English: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for bringing forward this important statement? Before I get to the main issues that I want to ask you about, I'd like to just make a few comments on how the strategic approach to transport has to reflect our wider ambitions for the Valleys. Because it's not just a matter of effective and efficient transport - as important as that is - but it is also about unlocking further potential across our Valleys communities, whether that's for our people, the economy or whether it's the tourist industry, and I know that that's something that you agree with. As I've said before, one of the Welsh Government's key achievements is investing to protect the social fabric of our communities, and we have a number of strategies to that end. But we protect that social fabric in order to provide the opportunities for people in communities to flourish, and, in order to flourish, they require better transport connectivity. So, a quick history lesson: it was on 21 February 1804 that the world's first-ever railway journey ran nine miles between the ironworks at Penydarren to the Merthyr-Cardiff canal in a steam locomotive designed by Richard Trevithick. But, having achieved that feat in 1804, I'm sure Trevithick would have expected a journey of just 30 miles from Merthyr to Cardiff to take less than the one hour that it takes by train in 2017. This is why a strategic view of transport has to reflect our vision for the Valleys and to ensure that transport links are upgraded to deliver the systems that people and communities need. On that point, Cabinet Secretary, you will recall the discussions that we've had over my concerns for the Upper Rhymney valley. I know that Caerphilly council were pressing a very good case for a metro depot in that area, and they have my wholehearted support for that, as we need to ensure that all our Valleys communities benefit economically and socially from the metro. I have no doubt that the upgrading of the Rhymney line, with more frequent services, could bring much-needed help to break down the relative isolation of communities in the Upper Rhymney valley. Of course, our transport vision must also include the completion of the Heads of the Valleys road, progressing the plans from Dowlais to Hirwaun and then onwards, because delivering those effective east-to-west Valleys road connections has to be a high priority in any transportation strategy. But, if I may now come to my main point today, it is that, as we look at our vision for the future, we can't overlook the critical importance of removing strategic problems in our existing networks now. One such problem, which I have raised before, and I know you have acknowledged, is the lack of evening bus services in the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney area, and further services are being cut as we speak. This is a major barrier for people without cars trying to secure employment in jobs that operate outside of standard working hours, and is a significant contributory factor in social isolation if you have little or no chance of getting anywhere after 5.30 p.m. This, I would suggest, is also a contributory factor to the next problem, which is the regular traffic chaos on the A470 at the Cyfarthfa retail park, and the fear of this being compounded by the opening of the new Trago Mills development next April. While Trago Mills is another very welcome development for the economy of Merthyr Tydfil, the development is based on a 20-year-old planning consent, when traffic was much, much lighter than it is now. So, the road network there needs some early and strategic intervention to try and avoid misery for road users come next spring and summer, when Trago Mills opens, around what is already a regularly gridlocked junction at weekends and holiday periods. So, I welcome the initial response that you've made on these issues, Cabinet Secretary, particularly the pinchpoint programme on congestion, but, in concluding, can you give me your assurance that these specific, key and immediate transport issues are receiving urgent attention and that we can expect some constructive, early proposed solutions to these problems?
Welsh: A gaf i ddiolch i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am gyflwyno'r datganiad pwysig hwn? Cyn imi gyrraedd y prif faterion yr hoffwn i ofyn ichi amdanynt, hoffwn i wneud rhai sylwadau ynglŷn â sut y mae'n rhaid i'r ymagwedd strategol at drafnidiaeth adlewyrchu ein dyheadau ehangach ar gyfer y Cymoedd. Oherwydd nid dim ond mater o drafnidiaeth effeithiol ac effeithlon yw hwn, er bod hynny'n bwysig; mae hefyd yn fater o ddatgloi potensial pellach ledled ein cymunedau yn y Cymoedd, boed hynny o ran ein pobl, yr economi neu'r diwydiant twristiaeth, ac rwy'n gwybod bod hynny'n rhywbeth yr ydych chi'n cytuno ag ef. Fel yr wyf wedi'i ddweud o'r blaen, un o lwyddiannau allweddol Llywodraeth Cymru yw buddsoddi i amddiffyn ffabrig cymdeithasol ein cymunedau, ac mae gennym ni nifer o strategaethau i'r perwyl hwnnw. Ond rydym yn amddiffyn y ffabrig cymdeithasol hwnnw er mwyn darparu'r cyfleoedd i bobl mewn cymunedau ffynnu, ac er mwyn ffynnu, mae angen gwell cysylltedd trafnidiaeth arnynt. Felly, gwers hanes gyflym: ar 21 Chwefror 1804 gwnaethpwyd y daith reilffordd gyntaf erioed yn y byd dros naw milltir o waith haearn Penydarren i gamlas Merthyr-Caerdydd mewn locomotif ager a ddyluniwyd gan Richard Trevithick. Ond, ar ôl cyflawni'r gamp honno yn 1804, rwy'n siŵr y byddai Trevithick wedi disgwyl i daith o ddim ond 30 milltir o Ferthyr i Gaerdydd gymryd llai na'r awr y mae'n ei gymryd i drên yn 2017. Dyma pam mae'n rhaid i olwg strategol ar drafnidiaeth adlewyrchu ein gweledigaeth ar gyfer y Cymoedd a sicrhau bod cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth yn cael eu huwchraddio i ddarparu'r systemau sydd eu hangen ar bobl a chymunedau. Ar y pwynt hwnnw, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, byddwch chi'n cofio'r trafodaethau yr ydym ni wedi'u cael ynglŷn â fy mhryderon am Gwm Rhymni uchaf. Rwy'n gwybod bod Cyngor Caerffili wedi pwyso achos da iawn o blaid depo metro yn yr ardal honno, ac mae ganddyn nhw fy nghefnogaeth frwd i hynny, oherwydd mae angen inni sicrhau bod ein holl gymunedau yn y Cymoedd yn elwa yn economaidd ac yn gymdeithasol o'r metro. Does gennyf i ddim amheuaeth y gallai uwchraddio llinell Rhymni, gyda gwasanaethau amlach, ddod â chymorth mawr ei angen i wneud cymunedau'n llai ynysig yng Nghwm Rhymni uchaf. Wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid i'n gweledigaeth drafnidiaeth hefyd gynnwys cwblhau ffordd Blaenau'r Cymoedd, gan ddatblygu'r cynlluniau o Ddowlais i Hirwaun ac yna ymlaen, oherwydd mae'n rhaid i ddarparu'r cysylltiadau ffyrdd effeithiol hynny o'r dwyrain i'r gorllewin yn y Cymoedd fod yn flaenoriaeth uchel mewn unrhyw strategaeth drafnidiaeth. Ond, nawr rwyf am ddod at fy mhrif bwynt heddiw, sef, wrth inni edrych ar ein gweledigaeth ar gyfer y dyfodol, na allwn ni anwybyddu pwysigrwydd hanfodol dileu'r problemau strategol sydd yn ein rhwydweithiau presennol nawr. Un broblem o'r fath, yr wyf i wedi'i chodi o'r blaen - ac rwy'n gwybod eich bod wedi'i chydnabod - yw'r diffyg gwasanaethau bysiau gyda'r nos yn ardal Merthyr Tudful a Rhymni, ac mae mwy o wasanaethau'n cael eu torri ar hyn o bryd. Mae hyn yn rhwystr mawr i bobl heb geir sy'n ceisio sicrhau cyflogaeth mewn swyddi sy'n gweithredu y tu allan i oriau gwaith safonol, ac mae'n ffactor mawr sy'n cyfrannu at unigedd cymdeithasol os nad oes gennych chi brin ddim siawns o gyrraedd unrhyw le ar ôl 5.30 p.m. Mae hyn, byddwn i'n awgrymu, hefyd yn ffactor sy'n cyfrannu at y broblem nesaf, sef yr anhrefn traffig rheolaidd ar yr A470 ym mharc adwerthu Cyfarthfa, a'r ofn y bydd hyn yn gwaethygu wedi i'r datblygiad Trago Mills newydd agor fis Ebrill nesaf. Er bod Trago Mills yn ddatblygiad arall i economi Merthyr Tudful a groesewir yn fawr, mae'r datblygiad yn seiliedig ar ganiatâd cynllunio 20 mlwydd oed, pan oedd y traffig yn llawer, llawer ysgafnach nag ydyw nawr. Felly, mae angen ymyriadau cynnar a strategol ar y rhwydwaith ffyrdd yno er mwyn ceisio osgoi poen i ddefnyddwyr y ffordd erbyn gwanwyn a haf y flwyddyn nesaf, pan fydd Trago Mills yn agor, o amgylch cyffordd sydd eisoes yn dagfa yn rheolaidd ar benwythnosau a gwyliau. Felly, rwy'n croesawu'r ymateb cychwynnol a wnaethoch chi ar y materion hyn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, yn enwedig y rhaglen mannau cyfyng ar dagfeydd, ond, i gloi, a allwch chi roi imi eich sicrwydd bod y problemau trafnidiaeth penodol, allweddol a brys hyn yn cael sylw ar unwaith ac y gallwn ni ddisgwyl cynnig atebion cynnar adeiladol i'r problemau hyn?