Speciality Steel UK: Insolvency

Gavin Williamson Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Jones]

I thank my hon. Friend for those remarks; they are gratefully received, and we will continue to do all we can to support the steel industry. She is absolutely right that a number of apprentices were due to start this week, but the official receiver took the decision that, given that the 12-month continuation of the apprenticeships could not be guaranteed, it was right to try to find them other placements. I am taking a close personal interest in what happens to those 50 people. I know the local authority and the Department for Education are trying to ensure that we can find other places for them. I want to make sure that we can do so, because one of the things this Government are passionate about is ensuring that our young people have the apprenticeships to give them support for the jobs that we know we need into the future.

[Sir Gavin Williamson (Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge) (Con)]

The Minister is obviously incredibly committed to the steel industry, as we all are, but manufacturing will continue to struggle in this country when it pays energy prices that are so much higher than competitors in Germany and France. Can the Minister assure the House that in a year’s time, following the Government strategy, manufacturers—whether ceramics or steel—will be paying the same amount for their industrial energy prices as their German and French competitors?

[Sarah Jones]

The right hon. Gentleman makes a good point. Of course, our energy prices are too high and it is difficult for companies to compete. We are taking action to address that, in the first instance by expanding the super-charger, which will make a significant difference to industries that use significant amounts of energy. We will also introduce an electricity scheme in 2027—it is a complex process and will take time to bring in—meaning that around 7,000 companies across the country will also have significant reductions in their energy costs. We are taking what we believe to be the right measures in our industrial strategy through those two interventions, to ensure that our energy costs come down and that we can be competitive among our European counterparts.