English: Diolch, Llywydd. I move amendment 1 and will seek to speak to that amendment, along with all of the other amendments in this group that have been tabled in my name. But before I do, I just want to put on record my thanks to both the Cabinet Secretary and the previous portfolio holder for the additional learning needs portfolio, for the very positive engagement that they have afforded to me and my office during the passage of this important legislation through the Assembly to date. It's been very refreshing, I have to say, to have been able to engage on a genuine and cross-party basis to shape, amend and improve this Bill, and I've greatly appreciated the discussions that I've had with both them individually and their offices and officials. I also want to put on record, at the start of this debate, my thanks to the clerks, to the researchers and legal advisers of the Children, Young People and Education Committee for the support that they've also provided in drafting the amendments that I tabled for debate today. Their advice has also been invaluable. The purpose of amendment 1 is to ensure that the additional learning needs code, which Welsh Ministers must prepare to ensure the delivery of the new additional learning needs system that this legislation will introduce, is accessible to children and young people. All too often in the past, Governments in all parts of the UK have been guilty of producing documents that are there to support the delivery of services to children, yet they are in formats that are impossible for children and young people themselves to understand and are often indigestible to everyone but a handful of experts. As the National Deaf Children's Society have rightly pointed out, the current draft of the new code of practice is clearly written for professionals. It's important that families are also well informed of the individual development plan process, whether this be through an accessible code for both professionals and families, or through a separate family-friendly version of the code of practice. If passed, my amendment 1 will ensure that the code will be available in a format that children and young people can understand. It will enable them to understand and appreciate their rights and to ensure that they are fulfilled by those with duties and responsibilities under this important piece of legislation. My amendment 4 seeks to amend section 7 of the Bill, which relates to advice and information. Section 7 requires that local authorities must make arrangements to provide people with information and advice to people about additional learning needs, and the system that operates to cater for them. At Stage 1, the Children, Young People and Education Committee heard a great deal of evidence that expressed concern that, unlike the requirements for disagreement resolution and advocacy services, there was no actual requirement for information and advice from local authorities to be independent. It was clear from the debate at Stage 2 in committee that the Welsh Government agrees with the view that this advice should be independent, because, of course, during that debate, the then Minister made it clear that there's an expectation that local authorities should provide, and I quote, 'objective and impartial' information and advice. So, my amendment 4 seeks to insert those very words, taken from the mouth of the then Minister, onto the face of the Bill to make it clear to local authorities that this is not just an expectation; it's also a duty. I do note that the Cabinet Secretary has tabled an alternative amendment, which, effectively, will have the same impact - amendment 28 - and I look forward to hearing what she has to say about that. Turning, then, to amendment 5, this amendment seeks to deliver on recommendations 29 and 30 from the Stage 1 committee report, which wanted information and advice about the availability of advocacy services to be made available to children and young people at all of the key stages of the additional learning needs process, and at key transitions in their education, such as moving schools. Given that amendment 5 fulfils these recommendations, which were supported by the committee on a cross-party basis, I very much hope that they'll also be supported today. Finally, with regard to amendments 6, 7, 8, 9, 14 and 15, the Bill, as it currently is written, will require schools, further education institutions and local authorities to undertake an additional learning needs assessment when it appears that a young person has got additional learning needs, and if a need is identified, then they will also be required to prepare and maintain an individual development plan for that young person. However, there are expectations from these requirements. One of them is that these duties should not apply - . There are exceptions, I should say, rather, from these requirements, one of which is that these duties do not apply if a young person does not consent to them being fulfilled. The problem with the Bill as drafted is that there's no requirement to actually inform a young person about the consequences of withholding consent. Whilst this issue was not discussed at any length during either Stages 1 or 2 of the legislation, I am concerned that, unless the Bill is amended, young people could withhold consent without fully realising the potential impact of such a decision on their learning opportunities and their prospects. This is particularly important, I think, given that many of these young people will be vulnerable learners, so those who turn down an IDP must do so on the basis of informed choice and not because they've been inappropriately persuaded to refuse consent, which is, I'm afraid, a possibility with the Bill as drafted. So, that's why I've tabled those remaining amendments, which seek to protect vulnerable young people from the potential of abuse of these exceptions, by ensuring that they are informed of the significance and the implications of their decision prior to deciding whether to withhold consent. So, I very much hope that Members will support all of these amendments, and I look forward to hearing the debate.
Welsh: Diolch, Llywydd. Rwy'n cynnig gwelliant 1 a byddaf yn ceisio siarad am y gwelliant hwnnw, ynghyd â gwelliannau eraill yn y grŵp hwn a gyflwynwyd yn fy enw i. Ond cyn i mi wneud hynny, fe hoffwn i ddiolch ar goedd i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet a deilydd blaenorol y portffolio ar gyfer anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, am y trafodaethau hynod gadarnhaol a gawsant gyda mi a'm swyddfa wrth i'r ddeddfwriaeth bwysig hon ddirwyn ei ffordd drwy'r Cynulliad hyd yma. Mae hi wedi bod yn braf iawn, mae'n rhaid imi ddweud, gallu trafod mewn modd diffuant a thraws-bleidiol i lunio, diwygio a gwella'r Bil hwn, ac rwyf wedi gwerthfawrogi'n fawr y trafodaethau a gefais gyda'r ddau ohonynt yn unigol a chyda'u swyddfeydd a'u swyddogion. Fe hoffwn i hefyd ddiolch ar goedd, ar ddechrau'r ddadl hon, i'r clercod, yr ymchwilwyr a'r ymgynghorwyr cyfreithiol y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg am y gefnogaeth a gafwyd ganddyn hwythau hefyd i ddrafftio'r gwelliannau a gyflwynais ar gyfer y ddadl heddiw. Mae eu cyngor hwythau hefyd wedi bod yn amhrisiadwy. Diben gwelliant 1 yw sicrhau bod y cod anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, y mae'n rhaid i Weinidogion Cymru ei baratoi er mwyn sicrhau darpariaeth y system anghenion dysgu ychwanegol newydd y bydd y ddeddfwriaeth hon yn ei chyflwyno, yn hygyrch i blant a phobl ifanc. Yn rhy aml o lawer yn y gorffennol, mae Llywodraethau ym mhob rhan o'r DU wedi bod yn euog o gynhyrchu dogfennau sydd yno i gefnogi'r ddarpariaeth o wasanaethau i blant, ac eto maent mewn diwyg sydd yn amhosib i blant a phobl ifanc eu hunain ei ddeall ac yn aml yn annirnadwy i bawb ond llond llaw o arbenigwyr. Fel mae Cymdeithas Genedlaethol y Plant Byddar wedi tynnu sylw ato'n gwbl briodol, mae'n amlwg bod drafft presennol y cod ymarfer newydd wedi ei ysgrifennu ar gyfer gweithwyr proffesiynol. Mae'n bwysig bod teuluoedd yn cael gwybod am broses y cynllun datblygu unigol, boed hynny drwy gyfrwng cod hygyrch ar gyfer gweithwyr proffesiynol a theuluoedd, neu drwy fersiwn deuluol ar wahân o'r cod ymarfer. Os caiff ei basio, bydd gwelliant 1 o'm heiddo yn sicrhau y bydd y cod ar gael mewn diwyg y gall plant a phobl ifanc ei ddeall. Bydd yn eu galluogi nhw i ddeall a gwerthfawrogi eu hawliau ac i sicrhau y bydd yr hawliau hynny yn cael eu cyflawni gan y rhai sydd â dyletswyddau a chyfrifoldebau o dan y darn pwysig hwn o ddeddfwriaeth. Mae gwelliant 4 o'm heiddo yn ceisio diwygio adran 7 y Bil, sy'n ymwneud â chyngor a gwybodaeth. Mae adran 7 yn ei gwneud hi'n ofynnol i awdurdodau lleol wneud trefniadau i roi gwybodaeth a chyngor i bobl ynghylch anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, a'r system sydd ar waith i ddarparu ar eu cyfer. Yng Nghyfnod 1, clywodd y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg gryn dipyn o dystiolaeth a oedd yn mynegi pryder bod, yn wahanol i'r gofynion ar gyfer gwasanaethau eiriolaeth a datrys anghydfod, nad oedd gofyniad mewn gwirionedd y dylai cyngor a gwybodaeth gan awdurdodau lleol fod yn annibynnol. Roedd hi'n amlwg o'r ddadl yng Nghyfnod 2 yn y pwyllgor fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn cytuno â'r farn y dylai'r cyngor hwn fod yn annibynnol, oherwydd, wrth gwrs, yn ystod y ddadl honno, gwnaeth y Gweinidog ar y pryd hi'n glir bod disgwyliad y dylai awdurdodau lleol ddarparu a dyfynnaf 'gwybodaeth a chyngor gwrthrychol a diduedd'. Felly, mae gwelliant 4 o'm heiddo yn ceisio gosod yr union eiriau hynny, a gymerwyd o enau'r Gweinidog ar y pryd, ar wyneb y Bil i'w gwneud yn glir i awdurdodau lleol nad disgwyliad yn unig yw hyn, y mae hefyd yn ddyletswydd. Rwyf yn sylwi bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi cyflwyno gwelliant arall, a fydd, i bob pwrpas, yn cael yr un effaith - gwelliant 28 - ac edrychaf ymlaen at glywed yr hyn sydd ganddi i'w ddweud ynghylch hynny. Gan droi, felly, at welliant 5, mae'r gwelliant hwn yn ceisio cyflawni argymhellion 29 a 30 adroddiad Cyfnod 1 y pwyllgor, a oedd eisiau i wybodaeth a chyngor am y gwasanaethau eiriolaeth sydd ar gael i blant a phobl ifanc fod ar gael ym mhob cyfnod allweddol o'r broses anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, ac ar adegau trosglwyddo allweddol yn eu haddysg, fel symud i ysgol arall. Gan fod gwelliant 5 yn cyflawni'r argymhellion hyn, a gefnogwyd gan y pwyllgor ar sail traws-bleidiol, rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr y cawn nhw eu cefnogi heddiw hefyd. Yn olaf, o ran gwelliannau 6, 7, 8, 9, 14 a 15, mae'r Bil, fel y mae wedi ei ysgrifennu ar hyn o bryd, yn gofyn i ysgolion, sefydliadau addysg bellach ac awdurdodau lleol wneud asesiad o anghenion dysgu ychwanegol pan ei bod yn ymddangos bod gan berson ifanc anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, ac os gwelir bod angen, yna bydd gofyn iddyn nhw hefyd baratoi a chynnal cynllun datblygu unigol ar gyfer y person ifanc hwnnw. Fodd bynnag, ceir disgwyliadau o'r gofynion hyn. Un ohonynt yw na ddylai'r dyletswyddau hyn fod yn berthnasol - . Mae eithriadau, dylwn ddweud, yn hytrach, o'r gofynion hyn, ac un ohonynt yw nad yw'r dyletswyddau yn berthnasol os nad yw'r person ifanc yn cydsynio iddynt gael eu cyflawni. Y broblem gyda'r Bil fel y'i drafftiwyd yw nad oes unrhyw ofyniad i hysbysu person ifanc mewn gwirionedd am ganlyniadau gwrthod cydsynio. Er na chafodd y mater hwn ei drafod yn fanwl yn ystod Cyfnodau 1 na 2 o'r ddeddfwriaeth, rwyf yn pryderu, oni bai y caiff y Bil ei ddiwygio, y gallai pobl ifanc wrthod rhoi cydsyniad heb lawn sylweddoli effaith posibl penderfyniad o'r fath ar eu cyfleoedd dysgu a'u rhagolygon. Mae hyn yn arbennig o bwysig, rwy'n credu, gan y bydd llawer o'r bobl ifanc hyn yn ddysgwyr agored i niwed, felly mae'n rhaid i'r rheini sy'n gwrthod Cynllun Dysgu Unigol wneud hynny ar sail dewis gwybodus ac nid oherwydd eu bod nhw wedi eu perswadio'n amhriodol i wrthod cydsyniad, sydd, rwy'n ofni, yn bosibilrwydd gyda'r Bil fel y'i drafftiwyd. Felly, dyna pam yr wyf i wedi cyflwyno'r gwelliannau hynny sy'n weddill, sy'n ceisio amddiffyn pobl ifanc agored i niwed rhag y posibilrwydd o gamddefnyddio'r eithriadau hyn, drwy sicrhau eu bod yn cael gwybod am arwyddocâd a goblygiadau eu penderfyniad cyn penderfynu pa un ai i wrthod rhoi cydsyniad. Felly, rwy'n gobeithio'n fawr y bydd Aelodau yn cefnogi'r holl welliannau hyn, ac edrychaf ymlaen at glywed y ddadl.