Wales: Coal Tip Safety

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist Excerpts

Wednesday 20th November 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

This is not a one-off conversation. We have regular conversations with the Welsh Government related to coal tip safety. This is an ongoing debate, and we have given this money because it is a national safety issue. We will continue to work with the Welsh Government to ensure that people in Wales are safe.

[Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist (Con)]

I too remember the Aberfan disaster, and my own childhood worries that the completely blameless hill behind my Welsh primary school might collapse on to my school one day, so I welcome the way in which the Government have listened to campaigners on coal tip safety, and the measures in the Budget—building, as they did, on our work as part of the joint task force. It is a good start. May I ask for the indulgence of the Minister, in the spirit of listening to campaigners for measures to increase investment in Wales: will she commit to helping to find new funding from the UK Government to make the M4 corridor around Newport a reality?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for her question—I think. Obviously, I do not have a response to that, but I will speak to Transport Ministers and come back to her.