English: I would like to begin this afternoon's contribution by echoing the comments of all my fellow committee members by thanking everyone who contributed and the clerking team in compiling this report. It comes at an incredibly pivotal time for the hospitality and tourism industry, especially within the context of incoming Welsh Government legislation, so I'm pleased we are given the opportunity to review the Welsh visitor economy and lay out a concrete set of proportionate recommendations. The hospitality, tourism and retail industries are key employers in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire. Our natural beauty is world renowned and enjoyed by both domestic and international tourists. And when they visit, they're welcomed by a whole range of small and medium-sized businesses, all of whom contribute economic opportunities to my constituents. With that, my intention this afternoon is to focus on two specific aspects of this report: the impact of the Welsh Government's tourism tax, and the fair work levers available to the Welsh Government to ensure that the barriers to work within the hospitality, tourism and retail sectors are minimised. Recommendations 9 to 11 of this report place a specific requirement for the Welsh Government to provide concrete evidence, information and reasoning for the introduction of their tourism tax. We are not just requesting the thought process behind the decision to pursue this policy, but we wish to better understand the output of three individual research projects that investigated the prospect of a Wales tourism tax. The committee rightly highlighted the tourism and hospitality industries' view that any form of tourism tax or levy was neither wanted nor needed. The Welsh tourism association suggested that the Welsh Government's policy would be a form of double taxation, and UKHospitality Cymru stated that a levy was the wrong tax at the wrong time. Indeed, other organisation described this policy as a hugely regressive step and a knee-jerk reaction. It's not really a ringing endorsement of your plans, Minister, and I would go so far as saying it is the direct opposite of what the industry wants and needs - not 'naysayers', as the previous speaker would say, but the industry themselves. I am glad to see that the Welsh Government has accepted all three of these recommendations, but, in reference to recommendations 9 and 10, I am disappointed that the committee had to nudge the Welsh Government towards transparency. I am disappointed that the requested information was shared with the committee less than two hours ago, but, hey, at least we got it. One such way to support business growth is by ensuring that businesses can grow. In doing so, we're not just investing back in the local economy, but we're using existing levers to address employment shortfalls within the industry. As recommendation 18 sets out, there are significant barriers to fair work, specifically in relation to topics of employment, wages and conditions. Over the last several years, difficulties have arisen as a consequence of local employment gaps, and in no better way was this illustrated than last summer, when businesses in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire had to shut during the peak season due to low staffing levels. We have a real opportunity to ensure that your legislation is transparent and accountable, and whilst these benches and the industry itself may disagree with your tourist tax policy, you certainly owe it to the hospitality and tourism industry, and the many thousands who are employed within it, to demonstrate your grounds for its introduction. It is with this sentiment that I would urge the Welsh Government to implement and deliver upon the recommendations made within this report at its earliest opportunity. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd.
Welsh: Hoffwn ddechrau fy nghyfraniad y prynhawn yma drwy adleisio sylwadau fy nghyd-aelodau pwyllgor drwy ddiolch i bawb a gyfrannodd a'r tîm clercio am lunio'r adroddiad hwn. Daw ar adeg hynod bwysig i'r diwydiant lletygarwch a thwristiaeth, yn enwedig yng nghyd-destun deddfwriaeth newydd Llywodraeth Cymru, felly rwy'n falch ein bod yn cael cyfle i adolygu economi ymwelwyr Cymru a gosod set gadarn o argymhellion cymesur. Mae'r diwydiannau lletygarwch, twristiaeth a manwerthu yn gyflogwyr allweddol yng Ngorllewin Caerfyrddin a De Sir Benfro. Mae ein harddwch naturiol yn fyd-enwog ac yn cael ei fwynhau gan dwristiaid domestig a rhyngwladol. A phan fyddant yn ymweld, cânt eu croesawu gan ystod gyfan o fusnesau bach a chanolig, a phob un ohonynt yn cynnig cyfleoedd economaidd i fy etholwyr. Gyda hynny, fy mwriad y prynhawn yma yw canolbwyntio ar ddwy agwedd benodol ar yr adroddiad hwn: effaith treth dwristiaeth Llywodraeth Cymru, a'r ysgogiadau gwaith teg sydd ar gael i Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau bod y rhwystrau i waith o fewn y sectorau lletygarwch, twristiaeth a manwerthu yn cael eu lleihau. Mae argymhellion 9 i 11 o'r adroddiad hwn yn gosod gofyniad penodol i Lywodraeth Cymru ddarparu gwybodaeth, tystiolaeth a sail resymegol bendant dros gyflwyno eu treth dwristiaeth. Gofynnwn nid yn unig am y broses feddyliol sy'n sail i'r penderfyniad i fynd ar drywydd y polisi hwn, rydym hefyd eisiau cael gwell dealltwriaeth o allbwn tri phrosiect ymchwil unigol a ymchwiliodd i'r posibilrwydd o gyflwyno treth dwristiaeth yng Nghymru. Fe wnaeth y pwyllgor dynnu sylw'n briodol at farn y diwydiannau twristiaeth a lletygarwch nad oeddent angen nac eisiau unrhyw fath o dreth neu ardoll dwristiaeth. Awgrymodd cymdeithas twristiaeth Cymru y byddai polisi Llywodraeth Cymru yn fath o drethiant dwbl, ac fe ddywedodd UKHospitality Cymru fod ardoll yn dreth anghywir ar yr adeg anghywir. Yn wir, mae sefydliad arall wedi disgrifio'r polisi hwn fel cam hynod anflaengar ac adwaith difeddwl. Nid yw'n gymeradwyaeth frwd i'ch cynlluniau, Weinidog, a byddwn yn mynd mor bell â dweud mai dyma'r gwrthwyneb llwyr i'r hyn y mae'r diwydiant ei eisiau a'i angen - nid 'sinigiaid', fel y byddai'r siaradwr blaenorol yn ei ddweud, ond y diwydiant ei hun. Rwy'n falch o weld bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn y tri argymhelliad, ond wrth gyfeirio at argymhellion 9 a 10, roedd y ffaith bod rhaid i'r pwyllgor wthio Llywodraeth Cymru tuag at dryloywder yn siomedig. Rwy'n siomedig na chafodd yr wybodaeth y gofynnwyd amdani ei rhannu gyda'r pwyllgor tan lai na dwy awr yn ôl, ond o leiaf fe gawsom yr wybodaeth honno. Un ffordd o gefnogi twf busnes yw drwy sicrhau bod busnesau'n gallu tyfu. Wrth wneud hynny, rydym yn buddsoddi'n ôl yn yr economi leol, ac yn ogystal, rydym yn defnyddio ysgogiadau sy'n bodoli eisoes i fynd i'r afael â diffygion cyflogaeth o fewn y diwydiant. Fel y mae argymhelliad 18 yn nodi, ceir rhwystrau sylweddol i waith teg, yn benodol mewn perthynas â chyflogaeth, tâl ac amodau. Dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, mae anawsterau wedi codi o ganlyniad i fylchau cyflogaeth lleol, a dangoswyd hyn orau yr haf diwethaf, pan fu'n rhaid i fusnesau yng Ngorllewin Caerfyrddin a De Sir Benfro gau yn ystod y tymor prysur oherwydd lefelau staffio isel. Mae gennym gyfle gwirioneddol i sicrhau bod eich deddfwriaeth yn dryloyw ac yn atebol, ac er efallai y bydd y meinciau hyn a'r diwydiant ei hun yn anghytuno â'ch polisi treth dwristiaeth, mae'n bendant yn ddyletswydd arnoch i ddangos eich sail dros ei chyflwyno i'r diwydiant lletygarwch a thwristiaeth a'r miloedd lawer sy'n cael eu cyflogi ynddo. Gyda'r farn hon, hoffwn annog Llywodraeth Cymru i weithredu a chyflawni'r argymhellion a wnaed o fewn yr adroddiad hwn cyn gynted â phosibl. Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd.