Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a UK steel innovation fund using industry funding returned from the EU Research Fund for Coal and Steel following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union.

The Government recognises the importance of research and development in helping to transform the steel sector as part of the cleaner, greener economy being developed in the UK.

Our ongoing support for the sector’s low-carbon development includes access to over £1 billion in competitive funding to support industry with energy efficiency, decarbonisation, low carbon infrastructure and research and development. This is in addition to the £780m we have provided the steel sector since 2013 to help with energy costs.

The Government will continue to work with the sector to support their long-term transition.