English: Thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary. I welcome your announcement of the increase in the early years PDG. Acting earlier in a child's life to mitigate social and other disadvantages the child is subject to makes sense, and obviously the earlier you act, the better it is for the child, and the more likely you are to head off the consequences of that disadvantage. I also welcome your decision to extend the eligibility criteria to two years - with a little bit of caution, because it may well take a lot longer than two years for a child to recover from the effects of being on free school meals or other disadvantage. So, can the Cabinet Secretary explain to us why this period isn't longer, and why she has chosen two years as opposed to three, four, five or whatever? Guaranteeing the allocation for two years is also a welcome development. I do actually agree with you that it will provide a level of certainty at least. Do you have any thoughts as to whether you might review that period? Is this two-year thing going to be an ongoing thing or is it just going to be a one-off? Coming to the PDG and how it's applied, a level of flexibility seems to exist in how schools use the PDG, and whilst 100 per cent of the PDG may not be specifically and directly targeted at pupils on free school meals by the schools, I wouldn't like to see that flexibility compromised. I think it gives schools something - an extra tool in their armoury to help children who may fall into a grey area, perhaps. So, do you have any intention to restrict how schools are going to be using the PDG? Because you've gone to quite big pains today to emphasise that this PDG is to narrow the attainment gap. What are the implications for schools? Are you going to try and restrict how they use the PDG, or are you just going to leave it as the status quo, as things are at the moment? Free school meal entitlement is also quite a blunt tool, and I think you would agree with me on that. Factors such as adverse childhood experiences can have a hugely detrimental impact on educational attainment, so have you given any consideration to whether the PDG criteria could be adjusted to take into account factors such as certain ACEs that can detrimentally affect a child's development and educational attainment hugely through life? If you don't feel that the PDG is the appropriate tool for that, what proposals are you coming forward with to address those factors that do have such a big impact on educational attainment? I recognise that your objective is to narrow the attainment gap between pupils on free school meals and those who aren't, but narrowing the attainment gap is only part of the picture. If pupils on free school meals are to escape the cycle of low wages that their parents may have found themselves in, they must be allowed and encouraged to fulfil their potential. So, do you have any proposals on how pupils on free schools meals can be targeted to become higher achievers, over and above payment of the PDG? Thank you.
Welsh: Diolch i chi am eich datganiad, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Rwy'n croesawu eich cyhoeddiad ynglŷn â'r cynnydd yn y grant datblygu disgyblion ar gyfer y blynyddoedd cynnar. Mae gweithredu yn gynharach ym mywyd plentyn i liniaru anfanteision cymdeithasol a rhai eraill sy'n effeithio ar y plentyn yn gwneud synnwyr, ac yn amlwg y cynharaf i gyd y byddwch yn gweithredu, y gorau i gyd yw hynny ar gyfer y plentyn, ac rydych chi'n fwy tebygol o osgoi canlyniadau'r anfantais honno. Rwyf hefyd yn croesawu eich penderfyniad i ymestyn y meini prawf cymhwysedd i ddwy flynedd - yn ochelgar braidd, oherwydd gall gymryd llawer mwy na dwy flynedd i blentyn oresgyn effeithiau bod ar brydau ysgol am ddim neu fod dan anfantais arall. Felly, a all Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet egluro i ni pam nad yw'r cyfnod hwn yn fwy, a pham y mae hi wedi dewis dwy flynedd yn hytrach na thair, pedair, pump neu beth bynnag? Mae gwarantu'r dyraniad am ddwy flynedd hefyd yn ddatblygiad i'w groesawu. Rwyf mewn gwirionedd yn cytuno â chi y bydd yn rhoi elfen o sicrwydd o leiaf. A oes gennych chi unrhyw syniadau ynghylch p'un a allech chi adolygu'r cyfnod hwnnw? A fydd y cyfnod hwn o ddwy flynedd yn beth parhaus neu ai penderfyniad unigol yw hwn? O droi at y grant datblygu disgyblion a sut y caiff ei gymhwyso, ymddengys bod elfen o hyblygrwydd yn bodoli o ran sut y mae ysgolion yn defnyddio'r grant datblygu disgyblion, ac er efallai nad yw ysgolion yn defnyddio 100 y cant o'r grant datblygu disgyblion yn benodol ac yn uniongyrchol i dargedu disgyblion sy'n cael prydau ysgol am ddim, ni fyddwn yn dymuno gweld cyfaddawdu ar yr hyblygrwydd hwnnw. Rwy'n credu ei bod yn rhoi rhywbeth i ysgolion - arf ychwanegol yn eu harfogaeth i helpu plant a fyddai o bosibl yn syrthio rhwng dwy stôl, efallai. Felly, a oes gennych chi unrhyw fwriad i gyfyngu'r ffordd y caiff ysgolion ddefnyddio'r grant datblygu disgyblion? Oherwydd rydych chi wedi ymlafnio heddiw i bwysleisio mai diben y grant datblygu disgyblion yw lleihau'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad. Beth yw'r goblygiadau i ysgolion? A ydych chi'n mynd i geisio cyfyngu ar sut y maen nhw'n defnyddio'r grant datblygu disgyblion, neu dim ond cynnal y sefyllfa y byddwch chi, fel y mae pethau ar hyn o bryd? Mae'r hawl i gael prydau ysgol am ddim hefyd yn arf eithaf aneffeithiol, ac rwy'n credu y byddech yn cytuno â mi yn hynny o beth. Gall ffactorau fel profiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod gael effaith hynod andwyol ar gyrhaeddiad addysgol, felly a ydych chi wedi rhoi unrhyw ystyriaeth i p'un a ellid addasu meini prawf y grant datblygu disgyblion i ystyried ffactorau megis profiadau niweidiol penodol yn ystod plentyndod a allai gael effaith ofnadwy o andwyol ar ddatblygiad a chyrhaeddiad addysgol plentyn ar hyd ei oes? Os nad ydych chi'n teimlo mai'r grant datblygu disgyblion yw'r offeryn priodol ar gyfer hynny, pa gynigion ydych chi'n eu cyflwyno i fynd i'r afael â'r ffactorau hynny sy'n cael effaith mor fawr ar gyrhaeddiad addysgol? Rwy'n cydnabod mai eich amcan yw lleihau'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad rhwng disgyblion sy'n cael prydau ysgol am ddim a'r rheini nad ydynt, ond dim ond rhan o'r darlun yw cau'r bwlch cyrhaeddiad. Os yw disgyblion sy'n cael prydau ysgol am ddim yn mynd i ddianc o'r cylch o gyflogau isel y mae eu rhieni o bosibl wedi canfod eu hunain ynddo, mae'n rhaid caniatáu iddynt ac mae'n rhaid eu hannog i wireddu eu potensial. Felly, a oes gennych chi unrhyw gynigion ynglŷn â sut y gellir targedu disgyblion sy'n cael prydau ysgol am ddim i gyflawni'n well, y tu hwnt i dalu'r grant datblygu disgyblion? Diolch.