Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Wales Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Adam Thompson Excerpts
Wednesday 6th November 2024

(2 weeks, 1 day ago)

Commons Chamber
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Carolyn Harris Portrait Carolyn Harris (Neath and Swansea East) (Lab)
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1. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the steel industry in Wales.

Adam Thompson Portrait Adam Thompson (Erewash) (Lab)
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11. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the steel industry in Wales.

Jo Stevens Portrait The Secretary of State for Wales (Jo Stevens)
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Steelmaking is key to our missions to grow the economy and deliver clean power by 2030. We are committed to providing up to £2.5 billion for steel in addition to the £500 million already earmarked for Tata to build its electric arc furnace at the Port Talbot steelworks. I was pleased to reaffirm at the Budget £80 million of funding for the Port Talbot transition board, which I chair. We will continue to deliver this money to people and businesses affected.

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Adam Thompson Portrait Adam Thompson
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I thank the Secretary of State for her hard work to support our steel industry and our general steel communities, including in Port Talbot, since she has been in post. I was pleased to see the Chancellor confirm in the Budget £80 million of funding for the transition board, which the Secretary of State chairs. Will she tell the House why that was necessary?

Jo Stevens Portrait Jo Stevens
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In my first week as Welsh Secretary, I discovered that the £80 million promised by the previous Conservative Government for the transition board was part of the £22 billion of unfunded promises they had made. That shocking dereliction of duty threatened to leave workers and businesses high and dry without the support they needed. I have therefore made it my mission to fight tooth and nail for that money on behalf of our steel communities, and I would not have left them unsupported. I am pleased to be able to confirm that under this Labour Government the transition board is fully funded, and we are getting on with the delivery.