Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
I am pleased to publish a joint statement following my meeting with Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy John Swinney MSP and Northern Ireland’s Minister for Finance and Personnel Arlene Foster MLA. The statement that has been jointly agreed with the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive calls on the UK Government to clarify how certain measures announced in the Summer Budget will operate in the Devolved territories.


The statement also calls for early engagement from the UK Government on the implications of the Spending Review on the funding settlements for the Devolved Administrations. There was also joint agreement for the correct application of the Barnett formula to ensure that the Devolved Administrations are awarded their fair share of consequential funding from infrastructure investment in England, including that relating to HS2\.  


**JOINT STATEMENT**


John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and the Economy (Scotland); Jane Hutt AM, Minister for Finance and Government Business (Wales) and Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Finance and Personnel (Northern Ireland) met in Edinburgh today, Thursday 6 August, to discuss matters of common financial interest to the Devolved Administrations. The agenda included working with the UK Government on follow\-up to the Summer Budget and in the lead up to the Spending Review; constitutional developments; and investment in infrastructure.  


Summer Budget 2015


The Devolved Administrations have been disappointed by the lack of communication and engagement by the UK Government in respect of its recent fiscal announcements, particularly in respect of the in\-year cuts announced on 4 June as a result of the UK Government’s on\-going austerity plans and measures announced in the Chancellor’s Summer Budget on 8 July.  There was agreement that the cuts were too deep and too fast. There appeared to be neither advance notice nor consideration of the implications for the Devolved Administrations.  


While the Finance Ministers welcome the UK Government’s commitment to engaging on certain measures announced in the Summer Budget, such as the use of the Vehicle Excise Duty to fund road investment, they agreed that urgent clarification is required on how these initiatives will operate in the Devolved territories, including the proposed Apprenticeship Levy.


Spending Review 2015


The Devolved Administrations noted that the planned Spending Review outcome date of 25 November left very little time for setting of their own budgets before the beginning of 2016\-17, with potential negative consequences for delivery partners. They therefore called on the UK Government for as much early engagement as possible during the Spending Review process on the implications of likely funding settlements for the Devolved Administrations.


The Finance Ministers proposed that, as part of the Spending Review, the inter\-governmental fiscal arrangements should be updated. The Statement of Funding Policy was last updated in 2010, and significant policy changes have happened since then, including devolution of taxes and borrowing powers.


The Finance Ministers also noted that they would expect HM Treasury to apply the Barnett formula fairly, consistently and correctly, helping to ensure that the Devolved Administrations budgets receive their fair share of consequential funding from comparable spending in England. This should include infrastructure investment relating to HS2\.


For the Welsh Government, there will be the particular need to specify the funding floor mechanism that has been promised by the UK Government.  


Constitutional Issues


The Finance Ministers discussed a range of matters of common interest, including the scale and timing of proposed further fiscal devolution to Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland; and agreed to maintain regular contact at Ministerial and official level to share experience and ensure a consistent approach.


Sustainable Economic Growth


The Finance Ministers also discussed the importance of maintaining investment in vital infrastructure in the face of financial austerity, to maintain and develop economic capacity, productivity and living standards.  The Finance Ministers also discussed the growing pressures facing the agricultural sector.


Finance Ministers’ Quadrilateral


The last Finance Quadrilateral took place in November 2013 and the Finance Ministers agreed that it is important that another Quadrilateral takes place in advance of the UK Government’s Spending Review in November. The Devolved Administrations agreed to seek an early meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury with a view to discussing the matters arising in advance of the Spending Review.  


6 August 2015







Translation:


 
Rwyf yn falch o gyhoeddi datganiad ar y cyd yn dilyn fy nghyfarfod ag Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yr Alban dros Gyllid, y Cyfansoddiad a’r Economi John Swinney MSP a Gweinidog Gogledd Iwerddon dros Gyllid a Phersonél Arlene Foster MLA.   Mae’r datganiad y cytunwyd arno ar y cyd â Llywodraeth yr Alban a Gweithrediaeth Gogledd Iwerddon yn galw ar Lywodraeth y DU i egluro sut y bydd mesurau penodol a gyhoeddwyd yng Nghyllideb yr Haf yn gweithredu yn y Tiriogaethau Datganoledig.


Mae’r datganiad hefyd yn galw am ymgysylltiad cynnar gan Lywodraeth y DU ar oblygiadau’r Adolygiad o Wariant ar gyfer y Gweinyddiaethau Datganoledig. Cafwyd cytundeb ar y cyd hefyd ar gyfer cymhwyso fformiwla Barnett yn gywir er mwyn sicrhau bod y Gweinyddiaethau Datganoledig yn cael eu cyfran deg o gyllid canlyniadol oddi wrth fuddsoddiad mewn seilwaith yn Lloegr, gan gynnwys yr hyn sy’n ymwneud ag HS2\.  


**DATGANIAD AR Y CYD**


Heddiw, dydd Iau 6 Awst, cyfarfu John Swinney MSP, Dirprwy Brif Weinidog ac Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyllid, Cyfansoddiad a’r Economi (yr Alban), Jane Hutt AC, y Gweinidog Cyllid a Busnes y Llywodraeth (Cymru) ac Arlene Foster MLA, y Gweinidog Cyllid a Phersonél (Gogledd Iwerddon) yng Nghaeredin i drafod materion o fuddiant ariannol cyffredin i’r Gweinyddiaethau Datganoledig. Roedd yr agenda yn cynnwys datblygiadau cyfansoddiadol, buddsoddi mewn seilwaith a gweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU ar yr ymateb i Gyllideb yr Haf ac yn y cyfnod cyn yr Adolygiad o Wariant.  


Cyllideb yr Haf 2015


Mae’r Gweinyddiaethau Datganoledig yn siomedig ynghylch y diffyg cyfathrebu ac ymgysylltu gan Lywodraeth y DU ynghylch ei chyhoeddiadau cyllidol diweddar, yn enwedig mewn perthynas â’r toriadau yn ystod y flwyddyn a gyhoeddwyd ar 4 Mehefin o ganlyniad i gynlluniau cyni cyllidol parhaus Llywodraeth y DU a’r mesurau a gyhoeddwyd yng Nghyllideb Haf y Canghellor ar 8 Gorffennaf. Cytunwyd bod y toriadau’n rhy ddwfn ac yn rhy gyflym. Nid oedd yn ymddangos bod unrhyw rybudd ymlaen llaw nac ystyriaeth o’r goblygiadau i’r Gweinyddiaethau Datganoledig.  


Er bod y Gweinidogion Cyllid yn croesawu’r ymrwymiad gan Lywodraeth y DU i ymgysylltu ar fesurau penodol a gyhoeddwyd yng Nghyllideb yr Haf, fel defnyddio’r dreth gerbydau i fuddsoddi mewn ffyrdd, roeddent yn cytuno bod angen eglurhad ar frys ynghylch sut y bydd y mentrau hyn yn cael eu gweithredu yn y tiriogaethau Datganoledig, gan gynnwys yr Ardoll Prentisiaethau arfaethedig.


Yr Adolygiad o Wariant 2015


Nododd y Gweinyddiaethau Datganoledig nad oedd y dyddiad arfaethedig ar gyfer canlyniad yr Adolygiad o Wariant, sef 25 Tachwedd, yn rhoi llawer o amser iddynt osod eu cyllidebau eu hunain cyn dechrau 2016\-17, gyda sgil\-effeithiau negyddol posibl i bartneriaid darparu. Felly, galwyd ar Lywodraeth y DU i ymgysylltu mor gynnar â phosibl yn ystod proses yr Adolygiad o Wariant ar oblygiadau’r setliadau ariannu tebygol i’r Gweinyddiaethau Datganoledig.


Cynigiodd y Gweinidogion Cyllid, fel rhan o’r Adolygiad o Wariant, y dylid diweddaru’r trefniadau cyllidol rhynglywodraethol. Diweddarwyd y Datganiad Polisi Ariannu ddiwethaf yn 2010; mae newidiadau polisi sylweddol wedi bod ers hynny, gan gynnwys datganoli trethi a phwerau benthyca.


Nododd y Gweinidogion Cyllid hefyd y byddent yn disgwyl i Drysorlys EM gymhwyso fformiwla Barnett mewn ffordd deg, gyson a chywir, gan helpu i sicrhau bod cyllidebau’r Gweinyddiaethau Datganoledig yn cael eu cyfran deg o gyllid canlyniadol o wariant cymharol yn Lloegr. Dylai hyn gynnwys buddsoddi mewn seilwaith mewn perthynas â HS2\.


Yn achos Llywodraeth Cymru, bydd angen yn benodol i fanylu’r drefn cyllid gwaelodol a addawyd gan Lywodraeth y DU.  


Materion Cyfansoddiadol


Trafododd y Gweinidogion Cyllid nifer o faterion o gyd\-fuddiant, gan gynnwys graddfa ac amseru datganoli cyllidol pellach i Gymru, Gogledd Iwerddon a’r Alban, a chytunwyd i gadw mewn cysylltiad rheolaidd ar lefel Weinidogol a swyddogion i rannu profiadau a sicrhau dull gweithredu cyson.


Twf Economaidd Cynaliadwy


Hefyd, trafododd y Gweinidogion Cyllid bwysigrwydd cynnal buddsoddiad mewn seilwaith hanfodol yn wyneb toriadau ariannol, cynnal a datblygu capasiti economaidd, cynhyrchiant a safonau byw. Trafododd y Gweinidogion Cyllid y pwysau cynyddol ar y sector amaethyddol.


Cyfarfod Pedairochrog y Gweinidogion Cyllid


Cynhaliwyd y Cyfarfod Pedairochrog Cyllid diwethaf ym mis Tachwedd 2013 a chytunodd y Gweinidogion Cyllid ei bod yn bwysig cynnal Cyfarfod Pedairochrog arall cyn yr Adolygiad o Wariant Llywodraeth y DU ym mis Tachwedd. Cytunodd y Gweinyddiaethau Datganoledig i ofyn am gyfarfod cynnar gyda Phrif Ysgrifennydd y Trysorlys, gyda’r bwriad o drafod y materion sy’n codi cyn yr Adolygiad o Wariant.


**6 Awst 2015**