English: We remain the only Government in the United Kingdom to provide universal breakfast for primary school pupils and of course, we have plans to see what we can do to extend that provision for year 7 pupils. We were the first Government to confirm funding over the Easter and half-term holidays in 2020 and funding for the provision of free school meals from September 2020 through to Easter 2021, and that does indeed include half-term holidays, Mike Hedges. We have made the most generous provision of any UK Government available of £19.50 per child, per week. And we were also the first Government to provide funding of an additional £1.28 million to meet the additional costs incurred by local government during the first two weeks of the autumn term to cover the phased return to schooling. And we were also the first Government to agree funding for children who are shielding or self-isolating so that they continue to receive support if they are unable to attend school through no fault of their own. In total, we have committed over £52 million to ensure that children eligible for free school meals do not go hungry during these unprecedented times. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank our partners in local government across Wales, to acknowledge the speed in which they responded to the original call to arms, their creative and innovative approaches, and for the hard work and dedication of their officers who have been so crucial in ensuring that families are supported. And can I also take this opportunity to thank catering staff, who've been working in really challenging conditions since schools returned for the September term? Many of you have heard me say before: my Grandma was the school cook for many years in Blaenymaes Primary School in Mike Hedges's constituency. She peeled a lot of potatoes for those kids, but I also know that she was one of the most beloved and important parts of her school community and that stands true for many of our catering staff who work in our schools today. During the course of the pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of families applying for universal credit. And while not all new claimants will receive universal credit, there has definitely been an increase in families seeking their free school meal entitlement for their children. The UK Government's introduction of universal credit meant that we had to change the eligibility criteria for free school meals in Wales and it's important to note that no additional funding was, or has been, provided to the Welsh Government to manage the impact of this change, which, frankly, is a disgrace. But nonetheless, we provided additional funding of £5 million to local authorities in 2018-19 and £7 million through the local government settlement in 2019-20 and for 2021. We've also introduced transitional protection to ensure that any change to the eligibility criteria would cause the minimum disruption possible. This means that pupils eligible for free school meals will be protected against losing them until the roll-out is complete, even if their eligibility does change. We estimate that the total number of children receiving transitional protection in any given year, during the universal credit roll-out period, will run into the tens of thousands, which the Welsh Government is committed to supporting. I have made a commitment to keep the threshold constant until the end of the universal credit roll-out period because I want to ensure that those who are in most need of support are benefiting. But I have also given a commitment to undertake a review of the threshold when the next set of pupil level annual school census data becomes available to me. Like many people in the Chamber, who have expressed a view this afternoon, I remain concerned about the plight of children in families with no recourse to public funds who are living in poverty. However, local authorities have used, and will continue to use, their discretion to support families without an income and who are not immediately able to claim public funds. I want to continue to encourage local authorities to use that discretion and we will consider making formal amendments to complex legislation once the impact of COVID-19 has ceased and there are additional resources available to legal services. I've listened very carefully to what has been said here today, and I know just how important free school meals are to the families who rely upon them. But there is a balance to be struck in ensuring that those most in need are provided with a means of accessing free school meals, while, at the same time, ensuring that our proposals are affordable. We do not, unfortunately, have an unlimited budget. We also need to be clear on the costs of proposals to expand eligibility. We estimate that to provide free school meals to every child whose parents receive universal credit would cost an additional £67 million a year. If we were providing free school meals to just primary school children, it would cost around £92 million a year. And if we provided free school meals to every learner of compulsory school age, it would cost around £169 million. So, if Plaid are serious about their proposals - and I have no reason to believe that they are not; and, indeed, the vision is a commendable one - they need to be absolutely clear what public services will be cut to provide that funding. And they need to be open with the public where they will begin to make that £160 million saving. As a Government, we have a responsibility to use public money effectively by ensuring that free school meals get to those most in need, and at the present time, with the limited budget provided to us by the UK Government, I believe that the current targeted approach is the most effective use of public resources. However, that does not stop the Welsh Government from being creative and innovative, and I believe that we should acknowledge how effective our approach during COVID has been - and there are lessons for the longer term to have been learnt - whilst giving a commitment to work with our stakeholders to continue to look for opportunities, as I said, to help those most in need. But I want to thank everybody for their contributions this afternoon. Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Ni yw'r unig Lywodraeth yn y Deyrnas Unedig o hyd i ddarparu brecwast i bob disgybl ysgol gynradd ac wrth gwrs, mae gennym gynlluniau i weld beth y gallwn ei wneud i ymestyn y ddarpariaeth honno ar gyfer disgyblion blwyddyn 7. Ni oedd y Llywodraeth gyntaf i gadarnhau cyllid dros wyliau'r Pasg a hanner tymor yn 2020 a chyllid ar gyfer darparu prydau ysgol am ddim o fis Medi 2020 hyd at y Pasg 2021, ac mae hynny'n cynnwys gwyliau hanner tymor, Mike Hedges. Rydym wedi sicrhau'r ddarpariaeth fwyaf hael gan unrhyw Lywodraeth yn y DU sef £19.50 y plentyn yr wythnos. A ni hefyd oedd y Llywodraeth gyntaf i ddarparu cyllid ychwanegol o £1.28 miliwn i dalu'r costau ychwanegol a dalwyd gan lywodraeth leol yn ystod pythefnos cyntaf tymor yr hydref wrth i'r ysgolion ddychwelyd fesul cam. A ni hefyd oedd y Llywodraeth gyntaf i gytuno ar gyllid ar gyfer plant sy'n gwarchod neu'n hunanynysu fel eu bod yn parhau i gael cymorth os na allant fynychu'r ysgol heb fod unrhyw fai arnynt hwy eu hunain. Gyda'i gilydd, rydym wedi ymrwymo dros £52 miliwn i sicrhau nad yw plant sy'n gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim yn llwglyd yn ystod y cyfnod digynsail hwn. Hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hefyd i ddiolch i'n partneriaid llywodraeth leol ledled Cymru, i gydnabod pa mor gyflym yr aethant ati i ymateb i'r alwad wreiddiol, eu dulliau creadigol ac arloesol o weithredu, ac am waith caled ac ymroddiad eu swyddogion sydd wedi bod mor hanfodol i sicrhau bod teuluoedd yn cael eu cefnogi. Ac a gaf fi hefyd fanteisio ar y cyfle i ddiolch i staff arlwyo, sydd wedi bod yn gweithio mewn amgylchiadau heriol iawn ers i'r ysgolion ddychwelyd ar gyfer tymor mis Medi? Mae llawer ohonoch wedi fy nghlywed yn dweud o'r blaen: fy Mam-gu oedd cogydd yr ysgol am flynyddoedd lawer yn Ysgol Gynradd Blaenymaes yn etholaeth Mike Hedges. Pliciodd lawer o datws ar gyfer y plant hynny, ond gwn hefyd ei bod yn un o'r rhannau mwyaf hoff a mwyaf pwysig o gymuned ei hysgol ac mae hynny'n wir am lawer o'n staff arlwyo sy'n gweithio yn ein hysgolion heddiw. Yn ystod y pandemig, bu cynnydd yn nifer y teuluoedd sy'n gwneud cais am gredyd cynhwysol. Ac er na fydd pob hawliwr newydd yn cael credyd cynhwysol, yn bendant bu cynnydd yn nifer y teuluoedd sy'n manteisio ar eu hawl i gael prydau ysgol am ddim i'w plant. Roedd cyflwyno credyd cynhwysol gan Lywodraeth y DU yn golygu bod yn rhaid inni newid y meini prawf cymhwysedd ar gyfer prydau ysgol am ddim yng Nghymru ac mae'n bwysig nodi na roddwyd unrhyw gyllid ychwanegol i Lywodraeth Cymru i reoli effaith y newid hwn, sy'n warthus a bod yn onest. Ond serch hynny, darparwyd cyllid ychwanegol o £5 miliwn gennym i awdurdodau lleol yn 2018-19 a £7 miliwn drwy'r setliad llywodraeth leol yn 2019-20 ac ar gyfer 2021. Rydym hefyd wedi cyflwyno cynllun amddiffyn drwy bontio i sicrhau y byddai unrhyw newid i'r meini prawf cymhwysedd yn achosi cyn lleied â phosibl o darfu. Golyga y bydd disgyblion sy'n gymwys i gael prydau ysgol am ddim yn cael eu gwarchod rhag eu colli hyd nes y bydd y broses gyflwyno wedi'i chwblhau, hyd yn oed os bydd eu cymhwysedd yn newid. Amcangyfrifwn y bydd cyfanswm nifer y plant sy'n elwa ar amddiffyn drwy bontio mewn unrhyw flwyddyn benodol, yn ystod cyfnod cyflwyno'r credyd cynhwysol, yn ddegau o filoedd, ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i'w gefnogi. Rwyf wedi ymrwymo i gadw'r trothwy'n gyson tan ddiwedd cyfnod cyflwyno'r credyd cynhwysol oherwydd rwyf am sicrhau bod y rhai sydd fwyaf o angen cymorth yn elwa. Ond rwyf hefyd wedi ymrwymo i gynnal adolygiad o'r trothwy pan fydd y set nesaf o ddata cyfrifiad ysgolion blynyddol lefel disgyblion ar gael i mi. Fel llawer o bobl yn y Siambr sydd wedi mynegi barn y prynhawn yma, rwy'n dal i bryderu am drafferthion plant mewn teuluoedd sy'n byw mewn tlodi nad yw cyllid cyhoeddus ar gael iddynt. Fodd bynnag, mae awdurdodau lleol wedi defnyddio, a byddant yn parhau i ddefnyddio eu disgresiwn i gefnogi teuluoedd heb incwm a theuluoedd nad yw cyllid cyhoeddus ar gael iddynt ar unwaith. Rwyf am barhau i annog awdurdodau lleol i ddefnyddio'r disgresiwn hwnnw a byddwn yn ystyried gwneud diwygiadau ffurfiol i ddeddfwriaeth gymhleth pan fydd effaith COVID-19 wedi cilio ac adnoddau ychwanegol ar gael i wasanaethau cyfreithiol. Rwyf wedi gwrando'n astud iawn ar yr hyn a ddywedwyd yma heddiw, ac rwy'n gwybod pa mor bwysig yw prydau ysgol am ddim i'r teuluoedd sy'n dibynnu arnynt. Ond mae angen sicrhau cydbwysedd rhwng gwneud yn siŵr fod y rhai mwyaf anghenus yn cael ffordd o gael prydau ysgol am ddim, gan sicrhau ar yr un pryd fod ein cynigion yn fforddiadwy. Yn anffodus, nid oes gennym gyllideb ddiderfyn. Mae angen inni fod yn glir hefyd ynglŷn â chostau cynigion i ehangu cymhwysedd. Amcangyfrifwn y byddai darparu prydau ysgol am ddim i bob plentyn y mae eu rhieni'n cael credyd cynhwysol yn costio £67 miliwn ychwanegol y flwyddyn. Pe baem yn darparu prydau ysgol am ddim i blant ysgol gynradd yn unig, byddai'n costio tua £92 miliwn y flwyddyn. A phe baem yn darparu prydau ysgol am ddim i bob dysgwr o oedran ysgol gorfodol, byddai'n costio tua £169 miliwn. Felly, os yw Plaid Cymru o ddifrif ynglŷn â'u cynigion - ac nid oes gennyf reswm i gredu nad ydynt; ac yn wir, mae'r weledigaeth yn un glodwiw - mae angen iddynt fod yn gwbl glir pa wasanaethau cyhoeddus a gaiff eu torri i ddarparu'r cyllid hwnnw. Ac mae angen iddynt fod yn agored gyda'r cyhoedd ynglŷn â lle byddant yn dechrau gwneud yr arbediad hwnnw o £160 miliwn. Fel Llywodraeth, mae gennym gyfrifoldeb i ddefnyddio arian cyhoeddus yn effeithiol drwy sicrhau bod prydau ysgol am ddim yn cyrraedd y rhai mwyaf anghenus, ac ar hyn o bryd, gyda'r gyllideb gyfyngedig a ddarperir inni gan Lywodraeth y DU, credaf mai'r dull wedi'i dargedu sydd gennym nawr yw'r defnydd mwyaf effeithiol o adnoddau cyhoeddus. Fodd bynnag, nid yw hynny'n atal Llywodraeth Cymru rhag bod yn greadigol ac yn arloesol, a chredaf y dylem gydnabod pa mor effeithiol y bu ein dull o weithredu yn ystod COVID - ac mae gwersi i'w dysgu ar gyfer y tymor hwy - gan ymrwymo i weithio gyda'n rhanddeiliaid i barhau i chwilio am gyfleoedd, fel y dywedais, i helpu'r rhai mwyaf anghenus. Ond hoffwn ddiolch i bawb am eu cyfraniadau y prynhawn yma. Diolch yn fawr.