English: I'm very grateful for those comments and again, starting off with our appreciation for people who do put themselves forward to these roles, I think one of the interesting things from the councillor survey was that a large proportion of those respondents said that they'd decided to put themselves forward as councillors in the first place to improve their community and to make it a better place to live. I think we have to absolutely recognise that that is people's starting point, and then when we think about the abuse that we've talked about in the Chamber that people receive for having put themselves forward from such a good place, I think that's really concerning. Another reason that came up strongly as well through the survey as to why people put themselves forward was so that they could help people and give local people a voice, and again, I think that those things are absolutely so commendable. The majority of respondents to the survey also said - so this is 91 per cent - that the most important role of a councillor was to represent the views and the needs of local residents, and also, then, followed by supporting the local community and working with residents to address local issues. So, I think that we can take a lot of heart from the kind of quality and calibre of people who are putting themselves forward for these roles. I think that one thing that was also interesting from the survey was that around half, actually, once they were in the role, felt that they had less influence and opportunity to change things than they'd initially imagined that they would when they entered their role, and it was only around a third who thought that they did have the level of influence that they expected. So, I think that that was something interesting for us to reflect on as well. I am really heartened that 80 per cent of councillors say that they would recommend to others that they also put themselves forward as councillors. Only 6 per cent said they wouldn't recommend it as a role, which I think is really positive. But, the points that were made about remuneration were really important. We looked very closely at this, and we know that, actually, particularly in the town and community council sector, there's a real reluctance to claim any of the money that is available and is rightly there to be claimed to support people to undertake their roles. The majority of principal councillors were aware that they could claim for a basic salary to carry out their duties, and they had claimed their salary in full. Only around one in five of them said that they'd claimed full reimbursement for travel and subsistence costs. Again, there is potentially a worry about what the public might perceive if you're claiming travel and subsistence costs, but these are costs that are available to people in jobs in all kinds of walks of life, but I think that, again, perhaps councillors feel that they're held to different and higher standards than others. So, again, that's something I think that we need to be looking at in terms of how we support councillors to claim what they're absolutely entitled to to support them to do their particular roles. Once we've finalised the details, I think perhaps I'll publish a written statement to give colleagues the terms of reference for the work that we're doing on democratic health, and also more information about the membership of the group that will be supporting that work, because I think that will be really helpful for colleagues. And then, it is part of a wider piece of work that we are doing to support town and community councils in particular. I know that my friend has lots of interest in this particular field, and I always prepare myself for the very latest when I come to Minister's questions, just in case it appears that week. But I know that we've had lots of exchanges on it, and he will know that the work that we've been doing in terms of the finance and governance toolkit for town and community councils has been really important in terms of ensuring that the members of that council and the clerk have the kinds of tools that they need to be able to exercise their responsibilities effectively. That was co-developed with One Voice Wales and also the Society of Local Council Clerks, and also has the support of Audit Wales. So, that's been a really important and recent intervention, as has the support that we've given for clerks to undertake the certificate in local council administration qualification. We provide the full cost for them to do that, and that's important, because that is one of the things that we require for town and community councils to exercise the general power of competence, which, again, I think could be a real game changer in terms of supporting some town and community councils to really deliver to the maximum for their communities. Again, we've provided additional support for training for councillors in that sector and the support now of the chief digital officer, who is working with town and community councils to maximise their use of technology in this space as well. So, there is a lot of really good work going on at the moment in that sector, but I absolutely recognise the point that has been made to me a number of times that this sector is so diverse and we have some absolutely incredible town and community councils that are really engaged, but then others that need to learn and look to those that are doing exceptionally well.
Welsh: Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y sylwadau yna ac eto yn dechrau gyda'n gwerthfawrogiad o bobl sy'n cyflwyno eu hunain ar gyfer y swyddogaethau hyn, rwy'n credu mai un o'r pethau diddorol o'r arolwg cynghorwyr oedd bod cyfran fawr o'r ymatebwyr hynny wedi dweud eu bod wedi penderfynu cyflwyno eu hunain fel cynghorwyr yn y lle cyntaf i wella eu cymuned a'i gwneud yn lle gwell i fyw. Rwy'n credu bod yn rhaid i ni gydnabod yn llwyr mai dyna fan cychwyn pobl, ac wedyn wrth feddwl am y gamdriniaeth yr ydym ni wedi siarad amdani yn y Siambr y mae pobl yn ei dioddef am gyflwyno eu hunain o le mor dda, rwy'n credu bod hynny wir yn peri pryder mawr. Rheswm arall a nodwyd yn glir yn yr arolwg ynghylch pam yr oedd pobl yn cyflwyno eu hunain, oedd er mwyn iddyn nhw allu helpu pobl a rhoi llais i bobl leol, ac eto, rwy'n credu bod y pethau hynny mor gymeradwy. Dywedodd mwyafrif yr ymatebwyr i'r arolwg hefyd - felly dyna 91 y cant - mai swyddogaeth bwysicaf cynghorydd oedd cynrychioli barn ac anghenion trigolion lleol, ac yna, wedyn, cefnogi'r gymuned leol a gweithio gyda thrigolion i ymdrin â materion lleol. Felly, rwy'n credu y gallwn ni fod yn galonogol iawn oherwydd ansawdd a safon y bobl sy'n cyflwyno eu hunain ar gyfer y swyddogaethau hyn. Un peth a oedd hefyd yn ddiddorol o'r arolwg, rwy'n credu, oedd bod tua hanner, mewn gwirionedd, ar ôl dechrau ar eu gwaith yn teimlo bod ganddyn nhw lai o ddylanwad a chyfle i newid pethau nag oedden nhw wedi dychmygu y byddai ganddyn nhw ar y cychwyn pan ddechreuon nhw eu swyddogaethau, a dim ond tua thraean oedd yn credu bod ganddyn nhw'r lefel o ddylanwad yr oedden nhw'n ei ddisgwyl. Felly, rwy'n credu bod hynny'n rhywbeth diddorol i ni fyfyrio arno hefyd. Mae'n galonogol iawn i mi fod 80 y cant o gynghorwyr yn dweud y bydden nhw'n argymell i eraill hefyd gyflwyno eu hunain fel cynghorwyr. Dim ond 6 y cant ddywedodd na fydden nhw'n ei hargymell fel swyddogaeth, sydd wir yn gadarnhaol yn fy marn i. Ond, roedd y pwyntiau a gafodd eu gwneud am daliadau cydnabyddiaeth yn bwysig iawn. Edrychom ni'n fanwl iawn ar hyn, ac rydym ni'n gwybod, mewn gwirionedd, yn enwedig yn y sector cyngor tref a chymuned, fod yna wir amharodrwydd i hawlio unrhyw faint o'r arian sydd ar gael ac sydd ar gael yn briodol yno i'w hawlio i gefnogi pobl i ymgymryd â'u swyddogaethau. Roedd y mwyafrif o'r prif gynghorwyr yn ymwybodol y gallen nhw hawlio cyflog sylfaenol i gyflawni eu dyletswyddau, ac roedden nhw wedi hawlio eu cyflog yn llawn. Dim ond tua un o bob pump ohonyn nhw ddywedodd eu bod wedi hawlio ad-daliad llawn am gostau teithio a chynhaliaeth. Eto, mae'n bosibl bod pryder ynghylch canfyddiad y cyhoedd pan fyddwch chi'n hawlio costau teithio a chynhaliaeth, ond mae'r rhain yn gostau sydd ar gael i bobl mewn swyddi mewn pob math o feysydd, ond rwy'n credu, unwaith eto, bod cynghorwyr yn teimlo bod disgwyl iddyn nhw gadw at safonau gwahanol ac uwch nag eraill. Felly, eto, mae hynny'n rhywbeth rwy'n credu sydd angen i ni edrych arno o ran sut yr ydym ni'n cefnogi cynghorwyr i hawlio'r hyn mae ganddyn nhw berffaith hawl iddo i'w cefnogi nhw i wneud eu swyddogaethau penodol. Ar ôl i ni gwblhau'r manylion, rwy'n credu efallai y byddaf yn cyhoeddi datganiad ysgrifenedig i roi'r cylch gorchwyl i gyd-Aelodau ynghylch y gwaith yr ydym ni'n ei wneud ar iechyd democrataidd, a hefyd mwy o wybodaeth am aelodaeth y grŵp a fydd yn cefnogi'r gwaith hwnnw, oherwydd rwy'n credu y bydd hynny'n ddefnyddiol iawn i gyd-Aelodau. Ac wedyn, mae'n rhan o ddarn ehangach o waith yr ydym ni'n ei wneud i gefnogi cynghorau tref a chymuned yn arbennig. Rwy'n gwybod bod gan fy ffrind lawer o ddiddordeb yn y maes penodol hwn, ac rwyf i bob amser yn paratoi fy hun ar gyfer y ddiweddaraf pan fyddaf yn dod at gwestiynau'r Gweinidog, rhag ofn y bydd yn ymddangos yr wythnos honno. Ond rwy'n gwybod ein bod ni wedi croesi cleddyfau sawl tro ar hyn, a bydd yn gwybod bod y gwaith yr ydym ni wedi bod yn ei wneud o ran y pecyn cymorth cyllid a llywodraethu ar gyfer cynghorau tref a chymuned wedi bod yn bwysig iawn o ran sicrhau bod gan aelodau'r cyngor hwnnw a'r clerc y mathau o adnoddau sydd eu hangen arnyn nhw i allu arfer eu cyfrifoldebau'n effeithiol. Cafodd hwnnw ei gyd-ddatblygu gydag Un Llais Cymru a hefyd Cymdeithas Clercod Cynghorau Lleol, ac mae ganddo gefnogaeth Archwilio Cymru hefyd. Felly, mae honno wedi bod yn ymyrraeth bwysig a diweddar iawn, yn ogystal â'r gefnogaeth yr ydym ni wedi'i rhoi i glercod ennill cymhwyster tystysgrif gweinyddiaeth cynghorau lleol. Rydym yn darparu'r gost lawn iddyn nhw wneud hynny, ac mae hynny'n bwysig, oherwydd dyna un o'r pethau sydd ei angen arnom ni, i gynghorau tref a chymuned arfer pŵer cyffredinol cymhwysedd, a allai, unwaith eto, fod yn chwyldroadol o ran cefnogi rhai cynghorau tref a chymuned i wir gyflawni i'r eithaf ar gyfer eu cymunedau. Unwaith eto, rydym ni wedi darparu cefnogaeth ychwanegol ar gyfer hyfforddiant i gynghorwyr yn y sector hwnnw a chefnogaeth nawr gan y prif swyddog digidol, sy'n gweithio gyda chynghorau tref a chymuned i fanteisio i'r eithaf ar eu defnydd o dechnoleg yn y maes hwn hefyd. Felly, mae llawer o waith da iawn yn digwydd ar hyn o bryd yn y sector hwnnw, ond rwy'n cydnabod yn llwyr y pwynt sydd wedi'i wneud i mi nifer o weithiau sef bod y sector hwn mor amrywiol ac mae gennym ni gynghorau tref a chymuned hollol anhygoel sydd wedi ymgysylltu'n llwyr, ond mae yna eraill sydd angen dysgu gan edrych tuag at y rhai sy'n gwneud yn eithriadol o dda.