English: Could I call, please, for a single oral statement - not now, but hopefully within a very short period of time - on the Welsh independent living grant? Eleven days ago, I chaired a meeting of the Cross-Party Group on Disability, the Assembly group, in north Wales. It was packed, and I was asked by attendees to raise this issue again in the Senedd, and, quote: to try to get some answers, because time is running out. We know that when the independent living fund was devolved by the UK Government in England to local authorities, and in Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland to the respective Governments, that Scotland launched ILF Scotland to ensure recipients have choice and control. Northern Ireland chose to join the Scottish scheme, and disabled people and disabled groups in Wales said they wanted to join it too, but instead the Welsh Government gave the money to local authorities. In May last year, we were told in a written statement by the Welsh Government that local authorities were reporting that most people were receiving similar support to that they'd had with their ILF payments, with no significant issues being raised, but we know, since, there has been extensive coverage of disabled people suffering because of the decisions made. A particular point I was asked to raise at the meeting in Wrexham by a packed room of people, most of whom were disabled themselves, was to emphasise this is about the difference between staying in bed or getting out of bed, about having dinner or not having dinner, about having control or being controlled. They said, 'They just don't understand the importance of one word to disabled people, "independence," and the impact on mental health and well-being', and the ability for them to interact with society. That's lived experience, articulated again by Nathan Davies at the meeting in north Wales, who has led the Welsh independent living grant campaign on behalf of recipients of the grant - including himself, but also very many others. As we approach the final point on this, when nobody will be left in receipt of an independent living grant, will you as a Government, for once, in this case, deliver an oral statement and answer the questions that disabled people across Wales who were in receipt of the ILF are increasingly asking?
Welsh: A gaf i ofyn, os gwelwch yn dda, am un datganiad llafar - nid yn awr, ond cyn pen fawr o dro, gobeithio - ynghylch Grant Byw'n Annibynnol Cymru? Ddiwrnod ar ddeg yn ôl, roeddwn i'n cadeirio cyfarfod y Grŵp Trawsbleidiol ar Anabledd, y grŵp Cynulliad, yn y gogledd. Roedd y lle yn orlawn, a gofynnwyd imi gan bobl a ddaeth i'r cyfarfod a fyddwn i'n sôn am y mater hwn eto yn y Senedd, ac, rwy'n dyfynnu: i geisio cael atebion, oherwydd bod amser yn brin. Rydym ni'n gwybod, pan gafodd y Gronfa Byw'n Annibynnol ei datganoli gan Lywodraeth y DU yn Lloegr i awdurdodau lleol, ac yng Nghymru, yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon i'r llywodraethau perthnasol, bod yr Alban wedi lansio Independent Living Fund Scotland i sicrhau bod gan y sawl fydd yn elwa o'r cynllun ddewis a rheolaeth. Penderfynodd Gogledd Iwerddon ymuno â chynllun yr Alban, a dywedodd pobl anabl a grwpiau anabl yng Nghymru eu bod nhw'n dymuno bod yn rhan hefyd, ond yn lle hynny, rhoddodd Llywodraeth Cymru yr arian i'r awdurdodau lleol. Ym mis Mai y llynedd, dywedwyd wrthym ni mewn datganiad ysgrifenedig gan Lywodraeth Cymru bod awdurdodau lleol yn dweud bod y rhan fwyaf o bobl yn derbyn cymorth tebyg i'r hyn yr oedden nhw'n ei gael gyda'u taliadau Cronfa Byw'n Annibynnol, gyda dim materion sylweddol wedi eu crybwyll, ond rydym ni'n gwybod, ers hynny, y bu cryn sôn am bobl anabl yn dioddef oherwydd y penderfyniadau a wnaed. Pwynt penodol y gofynnwyd imi sôn amdano yn y cyfarfod yn Wrecsam gan ystafell orlawn o bobl yr oedd y rhan fwyaf ohonyn nhw'n anabl eu hunain, oedd pwysleisio bod a wnelo hyn â'r gwahaniaeth rhwng aros mewn gwely a chodi o'r gwely, rhwng cael swper a pheidio â chael swper, rhwng bod â rheolaeth a chael eich rheoli. Roedden nhw'n dweud, 'Dydyn nhw ddim yn deall pwysigrwydd un gair i bobl anabl, "annibyniaeth", a'r effaith ar iechyd meddwl a lles', a'u gallu i ryngweithio â'r gymdeithas. Profiad o fyw yw hynny, a fynegwyd eto gan Nathan Davies yn y cyfarfod yn y gogledd, sydd wedi arwain ymgyrch Grant Byw'n Annibynnol Cymru ar ran y rhai sy'n derbyn y grant - gan gynnwys ef ei hun, ond llawer iawn o bobl eraill hefyd. Wrth inni nesáu at y pwynt terfynol ar hyn, pan na fydd neb yn cael Grant Byw'n Annibynnol, a wnewch chi fel Llywodraeth, am unwaith, yn yr achos hwn, wneud datganiad llafar ac ateb y cwestiynau y mae pobl anabl ledled Cymru a oedd yn elwa o'r Gronfa Byw'n Annibynnol yn eu gofyn yn gynyddol?