English: I believe there's something fundamentally wrong in a society where there are some people with no home, or are living in completely inadequate housing - overcrowded, damp, cold - and others who have two or more homes, at least one of which they use infrequently. I think that's morally wrong. Can I say I support the Welsh Government's amendments, one of which welcomes the Welsh Government's long-standing commitment to the provision of good-quality, affordable housing, recognising its fundamental role as the bedrock of strong, sustainable communities? Can I go further? I think we need more council housing and more social housing, but especially council housing. I speak as one of those who grew up in a council house in the 1960s. It changed my life and it changed the life of my family. I think that council housing is a wonderful means of providing housing for people that is affordable and of a good quality. I also follow the concern of the Welsh Government about empty homes. According to data obtained by ITN News last year, there were 43,028 empty homes in Wales, with at least 18,000 empty for more than six months. That works out at about 450 per constituency. Those include all kinds of properties, with houses in sought-after areas being left empty for several years. Empty homes are a wasted resource at a time of substantial housing demand. They can also cause nuisance and environmental problems, where empty homes can be a focus for increased levels of crime, vandalism, anti-social behaviour, drug abuse, overgrown gardens, unsteady boundary fences or walls, and where you've got a shared wall, either in terraced or semi-detached houses, you can end up with damp coming through from it. They also represent a potential housing resource that is currently unused. Bringing empty homes back into use can help address several housing and social issues by increasing supply in areas where there are housing shortages and pressure. It's an opportunity to link suitable empty homes with housing needs. It has to be pointed out that if all efforts to persuade owners and landlords to bring their properties back into use fail and such properties continue to be a nuisance or in poor condition, councils need to consider their enforcement powers. But councils also need more enforcement powers and the ability to actually take over those houses. They really do need to be able to say, 'This house has been left here for 18 months to two years; it's deteriorating. We will compulsory purchase it at its market value', and then they can repair it and put it up for sale to the private sector or to housing associations - I don't really care which. It's just about bringing one more house back into use. The Welsh Government, to its credit, introduced Houses into Homes loans to renovate empty properties and make them fit to live in. The loans are interest-free, they can pay for work on houses, but not enough has been made of it; not enough people have taken it up, and we still have those empty properties. I could take you around my constituency, and you'll walk down a street of terraced houses and there'll be one or two. If you walk down a street of semi-detached houses in sought-after areas, there'll be some empty houses. You can walk down an area where there are large, detached houses, and one of them will be left empty. This cannot be allowed to continue and I think that the Government do need to start taking firmer action. Yes, it's okay to condemn it, but we need action as well. I welcome part (c) of the Plaid Cymru motion with regard to modernising legislation that currently means that not a penny of council tax is paid on second homes. I do not blame those who take advantage of tax loopholes. It's up to us to close those loopholes. Council tax should be paid on every residential property. Small business tax relief should not be available on properties that have been used previously or built as residential properties. If it was built as a residential property, that's what it should be. I'm sure some people will say that it will affect holiday lets and tourism. If that is true, it tells me something: that the lets are not economically viable. If paying council tax of £1,000 is going to make those lets unviable, then there's something wrong with the lets. It'll also provide more property for local people. I think that we all know of areas where there are shortages of houses to buy or rent. Finally, can I go back to a cân actol by a group from Eryri at the Urdd Eisteddfod, I think in Llandudno? It was about a village that wanted to protect the Welsh language and their community and were vociferously against selling homes to be second homes. It ended with the most vociferous couple selling to the highest bidder who wanted it as a second home. It made the point that it's local people who are selling these houses to be second homes. They are the ones who are not keeping these homes in their community. If only second homes were sold as second homes, we wouldn't be seeing this increase. And I think it is something on which we really need to say, 'Please, in your local community, if you care about your community, don't sell to people from Cardiff or London, but sell to people who are local'.
Welsh: Credaf fod rhywbeth sylfaenol o'i le mewn cymdeithas lle mae rhai pobl heb gartref, neu'n byw mewn tai cwbl anaddas - gorlawn, llaith, oer - ac eraill sydd â dau gartref neu fwy, gydag o leiaf un y maent ond yn ei ddefnyddio'n anfynych. Rwy'n credu bod hynny'n foesol anghywir. A gaf fi ddweud fy mod yn cefnogi gwelliannau Llywodraeth Cymru, ac mae un ohonynt yn croesawu ymrwymiad hirsefydlog Llywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu tai fforddiadwy o ansawdd da, gan gydnabod eu rôl sylfaenol fel carreg sylfaen i gymunedau cryf a chynaliadwy? A gaf fi fynd ymhellach? Credaf fod arnom angen mwy o dai cyngor a mwy o dai cymdeithasol, ond yn enwedig tai cyngor. Rwy'n siarad fel un o'r rhai a fagwyd mewn tŷ cyngor yn y 1960au. Newidiodd fy mywyd ac fe newidiodd fywyd fy nheulu. Rwy'n credu bod tai cyngor yn ffordd wych o ddarparu tai sy'n fforddiadwy ac o ansawdd da i bobl. Rwyf hefyd yn dilyn pryder Llywodraeth Cymru ynglŷn â chartrefi gwag. Yn ôl data a gafwyd gan ITN News y llynedd, roedd 43,028 o gartrefi gwag yng Nghymru, gydag o leiaf 18,000 yn wag ers mwy na chwe mis. Mae hynny'n gyfystyr ag oddeutu 450 ym mhob etholaeth. Mae'r rheini'n cynnwys pob math o eiddo, gyda thai mewn ardaloedd poblogaidd yn cael eu gadael yn wag am sawl blwyddyn. Mae cartrefi gwag yn adnodd sy'n cael ei wastraffu ar adeg pan fo cryn dipyn o alw am dai. Hefyd, gallant achosi niwsans a phroblemau amgylcheddol, lle gall cartrefi gwag fod yn ffocws i lefelau uwch o droseddu, fandaliaeth, ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol, camddefnyddio cyffuriau, gerddi wedi gordyfu, ffensys neu waliau ffiniau ansefydlog, a lle mae gennych wal a rennir, naill ai mewn tai teras neu dai pâr, gall arwain at leithder yn dod drwodd. Maent hefyd yn adnodd tai posibl nad yw'n cael ei ddefnyddio ar hyn o bryd. Gall sicrhau bod cartrefi gwag yn cael eu defnyddio eto fod yn ffordd o helpu i fynd i'r afael â nifer o broblemau tai a phroblemau cymdeithasol drwy gynyddu'r cyflenwad mewn ardaloedd lle ceir prinder tai a lle mae'r cyflenwad o dan bwysau. Mae'n gyfle i gysylltu cartrefi gwag addas ag anghenion tai. Os yw pob ymdrech i berswadio perchnogion a landlordiaid i sicrhau bod eu heiddo'n cael ei ddefnyddio unwaith eto yn methu a bod eiddo o'r fath yn parhau i fod yn niwsans neu mewn cyflwr gwael, rhaid nodi bod angen i gynghorau ystyried eu pwerau gorfodi. Ond mae angen mwy o bwerau gorfodi ar gynghorau hefyd a'r gallu i feddiannu'r tai hynny. Mae gwir angen iddynt allu dweud, 'Mae'r tŷ hwn wedi'i adael yma ers 18 mis i ddwy flynedd; mae'n dirywio. Byddwn yn ei brynu'n orfodol am ei bris ar y farchnad', ac yna gallant ei drwsio a'i roi ar werth i'r sector preifat neu i gymdeithas dai - nid oes ots gennyf pa un. Mae'n ymwneud â dod ag un tŷ arall yn ôl i ddefnydd. Er clod iddi, cyflwynodd Llywodraeth Cymru fenthyciadau Troi Tai'n Gartrefi i adnewyddu eiddo gwag a'i wneud yn addas i fyw ynddo. Mae'r benthyciadau'n ddi-log, gallant dalu am waith ar dai, ond nid oes digon wedi'i wneud o'r cynllun; nid oes digon o bobl wedi manteisio arno, ac mae'r eiddo gwag gennym o hyd. Gallwn fynd â chi o amgylch fy etholaeth, a byddwch yn cerdded ar hyd stryd o dai teras ac fe welwch un neu ddau. Os ewch ar hyd stryd o dai pâr mewn ardaloedd poblogaidd, bydd yna rai tai'n wag. Gallwch gerdded drwy ardal lle ceir tai sengl mawr, a bydd un ohonynt wedi'i adael yn wag. Ni ellir caniatáu i hyn barhau a chredaf fod angen i'r Llywodraeth ddechrau rhoi camau mwy cadarn ar waith. Ydy, mae'n iawn ei gondemnio, ond mae angen gweithredu hefyd. Rwy'n croesawu rhan (c) o gynnig Plaid Cymru ar foderneiddio deddfwriaeth sy'n golygu ar hyn o bryd na thelir ceiniog o'r dreth gyngor ar ail gartrefi. Nid wyf yn beio'r rheini sy'n manteisio ar fylchau yn y dreth. Ein lle ni yw cau'r bylchau hynny. Dylid talu'r dreth gyngor ar bob eiddo preswyl. Ni ddylai rhyddhad trethi i fusnesau bach fod ar gael ar eiddo sydd wedi'i ddefnyddio'n flaenorol neu wedi'i adeiladu fel eiddo preswyl. Os cafodd ei adeiladu fel eiddo preswyl, dylai fod yn eiddo preswyl. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd rhai pobl yn dweud y bydd yn effeithio ar y ddarpariaeth o lety gwyliau ac ar dwristiaeth. Os yw hynny'n wir, mae'n dweud rhywbeth wrthyf: nad yw'r llety gwyliau yn hyfyw yn economaidd. Os yw talu treth gyngor o £1,000 yn mynd i olygu nad yw'r llety gwyliau hwnnw'n hyfyw, mae rhywbeth o'i le ar y llety gwyliau. Bydd hefyd yn darparu mwy o eiddo i bobl leol. Credaf ein bod i gyd yn gwybod am ardaloedd lle ceir prinder tai i'w prynu neu eu rhentu. Yn olaf, a gaf fi fynd yn ôl at gân actol gan grŵp o Eryri yn Eisteddfod yr Urdd, yn Llandudno rwy'n credu? Roedd yn ymwneud â phentref a oedd am ddiogelu'r Gymraeg a'u cymuned ac roeddent yn chwyrn yn erbyn gwerthu cartrefi i fod yn ail gartrefi. Daeth i ben gyda'r cwpl mwyaf croch yn gwerthu i'r sawl a oedd yn cynnig fwyaf o arian a oedd am ei gael fel ail gartref. Gwnaeth y pwynt mai pobl leol sy'n gwerthu'r tai hyn i fod yn ail gartrefi. Hwy yw'r rhai nad ydynt yn cadw'r cartrefi hyn yn eu cymuned. Pe na bai ond ail gartrefi'n cael eu gwerthu fel ail gartrefi, ni fyddem yn gweld y cynnydd hwn. A chredaf ei fod yn rhywbeth lle mae gwir angen inni ddweud, 'Os gwelwch yn dda, yn eich cymuned leol, os ydych yn poeni am eich cymuned, peidiwch â gwerthu i bobl o Gaerdydd neu Lundain, ond gwerthwch i bobl sy'n lleol'.