English: A few comments on dissolution, first of all, which is intended to give fairness to all candidates to ensure that public resources can't be abused. It's a mechanism too to ensure fairness and balance between the Government of the day and the opposition parties through the purdah convention, and the aim, of course, is to ensure the integrity of the election. It has to be there. The risk of losing it because of the pandemic was a cause for concern, I have to say. I do understand that the Business Committee has agreed in principle that there will be a pre-dissolution period that will be similar to a conventional dissolution but which will also provide flexibility to recall the Senedd for reasons related to the pandemic. That goes some of the way in allaying fears. I understand that the Government has proposed how activity could be reduced - stopping written questions, for example, and thereby not favouring current Members - but we haven't seen the guidance on the implications of that pre-dissolution period on Government activity. I understand that such guidance was published as early as December 2015 for the 2016 election under normal arrangements. We need that clarity on the guidance that will relate to the Senedd and the Government in order to deal with this Bill appropriately. I'm going to make a few comments on the need to ensure that public health and democratic health are part of the equation in the decisions facing us. As I said last week, the challenge we face is looking at that big picture and balancing the various risks. The process of allowing an individual to cast a vote safely and the process of counting those votes safely are crucially important, but just as important is the need to allow meaningful debate with the people of Wales as they elect a government for the next five years. The risk to the integrity of the election of holding that election without having had that meaningful engagement and debate for me is still missing in looking at the explanatory memorandum. We are hardly any the wiser in terms of distributing leaflets and other campaign materials. Is it only through the Royal Mail that one can distribute leaflets at present? Will it be possible to pay other individuals or agencies to do that? We need to look at how distributing leaflets for profit is acceptable but voluntary distribution is not allowed. There is some information for political parties on campaign methods in the Government's alert level 4 FAQs section. We encourage political parties, candidates and campaigners to consider the full range of campaigning methods, including social media, to provide information to voters. I'm afraid that this is entirely inadequate and misses the fundamental point that I and others have raised, which is that not everyone uses social media and not every candidate will be wealthy enough to pay to distribute that information. So, when will there be comprehensive guidance available to political parties showing clearly what they can do under each of the alert levels in the Welsh Government's COVID plan? Finally, Llywydd, I turn to the need for clarity on the timetable for decision making and the need for regular updates on the status of the election. In terms of the timetable for decisions, should we need to postpone the election, then I do think that the suggestion of seven days before polling day is very tight indeed. It's not clear that the Government's powers could be used as late as 3 May, the week of the election itself. Many people would have already cast their vote through the post, so what would happen to their vote? As it's not clear what the conditions or the public health threshold used in deciding whether it is safe to hold an election or not is and that the Bill as it's currently drafted provides for postponement very late in the day, we will consider an amendment at Stage 2, to make it a requirement for Welsh Ministers to provide regular updates to us on the status of the preparations for the elections and the ability to hold that election safely to run along with the three-weekly reviews of the COVID regulations. I think that's a minimum requirement. I wonder what the scientific advice on allowing the election to proceed would be if it were to be held tomorrow, for example. Many questions to be asked and the timetable is very tight, and we do need clarity as a matter of urgency from the Government on many of these issues.
Welsh: Ychydig o sylwadau am y cyfnod diddymu yn gyntaf, y cyfnod sydd yno i roi tegwch i bob ymgeisydd sicrhau bod adnoddau cyhoeddus ddim yn gallu cael eu camddefnyddio. Mae o'n fecanwaith hefyd i sicrhau tegwch a chydbwysedd rhwng Llywodraeth y dydd a'r gwrthbleidiau drwy'r confensiwn purdah a'r nod, wrth gwrs, ydy sicrhau integriti'r etholiad. Mae'n rhaid ei gael o. Mi oedd y peryg o golli hwnnw oherwydd amgylchiadau'r pandemig yn gyfan gwbl yn achos pryder mae'n rhaid dweud. Dwi'n deall bod y Pwyllgor Busnes wedi cytuno mewn egwyddor y bydd yna gyfnod cyn diddymu, pre-dissolution, rŵan a fydd yn debyg i gyfnod diddymu ond, ar yr un pryd, yn rhoi hyblygrwydd i adalw'r Senedd am resymau'n gysylltiedig â'r pandemig. Mae hynny yn mynd peth o'r ffordd i leddfu pryder. Rydw i'n deall bod y Llywodraeth wedi cynnig sut allai gweithgarwch gael ei gwtogi - stopio cyflwyno cwestiynau ysgrifenedig, er enghraifft, rhag ffafrio Aelodau presennol - ond dydyn ni ddim eto, hyd y gwn i, wedi gweld y canllawiau am oblygiadau'r cyfnod cyn diddymu i weithgarwch y Llywodraeth. Rydw i'n deall bod canllawiau o'r fath wedi cael eu cyhoeddi mor fuan â Rhagfyr 2015 ar gyfer etholiad 2016 dan y trefniadau arferol. Mae'n rhaid inni gael eglurder am y canllawiau a fydd yn berthnasol i'r Senedd a'r Llywodraeth fel ei gilydd er mwyn gallu ymdrin yn briodol efo'r Bil yma. Rydw i am wneud ambell i sylw ynglŷn â'r angen i sicrhau bod iechyd cyhoeddus a iechyd ein democratiaeth ni yn rhan o'r hafaliad fel ei gilydd yn y penderfyniadau sydd o'n blaenau ni. Fel y dywedais i'r wythnos diwethaf, yr her sydd gennym ni ydy ystyried y darlun llawn hwnnw a chydbwyso'r gwahanol risgiau. Mae'r broses o alluogi bwrw pleidlais a'r broses o alluogi cyfri'r pleidleisiau hynny'n ddiogel yn allweddol, ond yr un mor bwysig yw galluogi trafodaeth ystyrlon efo pobl Cymru wrth iddyn nhw ethol llywodraeth am y pum mlynedd nesaf. Mae'r risg i intregiti'r etholiad o'i chynnal hi heb allu cael y drafodaeth ystyrlon honno yn dal, imi, ar goll braidd o edrych ar y memorandwm esboniadol. Rydyn ni'n fawr callach am y sefyllfa o ran dosbarthu taflenni a dulliau ymgyrchu eraill. Ai dim ond drwy'r Post Brenhinol mae modd dosbarthu taflenni ar hyn o bryd? A oes modd talu rhywun neu asiantaethau cwmnïau eraill i wneud hynny? Mae eisiau edrych ar sut mae dosbarthu taflenni am elw yn dderbyniol ond dosbarthu gwirfoddol ddim. Mae yna beth gwybodaeth i bleidiau gwleidyddol yn adran FAQs lefel rhybudd 4 y Llywodraeth ar ddulliau ymgyrchu. Rydyn ni'n annog pleidiau gwleidyddol, ymgeiswyr ac ymgyrchwyr i ystyried yr ystod lawn o ddulliau, gan gynnwys y cyfryngau cymdeithasol sydd ar gael iddynt i ddarparu gwybodaeth i etholwyr. Mae gen i ofn bod hyn yn gwbl annigonnol ac yn methu'r pwynt sylfaenol rydw i ac eraill wedi ei godi - nid pawb sydd ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol ac nid pob ymgeisydd sydd am fod yn ddigon ariannog i dalu i ddosbarthu gwybodaeth. Pryd fydd yna ganllawiau cynhwysfawr ar gael i bleidiau gwleidyddol yn dangos yn glir beth allan nhw ei wneud o dan bob un o'r lefelau rhybudd yng nghynllun COVID Llywodraeth Cymru? Yn olaf, Llywydd, rydw i'n troi at yr angen am eglurder am yr amserlen ar gyfer gwneud penderfyniad ac at yr angen am ddiweddariadau cyson am statws yr etholiad. O ran yr amserlen pendefynu, pe byddai angen gohirio'r etholiad, rydw i'n credu bod awgrym o saith diwrnod cyn diwrnod pleidleisio yn dynn iawn, iawn. Dydy hi ddim yn glir a allai pŵer presennol y Llywodraeth gael ei ddefnyddio mor hwyr â 3 Mai, wythnos yr etholiad ei hun. Mi fydd llawer o bobl wedi pleidleisio'n barod drwy'r post erbyn hynny, felly beth fyddai'n digwydd i'w pleidleisiau nhw ac ati? Gan nad ydy hi'n glir beth fyddai'r amodau neu'r trothwy iechyd cyhoeddus fyddai'n cael eu defnyddio i benderfynu a ydy hi'n ddiogel i'r etholiad fynd yn ei blaen ai peidio a bod y Bil fel y mae o yn darparu ar gyfer gohirio'r etholiad yn hwyr iawn yn y dydd, mi fyddwn ni'n ystyried cyflwyno gwelliant yng Nghyfnod 2 i'w gwneud hi'n ofynnol i Weinidogion Cymru roi diweddariadau cyson inni ar statws y paratoadau ar gyfer yr etholiad a'r gallu i'w gynnal o yn ddiogel i gydfynd â'r adolygiadau tair wythnos o reolau COVID. Mae hynny'n lleiafswm, dwi'n meddwl, o ran gofynion. Tybed beth fyddai'r cyngor gwyddonol ar gyfer caniatáu i'r etholiad fynd rhagddo petai o'n cael ei gynnal yfory, er enghraifft. Llawer o gwestiynau i'w gofyn, amserlen dynn, ac rydyn ni angen eglurder ar frys gan y Llywodraeth ar nifer o'r pynciau hyn.