9. Urgent Question: Tata Steel

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:14 pm on 7 December 2016.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 6:14, 7 December 2016

I’d like to thank the Member for his questions and say that it most certainly does just that, and I’m surely not the only Member in this Chamber to have family employed within the Tata steelworks estate. Today marks a very significant moment in terms of giving security to many people who have lived the past year in a constant state of anxiety about their future employment.

In terms of our engagement with UK Government, the Member is absolutely right. We will continue to press UK Government Ministers to support steel in the UK, and I will be meeting tomorrow with the UK Government Minister Nick Hurd, who is Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry to discuss Tata Steel and the support that we now expect of the UK Government. We certainly expect the UK Government to take action in terms of energy costs and on research and development to ensure that the steel industry is sustainable for the long-term future. I will also be leaving the Chamber to go to speak by video-conference with Bimlendra Jha, and I will be raising the issues that you pointed out concerning the crucial role that Ratan Tata could play in easing tensions and reinstating trust within the workforce for Tata.

In terms of our engagement with ThyssenKrupp, I would now be very pleased to engage with them. It’s our expectation that the conditions that we have laid out for our support and the support that I hope to be announcing in the coming days would have to stand any merger, and would have to be conditional on any ongoing support. In terms of procurement, David Rees is aware of the work stream, and is part of the steel taskforce that has been looking into this area to ensure that we can exploit every and any opportunity in terms of public procurement projects and infrastructure projects. I do believe that, with the package of support that we are offering, with the potential support that UK Government could and, in my view, should bring forward, steel making in Wales and the UK has a very bright future from today onwards.