English: Firstly, I must say that I support Plaid's motion and I agree with them that the grant should be reinstated. However, I do think the grant in some ways treats a symptom rather than the cause. I agree with the chairman of the National Union of Teachers Wales, Neil Foden, when he described a school uniform as eliminating differences between pupils and said undermining it creates divisions. I also agree with him that a school uniform is a way of avoiding social stigma because pupils all look the same. So, we undoubtedly have a social responsibility to advocate a system of school uniforms and also to make sure that all families can afford them without adversely affecting their living standards. It's therefore a concern that schools are demanding logoed items of school uniform, which are obtainable only from a limited number of suppliers, at a higher cost than parents would see on the high street or online. The high cost of logoed items and blazers doesn't help anyone and all families would benefit from being able to buy cheaper uniforms. A monopoly therefore exists that places local authorities and the Labour Government firmly on the side of the producers of the uniform. Why should taxpayers' money be spent on maintaining an artificially high price for children's uniforms when we could effectively open it up to the same price competition there is for most adults' work clothing? There have been very sensible suggestions from the Bevan Foundation that sew-on school badges should be an option rather than ready-made items with embroidered logos. Although the Government is said to be encouraging schools to go down this route and to get schools to scrap the requirement for an expensive blazer, some schools are not listening. But how is this Government responding? It is withdrawing the one thing that mitigates the expense of school uniforms for the poorest in society and it's saying nothing about what is being put in its place. The low-income families of the 5,500 children affected will be right to be confused that a Labour Government that continually says they are on their side is cutting this grant - confused that not only are Labour cutting the grant, but they have given no suggestion of whether, come September, those parents will be poorer because of changes to any new school uniform grant. Much as I'm uncomfortable with the trading ethics involved with clothes available in some supermarkets, we must recognise that many people don't have the luxury of choice that others do, and opening up school uniforms to the competitive market is cost saving for the families involved and goes some way to treating the underlying need for the grant in the first place. It's all very well for the Welsh Government to be saying, 'Don't worry, we'll come up with a new grant', but announcing the removal of the grant before detailing exactly what will replace it means that there will be many parents across Wales right now seriously worried about September, not knowing if or how they will cope with the expense of school uniforms and they will not be at all reassured by a vague, half-hearted response that does nothing to answer their real and significant concerns. We all know that sometimes people don't claim all that they're entitled to and don't get all the help that they need, either because they're unaware of the help available or they wrongly feel embarrassed to ask. So, making uniforms as low cost as possible is a route that should be pursued in tandem with an effective grant system. So, in conclusion, I support Plaid's motion, but I do believe Welsh Government needs to be far more assertive in its efforts to compel schools to go for lower cost uniform options. Thank you.
Welsh: Yn gyntaf, rhaid imi ddweud fy mod yn cefnogi cynnig Plaid Cymru ac rwy'n cytuno â hwy y dylid adfer y grant. Fodd bynnag, credaf fod y grant mewn rhai ffyrdd yn trin symptom yn hytrach na'r achos. Rwy'n cytuno â Chadeirydd Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru, Neil Foden, pan ddisgrifiodd wisg ysgol fel rhywbeth sy'n dileu gwahaniaethau rhwng disgyblion a dywedodd fod ei thanseilio'n creu rhaniadau. Rwyf hefyd yn cytuno ag ef fod gwisg ysgol yn ffordd o osgoi stigma cymdeithasol oherwydd bod yr holl ddisgyblion yn edrych yr un fath. Felly, yn ddi-os mae gennym gyfrifoldeb cymdeithasol i hyrwyddo system o wisgoedd ysgol a hefyd i wneud yn siŵr fod pob teulu'n gallu eu fforddio heb effeithio'n andwyol ar eu safonau byw. Felly, mae'n destun pryder fod ysgolion yn mynnu eitemau â logos gwisg ysgol, na ellir ond eu prynu gan nifer cyfyngedig o gyflenwyr ar gost uwch nag y byddai rhieni yn ei weld ar y stryd fawr neu ar-lein. Nid yw cost uchel eitemau â logos a blaseri yn helpu unrhyw un a byddai pob teulu'n elwa o allu prynu gwisgoedd rhatach. Felly mae monopoli'n bodoli sy'n rhoi awdurdodau lleol a'r Llywodraeth Lafur yn gadarn ar ochr cynhyrchwyr y wisg ysgol. Pam y dylid gwario arian trethdalwyr ar gynnal prisiau artiffisial o uchel am wisgoedd ysgol plant pan allem ei agor i bob pwrpas i'r un gystadleuaeth o ran prisiau ag ar gyfer dillad gwaith y rhan fwyaf o oedolion? Cafwyd awgrymiadau synhwyrol iawn gan Sefydliad Bevan y dylai bathodynnau ysgol wedi'u gwnïo fod yn opsiwn yn hytrach nag eitemau parod gyda logos wedi'u brodio. Er y dywedir bod y Llywodraeth yn annog ysgolion i ddilyn y llwybr hwn a chael ysgolion i gael gwared ar y gofyniad i gael blaser ddrud, ceir rhai ysgolion nad ydynt yn gwrando. Ond sut y mae'r Llywodraeth hon yn ymateb? Mae'n cael gwared ar yr un peth sy'n lleihau cost gwisg ysgol i'r bobl dlotaf mewn cymdeithas ac nid yw'n dweud dim am yr hyn sy'n cael ei roi yn ei le. Bydd teuluoedd incwm isel y 5,500 o blant yr effeithir arnynt yn iawn i fod wedi'u drysu gan y ffaith fod Llywodraeth Lafur sy'n dweud yn barhaus eu bod ar eu hochr hwy'n cael gwared ar y grant hwn - yn teimlo wedi'u drysu nid yn unig am fod Llafur yn cael gwared ar y grant, ond am nad ydynt wedi rhoi unrhyw awgrym pa un a fydd y rhieni hynny'n dlotach ym mis Medi oherwydd newidiadau i unrhyw grant newydd ar gyfer gwisg ysgol. Er fy mod yn anghyfforddus ynghylch moeseg masnachu dillad sydd ar gael mewn rhai archfarchnadoedd, rhaid inni gydnabod nad yw llawer o bobl yn cael y moethusrwydd o ddewis sydd gan eraill, ac mae agor gwisgoedd ysgol i'r farchnad gystadleuol yn arbed costau i'r teuluoedd dan sylw ac yn mynd rywfaint o'r ffordd tuag at drin yr angen sylfaenol am y grant yn y lle cyntaf. Un peth yw i Lywodraeth Cymru ddweud, 'Peidiwch â phoeni, fe ffurfiwn ni grant newydd', ond mae cyhoeddi eich bod yn cael gwared ar y grant cyn rhoi manylion pendant am yr hyn a ddaw yn ei le yn golygu y bydd llawer o rieni ledled Cymru yr eiliad hon yn poeni o ddifrif ynglŷn â mis Medi, heb wybod os neu sut y byddant yn ymdopi â chost gwisgoedd ysgol ac ni chânt sicrwydd o gwbl gan ymateb amwys, gwangalon nad yw'n gwneud dim i ateb eu pryderon real a sylweddol. Mae pawb ohonom yn gwybod nad yw pobl weithiau'n hawlio'r cyfan y mae ganddynt hawl iddo ac nad ydynt yn cael y cymorth y mae arnynt ei angen, naill ai am nad ydynt yn ymwybodol o'r cymorth sydd ar gael neu eu bod yn teimlo gormod o embaras i ofyn. Felly, mae gwneud gwisgoedd mor rhad â phosibl yn llwybr y dylid ei ddilyn ochr yn ochr â system grantiau effeithiol. Felly, i gloi, rwy'n cefnogi cynnig Plaid Cymru, ond rwy'n credu bod angen i Lywodraeth Cymru fod yn llawer mwy pendant yn ei hymdrechion i orfodi ysgolion i gynnig opsiynau ar gyfer gwisgoedd ysgol am gost is. Diolch i chi.