Margaret Ferrier
Main Page: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Sajid Javid
I agree with the hon. Gentleman that the steel industry is absolutely vital. It is important for our economic security and our national security, and that is why the Government will do everything we can and leave no stone unturned in our attempts to find a long-term, sustainable solution for Tata’s assets in the UK.
Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (SNP)
The steel industry has been crying out for the lesser duty rule to be scrapped, but the Government have shown utter reluctance to do that. UK Steel recently brought forward a possible pragmatic solution to the lesser duty issue to change how tariffs are calculated without necessarily scrapping the rule outright. What is the Secretary of State’s response to that proposal?
Sajid Javid
There was a meeting of the EU trade council last week, which the Minister for Trade and Investment attended. We think that improvements could be made to the trade defence mechanisms, particularly around speeding up investigations and reviewing how duties are calculated. We do not think that there is evidence to support changing the lesser duty rule, but further improvements can be made.