English: Well, Suzy, the purpose of the consultation is to seek as wide a range of views as possible. In the choice that I had as the Minister, I could have ignored the results of the consultation and laid the code earlier or I could have taken on board the comments that were made in the consultation that the list of schools wasn't long enough, and therefore ignore that and just plough on. I took the decision that I would rather delay the implementation of the code so that we could have a longer list of schools, so that we could respond positively to the points that have been made in the consultation. Otherwise, why have the consultation at all if I was determined to plough on ahead with the initial proposals? The reason why the second consultation was a limited one was because I felt it was only fair to those local authorities who, perhaps, had not responded to the first consultation because they felt they weren't affected by it because they had no schools on the list, but they would suddenly find themselves with schools on the list. I thought it was only fair to our partners in local government that they had an opportunity to respond to a policy that would now affect them if they were labouring under the misapprehension that previously the policy didn't affect them. The code has been laid as soon as it can under the proper Standing Orders here at the National Assembly for Wales, and I've been quite clear since I took up this office of my determination to support and protect rural schools as much as possible. But we have to be realistic: even with this code, that does not mean that all rural schools will remain open, but the case for closing them has to be strong, and local authorities in those areas, if they have a school that's on the list, should start on the basis that closure is the last option and they should seek every opportunity through a variety of ways to keep those schools open.
Welsh: Wel, Suzy, diben yr ymgynghoriad yw cael gafael ar amrywiaeth mor eang o safbwyntiau â phosibl. Yn y dewis a oedd gennyf fel Gweinidog, gallwn fod wedi anwybyddu canlyniadau'r ymgynghoriad a chyflwyno'r cod yn gynharach neu gallwn fod wedi ystyried y sylwadau a wnaed yn yr ymgynghoriad nad oedd y rhestr o ysgolion yn ddigon hir, ac anwybyddu hynny a bwrw ymlaen. Penderfynais y byddai'n well gennyf ohirio'r broses o roi'r cod ar waith fel y gallem gael rhestr hwy o ysgolion, fel y gallem ymateb yn gadarnhaol i'r pwyntiau a wnaed yn yr ymgynghoriad. Fel arall, pam cynnal yr ymgynghoriad o gwbl os oeddwn yn benderfynol o fwrw ymlaen gyda'r cynigion cychwynnol? Y rheswm pam oedd yr ail ymgynghoriad yn un cyfyngedig oedd fy mod yn teimlo ei bod ond yn deg i'r awdurdodau lleol nad oeddent, efallai, wedi ymateb i'r ymgynghoriad cyntaf gan eu bod yn teimlo nad oedd yn effeithio arnynt am nad oedd ganddynt unrhyw ysgolion ar y rhestr, ond yn sydyn, byddai ganddynt ysgolion ar y rhestr. Credwn ei bod hi ond yn deg i'n partneriaid llywodraeth leol gael cyfle i ymateb i bolisi a fyddai bellach yn effeithio arnynt os oeddent o dan gamargraff nad oedd y polisi yn effeithio arnynt cyn hynny. Mae'r cod wedi'i gyflwyno cyn gynted ag y gellid gwneud hynny o dan y Rheolau Sefydlog priodol yma yng Nghynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, ac rwyf wedi dweud yn gwbl glir ers imi ymgymryd â'r swydd hon fy mod yn benderfynol o gefnogi a diogelu ysgolion gwledig gymaint â phosibl. Ond mae'n rhaid inni fod yn realistig: hyd yn oed gyda'r cod hwn, nid yw hynny'n golygu y bydd pob ysgol wledig yn parhau i fod ar agor, ond mae'n rhaid i'r achos dros eu cau fod yn un cryf, a dylai awdurdodau lleol yn yr ardaloedd hynny, os oes ganddynt ysgol ar y rhestr, ddechrau ar y sail mai cau yw'r dewis olaf a dylent geisio pob cyfle drwy amrywiaeth o ffyrdd i gadw'r ysgolion hynny ar agor.