British Steel to sit on new government council after thousands of job losses
The Steel Council will help steer plans for the industry which will be backed by up to £2.5 billion of investment.
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Your support makes all the difference.The Government has launched a new steel council with members including Tata Steel and British Steel following thousands of job losses in the UK last year.
The Steel Council will help steer plans for the industry which will be backed by up to £2.5bn of investment.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who will chair the council’s first meeting on Tuesday, said steel communities have “had enough of lurching from crisis to crisis”.
The chief executives of Tata Steel and British Steel, along with the GMB Trade Union and devolved government ministers, will be among the members set to meet regularly.
A government release stated the council “will bring together industry figures, experts, trade unions and devolved governments to secure the long-term future of steelmaking in the UK” and underlined their intent to show it “demonstrates the Government’s partnership with industry and trade unions [...] and secure economic growth, delivering on the Plan for Change”.
Last year, Tata Steel said it was replacing traditional blast furnaces with an electric arc furnace at its biggest UK site in Port Talbot, Wales.
Traditional steelmaking ceased in September, with thousands of workers losing their jobs. British Steel also announced it would close blast furnaces in Scunthorpe in 2023, and unveiled plans to roll out a less polluting electric arc furnace. The plans, which are greener but require fewer workers to keep them going, raised fears over potentially thousands of job losses.
The Labour Government has vowed to spend £2.5 billion “to rebuild the steel industry”. The money would sit alongside a separate £500 million package for Tata Steel to part-fund the new steel production at Port Talbot.
The Steel Council, co-chaired by the chairman of Teesside-based Materials Processing Institute, is set to work toward the launch of the Government’s steel strategy in spring.
This strategy is expected to set out how steel capacity can be increased in the UK and how investment decisions can meet demand and boost economic growth.
Other organisations on the council include the British Metals Recycling Association, Liberty Steel, Sheffield Forgemasters and GMB Trade Union, among others. Kate Forbes, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, Scottish Government also sits on the council, as do representatives from Wales and Northern Ireland.
The council will also discuss how to allocate the up to £2.5bn funding.
“The industry and steel communities have had enough of lurching from crisis to crisis – this Government will take the action needed to place steel on a secure footing for the long term,” Mr Reynolds said.
“With the launch of the Steel Council we’re placing workers and local communities at the heart of our plans as we bring forward £2.5 billion of investment to secure growth right across the country.”
Gareth Stace, director general of trade group UK Steel, said: “The establishment of the Steel Council marks a defining moment for the future of steelmaking in Britain.
“The council represents a crucial step towards creating a comprehensive Government steel strategy – one that lays the foundations for a sustainable and resilient industry.”
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