English: Minister, firstly, I'd like to join you in commending the incredible work that our councils have done during the pandemic; the way that they've reacted and responded to the pandemic in all forms and the floods has been exceptional. The local government settlement is a missed opportunity. Local councils in Wales will receive a smaller increase in funding compared to the previous financial year. This is in spite of the challenges facing councils as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister claims this is the best possible settlement, but this is clearly not the case. It's disappointing that, despite receiving substantial additional funding from the UK Government, the Welsh Government has not provided local government with an ambitious long-term funding settlement to help our communities to build back better. Yet councils have repeatedly warned that they will face significant financial pressures over the next few years, and the lack of financial certainty from this Welsh Government could place vital local services at risk in the future. I welcome the increase in funding for councils and particularly that rural councils will be receiving a larger share of the funding. That is welcome, as is extending the business rate relief, finally following the rest of the UK, but the settlement is still biased towards Labour-run councils in south Wales. Of the five councils with the highest increase in their settlement, all are located in south Wales; four of the five councils are all Labour-led. Councils in north Wales have generally received a lower increase compared to elsewhere, with only Flintshire receiving an increase in funding close to the Welsh average increase. Welsh Conservative-run councils are once again receiving a below-average increase in their settlement, receiving the second-lowest average increase in the 2021-22 settlement, which comes on top of the lowest average increase last time. It is disappointing that calls by local authorities and the WLGA to introduce a funding floor, as you talked about before, to ensure that all councils receive a fair settlement have been ignored by you, Minister. Furthermore, funding allocations made through the local authority hardship fund have exacerbated the existing regional funding inequalities. We welcome the support provided to councils during the pandemic through the local hardship fund. However, the funding is primarily aimed at relieving pressures during this financial year, rather than providing the long-term sustainable funding the councils need. It is also true that councils in south Wales have received approximately 63 per cent of the funding allocated through the hardship fund so far, while councils in north Wales have received just 19 per cent. As we begin to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to recognise the financial and economic costs of the pandemic on families across Wales by helping them to keep more of their hard-earned money to support themselves and their families. That is why we are calling for the Welsh Government to lower the costs of living in Wales by freezing council tax this year. Presiding Officer, this settlement is a missed opportunity to help councils and communities to build back better following the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite substantial resources from the UK Conservative Government, the Welsh Government has failed to provide councils with a long-term ambitious funding settlement that enables them to invest in the services they provide and react to the impact that the COVID pandemic will have in the future. We need a fair funding settlement for all those councils to enable them to deliver services that people need, and an independent review of the funding formula to ensure that all local authorities receive their fair share of funding. Thank you.
Welsh: Gweinidog, yn gyntaf, hoffwn ymuno â chi i ganmol y gwaith anhygoel y mae ein cynghorau wedi ei wneud yn ystod y pandemig; y ffordd y maen nhw wedi ymateb i'r pandemig ar bob ffurf ac i'r llifogydd wedi bod yn eithriadol. Mae'r setliad llywodraeth leol yn gyfle a gollwyd. Bydd cynghorau lleol yng Nghymru yn cael llai o gyllid o'i gymharu â'r flwyddyn ariannol flaenorol. Mae hyn er gwaethaf yr heriau sy'n wynebu cynghorau o ganlyniad i bandemig COVID-19. Mae'r Gweinidog yn honni mai dyma'r setliad gorau posibl, ond mae'n amlwg nad yw hyn yn wir. Mae'n siomedig, er iddi gael cyllid ychwanegol sylweddol gan Lywodraeth y DU, nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhoi setliad cyllido hirdymor uchelgeisiol i lywodraeth leol i helpu ein cymunedau i ailadeiladu yn well. Ac eto, mae cynghorau wedi rhybuddio dro ar ôl tro y byddan nhw'n wynebu pwysau ariannol sylweddol dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd nesaf, a gallai'r diffyg sicrwydd ariannol gan y Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru roi gwasanaethau lleol hanfodol mewn perygl yn y dyfodol. Croesawaf y cynnydd yn y cyllid i gynghorau ac yn enwedig y ffaith y bydd cynghorau gwledig yn cael cyfran fwy o'r cyllid. Mae hynny i'w groesawu, fel y mae ymestyn y rhyddhad ardrethi busnes, yn dilyn gweddill y DU o'r diwedd, ond mae'r setliad yn dal i ffafrio cynghorau sy'n cael eu rhedeg gan Lafur yn y de. O'r pum cyngor sydd â'r cynnydd mwyaf yn eu setliad, mae pob un ohonyn nhw wedi eu lleoli yn y de; pedwar o'r pum cyngor i gyd dan arweiniad Llafur. Yn gyffredinol, mae cynghorau yn y gogledd wedi cael cynnydd is o gymharu â mewn mannau eraill, gyda dim ond Sir y Fflint yn cael cynnydd mewn cyllid yn agos at gynnydd cyfartalog Cymru. Unwaith eto, mae cynghorau sy'n cael eu rhedeg gan Geidwadwyr Cymru yn cael cynnydd is na'r cyfartaledd yn eu setliad, gan gael y cynnydd cyfartalog ail isaf yn setliad 2021-22, sy'n dod ar ben y cynnydd cyfartalog isaf y tro diwethaf. Mae'n siomedig bod galwadau gan awdurdodau lleol a CLlLC i gyflwyno cyllid gwaelodol, fel y soniasoch o'r blaen, i sicrhau bod pob cyngor yn cael setliad teg wedi cael eu hanwybyddu gennych chi, Gweinidog. Hefyd, mae dyraniadau cyllid a wnaed drwy gronfa galedi awdurdodau lleol wedi gwaethygu'r anghydraddoldebau cyllid rhanbarthol presennol. Rydym yn croesawu'r gefnogaeth a roddwyd i gynghorau yn ystod y pandemig drwy'r gronfa galedi leol. Fodd bynnag, mae'r cyllid wedi ei dargedu'n bennaf at leihau pwysau yn ystod y flwyddyn ariannol hon, yn hytrach na darparu'r cyllid cynaliadwy hirdymor sydd ei angen ar y cynghorau. Mae'n wir hefyd fod cynghorau yn y de wedi cael tua 63 y cant o'r arian a ddyrannwyd drwy'r gronfa galedi hyd yma, tra bod cynghorau yn y gogledd wedi cael dim ond 19 y cant. Wrth i ni ddechrau adfer o effaith pandemig COVID-19, mae'n bwysig cydnabod costau ariannol ac economaidd y pandemig a wynebir gan deuluoedd ledled Cymru drwy eu helpu i gadw mwy o'u harian y maen nhw wedi gweithio yn galed amdano i gynnal eu hunain a'u teuluoedd. Dyna pam yr ydym ni'n galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i leihau costau byw yng Nghymru drwy rewi'r dreth gyngor eleni. Llywydd, mae'r setliad hwn yn gyfle a gollwyd i helpu cynghorau a chymunedau i ailadeiladu yn well yn dilyn pandemig COVID-19. Er gwaethaf adnoddau sylweddol gan Lywodraeth Geidwadol y DU, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi methu â darparu setliad cyllido uchelgeisiol hirdymor i gynghorau sy'n eu galluogi i fuddsoddi yn y gwasanaethau y maen nhw'n eu darparu ac ymateb i'r effaith a gaiff pandemig COVID yn y dyfodol. Mae arnom angen setliad cyllido teg i'r holl gynghorau hynny i'w galluogi i ddarparu gwasanaethau y mae ar bobl eu hangen, ac adolygiad annibynnol o'r fformiwla gyllido i sicrhau bod pob awdurdod lleol yn cael eu cyfran deg o gyllid. Diolch.