Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Holly Mumby-Croft and Kemi Badenoch

Thursday 2nd May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Holly Mumby-Croft (Scunthorpe) (Con)]

Would it be acceptable if the UK became the only country in the G7 that could not make its own virgin steel?

[Kemi Badenoch]

My hon. Friend will know how committed this Government are to the steel industry, but at the moment it is going through a transition. We care about having primary steel-making capacity in this country—that is something we want to do and to keep, but as she knows, even now we still import ore. I know she is concerned about British Steel and its future. I will be visiting her constituency in Scunthorpe and we will be able to discuss those matters further.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Holly Mumby-Croft and Kemi Badenoch

Thursday 14th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Kemi Badenoch]

I fundamentally disagree with the hon. Gentleman. He mentions Manchester; since October 2022 we have invested £2.6 billion into projects across England and agreed landmark devolution deals for Greater Manchester. He should be speaking to the Mayor of Greater Manchester to find out exactly why all that we are doing is not reaching the people in his constituency.

[Holly Mumby-Croft (Scunthorpe) (Con)]

2. What steps her Department is taking to support the steel industry.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Holly Mumby-Croft and Kemi Badenoch

Thursday 18th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Holly Mumby-Croft (Scunthorpe) (Con)]

8. What steps her Department is taking to support the steel industry.

[The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kemi Badenoch)]

We are actively engaging with the steel industry to secure a positive and sustainable future. Alongside that, my Department announced the British Industry Supercharger in February—a decisive and necessary intervention that will help to reduce energy costs for energy intensive industries such as steel.

[Kemi Badenoch]

I visited the Port Talbot steelworks, and no one there is talking about Labour’s plan; they are talking about what the Government have been doing, and they have been grateful for the support we have provided. It is misleading to call that “historic” when we have been showing continued support for the steel sector. The Government continue to provide that significant financial support, and the steel industry has been able to bid into Government funds worth more than £1 billion to support energy efficiency and decarbonisation.

[Holly Mumby-Croft]

I thank the Secretary of State for her visit to Scunthorpe steelworks. She knows well the challenges that the steel industry is facing. While the British Industry Supercharger was a welcome announcement that I hope will go a long way to putting us on a fairer footing, I am concerned that some of that support might not be fully in place until 2025. Given current concerns, can she do anything to speed that up?

[Kemi Badenoch]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question and for accompanying me on my visit to British Steel last week. We are moving quickly to deliver the supercharger policy. It will reduce energy costs to energy intensive industries, including steel, by around £20 per megawatt hour. She mentioned speed, and we will consult on the capacity market exemption shortly. We intend to bring forward secondary legislation on all three measures around renewable energy obligations and capacity market costs. I will do everything I can to ensure that businesses get the support they need as quickly as they can.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Holly Mumby-Croft and Kemi Badenoch

Monday 25th October 2021 Commons Chamber

[Kemi Badenoch]

I recognise that hon. Members from Stoke-on-Trent are very keen and have thrown their full support behind the levelling-up bids that have been submitted. The bids are being assessed in line with the published assessment process. The outcomes of the first round will be announced this autumn, as we have said, but I cannot comment specifically on his bid.

[Holly Mumby-Croft]

Does my hon. Friend agree that initiatives such as Conservative-run North Lincolnshire Council’s policy of two hours’ free parking are incredibly important for supporting our high streets and town centres? I extend an invitation to her: if she wishes to make use of one of those free parking spaces, we would be very glad to show her our ambitious levelling-up plans.

[Kemi Badenoch]

I agree with my hon. Friend: parking policies are important in supporting high streets to thrive. That is one of the reasons why, in the build back better high streets strategy, we announced a package of measures to make parking more accessible. I thank her for the strong support she has shown for North Lincolnshire’s levelling-up fund bids. She will know that we expect to announce the outcomes later.