Adam Price’s Blog

The Blog of Adam Price AS/MP, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr

Adam Price MP / AS - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr

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27th November 2008

Colofn Golwg

Wrth ysgrifennu’r golofn wythnos yma, dwi ddim yn gwybod beth yn union fydd cynnyws y datganiad  gan y Gweinidog Addysg yn y Cynulliad ynglyn a ffioedd dysgu.   Ond dyw e ddim yn anodd dod i’r casgliad bod y Gweinidog am newid polisi cyllido myfyrwyr ar hyd y llinellau yr oedd y pwyllgor yr oedd hi wedi sefydlu, o dan arweinyddiaeth Merfyn Jones, wedi awgrymu.  Fe fydd yna ymgynghoriad nawr cyn i’r polisi newydd gael ei weithredu.  Mae Llafur felly yn cyflawni eu polisi manifesto nhw o adolygu’r drefn cyllido addysg uwch.  Mewn gwirionedd, mae nhw’n dychwelyd, mwy neu lai, at y polisi o gyflwyno fersiwn o ffioedd cyflenwi Lloegr a drechwyd gan y gwrthbleidiau nol yn 2004.
Yr hyn sydd yn gwneud y sefyllfa yn gymhleth – a dweud y lleiaf – yw’r ffaith bod un o’r gwrth-bleidiau hynny bellach mewn grym.  Fe wnaetho ni ym Mhlaid Cymru alw yn ystod ymgyrch etholiad 2007 am sicrwydd gan Lafur na fyddai yna newid yn y system arriannu yn ystod tymor nesa’r Cynulliad – addewid nad oedd Llafur am wneud, gan alw Plaid Cymru yn naïf.  Dyw polisi Plaid Cymru – o wrthwynebu ffioedd yn llwyr – ddim wedi newid.  Fe gytunon ni i adolygiad o’r polisi ar y sail y byddai fe’n afresymol i wrthod hyd yn oed trafod y mater yn wyneb y posibilirwydd y byddai Llywodraeth San Steffan yn codi’r cap o £3000 ar lefel y ffioedd.  Ond yn anad dim, doedd dim cytundeb i ymateb yn y modd mae’r Gweinidog yn ei awgrymu. 

Dyw’r safbwynt yma ddim yn gwadu bod y cwestiwn o sut i gau’r bwlch ariannu rhwng prifysgolion Cymru a Lloegr yn un dilys.  Ac eto, mae yna egwyddorion pwysig yn y fantol.  Yn gyntaf y polisi ei hunan: pam ddylai y tal am addysg uwch unrhyw berson ddibynnu ar gyflog ei rieni – hyd yn oed pan nad ydi’r person hwnnw’n ddibynol yn ariannol arnyn nhw?  Mae yna ddadl dros dreth graddedigion – lle mae myfyriwr yn cyfrannu nol i’r prifysgolion yn unol a’u gallu nhw i dalu (nid gallu eu rhieni).  Byddai treth penodedig (’hypothecated’) o’r math hefyd yn fanteisiol o bosib gan y byddai yn creu insentif i’r prifysgolion fuddsoddi ymdrech mewn hyrwyddo gyrfaoedd eu cyn-fyfyrwyr ar hyd eu bywyd.   Gallai Llywdoraeth y Cynulliad ofyn i Gomisiwn Holtham ar ariannu edrych ar hyn fel opsiwn? Yn sicr, nid yw San Steffan wedi bod yn ariannu Cymru’n ddigonol gan yn hytrach glymu eu harian i brosiectau costus, megis yr Olympics, gan dynnu arian a buddsoddiad allan o Gymru i fedru gwneud hynny.
 

Yr ail egwyddor pwysig ydi democratiaeth.  Democratiaeth plaid lle mae yn ofynnol i arweinwyr ddilyn polisi wedi ei benderfynu gan yr aelodau cyffredin.  A democratiaeth yn gyffredinol.  “Vote Plaid, Labour lied” oedd y rhigwm ar wefusau cenedlaetholwyr wrth gyfeirio at lanast Irac a thro bedol Llafur Newydd ar ffioedd dysgu.  Dyw cyfansoddiad Plaid Cymru – yn ol llythyren ac yn ol ysbryd – ddim yn caniatau i ni wneud yr un camgymeriad.

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At the time of writing this week’s column, I have no idea what will be the content of the statement made by the Education Minister in the Assembly about tuition fees. But it’s not difficult to come to the conclusion that the Minister will suggest changing the policy regarding student funding along similar lines to what was suggested by a committee she’d established, under the leadership of Merfyn Jones. There will be a consultation before the new policy is implemented. Labour are therefore fulfilling their manifesto promise to review how higher education is funded. In reality, they are returning more or less to England’s policy of introducing top up fees which was defeated by the opposition parties back in 2004.

 

What makes the situation complicates is the fact that one of those opposition parties is now in power. During the 2007 election, we in Plaid Cymru called on Labour to give assurances that they wouldn’t change the funding system over the course of the Assembly’s next term - something Labour refused to commit to, calling Plaid Cymru naive. Plaid Cymru’s policy - of totally opposing fees - hasn’t changed. We agreed to a review of the policy on the grounds that it would be irresponsible not to even discuss the matter in light of the fact that the Westminster Government might raise the cap of £3000 on the level of fees. But most importantly of all, there was no agreement to respond in the way the Minister has suggested.

 

This position doesn’t deny that there is an issue surrounding how we should close the funding gap between Welsh and English universities. And yet, there are important principles at stake. Firstly, our own policy: why should the fee paid by a person for higher education be determined by their parents wages - even if that person isn’t dependable on them financially? There is an argument in favour of a graduate tax where a student contributes back to a university in line with what they can afford to pay personally, and not what their parents can pay. This kind of hypothecated tax might also be beneficial as it would create an incentive for universities to invest their efforts into promoting the careers of their former students for the rest of their lives. The Assembly’s Government could ask the Holtham Commission on funding to look into this an option. Certainly, Westminster hasn’t funded Wales properly, preferring rather to tie its money to expensive projects, such as the Olympics, and taking money and investment out of Wales in order to be able to do so.

 

The second important principle is one of democracy. The democratic nature of a party where it’s essential that leaders follow the policy decided upon by the ordinary members. And democracy in general. “Vote Plaid, Labour lied” was the chant on the lips of nationalists whilst referring to the mess made in Iraq and Labour’s u-turn on tuition fees. Plaid Cymru’s constitution - in letter and in spirit - does not allow us to make the same mistake.

2 Responses to “Colofn Golwg”

  1. alanindyfed says:
    November 28th, 2008 at 12:13 pm

    Friday, 28 November 2008
    Three Cheers for Adam Price

    Adam Price conducted himself with great aplomb last night on the BBC programme “Question Time”. His comments went down very well with the audience and he received considerable applause. He was supported by other members of the panel. In contrast Mr Alexander’s contributions were received in silence. His assertions that the government is doing everything that is necessary and “what it takes” were seen as empty platitudes, which indeed they are.

    More on Greenland’s independence:
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-big-question-is-greenland-ready-for-independence-and-what-would-it-mean-for-its-people-1036735.html

    Posted by alanindyfed at 02:42 0 comments Links to this post

    Thursday, 27 November 2008
    Question Time Tonight : Adam Price

    TONIGHT - 10.35 - BBC
    Cofiwch…..

    Posted by alanindyfed at 07:53 0 comments Links to this post

  2. John Tyler says:
    November 29th, 2008 at 9:03 am

    Thank you for the translation.

    Interesting take on a very real problem.

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