English: Thanks, Minister, for your statement today. We did have an inquiry on the problems of homelessness and rough-sleeping on the communities committee last year, and as David Melding mentioned, in many cases it is a complex picture, and you've alluded to this in your statement today. So, sometimes it needs complex and cross-cutting approaches to solve these problems, and I was heartened by your references to the approach in Wrexham, where obviously you'll need to monitor how the outcomes pan out. But it seems that you do often need some sort of cross-cutting approach, and that may well be what they're doing with their community care hubs. So, that might be some example that perhaps we can draw on when we look at this across the breadth of Wales. Now, one visible issue that we have witnessed recently is the increase in people living in tents in urban centres, which is becoming a controversial issue. Clearly, people would seem to be better off in tents than living outside exposed to the elements - that would appear to be clear - but I think we do need to be mindful that people within the housing sector have raised issues over this, with the potential problem that what appears to be a short-term solution of living in a tent might turn into a long-term solution, and might actually deter people in the long run from seeking more viable long-term housing solutions. So, people in organisations like the Wallich are raising issues over this. I think we need to investigate why sometimes people are more willing to live in tents rather than seek shelter at the overnight shelters. Now, there is some anecdotal evidence from the recent media reports, and some of the people who have been interviewed - some of the homeless people living in the tents - have pointed out that sometimes the overnight shelters are not as attractive for them as living in a tent and sometimes they find the situations that they're in in an overnight shelter are not that safe. So, I think we do have to try to work out how to make it more viable for people to actually be housed in the overnight shelter. I think drug use is becoming an issue - there is some evidence that the longer people stay homeless the harder it is for them to reintegrate and the more likely they are to be exploited on the streets by drug pedlars. Actually, many of the people who are in the tents - the ones who have been quoted - seem to be saying that one of the reasons they don't want to go into the overnight shelters is to avoid interaction with drug users. But, actually, if they stay in the tents, there is some evidence that they could end up getting involved with drug users even against their own wishes. So, these are complex problems, and I appreciate that the solutions are not always that easy. I think there is some evidence that rough-sleeping in Scotland - the figures may have stabilised, so I wonder whether there are lessons that we can learn from their approach there. Some people have also noted that a lot of charities, possibly, on occasion, seem to be competing against each other. Can we work to ensure that the charities do work together to help to resolve these issues? Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Diolch, Gweinidog, am eich datganiad heddiw. Cafwyd ymchwiliad ar broblemau digartrefedd a chysgu allan yn y pwyllgor cymunedau y llynedd, ac fel y soniodd David Melding, mewn llawer o achosion darlun cymhleth yw hwn, ac rydych chi wedi cyfeirio at hynny yn eich datganiad heddiw. Weithiau mae angen dulliau cymhleth a thrawsbynciol i ddatrys y problemau hyn, a chefais fy nghalonogi gan eich cyfeiriadau at y dull yn Wrecsam, lle, yn amlwg, bydd gofyn i chi fonitro sut y bydd y canlyniadau yn datblygu. Ond mae'n ymddangos fod angen rhyw fath o ddull trawsbynciol arnoch chi yn aml, ac efallai'n wir mai dyna maen nhw'n ei wneud gyda'u canolfannau gofal cymunedol yno. Felly, gallai honno fod yn enghraifft y gallwn ni ei defnyddio o bosib wrth edrych ar hyn ledled Cymru. Nawr, un mater amlwg a welsom ni'n ddiweddar yw'r cynnydd mewn pobl sy'n byw mewn pebyll yng nghanol trefi, sy'n mynd yn fater dadleuol. Yn amlwg, mae'n ymddangos ei bod yn well eu byd ar y rhai mewn pebyll na'r rhai sy'n byw y tu allan ac yn agored i'r elfennau - mae hynny i'w weld yn amlwg - ond credaf fod angen inni fod yn ymwybodol bod rhai o fewn y sector tai wedi codi materion ynglŷn â hyn, sef bod yr hyn sy'n ymddangos yn ddatrysiad dros dro o fyw mewn pabell yn troi yn ateb hirdymor, a gallai hynny mewn gwirionedd atal pobl yn y diwedd rhag chwilio am ddatrysiadau o ran tai mwy hyfyw i'r hirdymor. Felly, mae pobl mewn sefydliadau fel y Wallich yn codi materion am hyn. Credaf fod angen i ni ymchwilio i'r rhesymau pam mae pobl yn fwy parod weithiau i fyw mewn pebyll yn hytrach na cheisio lloches mewn llochesi dros nos. Nawr, ceir rhywfaint o dystiolaeth anecdotaidd o adroddiadau diweddar yn y cyfryngau, a rhai o'r bobl sydd wedi cael eu cyfweld - rhai o'r bobl ddigartref sy'n byw yn y pebyll - wedi nodi nad yw llochesi dros nos weithiau mor ddeniadol iddyn nhw â byw mewn pabell ac weithiau nid ydynt yn teimlo'n ddiogel yn y llochesi dros nos. Felly, rwyf i o'r farn ei bod yn rhaid inni geisio datrys sut i'w gwneud yn fwy hyfyw i gael llety i bobl mewn lloches dros nos. Rwy'n credu bod defnyddio cyffuriau yn mynd yn broblem - ceir rhywfaint o dystiolaeth ei bod yn mynd yn fwy anodd i bobl ailintegreiddio wedi bod yn ddigartref am amser maith ac maen nhw'n fwy tebygol o gael eu hecsbloetio ar y strydoedd gan rai sy'n gwerthu cyffuriau. Mewn gwirionedd, mae llawer o'r rhai sydd yn y pebyll - y rhai a ddyfynnwyd - yn dweud mai un o'r rhesymau nad ydyn nhw'n dymuno mynd i'r llochesi dros nos yw eu bod eisiau osgoi cwrdd â defnyddwyr cyffuriau. Ond, mewn gwirionedd, os byddan nhw'n aros yn y pebyll, mae rhywfaint o dystiolaeth y gallan nhw ddod ar draws defnyddwyr cyffuriau hyd yn oed yn groes i'w dymuniadau. Felly, mae'r rhain yn broblemau cymhleth, ac rwy'n sylweddoli nad yw'r atebion bob amser mor hawdd â hynny. Credaf fod yna rywfaint o dystiolaeth bod cysgu allan yn yr Alban - efallai fod y ffigurau wedi sefydlogi, felly tybed a oes gwersi i'w dysgu o'u dulliau nhw yno. Mae rhai wedi nodi hefyd bod llawer o elusennau, o bosib, ar adegau, yn cystadlu â'i gilydd. A gawn ni weithio i sicrhau bod yr elusennau yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd i helpu i ddatrys y materion hyn? Diolch yn fawr.