English: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to debate the Children's Commissioner for Wales's annual report for 2020-21 today. And the publication of Professor Sally Holland's annual report provides an important opportunity for us to collectively focus on children's rights. It's a time to take stock of progress and to take account of the commissioner's calls for us to go further. And this last year has been like no other, particularly for children and young people. The impact of the pandemic continues to affect their lives and the lives of their families. I'm extremely grateful to the children's commissioner for her independent role in championing the rights of children during this difficult time. The commissioner and her team have consistently prioritised the needs of all children and young people in Wales, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights are respected. This has been evident in the engagement the children's commissioner has had with the Welsh Government over the course of the pandemic. The commissioner has retained a relentless focus on children and young people during this crisis, and has worked constructively throughout with Ministers and officials. And this has allowed us to work through difficult issues, ensuring children and young people's needs are taken into account and their rights protected. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank the children's commissioner and her team for their work on the 'Coronavirus and Me' surveys of children and young people. The commissioner, working in partnership with Welsh Government, the Youth Parliament and Children in Wales, led a project to hear directly how the pandemic was affecting the health, education and social aspects of young people's lives. Nearly 44,000 responses were received in May 2020 and January 2021, ensuring children's voices have been heard during the pandemic. The commissioner used the surveys as an opportunity to listen to the views of children from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and disabled children. The survey findings highlighted several areas where black, Asian and minority ethnic children and young people's access to their rights was not equal to their white Welsh or British counterparts, and this included their ability to exercise and play, staying in contact with friends and family, food insecurity, and worries about implications for their learning. These findings show us the role racism, discrimination and disadvantage play in these young people's experiences, and focuses us on the need for action in the race equality action plan for an anti-racist Wales. The findings from all the surveys were used cross Government, including when difficult choices needed to be made about restrictions on children's daily lives. I'd also like to thank the Deputy Minister for Social Services for her extensive work with the children's commissioner. The Deputy Minister meets regularly with the commissioner, as does the First Minister and other members of Cabinet, and this ongoing engagement has helped us to retain a clear focus on the rights of children and young people in our work, especially during the pandemic. The commissioner published her annual report for 2020-21 last week with a number of calls to action, including in relation to mental health, and I hope that we can use our time today to explore those areas where the commissioner has made calls for us to go further in our work. The report outlines the achievements of her office over the last financial year and their ongoing activity to respond to the pandemic, and this includes her first formal review of Welsh Government's exercise of its functions. She used her formal powers in relation to elective home education and safeguarding in independent schools. Welsh Government responded to her review in March this year. This annual report includes 18 recommendations for the Welsh Government. These include recommendations relating to care-experienced children, education, children's health, the youth justice blueprint and the unpaid carers strategy. And this debate today will give Members of the Senedd the opportunity to express their views on the commissioner's report and to comment on the areas the commissioner has raised. I'd like to welcome the breadth and depth of the recommendations. However, I won't be discussing the specifics of our response to them today. The First Minister will publish the Welsh Government's response to the commissioner's annual report by 30 November. Before Members debate this report, it is important to state that some of the recommendations the commissioner's put forward remain affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and there are some areas where we have not seen the progress we would have liked because of the need to pause or reprioritise workloads. Despite this, our intentions remain resolute. We are proud of our history in Wales, with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child continuing to be the basis for our policy for children. It's central to our approach to our work to improve children's outcomes, by helping and supporting them to achieve their full potential. Deputy Llywydd, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge that Professor Sally Holland's term as commissioner comes to an end in April next year, so this will be her last annual report. I'd therefore like to thank the commissioner for everything she's done to assist children and young people throughout her seven-year term. She's been a tireless advocate on behalf of children and young people and a champion of their rights and well-being. We are currently going through the process to appoint Sally's successor on a cross-party basis, and the First Minister will aim to make an announcement in the new year. In conclusion, I look forward to this important debate, as we focus on the children's commissioner's independent report and our progress in supporting children's rights across Wales. The commissioner's independent role is vital, and we will continue to work with her office for the benefit of all children and young people in Wales. Diolch.
Welsh: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n falch o gael y cyfle i drafod adroddiad blynyddol Comisiynydd Plant Cymru ar gyfer 2020-21 heddiw. Ac mae cyhoeddi adroddiad blynyddol yr Athro Sally Holland yn gyfle pwysig i ni ganolbwyntio ar hawliau plant ar y cyd. Mae'n amser pwyso a mesur cynnydd ac ystyried galwadau'r comisiynydd i ni wneud mwy. Ac ni fu erioed blwyddyn arall fel y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, yn enwedig i blant a phobl ifanc. Mae effaith y pandemig yn parhau i effeithio ar eu bywydau a bywydau eu teuluoedd. Rwy'n hynod ddiolchgar i'r comisiynydd plant am ei rhan annibynnol mewn hyrwyddo hawliau plant yn ystod y cyfnod anodd hwn. Mae'r comisiynydd a'i thîm wedi blaenoriaethu anghenion pob plentyn a pherson ifanc yng Nghymru yn gyson, gan sicrhau bod eu lleisiau'n cael eu clywed a bod eu hawliau'n cael eu parchu. Mae hyn wedi bod yn amlwg yn yr ymgysylltu y mae'r comisiynydd plant wedi ei wneud gyda Llywodraeth Cymru yn ystod y pandemig. Mae'r comisiynydd wedi parhau i ganolbwyntio'n ddi-baid ar blant a phobl ifanc yn ystod yr argyfwng hwn, ac mae hi wedi gweithio'n adeiladol gyda Gweinidogion a swyddogion drwy gydol y cyfan. Ac mae hyn wedi ein galluogi ni i weithio trwy faterion anodd, gan sicrhau bod anghenion plant a phobl ifanc yn cael eu hystyried a bod eu hawliau'n cael eu diogelu. A hoffwn i fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i ddiolch i'r comisiynydd plant a'i thîm am eu gwaith ar arolygon 'Coronafeirws a Fi' ymhlith plant a phobl ifanc. Arweiniodd y comisiynydd, gan weithio mewn partneriaeth â Llywodraeth Cymru, y Senedd Ieuenctid a Phlant yng Nghymru, brosiect i glywed yn uniongyrchol sut roedd y pandemig yn effeithio ar agweddau iechyd, addysg a chymdeithasol ar fywydau pobl ifanc. Daeth bron i 44,000 o ymatebion i law ym mis Mai 2020 a mis Ionawr 2021, gan sicrhau bod lleisiau plant wedi eu clywed yn ystod y pandemig. Defnyddiodd y comisiynydd yr arolygon fel cyfle i wrando ar farn plant o gefndiroedd du, Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig a phlant anabl. Amlygodd canfyddiadau'r arolwg sawl maes lle nad oedd cyfleoedd i blant a phobl ifanc ddu, Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig arfer eu hawliau yn gyfartal a'u cyfoedion gwyn yng Nghymru neu Brydain, ac roedd hyn yn cynnwys eu gallu i wneud ymarfer corff a chwarae, cadw mewn cysylltiad â ffrindiau a theulu, ansicrwydd bwyd, a phryderon ynghylch goblygiadau ar eu dysgu. Mae'r canfyddiadau hyn yn dangos i ni'r rhan y mae hiliaeth, gwahaniaethu ac anfantais yn ei chwarae ym mhrofiadau'r bobl ifanc hyn, ac yn rhoi pwyslais i ni ar yr angen i ni gymryd camau yn y cynllun gweithredu cydraddoldeb hiliol ar gyfer Cymru wrth-hiliol. Cafodd canlyniadau'r holl arolygon eu defnyddio gan bob rhan o'r Llywodraeth, gan gynnwys pan oedd angen gwneud dewisiadau anodd ynghylch cyfyngiadau ar fywydau pob dydd plant. Hoffwn i ddiolch hefyd i'r Dirprwy Weinidog Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol am ei gwaith helaeth gyda'r comisiynydd plant. Mae'r Dirprwy Weinidog yn cyfarfod yn rheolaidd â'r comisiynydd, a'r Prif Weinidog ac aelodau eraill o'r Cabinet yn yr un modd, ac mae'r ymgysylltu parhaus hwn wedi ein helpu ni i barhau i ganolbwyntio'n glir ar hawliau plant a phobl ifanc yn ein gwaith, yn enwedig yn ystod y pandemig. Cyhoeddodd y comisiynydd ei hadroddiad blynyddol ar gyfer 2020-21 yr wythnos diwethaf gyda nifer o alwadau i weithredu, gan gynnwys mewn cysylltiad ag iechyd meddwl, ac rwy'n gobeithio y gallwn ni ddefnyddio ein hamser ni heddiw i archwilio'r meysydd hynny lle mae'r comisiynydd wedi galw arnom ni i wneud mwy yn ein gwaith. Mae'r adroddiad yn amlinellu cyflawniadau ei swyddfa yn ystod y flwyddyn ariannol ddiwethaf a'u gweithgarwch parhaus i ymateb i'r pandemig, ac mae hyn yn cynnwys ei hadolygiad ffurfiol cyntaf o'r modd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn arfer ei swyddogaethau. Defnyddiodd ei phwerau ffurfiol mewn cysylltiad ag addysg ddewisol yn y cartref a diogelu mewn ysgolion annibynnol. Ymatebodd Llywodraeth Cymru i'w hadolygiad ym mis Mawrth eleni. Mae'r adroddiad blynyddol hwn yn cynnwys 18 o argymhellion ar gyfer Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae'r rhain yn cynnwys argymhellion sy'n ymwneud â phlant â phrofiad o ofal, addysg, iechyd plant, y glasbrint cyfiawnder ieuenctid a'r strategaeth gofalwyr di-dâl. A bydd y ddadl hon heddiw yn rhoi cyfle i Aelodau'r Senedd fynegi eu barn ar adroddiad y comisiynydd a rhoi sylwadau ar y meysydd y mae'r comisiynydd wedi eu codi. Hoffwn i groesawu ehangder a dyfnder yr argymhellion. Fodd bynnag, ni fyddaf i'n trafod manylion ein hymateb iddyn nhw heddiw. Bydd y Prif Weinidog yn cyhoeddi ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i adroddiad blynyddol y comisiynydd erbyn 30 Tachwedd. Cyn i'r Aelodau drafod yr adroddiad hwn, mae'n bwysig nodi bod pandemig y coronafeirws yn parhau i effeithio ar rai o'r argymhellion y mae'r comisiynydd wedi eu cyflwyno, ac mae rhai meysydd lle nad ydym ni wedi gweld y cynnydd y byddem ni wedi ei ddymuno oherwydd yr angen i oedi neu ailflaenoriaethu llwythi gwaith. Er gwaethaf hyn, mae ein bwriadau yn parhau i fod yn benderfynol. Rydym ni'n falch o'n hanes yng Nghymru, gyda Chonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau'r Plentyn yn parhau i fod yn sail i'n polisi ar gyfer plant. Mae'n ganolog i'n dull gweithredu i wella canlyniadau plant, drwy eu helpu a'u cefnogi i gyflawni eu potensial llawn. Dirprwy Lywydd, hoffwn i fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i gydnabod bod cyfnod yr Athro Sally Holland fel comisiynydd yn dod i ben ym mis Ebrill y flwyddyn nesaf, felly hwn fydd ei hadroddiad blynyddol olaf. Hoffwn i felly ddiolch i'r comisiynydd am bopeth y mae hi wedi ei wneud i gynorthwyo plant a phobl ifanc drwy gydol ei chyfnod o saith mlynedd yn y swydd. Mae hi wedi bod yn eiriolwr diflino ar ran plant a phobl ifanc ac yn hyrwyddwr eu hawliau a'u lles. Ar hyn o bryd rydym ni'n mynd drwy'r broses i benodi olynydd Sally ar sail drawsbleidiol, a nod y Prif Weinidog fydd gwneud cyhoeddiad yn y flwyddyn newydd. I gloi, rwy'n edrych ymlaen at y ddadl bwysig hon, wrth i ni ganolbwyntio ar adroddiad annibynnol y comisiynydd plant a'n cynnydd o ran cefnogi hawliau plant ledled Cymru. Mae rôl annibynnol y comisiynydd yn hanfodol, a byddwn ni'n parhau i weithio gyda'i swyddfa er budd pob plentyn a pherson ifanc yng Nghymru. Diolch.