Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the (a) national security and (b) economic resilience benefits of a domestic steel industry.

Steel is a key material with many different uses. The UK steel industry represents around 1.2% of total manufacturing output in the UK and underpins a range of domestic industries, across manufacturing, infrastructure and construction. It forms the core of some local communities and economies, directly supporting c.39,000 jobs, and a further c.60,000 jobs in the upstream supply chain[1].

The Government recognises the role that steel plays within the UK economy and is working with the industry on its decarbonisation options and a sustainable future.

[1] ONS and NOMIS Data (2021)