English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to ask a few questions, if there's any time left to do so. I too start with this issue of evidence, because some quotes have been provided - and some of them I intended to refer to - but you did admit that this was no magic bullet, and I understand that. But we are in a situation where resources are scarce and therefore we have to prioritise resources where we're confident they will have the greatest possible impact. Therefore, the weight of evidence, in my view, suggests that there are far more magic bullets that you could be firing with £36 million. Now, I was going to quote Estyn, and this is very timely bearing in mind the report that we've seen published today, with an emphasis on improving standards as a strategically important issue. But, of course, I am slightly shocked that you have to rely on an Estyn report from 2003. That was almost in another age. I was still using a fax machine in those days, and the world has changed since then. Certainly, that report wouldn't be the basis for the proposal before us today. If I recall correctly, in 2003 the Liberal Democrats were responsible for education in the Welsh Government, so if it was such an issue at that point, then it is regrettable that they didn't decide to tackle it at that time. They were certainly in Government in 2003. [Interruption.] Well, it isn't my debate; you can respond when your time comes. The Labour manifesto committed to spend £100 million on improving standards. Can you confirm once and for all that the £36 million that you announced yesterday, but you are informing us of in the Chamber today, will come from that figure? I ask because we know what the view of some Labour Assembly Members is about the prospect of using those funds to this end. It is something that was criticised harshly by many of them last year. Now, there is some evidence that states that if you do get the class size down to 20 or fewer, then you will possibly see some impact, some real impact. Now, according to your manifesto, of course, as a Liberal Democrat, you set a target of 25 for class sizes. It isn't explicit in this statement, I have to say - can you confirm that that is still the target? Can you confirm that you won't support bids, for example, unless they actually lead to an outcome of a class smaller than 25? Can you also tell us that it is your intention to roll this out ultimately across Wales and by when you would expect or hope to achieve that? You also say in your statement that the evidence suggests - and it's evidence according to you - that an investment such as this does have the greatest impact on enhancing attainment in the early years. I don't see this statement being explicit that the funding available is specifically for the early years. Certainly, it isn't one of the elements in the criteria. I assume that you would want to confirm if you are targeting the early years only; otherwise, of course, you are admitting that you are not using the funding to its most effective purpose. There is a bare figure of £36 million in the statement. It appears as though there have been some press reports as to the profile of that expenditure. It is certainly not included in the statement, and it's not in any information that I've received as an Assembly Member on this issue. I understand that there is a capital-revenue split; reference has been made to that, and I think you were asked on what basis that was done, but I'm not sure if I heard an answer to that. And there is this question as to the sustainability of the investment, which is another issue where we need greater clarity. The word 'sustainability' appears in the statement, but aren't you saying that you're expecting the schools to pay, ultimately? Shouldn't you say that clearly if that's the case? It appears to me that this funding is for a specific period and, after that, that investment will ultimately become a cut, and we will lose the value of the investment unless the local authority or the individual school can continue to make those payments themselves. Finally from me - and I've raised this with you previously in the committee - is there a risk that you will see not smaller class sizes, but more teaching assistants? I know of some examples, and I know that there's an element of capital spend here, but I know that there are a number of schools where they simply don't have the space for provision beyond the classes that they currently have. I don't think that the capital sum put forward here is sufficient to meet the needs - you may agree with that - and I would like to know whether there is any strategic relationship between the capital funding you refer to here and the twenty-first century schools programme, because in the majority of schools, I believe, where there are such limitations, it is capital problems that account for them very often.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd, am gyfle i ofyn cwestiwn neu ddau, efallai, os oes amser ar ôl i wneud hynny. Rwyf innau hefyd yn cychwyn gyda'r mater yma o dystiolaeth, oherwydd mae dyfyniadau wedi cael eu rhoi - rhai yr oeddwn i'n bwriadu eu rhoi - ond, yn amlwg, rydych chi'n cyfaddef mai nid 'magic bullet' yw hwn, ac rwy'n deall hynny. Ond, wrth gwrs, rydym mewn sefyllfa lle mae adnoddau yn brin ac felly mae'n rhaid blaenoriaethu adnoddau lle rŷm ni'n hyderus y byddan nhw'n cael yr effaith fwyaf gwerthfawr. Felly, mae pwysau'r dystiolaeth, yn fy marn i, yn awgrymu bod yna fwledi llawer mwy 'magic' y gallech chi fod yn eu saethu gyda £36 miliwn. Nawr, roeddwn i'n mynd i ddyfynnu Estyn, ac mae'n amserol iawn o gofio, wrth gwrs, yr adroddiad rŷm ni wedi ei weld heddiw yn ymddangos, gyda'r pwyslais ar wella safonau fel mater strategol pwysig iawn, wrth gwrs. Rwyf wedi cael fy mrawychu braidd eich bod chi'n gorfod dibynnu ar adroddiad gan Estyn o 2003. Mae hynny bron iawn mewn oes arall. Roeddwn i'n dal i ddefnyddio peiriant ffacs yn y dyddiau yna. Mae'r byd wedi newid ac, yn sicr, nid oedd yr adroddiad ar sail y cynnig sydd gerbron heddiw. Os rwy'n cofio'n iawn, yn 2003, y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol oedd yn gyfrifol am addysg yn Llywodraeth Cymru, felly os oedd yn gymaint o 'issue' adeg hynny, mae'n resyn na wnaethant benderfynu mynd i'r afael ag ef bryd hynny. Yn sicr, roeddent yn rhan o'r Llywodraeth, beth bynnag, yn 2003. [Torri ar draws.] Wel, nid fy nadl i yw hi; fe gewch chi ymateb pan fydd lle i ymateb. Mi oedd maniffesto Llafur, wrth gwrs, yn ymrwymo i wario £100 miliwn ar wella safonau. A allwch chi gadarnhau unwaith ac am byth fod y £36 miliwn yma y gwnaethoch chi ei gyhoeddi ddoe, ond rydych yn dod a dweud wrthym ni amdano heddiw, yn dod o'r swm yna? Rwy'n gofyn oherwydd rŷm ni'n gwybod beth yw barn rhai o Aelodau Cynulliad Llafur am y 'prospect' o ddefnyddio'r arian yna i'r diben yma. Mae'n rhywbeth sydd wedi cael ei geryddu gan nifer ohonyn nhw hefyd yn hallt llynedd. Nawr, mae yna rywfaint o dystiolaeth yn dweud os cewch chi faint dosbarth lawr i 20 a llai, yna wedyn rŷch chi o bosib yn gweld ychydig o effaith mewn gwirionedd. Nawr, yn ôl eich maniffesto chi, wrth gwrs, fel Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol, mi oeddech chi'n gosod targed o 25 ar gyfer maint dosbarth. Nid yw e'n 'explicit', mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, yn y datganiad yma - a allwch chi gadarnhau mai dyna yw'r targed o hyd? A allwch chi gadarnhau na fyddwch chi, er enghraifft, yn cefnogi ceisiadau oni bai eu bod nhw'n arwain at ganlyniad o ddosbarth llai na 25? A allwch chi hefyd ddweud mai'ch bwriad chi yw rholio hyn allan yn y pen draw ar draws Cymru gyfan ac erbyn pryd y byddech chi'n gobeithio gwireddu hynny? Rŷch chi hefyd yn dweud yn eich datganiad fod y dystiolaeth yn awgrymu - y dystiolaeth yn eich ôl chi - fod buddsoddiad fel hyn yn cael yr effaith fwyaf ar wella cyflawniad yn y blynyddoedd cynnar. Nid ydw'n i'n gweld y datganiad yma yn uniongyrchol eto i fod yn 'explicit' bod yr arian sydd ar gael yn benodol ar gyfer y blynyddoedd cynnar. Yn sicr, nid yw e yn un o'r elfennau yn y criteria. Rwy'n tybio y byddech chi'n licio cadarnhau a ydych chi yn benodol yn targedu'r blynyddoedd cynnar yn unig; neu fel arall, wrth gwrs, rŷch chi'n cyfaddef nad ŷch chi'n defnyddio'r arian i'w bwrpas mwyaf effeithiol o bosibl. Mae yna ffigur moel o £36 miliwn yn y datganiad. Mae'n debyg bod yna adroddiadau yn y wasg wedi bod ynglŷn â beth yw proffil y gwariant yna. Yn sicr, nid yw e yn y datganiad ac nid yw e mewn unrhyw wybodaeth rydw i wedi'i derbyn fel Aelod Cynulliad ar y mater yma. Rwy'n deall bod yna sblit cyfalaf a refeniw; mae cyfeiriad wedi bod ato fe cyn nawr ac rwy'n meddwl eich bod chi wedi cael eich cwestiynu ar ba sail y mae hynny wedi cael ei wneud, ond nid ydw i'n siŵr a ydw i wedi clywed yr ateb. Ac mae'r cwestiwn yma ynglŷn â chynaliadwyedd y buddsoddiad hefyd yn un arall y mae angen clywed mwy ynglŷn ag ef. Mae'r gair 'cynaliadwyedd' yn ymddangos yn y datganiad. Wel, onid dweud mai disgwyl i'r ysgolion dalu yn y pen draw ŷch chi? Oni ddylech chi ddweud hynny'n blwmp ac yn blaen? Achos mae'n ymddangos i mi fod yr ariannu yma am gyfnod penodol ac ar ôl hynny bydd y buddsoddiad yna, yn y pen draw, yn troi mewn i doriad ac fe fyddwn ni'n colli gwerth y buddsoddiad os nad yw'r awdurdod lleol neu'r ysgol yn mynd i gadw i dalu'r buddsoddiad eu hunain. Yn olaf gen i - ac rwyf wedi codi hyn gyda chi'n flaenorol yn y pwyllgor - a oes yna beryg y gwelwn ni nid dosbarthiadau llai, ond mwy o gynorthwywyr dosbarth? Rwy'n gwybod am enghreifftiau, ac rwy'n gwybod bod yna elfen o bres cyfalaf fan hyn, ond rwy'n gwybod bod yna nifer fawr o ysgolion lle nad oes y gwagle dysgu ar gyfer darpariaeth y tu hwnt i nifer y dosbarthiadau sydd yna nawr. Nid ydw i'n credu bod y swm cyfalaf sydd gerbron fan hyn yn ddigonol i gwrdd â'r angen - efallai y byddech chi'n cytuno â hynny - a liciwn i wybod a oes yna gysylltiad neu berthynas strategol rhwng yr arian cyfalaf rŷch chi'n cyfeirio ato fan hyn â'r rhaglen ysgolion yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, oherwydd yn y mwyafrif o ysgolion, rwy'n meddwl, lle y mae yna gyfyngiadau fel hyn, problemau cyfalaf sydd i gyfrif am y broblem yn aml iawn.