Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Coal Authority has to tackle (a) landslides on and (b) the flooding of former coal sites.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
As part of its statutory responsibilities the Coal Authority, one of the Department’s Partner Organisations, has regular contact with Local Authorities in former coal field areas on a range of issues relating to liabilities arising from former coal workings. Following the recent floods, the Coal Authority will be writing to all Local Authorities to remind them of their responsibilities in relation to the management and oversight of coal sites, offering support and advice where required.
The Coal Authority are already working with the Wales Office, the Welsh Assembly Government, Local Authorities and Natural Resource Wales to assess the risks in relation to coal tips in Wales where there have been specific concerns raised.