Defence

James Cartlidge Excerpts

Monday 27th November 2023 Ministerial Corrections

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

I believe that the ability to make virgin steel is crucial to the UK’s defence capabilities. Does my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State agree?

[James Cartlidge]

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. She has been a long-running champion of the steel sector and its importance to her constituents. Of course, we want a smooth transition between blast furnace and electronic arc steel making technology. Steel remains incredibly important to the defence sector. Take the Type 26: almost 50% of that is British steel. That is 1,400 tonnes per ship. That underlines why it is so important that, in constituencies such as my hon. Friend’s, we continue to support the steel sector.

[Official Report, 20 November 2023, Vol. 741, c. 24.]

Letter of correction from the Minister for Defence Procurement, the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge):

An error has been identified in the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Holly Mumby-Croft).

The correct answer should have been:

[James Cartlidge]

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. She has been a long-running champion of the steel sector and its importance to her constituents. Of course, we want a smooth transition between blast furnace and electronic arc steel making technology. Steel remains incredibly important to the defence sector. Take the Type 26: almost 50% by value of that is British steel. That is 1,400 tonnes per ship. That underlines why it is so important that, in constituencies such as my hon. Friend’s, we continue to support the steel sector.