Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority into the proposed merger between Vodafone and Three Mobile.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
Merger investigations undertaken by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are independent of Government. The CMA is directly accountable to Parliament.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the links between the Li family and the Chinese state on the proposed merger of Three Mobile with Vodafone.
Answered by Alan Mak
The Government has the power to review mergers and acquisitions through the National Security and Investment Act to ensure the most sensitive sectors of our economy are protected. It would be inappropriate to comment on private individuals.
The Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office has issued a Final Order in respect of the proposed Vodafone Three merger, allowing the transaction to proceed subject to the introduction of proportionate measures to address national security concerns.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what comparative assessment she has made of trends in the levels of steel production between (a) the UK and (b) European Union Member States.
Answered by Alan Mak
In the latest data made available by the World Steel Association, the UK is estimated to have produced 6 million tonnes of crude steel. Crude steel production for the 27 EU member states is estimated at 136 million tonnes.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to help increase domestic steel production.
Answered by Alan Mak
The Government recognises the vital role that steel plays within the UK and has taken steps to increase competitiveness and a level playing field. We have provided over £730 million in energy cost relief since 2013; the British Industry Supercharger is now in place to reduce energy costs. The sector has been able to bid for Government funds worth hundreds of millions of pounds to support energy efficiency and decarbonisation, and we have announced a joint £1.25bn investment project with Tata Steel.
We have a robust trade remedies framework to protect domestic industries, including steel, from unfair trading practices and unforeseen surges in imports. Last April, we published an updated public procurement note to help the UK steel sector be well positioned when competing for public contracts. The Government is consulting on a UK CBAM to tackle carbon leakage risk.