English: As Plaid Cymru spokesperson on social justice and equalities, I welcome the recommendations of this important report. As Paul Davies mentioned, many of these recommendations echo and underline many of those that have been made by a number of reports by the Equality and Social Justice Committee into issues related to poverty and the cost-of-living crisis, as well as calls made by many anti-poverty organisations and campaigners. The findings of this report as regards the scale of the cost-of-living crisis are stark in the context of today's inflation figures and the findings of the children's commissioner's survey released today, which found that 45 per cent of children said they worry about having enough to eat. They evidence an unprecedented crisis. We have perhaps started to become too familiar with these shocking, shameful statistics that reveal how vulnerable our citizens are to economic shocks, how our already scandalous levels of poverty have meant that too many people have been on a dangerous precipice for too long, their precarious financial situation fragile and flimsy in the face of the economic storm that is hitting them so hard. But the headlines, so bold and alarming in this report, bear repeating. Wales this summer had the highest percentage of households in serious financial difficulty of any of the devolved nations and English regions - a quarter of people cutting back on utilities, a third cutting back on food, higher numbers borrowing and getting into debt, and an unprecedented demand for crisis support. All this is having a disproportionate effect on women, exacerbated by intersectional impacts for disabled women and women from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. The report also bears out warnings about the grim and worsening situation facing Welsh households issued in the Equalities and Social Justice Committee's first report of this sixth Senedd on debt and the pandemic, and our inquiry into the next iteration of the Warm Homes programme, during which we took a lot of evidence on fuel poverty. The report before us today tells us that every 40 seconds, a Welsh bill payer is making a call to Citizens Advice about their fuel bill. Delivery, low take-up and an awareness of support schemes are again here recognised as a challenge and a concern. Again and again, we see in report after report, both from Senedd committees and from research of policy and third sector organisations, that there is a lack of disaggregated data on the impacts of rising living costs on particular groups on indicators such as poverty, deprivation and debt. Recommendations 1 to 13 all speak to the need for better targeting, co-ordination and delivery of the cost-of-living support that is available. It's something that Plaid Cymru have consistently advocated for. We need to make sure that every pound of Welsh support is going to the right place at the right time, and we need to know how much support is needed and where. Recommendations 5 and 6 again reiterate calls made many times around the winter fuel support scheme. We must see that the support on offer from Welsh Government is being evaluated appropriately and quickly so that subsequent schemes are made even more efficient in achieving their purpose. Recommendation 8 calls for the Welsh Government to bring together means-tested support schemes for low-income households through a Welsh benefits system, and there's also a mention of a statutory element to local authority delivery of support payments in recommendation 10. Having brought a debate on a legislative proposal to the Senedd a couple of weeks ago on this very issue, a proposal that was passed by the Senedd, I was very pleased to see that this is again being endorsed with cross-party agreement. The recent report from Audit Wales says that, because there isn't a streamlined, simpler system for claiming payments, the help on offer isn't as effective as it could be, with people having to complete multiple applications for different payments that often ask for the same information. That report has also shown that people in all parts of Wales are experiencing poverty and the number is growing. We know that the news from Westminster tomorrow won't be good for either those one in eight households in Wales who are struggling to afford everyday items, or the households on benefits who are struggling the most. Welsh Government has had to step in more and more with different support payments as Westminster has failed to protect those in Wales who need the support the most. There are children going hungry today. There are disabled and elderly people who can't keep their homes warm. There are families who are facing homelessness. They can't depend on those Tories in Westminster who would impose more devastating austerity policies upon them, and neither can they wait for a change of Government in Westminster. They elected a Government in Cardiff to serve them, and serve them they should by acting quickly on these important recommendations. Diolch.
Welsh: Fel llefarydd Plaid Cymru ar gyfiawnder cymdeithasol a chydraddoldeb, rwy'n croesawu argymhellion yr adroddiad pwysig hwn. Fel y soniodd Paul Davies, mae nifer o'r argymhellion hyn yn adleisio ac yn tanlinellu llawer o'r rhai a wnaed gan nifer o adroddiadau gan y Pwyllgor Cydraddoldeb a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol ar faterion sy'n ymwneud â thlodi a'r argyfwng costau byw, yn ogystal â galwadau a wnaed gan lawer o sefydliadau ac ymgyrchwyr gwrthdlodi. Mae canfyddiadau'r adroddiad ynghylch maint yr argyfwng costau byw yn amlwg yng nghyd-destun ffigyrau chwyddiant heddiw a chanfyddiadau arolwg y comisiynydd plant a ryddhawyd heddiw, a ganfu fod 45 y cant o blant yn dweud eu bod yn poeni ynglŷn â chael digon i'w fwyta. Maent yn tystio i argyfwng na welwyd ei debyg o'r blaen. Efallai ein bod wedi dechrau dod yn rhy gyfarwydd â'r ystadegau brawychus, cywilyddus hyn sy'n datgelu pa mor fregus yw ein dinasyddion yn wyneb sioc economaidd, sut mae ein lefelau o dlodi sydd eisoes yn frawychus wedi golygu bod gormod o bobl wedi bod ar ymyl dibyn peryglus am gyfnod rhy hir, a'u sefyllfa ariannol ansicr yn fregus ac yn dila yn wyneb y storm economaidd sy'n eu taro mor galed. Ond mae'r penawdau, sydd mor llwm a brawychus yn yr adroddiad hwn, yn werth eu hailadrodd. Cymru yr haf hwn oedd â'r ganran uchaf o aelwydydd mewn trafferthion ariannol difrifol o gymharu ag unrhyw un o'r gwledydd datganoledig a rhanbarthau Lloegr - chwarter y bobl yn torri'n ôl ar gyfleustodau, traean yn torri'n ôl ar fwyd, niferoedd uwch yn benthyca a mynd i ddyled, a galw digynsail am gymorth argyfwng. Mae hyn i gyd yn cael effaith anghymesur ar fenywod, sy'n cael ei waethygu gan effeithiau sy'n cydblethu ar fenywod anabl a menywod o gefndiroedd du, Asiaidd a lleiafrifol ethnig. Mae'r adroddiad hefyd yn cynnwys rhybuddion ynghylch y sefyllfa ddifrifol a chynyddol wael sy'n wynebu cartrefi Cymru a gyhoeddwyd yn adroddiad cyntaf Pwyllgor Cydraddoldebau a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol y chweched Senedd hon ar ddyled a'r pandemig, a'n hymchwiliad i'r rhaglen Cartrefi Clyd nesaf, pan gafwyd llawer o dystiolaeth ar dlodi tanwydd. Mae'r adroddiad sydd o'n blaenau heddiw yn dweud wrthym fod talwr bil yng Nghymru, bob 40 eiliad, yn gwneud galwad ffôn i Cyngor ar Bopeth am eu bil tanwydd. Mae cyflawniad cynlluniau cymorth, y nifer fechan sy'n manteisio arnynt ac ymwybyddiaeth o gynlluniau cymorth eto'n cael eu cydnabod yma fel her a phryder. Eto ac eto, gwelwn mewn adroddiad ar ôl adroddiad, o bwyllgorau'r Senedd ac o ymchwil sefydliadau polisi a thrydydd sector, fod yna brinder data wedi'i ddadgyfuno ar effeithiau costau byw cynyddol ar grwpiau penodol mewn perthynas â dangosyddion fel tlodi, amddifadedd a dyled. Mae argymhellion 1 i 13 i gyd yn ymwneud â'r angen am dargedu, cydlynu a chyflwyno'r cymorth costau byw sydd ar gael yn well. Mae'n rhywbeth y mae Plaid Cymru wedi dadlau drosto'n gyson. Mae angen gwneud yn siŵr fod pob punt o gymorth Cymreig yn mynd i'r lle iawn ar yr adeg iawn, ac mae angen inni wybod faint o gymorth sydd ei angen ac ym mha le. Mae argymhellion 5 a 6 eto yn ailadrodd galwadau a wnaed lawer gwaith ynghylch cynllun cymorth tanwydd y gaeaf. Rhaid inni weld bod y cymorth a gaiff ei gynnig gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn cael ei werthuso'n briodol ac yn gyflym fel bod cynlluniau dilynol yn cael eu gwneud yn fwy effeithlon byth i gyflawni eu diben. Mae argymhelliad 8 yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i gyfuno cynlluniau cymorth yn seiliedig ar brawf modd i aelwydydd incwm isel drwy system fudd-daliadau Gymreig, ac mae sôn hefyd am elfen statudol i ddarpariaeth awdurdodau lleol o daliadau cymorth yn argymhelliad 10. Ar ôl dod â thrafodaeth ar gynnig deddfwriaethol i'r Senedd ychydig wythnosau yn ôl ar yr union fater hwn, cynnig a gafodd ei basio gan y Senedd, roeddwn yn falch iawn o weld bod hyn eto'n cael ei gymeradwyo gyda chytundeb trawsbleidiol. Mae'r adroddiad diweddar gan Archwilio Cymru yn dweud, am nad oes system symlach, haws ar gyfer hawlio taliadau, nad yw'r help sydd ar gael mor effeithiol ag y gallai fod, gyda phobl yn gorfod cwblhau nifer o geisiadau am daliadau gwahanol sy'n aml yn gofyn am yr un wybodaeth. Mae'r adroddiad hwnnw hefyd wedi dangos bod pobl ym mhob rhan o Gymru yn profi tlodi ac mae'r nifer yn tyfu. Fe wyddom na fydd y newyddion o San Steffan yfory yn dda i naill ai'r un o bob wyth aelwyd yng Nghymru sy'n cael trafferth fforddio eitemau bob dydd, na'r aelwydydd ar fudd-daliadau sy'n ei chael hi'n fwyaf anodd. Bu'n rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru gamu i mewn fwy a mwy gyda thaliadau cymorth gwahanol am fod San Steffan wedi methu amddiffyn y rheini yng Nghymru sydd angen y gefnogaeth fwyaf. Mae yna blant sy'n llwglyd heddiw. Mae yna bobl anabl a phobl oedrannus sy'n methu cadw eu cartrefi'n gynnes. Mae yna deuluoedd sy'n wynebu digartrefedd. Ni allant ddibynnu ar y Torïaid yn San Steffan a fyddai'n gosod polisïau cyni mwy dinistriol arnynt, ac ni allant aros ychwaith am newid Llywodraeth yn San Steffan. Fe wnaethant ethol Llywodraeth yng Nghaerdydd i'w gwasanaethu, ac fe ddylai ei gwasanaethu drwy weithredu'n gyflym ar yr argymhellion pwysig hyn. Diolch.