English: I welcome the business rate announcement, but it won't help the majority of small businesses and self-employed people in the Rhondda as they're not eligible to pay business rates. I've been overwhelmed with messages from concerned people whose income has come to an abrupt end in the last few days, and many people don't have savings because they've sunk everything into their businesses. People seeking advice on what to do now have been told by authorities to go onto jobseeker's allowance. Of course, that's not going to cover overheads, mortgages and other bills. We can't forget the impact on these small businesses, and must do what we can to help them survive, and that includes help with mortgage and rent payments so that people don't lose their homes and premises as a result of this. Just this morning, I've been approached by a business that was just getting back on its feet after a slump in sales last year. At the beginning of the year, I requested swift action from the Welsh Government to assist this significant employer in the Rhondda, and I'm pleased to say that you answered that call well, Minister, and a plan and a business model were developed that, combined with an upturn in sales, put that company on a firm footing for the future. Those plans are now likely to completely unsustainable. One thing that could be of help to this particular firm and many others in the same boat would be a full roll-out of the ProAct and ReAct schemes that came out of the economy department under Plaid Cymru's Ieuan Wyn Jones in 2008. Companies and trade unions came together after the banking crash and together put forward proposals where workers were able to keep their jobs until the financial storm passed over. You mentioned ReAct in your statement, Minister, but these summits in 2008 did much, much more than that. I also mentioned universal basic income earlier, and I still want you to make a commitment to that. Could the Welsh Government put together urgently a package of measures that would assist the economy and keep people in work and out of poverty? This is an urgent need that needs addressing now. And I'd finally like to ask when these grants will be available to small businesses. We've got people in the Rhondda still waiting for the Welsh Government assistance that was announced for the floods nearly a month ago. People can't afford to wait before they access this support. Businesses are crumbling now. They need this support straight away.
Welsh: Rwy'n croesawu'r cyhoeddiad ynghylch ardrethi busnes, ond ni fydd hyn yn helpu'r rhan fwyaf o fusnesau bach a phobl hunangyflogedig yn y Rhondda gan nad ydyn nhw'n gymwys i dalu ardrethi busnes. Rwyf wedi cael fy llethu gan negeseuon gan bobl bryderus y mae eu hincwm wedi dod i ben yn ddisymwth yn y dyddiau diwethaf, ac nid oes gan lawer o bobl gynilion oherwydd eu bod wedi buddsoddi popeth yn eu busnesau. Mae pobl sy'n ceisio cyngor ar beth i'w wneud ar hyn o bryd wedi cael gwybod gan yr awdurdodau am fynd ar lwfans ceisio gwaith. Wrth gwrs, nid yw hynny'n mynd i dalu costau gorbenion, morgeisi a biliau eraill. Ni allwn anghofio'r effaith ar y busnesau bach hyn, a rhaid inni wneud yr hyn a allwn i'w helpu i oroesi, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys cymorth gyda thaliadau morgais a rhent fel nad yw pobl yn colli eu cartrefi a'u hadeiladau o ganlyniad i hyn. Dim ond y bore yma, daeth busnes a oedd yn dechrau codi'n ôl ar ei draed ar ôl cwymp mewn gwerthiannau y llynedd i'm gweld i. Ar ddechrau'r flwyddyn, gofynnais i Lywodraeth Cymru weithredu'n gyflym i gynorthwyo'r cyflogwr sylweddol hwn yn y Rhondda, ac rwy'n falch o ddweud eich bod wedi ateb y galw hwnnw'n dda, Gweinidog, a chafodd cynllun a model busnes eu datblygu a oedd, ynghyd â chynnydd mewn gwerthiannau, wedi rhoi'r cwmni hwnnw ar sylfaen gadarn ar gyfer y dyfodol. Erbyn hyn mae'r cynlluniau hynny'n debygol o fod yn gwbl anghynaladwy. Un peth a allai fod o gymorth i'r cwmni arbennig hwn a nifer o rai eraill yn yr un cwch fyddai cyflwyno'r cynlluniau ProAct a ReAct a ddaeth o adran yr economi o dan Ieuan Wyn Jones o Blaid Cymru yn 2008. Daeth cwmnïau ac undebau llafur at ei gilydd ar ôl y cwymp yn y banciau a gyda'i gilydd gwnaethant gynigion lle'r oedd modd i'r gweithwyr gadw eu swyddi nes bod y storm ariannol wedi symud yn ei blaen. Fe wnaethoch chi sôn am ReAct yn eich datganiad, Gweinidog, ond gwnaeth yr uwchgynadleddau hyn yn 2008 fwy o lawer na hynny. Soniais i hefyd am yr incwm sylfaenol cyffredinol yn gynharach, ac rwyf eisiau eich gweld yn ymrwymo i hynny o hyd. A allai Llywodraeth Cymru lunio pecyn o fesurau ar fyrder a fyddai'n cynorthwyo'r economi ac yn cadw pobl mewn gwaith ac allan o dlodi? Mae angen mynd i'r afael â hyn ar frys nawr. Ac i orffen, hoffwn i ofyn pryd y bydd y grantiau hyn ar gael i fusnesau bach. Mae pobl yn y Rhondda yn dal i aros am gymorth Llywodraeth Cymru a gafodd ei gyhoeddi ar gyfer y llifogydd bron fis yn ôl. Nid yw pobl yn gallu fforddio aros cyn cael y cymorth hwn. Mae busnesau'n dadfeilio erbyn hyn. Mae angen y cymorth hwn arnyn nhw ar unwaith.