Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered increasing the size of the Steel Fund, in the context of funding allocated to the running of British Steel under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are committed to providing up to £2.5bn for steel which is being delivered in part through the National Wealth Fund.
At the Spending Review, the Chancellor confirmed that we will invest in the long-term future of Scunthorpe. We have been clear that private investment to modernise British Steel will also be required and work continues at pace to develop the optimal approach. Over £100m of funding has been provided to British Steel to ensure continued operation of the blast furnaces.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to replace the import safeguard quotas for steel when they expire in June 2026.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Steel is a top priority for this Government and we recognise the continuing challenges facing the UK steel industry – driven by persistent overcapacity and unfair trading practices.
We will ensure there is a plan in place for the UK steel industry following the expiry of the global safeguard measure on certain steel imports next year. That is why we launched a Call for Evidence on Steel Trade Measures on the 26th of June to inform the design of any potential trade measures, including appropriate tariff rates and quota levels.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has set a cap on the amount of funding he will allocate to the running of British Steel in the next three financial years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Funding is provided to British Steel under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act. This funding is intended to ensure the safe and continued operation of the blast furnaces. The intervention is a temporary measure and work is continuing to determine the best long-term sustainable future for the site.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he next plans to conduct a national security assessment of (a) British Steel and (b) the wider UK steel industry.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is conducting a range of assessments and analysis to inform future options for British Steel and our strategy for the steel industry. Matters relating to national security are under constant review. We do not comment on the timing or content of any assessments.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to include measures to help protect steelmakers from subsidised steel imports from (a) China and (b) the wider Far East in the forthcoming trade strategy.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Steel is a top priority for this government. The UK applies 10 anti-dumping measures and two anti-subsidy measures on steel imports from China, and a safeguard measure on global imports for 14 steel categories. This measure was adjusted on 30 June to provide more effective protection for domestic producers.
On 26 June the government published its Trade Strategy, announcing we will sharpen our trade defence toolkit to better protect critical sectors, such as steel, from harm. Alongside this we launched the Steel Trade Measures Call for Evidence to prepare us for the expiry of the steel safeguard in June 2026.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what support mechanisms he is considering for the UK steel industry should the criteria for removing export tariffs on shipments to the US not be met.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s priority remains the swift implementation of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal to enable UK businesses to export steel and aluminium to the United States without incurring Section 232 tariffs. We are engaged in active and constructive discussions with our US counterparts to this end.
The Government has also taken major action on areas crucial for the sector, including slashing electricity costs, changing procurement rules to ensure UK-made-steel is considered for all public projects and opening a Call for Evidence on future trade measures. More detailed information on support for the sector can be found in a press release published on 03 July.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to provide funding for legal advice for Sub-Postmasters pursuing compensation claims.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade meets the reasonable legal costs of postmasters in applying to its Horizon redress schemes, and encourages claimants to take up this offer. Legal cost frameworks and tariffs for each scheme delivered by the Department have been agreed and published following discussions with claimants’ legal representatives. Post Office provides funding for reasonable legal fees to help claimants on the Horizon Shortfall Scheme to consider offers made by the independent panel, with further legal support available should they choose to dispute or appeal their offer.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) fairness and (b) efficiency of the Horizon compensation schemes.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As of 2 June 2025, over £1 billion has been paid to over 7,300 claimants across the 4 horizon schemes. This represents a fourfold increase since July 2024, with more than 4,500 victims receiving compensation for the first time.
Claims for Horizon redress are assessed by applying the specific facts of the individual cases to established legal principles and any other factors which support reaching a fair outcome. Across each scheme, claimants have the option of accepting a fixed-sum offer or requesting a detailed assessment. Where a claimant is not satisfied with an offer for redress, the offer may be appealed. On the Group Litigation Order scheme, disputed offers would be assessed by an independent panel and in some circumstances, an independent reviewer.
We continue to seek options to speed up redress, in discussion with the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what criteria his Department is using to calculate compensation offers made to Sub-Postmasters impacted by the Horizon scandal.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Claims for Horizon redress are assessed by applying the specific facts of the individual cases to established legal principles and any other factors which support reaching a fair outcome. Assessment criteria for the individual redress schemes are published by the Department for Business and Trade and the Post Office.
Across each scheme, claimants have the option of accepting a fixed-sum offer or requesting a detailed assessment.
Where a claimant is not satisfied with an offer for redress, the offer may be appealed. On the Group Litigation Order (GLO) scheme, disputed offers would be assessed by an independent panel and in some circumstances, an independent reviewer.
As of 2 June 2025, over £1 billion has been paid to over 7,300 claimants across the 4 horizon schemes.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of British Steel entering liquidation during or after the period of special measures under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 on creditors; and what mechanisms are available for them to recover outstanding debts.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It would be a breach of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act for British Steel to be put into liquidation while the special measures are in place. Prior to the Act becoming law, the Government undertook assessments of the potential cost to the public purse should British Steel enter insolvency. These assessments would be updated in the unlikely event that liquidation became a serious prospect.
Creditors of British Steel whose credit predates the special measures are protected by the security interests they obtained at the time their credit was advanced. Any parties wishing to extend credit to British Steel during the currency of the special measures will need to consider the most suitable arrangements upon which they would be willing to do so. British Steel management and DBT can discuss any such proposals as the need arises.