Open invitation to the people of Wales
Dear Reader
On 20 September, all 60 Assembly Members will return to the Senedd in Cardiff Bay for the start of the new Assembly term.
It is there that we undertake the work of scrutinising the Welsh Government, as well as making and scrutinising new laws, and representing the interests of the people of Wales.
As the new political year begins, Assembly Members will have enhanced law-making powers after Wales voted Yes, with a two-thirds majority, in the referendum in March on the Assemblys powers.
This means more of the laws that directly affect you will now be made by the 60 elected representatives in Wales, rather than in Westminster.
The Assembly is responsible for making laws affecting your hospitals, schools and environment, as well as laws in the rest of the 20 devolved fields.
We have also changed the way we work in order to be more responsive to the needs of all communities across Wales.
You can get involved in the Assemblys work in a number of ways. First, you need to know who your Assembly Members are. You can get in touch with them by visiting the National Assembly website at www.assemblywales.org or writing to them at:
The National Assembly for Wales
Pierhead Street
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff
CF99 1NA
The Assemblys petitions system can also be used to affect change in an issue that matters to you. If you get ten signatures supporting your petition, it will be looked at by our Petitions Committee, which will then decide whether to pass it onto a subject committee to look at the possibility of making law on the issue, or inform the relevant Welsh Government Minister of what the petition is calling for.
Organisations such as charities and community groups can also submit petitions to the committee.
Laws governing the charge on plastic carrier bags and safer cycle routes throughout Wales were both developed after the Assembly received petitions.
I have been out and about throughout Wales this summer visiting the summer shows and events telling people what we do and urging them to get involved. My message was, and remains, that it is possible for anyone in Wales to have a direct input into the law-making process.
So ahead of the start of the new Assembly term, on behalf of my colleagues, please tell us, as your elected representatives, what issues matter to you.
Yours sincerely,
Rosemary Butler AM
Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales.
Annwyl Ddarllenydd,
Ar 20 Medi, bydd pob un or 60 o Aelodau Cynulliad yn dychwelyd ir Senedd ym Mae Caerdydd ar gyfer dechrau tymor newydd.
Yno rydym yn gwneud gwaith fel craffu ar Lywodraeth Cymru, yn ogystal gwneud deddfau newydd a chraffu arnynt, a chynrychioli buddiannau pobl Cymru.
Wrth ir flwyddyn wleidyddol newydd ddechrau, bydd gan yr Aelodau bwerau deddfu newydd ar l y bleidlais gadarnhaol gan ddwy ran o dair o bobl Cymru yn y refferendwm ym mis Mawrth ar bweraur Cynulliad.
Mae hyn yn golygu y bydd mwy or deddfau syn effeithio arnoch yn uniongyrchol yn awr yn cael eu gwneud gan eich 60 cynrychiolydd etholedig yng Nghymru yn hytrach nag yn San Steffan.
Y Cynulliad syn gyfrifol am ddeddfu ar faterion syn effeithio ar eich ysbytai, eich ysgolion ach amgylchedd, yn ogystal gweddill yr 20 maes datganoledig.
Rydym hefyd wedi newid y ffordd rydym yn gweithio er mwyn bod yn fwy ymatebol i anghenion pob cymuned ledled Cymru.
Gallwch gyfrannu at waith y Cynulliad mewn sawl ffordd. Yn gyntaf, mae angen i chi wybod pwy yw eich Aelodau Cynulliad. Gallwch gysylltu nhw drwy wefan y Cynulliad yn www.cynulliadcymru.org neu drwy ysgrifennu at y cyfeiriad a ganlyn:
Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru
Pierhead Street
Bae Caerdyd
Caerdydd
CF99 1NA
Gall system ddeisebaur Cynulliad hefyd gael ei defnyddio i ddylanwadu ar fater sydd o bwys i chi. Os ydych wedi casglu 10 llofnod i gefnogi eich deiseb, bydd wedyn yn cael ei hystyried gan y Pwyllgor Deisebau, a fydd wedyn yn penderfynu a ddylid trosglwyddor ddeiseb i bwyllgor pwnc er mwyn ystyried y posibilrwydd o ddeddfu ar y mater, neun cysylltu r Gweinidog perthnasol yn Llywodraeth Cymru iw hysbysu am y mater y maer ddeiseb yn ei drafod.
Caiff sefydliadau fel elusennau a grwpiau cymunedol gyflwyno deisebau ir pwyllgor hefyd.
Cafodd deddfau ynghylch codi tl am fagiau plastig a llwybrau beicio diogel ledled Cymru eu datblygu ar l ir Cynulliad gael deisebau ar y materion hyn.
Rwyf wedi teithio hyd a lled Cymru yn ymweld sioeau a digwyddiadaur haf i drafod phobl yr hyn rydym yn ei wneud au hannog i gymryd rhan. Y neges oedd ei bod yn bosibl i unrhyw un yng Nghymru gael effaith uniongyrchol ar y broses ddeddfu, ar un yw fy neges yn awr.
Cyn dechrau tymor newydd y Cynulliad, felly, ar ran fy nghyd-Aelodau, hoffwn ofyn i chi ddweud wrthym, fel eich cynrychiolwyr etholedig, am y materion sydd o bwys i chi.
Yn gywir
Rosemary Butler AC
Llywydd Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru