British Steel

Jack Brereton Excerpts
Wednesday 22nd May 2019

(4 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Greg Clark Portrait Greg Clark
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It is important that we consider and act on the impact on the wider supply chain, and the group I propose to bring together to support British Steel will include representatives of the suppliers. I will set out further details of how we might do that in the days ahead.

Jack Brereton Portrait Jack Brereton (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Con)
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Energy-intensive industries like steel and other manufacturers in my constituency of Stoke-on-Trent South have come under increasing pressure from high energy costs. Will my right hon. Friend outline more of the measures that the Government are taking to address those high energy costs?

Greg Clark Portrait Greg Clark
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The ceramics industry shares the concerns of the steel industry in needing relief from high energy costs. The industrial energy transformation fund is available to the ceramics industry, and I hope it will come forward with proposals that can reduce energy consumption and, in that way, reduce energy bills, so making industry more competitive—that applies to ceramics as it does to steel.