English: I want to start by also thanking my colleagues, the Chair and the clerks on the Equality and Social Justice Committee for their work on this vital and timely 'Fuel poverty and the Warm Homes Programme' report, as well as those who gave evidence and spoke before the committee. I am pleased that the Welsh Government has responded by either accepting or accepting in principle the recommendations of the report. We know that the cost-of-living crisis is impacting so many across our communities. This report has been critical in identifying the gaps in support, and understanding how the Welsh Government can help to ensure that no home is left behind. And as we start this term, I look forward to hearing how the Welsh Government sets out the next iteration of the Warm Homes programme, and we'll welcome plans to make the eligibility criteria, in particular for support, less restrictive, as set out in recommendation 5. There are many people in our communities who desperately need this support, but have been unable to access it. For example, Marie Curie highlights that recommendation 5 is an opportunity to support those who are terminally ill, have cancer, or neurological conditions, and are now facing fuel poverty because of the ongoing crisis. Dying people in Wales, as well as those suffering chronic illness, spend a lot more time and a lot more money on heating their homes sufficiently, and, as Marie Curie found, are terrified about the cost of heating their homes going forward. We must ensure these people in our communities are eligible for and are effectively signposted to appropriate support. I am also pleased that the Welsh Government has accepted recommendation 3, to work with the fuel poverty advisory panel to identify immediate to short-term solutions to support families already in fuel poverty. It's heartbreaking that some of the most popular videos on social media at the moment are people suggesting turning off all the radiators in your home and relying on an electric blanket to get you through the next few months. The anxiety and stress about covering increasing fuel costs is escalating across our communities, and if we thought that there was a chance that UK Government would do the right thing and put the public first, then we were very wrong. As Martin Lewis from the Money Saving Expert said, households will face a typical energy bill rising to £3,500 a year from this autumn, and the current planned support from the UK Government is woefully inadequate. The UK Government has adopted the UK Labour policy to have a price cap. However, the UK Government has rejected calls to implement a windfall tax on the companies that continue to pocket immense profits from the crisis. It's estimated that it will cost £150 billion between now and 2024, which will come from borrowing. So, we will have to pay it back somehow, essentially kicking the can, and the cost to the public, down the road. But also, the cap will be £2,500, with everyone receiving £400 over the next six months. By my calculations, that is still at least £600 short of the estimated £3,500. Where is the UK Government expecting this to come from? Residents in my own constituency in Bridgend and Porthcawl are telling me that, with food, fuel and energy prices increasing whilst many wages stagnate, this will be impossible for them to cover. Fortunately, once again, our Welsh Government will do what the UK Government will not, and will protect the many and the most vulnerable. We see that in several recommendations and responses by the Welsh Government in its response to our report - that focus on collaboration and partnership between local authorities, including making sure that people have access to the Wales fuel support scheme, where residents can claim a one-off payment of £200 through their local authority to ensure that they can pay their fuel bill, as well as fuel vouchers and a heat fund for people on prepayment meters facing hardship. We also heard yesterday from our First Minister that £1 million will be made available for community centres, sports clubs and other groups to provide warm banks to help towards their fuel costs, as they provide warm and welcoming spaces for people to continue to congregate. It is only truly by understanding the lived experiences of this crisis that we can ensure that the right help is given, and I think that we have done our best to capture their voices in our report. But, we all have a responsibility to ensure now that people needing support are aware of where and when they can access it, and to make sure that the support is as accessible as possible for people in need to receive it.
Welsh: Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch hefyd i'm cyd-Aelodau, y Cadeirydd a chlercod y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol am eu gwaith ar yr adroddiad hollbwysig ac amserol hwn, 'Tlodi tanwydd a'r Rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd', yn ogystal â'r rheini a roddodd dystiolaeth ac a siaradodd gerbron y pwyllgor. Rwy'n falch fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymateb naill ai drwy dderbyn argymhellion yr adroddiad, neu eu derbyn mewn egwyddor. Gwyddom fod yr argyfwng costau byw'n effeithio ar gynifer o bobl ar draws ein cymunedau. Mae'r adroddiad hwn wedi bod yn hollbwysig o ran nodi'r bylchau yn y cymorth, a deall sut y gall Llywodraeth Cymru helpu i sicrhau na chaiff unrhyw gartref ei adael ar ôl. Ac wrth inni ddechrau'r tymor hwn, edrychaf ymlaen at glywed sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi'r fersiwn nesaf o'r rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd ar waith, a byddwn yn croesawu cynlluniau i wneud y meini prawf cymhwysedd, yn enwedig ar gyfer cymorth, yn llai cyfyngol, fel y nodir yn argymhelliad 5. Mae llawer o bobl yn ein cymunedau angen y cymorth hwn yn ddybryd, ond nid ydynt wedi gallu cael mynediad ato. Er enghraifft, mae Marie Curie yn tynnu sylw at y ffaith bod argymhelliad 5 yn gyfle i gefnogi pobl â salwch angheuol, pobl â chanser, neu gyflyrau niwrolegol, ac sydd bellach yn wynebu tlodi tanwydd oherwydd yr argyfwng parhaus. Mae pobl sy'n marw yng Nghymru, yn ogystal â'r rheini sy'n dioddef o salwch cronig, yn treulio llawer mwy o amser a llawer mwy o arian ar wresogi eu cartrefi'n ddigonol, ac fel y canfu Marie Curie, maent yn ofnus iawn ynghylch cost gwresogi eu cartrefi wrth symud ymlaen. Mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau bod y bobl hyn yn ein cymunedau yn gymwys i gael y cymorth priodol ac yn cael eu cyfeirio'n effeithiol ato. Rwyf hefyd yn falch fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn argymhelliad 3, i weithio gyda'r panel cynghori ar dlodi tanwydd i nodi camau neu fesurau uniongyrchol i fyrdymor i gefnogi teuluoedd sydd eisoes mewn tlodi tanwydd. Mae'n dorcalonnus fod rhai o'r fideos mwyaf poblogaidd ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol ar hyn o bryd yn awgrymu y dylai pobl ddiffodd yr holl reiddiaduron yn eich cartref a dibynnu ar flanced drydan i'ch helpu drwy'r misoedd nesaf. Mae'r pryder a'r straen ynglŷn â thalu costau tanwydd uwch ar gynnydd ar draws ein cymunedau, ac os oeddem yn credu bod unrhyw obaith y byddai Llywodraeth y DU yn gwneud y peth iawn ac yn rhoi'r cyhoedd yn gyntaf, roeddem yn gwbl anghywir. Fel y dywedodd Martin Lewis o Money Saving Expert, bydd aelwydydd yn wynebu bil ynni nodweddiadol sy'n codi i hyd at £3,500 y flwyddyn o'r hydref hwn ymlaen, ac mae'r cymorth arfaethedig presennol gan Lywodraeth y DU yn druenus o annigonol. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi mabwysiadu polisi Plaid Lafur y DU o gael cap ar brisiau. Fodd bynnag, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi gwrthod galwadau i godi treth ffawdelw ar y cwmnïau sy'n parhau i bocedu elw aruthrol o'r argyfwng. Amcangyfrifir y bydd yn costio £150 biliwn rhwng nawr a 2024, a fydd yn dod o fenthyca. Felly, bydd yn rhaid inni ei dalu'n ôl rywsut, na fydd ond yn gohirio'r broblem yn y bôn, a'r gost i'r cyhoedd. Ond hefyd, £2,500 fydd y cap, gyda phawb yn derbyn £400 dros y chwe mis nesaf. Yn ôl fy nghyfrifiadau i, mae hynny'n dal i fod o leiaf £600 yn fyr o'r £3,500 a amcangyfrifwyd. O ble y mae Llywodraeth y DU yn disgwyl i hwn ddod? Dywed trigolion yn fy etholaeth ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr a Phorthcawl wrthyf y bydd yn amhosibl iddynt ei dalu, gyda phrisiau bwyd, tanwydd ac ynni yn codi tra bo llawer o gyflogau'n aros yr un fath. Yn ffodus, unwaith eto, bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud yr hyn na wnaiff Llywodraeth y DU, ac yn diogelu'r rhai mwyaf agored i niwed. Gwelwn hynny mewn sawl argymhelliad ac ymateb gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn ei hymateb i'n hadroddiad - sy'n canolbwyntio ar gydweithio a phartneriaeth rhwng awdurdodau lleol, gan gynnwys sicrhau bod pobl yn gallu manteisio ar gynllun cymorth tanwydd Cymru, lle gall trigolion hawlio taliad untro o £200 drwy eu hawdurdod lleol i sicrhau y gallant dalu eu bil tanwydd, yn ogystal â thalebau tanwydd a chronfa wres i bobl ar fesuryddion talu ymlaen llaw sy'n wynebu caledi. Clywsom hefyd gan ein Prif Weinidog ddoe y bydd £1 filiwn ar gael i ganolfannau cymunedol, clybiau chwaraeon a grwpiau eraill i ddarparu banciau cynhesu i helpu tuag at eu costau tanwydd, wrth iddynt ddarparu mannau cynnes a chroesawgar i bobl barhau i ymgynnull. Dim ond drwy ddeall profiadau byw pobl o'r argyfwng hwn y gallwn sicrhau bod y cymorth cywir yn cael ei roi, a chredaf ein bod wedi gwneud ein gorau i gyfleu eu lleisiau yn ein hadroddiad. Ond mae gan bob un ohonom gyfrifoldeb i sicrhau yn awr fod y bobl sydd angen cymorth yn gwybod ble a phryd y gallant gael mynediad ato, ac i sicrhau bod y cymorth mor hygyrch â phosibl i'r bobl sydd ei angen.