210 contributions on record. Newest first, by sitting day. Page 6 of 6. Counted by Siambr
Diolch yn fawr, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Rwy'n croesawu'r cyfle i wneud y datganiad yma, sy'n gosod allan fy mlaenoriaethau fel Dirprwy Brif Weinidog a Gweinidog Cabinet dros Gyfiawnder Cymdeithasol a Chydraddoldeb.
Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. I welcome this opportunity to make this statement, which sets out my priorities as Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality.
Respect, solidarity and fairness—these values have always mattered to the people of Wales. Indeed, we’ve often had to fight for the fairness too often denied us. These are the values the people of Wales voted for in electing a Plaid Cymru Government, and they are now the foundations that underpin our work to reduce poverty, tackle inequality and build fairer, safer and more united communities. In doing so, my focus will be on practical, tangible and evidence-based action.
Wales cannot afford to continue to bear the consequences of such high levels of child poverty, which diminishes quite literally the very future health, well-being and prosperity of our nation. The impact on public services is huge, and the human cost is morally unacceptable. That’s why we've placed reducing poverty and improving life chances for children and families at the core of our work as a Plaid Cymru Welsh Government.
One of the key tools we will use to tackle poverty and inequality is ensuring childcare is more affordable and accessible, something which consistent and international evidence demonstrates is a critical step. We are already taking forward a new, transformational universal childcare offer that will help families with the cost of living, boost families’ incomes and give all children the best start in life.
At full expansion, our childcare offer will be the most generous in the UK, with every child aged nine months to four years entitled to 20 hours of funded childcare every week, for 48 weeks a year. And for those children aged three and four whose parents are in work, education or training, we will maintain the existing offer of 30 hours of funded childcare per week.
We are actively working with local authorities, providers and partners to complete the roll-out of funded childcare for two-year-olds that was begun but not completed by the previous Welsh Government. And while we are focused on delivering this key phase, we are also planning and testing for the next phases of expansion.
To support this, I am today announcing membership of our new expansion of childcare expert steering group, one of our 100-day commitments. This expert group will be key to delivering the transformational change this Government has promised, and the group’s central mission will be to firmly establish the phased delivery of our childcare offer, with workforce planning, improving access and streamlining application as clear priorities.
Wrth inni ysgogi cynnydd tuag at ehangu gofal plant trawsnewidiol, bydd gofal plant cyfrwng Cymraeg yn rhan annatod o'r uchelgais honno ym mhob rhan o Gymru, a fydd yn cryfhau'r llwybr blynyddoedd cynnar i addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg.
Ddirprwy Lywydd, rydyn ni'n gwybod bod angen ymyraethau strategol sydd wedi eu targedu os ydyn ni am wella lefelau tlodi plant yng Nghymru. Mae'r lefelau hyn yn rhai cywilyddus o uchel sydd heb gael digon o sylw gan Lywodraethau blaenorol. Mi fyddaf i'n datblygu strategaeth tlodi plant newydd, yn seiliedig ar dystiolaeth ac arfer da, a fydd yn ei wneud yn glir sut y byddwn yn cyflawni newid a chanlyniadau go iawn—strategaeth tlodi plant sy'n addas i'r diben a fydd yn ymrwymo i fuddsoddiad mwy cynaliadwy sydd wedi ei dargedu, yn canolbwyntio ar ganlyniadau tymor hir, mesuradwy. Bydd y strategaeth uchelgeisiol hon yn gosod targedau a cherrig milltir clir i ysgogi newid uchelgeisiol ond cyflawnadwy.
Rŷn ni eisoes yn gwneud cynnydd o ran paratoi ar gyfer gweithredu cynllun peilot Cynnal, sef taliad plant Cymru. Mae consensws arbenigol ynghylch sut y gallai taliad uniongyrchol fel hwn wneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i blant mewn tlodi yng Nghymru, ac rwy'n falch o fwrw ymlaen â'r cynllun peilot mewn Llywodraeth. Mae'r ymyrraeth hon yn seiliedig ar dystiolaeth gadarn o'r hyn sy'n gweithio, ac, fel rhan o'n cynllun 100 diwrnod, rwyf wedi comisiynu tîm arbenigol i arwain ar ddylunio, cyflwyno, monitro a gwerthuso Cynnal. Rwy’n falch o gadarnhau heddiw bod Steffan Evans, prif weithredwr Sefydliad Bevan, wedi cytuno i gyd-gadeirio'r grŵp arbenigol yma gyda fi, gan roi'r arweinyddiaeth gref, y craffu cadarn a'r gweithio cydweithredol sydd eu hangen i fwrw ymlaen â'r gwaith uchelgeisiol hwn.
Bydd y Llywodraeth hon yn blaenoriaethu camau gweithredu i fynd i'r afael â thlodi tanwydd hefyd, trwy sicrhau cymorth argyfwng acíwt effeithiol a chymryd camau ataliol trwy ehangu mynediad at gynlluniau effeithlonrwydd ynni. Wrth fynd i'r afael â thlodi, mae'n rhaid inni sicrhau bod pob £1 rydyn ni'n ei gwario yn cael yr effaith fwyaf posib ac yn helpu i atal y niwed y mae caledi yn ei achosi a'i waethygu. Felly, byddwn yn adolygu budd-daliadau Cymru a'r cymorth cysylltiedig i'r perwyl hwn, a byddaf yn gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol a grŵp llywio arbenigol i sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yn cael mynediad at yr hyn y gallan nhw ei hawlio, gan osgoi lefelau anghynaliadwy o ddyled. Ac wrth wneud hynny, byddwn yn dadlau o blaid cael yr hyn sydd ei angen arnom i greu system gymorth sy'n adlewyrchu anghenion Cymru yn well.
Mewn cyfnod pan mae rhai yn ceisio creu a dyfnhau rhaniad, ein gweledigaeth ni yw cryfhau cymunedau. Mae hyn yn cynnwys meithrin cydlyniant cymunedol a chymorth i ddioddefwyr ledled Cymru. Byddaf yn sicrhau bod argymhellion diweddar gan arbenigwyr ar ddod â chymunedau at ei gilydd yn cael eu datblygu, gyda ffocws clir ar fesurau ymarferol.
Ac mewn cyfnod pan mae amddiffyniadau cyfreithiol sy'n gwarchod pobl Cymru rhag gwahaniaethu ac annhegwch yn cael eu bygwth, a'r hawliau sy'n ein gwneud ni i gyd yn gydradd ac yr un mor atebol o dan y gyfraith yn cael eu cwestiynu, mi fyddaf i yn cyflwyno cynigion i ymgorffori confensiynau hawliau dynol allweddol y Cenhedloedd Unedig yng nghyfraith Cymru, gan gryfhau dyluniad gwasanaethau datganoledig mewn ffordd sy'n seiliedig ar hawliau, sicrhau bod Gweinidogion Cymru a chyrff cyhoeddus wedi eu rhwymo ganddynt, gwneud hawliau yn gliriach ac yn fwy hygyrch a sicrhau bod gan bobl Cymru amddiffyniad rhagweithiol a rhwymedïau ystyrlon.
Rhaid i gydraddoldeb gael ei adlewyrchu nid yn unig mewn deddfwriaeth, ond hefyd yn y ffordd y mae pobl yn profi tegwch ac yn cael eu diogelu rhag niwed. Rwyf wedi ymrwymo i gael gwared ar y rhwystrau y mae llawer o bobl ledled Cymru yn dal i'w hwynebu yn eu bywyd bob dydd. Byddwn yn canolbwyntio ar ganlyniadau mesuradwy wrth gyflawni'r cynllun hawliau pobl anabl a 'Chynllun Gweithredu Cymru Wrth-hiliol', ac wrth weithredu Deddf Iaith Arwyddion Prydain (Cymru) 2026. Byddwn yn gweithio ar draws pob maes o'r Llywodraeth i roi terfyn ar drais yn erbyn menywod, cam-drin domestig a thrais rhywiol, drwy ddull system gyfan a chymdeithas gyfan sy'n canolbwyntio ar atal. Ac wrth inni nodi Mis Balchder, rŷn ni'n dathlu dewrder a chyfraniad pobl LHDTC+ a'n hymrwymiad cyffredin i urddas, parch a chynhwysiant. Rwyf wedi ymrwymo i sicrhau bod pobl draws yn teimlo eu bod nhw'n rhan werthfawr o'n cymunedau a'u bod nhw wedi eu diogelu gan y gyfraith rhag gwahaniaethu ac aflonyddu.
As we drive progress towards transformational childcare expansion, Welsh-medium childcare will be an integral part of that ambition in every part of Wales, which will strengthen the early years pathway into Welsh-medium education.
Dirprwy Lywydd, we know that targeted strategic interventions are needed if we are to improve child poverty levels in Wales. These levels are shamefully high ones that have not received enough attention from previous Governments. I will be developing a new child poverty strategy, based on evidence and good practice, which will make it clear how we will deliver change and real results—a fit-for-purpose child poverty strategy that will commit to a more sustainable, targeted investment, focused on measurable, long-term outcomes. This ambitious strategy will set clear targets and milestones to drive ambitious but achievable change.
We are already making progress in preparing for the implementation of Cynnal's pilot scheme, namely the Welsh child payment. There is expert consensus on how a direct payment such as this could make a real difference to children in poverty in Wales, and I'm pleased to take forward the pilot programme in Government. This intervention is based on solid evidence of what works, and, as part of our first 100 days plan, I have commissioned an expert team to lead on the design, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of Cynnal. I'm pleased to confirm today that Steffan Evans, chief executive of the Bevan Foundation, has agreed to co-chair this expert group with me, providing the strong leadership, robust scrutiny and collaborative working needed to take this ambitious work forward.
This Government will also prioritise action to tackle fuel poverty by ensuring effective acute crisis support and taking preventative action by expanding access to energy efficiency schemes. In tackling poverty, we must ensure that every £1 that we spend has the maximum impact and helps to prevent the harm that hardship causes and helps to prevent exacerbation of these harms. Therefore, we will be reviewing Welsh benefits and associated support to this end, and I will be working with local authorities and an expert steering group to ensure that more people have access to what they can claim, thus avoiding unsustainable levels of debt. And in doing so, I would argue in favour of having the tools that we need to create a support system that better reflects the needs of Wales.
At a time when some are trying to create and deepen division, our vision is to strengthen communities. This includes building community cohesion and support for victims across Wales. I will ensure that recent recommendations from experts on bringing communities together are developed, with a clear focus on practical measures.
And at a time when legal protections that protect the people of Wales from discrimination and injustice are being threatened, and when the rights that make us all equal and equally accountable under the law are being questioned, I will be putting forward proposals to incorporate key United Nations human rights conventions into Welsh law, strengthening the design of devolved services in a rights-based way, ensuring that Welsh Ministers and public bodies are bound by them, making rights clearer and more accessible and ensuring that the people of Wales have proactive protection and meaningful remedies.
Equality must be reflected not only in legislation, but also in the way that people experience fairness and are protected from harm. I'm committed to removing the barriers that many people across Wales still face in their daily lives. We will focus on measurable outcomes in delivering the disability rights plan and the 'Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan', and in the implementation of the British Sign Language (Wales) Act 2026. We will work across all areas of Government to end violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, through a whole-system and whole-society approach focused on prevention. And as we mark Pride Month, we celebrate the courage and contribution of LGBTQ+ people and our shared commitment to dignity, respect and inclusion. I'm committed to ensuring that trans people feel that they are a valuable part of our communities and that they are protected by law from discrimination and harassment.
We value the important contribution that people from all over the world make to our communities, economy and public services, and we will treat those who are fleeing war and persecution with the compassion and decency that the people of Wales expect.
We are committed to upholding the principles of the armed forces covenant and ensuring fair access to healthcare, housing, employment and education, skills and training for servicepeople living in Wales, veterans and their families.
Dirprwy Lywydd, these priorities set a clear and deliverable course of action that will lead to tangible results across all parts of Wales.
'Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.'
Addressing this simple and powerful truth spoken by Dr Martin Luther King Jr. is at the core of my mission in Government. My priorities are tightly and clearly focused on the pressures people living in Wales face, the support they need and the kind of nation we want to build together. I look forward to working across Government with our many partners from the public, third and private sectors, and with Members across this Senedd, to deliver on that mission for Wales. Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch yn fawr i'r Aelod am ymateb. Rwy'n falch o'i chlywed hi'n cytuno bod tlodi plant angen bod yn flaenoriaeth. Dwi wedi bod yn gyson ac yn glir, ac fe adlewyrchwyd hynny eto, wrth gwrs, yn fy natganiad o'm blaenoriaethau heddiw, pam mae rhaid i bob plentyn yng Nghymru cael y dechrau gorau mewn bywyd. Mae e yn rhywbeth sydd ddim yn unig y peth iawn i'w wneud ond y peth synhwyrol i'w wneud.
Rŷn ni'n gwybod, fel y soniais i yn fras yn fy natganiad, fod tyfu lan mewn tlodi yn effeithio ar eich cyfleon chi drwy eich bywyd chi. Mae e hefyd yn effeithio ar eich iechyd chi ac yn creu costau, felly, nid yn unig y gost ddynol i'r plentyn yna eu hunain, ond, wrth gwrs, pwysau ar y gwasanaeth iechyd. Mae e hefyd yn effeithio ar sut ŷch chi yn cael unrhyw lwyddiant o ran addysg, ac wrth gwrs mae hynny wedyn yn mynd i effeithio ar eich cyfleon chi ar gyfer gwaith a'ch llewyrch chi yn eich bywyd. Felly, dyna pam ŷn ni angen gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n rhoi tlodi plant wrth galon popeth ŷn ni'n ei wneud.
Roedd e yn ddiddorol eich clywed chi'n sôn eich bod chi'n cydnabod hefyd rôl gofal plant yn hynny o beth, achos dwi ddim yn meddwl wnaethon ni hyd yn oed gweld cyfeiriad at hynny yn maniffesto Reform, felly mae'n braf clywed bod chi nawr yn cydnabod pwysigrwydd hynny. Ac os dwi'n cofio'n iawn, cofio rhai o ymgeiswyr Reform yn sôn mewn rhai hystingau y dylai merched, yn syml, jest mynd i aros gartref ac edrych ar ôl y plant a dim cydnabod y cyfraniad a'r cydraddoldeb bod angen i chi—[Torri ar draws.] Lywydd.
I thank the Member for that response. I am pleased to hear her agree that child poverty needs to be a priority. I have been consistent and clear, and that was reflected once again in my statement of priorities today, why every child in Wales needs to have the best start in life. It is something that isn't just the right thing to do, but the sensible thing to do.
We know, as I mentioned in my statement, that growing up in poverty has an impact on your opportunities and chances throughout your life. It impacts on your health and creates costs, not just the human cost to that child, but also pressures on the health service. It also impacts on how you are able to succeed in education, and of course that then has an impact on your opportunities in the workplace and your future life prospects. And that's why we need to ensure that we place child poverty at the heart of everything we do.
It was interesting to hear you say that you also acknowledge the role of childcare in this regard, because I don't think we even saw a reference to that in the Reform manifesto, so it's good to hear you now acknowledging the importance of that. And if I remember rightly, I remember some Reform candidates mentioning in some hustings that women should just stay at home and look after the children without acknowledging the contribution and equality that—[Interruption.] Llywydd.
Dwi ddim wedi gorffen yr ateb—
I haven't finished, I'm afraid—
—ond mi wnaf i gario ymlaen. Roeddwn i jest yn trio gweld os oedd modd i fi gario ymlaen, a bod pobl eisiau gwrando ar yr atebion, ond dyna ni.
Ie, mi wnaf i jest sôn yn fras ynglŷn â'ch galwad chi ynglŷn â'r costau. O ran y costau, fe fyddwn ni yn gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n datblygu, trwy waith y grŵp rwy wedi ei gyhoeddi heddiw, sut rydyn ni'n mynd i edrych ar ddatblygu y costau wrth i ni fynd ymlaen. Wrth gwrs, mae gyda ni gynllun mewn lle. Mae'n rhaid i ni nawr weithio mewn partneriaeth. Mae hwn yn ddarn mawr o waith, ond ŷn ni yn ffyddiog ac wedi gosod hyn wrth ganol ein blaenoriaethau ni fel Llywodraeth. Rydyn ni yn gwybod y byddwn ni'n medru fforddio hyn o fewn y gyllideb sydd gyda ni fel Llywodraeth. Fe fydd y Senedd wedyn, wrth gwrs, yn cael cyfle i graffu wrth i ni wneud y penderfyniadau cyllidebol hynny. Byddwch chi'n gallu adnabod lle mae'n blaenoriaethau ni, a bydd modd i chi graffu wedyn sut byddwn ni'n ailflaenoriaethu arian er mwyn talu am y polisi.
—but I will continue. I was just trying to see whether I could continue, and whether people wanted to listen to my responses, but there we are.
Yes, I will just mention briefly your call with regard to the costings. In terms of the costs, we will be making sure that we develop, through the work of the group that I have announced today, how we are going to look at the development of the costs as we proceed. Of course, we have a plan in place. We now have to work in partnership. This is a huge job of work, but we are confident and we've placed it at the heart of our priorities as a Government. We know that we will be able to afford this within the budget that we have as a Government. The Senedd then will have an opportunity to scrutinise as we make the funding decisions. You'll be able to identify where our priorities are, and you'll be able to scrutinise then how we will be reprioritising funding to pay for this policy.
Diolch yn fawr. Thank you for your response to the statement. We'll start with free school meals. Obviously, I think it was the first couple of debates that I led on when I was first elected into this Senedd. It's something that my party have long campaigned on, together with anti-poverty campaigners. We know what a difference it makes, and we were very pleased, through our co-operation agreement with the last Labour Government, to be able to introduce that. It has made a huge difference. When we saw the cost-of-living crisis peak, how glad we were that that was in place.
Of course, we saw a report by the Bevan Foundation, didn't we, just at the end of the last term, looking forward to this new Senedd. What really took my attention in that report was that many of the measures—and you've outlined some of them—that the last Labour Government took weren't strategic and were come to, like free school meals, as a result of ad hoc agreements with other parties. So, what I'm absolutely putting at the heart of the work that I'll be doing in tackling child poverty is a strategic approach. We had the new child poverty strategy published by the last Government, and there was universal criticism of that strategy, not so much about the things it was doing, but the fact that none of them were measurable, that we didn't have clear milestones and targets to be able to benchmark, as you said, what difference those interventions were making. Many of them are very expensive policies, but as I said, we know that this has a huge return on investment; investing in our children to make sure that the future of our nation is as good as it can be, giving those children every opportunity, levelling that playing field wherever we can, to make sure that everybody in Wales reaches their potential and that their income is never a barrier to good health, to educational attainment or to lifelong prosperity.
On childcare specifically, you will know, as a former Minister and working with your former colleagues, the complexity here, and that's part of the problem with childcare. I remember, I was on the Equality and Social Justice Committee in the last Senedd, and we did two inquiries into childcare, and you will know, as a former Chair of a committee, that it's quite unusual to do two reports on one subject. But such was our interest in the importance of this intervention, in the importance of childcare, as I outlined in my speech, but also as regards the complexity of the current picture.
I always remember an academic witness telling us, 'It's like a football, and there's been different bits stuck onto it, and it no longer rolls.' So, the job of the expert group is to unpick that, because we are not just talking about adding extra funded hours, although of course that is the intention, it's also about transforming the system, improving accessibility and affordability, and streamlining the whole system to make sure that it works more efficiently. Because we already spend an awful lot of money on the childcare offer we have through Flying Start and the childcare offer for three and four-year-olds. What I want to do is increase that, expand it, but also make it easier for families to access, not just in terms of affordability, but also accessibility.
So, this, as I said, is an investment in Wales's future. It will be the most generous system in the UK when it is completed, and we have to phase delivery, for the reasons I've set out, to make sure the workforce and infrastructure are in place. And that work is already progressing with the sector experts, as I've announced today in outlining the crucial role of the expert group to advise and establish that phased expansion and what it will look like. I will bring back updates to the Senedd on the delivery of that phased programme.
We will deliver our manifesto commitments from within the budget that we have. As I said earlier, in response to the earlier question, of course, that budget will reflect our priorities, just like every other Government approaches its budget, and you will be able to scrutinise that budget when it is published. But, as part of that budgetary process, we are carefully now reviewing both the level of funding that is going to be needed for the programme that we have, and how that then, of course, can be targeted most effectively to make sure that every pound has the greatest possible outcome.
I really welcome your question around the UNCRC. I agree. We've got a very proud tradition in Wales of rights-based approaches, but we've seen, haven't we, that the due regard model isn't always sufficient, and I can confirm that the UNCRC will be part of that work as we develop that human rights Wales Bill.
And as regards the benchmarking going into education, I think that is a real concern. We've seen it writ even larger perhaps since COVID as well, haven't we, the school preparedness piece. So, there's absolutely a preventative element to this work, and I will be working closely with the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, and also with the Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health, because I think it fits across Government into that piece. So, diolch yn fawr.
Diolch yn fawr i Peter Fox am yr ymateb yna. Gallaf i ddweud yn hollol glir a chadarn bod cydraddoldeb wir yn golygu rhywbeth, a'i fod e wir yn rhywbeth mae'n rhaid inni roi'r pwys mwyaf arno. Mae peidio â sicrhau cydraddoldeb yn rhywbeth sydd yn creu pob mathau o niwed, pob mathau o drawma, sydd nid yn unig yn niweidiol i'r unigolyn, i'r grŵp penodol yna sydd yn dioddef y fath yna o anghydraddoldeb, ond hefyd inni i gyd. Fel y gwnes i sôn yn y dyfyniad yna gan Dr Martin Luther King Jr., os nad ŷch chi yn cael eich effeithio yn uniongyrchol, mae e'n effeithio arnoch chi'n anuniongyrchol. O ran ceisio dod â ni i gyd ynghyd er mwyn gallu gweld hynny, dyna yw fy nod drwy'r polisïau y byddaf yn eu gweithredu, i geisio dod â phobl ynghyd i weld pam bod angen inni i gyd sefyll wrth ein gilydd, pam bod angen inni boeni os yw hawliau un grŵp penodol o bobl yn cael eu tramgwyddo, sut mae hynny'n effeithio arnom ni i gyd fel cymdeithas. Felly, dyna beth fyddwn i'n ei ddweud fel ymateb i hynny.
O ran eich pwyntiau chi o ran yr EHRC a'r ffaith ein bod ni wedi cael y cod ymarfer nawr, wedi cael ei osod yn San Steffan, byddwn i yn syml yn dweud hyn: wrth gwrs mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn parchu dyfarniad y Goruchaf Lys. Dyna yw'r safle gyfreithiol gyfredol, ac felly mae'n rhaid iddo fe gael dylanwad ar a llywio polisi datganoledig a'r ffordd y mae gwasanaethau yn cael eu gweinyddu yng Nghymru. Rŷn ni ar hyn o bryd yn edrych arno. Rŷch chi'n ymwybodol bod y cod ymarfer wedi cael ei osod nawr. Dyw e ddim eto wedi dod i rym, ond rŷn ni wrthi, ac wedi bod wrthi ers i ddyfarniad y Goruchaf Lys gael ei draddodi, yn edrych ar sut mae hynny yn mynd i effeithio ar bolisïau a chyfrifoldebau Llywodraeth Cymru.
Thank you very much, Peter Fox, for that response. I can say unambiguously and robustly that equality does mean something, and it is something that we have to give the greatest weight to. Failing to ensure equality is something that creates all sorts of harms, all sorts of trauma, which is not only damaging to the individual or that specific group who suffers that inequality, but also for us all. As I mentioned in that quote from Dr Martin Luther King Jr., if you are not directly affected, it does affect you indirectly. In terms of trying to bring us all together in order to see that and understand it, my aim through the policies that I will be implementing is to bring people together to see why we all need to stand shoulder to shoulder, why we all need to be concerned if the rights of one particular group of people is ignored, how that impacts us all as a society. So, that's what I would say in response to that.
In terms of your points on the EHRC and the fact that the code has now been laid in Westminster, I would quite simply say that, of course, the Welsh Government respects the decision of the Supreme Court. That is the legal position currently, and therefore it must influence and steer devolved policy and the way that services are delivered in Wales. We are currently looking at it. You will be aware that the code of practice has been laid now. It hasn't yet come into force, but since the Supreme Court judgment was reached, we have been looking at how that will impact the policies and responsibilities of the Welsh Government.
I would like to note that the Supreme Court judgment noted that trans people are still protected from discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. Gender reassignment is a protected characteristic. Nothing has changed around that. So, we will continue to discharge our equality duties, and we will expect all individuals, everybody who lives in Wales, to be treated with dignity and respect.
I think you will remember from my time previous to being in Government, you'll know from the stand that my party has taken on this issue, and we as a Welsh Government are steadfast in our commitment to inclusion. We will stand up to transphobia and all forms of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. Trans people are a valued part of our communities in Wales and they continue to be protected in law. As Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality and as Deputy First Minister, I want to give a clear signal to trans people in Wales that we as a Government share your concerns and the concerns of your allies, and we want to work with you in navigating the practical implications of the Supreme Court judgment. This is a Government that will never, ever punch down.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. As I said, we have been clear that we are going to focus on the priorities that have the biggest impact on people in Wales. Of course, that includes tackling child poverty, helping people and families with the cost of living through the roll-out of the childcare offer, developing the Cynnal payment of £10 a week for low-income families with young children, and a new tackling child poverty plan with clear targets. We are also going to be developing a national food strategy. We've had very worrying statistics about the rise of the dependence of children and families on food parcels. We know that families with children under four are the most likely to be in child poverty, and, as we heard earlier, many of these families are working. We have to make sure that we target all the measures as effectively as we can, and that's why I want to have a new child poverty strategy, to make sure that that is the case.
I realise I didn't answer all of the questions from Lynne Neagle around Cynnal, so I will come back to some of those now. It's true that we are committed to introducing the Cynnal child payment as quickly as possible, in line with our wider commitments. As I have said, we have established this expert group to lead and shape the work. It's going to play a crucial role. We have to make sure that this pilot does what we want it to do, that it's effective and that we're able to evaluate it properly. We are going to be working at pace on this. I commit to provide further updates to the Senedd as that work progresses. But the focus now is on laying those strong foundations to ensure that the scheme succeeds and does what we want it to do.
As I said, the immediate focus has to be on helping to reduce costs for families and maximise incomes. I think that's another really key point as well. I am going to be reviewing the current Welsh benefits, as I outlined in my statement, to make sure that we really put that emphasis on the preventative. We know that there are skyrocketing levels of household debt among people who are living in poverty. It's about that prevention piece—not just the crisis support, though that will always be needed. But we are going to be looking really clearly at, through the Welsh benefits system, how we can do even more in the prevention piece to make sure that people's incomes are maximised. We've got to look to some of those longer term solutions.
I just wanted to come back quickly on what was raised around the devolution that Peter Fox raised with me earlier, because I do think that we really need to have the tools to do the job. We currently don't have those tools. We've seen in Scotland, having power over welfare, the difference that that can make, given the right priorities in Government. That’s why we will never stop making the case for the devolution of power over welfare. But while we are doing it, we will work to improve the existing Welsh benefits system that we have and, as I said, make it simpler for every household to receive the support they’re entitled to.
Diolch am y cwestiwn.
Thank you for the question.
The Member for Reform is obviously trying to attempt some kind of ‘gotcha’ here, but I think you are only really exposing your lack of understanding as to how Government works. As a Government, we have a duty to implement the law, and as I said, we are already applying the current law, including the judgment of the Supreme Court. We have made clear that we will fully abide by our legal obligations. If the code of practice is approved, we will apply it lawfully in line with our legal duties. But at the same time, Westminster MPs of all parties have every right to scrutinise and challenge whether that guidance gets the balance right. There is no contradiction there. That is how democracy and Government work. What is frustrating is the way that some are trying to weaponise this issue. Instead of offering practical solutions, we are seeing members of Reform once again trying to turn a complex, sensitive area of law into a culture war.
Diolch yn fawr i Jane Dodds. Dwi yn croesawu'r craffu. Fe wnaethon ni graffu gyda'n gilydd, fel aelodau o'r pwyllgor, ar y strategaeth a'r mesurau a oedd gan y Llywodraeth ddiwethaf i fynd i'r afael â thlodi plant ac anghydraddoldeb. Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith y bydd hi'n cadw llygad barcud arnaf i, a dwi'n edrych ymlaen at gael y cwestiynau ynglŷn â'r strategaeth pan fyddwn ni wedi'i hadolygu.
Rwy'n croesawu hefyd y pwysigrwydd o ran gwrando ar blant. Mae e'n rhywbeth dŷn ni yng Nghymru, dwi'n meddwl, wedi bod ar flaen y gad o ran gwneud, ond dwi yn meddwl bod yna ambell i ffordd i fynd. Un o'r pethau dwi'n awyddus iawn i'w wneud, wrth inni ddatblygu'r mesurau gwrth-dlodi yma, wrth i fi wrando ar arbenigwyr, yw ein bod ni hefyd yn gwneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n gwerthuso pob mesur yn unol â phrofiadau a bywydau go iawn, a bydd hynny'n cynnwys gwrando ar blant.
Thank you very much, Jane Dodds. I do welcome the scrutiny. We did scrutinise together, as members of the committee, the strategy and the measures that the previous Government put in place to tackle child poverty and inequality. I welcome the fact that she'll be keeping a weather eye on my work, and I look forward to answering those questions with regard to the strategy when we have reviewed it.
I welcome also the emphasis on the importance of listening to children. It's something that we in Wales, I think, have been in the vanguard in doing, but I do think that there is more to do. One of the things I'm very eager to do, as we develop these anti-poverty measures, and as we listen to the experts, is that we ensure that we evaluate every measure in accordance with lived experience, and that will include listening to children.
Diolch yn fawr am y cwestiwn yna.
Thank you very much for that question.
The ongoing freeze by the UK Government of local housing allowance rates have continued to have a disproportionate and detrimental impact on Welsh households, and I, along with the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, will be calling on the UK Government to make sure that local housing allowance rates keep pace with rising rents, because those ongoing increases in private rents reinforce the importance of a responsive local housing allowance system, with annual uprating essential to maintaining relevance and preventing erosion over time. As you mentioned, more so, a return to the fiftieth percentile would ensure that local housing allowance better aligns to the market and would more effectively, then, of course, reflect current rental realities for Welsh households. Diolch.
Rhun ap Iorwerth.
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