17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Well, I haven't got any money; I think I need to make that very clear—I've got no further money. So, it's going back to what we were saying about working smarter. I met with the new—I say 'new', I think he's been there about a year—chief executive of Citizens…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Absolutely. When I was energy Minister, I remember going to—. I'm trying to think where it was now. I don't think it was north Wales. I think it might have been west Wales, where, as you say, a new windfarm had been installed and the community had had…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Climate change and rural affairs. He has the funding. So, it is a real cross-Government part of the portfolio. So, yes, I certainly work very closely with them. I think it's really important that we have that joined-up approach. You mentioned Warm Homes, you…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Going back to what I was saying about my portfolio being very cross-Government, I've got the overarching responsibility for fuel poverty. You mentioned the Minister for economy and energy, who obviously has energy. Julie James has Warm Homes, and I think Huw…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
That would be a matter for the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years. That wouldn't be a decision for me. We didn't discuss—I'm trying to think; did we discuss it?—we didn't discuss it last week.
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Yes, I'd be very happy to have that conversation. I don't know about the Solihull programme. I used to swear by Penelope Leach when I was a new mum. But, you're right—it's really important that you have that access, because you really don't know what you're…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Obviously, in the very challenging funding settlement we have, we made the NHS a priority, and I think, going back to working smarter, we need to make sure—. I don't want to pit one budget against the other, and I think I'd get a very short shrift if I tried…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Thank you. I met with the Minister for Mental Health and Early Years last week, to discuss how we could work together to best support children, address inequality resulting from poverty, and also explore ways to tackle poverty for families in Wales…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Sixty-five thousand. So, certainly, I would want to have that discussion, because I do think—. I personally recognise it's a very powerful lever. So, any levers that we could possibly have, I think we should have. And I'd be very happy to that discussion.
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
So, for me, the most important thing—and this, I suppose, was my answer to Carolyn—is that I do think it is about making sure that we get as much money into people's pockets as well. The Welsh benefit charter, I didn't know a huge amount about before I came…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Yes, that is something we're looking at. I've also asked if we can explore within our budget to see if the child payment is possible. So, that, as Claire said, it is an ongoing piece of work with our Scottish counterparts.
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
If I can just say, I think getting money into people's pockets is in the here and now. And, certainly, I'm sure, somewhere in this briefing, I've got the figures about how we have made sure—I mean, it's millions of pounds, literally, through our single advice…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
I'll ask Claire to come in here.
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Later in the summer. So, maybe after the summer recess, once the next meeting has been done, we can certainly write to committee, Chair.
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
So, when do you think we would be able to have something that we could, perhaps, share in writing with everyone?
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Okay.
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
It has lifted.
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Sorry, can I ask you to repeat that? Did you say that it has lifted 100,000 out?
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Yes. So, I guess if they've got something that they can say, 'Well, we've evaluated this and this is the outcome', then we can have a look at that.
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
—over the summer recess.
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
So, I think it depends on when Scotland, probably, finish their evaluation, but you're meeting them in the summer—
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Officials are due to meet Scottish officials over there. So, I think, yes, there is a piece of work. Obviously, we'd looked—well, again, Jane Hutt had looked—at a piece of work, thinking about child payments. But I think it's really important to understand…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
There is a piece of work that officials have been doing. I think it's fair to say that, under Jane, I think you were very much steered to learn from the approach of the Scottish Government to see if there are any approaches that we can steal off them…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
So, I think at that point, if we were unable to demonstrate that there had been progress, maybe, then, that would be perhaps the time. But I go back to what I was saying: it's about making sure that our targets—. They have to be inextricably, unfortunately…
17 Mehefin 2024 , Equality and Social Justice Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Ddiwylliant a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol
Yes, I am a Minister that instinctively looks to targets. However, I also recognise, in relation to the child poverty strategy, why there were no targets. I understand that, and I think, when I was in portfolio last time, there was a target. I think it was…
