English: Can I thank Bethan Jenkins for her questions and the concerns that she's expressed, not just for those affected who've been travelling with Thomas Cook, but also for employees at the company? I'd like to put on record my thanks to the kind woman from Gilfach who helped to raise money for people who are facing unemployment. I thought that was a selfless act, and the response from other passengers on board, I think, was quite incredible. Can I also put on record my thanks to the Civil Aviation Authority and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office? When Operation Matterhorn commenced, a Herculean effort began to bring 150,000 people back to the United Kingdom and UK Government Ministers and I were clear that this would not be an easy task, but the way in particular that the Civil Aviation Authority have conducted themselves and have managed this situation is incredible, and I'm sure that many people who have been brought home as a result of their efforts will join me in thanking them - likewise the FCO, who are on the ground in so many countries doing an incredible job in providing support to British citizens. I'm going to take up a unique case that Bethan Jenkins has identified, but one that does concern me, and that is the decision by a passenger with a disability to pay for their own flight home. Something that the Secretary of State for Transport and I were concerned to check on before Operation Matterhorn commenced was that there would be provision available for people who are disabled, and that would be prioritised: not just provision to get to a plane - an alternative service and onto that plane - but also onward transport when they returned home. We were given assurance that transport for disabled people would be provided as a priority. If the Member can provide me with information about the particular constituent, I will, of course, take up that matter with UK Government and with the Civil Aviation Authority. I'm afraid to say that a significant number of people will be affected by the demise of Thomas Cook. We estimate that 179.5 full-time equivalents will be affected in Wales alone through the shops closing, and an additional 45 members of staff at Cardiff Airport. The Working Wales programme will be available to them as part of that. ReAct, a tried-and-tested intervention, will be available to them. We have regional response teams across Wales ready to assist anybody who is affected by the collapse of Thomas Cook, and I would urge any Members who are approached by businesses that are affected as well by the collapse of the company to direct them to the Business Wales hotline for assistance. I think Bethan Jenkins makes a very important point that in many of our communities - and I was looking through the list of where some of the Thomas Cooks are located - many of them will be severely impacted by the closure of those shops. In many of the high streets that I can identify before me, there are very few such services, and to have another shop close in some of those places will, of course, be pretty devastating, which is why I and the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government are keen to progress a 'town centre first' initiative that would see the public sector, and indeed the private sector, prioritise investment within town centres to stimulate a greater degree the economic resilience within them. This won't be an easy task, but it is one that we must embark on. And just one final point as well, and that regards the action of the CEOs. I'm pleased to note that the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has initiated an inquiry into corporate actions, and I think it would only be right and proper to await the outcome of that before commenting on it.
Welsh: A gaf fi ddiolch i Bethan Jenkins am ei chwestiynau a'r pryderon a fynegwyd ganddi, nid yn unig o ran y rhai yr effeithiwyd arnynt sydd wedi bod yn teithio gyda Thomas Cook, ond hefyd o ran gweithwyr y cwmni? Hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch i'r ddynes garedig o'r Gilfach Goch a helpodd i godi arian i bobl sy'n wynebu diweithdra. Roedd honno'n weithred anhunanol, yn fy marn i, a chredaf fod ymateb y teithwyr eraill ar yr awyren yn anhygoel. A gaf fi hefyd gofnodi fy niolch i'r Awdurdod Hedfan Sifil a'r Swyddfa Dramor a Chymanwlad? Pan ddechreuodd Ymgyrch Matterhorn, cafwyd ymdrech aruthrol i ddod â 150,000 o bobl yn ôl i'r Deyrnas Unedig, a dywedodd Gweinidogion Llywodraeth y DU a minnau'n glir na fyddai hon yn dasg hawdd, ond mae'r ffordd y mae'r Awdurdod Hedfan Sifil, yn benodol, wedi mynd i'r afael â'r sefyllfa hon a'i rheoli yn anhygoel, ac rwy'n siŵr y bydd llawer o bobl a gludwyd adref o ganlyniad i'w hymdrechion yn ymuno â mi i ddiolch iddynt - yn ogystal â'r Swyddfa Dramor a Chymanwlad, sy'n gwneud gwaith anhygoel ar lawr gwlad mewn cymaint o wledydd yn rhoi cefnogaeth i ddinasyddion Prydeinig. Rwyf am drafod achos unigryw a grybwyllwyd gan Bethan Jenkins, ond mae'n un sy'n peri pryder i mi, sef y penderfyniad gan deithiwr ag anabledd i dalu am eu taith awyr eu hunain adref. Un peth yr oedd yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Drafnidiaeth a minnau yn awyddus i'w archwilio cyn i Ymgyrch Matterhorn ddechrau oedd y byddai darpariaeth ar gael i bobl anabl, ac y byddai'n cael ei blaenoriaethu: nid darpariaeth i gyrraedd awyren yn unig - gwasanaeth gwahanol a mynd ar yr awyren honno - ond hefyd cludiant pellach ar ôl dychwelyd adref. Cawsom sicrwydd y byddai cludiant i bobl anabl yn cael ei ddarparu fel blaenoriaeth. Os gall yr Aelod roi gwybodaeth i mi am yr etholwr dan sylw, byddaf yn trafod y mater gyda Llywodraeth y DU a chyda'r Awdurdod Hedfan Sifil wrth gwrs. Mae arnaf ofn y bydd tranc Thomas Cook yn effeithio ar nifer sylweddol o bobl. Rydym yn amcangyfrif y bydd 179.5 o staff cyfwerth ag amser llawn yn cael eu heffeithio yng Nghymru yn unig drwy gau'r siopau, a 45 aelod ychwanegol o staff ym Maes Awyr Caerdydd. Bydd rhaglen Cymru'n Gweithio ar gael iddynt fel rhan o hynny. Bydd ReAct, rhaglen ymyrraeth sydd wedi hen ennill ei phlwyf, ar gael iddynt. Mae gennym dimau ymateb rhanbarthol ledled Cymru yn barod i gynorthwyo unrhyw un yr effeithir arnynt gan fethiant Thomas Cook, a buaswn yn annog unrhyw Aelodau sy'n clywed gan fusnesau yr effeithir arnynt yn sgil tranc y cwmni i'w cyfeirio at linell gymorth Busnes Cymru. Credaf fod Bethan Jenkins yn codi pwynt pwysig iawn y bydd llawer o'n cymunedau - ac fe edrychais drwy'r rhestr i weld ble y lleolir rhai o ganghennau Thomas Cook - yn cael eu heffeithio'n ddifrifol wrth i lawer o'r siopau hynny gau. Ar lawer o'r strydoedd mawr rwy'n gyfarwydd â hwy, prin iawn yw gwasanaethau o'r fath, a bydd cael siop arall yn cau yn rhai o'r lleoedd hynny, wrth gwrs, yn eithaf dinistriol, a dyna pam fod y Dirprwy Weinidog Tai a Llywodraeth Leol a minnau yn awyddus i fwrw ymlaen â menter 'canol y dref yn gyntaf' a fyddai'n golygu bod y sector cyhoeddus, a'r sector preifat yn wir, yn blaenoriaethu buddsoddiad yng nghanol y dref i ysgogi mwy o gadernid economaidd ynddynt. Ni fydd hon yn dasg hawdd, ond mae'n un y mae'n rhaid i ni gychwyn arni. Ac un pwynt olaf hefyd, ac mae'n ymwneud â gweithredoedd y prif weithredwyr. Rwy'n falch o nodi bod yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Fusnes, Ynni a Strategaeth Ddiwydiannol wedi agor ymchwiliad i gamau gweithredu corfforaethol, a chredaf ei bod yn briodol inni aros am ganlyniad yr ymchwiliad hwnnw cyn gwneud sylwadau arno.