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No other mineral resource has shaped the economic and political landscape of Britain as much as coal. The mining of this layer of carboniferous rock was once the beating heart of the

industrial revolution and helped power Britain to victory during both World Wars. And no other country within the British Isles has a more intimate — and some would say infamous —

relationship with coal than Wales.  When rich deposits of coal were discovered in the Rhondda and Cyon valleys in the mid-1800s, it became known as “black gold”. For this reason, people

began to arrive in the Welsh valleys looking for employment in the mining industry. Between 1801 and 1900, the population of Monmouthshire, in South Wales, grew from 45,000 to 450,000.   The

ten-fold expansion in population correlated with a boom in production. Between 1850 and 1908, coal output increased exponentially: from 7.5 million tonnes to just over 50 million tonnes — a

staggering 569 per cent increase. The rise in production led many to pursue a career in mining. At its peak the coal industry employed over one million Britons and by 1913 a quarter of all

those people were in Wales. The reign of “King Coal” may be over in the UK, but in Wales its legacy can be seen everywhere. Every Christmas I go to North Wales to visit my fianc é e ’ s

parents. On the A483, as you approach Wrexham, you pass a huge sign spelling out the town ’ s name, although with recent celebrity interest in the town’s football club, it briefly changed to

read Hollywood and the sign mysteriously vanished — but that ’ s another story. The large letters that adorn the sign sit on the side of Bersham Bank — a former coal-tip that overlooks the

now closed Bersham colliery in Rhostyllen. This 50-metre high coal-tip is composed of 6 million tonnes of shale extracted during the lifetime of the Bersham Colliery. Many conservationists

see it as a heritage site. But for others who are keen students of history, coal-tips pose a serious danger.   At around 9:15 on the morning of Friday 21st October, 1966, tragedy struck the

Welsh village of Aberfan. For the children of Pantglas junior school, it should have been a normal school day. The 240 pupils were excited: in just a few hours half-term holiday would begin.

It was raining heavily — nothing unusual for the residents of the small mining village in the heart of South Wales.  As with all mining towns, Aberfan had a coal-tip — waste product from

coal extraction. For years it had been dumped at the top of the valley a quarter of a mile high directly above the village. The tip began in 1958 and by 1966 had risen to a height of 34

metres. It was placed on highly-porous sandstone and on an area of ground that was partly above underground water springs.    Despite numerous complaints made to the national coal board

about the danger posed by the coal-tip — including a petition from the school in 1963 — nothing was done. Three years later the inevitable happened.   Due to the build-up of high rainfall,

the tip collapsed and began to slide downhill. In its path was the school. Escape was impossible. 144 people lost their lives, 116 of whom were children.  It is estimated that 40 per cent of

disused and abandoned coal-tips are in Wales, roughly 2,000 of which have the potential to cause landslides. Of these over 300 are classified as high risk — meaning a serious danger to life

and property. A coal-tip in Tylorstown in the Rhondda valley collapsed during heavy rainfall last February, pushing 60,000 tonnes of colliery spoil into a nearby river. Luckily no one was

killed. But for the older residents of Wales, who remember Aberfan, these images would have sent a chill down their spines.  In order to avoid future landslides, the Welsh First Minister,

Mark Drakeford, has argued that upwards of £500 million is needed over the next ten to fifteen years. Half a billion pounds is a lot of money for a devolved government and legally the UK

Government does not need to foot the bill. But £60 million a year from the Treasury is a drop in the ocean when you consider the potentially life-saving impact it will have.    The operation

to clear up after the Tylorstown landslide received a paltry £2.5 million from the British Government — and even that was only after an extensive lobbying campaign by the local Labour MP,

Chris Bryant. It was estimated that the total cost will be closer to £18 million.    While the Government is constitutionally correct — the management and regulation of spoil tips is a

devolved issue — the question needs to be asked: should today ’ s self-governing Welsh administration be punished for an industry that was last thriving long before devolution? The people of

Wales have, for centuries, suffered at the hands of this most dangerous of extractive industries — all the while providing material benefit in the form of coal for the rest of Britain.  

From a political perspective, providing financial support for coal-tip management would go a long way to secure ties with the Union. Funding would show Wales that its historical contribution

to Britain was not in vain. In the era of levelling up, dealing with the lethal legacy of King Coal would demonstrate the British Government’s commitment to the people of Wales.