English: Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. Thank you very much, Minister, for your opening remarks. I'm pleased to see some of the commitments that you have made today. I'd like to open by thanking all those who contributed to our scrutiny of this Bill. We know that the timetable for legislative scrutiny often means that stakeholders have very little time to respond in writing, or to prepare for oral evidence. This can be particularly challenging for Bills that are long, complex and important - all things that this Bill is. Our scrutiny is based on the evidence that we received, and we received detailed evidence - thoughtful and considered evidence - from all of the stakeholders who contributed. So, thank you all. I would also like to thank my fellow committee members for their diligence and care on approaching scrutiny to the Bill. It was our first significant piece of work as a committee, and we had to move at pace with a technical and lengthy piece of legislation. I also welcome the open approach that the Minister has taken to scrutiny of the Bill. He was clear from the outset that he was open to the views of stakeholders and the Senedd. I welcome the broadly positive response that we have received today to the recommendations in our report. The post-16 education sector is of vital importance. It educates, it employs, and it improves the lives of all of us in Wales. As a sector, it changes lives, both in terms of the individual students or learners who develop skills or knowledge, or through the research, development and innovation that is a key feature of the sector. I'd like to place on record my thanks for all who work in the post-16 sector, across the breadth of provision, for all their hard work, especially over the last two challenging pandemic years. I'd also like to thank all the students and learners, who, while increasing their knowledge and their skills, often do this alongside employment and family commitments. The sector encompasses a wide range of provisions, some of it very different in content, delivery and outcome. The prize that this Bill seeks to capture is a stronger, more robust sector that is learner focused and resilient - something that there is agreement and consensus on.
Welsh: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Diolch yn fawr iawn, Gweinidog, am eich sylwadau agoriadol. Rwyf yn falch o weld rhai o'r ymrwymiadau yr ydych wedi'u gwneud heddiw. Hoffwn agor drwy ddiolch i bawb a gyfrannodd at ein gwaith craffu ar y Bil hwn. Gwyddom fod yr amserlen ar gyfer craffu deddfwriaethol yn aml yn golygu mai ychydig iawn o amser sydd gan randdeiliaid i ymateb yn ysgrifenedig, neu i baratoi ar gyfer tystiolaeth lafar. Gall hyn fod yn arbennig o heriol ar gyfer Biliau sy'n hir, yn gymhleth ac yn bwysig - popeth y mae'r Bil hwn. Mae ein gwaith craffu'n seiliedig ar y dystiolaeth a gawsom, a chawsom dystiolaeth fanwl - tystiolaeth feddylgar ac ystyriol - gan yr holl randdeiliaid a gyfrannodd. Felly, diolch i chi i gyd. Hoffwn ddiolch hefyd i fy nghyd-aelodau ar y pwyllgor am eu diwydrwydd a'u gofal wrth fynd ati i graffu ar y Bil. Hwn oedd ein darn sylweddol cyntaf o waith fel pwyllgor, a bu'n rhaid i ni symud yn gyflym gyda darn technegol a hirfaith o ddeddfwriaeth. Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu'r dull agored y mae'r Gweinidog wedi'i ddefnyddio i graffu ar y Bil. Roedd yn glir o'r cychwyn cyntaf ei fod yn agored i farn rhanddeiliaid a'r Senedd. Rwy'n croesawu yr ymateb cadarnhaol cyffredinol a gawsom heddiw i'r argymhellion yn ein hadroddiad. Mae'r sector addysg ôl-16 yn hollbwysig. Mae'n addysgu, mae'n cyflogi, ac mae'n gwella bywydau pob un ohonom ni yng Nghymru. Fel sector, mae'n newid bywydau, o ran y myfyrwyr unigol neu'r dysgwyr sy'n datblygu sgiliau neu wybodaeth, neu drwy'r ymchwil, datblygu ac arloesi sy'n nodwedd allweddol o'r sector. Hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch i bawb sy'n gweithio yn y sector ôl-16, ar draws ehangder y ddarpariaeth, am eu holl waith caled, yn enwedig dros ddwy flynedd heriol diwethaf y pandemig. Hoffwn ddiolch hefyd i'r holl fyfyrwyr a dysgwyr, sydd, wrth gynyddu eu gwybodaeth a'u sgiliau, yn aml yn gwneud hyn ochr yn ochr ag ymrwymiadau cyflogaeth a theulu. Mae'r sector yn cwmpasu ystod eang o ddarpariaethau, rhai ohonyn nhw'n wahanol iawn o ran cynnwys, cyflawniad a chanlyniad. Y wobr y mae'r Bil hwn yn ceisio'i chipio yw sector cryfach a chadarnach sy'n canolbwyntio ar y dysgwr ac sy'n gadarn - rhywbeth y ceir cytundeb a chonsensws arno.