English: The committee considered the Commission's draft budget, and published its report on 21 October. We found that the Commission developed its budget proposals in a prudent manner and, as a result, we recommend that the Senedd should endorse the budget before us today. However, as the commissioner has mentioned, public sector organisations across Wales will face even more difficult financial decisions following last week's autumn statement, and the committee believes that the Commission should not be isolated from such considerations. Therefore, I note the commissioner's commitment to reflect on the content of that statement to ensure that its proposals for the next year remain proportionate. I also welcome the commissioner's assurances about engaging with the committee on the issues, and look forward to hearing more about its plans so that they can be scrutinised, considered and assessed as soon as possible. I'm glad to say that the committee has a constructive relationship with the Commission, based on open dialogue, which you want to see continue as we embark on these discussions. However, although I accept that the realities we face today are different to the context that existed during the budget-setting process over the summer, it is regrettable that these issues have only been identified now, outside of the usual financial procedures that govern the scrutiny of the Commission's budget. The Finance Committee does not take kindly to such procedures being undermined. It can weaken scrutiny and lead to poor outcomes. We therefore wish this to be a one-off, and that lessons are learnt so that the situation is not repeated in future years. Turning now to our report, the committee's overall support for the Commission's budget is caveated by eight recommendations, which are intended to ensure that as much transparency is provided relating to the Commission's proposals. I have received the Commission's response to our report and am pleased to see that six of those have been accepted and two have been noted. Firstly, the committee is deeply concerned by the impact of rising utility costs on the Commission's budget and its ability to deliver its core services - an issue facing all public sector organisations, businesses and households across Wales. Although we welcome efforts by the Commission to explore options that keep utility costs as low as possible, we believe that further information about the effectiveness of such initiatives is required to ensure that the Commission is on the right track in reaching its sustainability goals. Dirprwy Lywydd, I'd like to turn now to some specific issues. Clearly, the biggest organisational challenge facing the Commission over the next few years is delivering proposals relating to Senedd reform. We also understand the difficulties faced by the Commission in providing clarity relating to the associated funding, and in separating its ongoing costs from the investment needed to support the change. We therefore welcome the inclusion of a dedicated budget line for Senedd reform in the draft budget, and note the Commission's intention to provide as much transparency as possible in presenting costs attributable to these plans in future budgets. Turning now to the workforce pressures, the rise in living costs will have an impact on us all, but the committee is concerned by its impact on the Commission staff, particularly those on lower grades. We are pleased that all Commission staff receive the living wage and that solid initiatives are in place, but the Commission should not rest on its laurels. That is why we would like to see the Commission looking at ways it can provide additional support to staff who are struggling, and that steps are put in place to rigorously evaluate the initiatives already in place to ensure that the support provided reaches those who need it most. I was also glad to see that the Commission will not consider staff redundancies as a cost-saving measure as part of the in-year review it has promised.
Welsh: Ystyriwyd cyllideb ddrafft y Comisiwn gan y pwyllgor, a chyhoeddodd ei adroddiad ar 21 Hydref. Canfuom fod y Comisiwn wedi datblygu ei gynigion cyllidebol mewn modd darbodus, ac o ganlyniad, rydym yn argymell y dylai'r Senedd gymeradwyo'r gyllideb sydd ger ein bron heddiw. Fodd bynnag, fel y mae'r comisiynydd wedi'i grybwyll, bydd sefydliadau'r sector cyhoeddus ledled Cymru yn wynebu penderfyniadau ariannol anos fyth yn dilyn datganiad yr hydref yr wythnos diwethaf, ac mae'r pwyllgor yn credu na ddylai'r Comisiwn gael ei ynysu rhag ystyriaethau o'r fath. Felly, nodaf ymrwymiad y comisiynydd i ystyried cynnwys y datganiad hwnnw i sicrhau bod ei gynigion ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf yn parhau i fod yn gymesur. Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu sicrwydd y comisiynydd ynghylch ymgysylltu â'r pwyllgor ar y materion, ac edrychaf ymlaen at glywed mwy am ei gynlluniau fel y gellir craffu arnynt, eu hystyried a'u hasesu cyn gynted â phosibl. Rwy'n falch o ddweud bod gan y pwyllgor berthynas adeiladol â'r Comisiwn, yn seiliedig ar ddeialog agored, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y dymunwch ei weld yn parhau wrth inni gychwyn ar y trafodaethau hyn. Fodd bynnag, er fy mod yn derbyn bod y realiti sy'n ein hwynebu heddiw yn wahanol i'r cyd-destun a fodolai yn ystod y broses o bennu'r gyllideb dros yr haf, mae'n anffodus mai nawr yn unig y nodwyd y materion hyn, y tu allan i'r gweithdrefnau ariannol arferol sy'n llywodraethu'r gwaith o graffu ar gyllideb y Comisiwn. Nid yw'r Pwyllgor Cyllid yn hoff o weld gweithdrefnau o'r fath yn cael eu tanseilio. Gall hynny wanhau gwaith craffu ac arwain at ganlyniadau gwael. Rydym yn awyddus felly i hyn fod yn rhywbeth sy'n digwydd unwaith yn unig, a bod gwersi'n cael eu dysgu fel nad yw'r sefyllfa'n cael ei hailadrodd yn y blynyddoedd i ddod. Gan droi nawr at ein hadroddiad, mae cefnogaeth gyffredinol y pwyllgor i gyllideb y Comisiwn hefyd yn dod gyda chafeat o wyth argymhelliad, gyda'r bwriad o sicrhau bod cymaint o dryloywder â phosibl yn cael ei ddarparu mewn perthynas â chynigion y Comisiwn. Rwyf wedi cael ymateb y Comisiwn i'n hadroddiad, ac rwy'n falch o weld bod chwech o'r rheini wedi'u derbyn a dau wedi'u nodi. Yn gyntaf, mae'r pwyllgor yn bryderus iawn ynghylch effaith costau cynyddol cyfleustodau ar gyllideb y Comisiwn a'i allu i ddarparu ei wasanaethau craidd - problem sy'n wynebu holl sefydliadau'r sector cyhoeddus, busnesau a chartrefi ledled Cymru. Er ein bod yn croesawu ymdrechion gan y Comisiwn i archwilio opsiynau sy'n cadw costau cyfleustodau mor isel â phosibl, credwn fod angen rhagor o wybodaeth am effeithiolrwydd mentrau o'r fath i sicrhau bod y Comisiwn ar y trywydd iawn i gyflawni ei nodau cynaliadwyedd. Ddirprwy Lywydd, hoffwn droi nawr at ambell fater penodol. Yn amlwg, yr her sefydliadol fwyaf sy'n wynebu'r Comisiwn dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd nesaf yw cyflawni cynigion sy'n ymwneud â diwygio'r Senedd. Rydym hefyd yn deall yr anawsterau a wynebir gan y Comisiwn o ran darparu eglurder ynghylch y cyllid cysylltiedig, ac wrth wahanu ei gostau parhaus oddi wrth y buddsoddiad sydd ei angen i gefnogi'r newid. Rydym felly'n croesawu cynnwys llinell wariant benodol ar gyfer diwygio'r Senedd yn y gyllideb ddrafft, ac yn nodi bwriad y Comisiwn i ddarparu cymaint o dryloywder â phosibl wrth gyflwyno costau y gellir eu priodoli i'r cynlluniau hyn yng nghyllidebau'r dyfodol. Gan droi yn awr at bwysau'r gweithlu, bydd y cynnydd mewn costau byw'n effeithio ar bob un ohonom, ond mae'r pwyllgor yn pryderu am ei effaith ar staff y Comisiwn, yn enwedig y rheini ar raddfeydd cyflog is. Rydym yn falch fod holl staff y Comisiwn yn cael y cyflog byw a bod mentrau cadarn ar waith, ond ni ddylai'r Comisiwn orffwys ar ei fri. Dyna pam yr hoffem weld y Comisiwn yn edrych ar ffyrdd y gall ddarparu cymorth ychwanegol i staff sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd, a bod camau'n cael eu cymryd i werthuso'r mentrau sydd eisoes ar waith yn drylwyr i sicrhau bod y cymorth a ddarperir yn cyrraedd y rheini sydd ei angen fwyaf. Roeddwn hefyd yn falch o weld na fydd y Comisiwn yn ystyried diswyddo staff fel mesur i arbed costau yn rhan o'r adolygiad canol blwyddyn y mae wedi'i addo.