English: We're also very keen on things like access to green space. So, even if you are in an apartment, you should still have access to green space outside. We're looking at encouraging all social landlords - councils and housing associations - to ensure access to green space, even if it's not a private garden, nevertheless good access is part of - we all know, as part of the pandemic - is very much part of your well-being in living in that house. In terms of other services, absolutely, we will look at that, but I'm not sure that we'd want a house to fail the WHQS because the bus service outside it isn't up to scratch, although obviously in a different part of my portfolio we're very keen on improving public services, such as bus services and so on. But I'm certainly prepared to look at what can be done to encourage social landlords to put pressure on service companies to bring other services to bear. Things like access to local amenities, actually right down to shops and leisure facilities, is one of the things that does make housing more acceptable. But this is much more about the fabric of the home, really, and we know, from the analysis we've done of housing association and council tenants satisfaction surveys and other things, that things like noise and flooring and that kind of stuff are very high up on tenants' wish lists, and so that's why it's included in the standard. The rent equation that you brought up is a very interesting one as well. Every time we do the rent equation for social landlords in Wales we have this terrible dilemma to make it affordable, but to make sure that the rental stream for those landlords is sufficient, both to retrofit their housing and to build the new housing that we need. And the rental stream, of course, is what drives the ability to borrow from the local housing associations, and so it's a very difficult equation, isn't it, about affordability and not affordability. But there are some political points here to make, I'm afraid, as well. The freezing of the local housing allowance by the current UK Government has been seriously detrimental, not only to the tenants who are stuck in lowering ability to claim benefit in the private rented sector, but actually to the ability of people to afford housing across Wales. So, these political choices are really problematic. I have written several times to the Minister complaining that the hidden cut of the freezing of the local housing allowance is having a very detrimental effect, not only on individuals, but on the ability to plan for housing in general. So, just to make that point. In terms of construction costs, in terms of new build, we've already assisted by putting up the way that we manipulate our social housing grant and the way that we get the affordability envelope to look for new build. We've adjusted that to account for construction costs. We will be looking to do that for retrofit as well, but, again, one of the points to be made here is that you pay VAT on refurbishment, whereas you don't pay it on new build. And so one of the things we really, really hope the UK Government will take on board is what a disincentive having VAT on refurbishment is, and how against the whole climate change agenda it is to incentivise knocking something down and building a new one instead of refurbishing an old building, and what a stimulation for the economy it would be to look again at VAT on refurbishments. So, that's something we've also - . Rebecca Evans and I have written a number of times on the nonsense of making refurbishments subject to VAT. So, these things are complex financial equations at all times and that's not helping. But overall, what we're doing is we're getting the standard right first, and then looking at the time period and the financing model. So, I think, the standard is the most important thing here, but we do have access to finance. We have access to the old what's called MRA, so the major repairs allowance for local authorities, and what's called dowry, which is the local stock voluntary transfer moneys that were paid when our local authorities externalised their housing stock a decade or more ago now, and that money has been kept in the budgets and is still available for the Welsh housing quality standard. That's how we funded the first iteration as well. So, that money is there, Mabon, and we are looking at innovative financing ways of making that go as far as possible as well. And then, the last thing I just wanted to say was about broadband access. You make a very good point there. It's not just about the infrastructure, though, for broadband, it's about the affordability of the broadband provision. We have been encouraging both local housing associations and local authorities to look at bulk purchasing arrangements or Wi-Fi arrangements and so on. So, it's not just about the fabric of the house allowing the broadband, it's about the affordability of the available broadband package and what it's used for and so on. So, that's certainly in our sights. We still have a large number of white premises dotted around the rural countryside, so one of the things that we can do is use our social housing to bring pressure to bear on making sure those services are improved in that area. So, I definitely have that in my sights as well, although, again, it's not necessarily about the fabric of the house, is it, it's about the availability of the external infrastructure. So, I very much welcome your contribution, and I'm looking forward to the submission you'll make, I'm sure, in response to the consultation.
Welsh: Rydym ni hefyd yn awyddus iawn i weld pethau fel mynediad i fannau gwyrdd. Felly, hyd yn oed os ydych chi mewn fflat, fe ddylech chi barhau i allu cael mynediad i fannau gwyrdd y tu allan. Rydym ni'n bwriadu annog pob landlord cymdeithasol - cynghorau a chymdeithasau tai - i sicrhau mynediad i fannau gwyrdd, hyd yn oed os nad yw'n ardd breifat, serch hynny, mae mynediad da yn rhan o hynny - fe wyddom ni i gyd, yn rhan o'r pandemig - yn rhan bwysig iawn o'ch llesiant chi wrth fyw yn y tŷ hwnnw. O ran gwasanaethau eraill, yn sicr, fe fyddwn ni'n edrych ar hynny, ond nid wyf i'n siŵr a fyddem ni'n dymuno i dŷ fethu â chyrraedd SATC am nad yw'r gwasanaeth bws y tu allan iddo yn cyrraedd y safon, ond yn amlwg mewn rhan wahanol o fy mhortffolio rydym ni'n awyddus iawn i wella gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, fel gwasanaethau bysiau ac ati. Ond rwy'n sicr yn barod i edrych ar yr hyn y gellir ei wneud i annog landlordiaid cymdeithasol i roi pwysau ar gwmnïau gwasanaethau i ddefnyddio gwasanaethau eraill. Mae pethau fel mynediad i amwynderau lleol, yr holl ffordd hyd at siopau a chyfleusterau hamdden yn un o'r pethau sy'n gwneud tai yn fwy derbyniol. Ond mae hyn yn ymwneud llawer mwy ag adeiladwaith y cartref, mewn gwirionedd, ac fe wyddom ni, o'r dadansoddiad a wnaethom ni o arolygon boddhad cymdeithasau tai a thenantiaid cyngor a phethau eraill, fod pethau fel sŵn a lloriau a phethau o'r fath yn uchel iawn ar restrau dymuniadau tenantiaid, ac felly dyna pam y cawsant eu cynnwys yn y safon. Mae'r hafaliad rhent y gwnaethoch chi ei godi yn ddiddorol iawn hefyd. Bob tro yr ydym ni'n pennu'r hafaliad rhent ar gyfer landlordiaid cymdeithasol yng Nghymru rydym ni'n cael y cyfyng-gyngor ofnadwy hwn i wneud hynny'n fforddiadwy, ond gan sicrhau bod y ffrwd rentu ar gyfer y landlordiaid hynny'n ddigonol, i ôl-osod eu tai nhw ac adeiladu'r tai newydd y mae eu hangen arnom ni. A'r ffrwd rentu, wrth gwrs, yw'r hyn sy'n gyrru'r gallu i fenthyca gan y cymdeithasau tai lleol, ac felly mae hwn yn hafaliad anodd iawn, onid yw e', sy'n ymwneud â fforddiadwyedd a'r hyn na ellir ei fforddio. Ond mae rhai pwyntiau gwleidyddol i'w gwneud yn y fan hon hefyd, mae arnaf i ofn. Mae rhewi'r lwfans tai lleol gan Lywodraeth bresennol y DU wedi bod yn rhywbeth niweidiol iawn, nid yn unig i'r tenantiaid sydd wedi eu caethiwo gan ostyngiad yn eu gallu nhw i hawlio budd-dal yn y sector rhentu preifat, ond mewn gwirionedd i allu pobl i fforddio tai ledled Cymru. Felly, mae'r dewisiadau gwleidyddol hyn yn broblem wirioneddol. Rwyf i wedi ysgrifennu sawl tro at y Gweinidog yn cwyno bod y toriad cudd o rewi'r lwfans tai lleol yn cael effaith andwyol iawn, nid yn unig ar unigolion, ond ar y gallu i gynllunio tai yn gyffredinol. Felly, dim ond i wneud y pwynt yna. O ran costau adeiladu, o ran adeiladu o'r newydd, rydym ni eisoes wedi helpu drwy godi'r ffordd yr ydym ni'n trin ein grant tai cymdeithasol a'r ffordd y cawn ni amlen fforddiadwyedd i chwilio am adeiladu o'r newydd. Rydym ni wedi addasu hynny i roi cyfrif am gostau adeiladu. Fe fyddwn ni'n ceisio gwneud hynny ar gyfer ôl-osod hefyd, ond, unwaith eto, un o'r pwyntiau sydd i'w gwneud yn y fan hon yw eich bod chi'n talu TAW ar adnewyddu, ond nid ydych chi'n ei dalu ar adeiladu o'r newydd. Ac felly un o'r pethau yr ydym ni wir yn gobeithio y bydd Llywodraeth y DU yn ei ystyried yw pa mor llethol yw bod â TAW ar adnewyddu, a pha mor andwyol i'r agenda newid hinsawdd yw annog dymchwel rhywbeth ac adeiladu rhywbeth yn ei le yn hytrach nag adnewyddu'r hen adeilad, a chymaint o ysgogiad i'r economi fyddai edrych eto ar TAW ar gyfer adnewyddu. Felly, mae hynny'n rhywbeth sydd gennym ni hefyd - . Mae Rebecca Evans a minnau wedi ysgrifennu sawl gwaith ar ffolineb codi TAW ar waith adnewyddu. Felly, mae'r pethau hyn yn hafaliadau ariannol cymhleth bob amser ac nid yw hynny'n helpu. Ond yn gyffredinol, yr hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wneud yw sefydlu safon briodol i ddechrau, ac edrych wedyn ar y cyfnod amser a'r model ariannu. Felly, rwy'n credu mai'r safon yw'r peth pwysicaf yn hyn o beth, ond mae yna gyllid ar gael i ni. Rydym ni'n gallu cael gafael ar yr hyn a elwid yn flaenorol yn lwfans atgyweiriadau mawr i awdurdodau lleol, a'r hyn a elwir yn waddoli, sef yr arian trosglwyddo gwirfoddol stoc leol a dalwyd pan allanolodd ein hawdurdodau lleol eu stoc tai nhw ddeng mlynedd yn ôl neu fwy erbyn hyn, ac fe gadwyd yr arian yn y cyllidebau ac mae hwnnw ar gael o hyd ar gyfer safon ansawdd tai Cymru. Dyna sut y gwnaethom ariannu'r fersiwn gyntaf hefyd. Felly, mae'r arian hwnnw yno, Mabon, ac rydym ni'n edrych ar ffyrdd ariannu arloesol ar gyfer ymestyn hwnnw cymaint ag y bo modd hefyd. Ac yna'r peth olaf yr oeddwn i eisiau ei ddweud oedd ynghylch mynediad at fand eang. Rydych chi'n gwneud pwynt da iawn yn hyn o beth. Nid yw hyn yn ymwneud â'r seilwaith yn unig, er, ar gyfer band eang, mae'n ymwneud â fforddiadwyedd y ddarpariaeth o fand eang. Rydym ni wedi bod yn annog cymdeithasau tai lleol ac awdurdodau lleol i edrych ar drefniadau prynu ar gyfradd fawr neu drefniadau Wi-Fi ac ati. Felly, nid yw yn ymwneud ag adeiladwaith y tŷ yn caniatáu'r band eang yn unig, mae hyn yn ymwneud â fforddiadwyedd y pecyn band eang sydd ar gael ac ar gyfer beth y mae'n cael ei ddefnyddio ac ati. Felly, rydym yn cadw golwg ar hynny. Mae gennym ni nifer fawr o adeiladau gwyn o hyd ar wasgar yng nghefn gwlad, felly un o'r pethau y gallwn ni ei wneud yw defnyddio ein tai cymdeithasol ni i roi pwyslais ar sicrhau bod y gwasanaethau hynny'n cael eu gwella yn yr ardal honno. Felly, rwy'n cadw golwg ar hynny hefyd, er, unwaith eto, nid yw o reidrwydd yn ymwneud ag adeiladwaith y tŷ, nag yw, mae hyn yn ymwneud â pha mor rhwydd yw hi i gael gafael ar y seilwaith allanol. Felly, rwy'n croesawu eich cyfraniad chi'n fawr, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at y cyflwyniad y byddwch chi'n ei wneud, rwy'n siŵr, wrth ymateb i'r ymgynghoriad.