The enterprise secretary has refused to substantiate if the federal government can get the enough uncooked materials provides in time to maintain the blast furnaces at British Steel operating, after it took management of the Chinese-owned plant.
Emergency laws was rushed by way of Parliament on Saturday to stop homeowners Jingye shutting down its two blast furnaces in Scunthorpe.
Asked if he may assure the furnaces would stay open, Jonathan Reynolds mentioned he wouldn’t remark “on the commercial aspect of supply” however the takeover gave an the “opportunity” to acquire the coal wanted.
The authorities beforehand mentioned Jingye had been promoting off uncooked supplies earlier than officers took management of the plant.
Asked a number of occasions by Laura Kuenssberg on whether or not he was certain he would have the ability to get the availability of coal earlier than present shares run out, Reynolds insisted “I’m not going to get into that” however the takeover “was essential to maintaining steel production in the UK”.
Speaking on the programme, Reynolds mentioned the scenario stays “difficult and challenging”.
But Saturday’s emergency laws “enables” the federal government to maintain the blast furnaces working, he mentioned. Once a blast furnace is switched off it turns into extremely tough to restart manufacturing.
“If we hadn’t acted the blast furnaces were gone and in the UK primary steel production would have gone,” he mentioned.
“If we hadn’t acted, you’d be asking how we support the thousands who’ve lost their jobs.”
The Conservatives have criticised the federal government for not stepping in sooner to avoid wasting the plant and shield jobs.
Speaking to the BBC, Tory shadow enterprise secretary Andrew Griffith argued the federal government ought to absolutely nationalise British Steel to clear up any doubts about the way forward for the corporate.
The firm has already “been nationalised” in “substance” by the emergency powers, he argued.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87p3lep19yo