English: Whilst we as a committee have acknowledged that children and young people appear less susceptible to the virus than adults, serious concerns persist. A recent national engagement survey found that nearly 50 per cent of people are very or extremely concerned about children catching COVID-19. The virus has caused considerable concern for children also. Forty-one per cent of children and young people polled by YouGov said they were more lonely than before lockdown, and more than a third said they were more worried, more sad or more stressed. These findings are supported by the Coronavirus and Me survey, which notes that only 37 per cent were not worried. Such data goes to show just how important our work as a committee is, and I've got to pay tribute to our Chair, Lynne Neagle. Referring to the interim report and the letters it contains, I must note my concern at the amount of time it has taken Ministers to respond - the letter dated 12 May answered on 4 and 8 June, the letter dated 27 May answered 30 June. Frustratingly slow action by the Welsh Government is also clear from the content of those responses. On 4 June, the Minister for Education advised that, almost two months since lockdown, the guide for parents of education-other-than-at-school pupils and pupils with ALN had not been published, and the guidance on risk assessments in relation to special educational needs pupils had not been published. I am extremely worried about the impact of COVID-19 on SEN children. The Welsh Government know that providers are facing significant difficulties in meeting needs, particularly in relation to arranging provision specified in a statement. In fact, I wrote an urgent letter to the Minister for Education about SEN children and school transport, highlighting the possibility that the Welsh Government has a transport policy that discriminates by giving mainstream children priority. Almost a month on, I have received a letter from Lee Waters MS advising that he has asked officials to look into the issue and will respond to me again shortly. Equally worrying is the response to committee, dated 13 June. Whilst it is noted that the number of vulnerable children attending school is encouraging, the reality is very different. During the week of 15 June, just 6.3 per cent of all vulnerable children attended school. In fact, I believe the Welsh Government is being slow to support our vulnerable children. As of 30 June, we were advised that it would be 6 July when a guide to support practitioners to identify harm, abuse and neglect would be published. The same day would see the launch of the Together We Can Keep People Safe campaign, and that campaign would only run until 16 August. Why has it taken so long to launch this campaign? We knew the serious issues early on. On 27 March, Childline reported unprecedented demand in the number of counselling sessions. The NSPCC reported that calls about children facing potential emotional abuse rose from 529 to 792 in the first month since lockdown, and I even raised the need for a new online campaign encouraging children and young people to self-refer for counselling if they are struggling, in a virtual meeting - I raised that with Julie Morgan MS. Not enough was done quickly to ensure that children knew where to turn for help. In fact, the national survey by Barnardo's found more than half of children and young people are unhappy with the information available to them. We should listen to their voices and act on the recommendations in the 'Mental Health and COVID-19: In Our Own Words' report. This brings me to the final point I wish to make today - that not enough has been done to protect our children's rights, including the right to education. The Welsh Government must ensure that children's rights impact assessments are carried out, and I maintain that an urgent inquiry should also be established so to consider whether recent decisions have adhered to human rights legislation. We can learn from what has happened since March to provide stronger support for children and young people in the short and long terms, and in particular if there is a second wave of this dreadful virus. Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Er ein bod ni fel Pwyllgor wedi cydnabod bod plant a phobl ifanc yn ymddangos yn llai agored i'r feirws nag oedolion, mae pryderon difrifol yn parhau. Canfu arolwg ymgysylltu cenedlaethol diweddar bod bron i 50 y cant o bobl yn bryderus iawn neu'n bryderus dros ben am blant yn dal COVID-19. Mae'r feirws wedi achosi cryn bryder i blant hefyd. Dywedodd 41 y cant o blant a phobl ifanc a holwyd gan YouGov eu bod nhw'n fwy unig na chyn y cyfyngiadau symud, a dywedodd mwy na thraean eu bod nhw'n fwy gofidus, yn fwy trist neu o dan fwy o straen. Cefnogir y canfyddiadau hyn gan arolwg Coronafeirws a Fi, sy'n nodi mai dim ond 37 y cant oedd heb ofid. Mae data o'r fath yn profi yn union pa mor bwysig yw ein gwaith fel pwyllgor, ac mae'n rhaid i mi dalu teyrnged i'n Cadeirydd, Lynne Neagle. Gan gyfeirio at yr adroddiad interim a'r llythyrau y mae'n eu cynnwys, mae'n rhaid i mi nodi fy mhryder ynghylch faint o amser y mae wedi ei gymryd i Weinidogion ymateb - atebwyd y llythyr dyddiedig 12 Mai ar 4 a 8 Mehefin, ac atebwyd y llythyr dyddiedig 27 Mai ar 30 Mehefin. Mae gweithredu rhwystredig o araf gan Lywodraeth Cymru hefyd yn amlwg o gynnwys yr ymatebion hynny. Ar 4 Mehefin, dywedodd y Gweinidog Addysg, bron i ddau fis ers dechrau'r cyfyngiadau symud, nad oedd y canllaw i rieni disgyblion addysg ac eithrio mewn ysgol a disgyblion ag ADY wedi ei gyhoeddi, ac nad oedd y canllawiau ar asesiadau risg o ran disgyblion ag anghenion addysgol arbennig wedi eu cyhoeddi. Rwy'n bryderus dros ben am effaith COVID-19 ar blant AAA. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwybod bod darparwyr yn wynebu anawsterau sylweddol o ran diwallu anghenion, yn enwedig o ran trefnu darpariaeth a nodir mewn datganiad. Yn wir, ysgrifennais lythyr brys at y Gweinidog Addysg am blant AAA a thrafnidiaeth ysgol, gan dynnu sylw at y posibilrwydd bod gan Lywodraeth Cymru bolisi trafnidiaeth sy'n gwahaniaethu drwy roi blaenoriaeth i blant prif ffrwd. Bron i fis yn ddiweddarach, rwyf i wedi cael llythyr gan Lee Waters AS yn dweud ei fod wedi gofyn i swyddogion ymchwilio i'r mater ac y bydd yn ymateb i mi eto yn fuan. Ac mae'r ymateb i'r pwyllgor, dyddiedig 13 Mehefin yn peri'r un faint o bryder. Er y nodir bod nifer y plant agored i niwed sy'n mynd i'r ysgol yn galonogol, mae'r realiti yn wahanol iawn. Yn ystod wythnos 15 Mehefin, dim ond 6.3 y cant o'r holl blant agored i niwed aeth i'r ysgol. Yn wir, rwy'n credu bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn araf wrth gynorthwyo ein plant agored i niwed. Fe'n hysbyswyd ar 30 Mehefin mai ar 6 Gorffennaf y byddai canllaw i gynorthwyo ymarferwyr i nodi niwed, camdriniaeth ac esgeulustod yn cael ei gyhoeddi. Byddai'r ymgyrch Gyda'n Gilydd Gallwn Gadw Pobl yn Ddiogel yn cael ei lansio ar yr un diwrnod, a byddai'r ymgyrch honno yn para tan 16 Awst yn unig. Pam mae wedi cymryd cyhyd i lansio'r ymgyrch hon? Roeddem ni'n ymwybodol o'r problemau difrifol yn gynnar. Ar 27 Mawrth, adroddodd ChildLine am alw na welwyd ei debyg o'r blaen o ran nifer y sesiynau cwnsela. Dywedodd yr NSPCC bod galwadau am blant yn wynebu cam-drin emosiynol posibl wedi codi o 529 i 792 yn y mis cyntaf ers y cyfyngiadau symud, a chodais i hyd yn oed yr angen am ymgyrch ar-lein newydd yn annog plant a phobl ifanc i hunan-gyfeirio ar gyfer cwnsela os ydyn nhw'n cael trafferth, mewn rhith-gyfarfod - codais hynny gyda Julie Morgan AS. Ni wnaed digon yn ddigon cyflym i sicrhau bod plant yn gwybod i le i droi am gymorth. Yn wir, canfu'r arolwg cenedlaethol gan Barnardo's bod mwy na hanner y plant a'r bobl ifanc yn anhapus gyda'r wybodaeth sydd ar gael iddyn nhw. Dylem ni wrando ar eu lleisiau a gweithredu ar yr argymhellion yn adroddiad 'Mental Health and COVID-19: In Our Own Words'. Daw hyn â mi at y pwynt olaf yr hoffwn ei wneud heddiw - sef nad oes digon wedi cael ei wneud i amddiffyn hawliau ein plant, gan gynnwys yr hawl i addysg. Mae'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru sicrhau bod asesiadau o'r effaith ar hawliau plant yn cael eu cynnal, ac rwy'n credu y dylai ymchwiliad brys gael ei sefydlu hefyd i ystyried a yw penderfyniadau diweddar wedi cydymffurfio â deddfwriaeth hawliau dynol. Gallwn ddysgu o'r hyn sydd wedi digwydd ers mis Mawrth i ddarparu cymorth cryfach i blant a phobl ifanc yn y byrdymor a'r hirdymor, ac yn enwedig os bydd ail don o'r feirws ofnadwy hwn. Diolch yn fawr.