English: Thank you for your statement, Minister. May I say 'congratulations' on your recent appointment? I'm sure that the other Members here will agree with me that, in an ideal world, no child would be taken from their family to be looked after by the state. No matter how caring or dedicated the staff looking after children in care are, there is no substitute for the security of a stable family environment, however that family may be made up. But it of course happens. It's sometimes a horrible necessity that a child has to be taken away from their family, and I'm pleased to see that schemes are in place to reduce the number of children being taken into care in the first place and that there are things being put in place to provide them with support once they come out of care. I would like to see, though, further support being given to children in care, but I'll come on to that in a moment. Working with young mums to break the cycle of repeated pregnancies is a good idea, as is extending the support available from personal advisers up to the age of 25. But what worries me is that, although I acknowledge that funds are not unlimited, the sums set out in your statement intended to be spent on 5,500 or more children being looked after by the Welsh Government don't seem to me to be particularly large: £400,000 to deliver the fostering network is a relatively small sum, and £125,000 to develop adoption support work across the country represents a tiny amount of money. I mean, it's only £25,000 per region. So, how do you see this money being spent, and how much difference do you think it's going to make to the actual outcomes of looked-after children? The sum set aside to address youth homelessness is tiny, given the number of homeless and rough sleepers in Wales. Looked-after children are already disadvantaged by the circumstances that took them into care in the first place. Their education will have suffered alongside. It's vital that these children are helped to find a better future, and providing additional educational support is very, very important. The money promised and referred to in your statement as being for that purpose is submerged within the pupil deprivation grant of £4 million, but that £4 million has to provide educational support for deprived children who aren't looked after, as well. So, how much of the pupil deprivation grant will be spent on improving the educational outcomes of looked-after children specifically, and how can you assure us that the money set aside will be sufficient to bring substantive results? I welcome the proposals to exempt care leavers from council tax; I think that's a brilliant idea. And I would really, really encourage local authorities across Wales to adopt the proposal. As I said, the schemes referred to in your statement are encouraging, and, like I said, I have doubts about whether sufficient resources are being put in place, but I really do hope that the investment that you've referred to, and the schemes that you've referred to, bear the fruit that you and the rest of us hope for. Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch ichi am eich datganiad, Gweinidog. A gaf i ddweud 'llongyfarchiadau' ar eich penodiad diweddar? Rwy'n siŵr y bydd yr Aelodau eraill yma yn cytuno â mi, mewn byd delfrydol, ni fyddai unrhyw blentyn yn cael eu cymryd oddi ar ei deulu i dderbyn gofal gan y wladwriaeth. Ni waeth pa mor ofalgar neu ymroddgar yw'r staff sy'n gofalu am blant sy'n derbyn gofal, nid yw hynny cystal â diogelwch amgylchedd teuluol sefydlog, beth bynnag yw natur y teulu hwnnw. Ond wrth gwrs mae'n digwydd. Weithiau mae'n anghenraid ofnadwy bod yn rhaid i blentyn gael ei dynnu oddi wrth ei deulu, ac rwy'n falch o weld bod cynlluniau ar waith i leihau nifer y plant sy'n derbyn gofal yn y lle cyntaf a bod pethau'n cael eu rhoi ar waith i ddarparu cymorth iddyn nhw pan fyddan nhw'n gadael gofal. Hoffwn weld, er hyn, mwy o gymorth yn cael ei roi i blant sy'n derbyn gofal, ond byddaf yn dod at hynny yn y man. Mae gweithio gyda mamau ifanc i dorri'r cylch o feichiogrwydd dro ar ôl tro yn syniad da, fel y mae ymestyn y cymorth sydd ar gael gan gynghorwyr personol hyd at 25 oed. Ond yr hyn sy'n fy mhoeni i, er fy mod yn cydnabod nad yw arian yn ddiderfyn, nad yw'r symiau a nodir yn eich datganiad y bwriedir eu gwario ar 5,500 neu fwy o blant sy'n derbyn gofal gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn ymddangos yn arbennig o fawr i mi: mae £400,000 i gyflawni'r rhwydwaith maethu yn swm cymharol fach, ac mae £125,000 i ddatblygu gwaith cymorth mabwysiadu ar draws y wlad yn cynrychioli swm bach iawn o arian. Dim ond £25,000 fesul rhanbarth yw hynny. Felly, sut ydych chi'n gweld yr arian hwn yn cael ei wario, a faint o wahaniaeth ydych chi'n meddwl y mae'n mynd i'w wneud i ganlyniadau plant sy'n derbyn gofal? Mae'r swm sydd wedi'i neilltuo i fynd i'r afael â digartrefedd ymhlith pobl ifanc yn fach iawn, o ystyried nifer y bobl ddigartref a'r rhai sy'n cysgu ar y stryd yng Nghymru. Mae plant sy'n derbyn gofal eisoes dan anfantais oherwydd yr amgylchiadau a aeth â nhw i mewn i ofal yn y lle cyntaf. Bydd eu haddysg wedi dioddef hefyd. Mae'n hollbwysig bod y plant hyn yn cael cymorth i ddod o hyd i well dyfodol, ac mae darparu cefnogaeth addysgol ychwanegol yn bwysig iawn, iawn. Mae'r arian a addawyd ac y cyfeiriwyd ato yn eich datganiad o fod ar gyfer y diben hwnnw wedi'i gynnwys yn y grant amddifadedd disgyblion o £4 miliwn, ond mae'n rhaid i'r £4 miliwn hwnnw ddarparu cymorth addysgol ar gyfer plant difreintiedig nad ydynt yn derbyn gofal hefyd. Felly, faint o'r grant amddifadedd disgyblion fydd yn cael ei wario ar wella deilliannau addysgol plant sy'n derbyn gofal yn benodol, a sut y gallwch chi ein sicrhau ni y bydd yr arian a neilltuwyd yn ddigonol i sicrhau canlyniadau sylweddol? Rwy'n croesawu'r cynigion i eithrio'r rhai sy'n gadael gofal rhag y dreth gyngor; rwy'n credu bod hwnnw'n syniad gwych. A dweud y gwir, byddwn i'n annog awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru i fabwysiadu'r cynnig. Fel y dywedais, mae'r cynlluniau y cyfeiriwyd atynt yn eich datganiad yn galonogol, ac, fel y dywedais, mae gennyf amheuon ynghylch a oes digon o adnoddau yn cael eu rhoi ar waith, ond rwyf wir yn gobeithio y bydd y buddsoddiad yr ydych chi wedi cyfeirio ato, a'r cynlluniau yr ydych chi wedi cyfeirio atynt, yn cyflawni'r hyn yr ydych chi a'r gweddill ohonom yn gobeithio amdano. Diolch.