6. A wnaiff y Gweinidog wneud ddatganiad am ariannu Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub Gogledd Cymru? OQ59362

Fire and rescue authorities in Wales are funded by levying contributions on their constituent local authorities. This is determined by the fire and rescue authorities themselves, and is not subject to external constraints. The Welsh Government does not directly fund fire and rescue services, and FRAs do not receive core funding from the Welsh Government.

Diolch ichi am yr esboniad yna. Wrth gwrs, mae setliad cyflogwyr y gwasanaethau tân drwy Gymru a Lloegr gyda'r FBU, undeb y diffoddwyr tân, am gynyddu'r diffyg cyllid yn yr awdurdod tân yn y gogledd i £2.4 miliwn. Mae'n anodd credu fod y cytundeb wedi ei wneud heb unrhyw arian ychwanegol ar y bwrdd gan Lywodraeth Llundain. Mi fydd pontio'r bwlch ariannol yna yn golygu un o ddau beth: un ai cyfyngu ar wasanaethau, neu cynnyddu’r lefi ar drigolion—roeddech chi'n sôn amdano fe—sy’n dal, nifer ohonyn nhw, i wynebu yr argyfwng costau byw. Gallai'r lefi i drethdalwyr gynyddu 20 y cant yn yr achos yma, os nad oes cymorth canolog. Felly, gaf i ofyn pa fewnbwn mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ei gael i’r trafodaethau yma? Mae’n ymddangos bod awdurdodau tân yng Nghymru yn wynebu her enfawr oherwydd nad oes arian ar gael o Lywodraeth Llundain i gynnal cyflogau staff. Onid yw hyn yn ddadl unwaith eto dros ddatganoli cyfrifoldeb y gwasanaethau tan yn llwyr i Gymru?

I thank Llyr Gruffydd for his question. Obviously, we're pleased that a pay deal has been agreed for firefighters, and has obviously averted the need for industrial action, but I acknowledge, as he does, that it places significant further financial pressures on the fire and rescue authorities and their constituent authorities as well. This is something on which I’m in close conversation with not just North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, but the three authorities across Wales. Also, I met just last week with the WLGA in terms of the impact of that. We are working closely with the FBU as well, because obviously the national joint council is a body that we recognise and respect as the negotiating council, but we do recognise that this absolutely places further pressures on the services in Wales. We’re working very closely to see what we can do in the future to perhaps make sure we address that.

I’ve met with your colleague Luke Fletcher with regard to issues and challenges within the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and very much the offer’s there open to you to have further discussions following on from today about some of those medium to longer term challenges particularly facing the north Wales fire and rescue authority. We will both know full well the way in which the retained fire service plays a significant part across north Wales as well.