Diolch i Sian Gwenllian am ei sylwadau hi y prynhawn yma, a diolch am y cyfle i sgwrsio â hi dros y misoedd diwethaf, pan yr oeddem ni’n trial datblygu ar beth rydym wedi rhoi o flaen y Cynulliad y prynhawn yma. Jest i ddweud rhywbeth ar y pwynt olaf roedd hi’n codi ar yr iaith Gymraeg—mae lot o bethau yn y Papur Gwyn sy’n cyfeirio at yr iaith Gymraeg, a sut y gallwn ni weithio gyda’n gilydd yn yr awdurdodau lleol i’w wneud yn well ar gyfer yr iaith Gymraeg a chynllunio am y dyfodol. Mae’r Papur Gwyn yn cyfeirio ddwywaith at adroddiad Rhodri Glyn Thomas—ym mhennod 2 o’r Papur Gwyn. Nid yw’r Papur Gwyn yn dweud unrhyw beth am fod yn fandadol ar ddod â chynghorau sir at ei gilydd, fel roedd Rhodri Glyn yn cyfeirio ato, am gynllunio economaidd. Ond, wrth gwrs, mae’r Papur Gwyn yn rhywbeth i’w drafod ac i gasglu barn pobl yn y cynghorau sir yna i weld beth roedden nhw’n meddwl oedd y ffordd orau ar gyfer y dyfodol.

In relation to a number of the other points that Sian Gwenllian made, Llywydd, I agree with her, of course, that at the heart of the White Paper is a judgment about national policy frameworks and matters best left to local authorities themselves, where they are better able to understand their local populations and their needs. I believe that this White Paper recasts that relationship in favour of local authorities themselves. My approach to this is that we should work hard with local authorities as key partners to agree on key objectives, and then we have to be absolutely committed to those objectives, and not willing to be knocked off course in them. But often local authorities themselves are better able to make decisions on how those objectives can be delivered. The White Paper reflects that cast of mind.

I agree with her as well that the issue of complexity has been one that we’ve grappled with throughout this process. I think there are ways in which we can help members of the public to understand how decisions that are important to them are being made, where they are being made, and how people can have an influence on those decisions when they wish to engage with them. I think the role of elected members will be particularly important in the future. I think it will be a new and significant job that we will look to elected members to assist members of the public to understand this new landscape, to be advocates for them, and to make sure that they have expert guidance in understanding where important decisions are made. Personally, I’ve never been attracted to the idea of elected mayors, but there is provision on the statute book at the moment that allows that to be tested with local populations where there is an appetite to do so.

Finally, in relation to the proposal for permissive PR, I go about that in exactly the same way, Llywydd, as I have tried to construct the rest of this White Paper: by putting decisions in the hands of local authorities themselves. I don’t believe that it is a matter where one approach will suit every local authority, but just as we in this Assembly are going to be able to make decisions on the way that this Assembly is elected in future, so I think it is right to pass that ability on to local authorities so that they themselves can make that decision in their local circumstances with their local understandings and be able to calibrate the way that matters are carried forward in a way that reflects that local understanding.