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Chancellor Rachel Reeves has allocated £25 million towards clearing up coal tips across Wales – but Plaid Cymru’s deputy leader believes this figure is nowhere near enough to address the issue.

Ms Reeves unveiled the UK Government’s autumn budget on Wednesday October 30, outlining the new Labour administration’s spending plans for the upcoming year.

But Plaid Cymru’s Delyth Jewell has argued the UK Government needs to do more to put right the “legacy of how our communities were exploited” – and believes responsibility to do this should lie with the UK Government, not the Welsh Government.

“Westminster has at long last promised money for coal tip safety, but the amount promised must be increased. It has been assessed that it would cost £600 million to clear up coal tips completely,” Ms Jewell said.

“Coal tips are the legacy of how our communities were exploited. Our valleys should never have been saddled with them, let alone have to pay towards making them safe.”

The South Wales East MS continued: “There is still no clear acknowledgement of the responsibility [The UK Government] carries for this legacy, which predates devolution.

“Coal tips… stand as daily visual reminders of the betrayal and neglect suffered by valleys communities over generations, both during the time of coal mining and since.

“The debt owed to our communities is substantial, and the tips have for too long ensured that the shadows of the past remain over us.”

Across Wales there are more than 2,500 coal spoil tips – 350 of those have been classed by the Welsh Government in categories C and D, meaning they are at a higher risk of impacting public safety.

Surface water run-off and the tips catching fire are the biggest risks associated with them.

The coal tips above Bedwas, on Mynydd y Grug, are owned by Caerphilly County Borough Council and fall under category D.

Plans to remediate the coal tips above Bedwas have been proposed by Energy Recovery Investments Limited (ERI).