English: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. We will be voting against this Bill today. I've been inundated with calls and e-mails from concerned parents who fear they will be turned into criminals as a result of the Welsh Government's proposals. I am not advocating for wholesale assault on children. Indeed, as a teacher and as a person who looked after two children for many years, I can confirm they were never physically reprimanded. The defence of reasonable chastisement allows a loving parent to deliver a very mild smack to their child. The defence does not allow a parent to beat their child black and blue. Reasonable chastisement is not abuse. It is the discipline given by a loving parent. It should be up to the loving parent whether or not reasonable chastisement is used, and not for the state to outlaw it. There is overwhelming support amongst parents for this position. Three quarters of parents surveyed believe that smacking should not be criminalised. Criminalising loving parents will also place our public services under greater strain. The Welsh Government proposes encouraging the public to report to authorities if they believe they have seen or learned of a child being physically punished. Instead of investigating genuine cases of abuse, resources will be diverted to investigating and prosecuting parents who have tapped or lightly smacked their child. Those parents will have a criminal record and the consequences will be dire. They'll be prevented from working with children. The Welsh Government accepts there could be hundreds of such cases every year, yet are unsure of what impact this will have upon social services, the family courts, police and the CPS. There is absolutely no need for this legislation. Under existing law, if a parent smacks their child so hard it leaves a significant mark, the parent faces a fine, a community order, or up to five years in jail. Let's leave the law as it is, but perhaps offering parents knowledge on other ways of reprimanding their children, by us working together as politicians and not alienating loving parents. We must allow parents to decide upon the best way of disciplining their child, whilst educating them at the same time on alternatives, and concentrate wholly on prosecuting those who physically abuse their children.
Welsh: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Byddwn ni'n pleidleisio yn erbyn y Bil hwn heddiw. Rwyf wedi cael llwyth o alwadau a negeseuon e-bost gan rieni pryderus sy'n ofni y byddan nhw'n cael eu troi'n droseddwyr o ganlyniad i gynigion Llywodraeth Cymru. Nid wyf i'n dadlau o blaid ymosod ar blant ar raddfa eang. Yn wir, fel athro ac fel rhywun a ofalodd am ddau blentyn am flynyddoedd lawer, gallaf gadarnhau na chafon nhw erioed eu ceryddu'n gorfforol. Mae'r amddiffyniad cosb resymol yn caniatáu i riant cariadus roi smac ysgafn iawn i'w blentyn. Nid yw'r amddiffyniad yn caniatáu i riant guro ei blentyn nes ei fod yn gleisiau drosto. Nid yw cerydd rhesymol yn gam-drin. Y modd o ddisgyblu gan riant cariadus ydyw. Penderfyniad y rhiant cariadus yw pa un a ddylid defnyddio cosb resymol ai peidio, ac nid penderfyniad y wladwriaeth i'w gwahardd. Mae cefnogaeth aruthrol ymhlith rhieni i'r safbwynt hwn. Roedd tri chwarter y rhieni a holwyd o'r farn na ddylid troi smacio yn drosedd. Bydd troseddoli rhieni cariadus hefyd yn rhoi mwy o straen ar ein gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cynnig annog y cyhoedd i roi gwybod i awdurdodau os ydyn nhw'n credu eu bod wedi gweld neu wedi cael gwybod bod plentyn yn cael ei gosbi'n gorfforol. Yn hytrach nag ymchwilio i achosion gwirioneddol o gam-drin, bydd adnoddau'n cael eu dargyfeirio i ymchwilio ac erlyn rhieni sydd wedi tapio neu smacio eu plentyn yn ysgafn. Bydd gan y rhieni hynny gofnod troseddol a bydd y canlyniadau'n enbyd. Byddan nhw'n cael eu hatal rhag gweithio gyda phlant. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn derbyn y gallai fod cannoedd o achosion o'r fath bob blwyddyn, ond eto nid yw'n siŵr pa effaith y bydd hyn yn ei chael ar wasanaethau cymdeithasol, y llysoedd teulu, yr heddlu a Gwasanaeth Erlyn y Goron. Nid oes angen y ddeddfwriaeth hon o gwbl. O dan y gyfraith bresennol, os yw rhiant yn smacio ei blentyn mor galed fel ei fod yn gadael marc sylweddol, mae'r rhiant yn wynebu dirwy, gorchymyn cymunedol, neu hyd at bum mlynedd mewn carchar. Gadewch i ni adael y gyfraith fel y mae hi, ond efallai cynnig gwybodaeth i rieni am ffyrdd eraill o geryddu eu plant, drwy weithio gyda'n gilydd fel gwleidyddion ac nid pechu yn erbyn rhieni cariadus. Mae'n rhaid i ni ganiatáu i rieni benderfynu ar y ffordd orau o ddisgyblu eu plentyn, gan eu haddysgu ar yr un pryd am ddewisiadau eraill, a chanolbwyntio'n llwyr ar erlyn y rhai hynny sy'n cam-drin eu plant yn gorfforol.