Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of maintaining continuity in specialist steel production in response to the lengthy accreditation and homologation processes required by customers in the (1) automotive, (2) aerospace, and (3) defence sectors.

The Government recognises that accreditation and homologation processes in the automotive, aerospace and defence sectors can take time, making the continuity of specialist steel capability important to customers and national resilience. We are working towards the public acquisition of Speciality Steel UK to preserve strategic control and enable all credible options for its future to be assessed. No final decisions have yet been taken. Options will be considered thoroughly, including on their economic and industrial benefits, contribution to regional growth and national resilience, and value for money.