English: Diolch, Llywydd. I'm very grateful for you giving me the opportunity to make this personal statement today. It's a statement that I'm making after much soul searching, but which I feel a moral obligation and duty to make to the National Assembly so that it appears on our Record of Proceedings. Last Tuesday, during First Minister's questions, I indicated that I would be seeking to present evidence to the independent investigator, James Hamilton, in relation to allegations of bullying in the Welsh Government back in 2014 and whether the First Minister misled the National Assembly. The Assembly record attests to the fact that, on 4 November 2014, I tabled the following three questions: 'Has the First Minister ever received any reports or been made aware of any allegations of bullying by special and/or specialist advisers at any time in the past three years and, if so, when and what action, if any, was taken?' 'Will the First Minister confirm whether any exit interviews were conducted with special and/or specialist advisers in each of the past three years and, if so, what was the outcome of these?' and 'Will the First Minister advise as to how many individuals have ceased being employed as special and/or specialist advisers in each of the past three years, including the date their employment ceased and the reason for their departure?' The reason I wish to present evidence to the independent investigator is because I was requested to table those questions by somebody else. That person was our former Assembly colleague, Carl Sargeant. I had a private conversation with Carl in early October 2014, away from the National Assembly building. During that conversation Carl told me that he was unhappy, because there was bullying going on within the Welsh Government, which was coming from an individual in the First Minister's office, and that this was taking a toll on him personally, along with others. I will not be naming the individual who Carl identified to me today, but I wish to make it absolutely clear, at this point, that at no time did Carl in his discussions with me ever accuse the First Minister himself of bullying. I offered to help, although I felt powerless to do so. Carl responded by thanking me and said that he would think about my offer and come back to me. Around two weeks later, on 22 October 2014, Carl approached me in the Members' tea room during Plenary with a handwritten note containing draft questions for me to consider tabling to the First Minister. He explained that he hoped that the tabling of the questions would be sufficient to prompt internal Welsh Government action by the First Minister to address the bullying problem. I chose to redraft the questions slightly and I shared these privately with Carl. He was happy with the redrafts but he asked me not to table the questions immediately. Instead, he requested that I hold off until he spoke to me again about the matter. During the first week of November 2014, Carl indicated to me that the time was now right for me to table the questions as a complaint had, indeed, been made to the First Minister about the conduct of a special adviser. I subsequently tabled the questions on 4 November 2014, and the answers that were provided by the First Minister are now a matter of public record. Once I had received the written answers I passed them on to Carl before they were published on the Assembly website. He was surprised and disappointed by the First Minister's answers and resigned himself to the situation continuing. Let me be clear: Carl Sargeant was a loyal member of the Welsh Government and a loyal member of the Labour Party. He took his Cabinet duties and collective responsibility seriously. His only motivation in disclosing the problems within the Welsh Government to me and requesting my support in this way was to attempt to resolve the frustration and stress of the ongoing situation at that time for him and his colleagues in the Welsh Government. It was out of his loyalty to the Government and the party that he loved that he wanted the issues to be addressed, and at no other time in the 10 years we served together as Members of the National Assembly did Carl ever approach me in this way or ask me to do anything of this nature. Back in 2014, Paul Davies was made aware of the reasons that I tabled the questions and he's prepared to corroborate the facts in this statement. I understand that others were also made aware by Carl Sargeant himself that he had asked me to table the questions and of the circumstances surrounding them. Out of respect to Carl's family, I did not wish to make this statement prior to laying Carl to rest or without their knowledge. I can confirm that they are aware that I'm making this statement today and a copy has been shared with them in advance. In closing, I would like to thank the Presiding Officer for allowing me to make this short personal statement today. In it I've simply stated the facts to you as my fellow Assembly Members - facts that my conscience compelled me to share with you and to put on the public record, and I want this personal statement to be considered as evidence by James Hamilton to assist him with his inquiry. I will not be discussing this matter further outside of that inquiry and nor will I be speaking to the press. Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Diolch, Llywydd. Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn i chi am roi'r cyfle imi wneud y datganiad personol hwn heddiw. Mae'n ddatganiad yr wyf yn ei wneud ar ôl llawer o hunanholi, ond rwy'n teimlo bod gennyf ddyletswydd foesol i'w gyflwyno i'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol er mwyn iddo ymddangos ar Gofnod y Trafodion. Ddydd Mawrth diwethaf, yn ystod y cwestiynau i'r Prif Weinidog, nodais y byddwn i'n gofyn i gael cyflwyno tystiolaeth i'r ymchwilydd annibynnol, James Hamilton, ynghylch yr honiadau o fwlio yn Llywodraeth Cymru yn ôl yn 2014 a pha un a oedd y Prif Weinidog wedi camarwain y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. Mae Cofnod y Cynulliad yn tystio i'r ffaith i mi gyflwyno, ar 4 Tachwedd 2014, y tri chwestiwn canlynol: 'A yw'r Prif Weinidog erioed wedi derbyn unrhyw adroddiadau neu wedi'i wneud yn ymwybodol o unrhyw honiadau o fwlio gan gynghorwyr arbennig a/neu arbenigol ar unrhyw adeg yn ystod y tair blynedd diwethaf ac, os felly, pryd a pha gamau a gymerwyd, os bu rhai?' 'A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog gadarnhau a gynhaliwyd unrhyw gyfweliadau ymadael gyda chynghorwyr arbennig a/neu arbenigol ym mhob un o'r tair blynedd diwethaf ac, os felly, beth oedd canlyniad y rhain?' ac 'A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddweud faint o unigolion y daeth eu cyflogaeth fel cynghorwyr arbennig a/neu arbenigol i ben ym mhob un o'r tair blynedd diwethaf, gan gynnwys y dyddiad y daeth eu cyflogaeth i ben a'r rheswm dros adael?' Y rheswm yr wyf i'n dymuno cyflwyno tystiolaeth i'r ymchwilydd annibynnol yw oherwydd y gofynnwyd imi gyflwyno'r cwestiynau hynny gan rywun arall. Y person hwnnw oedd ein cyn gyd-Aelod Cynulliad, Carl Sargeant. Cefais sgwrs breifat gyda Carl ddechrau mis Hydref 2014, i ffwrdd o adeilad y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. Yn ystod y sgwrs honno dywedodd Carl wrthyf ei fod yn anhapus, oherwydd bod bwlio yn digwydd o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru, a oedd yn dod gan unigolyn yn swyddfa Prif Weinidog Cymru, a bod hynny'n cael effaith arno ef yn bersonol, ynghyd ag eraill. Ni fyddaf heddiw yn enwi'r unigolyn y nododd Carl wrthyf, ond hoffwn ei gwneud yn gwbl glir nawr na wnaeth Carl, ar unrhyw adeg, yn ei drafodaethau â mi erioed gyhuddo y Prif Weinidog ei hun o fwlio. Cynigiais i helpu, ond roeddwn i'n teimlo'n gwbl ddi-rym i wneud hynny. Ymatebodd Carl drwy ddiolch i mi a dywedodd y byddai'n ystyried fy nghynnig ac yn dod yn ôl ataf. Ryw bythefnos yn ddiweddarach, ar 22 Hydref 2014, daeth Carl ataf i yn ystafell de yr Aelodau yn ystod y Cyfarfod Llawn gyda nodyn mewn llawysgrifen a oedd yn cynnwys cwestiynau drafft i mi ystyried eu cyflwyno i'r Prif Weinidog. Esboniodd ei fod yn gobeithio y byddai cyflwyno'r cwestiynau yn ddigonol i ysgogi gweithredu mewnol yn Llywodraeth Cymru gan y Prif Weinidog i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem bwlio. Dewisais i ailddrafftio rhywfaint ar y cwestiynau, a rhannais y rhain yn breifat gyda Carl. Roedd yn fodlon â'r ailddrafftio ond gofynnodd i mi beidio â chyflwyno'r cwestiynau ar unwaith. Yn hytrach, gofynnodd i mi aros tan ei fod wedi siarad â mi unwaith eto am y mater. Yn ystod wythnos gyntaf mis Tachwedd 2014, dywedodd Carl wrthyf bod yr amser yn addas erbyn hyn i mi gyflwyno'r cwestiynau, gan fod cwyn mewn gwirionedd wedi ei gwneud, i'r Prif Weinidog, am ymddygiad cynghorydd arbennig. Cyflwynais y cwestiynau wedyn ar 4 Tachwedd 2014, ac mae'r atebion a roddwyd gan y Prif Weinidog bellach ar y cofnod cyhoeddus. Ar ôl i mi dderbyn yr ymatebion ysgrifenedig, trosglwyddais nhw i Carl cyn iddyn nhw gael eu cyhoeddi ar wefan y Cynulliad. Roedd wedi ei synnu, ac roedd yn siomedig ag atebion y Prif Weinidog, a phenderfynodd bod yn rhaid iddo dderbyn y byddai'r sefyllfa'n parhau. Gadewch imi fod yn glir: roedd Carl Sargeant yn aelod ffyddlon o Lywodraeth Cymru ac yn aelod ffyddlon o'r Blaid Lafur. Roedd yn cymryd ei ddyletswyddau Cabinet a'i gyfrifoldeb ar y cyd o ddifrif. Ei unig ysgogiad wrth ddatgelu'r problemau o fewn Llywodraeth Cymru wrthyf i a gofyn am fy nghymorth yn y modd hwn oedd i geisio datrys y rhwystredigaeth a straen y sefyllfa a oedd yn parhau ar yr adeg honno er ei fwyn ef a'i gydweithwyr yn Llywodraeth Cymru. Ei deyrngarwch i'r Llywodraeth a'r blaid yr oedd yn ei charu oedd y rheswm pam yr oedd eisiau i'r problemau gael eu datrys, ac ni wnaeth Carl gysylltu â mi yn y ffordd hon na gofyn i mi wneud unrhyw beth o'r math hyn ar unrhyw adeg arall yn y 10 mlynedd y gwnaethom ni wasanaethu gyda'n gilydd fel Aelodau o'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. Yn ôl yn 2014, gwnaed Paul Davies yn ymwybodol o'r rhesymau pam y cyflwynais y cwestiynau ac mae'n barod i gadarnhau'r ffeithiau yn y datganiad hwn. Rwy'n deall bod pobl eraill hefyd wedi cael gwybod gan Carl Sargeant ei hun ei fod wedi gofyn imi gyflwyno'r cwestiynau ac am yr amgylchiadau a oedd yn gysylltiedig â nhw. Fel parch at deulu Carl, nid oeddwn i eisiau gwneud y datganiad hwn cyn angladd Carl na heb roi gwybod iddyn nhw. Gallaf i gadarnhau eu bod yn ymwybodol fy mod yn gwneud y datganiad hwn heddiw ac mae copi wedi'i rannu â nhw ymlaen llaw. I gloi, hoffwn ddiolch i'r Llywydd am ganiatáu imi wneud y datganiad personol byr hwn heddiw. Ynddo rwyf wedi nodi'r ffeithiau yn syml i chi fel fy nghyd-Aelodau Cynulliad - ffeithiau yr oedd fy nghydwybod yn fy ngorfodi i i'w rhannu gyda chi ac i'w rhoi ar y cofnod cyhoeddus, ac rwyf eisiau i'r datganiad personol hwn gael ei ystyried fel tystiolaeth gan James Hamilton i'w gynorthwyo â'i ymchwiliad. Ni fyddaf yn trafod y mater hwn ymhellach y tu allan i'r ymchwiliad hwnnw nac yn siarad â'r wasg. Diolch yn fawr.