English: Diolch, Llywydd. We have retabled amendment 26 as this is to help clarify who will be responsible for delivering the childcare offer at the point of national roll-out. The Bill is currently silent on whether it will be the Welsh Government at a central level or our local authorities. While the Bill's regulatory impact assessment mentions that, without the need for legislation, the implementation model delivered by local authorities at the pilot stage could be rolled out nationally. The explanatory memorandum states legislation is needed to create one national application and an eligibility checking system avoiding any differences. Furthermore, the Welsh Government has indicated that its preferred option is to use HMRC as a vehicle to receive and check applications. At Stage 2, I felt that the Minister's response slightly missed the point of this amendment. The Minister noted that there was no gain in restating a duty that local authorities already have, and stated that this existing duty was broader, as it included duties for disabled children and the Welsh language. Whilst I do recognise that, the Bill is still silent about who is responsible for delivering the offer at the national roll-out stage. As a result, the Minister must provide clarity on this matter, as the Bill is meant to be the mechanism by which applications to the childcare offer will be assessed. Currently, HMRC will be responsible for that side of delivering the offer. Therefore, the Minister must confirm whether the Welsh Government or local authorities are to be held ultimately responsible for the administration of this offer. I also cannot stress enough how concerned we are that the vast majority of the childcare offer will be left to the administrative scheme and is not on the face of the Bill. To do so excludes key details, including ages, hours of the offer, how parents can access the childcare offer, and conditions that providers need to meet. Of grave concern is that the administrative scheme outlined by the Minister will have no legal status and no scrutiny procedure for the National Assembly for Wales. Both retabled amendments, 27 and 28, cover conditions providers must meet - amendment 28 - and how they are to be funded - amendment 27 - which are currently left to be determined under the administrative scheme. Some stakeholders who gave evidence to the CYPE committee expressed concern about who would be able to provide the childcare, how payments will be made, and at what hourly rate. The Welsh Local Government Association stated it was necessary to ensure that the roles of local authorities and HMRC are clearly defined in determining post-eligibility arrangements for childcare, so the practical applications of the Bill and the childcare offer are not affected specifically. It was raised that, in England, inconsistencies actually arose after HMRC had checked the eligibility criteria. Contradictory evidence has been given by the Minister and his officials during Stage 1. While the Minister has asserted that the payment system would be developed separately to the eligibility checking system in the Bill, his own officials stated that Welsh Government would have to work out when local authorities need to know information about eligibility to make their decisions on place allocation for early years education. This suggests that eligibility and post-eligibility arrangements are already being linked. During every stage of this Bill the Minister has repeatedly said that he wants flexibility. However, this need for flexibility, by putting much of the offer's eligibility criteria under the administrative scheme, comes at the cost of fundamental scrutiny powers of the National Assembly for Wales. Therefore, it is again welcome that some concessions have been made, but placing the administrative scheme before the CYPE committee in the spring does not mean the same scrutiny processes will be undertaken as it would if it was placed on the face of the Bill. Therefore, more clarity is needed for post-eligibility arrangements to ensure that the new childcare system will operate smoothly. It is clear from the evidence the CYPE committee heard that arranging to pay childcare providers is just as important as ensuring that the application system for the offer is correctly administered. So, I therefore ask Members to support this amendment. Diolch.
Welsh: Diolch, Lywydd. Rydym wedi ailgyflwyno gwelliant 26 fel hyn i helpu i egluro pwy fydd yn gyfrifol am ddarparu'r cynnig gofal plant ar adeg ei gyflwyno'n genedlaethol. Nid yw'r Bil yn dweud dim ar hyn o bryd pa un ai Llywodraeth Cymru ar lefel ganolog neu ein hawdurdodau lleol a fydd yn gwneud hynny. Er bod asesiad effaith rheoleiddiol y Bil yn sôn am hynny, heb yr angen am ddeddfwriaeth, gellid cyflwyno'r model gweithredu a gyflawnir gan awdurdodau lleol ar y cam treialu ar lefel genedlaethol. Mae'r memorandwm esboniadol yn nodi bod angen deddfwriaeth i greu un system genedlaethol ar gyfer ymgeisio a gwirio cymhwysedd sy'n osgoi unrhyw wahaniaethau. At hynny, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dweud mai'r opsiwn y mae'n ei ffafrio yw defnyddio CThEM fel cyfrwng i dderbyn a gwirio ceisiadau. Yng Nghyfnod 2, roeddwn yn teimlo bod ymateb y Gweinidog wedi methu pwynt y gwelliant hwn i raddau. Nododd y Gweinidog nad oedd unrhyw beth i'w ennill drwy ailddatgan dyletswydd sydd gan yr awdurdodau lleol eisoes, a dywedodd fod y ddyletswydd hon sy'n bodoli eisoes yn ehangach, gan ei bod yn cynnwys dyletswyddau ar gyfer plant anabl a'r Gymraeg. Er fy mod yn sylweddoli hynny, nid yw'r Bil yn dweud dim ynglŷn â phwy sy'n gyfrifol am gyflawni'r cynnig ar y cam cyflwyno cenedlaethol. O ganlyniad, rhaid i'r Gweinidog ddarparu eglurder ar y mater hwn, gan mai'r Bil yw'r mecanwaith i fod ar gyfer asesu ceisiadau am y cynnig gofal plant. Ar hyn o bryd, bydd CThEM yn gyfrifol am yr ochr honno o ddarparu'r cynnig. Felly, rhaid i'r Gweinidog gadarnhau ai Llywodraeth Cymru neu awdurdodau lleol sydd i'w dwyn i gyfrif yn y pen draw am weinyddu'r cynnig hwn. Hefyd ni allaf bwysleisio digon pa mor bryderus yr ydym y bydd mwyafrif llethol y cynnig gofal plant yn cael ei adael i'r cynllun gweinyddol a heb fod ar wyneb y Bil. Mae gwneud hynny'n hepgor manylion allweddol, gan gynnwys oedrannau, oriau'r cynnig, sut y gall rhieni fanteisio ar y cynnig gofal plant, a'r amodau sydd angen i ddarparwyr eu bodloni. Mae'n destun pryder mawr na fydd gan y cynllun gweinyddol a amlinellir gan y Gweinidog unrhyw statws cyfreithiol, nac unrhyw weithdrefn graffu ar gyfer Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru. Mae'r ddau welliant a ailgyflwynwyd, sef gwelliannau 27 a 28, yn ymwneud ag amodau sy'n rhaid i ddarparwyr eu bodloni - gwelliant 28 - a sut y maent i gael eu hariannu - gwelliant 27 - materion sy'n cael eu gadael ar hyn o bryd i'w penderfynu o dan y cynllun gweinyddol. Mynegodd rhai rhanddeiliaid a roddodd dystiolaeth i'r Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg eu pryder ynglŷn â phwy fyddai'n gallu darparu'r gofal plant, sut y gwneir taliadau, ac ar ba gyfradd yr awr. Dywedodd Cymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru fod angen sicrhau bod rolau awdurdodau lleol a CThEM wedi eu diffinio'n glir ar gyfer penderfynu ar drefniadau ôl-gymhwysedd ar gyfer gofal plant, felly nid yw gweithrediad ymarferol y Bil a'r cynnig gofal plant wedi'u heffeithio'n benodol. Nodwyd bod anghysondebau wedi codi yn Lloegr wedi i CThEM archwilio'r meini prawf cymhwysedd mewn gwirionedd. Rhoddwyd tystiolaeth a oedd yn gwrthddweud ei hun gan y Gweinidog a'i swyddogion yn ystod Cyfnod 1. Er bod y Gweinidog wedi honni y byddai'r system dalu'n cael ei datblygu ar wahân i'r system wirio cymhwysedd yn y Bil, dywedodd ei swyddogion y byddai'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru ganfod pa bryd y bydd angen i awdurdodau lleol gael gwybodaeth am gymhwysedd er mwyn gwneud eu penderfyniadau ar ddyrannu lleoedd ar gyfer addysg y blynyddoedd cynnar. Mae hyn yn awgrymu bod trefniadau cymhwysedd ac ôl-gymhwysedd eisoes yn cael eu cysylltu. Yn ystod pob cam o'r Bil hwn mae'r Gweinidog wedi dweud dro ar ôl tro ei fod eisiau hyblygrwydd. Fodd bynnag, drwy roi llawer o feini prawf cymhwysedd y cynnig o dan y cynllun gweinyddol, daw'r angen hwn am hyblygrwydd ar draul pwerau craffu sylfaenol Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru. Felly, unwaith eto mae'n galondid fod rhai consesiynau wedi'u gwneud, ond nid yw gosod y cynllun gweinyddol gerbron y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg yn y gwanwyn yn golygu y bydd yr un prosesau craffu yn cael eu cyflawni ag a fyddai pe baent yn cael eu gosod ar wyneb y Bil. Felly, mae angen mwy o eglurder ar gyfer trefniadau ôl-gymhwysedd er mwyn sicrhau y bydd y system gofal plant newydd yn gweithredu'n llyfn. Mae'n amlwg o'r dystiolaeth a glywodd y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg fod trefnu i dalu darparwyr gofal plant lawn mor bwysig â sicrhau y gweinyddir y system ymgeisio ar gyfer y cynnig yn gywir. Felly, gofynnaf i'r Aelodau gefnogi'r gwelliant hwn. Diolch.