English: Diolch, Lywydd. Having an accessible local branch is important for older people, those without transport or internet access, shopkeepers, small businesses and others. Unlike the idiots who were allowed to wreck our banking system, I am a qualified banker, previously working in the building society sector, mutual, who has campaigned against branch closures in both sectors. Speaking here in November 2013 after HSBC announced the closure of branches in Llangollen, Conwy and Beaumaris, I highlighted concerns raised by constituents about the impact this would have on them, businesses in their towns, their communities, and the thousands of tourists visiting their area. The branch that starred in a NatWest tv advert pledging to keep every branch open as long as it was the last in the community was shut. A year ago, Barclays announced plans to shut its branch in Buckley, Flintshire, with accounts moved to Mold, a six-mile round trip. This was the third bank to announce a closure in the town in six months. Following HSBC's announcement of branch closures in Chirk and Ruabon, customers noted that there were often queues in these two branches and asked, 'Doesn't HSBC take into account the knock-on effect of closure on the surrounding areas and businesses as well as the two towns themselves? After HSBC announced the closure of their Ewloe and Caergwrle branches last year, I wrote to them and met them again, emphasising that, although HSBC again blamed a rise in telephone and internet banking, concerns had once again been raised by constituents regarding the impact this would have on them and their communities. I also emphasised, yes, the access to banking protocol, which came into effect in May 2015 to help minimise the impact of bank branch closures on customers and local communities, requiring a pre-closure assessment of the impact of any proposed closure on the wider community, including businesses, outlined consultation and community engagement requirements, and ensuring continuing provision of alternative ways to bank. In their response, they said that they had adhered to the protocol, were discussing alternative solutions with customers, and that decisions to close followed a full study of customer activity at each branch, increased customer use of digital banking, and the proximity of the nearest post office where their customers can access their services. I received a similar response from NatWest after they announced the closure of their Holywell branch, which also noted they would introduce a mobile branch every Wednesday. Earlier this month, I raised HSBC's further planned closures in Holywell, Holyhead and Llanrwst, and Yorkshire Building Society's planned closures in Abergele, Prestatyn and Llangefni, here with the First Minister. The fact that this is also affecting mutual building societies, however, emphasises that this is about wider considerations than private profit. Our amendment 2 calls on the Welsh Government to examine the not-for-profit community banking model developed in Wales by Responsible Finance, working with credit unions where credit unions can't, raising capital from other social enterprises, businesses, local authorities and town councils, and providing finance and support for people, businesses, and social enterprises that cannot access finance from high street banks. They're working with others, including the Welsh Local Government Association, Cartrefi Cymru and the Wales Co-operative Centre, to develop a public bank model, but are currently receiving no support from the Welsh Government. They're concerned that the Welsh Government's development bank could end up competing with them at higher cost when there's a compelling business case for the Welsh Government to support them with very limited funds. They state that £100,000 of Welsh Government funding, for example, would enable £3 million of lending, and that they can deliver jobs for £4,000 that would cost the Welsh Government model £35,000 each. So, let's not reinvent the wheel: let's go with the model that's already developing in the third sector in Wales. Our amendment 3 welcomes the independent 'Access to Banking Protocol - One Year on Review' by Professor Russel Griggs OBE, published in November 2016. Its recommendations include making branch closure impact assessments more specific and personal to the area and early bank engagement with customers. Our amendment 4 welcomes the new Post Office partnership agreement with UK banks, which brings together the Post Office's existing arrangements with individual banks into a single set of services available to customers of virtually all UK banks. This simplified service will allow personal and business customers to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at Post Office branches, but crucially also help post offices' presence on our high streets - or help protect post offices' presence on our high streets, something people here have often called for. I therefore urge you to support our amendments, although Welsh Conservatives will support whichever final motion we arrive at in order to send a strong and consistent message.
Welsh: Diolch, Lywydd. Mae cael cangen leol hygyrch yn bwysig i bobl hŷn, pobl heb drafnidiaeth neu fynediad at y rhyngrwyd, siopwyr, busnesau bach ac eraill. Yn wahanol i'r ffyliaid a gafodd eu caniatáu i ddryllio ein system fancio, rwy'n fanciwr cymwysedig, a arferai weithio yn y sector cymdeithasau adeiladu, cydfuddiannol, ac sydd wedi ymgyrchu yn erbyn cau canghennau yn y ddau sector. Wrth siarad yma ym mis Tachwedd 2013 ar ôl i HSBC gyhoeddi eu bod yn cau canghennau yn Llangollen, Conwy a Biwmares, tynnais sylw at bryderon a fynegwyd gan etholwyr ynglŷn â'r effaith y byddai hyn yn ei chael arnynt, ar fusnesau yn eu trefi, ar eu cymunedau, ac ar y miloedd o dwristiaid sy'n ymweld â'u hardal. Mae'r gangen a serennai mewn hysbyseb deledu NatWest yn addo cadw pob cangen ar agor os mai honno oedd yr olaf yn y gymuned bellach wedi cau. Flwyddyn yn ôl, cyhoeddodd Barclays gynlluniau i gau eu cangen ym Mwcle, Sir y Fflint, gan symud cyfrifon i'r Wyddgrug, taith gron o chwe milltir. Hwn oedd y trydydd banc mewn chwe mis i gyhoeddi ei fod yn cau yn y dref. Yn dilyn cyhoeddiad HSBC eu bod yn cau cangen yn y Waun a Rhiwabon, nododd cwsmeriaid fod yna giwiau'n aml yn y ddwy gangen a gofyn, 'Onid yw HSBC yn ystyried effaith ganlyniadol cau ar yr ardaloedd a'r busnesau cyfagos yn ogystal â'r ddwy dref eu hunain?' Ar ôl i HSBC gyhoeddi eu bod yn cau eu canghennau yn Ewloe a Chaergwrle y llynedd, ysgrifennais atynt a chyfarfod â hwy eto, ac er bod HSBC unwaith eto'n beio cynnydd mewn bancio dros y ffôn a bancio ar y we, pwysleisiais fod pryderon wedi'u lleisio unwaith eto gan etholwyr ynghylch yr effaith y byddai hyn yn ei chael arnynt hwy a'u cymunedau. Pwysleisiais hefyd, do, y protocol mynediad at fancio a ddaeth i rym ym mis Mai 2015 i helpu i leihau effaith cau canghennau banc ar gwsmeriaid a chymunedau lleol, yn galw am asesiad cyn cau o effaith unrhyw fwriadau i gau ar y gymuned ehangach, gan gynnwys busnesau, amlinelliad o ymgynghoriad a gofynion ymgysylltu â'r gymuned, a sicrhau darpariaeth barhaus o ffyrdd eraill o fancio. Yn eu hymateb, roeddent yn dweud eu bod wedi glynu at y protocol, yn trafod atebion eraill gyda chwsmeriaid, a bod penderfyniadau i gau wedi dilyn astudiaeth lawn o weithgarwch cwsmeriaid ym mhob cangen, defnydd cynyddol cwsmeriaid o fancio digidol, ac agosrwydd y swyddfa bost agosaf lle y gall eu cwsmeriaid gael mynediad at eu gwasanaethau. Cefais ymateb tebyg gan NatWest ar ôl iddynt gyhoeddi eu bod yn cau cangen Treffynnon, ymateb a oedd hefyd yn nodi y byddent yn cyflwyno cangen symudol bob dydd Mercher. Yn gynharach y mis hwn, soniais wrth y Prif Weinidog yma am gynlluniau pellach HSBC i gau canghennau yn Nhreffynnon, Caergybi a Llanrwst, a bwriadau Cymdeithas Adeiladu Yorkshire i gau canghennau yn Abergele, Prestatyn a Llangefni. Mae'r ffaith fod hyn hefyd yn effeithio ar gymdeithasau adeiladu cydfuddiannol, fodd bynnag, yn pwysleisio bod hyn yn ymwneud ag ystyriaethau ehangach nag elw preifat. Mae ein gwelliant 2 yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i edrych ar y model bancio cymunedol dielw a ddatblygwyd yng Nghymru gan Responsible Finance, gan weithio gydag undebau credyd lle na all undebau credyd wneud hynny, gan godi cyfalaf o fentrau cymdeithasol eraill, busnesau, awdurdodau lleol a chynghorau tref, a darparu cyllid a chymorth i bobl, busnesau, a mentrau cymdeithasol nad ydynt yn gallu cael cyllid gan fanciau'r stryd fawr. Maent yn gweithio gydag eraill, gan gynnwys Cymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, Cartrefi Cymru a Chanolfan Cydweithredol Cymru, i ddatblygu model banc cyhoeddus, ond ar hyn o bryd nid ydynt yn derbyn unrhyw gefnogaeth gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Maent yn pryderu y gallai banc datblygu Llywodraeth Cymru gystadlu â hwy yn y pen draw ar gost uwch pan fo achos busnes cryf dros weld Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cynorthwyo gyda chronfeydd cyfyngedig iawn. Maent yn nodi y byddai £100,000 o gyllid Llywodraeth Cymru, er enghraifft, yn galluogi gwerth £3 miliwn o fenthyciadau, ac y gallent ddarparu swyddi am £4,000 a fyddai'n costio £35,000 yr un i fodel Llywodraeth Cymru. Felly, gadewch i ni beidio ag ailddyfeisio'r olwyn: gadewch i ni ddewis y model sydd eisoes yn datblygu yn y trydydd sector yng Nghymru. Mae ein gwelliant 3 yn croesawu'r 'Access to Banking Protocol - One Year on Review' annibynnol gan yr Athro Russel Griggs OBE, a gyhoeddwyd ym mis Tachwedd 2016. Mae ei argymhellion yn cynnwys gwneud asesiadau o effaith cau cangen yn fwy penodol a phersonol i'r ardal ac ymgysylltiad cynnar y banc â chwsmeriaid. Mae ein gwelliant 4 yn croesawu cytundeb partneriaeth newydd Swyddfa'r Post gyda banciau'r DU sy'n dod â threfniadau presennol Swyddfa'r Post gyda banciau unigol at ei gilydd ar ffurf un set o wasanaethau sydd ar gael i gwsmeriaid bron bob banc yn y DU. Bydd y gwasanaeth hwn sydd wedi'i symleiddio yn caniatáu i gwsmeriaid personol a busnes dynnu arian allan, adneuo arian parod a sieciau, a gwneud ymholiadau balans mewn canghennau o Swyddfa'r Post, ond yn allweddol hefyd bydd yn helpu presenoldeb swyddfeydd post ar y stryd fawr - neu helpu i ddiogelu presenoldeb swyddfeydd post ar y stryd fawr, rhywbeth y mae pobl yma wedi galw amdano'n fynych. Felly, rwy'n eich annog i gefnogi ein gwelliannau, er y bydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn cefnogi unrhyw gynnig terfynol y penderfynwn arno er mwyn cyfleu neges gref a chyson.