cyfeirio ato.
Cwestiynau nawr gan arweinwyr y pleidiau. Arweinydd yr wrthblaid, Paul Davies.
Questions now from the party leaders. The leader of the opposition, Paul Davies.
Diolch, Llywydd. Leader of the house, do you agree with me and the Minister for Environment that the current local government settlement is fundamentally unfair?
Diolch, Llywydd. Arweinydd y tŷ, a ydych chi'n cytuno â mi a Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd bod y setliad llywodraeth leol presennol yn sylfaenol annheg?
No, I don't at all agree with that. There are complex issues around how the settlement works out, and it's all been absolutely agreed through the funding formula with local authority partners and, as my colleague Minister, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, said, very recently, it was done in consultation with the sector groups and the WLGA. It was an agreed formula and it has been distributed in that regard, as you would expect.
Na, nid wyf i'n cytuno â hynny o gwbl. Ceir materion cymhleth yn ymwneud â sut y mae'r setliad yn gweithio, a chytunwyd yn llwyr ar y cwbl drwy'r fformiwla ariannu gyda phartneriaid awdurdod lleol ac, fel y dywedodd fy nghyd-Weinidog, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid, yn ddiweddar iawn, fe'i gwnaed mewn ymgynghoriad â'r grwpiau sector a CLlLC. Roedd yn fformiwla y cytunwyd arni ac fe'i dosbarthwyd ar y sail honno, fel y byddech chi'n ei ddisgwyl.
Leader of the house, the environment Minister is absolutely right: this local government settlement is unfair and imbalanced. The local government finance settlement reveals that all six of the north Wales authorities will receive a year-on-year reduction in their funding, and, in comparison, seven—seven—of the 12 south Wales authorities will receive an increase in, or continuation of, the level of funding from last year. So, firstly, it's apparent that we have a north-south divide, and to add to that—to add to that—yesterday, the First Minister—[Interruption.]
Arweinydd y tŷ, mae Gweinidog yr amgylchedd yn llygad ei le: mae'r setliad llywodraeth leol hwn yn annheg ac yn anghytbwys. Mae'r setliad cyllid llywodraeth leol yn dangos y bydd pob un o'r chwe awdurdod yn y gogledd yn cael gostyngiad i'w cyllid o flwyddyn i flwyddyn, ac, mewn cymhariaeth, bydd saith—saith—o'r 12 awdurdod yn y de yn cael cynnydd, neu barhad, i lefel y cyllid o'r llynedd. Felly, yn gyntaf, mae'n amlwg bod gennym ni raniad rhwng y gogledd a'r de, ac i ychwanegu at hynny—i ychwanegu at hynny—ddoe, roedd y Prif Weinidog—[Torri ar draws.]
We do need to hear the leader of the opposition. Allow him to ask his question, please. [Interruption.] Allow him to ask his question.
Mae angen i ni glywed arweinydd yr wrthblaid. Gadewch iddo ofyn ei gwestiwn, os gwelwch yn dda. [Torri ar draws.] Gadwch iddo ofyn ei gwestiwn.
Diolch, Llywydd.
To add to that, yesterday, the First Minister planned to hold a Labour-only exclusive meeting with council leaders who were also urging the Welsh Government to rethink the budget settlement, despite the fact that these were the very councils that had the better side of the deal because of Welsh Government cronyism. [Interruption.] Six of the seven authorities that maintained or increased their funding in this funding settlement were Labour-run councils. You couldn't make this stuff up, leader of the house. Do you not agree with your Labour colleagues that the settlement is fundamentally flawed and that the funding formula needs to be reviewed because it's north Wales councils and rural authorities that will bear the brunt of these Labour-inflicted cuts?
Diolch, Lywydd.
I ychwanegu at hynny, ddoe, roedd y Prif Weinidog yn bwriadu cynnal cyfarfod cyfyngedig Llafur yn unig gydag arweinwyr cyngor a oedd hefyd yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru i ailystyried setliad y gyllideb, er gwaethaf y ffaith mai'r rhain oedd yr union gynghorau a oedd yn cael ochr orau'r fargen oherwydd ffrindgarwch Llywodraeth Cymru. [Torri ar draws.] Roedd chwech o'r saith awdurdod lleol a gynhaliodd neu a gynyddodd eu cyllid yn y setliad cyllid hwn yn gynghorau dan arweiniad Llafur. Ni allech chi wneud y pethau hyn i fyny, arweinydd y tŷ. Onid ydych chi'n cytuno â'ch cyd-Aelodau Llafur bod y setliad yn sylfaenol wallus a bod angen adolygu'r fformiwla ariannu, oherwydd cynghorau ac awdurdodau gwledig y gogledd fydd yn ysgwyddo baich y toriadau hyn gan y blaid Lafur?
Well, the leader of the opposition says that you couldn't make this stuff up and then proceeds to do so. I can only reiterate what I said in answer to the first part of his question: the funding formula is agreed every year with local government. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance sat in the finance sub-group, and the local authority leaders agreed on the latest set of changes to the formula. By and large, those changes are ones that favoured more rural parts of Wales because they added an additional increment to the recognition of sparsity in the way that the formula operates. Welsh Government does not set the formula; it is set on expert advice and it is agreed by local government. There are a number of factors that impact on whether local authorities have had a decrease in funding this year—for example, if there are fewer people unemployed in the local authority than this time last year, or fewer secondary school pupils in an authority than this time last year, or fewer children claiming free school meals in its primary schools. There is absolutely nothing tribal or cronyistic about any one of these factors. The Member is extremely mischievous in saying so. They are all empirical measures, they feed their way into the formula and, every year, some local authorities see a benefit and some local authorities find that they see less benefit. But the Member is also disingenuous in being part of the Conservative Party that has just put the longest form of austerity in Britain that any Government has ever done—ever—and he must take some of the blame at least for the lack of funding available to Wales during the settlement period.
Wel, mae arweinydd yr wrthblaid yn dweud na allwch chi wneud y pethau hyn i fyny ac yna'n mynd ati i wneud hynny. Ni allaf ond ailadrodd yr hyn a ddywedais wrth ateb rhan gyntaf ei gwestiwn: cytunir ar y fformiwla ariannu bob blwyddyn gyda llywodraeth leol. Eisteddodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid yn yr is-grŵp cyllid, a chytunodd arweinwyr yr awdurdodau lleol ar y gyfres ddiweddaraf o newidiadau i'r fformiwla. Ar y cyfan, mae'r newidiadau hynny yn rhai a oedd yn ffafrio rhannau mwy gwledig o Gymru gan eu bod yn ychwanegu cynyddran ychwanegol at y gydnabyddiaeth o deneurwydd poblogaeth yn y ffordd y mae'r fformiwla'n gweithio. Nid Llywodraeth Cymru sy'n pennu'r fformiwla; caiff ei phennu ar sail cyngor arbenigol ac fe'i cytunir gan lywodraeth leol. Ceir nifer o ffactorau sy'n effeithio ar ba un a yw awdurdodau lleol wedi cael gostyngiad i gyllid y flwyddyn hon—er enghraifft, os oes llai o bobl yn ddi-waith yn yr awdurdod lleol na'r adeg hon y llynedd, neu lai o ddisgyblion ysgol uwchradd mewn awdurdod na'r adeg hon y llynedd, neu lai o blant yn hawlio prydau ysgol am ddim yn ei ysgolion cynradd. Nid oes dim byd o gwbl sy'n llwythol nac yn dangos ffrindgarwch am unrhyw un o'r ffactorau hyn. Mae'r Aelod yn ddrygionus iawn yn dweud hynny. Maen nhw i gyd yn fesurau empirig, maen nhw'n bwydo eu hunain i mewn i'r fformiwla a, bob blwyddyn, mae rhai awdurdodau lleol yn elwa a rhai awdurdodau lleol yn canfod eu bod yn elwa llai. Ond mae'r Aelod hefyd yn annidwyll trwy fod yn rhan o'r Blaid Geidwadol sydd newydd gyflwyno'r cyfnod hiraf erioed o gyni cyllidol gan unrhyw Lywodraeth ym Mhrydain erioed—erioed—ac mae'n rhaid iddo gymryd rhywfaint o'r bai am o leiaf y diffyg cyllid oedd ar gael i Gymru yn ystod cyfnod y setliad.
I'm not going to take any lessons in spending from the leader of the house and her party, which nearly bankrupted this country in 2010. Now, leader of the house— [Interruption.]
Nid wyf i'n mynd i gymryd unrhyw wersi ar wariant gan arweinydd y tŷ a'i phlaid, y bu bron iddi wneud y wlad hon yn fethdalwr yn 2010. Nawr, arweinydd y tŷ—[Torri ar draws.]
I can't hear what the leader of the opposition is now saying. Can you please carry on, and can members of the Cabinet in particular refrain from commenting throughout the discussion?
Ni allaf glywed yr hyn y mae arweinydd yr wrthblaid yn ei ddweud nawr. A allwch chi barhau, os gwelwch yn dda, ac a all aelodau'r Cabinet yn arbennig ymatal rhag gwneud sylwadau drwy gydol y drafodaeth?
Leader of the house, the environment Minister is not the only one to contribute to the red-on-red fire. The Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning recently said, and I quote,
'we must put our hands up and admit that one area where we have failed to make the impact that we...should have, is the economy'.
Well, I couldn't have said it better myself, Minister. The Welsh Government has failed our economy, and local government is one of its key pillars. It employs over 10 per cent of the Welsh workforce, spends £3.5 billion on goods and services, and promotes economic growth in all regions of the nation, yet successive Welsh Labour settlements consistently hammer the parts of Wales that are often most reliant on the local authority economy. The Welsh Government's consistent neglect of large swathes of Wales has ultimately resulted in regional inequality and a stagnant Welsh economy. Leader of the house, will you now listen to your own colleagues and call on the First Minister to rethink this local government funding settlement so that we have one that is capable of driving forward the prosperity of our nation instead of one that will only entrench regional inequality and council favouritism here in Wales?
Arweinydd y tŷ, nid Gweinidog yr amgylchedd yw'r unig un i gyfrannu at y saethu coch ar goch. Dywedodd Gweinidog y Gymraeg a Dysgu Gydol Oes yn ddiweddar, a dyfynnaf,
mae'n rhaid i ni roi ein dwylo i fyny a chyfaddef mai un maes lle'r ydym ni wedi methu â chael yr effaith y dylem ni fod wedi ei chael yw'r economi.
Wel, ni allwn i fod wedi ei ddweud yn well fy hun, Gweinidog. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi methu o ran ein heconomi, a llywodraeth leol yw un o'i chonglfeini allweddol. Mae'n cyflogi dros 10 y cant o weithlu Cymru, yn gwario £3.5 biliwn ar nwyddau a gwasanaethau, ac yn hybu twf economaidd yn holl ranbarthau'r wlad, ac eto mae setliadau olynol Llafur Cymru yn morthwylio'n gyson y rhannau o Gymru sy'n aml yn dibynnu fwyaf ar yr economi awdurdod lleol. Mae esgeulustod cyson Llywodraeth Cymru o rannau helaeth o Gymru wedi arwain yn y pen draw at anghydraddoldeb rhanbarthol ac economi Cymru marwaidd. Arweinydd y tŷ, a wnewch chi wrando ar eich cyd-Aelodau nawr a galw ar y Prif Weinidog i ailystyried y setliad ariannu llywodraeth leol hwn fel bod gennym ni un sy'n gallu sbarduno ffyniant ein cenedl yn hytrach nag un a fydd yn gwneud dim ond ymwreiddio anghydraddoldeb rhanbarthol a ffafriaeth i gynghorau yma yng Nghymru?
Well, I think that the leader of the opposition is entirely wrong in both his premise and his argument. He fails to take any responsibility for having voted a Conservative Government with austerity policies onto the nation. I presume he voted Conservative in the last election and therefore contributed to that. Even if he is now— [Interruption.] I don't know what you're saying from a seated position. If you want to intervene, do say so. But I would say this: you have delivered by far the worst on the Conservative benches for Wales than other colleague Conservatives have done for their regions. So, to talk about regional disparity funding from that vantage point is not a good look.
I can also say that I am very pleased to see that he is following the hustings and arguments inside the Labour Party so closely; perhaps he can learn a lot from them.
Wel, rwy'n credu bod arweinydd yr wrthblaid yn gwbl anghywir o ran ei safbwynt a'i ddadl. Mae'n methu â chymryd unrhyw gyfrifoldeb am fod wedi pleidleisio Llywodraeth Geidwadol â pholisïau cyni cyllidol ar gyfer y genedl. Rwy'n tybio ei fod wedi pleidleisio dros y Ceidwadwyr yn yr etholiad diwethaf ac felly wedi cyfrannu at hynny. Hyd yn oed os yw bellach—[Torri ar draws.] Nid wyf i'n gwybod beth yr ydych chi'n ei ddweud o fod ar eich heistedd. Os ydych chi eisiau ymyrryd, dywedwch hynny. Ond byddwn i'n dweud hyn: rydych chi wedi cyflawni'r gwaethaf o bell ffordd ar feinciau'r Ceidwadwyr ar ran Cymru nag y mae eich cyd-Geidwadwyr wedi ei wneud dros eu rhanbarthau nhw. Felly nid yw sôn am anghydraddoldeb cyllid rhanbarthol o'r safbwynt hwnnw yn sefyllfa ddeniadol i fod ynddi.
Gallaf ddweud hefyd fy mod i'n falch iawn o weld ei fod yn dilyn y llwyfannau etholiad a'r dadleuon o fewn y Blaid Lafur mor agos; efallai y gall ddysgu llawer oddi wrthynt.
Arweinydd grŵp UKIP, Gareth Bennett.
The leader of the UKIP group, Gareth Bennett.
Diolch, Lywydd. Leader of the house, I wanted to ask you some questions today related to— [Interruption.] I wanted to ask some questions today relating to the HS2 project. Of course, it isn't a devolved scheme, as we know, but it does have profound consequences for Wales in terms of spending and budgets. We know that the Barnett consequential is supposed to apply where we have major capital projects undertaken by the Westminster Government that do not directly benefit the taxpayer in Wales. What discussions has your Government had with the UK Government over the issue of an HS2 Barnett consequential for Wales?
Diolch, Llywydd. Arweinydd y tŷ, roeddwn i eisiau gofyn rhai cwestiynau i chi heddiw yn ymwneud â—[Torri ar draws.] Roeddwn i eisiau gofyn rhai cwestiynau i chi heddiw yn ymwneud â phrosiect HS2. Wrth gwrs, nid yw'n gynllun datganoledig, fel y gwyddom, ond mae'n cael effaith ddofn ar Gymru o ran gwariant a chyllidebau. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod swm canlyniadol Barnett i fod i'w gymhwyso lle mae gennym ni brosiectau cyfalaf mawr yr ymgymerir â nhw gan Lywodraeth San Steffan nad ydynt o fudd uniongyrchol i'r trethdalwr yng Nghymru. Pa drafodaethau mae eich Llywodraeth wedi eu cael gyda Llywodraeth y DU ynghylch y mater o swm canlyniadol Barnett HS2 i Gymru?
We've had a lot of conversations about the parlous situation with the Barnettisation of the HS2 spending; there's extensive correspondence to that effect. There clearly ought to be such a consequential, and, Llywydd, I put it on record that the Welsh Government thinks that there should be such a consequential as a result of that spending. We would like our trains to be built here in Wales, we would like the money to facilitate that, and the money to facilitate the services that might link to HS2 across north Wales, for example. But he's absolutely right: we think a consequential should flow from it.
Rydym ni wedi cael llawer o sgyrsiau am y sefyllfa enbyd o ran Barnetteiddio'r gwariant HS2; ceir gohebiaeth helaeth i'r perwyl hwnnw. Yn amlwg dylai fod swm canlyniadol o'r fath, a, Llywydd, rwy'n ei roi ar y cofnod bod Llywodraeth Cymru o'r farn y dylai fod swm canlyniadol o'r fath o ganlyniad i'r gwariant hwnnw. Hoffem i'n trenau gael eu hadeiladu yma yng Nghymru, hoffem gael yr arian i hwyluso hynny, a'r arian i hwyluso'r gwasanaethau a allai gysylltu â HS2 ar draws y gogledd, er enghraifft. Ond mae'n hollol iawn: rydym ni'n credu y dylai swm canlyniadol lifo ohono.
Yes. Thank you for that answer, and I'm glad you appreciate the point. Now, flowing from that—. [Interruption.] It wasn't condescending in any way, leader of the house.
Iawn. Diolch am yr ateb yna, ac rwy'n falch eich bod chi'n gwerthfawrogi'r pwynt. Nawr, yn sgil hynny—. [Torri ar draws.] Nid oedd yn nawddoglyd mewn unrhyw ffordd, arweinydd y tŷ.
You don't need to respond to comments made from sedentary positions, especially Joyce Watson.
Nid oes angen i chi ymateb i sylwadau a wneir gan bobl ar eu heistedd, yn enwedig Joyce Watson.
OK. Thank you, Llywydd. Diolch, Llywydd. Sorry, leader of the house, I'll continue with the question. I hope you appreciate that there was no condescension implied.
Now, I'm glad you agreed with me on that point. My researchers have done the calculations to get the Barnett consequential based on the Treasury rules, and we've come up with a figure of around £4.6 billion, which was what Wales should have got. Clearly, there doesn't seem to be any sign of anything like that coming to Wales, so could I just ask for a little bit more clarity, given your first answer? Are you now going back to the UK Government to get a more realistic deal from the UK Treasury regarding this matter?
Iawn. Diolch, Llywydd. Diolch, Llywydd. Mae'n ddrwg gen i, arweinydd y tŷ, byddaf yn parhau â'r cwestiwn. Rwy'n gobeithio eich bod chi'n sylweddoli nad oedd unrhyw awgrym o fod yn nawddoglyd.
Nawr, rwy'n falch eich bod chi'n cytuno â mi ar y pwynt hwnnw. Mae fy ymchwilwyr wedi gwneud y cyfrifiadau i ddarganfod y swm canlyniadol Barnett yn seiliedig ar reolau'r Trysorlys, ac rydym ni wedi cyfrifo ffigur o tua £4.6 biliwn, sef yr hyn y dylai Cymru fod wedi ei gael. Yn amlwg, nid yw'n ymddangos bod unrhyw arwydd o swm tebyg i hynny yn dod i Gymru, felly a gaf i ofyn am ychydig mwy o eglurder, o gofio eich ateb cyntaf? A ydych chi'n mynd yn ôl at Lywodraeth y DU nawr i gael cytundeb mwy realistig gan Drysorlys y DU ynghylch y mater hwn?
Yes. We are in constant dialogue with the UK Treasury about this matter, and about the franchise in general, and about our ability to build the new kit in Wales, and to stimulate the economy in so doing.
Ydym. Rydym ni mewn trafodaethau cyson â Thrysorlys y DU ynghylch y mater hwn, ac am y fasnachfraint yn gyffredinol, ac am ein gallu i adeiladu'r offer newydd yng Nghymru, ac i ysgogi'r economi trwy wneud hynny.
I suppose, leader of the house, there is an alternative rather than—I mean, this is an alternative way of looking at this—in that your economy Minister, Ken Skates, although he has cited possible benefits of HS2 to north and mid Wales, although fairly small in financial terms, he has also made the point that the HS2 project could have an adverse impact on the economy of south Wales. Because by making journeys quicker from London to the English midlands and the north, you are, relatively speaking, making south Wales further from London. So, that could impact adversely on the economy of south Wales. It's not therefore clear whether there are any net benefits from the HS2 project for Wales. I would point out that UKIP's policy is that the HS2 project is spiralling out of control in terms of costs and should be scrapped. Is there now a case that the Welsh Government could think about lobbying Westminster to try and achieve that end?
Mae'n debyg, arweinydd y tŷ, bod dewis arall yn hytrach na—hynny yw, mae hon yn ffordd arall o edrych ar hyn—o'r safbwynt bod eich Gweinidog yr economi, Ken Skates, er ei fod wedi nodi manteision posibl HS2 i'r gogledd a'r canolbarth, er eu bod yn gymharol fach mewn termau ariannol, mae hefyd wedi gwneud y pwynt y gallai'r prosiect HS2 gael effaith andwyol ar economi'r de. Oherwydd trwy wneud teithiau'n gyflymach o Lundain i ganolbarth Lloegr a'r gogledd, rydych chi, o safbwynt cymharol, yn gwneud de Cymru ymhellach o Lundain. Felly, gallai hynny gael effaith andwyol ar economi de Cymru. Nid yw'n eglur felly pa un a oes unrhyw fanteision net o'r prosiect HS2 i Gymru. Hoffwn nodi mai polisi UKIP yw bod y prosiect HS2 yn mynd allan o reolaeth o ran costau ac y dylid ei ddiddymu. A oes achos erbyn hyn y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru ystyried lobïo San Steffan i geisio cyflawni'r canlyniad hwnnw?
Yes. The rail strategy of the current UK Government is not one with which we are at one, I think it's fair to say. And since he has taken the opportunity to mention the economy of south Wales in relation to trains, the best thing that the UK Government could do is both give us the consequential for HS2 and electrify the train line all the way to Swansea.
Oes. Nid yw strategaeth reilffyrdd Llywodraeth bresennol y DU yn un yr ydym ni'n cytuno â hi, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n deg i ddweud. A chan ei fod wedi cymryd y cyfle i sôn am economi de Cymru o ran trenau, y peth gorau y gallai Llywodraeth y DU ei wneud yw'r rhoi'r swm canlyniadol ar gyfer HS2 i ni a thrydaneiddio'r rheilffordd yr holl ffordd i Abertawe.
Arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Adam Price.
Leader of the Plaid Cymru group, Adam Price.
Diolch, Llywydd. As leader of the house on 16 October, you told us there would be a debate on the decision on the M4 relief road during the week beginning 4 December. Does the Government plan to announce its decision before that date while the Assembly is in session and not during the recess next week, for example? And will that be through the means of an oral statement to the Assembly? Will that be the First Minister's decision alone, or will there be discussion in Cabinet, and will it therefore be subject to Cabinet collective responsibility?
Since we've been waiting for a decision for at least two decades, would a delay of a few weeks matter a great deal? Would you agree that, since it's a twentieth-century answer to a twenty-first-century problem, it would be wise and proper to leave it to the incoming First Minister who will take over just a week after the proposed date for the debate on the decision?
Diolch, Llywydd. Fel arweinydd y tŷ ar 16 Hydref, dywedasoch wrthym y byddai dadl ar y penderfyniad ar ffordd liniaru'r M4 yn ystod yr wythnos yn dechrau ar 4 Rhagfyr. A yw'r Llywodraeth yn bwriadu cyhoeddi ei phenderfyniad cyn y dyddiad hwnnw tra bod y Cynulliad mewn sesiwn ac nid yn ystod y toriad yr wythnos nesaf, er enghraifft? Ac a fydd hynny trwy gyfrwng datganiad llafar i'r Cynulliad? Ai penderfyniad y Prif Weinidog yn unig fydd hwnnw, neu a fydd trafodaeth yn y Cabinet, ac a fydd felly yn destun cydgyfrifoldeb y Cabinet?
Gan ein bod ni wedi bod yn aros am benderfyniad ers o leiaf dau ddegawd, a fyddai oedi o ychydig wythnosau o bwys mawr? A fyddech chi'n cytuno, gan ei fod yn ateb ugeinfed ganrif i broblem ugeinfed ganrif ar hugain, y byddai'n ddoeth ac yn briodol ei adael i'r Prif Weinidog newydd, a fydd yn cymryd drosodd wythnos yn unig ar ôl y dyddiad arfaethedig ar gyfer y ddadl ar y penderfyniad?
We're in the process that results from the public inquiry, so, for the benefit of the Assembly, officials have now received the copy of the public inquiry inspector's report, which they are preparing advice on. Once the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport has received that advice and considered the report, he will issue a written statement on the next steps. We've committed to the debate, as the Member rightly says, and a vote in Government time on this project, once all Members have had the opportunity to consider the inspector's report and the decision on the statutory Orders. This debate and vote will be taken into account in final investment decisions on whether to award the construction contracts, and following the inquiry, should the decision be made to proceed to construction, works might commence next year. The Member is right, we have to go through the budget process for that to happen as well. We've already published the environmental information, draft Orders and the associated reporting for the proposed M4 project.
Rydym ni yn y broses sy'n deillio o'r ymchwiliad cyhoeddus, felly, er budd y Cynulliad, mae swyddogion bellach wedi derbyn copi o adroddiad arolygydd yr ymchwiliad cyhoeddus, y maen nhw'n paratoi cyngor arno. Ar ôl i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth gael y cyngor hwnnw ac ystyried yr adroddiad, bydd yn cyhoeddi datganiad ysgrifenedig ar y camau nesaf. Rydym ni wedi ymrwymo i'r ddadl hon, fel y dywed yr Aelod yn briodol, a phleidlais yn amser y Llywodraeth ar y prosiect hwn, ar ôl i'r holl Aelodau gael y cyfle i ystyried adroddiad yr arolygydd a'r penderfyniad ar y Gorchmynion statudol. Bydd y ddadl a'r bleidlais yn cael eu cymryd i ystyriaeth mewn penderfyniadau buddsoddi terfynol ar ba un a ddylid dyfarnu'r contractau adeiladu, ac yn dilyn yr ymchwiliad, os bydd penderfyniad yn cael ei wneud i fwrw ymlaen â gwaith adeiladu, gallai'r gwaith ddechrau y flwyddyn nesaf. Mae'r Aelod yn iawn, mae'n rhaid i ni fynd trwy broses y gyllideb i hynny ddigwydd hefyd. Rydym ni eisoes wedi cyhoeddi'r wybodaeth amgylcheddol, y Gorchmynion drafft a'r adroddiadau cysylltiedig ar gyfer prosiect arfaethedig yr M4.
I appreciate, for reasons of accuracy, possibly, that the leader of the house was drawing on her notes there, but could I just press her, because I'm not clear that in her response she covered, for example, whether this will ultimately be a decision for the First Minister alone, or will there be a Cabinet discussion and, therefore, will the Cabinet be bound by collective responsibility in relation to that?
Also, in terms of the vote, can you reassure us, to use Brexit terminology, that it will be a meaningful vote? I mean, will the motion that is tabled be amendable to allow the consideration of other options, whether it's the blue route, for example, or, indeed, actually, an entirely different approach involving investment in public transport? Will the Government—? The language used was typically ministerial—and I mean no disrespect there—in terms of Yes Minister. I wasn't quite clear. Taking cognisance of a vote is one thing, but will this be a binding vote on the Government? Similarly, in relation to the second vote, the budgetary vote as well, if that vote is lost, presumably the Government then will have to listen to the voice of the Assembly expressed in relation to this project.
Rwy'n sylweddoli, am resymau cywirdeb, o bosibl, bod arweinydd y tŷ yn manteisio ar ei nodiadau yn y fan yna, ond a gaf i bwyso arni, oherwydd nid wyf i'n eglur ei bod hi wedi sôn yn ei hymateb, er enghraifft, pa un ai penderfyniad y Prif Weinidog yn unig fydd hwn yn y pen draw, neu a fydd trafodaeth Cabinet ac, felly, a fydd y Cabinet wedi ei rwymo gan gydgyfrifoldeb mewn cysylltiad â hynny?
Hefyd, o ran y bleidlais, a allwch chi ein sicrhau, i ddefnyddio terminoleg Brexit, y bydd yn bleidlais ystyrlon? Hynny yw, a fydd modd diwygio'r cynnig a gyflwynir i ganiatáu ystyriaeth o ddewisiadau eraill, pa un a yw hynny'n golygu'r llwybr glas, er enghraifft, neu, yn wir, mewn gwirionedd, yn ddull cwbl wahanol sy'n cynnwys buddsoddiad mewn trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus? A fydd y Llywodraeth—? Roedd yr iaith a ddefnyddiwyd yn nodweddiadol o Weinidogol—ac nid wyf i'n bwriadu dangos unrhyw ddiffyg parch yn y fan yna—o ran Yes Minister. Nid oedd yn gwbl eglur i mi. Mae cymryd sylw o bleidlais yn un peth, ond a fydd hon yn bleidlais sy'n rhwymo'r Llywodraeth? Yn yr un modd, yng nghyswllt yr ail bleidlais, y bleidlais gyllidebol hefyd, os collir y bleidlais honno, mae'n debyg wedyn y bydd yn rhaid i'r Llywodraeth wrando ar lais y Cynulliad a fynegir yng nghyswllt y prosiect hwn.
Yes. To be as clear as it's humanly possible to be, I've said that the debate and vote will be taken into account in final investment decisions, but that it will be in Government time. So, it's a binding vote in Government time on the Government. So, we've structured it in that way. My own backbenchers have been very clear that they want a vote of that sort. And we promised that vote—I promised that vote, as the Member rightly says, in the Assembly. And so, we will do that, but we are in a statutory process and the vote must come at the right point in that statutory process, which is currently timetabled for the week commencing 4 December.
Ie. I fod mor eglur ag y mae'n bosibl ei fod, rwyf i wedi dweud y bydd y ddadl a'r bleidlais yn cael eu cymryd i ystyriaeth mewn penderfyniadau buddsoddi terfynol, ond y bydd yn amser y Llywodraeth. Felly, mae'n bleidlais rhwymol yn amser y Llywodraeth ar y Llywodraeth. Felly, rydym ni wedi ei strwythuro yn y modd hwnnw. Mae aelodau ar fy meinciau cefn fy hun wedi bod yn eglur iawn eu bod nhw eisiau pleidlais o'r fath. Ac addawyd y bleidlais honno gennym—addewais i y byddem ni'n cael y bleidlais honno, fel y dywed yr Aelod yn briodol, yn y Cynulliad. Ac felly, byddwn yn gwneud hynny, ond rydym ni mewn proses statudol ac mae'n rhaid i'r bleidlais ddod ar yr adeg iawn yn y broses statudol honno, sydd wedi'i hamserlennu ar gyfer yr wythnos sy'n dechrau ar 4 Rhagfyr, ar hyn o bryd.
Finally, can you explain why—? Reading the runes of where the Government is in all this—and I accept that, in terms of the statutory process, the due diligence is being gone through—you seem poised to ignore the judgment of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales who says that the Government has vastly exaggerated the economic benefits of the relief road, and that's been echoed most recently by your own backbenchers. She agrees with us about investing the £1.4 billion that is there currently for the black route in other options. I mean, it would be vastly more beneficial. You could double the amount of investment in the south Wales metro and have money left over to invest in reinstating the railway line between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen, based on your own recently published feasibility study. What's the point of being the first legislature in the world to create a future generations commissioner if we ignore her advice on the largest capital decision that the Government's ever made? Doesn't that actually then leave the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 as a fairly empty exercise?
Yn olaf, a allwch chi esbonio pam—? O ddarllen y llythrennau rwnig o ran safbwynt y Llywodraeth yn hyn i gyd—ac rwy'n derbyn, o ran y broses statudol, bod y diwydrwydd dyladwy yn cael ei gyflawni—mae'n ymddangos eich bod chi ar fin anwybyddu barn Comisiynydd Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol Cymru sy'n dweud bod y Llywodraeth wedi gorliwio manteision economaidd y ffordd liniaru yn enfawr, ac ategwyd hynny'n fwyaf diweddar gan aelodau o'ch meinciau cefn eich hun. Mae'n cytuno â ni ynghylch buddsoddi'r £1.4 biliwn sydd yno ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer y llwybr du mewn dewisiadau eraill. Hynny yw, byddai'n llawer iawn mwy buddiol. Gallech chi ddyblu cyfanswm y buddsoddiad yn metro de Cymru a chael arian dros ben i fuddsoddi mewn ailgyflwyno'r rheilffordd rhwng Aberystwyth a Chaerfyrddin, yn seiliedig ar eich astudiaeth o ddichonoldeb eich hun a gyhoeddwyd yn ddiweddar. Beth yw'r diben o fod y ddeddfwrfa gyntaf yn y byd i greu comisiynydd cenedlaethau'r dyfodol os ydym ni'n anwybyddu ei chyngor ar y penderfyniad cyfalaf mwyaf y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi ei wneud erioed? Onid yw hynny'n gadael Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015 fel ymarfer cymharol wag wedyn mewn gwirionedd?
No, it doesn't. I disagree with him there. The commissioner provided evidence to the public inquiry, we have the report, it's with officials to prepare advice, and once the relevant Ministers and the Cabinet have the report, I'll be able to answer some of his questions, but I have not yet seen the report. I do not know what it says, and we're in a process in which that report, which was done at some length and took extensive evidence, will provide us with its outcome, and I do not know what that outcome is. I'm not in a position to answer those questions and as soon as we are in that position, as I said, the Cabinet Secretary will issue a written statement on the next steps in the light of that advice, but I don't have that advice yet, so I'm not in a position to say anything more about it. Adam Price makes a very good, valid point about the role of the commissioner, but she provided evidence to that public inquiry, which has, no doubt, taken it into account in providing its inquiry report outcome.
Nac ydy, dydy e ddim. Rwy'n anghytuno ag ef ynghylch hynny. Cyflwynodd y Comisiynydd dystiolaeth i'r ymchwiliad cyhoeddus, mae'r adroddiad gennym ni, mae gan swyddogion i baratoi cyngor, ac ar ôl i'r Gweinidogion perthnasol a'r Cabinet gael yr adroddiad, byddaf yn gallu ateb rhai o'i gwestiynau, ond nid wyf i wedi gweld yr adroddiad eto. Nid wyf i'n gwybod beth mae'n ei ddweud, ac rydym ni mewn proses lle bydd yr adroddiad hwnnw, a luniwyd dros gyfnod maith ac a gymerodd dystiolaeth helaeth, yn darparu ei ganlyniad i ni, ac nid wyf i'n gwybod beth yw'r canlyniad hwnnw. Nid wyf i mewn sefyllfa i ateb y cwestiynau hynny a chyn gynted ag y byddwn yn y sefyllfa honno, fel y dywedais, bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cyhoeddi datganiad ysgrifenedig ar y camau nesaf yng ngoleuni'r cyngor hwnnw, ond nid yw'r cyngor hwnnw gen i eto, felly nid wyf i mewn sefyllfa i ddweud dim byd mwy am hyn. Mae Adam Price yn gwneud pwynt dilys, da iawn am swyddogaeth y comisiynydd, ond cyflwynodd dystiolaeth i'r ymchwiliad cyhoeddus hwnnw, sydd, heb amheuaeth, wedi ei chymryd i ystyriaeth wrth ddarparu canlyniad ei adroddiad ymchwiliad.
3. Beth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i ddiogelu a hyrwyddo hawliau pobl ag anableddau yng Nghanol De Cymru? OAQ52836
3. What is the Welsh Government doing to protect and promote the rights of people with disabilities in South Wales Central? OAQ52836
The Welsh Government published its new framework, 'Action on Disability: The Right to Independent Living', for consultation yesterday, 22 October. The accompanying action plan sets out priority actions under way across Welsh Government to tackle key barriers identified by disabled people themselves, including transport, employment, housing and accessibility.
Cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru ei fframwaith newydd, 'Gweithredu ar Anabledd: Hawl i Fyw'n Annibynnol, ar gyfer ymgynghori ddoe, 22 Hydref. Mae'r cynllun gweithredu atodol yn nodi'r camau gweithredu a flaenoriaethwyd sydd ar waith ar draws Llywodraeth Cymru i fynd i'r afael â rhwystrau allweddol a nodwyd gan bobl anabl eu hunain, gan gynnwys trafnidiaeth, cyflogaeth, tai a hygyrchedd.
I'm grateful for that answer. You may know, as part of Mountain Ash's regeneration, a Mountain Ash community hub is being developed, and people with disabilities have contacted me to say it's essential that that hub has disabled parking facilities. The day centre building never had those, nor a dropping-off point. I do commend RCT council for their consultation exercise. I have written to the lead cabinet member, Councillor Rhys Lewis, who has given me a very helpful answer that final plans are yet to be developed, but consideration of disabled parking as near as possible to the community hub has been highlighted as a priority consideration. So, when we ask disabled people for their views, we should act on them. There are many excellent regeneration schemes going ahead at the moment, but this sort of consideration ought to be at the heart of them.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar am yr ateb yna. Efallai y gwyddoch, yn rhan o adfywio Aberpennar, bod canolfan gymunedol yn cael ei datblygu, ac mae pobl ag anableddau wedi cysylltu â mi i ddweud ei bod hi'n hanfodol bod cyfleusterau parcio i bobl anabl yn y ganolfan. Nid oedd hynny erioed ar gael yn y ganolfan ddydd, na man gollwng pobl. Rwy'n cymeradwyo cyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf am eu hymarfer ymgynghori. Rwyf i wedi ysgrifennu at yr aelod cabinet arweiniol, y Cynghorydd Rhys Lewis, sydd wedi rhoi ateb defnyddiol iawn i mi nad oes cynlluniau terfynol wedi eu datblygu eto, ond bod ystyriaeth o fannau parcio i bobl anabl mor agos â phosibl at y ganolfan gymunedol wedi ei hamlygu fel ystyriaeth i'w blaenoriaethu. Felly, pan fyddwn yn gofyn i bobl anabl am eu safbwyntiau, dylem weithredu ar eu sail. Mae llawer o gynlluniau adfywio rhagorol yn mynd rhagddynt ar hyn o bryd, ond dylai'r math hon o ystyriaeth fod yn ganolog iddynt.
Yes, I entirely agree with the Member. It very much should be part of the consideration, and one of the things the framework sets out, amongst many others identified to us by disabled people themselves, is the need for physical access to be facilitated. I mean, there are many other forms of access. So, I entirely agree with the Member. I hope that RCT council will take that into account. The voice of disabled people is rightly front and centre of this new action plan, and it highlights such issues as a matter of paramount importance.
Ydw, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â'r aelod. Dylai'n sicr fod yn rhan o'r ystyriaeth, ac un o'r pethau y mae'r fframwaith yn eu nodi, ymhlith llawer o rai eraill y tynnwyd ein sylw atynt gan bobl anabl eu hunain, yw'r angen i fynediad corfforol gael ei hwyluso. Hynny yw, ceir llawer o fathau eraill o fynediad. Felly, rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr â'r aelod. Gobeithiaf y bydd cyngor Rhondda Cynon Taf yn cymryd hynny i ystyriaeth. Mae llais y bobl anabl yn gwbl flaenllaw, a hynny'n briodol, yn y cynllun gweithredu newydd hwn, ac mae'n amlygu problemau o'r fath fel mater o'r pwys mwyaf.
The leader of the campaign to save the Welsh living grant is a Labour Party member, who has succeeded in getting a motion to the Labour Party conference in support of that grant's retention. Nevertheless, your Government is determined to push ahead with scrapping this grant, which is a lifeline to its recipients, in favour of transferring the fund directly to local authorities. Meanwhile, the Scottish Government, under the SNP, is retaining its version of the independent living grant. In the words of the recent petition on the matter, I'd like to ask you: why are people in receipt of the Welsh independent living grant being
'treated like guinea pigs when their high care and support needs require long-term stability and structure'?
Mae arweinydd yr ymgyrch i achub grant byw Cymru yn aelod o'r Blaid Lafur, sydd wedi llwyddo i gael cynnig i gynhadledd y Blaid Lafur i gefnogi cadw'r grant hwnnw. Serch hynny, mae eich Llywodraeth yn benderfynol o fwrw ymlaen â diddymu'r grant hwn, sy'n achubiaeth i'w dderbynwyr, o blaid trosglwyddo'r gronfa yn uniongyrchol i awdurdodau lleol. Yn y cyfamser, mae Llywodraeth yr Alban, o dan yr SNP, yn cadw ei fersiwn o'r grant byw'n annibynnol. Yng ngeiriau'r ddeiseb ddiweddar ar y mater, hoffwn i ofyn i chi: pam mae pobl sy'n derbyn grant byw'n annibynnol Cymru yn cael
eu trin fel testun arbrawf pan fo'u hanghenion gofal a chymorth uchel angen sefydlogrwydd a strwythur hirdymor?
I disagree entirely with the Member's take on this. Following the UK Government's closure of the independent living fund, back in 2015, we put in place the Welsh independent living grant with local authorities to enable them to continue payments at the same level to people who used to receive the payments, as an interim measure whilst consideration was given to what the longer term arrangement to support those people ought to be.
Rwy'n anghytuno’n llwyr â safbwynt yr aelod ar hyn. Ar ôl i Lywodraeth y DU gau'r gronfa byw'n annibynnol, yn ôl yn 2015, cyflwynwyd grant byw'n annibynnol Cymru gennym ni gydag awdurdodau lleol i'w galluogi i barhau taliadau ar yr un lefel i bobl a oedd yn derbyn y taliadau yn flaenorol, fel mesur dros dro tra bod ystyriaeth yn cael ei rhoi i beth ddylai'r trefniad tymor hwy fod i gynorthwyo'r bobl hynny.
But you're cutting local authorities' funds.
Ond rydych chi'n torri cyllid awdurdodau lleol.
This was only ever a short-term measure, and the grant has since ceased to be being replaced by alternative arrangements. On the advice of our stakeholder group, we are introducing future support through local authorities' social services over a two-year transition period. This commenced from April last year and is to allow sufficient time for authorities to agree, with the people affected, the well-being outcomes they wish to achieve, the future support they are required to deliver, and to provide that support. Our approach aims to ensure that all disabled people in Wales, whether they receive payments from the ILF or not, receive the support they require to live independently in the community, and we are keeping a close look on the progress in implementing these changes as they go forward.
Dim ond mesur tymor byr oedd hwn o'r cychwyn, ac mae'r grant wedi dod i ben ers hynny i gael ei ddisodli gan drefniadau eraill. Ar sail cyngor gan ein grŵp rhanddeiliaid, rydym ni'n cyflwyno cymorth yn y dyfodol trwy wasanaethau cymdeithasol awdurdodau lleol dros gyfnod pontio o ddwy flynedd. Dechreuodd hyn o fis Ebrill y llynedd a diben hynny yw rhoi digon o amser i awdurdodau gytuno, gyda'r bobl sy'n cael eu heffeithio, y canlyniadau llesiant y maen nhw'n dymuno eu cael, y cymorth y mae'n ofynnol iddynt ei ddarparu yn y dyfodol, ac i ddarparu'r cymorth hwnnw. Nod ein dull yw sicrhau bod yr holl bobl anabl yng Nghymru, pa un a ydyn nhw'n derbyn taliadau o'r gronfa byw'n annibynnol ai peidio, yn cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt i fyw'n annibynnol yn y gymuned, ac rydym ni'n cadw golwg agos ar y cynnydd o ran gweithredu'r newidiadau hyn wrth iddyn nhw ddatblygu.
What does the Welsh Government intend to do to address the communication failures between GP surgeries and the Welsh interpreting and translation service? This failure of communication has meant that the deaf community is unable to access vital healthcare due to administrative problems within the NHS in Wales. It's a very serious problem.
Beth mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn bwriadu ei wneud i fynd i'r afael â'r methiannau cyfathrebu rhwng meddygfeydd teulu a gwasanaeth cyfieithu a chyfieithu ar y pryd Cymru? Mae'r methiant hwn o ran cyfathrebu wedi golygu na all y gymuned pobl fyddar gael mynediad at ofal iechyd hanfodol oherwydd problemau gweinyddol yn y GIG yng Nghymru. Mae'n broblem ddifrifol iawn.
I'm afraid I don't know. I'm not familiar with the issue that the Member raises. Perhaps he would be good enough to write to me with the details and we'll ensure a response.
Mae gen i ofn nad wyf i'n gwybod. Nid wyf i'n gyfarwydd â'r mater y mae'r Aelod yn ei godi. Efallai y byddai'n ddigon hael i ysgrifennu ataf gyda'r manylion a byddwn yn sicrhau ymateb.
4. Pa fesurau y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cyflwyno i wella canlyniadau canser yr ysgyfaint dros y 12 mis nesaf? OAQ52808
4. What measures will the Welsh Government introduce to improve lung cancer outcomes in the next 12 months? OAQ52808
Health boards and trusts are working to improve lung cancer outcomes in a number of ways, including the development of a value-based pathway of care. This will make the best use of the resources that are available, tackle variation in care, and deliver the outcomes that matter to people.
Mae byrddau ac ymddiriedolaethau iechyd yn gweithio i wella canlyniadau canser yr ysgyfaint mewn nifer o ffyrdd, gan gynnwys datblygu llwybr gofal sy'n seiliedig ar werth. Bydd hyn yn gwneud y defnydd gorau o'r adnoddau sydd ar gael, yn mynd i'r afael ag amrywiadau mewn gofal, ac yn cyflawni'r canlyniadau sy'n bwysig i bobl.
Thank you very much for the reply, Minister. Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in Wales, but it is responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. Like all cancers, it can be effectively treated or survival can be improved if diagnosed early. However, only 16 per cent of patients in Wales are diagnosed at stage 1. NHS England recently rolled out a one-stop shop designed to catch cancer early and speed up diagnosis. The centres act as a point of referral for people with vague, non-specific symptoms that their GP or healthcare professional suspects may be cancer. These centres have proved effective at identifying potential lung cancer patients before symptoms appear and before the cancer has advanced or set in the body. Will the Minister agree to consider introducing such a one-stop shop here, so that Wales will no longer have the poorest survival rates of all United Kingdom nations?
Diolch yn fawr iawn am yr ateb, Gweinidog. Canser yr ysgyfaint yw'r trydydd canser mwyaf cyffredin yng Nghymru, ond mae'n gyfrifol am y rhan fwyaf o farwolaethau sy'n gysylltiedig â chanser. Fel pob math o ganser, gellir ei drin yn effeithiol neu gellir gwella cyfraddau goroesi os ceir diagnosis cynnar. Fodd bynnag, dim ond 16 y cant o gleifion yng Nghymru sy'n cael diagnosis yng nghyfnod 1. Cyflwynodd GIG Lloegr siop un stop yn ddiweddar i ganfod canser yn gynnar a chyflymu'r diagnosis. Mae'r canolfannau yn gweithredu fel pwynt cyfeirio i bobl sydd â symptomau amwys, amhenodol y mae eu meddyg teulu neu weithiwr gofal iechyd proffesiynol yn amau y gallai fod yn ganser. Mae'r canolfannau hyn wedi bod yn effeithiol o ran canfod cleifion canser yr ysgyfaint posibl cyn i symptomau ymddangos a chyn bod y canser wedi gwaethygu neu ymsefydlu yn y corff. A wnaiff y Gweinidog gytuno i ystyried cyflwyno siop un stop o'r fath yn y fan yma, fel nad oes gan Gymru y cyfraddau goroesi gwaethaf o holl wledydd y Deyrnas Unedig mwyach?
We have a number of things that we focus on on cancer outcomes, including implementing a lung cancer pathway through the lens of value-based healthcare. One-year survival from lung cancer has improved 5.8 percentage points, and five-year survival by 4 percentage points, between 2005 and 2009 and between 2010 and 2014. The cancer patient experience survey showed that 93 per cent of lung cancer patients reported a positive experience of their care—a significant improvement when compared against the previous survey.
We do have a national leadership group of expert clinicians, the Wales thoracic oncology group, that works within the cancer network to co-ordinate activity in Wales. The group has overseen a national lung cancer initiative over the past three years that included a symptom awareness campaign, a programme to get people ready for surgery, and to improve access to that surgery. We've also improved access to stereotactic ablative radiotherapy by funding new equipment at the Velindre Cancer Centre so that patients can access the advanced radiotherapy technique in Wales. In addition, the new treatment fund has led to faster access to a number of new drugs, including several for lung cancer. So, the Member can be assured that it is a matter we are keeping under close regard.
Mae gennym ni nifer o bethau yr ydym ni'n canolbwyntio arnyn nhw o ran canlyniadau canser, gan gynnwys gweithredu llwybr canser yr ysgyfaint trwy lens gofal iechyd seiliedig ar werth. Mae cyfraddau goroesi am flwyddyn yn dilyn canser yr ysgyfaint wedi gwella gan 5.8 y cant, a chyfraddau goroesi am bum mlynedd 4 y cant rhwng 2005 a 2009, a rhwng 2010 a 2014. Dangosodd yr arolwg o brofiad cleifion canser bod 93 y cant o gleifion canser yr ysgyfaint wedi nodi profiad cadarnhaol o'u gofal—gwelliant sylweddol o'i gymharu â'r arolwg blaenorol.
Mae gennym ni grŵp arweinyddiaeth cenedlaethol o glinigwyr arbenigol, grŵp oncoleg thorasig Cymru, sy'n gweithio o fewn y rhwydwaith canser i gydgysylltu gweithgarwch yng Nghymru. Mae'r grŵp wedi goruchwylio menter canser yr ysgyfaint genedlaethol dros y tair blynedd diwethaf a oedd yn cynnwys ymgyrch ymwybyddiaeth o symptomau, rhaglen i baratoi pobl ar gyfer llawdriniaeth, ac i wella mynediad at y lawdriniaeth honno. Rydym ni hefyd wedi gwella mynediad at radiotherapi abladol stereotactig trwy ariannu offer newydd yng Nghanolfan Ganser Felindre fel y gall cleifion gael gafael ar y dechneg radiotherapi ddatblygedig yng Nghymru. Hefyd, mae'r gronfa driniaeth newydd wedi arwain at fynediad cyflymach at nifer o gyffuriau newydd, gan gynnwys sawl un ar gyfer canser yr ysgyfaint. Felly, gall yr Aelod fod yn sicr ei fod yn fater yr ydym ni'n rhoi sylw gofalus iddo.
Leader of the house, the reason Wales has some of the worst lung cancer survival rates in Europe is due, in the main, to delays in diagnosis. Unacceptably long waits for diagnostic tests and routine downgrading of general practitioner referrals contribute to late diagnosis of lung cancer. So, leader of the house, what is your Government doing to cut diagnostic waiting times and ensure that GP referrals are not downgraded?
Arweinydd y tŷ, y rheswm y mae gan Gymru rai o'r cyfraddau goroesi canser yr ysgyfaint gwaethaf yn Ewrop, yn bennaf, yw oedi cyn cael diagnosis. Mae amseroedd aros annerbyniol o hir am brofion diagnostig ac israddio atgyfeiriadau meddygon teulu fel mater o drefn yn cyfrannu at ddiagnosis hwyr o ganser yr ysgyfaint. Felly, arweinydd y tŷ, beth mae eich Llywodraeth yn ei wneud i leihau amseroedd aros diagnostig a sicrhau nad yw atgyfeiriadau meddygon teulu yn cael eu hisraddio?
We have some really interesting things happening in in this field, actually. The Welsh Government, like the rest of the UK, follows the expert advice of the UK National Screening Committee. The UKNSC does not currently recommend routine asymptomatic screening for lung cancer, but we are due to review the policy after the results of the NELSON randomised lung cancer screening trial are published. If that recommendation is for screening for lung cancer, the Wales screening committee will consider how this can be appropriately implemented in Wales, with a view to speeding up the screening. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends the primary investigation for suspected lung cancer is an urgent chest x-ray for people aged 40 and over with defined unexplained symptoms, and GPs are aware of this.
Mae gennym ni rai pethau diddorol iawn yn digwydd yn y maes hwn, a dweud y gwir. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru, fel gweddill y DU, yn dilyn cyngor arbenigol Pwyllgor Sgrinio Cenedlaethol y DU. Nid yw UKNSC yn argymell sgrinio asymptomatig fel mater o drefn ar gyfer canser yr ysgyfaint ar hyn o bryd, ond byddwn yn adolygu'r polisi ar ôl cyhoeddi canlyniadau treial sgrinio ar gyfer canser yr ysgyfaint ar hap NELSON. Os mai'r argymhelliad hwnnw fydd sgrinio ar gyfer canser yr ysgyfaint, bydd pwyllgor sgrinio Cymru yn ystyried sut y gellir gweithredu hyn yn briodol yng Nghymru, gyda'r nod o gyflymu'r broses sgrinio. Mae'r Sefydliad Cenedlaethol dros Ragoriaeth mewn Iechyd a Gofal yn argymell mai'r ymchwiliad sylfaenol ar gyfer canser yr ysgyfaint tybiedig yw archwiliad pelydr-x brys o'r frest i bobl 40 oed a hŷn sydd â symptomau anesboniadwy diffiniedig, ac mae meddygon teulu yn ymwybodol o hyn.
5. Pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i wella hawliau plant yng Nghymru? OAQ52833
5. What plans does the Welsh Government have to improve children's rights in Wales? OAQ52833
We have clear plans to protect and extend children’s rights. We will introduce legislation to remove the defence of reasonable punishment, and we will legislate to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote in local government elections and support the Assembly Commission to extend voting rights to these young people for the Assembly.
Mae gennym ni gynlluniau eglur i ddiogelu ac ymestyn hawliau plant. Byddwn yn cyflwyno deddfwriaeth i gael gwared ar yr amddiffyniad o gosb resymol, a byddwn yn deddfu i roi'r bleidlais i bobl ifanc 16 a 17 oed mewn etholiadau llywodraeth leol ac yn cefnogi Comisiwn y Cynulliad i ymestyn hawliau pleidleisio i'r bobl ifanc hyn ar gyfer y Cynulliad.
I thank the leader of the house for that response. Is the leader of the house aware that a study published in the BMJ last week showed that countries where there is a ban on physically punishing children, including slapping and smacking, have lower rates of youth violence? The findings show that rates of physical fighting amongst young people were 42 to 69 per cent lower than in countries without any such bans in place. Doesn't she agree that this is very good evidence in support of the Welsh Government's plan to ban the physical punishment of children?
Diolchaf i arweinydd y tŷ am yr ymateb yna. A yw arweinydd y tŷ yn ymwybodol bod astudiaeth a gyhoeddwyd yn y BMJ yr wythnos diwethaf yn dangos bod gan wledydd lle ceir gwaharddiad ar gosbi plant yn gorfforol, gan gynnwys slapio a smacio, gyfraddau is o drais ieuenctid? Mae'r canfyddiadau yn dangos bod cyfraddau ymladd corfforol ymhlith pobl ifanc 42 i 69 y cant yn is nag mewn gwledydd heb unrhyw waharddiadau o'r fath ar waith. Onid yw hi'n cytuno bod hon yn dystiolaeth dda iawn i gefnogi cynllun Llywodraeth Cymru i wahardd cosbi plant yn gorfforol?
Yes, I am very aware of the research. In fact, the Welsh Government funds the Welsh contribution to the health behaviour in school-aged children study—one of the data sources that the research draws upon. We're very encouraged by the conclusion that country prohibition of corporal punishment is associated with less youth violence. It's very hard to say: less youth violence. [Laughter.] Of course, we considered a wide range of research and reviews in developing the evidence base for our proposed legislation, and the new research is very interesting and relevant to that. But I do think it's also important to also point out that our decision to take forward the legislation is also a principled one based on a commitment to children's rights, as well as on the research around violence, although that's a very nice added extra to have. The First Minister has confirmed that we will be bringing forward a Bill in year 3 of the legislative programme.
Ydw, rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o'r gwaith ymchwil. A dweud y gwir, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ariannu cyfraniad Cymru at yr astudiaeth ymddygiad iechyd ymhlith plant oedran ysgol—un o'r ffynonellau data y mae'r gwaith ymchwil yn eu defnyddio. Rydym ni wedi ein calonogi'n fawr gan y casgliad bod gwaharddiad gwlad o gosb gorfforol yn gysylltiedig â llai o drais ieuenctid. Mae'n anodd iawn ei ddweud: llai o drais ieuenctid. [Chwerthin.] Wrth gwrs, ystyriwyd amrywiaeth eang o waith ymchwil ac adolygiadau gennym wrth ddatblygu'r sail dystiolaeth ar gyfer ein deddfwriaeth arfaethedig, ac mae'r ymchwil newydd yn ddiddorol ac yn berthnasol iawn i hynny. Ond rwy'n credu ei bod hefyd yn bwysig nodi bod ein penderfyniad i fwrw ymlaen â'r ddeddfwriaeth hefyd yn un egwyddorol yn seiliedig ar ymrwymiad i hawliau plant, yn ogystal ag ar yr ymchwil ar drais, er bod honno'n agwedd ychwanegol braf iawn i'w chael. Mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi cadarnhau y bydd yn cyflwyno Bil ym mlwyddyn 3 y rhaglen ddeddfwriaethol.
Leader of the house, I've argued before, of course, that our and Welsh Government's due regard for children's rights in our policy and legislation needs to be extended to public bodies, really, in order for the effect of what we do here to be felt locally. I don't think a three-page web consultation, as we've seen with Swansea Council recently on a school closure—which might be suitable for 17-year-olds but actually isn't for 5-year-olds—is particularly helpful. But, actually, the Welsh Government needs to look closer to home occasionally as well. The children's rights impact assessment on the most recent school code changes didn't mention article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at all. So, I'm just asking: do you think it's a good idea that all CRIAs should contain a statement of the reasons why article 12 hasn't been observed? I mean, there may be very, very good reasons for that—just impractical or genuinely unhelpful. But I think it would be helpful if they did include a statement as to why children's voices haven't been particularly sought on an occasion.
Arweinydd y tŷ, rwyf i wedi dadlau o'r blaen, wrth gwrs, bod angen ymestyn ein sylw dyledus ni a Llywodraeth Cymru i hawliau plant yn ein polisïau a'n deddfwriaeth i gyrff cyhoeddus, mewn gwirionedd, er mwyn i effaith yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yma gael ei theimlo yn lleol. Nid wyf i'n credu bod ymgynghoriad tair tudalen ar y we, fel yr ydym ni wedi ei weld ar gau ysgol gan Gyngor Abertawe yn ddiweddar—a allai fod yn addas ar gyfer pobl ifanc 17 mlwydd oed ond nad yw ar gyfer plant 5 mlwydd oed—yn arbennig o ddefnyddiol. Ond, mewn gwirionedd, mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru edrych yn nes at gartref o bryd i'w gilydd hefyd. Nid oedd yr asesiad o effaith o hawliau plant ar y newidiadau diweddaraf i'r cod ysgolion yn sôn am erthygl 12 Confensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau'r Plentyn o gwbl. Felly, rwy'n gofyn: a ydych chi'n credu ei bod yn syniad da y dylai pob asesiad gynnwys datganiad o'r rhesymau pam nad yw erthygl 12 wedi ei dilyn? Hynny yw, efallai bod rhesymau da dros ben am hynny—ei bod yn anymarferol neu'n wirioneddol annefnyddiol. Ond rwy'n credu y byddai'n ddefnyddiol pe bydden nhw'n cynnwys datganiad ynghylch pam na wrandawyd ar leisiau plant yn benodol ar achlysur.
Thank you. Yes, I'm very interested in what the Member said. I'm not aware of it, so I'd welcome a conversation between myself and the Cabinet Secretary for Education and her to explore that matter, because I think what she says is a matter of some interest.
Diolch. Ie, mae gen i ddiddordeb mawr yn yr hyn a ddywedodd yr Aelod. Nid wyf yn ymwybodol ohono, felly byddwn yn croesawu sgwrs rhyngof i ac Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg ac iddi archwilio'r mater hwnnw, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod yr hyn y mae hi'n ei ddweud yn fater o gryn ddiddordeb.
O dan y Mesur Hawliau Plant a Phobl Ifanc (Cymru) 2011, mae’n rhaid i Weinidogion Cymru roi sylw dyledus i ddarpariaethau penodol yng Nghonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau’r Plentyn wrth weithredu eu swyddogaethau, ond nid ydy’r Mesur yn darparu ffordd o weithredu pan fydd hawliau o dan y confensiwn yn cael eu torri. Os bydd Cymru’n gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, bydd llawer o ddulliau cyfreithiol o ddiogelu hawliau plant a phobl ifanc yn cael eu colli. A wnaiff eich Llywodraeth chi, felly, ystyried ymgorffori hawliau plant o dan y confensiwn i mewn i gyfraith Cymru’n llawn, er mwyn sicrhau y bydd yna ffordd o weithredu ar gael pan fydd hawliau yn cael eu torri?
Under the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011, the Welsh Ministers do have to give due regard to specific provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in carrying out its functions, but the legislation doesn’t provide a means of operating when rights under the convention are not adhered to. If Wales leave the European Union, many legal safeguards for the rights of children and young people will be lost. Will your Government therefore consider incorporating the rights of children under the convention into Welsh law in full, in order to ensure that there will be a means available when rights are not adhered to?
Yes, it's a very interesting point, and in conversation with Helen Mary Jones about the incorporation of the rights of disabled people, we are very interested in looking to see what the impact of that might be in those conversations, including, if necessary, enforcement provisions and so on. I'd very much welcome a conversation that extended that to the rights of the child.
We are, of course, the only country in the UK so far to consult children and young people on their views on Brexit, and we are going to receive the consultation report by the end of October. So, it'll be very interesting to see what the young people themselves say about the issue of the incorporation of rights after Brexit as well.
Ydy, mae'n bwynt diddorol iawn, ac mewn sgwrs gyda Helen Mary Jones ynghylch ymgorffori hawliau pobl anabl, mae gennym ni ddiddordeb mawr mewn edrych i weld beth allai effaith hynny fod yn y sgyrsiau hynny, gan gynnwys, os oes angen, darpariaethau gorfodi ac ati. Byddwn yn sicr yn croesawu sgwrs a oedd yn ymestyn hynny i hawliau'r plentyn.
Ni, wrth gwrs, yw'r unig wlad yn y DU hyd yma i ymgynghori â phlant a phobl ifanc ar eu barn ar Brexit, a byddwn yn derbyn adroddiad yr ymgynghoriad erbyn diwedd mis Hydref. Felly, bydd yn ddiddorol iawn gweld beth mae'r bobl ifanc eu hunain yn ei ddweud am y mater o ymgorffori hawliau ar ôl Brexit hefyd.
6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am bwysigrwydd safleoedd hanesyddol yng Nghymru? OAQ52838
6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the importance of historical sites in Wales? OAQ52838
Historic sites contribute to the character of communities and deserve our support and protection. We are delighted at today's announcement that the slate landscape of north Wales will be put forward as the next UK nomination for inscription as a world heritage site. Wales has a unique and varied industrial heritage that is rightly celebrated.
Mae safleoedd hanesyddol yn cyfrannu at gymeriad cymunedau ac yn haeddu ein cefnogaeth a'n gwarchodaeth. Rydym ni'n hynod falch o'r cyhoeddiad heddiw y bydd tirwedd llechi y gogledd yn cael ei chyflwyno fel enwebiad nesaf y DU am arysgrifiad fel safle treftadaeth y byd. Mae gan Gymru dreftadaeth ddiwydiannol unigryw ac amrywiol sy'n cael ei chlodfori, a hynny'n briodol.
Thank you. In 2007-8, a decade ago, the Conwy valley flood alleviation scheme was implemented at a cost to taxpayers of over £7 million. Now, despite the special circumstances of Gwydir castle's double grade I listing, castle and gardens—the only grade I listed gardens in Wales—Gwydir found itself entirely left out of that scheme and continues to suffer increasing and very damaging flood problems. A permanent flood wall would now cost in excess of £350,000. So, the owners, in absolute desperation, have resorted to recruiting volunteers recently to sandbag the area, but have now been told by National Resources Wales to suspend this.
Keith Ivens of the NRW has said that protecting this castle as a heritage site would be a matter for the Welsh Government, as it is outside of NRW's remit. Now then, leader of the house, First Minister—[Interruption.] Now then. The First Minister in January of last year, at a Carwyn Connect event in Llanrwst said that we need to find a solution for Gwydir, and this flooding cannot be allowed to continue. And continue it does. It is devastating to think what this family have spent on bringing this castle and its grounds back—700-year-old trees drowning, because of a lack of action from this Welsh Government.
Now then, could you therefore advise what steps you as a Welsh Government are taking. I will obviously, again, challenge the First Minister on what he's done since his Carwyn Connect—
Diolch. Yn 2007-8, ddegawd yn ôl, sefydlwyd cynllun lliniaru llifogydd dyffryn Conwy am gost o dros £7 miliwn i drethdalwyr. Nawr, er gwaethaf amgylchiadau arbennig rhestriad gradd I dwbl castell a gerddi castell Gwydir— yr unig erddi rhestredig gradd I yng Nghymru—canfu Gwydir ei fod wedi ei adael allan yn llwyr o'r cynllun hwnnw ac mae'n parhau i ddioddef problemau llifogydd cynyddol a niweidiol iawn. Byddai wal lifogydd barhaol yn costio dros £350,000 erbyn hyn. Felly, mae'r perchnogion, mewn anobaith llwyr, wedi troi at recriwtio gwirfoddolwyr yn ddiweddar i osod bagiau tywod yn yr ardal, ond wedi cael eu hysbysu bellach gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i roi'r gorau i hyn.
Mae Keith Ivens o Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi dweud mai mater i Lywodraeth Cymru fyddai diogelu'r castell hwn fel safle treftadaeth, gan ei fod y tu allan i gylch gwaith Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru. Nawr te, arweinydd y tŷ, dywedodd y Prif Weinidog—[Torri ar draws.] Nawr te. Dywedodd y Prif Weinidog ym mis Ionawr y llynedd, mewn digwyddiad Cyswllt Carwyn yn Llanrwst, bod angen i ni ddod o hyd i ateb ar gyfer Gwydir, ac na ellir caniatáu i'r llifogydd hyn barhau. A pharhau y maen nhw. Mae'n dorcalonnus i feddwl faint mae'r teulu hwn wedi ei wario ar ddod â'r castell hwn a'i erddi yn ôl—coed 700 mlwydd oed yn boddi, oherwydd diffyg gweithredu gan y Llywodraeth Cymru hon.
Nawr te, a allwch chi hysbysu felly pa gamau yr ydych chi fel Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd. Yn amlwg, byddaf yn herio'r Prif Weinidog unwaith eto ar yr hyn y mae wedi ei wneud ers ei ddigwyddiad Cyswllt Carwyn—
Just ask your question now, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Gofynnwch eich cwestiwn nawr, Janet Finch-Saunders.
Yes. How are you going to protect this very important, historical, double grade I listed castle and gardens, and how do you intend to live up to the reputation that you care and value our historical heritage?
Iawn. Sut ydych chi'n mynd i ddiogelu'r castell a gerddi hynod bwysig, hanesyddol, rhestredig gradd I dwbl, a sut ydych chi'n bwriadu bodloni'r enw da sydd gennych eich bod yn malio am ein treftadaeth hanesyddol ac yn ei gwerthfawrogi?
As I'm sure the Member already knows, funding for flood alleviation schemes in Wales is available from the Welsh Government's flood risk management programme. It is directed at the most high-risk communities in Wales where risk to life remains a priority. Even if it were possible to design a cost-beneficial flood scheme for Gwydir, the primary beneficiaries would still be an uninhabited cellar and gardens, and even though those features are of huge historical importance and very beloved of the local community, it does not meet the very stringent criteria for funding.
Cadw's funding stream for repairs to historic buildings is focused on community assets, and therefore a flood alleviation scheme for Gwydir would not meet the criteria. But it is worth noting that Cadw has already provided grant support of over £150,000 towards restoration works for the castle in previous years.
I'm bound to say, Llywydd, that this is another example of the Conservative Member asking us to spend a lot of money on something that we all value whilst not taking into account the cuts in our budget from her Government over many years.
Fel mae'r Aelod yn gwybod eisoes, mae cyllid ar gyfer cynlluniau lliniaru llifogydd yng Nghymru ar gael gan raglen rheoli perygl llifogydd Llywodraeth Cymru. Fe'i cyfeirir at y cymunedau uchaf eu risg uchel yng Nghymru lle mae perygl i fywyd yn dal i fod yn flaenoriaeth. Hyd yn oed pe byddai'n bosibl dylunio cynllun llifogydd cost-fuddiol ar gyfer Gwydir, y prif fuddiolwyr o hyd fyddai seler wag a gerddi, ac er bod y nodweddion hynny o bwysigrwydd hanesyddol enfawr ac yn annwyl iawn i'r gymuned leol, nid yw'n bodloni'r meini prawf llym iawn ar gyfer cyllid.
Mae ffrwd ariannu Cadw ar gyfer atgyweiriadau i adeiladau hanesyddol yn canolbwyntio ar asedau cymunedol, ac felly ni fyddai cynllun lliniaru llifogydd ar gyfer Gwydir yn bodloni'r meini prawf. Ond mae'n werth nodi bod Cadw eisoes wedi darparu cymorth grant o dros £150,000 tuag at waith adfer ar gyfer y castell yn y gorffennol.
Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, Llywydd, bod hon yn enghraifft arall o Aelod Ceidwadol yn gofyn i ni wario llawer o arian ar rywbeth yr ydym ni i gyd yn ei werthfawrogi heb gymryd i ystyriaeth y toriadau i'n cyllideb gan ei Llywodraeth hi dros flynyddoedd lawer.
Leader of the house, I recently met with volunteers involved in preserving and promoting the blast furnaces of the former Gadlys ironworks. The works opened in 1827 and the furnaces are described as possibly the best-preserved in the UK, despite being largely unrecognised both locally and further afield. This project could be a real draw in terms of promoting the industrial heritage of the Cynon Valley and indeed Wales. How can the Welsh Government ensure that local groups access the support they need to make these ideas a success and to preserve the stories of our communities?
Arweinydd y tŷ, cyfarfûm yn ddiweddar â gwirfoddolwyr sy'n ymwneud â diogelu a hyrwyddo ffwrneisi chwyth hen waith haearn Gadlys. Agorwyd y gwaith ym 1827 a disgrifir y ffwrneisi fel y rhai sydd o bosibl wedi eu cadw orau yn y DU, er gwaethaf y ffaith nad ydyn nhw wedi eu cydnabod i raddau helaeth yn lleol ac ymhellach i ffwrdd. Gallai'r prosiect hwn fod yn atyniad gwirioneddol o ran hyrwyddo treftadaeth ddiwydiannol Cwm Cynon a Chymru, yn wir. Sut gall Llywodraeth Cymru sicrhau bod grwpiau lleol yn cael gafael ar y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt i wneud y syniadau hyn yn llwyddiant ac i ddiogelu hanesion ein cymunedau?
Yes, the Member makes an extremely important point. I'm aware of the national importance of the former Gadlys ironworks site. It does indeed have the potential to illustrate and enhance our knowledge and understanding of the development of the iron industry here in Wales. Cadw officers regularly monitor the condition of scheduled monuments and provide advice and guidance to site owners, occupiers and interested parties. I understand that a Cadw officer visited the remains of the blast furnaces at Gadlys in June 2018 and produced a management plan for the site. This has been copied to Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, who own part of the site, and a range of future meetings are indeed planned with the other owners and occupiers, and appropriate advice will be provided during those meetings. I know the Member has taken an active role in that.
It's recognised that, with the owner's permission, local groups and volunteers can and will make significant contributions to the preservation of the heritage assets at the ironworks site. Cadw provides funding to assist the four Welsh archaeological trusts in supporting local groups who wish to explore, understand and promote their heritage. The historic environment records that were put on a statutory footing by the recent Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016 are very valuable tools to support this work, and I commend them to anyone who hasn't had the real privilege of looking through them, because they're an excellent piece of work.
Ie, mae'r aelod yn gwneud pwynt hynod bwysig. Rwy'n ymwybodol o bwysigrwydd cenedlaethol safle hen waith haearn Gadlys. Yn wir, mae ganddo'r potensial i arddangos a gwella ein gwybodaeth a'n dealltwriaeth o ddatblygiad y diwydiant haearn yma yng Nghymru. Mae swyddogion Cadw yn monitro cyflwr henebion cofrestredig yn rheolaidd ac yn cynnig cyngor a chyfarwyddyd i berchnogion a meddianwyr safleoedd a phartïon â buddiant. Rwy'n deall bod swyddog Cadw wedi ymweld ag olion o'r ffwrneisiau chwyth yn Gadlys ym mis Mehefin 2018 ac wedi llunio cynllun rheoli ar gyfer y safle. Copïwyd hwn i Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf, sy'n berchen ar ran o'r safle, ac yn wir mae amrywiaeth o gyfarfodydd wedi eu cynllunio ar gyfer y dyfodol gyda pherchnogion a meddianwyr eraill, a bydd cyngor priodol ar gael yn ystod y cyfarfodydd hynny. Gwn fod yr Aelod wedi chwarae rhan weithredol yn hynny.
Cydnabyddir, gyda chaniatâd y perchennog, y gall grwpiau a gwirfoddolwyr lleol wneud cyfraniadau sylweddol at ddiogelu'r asedau treftadaeth ar safle'r gwaith haearn, ac y byddan nhw'n gwneud hynny. Mae Cadw yn darparu cyllid i gynorthwyo pedair ymddiriedolaeth archeolegol Cymru i gynorthwyo grwpiau lleol sy'n dymuno archwilio, deall a hyrwyddo eu treftadaeth. Mae'r cofnodion amgylchedd hanesyddol a osodwyd ar sail statudol gan y Ddeddf yr Amgylchedd Hanesyddol (Cymru) 2016 ddiweddar yn offerynnau gwerthfawr iawn i gefnogi'r gwaith hwn, ac rwy'n eu cymeradwyo i unrhyw un nad yw wedi cael y fraint wirioneddol o edrych drwyddynt, oherwydd maen nhw'n ddarn rhagorol o waith.
7. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am ddyfodol y bont rheilffordd ar draws yr A5114 yn Llangefni? OAQ52832
7. Will the First Minister make a statement on the future of the railway bridge across the A5114 in Llangefni? OAQ52832
Yes. If we are to improve connectivity between communities and incentivise people to travel in a more sustainable way, it is important that we investigate how we can make better use of redundant railway lines as well as increasing services on lines already in operation.
Gwnaf. Os ydym ni'n mynd i wella cysylltedd rhwng cymunedau a chymell pobl i deithio mewn ffordd fwy cynaliadwy, mae'n bwysig ein bod yn ymchwilio i sut y gallwn ni wneud gwell defnydd o reilffyrdd segur yn ogystal â chynyddu gwasanaethau ar reilffyrdd sydd eisoes yn weithredol.
Diolch yn fawr ichi am yr ymateb yna. Ar y pedwerydd ar ddeg o'r mis yma, mi gafodd y bont rheilffordd yma ei thynnu lawr, a hynny ar ôl i lorri ei tharo hi a'i gwneud hi yn anniogel. Rŵan, gaps sydd yna lle'r oedd yna bont cynt, ac mae'r ffaith nad oes yna bont yna bellach yn bygwth unrhyw gynlluniau ar gyfer y dyfodol i ailagor y lein. Rydw i'n gwbl grediniol y byddai ailagor y lein yna yn fuddiol iawn i economi gogledd Ynys Môn, yn enwedig tref Amlwch. Mae yna lein yna yn barod, wrth gwrs; nid glaswellt sydd yno.
Rŵan, fe wnaf atgoffa'r Llywodraeth eich bod chi wedi enwi Llangefni fel un o'r 12 gorsaf y llynedd a oedd yn flaenoriaeth ar gyfer cael eu hailagor—heb bont, fydd yna ddim gorsaf. Felly, a wnaiff y Llywodraeth ymrwymo i gefnogi Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn wrth iddyn nhw bwyso ar Network Rail i sicrhau bod pont newydd yn cael ei gosod a fyddai'n addas i gario trên yn y dyfodol, a hefyd i gefnogi'r cyngor i wneud gwaith ymchwil ar opsiynau rŵan ar gyfer y ffordd yna, yn cynnwys y posibilrwydd o'i lledu hi—lledu'r abutments ac ati—fel bod y digwyddiad yma yn gallu arwain at welliant yn hytrach na cholli cyfle?
Thank you very much for that response. On the fourteenth of this month, this railway bridge was demolished after a lorry struck it, and made the structure unsafe. Now, there are gaps where there once was a bridge, and the fact that there is no bridge there is now a threat to any future plans to reopen the rail line. I am convinced that reopening that rail line would be hugely beneficial to the economy of northern Anglesey, particularly the town of Amlwch. There is a line in place already; it’s not just grassland.
Now, I will remind the Government that you named Llangefni as one of 12 stations last year that were a priority to be reopened—without a bridge, there’ll be no station. So, will the Government commit to supporting the Isle of Anglesey County Council as they put pressure on Network Rail to ensure that a new bridge is put in place that would be appropriate to carry rail in future, and also to support the council in doing research on options for that route, including the possibility of widening it—the abutments and so on—so that this event can lead to an improvement rather than a missed opportunity?
The Member makes a series of good points. The Member's well aware that the bridge was a Network Rail asset, and therefore is not devolved to us, and enhancing and maintaining it is not within our devolved competence. But alongside him, I welcome Anglesey Central Railway company's intention to run the heritage railway services along the line, and recognise the importance of building a replacement bridge in Llangefni to enable them to deliver their aspirations.
The Welsh Government is unfortunately not able to offer financial assistance as such, but we are very happy for officials to be engaged in any and all of the discussions between the Isle of Anglesey County Council, Anglesey Central Railway company and Network Rail to explore all the other opportunities that the Member listed in terms of funding. It is also worth mentioning that the new station at Llangefni has made it through to stage 2 assessment in terms of its refurbishment. If it should make it all the way to final stage, stage 3, then obviously the new station there is commensurate to the line being in existence, so that would put further pressure on Network Rail to put the line back in place. So, we're very happy to support with officials' time and energy, as you suggest.
Mae'r Aelod yn gwneud cyfres o bwyntiau da. Mae'r Aelod yn gwbl ymwybodol mai ased Network Rail oedd y bont, ac felly nid yw wedi'i datganoli i ni, ac nid yw ei gwella a'i chynnal yn rhan o'n cymhwysedd datganoledig. Ond ochr yn ochr ag ef, rwy'n croesawu bwriad Cwmni Rheilffordd Canol Môn i redeg y gwasanaethau rheilffordd treftadaeth ar hyd y llinell, ac yn cydnabod pwysigrwydd adeiladu pont newydd yn Llangefni i'w caniatáu i wireddu eu dyheadau.
Yn anffodus, ni all Llywodraeth Cymru gynnig cymorth ariannol fel y cyfryw, ond rydym ni'n hapus iawn i swyddogion gymryd rhan mewn unrhyw a phob trafodaeth rhwng Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn, Cwmni Rheilffordd Canol Môn a Network Rail i archwilio'r holl gyfleoedd eraill a restrwyd gan yr aelod o ran cyllid. Mae hefyd yn werth sôn bod yr orsaf newydd yn Llangefni wedi ei llwyddo i fynd drwy asesiad cam 2 o ran ei hailwampio. Pe byddai'n mynd yr holl ffordd i'r cam terfynol, cam 3, yna mae'n amlwg bod yr orsaf newydd yno yn gymesur â bod y rheilffordd yn bodoli, felly byddai hynny'n rhoi mwy o bwysau ar Network Rail i adsefydlu'r rheilffordd. Felly, rydym ni'n hapus iawn i gynorthwyo gydag amser ac egni swyddogion, fel yr ydych yn ei awgrymu.
In 2012, Network Rail estimated the cost of reinstating the Amlwch rail line at more than £25 million. In consequence, in December 2014, I asked the First Minister to consider supporting reopening the stretch from Gaerwen to Llangefni as a heritage connection, and, of course, this bridge would be critical. I said the precedent had been established in Llangollen with the link to Corwen, not only as a heritage connection, but also as an economic and social connection for people at both ends of the lines. And the First Minister replied that it was something that the Welsh Government would be keen to investigate and work on. So, what has happened since December 2014 and the First Minister's statement in reply to my question on this then?
Yn 2012, amcangyfrifodd Network Rail y byddai'r gost o ailgyflwyno rheilffordd Amlwch yn fwy na £25 miliwn. O ganlyniad, ym mis Rhagfyr 2014, gofynnais i'r Prif Weinidog i ystyried cefnogi ailagor y darn o Gaerwen i Langefni fel cysylltiad treftadaeth, ac, wrth gwrs, byddai'r bont hon yn hanfodol. Dywedais fod y cynsail wedi ei sefydlu yn Llangollen gyda'r cysylltiad i Gorwen, nid yn unig fel cysylltiad treftadaeth, ond hefyd fel cysylltiad economaidd a chymdeithasol i bobl ar ddau ben y rheilffordd. Ac atebodd y Prif Weinidog ei fod yn rhywbeth y byddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn awyddus i ymchwilio iddo a gweithio arno. Felly, beth sydd wedi digwydd ers mis Rhagfyr 2014 a datganiad y Prif Weinidog mewn ymateb i'm cwestiwn am hyn bryd hynny?
As I say, it's a Network Rail asset and we have been putting some pressure on Network Rail to do something about it, and, as I outlined to Rhun ap Iorwerth, we're very happy for officials to work on any scheme that looks like it will bring the line back into beneficial use and do the historic investigation that he mentioned in order to see what can be done. We're also wanting to be in a position to attract funding for new stations if it becomes available, and so we've started, as I said, work on developing business cases for possible investment, and that does include the Llangefni station as one of those possibilities.
Fel y dywedais, mae'n ased Network Rail, ac rydym wedi bod yn rhoi rhywfaint o bwysau ar Network Rail i wneud rhywbeth ynglŷn â'r peth, ac, fel yr amlinellais ar gyfer Rhun ap Iorwerth, rydym ni'n fodlon iawn i swyddogion weithio ar unrhyw gynllun sy'n debygol o adfer y llinell a gwneud defnydd buddiol ohoni, yn ogystal â gwneud yr ymchwiliad hanesyddol y cyfeiriodd ato, er mwyn gweld beth y gellir ei wneud. Rydym yn awyddus hefyd i fod mewn sefyllfa i ddenu cyllid ar gyfer gorsafoedd newydd os bydd ar gael. Felly rydym wedi dechrau, fel y dywedais, ar waith i ddatblygu achosion busnes ar gyfer buddsoddiad posibl, ac mae hwnnw’n cynnwys gorsaf Llangefni ymhlith y posibiliadau.
Diolch i arweinydd y tŷ.
Thank you, leader of the house.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes gan arweinydd y tŷ. Rydw i'n rhoi'r amser iddi newid ei ffeils. Ac felly galw ar arweinydd y tŷ i wneud ei datganiad—Julie James.
The next item, therefore, is the business statement and announcement and I call on the leader of the house. I will give her some time to change files. And therefore I call on the leader of the house to make her statement—Julie James.
There is one change to this week's business, which is to reduce the length of oral Assembly questions to the Counsel General. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out in the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Mae un newid i fusnes yr wythnos hon, sef cyfyngu hyd cwestiynau llafar y Cynulliad i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol. Nodir busnes drafft y tair wythnos nesaf yn y datganiad a chyhoeddiad busnes, y gellir ei weld ymysg papurau'r cyfarfod sydd ar gael i'r Aelodau'n electronig.
Leader of the house, may I ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for health on the inequality of services provided by local health boards in Wales's NHS, please? I have been contacted by a constituent who suffers from progressive coronary artery disease, CAD. This disease is slowly flooding up his arteries, increasing his risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke or blood clot. His specialist has recommended that he should be treated with apheresis and, if he were living in Cardiff, his consultant would have given this treatment straight away. However, because Aneurin Bevan health board do not recognise this as a standard procedure, they have had to make an individual patient funding request for this treatment. Can we have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary on why patients are being denied life-changing treatments simply because of where they live and what action he will take to address this postcode lottery in the NHS in Wales, please?
Arweinydd y Tŷ, a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd ar yr anghydraddoldeb o ran y gwasanaethau a ddarperir gan fyrddau iechyd lleol yn y GIG, os gwelwch yn dda? Mae etholwr sy'n dioddef o glefyd y rhydweli coronaidd cynyddol, CAD, wedi cysylltu â mi. Mae'r clefyd yn peri i'w rydwelïau orlifo'n raddol, gan gynyddu ei risg o gael trawiad ar y galon, strôc, neu glotiau gwaed. Mae ei arbenigwr wedi argymell iddo gael ei drin gydag afferesi. Pe bai'n byw yng Nghaerdydd, byddai ei ymgynghorydd wedi cynnig y driniaeth hon iddo ar unwaith. Fodd bynnag, gan nad yw Bwrdd Iechyd Aneurin Bevan yn cydnabod bod hyn yn rhan o'r weithdrefn safonol, maent wedi gorfod gwneud cais cyllido claf unigol ar gyfer y driniaeth hon. A gawn ni ddatganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i egluro pam mae cleifion yn cael eu hatal rhag derbyn triniaethau a allai newid eu bywydau, a hynny oherwydd lle maent yn byw, a pha gamau y bydd yn eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â'r loteri cod post yn y GIG yng Nghymru, os gwelwch yn dda?
I don't think it is a postcode lottery. The Member's actually answered his own question, and has set out the procedure by which he applies for the funding that he needs. So, if he's having a problem with that, I suggest he writes with more detail to the Cabinet Secretary.
Nid wyf yn credu ei bod yn loteri cod post. Mae'r Aelod wedi ateb ei gwestiwn ei hun mewn gwirionedd, gan nodi'r weithdrefn a ddefnyddir i wneud cais am y cyllid sydd ei angen. Felly, os oes ganddo broblem gyda hynny, awgrymaf iddo ysgrifennu at Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet gyda rhagor o fanylion.
Could we have a statement on the rise of racism and hate crime in Wales since 2016? And I'm sure that you'd like to share with me the absolute disgust about the incident that happened on a Ryanair flight at the weekend and say that there is no place for this sort of behaviour, certainly across the world, but more specifically here in Wales.
And the facts are simple, that, since the referendum vote, the figures of race crime and hate crime have shot through the roof. Police figures obtained through a freedom of information request show that incidents surged by 23 per cent, Gwent being the biggest area that was affected, with a rise of 77 per cent—that's a 77 per cent rise in incidents from the previous year. That's an unparalleled rise during the time that these records have been kept. Now, those incidents reported in the past year included a Muslim woman being dragged along the pavement by her hijab, two Polish men being attacked in the street, resulting in the death of one of them, a Muslim man and woman being squirted with acid, leaving them with life-changing injuries—these are the most despicable crimes and they have been fuelled by racism and hatred towards the other. There is no area whatsoever in the UK that hasn't escaped these crimes, even those areas where they have voted very strongly to stay in the EU. And there were—76 per cent of incidents were restricted to verbal abuse; 14 per cent of cases involved threat of actual or physical violence. The statistics are extremely interesting—
A oes modd inni gael datganiad ynglŷn â'r cynnydd mewn hiliaeth a throseddau casineb yng Nghymru ers 2016? Rwy'n sicr eich bod chithau hefyd wedi'ch ffieiddio gan y digwyddiad ar awyren Ryanair yn ystod y penwythnos, ac yn cytuno â mi pan ddywedaf nad oes lle ar gyfer y math hwn o ymddygiad o gwbl, yn sicr ar draws y byd, ac yn enwedig yma yng Nghymru.
Ac mae'r ffeithiau yn syml. Ers y bleidlais refferendwm mae cynnydd aruthrol wedi bod yn ffigurau troseddau hiliol a throseddau casineb. Mae ffigurau'r heddlu, a gafwyd drwy gais rhyddid gwybodaeth, yn dangos cynnydd o 23 y cant mewn digwyddiadau, gyda Gwent yn gweld yr effaith gryfaf, gyda chynnydd o 77 y cant—mae hynny'n gynnydd o 77 y cant o'i gymharu â'r flwyddyn flaenorol. Nid oes cynnydd tebyg wedi bod ers dechrau'r cofnodion hyn. Roedd digwyddiadau y llynedd yn cynnwys llusgo menyw Fwslimaidd hyd y palmant gerfydd ei hijab, ymosodiad ar ddau ddyn Pwylaidd ar y stryd, digwyddiad a arweiniodd at farwolaeth un ohonynt, a chwistrellu dyn a dynes Fwslimaidd ag asid, gan eu hanafu mewn ffordd a fydd yn newid eu bywydau—mae'r rhain yn droseddau gwbl ffiaidd a gafodd eu hysgogi gan hiliaeth a chasineb tuag at berson arall. Nid oes unrhyw ardal o'r DU sydd wedi llwyddo i osgoi'r troseddau hyn, hyd yn oed yn yr ardaloedd hynny lle gwelwyd pleidlais gref o blaid aros yn yr UE. Ac roedd—76 y cant o achosion wedi eu cyfyngu i gam-drin geiriol; 14 y cant o achosion yn ymwneud â bygythiad o drais gwirioneddol neu gorfforol. Mae'r ystadegau yn hynod ddiddorol—
You do need to come to your point now, Joyce.
Mae angen ichi ddod at eich pwynt yn awr, Joyce.
I am, thank you. In terms of hate crime, 40 per cent of them are in terms of religion and over 50 per cent of them are against Muslim people, and just less than that against Jewish people. So, there's a real need, I feel, for us to take hold of this. I raise it now, because the police are bracing themselves for much more of the same and higher levels of incidents once we leave the EU.
Rwyf ar fin gwneud hynny, diolch i chi. O ran troseddau casineb, mae 40 y cant ohonynt yn ymwneud â chrefydd, a thros 50 y cant ohonynt yn erbyn Mwslimiaid, ac ychydig llai na hynny yn erbyn pobl Iddewig. Felly, mae angen gwirioneddol, rwy'n credu, inni fynd i'r afael â hyn. Rwy'n crybwyll hyn yn awr gan fod yr heddlu wrthi'n paratoi ar gyfer rhagor o hyn, a lefelau uwch o ddigwyddiadau, unwaith y byddwn yn gadael yr UE.
Well, Joyce Watson highlights a very worrying set of figures and trends and some of the specific instances that we've all been absolutely horrified to know are happening. I do think there's a small ray of hope in that the number of reported hate crimes is rising, and we feel very strongly that that means that there's more faith in the system so that reporting the crime will actually have some desired outcome. I do want, as I always say, Llywydd, on these occasions, to encourage people who experience any kind of crime to come forward so that we are aware and action can be taken. It's very much our top priority to encourage that they come forward and to ensure that people feel satisfied with how their case is handled once they have come forward. From all of our statistics, we're making very good progress in that regard. We do have a good model in the national hate crime report and support centre, run by Victim Support, who work alongside a network of dedicated staff and the four police forces in Wales. The centre plays a vital role, as I know Joyce Watson knows, in supporting victims of hate crime in Wales, and I've provided funding for the service until 2020. But she's quite right—there's much more that can still be done. This year, we have made £5,000 available to each of the four police and crime commissioners in Wales and Victim Support Cymru to support them in a range of activities to promote hate crime awareness during hate crime awareness week 2018. I was delighted to speak at that last week. I would very much welcome a cross-party debate on the rise of reported hate crime and would very much welcome that initiative coming from the back benches.
Wel, mae Joyce Watson yn tynnu sylw at set o ffigurau a thueddiadau sy'n peri pryder mawr, ac rydym oll wedi dychryn o wybod bod rhai o'r achosion hyn wedi digwydd. Rwy'n credu bod llygedyn bach o obaith yn y ffaith fod nifer yr adroddiadau am droseddau casineb ar gynnydd, ac rydym yn teimlo'n gryf iawn bod hynny'n golygu bod mwy o ffydd yn y system, a bod cred y bydd adrodd am droseddau yn arwain at ganlyniadau. Rwy'n awyddus, fel rwy'n ei ddweud bob tro, Llywydd, ar yr achlysuron hyn, i annog pobl sy'n profi unrhyw fath o drosedd i gyflwyno eu hunain fel ein bod ni'n ymwybodol ohonynt ac yn gallu gweithredu. Yn wir, ein prif flaenoriaeth yw eu hannog i sôn am y peth ac i sicrhau bod pobl yn fodlon â'r driniaeth o'u hachos wedi iddynt wneud hynny. O ystyried ein holl ystadegau, rydym wedi gwneud cynnydd da iawn yn hynny o beth. Mae gennym fodel da ar ffurf y Ganolfan Genedlaethol ar gyfer rhoi Cymorth ac Adrodd am Droseddau Casineb, a redir gan Cymorth i Ddioddefwyr, sy'n cydweithio â rhwydwaith o staff ymroddedig a phedwar heddlu Cymru. Mae'r Ganolfan yn chwarae rhan hanfodol, a gwn fod Joyce Watson yn gwybod hyn, wrth gefnogi'r rhai sydd wedi dioddef troseddau casineb yng Nghymru, ac rwyf wedi darparu cyllid ar gyfer y gwasanaeth hyd at 2020. Ond mae hi'n gwbl gywir—mae llawer mwy y gellir ei wneud eto. Eleni, rydym wedi neilltuo £5,000 yr un i'r pedwar heddlu a'r comisiynwyr troseddu yng Nghymru, yn ogystal â Cymorth Dioddefwyr Cymru, er mwyn eu cefnogi i gynnal amrywiaeth o weithgareddau i hyrwyddo ymwybyddiaeth o droseddau casineb yn ystod wythnos ymwybyddiaeth troseddau casineb 2018. Roeddwn yn falch o gael siarad yno'r wythnos diwethaf. Byddwn yn croesawu dadl drawsbleidiol i drafod y cynnydd yn yr adroddiadau am droseddau casineb, ac yn sicr byddwn yn croesawu'r fenter honno pe byddai'n dod o'r meinciau cefn.
Can I call for two statements, the first one on British Sign Language? I believe the last statement made by the Welsh Government was made by our former colleague Carl Sargeant on 20 October 2016 when he rightly said that:
'For Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL), appropriate communication support contributes to social inclusion and equal access to services...as a gateway to opportunities which hearing people take for granted such as taking part in parents’ evenings and community events, as well as supporting people to find and retain employment.'
However, last Saturday, I attended the 2018 'Lend Me Your Ears' conference for adults and parents of children with hearing loss in north Wales at Bangor University, where we heard members of the deaf community and BSL speakers, academics, speaking at the conference, as well as academics at Bangor University saying we need BSL legislation in Wales, looking at the BSL (Scotland) Act launched in 2015 and their national BSL plan published in October 2017, including a national advisory group including up to 10 deaf people who use BSL as their preferred or first language.
Although the Assembly and Welsh Government do not have specific powers in relation to British Sign Language, the powers we have in relation to equal opportunities would enable us to pass a law in relation to British Sign Language, so long as it relates to the use of BSL by any of the equal opportunity groups. I therefore call for a statement to reflect the genuine passion, concern and evidence expressed by members of the deaf community and academics at last Saturday's annual conference in Bangor.
The second and final request is for a statement on tier 4 residential detoxification and rehabilitation substance misuse services in Wales. I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on 3 July this year, after concern had been raised with me by the two remaining providers in Wales, Brynawel in the south and CAIS in the north, where both sets of services are under threat. Nearly four months have passed and I've still not had a response to that letter. Brynawel said that the Cabinet Secretary has spoken of commissioning, but they are not commissioned, their beds are simply spot-purchased, and the pathway to residential rehabilitation across Wales is, they quote, 'fractured to a greater or lesser degree' for people who are dependent on alcohol and drugs.
An independent report in the second Assembly, commissioned by the Welsh Government, on detoxification and residential treatment, found the whole service was underfunded. A subsequent report commissioned by the Welsh Government identified numerous reports of people reoffending so as to be able to be detoxed in prison and of hospital admissions because of the unavailability of in-patient detox and rehab beds in Wales. And that called for a substantial increase in capacity. A report commissioned by the Welsh Government in 2010 reinforced this message, and the then Welsh Government announced it was going forward on a three-centre model: Rhoserchan, Brynawel and Ty'n Rodyn. Rhoserchan's now closed, Ty'n Rodyn's now closed, Brynawel's under threat, and CAIS in north Wales has been forced to go into the private sector to meet the desperate demand for beds, including a partnership in Lancashire and a 16-bed private unit in Colwyn Bay, with concern expressed that Welsh Government policy has therefore pushed this essential provision out of Wales and into the private sector. I call for a statement accordingly.
A gaf i alw am ddau ddatganiad, y cyntaf am Iaith Arwyddion Prydain? Rwy'n credu mai ein cyn gyd-Aelod Carl Sargeant wnaeth y datganiad diwethaf gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ar 20 Hydref 2016, ac roedd yn gywir pan ddywedodd:
'I'r bobl fyddar sy'n defnyddio Iaith Arwyddion Prydain (BSL), mae cymorth cyfathrebu priodol yn cyfrannu tuag at gynhwysiant cymdeithasol a mynediad cyfartal at wasanaethau... mae'n borth i gyfleoedd y mae pobl â chlyw yn eu cymryd yn ganiataol, fel cymryd rhan mewn nosweithiau rhieni neu ddigwyddiadau cymunedol, yn ogystal â helpu pobl i ganfod a chadw gwaith.'
Fodd bynnag, ddydd Sadwrn diwethaf, es i gynhadledd 'Clust i Wrando' 2018 ym Mhrifysgol Bangor, ar gyfer oedolion a rhieni plant sydd wedi colli eu clyw yn y Gogledd. Yno, clywsom aelodau o'r gymuned fyddar a siaradwyr Iaith Arwyddion Prydain, academyddion, yn siarad yn y gynhadledd, yn ogystal ag academyddion Prifysgol Bangor. Roeddent yn dweud bod angen deddfwriaeth Iaith Arwyddion Prydain arnom ni yng Nghymru, o ystyried Deddf Iaith Arwyddion Prydain (yr Alban) a lansiwyd yn 2015, a'u cynllun Iaith Arwyddion Prydain Cenedlaethol a gyhoeddwyd ym mis Hydref 2017, gan gynnwys grŵp cynghori cenedlaethol a fyddai'n cynnwys hyd at 10 o bobl fyddar sy'n defnyddio Iaith Arwyddion Prydain fel eu hiaith ddewisol neu eu hiaith gyntaf.
Er nad oes gan y Cynulliad na Llywodraeth Cymru unrhyw bwerau penodol o ran Iaith Arwyddion Prydain, byddai'r pwerau sydd gennym o ran cyfle cyfartal yn ein galluogi i basio cyfraith mewn perthynas ag Iaith Arwyddion Prydain, cyn belled â'i bod yn ymwneud â'r defnydd o Iaith Arwyddion Prydain gan unrhyw un o'r grwpiau cyfle cyfartal. Felly, galwaf am ddatganiad sy'n adlewyrchu'r angerdd gwirioneddol, y pryder, a'r dystiolaeth a fynegwyd gan aelodau o'r gymuned fyddar ac academyddion yn y gynhadledd flynyddol ddydd Sadwrn diwethaf ym Mangor.
Mae'r ail gais am ddatganiad ynglŷn â gwasanaethau dadwenwyno ac ailsefydlu cleifion mewnol ar gyfer camddefnyddio sylweddau haen 4 yng Nghymru. Ysgrifennais at Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ar gyfer Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol ar 3 Gorffennaf eleni, ar ôl i'r ddau ddarparwr sy'n weddill yng Nghymru, Brynawel yn y De a CAIS yn y Gogledd, fynegi eu pryder. Mae'r ddau wasanaeth dan fygythiad. Mae bron pedwar mis wedi mynd heibio, ac nid wyf wedi cael ateb i'r llythyr hwnnw hyd yn hyn. Dywedodd Brynawel fod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi sôn am gomisiynu, ond nid ydynt wedi'u comisiynu, mae eu gwelyau yn cael eu prynu yn ôl y galw, ac mae'r llwybr at adsefydlu cleifion mewnol ar draws Cymru yn, maent yn dyfynnu, 'doredig i raddau mwy neu raddau llai' ar gyfer y rhai sy'n ddibynnol ar alcohol a chyffuriau.
Roedd adroddiad annibynnol yn yr ail Gynulliad, a gomisiynwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ar driniaeth a dadwenwyno cleifion preswyl, yn dangos fod y gwasanaeth cyfan wedi'i dangyllido. Llwyddodd adroddiad dilynol a gomisiynwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ganfod sawl achos o bobl yn aildroseddu er mwyn gallu dadwenwyno yn y carchar, yn ogystal â derbyniadau i'r ysbyty am nad oedd gwelyau ar gael i gleifion mewnol gael dadwenwyno ac ailsefydlu yng Nghymru. Galwodd am gynnydd sylweddol mewn cynhwysedd. Roedd adroddiad a gomisiynwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn 2010 yn atgyfnerthu'r neges hon, ac yn sgil hynny cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru eu bod am barhau â'r model tair Canolfan: Rhoserchan, Brynawel a Tŷ'n Rodyn. Mae Rhoserchan bellach wedi cau, mae Tŷ'n Rodyn bellach wedi cau, mae Brynawel dan fygythiad. Gorfodwyd CAIS yn y Gogledd i ymuno â'r sector preifat i ateb y galw taer am welyau, gan gynnwys partneriaeth yn swydd Gaerhirfryn ac uned breifat 16-gwely ym Mae Colwyn, a mynegwyd pryder bod polisi Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwthio'r ddarpariaeth hanfodol hon allan o Gymru ac i mewn i'r sector preifat. O ystyried hynny, galwaf am ddatganiad.
I think the Member said as part of his rather lengthy submission there that he'd written to the Cabinet Secretary and not received a response. If he wants to furnish—
Credaf i'r Aelod ddweud, yn ei dystiolaeth eithaf hirfaith, ei fod wedi ysgrifennu at Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ac yn dal i aros am ymateb. Os yw eisiau rhoi'r —
Four months ago.
Bedwar mis yn ôl.
Well, if you furnish me with a copy of the initial letter, I'll chase the response from the Cabinet Secretary for you.
In terms of BSL, as part of our additional learning needs transformation programme, we are funding training for local authority-based specialist teachers of learners with various sensory impairments, including BSL. We're very committed to creating an inclusive education system for all learners, regardless of their needs, and very much support the right of learners to access education through British Sign Language where required. It's a matter that Mike Hedges brings up on a very regular basis with me. Local authorities do have a legal duty to provide suitable education for all children, and that includes the provision of BSL. And local authorities also have a responsibility to ensure that appropriately qualified staff are available at schools where a learner has been identified as requiring BSL.
We are investing in the training and development needed to strengthen the capacity of specialist services. A total of £289,000 over three years has been agreed to support the postgraduate training of a range of local authority-based specialist teachers, including six teachers of the deaf. This funding is also being used to train local authority-based staff in British Sign Language. And our Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 is at the heart of our work to transform the education and support for children and young people with additional learning needs in Wales. The Act enables us to improve the planning and delivery of additional learning needs provision and ensure it's more focused on a child or young person's individual needs. So, Llywydd, the Welsh Government takes this matter very seriously.
Wel, os rhowch gopi o'r llythyr cychwynnol i mi, af ar drywydd ymateb Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ichi.
O ran Iaith Arwyddion Prydain, rydym yn ariannu'r hyfforddiant o athrawon arbenigol awdurdod lleol ar gyfer dysgwyr sydd â namau synhwyraidd amrywiol fel rhan o'n rhaglen i drawsnewid anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, ac mae Iaith Arwyddion Prydain yn rhan o hynny. Rydym wedi ymrwymo i greu system addysg gynhwysol ar gyfer pob dysgwr, waeth beth yw eu hanghenion, ac rydym yn cefnogi hawliau dysgwyr i gael addysg drwy gyfrwng Iaith Arwyddion Prydain pan fydd angen. Mae'n fater y mae Mike Hedges yn ei drafod gyda mi yn aml. Mae gan yr awdurdodau lleol ddyletswydd gyfreithiol i ddarparu addysg addas ar gyfer pob plentyn, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys darpariaeth yn Iaith Arwyddion Prydain. Ac mae gan awdurdodau lleol hefyd gyfrifoldeb i sicrhau bod staff â chymwysterau priodol ar gael mewn ysgolion lle ceir dysgwyr sydd angen Iaith Arwyddion Prydain.
Rydym yn buddsoddi yn yr hyfforddiant a'r datblygiad sy'n angenrheidiol er mwyn cryfhau capasiti'r gwasanaethau arbenigol. Cytunwyd ar gyfanswm o £289,000 dros dair blynedd i gefnogi'r hyfforddiant ôl-raddedig o amrywiaeth o athrawon arbenigol awdurdod lleol, gan gynnwys chwech o athrawon plant byddar. Mae'r cyllid hwn yn cael ei ddefnyddio hefyd i hyfforddi staff awdurdod lleol i siarad Iaith Arwyddion Prydain. Ac mae Deddf Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol a'r Tribiwnlys Addysg (Cymru) 2018 wrth wraidd ein gwaith i drawsnewid addysg a chymorth i blant a phobl ifanc sydd ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol yng Nghymru. Mae'r Ddeddf yn gymorth i ni gynllunio a chyflenwi darpariaeth anghenion dysgu ychwanegol ac i sicrhau ei fod yn canolbwyntio ar anghenion unigol y plentyn neu'r person ifanc. Felly, Llywydd, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ddifrifol yn eu triniaeth o'r mater.
I would ask for two statements, the first—this will come as no surprise to the leader of the house—an update regarding staff in Swansea being made redundant by Virgin Media, this statement to include details of what the Welsh Government is doing to help the staff find alternative employment, and any update on the redundancy terms being offered.
The second one—I would like to ask for a Government statement on higher level apprenticeships leading to degrees, which should include the number currently studying, the number of companies involved, and the support the Welsh Government is giving.
Hoffwn ofyn am ddau ddatganiad, y cyntaf—ac ni fydd hyn yn syndod i arweinydd y Tŷ—diweddariad ynghylch diswyddiad staff gan Virgin Media yn Abertawe, gan gynnwys manylion yr hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud i helpu'r staff i ddod o hyd i gyflogaeth amgen, ac unrhyw ddiweddariad ar y telerau diswyddo a gynigir.
Yn ail—hoffwn ofyn am ddatganiad gan y Llywodraeth ar brentisiaethau lefel uwch sy'n arwain at raddau, a dylid cynnwys y nifer sy'n astudio ar hyn o bryd, nifer y cwmnïau sy'n cymryd rhan, a'r cymorth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei gynnig.
Thank you for those two issues. With Virgin Media, as the Member well knows, throughout the summer, officials have been in meetings with both Virgin Media management and its employee representatives to assess the situation as it evolves and to be sure our assistance is available where appropriate. The Welsh Contact Centre Forum is arranging jobs fairs to be held later this month at the Virgin Media site. The fairs will bring together recruiting employers within the area, as well as providing careers advice for those staff seeking alternative employment.
Like you and other colleagues representing the Swansea area, we've all raised concerns around the handling of the redundancy processes being undertaken. The economy Secretary has specifically raised these concerns with Virgin Media's head office very recently, and I can tell the Member that, last week, Virgin Media wrote to the economy Secretary assuring him that all employees will not forgo a redundancy package as a result of taking up a job offer with an alternative employer before their formal exit dates, which the Member knows—I know as well, and Rebecca Evans also knows— has been a very major concern of the employees that are being—that go from Virgin Media. They will also make available to consumer operations staff a discretionary operational transition payment, or loyalty bonus, if you like, to recognise those who do maintain customer service levels by staying with the company until the formal exit dates. Virgin Media's outplacement support team has taken on responsibility for providing staff with on-site access to key partners of the taskforce approach, including Careers Wales, the Department for Work and Pensions and local employers. And they're also offering one-to-one advice on curriculum vitae writing, interview skills, and Linkedin profiles. So, we're keeping a very close eye on ensuring that full range of services that the Welsh Government makes available to employees in this situation is available at Virgin Media.
Diolch i chi am y ddau fater hynny. O ran Virgin Media, mae'r Aelod yn gwybod yn iawn fod swyddogion wedi bod mewn cyfarfodydd gyda rheolwyr Virgin Media a chynrychiolwyr y gweithwyr trwy gydol yr haf, er mwyn asesu'r sefyllfa wrth iddo ddatblygu, ac i sicrhau ein bod yn cynnig cymorth pan fo'n briodol. Mae'r Welsh Contact Centre Forum yn trefnu ffeiriau swyddi ar gyfer diwedd y mis hwn ar safle Virgin Media. Bydd y ffeiriau yn dod a chyflogwyr sy'n recriwtio staff o fewn yr ardal ynghyd, ac yn cynnig cyngor gyrfaoedd i'r staff sy'n chwilio am gyflogaeth amgen.
Yn debyg i chi a'r cyd-Aelodau eraill sy'n cynrychioli ardal Abertawe, rydym ni oll wedi mynegi ein pryder ynghylch y driniaeth o'r broses ddiswyddo. Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ar gyfer yr Economi wedi mynegi'r pryderon penodol yma gyda phrif swyddfa Virgin Media yn ddiweddar iawn. A gallaf ddweud wrth yr Aelod, yr wythnos diwethaf ysgrifennodd Virgin Media at yr Ysgrifennydd i sicrhau na fydd unrhyw weithiwr yn ildio eu pecyn diswyddo o gael cynnig swydd gyda chyflogwr arall cyn y dyddiad ymadael ffurfiol, ac mae'r Aelod yn gwybod bod hynny—Rwy'n gwybod hefyd, ac mae Rebecca Evans hefyd yn gwybod—wedi bod yn bryder mawr iawn i'r gweithwyr sy'n cael eu—sy'n gadael Virgin Media. Byddent hefyd yn cynnig taliad pontio gweithredol dewisol, neu fonws teyrngarwch, pe mynnwch, i'r staff gweithrediadau defnyddwyr, i gydnabod y rhai sy'n cynnal lefelau gwasanaeth cwsmeriaid trwy aros gyda'r cwmni nes y dyddiad ymadael ffurfiol. Mae tîm cymorth all-leoli Virgin Media wedi cymryd y cyfrifoldeb o ddarparu bod gan yr holl staff fynediad at y partneriaid allweddol ar y safle, gan gynnwys Gyrfa Cymru, yr Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau, a chyflogwyr lleol. Maen nhw hefyd yn cynnig cyngor un i un ar ysgrifennu CV, sgiliau cyfweld, a chreu proffil Linkedin. Felly, rydym yn cadw llygad barcud ar hyn er mwyn sicrhau bod yr ystod lawn o wasanaethau Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer gweithwyr yn y sefyllfa hon ar gael ar Virgin Media.
Leader of the house, this is the fifth time of asking, so I'm hoping I will get somewhere this time. We were promised an update on regulations that might affect local authorities and Natural Resources Wales's powers, with regard to regulating woodchip storage sites, and the fires that ensue from that. It's obviously been a big issue, not just for my region, but other regions as well. So, if we could have the well and long-promised update on that—.
And, secondly, I wonder if you could also remind the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs that, in July, I asked for a statement on whether there could be some update, or some consideration, of the Commons Act 2006, and whether there is any need to refresh regulations beneath that Act, to help communities who might be affected by commoners grazing—what shall we say?—irresponsibly. There are a few issues, which I'm sure you are aware of, in Gower. So, if we can have an update on that, I'm sure we'd both be delighted. Thank you.
Arweinydd y Tŷ, dyma'r pumed tro i mi ofyn, felly rwy'n gobeithio am ganlyniad y tro hwn. Addawyd y byddwn yn cael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynglŷn â'r rheoliadau a allai effeithio ar bwerau Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'r awdurdodau lleol, o ran rheoleiddio safleoedd storio naddion pren, a'r tanau a ddaw yn sgil hynny. Mae'n amlwg fod hyn wedi bod yn broblem fawr, nid yn unig yn fy rhanbarth i, ond mewn rhanbarthau eraill hefyd. Felly, pe gallwn gael yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf hirddisgwyledig ar hynny—.
Ac, yn ail, tybed a fyddai modd ichi atgoffa Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ynni, Cynllunio a Materion Gwledig, fy mod i, ym mis Gorffennaf, wedi gofyn am ddatganiad i egluro a ellid cael diweddariad am, neu ryw ystyriaeth o, Ddeddf Tiroedd Comin 2006, ac a oes angen diweddaru unrhyw reoliadau sy'n rhan o'r Ddeddf honno, er mwyn helpu cymunedau a allai gael eu heffeithio gan bori tir comin sydd—sut ddywedwn ni hyn?—yn anghyfrifol. Mae ambell i broblem, ac rwy'n siŵr eich bod yn ymwybodol ohonynt, ar Benrhyn Gŵyr. Felly, pe cawn yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am hynny, rwy'n sicr y byddai'r ddau ohonom wrth ein bodd. Diolch.
The Cabinet Secretary is nodding happily at me, so I'm sure she'll provide that update. On the woodchip thing, I rather thought that had happened, and I'm sorry it hasn't, and we'll chase it up.
Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn nodio ei ben, yn ddedwydd iawn, felly rwyf yn siŵr y bydd hi'n darparu'r diweddariad hwnnw. O ran y mater o naddion pren, roeddwn i'n credu bod hynny wedi digwydd, ac mae'n ddrwg gennyf nad ydyw. Byddwn yn mynd ar ei drywydd.
It's emerged over the weekend that more than 1,200 people who were infected with HIV as a result of contaminated blood, including 55 people in Wales, were pressurised into signing a waiver before getting ex gratia payments from the UK Government, and, after that, were then told that they also had hepatitis C. So, these people and their families—and, in Wales, 40 of those 55 have since died—are currently precluded from taking any further action, any legal action, although, thanks to Haemophilia Wales and the cross-party group's submission to the inquiry, the issue is included in the public inquiry's terms of reference. So, what can the Welsh Government do to ensure that the survivors, and the family members who have lost loved ones to HIV and hepatitis C, who signed this waiver in 1990, can also take part in this public inquiry into contaminated blood, which, of course, the victims have at least succeeded in getting off the ground? And can the Welsh Government also ensure that all necessary documents related to the HIV litigation, which are held by the Secretary of State for Wales and the Welsh Office, which was then the licensing authority, are disclosed to the inquiry? And I don't know whether the leader of the house is able to answer with those responses, or whether we ought to have a fuller statement at some point.
Dros y penwythnos, daeth i'r amlwg fod dros 1,200 o bobl a heintiwyd gan HIV o ganlyniad i waed halogedig, gan gynnwys 55 o bobl yng Nghymru, wedi cael eu rhoi dan bwysau i lofnodi hepgoriad cyn iddynt gael taliadau ex gratia gan Lywodraeth y DU, ac, ar ôl hynny, wedi derbyn y newydd fod ganddynt hepatitis C. Felly, ar hyn o bryd ni all y bobl hyn, na'u teuluoedd—ac, yng Nghymru, mae 40 o'r 55 hynny wedi marw yn y cyfamser—gymryd unrhyw gamau pellach, unrhyw gamau cyfreithiol, er bod y mater, diolch i Hemoffilia Cymru a chyflwyniad y grŵp trawsbleidiol i'r ymchwiliad, bellach o fewn cylch gorchwyl yr ymchwiliad cyhoeddus. Felly, beth all Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud i sicrhau bod y goroeswyr, a'r teuluoedd sydd wedi colli anwyliaid i HIV a hepatitis C, a lofnododd yr hepgoriad hwn ym 1990, hefyd yn gallu bod yn rhan o'r ymchwiliad cyhoeddus hwn i waed halogedig, ymchwiliad sydd, wrth gwrs, yn un o lwyddiannau’r dioddefwyr. A wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd sicrhau bod yr holl ddogfennau angenrheidiol sy'n gysylltiedig ag ymgyfreitha HIV, sydd ym meddiant Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru a Swyddfa Cymru, sef yr awdurdod trwyddedu ar yr adeg honno, yn cael eu datgelu i'r ymchwiliad? Ni wn a all arweinydd y tŷ ateb gyda'r ymatebion hynny, neu a ddylem gael datganiad mwy trylwyr ar ryw adeg.
My understanding of the situation at the moment is that the chair of the infected blood inquiry has been very clear that everyone who has evidence to contribute will be able to offer their evidence to the inquiry, either in writing or in person, and that the voices and experiences of all those affected by these events, including the people who she is mentioning, will be heard. The Welsh Government is registered as a core participant in the inquiry, and we've given our full commitment that any relevant documentation or evidence that we may hold in relation to any aspect of the infected blood scandal will be made available, as requested by the inquiry. So, should we be in charge of those documents, then we will be disclosing them. And I undertake to discuss with my two colleagues over here whether there is anything else we can do about any other documentation that might not have passed to us when the Assembly was formed.
Fy nealltwriaeth i o'r sefyllfa ar hyn o bryd yw bod Cadeirydd yr ymchwiliad gwaed heintiedig wedi bod yn glir iawn y bydd pawb sydd â thystiolaeth i'w gyfrannu yn gallu cynnig eu tystiolaeth i'r ymchwiliad, naill ai'n ysgrifenedig neu wyneb yn wyneb, a bod lleisiau a phrofiadau pawb yr effeithiwyd arnyn nhw gan y digwyddiadau hyn, gan gynnwys y bobl y mae hi'n eu crybwyll, am gael eu clywed. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i chofrestru fel un o gyfranogwyr craidd yr ymchwiliad, ac rydym wedi ymrwymo'n llwyr i gynnig unrhyw ddogfennau perthnasol neu dystiolaeth sydd gennym sy'n ymwneud ag unrhyw agwedd ar y sgandal gwaed heintiedig iddynt, fel y gofynnwyd gan yr ymchwiliad. Felly, os ydym ni'n gyfrifol am y dogfennau hynny, yna byddwn yn eu datgelu iddynt. Ac rwy'n bwriadu trafod gyda'm dau gyd-Aelod yma i weld a oes unrhyw beth arall y gallwn ei wneud ynglŷn ag unrhyw ddogfennau eraill a allai fod wedi'u trosglwyddo i ni pan ffurfiwyd y Cynulliad.
Leader of the house, the Commons Home Affairs Committee has this week called for an end to single household payments of universal credit, with Welsh Women's Aid stating that:
'It’s critical that there is an end to the default payment to a single householder to ensure that women have access to their own financial resources and ensure Universal Credit does not enable perpetration of financial abuse.'
Do you agree with me that the UK Government's single household payment of universal credit will make it more difficult for women to leave abusive relationships? Can we have a statement on how the Welsh Government is committed to tackling domestic violence, and welcoming its commitment to retaining a housing focus grant, which Welsh Women's Aid says:
'will potentially help survivors of domestic and sexual violence'
who need access, and other supported housing, particularly under the continued threat, as a result of the single household payments of universal credit?
Arweinydd y Tŷ, mae Pwyllgor Materion Cartref Tŷ'r Cyffredin wedi galw am roi diwedd ar daliadau sengl o gredyd cynhwysol i aelwydydd yr wythnos hon, ac mae Cymorth i Ferched Cymru yn dweud:
'Mae'n hollbwysig bod y drefn o dalu taliad sengl rhagosodedig i ddeiliad tai yn dod i ben, er mwyn sicrhau bod menywod yn gallu defnyddio eu hadnoddau ariannol eu hunain, ac er mwyn sicrhau nad yw Credyd Cynhwysol yn caniatáu i bobl gam-drin eraill yn ariannol.'
A ydych yn cytuno â mi fod taliadau credyd cynhwysol sengl i aelwydydd yn ei gwneud yn anoddach o lawer i fenywod adael perthynas gamdriniol? A gawn ni ddatganiad i egluro ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i fynd i'r afael â thrais yn y cartref, ac i groesawu eu hymrwymiad i gadw grant ffocws tai, sydd, yn ôl Cymorth i Ferched Cymru:
'o bosibl yn gymorth i oroeswyr trais rhywiol a domestig'
sydd angen mynediad, a thai â chymorth, yn enwedig o dan y bygythiad parhaus, o ganlyniad i daliadau sengl o gredyd cynhwysol i aelwydydd?
Yes, I do very much agree with her. Survivors and stakeholders all tell us that the single household payments, where there is a domestic abuse situation, could give perpetrators total command of household income, further enabling them to control and isolate their partners and making it much, much more difficult for people to leave abusive relationships. And there's a long campaign, which I know she's been very much a part of, to ensure that women have the right amount of the household income given to them on any credit or universal credit scheme for those reasons, and for reasons of being able to ensure the correct spending on children's needs and food and so on takes place, even outside of a domestic violence situation. The Member will know that we're very committed to a gender review and equality of gender across Welsh society, and we know that an unequal arrangement for finances very much contributes to that gender inequality. So, I entirely agree with her that this is not a situation we would like to see.
We continue to press the UK Government to address the critical flaws of universal credit, which are having an impact on our most vulnerable people, including those experiencing domestic abuse. The system is fundamentally at odds with our vision for an equal society and the independent economic status of women, as she has very ably outlined.
Rwy'n cytuno'n llwyr. Mae goroeswyr a rhanddeiliaid wedi dweud wrthym fod perygl i daliadau sengl i aelwydydd, mewn achos o gam-drin domestig, roi grym llwyr dros incwm y cartref i'r cyflawnwyr, ac yn eu galluogi i reoli ac ynysu eu partneriaid, a'i gwneud yn anoddach o lawer i berson adael perthynas. Ac mae ymgyrch hir wedi bod, a gwn ei bod hi'n rhan ohono, i sicrhau bod menywod yn derbyn y swm cywir o incwm aelwyd a roddir iddynt fel rhan o unrhyw gynllun credyd neu gredyd cynhwysol, oherwydd y rhesymau hynny, ac er mwyn sicrhau bod y gyfran gywir yn cael ei gwario ar anghenion plant a bwyd ac ati, hyd yn oed y tu allan i sefyllfa trais yn y cartref. Bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod ein bod wedi ymroi i adolygiad rhyw a chydraddoldeb rhwng y rhywiau ym mhob haen o gymdeithas Cymru, ac rydym yn gwybod bod trefniant anghyfartal o ran cyllid yn cyfrannu at anghydraddoldeb rhwng y rhywiau. Felly, cytunaf yn llwyr â hi, nid yw'r sefyllfa hon yn un yr hoffem ei gweld.
Rydym yn parhau i bwyso ar Lywodraeth y DU i fynd i'r afael â diffygion hanfodol credyd cynhwysol, sy'n effeithio ar y rhai sydd fwyaf agored i niwed, gan gynnwys y rhai sy'n cael eu cam-drin yn y cartref. Mae'r system, yn ei hanfod, yn groes i'n gweledigaeth ni ar gyfer cymdeithas gyfartal a statws economaidd annibynnol menywod, fel yr amlinellwyd ganddi'n fedrus iawn.
Two things, leader of the house. One is: I wonder if you would join me in congratulating the National Youth Arts Wales, supported by the Arts Council of Wales, for the absolutely stellar performance on Sunday of the world premiere of Sorrows of the Somme, which was performed by the National Youth Choir of Wales and the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. It was an absolutely outstanding performance that really captured the horror and the death of so many Welsh soldiers at Mametz Wood, and reminded us of the horrors of war and all we need to do prevent it.
Secondly, I wondered if I could ask for a statement on fraud in the recycling of plastic, because we've read in the newspapers, in the last couple of days, that six UK plastic waste exporters have had their licences suspended or cancelled, and the Environment Agency is investigating claims of false exporting of tens of thousands of tonnes of non-existent plastic waste and that the £50 million industry has been penetrated by criminal gangs. Other concerns are that waste isn't being recycled, it's just being left to leak into rivers and oceans across the world, and that repeat offenders in the UK have not had their licences removed. The National Audit Office in England points out that self-reporting invites this level of fraud and error, and the Environment Agency has made only three unannounced visits to accredited reprocessors and exporters in the last year. So, could we have a statement on how well NRW compares with the Environment Agency's inspection record of accredited reprocessors and exporters, what liabilities could the Welsh Government be exposed to in relation to false claims of exporting Welsh plastic waste through UK ports, and what action the Government may need to take to prevent this scandal undermining citizens' confidence in our excellent Welsh recycling records?
Dau beth, arweinydd y tŷ. Yn gyntaf: tybed a wnewch chi ymuno â mi i longyfarch Celfyddydau Cenedlaethol Ieuenctid Cymru, a gefnogir gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, am eu perfformiad gwych ar y Sul, sef perfformiad cyntaf Sorrows of the Somme, a gafodd ei pherfformio gan Gôr Cenedlaethol Ieuenctid Cymru a Cherddorfa Genedlaethol Ieuenctid Cymru. Roedd yn berfformiad gwbl anhygoel, gan ail-greu’r arswyd a marwolaeth cymaint o filwyr Cymreig yng Nghoed Mametz, a'n hatgoffa o erchyllterau'r rhyfel a'r holl bethau y mae'n rhaid inni ei wneud i'w atal.
Yn ail, tybed a gaf i ofyn am ddatganiad ar dwyll wrth ailgylchu plastig, gan ein bod wedi darllen yn y papurau newydd, yn ystod y diwrnod neu ddau ddiwethaf, fod trwyddedau chwech o allforwyr gwastraff plastig y DU wedi cael eu hatal neu eu canslo, a bod Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd yn ymchwilio i honiadau o allforion ffug o ddegau o filoedd o dunelli o blastig gwastraff, nad oedd yn bodoli, a bod gangiau troseddol wedi dechrau treiddio'r diwydiant sy'n werth £50 miliwn. Mae pryderon eraill fod gwastraff ddim yn cael ei ailgylchu, ac yn cael ei ollwng mewn afonydd a moroedd ledled y byd, ac nad yw trwyddedau ad-droseddwyr y DU wedi cael eu hatal. Mae'r Swyddfa Archwilio Genedlaethol yn Lloegr wedi nodi fod hunan-adrodd yn gwahodd y lefel hon o dwyll a gwallau, ac mai dim ond tri o ymweliadau dirybudd ag ailbroseswyr achrededig ac allforwyr a wnaed gan Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd yn y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. Felly, a gawn ni ddatganiad ynglŷn â sut mae Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn cymharu â chofnodion arolygu Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd o ran ailbroseswyr achrededig ac allforwyr, a pha rwymedigaethau y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru fod yn agored iddynt o ran yr hawliadau ffug o allforio gwastraff plastig Cymru drwy borthladdoedd y DU, a pha gamau y mae angen i'r Llywodraeth eu cymryd er mwyn atal y sgandal hwn rhag tanseilio hyder ei dinasyddion yn hanes arbennig ailgylchu yng Nghymru?
Well, to start off with, of course, I'm very happy to congratulate the performance that Jenny Rathbone highlighted. I'm very proud of what the Welsh people have done in commemoration of the sacrifice and bravery of many of our people during the first world war, and I'm very pleased to be able to add my voice to that, I thought, very powerful example of the effect of the death of so many young men and the loss of them to our culture and society.
In terms of the plastic issues that she mentions, the Environment Agency is indeed, as she says, investigating the UK plastics recycling industry for possible fraud and abuse, following criticism last year, as she said, by the National Audit Office of PERNs, which is plastic export recovery notes, which are used by producers to show they're contributing to recycling plastic packaging waste. The export trade is at a UK level.
Here in Wales, NRW do not have any current investigations into plastic packaging waste exporters, because there are three exporters in Wales that have all been inspected and audited in 2018, and NRW do not have any specific concerns or suspicion of fraud in relation to those exporters. The EA investigations are all focused on exporters based in England. Any UK-wide investigation would be carried out jointly between the two agencies, but, as I say, that's not happening at the moment. Any other Welsh waste going overseas will be included in the overall figures for materials exported from the UK, and the regulation of the transshipment of waste is not devolved to Wales. So, that's a UK Government-level matter. The Environment Agency, as I said, is leading that investigation.
Apart from fraud, as she points out, it's clearly a very bad thing if waste is being exported from the UK and not treated properly overseas so it leaks into rivers and the sea. The answer is to have good infrastructure at home to treat the materials we collect and collect the materials in the best way that guarantees high, clean-quality materials that can be recycled and fed back into a circular economy.
The Welsh Government has very much set out its preference for source-separated collections and materials at the kerbside in its collections blueprint for this very reason. As Lesley Griffiths has said on a number of occasions in this Senedd, we are very proud of our records on recycling here in Wales.
Wel, i ddechrau, wrth gwrs, rwy'n hapus iawn i longyfarch y perfformiad y soniodd Jenny Rathbone amdano. Rwy'n falch iawn o'r hyn y mae pobl Cymru wedi'i wneud er mwyn coffáu aberth a dewrder cymaint o'n pobl yn ystod y rhyfel byd cyntaf, ac rwy'n falch iawn o gael ychwanegu fy llais at yr enghraifft bwerus honno, yn fy marn i, o'r effaith y cafodd marwolaeth cymaint o dynion ifanc, a'r golled i'n diwylliant a'n cymdeithas.
O ran y materion plastig y soniodd amdanynt, mae'n wir fod Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd, fel y dywedwyd, yn ymchwilio i ddiwydiant ailgylchu plastigau'r DU am dwyll a cham-drin posib, yn sgil beirniadaeth y llynedd, fel y dywedodd hi, gan Swyddfa Archwilio Genedlaethol PERNs, 'plastic export recovery notes', a ddefnyddir gan gynhyrchwyr i ddangos eu bod yn cyfrannu at ailgylchu gwastraff deunydd pecynnau plastig. Mae'r fasnach allforio ar lefel y DU.
Yma yng Nghymru, ar hyn o bryd nid yw Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn cynnal unrhyw ymchwiliadau i allforwyr gwastraff pecynnau plastig, gan fod y tri allforiwr yng Nghymru wedi'u harolygu a'u harchwilio yn 2018, ac nid oes gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru unrhyw bryderon penodol nac amheuaeth o dwyll o ran yr allforwyr hynny. Mae holl ymchwiliadau Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd yn canolbwyntio ar allforwyr yn Lloegr. Byddai unrhyw ymchwiliad ledled y DU yn cael ei gynnal ar y cyd rhwng y ddwy asiantaeth, ond, fel y dywedais, nid yw hynny'n digwydd ar hyn o bryd. Bydd unrhyw wastraff arall o Gymru sy'n mynd dramor yn cael eu cynnwys yn y ffigurau cyffredinol ar gyfer deunyddiau sy'n cael eu hallforio o'r DU, ac nid yw'r rheoliad o drawslwytho gwastraff wedi'i ddatganoli i Gymru. Felly, mae hwnnw'n fater sydd ar lefel Llywodraeth y DU. Fel y dywedais, mae Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd yn arwain yr ymchwiliad.
Ar wahân i dwyll, fel y dywedodd, mae'n amlwg yn beth drwg iawn os yw'r gwastraff yn cael ei allforio o'r DU ond ddim yn cael ei drin yn briodol dramor, ac felly yn gollwng i mewn i afonydd ac i'r môr. Yr ateb yw cael seilwaith da yma i drin y deunyddiau a gesglir gennym, ac i gasglu'r deunyddiau yn y ffordd orau sy'n gwarantu deunyddiau glân o ansawdd uchel, deunyddiau y gellir eu hailgylchu a'u bwydo yn ôl i economi gylchol.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi nodi yn ei glasbrint fod yn well ganddynt gasglu deunyddiau sydd wedi'u gwahanu'n barod ar garreg y drws, am yr union reswm hwn. Fel y dywedodd Lesley Griffiths lawer tro yn y Senedd hon, rydym yn falch iawn o'n hanes ni o ailgylchu yma yng Nghymru.
Leader of the Chamber, last week, Geraint Davies MP went to the House of Commons and argued in front of the Environmental Audit Committee in Westminster that the mud dredged from outside Hinkley nuclear reactor in Somerset, which was then dumped just outside Cardiff, was not properly tested and was a public health risk. Now, that's the same mud that your Government voted, just two weeks ago, to carry on dumping. He quoted Professor Dominic Reeve from Swansea University, an expert on sea bed movements, who said the mud had not been sufficiently tested. Now, there will need to be a new application to dump the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of mud that is left. Do you agree with your Swansea West Labour colleague and the professor at Swansea University that the dumping should not take place, and can I have a statement on what your Government will do differently if the new application is made?
Arweinydd y Siambr, yr wythnos diwethaf, aeth Geraint Davies AS i Dŷ'r Cyffredin i ddadlau gerbron y Pwyllgor Archwilio Amgylcheddol yn San Steffan nad oedd y mwd a garthwyd o'r tu allan i adweithydd niwclear Hinkley yng Ngwlad yr Haf, a gafodd ei waredu wedyn ychydig y tu allan i Gaerdydd, wedi cael ei brofi'n ddigonol a'i fod yn peryglu iechyd cyhoeddus. Dyna'r un mwd yn union y pleidleisiodd eich Llywodraeth chi, gwta bythefnos yn ôl, i barhau i'w waredu. Dyfynnodd eiriau'r Athro Dominic Reeve, o Brifysgol Abertawe, sy'n arbenigwr ar symudiadau gwely'r môr, a ddywedodd na wnaed profion digonol ar y mwd. Nawr, bydd angen cais newydd i waredu'r cannoedd o filoedd o dunelli o fwd sydd ar ôl. A ydych chi'n cytuno â'ch cyd-Aelod Llafur dros Orllewin Abertawe, a'r athro ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe, na ddylai'r dympio ddigwydd, ac a oes modd imi gael datganiad i egluro'r hyn fyddai eich Llywodraeth chi yn ei wneud yn wahanol os bydd y cais newydd yn cael ei wneud?
I've spoken to my colleague MP, who has since removed the tweet as he had not actually read the NRW evidence, which he has freely admitted. I understand that the Cabinet Secretary is about to write to all Members with an update.
Rwyf wedi siarad â'm cyd-Aelod Seneddol, ac mae bellach wedi dileu'r neges twitter gan nad oedd wedi darllen tystiolaeth Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, ac mae ef wedi cyfaddef hynny. Deallaf fod yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet ar fin ysgrifennu at bob Aelod gyda'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf.
And the professor?
A'r Athro?
Nick Ramsay.
Nick Ramsay.
Diolch, Llywydd. Leader of the house, I wonder if we can have an update from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services on the uptake and availability of this year's flu vaccine? I know that many AMs have been involved with the programme since they came to the Assembly.
I've been contacted by a constituent from Chepstow, who made an appointment with his local GP to go and receive the vaccine, only to be told that the stocks of the vaccine for over-65-year-olds, which he was, were critically low. He was asked to return in a month's time. He's obviously concerned that the flu season will be under way by the time he receives that vaccine. So, I wonder if the health Secretary could give me some reassurance, through a statement or other means, that this very worthwhile vaccine is available to as many people as possible. I fully appreciate that there are pressures on the NHS in delivering this, and it's a more popular vaccine than ever, but nonetheless, if an over-65-year-old is seeking that vaccine, it's very important that they do receive it in a timely way.
Diolch, Llywydd. Arweinydd y Tŷ, tybed a allwn ni gael diweddariad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ynglŷn â defnydd ac argaeledd y brechlyn ffliw eleni? Gwn fod sawl un o Aelodau'r Cynulliad wedi cyfrannu at y rhaglen ers iddynt ddod i'r Cynulliad.
Mae etholwr o Gas-gwent wedi cysylltu â mi. Roedd ef wedi gwneud apwyntiad gyda'i feddyg teulu lleol i fynd i gael y brechlyn, ond dywedwyd wrtho fod y stociau o'r brechlyn ar gyfer rhai dros 65 oed, ac roedd ef dros 65 oed, yn ddifrifol o isel. Gofynnwyd iddo fynd yn ôl ymhen y mis. Mae'n amlwg ei fod yn pryderu y bydd tymor y ffliw wedi cychwyn cyn iddo gael y brechlyn. Felly, tybed a oes modd i'r Ysgrifennydd iechyd gynnig rhywfaint o sicrwydd, drwy ddatganiad neu ryw ddull arall, fod y brechlyn gwerthfawr hwn ar gael i gymaint o bobl â phosib. Rwy'n deall yn iawn fod pwysau ar y GIG i gyflawni hyn, ac mae'r brechlyn yn fwy poblogaidd nag erioed. Serch hynny, os yw rhywun dros 65 oed yn gofyn am y brechlyn hwnnw, mae'n bwysig iawn ei fod yn ei gael yn brydlon.
The Cabinet Secretary agrees with you, and he'll write to all of us to set out where we are to alleviate such concerns. But I'd also like to point out that your constituent wouldn't have had to go to his GP, he could, of course, have gone to his community pharmacy to receive his flu jab, and I would recommend that Members bear that in mind.
Mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cytuno â chi, a bydd yn ysgrifennu at bob un ohonom i nodi lle byddwn yn lleddfu pryderon o'r fath. Ond hoffwn hefyd ddweud nad oes raid i'ch etholwr fynd at ei feddyg teulu. Gallai, wrth gwrs, fod wedi mynd i'r fferyllfa gymunedol i gael ei frechiad rhag y ffliw, a byddwn yn argymell yr Aelodau i gofio hynny.
Diolch i arweinydd y tŷ.
Thank you, leader of the house.
Yr eitem nesaf felly yw’r datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ar ‘Gymru Iachach’ a’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y gronfa drawsnewid. Galw ar yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet i wneud ei ddatganiad—Vaughan Gething.
The next item, therefore, is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services on 'A Healthier Wales': update on the transformation fund. I call on the Cabinet Secretary to make the statement—Vaughan Gething.
Diolch, Llywydd. Members will recall that in June of this year I published 'A Healthier Wales'. That responded to the recommendations of the independent expert-led parliamentary review of health and social care in Wales. And Members will, of course, recall that the terms, remit and membership of the parliamentary review panel enjoyed cross-party support from this place. 'A Healthier Wales' sets out our long-term future vision of a whole-system approach to health and social care. Our approach was formed in partnership with the NHS, local government, the third sector and colleagues from housing.
When our plan was published, I gave a commitment that work would begin immediately on implementation, and that I would bring back to the Assembly in the autumn a report on our initial progress. So, today, I can update you on the steps we have already taken as a Government, and the actions that our service delivery partners are taking with us, as we begin our journey of transformation.
As a first step, I established the health and social care transformation programme. This programme is led by Dr Andrew Goodall, the director general for health and social services and chief executive of the NHS. He is supported by a programme team made up of Welsh Government and senior health and social care professionals with experience of front-line service change. The programme will beresponsible for driving delivery at pace across the whole health and care system, and for ensuring that the 40 actions contained in 'A Healthier Wales' are discharged.
Diolch, Llywydd. Bydd yr Aelodau yn cofio i mi gyhoeddi 'Cymru Iachach' ym mis Mehefin eleni. Roedd yn ymateb i argymhellon yr arolwg seneddol o iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru a arweiniwyd gan arbenigwyr annibynnol. Ac wrth gwrs, bydd yr Aelodau yn cofio bod termau, cylch gwaith, ac aelodaeth y panel adolygu seneddol wedi cael cefnogaeth drawsbleidiol yn y lle hwn. Mae 'Cymru Iachach' yn amlinellu ein gweledigaeth hirdymor ar gyfer dull system gyfan o ymdrin ag iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Lluniwyd ein dull ni o weithredu mewn partneriaeth â'r GIG, Llywodraeth Leol, y trydydd sector a chydweithwyr ym maes tai.
Pan gyhoeddwyd ein cynllun, addewais y byddai'r gwaith yn dechrau ar unwaith pan fyddai'n cael ei weithredu, ac y byddwn yn dychwelyd i'r Cynulliad yn yr Hydref gydag adroddiad ar ein cynnydd cychwynnol. Felly, heddiw, gallaf gynnig diweddariad i chi ynglŷn â'r camau yr ydym eisoes wedi eu cymryd fel Llywodraeth, a'r camau y mae ein partneriaid cyflenwi gwasanaeth wedi eu cymryd gyda ni, wrth inni ddechrau ar ein taith drawsnewid.
Fel cam cyntaf, rwyf wedi sefydlu rhaglen i drawsnewid gofal cymdeithasol ac iechyd. Arweinir y rhaglen gan Dr Andrew Goodall, Cyfarwyddwr Cyffredinol Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Phrif Weithredwr GIG Cymru. Caiff ei gefnogi gan dîm rhaglen sy'n cynnwys Llywodraeth Cymru, a gweithwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol proffesiynol uwch sydd â phrofiad o newid gwasanaeth yn y rheng flaen. Bydd y rhaglen yn gyfrifol am ysgogi cyflenwad yn gyflym ar draws yr holl system iechyd a gofal, ac am sicrhau bod y 40 cam gweithredu yn 'Cymru Iachach' yn cael eu cyflawni.
I have also constituted an advisory board, made up of senior health and social care leaders, together with key partners from across sectors and geographical regions of Wales, to provide strategic oversight, advice and challenge to the programme. This board has already met twice and is providing real additional value with the expertise and influence it is able to provide to our work.
When the plan, 'A Healthier Wales' was published, I also announced that additional money was being made available to health and social care providers in Wales through our £100 million transformation fund over two years to support the testing of new service models on the ground. In July, we wrote to our health and social care partners inviting them to work together through their regional partnership boards to develop and submit proposals for potential support from the transformation fund. We asked partners to design proposals in line with our shared ambitions set out in 'A Healthier Wales', and in particular our vision and our design principles. This should guide thinking around new models of seamless care. We all recognise the need to bring services together, closer to home, and these new ways of working must have the potential to be scaled up across regions and, of course, at an all-Wales level.
I am pleased to report that we have already received eight proposals from regional partnership boards, with more in development. I have confirmed support for two of these proposals, including Western Bay’s Cwmtawe cluster integrated health and social care programme that I can announce today, following the Cardiff and Vale’s Me, My Home, My Community project that I announced and visited last week. These pilots will allow us to test and evaluate new approaches to care that support the principles set out in 'A Healthier Wales', including early identification and intervention to support at-risk individuals, innovative use of technology and information sharing to enable different services to work together, and multidisciplinary community-based approaches to care provision. All of these should reduce pressure on our GPs and hospitals and, of course, provide a better service for the public.
The strength of the proposals that we have received so far, and the manner in which partners have generally worked together to develop these ideas in a short time, gives me great encouragement that our regional partnership boards will deliver on their role as the primary agents of change and transformation. However, I also recognise that if regional partnership boards are to play the leading role in transformation—and we know that they have the ambition to do so—they will need sufficient resource and expertise to do so. That is why I have confirmed in our 2019-20 budget proposals that regional partnership boards will receive an additional £30 million. This additional support will strengthen regional partnership boards and ensure that they are able to meet the challenges ahead.
Whilst the transformation fund has, understandably, attracted much interest, I will say again now, as I have said many times since we published the plan, service transformation must be a core activity for all health and social care organisations. Strong system leadership will be required to drive the change needed across Wales. Ultimately, it will not be the £100 million transformation fund but the £9 billion of core funding that our health and social services receive each year that will deliver transformation. I have been at pains to point out that the transformation fund is itself only one small part of the much wider programme of change set out in 'A Healthier Wales' that we are now embarked upon and committed to delivering.
I would like to take a short amount of time to update you on some of the other work we have already begun in support of those wider actions. The plan promised stronger national leadership from the centre and a commitment to simplify, where possible, some of the planning and reporting arrangements that have grown around the health service in particular over time. In relation to the first of these, I can confirm that work is well under way in relation to our planned NHS executive. In relation to planning requirements, earlier this month I issued revised integrated medium-term plan guidance that sets out a more streamlined and joined-up process that we are supporting with an additional £60 million of new funding.
In keeping with our drive for greater emphasis on health promotion, I launched our healthy and active fund in the summer together with the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport within the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency. This partnership is with Public Health Wales and Sport Wales.
In support of our workforce objectives, we have announced new pay deals, extended our 'Train. Work. Live.' programme, commissioned Social Care Wales and Health Education and Improvement Wales to develop our new workforce strategy. We've refocused a new national leadership group that now includes representatives from the social care sector as well as the national health service. I will of course be happy to provide further updates to Members in the future to update you on progress.
Rwyf hefyd wedi sefydlu bwrdd cynghori, sy'n cynnwys uwch arweinwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, ynghyd â phartneriaid allweddol o bob sector a rhanbarth daearyddol Cymru, i roi cyngor, her a throsolwg strategol i'r rhaglen. Mae'r bwrdd hwn eisoes wedi cyfarfod ddwywaith ac mae'n darparu gwerth ychwanegol gwirioneddol gyda'r arbenigedd a'r dylanwad y mae'n gallu eu rhoi i'n gwaith.
Pan gyhoeddwyd y cynllun 'Cymru Iachach', cyhoeddais hefyd y byddai arian ychwanegol ar gael i ddarparwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru drwy ein cronfa trawsnewid gwerth £100 miliwn dros ddwy flynedd i gefnogi'r profion ar y modelau gwasanaeth newydd ar lawr gwlad. Ym mis Gorffennaf, fe wnaethom ni ysgrifennu at ein partneriaid iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol i'w gwahodd i weithio gyda'i gilydd drwy eu byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol i ddatblygu a chyflwyno cynigion ar gyfer cymorth posibl gan y gronfa trawsnewid. Fe wnaethom ni ofyn i bartneriaid gynllunio cynigion yn unol â'n cyd-ddyheadau a nodir yn 'Cymru Iachach', ac yn arbennig ein gweledigaeth a'n hegwyddorion cynllunio. Dylai hyn lywio'r meddylfryd ynghylch modelau newydd o ofal di-dor. Rydym ni i gyd yn cydnabod bod angen dod â gwasanaethau at ei gilydd, yn nes i'r cartref, ac mae'n rhaid iddi fod yn bosib gweithredu'r ffyrdd newydd hyn o weithio ar raddfa fwy ar draws y rhanbarthau ac, wrth gwrs, ar lefel Cymru gyfan.
Rwy'n falch o adrodd ein bod eisoes wedi cael wyth cynnig gan fyrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol, ac mae mwy yn cael eu datblygu. Rwyf wedi cadarnhau cefnogaeth i ddau o'r cynigion hyn, gan gynnwys rhaglen iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol integredig clwstwr Cwmtawe Bae'r Gorllewin, y gallaf ei gyhoeddi heddiw, yn dilyn prosiect Fi, Fy Nghartref, Fy Nghymuned Caerdydd a'r Fro y cyhoeddais ac yr ymwelais ag ef yr wythnos diwethaf. Bydd y cynlluniau treialu hyn yn caniatáu inni brofi a gwerthuso dulliau newydd o ofal sy'n cefnogi'r egwyddorion a nodir yn 'Cymru Iachach', gan gynnwys adnabod ac ymyrryd yn gynnar i gefnogi unigolion sydd mewn perygl, defnyddio technoleg a rhannu gwybodaeth mewn modd arloesol i alluogi gwahanol wasanaethau i weithio gyda'i gilydd, a dulliau cymunedol amlddisgyblaethol i ddarparu gofal. Dylai pob un o'r rhain leihau'r pwysau ar ein meddygon teulu a'n hysbytai ac, wrth gwrs, ddarparu gwasanaeth gwell i'r cyhoedd.
Mae cryfder y cynigion yr ydym ni wedi'u cael hyd yma, a'r modd y mae partneriaid yn gyffredinol wedi cydweithio i ddatblygu'r syniadau hyn mewn amser byr, yn rhoi llawer o anogaeth imi y bydd ein byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol yn cyflawni eu swyddogaeth fel y prif asiantau ar gyfer newid a thrawsnewid. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n cydnabod hefyd os yw byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol i fod â'r brif ran yn y trawsnewid—ac rydym ni'n gwybod bod ganddyn nhw'r yr uchelgais i wneud hynny—bydd angen digon o adnoddau ac arbenigedd arnyn nhw i wneud hynny. Dyna pam fy mod i wedi cadarnhau yn ein cynigion cyllideb 2019-20 y bydd byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol yn cael £30 miliwn ychwanegol. Bydd y cymorth ychwanegol hwn yn cryfhau byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol ac yn sicrhau eu bod yn gallu bodloni heriau'r dyfodol.
Er bod y gronfa trawsnewid, yn ddealladwy, wedi denu llawer o ddiddordeb, fe ddywedaf eto yn awr, fel yr wyf i wedi dweud sawl gwaith ers i ni gyhoeddi'r cynllun, mae'n rhaid i drawsnewid gwasanaethau fod yn weithgaredd craidd ar gyfer pob sefydliad iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Bydd angen arweinyddiaeth system gref i ysgogi'r newid sydd ei angen ledled Cymru. Yn y pen draw, nid y gronfa trawsnewid gwerth £100 miliwn ond y £9 biliwn o gyllid craidd y mae ein gwasanaethau iechyd a'n gwasanaethau cymdeithasol yn ei dderbyn bob blwyddyn fydd yn cyflawni'r trawsnewid. Rwyf wedi bod yn awyddus iawn i nodi mai dim ond un rhan fach yw'r gronfa trawsnewid o'r rhaglen llawer ehangach o newid a nodir yn 'Cymru Iachach' yr ydym ni wedi ei ddechrau erbyn hyn ac wedi ymrwymo i'w gyflawni.
Hoffwn dreulio ychydig o amser yn rhoi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ichi am rywfaint o'r gwaith arall yr ydym ni eisoes wedi dechrau arno i gefnogi'r camau ehangach hynny. Addawodd y cynllun y byddai arweiniad cenedlaethol cryfach o'r canol ac ymrwymiad i symleiddio, pan fo hynny'n bosibl, rhai o'r trefniadau cynllunio ac adrodd sydd wedi datblygu o amgylch y gwasanaeth iechyd yn enwedig gydag amser. O ran y cyntaf o'r rhain, gallaf gadarnhau bod llawer o waith wedi dechrau mewn cysylltiad â'n gweithrediaeth arfaethedig ar gyfer y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol. O ran gofynion cynllunio, yn gynharach y mis yma cyflwynais ganllawiau diwygiedig i'r cynllun tymor canolig integredig sy'n amlinellu proses symlach a mwy cydgysylltiedig yr ydym yn ei gefnogi â £60 miliwn ychwanegol o arian newydd.
Yn gydnaws â'n hymgyrch am fwy o bwyslais ar hybu iechyd, lansiais ein cronfa iach ac egnïol yn yr haf gyda'r Gweinidog Diwylliant, Twristiaeth a Chwaraeon yn etholaeth Merthyr Tudful a Rhymni. Mae'r bartneriaeth hon gydag Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru a Chwaraeon Cymru.
I gefnogi ein hamcanion gweithlu, rydym ni wedi cyhoeddi cytundebau cyflog newydd, ymestyn ein rhaglen 'Hyfforddi. Gweithio. Byw.' ac wedi comisiynu Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru ac Addysg a Gwella Iechyd Cymru i ddatblygu ein strategaeth gweithlu newydd. Rydym wedi aildrefnu grŵp arweinyddiaeth cenedlaethol newydd sydd bellach yn cynnwys cynrychiolwyr o'r sector gofal cymdeithasol yn ogystal â'r gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol. Byddaf wrth gwrs yn hapus i roi rhagor o ddiweddariadau i'r Aelodau yn y dyfodol i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ichi am y cynnydd.
I'd like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement on the transformation fund. It is very eagerly anticipated, because I have heard this transformation fund being claimed by so many people as a panacea for much within the NHS, so I'm very pleased, actually, to read about the general points that you make about the criteria. Perhaps you could actually just give us a little bit more expansion about the criteria for a project going ahead to the transformation fund. Who's going to be making the decision? Will it be just the regional boards putting forward the projects and then Andrew Goodall's team making the final decision, or will it be at a slightly lower level?
I'm a little bit concerned that only two projects so far have been agreed and we're coming towards the end of 2018. I appreciate it's a new fund—I'm not unrealistic—but given that the money is only available until 2020, are you confident that you'll be able to deploy that £100 million within the next, well, just over two years, and not only deploy it, but actually have it working and have the results of an evaluation so that we know whether or not those projects are then worth rolling out throughout the rest of the NHS?
Are you able to give us any indication of the projects that you have had in—the six where you have not yet said 'yes' or 'no', and whether that's actually because they're a 'no' or because you're still evaluating them—and can you confirm whether or not there is equity of application across Wales? The reason why I ask that is, of course, Betsi Cadwaladr is in special measures, Hywel Dda is undergoing a fairly rigorous transformation programme, and I am quite concerned that health boards—and there may be others, not just those two—don't miss out on this opportunity because they're so busy doing their day-to-day other jobs. So, can you assure us as to whether or not we are going to have that equity of application?
A couple of very quick questions, in particular: projects that you are looking at—will you be giving an extra weighting towards the primary and community sector? I ask that because, of course, the entire drive of the parliamentary review was talking about how we need to move away from the secondary sector. When I talk to health boards, I get the impression an awful lot of the application is going towards firefighting or trying to make things happen in the secondary sector. And so, this primary and community sector, which we're putting so much faith in to transform the way we deliver the NHS services over the next decade or two decades—we need to make sure that there are projects there that are going to be rolled out. Will you be able to assure us that there will be checks and balances across all of this spend and that it doesn't simply get sucked into either existing debt or fixed overheads or additional administrative personnel, so that it actually does hit the boots on the ground?
I would be interested to know if this is new money that you talk about in your statement. You talk about a very welcome, as ever, £30 million for the regional transformation boards, and an extra £60 million to support the IMTPs. Is this redeployed money or completely new money on top of the £100 million?
Finally, do you have a system of time framing your pilots to ensure that those pilots have a kill switch—they're either successful or unsuccessful? How long are you going to give them? Because, if they turn out to be unsuccessful—and I appreciate that we're not going to be able to be successful in every single one—then we need to be able to recognise that writing very, very quickly and move on to the next project so that we can maximise that amount of money as much as possible, to transform the NHS in the way we need to.
Hoffwn ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei ddatganiad am y gronfa trawsnewid. Rydym yn disgwyl yn eiddgar amdani, oherwydd rwyf wedi clywed cynifer o bobl yn dweud bod y gronfa trawsnewid hon yn mynd i fod yn ateb i bopeth ar gyfer llawer o bethau yn y GIG, felly rwy'n falch iawn, mewn gwirionedd, i ddarllen am y sylwadau cyffredinol yr ydych chi'n eu gwneud ynghylch y meini prawf. Efallai y gallech chi mewn gwirionedd roi ychydig mwy o fanylion inni am feini prawf prosiect fydd yn mynd rhagddo i'r gronfa trawsnewid. Pwy fydd yn gwneud y penderfyniad? Ai dim ond y byrddau rhanbarthol fydd yn cyflwyno prosiectau ac yna tîm Andrew Goodall yn gwneud y penderfyniad terfynol, neu a fydd hynny ar lefel ychydig yn is?
Rwyf ychydig yn bryderus mai dim ond dau brosiect sydd wedi eu cytuno hyd yn hyn ac rydym ni'n tynnu at derfyn 2018. Rwy'n sylweddoli ei bod hi'n gronfa newydd—nid wyf yn afrealistig—ond o gofio bod yr arian dim ond ar gael tan 2020, a ydych chi'n ffyddiog y byddwch chi'n gallu defnyddio'r £100 miliwn hwnnw o fewn, wel, yr ychydig dros ddwy flynedd nesaf, ac nid dim ond ei ddefnyddio, ond sicrhau bod y gronfa yn gweithio mewn gwirionedd a bod â chanlyniadau gwerthusiad er mwyn inni wybod a yw hi'n werth cyflwyno'r prosiectau hynny'n raddol ledled gweddill y GIG neu beidio?
A allwch chi roi unrhyw syniad inni o'r prosiectau hynny sydd wedi cael eu cyflwyno—y chwech nad ydych chi eto wedi dweud 'ie' neu 'na' wrthyn nhw, ac a yw hynny mewn gwirionedd oherwydd eu bod yn 'na' neu oherwydd eich bod yn dal i'w gwerthuso—ac a allwch chi gadarnhau a oes tegwch o ran y defnydd ledled Cymru? Y rheswm pam fy mod i'n gofyn hynny, wrth gwrs, yw bod Betsi Cadwaladr o dan fesurau arbennig, mae Hywel Dda yn dilyn rhaglen drawsnewid gweddol drwyadl, ac rwy'n pryderu tipyn nad yw byrddau iechyd—ac efallai fod yna rai eraill, nid dim ond y ddau yma—yn colli'r cyfle hwn oherwydd eu bod mor brysur yn gwneud eu gwaith bob dydd arall. Felly, a allwch chi ein sicrhau ni a fydd gennym ni'r tegwch hwnnw o ran defnyddio'r arian?
Ambell gwestiwn cyflym iawn, yn arbennig: y prosiectau yr ydych chi'n eu hystyried—a fyddwch chi'n rhoi mwy o bwyslais ar y sector sylfaenol a chymunedol? Rwy'n gofyn hynny oherwydd, wrth gwrs, holl gymhelliant yr adolygiad seneddol oedd sôn am sut y mae angen inni symud oddi wrth y sector eilaidd. Wrth siarad â byrddau iechyd, rwy'n cael yr argraff y defnyddir llawer iawn o hyn i ymdopi â phroblemau neu geisio gwneud i bethau ddigwydd yn y sector eilaidd. Ac felly, y sector sylfaenol a chymunedol hwn, yr ydym ni'n rhoi cymaint o ffydd ynddo i drawsnewid y ffordd yr ydym ni'n darparu gwasanaethau GIG dros y degawd neu ddau ddegawd nesaf—mae angen inni wneud yn siŵr bod yna brosiectau yn y fan honno a fydd yn cael eu cyflwyno. A fyddwch chi'n gallu ein sicrhau ni y cedwir cydbwysedd ar yr holl wariant hwn ac na fydd yn cael ei sugno i mewn i ddyled sydd eisoes yn bodoli neu i orbenion sefydlog neu ragor o bersonél gweinyddol, fel ei fod mewn gwirionedd yn gwneud gwahaniaeth ar unwaith ar lawr gwlad?
Byddai gennyf ddiddordeb gwybod a yw hwn yn arian newydd yr ydych chi'n sôn amdano yn eich datganiad. Rydych chi'n sôn am £30 miliwn, y mae croeso mawr iddo, fel erioed, ar gyfer y byrddau trawsnewid rhanbarthol, a £60 miliwn ychwanegol i gefnogi'r Cynlluniau Tymor Canolig Integredig. Ai arian wedi'i adleoli yw hwn neu arian hollol newydd yn ychwanegol at y £100 miliwn?
Yn olaf, a oes gennych chi system o amserlennu eich cynlluniau treialu i sicrhau bod ffordd o derfynnu'r cynlluniau treialu hynny os oes angen—eu bod nhw un ai'n llwyddiannus neu'n aflwyddiannus? Faint o amser ydych chi'n mynd i'w roi iddynt? Oherwydd, os yw'n ymddangos eu bod yn aflwyddiannus—ac rwy'n sylweddoli nad ydym ni'n mynd i allu bod yn llwyddiannus ym mhob un—yna mae angen inni allu cydnabod hynny yn gyflym iawn, iawn a symud ymlaen at y prosiect nesaf fel ein bod yn gallu gwneud y defnydd gorau posib o'r swm hwnnw o arian, i drawsnewid y GIG yn y ffordd y mae angen inni ei wneud.
Thank you for the comments and questions. I'm going to start by recognising what you say about the fund, and, of course, some people have all been looking for an extra sum of money. Whenever you announce a certain sum of money, people always try to understand what their part of it is, what their chunk is and whether it will cure all ills. Well, I've been really clear from the outset, as indeed has my colleague Huw Irranca-Davies, that this fund is a specific fund to help deliver change and transformation. It is not a panacea. It really is about supporting and implementing new ways of working to transform our whole service. So, it's a way of leading change to then use the £9 billion to deliver that change on a system-wide level. That's what we're looking for. And, in that, the design principles that I've mentioned several times really matter. If they don't meet the design principles that we set out, they won't get supported. If they are not genuinely scalable, and they can't demonstrate how, if successful, these projects could scale, then again they won't be supported. I accept that not every project that gets supported, even on the best advice, the best design—not every project is likely to succeed. It's important that we accept that and say that again and again at the outset, because there'll still be learning from projects that don't succeed.
That goes back to your final question about evaluation and time frame. With each bid that comes in, there will be something about evaluation within it so that we can understand what good it is or isn't doing, and also the time frame within which to do so. So, these are not never-ending projects. They can't be. They have got to lead to a point where we can understand: is this the right answer, and, if it is, how do we then scale it across our system? And, if it isn't the right answer, then we have to disinvest from it. I'm very, very clear about that and I have no difficulty in saying that, both in the initial launch that I attended in Cardiff and Vale, and the same goes for the Cwmtawe cluster, and whatever projects I decide to support in the coming weeks and months.
So, on the question that you asked about how the decisions are made, the advisory board is there to challenge the work that is being done by the programme board. That group, led by Andrew Goodall, will provide the advice to me, and I will then make decisions, based on that advice, about whether to support projects or not. So, I have decided on the first two projects. The eight areas that I mentioned—I'll get advice on those, and I will then look at them, and I will then make a decision about what to support. I'm happy to confirm that each part of Wales will provide a project to go into the transformation fund, of varying scales and sizes. I can absolutely guarantee that Hywel Dda and north Wales are not about to be screened out of this. So, you will see, in the choices that I make, that we will be making choices across the country. I expect every area, not just the two who have applied—. I expect, before the end of the calendar year, you will see a range of other choices. So, I can't give an exact timescale, because I need to consider the advice when it's given and make a choice when I'm content that it is the right thing to say 'yes' or 'no' to. But I expect to make further choices in the coming weeks, not necessarily waiting a matter of months.
I'm also happy to reprovide the commitments that I have given previously—that this transformation fund is not a way of using extra resources to primarily go into a hospital system. Now, that doesn't mean that projects can't have an impact on our hospital system, or can't use some of the money within the hospital system, but it is primarily about delivering a shift in how we deliver care. So, the primary focus is primary and community services. It really is about the partnership between health and social care and others, including housing and the third sector. That's why we have used regional partnership boards as the initial mechanism. Anything that wants to come to the transformation fund must first have the support of its regional partnership board. That's really important. So, health and local government are in the same place as co-decision makers, for the shared objectives that 'A Healthier Wales' sets out. It is not a question of all of them saying, 'This is my project. I will now decide.' They have to agree with their other partners around the regional partnership board table.
In terms of the £60 million to support the IMPTPs, that is new money. In terms of the £30 million I have announced for the regional partnership boards, that is new money too. Of course, with the transformation fund, if we don't spend all of it, I will then have to make a choice as to whether I can reprovide that money into the next year. I think we'll see an expansion in ambition and scale in the projects we are likely to see, and I want to encourage that, not level it downwards.
Diolch ichi am y sylwadau a'r cwestiynau. Rwyf am ddechrau drwy gydnabod yr hyn yr ydych chi'n ei ddweud am y gronfa, ac, wrth gwrs, mae rhai pobl i gyd wedi bod yn chwilio am swm ychwanegol o arian. Pryd bynnag y byddwch chi'n cyhoeddi swm penodol o arian, bydd pobl bob amser yn ceisio deall beth yw eu rhan nhw ohono, beth yw eu cyfran nhw ac a fydd yn gwella'r holl helbulon. Wel, rwyf wedi bod yn glir iawn o'r cychwyn, mewn gwirionedd, fel y mae fy nghyd-Aelod Huw Irranca-Davies wedi bod, fod y gronfa hon yn gronfa benodol i helpu i gyflawni newid a thrawsnewid. Nid yw'n ateb i bopeth. Mae'n ymwneud â chefnogi a gweithredu ffyrdd newydd o weithio i drawsnewid ein holl wasanaeth. Felly, mae'n ffordd o arwain newid i ddefnyddio wedyn y £9 biliwn i sicrhau'r newid hwnnw drwy'r system gyfan. Dyna beth yr ydym ni'n chwilio amdano. Ac, yn hynny o beth, mae'r egwyddorion dylunio yr wyf wedi'u crybwyll sawl gwaith yn bwysig iawn. Os nad ydyn nhw'n bodloni'r egwyddorion dylunio a bennwyd gennym ni, ni fyddan nhw'n cael cymorth. Os nad oes modd eu cyflwyno ar raddfa fwy, ac os na allan nhw ddangos sut y gallai'r prosiectau hyn, os ydyn nhw'n llwyddiannus, gael eu cyflwyno ar raddfa fwy, yna ni fyddan nhw'n cael cymorth. Rwy'n derbyn nad yw pob prosiect sy'n cael cymorth, hyd yn oed ar sail y cyngor gorau, y cynllun gorau—nid yw pob prosiect yn debygol o lwyddo. Mae'n bwysig ein bod yn derbyn hynny ac yn dweud hynny dro ar ôl tro ar y cychwyn, oherwydd bydd pethau i'w dysgu o hyd gan brosiectau nad ydynt yn llwyddo.
Mae hynny'n mynd yn ôl at eich cwestiwn olaf ynghylch gwerthuso ac amserlen. Gyda phob cais a ddaw i mewn, bydd rhywbeth am werthuso ynddo fel y gallwn ni ddeall pa les y mae'n ei wneud neu ddim yn ei wneud, a hefyd yr amserlen i wneud hynny oddi mewn iddi. Felly, nid yw'r rhain yn brosiectau diddiwedd. Ni allan nhw fod. Mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw arwain at fan lle gallwn ni ddeall: ai hwn yw'r ateb cywir, ac, os ydyw, sut ydym ni wedyn yn ei gyflwyno ar raddfa fwy ar draws ein system? Ac, os nad hynny yw'r ateb cywir, yna mae'n rhaid inni ddadfuddsoddi o hynny. Rwy'n glir iawn, iawn am hynny ac nid oes gennyf unrhyw anhawster wrth ddweud hynny, yn y lansiad cychwynnol y bûm iddo yng Nghaerdydd a'r Fro, ac mae'r un peth yn wir am glwstwr Cwmtawe, a pha bynnag brosiectau yr wyf yn penderfynu eu cefnogi yn yr wythnosau a'r misoedd nesaf.
Felly, ynglŷn â'r cwestiwn y gwnaethoch chi ei ofyn am sut y gwneir penderfyniadau, mae'r bwrdd cynghori yno i herio'r gwaith a wneir gan fwrdd y rhaglen. Bydd y grŵp hwnnw, a arweinir gan Andrew Goodall, yn rhoi'r cyngor i mi, a byddaf wedyn yn penderfynu, yn seiliedig ar y cyngor hwnnw, a ddylid cefnogi prosiectau ai peidio. Felly, rwyf wedi penderfynu ar y ddau brosiect cyntaf. Yr wyth maes a grybwyllais—byddaf yn cael cyngor ar y rhai hynny, a byddaf wedyn yn eu hystyried, a byddaf wedyn yn penderfynu beth i'w gefnogi. Rwy'n hapus i gadarnhau y bydd pob rhan o Gymru yn darparu prosiect i fynd i'r gronfa trawsnewid, o faint a graddfa amrywiol. Gallaf warantu yn gyfan gwbl nad fydd Hywel Dda a'r gogledd yn cael eu hepgor o hyn. Felly, byddwch chi'n gweld, yn y dewisiadau a wnaf, y byddwn yn gwneud dewisiadau ledled y wlad. Rwy'n disgwyl i bob ardal, nid dim ond y ddau sydd wedi gwneud cais—. Rwy'n disgwyl, cyn diwedd y flwyddyn galendr, y byddwch yn gweld amrywiaeth o ddewisiadau eraill. Felly, ni allaf roi union amserlen, oherwydd mae angen imi ystyried y cyngor pan gaiff ei roi a gwneud dewis pan rwy'n fodlon ei bod hi'n briodol dweud 'ie' neu 'na'. Ond rwy'n disgwyl gwneud rhagor o ddewisiadau yn yr wythnosau nesaf, ac nid o reidrwydd aros misoedd.
Rwyf hefyd yn hapus i roi'r ymrwymiadau a roddais o'r blaen—nad yw'r gronfa trawsnewid hon yn ffordd o ddefnyddio adnoddau ychwanegol ar gyfer systemau ysbytai yn bennaf. Nawr, nid yw hynny'n golygu na all prosiectau gael effaith ar ein system ysbytai, neu na allan nhw ddefnyddio rhywfaint o'r arian o fewn y system ysbytai, ond mae'n ymwneud yn bennaf â chyflawni newid yn y dull o ddarparu gofal. Felly, y prif bwyslais yw gwasanaethau sylfaenol a chymunedol. Mae, mewn gwirionedd, yn ymwneud â'r bartneriaeth rhwng iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ac eraill, gan gynnwys tai a'r trydydd sector. Dyna pam yr ydym ni wedi defnyddio byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol fel y dull cychwynnol. Mae'n rhaid i unrhyw beth sy'n dymuno dod at y gronfa trawsnewid fod, yn gyntaf, â chefnogaeth ei fwrdd partneriaeth rhanbarthol. Mae hynny'n wirioneddol bwysig. Felly, mae iechyd a llywodraeth leol yn yr un sefyllfa â phobl sy'n cyd-benderfynu, o ran y cyd-amcanion y mae 'Cymru Iachach' yn eu nodi. Nid yw'n gwestiwn o bob un ohonyn nhw'n dweud, 'Dyma fy mhrosiect i. Byddaf i'n penderfynu nawr.' Mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw gytuno â'u partneriaid eraill yn y bwrdd partneriaeth rhanbarthol.
O ran y £60 miliwn i gefnogi'r Cynlluniau Tymor Canolig Integredig, mae hwnnw'n arian newydd. O ran y £30 miliwn a gyhoeddais ar gyfer y byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol, mae hwnnw'n arian newydd hefyd. Wrth gwrs, gyda'r gronfa trawsnewid, os na fyddwn yn ei wario i gyd, bydd yn rhaid imi wneud dewis ynghylch p'un a allaf ailddarparu'r arian hwnnw y flwyddyn nesaf. Rwy'n credu y gwelwn ni ehangu o ran uchelgais a graddfa yn y prosiectau yr ydym ni'n debygol o'u gweld, ac rwyf eisiau annog hynny, nid eu lleihau o ran graddfa.
Thank you to the Cabinet Secretary for his statement. If I may just return to an issue that was raised by Angela Burns, as to whether this £30 million that has been announced today is new money, I think that's very important. If it isn't new money to the health budget as a whole, can you tell us from where in your budget you have taken the £30 million? I would associate myself with the welcome that Angela Burns has given to this if they are new resources, but if they are recycled resources, we need to know where they have come from. I would draw your attention—. As you said yourself in your statement, of course, this extra money is very welcome, but it is very small compared to the total £9 billion budget. In fairness to the services, it may be asking them to do quite a lot with comparatively little.
Returning to this portfolio after many years, I suppose I was a bit concerned to see your statement that the 'A Healthier Wales' programme promises to provide strong national leadership from the centre. Obviously, part of me welcomes that, but you have to ask where that's been for the last 18 years. I'm trying hard, Llywydd, not to be sceptical here, but I've heard a lot of this before, about excellent pilot projects that can, in this case, deliver better co-ordination between health and social care, but what we haven't seen is those rolling out. I very much hope that this is not the case and that I will be proved wrong.
Of course, a candidate for the Welsh leadership position—and, you know, we all follow this very closely for very good reasons—recently said that change takes courage, and I'm sure that the Cabinet Secretary will agree with me that delivering change in the NHS is going to take considerable courage, and it will require him, I think, to face down some vested interests, possibly, and delivering that change may not be easy. Of course, his party has been in charge of the NHS and health and social care for 18 years.
We've had programmes and legislation intending to deliver this outcome, and, as I've said, it hasn't happened. And I don't underestimate, in fairness, Cabinet Secretary, how difficult it is to make this happen, but I would like you to provide us with some reassurance that it is going to be different this time. And even if this is quite a long timescale, could you give us some indication this afternoon—and forgive me, new to my role as I am, if this is a matter that you've already dealt with in previous statements and previous debates—but what sort of timescale do you have in mind, not so much for the pilot projects, but for actually being in a position where you know which pilots have worked and you're ready to start rolling them out? Because, I think, historically in Wales, we really haven't been very good at that. We've been good at coming up with good ideas, but we haven't been very good at upscaling them.
And in order to provide this Assembly with some reassurance about the process, I wonder if you would consider publishing the meeting notes of the advisory board, so that we can see for ourselves what challenge is being provided to the transformation programme. I understand you may not feel that that's appropriate, because there is a question, potentially, of confidentiality, and one wouldn't wish to stifle robust debate. I suppose an alternative to that, Presiding Officer, might be further regular statements from the Cabinet Secretary.
Your statement also mentions simplifying planning and reporting for the NHS. Now, none of us would wish that to reduce accountability, but I think, neither would any of us wish people to be spending time on unnecessary paperwork. So, I welcome that commitment in the statement. But, I'm also interested to know what the time frame is for a new and simplified system.
Can you elaborate on what you've already said to Angela Burns about how the effectiveness of the pilots will be assessed? This will obviously be difficult to do, because they'll be addressing different issues, different problems, as you've already highlighted. And can you also tell us: what plans do you have to ensure that the successful pilots are rolled out and, perhaps more difficultly, that the unsuccessful ones are abandoned and that this is done in good time? I don't wish to be sceptical, Cabinet Secretary. I wonder if you would consider, for example, publishing the evaluations of—once you've made a decision, if you publish the evaluations, both of the projects you decide to support and those you don't, so that we can see more clearly the direction of travel.
I very much hope that this is a new dawn of leadership, and I remain to be convinced and look forward to pursuing this work over the next months and years.
Diolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am ei ddatganiad. Os caf i ddychwelyd at fater a godwyd gan Angela Burns, o ran ai arian newydd yw'r £30 miliwn hwn a gyhoeddwyd heddiw, rwy'n credu bod hynny'n bwysig iawn. Os nad yw'n arian newydd i'r gyllideb iechyd yn ei chyfanrwydd, a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni o ble yn eich cyllideb yr ydych chi wedi cymryd y £30 miliwn? Rwy'n ategu'r croeso a roddwyd gan Angela Burns at hyn os mai adnoddau newydd ydyn nhw, ond os mai adnoddau wedi'u hailgylchu ydyn nhw, mae angen inni wybod o ble y maen nhw wedi dod. Hoffwn dynnu eich sylw at—. Fel y gwnaethoch chi ddweud eich hun yn eich datganiad, wrth gwrs, mae'r arian ychwanegol hwn i'w groesawu'n fawr, ond mae'n fach iawn o'i gymharu â'r cyfanswm o £9 biliwn sydd yn y gyllideb. Er tegwch i'r gwasanaethau, efallai bod hyn yn gofyn iddyn nhw wneud cryn dipyn gyda chymharol ychydig.
Wrth ddychwelyd at y portffolio hwn ar ôl blynyddoedd lawer, mae'n debyg fy mod i braidd yn bryderus i weld eich datganiad a bod y rhaglen 'Cymru Iachach' yn addo darparu arweiniad cenedlaethol cryf o'r canol. Yn amlwg, mae rhan ohonof yn croesawu hynny, ond mae'n rhaid ichi ofyn lle mae hynny wedi bod dros y 18 mlynedd diwethaf. Rwy'n ymdrechu'n galed, Llywydd, i beidio â bod yn amheus yma, ond rwyf wedi clywed llawer o hyn o'r blaen, am brosiectau treialu rhagorol a all, yn yr achos hwn, sicrhau gwell cydgysylltu rhwng iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, ond yr hyn nad ydym ni wedi ei weld yw'r rhai hynny'n cael eu cyflwyno. Rwy'n mawr obeithio nad yw hyn yn wir yn yr achos hwn ac y byddaf yn cael fy mhrofi'n anghywir.
Wrth gwrs, yn ddiweddar dywedodd ymgeisydd ar gyfer swydd arweinyddiaeth Cymru—a, wyddoch chi, rydym ni'n dilyn hyn yn agos iawn am resymau da iawn—bod angen dewrder i newid rhywbeth, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn cytuno â mi bod sicrhau newid yn y GIG yn mynd i gymryd cryn ddewrder, a bydd yn galw ar iddo, rwy'n credu, orchfygu rhai buddiannau breintiedig, o bosibl, ac mae'n bosibl na fydd cyflawni'r newid hwnnw yn hawdd. Wrth gwrs, mae ei blaid ef wedi bod yn gyfrifol am y GIG ac iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ers 18 mlynedd.
Rydym ni wedi bod â rhaglenni a deddfwriaeth sydd â'r bwriad o sicrhau'r canlyniad hwn, ac, fel yr wyf wedi dweud, nid yw wedi digwydd. A dydw i ddim yn bychanu, er tegwch, pa mor anodd ydyw i wneud i hyn ddigwydd, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ond hoffwn ichi roi rhywfaint o sicrwydd inni y bydd hi'n wahanol y tro hwn. A hyd yn oed os yw hwn yn gyfnod eithaf hir, a allech chi roi rhyw awgrym inni y prynhawn yma—a maddeuwch imi, gan fy mod yn newydd i fy swyddogaeth, os yw hwn yn fater yr ydych chi eisoes wedi ymdrin ag ef mewn datganiadau blaenorol a dadleuon blaenorol—ond pa fath o amserlen sydd gennych chi mewn golwg, nid yn gymaint ar gyfer y prosiectau treialu, ond ar gyfer bod mewn sefyllfa lle'r ydych chi'n gwybod pa gynlluniau treialu sydd wedi gweithio a'ch bod chi'n barod i ddechrau eu cyflwyno? Oherwydd, rwy'n credu, yn hanesyddol yng Nghymru, nad ydym ni wedi bod yn dda iawn am wneud hynny. Rydym ni wedi bod yn dda am feddwl am syniadau da, ond dydym ni ddim wedi bod yn dda iawn am eu cyflwyno ar raddfa fwy.
Ac er mwyn rhoi rhywfaint o sicrwydd i'r Cynulliad hwn ynghylch y broses, tybed a fyddech chi'n ystyried cyhoeddi nodiadau cyfarfod y bwrdd ymgynghorol, fel y gallwn ni weld drosom ein hunain pa her a roddir i'r rhaglen drawsnewid. Rwy'n deall efallai nad ydych chi'n teimlo bod hynny'n briodol, oherwydd mae cwestiwn, o bosibl, o ran cyfrinachedd, ac ni fyddwn yn dymuno mygu dadl gadarn. Dewis arall i hynny, am wn i, Llywydd, fyddai rhagor o ddatganiadau rheolaidd gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, o bosibl.
Mae eich datganiad hefyd yn sôn am symleiddio cynllunio ac adrodd ar gyfer y GIG. Nawr, ni fyddai unrhyw un ohonom ni'n dymuno i hynny leihau atebolrwydd, ond rwy'n credu na fyddai neb ohonom ni yn dymuno i bobl dreulio amser yn gwneud gwaith papur diangen ychwaith. Felly, croesawaf yr ymrwymiad hwnnw yn y datganiad. Ond mae gennyf ddiddordeb hefyd mewn gwybod beth yw'r amserlen ar gyfer system newydd a symlach.
A allwch chi ymhelaethu ar yr hyn yr ydych chi eisoes wedi'i ddweud wrth Angela Burns ynglŷn â sut y bydd effeithiolrwydd y cynlluniau treialu yn cael eu hasesu? Yn amlwg, bydd hyn yn anodd ei wneud, oherwydd byddant yn ymdrin â gwahanol faterion, gwahanol broblemau, fel yr ydych chi eisoes wedi tynnu sylw atynt. A allwch chi hefyd ddweud wrthym ni: pa gynlluniau sydd gennych chi i sicrhau bod y cynlluniau treialu llwyddiannus yn cael eu cyflwyno ac, efallai yn fwy anodd, bod y rhai aflwyddiannus yn cael eu diddymu a bod hyn yn digwydd mewn da bryd? Dydw i ddim yn dymuno bod yn amheus, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Tybed a wnewch chi ystyried, er enghraifft, cyhoeddi'r gwerthusiadau o—pan fyddwch chi wedi gwneud penderfyniad, os byddwch yn cyhoeddi'r gwerthusiadau, o'r prosiectau y byddwch chi'n penderfynu eu cefnogi a'r rhai hynny y byddwch chi'n penderfynu peidio â'u cefnogi, fel y gallwn ni weld yn fwy eglur i ble'r ydym ni'n mynd.
Rwy'n mawr obeithio bod hyn yn dro ar fyd o ran arweinyddiaeth, ond nid wyf wedi fy argyhoeddi hyd yn hyn ac edrychaf ymlaen at fynd i'r afael â'r gwaith hwn dros y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd nesaf.
Thank you for your comments and questions. Of course, I agree with you that change does take courage, but when we think about the questions that you've asked, I'm happy to reiterate the comments to Helen Mary Jones that I made to Angela Burns as well: I answered that the £30 million for regional partnership boards is indeed new money.
I should also welcome Helen Mary Jones to her new role in this Assembly term as spokesperson for Plaid Cymru. I'm sure we'll have lots of opportunities to talk at length in this Chamber and outside.
Just to deal with your point about the meeting notes, it's partly process, and I think it's also partly about wanting to have openness, but I would not want to stifle the robustness of challenge within that meeting. I'm more than happy to come to this place and answer questions, and I don't find that a troubling thing to do; I'm more than happy to do so. But, I want to think about a way in which we can not stifle debate and challenge within that meeting, but at the same time make sure that Members are aware that that is genuinely taking place.
On the broader point about time frame and evaluation that you asked about at several points, as I said to Angela Burns, there'll be a time frame and evaluation for each bid that goes into the fund. It's part of what'll be tested before any project for the transformation fund is approved, and I won't set an artificial time frame for that evaluation to take place. Not only will I expect there to be an evaluation framework within there, but of course that will inform any choice made about successful or unsuccessful. And I would expect to make that available, or information from that evaluation available, when choices are then made about whether to continue and to promote that as a project to be mainstreamed, or indeed if the choice is not to continue with that.
Because all of us in this room are aware, in our variety of roles, and will get lobbied constantly about different projects that are working where people are saying, 'This is a great project. You must support it.' There is often, even in an unsuccessful project, much that is of value and learning that people want to continue with, but we have to make a choice about what not to do that stops us from doing things that are potentially of greater value to the whole system. So, yes, I want to find a way to make sure that evaluation information is available to help support those decisions.
On your broader points about where we are, look: I recognise that change in the national health service is difficult, and, yes, there has been a Labour Minister in this position over the last 18 years, including of course during the One Wales Government, so we've all seen the challenges and difficulties over time of delivering health and care in Wales—in times in the first half of devolution when there was more money, and in the second half of devolution when coping with austerity. What is different now is we don't have money to avoid a process of change. We have rising demand that we could anticipate 20 years ago, but that demand is now at a point where it could overtop our system, so there is real responsibility on all of us in a leadership position to actually enable change to happen.
That doesn't mean we all need to agree. You can have unity of purpose without unanimity on every single question and choice to make. But I do think that each of us needs to recognise that there are voices in all parties against change. As I've said before in this place, I recognise there are people in my party who do not want to see change happen when it is difficult at a local level, and there's no point pretending otherwise. But it's my job in this position to try to make sure that our system has the leadership it requires, and has the opportunities to enable and support it to make choices to genuinely change the way in which we deliver health and social care. I am determined to do that and I look forward to a grown-up and mature response from every party in this Chamber to allow us to do that. That does not mean that there won't be challenge, but it took courage and change from people in all parties to create the Parliament here in the first place and we now need to demonstrate that same courage, leadership and maturity in delivering and driving genuine change throughout health and social care here in Wales.
Diolch i chi am eich sylwadau a'ch cwestiynau. Wrth gwrs, rwy'n cytuno â chi bod newid yn cymryd dewrder, ond pan fyddwn yn meddwl am y cwestiynau yr ydych wedi'u gofyn, rwy'n fodlon ailadrodd y sylwadau wrth Helen Mary Jones a wnes i wrth Angela Burns hefyd: atebais fod y £30 miliwn ar gyfer byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol yn wir yn arian newydd.
Fe ddylwn i hefyd groesawu Helen Mary Jones i'w swyddogaeth newydd yn y tymor Cynulliad hwn yn llefarydd Plaid Cymru. Rwy'n siŵr y cawn ni lawer o gyfleoedd i siarad yn hir yn y Siambr hon a'r tu allan.
Dim ond i ymdrin â'ch pwynt am y nodiadau cyfarfod, mae'n rhannol yn ymwneud â phroses, a chredaf hefyd ei fod yn rhannol yn ymwneud ag eisiau bod yn agored, ond ni fyddwn i'n dymuno mygu cadernid yr her yn y cyfarfod hwnnw. Rwy'n fwy na pharod i ddod i'r fan yma ac ateb cwestiynau, a dydw i ddim yn ystyried hynny'n beth anodd ei wneud; rwy'n fwy na pharod i wneud hynny. Ond hoffwn feddwl am ffordd y gallwn ni beidio â mygu dadl a her yn y cyfarfod hwnnw, ond ar yr un pryd gwneud yn siŵr bod Aelodau yn ymwybodol bod hynny'n digwydd mewn gwirionedd.
Ar y pwynt ehangach am amserlen a gwerthuso y gwnaethoch chi ofyn amdanyn nhw sawl gwaith, fel y dywedais wrth Angela Burns, bydd yna amserlen a gwerthusiad ar gyfer pob cais sy'n cael ei gyflwyno i'r gronfa. Mae'n rhan o'r hyn y caiff profion eu cynnal arno cyn cymeradwyo unrhyw brosiect ar gyfer y gronfa trawsnewid, ac ni fyddaf yn pennu amserlen artiffisial i'r gwerthusiad hwnnw ddigwydd oddi mewn iddi. Byddaf yn disgwyl nid yn unig i fframwaith gwerthuso fod ar waith, ond wrth gwrs bydd hynny'n sail i unrhyw ddewis a wneir ynghylch a yw'r prosiect yn llwyddiannus neu'n aflwyddiannus. A byddwn yn disgwyl sicrhau bod hwnnw ar gael, neu fod gwybodaeth o'r gwerthusiad hwnnw ar gael, pan wneir dewisiadau wedyn ynghylch p'un ai i barhau ac i hyrwyddo hwnnw fel prosiect i'w brif ffrydio, neu yn wir os mai'r dewis yw peidio â pharhau â hynny.
Oherwydd, mae pob un ohonom ni yn yr ystafell hon yn ymwybodol, yn ein swyddogaethau amrywiol, a byddwn yn cael ein lobïo yn gyson am wahanol brosiectau sy'n gweithio pan fo pobl yn dweud, 'Mae hwn yn brosiect gwych. Mae'n rhaid i chi ei gefnogi.' Yn aml, hyd yn oed mewn prosiect aflwyddiannus, mae llawer sy'n werthfawr a gwersi a ddysgwyd y mae pobl eisiau parhau â nhw, ond mae'n rhaid inni wneud dewis ynghylch yr hyn i beidio â gwneud sy'n ein hatal rhag gwneud pethau a allai fod o fwy o werth i'r system gyfan. Felly, ydw, rwyf eisiau dod o hyd i ffordd o wneud yn siŵr bod gwybodaeth werthuso ar gael i helpu i gefnogi'r penderfyniadau hynny.
Ynglŷn â'ch pwyntiau ehangach o ran ble yr ydym ni arni, edrychwch: rwy'n cydnabod bod newid yn y gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol yn anodd, ac, oes, mae Gweinidog Llafur wedi bod yn y swydd hon dros y 18 mlynedd diwethaf, gan gynnwys wrth gwrs yn ystod Llywodraeth Cymru'n Un, felly rydym ni i gyd wedi gweld yr heriau a'r anawsterau dros amser o ddarparu iechyd a gofal yng Nghymru—ar adegau yn ystod hanner cyntaf datganoli pan roedd mwy o arian, ac yn ystod ail hanner datganoli wrth ymdopi â chyni. Beth sy'n wahanol yn awr yw nad oes gennym ni arian i osgoi proses o newid. Mae gennym ni alw cynyddol y gallem ni ei ragweld 20 mlynedd yn ôl, ond mae'r galw hwnnw bellach wedi cyrraedd y graddau lle y gallai orlifo ein system, felly mae cyfrifoldeb gwirioneddol ar bob un ohonom ni mewn sefyllfa o arweinyddiaeth i alluogi i newid ddigwydd mewn gwirionedd.
Nid yw hynny'n golygu bod angen inni i gyd gytuno. Gallwch gael undod pwrpas heb unfrydedd ar bob cwestiwn unigol a dewis i'w wneud. Ond rwyf yn credu bod angen i bob un ohonom ni gydnabod bod lleisiau ym mhob plaid yn erbyn newid. Fel yr wyf wedi dweud o'r blaen yn y lle hwn, rwy'n cydnabod fod pobl yn fy mhlaid nad ydyn nhw eisiau gweld newid yn digwydd pan mae'n anodd yn lleol, ac nid oes diben cymryd arnom ni fel arall. Ond fy ngwaith i yn y swyddogaeth hon yw ceisio gwneud yn siŵr bod gan ein system yr arweinyddiaeth ofynnol, a'r cyfleoedd i'w galluogi a'i chynorthwyo i wneud dewisiadau i wirioneddol newid y ffordd yr ydym ni'n darparu iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Rwy'n benderfynol o wneud hynny, ac edrychaf ymlaen at gael ymateb aeddfed gan bob plaid yn y Siambr hon i ganiatáu inni i wneud hynny. Nid yw hynny'n golygu na fydd yna her, ond roedd angen dewrder a newid gan bobl o bob plaid i greu'r Senedd yma yn y lle cyntaf ac mae angen inni yn awr ddangos yr un dewrder, arweinyddiaeth ac aeddfedrwydd wrth ddarparu ac ysgogi newid gwirioneddol drwy'r maes iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yma yng Nghymru.
I want to start by being perhaps uncharacteristically generous towards the Cabinet Secretary for health, because I recognise, having been in politics a very long time, that the health service is not always benefited by the party political dogfight, and the constant change and reversal of change that I've witnessed in the course of the last 30 or 40 years has often been an impediment to improvement rather than a spur to it. So, I welcome the approach that the Cabinet Secretary has brought to this, and I think it's an area where we're all aware of the potential problems that the health service has, in terms of funding, an ageing population, the diagnosis of new conditions that can be treated, et cetera, et cetera. And I believe there is a genuine opportunity here for us, without abandoning the combative democratic scrutiny that we're elected to carry out on the Government, to work together in the same direction, and, without abandoning challenge, to do it in a way that is constructive.
I do believe that the announcements that have been made so far—for example, the Cardiff and Vale partnership board proposal for Get Me Home Plus, which the Cabinet Secretary announced last week, is a genuine improvement in the way we do things, getting people discharged from hospital earlier and then for their needs to be assessed in their own homes, so that we can take advantage of the way their homes are adapted in order to improve their process of recovery, et cetera. That is going to be a very, very helpful thing and I do think that, in the statement, the Cabinet Secretary's to be applauded for the realistic tone that he has adopted, in particular saying that, whilst the transformation fund has attracted much interest, it must be a core activity for all health and social care organisations. I particularly approve of him saying that, ultimately, it would not be the £100 million transformation fund, but the £9 billion of core funding that our health and social services receive each year that will deliver that transformation. I think that sense of realism is vitally important because there are almost impossible challenges that lie ahead. Michael Trickey wrote, two years or so ago, in his document, 'Closing the health and social care funding gap in Wales', that
'Improving productivity and efficiency will be an essential part of the mix....To make a real difference through improved efficiency and productivity, Wales has to outperform historic productivity improvement rates.'
That is going to be a significant challenge. Perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can devote a little time today to exploring the options in some of these areas. For example, we know that accident and emergency admissions in hospitals have gone up from 980,000 in 2010-11 to 1,030,000 in 2017-18. Part of that is because people can't get to see a doctor at times of their own choosing. That's an area where there needs to be improvement as well because, in 2012, 15 per cent of people said that they were unable to get a GP appointment at the time of their own choosing; that's gone up to 24 per cent in 2018. In fact, it's 27 per cent in urban areas. So, that's obviously a significant challenge.
Dementia is a growing problem. Again, there's a 48 per cent rise in the figure compared with eight years ago, and it's believed that as many people are undiagnosed again as those who have been diagnosed. Cancer diagnoses have doubled. Diabetes is up by a third. More prescriptions are written in Wales than any other UK nation at 28.3 per year. Is there scope there by tweaking the system to reduce the cost imposed upon the health service, which precludes us from spending the money in other, perhaps more productive, ways? NHS equipment has been in the news again recently as well. In Cardiff, for example, 10,000 walking aids are handed out every year, but 40 per cent of those are not returned to the health service when they're no longer needed. So, savings are going to be an important part of the mix.
Of course, the more collaborative working processes that we're talking about today are an essential element in achieving those productivity improvements and I appreciate that at the early stages of this programme it's very difficult to be specific. Reading the 'A Healthier Wales' document, the start, it's full of management speak, which I fully understand, and its aspiration, and we need to deliver and delivery will take time. So, perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can just add a little more to what he said in the statement already on that.
Rwyf eisiau dechrau drwy fod efallai yn annodweddiadol o hael tuag at Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros iechyd, oherwydd rwy'n cydnabod, wedi bod mewn gwleidyddiaeth am amser hir iawn, nad yw'r gwasanaeth iechyd bob amser wedi elwa o ysgarmes y pleidiau gwleidyddol, ac mae'r newid a'r dadnewid cyson yr wyf i wedi bod tystio iddo yn ystod y 30 neu 40 mlynedd diwethaf yn aml wedi bod yn rhwystr i wella yn hytrach nag yn gymhelliant. Felly, rwy'n croesawu'r ffordd y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn mynd i'r afael â hyn, ac rwy'n credu ei fod yn faes lle rydym ni i gyd yn ymwybodol o'r problemau posibl sydd gan y gwasanaeth iechyd, o ran cyllid, poblogaeth sy'n heneiddio, y diagnosis o gyflyrau newydd y gellir eu trin, ac ati, ac ati. Ac rwy'n credu bod cyfle gwirioneddol yn y fan yma i ni, heb roi'r gorau i'r craffu democrataidd brwd ar y Llywodraeth yr ydym ni wedi ein hethol i'w gyflawni, i weithio gyda'n gilydd i'r perwyl hwnnw, ac, heb roi'r gorau i herio, i wneud hynny mewn ffordd sy'n adeiladol.
Rwyf yn credu bod y cyhoeddiadau a wnaethpwyd hyd yn hyn—er enghraifft, cynnig bwrdd partneriaeth Caerdydd a'r Fro ar gyfer Get Me Home Plus, a gyhoeddwyd gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yr wythnos ddiwethaf, yn welliant gwirioneddol yn y ffordd yr ydym ni'n gwneud pethau, sicrhau bod pobl yn cael eu rhyddhau o'r ysbyty yn gynharach ac wedyn i'w hanghenion gael eu hasesu yn eu cartrefi eu hunain, fel y gallwn ni fanteisio ar y ffordd y caiff eu cartrefi eu haddasu fel eu bod yn gwella ynghynt, ac ati. Mae hynny'n mynd i fod yn beth defnyddiol iawn, iawn a chredaf, yn y datganiad, bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet i'w ganmol am yr agwedd realistig y mae wedi ei mabwysiadu, yn arbennig am ddweud, er bod y gronfa trawsnewid wedi denu llawer o ddiddordeb, bod yn rhaid iddo fod yn weithgaredd craidd ar gyfer pob sefydliad iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Rwy'n cymeradwyo yn arbennig ei fod yn dweud, yn y pen draw, nad y gronfa trawsnewid £100 miliwn, ond y £9 biliwn o gyllid craidd a gaiff ein gwasanaethau iechyd a'n gwasanaethau cymdeithasol bob blwyddyn a fydd yn cyflawni'r trawsnewid hwnnw. Rwy'n credu bod yr ymdeimlad hwnnw o realaeth yn hanfodol bwysig, oherwydd mae heriau amhosibl bron o'n blaenau. Ysgrifennodd Michael Trickey, dwy flynedd neu yn ôl, yn ei ddogfen, 'Closing the health and social care funding gap in Wales'
y byddai gwella cynhyrchiant ac effeithlonrwydd yn rhan hanfodol o hyn, ac er mwyn gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol drwy wella effeithlonrwydd a chynhyrchiant, mae'n rhaid i Gymru'n perfformio'n well na'r cyfraddau gwella cynhyrchiant hanesyddol.
Mae hynny'n mynd i fod yn her sylweddol. Efallai y gall Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet neilltuo ychydig o amser heddiw i edrych ar y dewisiadau yn rhai o'r meysydd hyn. Er enghraifft, rydym ni'n gwybod bod pobl sy'n mynd i'r ysbyty oherwydd damweiniau ac achosion brys wedi codi o 980,000 yn 2010-11 i 1,030,000 yn 2017-18. Rhan o hynny yw oherwydd na all pobl fynd i weld meddyg ar adeg o'u dewis eu hun. Mae hwnnw'n faes y mae angen ei wella hefyd oherwydd, yn 2012, dywedodd 15 y cant o bobl nad oedden nhw'n gallu cael apwyntiad meddyg teulu ar amser o'u dewis; mae hynny wedi cynyddu i 24 y cant yn 2018. Yn wir, mae'n 27 y cant mewn ardaloedd trefol. Felly, mae hynny'n amlwg yn her sylweddol.
Mae dementia yn broblem gynyddol. Unwaith eto, mae cynnydd o 48 y cant yn y ffigur o'i gymharu ag wyth mlynedd yn ôl, a chredir bod cymaint â hynny o bobl heb gael diagnosis eto â'r rhai sydd wedi cael diagnosis. Mae diagnosis o ganser wedi dyblu. Mae diabetes wedi cynnyddu wrth un rhan o dair. Ysgrifennir mwy o bresgripsiynau yng Nghymru nag yn unrhyw wlad arall yn y DU sef 28.3 y flwyddyn. A oes modd yn hynny o beth addasu'r system i leihau'r gost a orfodir ar y gwasanaeth iechyd, sy'n ein hatal rhag gwario'r arian mewn ffyrdd eraill, ffyrdd mwy cynhyrchiol efallai? Mae offer y GIG wedi bod yn y newyddion unwaith eto yn ddiweddar hefyd. Yng Nghaerdydd, er enghraifft, dosberthir 10,000 o gymhorthion cerdded bob blwyddyn, ond ni chaiff 40 y cant o'r rhai hynny eu dychwelyd i'r gwasanaeth iechyd pan na fo'u hangen mwyach. Felly, mae arbedion yn mynd i fod yn rhan bwysig o hynny.
Wrth gwrs, mae'r prosesau gweithio mwy cydweithredol yr ydym ni'n sôn amdanyn nhw heddiw yn elfen hanfodol o gyflawni'r gwelliannau cynhyrchiant hynny ac rwy'n sylweddoli ei bod hi'n anodd iawn i fod yn benodol yn ystod camau cynnar y rhaglen hon. O ddarllen y ddogfen 'Cymru Iachach', mae'r dechrau yn llawn o iaith rheoli, yr wyf yn ei ddeall yn llwyr, a'r uchelgais, ac mae angen inni gyflawni, a bydd cyflawni yn cymryd amser. Felly, efallai y gallai Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ychwanegu ychydig mwy i'r hyn a ddywedodd yn y datganiad eisoes ynglŷn â hynny.
Thank you for the uncharacteristic generosity that I recognise in your comments. I think the point that you're making about efficiency and about how we gain greater value and productivity, they matter. There's something about doing some things differently, doing them more efficiently, but there's also something in transformation about doing different things as well. And we need to be able to do both of those and judge when we need to do either one.
So, for example, you talked about prescriptions. Well, actually, prescription growth has been slower in Wales since the free prescription policy than it has been in England where people pay for prescriptions, which is an unusual fact—it's counterintuitive—but that's the reality of what has happened. So, people are already making choices about what to prescribe. And, actually, in Wales, we've had a national approach to prescribing on using biosimilars—so, not having branded products, but products where there is exactly the same efficacy and safety for the citizen. So, we've actually taken a national approach and made real financial savings.
But that isn't just the only part of what we have to do. There's a large part of this that is about how we just do different things. Your point about access to accident and emergency and the figures going up, well, of course, access to primary care is part of that story. I don't think it's the whole story, actually. It does, though, partly reinforce why we need to transform primary care to make sure we have GPs working in deliberate partnerships with other healthcare professionals, and not simply as a response to challenges in recruiting general practitioners in different parts of the country, but, actually, in every part of the country it's the right thing to do. It's a better job for the GP, a better job for the physio, for the nurse, and the pharmacist and the occupational therapist that will work with them and, ultimately, a better service for the member of the public, and people will get faster access to the right person. That is also the same reason why we want to have a genuinely more joined up partnership with social care as well. Most GPs will tell you that lots of the people who come through their doors to see them have social problems and not, really, health or medical problems for them to deal with. So, that partnership really does matter.
The point about demand coming into our system—we've rehearsed this many times about the age of our population, about the additional public health challenges we have, about dementia as a particular challenge that we face now and in the future as well. It reinforces why we need to do some things in a different way, but actually to do different things too. So, our 'hear and treat' services and our 'see and treat' services are not just about keeping people out of hospital, they're actually about that being a better way to deliver that care for the person. You'll deliver more local care that is more appropriate for that person and give them a better experience too, and there's actually less risk for that person in making sure they don't have an unnecessary trip to a hospital. That's why we have to have a different conversation about value. It's partly about prudent healthcare and about the value base of what we're doing, and what value are we gaining by spending money and using resources in a different way to provide better care and not just technically more efficient care.
Of course, I look forward to having this conversation in committee during the budget. I'm sure that we'll get asked plenty of questions about this by committee members, but, throughout the life of this plan, it actually underpins much of what we want to do and how we'll actually have a system that is in balance, that is financially sustainable, and is delivering high-quality healthcare to meet the challenges of today and the future.
Diolch i chi am yr haelioni annodweddiadol yr wyf yn ei gydnabod yn eich sylwadau. Credaf fod y pwynt yr ydych chi'n ei wneud am effeithlonrwydd ac am sut yr ydym ni'n cael mwy o werth a chynhyrchiant, maen nhw'n bwysig. Mae rhywbeth ynghylch gwneud rhai pethau'n wahanol, eu gwneud yn fwy effeithlon, ond mae hefyd rhywbeth ym maes trawsnewid ynghylch gwneud pethau gwahanol hefyd. Ac mae angen inni allu gwneud y ddau beth yma a barnu pryd y mae angen inni wneud y naill neu'r llall.
Felly, er enghraifft, fe wnaethoch chi sôn am bresgripsiynau. Wel, mewn gwirionedd, mae twf presgripsiynau wedi bod yn arafach yng Nghymru ers y polisi presgripsiynau am ddim nag y bu yn Lloegr lle mae pobl yn talu am bresgripsiynau, sy'n ffaith anarferol—mae'n groes i'r disgwyl—ond dyna realiti'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd. Felly, mae pobl eisoes yn gwneud dewisiadau ynghylch beth i'w roi ar bresgripsiwn. Ac, mewn gwirionedd, yng Nghymru, rydym ni wedi bod â dull cenedlaethol o roi cynhyrchion meddyginiaethol biolegol ar bresgripsiwn sydd bron yn union yr un fath â chynnyrch tebyg—felly, nid bod â chynhyrchion brand, ond cynhyrchion sydd yn union mor effeithlon a diogel i'r dinesydd. Felly, rydym ni, mewn gwirionedd, wedi defnyddio dull cenedlaethol ac wedi gwneud arbedion ariannol gwirioneddol.
Ond nid dyna'r unig ran o'r hyn sydd gennym ni i'w wneud. Mae rhan fawr o hyn ynghylch sut yr ydym ni'n gwneud gwahanol bethau. Mae eich sylw ynghylch mynediad i adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys a'r ffigurau yn codi, wel, wrth gwrs, mae mynediad i ofal sylfaenol yn rhan o'r stori honno. Dydw i ddim yn credu mai dyna'r stori gyfan, mewn gwirionedd. Mae yn, er hyn, yn rhannol yn atgyfnerthu pam mae angen inni drawsnewid gofal sylfaenol i sicrhau bod gennym ni feddygon teulu yn gweithio mewn partneriaethau bwriadol gyda gweithwyr proffesiynol gofal iechyd eraill, ac nid dim ond fel ymateb i heriau o ran recriwtio meddygon teulu mewn gwahanol rannau o'r wlad, ond, mewn gwirionedd, ym mhob rhan o'r wlad, dyma'r peth cywir i'w wneud. Mae'n swydd well ar gyfer y meddyg teulu, yn swydd well ar gyfer y ffisiotherapydd, y nyrs, a'r fferyllydd a'r therapydd galwedigaethol a fydd yn gweithio gyda nhw ac, yn y pen draw, yn wasanaeth gwell ar gyfer yr aelod o'r cyhoedd, a bydd pobl yn cael gweld y person cywir yn gyflymach. Dyna yr un rheswm hefyd pam ein bod eisiau cael partneriaeth wirioneddol fwy cydgysylltiedig â gofal cymdeithasol hefyd. Bydd y rhan fwyaf o feddygon teulu yn dweud wrthych chi bod gan lawer o'r bobl sy'n dod drwy eu drysau i'w gweld broblemau cymdeithasol ac nid, mewn gwirionedd, broblemau iechyd neu broblemau meddygol iddynt ymdrin â nhw. Felly, mae'r bartneriaeth honno yn bwysig iawn.
Y sylw am y galw sydd ar y system—rydym ni wedi trafod hyn droeon am oedran ein poblogaeth, am yr heriau iechyd cyhoeddus ychwanegol sydd gennym ni, am ddementia fel her arbennig sy'n ein hwynebu ni nawr ac yn y dyfodol hefyd. Mae'n atgyfnerthu pam mae angen i wneud rhai pethau mewn ffordd wahanol, ond mewn gwirionedd i wneud pethau gwahanol hefyd. Felly, mae ein gwasanaethau 'clywed a thrin' a'n gwasanaethau 'gweld a thrin' nid yn unig yn cadw pobl allan o'r ysbyty, maen nhw mewn gwirionedd ynghylch bod hynny'n ffordd well o ddarparu'r gofal hwnnw i'r person. Byddwch chi'n darparu rhagor o ofal lleol sy'n fwy priodol i'r person hwnnw a rhoi gwell profiad iddyn nhw hefyd, ac mae llai o risg, mewn gwirionedd, ar gyfer y person hwnnw o ran gwneud yn siŵr nad oes unrhyw daith ddiangen i'r ysbyty. Dyna pam mae'n rhaid inni gael sgwrs wahanol ynghylch gwerth. Mae'n rhannol ynghylch gofal iechyd darbodus a sylfaen gwerth yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud, a pha werth a gawn ni drwy wario arian a defnyddio adnoddau mewn ffordd wahanol er mwyn darparu gofal gwell ac nid gofal sy'n fwy effeithlon yn dechnegol.
Wrth gwrs, edrychaf ymlaen at gael y sgwrs hon yn y pwyllgor yn ystod y gyllideb. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd digon o gwestiynau yn cael eu gofyn inni am hyn gan aelodau'r pwyllgor, ond, drwy gydol oes y cynllun hwn, mae mewn gwirionedd yn sylfaen i lawer o'r hyn yr ydym ni eisiau ei wneud a sut y bydd gennym ni, mewn gwirionedd, system sy'n gytbwys, sy'n gynaliadwy yn ariannol, ac sy'n darparu gofal iechyd o ansawdd uchel i fodloni heriau heddiw a'r dyfodol.
Daeth Joyce Watson i’r Gadair.
Joyce Watson took the Chair.
I'm delighted by your statement, particularly by your recognition that this is not just about £100 million, it is about the £9 billion that we currently spend on the health service, because if we're going to deliver 'A Healthier Wales' we are going to need to transform the whole service. Cardiff and the Vale is an excellent example of how it would be possible to simply suck all the resources into hospital care as the hospital consultants are very powerful, so I'm delighted that Cardiff and the Vale have embraced the Canterbury experience, which indicates that it is possible to reverse trends in terms of more and more elderly people ending up in hospital, when, in fact, with better community support, they could be staying at home, which is obviously what people want. So, I'm very keen to hear more about Me, My Home, My Community and what outcomes we're going to be measuring to ensure that this is the right model that we could be rolling out to others.
We learnt from the Canterbury, New Zealand, model that it has slowed demand for acute care, but that it takes time—it doesn't happen overnight. One of the things that Canterbury has is the 'one system, one budget' mantra. So, how has that approach got on with being developed in regional partnership boards? I appreciate it's work in progress. And where does Buurtzorg sit in this, which is obviously neighbourhood care pioneered by the Dutch? So, in my mind, the spotlight can't just be on the transformation fund, it has to be on the whole-system approach to this, because simply throwing more money at pharmaceutical companies isn't going to actually transform the health of our nation.
I'm particularly interested in some of the social prescribing that is being pioneered in the south-west cluster of Cardiff, which I'd love to see being developed in my constituency, active ageing programmes, things to reduce loneliness and isolation through referring people to gardening projects, and something called the Grow Well project in south-west Cardiff. It would be fantastic if we could see that sort of thing going on in other parts of the city.
The east Cardiff cluster was established as an informal system by the east Cardiff, Llanedeyrn and Pentwyn Communities First, but of course that has now ended. So, I wonder what intelligence you're able to share with us about how well that sort of social prescribing is moving forward in the absence of these Communities First programmes?
Rwyf wrth fy modd â'ch datganiad, yn enwedig eich bod yn cydnabod nad yw hyn dim ond am £100 miliwn, mae am y £9 biliwn yr ydym ni'n ei wario ar y gwasanaeth iechyd ar hyn o bryd, oherwydd os ydym ni'n mynd i gyflawni 'Cymru Iachach' mae angen inni drawsnewid y gwasanaeth cyfan. Mae Caerdydd a'r Fro yn enghraifft ardderchog o sut y byddai'n bosibl i lyncu'r holl adnoddau i ofal mewn ysbyty gan fod meddygon ymgynghorol ysbytai yn bwerus iawn, felly rwy'n falch iawn bod Caerdydd a'r Fro wedi croesawu'r profiad yn Canterbury, sy'n dangos ei bod hi'n bosibl gwrthdroi tueddiadau o ran mwy a mwy o bobl oedrannus yn mynd i ysbyty, pan, mewn gwirionedd, gyda chymorth gwell yn y gymuned, fe allen nhw fod yn aros yn y cartref, sydd yn amlwg yr hyn y mae pobl ei eisiau. Felly, rwy'n awyddus iawn i glywed mwy am Fi, Fy Nghartref, Fy Nghymuned a pha ganlyniadau yr ydym ni'n mynd i fod yn eu mesur i sicrhau mai hwn yw'r model cywir y gallem ni fod yn ei gyflwyno i eraill.
Fe wnaethom ni ddysgu gan fodel Canterbury, Seland Newydd, ei fod wedi arafu'r galw am ofal acíwt, ond ei bod yn cymryd amser—nid yw'n digwydd dros nos. Un o'r pethau sydd gan Canterbury yw'r mantra 'un system, un gyllideb'. Felly, sut y mae'r dull hwnnw wedi ei ddatblygu mewn byrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol? Rwy'n gwerthfawrogi bod y gwaith yn dal i fod ar y gweill. A lle mae Buurtzorg yn rhan o hyn, sy'n amlwg yn ofal cymdogaeth a arloeswyd gan bobl yr Iseldiroedd? Felly, yn fy marn i, ni all y chwyddwydr fod ar y gronfa trawsnewid yn unig, mae'n rhaid iddo fod ar yr ymagwedd system gyfan at hyn, oherwydd dydy taflu mwy o arian at gwmnïau fferyllol ddim yn mynd i drawsnewid iechyd ein cenedl mewn gwirionedd.
Mae gennyf ddiddordeb arbennig mewn rhai o'r presgripsiynau cymdeithasol sy'n cael eu harloesi yng nghlwstwr de-orllewin Caerdydd, a byddwn wrth fy modd yn eu gweld yn cael eu datblygu yn fy etholaeth i, rhaglenni egnïol wrth heneiddio, pethau i leihau unigrwydd ac arwahanrwydd drwy gyfeirio pobl at brosiectau garddio, a rhywbeth o'r enw'r prosiect Tyfu'n Dda yn ne-orllewin Caerdydd. Byddai'n wych pe gallem ni weld y math hwnnw o beth yn digwydd yn rhannau eraill y ddinas.
Sefydlwyd clwstwr dwyrain Caerdydd fel system anffurfiol gan Cymunedau yn Gyntaf dwyrain Caerdydd, Llanedern a Phentwyn, ond wrth gwrs mae hwnnw wedi dod i ben bellach. Felly, tybed pa wybodaeth a allwch chi ei rhannu gyda ni ynghylch pa mor dda y mae'r math hwnnw o bresgripsiynau cymdeithasol yn datblygu yn absenoldeb y rhaglenni Cymunedau yn Gyntaf hyn?
Thank you for the comments and questions. I'll deal with the specific points about Buurtzorg and social prescribing, and then I'll come back to the broader points about how we're moving forward, including your opening gambit.
On Buurtzorg, we have indeed invested additional money in training district nurses, looking at particular models of care, and that will, of course, feed into how we want to try and plan and deliver our services. It’s also worth mentioning that district and community nursing is an area that, of course, the chief nurse is looking at in working on whether we can extend the nurse staffing impact to understand that that's an innovation that’s already available and the principles that have already been delivered as well. District nurses are actually really important in keeping people in their own home and getting them back to their own home as well. So, we should never underestimate the importance of district nurses, and yet we rarely talk about them in this Chamber.
On your point about social prescribing, actually, when you look at a number of the projects that we have going on across the health service, social prescribing is a much more important feature of that. In some of the money that I announced on mental health and social prescribing, all of them have the direct link between social prescribing and mental health—every single one of those projects and partnerships that I've already given funding to over the last year. Not only that, though, but if you look at Me, My Home, My Community, the first project under the transformation fund, that has social prescribing as one of the seven elements to it. If you look at the Cwmtawe cluster approach that I've announced today, that too has social prescribing as part of it as well. So, we're looking to develop the evidence base for social prescribing, and in each one of the areas of Wales that you look at, you will see social prescribing as a deliberate attempt for the health service to work together with the care service and, of course, with the third sector and the citizen to understand how we help them.
Now, on your broader point about the Canterbury system, it's been interesting, of course, that Cardiff and Vale have taken inspiration from that. They have a settlement and an agreement over time on what to do to so they had consistency in approach. And the Me, My Home, My Community approach builds on Canterbury, but equally, when I was at the launch of this event, people from Canterbury were there and they were looking for things that they, too, could learn and take back to Canterbury. So, it is a genuine learning opportunity that goes in both directions. They're actually impressed by the unity of purpose and vision that are being delivered across health and social care. So, we should take some positives from what our staff are actually doing and delivering, now they have the opportunity to work deliberately together.
Much of the Get Me Home and Get Me Home Plus scheme that you see within the Cardiff and Vale Me, My Home, My Community, looks very similar to what’s happened in Cwm Taf with their partners in social care with the 'stay well at home' scheme, which, of course, was what I and the Minister visited on the day we launched 'A Healthier Wales', and they were the big winner in this year’s NHS Wales awards, too—a partnership between health and local government. That really is the future. That’s why we’ve placed so much emphasis on regional partnership boards. Where we’re getting the greatest gain and the greatest value is where people are deliberately working with each other, within the health system, the join-up between hospitals and community services and, even more importantly, the join-up between the health and the social care system and, indeed, the citizen. It’s a deliberate direction of travel, and we will only do it if our partners are able to sit in the same room and they want the same priorities for the same citizen.
Diolch ichi am y sylwadau a'r cwestiynau. Fe wnaf i ymdrin â'r pwyntiau penodol am Buurtzorg a phresgripsiyanu cymdeithasol, ac wedyn fe ddof yn ôl at y pwyntiau ehangach ynghylch sut yr ydym ni'n symud ymlaen, gan gynnwys eich sylw agoriadol.
Ynglŷn â Buurtzorg, rydym ni yn wir wedi buddsoddi arian ychwanegol mewn hyfforddiant nyrsys ardal, gan edrych ar fodelau penodol o ofal, a bydd hynny, wrth gwrs, yn cyfrannu at sut yr ydym ni eisiau ceisio cynllunio a darparu ein gwasanaethau. Mae'n werth sôn hefyd bod nyrsio ardal a chymunedol yn faes, wrth gwrs, y mae'r prif nyrs yn ei ystyried o ran a allwn ni ymestyn effaith staff nyrsio i ddeall bod hwnnw yn arloesi sydd eisoes ar gael a'r egwyddorion sydd eisoes wedi'u sicrhau hefyd. Mae nyrsys ardal yn bwysig iawn mewn gwirionedd o ran cadw pobl yn eu cartrefi eu hunain a'u dychwelyd i'w cartrefi eu hunain hefyd. Felly, ni ddylem ni fyth danbrisio pwysigrwydd nyrsys ardal, ac eto anaml iawn y byddwn yn sôn amdanynt yn y Siambr hon.
Ynglŷn â'ch sylw ynghylch presgripsiynau cymdeithasol, mewn gwirionedd, pan edrychwch chi ar nifer y prosiectau sydd gennym ni ar waith yn y gwasanaeth iechyd, mae presgripsiynau cymdeithasol yn nodwedd llawer mwy pwysig o hynny. Yn rhywfaint o'r arian a gyhoeddais ar iechyd meddwl a phresgripsiynau cymdeithasol, mae gan bob un ohonyn nhw gysylltiad uniongyrchol rhwng presgripsiynau cymdeithasol ac iechyd meddwl—pob un o'r prosiectau a'r partneriaethau hynny yr wyf i eisoes wedi rhoi arian iddyn nhw dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. Nid dim ond hynny, chwaith, ond os edrychwch chi ar Fi, Fy Nghartref, Fy Nghymuned, y prosiect cyntaf o dan y gronfa trawsnewid, mae presgripsiynau cymdeithasol yn un o'r saith elfen iddo. Os edrychwch chi ar ddull clwstwr Cwmtawe o weithio, yr wyf wedi sôn amdano heddiw, mae presgripsiynau cymdeithasol yn rhan o hynny hefyd. Felly, rydym ni'n bwriadu datblygu'r sail dystiolaeth ar gyfer presgripsiynau cymdeithasol, ac ym mhob un o'r ardaloedd yng Nghymru y byddwch chi'n edrych arnyn nhw, byddwch yn gweld presgripsiynau cymdeithasol yn ymgais fwriadol i'r gwasanaeth iechyd weithio gyda'r gwasanaeth gofal cymdeithasol ac, wrth gwrs, gyda'r trydydd sector a'r dinesydd i ddeall sut yr ydym ni'n eu helpu.
Nawr, o ran eich pwynt ehangach am y system yn Canterbury, mae wedi bod yn ddiddorol, wrth gwrs, y bu hynny yn ysbrydoliaeth i Gaerdydd a'r Fro. Mae ganddyn nhw setliad a chytundeb dros amser ar yr hyn i'w wneud fel bod cysondeb yn y dull. Ac mae'r Fi, Fy Nghartref, Fy Nghymuned yn datblygu ar yr hyn y maen nhw'n ei wneud yn Canterbury, ond yn yr un modd, pan oeddwn yn lansiad y digwyddiad hwn, roedd pobl o Canterbury yno ac roeddent yn chwilio am bethau y gallen nhw, hefyd, eu dysgu a mynd â nhw yn ôl i Canterbury. Felly, mae'n gyfle dysgu gwirioneddol sy'n gweithio'r ddwy ffordd. Mae'r undod pwrpas a gweledigaeth ym maes iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol wedi gwneud argraff dda arnyn nhw. Felly, dylem ni gymryd rhai pwyntiau cadarnhaol o'r hyn y mae ein staff ni yn ei wneud ac yn ei gyflawni, nawr bod ganddyn nhw'r cyfle i gydweithio'n fwriadol.
Mae llawer o'r cynllun Get Me Home a Get Me Home Plus yr ydych chi'n ei weld ym mhrosiect Fi, Fy Nghartref, Fy Nghymuned yng Nghaerdydd a'r Fro, yn debyg iawn i'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd yng Nghwm Taf gyda'u partneriaid mewn gofal cymdeithasol gyda'r cynllun 'stay well @ home', sef, wrth gwrs, y cynllun yr ymwelais i a'r Gweinidog ag ef ar y diwrnod y lansiwyd 'Cymru Iachach', a nhw oedd enillydd mawr gwobrau GIG Cymru eleni, hefyd—partneriaeth rhwng iechyd a llywodraeth leol. Dyna'r dyfodol mewn gwirionedd. Dyna pam yr ydym ni wedi rhoi cymaint o bwyslais ar fyrddau partneriaeth rhanbarthol. Rydym ni'n cael y budd mwyaf a'r gwerth mwyaf pan fo pobl yn fwriadol yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd, yn y system iechyd, y cydgysylltu rhwng ysbytai a gwasanaethau cymunedol, a hyd yn oed yn bwysicach, y cydgysylltu rhwng y system iechyd a'r system gofal cymdeithasol ac, yn wir, y dinesydd. Mae'n ffordd fwriadol o wneud pethau, a byddwn ni ond yn gwneud hynny os yw ein partneriaid yn gallu eistedd yn yr un ystafell a'u bod eisiau'r un blaenoriaethau ar gyfer yr un dinesydd.
Given that the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 code, too, requires the boards to work with people and communities to design and deliver services, what requirement will you, if any, be applying to your decisions regarding proposed spending to ensure that, for example, if this applies to the deaf community, the deaf community have been involved, or the autistic community, then for the autistic community to have been involved, or wheelchair users, and for wheelchair users to have been involved, or what have you, so that the real experts in the barriers that people encounter are addressed, rather than the well-meaning perceptions of people who are otherwise around the table but may not have personal experience?
O ystyried bod cod Deddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014, hefyd, yn ei gwneud hi'n ofynnol i'r byrddau weithio gyda phobl a chymunedau i gynllunio a darparu gwasanaethau, pa ofyniad fyddwch chi, os o gwbl, yn ei gymhwyso i'ch penderfyniadau o ran gwariant arfaethedig er mwyn sicrhau, er enghraifft, os yw hyn yn berthnasol i bobl fyddar, bod pobl fyddar wedi cymryd rhan, neu pobl awtistig, yna bod pobl awtistig wedi cymryd rhan, neu ddefnyddwyr cadeiriau olwyn, ac i ddefnyddwyr cadeiriau olwyn fod wedi cymryd rhan, neu beth bynnag, fel bod yr arbenigwyr go iawn yn y rhwystrau y mae pob yn eu hwynebu, yn hytrach na chanfyddiadau bwriadau da pobl sydd fel arall o amgylch y bwrdd ond nad oes ganddyn nhw brofiad personol o bosibl?
I recognise you mentioned particular points, yet I’m looking for the voice of the citizen, and the citizen isn’t one single person with one single characteristic, and I don’t want a narrow tick-box exercise so that people can tick off and say they’ve had a conversation with someone who has a particular characteristic. It is about how we serve the citizen and serve the community. So, in actually delivering a Get Me Home and Get Me Home Plus scheme and delivering the 'stay well at home' service, you have to look at that person in their context. So, if that person has sensory impairment, we have to understand how that impacts on their care choices, the information and communication that they will need, and that we actually understand what matters to them. If that person is a primary carer for another person—indeed, when we visited Doreen on the first day, her primary concern was not herself, actually; her primary concern when she broke her ankle was who was going to look after her husband, who was older than her and who she was the primary carer for. That was what she was most concerned about and why she didn't want to stay in hospital herself. So, it’s understanding her as a person, the context she was in, and not just seeing her as an old woman who needed to stay for a week in a hospital, to understand why it mattered to her to get her home quickly. And they built the support around her by understanding what mattered to her, and that's what we need to see. So, it isn't about saying, 'Have you spoken to this group, that group or another?', but to understand, if you're directing a service, for example learning disability services, whether you've directly engaged with people who take part in that service—not just the staff, but the citizen as well.
So, yes, that is what I would expect to see in each of the choices that I will make about the advice that I receive, to understand where the voice of the citizen is, how have their needs been taken account of, and, crucially, how we understand if we've made a difference. That comes back again through the evaluation points that have already been made by our colleague Angela Burns.
Rwy'n cydnabod eich bod wedi sôn am bwyntiau penodol, ac eto rwy'n edrych am lais y dinesydd, a dydy'r dinesydd ddim yn un person gydag un nodwedd, a dydw i ddim eisiau ymarfer ticio blychau cul fel bod pobl yn gallu ticio a dweud eu bod wedi cael sgwrs â rhywun sydd â nodwedd benodol. Mae'n ymwneud â sut yr ydym ni'n gwasanaethu'r dinesydd ac yn gwasanaethu'r gymuned. Felly, wrth gyflawni cynllun Get Me Home a Get Me Home Plus a darparu'r gwasanaeth 'stay well @ home', mae'n rhaid ichi edrych ar y person hwnnw yn ei gyd-destun. Felly, os oes gan y person hwnnw nam ar y synhwyrau, mae'n rhaid inni ddeall sut y mae hynny'n effeithio ar y dewisiadau gofal, yr wybodaeth a'r cyfathrebu y bydd eu hangen arno, a'n bod yn deall mewn gwirionedd beth sy'n bwysig iddo. Os yw'r person hwnnw yn brif ofalwr i rywun arall—yn wir, pan aethom i ymweld â Doreen ar y diwrnod cyntaf, nid hi ei hun oedd ei phrif bryder, mewn gwirionedd; ei phrif bryder pan dorrodd ei ffêr oedd pwy oedd yn mynd i ofalu am ei gŵr, a oedd yn hŷn na hi, a hi oedd ei brif ofalwr. Dyna'r prif beth yr oedd hi'n poeni amdano a dyna pam nad oedd hi eisiau aros yn yr ysbyty ei hun. Felly, ei deall hi fel person, ei chyd-destun hi, ac nid dim ond ei gweld fel hen wraig yr oedd angen iddi aros yn yr ysbyty am wythnos, deall pam yr oedd yn bwysig iddi hi i gael bod gartref yn gyflym. A datblygwyd y cymorth o'i hamgylch drwy ddeall beth oedd yn bwysig iddi hi, a dyna beth y mae angen inni ei weld. Felly, nid yw ynghylch dweud, 'A ydych chi wedi siarad â'r grŵp hwn, y grŵp yna neu un arall?', ond deall, os ydych chi'n cyfeirio gwasanaeth, er enghraifft gwasanaethau anabledd dysgu, p'un a ydych chi wedi ymgysylltu'n uniongyrchol â phobl sy'n cymryd rhan yn y gwasanaeth hwnnw—nid yn unig y staff, ond y dinesydd hefyd.
Felly, ie, dyna beth rwy'n disgwyl ei weld ym mhob un o'r dewisiadau y byddaf yn eu gwneud am y cyngor a gaf, i ddeall lle mae llais y dinesydd, sut y mae eu hanghenion wedi'u hystyried, ac, yn hollbwysig, sut yr ydym ni'n deall a ydym ni wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth. Daw hynny'n ôl eto drwy'r pwyntiau a wnaed eisoes am werthuso gan ein cyd-Aelod, Angela Burns.
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement. A lot of this has now been covered, so can I just bring you down to—it's a very simple point, actually, that I wanted to make? I've been doing a lot of work in my constituency around health and social care over the summer and into the autumn, and there is a clear suggestion that people don't always receive, certainly, the social care support that they think they should have. And although I'm treating that feedback with a little bit of caution at the moment, because I think that needs some further work, I do know that that is something that you're acutely aware of, and your £180 million announcement on the health and social care integration agenda is very much welcome in terms of moving us some way towards dealing with that whole-system approach to health and social care that clearly is the answer in the longer term.
In strengthening some of the new innovations that I've seen, and the people who I've been talking to, like the GP support officers and the community connectors, we've certainly got to continue improving the links between GPs, third sectors and local authority support. So, even at this early stage, could I ask that you give some consideration to whether greater consistency might help users to understand the innovation and change that's taking place at local level? I'll give you an example, and you and Jenny Rathbone have both alluded to this. I've been talking to GP support officers, I've been talking to social prescribers, I've been talking to community connectors, I've been talking to the virtual ward team, and by and large, they're mostly doing the same type of work. And while I accept that each of those innovations is slightly different, I do feel that some greater consistency in titles and terminology might help users to better understand what part of the service they're actually dealing with. Of course I appreciate that's probably very low down the order of your priorities in the wider scheme of things, but I do think it is important. Terminology is important and that people, when they're accessing the services, and when you're delivering the type of integrated care that we're looking at—that everybody understands that when they access that service, and when they are referred to a particular type of service, they are consistent in what they're getting and they know what they're getting in terms of the titles that people use.
Diolch ichi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, am eich datganiad. Mae llawer o hyn wedi ei drafod bellach, felly a gaf i ddod â chi at—mae'n bwynt syml iawn, mewn gwirionedd, yr oeddwn i eisiau ei wneud? Rwyf wedi bod yn gwneud llawer o waith yn fy etholaeth i ynghylch iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol dros yr haf a dechrau'r hydref, ac mae awgrym clir nad yw pobl bob amser yn cael, yn sicr, y cymorth gofal cymdeithasol y maen nhw'n credu y dylen nhw ei gael. Ac er fy mod i'n trin yr adborth hwnnw ag ychydig o bwyll ar hyn o bryd, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod angen rhywfaint rhagor o waith ar hwnnw, rwy'n gwybod fod hyn yn rhywbeth yr ydych chi'n ymwybodol ohono, ac mae eich cyhoeddiad am yr £180 miliwn ar yr agenda integreiddio iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol i'w groesawu yn fawr iawn o ran mynd â ni beth o'r ffordd tuag at ymdrin ag iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yn ei gyfanrwydd, sef yr ateb, yn amlwg, ar gyfer y tymor hwy.
Wrth atgyfnerthu rhai o'r dulliau arloesol yr wyf i wedi eu gweld, a'r bobl yr wyf i wedi bod yn siarad â nhw, fel y swyddogion cymorth meddygon teulu a'r cysylltwyr cymunedol, yn sicr mae'n rhaid i ni barhau i wella'r cysylltiadau rhwng meddygon teulu, sefydliadau trydydd sector a chefnogaeth awdurdod lleol. Felly, hyd yn oed ar y cam cynnar hwn, a gaf i ofyn ichi roi rhywfaint o ystyriaeth i p'un a allai mwy o gysondeb helpu defnyddwyr i ddeall yr arloesi a'r newid sy'n digwydd yn lleol? Fe rof i enghraifft ichi, ac rydych chi a Jenny Rathbone eich dau wedi cyfeirio at hyn. Rwyf wedi bod yn siarad â swyddogion cymorth meddygon teulu, rwyf wedi bod yn siarad â phobl sy'n llunio presgripsiynau cymdeithasol, rwyf wedi bod yn siarad â chysylltwyr cymunedol, rwyf wedi bod yn siarad â'r tîm ward rithwir, ac ar y cyfan, maen nhw'n gwneud yr un math o waith gan amlaf. Ac er y derbyniaf fod pob un o'r dulliau arloesi hynny ychydig yn wahanol, rwy'n credu y gallai mwy o gysondeb o ran teitlau a therminoleg helpu defnyddwyr i ddeall yn well pa ran o'r gwasanaeth y maen nhw'n ymdrin ag ef mewn gwirionedd. Wrth gwrs rwy'n sylweddoli bod hynny, mwy na thebyg, yn isel iawn ar eich rhestr o flaenoriaethau o ran y darlun mawr, ond rwyf o'r farn ei fod yn bwysig. Mae terminoleg yn bwysig a bod pobl, pan fyddan nhw'n defnyddio'r gwasanaethau, a phan rydych chi'n darparu'r math hwnnw o ofal integredig yr ydym yn ei ystyried—bod pawb yn deall, pan maen nhw'n defnyddio'r gwasanaeth hwnnw, a phan fyddan nhw'n cael eu hatgyfeirio at fath penodol o wasanaeth, eu bod yn gyson o ran yr hyn y maen nhw'n ei gael a'u bod yn gwybod beth maen nhw'n ei gael o ran y teitlau y mae pobl yn eu defnyddio.
I recognise the point that you make very well, and, to be fair, it was interesting for me to come to some of the events that you ran over the summer in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, in trying to understand more of the detail of how health and social care are delivered—good things, bad things and different things, and areas of opportunity as well as areas to highlight.
I recognise the point you've made because, of course, when we visited one of the practices in your constituency, and the conversation about having early dentistry access, about having a social worker in that practice as well, and how that deliberate join-up had helped the GPs to do their job—it's not just about saying, 'This is a weight off my mind, I don't have to do it', but, actually, they knew that person was going to get a better service and they could then spend more of their time on people who they really needed to see and who needed to see them. And they didn't medicalise the social problems that existed. But I recognise your point that, at some point, after all the pilots are done, and we understand what we think will work, we'll make choices. If we're going to have a national roll-out, not to say things are different by accident, but actually while we've made a choice about why they seem different, and how to make it easy for the citizen to engage in the service. Because lots of this debate that we've had today will not mean much to people watching. When we talk about the integration agenda, if you then ask someone who was watching this programme, 'What does that mean?', well, actually, I think, for the citizen, we should make it easier for them to navigate their way through. So, it's a consistency in expectation, some consistency in the sort of titles people have—I can see that would be useful. And at some point, you're right, we'll need to get to a point where we make choices: what will be national and consistent and what will be down to national principles delivered locally. And that's what we set out in 'A Healthier Wales'. But all of us need to bear in mind that the conversation we have has to mean something to the people whom we're here to serve.
Rwy'n cydnabod y pwyntiau yr ydych chi'n eu gwneud yn dda iawn, ac, a bod yn deg, roedd yn ddiddorol i mi ddod i rai o'r digwyddiadau a gynhaliwyd gennych chi dros yr haf ym Merthyr Tudful a Rhymni, wrth geisio deall mwy o'r manylion o ran sut y darperir iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol—pethau da, pethau drwg a gwahanol bethau, a meysydd o gyfleoedd hefyd yn ogystal â meysydd i dynnu sylw atynt.
Rwy'n cydnabod y pwynt yr ydych chi wedi'i wneud oherwydd, wrth gwrs, pan aethom i ymweld ag un o'r meddygfeydd yn eich etholaeth, a'r sgwrs am allu cael gwasanaeth deintyddiaeth mewn da bryd, am fod â gweithiwr cymdeithasol yn y feddygfa honno hefyd, a sut yr oedd y cydgysylltu bwriadol hwnnw wedi helpu meddygon teulu i wneud eu gwaith—nid yw dim ond ynglŷn â dweud, 'Mae hwn yn rhyddhad i mi, does dim rhaid i mi ei wneud', ond, mewn gwirionedd, roedden nhw'n gwybod bod y person yn mynd i gael gwell gwasanaeth ac yna fe allen nhw dreulio mwy o'u hamser ar bobl yr oedd gwir angen eu gweld ac yr oedd angen iddynt gael eu gweld. Ac nid oeddynt yn gwneud problemau cymdeithasol a oedd yn bodoli yn rhai meddygol. Ond rwy'n cydnabod eich pwynt, ar ryw adeg, ar ôl cwblhau'r holl gynlluniau treialu, a'n bod yn deall yr hyn yr ydym ni yn credu y bydd yn gweithio, fe wnawn ni ddewisiadau. Os ydym ni yn mynd i gyflwyno yn genedlaethol, nid dweud bod pethau yn wahanol drwy ddamwain, ond mewn gwirionedd gan ein bod wedi gwneud dewis ynghylch pam maen nhw'n ymddangos yn wahanol, a sut i'w gwneud hi'n hawdd i'r dinesydd fanteisio ar y gwasanaeth. Oherwydd ni fydd llawer o'r ddadl hon a gawsom ni heddiw yn golygu llawer i bobl sy'n gwylio. Pan fyddwn yn sôn am yr agenda integreiddio, os gofynnwch chi wedyn i rywun a oedd yn gwylio'r rhaglen hon, 'Beth yw ystyr hynny?', wel, mewn gwirionedd, rwy'n credu, i'r dinesydd, dylem ni ei gwneud yn haws iddynt lywio eu ffordd drwyddo. Felly, mae ynglŷn â chysondeb o ran disgwyliadau, rhywfaint o gysondeb yn y math o deitlau sydd gan pobl—gallaf weld y byddai hynny'n ddefnyddiol. Ac ar ryw adeg, rydych chi'n iawn, bydd angen i ni gyrraedd man lle byddwn yn gwneud dewisiadau: beth fydd yn genedlaethol a chyson a beth fydd yn dibynnu ar egwyddorion cenedlaethol a ddarperir yn lleol. A dyna a nodwyd gennym ni yn 'Cymru Iachach'. Ond mae angen i bob un ohonom ni gadw mewn cof bod y sgwrs a gawn ni yn gorfod golygu rhywbeth i'r bobl yr ydym ni yma i'w gwasanaethu.
We move on now to item 4: a statement by the Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning—the Welsh-language technology action plan. And I call on the Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning, Eluned Morgan.
Symudwn ymlaen yn awr at eitem 4: datganiad gan Gweinidog y Gymraeg a Dysgu Gydol Oes—y cynllun gweithredu technoleg Gymraeg. A galwaf ar Gweinidog y Gymraeg a Dysgu Gydol Oes, Eluned Morgan.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Nawr, ym mis Gorffennaf 2017, fe gyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru ei strategaeth ar gyfer Cymraeg, Cymraeg 2050. Nawr, prif darged Cymraeg 2050, mae'n bwysig ei nodi, oedd i ni gael gweld miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg. Ond y pwynt arall roedd yn rhaid inni ei danlinellu yn y broses yna oedd ein bod ni eisiau gweld pobl yn defnyddio'r Gymraeg hefyd, a hefyd sicrhau bod y Gymraeg wrth wraidd arloesi mewn technoleg ddigidol, i’w gwneud yn bosib defnyddio’r Gymraeg ym mhob cyd-destun digidol.
Nawr, nod y datganiad heddiw yw lansio cynllun manwl i ddangos sut y byddwn ni'n gwneud hyn. Nawr, mae bron pawb—yn arbennig plant a phobl ifanc—yn dod i gyswllt â thechnoleg rywbryd yn ystod eu diwrnod. Ac mae’r cynllun gweithredu rŷm ni'n ei lansio heddiw yn cydnabod bod technoleg yn faes y mae'n rhaid i ni fynd i’r afael ag ef er mwyn sicrhau bod y Gymraeg yn parhau'n hygyrch—yn accessible—yn ein byd digidol newydd ni. Ac rydw i'n meddwl mai’r maes yma sy’n mynd i newid y gêm yn 2018.
Nawr, mae’r cynllun yn nodi sut rŷm ni am sicrhau bod mwy o gyfle gan blant, pobl ifanc ac oedolion i ddefnyddio technoleg Cymraeg, ac mae hyn yn arbennig o bwysig mewn ysgolion, yn y gweithle, ac yn y cartref. A beth sy'n bwysig yw bod yn rhaid i’r cyfleoedd i ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg a’r dechnoleg fod yn hawdd dod o hyd iddynt; rhaid iddynt fod yn hygyrch—yn accessible. Rydw i'n un sy'n defnyddio technoleg bob dydd, ond anaml iawn y byddaf i'n cael y cyfle, a'r cynnig, i’w ddefnyddio yn Gymraeg heb fy mod i'n mynd i edrych amdano—heb fy mod i'n gorfod gofyn.
Ac, os oes dewis Cymraeg ar gael, nid yw hi bob amser yn amlwg ei bod hi ar gael heb fy mod i’n mynd i chwilio amdani. A nawr mae bywyd yn brysur—a phwy sydd â'r amser i chwilio? Ac, mewn gwirionedd, y cwestiwn yw: pam ddylai unrhyw un chwilio er mwyn defnyddio’r Gymraeg ar dechnoleg? Nawr, mae’r cynllun yn nodi sut rydym ni am i’r Gymraeg gael ei chynnig ar dechnoleg heb i chi orfod gofyn nac edrych amdani. Rŷm ni am i’r Gymraeg fod ar gael trwy beiriannau technolegol—o weithio ar gyfrifiadur i ddefnyddio’ch ffôn neu’ch tabled. Ac rŷm ni am ddatblygu’r dechnoleg a fydd yn eich galluogi i allu siarad â’ch peiriannau yn y Gymraeg, ac, yn hollbwysig, i'r peiriant wedyn eich deall chi.
Rŷm ni am i’r adnoddau technolegol y byddwn yn eu creu ar sail y cynllun fod ar gael yn rhwydd a chael eu rhannu, ac i bawb gael y cyfle i'w defnyddio eto ac eto. Ac, er mwyn i hyn ddigwydd, mae’r cynllun yn nodi bod yn rhaid inni wneud yn siŵr bod gennym ni'r seilwaith ddigidol gywir i gefnogi’r Gymraeg. Felly, dyma’r tri maes seilwaith penodol y bydd y cynllun yn mynd i’r afael â nhw: technoleg lleferydd Cymraeg, cyfieithu gyda chymorth cyfrifiadur, a deallusrwydd artiffisial yn y Gymraeg, fel bo peiriannau yn gallu deall Cymraeg ac yn gallu rhoi cymorth i ni yn y Gymraeg.
Nawr, o ran cyfieithu, byddwn ni'n edrych i weld sut y gallwn ni ddefnyddio technoleg i gynyddu faint o Gymraeg sydd i’w gweld a faint sy’n cael ei defnyddio, ac i helpu, ond nid i gymryd lle, cyfieithwyr proffesiynol. Ond mae'n rhaid i mi bwysleisio nad technoleg, na dogfennau technoleg er lles technoleg, sy’n mynd â fy mryd i. Nid y rheini sy’n bwysig. Yn hytrach, os gall technoleg ddod â rhagor o gyfleoedd i fyw trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, neu i ddysgu Cymraeg, mae angen i ni afael yn y cyfleoedd hynny. Ac fe wnawn ni afael ynddyn nhw.
Os gall technoleg hwyluso cyfleoedd i weithio ac i ddarparu gwasanaethau yn y Gymraeg, mae angen datblygu’r cyfleoedd hynny. Os gall technoleg wella safon bywyd pobl sy’n byw â heriau o ran hygyrchedd neu anabledd, mae angen iddyn nhw gael y dechnoleg honno yn y Gymraeg. A dyna fyddan nhw’n ei chael, a dyna beth maen nhw'n ei haeddu, ac mae angen i’r pethau hyn oll gael eu defnyddio’n eang.
Nawr, fel fi, mae’r mwyafrif o siaradwyr Cymraeg yn byw neu’n gweithio yn ddwyieithog. Wrth i mi wneud fy ngwaith, felly, bydd angen i’r dechnoleg rwy’n ei defnyddio ddelio â’r Saesneg a’r Gymraeg ar yr un pryd a dyma hefyd yn un o egwyddorion y cynllun. Mae hwn yn gynllun uchelgeisiol, ac nid y Llywodraeth fydd yn gyfrifol am ei weithredu ar ei phen ei hun, ond fyddwn ni ddim yn swil o ran arwain nac ariannu, lle bo hynny'n briodol.
Dylwn i hefyd nodi fy mod i'n ddiolchgar i aelodau’r bwrdd o arbenigwyr rwy’n ei gadeirio am yr holl fewnbwn maen nhw wedi ei roi, ac i bawb a fu’n rhoi cyngor wrth ddatblygu’r cynllun.
Felly, i grynhoi: mae gweledigaeth glir gyda ni ar gyfer technoleg a’r Gymraeg, ac mae’r cynllun rŷm ni yn ei lansio heddiw yn dangos yr hyn yr ydym ni am ei wneud er mwyn sicrhau bod y weledigaeth yna yn dod yn realiti. Rŷm ni am weld y Gymraeg wrth wraidd arloesi mewn technoleg. Rŷm ni am iddi fod yn bosibl i sefydliadau, teuluoedd ac unigolion ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg mewn niferoedd cynyddol o sefyllfaoedd, boed rheini’n uniaith Gymraeg neu’n ddwyieithog, heb orfod gofyn am gael gwneud hynny. Nawr, mae'r dechnoleg yn symud yn gyflym ac rŷm ni am i’r Gymraeg symud gyda’r dechnoleg yna a dyna nod y cynllun yma.
Thank you very much. In July 2017, the Welsh Government published its strategy for the Welsh language, Cymraeg 2050. The main target of Cymraeg 2050, it’s important to note, is our desire for a million Welsh speakers. But the other point that we had to underline in that process was that we wanted to see people using the Welsh language as well, and to ensure that the Welsh language is at the heart of innovation in digital technology, to enable the use of Welsh in all digital contexts.
The purpose of today’s statement is to launch a detailed plan to show how we will do this. Almost every person—but, in particular, children and young people—comes into contact with technology at some point during their day. The action plan we are launching today recognises that technology is an area that we must tackle in order to ensure that the Welsh language remains accessible in our new digital world. I think that this area is going to be a game-changer for 2018.
The plan sets out how we want to ensure that children, young people and adults have more opportunities to use Welsh language technology, and this is particularly important in schools, in the workplace, and at home. And it’s important that the opportunities to use Welsh in technology are easy to find and to access. They do have to be accessible. I’m someone who uses technology every day, but I am very rarely offered the option to use it in Welsh without having to ask.
And, if there is a Welsh language option, it’s not always obvious that it is available unless I search for it. Life is busy, and who has the time to go looking? In fact, why should anyone have to seek out the Welsh language option on technology? The plan sets out how we want the Welsh language to be offered in technology without having to ask or look for it. We want Welsh to be available via devices that use technology—from working on a computer to using your phone or your tablet. We want to develop the technology that will enable you to speak to your devices in Welsh and, vitally, for your device to be able to understand you.
We want the technical resources that we create on the basis of the plan to be readily available and shared, and to be there for everyone to use again and again. And, for this to happen, the plan states that we must make sure that we have the correct digital infrastructure to support the Welsh language. So, these are the three specific areas of infrastructure that this plan will address: Welsh language speech technology, computer-assisted translation, and artificial intelligence in Welsh, so that machines understand Welsh and can give us help in Welsh.
In terms of translation, we will examine how we can use technology to increase the amount of Welsh that is seen and used, and to help, but not replace, professional translators. But I have to emphasise that it’s not the technology, nor documents about technology for technology’s sake, that interest me most. That’s not what’s important. Rather, if technology can bring more opportunities to live our lives through the medium of Welsh, or to learn Welsh, we need to grasp those opportunities. And grasp them we will.
If technology can facilitate opportunities to work and provide services in Welsh, those opportunities need to be developed. If technology can improve the quality of life of people living with challenges in terms of accessibility or disability, they need to have that technology in Welsh. And they shall have it, because that’s what they deserve, and all these things need to be widely used.
Like me, most Welsh speakers live or work bilingually. So, as I do my work, the technology I use will need to be able to deal with English and Welsh at the same time. This, too, is one of the principles of the plan. This is an ambitious plan, and it will not be the responsibility of the Government to implement it alone, but we will not shy away from leadership or funding, where appropriate.
I should also note how grateful I am to the members of the board of experts I chair for all the input that they have given, and to everyone who gave advice in developing the plan.
So, to summarise, we have a clear vision for technology and the Welsh language, and the plan we are launching today shows the things we wish to do to make this vision a reality. We want to see Welsh at the heart of innovation in technology. We want it to be possible for organisations, families and individuals to use the Welsh language in an increasing number of situations, be those situations monolingual in Welsh, or bilingual in English and Welsh, without having to ask to do so. Technology moves quickly, and we want Welsh to move with the technology. That is the aim of our plan.
Diolch am y datganiad. Roeddwn i jest yn iwsio'r dechnoleg nawr i edrych am beth yw'r gair am spoilt yn y Gymraeg, achos, fel Aelodau Cynulliad, rŷm ni'n spoilt gyda'r gwasanaethau sy'n llesol i ni fan hyn a sut rydym yn gallu manteisio arnyn nhw i'n helpu ni i weithio ac i iwsio'r ddwy iaith yma yn ystod ein gwaith busnes.
Pan welais i deitl y datganiad heddiw, roeddwn i'n meddwl bod y Llywodraeth yn mynd i drio osgoi'r ffaith sy'n eithaf embaras bod yna ostyngiad yn nifer yr athrawon Cymraeg ar hyn o bryd. Felly, nid oeddwn i'n edrych ymlaen at ddyfodol lle roedd y bwlch yna yn mynd i gael ei lenwi gan weithio drwy ffyrdd digidol, yn lle drwy athrawon. Felly, roeddwn i'n falch o weld ein bod yn siarad am rywbeth hollol wahanol.
Rwy'n derbyn eich dadansoddiad bod technoleg yn ymestyn mewn i'n bywydau bob dydd ac rwy'n meddwl ei bod yn lle da i gyflwyno'r Gymraeg i bobl, yn weledol ac yn agored, rili, yn ogystal â chaniatáu i siaradwyr Cymraeg i fyw drwy'r Gymraeg—mae'n hawdd gwasgu botwm 'iaith' ar beiriant ATM, er enghraifft. Ond rwy'n siŵr ein bod ni'n siarad am rywbeth lot mwy cymhleth ac uchelgeisiol na hynny.
Felly, rwyf wedi edrych yn glou ar y cynllun ei hunan; cyrhaeddodd y linc amser cinio heddiw, felly nid wyf i wedi ei weld yn fanwl eto. Ond welais i ddim o ddyddiad cau ar gyfer asesiad cynnydd yn ystod—wel, nid wyf yn gwybod beth fydd y cyfnod, felly, mae'n anodd i mi, fel rhywun o'r wrthblaid, graffu ar beth yw eich syniadau. Felly, os ydych chi'n gallu helpu gyda rhyw fath o time frame i ni heddiw byddai hynny'n ein helpu ni i wneud ein gwaith. A allwch chi rannu eich archwiliad neu analysis, hyd yn oed, am raglenni arloesi sy'n cael eu datblygu ar hyn o bryd—yma yng Nghymru, gobeithio, ond tramor hefyd? Os oes yna rywbeth inni wybod am hynny, byddai hynny'n wych.
Rydych chi'n sôn am arweinyddiaeth ac ariannu. Mae'r Llywodraeth yma yn cwyno bob dydd am ddiffyg arian, felly sut gallwch chi berswadio'r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet dros Gyllid y dylai hyn fod yn flaenoriaeth o ran ariannu? A, jest i ddod i ben, sut fyddech chi'n blaenoriaethu sectorau neu weithgareddau, neu be