English: Thank you very much to the Minister for her statement. The results last week underlined again that the first-past-the-post system isn't working. We've seen an example in Cardiff of Plaid Cymru receiving 17 per cent of the vote and gaining two seats, and the Liberal Democrats receiving 13 per cent of the vote and winning 10 seats. I'm not making a party political point here, because I know that there are other parts of Wales where Plaid Cymru would have lost out if we'd adopted a more proportional system. But would you agree with me, Minister, that it is now time for us to move once and for all from the first-past-the-post system, as we will hopefully see here at the Senedd? I know that there is a way for local authorities to adopt more proportional models, but when one party wins two thirds of seats in the capital, where we are today, there is no incentive there to change the system, is there? So, what are you, as a Government, going to do to be more proactive to make this change happen, rather than just leaving it up to the local authorities to choose? Perhaps, ultimately, some will, some won't, and that would be worse than anything, so I would like to hear your response to that. I think that the big story from the elections last week is the crisis that has come to the fore in terms of town and community councils. The exceptionally low numbers of candidates, certainly in the area that I live in and know best, has frightened me, truth be told. So few town and community councils had any kind of election, and what we see, of course, is an ever decreasing number being elected uncontested, and they can then co-opt more and more people, which increases the democratic deficit that we want to tackle. So, I don't know whether you intend as a Government to look at this issue specifically. Clearly, we need to look at and analyse some of the figures, but I also want to understand what the reasons are why so few people want to stand for election at the coalface for our communities, and the most important level of representation, it could be argued. Also, of course, you as a Government have created a status for eligible community councils where two thirds of the council has to be elected to be eligible. So, where does that leave those councils where there are insufficient people putting themselves forward, and what do you think the implications are for that in that regard? I too welcomed the fact that we don't have to publish the addresses of candidates, but there is a problem that will arise as a result of that, because some candidates do publish their details and some don't, and for those who don't, I'm concerned - what I heard back from constituents was, 'Well, they're trying to hide the fact that they don't live locally.' I'm concerned that those that had valid reasons not to publish their details are tarred by the same brush as those who don't live in the area. So, perhaps we need to ensure that nobody publishes their addresses to prevent this situation, because people might be hiding their addresses deliberately for electoral rather than valid personal reasons Finally, I'm pleased that the Government is trialling different methods of voting. I'd like to see more of that taking place, certainly, but turnout is still falling in some areas more than I would like to see happen. It does prove to me, the fact that the turnout is still falling, that we need to go much further than what we've seen. I'm sure that the Government intends to do that in time, but hasn't the time now come for us to move towards electronic voting? Those aged between 16 and 17 were allowed to vote for the first time, and I was talking to a large number of them as I was campaigning, and, almost without exception, the question that I was asked was, 'Well, can I do this electronically?', 'Is there an app for doing this?', and, every time, I had to say, 'Well, no. You have to find your way to the ballot box to vote by paper and pencil.' Well, the looks I got back, they said, 'Well, in what age are we living in?' So, what is the Government intending to do to move towards this direction? I can pay my taxes with HMRC via electronic means, so it's not beyond the wit of the Government to move in that direction, and the time has come for us to do exactly that.
Welsh: Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ei datganiad. Mae canlyniadau wythnos diwethaf yn fy marn i yn tanlinellu unwaith eto fod y gyfundrefn cyntaf i'r felin o safbwynt pleidleisio ddim yn gweithio. Dŷn ni wedi gweld enghraifft yng Nghaerdydd fan hyn o Blaid Cymru'n cael 17 y cant o'r bleidlais ac yn ennill dwy sedd, a'r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol yn cael 13 y cant o'r bleidlais ac yn ennill 10 sedd. Nawr, dwi ddim yn gwneud pwynt pleidiol wleidyddol fan hyn, achos dwi'n gwybod mi fyddai yna rannau eraill o Gymru lle byddai fy mhlaid i ar ei cholled petaem ni yn mabwysiadu system fwy cyfrannol, ond a fyddech chi, Gweinidog, yn cytuno â fi ei bod hi nawr yn amser inni symud unwaith ac am byth o'r gyfundrefn cyntaf i'r felin, fel rŷn ni, gobeithio, yn mynd i weld fan hyn fel Senedd? Dwi'n gwybod bod yna fodd i awdurdodau lleol fabwysiadau modelau mwy cyfrannol, ond pan fo un blaid yn ennill dwy ran o dair o seddi yng nghyngor y brifddinas lle rŷn ni heddiw, does yna ddim cymhelliad yn fanna i newid y gyfundrefn, oes e? Felly, beth ŷch chi fel Llywodraeth yn mynd i'w wneud i fod yn fwy rhagweithiol i wneud i'r newid yma ddigwydd, yn hytrach na jest gadael i'r awdurdodau lleol ddewis a dethol ac efallai yn y diwedd bydd rhai yn, rhai ddim a bydd hynny'n waeth nag unrhyw beth. Felly, byddwn i'n licio clywed eich ymateb chi i hynny. Dwi'n meddwl mai stori fawr yr etholiadau lleol yr wythnos diwethaf yw'r creisis sydd wedi amlygu ei hun o safbwynt cynghorau bro a thref yng Nghymru. Mae'r niferoedd isel eithriadol o bobl oedd wedi eu rhoi eu hunain ymlaen, yn sicr yn yr ardal dwi'n byw ynddi ac yn ei hadnabod orau, wedi fy mrawychu i, a dweud y gwir, a chyn lleied o gynghorau bro a thref oedd ag unrhyw fath o etholiadau. Wrth gwrs, beth rŷn ni'n gweld yw niferoedd llai a llai, felly, yn cael eu hethol yn ddiwrthwynebiad a bod y rheini wedyn yn gallu cyfethol mwy a mwy o bobl sy'n dwysau y deficit democrataidd rŷn ni eisiau mynd i'r afael ag e. Dwi ddim yn gwybod a oes bwriad gyda chi fel Llywodraeth i edrych yn benodol ar hyn. Yn amlwg, mae angen edrych ar a dadansoddi rhai o'r ffigurau, ond dwi hefyd eisiau deall beth yw'r rhesymau pam fod cyn lleied o bobl nawr eisiau rhoi eu hunain ymlaen ar gyfer y ffas lo agosaf sydd gennym ni i'n cymunedau, y lefel bwysicaf, gallech chi ddadlau, mewn sawl ffordd yn hynny o beth. A hefyd, wrth gwrs, rŷch chi fel Llywodraeth wedi creu statws ar gyfer cynghorau cymuned cymwys - eligible community councils - lle mae gofyn bod dwy ran o dair o'r cyngor wedi cael ei hethol i fod yn gymwys. Felly, ble mae hwnna'n gadael y cynghorau hynny lle does dim digon o bobl wedi rhoi eu hunain ymlaen, a beth ŷch chi'n meddwl yw'r oblygiadau iddyn nhw yn hynny o beth? Dwi hefyd yn croesawu'r ffaith bod dim rhaid cyhoeddi cyfeiriadau ymgeisyddion, ond mae yna broblem, dwi'n meddwl, yn mynd i godi yn sgil hynny nawr, oherwydd mae rhai ymgeisyddion yn cyhoeddi a rhai ddim. I'r rhai sydd ddim, dwi'n ofni - beth roeddwn i'n ei glywed nôl gan etholwyr oedd, 'O, maen nhw'n trio cuddio'r ffaith eu bod nhw ddim yn byw yn lleol.' Dwi'n ofni bod y rhai oedd â rhesymau cwbl ddilys dros beidio â chyhoeddi eu cyfeiriad yn cael eu pardduo gan y dybiaeth annheg yna. Felly dwi ddim wedi meddwl yn ddigonol am hyn, ond efallai fod angen inni sicrhau bod neb yn cyhoeddi cyfeiriadau, rhag ofn bod rhai pobl yn cael eu pardduo oherwydd, efallai, fod rhai yn cuddio yn fwriadol am resymau etholiadol yn hytrach na rhesymau personol dilys. Yn olaf, dwi'n falch, wrth gwrs, fod y Llywodraeth yn treialu dulliau gwahanol o safbwynt pleidleisio, a byddwn i eisiau gwneud mwy o hynny yn sicr, ond mae tyrnowt yn dal i ddisgyn mewn ardaloedd yn fwy na fydden ni'n dymuno. Mae e yn profi i fi, y ffaith bod y tyrnowt yn dal i ddisgyn, fod angen mynd llawer ymhellach na'r hyn rŷn ni wedi ei weld, a dwi'n siŵr bod bwriad gan y Llywodraeth i wneud hynny gydag amser, ond onid yw'r amser nawr wedi dod inni symud yn wirioneddol tuag at bleidleisio electronig? Mi oedd pobl 16 ac 17 oed yn cael pleidleisio am y tro cyntaf. Roeddwn i'n siarad â nifer fawr ohonyn nhw wrth ymgyrchu, a, bron yn ddieithriad, y cwestiwn a oedd yn cael ei ofyn i fi oedd, 'Ydyn ni'n gallu gwneud hynny'n electronig?', 'Oes yna ap ar gyfer gwneud hynny?', a bob tro, roeddwn i'n gorfod dweud, 'Na. Rŷch chi'n gorfod ffeindio ffordd o fynd i'r blwch pleidleisio er mwyn taro'ch pleidlais ar bapur, gyda phensil.' Wel, chi'n gwybod, roedd yr edrychiad roeddwn i'n ei gael yn ôl cystal â dweud, 'Wel, ym mha oes ydyn ni'n byw?' Felly, beth yw bwriad y Llywodraeth nawr? Ydych chi o ddifrif ynglŷn â symud i'r cyfeiriad yma neu beidio? Gallaf i wneud fy nhrethi gyda Chyllid a Thollau Ei Mawrhydi. Mae yna gwestiynau diogelwch, wrth gwrs, ond, os gallaf i wneud pethau fel yna, dyw e ddim y tu hwnt i allu unrhyw un i symud i'r cyfeiriad yna, ac mae'r amser wedi dod i ni wneud hynny nawr.