English: I am pleased, in the absence of the Member for Carmarthen East, to take part in this debate for Plaid Cymru to pursue issues with regard to economic development. It is a debate on a vital area for the future of Wales. Our economic future is based on talented people developing ideas and developing those ideas in Wales, and we have to create the correct business environment to allow entrepreneurs to succeed, and our amendment sheds some light on what we in Plaid Cymru would like to see with regard to Government intervention to achieve that objective. I'll focus on innovation, which means doing entirely new things or, possibly, doing old things in new and better ways, but innovation can't, necessarily, happen in a vacuum and we need to promote and encourage innovation. That's why we call for the establishment of a dedicated national innovation body to increase expenditure on research and development, for example, to develop a reputation for Wales internationally as a nation of excellence with regard to research and innovation. And there's a close relationship, isn't there, between innovation and entrepreneurship. When entrepreneurs transfer new information into new practice, that's when innovation happens. Innovation and creating devices and developing new ideas create entrepreneurs, but what we need to do is to be a nation that can accelerate the speed at which our entrepreneurs can make use - practical use - of new ideas and innovations, and that's where the Government's role is vital. It would be good to think that the market in itself would ensure that there's plenty of research in the development of products, in R&D, here in Wales, but it's not always the case. We can't always depend on the market, and there are international examples that show that the role of innovation bodies is extremely valuable in getting to grips with underfunding, perhaps, in R&D funds, because of market failure. There is a great deal of variance with regard to the size and structure of bodies that exist in locations worldwide, but the raison d'être for those bodies is consistent. It's possible that Innovate UK and Enterprise Ireland are some of the most recognised innovation bodies in the world. They're large: £600 million in the case of Innovate UK, and €300 million with regard to Enterprise Ireland. But there are smaller bodies that work in a regional context, a sub-state context, which can lead to very important lessons for Wales. I'll talk about the JIC Innovation Park in the Czech Republic in South Moravia. Now, it's a region with only 1.1 million residents, and unemployment has fallen from 12 per cent in 2002 to 4.7 per cent by now. It was only £0.5 million annually that the innovation park fund stood at when it was established, but now the sum has increased to £1.5 million. It's a relatively small amount of money, but it has a significant impact. South Moravia has had a regional innovation strategy since 2002 and the innovation park focuses mainly on implementing strategies in partnership with the chamber of commerce, universities and other not-for-profit bodies. It focuses on the research agenda and has ensured research so that South Moravia spends 3.4 per cent of its gross domestic product on research and development, and that's three times the percentage of the gross value added of Wales spent in this area. So, these are our competitors that we need to compete with, with regard to our expenditure on innovation. The Basque Country is also an example where there is an innovation body that is doing excellent work. I know that the Welsh Government doesn't support the idea of arm's-length expert bodies supporting the Government in its agenda. I know when I was economy spokesperson I mooted the idea of having a new Welsh Development Agency for the twenty-first century. 'It's not democratic; it's a quango' - that was the call from some, but, in the devolved era, there is that accountability here in the National Assembly. And, with regard to the Basque Country, the CEO there is a politician, and changes every four years, so it is possible to operate an arm's-length body without losing accountability. Time has beaten me. We do need innovation in policy as well. We need innovation in the Government's attitude towards economic development. I appeal on behalf of business, and on behalf of the economy in Wales, for creativity from the Government and from the Cabinet Secretary.
Welsh: Rydw i yn falch, yn absenoldeb yr Aelod dros Ddwyrain Caerfyrddin heddiw, i gael cymryd rhan yn y ddadl yma ar ran Plaid Cymru ac i droedio hen lwybrau'n siarad ar faterion datblygu economaidd. Mae yn ddadl ar faes allweddol pwysig, rydw i'n meddwl, i ddyfodol Cymru. Mae ein dyfodol economaidd ni'n seiliedig ar bobl dalentog yn datblygu syniadau ac yn datblygu'r syniadau hynny yng Nghymru, ac mae'n rhaid inni greu'r awyrgylch busnes cywir i alluogi entrepreneuriaeth i lwyddo, ac mae ein gwelliant ni'n taflu rhyw faint o oleuni ar beth y byddwn ni, ym Mhlaid Cymru, yn hoffi ei weld o ran ymyrraeth y Llywodraeth er mwyn cyflawni'r amcan yma. Mi ganolbwyntiaf i ar arloesedd, sy'n golygu gwneud pethau cwbl newydd neu, o bosib, gwneud hen bethau mewn ffyrdd newydd, ond nid yw arloesedd, yn angenrheidiol, yn digwydd mewn vacuum, ac mae angen hybu ac annog arloesedd. Dyna pam rydym ni'n galw am sefydlu corff arloesi cenedlaethol i gynyddu gwariant ar ymchwil a datblygiad, er enghraifft, i adeiladu enw da i Gymru yn rhyngwladol fel cenedl o ragoriaeth ar gyfer ymchwil ac arloesedd. Ac mae yna berthynas agos iawn, onid oes, rhwng arloesedd ac entrepreneuriaeth. Pan fo entrepreneuriaid yn trosi gwybodaeth newydd yn arfer newydd, dyna pryd mae arloesi'n digwydd. Mae arloesedd a chreu dyfeisiadau a datblygu syniadau newydd yn creu entrepreneuriaid, ond beth sydd angen i ni ei wneud ydy bod yn genedl sydd yn gallu cyflymu'r raddfa y mae'n entrepreneuriaid ni'n gallu gwneud defnydd ymarferol newydd o syniadau a dyfeisiadau newydd. A dyna le mae rôl y Llywodraeth yn gwbl allweddol. Mi fyddai'n dda meddwl y byddai'r farchnad ynddi'i hun yn sicrhau bod yna ddigonedd o ymchwil mewn datblygiad cynnyrch, mewn R&D, yma yng Nghymru, ond nid yw pob amser yn wir. Ni allwn ddibynnu ar y farchnad, ac mae enghreifftiau rhyngwladol, wrth gwrs, yn dangos bod rôl cyrff arloesi yn arbennig o werthfawr i fynd i'r afael ar dangyllido, o bosib, mewn cronfeydd R&D, oherwydd methiant y farchnad. Mae yna amrywiaeth fawr o ran maint, o ran strwythur y mathau o gyrff sy'n bodoli mewn llefydd ar draws y byd, ond mae rhesymeg - raison d'être - i'r cyrff hynny'n gyson iawn, mewn difrif. Mae'n bosib mai Innovate UK ac Enterprise Ireland ydy rhai o'r cyrff arloesedd mwyaf adnabyddus yn y byd. Maen nhw'n fawr: £600 miliwn yn achos Innovate UK; €300 miliwn i Enterprise Ireland. Ond mae yna gyrff llawer llai o gwmpas y byd sy'n gweithio mewn cyd-destun rhanbarthol, sub-state, felly, ac sy'n gallu dysgu gwersi gwerthfawr iawn i Gymru. Soniaf i am barc arloesedd JIC De Morafia yn y Weriniaeth Tsiecaidd, rhanbarth efo dim ond 1.1 miliwn o bobl - diweithdra wedi syrthio o 12 y cant yn 2002 i 4.7 y cant erbyn hyn. Dim ond £0.5 miliwn yn flynyddol oedd cronfa'r parc arloesi pan sefydlwyd hwnnw, ond, erbyn hyn, mae'r ffigwr wedi cynyddu i £1.5 miliwn - swm cymharol fach, ond mae effaith arwyddocaol i'r arian hwnnw. Mae De Morafia wedi cael strategaeth arloesedd rhanbarthol ers 2002 ac mae'r parc arloesedd yn canolbwyntio yn bennaf ar weithredu strategaeth mewn partneriaeth â phrifysgolion, siambr fasnach a mudiadau eraill nid er elw. Mae'n canolbwyntio'n bennaf ar yr agenda ymchwil ac wedi sicrhau ymchwil fel bod De Morafia yn gwario 3.4 y cant rŵan o'u cynnyrch domestig gros rhanbarthol ar ymchwil a datblygiad. Mae hynny'n deirgwaith y ganran o werth ychwanegol gros Cymru sy'n mynd i'r maes yma. Felly, dyma'n cystadleuwyr ni yr ydym ni angen bod yn cystadlu â nhw o ran ein gwariant ar arloesedd. Mae Gwlad y Basg hefyd yn enghraifft lle mae yna gorff arloesedd rhagorol. Rydw i'n gwybod nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi'r syniad o gyrff arbenigol hyd braich yn cefnogi'r Llywodraeth yn ei hagenda datblygu economaidd. Rydw i'n cofio pan oeddwn i'n llefarydd economi imi gyflwyno'r syniad o gael Awdurdod Datblygu Cymru newydd ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain. 'Nid ydy o'n ddemocrataidd; cwango ydy o' - dyna oedd y gri oeddwn i'n ei chlywed gan rai, ond, wrth gwrs, yn yr oes ddatganoledig yma, mae'r atebolrwydd yma gennym ni yn y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. Yn achos Gwlad y Basg, hefyd, mae cyfarwyddwr cyffredinol y corff arloesedd yno yn wleidydd, ac mae o'n newid bob pedair blynedd, felly mae'n bosib gweithredu hyd braich heb golli'r atebolrwydd. Mae amser yn drech na fi. Mae angen arloesedd mewn polisi hefyd. Mae angen arloesedd yn agwedd Llywodraeth tuag at ddatblygu economaidd. Rydw i'n apelio ar ran busnes, ar ran economi Cymru, am greadigrwydd gan y Llywodraeth a gan yr Ysgrifennydd Cabinet.