English: Than you for the statement, Minister. I am pleased with the emphasis that you placed on the ability or lack of ability of different groups to cope with the cost-of-living crisis and increased prices. Women, of course, are one of those groups: 46 per cent is the number of single-parent households living in poverty - it's a shocking figure, two times higher than the general poverty rate in Wales, which is 23 per cent - and 86 per cent of single parents in Wales are women. The caring responsibilities of women as well as a lack of affordable childcare mean that they often are less able than men to increase their working hours and pay to be able to cope. A lack of affordable childcare provision means that many women would be at a loss if they were to increase their working hours, because the cost of childcare is higher than the wages that they would earn, and, of course, with flatlining wages, this leaves many without any means at all of keeping up with increased costs, and, without urgent action, it will lead to many more women and children falling into poverty. Only for children of three and four years of age is free childcare available, with very limited provision, 12.5 hours a week, for those of two years of age in Flying Start areas. Even those who are eligible often fail to access free childcare, and the 2022 review of childcare of the Family and Childcare Trust said that less than a third of local authorities have sufficient provision in terms of the childcare offer. Work is under way to expand free childcare, thanks to the co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru, but what assessment has the Government made of accelerating that work of expanding access to affordable childcare as a way of protecting children and women in Wales from increased prices and poverty?
Welsh: Diolch am y datganiad, Weinidog. Rwy'n falch o'r pwyslais a roesoch chi ar allu neu ddiffyg gallu grwpiau gwahanol i ymdopi â'r argyfwng costau byw a phrisiau cynyddol, ac mae menywod, wrth gwrs, yn un o'r grwpiau hynny: 46 y cant yw nifer yr aelwydydd rhieni sengl sy'n byw mewn tlodi - mae'n ffigur syfrdanol, ddwywaith yn uwch na'r gyfradd tlodi cyffredinol yng Nghymru, sef 23 y cant - ac mae 86 y cant o rieni sengl Cymru yn fenywod. Mae cyfrifoldebau gofalu menywod ynghyd â diffyg gofal plant fforddiadwy yn golygu eu bod yn aml yn llai abl na dynion i gynyddu eu horiau gwaith a thâl er mwyn cael dau ben llinyn ynghyd. Mae diffyg darpariaeth gofal plant fforddiadwy yn golygu y byddai llawer o fenywod ar eu colled pe baent yn cynyddu eu horiau gwaith, gan fod costau gofal plant yn uwch na'r enillion ychwanegol posibl, ac, o gyfuno â chyflogau sydd, wrth gwrs, yn fflat, mae hyn yn aml yn gadael llawer heb unrhyw fodd o gwbl i gadw i fyny â chostau cynyddol, a, heb weithredu brys, bydd yn arwain at lawer mwy o fenywod a phlant yn mynd i dlodi. Dim ond i blant tair a phedair oed y mae gofal plant am ddim ar gael ar hyn o bryd, gyda darpariaethau cyfyngedig iawn, 12.5 awr yr wythnos, ar gyfer rhai plant dwy oed mewn ardaloedd Dechrau'n Deg. Mae hyd yn oed y rhai sy'n gymwys yn aml yn methu â chael gofal plant am ddim, a dangosodd arolwg gofal plant 2022 yr Ymddiriedolaeth Teuluoedd a Gofal Plant fod gan lai na thraean o awdurdodau lleol ddigon o ofal plant o dan y cynnig gofal plant. Mae gwaith, wrth gwrs, yn mynd rhagddo i ehangu gofal plant am ddim, diolch i'r cytundeb cydweithio gyda Phlaid Cymru, ond pa asesiad mae'r Llywodraeth wedi'i wneud o gyflymu'r gwaith o ehangu mynediad i ofal plant fforddiadwy fel modd o amddiffyn menywod a phlant yng Nghymru o brisiau cynyddol a thlodi?