English: May I thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement, and reiterate the thanks to Professor Diamond and the group that has been preparing this report and the recommendations? I welcome your statement. It's good to see the process moving towards implementation of those recommendations. That is something I'm sure we would all welcome. I also welcome the central point that you highlighted there, namely that full-time, part-time and postgraduate study will be considered equally, and will have access to similar support, and that will create a more comprehensible landscape for many people, where very often there has been some divergence, which can lead to confusion and complexity. I welcome many aspects, particularly the pilot that you mentioned to look at the practicality of extending support to students studying in the European Union. That is certainly in keeping with one of the policy demands of Plaid Cymru in the election some months ago, and perhaps you could expand a little on how you intend to introduce that pilot. I also welcome the commitment that you've given in your report to vocational and technical education at a higher level. Of course, there is a feeling in this Assembly that we do need to enhance the status of vocational education across the spectrum, and I assume that this is the first of many steps in order to achieve that, and that is to be welcomed. I also welcome the fact that you are looking at a Welsh model of the Student Loans Company, because the current situation I feel is a barrier to movement at the pace that we would like to see, and it makes it difficult for us in Wales to respond to a changing environment because of external forces, and it does create a difficult situation. It is a significant announcement, in many ways, and, as we are talking about scoping alternative options at the moment, perhaps you could expand on any more detailed timetables that you have in mind. Moving toward monthly payment and support for those with specific needs are all aspects to be welcomed. You've stated, and you've stated previously, that you want to continue to look at the level of fees that HE institutions can charge here in Wales, which has been capped at £9,000 at the moment, or £9,250, of course, in England. In light of financial challenges - and we are very aware of those challenges - and the fact that the institutions are operating in a competitive market, could you actually tell us what factors will influence your considerations when you look at the fee level that you have in place? Because there is a risk that the funding gap between institutions in Wales and England could widen. There's a possible perception that the quality of courses in Wales - that because they're cheaper they're not as good, and some would say that there may be a competitive advantage to having different fees. Who knows? But, essentially, do you think that it's inevitable, because of the current climate, that, if they do increase fees in England at some point, they will have to be increased in Wales, or are you considering alternative models? Because it's difficult to see how you can withstand such a move, in many ways. Now, of course, it wouldn't be a statement on the Diamond report unless I raised the need to actually attract students back to Wales and to retain Welsh students here and the need to create incentives. You say in your response to the recommendations that you will continue to look at the options and encourage ideas, encouraging people to respond to the consultation. But, in looking at the consultation document, there is no specific reference to creating incentives to attract students back to Wales, as far as I can see. So, I don't know if that's an error, or whether you intend to create some sort of separate consultation process for that. Perhaps you could tell us. Finally, the focus of the debate on sustainability has been looked at through a financial prison, mainly. Can I ask you what consideration has been given to the access points tariff to HE institutions in Wales? Has the Government actually carried out any analysis of this and is there any broader significance to this for the sector? Because most have seen a decline in this metric, with three of our institutions now with an average of less than 300, against a background where A-level results are going in the other direction. I'd be interested to know what influence that is having on the sustainability of the sector.
Welsh: A gaf i ddiolch i chi, Ysgrifennydd Cabinet, am eich datganiad ac ategu'r diolch eto, wrth gwrs, i'r Athro Diamond a'r grŵp fuodd wrthi yn paratoi'r adroddiad a'r argymhellion? Rwy'n croesawu eich datganiad chi. Mae'n dda gweld y broses nawr yn symud at weithredu'r argymhellion. Mae hynny yn rhywbeth rwy'n siŵr y byddem ni i gyd yn ei groesawu. Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu'r pwynt canolog yr oeddech chi'n ei danlinellu nawr, sef bod astudio llawn-amser, rhan-amser ac ôl radd yn mynd i gael eu hystyried yn gydradd ac yn mynd i gael mynediad at gefnogaeth debyg i'w gilydd a bod hynny yn mynd i greu tirlun tipyn yn haws i'w ddeall hefyd i nifer o bobl lle, yn aml iawn, mae amrywiaeth wedi bod sy'n arwain at ddryswch a chymhlethdodau. Rwy'n croesawu nifer o agweddau, yn arbennig y peilot rydych chi'n sôn amdano i edrych ar ymarferoldeb ymestyn y gefnogaeth i fyfyrwyr sy'n astudio yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Yn sicr, mae hynny yn gydnaws ag un o alwadau polisi Plaid Cymru yn yr etholiad rai misoedd yn ôl. Efallai y byddwch chi'n gallu ymhelaethu ychydig ynglŷn â sut rydych chi'n bwriadu ceisio cyflwyno'r peilot yna. Rwy'n croesawu hefyd yr ymrwymiad rydych chi wedi'i roi yn yr adroddiad i addysg alwedigaethol a thechnegol uwch. Mae yna deimlad yn y Cynulliad y tro yma fod angen inni godi statws addysg alwedigaethol ar draws y sbectrwm. Rwy'n cymryd mai'r cam cyntaf mewn nifer o gamau yw hynny, ac mae hynny i'w groesawu. Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu eich bod chi'n edrych ar fodel Cymreig o'r Cwmni Benthyciadau Myfyrwyr, oherwydd mae'r sefyllfa bresennol, rwy'n teimlo, yn llesteirio symud ar y cyflymdra y byddem ni'n licio ei weld. Mae'n gwneud hi'n anodd i ni, yma yng Nghymru, i ymateb i amgylchfyd sydd yn gallu newid oherwydd dylanwadau allanol, ac mae'n creu sefyllfa anodd. Mae'n gyhoeddiad arwyddocaol, wrth gwrs, mewn sawl ffordd, ac efallai, gan mai sôn am sgopio opsiynau amgen rydych chi ar hyn o bryd, efallai y byddwch chi'n gallu ymhelaethu ynglŷn ag unrhyw amserlenni mwy manwl sydd gyda chi mewn golwg. Mae symud i daliadau misol a chefnogaeth i rhai ag anghenion penodol i gyd hefyd yn agweddau i'w croesawu. Rydych chi'n dweud, wrth gwrs, ac rydych chi wedi dweud cyn hyn, eich bod chi am barhau i edrych ar lefel y ffioedd y mae sefydliadau addysg uwch yn cael eu codi yma yng Nghymru - wedi'i phennu ar £9,000 ar hyn o bryd, neu £9,250, wrth gwrs, yn Lloegr. Yn wyneb heriau ariannol difrifol - rŷm ni'n ymwybodol o hynny - ac yn wyneb y ffaith bod y sefydliadau yma yn gweithredu mewn marchnad gystadleuol iawn, a allwch chi, efallai, rannu gyda ni pa ffactorau fydd yn dylanwadu ar eich ystyriaethau chi pan fyddwch chi'n edrych ar lefel y ffioedd yr ydych yn eu pennu? Oherwydd mae yna berygl - rydym ni'n ymwybodol ohono - fod y bwlch cyllido rhwng y sefydliadau yng Nghymru ac yn Lloegr yn agor. Mae yna bosibiliad y bydd yna ganfyddiad, efallai, fod ansawdd y cyrsiau yng Nghymru, oherwydd eu bod nhw'n rhatach, ddim cystal. Byddai ambell un, efallai, yn dweud y byddai mantais gystadleuol o gael ffioedd gwahanol - pwy a ŵyr? Yn ei hanfod, a ydych chi'n credu ei bod hi'n anochel, oherwydd yr hinsawdd yr ydym ni ynddi, os ydyn nhw yn codi ffioedd yn Lloegr, ar ryw bwynt bod yn rhaid iddyn nhw godi yng Nghymru, neu a ydych chi'n ystyried modelau amgen? Oherwydd mae'n anodd gweld, i bob pwrpas, sut mae modd gwrthsefyll hynny, mewn sawl ffordd. Wrth gwrs, ni fyddai'n ddatganiad ar adroddiad gan yr Athro Diamond oni bai fy mod i'n codi'r angen i ddenu myfyrwyr yn ôl i Gymru, ac i gadw'r myfyrwyr sydd yn astudio yng Nghymru yma, a'r angen i greu cymhelliad. Rydych chi'n dweud, wrth gwrs, yn eich ymateb i'r argymhellion eich bod chi'n parhau i edrych ar yr opsiynau, yn annog syniadau ac yn annog pobl i ymateb i'r ymgynghoriad. Ond, wrth edrych ar y ddogfen ymgynghorol, nid oes cyfeiriad penodol at greu cymhelliad i ddenu myfyrwyr yn ôl i Gymru, hyd y gwelaf i. Nid wyf yn gwybod a yw hynny'n gamgymeriad, neu a ydych chi'n bwriadu, efallai, creu rhyw fath o broses ymgynghorol ar wahân - mae'n bosibl y gallwch chi ddweud wrthym ni. Yn olaf, mae'r drafodaeth, neu ffocws y drafodaeth, ar gynaliadwyedd wedi bod yn un ariannol - yn bennaf, beth bynnag. A gaf i ofyn pa ystyriaeth sydd wedi'i roi i'r tariff pwyntiau mynediad i sefydliadau addysg uwch yng Nghymru? A yw'r Llywodraeth wedi gwneud unrhyw ddadansoddiad ar hyn ac unrhyw arwyddocâd ehangach hynny i'r sector? Mae'r rhan fwyaf wedi gweld dirywiad yn y metrig yma, gyda tri o'n sefydliadau ni nawr â chyfartaledd o dan 300, a hynny, wrth gwrs, yn erbyn cefndir lle mae canlyniadau lefel A yn mynd i'r cyfeiriad arall. Byddai gennyf ddiddordeb i wybod pa ddylanwad y mae hynny'n ei gael ar gynaliadwyedd y sector.