English: Diolch, Llywydd. I move the motion. The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill is a short Bill that starts the process of dealing with a very big topic, leasehold reform. The Bill's stated policy objectives are to make leasehold ownership fairer and more affordable for leaseholders by ensuring that freeholders will no longer be able to make financial demands for ground rent of new leases. The Bill does this by restricting ground rent on newly established long residential leases of houses and flats to a token one peppercorn per year. This effectively means ground rents on new leases will have zero financial value. The Bill also prohibits the levying of administration charges in relation to peppercorn rents, thus preventing such charges becoming an alternative means of extracting profit. The Bill does not deal with the issues affecting existing leaseholders. Further legislation will be required to reform leasehold home ownership, including the reforms that are being proposed by the Law Commission, which I have previously welcomed. This Bill paves the way for those further reforms by stopping ground rents being charged on new leases. Resolving the problems on existing leases is a much more complex issue, as is reflected by the very detailed recommendations produced by the Law Commission. I thank the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee and the Local Government and Housing Committee for the work they have done in considering and reporting on the legislative consent memorandum. I note the concerns they've raised in their reports, including their criticism of the approach we took to the laying of the supplementary memorandum, and I have responded in writing to a number of their recommendations. But, I strongly believe that consenting to UK Government legislation that delivers vital improvements to a system that we all regard as unfair is entirely appropriate - indeed, absolutely the right thing to do. I've previously set out my intention to work in collaboration with the UK Government to deliver the wholesale legislative reform of leasehold, of which this Bill is but a first step. To ensure that they comprehensively address all of the issues, it is possible that these reforms relate to the devolved matter of housing as well as matters that are not within the competence of the Senedd. In order to achieve comprehensive reform that works for leaseholders in Wales that does not leave potential gaps in protection, I consider that UK legislation is most likely to be the most effective and sensible way of approaching these reforms. But, let me be clear: if the provisions of this Bill were not to apply in Wales, future leaseholders here would be at a very considerable financial disadvantage compared with their counterparts in England. Any legislation we might put forward to rectify that situation would inevitably take a very considerable time to draft and agree. I do not think that leaseholders in Wales should be placed in that position and I therefore urge Members to support the motion and consent to the Bill. Diolch.
Welsh: Diolch, Llywydd. Cynigiaf y cynnig. Mae'r Bil Diwygio Cyfraith Lesddaliad (Rhent Sylfaenol) yn Fil byr sy'n dechrau'r broses o ymdrin â phwnc mawr iawn, diwygio lesddaliad. Amcanion polisi datganedig y Bil yw gwneud perchnogaeth lesddaliad yn decach ac yn fwy fforddiadwy i lesddeiliaid drwy sicrhau na fydd rhydd-ddeiliaid yn gallu gwneud hawliadau ariannol mwyach am rent tir prydlesi newydd. Mae'r Bil yn gwneud hyn drwy gyfyngu rhent tir ar brydlesi preswyl hir newydd ar dai a fflatiau i un hedyn pupur y flwyddyn. Mae hyn i bob pwrpas yn golygu na fydd gan renti tir ar brydlesi newydd unrhyw werth ariannol. Mae'r Bil hefyd yn gwahardd codi taliadau gweinyddu mewn cysylltiad â rhenti hedyn pupur, gan atal taliadau o'r fath rhag dod yn ffordd amgen o wneud elw. Nid yw'r Bil yn ymdrin â'r materion sy'n effeithio ar lesddeiliaid presennol. Bydd angen deddfwriaeth bellach i ddiwygio perchnogaeth tai lesddaliad, gan gynnwys y diwygiadau sy'n cael eu cynnig gan Gomisiwn y Gyfraith, yr wyf wedi'u croesawu o'r blaen. Mae'r Bil hwn yn paratoi'r ffordd ar gyfer y diwygiadau pellach hynny drwy atal rhenti tir rhag cael eu codi ar brydlesi newydd. Mae datrys y problemau ar brydlesi presennol yn fater llawer mwy cymhleth, fel yr adlewyrchir gan yr argymhellion manwl iawn a gynhyrchwyd gan Gomisiwn y Gyfraith. Diolchaf i'r Pwyllgor Deddfwriaeth, Cyfiawnder a'r Cyfansoddiad a'r Pwyllgor Llywodraeth Leol a Thai am y gwaith y maen nhw wedi'i wneud wrth ystyried ac adrodd ar y memorandwm cydsyniad deddfwriaethol. Nodaf y pryderon y maen nhw wedi'u codi yn eu hadroddiadau, gan gynnwys eu beirniadaeth o'r dull a gymerwyd gennym i osod y memorandwm atodol, ac rwyf wedi ymateb yn ysgrifenedig i nifer o'u hargymhellion. Ond, rwy'n credu'n gryf fod cydsynio i ddeddfwriaeth Llywodraeth y DU sy'n sicrhau gwelliannau hanfodol i system yr ydym i gyd yn ei hystyried yn annheg yn gwbl briodol - yn wir, y peth iawn i'w wneud. Rwyf eisoes wedi nodi fy mwriad i weithio ar y cyd â Llywodraeth y DU i gyflawni'r broses o ddiwygio'n gyfan gwbl lesddaliad yn ddeddfwriaethol, a dim ond y cam cyntaf yw'r Bil hwn. Er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn mynd i'r afael yn gynhwysfawr â'r holl faterion, mae'n bosibl bod y diwygiadau hyn yn ymwneud â mater datganoledig tai yn ogystal â materion nad ydyn nhw o fewn cymhwysedd y Senedd. Er mwyn sicrhau diwygiadau cynhwysfawr sy'n gweithio i lesddeiliaid yng Nghymru nad ydyn nhw yn gadael bylchau posibl o ran amddiffyn, credaf mai deddfwriaeth y DU sydd fwyaf tebygol o fod y ffordd fwyaf effeithiol a synhwyrol o ymdrin â'r diwygiadau hyn. Ond, gadewch i mi fod yn glir: pe na bai darpariaethau'r Bil hwn yn gymwys yng Nghymru, byddai lesddeiliaid yma yn y dyfodol, o dan anfantais ariannol sylweddol iawn o'u cymharu â'u cymheiriaid yn Lloegr. Byddai unrhyw ddeddfwriaeth y gallem ei chyflwyno i unioni'r sefyllfa honno yn anochel yn cymryd cryn amser i'w drafftio a chytuno arni. Nid wyf yn credu y dylid rhoi lesddeiliaid yng Nghymru yn y sefyllfa honno ac felly anogaf yr Aelodau i gefnogi'r cynnig a chydsynio i'r Bil. Diolch.