Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support British legacy industries.

The Industrial Strategy is backing eight growth-driving sectors, and the foundational industries that underpin them, to drive growth and create high quality jobs. This includes action to reduce electricity bills through the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme that will benefit 10,000 manufacturing businesses.

We are investing in skills including through a £182m engineering skills package, have recently launched the first Apprenticeship Units funded through the Growth and Skills Levy, and announced 19 new Technical Excellence Colleges in advanced manufacturing, clean energy and defence, as well as digital and technologies. And we are taking action in our critical foundational industries: the government is providing up to £2.5 billion to the steel sector and the steel strategy aims to return domestic production to around 40-50% of domestic steel demand (up from 30% in 2024).