Let's be clear: the fact that poverty exists is a complete and utter failure of the Government—Governments on both sides of the M4. It's a failure of both Parliaments, and it's a failure of an economic system, a system that benefits from and encourages maximum profit at the cost of people, because that's what we're talking about here—people. That's what's behind poverty figures—people and their families. The fact that 31 per cent of children in Wales are living in relative income poverty is nothing short of a crime.

Pre pandemic, we saw a growing trend in levels of household food insecurity. That trend has only worsened due to the cost-of-living crisis, deepening the financial hardships faced by many households across Wales. Food poverty is a major issue. The very existence, let alone the rise in the use, of food banks, as well as the increase in holiday hunger initiatives, is a testament to a failed system. That said, of course, we are rolling out free school meals to all primary school pupils, which is a step in the right direction. I visited Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Ogwr back in late November, my old primary, to see this policy in action, and I have to say, the neuadd and the meinciau were a lot smaller than I remember, but it was a moment of pride for me, knowing that Plaid Cymru pushed to make this happen. But we do need to go further. Poverty doesn't end when you go to comp or go to college. Fundamentally, having a meal at school should be part of the school day.

Whilst free school meals are one of the important steps we can take to tackle child poverty and hunger, there are glaring gaps in food security and nutrition, as many children struggle to eat adequately. In the past 12 months, 14 per cent of people in Wales had run out of food before they could afford to buy more. The 2022 child poverty progress report highlights this. Currently, food inflation has reached its highest in 42 years and it's predicted to rise further. Average prices for the cheapest groceries have risen more than other food items, meaning households before now buying the cheapest foods have seen their bills rise drastically, and have limited scope to trade down. This has also driven a rise in demand for emergency food provisions.

A substantial amount of teachers and school staff notice children returning to school hungry on the first day after the holidays. In July 2017, a foodbank in Swansea ran out of food due to holiday hunger. The Trussell Trust, where over a third of all food is distributed to children, say that demand for food goes up even higher during the holidays. The reality is we must abolish holiday hunger, and it needs to happen now. 

Llywydd, since my election in 2021, I have campaigned to increase the education maintenance allowance as well as to increase the threshold, and now more than ever this change needs to be implemented. The End Child Poverty coalition surveyed 476 young people about the cost-of-living crisis, and alarmingly, 97 per cent said they thought the rising cost of living was a problem for young people aged 16 to 25 today. The words of a 17-year-old in college in Wales were as follows: 'I can't use heating anymore, because it's too costly, and we can't find anywhere to live, since our rent contract is ending and rent has gone up exponentially. I hate struggling like this. It makes me feel like everything is just not worth living. I'm cold. Soon, my family will be in a crappy living situation, and I can't even appreciate other activities because I can't afford them.'

We should, of course, be proud of EMA in Wales, but we should also recognise that it is currently falling short. The cash support provided is not enough; it hasn't changed since 2004. According to the education Minister, it should be at about £54 a week today, rather than £30, meaning successive Welsh Governments have cut the real-terms worth of EMA by a third over the last decade and a half. This cut has deep implications, especially since thresholds for EMA have largely remained unchanged since 2011. This has created a major disparity among learners, as they now must be substantially poorer than their contemporaries back in 2011 to be entitled to support at all. 

I listened with great interest yesterday in relation to the additional £28 million to education. I would be grateful if the Minister at some point could give an indication as to whether or not some of that additional funding could be used for EMA. After all, the 2022 child poverty progress report states that tackling inequality is fundamental to Welsh Government's efforts to tackle poverty in Wales, specifically reducing educational inequalities. If the Welsh Government is truly passionate about taking the actions and decisions to reduce inequalities associated with poverty, then it could start by reviewing and revising EMA.

To conclude, Llywydd, experiencing poverty early in life can have a detrimental impact on life prospects further down the line. Poverty is the biggest challenge facing Welsh Government. It affects health, it affects attainment, it affects us all. Priorities—that's the aim of the Government, so we're told, especially with the budget it now has. In my view, tackling child poverty must be that priority.