English: As our report states, around 27,000 private sector homes in Wales have been empty for more than six months. Many owners, we said, 'do not wish to see their properties lying idle and should be supported to bring them back into use. When attempts to tackle the problem informally fail, local authorities have powers to deal with empty properties; but this isn't straightforward.' The Welsh Government accepts, as we heard, 10 of our lucky 13 recommendations. Having a national action plan in place, adopting genuinely community-based approaches, accountability measures and establishing a source of legal expertise for empty property teams to access will be critical. As we stated, this should include work to understand the impacts that having a specific officer with responsibility for empty properties can make, and training for local authority officers and members on the enforcement options available will be essential, as will the provision of flexible funding solutions that are sensitive to local needs and assist property owners. As a former housing association voluntary board member, I welcome the Welsh Government's recognition that housing associations play a key part in bringing empty properties back into use, but we'll need to see evidence that they have been genuinely involved by both Welsh Government and local authorities. Although the Welsh Government rejects ring-fencing for housing purposes of revenue collected by local authorities through the council tax premium on empty homes, we must see evidence that local authorities have been encouraged to use the funding to address local housing supply needs. It is deeply regrettable that the Welsh Government have only agreed in principle to our recommendation that they undertake a review with the Welsh Local Government Association of the current statutory enforcement powers available to local authorities to tackle empty properties in order to simplify them and make them more effective. It's also concerning that they've only agreed in principle to our recommendation that they and the Welsh Local Government Association undertake an exercise to assess whether second home owners are avoiding payment of the council tax premium by falsely registering their property as a self-catering business or claiming that a family member has moved in. Serious allegations about this were made to us and we need the facts, especially where this could involve fraudulent activity. However, as I stated when we were debating Stage 3 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, there is the danger that second home owners who have put their life savings into realising their dreams will be hit hardest by the council tax premium, and therefore rent out their second homes rather than lose them, when the people that can afford it will shrug this off. Responding to me in committee, Gwynedd Council's representative stated: 'this idea that a lot of our empty properties are owned by people from outwith Gwynedd isn'tcomplete, because many people within Gwynedd own these vacant homes'. He added that over 1,000 properties had transferred. And as I said here in October: 'working with the valuation office, the Welsh Government must therefore give attention to this perhaps inevitable consequence of its legislationthey must penalise neither the contribution made byself-catering businesses to our tourism economy, norsecond home ownersforced to generate extra income on affordability groundswho are playing by the rules.' We heard from witnesses in committee that, in England, multiple authorities will adopt a regional partnership model, appointing an officer between them to share the cost and resources; that having an empty homes officer is critical and that a corporate strategic approach helps tackle huge delays and barriers; that six community-based projects in England pulled in £3 million for empty homes refurbishment and created 65 homes for local people over three years; that longer term funding is needed if the Houses into Homes scheme is to stack up; that, in England, the new homes bonus was bringing long-term empty homes back into use; that, in Scotland, probate and bereavement are a specific exemption from the council tax premium; that Wales was behind the curve in the context of the simplified fitness housing standard adopted in Scotland; and that effective community-led approaches play a key part because people feel involved and have a real say in how homes are renovated. As I said here in 2011, quoting Denbighshire's empty homes officer at that time, who was funded by north Wales housing associations, every empty home has a different story, the key is to understand why it is empty and to work closely with the owner to bring it back into use. Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Fel y dywed ein hadroddiad, mae tua 27,000 o gartrefi sector preifat yng Nghymru wedi bod yn wag am fwy na chwe mis. Nodwyd gennym fod llawer o berchnogion, 'nad ydynt yn dymuno gweld eu heiddo yn gorwedd yn segur a dylid eu cynorthwyo i'w hailddefnyddio. Pan fydd ymdrechion i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem yn methu'n anffurfiol, mae gan awdurdodau lleol bwerau i ymdrin ag eiddo gwag; ond nid yw hyn yn fater syml.' Fel y clywsom, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn derbyn 10 o'n 13 argymhelliad. Bydd cael cynllun gweithredu cenedlaethol ar waith, mabwysiadu dulliau cymunedol go iawn, mesurau atebolrwydd a sefydlu ffynhonnell o arbenigedd cyfreithiol i dimau eiddo gwag gael mynediad ati yn allweddol. Fel y dywedasom, dylai hyn gynnwys gwaith i ddeall yr effeithiau y gall cael swyddog penodol â chyfrifoldeb am eiddo gwag eu cael, a bydd hyfforddiant i swyddogion ac aelodau o awdurdodau lleol ar yr opsiynau gorfodi sydd ar gael yn hanfodol, ynghyd â darparu atebion cyllido hyblyg sy'n sensitif i anghenion lleol a chynorthwyo perchnogion eiddo. Fel cyn aelod o fwrdd gwirfoddol cymdeithas dai, rwy'n croesawu cydnabyddiaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i'r ffaith bod cymdeithasau tai yn chwarae rhan allweddol yn y gwaith o sicrhau bod eiddo gwag yn cael ei ddefnyddio unwaith eto, ond bydd angen inni weld tystiolaeth eu bod wedi'u cynnwys yn iawn gan Lywodraeth Cymru ac awdurdodau lleol. Er bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwrthod clustnodi refeniw a gesglir gan awdurdodau lleol trwy bremiwm y dreth gyngor ar gartrefi gwag at ddibenion tai, rhaid inni weld tystiolaeth fod awdurdodau lleol wedi cael eu hannog i ddefnyddio'r cyllid i fynd i'r afael ag anghenion y cyflenwad tai lleol. Mae'n destun gofid mawr nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru ond wedi cytuno mewn egwyddor i'n hargymhelliad eu bod yn cynnal adolygiad gyda Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru o'r pwerau gorfodi statudol cyfredol sydd ar gael i awdurdodau lleol fynd i'r afael ag eiddo gwag er mwyn eu symleiddio a'u gwneud yn fwy effeithiol. Mae'n destun pryder hefyd nad ydynt ond wedi cytuno mewn egwyddor i'n hargymhelliad eu bod hwy a Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru yn cynnal ymarfer i asesu a yw perchnogion ail gartrefi yn osgoi talu premiwm y dreth gyngor trwy gofrestru eu heiddo'n ffug fel busnes hunanarlwyo neu honni bod aelod o'r teulu wedi symud i mewn. Gwnaethpwyd honiadau difrifol wrthym ynglŷn â hyn ac mae angen y ffeithiau arnom, yn enwedig lle gallai hyn gynnwys gweithgaredd twyllodrus. Fodd bynnag, fel y dywedais pan oeddem yn trafod Cyfnod 3 o Ddeddf Tai (Cymru) 2014, mae perygl mai perchnogion ail gartrefi sydd wedi rhoi eu cynilion bywyd tuag at wireddu eu breuddwydion fydd yn cael eu taro galetaf gan bremiwm y dreth gyngor, ac sydd felly'n gosod eu hail gartrefi ar rent yn hytrach na'u colli, pan na fydd yn effeithio ar y bobl sy'n gallu ei fforddio. Wrth ymateb i mi yn y pwyllgor, nododd cynrychiolydd Cyngor Gwynedd: '[nid yw'r] syniad yma bod lot o'n heiddo gwag ni o dan berchnogaeth pobl o'r tu allan i Wynedd ddim yn llwyr, oherwydd mae yna nifer o dai gwag yng Ngwynedd dan berchnogaeth pobl leol' Ychwanegodd fod dros 1,000 eiddo wedi trosglwyddo. Ac fel y dywedais yma ym mis Hydref: 'gan weithio gyda'r swyddfa brisio, rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru, felly, roi sylw i ganlyniad ei deddfwriaeth a allai fod yn anochel ni ddylent gosbi'r cyfraniad a wneir gan fusnesau hunanddarpar i'n heconomi dwristiaeth, na pherchnogion ail gartrefi sy'n dilyn y rheolau, ond [a orfodir] i gynhyrchu incwm ychwanegol ar sail fforddiadwyedd.' Clywsom gan dystion yn y pwyllgor y bydd sawl awdurdod yn Lloegr yn mabwysiadu model partneriaeth ranbarthol, gan benodi swyddog rhyngddynt i rannu'r gost ac adnoddau; fod cael swyddog cartrefi gwag yn hollbwysig a bod dull strategol corfforaethol yn helpu i fynd i'r afael ag oedi a rhwystrau enfawr; fod chwe phrosiect cymunedol yn Lloegr wedi cael £3 miliwn ar gyfer adnewyddu cartrefi gwag ac wedi creu 65 o gartrefi ar gyfer pobl leol dros dair blynedd; fod angen cyllid mwy hirdymor os yw'r cynllun Troi Tai'n Gartrefi yn mynd i gyrraedd y nod; fod y bonws cartrefi newydd yn Lloegr yn sicrhau bod cartrefi a fu'n wag yn hirdymor yn cael eu defnyddio unwaith eto; fod profiant a phrofedigaeth yn yr Alban yn eithriad penodol o bremiwm y dreth gyngor; fod Cymru ar ei hôl hi yng nghyd-destun y safon tai addas symlach a fabwysiadwyd yn yr Alban; a bod dulliau cymunedol effeithiol yn chwarae rhan allweddol oherwydd bod pobl yn teimlo eu bod yn rhan o'r broses a bod ganddynt lais go iawn yn y modd yr adnewyddir cartrefi. Fel y dywedais yma yn 2011, gan ddyfynnu swyddog cartrefi gwag Sir Ddinbych ar y pryd, a gyllidwyd gan gymdeithasau tai yng ngogledd Cymru, mae gan bob cartref gwag stori wahanol, a'r allwedd yw deall pam y mae'n wag a gweithio'n agos gyda'r perchennog i sicrhau ei fod yn cael ei ddefnyddio unwaith eto. Diolch yn fawr.