Ann Davies

I rise to speak to amendment 23, tabled in my name, which seeks to strengthen the public interest test that decides when Governments may nationalise steel sites under the Bill. Specifically, it would ensure that nationalisation can and should be used to prevent the loss of jobs in Wales and to prevent the closure of 16 sites in Wales. Why is this change needed? Currently, the public interest test notes three specific factors for when nationalisation powers may be used, two of which are “the construction, maintenance and operation of critical infrastructure in the United Kingdom” and to support “the economy of the United Kingdom or any part of the United Kingdom.” While those provisions could allow the Government to intervene to protect Welsh steel sites, they offer no guarantee that they will. Welsh steel communities know all too well what happens when Governments choose not to act. We have experienced this before. Port Talbot stands as the most painful example, where the blast furnaces were allowed to close in 2024, resulting in thousands of job losses and devastating a community that had a proud history of making steel for over 100 years. Before the closures Wales had the largest steel workforce in the UK, with 9,300 people employed in the sector. The Labour party had several years in opposition prior to entering government; the Government could have developed a plan to nationalise Port Talbot to safeguard jobs, as they have done for British Steel in Scunthorpe. They could have acted, but chose not to. Port Talbot deserved equal treatment. Wales deserves equal treatment. The Welsh economy cannot afford a repeat of the calamity of Port Talbot. The need for certainty is not theoretical. Only recently, last Thursday night, a major fire at Port Talbot caused significant disruption. We are so grateful to the emergency services for acting so quickly, evacuating the area so there were no casualties, but significant damage was caused to the steelworks. We have also learned that the installation of a new electric arc furnace at Port Talbot may be delayed for months because of an electrical connection issue. I believe that is a planning issue with the local authority. These events have not helped the precarious situation at Port Talbot. To safeguard the site and jobs, the Government should make it clear that they will step in to prevent closure or job losses, as a measure of last resort—a position Plaid Cymru has consistently called for. Steel jobs in Wales are not just jobs: they are strategic assets. They are essential for the future of our economy, for major infrastructure projects and for the development of offshore wind in the Celtic sea. They are also the backbone of our communities from one end of Wales to the other. Alongside Port Talbot, Wales is home to the Trostre works in Carmarthenshire, 7 Steel in Cardiff, Tata in Llanwern and the steelworks at Shotton in the north-east of Wales. Each of these sites deserves the same level of protection that is being offered to sites in England. All deserve equality.