English: Can I thank the Minister for her statement this afternoon and for the annual update - the latest, as you say, in a sequence of updates? As you said, local services are vital in giving children the best start in life, helping give us a greener, more responsible environment and lead more responsible lives - I think we could all agree with that phrase that you use. And, yes, I would agree with you that we do need a stable and effective local government funding system. Some of us think that we are still some way off that today. I appreciate that, over recent years, funding has been tighter than in the past, but the Minister will be aware of my repeated calls for a review of the local government funding formula - well-worn calls now. I know that Mike Hedges has some different views on this, but I would like to hear from the Minister on whether there is any intention to look again at the current formula or current formulas that make it up - I know it's complex - particularly factoring in issues such as sparsity and rurality and the costs of delivering services over larger rural areas, such as we have in my part of Wales and particularly up towards mid Wales. So, I'd be interested to hear an update on that. You moved on to discuss council tax and business rates, and we know that council tax has increased by around 6.6 per cent in 2019-20, or £99 for an average band 2 property. So, I would ask you, Minister, is it really fair and progressive or is council tax actually being used as a tool to make local people in local authority areas actually shoulder more of the burden over time, thereby freeing up money centrally? If that is what the Welsh Government aims to do, then that's a policy objective that you should be clear about, because it was only in your statement last year that you said you wanted to explore the balance between locally raised and centrally provided funding. So, are you still looking at that, because it does seem to be that, over time, the burden is shifting from central Government to local government, which I don't think the Labour Party of the past would have supported? In terms of council tax arrears, which you mentioned, you say that the level of arrears has stabilised over the period since before council tax was localised in 2013-14. This may well be the case, but I would also remind the Minister that the Wales Centre for Public Policy has criticised the Welsh Government approach to handling council tax arrears. In fact, it says that, despite Welsh Government producing guidance on this, the extent to which Welsh Government is achieving its aim is being questioned, and there is a potential postcode lottery in place when it comes to people in debt. So, could you update us on the work of the working group that you established to look at this? I'm sure you'd agree that it's vitally important that some of the most vulnerable people in society, some of those at risk of the most severe debt, are being treated equitably and having access to that support that they so desperately need. Moving on to non-domestic rates, I'm pleased that you recognise the struggles of our high streets and town centres. Those are well documented, and we welcome additional support for our high streets, because they are really suffering at the moment. The retail rates relief scheme needs to be more generous, because businesses need as much support as they possibly can get at this time. Will you look again at targeting support to those businesses in those areas that have been worst hit - in some cases, pockets of areas within otherwise more successful areas in terms of our high streets? I know that, when this was looked at a few years ago by the Enterprise and Business Committee, we exposed some of the issues affecting our high streets. Since then, of course, we have the issues with the rate revaluation, and pockets in my constituency, like Chepstow, were particularly affected. We look forward to the introduction of the local government and elections Bill that you mentioned. I hope that it does provide a better framework for supporting collaboration between local authorities and also underpinning the city region model, such as that that is operating in south-east Wales. I think there are opportunities here to provide better support in the future. Finally, Dirprwy Lywydd, on the council tax reduction scheme, you mentioned uptake. Current uptake is between 55 per cent and 66 per cent, I believe, so I welcome your relaunching of the campaign today to try to raise the profile of that reduction scheme. I think that certainly has to happen. I'd be interested to know more the reasons why you think that uptake is below what it has been in the past and some of the policies that you propose bringing forward to make sure that people who do need that support, who deserve that support and are most in need of that support, are going to be able to know it exists and access it when they need it.
Welsh: A gaf i ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei datganiad y prynhawn yma ac am y diweddariad blynyddol - y diweddaraf, fel y dywedwch, mewn cyfres o ddiweddariadau? Fel y gwnaethoch chi ddweud, mae gwasanaethau lleol yn hanfodol i roi'r dechrau gorau mewn bywyd i blant, gan helpu i roi amgylchedd gwyrddach, mwy cyfrifol inni a'n galluogi ni i fyw bywyd mwy cyfrifol - credaf y gallem ni i gyd gytuno â'r ymadrodd hwnnw a ddefnyddiwch. A byddwn, byddwn yn cytuno â chi bod angen system gyllido llywodraeth leol sefydlog ac effeithiol arnom ni. Mae rhai ohonom ni'n credu ein bod yn dal i fod ychydig yn bell o hynny heddiw. Sylweddolaf fod cyllid wedi bod yn dynnach dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf nag yn y gorffennol, ond bydd y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol o'm galwadau mynych am adolygiad o fformiwla ariannu llywodraeth leol - galwadau ystrydebol bron erbyn hyn. Rwy'n gwybod fod gan Mike Hedges rai safbwyntiau gwahanol ynghylch hyn, ond hoffwn glywed gan y Gweinidog a oes unrhyw fwriad i ailedrych ar y fformiwla bresennol neu'r fformiwlâu presennol sy'n ei ffurfio - rwy'n gwybod ei bod yn gymhleth - yn arbennig o gynnwys materion fel poblogaeth denau a natur wledig ardaloedd a chostau darparu gwasanaethau dros ardaloedd gwledig ehangach, fel sydd gennym ni yn fy rhan i o Gymru ac yn arbennig i fyny tuag at y canolbarth. Felly, byddai gennyf ddiddordeb clywed y newyddion diweddaraf am hynny. Fe aethoch ymlaen i drafod y dreth gyngor ac ardrethi busnes, a gwyddom fod y dreth gyngor wedi cynyddu tua 6.6 y cant yn 2019-20, neu £99 ar gyfer eiddo band 2 cyfartalog. Felly, byddwn yn gofyn i chi, Gweinidog, a yw'n wirioneddol deg a blaengar neu a yw'r dreth gyngor yn cael ei defnyddio mewn gwirionedd fel arf i sicrhau bod pobl leol mewn ardaloedd awdurdod lleol yn ysgwyddo mwy o faich dros amser, gan ryddhau arian yn ganolog felly? Os mai dyna yw bwriad Llywodraeth Cymru, yna mae hwnnw'n amcan polisi y dylech fod yn glir yn ei gylch, oherwydd yn eich datganiad y llynedd fe wnaethoch chi ddweud eich bod eisiau archwilio'r cydbwysedd rhwng cyllid a godwyd yn lleol ac a ddarparwyd yn ganolog. Felly, a ydych chi'n dal i ystyried hynny, gan ei bod hi'n ymddangos, dros amser, fod y baich yn symud o'r Llywodraeth ganolog i lywodraeth leol, rhywbeth nad wyf yn credu y byddai'r Blaid Lafur yn y gorffennol wedi'i gefnogi? O ran ôl-ddyledion gyda'r dreth gyngor, a grybwyllwyd gennych chi, rydych chi'n dweud bod maint yr ôl-ddyledion wedi sefydlogi dros y cyfnod ers yr adeg cyn gwneud y dreth gyngor yn lleol yn 2013-14. Mae'n ddigon posibl bod hyn yn wir, ond hoffwn atgoffa'r Gweinidog hefyd fod Canolfan Polisi Cyhoeddus Cymru wedi beirniadu dull Llywodraeth Cymru o ymdrin ag ôl-ddyledion o ran y dreth gyngor. Mewn gwirionedd, mae'n dweud, er bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi llunio canllawiau ar hyn, fod y graddau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cyflawni ei nod yn cael ei gwestiynu, ac mae loteri cod post posib ar waith o ran pobl mewn dyled. Felly, a wnewch chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf inni am waith y gweithgor a sefydlwyd gennych chi i edrych ar hyn? Rwy'n siŵr y byddech yn cytuno ei bod hi'n hanfodol bwysig y caiff rhai o'r bobl fwyaf agored i niwed mewn cymdeithas, rhai o'r rheini sydd mewn perygl o fod yn y sefyllfa fwyaf difrifol o ddyled, eu trin yn deg ac y gallent gael y cymorth hwnnw y mae cymaint o'i angen arnyn nhw. Gan symud ymlaen at drethi annomestig, rwy'n falch eich bod yn cydnabod anawsterau ein strydoedd mawr a chanol ein trefi. Mae'r rheini wedi'u gwyntyllu, ac rydym yn croesawu cymorth ychwanegol i'n strydoedd mawr, gan eu bod yn dioddef o ddifrif ar hyn o bryd. Mae angen i'r cynllun rhyddhad ardrethi manwerthu fod yn fwy hael, oherwydd bod busnesau angen cymaint o gymorth ag y gallant ei gael ar hyn o bryd. A wnewch chi ystyried eto cyfeirio cymorth i'r busnesau hynny yn yr ardaloedd hynny sydd wedi dioddef waethaf - mewn rhai achosion, pocedi o ardaloedd mewn ardaloedd sydd fel arall yn fwy llwyddiannus o ran ein strydoedd mawr? Rwy'n gwybod, pan edrychwyd ar hyn ychydig flynyddoedd yn ôl gan y Pwyllgor Menter a Busnes, inni ddatguddio rhai o'r problemau sy'n effeithio ar ein strydoedd mawr. Ers hynny, wrth gwrs, mae gennym ni broblemau o ran ailbrisio ardrethi, ac effeithiwyd ar bocedi yn fy etholaeth i yn benodol, fel Cas-gwent. Edrychwn ymlaen at gyflwyno'r Bil Llywodraeth Leol ac Etholiadau a grybwyllwyd gennych chi. Gobeithio y bydd yn darparu fframwaith gwell ar gyfer cefnogi cydweithio rhwng awdurdodau lleol a hefyd yn ategu'r model dinas-ranbarth, megis yr un sy'n gweithredu yn y de-ddwyrain. Rwy'n credu bod cyfleoedd yma i roi gwell cefnogaeth yn y dyfodol. Yn olaf, Dirprwy Lywydd, o ran cynllun gostyngiadau'r dreth gyngor, fe wnaethoch chi sôn am y nifer sy'n manteisio arno. Mae'r niferoedd presennol rhwng 55 y cant a 66 y cant, rwy'n credu, felly croesawaf y ffaith eich bod yn ail-lansio'r ymgyrch heddiw i geisio hyrwyddo'r cynllun gostyngiadau hwnnw. Credaf fod yn rhaid i hynny ddigwydd. Hoffwn wybod mwy am y rhesymau pam rydych chi'n credu fod y nifer sy'n manteisio yn is na'r hyn a fu yn y gorffennol ac am rai o'r polisïau yr ydych chi'n bwriadu eu cyflwyno i wneud yn siŵr bod pobl sydd angen y cymorth hwnnw, sy'n haeddu'r cymorth hwnnw ac sydd angen y cymorth hwnnw fwyaf, yn cael gwybod ei fod yn bodoli ac yn gallu cael gafael arno pan fydd ei angen.