English: I'd like to welcome Laura Anne to her role - it's nice to see you taking the role, Laura. I think this is the first time that we've had a question time together, so very glad to see you there. We've worked very hard with local authorities to ensure that we have very speedy distribution of grants, especially the grants that go out through the non-domestic rates process. I'm very pleased to say that, as each wave of grants has gone forward, we've been able to speed up the process more and more, and to automate it. We've done that because we've worked with a good piece of teamwork, across local authorities in Wales. Peter Fox in Monmouthshire has been very much a part of that and has been very pleased to be of assistance there. I'm also pleased to say that there is already, of course, a discretionary fund for local authorities that can assist people in their area. It's up to them whether they decide that particular businesses meet the criteria or not. That's for exactly the reason that you've just outlined - that we do really believe that local authorities are best placed to understand the needs of their local businesses and to understand the nuances. It's very difficult to put a blanket one-size-scheme-fits-all and not have people falling through the cracks of that. So, we very definitely set it up in that way, with a lot of consultation with local authority leaders, and indeed a lot of consultation with local authority treasurers. Again, I reiterate my thanks to the hundreds and hundreds of officers across Wales in local authorities, who have worked their socks off to get these grants out in good time to people - right through Christmas, and through public holidays, and everything else; they've really done a good job. So, I'm delighted to say that that discretionary scheme is up and running, and is being used to good effect by local authorities right across Wales.
Welsh: Hoffwn groesawu Laura Anne i'w rôl - mae'n braf eich gweld yn y rôl, Laura. Rwy'n credu mai dyma'r tro cyntaf i ni gael sesiwn gwestiynau gyda'n gilydd, felly rwy'n falch iawn o'ch gweld. Rydym wedi gweithio'n galed iawn gydag awdurdodau lleol i sicrhau bod grantiau'n cael eu dosbarthu'n gyflym, yn enwedig y grantiau sy'n mynd allan drwy'r broses ardrethi annomestig. Ac rwy'n falch iawn o ddweud, wrth i bob ton o grantiau gael ei chyflwyno, ein bod wedi gallu cyflymu'r broses fwy a mwy, a'i hawtomeiddio. Ac rydym wedi gwneud hynny oherwydd ein bod wedi sicrhau gwaith tîm da ar draws awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru. Ac mae Peter Fox yn Sir Fynwy wedi bod yn rhan fawr o hynny ac wedi bod yn falch iawn o fod o gymorth gyda hynny. Rwyf hefyd yn falch o ddweud bod cronfa ddewisol ar gael eisoes wrth gwrs ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol a all gynorthwyo pobl yn eu hardal. Mater iddynt hwy yw penderfynu a yw busnesau penodol yn bodloni'r meini prawf ai peidio. Mae hynny am yr union reswm rydych newydd ei amlinellu - ein bod yn credu o ddifrif mai awdurdodau lleol sydd yn y sefyllfa orau i ddeall anghenion eu busnesau lleol, ac i ddeall y manylion. Mae'n anodd iawn creu un cynllun sy'n addas i bawb heb i bobl ddisgyn drwy fylchau'r cynllun hwnnw. Felly, rydym yn bendant iawn wedi'i sefydlu yn y ffordd honno, gyda llawer o ymgynghori ag arweinwyr awdurdodau lleol, a llawer o ymgynghori yn wir â thrysoryddion awdurdodau lleol. Ac eto, rwy'n ailadrodd fy niolch i'r cannoedd ar gannoedd o swyddogion mewn awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru sydd wedi gwneud eu gorau glas i ddarparu'r grantiau hyn i bobl mewn da bryd - drwy'r Nadolig, a thrwy wyliau cyhoeddus, a phopeth arall; maent wedi gwneud gwaith da iawn yn wir. Felly rwy'n falch iawn o ddweud bod y cynllun dewisol hwnnw ar waith, a'i fod yn cael ei ddefnyddio'n effeithiol gan awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru.