Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
Community and town councils are democratically elected and operate at the most local level of democracy. I wish to provide an update on two key strands of work to support and develop the community and town council sector to play their role effectively.


The first key strand is about our shared interest in securing a healthy democracy at every level of government. My officials have completed their analysis of May’s community and town council elections, and the data raises serious concerns around the level of engagement between communities and their councils. At May’s elections, only 22% of the 7,883 seats were contested. 62% of seats were uncontested – meaning that no election was held – and 16% of seats were unfilled, to be filled through further election or by co\-option.


In my Written Statement on this topic in July 2022, I referred to two key issues. The first was ensuring that people have a genuine choice as to who represents and serves them. The second was about ensuring that people feel being part of this level of democracy is a way of effecting change, and therefore want to put themselves forward for election. The updated election results confirmed that these issues require urgent attention. I want to update members of progress.


My officials have been working with One Voice Wales to put in place a Democratic Health Task and Finish group to explore the causes of lower engagement and participation with some community and town councils, learn from the success in others, and suggest options for action to consistently improve engagement and participation.


I am pleased to announce that we have agreed the terms of reference and membership of the group. Their core aims will be to identify options for actions for community and town councils, sector representative bodies and government to:


* Improve awareness and engagement between communities and their community councils, and
* Increase the number, and diversity, of candidates standing for election to community and town councils.


This group will join up with related ongoing work on electoral reform and improving diversity in democracy. I would like them to work at pace and report within nine months of commencement.


I am pleased that Shereen Williams, Chief Executive of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales has agreed to chair this important work. The other members will be:


* + *Cllr Mike Theodoulou* – Chair of One Voice Wales
	+ *Dr Leah Hibbs –* Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University
	+ *Sue Leonard* \- Chief Officer at the Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services, the county voluntary council for Pembrokeshire.
	+ *Sue Husband* – Director, Business in the Community Cymru
	+ *Tilley Rees* – Student, University of Wales Trinity Saint David


They will bring a broad range of experience and expertise, and introduce new thinking, to the challenge of improving the democratic health of community councils.


Finally, I have asked One Voice Wales to support the community council sector to consider how they can help their communities during the ongoing cost of living crisis. Community councils can operate at street level, knowing the most vulnerable people in their area, and are well placed to support them. This support would complement existing national and local authority support.  I have made up to £150,000 per year available, for the next three years, to One Voice Wales to support councils in this work. 


I am delighted to be working closely with One Voice Wales and other sector partners in taking forward these strands of work.







Translation:


 
Mae cynghorau cymuned a thref yn cael eu hethol yn ddemocrataidd ac yn gweithredu ar lefel fwyaf lleol democratiaeth. Hoffwn roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am dair rhan allweddol o’r gwaith o gefnogi a datblygu’r sector cyngor cymuned a thref i gyflawni eu rolau’n effeithiol.


Mae’r rhan allweddol gyntaf yn ymwneud â’n diddordeb cyffredin mewn diogelu democratiaeth iach ar bob lefel o lywodraeth. Mae fy swyddogion wedi gorffen eu dadansoddiad o etholiadau’r cynghorau cymuned a thref ym mis Mai, ac mae’r data’n codi pryderon difrifol ynghylch y lefel o ymgysylltu rhwng cymunedau a’u cynghorau. Yn etholiadau mis Mai, dim ond 22% o’r 7,883 o seddi oedd â chystadleuaeth. Roedd 62% o’r seddi’n rhai diymgeisydd – sy’n golygu na chynhaliwyd etholiad – ac roedd 16% o’r seddi heb eu llenwi, a chânt eu llenwi drwy etholiad ychwanegol neu drwy gyfethol.


Yn fy Natganiad Ysgrifenedig ar y pwnc hwn ym mis Gorffennaf 2022, cyfeiriais at ddau fater allweddol. Y cyntaf oedd sicrhau bod gan bobl ddewis gwirioneddol o ran pwy sy’n eu cynrychioli a’u gwasanaethu. Roedd yr ail yn ymwneud â sicrhau bod pobl yn teimlo bod cymryd rhan ar y lefel hon o ddemocratiaeth yn ffordd o gyflawni newid, ac felly eu bod yn dymuno sefyll i gael eu hethol. Cadarnhaodd canlyniadau diweddaraf yr etholiad fod angen rhoi sylw brys i’r materion hyn. Hoffwn roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i aelodau am y cynnydd.


Mae fy swyddogion wedi bod yn gweithio gydag Un Llais Cymru i roi grŵp Gorchwyl a Gorffen Iechyd Democrataidd ar waith er mwyn ymchwilio i’r hyn sydd wedi achosi i gymunedau ymgysylltu’n llai â rhai cynghorau cymuned a thref. Bydd yn dysgu o lwyddiannau cynghorau eraill ac yn awgrymu opsiynau am gamau gweithredu i wella ymgysylltu a chyfranogiad yn gyson.


Rwy’n falch o gyhoeddi ein bod wedi cytuno ar gylch gorchwyl ac aelodaeth y grŵp. Eu nodau craidd fydd nodi opsiynau am gamau gweithredu er mwyn i gynghorau cymuned a thref, cyrff sy’n cynrychioli’r sector, a’r llywodraeth, wneud y canlynol:


* Codi ymwybyddiaeth a gwella ymgysylltiad rhwng cymunedau a’u cynghorau cymuned
* Cynyddu nifer, ac amrywiaeth, yr ymgeiswyr sy’n sefyll i gael eu hethol ar gyfer cynghorau cymuned a thref.


Bydd y grŵp hwn yn ymuno â’r gwaith cysylltiedig parhaus ym maes diwygio etholiadol a gwella amrywiaeth mewn democratiaeth. Hoffwn iddynt weithio’n gyflym ac adrodd yn ôl o fewn naw mis iddynt ddechrau.


Rwy’n falch bod Shereen Williams, Prif Weithredwr Comisiwn Ffiniau a Democratiaeth Leol Cymru, wedi cytuno i gadeirio’r gwaith pwysig hwn. Yr aelodau eraill fydd:


* + *Cynghorydd Mike Theodoulou* – Cadeirydd Un Llais Cymru
	+ *Dr Leah Hibbs –* Darlithydd, Ysgol y Gwyddorau Cymdeithasol, Prifysgol Caerdydd
	+ *Sue Leonard* – Prif Swyddog yng Nghymdeithas Gwasanaethau Gwirfoddol Sir Benfro, y cyngor gwirfoddol sirol ar gyfer Sir Benfro.
	+ *Sue Husband* – Cyfarwyddwr, Busnes yn y Gymuned Cymru
	+ *Tilley Rees* – Myfyriwr, Prifysgol Cymru y Drindod Dewi Sant


Byddant yn cynnig ystod eang o brofiadau ac arbenigedd, gan gyflwyno ffordd newydd o feddwl, wrth wynebu’r her o wella iechyd democrataidd cynghorau cymuned.


Yn olaf, rwyf wedi gofyn i Un Llais Cymru gefnogi’r sector cyngor cymuned gan ystyried sut y gallant helpu eu cymunedau yn ystod yr argyfwng costau byw parhaus. Gall cynghorau cymuned weithredu ar lawr gwlad, gan adnabod y bobl fwyaf agored i niwed yn eu hardaloedd, ac maen nhw mewn sefyllfa dda i’w cefnogi. Byddai'r gefnogaeth hon yn ategu cefnogaeth bresennol awdurdodau cenedlaethol a lleol. Rwyf wedi sicrhau bod hyd at £150,000 y flwyddyn ar gael i Un Llais Cymru, am y tair blynedd nesaf, er mwyn cefnogi cynghorau gyda’r gwaith hwn.


Rwy’n falch iawn o weithio’n agos gydag Un Llais Cymru, a phartneriaid eraill yn y sector, wrth ddatblygu rhannau hyn y gwaith.