Part of 3. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 3:02 pm on 31 January 2023.
I'm grateful to the Minister for his answer and, also, to the Welsh Government for their continued support for the steel industry in Wales. The Minister has joined me on many occasions at Shotton Steel in my own constituency, which proves that you understand the importance of Welsh steel and you understand the importance of Shotton having a supply of green steel.
Minister, industry partners like Tata Steel and the trade unions, such as Unite the Union and the Community union—and I declare that I'm a member of both trade unions, Deputy Presiding Officer—have both been calling for the UK Government to invest in the sector through ensuring that energy prices are competitive with competing nations and, also, to invest in the decarbonisation of plants. Now, the £600 million offered by the UK Government is simply not enough; that was the clear message of concern during the cross-party group on steel last night. We know that you'll be joining the cross-party group on steel some time in future. We're yet to hear from the Prime Minister, or the last three Prime Ministers, in response to our letters, which, perhaps, is no surprise. But, Minister, will you continue to lead calls for meaningful investment from the UK Government in the Welsh steel industry?