, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
Right, okay. So, the £15 million couldn't be used to put drainage pumps in.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
No. So, that legally wouldn't have been possible.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
Thank you for that. Was it not the case, when Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd broke their contract when they were mining outside of planning permission, that that would have triggered the release of the funds?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
Certainly. Thank you for that. The reason I was asking about whether it was based on their own data—. Forgive me, I think you had told us earlier that £74.5 million is in their account and it seems to be that that is set aside for restoration. So, that seems…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
Okay, thank you for that. Am I correct in thinking that the council has found it challenging to gain access to the site? So, the data, presumably, would have to be second-hand from the company.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
Okay. Thank you. I have a few question, please. Could you confirm, please—? So, the current estimate that you were talking about, between £75 million and £125 million, presumably that was produced by an officer in the council, and presumably it was based on…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
It's one of the more nice ring tones.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
So, in that case, there would need to be a change in legislation to allow for something like that to happen.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
So, it wouldn't have been possible to—. Legally, it wouldn't have been possible.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
Yes, is that all right? You were talking about when Miller Argent sold the site in 2015. The year before—I think it was a year and a half before that, in 2014—there was a Welsh Government and, I believe, Coal Authority report that identified that there was a…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
Okay, thank you for that. I know that there are a number of different areas that we'll be wanting to pick up on this, but, for now, I know that Janet wants to come in.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 6
Thank you so much for coming in this morning. We're very grateful to you for making the time. Could you talk us through, please, what the original restoration plan was for the Ffos-y-fran site and what the original fund estimate was for how much would be…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Climate Change scrutiny with the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Diolch. Another area where the CCC have expressed their views quite strongly is they've praised the policies on transport, on the fact that we, in Wales, are cancelling major road projects and reducing speed limits. Conversely, the Cabinet Secretary for…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Climate Change scrutiny with the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
If you could write to us with some of that information, that would be—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Climate Change scrutiny with the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Okay. Okay, if you could get back to us, that would be—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Climate Change scrutiny with the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you for that. And so in terms of taking this further and making sure that we don't stall, as you say, could you tell us, please, when you're going to set recycling targets for 2030 and beyond that?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Climate Change scrutiny with the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
I want to ask you some questions about human behaviour. So, coming back to the CCC, we are rightly, I think, proud in Wales about our recycling policies, but the CCC have pointed out that the rates have stalled in recent years and that we'll need to do more…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Climate Change scrutiny with the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you, Chair. Welcome back.
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
In Wales, our culture is our lifeblood, the thing that makes us who we are, but cuts to culture are threatening this crucial part of identity, and I'd ask for a statement, please, from the Government setting out how it will get to grips with the storm…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I welcome what you were saying, First Minister, because the menopause is one of those taboo subjects that our society has decided that we shouldn’t talk about. It’s one of the most natural things that can happen to our bodies as we get older, but there’s…
, Plenary
Debate on the Health and Social Care Committee Report, 'Unheard: Women's journey through gynaecological cancer'
I am truly grateful to Russell and his committee for looking at this, and I would pay tribute to all of the women and their families who have given evidence. I also think that it is really powerful that the report is called 'Unheard', because gynaecological…
, Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Control of tobacco and nicotine products
Thank you very much. This argument about personal liberty and freedom is rehearsed quite often in this debate. Would you see that there is an inherent contradiction in the idea of giving someone freedom to become addicted? That's an oxymoron. It contradicts…
, Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Control of tobacco and nicotine products
Will you take an intervention, Gareth?
, Plenary
90-second Statements
I'm sure the best for you is still to come.
