English: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'd like to update Members on the way forward in relation to the board and governance of Sport Wales. Members will recall, late last year, the decision was taken to suspend the board's activities, following clear indications that relationships among some board members had become strained, and, as a result, it was not in a position to discharge its duties effectively. As I said to Members at the time, the suspension of the activities was a neutral and temporary act, designed primarily as a cooling-off period in order for all of those involved to reflect, and to provide time for me, as Minister with responsibility for Sport Wales, to be briefed on the background to the situation that had arisen, through an assurance review carried out by civil servants. My overriding objective throughout, and my responsibility as Minister, is to secure a sustainable future for Sport Wales and to ensure that there is a well-functioning and cohesive organisation. The assurance review found that a clash of cultures had developed between the chair and other board members. This clash of cultures and styles led to a deterioration in the relationship between the chair and other board members and, ultimately, to the no-confidence vote being taken last November. I have a duty to take action when it is needed, however difficult or complex the problem. This has not been an easy process for anyone involved, and my focus has been on trying to find a strong and stable way forward for Sport Wales, its staff and the board, who are the ultimate custodians of more than £20 million of public money annually. At this point, my concern is to ensure that staff have the support they need to work effectively, and I pay tribute to their resilience over the last few months - they deserve great credit. Because of issues relating to data protection and confidentiality, and on the basis of legal advice, it would be inappropriate for me to comment in any detail on the findings of the assurance review. I do want to make clear, for the avoidance of doubt, that the conclusions are principally related to a significant breakdown of some interpersonal relationships at a senior level within Sport Wales. There are some outstanding issues to be addressed as a result of the assurance review process. In addition, a number of formal complaints have been received by the Welsh Government subsequent to the review being finalised. Based on advice I have received in relation to these, I have decided to take the following actions: I have suspended the chair, Dr Paul Thomas, in order for a proper and formal process to be undertaken as a result of the complaints received. I stress that this is, once again, a neutral act and in no way prejudges the outcome of the process. Dr Thomas has been informed of this development. I have also suspended the vice-chair, Adele Baumgardt, due to separate concerns that have arisen around the cohesive functioning of the board and its relationship with Welsh Ministers. As with Dr Thomas, this is a neutral act, and she has also been informed. I would like to see the remainder of the current Sport Wales board stay in place, under interim leadership. My officials have spoken to board members today to inform them of the situation and to ask them to carry on. From today, therefore, I am reinstating the board's activities. This will enable a number of important steps to be taken, for example the budget-setting process ahead of the new financial year in April. I am today appointing Lawrence Conway as interim chair. He has over 40 years of public service, with specific experience of the interface between Government and sponsored bodies. He will help to guide Sport Wales through this difficult period, and shares our key objective of restoring organisational stability. I have also asked John Taylor, the former chief executive of ACAS, to work with him in a consultative capacity in order to ensure that the board can operate as a cohesive functioning body. It is not possible or indeed desirable to give a timescale for the current temporary arrangements, but I want to reiterate the importance I place on due process being followed, out of fairness to the individuals concerned. I would like these processes to be concluded as swiftly as possible. Looking to the future, it is important that Sport Wales as a whole remains fit for purpose as an organisation. The contribution of sport at both an elite and grass-roots level to the physical and mental well-being of our country is vital, and Sport Wales must remain at the forefront of that. I therefore want to see the review of Sport Wales, which commenced last year, completed, preferably by a member of the existing independent panel and reported to me as soon as possible. I'll update Members further on this in the very near future. As I said earlier, this has been an extremely difficult period for all, and I regret I have not been able today to give the certainty about the future that I would have wanted. However, what is needed here is a long-term solution, not a sticking plaster, and I need to be assured that the governance of Sport Wales is fully fit for purpose and resilient in the coming months and years. That, I believe, is an objective that can be shared across this Chamber. Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch i chi, Lywydd. Fe hoffwn i ddiweddaru'r Aelodau ar y ffordd ymlaen o ran y bwrdd a threfn lywodraethu Chwaraeon Cymru. Bydd yr Aelodau'n cofio, yn hwyr y llynedd, y gwnaed y penderfyniad i atal gweithgareddau'r bwrdd, yn dilyn arwyddion clir bod perthynas anodd wedi datblygu rhwng rhai aelodau o'r bwrdd ac, o ganlyniad, nid oedd mewn sefyllfa i gyflawni ei ddyletswyddau yn effeithiol. Fel y dywedais wrth yr Aelodau ar y pryd, roedd atal y gweithgareddau yn weithred niwtral a dros dro, a'i bwrpas yn bennaf oedd bod yn gyfnod ymdawelu er mwyn i bawb a oedd yn gysylltiedig fyfyrio, ac i roi amser i mi, fel y Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol am Chwaraeon Cymru, gael fy mriffio ar gefndir y sefyllfa a oedd wedi codi, drwy adolygiad o sicrwydd a gynhaliwyd gan weision sifil. Fy mhrif amcan trwy gydol y sefyllfa, a fy nghyfrifoldeb fel Gweinidog, yw sicrhau dyfodol cynaliadwy i Chwaraeon Cymru a sicrhau y ceir sefydliad cydlynol sy'n gweithredu'n dda. Canfu'r adolygiad o sicrwydd fod gwrthdaro rhwng diwylliannau wedi datblygu rhwng y cadeirydd ac aelodau eraill o'r bwrdd. Arweiniodd y gwrthdaro rhwng diwylliannau a dulliau hwn at ddirywiad yn y berthynas rhwng y cadeirydd ac aelodau eraill y bwrdd ac, yn y pen draw, at gynnal pleidlais o ddiffyg hyder fis Tachwedd diwethaf. Mae'n ddyletswydd arnaf i gymryd camau pan fo hangen, waeth pa mor anodd neu gymhleth yw'r broblem. Ni fu hyn yn broses hawdd i unrhyw un a oedd yn gysylltiedig, ac rwyf i wedi canolbwyntio ar geisio dod o hyd i ffordd gref a sefydlog ymlaen i Chwaraeon Cymru, ei staff a'r bwrdd, sydd, yn y pen draw, yn geidwaid dros £20 miliwn y flwyddyn o arian cyhoeddus. Ar y pwynt hwn, yr hyn sy'n bwysig i mi yw sicrhau bod staff yn cael y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt i weithio'n effeithiol, a thalaf deyrnged i'w cryfder dros y misoedd diwethaf - maen nhw'n haeddu clod mawr. Oherwydd materion diogelu data a chyfrinachedd, ac ar sail cyngor cyfreithiol, byddai'n amhriodol imi roi sylwadau manwl ar ganfyddiadau'r adolygiad o sicrwydd. Rwyf i'n awyddus i'w gwneud yn glir, er mwyn osgoi unrhyw amheuaeth, bod y casgliadau yn ymwneud yn bennaf â chwalu sylweddol o ran rhai o'r perthnasoedd rhyngbersonol ar lefel uwch yn Chwaraeon Cymru. Mae rhai materion eto i gael sylw o ganlyniad i'r broses adolygu sicrwydd. Yn ogystal, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cael nifer o gwynion ffurfiol ar ôl i'r adolygiad gael ei gwblhau. Ar sail cyngor yr wyf wedi'i gael ar y rhain, rwyf wedi penderfynu cymryd y camau canlynol: Rwyf i wedi atal dros dro y cadeirydd, Dr Paul Thomas, er mwyn cynnal proses briodol a ffurfiol o ganlyniad i'r cwynion a gafwyd. Rwy'n pwysleisio bod hyn, unwaith eto, yn weithred niwtral ac nid yw'n rhagfarnu canlyniad y broses mewn unrhyw ffordd. Mae Dr Thomas wedi ei hysbysu am y datblygiad hwn. Rwyf hefyd wedi atal dros dro yr is-gadeirydd, Adele Baumgardt, oherwydd pryderon ar wahân sydd wedi codi ynghylch gweithrediad cydlynol y bwrdd a'i berthynas â Gweinidogion Cymru. Yn yr un modd â Dr Thomas, gweithred niwtral yw hon, ac mae hithau hefyd wedi ei hysbysu. Hoffwn weld aelodau eraill bwrdd presennol Chwaraeon Cymru yn aros yn eu swyddogaethau, o dan arweinyddiaeth dros dro. Mae fy swyddogion wedi siarad ag aelodau'r bwrdd heddiw i'w hysbysu am y sefyllfa ac i ofyn iddyn nhw barhau. O heddiw ymlaen, felly, rwy'n adfer gweithgareddau'r bwrdd. Bydd hyn yn galluogi nifer o gamau pwysig i gael eu cymryd, er enghraifft, y broses o bennu'r gyllideb cyn y flwyddyn ariannol newydd ym mis Ebrill. Heddiw, rwy'n penodi Lawrence Conway yn gadeirydd dros dro. Mae wedi cwblhau dros 40 mlynedd o wasanaeth cyhoeddus, ac mae ganddo brofiad penodol o'r rhyngwyneb rhwng y Llywodraeth a chyrff noddedig. Bydd yn helpu i arwain Chwaraeon Cymru drwy'r cyfnod anodd hwn, ac yn rhannu ein hamcan allweddol o adfer sefydlogrwydd sefydliadol. Rwyf hefyd wedi gofyn i John Taylor, cyn brif weithredwr ACAS, weithio gydag ef mewn swydd ymgynghorol er mwyn sicrhau y gall y bwrdd weithredu fel corff gweithredu cydlynol. Nid yw'n bosibl nac, mewn gwirionedd, yn ddymunol rhoi amserlen ar gyfer y trefniadau dros dro presennol, ond rwyf yn awyddus i ailadrodd y pwysigrwydd yr wyf yn ei osod ar ddilyn proses briodol, er tegwch i'r unigolion dan sylw. Hoffwn i'r prosesau hyn ddod i ben cyn gynted ag y bo modd. Gan edrych tuag at y dyfodol, mae'n bwysig bod Chwaraeon Cymru yn ei gyfanrwydd yn parhau'n addas i'w ddiben fel sefydliad. Mae cyfraniad chwaraeon i les corfforol a meddyliol ein gwlad yn hanfodol ar lefel elit ac ar lawr gwlad, ac mae'n rhaid i Chwaraeon Cymru barhau i fod yn y rheng flaen yn hynny o beth. Felly, rwyf yn awyddus i weld yr adolygiad o Chwaraeon Cymru, a ddechreuodd y llynedd, yn cael ei gwblhau, yn ddelfrydol gan aelod o'r panel annibynnol presennol a'i adrodd i mi cyn gynted ag y bo modd. Byddaf yn rhoi diweddariad pellach i'r Aelodau ynglŷn â hyn yn y dyfodol agos iawn. Fel y dywedais yn gynharach, mae hwn wedi bod yn gyfnod anodd iawn i bawb, ac rwy'n gresynu nad wyf i wedi gallu rhoi'r sicrwydd am y dyfodol y byddwn i wedi dymuno ei roi heddiw. Fodd bynnag, yr hyn sydd ei angen yma yw ateb hirdymor, nid ateb dros dro, ac mae angen i mi gael sicrwydd bod trefn lywodraethu Chwaraeon Cymru yn gwbl addas i'w diben ac yn gydnerth yn y misoedd a'r blynyddoedd i ddod. Mae hynny, rwy'n credu, yn amcan y gellir ei rannu ar draws y Siambr hon. Diolch.