English: That is in essence what today's motion is about. It isn't particularly a partisan subject that needs to divide people along party lines. Today's motion is more about trying to find a consensus between the different parties here, as of course we always attempt to do in UKIP. So, I am approaching the amendments today with that in mind. The Government seem to be in broad agreement with our objectives. Their amendments only delete part of one of our four points. However, while that much is true, it does delete our wish for a specific Welsh Government strategy for homeworking within the successor project to Superfast Cymru. We do need Welsh Government ultimately to commit to specifics if we are to get anywhere with this mission. So, we don't agree with this amendment, although we recognise that it is the only bit that the Government is looking to amend. They aren't doing a 'delete all' on us on this occasion. So, that much is promising. The Conservative amendment raises the point that there can be disadvantages to homeworking. I'm not denying that homeworking won't necessarily work for everyone. So, the aim isn't to push people into homeworking against their will, but rather to make it easier for those people who would prefer to work from home to be able to do so. In fact, the point that is quoted in the Conservative amendment is from one part of a report that is generally favourable to the idea of homeworking. But, of course, we have to be mindful that we don't want to push people into something that they don't want to do. So, we accept the logic of the amendment and we will support the Conservative amendment today. The driving force behind today's motion is new technology and the changes in lifestyle that may be enabled by new technology. The UK Government is currently mired in a very expensive transport project - I refer to HS2 - which has been extremely controversial and which has been an albatross around the neck of the Westminster Government for almost the entire time it has been in office. Interestingly, although we may have almost forgotten this now, HS2 was actually the idea originally of the last Labour Government. It was first proposed in 2009 when Gordon Brown was still in office. Here in Wales, the Welsh Government has been in a similar muddle over the M4 relief road. This scheme has also had spiralling costs, which will inevitably impede other areas of spending if the project does ever actually get the go ahead. The reason I mention these transport schemes is that, in a way, they may be almost redundant. I know that sounds strange when we have so much traffic congesting the roads, but a point to bear in mind is that, in some ways, investing in roads and railways is investing in old technology. It is investment that is predicated on a notion that countless millions of people will forever be needing to travel physically from one place to another on a daily basis in order to undertake their work. When you think about it, if we were to develop a reliable, fast broadband network throughout the UK, we wouldn't need so many people to be travelling on trains or cars or even on buses. We wouldn't need so many people travelling into an office every day if all of the work that they did in the office they could equally well undertake at home. Admittedly, of course, homeworking won't have much effect on manufacturing, processing or agricultural sectors. But of course administrative jobs have become a large part of the economy and homeworking could have a big effect on that sector. If contact is needed between the employee and the manager or middle manager, this can be facilitated these days by telephone, including by conference call or by Skype, by e-mail including via e-mail chains involving many people, and by other methods of electronic messaging. I'm not suggesting that all office workers can work from home all of the time, but if we can cut down on the number of people travelling into work each day, that would help to ease the pressure on road and rail networks. However, currently, there may not be much incentive for companies to move towards more homeworking. For company bosses, introducing more homeworking might be regarded as something of a nuisance. That's why we have to think about using tax incentives and/or contractual processes to try and get companies to think more along these lines. I have made some inquiries of the Welsh Government as to what they are doing precisely to encourage more homeworking. I have done two First Minister's questions on this subject, for instance. The responses I have received have been thus far, although broadly in agreement with the aims, somewhat vague as to the specifics. We do realise in UKIP that there is a big Welsh Government project going on to improve the quality and speed of broadband throughout Wales, and obviously that project will have a major effect on how far we can usher in an era of more homeworking. So, we do acknowledge that. But, as for specific schemes incentivising companies in Wales to introduce or extend homeworking, I haven't been able to locate any. Of course, I'm interested in the Minister's response today and, if I have overlooked important work that the Welsh Government is doing specifically in this area, then I will of course admit the error. But, certainly, I haven't been able to locate any Welsh Government work specific to this area. I know that there is a business exploitation programme, which aims to highlight to Welsh small and medium-sized enterprises the advantages of using the better broadband connectivity once it exists in their area, and there is recent academic work that also highlights the commercial benefits of doing so. There is also a connection with the work being done by the Fair Work Commission, part of which is to try to get companies to think about outputs, rather than hours worked. This is another lever that might help companies to think about more homeworking, although, again, neither angle is specific to the precise issue of homeworking. So, are there other things the Welsh Government could be doing? In the past, we were told that they would be facilitating the appointment of travel plan co-ordinators, who were supposed to be working with employers across Wales to encourage sustainable travel, and they would be encouraging things like car sharing, but also, more to the point for today's motion, video-conferencing and working from home. I've struggled, though, to find much information on these travel plan co-ordinators, and it may be an idea that is in danger of slipping through the cracks. We are, in today's motion, asking for some specific measures, such as calling on the Welsh Government to ensure that all public bodies in Wales have a duty to include homeworking in the design of jobs and how those jobs are advertised and how people are recruited. We're also calling on the Welsh Government to develop a specific strategy for homeworking within the successor project to Superfast Cymru, to ensure that people who wish to work from home are not impeded by a lack of broadband access. I mentioned the benefits to the transport system of encouraging more homeworking, and that isn't the only benefit, potentially. There is also the fact that one of the problems afflicting British industry is productivity. If people are working in an environment that is more pleasant to them, it may well be that output does go up, as long, of course, as homeworkers are properly trained to do the job and kept in the loop as regards ongoing training. There are also advantages for those with childcare or other caring responsibilities, who tend to be more likely to be women, and also those with physical disabilities of bringing in a work environment in Wales that is more receptive to homeworking. These points have also been made by the Trades Union Congress general secretary, Frances O'Grady. She pointed out in May 2018 that the number of people regularly working from home in the UK the previous year was still only 1.6 million, a figure that had remained unchanged from the year before. She identified two reasons why homeworking has stalled. One was the UK's extremely variable broadband speeds, the other was that too many line managers still believe that workers can't be trusted without constant supervision. So, there is a bit of a cultural battle to be won with regard to the second point. To some extent, people working in management also need to be convinced of the benefits of homeworking. Interestingly, though, 12 per cent of managers work from home on a permanent basis, but only about 2 per cent of employees do. Another startling statistic is that, in the UK, only 6 per cent of administrators work from home, even though many of their tasks could surely just as easily be performed remotely these days. So, throughout the UK, there is obviously a lot of work to be done on this issue. Perhaps we can try to lead the way on that here in Wales.
Welsh: Yn ei hanfod, dyna yw pwrpas y cynnig heddiw. Nid yw'n bwnc arbennig o bleidiol sy'n galw am rannu pobl ar hyd llinellau pleidiau. Mae'r cynnig heddiw yn ymwneud mwy â cheisio dod o hyd i gonsensws rhwng y gwahanol bleidiau yma, fel rydym ni yn UKIP bob amser yn ceisio ei wneud wrth gwrs. Felly, rwy'n ystyried y gwelliannau heddiw gan gadw hynny mewn cof. Mae'n ymddangos bod y Llywodraeth yn cytuno'n fras â'n hamcanion. Nid yw eu gwelliannau ond yn dileu rhan o un o'n pedwar pwynt. Fodd bynnag, er bod cymaint â hynny'n wir, mae'n dileu ein hawydd am strategaeth benodol gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar weithio gartref o fewn y prosiect i olynu Superfast Cymru. Mae arnom angen i Lywodraeth Cymru yn y pen draw ymrwymo i fanylion os ydym am gyrraedd unman gyda'r genhadaeth hon. Felly, nid ydym yn cytuno â'r gwelliant hwn, er ein bod yn cydnabod mai dyna'r unig ran y mae'r Llywodraeth yn awyddus i'w newid. Nid ydynt yn dweud 'dileu popeth' yn ein cynnig y tro hwn. Felly, mae hynny fach yn addawol. Mae gwelliant y Ceidwadwyr yn nodi'r pwynt y gall fod anfanteision i weithio gartref. Nid wyf yn gwadu na fydd gweithio gartref yn gweithio i bawb o reidrwydd. Felly, nid y nod yw gwthio pobl i weithio gartref yn erbyn eu hewyllys, ond yn hytrach ei gwneud yn haws i'r bobl y byddai'n well ganddynt weithio gartref i allu gwneud hynny. Mewn gwirionedd, mae'r pwynt a ddyfynnir yng ngwelliant y Ceidwadwyr yn deillio o un rhan o adroddiad sydd, ar y cyfan, yn ffafriol i'r syniad o weithio gartref. Ond wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid i ni gofio nad ydym am wthio pobl i wneud rhywbeth nad ydynt am ei wneud. Felly, rydym yn derbyn rhesymeg y gwelliant a byddwn yn cefnogi gwelliant y Ceidwadwyr heddiw. Y sbardun y tu ôl i'r cynnig heddiw yw technoleg newydd a'r newidiadau yn ein ffordd o fyw y gallai technoleg newydd eu galluogi. Ar hyn o bryd, mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi cael ei llethu gan brosiect trafnidiaeth drud iawn - rwy'n cyfeirio at HS2 - sydd wedi bod yn hynod o ddadleuol ac a fu'n faen melin am wddf Llywodraeth San Steffan am bron yr holl amser y bu mewn grym. Yn ddiddorol, er ein bod bron â bod wedi anghofio hyn yn awr o bosibl, syniad gwreiddiol y Llywodraeth Lafur ddiwethaf oedd HS2 mewn gwirionedd. Cafodd ei gynnig yn gyntaf yn 2009 pan oedd Gordon Brown yn dal yn ei swydd. Yma yng Nghymru, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi wynebu dryswch tebyg ynglŷn â ffordd liniaru'r M4. Mae'r cynllun hwn hefyd wedi gweld costau cynyddol, a fydd yn anochel yn atal gwariant mewn meysydd eraill os bydd y prosiect yn cael ei gymeradwyo mewn gwirionedd. Y rheswm pam y soniaf am y cynlluniau trafnidiaeth hyn yw y gallent fod bron yn ddiangen mewn ffordd. Rwy'n gwybod bod hynny'n swnio'n rhyfedd pan fo gennym gymaint o draffig yn llenwi'r ffyrdd, ond y pwynt i'w gadw mewn cof yw bod buddsoddi mewn ffyrdd a rheilffyrdd, mewn rhai ffyrdd, yn gyfystyr â buddsoddi mewn hen dechnoleg. Mae'n fuddsoddiad sy'n seiliedig ar syniad y bydd angen am byth i filiynau lawer o bobl deithio'n ffisegol o un lle i'r llall yn ddyddiol er mwyn gwneud eu gwaith. Pan feddyliwch am y peth, pe baem yn datblygu rhwydwaith band eang cyflym a dibynadwy ledled y DU, ni fyddai angen i gynifer o bobl deithio ar drenau neu geir neu hyd yn oed ar fysiau. Ni fyddai angen i gymaint o bobl deithio i swyddfa bob dydd pe bai modd iddynt wneud yr holl waith y byddent yn ei wneud yn y swyddfa yr un mor hawdd gartref. Rhaid cyfaddef na fydd gweithio gartref, wrth gwrs, yn effeithio fawr ddim ar y sector gweithgynhyrchu, y sector prosesu neu'r sector amaethyddol. Ond wrth gwrs, mae swyddi gweinyddol wedi dod yn rhan fawr o'r economi a gallai gweithio gartref effeithio'n fawr ar y sector hwnnw. Os oes angen cyswllt rhwng y cyflogai a'r rheolwr neu'r rheolwr canol, gellir hwyluso hyn dros y ffôn y dyddiau hyn, gan gynnwys drwy alwad gynadledda neu drwy Skype, drwy e-bost gan gynnwys drwy gadwyni e-bost sy'n cynnwys llawer o bobl, a dulliau eraill o negeseua electronig. Nid wyf yn awgrymu y gall pob gweithiwr swyddfa weithio gartref drwy'r amser, ond os gallwn leihau nifer y bobl sy'n teithio i'r gwaith bob dydd, byddai hynny'n helpu i leddfu'r pwysau ar rwydweithiau ffyrdd a rheilffyrdd. Fodd bynnag, ar hyn o bryd, efallai nad oes llawer o gymhelliant i gwmnïau symud tuag at fwy o weithio gartref. I benaethiaid cwmnïau, gellid ystyried bod cyflwyno mwy o weithio gartref yn niwsans. Dyna pam y mae'n rhaid i ni feddwl am ddefnyddio cymhellion treth a/neu brosesau cytundebol i geisio cael cwmnïau i feddwl mwy ar hyd y llinellau hyn. Rwyf wedi holi Llywodraeth Cymru beth yn union y mae'n ei wneud i annog mwy o weithio gartref. Rwyf wedi gofyn dau gwestiwn i'r Prif Weinidog ar y pwnc hwn, er enghraifft. Er eu bod yn cytuno'n fras â'r nodau, mae'r atebion a gefais hyd yn hyn braidd yn amwys ynglŷn â'r manylion. Rydym yn sylweddoli yn UKIP fod prosiect mawr yn mynd rhagddo gan Lywodraeth Cymru i wella ansawdd a chyflymder band eang ledled Cymru, ac yn amlwg bydd y prosiect hwnnw'n effeithio'n fawr ar ba mor bell y gallwn esgor ar oes o fwy o weithio gartref. Felly, rydym yn cydnabod hynny. Ond o ran cynlluniau penodol sy'n cymell cwmnïau yng Nghymru i gyflwyno neu ymestyn gweithio gartref, nid wyf wedi gallu dod o hyd i rai. Wrth gwrs, mae gennyf ddiddordeb yn ymateb y Gweinidog heddiw ac os wyf wedi methu gwaith pwysig y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud yn benodol yn y maes hwn, byddaf yn bendant yn syrthio ar fy mai. Ond yn sicr, nid wyf wedi gallu dod o hyd i unrhyw waith penodol gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn y maes hwn. Gwn fod yna raglen datblygu busnesau ar gael, sy'n ceisio tynnu sylw busnesau bach a chanolig eu maint yng Nghymru at fanteision defnyddio cysylltedd band eang gwell pan fydd yn bodoli yn eu hardal, a cheir gwaith academaidd diweddar sydd hefyd yn amlygu manteision masnachol gwneud hynny. Ceir cysylltiad hefyd â'r gwaith a wneir gan y Comisiwn Gwaith Teg, gyda rhan ohono'n ceisio annog cwmnïau i feddwl am allbynnau yn hytrach na'r oriau a weithir. Mae hwn yn ddull arall a allai helpu cwmnïau i feddwl am fwy o weithio gartref, er nad yw'r naill ongl na'r llall yn ymwneud yn benodol ag union fater gweithio gartref. Felly, a oes pethau eraill y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru eu gwneud? Yn y gorffennol, dywedwyd wrthym y byddent yn hwyluso'r broses o benodi cydlynwyr cynlluniau teithio, a oedd i fod i weithio gyda chyflogwyr ledled Cymru i annog teithio cynaliadwy, a byddent yn annog pethau fel rhannu ceir, ond hefyd, yn fwy at y pwynt ar gyfer y cynnig heddiw, fideogynadledda a gweithio gartref. Serch hynny, cefais drafferth dod o hyd i lawer o wybodaeth am y cydlynwyr cynlluniau teithio hyn, ac efallai ei fod yn syniad sydd mewn perygl o lithro drwy'r craciau. Yn y cynnig heddiw, gofynnwn am fesurau penodol, megis galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau bod dyletswydd ar bob corff cyhoeddus yng Nghymru i gynnwys gweithio gartref yn y gwaith o gynllunio swyddi a sut y caiff y swyddi hynny eu hysbysebu a sut y caiff pobl eu recriwtio. Rydym hefyd yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ddatblygu strategaeth benodol ar gyfer gweithio gartref o fewn y prosiect i olynu Superfast Cymru, er mwyn sicrhau nad yw pobl sy'n dymuno gweithio gartref yn cael eu llyffetheirio gan ddiffyg mynediad at fand eang. Soniais am y manteision i'r system drafnidiaeth o annog mwy o weithio gartref, ac nid dyna'r unig fantais, o bosibl. Mae'n ffaith hefyd mai un o'r problemau sy'n effeithio ar ddiwydiant Prydain yw cynhyrchiant. Os yw pobl yn gweithio mewn amgylchedd sy'n fwy dymunol iddynt, mae'n ddigon posibl y bydd y cynnyrch yn cynyddu, cyn belled, wrth gwrs, â bod y rhai sy'n gweithio gartref wedi'u hyfforddi'n briodol i wneud y gwaith ac yn cael hyfforddiant parhaus. Mae manteision hefyd i'r rheini sydd â chyfrifoldebau gofal plant neu gyfrifoldebau gofalu eraill, sy'n tueddu i fod yn fwy tebygol o fod yn fenywod, a hefyd rhai ag anableddau corfforol o gyflwyno amgylchedd gwaith yng Nghymru sy'n fwy parod i dderbyn gweithio gartref. Mae'r pwyntiau hyn wedi'u gwneud hefyd gan ysgrifennydd cyffredinol Cyngres yr Undebau Llafur, Frances O'Grady. Nododd ym mis Mai 2018 mai dim ond 1.6 miliwn oedd nifer y bobl a weithiodd yn rheolaidd o gartref yn y DU yn y flwyddyn flaenorol, ffigur a oedd wedi aros yr un fath ers y flwyddyn cynt. Nododd ddau reswm pam y mae gweithio gartref wedi arafu. Un oedd cyflymder band eang hynod amrywiol y DU, y llall oedd bod gormod o reolwyr llinell yn dal i gredu na ellir ymddiried mewn gweithwyr heb eu goruchwylio'n gyson. Felly, mae yna frwydr ddiwylliannol i'w hennill o ran yr ail bwynt. I ryw raddau, mae angen i bobl sy'n gweithio ym maes rheoli gael eu hargyhoeddi o fanteision gweithio gartref. Fodd bynnag, yn ddiddorol, mae 12 y cant o reolwyr yn gweithio gartref yn barhaol, ond tua 2 y cant yn unig o gyflogeion sy'n gwneud hynny. Ystadegyn trawiadol arall yw mai 6 y cant yn unig o weinyddwyr sy'n gweithio gartref yn y DU er y gellid yn hawdd gyflawni llawer o'u tasgau o bell y dyddiau hyn. Felly, ledled y DU, mae'n amlwg fod llawer o waith i'w wneud ar y mater hwn. Efallai y gallwn geisio arwain y ffordd ar hynny yma yng Nghymru.