English: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to begin by thanking Jenny Rathbone for bringing this short debate to the Senedd Chamber. Jenny's work and passion in this area, and in the broader area of food policy, is obviously very well known to us, but I'd also like to thank her for her support and the advice she's provided as we implement this key policy area. I think the passion and the insight that you bring to the area was evident, if I may say, from your opening speech. And it is vital, in the way that Members have been speaking about, that we capitalise on the opportunities that this presents to us through the delivery of our universal primary free school meals offer. Equally, as has been mentioned by more than one speaker, we need to recognise and work to overcome the challenges that will line our path in doing so. Yesterday, I updated the Chamber on progress made in delivering universal primary free school meals, a key commitment within our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru. And in doing so, I highlighted some of the challenges that we've already met head on in our determination to support as many families as we can as quickly as possible, as the cost of living continues to rise. As I mentioned yesterday, that partnership way of working, that team Wales approach, has been essential in delivering free school meals to an additional 45,000 children in less than two academic terms. And it is right that we prioritise these efforts at pace, and we will continue to do that. However, we are very, very alive to other aspects of this transformational intervention, which will ensure that we can maximise outcomes for all our learners, their families and communities right across Wales. While our immediate priority was responding to the cost-of-living rises, our other ambitions seek to reduce health inequalities, embed socially-responsible public procurement, improve well-being and address the environmental costs of extended supply chains. And so, universal free school meals also is a catalyst for pushing forward our ambitions in relation to the foundational economy, social partnership and public procurement. But there are challenges associated with the delivery and commitment of this scope and scale. Firstly, if we are truly to reduce health inequalities, instilling longer term healthy eating habits, we've got to prioritise the delivery of healthy, nutritious meals. And in the way that Jenny Rathbone was talking about, this needs to be part of a wider whole-school approach to food education, connecting learners with the origins of their food, helping them make healthy choices, and emphasising the social significance and joy of sharing a meal together. The pandemic, the situation in Ukraine, the cost-of-living crisis and energy rises represent significant challenges to public service delivery, and there are also challenges in how we collectively embrace procurement approaches that benefit everybody, and which look at other broader objectives alongside price, in the way that Peter Fox was speaking about in his contribution. We've got to make better use of our levers to drive public procurement, which can then create benefits in other ways, reducing the leakage of money from communities and the environmental cost of extended supply chains. And the boost to demand that this represents brings real opportunities to re-localise a more sustainable food chain, and increase Welsh food onto our public plates. These elements are front and centre to our ambitions for free school meals, introducing the possibility of a major step change in policy and in practice. But there are some barriers that line our path, and we need to address those: understanding the Welsh market and suppliers' capacity to grow and supply local, sustainable food is essential; education and upskilling at all points in the food chain are needed to drive changes to culture and practice. [ Interruption.] Certainly. Do you want to make an intervention?
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch i Jenny Rathbone am ddod a'r ddadl fer hon i Siambr y Senedd. Mae gwaith ac angerdd Jenny yn y maes hwn, ac ym maes ehangach polisi bwyd, yn amlwg yn gyfarwydd iawn i ni, ond hoffwn ddiolch iddi hefyd am ei chefnogaeth a'r cyngor y mae wedi'i ddarparu wrth inni gyflawni'r maes polisi allweddol hwn. Rwy'n credu bod yr angerdd a'r mewnwelediad a gyflwynwch i'r maes yn amlwg, os caf ddweud, yn eich araith agoriadol. Ac mae'n hanfodol, fel y mae'r Aelodau wedi'i ddweud, ein bod yn manteisio ar y cyfleoedd y mae hyn yn eu creu wrth inni gyflwyno ein cynnig prydau ysgol am ddim i holl blant ysgolion cynradd. Yn yr un modd, fel y crybwyllwyd gan fwy nag un siaradwr, mae angen inni gydnabod a gweithio i oresgyn yr heriau a fydd ar ein llwybr wrth inni wneud hynny. Ddoe, fe roddais yr wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i'r Siambr ar y cynnydd a wnaed ar ddarparu prydau ysgol am ddim i holl blant ysgolion cynradd, sef ymrwymiad allweddol yn ein cytundeb cydweithio â Phlaid Cymru. Ac wrth wneud hynny, tynnais sylw at rai o'r heriau yr ydym eisoes wedi'u goresgyn yn ein penderfyniad i gefnogi cymaint o deuluoedd ag y gallwn mor gyflym â phosibl wrth i gostau byw barhau i godi. Fel y soniais ddoe, mae'r ffordd honno o weithio mewn partneriaeth, y dull tîm Cymru, wedi bod yn hanfodol wrth gyflwyno prydau ysgol am ddim i 45,000 o blant ychwanegol mewn llai na dau dymor academaidd. Ac mae'n iawn ein bod yn blaenoriaethu'r ymdrechion hyn yn gyflym, a byddwn yn parhau i wneud hynny. Fodd bynnag, rydym yn ymwybodol iawn o agweddau eraill ar yr ymyrraeth drawsnewidiol hon a fydd yn sicrhau y gallwn gael y canlyniadau gorau posibl i bob un o'n dysgwyr, eu teuluoedd a'u cymunedau ledled Cymru. Er mai ein blaenoriaeth uniongyrchol oedd ymateb i'r cynnydd mewn costau byw, nod ein huchelgeisiau eraill yw lleihau anghydraddoldebau iechyd, ymgorffori caffael cyhoeddus cymdeithasol gyfrifol, gwella llesiant a mynd i'r afael â chostau amgylcheddol cadwyni cyflenwi estynedig. Ac felly, mae prydau ysgol am ddim i bawb hefyd yn gatalydd ar gyfer hybu ein huchelgeisiau mewn perthynas â'r economi sylfaenol, partneriaeth gymdeithasol a chaffael cyhoeddus. Ond mae yna heriau sy'n gysylltiedig â chyflawni ac ymrwymo i waith ar y raddfa hon. Yn gyntaf, os ydym am leihau anghydraddoldebau iechyd mewn gwirionedd, gan feithrin arferion bwyta'n iach yn fwy hirdymor, rhaid inni roi blaenoriaeth i ddarparu prydau iach a maethlon. Ac fel y dywedodd Jenny Rathbone, mae angen i hyn fod yn rhan o ddull ysgol gyfan ehangach o weithredu addysg bwyd, gan gysylltu dysgwyr â tharddle eu bwyd, eu helpu i wneud dewisiadau iach, a phwysleisio arwyddocâd cymdeithasol a llawenydd rhannu pryd o fwyd gyda'n gilydd. Mae'r pandemig, y sefyllfa yn Wcráin, yr argyfwng costau byw a'r cynnydd mewn biliau ynni yn creu heriau sylweddol i ddarparu gwasanaethau cyhoeddus, ac mae heriau hefyd ynghylch y modd yr awn ati, ar y cyd, i groesawu dulliau caffael sydd o fudd i bawb, ac sy'n edrych ar amcanion ehangach eraill ochr yn ochr â phris, fel y nododd Peter Fox yn ei gyfraniad. Mae'n rhaid inni wneud gwell defnydd o'n gallu i lywio caffael cyhoeddus, a all greu buddion mewn ffyrdd eraill wedyn, gan leihau faint o arian sy'n cael ei golli o gymunedau a chost amgylcheddol cadwyni cyflenwi estynedig. Ac mae'r hwb i'r galw yn sgil hyn yn arwain at gyfleoedd gwirioneddol i adleoli cadwyn fwyd sy'n fwy cynaliadwy, a rhoi mwy o fwyd o Gymru ar ein platiau cyhoeddus. Mae'r elfennau hyn yn greiddiol i'n huchelgeisiau ar gyfer prydau ysgol am ddim, gan gyflwyno'r posibilrwydd o newid sylweddol ym maes polisi ac yn ymarferol. Ond mae yna rai rhwystrau ar y llwybr, ac mae angen inni fynd i'r afael â'r rheini: mae deall y farchnad yng Nghymru a chapasiti cyflenwyr i dyfu a chyflenwi bwyd lleol, cynaliadwy yn hanfodol; mae angen addysg ac uwchsgilio ar bob pwynt yn y gadwyn fwyd i hybu newidiadau i ddiwylliant ac ymarfer. [ Torri ar draws.] Yn sicr. A ydych chi eisiau gwneud ymyriad?