English: Thank you, Minister, for this afternoon's statement. Clearly, there are many things to be welcomed here. We certainly agree on the need to upgrade a number of schools. We know, travelling the length and breadth of Wales and visiting schools, that there are schools that truly do need investment. This is an important part of ensuring the learning environment, which is so important, as you've outlined, in influencing school attendance, and so on, if the resources are in place. We've also previously discussed the benefits for communities when there are facilities that can be used by the community outside of the school day. Very similar to James Evans, I would like to focus specifically on Welsh-medium education, if I could return to that issue. I was pleased to hear what you said in your response to James in terms of WESPs, because, certainly, you've heard from many of us on this side of the Chamber some examples in our own regions where we have felt at times that the investment has been overly focused on English-medium schools, and when there are Welsh-medium schools, they are often placed in different communities to those where there previously was a Welsh-medium school, and that English-medium schools are placed there, and there's a risk. We have heard from parents that they make that choice in terms of sending their children to English-medium schools and leaving Welsh-medium education as a result. So, I would like to know more in terms of how this further investment will ensure that the Welsh language is a priority for our authorities and that we do look, particularly where there's been a tradition of Welsh-medium education, at how we ensure that that isn't lost if a new English-medium school is placed in an area. We've also discussed transportation and the resources so that everyone can benefit from that. I know that that is an issue for the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, but clearly this will be an important element. And with transport costs increasing too, I do think that there's a broader issue to deliver that. One of the things we know in terms of projects such as this is that very often they can take a very long time. I was pleased to hear that you hoped that this will provide more flexibility in terms of timetables and so on, and that's to be welcomed. But, for those schools that perhaps aren't successful in this round, and it may take years for them to achieve the investment that they need, are you also looking as a Government in terms of how we use community resources already in existence, such as local libraries or museums, that perhaps have received investment? There have been projects in the past, such as one in Swansea, where there was a very successful project in having a school in a museum, the National Waterfront Museum, and advantages from using community assets. Clearly, some of these are under threat now, but when you talk about the number of schools still using portakabins that have seen better days, is there any way we can look at how we can use community assets that schools could walk to, so that we can provide a sustainable future for facilities such as libraries and museums, and also enhancing the curricular advantages? I just wanted to ask if that is something you are considering, particularly given that it's going to be very tight for local authorities. We know that the costs of projects such as this will increase because of inflation, so are there alternative steps that we can take? I'll leave it there for now. Thank you, Minister.
Welsh: Diolch, Weinidog am y datganiad heddiw. Yn amlwg, mae yna nifer o bethau i'w croesawu fan hyn. Rydyn ni'n bendant yn cytuno o ran yr angen i uwchraddio nifer o ysgolion. Rydyn ni'n gwybod, o fynd ledled Cymru ac ymweld ag ysgolion, bod yna ysgolion sydd ddirfawr angen buddsoddiad. Mae hwn yn rhan bwysig o ran sicrhau yr amgylchedd ddysgu, sydd hefyd mor bwysig, fel rydych chi wedi amlinellu, o ran gallu dylanwadu ar bresenoldeb yn yr ysgol, ac ati, os oes yna adnoddau yna. Rydyn ni hefyd wedi trafod yn flaenorol y manteision o ran cymunedau pan fo yna adnoddau sy'n gallu cael defnydd cymunedol y tu hwnt i oriau ysgol. Yn debyg iawn i James Evans, mi fyddwn i'n hoffi canolbwyntio jest yn benodol o ran addysg Gymraeg, os caf i ddychwelyd at hynny. Roeddwn i'n falch o glywed beth roeddech chi'n ei ddweud yn eich ymateb i James o ran cynlluniau strategol y Gymraeg mewn addysg, oherwydd, yn sicr, rydych chi wedi clywed, gan amryw ohonom ni yr ochr yma i'r Siambr, esiamplau yn ein rhanbarthau ni lle rydym ni wedi teimlo, ar adegau, bod y buddsoddiad wedi bod yn ormodol felly mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg, a phan mae yna ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg, yn aml bod y rheini'n cael eu hadeiladu mewn cymunedau gwahanol i'r rhai lle'r oedd yna ysgol Gymraeg, a bod yna ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg newydd yn mynd yno, a bod yna beryg mawr. Rydyn ni wedi clywed gan rieni eu bod nhw'n gwneud y dewis hwnnw o ran gyrru disgyblion i ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg, gan felly adael addysg Gymraeg. Felly, byddwn i yn hoffi gwybod mwy, os gwelwch yn dda, o ran sut bydd y buddsoddiad pellach hwn - . Sut byddwch chi'n sicrhau bod y Gymraeg yn flaenoriaeth i awdurdodau a'n bod ni'n edrych, lle mae yna draddodiad wedi bod, yn arbennig o ran addysg Gymraeg - sut ydym ni'n sicrhau bod hynny ddim yn cael ei golli os oes yna ysgol cyfrwng Saesneg newydd yn dod mewn ardal? Yn debyg iawn hefyd, rydym ni wedi trafod amryw o weithiau o ran trafnidiaeth, o ran yr adnoddau, fel bod pawb yn gallu manteisio ar hynny. Dwi'n gwybod bod hynny'n rhywbeth i'r Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd, ond yn amlwg mae hyn yn mynd i fod yn elfen bwysig. A gyda chostau trafnidiaeth yn cynyddu hefyd, dwi'n meddwl bod yna rywbeth ehangach i sicrhau hynny. Un o'r pethau rydym ni'n ei wybod o ran prosiectau fel hyn yn aml ydy eu bod nhw'n gallu cymryd amser hir. Dwi'n falch o glywed sut rydych chi'n gobeithio y bydd hyn yn rhoi mwy o hyblygrwydd o ran amserlen ac ati - mae hynny'n sicr i'w groesawu. Ond, ar gyfer yr ysgolion hynny sydd ddim, efallai, yn llwyddiannus y tro yma, a bydd hi'n cymryd, efallai, blynyddoedd iddyn nhw allu cael y buddsoddiad sydd ei angen, ydych chi hefyd yn edrych fel Llywodraeth o ran sut rydyn ni'n defnyddio adnoddau cymunedol sydd yn bodoli eisoes, megis llyfrgelloedd neu amgueddfeydd lleol, sydd efallai wedi derbyn buddsoddiad? Mae yna brosiectau wedi bod yn y gorffennol, megis yn Abertawe, lle mi oedd yna brosiect llwyddiannus iawn o ran cael ysgol mewn amgueddfa, yn Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau, am dymor cyfan, a manteision felly o ran defnyddio asedau cymunedol. Yn amlwg, mae nifer o'r rhain o dan fygythiad rŵan, ond pan ydych chi'n sôn am nifer o ysgolion yn dal efo portakabins sydd efallai wedi gweld dyddiau gwell ac sydd yn mynd i fod yno am flynyddoedd, oes yna ffordd inni edrych hefyd o ran sut rydyn ni'n gallu defnyddio asedau cymunedol mae ysgolion yn gallu cerdded iddyn nhw, fel ein bod ni hefyd yn gallu rhoi dyfodol cynaliadwy i bethau fel amgueddfeydd a llyfrgelloedd lleol, a hefyd wrth gwrs, yn cyfoethogi o ran y cwricwlwm, y manteision sydd yna felly? Dim ond i ofyn a ydy hynny yn rhywbeth rydyn ni'n edrych arno fo, yn enwedig o weld y bydd hi'n ofnadwy o dynn ar awdurdodau lleol. Rydyn ni'n gwybod bod costau prosiectau fel hyn yn mynd i fod yn cynyddu oherwydd chwyddiant, felly oes yna bethau amgen rydyn ni'n gallu eu gwneud? Mi wnaf i ei gadael hi'n fanna am rŵan. Diolch, Weinidog.