English: Can I thank the First Minister for his statement this afternoon? As we on this side of the Chamber have been saying for many years, this congestion on the M4 is a foot on the windpipe of the Welsh economy. We have seen a 10 per cent increase in traffic flows as a result of the scrapping of tolls on the Severn, thanks to the UK Government, so a solution is needed now more than ever. We know that £31 million is being lost just to motorists on that stretch of road every year. Now, people have been talking about the need for a solution for the M4 for decades, and we are now no further forward than when we began. In fact, a solution was first talked about by the then Secretary of State for Wales, William Hague, at the end of the 1990s, and, quite clearly, this problem should have been sorted out 15 years ago. Perhaps if it had been dealt with then, you wouldn't be using austerity as a reason for rejecting this project. Clearly, successive Welsh Labour Governments have failed to deal with this issue. We need less of your dithering and more action to resolve the challenges facing modern day Wales, and what we've seen today is more dithering and kicking a solution into the long grass. Now, today, First Minister, you are saying that this project is not now affordable. However, last year you wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in your capacity as the then finance Minister asking for more money to deliver this scheme. In this letter, you clearly thought then that this scheme was achievable, because this is the letter and this is what you said, and I quote: 'I will be seeking an increase in the Welsh Government's annual and aggregate borrowing limits as we move into the next Spending Review in order that we can deliver our investment priorities for Wales, including the M4 project'. So, what has now changed, First Minister, and do you accept that the people of Newport were sold a pup? Because during the Newport West by-election, you were out campaigning with a candidate, now the MP, who was promising to deliver an M4 relief road. First Minister, this morning you have published the inspector's report for us as Members to scrutinise. However, you've had months to consider this. This has been sat on your desk since the beginning of this year. Why on earth didn't you publish this report earlier so that stakeholders and the public could actually scrutinise the inspector's recommendations? You've had six months to look at this report. We and the Welsh people have only had a few hours to look at it. This report should have been published long ago, and this is just another example of your Government failing to be open and transparent with the Welsh people. Let me remind you, First Minister, what this report tells us. It tells us that the inspector was looking at your Government's own proposal. You were part of the Cabinet that agreed to cost this particular inquiry. Do you now think that the £44 million spent on this project therefore is money well spent? Because you were the finance Minister that signed this off, and it's quite clear to me that tens of millions of pounds have now been wasted on this specific scheme. First Minister, we were assured by the former leader of the house back in December last year that we as Members would have a binding vote on this very important issue. Given that you've already made this decision, it seems now that a vote will not go ahead, and therefore will you now apologise to this Chamber on behalf of your Government for breaking that specific pledge? You've made it clear in your statement this afternoon that you are again kicking this decision into the long grass by looking to set up a commission to look at alternative solutions. You say that the Minister for Economy and Transport will make further announcements shortly. Can you therefore give us an indication of when the Minister will be making these further announcements? What timescales will you be giving the commission to report their findings? In your statement you also tell us that the Minister will implement a series of fast-tracked, targeted interventions to alleviate congestion on the M4 in the interim period, but I have to put it to you, First Minister, that these are sticking plasters. What people want to see is a proper solution to this huge problem. In the 2016 Welsh Labour Party election manifesto, there was a commitment in that document to deliver an M4 relief road. Given the setting up of this commission, do you accept therefore that you will no longer deliver on that pledge in this fifth Assembly? And finally, First Minister, today businesses, commuters and residents in south Wales will be extremely disappointed with your Government's decision, and, unfortunately, the foot on the windpipe of the Welsh economy will clearly continue.
Welsh: A gaf i ddiolch i'r Prif Weinidog am ei ddatganiad y prynhawn yma? Fel yr ydym ni ar yr ochr hon i'r Siambr wedi ei ddweud ers llawer blwyddyn, mae'r tagfeydd hyn ar yr M4 yn tagu economi Cymru. Rydym wedi gweld cynnydd o 10 y cant yn llif y traffig o ganlyniad i ddiddymu'r tollau ar bont Hafren, diolch i Lywodraeth y DU, ac felly mae angen datrysiad nawr yn fwy nag erioed. Gwyddom fod £31 miliwn yn cael ei golli gan fodurwyr yn unig ar y darn hwnnw o ffordd yn flynyddol. Nawr, mae pobl wedi bod yn sôn am yr angen am ddatrysiad i'r M4 ers degawdau, ac nid ydym wedi symud ymlaen o gwbl. Mewn gwirionedd, soniwyd gyntaf am ddatrysiad gan Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru ar y pryd, William Hague, ar ddiwedd y 1990au ac, yn amlwg, dylai'r broblem hon fod wedi cael ei datrys 15 mlynedd o bosib yn defnyddio cyni fel rheswm dros wrthod y prosiect hwn. Yn amlwg, mae un Llywodraeth Lafur ar ôl y llall yng Nghymru wedi methu â mynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn. Mae angen llai o'ch tin-droi chi a mwy o weithredu i ddatrys yr heriau sy'n wynebu'r Gymru gyfoes, a'r hyn a welsom ni heddiw oedd mwy o din-droi a gohirio datrysiad. Nawr, heddiw, Prif Weinidog, rydych chi'n dweud nad yw'r prosiect hwn bellach yn fforddiadwy. Er hynny, fe wnaethoch chi ysgrifennu at Brif Ysgrifennydd y Trysorlys y llynedd yn rhinwedd eich swydd fel Gweinidog cyllid ar y pryd yn gofyn am fwy o arian i gyflawni'r cynllun hwn. Yn y llythyr roedd hi'n amlwg eich bod yn credu bryd hynny fod modd cyflawni'r cynllun hwn, oherwydd dyma fe'r llythyr a dyma'r hyn a wnaethoch chi ei ddweud, ac rwy'n dyfynnu: Byddaf i'n gofyn am gynnydd yn nherfynau benthyca blynyddol a chyfanredol Llywodraeth Cymru wrth inni symud tuag at yr Adolygiad o Wariant nesaf er mwyn i ni allu cyflawni ein blaenoriaethau buddsoddi ar gyfer Cymru, gan gynnwys prosiect yr M4. Felly, beth sydd wedi newid erbyn hyn, Prif Weinidog, ac a ydych chi'n derbyn bod pobl Casnewydd wedi cael eu bradychu? Oherwydd yn ystod isetholiad Gorllewin Casnewydd, roeddech chi allan yn ymgyrchu gydag ymgeisydd, sef yr AS nawr, a oedd yn addo cwblhau ffordd liniaru'r M4. Prif Weinidog, rydych chi wedi cyhoeddi'r bore 'ma adroddiad yr arolygydd i ni'r Aelodau gael craffu arno. Eto i gyd, rydych chi wedi cael misoedd i ystyried hyn. Mae hwn wedi bod ar eich desg ers dechrau'r flwyddyn. Pam ar y ddaear na wnaethoch chi gyhoeddi'r adroddiad hwn yn gynharach fel y gallai rhanddeiliaid a'r cyhoedd mewn gwirionedd graffu ar argymhellion yr arolygydd? Rydych chi wedi cael chwe mis i edrych ar yr adroddiad hwn. Ni chawsom ni na'r cyhoedd yng Nghymru ond ychydig oriau i edrych arno. Fe ddylid fod wedi cyhoeddi'r adroddiad hwn amser maith yn ôl, a dim ond enghraifft arall yw hon o'ch Llywodraeth chi yn methu â bod yn agored a thryloyw gyda phobl Cymru. Gadewch i mi eich atgoffa chi, Prif Weinidog, yr hyn y mae'r adroddiad hwn yn ei ddweud wrthym. Mae'n dweud bod yr arolygydd yn edrych ar gynnig eich Llywodraeth chi eich hun. Roeddech chi'n rhan o'r Cabinet a gytunodd i gostio'r ymchwiliad arbennig hwn. A ydych chi'n credu nawr felly bod y £44 miliwn a gafodd ei wario ar y prosiect hwn wedi bod yn werth chweil? Chi oedd y Gweinidog cyllid a roddodd sêl ei fendith ar hyn, ac mae'n gwbl glir i mi fod degau o filiynau o bunnoedd bellach wedi cael eu gwastraffu ar y cynllun arbennig hwn. Prif Weinidog, fe gawsom ni ein sicrhau gan gyn-arweinydd y tŷ ym mis Rhagfyr y llynedd y byddem ni'r Aelodau yn cael pleidlais rwymol ar y mater pwysig iawn hwn. Gan eich bod eisoes wedi gwneud y penderfyniad, mae'n ymddangos erbyn hyn na fydd pleidlais yn digwydd, ac felly a wnewch chi ymddiheuro nawr i'r Siambr hon ar ran eich Llywodraeth chi am dorri'r addewid arbennig hon? Rydych chi wedi egluro yn eich datganiad y prynhawn yma eich bod unwaith eto yn dymuno gohirio'r penderfyniad hwn drwy geisio sefydlu comisiwn i edrych ar atebion amgen. Rydych chi'n dweud y bydd Gweinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth yn gwneud cyhoeddiadau pellach cyn bo hir. A allwch chi felly roi syniad inni pa bryd fydd y Gweinidog yn gwneud y cyhoeddiadau pellach hyn? Pa amserlenni y byddwch yn eu pennu i'r Comisiwn ar gyfer adrodd ar eu canfyddiadau? Yn eich datganiad rydych chi'n dweud wrthym hefyd y bydd y Gweinidog yn gweithredu cyfres o ymyriadau sydd i'w hanelu ar fyrder i liniaru tagfeydd ar yr M4 yn y cyfnod cyfamserol. Ond mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud wrthych chi, Prif Weinidog, mai atebion dros dro yn unig yw'r rhain. Yr hyn y mae pobl yn awyddus i'w weld yw ateb priodol i'r broblem enfawr hon. Ym maniffesto etholiad Plaid Lafur Cymru yn 2016, roedd ymrwymiad yn y ddogfen honno i gael ffordd liniaru i'r M4. O ystyried sefydlu'r comisiwn hwn, a ydych chi felly'n derbyn na fyddwch yn cyflawni'r addewid honno mwyach yn y pumed Cynulliad hwn? Ac yn olaf, Prif Weinidog, bydd busnesau, cymudwyr a thrigolion yn y De yn siomedig iawn heddiw oherwydd penderfyniad eich Llywodraeth chi ac, yn anffodus, bydd y dagfa ar economi Cymru yn amlwg yn parhau.