Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
As we reach the end of the Senedd term, I would like to provide an update on Welsh Government’s work with, and support for, the community and town council sector.


Community and town councils are an integral part of local government; democratically accountable and working at the most local level to improve their communities. Never has this been more visible as during the response to the covid\-19 pandemic. As the pandemic began, community councils were on the front lines in their communities, particularly for those in vulnerable groups, and were invaluable for access to pharmacy deliveries, for instance. On behalf of all those who received help, I would like to note formally my thanks to the councils and volunteers for their support. 


In 2018, the Welsh Government commissioned a cross\-party review of the Community and Town Council Sector, which set a clear direction of travel for the sector, recommending a number of actions for both national government and the community council sector. In response we set out a number of key areas for action, to encourage and enable the sector to develop.


Since then, we have worked closely with community councils, One Voice Wales and the Society for Local Council Clerks to develop the capacity of councils to confidently deliver for their communities. Some of the highlights include:


* Providing funding for council clerks to undertake the sector specific CilCA (Certificate in Local Council Administration) qualification


* Providing increased funding to incentivise councillor training, with a particular emphasis on financial management and governance


* Funding clusters of community councils to establish joint delivery arrangements


* Publishing a digital media guide, with a factsheet on sources of funding available to community councils to follow shortly


* Legislating, through the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 to give eligible councils the General Power of Competence from next year, require them to prepare annual reports and consider their training needs.  The Act also made permanent the flexibility to hold virtual meetings.


Other work is still under way, such as the co\-development of a framework for councils to self\-assess their performance and identify areas for improvement, along with One Voice Wales, SLCC, and Audit Wales, and exploration of how to support digital transformation in the community and town council sector.


That said, there are a number of questions raised in the Review that required further thought, and the need to focus on the response to the pandemic has delayed giving them due consideration. For instance, there are a range of views on whether councillors should be able to sit on both community and principal councils, whether councillors should be co\-opted for a maximum of one term, or how best to define the place\-based roles that community councils could undertake. There are other questions that could be explored, such as whether clerks should be required to be qualified, and whether Ministers should have proportionate intervention powers. These actions require further development in the next Senedd Term, working with our partners to develop clear policy proposals, some of which may require further legislation. It is for the next Government to take these forward in line with their priorities.


I believe that the community council sector is an untapped resource in many areas of Wales. I hope that future governments and future community council leaders continue the focus on developing the sector to enable it to fulfil its potential.







Translation:


 
Wrth inni ddod at ddiwedd tymor y Senedd, dyma’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am waith Llywodraeth Cymru gyda’r sector cynghorau cymuned a thref, a sut yr ydym yn cefnogi’r sector hwnnw.


Mae cynghorau cymuned a thref yn rhan annatod o lywodraeth leol; maent yn atebol yn ddemocrataidd ac yn gweithio ar y lefel fwyaf lleol i wella eu cymunedau. Nid yw eu cyfraniad erioed wedi bod yn fwy amlwg nag y bu yn ystod yr ymateb i’r pandemig COVID\-19\. Wrth i’r pandemig ddechrau, daeth y cynghorau cymuned yn rhan o’r ymateb rheng flaen yn eu cymunedau, ac maent wedi cefnogi’r rheini mewn grwpiau agored i niwed, er enghraifft drwy ddarparu cymorth amhrisiadwy i helpu cleifion i gael gafael ar nwyddau neu gyffuriau o’u fferyllfeydd. Ar ran pawb a gafodd eu cynorthwyo ganddynt, hoffwn ddiolch yn ffurfiol i’r cynghorau a’r gwirfoddolwyr am eu holl gefnogaeth. 


Yn 2018, comisiynodd Llywodraeth Cymru adolygiad trawsbleidiol o’r sector cynghorau cymuned a thref, sy’n gosod cyfeiriad clir ar gyfer y sector, gan argymell nifer o gamau y gallai llywodraeth genedlaethol a’r sector eu cymryd. Mewn ymateb, rydym wedi nodi nifer o feysydd allweddol lle y dylid gweithredu, er mwyn annog a galluogi’r sector i ddatblygu.


Ers hynny, rydym wedi gweithio’n agos gyda chynghorau cymuned, Un Llais Cymru, a Chymdeithas Clercod Cynghorau Lleol i ddatblygu capasiti cynghorau er mwyn iddynt allu cyflawni eu gwaith yn hyderus er budd eu cymunedau. Mae’r uchafbwyntiau’n cynnwys y canlynol:


* Darparu cyllid i glercod cynghorau ar gyfer ennill cymhwyster y Dystysgrif mewn Gweinyddiaeth Cynghorau Lleol sy’n benodol ar gyfer y sector hwn


* Darparu mwy o gyllid i annog cynghorwyr i ddilyn hyfforddiant, gyda phwyslais penodol ar reoli ariannol a llywodraethu


* Ariannu clystyrau o gynghorau cymuned i sefydlu trefniadau cyflawni ar y cyd


* Cyhoeddi canllaw cyfryngau digidol, ac wedyn dalen ffeithiol ar ffynonellau cyllid sydd ar gael i gynghorau cymuned.


* Deddfu, drwy Ddeddf Llywodraeth Leol ac Etholiadau (Cymru) 2021, i roi’r pŵer cymhwysedd cyffredinol i gynghorau cymwys o’r flwyddyn nesaf, gan ei gwneud yn ofynnol iddynt baratoi adroddiadau blynyddol ac ystyried eu hanghenion hyfforddi.  Roedd y Ddeddf hefyd yn gwneud yr hyblygrwydd i gynnal rhith\-gyfarfodydd yn hyblygrwydd parhaol.


Mae gwaith arall yn dal i fynd rhagddo, megis y gwaith a wneir ar y cyd i ddatblygu fframwaith i gynghorau hunanasesu eu perfformiad a nodi meysydd ar gyfer gwella, ochr yn ochr ag Un Llais Cymru, Cymdeithas Clercod Cynghorau Lleol, a Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru, gan edrych ar sut y gellid cefnogi trawsnewid digidol yn y sector cynghorau cymuned a thref.


Wedi dweud hynny, mae nifer o gwestiynau’n cael eu codi yn yr adolygiad y mae angen eu hystyried ymhellach, ac mae’r angen i ganolbwyntio ar yr ymateb i’r pandemig wedi golygu na fu’n bosibl rhoi’r ystyriaeth briodol iddynt. Er enghraifft, mae gwahaniaeth barn o ran a ddylai cynghorwyr gael eistedd ar gyngor cymuned yn ogystal â phrif gyngor; ai am un tymor yn unig y dylid cyfethol cynghorwyr; beth fyddai’r ffordd orau o ddiffinio’r rolau hynny, sy’n seiliedig ar le, y gallai cynghorau cymuned ymgymryd â nhw. Hefyd, mae cwestiynau eraill y gellid ymchwilio iddynt, megis a ddylai fod yn ofynnol i glercod feddu ar y cymhwyster priodol, ac a ddylai Gweinidogion fod â phwerau ymyrryd cymesur. Mae angen datblygu’r camau gweithredu hyn ymhellach yn ystod tymor y Senedd nesaf, gan weithio gyda’n partneriaid i ddatblygu cynigion polisi clir, y gallai fod angen deddfwriaeth bellach ar gyfer rhai ohonynt. Mater i’r Llywodraeth nesaf fyddai symud ymlaen â’r rhain yn ôl ei blaenoriaethau.


Rwy’n credu bod y sector cynghorau cymuned yn adnodd nad yw’n cael ei ddefnyddio’n llawn ar hyn o bryd mewn llawer i ardal yng Nghymru. Rwy’n gobeithio y bydd llywodraethau ac arweinwyr cynghorau cymuned yn parhau i ganolbwyntio ar ddatblygu’r sector er mwyn i iddo allu gwireddu ei botensial yn llawn yn y dyfodol.