English: The guidance that was released earlier today is to be welcomed, where I'm sure the Deputy Minister sought to provide clarity for public bodies, such as local authorities, to understand better the issues of public commemorations. Can I also associate myself with your remarks in particular about who is missing, because I think that is an entirely valid and fair point? I think non-white people publicly commemorated in Wales, women and people who have had disabilities, are very, very difficult to find. So, I totally agree with your sentiment there as well. First of all, though, I'd like to reiterate that all these decisions are taken in the round, and to make sure that there is not a one-size-fits-all attitude to installing or even removing existing commemorations. This brings me on to the point of what may be termed 'problematic individuals' in the guidance. In other words, monuments to people whose actions have today caused controversy. Obviously, that's an issue that arouses strong passions on all sides. Instead of removing or destroying monuments and artwork of people who would perhaps now be seen by some as having a negative background, this could be seen instead, as you mentioned, as an opportunity to add an additional piece of context to educate the public about the full background of the person involved, giving both the problematic details and the reasons why they are commemorated as well. Of course, a balanced view of the history of these people will add to public knowledge and our own historical understanding too. However, that should never take the form of cultural vandalism or tearing down or destroying of historical memory. It's often been said that those who forget the past are the ones doomed to repeat it. In events like the toppling the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol and the boarding up of the statue of Thomas Picton, we can see that turning historical monuments into a reference point for US-style identity politics is a road that only leads to division. What we need to make sure is that these decisions are all taken at a local level with clear guidance, as I hope we've seen the pathway towards today, to make sure that it is not just one specific group or viewpoint that feeds into the decision makers at the expense and sacrifice of others. Therefore, what considerations have you given, Deputy Minister, to this, and how do you intend on ensuring that all views are heard when it comes to future commemorations? I also wanted just to touch, briefly, on the tragic passing of Her late Majesty. During the period of mourning, we've seen a variety of moving monuments and memorials being laid to pay tribute to our longest serving monarch, and that's often been done collaboratively between local residents and councils. As the faces of our new King gradually begins to appear on our currency, I think it's important that we make sure that there are permanent, lasting dedications as well to our late Queen. As is rightly pointed out in the guidance that was issued today, public commemorations are created for a range of purposes and done with honourable intentions. So, we need to make sure that we don't look at everything in the past through a twenty-first century lens, but with the ideas and thoughts of today, so that we can educate the next generations on our history, and not try to rewrite it. I am concerned, though, in the guidance, about the wording surrounding military figures, where it's also suggested that they too are seen as problematic, as some may remember 'the casualties of their campaigns'. These are people who, on the whole, have served on behalf of our country and did so with honour and merit. They don't deserve a potential opening of this can of worms by guidance, not clearly stated, that those who served our country to defend our freedoms that we cherish so dearly today could, potentially, find themselves disgraced or vilified just for following orders that were set for them at the time to defend our freedoms and serve our country. In the 'principles and practice' part of the guidance, while it's noted and accepted that inclusive decision making hears and acts upon the experience of diverse communities, again, I'd like to reiterate the point that we don't have the same people time and again making the same decisions on every plaque, every monument, and every commemoration. A breadth of diversity, voices and perspective is crucial in decision making too. And I accept the fact that engagement is going to be vital through all these processes. As an example of this, in the planning process that is being deployed by local councils, these processes could have the opportunity to enrich communities, social cohesion and interested views by bring all viewpoints together with a shared objective of ensuring their community is heard through education and information. I've no doubt that there will be strong views on all sides, regardless of what type of commemorations that are put forward in the future, but we need to ensure that we don't sacrifice the views of one community in favour of another, which could in turn cause further divisions within those communities. Therefore, my final question would be: given the finely balanced approach needed to ensure no community is left behind, what further engagement work could you be doing, Minister, with stakeholders to provide an opportunity for all communities to involve themselves in this process? Thank you.
Welsh: Mae'r canllawiau a gafodd eu rhyddhau yn gynharach heddiw i'w croesawu, pryd rwy'n siŵr bod y Dirprwy Weinidog wedi ceisio rhoi eglurder i gyrff cyhoeddus, fel awdurdodau lleol, ddeall yn well faterion coffáu cyhoeddus. A gaf i hefyd ategu'r sylwadau yn arbennig am bwy sydd ar goll, oherwydd rwy'n credu bod hynny'n bwynt cwbl ddilys a theg? Rwy'n credu ei bod yn anodd iawn, iawn dod o hyd i bobl nad ydyn nhw'n wyn, menywod a phobl ag anableddau, sy'n cael eu coffáu'n gyhoeddus yng Nghymru. Felly, cytunaf yn llwyr â'ch teimlad ynghylch hynny hefyd. Ond yn gyntaf oll, hoffwn ailadrodd bod yr holl benderfyniadau hyn yn cael eu gwneud mewn modd cynhwysfawr, ac i wneud yn siŵr nad oes un agwedd gyffredinol at osod neu hyd yn oed gael gwared ar gerfluniau presennol. Daw hyn â fi at fyrdwn yr hyn a allai gael ei alw'n 'unigolion problematig' yn y canllawiau. Mewn geiriau eraill, henebion pobl y mae eu gweithredoedd wedi achosi dadlau heddiw. Yn amlwg, mae hynny'n fater sy'n ennyn teimladau cryfion ar bob ochr. Yn hytrach na gwaredu neu ddinistrio henebion a gwaith celf pobl a fyddai efallai'n cael eu gweld bellach gan rai fel rhai â chefndir negyddol, gellid gweld hyn yn hytrach, fel y sonioch chi, fel cyfle i ychwanegu darn ychwanegol o gyd-destun i addysgu'r cyhoedd am gefndir llawn y person dan sylw, gan roi'r manylion problematig a'r rhesymau pam eu bod yn cael eu coffáu hefyd. Wrth gwrs, bydd golwg gytbwys ar hanes y bobl hyn yn ychwanegu at wybodaeth y cyhoedd a'n dealltwriaeth hanesyddol ein hunain hefyd. Fodd bynnag, ni ddylai hynny fyth gymryd ffurf fandaliaeth ddiwylliannol na rhwygo na dinistrio cof hanesyddol. Dywedwyd yn aml mai'r rhai sy'n anghofio'r gorffennol yw'r rhai a wnaiff ei ailadrodd. Mewn digwyddiadau fel dymchwel y cerflun o Edward Colston ym Mryste a'r gwaith o orchuddio'r cerflun o Thomas Picton, gallwn weld bod troi henebion hanesyddol yn bwynt cyfeirio ar gyfer gwleidyddiaeth hunaniaeth ar ffurf yr Unol Daleithiau yn ffordd sydd dim ond yn arwain at rannu. Yr hyn sydd angen i ni ei wneud yn siŵr yw bod y penderfyniadau hyn i gyd yn cael eu gwneud yn lleol gyda chanllawiau clir, gan fy mod yn gobeithio ein bod wedi gweld y llwybr tuag at heddiw, i wneud yn siŵr nad un grŵp neu safbwynt penodol yn unig sy'n dylanwadu ar y rhai sy'n gwneud y penderfyniadau ar draul ac aberth eraill. Felly, pa ystyriaethau ydych chi wedi eu rhoi, Dirprwy Weinidog, i hyn, a sut ydych chi'n bwriadu sicrhau bod pob barn yn cael ei chlywed pan ddaw hi at goffáu yn y dyfodol? Roeddwn i hefyd eisiau crybwyll, yn fyr, farwolaeth drasig Ei diweddar Fawrhydi. Yn ystod y cyfnod o alaru, rydym wedi gweld amrywiaeth o henebion a chofebion symudol yn cael eu gosod i dalu teyrnged i'n brenhines sydd wedi gwasanaethu hiraf, ac mae hynny'n aml wedi cael ei wneud ar y cyd rhwng trigolion a chynghorau lleol. Wrth i wyneb ein Brenin newydd ddechrau ymddangos ar ein harian yn raddol, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig ein bod yn gwneud yn siŵr bod yna ymroddiad parhaol, parhaus hefyd i'n diweddar Frenhines. Fel y nodir yn gywir yn y canllawiau a gyhoeddwyd heddiw, mae coffáu cyhoeddus yn cael ei greu at ystod o ddibenion a chyda bwriadau anrhydeddus. Felly, mae angen i ni wneud yn siŵr nad ydyn ni'n edrych ar bopeth yn y gorffennol drwy sbectol yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, ond gyda syniadau a meddyliau heddiw, fel y gallwn ni addysgu'r cenedlaethau nesaf ar ein hanes, a pheidio ceisio ei ailysgrifennu. Er hynny, rwy'n bryderus, yn y canllawiau, am y geiriad sy'n ymwneud â ffigyrau milwrol, pryd y mae hefyd yn awgrymu eu bod hwythau hefyd yn cael eu hystyried yn broblematig, gan y gallai rhai gofio 'dioddefwyr eu hymgyrchoedd'. Mae'r rhain yn bobl sydd, ar y cyfan, wedi gwasanaethu ar ran ein gwlad ac wedi gwneud hynny gydag anrhydedd a theilyngdod. Nid ydyn nhw'n haeddu wynebu'r cyhuddiadau cymhleth hyn oherwydd canllawiau, nad ydyn nhw'n datgan yn glir, y gallai'r rhai a wasanaethodd ein gwlad i amddiffyn ein rhyddid yr ydym yn ei drysori mor annwyl heddiw, o bosibl, ganfod eu hunain yn cael eu dilorni neu eu gwarthruddo dim ond am ddilyn gorchmynion a roddwyd iddyn nhw ar y pryd i amddiffyn ein rhyddid a gwasanaethu ein gwlad. Yn y rhan 'egwyddorion ac ymarfer' o'r canllawiau, er ei fod wedi'i nodi a'i dderbyn bod penderfyniadau cynhwysol yn gwrando ac yn gweithredu ar brofiad cymunedau amrywiol, eto, hoffwn ailadrodd y pwynt nad oes gennym yr un bobl dro ar ôl tro yn gwneud yr un penderfyniadau ar bob plac, pob heneb, a phob coffâd. Mae ehangder o amrywiaeth, lleisiau a phersbectif yn hanfodol wrth wneud penderfyniadau hefyd. Ac rwy'n derbyn y ffaith bod ymgysylltu yn mynd i fod yn hanfodol drwy'r holl brosesau hyn. Fel enghraifft o hyn, yn y broses gynllunio sy'n cael ei defnyddio gan gynghorau lleol, gallai'r prosesau hyn gael y cyfle i gyfoethogi cymunedau, cydlyniant cymdeithasol a safbwyntiau sydd â diddordeb drwy ddod â'r holl safbwyntiau ynghyd ag amcan a rennir o sicrhau bod eu cymuned yn cael ei chlywed drwy addysg a gwybodaeth. Does gennyf ddim amheuaeth y bydd barn gref ar bob ochr, ni waeth pa fath o goffáu a gyflwynir yn y dyfodol, ond mae angen i ni sicrhau nad ydym yn aberthu barn un gymuned o blaid un arall, a allai yn ei dro achosi rhaniadau pellach o fewn y cymunedau hynny. Felly, fy nghwestiwn olaf fyddai: o ystyried y dull cytbwys gofalus sydd ei angen i sicrhau nad oes unrhyw gymuned yn cael ei hepgor, pa waith ymgysylltu pellach y gallech chi fod yn ei wneud, Gweinidog, gyda rhanddeiliaid i roi cyfle i bob cymuned gyfranogi yn y broses hon? Diolch.