English: Thank you for the contributions to the debate this afternoon, and the decision that I've taken here in Wales is very much appropriate to the housing market, because the temporary zero rate band is now around £66,000 higher than the average cost of a home here in Wales, which is £184,000. And it's also £70,000 higher than the normal starting threshold, which, of course, is £180,000. And as I said in my introductory remarks, the primary purpose of extending is to provide that additional time for those people who are unable to complete by 31 March, but it is the case that the housing market in Wales has been remarkably resilient even in the last 12 months, and the residential transaction data published by the Welsh Revenue Authority shows that transaction levels in the months from October to January have returned to around pre-pandemic levels. So, the housing market is proving to be surprisingly resilient, I think, here in Wales. There are some questions that have been raised as to why we didn't decide to take the same approach as the UK Government in terms of the policy, and we have deliberately chosen a different approach, which is appropriate to our own housing market here in Wales. Because, of course, providing the same policy as they have across the border would have removed tax, or provided very, very large tax reductions, for some of the most expensive residential properties that we have in Wales, given that the average prices that we have are very different. And of course, the policy in England was very much designed to respond to house prices in London and the south-east. And of course, we took a different decision, and our decision meant that we haven't provided those tax reductions for the buyers of second homes or buy-to-let properties, so we've had a much more targeted and measured policy here in Wales, which also meant, of course, that we were able to invest additional money in the social housing market, meaning that our approach very much was more progressive as well. I don't really consider that there is any merit in that kind of stepped approach that the UK Government has taken in terms of its withdrawal from the latest changes, because, across the border, the SDLT holiday provided a tax reduction of up to 3 per cent on the cost of a property, and a maximum saving there would have been £15,000, again reflecting the different housing market across the border, but the LTT tax reduction period up to a maximum of 1 per cent means a maximum saving of £2,450, so, again, reflecting the different house prices and the picture that we have here in Wales. But, when we do return to the normal starting threshold for LTT, and the other two UK property transaction taxes return to their normal levels, it will mean that Wales remains the only country in the UK with a starting threshold for paying tax that is around the average house price, and, of course, in England, the normal starting threshold is £125,000, which is around half of the average price across the border. So, even when we return to the normal prices - or the normal rates, I should say - then we will still have the most progressive system. And of course, our reduction is for all purchasers of homes, rather than just offering that to first-time buyers, as I understand is the intention of the Conservative Party, should they find themselves in a position in Wales to restrict their support only to first-time buyers, rather than all housebuyers.
Welsh: Diolch am y cyfraniadau i'r ddadl y prynhawn yma, ac mae'r penderfyniad yr wyf i wedi'i wneud yma yng Nghymru yn briodol iawn i'r farchnad dai, oherwydd mae'r band cyfradd sero dros dro bellach tua £66,000 yn uwch na chost gyfartalog cartref yma yng Nghymru, sef £184,000. Ac mae hefyd £70,000 yn uwch na'r trothwy cychwynnol arferol, sydd, wrth gwrs, yn £180,000. Ac fel y dywedais i yn fy sylwadau agoriadol, prif ddiben ymestyn yw darparu'r amser ychwanegol hwnnw i'r bobl hynny nad ydyn nhw'n gallu cwblhau erbyn 31 Mawrth, ond mae'n wir bod y farchnad dai yng Nghymru wedi bod yn hynod gadarn hyd yn oed yn ystod y 12 mis diwethaf, ac mae'r data trafodiadau preswyl a gafodd eu cyhoeddi gan Awdurdod Cyllid Cymru yn dangos bod lefelau trafodiadau yn y misoedd o fis Hydref i fis Ionawr wedi dychwelyd i tua lefelau cyn pandemig. Felly, mae'r farchnad dai'n syndod o gadarn, rwy'n credu, yma yng Nghymru. Mae rhai cwestiynau wedi'u codi ynghylch pam na wnaethom ni benderfynu ddilyn yr un dull â Llywodraeth y DU o ran y polisi, ac rydym ni wedi dewis dull gweithredu gwahanol yn fwriadol, sy'n briodol i'n marchnad dai ein hunain yma yng Nghymru. Oherwydd, wrth gwrs, byddai darparu'r un polisi ag sydd ganddyn nhw dros y ffin wedi dileu treth, neu wedi darparu gostyngiadau treth mawr iawn, iawn, ar gyfer rhai o'r eiddo preswyl drutaf sydd gennym ni yng Nghymru, o gofio bod y prisiau cyfartalog sydd gennym ni'n wahanol iawn. Ac wrth gwrs, roedd y polisi yn Lloegr wedi'i gynllunio'n fawr iawn i ymateb i brisiau tai yn Llundain a'r de-ddwyrain. Ac wrth gwrs, gwnaethom ni benderfyniad gwahanol, ac roedd ein penderfyniad yn golygu nad ydym ni wedi darparu'r gostyngiadau treth hynny i brynwyr ail gartrefi neu eiddo prynu i osod, felly rydym ni wedi cael polisi llawer mwy pwyllog yma yng Nghymru, a oedd yn golygu hefyd, wrth gwrs, ein bod ni wedi gallu buddsoddi arian ychwanegol yn y farchnad tai cymdeithasol, sy'n golygu bod ein dull gweithredu yn llawer mwy blaengar hefyd. Nid wyf o'r farn mewn gwirionedd fod unrhyw rinwedd yn y math hwnnw o ddull gweithredu graddol y mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi'i gymryd o ran tynnu'n ôl o'r newidiadau diweddaraf, oherwydd, dros y ffin, darparodd gwyliau'r dreth dir y dreth stamp ostyngiad treth o hyd at 3 y cant ar gost eiddo, a £15,000 byddai'r uchafswm arbediad yno wedi bod, unwaith eto'n adlewyrchu'r farchnad dai wahanol dros y ffin, ond mae'r cyfnod gostyngiad Treth Trafodiadau Tir hyd at uchafswm o 1 y cant yn golygu arbediad uchaf o £2,450, felly, unwaith eto, yn adlewyrchu'r gwahanol brisiau tai a'r darlun sydd gennym yma yng Nghymru. Ond, pan fyddwn ni'n dychwelyd at y trothwy cychwynnol arferol ar gyfer Treth Trafodiadau Tir, a'r ddwy dreth trafodiadau eiddo arall yn y DU yn dychwelyd i'w lefelau arferol, bydd yn golygu mai Cymru yw'r unig wlad yn y DU o hyd gyda throthwy cychwynnol ar gyfer talu treth sydd tua phris cyfartalog tai, ac, wrth gwrs, yn Lloegr, y trothwy cychwynnol arferol yw £125,000, sef tua hanner y pris cyfartalog dros y ffin. Felly, hyd yn oed pan fyddwn ni'n dychwelyd at y prisiau arferol - neu'r cyfraddau arferol, dylwn i ddweud - yna bydd gennym ni'r system fwyaf blaengar o hyd. Ac wrth gwrs, mae ein gostyngiad i holl brynwyr cartrefi, yn hytrach na chynnig hynny i brynwyr tro cyntaf yn unig, sydd, yn ôl yr hyn yr wyf i'n ei ddeall, yn fwriad y Blaid Geidwadol, pe baen nhw mewn sefyllfa yng Nghymru i gyfyngu eu cefnogaeth i brynwyr tro cyntaf yn unig, yn hytrach na phob prynwr tŷ.