This week, parliament has not been sitting. In common with many schools and educational establishments, parliament takes a “half term” break. For many the Whit half term is a holiday but for Members of Parliament all breaks from parliament are an opportunity for us to spend more time getting out and about, meeting people.
Having been your Member of Parliament now for 17 months, it has been difficult for me to meet many of you as for the best part of twelve of those months, we have been under some form of Covid restrictions. Although restrictions are slowly being lifted, it was a concern to start this week with the news of the cluster of the Delta (Indian) variant that have been found in Junction, Llandudno and Penrhyn Bay. However, the prompt and efficient way that the testing operations and track and trace have been working, you can see that it is a different response that we could have possibly had this time last year.
Mrs. Millar, the dog and I spent a great Bank Holiday; enjoying an ice cream in Betws and then slipping away from the crowds to enjoy a wander through the bluebell woods at Cadair Ifan Goch. Our reward for the last scramble to the top of the crag was to be rewarded with a stunning panoramic vista of the Conwy Valley. Perfect!
Despite all those threats of the weather turning, it has remained sunny and warm throughout the week and I have travelled right the way across the constituency – holding meetings to discuss flooding; a potential COP 26 event later in the year (more on that as time goes along); difficulties in recruitment of tourism staff; the concerns of the farming community about the Australian trade deal and discussing the UK government Levelling Up Fund with council cabinet members. These have all been quite weighty matters and will require further work and input from me.
I have walked on West Shore with local residents, discussed fundraising with our local RNLI fundraising champion, lunched with a hospitality investor in North Wales in one “pubs with a view,” spent an afternoon in Llandudno visiting bars, cafes, hotels and bed and breakfasts and spent Friday afternoon visiting retailers.
And a first for me! Helping to plant hanging baskets with young people at Llandudno Rugby Club. I was glad of the guidance and support from volunteers from Llandudno in Bloom led by Vorn and it was great to bump into Sonia from the Friends of Queens Park. We are lucky to have people who care about how our public spaces enough to give their free time and experience to support the Llandudno In Bloom entry each year.
I had thought that perhaps with all that sunshine about that my email box would be quieter. Not a bit of it – if anything I think it has been slightly busier. The subjects that you have been writing about this week are animal welfare concerns and the impact on farmers and farming communities of the proposed Australian trade deal; more concerns about the conflict in Israel and Friday has seen a flurry of emails about UK foreign aid. And one single email about the sentience of decapods and cephalopods. I can see you furrowing your brow as I did! Octopus, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus (cephalopods) and lobster, crab and crayfish (decapods).
No two moments are ever the same in this job and I wouldn’t have it any other way! If you have a project, club, café, shop or enterprise that you would like me to visit over the summer recess – please pick up the phone to my office – 01492 583094. I am also happy to help community efforts, litter picks, gardening, fundraising. I look forward to meeting you!
Gwyliau Seneddol/Hanner Tymor Sulgwyn
Yr wythnos hon, nid yw’r senedd wedi bod yn eistedd. Yn yr un modd â llawer o ysgolion a sefydliadau addysgol, mae’r senedd yn cymryd seibiant “hanner tymor”. I lawer, mae hanner tymor y Sulgwyn yn wyliau ond i Aelodau Seneddol mae pob egwyl o’r senedd yn gyfle i ni dreulio mwy o amser yn mynd allan, i gwrdd â phobl.
Rwyf wedi bod yn Aelod Seneddol i chi ers 17 mis bellach, ac mae wedi bod yn anodd i mi gwrdd â llawer ohonoch yn ystod llawer o'r deuddeg mis hynny, oherwydd rydyn ni wedi bod o dan ryw fath o gyfyngiadau Covid. Er bod y cyfyngiadau’n cael eu codi’n araf, roedd yn destun pryder ar ddechrau’r wythnos gyda’r newyddion am y clwstwr o’r amrywiolyn Delta (Indiaidd) a ganfuwyd yng Nghyffordd Llandudno a Bae Penrhyn. Fodd bynnag, oherwydd y ffordd brydlon ac effeithlon y mae’r gweithrediadau profi ac olrhain wedi bod yn gweithio, gallwch weld bod yr ymateb a’r sefyllfa eleni yn wahanol i’r hyn y gallem fod wedi’i hwynebu yr adeg hon y llynedd.
Cafodd Mrs Millar, y ci a minnau Wyliau Banc gwych; yn mwynhau hufen iâ ym Metws ac yna’n mynd oddi wrth y torfeydd i fwynhau crwydro drwy ganol clychau’r gog yng Nghadair Ifan Goch. Ein gwobr ar ôl ymlwybro tua brig y clogwyn oedd gweld golygfeydd panoramig trawiadol o Ddyffryn Conwy. Perffaith!
Er gwaethaf yr holl fygythiadau hynny o ran y tywydd yn newid, mae wedi bod yn heulog ac yn gynnes drwy gydol yr wythnos ac rwyf wedi teithio ledled yr etholaeth – gan gynnal cyfarfodydd i drafod llifogydd; digwyddiad COP 26 posibl yn ddiweddarach yn y flwyddyn (bydd mwy o wybodaeth am hynny cyn bo hir); anawsterau wrth recriwtio staff twristiaeth; pryderon y gymuned ffermio am gytundeb masnach Awstralia, ac rwyf wedi trafod Cronfa Codi’r Gwastad Llywodraeth y DU gydag aelodau’r cabinet. Mae’r rhain i gyd wedi bod yn faterion pwysig a bydd angen rhagor o waith gennyf i.
Rwyf wedi cerdded ar hyd Pen Morfa gyda thrigolion lleol, wedi trafod codi arian gyda’n hyrwyddwr codi arian RNLI lleol, wedi cael cinio gyda buddsoddwr lletygarwch yng Ngogledd Cymru mewn tafarn gyda golygfa fendigedig, ac wedi treulio prynhawn yn Llandudno yn ymweld â bariau, caffis, gwestai a lletyau gwely a brecwast. Yna, brynhawn Gwener mi fûm yn ymweld â siopau.
Ac am y tro cyntaf... Mi fues i'n helpu i blannu basgedi blodau gyda phobl ifanc yng Nghlwb Rygbi Llandudno! Roeddwn yn falch o’r arweiniad a’r gefnogaeth gan wirfoddolwyr o Llandudno yn ei Blodau dan arweiniad Vorn ac roedd hi’n wych cael gweld Sonia o Cyfeillion Parc y Frenhines. Rydyn ni’n ffodus i gael pobl sy’n poeni am sut mae ein mannau cyhoeddus yn edrych ddigon i roi o’u hamser a’u profiad am ddim i gefnogi cais Llandudno yn ei Blodau bob blwyddyn.
Roeddwn i wedi meddwl efallai y byddai fy mlwch e-bost yn dawelach gyda’r holl heulwen. Ond na, dim o gwbl – dwi’n meddwl ei fod wedi bod yn brysurach! Y pynciau rydych wedi bod yn ysgrifennu amdanyn nhw yr wythnos hon yw pryderon ynghylch lles anifeiliaid a’r effaith ar ffermwyr a chymunedau ffermio yn sgil y fargen fasnach arfaethedig yn Awstralia; mae mwy o bryderon am y gwrthdaro yn Israel, a dydd Gwener cefais lu o negeseuon e-bost am gymorth tramor y DU. Ac un neges e-bost am allu creaduriaid dectroed a ceffalopodau. Rydw i’n amau eich bod chithau mewn penbleth ynglŷn â hyn fel roeddwn innau! Octopws, sgwid, cimychiaid coch a nautilus (ceffalopodau), a chimychiaid, cranc a chimwch yr afon (creaduriaid dectroed).
Rydw i’n cael profiadau mor amrywiol yn y swydd hon - fyddwn i byth yn dymuno newid hynny! Os oes gennych chi brosiect, clwb, caffi, siop neu fenter yr hoffech i mi ymweld â nhw dros wyliau’r haf – codwch y ffôn i’m swyddfa – 01492 583094. Rwyf hefyd yn hapus i helpu ymdrechion cymunedol, casglu sbwriel, garddio, codi arian. Rydw i’n edrych ymlaen at eich cyfarfod!