English: Well, the key thing is that we benefit economically and socially from that connection whilst clearly spreading that prosperity all the way to Holyhead. The WLGA's north Wales co-ordinator told me in committee, 'it's not just about people who are out of work, but there's also the issue of low wages, and then there's also the issue about being able to move to more, higher paid work'. The north Wales business council chair told me: 'We have to do everything we can to robustly package our economy in the region, including that with cross-border partners, and we've got to be doing it now.' To allow for working on an equal footing with areas across the border from north Wales, they also called for devolution of resources and powers at a regional level. The north Wales growth deal's lead chief executive, Flintshire's chief executive, told me: 'There are some areas of fundingif the controls were loosened and they were devolved to north Wales with some agreement of objectives with the Welsh Government, we could make more traction with that money.' And the North Wales Economic Ambition Board stated: 'Devolution of functions to north Wales that matches that of neighbouring English regions is a defensive necessity and a desirable enabler of growth.' Their vision aims to create 120,000 jobs and boost the local economy to £20 billion by 2035. Yesterday, I asked the Cabinet Secretary to respond to the north Wales growth deal bid's invitation to the Welsh Government to support the formation of a regional transport body with powers delegated to the body from local authorities and the Welsh Government to allow it to operate in an executive capacity and with a fund of £150 million over 10 years, including the Welsh Government's existing £50 million for the north Wales metro commitment. His potentially concerning response was instead: 'We've already established the north Wales and north-east Wales metro steering group'. Will he therefore have the courage to devolve the powers that north Wales is calling for, or could the Cardiff command-control mechanism compromise the whole project?
Welsh: Wel, y peth allweddol yw ein bod yn elwa'n economaidd ac yn gymdeithasol ar y cysylltiad gan ledaenu'r ffyniant hwnnw'n amlwg yr holl ffordd i Gaergybi. Dywedodd cydlynydd gogledd Cymru Cymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru wrthyf yn y pwyllgor, Mae'n ymwneud â mwy na phobl sy'n ddi-waith, mae hefyd yn ymwneud â mater cyflogau isel, a'r gallu hefyd i symud at fwy o waith sy'n talu'n well. Dywedodd cadeirydd cyngor busnes gogledd Cymru wrthyf: Rhaid inni wneud popeth a allwn i becynnu ein heconomi yn y rhanbarth yn gadarn, gan gynnwys gyda phartneriaid trawsffiniol, a rhaid inni ei wneud yn awr. Er mwyn caniatáu ar gyfer gweithio ar sail gyfartal gydag ardaloedd ar draws y ffin o ogledd Cymru, roeddent hefyd yn galw am ddatganoli adnoddau a phwerau ar lefel ranbarthol. Dywedodd prif weithredwr arweiniol bargen dwf gogledd Cymru, Prif Weithredwr Sir y Fflint: Ceir rhai meysydd cyllid pe bai'r mesurau rheoli'n cael eu llacio a'u bod yn cael eu datganoli i ogledd Cymru gyda chytundeb ynghylch rhai o'r amcanion gyda Llywodraeth Cymru, gallem greu mwy o atyniad gyda'r arian hwnnw. A nododd Bwrdd Uchelgais Economaidd Gogledd Cymru: Mae datganoli swyddogaethau i ogledd Cymru sy'n cyfateb i'r hyn a geir yn y rhanbarthau cyfagos yn Lloegr yn anghenraid amddiffynnol ac yn elfen a ddymunir ar gyfer hwyluso twf. Eu gweledigaeth yw creu 120,000 o swyddi a chynyddu'r economi leol i £20 biliwn erbyn 2035. Ddoe, gofynnais i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ymateb i wahoddiad cais bargen dwf gogledd Cymru i Lywodraeth Cymru gefnogi ffurfio corff trafnidiaeth rhanbarthol gyda phwerau wedi'u dirprwyo i'r corff gan awdurdodau lleol a Llywodraeth Cymru i ganiatáu iddo weithredu mewn cymhwyster gweithredol a gyda chronfa o £150 miliwn dros 10 mlynedd, gan gynnwys £50 miliwn presennol Llywodraeth Cymru i ymrwymiad metro gogledd Cymru. Yn lle hynny, roedd ei ymateb yn un a allai beri pryder, sef: Rydym eisoes wedi sefydlu grŵp llywio metro gogledd Cymru a gogledd-ddwyrain Cymru. A fydd yn ddigon dewr felly i ddatganoli'r pwerau y mae gogledd Cymru yn galw amdanynt, neu a allai mecanwaith gorchymyn a rheoli Caerdydd beryglu'r prosiect cyfan?