Contributions

Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Dwi'n falch iawn o roi'r diweddariad yma heddiw ar y gwaith i ddatblygu camau a chostau cychwynnol ymrwymiad uchelgeisiol y Llywodraeth yma i ddarparu cynnig gofal plant i bob teulu. Bydd yr Aelodau yn ymwybodol bod y Llywodraeth wrthi'n cyflwyno proses raddol i ehangu cynnig gofal plant i bob teulu sydd wedi'i ariannu, ac, o'i weithredu'n llawn, mai hwn fydd y cynnig mwyaf hael yn y Deyrnas Gyfunol, gan ddarparu 20 awr o ofal wedi'i ariannu bob wythnos, am 48 wythnos o'r flwyddyn, i bob plentyn rhwng naw mis a phedair oed. Yn fy marn i, ac ym marn y Llywodraeth, ac ym marn pob arbenigwr ar dlodi a datblygiad plant, nid rhywbeth y byddai'n braf ei gael yw darpariaeth gofal plant ehangach, ond mae'n gwbl hanfodol. Dyw 'A ddylen ni fod yn ehangu gofal plant wedi'i ariannu neu beidio?' ddim yn gwestiwn i'w drafod. Mae'r diffyg gofal plant fforddiadwy yn broblem gymdeithasol i'w datrys, ac o'i datrys, fe fyddwn ni'n creu manteision sy'n ymestyn i gydraddoldeb rhywedd, datblygiad cynnar plant, mynd i'r afael â thlodi, cefnogi ein heconomi, a gwella iechyd a chyrhaeddiad addysg ein plant. Ar ôl datgan gyda balchder ein nod i ddarparu cynnig gofal plant i bob teulu, a ninnau nawr 57 o ddiwrnodau i mewn i dymor y Llywodraeth hon, rŷn ni wedi bwrw iddi ac yn gwneud cynnydd rhagorol. Rŷn ni wedi bod yn cydweithio ar ein cynlluniau gyda chynrychiolwyr y sector a llywodraeth leol drwy'r grŵp arbenigol sydd wedi ei sefydlu gennym ni, ac rŷn ni eisoes wedi cyhoeddi cyllid o £55 miliwn ychwanegol drwy'r gyllideb atodol tuag at gam cychwynnol y rhaglen ehangu.  Fel rhan o'r broses o ddatblygu ein maniffesto, fe wnaethon ni gyfrifo'n ofalus gostau ehangu'r cynnig gofal plant, a nodi'r cyllid ychwanegol yr oedd ei angen er mwyn mynd ati i'w ehangu'n llawn. A ninnau nawr yn Llywodraeth, mae swyddogion wedi creu modelau economaidd pellach. Ar y sail honno, rŷn ni'n datblygu costau cliriach gan ystyried y rhagdybiaethau sydd y tu ôl iddyn nhw. Mae'r modelau sydd wedi'u creu hyd yma yn awgrymu y bydd costau craidd ehangu ein cynnig yn llawn, ar sail prisiau heddiw, yn galw am £375 miliwn yn ychwanegol y flwyddyn. Amcangyfrif canolig yw hyn, ac mae gwaith ar y gweill gyda'n heconomegwyr a'n dadansoddwyr i brofi a modelu cyfres o elfennau newidiol, sy'n cynnwys y costau ar bob cam ehangu a'r niferoedd posibl a fydd yn manteisio ar y cynnig. Yn unol â chyngor ein grŵp llywio arbenigol ar ehangu gofal plant, fe fyddwn ni'n ystyried nid dim ond costau'r gweithlu, ond ystod o ffactorau, gan gynnwys hyfforddiant a datblygiad, anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, cymorth awdurdodau lleol a chyfalaf. Mae lefel y cyllid ychwanegol sydd ei angen, a nodwyd gan waith economegwyr Llywodraeth Cymru hyd yma, yn gyson â gwaith manwl Plaid Cymru wrth baratoi i wneud yr ymrwymiad polisi hwn. Ein nod clir yw bod teuluoedd yn gallu cael mynediad at ofal plant mwy fforddiadwy a symlach, mwy cyson i bob plentyn rhwng naw mis a phedair oed ledled Cymru erbyn diwedd y tymor seneddol hwn. Bydd angen gofal wrth osod trefn ar y camau i'w dilyn i gyrraedd y nod, ynghyd â gwaith partneriaeth a phenderfyniadau cyllido wrth symud ymlaen, ond rŷn ni'n benderfynol o gynnal y momentwm. Mae'r data diweddaraf, a gyhoeddwyd ar 1 Gorffennaf, yn dangos ein bod ni bellach yn cynnig gofal plant wedi ei ariannu i bron 75 y cant o blant dwy oed ledled Cymru yn 2025-26. Fodd bynnag, rŷn ni am fynd ymhellach a sicrhau bod yr hyn a addawyd gan y Llywodraeth Lafur ddiwethaf, ond na chyflawnwyd ganddi, yn cael ei weithredu'n llawn. Dwi eisiau inni gyrraedd ein holl blant dwy oed cyn gynted â phosibl, a dwi'n pwyso ar awdurdodau lleol i gwblhau'r cam cyntaf hwn erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn ariannol. Dyma beth mae teuluoedd eisiau ei weld ac yn ei haeddu. Ar ddechrau tymor y Llywodraeth hon, roedd tri awdurdod lleol wedi llwyddo i gynnig 12.5 awr o ofal wedi'i ariannu i bob plentyn dwy oed. Mae un awdurdod lleol arall wedi cyrraedd pob plentyn dwyflwydd oed y mis diwethaf. Ac mae 16 awdurdod lleol arall eisoes wedi cadarnhau, yn sgil y cyllid ychwanegol y byddwn yn ei fuddsoddi drwy'r gyllideb atodol, y byddan nhw'n gallu cyflwyno'r ddarpariaeth yn llawn erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn ariannol hon, sy'n arddangos ein hymrwymiad i ddarparu ein cynnig newydd i deuluoedd ledled Cymru. Mae swyddogion yn gweithio'n agos gyda'r ddau awdurdod lleol sy'n weddill er mwyn deall sut i'w cefnogi i ddarparu i'r pwynt hwn.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to provide this update today on the work to develop the initial phasing and costs of the Government's ambitious commitment to deliver a universal childcare offer. Members will be aware that the Government is introducing a phased expansion of funded universal childcare, which, at full roll-out, will be the most generous offer in the UK, providing 20 hours of funded childcare each week, for 48 weeks of the year, for all children aged from nine months to four years old. In my view, and the view of the Government, and in the view of every expert on poverty and child development, the expansion of childcare is not merely a 'nice to have', but it's absolutely essential. Whether or not to expand funded childcare is not a question to discuss. The lack of affordable childcare is a societal problem to solve, and in solving it, we will deliver benefits that span across gender equality, early child development, tackling poverty, supporting our economy, and improving our children's health and educational outcomes. Having stated with pride our aim of delivering a universal childcare offer, and with us now 57 days into this Government term, we have progressed with this and made excellent progress. We have been working on our plans with local government and sector representatives through the newly established expert group, and we have already announced an additional £55 million of funding through the supplementary budget to support the initial phase of the expansion programme. As part of the process of developing our manifesto, we carefully costed an expanded childcare offer, and we identified the additional funding required to deliver the full expansion. And now in Government, officials have undertaken further economic modelling. On that basis, we are developing clearer costs, considering the assumptions behind them. The modelling undertaken so far suggests that, at today's prices, the core costs of the full expansion of our offer will require an additional £375 million a year. This is a mid-point estimate, and work is ongoing with our economists and analysts to test and model a range of variables, which includes the costs at each phase of expansion and potential take-up rates. As advised by our expansion of childcare expert steering group, we will also take into account not only workforce costs, but a range of factors, including training and development, additional learning needs, local authority support and capital. The level of additional funding required, indicated by Welsh Government economists to date, aligns with the detailed work undertaken by Plaid Cymru in preparation to make this policy commitment. Our clear aim is that families of all children from nine months to four years across Wales should be able to access a more affordable, simpler, more consistent childcare offer by the end of this Senedd term. Achieving this aim will require careful sequencing, along with partnership working and ongoing funding decisions, but we are determined to maintain the momentum. The latest data, published on 1 July, shows that we are now offering funded childcare to nearly 75 per cent of all two-year-olds across Wales in 2025-26. However, we want to go further and ensure that what was promised by the previous Labour Government, but not delivered, is fully implemented. I want us to reach all our two-year-old children as quickly as possible and I am urging local authorities to complete this first phase by the end of this financial year. This is what families want and deserve. At the start of this Government term, three local authorities had succeeded in completing the roll-out of 12.5 hours of funded childcare to all two-year olds. One other local authority has reached every two-year-old child last month. And 16 more local authorities have already confirmed that, with the additional funding that we will invest through the supplementary budget, they'll be able to move to a full roll-out by the end of this financial year, which demonstrates our commitment to deliver our new offer to families across Wales. Officials are working closely with the remaining two local authorities to understand how they can be supported to deliver this phase at this point.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Partnership working is a key element of delivery, and I met local authorities and Cwlwm earlier today as part of a workshop to discuss the practical challenges and opportunities of delivery and how to work together to deliver accessible childcare to more families at pace. The childcare landscape in Wales is unnecessarily complex—for providers, partners and parents—and we are building on existing programmes, entitlements and delivery arrangements, while looking honestly at complexity, barriers and unnecessary burdens. I am determined to maintain momentum and enable local authorities and providers to move as quickly as possible through the phases of delivery. So, after rolling out 12.5 hours for all two-year-olds, the focus will be on increasing provision for two-year-olds to 20 hours and 48 weeks. We will consider flexibility on the pace of the roll-out, based on local circumstances, encouraging expansion to go further and faster where possible, so that families are supported quickly. Some areas and providers will be able to increase hours, weeks or both more quickly than others, however, I am encouraging and expecting a laser focus on delivering this commitment.  In areas that have already rolled out 12.5 hours, they will be encouraged to take the next step of expansion, offering additional hours and weeks of the year, depending on practicalities locally. And, in parallel, I want local authorities to start working with all providers to roll out the expanded offer to three and four-year-olds on a universal basis, and will be working with officials later this year to plan the resources and funding that this will require. This element will build on nursery education and will ensure that all children in this cohort, not just those whose parents meet the current eligibility criteria, will be able to access the benefits and enrichment of quality childcare. We will sequence this carefully, building on our existing offers for two-year-olds and three and four-year-olds, before moving to the final phase: 20 hours of universal childcare for children aged nine months to two years.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Bydd cynyddu'r ddarpariaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg ar draws yr holl gamau hyn yn elfen allweddol o'n hymrwymiad, fel cam cyntaf pwysig i gefnogi mynediad i addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg. Byddwn yn parhau i weithio'n agos gyda Mudiad Meithrin a phartneriaid eraill i sicrhau bod hyn yn elfen graidd ar draws pob cam o'r ehangu.

Read in full

Official English translation

Increasing Welsh-medium provision throughout all of these phases will be a key element of our commitment, as an important first step to support entry into Welsh-medium education. We will continue to work closely with Mudiad Meithrin and other partners to ensure this is a core element across all phases of the expansion.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

The childcare workforce is central to expansion, which depends on the capacity, skills and support needed to deliver high-quality provision. Our economists and analysts are developing projections of how many staff we will need and where we will need them as we work through the delivery of these next phases. In partnership with the sector, we are exploring ideas and developing options to support workforce growth. We will produce a workforce plan that will outline how we will support the growth, recruitment and retention of the childcare workforce, improving working conditions and career pathways. I fully expect that Members and colleagues—and, most importantly, parents and carers—will continue to monitor our further announcements as we deliver on this commitment. But it is a pleasure to be here to not just discuss but begin to deliver universal funded childcare. We are moving the dial for children and families after years of treating childcare support as an optional add-on. We know that this will require significant investment. We know that this is an ambitious, complex commitment, but it is absolutely the right thing to do. Wales has the highest childcare costs in the UK, with many households spending more than their rent or mortgage on childcare costs. Women are disproportionately affected by this, and Wales has a persistent gender pay gap. Wales has some of the poorest children who cannot currently access the benefits of early years provision. We are making our commitment to change this a reality by delivering a childcare system that works for children and families. Diolch yn fawr.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch am y cwestiynau.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you for those questions.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

It does baffle me, you know. You said that this was very much welcomed on the doorstep. Well, we've seen the result of that, haven't we? We know that for years and years anti-poverty researchers and people who are trying to promote equality in Wales and in our society have seen this as a keystone, a foundational part of addressing that inequality. And yet all we get from Reform is talk about a worst-case scenario, a financial liability. And, of course, you didn't even mention it in your manifesto, because you had not realised, actually—. Or perhaps you're just not interested in reducing inequality. But this Government is, and this Government is delivering.  You asked me about delivery. I have just outlined to you the first phase and the initial costing of that. I have told you that by the end of this financial year, working with our partners in local authorities and providers, every child that is two years old in Wales will be entitled to 12.5 hours of childcare. That's the first phase. We have delivered at pace on that. We are delivering at pace on that. When we came into this Government, three local authorities had managed to achieve that after many years of this being a Welsh Government policy under the last administration. So, I'm not going to take the criticism that we are not delivering. We absolutely are. Fifty-seven days into this Government, we absolutely are delivering on this first phase. I've been extremely clear from the beginning. Perhaps you weren't listening to the debate. Perhaps you would have done better in the election if you had. But our party made it absolutely clear that this was a phased plan. Anyone who knows anything about childcare is going to understand the complexity of the current system. I suggest you do a little bit of reading in order to see what the complex landscape is at the moment. That's why we have an expert group steering us in this work. I have also mentioned the midpoint. As I set out in my statement, there are variables here. There are variables as regards the modelling, and that's the work we're doing. The figure that I set out is the midpoint of the take-up that we have seen in other parts of the UK that have similar demographics, which we could then reasonably expect would be reflected here in Wales. But, of course, we know that the full cost of this modelling—. The maximum is usually about 80 per cent take-up. The additional funding that would be needed would be between £250 million and £500 million. The £375 million is a midpoint estimate. The precise funding will always depend on take-up rates. We have to have estimates and modelling around all those scenarios. That's why the work is ongoing. It's not about making a plan, it's about making sure that we can deliver what is actually needed as we work through these phases. We will always be able to respond then to any emerging trends that we see happen. This is an ambitious policy. We would hope that, if we build it, they will come.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr for the questions. As regards Flying Start, as I've said, this isn't about—and I've said in previous statements, and I hope I've outlined it here again today—just adding hours; absolutely not. This is about taking a system-wide approach to transforming support for children in the early years. Childcare, as I said, is our manifesto commitment. It's absolutely a key part of that, and so, of course, the immediate priority is to make sure that we can start that work of rolling out what we've promised to the Welsh electorate, and then build, as I say, towards the next stages of expansion, as I've mapped out today. But the wider support services that are associated with early intervention and prevention programmes, such as Flying Start and Families First, of course, with that enhanced health visiting, with the parental support and speech, language and communication support, of course—they're absolutely fundamental to the preventative agenda of this Government. I absolutely recognise that they are vital for supporting children and families who need that additional help in the work that we want to do to reduce inequalities for disadvantaged children specifically. So, the expansion itself is focused on funded childcare, but as an absolute part of that work, we want to move towards a clearer, more consistent and more unified system across the piece, protecting the wider support that children have that helps them get the best start in life. So, that approach will evolve over time. As regards the workforce, you're absolutely right as regards the workforce. We know that we've got a lot of work to do here. That's why we're going to bring forward a specific plan. That will be in the autumn, because I think it will be aligned with what we're going to need to have conversations with the Cabinet Minister for Finance about. But our expert steering group absolutely has workforce planning at the top of its agenda, and we are listening to partners in the sector around what we can do, the creative solutions we can have and the incentivisation around recruitment and retention that we can bring forward there. So, as I say, it's absolutely central. We have to have the capacity, the skills and the support in place to deliver the provision that we want for our children. We're currently working on estimates, as I said, based on the modelling that we're doing. We'll turn that into a workforce plan, building on existing provision with our partners, with Social Care Wales, with local authorities and Cwlwm to have that sharp focus. As I said, it will build on existing provision, but we know we need to go further. You also asked me about the role of the expert steering group. The economist that you mentioned is one of the lead economists in the UK that looks at early years and childcare provision throughout the UK. He's published papers on what's happened, for instance, in England. That group, I think, very well represents the voices we need in the room, but it isn't limited, and that's in the terms of reference of the steering group. We do bring in independent experts and have presentations from them. We had somebody from the Department for Education last week, someone who was key in designing the roll-out in England, for us to be able to hear from him and also to hear about the lessons that need to be learned, because we don't want to replicate any of the unintended consequences that we've seen in some regards in what's happened with the roll-out in England. So, those unintended consequences or worsening inequalities are absolutely not what we want to have, and so we are thoroughly considering that. Diolch.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr am y cwestiynau.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you for those questions.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

In the first point, really, you were querying about the midpoint, and I think I've tried to explain. I think we said in our manifesto it was going to be around £400 million additional, so what we're seeing as the midpoint—that was modelled on a midpoint as well. It’s the common practice. So, the midpoint that we've modelled here is £375 million. But as I said, obviously—because this is demand-led, this is a new thing—we're hoping that all the discussion around childcare will make sure—. And the point you made around simplifying the process too—we know that many people don't take up childcare, not only because it's disjointed, but because it's difficult, it's complex and there are so many different eligibility thresholds, things you've got to apply for at different points during your child's life. So, I can assure you that the point around simplification and what that looks like, what that front door looks like, is absolutely part of this work as well. And my officials are already working on that. So, it isn't higher, actually; it's around the same as what we projected, but we do recognise, of course, that there are all kinds of variables as we push forward towards the next phases that we need to allow for. But I do welcome your support for this initiative, for this policy, and, as I said, I agree absolutely on your point around simplifying the system. On your point around the way this policy interacts with other policy areas, it does, obviously, around education. Part of this work is about—. We've seen, haven't we, it's been exacerbated since COVID, but we've seen for a long time that families do need more support in order to make sure that their children are ready to learn, and this is going to play a big part in that. So, I'm having conversations—I actually met yesterday again with the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language. We are working on how we can measure that, how we can evaluate the effect that this will have on that readiness to learn while keeping that absolutely child-centred, that evaluation. So, it will interact across Government and, as I said, especially with health, the interventions, the team around the family, and that support we will absolutely retain, but in a different form as we roll out this universal system. You asked me about exactly how the additional funding from the supplementary budget was going to be utilised. We've said that we're going to invest an additional £55 million in the additional budget. So, hopefully, if you support this policy, you can support that budget this afternoon. Twenty million pounds of that will help to accelerate the roll-out, so that's the work we've indicated to local authorities that they're able to utilise in order to make sure that we get to the point where funded childcare is available to all two-year-olds in Wales by the end of this financial year. Then there's £10 million of capital funding, which is going to help enhance and expand childcare settings, improving quality and capacity and accessibility of early years provision. And then £25 million of that is going to be used to support the wider system, including managing rising demand, because we're talking about it a lot more now—it's been such a front-and-centre policy during the election. People are coming to access more provision, which is great. We need to make it easier for them and more affordable for them. We want to strengthen the long-term sustainability of providers, and that's something you talked about as well. And that is something that is absolutely crucial as well, and, again, is part of the work that we're doing. So, we're already investing in that, and, of course, supporting Welsh-medium childcare is part of that as well. So, on the last point on safeguarding, I think it is a really important point, and quality, you know, with the national minimum standard, which was updated last month. Wales has the highest national standards issued under the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010, and the Child Minding and Day Care (Wales) Regulations 2010, and Care Inspectorate Wales, of course is a regulatory body, so we will always make sure that anyone who is registered for providing day care and child minding will be inspected according to those regulations. We are looking at creative solutions. You know, I think we really need to consider child minders in this, who are constantly coming up as 'excellent' and 'good' when they're inspected. They provide such a valuable service for people who work irregular hours, especially in places where there isn't a density of population. So, we will absolutely be considering other models of provision as we roll this out.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr. I really do welcome the support. I'm really excited about this policy, and we saw that excitement on the doors, didn't we? Because I think you can compare it. When we deliver this, it will be up there with the most—well, the most—generous offer in the UK, certainly—world leading, actually. There are nations that are very much ahead of us, but I think that this is something that should be a real badge of honour for Wales. More than that, it won't be an empty badge of honour; this will be something that makes a real difference to people's lives. So, I think it's great to see the enthusiasm for this expansion. I'm hearing it from stakeholders and partners. It is a significant commitment, and, yes, it will require a substantial increase in workforce numbers. So, as I said, this is a key theme of the work of our expert group. We are developing those projections of how many staff we're going to need, where we're going to need them as we're working through these phases. A specific phase of that expansion is to extend the funded childcare to nine months to two years. We know that will require a step change in provision. This is completely new. The first two phases are building on something that is already provided in part. This will be new, so there will be specific actions needed there to grow the workforce. That'll be informed by the work we're currently doing. I'll update colleagues regularly as we reach that phase. Of course, Welsh-medium provision, as you would expect, is a core element of this expansion and a core concern of this Government. So, we're working closely with Mudiad Meithrin. The chief executive, Dr Catrin Edwards, is a member of the expert steering group. We are already taking measures now. We announced a new pilot scheme, which is coming through the National Centre for Learning Welsh, to build the Welsh language skills of our childcare workforce in order to increase that capacity.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

This statement is specifically on the childcare expansion, but I accept, of course, that these things are linked. Play is within my portfolio; I'm not speaking about that today, but I would encourage you to ask me questions about that when I am here to answer questions on my broader portfolio. But I would say that ensuring children have access to childcare absolutely helps to socialise them, to bring out that play, which we know is absolutely key to children's development. As I said before, this is about making children also more ready for school and learning, getting into that foundation phase. But I would encourage you to perhaps ask me a question or write to me specifically about your concerns as regards play.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr am y cwestiwn.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much for the question.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

I absolutely agree that childcare costs across Wales are prohibitively high. One of the reasons for this policy is understanding that it will be a mitigation against the high cost of living for families. It will put money back in people's pockets, and parents, especially mothers, of course, can find themselves locked out of the labour market, and children then, of course, prevented from accessing all the benefits of quality childcare. So, as regards prioritisation, we're committed to make progress on the expansion as soon as we can. As I mentioned in my statement, we're making very good progress to offer childcare to all two-year-olds all over Wales, and we're urging all local authorities to work with us to complete this stage, and, as I say, the vast majority of them are there and will be there. So, at the moment, thousands of children across Wales don't get any childcare support, and so we're going to go from that current reality to a system where all families are able to access support, but we have to add to that support incrementally until we reach our full commitment. But by proceeding with and getting early momentum with this initial phase, I think, of getting 12.5 hours funded childcare to all two-year-olds, we're really laying the foundations of that truly universal funded childcare offer, which, as I say, is something only a handful of countries in the world have achieved.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Thank you for the question. I think I just answered the question in that we absolutely recognise the need for better benchmarking; we simply haven't got that in place. It exists in parts, but it isn't satisfactory and isn't measuring what we think we need it to measure. Having seen learning from childcare provision both in the UK and internationally, we can see that, for instance, 100 per cent is unlikely. However, as work continues on developing this policy, we are, as I said, going to respond to any emerging trend, and that will include demand. And we remain ready and willing—and that's why this work has to be planned and phased in this way, in order to respond to those things—to adjust and refine our plans. But this is an ambitious Government, as I said, and we fully hope that as many children as possible take up the offer that we'll be able to give them.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr i'r Aelod am y cwestiwn, a diolch yn fawr am y gefnogaeth ac am y gwaith ymgyrchu rŷch chi ac eraill yn y Siambr yma wedi ei wneud ar y pwnc polisi hollbwysig yma. Dwi'n falch eich bod chi'n rhannu ein huchelgais ni ar gyfer plant Cymru, a dwi'n gwybod eich bod chi. O ran y llais yna ar y panel, mae Cwlwm, fel y gwnaethoch chi sôn, wedi ei gynrychioli ar y panel, ond hefyd mae yna gynrychiolydd yna o'r WLGA, sydd wrth gwrs yn cynrychioli holl awdurdodau lleol Cymru. Felly, maen nhw yn llafar ac yn cymryd y negeseuon yna sy'n dod gan eu haelodau nhw a'u cynghorau nhw ynglŷn â sefyllfa arbennig nifer o ardaloedd amrywiol yng Nghymru. Ac fel y soniais i, dyw'r grŵp yma ddim wedi ei gyfyngu. Mae yna aelodaeth graidd, a beth rydyn ni'n ei wneud, ac wedi ei wneud—rydyn ni wedi cwrdd dwywaith yn barod—yw ein bod ni'n gofyn i bobl ddod atom ni. Felly, fe fydd edrych ar y darlun gwledig yn sicr, ac, fel roeddwn i'n dweud, mae'r anghenion gwahanol yna sy'n mynd i fod ar draws Cymru yn un o'r pethau y byddwn ni'n sicr yn ei ystyried.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much to the Member for the question, and thank you very much for the support and for the campaigning work that you and others in this Chamber have done on this crucial policy area. I'm pleased that you share our ambition for the children of Wales, and I know you do.  In terms of that voice on the panel, Cwlwm, as you mentioned, are represented on the panel, but also there is a representative from the WLGA, who of course represents all of Wales's local authorities. So, they are vocal and taking those messages from their councils in terms of the particular situation in the many diverse areas of Wales. And as I mentioned, this group is not limited. There is a core membership, and what we are doing and have done—we've met twice already—is that we ask people to join us. So, looking at the rural picture will certainly be part of that, and, as I said, those differing needs that will exist across Wales will be one of the things that we will certainly be considering.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch. Bydd y Llywodraeth hon yn cyflwyno cynnig gofal plant sy'n trawsnewid y sefyllfa i bob teulu. Mae gwaith ar y gweill i adolygu capasiti'r sector ac i gynllunio'n fanwl y staff a fydd yn ofynnol wrth edrych i'r dyfodol. Dwi'n gweithio'n agos gyda grŵp llywio arbenigol a'n tasglu gofal plant i bennu camau pendant ar gyfer y cynnig gofal plant newydd.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you. This Government will introduce a transformational universal childcare offer. Work is under way to review capacity in the sector and to develop detailed staff projections as we look to the future. I'm working closely with the expert steering group and our childcare taskforce to firmly determine phased delivery of the new childcare offer.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr. Wel, rŷch chi wedi adnabod fanna fod angen i ni wneud y gwaith yma fesul cam, a dyna beth rŷn ni wedi bod yn glir amdano fe ers y dechrau. Rŷch chi'n hollol iawn i danlinellu na wnaeth yr ymrwymiad a wnaeth y Llywodraeth ddiwethaf i roi llefydd gofal plant trwy'r model Dechrau'n Deg i bob plentyn dwyflwydd oed am 12.5 awr yr wythnos, dyw hynny ddim wedi cael ei gyflawni. Beth mae'r arian yn y gyllideb atodol yn mynd i'w ganiatáu yw cwblhau y cam yna. Dyna'r cam cyntaf wrth i ni adeiladu at ein huchelgais ni o ddarparu 20 awr o ofal plant i bob plentyn yng Nghymru o naw mis hyd bedair blwydd oed. Dyma'r cam pwysig cyntaf. Gan fod y gwaith yma wedi dechrau'n barod, mae'r arian sydd yn y gyllideb yn mynd i'n helpu ni i gyrraedd y targed o gyflawni hynny'n llawn, ac wedyn, wrth gwrs, ymestyn ac adeiladu ar ben hynny.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you. Well, you've identified there that we need to do this work in a phased manner, and that's what we've been clear about from the outset. You're right to underline that the commitment that the previous Government made to providing childcare places through the Flying Start scheme for those aged two years for 12.5 hours hasn't been delivered. That's what the funding in the supplementary budget is going to enable us to do, namely to complete that step. That's the first step as we build towards our ambition of providing 20 hours of childcare for every child in Wales from nine months to four years of age. This is the important first step. As this work has already been started, the funding in the budget is going to help us to reach that target of delivering that in full, and then, of course, to extend and build on top of that.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch, Sarah. Do you know, I am so glad to be discussing childcare almost every time I am speaking in this Chamber, almost every time that I'm interviewed on the media. I certainly talk about it a lot in the community, and did so on the doorsteps of Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd and all the other places that I campaigned during the election campaign, because how long have we waited for a government to make this a central priority? You have campaigned on this, I know, for years, as have many others—many who want to see inequality tackled, many who want to see gender inequality tackled, many who want to see socioeconomic inequality tackled, and everyone who wants the best start possible for all our children in Wales. So, we know that this is a policy that needs to be front and centre. This Government knows that, and that's why it is front and centre. It is complex and disjointed, the landscape we've inherited, and, as you pointed out, it has been underfunded, it has been undervalued. But we are going to change the focus. We are changing the focus on that. My focus will be unrelenting to achieve that change. And as regards your point around the milestones, I will be setting out the initial phasing next week in my statement to the Siambr, which will include how we will progress towards those important milestones for families. Diolch.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr. Diolch am y cwestiwn. Mae'r gweithlu, fel dwi wedi dweud eisoes, yn gwbl ganolog i'r cynlluniau yma sydd gyda ni ar gyfer gofal plant. Mae ehangu gofal plant a'r ddarpariaeth sydd gyda ni ar hyn o bryd yn hollol ddibynnol ar y capasiti yna, ar y sgiliau a'r gefnogaeth sydd mewn lle er mwyn delifro'r ddarpariaeth ansawdd uchel yna rydyn ni'n gwybod y mae ein plant ni yn ei haeddu. Felly, rydyn ni ar hyn o bryd yn darparu ystod eang o gefnogaeth ar gyfer recriwtio, ar gyfer cadw gweithwyr gofal plant o fewn y gweithlu, gan gynnwys cyllid ar gyfer y cymwysterau sydd eu hangen ac ar gyfer hyfforddiant mandadol. Ond, oherwydd fy mod i'n moyn ehangu ar beth sydd gyda ni, dwi eisiau rhoi mwy o fri ar y proffesiwn yma, ar y proffesiynau gofalu sydd wedi cael eu tanbrisio drwyddi draw, dwi'n meddwl, gan gymdeithas. Rydyn ni wrthi yn edrych ar beth mwy y gallwn ni ei wneud i sicrhau ein bod ni'n gallu galluogi ein gweithlu drwy, er enghraifft, wneud cymwysterau yn fwy hyblyg. Ond, fe fydd ein cynllun ni—. Yr hyn rydyn ni'n ei drafod gyda'r grŵp arbenigol ar hyn o bryd, fel rydyn ni'n dweud, sy'n gwbl ganolog i'r cynllun, yw ein bod ni'n mynd i adeiladu ar yr hyn sydd gyda ni'n barod, gyda'r ffocws clir yna, fodd bynnag, ar gynyddu y gweithlu ond hefyd eu cefnogi.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much. Thank you for the question. The workforce, as I've already said, are at the heart of these plans that we have for childcare. Expanding childcare in terms of the provision that we currently have is entirely dependent on that capacity, on the skills and on the support in place to deliver the high-quality provision that we know our children deserve. So, we are currently providing a wide range of support for recruitment, for retention of childcare workers within the workforce, including funding for the qualifications that are needed and for mandatory training. But, because I want to expand on what we currently have, I want to place greater esteem on this profession, on the caring professions that have been undervalued as a whole, I believe, by society. We are currently looking at what more we can do to ensure that we can enable our care workforce through, for example, making qualifications more flexible. But, our plan—. What we are discussing with the expert group at the moment, which is at the heart of the plan, is we are going to build on what we currently have, with that clear focus on growing the workforce but supporting them too.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr, Jane Dodds, am y cwestiwn. Dwi'n cytuno'n llwyr gyda'ch dadansoddiad chi o ran y pwys, neu'r diffyg pwys, y mae rhai pleidiau yn y Siambr hon wedi'i roi ar y polisi cwbl ganolog, cwbl trawsnewidiol yma. Felly, dwi'n rhannu'ch dadansoddiad chi fanna. A dwi'n cytuno hefyd fod hwn yn rhywbeth tymor hir. Fel roeddwn i'n sôn, mae'r tirlun yn un cymhleth. Fe wnaethoch chi sôn nid yn unig am fforddiadwyedd, ond hefyd am bwysigrwydd medru cael mynediad at hyn, ac fe wnaeth Sarah Rees hefyd gyfeirio at hyn—y cymhlethdodau sydd yna o geisio ffeindio eich ffordd rhwng yr holl systemau a'r dulliau gwahanol o fynd at ofal plant. Ond dwi'n gwbl, gwbl argyhoeddedig y gallwn ni gyflawni gwelliant a rhywbeth trawsnewidiol i deuluoedd a phlant Cymru yn fan hyn. Ac o ran eich pwynt diwethaf chi o ran rhannu hynny, fel rôn i'n sôn, rŷch chi'n un o'r bobl sydd wedi ymgyrchu am well ofal plant ac am bwysigrwydd gofal plant, felly byddwn i'n falch iawn o fedru rhannu'r datganiad yna gyda chi o flaen llaw.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much, Jane Dodds, for that question. I agree entirely with your analysis in terms of the emphasis, or lack of emphasis, that some parties in this Chamber have placed on this totally transformational and important policy. So, I share your analysis in that regard. And I also agree that this is a long-term issue. As I mentioned, the landscape is complex. You mentioned not only affordability, but also the importance of access to this, and Sarah Rees also mentioned this—the complexities of trying to find your way through all of the different systems and the different ways of approaching childcare or accessing it. But I am entirely convinced that we can deliver improvements and something that is transformational for families and children in Wales. And in terms of your final point on sharing that, as I mentioned, you're one of the people who has campaigned for improved childcare and campaigned on the importance of childcare, so I'd be delighted to share that statement with you beforehand.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr am y cwestiwn. Gan weithio i gyflawni un o ymrwymiadau ein 100 diwrnod cyntaf, dwi wedi sefydlu grŵp arbenigol i gefnogi'r gwaith o gynllunio, gweithredu, monitro a gwerthuso cynllun peilot Cynnal. Mae'r grŵp yn tynnu ynghyd arbenigedd o bob rhan o'r sector i sicrhau bod y cynllun yn ymateb i dystiolaeth ac yn cael ei werthuso mewn ffordd gadarn ac yn seiliedig ar realiti bywydau teuluoedd.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much for the question. Delivering on our first 100 days commitment, I have established an expert group to support the design, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the Cynnal pilot. The group brings together expertise from across the sector to ensure that the scheme is evidence-led, is robustly evaluated and is grounded in the realities of families’ lives.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr iawn am y cwestiwn atodol. Mae cyfarfod cyntaf y grŵp arbenigol y gwnes i sôn amdano fe yn cael ei gynnal yr wythnos nesaf, a dwi'n gwybod bydd hwn yn un o'r pethau y byddwn ni'n ei drafod. Yn y grŵp arbenigol yna, mae gennym academyddion a gweithwyr proffesiynol rheng flaen a fydd yn deall yn iawn y cymhlethdodau hyn o ran y ffaith bod lles heb ei ddatganoli, a'n bod ni'n methu, fel gwnaethoch chi sôn, gwneud y penderfyniadau yna er lles ein pobl ein hunain o ran y gefnogaeth hanfodol yna sy'n galluogi teuluoedd i fyw gyda pharch ac urddas. Felly, bydd hwn yn rhywbeth y byddwn ni'n ei drafod yr wythnos nesaf. Ond hefyd, wrth gwrs, rŷn ni wedi sicrhau ein bod ni wedi dechrau'r trafodaethau hynny gyda Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Gyfunol i archwilio'r berthynas yna rhwng y taliad a threthi a budd-daliadau. Dwi eisoes wedi dechrau trafod hyn gydag Andrew Western AS, y Gweinidog dros Drawsnewid, ac mae yna gyfarfodydd pellach yn y dyddiadur. Ond, fel dwi'n dweud, mae hwn yn rhywbeth rŷn ni'n gwybod sydd yn mynd i fod yn rhywbeth dŷn ni angen edrych arno'n fanwl ac, wrth gwrs, i hefyd ddwyn y pwysau ar Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Gyfunol i wneud y peth iawn o ran plant Cymru.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much for that supplementary question. The first meeting of the expert group that I mentioned will be held next week, and I know that this is one of the issues that we will discuss. At that expert group, we have academics and front-line professionals who will understand exactly these complexities in terms of the fact that welfare is not devolved, and, as you mentioned, that we can't make those decisions for the benefit of our own people in relation to that crucial support that can enable families to live with dignity and respect. So, this is something that we will discuss next week. But also, of course, we have ensured that we have begun those negotiations with the UK Government in order to look at that interrelationship between benefits, taxation and the Cynnal payment. I've already started discussing this with Andrew Western MP, the Minister for Transformation, and further meetings are in the diary. But, as I said, this is something that we know we will need to look at in detail and also to bring pressure to bear on the UK Government to do the right thing in terms of the children of Wales.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr am y cwestiwn. Tasg a gwaith y grŵp arbenigol fydd gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni’n cynllunio’r taliad yma yn ofalus. Peilot yw e, felly fydd e ddim yn cyrraedd pob teulu sydd mewn angen yng Nghymru, achos dyna natur y peilot, yn amlwg. Bydd y grŵp yma yn chwarae rôl hanfodol wrth i ni lunio’r cynllun peilot yma, i wneud yn siŵr ei fod e’n effeithiol, i wneud yn siŵr ei fod e’n ymarferol, a’n bod ni yn gallu dangos yr effaith a’r canlyniadau i deuluoedd yn glir. Fe fydd sicrhau ein bod ni’n deall beth fydd y broses werthuso yn rhan gwbl ganolog a hanfodol o’r gwaith yna. Fe fydd hynny yn cael ei gyhoeddi, achos dyna fwriad cynnal peilot. Mae angen i unrhyw gynllun peilot, o’i hanfod, ddangos ei fod e’n gweithio neu beidio. Felly, mae angen i ni gynllunio’r gwaith yma yn ofalus, meddwl sut y gallwn ni asesu sut gall y taliad plant yma gefnogi teuluoedd yn y ffordd orau, ac adeiladu, wedyn, y sylfaen gref yna o dystiolaeth gadarn er mwyn llywio penderfyniadau ynghylch camau i’r dyfodol.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much for the question. The task of the expert group will be to ensure that we plan this payment carefully. It is a pilot programme, so it won't reach every family in need in Wales, because that's the nature of a pilot, clearly. But this group will play a key role as we formulate this pilot in order to ensure that it is effective, that it is practical, and that we can demonstrate the impact and outcomes clearly for families. Ensuring that we understand what that evaluation process will look like will be a crucial part of that work. That will be made public, because that's the intention of a pilot programme. A pilot scheme, in essence, needs to demonstrate whether something works or doesn't work. So, we need to plan this very carefully, we need to think how we can assess how this child payment can support families in the best way possible, and then build those strong foundations of robust evidence in order to steer future decisions.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch. Mae’r rheina yn bwyntiau pwysig iawn.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you. They're very important points.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

As I said earlier on, as soon as we came into Government, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions seeking that early engagement on Cynnal and setting out our wider ambitions around welfare and the Welsh benefits system. At the end of last month, I met with Andrew Western MP, Minister for transformation, where we had those initial discussions, specifically on the Cynnal pilot. As I've said, we've agreed to meet shortly again to continue those discussions.  As regards the involvement of local authorities, I absolutely agree. Again, we know we have key partners in this work as regards delivery and interaction with other Welsh benefits. That is what will be completely under the consideration of the expert steering group, which will be meeting next week.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

For the full expansion? I don't know if you mean for the full expansion—

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

We have to model 100 per cent, but, as I say, it does very much depend on demand. But that's the work that we're currently doing now with the expert steering group.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

I wouldn't really want to characterise this as the worst-case scenario. The whole point of the policy is trying to make sure that every family and child in Wales who wants to access funded childcare, to be helped with the cost of living, can do so. As we know, we have the highest cost of childcare anywhere in the UK. We know this is impacting families. This is impacting them in their pockets. It's making people—especially women—make decisions, not voluntary decisions, around whether they have to withdraw from the labour market or are unable to take up further hours, which is pushing many families into poverty. We also know that it's impacting children, where this could be very beneficial for their development. All international research shows that early years education, which can be delivered in childcare settings, is beneficial for children for the whole of their lives. It transforms their potential and their opportunity. So, I wouldn't want this at all to be characterised as a worst-case scenario, and I'd ask you perhaps to reflect on why you said that. We are absolutely modelling, as I said, for 100 per cent, knowing, obviously, being able to look across what happens in similar areas of demographic and deprivation levels, what the likely take-up would be. We're looking at all that different modelling and factoring them all into the costings that we will need to find year on year.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Yes. Something I'm working on currently with my colleague the Cabinet Minister for education is that benchmarking, because currently we don't do that well enough, so we are not able to measure the difference in Wales that having that early years education makes. We can see it later on, we can see it come through in all kinds of ways, but we want to have a much more definitive and clearer set of data around that. They do it in other countries. That's why I've said that, having looked at international research—. There have been many research studies done on this. I took part in two of them myself when I was a Member of the Equality and Social Justice Committee in the last Senedd. We took international evidence and could see that there is a clear correlation between children's development and early years provision. But we do recognise we need to get better at this in Wales, and my colleague the Cabinet Minister for Education and I are already taking action on that. Diolch.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch, Shav. Thank you for the question. The responsibility for this matter lies with my colleague the Cabinet Minister for Health and Social Care. I appreciate the link you're making with equality, but the specific responsibility for how health boards interact with their employees is not in my portfolio. I, of course, from the standpoint of equality, would obviously be willing to have that conversation with the Cabinet Minister, but the resolution of this issue doesn't lie within my portfolio, I'm afraid. Diolch.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch am y cwestiwn.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you for the question.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

We currently provide support for those in fuel crisis, as you know, through the discretionary assistance fund, and also through the support that has been given to the Fuel Bank Foundation to build their network in Wales. That includes enhanced support for those using off-grid fuel in light of the impacts on energy prices arising from the conflict in the middle east. It's excruciating, isn't it, to see the actions of President Trump again today—no ceasefire, the terms in which this conflict is still being allowed to escalate. We know the result of that, especially in terms of fuel poverty, especially in terms of what that's going to do to the fuel price cap, what that's going to do in terms of inflation. It's going to hit the most vulnerable people in Wales the hardest. We are already making sure that we are providing crisis support, but I know that the level of the price hike is already unaffordable. It is something that I worked closely with your former colleague Mark Isherwood on in the last Senedd. As I said, the Prif Weinidog has called on the UK Government—. Many of the levers around this are things like the social tariff, which is something that this Government would really like to see, which would really help those families in need who are finding their fuel bills unaffordable. He's asked for a four-nation summit to ensure robust plans are developed to support low-income households with those unavoidably high energy needs and who will be most impacted by higher energy prices when winter approaches. As regards the Warm Homes plan, that sits in the portfolio of my colleague the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, if I've got that right. But, of course, fuel poverty is very much in my portfolio, so we'll be working together on those plans, and I know there's already action afoot as regards the Warm Homes plan.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch. It's an extremely important point. The first Member legislative proposal that I won in the ballot after being elected in this place was on exactly that, on making sure that every £1 that is available to those families in need reaches their pockets as quickly as possible and as easily as possible, because we know that too many people are not taking up their entitlements, and so this is, as you say, a pledge that we've had in our manifesto and is in the 100 days plan. Work has already started on that. I've already had conversations with experts in the field and also with the Welsh Local Government Association on this, to see how we can progress further. I agree with you that the progress was disappointing under the last Labour Government as regards this. So, we are taking that work apace, because this is money that is there that people are entitled to, and we have to make sure that it reaches their pockets, especially as we see, as I've said, there seems no abatement to the global shocks that can impact especially the most vulnerable people in Wales.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch. Work to implement the strategy for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse continues. We are working with partners to strengthen prevention, improve early identification and response and enhance support for victim survivors. New arrangements are being established to drive implementation, strengthen accountability and co-ordinate action across sectors.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr. Thank you for raising this really important question. The strategy for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse, which runs until 2036, was published in March, alongside a three-year delivery plan. I just want to draw your attention again to the fact that the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women's Health leads this work, but it's everybody's business. Our vision as a Government is that all children in Wales live free from sexual abuse and that those affected receive the protection and support they need. The strategy, as you know, focuses on four priorities: prevention, obviously, as well as effective protection, and response and support for children and families. So, we are working with partners, including the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation to strengthen that prevention and early intervention piece. There are new delivery and oversight arrangements being established to support the implementation of the strategy, and that will be informed by the voices of children. Your point about Hwb—again, that would be a matter for the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, but I'm certainly willing to have that conversation again with her to raise the points that you raised with me this afternoon.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr iawn am y cwestiwn. Eto, mae'n gwestiwn pwysig iawn yn dilyn lan o gwestiwn Shav Taj. Un o'r gwersi mwyaf clir, dwi'n meddwl, y gallwn ni ei chymryd o'r adolygiadau diweddar sydd wedi bod yw bod yn rhaid i ni ddod yn well o ran adnabod ymddygiadau sy'n gallu peri niwed, ymddygiadau fel grŵmio, a gwneud hynny yn gynt, a’n bod ni'n gallu creu amgylchedd lle mae plant a phobl ifanc yn teimlo eu bod wedi’u hymgrymuso i fedru siarad allan a siarad lan pan nad yw rhywbeth yn teimlo'n iawn.  Felly, dŷn ni'n gweithredu mewn dwy ffordd yn syth. Hynny yw, yn gyntaf, trwy'r cwricwlwm ar RSE. Wrth gwrs, mae hyn ym mhortffolio'r Gweinidog dros addysg, ond rŷn ni'n moyn, drwy hynny, gefnogi plant a phobl ifanc i ddeall perthnasau sydd ddim yn rhai iach, i adnabod ymddygiad sydd ddim yn briodol, i fedru hefyd, yn gwbl bwysig, herio pan mae ymddiriedaeth yn cael ei chamddefnyddio a'i thanseilio, a sicrhau hefyd, wrth gwrs, lle maen nhw'n gallu dod o hyd i gymorth. Mae lleoliadau addysg yn un o'r llefydd cyntaf lle mae’r math yna o bryderon yn gallu dod yn weladwy. Felly, mae e'n hollol, hollol ac yn gwbl hanfodol bwysig fod dysgwyr yn cael eu harfogi a'u hymgrymuso gyda'r wybodaeth a'r hyder er mwyn gwybod, os ydyn nhw yn siarad mas, i adnabod yr arwyddion, a hefyd siarad allan a gwybod y bydd rhywun yn gwrando arnyn nhw ac y bydd yna weithredu yn sgil hynny.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much for the question. Again, it's a very important question following up on Shav Taj's question. One of the clearest lessons, I think, that we can learn from the recent reviews that have been conducted is that we must improve in terms of identifying behaviours that are damaging, behaviours such as grooming, and to do that at an earlier stage, and that we can create an environment where children and young people feel that they are empowered to speak out and to speak up when something doesn't feel right. So, we are taking action in two ways immediately. First of all, through the curriculum on relationships and sex education, and, of course, this is within the education Minister's portfolio. But we want, through that, to support children and young people to understand relationships that are unhealthy, to identify behaviours that are inappropriate, and, crucially, to be able to challenge when trust is abused and undermined, and also to ensure, of course, that they know where they can find support. Education settings are one of the first places where those kinds of concerns can be identified. So, it is entirely crucially important that learners are armed and empowered with the information and the confidence to know that, if they do speak out, they can speak out and identify the signs, and also know that people will listen to them and that action will be taken as a result.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch am y cwestiwn.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you for the question.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

As I said earlier, our vision is that all children in Wales live free from sexual abuse, and that all those, no matter where they are, no matter what their postcode, receive the protection and support they need and they deserve. We are committed to strengthening safeguarding arrangements across the piece, ensuring, as I just outlined, that children's voices are at the heart of decision making. As I said, we have committed to introducing mandatory reporting duties for child sexual abuse in order to make sure that that happens.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr am y cwestiwn.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you for the question.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

The former Welsh Government, as you'll know, welcomed the announcement of an inquiry into grooming gangs across England and Wales, and they sought assurances from the then Home Secretary that Wales would be fully involved in the inquiry. Since then, the Welsh Government has consulted on the terms of reference for the inquiry to ensure the unique Welsh context is captured. And I want to talk, as you did as well, Darren Millar, about the experiences of survivors, how they need to be front and centre. It's crucial that their experiences are centred and heard in this inquiry. My officials have been meeting monthly with the inquiry team. We have been assured that there will be multiple opportunities for Welsh survivors to contribute fully, but, as we set out in our manifesto, and it remains the position of this Government, if we believe further action is required, we will take that further action.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr. Supporting victims and survivors is a priority for this Government. We are taking a whole-system, prevention-led approach, protecting specialist, survivor-centred services and strengthening pathways so people can access the right support when they need it.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr. Thank you for raising this important question. All learners, including university students, should be able to study in safe environments, free from violence, free from abuse, free from harassment and free from intimidation. I recognise Time to Act's significant contribution to tackling sexual violence and harassment on campuses. Their work has supported survivors and has advocated for improvements to reporting and support arrangements, and I think it shows the powerful role that students can play as leaders for change, helping to create safer and more supportive university communities. I welcomed Medr's recent publication of a VAWDASV self-evaluation framework for universities and higher education providers in Wales, and that was developed in partnership with Public Health Wales, with Welsh Government and the higher education sector through the VAWDASV blueprint. The framework supports a whole-university approach to prevention with regard to a response. I understand the importance of robust data in helping us understand the scale and nature of these issues, and the toolkit provides a practical framework to assess the current approach and to, importantly, identify those gaps and risks, and the gaps in data in practice and also in support. So, alongside the Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education, I will work closely with Medr to continue to assess and strengthen their arrangements, as you pointed out, for prevention and improving support for students. The next VAWDASV national strategy, which I'm currently working on, will apply that whole-system approach to ending VAWDASV, and that means there will be an important role for tertiary education in tackling the scourge of sexual violence in universities.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Rŷn ni wedi cyhoeddi buddsoddiad ychwanegol gwerth £55 miliwn mewn gofal plant, gyda Wrecsam ymhlith yr ardaloedd cyntaf i ymestyn darpariaeth gofal plant sy'n cael ei ariannu i bob plentyn dyflwydd oed. Ond rŷn ni hefyd yn datblygu taliad plant Cynnal a strategaeth tlodi plant newydd, gyda thargedau clir, mesuradwy i wella canlyniadau i blant a theuluoedd.

Read in full

Official English translation

We have announced an additional investment of £55 million in childcare, with Wrexham among the first areas to extend funded childcare provision to all two-year-olds. We are also developing our Cynnal child payment, as well as a new child poverty strategy, with clear, measurable targets to improve outcomes for children and families.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr iawn am y cwestiwn. Mae hwn yn bolisi cymhleth, fel dwi wedi sôn y prynhawn yma a throeon o'r blaen yn y Siambr ac ar gyfweliadau, ond mae buddsoddi mewn gofal plant yn arwain at enillion ar draws yr economi. Mae fe'n lleihau pwysau ar gyllidebau teuluoedd, mae e'n helpu teuluoedd i dynnu eu hunain allan o dlodi drwy fedru manteisio ar gyfleon gwaith a hyfforddiant, ac, wrth gwrs, mae e'n helpu taclo effeithiau tlodi hefyd o ran datblygiad plant. Dŷn ni'n gwybod bod y costau ar hyn o bryd yn gallu atal rhieni rhag gweithio, ac mae lleihau costau a symud i gyflogaeth yn ddwy elfen bwysig iawn o ran y gwaith i helpu taclo tlodi. Felly, mae gofal plant sy'n cael ei ariannu yn gallu gwneud gwahaniaeth enfawr i deuluoedd drwy leihau eu costau, fel roeddwn i'n sôn. Mae effaith y rhaglen gofal plant sy'n cael ei ariannu yn mynd i gael ei monitro a'i gwerthuso'n fanwl drwy gydol y cyfnod ehangu er mwyn i ni helpu deall y canlyniadau ac effeithiau tymor hirach. Ac fe fydd nifer ohonyn nhw yn effeithiau tymor hirach. Dyna pam mae e'n rhywbeth eithaf dewr i'w wneud yn wleidyddol, achos rŷn ni'n gwybod efallai na welwn ni effeithiau hyn, fydd yn ymestyn dros gyfnod oes plentyn, ond dŷn ni'n gwybod o'r ymchwil dŷn ni wedi ei weld yn rhyngwladol ei fod e'n rhywbeth sydd yn gallu gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol ar effeithiau tlodi plant.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much for the question. This is a complex policy, as I have already mentioned this afternoon and on many occasions in the Chamber and in interviews, but investing in childcare does lead to gains across the economy. It reduces pressure on family budgets, it helps families to pull themselves out of poverty by taking advantage of work and training opportunities, and, of course, it helps to tackle the impacts of poverty too in terms of children's development. We know that the costs at the moment can prevent parents from working, and reducing costs and moving into employment are two hugely important elements in terms of the work in tackling poverty. So, funded childcare can make a huge difference to families by reducing their costs, as I mentioned. The impact of the funded childcare programme will be monitored and evaluated carefully throughout the roll-out period so that we can help to understand the outcomes and longer term impacts. And many of them will be longer term impacts. That's why it's quite a courageous step to take politically, because we know that perhaps we won't see the impacts of this, which will extend over a child's lifetime, but we know from the research that we've seen internationally that it is something that can make a very real difference in terms of the impacts of child poverty.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Thank you.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Rŷn ni'n cydnabod y gall atal ac ymyrryd yn gynnar stopio troseddu rhag digwydd yn y lle cyntaf. Felly, rŷn ni'n gweithio'n agos gyda phlismona yng Nghymru, awdurdodau lleol, partneriaid trydydd sector ac eraill i sicrhau bod pob cymuned ledled Cymru yn teimlo'n ddiogel.

Read in full

Official English translation

We recognise that early intervention and prevention can stop crime from happening in the first place. We therefore work closely with policing in Wales, local authorities, third sector partners and others to ensure that all communities across Wales feel safe and protected.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Diolch yn fawr. Wel, mae'r maniffesto y gwnaethon ni ei gael—.

Read in full

Official English translation

Thank you very much. Well, the manifesto that we—.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

No, no, just for you to be able to understand the answer.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Mae'r maniffesto y cawsom ni ein hethol arno'n cadarnhau ein hymrwymiad i gefnogi ymyrraeth gynnar cyn bod problemau yn dechrau yn ein cymunedau ni, hefyd cyfiawnder adferol a strategaethau dargyfeirio i ostwng lefelau troseddu a gwneud cymunedau yn fwy diogel. Wrth gwrs, dyw plismona ddim wedi ei ddatganoli; rŷn ni'n trio cael lot o sgyrsiau ynglŷn â hynny ar hyn o bryd fel ein bod ni'n medru gwasanaethau ein cymunedau, fel eich etholaeth chi, o ran hynny, achos dyw'r grymoedd yna ddim gyda ni ar hyn o bryd, yn wahanol i nifer o ddinasoedd yn Lloegr a chenhedloedd eraill y Deyrnas Gyfunol. Ond dwi yn cadeirio y bwrdd partneriaeth plismona, ac fe wnes i hynny'n ddiweddar, ddiwedd y mis diwethaf, lle rwy'n gweld fy hunain y gwaith partneriaeth gryf yna sydd rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, plismona yng Nghymru a rhanddeiliaid allweddol eraill. Mae ein maniffesto ni hefyd, wrth gwrs, yn cadarnhau ein hymrwymiad ni i gynnal cefnogaeth i swyddogion cymorth cymunedol yr heddlu. Mae hwn yn fuddsoddiad uniongyrchol gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn niogelwch cymunedau Cymru. Mae e'n dangos hefyd i ni, fel Llywodraeth, fod plismona cymunedol yn bwysig iawn i ni, er, wrth gwrs, fel roeddwn i'n dweud, mae cyfiawnder troseddol a phlismona yn fater sydd wedi cadw yn ôl ar hyn o bryd.

Read in full

Official English translation

The manifesto that we were elected upon confirms and reaffirms our commitment to supporting early intervention before problems begin in our communities, also restorative justice and diversion strategies to reduce levels of offending and make communities safer. Of course, policing isn't devolved; we are trying to have conversations about that at the moment so that we can serve our communities, such as your constituency, in that regard, because we don't currently have those powers, as opposed to a number of cities in England and other nations in the United Kingdom. But I chair the policing partnership board, and I did do that recently, at the end of last month, where I see for myself that strong partnership work being done by the Welsh Government, policing in Wales and other key stakeholders. And our manifesto also affirms our commitment to supporting police community support officers. This is a direct investment by the Welsh Government in community safety in Wales. It also demonstrates that for us, as a Government, community policing is very important to us, although, as I said, criminal justice and policing are matters that are reserved at the moment.

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗

Me, this morning.

Read in full

Watch in chamber Senedd TV ↗ Record ↗