Environmental Priorities

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:54 pm on 15 May 2024.

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Photo of Paul Davies Paul Davies Conservative 2:54, 15 May 2024

Cabinet Secretary, as you've just said, one of the Welsh Government's environmental priorities for Preseli Pembrokeshire must surely be to keep people from harm, and yet, as we've just heard, residents living around the Withyhedge landfill site are still living in fear of the potentially toxic stench and stink coming from this site. Now, as was said, on Friday, Public Health Wales issued advice saying that the odours and emissions coming from the site could be harmful to people's health, and they urged people with symptoms to seek medical advice. Now, I'm surprised that we've not heard more from Public Health Wales. But, this morning, I've written to them, asking them what action they've been taking to resolve this unacceptable issue. But it's quite clear to me that this matter has been handled very badly, and I believe there now needs to be an independent public inquiry into the handling of all this, given it's been ongoing for around nine months, and how it's badly affected so many of my constituents. However, in the short term, given these huge environmental and public health concerns, can you tell us what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has had with you about this issue, and can you also tell us just how bad the side effects have to get before the Welsh Government will intervene to remove this operator from the site permanently?

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