Oral Answers to Questions

Christina Rees Excerpts

Monday 12th September 2016 Commons Chamber

[Christina Rees (Neath) (Lab/Co-op)]

7. What steps he is taking to ensure that the British steel industry and its workers benefit from current and future defence procurement.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Harriett Baldwin)]

We positively encourage bids from British companies to ensure they are in the best possible position to win future steel contracts. We have issued new policy guidance to address the barriers which might prevent UK steel producers from competing effectively in the open market.

[Christina Rees]

Now that Government Departments are mandated to provide information about the proportion of UK steel used in the Crown Commercial Service, will the Minister please tell the House what percentage of UK steel is used in current defence projects and what percentage will be used in future?[Official Report, 11 October 2016, Vol. 615, c. 4MC.]

[Harriett Baldwin]

The hon. Lady rightly speaks up for steel production in her constituency. She will be very pleased to know that, for the largest project that the UK Government have ever procured that uses steel—she will be aware that that is the carrier programme currently under construction on the Clyde—the vast majority comes from Tata Steel. I believe it is 94%.