English: This subject, at first, if someone sees it just written on a piece of paper what we're going to be talking about, may seem dry and technical, but in fact, all of the richness of our natural world is contained in it. Without robust and proper environmental protection, all of us will be impoverished in ways probably that we can't even begin to imagine. The context of this has been well rehearsed already by other Members of the committee. I would, of course, add my thanks to the committee Chair and to the fantastic committee team and to the interim assessor. I know that it's going to be difficult for the interim assessor maybe hearing some of this, but I would just add to the point that's already been made: this is in no way a criticism of anyone who's actually fulfilling this function at present, it's about the situation that's got us to where we're at, and real problems and our unhappiness about how that's been handled. Wales's loss of rights relating to EU environmental law, that old framework that allowed us to hold corporations and Governments to account for damaging the natural world, has been because of Brexit. Brexit has many casualties; we have lost so much. The same robustness that we had under that old framework has to be a bare minimum - it has to be replicated in Welsh law. I'm afraid that because of the inaction of the Welsh Government on this since the transition period, we are in a really damaging situation. As has been rehearsed already, this is a devolved area. The Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and the well-being of future generations Act provide the legal framework for environmental protection. The measures that we have at the moment were meant as a stopgap. Concerns were raised even at the time about how the threshold for seriousness would be met in terms of what infringements should be escalated when they were reported. Concerns were raised again at the time about the non-statutory basis of the arrangements, and this was even the case before the role had been diluted. But we're in 2022 now; that stopgap arrangement is ongoing, and it's also been downgraded. The interim assessor can only oversee the functioning of environmental law, so they can see what the issues are, but they have very limited ability to do anything about it. Our committee - as has been said already - has considered many of these difficulties, and the fact that at the moment, there doesn't seem to be any end in sight to this interim period. I really would urge the Government to prioritise this area as much as possible, because of the uncertainty that it is creating. Citizens at present don't have a clear or accessible way of holding Government or polluters to account. I take the point that the Government has said that judicial review mechanisms are an interim means of escalating infringements of environmental law, but judicial review is outside the means of most ordinary people, and it also goes against the principle, again, which is set out in EU law, that all citizens should have equal and available access to environmental justice. It's not clear how environmental protections can therefore be enforced. As Wales Environment Link have said, and I'm quoting their words, 'It is clear that the interim arrangements do not constitute a route to environmental justice nor do they provide a substitute for the oversight and enforcement role required to replace that provided by EU institutions'. That's the end of the quotation. It still remains unclear as to when legislation, when any permanent solution is going to be put forward. Dirprwy Lywydd, I think that what we're seeing as a result is an environmental injustice at a time when we are living through a nature emergency, a time that requires vigilance instead of complacency. When the Minister responds to the debate, I'd be grateful to hear how much longer the Government anticipates that these interim arrangements will be required as well as when the Welsh Government will introduce legislation to provide more of a permanent solution. Again, obviously, I believe that the Minister wants to get this right, of course I believe that, but having this certainty, having this permanency wouldn't just be for the sake of assuaging people's concerns, it would be to correct that real environmental injustice that is happening in this really messy interim period. It would be useful to know whether the Government has conducted a risk assessment of the implications of Wales's lack of legally binding environmental governance arrangements. Has that happened, I wonder? And how many infringements of environmental law have been reported to the interim assessor since February 2021? Again, when the Minister responds, I'd be grateful to hear her thoughts on those points. But, again -
Welsh: Ar y dechrau, os yw rhywun yn gweld yr hyn rydym yn mynd i fod yn sôn amdano wedi ei ysgrifennu ar ddarn o bapur, gallai'r pwnc hwn ymddangos yn sych ac yn dechnegol, ond mewn gwirionedd, mae holl gyfoeth ein byd naturiol wedi'i gynnwys ynddo. Heb amddiffyniad amgylcheddol cadarn a phriodol, bydd pob un ohonom yn cael ein gwneud yn dlawd mewn ffyrdd na allwn hyd yn oed ddechrau eu dychmygu. Mae cyd-destun hyn wedi cael ei ddisgrifio'n dda yn barod gan aelodau eraill y pwyllgor. Wrth gwrs, hoffwn ychwanegu fy niolch i Gadeirydd y pwyllgor ac i'r tîm pwyllgor gwych ac i'r asesydd interim. Rwy'n gwybod efallai y bydd hi'n anodd i'r asesydd interim glywed rhywfaint o hyn, ond hoffwn ychwanegu at y pwynt sydd eisoes wedi'i wneud: nid yw hyn mewn unrhyw ffordd yn feirniadaeth ar unrhyw un sy'n cyflawni'r swyddogaeth hon ar hyn o bryd, mae'n ymwneud â'r sefyllfa sydd wedi ein cael i lle rydym ni, a phroblemau go iawn a'n anhapusrwydd ynglŷn â sut mae hynny wedi cael ei drin. Mae colli hawliau Cymru sy'n gysylltiedig â chyfraith amgylcheddol yr UE, yr hen fframwaith a oedd yn caniatáu inni ddwyn corfforaethau a Llywodraethau i gyfrif am niweidio'r byd naturiol, wedi digwydd oherwydd Brexit. Mae gan Brexit lawer o ddioddefwyr; rydym wedi colli cymaint. Rhaid inni gael o leiaf yr un cadernid a oedd gennym dan yr hen fframwaith - rhaid ei ailadrodd yng nghyfraith Cymru. Oherwydd diffyg gweithredu gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar hyn ers y cyfnod pontio, rwy'n ofni ein bod mewn sefyllfa sy'n wirioneddol niweidiol. Fel sydd wedi cael ei ddweud yn barod, mae hwn yn faes sydd wedi ei ddatganoli. Mae Deddf yr Amgylchedd (Cymru) 2016 a Deddf llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol yn darparu'r fframwaith cyfreithiol ar gyfer diogelu'r amgylchedd. Y bwriad ar gyfer y mesurau sydd gennym ar hyn o bryd oedd iddynt lenwi bwlch dros dro. Codwyd pryderon hyd yn oed ar y pryd ynglŷn â sut y byddai'r trothwy difrifoldeb yn cael ei gyrraedd o ran pa dor rheolau y dylid eu huwchraddio wrth iddynt gael eu hadrodd. Cafodd pryderon eu codi eto ar y pryd am sail anstatudol y trefniadau, ac roedd hyn yn wir hyd yn oed cyn i'r rôl gael ei gwanhau. Ond mae'n 2022 bellach; mae'r trefniant llenwi bwlch hwnnw'n parhau, ac mae hefyd wedi cael ei israddio. Dim ond goruchwylio gweithrediad cyfraith amgylcheddol y gall yr asesydd interim ei wneud, fel y gallant weld beth yw'r problemau, ond gallu cyfyngedig iawn sydd ganddynt i wneud unrhyw beth yn eu cylch. Mae ein pwyllgor - fel y dywedwyd eisoes - wedi ystyried llawer o'r anawsterau hyn, a'r ffaith nad yw'n ymddangos bod unrhyw ddiwedd yn y golwg i'r cyfnod interim hwn ar hyn o bryd. Hoffwn yn fawr annog y Llywodraeth i flaenoriaethu'r maes hwn gymaint â phosibl, oherwydd yr ansicrwydd y mae'n ei greu. Nid oes ffordd glir a hygyrch gan ddinasyddion ar hyn o bryd o ddwyn Llywodraeth na llygrwyr i gyfrif. Rwy'n cymryd y pwynt fod y Llywodraeth wedi dweud bod mecanweithiau adolygiad barnwrol yn fodd interim o uwchraddio tor rheolau cyfraith amgylcheddol, ond mae adolygiad barnwrol y tu hwnt i gyrraedd y rhan fwyaf o bobl gyffredin, ac mae hefyd yn mynd yn groes i'r egwyddor, eto, sy'n cael ei nodi yng nghyfraith yr UE, y dylai pob dinesydd gael mynediad cyfartal a hygyrch at gyfiawnder amgylcheddol. Nid yw'n glir sut y gellir gorfodi amddiffyniadau amgylcheddol felly. Fel mae Cyswllt Amgylchedd Cymru wedi dweud, ac rwy'n dyfynnu eu geiriau, 'Mae'n amlwg nad yw'r trefniadau interim yn llwybr i gyfiawnder amgylcheddol nac ychwaith yn cymryd lle'r swyddogaeth oruchwylio a gorfodi sydd ei hangen i gymryd lle yr hyn a ddarperir gan sefydliadau'r UE'. Mae'n dal i fod yn aneglur pryd y bydd deddfwriaeth, pryd y bydd unrhyw ateb parhaol yn cael ei gyflwyno. Ddirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n credu mai'r hyn a welwn o ganlyniad yw anghyfiawnder amgylcheddol ar adeg pan ydym yn byw drwy argyfwng natur, adeg sy'n galw am wyliadwriaeth yn lle llaesu dwylo. Pan fydd y Gweinidog yn ymateb i'r ddadl, byddwn yn falch o glywed faint yn hwy y mae'r Llywodraeth yn rhagweld y bydd angen y trefniadau interim hyn yn ogystal â phryd y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyflwyno deddfwriaeth i ddarparu ateb mwy parhaol. Eto, yn amlwg, credaf fod y Gweinidog eisiau cael hyn yn iawn, wrth gwrs fy mod yn credu hynny, ond byddai cael y sicrwydd hwn, byddai cael y parhad hwn yn tawelu pryderon pobl, a byddai hefyd yn cywiro'r anghyfiawnder amgylcheddol go iawn sy'n digwydd yn y cyfnod interim gwirioneddol flêr hwn. Byddai'n ddefnyddiol gwybod a yw'r Llywodraeth wedi cynnal asesiad risg o oblygiadau diffyg trefniadau llywodraethu amgylcheddol sy'n gyfreithiol rwymol yng Nghymru. A yw hynny wedi digwydd, tybed? A faint o achosion o dorri rheolau cyfraith amgylcheddol sydd wedi eu hadrodd i'r asesydd interim ers mis Chwefror 2021? Unwaith eto, pan fydd y Gweinidog yn ymateb, byddwn yn falch o glywed ei syniadau ar y pwyntiau hynny. Ond unwaith eto -