English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, in particular, for your consideration. Can I also congratulate the Minister on his appointment? He knows he has big shoes to fill. From my own part, I have to say I have great confidence in his serving the Government in Wales as ably as he did the UK Government previously. I welcome the report from Sally Holland, the children's commissioner, and thank her for the evidence she gave to the Children, Young People and Education Committee on 18 October. I think one area she deserves particular congratulation on is the lead she has taken in galvanising local authorities around the care leavers agenda. In particular, the £1 million bursary scheme, I think, is an excellent initiative. I think, relative to so many of the top-tier local authorities in England, the average Welsh local authority is relatively small for the social services workload that they will face, and I think having the children's commissioner there is an additional area to support those local authorities. To encourage them and to advise on the work they're doing with young people, I think, is valuable. I think one example we've seen, in Torfaen - the council tax and not having to pay that if you've recently left care - I think that's a very valuable thing, and I hope other local authorities will follow that lead. One area I just want to flag when we're talking about looked-after children is when looked-after children are adopted. We have, in the school admissions code, that 'all admission authorities must give highest priority in their oversubscription criteria to looked after children as required by the Education (Admission of Looked After Children) (Wales) Regulations 2009 and previously looked after children as required by this Code.' Now, in my own experience - and this is with a four-year-old and a five-year-old child currently - I've looked at quite a number of school admissions policies, and certainly my impression is that right at the top there is that category referring to looked-after children. I haven't, as yet, seen or understood that also to apply to previously looked-after children, including those who have been adopted, and I don't see the reference in the regulations. So, I just wonder whether the children's commissioner or the Welsh Government - . If we do want to have this guidance and we do want to see previously looked-after children, including those who are adopted, given this preference as well, could something more be done to ensure that actually happens? For instance, we might put out guidance that says, for the purposes of the admissions code, previously looked-after children should be considered to meet the definition of looked-after children. Because, otherwise, I fear this guidance is there, but I'm not, myself, as yet, convinced that school admissions policies in the main are changing to reflect it. I think one other area where perhaps the children's commissioner in particular could assist is saying to schools, 'What are the particular needs of adopted children?' I do think there is potential value in highlighting to a school when a child has been adopted so that they are aware of that and there's appropriate guidance in place to help them support those children who, I think at least in some circumstances, do have very particular needs that need recognition. Moving on to the National Deaf Children's Society issue, again, I think one thing in particular I'd like to see is accessible and affordable support, and in particular having British Sign Language support at all different types of level. I think that's very important within a home context. Lastly, if I can just touch on two areas where the children's commissioner is perhaps somewhat more generous to Welsh Government than we on these benches might necessarily be. One of those is transport to school, and local authorities, and whether there's confusion and whether they're sufficiently clear about their legal responsibilities. I think more does need to be done on that. I also think, with the link to the twenty-first century schools programme, and where we are - . On integrating sixth-form colleges, for instance - again, to give a Torfaen example - we're going from three sixth forms down to one; what are the implications of that for school travel, and are local authorities doing enough, and getting enough support from national Welsh Government to do what needs to be done in this area? Finally, in terms of the national advocacy service, Darren, I think, has much more experience of seeing the Welsh Government make announcements but not necessarily follow through as much or as quickly as we would like in this area. But it seems to me that, if we have a national advocacy service, or if that is the ambition, yes, there are some examples of local authorities who have good practice in this area, and that is to be welcomed, but if Welsh Government does believe that it should be a national advocacy service, we should surely move beyond that. If the Government can't afford that, or doesn't believe it can work at a national level, or they want to leave local authorities to do as they think best, they should say so, rather than continue to say there'll be a national advocacy service while not necessarily following through on the implementation. Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, yn benodol, am eich ystyriaeth. A gaf i hefyd longyfarch y Gweinidog ar ei benodiad? Mae'n gwybod bod ganddo esgidiau mawr i'w llenwi. O ran fy hun, rhaid imi ddweud bod gennyf hyder mawr ynddo i wasanaethu'r Llywodraeth yng Nghymru mor fedrus ag y gwasanaethodd Lywodraeth y DU o'r blaen. Rwy'n croesawu'r adroddiad gan Sally Holland, y comisiynydd plant, ac yn diolch iddi am y dystiolaeth a roddodd i'r Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg ar 18 Hydref. Rwy'n meddwl mai un maes lle mae hi'n haeddu llongyfarchiadau arbennig yw'r ffordd y mae hi wedi arwain y gwaith o ysgogi awdurdodau lleol ynghylch yr agenda pobl ifanc sy'n gadael gofal. Yn benodol, mae'r cynllun bwrsari £1 miliwn, rwy'n meddwl, yn fenter ragorol. Rwy'n meddwl, yn gymharol i gynifer o'r awdurdodau lleol haen uchaf yn Lloegr, bod awdurdod lleol cyfartalog Cymru yn gymharol fach am y llwyth gwaith gwasanaethau cymdeithasol a fydd yn eu hwynebu, ac rwy'n meddwl bod y comisiynydd plant yn faes ychwanegol i gefnogi'r awdurdodau lleol hynny. Mae eu hannog a'u cynghori ar y gwaith y maen nhw'n ei wneud gyda phobl ifanc, rwy'n meddwl, yn werthfawr. Rwy'n meddwl bod un enghraifft yr ydym wedi'i gweld, yn Nhorfaen - y dreth gyngor a pheidio â gorfod ei thalu os ydych chi wedi gadael gofal yn ddiweddar - rwy'n meddwl bod hynny'n beth gwerthfawr iawn, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd awdurdodau lleol eraill yn dilyn yr arweiniad hwnnw. Un maes yr hoffwn dynnu sylw ato wrth sôn am blant sy'n derbyn gofal yw pan gaiff y plant hyn eu mabwysiadu. Mae gennym, yn y cod derbyniadau ysgol, 'rhaid i bob awdurdod derbyn roi'r flaenoriaeth uchaf yn eu meini prawf gor-alw i blant sy'n derbyn gofal fel sy'n ofynnol gan Reoliadau Addysg (Derbyn Plant sy'n Derbyn Gofal) (Cymru) 2009 a phlant sydd wedi derbyn gofal fel sy'n ofynnol gan y Cod hwn.' Nawr, yn fy mhrofiad i - ac mae hyn gyda phlant pedair a phum mlwydd oed ar hyn o bryd - rwyf wedi edrych ar gryn dipyn o bolisïau derbyn ysgolion, ac yn sicr fy argraff i yw bod y categori hwnnw yn cyfeirio at blant sy'n derbyn gofal ar y brig. Nid wyf, hyd yma, wedi gweld na deall bod hynny hefyd yn berthnasol i blant a oedd yn arfer derbyn gofal, gan gynnwys rhai sydd wedi cael eu mabwysiadu, ac nid wyf yn gweld y cyfeiriad yn y rheoliadau. Felly, tybed a yw'r comisiynydd plant neu Lywodraeth Cymru - . Os ydym yn dymuno cael y canllawiau hyn ac os ydym eisiau gweld plant a oedd yn arfer derbyn gofal, gan gynnwys y rhai hynny sydd wedi'u mabwysiadu, yn cael y flaenoriaeth hon hefyd, a ellid gwneud mwy i sicrhau bod hynny'n digwydd mewn gwirionedd? Er enghraifft, gallem ni roi canllawiau sy'n dweud, at ddibenion y cod derbyn, y dylid ystyried bod plant a oedd yn arfer derbyn gofal yn bodloni'r diffiniad o blant sy'n derbyn gofal. Oherwydd, fel arall, rwy'n ofni bod y canllawiau hyn yno, ond nid wyf, fy hun, eto, wedi fy argyhoeddi bod polisïau derbyn ysgolion ar y cyfan yn newid i adlewyrchu hynny. Rwy'n meddwl mai un maes arall lle efallai y gallai'r comisiynydd plant yn benodol helpu yw drwy ddweud wrth ysgolion, 'Beth yw anghenion penodol plant sydd wedi'u mabwysiadu?' Rwy'n meddwl y gallai fod yn werth tynnu sylw ysgol pan fydd plentyn wedi ei fabwysiadu fel eu bod yn ymwybodol o hynny a bod canllawiau priodol ar waith i'w helpu i gefnogi'r plant hynny sydd, rwy'n meddwl o leiaf mewn rhai amgylchiadau, ag anghenion penodol iawn y mae angen eu cydnabod. I symud ymlaen at fater Cymdeithas Genedlaethol y Plant Byddar, unwaith eto, rwy'n meddwl mai un peth yn arbennig yr hoffwn i ei weld yw cymorth hygyrch a fforddiadwy, ac yn enwedig sicrhau cymorth ag Iaith Arwyddion Prydain ar bob math o wahanol lefel. Rwy'n meddwl bod hynny'n bwysig iawn yng nghyd-destun cartref. Yn olaf, os caf sôn am ddau faes lle mae'r comisiynydd plant efallai ychydig yn fwy hael â Llywodraeth Cymru na ni ar y meinciau hyn. Un o'r rheini yw cludiant i'r ysgol, ac awdurdodau lleol, ac a oes dryswch ynglŷn ag a ydynt yn ddigon clir ynghylch eu cyfrifoldebau cyfreithiol. Rwy'n meddwl bod angen gwneud mwy ar hynny. Rwyf hefyd yn meddwl, gyda'r cysylltiad â'r rhaglen ysgolion ar gyfer yr unfed ganrif ar hugain, a lle yr ydym - . O ran integreiddio colegau chweched dosbarth, er enghraifft - unwaith eto, i roi enghraifft yn Nhorfaen - rydym yn mynd o dri chweched dosbarth i lawr i un; beth yw goblygiadau hynny i deithio i'r ysgol, ac a yw awdurdodau lleol yn gwneud digon, ac yn cael digon o gymorth gan Lywodraeth genedlaethol Cymru i wneud yr hyn sydd angen ei wneud yn y maes hwn? Yn olaf, o ran y gwasanaeth eiriolaeth cenedlaethol, mae gan Darren, rwy'n meddwl, lawer mwy o brofiad o weld Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud cyhoeddiadau ond nid o reidrwydd yn dilyn drwodd cymaint neu cyn gynted ag y byddem yn ei hoffi yn y maes hwn. Ond mae'n ymddangos i mi, os oes gennym wasanaeth eiriolaeth cenedlaethol, neu os mai dyna yw'r uchelgais, oes, mae rhai enghreifftiau o awdurdodau lleol sydd ag arfer da yn y maes hwn, ac mae hynny i'w groesawu, ond os yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn credu y dylai fod yn wasanaeth eiriolaeth cenedlaethol, dylem yn sicr symud y tu hwnt i hynny. Os na all y Llywodraeth fforddio hynny, neu os nad ydynt yn credu y gall weithio ar lefel genedlaethol, neu os ydynt am adael i awdurdodau lleol wneud fel y maen nhw'n meddwl sydd orau, dylent ddweud hynny, yn hytrach na pharhau i ddweud y bydd gwasanaeth eiriolaeth cenedlaethol heb barhau o reidrwydd i roi hynny ar waith. Diolch.