English: I also thank the Minister for her statement, and welcome its content, and continue to congratulate the Minister on her ambition in this area, while also recognising the innovative work of Alun Davies while he was a Minister. His work was far-reaching and innovative in this particular area, in ensuring that we do aim towards a million Welsh speakers. As you've already mentioned, we will be regaining ground. When we talk about a million Welsh speakers, there were a million Welsh speakers in Wales some 120 years ago. Also, as you mentioned in your statement, the fact that the Welsh language still survives and prospers is incredible in and of itself and deserves to be celebrated, given our history of oppression. That's only one part of Welsh history but it did happen. In the face of the reality that minority languages across the world are in retreat and are disappearing from the face of the earth when they live alongside a very strong global language - . But, of course, the Welsh language has managed to turn that corner, and that is reason for celebration because only three languages out of 7,000 languages on this earth have managed to turn that corner to stop the decline. Only three languages have turned that corner, to halt the decline and to make a u-turn and to start growing again. And Welsh is one of those three languages. So, there is goodwill towards the language, but, of course, goodwill isn't always enough. There's always room for improvement. Now, Neath Port Talbot Council, for example, haven't opened a single Welsh-medium primary school in its history, since the county was established in 1996. This is in a county where there are still naturally Welsh-speaking communities. I applaud what John Griffiths has just said about Newport, and similar situations, but there are naturally Welsh-speaking areas that don't have Welsh-medium schools available, and have never had the opportunity to send their children to local schools. They've had to send them many miles away. That's the reality of the situation in Neath Port Talbot today, and that is a huge disappointment. The City and County of Swansea have just closed the Felindre Welsh-medium primary school in the Parsel Mawr - the only naturally Welsh-speaking area in Swansea, in the uplands of the Swansea valley. Now, with 600 children in the Welsh-medium primary school in Pontybrenin and another 600 in Lôn Las primary school, and another 400 in Tirdeunaw, which isn't too far away, there was scope for collaboration, even changing catchment areas, rather than just closing the school down and seeing it lost as a resource for a Welsh-speaking community. And the Welsh Language Commissioner didn't have the powers to prevent the sale of the school site in an auction in London, and that will happen in around a fortnight's time. Just one other issue before I conclude: linguistic pressures on the Welsh language will naturally emerge in building large, new housing estates. That is a significant and increasing challenge. I'm not going to take you through all of the stories or all of the challenges, but can I just ask what persuasion you as Minister are bringing to bear on the planning departments of local authorities to take seriously the requirement of the Welsh language, and pressures on the Welsh language, and to at least understand that there needs to be consideration of the Welsh language? And to close, would you agree -
Welsh: Gaf innau hefyd ddiolch i'r Gweinidog am ei datganiad, a chroesawu'r cynnwys, yn naturiol, a pharhau i longyfarch y Gweinidog ar ei huchelgais yn y maes yma, a thra ein bod ni wrthi, gydnabod hefyd waith arloesol Alun Davies pan oedd yn Weinidog - arloesol a phellgyrhaeddol yn y maes yma - i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n anelu am filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg? Wrth gwrs, fel rŷch chi wedi ei grybwyll eisoes, adennill y tir y byddwn ni. Pan rydym yn sôn am filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg, mi oedd yna, fel rŷch chi'n dweud, filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg yng Nghymru rhyw 120 o flynyddoedd yn ôl. Hefyd, fel rŷch chi wedi ei ddweud yn y datganiad, mae'r ffaith bod yr iaith Gymraeg yn dal i fyw a bod, ac yn ffynnu, yn rhyfeddol ynddo'i hun ac yn destun dathliad, o gofio ein hanes o ormes, yn naturiol. Yn naturiol, dim ond un hanes o nifer o hanesion Cymru ydy hynna, ond mae e wedi digwydd serch hynny. Yn wyneb y realiti bod ieithoedd lleiafrifol dros y byd i gyd yn crebachu ac yn diflannu o wyneb y tir pan mae yna iaith gref iawn ochr yn ochr efo nhw - . Ond, wrth gwrs, mae'r Gymraeg, felly, wedi llwyddo i droi'r gornel yna, ac mae hynna yn destun rhyfeddod a dathlu. Dim ond tair iaith yn unig, allan o dros 7,000 o ieithoedd sydd ar wyneb y ddaear yma, sydd wedi llwyddo i wneud hynny - i droi cornel, i stopio mynd allan a diflannu. Tair iaith yn unig sydd wedi troi'r gornel yna, i stopio diflannu, troi rownd a thyfu. Mae'r Gymraeg yn un o'r tair iaith yna. Felly, mae yna ewyllys da tuag at yr iaith ym mhobman. Ond, wrth gwrs, yn wastadol, ewyllys da - nid da lle gellir gwell. Nawr, nid yw Cyngor Castell Nedd Port Talbot, er enghraifft, wedi agor yr un ysgol gynradd Gymraeg newydd yn ei hanes, ers sefydlu'r sir yn 1996. Mae hyn mewn sir â chymunedau sydd dal yn naturiol Gymraeg eu hiaith. Dwi'n clodfori beth mae John Griffiths newydd ei ddweud am Gasnewydd, a sefyllfaoedd tebyg, ond, wrth gwrs, mae yna ardaloedd naturiol Gymraeg eu hiaith sydd heb ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg, ac erioed wedi cael y cyfle i anfon eu plant - . Mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw eu hanfon nhw filltiroedd i ffwrdd. Dyna realiti Castell-nedd Port Talbot heddiw, ac mae o'n destun siom. Mae Cyngor Dinas a Sir Abertawe newydd gau Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Felindre yn y Parsel Mawr - unig ardal naturiol Gymraeg Abertawe, ar lethrau'r ucheldiroedd yng ngogledd y sir. Nawr, gyda 600 o blant yr un mewn ysgolion cynradd cyfagos Cymraeg, fel Pontybrenin, a 600 arall yn Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Lôn Las, a thros 400 yn Nhirdeunaw, sydd ddim yn bell i ffwrdd, roedd lle i gydweithio a rhannu adnoddau, newid dalgylch hyd yn oed, yn lle jest colli'r ysgol yn gyfan gwbl fel adnodd cymunedol i gymuned Gymraeg ei hiaith. A Chomisiynydd y Gymraeg heb y grymoedd i atal gwerthu'r ysgol - gwerthu ysgol Felindre mewn ocsiwn yn Llundain mewn rhyw bythefnos. Rhyfedd o beth. Trof at un peth arall cyn imi orffen. Mae'r gofyniad ieithyddol yn nhermau gwasgedd ar y Gymraeg, yn naturiol, wrth adeiladu ystadau o dai newydd - mae hynny'n her sylweddol a chynyddol. Dwi ddim yn mynd i olrhain yr holl hanesion, na'r holl heriau, ond a allaf i jest ofyn, pa berswâd ydych chi fel Gweinidog yn ei ddwyn ar adrannau cynllunio llywodraeth leol i gymryd o ddifri gofynion y Gymraeg a'r pwysau ar y Gymraeg, ac o leiaf deall bod angen cael gofyniad am y Gymraeg? Ac i orffen, a fyddech chi'n cytuno -