English: I welcome in broad terms the statement from the Cabinet Secretary today. Before I go into detail on the statement, I just want to, as the Cabinet Secretary is here, mention one thing to her and bring to her attention. There's a very misleading article in 'The Guardian' newspaper today on Welsh language education. I can see that the Cabinet Secretary is aware of it. All I can say to her is that I hope that she responds or the Government responds officially to that article, because it is wrong in fact and it is wrong in its implications as well. Can I turn to the report - the White Paper, I should say - now that we have before us? As I said, Plaid Cymru has long advocated a parity of esteem between vocational and academic education, and we set out in our manifesto how we wanted the Hazelkorn review to work towards the elimination of duplication and unnecessary competition and more collaboration in this sector. In fact, I have been so enthusiastic for it that the Cabinet Secretary has accused me perversely in the past of wanting to take money from universities and give it to sixth forms. But, I think we know where we are. We want to see a real choice for our young people that really rewards them in the decisions they make, whether it's education through university or through apprenticeships or through training or through sixth form or through post-sixth-form or whatever it may be. I had several questions coming in to the statement this afternoon. Though, as the Cabinet Secretary has usefully pointed out, these are all questions that are asked in the consultation and we don't have any answers to them yet. So, I'll try and elucidate some that I think perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can give some steer on at this stage. I'll start with where we ended, actually, which is the UKRI and the relationship between this new body, the tertiary authority and other UK-wide bodies - they're supposed to be UK-wide, but don't include representation from Wales on them. We do have an establishment, the UKRI, we do have a real issue around Brexit, leaving the European Union, and European funds that were accessed directly by Welsh universities. A very successful 'science at the Assembly' day just a couple of weeks ago here showcased a lot of that work, and particularly showcased how successful international collaboration is amongst our universities, bypassing to a certain extent what's been done at a UK level because of that direct access to European collaboration. So, is it the Government's intention in this new structure to try and seek to ensure that we get more research money from the research councils? Because that used to be the Government's intention and I'd like a restatement of that, because I'd like to see that that's within a remit letter, or whatever is written to this new body at the end of the day. We really have to make up for some of the money that disappears from Europe, but also really press the abilities for Wales to act at that level. I also wonder if the Cabinet Secretary could say whether, having now published the White Paper, she's looked at the Diamond proposals and what's in the White Paper, and whether she sees any need to realign any of the Diamond proposals or any of the timetabling or any of the issues around Diamond, or whether she is content that, at the moment, that is all aligned together. She's also mentioned the Reid review, for example. These all need to come together. Can I just draw the Cabinet Secretary's attention to the Wales Audit Office report on the oversight of further education colleges in particular, which pointed out that, while generally sound, their finances would benefit from a more long-term and more integrated approach? I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary would say that this proposal here today is a more integrated approach. In terms of long term, however, I wonder whether there is any consideration of three-year funding for this body and for this sector. That's something we now have at least offered to health bodies. They can't take it up because they're inefficient and can't meet the standards, but it's offered to them and I wondered whether we wouldn't be looking at that for this sector as well, which would give some assurances and some interesting ideas that perhaps could emerge in terms of investment going forward. Now, we touched on sixth forms, and I very much accept that this is a consultation question, but what's not quite clear to me is whether the Government has a particular preferred option, if we can put it that way, about the actual governance of sixth forms. I'm not talking about the strategic role - because, clearly, this new body will have a strategic influence on sixth forms - but whether the governance should still reside at a local education authority level, or whether she wants to go further and take that governance level up to a national body as well, which I think is where perhaps there'll be more questions askedit's an interesting proposal. And, of course, it also leads us to the almost final point - the final point but one that I have - which is whether the Cabinet Secretary has considered, in looking at implementing Hazelkorn and looking at this new authority, whether we should raise the age of compulsory education in Wales. I should say 'education and training and everything else', because we're not talking about sticking reluctant people in sixth forms; we're talking about the expectation that you stay in education until you're 18. That's happening in England and is moving ahead, in effect, and perhaps it's something that we should consider in the light of this White Paper as well. And my final question is around something else that I think has just been touched on but I'd like to hear a little more about: what relationship this new body will have in terms of quality assurance in university education. We have had suggestions in the past of changes to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education that would have affected Welsh universities and affected the UK nature of this. This is all very - . Perhaps it's no longer on the cards, following a very strange general election, but how will quality assurance be maintained within this new body? It won't have, I think, the direct control, because that's still elsewhere within a UK university sector, but, clearly, it will have a role in ensuring that that does happen, and a reputational role for universities as well.
Welsh: Rwy'n croesawu'n fras y datganiad gan Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet heddiw. Cyn i mi fanylu ar y datganiad, rwyf eisiau, gan fod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yma, sôn am un peth wrthi hi a dod ag ef i'w sylw. Mae yna erthygl gamarweiniol iawn yn y papur newydd' The Guardian 'heddiw ar addysg Gymraeg. Gallaf weld bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ymwybodol ohoni. Y cyfan y gallaf ei ddweud wrthi hi yw fy mod i'n gobeithio y bydd hi'n ymateb neu y bydd y Llywodraeth yn ymateb yn swyddogol i'r erthygl, gan ei bod yn ffeithiol anghywir ac anghywir yn ei hensyniadau hefyd. A gaf i droi at yr adroddiad - y Papur Gwyn, ddylwn i ddweud - sydd gennym ger ein bron ar hyn o bryd? Fel y dywedais, mae Plaid Cymru wedi cefnogi rhoi parch cydradd i addysg alwedigaethol ac addysg academaidd ers talwm, ac fe wnaethom nodi yn ein maniffesto sut yr oeddem ni'n dymuno i adolygiad Hazelkorn weithio tuag at ddileu dyblygu a chystadleuaeth ddiangen ac at fwy o gydweithio yn y sector hwn. Mewn gwirionedd, rwyf wedi bod mor frwdfrydig drosto nes bod Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi fy nghyhuddo i yn wrthnysig yn y gorffennol o fod eisiau cymryd arian oddi wrth brifysgolion a'i roi i'r chweched dosbarth. Ond, rwy'n credu ein bod ni'n gwybod ble yr ydym ni. Rydym ni'n dymuno gweld dewis gwirioneddol i'n pobl ifanc sydd wir yn eu gwobrwyo yn y penderfyniadau y maen nhw'n eu gwneud, boed hynny'n addysg drwy'r brifysgol neu drwy brentisiaethau neu drwy hyfforddiant neu drwy'r chweched dosbarth neu drwy ôl-chweched dosbarth neu beth bynnag y bo. Roedd gennyf nifer o gwestiynau wrth ddod i mewn ar gyfer y datganiad y prynhawn yma. Er, fel y mae Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi ei nodi'n ddefnyddiol, mae'r rhain i gyd yn gwestiynau a ofynnir yn yr ymgynghoriad ac nid oes gennym unrhyw atebion iddyn nhw hyd yma. Felly, byddaf yn ceisio egluro rhai ohonynt yr wyf yn credu efallai y gall Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet roi rhywfaint o arweiniad yn eu cylch ar hyn o bryd. Rwyf am ddechrau yn lle y gwnaethom ddod i ben, mewn gwirionedd, sef yr UKRI a'r cysylltiad rhwng y corff newydd hwn, yr awdurdod trydyddol a chyrff eraill ledled y DU - maen nhw i fod i weithredu ledled y DU, ond nid oes cynrychiolaeth o Gymru arnyn nhw. Mae gennym ni sefydliad, yr UKRI, mae gennym ni broblem wirioneddol o ran Brexit, gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, a chronfeydd Ewropeaidd yr oedd prifysgolion Cymru yn gallu cael gafael arnyn nhw yn uniongyrchol. Cawsom ddiwrnod 'gwyddoniaeth yn y Cynulliad' llwyddiannus iawn dim ond wythnos neu ddwy yn ôl a oedd yn arddangos llawer o'r gwaith hwnnw, ac yn arddangos yn enwedig pa mor llwyddiannus yw cydweithio rhyngwladol rhwng ein prifysgolion, gan osgoi i ryw raddau yr hyn sydd wedi ei wneud ar lefel y DU oherwydd y mynediad uniongyrchol hwnnw at gydweithredu Ewropeaidd. Felly, ai bwriad y Llywodraeth yn y strwythur newydd hwn yw ceisio sicrhau ein bod yn cael mwy o arian ymchwil gan y cynghorau ymchwil? Oherwydd dyna oedd bwriad y Llywodraeth a hoffwn gael ailddatganiad o hynny, gan yr hoffwn i weld bod hynny mewn llythyr cylch gwaith, neu beth bynnag yw'r hyn sy'n cael ei ysgrifennu i'r corff newydd hwn yn y pen draw. Mae'n rhaid i ni yn sicr wneud iawn am rywfaint o'r arian sy'n diflannu o Ewrop, ond hefyd rhoi pwysau ar y galluoedd i Gymru weithredu ar y lefel honno. Tybed hefyd a wnaiff Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ddweud, gan ei bod bellach wedi cyhoeddi'r Papur Gwyn, pa un a yw hi wedi edrych ar gynigion Diamond a'r hyn sydd yn y Papur Gwyn, ac a yw hi'n gweld unrhyw angen i ailgyfochri unrhyw un o gynigion Diamond neu unrhyw ran o'r amserlennu neu unrhyw un o'r materion sy'n ymwneud â Diamond, neu a yw hi'n fodlon, ar hyn o bryd, bod hynny i gyd wedi'i gyfochri â'i gilydd. Mae hi hefyd wedi crybwyll adolygiad Reid, er enghraifft. Mae angen i'r rhain i gyd i ddod at ei gilydd. A gaf i dynnu sylw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet at adroddiad Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru ar oruchwylio colegau addysg bellach yn arbennig, a oedd yn nodi, er eu bod yn gadarn yn gyffredinol, byddai eu cyllid yn elwa ar gael dull mwy hirdymor a mwy integredig? Rwy'n siŵr y byddai Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn dweud bod y cynnig hwn yma heddiw yn ddull mwy integredig. O ran y tymor hir, fodd bynnag, tybed a oes unrhyw ystyriaeth o gyllid tair blynedd ar gyfer y corff hwn ac ar gyfer y sector hwn. Mae hynny'n rhywbeth yr ydym ni erbyn hyn o leiaf wedi ei gynnig i gyrff iechyd. Ni allan nhw fanteisio arno oherwydd eu bod yn aneffeithiol ac yn methu â chyrraedd y safonau, ond mae wedi ei gynnig iddyn nhw ac roeddwn i'n meddwl tybed a fyddem ni'n edrych ar hynny ar gyfer y sector hwn hefyd, a fyddai'n rhoi rhywfaint o sicrwydd a rhai syniadau diddorol a allai ddod i'r amlwg o bosibl o ran buddsoddiad yn y dyfodol. Nawr, fe wnaethom ni grybwyll y chweched dosbarth, ac rwy'n sicr yn derbyn bod hwn yn gwestiwn ymgynghoriad, ond yr hyn nad yw'n hollol glir i mi yw a oes gan y Llywodraeth ddewis penodol y mae'n ei ffafrio, os gallwn ni ei roi felly, o ran llywodraethu gwirioneddol y chweched dosbarth. Nid wyf yn sôn am y swyddogaeth strategol oherwydd, yn amlwg, bydd y corff newydd hwn yn dylanwadu'n strategol ar y chweched dosbarth - ond a ddylai'r llywodraethu barhau i fod ar lefel awdurdod addysg lleol, neu a yw hi yn dymuno mynd ymhellach, yn dymuno mynd ymhellach a mynd â'r llywodraethu hwnnw lefel yn uwch i gorff cenedlaethol hefyd, lle, rwy'n credu, efallai y gofynnir mwy o gwestiynau - mae'n gynnig diddorol. Ac, wrth gwrs, mae hefyd yn ein harwain at y pwynt olaf bron - y pwynt olaf ond un sydd gennyf - sef a yw Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet wedi ystyried, wrth geisio gweithredu Hazelkorn ac ystyried yr awdurdod newydd hwn, pa un a ddylem ni godi oedran addysg orfodol yng Nghymru. Dylwn i ddweud 'addysg a hyfforddiant a phopeth arall', oherwydd nid ydym yn sôn am roi pobl anfodlon yn y chweched dosbarth; rydym ni'n sôn am y disgwyliad eich bod chi'n aros mewn addysg tan eich bod yn 18 oed. Mae hynny'n digwydd yn Lloegr ac mae'n symud ymlaen, mewn gwirionedd, ac efallai ei fod yn rhywbeth y dylem ei ystyried yng ngoleuni'r Papur Gwyn hwn hefyd. Ac mae fy nghwestiwn olaf yn ymwneud â rhywbeth arall yr wyf yn credu ei fod newydd ei grybwyll, ond hoffwn i glywed ychydig mwy am: pa gysylltiad fydd gan y corff newydd o ran sicrhau ansawdd mewn addysg prifysgol. Rydym ni wedi cael awgrymiadau yn y gorffennol o newidiadau i'r Asiantaeth Sicrhau Ansawdd Addysg Uwch a fyddai wedi effeithio ar brifysgolion Cymru ac effeithio ar natur y DU ar hyn. Mae hyn i gyd yn - . Efallai nad yw bellach yn debygol o ddigwydd, yn dilyn etholiad cyffredinol rhyfedd iawn, ond sut y bydd sicrhau ansawdd yn cael ei gynnal o fewn y corff newydd hwn? Ni fydd ganddo, yn fy marn i, y rheolaeth uniongyrchol, gan fod hynny'n dal i fod mewn man arall o fewn sector prifysgolion y DU, ond, yn amlwg, bydd ganddo swyddogaeth o ran sicrhau bod hynny'n digwydd, a swyddogaeth o gynnal enw da prifysgolion hefyd.