Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the potential job losses at British Steel.

The Government is committed to securing a sustainable and competitive future for the UK steel sector.

We understand that this will be a concerning time for British Steel employees following recent discussions between the company and union representatives regarding potential job losses, and we stand ready to support them.

The Government has worked intensively with British Steel on a generous package of support, which, combined with shareholder investment, would help protect jobs and put British Steel on a sustainable and decarbonised footing. Whilst this is ultimately a commercial decision, we urge British Steel to continue discussions with us to reach a solution.