English: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm pleased to open today's debate on the Local Government and Housing Committee's report on community assets. I would like to start by thanking all those who contributed to our inquiry, in particular those groups involved in the community assets we visited: Maindee Unlimited, Abergavenny Community Centre, Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr, Antur Nantlle, Ty'n Llan, and Partneriaeth Ogwen. It was very useful indeed for us to meet with these groups to hear directly of their first-hand experiences. Their evidence helped us to better understand the benefits of community ownership, but also some of the challenges and barriers faced by communities. Community assets make a big contribution to the lives of the people living in those communities that they serve. There are many different types of assets across Wales and many ways in which these can make a difference to people's lives and their well-being. They can be buildings, such as community centres, leisure centres, libraries and pubs, which act as hubs for their local areas and where people can access information, services, learn new skills, come together to socialise and to share experiences. They can be places, such as parks and green spaces, where people can relax or exercise and children can play; they can even provide homes for people. In Wales, we can be proud of the great enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by communities across the country to maintaining local assets and ensuring their sustainability. We heard that people want to be involved in running community projects to make sure they can access amenities in their local areas, now and in the future. However, maintaining a community asset isn't an easy task. As well as enthusiasm and commitment, plenty of time and money are also needed. We would like to make it easier for local groups to be able to get involved in running assets that are right for their communities. In our report, we made 16 recommendations, which we believe will help to maximise opportunities for greater community empowerment. Eight of those recommendations have been accepted in full and seven accepted in principle by the Welsh Government. One was rejected. Our overarching recommendation was that the Welsh Government should establish a commission to stimulate innovative thinking on community ownership of land and assets in Wales. The evidence we heard demonstrated a need for further explanation of some issues, therefore, we recommended that such work could be undertaken by this commission. The Minister for Climate Change had already indicated that she was minded to establish such a commission, yet the recommendation is only accepted in principle. I would, therefore, like to ask the Minister to elaborate on the reasons for not accepting the recommendation in full. The Welsh Government's written response suggested that the 12-month timescale we recommended for establishing that body may be problematic. I would, therefore, like to ask the Minister to provide more detail on the amount of time needed to establish a commission. Cwmpas have already called for a commission, and we know that other committed stakeholders are ready and willing to get involved in the necessary work. So, as a committee, we do think that work should be able to start quite quickly. Dirprwy Lywydd, as I've mentioned, several of our other recommendations refer to work that we believe could be undertaken by a commission, including exploring with stakeholders the package of support that should be available to community groups who wish to run a community asset. It isn't an easy process, and groups will need different support, depending on their circumstances. And, of course, some communities may have ready access to people with the skills, knowledge and experience needed, whilst others will need to draw on external support. Whatever their circumstances, we want all communities to have the opportunity to take forward projects. Although there are already various sources of advice and support available, we heard that these are not easily accessible, especially to newly established groups who will be less familiar with arrangements. The Welsh Government's response refers to some of the sources of information, but doesn't address the accessibility of it. We believe it's important to learn from the experiences of people directly involved in running community assets to ensure that the right advice and support are accessed, which is why we believe a commission of experts would be best placed to take this forward. When the Minister for Finance and Local Government gave evidence to us, she referred to the work being done by the Welsh Government on a new community policy, including whether a central hub for advice and information is needed. We believe the evidence presented to us has demonstrated a clear need for such a provision, and, therefore, I would ask the Minister to explain why our recommendation was not accepted in full. We heard of the challenges often faced by groups acquiring privately owned assets. It takes time for newly formed groups to establish themselves and secure funding, and it can be difficult to compete against private individuals or businesses with access to finance. Several witnesses told us that communities in Wales have far fewer powers than those in Scotland and England. A community right to buy has been in place in Scotland since 2003, and English communities have a right to bid on assets through the Localism Act 2011. Time has moved on, and we're concerned that Welsh communities are being deprived of similar powers. We also recommended that a commission should explore whether legislation is needed to empower communities and give them equal opportunity when competing against private investors to purchase assets of interest. So, we do believe that the establishment of a commission is key to taking forward several of our recommendations and those made by notable stakeholders, including Cwmpas and the Institute of Welsh Affairs. It is therefore crucial that work to establish a commission begins as a matter of urgency, so that Welsh communities do not miss out on opportunities to acquire and run assets that can enhance the well-being of their local populations. We are disappointed that our recommendation to establish a community land fund for Wales has been rejected. Similar funds exist in Scotland and England, and several stakeholders called for a fund here in Wales. As a committee, we are deeply concerned by the increasing evidence we hear around the difficulties people across Wales face in securing accommodation to rent or buy. We believe that community-led housing provides an opportunity for communities to provide their own housing solutions. While this will not be a viable option for everyone, we would like to see processes streamlined so that communities can access the land and funding they need to build appropriate homes. The Welsh Government's response refers to the social housing grant, which community-led groups can access if they partner with a registered social landlord. We are concerned that this approach has not maximised opportunities for community groups, and I ask the Welsh Government to reconsider its response to this recommendation. Dirprwy Lywydd, access to affordable housing is a very important issue to us as a committee, and I'm sure to all of us in the Senedd and people across Wales. As a committee, we will be returning to this during the term of the sixth Senedd to see how our recommendations are being progressed. Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n falch o agor y ddadl heddiw ar adroddiad y Pwyllgor Llywodraeth Leol a Thai ar asedau cymunedol. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch i bawb a gyfrannodd at ein hymchwiliad, yn enwedig y grwpiau sy'n ymwneud â'r asedau cymunedol y buom yn ymweld â hwy: Maindee Unlimited, Canolfan Gymunedol y Fenni, Sinema Neuadd y Farchnad ym Mryn-mawr, Antur Nantlle, Ty'n Llan, a Phartneriaeth Ogwen. Roedd yn ddefnyddiol iawn inni gyfarfod â'r grwpiau hyn i glywed yn uniongyrchol am eu profiadau uniongyrchol. Fe wnaeth eu tystiolaeth ein helpu ni i ddeall manteision perchnogaeth gymunedol yn well, yn ogystal â rhai o'r heriau a'r rhwystrau a wynebir gan gymunedau. Mae asedau cymunedol yn gwneud cyfraniad mawr i fywydau'r bobl sy'n byw yn y cymunedau y maent yn eu gwasanaethu. Mae llawer o wahanol fathau o asedau ledled Cymru a llawer o ffyrdd y gall y rhain wneud gwahaniaeth i fywydau pobl a'u llesiant. Gallant fod yn adeiladau, megis canolfannau cymunedol, canolfannau hamdden, llyfrgelloedd a thafarndai, sy'n gweithredu fel hybiau ar gyfer eu hardaloedd lleol a lle gall pobl gael mynediad at wybodaeth, gwasanaethau, dysgu sgiliau newydd, dod ynghyd i gymdeithasu a rhannu profiadau. Gallant fod yn lleoedd, fel parciau a mannau gwyrdd, lle gall pobl ymlacio neu ymarfer corff a lle gall plant chwarae; gallant hyd yn oed ddarparu cartrefi i bobl. Yng Nghymru, gallwn fod yn falch o frwdfrydedd ac ymrwymiad gwych cymunedau ledled y wlad i gynnal asedau lleol a sicrhau eu cynaliadwyedd. Clywsom fod pobl yn awyddus i fod yn rhan o'r gwaith o redeg prosiectau cymunedol i sicrhau eu bod yn gallu cael mynediad at amwynderau yn eu hardaloedd lleol, nawr ac yn y dyfodol. Fodd bynnag, nid yw rhedeg ased cymunedol yn orchwyl hawdd. Yn ogystal â brwdfrydedd ac ymrwymiad, mae angen digon o amser ac arian hefyd. Hoffem ei gwneud yn haws i grwpiau lleol allu cymryd rhan yn y gwaith o redeg yr asedau sy'n iawn i'w cymunedau. Yn ein hadroddiad, fe wnaethom 16 o argymhellion a fydd yn ein barn ni yn helpu i sicrhau'r cyfleoedd mwyaf ar gyfer grymuso cymunedau'n well. Mae wyth o'r argymhellion hynny wedi'u derbyn yn llawn a saith wedi'u derbyn mewn egwyddor gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Gwrthodwyd un. Ein hargymhelliad trosfwaol oedd y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru sefydlu comisiwn i ysgogi syniadau arloesol ynglŷn â pherchnogaeth gymunedol ar dir ac asedau yng Nghymru. Roedd y dystiolaeth a glywsom yn dangos bod angen esbonio rhai materion ymhellach, felly, fe wnaethom argymell y gallai'r comisiwn wneud gwaith o'r fath. Roedd y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd eisoes wedi nodi ei bod yn bwriadu sefydlu comisiwn o'r fath, ac eto, dim ond mewn egwyddor y derbyniwyd yr argymhelliad. Felly, hoffwn ofyn i'r Gweinidog ymhelaethu ar y rhesymau dros beidio â derbyn yr argymhelliad yn llawn. Awgrymai ymateb ysgrifenedig Llywodraeth Cymru y gallai'r amserlen o 12 mis a argymhellwyd gennym ar gyfer sefydlu'r corff hwnnw fod yn broblemus. Hoffwn ofyn, felly, i'r Gweinidog roi mwy o fanylion ynglŷn â faint o amser sydd ei angen i sefydlu comisiwn. Mae Cwmpas eisoes wedi galw am gomisiwn, a gwyddom fod rhanddeiliaid ymroddedig eraill yn barod ac yn awyddus i gyfrannu at y gwaith angenrheidiol. Felly, fel pwyllgor, credwn y dylai'r gwaith allu dechrau'n weddol gyflym. Ddirprwy Lywydd, fel y nodais, mae nifer o'n hargymhellion eraill yn cyfeirio at waith y credwn y gellid ei wneud gan gomisiwn, gan gynnwys archwilio gyda rhanddeiliaid y pecyn cymorth a ddylai fod ar gael i grwpiau cymunedol sy'n dymuno rhedeg ased cymunedol. Nid yw'n broses hawdd, a bydd angen cymorth gwahanol ar grwpiau, yn dibynnu ar eu hamgylchiadau. Ac wrth gwrs, efallai y bydd gan rai cymunedau fynediad parod at bobl a chanddynt y sgiliau, yr wybodaeth a'r profiad sydd eu hangen, ond bydd angen i eraill ddibynnu ar gymorth allanol. Beth bynnag y bo'u hamgylchiadau, rydym am i bob cymuned gael cyfle i fwrw ymlaen â phrosiectau. Er bod ffynonellau amrywiol o gyngor a chymorth eisoes ar gael, clywsom nad yw'n hawdd cael mynediad atynt, yn enwedig i grwpiau sydd newydd eu sefydlu ac a fydd yn llai cyfarwydd â'r trefniadau. Mae ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyfeirio at rai o'r ffynonellau gwybodaeth, ond nid yw'n mynd i'r afael â hygyrchedd yr wybodaeth honno. Credwn ei bod yn bwysig dysgu o brofiadau pobl sy'n cymryd rhan uniongyrchol yn y gwaith o redeg asedau cymunedol i sicrhau bod y cyngor a'r cymorth cywir ar gael, a dyna pam y credwn mai comisiwn o arbenigwyr a fyddai yn y sefyllfa orau i fwrw ymlaen â hyn. Pan roddodd y Gweinidog Cyllid a Llywodraeth Leol dystiolaeth i ni, cyfeiriodd at y gwaith y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud ar bolisi cymunedol newydd, gan gynnwys archwilio'r angen am hyb canolog ar gyfer cyngor a gwybodaeth. Credwn fod y dystiolaeth a gyflwynwyd i ni wedi dangos angen clir am ddarpariaeth o'r fath, ac felly, rwyf am ofyn i'r Gweinidog egluro pam na chafodd ein hargymhelliad ei dderbyn yn llawn. Clywsom am yr heriau a wynebir yn aml gan grwpiau sy'n caffael asedau sydd mewn perchnogaeth breifat. Mae'n cymryd amser i grwpiau a ffurfiwyd o'r newydd i sefydlu eu hunain a sicrhau cyllid, a gall fod yn anodd cystadlu yn erbyn unigolion neu fusnesau preifat a chanddynt gyllid at eu defnydd. Dywedodd sawl tyst wrthym fod gan gymunedau yng Nghymru lawer llai o bwerau na'r rheini yn yr Alban a Lloegr. Mae hawl y gymuned i brynu wedi bod ar waith yn yr Alban ers 2003, ac mae gan gymunedau Lloegr hawl i wneud cynigion am asedau drwy Ddeddf Lleoliaeth 2011. Mae amser wedi symud yn ei flaen, ac rydym yn pryderu bod cymunedau Cymru yn cael eu hamddifadu o bwerau tebyg. Gwnaethom argymell hefyd y dylai comisiwn archwilio a oes angen deddfwriaeth i rymuso cymunedau a rhoi cyfle cyfartal iddynt wrth gystadlu yn erbyn buddsoddwyr preifat i brynu asedau o ddiddordeb. Felly, credwn fod sefydlu comisiwn yn allweddol er mwyn bwrw ymlaen â nifer o'n hargymhellion a'r rheini a wnaed gan randdeiliaid nodedig, gan gynnwys Cwmpas a'r Sefydliad Materion Cymreig. Mae'n hollbwysig felly fod y gwaith o sefydlu comisiwn yn dechrau fel mater o frys, fel nad yw cymunedau Cymru yn colli cyfleoedd i gaffael a rhedeg asedau a all wella llesiant eu poblogaethau lleol. Rydym yn siomedig fod ein hargymhelliad i sefydlu cronfa dir cymunedol i Gymru wedi'i wrthod. Mae cronfeydd tebyg yn bodoli yn yr Alban a Lloegr, a galwodd sawl rhanddeiliad am gronfa yma yng Nghymru. Fel pwyllgor, rydym yn bryderus iawn ynghylch y dystiolaeth gynyddol a glywn am yr anawsterau y mae pobl ledled Cymru yn eu hwynebu wrth sicrhau llety i'w rentu neu ei brynu. Credwn fod tai a arweinir gan y gymuned yn rhoi cyfle i gymunedau ddarparu eu hatebion tai eu hunain. Er na fydd hyn yn opsiwn ymarferol i bawb, hoffem weld prosesau'n cael eu symleiddio fel bod cymunedau'n gallu cael mynediad at y tir a'r cyllid sydd ei angen arnynt i adeiladu cartrefi priodol. Mae ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyfeirio at y grant tai cymdeithasol, y gall grwpiau a arweinir gan y gymuned gael mynediad ato os ydynt yn partneru â landlord cymdeithasol cofrestredig. Rydym yn pryderu nad yw'r dull hwn wedi sicrhau'r cyfleoedd mwyaf posibl i grwpiau cymunedol, a gofynnaf i Lywodraeth Cymru ailystyried ei hymateb i'r argymhelliad hwn. Ddirprwy Lywydd, mae mynediad at dai fforddiadwy yn fater pwysig iawn i ni fel pwyllgor, ac i bob un ohonom yn y Senedd, rwy'n siŵr, ac i bobl ledled Cymru. Fel pwyllgor, byddwn yn dychwelyd at hyn yn ystod tymor y chweched Senedd i weld sut mae ein hargymhellion yn cael eu datblygu. Diolch yn fawr.