Oral Answers to Questions

Marie Tidball Excerpts

Tuesday 20th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Torsten Bell]

I did not know where that was going, but I know that I speak for everybody in the House when I say that the whole country needs someone like the hon. Gentleman’s mother.

[Dr Marie Tidball (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Lab)]

16. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help increase economic growth in South Yorkshire.

[Baggy Shanker (Derby South) (Lab/Co-op)]

18. What steps she has taken to help increase economic growth in Derby.

[The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)]

Kick-starting economic growth is this Government’s No. 1 mission. From the next financial year, South Yorkshire combined authority will receive a single flexible funding pot through its integrated settlement, and the East Midlands combined authority will benefit from a new advanced manufacturing and logistics park, unlocking up to £1 billion of investment. Both areas will benefit from £240 million of investment towards trailblazers to tackle economic inactivity.

[Dr Tidball]

The speciality steel site at Stocksbridge in my constituency has a strategically significant, highly specialist capability to produce world-leading steel that is crucial to our national defence, aerospace and energy industries. The site employs 650 people and has an excellent skills training centre. I welcome the Government’s £2.5 billion commitment to our UK steel industry. What discussions has the Chancellor had with the Department for Business and Trade to ensure that the Government do everything they can to secure the British steel industry by using our domestic steel assets productively, and in particular the Stocksbridge speciality steel site?

[Rachel Reeves]

Although I will not get into detailed discussions about one individual company, last year the Government set out the £2.5 billion steel fund in the Budget to preserve and grow steel manufacturing in the UK. In the trade deals we have secured with the US and with the EU in the last couple of weeks, we have reduced tariffs on steel exports, which will be good for the British steel industry.