Cyfyngiadau lletygarwch yn “anffodus iawn” meddai Plaid Cymru / Hospitality restrictions “deeply regretful” says Plaid Cymru

WRTH ymateb i’r cyfyngiadau diweddarad ar y sector lletygarwch, meddai Helen Mary Jones AS, Gweinidog Cysgodol Plaid Cymru dros yr economi,

“Galwodd Plaid Cymru ers wythnosau bellach am daliadau wedi’u targedu i fusnesau o Gymru a gafodd eu heffeithio waethaf gan yr argyfwng. Mae’r pecyn hwn i’w groesawu, gan ei fod yn targedu cefnogaeth lle mae ei angen fwyaf yn ystod cyfnod y cyfyngiadau hyn.

“Rhaid rhoi’r arian hwn i fusnesau cyn gynted â phosibl – yn arbennig o bwysig i fusnesau llai a fydd fel arall yn cael problemau gyda llif arian. Dylai awdurdodau lleol hefyd gael digon o gefnogaeth i brosesu a darparu taliadau yn gyflym, a’u hariannu i gyflogi mwy o staff os oes angen. Mae ymgyrch wybodaeth gyhoeddus hefyd yn hanfodol i sicrhau nad yw pobl yn cael eu tynnu at gymdeithasu gartref yn lle.

“Mae hyn yn mynd i fod yn hynod heriol i’r sector lletygarwch ac mae’n destun gofid mawr ein bod ni wedi ein cael ein hunain yn y sefyllfa hon. Galwodd Plaid Cymru am fesurau llymach wrth inni ddod allan o’r Toriad Tân – gan gynnwys llacio cyfyngiadau yn fwy graddol a gwneud y gorau o allu profi Cymru er mwyn cael canlyniadau nol mewn 24 awr. Methodd Llafur â gwneud hynny a nawr mae lletygarwch yn talu’r pris.

“Mae bellach yn hanfodol eu bod yn cyflwyno profion torfol ym mhob rhan o Gymru, yn cynyddu’r gefnogaeth ariannol i’r rheini sy’n gorfod hunan-ynysu i £ 800 y pen, a chyhoeddi eu cynllun brechu ar gyfer Cymru. Mae’r ansicrwydd llethol a ddaw yn sgil cloi a datgloi yn gwneud niwed mawr i’r economi – mae’n rhaid i ni i gyd ddyblu ein hymdrechion wrth weithio gyda’n gilydd i atal y firws ac osgoi cylch diddiwedd o gloi clo. Ac ni fydd rhai busnesau – yn enwedig busnesau lletygarwch sy’n dibynnu ar dwristiaeth a digwyddiadau ar raddfa fawr – yn gallu gweithredu’n broffidiol nes bod brechlynnau’n cael eu cyflwyno a bod y gwaethaf o’r argyfwng drosodd. Bydd angen cefnogaeth tymor hwy arnyn nhw i ‘aeafgysgu’ i’r gwanwyn, a byddwn yn parhau i bwyso ar Lywodraeth Cymru am gefnogaeth wedi’i thargedu ar eu cyfer.”

THE new restrictions announced on the hospitality sector in Wales will be ‘incredibly challenging’ Plaid Cymru has said.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for the Economy Helen Mary Jones said it was “deeply regretful” that these restrictions now had to be introduced.

Welsh pubs, restaurants and cafes will be banned from serving alcohol from Friday and will be unable to open to customers beyond 6pm. Indoor entertainment and visitor attractions, including cinemas, museums and galleries, will also have to shut.

The £160m “Restrictions Business Fund” will offer firms in the hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors that pay non-domestic rates grants of up to £5,000.

A “sector-specific” £180m Economic Resilience Fund would be made available for hospitality, tourism and leisure businesses.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for the Economy Helen Mary Jones MS welcomed the package of support and urged the Government to ensure it was given to businesses “as soon as possible”.

Plaid Cymru had previously called for targeted payments to Welsh businesses worst affected by the crisis.

Ms Jones also called for more support for local authorities to process and deliver payments quickly and funded to take on more staff if needed alongside a public information campaign to ensure people “are not drawn to socialising at home instead”.

Ms Jones repeated calls for a mass testing programme, increasing financial support to those who have to self-isolate to £800 and a vaccination roll out plan from Welsh Government.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for the Economy Helen Mary Jones MS said,

“Plaid Cymru called for targeted payments to Welsh businesses worst affected by the crisis for many weeks now. This package is welcome, as it targets support where it is most needed during the period of these restrictions.

“This money must be given to businesses as soon as possible – especially important for smaller businesses who will otherwise have problems with cash flow. Local authorities should also be given enough support to process and deliver payments quickly, and funded to take on more staff if they need to. A public information campaign is also crucial to ensure people are not drawn to socialising at home instead.

“This is going to be incredibly challenging for the hospitality sector and it is deeply regretful that we’ve found ourselves in this position. Plaid Cymru called for stricter measures as we came out of the Fire Break – including a more gradual easing of restrictions and optimising Wales’s own testing capacity to reach the 24-hour turnaround timescale target. The Labour Welsh Government failed to do that and now hospitality is paying the price.

“It’s now crucial they now roll-out mass testing in all parts of Wales, increase the financial support for those who have to self-isolate to £800 per person, and publish their vaccination plan for Wales. The crippling uncertainty that comes with locking and unlocking is doing untold damage to the economy – we all must redouble our efforts in working together to suppress the virus and avoid an endless cycle of lockdowns. And some businesses – particularly hospitality businesses that rely on tourism and large scale events – will not be able to operate profitably until vaccines are rolled out and the worst of the crisis is over. They will need longer term support to ‘hibernate’ into spring, and we will continue to press Welsh Government for targeted support for them.”