English: We do have to make sure that the Bill does in fact make it easier for mothers to get back into the workforce and does not provide too little too late. I believe that the recommendations outlined in the Stage 1 CYPE committee report are vital to ensure those positive long-term outcomes for our parents in Wales. I was disappointed to see that the Minister rejected recommendation 7 in his response to the report on this Bill. To exclude and to disadvantage parents in education or those looking for work flies in the face of the rhetoric that we hear so often from this Government on a daily basis on equality and fairness. The Minister points out in his response that there are alternatives for parents in education in the form of PaCE, which expires in 2020, or Flying Start, which we know the vast majority of children living in poverty are ineligible for due to a postcode lottery. The Government has an opportunity to encourage the aspirations of those people who choose education as a path to upward social mobility - an opportunity they simply have not taken. Having an array of programmes will only lead to further confusion among parents, especially for those transitioning from education or unemployment into full-time employment. We should be mindful of the stress that can be caused due to unnecessary inefficiency and complexity of multiple, disjoined systems. Would it not be more practical to give this offer to parents regardless of whether they are in employment or education and take away any barrier to entering the workforce? I fear that limiting this offer to parents in employment does risk disadvantaging children with unemployed parents before they have even stepped foot into a classroom. I also have concerns in regard to the effectiveness of the legislation once implemented and whether it achieves its goal. Despite this legislation being well intended, we do have genuine concerns that the offer in its current form closes the stable door long after the horse has bolted, offering support to parents too late and long after decisions have been made on the future career plans of one or both parents. I am sure everyone, myself included, who has had young children will all be aware of this reality. I understand that the Minister has agreed to keep under review the age of the qualifying child, and that I do welcome. I look forward to hearing more from the Minister in relation to a change to the qualifying age. Finally, I would like to bring the issue of additional charges in relation to the childcare offer. Without restricting additional costs, there is a possibility for childcare providers to charge an additional £162.50 per month per child, and that cost will certainly be passed down to those who can least afford it. Allowing additional charges risks pricing out the lowest income families from accessing this offer and returning to work as the Bill intends. A free childcare offer should not disadvantage those it is actually designed to help. I don't think we can be shocked if nurseries do decide to go ahead with implementing additional charges. Between rising business costs and Welsh nurseries already having the lowest hourly rates in the United Kingdom, they do face real challenge. A survey conducted by National Day Nurseries Association Wales found that 41 per cent of nurseries said that the £4.50 figure was lower than their usual fee. There is a clear incentive for the nurseries to make up the shortfall by passing additional costs on to parents, and this Government is not taking action to prevent that. In conclusion, I am pleased to see that the Minister has accepted the majority of the recommendations made in this report by the committee. I look forward to actually taking part now in the Children, Young People and Education Committee, which I know that Lynne Neagle AM so admirably chairs. Thank you.
Welsh: Mae'n rhaid inni wneud yn siŵr bod y Bil yn ei gwneud hi'n haws i famau ddychwelyd i'r gweithlu ac nad yw'n darparu rhy ychydig yn rhy hwyr. Credaf fod yr argymhellion a amlinellir yn adroddiad Cyfnod 1 y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg yn hanfodol i sicrhau'r canlyniadau hirdymor cadarnhaol hynny ar gyfer ein rhieni yng Nghymru. Roeddwn yn siomedig o weld bod y Gweinidog wedi gwrthod argymhelliad 7 yn ei ymateb i'r adroddiad ar y Bil hwn. Mae eithrio ac anfanteisio rhieni sydd mewn addysg neu'r rheini sy'n chwilio am waith yn gwbl groes i'r rhethreg a glywn mor aml gan y Llywodraeth hon yn ddyddiol ar gydraddoldeb a thegwch. Mae'r Gweinidog yn cyfeirio yn ei ymateb bod dewisiadau eraill ar gyfer rhieni sydd mewn addysg ar ffurf y rhaglen Rhieni, Gofal Plant a Chyflogaeth (PaCE), sy'n dod i ben yn 2020, neu Dechrau'n Deg, y gwyddom fod y mwyafrif helaeth o blant sy'n byw mewn tlodi yn anghymwys ar ei gyfer oherwydd y loteri cod post. Mae cyfle gan y Llywodraeth i annog dyheadau'r bobl hynny sy'n dewis addysg fel llwybr at symudedd cymdeithasol i fyny - a dydyn nhw heb achub ar y cyfle hwn o gwbl. Bydd amrywiaeth o raglenni yn arwain at ragor o ddryswch ymhlith rhieni, yn enwedig i'r rheini sy'n trosglwyddo o addysg neu ddiweithdra i gyflogaeth amser llawn. Dylem fod yn ymwybodol o'r straen y gall hyn ei achosi oherwydd aneffeithlonrwydd diangen a chymhlethdod systemau datgysylltiedig di-ri. Oni fyddai'n fwy ymarferol rhoi'r cynnig hwn i rieni, p'un a ydynt mewn cyflogaeth neu addysg, a chael gwared ar unrhyw rwystr i ymuno â'r gweithlu? Mae arnaf ofn bod cyfyngu'r cynnig hwn yn unig i rieni sydd mewn cyflogaeth yn rhoi plant sydd â'u rhieni'n ddi-waith dan anfantais cyn iddyn nhw hyd yn oed gamu i mewn i'r ystafell ddosbarth. Mae gennyf bryderon hefyd ynglŷn ag effeithiolrwydd y ddeddfwriaeth pan fydd ar waith ac yn pryderu a yw'n cyflawni ei nod. Er gwaethaf y ffaith bod bwriad da i'r ddeddfwriaeth hon, mae gennym bryderon gwirioneddol y bydd y cynnig yn ei ffurf bresennol yn achos o godi pais wedi piso, gan gynnig cymorth i rieni yn rhy hwyr ac ymhell ar ôl i benderfyniadau gael eu gwneud am gynlluniau gyrfa un rhiant neu'r ddau yn y dyfodol. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd pawb ohonom sydd wedi bod â phlant ifanc, gan gynnwys fi fy hun, yn ymwybodol o'r realiti hwn. Rwy'n deall bod y Gweinidog wedi cytuno i adolygu oedran y plentyn cymwys, ac rwy'n croesawu hynny. Edrychaf ymlaen at glywed mwy gan y Gweinidog am newid i'r oedran cymhwyso. Yn olaf, hoffwn godi'r mater o ffioedd ychwanegol yng nghyswllt y cynnig gofal plant. Heb gyfyngu ar gostau ychwanegol, mae posibilrwydd y bydd darparwyr gofal plant yn codi £162.50 ychwanegol ar gyfer pob plentyn bob mis, a bydd y gost honno'n sicr yn cael ei phasio i lawr i'r rheini sy'n gallu ei fforddio leiaf. Mae caniatáu taliadau ychwanegol yn peri risg y bydd y prisiau yn rhy uchel i deuluoedd incwm isaf ac na fyddan nhw'n gallu defnyddio'r cynnig hwn a mynd yn ôl i'r gwaith, yn ôl bwriad y Bil. Ni ddylai cynnig gofal plant am ddim anfanteisio'r union bobl hynny y'i cynlluniwyd i'w helpu. Ni chredaf y bydd yn syndod os bydd meithrinfeydd yn penderfynu bwrw ymlaen â gweithredu taliadau ychwanegol. Rhwng costau busnes cynyddol a'r ffaith fod gan feithrinfeydd Cymru eisoes y cyfraddau fesul awr isaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig, maen nhw'n wynebu her wirioneddol. Canfu arolwg a gynhaliwyd gan Gymdeithas Meithrinfeydd Dydd Cenedlaethol Cymru bod 41 y cant o feithrinfeydd wedi dweud bod y ffigur o £4.50 yn is na'u ffi arferol. Mae yna gymhelliant clir i feithrinfeydd wneud iawn am y diffyg drwy basio'r costau ychwanegol ymlaen i'r rhieni, ac nid yw'r Llywodraeth hon yn cymryd camau i atal hynny. I gloi, rwy'n falch o weld bod y Gweinidog wedi derbyn mwyafrif yr argymhellion a wnaed yn yr adroddiad hwn gan y Pwyllgor. Edrychaf ymlaen nawr at gymryd rhan yn y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg, y gwn fod Lynne Neagle AC yn ei gadeirio mor wych. Diolch.