English: Well, the level of council tax is set by local authorities in Wales, but we have continued to protect local government in Wales from significant cuts against a backdrop of reducing budgets from the UK Government. That said, I'm completely aware of the severe pressures that local authorities are under, but they are receiving over £4.2 billion from the Welsh Government in core revenue funding to spend on delivering those key services to which you refer, and we included additional funding in the final budget, so the settlement saw an increase of 0.2 per cent on a like-for-like basis as compared to last year. So, clearly, these are challenging times. But, in terms of the average band D council tax rate, it's £159 lower than the average band D council tax rate in England. And we've also allowed local authorities to maintain maximum flexibility in managing their budgets throughout the period of austerity, so we haven't imposed national limits on budget increases, but we do recognise that that's a matter for local determination. Also, we don't require local authorities to conduct costly referenda or to ring-fence funding raised through council tax for specific purposes. So, we do try to give local authorities the maximum flexibility that we can, whilst also trying to make council tax fairer. So, we've got rid of the sanction of imprisonment for the non-payment of council tax. We've legislated to ensure that all care leavers in Wales are exempt from council tax until their twenty-fifth birthday, and we're also continuing with our council tax reduction scheme, which means, as part of the 280,000 households that have help, 220,000 of those pay nothing at all. We're constantly working to find more ways to make council tax fairer, working in partnership with local authorities to do so.
Welsh: Wel, awdurdodau lleol sy'n pennu lefel y dreth gyngor yng Nghymru, ond rydym wedi parhau i ddiogelu llywodraeth leol yng Nghymru rhag toriadau sylweddol yn wyneb cyllidebau llai a llai gan Lywodraeth y DU. Wedi dweud hynny, rwy'n gwbl ymwybodol o'r pwysau difrifol sy'n wynebu awdurdodau lleol, ond maent yn derbyn dros £4.2 biliwn gan Lywodraeth Cymru mewn cyllid refeniw craidd i'w wario ar ddarparu'r gwasanaethau allweddol hynny y cyfeiriwch atynt, ac fe wnaethom gynnwys cyllid ychwanegol yn y gyllideb derfynol, felly cynyddodd y setliad 0.2 y cant ar sail gyfatebol o gymharu â'r llynedd. Felly, yn amlwg, mae hwn yn gyfnod heriol. Ond mae cyfradd gyfartalog treth gyngor band D £159 yn is na chyfradd gyfartalog treth gyngor band D yn Lloegr. Ac rydym hefyd wedi caniatáu i awdurdodau lleol gynnal yr hyblygrwydd mwyaf posibl wrth reoli eu cyllidebau drwy gydol y cyfnod o gyni, felly nid ydym wedi gosod cyfyngiadau cenedlaethol ar gynnydd mewn cyllidebau, ond rydym yn cydnabod bod hynny'n fater i'w bennu'n lleol. Hefyd, nid ydym yn ei gwneud yn ofynnol i awdurdodau lleol gynnal refferenda drud na chlustnodi arian a godir drwy'r dreth gyngor at ddibenion penodol. Felly, rydym yn ceisio rhoi cymaint o hyblygrwydd ag y gallwn i awdurdodau lleol, gan geisio sicrhau bod y dreth gyngor yn decach. Felly, rydym wedi cael gwared ar y gosb o garchar am beidio â thalu'r dreth gyngor. Rydym wedi deddfu i sicrhau bod pawb sy'n gadael gofal yng Nghymru wedi'u heithrio rhag gorfod talu'r dreth gyngor hyd at eu pen blwydd yn 25, ac rydym hefyd yn parhau â'n cynllun gostyngiadau'r dreth cyngor, sy'n golygu, fel rhan o'r 280,000 o gartrefi sy'n derbyn cymorth, nad yw 220,000 o'r rheini yn talu ceiniog. Rydym yn gweithio'n gyson i ddod o hyd i fwy o ffyrdd o sicrhau bod y dreth gyngor yn decach, gan weithio mewn partneriaeth ag awdurdodau lleol i wneud hynny.