English: I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to take part in this important debate today, speaking on behalf of my colleague Adam Price. It requires real ability, political will and considerable courage to move away form the conventional ways of thinking in terms of economic policy, to move away from the obsession with the national economic indicators like GVA and GDP, an obsession that media and all political parties have been guilty of in the past, and to look at how we can better improve the everyday lives of our fellow citizens in real terms. GVA and GDP have, of course, a place in measuring overall national wealth, but what these indicators do not do is enable us to measure and understand real people's access to real resources, including financial wealth, let alone the health and happiness and well-being of our fellow citizens, and that, of course, is what really matters to people in their everyday lives. The Welsh Government has in the past concentrated our economic policy on delivering the so-called 'big-ticket wins' - the anchor companies to which Lee Waters has already referred. There has been some success in attracting and retaining large international, mostly foreign-owned firms, to Wales. While one can see the attraction of this approach, it is problematic; it has always been problematic, but as Lee Waters pointed out earlier, it has become more problematic now. There is, of course, immediate economic benefit, obviously, to those who are directly employed in these companies, and sometimes to local companies and supply chains, but in the end the profits are sent and spent elsewhere, and we know that the commitment of these multinationals to Wales, with some notable exceptions, is, at best, shallow. Too often, they will relocate at the whim of the markets, and this risk, of course, is heightened, as has already been pointed out, by Brexit. There seems to be a consensus developing that we can't carry on like this. A paradigm shift is required in policy thinking. We must focus economic development more towards that everyday economy, which is relevant to all citizens in their everyday lives. Therefore, the new focus on the foundational economy in the Welsh Government's action plan is very much, I think, to be welcomed, as others have said. The foundational economy is made up of those basic goods and services distributed locally that are essential to life, including food, utilities, construction, retail, education, health and social care, and I very much take the point that Hefin has made about the importance of social care and how, in effect, we have outsourced much of that to big international companies that really don't care very much either about the people they're providing services to, their workers, or the communities they're providing services in. And, of course, housing is crucial. These sectors are where over half the people of Wales, of course, work, but we've tended to overlook them, in policy terms. Working on prioritising the foundational economy will allow us to drive up wages in these key sectors as we improve productivity, and prevent leakages from local procurement and private consumption. Points have already been very well made about Preston council, and I'd be very interested to hear what contacts the Welsh Government has already had, and what further contacts they intend to have, with that very striking example. But there are, of course, other good examples, and others have mentioned those. Of course, concentrating on the foundational economy would further allow us to retain a greater share of profits through higher local and social ownership. And this can be done in many ways. Plaid Cymru has been considering ideas, including establishing community economic development companies across Wales that can identify market opportunities for local co-operative enterprises and establishing an improved network and structure for the food and drink sector in Wales, bringing together all the various stakeholders across agriculture, food processing, health, nutrition and the environment. This could create a single joined-up policy that places healthy, nutritious and locally-produced food as a key overarching goal for the Welsh Government. Like anything else in politics, refocusing economic policy is a matter of priorities. If the foundational sectors and the overlooked economy really do move up the list of priorities for the Welsh Government, and the signs are good - it is clear that there is movement on this - then resources can be better deployed to support, and policies better developed to engage with, the for-profit microfirms that account for over 30 per cent of employment in Wales. We have to develop effective small business support, and, while there has been some success in the past, I'm sure we would all acknowledge that the previous models of small business support have, on the whole, failed to reach those businesses with the most potential to grow and which could use them most. If we can get this right, we can positively influence the lives of large numbers of citizens, creating decent jobs whilst supporting growth and shaping the culture of the next generation of medium-sized grounded firms - that missing middle that we hear of. Many of the foundations and some of the institutions that can support the foundational economy already exist. The development bank, for example, has huge potential to build up the missing middle. However, it must move towards making long-term financial support for these Welsh-grounded firms through patient loans, where there's no expectation to be able to turn around a quick profit or a very quick return on investment, and to help local companies grow and, when necessary, potentially be bought out by staff themselves. I can see, Dirprwy Lywydd, that my time is running out. There is much more that could be said.
Welsh: Rwy'n falch iawn o gael y cyfle i gymryd rhan yn y ddadl bwysig hon heddiw, i siarad ar ran fy nghyd-Aelod, Adam Price. Mae angen gallu gwirioneddol, ewyllys wleidyddol a dewrder sylweddol i symud oddi wrth y ffyrdd confensiynol o feddwl am bolisi economaidd, symud oddi wrth yr obsesiwn gyda dangosyddion economaidd cenedlaethol fel gwerth ychwanegol gros a chynnyrch domestig gros, obsesiwn y mae'r cyfryngau a phob plaid wleidyddol wedi bod yn euog ohono yn y gorffennol, ac edrych ar sut y gallwn wella bywydau pob dydd ein cyd-ddinasyddion mewn termau real. Mae i werth ychwanegol gros a chynnyrch domestig gros le yn y broses o fesur cyfoeth cenedlaethol cyffredinol wrth gwrs, ond nid yw'r dangosyddion hyn yn ein galluogi i fesur a deall mynediad pobl go iawn at adnoddau go iawn, gan gynnwys cyfoeth ariannol, heb sôn am iechyd a hapusrwydd a lles ein cyd-ddinasyddion, a hynny, wrth gwrs, sy'n bwysig go iawn i bobl yn eu bywydau bob dydd. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn y gorffennol wedi canolbwyntio ein polisi economaidd ar gyflawni 'prif enillion' fel y'u gelwir - y cwmnïau angori y cyfeiriodd Lee Waters atynt eisoes. Cafwyd rhywfaint o lwyddiant yn denu cwmnïau mawr rhyngwladol, cwmnïau dan berchnogaeth dramor yn bennaf, i Gymru, a'u cadw yma. Er y gallwn weld atyniad y dull hwn o weithredu, mae'n achosi problemau; mae bob amser wedi achosi problemau, ond fel y nododd Lee Waters yn gynharach, mae wedi dod yn fwy o broblem bellach. Wrth gwrs, ceir budd economaidd uniongyrchol, yn amlwg, i'r rhai a gyflogir yn uniongyrchol yn y cwmnïau hyn, ac weithiau i gwmnïau a chadwyni cyflenwi lleol, ond yn y diwedd anfonnir yr elw i fannau eraill a'i wario mewn mannau eraill, a gwyddom fod ymrwymiad y cwmnïau rhyngwladol hyn i Gymru, gyda rhai eithriadau nodedig, ar y gorau'n arwynebol. Yn rhy aml, byddant yn adleoli ar fympwy'r marchnadoedd, ac wrth gwrs, mae Brexit yn cynyddu'r perygl o hynny, fel y nodwyd eisoes. Ymddengys bod yna gonsensws yn datblygu na allwn barhau fel hyn. Mae angen newid y patrwm meddwl o ran polisi. Rhaid inni ganolbwyntio datblygu economaidd yn fwy tuag at yr economi bob dydd, sy'n berthnasol i bob dinesydd yn eu bywydau bob dydd. Felly, mae'r ffocws newydd ar yr economi sylfaenol yng nghynllun gweithredu Llywodraeth Cymru i'w groesawu'n fawr iawn yn fy marn i, fel y mae eraill wedi dweud. Lluniwyd yr economi sylfaenol o'r nwyddau a gwasanaethau sylfaenol a ddosberthir yn lleol sy'n hanfodol i fywyd, gan gynnwys bwyd, cyfleustodau, adeiladu, manwerthu, addysg, iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, ac rwy'n derbyn y pwynt a wnaeth Hefin am bwysigrwydd gofal cymdeithasol a sut rydym wedi rhoi llawer ohono ar gontract allanol i gwmnïau rhyngwladol mawr nad ydynt yn poeni llawer iawn mewn gwirionedd naill ai am y bobl y maent yn darparu gwasanaethau iddynt, eu gweithwyr, na'r cymunedau y maent yn darparu gwasanaethau o'u mewn. Ac wrth gwrs, mae tai'n hanfodol. Dyma'r sectorau lle mae dros hanner y bobl yng Nghymru'n gweithio, wrth gwrs, ond rydym wedi tueddu i'w diystyru, yn nhermau polisi. Bydd gweithio ar flaenoriaethu'r economi sylfaenol yn ein galluogi i godi cyflogau yn y sectorau allweddol hyn wrth inni wella cynhyrchiant, ac atal colledion o gaffael lleol a defnydd preifat. Gwnaed pwyntiau da iawn eisoes am gyngor Preston, a byddai gennyf ddiddordeb mawr mewn clywed pa gysylltiadau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes wedi'u cael, a pha gysylltiadau pellach y bwriadant eu cael, gyda'r enghraifft drawiadol iawn honno. Ond wrth gwrs, ceir enghreifftiau da eraill, ac mae eraill wedi eu crybwyll. Wrth gwrs, byddai canolbwyntio ar yr economi sylfaenol yn caniatáu inni gadw cyfran fwy o'r elw trwy berchnogaeth leol a chymdeithasol uwch. A gellir gwneud hyn mewn sawl ffordd. Mae Plaid Cymru wedi bod yn ystyried syniadau, gan gynnwys sefydlu cwmnïau datblygu economaidd cymunedol ledled Cymru sy'n gallu nodi cyfleoedd yn y farchnad ar gyfer mentrau cydweithredol lleol a sefydlu rhwydwaith a strwythur gwell ar gyfer y sector bwyd a diod yng Nghymru, gan ddwyn ynghyd y gwahanol randdeiliaid ym meysydd amaethyddiaeth, prosesu bwyd, iechyd, maeth a'r amgylchedd. Gallai hyn greu un polisi cydgysylltiedig sy'n gosod bwyd iach, maethlon a gynhyrchwyd yn lleol fel nod trosfwaol allweddol i Lywodraeth Cymru. Fel popeth arall mewn gwleidyddiaeth, mater o flaenoriaethau yw newid ffocws polisi economaidd. Os yw'r sectorau sylfaenol a'r economi sydd wedi'i diystyru yn symud i fyny rhestr flaenoriaethau Llywodraeth Cymru mewn gwirionedd, a bod yr arwyddion yn dda - mae'n amlwg fod yna symud ar hyn - yna gellir defnyddio adnoddau'n well i gefnogi a datblygu polisïau gwell i ymgysylltu â'r microgwmnïau er elw sydd i gyfrif am dros 30 y cant o gyflogaeth yng Nghymru. Rhaid inni ddatblygu cymorth effeithiol i fusnesau bach, ac er y bu rhywfaint o lwyddiant yn y gorffennol, rwy'n siŵr y byddai pawb ohonom yn cydnabod bod modelau blaenorol o gymorth i fusnesau bach ar y cyfan wedi methu cyrraedd y busnesau gyda'r potensial mwyaf i dyfu ac a allai eu defnyddio fwyaf. Os gallwn gael hyn yn iawn, gallwn ddylanwadu'n gadarnhaol ar fywydau nifer fawr o ddinasyddion, a chreu swyddi da tra'n cefnogi twf a llywio diwylliant y genhedlaeth nesaf o gwmnïau gwreiddiedig canolig eu maint - y canol coll y clywn amdano. Mae llawer o'r sylfeini a rhai o'r sefydliadau a all gynnal yr economi sylfaenol eisoes yn bodoli. Er enghraifft, mae gan y banc datblygu botensial enfawr i adeiladu'r canol coll. Fodd bynnag, mae'n rhaid iddo symud tuag at wneud cymorth ariannol hirdymor ar gyfer y cwmnïau hyn sy'n wreiddiedig yng Nghymru drwy fenthyciadau amyneddgar, lle nad oes disgwyl gallu cynhyrchu elw cyflym neu adenillion cyflym iawn ar fuddsoddiad, a helpu cwmnïau lleol i dyfu, a phan fo angen, i gael eu prynu o bosibl gan y staff eu hunain. Gallaf weld, Ddirprwy Lywydd, fod fy amser yn brin. Mae llawer mwy y gellid ei ddweud.