English: Diolch, acting Presiding Officer. I must declare that I am a Flintshire county councillor. As such, I know that local authorities and their staff across Wales have such an important role, working with Welsh Government to deliver front-line services, aspiring for safe, clean and connected communities. Welsh local authorities must be adequately funded to enable them to deliver the high-quality public services to which they aspire. Having been a county and community councillor for the last 14 years, I have lived through painful years of austerity, a policy introduced by George Osborne of the Tory Government, cutting important public services, including councils' public and health budgets in real terms, while protecting neoliberalism and growing privatisation. As councillors, we had to deal with year upon year of painful cuts - restructuring, reorganising and downsizing until councils were cut to the bone. Flintshire went down from six depots to one, and I remember Philip Hammond, at that time taking over from George Osborne, saying that we just had to tighten our belts a little further. I remember shouting at the tv, because there was nowhere else to cut. We had to look at trying to raise income, with difficult decisions such as charging for garden waste collections, increasing car parking charges and asking departments to shave off another 30 per cent, as vacant positions were taken as cost savings. You can see the results now when looking at the state of the highways right across the UK; councils not being able to react quickly to complaints; taking longer with planning applications; blocked gullies and flooding; street lights taking that little bit longer to repair; and now, not being able to recruit for essential roles. I could also see, as part of that austerity agenda, how the cuts to social security, under the introduction of universal credit, were impacting on people. Councils were trying to step in again and again to help the vulnerable, just as the Welsh Government are doing. As publicly funded advice services were reduced or cut, even charities have to be core funded. I wanted to say that because that is the starting point that they are at now. And it's often raised that the funding formula for local authorities needs addressing. I did it here in the Chamber just two weeks ago, and I am aware that for the last few years the debate has gone round in circles, with council leaders writing to Welsh Government, Welsh Government then saying that the WLGA need to agree it as a collective, and then they have all different views. As you say, it depends who has the slice of the cake. Our public services are one of the biggest employers in Wales, and in Flintshire, despite the reduction in workforce, the council still employs 5,500 people. That's local people - teachers, social care workers, cleaners, teaching assistants, waste operatives. And in many areas, such as Anglesey, the council is the biggest employer. They not only provide important services; they also employ local people that then spend their money in the local economy and send their children to local schools. This year was a good settlement for councils in Wales from Welsh Government, at an average of 9.4 per cent compared to English councils' settlement of 6.9 per cent, but the variance per capita and per council can be hugely significant, with the gap between the highest and lowest paid council widening year upon year. And we heard this evidence at the Local Government and Housing Committee. The accumulative impact can mean the baseline, for some, remains low. The difference between neighbouring authorities can be £650 per resident and £50 million or more per annum. So, for example, a £20 million highways maintenance grant through the formula can equate to £1.2 million for one authority, and £850,000 for another. And if this is the same, year upon year, one continues to do well while the other struggles. It does make a huge difference. I think now is the time to review it. As I am aware, some councils have large reserves and are able to set low council tax, and have retained resources and expertise to draw down grant funding, such as active travel funding. You know, you've got technical officers - some authorities don't have them any more. And it's really hard to buy in those services. You can buy them in, but they haven't got the local knowledge either to deal with local issues, so it's a real problem. And this does impact in my area of north Wales, where councils are struggling as a whole. Two weeks ago, when I raised addressing the funding formula in the Chamber, I asked the Minister if the distribution committee that sits below the finance committee could investigate the funding formula or look at having a funding floor. I just think that would really help as well, because we've got to that baseline now for some authorities that are struggling so much. And the Minister responded to say that she would take this to be looked at by the finance committee, which I was satisfied with. So, there's the finance committee with a distribution committee that sits underneath it, and - . I'm happy with that, and I believe there are some leaders that sit on that as well. I've also asked for a paper to come to the Local Government and Housing Committee. I believe it needs to be looked at and analysed to see if it's still fit for purpose. If it's found to be fair and up to date, according to the formula, that's fine, but I just think it needs to be reviewed. Diolch.
Welsh: Diolch, Lywydd dros dro. Rhaid imi ddatgan fy mod yn gynghorydd sir yn sir y Fflint. Felly, gwn fod gan awdurdodau lleol a'u staff ledled Cymru rôl hynod bwysig, yn gweithio gyda Llywodraeth Cymru i ddarparu gwasanaethau rheng flaen, gan anelu at sicrhau cymunedau diogel, glân a chysylltiedig. Rhaid i awdurdodau lleol Cymru gael eu hariannu'n ddigonol i'w galluogi i ddarparu'r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus o ansawdd uchel y maent yn dyheu i'w cael. Ar ôl bod yn gynghorydd sir a chymuned am y 14 mlynedd diwethaf, rwyf wedi byw drwy flynyddoedd poenus o gyni, polisi a gyflwynwyd gan George Osborne o'r Llywodraeth Dorïaidd, torri gwasanaethau cyhoeddus pwysig, gan gynnwys cyllidebau cyhoeddus ac iechyd cynghorau mewn termau real, gan ddiogelu neoryddfrydiaeth a phreifateiddio cynyddol. Fel cynghorwyr, bu'n rhaid inni ymdrin â thoriadau poenus o flwyddyn i flwyddyn - ailstrwythuro, ad-drefnu a lleihau nes i gyllid cynghorau gael ei dorri i'r asgwrn. Aeth sir y Fflint i lawr o chwe depo i un, a chofiaf Philip Hammond, a oedd ar y pryd yn cymryd yr awenau gan George Osborne, yn dweud bod yn rhaid inni dynhau ein gwregysau ychydig rhagor. Rwy'n cofio gweiddi ar y teledu, oherwydd nid oedd unman arall i dorri. Bu'n rhaid inni edrych ar geisio codi incwm, gyda phenderfyniadau anodd megis codi tâl am gasgliadau gwastraff gardd, cynyddu taliadau parcio ceir a gofyn i adrannau dorri 30 y cant arall, wrth i swyddi gwag gael eu cymryd fel arbedion cost. Gallwch weld y canlyniadau yn awr wrth edrych ar gyflwr y priffyrdd ledled y DU, cynghorau nad ydynt yn gallu ymateb yn gyflym i gwynion, yn cymryd mwy o amser gyda cheisiadau cynllunio, gylïau wedi blocio a llifogydd, goleuadau stryd yn cymryd ychydig yn hwy i'w hatgyweirio, ac yn awr, methu recriwtio i swyddi hanfodol. Gallwn weld hefyd, yn rhan o'r agenda cyni, sut yr oedd y toriadau i nawdd cymdeithasol, yn sgil cyflwyno credyd cynhwysol, yn effeithio ar bobl. Roedd cynghorau'n ceisio camu i mewn dro ar ôl tro i helpu'r rhai agored i niwed, yn union fel y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei wneud. Wrth i wasanaethau cynghori a ariennir yn gyhoeddus gael eu lleihau neu eu torri, mae'n rhaid i hyd yn oed elusennau gael cyllid craidd. Roeddwn am ddweud hynny oherwydd dyna'r man cychwyn y maent arno ar hyn o bryd. Ac mae'n aml yn codi bod angen mynd i'r afael â'r fformiwla ariannu ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol. Fe'i gwneuthum yma yn y Siambr bythefnos yn ôl, ac rwy'n ymwybodol fod y ddadl wedi troi mewn cylchoedd dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, gydag arweinwyr cynghorau yn ysgrifennu at Lywodraeth Cymru, a Llywodraeth Cymru yn dweud wedyn fod angen i Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru gytuno ar hynny ar y cyd, ac mae ganddynt oll safbwyntiau gwahanol. Fel y dywedwch, mae'n dibynnu pwy sydd â'r darn o'r gacen. Ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yw un o'r cyflogwyr mwyaf yng Nghymru, ac yn sir y Fflint, er gwaethaf y lleihad yn y gweithlu, mae'r cyngor yn dal i gyflogi 5,500 o bobl. Pobl leol yw'r rheini - athrawon, gweithwyr gofal cymdeithasol, glanhäwyr, cynorthwywyr addysgu, gweithwyr gwastraff. Ac mewn sawl ardal, fel Ynys Môn, y cyngor yw'r cyflogwr mwyaf. Nid yn unig eu bod yn darparu gwasanaethau pwysig, maent hefyd yn cyflogi pobl leol sydd wedyn yn gwario eu harian yn yr economi leol ac yn anfon eu plant i ysgolion lleol. Roedd eleni'n setliad da i gynghorau yng Nghymru gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ar gyfartaledd o 9.4 y cant o'i gymharu â setliad cynghorau Lloegr o 6.9 y cant, ond gall yr amrywiant y pen a fesul cyngor fod yn sylweddol iawn, gyda'r bwlch rhwng y cyngor sy'n cael fwyaf o arian a'r cyngor sy'n cael leiaf yn lledu o flwyddyn i flwyddyn. A chlywsom y dystiolaeth hon yn y Pwyllgor Llywodraeth Leol a Thai. Gall yr effaith gronnol olygu bod y llinell sylfaen, i rai, yn parhau'n isel. Gall y gwahaniaeth rhwng awdurdodau cyfagos fod yn £650 y preswylydd a £50 miliwn neu fwy y flwyddyn. Felly, er enghraifft, gall grant cynnal a chadw priffyrdd o £20 miliwn drwy'r fformiwla olygu £1.2 miliwn i un awdurdod, a £850,000 i un arall. Ac os yw hyn yr un fath, flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn, mae un yn parhau i wneud yn dda tra bo'r llall yn cael trafferth. Mae'n gwneud gwahaniaeth enfawr. Credaf mai dyma'r amser i'w adolygu. Fel y gwn i, mae gan rai cynghorau gronfeydd wrth gefn mawr ac maent yn gallu gosod treth gyngor isel, ac wedi cadw adnoddau ac arbenigedd i dynnu arian grant i lawr, megis cyllid teithio llesol. Wyddoch chi, mae gennych chi swyddogion technegol - nid oes gan rai awdurdodau swyddogion technegol mwyach. Ac mae'n anodd iawn prynu'r gwasanaethau hynny o'r tu allan. Fe allwch eu prynu o'r tu allan, ond nid oes ganddynt yr wybodaeth leol i ymdrin â materion lleol, felly mae'n broblem wirioneddol. Ac mae hyn yn effeithio ar fy ardal i yng ngogledd Cymru, lle mae cynghorau'n ei chael hi'n anodd yn gyffredinol. Bythefnos yn ôl, pan godais yr angen fynd i'r afael â'r fformiwla ariannu yn y Siambr, gofynnais i'r Gweinidog a allai'r pwyllgor dosbarthu sydd islaw'r pwyllgor cyllid ymchwilio i'r fformiwla ariannu neu edrych ar gael cyllid gwaelodol. Credaf y byddai hynny'n help mawr hefyd, oherwydd rydym wedi cyrraedd y llinell sylfaen honno yn awr i rai awdurdodau sy'n ei chael hi mor anodd. Ac ymatebodd y Gweinidog i ddweud y byddai'n gofyn i'r pwyllgor cyllid ystyried hyn, ac roeddwn yn fodlon ar hynny. Felly, mae'r pwyllgor dosbarthu yn dod o dan y pwyllgor cyllid, ac - . Rwy'n hapus ynglŷn â hynny, a chredaf fod rhai arweinwyr yn aelodau o'r pwyllgor hwnnw hefyd. Rwyf hefyd wedi gofyn am bapur i ddod i'r Pwyllgor Llywodraeth Leol a Thai. Credaf fod angen edrych arno a'i ddadansoddi i weld a yw'n dal yn addas i'r diben. Os canfyddir ei fod yn deg ac yn gyfredol, yn ôl y fformiwla, mae hynny'n iawn, ond rwy'n credu bod angen ei adolygu. Diolch.