The manner in which Wales was exploited for its coal, draining our land of its mineral wealth and the vast profits that flowed from this resource came at a huge cost to local life and limb. This exploitation of the human cost of coal remains a scar on this so-called union. Now, we are being told by Westminster that we must bear the costs of making our communities safe. We're told that we must now find the funds to avert the disastrous consequences that can result from coal spoil landslide, disastrous consequences that we are sadly familiar with in Wales. 

The behaviour of the Westminster Government on this is shameful, and it will not be forgotten. In my region, there are 145 high-risk coal tips. In every community that lies in the shadow of such a tip, there will be much unease until these tips are made safe. This will be a particular concern when there is heavy rain—something we can expect more of in the future due to the climate crisis. The remedial work cannot happen soon enough.

There is a question to consider around how we develop coal tips once they have been made safe. Many coal spoils have become important places for wildlife. Indeed, new species have been discovered at such sites in recent years. They have provided a much needed refuge for species rapidly declining in our modern impoverished landscapes. By linking up with traditional habitats, they also act as stepping stones in the environment, allowing species to move freely across the landscape, and natural habitats would also be much more fragmented if not for colliery spoil.

In regenerating areas surrounding tips during reclamation processes, we should consider the value of these tips, the areas around them, and maximise the benefits, which are geological—they provide access to fossils and minerals; archeological—historical structures and remains can be found amongst the spoil; historical—they offer a visual reminder of our rich coal-mining history that helped create and shape our country, and they also tell stories of family and landscape links; cultural—colliery spoil is an important part of our cultural identity in south Wales; social—often, due to their often open access and proximity to settlements, they are readily used by local people for recreational activities, providing physical and mental health benefits, as they often provide the only open access areas for local people to get outdoors with nature; and, finally, visual—they form visible features that are significant in the local landscape and have strong cultural resonance. They're used in regional and local interpretation.

An example within my region of industrial heritage being connected to the new generation can be found in the development of the Six Bells red paint. This sees leftover waste from a local colliery recycled as pigment and used to create a number of special ochre paints that are unique to the village. I would like to know, therefore, what plans this Government has to link our industrial heritage to our post-industrial communities, to increase awareness for the next generation, to protect much needed open spaces for leisure, and to explore tourism opportunities. Diolch yn fawr.