English: Thank you, acting Deputy Presiding Officer. It is a pleasure to be able to respond to the debate this afternoon. I'd obviously like to thank Alun Davies for bringing forward this debate, and also thank Dawn Bowden for contributing to it. Because there is no doubt that the last few months have been some of the saddest and most challenging that any of us can remember. And while we look at the work of combating coronavirus, which is not at an end, we must also focus on the future and on the work of the recovery, and in particular as to how we can give areas across the Heads of the Valleys the hope and the opportunity of a new economic future - a break with the past, a greener, fairer and more prosperous future. As Alun has so eloquently made clear, the legacy of deindustrialisation across the Heads of the Valleys over the last 40 years has been significant, but we must overcome it. It left a mark on the environment, it left a mark on the health of the people of the area, and it requires a complex set of interventions to address. We don't have time this afternoon to run through all of them, but I'd like to just touch on a number that Ministers and Welsh Government are leading on, to help to shape that brighter, sustainable and fairer tomorrow for people in communities such as Blaenau Gwent and across the Heads of the Valleys. The first and perhaps the most important is the opportunity that we have to re-energise and redesign many of the town centres and high streets that we have across the Valleys, to bring back pride in those towns. Often, they've felt too remote from centres of intense urban activity, they've felt too far away and left behind from the fruits of growth during the course of globalisation. We need to rebalance the way that the economy works in Wales, and across the UK, and in so doing we must promote the interests of towns. COVID is a tragic event, but it's accelerating a significant shift in the way that we live, the way that we work, and the way that we structure our lives. And the growing use of digital technology and of more flexible working, away from large urban centres, does open up the opportunity for us to put new footfall and, by definition, new energy back into the hearts of many of our smaller Valleys communities. And that's why we've agreed the 'town centre first' approach right across Government. And the starting point for all Government policy is now: can this be done in the town centre? Can this building, can this function, can this new service be done on a high street or a town-centre location - from further education to care, from remote working to new forms of supported living, from Welsh Government activities being decentralised and deconcentrated into towns within the Valleys, from local government activities being located on the high street and in town centres? The opportunities are only limited by our own imagination and willingness to change. And we only need to look at some of our recent new further education buildings that have done so much to help re-energise areas in which they are located. But, of course, I recognise equally that this is only one part of the answer. The story and the rich history of the Valleys, and the ongoing strength of the regional economy, lies in production, in the manufacturing, the development of high-quality, industrial goods, products and services, as can be seen in sectors like automotive and advance manufacturing, which have been so important in the communities that Alun Davies and Dawn Bowden represent and serve. And that's why our Tech Valleys programme, and its commitment to investing in new digital technologies to create a sustainable regional economy, is so vitally important, as Alun said. A £100 million of Welsh Government commitment to Tech Valleys over 10 years will create 1,500 sustainable jobs, and we remain absolutely committed to providing the expertise and the capacity needed for it to succeed. Through the investment made by companies such as Thales, we're already seeing the potential of new opportunities arising from the fourth industrial revolution and from cutting-edge industries, such as 5G battery technology and research into future autonomous vehicles. But as I've mentioned, many of the challenges facing the Heads of the Valleys are not simple in nature and so require responses that are themselves highly sophisticated and wide-ranging - things that go much wider than simply the economic portfolio, again, as Alun said, taking into account the need to align economic development with spatial planning with transport policy and delivery. To build a resilient, green and fairer economy of the future in the Heads of the Valleys requires interventions across the gamut of transport, housing, regeneration and health. And, acting Deputy Presiding Officer, of course, infrastructure is key to the success of any regional economy, alongside skills. In June of this year, we announced the appointment of Future Valleys as the preferred bidder for the next stage of work on the transformational long-term plan to dual the A465. And construction, I'm pleased to say, will start in earnest in early 2021. We expect that project to deliver £400 million of direct spend in Wales, with gross value added generated for the wider Welsh economy at over £670 million, with £170 million spending within the local supply chain. And, of course, metro is another piece of infrastructure that can support the Heads of the Valleys economy, with upgrades of the Ebbw Vale and Maesteg lines very much part of our planning work. And we have to ensure that those services for trains are ultimately delivered for those areas that lie outside what we describe as core Valleys lines at the moment. These investments are going to be critical as the Heads of the Valleys economy recovers from challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic over the next few years. I read with interest Alun Davies's promotion of the Valleys development agency, not least because I was determined to create a place-based decentralised approach to economic development when we published the economic action plan. And part of that plan saw challenge and guidance from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development with regard to how to best deliver regional economic development - how to create the right institutions and vehicles to ensure that you have strong and powerful regional economies. And, of course, in its recent report, the OECD promoted the creation of regional development agencies, which align perfectly with Alun's argument and which I'm very, very sympathetic to. I'll leave my contribution there, but suffice it to say that both myself and every Minister in the Welsh Government remains fundamentally committed to supporting the Heads of the Valleys to succeed. It's played a pivotal and rich role in shaping our history and it can play a central role in our proud and vibrant future - a brighter and a greener and a fairer future that can support individuals in communities right across the region. Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd dros dro. Mae'n bleser gallu ymateb i'r ddadl y prynhawn yma. Yn amlwg hoffwn ddiolch i Alun Davies am gyflwyno'r ddadl hon, a diolch hefyd i Dawn Bowden am gyfrannu ati. Oherwydd nid oes amheuaeth fod y misoedd diwethaf ymhlith rhai o'r tristaf a mwyaf heriol y gall unrhyw un ohonom eu cofio. Ac wrth inni edrych ar y gwaith o fynd i'r afael â'r coronafeirws, nad yw wedi dod i ben, rhaid inni ganolbwyntio hefyd ar y dyfodol ac ar y gwaith adfer, ac yn enwedig ar sut y gallwn roi gobaith a chyfle i gael dyfodol economaidd newydd yn yr ardaloedd ar draws Blaenau'r Cymoedd - troi cefn ar y gorffennol, a dyfodol mwy gwyrdd, mwy teg a mwy llewyrchus. Fel y mae Alun wedi egluro mor huawdl, mae gwaddol dad-ddiwydiannu ar draws Blaenau'r Cymoedd dros y 40 mlynedd diwethaf wedi bod yn sylweddol, ond rhaid inni ei oresgyn. Gadawodd farc ar yr amgylchedd, gadawodd farc ar iechyd pobl yr ardal, ac mae angen set gymhleth o ymyriadau i fynd i'r afael ag ef. Nid oes gennym amser y prynhawn yma i redeg drwy bob un ohonynt, ond hoffwn gyffwrdd ar nifer y mae Gweinidogion a Llywodraeth Cymru yn arwain arnynt, i helpu i lunio'r yfory mwy disglair, cynaliadwy a theg hwnnw i bobl mewn cymunedau fel Blaenau Gwent ac ar draws Blaenau'r Cymoedd. Y cyntaf ac efallai'r pwysicaf yw'r cyfle sydd gennym i adfywio ac ailgynllunio llawer o'r canol trefi a'r strydoedd mawr sydd gennym ar draws y Cymoedd, er mwyn dod â balchder yn ôl i'r trefi hynny. Yn aml, maent wedi teimlo'n rhy bell o ganolfannau gweithgarwch trefol dwys, maent wedi teimlo'n rhy bell ac wedi'u gadael ar ôl oddi wrth ffrwyth twf yn ystod globaleiddio. Mae angen inni ailgydbwyso'r ffordd y mae'r economi'n gweithio yng Nghymru, a ledled y DU, ac wrth wneud hynny rhaid inni hyrwyddo buddiannau trefi. Mae COVID yn ddigwyddiad trasig, ond mae'n cyflymu newid sylweddol yn y ffordd rydym yn byw, y ffordd rydym yn gweithio, a'r ffordd rydym yn strwythuro ein bywydau. Ac mae'r defnydd cynyddol o dechnoleg ddigidol a gweithio mwy hyblyg, i ffwrdd o ganolfannau trefol mawr, yn agor cyfle i ni ddenu ymwelwyr newydd a thrwy ddiffiniad, egni newydd yn ôl i galonnau llawer o'n cymunedau llai yn y Cymoedd. A dyna pam rydym wedi cytuno ar y dull 'canol y dref yn gyntaf' ar draws y Llywodraeth. A'r man cychwyn ar gyfer holl bolisi'r Llywodraeth yw: a ellir gwneud hyn yng nghanol y dref? A ellir gwneud yr adeilad hwn, y gweithgarwch hwn, y gwasanaeth newydd hwn ar stryd fawr neu leoliad ynghanol y dref - o addysg bellach i ofal, o weithio o bell i fathau newydd o fyw â chymorth, o weithgareddau Llywodraeth Cymru yn cael eu datganoli a'u gwasgaru'n fwy eang i drefi yn y Cymoedd, o weithgareddau llywodraeth leol yn cael eu lleoli ar y stryd fawr ac yng nghanol trefi? Dim ond ein dychymyg a'n parodrwydd ein hunain i newid all gyfyngu ar y cyfleoedd. Ac nid oes ond angen edrych ar rai o'n hadeiladau addysg bellach newydd diweddar sydd wedi gwneud cymaint i helpu i adfywio ardaloedd lle maent wedi'u lleoli. Ond wrth gwrs, rwy'n cydnabod lawn cymaint mai dim ond un rhan o'r ateb yw hyn. Mae stori a hanes cyfoethog y Cymoedd, a chryfder parhaus yr economi ranbarthol, yn ymwneud â chynhyrchu, yn y gweithgynhyrchu, datblygu nwyddau, cynnyrch a gwasanaethau diwydiannol o ansawdd uchel, fel y gwelir mewn sectorau fel gweithgynhyrchu modurol a gweithgynhyrchu uwch, sydd wedi bod mor bwysig yn y cymunedau y mae Alun Davies a Dawn Bowden yn eu cynrychioli a'u gwasanaethu. A dyna pam fod rhaglen y Cymoedd Technoleg, a'i hymrwymiad i fuddsoddi mewn technolegau digidol newydd i greu economi ranbarthol gynaliadwy, mor hanfodol bwysig, fel y dywedodd Alun. Bydd £100 miliwn o ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i'r Cymoedd Technoleg dros 10 mlynedd yn creu 1,500 o swyddi cynaliadwy, ac rydym yn parhau'n gwbl ymrwymedig i ddarparu'r arbenigedd a'r capasiti sydd eu hangen er mwyn iddo lwyddo. Drwy'r buddsoddiad a wnaed gan gwmnïau fel Thales, rydym eisoes yn gweld potensial cyfleoedd newydd sy'n deillio o'r pedwerydd chwyldro diwydiannol ac o ddiwydiannau arloesol, megis technoleg batri 5G ac ymchwil i gerbydau awtonomaidd yn y dyfodol. Ond fel y soniais, nid yw llawer o'r heriau sy'n wynebu Blaenau'r Cymoedd yn syml eu natur ac felly mae angen ymatebion sydd eu hunain yn soffistigedig iawn ac yn eang eu cwmpas - pethau sy'n mynd yn llawer ehangach na'r portffolio economaidd yn unig, unwaith eto, fel y dywedodd Alun, gan ystyried yr angen i gysoni datblygu economaidd â chynllunio gofodol a pholisi a darpariaeth trafnidiaeth. Er mwyn adeiladu economi gadarn, gwyrdd a theg yn y dyfodol ym Mlaenau'r Cymoedd, mae angen ymyriadau ar draws holl feysydd trafnidiaeth, tai, adfywio ac iechyd. Ac wrth gwrs, Ddirprwy Lywydd dros dro, mae seilwaith yn allweddol i lwyddiant unrhyw economi ranbarthol, ochr yn ochr â sgiliau. Ym mis Mehefin eleni, cyhoeddwyd mai Future Valleys yw'r ymgeisydd a ffefrir ar gyfer y cam nesaf o'r gwaith ar y cynllun hirdymor trawsnewidiol i ddeuoli'r A465. A bydd y gwaith adeiladu, rwy'n falch o ddweud, yn dechrau o ddifrif ar ddechrau 2021. Disgwyliwn i'r prosiect hwnnw ddarparu £400 miliwn o wariant uniongyrchol yng Nghymru, gyda thros £670 miliwn o werth ychwanegol crynswth yn cael ei gynhyrchu i economi ehangach Cymru, a £170 miliwn o wariant o fewn y gadwyn gyflenwi leol. Ac wrth gwrs, mae'r metro yn ddarn arall o seilwaith a all gefnogi economi Blaenau'r Cymoedd, gydag uwchraddio rheilffyrdd Glynebwy a Maesteg yn rhan bwysig iawn o'n gwaith cynllunio. A rhaid inni sicrhau bod y gwasanaethau hynny ar gyfer trenau'n cael eu darparu yn y pen draw ar gyfer yr ardaloedd sydd y tu allan i'r hyn a ddisgrifiwn fel rheilffyrdd craidd y Cymoedd ar hyn o bryd. Bydd y buddsoddiadau hyn yn hollbwysig wrth i economi Blaenau'r Cymoedd ymadfer o heriau parhaus y pandemig COVID-19 dros y blynyddoedd nesaf. Darllenais gyda diddordeb erthygl Alun Davies yn hyrwyddo asiantaeth ddatblygu'r Cymoedd, yn bennaf am fy mod yn benderfynol o greu dull datganoledig sy'n seiliedig ar leoedd o gyflawni datblygiad economaidd pan gyhoeddasom y cynllun gweithredu economaidd. Ac roedd rhan o'r cynllun hwnnw'n gweld her ac arweiniad gan y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd ar y ffordd orau o sicrhau datblygiad economaidd rhanbarthol - sut i greu'r sefydliadau a'r cyfryngau cywir i sicrhau bod gennych economïau rhanbarthol cryf a phwerus. Ac wrth gwrs, yn ei adroddiad diweddar, hyrwyddodd y Sefydliad ar gyfer Cydweithrediad a Datblygiad Economaidd y gwaith o greu asiantaethau datblygu rhanbarthol, sy'n cyd-fynd yn berffaith â dadl Alun ac rwy'n gefnogol iawn iddi. Gadawaf fy nghyfraniad yno, ond digon yw dweud fy mod i a phob Gweinidog yn Llywodraeth Cymru yn dal i fod wedi ymrwymo'n sylfaenol i gefnogi llwyddiant Blaenau'r Cymoedd. Mae wedi chwarae rhan ganolog a chyfoethog yn llunio ein hanes a gall chwarae rhan ganolog yn ein dyfodol balch a bywiog - dyfodol mwy disglair a gwyrdd a theg a all gynnal unigolion mewn cymunedau ledled y rhanbarth. Diolch.