English: Thanks to the Minister for today's statement. We've been having an inquiry into homelessness on the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee. As Bethan Jenkins mentioned earlier, we did have a site visit to the Salvation Army hostel just down the road from here, in Bute Street, which was a very instructive visit as we did get to speak not only to the staff, but also to several of the residents, many of whom are former rough-sleepers. Of course, it was only a small group, but I think common themes emerged fairly strongly. These seemed to tell a tale of early family problems, in many cases, which lead to early abuse of alcohol and drugs. When the residents begin to go on programmes where they are able to detox, several of them began to realise that the substance abuse was actually masking mental health issues. I know this has been mentioned several times today - the mental health issue. Mike Hedges mentioned the possibility that some people start to abuse drugs and alcohol once they become homeless, and indeed this may be the case in some instances, but certainly, I think the experience that I took on board from the site visit was that it's probably more likely that the substance abuse and alcohol abuse led to the homelessness. That probably comes first. I think the crucial thing, which you have tackled in your statement today, is that there are these intimate links between mental health, substance abuse and homelessness. So, a persistent problem that you are going to have in dealing with the homeless issue is that you will have to work alongside the health ministry in getting resources directed towards mental health provision so that the homeless can access them. I know you've acknowledged that. So, to move to questions, how closely are you working with the health Minister in this regard? And in terms of the new funding that you're announcing, can you be more precise on how much is actually going towards mental health provision? I think that, in many respects, tackling the homelessness problem means crossing portfolios for you, Minister, in some important respects, not only with the health Minister. There's also possibly the training aspect, which you've touched on a few times today. Because when we went to the hostel, other issues that were raised by the staff at the hostel included the need for continued resources so that more staff could be trained to deal with the complex needs of homeless people. As well as the detox programmes, there are also programmes being run dealing with teaching the residents basic skills that could eventually lead them into employment. I think it's good that you have mentioned several times in your statement the training aspect. Do you see any benefit in interacting more closely with the skills Minister over issues like this in terms, for instance, of accessing resources? Finally, there have been comments - not today, but comments in general - that the homeless issue is really only discussed in politics once a year, and that is in the run-up to Christmas. There is some extra funding provision at that time of year, it becomes a media issue and, of course, we do have a lot of volunteers active at that time of year. But now, we are in February and we're in the midst of another cold snap. I note that you mentioned cold weather plans in your statement, so could you expand a little on how these cold weather plans will work? Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Diolch i'r Gweinidog am ddatganiad heddiw. Rydym ni wedi bod yn cynnal ymchwiliad ynglŷn â digartrefedd ar y Pwyllgor Cymunedau, Cydraddoldeb a Llywodraeth Leol. Fel y soniodd Bethan Jenkins yn gynharach, fe wnaethom ni ymweld â hostel Byddin yr Iachawdwriaeth i lawr y ffordd oddi yma, yn Stryd Bute, a oedd yn ymweliad addysgiadol iawn oherwydd fe gawsom ni siarad nid yn unig â'r staff, ond hefyd â nifer o'r trigolion, y mae llawer ohonyn nhw yn bobl a oedd yn arfer cysgu ar y stryd. Wrth gwrs, dim ond grŵp bach oedd o, ond rwy'n credu yr amlygwyd themâu cyffredin mewn modd gweddol rymus. Ymddengys fod y rhain yn adrodd hanes o broblemau teuluol cynnar, mewn llawer o achosion, a arweiniodd at gam-ddefnyddio alcohol a chyffuriau. Pan mae'r preswylwyr yn dechrau mynd ar raglenni lle maen nhw'n gallu dadwenwyno, dechreuodd nifer ohonyn nhw sylweddoli bod y cam-drin sylweddau mewn gwirionedd yn cuddio materion iechyd meddwl. Rwy'n gwybod y crybwyllwyd hyn sawl gwaith heddiw - y mater iechyd meddwl. Soniodd Mike Hedges am y posibilrwydd bod rhai pobl yn dechrau camddefnyddio cyffuriau ac alcohol pan ddown nhw yn ddigartref, ac yn wir, hwyrach mai dyma sy'n digwydd mewn rhai achosion, ond yn sicr, credaf mai'r profiad sy'n aros yn fy nghof o'r ymweliad safle oedd ei bod hi mae'n debyg yn fwy tebygol mai camddefnyddio sylweddau ac alcohol a arweiniodd at ddigartrefedd. Mae hynny fwy na thebyg yn dod gyntaf. Credaf mai'r peth hollbwysig, yr ydych chi wedi mynd i'r afael â hi yn eich datganiad heddiw, yw bod cysylltiadau agos rhwng iechyd meddwl, camddefnyddio sylweddau a digartrefedd. Felly, problem barhaus fydd gennych chi wrth ymdrin â'r agwedd o ddigartrefedd yw y bydd yn rhaid ichi weithio ochr yn ochr â'r weinyddiaeth iechyd i gael adnoddau ar gyfer darpariaeth iechyd meddwl fel y gall pobl ddigartref gael gafael arnyn nhw. Rwy'n gwybod eich bod chi wedi cydnabod hynny. Felly, i droi at y cwestiynau, pa mor agos ydych chi'n gweithio gyda'r Gweinidog iechyd yn hyn o beth? Ac o ran y cyllid newydd yr ydych chi'n ei gyhoeddi, allwch chi fod yn fwy manwl ynglŷn â faint mewn gwirionedd fydd yn mynd tuag at ddarpariaeth iechyd meddwl? Rwy'n credu, ar lawer ystyr, bod mynd i'r afael â'r broblem ddigartrefedd yn golygu cydweithio, Weinidog, ar rai agweddau pwysig, nid yn unig gyda'r Gweinidog iechyd. Mae hefyd, o bosib yr agwedd ar hyfforddiant, yr ydych chi wedi cyfeirio ati ambell waith heddiw. Oherwydd pan aethom i'r hostel, roedd y materion eraill y cyfeiriodd staff yn yr hostel atyn nhw yn cynnwys yr angen am adnoddau parhaus fel y gellid hyfforddi mwy o staff i ymdrin ag anghenion cymhleth pobl ddigartref. Yn ogystal â rhaglenni dadwenwyno, ceir hefyd rhaglenni sy'n ymwneud â dysgu sgiliau sylfaenol i'r trigolion a allai yn y pen draw eu harwain at gyflogaeth. Rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n dda eich bod wedi crybwyll sawl gwaith yn eich datganiad yr agwedd ar hyfforddiant. A ydych chi'n gweld unrhyw fudd mewn ymadweithio'n fwy agos â'r Gweinidog sgiliau ynglŷn â materion fel hyn o ran, er enghraifft, manteisio ar adnoddau? Yn olaf, bu sylwadau - nid heddiw, ond sylwadau yn gyffredinol - na thrafodir y broblem ddigartref mewn gwirionedd mewn gwleidyddiaeth dim ond unwaith y flwyddyn, ac mae hynny yn y cyfnod cyn y Nadolig. Ceir rhywfaint o ddarpariaeth cyllid ychwanegol ar yr adeg honno o'r flwyddyn, daw'n fater i'r cyfryngau ac, wrth gwrs, mae gennym ni lawer o wirfoddolwyr wrthi ar yr adeg honno o'r flwyddyn. Ond nawr, rydym ni ym mis Chwefror, ac rydym ni yng nghanol cyfnod oer arall. Rwy'n sylwi ichi grybwyll cynlluniau tywydd oer yn eich datganiad, felly a allech chi ymhelaethu ychydig ynglŷn â sut y bydd y cynlluniau tywydd oer hyn yn gweithio? Diolch yn fawr.