English: Thank you for the statement, Minister. There has been understandable concern from parents, so I welcome this today. I too would like to offer thanks from the official opposition to all our nursery and child carers, who not only do a fantastic job not only just caring for our children, but helping to nurture them and helping them grow as individuals. I welcome the fact that the system is now being reinstated, having been suspended during lockdown, for working parents of three and four-year-olds, because it's a vital lifeline for families, enabling the parents to actually earn a living. But many nurseries have been operating at a loss due to the fall in the uptake that you've just referred to, presumably due to the ongoing uncertainty and some workers still being on furlough. What support can the Welsh Government offer to nurseries that are facing serious financial hardship due to their enforced closure, fewer children attending and increased costs to deal with COVID regulations? And what consideration has been given to setting up a transformation fund to be able to support the sector until occupancy levels pick up further than you've said, and to really review the hourly rate to reflect the additional costs that they've had to incur, as called for by the National Day Nurseries Association? The organisation Cwlwm, which you referred to, has said that most childcare providers did not qualify for the Welsh Government support, and the sector was being ignored during the pandemic. Cwlwm, an umbrella body that represents 4,000 childcare providers, estimates 90 per cent of nurseries, day care centres, clubs and childminding services have closed in the last month, but still had to pay bills and rent. A Welsh Government scheme offering grants up to £10,000 to businesses is still not available to most nurseries, they say, because they need to be registered for value added tax, and most childcare businesses are exempt. Cwlwm chairwoman, Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, said clarity was needed so providers could pay their staff, and the VAT exemption needed to be lifted or childcare businesses would not survive the pandemic. I'd love to hear what you could say on that, Minister, please. I hear what you're saying about not requiring childcare providers to close during the pandemic, but the reality is that many did close because numbers simply weren't viable. And in terms of our economic recovery, we need childcare settings to survive and to flourish. Indeed, following the introduction of the childcare offer, Welsh Government has been working to increase the number of childcare places by working with local authorities to create additional capacity. What assessment has the Minister made of whether these plans need revising because of the pandemic, please? Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch am y datganiad, Gweinidog. Bu pryder dealladwy gan rieni, felly croesawaf hyn heddiw. Hoffwn innau ddiolch ar ran yr wrthblaid swyddogol i'n holl ofalwyr meithrin a phlant, sy'n gwneud gwaith gwych nid yn unig yn gofalu am ein plant, ond yn helpu i'w meithrin a'u helpu i dyfu fel unigolion. Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod y system bellach yn cael ei hadfer, ar ôl cael ei hatal yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud, ar gyfer rhieni sy'n gweithio ac y mae ganddynt blant tair a phedair oed, oherwydd mae'n achubiaeth hanfodol i deuluoedd, gan alluogi'r rhieni i ennill bywoliaeth mewn gwirionedd. Ond mae llawer o feithrinfeydd wedi bod yn gweithredu ar golled oherwydd y gostyngiad yn y nifer sy'n mynychu yr ydych chi newydd gyfeirio ato, yn ôl pob tebyg oherwydd yr ansicrwydd parhaus a rhai gweithwyr yn dal i fod ar ffyrlo. Pa gymorth y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei gynnig i feithrinfeydd sy'n wynebu caledi ariannol difrifol oherwydd eu bod wedi'u gorfodi i gau, llai o blant yn mynychu a chostau uwch i ymdrin â rheoliadau COVID? A pha ystyriaeth sydd wedi'i rhoi i sefydlu cronfa drawsnewid i allu cefnogi'r sector nes bod niferoedd yn codi ymhellach nag yr ydych chi wedi dweud, ac i adolygu'r gyfradd fesul awr mewn gwirionedd i adlewyrchu'r costau ychwanegol y bu'n rhaid iddyn nhw eu hysgwyddo, fel y galwyd amdano gan Gymdeithas Genedlaethol Meithrinfeydd Dydd? Mae'r sefydliad Cwlwm, yr ydych chi wedi cyfeirio ato, wedi dweud nad oedd y rhan fwyaf o ddarparwyr gofal plant yn gymwys i gael cymorth gan Lywodraeth Cymru, ac yr anwybyddwyd y sector yn ystod y pandemig. Mae Cwlwm, corff ymbarél sy'n cynrychioli 4,000 o ddarparwyr gofal plant, yn amcangyfrif bod 90 y cant o feithrinfeydd, canolfannau gofal dydd, clybiau a gwasanaethau gwarchod plant wedi cau yn ystod y mis diwethaf, ond yn dal i orfod talu biliau a rhent. Nid yw cynllun gan Lywodraeth Cymru sy'n cynnig grantiau hyd at £10,000 i fusnesau ar gael o hyd i'r rhan fwyaf o feithrinfeydd, dywedant, oherwydd bod angen iddyn nhw gofrestru ar gyfer treth ar werth, ac mae'r rhan fwyaf o fusnesau gofal plant wedi'u heithrio. Dywedodd cadeirydd Cwlwm, Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, fod angen eglurder fel y gallai darparwyr dalu eu staff, ac roedd angen codi'r eithriad TAW neu ni fyddai busnesau gofal plant yn goroesi'r pandemig. Byddwn wrth fy modd yn clywed yr hyn y gallech ei ddweud am hynny, Gweinidog, os gwelwch yn dda. Rwy'n deall yr hyn yr ydych chi'n ei ddweud am beidio â mynnu bod darparwyr gofal plant yn cau yn ystod y pandemig, ond y gwir amdani yw bod llawer wedi cau am nad oedd y niferoedd yn hyfyw. Ac o ran ein hadferiad economaidd, mae angen i ni weld lleoliadau gofal plant yn goroesi a ffynnu. Yn wir, ar ôl cyflwyno'r cynnig gofal plant, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn gweithio i gynyddu nifer y lleoedd gofal plant drwy weithio gydag awdurdodau lleol i greu capasiti ychwanegol. Pa asesiad y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i wneud ynghylch pa un a oes angen diwygio'r cynlluniau hyn oherwydd y pandemig, os gwelwch yn dda? Diolch.