English: I congratulate Simon Thomas and other Members on securing this debate, and I agree with the motion that is proposed. We welcome the 'State of Nature 2016 Wales' report, and we commend the organisations involved in developing that report. I have, however, been struck that, as well as that 'State of Nature 2016 Wales' report from many organisations, largely in the third sector, we also have this very substantial report from NRW recently - the state of natural resources report. I am struck by how those two reports seem to have progressed in parallel without much support or cross-fertilisation between them. We have spoken on our committee to NRW, the Cabinet Secretary and others about the process we have had for this. I think that, probably, there is something special about this first report that we had from NRW. They have explained that the timescales made it difficult for them to be as open or consultative with third-sector organisations and environmental groups as they might otherwise have been, and that, because of the nature of the first report, there was perhaps more in the way of sharing drafts and drawing on support from Welsh Government, as well as from within NRW, in developing that report. I do think it's important, though, for the future that there is not a perception of the Welsh Government in any way marking its own homework on biodiversity or what we do in these areas. We look to NRW to have an independent approach in keeping score or in reporting on where there are improvements, or where there is deterioration in the matters being monitored. I do hope that there will be more scope for the many very worthy organisations that produced the excellent report that is the subject of the debate today to interrelate with NRW and the reporting and research work that they do. The base of people who are employed and are working in these areas in Wales is not large, and I think there should be scope for cross-fertilisation, and the sum of the parts would be greater than if people work entirely separately. I was struck by the contribution from Vikki Howells. I was a little saddened by one aspect of what she said. She referred, I think, to children saying that they had closer connection to the natural environment in the other nations within the UK, or even in London, than they do in Wales. From a personal perspective, I just find that very surprising because, certainly, with my children, I feel they have a much closer connection to the natural environment now we have moved here than they ever had in south-east England. When I just look at the amount of green there is in Cardiff, or when I visit the Newport wetlands and what the RSPB have done there, or her own community or many other Valleys communities - the nature of the radial development along the valley floor and lower slopes means that so much of the population is so close to nature, and at least there is the potential for such accessibility. I would like to close my remarks on that positive note. We look forward to improvements with the support of this Assembly and the Welsh Government in future years.
Welsh: Rwy'n llongyfarch Simon Thomas ac Aelodau eraill am gael y ddadl hon, ac rwy'n cytuno â'r cynnig a gynigir. Rydym yn croesawu'r adroddiad 'Sefyllfa Byd Natur Cymru 2016', ac rydym yn cymeradwyo'r mudiadau sy'n ymwneud â datblygu'r adroddiad hwnnw. Fodd bynnag, yn ogystal â'r adroddiad 'Sefyllfa Byd Natur Cymru 2016' gan nifer o sefydliadau, yn bennaf yn y trydydd sector, cefais fy nharo gan y ffaith ein bod wedi cael yr adroddiad sylweddol iawn hwn gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru yn ddiweddar - adroddiad ar sefyllfa adnoddau naturiol. Cefais fy synnu gan y modd y mae'r ddau adroddiad i'w gweld wedi symud ymlaen ochr yn ochr heb lawer o gefnogaeth neu groesffrwythloni rhyngddynt. Yn ein pwyllgor, rydym wedi siarad â Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet ac eraill am y broses a oedd gennym ar gyfer gwneud hyn. Yn ôl pob tebyg, credaf fod rhywbeth arbennig am yr adroddiad cyntaf hwn a gawsom gan Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru. Maent wedi esbonio bod yr amserlenni yn ei gwneud yn anodd iddynt fod mor agored ac ymgynghorol gyda sefydliadau trydydd sector a grwpiau amgylcheddol ag y gallent fod wedi bod fel arall, ac oherwydd natur yr adroddiad cyntaf, efallai fod yna fwy o rannu drafftiau a phwyso ar gymorth gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn ogystal ag o fewn Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wrth ddatblygu'r adroddiad hwnnw. Rwy'n meddwl ei bod yn bwysig, fodd bynnag, ar gyfer y dyfodol nad oes canfyddiad fod Llywodraeth Cymru mewn unrhyw fodd yn marcio ei gwaith cartref ei hun ar fioamrywiaeth neu'r hyn a wnawn yn y meysydd hyn. Rydym yn disgwyl i Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru gael dull gweithredu annibynnol wrth gadw sgôr neu wrth adrodd ar ble y ceir gwelliannau, neu ble y mae dirywiad yn y materion sy'n cael eu monitro. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd mwy o le i'r nifer o sefydliadau teilwng iawn a gynhyrchodd yr adroddiad rhagorol sy'n destun y ddadl heddiw i ymwneud â Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru a'r gwaith adrodd ac ymchwilio y maent yn ei wneud. Nid yw'r sylfaen o bobl sy'n cael eu cyflogi ac sy'n gweithio yn y meysydd hyn yng Nghymru yn fawr, ac rwy'n credu y dylai fod lle i groesffrwythloni, a byddai cyfanswm y rhannau'n fwy nag os yw pobl yn gweithio'n gyfan gwbl ar wahân. Cefais fy nharo gan gyfraniad Vikki Howells. Roeddwn yn drist braidd ynglŷn ag un agwedd ar yr hyn a ddywedodd. Cyfeiriodd, rwy'n meddwl, at blant yng ngwledydd eraill y DU, a hyd yn oed yn Llundain, yn dweud bod ganddynt gysylltiad agosach â'r amgylchedd naturiol na sydd ganddynt yng Nghymru. O safbwynt personol, rwy'n teimlo bod hynny'n destun syndod mawr oherwydd, yn sicr, gyda fy mhlant i, rwy'n teimlo bod ganddynt gysylltiad llawer agosach â'r amgylchedd naturiol ers i ni symud yma nag oedd ganddynt yn ne-ddwyrain Lloegr. Pan edrychaf ar faint o amgylchedd gwyrdd sydd yng Nghaerdydd, neu pan fyddaf yn ymweld â gwlyptiroedd Casnewydd a'r hyn y mae'r RSPB wedi ei wneud yno, neu ei chymuned ei hun neu lawer o gymunedau eraill y Cymoedd - mae natur y datblygiad rheiddiol ar hyd llawr y dyffryn a'r llethrau is yn golygu bod cymaint o'r boblogaeth mor agos at natur, ac o leiaf mae potensial ar gyfer hygyrchedd o'r fath. Hoffwn orffen fy sylwadau ar y nodyn cadarnhaol hwnnw. Edrychwn ymlaen at welliannau gyda chefnogaeth y Cynulliad hwn a Llywodraeth Cymru yn y dyfodol.