UK Steel Industry
Debate between Kevin Brennan and Stephen Kinnock(8 years, 9 months ago)
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Stephen Kinnock
I agree entirely. I feel that our Government are not acting as they should because they are driven by a dogmatic, laissez-faire ideology that has nothing to do with standing up for British steel, British industry and the British economy. That laissez-faire ideology will never enable us to act as we should.
Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)
It is worse than standing still. Over the past few years, the British Government have led a blocking minority on further reform of trade defence mechanisms. They are still doing so, despite Ministers’ denials in the Chamber. The Minister should explain to the House and the country why they are doing that.
Stephen Kinnock
An explanation would be very much in order. My hon. Friend makes a very interesting point about something I will come to shortly: market economy status for China. How is it possible for the Government to justify on the one hand saying, “We are standing up for British steel and British industry,” and on the other being China’s chief cheerleader in Europe and actively agitating for it to have market economy status? I look forward to the Minister’s explanation of that entirely illogical and unjustifiable position.
Kevin Brennan
Indeed. We need to know what is going on regarding market economy status. Let us have some transparency from the Minister. I visited Brussels last week with the shadow Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Ms Eagle), to talk to officials, including Britain’s European Commissioner, to whom my hon. Friend the Member for Aberavon referred, along with representatives from UKRep, officials from the Commission and Members of the European Parliament. Following that visit, it was absolutely clear to us that the UK Government have the door to Chinese market economy status wide open.
Stephen Kinnock
Another important avenue to explore is exactly what deal the Prime Minister did with President Xi Jinping on the China visit.
Kevin Brennan
Indeed. I am not sure whether the Minister was party to that deal, but it would be interesting to hear what she knows about it.
As hon. Members have said, the Government must give a much clearer signal about their position on the minimum strategic capacity of the British steel industry.