1. Will the Minister provide an update on the steps being taken by the Welsh Government to tackle poverty on Ynys Môn? OQ59349

Thank you very much for your question. We are doing everything within our powers to prevent poverty and mitigate its impact on the citizens of Ynys Môn and the whole of Wales. This financial year, we have provided support worth £1.6 billion, through programmes that help families experiencing hardship and that protect disadvantaged households.

Thank you very much for that response. We know that we are facing serious problems of poverty across Wales. In 2017, the Office for National Statistics announced that Ynys Môn was the area with the lowest gross value added in Britain. Last year, Holyhead was named as the place with the lowest net income in north Wales. And we know that, when we're facing a crisis, a cost-of-living crisis as we are now, it's the vulnerable and the poorest that are worst hit. Now, last month, the latest Bevan Foundation report again highlighted the importance of direct financial assistance from governments. I'm concerned that we are missing out on many elements of help—the UK Government not providing enough assistance with energy costs, and the Wales fuel support scheme came to an end in February. Now, I note of course the extra funding for the discretionary assistance fund, the excellent scheme to provide free school meals in order to tackle the issue of families living in poverty, but will the Minister provide an assurance that everything possible will be done by the Government to ensure that support does reach areas such as Ynys Môn, which is facing very grave problems in terms of poverty?

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.