On 19th May 2021 – Day 6 of Queens Speech Debate – Robin made his maiden speech. The text in full is below:
It is a privilege to rise and speak in this debate, and indeed a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr Sharma). I must say it has been a particular pleasure, too, to listen to speeches in this Chamber for the past 17 months, and I am humbled by the eloquence, the learning, the quick humour and concerns that hon. Members across the House bring to debates such as these.
My predecessor, Guto Bebb, was a man who followed his principles. As a Back Bencher, his campaign on interest rate swaps led to 11 bully banks paying out more than £1.5 billion in settlements to more than 15,000 businesses. He went on to become a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales and then Minister for Defence Procurement. In short, he was a three-time winner of general election campaigns, a two-time Minister of State and an effective advocate for the exploited. He earned the respect of colleagues and opponents and secured the affections of his office team. Those are considerable accomplishments, and they have guided me since entering the House, so it is a pleasure to recognise them with these few words today.
I was born and raised in North West Wales. That is where I learned the importance of family, where I found my Christian faith, and where lifelong values were formed. It is also where I had my first political experience, as a six-year-old in 1974, campaigning for the late Wyn Roberts MP, more recently Lord Roberts of Conwy. Even now I remember his campaign cry of “Win with Wyn”, and I still proudly wear the campaign rosette he gave me to thank me for my decisive contribution to his successful re-election campaign that year.
In Wales we have a word, “cynefin”, which loosely translates as habitat; but it means much more than that, and carries a sense of belonging and being in the right place. So, although I left family and home for education, a career and for love, it was perhaps inevitable that I should return to Wales and end up in politics. To be sent to Westminster by the people of Aberconwy is a very special personal honour and a great privilege, and I will do all I can to repay the trust and the confidence they have placed in me.
For centuries the beauty of Aberconwy, its heritage and culture have drawn visitors from around the world, including many hon. Members from this House. Many who have come have stayed, and the houses they have built tell a fascinating story of ambition and influence, dispute and resolution. The Victorians enjoyed our seaside towns and villages so much that their houses line the promenades from Llanfairfechan to Llandudno. The Groes inn on the shoulder of the Conwy valley is the oldest licensed pub in Wales, and has been a place of rest and refreshment for weary travellers since 1573.
Each of the castles of Aberconwy, along the Conwy valley—Deganwy, Conwy itself, Gwydir and Dolwyddelan— offer different perspectives on our rich history of English kings and Welsh princes in their mountain passes. Further up the valley and deep into Snowdonia—or Eryri, as we call it—is Tŷ Mawr, the house of Bishop William Morgan. His translation of the Bible into Welsh not only saved the Welsh language but changed the history of Wales, and it serves as a testament to the relevance of timeless truths to us today in this place.
These are rich seams, and points that I will return to another day, but the subject of today’s debate is the health and care Bill and Her Majesty’s Gracious Speech. The UK has a growing and ageing population. Around 18% are over 65 years old, but in Aberconwy that figure is closer to 27%. While there is no cure for old age yet, the challenge that we face is to reduce the burden of care and help ensure longer, better lives. So I support the Prime Minister’s aim to give every older person the dignity and security they deserve. On this one point I will make a simple observation.
This UK Government ensured that residents in all parts of the UK could benefit from the furlough scheme and receive financial relief at a time of crisis; this UK Government ensured that residents in all parts of the UK would benefit from a world-leading and lifesaving vaccination programme; and this UK Government can use the health and care Bill to ensure that residents in all parts of the UK will have access to consistent minimum standards of healthcare.
While residents of Aberconwy in north Wales are served by the gifted and hard-working professionals of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, it was in special measures for six years until just a few months ago. Workers there have coped superbly with the pandemic response and are delivering hundreds of thousands of vaccines, yet some 6% of residents in north Wales have been on a waiting list for treatment for over a year. These are UK residents, they need the support of their UK Government, and this Bill, surely, is an opportunity for us to enable that support.
That is just one of the challenges we face in Aberconwy. We must build back a balanced economy, improve our road, rail and telecommunications links, develop green energy schemes, tackle flooding, and more. But whether on climate change, public service finance, social care, national security, our economy or international trade, these challenges are best faced together. I believe that our United Kingdom is the best response to the global challenges we face today. I do not underestimate the difficulty of building solutions across political parties and Parliaments, but we must strengthen the ties that bind us to best serve those we are here to represent.
Robin yn gwneud ei araith gyntaf.
Ar 19 Mai 2021 - Diwrnod 6 o’r Ddadl ar Araith y Frenhines - gwnaeth Robin ei araith gyntaf. Ewch i’r ddolen i weld y darllediad https://bit.ly/3oy0RJ3 ac mae’r testun yn llawn isod.
Mae’n fraint i mi sefyll i siarad yn y ddadl hon, ac yn wir yn bleser dilyn yr anrhydeddus Aelod dros Ealing, Southall (Mr Sharma). Yn wir, mae wedi bod yn bleser arbennig hefyd gwrando ar areithiau yn y Siambr hon dros y 17 mis diwethaf, ac mae’r huodledd, y dysgu, yr hiwmor a’r pryderon a fynegir gan y gwir anrhydeddus Aelodau ar draws y Tŷ i ddadleuon fel hyn wedi creu argraff ddofn arnaf.
Roedd fy rhagflaenydd, Guto Bebb, yn ddyn oedd yn dilyn ei egwyddorion. Fel aelod o’r Meinciau Cefn, arweiniodd ei ymgyrch yn erbyn banciau’n cyfnewid graddfeydd llog at 11 o’r banciau gormesol yn gorfod talu mwy na £1.5 biliwn mewn setliadau i fwy na 15,000 o fusnesau. Aeth ymlaen i fod yn Is-ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru ac yna Gweinidog Caffael y Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn. Yn gryno, enillodd sedd mewn tair ymgyrch etholiad cyffredinol, roedd yn Ysgrifennydd Gwladol ar ddau achlysur ac yn eiriolwr effeithiol i’r rhai a ecsbloetiwyd. Enillodd barch cydweithwyr a gwrthwynebwyr ac roedd yn boblogaidd gyda’i dîm swyddfa. Mae’r rheini’n llwyddiannau aruthrol a dyma sydd wedi fy arwain i ers ymuno â’r Tŷ, felly mae’n bleser cael eu cydnabod gydag ychydig eiriau heddiw.
Fe’m ganwyd a’m magwyd yng Ngogledd Orllewin Cymru. Dyma lle dysgais bwysigrwydd teulu, lle deuthum o hyd i’m ffydd Gristnogol, a lle ffurfiwyd fy ngwerthoedd gydol oes. Dyma hefyd lle cefais fy mhrofiad gwleidyddol cyntaf, fel plentyn chwech oed yn 1974 yn ymgyrchu dros y diweddar Wyn Roberts AS, ac yn ddiweddarach yr Arglwydd Roberts o Gonwy. Rwy’n cofio cri ei ymgyrch hyd heddiw “Win with Wyn” ac rwy’n dal i wisgo rhoséd yr ymgyrch. Diolchodd i mi’n bersonol am fy nghyfraniad at yr ymgyrch i’w ail-ethol y flwyddyn honno.
Yng Nghymru, mae gennym air “cynefin” - gair sy’n golygu llawer mwy na lle i fyw, mae’n synnwyr o berthyn a bod yn y lle iawn. Felly, er i mi adael teulu a chartref ar gyfer addysg, gyrfa a chariad, roedd yn anochel efallai y byddwn yn dychwelyd i Gymru ac i fyd gwleidyddiaeth. Mae cael fy anfon i San Steffan gan bobl Aberconwy yn fraint ac anrhydedd bersonol iawn ac fe fyddaf yn gwneud popeth a allaf i ad-dalu’r ffydd a’r hyder maent wedi ei roi ynof.
Ers canrifoedd, mae harddwch Aberconwy, ei dreftadaeth a’i ddiwylliant wedi denu ymwelwyr ar draws y byd, gan gynnwys llawer i Aelod anrhydeddus o’r Tŷ hwn. Mae llawer sydd wedi ymweld wedi dewis aros, ac mae’r tai a adeiladwyd ganddynt yn adrodd stori anhygoel o uchelgais, dylanwad, anghydfod a phenderfyniad. Roedd y Fictoriaid wedi mwynhau ein traethau, ein trefi a’n pentrefi gymaint fel eu bod wedi sefydlu rhes hir o gartrefi ar hyd y promenâd o Lanfairfechan i Landudno. Tafarn y Groes ar ysgwydd Dyffryn Conwy yw’r dafarn hynaf yng Nghymru ac mae wedi bod yn orffwysfa i deithwyr sychedig ers 1573.
Mae cestyll Aberconwy, ar hyd dyffryn Conwy - Deganwy, Conwy ei hun, a Chestyll Gwydir a Dolwyddelan - yn cynnig persbectif gwahanol o’n hanes cyfoethog o Frenhinoedd Lloegr a Thywysogion Cymreig ar hyd y ffin fynyddig. Ymhellach i fyny’r dyffryn, yng nghrombil Eryri, saif Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant, cartref yr Esgob William Morgan. Roedd ei gyfieithiad i’r Gymraeg o’r Beibl wedi achub yr iaith a hefyd wedi newid hanes Cymru, ac mae’n destament i berthnasedd gwirioneddau oesol hyd heddiw yn y lle hwn.
Mae’r rhain yn straeon cyfoethog, a bwriadau ddychwelyd atynt rywbryd eto. Fodd bynnag, testun dadl heddiw yw’r Bil Iechyd a Gofal ac Araith Hynaws y Frenhines. Mae poblogaeth y DU yn tyfu ac yn mynd yn hŷn. Tua 18% o’r boblogaeth gyfan sydd dros 65, ond yn Aberconwy mae’r ffigwr yn agosach at 27%. Does dim gwella ar henaint, wel, nid ar hyn o bryd, ond yr her a wynebwn yw lleihau’r baich gofal a sicrhau bywydau hirach a gwell. Felly rwy’n cefnogi nod y Prif Weinidog i sicrhau bod pob person hŷn yn cael yr urddas, a’r diogelwch a haeddant. Hoffwn wneud sylwad arbennig ar yr un pwynt yma.
Sicrhaodd Llywodraeth y DU y byddai trigolion yn holl rannau o’r DU yn elwa o’r cynllun ffyrlo ac yn derbyn cymorth ariannol mewn amser o argyfwng; sicrhaodd y Llywodraeth hon hefyd y byddai’r holl drigolion ym mhob rhan o’r DU hefyd yn elwa o raglen frechu gyda’r gorau yn y byd ac sy’n achub bywydau; a gall Llywodraeth y DU ddefnyddio’r Bil Iechyd a Gofal i sicrhau bod trigolion ym mhob rhan o’r DU yn cael mynediad at safonau gofynnol o ofal iechyd yn gyson.
Er bod trigolion Aberconwy yng ngogledd Cymru yn cael eu gwasanaethu gan weithwyr proffesiynol, dawnus a chydwybodol Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr, roedd y bwrdd wedi mewn mesurau arbennig am chwe blynedd tan ychydig fisoedd yn ôl. Mae’r gweithwyr wedi ymdopi’n wych gan ymateb i’r pandemig ac yn llwyddo i frechu cannoedd o filoedd o bobl, ond mae 6% o drigolion gogledd Cymru wedi bod ar restr aros am driniaeth ers dros flwyddyn. Trigolion y DU ydynt ac mae arnynt angen cefnogaeth eu Llywodraeth yn y DU. Onid yw’r Bil hwn yn gyfle i ni allu rhoi’r gefnogaeth honno.
Dim ond un o’r heriau a wynebir gennym yn Aberconwy yw hwn. Rhaid i ni ailadeiladu economi gytbwys, gwella ein cysylltiadau ffyrdd, rheilffyrdd a thelegyfathrebu, datblygu cynlluniau ynni gwyrdd, mynd i’r afael â llifogydd a mwy. Ond os mai’r heriau yw newid hinsawdd, cyllid y gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, diogelwch cenedlaethol, ein heconomi, neu fasnachu rhyngwladol, mae’n well i ni eu hwynebu gyda’n gilydd. Credaf mai drwy ein Teyrnas Unedig yw’r ffordd orau i ymateb i’r heriau byd-eang sy’n ein hwynebu heddiw. Nid ar chwarae bach mae llunio atebion ar draws pleidiau gwleidyddol a Seneddau, ond rhaid i ni gryfhau’r cysylltiadau sy’n ein rhwymo i wasanaethau’r rheini yr ydym yma i’w cynrychioli orau.
