Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
Building Safety is a priority for this government.  I am as committed today as I have always been that leaseholders should not bear the cost of repairing fire safety issues that are not of their making.  I expect developers to step up to their responsibilities and am prepared to explore all options, including legislation, to ensure this happens.


Today, I am pleased to share an update on our progress.  In my Written Statement in October, I announced that eleven major developers had signed up to the Welsh Government’s Developers Pact.  This represents a public commitment they will address fire safety issues in buildings of 11 metres and over they have developed over the last 30 years. These developers are Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Lovell, McCarthy and Stone, Countryside, Vistry, Redrow, Crest Nicholson, St Modwen, Bellway and Barratt.


The Pact is underpinned by formal legal documentation.  I am pleased to confirm that this has been drafted and shared with the Home Builders Federation and we anticipate these developers will accept our terms shortly. 


I am also pleased to report a number of developers have started remediation works in advance of signing, such as Bellway and Persimmon Homes, as I saw today when I visited Century Wharf in Cardiff.


There remains the question of what will happen to those ‘orphan’ buildings where the developer has gone out of business or cannot be identified.


Together with Plaid Cymru, we are developing the second phase of our programme of work to address fire safety risks on residential buildings of 11 metres and over in height. This will set out the plan for supporting orphan buildings across Wales and help identify what is required to remediate all buildings as quickly and efficiently as possible.


We have agreed to an initial cohort of six orphan buildings to be remediated to test our approach and ensure that buildings are made as safe from fire risk as possible.  The work to identify this first cohort has started and I will make further announcements on the details of this first cohort of buildings in due course.


The route to accessing Welsh Government support will continue to be through our Welsh Building Safety Fund. This fund remains open for Responsible Persons to complete an Expression of Interest, which is the starting point for accessing support from the Welsh Government. I encourage all Responsible Persons to complete an Expression of Interest for their buildings as soon as possible.  In the first instance, the fund allows for surveys to take place at no cost to leaseholders, offering information about fire safety issues, and providing EWS1 forms for those buildings where the risk of fire is low. 


The survey work provides essential information and signposts where additional work is needed to address fire risk.  It is therefore essential that Managing Agents and Responsible Persons ensure our consultants are able to access buildings as quickly as possible to undertake these works, rather than have access delayed by those who should be acting in the best interest of their leaseholders, residents and tenants.


In some cases, access to undertake survey work is difficult because of the location of buildings and the need to seek Local Authority permissions to close walkways and roads when work is undertaken.  I would also like to encourage my colleagues in Local Authorities to ensure these licenses and permissions are granted as quickly as possible to minimise delays on this vital work.


Alongside the work to address fire safety issues, we also need to ensure that our building control regime is fit for purpose.  Together with Plaid Cymru, work is currently underway to implement the first phase of our design and construction transition plan bringing into force the legislative changes necessary to rectify identified problems within the current building control regimes.  This phase is bringing in more stringent regulation of the building control profession i.e. building control approvers, building control inspectors and local authorities exercising building control functions. This provision will also change who can advise on, and carry out, certain building control work, with the purpose of improving competence levels, transparency and accountability in the building control profession. This is to make sure that only individuals who have demonstrated the relevant competence are advising decision\-makers before important building control decisions are taken.


The key changes we will be making are:


* The creation of registers for all Building Control Inspectors and Building Control Approvers
* All Building Control Inspectors must be registered and meet competence criteria to be able to provide advice to Local Authorities or private building control bodies
* Private building control bodies, currently known as Approved inspectors must register, as building control approvers, to continue to undertake building control work on non\-Higher risk Buildings.
* Only Local Authority Building Control will be able to be the building control authority for buildings meeting the criteria for Higher\-risk Buildings.


Transitional arrangements are being developed and will be part of the next set of consultations. Please be aware that we are likely to be opening up the registration process in October this year with a view of moving to the new regime from April 2024\.


Despite the positive moves made by developers, and other progress, I appreciate that these works will not come soon enough for some leaseholders who face financial hardship as a result of fire safety issues in their homes.  In June last year I launched the Leaseholder Support Scheme with a commitment that I would continue to review the eligibility criteria to ensure those in greatest need would benefit from the scheme. 


The recent cost of living crisis has created an untenable situation for many, and I am determined that the support offered through the Leaseholder Support Scheme takes into account these issues.  As was the case previously, the scheme provides access to free independent financial advice for relevant leaseholders and, if it is right for the household and the eligibility criteria are satisfied, the option for them to sell their property and either rent back their home or move on.


Following the completion of a review I have instructed officials to amend the eligibility criteria of the scheme in two fundamental ways.  


The first is to amend the assessment of financial hardship to take into account the rising cost of energy.  This is vital as it will increase recognition of those in significant financial hardship as a result of the recent increases to the energy price cap and will allow more people to access the scheme.


The second fundamental change is to remove the Displaced Residents clause. Previously, to be eligible for the scheme, leaseholders had to either be residents, or be residents forced from their property due to changing circumstances.  By removing this criterion, the scheme is now opened to leaseholders who have purchased properties as an investment, such as pensioners, or those who have received the leasehold through an inheritance. 


The support offered by this scheme will help more leaseholders in financial hardship receive the support they need.


Ultimately, the best and right solution to help leaseholders and residents of medium and high\-rise buildings (those of 11 metres and more) is to address fire safety defects. This brings a significant challenge in assessing what the right solutions are and what standard of works are needed to both address life critical fire safety issues and the requirements of lenders and insurers.


In January last year a new documented code of practice was developed and launched by the British Standards Institution (PAS 9980:2022\). The document sets out a methodology for professionals to undertake Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls.  I will be testing this through the establishment of a task and finish group of sector financial and technical experts to ensure we provide safe homes which can be affordably insured and confidently used as a financial asset.  This continues and extends our work with the finance sector on matters of fire safety.


We know that properties affected by fire safety issues have struggled to obtain mortgages, but we are making significant progress towards addressing this issue and giving the finance sector assurances they require.


At present, lenders operate on a case\-by\-case basis in Wales, and we are working closely with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and UK Finance Ltd to ensure the recent announcement for England, which confirmed six lenders who were prepared to offer mortgages on buildings affected by fire risk, will similarly be considered on properties in Wales of 11 metres and over, which are covered by our agreements with developers and the Welsh Building Safety Fund.


We have also recently launched a Building Safety Strategic Stakeholder Group. The Building Safety Stakeholder Group will act as a strategic, independent advisory group for Welsh Government on matters relating to, and under the jurisdiction of, the Welsh Building Safety Programme.


Stakeholder engagement is at the core of my approach to ensure our policy development for building safety is informed, effective, robust and based on clear evidence. Obtaining the expert views, leaseholder perspective, advice and support of our stakeholders is critical to the successful delivery of our Building Safety Programme.  We have also issued invitations to expand the leaseholder representation in the Group, to ensure we capture their views and lived experience on this matter.


I am therefore very pleased that following the first recent meeting positive and valuable discussions were made. I look forward to future meetings to obtain the expert views, advice and support from our stakeholders which is critical to the successful delivery of our Building Safety Programme.







Translation:


 
Mae Diogelwch Adeiladau yn flaenoriaeth i’r llywodraeth hon, ac mae fy ymrwymiad mor fawr nawr ag y bu erioed na ddylai lesddeiliaid orfod ysgwyddo cost problemau diogelwch tân nad oeddynt ar fai amdanynt. Rwy’n disgwyl i ddatblygwyr ysgwyddo’u cyfrifoldebau a byddaf yn barod i ystyried unrhyw drywydd, gan gynnwys deddfwriaeth, i wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn gwneud. 


Heddiw, mae’n bleser gen i rannu â chi’r hyn rydym wedi’i wneud hyd yma. Yn fy Natganiad Ysgrifenedig ym mis Hydref, cyhoeddais fod un ar ddeg o ddatblygwyr blaenllaw wedi ymuno â Chytundeb Datblygwyr Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae hyn yn ymrwymiad cyhoeddus ganddynt i ddelio â phroblemau diogelwch tân mewn adeiladau 11 metr o uchder a mwy y maent wedi’u datblygu yn y 30 mlynedd diwethaf. Y datblygwyr hyn yw Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Lovell, McCarthy and Stone, Countryside, Vistry, Redrow, Crest Nicholson, St Modwen, Bellway a Barratt.


Mae dogfennau cyfreithiol ffurfiol yn sail i’r Cytundeb ac mae’n dda gen i gadarnhau eu bod wedi’u llunio a’u rhannu â’r Ffederasiwn Adeiladwyr Cartrefi. Rydym yn disgwyl i’r datblygwyr hyn dderbyn ein telerau cyn hir.


Mae dda gen i ddweud hefyd bod nifer o’r datblygwyr, gan gynnwys Bellway a Persimmon Homes, wedi dechrau ar waith unioni eisoes, cyn llofnodi’r Cytundeb. Gwelais hynny heddiw pam ymwelais â Century Wharf yng Nghaerdydd.


Ond dal heb ei ateb mae’r cwestiwn beth sy’n digwydd i’r adeiladau ‘di\-riant’ hynny gafodd eu datblygu gan ddatblygwyr sydd wedi gorffen masnachu neu na wyddom pwy ydyn nhw. 


Law yn llaw â Phlaid Cymru, rydym yn datblygu ail gam ein rhaglen o waith i leihau’r perygl o dân mewn adeiladau preswyl 11 metr ac uwch. Bydd hyn yn pennu’r cynllun ar gyfer cynnig help i adeiladau di\-riant ledled Cymru ac yn nodi’r hyn sydd ei angen i unioni’r holl adeiladau mor gyflym ac effeithlon â phosibl. 


Rydym wedi cytuno bod grŵp cychwynnol o chwe adeilad di\-riant yn cael eu hunioni i brofi’n gwaith a sicrhau bod yr adeiladau’n cael eu gwneud mor ddiogel â phosibl rhag y perygl o dân. Mae’r gwaith wedi dechrau i nodi’r grŵp a byddaf yn cyhoeddi manylion yr adeiladau maes o law.


O Gronfa Diogelwch Adeiladau Cymru y daw cefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru o hyd. Mae cyfle o hyd i Bersonau Cyfrifol ddatgan diddordeb, sef y cam cyntaf ar gyfer gofyn am gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru. Rwy’n pwyso ar bob Person Cyfrifol i wneud Datganiad o Diddordeb ar gyfer yr adeiladau hyn cyn gynted ag y medrir.  Yn y lle cyntaf, bydd y gronfa’n talu am arolygon heb gost i’r lesddeiliaid, gan ddarparu gwybodaeth am broblemau diogelwch tân a ffurflenni EWS1 i’r adeiladau hynny lle mae’r risg o dân yn fach.


Bydd yr arolygon yn esgor ar wybodaeth hanfodol ac yn dangos pa waith ychwanegol sydd ei angen i leihau’r risg o dân.  Mae’n bwysig iawn felly bod Asiantwyr Rheoli a Phersonau Cyfrifol yn gofalu bod ein hymgynghorwyr yn gallu mynd i’r adeiladau cyn gynted â phosibl i wneud y gwaith hwn. Hynny, rhag i’r rheini ddylai fod yn gweithredu er lles eu lesddeiliaid, eu trigolion a’u tenantiaid osgoi caniatáu mynediad.


Ambell waith, mae’n anodd cael mynediad i adeiladau i gynnal yr arolygon oherwydd lleoliad yr adeiladau ac am fod angen cael caniatâd yr Awdurdod Lleol i gau palmentydd a ffyrdd ar gyfer gwneud y gwaith. Hoffwn annog Awdurdodau Lleol i roi’r trwyddedau a’r caniatadau hyn cyn gynted ag y medrant rhag arafu’r gwaith hanfodol hwn.


Yn ogystal â mynd i’r afael â’u diogelu rhag tanau, rhaid sicrhau hefyd fod ein system rheoli adeiladau yn ateb y gofyn.  Gyda Phlaid Cymru, mae gwaith yn mynd rhagddo i roi cam cyntaf ein cynllun pontio dylunio ac adeiladu ar waith.  Bydd hynny’n cyflwyno’r newidiadau deddfwriaethol sydd eu hangen i unioni problemau sydd wedi’u gweld yn y systemau rheoli adeiladu presennol gan dynhau’r rheoleiddio ar y proffesiwn rheoli adeiladu h.y. cymeradwywyr rheoli adeiladu, arolygwyr rheoli adeiladu ac awdurdodau lleol sydd â chyfrifoldebau am reoli adeiladu. Bydd yn newid hefyd pwy sy’n cael ein cynghori ar waith rheoli adeiladu penodol ac yn cynnal y gwaith rheoli hwnnw. Pwrpas hynny fyddai gwella lefelau gallu, tryloywder ac atebolrwydd y proffesiwn rheoli adeiladu gan sicrhau mai dim ond pobl sydd â’r cymwyseddau perthnasol fydd yn cael cynghori penderfynwyr cyn bod penderfyniadau mawr ar reoli adeiladu’n cael eu gwneud.


Dyma’r prif newidiadau y byddwn yn eu gwneud:


* Creu cofrestrau o Arolygwyr Rheoli Adeiladu a Chymeradwywyr Rheoli Adeiladu
* Rhaid i bob Arolygydd Rheoli Adeiladu fod wedi’i gofrestru a meddu ar gymwyseddau cyn cael rhoi cyngor i Awdurdodau Lleol neu gyrff rheoli adeiladu preifat
* Rhaid i gyrff rheoli adeiladu preifat, neu’r Arolygwyr Cymeradwy fel y’u gelwir, gofrestru fel cymeradwywyr rheoli adeiladu er mwyn cael parhau i wneud gwaith rheoli adeiladu ar Adeiladau nad ydynt o risg uwch
* Dim ond arolygwyr Rheoli Adeiladu’r Awdurdod Lleol fydd yn cael bod yr awdurdod rheoli adeiladu ar adeiladau sy’n ateb meini prawf Adeiladau Risg Uwch.


Mae trefniadau pontio’n cael eu datblygu a byddant yn rhan o’r set nesaf o ymgynghoriadau. Bydded hysbys y byddwn yn debygol o agor y broses gofrestru ym mis Hydref eleni gyda golwg ar symud i’r drefn newydd o fis Ebrill 2024\.


Er gwaethaf camau positif gan ddatblygwyr ac eraill, rwy’n gwerthfawrogi nad yw pethau’n symud yn ddigon cyflym i lesddeiliaid sy’n wynebu caledi ariannol oherwydd y diffygion diogelwch tân yn eu cartrefi.  Ym mis Mehefin llynedd, lansiais y Cynllun Cymorth i Lesddeiliaid gan ymrwymo y byddwn yn parhau i adolygu amodau’r Cynllun i sicrhau mai’r rheini sydd â’r angen mwyaf fyddai’n elwa arno. 


Mae’r argyfwng costau byw wedi creu sefyllfa amhosibl i lawer, ac rwyf am wneud yn siŵr bod y cymorth a gynigir trwy’r Cynllun Cymorth i Lesddeiliaid yn ystyried eu sefyllfa.  Fel o’r blaen, mae’r cynllun yn cynnig cyngor ariannol annibynnol am ddim i’r lesddeiliaid perthnasol, a chyn belled â’u bod yn bodloni’r amodau ac mai dyna’r trywydd iawn iddynt fel aelwyd, cynigir opsiwn iddynt i werthu’u heiddo ac i naill ai ei rentu neu i symud i le arall.


A’r adolygiad bellach wedi’i gwblhau, rwyf wedi gofyn i fy swyddogion newid amodau cymhwysedd y cynllun mewn dwy ffordd sylfaenol.


Y newid cyntaf yw newid yr asesiad o galedi ariannol fel ei fod yn ystyried y cynnydd yng nghost ynni.  Mae hyn yn hollbwysig i roi mwy o gydnabyddiaeth i’r rheini sy’n wynebu caledi ariannol sylweddol oherwydd y cynnydd diweddar yn y cap ar brisiau ynni a bydd yn caniatáu i fwy o bobl fanteisio ar y cynllun.


Yr ail newid yw dileu’r cymal ynghylch Trigolion sydd wedi’u Dadleoli.  O’r blaen, er mwyn cael bod yn gymwys i’r cynllun, roedd lesddeiliaid naill ai’n gorfod bod yn drigolion neu’n drigolion oedd wedi gorfod gadael yr eiddo am i’w hamgylchiadau newid. Trwy ddileu’r amod hwn, mae’r cynllun bellach yn agored i lesddeiliaid sydd wedi prynu’r eiddo fel buddsoddiad, fel pensiynwyr, neu sydd wedi etifeddu’r les.


Bydd y cynllun yn helpu mwy o lesddeiliaid sy’n dioddef caledi ariannol i gael help trwyddo.


Yn y pen draw, y ffordd orau a phriodol o helpu lesddeiliaid a thrigolion adeiladau canolig ac uchel (y rhai 11 metr ac uwch) yw trwy unioni’r diffygion diogelwch tân. Mae hynny’n creu her fawr o ran asesu beth yw’r atebion iawn a pha safonau gwaith sydd eu hangen i fynd i’r afael â’r diffygion tân sy’n peryglu bywyd ac ateb gofynion benthycwyr ac yswirwyr.


Ym mis Ionawr llynedd, cafodd cod ymarfer newydd ei ddatblygu a’i lansio gan y Sefydliad Safonau Prydeinig (PAS 9980:2022\). Esboniai sut y dylid cynnal Arfarniad o’r Perygl o Dân a achosir gan Waliau Allanol. Byddaf yn cloriannu’r cod trwy sefydlu grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen o arbenigwyr o’r sectorau cyllid a thechnegol er mwyn sicrhau’n bod yn darparu cartrefi diogel y gellid fforddio eu hyswirio a’u defnyddio â hyder fel ased ariannol. Mae hyn yn parhau ac yn estyn ein gwaith gyda’r sector cyllid ar faterion diogelwch tân.


Rydym yn gwybod ei bod wedi bod yn anodd cael morgais ar gyfer eiddo sydd â diffygion o ran diogelwch tân ond mae gwaith mawr yn mynd rhagddo i ddatrys y broblem hon a rhoi’r sicrwydd sydd ei angen i’r sector cyllid.


Ar hyn o bryd, yng Nghymru, mae benthycwyr yn ystyried pob achos yn unigol ac rydym yn cydweithio’n glos â Sefydliad Brenhinol y Syrfewyr Siartredig ac UK Finance Ltd i sicrhau bod y cyhoeddiad diweddar ar gyfer Lloegr a gadarnhaodd bod chwe benthyciwr yn barod i gynnig morgeisi ar adeiladau sydd â phroblem diogelwch tân yn cael ei ystyried hefyd ar gyfer eiddo 11 metr ac uwch yng Nghymru sy’n destun ein cytundeb â datblygwyr a Chronfa Diogelwch Adeiladau Cymru.


Rydym hefyd newydd lansio Grŵp Rhanddeiliaid Strategol Diogelwch Adeiladau. Bydd yn grŵp cynghori strategol i Lywodraeth Cymru ar faterion sy’n gysylltiedig â Rhaglen Diogelwch Adeiladau Cymru ac yn dod oddi tani.


Mae trafod â rhanddeiliaid yn greiddiol i sicrhau bod y polisi rydym yn ei ddatblygu i ddiogelu adeiladau yn effeithiol, yn gadarn ac yn seiliedig ar dystiolaeth glir. Mae clywed barn arbenigwyr, persbectif lesddeiliaid a chyngor a chefnogaeth ein rhanddeiliaid yn hanfodol i lwyddiant ein Rhaglen Diogelwch Adeiladau. Rydym wedi estyn gwahoddiadau hefyd er mwyn cynyddu cynrychiolaeth lesddeiliaid ar y Grŵp, i sicrhau’n bod yn clywed barn a phrofiadau byw ar y mater.


Rwy’n falch iawn felly yn dilyn y cyfarfod cyntaf diweddar bod trafodaethau adeiladol a gwerthfawr wedi’u cynnal.  Rwy’n disgwyl ymlaen at y cyfarfodydd nesaf i glywed barn arbenigwyr a chyngor a chefnogaeth ein rhanddeiliaid sy’n hanfodol i gynnal ein Rhaglen Diogelwch Adeiladau yn llwyddiannus.