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<p>The Secretary of State for Wales has regular discussions with colleagues in the
Welsh Government on a wide range of subjects, including the request for additional
financial assistance to make coal tips safe.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State
for Wales met with the Welsh Government Minister for Finance and Local Government
on 20 October 2021, where they discussed this matter, among others. The matter was
also discussed at the recent Coal Tip Safety Summit which was co-chaired by the Secretary
of State for Wales and the First Minister. The Secretary of State reiterated that
the management of coal tips in Wales is a devolved matter and therefore not a matter
the UK Government would expect to provide additional funding for. Nevertheless, as
a testament to our commitment, we provided £31 million to the Welsh Government to
ensure that vital work to help with the unforeseen consequences of Storm Dennis could
be delivered.</p><p> </p><p>The Welsh Government is more than adequately funded to
manage the costs of its devolved responsibilities. The UK Government has provided
the Welsh Government with an additional £2.5 billion a year over the SR21 period through
the Barnett formula. This spending review settlement provides Welsh Government with
around £120 per person for every £100 of equivalent funding in England, which is over
20% higher than equivalent funding in England. This is around £1 billion per year
more than the agreed level of fair funding set out in the Welsh Government's fiscal
framework. Therefore, the Welsh Government can pay for coal tip maintenance and still
have more than fair funding for their other devolved responsibilities.</p><p> </p><p>
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