English: I'd like to begin my contribution to this debate as Minister for children by paying tribute to the work of the former Cabinet Secretary, Carl Sargeant. Carl was passionately committed to improving life for children and young people across Wales, determined to make a positive difference to their well-being and their prospects for the future. He realised the devastating impact of adverse childhood experiences and the importance of prevention and intervention. He supported the ACEs hub, and he introduced the Children First areas to bring people and organisations together to improve people's lives. He was passionate about the need to tackle the disadvantages faced by looked-after children and care leavers, introducing the St David's Day fund and pressing public bodies to recognise their responsibilities as corporate parents. He worked hard to promote positive parenting and prepare the way for legislation on physical punishment of children, and he worked tirelessly to ensure that the rights of children and young people were always recognised and respected across Government. I will do all I can to honour and continue his excellent work and unwavering commitment to children and young people, in his memory. As a Government, we want all children in Wales to have the best possible start in life. The early years are a key priority within our programme for government and our national strategy 'Prosperity for All'. We are focused on making a positive difference to the health, the well-being, the educational outcomes and the prospects for the future of all children and young people. However, they cannot be considered in isolation. Their well-being and family outcomes are inextricably linked with those of parents, families and communities. Through working collaboratively and listening to the voices of children themselves, and of young people themselves, we can bring about real and sustainable change. It is important that we have this regular, meaningful debate on our achievements so far in Wales regarding children's rights, but we should not stop there. We need to continue to make progress not just as a Welsh Government, but by working collaboratively across the public and the third sectors, and within our communities, including with children and young people. I believe it is vital to have an impartial and independent voice for children and young people in Wales - one that can promote and safeguard their interests, and challenge the work of Government and others through the lens of children's rights. We have this now in the office of the Children's Commissioner for Wales, and I look forward to meeting with her soon to discuss how we can work together. In her annual report, the commissioner has highlighted her achievements in the first year of her three-year strategic plan, in terms of project and core work. This includes 528 individual cases handled by the commissioner's independent investigations and advice service. While the rest of this debate is likely to focus on the commissioner's recommendations on general policies and programmes for children, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the importance of the service that she and her office provides for individual children and young people who need assistance. In this year's annual report, the commissioner has presented 19 recommendations. Fourteen relate to providing children with what they need, such as education, healthcare and extra help if they are disabled, and five relate to protection, ensuring that they're safe from harm. As a Government, we share substantial common ground with the commissioner. We have and we will continue to work collaboratively with her and others for the benefit of children and young people. In the last year, for example, we have worked with the commissioner and the Welsh Local Government Association to improve transition for care leavers. The positive work in this area has been acknowledged in the report. We are delivering on our commitment to transform the system for supporting children and young people with additional learning needs. The Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill has children's rights at its very foundation. The new system will put children and young people at the heart of a person-centred process where everybody works together for their benefit. Subject to the Assembly passing the Bill over the coming weeks, it should receive Royal Assent early in 2018. Our focus will then shift fully to implementation, and we'll continue to work with the commissioner to ensure that the new system fully reflects a rights-based approach. The First Minister will publish his response to the commissioner's report, including the recommendations for the Welsh Government, on or before 30 November, so Members will understand if I won't be detailing our response during today's debate. But it is important that we work together to maximise all of the opportunities to improve outcomes for children and young people that are afforded through our programmes, especially those that target the early years. The evidence around adverse childhood experiences - ACEs - shows the importance of prevention and early identification and intervention, and why we need to work collaboratively to ensure that all children in Wales have the best possible start to life. The current focus on ACEs does not mean, however, that we are no longer concerned about the impact of other areas of disadvantage upon children, particularly those of neglect and poverty, and I will continue to focus on delivering for children and young people.
Welsh: Hoffwn i agor fy nghyfraniad i'r ddadl hon fel y Gweinidog dros blant drwy roi teyrnged i waith cyn-Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, Carl Sargeant. Roedd Carl yn daer dros wella bywyd plant a phobl ifanc ledled Cymru, yn benderfynol o wneud gwahaniaeth cadarnhaol i'w lles nhw ac i'w gobeithion nhw i'r dyfodol. Roedd ef yn sylweddoli yr effaith ddinistriol a gaiff profiadau andwyol plentyndod a phwysigrwydd atal ac ymyrryd. Cefnogodd y ganolfan ar gyfer Profiadau Niweidiol yn ystod Plentyndod, a chyflwynodd ardaloedd Plant yn Gyntaf i ddod â phobl a sefydliadau at ei gilydd i wella bywydau pobl. Roedd yn daer o blaid yr angen i fynd i'r afael â'r anfanteision sy'n wynebu plant sy'n derbyn gofal a phlant sy'n gadael gofal, gan gyflwyno'r gronfa Dydd Gŵyl Ddewi a phwyso ar gyrff cyhoeddus i gydnabod eu cyfrifoldebau fel rhieni corfforaethol. Gweithiodd yn galed i hyrwyddo rhianta cadarnhaol i blant a pharatoi'r ffordd i'r deddfwriaeth ar gosbi plant yn gorfforol. Gweithiodd yn ddiflino i sicrhau bod hawliau plant a phobl ifanc yn cael eu cydnabod a'u parchu bob amser ledled y Llywodraeth. Byddaf yn gwneud popeth yn fy ngallu i anrhydeddu a pharhau gyda'i waith rhagorol a'i ymrwymiad cadarn i blant a phobl ifanc, er cof amdano. Fel Llywodraeth, rydym yn awyddus i bob plentyn yng Nghymru gael y cychwyn gorau posib mewn bywyd. Mae'r blynyddoedd cynnar yn flaenoriaeth allweddol yn ein rhaglen lywodraethu ac yn ein strategaeth genedlaethol 'Ffyniant i Bawb'. Rydym yn canolbwyntio ar wneud gwahaniaeth cadarnhaol i iechyd, lles, canlyniadau addysgol a rhagolygon y dyfodol i'r holl blant a phobl ifanc. Serch hynny, ni ellir eu hystyried ar wahân. Mae cyswllt anorfod rhwng eu canlyniadau nhw o ran llesiant a theuluoedd â chanlyniadau rhieni, teuluoedd a chymunedau. Drwy weithio ar y cyd a gwrando ar leisiau'r plant eu hunain, ac ar y bobl ifanc eu hunain, gallwn sicrhau newid gwirioneddol a chynaliadwy. Mae'n bwysig inni gael y ddadl ystyrlon, reolaidd hon ar ein cyflawniadau yng Nghymru hyd yn hyn o ran hawliau plant, ond ni ddylai pethau ddod i ben yma. Mae angen inni barhau i wneud cynnydd nid yn unig yn Llywodraeth Cymru, ond drwy weithio ar y cyd â'r cyhoedd a'r trydydd sector, ac o fewn ein cymunedau, gan gynnwys gyda phlant a phobl ifanc. Credaf ei bod yn hanfodol fod plant a phobl ifanc Cymru yn cael llais diduedd ac annibynnol - un a all hyrwyddo a diogelu eu buddiannau, ac sy'n herio gwaith y Llywodraeth ac eraill drwy lygaid hawliau plant. Mae hyn bellach yn bodoli yn swyddfa Comisiynydd Plant Cymru, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at gyfarfod â hi cyn bo hir i drafod sut y gallwn ni weithio gyda'n gilydd. Yn ei hadroddiad blynyddol, mae'r Comisiynydd wedi pwysleisio ei chyflawniadau ym mlwyddyn gyntaf ei chynllun strategol tair blynedd, o ran gwaith prosiect a gwaith creiddiol. Mae hyn yn cynnwys 528 o achosion unigol a gafodd eu trin gan ymchwiliadau annibynnol y Comisiynydd a'r gwasanaeth cynghori. Er bod gweddill y ddadl hon yn debygol o ganolbwyntio ar argymhellion y Comisiynydd ar bolisïau cyffredinol a rhaglenni ar gyfer plant, hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i gydnabod pwysigrwydd y gwasanaeth y mae hi a'i swyddfa'n ei ddarparu i blant a phobl ifanc unigol sydd ag angen cymorth. Yn adroddiad blynyddol eleni, mae'r Comisiynydd wedi cyflwyno 19 o argymhellion. Mae pedwar ar ddeg ohonynt yn ymwneud â rhoi i blant yr hyn sydd ei angen arnyn nhw, fel addysg, gofal iechyd a chymorth ychwanegol os ydyn nhw'n anabl. Mae pump ohonynt yn ymwneud â diogelwch, gan sicrhau eu bod yn ddiogel rhag niwed. Fel Llywodraeth, rydym i raddau helaeth iawn ar dir cyffredin gyda'r Comisiynydd. Rydym wedi cydweithio gyda hi ac eraill er budd plant a phobl ifanc a byddwn yn parhau i wneud hynny. Yn y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, er enghraifft, rydym wedi gweithio gyda'r Comisiynydd a Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru i wella trefniadau pontio ar gyfer y rhai sy'n gadael gofal. Cafodd y gwaith cadarnhaol yn y maes hwn ei gydnabod yn yr adroddiad. Rydym yn cyflawni ein hymrwymiad i drawsnewid y system ar gyfer cynorthwyo plant a phobl ifanc sydd ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol. Mae hawliau plant yn gynsail i fodoliaeth i'r Bil Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol a'r Tribiwnlys Addysg (Cymru). Bydd y system newydd yn rhoi plant a phobl ifanc wrth wraidd proses sy'n canolbwyntio ar yr unigolyn lle mae pawb yn gweithio gyda'i gilydd er eu lles. Yn amodol ar y Cynulliad yn pasio'r Bil dros yr wythnosau nesaf, dylai dderbyn Cydsyniad Brenhinol ar ddechrau 2018. Yna bydd ein pwyslais yn symud yn llwyr tuag at ei weithredu, a byddwn yn parhau i weithio gyda'r Comisiynydd i sicrhau bod y system newydd yn adlewyrchu'n llawn ddull sy'n seiliedig ar hawliau. Bydd y Prif Weinidog yn cyhoeddi ei ymateb i adroddiad y Comisiynydd, gan gynnwys yr argymhellion ar gyfer Llywodraeth Cymru, ar neu cyn 30 Tachwedd. Felly bydd yr Aelodau yn deall pam nad wyf i am fanylu ar ein hymateb yn ystod y ddadl heddiw. Ond mae'n bwysig ein bod ni'n gweithio gyda'n gilydd i fanteisio hyd yr eithaf ar y cyfleoedd i wella canlyniadau ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc a ddaw yn sgil ein rhaglenni, yn enwedig y rhai sydd wedi eu cyfeirio tuag at y blynyddoedd cynnar. Mae'r dystiolaeth am Brofiadau Niweidiol yn ystod Plentyndod - ACEs - yn dangos pwysigrwydd atal a nodi'n gynnar ac ymyrryd, a pham mae angen inni weithio ar y cyd i sicrhau bod pob plentyn yng Nghymru yn cael y cychwyn gorau posib i'w fywyd. Nid yw'r pwyslais presennol ar ACEs yn golygu, er hynny, nad ydym yn pryderu mwyach am effaith meysydd eraill o anfantais ar blant, yn enwedig esgeulustod a thlodi, a byddaf yn parhau i ganolbwyntio ar gyflawni ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc.