English: Diolch yn fawr, Deputy Llywydd. I'm really pleased to have this opportunity to lead this important debate with Members on the children's commissioner's annual report for 2021-22. The commissioner's annual report provides an annual independent spotlight on children's needs and their rights, and ensures we maintain a collective focus on them. This report provides an opportunity for us to reflect on progress and to consider how we can continue to make improvements to the lives of children and young people in Wales. I'd like to start by welcoming our new Children's Commissioner for Wales, Rocío Cifuentes, who began her term in office in April of this year. I've met the new commissioner on several occasions since her appointment, and I welcome her commitment and dedication to upholding children's rights since taking up this important role. She's used this initial period to meet children and young people throughout Wales, and I look forward to seeing the outcome of her large-scale engagement exercise, Ambitions for Wales, which will enable children and young people to have their voices heard and to influence her three-year work plan. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the former commissioner, Professor Sally Holland, for all the work that she's done for children and young people. This report is reflective of her final year in office, as the former commissioner. The commissioner rightly highlights in her introduction the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the cost-of-living crisis, on children and young people and their families, and I'd like to assure Members that we as Government will continue to do all we can within our powers to tackle inequalities and improve outcomes for all children in Wales. Tackling the root causes of child poverty must and will remain a clear and ongoing priority for this Government, as this underpins so many of our young people's life chances, future outcomes and prospects. However, we are also clear that the key levers for tackling child poverty - powers over the tax and welfare system - sit with the UK Government, and I welcome the commissioner raising these concerns with the UK Government. We need every level of Government to work together if we're going to support children and young people and their families during this unprecedented crisis. The annual report is an opportunity for the commissioner to highlight the work of the organisation, and I'd like to draw Members' attention to the ongoing work of the commissioner in supporting public bodies in taking a children's rights approach. Putting children and young people at the centre of our public services is so important, and I welcome the commitment of the commissioner's office in providing this support. The office has developed 'The Right Way: A Children's Rights Approach in Wales', which is a practical guide to help organisations place children's rights at the heart of all planning decisions and service delivery. The five ways of working, embedding children's rights, equality and non-discrimination, empowering children, facilitating meaningful participation and clear accountability structures provide a clear and supportive framework. We are, as an organisation, led by my colleague Julie Morgan, Deputy Minister for Social Services, used to these principles in developing our own children's rights scheme, which we published in December last year, but I'd also like to thank the commissioner and her staff for all the work they did to advocate for children and young people as we emerged from the pandemic. An example of this was the development of the Welsh Government's Summer of Fun programme, which took place for the first time last summer. Working with the Urdd and Sport Wales, the commissioner was able to bring together a number of key partners for a series of round-table discussions with Welsh Government to look at how best we can support the recovery of our children and young people and to give those partners the opportunity to hear from children and young people themselves about what was important to them. This, then, fed into the development of our Summer of Fun programme, which provided free activities for the development and well-being of children and young people across Wales. We provided over 67,000 opportunities for children and young people and were able to build on that success through the subsequent Winter of Well-being. And this year's Summer of Fun also saw us provide food as well as free activities. Turning to the recommendations in the annual report, the commissioner has made 16 recommendations to the Welsh Government, and these fall under four themes: adequate standard of living; family environment and alternative care; protection from exploitation and violence; and education, citizenship and cultural activities. These recommendations cover important issues right across Government, including tackling child poverty, health advocacy, children and young people in care and leaving care, child protection and justice, education, mental health, transport and learner travel. I welcome the recommendations in the report. I also accept that progress in some areas has not been what we would have liked due to the resource pressures of the pandemic. However, I won't be discussing the details of the Welsh Government's response today. The First Minister will publish the Welsh Government's response to the commissioner's annual report by 30 November. Today is an opportunity for Members to express their views on the commissioner's report and to comment on the areas the commissioner has raised. We look forward to hearing the views of Members and we'll take these views into consideration as we prepare our official response. So, in conclusion, Dirprwy Lywydd, I look forward to this important debate on the children's commissioner's report and our progress in supporting children's rights in Wales. The commissioner's independent role is crucial in holding the Government to account, and we will continue to work with her office for the benefit of all children and young people in Wales. Diolch.
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n falch iawn o gael y cyfle hwn i arwain y ddadl bwysig hon gyda'r Aelodau ar adroddiad blynyddol y comisiynydd plant ar gyfer 2021-22. Mae adroddiad blynyddol y comisiynydd yn rhoi sylw annibynnol blynyddol ar anghenion plant a'u hawliau, ac yn sicrhau ein bod ni'n cynnal pwyslais cyfunol arnyn nhw. Mae'r adroddiad hwn yn gyfle i ni fyfyrio ar y cynnydd ac i ystyried sut y gallwn ni barhau i wneud gwelliannau i fywydau plant a phobl ifanc Cymru. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy groesawu ein Comisiynydd Plant newydd i Gymru, sef Rocío Cifuentes, a ddechreuodd ei chyfnod yn y swydd ym mis Ebrill eleni. Rwyf i wedi cwrdd â'r comisiynydd newydd ar sawl achlysur ers ei phenodi, ac rwy'n croesawu ei hymrwymiad a'i hymroddiad i gynnal hawliau plant ers dechrau ar y rôl bwysig hon. Mae hi wedi defnyddio'r cyfnod cychwynnol hwn i gwrdd â phlant a phobl ifanc ledled Cymru, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at weld canlyniad ei hymarfer ymgysylltu ar raddfa fawr, Gobeithion i Gymru, a fydd yn galluogi plant a phobl ifanc i leisio eu barn ac i ddylanwadu ar ei chynllun gwaith tair blynedd. Hoffwn hefyd fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i ddiolch i'r cyn-gomisiynydd, yr Athro Sally Holland, am yr holl waith y mae hi wedi ei wneud dros blant a phobl ifanc. Mae'r adroddiad hwn yn adlewyrchu ei blwyddyn olaf yn y swydd, fel y cyn-gomisiynydd. Mae'r comisiynydd yn tynnu sylw yn gywir yn ei chyflwyniad at effaith pandemig COVID-19, a nawr yr argyfwng costau byw, ar blant a phobl ifanc a'u teuluoedd, a hoffwn roi sicrwydd i Aelodau y byddwn ni fel Llywodraeth yn parhau i wneud popeth o fewn ein pwerau i fynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldebau a gwella canlyniadau ar gyfer pob plentyn yng Nghymru. Rhaid i fynd i'r afael ag achosion sylfaenol tlodi plant fod yn flaenoriaeth glir a pharhaus i'r Llywodraeth hon o hyd, ac mi fydd, gan fod hyn yn sail i gymaint o gyfleoedd bywyd, canlyniadau a rhagolygon ein pobl ifanc yn y dyfodol. Fodd bynnag, rydym ni hefyd yn glir mai Llywodraeth y DU sy'n gyfrifol am y prif ddulliau ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â thlodi plant - pwerau dros y system dreth a lles - ac rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod y comisiynydd yn codi'r pryderon hyn gyda Llywodraeth y DU. Mae angen i bob lefel o Lywodraeth weithio gyda'i gilydd os ydyn ni'n mynd i gefnogi plant a phobl ifanc a'u teuluoedd yn ystod yr argyfwng digynsail hwn. Mae'r adroddiad blynyddol yn gyfle i'r comisiynydd dynnu sylw at waith y sefydliad, a hoffwn dynnu sylw'r Aelodau at waith parhaus y comisiynydd wrth gefnogi cyrff cyhoeddus i ddilyn dull gweithredu sy'n seiliedig ar hawliau plant. Mae rhoi plant a phobl ifanc wrth wraidd ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus mor bwysig, ac rwy'n croesawu ymrwymiad swyddfa'r comisiynydd i ddarparu'r gefnogaeth hon. Mae'r swyddfa wedi datblygu 'Y Ffordd Gywir: Dull Gweithredu Seiliedig ar Hawliau Plant yng Nghymru', sef canllaw ymarferol i helpu sefydliadau i roi hawliau plant wrth wraidd yr holl benderfyniadau cynllunio a darpariaeth gwasanaethau. Mae'r pum ffordd o weithio, gwreiddio hawliau plant, cydraddoldeb a pheidio â chamwahaniaethu, grymuso plant, hwyluso cyfranogiad ystyrlon a strwythurau atebolrwydd clir yn darparu fframwaith clir a chefnogol. Rydym ni, fel sefydliad, dan arweiniad fy nghydweithiwr Julie Morgan, y Dirprwy Weinidog Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, wedi defnyddio'r egwyddorion hyn wrth ddatblygu ein cynllun hawliau plant ein hunain, a gyhoeddwyd ym mis Rhagfyr y llynedd, ond hoffwn hefyd ddiolch i'r comisiynydd a'i staff am yr holl waith a wnaethant i eirioli dros blant a phobl ifanc wrth i ni ddod allan o'r pandemig. Enghraifft o hyn oedd datblygiad rhaglen Haf o Hwyl Llywodraeth Cymru, a gynhaliwyd am y tro cyntaf haf diwethaf. Gan gydweithio gyda'r Urdd a Chwaraeon Cymru, llwyddodd y comisiynydd i ddod â nifer o bartneriaid allweddol ynghyd ar gyfer cyfres o drafodaethau bwrdd crwn gyda Llywodraeth Cymru i edrych ar y ffordd orau i gefnogi adferiad ein plant a'n pobl ifanc a rhoi cyfle i'r partneriaid hynny glywed gan blant a phobl ifanc eu hunain am yr hyn oedd yn bwysig iddyn nhw. Fe wnaeth hyn, wedyn, gyfrannu at ddatblygiad ein rhaglen Haf o Hwyl, a oedd yn darparu gweithgareddau rhad ac am ddim ar gyfer datblygiad a lles plant a phobl ifanc ledled Cymru. Fe wnaethom ddarparu dros 67,000 o gyfleoedd i blant a phobl ifanc a gallwn adeiladu ar y llwyddiant hwnnw trwy'r Gaeaf Llesiant dilynol. Ac yn ystod yr Haf o Hwyl eleni hefyd fe wnaethom ni ddarparu bwyd yn ogystal â gweithgareddau rhad ac am ddim. Gan droi at yr argymhellion yn yr adroddiad blynyddol, mae'r comisiynydd wedi cyflwyno 16 o argymhellion i Lywodraeth Cymru, ac mae'r rhain yn dod o dan bedair thema: safon byw digonol; amgylchedd teuluol a gofal amgen; amddiffyniad rhag ecsbloetio a thrais; ac addysg, dinasyddiaeth a gweithgareddau diwylliannol. Mae'r argymhellion hyn yn ymdrin â materion pwysig ym mhob rhan o'r Llywodraeth, gan gynnwys mynd i'r afael â thlodi plant, eiriolaeth iechyd, plant a phobl ifanc mewn gofal ac yn gadael gofal, amddiffyn plant a chyfiawnder, addysg, iechyd meddwl, trafnidiaeth a theithio i ddysgwyr. Rwy'n croesawu'r argymhellion yn yr adroddiad. Rwy'n derbyn hefyd nad yw cynnydd mewn rhai meysydd wedi bod fel y byddem wedi'i hoffi oherwydd pwysau'r pandemig ar adnoddau. Ond, ni fyddaf yn trafod manylion ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru heddiw. Bydd Prif Weinidog Cymru yn cyhoeddi ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru i adroddiad blynyddol y comisiynydd erbyn 30 Tachwedd. Mae heddiw yn gyfle i'r Aelodau fynegi eu barn ar adroddiad y comisiynydd a rhoi sylwadau ar y meysydd mae'r comisiynydd wedi eu codi. Rydym ni'n edrych ymlaen at glywed barn Aelodau a byddwn yn ystyried y safbwyntiau hyn wrth i ni baratoi ein hymateb swyddogol. Felly, i gloi, Dirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n edrych ymlaen at y ddadl bwysig hon ar adroddiad y comisiynydd plant a'n cynnydd o ran cefnogi hawliau plant yng Nghymru. Mae rôl annibynnol y comisiynydd yn hollbwysig er mwyn dwyn y Llywodraeth i gyfrif, a byddwn yn parhau i weithio gyda'i swyddfa er budd holl blant a phobl ifanc Cymru. Diolch.