techiaith/cofnodycynulliad_en-cy huggingface dataset:
English: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, the £150 council tax rebate we've just been talking about - the repayment scheme that you're implementing - made possible, as Mark Isherwood said, thanks to the UK Government, is indeed welcome here. However, what is seriously concerning are the multiple reports of families in Wales being stuck in limbo with no access to this support. Online comments to a recent article highlighted the extent of this ordeal, where families in Newport, Carmarthenshire, Wrexham, Caerphilly and many other places stated that they are yet to receive the rebate. Minister, do you know how many people in Wales have received, and are yet to receive, the council tax rebate? I know you've just quoted some figures for Monmouthshire and other parts of Wales. And for those who haven't yet received the funding, can you provide them with the assurance that there will not be any further delays in providing the money?
Welsh: Diolch, Lywydd. Weinidog, mae'r £150 o ad-daliad y dreth gyngor rydym newydd fod yn sôn amdano - y cynllun ad-dalu rydych yn ei roi ar waith - a wnaed yn bosibl, fel y dywedodd Mark Isherwood, diolch i Lywodraeth y DU, i'w groesawu yma yn wir. Fodd bynnag, yr hyn sy'n peri cryn bryder yw'r nifer o adroddiadau am deuluoedd yng Nghymru sydd mewn limbo, heb unrhyw fynediad at y cymorth hwn. Amlygwyd pa mor ddifrifol yw'r broblem gan sylwadau ar-lein ar erthygl ddiweddar, lle dywedodd teuluoedd yng Nghasnewydd, sir Gaerfyrddin, Wrecsam, Caerffili a llawer o leoedd eraill nad ydynt wedi cael yr ad-daliad eto. Weinidog, a wyddoch faint o bobl yng Nghymru sydd wedi cael ad-daliad y dreth gyngor a faint sy'n dal i aros amdano? Gwn eich bod newydd ddyfynnu rhai ffigurau ar gyfer sir Fynwy a rhannau eraill o Gymru. Ac i'r bobl nad ydynt wedi cael y cyllid eto, a allwch roi sicrwydd iddynt na fydd unrhyw oedi pellach cyn darparu'r arian?
English: So, I would question whether or not we could refer to delays in providing the money, because this is a rapidly designed and rapidly delivered piece of support to families. And let's remember that we're talking about a million households receiving funding from this pot across Wales. I can confirm that, as of 16 May, which is the date for which I have the most recent figures, almost £61 million has been paid out, and that's to over 410,000 households. So, they have received their payments. And 13 authorities have started that payment process, but all should have started it and started making payments by the end of this month. So, we do expect things to ramp up quickly, but I have to say local authorities, I think, have been doing a very good job getting the funding out to households. And let's remember again that local authorities can do this easily where they have the bank details of those households - so, people who pay their council tax through direct debit, for example, are relatively easy to pay. Lots of people don't have that function set up, so we have to get individual data from those constituents who then have to fill in just a short form on the council's website, but, of course, that takes some extra time and resource to deal with. But we are working as fast as we can, and local authorities are, to get the money out.
Welsh: Byddwn yn cwestiynu a allem gyfeirio at oedi wrth ddarparu'r arian ai peidio, gan fod hwn yn gymorth sydd wedi'i gynllunio'n gyflym a'i ddarparu'n gyflym i deuluoedd. A gadewch inni gofio ein bod yn sôn am filiwn o aelwydydd yn cael cyllid o'r gronfa hon ledled Cymru. Gallaf gadarnhau, erbyn 16 Mai, sef y dyddiad y mae gennyf y ffigurau diweddaraf ar ei gyfer, fod bron i £61 miliwn wedi'i dalu, ac mae hynny i dros 410,000 o aelwydydd. Felly, maent wedi derbyn eu taliadau. Ac mae 13 o awdurdodau wedi dechrau ar y broses dalu honno, ond dylai pob un fod wedi'i dechrau ac wedi dechrau gwneud taliadau erbyn diwedd y mis. Felly, rydym yn disgwyl i bethau brysuro'n gyflym, ond mae'n rhaid imi ddweud fy mod yn credu bod awdurdodau lleol wedi bod yn gwneud gwaith da iawn yn darparu'r cyllid i aelwydydd. A gadewch inni gofio unwaith eto y gall awdurdodau lleol wneud hyn yn hawdd pan fo ganddynt fanylion banc yr aelwydydd hynny - felly, mae pobl sy'n talu'r dreth gyngor drwy ddebyd uniongyrchol, er enghraifft, yn gymharol hawdd i'w talu. Mae yna lawer o bobl nad yw'r trefniant hwnnw ar waith ganddynt, felly mae'n rhaid inni gael data unigol gan yr etholwyr hynny sydd wedyn yn gorfod llenwi ffurflen fer ar wefan y cyngor, ond wrth gwrs, mae'n cymryd amser ac adnoddau ychwanegol i ymdrin â hynny. Ond rydym yn gweithio cyn gynted ag y gallwn, fel y mae'r awdurdodau lleol yn ei wneud, i ddarparu'r arian.
English: Thank you for that answer, Minister, and I also concur that local authorities do indeed work hard in getting these things out. But what families now need is for the Welsh Government to finally prioritise them by ensuring that that support reaches them extremely quickly. As I'm sure Members from across the Chamber will agree, families should not have to be subjected to continued uncertainties, so it's important that we make progress. I know councils have had to adapt to be able to provide this new scheme, but they already have the systems in place to collect council tax, and so people certainly do deserve answers as to why this process has been so slow, and I accept that you've tried to explain that. There are also concerns, as you've just mentioned, about those people in society who are the most vulnerable, who probably don't have access to the internet, and are very worried that they are not going to be able to access this rebate and they may not know how to find it. Minister, can you outline what measures were adopted by the Welsh Government to ensure what should have been a smooth delivery of the rebate? Did you thrust the announcement onto councils, or did you ensure that they were fully equipped with the resources that they need to co-ordinate the supply as efficiently and effectively as possible? And, finally, how are you working with councils to ensure that everyone who is eligible can receive the support they need?
Welsh: Diolch am eich ateb, Weinidog, ac rwyf innau'n cytuno bod awdurdodau lleol yn gweithio'n galed yn wir i ddarparu'r pethau hyn. Ond yr hyn sydd ei angen ar deuluoedd bellach yw i Lywodraeth Cymru eu blaenoriaethu o'r diwedd drwy sicrhau bod y cymorth hwnnw'n eu cyrraedd yn hynod o gyflym. Fel rwy'n siŵr y bydd Aelodau o bob rhan o'r Siambr yn cytuno, ni ddylai fod yn rhaid i deuluoedd wynebu ansicrwydd parhaus, felly mae'n bwysig ein bod yn gwneud cynnydd. Gwn fod cynghorau wedi gorfod addasu er mwyn gallu rhoi'r cynllun newydd hwn ar waith, ond mae ganddynt systemau ar waith eisoes i gasglu'r dreth gyngor, ac felly mae pobl yn sicr yn haeddu atebion ynglŷn â pam fod y broses hon wedi bod mor araf, ac rwy'n derbyn eich bod wedi ceisio egluro hynny. Ceir pryderon hefyd, fel rydych newydd sôn, am y bobl fwyaf agored i niwed mewn cymdeithas, nad oes ganddynt fynediad at y rhyngrwyd yn ôl pob tebyg, ac sy'n poeni'n fawr nad ydynt yn mynd i allu cael yr ad-daliad hwn, ac efallai na fyddant yn gwybod sut i gael gafael arno. Weinidog, a wnewch chi amlinellu pa fesurau a fabwysiadwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau bod yr ad-daliad yn cael ei dalu'n ddidrafferth? A wnaethoch wthio'r cyhoeddiad ar gynghorau, neu a wnaethoch sicrhau bod ganddynt yr adnoddau sydd eu hangen arnynt i gydgysylltu'r ddarpariaeth mor effeithlon ac effeithiol â phosibl? Ac yn olaf, sut rydych yn gweithio gyda chynghorau i sicrhau bod pawb sy'n gymwys yn gallu cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt?
English: Well, thank you, Minister. I want to change tack slightly. Minister, Wales is now at a critical stage, and what comes next will determine the future and shape of the country. We're currently suffering the triple whammy of inflationary pressure, the pandemic and now the Welsh Government's - and I have to say it - kick in the teeth to our fantastic tourist industry. Your statement yesterday on self-catering properties sent shockwaves through the tourist industry in Wales. Despite what your statement says, Minister, you have chosen not to listen to the industry. I and the tourist sector fear the Welsh Government's position will wreck a crucial pillar of the Welsh economy. The priority needs to be supporting business and creating well-paid jobs, not putting people out of work, which this will do. Will you, Minister, meet with the industry leaders and listen once again to their concerns and pleas? These are unprecedented times, and the industry doesn't need the Welsh Government piling additional pressures on to it at a time when it's trying to recover.
Welsh: Wel, diolch, Weinidog. Hoffwn drafod mater ychydig yn wahanol. Weinidog, mae Cymru bellach ar gam tyngedfennol, a bydd yr hyn a ddaw nesaf yn pennu dyfodol a chyflwr y wlad. Ar hyn o bryd, rydym yn dioddef pwysau triphlyg chwyddiant, y pandemig, a bellach - ac mae'n rhaid imi ddweud hyn - tro gwael Llywodraeth Cymru â'n diwydiant twristiaeth gwych. Roedd eich datganiad ddoe ar eiddo hunanddarpar yn ysgytwad i'r diwydiant twristiaeth yng Nghymru. Er yr hyn y mae eich datganiad yn ei ddweud, Weinidog, rydych wedi dewis peidio â gwrando ar y diwydiant. Rwyf fi a'r sector twristiaeth yn ofni y bydd safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru yn dinistrio un o bileri allweddol economi Cymru. Mae angen rhoi'r flaenoriaeth i gefnogi busnesau a chreu swyddi sy'n talu'n dda, nid rhoi pobl allan o waith, fel y bydd hyn yn ei wneud. A wnewch chi gyfarfod ag arweinwyr y diwydiant, Weinidog, a gwrando unwaith eto ar eu pryderon a'u hapeliadau? Mae hwn yn gyfnod digynsail, ac nid yw'r diwydiant angen i Lywodraeth Cymru roi pwysau ychwanegol arno ar adeg pan fo'n ceisio ymadfer.
English: Well, it's Welsh Government's view that the changes are intended to ensure that those self-catering businesses are making that fair contribution to the economy in which they're situated. And where a property is let on a commercial basis for 182 days or more - it's only half the year - it will be making a contribution to the local economy, and it will be generating income and it will be creating jobs. Where those thresholds aren't met, we're only asking that the property pays council tax, like every other property in the community. And I have to say that it shouldn't have come as a shock, because I did announce this on 2 March, more than a year before these measures will be coming into force, taking practical effect, and we did publish the technical consultation on it, and that followed a huge consultation, where we had over 1,000 responses. So, we've had a good level of engagement. I did meet with the Wales Tourism Alliance, and had a really useful discussion with them, and, as a result of that, I did indicate that I would go away and take some further advice on those properties that have planning restrictions attached to them, whereby they're not allowed to let for the full 12 months of the year. And I have indicated that I'm looking at how we can make exemptions for those particular properties, demonstrating, I think, that we have been listening to those concerns raised by the industry. But I think that we're only asking that businesses make a reasonable contribution to the economy in which they're sited.
Welsh: Wel, barn Llywodraeth Cymru yw mai bwriad y newidiadau yw sicrhau bod y busnesau llety hunanddarpar hynny'n gwneud cyfraniad teg i'r economi y maent wedi'u lleoli ynddi. A phan fydd eiddo ar osod ar sail fasnachol am 182 diwrnod neu fwy - dim ond hanner y flwyddyn yw hynny - bydd yn gwneud cyfraniad i'r economi leol, a bydd yn cynhyrchu incwm a bydd yn creu swyddi. Lle na chaiff y trothwyon hynny eu cyrraedd, rydym ond yn gofyn i'r eiddo dalu'r dreth gyngor, fel pob eiddo arall yn y gymuned. Ac mae'n rhaid imi ddweud na ddylai hyn fod wedi bod yn syndod, gan imi gyhoeddi hyn ar 2 Mawrth, fwy na blwyddyn cyn i'r mesurau hyn ddod i rym a chael effaith ymarferol, ac fe wnaethom gyhoeddi'r ymgynghoriad technegol ar hyn, ac roedd hynny ar ôl ymgynghoriad enfawr, lle y cawsom dros 1,000 o ymatebion. Felly, rydym wedi cael lefel dda o ymgysylltu. Cyfarfûm â Chynghrair Twristiaeth Cymru, a chefais drafodaeth fuddiol iawn â hwy, ac o ganlyniad i hynny, dywedais y byddwn yn gofyn am gyngor pellach ar eiddo y mae cyfyngiadau cynllunio ynghlwm wrthynt, lle nad oes caniatâd i'w gosod am 12 mis y flwyddyn. Ac rwyf wedi nodi fy mod yn edrych ar sut y gallwn wneud eithriadau ar gyfer eiddo o'r fath, gan ddangos, rwy'n credu, ein bod wedi bod yn gwrando ar y pryderon a leisiwyd gan y diwydiant. Ond rwy'n credu mai'r cyfan yr ydym yn ei wneud yw gofyn i fusnesau wneud cyfraniad rhesymol i'r economi y maent wedi'u lleoli ynddi.
English: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Minister, you will recall, I know, in 2020, Audit Wales found that a third of town and community councils in Wales had their accounts qualified - deemed unacceptable, of course - and in the 2017 local elections over two thirds of seats for town and community councillors went uncontested; 80 per cent of wards didn't actually have an election. Now, we await an analysis for the most recent local election, a few weeks ago, although anecdotally I think we can safely say that the situation certainly hasn't improved, possibly even gotten worse. So, that said, what is your assessment of the state of town and community councils as a tier of local government in Wales?
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Weinidog, gwn y byddwch yn cofio bod Archwilio Cymru wedi canfod yn 2020 fod traean o gynghorau tref a chymuned Cymru wedi cael barn amodol eu cyfrifon - rhywbeth a gâi ei ystyried yn annerbyniol, wrth gwrs - a bod dros ddwy ran o dair o seddi cynghorwyr tref a chymuned yn seddi un ymgeisydd yn etholiadau lleol 2017; ni chafwyd etholiad mewn 80 y cant o wardiau. Nawr, rydym yn aros am ddadansoddiad o'r etholiad lleol mwyaf diweddar, ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, er y credaf y gallwn ddweud gyda sicrwydd, yn anecdotaidd, nad yw'r sefyllfa wedi gwella, a'i bod hyd yn oed wedi gwaethygu o bosibl. Felly, wedi dweud hynny, beth yw eich asesiad o gyflwr cynghorau tref a chymuned fel haen o lywodraeth leol yng Nghymru?
English: I think that my assessment would be that the tier is mixed. I would say that there are some incredibly vibrant local authorities - excuse me, town and community councils - which are doing great work within their communities: they're ambitious, they have good plans to improve the area, they engage well with the communities around them, they put on events, they improve the local environment and so on. But then there are other town and community councils that are, I have to say, much less ambitious and deliver much less for their communities, and I suppose the overall vision, really, is to bring those community councils and support them to come up to the level of the best, and we do have some excellent town and community councils across Wales.
Welsh: Credaf mai fy asesiad fyddai fod yr haen yn gymysg. Byddwn yn dweud bod rhai awdurdodau lleol hynod egnïol - esgusodwch fi, cynghorau tref a chymuned - sy'n gwneud gwaith gwych yn eu cymunedau: maent yn uchelgeisiol, mae ganddynt gynlluniau da i wella'r ardal, maent yn ymgysylltu'n dda â'r cymunedau o'u cwmpas, maent yn cynnal digwyddiadau, maent yn gwella'r amgylchedd lleol ac yn y blaen. Ond wedyn, ceir cynghorau tref a chymuned eraill sydd, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, yn llawer llai uchelgeisiol, ac yn cyflawni llawer llai ar ran eu cymunedau, ac mae'n debyg mai'r weledigaeth gyffredinol yw cefnogi'r cynghorau cymuned hynny i gyrraedd lefel y goreuon, ac mae gennym gynghorau tref a chymuned rhagorol ledled Cymru.
English: We do, indeed, but you're right to say there's huge disparity, isn't there, not only in terms of performance and ambition, but certainly in terms of the coverage to start with, where some areas have a town and community council, others don't. I think about nearly 30 per cent of the population of Wales don't even have a town and community council. Some are very large - Barry Town Council, for example, is very nearly representing a population the same size as Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council - but then you have others who maybe represent just a few hundred people in their community, and, collectively, they represent a precept base, assets and reserves worth over £0.25 billion. So, taking all that into consideration, would you accept that maybe it is time to take a step back and to look at the situation more holistically and to maybe consider whether we need greater consistency in terms of provision and coverage, in terms of size, in terms of functions? And it might be an opportunity to look at strengthening responsibilities as well so that we can actually create a more sustainable tier of provision and make this key tier of local government more fit for the future?
Welsh: Oes yn wir, ond rydych yn iawn i ddweud bod gwahaniaeth enfawr, onid oes, nid yn unig o ran perfformiad ac uchelgais, ond yn sicr o ran eu cwmpas i ddechrau, lle mae gan rai ardaloedd gyngor tref a chymuned, ond nid ardaloedd eraill. Credaf nad oes gan bron i 30 y cant o boblogaeth Cymru gyngor tref a chymuned, hyd yn oed. Mae rhai'n fawr iawn - mae Cyngor Tref y Barri, er enghraifft, yn cynrychioli poblogaeth sydd bron iawn yr un maint â Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful - ond wedyn mae gennych rai eraill sydd efallai'n cynrychioli ychydig gannoedd o bobl yn eu cymuned yn unig, a chyda'i gilydd, maent yn cynrychioli sylfaen praesept, asedau a chronfeydd wrth gefn gwerth dros £0.25 biliwn. Felly, o ystyried hynny oll, a fyddech yn derbyn efallai ei bod yn bryd cymryd cam yn ôl ac edrych ar y sefyllfa'n fwy cyfannol ac ystyried a oes angen mwy o gysondeb arnom o ran darpariaeth a chwmpas, o ran maint a swyddogaethau? Ac efallai ei fod yn gyfle i edrych ar gryfhau cyfrifoldebau hefyd fel y gallwn greu haen fwy cynaliadwy o ddarpariaeth a gwneud yr haen allweddol hon o lywodraeth leol yn fwy addas ar gyfer y dyfodol?
English: I'd absolutely be keen to explore with the spokesperson what ideas we have in terms of driving forward improvement in the sector, because I think we're in agreement that the sector is very mixed in terms of both the practicalities of it but then also what they're delivering. I'm keen to have that discussion about how we strengthen powers for the best. We do have the additional powers through the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 that look to support town and community councils with their ambitions, where they are ambitious to do more. But I think that the discussions I have with One Voice Wales are important in terms of exploring, really, how we do raise the sector up more generally. I have provided support via the chief digital officer for town and community councils to explore what more they can be doing in the digital space, because I think that modernising town and community councils is very important as well in terms of helping them engage better with their local communities. But I absolutely agree that there's plenty more to be done in this area, and I'm keen to have any discussions with any interested colleagues on ideas for the future.
Welsh: Yn sicr, byddwn yn awyddus i archwilio gyda'r llefarydd pa syniadau sydd gennym ar gyfer hybu gwelliant yn y sector, gan y credaf ein bod yn cytuno bod y sector yn gymysg iawn o ran ymarferoldeb y peth ond wedyn hefyd yr hyn y maent yn ei gyflawni. Rwy'n awyddus i gael y drafodaeth honno ynglŷn â sut rydym yn cryfhau pwerau er gwell. Mae gennym y pwerau ychwanegol drwy Ddeddf Llywodraeth Leol ac Etholiadau (Cymru) 2021 sy'n ceisio cefnogi cynghorau tref a chymuned gyda'u huchelgeisiau, lle maent yn awyddus i wneud mwy. Ond credaf fod y trafodaethau a gaf gydag Un Llais Cymru yn bwysig i archwilio sut rydym yn gwella'r sector yn fwy cyffredinol. Rwyf wedi darparu cymorth drwy'r prif swyddog digidol i gynghorau tref a chymuned archwilio beth arall y gallant ei wneud yn y maes digidol, gan y credaf fod moderneiddio cynghorau tref a chymuned yn bwysig iawn hefyd i'w helpu i ymgysylltu'n well â'u cymunedau lleol. Ond cytunaf yn llwyr fod mwy o lawer i'w wneud yn y maes hwn, ac rwy'n awyddus i gael unrhyw drafodaethau gydag unrhyw gyd-Aelodau sydd â diddordeb ynglŷn ag unrhyw syniadau ar gyfer y dyfodol.
English: Yes. The UK Government has deliberately bypassed our devolution settlement and is running both the levelling-up and shared prosperity funds from London. The last-minute offer of an advisory role in the shared prosperity fund was wholly inadequate and symptomatic of the UK Government's botched approach to post-Brexit funding.
Welsh: Gwnaf. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi anwybyddu ein setliad datganoli yn fwriadol, ac yn gweithredu'r gronfa ffyniant bro a'r gronfa ffyniant gyffredin o Lundain. Roedd y cynnig munud olaf o rôl gynghorol yn y gronfa ffyniant gyffredin yn gwbl annigonol ac yn arwydd o ddull di-glem Llywodraeth y DU o ymdrin â chyllid ar ôl Brexit.
English: Well, thank you very much for your response. It's a reflection of the situation. But, of course, the situation is disappointing, isn't it? Because, back in 2019, Wales was a net beneficiary of funding from the European Union, receiving hundreds of millions of pounds every year, and that drove economic programmes and also attracted match funding from private and public sources. But, as you've said in your response, the Welsh Government is now being shut out of this process. We're moving from a holistic, strategic approach to a competitive model that sets local authorities against each other instead of bringing them together, and which elevates the role of Members of Parliament to some kind of adjudicators who almost have some kind of veto on these schemes. It takes us in the wrong direction. Instead of Wales coming together to pull in the same direction with complementary investments, now we see everyone being encouraged to go their own way, often at the expense of others. It's also an intentional step to cut out the Senedd from this process and to undermine the mandate and the democratic oversight that we have here. So, in light of all that, do you agree with the calls of Plaid Cymru that all responsibility over post-Brexit funding sources should be devolved to Wales?
Welsh: Wel, diolch i chi am eich ateb. Mae'r ateb yn adlewyrchiad o'r sefyllfa. Ond, wrth gwrs, mae'r sefyllfa yn un siomedig, onid yw hi? Oherwydd, nôl yn 2019, roedd Cymru yn fuddiolwr net o bres o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd, yn derbyn cannoedd o filiynau o bunnau bob blwyddyn, a hynny'n gyrru cynlluniau economaidd ac yn denu hefyd, wrth gwrs, arian cyfatebol o ffynonellau preifat a chyhoeddus. Ond nawr, fel rŷch chi wedi awgrymu yn eich ateb, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cael ei hallgáu o'r broses yma. Rŷn ni'n symud o ddynesiad holistig, strategol i fodel cystadleuol sy'n gosod awdurdodau lleol yn erbyn ei gilydd yn lle dod â nhw at ei gilydd, ac, wrth gwrs, sydd yn dyrchafu rôl Aelodau Seneddol i ryw fath o ddyfarnwyr sydd bron iawn â rhyw fath o feto ar y cynlluniau yma. Mae'n mynd â ni i'r cyfeiriad anghywir. Yn hytrach na bod Cymru yn dod at ei gilydd i dynnu i'r un cyfeiriad gyda buddsoddiadau sy'n 'complement-io' ei gilydd, nawr rŷn ni'n gweld pawb yn cael eu hannog i fynd eu ffordd eu hunain, a hynny yn aml iawn ar draul eraill. Mae hefyd yn ymdrech fwriadol i dorri allan y Senedd yma o'r broses ac i danseilio'r mandad yna sydd gennym ni a'r trosolwg democrataidd yna sydd gennym ni fan hyn. Felly, yng ngoleuni hynny i gyd, ydych chi'n cytuno â galwadau Plaid Cymru y dylid datganoli pob cyfrifoldeb dros ffynonellau cyllido ôl-Brexit i Gymru?