John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con): Will the Secretary of State look at finding a long-term, cheap energy solution for Port Talbot, which is crucial? What constraints is the European Union placing on aid to the steel industry?
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) (Mr Sajid Javid): I can give that commitment to my right hon. Friend, who speaks with a great deal of experience both of Wales and of business. He is right to identify energy as an issue. I do not believe that the constraints are coming from the EU, and we have demonstrated that there is action that we can take, but there is more that we can do. My right hon. Friend has good ideas and I look forward to discussing them with him further.
April 13, 2016
A coincidence that my idea for government to take part ownership of Port Talbot is being considered or does Sajid Javid read your articles? Interesting that at Scunthorpe the work force is going to take a pay cut. Precisely what workers have to do if competition is killing off their industry especially if they cannot find alternative employment locally and are not prepared to move elsewhere to find it.
Of course Ed Milliband and the EU have a lot to answer for for firstly implement policies that make UK energy costs so unnecessarily high. Secondly for tying the UK’s hands so that government is constrained in what assistance it can give to it’s own businesses and how they regulate them. Thereby making them less viable and competitive than they should be.