English: Llywydd, I'm very grateful to the Counsel General for this important statement in an area that is not devolved to Wales, but it does show how serious the Government is in dealing with the huge problems that the people of our nations are currently facing. It's not overstatement to say that the people of Wales have been cruelly hit by the merciless austerity policy of the Tory and Liberal Democrat Government back in 2011 to cut legal aid. Let's look at a few facts here, and it would be good for the Tories to listen to these facts from the Legal Aid Agency. In England expenditure on legal aid between 2012 to 2019 fell by 28 per cent; in Wales it fell by 37 per cent. In England the number of firms offering legal aid fell by 20 per cent; in Wales it was 29 per cent. In England legal aid in civil and family law fell by 31 per cent; in Wales it was 40 per cent. I could go on and on. I could give you numerous examples similar to those. They are there. These are facts from the Legal Aid Agency that show how these cuts have impacted Wales. As a tribunal judge, I saw hundreds and hundreds of people, people with mental health problems, physical health problems, additional learning needs, having to face a complex situation, complex law, without any professional support. People were appearing before me in tears. They were at the end of their tether. Two widows appeared because their husbands had committed suicide before the appeal. There was no support there for them. As a barrister, I saw thousands of people who couldn't secure access to justice because of their financial situation. Literally, the door of justice in Wales had been slammed in the faces of hundreds of thousands of people living in our nation who live in poverty. That is the situation of justice in Wales. But we can work differently. In Scotland, for example, where justice is devolved, 70 per cent of the population there qualify for legal aid.
Welsh: Llywydd, dwi'n ddiolchgar iawn i'r Cwnsler Cyffredinol am y datganiad pwysig yma mewn ardal sydd ddim wedi cael ei datganoli i Gymru, ond yn dangos pa mor o ddifri mae'r Llywodraeth i ddelio gyda'r problemau enfawr mae pobl ein gwlad ni yn eu dioddef ar hyn o bryd. Dyw e ddim yn ormodedd i ddweud bod pobl Cymru wedi cael eu taro'n greulon gan bolisi llymder, didrugaredd y Llywodraeth Dorïaidd a'r Rhyddfrydwyr Democrataidd nôl yn 2011 i dorri y cymorth cyfreithiol. Gadewch inni edrych ar ychydig o ffeithiau fan hyn, a bydd yn dda i'r Torïaid fan hyn wrando ar ffeithiau oddi wrth y Legal Aid Agency. Yn Lloegr syrthiodd gwariant cymorth cyfreithiol o 2012 i 2019 gan 28 y cant; yng Nghymru fe wnaeth e syrthio gan 37 y cant. Yn Lloegr syrthiodd nifer y ffyrmiau sy'n cynnig cymorth cyfreithiol gan 20 y cant; yng Nghymru 29 y cant. Yn Lloegr syrthiodd cymorth cyfreithiol yn ardaloedd sifil a theulu gan 31 y cant; yng Nghymru 40 y cant. Gallaf i fynd ymlaen ac ymlaen. Gallaf i roi enghreifftiau di-ri tebyg i hynny. Maen nhw yna, ffeithiau gan y Legal Aid Agency yn dangos sut mae'r toriadau yma wedi effeithio ar Gymru. Fel barnwr tribiwnlys, fe welais i gannoedd ar gannoedd o bobl - pobl yn dioddef o iechyd meddwl, o iechyd corfforol gwael, anghenion dysgu - yn gorfod wynebu sefyllfa gymhleth, cyfraith anodd, heb unrhyw gymorth proffesiynol. Roedd pobl yn ymddangos o fy mlaen i yn eu dagrau, ar ben eu tennyn. Fe wnaeth dwy weddw ymddangos o fy mlaen i oherwydd bod eu gwŷr wedi lladd eu hunain cyn yr apêl. Doedd dim cymorth yna. Fel bargyfreithiwr, welais i filoedd o bobl yn methu sicrhau mynediad i gyfiawnder oherwydd eu sefyllfa ariannol. Yn llythrennol, drws cyfiawnder yng Nghymru wedi'i gau yn glep i'r cannoedd a miloedd o bobl sy'n byw yn ein gwlad ni sy'n byw mewn tlodi. Dyna sefyllfa cyfiawnder yng Nghymru. Ond mae modd bod yn wahanol. Yn yr Alban, er enghraifft, lle mae cyfiawnder wedi'i ddatganoli, mae 70 y cant o'r boblogaeth yno yn gymwys i gymorth cyfreithiol.