Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd.

Mae gennym ni yng Nghymoedd y De hanes cryf a balch. Ni oedd y grym y tu ôl i’r chwyldro diwydiannol, ac fe wnaethom ni ysgogi datblygiad y Gymanwlad. Ni wnaeth gyfrannu at y camau mawr a gymerwyd yn y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg a’r ugeinfed ganrif. Mae cau’r gwaith haearn, y gwaith dur a’r pyllau wedi cael effaith hirdymor ar gymunedau’r Cymoedd, o’u ffin â Lloegr draw i sir Gâr.

Presiding Officer, our Valleys communities have borne the brunt of the impact of successive recessions and economic downturns. They have been at the forefront of the UK Government’s experiments to reform welfare.

As the result of last month’s European Union referendum revealed, many people living in our Valleys communities today feel left behind and left out. This was not simply a vote against EU membership; it was also a vote in which people demonstrated that they feel insecure with their place in the world, their job prospects, employment rights, and their futures.

In line with the Labour Party manifesto, and commitments made in the lead up to the Assembly election, I am today announcing the Welsh Government will set up a ministerial taskforce for the Valleys. We want a new approach to investing in the future of our Valleys that will engage and empower local communities and restore a sense of hope and aspiration.