English: As Members will be aware, the local government funding formula represents around 70 per cent of a council's ability to spend on and deliver their services, meaning that this funding dictates the bulk of what councils are able to deliver. As outlined in the Government's amendment today, and as I'm sure many Members on Labour's benches here want to highlight, I do appreciate that the proposed local government settlement for the next financial year will rise by 9.4 per cent. Of course, this is welcomed. Nevertheless, it does come after years and years of underfunding and still doesn't address the fact that the current funding formula is out of date and not fit for purpose. We also know that the Welsh Government revenue funding for local government fell, in real terms, by around 17 per cent through the last decade, and this decade of decline has clearly had a huge impact on local government services in Wales. This consistent underfunding of councils over many years has left many of them in a weak position to deal with the challenges of the present and the future. This is particularly seen with councils in north Wales - the region I represent, which has an older population and rural areas - who seem to be the losers from the funding formula. I said I'd talk about some specifics. I want to highlight three issues that I believe warrant the call for a review. The first is the quality of the data used to indicate how much money councils should be supported with. There's a thing called the standard spending assessment, which I'm sure we all enjoy a read of from time to time, and this data in the standard spending assessment drives the decision making behind the funding of councils. But, sadly, a number of the data points in here are over 20 years out of date, and I'll highlight a couple of those that feed into this funding for local authorities. The first one here uses data from 2001, and this looks at how many dependent children are in social rented housing. First of all, 20-year-old data looking at how many dependent children are in social rented housing - none of those children are currently children. So, that funding formula there is completely bonkers. The next one, pensioners living alone in households, again uses data from 2001. Pensioners with limiting, long-term illness again uses data from 2001. In a world that is driven by data, with so much available to support decision making, it's completely inappropriate to be using information that is over 20 years out of date. There are the other points in here that are from 1991. I'm not sure if all the Members were born when some of those data points were used. Secondly, the current financial formula does not properly reflect our ageing population and the support required to ensure our older people can live their best lives. An obvious example of this is that, looking at the funding formula, it assumes that the cost of councils supporting those over the age of 85 is around £1,500 per person, which may seem like an adequate amount. In the next age category, which is those who are age 60 to 84, the formula assumes that it would cost £10.72 to fund and support those people. So, at the age of 85, suddenly it's £1,500 per person, but for a number of years before that, it's just going to cost £10. It's a huge discrepancy, and a misunderstanding of what it takes to best support our ageing population. And, of course, our ageing population is going to become a more and more significant part of who we need to support, and support well, over coming years. By 2038, a quarter of our population will be over the age of 65 and, currently, in areas such as Conwy, 28 per cent of residents there are over the age of 65, compared to Cardiff, which has around 14 cent. So, you can see there are areas where the funding formula doesn't properly reflect the support required to support our older people. Those areas are going to struggle when it comes to funding from Welsh Government at the moment. So, the first area is around data, which needs a review. The second area is how the support for older people is properly funded. And the third issue that I see is building confidence in the process of this funding. We can see from Welsh Government's amendment 4 today that Government do not want to hold an external independent review of the funding of local government, yet in today's debate, I'm sure that we'll hear from many on the Government benches about how good the funding formula is. But I'd like to ask: if it's so good, and if it's so right, what's wrong with holding an independent review? How about holding an independent review to show it works really well? What are you worried about in terms of having an independent review? Surely if it's that good, let's undertake that review and prove the point that you want to make, that it's all fine. To conclude, acting Llywydd, councils do an unbelievable job with the funding that they get. If all councils received fair and right funding, they could flourish even more than they do today. Let's support this motion here today, and have an independent review of the funding of councils. Let's unleash the potential that councils have to offer in supporting their local communities. In closing, I look forward to listening to all contributions from all sides of the political spectrum today regarding this really important issue. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Welsh: Fel y gŵyr yr Aelodau, mae'r fformiwla ariannu llywodraeth leol y cyfrannu oddeutu 70 y cant o allu cyngor i wario ar eu gwasanaethau a'u darparu, sy'n golygu bod yr arian hwn yn pennu'r rhan fwyaf o'r hyn y gall cynghorau ei gyflawni. Fel yr amlinellwyd yng ngwelliant y Llywodraeth heddiw, ac fel rwy'n siŵr y bydd llawer o'r Aelodau ar feinciau Llafur yma am ei nodi, rwy'n derbyn y bydd y setliad arfaethedig i lywodraeth leol ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf yn codi 9.4 y cant. Mae hyn i'w groesawu wrth gwrs. Serch hynny, daw ar ôl blynyddoedd maith o danariannu ac nid yw'n mynd i'r afael o hyd â'r ffaith bod y fformiwla ariannu bresennol wedi dyddio ac nad yw'n addas i'r diben. Gwyddom hefyd fod cyllid refeniw Llywodraeth Cymru i lywodraeth leol wedi gostwng tua 17 y cant mewn termau real drwy'r degawd diwethaf, ac mae'n amlwg bod y degawd o ddirywiad wedi cael effaith enfawr ar wasanaethau llywodraeth leol yng Nghymru. Mae tanariannu cynghorau'n gyson dros flynyddoedd lawer wedi gadael llawer ohonynt mewn sefyllfa wan i ymdrin â heriau'r presennol a'r dyfodol. Gwelir hyn yn arbennig gyda chynghorau yn y gogledd - y rhanbarth rwy'n ei gynrychioli, sydd â phoblogaeth hŷn ac ardaloedd gwledig - sydd, i bob golwg, ar eu colled o'r fformiwla ariannu. Dywedais y byddwn yn siarad am rai pethau manwl. Rwyf am dynnu sylw at dri mater sydd, yn fy marn i, yn cyfiawnhau'r alwad am adolygiad. Y cyntaf yw ansawdd y data a ddefnyddir i ddangos faint o arian y dylid ei roi i gefnogi cynghorau. Ceir rhywbeth a elwir yn asesiad gwariant safonol, rhywbeth rwy'n siŵr ein bod i gyd yn mwynhau ei ddarllen o bryd i'w gilydd, ac mae'r data yn yr asesiad gwariant safonol yn llywio'r broses o wneud penderfyniadau ar gyfer ariannu cynghorau. Ond yn anffodus, mae nifer o'r pwyntiau data yma dros 20 oed, ac rwyf am dynnu sylw at un neu ddau o'r rheini sy'n bwydo i'r drefn hon o ariannu awdurdodau lleol. Mae'r un cyntaf yma yn defnyddio data o 2001, ac mae'n edrych ar faint o blant dibynnol sy'n byw mewn tai rhent cymdeithasol. Yn gyntaf oll, data 20 oed sy'n edrych ar faint o blant dibynnol sy'n byw mewn tai rhent cymdeithasol - nid oes yr un o'r plant hynny'n blant yn awr. Felly, mae'r fformiwla ariannu honno'n gwbl wallgof. Mae'r nesaf, pensiynwyr sy'n byw ar eu pen eu hunain mewn cartrefi, unwaith eto'n defnyddio data o 2001. Unwaith eto, mae pensiynwyr sydd â salwch cyfyngus hirdymor yn defnyddio data o 2001. Mewn byd sy'n cael ei yrru gan ddata, gyda chymaint ar gael i gefnogi'r broses o wneud penderfyniadau, mae'n gwbl amhriodol defnyddio gwybodaeth sydd dros 20 oed. Ceir manylion eraill yma ers 1991. Nid wyf yn siŵr os oedd pob un o'r Aelodau wedi'u geni pan ddefnyddiwyd rhai o'r pwyntiau data hynny. Yn ail, nid yw'r fformiwla ariannol bresennol yn adlewyrchu ein poblogaeth sy'n heneiddio yn briodol a'r cymorth sydd ei angen i sicrhau bod ein pobl hŷn yn gallu byw eu bywydau gorau. Enghraifft amlwg o hyn, o edrych ar y fformiwla ariannu, yw ei bod yn rhagdybio bod y gost i gynghorau sy'n cefnogi rhai dros 85 oed oddeutu £1,500 y pen, a allai ymddangos fel swm digonol. Yn y categori oedran nesaf, sef pobl rhwng 60 ac 84 oed, mae'r fformiwla'n rhagdybio y byddai'n costio £10.72 i ariannu a chefnogi'r bobl hynny. Felly, yn sydyn, yn 85 oed, mae'n £1,500 y pen, ond am nifer o flynyddoedd cyn hynny, mae'n costio £10. Mae'n anghysondeb enfawr, ac yn camddeall yr hyn y mae'n ei gymryd i gefnogi ein poblogaeth sy'n heneiddio yn y ffordd orau. Ac wrth gwrs, mae ein poblogaeth sy'n heneiddio yn mynd i ddod yn rhan fwy a mwy sylweddol o'r boblogaeth y bydd angen inni eu cefnogi, a'u cefnogi'n dda, dros y blynyddoedd nesaf. Erbyn 2038, bydd chwarter ein poblogaeth dros 65 oed ac ar hyn o bryd, mewn ardaloedd fel Conwy, mae 28 y cant o'r trigolion yno dros 65 oed, o'i gymharu â Chaerdydd, sydd â thua 14 y cant. Felly, gallwch weld bod yna feysydd lle nad yw'r fformiwla ariannu yn adlewyrchu'n briodol y cymorth sy'n ofynnol i gefnogi ein pobl hŷn. Mae'r ardaloedd hynny'n mynd i'w chael hi'n anodd gyda'r cyllid a ddaw gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar hyn o bryd. Felly, mae'r maes cyntaf yn ymwneud â data, ac mae angen ei adolygu. Yr ail faes yw sut y caiff y cymorth i bobl hŷn ei ariannu'n briodol. A'r trydydd mater a welaf yw meithrin hyder yn y broses o ariannu. Gallwn weld o welliant 4 Llywodraeth Cymru heddiw nad yw'r Llywodraeth am gynnal adolygiad annibynnol allanol o ariannu llywodraeth leol, ac eto yn y ddadl heddiw, rwy'n siŵr y byddwn yn clywed gan lawer ar feinciau'r Llywodraeth pa mor dda yw'r fformiwla ariannu. Ond hoffwn ofyn: os yw mor dda, ac os yw mor gywir, beth sydd o'i le ar gynnal adolygiad annibynnol? Beth am gynnal adolygiad annibynnol i ddangos ei fod yn gweithio'n dda iawn? Beth sy'n peri pryder i chi ynglŷn â chael adolygiad annibynnol? Os yw mor dda, gadewch inni gynnal yr adolygiad a phrofi'r pwynt yr ydych am ei wneud, ei fod yn hollol iawn. I gloi, Lywydd dros dro, mae cynghorau'n gwneud gwaith anghredadwy gyda'r cyllid a gânt. Pe bai pob cyngor yn cael arian teg a chywir, gallent ffynnu hyd yn oed yn well nag a wnânt heddiw. Gadewch inni gefnogi'r cynnig hwn heddiw, a chael adolygiad annibynnol o ariannu cynghorau. Gadewch inni ryddhau'r potensial sydd gan gynghorau i'w gynnig wrth iddynt gefnogi eu cymunedau lleol. Wrth orffen, edrychaf ymlaen at wrando ar bob cyfraniad o bob ochr i'r sbectrwm gwleidyddol heddiw ar y mater pwysig hwn. Diolch yn fawr iawn.