English: Thank you. We considered these regulations at our meeting on 20 May 2019 and we reported on both the technical and merits points to the Assembly. We welcome that the Welsh Government has accepted the technical reporting point relating to the drafting of the regulations, and that it proposes to rectify the issue by means of a correction slip. With regard to the merits points, we noted that these regulations impose six contractual duties relating to the Welsh language on contractors who provide primary care services to the NHS. This contrasted with the 121 Welsh language standards applicable to other health service providers. The Welsh Government's response to our report stated that the duties imposed by these regulations are the first duties relating to the Welsh language to apply to independent primary care providers, and that they are distinct from the Welsh language standards applicable to local health boards and NHS trusts. We further noted that the regulations into which these additional duties are inserted make it clear that they are part of the contractual duties of contractors from 30 May 2019. However, there is nothing in the explanatory memorandum or accompanying the explanatory memorandum to explain that the amendments apply to all contracts from that date and are not limited to new contracts entered into after that date. The Welsh Government responded to this point by saying it had consulted and corresponded with the applicable representative bodies of the independent primary care providers, and that it was satisfied that the relevant bodies are aware that the duties are not limited to new arrangements entered into after the date on which the regulations came into force. In addition to our usual report, we also wrote to the Minister to support the concerns raised by the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee, of which I am also a member. And I note that the Minister has said, in his reply to us last week, that he had asked his officials to ensure engagement with committees much earlier in the process for future regulations. And I take this opportunity to emphasise again, to all of Welsh Government, the importance of engaging with the relevant subject committees on significant regulations, particularly where a committee has sought that engagement. And I have further points. I have great sympathy with the points that have been made by Dai Lloyd and to the procedural inadequacies that have occurred, particularly when it comes to the ability to properly scrutinise regulations that come before this Assembly. That is a fundamental part of the parliamentary process, and the concern that has been raised is one that I think was shared across the board, both in the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee and also on the Welsh language and culture committee on which I sit. There are those of us who I think fell short of supporting the idea of annulment, but primarily because of the damage that we felt it might do, or the implications of not proceeding with regulations that seek to advance the interest of the Welsh language. But that should not mean that there isn't a warning shot across the bows of Government, that if procedures are not properly followed, if there is not proper opportunity for scrutiny, then the issue of annulment is one that is taken seriously, I think, by our committee structure. And I think on future occasions it may be something that we consider. So, I would certainly seek an assurance from today that those lessons have been learnt, that that constitutional importance is recognised, and this is something that will not happen again during the course of parliamentary processes in this Assembly.
Welsh: Diolch. Gwnaethom ystyried y rheoliadau hyn yn ein cyfarfod ar 20 Mai 2019 ac adroddasom ar y pwyntiau technegol a theilyngdod i'r Cynulliad. Rydym yn croesawu'r ffaith bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn y pwynt adrodd technegol sy'n ymwneud â drafftio'r rheoliadau, a'i bod yn cynnig unioni'r mater drwy slip cywiro. O ran y pwyntiau teilyngdod, nodasom fod y rheoliadau hyn yn gosod chwe dyletswydd gytundebol sy'n ymwneud â'r Gymraeg ar gontractwyr sy'n darparu gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol i'r GIG. Roedd hyn yn cyferbynnu â'r 121 o safonau iaith Gymraeg sy'n berthnasol i ddarparwyr gwasanaethau iechyd eraill. Roedd ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i'n hadroddiad yn nodi mai'r dyletswyddau a osodir gan y rheoliadau hyn yw'r dyletswyddau cyntaf sy'n ymwneud â'r Gymraeg i fod yn berthnasol i ddarparwyr gofal sylfaenol annibynnol, a'u bod yn wahanol i'r safonau iaith Gymraeg sy'n berthnasol i fyrddau iechyd lleol ac ymddiriedolaethau'r GIG. Nodasom hefyd fod y rheoliadau y mewnosodir y dyletswyddau ychwanegol hyn ynddynt yn ei gwneud yn glir eu bod yn rhan o ddyletswyddau cytundebol contractwyr o 30 Mai 2019 ymlaen. Fodd bynnag, nid oes unrhyw beth yn y memorandwm esboniadol nac yn dod gyda'r memorandwm esboniadol i esbonio bod y gwelliannau'n berthnasol i bob contract o'r dyddiad hwnnw ymlaen ac nad ydynt wedi'u cyfyngu i gontractau newydd yr ymrwymwyd iddynt ar ôl y dyddiad hwnnw. Ymatebodd Llywodraeth Cymru i'r pwynt hwn drwy ddweud ei bod wedi ymgynghori a gohebu â chyrff cynrychiadol perthnasol y darparwyr gofal sylfaenol annibynnol, a'i bod yn fodlon fod y cyrff perthnasol yn ymwybodol nad yw'r dyletswyddau'n gyfyngedig i drefniadau newydd a wnaed ar ôl y dyddiad y daeth y rheoliadau i rym. Yn ogystal â'n hadroddiad arferol, ysgrifenasom at y Gweinidog hefyd i gefnogi'r pryderon a godwyd gan y Pwyllgor Diwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chyfathrebu, pwyllgor rwyf hefyd yn aelod ohono. A nodaf fod y Gweinidog wedi dweud, yn ei ymateb i ni yr wythnos diwethaf, ei fod wedi gofyn i'w swyddogion sicrhau eu bod yn ymgysylltu â phwyllgorau yn llawer cynharach yn y broses ar gyfer rheoliadau yn y dyfodol. A hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i bwysleisio unwaith eto, i bob rhan o Lywodraeth Cymru, pa mor bwysig yw ymgysylltu â'r pwyllgorau pwnc perthnasol ar reoliadau arwyddocaol, yn enwedig pan fo pwyllgor wedi gofyn am yr ymgysylltiad hwnnw. Ac mae gennyf bwyntiau pellach. Rwy'n cydymdeimlo'n fawr â'r pwyntiau a wnaeth Dai Lloyd ac mewn perthynas â'r diffygion gweithdrefnol sydd wedi digwydd, yn enwedig o ran y gallu i graffu'n briodol ar reoliadau a gyflwynir gerbron y Cynulliad hwn. Mae honno'n rhan sylfaenol o'r broses seneddol, ac mae'r pryder a godwyd yn un a rennir gan bawb rwy'n credu, yn y Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol a hefyd yn y pwyllgor diwylliant a'r Gymraeg rwy'n aelod ohono. Rwy'n credu bod rhai ohonom wedi methu cefnogi'r syniad o ddirymu, yn bennaf oherwydd y difrod y teimlem y gallai ei wneud, neu oblygiadau peidio â bwrw ymlaen â rheoliadau sy'n ceisio hybu buddiannau'r Gymraeg. Ond ni ddylai hynny olygu nad oes rhybudd i bawb ohonom ar draws y Llywodraeth, os na ddilynir gweithdrefnau'n briodol, os nad oes cyfle priodol i graffu, credaf fod dirymu'n fater y mae ein strwythur pwyllgor yn rhoi sylw difrifol iddo. Ac rwy'n credu y gallai fod yn rhywbeth y byddwn yn ei ystyried yn y dyfodol. Felly, buaswn yn sicr yn ceisio sicrwydd heddiw fod y gwersi hynny wedi'u dysgu, fod y pwysigrwydd cyfansoddiadol hwnnw'n cael ei gydnabod, ac na fydd hyn yn digwydd eto yn ystod prosesau seneddol yn y Cynulliad hwn.