English: I thank you very much for your statement this afternoon, Deputy Minister, and thank you for bringing it to the floor of the Senedd this afternoon. Just before I start the main thrust of my response to your statement, I just want to put on record this afternoon my sincere thoughts to Ben Mwangi, Logan's family and friends and all his social network, who've all been affected by this terrible and tragic murder. As a father of a young boy of a similar age, the thought of the pain and suffering that he would have gone through really goes through me. Whatever Government and local authority processes that we do put it place, it never deflects from the sheer evil and the disgusting people who carried out this sustained period of abuse, neglect and, indeed, murder as well. And I'm pleased to see that the right level of justice was applied to them and that they are, indeed, serving their time at Her Majesty's pleasure - His Majesty's pleasure, I should say. We can all agree that what happened to Logan Mwangi was a tragedy that should never have happened and something that we should ensure never happens again. Logan's death was preventable had the council's failures been identified sooner and action was taken. The report into Logan shows Bridgend council's blaming of COVID for some of its shortcomings, alongside social workers not being able to follow the Government's guidance because it was not clear or responsive enough to ensure proper safeguarding for vulnerable children during the COVID pandemic. So, does the Deputy Minister accept that if the correct personal protective equipment had been accessible, then social care staff would have been able to assess Logan just 24 hours before his death? And does the Deputy Minister note a lack of leadership from social services in Bridgend to read between the lies being told by the evil perpetrator - that COVID was the reason that Logan couldn't be seen, to deflect from the reality of what was actually happening? COVID did impact every service that Bridgend council and the Welsh Government provides, but the failure to escalate Logan's situation, despite significant evidence that he needed support, shows that under-staffed departments prove concerns that the council is too reliant on agency workers. So, does the Deputy Minister recognise the over-reliance on agency staff in Bridgend council, and what discussions have you had, or will you have in the future with the authority to recruit full-time workers into the social services department? And, additionally, the lack of information sharing has brought to prominence a culture of authoritative management, which meant that junior staff were unable to challenge decisions made by their seniors, as in a lot of professions, which this case has proven. Staff must never feel afraid and feel that they are part of a team and all working together in that decision-making process. And in addition to Bridgend council having significant lessons to learn from the recommendation of the report, it's clear that the Welsh Government must enact a Wales-wide review of children's services to genuinely ensure that this never happens again. Leadership is needed and the buck stops with the Welsh Government and the First Minister, who must ensure that Wales is no longer the only nation in the UK without a nationwide children's review. So, will you rethink your decision to not have a Wales-wide review of children's services, and give cast-iron guarantees to every child, parent and care provider across the 22 authorities that this Welsh Government is on their side and give us the best opportunity to safeguard all children across Wales, because it's unfortunate that the Welsh Government blocks such a review when Wales has the UK's highest rate of looked-after children? I'd just, finally, like to urge the Government to change its direction before we risk another tragedy like Logan Mwangi. Thank you.
Welsh: Rwy'n diolch yn fawr iawn am eich datganiad chi'r prynhawn yma, Dirprwy Weinidog, a diolch i chi am ddod i'w gyflwyno ar lawr y Senedd y prynhawn yma. Cyn i mi ddechrau prif neges fy ymateb i'ch datganiad chi, fe hoffwn i fynegi ar goedd y prynhawn yma fy nghydymdeimlad diffuant â Ben Mwangi, a theulu a ffrindiau Logan a'i holl rwydwaith cymdeithasol, sydd i gyd wedi cael eu heffeithio gan y llofruddiaeth ofnadwy a thrist iawn hon. Yn dad i fachgen ifanc o oedran tebyg, mae meddwl am y boen a'r dioddefaint y byddai ef wedi ei ddioddef yn fy nychryn i'r byw. Pa bynnag brosesau Llywodraeth ac awdurdod lleol y byddwn ni'n eu rhoi ar waith, ni wnaiff hynny fyth â lleihau'r anfadwaith hwn na ffieidd-dra'r bobl a gyflawnodd hyn dros gyfnod maith o gam-drin, esgeulustod ac, yn wir, llofruddiaeth hefyd. Ac rwy'n falch o weld bod y lefel briodol o gyfiawnder wedi ei rhoi iddyn nhw a'u bod nhw, yn wir, yn cael eu cadw hyd y mynno Ei Mawrhydi - hyd y mynno Ei Fawrhydi, fe ddylwn i ddweud. Gallwn ni i gyd gytuno bod yr hyn a ddigwyddodd i Logan Mwangi yn drasiedi, na ddylai fyth fod wedi digwydd ac yn rhywbeth y dylem ni geisio sicrhau na fydd fyth yn digwydd eto. Roedd modd atal marwolaeth Logan pe byddai methiannau'r cyngor wedi cael eu nodi ar gam cynharach a phe cymerwyd camau eraill wedyn. Mae'r adroddiad ar achos Logan yn dangos bod cyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr yn rhoi'r bai ar COVID am rai o'i ddiffygion ei hun, ochr yn ochr â gweithwyr cymdeithasol yn methu â dilyn canllawiau'r Llywodraeth oherwydd nad oedden nhw'n ddigon eglur nac ymatebol i sicrhau diogelu priodol ar gyfer plant agored i niwed, yn ystod pandemig COVID. Felly, a yw'r Dirprwy Weinidog yn derbyn, pe byddai'r cyfarpar diogelu personol cywir wedi bod ar gael iddyn nhw, yna fe fyddai staff gofal cymdeithasol wedi gallu asesu Logan 24 awr yn unig cyn ei farwolaeth? Ac a yw'r Dirprwy Weinidog yn nodi'r diffyg arweinyddiaeth gan y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol ym Mhen-y-bont ar Ogwr i weld drwy'r celwyddau'r oedd y drwgweithredwr yn eu palu - mai COVID oedd y rheswm na ellid gweld Logan, i dynnu sylw oddi wrth sylwedd yr hyn a oedd yn digwydd mewn gwirionedd? Fe wnaeth COVID effeithio ar bob gwasanaeth y mae Cyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr a Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei ddarparu, ond mae'r methiant i uwchgyfeirio sefyllfa Logan, er gwaethaf y dystiolaeth sylweddol fod angen cefnogaeth arno, yn dangos bod prinder staff mewn adrannau yn profi'r pryderon fod y cyngor yn rhy ddibynnol ar weithwyr asiantaeth. Felly, a yw'r Dirprwy Weinidog yn cydnabod yr orddibyniaeth ar staff asiantaeth yng Nghyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, a pha drafodaethau a gawsoch chi, neu a fyddwch chi'n eu cael yn y dyfodol gyda'r awdurdod i recriwtio gweithwyr llawn amser i'r adran gwasanaethau cymdeithasol? Ac, yn ogystal â hynny, mae'r diffyg rhannu gwybodaeth wedi tynnu sylw at ddiwylliant o reolaeth dra awdurdodol, a oedd yn golygu nad oedd staff iau yn gallu herio penderfyniadau a wnaed gan staff uwch, fel mewn llawer o broffesiynau, fel profodd yr achos hwn. Ni ddylai staff fyth deimlo'n ofnus ac fe ddylen nhw deimlo eu bod nhw'n rhan o dîm a phob un yn cydweithio yn y broses honno o wneud penderfyniadau. Ac yn ogystal â hynny, bod yn rhaid i Gyngor Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr ddysgu gwersi sylweddol o argymhelliad yr adroddiad, mae hi'n amlwg bod yn rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru ddeddfu adolygiad ledled Cymru o wasanaethau plant i sicrhau na fydd hyn fyth yn digwydd eto. Mae angen arweinyddiaeth a Llywodraeth Cymru a'r Prif Weinidog sy'n gyfrifol am hynny, ac fe ddylen nhw sicrhau nad Cymru yw'r unig genedl ar ôl yn y DU heb adolygiad plant ledled y wlad. Felly, a wnewch chi ailystyried eich penderfyniad chi i beidio â chynnal adolygiad ledled Cymru o wasanaethau plant, a rhoi gwarantau cadarn i bob plentyn, rhiant a gofalwr ar draws y 22 awdurdod fod y Llywodraeth hon yng Nghymru ar eu hochr nhw ac yn rhoi'r cyfle gorau i ni ddiogelu pob plentyn ledled Cymru, oherwydd mae'n anffodus bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn atal adolygiad o'r fath pan mai Cymru sydd â'r gyfradd uchaf yn y DU o blant yn derbyn gofal? Fe hoffwn i, yn olaf, annog y Llywodraeth i newid cyfeiriad cyn i ni beryglu trychineb arall eto fel un Logan Mwangi. Diolch i chi.