English: Thank you, Minister, for your statement this afternoon. I welcome two things specifically, namely your honesty in this statement - your honesty about the political challenges that you faced in terms of ensuring that every local authority does fully commit to these plans, and also your honesty in terms of the ongoing challenges, the very real challenge that we're not just trying to meet demand but we're also generating demand, and what do we mean by real equal access to Welsh-medium education, because the fact that a Welsh-medium school is available doesn't necessarily mean that that is an option when there are new English-medium schools in communities, and that children would have to travel miles away to access Welsh-medium education. That isn't equal access. And neither is it equal access when you have new English-medium schools and Welsh-medium schools that desperately need investment and aren't getting that investment. So, there are very real challenges, and we have been discussing this. One of the things that concerns me in terms of the WESPs, and my experience of them as a councillor too, is the fact that you can get the most ambitious plan, the best plan in the world, but it's about actually delivering those targets. That's what we haven't seen to date, and that's the ongoing concern in terms of seeing reports from some county councils that do state that they've not delivered against their targets, and the plans don't demonstrate exactly how they're going to do that. Time and again they say that the demand doesn't exist, without ever asking why the demand doesn't exist. Because if additional learning needs aren't met, if equal access in terms of transport isn't delivered, if that school isn't within walking distance of the community, then the demand won't be there, because it will be an ongoing battle, and I do think we need to go back to those local authorities. I think it's disgraceful that some local authorities have no intention of creating new Welsh-medium primary schools over the next decade. What are we going to do about that? You've just said that it's 15 local authorities who are committed to this. This is disastrous news for the Welsh language, and I'm greatly saddened about this if we are serious about reaching a million Welsh speakers. I would like to have some transparency as to where exactly the 23 schools will be. We've also seen Carmarthenshire County Council committing that 10 English-medium schools will transition to Welsh-medium provision. That's to be welcomed, but what about those areas where there isn't access to Welsh-medium schools, and Welsh-medium secondary schools particularly? There is so much to welcome, of course, and I don't want to be entirely critical. Things such as the investment in the cylchoedd meithrin - that is a major step forward. But as has been said to me recently, there is a new nursery being established in Cilfynydd in light of the loss of Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pont Sion Norton in that area of Pontypridd. It'll be full from September onwards, but where is the Welsh-medium primary school so that those children can continue their journey, because there's a risk that they will be lost to Welsh-medium education if the pathway isn't fair and equitable? So, I would like to ask specifically: what are we going to do if these councils don't meet the targets set? How are we going to not only monitor, but what will the implications be for those authorities who, year on year, don't deliver against those targets? How will the Welsh Government ensure that they not only collaborate but also provide the necessary and fair investment? Because if we are seriously going to secure the access that I know the Minister wants to see, as do I, in terms of Welsh-medium education being available to all, and truly and meaningfully available, then county councils have to accept that this isn't optional, and they have to understand what equal access means. You said at the end of your statement that it's a crucial decade - that's certainly the case. You've also emphasised the challenges as a result of COVID, but the most real challenges are in those areas where the ambition does not exist. And I think one of the things, having read some of the draft WESPs on council websites, is that not all are truly ambitious. I think we have to challenge that. I'm pleased to see that you are going through them in detail at the moment, and I hope you are challenging those councils. But you've said that the WESPs go as far as possible at the moment, but aren't there ways in which we could strengthen these through legislating and penalising those authorities where the commitment to the Welsh language is rhetoric rather than a true commitment to ensure equal access?
Welsh: Diolch, Weinidog, am y datganiad heddiw. Dwi'n croesawu dau beth yn benodol, sef eich gonestrwydd yn y datganiad hwn - eich gonestrwydd ynglŷn â'r heriau gwleidyddol dŷch chi'n eu hwynebu o ran sicrhau bod pob awdurdod lleol yn ymrwymo'n llawn i'r cynlluniau hyn, a hefyd eich gonestrwydd o ran yr heriau sydd yn parhau, yr her wirioneddol ein bod ni ddim jest yn trio ateb y galw ond yn creu a chefnogi'r galw, a beth dŷn ni'n ei olygu o ran mynediad gwirioneddol gyfartal i addysg Gymraeg, oherwydd dydy'r ffaith bod ysgol Gymraeg efallai ar gael ddim yn golygu bod hynny yn opsiwn pan fo yna ysgolion Saesneg newydd mewn cymunedau, a bod plant wedyn yn gorfod teithio milltiroedd i ffwrdd i gyrraedd addysg Gymraeg. Dydy hynny ddim yn fynediad cydradd. Dydy o chwaith ddim yn fynediad cydradd pan fo gennych chi ysgolion newydd Saesneg ac ysgolion Cymraeg sydd mewn dirfawr angen o fuddsoddiad a ddim yn derbyn y buddsoddiad hwnnw. Felly, mae yna heriau gwirioneddol, a dŷn ni wedi bod yn trafod hyn. Un o'r pethau sydd fy mhryderu i ydy, o'r cynlluniau strategol Cymraeg mewn addysg, a fy mhrofiad i ohonyn nhw pan oeddwn i'n gynghorydd hefyd, y ffaith eich bod chi'n gallu cael y cynllun mwyaf uchelgeisiol, y cynllun gorau yn y byd, ond mae o ynglŷn â chyrraedd y targedau hynny. Dyna dŷn ni ddim wedi'i weld hyd yma, a dyna'r pryder sy'n parhau o ran gweld adroddiadau gan rai cynghorau sir sydd yn dweud nad ydyn nhw wedi cyrraedd targedau yn barod, a dydy'r cynlluniau ddim yn dangos yn union sut maen nhw'n mynd i greu hynny. Maen nhw'n beio dro ar ôl tro nad ydy'r galw yna, heb fod yn gofyn pam nad ydy'r galw yna. Oherwydd os nad ydy anghenion dysgu ychwanegol yn cael eu diwallu, os nad ydy'r mynediad yn gyfartal o ran trafnidiaeth, os nad ydy'r ysgol yna o fewn cerdded i'r cymunedau yna, yna nid yw'r galw yn mynd i fod yna, oherwydd mae'n mynd i fod yn frwydr barhaus. Dwi'n meddwl bod yn rhaid inni fynd nôl at yr awdurdodau lleol hynny. Dwi'n meddwl ei fod yn warthus bod rhai o'r awdurdodau lleol efo dim bwriad creu ysgol gynradd Gymraeg newydd o gwbl dros y degawd nesaf yma. Beth ydyn ni'n mynd i fod yn ei wneud am hynny? Dŷch chi newydd ddweud bod 15 cyngor lleol sydd yn ymrwymo; mae hyn yn newyddion trychinebus i'r Gymraeg, a dwi wedi fy nhristáu yn fawr o ran hyn os ydyn ni o ddifri am gyrraedd y miliwn o siaradwyr. Byddwn i'n hoffi cael tryloywder o ran lle yn union mae'r 23 ysgol yma. Hefyd, dŷn ni wedi gweld Cyngor Sir Gâr, er enghraifft, yn ymrwymo bod 10 ysgol Saesneg yn mynd i newid i ysgolion Cymraeg. Mae hynny i'w groesawu'n fawr, ond beth am y llefydd lle nad oes mynediad hawdd i ysgolion cynradd ac uwchradd Cymraeg ar y funud? Mae yna gymaint i'w groesawu, wrth gwrs. Dwi ddim eisiau bod yn hollol feirniadol. Mae pethau fel y buddsoddiad efo'r cylchoedd meithrin - mae hynny'n gam mawr ymlaen. Fel y dywedwyd wrthyf yn ddiweddar, mae yna ysgol feithrin newydd yn cael ei sefydlu yng Nghilfynydd yn sgil colli Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pont Sion Norton yn yr ardal honno o Bontypridd. Mae hi'n mynd i fod yn llawn o fis Medi ymlaen, ond ble mae'r ysgol gynradd Gymraeg i'r plant yna fynd ymlaen iddi, oherwydd mae yna beryg, wedyn, o golli disgyblion i addysg Gymraeg os nad ydy'r llwybr yn un teg a chydradd? Felly, fe hoffwn holi yn benodol: beth ydyn ni am ei wneud os nad ydy'r cynghorau hyn yn cyrraedd y targedau sydd wedi'u gosod? Sut ydyn ni'n mynd i fod nid yn unig yn monitro, ond beth fydd yr oblygiadau i'r cynghorau hynny sydd, blwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn, ddim yn cyrraedd y targedau hynny? Sut fydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gallu sicrhau eu bod nhw nid yn unig yn cydweithio ond yn sicrhau'r buddsoddiad teg ac angenrheidiol hwnnw, oherwydd os ydyn ni o ddifri yn mynd i sicrhau'r mynediad dwi'n gwybod bod y Gweinidog eisiau ei weld, fel finnau, o ran bod addysg Gymraeg yn agored i bawb ac yn wirioneddol agored, mae'n rhaid i'r cynghorau sir ddeall nad opsiynol ydy hyn, a beth mae mynediad cydradd yn ei olygu? Fe ddywedoch chi ar y diwedd ei bod hi'n ddegawd dyngedfennol - yn sicr, felly. Dŷch chi hefyd wedi pwysleisio'r heriau sydd yn sgil COVID. Ond yr her gwirioneddol ydy, yn yr ardaloedd hynny lle nad yw'r uchelgais yn bodoli - . A dwi'n meddwl mai un o'r pethau, o ddarllen rhai o'r cynlluniau drafft ar wefannau cynghorau sir, ydy nad ydy pob un yn uchelgeisiol, a dwi'n meddwl bod yn rhaid herio hynny. Dwi'n falch o weld eich bod chi'n mynd trwyddyn nhw yn fanwl mewn munud, a dwi'n gobeithio eich bod chi'n herio'r cynghorau hynny, ond beth ydyn ni'n mynd i'w wneud? Dŷch chi wedi dweud bod cynlluniau strategol Cymraeg mewn addysg yn mynd mor bell ag sy'n bosib ar y funud, ond onid oes yna ffyrdd y gallem ni gryfhau hynny drwy ddeddfu, drwy fod yn cosbi'r awdurdodau hynny lle mai geiriau gwag ydy eu hymrwymiadau i'r Gymraeg, nid ymrwymiad gwirioneddol i sicrhau mynediad cydradd?