English: I had the pleasure of going to speak to a group of pupils at Ysgol Glan y Môr, Pwllheli, about 10 days ago - talk about informed, curious and welcoming young people. It was a pleasure to be in their company. Anyway, one of them, Elan Davies, asked me the following question: 'I love sport' - Elan said - 'but I see a lack of equal opportunity for young women. What opportunities do you see for girls in Wales in the world of sport, and beyond this, in their daily lives?' Now, this isn't a political point or political point scoring, but these are the real lived experiences of our young people in rural Wales today, and it speaks to the amendment put forward by Heledd Fychan in a debate here at the Senedd on sport back in June. And Elan is speaking the truth. Shortly after being elected, Porthmadog women's football club contacted me to ask for any support possible to improve the resources available to them in Porthmadog, as they didn't have a 3G pitch, and very often during the winter they had to cancel training sessions and had to go play elsewhere because the pitches were far too muddy. What about swimming? We have excellent swimming clubs in north Wales, and some of the coaches have spoken to me about the incredible talent we have there. But if one reaches the highest level of competition, they have to travel down to Swansea, and their families have to take time off work and pay for accommodation in Swansea for that period of training. And why? Well, because we don't have an Olympic-sized pool in the north of Wales, and such a resource is vital to be able to progress and compete at the highest level. Dwyfor Meirionnydd, and indeed Wales, are very fortunate to have many beautiful beaches, with tides that produce waves and surf that are recognised as being amongst the best for surfing. But to ensure that this local talent can reach the next level, and to see more surfers from Wales competing on the international stage, we must ensure that the coaches are here and that people of all backgrounds can access the sport. The same is true for cycling, be it road cycling or mountain biking, and every other kind. We have a record to be proud of, with new cycling clubs burgeoning following Geraint Thomas's success. I had the privilege of visiting the wonderful Beicio Dyfi centre, Athertons, in my constituency recently, which attracts thousands of people from across the globe, not to mention the excellent work being done by Antur Stiniog or Coed y Brenin in Dwyfor Meirionnydd. We have an extraordinary landscape and natural resources, but it is an expensive process, and many people cannot take up cycling because of their financial circumstances. We must ensure that people can access these sports at an early stage, so that they can try them out, or practice before going on to bigger things having perfected their talent. The most prominent of example of failure, of course, is the failure to establish competitive regional rugby in north Wales, and create a clear pipeline for local talent to be able to develop through the ranks. There are children and young people with all kinds of sporting talents in Wales, from boxing, to swimming, to football, but more often than not the vital resources and facilities haven't been provided to enable these talents to reach their full potential. Of course, the rationale for making this investment is much greater than seeking local prestige and praise. As we heard in the debate on obesity last week, there are a whole host of health benefits to be had from developing sporting facilities in our communities. Now, let's look to Norway for inspiration. Norway has started to produce many successful athletes. Not only are they expected to top the table at the Winter Olympics in Beijing this year, but they have tennis players, golfers, footballers and other sportspeople coming to the fore. How? Because in Norway, they have implemented a policy called 'the joy of sports for all', where children are encouraged to take part in as many sports as possible and the cost of participation kept low by the Government. Furthermore, research from Norway shows that developing sporting programmes in rural areas had attracted young women from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, giving opportunities to them and to people who otherwise would not have received them. So, I welcome the Deputy Minister's recent announcement on the investment of some millions of pounds that will be given, and I look forward to hearing that announcement being reconfirmed today, but what I would like to hear today is whether the Minister will ensure that a fair proportion of this funding will be spent on developing facilities in rural Wales. I'd also like to hear what ambitious plans the Government has to assist in the development of an Olympic-sized swimming pool in north Wales, or a velodrome or a centre for sea sports in our rural areas. What is the Government's aspiration to ensure that there are clear pathways for the children of Wales to be able to pursue their dreams and develop their inherent talents? I would like to hear specifically the Minister's response to Elan's question, namely what opportunities she perceives are there for young women in Wales, and in rural Wales in particular, with regard to sport and beyond that in their daily lives. And finally, will the Deputy Minister join me and Elan on a visit to one of the communities of Dwyfor Meirionnydd - perhaps Pwllheli, Elan's own community - to see the extraordinary talent that we have there, and also to see the need to invest. Thank you.
Welsh: Cefais y pleser o fynd i siarad efo criw o ddisgyblion Ysgol Glan y Môr, Pwllheli, tua 10 niwrnod yn ôl - sôn am bobl wybodus, chwilfrydig a serchog. Roedd hi'n bleser cael bod yn eu cwmni. Ta waeth, dyma un ohonyn nhw, Elan Davies, yn gofyn i fi: 'Dwi wrth fy modd efo chwaraeon' - meddai Elan - 'ond yn gweld diffyg cyfleoedd cyfartal i ferched. Pa gyfleoedd ydych chi'n eu gweld sydd i ferched yng Nghymru ym myd chwaraeon, a thu hwnt i hynny, yn eu bywydau o ddydd i ddydd?' Nid pwynt gwleidyddol er mwyn ennill pwyntiau gwleidyddol oedd hyn gan Elan, ond profiad byw go iawn ein pobl ifanc yng nghefn gwlad Cymru heddiw, ac - a gadewch imi gael y dudalen iawn - mae'n siarad i'r gwelliant a gyflwynodd Heledd Fychan i ddadl yma ar lawr y Senedd ynghylch chwaraeon nôl ym mis Mehefin. Ac mae Elan yn dweud y gwir. Yn fuan ar ôl i mi gael fy ethol, fe gysylltodd clwb pêl-droed merched Porthmadog â fi, a gofyn am unrhyw gymorth posib er mwyn gwella'r adnoddau oedd ar eu cyfer nhw yn Port, gan nad oedd ganddyn nhw gae chwarae 3G, ac yn aml iawn yn y gaeaf roedd yn rhaid atal ymarferion a mynd i chwarae yn rhywle arall gan fod y cae yn llawer yn rhy fwdlyd. Neu beth am nofio? Mae gennym ni glybiau nofio rhagorol yn y gogledd, ac mae rhai o'r hyfforddwyr yn dweud wrthyf fi fod yna dalent aruthrol yn y gogledd. Ond os ydy un ohonyn nhw am gyrraedd safon cystadlu uwch, yna mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw deithio lawr i Abertawe, a'r teulu oll yn gorfod mynd lawr am amser maith dros benwythnos hir a thalu am westy a thalu am aros yn Abertawe ar gyfer cyfnod yr hyfforddi. Pam hynny? Oherwydd nad oes gennym ni bwll nofio maint Olympaidd yn y gogledd, ac mae'n rhaid cael adnodd o'r fath er mwyn medru mynd a chystadlu ar lefel uwch. Mae Dwyfor Meirionnydd, yn wir mae Cymru yn ffodus iawn i gael traethau lu a hardd efo llanw a thrai a surf, ac sydd yn cael eu hadnabod i fod ymhlith y traethau gorau ar gyfer syrffio. Ond er mwyn sicrhau bod y dalent leol yma yn medru cyrraedd y lefel nesaf, a gweld mwy o bobl yn syrffio yng Nghymru ac yn cystadlu ar lefel ryngwladol, mae'n rhaid sicrhau hyfforddwyr ac mae'n rhaid i bobl o bob cefndir gael mynediad i'r gamp. Yn yr un modd, seiclo - boed yn seiclo ffordd neu'n seiclo mynydd, a phob math arall. Mae gennym ni record i ymfalchïo ynddo yma yng Nghymru, gyda chlybiau seiclo newydd wedi datblygu yn sgil llwyddiannau Geraint Thomas. Ces i'r fraint o ymweld â chanolfan ragorol Beicio Dyfi, yr Athertons, yn fy etholaeth yn ddiweddar, sydd yn denu miloedd o bobl ar draws Cymru, heb sôn, wrth gwrs, am y gwaith gwych gan Antur Stiniog neu yng Nghoed y Brenin yn Nwyfor Meirionnydd. Mae gennym ni dirwedd ac adnoddau rhagorol, ond mae'n broses ddrud, ac mae llawer o bobl yn methu â chael mynediad i feicio oherwydd eu hamgylchiadau ariannol. Mae'n rhaid sicrhau bod pobl yn medru cael mynediad i'r meysydd yma i gychwyn, er mwyn cael blas ar y maes, yna'n medru ymarfer, perffeithio'u dawn a mynd ymlaen i bethau mwy. Yr enghraifft amlycaf, wrth gwrs, o'r methiant ydy'r methiant i sefydlu rhanbarth rygbi cystadleuol yn y gogledd, a chreu llwybr clir i dalent leol fedru datblygu drwy'r rhengoedd. Mae yna blant a phobl ifanc efo doniau di-ri yng Nghymru wledig, o baffio, i nofio, i bêl-droed, ond yn amlach na pheidio, dyw'r adnoddau angenrheidiol ddim wedi cael eu rhoi i mewn, a dydy'r doniau yma ddim yn medru cyrraedd eu llawn botensial. Wrth gwrs, mae'r rhesymeg o blaid gwneud y buddsoddiad yma yn fwy o lawer na chwilio am fri a chlod lleol. Fel y clywsom yn y ddadl ar ordewdra yr wythnos diwethaf, mae yna fuddiannau iechyd lu i'w cael o ddatblygu adnoddau chwaraeon yn ein cymunedau gwledig hefyd. Rŵan, gadewch inni edrych ar Norwy am ysbrydoliaeth. Mae Norwy wedi dechrau cynhyrchu llu o athletwyr llwyddiannus. Nid yn unig eu bod nhw'n debygol o guro yn y Gemau Olympaidd y Gaeaf yn Beijing eleni, ond mae ganddyn nhw chwaraewyr tenis, golff, pêl-droed, ac eraill yn dod i'r fei. Sut? Oherwydd yn Norwy maen nhw'n gweithredu polisi 'pleser chwaraeon i bawb' - the joy of sports for all - gyda phlant yn cael eu hannog i gymryd rhan mewn cymaint o chwaraeon â phosib, a phrisiau cymryd rhan yn cael eu cadw'n isel gan y Llywodraeth. Ymhellach i hyn, dengys gwaith ymchwil yn Norwy fod datblygu rhaglenni chwaraeon yn y cymunedau gwledig wedi denu merched ifanc o gefndiroedd sosioeconomaidd difreintiedig, gan roi cyfleon i bobl na fyddai wedi eu cael ffordd arall. Felly, dwi'n croesawu cyhoeddiad y Gweinidog fis diwethaf ynghylch y buddsoddiad o rai miliynau o bunnoedd fydd yn cael ei roi mewn, er enghraifft, meysydd 3G, ac, yn wir, dwi'n disgwyl clywed y datganiad yna'n cael ei gyhoeddi unwaith eto yma heddiw, ond dwi'n gobeithio y gwnaiff y Gweinidog sicrhau bod canran teg o'r pres yma am gael ei wario ar adnoddau yn y cymunedau gwledig. Hoffwn i hefyd glywed pa gynlluniau uchelgeisiol sydd efo'r Llywodraeth er mwyn cynorthwyo â datblygu pwll nofio maint Olympaidd, neu felodrom, neu ddatblygu canolfan ar gyfer chwaraeon yn ymwneud â'r môr yn ein cymunedau gwledig. Beth ydy uchelgais y Llywodraeth er mwyn sicrhau bod yna lwybr clir ar gael i blant Cymru er mwyn medru dilyn eu breuddwydion a datblygu eu doniau cynhenid? Fe hoffwn glywed yn benodol ateb y Gweinidog i gwestiwn Elan: pa gyfleoedd ydych chi'n eu gweld sydd i ferched yng Nghymru, ac yng Nghymru wledig yn enwedig, ym myd chwaraeon a thu hwnt i hynny yn eu bywydau o ddydd i ddydd? Ac yn olaf, a wnaiff y Gweinidog ymuno â fi ac Elan ar ymweliad efo un o gymunedau Dwyfor Meirionnydd - efallai Pwllheli, cymuned Elan ei hun - er mwyn gweld y dalent ryfeddol sydd gennym ni yno, er mwyn gweld yr anghenion buddsoddi? Diolch yn fawr iawn.