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Lord Sarwar (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 15 September 2026

Debate

Speciality Steel UK

Contribution

I thank the noble Lord for his questions. Let me reassure him that my noble friend will continue to fact-check me on a regular basis in the absence of him answering questions directly. The workforce is fundamental to this. We will of course make decisions based on what it means for production, GDP, growth and broader calculations, but for these communities—either those working directly at these sites or those relying on them for employment indirectly—this is their everyday life. Many of the sites, particularly Speciality Steel UK, are in some of the most deprived communities in the country. Therefore, it is important that we work right across government, including the Department for Education and the DWP, as well as with BIS colleagues, the local authority and the broader mayoral and regional authorities, to make sure that, where we can, we are protecting these jobs and provide reskilling opportunities. To the noble Lord’s final point, we have to make sure that the next generation also feels that this is a sector in which they want to train and then work, because that too is very much a part of having a sustainable steel future for the UK.

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