English: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I am pleased to move this motion and recommend to the Senedd that Nick Bennett is appointed as the acting Public Services Ombudsman for Wales for an eight-month term. The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales is an important public role. The appointment to the post is significant. In the normal course of these matters, the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee would have held a process to recruit a successor for the full seven-year term. Unfortunately, following the initial lockdown in March last year, the committee responded to the pandemic by prioritising work on the effects of the pandemic, of the crisis, on the committee's remit, and that subsequently meant that factors around a full recruitment process would be very precarious in terms of timings and due process. Therefore, we carefully considered the range of options available to us as a committee before coming to a decision. We unanimously believe that this acting appointment was the most pragmatic and prudent approach in the current situation. As the short report that we published last week outlined, there was a real and significant risk that, if we had embarked on recruitment for the substantive post, we would have been unable to complete it before the scheduled date for dissolution in April. This could have led to the very real possibility of there not being someone in post to replace Nick Bennett when his substantive term of office ends in July of this year. As the committee that has been responsible for scrutinising the current public services ombudsman for much of his term, we have been satisfied with his and his office's performance. Our first preference was therefore to approach Nick Bennett to see if he was in a position to continue in post for a time-limited period. We were pleased that he was able and willing to do so. We also believe this will provide some stability, as the ombudsman's office, along with all other organisations, continues to deal with the challenges of the pandemic. We hope that by the time the sixth Senedd undertakes the recruitment of the next substantive postholder we will be starting to move out of the immediate crisis. I therefore call on the Senedd to support this motion and appoint Nick Bennett as acting Public Services Ombudsman for Wales for a limited eight-month term, ending in March 2022. Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n falch o wneud y cynnig hwn ac o argymell i'r Senedd y dylid penodi Nick Bennett yn Ombwdsmon Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus Cymru dros dro am gyfnod o wyth mis. Mae Ombwdsmon Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus Cymru yn rôl gyhoeddus bwysig. Mae'r penodiad i'r swydd yn arwyddocaol. Yn y materion hyn fel arfer byddai'r Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb, Llywodraeth Leol a Chymunedau wedi cynnal proses i recriwtio olynydd am y tymor llawn o saith mlynedd. Yn anffodus, yn dilyn y cyfyngiadau symud cychwynnol ym mis Mawrth y llynedd, ymatebodd y pwyllgor i'r pandemig drwy flaenoriaethu gwaith ar effeithiau'r pandemig, yr argyfwng, yng nghylch gwaith y pwyllgor, ac roedd hynny wedyn yn golygu y byddai ffactorau sy'n ymwneud â phroses recriwtio lawn yn ansicr iawn mewn perthynas ag amseru a'r drefn briodol. Felly, gwnaethom ystyried yn ofalus yr ystod o opsiynau a oedd ar gael inni fel pwyllgor cyn dod i benderfyniad. Credwn yn unfrydol mai'r penodiad dros dro hwn oedd y dull mwyaf pragmatig a darbodus yn y sefyllfa bresennol. Fel yr amlinellodd yr adroddiad byr a gyhoeddwyd gennym yr wythnos diwethaf, roedd perygl gwirioneddol a sylweddol, pe baem wedi dechrau recriwtio ar gyfer swydd barhaol, na fyddem wedi gallu cwblhau'r broses cyn y dyddiad a drefnwyd ar gyfer diddymu ym mis Ebrill. Gallai hyn fod wedi arwain at y posibilrwydd gwirioneddol na fyddai neb yn y swydd i gymryd lle Nick Bennett pan ddaw ei dymor parhaol yn y swydd i ben ym mis Gorffennaf eleni. Fel y pwyllgor sydd wedi bod yn gyfrifol am graffu ar yr ombwdsmon gwasanaethau cyhoeddus presennol am y rhan fwyaf o'i dymor, rydym wedi bod yn fodlon ar ei berfformiad ef a'i swyddfa. Ein dewis cyntaf felly oedd cysylltu â Nick Bennett i weld a oedd mewn sefyllfa i barhau yn ei swydd am gyfnod cyfyngedig. Roeddem yn falch ei fod wedi gallu ac yn barod i wneud hynny. Credwn hefyd y bydd hyn yn cynnig rhywfaint o sefydlogrwydd, gan fod swyddfa'r ombwdsmon, ynghyd â phob sefydliad arall, yn parhau i ymdrin â heriau'r pandemig. Erbyn i'r chweched Senedd recriwtio'r penodiad parhaol nesaf i'r swydd gobeithiwn y byddwn yn dechrau cefnu ar yr argyfwng uniongyrchol. Galwaf felly ar y Senedd i gefnogi'r cynnig hwn a phenodi Nick Bennett yn Ombwdsmon Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus Cymru dros dro am gyfnod cyfyngedig o wyth mis, gan ddod i ben ym mis Mawrth 2022. Diolch yn fawr.