English: 'summary impact assessments have been published previously which include impacts relating to face coverings.' However, no reference is made to equality impact assessments relating to regulation changes that exclude natural immunity as a way of demonstrating COVID-19 status for the purposes of the COVID pass. Now, the Welsh Government has now confirmed that an updated impact assessment will be published shortly, and we welcome that. But, given that these regulations have been in force since mid December, as we speak, we hope that the Minister will agree with us that these updates should be published, where they can, in a more timely fashion and, indeed, that this will be done in future, wherever possible. So, in relation to the exclusion of prior recovery, i.e. natural immunity, the explanatory memorandum notes that this purpose 'is justified on public health grounds' as well as representing 'a strengthening of the requirements as previously proposed by the Technical Advisory Group and is supported by the Chief Medical Officer.' However, there is no reference made to the evidence on which the Welsh Government has relied to make this provision. So, we therefore asked the Welsh Government to set out the evidence that shows that excluding natural immunity as a way of demonstrating COVID-19 status for the purposes of the COVID pass is, in quotes, 'justified on public health grounds'. The Welsh Government has, and we thank them for this, since shared further information with us, including the minutes of the SAGE 99 meeting held on 16 December 2021, and which is noted in our report. So, Minister, in welcoming that additional information, we just respectfully and gently remind Welsh Government that, if we have more fulsome and early information in the explanatory memorandum that accompanies the regulations when laid before the Senedd, it would be beneficial to scrutiny and helpful to all of us. We also sought a response from the Welsh Government with regard to two merits points raised in our report on the No. 23 regulations, which, as Members will know, change the provisions around working from home. Again, we asked the Welsh Government to explain what arrangements it has made in respect of these regulations to publish reports of equality impact assessments in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011. In addition, the explanatory memorandum accompanying the No. 23 regulations states, and I quote, 'summary impact assessments are in preparation which will include impacts relating to working from home.' However, it is unclear whether these assessments will include an equality impact assessment. As these assessments are yet to be published, the public, as well as the Senedd, are also unable to assess the equalities impact of the new provision being introduced by these regulations. Now, the Government indeed responded to our report earlier today, and, in respect of this point, we have been told that the Welsh Government routinely prepares and publishes summary impact assessments in relation to changes in the coronavirus regulations, in quotes, 'at the earliest opportunity after each review period.' So, I will again simply reiterate a point I've already made, that it would help us all if these should be published as early as possible in a timely fashion. And, indeed, we think they should be. Our last reporting point relates to the creation of an offence for individuals who breach the requirement to work from home where it is reasonably practicable for them to do so. Now, once again, the explanatory memorandum does not set out or link to any specific evidence on which the Welsh Government relies when making this provision, so we have asked the Welsh Government to set out the relevant evidence that supports the significant tightening of restriction around home working at this time. And, in the response we received today around lunchtime, the Welsh Government has pointed us to the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling operational sub-group for SAGE from June 2021, and the technical advisory cell advice from December 2021. The Welsh Government's response also states that survey and mobility data at the point the decision was made indicated that guidance and messaging was not having the desired effect in shifting the proportion of people working from home in Wales to minimise the spread of COVID, and we note that response and we thank the Minister for that response. So, Minister, at the risk of repetition and in conclusion, our committee, again, whilst recognising the emergency nature of these successive regulations relating to coronavirus, simply asks that fuller information should be available at the outset whenever possible when regulations are laid before the Senedd, because it would be better for scrutiny by the Senedd and by the public, but also better for the Government in making their case. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Welsh: 'asesiadau effaith cryno wedi'u cyhoeddi yn flaenorol sy'n cynnwys effeithiau sy'n ymwneud â gorchuddion wyneb.' Fodd bynnag, ni chyfeirir at asesiadau o'r effaith ar gydraddoldeb sy'n ymwneud â newidiadau i reoliadau sy'n eithrio imiwnedd naturiol fel ffordd o ddangos statws COVID-19 at ddibenion y pas COVID. Nawr, mae Llywodraeth Cymru bellach wedi cadarnhau y bydd asesiad effaith wedi'i ddiweddaru yn cael ei gyhoeddi cyn bo hir, ac rydym yn croesawu hynny. Ond, o gofio bod y rheoliadau hyn wedi bod mewn grym ers canol mis Rhagfyr, wrth i ni siarad, gobeithiwn y bydd y Gweinidog yn cytuno â ni y dylid cyhoeddi'r diweddariadau hyn, pan fo hynny'n bosibl, mewn modd mwy amserol ac, yn wir, y gwneir hyn yn y dyfodol, pryd bynnag y bo modd. Felly, o ran eithrio adferiad blaenorol, h.y. imiwnedd naturiol, mae'r memorandwm esboniadol yn nodi bod y diben hwn 'yn cael ei gyfiawnhau ar sail iechyd y cyhoedd' yn ogystal â chynrychioli 'cryfhau'r gofynion fel y cynigiwyd yn flaenorol gan y Grŵp Cyngor Technegol ac fe'i cefnogir gan y Prif Swyddog Meddygol.' Fodd bynnag, ni chyfeirir at y dystiolaeth y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dibynnu arni i wneud y ddarpariaeth hon. Felly, gofynnwyd i Lywodraeth Cymru nodi'r dystiolaeth sy'n dangos bod eithrio imiwnedd naturiol fel ffordd o ddangos statws COVID-19 at ddibenion y pas COVID, mewn dyfyniadau, yn 'cael ei gyfiawnhau ar sail iechyd y cyhoedd'. Ers hyn, mae Llywodraeth Cymru, a diolchwn iddyn nhw am hyn, wedi rhannu gwybodaeth bellach gyda ni, gan gynnwys cofnodion cyfarfod SAGE 99 a gynhaliwyd ar 16 Rhagfyr 2021, ac a nodir yn ein hadroddiad. Felly, Gweinidog, wrth groesawu'r wybodaeth ychwanegol honno, rydym yn atgoffa Llywodraeth Cymru yn barchus ac yn dyner, os oes gennym wybodaeth lawnach a chynnar yn y memorandwm esboniadol sy'n cyd-fynd â'r rheoliadau pan gânt eu gosod gerbron y Senedd, y byddai'n fuddiol i'r gwaith craffu ac yn ddefnyddiol i bob un ohonom ni. Fe wnaethom ni hefyd ofyn am ymateb gan Lywodraeth Cymru o ran dau bwynt teilyngdod a godwyd yn ein hadroddiad ar reoliadau Rhif 23, sydd, fel y gŵyr yr Aelodau, yn newid y darpariaethau sy'n ymwneud â gweithio gartref. Unwaith eto, gofynnwyd i Lywodraeth Cymru egluro pa drefniadau y mae wedi'u gwneud ynglŷn â'r rheoliadau hyn i gyhoeddi adroddiadau ar asesiadau o'r effaith ar gydraddoldeb yn unol â Rheoliadau Deddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 (Dyletswyddau Statudol) (Cymru) 2011. Yn ogystal â hyn, mae'r memorandwm esboniadol sy'n cyd-fynd â rheoliadau Rhif 23 yn nodi, a dyfynnaf, 'mae asesiadau effaith cryno yn cael eu paratoi a fydd yn cynnwys effeithiau sy'n ymwneud â gweithio gartref.' Fodd bynnag, nid yw'n glir a fydd yr asesiadau hyn yn cynnwys asesiad o'r effaith ar gydraddoldeb. Gan nad yw'r asesiadau hyn wedi'u cyhoeddi eto, nid yw'r cyhoedd, yn ogystal â'r Senedd, ychwaith yn gallu asesu effaith ar gydraddoldeb y ddarpariaeth newydd sy'n cael ei chyflwyno gan y rheoliadau hyn. Nawr, ymatebodd y Llywodraeth, yn wir, i'n hadroddiad yn gynharach heddiw, ac, ynglŷn â'r pwynt hwn, dywedwyd wrthym fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn paratoi ac yn cyhoeddi asesiadau effaith cryno fel mater o drefn ar y newidiadau yn y rheoliadau coronafeirws, mewn dyfyniadau 'cyn gynted â phosibl ar ôl pob cyfnod adolygu.' Felly, fe wnaf ailadrodd unwaith eto bwynt yr wyf eisoes wedi'i wneud, y byddai'n ein helpu ni i gyd pe bai'r rhain yn cael eu cyhoeddi cyn gynted â phosibl mewn modd amserol. Ac, yn wir, credwn y dylen nhw. Mae ein pwynt adrodd diwethaf yn ymwneud â chreu trosedd i unigolion sy'n torri'r gofyniad i weithio gartref pan fo'n rhesymol ymarferol iddyn nhw wneud hynny. Nawr, unwaith eto, nid yw'r memorandwm esboniadol yn nodi nac yn cysylltu ag unrhyw dystiolaeth benodol y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn dibynnu arni wrth wneud y ddarpariaeth hon, felly rydym wedi gofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru nodi'r dystiolaeth berthnasol sy'n cefnogi tynhau sylweddol ar y cyfyngiadau ar weithio gartref ar hyn o bryd. Ac, yn yr ymateb a gawsom heddiw tua amser cinio, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ein cyfeirio at yr is-grŵp gweithredol Modelu Ffliw Pandemig Gwyddonol ar gyfer SAGE o fis Mehefin 2021, a'r cyngor gan y gell cyngor technegol o fis Rhagfyr 2021. Mae ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd yn nodi bod data arolygon a symudedd ar yr adeg y gwnaed y penderfyniad yn dangos nad oedd canllawiau a negeseuon yn cael yr effaith a ddymunir o ran symud cyfran y bobl sy'n gweithio gartref yng Nghymru i leihau lledaeniad COVID, a nodwn yr ymateb hwnnw a diolchwn i'r Gweinidog am yr ymateb hwnnw. Felly, Gweinidog, mewn perygl o ailadrodd ac i gloi, mae ein pwyllgor, unwaith eto, gan gydnabod natur frys y rheoliadau dilynol hyn sy'n ymwneud â'r coronafeirws, yn gofyn yn syml y dylai gwybodaeth lawnach fod ar gael ar y dechrau pryd bynnag y bo modd pan fydd rheoliadau'n cael eu gosod gerbron y Senedd, oherwydd byddai'n well i'r Senedd a'r cyhoedd graffu arnyn nhw, ond hefyd yn well i'r Llywodraeth wrth wneud ei hachos. Diolch yn fawr iawn.