English: Can I welcome the report from our representatives in the Committee of the Regions and the introduction by Mick Antoniw in relation to the importance of the Committee of the Regions and what we need to do about it? I want to refer back to the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee's report of last February or March, 'Wales' future relationship with Europe - Part one: a view from Wales'. By the way, that was a hint - part 2 is coming out on Thursday. Recommendation 16 we had was: 'We recommend that the Welsh Government sets out in its response to this report, what discussions it has had on Wales' future relationship with the Committee of the Regions after Brexit and how those discussions are progressing.' And this is the response we had from the Welsh Government - I hope the Minister might be able to expand on some of the comments in here: 'The Welsh Government supports the principle of a continued relationship between the UK and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the detailed discussions already underway as to the shape of the relationship.' So, perhaps we can have some confirmation as to how far they've now gone. 'In the transition period, we have expressed our support to the establishment of a joint Committee of the Regions-UK Commission which would if adopted by the CoR include twelve members from the CoR and twelve from the UK.' But, again, we need to know if that is still the position of Welsh Government, and if so, what pressures are they putting on the UK representation to ensure that there's Welsh representation on that delegation. The Welsh Government also states: 'We also agree with the proposal of a permanent political forum for North-West Europe after transition which should include representatives from each of the Devolved Administrations.' So, again, this is last May. What progress has been made on these three points in the response to our part 1 report? It's important we now also - . I support Darren Millar's comment about separation from Assembly and Welsh Government. I note that my other remaining comments will be on Welsh Government, but it is important that the Assembly has its own position in European institutions. And I appreciate very much, Llywydd, the response you gave to the committee, which highlighted some of those things. Perhaps we need to see how much more work we can do and who else we can explore to work with as an Assembly, particularly legislatures across Europe in particular regions. I know you've had discussions with the Basques and the Catalonians, for example. We may want to - . And that will be very helpful for us as well, because there are two separate groups here: there's an Assembly relationship and there's a Welsh Government relationship, and it is important. We must remember that the two representatives may be appointed by the First Minister, but they are representing the Assembly at that Committee of the Regions, not the Welsh Government. Why? Because, again, if you read the papers from the Committee of the Regions, and we were given some, when we met with the president of the Committee of the Regions yesterday, relating to Brexit, and their voice is very clear in that they want the discussions between the UK Government and the EU to come also to a position where we can have an agreement on a joint committee between the Committee of the Regions and the UK. Now, my concern, then, is that what we were told was most of these - [ Inaudible. ] - with third countries happen on a once-a-year basis. So, that's a loss of access in one sense, but it's the informal connections we'll get as a consequence of that, and perhaps you will look at how we can get sub-committees as a consequence to work on it. So, that is important - very much indeed. What we were told yesterday, and this is quite clear - the president told us, without reservation: it's up to the Welsh Government to lead on the ask. They weren't going to lead; they wanted the Welsh Government to take the lead. So, in a sense, if we really want to get involved, the Welsh Government has to step up to the plate and put forward its proposals.
Welsh: A gaf fi groesawu'r adroddiad gan ein cynrychiolwyr ym Mhwyllgor y Rhanbarthau a'r cyflwyniad gan Mick Antoniw ynglŷn â phwysigrwydd Pwyllgor y Rhanbarthau a'r hyn sy'n rhaid inni ei wneud yn ei gylch? Rwyf am gyfeirio'n ôl at adroddiad y Pwyllgor Materion Allanol a Deddfwriaeth Ychwanegol fis Chwefror neu fis Mawrth diwethaf, 'Perthynas Cymru ag Ewrop yn y dyfodol - Rhan un: safbwynt o Gymru'. Gyda llaw, awgrym cynnil oedd hwnnw - mae rhan 2 yn dod allan ddydd Iau. Argymhelliad 16 gennym oedd: 'Rydym yn argymell bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn nodi yn ei ymateb i'r adroddiad hwn pa drafodaethau y mae wedi eu cael ar berthynas Cymru â Phwyllgor y Rhanbarthau yn y dyfodol ar ôl Brexit, a sut mae'r trafodaethau hynny'n mynd rhagddynt.' A dyma'r ymateb a gawsom gan Lywodraeth Cymru - gobeithiaf y gall y Gweinidog ymhelaethu ar rai o'r sylwadau yma: 'Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cefnogi'r egwyddor o berthynas barhaus rhwng y DU a Phwyllgor y Rhanbarthau ac mae trafodaethau manwl eisoes wedi cael eu cynnal ynglŷn â ffurf y berthynas.' Felly, efallai y gallwn gael cadarnhad ynglŷn â pha mor bell y maent wedi mynd bellach. 'Yn y cyfnod pontio, rydym wedi mynegi ein cefnogaeth i sefydlu Pwyllgor y Rhanbarthau-Comisiwn y DU ar y cyd, a fyddai - pe câi ei fabwysiadu gan Bwyllgor y Rhanbarthau - yn cynnwys deuddeg aelod o Bwyllgor y Rhanbarthau a deuddeg o'r DU.' Ond eto, mae angen inni wybod ai dyna yw safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru o hyd, ac os felly, pa bwysau y mae'n ei roi ar gynrychiolaeth y DU i sicrhau bod cynrychiolaeth o Gymru yn rhan o'r ddirprwyaeth honno. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd yn datgan: 'Rydym hefyd yn cytuno â'r cynnig o fforwm gwleidyddol parhaol i Ogledd-orllewin Ewrop ar ôl y pontio a ddylai gynnwys cynrychiolwyr o bob un o'r Gweinyddiaethau Datganoledig.' Felly, unwaith eto, mis Mai diwethaf oedd hyn. Pa gynnydd a wnaethpwyd ar y tri phwynt mewn ymateb i'n hadroddiad rhan 1? Mae'n bwysig ein bod hefyd - . Rwy'n cefnogi sylw Darren Millar ynglŷn â gwahanu rhwng y Cynulliad a Llywodraeth Cymru. Nodaf y bydd gweddill fy sylwadau ar Lywodraeth Cymru, ond mae'n bwysig fod gan y Cynulliad ei safbwynt ei hun mewn sefydliadau Ewropeaidd. Ac rwy'n gwerthfawrogi'n fawr, Lywydd, yr ateb a roesoch i'r pwyllgor, a oedd yn tynnu sylw at rai o'r pethau hynny. Efallai fod angen inni weld faint yn fwy o waith y gallwn ei wneud a phwy arall y gallwn archwilio'r posibilrwydd o weithio gyda hwy fel Cynulliad, yn enwedig deddfwrfeydd ledled Ewrop mewn rhanbarthau penodol. Gwn eich bod wedi cael trafodaethau gyda'r Basgiaid a'r Catalaniaid, er enghraifft. Efallai y byddwn am - . A bydd hynny'n ddefnyddiol iawn i ni yn ogystal, oherwydd mae dau grŵp ar wahân yma: mae perthynas ar lefel Cynulliad ac mae perthynas ar lefel Llywodraeth Cymru, ac mae'n bwysig. Rhaid inni gofio y caiff y ddau gynrychiolydd eu penodi gan y Prif Weinidog, ond maent yn cynrychioli'r Cynulliad ym Mhwyllgor y Rhanbarthau, nid Llywodraeth Cymru. Pam? Oherwydd, unwaith eto, os darllenwch y papurau gan Bwyllgor y Rhanbarthau, a chawsom rai pan gawsom gyfarfod â llywydd Pwyllgor y Rhanbarthau ddoe mewn perthynas â Brexit, ac mae eu llais yn glir iawn eu bod eisiau i'r trafodaethau rhwng Llywodraeth y DU a'r UE ddod hefyd i bwynt lle gallwn gael cytundeb ar gyd-bwyllgor rhwng Pwyllgor y Rhanbarthau a'r DU. Nawr, fy mhryder i, felly, yw y dywedwyd wrthym fod rhan fwyaf o'r - [ Anghlywadwy. ] - â thrydydd gwledydd yn digwydd unwaith y flwyddyn. Felly, mae hynny'n golli mynediad ar un ystyr, ond cawn gysylltiadau anffurfiol o ganlyniad i hynny, ac efallai y byddwch yn edrych ar sut y gallwn gael is-bwyllgorau o ganlyniad i weithio arno. Felly, mae hynny'n bwysig - yn bwysig iawn yn wir. Yr hyn a glywsom ddoe, ac mae hyn yn eithaf clir - dywedodd y llywydd wrthym, heb amheuaeth: mater i Lywodraeth Cymru yw arwain ar yr hyn y mae'n ei ofyn. Nid oeddent hwy'n mynd i arwain; roeddent am i Lywodraeth Cymru gymryd yr awenau. Felly, ar un ystyr, os ydym o ddifrif eisiau bod yn rhan o hyn, rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru ddangos arweiniad a chyflwyno ei chynigion.