English: First Minister, thank you for your statement this afternoon. It is without doubt the biggest crisis that we are facing in the current climate - the cost-of-living crisis that every household and every business is facing, whether that's here in Wales, whether that's across the rest of the United Kingdom, or indeed across the globe, in fact. There isn't a country that's immune from the pressures coming from the Ukrainian conflict, or indeed the fallout from the COVID pandemic and the squeeze on productivity around the world. It is a fact that there will be a major financial statement on Friday highlighting how the new Government in Westminster will be making available money to households to the tune of £150 billion - £50 billion for businesses and approximately £100 billion for domestic households. That shows the strength of the union working together to bring money to the table to alleviate many of these cost-of-living pressures that we're seeing, building on the work that the UK Government has done to date, with the £37 billion that has been put on the table to alleviate the cost-of-living pressures that we've seen to date. And only today we're seeing £150 going to 6 million individuals who benefit from disability claims, going straight in to help them with cost-of-living pressures, along with the energy payments that have been made to date across the United Kingdom as part of that £37 billion. But I welcome some of the measures that the Welsh Government are undertaking, in particular the way the First Minister's configuring the Government to deal with this by having a sub-committee within the Government to look at this on a week-by-week, day-by-day, month-by-month basis. This is going to be a challenging winter; no-one is underestimating that whatsoever. But it is a fact that we must all make sure that, when we do put policies forward, they are affordable and, above all, they can be delivered and don't offer false hope to people, wherever they live in these islands. And I do have concerns - I'm quite happy to put that on the record - as to the quantum of money that would be required. But I think the quantum of money that is required emphasises the scale of the problem that not only this country is facing, but all countries are facing. I did notice that the First Minister talked about farmers and the pressures that farmers are facing. Farmers aren't immune to those cost pressures, just like everyone else. But I did offer a solution some four months ago, where the Government had within their powers - and I declare an interest as a partner in a farming business - and where they could have brought forward the single farm payment window to July, to put money into farm bank accounts so that seeds and fertilisers could be bought and so that this autumn planting season could have put crops in the ground that could be harvested. I was told at that time by the rural affairs Minister I was chasing a press release. Today, farmers in Wales have to stand shoulder to shoulder with English farmers who have their single farm payment in the bank account, but, here in Wales, we don't have that. That is one tangible implication of what the Government could have done for one particular sector to get money into bank accounts. I welcome the initiative around school meals, although I'm not convinced on the universal nature of the school meal concept. The First Minister and I have debated this, but when resources are tight, is it sensible that 40, 45 per cent of taxpayers benefit from the universality of school meals? But that's an ideological debate that the First Minister and I can have. The reality on the ground is that the Government is rolling this scheme out, so what I'd like to hear from the First Minister is whether schools and education authorities will be reimbursed for all the costs associated with the reconfiguration of kitchens, the increase in staffing levels that might be required for this policy, and any other associated costs specifically related to this roll out of the policy that the Government are continuing to roll out across Wales. I'd also like to try and understand whether the First Minister will be using any of the levers around taxation that he has to raise money here in Wales. The First Minister has highlighted how he doesn't believe there should be tax cuts. I'm someone who does believe in tax cutting as a way of incentivising people to go out, put that extra shift in, put that extra overtime shift in that brings more money into the household, but the First Minister does have - [ Interruption.] The First Minister - . Well, I can hear the backbench chuntering away and the finance Secretary, but if the Minister wants to raise money, he has the ability to do that by using the financial levers that were passed to him by the various Wales Acts from the Conservative Government in Westminster, and I'd be grateful to understand whether the First Minister is considering using any of those levers for the 40 or 45 per cent tax rates that are able to be adjusted accordingly, should the Government here think that necessary. It's not a route that I would suggest, but, ultimately, from his ideological position, from your ideological position, where you talk about raising taxes, you have that ability to do that. What I would also like and fully endorse and support the First Minister in his measures around awareness, because his statement clearly identifies that money is going unclaimed. The example that he uses about a family that could be claiming an additional £450 into their household budget is a good example, because that is real money that is going unclaimed by many people across Wales, and that will help greatly with the cost-of-living pressures that they might be facing today. I would also like to try and understand how the First Minister is addressing the child poverty numbers that we're seeing here in Wales. Loughborough University brought forward some research work that they did just before the summer recess that indicated that, across the rest of the UK, child poverty levels were declining down to 27 per cent - still too high a figure - but regrettably, here in Wales, it has gone up to 34 per cent. Now, this statement has many initiatives that the Government have brought forward over many years, but, regrettably, we are seeing increased levels of child poverty here in Wales rather than following the UK trend, which is a declining trend. Those aren't my figures; those are Loughborough University's figures. And also, only today -
Welsh: Prif Weinidog, diolch am eich datganiad y prynhawn yma. Yn ddiamau, hwn yw'r argyfwng mwyaf yr ydym ni'n ei wynebu yn yr hinsawdd sydd ohoni - yr argyfwng costau byw y mae pob aelwyd a phob busnes yn ei wynebu, boed hynny yma yng Nghymru, boed hynny ar draws gweddill y Deyrnas Unedig, neu'n fyd-eang yn wir, mewn gwirionedd. Nid oes unrhyw wlad yn ddiogel rhag y pwysau sy'n dod oherwydd yr ymladd yn Wcráin, nac yn wir oherwydd canlyniadau pandemig COVID a'r wasgfa sydd ar gynhyrchiant ledled y byd. Mae hi'n ffaith y bydd datganiad ariannol o bwys ddydd Gwener yn tynnu sylw at sut y bydd llywodraeth newydd San Steffan yn darparu arian i aelwydydd hyd at £150 biliwn - £50 biliwn i fusnesau a thua £100 biliwn i aelwydydd. Mae hynny'n dangos cryfder yr undeb yn cydweithio wrth ddod ag arian i'r fei i leddfu llawer o'r pwysau yr ydym ni'n ei weld o ran costau byw, gan adeiladu ar y gwaith a wnaeth Llywodraeth y DU hyd yma, gyda'r £37 biliwn sydd wedi ei roi gerbron i leddfu'r pwysau costau byw a welsom ni hyd yn hyn. A dim ond heddiw fe welsom ni £150 i'w roi i 6 miliwn o unigolion sy'n elwa ar hawliadau anabledd, yn mynd yn uniongyrchol i'w helpu nhw gyda phwysau costau byw, ynghyd â'r taliadau ynni a wnaethpwyd hyd yn hyn ledled y Deyrnas Unedig yn rhan o'r £37 biliwn hwnnw. Ond rwy'n croesawu rhai o'r mesurau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymgymryd â nhw, yn enwedig y ffordd y mae'r Prif Weinidog yn trefnu'r Llywodraeth i ymdrin â hyn trwy gael is-bwyllgor o fewn y Llywodraeth i edrych ar hyn o wythnos i wythnos, o ddydd i ddydd, o fis i fis. Bydd hwn yn aeaf heriol; nid oes neb yn dibrisio hynny o gwbl. Ond mae hi'n ffaith ei bod hi'n rhaid i ni i gyd sicrhau, pan fyddwn ni'n rhoi polisïau gerbron, eu bod nhw'n fforddiadwy ac, yn anad dim, y gellir eu cyflawni nhw ac nid yn rhoi gobaith ffug i bobl, ble bynnag maen nhw'n byw yn yr ynysoedd hyn. Ac mae gen i bryderon - ac rwy'n ddigon hapus i roi hynny ar y cofnod - o ran maint yr arian a fyddai ei angen. Ond rwy'n credu bod faint o arian sydd ei angen yn pwysleisio maint y broblem a wynebir nid yn unig yn y wlad hon, ond ym mhob gwlad. Mi wnes i sylwi bod y Prif Weinidog yn sôn am ffermwyr a'r pwysau y mae ffermwyr yn ei wynebu. Nid yw ffermwyr yn ddiogel rhag y pwysau hynny o ran costau, fel pawb arall. Ond fe wnes i gynnig datrysiad ryw bedwar mis yn ôl, lle'r oedd gan y Llywodraeth o fewn ei phwerau - ac rwy'n datgan buddiant fel partner mewn busnes ffermio - a lle gallen nhw fod wedi cyflwyno ffenestr y taliad sengl i ffermydd ym mis Gorffennaf, i roi arian yng nghyfrifon banc y ffermydd fel y gellid prynu hadau a gwrtaith ac fel y gallai'r tymor plannu yn yr hydref hwn fod wedi rhoi cnydau yn y ddaear y gellid bod yn eu cynaeafu. Fe gefais i wybod bryd hynny gan y Gweinidog materion gwledig mai dim ond mynd ar ôl datganiad i'r wasg yr oeddwn i. Heddiw, mae'n rhaid i ffermwyr yng Nghymru sefyll ysgwydd wrth ysgwydd â ffermwyr yn Lloegr sydd wedi cael eu taliad sengl yn eu cyfrifon banc, ond, yma yng Nghymru, nid yw hwnnw i'w gael gennym ni. Dyna un o'r goblygiadau pendant o'r hyn y gallai'r Llywodraeth fod wedi ei wneud i un sector penodol fod ag arian yn y cyfrifon banc. Rwy'n croesawu'r fenter o ran prydau ysgol, er nad ydw i wedi fy argyhoeddi o ran pa mor gyffredinol y dylai'r cysyniad o brydau ysgol am ddim fod. Mae'r Prif Weinidog a minnau wedi trafod hyn, ond pan fo adnoddau yn brin, a yw hi'n synhwyrol bod 40, 45 y cant o drethdalwyr yn elwa ar gyffredinolrwydd prydau ysgol? Ond mae honno'n ddadl ideolegol y gallai'r Prif Weinidog a minnau ei chael. Y sefyllfa wirioneddol ar lawr gwlad yw bod y Llywodraeth yn cyflwyno'r cynllun hwn, felly'r hyn yr hoffwn ei glywed gan y Prif Weinidog yw a fydd ysgolion ac awdurdodau addysg yn cael eu had-dalu am yr holl gostau sy'n gysylltiedig ag ad-drefnu ceginau, y cynnydd mewn lefelau staffio a allai fod yn ofynnol ar gyfer y polisi hwn, ac unrhyw gostau cysylltiedig eraill sy'n ymwneud yn benodol â'r broses hon o gyflwyno'r polisi y mae'r Llywodraeth yn dal i'w gyflwyno ledled Cymru. Fe hoffwn i geisio deall hefyd a fydd y Prif Weinidog yn defnyddio unrhyw un o'r ysgogiadau o ran trethiant sydd ganddo i godi arian yma yng Nghymru. Mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi tynnu sylw at sut na ddylid torri trethiant. Rwy'n un sy'n credu mewn torri trethi fel ffordd o annog pobl i fynd allan, a gweithio'r sifft ychwanegol honno, a gweithio sifft goramser sy'n dod â mwy o arian i'r aelwyd, ond mae gan y Prif Weinidog - [ Torri ar draws.] Mae gan y Prif Weinidog - . Wel, gallaf glywed y meinciau cefn yn grwgnach a'r Ysgrifennydd cyllid hefyd, ond os yw'r Gweinidog yn dymuno codi arian, mae ganddo ef y gallu i wneud hynny drwy ddefnyddio'r ysgogiadau ariannol a roddwyd iddo gan wahanol Ddeddfau Cymru gan y Llywodraeth Geidwadol yn San Steffan, ac fe fyddwn i'n ddiolchgar o gael deall a yw'r Prif Weinidog yn ystyried defnyddio unrhyw un o'r ysgogiadau hynny ar gyfer y cyfraddau treth o 40 neu 45 y cant y gellir eu haddasu yn unol â hynny, pe byddai'r Llywodraeth yma o'r farn bod angen. Nid llwybr y byddwn i'n ei awgrymu mohono, ond, yn y pen draw, o'i safbwynt ideolegol ef, o'ch safbwynt ideolegol chi, pan fyddwch chi'n sôn am godi trethi, mae'r gallu gennych chi i wneud hynny. Yr hyn yr hoffwn i ei gymeradwyo yn llawn hefyd a chefnogi'r Prif Weinidog yw ei fesurau ef o ran codi ymwybyddiaeth, oherwydd mae ei ddatganiad ef yn nodi yn eglur fod arian yn mynd heb ei hawlio. Mae'r enghraifft y mae ef yn ei defnyddio o deulu a allai fod yn hawlio £450 yn ychwanegol i'w cyllideb ar yr aelwyd yn enghraifft dda, oherwydd mae hwnnw'n arian go iawn sy'n mynd heb ei hawlio gan lawer o bobl ledled Cymru, ac fe fydd hwnnw'n gymorth mawr gyda'r pwysau o ran costau byw y gallen nhw fod yn eu hwynebu heddiw. Fe hoffwn i geisio deall hefyd sut mae'r Prif Weinidog am fynd i'r afael â'r niferoedd o ran tlodi plant yr ydym ni'n eu gweld yma yng Nghymru. Cyhoeddodd Prifysgol Loughborough rywfaint o waith ymchwil o'u gwaith ryw ychydig cyn toriad yr haf a oedd yn nodi, ledled gweddill y DU, bod cyfraddau tlodi plant yn gostwng i 27 y cant - sy'n parhau i fod yn ffigwr rhy uchel - ond yn anffodus, yma yng Nghymru, maen nhw wedi cynyddu i 34 y cant. Nawr, mae gan y datganiad hwn lawer o fentrau y mae'r Llywodraeth wedi'u cyflwyno dros nifer o flynyddoedd, ond, yn anffodus, rydym ni'n gweld cyfraddau uwch o dlodi plant yma yng Nghymru yn hytrach na dilyn tuedd y DU, sy'n lleihau. Nid fy ffigyrau i yw'r rhain; ffigyrau Prifysgol Loughborough ydyn nhw. A hefyd, dim ond heddiw -