English: As a member of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee I'd like to thank all those who contributed to our inquiry as well as the Chair and the clerking team for their excellent work on this vitally important topic. The list of stakeholders who contributed is lengthy and extremely diverse and I think that's not surprising, really, because we all know how important access to banking is, and how strongly people feel about the withdrawal of major banks from our high streets up and down Wales. As a backbencher, a lot of your time is taken up with committee work and quite often you can find yourself immersed in what are very important and worthy inquiries, scrutinising existing policy or looking to the future, and think to yourself, 'As important as I think this is, I'm not quite sure my constituents would really be that interested in what I'm doing here.' But that was never the case with this inquiry into access to banking. I knew this was one inquiry where, if I was to explain to people in the Cynon Valley what we were looking at and why, they would be engaged, full of opinions, keen to know the outcome and where this Assembly and Welsh Government might be able to make a difference. By way of an example, I, like many other Members of this Senedd, have a Facebook page through which I communicate with my constituents, and of all the posts that I've put up since I was elected in 2016, the one post, sadly, which gathered more attention than any other by a mile was a post that I wrote to inform constituents about the closure of the Co-operative Bank in Aberdare. This wasn't the first bank in the town to close and, indeed, I have to say, the town, quite rarely, does have a good representation of banks and building societies, but what that post did was to tap into the public psyche and the general feeling that people have that our banks have a social duty to retain a presence on the high street, and shouldn't just be driven by excessive profit margins and the move to online banking. One of the major gripes people have about bank closures is the lack of community consultation prior to branches closing, and the repeated and blinkered defence by the banking sector, who always say that it was purely a commercial decision. So the process around bank closures was one area that we were keen to investigate as a committee. We examined the access to banking standard, which banks and building societies can, but don't have to sign up to, and which sets out how customers should receive timely and improved notification and support once a decision has been made to close a bank branch. The latest reports suggest that there's been good compliance with the standard from the banking industry, which leads me, in the light of the problems that we are all too aware of, to question whether or not the standard itself is strong enough. This was reflected in recommendation 6 of our report, where we called for the UK Government and JACS group to review whether the access to banking standard is sufficiently robust to address the impact of bank closures, or whether regulatory or other action is required. Understandably, the Welsh Government wasn't able to accept our recommendation because it has no devolved powers in this area, and this shows the complexities faced by Welsh Government in trying to hold banks to account for their behaviour in Wales. Is there a way around this? Is there a made-in-Wales solution? Well, quite possibly, a community bank of Wales, and that's something I'll return to later. When defending their bank closures, banks are always keen to point to the role that post offices can play in providing banking services and to signpost their existing customers to their local Post Office branch. But is the Post Office really a viable alternative? Well, we explored this and what we found is that banks aren't able to really offer the full range of services as other Members have pointed out, and this is compounded by the lack of public awareness about Post Office banking services as well, with 55 per cent of adults supposedly unaware they can use the Post Office for banking whatsoever. So, that led us to recommendation 7 where we asked the Welsh Government to review its support for the Post Office network and to raise awareness of these services across Wales. And again, the complexities of devolution came to the fore in the Welsh Government's response here, with them accepting our recommendation only in part, as funding for post offices is a matter for the UK Government. So, again this made me think whether a made-in-Wales solution is needed to circumvent these constraints. And that leads me on to the community bank of Wales, with its intention to offer current accounts, face-to-face banking and provide loans by experienced staff. Could this be the solution that we are looking for? Well, the stakes are high indeed as public expectation is set to build around this very popular Government policy. When we questioned Mark Hooper of Banc Cambria, which has been awarded the seed funding to develop the community bank of Wales, he told us that the bank could feasibly create more than 50 branches in Wales within five to seven years, and he estimated that about 12 of those would be fully manned and the rest automated. Now, while this could be a welcome step to support our communities at the sharp end of bank closure, I do think there needs to be some expectation management here, and Welsh Government needs to be clear with people if only roughly a fifth of branches would be fully staffed. I know that communities in my constituency with no bank would be delighted to think that Banc Cambria might set up a branch there, but would they be quite so keen if they knew that it was just to be automated? So, although the Welsh Government has accepted our recommendation on this, I still feel it's an area that could require more scrutiny as plans develop. And to conclude, this has been a vitally important inquiry, and I look forward to seeing Welsh Government's progress in this area.
Welsh: Fel aelod o Bwyllgor yr Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau hoffwn ddiolch i bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu at ein hymchwiliad yn ogystal â'r Cadeirydd a'r tîm clercio am eu gwaith rhagorol ar y pwnc hynod bwysig hwn. Mae'r rhestr o randdeiliaid a gyfrannodd yn faith ac yn amrywiol dros ben ac nid yw hynny'n syndod i mi mewn gwirionedd, oherwydd fe wyddom oll pa mor bwysig yw mynediad at fancio, a pha mor gryf y mae pobl yn teimlo ynglŷn â chau banciau mawr ar ein stryd fawr ar hyd a lled Cymru. Fel aelod o'r meinciau cefn, mae llawer o'ch amser yn mynd ar waith pwyllgor ac yn aml iawn gallwch gael eich llesteirio gan ymchwiliadau sy'n bwysig ac yn deilwng iawn, yn craffu ar bolisi presennol neu'n edrych tua'r dyfodol, a meddwl, 'Er mor bwysig y credaf yw hyn, nid wyf yn siŵr iawn y byddai gan fy etholwyr gymaint â hynny o ddiddordeb yn yr hyn rwy'n ei wneud yma.' Ond ni fu hynny erioed yn wir gyda'r ymchwiliad hwn i fynediad at fancio. Roeddwn yn gwybod pe bawn yn egluro i bobl yng Nghwm Cynon beth roeddem yn edrych arno a pham, byddent yn cyfrannu, yn barod i leisio barn, ac yn awyddus i wybod beth yw'r canlyniad a lle gallai'r Cynulliad hwn a Llywodraeth Cymru wneud gwahaniaeth. Er enghraifft, fel llawer o Aelodau eraill y Senedd hon, mae gennyf dudalen Facebook y byddaf yn cyfathrebu â fy etholwyr drwyddi, ac o'r holl negeseuon rwyf wedi'u postio ers i mi gael fy ethol yn 2016, yr un a gafodd fwy o sylw na'r un o'r lleill o bell ffordd, gwaetha'r modd, oedd neges a ysgrifennais i hysbysu etholwyr ynglŷn â chau'r Co-operative Bank yn Aberdâr. Nid hwn oedd y banc cyntaf yn y dref i gau ac yn wir, rhaid imi ddweud, yn anghyffredin iawn, mae gan y dref gynrychiolaeth dda o fanciau a chymdeithasau adeiladu, ond yr hyn a wnaeth y neges honno oedd adlewyrchu'r meddylfryd cyhoeddus a'r teimlad cyffredinol sydd gan bobl fod gan ein banciau ddyletswydd gymdeithasol i gynnal presenoldeb ar y stryd fawr, ac ni ddylent gael eu gyrru gan elw gormodol a'r symudiad at fancio ar-lein yn unig. Un o'r prif gwynion sydd gan bobl ynghylch cau banciau yw'r diffyg ymgynghori cymunedol cyn i'r canghennau gau, a'r amddiffyniad mynych a dall gan y sector bancio, sydd bob amser yn dweud mai penderfyniad masnachol yn unig ydoedd. Felly roedd y broses o gau banciau yn un maes roeddem yn awyddus i ymchwilio iddo fel pwyllgor. Archwiliwyd y safon mynediad at fancio, y gall banciau a chymdeithasau adeiladu ymrwymo iddi, er nad oes rhaid iddynt wneud hynny, safon sy'n nodi sut y dylid hysbysu a chynorthwyo cwsmeriaid yn well ac yn amserol ar ôl gwneud penderfyniad i gau cangen o fanc. Mae'r adroddiadau diweddaraf yn awgrymu bod y diwydiant bancio wedi cydymffurfio'n dda â'r safon, sy'n fy arwain, yng ngoleuni'r problemau rydym yn ymwybodol iawn ohonynt, i gwestiynu a yw'r safon ei hun yn ddigon cryf ai peidio. Adlewyrchwyd hyn yn argymhelliad 6 ein hadroddiad, lle galwyd ar Lywodraeth y DU a Grŵp Strategaeth Arian Parod yr Awdurdodau ar y Cyd (JACS) i adolygu a yw'r safon mynediad at fancio yn ddigon cadarn i fynd i'r afael ag effaith cau banciau, neu a oes angen camau rheoleiddio neu gamau eraill. Yn ddealladwy, ni allodd Llywodraeth Cymru dderbyn ein hargymhelliad gan nad oes ganddi unrhyw bwerau datganoledig yn y maes hwn, ac mae hyn yn dangos y cymhlethdodau sy'n wynebu Llywodraeth Cymru wrth geisio dwyn banciau i gyfrif am eu hymddygiad yng Nghymru. A oes ffordd o amgylch hyn? A oes yna ateb sydd wedi'i wneud yng Nghymru? Wel, banc cymunedol i Gymru, o bosibl, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth y byddaf yn dychwelyd ato'n ddiweddarach. Wrth amddiffyn eu penderfyniad i gau banc, mae banciau bob amser yn awyddus i nodi'r rôl y gall swyddfeydd post ei chwarae yn darparu gwasanaethau bancio a chyfeirio'u cwsmeriaid presennol i'w cangen leol o Swyddfa'r Post. Ond a yw Swyddfa'r Post yn ateb amgen ymarferol mewn gwirionedd? Wel, fe edrychwyd ar hyn a gwelsom nad yw banciau'n gallu cynnig yr ystod lawn o wasanaethau mewn gwirionedd fel y nododd Aelodau eraill, a gwaethygir hyn gan y diffyg ymwybyddiaeth ymhlith y cyhoedd o wasanaethau bancio Swyddfa'r Post hefyd, gyda 55 y cant o oedolion heb fod yn ymwybodol, mae'n debyg, y gallant ddefnyddio Swyddfa'r Post ar gyfer bancio. Felly, arweiniodd hynny at argymhelliad 7 lle gofynasom i Lywodraeth Cymru adolygu ei chefnogaeth i rwydwaith Swyddfa'r Post a chodi ymwybyddiaeth o'r gwasanaethau hyn ar draws Cymru. Ac unwaith eto, daeth cymhlethdodau datganoli i'r amlwg yn ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru yma, wrth iddynt dderbyn ein hargymhelliad yn rhannol yn unig, gan mai mater i Lywodraeth y DU yw cyllid ar gyfer swyddfeydd post. Felly, unwaith eto, roedd hyn yn gwneud i mi feddwl a oes angen ateb wedi'i wneud yng Nghymru i osgoi'r cyfyngiadau hyn. Ac mae hynny'n fy arwain at fanc cymunedol i Gymru, gyda'i fwriad i gynnig cyfrifon cyfredol, bancio wyneb yn wyneb a darparu benthyciadau gan staff profiadol. A allai hwn fod yn ateb y mae pawb ohonom yn ei geisio? Wel, mae llawer iawn yn y fantol gan fod disgwyliad y cyhoedd wedi'i adeiladu ar y polisi hynod boblogaidd hwn gan y Llywodraeth. Pan holasom Mark Hooper o Banc Cambria, sydd wedi cael y cyllid sbarduno i ddatblygu banc cymunedol i Gymru, dywedodd wrthym y gallai'r banc yn ymarferol greu mwy na 50 o ganghennau yng Nghymru o fewn pump i saith mlynedd, ac amcangyfrifodd y byddai tua 12 o'r rheini wedi'u staffio'n llawn a'r gweddill yn cynnig darpariaeth awtomataidd. Nawr, er y gallai hwn fod yn gam i'w groesawu i gefnogi ein cymunedau sy'n dioddef yn sgil cau banciau, rwy'n credu bod angen rheoli disgwyliadau i ryw raddau yma, ac mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru fod yn glir gyda phobl os mai dim ond tua un rhan o bump o ganghennau a fyddai wedi'u staffio'n llawn. Gwn y byddai cymunedau yn fy etholaeth sydd heb fanc yn falch iawn o feddwl y gallai Banc Cambria sefydlu cangen yno, ond a fyddent mor awyddus pe gwyddent mai darpariaeth awtomataidd yn unig y byddai'n ei chynnig? Felly, er bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn ein hargymhelliad ar hyn, rwy'n dal i deimlo ei fod yn faes a allai alw am fwy o graffu wrth i gynlluniau ddatblygu. Ac i gloi, mae hwn wedi bod yn ymchwiliad hynod bwysig, ac edrychaf ymlaen at weld cynnydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn y maes hwn.