Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to thank everyone who has spoken today and shared their experiences of communities in their constituency. Elwyn, I'd like to thank you for sharing the heartbreaking story of Michael and his friends. I think it really highlighted the impact that contaminated land can have on people's health in the long term.
Andrew, thank you again for being a voice for your constituents and also noting that people are still asking questions 60 years later. We need to make sure that those people have the answers that they've been waiting for. To Ken and Nigel, thank you for speaking about your constituencies in the north-east—I see a lot of similarities in the north-east with where I represent in the south-east as well—and mentioning the impact that it has on local people. The fact that, Nigel, you were listing potential sites I think again highlighted the fact that we need to know where these sites really are.
Janet, again, thank you for your contribution. I completely agree with stronger action on polluters, definitely, and that data collection is key when we talk about contaminated land. Kiera, thank you for speaking about your constituency. I remember seeing that area in the documentary, and what really stood out to me was people were just getting on with their everyday lives, but also very aware that they're, potentially, next to a very, very dangerous piece of land, and the impact that can have on their homes and their children as well.
Vikki, thank you for bringing up your constituents. Again, the most concerning thing that you mentioned—and I agree—is that we just don't know what is dumped on these sites. I think that, again, is at the heart of this, and the polluter-pays principle needs to be at the core of what we do here. Also, I take on board what you say about mental health support as well; I think that's really important. Sera, those figures that you said, again, are terrifying, and also highlighting the fact that that data collection is different in every constituency as well—that's something that, again, needs to be addressed by having a clearer national picture.
And then, Art, thank you as well for that final contribution. Obviously, as you mentioned, the Monsanto site is in Newport, which is in your constituency, and we need to hold those polluters to account. I agree as well that people need to be compensated for that, if we can get the polluters to pay for what has happened.
Listening to the contributions today, I think it's clear that Wales's industrial legacy is still felt by so many communities across our nation. For some, that legacy is visible in the land around them and in the concerns they continue to raise about what may have been left behind. Contaminated land is an important part of that legacy. The substances that are left behind by historical industrial activity can pose, as we've all mentioned, real serious risks to people, to animals and the wider environment. And for communities—a lot of them sat up there in the gallery, again, today—who are living alongside these sites, that uncertainty about what is there, about what risks it may pose and what happens next can be really difficult for them to live with.
I'd like to thank as well the Cabinet Minister for his response. I think that a lot of what you said will be welcomed by many people in this Chamber today, and I know many of the campaigners as well, to see that we're really taking action when it comes to contaminated land and bringing communities along with us. I really do welcome the Welsh Government's commitment to continuing to address Wales's post-industrial legacy when it comes to coal tips as well, and supporting communities that continue to live with its consequences.
But today's debate has also made clear, I think, that the Welsh Government can't do this alone. The UK Government needs to step up too, for Wales and for the wider UK as well. For generations, Wales's resources and communities played a huge role in powering industrial growth across the UK and beyond. It's only right that the UK Government now supports efforts to help those communities to finally move forward, and that means working with the Welsh Government to make sure that polluters pay, and that, where those costs cannot be recovered, there is dedicated funding available to investigate and remediate contaminated land.
Communities can no longer wait for this issue to be treated as something that can simply be left for another day. Urgent action is needed to make former industrial land safe, to protect public health and the environment and to address the concerns that communities have been raising for years. For me, this debate comes back to a really simple point: we cannot change what happened in Wales's industrial past, but we can decide what happens next. Communities should not be left carrying the consequences of pollution they did not cause. They should not have to spend years fighting to have their concerns heard. And they should be able to have confidence that, where risks exist, they will be properly investigated and addressed. We must take action and demand fairness for our post-industrial communities, and that's why I encourage Members across this Chamber to support this motion today. Diolch yn fawr.