English: Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. We've broken new ground in collaborating on this Bill. It's the first piece of legislation that's part of our co-operation agreement with the Government, and I'm pleased to have been able to represent Plaid Cymru as spokesperson on post-16 education as we scrutinised and amended this Bill in a collaborative and positive manner with you, Minister. Throughout this Bill's legislative journey through the Senedd, we've made a consistent case in favour of strengthening the Bill in regard to Welsh-medium provision in the post-16 sector. We asked for strengthening of the wording on the strategic duty so that the commission encouraged demand for Welsh-medium education, and that promoting Welsh-language research should be added to the commission's duty. We were pleased that the Minister responded to our concerns and stakeholders' views. We as a party were also pleased to support the Minister's amendment at Stage 2, which will now ensure that membership of the proposed commission will include someone with expertise in Welsh-medium education or training. In this regard, having emphasised the important role of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol in the field of planning, and investing in increasing Welsh-language and bilingual provision in the post-compulsory sector, I was pleased that the Minister agreed that the coleg has a role in advising the commission. During Stage 1, the committee heard a number of concerns expressed regarding the proposed commission's relationship with post-16 provision in sixth forms, and we heard of concerns that the Bill could lead to the removal of local accountability for this unique element of education provision, and particularly Welsh-medium education provision. And I'm pleased to have been able to support the Minister's amendments that responded appropriately to these concerns. Plaid Cymru felt that the Bill would have been further strengthened by giving voting rights to the commission's associate members, thus ensuring a stronger voice to the representatives of learners and students and representatives of the workforce, thereby providing them with adequate rights. And I was disappointed that our amendment at Stage 2 was not supported, but I was pleased the Minister tabled an amendment regarding the need for the commission to have a strategic duty to promote collaboration between tertiary education providers and trade unions, in line with the committee's recommendation last week. I think that's been shown to be more important than ever. Bearing in mind the importance of research and innovation to our nation and our universities, I was pleased to receive support for our amendment at Stage 3 that extended academic freedom to include research and innovation activities, as well as the provision of higher education courses. Minister, I know that the sector is particularly interested now in focusing on the implementation of this legislation once it's passed, as the sector has been waiting a long time for these reforms. So, I wonder whether you could confirm whether the Welsh Government can commit to publishing a timetable for implementation before recess? As I conclude, I would like to put on record my thanks to the committee's clerking, research and legal teams. As a new Member I couldn't have done any of this work without them, and I would also like to thank stakeholders for their thorough and detailed work during the scrutiny process. And I would just like to say that I am proud of the constructive collaboration between Plaid Cymru and the Government on this issue and that this constructive engagement has led to the improvement of the legislation during its passage through the Senedd.
Welsh: Diolch am y cyfle i gyfrannu i'r ddadl. Rŷn ni wedi torri tir newydd wrth gydweithio ar y Bil yma. Dyma'r darn cyntaf o ddeddfwriaeth sy'n rhan o'n cytundeb cydweithio ni gyda'r Llywodraeth, a dwi'n falch o fod wedi gallu cynrychioli Plaid Cymru fel y llefarydd dros addysg ôl-16 wrth graffu ar ac wrth wella'r Bil yma mewn modd cydweithredol a chadarnhaol gyda chi, Weinidog. Drwy gydol taith ddeddfwriaethol y Bil hwn drwy'r Senedd, fe wnaethom ni achos cyson dros gryfhau'r Bil wrth ymwneud â darpariaeth y Gymraeg yn y sector ôl-16; gwnaethom ni bwyso am gryfhau geiriad y ddyletswydd strategol fel bod y comisiwn yn annog y galw am addysg Gymraeg, a bod hybu ymchwil cyfrwng Cymraeg yn cael ei ychwanegu at ddyletswyddau'r comisiwn. Roeddwn yn falch i'r Gweinidog ymateb i'n pryderon ac i farn rhanddeiliaid. Roeddem fel plaid hefyd yn falch o gefnogi gwelliant y Gweinidog yng Nghyfnod 2, a fydd nawr yn sicrhau y bydd aelodaeth y comisiwn arfaethedig yn cynnwys arbenigedd mewn perthynas ag addysg neu hyfforddiant cyfrwng Cymraeg. Yn hyn o beth, ar ôl pwysleisio rôl bwysig y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol ym maes cynllunio, a buddsoddi mewn cynyddu darpariaeth Gymraeg a dwyieithog yn y sector ôl-orfodol, roeddwn i'n falch bod y Gweinidog yn cytuno mai rôl y coleg fyddai cynghori'r comisiwn ar hynny. Yn ystod Cyfnod 1, fe glywodd y pwyllgor nifer o bryderon ynghylch perthynas arfaethedig y comisiwn gyda'r ddarpariaeth ôl-16 o fewn dosbarthiadau chwech, ac fe glywsom bryderon y gallai'r Bil arwain at ddileu atebolrwydd lleol am yr elfen unigryw hon o ddarpariaeth addysg, ac o addysg Gymraeg yn arbennig. Ac rwy'n falch o fod wedi gallu cefnogi gwelliannau'r Gweinidog a oedd yn ymateb yn briodol i'r pryderon hyn. Roedd Plaid Cymru yn teimlo y byddai'r Bil wedi ei gryfhau ymhellach drwy roi hawliau pleidleisio i aelodau cyswllt y comisiwn, ac felly sicrhau llais cryfach i gynrychiolwyr dysgwyr a myfyrwyr a chynrychiolwyr o'r gweithlu a rhoi hawliau digonol iddyn nhw. Ac roeddwn i'n siomedig na gefnogwyd ein gwelliant yng Nghyfnod 2, ond roeddwn i'n falch i'r Gweinidog gyflwyno gwelliant am yr angen am ddyletswydd strategol ar y comisiwn i hybu cydweithio rhwng darparwyr addysg drydyddol ac undebau llafur, yn unol ag argymhelliad y pwyllgor yr wythnos diwethaf yma. Dwi'n meddwl bod hynny'n fwy pwysig nag erioed. O ystyried pwysigrwydd ymchwil ac arloesedd i'n cenedl ac i'n prifysgolion, roeddwn i hefyd yn falch o gael cefnogaeth i'n gwelliant yng Nghyfnod 3 a oedd yn ymestyn rhyddid academaidd i weithgareddau ymchwil ac arloesi, yn ogystal â darparu darpariaeth cyrsiau addysg uwch. Weinidog, rwy'n gwybod bod gan y sector ddiddordeb arbennig nawr mewn canolbwyntio ar weithredu'r ddeddfwriaeth hon unwaith iddi basio, gan ei bod wedi aros yn hir am y diwygiadau hyn, ac felly tybed a allwch chi gadarnhau a allai Llywodraeth Cymru ymrwymo i gyhoeddi amserlen weithredu cyn yr egwyl? Hoffwn, wrth gloi, nodi fy niolch i i dîm clercio, ymchwil a chyfreithiol y pwyllgor. Fel Aelod newydd fydden i ddim wedi gallu gwneud dim o'm gwaith i hebddyn nhw, ac rwyf hefyd eisiau diolch i'r rhanddeiliaid am eu gwaith trylwyr a manwl yn ystod y broses graffu. A hoffwn i jest dweud fy mod yn falch o'r cydweithio adeiladol rhwng Plaid Cymru a'r Llywodraeth yn y maes hwn a bod yr ymwneud adeiladol hwnnw wedi arwain at wella'r ddeddfwriaeth yn ystod ei thaith drwy'r Senedd.