English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to take part in this debate. It's slightly strange that the debate is happening during the opposition debate, because we're talking about something that's far beyond party politics. And that's why I've been very happy to be one of those who signed this motion on a cross-party basis. I feel very enthusiastic about the principle of establishing a youth parliament. I remember, when I was in my teens, being fired up by contemporary issues, and debates on the past, present and future of my nation. That was the start of the journey that led to the honour of being elected to the National Assembly itself. Now, looking back, I treasure the opportunities that I had at that time, experiences such as the famous debating society at Ysgol David Hughes in Menai Bridge. We have all kinds of groups across Wales that provide experiences for young people. My daughter gets a great deal of benefit from her work with the Bwrdd Syr IfanC Urdd group, and others are having excellent experiences with the Scouts or the Guides. The young farmers - that's another very important society. I give my best wishes to Laura Elliott, who has had a great deal of experience through the young farmers society and who, partly through that, has been chosen by the Assembly's branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to represent our youth CPA in Victoria in Canada next month. That's an excellent experience for someone so young. We have an opportunity now to create a national forum, a genuine forum, for the young people of Wales, whatever their interests and whatever their background. A report by the inter-parliamentary association two years ago said that there are youth parliaments in around 35 nations - there might be more now, I don't know. There are all kinds of formats for them, and their relationships with the national parliaments in those nations varies. I met an interesting politician from Rwanda around two years ago, again through my work with the Commonwealth. He was a member of the youth parliament of his country, and because of the very formal relationship between the youth parliament and the main parliament, he sat as a representative of young people in the national parliament, amongst the other parliamentary members. After leaving the youth parliament, his interest was fired up, and he went on to be elected as a Member of Parliament. Nick Ramsay spoke about a different model from Australia, where youth Bills are passed on to the Parliament. So, there are all kinds of models. But what about Wales? There is some kind of a belief that we've already had a kind of youth parliament here. We have Young Wales now, and we had Funky Dragon before that. But while I was very critical of the decision to get rid of Funky Dragon, it wasn't a youth parliament, and that's what I want to see in Wales. It was a forum from the Government to consult young people and engage with young people. That was entirely right, and I'm very supportive of that, but in the same way that we're eager to see that the people of Wales don't get confused between the National Assembly and the Welsh Government, it's also important for us to pursue the principle that it's this Senedd, this Parliament, that should lead to a youth parliament. To conclude, there are elements that are held in common by youth parliaments across the world. First of all, they're there to listen to young people and to give them an opportunity to express their opinions. Secondly, they're there to raise awareness amongst young people about their political systems and parliamentary systems that have an effect on their lives. And, thirdly, they're there to empower young people in the hope that giving direct experience of democratic systems will awaken their desire to play a more active part as citizens in their nations. I think, from working according to those principles, we can lay very firm foundations for a youth parliament for Wales.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y cyfle i gael cymryd rhan yn y drafodaeth yma. Mae'n od, braidd, bod y drafodaeth yn digwydd yn amser dadl wrthblaid, achos rydym yn sôn yn fan hyn am rywbeth, wrth gwrs, sydd ymhell y tu hwnt i wleidyddiaeth plaid. A dyna pam fy mod i wedi bod yn hapus iawn i fod yn un o'r rhai i arwyddo'r cynnig yma yn drawsbleidiol. Rwy'n teimlo'n frwd iawn dros yr egwyddor o sefydlu senedd ieuenctid. Rwy'n cofio pan oeddwn i yn fy arddegau fy hun yn cael fy nhanio gan faterion cyfoes, yn cael fy neffro gan drafodaethau ar orffennol, presennol a dyfodol fy ngwlad. Mi oedd o'n ddechrau'r daith, mae'n siŵr, a arweiniodd at yr anrhydedd o gael fy ethol i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol fy hun. Rŵan, o edrych yn ôl, rwy'n trysori'r cyfleon a gefais i bryd hynny, profiadau fel y gymdeithas ddadlau enwog yn fy hen ysgol i, Ysgol David Hughes ym Mhorthaethwy. Mae gennym ni, wrth gwrs, bob math o grwpiau ar draws Cymru sy'n rhoi profiadau i bobl ifanc. Mae fy merch i yn cael budd mawr o'i gwaith efo Bwrdd Syr IfanC efo'r Urdd ar hyn o bryd. Mae eraill yn cael profiadau gwerthfawr efo'r sgowtiaid neu'r Guides. Mae mudiad y ffermwyr ifanc yn un arall pwysig iawn. Yn fan hyn, mi wnaf ddymuno'n dda i Laura Elliott, un sydd wedi cael llawer o brofiad efo'r ffermwyr ifanc ac sydd, drwy hynny yn rhannol, wedi cael ei dewis gan gangen y Cynulliad o Gymdeithas Seneddol y Gymanwlad i'n cynrychioli yn senedd ieuenctid y Gymanwlad yn Victoria yng Nghanada fis nesaf. Dyna werth profiad i rywun pan yn ifanc. Mae gennym ni gyfle rŵan, wrth gwrs, i greu fforwm cenedlaethol go iawn i bobl ifanc Cymru, beth bynnag yw eu diddordebau nhw, beth bynnag fo'u cefndir. Mae adroddiad gan yr undeb ryng-seneddol o ryw ddwy flynedd yn ôl yn dweud wrthym ni fod yna seneddau ieuenctid yn bodoli mewn rhyw 35 o wledydd - mae'n bosibl bod yna fwy erbyn hynny, wn i ddim. Mae yna bob mathau o ffurfiau iddyn nhw, ac mae eu cyswllt nhw â seneddau cenedlaethol y gwledydd hynny yn amrywio. Mi wnes i gyfarfod â gwleidydd difyr iawn o Rwanda ryw ddwy flynedd yn ôl, eto drwy fy ngwaith i efo'r Gymanwlad. Mi fu o yn aelod o senedd ieuenctid ei wlad o, ac oherwydd perthynas ffurfiol iawn rhwng y senedd ieuenctid a'r brif senedd, mi oedd o'n eistedd fel cynrychiolydd yr ieuenctid ar y senedd genedlaethol ymhlith yr aelodau seneddol eraill. Ar ôl gadael y senedd ieuenctid, mi oedd ei ddiddordeb o wedi'i danio ac mi aeth o'n ei flaen i gael ei ethol yn Aelod Seneddol. Soniodd Nick Ramsay wedyn am fodel gwahanol o Awstralia, lle mae Biliau ieuenctid yn cael eu pasio ymlaen i'r Senedd. Felly, mae yna bob math o fodelau, ond beth am Gymru? Mae yna ryw gred bod rhyw fath o senedd ieuenctid wedi bod gennym ni yn barod yma. Mae Cymru Ifanc gennym ni rŵan, a'r Ddraig Ffynci cyn hynny. Tra roeddwn i'n feirniadol iawn o'r penderfyniad disymwth i gael gwared ar y Ddraig Ffynci, nid senedd ieuenctid oedd hi, a dyna rwyf i yn dymuno ei weld. Fforwm oedd o gan y Llywodraeth i gydgysylltu â phobl ifanc. Mae hynny'n hollol iawn, ac rwy'n gefnogol iawn i hynny, ond, yn yr un ffordd â'n bod ni'n eiddgar i sicrhau nad yw pobl Cymru yn cymysgu rhwng y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol a Llywodraeth Cymru, mae hi'n bwysig iawn inni ddilyn yr egwyddor mai y Senedd yma ddylai esgor ar senedd ieuenctid. Mae yna elfennau, i gloi, sy'n gyffredin i seneddau ieuenctid drwy'r byd. Yn gyntaf, maen nhw yno i wrando ar bobl ifanc a rhoi cyfle iddyn nhw fynegi barn. Yn ail, maen nhw yno i godi ymwybyddiaeth ymhlith pobl ifanc am eu systemau gwleidyddol a seneddol sy'n effeithio ar eu bywydau nhw. Ac, yn drydydd, maen nhw yno i rymuso pobl ifanc yn y gobaith y bydd rhoi profiadau uniongyrchol o'r systemau democrataidd yn deffro eu hawydd nhw i chwarae rhan yn fwy gweithgar fel dinasyddion yn eu gwledydd. Rwy'n meddwl, o weithredu'r egwyddorion yna, y gallem osod seiliau cadarn iawn i senedd ieuenctid i Gymru.