English: Let me join, first of all, with Mr Giffard and all colleagues across the Chamber in wishing every luck to the Welsh men's football team this evening. I too am looking forward to watching that game shortly. As Mr Giffard stated, sport does have the power to unite us. That's one of the most fascinating things about sport. Even I, as a frustrated Nottingham Forest fan, can join with Mr Sargeant as a Newcastle United fan to support our country together. And we must acknowledge that, as a country of just over 3 million people, we do continue to punch well above our weight in sport. As we are well aware, and as has already been mentioned, sport and physical activity are exceptional ways of improving people's mental and physical well-being. What's also been shared here this afternoon are the social and economic benefits that sport and physical activity bring to Wales. It is with these holistic benefits in mind that I'd like my brief contribution, Llywydd, to be focused on the role and the opportunity that, yes, grass-roots sport can bring, but in particular, that elite sport can provide across Wales. I would love at this point to be able to declare an interest as an elite athlete, but sadly I cannot - unless, of course, we include foot golf as an elite sport, Llywydd. But within the motion today from Mr Giffard, you'll be aware that, as Welsh Conservatives, we're calling for a Welsh talent sporting fund to support talented Welsh athletes to succeed on the world stage, as well as to improve access to sporting facilities. This is because it's clear that there's so much to gain from investing in elite sports. As we know, it is these sportspeople who often inspire in generation after generation for themselves to partake in sports and activities and, indeed, Mr Irranca-Davies mentioned in his contribution - and thank you for enlightening me on Lynn 'The Leap' - how he was inspired by seeing an elite sportsperson and the medal that Lynn gained. Sadly, though, there is a gap in elite facilities and support, in particular the access for young people from the north of Wales versus what's available in the south of Wales. We do, of course, have Wrexham Association Football Club in north Wales, and my late taid, Hywel Hefin Rowlands, would be very pleased to hear me mention Wrexham football club today, but that is the only professional sports team in north Wales. There's close to a population of 1 million people and just the one professional sports team in the region. And if we looked at rugby as another example, there are four professional regional teams in the south of Wales, but there's yet to be a professional team in the north. That does frustrate me that such concentration of that elite facility and support is, sadly, four or five hours away from many people in the north of Wales. And when it comes to having these professional teams in north Wales and the investment in elite sports facilities in the region, many players and athletes will often see those barriers and will stop either competing or will move across the border to compete in those activities, and that's something that we cannot accept as a Welsh Parliament here this afternoon. North Wales is also at times left behind when it comes to access for spectators and fans. Just recently, we had the football friendlies before the European championships. However, none of those were played in north Wales, and for many of those spectators, actually, for those evening games, there's no public transport in the evenings for them to get back home as well. So, that's something else that should be looked at to encourage people to get involved and be inspired by elite sport. So, to conclude, Llywydd, we are a great sporting nation and have a lot to be proud of. However, a lot more work and co-operation is needed between the responsible organisations, and this includes Governments, to ensure that sport in Wales doesn't become too centralised in south Wales and that it is accessible and representative of all of Wales, including the constituents that I represent in the North Wales region. Our motion today, as Welsh Conservatives, would ensure that this gap between the regions is closed by providing support and investment in those elite sports, as well as grass roots, across the country. I urge all Members to support our Conservative motion and to reject the Government's amendment. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
Welsh: Gadewch imi ymuno, yn gyntaf oll, â Mr Giffard a'r holl gyd-Aelodau ar draws y Siambr i ddymuno pob lwc i dîm pêl-droed dynion Cymru heno. Rwyf innau hefyd yn edrych ymlaen at wylio'r gêm honno cyn bo hir. Fel y dywedodd Mr Giffard, mae gan chwaraeon bŵer i'n huno. Dyna un o'r pethau mwyaf diddorol am chwaraeon. Gallaf innau hyd yn oed, fel un o gefnogwyr rhwystredig Nottingham Forest, ymuno â Mr Sargeant, cefnogwr Newcastle United, i gefnogi ein gwlad gyda'n gilydd. A rhaid inni gydnabod ein bod, fel gwlad o ychydig dros 3 miliwn o bobl, yn parhau i wneud yn llawer gwell na'r disgwyl mewn chwaraeon. Fel y gwyddom yn iawn, ac fel y crybwyllwyd eisoes, mae chwaraeon a gweithgarwch corfforol yn ffyrdd gwych o wella lles meddyliol a chorfforol pobl. Yr hyn sydd hefyd wedi'i rannu yma y prynhawn yma yw'r manteision cymdeithasol ac economaidd y mae chwaraeon a gweithgarwch corfforol yn eu cynnig i Gymru. Gyda'r manteision cyfannol hyn mewn golwg yr hoffwn i fy nghyfraniad byr, Lywydd, ganolbwyntio ar y rôl a'r cyfle y gall chwaraeon llawr gwlad, ond yn fwyaf arbennig, y gall chwaraeon elît eu cynnig ledled Cymru. Byddwn wrth fy modd ar y pwynt hwn pe bawn yn gallu datgan buddiant fel athletwr elît, ond yn anffodus ni allaf - oni bai wrth gwrs ein bod yn cynnwys golff traed fel camp elît, Lywydd. Ond o fewn y cynnig heddiw gan Mr Giffard, fe fyddwch yn ymwybodol ein bod, fel Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, yn galw am gronfa ar gyfer talent o Gymru ym maes chwaraeon i gefnogi athletwyr talentog o Gymru i lwyddo ar lwyfan y byd, yn ogystal â gwella mynediad at gyfleusterau chwaraeon. Y rheswm am hyn yw ei bod yn amlwg fod cymaint i'w ennill o fuddsoddi mewn chwaraeon elît. Fel y gwyddom, y chwaraewyr hyn sy'n aml yn ysbrydoli cenhedlaeth ar ôl cenhedlaeth i gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon a gweithgareddau ac yn wir, soniodd Mr Irranca-Davies yn ei gyfraniad - a diolch ichi am fy ngoleuo ar Lynn 'The Leap' - am y modd y cafodd ei ysbrydoli wrth weld mabolgampwr elît a'r fedal a enillodd Lynn. Yn anffodus, fodd bynnag, ceir bwlch mewn cyfleusterau a chymorth elît, yn enwedig y mynediad i bobl ifanc o ogledd Cymru o gymharu â'r hyn sydd ar gael yn ne Cymru. Wrth gwrs, mae gennym Glwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam yng ngogledd Cymru, a byddai fy niweddar daid, Hywel Hefin Rowlands, yn falch iawn o fy nghlywed yn sôn am glwb pêl-droed Wrecsam heddiw, ond dyna'r unig dîm chwaraeon proffesiynol yng ngogledd Cymru. Mae'r boblogaeth yn agos at 1 filiwn o bobl ac un tîm chwaraeon proffesiynol yn unig a geir yn y rhanbarth. Ac os edrychwn ar rygbi fel enghraifft arall, mae pedwar tîm rhanbarthol proffesiynol yn ne Cymru, ond ni cheir tîm proffesiynol yn y gogledd hyd yma. Rwy'n teimlo'n rhwystredig iawn fod cymaint o'r cyfleusterau a'r gefnogaeth elît bedair neu bump awr i ffwrdd oddi wrth lawer o bobl yng ngogledd Cymru, yn anffodus. Ac o ran cael y timau proffesiynol hyn yng ngogledd Cymru a'r buddsoddiad mewn cyfleusterau chwaraeon elît yn y rhanbarth, bydd llawer o chwaraewyr ac athletwyr yn aml yn gweld y rhwystrau hynny a naill ai'n rhoi'r gorau i gystadlu neu'n symud dros y ffin i gystadlu yn y gweithgareddau hynny, ac mae hynny'n rhywbeth na allwn ei dderbyn fel Senedd Cymru yma y prynhawn yma. Mae gogledd Cymru hefyd yn cael eu gadael ar ôl ar adegau pan ddaw'n fater o fynediad i wylwyr a chefnogwyr. Yn ddiweddar, cawsom y gemau pêl-droed cyfeillgar cyn y bencampwriaeth Ewropeaidd. Fodd bynnag, ni chwaraewyd yr un o'r rheini yng ngogledd Cymru, ac i lawer o'r gwylwyr hynny mewn gwirionedd, ar gyfer y gemau nos hynny, nid oes trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus gyda'r nos iddynt allu dychwelyd adref. Felly, mae hynny'n rhywbeth arall y dylid edrych arno er mwyn annog pobl i gymryd rhan a chael eu hysbrydoli gan chwaraeon elît. Felly, i gloi, Lywydd, rydym yn genedl lwyddiannus mewn chwaraeon ac mae gennym lawer i ymfalchïo ynddo. Fodd bynnag, mae angen llawer mwy o waith a chydweithrediad rhwng y sefydliadau cyfrifol, ac mae hyn yn cynnwys Llywodraethau, i sicrhau na chaiff chwaraeon yng Nghymru eu canoli'n ormodol yn ne Cymru a'u bod yn hygyrch ac yn gynrychioliadol o Gymru gyfan, gan gynnwys yr etholwyr rwy'n eu cynrychioli yn rhanbarth Gogledd Cymru. Byddai ein cynnig heddiw, fel Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, yn sicrhau bod y bwlch hwn rhwng y rhanbarthau yn cael ei gau drwy ddarparu cefnogaeth a buddsoddi mewn chwaraeon elît, yn ogystal â chwaraeon ar lawr gwlad ledled Cymru. Rwy'n annog pob Aelod i gefnogi ein cynnig Ceidwadol ac i wrthod gwelliant y Llywodraeth. Diolch yn fawr iawn.