English: Witnesses raised serious concerns about the workforce in this important sector in a number of ways. We have, for example, highly-skilled individuals who will find it easy to find other work, and may be permanently lost to the Welsh language sector. The Urdd highlighted the issue that qualified youth workers who could work through the medium of Welsh are worth their weight in gold, but they can, of course, also work through the medium of English, and they can also work across the border. They are very concerned about not being able to retain that workforce. Another vital aspect that witnesses highlighted to us was the fact that these institutions and organisations often provide good-quality jobs in local communities where good work can be hard to find, and that they play an important role in maintaining Welsh as a community language. For this reason, we have recommended that Welsh Government should ensure that jobs that support and promote the Welsh language across Wales are central to its economic recovery plan. We heard a lot from witnesses about the impact of work going online, and there were huge successes. The Urdd, in place of the real-life Eisteddfod, hosted performances from homes and gardens of competitors. Seven thousand people took part and there were 27 broadcast hours. Tafwyl, our much-loved Cardiff festival, again went online and achieved a global audience of 8,000 people. The National Eisteddfod, Eisteddfod AmGen, an incredible achievement - 360,000 international viewers across the world, and Merched y Wawr created podcasts that had 10,000 views in their first six weeks. Now, this was indeed a huge achievement, but there are issues. Witnesses highlighted to us that there are people who may not have the digital skills, and Merched y Wawr were running programmes to try and encourage that. That becomes very difficult with social distancing, of course. There are issues with access to equipment and to appropriate equipment, as well as knowing how to use it and, of course, the perennial issue, of which I know the Minister is aware, of the access to broadband, which is particularly stark in rural communities. Of course, many of our communities where Welsh is a natural language are those rural communities. That's why we've recommended that the Welsh Government updates its Welsh language technology plan, taking into account the successes but also looking at what now needs to be done. And we've also recommended that funding and training be made available to the Welsh language sector to ensure that the digital successes that they have achieved can be built on, and that others are able to access that. Witnesses were clear, though, despite the online achievements, that online work is not a substitute. We heard very good things about the number of people learning Welsh online, but the point will come when those people want to use that Welsh face to face with real people. The organisations were all clear that they want to get back to face-to-face provision, and it's very important that they're maintained through this difficult time so that they will be there. The committee is unanimous and feels very strongly about that. We cannot allow our crucial institutions to be terminally weakened. It's interesting and not surprising that our findings and recommendations are reflected in the findings of the sub-group of the Welsh language partnership council that were looking at the effect of COVID on Welsh-language community groups. And I look forward to the Welsh Government's formal response to their recommendations as well as to ours. Llywydd, this will be my last opportunity to speak in this Chamber as the acting Chair of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee. It's been a huge privilege to serve our Parliament in this role, and I want to express my gratitude to my fellow Members who've been incredibly helpful and supportive, to all of those who've given evidence. And especially, I want to thank our remarkable staff who have done sterling work, enabling us to effectively scrutinise the Government through this incredibly difficult time. I also want to thank all the Commission staff, Llywydd. It's remarkable the way in which they've been able to get us online and enable us to function as a Parliament at a time when we might have thought that that would be impossible. I look forward to welcoming Bethan Sayed back to her role as Chair in the new year, and to continuing to serve as a member of the committee. I look forward to the debate this afternoon, and to responding.
Welsh: Mynegodd tystion bryderon difrifol am y gweithlu yn y sector pwysig hwn mewn nifer o ffyrdd. Er enghraifft, mae gennym unigolion medrus iawn a fydd yn ei chael yn hawdd dod o hyd i waith arall, ac a allai gael eu colli'n barhaol i sector y Gymraeg. Tynnodd yr Urdd sylw at y broblem fod gweithwyr ieuenctid cymwysedig a allai weithio drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg yn werth eu pwysau mewn aur, ond gallant weithio drwy gyfrwng y Saesneg hefyd wrth gwrs, a gallant hefyd weithio dros y ffin. Maent yn pryderu'n fawr na allant gadw'r gweithlu hwnnw. Agwedd hanfodol arall y tynnodd tystion sylw ati oedd y ffaith bod y sefydliadau a'r mudiadau hyn yn aml yn darparu swyddi o ansawdd da mewn cymunedau lleol lle gall fod yn anodd dod o hyd i waith da, a'u bod yn chwarae rhan bwysig yn cynnal y Gymraeg fel iaith gymunedol. Am y rheswm hwn, rydym wedi argymell y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru sicrhau bod swyddi sy'n cefnogi ac yn hyrwyddo'r Gymraeg ledled Cymru yn ganolog i'w chynllun adferiad economaidd. Clywsom lawer gan dystion am effaith gwaith yn mynd ar-lein, a chafwyd llwyddiannau enfawr. Cynhaliodd yr Urdd, yn lle'r Eisteddfod go iawn, berfformiadau o gartrefi a gerddi cystadleuwyr. Cymerodd saith mil o bobl ran ac roedd 27 awr o ddarlledu. Aeth Tafwyl, ein gŵyl boblogaidd yng Nghaerdydd, ar-lein unwaith eto a chyrraedd cynulleidfa fyd-eang o 8,000 o bobl. Roedd yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, Eisteddfod AmGen, yn gyflawniad anhygoel - 360,000 o wylwyr rhyngwladol ar draws y byd, a chreodd Merched y Wawr bodlediadau a gafodd 10,000 o wrandawyr yn eu chwe wythnos gyntaf. Nawr, roedd hyn yn gyflawniad enfawr yn wir, ond mae yna broblemau. Nododd tystion nad oes gan rai pobl sgiliau digidol, ac roedd Merched y Wawr yn cynnal rhaglenni i geisio annog hynny. Mae hynny'n anodd iawn gyda chadw pellter cymdeithasol, wrth gwrs. Mae problemau gyda mynediad at offer ac offer priodol, yn ogystal â gwybod sut i'w ddefnyddio ac wrth gwrs, problem barhaol mynediad at fand eang wrth gwrs, y gwn fod y Gweinidog yn ymwybodol ohoni, sy'n arbennig o amlwg mewn cymunedau gwledig. Wrth gwrs, y cymunedau gwledig hynny yw llawer o'n cymunedau lle mae'r Gymraeg yn iaith naturiol. Dyna pam rydym wedi argymell bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn diweddaru ei chynllun technoleg iaith Gymraeg, gan ystyried y llwyddiannau ond gan edrych hefyd ar yr hyn sydd angen ei wneud nawr. Ac rydym wedi argymell y dylid sicrhau bod cyllid a hyfforddiant ar gael i sector y Gymraeg er mwyn sicrhau y gellir adeiladu ar y llwyddiannau digidol y maent wedi'u cyflawni, a bod eraill yn gallu cael mynediad at hynny. Roedd tystion yn glir, serch hynny, er gwaethaf y cyflawniadau ar-lein, nad yw gwaith ar-lein yn gwneud y tro yn lle pethau eraill. Clywsom bethau da iawn am nifer y bobl sy'n dysgu Cymraeg ar-lein, ond daw adeg pan fydd y bobl hyn am ddefnyddio'r Gymraeg honno wyneb yn wyneb gyda phobl go iawn. Roedd y sefydliadau i gyd yn glir eu bod am ddychwelyd i ddarpariaeth wyneb yn wyneb, ac mae'n bwysig iawn eu bod yn cael eu cynnal drwy'r cyfnod anodd hwn fel y byddant yno. Mae'r pwyllgor yn unfrydol ac yn teimlo'n gryf iawn am hynny. Ni allwn ganiatáu i'n sefydliadau hanfodol gael eu gwanhau'n derfynol. Mae'n ddiddorol ac nid yw'n syndod fod ein canfyddiadau a'n hargymhellion yn cael eu hadlewyrchu yng nghanfyddiadau is-grŵp cyngor partneriaeth y Gymraeg a oedd yn edrych ar effaith COVID ar grwpiau cymunedol Cymraeg eu hiaith. Ac edrychaf ymlaen at ymateb ffurfiol Llywodraeth Cymru i'w hargymhellion yn ogystal ag i'n hargymhellion ni. Lywydd, efallai mai dyma fydd fy nghyfle olaf i siarad yn y Siambr hon fel Cadeirydd dros dro y Pwyllgor Diwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chyfathrebu. Mae wedi bod yn fraint enfawr i wasanaethu ein Senedd yn y rôl hon, ac rwyf am fynegi fy niolch i fy nghyd-Aelodau sydd wedi bod yn gymorth mawr ac yn gefnogol, ac i bawb sydd wedi rhoi tystiolaeth. Ac yn arbennig, hoffwn ddiolch i'n staff hynod sydd wedi gwneud gwaith rhagorol, yn ein galluogi i graffu'n effeithiol ar y Llywodraeth drwy'r cyfnod anodd hwn. Hoffwn ddiolch hefyd i holl staff y Comisiwn, Lywydd. Mae'n rhyfeddol sut y maent wedi gallu ein cael ar-lein a'n galluogi i weithredu fel Senedd ar adeg pan fyddem wedi meddwl efallai y byddai hynny'n amhosibl. Edrychaf ymlaen at groesawu Bethan Sayed yn ôl i'w rôl fel Cadeirydd yn y flwyddyn newydd, ac at barhau i wasanaethu fel aelod o'r pwyllgor. Edrychaf ymlaen at y ddadl y prynhawn yma, ac at ymateb.