English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I want to thank Members for their contributions and for the opportunity to respond, and thank Hefin David for bringing the subject today, and I think he should be pleased and positive that the Government will vote in favour of the motion. [ Interruption. ] I know. [ Laughter. ] Since the beginning of the pandemic, our aim has been and continues to be to support individuals, businesses and communities, and that's informed both our emergency response, but also our approach to economic recovery. The Welsh Government has recognised the fundamental role of Welsh small and medium-sized enterprises and the foundational economy and its impact on the well-being of the nation long before the COVID crisis. There are large parts of this sector that could not be shut down, as they provide the infrastructure of everyday life and serve essential, daily household needs. The new programme for government commits us to build on our approach to improving and supporting the foundational economy, so we will continue to provide support for businesses through Business Wales and to develop a backing local firms fund to help support local businesses, and to see that carried through in different areas of Government activity - in particular, how we look to deliver procurement spend. Now, I have always been clear in understanding that small and medium-sized businesses are a hugely important sector within the Welsh economy, and I recognise Hefin David's regular comment that we should not refer to them as the lifeblood of the Welsh economy, and the figures that he's regularly quoted over a period of time, and newer Members will get used to that. But they're not only important in their number, they're also critical to the way that our economy and local communities operate, and I should just say lots of conversation here has been about small and medium-sized businesses in villages and towns. That's important, but I can say, as someone who represents a large part of the capital city, they're a hugely important part of life within our cities as well. It's a relevant part of everyday life. Now, we've regularly talked about the fact that, since the start of the pandemic, the Welsh Government has provided more than £2.5 billion of support for businesses, and that's deliberately been designed to complement the support provided by the UK Government. With that support, we've been able to safeguard hundreds of thousands of jobs right across our economy, and I'm proud of what the Welsh Government has done over the course of devolution, but particularly when we really have been tested like no other time before over the last 18 months or so.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd, a hoffwn ddiolch i'r Aelodau am eu cyfraniadau ac am y cyfle i ymateb, a diolch i Hefin David am gyflwyno'r pwnc heddiw, a chredaf y dylai deimlo'n falch ac yn gadarnhaol y bydd y Llywodraeth yn pleidleisio o blaid y cynnig. [ Torri ar draws. ] Rwy'n gwybod. [ Chwerthin. ] Ers dechrau'r pandemig, ein nod o'r cychwyn oedd cefnogi unigolion, busnesau a chymunedau, ac mae hynny wedi llywio ein hymateb i'r argyfwng, ond hefyd ein dull o adfer yr economi. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cydnabod rôl sylfaenol busnesau bach a chanolig eu maint yng Nghymru a'r economi sylfaenol a'i heffaith ar lesiant y genedl ymhell cyn argyfwng COVID. Mae rhannau helaeth o'r sector hwn na ellid eu cau, gan eu bod yn darparu seilwaith i fywyd bob dydd ac yn diwallu anghenion hanfodol aelwydydd o ddydd i ddydd. Mae'r rhaglen lywodraethu newydd yn ein hymrwymo i adeiladu ar ein dull o wella a chefnogi'r economi sylfaenol, felly byddwn yn parhau i ddarparu cymorth i fusnesau drwy Busnes Cymru ac i ddatblygu cronfa cefnogi cwmnïau lleol i helpu i gefnogi busnesau lleol, ac i weld hynny'n cael ei gyflawni mewn gwahanol feysydd o weithgarwch y Llywodraeth - yn enwedig y ffordd y ceisiwn gyflawni gwariant caffael. Nawr, rwyf bob amser wedi deall bod busnesau bach a chanolig eu maint yn sector eithriadol o bwysig yn economi Cymru, ac rwy'n cydnabod sylw rheolaidd Hefin David na ddylem gyfeirio atynt fel anadl einioes economi Cymru, a'r ffigurau y mae wedi'u dyfynnu'n rheolaidd dros gyfnod o amser, a bydd yr Aelodau mwy newydd yn dod i arfer â hynny. Ond nid o ran eu nifer yn unig y maent yn bwysig, maent hefyd yn hanfodol i'r ffordd y mae ein heconomi a'n cymunedau lleol yn gweithredu, a dylwn ddweud bod llawer o sgwrsio yma wedi bod am fusnesau bach a chanolig mewn pentrefi a threfi. Mae hynny'n bwysig, ond gallaf ddweud, fel rhywun sy'n cynrychioli rhan fawr o'r brifddinas, maent yn rhan hynod bwysig o fywyd ein dinasoedd hefyd. Mae'n rhan berthnasol o fywyd bob dydd. Nawr, rydym wedi siarad yn rheolaidd am y ffaith bod Llywodraeth Cymru, ers dechrau'r pandemig, wedi darparu mwy na £2.5 biliwn o gymorth i fusnesau, ac mae hynny wedi'i gynllunio'n fwriadol i ategu'r gefnogaeth a ddarperir gan Lywodraeth y DU. Gyda'r gefnogaeth honno, rydym wedi gallu diogelu cannoedd o filoedd o swyddi ar draws ein heconomi, ac rwy'n falch o'r hyn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i wneud dros gyfnod datganoli, ond yn enwedig pan fyddwn wedi cael ein profi'n fwy nag ar unrhyw adeg arall o'r blaen dros y 18 mis diwethaf.