1. A wnaiff y Gweinidog roi diweddariad am y camau sy’n cael eu cymryd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i daclo tlodi ar Ynys Môn? OQ59349

Diolch yn fawr am eich cwestiwn. Rydyn ni’n gwneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i atal tlodi a lleihau ei effaith ar ddinasyddion Ynys Môn a Chymru gyfan. Y flwyddyn ariannol hon, rydyn ni wedi darparu cymorth gwerth £1.6 biliwn, drwy raglenni i helpu teuluoedd sy’n wynebu caledi ac sy’n diogelu aelwydydd dan anfantais.

Diolch yn fawr iawn am yr ymateb yna. Rydyn ni'n gwybod ein bod ni'n wynebu problemau tlodi difrifol ar draws llawer o Gymru. Yn 2017, mi wnaeth y Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol gyhoeddi mai Ynys Môn oedd yr ardal efo'r gwerth ychwanegol gros isaf ym Mhrydain. Y llynedd, roedd Caergybi'n cael ei henwi fel y lle efo'r incwm net isaf yng ngogledd Cymru. Ac rydyn ni'n gwybod, pan fyddwn ni'n wynebu argyfwng, argyfwng costau byw fel sydd gennym ni rŵan, mai'r bregus a'r mwyaf tlawd sy'n cael eu taro fwyaf. Rŵan, fis diwethaf, mi wnaeth adroddiad diweddaraf Sefydliad Bevan danlinellu eto bwysigrwydd help ariannol uniongyrchol gan lywodraethau. Dwi'n poeni ein bod ni'n gweld colli nifer o elfennau o help—Llywodraeth Prydain ddim yn rhoi digon o addewid o ran cymorth efo costau ynni, rhaglen cynllun cymorth tanwydd Cymru wedi dod i ben ym mis Chwefror. Rŵan, dwi'n nodi wrth gwrs yr arian ychwanegol ar gyfer y gronfa cymorth dewisol, y cynllun rhagorol i roi cinio ysgol am ddim er mwyn mynd i'r afael â theuluoedd sy'n byw mewn tlodi, ond a wnaiff y Gweinidog roi sicrwydd y bydd popeth posib yn cael ei wneud gan y Llywodraeth i sicrhau bod cymorth yn cyrraedd ardaloedd fel Ynys Môn, sy'n wynebu problemau dyfnion iawn o ran tlodi?

Diolch yn fawr, Rhun ap Iorwerth. Of course, this is crucial. In these times of challenging costs of living, projections for those who'll be plunged into poverty aren't forgiving, and people are facing incredibly difficult decisions. As you say, in terms of the funding allocation from the UK Government—the powers and levers, of course, so much lie with the UK Government—it's insufficient, the funding allocation we've had, to enable us in fact to repeat many of our schemes that we've been taking forward. But I am pleased that we are able to continue and increase substantially our discretionary assistance fund, and also, as you say, it's as a result of part of our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru, the fact that we have those commitments for primary school pupils of free school meals that have rolled out. Can I just also say that it's really important that it's extending to free school meal holiday provision, being available now for children for Easter and Whitsun school holidays, and up to £9 million available for that purpose.

Now, I was very pleased to recently visit Ynys Môn, and you'll be aware that I was very pleased to go and open Canolfan Glanhwfa in Llangefni, with Ieuan Wyn Jones, a former colleague and former Deputy First Minister, and to hear that, with their partner, Age Cymru, they provide a warm space, a cuppa and a cake, and a chat, every Tuesday, and children are already involved. The important thing is that this was £250,000 awarded from the Welsh Government community facilities programme, and a further £50,000 awarded last year as well—so, reaching all generations, as I saw when I visited the centre that day.

Minister, I'm sure you'd agree that the best and possibly the most sustainable way of helping to lift people out of poverty is to ensure that there are good-quality jobs and that there are businesses that thrive on Anglesey to support those jobs. And that's why I was so pleased to see the recent news—and welcomed yesterday by the Minister as well—that the free-port announcement for Anglesey is moving to the next stage, which is great partnership working across many groups, in particularly the Welsh Government working closely with the UK Government, to see that being delivered. So, I wonder, Minister, how you in your role will work with the Minister for Economy to ensure that people in Anglesey can access those new jobs that the free port will bring about?

I thank the Member for that important question, following that announcement last week. Clearly, we have a strong economic mission to transform the Welsh economy, and that will create a stronger but fairer, as well as greener, future. But just to recognise, as you do, the announcement last week was enabling us to proceed to the next stage of the process, and it builds on significant investments and partnership we've made in these areas over many years. And I think it's important that we do create not just a stronger economy and labour market, but that it helps to tackle the poverty agenda and reduces in-work poverty in Wales. And it's about the way that the Welsh Government's economic contract was included in the prospectus, which, I think, makes our free ports different to other free ports in England and Scotland, but very much prioritising social and environmental needs.