Welsh Conservative AMs from North Wales are calling on the Welsh Government to ensure extra funding announced by the Treasury yesterday benefits the north of the country.
Chancellor Sajid Javid yesterday announced plans which will see Wales £600million better off next year.
Issues across North Wales must be addressed as soon as possible, according to Assembly Members Mark Isherwood, Darren Millar and Janet Finch-Saunders.
The extra £1.24billion funding increase intended for the benefit of the Welsh NHS is in the hands of the Welsh Labour Government, but AMs urge Ministers to concentrate efforts on easing the struggles of healthcare services in Wales.
In North Wales in particular, the troubled North Wales Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which oversees the care of 23% of Wales’ population, has been in special measures now for four years. The region is also bearing the brunt of poor ambulance response times, a shortage of GPs, and ongoing cross-border service problems.
Problems surrounding deteriorating sea wall defences in Conwy, and out-dated infrastructure causing congestion problems on the A55 around Holyhead Port, must also be addressed says Shadow Minister and Clwyd West AM Darren Millar.
Ministers also seek the address of unequal council tax payments for the north of the country. Shadow Minister for North Wales, Mark Isherwood, has long fought for the end to a postcode lottery of council tax rates across Wales. Also responsible for Communities and Local Government, Mr Isherwood has previously questioned the disproportionate council tax rises in areas like Anglesey and Conwy, both of which were hiked by 9.1% this year.
Mr Isherwood has called on the Welsh Government to focus some funding on Welsh Conservative calls to conduct a comprehensive review of the local government settlement formula to make payments fairer across the country as a whole.
He said: “Given that the local government funding formula is heavily influenced by deprivation indicators, confusion surrounds the locations of the largest increases. Prosperity levels per head (GVA) in Anglesey are just under half those in of Cardiff, yet the Welsh Government’s Final Local Government Settlement for 2019-20 gave Cardiff a 0.9% increase, whilst the councils with the largest cuts of -0.3 include Anglesey, which this year faced one of the highest hikes in council tax.”
Shadow Social Care Minister and AM for Aberconwy, Janet Finch-Saunders, added:
“With the number of GPs and social care in steep decline in North Wales, I urge Ministers to address the growing problem of isolation and loneliness in older people in rural communities across sparse areas of North Wales.
“Improved healthcare services, public transport links, and the complete roll-out of superfast broadband provision would all go a long way to improving the lives of older people in North Wales.”
Darren Millar also commented:
“The Welsh Government has long neglected the people of North Wales, but thanks to the commitment of the UK Government showing confidence in Wales, Welsh Labour Ministers now have an opportunity to spend this funding increase efficiently, and to end decades of failings on health and infrastructure.
“Welsh Conservatives want to see Ministers make the very most of this opportunity, and for North Wales to be very present when they make their decisions.”
ENDS.
Galwad ACau ar i Lywodraeth Cymru ddarparu mwy o gyllid i’r Gogledd
Mae ACau Ceidwadwyr Cymreig y Gogledd yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau bod y cyllid ychwanegol a gyhoeddwyd gan y Trysorlys ddoe yn dod â manteision i ogledd Cymru.
Ddoe cyhoeddodd y Canghellor, Sajid Javid gynlluniau a fydd yn gweld Cymru’n derbyn £600 miliwn yn ychwanegol y flwyddyn nesaf.
Mae’n rhaid mynd i’r afael â materion ledled y Gogledd mor fuan â phosibl yn ôl Mark Isherwood, Darren Millar a Janet Finch-Saunders.
Mae’r £1.24 biliwn o gynnydd mewn cyllid sydd wedi’i fwriadu i fod o fudd i GIG Cymru yn nwylo Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru, ond mae ACau yn annog Gweinidogion i ganolbwyntio ymdrechion ar leddfu’r pwysau ar wasanaethau gofal iechyd yng Nghymru.
Yn y Gogledd yn arbennig, mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr, sy’n goruchwylio gofal 23% o boblogaeth Cymru, wedi bod mewn mesurau arbennig nawr am bedair blynedd. Mae problemau eraill y rhanbarth yn cynnwys amseroedd ymateb gwael gan ambiwlansys, prinder meddygon teulu a phroblemau parhaus gyda gwasanaethau trawsffiniol.
Mae angen mynd i’r afael hefyd â phroblemau gydag amddiffynfeydd môr sy’n dirywio yng Nghonwy, a seilwaith sydd wedi dyddio ac yn achosi problemau tagfeydd ar yr A55 yng nghyffiniau Porthladd Caergybi, yn ôl Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid ac AC Gorllewin Clwyd, Darren Millar.
Mae gweinidogion hefyd am weld sylw’n cael ei roi i daliadau treth gyngor anghyfartal y Gogledd. Mae Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid dros y Gogledd, Mark Isherwood, wedi brwydro’n hir i roi diwedd ar y loteri cod post yng nghyfraddau’r dreth gyngor ledled Cymru. Hefyd yn gyfrifol am Gymunedau a Llywodraeth Leol, mae Mr Isherwood wedi cwestiynu codiadau anghymesur yn y dreth gyngor yn y gorffennol mewn ardaloedd fel Ynys Môn a Chonwy, y ddwy sir wedi gweld codiad o 9.1% eleni.
Mae Mr Isherwood wedi galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i ganolbwyntio peth cyllid ar alwadau’r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig i gynnal adolygiad cynhwysfawr o fformiwla setliad llywodraeth leol i wneud taliadau’n decach ledled y wlad i gyd.
Meddai: “O ystyried bod dangosyddion amddifadedd yn dylanwadu’n drwm ar fformiwla cyllid llywodraeth leol, mae yna ddryswch ynghylch lleoliadau’r cynyddiadau mwyaf. Mae lefelau ffyniant y pen (GYC) Ynys Môn ychydig o dan hanner yr hyn ydynt yng Nghaerdydd, eto rhoddodd Setliad Llywodraeth Leol Terfynol Llywodraeth Cymru yn 2019-20 gynnydd o 0.9% i Gaerdydd, tra bod y cynghorau gyda’r toriadau mwyaf o -0.3 yn cynnwys Ynys Môn, a wynebodd un o’r codiadau mwyaf mewn treth cyngor eleni.
Meddai Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid dros Ofal Cymdeithasol a’r AC dros Aberconwy, Janet Finch-Saunders:
“Gyda nifer y meddygon teulu a gofal cymdeithasol yn dirywio’n sylweddol yn y Gogledd rwy’n annog Gweinidogion i fynd i’r afael â phroblem arwahanrwydd ac unigrwydd pobl hŷn mewn cymunedau gwledig, problem sydd ar gynnydd ar draws ardaloedd gwasgaredig y Gogledd.
“Byddai gwasanaethau gofal iechyd gwell, cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, a gweithredu darpariaeth band eang cyflym iawn ledled y wlad yn gwneud llawer i wella bywydau pobl hŷn yn y Gogledd.”
Meddai Darren Millar:
“Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi esgeuluso pobl y Gogledd ers tro, ond diolch i ymrwymiad Llywodraeth y DU yn dangos hyder yng Nghymru, mae gan Weinidogion Llafur Cymru gyfle yn awr i wario’r cynnydd hwn mewn cyllid yn effeithlon, ac i ddod â degawdau o fethiannau ym maes iechyd a seilwaith i ben.
“Mae’r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig am weld Gweinidogion yn gwneud y gorau o’r cyfle hwn, ac iddynt ystyried y Gogledd wrth wneud eu penderfyniadau.”
DIWEDD.