English: May I also congratulate the Minister on his appointment and endorse the comments that he made about the contribution of his predecessor? I know that Carl Sargeant dealt with issues in relation to children's rights from the heart, and if the current Minister undertakes his role with the same committment and passion then I'm sure that the position of children in Wales will be strengthened and will continue to improve. May I also endorse the thanks to the commissioner for her work? I welcome the report. As with every year, perhaps, it's an opportunity to remind ourselves of the priorities of children and young people, and an opportunity to enhance the Government's thinking around children's issues, and to focus on the priorities that need to be taken into account in accordance, of course, with the aspirations of the children and young people themselves through what's included in the commissioner's report. The most disappointing factor for me in this report is that there are so many issues that were raised last year that still haven't been sufficiently tackled, in the view of the commissioner. If you've read the report, you will know that the commissioner notes a traffic light system - red, amber and green. There are a number of items that are red, which shows that there has been no progress made. Now, one of those is home schooling. The recommendation in last year's report was that the Welsh Government should strengthen the requirements for parents to register as home schoolers and that all children taught at home should see a professional worker at least once a year, so that they can express a view about their educational experiences. Now, the Government, of course, has been considering this area in various ways, over a number of years. Guidance has been reintroduced a short while ago, but introducing a register and statutory requirements that are more robust to ensure that children are seen and that someone does speak to them is still a priority for the commissioner, and, as the report notes, remains for the Government to take sufficient action on. Ideally, I'd like to hear today where the Government is moving on this. When will we see action, and what is your intention in this specific area? But, given what you said earlier about the First Minister's intention to respond by the end of the month, I would very much hope that specific reference will be made to this area and that there will be a clear statement of intent in terms of what the Government intends to do on this particular issue. Another issue that is noted as being red is child poverty. Now, we know that children are facing the impact of austerity on their parents' income, as well as cuts at the other end in terms of the services available to mitigate the impacts of poverty, as those services are being cut at the moment. Now, we've previously raised the need to have a strategy to tackle child poverty. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, UK Government cuts to benefits are likely to lead to an increase of 4 per cent in child poverty across the UK, with Wales being impacted disproportionately in terms of problems, particularly in terms of universal credit, and that is one reason for that disproportionate impact. Now, some of the changes to tax credits and changes to benefits have already been implemented and have had a disproportionate impact on children, particularly children in single-parent families, or families where there are more than two children, so it's more important than ever, I think, that a plan is in place in order to tackle this problem. Also, one valid and interesting point that's raised by the commissioner is that provision of 30 hours of high-quality childcare should be provided for all children at three or four years of age, rather than simply for families where the parents are in work. Now, that, of course, was the exact Plaid Cymru policy in the last election, with the rationale as outlined by the commissioner. The danger is that those whose parents don't work, who are, perhaps, at greater risk of falling behind in terms of education - the risk is that they will fall even further behind if others are given that additional support. Now, I understand that there's been a strong focus on parents in work and ensuring that parents can work more hours in light of that provision, but the main focus should, of course, be on the children themselves. That is, if there's a positive outcome for the parents as a result of that, then great, but it's the children who should be at the heart of this policy, and I would strongly argue in favour of what the commissioner has called for. I would like to hear, as a result of that, confirmation, perhaps, that the Government's intention in the longer term is to ensure that that provision is available for all children.
Welsh: A gaf innau hefyd longyfarch y Gweinidog ar ei benodiad, ac a gaf i hefyd ategu y sylwadau a wnaeth e ynglŷn â chyfraniad ei ragflaenydd? Rwy'n gwybod bod Carl Sargeant yn delio â materion yn ymwneud â hawliau plant o'r galon, ac os bydd y Gweinidog presennol yn ymwneud â'i rôl gyda'r un arddeliad yna rwy'n sicr y bydd sefyllfa plant yng Nghymru yn cryfhau ac yn dal i wella. A gaf innau hefyd ategu'r diolch i'r comisiynydd am ei gwaith? Rydw i'n croesawu'r adroddiad. Fel pob blwyddyn efallai, mae e yn gyfle i'n hatgoffa ni o flaenoriaethau plant a phobl ifanc ac efallai yn gyfle i ailfiniogi meddwl y Llywodraeth o gwmpas materion plant ac i adnewyddu ffocws ar y blaenoriaethau sydd angen eu hystyried yn unol, wrth gwrs, â dymuniad plant a phobl ifanc eu hunain trwy'r hyn sydd yn adroddiad y comisiynydd. Y ffactor mwyaf siomedig i fi yn yr adroddiad yma yw bod yna gynifer o faterion a godwyd y llynedd sydd dal heb fynd i'r afael â nhw yn ddigonol ym marn y comisiynydd. Byddwch chi'n gwybod, os ydych chi wedi edrych ar yr adroddiad, bod y comisiynydd yn nodi system golau traffig coch, melyn a gwyrdd. Mae yna nifer o eitemau sydd yn goch sy'n dangos nad oes yna gynnydd o gwbl wedi bod. Nawr, un o'r rheini yw addysg gartref. Yr argymhelliad o'r adroddiad llynedd oedd y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru gryfhau'r gofynion i rieni gofrestru fel rhai sydd wedi dewis addysgu eu plant gartref a bod pob plentyn sy'n cael ei addysgu gartref trwy ddewis yn gweld gweithiwr proffesiynol o leiaf unwaith y flwyddyn er mwyn iddyn nhw fedru mynegi barn am eu profiadau addysgol. Nawr, mae'r Llywodraeth, wrth gwrs, wedi bod yn ystyried y maes yma mewn gwahanol ffyrdd dros nifer o flynyddoedd erbyn hyn. Mae yna ganllawiau wedi'u hailgyflwyno ychydig yn ôl, ond mae cyflwyno cofrestr a gofynion statudol mwy cadarn i sicrhau bod plant yn cael eu gweld a bod rhywun yn siarad â nhw yn dal yn flaenoriaeth i'r comisiwn ac, wrth gwrs, fel y mae'r adroddiad yn nodi, yn dal i aros i'r Llywodraeth weithredu yn ddigonol arnyn nhw. Yn ddelfrydol, mi fyddwn i'n lico clywed heddiw, wrth gwrs, ble mae'r Llywodraeth yn mynd ar hyn. Pryd welwn ni weithredu? Beth yw eich bwriad chi yn y maes penodol yma? Ond, yn dilyn yr hyn ddywedoch chi yn gynharach ynglŷn â bwriad y Prif Weinidog i ymateb erbyn diwedd y mis, byddwn i'n llawn obeithio y bydd yna gyfeiriad penodol at y maes yma ac y bydd yna ddatgan bwriad clir o safbwynt beth mae'r Llywodraeth yn bwriadu ei wneud ynglŷn â hyn. Mater arall sydd wedi'i nodi'n goch, wrth gwrs, yw tlodi plant. Rŷm ni'n gwybod bod plant yn wynebu effeithiau mesurau llymder ar incwm eu rhieni yn ogystal â thaliadau'r pen arall o safbwynt y gwasanaethau sydd ar gael i helpu i liniaru tlodi fel ag y maen nhw'n cael eu torri ar hyn o bryd. Nawr, rŷm ni wedi codi'n flaenorol yr angen, wrth gwrs, i gael strategaeth ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â thlodi plant. Yn ôl yr Institute for Fiscal Studies, mae toriadau Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Gyfunol i fudd-daliadau yn debygol o achosi cynnydd o 4 y cant yn nhlodi plant ledled y Deyrnas Gyfunol, gyda Chymru'n cael ei heffeithio yn anghymesur â phroblemau, yn enwedig yn sgil credyd cynhwysol, sy'n un rheswm am hynny. Mae rhai o'r newidiadau i gredyd treth a thoriadau i fudd-daliadau wedi cael eu gweithredu'n barod, wrth gwrs, ac wedi cael effaith anghymesur ar blant, yn enwedig plant mewn teuluoedd rhiant sengl neu deuluoedd gyda mwy na dau blentyn. Felly, mae'n bwysicach nac erioed, rydw i'n meddwl, bod cynllun yn ei le i fynd i'r afael â hyn. Mae hefyd yn ddiddorol - un pwynt diddorol a dilys iawn sy'n cael ei godi gan y comisiynydd yw y dylid cynnig darpariaeth o 30 awr yr wythnos o ofal plant o ansawdd uchel ar gyfer pob plentyn sy'n dair neu'n bedair oed, yn hytrach na dim ond ar gyfer teuluoedd lle mae'r rhieni yn gweithio. Nawr, dyna, wrth gwrs, oedd union bolisi Plaid Cymru yn yr etholiad diwethaf, gyda'r rhesymeg fel y mae'r comisiynydd yn ei amlinellu. Y perig yw y bydd rheini lle nad yw eu rhieni nhw'n gweithio, sydd â mwy o risg efallai o syrthio ar ei hôl hi o safbwynt addysg - y risg yw y byddan nhw'n syrthio hyd yn oed yn bellach ar ei hôl hi os yw eraill yn cael y gefnogaeth ychwanegol. Nawr, rwy'n deall bod yna ffocws cryf wedi bod ar rieni yn gweithio a sicrhau bod rhieni yn gallu gweithio mwy o oriau, o bosibl, yn sgil y ddarpariaeth, ond mi ddylai'r prif ffocws, wrth gwrs, fod ar y plant. Hynny yw, gorau oll os oes yna ganlyniad positif i rieni yn sgil hynny, ond y plant ddylai fod yn ganolog i'r polisi yma ac mi fyddwn i'n dadlau yn gryf o blaid yr hyn y mae'r comisiynydd wedi galw amdano fe. Mi fyddwn i'n hoffi clywed, felly, yn sgil hynny, cadarnhad, o bosibl, mai bwriad y Llywodraeth yn y tymor hirach yw sicrhau bod y ddarpariaeth yma ar gael i bob plentyn.