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Contributions
149 contributions on record. Newest first, by sitting day. Page 4 of 4. Counted by Siambr
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Diolch, Lywydd. I think I should take a few moments at the beginning of this contribution to reflect on the tone of the debate. You, Llywydd, began your contribution by reminding people that we are parliamentarians, and I'm afraid that the standard of this debate has descended to the level of a public house, not of a national Senedd, at some points. And let me say, that isn't about disagreement. My friend the leader of the Welsh Conservatives made a speech, and I disagree with more or less all of it, and yet it was conducted properly and in line with the Standing Orders and the procedures of this Senedd. I think we should all take our duties properly as parliamentarians, whatever views we agree or disagree on. As the Minister responsible for Government effectiveness, my priority is straightforward: to ensure that this Government demonstrates leadership and delivers efficiently, transparently and in the interests of the people of Wales. I'm proud that this Government is providing leadership, working for its people and acting to promote social well-being while positioning Wales as a confident, globally connected nation. That is what effective Government looks like, and that is what we will deliver. The Welsh Government's spending on international work is, as we've heard, some £9 million, or 0.03 per cent of the overall budget—a small contribution, I would suggest, to building our prosperity, protecting our public services, strengthening our culture and promoting our values. It is how Wales places our place in the world, demonstrating confidence, responsibility and a clear sense of who we are. Our international work turns that belief into action, creating jobs and investment. [Interruption.] I think, Llywydd, we've heard enough from our friends opposite today. In future, I may well take interventions, but today I shall make progress. Our international work turns that belief into action, creating jobs and investment, exports and partnerships, life-changing experiences for students, new colleagues for our NHS and enabling communities in Wales and beyond to learn from one another. When Wales works internationally, Welsh people benefit. Our businesses reach new markets, universities build global partnerships, young people return home with skills and confidence, and Wales's reputation grows. We should be proud of that, not in a narrow way, not with our backs turned to others, but proud to be generous and outward-looking, proud to share, proud to learn—internationalist, not isolationist. Our international relationships matter. In a turbulent world, they are bridges over which trade, knowledge and culture can pass. Whether it is deepening links with our neighbours in the European Union—and our friends opposite may not like that either—strengthening ties with Asia or building partnerships across North America, Wales is saying, 'We are here, we have something to offer and we want to work with you'. Internationalism, not isolationism. These relationships help Welsh companies export, attract investment into our communities, create jobs for Welsh people, support research collaboration, and open doors for artists, athletes, students and entrepreneurs. But they also do something more profound; they remind the world that Wales is not a footnote. We're a country with a living language, a democratic voice, talent and a deep moral imagination. Our diaspora tell Wales's story overseas and are an asset to supporting our ambitions. We are here to learn and to share what we know with others. Our international relationships bring economic benefits, whether this is the multimillion pound investment by Vishay, securing 500 jobs in Newport's semiconductor sector, or an additional £475 million in export orders for Welsh companies who have received Welsh Government support. These results are real for every one of our constituents right across Wales. We celebrated our relationship with Japan, recognising half a century of investment into Wales, with the twinning of two UNESCO sites, Conwy and Himeji castles. And this week, it was announced that tourist numbers to the north from Japan are increasing to such an extent that we could see a £4.5 million boost for our tourism sector for that part of the country alone. The Wales and Africa programme has, for over 20 years, shown how international partnerships can change lives, as we've heard from my colleague from Gŵyr Abertawe, through mutual respect, shared learning and practical action. From climate action and health links to education, fair trade and community solidarity, the benefits flow both ways, bringing skills, confidence and connection back to Wales.
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I will, Darren.
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I think I'm indulging my friend after destroying his street cred there. But there's £4.5 million in a tourism boost, £475 million of exports, companies in Wales benefiting from our international partnerships. Culture is diplomacy of the deepest kind, because it reaches beyond policy and speaks to the soul. Threatened languages thrive as a result of our shared experiences. And sport—what an incredible platform for Wales. Rugby, football, cycling and so many other sports give Wales that global visibility that no advertising campaign could ever buy. The Tour de France comes to Wales next year. That would not have happened if we looked inward. I note that opposition party manifestos outlined plans for Wales to be seen as a major international sporting destination. How does that happen if we look inwards and remain closed to the world? There are some who say that a small nation should know its place. I say Wales knows its place. Our place is in the world. Our place is out there seeking investment and exporting our goods. Our place is beside those who share our values. Our place is with young people hungry for opportunity. Our place is with patients who need care, communities that are ready to connect and cultures that are ready to meet. So, let us be ambitious for Wales internationally. Let us celebrate the partnerships that bring communities together, value the healthcare workers who bring their skill and care to our NHS, champion the life-changing power of exchange, and send our culture and our sport into the world with confidence. Our bilateral relationships will deliver for our economy and express our values. Our Government is proudly internationalist. Wales as a country is proudly internationalist, and I am confident that, as a Senedd today, we will say to the world who we are. Diolch.
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Diolch yn fawr, Ddirprwy Lywydd, a diolch i bob un o'r cyfranwyr. Rŷn ni wedi cael trafodaeth adeiladol, ystyriol, amryw o bersbectifau, ond trafodaeth seneddol, a dwi’n diolch i bawb am eu cyfraniadau. Mae yna gryn gonsensws hefyd ar draws y Siambr hon. Mae bod yn agored ac yn dryloyw yn un o'r gwerthoedd yna mae ein Prif Weinidog wedi gosod allan i ni fel Llywodraeth. Felly, mae e'n dilyn, os ŷn ni am fod yn agored ac yn dryloyw fel Llywodraeth, y byddwn ni'n cefnogi'r ffaith bod y Senedd hon yn agored ac yn dryloyw. Felly, fe fyddwn ni'n cefnogi'r cynnig sydd wedi ei osod yn enw Llŷr Powell prynhawn yma. Ni ddylai sefydliadau deimlo bod angen iddyn nhw gyflogi corff allanol er mwyn cael gafael ar Weinidog neu gyfleu eu safbwynt i Lywodraeth Cymru, boed hynny ar lefel Gweinidog neu swyddog. Wrth gwrs, dwi'n cydnabod bod modd i'r sector materion cyhoeddus yng Nghymru chwarae rôl ddilys, fel rŷn ni wedi clywed gan sawl cydweithiwr heddiw, a’i fod yn gwneud hynny o ran gwella dealltwriaeth o wleidyddiaeth a llywodraeth ddatganoledig, ond ni ddylai cwmnïau materion cyhoeddus fod mewn sefyllfa lle mae canfyddiad bod ganddyn nhw unrhyw fath o fantais pan ddaw hi i gael gafael ar wybodaeth, Gweinidogion neu swyddogion. Dwi wedi nodi, fel Llywodraeth, ein bod ni wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau bod gwybodaeth ar gael mewn ffordd sy'n agored ac yn dryloyw trwy wefan y Llywodraeth a thrwy ddatganiadau i'r Senedd. Dwi'n awyddus i wneud mwy o hynny, a byddwn i’n falch i glywed unrhyw syniadau ar draws y Siambr hon i gefnogi'r egwyddor honno y dylem ni fod yn agored ac yn dryloyw.
Official English translation
Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you to all the participants. We've had a constructive, meaningful debate with various perspectives provided, but a parliamentary debate, and I thank everyone for their contributions. There is some consensus, too, across the Chamber. Being open and transparent is one of those values that our First Minister has set out for us as a Government. Therefore, it follows that if we want to be open and transparent as a Government, we would support the fact that this Parliament should be open and transparent too. Therefore, we will be supporting the motion tabled in the name of Llŷr Powell this afternoon. Institutions shouldn't feel that they need to employ an external body in order to get hold of a Minister or to convey their views to the Welsh Government, be that at a ministerial or official level. Of course, I acknowledge that the public affairs sector in Wales can play a valid role, as we've heard from many colleagues this afternoon, and that it does so in terms of improving understanding of politics and devolved government, but public affairs companies should not be in a position where there is a perception that they have any sort of advantage when it comes to access to information, Ministers or officials. I've set out that, as a Government, we are committed to ensuring that information is available in a way that is open and transparent through the Welsh Government website and through statements to the Senedd. I'm eager to do more of that, and I'd be pleased to hear any ideas from across this Chamber in order to support that principle that we should be open and transparent.
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Yes, Andrew.
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I thank the Member for the intervention. In line with our commitment to openness and transparency, we will align our practices as a Government with those of the Senedd, as we should do.
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Gaf i droi at y cynnig ei hun? Mae'r Llywodraeth wedi nodi bod yr adroddiad gwaddol—fel rŷn ni wedi clywed gan sawl person—gan Bwyllgor Safonau Ymddygiad y chweched Senedd yn argymell bod y pwyllgor nesaf yn parhau â'r gwaith ar atebolrwydd Aelodau unigol drwy ystyried lobïo a rhoddion ymhellach. Rŷn ni'n cefnogi hynny, yn ogystal â rhagor o waith ar gofrestr lobïwyr. Fe ddaeth gwaith blaenorol y pwyllgor i'r casgliad—ac rŷn ni wedi clywed gan rai Aelodau—fod systemau Prydain a'r Alban ddim yn ddigon clir. Dwi’n credu bod yr awgrym yn fanna fod angen i ni ddatblygu ar sail dystiolaeth yn un cadarn a phwysig. Mae adroddiad y pwyllgor safonau yn awgrymu bod nifer o ffactorau i'w hystyried. Mae’r rhain yn cynnwys angen amddiffyniad gwell a chlir sy'n gwahaniaethu rhwng lobïo ac eiriolaeth, sy'n cydnabod y rôl gadarnhaol y mae eiriolaeth yn gallu ei chwarae, ac sy'n cydnabod y materion sy'n cyfrannu at ganfyddiad negyddol y cyhoedd ohoni. Mae'r adroddiad yn nodi hefyd yr angen am hyfforddiant rheolaidd a sesiynau gloywi i Aelodau ac eraill ar y rheolau lobïo. Mae'n rhaid hyrwyddo'r canllawiau yn weithredol a'u gwella drwy enghreifftiau ymarferol, darpariadau, esboniadau clir o gyfrifoldebau, ac ymestyn yr hyfforddiant i bawb sydd yma yn y Senedd. Mae gan Gomisiwn y Senedd rôl allweddol i'w chwarae ochr yn ochr â'r pwyllgor safonau wrth ddatblygu'r sail dystiolaeth ac i symud y pethau yma yn eu blaen. Mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn gefnogol i'r symudiad yna ac yn dymuno'n dda iawn i'r Senedd a'r pwyllgor newydd yn ei waith. Mae'r gwelliant sydd wedi'i gyflwyno gan y Blaid Lafur yn un rŷn ni hefyd yn ei gefnogi. Mae'n cyd-fynd â'n safbwynt ni, sef mai mater i Gomisiwn y Senedd a'r Pwyllgor Safonau Ymddygiad yw bwrw ymlaen, a bwrw ymlaen gydag egni a phrydlondeb, gyda'r gwaith allweddol. Dwi'n ailadrodd y dylid bwrw ymlaen â'r gwaith hwn ar sail trawsbleidiol drwy'r pwyllgor. Fel Llywodraeth sy'n ymroddedig i dryloywder a bod yn agored, fe fyddwn ni'n cefnogi'r gwaith hwnnw. Diolch yn fawr.
Official English translation
If I could turn to the motion itself, the Government has noted that the legacy report—as mentioned by many people—from the Standards of Conduct Committee in the sixth Senedd recommends that the successor committee should continue with the work on individual Member accountability by further considering lobbying and gifts. We support that, as well as further work on a register of lobbyists. The previous work of the committee came to the conclusion—and we've heard from some Members—that the UK and Scottish systems weren't sufficiently clear. I think that the suggestion there that we need to develop on the basis of evidence is robust and important. The standards committee report suggests that there are a number of factors to be taken into account. These include the need for better and clearer protections that differentiate between lobbying and advocacy, while recognising the positive role that advocacy can play, and recognising those issues that contribute to a negative perception among the public. The report also notes the need for regular training and updating sessions for Members and others on lobbying rules. We need to promote the guidance actively and improve it by using practical examples, provisions, clear explanations of responsibility, and extending that training to everyone here in the Senedd. The Senedd Commission has a key role to play alongside the standards committee in developing that evidence base and in progressing these things. This Government is supportive of that move and wishes the Senedd and the new committee well in their work. The amendment tabled by the Labour Party is one that we also support. It aligns with our own views that it's a matter for the Senedd Commission and the Standards of Conduct Committee to progress, and to progress with timeliness, this crucial work. I repeat that we should proceed with this work on a cross-party basis through the committee. As a Government that is committed to transparency and openness, we will be supporting that work. Thank you.
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Mae sicrhau cyllid rheilffyrdd tecach, ynghyd â llwybr at ddatganoli llawn, yn flaenoriaeth i Lywodraeth Cymru. Mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi codi cyllid rheilffyrdd gyda Phrif Weinidog y Deyrnas Gyfunol. Mae'r Dirprwy Weinidog trafnidiaeth wedi ysgrifennu at yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Drafnidiaeth ar y mater, ac mae e'n cyfarfod yn fuan gyda'r Gweinidog rheilffyrdd i ddatblygu'r trafodaethau hynny.
Official English translation
Securing fairer rail funding, along with a pathway to full devolution, is a key priority for the Welsh Government. The First Minister has raised rail funding with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Deputy Minister for Transport has written to the Secretary of State for Transport on this issue and is meeting soon with the UK rail Minister to progress those discussions.
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Diolch yn fawr am y cwestiwn.
Official English translation
Thank you for the question.
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The figures are stark. The UK Government has promised an investment of £445 million, which sounds like a large figure, but when you compare it to the £4.5 billion owed to Wales under HS2 money, it is merely a drop in the ocean. That £4.5 billion would allow us to invest in Abertillery, it would allow us to invest in rail and bus services across the country. It is our fair share, it is chwarae teg for Wales. That is why I am proud that my colleague the Deputy Minister for Transport is pursuing this case energetically with the UK Government. It is only right, it is only fair.
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Indeed, and I thank the Member for the question. There is clearly work to be done in our detailed negotiations with the UK Department for Transport. The Member will know that we would do pretty well out of relative track length, because of the geography of Wales. We have historically received a disproportionately low share of rail enhancement funding from the UK Government. Transport for Wales set out a vision of £14 billion of rail spending. That is the kind of rail funding that Wales needs to improve our rail services and to ensure that we have a twenty-first century rail system. I welcome the support of the Member and we will pursue those negotiations with the UK Government energetically.
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Thank you. The Welsh Government is committed to continuous improvement, pursuing reform through its multi‑year WG2025 programme. This has helped to strengthen organisational capability and effectiveness, alongside improving workforce capacity and estate efficiency. We continue to work to align resources to priorities. Strong internal and external scrutiny helps to ensure continuous improvement. No stand-alone fundamental review is planned, although we remain open to conversations about how we strengthen the civil service in the Welsh Government.
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I thank the Member for the question. It is right to note that the Welsh civil service sits within the framework of the UK civil service. She will also be aware that the Permanent Secretary is responsible for the day-to-day running of the civil service. I think the Maude review, and the review in Scotland of the civil service, suggest a number of pointers. I know colleagues at the UK level are looking at civil service reform. It is a conversation that we as a Government, and I as the Government Minister responsible, are very open to having across this Senedd and more broadly. I think it is very interesting and very telling that when we look at the figures for civil service employees over the past five years, there has been growth at the UK level, there has been significant growth of the civil service in Scotland, and yet in Wales, we've seen a fall in the number of civil servants. I'm not yet in a position to take a view as to whether our civil service complement is at the right level, but I think we should be having a serious, open and constructive conversation about what that level should be for the future. That is one I hope that all parties—and I welcome the input of the Member and others on the opposition benches into that conversation—would take part in.
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I thank the Member for her question. We are committed to public services in Plaid Cymru. It is part of our DNA. We are committed to effective and efficient public services. As part of that work, we have established a strengthened Cabinet office to oversee and regularly review progress, co-ordinate activity across Government and ensure that barriers to delivery are identified and resolved. This supports both effective internal monitoring and external scrutiny. Our plan is to make full use of existing high-quality data sources, ensuring that information used to track progress is robust and can be used with confidence. At the same time, we will be transparent where data gaps exist and consider how these can be addressed over time. I'm pleased to report that I've asked the chief statistician to work on these data issues. I'll be updating Members within the 100 days as to progress on those transparently published measures and dashboards that this Senedd can look at and scrutinise on a regular basis.
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I thank the Member for the question. Absolutely, our view is that we should strengthen our capacity and capability to deliver on the people's priorities here in Wales. I am totally committed to the social partnership model. I should probably declare that I was once a member of the PCS union many years ago in one of my earlier professional backgrounds. I am committed to working with the trade unions. What we've seen, and what I've seen in my role already, is how productive and effective trade union representation can be in delivering and driving positive change across our public services.
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I welcome the opposition spokesperson to his role. We in Plaid Cymru are clear that we are a new Government, we set out a new course, focused on the people's priorities—on childcare, on child poverty, on the economy, on schools, on healthcare. I think it is clear to everyone in this Chamber that the legacy of 27 years of Labour Government led to their election result. That is why so many of our fellow countrymen and women voted for a new leadership for Wales, and that is a Plaid Cymru leadership. Turning to the question of powers that you raise, for us, powers is about delivering the people's priorities. Therefore, if we can do a better job of delivering on justice and policing where we have integration with health and education, then that is what we will do, because it will improve the lives of people in Wales.
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Let us begin with the question of independence. Our Prif Weinidog, our leader, set out clearly during the election, and it was clear in our manifesto, that there will be no referendum on independence during this term. I repeat that commitment here today, and I am happy to repeat it. Let us move forward to your question about more powers. Where there are opportunities to improve the lives of people in Wales, then we will take them. There are discussions ongoing on natural resources and water and tackling the scandal of pollution in our rivers. Yes, we will pursue those negotiations with the UK Government with vigour, to seek to improve the lives of people in Wales. We will make no apology whatsoever for that. We are on a constitutional journey in Wales. It is a journey that is best served by consensus and collaboration, and that is what we will seek to do.
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Thank you. I think I was very clear that there would be no referendum in this Senedd term. Turning to the matter of delivery, I have been clear, and our party was clear during the election, the 27 years of failure to deliver was an indictment of the previous Labour Government. The challenge is to deliver on childcare, on child poverty, on health, on education, on the economy, and by those measures shall we be known.
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Diolch yn fawr i'r llefarydd, a diolch iddo am ei ddymuniadau gorau. Rydw innau'n dymuno'n dda iawn iddo fe. Fe fydd e'n gwybod fy mod i, fel Aelod etholaeth, wedi dilyn dau o'i gydweithwyr ef a oedd yn frwd iawn dros faterion amgylcheddol a chynaliadwy a theithio llesol. Dwi'n talu teyrnged iddyn nhw, os caf i—Jenny Rathbone a Julie Morgan—ac yn dymuno'n dda iddyn nhw yn eu hymddeoliad. O ran y rhaglen ddeddfwriaethol, mae yna waith manwl yn digwydd ar hyn o bryd gan y tîm gwasanaethau cyfreithiol i lunio'r rhaglen honno, i ystyried cymhlethdodau y rhaglen sylweddol iawn sydd ger ein bron o ran y ddeddfwriaeth gynradd ac o ran y ddeddfwriaeth eilradd y bydd yn rhaid i ni graffu arni. Hefyd, fel y bydd yr Aelod yn gwybod, mae rhaglen sylweddol yn sgil Araith y Brenin yn y Deyrnas Gyfunol o legislative consent motions ac ati, ac felly mae'r gwaith hwnnw yn mynd yn ei flaen ar hyn o bryd. Rwy'n gobeithio y byddwn ni, fel Llywodraeth, mewn sefyllfa i ddiweddaru'r Senedd ac i wneud cyhoeddiad yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf ar y rhaglen ddeddfwriaethol.
Official English translation
I thank the spokesperson for his best wishes. I wish him well, too. He will know that I, as a constituency Member, follow two of his colleagues who were very enthusiastic about environmental and sustainability issues and about active travel. I pay tribute to them as well, if I may—Jenny Rathbone and Julie Morgan—and I wish them well in their retirement. In terms of the legislative programme, detailed work is happening at present among the legal services team to draw up that programme, to consider the complexities of the significant programme that we have before us in terms of primary legislation and secondary legislation that we will need to scrutinise. Also, as the Member will know, there's a significant programme in the light of the King's Speech in the UK in terms of legislative consent motions and so forth, and therefore that work is progressing at present. I hope that, as a Government, we'll be in a position to update the Senedd and to make a statement during the coming weeks on the legislative programme.
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Diolch am y cwestiwn.
Official English translation
I thank him for the question.
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As I set out to the Senedd, we are undertaking detailed work on the legislative programme at the moment and we will be making an announcement to the Senedd in due course on those priorities. But the Prif Weinidog, I and my Cabinet colleagues have been clear: our priorities set out in the manifesto around childcare, around child poverty, around the health service and reducing waiting times, around improving standards in school, around improving the economy are our priorities, and people must understand that those are the areas that we seek to deliver on and those are the areas on which we will be judged by the people of Wales.
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Diolch i'r llefarydd.
Official English translation
I thank the spokesperson.
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I welcome him to his role and thank him for his congratulations. For me, and for us, the test of this Government will be how we deliver on those bread-and-butter issues, if you'd like to describe them as such, on childcare, on child poverty and the issues I've outlined. I expect, and we have agreed, that the Government will focus on those priorities. I have outlined, and I'll outline over the next few weeks in my oral statement, my priorities on the constitution. I will work across this Senedd on matters of the constitution and seek to bring consensus and collaboration to those issues. Therefore, in line with the Plaid Cymru manifesto, our focus will be on those public priorities that we have set out, and, on the constitution, it will be focused on those very specific priorities that we set out in our manifesto that will improve people's lives—on water, on policing, on justice, on the Crown Estate, to improve people's lives in Wales.
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I can assure the Member that there is plenty of energy to go around in this Plaid Cymru Government and Plaid Cymru Cabinet. I'm not sure whether I was clear enough, but I shall repeat myself again: our priority is delivering tangible improvements to people's lives in Wales. Every morning, I receive from my colleagues in the Cabinet office a spreadsheet of progress on all of those priorities that we've set out and how we are progressing on those 100-day plans. We have set out clearly the way forward we want to go on the constitution, and those are our priorities.
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Mae comisiwn cenedlaethol newydd yn cael ei ddatblygu fel rhan o'n cynllun 100 diwrnod. Bydd yn goruchwylio cynnydd o ran datganoli pellach, yn ymgysylltu â'r cyhoedd fel rhan o drafodaeth genedlaethol am ddyfodol cyfansoddiadol Cymru, ac yn cryfhau'r sylfaen dystiolaeth ar gyfer rhaglen o ddiwygio. Byddaf yn diweddaru'r Senedd wrth i'r gwaith pwysig hwn fynd rhagddo.
Official English translation
A new national commission is being developed as part of our 100-day plan. It will oversee progress on further devolution, engage with the public in a national conversation about Wales's constitutional future, and strengthen the evidence base for further reform. I will update the Senedd as this important work develops.
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Wel, diolch am gyfres o gwestiynau, mewn gwirionedd, yn fanna. Dwi'n credu, er mwyn cychwyn, gawn ni gychwn gydag adeiladu ar y gwaith a fu? Roeddwn i'n ffodus iawn i gyfarfod gyda'r cyn-archesgob, Rowan Williams, dros y dyddiau diwethaf, a dwi'n cyfarfod gyda Laura McAllister yn y dyddiau sy'n dod hefyd, oherwydd yr hyn dwi'n gweld y comisiwn newydd yn ei wneud yw adeiladu ar y gwaith da mae'r comisiwn annibynnol wedi'i wneud, a chomisiwn Silk, comisiwn Thomas. Mae yna sail dystiolaeth gadarn yn y fan yna. Yr hyn dwi am ofyn i'r comisiwn ei wneud ac i drafod ymhellach yw ble mae yna gaps. Ble mae yna elfennau lle mae angen mwy o waith? Ac un enghraifft sydd eisoes wedi dod i'r amlwg yn barod yw rhywfaint o'r gwaith o gwmpas sut byddai function cyfiawnder yn Llywodraeth Cymru yn edrych. Beth yw hyd a lled hwnnw? Beth fyddai siâp hwnnw er mwyn gallu delifro llwyddiant ym maes cyfiawnder ieuenctid, er enghraifft? Felly, dyna'r math o waith y byddwn ni'n gobeithio gweld yn fanna. Ond byddwn i hefyd yn dymuno gweld mwy o waith yn cael ei wneud ar ddemocratiaeth gyfranogol sy'n tynnu pobl i mewn, sy'n tynnu'r sgwrs genedlaethol yna yn ei blaen, ac yn tynnu pob math o perspectives—rŷn ni wedi clywed sawl un heddiw ar ddyfodol cyfansoddiadol Cymru—ac yn tynnu'r holl perspectives hynny at ei gilydd mewn sgwrs genedlaethol wirioneddol wedi ei harwain gan y bobl.
Official English translation
Well, thank you for a range of questions there. If we could start with building on the work that's been done in the past, I was fortunate to meet with the former archbishop, Rowan Williams, over recent days, and I will be meeting Laura McAllister in the coming days, because what I see the new commission doing is building on the good work that the independent commission did, and the Silk commission, the Thomas commission. There is a robust evidence base there. What I will ask the commission to do and to discuss further is where the gaps are. Where are the elements where more work is needed? And one example that's already emerged is some of the work around how the function of justice within Welsh Government would look. What's the length and breadth of that? How would it be shaped in order to deliver successfully in terms of youth justice, for example? So, that's the kind of work that I would hope to see done there. But I would also wish to see more work done on participative democracy that draws people in, that generates that national conversation, and draws on all sorts of perspectives. We've heard a number of different perspectives on the constitutional future of Wales today, and we need to draw all of those perspectives together in a real national conversation that is led by the people.
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I thank the Member for his congratulations and for the question. I think we've rehearsed several times the interplay between constitutional powers and priorities of the Government already in this question time; I suspect we might rehearse them a few more times before this Senedd term is out. I do want to make an absolute commitment, which is that the national commission that we are seeking to establish must be broad based and must reflect the wide range of views that the people of Wales hold. That is a commitment I am happy to make here in the Senedd. It is how we have operated as a party in the past, and it is how we seek to operate as a Government. I would question the Member if no elector in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd has no concern whatsoever of the sewage in their rivers or of the police on their street or of the windfarm developments and energy infrastructure. These are the very issues that are illuminated by some of the constitutional issues that we are currently grappling with, and we will seek to grapple with them and seek to ensure that those decisions are made in Wales and are driven by the priorities of the people of Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd and of Wales.
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Devolving policing has been the recommendation of a series of independent commissions, dating back to the Silk commission in 2014. Each one of those commissions considered the financial implications amongst other implications in reaching their conclusions.
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Okay. So, I shall repeat again: our priorities are the NHS, are schools, are the economy, are child poverty and childcare. Llywydd, I think it'll be a very long four years if we carry on like this. However, the Member has highlighted one important area where we will be discussing with the UK Government, when we come round to policing. There clearly are negotiations to be had around the transfer of functions and how effectively those resources are transferred from the UK level to the Welsh level. We will be robust and energetic in those discussions with our UK counterparts. I should also note—and some Members will be aware of this—there is a significant programme of policing reform being led by the UK Government at the moment, and therefore there is a significant opportunity, as part of those discussions, to advance the case for a more Welsh-focused solution to policing and justice in our country.
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I thank the Member for his support for devolving policing, and he has set out previously in this Chamber and elsewhere the case for devolution. Policing, of course, is not only, as he reminds us, devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland, but also to a number of the mayors in England. It is a complete anomaly that Wales sits apart from that. It is an anomaly that we hope to address as a Government.
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Diolch yn fawr iawn i'r Aelod. Mae yna nifer o bethau yn fanna o ran gwasanaethau i fenywod sydd ddim yn ddigon da o dan y system gyfiawnder bresennol. Dwi'n credu bod yna waith i'w wneud o ran y system gyfiawnder a datganoli. Mae yna waith i'w wneud o ran y system heddlua sy'n gysylltiedig â datganoli. Er mwyn gwneud cynnydd ar hyn, mae'n rhaid wrth adeiladu perthynas effeithiol a chynhyrchiol gyda Llywodraeth Prydain. Mae yna gyfarfod eisoes wedi'i drefnu gyda Gweinidog heddlua Prydain, y Dirprwy Brif Weinidog a minnau. Ddydd Mercher diwethaf, roeddwn i yn y Swyddfa Gartref yn y bwrdd gwrthderfysgaeth gweinidogol ar draws Prydain, lle buon ni'n trafod materion o gydweithio rhwng Llywodraethau datganoledig a Llywodraeth Prydain. A'r hyn oedd yn drawiadol, hyd yn oed mewn sefyllfa ddifrifol iawn, felly, oedd bod angen cydweithio effeithiol rhwng yr adran gyfiawnder, yr adran iechyd a'r adran addysg.
Official English translation
Thank you very much to the Member. There are a number of issues there in terms of services for women that are currently not good enough under the current justice system. I do think that there is work to be done in terms of the justice system and devolution. There is work to be done in terms of policing that is related to devolution. In order to make progress on this, we must build an effective, productive relationship with the UK Government. A meeting has already been arranged with the Minister for policing in the UK, the Deputy First Minister and myself. Last Wednesday, I was at the Home Office at the ministerial anti-terrorism board, where we discussed issues of collaboration between devolved Governments and the UK Government. And what was striking, even in such grave circumstances, was that there needed to be effective collaboration between justice, health and education.
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Supporting public services to tangibly improve people's lives is at the forefront of this Government's agenda. It is this principle that will guide us in any requests for new powers, as I've outlined already to some of your colleagues. Taking a one Welsh public service approach, we will reduce fragmentation, increase collaboration and invest in capability through a new national school of government.
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Thank you for the question. I'm not wholly sure, Llywydd, how that relates to public service reform. However, I will make this commitment quite clearly, as my colleagues have already made: the Welsh Government will follow the law and will uphold the law in everything it does.
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Mae safbwynt y Llywodraeth hon yn glir: mi ddylai cyfiawnder gael ei ddatganoli’n llawn i Gymru, fel sydd wedi digwydd yn yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon. Yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf, mi fyddaf i'n cyfarfod â Gweinidogion Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig i egluro ein safbwynt ac i ddechrau'r trafodaethau hynny. Mi fyddwn ni’n mynd ar drywydd datganoli cyfiawnder a phlismona fel un o’n blaenoriaethau yn y maes cyfansoddiadol.
Official English translation
This Government’s position is clear: justice should be fully devolved to Wales, as it is in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the coming weeks, I’ll be meeting with UK Government Ministers to set out our position and to start those discussions. We will pursue the devolution of justice and policing as an immediate constitutional priority.
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Ein hasesiad ni yw'r union bwyntiau y mae'r Aelod yn cyfeirio atyn nhw yn fanna. Byddai datganoli yn caniatáu inni fabwysiadu dull system gyfan, yn ymgorffori set gyson o werthoedd ag arweinir gan dystiolaeth a thrawma ar draws pob gwasanaeth. Byddai’n rhoi cyfle inni ddod â chyfiawnder a phlismona ynghyd â'r gwasanaethau datganoledig sy'n hanfodol i atal troseddu, cefnogi dioddefwyr ac adsefydlu pobl.
Official English translation
Our assessment is the exact points that the Member refers to there. Devolution would allow us to adopt a whole-system approach, embedding a consistent set of values led by evidence and trauma across all services. It would enable us to bring justice and policing together with the other devolved services that are vital to prevent offending, support victims and rehabilitate people.
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Diolch. Thank you for the question, and I pay tribute to the Member's long-standing service on our behalf, keeping everyone safe. I think there is an important discussion around probation, around prisons, around justice that we need to have, that we need to have as a Senedd, that we need to have as a nation, as we move towards devolving justice. As I mentioned, I was recently at the counter-terrorism ministerial board, where the Welsh Government could play a positive role in working with colleagues in the Home Office, right across the UK. That is what I expect our Government to do, and that is what I hope our Government would do were we successful in devolving justice.
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The Government is united in its vision for Wales. That starts with our 100-day plan, which I am working collaboratively and co-operatively with all my Cabinet colleagues to deliver. The programme for government will build upon this foundation, with clarity of focus, improved cross-Government working and meaningful outcomes for the people of Wales.
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I thank the Member for the question, and I have some sympathy for the points he makes. If we are to be successful, our Government must deliver on outcomes not on activities, because, if we deliver on outcomes, they will be felt and measurable to the people of Wales, and, when we face the electors in four-years times, we will be able to point to those outcomes that are not only in a Government press release but are felt in communities right across Wales. I'm working with colleagues, as I've mentioned, our director of statistics and others to develop those measurable outcomes, to develop dashboards, which will be transparently available, and I look forward to updating the Senedd in due course on progress on those matters.
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This Government’s position is clear and unequivocal: justice, including policing, should be fully devolved to Wales, as it is in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The policing reforms in England are an excellent opportunity to progress the devolution of policing.
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I can wholeheartedly agree with that. In principle, and on principle, policing should be devolved to Wales. The current reforms offer an excellent opportunity. As I mentioned in a previous answer, I have already met with colleagues at the Home Office. The Dirprwy Brif Weinidog and I will be pursuing the conversation around further devolution with the policing Minister in coming weeks, and, ahead of that, we will be in discussions with our police and crime commissioners here in Wales, with the chief constables, with representatives from local government and the policing partnership board for Wales at the end of the month. We are also arranging meetings with Lord Hogan-Howe. There is a significant opportunity here to get it right. I look forward to working with Members in Government, but across this Chamber, in delivering the devolution of policing to Wales.
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Rhun ap Iorwerth.
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Llywydd, with your permission, may I ask you to read again the votes for the Llywydd, so that the Chamber may be reminded of the votes?
How this page is made
Counted by Siambr from the Record's rows. Chaired contributions, spoken under the Record's title for the chair, are counted apart and never added in.
Each page holds 50 contributions at most and keeps a sitting day whole, unless the day alone is over 50.
Sources
The Record of Proceedings for each sitting day, quoted verbatim.