English: Thank you, Llywydd, and I'd like to congratulate Eluned Morgan on being selected in the role of Minister for the Welsh language and I'd like to thank Alun Davies for his work. I'd like to move amendments 1 and 2 in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth, and I note that the Government is in favour of amendment 1, but is against amendment 2. Our amendments to this debate today do emphasise the importance of the role of the Welsh Language Commissioner and how that role has ensured positive developments in the use of the Welsh language under the language standards system, and that after just a year of them being implemented. The report does compare statistics for a whole year under the standards system and the year that they came into force. For example, 76 per cent of Welsh speakers are of the opinion that public organisations' Welsh language services are improving and 57 per cent of people believe that opportunities to use the Welsh language are increasing. My job is not to defend the commissioner's work, but you can't deny the robust evidence that has been presented in this report. The statistics show how effective the role of the commissioner has been in the six years since the office was established. So, I am concerned, and those concerns are shared by a number of experts in the field of linguistics, that making any structural changes of the kind that are proposed in the White Paper of the Government for the Welsh language Bill are going to undo many of the positive developments that have happened so far. I outlined in the debate on the White Paper a few months ago a number of reasons why the Welsh Government's proposals for the Bill weaken our basic rights as Welsh speakers. This afternoon, I want to focus on the idea of abolishing the Welsh Language Commissioner. In a secret letter from the international agency of language commissioners, the agency does say clearly that there is no better way to hold a Government to account than through one independent language commissioner. And they go on to say that they have come to this conclusion because of their extensive experiences in this field. In the letter, they argue that the language commissioner plays an important role in regulating the provision of Welsh language services, and that abolishing the role would damage the positive progress that has been made so far. This letter was signed by 10 language commissioners across the world. If the aim of the Government is to strengthen the basic rights of Welsh speakers, as well as realising the target of reaching 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050 - and I welcome your commitment to continue with that objective - if that is your aspiration, then simplifying the process and moving forward and introducing more standards is what's needed, rather than making structural changes. We need to move urgently on with the work of introducing standards for other sectors. I do understand that you're about to introduce standards for the health service and it's about time that that happened. Reports on standards for housing associations have been on the desk of your predecessor for two years, and the water companies for almost two years, and buses and trains and railways for nearly a year. So, I do greatly hope that you, as the new Minister for the Welsh language, will reconsider the abolition of the role of the Welsh Language Commissioner and will move forward to expand the basic rights of Welsh speakers across Wales.
Welsh: Diolch, Lywydd, a hoffwn i longyfarch Eluned Morgan ar gael ei dewis i rôl Gweinidog y Gymraeg, a diolch i Alun Davies am ei waith. Mi hoffwn gyflwyno gwelliannau 1 a 2 yn enw Rhun ap Iorwerth, ac rwyf yn nodi bod y Llywodraeth o blaid gwelliant 1 ond yn erbyn gwelliant 2. Mae'n gwelliannau ni i'r ddadl yma heddiw yn pwysleisio pwysigrwydd rôl Comisiynydd y Gymraeg a sut mae'r rôl honno wedi sicrhau datblygiadau cadarnhaol yn y defnydd o'r Gymraeg o dan y gyfundrefn safonau iaith, a hynny ar ôl ond blwyddyn o'u gweithredu. Mae'r adroddiad yn cymharu ystadegau blwyddyn gyflawn o dan y gyfundrefn safonau a'r flwyddyn cyn iddyn nhw ddod i rym. Er enghraifft, mae 76 y cant o siaradwyr Cymraeg o'r farn bod gwasanaethau Cymraeg sefydliadau cyhoeddus yn gwella, ac mae 57 y cant o bobl yn credu bod cynnydd yn y cyfleoedd sydd ar gael i ddefnyddio'r Gymraeg. Nid fy ngwaith i ydy amddiffyn gwaith y comisiynydd, ond ni ellir gwadu'r dystiolaeth gadarn sy'n cael ei chyflwyno yn yr adroddiad. Mae'r ystadegau yn dangos pa mor effeithiol ydy rôl Comisiynydd y Gymraeg chwe blynedd ers sefydlu swyddfa'r comisiynydd. Felly, mae gen i bryder - ac mae'r pryderon yn cael eu rhannu gan nifer o arbenigwyr ieithyddol - fod gwneud unrhyw newidiadau strwythurol o'r math sy'n cael eu cynnig ym Mhapur Gwyn y Llywodraeth ar gyfer Bil y Gymraeg yn mynd i ddad-wneud nifer o'r datblygiadau cadarnhaol sydd wedi digwydd hyd yma. Mi wnes i amlinellu mewn dadl ar Bapur Gwyn y Llywodraeth ychydig fisoedd yn ôl nifer o resymau pam fod cynigion y Llywodraeth am Fil y Gymraeg yn gwanhau ein hawliau sylfaenol ni fel siaradwyr Cymraeg. Brynhawn yma, rwyf am ganolbwyntio ar y syniad o ddiddymu rôl Comisiynydd y Gymraeg. Mewn llythyr cyfrinachol gan asiantaeth rhyngwladol y comisiynwyr iaith sydd wedi dod i law, mae'r asiantaeth yn dweud yn glir nad oes gwell ffordd i ddal unrhyw Lywodraeth i gyfrif na thrwy un comisiynydd iaith annibynnol. Maen nhw'n mynd ymlaen i ddweud eu bod nhw wedi dod i'r casgliad hwn oherwydd eu profiadau helaeth yn y maes. Yn y llythyr, maen nhw'n dadlau bod y comisiynydd iaith yn chwarae rhan bwysig wrth reoleiddio'r ddarpariaeth o wasanaethau Cymraeg ac mae diddymu'r rôl am fod yn niweidiol i'r cynnydd cadarnhaol a gyflawnwyd hyd yma. Fe gafodd y llythyr yma ei arwyddo gan 10 o gomisiynwyr iaith ledled y byd. Os mai bwriad y Llywodraeth yw cryfhau hawliau sylfaenol siaradwyr y Gymraeg, yn ogystal â gwireddu'r targed o gyrraedd 1 miliwn o siaradwyr erbyn 2050 - ac rwy'n croesawu'ch ymrwymiad chi i barhau efo'r nod yna - os mai dyna ydy eich dymuniad chi, yna symleiddio'r broses a symud ymlaen a chyflwyno mwy o safonau sydd ei angen, yn hytrach na gwneud newidiadau strwythurol. Mae angen symud ar frys efo'r gwaith o gyflwyno safonau ar gyfer sectorau eraill. Rwy'n deall eich bod chi ar fin cyflwyno safonau ar gyfer y gwasanaeth iechyd. Mae'n hen bryd i hynny ddigwydd. Mae adroddiadau ar safonau'r cymdeithasau tai ar ddesg eich rhagflaenydd chi ers dwy flynedd, y cwmnïau dŵr ers bron i ddwy flynedd, y bysiau a'r trenau a'r rheilffyrdd ers bron i flwyddyn. Felly, rwyf yn mawr obeithio y byddwch chi, fel y Gweinidog newydd dros y Gymraeg, yn ailystyried diddymu rôl Comisiynydd y Gymraeg ac yn symud ymlaen yn hytrach, i sicrhau ac ehangu ar hawliau sylfaenol siaradwyr Cymraeg ledled Cymru.