Oral Answers to Questions

Sarah Champion Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Champion (Rotherham) (Lab)]

What his long-term policy is on support for British steel production.

[The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Kwasi Kwarteng)]

I thank the hon. Lady for meeting me on 10 March to discuss this vital issue. It is of course a commercially sensitive matter that the Government are monitoring extremely closely.

[Sarah Champion [V]]

I thank the Secretary of State for that response, but more than 5,000 workers at Liberty Steel, including 900 in Rotherham, are facing an uncertain future following the collapse of Greensill Capital. Will the Secretary of State now commit, as other Governments in Europe have done, to step in, if necessary, to safeguard this vital strategic industry?

[Kwasi Kwarteng]

The hon. Lady will know that in my meetings with management and relevant union leaders, I have always stressed that the management plans need to be worked through. We are monitoring the situation extremely closely. The hon. Lady will know that I have a direct interest in the future of Liberty Steel.