English: I thank the Deputy Minister for bringing forward this statement. As Welsh Conservatives, we are delighted, actually, that the Welsh Government is now implementing the Welsh Conservative policy of providing 30 hours a week of Government-funded childcare for working parents, and we will join with you in paying tribute to the 2,000 childcare providers currently delivering the offer and to our local authorities who are having to implement this. On considering your statement, however, I was struck by the lack of some attention given to the situation some service providers have found themselves in and a little perplexed that you've described the offer as being so successful. The National Day Nurseries Association is warning that the offer is actually putting a strain on nurseries as it is rolled out across Wales. Really, this is becoming a nursery nightmare as the services are reporting that they're struggling to recruit enough qualified staff to meet the extra demand. So, I hope you don't mind, I have got four questions. Given that properly functioning nurseries are central to the success of the offer, will you clarify what immediate steps you're able to take to make sure that more people are choosing to train to become nursery workers and that those already in the sector actually choose to stay? We're seeing far too many leave this profession. Question 2: having considered the results of a recent survey of 118 early-years settings that are responsible for employing over 1,350 members of staff and delivering places to more than 8,000 children, I was struck by the fact that only around 5 per cent of the workforce is made up of men. So, I believe that there is great potential for increasing the number of men in the profession and for this to be one way through which the lack of staff could be addressed. So, therefore, will you explain what steps are being taken to ensure that the childcare sector is seen as being open to both men and women? Question 3: as always, finance is a major consideration for any profession, but in this instance, many of the 17,000 people working in childcare across Wales are on minimum wage. Now, I know that a Welsh Government spokesperson has advised that you'll be reviewing the rate you pay for the childcare offer, including an assessment of the impact of changes to the national living wage. Therefore, will you provide an update on this work and explain what consideration you have given to aligning the rates paid through the foundation phase and childcare offer? And finally, I was unsurprised to read in your statement that you are now considering the feasibility of expanding the offer to support parents in education and training or on the point of returning to work, because I think you'll be aware that, certainly, myself and my colleague Suzy Davies AM did raise concerns about this previously. We know that the sector is struggling with the offer as it stands, so I'm clear that Wales has not yet reached the point where an expansion of eligibility can be implemented now. The obvious question for me, now, is: will you clarify by when you expect eligibility to be expanded, and how the sector is going to accommodate the increase in demand that this will inevitably cause? Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch i'r Dirprwy Weinidog am gyflwyno'r datganiad hwn. Mae'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn falch iawn, mewn gwirionedd, fod Llywodraeth Cymru bellach yn gweithredu polisi'r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig o ddarparu 30 awr yr wythnos o ofal plant a gyllidir gan y Llywodraeth i rieni sy'n gweithio, ac fe wnawn ni ymuno â chi i dalu teyrnged i'r 2,000 o ddarparwyr gofal plant sy'n cyflwyno'r cynnig ar hyn o bryd ac i'n hawdurdodau lleol sy'n gorfod gweithredu hyn. O ystyried eich datganiad, fodd bynnag, fe'm trawyd gan y diffyg sylw a roddwyd i'r sefyllfa y bu rhai darparwyr gwasanaethau eu hunain ynddi ac rwyf mewn ychydig o benbleth gan eich bod wedi disgrifio'r cynnig fel un mor llwyddiannus. Mae'r Gymdeithas Genedlaethol Meithrinfeydd Dydd yn rhybuddio bod y cynnig mewn gwirionedd yn rhoi straen ar feithrinfeydd wrth iddo gael ei gyflwyno ledled Cymru. Mewn gwirionedd, mae hyn yn dod yn hunllef i feithrinfeydd gan fod y gwasanaethau'n dweud eu bod yn cael trafferth recriwtio digon o staff cymwys i ateb y galw ychwanegol. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio nad oes gwahaniaeth gennych, mae gennyf bedwar cwestiwn. O gofio bod meithrinfeydd sy'n gweithredu'n briodol yn ganolog i lwyddiant y cynnig, a wnewch chi egluro beth allwch chi ei wneud ar unwaith i sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yn dewis hyfforddi i fod yn weithwyr meithrin a bod y rhai sydd eisoes yn y sector mewn gwirionedd yn dewis aros? Rydym ni'n gweld gormod o lawer yn gadael y proffesiwn hwn. Cwestiwn 2: ar ôl ystyried canlyniadau arolwg diweddar o 118 o leoliadau blynyddoedd cynnar sy'n gyfrifol am gyflogi dros 1,350 o aelodau staff a darparu lleoedd i fwy na 8,000 o blant, fe'm trawyd gan y ffaith mai dim ond tua 5 y cant o'r gweithlu sy'n ddynion. Felly, credaf fod potensial mawr i gynyddu nifer y dynion yn y proffesiwn ac i hyn fod yn un ffordd y gellid mynd i'r afael â'r broblem o ddiffyg staff. Felly, a wnewch chi egluro beth sy'n cael ei wneud i sicrhau y caiff y sector gofal plant ei ystyried i fod yn agored i ddynion a menywod? Cwestiwn 3: fel bob amser, mae cyllid yn ystyriaeth bwysig i unrhyw broffesiwn, ond yn yr achos hwn, mae llawer o'r 17,000 o bobl sy'n gweithio ym maes gofal plant ledled Cymru ar isafswm cyflog. Nawr, rwy'n gwybod bod llefarydd ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dweud y byddwch chi'n adolygu'r gyfradd yr ydych chi'n ei thalu am y cynnig gofal plant, gan gynnwys asesiad o effaith newidiadau i'r cyflog byw cenedlaethol. Felly, a wnewch chi roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf am y gwaith hwn ac egluro pa ystyriaeth yr ydych wedi'i rhoi i gysoni'r cyfraddau a delir drwy'r cyfnod sylfaen a'r cynnig gofal plant? Ac yn olaf, nid oeddwn yn synnu o ddarllen yn eich datganiad eich bod yn awr yn ystyried dichonoldeb ehangu'r arlwy i gefnogi rhieni mewn addysg a hyfforddiant neu sydd ar drothwy dychwelyd i'r gwaith, oherwydd rwy'n credu y byddwch yn ymwybodol, yn sicr, fy mod i fy hun a'm cydweithiwr Suzy Davies AC wedi codi pryderon ynghylch hyn o'r blaen. Rydym ni'n gwybod bod y sector yn cael trafferth gyda'r cynnig fel y mae, felly rwy'n glir nad yw Cymru eto wedi cyrraedd y pwynt lle mae modd ehangu cymhwysedd nawr. Y cwestiwn amlwg i mi, nawr, yw: a wnewch chi egluro erbyn pryd yr ydych chi'n disgwyl i gymhwysedd gael ei ehangu, a sut y bydd y sector yn darparu ar gyfer y cynnydd yn y galw y bydd hyn yn sicr yn ei achosi? Diolch.