English: I'd like to begin by thanking my colleague and committee Chair, the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, for his excellent chairmanship throughout this inquiry. I would also like to thank the committee clerks and staff for their support. I believe this, the committee's first report, is incredibly strong. I recall during our committee's brainstorming future-work-programme meetings that the HGV driver shortage was raised as supermarkets, filling stations and other supply chains were being squeezed due to the shortage of drivers. The idea of holding a short, sharp and snappy inquiry into this matter arose from the immediate pressures being felt and our desire to learn what the Welsh Government can do to help recruit and retain these valuable drivers. The evidence gathered was hugely valuable, and I'm grateful to those who contributed, especially those HGV drivers who have offered their vital first-hand evidence and experience about the situation on the ground. We shouldn't underestimate the importance of key witness accounts, as their words carry so much value. It was these HGV drivers that kept the country moving throughout the pandemic. They helped keep shelves stocked, and they are the ones that have the best grasp over the situation that this report seeks to depict. The document identifies the key issues facing HGV drivers in Wales. It also provides practical and deliverable recommendations that I would encourage the Government to seriously consider. Turning to the report itself, the Chair rightly highlights the impact of leaving the European Union and the COVID-19 pandemic that followed. However, the conditions in which these drivers operated existed long before either of these two events occurred. A pre-existing chronic shortage of HGV drivers amplified these acute and unprecedented events, which were critical factors in the subsequent supply chain issues that followed. There are 11 recommendations that the Welsh Government can implement to safeguard the future of Wales's supply chain. I want to use my contribution today to focus solely on the experience of our HGV drivers, an important factor should we want to make this sector as lucrative and appealing as possible to the next generation of drivers. One of the HGV drivers who gave evidence about the experience of drivers said, and I quote: 'It's disgusting we are treated like animals no descent facilities hours are very unsociable no work life balance most drivers end up divorced'. Is it really any surprise that we're facing critical recruitment shortages if this is the experience of a HGV driver? These conditions are not reflective of a modern and rewarding working environment. We must also move away from the common misconception that service stations are only found along the M4 in south Wales. Freight moves north to south just as much as it travels east to west, and the A55 serves as a major freight route in north Wales. And it is a lottery when it comes to the quality of the services. For every service station that has clean and welcoming amenities, there is, sadly, another that does not. It's little wonder that this was raised by HGV drivers, and I'm surprised that the Welsh Government aren't aware of these discrepancies in service station and parking-site quality, because there isn't a Welsh Government survey of parking sites - something that the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK have expressed their concerns about in their evidence to the committee. I would encourage the Welsh Government to accept recommendation 3 and create a detailed inventory of locations and facilities similar to what is available across the border. I encourage the Deputy Minister to reflect on the contents on this report and recognise the high quality of its content, contributions and conclusion, and I urge the Welsh Government to accept the recommendations made by the committee and commit to implementing them as a matter of urgency. Diolch.
Welsh: Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch i fy nghyd-Aelod a Chadeirydd y pwyllgor, yr Aelod dros Breseli Sir Benfro, am ei gadeiryddiaeth ragorol drwy gydol yr ymchwiliad hwn. Hoffwn ddiolch hefyd i glercod a staff y pwyllgor am eu cymorth. Credaf fod hwn, adroddiad cyntaf y pwyllgor, yn anhygoel o gryf. Yn ystod cyfarfodydd taflu syniadau ein pwyllgor ar y flaenraglen waith, cofiaf fod prinder gyrwyr cerbydau nwyddau trwm wedi cael ei godi am fod archfarchnadoedd, gorsafoedd petrol a chadwyni cyflenwi eraill yn teimlo'r pwysau oherwydd y prinder gyrwyr. Deilliodd y syniad o gynnal ymchwiliad byr, cryno a chlir i'r mater o'r pwysau uniongyrchol a deimlid a'n hawydd i ddysgu beth y gall Llywodraeth Cymru ei wneud i helpu i recriwtio a chadw'r gyrwyr gwerthfawr hyn. Roedd y dystiolaeth a gasglwyd yn hynod werthfawr, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r rheini a gyfrannodd, yn enwedig y gyrwyr cerbydau nwyddau trwm sydd wedi cynnig eu tystiolaeth uniongyrchol hanfodol a'u profiad o'r sefyllfa ar lawr gwlad. Ni ddylem danbrisio pwysigrwydd adroddiadau tystion allweddol, gan fod cymaint o werth i'w geiriau. Y gyrwyr cerbydau nwyddau trwm hyn a sicrhaodd fod y wlad yn parhau i symud drwy gydol y pandemig. Gwnaethant gynorthwyo i gadw silffoedd wedi'u stocio, a hwy yw'r rhai sydd â'r ddealltwriaeth orau o'r sefyllfa y mae'r adroddiad hwn yn ceisio'i disgrifio. Mae'r ddogfen yn nodi'r materion allweddol sy'n wynebu gyrwyr cerbydau nwyddau trwm yng Nghymru. Mae hefyd yn darparu argymhellion ymarferol a chyflawnadwy y byddwn yn annog y Llywodraeth i'w hystyried o ddifrif. Gan droi at yr adroddiad ei hun, mae'r Cadeirydd yn iawn i dynnu sylw at effaith gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd a phandemig COVID-19 yn dilyn hynny. Fodd bynnag, roedd yr amodau yr oedd y gyrwyr hyn yn gweithredu ynddynt yn bodoli ymhell cyn y ddau ddigwyddiad. Fe wnaeth y prinder cronig o yrwyr cerbydau nwyddau trwm a oedd yn bodoli eisoes gynyddu effaith y digwyddiadau difrifol a digynsail hyn, a oedd yn ffactorau hollbwysig yn y problemau dilynol gyda'r gadwyn gyflenwi. Ceir 11 o argymhellion y gall Llywodraeth Cymru eu rhoi ar waith i ddiogelu dyfodol cadwyn gyflenwi Cymru. Hoffwn ddefnyddio fy nghyfraniad heddiw i ganolbwyntio'n gyfan gwbl ar brofiad ein gyrwyr cerbydau nwyddau trwm, ffactor pwysig os ydym yn dymuno gwneud y sector hwn mor fuddiol ac apelgar â phosibl i'r genhedlaeth nesaf o yrwyr. Dywedodd un o'r gyrwyr cerbydau nwyddau trwm a roddodd dystiolaeth am brofiad gyrwyr: 'Mae'n ffiaidd; cawn ein trin fel anifeiliaid, dim cyfleusterau addas, oriau anghymdeithasol iawn, dim cydbwysedd rhwng bywyd a gwaith ac mae'r rhan fwyaf o yrwyr yn cael ysgariad.' A yw'n syndod ein bod yn wynebu prinder difrifol o ran recriwtio os mai dyma brofiad gyrrwr cerbydau nwyddau trwm? Nid yw'r amodau hyn yn adlewyrchu amgylchedd gwaith modern a boddhaus. Mae'n rhaid inni ymbellhau hefyd oddi wrth y camsyniad cyffredin mai ar hyd yr M4 yn ne Cymru yn unig y ceir gorsafoedd gwasanaeth. Mae nwyddau'n symud o'r gogledd i'r de i'r un graddau ag y maent yn symud o'r dwyrain i'r gorllewin, ac mae'r A55 yn llwybr cludo nwyddau pwysig yng ngogledd Cymru. Ac mae ansawdd y gorsafoedd gwasanaeth yn loteri. Am bob gorsaf wasanaeth sydd â chyfleusterau glân a chroesawgar, mae un arall nad yw felly, yn anffodus. Nid yw'n syndod fod hyn wedi'i godi gan yrwyr cerbydau nwyddau trwm, ac rwy'n synnu nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymwybodol o'r anghysondebau hyn yn ansawdd gorsafoedd gwasanaeth a safleoedd parcio, gan nad oes arolwg gan Lywodraeth Cymru o safleoedd parcio - rhywbeth y mae Sefydliad Siartredig Logisteg a Thrafnidiaeth y DU wedi mynegi pryderon yn ei gylch yn eu tystiolaeth i'r pwyllgor. Byddwn yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru i dderbyn argymhelliad 3, a chreu rhestr fanwl o leoliadau a chyfleusterau, yn debyg i'r hyn sydd ar gael dros y ffin. Rwy'n annog y Dirprwy Weinidog i fyfyrio ar gynnwys yr adroddiad hwn a chydnabod ansawdd uchel ei gynnwys, ei gyfraniadau a'i gasgliadau, ac rwy'n annog Llywodraeth Cymru i dderbyn yr argymhellion a wnaed gan y pwyllgor ac ymrwymo i'w rhoi ar waith fel mater o frys. Diolch.