English: Diolch. Thank you. Amendment 136 introduces a new provision to allow local town and community councils to be invited to be party to a panel performance assessment. The Bill, as drafted, requires each principal council to appoint a panel at least once during each electoral cycle to assess its performance. In written evidence to the Equalities, Local Government and Communities Committee, One Voice Wales, representing town and community councils, said that they would welcome further discussions on the role that community and town councils could play regarding membership of the panel assessment process. It added that it advocates the potential for community and town councils to support the scrutiny endeavours of principal councils. As principal councils and town and community councils often collaborate on issues, this will allow town and community councils to provide feedback on their experiences of working with the principal council, as well as providing recommendations to improve local involvement within the decision-making process. This thereby would strengthen all parties involved. During Stage 2 proceedings, the Minister stated that while the provisions in the Bill will give the Welsh Ministers powers to make regulations in relation to the appointment of panel members, their intention is actually to cover this through guidance in the first instance. However, such a provision does not guarantee that all principal councils will invite their local town and community councils onto a panel assessment, and it's important for real engagement and good governance that all local public bodies have opportunities to formally submit their views on the performance of a principal council, including town and community councils, who are representative of the communities that they're elected to represent. I hope the principle behind this will be acknowledged, therefore, and the opportunity to support this to strengthen this Bill.
Welsh: Diolch. Diolch. Mae gwelliant 136 yn cyflwyno darpariaeth newydd i ganiatáu gwahodd cynghorau tref a chynghorau cymuned lleol i fod yn rhan o asesiad perfformiad panel. Mae'r Bil, fel y'i drafftiwyd, yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i bob prif gyngor benodi panel o leiaf unwaith yn ystod pob cylch etholiadol i asesu ei berfformiad. Mewn tystiolaeth ysgrifenedig i'r Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb, Llywodraeth Leol a Chymunedau, dywedodd Un Llais Cymru, sy'n cynrychioli cynghorau tref a chynghorau cymuned, y bydden nhw'n croesawu rhagor o drafodaethau ar y swyddogaeth y gallai cynghorau cymuned a chynghorau tref fod yn ei chyflawni o ran aelodaeth o broses asesu'r panel. Ychwanegodd ei fod o blaid y potensial i gynghorau cymuned a chynghorau tref gefnogi ymdrechion craffu prif gynghorau. Gan fod prif gynghorau a chynghorau tref a chynghorau cymuned yn aml yn cydweithio ar faterion, bydd hyn yn caniatáu i gynghorau tref a chynghorau cymuned roi adborth ar eu profiadau o weithio gyda'r prif gyngor, yn ogystal â darparu argymhellion i wella cyfranogiad lleol yn y broses o wneud penderfyniadau. Byddai hyn felly yn cryfhau'r holl bartïon dan sylw. Yn ystod trafodion Cyfnod 2, dywedodd y Gweinidog, er y bydd y darpariaethau yn y Bil yn rhoi pwerau i Weinidogion Cymru wneud rheoliadau yn gysylltiedig â phenodi aelodau'r panel, mai eu bwriad mewn gwirionedd yw ymdrin â hyn drwy ganllawiau yn y lle cyntaf. Fodd bynnag, nid yw darpariaeth o'r fath yn gwarantu y bydd pob prif gyngor yn gwahodd eu cynghorau tref a chynghorau cymuned lleol i asesiad panel, ac mae'n bwysig ar gyfer ymgysylltu gwirioneddol a llywodraethu da fod pob corff cyhoeddus lleol yn cael cyfleoedd i gyflwyno eu safbwynt yn ffurfiol ar berfformiad prif gyngor, gan gynnwys cynghorau tref a chynghorau cymuned, sy'n cynrychioli'r cymunedau y maent yn cael eu hethol i'w cynrychioli. Rwy'n gobeithio y caiff yr egwyddor y tu ôl i hyn ei chydnabod, felly, a'r cyfle i gefnogi hyn i gryfhau'r Bil hwn.