English: Thanks, Minister, for your statement today. Local government reform brings with it an opportunity and I think reforms could work well as long as the main aim is to bring local government closer to the people it serves. So, the issue of localism, I think, is key. Now, you've highlighted a bigger role for town and community councils. I think that is a promising path to go down in some cases. In rural and semi-rural areas, these councils can play a strong and relevant role, and you mentioned the way in which they have, in some cases, saved local libraries and other services by taking over their running. That kind of action is certainly to be recommended when local services are threatened. But what would be your recommended course of action when services are under threat in more urban areas that don't have community councils? What would be the role, for instance, of voluntary groups, which could serve a very relevant role, but would there be issues there of democracy and a democratic mandate to run things? I'd be interested in your thoughts on that. As you point out, there is a mixed bag of town and community councils across Wales. So, again, what happens when local services are under threat in an area where the local community council isn't doing much? Given that so many services are threatened nowadays, should there be some kind of handbook of action from you, as a Minister, as to how local services can best be defended in these instances? As to your proposed changes to the conduct of elections in Wales, I look forward to hearing your thoughts at the end of the consultation period. Clearly, you are committed to trying to bring about certain specific changes such as the voting age, whilst you are more open-minded on others. I think there is a lot to discuss on the changes to election rules and we will probably have a robust debate on these kinds of proposals later in the year. But I hope you do tread carefully as you consider pertinent issues like internet security. I think most Members would agree that being an election returning officer should be a statutory duty of a council chief executive and should be part of his or her regular workload, without any additional payments involved. So, I tend to agree with you on that point and I hope you press on with that. On the issue of council employees being able to stand as candidates, I believe people like dinner ladies and lollipop men and other people in similar roles should be allowed to stand in council elections, so a change to the rules here would be commendable, as Janet Finch-Saunders has brought to light, and as you've done very well in bringing in as part of your proposals. The question is: at what level of local government officer do you draw the line on eligibility? I wonder if you would give me your thoughts on where exactly you feel that line should be drawn. On the issue of independent councillors, I think it is a fair point that, if they are party members, the public has a right to know. How do you intend to elicit this information and what will happen to candidates who fail to disclose party membership? On the subject of AMs doubling up as councillors, I think this is a contentious point. As I've never been a councillor, I'm not really qualified to judge whether you can successfully do both. You yourself were once a councillor and are now an AM, but never simultaneously, as far as I know. But I know of at least one Member here who did both jobs for a few years, so I think it is not impossible to double up. The problem may be that the AM salary is certainly a full-time salary. So, perhaps, if an AM wants to remain as a councillor, there should be a prohibition on claiming the councillor salary so that if he or she wants to remain as a councillor, the council duties would be undertaken as unpaid duties. So, I wonder whether you think that might be an acceptable compromise in this instance. Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch, Gweinidog, am eich datganiad heddiw. Mae diwygio llywodraeth leol yn creu cyfle ac rwy'n credu y gall diwygio weithio'n dda ar yr amod mai'r prif nod yw dod â llywodraeth leol yn nes at y bobl y mae'n ei wasanaethu. Felly, mae'r elfen o leoliaeth, rwy'n credu, yn allweddol. Nawr, rydych chi wedi tynnu sylw at swyddogaeth fwy i gynghorau tref a chymuned. Credaf fod hynny yn argoeli'n addawol mewn rhai achosion. Mewn ardaloedd gwledig a lled-wledig, gall y cynghorau hyn fod â swyddogaeth gref a pherthnasol, ac rydych chi'n sôn am y ffordd y maen nhw wedi, mewn rhai achosion, achub llyfrgelloedd lleol a gwasanaethau eraill drwy eu cymryd o dan eu hadain. Yn sicr, mae modd argymell y math hwnnw o weithredu pan fydd gwasanaethau lleol o dan fygythiad. Ond beth fyddai eich argymhelliad pan fydd gwasanaethau dan fygythiad mewn ardaloedd mwy trefol nad oes ganddyn nhw gynghorau cymuned? Beth fyddai swyddogaeth, er enghraifft, grwpiau gwirfoddol, a allai chwarae rhan berthnasol iawn, ond a fyddai unrhyw faterion yn codi o ran democratiaeth a mandad democrataidd i redeg pethau? Byddai gennyf ddiddordeb mewn clywed eich barn ar hynny. Fel y dywedwch chi, mae cymysgedd o gynghorau tref a chymuned yng Nghymru. Felly, unwaith eto, beth sy'n digwydd pan fydd y gwasanaethau lleol o dan fygythiad mewn ardal lle nad yw'r cyngor cymuned lleol yn gwneud llawer? O gofio bod cymaint o wasanaethau o dan fygythiad y dyddiau hyn, a ddylid cael rhyw fath o lawlyfr gweithredu gennych chi, fel Gweinidog, o ran sut orau i amddiffyn gwasanaethau lleol yn yr achosion hyn? O ran eich newidiadau arfaethedig i sut y cynhelir etholiadau yng Nghymru, rwy'n edrych ymlaen at glywed eich barn ar ddiwedd y cyfnod ymgynghori. Yn amlwg, rydych chi wedi ymrwymo i geisio sicrhau rhai newidiadau penodol megis yr oedran pleidleisio, ond rydych chi'n dal i ystyried agweddau eraill. Rwy'n credu bod llawer i'w drafod ynglŷn â'r newidiadau i reolau etholiad ac fe gawn ni yn ôl pob tebyg ddadl gadarn ar y mathau hyn o gynigion yn ddiweddarach yn y flwyddyn. Ond rwy'n gobeithio y byddwch chi'n troedio'n ofalus wrth i chi ystyried materion perthnasol fel diogelwch ar y rhyngrwyd. Rwy'n credu bod y rhan fwyaf o'r Aelodau yn cytuno y dylai dyletswyddau swyddog canlyniadau etholiad fod yn rhan statudol o waith prif weithredwr y Cyngor, ac y dylai fod yn rhan o'i lwyth gwaith rheolaidd, heb unrhyw daliadau ychwanegol cysylltiedig. Felly, rwy'n tueddu i gytuno â chi ar y pwynt hwnnw, ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddwch chi'n prysuro ymlaen â hynny. Ar y mater o weithwyr y cyngor yn cael sefyll fel ymgeiswyr, rwy'n credu y dylai pobl fel menywod cinio a dynion lolipop a phobl eraill mewn swyddi tebyg gael sefyll mewn etholiadau cyngor, felly byddai newid y rheolau yma yn glodwiw, fel y mae Janet Finch-Saunders wedi ei amlygu, ac fel y gwnaethoch chi yn dda iawn drwy ei gynnwys yn rhan o'ch cynigion. Y cwestiwn yw: pa swyddogion llywodraeth leol nad ydynt yn gymwys? Tybed a allech chi ddweud wrthyf i ymhle yn union yr ydych chi'n teimlo y dylid tynnu'r llinell honno. Ar y mater o gynghorwyr annibynnol, rwy'n credu ei fod yn bwynt teg, os ydyn nhw'n aelodau o blaid, mae gan y cyhoedd hawl i wybod. Sut ydych chi'n bwriadu cael yr wybodaeth hon a beth fydd yn digwydd i ymgeiswyr sy'n methu â datgelu aelodaeth o blaid? Ar y mater o ACau yn gweithredu fel cynghorwyr hefyd, rwy'n credu bod hwn yn bwnc dadleuol. Gan na fûm i erioed yn gynghorydd, nid wyf i'n gymwys mewn gwirionedd i farnu ar ba un a allwch chi wneud y ddwy swydd yn llwyddiannus. Roeddech chi eich hun yn gynghorydd ar un adeg, ac yn awr rydych chi yn Aelod Cynulliad, ond erioed ar yr un pryd, hyd y gwn i. Ond rwy'n gwybod am o leiaf un Aelod yma a wnaeth y ddwy swydd am rai blynyddoedd, felly nid wyf yn credu ei bod hi'n amhosibl gwneud y ddwy. Y broblem efallai yw bod cyflog AC yn sicr yn gyflog llawn amser. Felly, os yw AC yn dymuno parhau i fod yn gynghorydd, efallai y dylid cael gwaharddiad ar hawlio'r cyflog cynghorydd gan olygu pe byddai ef neu hi yn dymuno parhau i fod yn gynghorydd, y byddai'n ymgymryd â'r dyletswyddau cyngor fel rhai di-dâl. Felly, tybed a ydych chi'n credu y gallai hyn fod yn gyfaddawd derbyniol yn yr achos hwn. Diolch.