English: Thank you very much for the statement. I must congratulate you for all the work that has taken place with stakeholders, the trade unions, the council leaders and with councillors the length and breadth of Wales in order to gather their views on the future of local government in Wales. But, primarily, may I also thank you and congratulate you on introducing a version - a weak version perhaps, but a version - of the Plaid Cymru policy for local government reform? I wish to read just a few lines from the Plaid Cymru manifesto, which talks about our proposals for the creation of combined regional authorities. In this document, it states 'We propose an evolutionary approachto create new leadership at the regional and community levels These authorities will plan strategically for educationhighways and transport, and other statutory services, including a new duty to promote economic development.' Does that sound familiar to you at all? Well, yes, it sounds very familiar to me, at least, and I'm sorry to highlight that particular fact this afternoon, but I feel I must do so. Do you now accept, therefore, after all the consultation, that Plaid Cymru had the best policy for local government, as compared to what was proposed by your predecessor, Leighton Andrews? My second question is this: what is the aim of your statement today? What's the purpose of this strategy? If it is an exercise in saving money only, then it simply isn't going to work, I'm afraid, and it won't achieve the main aim of local government, namely to serve our communities. What assessments have you carried out in order to ensure that the proposal that you've put forward today will truly serve the needs of our communities more effectively than the current system? One of the main strengths of local government is accountability and democracy within our communities. There is a lack of clarity in your statement today on how you will safeguard that accountability at a regional level, and this is a cause of concern. Can you, therefore, outline exactly how you will ensure accountability within this new regional structure? Taking a step towards linking health and social care is extremely important, and, indeed, is at the heart of Plaid Cymru policy. During this Assembly, the Government must get to grips with this huge problem of the complexities in the relationship between health and social services, and ensure that this false wall that has existed over decades is removed in order to provide unhindered services for patients. The proposals as we see them today aren't clear, from my point of view, at least, in terms of that integration that needs to happen between health and social care. Do you accept that if we are to make a real difference for Welsh citizens, regionalisation must include starting the journey of integrating health and social care? And, finally, you make reference to savings by centralising back-office functions, such as information and communications technology and human resources, as was suggested by the Williams commission, and this makes sense of course, but, in rural areas, county councils very often are the main employers in those areas, so, what assessments have you made in order to identify the impacts of your proposals on jobs, particularly given financial austerity at the moment? Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr iawn am y datganiad. Mae'n rhaid eich llongyfarch chi, yn wir, am yr holl waith sydd wedi digwydd efo'r rhanddeiliaid, yr undebau llafur, arweinwyr y cynghorau a chynghorwyr ledled Cymru er mwyn casglu eu barn nhw am ddyfodol llywodraeth leol yng Nghymru. Ond, yn bennaf, diolch yn fawr a llongyfarchiadau ar gyflwyno fersiwn - fersiwn gwan, efallai, ond fersiwn - o bolisi Plaid Cymru ar gyfer diwygio llywodraeth leol. Rwyf am ddarllen ychydig o linellau allan o faniffesto Plaid Cymru, sy'n sôn am ein cynlluniau ni ar gyfer creu awdurdodau rhanbarthol. Yn y ddogfen yma, mae'n dweud 'Ein cynnig ni yw esblygu graddoli greu arweinyddiaeth newydd ar lefel rhanbarthau a chymuned Yr awdurdodau hyn fydd yn cynllunio'n strategol mewn addysgpriffyrdd a thrafnidiaeth, a gwasanaethau statudol eraill, yn cynnwys dyletswydd newydd i hyrwyddo datblygu'r economi.' A ydy hynny'n swnio'n gyfarwydd? Ydy. Wel, mae'n swnio'n gyfarwydd iawn i mi, ac mae'n ddrwg iawn gen i dynnu eich sylw chi at hynny, ond mae'n rhaid imi wneud. A ydych chi rŵan, felly, yn derbyn, ar ôl yr holl ymgynghori, mai gan Blaid Cymru yr oedd y polisi gorau ar gyfer llywodraeth leol ar y pryd, o'i gymharu â'r hyn a gafodd ei gynnig gan eich rhagflaenydd, Leighton Andrews? Fy ail gwestiwn ydy hyn: beth ydy'r nod yn eich datganiad chi heddiw? Beth ydy pwrpas y strategaeth yma? Os mai ymarfer ydy o ar gyfer arbed arian yn unig, nid yw'n mynd i weithio, mae'n beryg, ac ni fydd yn cyflawni prif bwrpas llywodraeth leol, sef gwasanaethu ein cymunedau ni. Pa asesiadau a ydych chi wedi eu gwneud er mwyn sicrhau bod y cynnig yr ydych chi'n ei gyflwyno heddiw yn mynd i wasanaethu ein cymunedau ni'n well na'r system bresennol? Un o brif gryfderau llywodraeth leol ydy atebolrwydd a democratiaeth o fewn ein cymunedau ni. Mae yna ddiffyg eglurdeb yn eich datganiad chi ynglŷn â sut y byddwch chi yn parhau â'r atebolrwydd ar lefel ranbarthol, ac mae hyn yn peri gofid. A wnewch chi felly amlinellu'n union sut yr ydych am sicrhau atebolrwydd o fewn y strwythur rhanbarthol newydd yma? Mae camu tuag at gysylltu iechyd â gofal cymdeithasol yn bwysig ac, yn wir, yn greiddiol i bolisi Plaid Cymru. Yn ystod y Cynulliad yma, mae'n rhaid i'r Llywodraeth fynd i'r afael â'r broblem enbyd o'r cymhlethdod rhwng gwasanaethau iechyd a gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, a sicrhau bod y mur ffug sy'n bodoli ac sydd wedi bodoli ers degawdau yn dod i ben er mwyn darparu gwasanaeth di-dor i gleifion. Nid yw'r cynlluniau fel rydym yn eu gweld nhw heddiw yn glir, o'm safbwynt i beth bynnag, o ran yr integreiddio yma sydd angen digwydd rhwng iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol. A ydych chi'n derbyn, er mwyn gwneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i ddinasyddion Cymru, fod rhaid i ranbartholi gynnwys rhoi cychwyn ar y daith o integreiddio iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol? Ac, yn olaf, rydych chi'n cyfeirio at arbedion drwy ganoli swyddogaethau cefn swyddfa, er enghraifft, technoleg gwybodaeth ac adnoddau dynol, fel yr awgrymodd adroddiad Williams, ac mae hyn yn gwneud synnwyr, ond, wrth gwrs, mewn ardaloedd gwledig, cynghorau sir yn aml iawn ydy'r prif gyflogwyr yn yr ardal, felly pa asesiadau a ydych chi wedi eu gwneud er mwyn gweld beth fydd effaith eich cynlluniau chi ar swyddi, o gofio y cyni ariannol presennol? Diolch.