English: We have to recognise that Wales has yet to suffer from the extent of the cuts that have been experienced in England. In England, council budgets were cut by 10 per cent in cash terms in the last five years whereas in Wales overall they went up by 2.5 per cent. That is because schools and social services were ring-fenced, avoiding the cuts that occurred in other services, but obviously there have been huge challenges in trying to deliver the other services that weren't ring-fenced. It isn't going to get any easier. It can't be sustainable in the long term, because of the shrinking budgets coming from the Tory UK Government. By 2020 the Welsh budget will be nearly £1.5 billion lower in real terms than it was in 2010. So, fundamental reform of how public services are delivered and organised across Wales has to be addressed and addressed now. The salami-slicing and the withdrawal of non-essential activities has already been done. The low-hanging fruit have been eliminated. So, continuing to do less is unlikely to meet anything other than public dismay. Local authorities are going to have to do things differently. The Welsh Government has set out a range of ideas in the draft local government Bill to improve openness, transparency and public accountability of local government. That is long overdue. In the last five years we had no less than three councils where the chief executive and some senior officers were writing their own remuneration plans, and the elected members were found wanting absolutely in their failure to prevent such a massive level of maladministration. It took the intervention of the Wales Audit Office to expose these governance failings. Such scandals undermine staff and the public's confidence and trust in public services, and we need to let in some light if we're going to attract more people who want to serve in local government. I think that public service boards and their obligations under the future generations Act provide a breath of fresh air and necessary collaboration if they're going to meet their obligations. In addition to that, the bitter referendum contest that we have all suffered over the last few months has thrown up some challenging issues, which will not go away whatever the result is tomorrow. People have got used to clicking their preferences online rather than getting their jackets off and helping solve problems. Is it really the case that it's always somebody else's responsibility? To blame whichever level of government is not hard to do, but instead we need to get people to reflect on what they can do to help resolve problems. I can agree with Suzy Davies that the status quo is not an option. Some of the things that local authorities can do to grasp the nettle of doing things differently were illustrated in the smarter energy for Wales report, which set out the opportunities that are available to local authorities to harness our natural resources for the well-being of local communities. Sadly, few local authorities at any level have seized the opportunity and the money. Indeed, in many areas, local authorities actively block community-led energy schemes, rather than embracing these initiatives to enhance the well-being and income of their populations. Suzy Davies recognises there has to be co-production, and that requires us to trust people but also to expect that they will play their part, rather than simply demand. It is not local authorities who throw litter, it is people; it's not local authorities that churn up the roads and create potholes, it's vehicles, particularly heavy goods vehicles, which are reluctant to pay the cost in their licences that should reflect the damage they do. It is no use Mohammad Asghar simply decrying the loss of services; we have to think what we're going to do about it. It is undoubtedly the case that poorer neighbourhoods have lower reserves to fall back on when changes are proposed. For example, Rhydypennau library in Cyncoed, which is a relatively well-off area, threatened with closure, has not just been kept open, the local community has massively enhanced the service, with a huge range of concerts, fundraisers and readings, ably supported by the exemplary librarian, who goes the extra mile to deliver for the public. As it's Public Service Day tomorrow, I think we should recognise that. I think virtual mergers and voluntary mergers have to be the way forward, to make people from different organisations feel comfortable with each other, and I wait with interest, for example, to hear about the increased collaboration between health and local authorities in Powys, to find out whether that might be a forward model for other local authorities as well.
Welsh: Mae'n rhaid i ni gydnabod bod Cymru eto i ddioddef graddau'r toriadau a brofwyd yn Lloegr. Yn Lloegr, torwyd cyllidebau cynghorau 10 y cant mewn termau arian parod dros y pum mlynedd diwethaf ond yng Nghymru yn gyffredinol maent wedi codi 2.5 y cant. Mae hynny oherwydd bod cyllid ar gyfer ysgolion a gwasanaethau cymdeithasol wedi'i glustnodi, gan osgoi'r toriadau a welwyd mewn gwasanaethau eraill, ond yn amlwg cafwyd heriau enfawr wrth geisio darparu'r gwasanaethau eraill na chafodd eu clustnodi. Nid yw'n mynd i fod yn haws. Ni all fod yn gynaliadwy yn y tymor hir, oherwydd y cyllidebau sy'n lleihau a ddaw gan Lywodraeth Dorïaidd y DU. Erbyn 2020, bydd cyllideb Cymru bron £1.5 biliwn yn is mewn termau real nag yn 2010. Felly, rhaid diwygio'n sylfaenol y modd y caiff gwasanaethau cyhoeddus eu darparu a'u trefnu ar draws Cymru a rhaid gwneud hynny nawr. Eisoes, cafwyd toriadau tameidiog a diddymu gweithgareddau nad ydynt yn hanfodol. Mae'r toriadau mwyaf amlwg wedi'u gwneud. Felly, mae parhau i wneud llai yn annhebygol o gymell dim heblaw siom cyhoeddus. Mae awdurdodau lleol yn mynd i orfod gwneud pethau'n wahanol. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi nodi ystod o syniadau yn y Bil llywodraeth leol drafft i wella agwedd agored, tryloywder ac atebolrwydd i'r cyhoedd mewn llywodraeth leol. Mae'n hen bryd gwneud hynny. Yn y pum mlynedd diwethaf cawsom gymaint â thri chyngor lle roedd y prif weithredwyr a rhai uwch-swyddogion yn ysgrifennu eu cynlluniau cydnabyddiaeth ariannol eu hunain, a diffygion pendant ymhlith aelodau etholedig a fethodd atal lefel mor eithriadol o uchel o gamweinyddu. Bu'n rhaid i Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru ymyrryd er mwyn amlygu'r methiannau hyn yn y trefniadau llywodraethu. Mae sgandalau o'r fath yn tanseilio hyder staff a'r cyhoedd ac ymddiriedaeth mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, ac mae angen i ni adael rhywfaint o oleuni i mewn os ydym yn mynd i ddenu mwy o bobl sydd am wasanaethu mewn llywodraeth leol. Credaf fod byrddau gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a'u rhwymedigaethau o dan Ddeddf cenedlaethau'r dyfodol yn darparu chwa o awyr iach a chydweithio angenrheidiol os ydynt yn mynd i gyflawni eu rhwymedigaethau. Yn ogystal â hynny, mae'r ddadl refferendwm chwerw rydym i gyd wedi dioddef yn ei sgil yn ystod yr ychydig fisoedd diwethaf wedi datgelu rhai materion heriol, na fydd yn diflannu waeth beth fydd y canlyniad yfory. Mae pobl wedi dod i arfer â chlicio eu dewisiadau ar-lein yn hytrach na thynnu eu siacedi a helpu i ddatrys problemau. A yw'n wir mewn gwirionedd ei fod bob amser yn gyfrifoldeb i rywun arall? Nid yw'n anodd beio pa lefel bynnag o lywodraeth, ond yn lle hynny mae angen i ni gael pobl i feddwl ynglŷn â'r hyn y gallant ei wneud i helpu i ddatrys problemau. Gallaf gytuno â Suzy Davies nad yw'r status quo yn opsiwn. Darluniwyd rhai o'r pethau y gall awdurdodau lleol ei wneud i fachu ar y cyfle i wneud pethau'n wahanol yn yr adroddiad ar ynni craffach i Gymru, a nodai'r cyfleoedd sydd ar gael i awdurdodau lleol harneisio ein hadnoddau naturiol er lles cymunedau lleol. Yn anffodus, ychydig o awdurdodau lleol ar unrhyw lefel sydd wedi manteisio ar y cyfle a'r arian. Yn wir, mewn llawer o ardaloedd, mae awdurdodau lleol yn mynd ati i rwystro cynlluniau ynni dan arweiniad y gymuned, yn hytrach na chroesawu'r mentrau hyn er mwyn gwella lles ac incwm eu poblogaethau. Roedd Suzy Davies yn cydnabod bod yn rhaid cydgynhyrchu, a bod gofyn i ni ymddiried mewn pobl, a disgwyl hefyd y byddant yn chwarae eu rhan, yn hytrach na hawlio'n unig. Nid awdurdodau lleol sy'n taflu sbwriel, ond pobl; nid awdurdodau lleol sy'n dryllio'r ffyrdd a chreu tyllau, ond cerbydau, yn enwedig cerbydau nwyddau trwm, sy'n amharod i dalu'r gost yn eu trwyddedau a ddylai adlewyrchu'r niwed y maent yn ei wneud. Nid oes diben i Mohammad Asghar alaru am wasanaethau a gollir; mae'n rhaid i ni feddwl beth rydym yn mynd i wneud am y peth. Yn ddi-os, mae gan gymdogaethau tlotach lai o gronfeydd wrth gefn i ddisgyn yn ôl arnynt pan fydd newidiadau'n cael eu hargymell. Er enghraifft, nid yn unig y mae llyfrgell Rhydypennau yng Nghyncoed, sy'n ardal gymharol lewyrchus, a oedd dan fygythiad o gau wedi cael ei chadw ar agor, ond mae'r gymuned leol wedi gwella'r gwasanaeth yn aruthrol, gydag amrywiaeth enfawr o gyngherddau, digwyddiadau codi arian a darlleniadau, wedi'u cefnogi'n fedrus gan lyfrgellydd rhagorol, sy'n teithio'r filltir ychwanegol i gyflawni ar ran y cyhoedd. Gan ei bod yn Ddiwrnod Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus yfory, credaf y dylem gydnabod hynny. Rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid i uno rhithwir ac uno gwirfoddol fod yn ffordd ymlaen, i wneud i bobl o wahanol sefydliadau deimlo'n gyfforddus gyda'i gilydd, ac rwy'n aros gyda diddordeb, er enghraifft, i glywed am y cydweithio cynyddol rhwng awdurdodau iechyd ac awdurdodau lleol ym Mhowys, i gael gwybod a allai hwnnw fod yn fodel ar gyfer y dyfodol i awdurdodau lleol eraill hefyd.