English: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I would like to formally move the motion in the name of my colleague Darren Millar, and I can also indicate today that we will be supporting the amendment in the name of Caroline Jones this afternoon as well. Presiding Officer, the UK Government has provided in excess of £4 billion to the Welsh Government to combat the virus. To date, the Welsh Government, I'm afraid, has not been open and transparent about how they have spent that money. Small and medium-sized businesses are, of course, the backbone of our economy, and we need to fully support them. Wales has previously, I'm afraid, not been a very friendly environment to do business in, with owners paying higher business rates, and lower thresholds for business rate relief. This has been compounded by COVID-19 restrictions, and a lack of urgency in ensuring that much-needed support is delivered to the front line, rather than sitting, unfortunately, in Welsh Government coffers. I welcome the announcement of the £60 million additional funding from the Welsh Government to support businesses that are affected by local lockdowns. But, following today's announcement, I would be interested to know if areas that are not lockdown areas but will be affected by the wider restrictions announced will also be able to tap into those funds as well. In fact, I think that perhaps we do need more enhanced funding as a result of the announcement today. In contrast, with the coronavirus job retention scheme and the self-employment support scheme, the UK Government has provided support for around 30 per cent of the working population in Wales, protecting hundreds of thousands of livelihoods in Wales, while the self-employment income support scheme is providing support for over 100,000 people with a share of nearly £300 million. This is without, of course, taking into account the wider winter economy plan, which will allow businesses to access a range of loan schemes and extends the temporary VAT cuts to tourism and hospitality, as well as deferring repayments of VAT to support businesses up until March 2022. We welcome Caroline Jones's amendment, as it's clear that blanket local lockdowns to combat coronavirus, such as the ones that the Welsh Government is implementing, I believe, are damaging to the Welsh economy and are preventing businesses, especially in the tourism and hospitality sector, from recovering from a disappointing period - and summer period as well. It's vital that the Welsh Government's decisions to implement local lockdowns are proportionate and minimise damage to any hopes of business recovery, and this is why we on these benches have repeatedly called for the Welsh Government to introduce smart hyperlocal lockdowns to reduce the spread of COVID-19 whilst minimising the economic and social impact of restrictions. Furthermore, the introduction of targeted hyperlocal lockdowns may prevent the need for wider county-based lockdowns, helping to ensure proportionality in the response to local outbreaks, as well as reducing the risk of clusters spreading to wider parts of local areas. The First Minister has previously said that hyperlocal restrictions are a very sensible approach. So, we would encourage the Welsh Government to protect lives and livelihoods by ensuring that restrictions are as proportionate a response and as targeted a response as possible to those areas that require intervention, as opposed to its current blanket approach. To help an ailing Welsh economy, we therefore are calling on the Welsh Government to publish ward-level if not postcode-level data in order to distinguish the biggest causes of the transmission to those areas affected. This would allow other parts of our economy to still function whilst ensuring that that transmission does not spiral out of control. I will now talk about the Conservative approach - what we would propose - and I'm happy to outline our approach. We would introduce at least a £250 million COVID-19 community support scheme to help towns and cities across Wales, business-rate-free zones where all businesses would be free from paying any business rates at all, and scrapping business rates completely where the rateable value is under £15,000 outside of those zones. That's what we would propose from next April onwards. Businesses need security now in what's going to happen next April onwards. Going forward, Presiding Officer, it is also important that the Welsh Government, I think, waives the 10 per cent investment required by businesses in order to access the third phase of the economic resilience fund. Many businesses, especially in the tourism and hospitality sector, have faced dramatic losses in revenue over the summer. They're bare to the bone; there's nothing left in the cupboard, and we're asking them to contribute 10 per cent in order to receive any kind of economic support. Surely, that's not acceptable and that has got to change. Whilst the Welsh Government has provided financial support for businesses, those that have a rateable value of £500,000 will not receive any business support at all, despite employing thousands of people. Now, in stark contrast, the UK Government has granted a rates holiday to all retail, leisure and hospitality firms for a year, irrespective of size. And that's exactly what the Welsh Government should be doing here. It's also important that the Welsh Government extends business rates relief to landlords who are unable to let vacant commercial properties. With the closure of many businesses, it's important that landlords are supported by the Welsh Government. So, I believe that what I've set out today is a plan that will provide targeted local interventions and earlier interventions. We need to have a more sustainable and effective way of tackling local outbreaks whilst at the same time stimulating and helping the wider economy to recover. Ultimately, we need to protect lives and livelihoods, Presiding Officer. So, I look forward to contributions from Members this afternoon.
Welsh: Diolch, Lywydd. Hoffwn wneud y cynnig yn ffurfiol yn enw fy nghyd-Aelod Darren Millar, a gallaf ddweud heddiw hefyd y byddwn yn cefnogi'r gwelliant yn enw Caroline Jones y prynhawn yma. Lywydd, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi darparu dros £4 biliwn i Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â'r feirws. Hyd yma, mae arnaf ofn nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn agored ac yn dryloyw ynglŷn â sut y maent wedi gwario'r arian hwnnw. Busnesau bach a chanolig eu maint, wrth gwrs, yw asgwrn cefn ein heconomi, ac mae angen inni eu cefnogi'n llawn. Nid yw Cymru wedi bod yn amgylchedd cyfeillgar iawn i wneud busnes ynddo o'r blaen, gyda pherchnogion yn talu ardrethi busnes uwch, a throthwyon is ar gyfer rhyddhad ardrethi busnes. Mae hyn wedi'i ddwysáu gan gyfyngiadau COVID-19, a diffyg brys i sicrhau bod cymorth mawr ei angen yn cael ei ddarparu i'r rheng flaen, yn hytrach na gorwedd, ysywaeth, yng nghoffrau Llywodraeth Cymru. Rwy'n croesawu'r cyhoeddiad am y £60 miliwn o gyllid ychwanegol gan Lywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi busnesau y mae cyfyngiadau lleol yn effeithio arnynt. Ond yn dilyn y cyhoeddiad heddiw, hoffwn wybod a fydd ardaloedd nad ydynt yn ardaloedd lle ceir cyfyngiadau ond a gaiff eu heffeithio gan y cyfyngiadau ehangach a gyhoeddwyd hefyd yn gallu manteisio ar y cronfeydd hynny. Yn wir, credaf efallai fod angen mwy o gyllid arnom o ganlyniad i'r cyhoeddiad heddiw. Mewn cyferbyniad, gyda'r cynllun cadw swyddi drwy gyfnod y coronafeirws a'r cynllun cymorth i'r hunangyflogedig, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi rhoi cymorth i tua 30 y cant o'r boblogaeth sy'n gweithio yng Nghymru, gan ddiogelu bywoliaeth cannoedd o filoedd o bobl yng Nghymru, tra bod y cynllun cymorth incwm i'r hunangyflogedig yn darparu cymorth i dros 100,000 o bobl â chyfran o bron i £300 miliwn. Mae hyn, wrth gwrs, heb ystyried cynllun ehangach y gaeaf ar gyfer yr economi, a fydd yn caniatáu i fusnesau gael mynediad at amrywiaeth o gynlluniau benthyca ac yn ymestyn y toriadau TAW dros dro i dwristiaeth a lletygarwch, yn ogystal â gohirio ad-daliadau TAW i gefnogi busnesau hyd at fis Mawrth 2022. Rydym yn croesawu gwelliant Caroline Jones, gan ei bod yn amlwg fod cyfyngiadau lleol cyffredinol i fynd i'r afael â'r coronafeirws, fel y rhai y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu gweithredu yn niweidiol i economi Cymru ac yn atal busnesau, yn enwedig yn y sector twristiaeth a lletygarwch, rhag gwella o gyfnod siomedig - a chyfnod yr haf hefyd. Mae'n hanfodol fod penderfyniadau Llywodraeth Cymru i weithredu cyfyngiadau lleol yn gymesur ac yn lleihau'r niwed i unrhyw obaith o adfer busnesau, a dyma pam rydym ni ar y meinciau hyn wedi galw dro ar ôl tro ar Lywodraeth Cymru i gyflwyno cyfyngiadau hyperleol doeth i leihau lledaeniad COVID-19 gan leihau effaith economaidd a chymdeithasol cyfyngiadau. At hynny, gall cyflwyno cyfyngiadau hyperleol wedi'u targedu atal yr angen am gyfyngiadau ehangach ar sail sirol, gan helpu i sicrhau cymesuredd yn yr ymateb i achosion lleol, yn ogystal â lleihau'r risg y bydd clystyrau'n lledaenu i rannau ehangach o ardaloedd lleol. Mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi dweud o'r blaen fod cyfyngiadau hyperleol yn ddull synhwyrol iawn. Felly, byddem yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru i ddiogelu bywydau a bywoliaeth pobl drwy sicrhau bod cyfyngiadau mor gymesur ac wedi'u targedu cymaint ag sy'n bosibl i'r ardaloedd sy'n galw am ymyrraeth, yn hytrach na'i dull gweithredu cyffredinol presennol. Felly er mwyn helpu economi Cymru sy'n dioddef, galwn ar Lywodraeth Cymru i gyhoeddi data ar lefel ward os nad data ar lefel cod post er mwyn gwahaniaethu rhwng achosion mwyaf y trosglwyddiad i'r ardaloedd yr effeithir arnynt. Byddai hyn yn caniatáu i rannau eraill o'n heconomi barhau i weithredu gan sicrhau nad yw'r trosglwyddiad yn cynyddu allan o reolaeth. Fe soniaf yn awr am ddull gweithredu'r Ceidwadwyr - yr hyn y byddem yn ei gynnig - ac rwy'n fodlon amlinellu ein dull o weithredu. Fan lleiaf, byddem yn cyflwyno cynllun cymorth cymunedol COVID-19 gwerth £250 miliwn i helpu trefi a dinasoedd ledled Cymru, parthau heb ardrethi busnes lle byddai pob busnes yn rhydd rhag talu unrhyw ardrethi busnes o gwbl, a chael gwared ar ardrethi busnes yn gyfan gwbl lle mae'r gwerth trethadwy o dan £15,000 y tu allan i'r parthau hynny. Byddem yn cynnig hynny o fis Ebrill nesaf ymlaen. Mae angen sicrwydd ar fusnesau yn awr ynglŷn â'r hyn sy'n mynd i ddigwydd o fis Ebrill nesaf ymlaen. Wrth symud ymlaen, Lywydd, mae hefyd yn bwysig fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn hepgor y buddsoddiad o 10 y cant sy'n ofynnol gan fusnesau er mwyn cael mynediad at drydydd cam y gronfa cadernid economaidd. Mae llawer o fusnesau, yn enwedig yn y sector twristiaeth a lletygarwch, wedi wynebu colledion dramatig mewn refeniw dros yr haf. Mae'n fain iawn arnynt; nid oes dim byd ar ôl yn y cwpwrdd, ac rydym yn gofyn iddynt gyfrannu 10 y cant er mwyn cael unrhyw fath o gymorth economaidd. Does bosibl nad yw hynny'n dderbyniol ac mae'n rhaid i hynny newid. Er bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhoi cymorth ariannol i fusnesau, ni fydd y rhai sydd â gwerth trethadwy o £500,000 yn cael unrhyw gymorth busnes o gwbl, er eu bod yn cyflogi miloedd o bobl. Nawr, mewn cyferbyniad llwyr, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi rhoi seibiant rhag talu ardrethi i bob cwmni manwerthu, hamdden a lletygarwch am flwyddyn, ni waeth beth fo'u maint. A dyna'n union y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru fod yn ei wneud yma. Mae hefyd yn bwysig fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymestyn rhyddhad ardrethi busnes i gynnwys landlordiaid nad ydynt yn gallu gosod eiddo masnachol gwag. Yn sgil cau llawer o fusnesau, mae'n bwysig fod landlordiaid yn cael eu cefnogi gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Felly, credaf mai'r hyn rwyf wedi'i nodi heddiw yw cynllun a fydd yn darparu ymyriadau lleol wedi'u targedu ac ymyriadau cynharach. Mae angen inni gael ffordd fwy cynaliadwy ac effeithiol o fynd i'r afael ag achosion lleol gan ysgogi a helpu'r economi ehangach i wella ar yr un pryd. Yn y pen draw, mae angen inni ddiogelu bywydau a bywoliaeth pobl, Lywydd. Felly, edrychaf ymlaen at gyfraniadau gan yr Aelodau y prynhawn yma.