English: Well, I'd like to put on record my thanks to the Member in charge, Llyr Gruffydd, and the Finance Committee and their supporting officials for their time and their work over the last year. The Finance Committee has worked really constructively with the Welsh Government to ensure that the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill, which we have before us today, is an effective and robust piece of legislation and one that will help strengthen public services in Wales and support public accountability. I hope that Members will be able to support it. I would also like to thank the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee and the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee for their detailed scrutiny of the Bill and put on record my thanks to those Members who were part of the fourth Assembly's Finance Committee and Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee, which were very instrumental in preparing the ground work for this Bill. Beyond this Chamber, I'd like to thank all of those across Wales who have contributed to the development of this Bill through various inquiries and consultations, undertaken both recently and during the fourth Assembly. Throughout the National Assembly's consideration of this Bill, the value of the service of the ombudsman has been very clear. The ombudsman's office helps those people who have been let down by services and haven't received the level of service that they're entitled to expect. This Bill will support access to the ombudsman's services for vulnerable people, including, for the first time, those who have been let down by private healthcare companies. It grants the ombudsman the new powers to investigate systemic problems on their own initiative where there is evidence of widespread, repetitive and deep-rooted problems, and it will also allow the ombudsman to play a leading role in improving standards in complaints handling across the public sector. This should lead to more complaints being resolved at the first point of contact rather than people having to resort to the ombudsman, and this Bill will make it easier for people to complain to the ombudsman when issues do need to be escalated. The extensive amendments the Finance Committee has made to this Bill since its introduction ensure that it will achieve these aims effectively and will preserve the primacy of complaints processes agreed by the National Assembly. At the core of this Bill is the principle that healthy and effective complaints processes are a key source of feedback for public bodies and a driver to improve the services that we offer the people of Wales. In that spirit, I hope that Members will support the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill today, ensuring that Wales continues to be at the leading edge of ombudsman legislation and supporting our public services to be responsive to the needs of people in Wales.
Welsh: Wel, hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch i'r Aelod cyfrifol, Llyr Gruffydd, a'r Pwyllgor Cyllid a'u swyddogion cynorthwyol am eu hamser a'u gwaith dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. Mae'r Pwyllgor Cyllid wedi gweithio'n adeiladol iawn gyda Llywodraeth Cymru, mewn gwirionedd, i sicrhau bod y Bil Ombwdsmon Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus (Cymru) sydd gennym ger ein bron heddiw, yn ddeddfwriaeth effeithiol a chadarn a fydd yn helpu i gryfhau gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yng Nghymru ac yn cefnogi atebolrwydd cyhoeddus. Gobeithiaf y bydd yr Aelodau'n gallu ei gefnogi. Hoffwn ddiolch i'r Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb, Llywodraeth Leol a Chymunedau a'r Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol am graffu'n fanwl ar y Bil yn ogystal â chofnodi fy niolch i'r Aelodau a oedd yn rhan o'r Pwyllgor Cyllid a'r Pwyllgor Cymunedau, Cydraddoldeb a Llywodraeth Leol yn y pedwerydd Cynulliad, a oedd yn allweddol iawn yn y broses o baratoi'r gwaith sylfaenol ar gyfer y Bil hwn. Y tu hwnt i'r Siambr hon, hoffwn ddiolch i bawb ledled Cymru sydd wedi cyfrannu at ddatblygu'r Bil hwn drwy ymchwiliadau ac ymgynghoriadau amrywiol, a gynhaliwyd yn ddiweddar ac yn ystod y pedwerydd Cynulliad. Drwy gydol yr amser y bu'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol yn ystyried y Bil hwn, mae gwerth gwasanaeth yr ombwdsmon wedi bod yn glir iawn. Mae swyddfa'r ombwdsmon yn helpu'r bobl a gafodd gam gan wasanaethau ac nad ydynt wedi derbyn y lefel o wasanaeth y mae ganddynt yr hawl i'w ddisgwyl. Bydd y Bil hwn yn cefnogi mynediad at wasanaethau'r ombwdsmon i bobl sy'n agored i niwed, gan gynnwys, am y tro cyntaf, y rheini a gafodd gam gan gwmnïau gofal iechyd preifat. Mae'n rhoi pwerau newydd i'r ombwdsmon ymchwilio i broblemau systemig ar ei liwt ei hun lle ceir tystiolaeth o broblemau eang, ailadroddus a dwfn, a bydd hefyd yn caniatáu i'r ombwdsmon chwarae rôl arweiniol yn gwella safonau ymdrin â chwynion ar draws y sector cyhoeddus. Dylai hyn arwain at fwy o gwynion yn cael eu datrys ar y pwynt cyswllt cyntaf yn hytrach na bod pobl yn gorfod troi at yr ombwdsmon, a bydd y Bil hwn yn ei gwneud yn haws i bobl wneud cwynion i'r ombwdsmon pan fo angen uwchgyfeirio materion. Mae'r diwygiadau helaeth a wnaeth y Pwyllgor Cyllid i'r Bil ers ei gyflwyno yn sicrhau y bydd yn cyflawni'r nodau hyn yn effeithiol ac y bydd yn cynnal goruchafiaeth y prosesau cwynion a gytunwyd gan y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. Wrth wraidd y Bil hwn, mae'r egwyddor fod prosesau cwyno effeithiol ac iach yn ffynhonnell allweddol o adborth ar gyfer cyrff cyhoeddus ac yn sbardun i wella'r gwasanaethau a gynigiwn i bobl Cymru. Yn yr ysbryd hwnnw, gobeithiaf y bydd yr Aelodau'n cefnogi Bil Ombwdsmon Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus (Cymru) heddiw, gan sicrhau y bydd Cymru yn parhau i fod ar flaen y gad mewn perthynas â deddfwriaeth ombwdsmon a chynorthwyo ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus i fod yn ymatebol i anghenion pobl Cymru.