Y Cyfarfod Llawn - Y Bumed Senedd
Plenary - Fifth Senedd
13/03/2019Cynnwys
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.
Ddoe, cytunodd y Cynulliad ar gynnig, o dan Reol Sefydlog 17.2A, i bennu Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Deisebau i'r grŵp Ceidwadol. Rwyf nawr yn gwahodd enwebiadau, o dan Reol Sefydlog 17.2F, i ethol y Cadeirydd. Dim ond Aelod o'r grŵp Ceidwadol a all gael ei enwebu'n Gadeirydd, a dim ond Aelod o'r un grŵp gwleidyddol—y grŵp Ceidwadol—all gynnig yr enwebiad. Rwy'n gwahodd enwebiadau, felly, ar gyfer Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Deisebau. A oes unrhyw enwebiadau?
Yesterday, the Assembly agreed a motion, under Standing Order 17.2A, to allocate the Chair of the Petitions Committee to the Conservative group. I now invite nominations, under Standing Order 17.2F, for the election of the Chair. Only a member from the Conservative group may be nominated as Chair, and only a member of the same political group may make the nomination. I invite nominations for the Chair of the Petitions Committee. Are there any nominations?
I nominate Janet Finch-Saunders.
Rwy'n enwebu Janet Finch-Saunders.
Diolch. A oes rhagor o enwebiadau?
Thank you. Are there any further nominations?
I nominate Mark Isherwood.
Rwy'n enwebu Mark Isherwood.
Diolch. A oes rhagor o enwebiadau? Unrhyw enwebiad arall? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu'r enwebiadau?
Thank you. Are there any further nominations? Any other nominations? Does any Member object to the nominations?
Object.
Gwrthwynebu.
I shouldn't have asked the question, actually. So, even if he did say 'object', the question was not meant to have been asked. [Laughter.]
Ni ddylwn fod wedi gofyn y cwestiwn, mewn gwirionedd. Felly, hyd yn oed os dywedodd 'gwrthwynebu', ni ddylai'r cwestiwn fod wedi’i ofyn. [Chwerthin.]
Mae yna ddau enwebiad wedi dod i law, ac felly fe fydd y bleidlais ar gyfer Cadeirydd y pwyllgor yn cael ei chynnal drwy bleidlais gudd. A bydd y bleidlais gyfrinachol yna yn cael ei chynnal yn ystafell briffio 13 yn y Senedd rhwng 1.45 p.m. a 3.30 p.m. y prynhawn yma. Y clercod fydd yn gyfrifol am oruchwylio'r broses bleidleisio a'r broses o gyfri'r pleidleisiau, a byddaf i'n cyhoeddi canlyniad y bleidlais gudd yn y Siambr yn ddiweddarach y prynhawn yma. A chofiwch fod gan bob Aelod o'r Cynulliad yma yr hawl i bleidleisio.
Therefore, as we have two nominations, the vote for the committee Chair will be made via secret ballot. That secret ballot will be held in briefing room 13 in the Senedd between 1.45 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. this afternoon. The clerks will be responsible for supervising the voting and counting the votes. I will announce the result of the secret ballot later this afternoon. Do recall that all Assembly Members have a right to vote.
Mae hynny'n dod â ni at y cwestiwn brys, gan fy mod i wedi derbyn cwestiwn brys, o dan Reol Sefydlog 12.67. Dwi'n galw ar Adam Price i ofyn y cwestiwn brys. Adam Price.
That brings us to the emergency question, as I have accepted an emergency question under Standing Order 12.67. I call on Adam Price to ask that question.

A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am bolisi Llywodraeth Cymru ar Brexit yn sgil y ffaith bod cytundeb ymadael yr UE-DU wedi cael ei wrthod neithiwr yn Nhŷ’r Cyffredin? (EAQ0005)
Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s policy on Brexit following the rejection of the EU-UK withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons last night? (EAQ0005)

Diolch, Llywydd, am y cwestiwn.
Thank you for that question.
The Welsh Government policy remains unchanged from that set out in 'Securing Wales' Future', published following the 2016 referendum and jointly with Plaid Cymru. We remain committed to participation in a customs union and the single market, dynamic alignment with the social, environmental and labour market standards of the European Union. We believe that the UK Government should take 'no deal' off the table, as such a cliff-edge exit from the European Union will have, we believe, a catastrophic impact on the economy and the people of Wales. These are the positions that have been endorsed by this National Assembly in recent debates on Brexit and the European Union negotiations—endorsed here on 15 January and on 30 January, and in the joint debate held last week in both the National Assembly and in the Scottish Parliament.
Mae polisi Llywodraeth Cymru yn dal i fod yr un fath â’r hyn a nodwyd yn 'Diogelu Dyfodol Cymru', a gyhoeddwyd yn dilyn refferendwm 2016, ac ar y cyd â Phlaid Cymru. Rydym yn parhau i fod yn ymrwymedig i fod yn rhan o undeb tollau a'r farchnad sengl, aliniad deinamig â safonau cymdeithasol, amgylcheddol a marchnad lafur yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Credwn y dylai Llywodraeth y DU ddiystyru Brexit 'dim cytundeb', gan y bydd ymadawiad ymyl y dibyn o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, yn ein barn ni, yn effeithio'n drychinebus ar yr economi a phobl Cymru. Dyma'r safbwyntiau a gymeradwywyd gan y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol hwn mewn dadleuon diweddar ar Brexit a negodiadau’r Undeb Ewropeaidd—a gymeradwywyd yma ar 15 Ionawr, ac ar 30 Ionawr, ac yn y ddadl ar y cyd a gynhaliwyd yr wythnos diwethaf yn y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol ac yn Senedd yr Alban.
Two weeks ago, it was announced with some fanfare that Jeremy Corbyn, having seen eight of his MPs leave the party, had embraced the policy of a people's vote. Two months ago, you agreed to accept a motion that called on the UK Government to make immediate preparations for a further referendum. So, why did the statement your Government released on Monday, and presumably the associated letter to the British Government, not mention a people's vote once? Why, yesterday, did Jeremy Corbyn not mention a people's vote—your own party's policy—a single time in his 24-minute Commons speech? Why, in response to the vote, did he say that the purpose of extending article 50 was to replace Mrs May's 'dead Brexit' with his 'red Brexit'? That is virtually identical to the policy that Parliament just rejected—'a' customs union, but not 'the' customs union, with a say on EU trade policy, illegal under World Trade Organization rules; close alignment with the single market, but not membership of it. A unicorn is still a fantasy creature, whether painted red or blue. At times like this, we need honest politics. We need people to say what they believe and act accordingly. I think it's pretty clear now that Jeremy Corbyn's embrace of a people's vote was an opportunistic act of grand deception. And if you don't agree with that, First Minister, you're either a liar or a fool. [Interruption.]
Bythefnos yn ôl, cyhoeddwyd gyda pheth ffanffer, ar ôl i wyth o'i ASau adael y blaid, fod Jeremy Corbyn bellach yn cefnogi polisi pleidlais y bobl. Ddeufis yn ôl, fe gytunoch chi i dderbyn cynnig a oedd yn galw ar Lywodraeth y DU i baratoi ar unwaith ar gyfer refferendwm arall. Felly, pam na chrybwyllwyd pleidlais y bobl unwaith yn y datganiad a ryddhawyd gan eich Llywodraeth ddydd Llun, na'r llythyr cysylltiedig at Lywodraeth Prydain yn ôl pob tebyg? Pam na soniodd Jeremy Corbyn o gwbl ddoe am bleidlais y bobl—polisi eich plaid eich hun—yn ei araith 24 munud yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin? Pam y dywedodd, mewn ymateb i'r bleidlais, mai diben ymestyn erthygl 50 oedd disodli 'Brexit marw' Mrs May gyda'i 'Brexit coch’ ef? Mae hwnnw bron â bod yn union yr un fath â'r polisi y mae'r Senedd newydd ei wrthod—undeb tollau, ond nid ‘yr' undeb tollau, gyda llais ar bolisi masnach yr UE, sy’n anghyfreithlon o dan reolau Sefydliad Masnach y Byd; aliniad agos â'r farchnad sengl, ond heb aelodaeth ohoni. Mae ungorn yn dal i fod yn greadur ffantasi, boed wedi'i baentio'n goch neu'n las. Ar adegau fel hyn, mae angen gwleidyddiaeth onest arnom. Rydym angen i bobl ddweud beth y maent yn ei gredu a gweithredu yn unol â hynny. Credaf ei bod yn eithaf clir bellach fod cefnogaeth Jeremy Corbyn i bleidlais y bobl yn weithred fanteisgar o dwyll ar raddfa fawr. Ac os nad ydych yn cytuno â hynny, Brif Weinidog, rydych naill ai'n gelwyddgi neu'n ffŵl. [Torri ar draws.]
Adam Price, personal insults are not acceptable in this Chamber. This is an emergency question, a serious matter, and political name calling at this point is not appropriate. I will ask the First Minister to respond to the substantive points in the question.
Adam Price, nid yw sarhad personol yn dderbyniol yn y Siambr hon. Mae hwn yn gwestiwn brys, yn fater difrifol, ac nid yw galw enwau gwleidyddol ar yr adeg hon yn briodol. Gofynnaf i'r Prif Weinidog ymateb i'r pwyntiau o sylwedd yn y cwestiwn.

Well, I will, Llywydd, as you suggest, ignore the deeply disrespectful remarks of the leader of Plaid Cymru. These are really serious days, Llywydd, with really serious decisions in front of our country. Why does the leader of Plaid Cymru seek to demean those discussions with the sort of remarks that he's made here this afternoon? I deprecate them—I deprecate them absolutely with every force that I can. He should know better. Really, it does no service at all to our nation for him to introduce this question in the way that he did.
Let me turn, if I can, to the substance of his question. The statement that the Welsh Government made on Monday of this week was about a very specific matter. It was about the amendments that we have drawn up that we think could secure, through a withdrawal agreement Bill, commitments to the political declaration that could deliver the sort of Brexit that has been endorsed in this Assembly. And that is the policy of this Government. We remain of the belief that a deal is there to be done, a deal of the sort that has been long debated and endorsed here. That would be a deal that would require membership of a customs union, full and unfettered access to and participation in a single market, a sensible approach to migration.
It may be—it may be—that Plaid Cymru has long left behind the commitments that they made here in this Chamber. It may be that Plaid Cymru will be the only party in the whole of the House of Commons to try to put an amendment down today on the people's vote. It may be that Plaid Cymru has departed from that position as well and now is in favour of revocation of article 50. I look forward to Members of Plaid Cymru explaining that to people in their constituencies who voted, as Wales did, to leave the European Union. Our position as a Government has not changed. Our position is the one that we have put repeatedly to this Assembly, and it is the position that this Assembly has repeatedly endorsed.
Wel, fel yr awgrymoch, Lywydd, rwyf am anwybyddu sylwadau tra amharchus arweinydd Plaid Cymru. Mae'r rhain yn ddyddiau gwirioneddol ddifrifol, Lywydd, gyda phenderfyniadau difrifol iawn yn wynebu ein gwlad. Pam fod arweinydd Plaid Cymru yn ceisio difrïo'r trafodaethau hynny gyda'r math o sylwadau a wnaeth yma y prynhawn yma? Rwy'n eu gwrthbwynebu—yn eu gwrthwynebu’n llwyr hyd eithaf fy ngallu. Dylai wybod yn well. Nid yw'n gymorth o gwbl i'n gwlad ei fod yn cyflwyno'r cwestiwn hwn yn y ffordd y gwnaeth.
Gadewch i mi droi, os caf, at sylwedd ei gwestiwn. Roedd y datganiad a wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru ddydd Llun yr wythnos hon yn ymwneud â mater penodol iawn. Roedd yn ymwneud â'r gwelliannau a luniwyd gennym y credwn y gallent sicrhau ymrwymiadau, drwy Fil cytundeb ymadael, i'r datganiad gwleidyddol a allai gyflawni'r math o Brexit a gymeradwywyd yn y Cynulliad hwn. A dyna yw polisi'r Llywodraeth hon. Rydym yn dal i gredu bod cytundeb i'w gael y gellir ymrwymo iddo, cytundeb o'r math a drafodwyd ac a gymeradwywyd yma ers amser hir. Byddai hwnnw'n gytundeb a fyddai'n galw am aelodaeth o undeb tollau, mynediad llawn a dilyffethair at, a chyfranogiad mewn marchnad sengl, ymagwedd synhwyrol at ymfudo.
Efallai—efallai—fod Plaid Cymru wedi hen roi'r gorau i'r ymrwymiadau a wnaethant yma yn y Siambr hon. Mae'n bosibl mai Plaid Cymru fydd yr unig blaid yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin i geisio cynnig gwelliant heddiw ar bleidlais y bobl. Efallai fod Plaid Cymru wedi ymbellhau oddi wrth y safbwynt hwnnw hefyd a bellach o blaid diddymu erthygl 50. Edrychaf ymlaen at glywed Aelodau Plaid Cymru yn esbonio hynny i'r bobl yn eu hetholaethau a bleidleisiodd, fel y gwnaeth Cymru, i adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Nid yw ein safbwynt fel Llywodraeth wedi newid. Ein safbwynt yw'r un rydym wedi'i roi gerbron y Cynulliad hwn dro ar ôl tro, a dyna'r safbwynt y mae'r Cynulliad hwn wedi'i gymeradwyo dro ar ôl tro.
I welcome the opportunity for this statement today, and I do think it was quite disrespectful in terms of the way that this question was introduced by the leader of Plaid Cymru. We know that the House of Commons has rejected the Prime Minister's withdrawal deal in spite of the assurances that were given by the EU in relation to the backstop yesterday, and, of course, there will be further votes taking place today, and likely tomorrow, in respect of how the House of Commons wants to take things forward.
What I have been impressed with is the way in which the Welsh Government has been engaging with the UK Government in terms of trying to prepare for the potential outcomes, whether that be no deal or whether it be a deal, and let me make it clear that the Welsh Conservatives are committed to trying to achieve a deal so that we can have an orderly exit from the European Union. We believe that it's imperative on the Government of the people of Wales, the Welsh Government—and let's not forget that Wales voted to leave the EU, and leave we must—it's imperative upon the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government to deliver upon the instructions of the people of Wales. So, can I ask you, First Minister, will you provide assurances to this National Assembly that you will continue to work carefully and closely with the UK Goverment in order to achieve an orderly exit from the EU, whether that be with a deal, which, of course, is preferable, or without?
Rwy'n croesawu'r cyfle i gael y datganiad hwn heddiw, a chredaf fod arweinydd Plaid Cymru wedi cyflwyno'r cwestiwn mewn modd amharchus iawn. Gwyddom fod Tŷ'r Cyffredin wedi gwrthod cytundeb ymadael y Prif Weinidog er gwaethaf y sicrwydd a roddwyd gan yr UE ddoe mewn perthynas â'r ddarpariaeth wrth gefn, ac wrth gwrs, bydd pleidlais arall yn cael ei chynnal heddiw, ac yfory yn ôl pob tebyg, mewn perthynas â sut y dymuna Tŷ'r Cyffredin fwrw ymlaen.
Mae'r ffordd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn ymgysylltu â Llywodraeth y DU o ran ceisio paratoi ar gyfer y canlyniadau posibl, boed yn ddim cytundeb neu'n gytundeb, wedi creu cryn argraff arnaf, a gadewch imi ddweud yn glir fod y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig wedi ymrwymo i geisio sicrhau cytundeb fel y gallwn adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd mewn modd trefnus. Credwn ei bod yn hanfodol fod Llywodraeth pobl Cymru, Llywodraeth Cymru—a gadewch inni beidio ag anghofio bod Cymru wedi pleidleisio dros adael yr UE, ac mae'n rhaid inni adael—mae'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru weithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU i gyflawni cyfarwyddiadau pobl Cymru. Felly, a gaf fi ofyn ichi, Brif Weinidog, a wnewch chi roi sicrwydd i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol y byddwch yn parhau i gydweithio'n ofalus ac yn agos gyda Llywodraeth y DU er mwyn sicrhau ymadawiad trefnus â'r UE, boed hynny gyda chytundeb, sef yr hyn a ffafrir wrth gwrs, neu heb un?

Well, Llywydd, of course, it is the responsibility of the Welsh Government to work carefully with the UK Government, as we do with the Scottish Government, and every meeting that we attend with the UK Government is also attended by Ministers of the Scottish National Party on behalf of the Scottish Government too. They understand their responsibilities, we understand ours—would that other Members of this Chamber had a similar grasp of what being in Government actually involves.
Now, we disagree with the UK Government, as the Member knows. We have long argued that the Prime Minister should have sought a different sort of deal on the floor of the House of Commons and that a majority is still there to be found for a different way of leaving the European Union.
In the meantime, and against the day that we were to crash out of the European Union—an eventuality that we resist on every occasion that we are able to—we do prepare, because that's what responsible Governments have to do. We prepare in the field of food, we prepare in the field of water, we prepare in the field of transport, and we prepare in the field of our economy as well. And we'll go on doing that even in times when we have disagreements—profound disagreements—with the UK Government about the way in which they have approached the whole matter of responding to the referendum in June 2016.
Wel, Lywydd, wrth gwrs, cyfrifoldeb Llywodraeth Cymru yw gweithio'n ofalus gyda Llywodraeth y DU, fel y gwnawn gyda Llywodraeth yr Alban, ac ym mhob cyfarfod a fynychwn gyda Llywodraeth y DU, mae Gweinidogion o Blaid Genedlaethol yr Alban yn bresennol hefyd ar ran Llywodraeth yr Alban. Maent yn deall eu cyfrifoldebau, rydym yn deall ein cyfrifoldebau ninnau—gresyn na fyddai gan Aelodau eraill o'r Siambr hon ddealltwriaeth debyg o'r hyn y mae bod mewn Llywodraeth yn ei olygu mewn gwirionedd.
Nawr, rydym yn anghytuno gyda Llywodraeth y DU, fel y gŵyr yr Aelod. Rydym wedi dadlau ers tro y dylai Prif Weinidog y DU fod wedi ceisio math gwahanol o gytundeb ar lawr Tŷ'r Cyffredin, a bod mwyafrif yno o hyd o blaid ffordd wahanol o adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd.
Yn y cyfamser, a chyn y diwrnod y gallem fod yn gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd heb gytundeb—sefyllfa rydym yn ei gwrthwynebu bob cyfle a gawn—rydym yn paratoi, gan mai dyna y mae'n rhaid i Lywodraethau cyfrifol ei wneud. Rydym yn paratoi mewn perthynas â bwyd, rydym yn paratoi mewn perthynas â dŵr, rydym yn paratoi mewn perthynas â thrafnidiaeth, ac rydym yn paratoi mewn perthynas â'n heconomi hefyd. A byddwn yn parhau i wneud hynny hyd yn oed pan fyddwn yn anghytuno—yn anghytuno'n chwyrn—â Llywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â'r ffordd y maent wedi mynd ati i ymateb i'r refferendwm ym mis Mehefin 2016.
Does the First Minister agree with me that political insults come in many forms and a much more serious insult than any epithet that may fall from the mouth of the leader of Plaid Cymru is the insult that is being hurled at the British people by the House of Commons this week? The British people and the people of Wales, having voted to leave the European Union in an unqualified vote of two and a half years ago, now is being betrayed. As Jean-Claude Juncker once memorably said,
'There can be no democratic choice against the European treaties.'
And so, many countries in Europe have been obliged to keep on voting until they vote for what the Eurocrats want, if they vote against what they want the first time around. The House of Commons voted to have a referendum by 316 votes to 53. The House of Commons voted by 492 votes to 122 to notify the EU that we were leaving, triggering the article 50 process. They willed the means; now they have to will the end.
Just over 100 years ago, we had a great constitutional battle in this country of the peers versus the people when the House of Lords tried to vote down Lloyd George's budget. Today, it's the whole of Parliament that is against the people, because the House of Commons, having a majority of remainers—480 out of 650—are now trying to defy the will of the British people and overturn the referendum result of two and a half years ago. The House of Commons is in the process of expressing its full contempt for the British people, as indeed this institution has done, because there's an overwhelming majority of remainers here as well. Is the First Minister fearful of the growing gulf that there is between the people of this country and the political class that is set to betray them?
A yw'r Prif Weinidog yn cytuno â mi fod sarhad gwleidyddol yn dod ar sawl ffurf, a sarhad llawer mwy difrifol nag unrhyw ddifenwad a allai ddod o geg arweinydd Plaid Cymru yw'r sarhad ar bobl Prydain gan Dŷ'r Cyffredin yr wythnos hon? Mae pobl Prydain a phobl Cymru, ar ôl iddynt bleidleisio dros adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd mewn pleidlais ddiamod ddwy flynedd a hanner yn ôl, bellach yn cael eu bradychu. Fel y dywedodd Jean-Claude Juncker yn gofiadwy unwaith,
Ni ellir cael unrhyw ddewis democrataidd yn erbyn y cytuniadau Ewropeaidd.
Ac felly, mae llawer o wledydd yn Ewrop wedi gorfod parhau i bleidleisio hyd nes y byddant yn pleidleisio o blaid dymuniadau'r Ewrocratiaid, os ydynt yn pleidleisio yn erbyn eu dymuniadau y tro cyntaf. Pleidleisiodd Tŷ'r Cyffredin o blaid cynnal refferendwm o 316 pleidlais i 53. Pleidleisiodd Tŷ'r Cyffredin o 492 pleidlais i 122 o blaid hysbysu'r UE ein bod yn gadael, gan danio proses erthygl 50. Hwy a ewyllysiodd y modd; rhaid iddynt ewyllysio'r nod yn awr.
Ychydig dros 100 mlynedd yn ôl, cawsom frwydr gyfansoddiadol fawr yn y wlad hon rhwng yr arglwyddi a'r bobl pan geisiodd Tŷ'r Arglwyddi bleidleisio yn erbyn cyllideb Lloyd George. Heddiw, mae'r Senedd gyfan yn erbyn y bobl, gan fod Tŷ'r Cyffredin, gyda'r mwyafrif ohonynt o blaid aros—480 allan o 650—bellach yn ceisio mynd yn groes i ewyllys pobl Prydain a gwrthdroi canlyniad y refferendwm a gafwyd ddwy flynedd a hanner yn ôl. Mae Tŷ'r Cyffredin wrthi'n mynegi eu dirmyg llwyr tuag at bobl Prydain, fel y mae'r sefydliad hwn wedi'i wneud yn wir, gan fod y mwyafrif llethol yn y lle hwn o blaid aros hefyd. A yw'r Prif Weinidog yn ofni'r gagendor cynyddol rhwng pobl y wlad hon a'r dosbarth gwleidyddol sydd â'u bryd ar eu bradychu?

Llywydd, I reject the language of betrayal. I don't share the conspiratorial view that the Member has of what is going on in the House of Commons. I think the House of Commons has struggled to deal with the complexities of Brexit. I think it has gone about its responsibilities in a way that many people find baffling. But I don't think it's anything other than honest. I don't think it's anything other than people trying to grapple with those difficulties and those complexities, even if the answers that have emerged so far do not measure up to the scale of that challenge.
Nobody, Llywydd, I believe, voted in June 2016 to leave the European Union without a deal. That is certainly not what they were told by people who urged them to vote to leave the European Union. We were told, as the Member knows, that it would all be done in the easiest possible way—that all the problems would be amenable to easy solutions and that we would leave the European Union in a way where the sunny uplands would be immediately within our grasp. We know now just how far from the truth that has turned out to be, and I don't think that the way that the House of Commons is grappling with all of that amounts either to an insult or a betrayal, and I reject the view that the Member has put to us this afternoon.
Lywydd, rwy'n gwrthod y disgrifiad o hyn fel brad. Nid wyf yn rhannu safbwynt cynllwyngar yr Aelod ynglŷn â'r hyn sy'n mynd rhagddo yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin. Credaf fod Tŷ'r Cyffredin wedi'i chael hi'n anodd ymdopi â chymhlethdodau Brexit. Credaf eu bod wedi ymgymryd â'u cyfrifoldebau mewn ffordd sydd wedi drysu llawer o bobl. Ond ni chredaf eu bod wedi bod yn anonest mewn unrhyw ffordd. Yn fy marn i, nid oes a wnelo hyn ag unrhyw beth heblaw pobl yn ceisio mynd i'r afael â'r anawsterau a'r cymhlethdodau hynny, hyd yn oed os nad yw'r atebion a gafwyd hyd yma yn cyfateb i faint yr her honno.
Ni chredaf fod unrhyw un wedi pleidleisio ym mis Mehefin 2016 dros adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd heb gytundeb. Yn sicr, nid dyna a ddywedwyd wrthynt gan y bobl a fu'n eu hannog i bleidleisio dros adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Dywedwyd wrthym, fel y gŵyr yr Aelod, y byddai'r cyfan wedi ei wneud yn y ffordd hawsaf bosibl—y byddai modd datrys yr holl broblemau gydag atebion syml, ac y byddem yn gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd mewn ffordd lle byddai'r tir glas o fewn ein cyrraedd ar unwaith. Gwyddom bellach pa mor bell o'r gwir oedd hynny, ac ni chredaf fod y ffordd y mae Tŷ'r Cyffredin yn mynd i'r afael â hynny yn sarhad nac yn frad, ac rwy'n gwrthod y farn a fynegwyd gan yr Aelod y prynhawn yma.
First Minister, many of us witnessed the shambolic events in the House of Commons last night, where we saw, again, a Prime Minister losing a substantive part of her policy for the second time by over 100 in the situation. Clearly, they vote today on the situation regarding whether Parliament wants a 'no deal' or not a 'no deal'. I understand that that is not binding. There's also going to be a vote, possibly tomorrow, on whether we have an extension to article 50, but again, if that is rejected, we go for a 'no deal'. We are accelerating towards a 'no deal' exit, which I believe now is the only vision that the Prime Minister and her Cabinet have for this country, because they've made no effort at all to change that direction. They've made no effort to look at the red lines, because we also know that if the red lines were changed, the EU would be listening very carefully to some of the policies. Is it now time to agree with the vice-chair of the 1922 backbench committee that it's actually time for a general election and to remove this Government?
Brif Weinidog, gwelodd llawer ohonom y traed moch yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin neithiwr, lle gwelsom, unwaith eto, Brif Weinidog yn colli rhan sylweddol o'i pholisi o dros 100 pleidlais am yr eildro yn y sefyllfa honno. Yn amlwg, maent yn pleidleisio heddiw ar y sefyllfa i weld a yw'r Senedd eisiau 'dim cytundeb' ai peidio. Rwy'n deall nad yw honno'n bleidlais sy'n rhwymo mewn cyfraith. Bydd pleidlais hefyd, yfory o bosibl, i weld a ddylem ymestyn erthygl 50, ond unwaith eto, os gwrthodir hynny, byddwn yn cael 'dim cytundeb'. Rydym yn cyflymu tuag at ymadawiad 'dim cytundeb', sef yr unig weledigaeth sydd gan y Prif Weinidog a'i Chabinet bellach ar gyfer y wlad hon yn fy marn i, gan nad ydynt wedi gwneud unrhyw ymdrech o gwbl i newid y cyfeiriad hwnnw. Nid ydynt wedi gwneud unrhyw ymdrech i edrych ar y llinellau coch, gan y gwyddom hefyd, pe bai'r llinellau coch yn cael eu newid, y byddai'r UE yn gwrando'n ofalus iawn ar rai o'r polisïau. A yw'n bryd bellach inni gytuno ag is-gadeirydd pwyllgor meinciau cefn 1922 ei bod hi'n bryd cynnal etholiad cyffredinol a chael gwared ar y Llywodraeth hon?
I thank the Member for that question, and I want to agree with the point that he makes, because there may be votes in the House of Commons today that will seek to remove 'no deal' as an option, but none of us should believe that that actually, by itself, obviates that danger. In fact, I think the danger that we will crash out of the European Union on 29 March has grown, rather than diminished, in recent days, and we remain, as you know, firmly of the view that that is an outcome that would be deeply inimical to the best interests of Wales and people who live here and we will go on doing everything we can to argue against it. But the way that events have unfolded in recent days I think makes that danger greater rather than lesser, and that's why we have worked with others in other parts of the United Kingdom to be as well prepared as it is possible to be against that deeply undesirable eventuality.
Of course I agree with what David Rees has said, but when a Government in the House of Commons fails not once, but twice, to persuade the House of Commons of the proposition that Government puts to the House of Commons in the single greatest responsibility that will ever fall to that Government, then what we need is a new House of Commons. And that's in the hands of the Prime Minister. She can call a general election. And I still believe that that is what, constitutionally, she ought to do. Because we know that that can be denied to us, then we have said as a Welsh Government—and I say it again this afternoon—that if the House of Commons is deadlocked on this matter, then the decision will have to go back to the people who made it in the first place.
Diolch i'r Aelod am ei gwestiwn, a hoffwn gytuno â'r pwynt a wnaed ganddo, oherwydd efallai y ceir pleidleisiau yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin heddiw a fydd yn ceisio cael gwared ar 'ddim cytundeb' fel opsiwn, ond ni ddylai unrhyw un ohonom gredu bod hynny ynddo'i hun yn cael gwared ar y perygl hwnnw. Mewn gwirionedd, credaf fod y perygl y byddwn yn gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd heb gytundeb ar 29 Mawrth wedi tyfu yn hytrach na lleihau dros y dyddiau diwethaf, ac rydym yn parhau, fel y gwyddoch, i gredu'n gryf fod hwnnw'n ganlyniad a fyddai'n niweidiol iawn i fuddiannau Cymru a'r bobl sy'n byw yma, a byddwn yn parhau i wneud popeth a allwn i ddadlau yn ei erbyn. Ond credaf fod y ffordd y mae'r digwyddiadau wedi datblygu dros y dyddiau diwethaf yn golygu bod y perygl hwnnw'n fwy yn hytrach na'n llai, a dyna pam rydym wedi gweithio gydag eraill mewn rhannau eraill o'r Deyrnas Unedig i fod mor barod â phosibl am y posibilrwydd annymunol iawn hwnnw.
Wrth gwrs, cytunaf â'r hyn a ddywedodd David Rees, ond pan fo Llywodraeth yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin, nid unwaith, ond ddwywaith, yn methu dwyn perswâd ar Dŷ'r Cyffredin ynglŷn â'r cynnig y mae'r Llywodraeth yn ei roi gerbron Tŷ'r Cyffredin mewn perthynas â'r cyfrifoldeb mwyaf a fydd gan y Llywodraeth honno byth, yr hyn sydd ei angen arnom yw Tŷ'r Cyffredin newydd. Ac mae hynny yn nwylo'r Prif Weinidog. Gall alw etholiad cyffredinol. Ac rwy'n dal i gredu mai dyna y dylai ei wneud o safbwynt cyfansoddiadol. Gan y gwyddom y gellir gwrthod hynny i ni, rydym wedi dweud fel Llywodraeth Cymru—ac rwy'n ei ddweud eto y prynhawn yma—os na all Tŷ'r Cyffredin ddod i gytundeb ynghylch y mater hwn, bydd yn rhaid rhoi'r penderfyniad yn ôl i'r bobl a'i gwnaeth yn y lle cyntaf.
Does the First Minister agree that the European Union could not have been clearer that there is no scope for a further renegotiation and so therefore we have three basic options: to leave with no deal, which would be catastrophic; to back the Prime Minister's deal, which the Commons refuses to do; or to have a people's vote? And does he agree with me that that equally applies to the advocates of Brexit in our party and that a pig in lipstick is still a pig and that the idea of a jobs-first Brexit is equally unconvincing and ridiculous?
A yw'r Prif Weinidog yn cytuno na allai'r Undeb Ewropeaidd fod wedi dweud yn gliriach nad oes posibilrwydd o ailnegodi pellach, ac felly, fod tri opsiwn sylfaenol gennym: gadael heb unrhyw gytundeb, a fyddai'n drychinebus; cefnogi cytundeb y Prif Weinidog, rhywbeth y mae Tŷ'r Cyffredin yn gwrthod ei wneud; neu gynnal pleidlais y bobl? Ac a yw'n cytuno bod hynny yr un mor wir i hyrwyddwyr Brexit yn ein plaid ni, a bod mochyn sy'n gwisgo minlliw yn dal i fod yn fochyn a bod y syniad o Brexit swyddi yn gyntaf yr un mor chwerthinllyd ac annhebygol?
I think there are two further options beyond the three that the Member has outlined, all of which I agree are still in the frame. Another option is the general election option that you've heard from David Rees, and the fifth option is a deal that would meet the criteria set out in our paper 'Securing Wales' Future', in the five tests that were put by the leader of the opposition to the Prime Minister in his letter to her, and which yesterday leading members of the European Union were welcoming as a further and different way in which a deal could be done with the European Union. So, I think we are still in the position where all those options could happen. We reject a number of them. We reject no deal, we reject the Prime Minister's deal; the other options, including the people's vote option that the Member has outlined, remain ways in which this position could be resolved.
Credaf fod dau opsiwn arall yn ychwanegol at y tri a amlinellwyd gan yr Aelod, a chytunaf fod pob un ohonynt yn y ffrâm o hyd. Opsiwn arall yw'r opsiwn o etholiad cyffredinol a glywsoch gan David Rees, a'r pumed opsiwn yw cytundeb a fyddai'n bodloni'r meini prawf a nodir yn ein papur 'Diogelu Dyfodol Cymru', yn y pum prawf a roddwyd gan arweinydd yr wrthblaid i Brif Weinidog y DU yn ei lythyr ati, ac a groesawyd ddoe gan aelodau arweiniol o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd fel ffordd ychwanegol a gwahanol o ddod i gytundeb gyda'r Undeb Ewropeaidd. Felly, credaf ein bod yn dal i fod mewn sefyllfa lle gallai'r holl opsiynau hynny ddigwydd. Rydym yn gwrthod nifer ohonynt. Rydym yn gwrthod 'dim cytundeb', rydym yn gwrthod cytundeb Prif Weinidog y DU; mae'r opsiynau eraill, gan gynnwys opsiwn pleidlais y bobl a amlinellwyd gan yr Aelod, yn parhau i fod yn ffyrdd y gellid datrys y sefyllfa hon.
Diolch i'r Prif Weinidog.
Thank you, First Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf, felly, yw'r cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Addysg, ac y mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Hefin David.
The next item is questions to the Minister for Education, and the first question is from Hefin David.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am y fformiwla a ddefnyddir i ddyrannu cyllid ysgolion? OAQ53579
1. Will the Minister make a statement on the formula used to allocate school funding? OAQ53579

Thank you, Hefin. Each local authority is responsible for determining how much funding is allocated to each individual school. School budgets are determined by a local funding formula and authorities must consult their schools budget forums and all schools in their area when setting or making changes to a funding formula.
Diolch, Hefin. Mae pob awdurdod lleol yn gyfrifol am bennu faint o gyllid a ddyrennir i bob ysgol unigol. Caiff cyllidebau ysgolion eu pennu drwy fformiwla ariannu leol ac mae'n rhaid i awdurdodau ymgynghori â'u fforymau cyllideb ysgolion a'r holl ysgolion yn eu hardal wrth bennu neu wneud newidiadau i fformiwla ariannu.
Last week, I hosted a drop-in event for Assembly Members on behalf of various teaching unions, including the National Education Union. Teachers who attended told me that they were concerned that cuts in UK Government funding are having a direct impact on their ability to implement the education reforms, including, for example, the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018. They argue that the school funding formula needs to be more equitable and reflect current challenges. And in your response to the Conservatives' debate on this subject, you acknowledged that how schools are funded can actually be quite confusing, and you indicated that you're not opposed in principle to the funding formula being changed. That's to be welcomed and, with that in mind, would you now commit to a regular and ongoing dialogue with local authorities, regional consortia, the teaching unions and the teaching profession in order to look at how these issues can be addressed, and how we can make the most of these difficult circumstances in the face of ongoing austerity?
Yr wythnos diwethaf, cynhaliais ddigwyddiad galw heibio ar gyfer Aelodau'r Cynulliad ar ran undebau addysgu amrywiol, gan gynnwys yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol. Dywedodd athrawon a oedd yn bresennol wrthyf eu bod yn poeni bod toriadau yng nghyllid Llywodraeth y DU yn effeithio'n uniongyrchol ar eu gallu i roi'r diwygiadau addysg ar waith, gan gynnwys, er enghraifft, Bil Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol a'r Tribiwnlys Addysg (Cymru) 2018. Maent yn dadlau bod angen i'r fformiwla ariannu ysgolion fod yn fwy teg ac adlewyrchu heriau cyfredol. Ac yn eich ymateb i ddadl y Ceidwadwyr ar y pwnc hwn, roeddech yn cydnabod y gall y ffordd y caiff ysgolion eu hariannu fod yn eithaf cymhleth mewn gwirionedd, a dywedasoch nad ydych yn gwrthwynebu newid y fformiwla ariannu mewn egwyddor. Mae hynny i'w groesawu, a chyda hynny mewn golwg, a wnewch chi ymrwymo i ddeialog reolaidd a pharhaus gydag awdurdodau lleol, consortia rhanbarthol, undebau'r athrawon a'r proffesiwn addysgu er mwyn edrych i weld sut i fynd i'r afael â'r materion hyn, a sut y gallwn wneud y gorau o'r amgylchiadau anodd hyn yn wyneb cyni parhaus?
Of course, Hefin, that dialogue continues every day in my department. Only last week, senior officials of the education department were meeting with the Association of School and College Leaders to discuss with them their concerns. I continue to challenge both regional consortia and local authorities with regard to ensuring that as much money as possible reaches the front line of our education system in individual schools. And I am always open to discussions as to how best we can ensure that more money makes it into individual school budgets.
Of course, the vast majority of school budgets arrive out of the revenue support grant for individual local authorities, and I am aware that the distribution sub-group of local government are currently looking and have started a new stream of work to look at how indicator-based assessment levels of education are completed when determining levels of RSG, and I welcome that work indeed. Both myself and the previous local government Minister and the new local government Minister have said, if local authorities come forward with ideas of how to change the funding formula, we will work with them in good faith and we will continue to do that. It is confusing often for people to see how money gets to schools because of the different layers of funding that are available, but my aim always has been, when I was an opposition Member, and it certainly is now that I am the education Minister, to get as much money to the front line to individual school budgets as possible.
Wrth gwrs, Hefin, mae'r trafodaethau hynny'n parhau bob dydd yn fy adran i. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cyfarfu uwch swyddogion o'r adran addysg gyda'r Gymdeithas Arweinwyr Ysgolion a Cholegau i drafod eu pryderon gyda hwy. Rwy'n parhau i herio'r consortia rhanbarthol a'r awdurdodau lleol i sicrhau bod cymaint o arian â phosibl yn cyrraedd rheng flaen ein system addysg mewn ysgolion unigol. Ac rwyf bob amser yn agored i drafodaethau ynglŷn â'r ffordd orau y gallwn sicrhau bod mwy o arian yn mynd i gyllidebau ysgolion unigol.
Wrth gwrs, bydd y mwyafrif helaeth o gyllidebau ysgolion yn dod o'r grant cynnal refeniw ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol unigol, ac rwy'n ymwybodol fod yr is-grŵp dosbarthu llywodraeth leol yn ystyried ar hyn o bryd ac wedi dechrau ffrwd waith newydd i edrych ar sut y caiff lefelau'r asesiad wedi'i seilio ar ddangosyddion addysg eu cyflawni wrth bennu lefelau'r grant cynnal refeniw, ac rwy'n croesawu'r gwaith hwnnw'n fawr. Mae'r cyn-Weinidog llywodraeth leol, y Gweinidog llywodraeth leol newydd a minnau wedi dweud, os bydd awdurdodau lleol yn cynnig syniadau ynghylch sut y dylid newid y fformiwla ariannu, y byddwn yn gweithio gyda hwy gyda phob ewyllys da a byddwn yn parhau i wneud hynny. Mae'n aml yn ddryslyd i bobl weld sut y mae arian yn cyrraedd ysgolion oherwydd y gwahanol haenau o arian sydd ar gael, ond fy nod bob amser, pan oeddwn yn Aelod o'r wrthblaid, ac yn sicr bellach a minnau'n Weinidog addysg, yw sicrhau bod cymaint o arian â phosibl yn cyrraedd y rheng flaen i gyllidebau ysgolion unigol.
Minister, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, evidence suggests that differences in local funding models are causing concerns about unequal treatment of schools in similar circumstances. They went on to call on the Welsh Government to consider reviewing the school funding model if it is to realise its ambition for equity in education and student well-being. Minister, the National Association of Headteachers Cymru have said that the current funding system is not fit for purpose—their words, not mine. What action will you take to address these inequalities in the school funding formula in Wales, please?
Weinidog, yn ôl y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd, mae tystiolaeth yn awgrymu bod gwahaniaethau yn y modelau ariannu lleol yn achosi pryderon fod ysgolion mewn amgylchiadau tebyg yn cael eu trin yn anghyfartal. Aethant yn eu blaenau i alw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ystyried adolygu'r model ariannu ysgolion os yw am wireddu eu huchelgais i sicrhau tegwch mewn perthynas ag addysg a lles myfyrwyr ysgol. Weinidog, mae Cymdeithas Genedlaethol Prifathrawon Cymru wedi dweud nad yw'r system ariannu gyfredol yn addas i'r diben—eu geiriau hwy, nid fy rhai i. Pa gamau a gymerwch i fynd i'r afael â'r anghydraddoldebau hyn o ran y fformiwla ariannu ysgolion yng Nghymru, os gwelwch yn dda?
Oscar, it is important that local authorities are responsible for school funding in Wales, and that is set out in law. I'm not sure if the Member is advocating removing that power away from our colleagues in local government. I certainly think that our partners in local government would take a very strong view about removing that power from them. It's also important to realise that there is not a free-for-all for local authorities with regard to how they set their individual funding formulas within a local authority. The regulations require 70 per cent of funding for schools budgets to be distributed on the basis of the number of pupils in the school, and authorities have the leeway of 30 per cent to be able to adjust to individual circumstances.
I do hear that maybe what you're hinting at is that we have a single funding formula and a single figure to fund education across Wales. On the face of it, I can see why there is an attractiveness to that, but when we consider the great diversity of the Welsh education system—a system that delivers bilingually, a system that delivers for large city-centre schools with a diverse population, many children coming to our schools that don't have English as a first language, to those very, very small rural schools where it is inevitable that the cost of education will be more expensive given the size of those schools—it perhaps is not so easy to come up with a single figure that actually covers the educational needs of Wales's very varied communities and the great diversity that we have in our education system. But I'm always open to Members' suggestions as to what changes they want to see to the formula, whether they want to see more money spent on deprivation or rurality or bilingualism, but, of course, that has to be done in the envelope that is available to us, and I don't see anybody standing up in this Chamber offering up money from their schools to be given to other people's schools.
Oscar, mae'n bwysig fod awdurdodau lleol yn gyfrifol am ariannu ysgolion yng Nghymru, a nodir hynny yn y gyfraith. Nid wyf yn siŵr a yw'r Aelod yn awgrymu y dylid amddifadu ein cydweithwyr mewn llywodraeth leol o'r pŵer hwnnw. Yn sicr, credaf y byddai gan ein partneriaid mewn llywodraeth leol farn gref iawn ynglŷn â mynd â'r pŵer hwnnw oddi wrthynt. Mae hefyd yn bwysig sylweddoli nad oes gan awdurdodau lleol rwydd hynt o ran sut y maent yn pennu eu fformiwlâu ariannu unigol o fewn awdurdod lleol. Mae'r rheoliadau'n nodi bod yn rhaid i 70 y cant o'r arian ar gyfer cyllidebau ysgolion gael ei ddosbarthu ar sail nifer y disgyblion yn yr ysgol, ac mae gan awdurdodau ryddid o 30 y cant i allu addasu i amgylchiadau unigol.
Clywaf yr hyn rydych yn ei awgrymu, o bosibl, sef fod gennym un fformiwla ariannu ac un ffigur i ariannu addysg ledled Cymru. Ar yr wyneb, gallaf weld pam fod hynny'n atyniadol, ond pan fyddwn yn ystyried yr amrywiaeth eang o fewn system addysg Cymru—system sy'n darparu'n ddwyieithog, system sy'n darparu ar gyfer ysgolion mawr yng nghanol dinasoedd â chanddynt boblogaethau amrywiol, llawer o blant yn dod i'n hysgolion heb Saesneg fel iaith gyntaf, i'r ysgolion gwledig bach iawn lle mae'n anochel y bydd cost addysg yn ddrytach o ystyried maint yr ysgolion hynny—efallai nad yw pennu un ffigur sy'n darparu ar gyfer anghenion addysgol cymunedau amrywiol iawn Cymru a'r amrywiaeth wych sydd gennym yn ein system addysg mor hawdd â hynny. Ond rwyf bob amser yn agored i awgrymiadau'r Aelodau ynglŷn â pha newidiadau y maent am eu gweld i'r fformiwla, a ydynt am weld mwy o arian yn cael ei wario ar amddifadedd, natur wledig neu ddwyieithrwydd, ond wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid gwneud hynny o fewn yr amlen sydd ar gael i ni, ac ni welaf unrhyw un yn sefyll ar eu traed yn y Siambr hon yn cynnig arian o'u hysgolion i'w roi i ysgolion pobl eraill.
2. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y canllawiau fydd yn cael eu rhoi i ysgolion ym mis Ebrill ynghylch trafod hunanladdiad? OAQ53576
2. Will the Minister provide an update on the guidance which is going to be issued to schools in April on talking about suicide? OAQ53576
Thank you very much, Lynne. The national advisory group on suicide and self-harm is consulting group members and other stakeholders on that guidance prior to its publication in April. We will work with the group to ensure that the guidance is promoted extensively amongst professionals, and that is professionals not just in schools but more widely amongst youth services and other people who work with our young people.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lynne. Mae'r grŵp cynghori cenedlaethol ar atal hunanladdiad a hunan-niwed yn ymgynghori ag aelodau'r grŵp a rhanddeiliaid eraill ar y canllawiau hynny cyn eu cyhoeddi ym mis Ebrill. Byddwn yn gweithio gyda'r grŵp i sicrhau y caiff y canllawiau eu hyrwyddo'n helaeth ymhlith gweithwyr proffesiynol, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys gweithwyr proffesiynol nid yn unig mewn ysgolion ond yn fwy eang ymhlith gwasanaethau ieuenctid a phobl eraill sy'n gweithio gyda'n pobl ifanc.
Thank you, Minister. I really welcome the fact that the guidance recommended by 'Mind over matter' is due for publication in April. I also welcome your commitment to work with the advisory group to ensure the guidance is promoted extensively. However, as you know, for many teachers, for understandable reasons, they are reluctant to talk about suicide. It is therefore crucial not just that the Welsh Government works with the advisory group to promote the guidance but that the Welsh Government proactively leads on ensuring that this guidance is used in all schools in Wales.
Several schoolchildren have died by suicide in Wales since 'Mind over matter' was published, and action on this is urgent. It cannot wait until the new curriculum and a whole-school approach to mental health is implemented in Wales. Will the Minister therefore commit to proactively leading on this with a view to ensuring that it is urgently rolled out in all schools, including ensuring it is incorporated into professional learning for teachers as a matter of urgency, so that they have the skills and confidence to use it?
Diolch, Weinidog. Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith y bydd y canllawiau a argymhellwyd gan 'Cadernid Meddwl' yn cael eu cyhoeddi ym mis Ebrill. Rwy'n croesawu eich ymrwymiad hefyd i weithio gyda'r grŵp cynghori i sicrhau bod y canllawiau'n cael eu hyrwyddo'n helaeth. Fodd bynnag, fel y gwyddoch, i lawer o athrawon, am resymau dealladwy, maent yn amharod i siarad am hunanladdiad. Mae'n hanfodol felly nid yn unig fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda'r grŵp cynghori i hyrwyddo'r canllawiau ond bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn mynd ati'n rhagweithiol i arwain ar sicrhau bod y canllawiau hyn yn cael eu defnyddio ym mhob ysgol yng Nghymru.
Mae sawl plentyn ysgol wedi marw drwy hunanladdiad yng Nghymru ers cyhoeddi 'Cadernid Meddwl', a dylid gweithredu ar hyn fel mater o frys. Ni all aros tan i'r cwricwlwm newydd ac ymagwedd ysgol gyfan at iechyd meddwl gael eu gweithredu yng Nghymru. Felly, a wnaiff y Gweinidog ymrwymo i fynd ati'n rhagweithiol i arwain ar hyn gyda'r bwriad o sicrhau y caiff ei gyflwyno ar fyrder ym mhob ysgol, gan gynnwys sicrhau y caiff ei ymgorffori mewn dysgu proffesiynol ar gyfer athrawon fel mater o frys, er mwyn sicrhau bod ganddynt sgiliau a hyder i'w ddefnyddio?
Thank you very much, Lynne. Let me assure you, we're not sitting back and simply waiting for the implementation of the new curriculum, although the health and well-being area of learning and experience does give us a profound opportunity to change the way in which we talk about health and well-being in our schools. You'll be aware that £2.5 million is being made available in the new financial year, through the education budget, targeted at improving mental health services for young people, informed by youth work pedagogical approaches. Because those professionals working with our youth service often feel sometimes more comfortable and more able and more confident about talking about these very sensitive issues, and we want to use the learning from our youth-work colleagues actually to help inform the professional learning of our school-based colleagues. I can assure you that only yesterday I had a discussion with the official that is leading on professional learning to impress upon him that schools should be able to access professional learning opportunities around this guidance, and health and well-being overall, as part of the funding that we're making available to schools to support improved teacher confidence in this area, which can be really, really challenging for many people to talk about, not least teachers in our schools.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Lynne. Gadewch imi eich sicrhau nad ydym yn eistedd yn ôl ac yn aros tan y rhoddir y cwricwlwm newydd ar waith, er bod y maes dysgu a phrofiad iechyd a lles yn rhoi cyfle aruthrol i ni newid y ffordd rydym yn sôn am iechyd a lles yn ein hysgolion. Fe fyddwch yn gwybod y bydd £2.5 miliwn yn cael ei ddarparu yn y flwyddyn ariannol newydd, drwy'r gyllideb addysg, wedi'i dargedu at wella gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl ar gyfer pobl ifanc, yn seiliedig ar ddulliau addysgeg gwaith ieuenctid. Oherwydd mae'r gweithwyr proffesiynol hynny sy'n gweithio gyda'n gwasanaeth ieuenctid yn aml yn teimlo'n fwy cyfforddus ac yn fwy abl ac yn fwy hyderus i siarad am y materion sensitif iawn hyn, ac rydym yn awyddus i ddefnyddio'r dysgu gan ein cydweithwyr mewn gwaith ieuenctid i helpu i lywio dysgu proffesiynol ein cydweithwyr yn yr ysgolion. Gallaf eich sicrhau fy mod wedi cael trafodaeth ddoe gyda'r swyddog sy'n arwain ar ddysgu proffesiynol i bwysleisio wrtho y dylai ysgolion allu cael mynediad at gyfleoedd dysgu proffesiynol mewn perthynas â'r canllawiau hyn, ac iechyd a lles yn gyffredinol, fel rhan o'r cyllid rydym yn ei ddarparu i ysgolion i gefnogi gwella hyder athrawon yn y maes hwn, a all fod yn heriol iawn i lawer o bobl allu siarad amdano, yn enwedig athrawon yn ein hysgolion.
Minister, I'm sure you'll want to join me in commending the work the Assembly has done in this area, particularly under the leadership of Lynne Neagle in 'Mind over matter', but also Dai Lloyd in the health committee. The simple message is: far, far too many people die as a result of suicide. It's hundreds a year in Wales. We must set targets to radically reduce the number of people who tragically die in those circumstances. Unfortunately, in terms of younger people, it is a major cause of premature death. It needs joint working across Government. I do also commend the work that Samaritans Cymru have done, again emphasising the need to train teachers so that they do have that level of confidence, at least, to address these very important issues. The skills we get at school, 10 or 20 years later—that can be the difference between someone seeking help and unfortunately completing suicide.
Weinidog, rwy'n siŵr y byddwch yn awyddus i ymuno â mi i ganmol y gwaith y mae'r Cynulliad wedi'i wneud yn y maes hwn, yn enwedig o dan arweinyddiaeth Lynne Neagle yn 'Cadernid Meddwl', ond Dai Lloyd hefyd ar y pwyllgor iechyd. Y neges syml yw: mae gormod lawer o bobl yn marw o ganlyniad i hunanladdiad. Mae'n gannoedd bob blwyddyn yng Nghymru. Mae'n rhaid inni osod targedau i leihau nifer y bobl sy'n marw yn yr amgylchiadau trasig hynny yn sylweddol. Yn anffodus, o ran pobl iau, mae'n un o brif achosion marwolaethau cyn pryd. Mae angen gwaith ar y cyd ar draws y Llywodraeth. Rwyf hefyd yn canmol y gwaith a wnaed gan Samariaid Cymru, gan bwysleisio unwaith eto yr angen i hyfforddi athrawon er mwyn sicrhau bod ganddynt y lefel honno o hyder fan lleiaf i fynd i'r afael â'r materion pwysig hyn. Mae'r sgiliau a gawn yn yr ysgol, 10 neu 20 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach—gallant wneud y gwahaniaeth rhwng rhywun yn gofyn am gymorth a rhywun, yn anffodus, yn cyflawni hunanladdiad.
Thank you, David. I think it is absolutely right that we recognise the campaigning work that has been done by colleagues, such as Dai Lloyd, Lynne Neagle and Jack Sargeant, on these issues. I can assure you that we are discussing with our initial teacher education providers to ensure that, through initial teacher education, our future practitioners will have the appropriate skills. I was hugely encouraged by the recent vote here of the Youth Parliament, which as their top priority have voted to look to work on the issue of young people's mental health. It demonstrates how important this issue is to them, and across the country I know that young people and youth groups are working really, really hard to address the issue of resilience.
Presiding Officer, on Sunday morning, I was at the Hafren theatre in Newtown watching the YFC Wales's drama festival, and the winning club from Carmarthenshire, the YFC club of Llandovery, put on an incredibly sophisticated and moving entertainment on the subject of suicide in rural areas. And to see young people, aged 10 to 26, engaging in such a sophisticated way to spread these messages is something that would put some older people to shame.
Diolch, David. Credaf ei bod yn gwbl iawn ein bod yn cydnabod y gwaith ymgyrchu a wnaed gan gyd-Aelodau, fel Dai Lloyd, Lynne Neagle a Jack Sargeant, ar y materion hyn. Gallaf eich sicrhau ein bod yn trafod gyda'n darparwyr addysg gychwynnol i athrawon i wneud yn siŵr, drwy addysg gychwynnol i athrawon, y bydd gan ein haddysgwyr sgiliau priodol yn y dyfodol. Roedd pleidlais ddiweddar y Senedd Ieuenctid yma yn hynod o galonogol, gan iddynt bleidleisio i weithio, fel eu prif flaenoriaeth, ar fater iechyd meddwl pobl ifanc. Mae'n dangos pa mor bwysig yw'r mater hwn iddynt, a ledled y wlad, gwn fod grwpiau ieuenctid a phobl ifanc yn gweithio'n galed iawn i fynd i'r afael â mater gwytnwch.
Lywydd, fore Sul, roeddwn yn Theatr Hafren yn y Drenewydd yn gwylio gŵyl ddrama Clybiau Ffermwyr Ifanc Cymru, a chafwyd adloniant rhyfeddol o soffistigedig a gwefreiddiol gan y clwb buddugol o sir Gaerfyrddin, clwb CFfI Llanymddyfri, ar bwnc hunanladdiad mewn ardaloedd gwledig. Ac roedd gweld pobl ifanc, rhwng 10 a 26 oed, yn ymgysylltu mewn ffordd mor soffistigedig er mwyn lledaenu'r negeseuon hyn yn rhywbeth a fyddai'n codi cywilydd ar rai pobl hŷn.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Siân Gwenllian.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Siân Gwenllian.
Diolch, Llywydd. Mae penaethiaid ar draws Cymru yn rhybuddio bod argyfwng cyllido yn wynebu ein hysgolion, ac y bydd gan hyn ganlyniadau pellgyrhaeddol—dosbarthiadau mwy, llai o athrawon, cyflwr adeiladau’n dirywio, lleihad mewn cefnogaeth i anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, toriadau i wasanaethau bugeiliol a lles. Dŷn ni’n colli cannoedd o’n hathrawon mwyaf profiadol ac arweinwyr canol o’n hysgolion yn sgil ymddeoliadau cynnar.
Mae ymchwiliad y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg wedi rhoi ffocws ar yr angen i gynyddu’r cwantwm sy’n cael ei wario ar addysg, ac mae o hefyd wedi dechrau trafod pa fesurau y gellid eu cymryd hyd yn oed o fewn y gyllideb bresennol i sicrhau bod mwy o arian yn cyrraedd yr ysgolion. Mae yna un undeb athrawon, gyda chefnogaeth y Torïaid, yn argymell symud tuag at system o ariannu ysgolion yn uniongyrchol, gan greu system debyg i’r academies yn Lloegr. Beth ydy eich barn chi am ariannu uniongyrchol?
Thank you, Llywydd. Headteachers the length and breadth of Wales are warning that there is a funding crisis facing our schools and that this will have far-reaching impacts—larger class sizes, fewer teachers, the condition of buildings deteriorating, reduction in the support for additional learning needs, cuts to pastoral services and well-being services. We are losing hundreds of our most experienced teachers and mid-level leaders from our schools as a result of early retirement.
The Children, Young People and Education Committee inquiry has placed a focus on the need to increase the quantum being spent on education, and it's also started to discuss what measures could be put in place even within the existing budget in order to ensure that more funding reaches our schools. There is one teaching union, with the support of the Conservatives, that recommends moving towards a system of direct school funding, creating a system similar to the academies in England. What's your view on direct funding?
Firstly, can I say, with the committee looking at expanding the quantum of money available to me, I'm willing to work with anybody in this Chamber who is in favour of expanding the quantum of money that is available to our schools? As I said in answer to Mohammad Asghar, I'm under no illusions about the real challenges facing our teaching profession, and this is what austerity looks like. It's not an abstract concept. This is what austerity, prolonged years of public expenditure being squeezed—this is the reality of what it means out on the ground.
As I said earlier, in some ways, direct funding of a single formula does not, in my view, address the issue of the diversity of educational provision that we have in Wales. It undermines the law that we currently have, which says that this is the democratic decision-making responsibility of our local authorities, and would be incredibly difficult to do at a continuing time of austerity. It might be easy to do it if budgets were rising and we could have a floor below which nobody dropped, but, given the challenging financial circumstances we find ourselves in, it would be incredibly challenging to do so, and to think it is simply as easy as that—one only has to look at the discord across the border in England with how direct funding of schools has worked out for them.
Presiding Officer, perhaps in answer to the question about what more we can do, I would like to take this opportunity to announce to the Chamber that, following the statement that was made by the finance Minister last week, in 2019-20, I am allocating £47.7 million to meet in full the identified additional estimated pressure for maintained schools and further education colleges in Wales arising out of changes to teachers' pensions, and I hope that this will be welcomed across the Chamber and by individual schools.
Yn gyntaf, a gaf fi ddweud, gyda'r pwyllgor yn ystyried ehangu'r swm o arian sydd ar gael i mi, fy mod yn barod i weithio gydag unrhyw un yn y Siambr hon sydd o blaid cynyddu'r swm o arian sydd ar gael i'n hysgolion? Fel y dywedais yn fy ateb i Mohammad Asghar, nid wyf o dan unrhyw gamargraff mewn perthynas â'r heriau go iawn sy'n wynebu ein proffesiwn addysgu, a dyma sut y mae cyni'n edrych. Nid yw'n gysyniad haniaethol. Dyma yw cyni, blynyddoedd maith o gyfyngu ar wariant cyhoeddus—dyma realiti'r hyn y mae hynny'n ei olygu ar lawr gwlad.
Fel y dywedais yn gynharach, mewn rhai ffyrdd, nid wyf yn credu bod ariannu un fformiwla yn uniongyrchol yn mynd i'r afael ag amrywiaeth y ddarpariaeth addysgol sydd gennym yng Nghymru. Mae'n tanseilio'r gyfraith sydd gennym ar hyn o bryd, sy'n dweud mai cyfrifoldeb democrataidd ein hawdurdodau lleol i wneud penderfyniadau yw hyn, a byddai'n hynod o anodd ei gyflawni ar adeg o gyni parhaus. Efallai y byddai'n hawdd pe bai cyllidebau'n cynyddu ac y gallem gael terfyn isaf na fyddai unrhyw un yn cwympo oddi tano, ond o ystyried yr amgylchiadau ariannol heriol sy'n ein hwynebu, byddai'n anodd iawn gwneud hynny, ac mae meddwl ei bod mor syml â hynny—nid oes ond angen edrych ar yr anghytuno dros y ffin yn Lloegr i weld sut y mae ariannu ysgolion yn uniongyrchol wedi gweithio iddynt hwy.
Lywydd, efallai mewn ymateb i'r cwestiwn ynglŷn â beth arall y gallwn ei wneud, hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i gyhoeddi i'r Siambr, yn dilyn y datganiad a wnaed gan y Gweinidog cyllid yr wythnos diwethaf, y byddaf yn dyrannu £47.7 miliwn yn 2019-20 i ddiwallu'r pwysau ychwanegol a amcangyfrifir ar ysgolion a gynhelir a cholegau addysg bellach yng Nghymru yn sgil newidiadau i bensiynau athrawon, ac rwy'n gobeithio y caiff hyn ei groesawu ar draws y Siambr a chan ysgolion unigol.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, ac rwy’n falch iawn o glywed y cyhoeddiad diwethaf yna. Dwi’n gwybod bod fy nghydweithiwr yn San Steffan, Ben Lake, wedi bod yn mynd ar ôl y mater yma yn ddyfal hefyd, felly rwy’n ddiolchgar iawn o glywed hynny—bydd hynny’n newyddion da i’n hysgolion ni.
Ond, i fynd yn ôl at yr ariannu uniongyrchol, jest i'w roi fo ar y record, mae Plaid Cymru yn barod i ystyried unrhyw gynigion a fyddai’n gwella canlyniadau addysgol ein plant. Dŷn ni ddim, fodd bynnag, o’r farn bod cyllido ysgolion yn uniongyrchol yn opsiwn y dylid ei ystyried yng Nghymru, a hynny am nifer o resymau. Dŷch chi wedi sôn am un mater ynglŷn â chael un swm o arian, ond mae yna fwy iddo fo na hynny. Mae angen cadw rheolaeth ddemocrataidd leol ar ariannu, ac mae’r gwasanaethau canolog sy'n cael eu darparu fel cefnogaeth yn hollbwysig—er enghraifft, ar gyfer plant mewn gofal a phlant efo anghenion ychwanegol. Mae peryg i'r plant mwyaf bregus gael eu hanghofio mewn system lle byddai'r ariannu'n mynd yn uniongyrchol. Un peth ydy cyllid uniongyrchol i ysgol drefol, fawr. Mae llawer iawn o'n hysgolion ni'n fach, maen nhw'n wledig, maen nhw mewn ardaloedd difreintiedig, ac maen nhw angen cefnogaeth ganolog. Felly, dwi'n falch iawn ein bod ni'n gytûn ar hynny a'ch bod chithau hefyd yn diystyru'r galwadau am gyllido ysgolion yn uniongyrchol. Ydych chi felly'n teimlo ei bod hi'n bryd i'r drafodaeth symud tuag at ganfod atebion llai niweidiol ar gyfer ariannu'n hysgolion ni'n fwy teg? Ai dyna lle ddylai'r ffocws fod rŵan?
Thank you very much, and I'm very pleased to hear that last announcement. I know that my colleague in Westminster, Ben Lake, has been pursuing this issue, so I'm very grateful to hear that—that'll be good news for our schools.
But, to return to direct funding, just to put it on the record, Plaid Cymru is willing to consider any proposals that would deliver better outcomes for our children. We are not of the view, however, that direct school funding is an option that should be considered here in Wales, and that's for a number of reasons. You've mentioned one issue regarding having one sum of money, but there's more to it than that. We need to keep democratic accountability at a local level in terms of funding, and central services provided in support are crucially important—for example, for children in care and children with additional needs. There is a risk that the most vulnerable children could be forgotten in a system where funding would be provided directly. It’s one thing to provide direct funding for a large urban school, but very many of our schools are small, they are rural and they are in disadvantaged areas, and they need support from a central source. So, I’m very pleased that we’re agreed on that, and that you too are rejecting the calls for direct school funding. Do you therefore feel that it’s time for the discussion to move towards finding less damaging solutions for school funding and ensuring fairer school funding? Should that work be where the focus sits now?
I think the Member makes a very good point: a point that was made, actually, very eloquently by Andrew R.T. Davies, who's not in his seat today, when he recently addressed the school funding budget debate that we had here. He recognised that there are some services that are best delivered and organised and planned at either a local authority level or a regional level, because that's where we can get the best type of service for individual children.
What is absolutely clear to me, in the absence of a commitment from the Westminster Government to end the damaging era of austerity, is that we have to work collectively to find more ways in which we can avoid duplication and get more money to the front line, and I'm more than happy to meet with the Member, or, indeed, other Members who have ideas on how that can be achieved, and I continue, as I said in an earlier answer, to challenge our local authorities, regional consortia, and other middle tier to ensure that they're not hanging on to budgets that could be delegated to individual schools.
Credaf fod yr Aelod yn gwneud pwynt da iawn: pwynt a wnaed, mewn gwirionedd, yn huawdl iawn gan Andrew R.T. Davies, nad yw yn ei sedd heddiw, wrth annerch yn y ddadl a gawsom yma'n ddiweddar ar y gyllideb ariannu ysgolion. Roedd yn cydnabod bod rhai gwasanaethau'n cael eu darparu a'u trefnu a'u cynllunio orau naill ai ar lefel awdurdod lleol neu ar lefel ranbarthol, gan mai dyna lle gallwn sicrhau'r math gorau o wasanaeth ar gyfer plant unigol.
Yr hyn sy'n gwbl glir i mi, yn niffyg ymrwymiad gan Lywodraeth San Steffan i ddod ag oes niweidiol cyni i ben, yw bod yn rhaid inni weithio ar y cyd i ddod o hyd i fwy o ffyrdd o osgoi dyblygu a chael mwy o arian i'r rheng flaen, ac rwy'n fwy na pharod i gyfarfod â'r Aelod, neu'n wir ag Aelodau eraill sydd â syniadau ynglŷn â sut y gellir cyflawni hynny, ac rwy'n parhau, fel y dywedais mewn ateb cynharach, i herio ein hawdurdodau lleol, consortia rhanbarthol ac eraill yn yr haen ganol i sicrhau nad ydynt yn dal gafael ar gyllidebau y gellid eu dirprwyo i ysgolion unigol.
I helpu'r drafodaeth, felly, gaf i awgrymu bod yna nifer o gwestiynau y gallwch chi a'r adran addysg yn y Llywodraeth fod yn eu gofyn? Oes yna ormod o haenau yn ein system addysg ni? Ydy'r rhain yn creu biwrocratiaeth diangen? Oes yna ormod o ddyblygu gwaith? Ac ydy hynny'n ddefnydd da o arian prin y pot addysg? Er enghraifft, oes yna ormod o gyrff yn cefnogi ysgolion? Oes angen tynhau'r system yn sylweddol? Cwestiwn arall i'w ofyn ydy: oes yna well ffordd i ariannu'r chweched dosbarth mewn ysgolion? Ac un arall i chi ei ystyried, os gwelwch yn dda: oes modd cyflymu'r broses o ddosbarthu arian allan o Lywodraeth Cymru ac osgoi cyhoeddiadau ariannol sy'n dod yn hwyr iawn yn y dydd? Dwi'n edrych ymlaen at gael trafodaeth adeiladol yn sgil yr ymchwiliad mae'r pwyllgor pwysig yma'n ei wneud ar hyn o bryd.
To help with that discussion, therefore, may I suggest that there are a number of questions that you and the education department within Government could be asking? Are there too many layers in our education system? Do these create unnecessary bureaucracy? Is there too much duplication of work? And is that a good use of the scarce funding in the education pot? For example, are there too many bodies supporting schools? Do we need to tighten up the system substantially? Another question that should be asked is whether there is a better way of funding sixth forms in schools. Another for your consideration, if you would: could we hasten the process of distributing funding from the Welsh Government, avoiding financial announcements being made very late in the day? I do look forward to having a constructive discussion in light of this important committee inquiry.
The Member is absolutely right to look at whether there is duplication. I am frustrated to read from ASCL and to discuss with ASCL some of their concerns, for instance, of a duplication of roles, functions and spending from the regional consortia and individual local education authorities. Of course, regional consortia are run by local councils—they are the stakeholders, they hold the managing directors to account—and therefore it seems to me very concerning that in that governance arrangement they would allow for a duplication of spend across their own local authority and their regional consortia. So, I want to reassure the Member that we are constantly challenging LEAs and regional consortia around issues around delegation.
Sixth forms, again, potentially, is a really challenging area about how we continue to provide access to post-compulsory education in a way that meets our Learning and Skills (Wales) Measure 2009 and meets the aspirations of our young people, who want a large selection of courses from which to choose, and how we can keep people in Wales. As a border Assembly Member, I'm very concerned that people choose to study post-16 over the border. We need to address that situation. I'm always very concerned that we ourselves as a department do all we can to get our money that we provide to schools out the door as quickly and as effectively and as efficiently as we possibly can.
Mae'r Aelod yn gwbl iawn i edrych i weld a oes dyblygu'n digwydd. Rwy'n teimlo'n rhwystredig wrth ddarllen deunydd gan y Gymdeithas Arweinwyr Ysgolion a Cholegau a thrafod rhai o'u pryderon gyda hwy, er enghraifft, ynghylch dyblygu rolau, swyddogaethau a gwariant gan y consortia rhanbarthol ac awdurdodau addysg lleol unigol. Wrth gwrs, caiff consortia rhanbarthol eu rhedeg gan gynghorau lleol—hwy yw'r rhanddeiliaid, maent yn dwyn y rheolwyr gyfarwyddwyr i gyfrif—ac felly mae'n peri cryn bryder y byddent, yn eu trefniant llywodraethu, yn darparu ar gyfer dyblygu gwariant ar draws eu hawdurdod lleol a'u consortia rhanbarthol eu hunain. Felly, hoffwn sicrhau'r Aelod ein bod yn herio awdurdodau addysg lleol a'r consortia rhanbarthol yn gyson mewn perthynas â materion sy'n ymwneud â dirprwyo.
Mae'r chweched dosbarth, unwaith eto o bosibl, yn faes heriol iawn o ran sut y gallwn barhau i ddarparu mynediad at addysg ôl-orfodol mewn ffordd sy'n bodloni ein Mesur Dysgu a Sgiliau (Cymru) 2009 ac yn bodloni dyheadau ein pobl ifanc, sy'n awyddus i gael dewis eang o gyrsiau i ddewis o'u plith, a sut y gallwn gadw pobl yng Nghymru. Fel Aelod Cynulliad etholaeth ar y ffin, mae'n peri cryn bryder i mi fod pobl yn dewis astudio cyrsiau ôl-16 dros y ffin. Mae angen inni fynd i'r afael â'r sefyllfa honno. Rwyf bob amser yn awyddus iawn i ni fel adran wneud popeth a allwn i sicrhau bod yr arian a ddarparwn i ysgolion yn eu cyrraedd mor gyflym ac mor effeithiol ac mor effeithlon â phosibl.
Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Suzy Davies.
Conservatives spokesperson, Suzy Davies.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Minister, can I thank you very much for confirming that you've now heard from the finance Minister with a figure to be passported to you from the UK Government budget to meet—and I think; I'm just quoting you—that £47.7 million in full? It meets the costs of the pension hike in full. So, that's pleasing to hear. Can you tell me what steps you'll be taking to make sure that every penny that actually gets to schools will be spent in meeting the cost of the pensions uplift?
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Weinidog, a gaf fi ddiolch yn fawr i chi am gadarnhau eich bod bellach wedi clywed gan y Gweinidog cyllid ynglŷn â ffigur a fydd yn cael ei basbortio i chi o gyllideb Llywodraeth y DU i dalu—ac rwy'n credu; rwy'n eich dyfynnu—y £47.7 miliwn hwnnw yn llawn? Mae'n talu costau'r codiad pensiwn yn llawn. Felly, mae'n braf clywed hynny. A allwch ddweud wrthyf pa gamau y byddwch yn eu cymryd i sicrhau y bydd pob ceiniog sy'n cyrraedd yr ysgolion yn cael ei gwario i dalu cost y codiad pensiwn?
Okay. Let me make it absolutely clear: this money relates to teachers' pensions. The allocation is £47.7 million, and it is, indeed, to meet in full the identified additional estimated pressures for maintained schools and FE colleges in Wales. But let's be absolutely clear: it is the Welsh Government that are meeting these commitments in full. The money that has come down from Westminster has not met the bill for these changes, and it is the Welsh Government that is ensuring that the pressures are met in full. This breaks down as £42.1 million for maintained schools, including sixth forms, and £5.6 million for further education colleges. The changes to teachers' pensions will be implemented from the start of the new academic year in September. Therefore, this funding relates to the period September 2019 to March 2020, and the Welsh Government's officials will agree with local authorities the specific logistics of grant distribution to each authority over the next few weeks, and it will be done in a special grant via local education authorities that they have to spend for this purpose.
O'r gorau. Gadewch imi ddweud yn gwbl glir: mae'r arian hwn yn ymwneud â phensiynau athrawon. £47.7 miliwn yw'r dyraniad, ac yn wir, fe'i dyrennir i gael gwared ar y pwysau ychwanegol a amcangyfrifir ar ysgolion a gynhelir a cholegau addysg bellach yng Nghymru. Ond gadewch imi ddweud yn gwbl glir: Llywodraeth Cymru sy'n cyflawni'r ymrwymiadau hyn yn llawn. Nid yw'r arian sydd wedi dod o San Steffan wedi talu'r bil am y newidiadau hyn, a Llywodraeth Cymru sy'n sicrhau bod y pwysau'n cael ei ddiwallu'n llawn. Mae'r arian yn cynnwys £42.1 miliwn ar gyfer ysgolion a gynhelir, gan gynnwys dosbarth chwech, a £5.6 miliwn ar gyfer colegau addysg bellach. Bydd y newidiadau i bensiynau athrawon yn cael eu rhoi ar waith o ddechrau'r flwyddyn academaidd newydd ym mis Medi. Felly, mae'r cyllid ar gyfer y cyfnod rhwng mis Medi 2019 a mis Mawrth 2020, a bydd swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru yn cytuno gydag awdurdodau lleol penodol ar y logisteg benodol o ran dosbarthu grantiau i bob awdurdod dros yr ychydig wythnosau nesaf, a bydd hynny'n digwydd ar ffurf grant arbennig drwy'r awdurdodau addysg lleol y bydd yn rhaid iddynt ei wario at y diben hwn.
Thank you. That's a very helpful answer, Minister. You've just confirmed that this is going to be ring-fenced money and it will be going to the schools, and, if that doesn't happen, then, obviously, we will be holding you, as well as local authorities, to account on that. Perhaps you can let us have a note at some point about what the difference is between the money that you've had from the UK Government and that that you're prepared to give to meet the total cost to see if we can get some sort of sense of the scale of your commitment.
Like Siân Gwenllian, I don't think I've ever heard from so many teachers about core funding as I am the moment, and, yes, we can discuss London's role in this, but teachers are wise to the fact that the education budget increased this year, and they have questions for you and council leaders about whether central Government grant funding, which is targeted at those diverse needs you mentioned a bit earlier on—whether that is starting to give local authorities a bit of a get-out-of-jail-free card when it comes to providing core budgets to school. And in particular—this is what's coming to me—the very welcome increase in the pupil development grant—and this is not an attack on PDG in any way at all—means that schools in more affluent areas are losing staff while schools in more deprived areas are able to retain them, because of the PDG targeting the needs of poorer children, obviously, but maintaining the resilience of the school structure and its staffing, and, of course, providing some incidental benefit to pupils who are not eligible for free school meals, which is fine by me, I must admit.
That flexibility is not open to schools with low PDG eligibility, and there's a risk now, I think, of creating a cohort of educationally disadvantaged children and young people, which is not what you want—I'm absolutely certain of that. So, I heard your comments in response to Hefin David a bit earlier on, in which you spoke of the funding formula, so I'm not talking about that. But are you open to reconsidering the balance of how schools are funded as between Welsh Government and local authorities and in the round, and, again, in a way that isn't seen as an attack on the PDG, because that's certainly not my intention?
Diolch. Mae hwnnw'n ateb defnyddiol iawn, Weinidog. Rydych newydd gadarnhau y bydd yr arian hwn wedi'i glustnodi ac y bydd yn mynd i'r ysgolion, ac os na fydd hynny'n digwydd, yna, yn amlwg, byddwn yn eich dwyn chi, yn ogystal ag awdurdodau lleol, i gyfrif am hynny. Efallai y gallwch egluro inni ar ryw bwynt beth yw'r gwahaniaeth rhwng yr arian a gawsoch gan Lywodraeth y DU a'r hyn rydych yn barod i'w roi i dalu cyfanswm y gost er mwyn gweld a allwn gael rhyw fath o synnwyr ynglŷn â maint eich ymrwymiad.
Fel Siân Gwenllian, ni chredaf fy mod erioed wedi clywed gan gynifer o athrawon ynglŷn â chyllid craidd ag a wnaf ar hyn o bryd, a gallwn drafod rôl Llundain yn hyn o beth, ond mae athrawon yn ymwybodol o'r ffaith bod y gyllideb addysg wedi cynyddu eleni, ac mae ganddynt gwestiynau i chi ac arweinwyr cynghorau ynglŷn ag a yw cyllid grant canolog y Llywodraeth, a dargedir at yr anghenion amrywiol hynny a grybwyllwyd gennych ychydig yn gynharach—a yw hynny'n dechrau rhoi rhyw fath o gerdyn dod-allan-o'r-carchar-am-ddim i awdurdodau lleol mewn perthynas â darparu cyllidebau craidd i ysgolion. Ac yn benodol—dyma'r hyn a glywaf—mae'r cynnydd calonogol iawn yn y grant datblygu disgyblion—ac nid yw hyn yn ymosodiad ar y grant datblygu disgyblion mewn unrhyw ffordd—yn golygu bod ysgolion mewn ardaloedd mwy cefnog yn colli staff tra bod ysgolion mewn ardaloedd mwy difreintiedig yn gallu eu cadw, gan fod y grant datblygu disgyblion yn targedu anghenion plant tlotach, yn amlwg, ond gan gynnal cadernid strwythur yr ysgol a'i staffio hefyd, a darparu peth budd cysylltiedig wrth gwrs i ddisgyblion nad ydynt yn gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim, sy'n ddigon teg o'm rhan i, rhaid cyfaddef.
Nid yw'r hyblygrwydd hwnnw ar gael i ysgolion heb lawer o gymhwysedd i gael y grant datblygu disgyblion, a bellach, yn fy marn i, ceir risg o greu carfan o blant a phobl ifanc o dan anfantais addysgol, ac nid oes arnoch eisiau hynny—rwy'n gwbl sicr ynglŷn â hynny. Felly, clywais eich sylwadau mewn ymateb i Hefin David yn gynharach, pan sonioch chi am y fformiwla ariannu, felly nid wyf yn sôn am hynny. Ond a ydych yn agored i ailystyried y cydbwysedd o ran sut y caiff ysgolion eu hariannu rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru ac awdurdodau lleol ac yn gyffredinol, ac unwaith eto, mewn ffordd na chaiff ei hystyried yn ymosodiad ar y grant datblygu disgyblion, oherwydd yn sicr, nid dyna yw fy mwriad?
Well, the Member—. I accept that the Member is not attacking the principle of the PDG. Only yesterday, the First Minister answered a series of questions that talked about the impact of poverty on the life chances of those individuals who find themselves in those circumstances. And the £400 million plus that has been spent on the PDG since it was introduced in the last Assembly is just one attempt by the Government to try and level the playing field. But let's be absolutely clear: that is not the only source of funding that comes from Welsh Government to individual schools. We also have the school improvement grant, the education improvement grant. We have a specific grant that looks to address some of the logistical challenges and the teaching challenges of teaching in our small and rural schools. We have the business manager pilots, we have the class sizes grant, we have the additional learning needs money, we have the professional learning resources that have been sent to schools. So, there is a plethora of central funding that makes its way to schools, but, as I said, Suzy, I'm not immune to the challenges, the very real challenges, that are facing our school communities and our leaders who are working incredibly hard. But I don't think that the redistribution of the PDG is necessarily the way to solve those problems.
Wel, mae'r Aelod—. Rwy'n derbyn nad yw'r Aelod yn ymosod ar egwyddor y grant datblygu disgyblion. Ddoe yn unig, atebodd y Prif Weinidog gyfres o gwestiynau ynglŷn ag effaith tlodi ar gyfleoedd bywyd unigolion yn yr amgylchiadau hynny. Ac nid yw'r £400 miliwn a mwy a wariwyd ar y grant datblygu disgyblion ers ei gyflwyno yn y Cynulliad diwethaf ond yn un ymdrech gan y Llywodraeth i geisio sicrhau chwarae teg yn hyn o beth. Ond gadewch imi ddweud yn gwbl glir: nid honno yw'r unig ffynhonnell o gyllid a ddaw gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ysgolion unigol. Hefyd, mae gennym y grant gwella ysgolion, y grant gwella addysg. Mae gennym grant penodol ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â rhai o'r heriau logistaidd a'r heriau addysgu mewn perthynas ag addysgu yn ein hysgolion bach a gwledig. Mae gennym gynlluniau peilot rheolwyr busnes, mae gennym y grant maint dosbarthiadau, mae gennym yr arian ar gyfer anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, mae gennym yr adnoddau dysgu proffesiynol sydd wedi'u hanfon i ysgolion. Felly, ceir llu o ffynonellau cyllid canolog sy'n cyrraedd ysgolion, ond fel y dywedais, Suzy, rwy'n ymwybodol o'r heriau, yr heriau gwirioneddol, sy'n wynebu ein cymunedau ysgol a'n harweinwyr sy'n gweithio'n anhygoel o galed. Ond ni chredaf mai ailddosbarthu'r grant datblygu disgyblion yw'r ffordd orau o ddatrys y problemau hynny o reidrwydd.
Again, thank you for that answer. Well, obviously, I'm hoping, like me, you're interested in the life chances of pupils from all backgrounds, and, at the moment, it's those in more affluent areas who seem to be taking the brunt of the way that local authorities are making decisions about how they distribute moneys—core funding. It's all well and good to speak about some of the other grants you mentioned, but of course, there have been cuts to the education improvement grant, as we've heard, in Gwynedd, which has resulted in children who don't speak Welsh as a first language not having access to the instruction that they need to help them access education through the medium of Welsh in that county.
Now, again, on the subject of unintended consequences of a good idea, teachers and local authorities are now very worried about how they're going to be able to meet the cost of compliance with the additional learning needs Act and the code, with some very serious questions being raised about the support currently offered to pupils on school action, in particular. I've been told by a teacher that it can take up to 20 hours of admin time to support a child, let alone the actual in-classroom time, and that staffing implications at a time when some schools are having to let staff go, in some cases, when the number of special education needs pupils is already rising and SEN funding from councils is falling. Now, there've always been concerns about the way this legislation is costed—I'm sure you remember that bruising period. I'm just wondering whether you will commit to reviewing not just what it costs to implement the Act and through the code, but ensuring that any additional money that you do manage to identify in due course cannot be diverted to meet other pressures that councils claim they have.
Unwaith eto, diolch am eich ateb. Wel, yn amlwg, rwy'n gobeithio bod gennych chi, fel minnau, ddiddordeb yng nghyfleoedd bywyd disgyblion o bob cefndir, ac ar hyn o bryd, ymddengys mai'r rheini yn yr ardaloedd mwy cefnog sy'n ysgwyddo'r baich o ran y ffordd y mae awdurdodau lleol yn gwneud penderfyniadau ynglŷn â sut y maent yn dosbarthu arian—cyllid craidd. Mae'n ddigon hawdd siarad am rai o'r grantiau eraill a grybwylloch, ond wrth gwrs, cafwyd toriadau i'r grant gwella addysg, fel y clywsom, yng Ngwynedd, sydd wedi arwain at blant nad ydynt yn siarad Cymraeg fel iaith gyntaf yn methu cael mynediad at y gwersi sydd eu hangen arnynt i'w helpu i gael mynediad at addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yn y sir honno.
Nawr, unwaith eto, ar fater canlyniadau anfwriadol i syniad da, mae athrawon ac awdurdodau lleol yn bryderus iawn bellach ynglŷn â sut y gallant dalu cost cydymffurfio â'r Ddeddf anghenion dysgu ychwanegol a'r cod, gyda chwestiynau difrifol iawn yn cael eu gofyn ynglŷn â'r cymorth a gynigir ar hyn o bryd i ddisgyblion mewn perthynas â gweithredu gan yr ysgol, yn arbennig. Dywedwyd wrthyf gan athro y gall gymryd hyd at 20 awr o amser gweinyddol i gefnogi plentyn, heb sôn am yr amser yn yr ystafell ddosbarth, a bod hyn yn arwain at oblygiadau staffio ar adeg pan fo rhai ysgolion yn gorfod diswyddo staff, mewn rhai achosion, pan fo nifer y disgyblion sydd ag anghenion addysgol arbennig yn codi eisoes a chyllid anghenion addysgol arbennig gan gynghorau yn lleihau. Nawr, mae pryderon wedi bod o'r cychwyn ynglŷn â'r ffordd y cafodd y ddeddfwriaeth hon ei chostio—rwy'n siŵr eich bod yn cofio'r cyfnod anodd hwnnw. Tybed a wnewch chi ymrwymo i adolygu nid yn unig faint mae'n ei gostio i weithredu'r Ddeddf a thrwy'r cod, ond i sicrhau na ellir dargyfeirio unrhyw arian ychwanegol y llwyddwch i gael hyd iddo maes o law er mwyn lleddfu pwysau arall y mae'r cynghorau'n honni eu bod yn ei wynebu.
Thanks, Suzy Davies, for that question. Can I just say that my understanding of the situation in Gwynedd regarding the immersion unit is not as portrayed by the Member? There are ongoing discussions within Gwynedd county council, between the executive of the council and, indeed, my officials about the future of those services, recognising the important role that immersion units play for children who have potentially moved to the area or want to be able to acquire those skills, and the council is considering the future of those services actively. So, it's not as the Member has portrayed in the Chamber.
With regard to remembering the bruising, well, he's not in his seat, but Alun Davies was the Minister responsible for the passage of most of that legislation, and I think he does remember that very well. You are right, the Government has committed £20 million to support the implementation of our transformational ALN agenda, working really hard to ensure its successful implementation, and clearly, the stated intent of that legislation is that all children, regardless of their additional learning needs, will have their needs met in full.
Diolch am eich cwestiwn, Suzy Davies. A gaf fi ddweud nad yw fy nealltwriaeth o'r sefyllfa yng Ngwynedd o ran yr uned drochi yn cyfateb i'r hyn a ddisgrifiwyd gan yr Aelod? Mae trafodaethau'n mynd rhagddynt yng nghyngor sir Gwynedd, rhwng gweithrediaeth y cyngor, ac yn wir, fy swyddogion ynghylch dyfodol y gwasanaethau hynny, gan gydnabod rôl bwysig yr unedau trochi mewn perthynas â phlant sydd efallai wedi symud i'r ardal neu sydd am gael y sgiliau hynny, ac mae'r cyngor yn ystyried dyfodol y gwasanaethau hynny'n weithredol. Felly, nid yw'r sefyllfa'n cyfateb i'r hyn ddisgrifiwyd gan yr Aelod yn y Siambr.
O ran cofio'r cyfnod anodd, wel, nid yw yn ei sedd, ond Alun Davies oedd y Gweinidog a oedd yn gyfrifol am hynt y rhan fwyaf o'r ddeddfwriaeth honno, a chredaf ei fod yn cofio hynny'n dda iawn. Rydych yn llygad eich lle, mae'r Llywodraeth wedi ymrwymo £20 miliwn i gefnogi'r broses o roi ein hagenda i weddnewid ADY ar waith, gan weithio'n galed iawn i sicrhau y caiff ei rhoi ar waith yn llwyddiannus, ac yn amlwg, y bwriad a nodwyd ar gyfer y ddeddfwriaeth honno yw bod anghenion pob plentyn, ni waeth beth fo'u hanghenion dysgu ychwanegol, yn cael eu diwallu'n llawn.
Llefarydd UKIP, Michelle Brown.
UKIP spokesperson, Michelle Brown.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. Relating to your earlier announcement about covering the funding for the pension changes, I think schools across Wales are going to be breathing a sigh of relief on that one, so I welcome your announcement.
Last year, a review showed that fining parents for taking children out of school in term time in Wales has had no effect on overall absence rates. Is it right that parents should be fined for taking their children out of the school for a week to take them on holiday?
Diolch, Lywydd. O ran eich cyhoeddiad cynharach ynglŷn â'r cyllid i dalu am y newidiadau pensiwn, credaf y bydd ysgolion ledled Cymru yn rhoi ochenaid o ryddhad mewn perthynas â hynny, felly rwy'n croesawu eich cyhoeddiad.
Y llynedd, dangosodd adolygiad nad yw dirwyo rhieni am dynnu plant o'r ysgol yn ystod y tymor yng Nghymru wedi cael unrhyw effaith ar gyfraddau absenoldeb yn gyffredinol. A yw'n iawn y dylai rhieni gael eu dirwyo am dynnu eu plant o'r ysgol am wythnos i fynd â hwy ar wyliau?
First of all, it's not just schools that are breathing a sigh of relief; I'm breathing a sigh of relief that the finance Minister has made these resources available. And it's remiss of me, I'm sure that the finance Minister will be more than happy to supply a note to Suzy Davies outlining the resources that the Welsh Government has had to find to make sure that this announcement has been able to be made today.
With regard to fining parents, fining parents—. With regard to attendance at school, let's be absolutely clear that regular attendance at school is the most important thing a parent can do for their children's educational outcomes, and parents should make every effort when at all possible, unless a child is ill or there are circumstances beyond their control, that children should be in school. We leave it to the discretion of individual headteachers to be able to apply authorised absences, but local authorities will have and will continue to have the power to fine parents where they believe that that is an effective way to deal with non-attendance at school, and I would expect local authorities, in using such powers, to have worked for a long period of time with that family to ensure that school attendance is a priority.
Yn gyntaf, nid ysgolion yn unig sy'n rhoi ochenaid o ryddhad; rwyf innau'n rhoi ochenaid o ryddhad am fod y Gweinidog cyllid wedi darparu'r adnoddau hyn. Ac rwyf ar fai, rwy'n siŵr y bydd y Gweinidog cyllid yn fwy na pharod i roi nodyn i Suzy Davies yn amlinellu'r adnoddau y bu'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru ddod o hyd iddynt er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr fod modd gwneud y cyhoeddiad hwn heddiw.
Mewn perthynas â dirwyo rhieni, mae dirwyo rhieni—. O ran presenoldeb yn yr ysgol, gadewch i mi ddweud yn gwbl glir mai presenoldeb rheolaidd yn yr ysgol yw'r peth pwysicaf y gall rhiant ei wneud i hybu canlyniadau addysgol eu plant, a dylai rhieni wneud pob ymdrech yn eu gallu, oni bai fod plentyn yn sâl neu lle ceir amgylchiadau y tu hwnt i'w rheolaeth, i sicrhau bod plant yn yr ysgol. Rydym yn gadael i benaethiaid unigol benderfynu defnyddio absenoldebau awdurdodedig, ond bydd gan awdurdodau lleol bŵer, a byddant yn parhau i fod â phŵer, i ddirwyo rhieni os ydynt yn credu bod honno'n ffordd effeithiol o ymdrin ag absenoldeb o'r ysgol, a buaswn yn disgwyl i awdurdodau lleol, wrth ddefnyddio pwerau o'r fath, fod wedi gweithio am gyfnod hir o amser gyda'r teulu hwnnw i sicrhau bod presenoldeb yn yr ysgol yn flaenoriaeth.
Thank you for that answer, Minister. You'd like to add an extra in-service training day to the Welsh school calendar. It doesn't seem fair that the state can deny a child five or six days of schooling, but if a parent does it to take them on a holiday they might otherwise not be able to afford, they face being fined. If schools are to have INSET days, would it not make sense to have each school take the INSET days in a five or six-day block? In consultation with parents, each school could decide which week to have the INSET training. That way, families could use that time to go on holiday outside of the peak school holiday times, and parents may feel less frustrated by the current unfairness of the system.
Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Rydych yn awyddus i ychwanegu diwrnod hyfforddiant mewn swydd ychwanegol at galendr ysgol Cymru. Nid yw'n ymddangos yn deg y gall y wladwriaeth amddifadu plentyn o bump neu chwe diwrnod o ysgol, ond os yw rhiant yn ei wneud er mwyn mynd â hwy ar wyliau na allent ei fforddio fel arall o bosibl, maent yn wynebu dirwy. Os yw ysgolion am gael diwrnodau HMS, oni fyddai'n gwneud synnwyr fod pob ysgol yn cymryd y diwrnodau HMS mewn blociau o bum neu chwe diwrnod? Drwy ymgynghori â'r rhieni, gallai pob ysgol benderfynu ym mha wythnos y dylent gynnal y diwrnodau HMS. Fel hynny, gallai teuluoedd ddefnyddio'r amser hwnnw i fynd ar wyliau y tu allan i gyfnodau brig gwyliau ysgol, ac efallai y bydd rhieni yn teimlo'n llai rhwystredig ynghylch annhegwch presennol y system.
Well, the Member will be aware that we're currently out to consultation with regard to an additional INSET day. We are doing that because what I think parents want most of all is absolute certainty that our teaching profession is ready for the implementation of our new curriculum. But the consultation also gives us an opportunity to explore whether there is a possibility that we can have greater coherence about how individual schools use their INSET days. I do not believe changing INSET days is an answer to the very real problem that some families face in terms of the practices of holiday companies that up their prices significantly during the school holidays—in some cases almost doubling the price of a break, depending on when the school holidays fall.
Wel, bydd yr Aelod yn ymwybodol ein bod yn ymgynghori ar hyn o bryd mewn perthynas â diwrnod HMS ychwanegol. Rydym yn gwneud hynny gan mai'r hyn y mae rhieni yn awyddus i'w gael yn anad dim yn fy marn i yw sicrwydd llwyr fod ein proffesiwn addysgu yn barod ar gyfer gweithredu ein cwricwlwm newydd. Ond mae'r ymgynghoriad hefyd yn gyfle inni ymchwilio i weld a oes posibilrwydd y gallwn sicrhau mwy o gysondeb o ran sut y bydd ysgolion unigol yn defnyddio eu diwrnodau HMS. Ni chredaf fod newid diwrnodau HMS yn ateb i'r broblem real iawn y mae rhai teuluoedd yn ei hwynebu yn sgil arferion cwmnïau gwyliau sy'n codi eu prisiau'n sylweddol yn ystod gwyliau ysgol—mewn rhai achosion bron yn dyblu pris gwyliau, yn dibynnu ar ba bryd y bydd gwyliau ysgol.
Thank you for that answer, Minister. There's no denying that teachers are very, very busy during term time, and are possibly feeling under more pressure because of the pressure on education spending, but having INSET days spread throughout the year, forcing many parents to use up a week or more of their annual leave in a way that is basically useless to the family, does make some working families feel that the education system is indifferent to the impact that these days have on them. Some working parents may only have as little as four weeks' holiday a year if they're working full-time. They wonder, as I do, why teacher training takes place during term time, when teachers have three months' worth of holiday each year.
Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Ni ellir gwadu bod athrawon yn brysur iawn yn ystod y tymor, ac o bosibl yn teimlo dan fwy o bwysau oherwydd y pwysau ar wariant ar addysg, ond mae gwasgaru diwrnodau HMS drwy gydol y flwyddyn, gan orfodi llawer o rieni i ddefnyddio hyd at wythnos neu fwy o'u gwyliau blynyddol mewn ffordd sy'n gwbl ddiwerth i'r teulu yn y bôn, yn gwneud i rai teuluoedd sy'n gweithio deimlo nad yw'r system addysg yn malio am yr effaith a gaiff y diwrnodau hyn arnynt. Mae'n bosibl na fydd gan rai rhieni sy'n gweithio fwy na phedair wythnos o wyliau y flwyddyn os ydynt yn gweithio amser llawn. Maent hwy, fel finnau, yn meddwl tybed pam fod hyfforddiant athrawon yn digwydd yn ystod y tymor, pan fo athrawon yn cael gwerth tri mis o wyliau bob blwyddyn.
Can I say—? Teacher training, in good schools, happens every single day of the week, because a good teacher knows that the lessons they teach tomorrow will be better than the lessons they teach today. We are consulting on an extra INSET day, because what I know, from speaking to the parents that I meet, what they want to do is to ensure that their children are in receipt of a first-class education system, and we need our profession to be ready for our new curriculum reforms.
A gaf fi ddweud—? Mae hyfforddiant athrawon, mewn ysgolion da, yn digwydd bob dydd o'r wythnos, gan fod athrawon da yn gwybod y bydd y gwersi y maent yn eu rhoi yfory yn well na'r gwersi y maent yn eu rhoi heddiw. Rydym yn ymgynghori ar ddiwrnod HMS ychwanegol, gan y gwn, o siarad â'r rhieni rwy'n cyfarfod â hwy, mai'r hyn y maent yn awyddus i'w wneud yw sicrhau bod eu plant yn cael system addysg o'r radd flaenaf, ac mae arnom angen i'n proffesiwn fod yn barod ar gyfer diwygiadau ein cwricwlwm newydd.
3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am gynlluniau cynghorau yng Ngorllewin De Cymru i ddarparu addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg? OAQ53535
3. Will the Minister make a statement on plans by councils in South Wales West to provide Welsh-medium education? OAQ53535
Diolch yn fawr, Dai. All Welsh in education plans within South Wales West have been approved and implementation plans submitted to the Welsh Government in late December. Officials continue their discussions with local authorities regarding the progress outlined within those implementation plans.
Diolch yn fawr, Dai. Mae'r holl gynlluniau Cymraeg mewn addysg yng Ngorllewin De Cymru wedi'u cymeradwyo, a chyflwynwyd cynlluniau gweithredu i Lywodraeth Cymru ddiwedd mis Rhagfyr. Mae swyddogion yn parhau â'u trafodaethau gydag awdurdodau lleol ynglŷn â'r cynnydd a amlinellwyd o fewn y cynlluniau gweithredu hynny.
Diolch yn fawr am yr ateb yna. Nawr, mae'r cynlluniau strategol Cymraeg mewn addysg, fel dŷch chi wedi ei ddweud, sydd wedi'u cymeradwyo gan eich Llywodraeth chi, yn dangos amrywiaeth enfawr yng nghynlluniau cynghorau ar draws Cymru ac o fewn rhanbarth y de-orllewin yn benodol. Mae cynllun cyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn hynod o siomedig o'i gymharu gyda chynghorau eraill. Dim ond 7.5 y cant o blant saith mlwydd oed sy'n derbyn addysg Gymraeg ym Mhen-y-bont, a braidd dim cynnydd wedi'i wneud yn ystod y cyfnod cynllunio presennol. Mae hyn yn cymharu gyda tharged o 16 y cant yn Abertawe, a tharged o 22 y cant yng Nghastell-nedd Port Talbot drws nesaf. Ydych chi'n cytuno bod y cynlluniau strategol Cymraeg mewn addysg wedi bod yn fethiant llwyr mewn llefydd fel Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, wrth i'ch Llywodraeth anelu at filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg?
Thank you very much for that response. Now, the Welsh in education strategic plans, as you've mentioned, which have been approved by your Government, do show a great variation in the plans of councils across Wales, and within the South Wales West region in particular. The plan for Bridgend is very disappointing as compared to other councils. Only 7.5 per cent of seven-year-old children receive Welsh-medium education in Bridgend, and there’s been virtually no progress made during the current planning period. This compares with a target of 16 per cent in Swansea and a target of 22 per cent in Neath Port Talbot next door. Do you agree that the WESPs have been a complete failure in areas such as Bridgend, as your Government aims towards a million Welsh speakers?
Well, Dai, as I've said, the plans have been approved. My understanding of the situation in Bridgend is that the authority has committed to expanding Welsh-medium provision in its band B programme, with a commitment to a new Welsh-medium school in the west of the authority, where there are new housing developments in the lower Ogmore valley. Furthermore, approval in principle of £2.6 million for the Welsh-medium and childcare offer, for the capital grants element of that, has been granted to the authority, to expand Welsh-medium childcare provision in four areas of the greatest demand, namely Bettws, Ogmore, Porthcawl and central Bridgend, in order to further support the growth of Welsh-medium education. You will be glad to hear that. And I will be constantly challenging local authorities to ensure that their ambition matches my ambition for the opportunities afforded to parents to make this positive choice of educating their children through the medium of Welsh.
Wel, Dai, fel y dywedais, mae'r cynlluniau wedi eu cymeradwyo. Fy nealltwriaeth i o'r sefyllfa ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr yw bod yr awdurdod wedi ymrwymo i ehangu'r ddarpariaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg yn eu rhaglen band B, gydag ymrwymiad i ysgol cyfrwng Cymraeg newydd yng ngorllewin yr awdurdod, lle ceir datblygiadau tai newydd yn rhan isaf cwm Ogwr. Yn ychwanegol at hynny, rhoddwyd cymeradwyaeth mewn egwyddor i'r awdurdod mewn perthynas â'r £2.6 miliwn ar gyfer y cynnig cyfrwng Cymraeg a gofal plant, ar gyfer yr elfen grantiau cyfalaf o hwnnw, er mwyn ehangu darpariaeth gofal plant cyfrwng Cymraeg mewn pedair ardal lle mae'r galw mwyaf, sef Betws, Ogwr, Porthcawl a chanol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, er mwyn cefnogi twf addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg ymhellach. Fe fyddwch yn falch o glywed hynny. A byddaf yn herio awdurdodau lleol yn gyson i sicrhau bod eu huchelgais yn cyfateb i fy uchelgais innau ar gyfer y cyfleoedd a roddir i rieni wneud y dewis cadarnhaol hwn i addysgu eu plant drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.
4. Sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn sicrhau y gall rhieni fforddio costau sy'n gysylltiedig ag addysg eu plant? OAQ53552
4. How is the Welsh Government ensuring that parents are able to afford costs associated with their children's education? OAQ53552
Thank you very much, Leanne. I introduced PDG access in 2018-19 to provide additional support directly to families, helping those who need it most to meet some of the costs associated with the school day. For 2019-20 we have more than doubled the funding that will be available to support families in this way.
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Leanne. Cyflwynais fynediad at y grant datblygu disgyblion yn 2018-19 i ddarparu cymorth ychwanegol i deuluoedd yn uniongyrchol, er mwyn cynorthwyo'r rheini sydd ei angen fwyaf i allu talu rhai o'r costau sy'n gysylltiedig â'r diwrnod ysgol. Ar gyfer 2019-20, rydym wedi mwy na dyblu'r arian a fydd ar gael i gefnogi teuluoedd yn y ffordd hon.
In the words of the Association of School and College Leaders, there is a 'severe funding crisis' in schools, which is having a 'detrimental effect...on...young people.' Those are direct quotes from them. This comes at the same time as a report by the children's commissioner, Sally Holland, last week, who said
'Financial demands are flying at families from all sorts of angles and it's the children who pay the price when their parents can't keep up with the costs.'
She added
'If we're serious about levelling the playing field and giving all children an equal opportunity to learn and grow, we need Welsh Government to show real ambition and leadership in helping the thousands of families across Wales who are really struggling.'
I've raised the school meals threshold with you on a number of occasions. Do you recognise the picture painted by these two impartial and expert sources? If you do, when can we expect to see this real ambition and leadership from this Labour Government to help struggling families and also to ensure that struggling schools get the funding gap plugged that they need to deliver good-quality education services to our children?
Yng ngeiriau'r Gymdeithas Arweinwyr Ysgolion a Cholegau, ceir 'argyfwng ariannu difrifol' mewn ysgolion, sy'n cael 'effaith andwyol... ar... bobl ifanc.' Mae'r rhain yn ddyfyniadau uniongyrchol ganddynt. Daw hyn ar yr un pryd ag adroddiad gan y comisiynydd plant, Sally Holland, yr wythnos diwethaf, a ddywedodd
Mae teuluoedd yn wynebu galwadau ariannol o gyfeiriadau o bob math a'r plant sy'n talu'r pris pan na all eu rhieni dalu costau cynyddol.
Ychwanegodd
Os ydym o ddifrif ynglŷn â sicrhau chware teg a rhoi cyfle cyfartal i bob plentyn ddysgu a thyfu, mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru ddangos gwir arweinyddiaeth ac uchelgais wrth gynorthwyo'r miloedd o deuluoedd ledled Cymru sy'n ei chael hi'n wirioneddol anodd.
Rwyf wedi crybwyll y trothwy ar gyfer prydau ysgol am ddim ar sawl achlysur. A ydych yn cydnabod y darlun a roddwyd gan y ddwy ffynhonnell ddiduedd ac arbenigol hon? Os ydych, pryd y gallwn ddisgwyl gweld gwir arweinyddiaeth ac uchelgais gan y Llywodraeth Lafur hon i helpu teuluoedd sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd ac i sicrhau y ceir gwared ar y bwlch ariannu i ysgolion sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd fel y gallant ddarparu gwasanaethau addysg o ansawdd da i'n plant?
I absolutely recognise the challenges that the children's commissioner report paints. That's why, as I said, next year we will have £5 million to spend on PDG access. So, for the first time, this year, parents have been able to get support for uniform and equipment when their child starts school and when their child transitions through to high school. I am currently looking at whether we can expand further opportunities for parents in other parts of their child's career to be able to access support. Meanwhile, our consultation on school uniform, to make sure that the guidance around affordability of school uniform is put on a statutory footing, which it has not been until now, has recently concluded, and I hope that will be in place before the start of the new academic year. At the end of last year, I commissioned Children in Wales to produce a series of guidance notes and support packages to schools so that they can better understand and they can help guide their decisions with regard to the cost of the school day. The guides will be stand-alone resources and they will cover an understanding of the causes and the impact of living in poverty, the impact of food and hunger, school uniform resources, and out-of-school activities. We are increasing the money available to local authorities to support our school holiday enrichment programme, so that all local authorities, hopefully, this summer will provide support for families during the school holiday process, and with regard to free school meals, thousands more children will be eligible for free school meals under the new regime, and a significant amount of additional resource has been made available to pay for those meals.
Rwy'n cydnabod yr heriau a nodir yn adroddiad y comisiynydd plant yn llwyr. Dyna pam, fel y dywedais, y bydd gennym £5 miliwn i'w wario y flwyddyn nesaf ar fynediad at y grant datblygu disgyblion. Felly eleni, am y tro cyntaf, mae rhieni wedi gallu cael cymorth gyda gwisgoedd ysgol ac offer pan fydd eu plentyn yn dechrau yn yr ysgol a phan fydd eu plentyn yn pontio i'r ysgol uwchradd. Ar hyn o bryd, rwy'n edrych i weld a allwn ddarparu cyfleoedd pellach fel y gall rhieni ar gamau eraill yng ngyrfa ysgol eu plentyn gael mynediad at gymorth. Yn y cyfamser, mae ein hymgynghoriad ar wisgoedd ysgol i sicrhau bod y canllawiau o ran fforddiadwyedd gwisg ysgol yn cael eu rhoi ar sail statudol, rhywbeth nad yw wedi digwydd hyd yma, wedi dod i ben yn ddiweddar, a gobeithiaf y bydd hynny ar waith cyn dechrau'r flwyddyn academaidd newydd. Ddiwedd y llynedd, comisiynais Plant yng Nghymru i gynhyrchu cyfres o nodiadau cyfarwyddyd a phecynnau cymorth i ysgolion fel y gallant ddeall yn well a helpu i lywio eu penderfyniadau o ran cost y diwrnod ysgol. Bydd y canllawiau yn adnoddau annibynnol a byddant yn cynnwys dealltwriaeth o achosion ac effaith byw mewn tlodi, effaith bwyd a newyn, adnoddau gwisg ysgol a gweithgareddau y tu allan i'r ysgol. Rydym yn cynyddu'r swm o arian sydd ar gael i awdurdodau lleol allu cefnogi ein rhaglen gwella gwyliau'r haf, fel y bydd pob awdurdod lleol, gobeithio, yn darparu cymorth yr haf hwn i deuluoedd yn ystod y gwyliau ysgol, ac o ran prydau ysgol am ddim, bydd miloedd yn fwy o blant yn gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim o dan y drefn newydd, ac mae swm sylweddol o adnoddau ychwanegol wedi'i ryddhau ar gyfer talu am y prydau hynny.
I thank you, Minister, for outlining all the help that we are giving, because clearly we're trying our very best in Wales just to mitigate the austerity that is coming down from Westminster. But I think my question has to be—and you've identified the need for more free school meals availability to young children—have you assessed the impact of universal credit on the eligibility for free school meals in Wales, and the impact that that might have right across the region?
Diolch, Weinidog, am amlinellu'r holl gymorth rydym yn ei roi, oherwydd yn amlwg, rydym yn gwneud ein gorau glas yng Nghymru i liniaru'r cyni a ddaw o San Steffan. Ond credaf y bydd yn rhaid i mi ofyn—ac rydych wedi nodi'r angen i sicrhau bod prydau ysgol am ddim ar gael i fwy o blant ifanc—a ydych wedi asesu effaith credyd cynhwysol ar y cymhwysedd i gael prydau ysgol am ddim yng Nghymru, a'r effaith y gallai hynny ei chael ledled y rhanbarth?
Yes, we have. What we know—the impact of universal credit will mean that more children will qualify for free school meals in Wales, and we have made resources available to that. We also know that some children who have a current eligibility may find that eligibility curtailed, and that's why we are putting in protection to ensure that those families do not lose out. We will keep under constant review the support for families in this particular area. Indeed, only earlier today, when the European sub-committee of the Cabinet met—one of the things that we're having to look at in terms of preparation for a 'no deal' Brexit is what more support we may be able to give to families with the cost of school meals should food prices rise considerably as a result of a 'no deal' Brexit, and what position we might be in to be able to help those families at that time.
Do, rydym wedi gwneud hynny. Yr hyn a wyddom—bydd effaith credyd cynhwysol yn golygu y bydd mwy o blant yn gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim yng Nghymru, ac rydym wedi darparu adnoddau ar gyfer hynny. Gwyddom hefyd y gallai rhai plant sy'n gymwys ar hyn o bryd wynebu colli'r cymhwysedd hwnnw, a dyna pam rydym yn rhoi amddiffyniadau ar waith er mwyn sicrhau na fydd y teuluoedd hynny ar eu colled. Byddwn yn adolygu'r cymorth i deuluoedd yn y maes penodol hwn yn gyson. Yn wir, yn gynharach heddiw, pan gyfarfu is-bwyllgor Ewropeaidd y Cabinet—un o'r pethau y mae'n rhaid inni edrych arnynt o ran paratoi ar gyfer Brexit 'dim cytundeb' yw pa gymorth ychwanegol y gallem ei roi i deuluoedd gyda chost prydau ysgol pe bai prisiau bwyd yn codi'n sylweddol o ganlyniad i Brexit 'dim cytundeb', a pha sefyllfa y gallem fod ynddi i helpu teuluoedd o'r fath bryd hynny.
5. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am y cymorth i ddisgyblion ar y sbectrwm awtistaidd mewn ysgolion? OAQ53556
5. Will the Minister make a statement on support for pupils on the autistic spectrum in schools? OAQ53556
Diolch yn fawr, Llyr. I am committed to ensuring all pupils with autism in schools can reach their full potential. Our ambitious ALN reforms will completely overhaul the existing system for supporting learners, and will put in place an integrated, collaborative process of assessment, planning and monitoring of support that is made available.
Diolch yn fawr, Llyr. Rwyf wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau y gall pob disgybl sydd ag awtistiaeth mewn ysgolion gyflawni eu potensial llawn. Bydd ein diwygiadau uchelgeisiol i ADY yn trawsnewid y system bresennol ar gyfer cefnogi dysgwyr yn llwyr, ac yn rhoi proses integredig a chydweithredol ar waith ar gyfer asesu, cynllunio a monitro'r cymorth sydd ar gael.
Diolch i chi am eich ateb. Wrth gwrs, yn dilyn ei waith craffu ar y Bil Awtistiaeth (Cymru) a oedd ger ein bron ni ychydig yn ôl, un o argymhellion y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon i'r Llywodraeth oedd y dylai ei bod hi'n orfodol i bob aelod o staff mewn ysgolion, ac yn enwedig athrawon a chynorthwywyr dysgu, gael hyfforddiant mewn ymwybyddiaeth a dealltwriaeth o awtistiaeth yn ystod eu hyfforddiant cychwynnol. Nawr, mae hyn yn rhywbeth y mae'r Gymdeithas Awtistiaeth Genedlaethol yng Nghymru wedi bod yn galw amdano fe; mae'n rhywbeth sydd yn digwydd yn Lloegr, fel rhan ffurfiol o hyfforddiant cychwynnol athrawon yn fanna. A wnewch chi, felly, fabwysiadu polisi tebyg yng Nghymru, derbyn argymhelliad y pwyllgor iechyd—sydd wrth gwrs yn bwyllgor trawsbleidiol—a chymryd cam pwysig i sicrhau bod plant sydd ar y sbectrwm awtistiaeth yn cael y gefnogaeth orau posibl i gyflawni eu potensial addysgiadol?
Thank you for that response. Of course, following the scrutiny work on the Autism (Wales) Bill that came before us a little while ago, one of the recommendations of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, of course, to the Government was that it should be a requirement for all members of staff in schools, particularly teachers and classroom assistants, to receive training in autism awareness during their initial teacher training. Now, this is something that the National Autistic Society in Wales has been calling for; it is something that does happen in England as a formal part of that initial teacher training there. Will you, therefore, adopt a similar policy in Wales, accept the recommendation made by the health committee—which, of course, is a cross-party committee—and take an important step in ensuring that children on the autistic spectrum do receive the best possible support to achieve their educational potential?
Of course, Llyr, we need to make sure that any individual leaving our ITE provision is properly equipped with the skills and the knowledge to be able to help all of our children. Special—additional learning needs is an important part of our ITE reform. I think we would all agree that, in the past, sometimes, issues relating to ALN have been scant in initial teacher education, and we need that to change. We also need to make sure that teachers already in the system have access to professional learning, so that they can improve their skills where needed. And that's why we've made significant amounts of money available to individual schools to be able to address their professional learning needs, as well as the £20 million available for the implementation of the new ALN legislation, to ensure our schools are equipped so that all children, regardless of their diagnosis, or in some cases a non-diagnosis, can reach their full potential.
Wrth gwrs, Llyr, mae angen inni sicrhau bod gan unrhyw unigolyn sy'n gadael ein darpariaeth addysg gychwynnol athrawon sgiliau a gwybodaeth briodol i'w galluogi i helpu pob un o'n plant. Mae anghenion dysgu arbennig—ychwanegol—yn rhan bwysig o'n diwygiadau i addysg gychwynnol athrawon. Credaf y byddai pob un ohonom yn cytuno, yn y gorffennol, fod materion sy'n ymwneud ag ADY wedi bod yn brin mewn addysg gychwynnol i athrawon, ac mae angen i hynny newid. Mae angen inni sicrhau hefyd y gall athrawon sydd eisoes yn y system gael mynediad at ddysgu proffesiynol, fel y gallant wella eu sgiliau lle bo angen. A dyna pam rydym wedi darparu symiau sylweddol o arian i ysgolion unigol allu mynd i'r afael â'u hanghenion dysgu proffesiynol, yn ogystal â'r £20 miliwn sydd ar gael ar gyfer rhoi'r ddeddfwriaeth ADY newydd ar waith, er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr y gall ein hysgolion sicrhau y gall pob plentyn, waeth beth fo'u diagnosis, neu ddiffyg diagnosis mewn rhai achosion, gyflawni eu potensial llawn.
My casework is full of families in crisis because children's communication, social, sensory and processing needs have not been understood, not been identified. I've got children who've not been in school for months, even years, without alternative provision being put in place. I've got a girl of 11, who the council is insisting has a male taxi driver. Because of her autism, she cannot have a male taxi driver, so they think they can somehow transition her over to having a male taxi driver. I've got children excluded from school because of autistic meltdown caused by the behaviour towards them. Only this week, an e-mail from a mum whose son has autistic traits:
'After a meeting with the school, we specifically discussed my son's use of swear words. The CAMHS specialist clearly backed up my explanation that my son is unhappy about these anxiety attacks, but can't control that language choice when pushed past a certain point. But the head of year was insistent on the school's policy towards bad language, and that he believes it cannot go unpunished.'
It's all very well waiting to see whether legislation works. But what urgent action can we take to stop these children being branded as 'naughty', and to start identifying their needs, and adapting to those needs, before they hit crisis point?
Mae fy ngwaith achos yn llawn o deuluoedd mewn argyfwng am nad yw anghenion cyfathrebu, cymdeithasol, synhwyraidd a phrosesu eu plant wedi cael eu deall na'u nodi. Mae gennyf blant nad ydynt wedi bod yn yr ysgol ers misoedd, blynyddoedd hyd yn oed, a heb ddarpariaeth amgen ar waith. Mae gennyf ferch 11 oed, ac mae'r cyngor yn mynnu ei bod yn cael gyrrwr tacsi gwrywaidd. Oherwydd ei hawtistiaeth, nid yw'n briodol iddi gael gyrrwr tacsi gwrywaidd, felly credant y gallant wneud iddi newid i gael gyrrwr tacsi gwrywaidd. Mae gennyf blant sydd wedi'u gwahardd o'r ysgol ar ôl cael ffrwydrad awtistig a achoswyd gan ymddygiad tuag atynt. Yr wythnos hon, cefais e-bost gan fam i fachgen sydd â nodweddion awtistig:
Ar ôl cyfarfod gyda'r ysgol, cawsom drafodaeth benodol ynglŷn â defnydd fy mab o regfeydd. Roedd yr arbenigwr CAMHS yn amlwg yn cefnogi fy esboniad fod fy mab yn anhapus gyda'r pyliau hyn o orbryder, ond ni all reoli ei iaith pan gaiff ei wthio y tu hwnt i bwynt penodol. Ond roedd y pennaeth blwyddyn yn bendant iawn ynglŷn â pholisi'r ysgol tuag at iaith anweddus, a'i fod yn credu y dylid cosbi hynny.
Mae'n hawdd iawn dweud ein bod am aros i weld a yw deddfwriaeth yn gweithio. Ond pa gamau brys y gallwn eu cymryd i atal y plant hyn rhag cael eu brandio yn blant 'drwg', a dechrau nodi eu hanghenion, ac addasu i'r anghenion hynny, cyn iddynt droi'n argyfwng?
I'm very sorry, Mark, to hear of the experiences that you've outlined in the Chamber this afternoon. And I know that you will not be the only Assembly Member who has had similar casework arriving in their postbag. That's the very reason why we have needed to change our ALN system, because the current system, in some cases, is not meeting the needs of individual children and their families. And that's why we have got the implementation plan that we have, as we transition out of the old system into the new system. I cannot comment on any individual cases, but I'm always very clear to Members that, if there are cases where they feel I can be of assistance, I'm happy to do what I can.
Mae'n flin iawn gennyf glywed, Mark, am y profiadau a amlinellwyd gennych yn y Siambr y prynhawn yma. A gwn nad chi fydd yr unig Aelod Cynulliad sydd wedi cael gwaith achos tebyg yn eu bag llythyrau. Dyna'r union reswm pam y bu angen inni newid ein system ADY, gan nad yw'r system bresennol, mewn rhai achosion, yn diwallu anghenion plant unigol a'u teuluoedd. A dyna pam fod gennym y cynllun gweithredu sydd gennym, wrth i ni newid o'r hen system i'r system newydd. Ni allaf wneud sylwadau ar unrhyw achosion unigol, ond rwy'n dweud yn glir bob amser wrth yr Aelodau, os ceir achosion lle teimlant y gallaf fod o gymorth, rwy'n fwy na pharod i wneud yr hyn a allaf.
6. Beth yw safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru o ran sicrhau unffurfedd wrth bennu dyddiau HMS ar draws ysgolion yng Nghymru? OAQ53561
6. What is the Welsh Government's position on bringing uniformity to the setting of INSET days across schools in Wales? OAQ53561
Thank you very much. Currently, the content and timing of INSET days is for local authorities, governing bodies and headteachers to determine. As you will be aware, last week, I launched a consultation on proposals for additional national professional learning INSET days for the next three academic years, which include questions on the timing of those additional days specifically.
Diolch. Ar hyn o bryd, pennir cynnwys ac amseriad diwrnodau HMS gan awdurdodau lleol, cyrff llywodraethu a phenaethiaid. Fel y gwyddoch, yr wythnos diwethaf, lansiais ymgynghoriad ar gynigion ar gyfer diwrnodau dysgu proffesiynol cenedlaethol HMS ychwanegol ar gyfer y tair blynedd academaidd nesaf, sy'n cynnwys cwestiynau penodol ar amseriad y dyddiau ychwanegol hynny.
Thank you. There has indeed been much debate and commentary on the interesting question of whether there could be some harmonising of INSET days across the nation, and with the announcement of introducing a welcome further sixth professional teaching learning INSET day, the Welsh Government has stated within its consultation that the aim for all schools is to fix the same date for it. If this comes to fruition, what analysis could the Welsh Government give to assessing the teaching value of INSET days being worked together in one convenient week? And outside of the majorative and substantive value to teacher learning, perhaps it could also be an opportunity to look at providing some mechanism for families to get the chance to get away at an affordable price during term time, and thereby countering rip-off holiday Britain, which is to the detriment of the consumer, but mostly to the detriment, educationally and pedagogically, of all involved?
Diolch. Yn wir, mae llawer o drafod a sylwebaeth wedi bod ynglŷn â'r cwestiwn diddorol ynglŷn ag a ellid cysoni diwrnodau HMS i ryw raddau ledled y wlad, a chyda chyhoeddi chweched diwrnod dysgu addysgu proffesiynol HMS, sydd i'w groesawu, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi datgan yn eu hymgynghoriad mai'r nod ar gyfer pob ysgol yw pennu'r un dyddiad ar ei gyfer. Os bydd hyn yn digwydd, pa ddadansoddiad y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud o ran asesu'r gwerth i addysgu yn sgil cynnal diwrnodau HMS gyda'i gilydd mewn un wythnos gyfleus? A'r tu hwnt i'r prif werth perthnasol o ran dysgu athrawon, efallai y gall hefyd fod yn gyfle i edrych ar ddarparu rhyw fecanwaith i deuluoedd gael cyfle i fynd ar wyliau am bris fforddiadwy yn ystod y tymor, a thrwy hynny gallant osgoi arferion twyllodrus cwmnïau gwyliau Prydain, sy'n niweidio'r defnyddiwr, ond sy'n niweidiol yn bennaf i addysg ac addysgeg pawb sy'n rhan o hyn?
Rhianon, as you say, the consultation does look to the possibility of a national training day associated with the implementation of the new curriculum, but I don't want to prejudge the consultation. What I can say to the Member is that we've had over 300 responses to the consultation already and, when you consider that it was only launched last week, that is an amazing response.
I am aware that for some families financial constraints mean that they do look to take children out of school to enjoy a family holiday, and undoubtedly when holidays in Wales are different to that across the border in England, as it recently has been for half term, that can have a substantial impact on the prices that families have to pay. But, of course, my concern when organising INSET days is not to think about the convenience of the price of a holiday, our INSET days are there to provide teachers with the opportunity to engage in professional learning and to prepare themselves for the challenges of the new curriculum.
Rhianon, fel y dywedwch, mae'r ymgynghoriad yn ystyried y posibilrwydd o ddiwrnod hyfforddi cenedlaethol yn gysylltiedig â gweithredu'r cwricwlwm newydd, ond nid wyf am achub y blaen ar yr ymgynghoriad. Yr hyn y gallaf ei ddweud wrth yr Aelod yw ein bod wedi cael dros 300 o ymatebion i'r ymgynghoriad eisoes, ac o gofio mai'r wythnos diwethaf yn unig y cafodd ei lansio, mae'n ymateb rhyfeddol.
Rwy'n ymwybodol fod cyfyngiadau ariannol ar rai teuluoedd yn golygu eu bod yn ystyried tynnu eu plant o'r ysgol i fwynhau gwyliau teuluol, ac yn sicr, pan fo gwyliau yng Nghymru yn wahanol i'r gwyliau dros y ffin yn Lloegr, fel a ddigwyddodd yn ddiweddar dros hanner tymor, gall hynny effeithio'n sylweddol ar y prisiau sy'n rhaid i deuluoedd eu talu. Ond wrth gwrs, wrth drefnu diwrnodau HMS nid wyf yn meddwl am gyfleustra pris gwyliau, mae ein diwrnodau HMS yno i roi cyfle i athrawon gymryd rhan mewn dysgu proffesiynol ac i baratoi ar gyfer heriau'r cwricwlwm newydd.
Minister, I understand obviously the consultation about at the moment about introducing the extra INSET days to prepare teachers for the new curriculum that will be coming forward. Interestingly, the proposal, and it is only a proposal, is about having that INSET day on the same day across Wales, I believe I'm correct in saying. How confident are you that there is the capacity to deliver the training opportunities the length and breadth of Wales, if such a national INSET day was introduced, because surely there potentially is a capacity issue to deliver those training platforms in every school across the length and breadth of Wales?
Weinidog, yn amlwg, rwy'n deall yr ymgynghoriad sy'n mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd ynghylch cyflwyno diwrnodau HMS ychwanegol i baratoi athrawon ar gyfer y cwricwlwm newydd. Yn ddiddorol, mae'r cynnig, a chynnig yn unig ydyw, yn ymwneud â chynnal y diwrnod HMS ar yr un diwrnod ledled Cymru, a chredaf fy mod yn gywir i ddweud hynny. Pa mor hyderus ydych chi fod y capasiti yno i ddarparu'r cyfleoedd hyfforddiant ledled Cymru, pe bai diwrnod HMS cenedlaethol o'r fath yn cael ei gyflwyno, oherwydd does bosib nad oes problem yn codi o ran y capasiti i ddarparu'r platfformau hyfforddi hynny ym mhob ysgol ar draws pob rhan o Gymru?
Thank you, Andrew. You are absolutely correct that the consultation does propose a single national training day for the next three academic years in preparation for the curriculum. What I would say to you is that you are taking, if I may say so, a rather old-fashioned view of what professional training actually looks like. The days of when we sent everybody to a WJEC conference, where people sat all day and listened to the sage on the stage and then took that professional learning back to their school, and in many cases did nothing with it, is not what we're proposing. The best professional learning happens when professionals work alongside each other in their clusters, in their catchment areas, and with their subject and age specialists. So, this idea that we will have to have hordes of so-called professional experts out in our schools is not how we are approaching it and is not the modern-day approach to professional learning.
Diolch, Andrew. Rydych yn llygad eich lle fod yr ymgynghoriad yn cynnig un diwrnod hyfforddi cenedlaethol ar gyfer y tair blynedd academaidd nesaf er mwyn paratoi ar gyfer y cwricwlwm. Yr hyn a ddywedaf wrthych yw bod gennych olwg braidd yn hen ffasiwn, os caf ddweud, ar sut beth yw hyfforddiant proffesiynol. Mae'r dyddiau pan fyddem yn anfon pawb i gynhadledd CBAC, lle roedd pobl yn eistedd drwy'r dydd yn gwrando ar y doethwr ar y llwyfan ac yna'n mynd â'r dysgu proffesiynol hwnnw yn ôl i'w hysgol, heb wneud unrhyw beth ag ef mewn sawl achos—nid dyna rydym yn ei gynnig. Mae'r dysgu proffesiynol gorau yn digwydd pan fydd gweithwyr proffesiynol yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd yn eu clystyrau, yn eu dalgylchoedd, a chyda'u harbenigwyr pwnc ac oedran. Felly, nid cael llu o arbenigwyr proffesiynol honedig yn ein hysgolion yw ein dull o weithredu hyn, ac nid dyna'r ymagwedd fodern tuag at ddysgu proffesiynol.
7. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am addysgu ieithoedd tramor yn ysgolion Cymru? OAQ53533
7. Will the Minister make a statement on the teaching of foreign languages in Welsh schools? OAQ53533
We have invested over £2.5 million in our Global Futures plan, to enable learners to understand the importance of languages and the life-changing opportunities that they provide. I am aware of the challenges, and that is why, under Wales's new curriculum, learners will experience languages from an earlier age.
Rydym wedi buddsoddi dros £2.5 miliwn yn ein cynllun Dyfodol Byd-eang, i alluogi dysgwyr i ddeall pwysigrwydd ieithoedd a'r cyfleoedd trawsnewidiol y maent yn eu darparu. Rwy'n ymwybodol o'r heriau, a dyna pam, o dan gwricwlwm newydd Cymru, y bydd dysgwyr yn cael profiad o ieithoedd o oed cynharach.
Thank you very much, Minister, for that. According to a BBC survey, Wales has seen a bigger decline in pupils learning foreign languages than in any other part of the United Kingdom. In the last five years, language GCSE entries in Wales fell by 29 per cent, compared to an 11 per cent drop in England, a 12 per cent drop in Northern Ireland and a 19 per cent fall in Scotland. The survey also found that more than a third of schools had dropped one or more languages at GCSE in the last five years. One of the reasons given by teachers for this decline is that the Welsh baccalaureate has added constraint to the school timetable so that foreign languages are squeezed out. Minister, what action will you take to reverse the serious decline in modern languages teaching in our Welsh schools?
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Weinidog. Yn ôl arolwg gan y BBC, mae gostyngiad mwy wedi bod yng Nghymru nag mewn unrhyw ran arall o'r Deyrnas Unedig yn nifer y disgyblion sy'n dysgu ieithoedd tramor. Yn y pum mlynedd diwethaf, mae'r nifer sy'n sefyll arholiadau TGAU ieithoedd yng Nghymru wedi gostwng 29 y cant, o gymharu â gostyngiad o 11 y cant yn Lloegr, gostyngiad o 12 y cant yng Ngogledd Iwerddon, a gostyngiad o 19 y cant yn yr Alban. Canfu'r arolwg hefyd fod mwy na thraean o ysgolion wedi rhoi'r gorau i gynnig un neu fwy o ieithoedd ar lefel TGAU dros y pum mlynedd diwethaf. Un o'r rhesymau a roddwyd gan athrawon am y gostyngiad hwn yw bod bagloriaeth Cymru wedi cyfyngu ar amserlen yr ysgol, gan olygu bod ieithoedd tramor yn cael eu gwasgu allan. Weinidog, pa gamau y byddwch yn eu cymryd i wrthdroi'r dirywiad difrifol hwn ym maes addysgu ieithoedd modern yn ein hysgolion yng Nghymru?
The first thing to say is that those students who do take GCSEs in modern foreign languages and A-levels in modern foreign languages perform excellently, with really, really high pass rates at the very highest levels. Many of our MFL teachers have been recognised for their excellence.
It is true to say, though, that we have seen a decline in those students who are taking a GCSE. What the BBC report also went on to say was that it's not the fault of the Welsh bac; it is also because, they reported, that children are spending extra time in English, maths and science lessons and it's also because of a perception that passing a modern foreign language is a really tough thing to do and children are under the misconception that it is a hard GCSE to take. That's why we are taking the steps that we are to support our modern foreign language mentoring scheme, new digital resources for digital language learning on Hwb, as well as the transformative approach to the new curriculum, where children will be exposed to modern foreign languages in their primary career and they can begin to develop that love of language learning before they get to secondary school. And I'm sure you'd agree with me that that is an innovative approach to tackling what is indeed a challenging situation.
Y peth cyntaf i'w ddweud yw bod y myfyrwyr sy'n gwneud TGAU mewn ieithoedd tramor modern a Safon Uwch mewn ieithoedd tramor modern yn perfformio'n rhagorol, gyda chyfraddau llwyddo uchel iawn ar y lefelau uchaf. Mae llawer o'n hathrawon ieithoedd tramor modern wedi cael eu cydnabod am eu rhagoriaeth.
Mae'n wir dweud, fodd bynnag, ein bod wedi gweld dirywiad yn nifer y myfyrwyr sy'n gwneud TGAU. Dywedodd adroddiad y BBC hefyd nad bai bagloriaeth Cymru yw hyn; yn ôl eu hadroddiad, deilliai hefyd o'r ffaith bod plant yn treulio amser ychwanegol mewn gwersi Saesneg, mathemateg a gwyddoniaeth, a hefyd oherwydd cysyniad fod pasio iaith dramor fodern yn beth anodd iawn i'w wneud, a bod plant o dan gamargraff ei fod yn bwnc TGAU anodd i'w wneud. Dyna pam rydym yn rhoi'r camau hyn ar waith i gefnogi ein cynllun mentora ieithoedd tramor modern, adnoddau digidol newydd ar gyfer dysgu ieithoedd ar Hwb, yn ogystal â'r ymagwedd drawsnewidiol tuag at y cwricwlwm newydd, lle bydd plant yn cael profiad o ieithoedd tramor modern yn yr ysgol gynradd a gallant ddechrau datblygu cariad tuag at ddysgu iaith cyn iddynt fynd i'r ysgol uwchradd. Ac rwy'n siŵr y byddech yn cytuno bod hwn yn ddull arloesol o fynd i'r afael â sefyllfa heriol iawn.
8. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am gyllidebau ysgolion ym Môn? OAQ53548
8. Will the Minister make a statement on school budgets in Anglesey? OAQ53548
Thank you, Rhun. Diolch. Local authorities are responsible for school funding in Wales. Anglesey set their spending priorities for the services they provide, taking consideration of local needs and all the resources available to them. How much an authority sets aside for school budgets is a matter for that authority.
Diolch, Rhun. Awdurdodau lleol sy'n gyfrifol am ariannu ysgolion yng Nghymru. Mae Ynys Môn yn pennu eu blaenoriaethau gwario ar gyfer y gwasanaethau y maent yn eu darparu, gan ystyried anghenion lleol a'r holl adnoddau sydd ar gael iddynt. Mater i'r awdurdod hwnnw yw faint o arian y mae'n ei glustnodi ar gyfer cyllidebau ysgolion.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Mae effaith, dwi'n meddwl, 10 mlynedd a mwy o lymder gan Lywodraeth Prydain, ynghyd, dwi'n ofni, â methiant Llywodraeth Cymru i flaenoriaethau cyllidebu llywodraeth leol eleni wedi arwain at wasgfa gwbl anghynaliadwy ar gyllidebau addysg ym Môn, fel yng ngweddill Cymru. Dwi yn llongyfarch cyngor Môn am lwyddo i warchod y cyllidebau addysg i raddau helaeth, ond, wrth gwrs, maen nhw wedi gorfod cynyddu eu treth cyngor dros 9 y cant er mwyn gwneud hynny, ac y mae'r cynnydd yn nhreth cyngor wedi bod yn fawr ar draws Cymru. Dwi'n edrych ymlaen at ragor o fanylion ynglŷn â'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd o ran arian pensiynau, sydd, heb os, yn mynd i fod o ryddhad.
Ond, ar y cwestiwn o gyllido'n gyffredinol, mae'r grantiau a gafodd eu cyhoeddi yn eithaf hwyr yn y dydd wrth gwrs yn help, a dwi’n croesawu unrhyw beth sydd yn gallu lleihau'r baich ar ysgolion, ond ydy'r Gweinidog yn cytuno efo fi fod rhannu arian yn y modd yma yn ei gwneud hi'n amhosib bron i benaethiaid a chyrff llywodraethu ysgolion gynllunio'n wirioneddol strategol ar gyfer y dyfodol?
Thank you very much. The impact of 10 years and more of austerity imposed by the UK Government, as well as the failure, I'm afraid to say, of the Welsh Government to prioritise local government funding this year, has led to totally unsustainable pressures on education budgets in Anglesey, as in the rest of Wales. I congratulate Anglesey council on succeeding in safeguarding education budgets to a great extent, but, of course, they have had to increase council tax by over 9 per cent in order to do that, and the increase in council tax has been great across Wales. I look forward to hearing more details in terms of what’s happening in terms of the pensions funding, which, without doubt, is going to provide some relief.
On the issue of funding more generally, the grants announced quite late in the day of course are a help, and I welcome anything that can reduce the burden on our schools, but does the Minister agree with me that distributing funds in this way makes it impossible, almost, for headteachers and governing bodies within schools to plan truly strategically for the future?
For a moment there, Presiding Officer, it seems that the Member has forgotten that his party were part of the budget-setting process that has seen that local government settlement this year, and had an opportunity to influence the decisions that were made regarding the overall budget. But the Member makes a very fair point with regard to the timely distribution of grants that may be available to schools from the Welsh Government. Grants late in the day can be really challenging for schools to spend effectively and in a way that has the biggest impact, but sometimes, I myself as the Minister, am aware of moneys that are available quite late in the day and I will always use that opportunity, regardless of the time of year, where I can, to get that money to the front line.
Am eiliad, Lywydd, mae'n ymddangos bod yr Aelod wedi anghofio bod ei blaid ef yn rhan o'r broses o bennu'r gyllideb a arweiniodd at y setliad llywodraeth leol hwnnw eleni, ac wedi cael cyfle i ddylanwadu ar y penderfyniadau a wnaed mewn perthynas â'r gyllideb gyffredinol. Ond mae'r Aelod yn gwneud pwynt teg iawn o ran dosbarthu'r grantiau a all fod ar gael i ysgolion gan Lywodraeth Cymru mewn modd amserol. Gall grantiau a roddir yn hwyr fod yn heriol iawn i ysgolion eu gwario'n effeithiol ac yn y ffordd fwyaf effeithiol, ond weithiau, rwyf fi fel y Gweinidog yn dod yn ymwybodol o arian sydd ar gael yn eithaf hwyr, a byddaf bob amser yn defnyddio'r cyfle hwnnw os gallaf, ni waeth ar ba adeg o'r flwyddyn, i sicrhau bod yr arian hwnnw'n cyrraedd y rheng flaen.
Nid yw Bethan Sayed yma i ofyn cwestiwn 9 [OAQ53571]. Cwestiwn 10, felly, Russell George.
Bethan Sayed is not here to ask question 9 [OAQ53571]. Question 10, Russell George.
10. Sut y mae adran y Gweinidog yn cyfrannu at y thema allweddol 'uchelgeisiol ac yn dysgu', fel sydd wedi'i nodi yn 'Ffyniant i Bawb: y strategaeth genedlaethol'? OAQ53547
10. How is the Minister's department contributing to the key theme of 'ambitious and learning', as set out in 'Prosperity for All: the national strategy'? OAQ53547
Thank you, Russell. My national mission sets out a clear plan for delivering the ambitions set out in 'Prosperity for All', ambitious and learning. We have already delivered the most generous student finance package anywhere in the United Kingdom.
Diolch, Russell. Mae fy nghenhadaeth genedlaethol yn nodi cynllun clir ar gyfer cyflawni'r uchelgeisiau a nodir yn 'Ffyniant i Bawb', Cymru uchelgeisiol sy'n dysgu. Rydym eisoes wedi cyflawni'r pecyn mwyaf hael o gyllid myfyrwyr yn unrhyw le yn y Deyrnas Unedig.
Thank you for your answer, Minister. Currently, all children in Wales are entitled to a minimum of 10 hours per week of free foundation phase education in school or a funded nursery in the term following their third birthday. In England, all children are entitled to 15 hours per week. Due to the rurality of much of mid Wales, two hours a day is not proportionate, in travel terms, for people to travel from their homes to their setting and to deliver that foundation phase education. Is this something that you would be prepared to revisit and look at again?
Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog. Ar hyn o bryd, mae gan bob plentyn yng Nghymru hawl i isafswm o 10 awr yr wythnos o addysg cyfnod sylfaen am ddim yn yr ysgol neu mewn meithrinfa a ariennir yn y tymor ar ôl eu trydydd pen-blwydd. Yn Lloegr, mae gan bob plentyn hawl i 15 awr yr wythnos. Oherwydd natur wledig llawer o ganolbarth Cymru, nid yw dwy awr yn hyd addas o amser, o ran teithio, i bobl allu teithio o'u cartrefi i'w lleoliad ac i ddarparu'r addysg cyfnod sylfaen honno. A yw hyn yn rhywbeth y byddech yn barod i'w ailystyried ac i edrych arno eto?
What I am clear about is that local authorities have the flexibility to deliver foundation phase hours in a way that is conducive to parents being able to access them, and that is particularly important in your area, where we will see the roll-out of the Welsh Government's 30 hours of childcare, which, of course, will be a combination of 20 hours of childcare funded by Welsh Government and 10 hours of foundation phase, which is also funded by Welsh Government via Powys County Council. And making sure that parents are able to avail themselves of these opportunities, delivered in a flexible way, is something that we urge all local authorities to do. My director of education, actually, will be in Powys County Council at the end of the week discussing this very issue with the new chief executive and the leader of Powys County Council.
Yr hyn rwy'n sicr yn ei gylch yw bod gan awdurdodau lleol hyblygrwydd i ddarparu oriau cyfnod sylfaen mewn ffordd sy'n gydnaws â gallu rhieni i gael mynediad atynt, ac mae hynny'n arbennig o bwysig yn eich ardal chi, lle byddwn yn gweld cynnig Llywodraeth Cymru o 30 awr o ofal plant yn cael ei roi ar waith, cynnig a fydd, wrth gwrs, yn gyfuniad o 20 awr o ofal plant a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru a 10 awr o addysg cyfnod sylfaen, a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru hefyd drwy Gyngor Sir Powys. Ac mae sicrhau y gall rhieni fanteisio ar y cyfleoedd hyn, a'u bod yn cael eu darparu mewn ffordd hyblyg, yn rhywbeth rydym yn annog pob awdurdod lleol i'w wneud. Fel mae'n digwydd, bydd fy nghyfarwyddwr addysg yng Nghyngor Sir Powys ddiwedd yr wythnos yn trafod y mater hwn gyda'r prif weithredwr newydd ac arweinydd Cyngor Sir Powys.
Diolch i'r Gweinidog.
Thank you, Minister.
Yr eitem nesaf felly yw cwestiynau i'r Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, ac mae'r cwestiwn cyntaf gan Suzy Davies.
The next item is questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services, and the first question is from Suzy Davies.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Minister, first of all, can I thank you very much indeed for the very speedy response you gave to the concerns I raised during the business statement last week?
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Weinidog, yn gyntaf, a gaf fi ddiolch yn fawr iawn i chi am eich ymateb cyflym i'r pryderon a godais yn ystod y datganiad busnes yr wythnos diwethaf?
You do need to—
Mae angen i chi—
I'm so sorry. How long have I been here?
Mae'n wir ddrwg gennyf. Faint o amser sydd ers i mi fod yma?
You were too keen to thank the Minister there by far. Ask the question.
Roeddech yn rhy awyddus i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog. Gofynnwch y cwestiwn.
1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am wardiau cymysg mewn ysbytai? OAQ53568
1. Will the Minister make a statement on mixed wards in hospitals? OAQ53568

Yes. The Welsh Government is committed to abolishing mixed-sex ward accommodation and to ensuring the safety, privacy and dignity of patients. All new hospital developments will be built to ensure single-sex accommodation, with guidance recommending a minimum of 50 per cent single bedrooms with en-suite facilities.
Gwnaf. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i gael gwared ar wardiau cymysg ac i sicrhau diogelwch, preifatrwydd ac urddas cleifion. Bydd pob datblygiad ysbyty newydd yn cael ei adeiladu i sicrhau y ceir darpariaeth un rhyw, gyda chanllawiau yn argymell isafswm o 50 y cant o ystafelloedd gwely sengl gyda chyfleusterau en-suite.
Thank you very much. That's encouraging and—. Shall we take those thanks as read?
I was grateful to you for that quick response—it's great to get that. And Members will remember that I raised, in business statement last week, the very unfortunate situation of women experiencing miscarriage before 20 weeks being located on a mixed-sex ward in Swansea's Singleton Hospital. And it may well be a large ward—men down one end, women at the other, separated by a desk—but it's still a general surgery ward, and I don't know whether, in extremis, that division can always be observed. Your officials are looking at miscarriage services following the report published by Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales, a report quoting one woman as saying,
'After a silent miscarriage I was given some information sheets on what I could do next—on a ward for the world to hear'.
Now, that report is six months old. This can still happen on ward 2 in Singleton Hospital. I'd be grateful if you could confirm when this practice will stop altogether.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Mae hynny'n galonogol ac—. Beth am inni gymryd bod y diolchiadau hynny wedi'u gwneud?
Roeddwn yn ddiolchgar i chi am yr ateb cyflym hwnnw—mae'n wych cael hynny. A bydd yr Aelodau yn cofio, yn y datganiad busnes yr wythnos diwethaf, fy mod wedi cyfeirio at sefyllfa anffodus iawn lle roedd menywod a oedd wedi cael camesgoriad ar ôl llai nag 20 wythnos o feichiogrwydd yn cael eu rhoi ar ward gymysg yn Ysbyty Singleton Abertawe. Ac efallai'n wir ei bod yn ward fawr—dynion ar un pen, menywod ar y pen arall, wedi'u gwahanu gan ddesg—ond mae'n dal i fod yn ward lawdriniaeth gyffredinol, ac mewn argyfwng, nid wyf yn gwybod a ellir cadw at y rhaniad hwnnw bob amser. Mae eich swyddogion yn edrych ar wasanaethau camesgoriad yn dilyn yr adroddiad a gyhoeddwyd gan Triniaeth Deg ar gyfer Menywod Cymru, adroddiad a oedd yn dyfynnu un fenyw a ddywedodd,
Ar ôl camesgoriad 'tawel', cefais daflenni gwybodaeth ynglŷn a'r hyn y gallwn ei wneud nesaf—ar ward lle gallai'r byd i gyd glywed.
Nawr, mae'r adroddiad hwnnw'n chwe mis oed. Gall hyn ddigwydd o hyd ar ward 2 yn Ysbyty Singleton. Buaswn yn ddiolchgar pe gallech gadarnhau pryd y bydd yr arfer hwn yn dod i ben yn gyfan gwbl.
The challenge about taking forward our work on having more appropriate services on miscarriage is one that I've charged officials to take forward with our health boards, and I'm more than happy to update Members on the detail of that work and when we can expect to see real, material differences. As we run through the work that I described in my first answer on changing the layout of wards to make sure we do have, generally, single-sex wards, with appropriate accommodation and the real dignity that all of us would expect, there's a rolling problem, because, actually, the position that you've described in Singleton is partly because we're changing accommodation in different parts of that hospital. But we do need to make sure that, wherever that accommodation is provided, it does have the essential dignity that all of us would expect for ourselves and our loved ones. But, as I say, on miscarriage services, I'm happy to provide the Chamber with an update.
Mae'r her o ran bwrw ymlaen â'n gwaith ar sicrhau gwasanaethau mwy priodol mewn perthynas â chamesgoriad yn un rwyf wedi gofyn i swyddogion fynd i'r afael â hi gyda'n byrddau iechyd, ac rwy'n fwy na pharod i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau ynglŷn â manylion y gwaith hwnnw a phryd y gallwn ddisgwyl gweld gwahaniaethau o sylwedd. Wrth inni wneud y gwaith a ddisgrifiais yn fy ateb cyntaf ar newid cynllun wardiau i sicrhau bod gennym wardiau un rhyw yn gyffredinol, gyda darpariaeth briodol a'r gwir urddas y byddai pob un ohonom yn ei ddisgwyl, ceir problem barhaus, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, mae'r sefyllfa rydych newydd ei disgrifio yn Ysbyty Singleton yn codi'n rhannol am ein bod yn newid y ddarpariaeth lety mewn gwahanol rannau o'r ysbyty hwnnw. Ond mae angen inni sicrhau, lle bynnag y darperir llety, ei fod yn cadw'r urddas hanfodol y byddai pob un ohonom yn ei ddisgwyl ar ein cyfer ni ein hunain a'n hanwyliaid. Ond fel rwy'n dweud, o ran gwasanaethau camesgoriad, rwy'n fwy na pharod i ddarparu'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Siambr.
2. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am ymdrechion Llywodraeth Cymru i daclo gordewrdra ymhlith plant a phobl ifanc ? OAQ53566
2. Will the Minister make a statement on Welsh Government efforts to tackle obesity amongst children and young people? OAQ53566
Thank you. We are consulting on our new 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' strategy. This will set out our long-term aims to reduce and prevent obesity across Wales. We currently have a range of preventative policies, funding and legislation, such as the daily mile, active travel and an obesity pathway.
Diolch. Rydym yn ymgynghori ar ein strategaeth newydd 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach'. Bydd y strategaeth hon yn nodi ein hamcanion hirdymor i leihau ac atal gordewdra ledled Cymru. Ar hyn o bryd, mae gennym amrywiaeth o bolisïau ataliol, cyllid a deddfwriaeth, fel y filltir ddyddiol, teithio llesol a llwybr gordewdra.
Fel dŷch chi'n gwybod, mae un o bob pedwar plentyn pedair a phump oed un ai dros bwysau neu'n ordew. Mae Lloegr a'r Alban wedi gosod targedau i haneru gordewdra ymhlith plant a phobl ifanc erbyn 2030. Pam nad oes gan Lywodraeth Cymru darged? Fel gyda thaclo tlodi, heb darged does dim posib gweld sut dylai'r dyfodol edrych. Does dim nod clir i'w chyflawni a dim modd monitro'r gweithredu i sicrhau ei fod yn arwain at y canlyniadau cywir. Unwaith eto, mae Llafur yn osgoi cymryd cyfrifoldeb mewn maes pwysig. A wnewch chi osod targed?
As you’ll know, one in four children of four and five years of age are either overweight or obese. England and Scotland have set targets to halve obesity among children and young people by 2030. Why doesn’t the Welsh Government have a target? As with tackling poverty, without a target it’s impossible to see how the future should look. There is no clear aim to be delivered and no means of monitoring action in order to ensure that it does lead to the correct outcomes. Once again, Labour is avoiding taking responsibility in an important area. Will you set a target?
I understand the debate around targets perfectly well. The challenge, though, is that for the targets that England and Scotland have set, there isn't an evidence base that underpins those targets. I've not met a single public health professional who has been prepared to look me in the face and say that the targets make sense and they think they're going to reach them. The last thing I want to do is to set a series of aspirational targets that we can't actually achieve. I'm interested in how we actually make a real difference in turning back the tide. We've seen a leveling off in the levels of overweight and obese children, but the challenge is not to say we've leveled them off but actually how we see the curve going backwards again. That is the challenge that we're consulting on in the 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' strategy.
But, crucially, this isn't simply about the Government saying, 'You can and you must', because actually we need to work alongside people, with families, to see children in their context and the different influences around them—things like food labelling and food advertising, what goes into the food and drink that people have—as well as having that conversation in a way that isn't judgmental. Part of my real fear is that if you say to parents,'You are responsible for the weight and size of your child', then that actually will turn into a judgmental conversation and will turn people away from where we actually want them to be—to help people to make different choices.
I am not convinced—not just me, but neither is our chief medical officer convinced—that actually setting targets, as you've suggested we should do, is the right thing to do for the strategy. I will of course be accountable to this place for not just having a strategy in place after consultation, but actually whether we are making the sort of difference that I know that every Member in this room would want us to.
Rwy'n deall y ddadl ynghylch targedau yn iawn. Yr her, fodd bynnag, o ran y targedau a osodwyd gan Loegr a'r Alban, yw nad oes sylfaen dystiolaeth yn sail i'r targedau hynny. Nid wyf wedi cyfarfod ag unrhyw weithiwr proffesiynol iechyd y cyhoedd sydd wedi bod yn barod i ddweud wrthyf fod y targedau'n gwneud synnwyr a'u bod yn credu eu bod am eu cyrraedd. Y peth olaf rwyf am ei wneud yw gosod cyfres o dargedau uchelgeisiol na allwn eu cyflawni. Mae gennyf ddiddordeb mewn gweld sut rydym yn gwneud gwahaniaeth go iawn o ran sicrhau newid. Rydym wedi gweld llai o gynnydd yn niferoedd plant dros bwysau a gordew, ond yr her yw peidio â dweud eu bod wedi peidio â chynyddu, ond yn hytrach, sut y gallwn sicrhau bod y duedd yn mynd tuag yn ôl. Dyna'r her rydym yn ymgynghori yn ei chylch yn strategaeth 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach.
Ond yn hollbwysig, nid oes a wnelo hyn â'r Llywodraeth yn dweud, 'Fe allwch ac mae'n rhaid i chi', gan fod angen inni weithio ochr yn ochr â phobl, â theuluoedd, i weld plant yn eu cyd-destun a'r dylanwadau gwahanol o'u cwmpas—pethau fel labelu bwyd a hysbysebu bwyd, beth sy'n mynd i mewn i'r bwyd a diod y mae pobl yn eu cael—yn ogystal â chael y sgwrs honno mewn ffordd nad yw'n feirniadol. Rhan o fy ofn gwirioneddol, os ydych yn dweud wrth rieni, 'Rydych yn gyfrifol am bwysau a maint eich plentyn', yw y bydd hynny'n troi'n sgwrs feirniadol ac yn peri i bobl droi cefn ar ble rydym am iddynt fod—i helpu pobl i wneud dewisiadau gwahanol.
Nid wyf yn argyhoeddedig—ac nid fi yn unig, nid yw ein prif swyddog meddygol yn argyhoeddedig chwaith—mai gosod targedau, fel rydych wedi awgrymu y dylem ei wneud, yw'r peth iawn i'w wneud ar gyfer y strategaeth. Wrth gwrs, byddaf yn atebol i'r lle hwn nid yn unig o ran sicrhau bod strategaeth ar waith ar ôl yr ymgynghoriad, ond o ran sicrhau ein bod yn gwneud y math o wahaniaeth y gwn y byddai pob Aelod yn yr ystafell hon am inni ei wneud.

Minister, I'm sure you'll be aware that Hywel Dda Local Health Board's latest Public Health Wales statistics show that an alarming 12.5 per cent of four to five-year-olds are obese, which is higher than the Welsh average and the second highest health board in the whole of Wales. Once children are obese, they are at real risk of getting even more obese as they get older, and we need to reverse this trend. I appreciate that individual health boards are responsible for introducing specific measures to tackle obesity, but it is important that the Welsh Government drives forward this agenda. So, given that obesity statistics are actually increasing, what are you now doing differently as a Government to tackle this very serious issue?
Weinidog, rwy'n siŵr eich bod yn gwybod bod ystadegau diweddaraf Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru ar gyfer Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol Hywel Dda yn dangos bod 12.5 y cant o blant pedair i bum mlwydd oed yn ordew, sy'n ganran ddychrynllyd ac yn uwch na chyfartaledd Cymru, a dyma'r ganran uchaf ond un o holl fyrddau iechyd Cymru. Pan fydd plant yn ordew, maent mewn perygl gwirioneddol o fynd yn fwy gordew wrth iddynt dyfu'n hŷn, ac mae angen inni wrthdroi'r duedd hon. Rwy'n cydnabod mai byrddau iechyd unigol sy'n gyfrifol am gyflwyno mesurau penodol i fynd i'r afael â gordewdra, ond mae'n bwysig fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwthio'r agenda hon. Felly, o gofio bod ystadegau gordewdra ar gynnydd, beth rydych yn ei wneud yn wahanol yn awr fel Llywodraeth i fynd i'r afael â'r mater difrifol hwn?
We have a range of different measures in place. I described some of them in answer to the question. This isn't simply a matter for the health service. It is about health and health outcomes. For example, the daily mile is not something that the health service itself directly delivers, but it is working in partnership with schools about different forms of activity. Other schools won't have a daily mile, but they will have a different form of regular physical activity within the school.
You're right about the pattern for life that is set in our earliest years, both in the learning and the example that comes before engaging in school, as well as in particular the lessons in life and the patterns for life that are set at the end of primary education. So the 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' consultation will look again at an evidence base. We looked at, for example, Holland, where there has been leadership and there's been a turnaround in some contexts, to see how we apply that successfully here.
Actually, the work that I've seen at Bishop Childs school—they attended the launch of the 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' consultation—does demonstrate that it is possible to do something, but the challenge is how consistently we're able to do that, and not just in Hywel Dda but right across the country. Hywel Dda may have the second highest rate of obese children, but, in statistical terms, there isn't a significant difference. You actually see the difference in the socioeconomic status of where our children are, and that is a big challenge for us in every part of the country.
Mae gennym amrywiaeth o fesurau gwahanol ar waith. Disgrifiais rai ohonynt wrth ateb y cwestiwn. Nid mater i'r gwasanaeth iechyd yn unig yw hwn. Mae'n ymwneud ag iechyd a chanlyniadau iechyd. Er enghraifft, nid yw'r filltir ddyddiol yn rhywbeth y mae'r gwasanaeth iechyd ei hun yn ei gyflawni'n uniongyrchol, ond mae'n gweithio mewn partneriaeth ag ysgolion mewn perthynas â gwahanol fathau o weithgarwch. Ni fydd gan ysgolion eraill y filltir ddyddiol, ond bydd ganddynt fath gwahanol o weithgarwch corfforol rheolaidd o fewn yr ysgol.
Rydych yn llygad eich lle ynglŷn â'r patrwm bywyd a osodir yn ein blynyddoedd cynharaf, o ran dysgu a'r esiampl a roddir cyn mynd i'r ysgol, yn ogystal, yn benodol, â'r gwersi ar gyfer bywyd a'r patrymau ar gyfer bywyd a osodir ar ddiwedd addysg gynradd. Felly, bydd ymgynghoriad 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach' yn edrych eto ar sylfaen dystiolaeth. Rydym wedi edrych, er enghraifft, ar yr Iseldiroedd, lle cafwyd arweinyddiaeth a lle gwelwyd newid mewn rhai cyd-destunau, i weld sut y gallwn roi hynny ar waith yn llwyddiannus yma.
Mewn gwirionedd, mae'r gwaith a welais yn ysgol Bishop Childs—daethant i lansiad ymgynghoriad 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach'—yn dangos bod modd gwneud rhywbeth, ond yr her yw pa mor gyson y gallwn wneud hynny, ac nid yn Hywel Dda yn unig ond ledled y wlad. Efallai mai gan Hywel Dda y mae'r gyfradd uchaf ond un o blant gordew, ond mewn termau ystadegol, nid oes gwahaniaeth sylweddol. Gallwch weld y gwahaniaeth yn statws economaidd-gymdeithasol lle mae ein plant yn byw, ac mae honno'n her fawr i ni ym mhob rhan o'r wlad.
Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Darren Millar.
Questions now from the party spokespeople. The Conservative spokesperson, Darren Millar.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. Minister, can I ask you what plans the Welsh Government has to prevent a stall in the fall in smoking rates in Wales?
Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog, a gaf fi ofyn i chi pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i atal saib yn y gostyngiad mewn cyfraddau ysmygu yng Nghymru?
We're reviewing our tobacco control action plan to see that we do actually want to make further progress. We're looking again at the organisational structure, for example, of our stop-smoking services. Encouragingly, we saw more people come to the NHS Help Me Quit service this January compared to last January—a 20 per cent rise in people seeking help—but, of course, I'm always interested in understanding what tools are available and how we get to the point of persuading more people to take up the help that is available to persuade people to stop smoking.
Rydym yn adolygu ein cynllun gweithredu rheoli tybaco i sicrhau ein bod yn gwneud cynnydd pellach. Rydym yn edrych eto ar y strwythur sefydliadol, er enghraifft, ein gwasanaethau rhoi'r gorau i smygu. Yn galonogol, gwelsom fwy o bobl yn defnyddio gwasanaeth Helpa Fi i Stopio y GIG ym mis Ionawr o gymharu â mis Ionawr y llynedd—cynnydd o 20 y cant yn nifer y bobl sy'n gofyn am gymorth—ond wrth gwrs, mae gennyf ddiddordeb bob amser mewn deall pa ddulliau sydd ar gael a sut y cyrhaeddwn bwynt lle gallwn berswadio mwy o bobl i fanteisio ar y cymorth sydd ar gael i berswadio pobl i roi'r gorau i ysmygu.
You may or may not be aware, health Minister, that today is No Smoking Day across the UK, which encourages people of course to take up the opportunity to explore quitting smoking. But, Public Health Wales have shown in their projections that they're expecting you as a Government to miss your target of reducing the prevalence of smoking across Wales to 16 per cent by 2020 and that you're currently around five years behind achieving that particular target. That of course is very worrying. It's worrying from a public health point of view in the future. I think that what we need to see is a radical sea change in the Government's approach, particularly in terms of the use of e-cigarettes to promote the cessation of smoking. So, as you will know, Cancer Research UK have been very clear that e-cigarettes are much safer than smoking tobacco. Everyone acknowledges, apart from the Welsh Government, it would appear, that they can be a very useful tool to assist people in quitting smoking in line with the advice of NHS Scotland and NHS England. So, can you clarify what the Welsh Government's position is on e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool? Thank you.
Efallai eich bod yn ymwybodol, Weinidog iechyd, fod heddiw'n Ddiwrnod Dim Smygu ledled y DU, sy'n annog pobl wrth gwrs i fanteisio ar y cyfle i ystyried rhoi'r gorau i ysmygu. Ond mae Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru wedi dangos yn eu hamcanestyniadau eu bod yn disgwyl i chi fel Llywodraeth fethu eich targed o leihau cyfraddau ysmygu ledled Cymru i 16 y cant erbyn 2020, a'ch bod oddeutu pum mlynedd ar ei hôl hi ar hyn o bryd o ran cyflawni'r targed penodol hwnnw. Wrth gwrs, mae hynny'n peri cryn bryder. Mae'n peri pryder o safbwynt iechyd y cyhoedd yn y dyfodol. Credaf mai'r hyn sydd angen inni ei weld yw newid agwedd llwyr ar ran y Llywodraeth, yn enwedig o ran y defnydd o e-sigaréts i hybu rhoi'r gorau i ysmygu. Felly, fel y gwyddoch, mae elusen Ymchwil Canser y DU wedi dweud yn glir iawn fod e-sigaréts yn fwy diogel o lawer nag ysmygu tybaco. Mae pawb yn cydnabod, ar wahân i Lywodraeth Cymru, mae'n ymddangos, y gallant fod yn ddefnyddiol iawn i helpu pobl i roi'r gorau i ysmygu yn unol â chyngor GIG yr Alban a GIG Lloegr. Felly, a allwch egluro beth yw safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru ar e-sigaréts fel dull o roi'r gorau i ysmygu? Diolch.
I recognise the points about the targets and wanting to reach the targets and our ability to do so. Actually, before we achieved the 19 per cent interim target, there was widespread concern that we would not do that. So, it is possible for us still to match and meet that target, and that actually was an evidence-based target where we had a basis to set it and to want to achieve it.
In terms of the evidence around e-cigarettes, information about e-cigarettes is already provided when people engage with stop-smoking services. The point about the future for e-cigarettes is one that we do need to determine here in Wales, but I would just correct the suggestion that e-cigarettes are much safer. I think it is much more preferable to recognise that e-cigarettes are much less harmful than tobacco smoke, but the big prize to be gained is to have more people not smoking tobacco, and I think the terms in which you talk about that really do matter. I'm interested in the latest evidence, but not only that—we are seeking to draw people together in Wales to draw up a consensus statement within Wales on the place or otherwise for e-cigarettes within stop-smoking services.
Rwy'n cydnabod y pwyntiau ynghylch y targedau a'r awydd i gyrraedd y targedau a'n gallu i wneud hynny. Mewn gwirionedd, cyn inni gyflawni ein targed interim o 19 y cant, roedd yna bryder cyffredinol na fyddem yn gwneud hynny. Felly, mae'n bosibl o hyd i ni gyflawni a chyrraedd y targed hwnnw, targed a oedd yn seiliedig ar dystiolaeth lle roedd gennym sail dros ei osod, a dros fod eisiau ei gyflawni.
O ran y dystiolaeth sy'n ymwneud ag e-sigaréts, darperir gwybodaeth am e-sigaréts eisoes pan fydd pobl yn ymgysylltu â gwasanaethau rhoi'r gorau i smygu. Mae'r pwynt ynghylch dyfodol e-sigaréts yn un y mae angen i ni benderfynu arno yma yng Nghymru, ond buaswn yn cywiro'r awgrym fod e-sigaréts yn llawer mwy diogel. Credaf ei bod yn well o lawer inni gydnabod bod e-sigaréts yn llawer llai niweidiol na mwg tybaco, ond y wobr fawr i'w hennill yw cael mwy o bobl nad ydynt yn ysmygu tybaco, a chredaf fod y ffordd rydych yn sôn am hynny yn wirioneddol bwysig. Mae diddordeb gennyf yn y dystiolaeth ddiweddaraf, ond nid yn unig hynny—rydym yn ceisio dod â phobl ynghyd yng Nghymru i lunio datganiad consensws yng Nghymru ar le e-sigaréts, neu fel arall, o fewn gwasanaethau rhoi'r gorau i ysmygu.
You seem to be playing with words unnecessarily, Minister, with respect. The only reason you hit your previous target was because of the take-up of e-cigarettes by many tens of thousands of people across Wales who use them to quit smoking. But, of course, they took them up off their own bat because they were not available—as is not the case in England where they are available—through smoking cessation services here. So, can I ask you again: will you consider allowing NHS Wales's smoking cessation services to use e-cigarettes and to promote the use of e-cigarettes to patients and individuals across Wales who are wanting to reduce the harm that they incur as a result of smoking? You say that these are much less harmful, I say that they are much safer. I think both of those things are not incompatible to actually say.
Now, can I ask about smoking rates particularly amongst pregnant women here in Wales? At the moment, around 20 per cent of pregnant women in Wales are smoking, and we know that that of course can lead to significant problems and complications in pregnancy and birth, including the stunting of the growth of children later in life and increasing their chances of developing diseases like asthma. Now, we know that the percentage of pregnant women smoking is higher in Wales than in other parts of the UK, including England and Scotland, so can I ask you specifically what work you are doing as the Welsh Government to focus attention on smoking amongst pregnant mothers in order that we can reduce these levels and lead the way in the UK, not sit at the bottom of the league table?
Ymddengys eich bod yn chwarae gyda geiriau heb fod angen, Weinidog, gyda phob parch. Yr unig reswm y cyflawnoch chi eich targed blaenorol oedd oherwydd y defnydd o e-sigaréts gan ddegau o filoedd o bobl ledled Cymru sy'n eu defnyddio i roi'r gorau i ysmygu. Ond wrth gwrs, bu'n rhaid iddynt gael gafael arnynt eu hunain gan nad oeddent ar gael yma—fel sy'n digwydd yn Lloegr, lle maent ar gael—drwy wasanaethau rhoi'r gorau i ysmygu. Felly, a gaf fi ofyn ichi unwaith eto: a wnewch chi ystyried caniatáu i wasanaethau rhoi'r gorau i ysmygu GIG Cymru ddefnyddio e-sigaréts a hyrwyddo'r defnydd o e-sigaréts i gleifion ac unigolion ledled Cymru sy'n awyddus i leihau'r niwed y maent yn ei ddioddef o ganlyniad i ysmygu? Rydych yn dweud eu bod yn llawer llai niweidiol, rwyf innau'n dweud eu bod yn llawer mwy diogel. Ni chredaf fod y ddau'n anghydnaws â'i gilydd mewn gwirionedd.
Nawr, a gaf fi ofyn ynglŷn â chyfraddau ysmygu yn benodol ymhlith menywod beichiog yma yng Nghymru? Ar hyn o bryd, mae oddeutu 20 y cant o fenywod beichiog yng Nghymru yn ysmygu, a gwyddom y gall hynny, wrth gwrs, arwain at broblemau a chymhlethdodau sylweddol mewn perthynas â beichiogrwydd a geni, gan gynnwys cyfyngu ar dwf plant yn ddiweddarach mewn bywyd a chynyddu'r tebygolrwydd y byddant yn datblygu clefydau megis asthma. Nawr, gwyddom fod y ganran o fenywod beichiog sy'n ysmygu yn uwch yng Nghymru nag mewn rhannau eraill o'r DU, gan gynnwys Lloegr a'r Alban, felly a gaf fi ofyn i chi yn benodol pa waith rydych yn ei wneud fel Llywodraeth Cymru i ganolbwyntio ar ysmygu ymhlith menywod beichiog fel y gallwn leihau'r lefelau hyn ac arwain y ffordd yn y DU, yn hytrach nag aros ar waelod y tabl?
Actually, there's significant work already under way on trying to help women to quit before and during pregnancy. That work is being undertaken together with midwives and health visitors. You may have missed that, last year, I actually launched part of our campaign on this in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. And that's together working with the midwives who are actually undertaking that care in the community as well as on hospital sites, and actually trying to change some attitudes around smoking as well, because if you go outside almost every maternity unit in the country, you'll find a bunch of fag butts outside. Now, there's a challenge there for us about changing people's perception of what they're doing, not just for themselves, not just when they happen to be pregnant, but actually for other people going in and out of those particular units. So, we already have a range of actions that we're undertaking. It's being led by evidence developed by midwives themselves working together with families, because actually it's about the support that a woman has from her partner that often makes a big difference as to whether they will take up the opportunity to stop smoking.
On the challenge about whether we describe e-cigarettes as safer or less harmful, actually the language really does matter. If you describe in advice something as being 'safe', then you're giving an impression about it. And I do think it matters. That's why, if we're going to have e-cigarettes used, we need to be clear about the language and the terms on which healthcare professionals in whatever part of healthcare engage with the public on them. You may have missed my answer to the last point about smoking cessation. We are drawing together people in Wales to have a consensus statement on the use or otherwise of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation services. That will be specific and targeted. There won't be a blanket position that e-cigarettes are safe. It will be about whether they're a useful tool or not and, of course, we'll look at the evidence provided by both England and Scotland when we're making a decision here in Wales.
Mewn gwirionedd, mae gwaith sylweddol yn mynd rhagddo eisoes ar geisio helpu menywod i roi'r gorau iddi cyn ac yn ystod eu beichiogrwydd. Mae'r gwaith hwnnw'n cael ei gyflawni ar y cyd â bydwragedd ac ymwelwyr iechyd. Efallai ichi golli'r ffaith fy mod, y llynedd, wedi lansio rhan o'n hymgyrch ar hyn yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. Ac mae hynny ynghyd â gweithio gyda'r bydwragedd sy'n darparu'r gofal hwnnw yn y gymuned yn ogystal â mewn ysbytai, ac yn ceisio newid rhai o'r agweddau tuag at ysmygu hefyd, oherwydd os edrychwch y tu allan i unrhyw uned famolaeth yn y wlad, bron â bod, fe welwch bentwr o stympiau sigaréts. Nawr, mae her i ni yn hynny o beth sy'n ymwneud â newid canfyddiad pobl o'r hyn y maent yn ei wneud, nid yn unig i'w hunain, nid yn unig pan fyddant yn digwydd bod yn feichiog, ond mewn gwirionedd, i bobl eraill sy'n mynd a dod o'r unedau hynny. Felly, mae gennym ystod o gamau rydym eisoes yn eu cymryd. Mae'r gwaith yn cael ei arwain gan dystiolaeth a ddatblygwyd gan fydwragedd wrth weithio gyda theuluoedd, gan fod hyn yn ymwneud â'r cymorth y mae menyw'n ei gael gan ei phartner, sy'n aml yn gwneud gwahaniaeth mawr o ran y tebygolrwydd y byddant yn manteisio ar y cyfle i roi'r gorau i ysmygu.
O ran yr her ynglŷn ag a ydym yn disgrifio e-sigaréts yn fwy diogel neu'n llai niweidiol, mae'r iaith yn bwysig mewn gwirionedd. Os ydych yn galw rhywbeth yn 'ddiogel' mewn cyngor, rydych yn cyfleu rhywbeth yn ei gylch. A chredaf fod hynny'n bwysig. Dyna pam, os yw e-sigaréts yn mynd i gael eu defnyddio, fod angen inni fod yn glir ynghylch yr iaith a'r termau y mae gweithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol, ym mha faes bynnag o ofal iechyd, yn eu defnyddio wrth ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd yn eu cylch. Efallai eich bod heb glywed fy ateb i'r pwynt diwethaf ynglŷn â rhoi'r gorau i ysmygu. Rydym yn dod â phobl ynghyd yng Nghymru i gael datganiad consensws ar y defnydd o e-sigaréts, neu fel arall, mewn gwasanaethau rhoi'r gorau i ysmygu. Bydd hwnnw'n benodol ac wedi'i dargedu. Ni fydd yn cynnwys safbwynt cyffredinol fod e-sigaréts yn ddiogel. Bydd yn ymwneud ag i ba raddau y maent yn ddull defnyddiol neu beidio, ac wrth gwrs, byddwn yn edrych ar y dystiolaeth a ddarparwyd gan yr Alban a Lloegr wrth wneud penderfyniad yma yng Nghymru.
Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Helen Mary Jones.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Helen Mary Jones.
Diolch, Llywydd. In February 2016, the then First Minister used an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report to defend the then Welsh Government's record with regard to health service delivery. Of course, when you look at what that report actually said, it said, among other things, this:
'at present, Health Boards do not have sufficient institutional technical capabilities and capacities to drive meaningful change, and a stronger central guiding hand may be needed.'
Then, two years later, the parliamentary review told us last January that a risk-averse culture hampers change in the health and care system and limits efficient and effective decision making. Does the Minister accept the OECD view that a stronger central guiding hand is needed, and what is he doing to change that risk-averse culture? He will no doubt tell us that the vehicle for delivering lasting change is his transformation fund, but I'm sure that he would acknowledge that that is a very small amount of money compared with the overall budget. How confident is the Minister that local health boards are delivering now on key Government priorities?
Diolch, Lywydd. Ym mis Chwefror 2016, defnyddiodd y Prif Weinidog ar y pryd adroddiad y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd i amddiffyn record Llywodraeth Cymru ar y pryd mewn perthynas â darparu gwasanaethau iechyd. Wrth gwrs, pan edrychwch ar yr hyn roedd yr adroddiad hwnnw'n ei ddweud mewn gwirionedd, ymhlith pethau eraill, dywedai hyn:
ar hyn o bryd, nid oes gan Fyrddau Iechyd ddigon o allu a chapasiti technegol sefydliadol i sbarduno newidiadau ystyrlon, ac mae'n bosibl y bydd angen help llaw arweiniol canolog cryfach.
Yna, ddwy flynedd yn ddiweddarach, fis Ionawr diwethaf, dywedodd yr adolygiad seneddol wrthym fod diwylliant gwrth-risg yn llesteirio newid yn y system iechyd a gofal ac yn cyfyngu ar y gallu i wneud penderfyniadau effeithiol ac effeithlon. A yw'r Gweinidog yn derbyn safbwynt y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd fod angen help llaw arweiniol canolog cryfach, a beth y mae'n ei wneud i newid y diwylliant gwrth-risg hwnnw? Diau y bydd yn dweud wrthym mai'r ffordd o gyflawni newid parhaol yw drwy ddefnyddio ei gronfa drawsnewid, ond rwy'n siŵr y byddai'n cydnabod bod hwnnw'n swm bach iawn o arian o'i gymharu â'r gyllideb gyffredinol. Pa mor hyderus yw'r Gweinidog fod byrddau iechyd lleol yn cyflawni blaenoriaethau allweddol y Llywodraeth yn awr?
Actually, when talking about the way in which the health service was being discussed in 2016, you'll remember a blanket, lazy and wildly inaccurate suggestion by a number of political players that the health service in Wales was the worst part of the United Kingdom. Actually, what the OECD report said very clearly was that simply is not true. It did, however, have criticisms to make about each part of the health service within the four nations of the UK, and that included the criticism that you've read out about where we are in Wales—having a more logical structure to the way we organise health services, but needing to see that made real in terms of the delivery.
And, actually, in terms of that point about there needs to be a more central guiding hand, I am regularly urged to take more interventions in the way that health services are run. Actually, I have taken a more interventionist approach, but the challenge is how we have a system that is set up, not just the attitude of an individual Minister. And you'll recall that in 'A Healthier Wales', we do talk about more central funds, we talk about having a national clinical plan, we talk about having a central NHS executive for Wales as well, and that work is well under way and is being drawn together. And I will consider options for the creation of that body to provide that clearer central guidance and leadership within the service to work together with our health boards and trusts here in Wales.
Mewn gwirionedd, wrth sôn am y modd y câi'r gwasanaeth iechyd ei drafod yn 2016, fe fyddwch yn cofio nifer o chwaraewyr gwleidyddol yn gwneud awgrym cyffredinol, diog a chwbl anghywir mai gwasanaeth iechyd Cymru oedd y gwaethaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Mewn gwirionedd, roedd adroddiad y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd yn dweud nad oedd hynny'n wir. Fodd bynnag, roedd yn cynnwys beirniadaeth ar bob rhan o'r gwasanaeth iechyd o fewn y pedair gwlad yn y DU, ac roedd hynny'n cynnwys y feirniadaeth rydych wedi'i darllen ynglŷn â'n sefyllfa yng Nghymru—bod gennym strwythur mwy rhesymegol i'r ffordd rydym yn trefnu gwasanaethau iechyd, ond bod angen gwireddu hynny o ran cyflawni.
Ac o ran y pwynt fod angen help llaw arweiniol mwy canolog, rwy'n cael fy annog yn rheolaidd i wneud rhagor o ymyriadau yn y ffordd y caiff gwasanaethau iechyd eu gweithredu. Mewn gwirionedd, rwyf wedi mabwysiadu dull gweithredu mwy ymyraethol, ond yr her yw sut y mae gennym system wedi'i sefydlu, nid agwedd un Gweinidog yn unig. A byddwch yn cofio ein bod yn sôn am gronfeydd mwy canolog yn 'Cymru Iachach', rydym yn sôn am gael cynllun clinigol cenedlaethol, rydym yn sôn am gael gweithrediaeth ganolog i'r GIG yng Nghymru yn ogystal, ac mae'r gwaith hwnnw'n mynd rhagddo'n dda ac yn dod at ei gilydd. A byddaf yn ystyried opsiynau ar gyfer creu'r corff hwnnw i ddarparu'r arweinyddiaeth a'r arweiniad canolog cliriach hwnnw o fewn y gwasanaeth i weithio gyda'n byrddau iechyd a'n hymddiriedolaethau yma yng Nghymru.
I am, Llywydd, encouraged to a certain extent by what the Minister says there, but he does use the phrase 'talk about', and I think we need to refer to what is actually happening now. From April, our local health boards will be responsible for an unprecedented amount of public funds in Wales, and I think there's nobody in this Chamber that would disagree with the need to invest. Now, other public sector bodies will be looking on with envy at those resources that are available, despite the fact that other public sector bodies, as the Minister has said himself in response to other questions this afternoon, have key roles in supporting the health of the people of Wales. Those public bodies will be entitled to ask us, I think, whether such money is really being used to push the stated national strategic objectives. Now, one of these objectives is to shift services from secondary care to primary care and, again, I think that has broad support across this Chamber.
But we need to look at what the actual spending has been over the last five years, and we've seen local health boards continue to do the opposite. Spending on primary care has increased in cash terms by £74 million, but that, of course, over the five years is a real-terms cut. Spending on secondary care has swallowed up the vast majority of the increases, getting around £845 million extra. Now, this is a clear illustration to me of local health boards failing to move resources and services from hospitals into communities, despite that being a clear Welsh Government priority. We see that also in increases in staff numbers, a very small rise in hospital doctors, but offset by the fall in the number of GPs. Can you explain to us, Minister, why you are allowing local health boards to disregard your stated policies in this regard?
Lywydd, mae'r hyn a ddywed y Gweinidog, i ryw raddau, yn galonogol, ond mae'n defnyddio'r ymadrodd 'sôn am', ac rwy'n credu bod angen i ni gyfeirio at yr hyn sy'n digwydd yn awr mewn gwirionedd. O fis Ebrill ymlaen, bydd ein byrddau iechyd lleol yn gyfrifol am swm digyffelyb o arian cyhoeddus yng Nghymru, ac nid wyf yn credu y byddai unrhyw un yn y Siambr hon yn anghytuno â'r angen i fuddsoddi. Nawr, bydd cyrff sector cyhoeddus eraill yn eiddigeddus o'r adnoddau hynny sydd ar gael, er gwaethaf y ffaith bod gan gyrff sector cyhoeddus eraill rolau allweddol yn cefnogi iechyd pobl Cymru, fel y mae'r Gweinidog ei hun wedi'i ddweud mewn ymateb i gwestiynau eraill y prynhawn yma. Bydd gan y cyrff cyhoeddus hynny hawl i ofyn i ni, rwy'n credu, a yw'r arian hwnnw yn cael ei ddefnyddio i gyflawni'r amcanion strategol cenedlaethol. Nawr, un o'r amcanion hyn yw symud gwasanaethau o ofal eilaidd i ofal sylfaenol ac unwaith eto, credaf fod cefnogaeth eang i hynny ar draws y Siambr hon.
Ond mae angen i ni edrych ar y gwariant gwirioneddol dros y pum mlynedd ddiwethaf, ac rydym wedi gweld byrddau iechyd lleol yn parhau i wneud y gwrthwyneb. Mae'r gwariant ar ofal sylfaenol wedi cynyddu £74 miliwn yn nhermau arian parod, ond mae hwnnw, wrth gwrs, dros y pum mlynedd, yn doriad mewn termau real. Mae'r gwariant ar ofal eilaidd wedi llyncu'r rhan fwyaf o'r cynnydd, ac mae'n cael tua £845 miliwn yn ychwanegol. Nawr, mae hyn yn dangos yn glir i mi fod byrddau iechyd lleol wedi methu symud adnoddau a gwasanaethau o ysbytai i mewn i gymunedau, er bod hynny'n un o flaenoriaethau eglur Llywodraeth Cymru. Gwelwn hynny hefyd yn y cynnydd yn nifer y staff, cynnydd bach iawn yn nifer y meddygon ysbyty, ond caiff hynny ei wrthbwyso gan y lleihad yn nifer y meddygon teulu. A allwch egluro i ni, Weinidog, pam eich bod yn caniatáu i fyrddau iechyd lleol ddiystyru'r polisïau rydych wedi'u nodi yn hyn o beth?
I don't think that's a fair characterisation at all. When you look at what we're doing with NHS spending, I'm proud of the fact that we're putting more resources into the national health service, despite being 10 years deep into Tory austerity, and the choices we make are incredibly difficult and they have a real-world consequence in every single public service. And there is no easy choice to make. If we put more money into different public services, then we will obviously face challenges about whether we're adequately funding the health service to deliver the sort of care that each and every one of us expects for ourselves. So, we made an upfront choice within the last term to put money into the national health service and accepted that would reduce money for other public services. You can't pretend that you can add more money into everything, as some people in this Chamber, despite campaigning for austerity in three successive general elections, regularly do in these sets of questions.
In terms of how we're getting different organisations to work together, the transformation fund is focused on moving more activity and resources around it into our primary care system, and more than that, in the partnership between primary care and other public services. That requires the health service to be a better partner in that conversation and in, then, the delivery of those services together.
So, actually, when you look not just at the activity we're undertaking now, but if you look at the transformation fund itself, you'll see that each and every one of those has been supported by each regional partnership board. And that now includes not just health, social care and the third sector, but, from the start of April, every regional partnership will also include voices from housing and education to make sure we have a joined-up conversation with each of the regions of Wales about how to transform services, and how actually the resources should follow the event when there's an agreement about what we should do to change it, to make sure there is real, system-wide change and not small, individual projects that each one of us may talk about on a local level but won't transform our system. That is absolutely my objective.
Nid wyf yn credu bod hwnnw'n ddisgrifiad teg o gwbl. Pan edrychwch ar yr hyn rydym yn ei wneud gyda gwariant y GIG, rwy'n falch o'r ffaith ein bod yn rhoi mwy o adnoddau i'r gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol, er ein bod wedi profi 10 mlynedd o gyni Torïaidd, a bod y penderfyniadau a wnawn yn anhygoel o anodd ac mae iddynt ganlyniadau go iawn ym mhob gwasanaeth cyhoeddus. Ac nid oes y fath beth a phenderfyniad sy'n hawdd i'w wneud. Os rhown fwy o arian i wahanol wasanaethau cyhoeddus, yn amlwg byddwn yn wynebu heriau ynglŷn ag a ydym yn rhoi digon o gyllid i'r gwasanaeth iechyd i ddarparu'r math o ofal y mae pob un ohonom yn ei ddisgwyl i ni ein hunain. Felly, yn ystod y tymor diwethaf, gwnaethom benderfyniad bwriadol i roi arian i'r gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol a derbyn y byddai hynny'n cyfyngu ar arian ar gyfer gwasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill. Ni allwch esgus eich bod yn gallu rhoi mwy o arian tuag at bopeth, fel y mae rhai pobl yn y Siambr hon yn ei wneud yn rheolaidd yn y cwestiynau hyn, er iddynt ymgyrchu dros gyni mewn tri etholiad cyffredinol yn olynol.
O ran sut i sicrhau bod sefydliadau gwahanol yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd, mae'r gronfa drawsnewid yn canolbwyntio ar symud mwy o weithgarwch ac adnoddau o'i amgylch i mewn i'n system gofal sylfaenol, ac yn fwy na hynny, i'r bartneriaeth rhwng gofal sylfaenol a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill. Mae hynny'n golygu bod angen i'r gwasanaeth iechyd fod yn bartner gwell yn y sgwrs honno a darparu'r gwasanaethau hynny gyda'i gilydd wedyn.
Felly, mewn gwirionedd, os edrychwch ar y gweithgarwch rydym yn ei wneud yn awr, yn ogystal ag ar y gronfa drawsnewid ei hun, fe welwch fod pob un o'r rheini'n cael eu cefnogi gan bob bwrdd partneriaeth rhanbarthol. Ac mae hynny'n cynnwys iechyd, gofal cymdeithasol a'r trydydd sector, ac o ddechrau mis Ebrill ymlaen, bydd pob partneriaeth ranbarthol hefyd yn cynnwys lleisiau o'r maes tai a'r maes addysg i sicrhau bod gennym sgwrs gydgysylltiedig gyda phob un o ranbarthau Cymru ynglŷn â sut i drawsnewid gwasanaethau, a sut y dylai'r adnoddau ddilyn pan fo cytundeb ynghylch beth y dylem ei wneud i'w newid, i sicrhau newid go iawn ar draws y system gyfan yn hytrach na phrosiectau bach unigol y gallai pob un ohonom sôn amdanynt ar lefel leol ond na fydd yn trawsnewid ein system. Dyna'n sicr yw fy amcan.
Llywydd, I'm very pleased to hear the Minister say that that is his objective, but I would put it to him that his party has been running the health service for 20 years in Wales and since the very first days of the National Assembly, we have been talking about—with, again, broad cross-party support—removing resources from secondary care and investing in primary care and indeed taking that a step further and ensuring, as the Minister has already said this afternoon, that there's much more effective co-operation between social services and health. I would put it to the Minister that this is nothing new and this is not rocket science and nobody's arguing with him about whether or not some of the projects under the transformation fund will be positive and deliver positive results. I mean, for example, I'm very glad to see—I know this has been put forward as a priority by Hywel Dda and their partners—that the local health board is actually paying for some elements of social care to enable it to get people out of hospitals more quickly. That seems to me to be entirely positive, but I don't know why we need to do that on an experimental basis and why the Minister can't simply encourage all—well, actually, instruct—all local health boards to do this.
I appreciate some of what the Minister's already said this afternoon about trying to give a stronger guiding hand, but let's be clear here, Llywydd: the Minister appoints the local health boards, he sets their priorities, he gives them their funding. I was here in this place and actually assisted the then Minister in writing the legislation that makes it completely clear that the local health boards are accountable to him. And the then Minister used these words, I think, in this Chamber: it is absolutely crucial that decisions about health are made by the people the people can sack—in other words, the politicians.
What assurances can the Minister give us this afternoon that once he has learnt those lessons from the transformation process—and I'm not sure that we need to learn them again—but once he's learnt those lessons, he will insist that local health boards and their partners deliver on the good practice that the transformation fund's projects identify? Because, as he has just said, what we do not need is more small, little, local projects, however successful they are, if those are not sustainable and then rolled out.
Lywydd, rwy'n falch iawn o glywed y Gweinidog yn dweud mai dyna yw ei amcan, ond buaswn yn dweud wrtho fod ei blaid wedi bod yn rheoli'r gwasanaeth iechyd ers 20 mlynedd yng Nghymru, ac ers dyddiau cyntaf y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol, rydym wedi bod yn sôn—unwaith eto, gyda chefnogaeth drawsbleidiol eang—am gael gwared ar adnoddau o ofal eilaidd a buddsoddi mewn gofal sylfaenol, a mynd gam ymhellach yn wir a sicrhau, fel y mae'r Aelod eisoes wedi'i ddweud y prynhawn yma, fod cydweithrediad llawer mwy effeithiol rhwng gwasanaethau cymdeithasol ac iechyd. Buaswn yn dweud wrth y Gweinidog nad yw hyn yn newydd ac nad yw'n gysyniad anodd ac nad oes neb yn dadlau gydag ef ynglŷn ag a fydd rhai o'r prosiectau o dan y gronfa drawsnewid yn gadarnhaol ac yn sicrhau canlyniadau cadarnhaol ai peidio. Er enghraifft, rwy'n falch iawn o weld—gwn fod hyn wedi'i gyflwyno fel blaenoriaeth gan Hywel Dda a'u partneriaid—fod y bwrdd iechyd lleol yn talu am rai elfennau o ofal cymdeithasol i'w alluogi i sicrhau bod pobl yn gallu gadael yr ysbyty yn gynt. Ymddengys i mi fod hynny'n hollol gadarnhaol, ond nid wyf yn gwybod pam fod angen i ni wneud hynny ar sail arbrofol a pham na all y Gweinidog annog—wel, cyfarwyddo mewn gwirionedd—pob bwrdd iechyd lleol i wneud hyn.
Rwy'n derbyn rhywfaint o'r hyn y mae'r Gweinidog eisoes wedi'i ddweud y prynhawn yma am geisio rhoi help llaw arweiniol cryfach, ond gadewch i ni fod yn glir yma, Lywydd: mae'r Gweinidog yn penodi'r byrddau iechyd lleol, mae'n pennu eu blaenoriaethau, mae'n rhoi eu cyllid iddynt. Roeddwn yma yn y lle hwn a chynorthwyais y Gweinidog ar y pryd i ysgrifennu'r ddeddfwriaeth sy'n ei gwneud yn gwbl glir fod y byrddau iechyd lleol yn atebol iddo. A defnyddiodd y Gweinidog ar y pryd y geiriau hyn, rwy'n credu, yn y Siambr hon: mae'n hollbwysig fod penderfyniadau am iechyd yn cael eu gwneud gan y bobl y gall y bobl eu diswyddo—mewn geiriau eraill, y gwleidyddion.
Pan fydd y Gweinidog wedi dysgu'r gwersi hynny o'r broses drawsnewid—ac nid wyf yn sicr fod angen i ni eu dysgu hwy eto—ond pan fydd wedi dysgu'r gwersi hynny, pa sicrwydd y gall ei roi i ni y prynhawn yma y bydd yn mynnu bod byrddau iechyd lleol a'u partneriaid yn cyflawni'r arferion da y mae prosiectau'r gronfa drawsnewid yn eu nodi? Oherwydd, fel y mae newydd ei ddweud, nid ydym angen mwy o brosiectau bach lleol, ni waeth pa mor llwyddiannus ydynt, os nad yw'r rheini'n gynaliadwy ac yn cael eu cyflwyno.
Well, when we talk about how we transform and change the system, I'm not sure that there's a great track record in the conversation about who can sack who. Actually, that doesn't generate the sort of system transformation we want to see. If that were the case—you look at the system in England, where, actually, chief executives of acute NHS trusts have an average life span of less than two years—and that's no way to run a system. In fact, it was very interesting to hear—. Sir Bruce Keogh, in his leaving speech—not in his speech while he was looking forward to many more years in post at the NHS Confederation conference—when he was leaving NHS England, talked about that challenge, the way in which leadership, in the English system, has been brutalised and it doesn't allow people longer term choices to deliver the sort of paths to deliver the value that each of us wants to see. That's absolutely why having a joint health and social care plan is so important. It's why the transformation programme really matters—to get to the point where there are models to scale up.
I've been really clear about my expectations. The way in which we do it will not be a simple pulling of one lever or me going around and potentially threatening people with their employment if they don't do as I want. That is not the way to deliver change in the system. It will be a combination of different things depending on where each partnership is. In different parts of Wales, they're more aligned to come and do that somewhere together. So, in Gwent, we see a real commitment to transforming children's services across health and social care. I think they'll get somewhere. They won't need me to stand over them to encourage them to do it. They want to take the lead in those areas. That's the cultural change that we need to deliver because that will be much more effective in delivering outcomes that she and I and everyone else in this Chamber wish to see.
Wel, pan fyddwn yn sôn am y modd rydym yn trawsnewid ac yn newid y system, nid wyf yn siŵr a oes hanes gwych o lwyddiant yn y sgwrs ynglŷn â phwy sy'n gallu diswyddo pwy. Mewn gwirionedd, nid yw hynny'n cynhyrchu'r math o drawsnewid rydym eisiau ei weld yn y system. Pe bai hynny'n wir—edrychwch ar y system yn Lloegr, lle mae gan brif weithredwyr ymddiriedolaethau acíwt y GIG rychwant oes cyfartalog o lai na dwy flynedd—ac nid dyna'r ffordd o weithredu system. Yn wir, roedd yn ddiddorol iawn clywed—. Roedd Syr Bruce Keogh, yn ei araith ymadael—nid yn yr araith a roddodd tra oedd yn edrych ymlaen at dreulio llawer mwy o flynyddoedd yn y swydd yng nghynhadledd Cydffederasiwn y GIG—pan oedd yn gadael GIG Lloegr, siaradodd am yr her honno, y ffordd y mae arweinyddiaeth, yn y system yn Lloegr, wedi cael ei wneud yn annynol a sut nad yw'n caniatáu i bobl wneud penderfyniadau mwy hirdymor er mwyn darparu'r math o lwybrau i gyflawni'r gwerth y mae pob un ohonom eisiau ei weld. Dyna pam fod sicrhau cynllun iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ar y cyd mor bwysig. Dyna pam fod y rhaglen drawsnewid mor bwysig—er mwyn cyrraedd y pwynt lle mae gennym fodelau i'w cyflwyno ar raddfa fawr.
Rwyf wedi bod yn glir iawn ynglŷn â fy nisgwyliadau. Ni fyddwn yn gwneud hyn drwy gyflawni un weithred neu drwy fynd o gwmpas yn bygwth swyddi pobl os nad ydynt yn gwneud yr hyn rwyf eisiau iddynt ei wneud. Nid dyna'r ffordd i sicrhau newid yn y system. Bydd yn gyfuniad o bethau gwahanol yn dibynnu ar lle mae pob partneriaeth arni. Mewn gwahanol rannau o Gymru, maent wedi'u halinio'n well i wneud hynny gyda'i gilydd yn rhywle. Felly, yng Ngwent, gwelwn ymrwymiad go iawn i'r gwaith o drawsnewid gwasanaethau plant ar draws iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. Rwy'n credu y byddant yn cael y maen i'r wal. Ni fyddant fy angen i i'w goruchwylio a'u hannog i wneud hynny. Maent eisiau arwain yn yr ardaloedd hynny. Dyna'r newid diwylliannol y mae angen i ni ei gyflawni oherwydd bydd hynny'n llawer mwy effeithiol o ran cyflawni'r canlyniadau y mae hi a minnau a phawb arall yn y Siambr hon yn dymuno eu gweld.
Llefarydd UKIP, Gareth Bennett.
UKIP spokesperson, Gareth Bennett.

Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, recently, WalesOnline published a news story highlighting the difficulty many patients are having in finding an NHS dentist to register with. The news reporter had herself moved to Carmarthen from Kent and, suffering a dental problem suddenly, she found that the closest dentist willing to offer an appointment was in Llanelli, which meant a 50-mile round trip. Of course, this problem isn't confined to west Wales. I checked the NHS Wales website this morning and found only three dentists in Cardiff offering NHS appointments. To be fair, that's a little better than the last time I looked in January, when there were none. There are no dentists in Newport currently accepting NHS patients, and if you live in Brecon and Radnor you can expect a long drive, as there are only two practices in the whole area with appointments available. What steps can be taken to address this problem?
Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog, yn ddiweddar, cyhoeddodd WalesOnline stori newyddion yn tynnu sylw at yr anhawster y mae llawer o gleifion yn ei gael i gofrestru gyda deintydd GIG. Roedd y gohebydd newyddion ei hun wedi symud i Gaerfyrddin o Gaint, a phan gafodd broblem ddeintyddol sydyn, canfu fod y deintydd agosaf a oedd yn barod i gynnig apwyntiad yn Llanelli, a oedd yn golygu taith o 50 milltir i gyd. Wrth gwrs, nid yw'r broblem wedi'i chyfyngu i orllewin Cymru. Wrth edrych ar wefan GIG Cymru y bore yma gwelais mai tri deintydd yn unig yng Nghaerdydd sy'n cynnig apwyntiadau GIG. I fod yn deg, mae hynny ychydig yn well na'r hyn oedd y tro diwethaf i mi edrych ym mis Ionawr, pan nad oedd unrhyw ddeintydd yn gwneud hynny. Nid oes unrhyw ddeintyddion yng Nghasnewydd yn derbyn cleifion y GIG ar hyn o bryd, ac os ydych yn byw ym Mrycheiniog a Maesyfed, gallwch ddisgwyl taith hir, gan mai dwy ddeintyddfa yn unig yn yr ardal gyfan sydd ag apwyntiadau ar gael. Pa gamau y gellir eu cymryd i ddatrys y broblem hon?
I've actually been very encouraged by the response of the dentistry world to 'A Healthier Wales' and wanting to see that as a kick-start to the reform that they wish and need to take to make sure they're delivering the sort of service that they want to provide and that each of our communities expects as well. There are challenges around the country about our capacity to take on extra NHS patients, but, actually, that really is tied up with contractual reform. So, since she came into post, the chief dental officer has undertaken a much faster rate of reform within the contract here than prior to her arrival. I've encouraged her and empowered her to do so, and, actually, when you see the next statement on where we are with dentistry, I think Members will have a degree of optimism about the future, and I'm expecting to announce more in the autumn, depending on the evidence we've had. We now have an increased number of dental practices taking part in the contract reform programme. Far from being reluctant to do so, as a number of practices were, we're now having real enthusiasm from different people in order to change the way that they work, because, actually, they'd rather have greater capacity to do the right things, and this really is about providing the right care at the right time, rather than providing treatments that aren't evidence-based in a contract that rewards the wrong sort of behaviour.
So, if the Member will bear with me for a short period of time longer, I'll be able to make a statement to him and other Members about where we are and our expectation for the future.
Mae ymateb y byd deintyddol i 'Cymru Iachach' wedi bod yn galonogol iawn a'r ffaith eu bod eisiau edrych ar hwnnw fel hwb i'r diwygio y maent yn dymuno ei weld ac angen ei sicrhau er mwyn gwneud yn siŵr eu bod yn darparu'r math o wasanaeth y maent eisiau ei ddarparu ac y mae pob un o'n cymunedau yn ei ddisgwyl. Mae heriau o gwmpas y wlad o ran ein capasiti i dderbyn cleifion GIG ychwanegol, ond mewn gwirionedd, mae hynny ynghlwm wrth ddiwygio cytundebol. Felly, ers iddi ddod i'r swydd, mae'r prif swyddog deintyddol wedi sicrhau bod diwygio'n digwydd yn llawer cyflymach o fewn y contract yma na chyn iddi gyrraedd. Rwyf wedi'i hannog ac wedi'i galluogi i wneud hynny, ac mewn gwirionedd, pan welwch y datganiad nesaf ar ein sefyllfa mewn perthynas â deintyddiaeth, credaf y bydd gan Aelodau rywfaint o optimistiaeth ynglŷn â'r dyfodol, ac rwy'n disgwyl gallu cyhoeddi mwy yn yr hydref, yn dibynnu ar y dystiolaeth a gawsom. Bellach, mae gennym nifer fwy o ddeintyddfeydd yn cymryd rhan yn y rhaglen diwygio contractau. Ymhell o fod yn amharod i wneud hynny, fel roedd nifer o ddeintyddfeydd, rydym bellach yn gweld gwahanol bobl yn dangos brwdfrydedd go iawn er mwyn newid y ffordd y maent yn gweithio, oherwydd, mewn gwirionedd, byddai'n well ganddynt gael mwy o gapasiti i wneud y pethau cywir, ac mae hyn, mewn gwirionedd, yn ymwneud â darparu'r gofal cywir ar yr adeg gywir, yn hytrach na darparu triniaethau nad ydynt yn seiliedig ar dystiolaeth mewn contract sy'n gwobrwyo'r math anghywir o ymddygiad.
Felly, os bydd yr Aelod yn amyneddgar am ychydig bach o amser eto, byddaf yn gallu gwneud datganiad iddo ef ac i'r Aelodau eraill ynglŷn â lle rydym arni a'n disgwyliadau ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Well, thank you for that anticipatory report of the contractual overhaul. And it's encouraging that you are looking at this, and I look forward to the statement in the autumn. Now, of course, I can't really pre-empt what that statement is going to say, but if I could flag up a few issues relating to the contract—the British Dental Association say that the recruitment and retention of dentists in Wales has been a problem for some time, and, of course, the contracts currently in place are part of the problem. They have called on the Welsh Government in the past to devise a system that makes Wales a more attractive place for dentists to work. Some of the problems are relating to the tough UDA targets, which are currently called for—that's, as you know, units of dental activity. We do have the system of clawback as well, whereby if they underperform by more than 5 per cent, there is this clawback of money. So, these are all issues that feed into this rather unwieldy contractual system that you've identified. So, I know you say there is an overhaul and we are going to have a statement in the autumn. I don't know if you can make any comment at the moment on some of the issues that I've raised.
Wel, diolch i chi am y rhagadroddiad hwnnw ar yr ailwampio cytundebol. Ac mae'n galonogol eich bod yn edrych ar hyn, ac edrychaf ymlaen at y datganiad yn yr hydref. Nawr, wrth gwrs, ni allaf ragweld yr hyn y bydd y datganiad hwnnw yn ei ddweud, ond os caf dynnu sylw at ychydig o faterion sy'n ymwneud â'r contract—mae Cymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain yn dweud bod recriwtio a chadw deintyddion yng Nghymru wedi bod yn broblem ers peth amser, ac wrth gwrs, mae'r contractau sydd ar waith ar hyn o bryd yn rhan o'r broblem. Maent wedi galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru yn y gorffennol i ddyfeisio system sy'n gwneud Cymru yn wlad fwy deniadol i ddeintyddion weithio ynddi. Mae rhai o'r problemau yn ymwneud â'r targedau anodd mewn perthynas ag unedau gweithgarwch deintyddol y gelwir amdanynt yn awr. Mae gennym system adfachu yn ogystal, lle bydd arian yn cael ei adfachu os byddant yn tangyflawni o fwy na 5 y cant. Felly, mae'r rhain i gyd yn faterion sy'n bwydo i mewn i'r system gytundebol braidd yn anhylaw hon rydych wedi'i nodi. Felly, gwn eich bod yn dweud bod ailwampio ar droed ac y byddwn yn cael datganiad yn yr hydref. Ni wn a allwch wneud unrhyw sylw ar hyn o bryd ar rai o'r problemau rwyf wedi'u crybwyll.
Yes. The British Dental Association are key stakeholders. I meet them during each year. They have access to meet the chief dental officer and her officers within her department. And you're right that the UDA, along with the contract, is an essential part of reform. Where we're actually seeing practices undertake the contract reform opportunities—it's changing the way they deliver their work, and that in itself is making Wales a more attractive place for dentists to work, but also the skill mix of people, so the numbers of dentists, assistants and others who will work within each of those practices. So, that is absolutely part of delivering better care, a better place for people to work, and, actually, better value for the public money we invest in the system.
Gallaf. Mae Cymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain yn rhanddeiliaid allweddol. Rwy'n cyfarfod â hwy bob blwyddyn. Mae ganddynt fynediad at y prif swyddog deintyddol a'r swyddogion yn ei hadran. Ac rydych yn gywir yn dweud bod unedau gweithgarwch deintyddol, ynghyd â'r contract, yn rhan hanfodol o ddiwygio. Lle rydym yn gweld deintyddfeydd yn manteisio ar gyfleoedd diwygio contractau—mae'n newid y ffordd y maent yn cyflawni eu gwaith, ac mae hynny ynddo'i hun yn gwneud Cymru yn wlad fwy deniadol i ddeintyddion weithio ynddi, ond hefyd y gymysgedd o sgiliau sydd gan bobl, niferoedd y deintyddion, y cynorthwywyr ac eraill a fydd yn gweithio ym mhob un o'r deintyddfeydd hynny. Felly, mae hynny'n bendant yn rhan o'r broses o ddarparu gofal gwell, lle gwell i bobl weithio ynddo, ac mewn gwirionedd, gwell gwerth am yr arian cyhoeddus rydym yn ei fuddsoddi yn y system.
Yes, that's encouraging. Now, if I can go back to the UDA issue, obviously, this is all going to hopefully come out in the autumn statement, but one issue with the clawback is that the money that is taken back from the dental practices is not ring-fenced and so is not necessarily going to be reinvested in the Welsh dental service. As we know from matters that are continuously debated in this Chamber, the national health service in Wales are short of money in many areas, so the problem is that much of this money that's clawed back is used to plug funding gaps in other areas of the Welsh NHS system. So, we do have this rather perverse situation at the moment, which the BDA have identified, where there are large waiting lists and patients having to travel many miles for check-ups, but, at the same time, money is being taken out of the dentistry system and put into other areas of the NHS. So, hopefully, that will form part of your thinking with this overhaul of the contracts.
Ydi, mae hynny'n galonogol. Nawr, os gallaf droi'n ôl at fater yr unedau gweithgarwch deintyddol, yn amlwg, bydd hyn i gyd, gobeithio, yn dod yn amlwg yn natganiad yr hydref, ond un broblem gyda'r adfachu yw'r ffaith nad yw'r arian sy'n cael ei gymryd yn ôl gan y deintyddfeydd wedi'i neilltuo ac felly ni fydd o reidrwydd yn cael ei ailfuddsoddi yng ngwasanaeth deintyddol Cymru. Fel y gwyddom o faterion sy'n cael eu trafod yn barhaus yn y Siambr hon, mae gwasanaeth iechyd gwladol yng Nghymru yn brin o arian mewn llawer o feysydd, felly y broblem yw bod llawer o'r arian sy'n cael ei adfachu yn cael ei ddefnyddio i lenwi bylchau ariannu mewn meysydd eraill yn system GIG Cymru. Felly, rydym mewn sefyllfa wrthnysig braidd ar hyn o bryd, fel y mae Cymdeithas Ddeintyddol Prydain wedi'i nodi, lle ceir rhestrau aros hir a chleifion yn gorfod teithio milltiroedd lawer i gael archwiliadau, ond ar yr un pryd, mae arian yn cael ei dynnu o'r system ddeintyddiaeth a'i roi i feysydd eraill o fewn y GIG. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio y byddwch yn ystyried hynny wrth ailwampio'r contractau.
Yes. I'm very clear about the way in which money that is allocated and earmarked for dental services should be used, and it should not be used to fill gaps in other budget lines when, actually, we recognise there is more for us to do to provide the quality of care and services that, as I say, each community in Wales deserves and expects.
Ie. Rwy'n glir iawn ynglŷn â'r ffordd y dylid defnyddio arian sy'n cael ei ddyrannu a'i glustnodi ar gyfer gwasanaethau deintyddol, ac ni ddylid ei defnyddio i lenwi bylchau mewn llinellau cyllideb eraill o ystyried ein bod yn cydnabod bod gennym fwy i'w wneud i ddarparu'r gofal o ansawdd a'r gwasanaethau y mae pob cymuned yng Nghymru, fel rwy'n ei ddweud, yn eu haeddu ac yn eu disgwyl.
3. A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am y ddarpariaeth gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru? OAQ53541
3. Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of social care in Wales? OAQ53541

'A Healthier Wales' sets out our vision for a seamless health and social care system. We've put a strong legal framework in place to make that happen, including the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, and new approaches to joint working and staff development will help make that vision a reality.
Mae 'Cymru Iachach' yn nodi ein gweledigaeth ar gyfer system iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ddi-dor. Rydym wedi rhoi fframwaith cyfreithiol cryf ar waith i sicrhau hynny, gan gynnwys Deddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014, a bydd dulliau newydd o gydweithio a datblygu staff yn helpu i wireddu'r weledigaeth honno.
Can I thank you for that response? I believe high-quality social care is actually preventative spend because it stops people ending up in the final place of hospitals, which low-quality social care can mean, or no social care can mean, that they end up in. What is the Welsh Government's intention regarding social care being provided either directly by local authorities or via care co-operatives?
A gaf fi ddiolch i chi am yr ymateb hwnnw? Credaf fod gofal cymdeithasol o ansawdd uchel yn wariant ataliol mewn gwirionedd am ei fod yn atal pobl rhag gorfod mynd i'r ysbyty yn y pen draw, ac mae hynny'n gallu digwydd os yw'r gofal cymdeithasol o ansawdd gwael neu os nad oes gofal cymdeithasol o gwbl. Beth yw bwriad Llywodraeth Cymru o ran darparu gofal cymdeithasol naill ai'n uniongyrchol gan awdurdodau lleol neu drwy gydweithfeydd gofal?
I thank Mike Hedges for that very important question. I have begun initial discussions with local government, with the third sector and the independent sector providers about how to improve the stability of care and support provision in Wales. These discussions are at a very early stage, but I will keep Members updated on progress. But, just to give one example, the Welsh Government has been working with the Wales Co-operative Centre and they are preparing a report that will include clear recommendations and next steps for continuing to develop and strengthen the role of co-operatives and social enterprises providing social care in Wales. That is the Care to Co-operate project.
Diolch i Mike Hedges am y cwestiwn pwysig hwnnw. Rwyf wedi dechrau trafodaethau cychwynnol gyda llywodraeth leol, y trydydd sector a darparwyr y sector annibynnol ynglŷn â sut i wella sefydlogrwydd y ddarpariaeth gofal a chymorth yng Nghymru. Mae'r trafodaethau hyn ar gam cynnar iawn, ond byddaf yn parhau i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau ar y cynnydd. Ond os caf roi un enghraifft, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio gyda Chanolfan Gydweithredol Cymru ac maent yn paratoi adroddiad a fydd yn cynnwys argymhellion clir a'r camau nesaf ar gyfer parhau i ddatblygu a chryfhau rôl mentrau cydweithredol a chymdeithasol i ddarparu gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru. Dyna yw'r prosiect Cydweithredu i Ofalu.
Here in Wales we are fortunate to have many adults who are prepared to selflessly give their time to provide stability and security to children when they need it most. These individuals include private foster carers, who make private arrangements with parents. Now, as you'll be aware, private foster carers and parents of children placed are required to notify the social services department of those arrangements made so as to promote safeguarding and welfare of those children. What steps will you be taking to ensure that private foster parents, following the Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) (Wales) Regulations 2006, know that they have to notify the local authority at least six weeks in advance of any proposed arrangements and that the relevant local authority will then undertake an inspector visit within seven working days and then, obviously, compile the very necessary report?
Yma yng Nghymru rydym yn ffodus i gael llawer o oedolion sy'n barod i roi eu hamser yn anhunanol i ddarparu sefydlogrwydd a diogelwch i blant pan fyddant fwyaf o'i angen. Mae'r unigolion hyn yn cynnwys gofalwyr maeth preifat, sy'n gwneud trefniadau preifat gyda rhieni. Nawr, fel y byddwch yn ei wybod, mae gofalwyr maeth preifat a rhieni plant sydd wedi'u lleoli yn gorfod rhoi gwybod i'r adran gwasanaethau cymdeithasol am y trefniadau a wneir er mwyn hyrwyddo diogelwch a lles y plant hynny. Pa gamau y byddwch yn eu cymryd i sicrhau bod rhieni maeth preifat, yn dilyn Rheoliadau Plant (Trefniadau Preifat ar gyfer Maethu) (Cymru) 2006, yn gwybod bod yn rhaid iddynt hysbysu'r awdurdod lleol o leiaf chwe wythnos cyn unrhyw drefniadau arfaethedig ac y bydd yr awdurdod lleol perthnasol yn mynd ati wedyn i drefnu ymweliad gan arolygydd o fewn saith diwrnod gwaith ac yna, yn amlwg, yn llunio'r adroddiad mawr ei angen?
Well, I thank Janet Finch-Saunders for that question. Obviously, private foster parents need to be covered by these regulations that she has described, but, obviously, it's very important that they know what they have to do. So, I think it is incumbent on the local authority to ensure that private foster parents are made aware, that they make publicly available the information about what private foster parents have to do, because it's extremely important that private foster parents are regulated for the reasons that she's given.
Wel, diolch i Janet Finch-Saunders am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Yn amlwg, mae angen cynnwys rhieni maeth preifat yn y rheoliadau hyn y mae newydd eu disgrifio, ond yn amlwg, mae'n bwysig iawn eu bod yn gwybod beth sy'n rhaid iddynt ei wneud. Felly, credaf ei bod yn ddyletswydd ar yr awdurdod lleol i sicrhau bod rhieni maeth preifat yn ymwybodol o'r hyn sydd angen iddynt ei wneud, a'u bod yn sicrhau bod y wybodaeth hon ar gael i'r cyhoedd, oherwydd mae'n bwysig dros ben bod rhieni maeth preifat yn cael eu rheoleiddio am y rhesymau y mae wedi'u rhoi.
Gweinidog, fyddech chi'n cytuno ei bod hi'n annerbyniol i ddweud wrth rywun bregus, oedrannus, ffaeledig a thlawd, ond eto rhywun sydd ddim yn cyrraedd y trothwy uchel i dderbyn gofal cyhoeddus wedi asesiad—fyddech chi'n cytuno ei bod hi'n annerbyniol i ddweud wrth rywun felly, 'Jest talwch am eich gofal yn breifat, neu ewch heb ddim'?
Minister, would you agree that it’s unacceptable to tell a vulnerable older person who is poor and yet who doesn't reach the high threshold to receive public care following assessment—would you agree that it’s unacceptable to tell such a person, 'Just pay for your own care privately or go without'?
I think I'd have to have some more details about this particular case that you're describing before I could comment on it. It obviously sounds a very unfortunate incident to have happened, but I'd be grateful if you could let me know the details of that case and I can respond.
Rwy'n credu y byddai'n rhaid i mi gael mwy o fanylion am yr achos penodol hwn rydych yn ei ddisgrifio cyn gallu rhoi sylw arno. Yn amlwg, mae'n swnio'n ddigwyddiad anffodus iawn, ond buaswn yn ddiolchgar pe gallech roi manylion yr achos hwnnw i mi er mwyn i mi allu ymateb.
4. Pa drafodaethau diweddar y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'u cael gyda gweinidogion eraill y Llywodraeth ynghylch rôl teithio llesol o ran hybu iechyd a lles ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc? OAQ53559
4. What recent discussions has the Minister had with other Government ministers on the role of active travel in promoting health and wellbeing for children and young people? OAQ53559
Thank you for that question. The Cabinet has discussed our 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' strategy, which is currently out for consultation, to agree eight priority areas on physical activity. I've since established a cross-Government implementation board; the first meeting that took place was attended by me and my colleague Dafydd Elis-Thomas. There are a range of programmes, such as the daily mile, the Healthy and Active Fund and active travel to school, which support delivery of our ambitions.
Diolch i chi am y cwestiwn hwnnw. Mae'r Cabinet wedi trafod ein strategaeth 'Pwysau Iach: Cymru Iach', sy'n destun ymgynghoriad ar hyn o bryd, i gytuno ar wyth maes blaenoriaeth ar weithgarwch corfforol. Ers hynny, rwyf wedi sefydlu bwrdd gweithredu trawslywodraethol; mynychwyd y cyfarfod cyntaf a gynhaliwyd gennyf fi a fy nghyd-Aelod, Dafydd Elis-Thomas. Mae amryw o raglenni, megis y filltir ddyddiol, y Gronfa Iach ac Egnïol a theithio llesol i'r ysgol, sy'n ein helpu i gyflawni ein huchelgeisiau.
Well, thank you very much for that answer, Minister. I'm pleased that you've already—. You've pre-empted my question, because part of the delivery of the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013—brought through with laudable ambitions by my colleague John Griffiths here, before my time—sets out that Wales would become the country where it was the most natural thing to walk and cycle, it was the most natural way to get about. But we held a debate only last week where we showed the distance that there is between that laudable aim and actually the reality on the ground, and a lot of this is to do with cross-Government working. So, could I have that commitment on record from the Minister that he will continue to work with other Government Ministers, including the Minister for Education, to ensure that active travel to and from schools becomes a key part of the Public Health Wales administered healthy schools programme? This will not eat into schools' time, into any curriculum delivery, and it can be done cheaply and well, as we saw only recently at the cross-party group on active travel, delivered in Cardiff itself. So, would he commit to that cross-Government working with the Minister for Education to really embed it within the healthy schools programme?
Wel, diolch yn fawr iawn am yr ateb hwnnw, Weinidog. Rwy'n falch eich bod eisoes—. Rydych wedi achub y blaen ar fy nghwestiwn, oherwydd mae rhan o ddarpariaeth Deddf Teithio Llesol (Cymru) 2013—a gyflwynwyd gydag uchelgeisiau clodwiw gan fy nghyd-Aelod yma, John Griffiths, cyn fy amser i—yn nodi y byddai Cymru yn datblygu i fod yn wlad lle mae pobl yn cerdded ac yn beicio fel y dewis mwyaf naturiol, am mai dyna'r ffordd naturiol o deithio o gwmpas. Ond cawsom ddadl yr wythnos diwethaf lle roeddem yn dangos y pellter rhwng y nod clodwiw hwnnw a'r realiti ar lawr gwlad mewn gwirionedd, ac mae llawer o hyn yn ymwneud â gweithio trawslywodraethol. Felly, a all y Gweinidog gofnodi ei ymrwymiad y bydd yn parhau i weithio gyda Gweinidogion eraill y Llywodraeth, gan gynnwys y Gweinidog Addysg, i sicrhau bod teithio llesol i ac o ysgolion yn dod yn rhan allweddol o raglen ysgolion iach Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru? Ni fydd hyn yn bwyta i mewn i amser ysgolion, nac unrhyw ddarpariaeth cwricwlwm, a gellir ei wneud yn rhad ac yn dda, fel y gwelsom yn ddiweddar yng nghyfarfod y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar deithio llesol, a gyflwynwyd yng Nghaerdydd ei hun. Felly, a wnaiff ymrwymo i weithio'n drawslywodraethol gyda'r Gweinidog Addysg er mwyn ei ymgorffori'n llawn o fewn y rhaglen ysgolion iach?
Yes, I'm more than happy to continue the work that I and Dafydd Elis-Thomas have started with a range of Ministers with an interest. And, of course, the Minister for Education has a specific role and remit over what takes place within the school. There's a challenge about not just what takes place in the curriculum, but the broader culture within that school, but—obviously, with our colleague the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport in particular—to understand how we get children to and from the school as well. Now, it isn't just about travel in the school day, it is also work, for example, on our response to the 20's Plenty for Us campaign as well—the evidence that exists about whether speed limits make a difference about people's willingness to travel to school and undertake other forms of getting to and from school, their place of work and moving around socially as well. So, there's a wide range of activity that I'm interested in to fundamentally change the way that we move and the way that we actually have health outcomes here in Wales as well.
Gwnaf, rwy'n fwy na hapus i barhau â'r gwaith y mae Dafydd Elis-Thomas a minnau wedi'i ddechrau gydag amryw o Weinidogion sydd â diddordeb. Ac wrth gwrs, mae gan y Gweinidog Addysg rôl a chylch gwaith penodol mewn perthynas â'r hyn sy'n digwydd o fewn yr ysgol. Mae yna her mewn perthynas â'r hyn sy'n cael ei gynnwys yn y cwricwlwm, yn ogystal â'r diwylliant ehangach o fewn yr ysgol, ond—yn amlwg, gyda'n cyd-Aelod, Dirprwy Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth yn arbennig—i ddeall sut y mae plant yn teithio i ac o'r ysgol yn ogystal. Nawr, nid yw'n ymwneud â theithio i ac o'r ysgol yn unig, mae hefyd yn ymwneud â'n gwaith, er enghraifft, ar ein hymateb i ymgyrch 20's Plenty for Us yn ogystal—y dystiolaeth sy'n bodoli ynglŷn ag a yw terfynau cyflymder yn gwneud gwahaniaeth i barodrwydd pobl i deithio i'r ysgol ac i ymgymryd â ffyrdd eraill o deithio i ac o'r ysgol, a'u gweithle a theithio o gwmpas yn gymdeithasol yn ogystal. Felly, mae gennyf ddiddordeb mewn amrywiaeth eang o weithgareddau i sbarduno newidiadau sylfaenol yn y ffordd rydym yn symud a'r canlyniadau iechyd yma yng Nghymru hefyd mewn gwirionedd.
Minister, I'm encouraged to hear how you're talking to colleagues, because this does seem to me an area for the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 methodology to come in place, because, clearly, you can improve health. The other key thing, if we do, is we improve the environment, because the school run is something that really got embedded in the 1990s. Of course, those of us of an older generation have no idea about it. It still amazes me to see just how much traffic there is taking children and young people to and from school. I did notice there was an excellent demonstration outside the Senedd—unfortunately, not on a sitting day—of young people demanding more action. One thing they could demand is an end to the school run. I think that is a real thing that would help improve the situation. And it's really that sort of challenge that we now need in the system.
Weinidog, mae'n galonogol clywed sut rydych yn siarad â'ch cyd-Aelodau, oherwydd ymddengys i mi fod hwn yn faes sy'n berthnasol i fethodoleg Deddf Llesiant Cenedlaethau'r Dyfodol (Cymru) 2015, oherwydd, yn amlwg, gallwch wella iechyd. Os ydym yn gwneud hynny, y peth allweddol arall yw ein bod yn gwella'r amgylchedd, oherwydd mae hebrwng plant i'r ysgol ac oddi yno yn rhywbeth a ddechreuodd fynd yn arfer go iawn yn y 1990au mewn gwirionedd. Wrth gwrs, nid oes gan rai ohonom o'r genhedlaeth hŷn unrhyw syniad am y peth. Mae faint o draffig sy'n deillio o'r ffaith bod rhieni'n hebrwng plant a phobl ifanc i'r ysgol ac oddi yno yn fy rhyfeddu o hyd. Sylwais ar brotest ragorol y tu allan i'r Senedd—yn anffodus, nid ar ddiwrnod pan oeddem yn cyfarfod—gan bobl ifanc a oedd yn galw am fwy o weithredu. Un peth y gallant alw amdano yw diwedd ar hebrwng plant i'r ysgol ac oddi yno. Credaf fod hwnnw'n un peth go iawn a fyddai'n helpu i wella'r sefyllfa. A dyna'r math o her rydym ei hangen yn fawr yn y system yn awr.
I recognise exactly the point you make and I'm, in politics, young—in real life, I'm a middle-aged man—and so I do remember going to school and the normal thing was that people walked, and you got a bus to school if your school was further afield. There were very few cars around the primary school that I attended, and yet, in most of my constituency and in most others, there are a significant number of short journeys to and from school. I normally walk, and sometimes end up carrying my son to school, but the normal way for us to get to school is not to get in the car. There's a challenge about how we renormalise behaviour, and, again, that challenge about not wanting to judge people, because, actually, that doesn't help them to engage, but how we make it easier for people to make that journey a normal one without the aid and benefit of a car.
Rwy'n cydnabod yn llwyr y pwynt rydych yn ei wneud ac ym myd gwleidyddiaeth, rwy'n ifanc—yn y byd go iawn rwy'n ddyn canol oed—ac felly rwy'n cofio mynd i'r ysgol a'r ffordd arferol oedd mai cerdded fyddai pobl, a byddech yn mynd ar y bws i'r ysgol os oedd eich ysgol yn bellach i ffwrdd. Ychydig iawn o geir a oedd o amgylch yr ysgol gynradd a fynychwn, ac eto, mae nifer sylweddol o deithiau byr i ac o'r ysgol yn y rhan fwyaf o fy etholaeth ac yn y rhan fwyaf o etholaethau eraill. Fel arfer rwy'n cerdded, ac weithiau'n cario fy mab i'r ysgol yn y pen draw, ond nid yw'n arferol i ni deithio i'r ysgol yn y car. Mae yna her ynglŷn â'r ffordd rydym yn ailnormaleiddio ymddygiad, ac unwaith eto, yr her ynglŷn â pheidio â bod eisiau beirniadu pobl, oherwydd mewn gwirionedd, nid yw hynny'n eu helpu i gymryd rhan, ond yn hytrach sut y gallwn ei gwneud yn haws i bobl wneud y daith honno'n un arferol heb gymorth car.
I was delighted to take part in the health committee's recent inquiry into increasing physical activity among young people, and I'm looking forward to going through the report that I pushed to have, to go through it in more detail. But one of the key things that was highlighted in that report was the need to push active travel for children. And I am also pleased that you're talking with other Government colleagues about what can be done, but, of course, what you're talking about is crucial here. Not only do we need to see co-operation, but we need to see co-budgeting, I think, between Government departments. Can you assure us that you are moving away from what would perhaps be called a silo way of working in order to find ways of co-funding schemes that have benefits across departments?
Roeddwn yn falch iawn o gymryd rhan yn ymchwiliad diweddar y pwyllgor iechyd i gynyddu gweithgarwch corfforol ymysg pobl ifanc, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at edrych yn fwy manwl ar yr adroddiad y bûm yn galw am ei gael. Ond un o'r pethau allweddol a amlygwyd yn yr adroddiad hwnnw oedd yr angen i hybu teithio llesol ymysg plant. Ac rwy'n falch hefyd eich bod yn siarad â chyd-Aelodau eraill yn y Llywodraeth ynglŷn â'r hyn y gellir ei wneud, ond wrth gwrs, mae'r hyn rydych yn sôn amdano'n hollbwysig yma. Mae angen i ni sicrhau cydweithrediad, yn ogystal â chyd-gyllidebu, rwy'n credu, rhwng adrannau'r Llywodraeth. A allwch ein sicrhau eich bod yn symud oddi wrth yr hyn y gellid ei alw'n weithio mewn seilos, er mwyn dod o hyd i ffyrdd o gyd-ariannu cynlluniau sydd â manteision ar draws adrannau?
Well, every department needs to think not only about its own individual priorities, but actually priorities for the Government, and on a number of the areas—this is only one example—what is a Government priority with a lead Minister requires action by a number of other people to make it real. That's exactly what we are aiming to do. I will, of course, be responding to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's report in due course properly and fully, and we'll see if this place allocates time for a debate in the Chamber as well.
Wel, mae pob adran angen meddwl, nid yn unig am ei blaenoriaethau unigol ei hun, ond blaenoriaethau'r Llywodraeth mewn gwirionedd, ac mewn nifer o'r meysydd—un enghraifft yn unig yw hon—mae'r hyn sy'n flaenoriaeth Llywodraeth gyda Gweinidog arweiniol yn galw am gydweithrediad nifer o bobl eraill i'w gwireddu. Dyna'n union rydym yn ceisio'i wneud. Wrth gwrs, byddaf yn ymateb i adroddiad y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon yn briodol ac yn llawn maes o law, ac fe gawn weld a fydd y lle hwn yn neilltuo amser ar gyfer dadl yn y Siambr hefyd.
5. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am gyfraddau bwydo ar y fron? OAQ53582
5. Will the Minister provide an update on breastfeeding rates? OAQ53582
Whilst rates in Wales have remained static over recent years, the Welsh Government remains committed to increasing the uptake of breastfeeding. A national work programme has been established, involving clinicians, service leads, Public Health Wales and other stakeholders, including, of course, women themselves, focusing on improving breastfeeding rates in maternity and early years settings.
Er bod y cyfraddau yng Nghymru wedi parhau'n sefydlog dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i fod yn ymrwymedig i gynyddu nifer y mamau sy'n bwydo ar y fron. Sefydlwyd rhaglen waith genedlaethol, sy'n cynnwys clinigwyr, arweinwyr gwasanaethau, Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru a rhanddeiliaid eraill, yn cynnwys, wrth gwrs, menywod eu hunain, gan ganolbwyntio ar wella cyfraddau bwydo ar y fron mewn lleoliadau mamolaeth a blynyddoedd cynnar.
I appreciate that you fully understand the importance of breastfeeding for the long-term health of both mother and baby from your previous answers, but we are starting from a low base, are we not, as 71 per cent of mothers in Wales initiate breastfeeding compared to 83 per cent in England. And we know that only 1 per cent of mothers breastfeed exclusively for six months in Wales. And I think what I wanted to explore with you now are really the social barriers to women breastfeeding, because it isn't just about ensuring that they have the best professional support; it is about ensuring that they get the support from their families and from the wider community.
I do recall vividly the research that was presented in the Assembly a couple of years ago from Cardiff University who'd done research in a Newport Communities First area about the resistance from both family members and also from the public when people were endeavouring to breastfeed in a cafe or a restaurant. And I am delighted to see that Newport has now got the Newport Breastfeeding Welcome premises scheme, which tackles this issue of ensuring that people understand that this is a perfectly normal activity. So, I wonder if you could tell us, since that was launched a year ago, what success it's had, if there's any sign of improvement in breastfeeding rates in Newport, and whether there are any plans to roll that scheme out across Wales so that we can ensure that all premises serving food are welcoming to breastfeeders.
O'ch atebion blaenorol, rwy'n derbyn eich bod yn llawn ddeall pwysigrwydd bwydo ar y fron i iechyd hirdymor y fam a'r babi, ond rydym yn dechrau o sylfaen isel, onid ydym, gan mai 71 y cant o famau yng Nghymru sy'n dechrau bwydo ar y fron o gymharu ag 83 y cant yn Lloegr. A gwyddom mai 1 y cant yn unig o famau sy'n bwydo ar y fron yn unig am chwe mis yng Nghymru. Ac rwy'n credu mai'r hyn roeddwn eisiau ei archwilio gyda chi yn awr yw'r ffactorau cymdeithasol sy'n rhwystro menywod rhag bwydo ar y fron, oherwydd nid yw'n ymwneud yn unig â sicrhau eu bod yn cael y cymorth proffesiynol gorau; mae'n ymwneud â sicrhau eu bod yn cael cymorth gan eu teuluoedd a'r gymuned ehangach.
Rwy'n cofio'n glir yr ymchwil a gyflwynwyd yn y Cynulliad rai blynyddoedd yn ôl gan Brifysgol Caerdydd a oedd wedi gwneud gwaith ymchwil mewn ardal Cymunedau yn Gyntaf yng Nghasnewydd, ynglŷn â gwrthwynebiad aelodau o'r teulu, yn ogystal â'r cyhoedd, pan oedd pobl yn ymdrechu i fwydo ar y fron mewn caffi neu fwyty. Ac rwy'n falch o weld bod Casnewydd bellach wedi sefydlu cynllun Croesawu Bwydo ar y Fron Casnewydd, sy'n mynd i'r afael â'r gwaith o sicrhau bod pobl yn deall bod hwn yn weithgaredd hollol normal. Felly, tybed a allech ddweud wrthym, ers i'r cynllun hwnnw gael ei lansio flwyddyn yn ôl, pa mor llwyddiannus y mae wedi bod, a oes unrhyw arwydd o welliant yn y cyfraddau bwydo ar y fron yng Nghasnewydd, ac a oes unrhyw gynlluniau i ymestyn y cynllun ledled Cymru fel y gallwn sicrhau bod pob safle sy'n gweini bwyd yn croesawu mamau sy'n bwydo ar y fron.
I couldn't tell you about the figures on outcomes from the Newport project, but I'll happily look at it. I realise that that's an issue that has been raised in the Chamber by our colleague Jayne Bryant. But I think that, in many ways, the most important term used there was about 'normal', and breastfeeding is normal and the challenge is that it has been denormalised in lots of situations. Now, that's part of our challenge, you're right, about parents, the wider family, friends, work and social settings, for this to be seen as exactly as it is: it's an entirely normal activity and one that we want to encourage and to renormalise in areas where it isn't. But, more than that, I'll have some more to say about the work we're doing within Government. I'm looking to publish some of our reports and recommendations that will come to me in May, June this year, but, on the specific point about Newport, I'll happily look at it and come back to update on if there are early findings that would help us in our work nationally.FootnoteLink
Ni allaf roi ffigurau i chi mewn perthynas â chanlyniadau prosiect Casnewydd, ond rwy'n hapus i edrych arno. Rwy'n sylweddoli bod hwnnw'n fater a godwyd yn y Siambr gan ein cyd-Aelod, Jayne Bryant. Ond mewn llawer o ffyrdd, credaf mai'r term pwysicaf a ddefnyddiwyd yno oedd 'normal', ac mae bwydo ar y fron yn normal a'r her yw ei fod wedi cael ei ddadnormaleiddio mewn llawer o sefyllfaoedd. Nawr, mae hynny'n rhan o'r her sy'n ein hwynebu, rydych yn iawn, i sicrhau bod rhieni, y teulu ehangach, ffrindiau, gwaith a lleoliadau cymdeithasol yn gweld hyn am yr hyn ydyw, sef gweithgaredd hollol normal ac un rydym eisiau ei annog a'i ailnormaleiddio mewn ardaloedd lle nad yw'n cael ei ystyried felly. Ond yn fwy na hynny, bydd gennyf fwy i'w ddweud am y gwaith rydym yn ei wneud o fewn y Llywodraeth. Rwy'n bwriadu cyhoeddi rhai o'n hadroddiadau a'n hargymhellion a ddaw i law ym mis Mai neu ym mis Mehefin eleni, ond ar y pwynt penodol am Gasnewydd, rwy'n hapus i edrych arno a dod yn ôl i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i chi os ceir canfyddiadau cynnar a fyddai o gymorth i ni gyda'n gwaith yn genedlaethol.FootnoteLink