Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 1:43 pm on 9 June 2021.
Thank you for the question. I can reiterate that this Government places a high value on the future of the steel industry as it moves to transition to become a decarbonised steel industry. One of my first external ministerial engagements was the UK Steel Council, engaging with the UK Government and other Governments within the United Kingdom, together with the industry, represented by UK Steel, and the trade union side as well, and there was a recognition of the high value that steel provides, and I welcome the change in tone from the UK Government. If we were having this conversation just a few years ago, we would have been talking in rather more critical terms about the view of the UK Government. The current view from the UK Government is it sees a real value in sustaining the steel industry across the United Kingdom, and I recognise the Member's interest with Liberty, but also other providers and manufacturers here in Wales, and I look forward to continuing to meet those individual employers, as well as meeting them collectively. And I also have in my diary a meeting date with the trade union side to understand how we take forward the steel industry, not if we do so here in Wales.