Coal Tips

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:00 pm on 4 March 2020.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 2:00, 4 March 2020

I think you highlight some very important points, which we are obviously looking at very urgently and very carefully. You'll be aware from the First Minister's answers that he met with the Secretary of State for Wales and, clearly, this is something that, in the immediate aftermath of the landslip that we did see, they discussed: coal tip safety. 

In relation to your question around Welsh Government land: yes, it is NRW. Across all of these coal tips there are, as I say, local authorities, Natural Resources Wales or Welsh Government, the Coal Authority, and there are some private owners. I don't think it's too much to ask to have a register of all these. I think that's something that we need to get up and running very quickly. Clearly, even if it's a private landowner, the local authority, where that would be, would have the powers to go in and inspect it, for instance.

So, I think it's really important that we bring this piece of work to a close as quickly as possible. I know there was a further meeting last Friday at official level. There was a meeting this morning, certainly with my officials and I think the Coal Authority, again. So, I want to reassure people that it's something that's being looked at very urgently.