The next item is the 90-second statement. The first statement comes from Suzy Davies.

Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Friends of Aberdulais Falls a very happy thirtieth birthday. Members may already know about this well-loved hidden gem in my region. It was opened in 1584—maybe it’s only Neil Hamilton who can remember that, mind—to smelt copper for coins to pay for warships to fight the Armada. It went on to be used for milling, but by the nineteenth century it was a major tinplate works, employing, unfortunately, children as young as eight. Its product was sold across the world until the US, protecting its own young industry, placed huge tariffs on imported tinplate and the fate of that particular works was sealed. The National Trust took on the site from the local council in 1980 and have been restoring the site ever since. It now is home to Europe’s largest waterwheel, which creates green energy, and the woodland around the waterfall is home to a colony of Daubenton’s bats, which pleases me immensely as one of the Assembly’s bat champions.

The Friends of Aberdulais Falls themselves came together in 1987. In their recent event to celebrate the anniversary, at which many founding members were present, chairperson Bethan Healey paid tribute to the visions of pioneers like Ivor Thorne, who was clerk to the old Neath Rural District Council, and Councillor George Eaton. In 1989, the friends made its first donation to the trust—£1,200—but since then they have raised £213,000, which has been spent on work on the site. As well as the social value of the friends, many of them contribute directly to that work by improving site presentation, maintenance, exhibitions, and even working in the tea room, which is my own personal experience of volunteering with the friends. Thank you.

Vikki Howells.

Diolch, Llywydd. On 8 July, 1873, 500 members of the South Wales Choral Union left Aberdare at the start of their journey to compete in the Crystal Palace challenge cup. The union, composed of voices from choirs from across the south Wales coalfield, returned to compete as reigning champions. In 1872 they won the cup without a contest. In 1873 they faced a challenge from one of the most prestigious London choirs, but were declared winners in a scene never to be forgotten by those who were present. The 1874 competition never happened but the union had earned the title of ‘Y Côr Mawr’—the great choir—for their success.

The conductor of the choir was Griffith Rhys Jones, better known as Caradog. The son of a carpenter, Caradog was born in the Rose and Crown Inn in Trecynon and trained and worked as a blacksmith. A gifted musician, Caradog found his calling as a conductor, carrying away his first prize at an Eisteddfod in 1853 at the age of just 19. Over the next 20 years, Caradog’s fame and success grew until it reached that triumphant culmination at Crystal Palace. Caradog is buried in Aberdare, his statue, standing proudly in the town centre. But for historian Phil Carradice, Caradog and his choir changed the image of Wales and the Welsh people. They made Wales the land of song.

Simon Thomas.

Diolch, Llywydd. I was educated at Caradog’s school in Aberdare.

Mae 27 Gorffennaf eleni yn nodi hanner canmlwyddiant dod i rym Deddf yr Iaith Gymraeg 1967. Er nad yw’r Ddeddf bellach mewn grym, wedi ei disodli gan Ddeddf yr Iaith Gymraeg 1993 a Mesur y Gymraeg (Cymru) 2011, mae’r Ddeddf yn arwyddocaol am ddau brif reswm. Yn gyntaf oll, fe ddiddymwyd y ddarpariaeth yn Neddf Cymru a Berwick 1746 y dylai’r term ‘Lloegr’ gynnwys Cymru. Dyma’r cam cyntaf ar y llwybr tuag at adfer awdurdodaeth gyfreithiol ar wahân i Gymru—taith nad ydym wedi ei gorffen eto.

Yn ail, ac am y tro cyntaf, fe osododd y Ddeddf hawliau i siaradwyr Cymraeg. Rhoddodd y Ddeddf ddilysrwydd cyfartal, fel y gelwid hi, i’r Gymraeg. Nid statws cyfartal â’r Saesneg oedd hwn; yn hytrach, darparwyd hawl i ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg gan gyrff cyhoeddus, megis gyda’r Saesneg, ond dim dyletswydd arnyn nhw i’w wneud. Er bod hyn yn wendid sylfaenol i’r Ddeddf, roedd yn fodd i osod yr egwyddor o gyfartaledd rhwng dwy iaith Cymru. Mae’n bwysig gweld Deddf yr Iaith Gymraeg yng nghyd-destun symudiadau chwyldroadol a dinesig y 1960au. Mae’n rhan o’r newid cymdeithasol a roddodd hawliau i bobl hoyw, i fenywod, drwy ffeministiaeth, ac i grwpiau difreintiedig. Oni bai am y Ddeddf iaith hon a gwaith yr ymgyrchwyr iaith y tu ôl iddi hi, ni fyddem yn cwrdd yr wythnos hon fel Senedd i drafod cenedl 1 filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg.