Funding for Flood Victims

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 3:20 pm on 10 February 2021.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 3:20, 10 February 2021

Well, we've been having some discussions with the UK Government, which originated with the discussions about flooding, but then, obviously, became larger and took on the discussions relating to coal tips, and now, of course, that's extended again into the mine works. We know that the remediation of coal tips will require a piece of work over—probably a 10-year programme of work. And we're probably, I think, at this stage—and it's very hard to say exactly, but we are talking £500 million of work that would be needed over a long period of time. So, this is a major piece of work. And when we bring the mine works into this as well, I think that we are talking about some extremely serious funding that will be required to address what are, as you've set out, really important issues that can't be ignored. And this is why we're trying to make the case to the UK Government that we should be able to access additional funding, because Wales is disproportionately impacted. With coal tips, for example, we have 40 per cent of the whole of the UK's coal tips in Wales, so this isn't a Barnett consequential kind of situation. But we are continuing to try and make that case for a joint piece of work between the UK Government and Welsh Government. We realise that we have a major part to play in this as well, but I think that it does have to be a genuinely collaborative response to what is a serious matter.