Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the special measures on the competitiveness of other UK steel manufacturers not subject to intervention under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act.

The Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act gives the Government the power to direct British Steel, and its workforce, to keep the blast furnaces running safely. Our priorities remain continuing production, stabilising operations and remedying critical health and safety issues.

Competition between British Steel and other UK producers is limited, as they typically manufacture different types of steel products and serve distinct markets. The intervention is narrowly targeted and temporary, aimed at safeguarding national capability rather than conferring a commercial advantage. An impact assessment will be published in due course, following Regulatory Policy Committee scrutiny.