English: I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak today. Can I also thank the Welsh Conservatives for letting the Assembly use some of their debate time for this very important debate? I'm very pleased to speak in support of this motion today, because I genuinely believe the need for a youth parliament is a complete no-brainer. I am proud of the role this Welsh Labour Government has played in promoting children's rights and I am also proud that this Assembly has led the way in the world with cross-party support for our Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011. I was disappointed, in 2014, when the decision was taken by Welsh Government to cease funding for Funky Dragon, and made the point to Ministers at the time that I felt it would've been better to work with Funky Dragon and children's voluntary organisations in Wales to find a way to maintain a youth parliament in Wales. In June this year, the United Nations gave its verdict on what progress has been made to deliver on children's rights in Wales following a UK-wide review. It made more than 150 recommendations and one of the concerns expressed was that children's views are not systematically heard in policy making on issues that affect them. It noted that there is no youth parliament in Wales and recommended that one should be established as a matter of priority. I am absolutely delighted that the Assembly Commission is taking forward this initiative and really welcome the personal commitment that the Presiding Officer has given to making this a priority today. Notwithstanding my earlier comments about the decision to cease funding for Funky Dragon, I believe that having a youth parliament set up by this Assembly is far better, in my view, than having one directly funded by Welsh Government. I hope it will be more independent and provide a far stronger voice for children and young people in Wales. I would like to place on record my thanks to the Campaign for the Children and Young People's Assembly for Wales, for the work they've done to press this issue, and for the consultation they've undertaken with young people on what such a parliament should look like. I am sure we're all looking forward to seeing the detail of that consultation, but as Darren Millar has already said, it is great to know that 92 per cent of respondents supported the establishment of a youth parliament and 85 per cent of respondents would like to see the parliament made permanent and protected in law. And I hope that, too, is something that the Commission will look at. I just wanted to close by saying a few words about the need to ensure the broadest possible participation by young people in Wales in a future parliament. I think there is always a risk that such parliaments are more prone to engaging the more articulate, confident young people - and I celebrate the fact that we have these young people in Wales - but the test of a genuinely representative parliament will be how effectively it ensures we hear the voices of some of those young people who do not usually get their voices heard. I believe there is good practice we can draw on here, and I hope that the Commission will look at this. As part of the Children, Young People and Education Committee's inquiry into youth services in Wales, I learnt about a project run by the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Wales called Not the Usual Suspects, which is designed to engage young people who are not normally consulted. As part of that, they developed an app called 'Politically Incorrect'. I believe we need to look at all good practice to make sure that, going forward, we engage the widest number of young people, also building on the excellent work of youth engagement already undertaken by the Commission. Last week, I was privileged to be invited to a forum organised by the children's commissioner for 15 to 24-year-olds in Wales with experience of being looked after, along with Llyr Gruffydd, Darren Millar and Carl Sargeant. There, we heard from young people of their very powerful hard-hitting experiences of the care system in Wales. Despite all the challenges they'd faced, these young people spoke out forcefully and powerfully about their needs. I hope that any youth parliament will ensure that those are the kinds of voices we also make sure are heard - a youth parliament that addresses the needs of the most disadvantaged young people will be one we can all be very proud of in Wales. Thank you.
Welsh: Rwy'n ddiolchgar am y cyfle i siarad heddiw. A gaf fi hefyd ddiolch i'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig am adael i'r Cynulliad ddefnyddio peth o'u hamser dadlau ar gyfer y ddadl bwysig hon? Rwy'n falch iawn o siarad o blaid y cynnig hwn heddiw, oherwydd rwy'n credu o ddifrif fod yr angen am senedd ieuenctid yn gwbl amlwg. Rwy'n falch o'r rôl y mae Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru wedi chwarae yn hyrwyddo hawliau plant ac rwy'n falch fod y Cynulliad hwn wedi arwain y ffordd yn y byd gyda chefnogaeth drawsbleidiol i'n Mesur Hawliau Plant a Phobl Ifanc (Cymru) 2011 hefyd. Roeddwn yn siomedig, yn 2014, pan benderfynodd Llywodraeth Cymru roi'r gorau i ariannu'r Ddraig Ffynci, a nodais wrth Weinidogion ar y pryd fy mod yn teimlo y byddai wedi bod yn well gweithio gyda'r Ddraig Ffynci a sefydliadau gwirfoddol ar gyfer plant yng Nghymru i ddod o hyd i ffordd o gynnal senedd ieuenctid yng Nghymru. Ym mis Mehefin eleni, rhoddodd y Cenhedloedd Unedig eu dyfarniad ar y cynnydd a wnaed ar gyflawni hawliau plant yng Nghymru yn dilyn adolygiad ledled y DU. Gwnaeth fwy na 150 o argymhellion ac un o'r pryderon a fynegwyd oedd nad oedd safbwyntiau plant yn cael eu clywed yn systematig wrth lunio polisïau ar faterion sy'n effeithio arnynt. Nodai nad oes senedd ieuenctid yng Nghymru ac argymhellodd y dylid sefydlu un fel mater o flaenoriaeth. Rwyf wrth fy modd fod Comisiwn y Cynulliad yn datblygu'r cynllun hwn ac yn croesawu'n wirioneddol yr ymrwymiad personol y mae'r Llywydd wedi ei roi i wneud hyn yn flaenoriaeth heddiw. Er gwaethaf fy sylwadau cynharach am y penderfyniad i roi'r gorau i ariannu'r Ddraig Ffynci, rwy'n credu bod cael senedd ieuenctid wedi'i sefydlu gan y Cynulliad hwn yn llawer gwell, yn fy marn i, na chael un sy'n cael ei hariannu'n uniongyrchol gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Gobeithiaf y bydd yn fwy annibynnol ac yn rhoi llais llawer cryfach i blant a phobl ifanc yng Nghymru. Hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch i'r Ymgyrch dros Gynulliad Plant a Phobl Ifanc Cymru am y gwaith y maent wedi'i wneud i hyrwyddo'r mater hwn, ac am yr ymgynghoriad y maent wedi'i gynnal gyda phobl ifanc ar yr hyn y dylai senedd fod. Rwy'n siŵr ein bod i gyd yn edrych ymlaen at weld manylion yr ymgynghoriad hwnnw, ond fel y mae Darren Millar wedi dweud eisoes, mae'n wych gwybod bod 92 y cant o'r ymatebwyr wedi cefnogi sefydlu senedd ieuenctid ac y byddai 85 y cant o'r ymatebwyr yn hoffi gweld y senedd yn cael ei gwneud yn barhaol a'i gwarchod mewn cyfraith. Ac rwy'n gobeithio bod hynny hefyd yn rhywbeth y bydd y Comisiwn yn edrych arno. Roeddwn am gloi drwy ddweud ychydig eiriau am yr angen i sicrhau'r cyfranogiad ehangaf posibl gan bobl ifanc yng Nghymru mewn senedd yn y dyfodol. Rwy'n meddwl bod yna risg bob amser fod seneddau o'r fath yn tueddu i ymgysylltu â'r bobl ifanc mwy huawdl a hyderus - ac rwy'n dathlu'r ffaith fod gennym y bobl ifanc hyn yng Nghymru - ond prawf o senedd wirioneddol gynrychioliadol fydd pa mor effeithiol y mae'n sicrhau ein bod yn clywed lleisiau rhai o'r bobl ifanc hynny nad yw eu lleisiau fel arfer yn cael eu clywed. Credaf y gallwn ddysgu o arferion da yn hyn o beth, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Comisiwn yn edrych ar hyn. Fel rhan o ymchwiliad y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg i wasanaethau ieuenctid yng Nghymru, dysgais am brosiect sy'n cael ei gyflawni gan Glybiau Bechgyn a Merched Cymru o'r enw Not the Usual Suspects, prosiect a gynlluniwyd i ymgysylltu â phobl ifanc nad oes neb yn ymgynghori â hwy fel arfer. Yn rhan o hynny, datblygwyd ap o'r enw 'Politically Incorrect'. Rwy'n credu bod angen i ni edrych ar bob arfer da i wneud yn siŵr, wrth symud ymlaen, ein bod yn ymgysylltu â'r nifer ehangaf o bobl ifanc, ac adeiladu ar y gwaith ardderchog y mae'r Comisiwn eisoes yn ei wneud yn ymgysylltu â phobl ifanc. Yr wythnos diwethaf, cefais y fraint o gael gwahoddiad i fforwm a drefnwyd gan y comisiynydd plant i rai rhwng 15 a 24 oed yng Nghymru sydd â phrofiad o dderbyn gofal, gyda Llyr Gruffydd, Darren Millar a Carl Sargeant. Yno, clywsom gan bobl ifanc am eu profiadau hynod o bwerus ac ysgytwol yn y system ofal yng Nghymru. Er gwaethaf yr holl heriau roeddent wedi'u hwynebu, siaradodd y bobl ifanc hyn yn rymus ac yn bwerus am eu hanghenion. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd unrhyw senedd ieuenctid yn sicrhau mai'r rheini yw'r mathau o leisiau rydym am wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn cael eu clywed hefyd - bydd senedd ieuenctid sy'n mynd i'r afael ag anghenion y bobl ifanc fwyaf difreintiedig yn un y gallwn i gyd fod yn falch iawn ohoni yng Nghymru. Diolch.