Welsh Affairs Committee

10 September 2026

Committee House of Commons

00:04 - 01:19
Speaker 1
Everyone?  Right.  Order, order.  Good morning everyone and welcome to this oral evidence session of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee.  My name's Ruth Jones and I'm the chair of this committee. 

The committee today is holding a one-off evidence session on industrial legacy and contaminated land.  But first and foremost, before we begin this session, I do want to acknowledge the concerns raised by communities across Wales with regards to this contaminated land, and I also want to pay tribute to those working to remediate these sites and support those who've been affected.  Today's session is inspired by our inquiry into the environment and economic legacy of Wales' industrial past, and obviously the recent BBC documentary Buried with Michael Sheen.  So I want to say thank you to Lucy Taylor, Michael Sheen and Dan Ashby for coming before the committee today.  It's greatly appreciated you coming to give us your evidence. 

Our hope is today that the session will allow us to discuss the findings from your research so that we can make informed recommendations about future policy, legislation and funding and support for our communities living near these former industrial sites.  Now, before I begin, can I ask any members to declare any any interests relevant to today's session?  Steve. 
01:19 - 01:41
Speaker 3
Thank you, thank you Chair.  So my wife and I are both featured in the documentary.  My wife's a community councillor in the area where the chemical plant we're going to be speaking, one of the chemical plants we're going to be speaking about was, and she used to work there and did have her blood tested as part of the documentary.  We we live about a hundred metres away from the site in question. 

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