English: I'm pleased to give a broad welcome to this trial scheme in Wales, and I look forward to receiving the continual reports on its uptake from the sector. I obviously have some questions regarding how it will operate, and I have been in discussions with the sector. I note that the Residential Landlords Association have some reservations, particularly around the flexibility that landlords will be left with if the scheme runs, say, for five years. Are you thinking a minimum of two up to five, or what sort of range? And also, should there be some form of reasonable break in that contract for exceptional circumstances or if a landlord has to sell a property? So, I think we need to be quite clear on the nature of the obligation. Obviously, tying people into the local authority level spend is important. And for that stability, they then get three, four, five years of guaranteed rent. So, it's a real factor. But also, this is coming in at probably under the market rate in many cases. So, I think we need to be aware of the balance of the contract, but I do accept that it's an appropriate bargain to strike, and can work, as you say, for both sides and be a win-win. I think similar schemes have been trialled in local authorities in England, so I suspect you could look to some best practice there, but obviously these sorts of schemes have been tested to some extent anyway, and whilst I accept trialling three local authority areas is a way forward, I do hope that the pilot will be a fairly brisk one, so that we can prove the concept and then deepen the partnership between the private residential sector and local government. That collaborative working, I think, needs to go deeper and we've urged you on several occasions to remember the resources that we have in the private sector. It's a much larger sector and, as you indicated, it now appeals to quite a broad range of people. So, I think rather than seeing it as a competitor we need to tap into those resources and see where they can be used. I also think that local authorities need to be encouraged to do this, and ensure that they're having the sort of policy conversations on things like homelessness and empty housing, for instance, and the role that the private rented sector could offer, and then to remind them that vulnerable groups like ex-offenders, care leavers, and low-income households can be very stable tenants, with - which I thought was vital in what you said - the support mechanisms that are going to go into these schemes. Then, there's a real offer there. I had noted that, for instance, in Bristol, they have a bond scheme to reassure landlords - and landladies, I suppose - and that's linked to inspection and that properties are in a proper state, but that does give some reassurance as well, I'm sure, to landlords and landladies. But overall, I do hope this is the start of a really good, active, innovative and enterprising partnership between the Residential Landlords Association and Welsh Government and local authorities, because these social problems are the concern of all of us, and I think the private sector has got its part to play where appropriate, and where bound in to reasonable conditions and due rigour. So, broadly, I welcome this and look forward to the reports on the three schemes and I hope that they progress quickly.
Welsh: Rwy'n falch o roi croeso cyffredinol i'r cynllun arbrofol hwn yng Nghymru, ac edrychaf ymlaen at gael yr adroddiadau parhaus ar ei dderbyniad gan y sector. Yn amlwg mae gennyf rai cwestiynau ynghylch sut y bydd yn gweithredu, ac rwyf wedi bod yn trafod gyda'r sector. Sylwaf fod gan y Gymdeithas Landlordiaid Preswyl rai amheuon, yn enwedig ynghylch yr hyblygrwydd a fydd ar gael i landlordiaid os bydd y cynllun yn parhau, dyweder, am bum mlynedd. Ydych chi'n meddwl am o leiaf dwy hyd at bum mlynedd, neu pa fath o ystod? A hefyd, a ddylid cael rhyw fath o derfyniad rhesymol yn y contract hwnnw o dan amgylchiadau eithriadol neu pe bai'r landlord yn gorfod gwerthu eiddo? Felly, rwy'n credu bod angen i ni fod yn eithaf clir ynglŷn â natur y rhwymedigaeth. Yn amlwg, mae clymu pobl wrth wariant ar lefel awdurdod lleol yn bwysig. Ac am y sefydlogrwydd hwnnw, maen nhw wedyn yn cael tair, pedair, pum mlynedd o rent gwarantedig. Felly, mae'n ffactor gwirioneddol. Ond hefyd, mae hyn yn ôl pob tebyg yn llai na chyfradd y farchnad mewn sawl achos. Felly, rwy'n credu bod angen i ni fod yn ymwybodol o gydbwysedd y contract, ond rwyf yn derbyn ei bod yn fargen briodol i'w tharo, ac y gall weithio, fel y dywedwch, i'r ddwy ochr a bod y ddwy ochr ar eu hennill. Credaf yr arbrofwyd gyda chynlluniau tebyg mewn awdurdodau lleol yn Lloegr, felly tybiaf y gallech chi edrych ar rai arferion gorau yno, ond yn amlwg mae'r mathau hyn o gynlluniau wedi cael eu profi i ryw raddau beth bynnag, ac er fy mod yn derbyn bod arbrofi mewn tair ardal awdurdod lleol yn ffordd ymlaen, rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y cyfnod arbrofi yn un eithaf sionc, fel y gallwn brofi'r cysyniad ac yna dyfnhau'r bartneriaeth rhwng y sector preswyl preifat a llywodraeth leol. Credaf fod angen i'r gwaith cydweithredol hwnnw fod yn fwy trylwyr ac rydym ni wedi'ch annog ar sawl achlysur i gofio'r adnoddau sydd gennym ni yn y sector preifat. Mae'n sector llawer mwy ac, fel y gwnaethoch chi ddweud, mae bellach yn apelio at ystod eithaf eang o bobl. Felly, rwy'n credu, yn hytrach na'i weld fel cystadleuydd, mae angen i ni fanteisio ar yr adnoddau hynny a gweld ble mae modd eu defnyddio. Credaf hefyd fod angen annog awdurdodau lleol i wneud hyn, a sicrhau eu bod yn cael y math o sgyrsiau polisi ynglŷn â phethau fel digartrefedd a thai gwag, er enghraifft, a'r swyddogaeth y gallai'r sector rhentu preifat ei chynnig, ac yna eu hatgoffa y gall grwpiau sy'n agored i niwed, fel cyn-droseddwyr, pobl sy'n gadael gofal, ac aelwydydd incwm isel, fod yn denantiaid sefydlog iawn, gyda - a chredaf fod yr hyn y gwnaethoch chi ei ddweud yn hanfodol - y systemau cymorth a fydd yn rhan o'r cynlluniau hyn. Yna, mae yna gynnig gwirioneddol yn y fan yna. Sylwais, er enghraifft, ym Mryste, fod ganddyn nhw gynllun bond i dawelu ofnau landlordiaid - a landlordesau, mae'n debyg - ac mae hynny'n gysylltiedig ag arolygu a bod eiddo mewn cyflwr priodol, ond mae hynny'n rhoi rhywfaint o sicrwydd hefyd, rwy'n siŵr, i landlordiaid a landlordesau. Ond yn gyffredinol, rwy'n gobeithio bod hyn yn fan cychwyn i bartneriaeth wirioneddol dda, weithgar, arloesol a mentrus rhwng Cymdeithas y Landlordiaid Preswyl a Llywodraeth Cymru ac awdurdodau lleol, gan fod y problemau cymdeithasol hyn yn destun pryder i bob un ohonom ni, ac rwy'n meddwl bod gan y sector preifat ran i'w chwarae lle bo'n briodol, a lle mae wedi'i rwymo i amodau rhesymol a thrylwyredd dyladwy. Felly, yn fras, rwy'n croesawu hyn ac yn edrych ymlaen at yr adroddiadau ar y tri chynllun ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddant yn symud yn eu blaenau yn gyflym.