Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) industrial energy costs and (b) import competition on the competitiveness of the steel sector; what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on reducing industrial energy costs for steel producers; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the policy of safeguarding tariffs to tackle the challenges facing the industry.

Our Steel Strategy sets out the action we are taking to improve the competitiveness of the sector, including on energy prices and trade.

We have introduced and expanded schemes to reduce the industrial electricity prices of energy-intensive industries, including steel. These are the British Industry Supercharger and the Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme. From April 2027, the Government will also launch the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, which will include support for some steel companies. My joint portfolio as Minister serving the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero allows me to ensure that the two departments have a joint up approach on these issues.

We are also introducing a new steel trade measure to protect domestic steelmaking, given the sector’s importance to critical national infrastructure and defence and to build more resilience in the supply chain.