English: Can I say thank you to the Cabinet Secretary for giving advance notice of her statement, and for publishing the summary of the responses, as well, to the consultation on the Welsh Government's position? It's very timely that this should be made, particularly before the summer recess, because, of course, young people will be wanting to prepare for future academic years, and thinking very much about their future, and I'm grateful that there's been some clarity provided today over the Welsh Government's position on a number of issues, particularly around the start of the new regime in 2018. I think it's fair to say that the Student Loans Company have been working very hard with the Welsh Government to achieve the ambition of being able to introduce the new system of support by that particular date. Can I welcome, also, the continued recognition that there needs to be absolute parity of support for part-time students with full-time students as well? That is something that, of course, there hasn't been previously, and I know that many people, including the NUS and other organisations, including HE providers like the Open University, have been calling for that clarity and parity. So, I'm very pleased to see that also. I also want to welcome very much the support that is going to be in place for postgraduate students. We know that the Welsh Government was very late clarifying its arrangements for this coming academic year in September. It was only February of this year, I think, when you clarified those arrangements, which was completely unacceptable, frankly, for people wanting to make plans about postgraduate study, so it is pleasing to know that there's been a little bit more clarity, certainly about the 2018-19 situation, and that people can begin to make their plans in respect of that. But I do wonder why it is that the new system of support for postgraduate students is going to be implemented later than that for other students. Why is it 12 months on? You don't explain that within your statement, and I think it is important to get on the record precisely why that is the case. I think it should come as no surprise to us that we've seen a 14 per cent fall in the number of postgraduates taught in Wales. That is because there has not been any support for them up until this academic year. And, of course, we've had that lack of clarity, as I've just indicated to you. I know that that's not all on your watch, Cabinet Secretary, but it is a fact, and therefore it doesn't surprise me that we're losing postgraduates - or we have been in recent years. I'm hoping that your announcement today will enable that situation to turn around, although I do believe that it may take some time. I'm also very much pleased that you're not just rejecting things that are taking place over the border, but when sensible things happen you are also seeking to emulate them. So, I was very pleased to see that too. I think it is important to get some stability into the tuition fees situation. I note that you have said that you want to go back to this pre-2012 policy of linking the fees to inflation, but I just wonder, Cabinet Secretary, whether you've thought about the potential implications of that, should there be a significant change in fees elsewhere in the UK, either up or down - and I suspect the previous is more likely. But if that is going to be your position for three years, are you still going to be committed to that if there is a significant shift elsewhere, which may, of course, end up disadvantaging Welsh universities? I noted in the consultation comments that there was a suggestion that the new regime could look at pegging the system of maintenance support, not to the national living wage but potentially to the Living Wage Foundation figure in terms of support. I wonder whether you could clarify whether that was something that you have considered as part of your position; and if you have, why are you not seeking to move towards that over a period of time? In addition, Cabinet Secretary, I think there are some things that you haven't referred to, which I think it's important to get some clarity on. There were many respondents to the consultation that referred to the squeezed middle - these individuals who may be at the margins in terms of the level of income that they have, just over the income threshold perhaps, or those individuals who may have more than one child going through the university system at the same time, and the difficulties and challenges that that might pose for them in terms of supporting their dependants. I wonder if you could say anything as to what your consideration of people in that position might have been, and whether there may be an opportunity to look again at the system of support, so that it recognises the difficulties that those families might be in. In addition to that, of course, many people have referred to those individuals who might be estranged from their parents and families, and therefore it would be inappropriate to take into account their familial income in order to determine what level of support those individuals might get. You haven't referred to that at all in your statement today. You haven't clarified your position on how you intend to ensure that individuals who are estranged from their families might be able to access higher education through this new regime, and it would be helpful if you could give us some clarity on that. In addition, there was a call from the Children, Young People and Education Committee for you to consider what support you might be able to give to people from underachieving ethnic minorities with low representation and proportion of individuals going to university, and the Gypsy/Traveller community. I wonder whether you might be able to comment on whether there might be specific ring-fenced support that you might be able to make available as a Government to individuals in those situations. Another group that is disadvantaged under the current system, of course, are the over 60s, who face discrimination in terms of their ability to access support. If they are going to be completing their courses after their sixtieth birthday, there's no support available for them at all, and I wonder whether you can say whether you are going to do anything to address that discrimination against older people. And, finally, if I may, is a question about bursaries. Again, there were many, many comments in the consultation responses about the availability of bursaries, particularly nursing bursaries, but, of course, I know that you've been working with Cabinet colleagues looking at other bursaries that you might be able to extend. I wonder whether you can give any clarity on the longevity of nursing bursaries and what other bursaries you might be considering introducing into the new regime. Thank you.
Welsh: A gaf i ddweud diolch wrth Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet am roi rhybudd ymlaen llaw am ei datganiad, ac am gyhoeddi crynodeb o'r ymatebion, hefyd, i'r ymgynghoriad ar safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru? Mae'n amserol iawn fod hyn yn cael ei wneud, yn enwedig cyn toriad yr haf, oherwydd, wrth gwrs, bydd pobl ifanc eisiau paratoi ar gyfer blynyddoedd academaidd y dyfodol, ac yn meddwl am eu dyfodol, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar bod rhywfaint o eglurder wedi'i ddarparu heddiw o safbwynt Llywodraeth Cymru ar nifer o faterion, yn enwedig ynghylch cychwyn y drefn newydd yn 2018. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn deg dweud bod y Cwmni Benthyciadau i Fyfyrwyr wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed iawn gyda Llywodraeth Cymru i gyflawni'r uchelgais o allu cyflwyno'r system gymorth newydd erbyn y dyddiad penodol hwnnw. A gaf i groesawu, hefyd, y gydnabyddiaeth barhaus fod angen yr un cymorth yn gyfan gwbl i fyfyrwyr rhan-amser a myfyrwyr amser llawn? Mae hynny'n rhywbeth, wrth gwrs, na chafwyd o'r blaen, ac rwy'n gwybod bod llawer o bobl, gan gynnwys Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr a sefydliadau eraill, gan gynnwys darparwyr addysg uwch fel y Brifysgol Agored, wedi bod yn galw am yr eglurder a'r cydraddoldeb hwnnw. Felly, rwy'n falch iawn o weld hynny hefyd. Rwyf hefyd yn awyddus i groesawu'n fawr iawn y gefnogaeth sydd yn mynd i fod ar waith ar gyfer myfyrwyr ôl-raddedig. Rydym yn gwybod bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn hwyr iawn yn egluro ei threfniadau ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd nesaf ym mis Medi. Dim ond mis Chwefror eleni oedd hi, credaf, pan wnaethoch egluro'r trefniadau hynny, a oedd yn gwbl annerbyniol, â dweud y gwir, i bobl sydd am wneud cynlluniau ar gyfer astudiaethau ôl-raddedig. Felly mae'n braf gwybod bod ychydig yn fwy o eglurder, yn sicr am sefyllfa 2018-19, ac y gall pobl ddechrau gwneud eu cynlluniau mewn cysylltiad â hynny. Ond tybed pam mae'r system newydd o gymorth i fyfyrwyr ôl-raddedig yn mynd i gael ei rhoi ar waith yn hwyrach nag i fyfyrwyr eraill. Pam ei bod 12 hyn hwyrach? Nid ydych yn esbonio hynny yn eich datganiad, ac rwy'n credu ei bod yn bwysig cael y rheswm am hynny ar gofnod. Credaf na ddylai fod yn syndod i ni ein bod wedi gweld gostyngiad o 14 y cant yn y nifer o ôl-raddedigion a addysgir yng Nghymru. Mae hynny oherwydd na fu unrhyw gefnogaeth iddynt hyd nes y flwyddyn academaidd hon. Ac, wrth gwrs, rydym wedi cael y diffyg eglurder hwnnw, fel yr wyf newydd ei nodi. Gwn nad yw hynny i gyd yn ystod eich gwyliadwriaeth chi, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ond mae'n ffaith, ac felly nid yw'n syndod i mi ein bod yn colli ôl-raddedigion - neu rydym wedi bod yn eu colli yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd eich cyhoeddiad heddiw yn golygu bod modd newid y sefyllfa, er fy mod yn credu y gall gymryd peth amser. Rwyf hefyd yn falch iawn nad ydych yn syml yn gwrthod pethau sy'n digwydd dros y ffin, ond pan fydd pethau synhwyrol yn digwydd rydych hefyd yn ceisio eu hefelychu. Felly, roeddwn yn falch iawn o weld hynny hefyd. Yn fy marn i mae'n bwysig cael rhywfaint o sefydlogrwydd i'r sefyllfa ffioedd dysgu. Sylwaf eich bod wedi dweud eich bod am fynd yn ôl at y polisi cyn 2012 o gysylltu ffioedd â chwyddiant. Ond tybed, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, a ydych wedi meddwl am oblygiadau posibl hynny, pe digwydd bod newid sylweddol i ffioedd mewn mannau eraill yn y DU, naill ai i fyny neu i lawr - ac rwy'n amau mai i fyny sydd fwy tebygol. Ond os mai dyna fydd eich sefyllfa am dair blynedd, a ydych yn dal yn mynd i fod yn ymrwymedig i hynny os oes newid sylweddol mewn mannau eraill, a allai, wrth gwrs, yn y pen draw fod yn anfantais i brifysgolion Cymru? Nodais yn sylwadau'r ymgynghoriad fod awgrym y gallai'r drefn newydd edrych ar hoelio'r system cymorth cynhaliaeth, nid i'r cyflog byw cenedlaethol ond o bosibl i ffigur y Living Wage Foundation o ran cefnogaeth. Tybed a allech chi egluro a oedd hynny'n rhywbeth yr ydych wedi'i ystyried fel rhan o'ch swydd; ac os ydych, pam nad ydych yn ceisio symud tuag at hynny dros gyfnod o amser? Yn ogystal â hyn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, rwy'n credu bod rhai pethau nad ydych wedi cyfeirio atynt, ac rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n bwysig cael rhywfaint o eglurder arnynt. Roedd llawer o ymatebwyr i'r ymgynghoriad yn cyfeirio at y canol gwasgedig - yr unigolion a allai fod ar yr ymylon o ran y lefel o incwm sydd ganddynt, ychydig dros y trothwy incwm efallai, neu'r unigolion hynny a allai fod â mwy nag un plentyn yn mynd drwy'r system brifysgolion ar yr un pryd, a'r anawsterau a'r heriau y gallai hynny beri iddynt hwy o ran cefnogi eu dibynyddion. Tybed a allech ddweud unrhyw beth ynghylch eich ystyriaeth o bobl yn y sefyllfa honno, ac a all fod cyfle i edrych eto ar y system gymorth, fel ei bod yn cydnabod yr anawsterau y gallai'r teuluoedd hynny fod ynddynt. Yn ogystal â hynny, wrth gwrs, mae llawer o bobl wedi cyfeirio at yr unigolion hynny a allai fod wedi ymddieithrio oddi wrth eu rhieni a'u teuluoedd, ac felly byddai'n amhriodol rhoi ystyriaeth i'w hincwm teuluol nhw er mwyn penderfynu pa lefel o gymorth y gallai'r unigolion hynny ei chael. Nid ydych wedi cyfeirio at hynny o gwbl yn eich datganiad heddiw. Nid ydych wedi egluro eich safbwynt ar sut yr ydych yn bwriadu sicrhau y gallai unigolion sydd wedi ymddieithrio oddi wrth eu teuluoedd gael mynediad at addysg uwch drwy gyfrwng y drefn newydd, a byddai o gymorth pe gallech roi rhywfaint o eglurhad ar hynny inni. Hefyd, cafwyd galwad gan y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg i chi ystyried pa gymorth y gallech fod yn gallu ei roi i bobl o leiafrifoedd ethnig sy'n tangyflawni sydd â chynrychiolaeth isel a chyfran isel o unigolion sy'n mynd i'r brifysgol, a'r gymuned Sipsiwn / Teithwyr. Tybed a allech roi sylwadau ynghylch a allai fod cefnogaeth benodol wedi ei neilltuo y gallech chi fel Llywodraeth ei sicrhau fydd ar gael i unigolion yn y sefyllfaoedd hynny. Grŵp arall sydd dan anfantais dan y system bresennol, wrth gwrs, yw'r rhai dros 60 oed, sy'n wynebu gwahaniaethu o ran eu gallu i gael gafael ar gymorth. Os ydynt yn mynd i fod yn cwblhau eu cyrsiau ar ôl eu pen-blwydd yn drigain oed, nid oes cymorth ar gael iddynt o gwbl. Tybed a allwch chi ddweud a ydych yn mynd i wneud unrhyw beth i fynd i'r afael â'r gwahaniaethu hwnnw yn erbyn pobl hŷn. Ac, yn olaf, mae'r cwestiwn am fwrsariaethau. Unwaith eto, roedd llawer iawn o sylwadau yn yr ymatebion i'r ymgynghoriad ynghylch bwrsariaethau y mae modd eu cael, yn enwedig bwrsariaethau nyrsio. Ond, wrth gwrs, rwy'n gwybod eich bod wedi bod yn gweithio gyda chydweithwyr yn y Cabinet yn edrych ar fwrsariaethau eraill y gallech fod yn gallu eu hymestyn. Tybed a allwch roi unrhyw eglurhad ar hirhoedledd bwrsariaethau nyrsio a pha fwrsariaethau eraill y gallech fod yn ystyried eu cyflwyno i'r drefn newydd. Diolch.