Thank you very much. I'd like to thank everyone for their contributions this afternoon. Plaid Cymru speakers have made very forceful arguments, setting the context and outlining the calls that are getting more and more support as we discuss this issue and I don't apologise for bringing the issue back so soon in this Senedd. We discussed this in the last Senedd as well and it does need to be on the agenda. We certainly won't drop this issue. Cefin mentioned the advantages of our policy in terms of strengthening the local food economy, and that is a core part of what we propose.

The Tories missed the point completely. There is robust evidence to show that offering free school meals to everyone is advantageous for a number of reasons and that the cohort that would benefit most are the most deprived children, and Luke Fletcher explained that and spoke from personal experience. Could I explain to Mike Hedges that it's a policy for state schools? That's what Plaid Cymru's policy is. And it wouldn't include or be extended to the private sector. So, I hope that with that explanation, although it doesn't explain that literally in the wording of the motion, but with me saying this now as an explanation, I hope that you can support our motion, or I'm not sure whether Mike is arguing against the principle of universalism, which is a principle that has been accepted by the Labour Party.

In Finland, Sweden and Estonia, free school meals are available to all school pupils, not just the most impoverished, and we know how successful the education systems of those countries are. In Scotland and England, every child of school age, in the first three years of their education, receive free school meals, regardless of household income. In Northern Ireland, the threshold for the earnings of those who receive universal credit has been set at a very high level, helping to support more working families. And there is a risk that Wales will fall further behind. The Scottish Government now intends to introduce free school meals for all primary school children by August next year. So, the opposition of the Welsh Government to extending free school meals to all families on universal credit is becoming more and more difficult to justify.

There are financial complexities, yes, but if giving free school meals to some of the most impoverished children in our country is a priority, and it is, from what I've heard, something that is important to the education Minister, then we have to find a way around that financial complexity, and we have to set it as a budget priority. And that's the purpose of budgets. The purpose of a budget is to set expenditure in accordance with priorities and I look forward to seeing the fruits of the labour of the fiscal research that is being undertaken.

I'm pleased that you're going to be working with the Bevan Foundation to understand how they have been working and on the analysis that they've laid out. They estimate that the cost of extending free school means to every school pupil in families on universal credit would cost £10.5 million. That is less than 0.06 per cent of the total revenue budget of the Welsh Government, but, of course, it would make a genuine difference to the lives of the poorest families in Wales, and would save £1,300 per year for them on average.

In terms of the motion before us, we are disappointed to see the Government proposing an amendment that means more lack of action. A review wouldn't give us the assurance that we're looking for, and if the motion is amended in that way, then we won't be able to support that, and we will abstain on our vote. Who can be against supporting a measure that would help to tackle poverty, would reduce inequality, would reduce the pressure on living costs of families, would help attainment and the learning experience, would help the health of children and would reduce the stigma and the mental anguish that stems from poverty? Support the motion, and for goodness' sake, Welsh Government, make this a priority.