English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I'm very pleased to be moving those amendments. I also refer Members to my own declaration of interest in terms of property ownership. I'm indeed actually very grateful for the opportunity to discuss within our Senedd the cost-of-living crisis, which is affecting residents in each one of our constituencies. Already, the UK Government is, for example, cutting fuel duty, raising national insurance thresholds and delivering a £9.1 billion energy bill rebate package. You're now asking for consideration to be given to reforming the local housing allowance. Whilst I would like to hear further details of the proposed reform, I do know that the National Residential Landlords Association wants to see further positive action by the UK Government, such as a replication of the decision in 2021 to unfreeze the housing cost support element of universal credit, and I have to say that I am becoming quite concerned by the numbers of people who are not receiving enough money to cover their rent. To me, it's a fundamental basic right. So, I will certainly be writing to the UK Government to ask it to look at this, because it does concern me that there is a gap between the local housing allowance payment and the average mean monthly rent of almost £92. However, it is a fact that how much an individual receives in housing benefit is dependent on a number of factors, including the lower figure of eligible rent, or LHA rate, household income, including benefits, pensions and savings over £6,000, and circumstances such as age or whether there is a disability. I'm sure that every single one of us as Senedd Members want people to be in decent homes where they can then pursue the jobs that they love and save - actually be able to save one day - for a home that they might want to call their own. So, I do hope that Members will agree with the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP's suggestion that boosting social rented property is a key way into home ownership, as renters will be able to save more to buy a home of their own. And who are we to say that people don't, or shouldn't, deserve a home of their own? The Welsh Conservatives have been clear that we should have an ambitious target to build 100,000 homes over the next 10 years, whilst ensuring enough affordable housing in our local communities, including 40,000 social homes. At a time when only 4,616 new dwellings were completed in 2021, when the figure should have been 12,000, it's basically fact that there isn't a drive forward of new housing projects. In fact, what we are now seeing as a result of this co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru is one that does the complete opposite to making homes affordable for local people on low incomes. A recent English Private Landlord Survey shows that 70 per cent of landlords keep rents the same rather than increasing them when extending or renewing a tenancy agreement. So, tenants should be aware that what Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour are calling for is a Welsh Government-sanctioned rent increase. In fact, tenants watching this today should be aware that the Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour intention could actually see you in poorer quality housing, because the OECD has found a correlation between countries with the strictest rent controls having a poorer quality. The message is clear: we should support tenants by not forcing landlords to increase rents, and by seeing Wales deliver more social housing and market stock. Of course, though, this should be accompanied by other policies, such as the reintroduction of right to buy, which ensures the reinvesting of sale proceeds into more social housing and protecting those homes for sale for 10 years; the development a Wales-wide scheme to provide incentives to bring more empty homes in need of renovation back into use; and further action to tackle homelessness. I don't know if many Members have considered the road map to ending youth homelessness in Wales. It's obvious that it's essential that the Welsh Government respond to the recommendations in detail, but they do need to explain to the Senedd today why local authorities are not currently required to proactively seek the views of young people when determining housing need for local development plans. Young people at risk of youth homelessness are not included in these Welsh Government and local authority social procurement policies, and we simply don't have a comprehensive child poverty strategy with clear -
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd, ac rwy'n falch iawn o gynnig y gwelliannau hynny. Cyfeiriaf yr Aelodau hefyd at fy natganiad o fuddiant ar fater perchnogaeth ar eiddo. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y cyfle i drafod yn ein Senedd yr argyfwng costau byw sy'n effeithio ar drigolion ym mhob un o'n hetholaethau. Eisoes, mae Llywodraeth y DU yn torri treth ar danwydd, er enghraifft, yn codi trothwyon yswiriant gwladol, ac yn darparu pecyn ad-daliad bil ynni sy'n werth £9.1 biliwn. Rydych chi'n gofyn yn awr am ystyried diwygio'r lwfans tai lleol. Er yr hoffwn glywed rhagor o fanylion am y diwygio arfaethedig, gwn fod Cymdeithas Genedlaethol y Landlordiaid Preswyl am weld camau cadarnhaol pellach gan Lywodraeth y DU, megis ailadrodd y penderfyniad yn 2021 i ddadrewi elfen cymorth cost tai y credyd cynhwysol, ac mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud fy mod yn eithaf pryderus ynghylch nifer y bobl nad ydynt yn cael digon o arian i dalu eu rhent. I mi, mae'n hawl sylfaenol. Felly, byddaf yn sicr yn ysgrifennu at Lywodraeth y DU i ofyn iddi edrych ar hyn, oherwydd mae'n peri pryder imi fod bwlch rhwng y taliad lwfans tai lleol a'r rhent misol cymedrig cyfartalog o bron i £92. Fodd bynnag, mae'n ffaith bod faint y mae unigolyn yn ei dderbyn mewn budd-dal tai yn dibynnu ar nifer o ffactorau, gan gynnwys y ffigur is o rent sy'n gymwys, neu gyfradd y lwfans tai lleol, incwm aelwyd, gan gynnwys budd-daliadau, pensiynau a chynilion dros £6,000, ac amgylchiadau megis oedran neu anabledd. Rwy'n siŵr fod pob un ohonom fel Aelodau'r Senedd eisiau i bobl fod mewn cartrefi gweddus lle gallant wedyn fynd ar drywydd y swyddi y maent yn eu caru a chynilo - un diwrnod, y gallant gynilo - i gael cartref iddynt hwy eu hunain. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd yr Aelodau'n cytuno ag awgrym y Gwir Anrhydeddus Michael Gove AS fod hybu eiddo cymdeithasol ar rent yn ffordd allweddol i mewn i berchentyaeth, gan y bydd rhentwyr yn gallu cynilo mwy i brynu eu cartref eu hunain. A phwy ydym ni i ddweud nad yw pobl, neu na ddylai pobl haeddu cael cartref eu hunain? Mae'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig wedi bod yn glir y dylem gael targed uchelgeisiol i adeiladu 100,000 o gartrefi dros y 10 mlynedd nesaf, gan sicrhau digon o dai fforddiadwy yn ein cymunedau lleol, yn cynnwys 40,000 o gartrefi cymdeithasol. Ar adeg pan na chwblhawyd mwy na 4,616 o anheddau newydd yn 2021, pan ddylai'r ffigur fod wedi bod yn 12,000, mae'n ffaith yn y bôn na chaiff prosiectau tai newydd eu hyrwyddo. Mewn gwirionedd, yr hyn a welwn yn awr o ganlyniad i'r cytundeb cydweithio â Phlaid Cymru yw un sy'n gwneud y gwrthwyneb yn llwyr i wneud cartrefi'n fforddiadwy i bobl leol ar incwm isel. Dengys arolwg landlordiaid preifat Lloegr yn ddiweddar fod 70 y cant o landlordiaid yn cadw rhenti yr un fath yn hytrach na'u codi wrth ymestyn neu adnewyddu cytundeb tenantiaeth. Felly, dylai tenantiaid fod yn ymwybodol mai'r hyn y mae Plaid Cymru a Llafur Cymru yn galw amdano yw cynnydd yn y rhent a gymeradwywyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Mewn gwirionedd, dylai tenantiaid sy'n gwylio hyn heddiw fod yn ymwybodol y gallai bwriad Plaid Cymru a Llafur Cymru olygu eich bod mewn tai o ansawdd gwaeth, oherwydd mae'r Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd wedi canfod cydberthynas rhwng gwledydd sydd â'r rheolaethau rhent llymaf ac ansawdd gwaeth. Mae'r neges yn glir: dylem gefnogi tenantiaid drwy beidio â gorfodi landlordiaid i godi rhenti, a thrwy weld Cymru'n darparu mwy o dai cymdeithasol a stoc y farchnad. Ond wrth gwrs, dylid cael polisïau eraill i ategu hyn, megis ailgyflwyno'r hawl i brynu, sy'n sicrhau bod elw gwerthiant yn cael ei ailfuddsoddi mewn mwy o dai cymdeithasol a diogelu'r cartrefi hynny sydd ar werth am 10 mlynedd; datblygu cynllun Cymru gyfan i ddarparu mwy o gymhellion i ailddefnyddio mwy o gartrefi gwag sydd agen eu hadnewyddu; a chamau pellach i fynd i'r afael â digartrefedd. Nid wyf yn gwybod faint o'r Aelodau sydd wedi ystyried y map ffordd ar gyfer rhoi diwedd ar ddigartrefedd ymhlith pobl ifanc yng Nghymru. Mae'n amlwg ei bod yn hanfodol fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymateb i'r argymhellion yn fanwl, ond mae angen iddynt egluro i'r Senedd heddiw pam nad yw'n ofynnol i awdurdodau lleol fynd ati'n rhagweithiol ar hyn o bryd i geisio barn pobl ifanc wrth bennu'r angen am dai ar gyfer cynlluniau datblygu lleol. Nid yw pobl ifanc sydd mewn perygl o fod yn ddigartref yn cael eu cynnwys ym mholisïau caffael cymdeithasol Llywodraeth Cymru ac awdurdodau lleol, ac yn syml iawn, nid oes gennym strategaeth tlodi plant gynhwysfawr gyda cherrig milltir clir -