English: Thank you for the advanced notice - it's timely, given that we have a debate on further education this time tomorrow also. We've always recognised in Plaid Cymru that, to have a successful highly skilled and productive economy, we need the facilities and the institutions that are world class, competitive with a clear mission and a plan to deliver. And further education is something that needs to be available to everyone throughout their careers and not just at school. So, it's one of the reasons, as part of the most recent budget agreement that Plaid Cymru pushed for, where we could, to secure extra money for FE, although we recognise that it's not enough and we understand the challenges that remain. We do welcome the announcement of funding to allow a pay deal for college lecturers, which is commensurate to those achieved by teachers, and we have been calling for this for some time. It's also good to hear that funding will be available to extend that to FE staff as well, as we know that we have to achieve parity of esteem between vocational and academic qualifications and a fairer pay structure. But I would just like to probe the Minister further. We still know that there's going to be the potential for strike action in December. Do you think that this pay deal will go far enough in relation to the wider workload issues that are facing the sector? So far as the other elements in the statement go, I am puzzled on some of the other announcements. The current funding and allocation framework was put in place in 2013. Today, we have this announcement covering the next few years, but there's no information as to how long colleges can plan ahead based on this announcement. How long a period do you envisage that the announcement today will actually last for? The purpose of the proposed tertiary education and research commission for Wales is to provide oversight, strategic direction and leadership for the post-compulsory education and training sector, so why are you bringing forward piecemeal reform of funding for the sector now, rather than waiting for the commission to be in place to strategically review the needs of the sector? We know, based on the Hazelkorn review and other statements made by the education Secretary, that the whole of the post-16 landscape is being proposed for a major legislative overhaul. Will this mean that these announcements today, in reality, will be up in the air as soon as or if that process begins? Can you give us some more detail on when the wider legislative agenda is being planned for? According to the statement, and I quote: 'College plans that do not reflect the RSP recommendations will not be approved.' You also say that you intend to appoint an independent adviser and to review how we enhance the current arrangements with regional skills partnerships and their ability to have an impact on skills provision. Is the Minister confident that RSPs are equipped to make the right recommendations to colleges to ensure that employers' needs are met in those plans? Some in the sector have told me that they have no real power, no real accountability and no real direction from Welsh Government. It's my understanding that only one of the three RSPs currently have staff. RSPs need to be hardwired into the wider post-16 landscape in the way that they currently are not. Will an independent adviser be able to provide a better way forward? Although, again, I think it's something that could and should be done as part of a wider strategic change in the sector. How, for example, will the John Graystone review be worked into this announcement? They've already reviewed the RSPs - how will you be taking this into regard? There seem to be further reviews into aspects of the uplift to the formula, but I want to understand why you feel that's necessary. Have we had enough reviews in this area, or have they had enough time yet to bed in? I'd like to understand why you've made that decision. My final question is: you've explained in the statement that part-time provision has seen drastic cuts over the last few years, and we would obviously agree with that - not agree with the fact that it's been done but agree with the statement. You say that part-time provision will be prioritised to the proportion of the population who only hold a level 2 qualification. Have you carried out an impact assessment on how this will affect different groups of learners at different levels, and have you discussed this with the sector?
Welsh: Diolch am y rhybudd ymlaen llaw - mae'n amserol, o gofio bod gennym ddadl ar addysg bellach yr un amser yfory hefyd. Rydym ni ym Mhlaid Cymru wedi cydnabod bob amser, er mwyn cael economi lwyddiannus sy'n fedrus a chynhyrchiol, mae angen inni gael y cyfleusterau a'r sefydliadau o'r radd flaenaf, sy'n gystadleuol, gyda neges glir a chynllun i'w gyflawni. Ac mae addysg bellach yn rhywbeth a ddylai fod ar gael i bawb drwy gydol eu gyrfa ac nid yn yr ysgol yn unig. Felly, dyma un o'r rhesymau, fel rhan o gytundeb y gyllideb ddiweddaraf y gwthiodd Plaid Cymru amdano, sef sicrhau arian ychwanegol i addysg bellach, er ein bod yn cydnabod nad yw'n ddigonol ac rydym yn deall yr heriau sy'n parhau. Rydym yn croesawu'r cyhoeddiad o arian i ganiatáu cytundeb cyflog ar gyfer darlithwyr coleg, sy'n gymesur â'r rhai a gafwyd gan athrawon, ac rydym wedi bod yn galw am hynny ers peth amser. Mae'n dda cael clywed hefyd y bydd arian ar gael i ymestyn hynny i staff addysg bellach hefyd, gan y gwyddom fod yn rhaid inni sicrhau parch cyfartal rhwng cymwysterau galwedigaethol ac academaidd a strwythur tâl tecach. Ond hoffwn holi'r Gweinidog ymhellach. Gwyddom y gallai streicio fod yn bosibl ym mis Rhagfyr o hyd. A ydych chi'n credu y bydd y cytundeb cyflog hwn yn mynd yn ddigon pell o ran y materion llwyth gwaith ehangach sy'n wynebu'r sector? A chyn belled ag y mae'r elfennau eraill yn y datganiad yn mynd, rwyf mewn penbleth ynghylch rhai o'r cyhoeddiadau eraill. Cafodd y fframwaith cyllido a dyraniad presennol ei osod ar waith yn 2013. Heddiw, rydym yn clywed y cyhoeddiad hwn sy'n cynnwys yr ychydig flynyddoedd nesaf, ond nid oes unrhyw wybodaeth ynghylch pa mor bell ymlaen y gall colegau gynllunio yn seiliedig ar y cyhoeddiad hwn. Am ba hyd yr ydych chi'n rhagweld y bydd y cyhoeddiad heddiw'n para mewn gwirionedd? Diben y comisiwn ymchwil ac addysg drydyddol arfaethedig ar gyfer Cymru yw bwrw trosolwg a rhoi cyfeiriad strategol ac arweinyddiaeth i'r sector addysg ôl-orfodol a hyfforddiant. Felly pam rydych chi'n cyflwyno'r diwygio cyllid damaid wrth damaid i'r sector nawr, yn hytrach nag aros i'r comisiwn gael ei sefydlu i adolygu anghenion y sector yn strategol? Gwyddom, ar sail adolygiad Hazelkorn a datganiadau eraill a wnaeth yr Ysgrifennydd addysg, mai'r bwriad yw cael diwygiad deddfwriaethol mawr i'r holl dirwedd ôl-16. A fydd hyn yn golygu, mewn gwirionedd, y bydd y cyhoeddiadau hyn heddiw yn amhendant cyn gynted ag y bydd, neu os bydd, y broses honno'n dechrau? A wnewch chi roi ychydig mwy o fanylion inni am yr amserlen o ran cynllunio'r agenda ddeddfwriaethol ehangach? Yn ôl y datganiad, ac rwy'n dyfynnu: Ni chymeradwyir cynlluniau coleg nad ydynt yn adlewyrchu argymhellion y Bartneriaeth Sgiliau Rhanbarthol. Rydych chi'n dweud hefyd eich bod yn bwriadu penodi ymgynghorydd annibynnol ac adolygu sut yr ydym yn gwella'r trefniadau cyfredol gyda'r partneriaethau sgiliau rhanbarthol a'u gallu i gael effaith ar ddarpariaeth sgiliau. A yw'r Gweinidog yn hyderus bod y partneriaethau sgiliau rhanbarthol yn gallu gwneud yr argymhellion cywir i golegau ar gyfer sicrhau y bodlonir anghenion cyflogwyr yn y cynlluniau hynny? Mae rhai yn y sector wedi dweud wrthyf i nad oes ganddyn nhw unrhyw bŵer gwirioneddol, nac atebolrwydd gwirioneddol nac unrhyw gyfarwyddyd gwirioneddol gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Fy nealltwriaeth i, ar hyn o bryd, yw mai dim ond un o'r tair partneriaeth sgiliau rhanbarthol sydd â staff. Mae angen i bartneriaethau sgiliau rhanbarthol fod yn rhan gynhenid o'r dirwedd ôl-16 ehangach mewn modd nad ydyn nhw ar hyn o bryd. A fydd ymgynghorydd annibynnol yn gallu rhoi cyfarwyddyd o ran ffordd well ymlaen? Er enghraifft, unwaith eto, rwy'n credu ei fod yn rhywbeth y gellid ac y dylid ei wneud fel rhan o newid strategol ehangach yn y sector. Sut, er enghraifft, y caiff adolygiad John Graystone ei gynnwys yn sylwedd y cyhoeddiad hwn? Maen nhw wedi adolygu'r partneriaethau sgiliau rhanbarthol - sut wnewch chi roi ystyriaeth i hyn? Mae'n ymddangos y bydd adolygiadau pellach o agweddau ar y codiad i'r fformiwla, ond rwy'n awyddus i ddeall pam y teimlwch fod hynny'n angenrheidiol. A ydym wedi cael digon o adolygiadau yn y maes hwn, neu a ydyn nhw wedi cael digon o amser hyd yma i ymsefydlu? Hoffwn ddeall pam yr ydych chi wedi gwneud y penderfyniad hwnnw. Fy nghwestiwn olaf yw: rydych chi wedi egluro yn y datganiad bod darpariaeth ran-amser wedi gweld toriadau llym dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ac yn amlwg byddem ninnau'n cytuno â hynny - nid yn cytuno â'r egwyddor ond yn cytuno â'r gosodiad. Rydych yn dweud y bydd darpariaeth ran-amser yn cael ei blaenoriaethu i'r gyfran o'r boblogaeth sydd â chymhwyster lefel 2 yn unig. A ydych chi wedi cynnal asesiad effaith ar sut y bydd hyn yn effeithio ar grwpiau amrywiol o ddysgwyr ar wahanol lefelau, ac a ydych chi wedi trafod hyn gyda'r sector?