English: I'm pleased to contribute to this debate. At the very heart of any Government must be a commitment to continually review its own structures and processes to ensure that they're fit for purpose and delivering value for money for the taxpayer. Every Government must be able to look at itself critically and think about how it can deliver services efficiently and effectively. To see the improvements in our public services that we all want, we have to question how decisions are being made, how resources are being allocated, and we need to identify waste. Now, earlier this year I made a commitment to the people of Wales that, should I lead a future Welsh Government, as Angela Burns said, I would establish an office of Government resilience and efficiency. The whole point of establishing that office is to create an arm's-length, independent body that could identify where resources are being wasted and where Government processes are failing to deliver improvements to our public services. Members can all point to examples of Government projects and schemes that have been delayed and over budget. For example, this year, Audit Wales has issued a number of reports on Welsh Government infrastructure project overspends, including the A465 Heads of the Valleys road and the £60 million overspend on removal of asbestos at Glan Clwyd Hospital. These reports once again highlight the lack of sufficient mechanisms within the Welsh Government to properly plan and deliver long-term projects. Nobody is disputing the merits of delivering the A465 Heads of the Valleys road, for example. Indeed, sometimes we can overlook the wider social benefits of developing infrastructure projects across Wales, and so it's worth reiterating that good infrastructure development, when it's delivered properly, has the ability to transform how we live and work in so many ways. Well-crafted and developed infrastructure can better connect us to essential goods and services, it can provide better living conditions, better schools for our children, and it can also provide jobs throughout the construction phase and along the supply chain. Therefore, perhaps, in responding to today's debate, the Minister will tell us how the Welsh Government is measuring the social benefits of each individual project in its pipeline, and perhaps the Minister can also tell us how the Welsh Government measures the social benefits of a project when it allocates that funding. My colleague Angela Burns has already talked about millions and millions of pounds a year that have been wasted that could be spent delivering infrastructure to better support communities right across the country. That's valuable funding that could be used to widen roads, improve schools or build houses. Sadly, there have been countless reports over the years of projects that have shown waste in the form of overspending, investment losses and financial irregularities. Financial waste is one thing, but it's only one piece of the puzzle, and we also need to better examine our systems too. Procurement has long been a challenge for consultants and constructors, and I'm very much aware from the discussion that I've had over the years that that process needs to be streamlined, and that the information requirements have sometime been disproportional to the value of the bid. Therefore, we have to seriously look at developing a holistic approach to delivering improvements in procurement so that, as a Government, we can maximise our spend. I'm also aware that there is a need for regular engagement and communication between partners at all stages of development. Is the Welsh Government really asking itself whether the tendering process is working as well as it can be? What after-support and discussion is there for those who've worked hard on Government projects only for the project to be pulled? These are the sorts of issues that the Government needs to better understand so that the system can be improved for the better. Therefore, I hope that, in responding to today's debate, the Minister will take the opportunity to update Members on how the Welsh Government is monitoring the effectiveness of its procurement policies, and how it's critically evaluating the way it delivers infrastructure projects. Llywydd, I believe that a cultural change is needed to really deliver improvements in our public service delivery here in Wales. I've made it clear that I'm committed to radically reforming how Government operates and how public services in Wales are delivered, and ultimately what the people of Wales want to see is an end to silo working, a much more conscious effort to eradicate waste, and to see their hard-earned money being used effectively to deliver transformational projects. Now, there are plenty of examples of public sector oversight across the world, and we need to learn from the way other Governments have operated and see where we can adapt those practices here. For example, in New Zealand, the policy advisory group was established to provide politically impartial, free and frank advice to the Prime Minister and other Ministers. In a similar way, the office of Government resilience and efficiency would have the same role at the heart of decision making, but also the teeth to work across the public service and with other key stakeholders to root out inefficiencies. Therefore, in closing, Llywydd, in order to drive forward improvements in our public services and deliver successful infrastructure projects across Wales, we have to commit to re-examining our spend and our processes. I believe that's best done by creating an office of Government resilience and efficiency - an office that can help transform the way our services are delivered and that drives the type of cultural change that the people of Wales want to see. I therefore urge Members to support our motion.
Welsh: Rwy'n falch o gyfrannu at y ddadl hon. Wrth wraidd unrhyw Lywodraeth, rhaid cael ymrwymiad i adolygu ei strwythurau a'i phrosesau ei hun yn barhaus er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn addas at y diben ac yn sicrhau gwerth am arian i'r trethdalwr. Rhaid i bob Llywodraeth allu edrych arni'i hun yn feirniadol a meddwl sut y gall ddarparu gwasanaethau'n effeithlon ac yn effeithiol. I weld y gwelliannau yn ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus y mae pawb ohonom am eu cael, rhaid inni gwestiynu sut y gwneir penderfyniadau, sut y dyrennir adnoddau, ac mae angen inni nodi gwastraff. Nawr, yn gynharach eleni, gwneuthum ymrwymiad i bobl Cymru, pe bawn yn arwain Llywodraeth Cymru yn y dyfodol, fel y dywedodd Angela Burns, y byddwn yn sefydlu swyddfa cadernid ac effeithlonrwydd Llywodraeth. Holl bwynt sefydlu'r swyddfa honno yw creu corff annibynnol hyd braich a allai nodi lle mae adnoddau'n cael eu gwastraffu a lle mae prosesau Llywodraeth yn methu sicrhau gwelliannau i'n gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Gall yr Aelodau i gyd nodi enghreifftiau o brosiectau a chynlluniau Llywodraeth lle gwelwyd oedi a gorwario. Er enghraifft, eleni, mae Archwilio Cymru wedi cyhoeddi nifer o adroddiadau ar orwariant Llywodraeth Cymru ar brosiectau seilwaith, gan gynnwys ffordd yr A465 Blaenau'r Cymoedd a'r gorwariant o £60 miliwn ar gael gwared ar asbestos yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. Mae'r adroddiadau hyn unwaith eto'n tynnu sylw at ddiffyg mecanweithiau digonol o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru i gynllunio a chyflawni prosiectau hirdymor yn briodol. Nid oes neb yn anghytuno â rhinweddau darparu ffordd yr A465 Blaenau'r Cymoedd, er enghraifft. Yn wir, weithiau gallwn fethu gweld manteision cymdeithasol ehangach datblygu prosiectau seilwaith ledled Cymru, ac felly mae'n werth ailadrodd bod datblygu seilwaith da, pan gaiff ei gyflawni'n iawn, yn gallu trawsnewid y ffordd rydym yn byw ac yn gweithio mewn cynifer o ffyrdd. Gall seilwaith sydd wedi'i lunio a'i ddatblygu'n dda ein cysylltu'n well â nwyddau a gwasanaethau hanfodol, gall ddarparu gwell amodau byw, gwell ysgolion i'n plant, a gall hefyd ddarparu swyddi drwy gydol y cyfnod adeiladu ac ar hyd y gadwyn gyflenwi. Felly, wrth ymateb i'r ddadl heddiw, efallai y gall y Gweinidog ddweud wrthym sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn mesur manteision cymdeithasol pob prosiect unigol sydd ar y gweill, ac efallai y gall y Gweinidog ddweud wrthym hefyd sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn mesur manteision cymdeithasol prosiect pan fo'n dyrannu'r cyllid hwnnw. Mae fy nghyd-Aelod Angela Burns eisoes wedi sôn am filiynau a miliynau o bunnoedd y flwyddyn o arian a wastraffwyd y gellid bod wedi'i wario'n darparu seilwaith i gefnogi cymunedau'n well ledled y wlad. Mae hwnnw'n gyllid gwerthfawr y gellid ei ddefnyddio i ledu ffyrdd, gwella ysgolion neu adeiladu tai. Yn anffodus, cafwyd adroddiadau di-rif dros y blynyddoedd am brosiectau sydd wedi dangos gwastraff ar ffurf gorwario, colledion buddsoddi ac afreoleidd-dra ariannol. Un peth yw gwastraff ariannol, ond dim ond un darn o'r jig-so ydyw, ac mae angen inni archwilio ein systemau'n well hefyd. Mae caffael wedi bod yn her ers tro byd i ymgynghorwyr ac adeiladwyr, ac rwy'n ymwybodol iawn o'r drafodaeth a gefais dros y blynyddoedd fod angen symleiddio'r broses honno, ac ar adegau fod y galw am wybodaeth wedi bod yn anghymesur â gwerth y cais. Felly, rhaid inni edrych o ddifrif ar ddatblygu dull cyfannol o sicrhau gwelliannau yn y broses gaffael fel y gallwn, fel Llywodraeth, wneud y mwyaf o'n gwariant. Rwyf hefyd yn ymwybodol fod angen ymgysylltu a chyfathrebu rheolaidd rhwng partneriaid ar bob cam datblygu. A yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn gofyn iddi hi ei hun a yw'r broses dendro'n gweithio cystal ag y gall? Pa ôl-gymorth dilynol a thrafodaeth a geir i'r rhai sydd wedi gweithio'n galed ar brosiectau'r Llywodraeth cyn i'r prosiect gael ei ddiddymu? Dyma'r math o faterion y mae angen i'r Llywodraeth eu deall yn well fel y gellir gwella'r system er gwell. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio, wrth ymateb i'r ddadl heddiw, y bydd y Gweinidog yn manteisio ar y cyfle i roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Aelodau ynglŷn â sut y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn monitro effeithiolrwydd ei pholisïau caffael, a sut y mae'n gwerthuso'n feirniadol y ffordd y mae'n cyflawni prosiectau seilwaith. Lywydd, credaf fod angen newid diwylliannol i sicrhau gwelliannau go iawn yn y modd y caiff gwasanaethau cyhoeddus eu darparu yma yng Nghymru. Rwyf wedi dweud yn glir fy mod wedi ymrwymo i ddiwygio'n sylweddol y modd y mae'r Llywodraeth yn gweithredu a sut y caiff gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru eu darparu, ac yn y pen draw yr hyn y mae pobl Cymru am ei weld yw diwedd ar weithio mewn seilos, ymdrech lawer mwy ymwybodol i ddileu gwastraff, a gweld eu harian y maent wedi gweithio'n galed amdano'n cael ei ddefnyddio'n effeithiol i gyflawni prosiectau trawsnewidiol. Nawr, ceir digon o enghreifftiau o drosolwg sector cyhoeddus ledled y byd, ac mae angen inni ddysgu o'r ffordd y mae Llywodraethau eraill wedi gweithredu a gweld ble y gallwn addasu'r arferion hynny yma. Er enghraifft, yn Seland Newydd, sefydlwyd y grŵp cynghori ar bolisi i roi cyngor gwleidyddol diduedd, di-dâl a gonest i'r Prif Weinidog a Gweinidogion eraill. Yn yr un modd, byddai gan swyddfa cadernid ac effeithlonrwydd Llywodraeth yr un rôl wrth wraidd y broses o wneud penderfyniadau, ond hefyd byddai ganddi ddannedd i weithio ar draws gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a chyda rhanddeiliaid allweddol eraill i gael gwared ar aneffeithlonrwydd. Felly, wrth gloi, Lywydd, er mwyn bwrw ymlaen â gwelliannau yn ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a chyflawni prosiectau seilwaith llwyddiannus ledled Cymru, rhaid inni ymrwymo i ailedrych ar ein gwariant a'n prosesau. Credaf mai'r ffordd orau o wneud hynny yw drwy greu swyddfa cadernid ac effeithlonrwydd Llywodraeth - swyddfa a all helpu i drawsnewid y ffordd y caiff ein gwasanaethau eu darparu a sbarduno'r math o newid diwylliannol y mae pobl Cymru am ei weld. Felly, rwy'n annog yr Aelodau i gefnogi ein cynnig.