Parliament will be recalled on Saturday to debate draft legislation giving the Government “the power to direct steel companies in England” to protect British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant, Downing Street has said.
Both the Commons and the Lords will return for the rare Saturday sitting to debate a law aimed at securing the future of British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant in north Lincolnshire.
Jingye, the Chinese owner of British Steel, plans to close the blast furnaces and switch to a greener form of production.
A Number 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister has been clear, his government will always act in the national interest. All actions we take are in the name of British industry, British jobs and for British workers.
“Tomorrow Parliament will be recalled to debate the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill. The Bill provides the government with the power to direct steel companies in England, which we will use to protect the Scunthorpe site.
“It enables the UK Government to preserve capability and ensure public safety. It also ensures all options remain viable for the future of the plant and the livelihoods it supports.
“We have been negotiating with British Steel’s owners in good faith ever since coming to office. We have always been clear there is a bright future for steel in the UK. All options remain on the table.”
The Commons Saturday sitting will begin at 11am, when MPs will debate “legislative proposals to ensure the continued operation of British Steel blast furnaces is safeguarded”, according to the office of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
The House of Lords will sit from midday.
In an indication of how seriously the Government is taking the issue, this is the first time Parliament has been recalled to sit on a Saturday since 1982, when MPs returned after the Falklands War began.
