Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to support the steel industry in Wales.

The Government is committed to a UK steel industry and a decarbonised future, supporting local economic growth and our levelling-up agenda. That is why the Government has provided over £500 million to the sector in recent years to help with the costs of electricity as well as announced a £250m Clean Steel Fund to support the sector’s transition to lower carbon iron and steel production. Moreover, our unprecedented package of COVID-19 support remains available to protect jobs and ensure that the industry has the right support during this challenging time.

The Government fully recognises the importance of steelmaking in Wales. In July 2020, the Government provided Celsa with a commercial loan, which secured over 1000 jobs, including more than 800 positions at the company’s main sites in South Wales. We also continue to work closely with Tata as it shapes its business strategy to support the future of high-quality steelmaking in Port Talbot.