Steel Industry

Debate between Gill Furniss and Clive Betts

Thursday 3rd November 2016 Westminster Hall

[Gill Furniss]

I thank my hon. Friend for that point. Thirdly, I want to give credit where credit is due and thank the Government for the guidance published in October last year, which has put some emphasis on supporting British steel in major procurement projects. However, despite the good intentions behind that move, we are still seeing major contracts going to foreign steel manufacturers, most famously the new Trident submarines, which are being built with French steel. Had a British firm been engaged to supply the steel, more than 1,000 jobs would have been supported, but alas, that is not the case. Will the Minister commit to ending the exemption from the guidance of tenders funded through contracts for difference? Will he look at strengthening the guidance better to reflect the social and economic consequences of current procurement decisions? Will he follow the examples set by the Scottish and Welsh Governments and publish future pipelines of projects so that British steel manufacturers can prepare themselves to fulfil future demand?

Fourthly, there is the issue of trade defence mechanisms and Chinese dumping. Whatever else Brexit may mean, it is absolutely vital for the industry that we avoid any sort of punitive restrictions on access to the European market. Last year, more than two thirds of our steel exports went to EU countries and our own steel industry is closely bound up with the Dutch plant at IJmuiden. Our trade defence mechanisms depend so much on what the final Brexit deal looks like, but whether or not we find ourselves bound by the rules of the single market, it is critical that the UK stands up for fair trade globally. While we still have a voice in the European Commission, we should be throwing our weight behind the scrapping of the lesser duty rule, which is hamstringing all efforts to counteract Chinese dumping, and opposing China’s application for market economy status, which will kill those efforts stone dead. Free trade does not mean fair trade and until the Government wake up to that reality, the steel industry will never have the level playing field it is asking for.

On the industrial strategy, the difficulties that the steel industry has with energy prices, business rates, procurement problems and unfair global trading practices are all issues that the Government need to address immediately. There are swords dangling over the industry’s head, but if British steel is going to not just survive but thrive, it needs a proper long-term industrial strategy to put it on the right track for the future. I am glad that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has commissioned research into the future capacity and capability of the steel industry. I and no doubt all of us here are looking forward to its findings next year.

Every job in steel supports three in the supply chain and the industry really is the cutting edge of UK manufacturing. Most of the types of steel being produced were not even in existence 15 years ago. Steel will play a central role in our transition to a low carbon economy if we manage it correctly and it can continue to lead the world in terms of quality and innovation. Will the Minister reassure us that BEIS will put steel at the heart of its industrial strategy?

Steel is not a dying industry. It is not a relic of a bygone era. It may be a proud part of our industrial past, but it also has the potential to be a dynamic part of our economic future. Without it, we will not only have lost an industry—make no mistake—we will have lost our entire manufacturing base. No one is asking for special treatment; we are asking for a level playing field that will allow the industry to move forward with confidence. Four months on since we last debated this issue, the steel industry is still in crisis. I urge the Minister to show more energy than his predecessors and do what it takes to save our steel.

[Mr Clive Betts (in the Chair)]

If the Minister would just allow a few minutes at the end for the wind-up speech, that would be appreciated.