English: Thank you, Minister, for your statement. As I'm sure you will know, my constituency was especially affected by storm Callum, with Aberdare being widely described as the town hardest hit by flooding. In Rhondda Cynon Taf, around 40 homes and 29 businesses have been flooded, many of which are in my constituency. And, in Penrhiwceiber, over 30 people who were trapped on a train in rising flood water had to be rescued by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service using an inflatable walkway. I want to repeat the comments of other Members earlier in offering their thanks to the emergency services, to council workers, volunteers and others for their prompt actions, and also to pass on my sympathies to all those who have been affected. I welcome your comments regarding giving full consideration to granting emergency financial assistance to local authorities, but I want to make the point that it's not just about the short-term immediate expenditure. In RCT, for example, £100,000 has already been spent on that and there's another £100,000 earmarked for investigative and clearance work. So, will you ensure that you give consideration to long-term measures such as that which can help to mitigate the effects of flooding and save money in the long term? Secondly, we know, Minister, that afforestation of upland areas is one of the most effective and environmentally sustainable ways to mitigate flooding in our Valleys communities. Indeed, if you look to the Lake District, following storm Desmond in 2015, the National Trust planted 1,400 trees there, which are already helping to prevent run-off and reduce flooding. So, with NRW having cleared much land in the past few years, such as at Glenboi in my constituency, due to ash dieback and larch disease, and replanting in some key areas not having yet taken place, what more can be done to accelerate the crucial process of afforestation?
Welsh: Diolch ichi, Gweinidog, am eich datganiad. Fel yr wyf yn siŵr y byddwch chi'n gwybod, cafodd fy etholaeth i yn arbennig ei heffeithio gan storm Callum, a disgrifiwyd Aberdâr gan lawer fel y dref a gafodd ei tharo waethaf gan lifogydd. Yn Rhondda Cynon Taf, mae tua 40 o gartrefi a 29 o fusnesau wedi dioddef llifogydd, llawer ohonyn nhw yn fy etholaeth i. Ac yn Penrhiwceiber, roedd dros 30 o bobl yn gaeth ar drên mewn dŵr llifogydd a oedd yn codi a bu'n rhaid i Wasanaeth Tân ac Achub De Cymru eu hachub gan ddefnyddio llwybr cerdded wedi'i lenwi ag aer. Rwy'n dymuno ailadrodd sylwadau'r Aelodau eraill yn gynharach yn cynnig eu diolch i'r gwasanaethau brys, gweithwyr cyngor, gwirfoddolwyr ac eraill am eu camau gweithredu prydlon, a hefyd i gydymdeimlo â phawb sydd wedi'u heffeithio. Croesawaf eich sylwadau ynghylch rhoi ystyriaeth lawn i roi cymorth ariannol brys i awdurdodau lleol, ond rwyf eisiau gwneud y pwynt nad yw hyn ynghylch gwariant tymor byr ar unwaith yn unig. Yn Rhondda Cynon Taf, er enghraifft, mae £100,000 eisoes wedi'i wario ar hynny ac mae £100,000 arall wedi'i glustnodi ar gyfer gwaith ymchwilio a chlirio. Felly, a wnewch chi sicrhau eich bod yn rhoi ystyriaeth i fesurau hirdymor fel y rhai a allai helpu i liniaru effeithiau llifogydd ac arbed arian yn y tymor hir? Yn ail, rydym ni'n gwybod, Gweinidog, bod coedwigo ardaloedd yr ucheldir yn un o'r ffyrdd mwyaf effeithiol ac amgylcheddol gynaliadwy o liniaru llifogydd yn ein cymunedau yn y Cymoedd. Yn wir, os edrychwch chi ar Ardal y Llynnoedd, ar ôl storm Desmond yn 2015, plannodd yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol 1,400 o goed yno, sydd eisoes yn helpu i atal dŵr ffo a lleihau llifogydd. Felly, gan fod Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wedi clirio cymaint o dir yn yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf, fel yn Glenboi yn fy etholaeth, oherwydd clefyd coed ynn a chlefyd y llarwydd, ac nid yw'r gwaith o ailblannu coed mewn rhai ardaloedd allweddol wedi digwydd eto, beth arall y gellir ei wneud i gyflymu'r broses hanfodol o goedwigo?