English: There's a growing and vocal movement in favour of expanding free school meals in Wales. I met with representatives of the anti-poverty coalition last week. The frustration at the growing levels of child poverty and the determination to see this stain on our society addressed made a very deep impression on me. This broad-ranging and passionate support for expanded free school meals provision comes from an array of organisations in Wales and beyond. There is also support within groups affiliated with your own Labour movement. Constituency Labour parties, Labour groups and trade union branches are passing motions and making calls. Again the question: what is stopping Welsh Government from responding to this ever growing chorus of disapproval and following the evidence? When we have brought this case to the Government, as we have done on many occasions, we have been told that the barrier is cost. But that cost is a relatively modest one, certainly when the outcome is such an important one. The Wales anti-poverty coalition estimates it would cost an additional £10.5 million annually. That's a mere 0.06 per cent of the total revenue budget of the Government. Even if every child received a free school meal, the cost would be £140.7 million. That's still less than 1 per cent of the Welsh Government's total revenue budget. In addition to the increased revenue cost, expanded provision would also lead to some additional capital costs, but there are some practical workarounds that would allow this investment to be spread over time and allow eligibility to be expanded before the investment has been completed. Another factor that seems to be preventing the Welsh Government from acting is the cost implications for other policies, which are far greater than the costs directly associated with expanding provision of free school meals. However, there are easy amendments that could be made to these policies to ensure that they still deliver the support they were designed for, even if they are decoupled from free school meals. The use of FSM as an indicator for determining how funds are allocated to local authorities and schools is therefore not a hurdle to expanding eligibility. Expanding eligibility to all children whose families receive universal credit is thus achievable, and it can be done reasonably swiftly. Given the enormous benefits that such a change would provide to families across Wales, and given the deepening poverty crisis, this is the time to act. Do we really mean it when we say we want a fairer Wales? Now is the time to ask ourselves that question. So, what's stopping the Welsh Government? Will you support the motion today and take action, and, if you don't, will you be able to look in the mirror tomorrow? Diolch.
Welsh: Mae symudiad cynyddol ac amlwg o blaid ehangu prydau ysgol am ddim yng Nghymru. Cyfarfûm â chynrychiolwyr y gynghrair gwrthdlodi yr wythnos diwethaf. Gwnaeth y rhwystredigaeth ynglŷn â'r lefelau cynyddol o dlodi plant a'r penderfyniad i weld y staen hon ar ein cymdeithas yn cael sylw argraff ddofn iawn arnaf. Daw'r gefnogaeth eang ac angerddol hon i ehangu'r ddarpariaeth prydau ysgol am ddim gan amrywiaeth o sefydliadau yng Nghymru a thu hwnt. Mae cefnogaeth hefyd o fewn grwpiau sy'n gysylltiedig â'ch mudiad Llafur eich hun. Mae'r blaid Lafur yn yr etholaethau, grwpiau Llafur a changhennau undebau llafur yn pasio cynigion ac yn gwneud galwadau. Unwaith eto, y cwestiwn yw: beth sy'n atal Llywodraeth Cymru rhag ymateb i'r corws cynyddol hwn o anghymeradwyaeth a dilyn y dystiolaeth? Pan gyflwynwyd yr achos hwn gennym i'r Llywodraeth, fel rydym wedi gwneud droeon, dywedwyd wrthym mai cost yw'r rhwystr. Ond mae'r gost honno'n un gymharol fach, yn sicr pan fo'r canlyniad yn un mor bwysig. Mae cynghrair gwrthdlodi Cymru yn amcangyfrif y byddai'n costio £10.5 miliwn yn ychwanegol bob blwyddyn. Dim ond 0.06 y cant yw hynny o gyfanswm cyllideb refeniw'r Llywodraeth. Hyd yn oed pe bai pob plentyn yn cael pryd ysgol am ddim, y gost fyddai £140.7 miliwn. Mae hynny'n dal yn llai nag 1 y cant o gyfanswm cyllideb refeniw Llywodraeth Cymru. Yn ogystal â'r gost refeniw uwch, byddai darpariaeth estynedig hefyd yn arwain at rai costau cyfalaf ychwanegol, ond mae rhai pethau ymarferol y gellid eu gwneud i ganiatáu i'r buddsoddiad hwn gael ei ledaenu dros amser ac ehangu cymhwysedd cyn y byddai'r buddsoddiad wedi'i gwblhau. Ffactor arall sy'n ymddangos fel pe bai'n atal Llywodraeth Cymru rhag gweithredu yw goblygiadau cost i bolisïau eraill, sy'n llawer mwy na'r costau a gysylltir yn uniongyrchol ag ehangu'r ddarpariaeth o brydau ysgol am ddim. Fodd bynnag, mae diwygiadau hawdd y gellid eu gwneud i'r polisïau hyn er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn dal i ddarparu'r cymorth y cawsant eu cynllunio i'w ddarparu, hyd yn oed os cânt eu datgysylltu oddi wrth brydau ysgol am ddim. Felly, nid yw defnyddio prydau ysgol am ddim fel dangosydd ar gyfer penderfynu sut y dyrennir arian i awdurdodau lleol ac ysgolion yn rhwystr rhag ehangu cymhwysedd. Felly, fe ellir parhau i ehangu cymhwysedd i bob plentyn y mae eu teuluoedd yn cael credyd cynhwysol, a gellir ei wneud yn weddol gyflym. O ystyried y manteision enfawr y byddai newid o'r fath yn eu creu i deuluoedd ledled Cymru, ac o ystyried yr argyfwng tlodi sy'n dyfnhau, dyma'r adeg i weithredu. A ydym o ddifrif yn ei olygu pan ddywedwn ein bod am gael Cymru decach? Dyma'r adeg i ofyn y cwestiwn hwnnw i ni'n hunain. Felly, beth sy'n atal Llywodraeth Cymru? A wnewch chi gefnogi'r cynnig heddiw a gweithredu, ac os na wnewch hynny, a fyddwch yn gallu edrych yn y drych yfory? Diolch.