British Steel: Scunthorpe MP challenges ministers on blast furnace plans

British Steel is planning to close its blast furnaces at Scunthorpe

Scunthorpe's MP has urged ministers to guarantee steel can continue to be made in the UK amid concerns over British Steel's plans to close blast furnaces.

Unions fear up to 2,000 jobs could be lost in the town due to switching to zero-carbon electric arc furnaces.

Asking an urgent question in the Commons on Wednesday, Conservative MP Holly Mumby-Croft said: "I do not support these moves."

British Steel said the plans were subject to support from the government.

Chief executive Xijun Cao said the company was not able to keep the blast furnaces and meet environmental commitments.

Scunthorpe MP Holly Mumby-Croft sought assurances from the government that steel could still be made in the UK

Addressing business minister Nus Ghani, Ms Mumby-Croft said she had previously received assurances from the government over the need for the UK to retain a virgin steel capability for strategic reasons.

She said: "British Steel is a private company and they can make business decisions as they see fit, but I am clear if they are seeking hundreds of millions of pounds of public money then the Government must leverage this money to protect steelworkers' jobs and maintain our sovereign capability to make steel in the UK.

"Electric arc furnaces melt scrap. To make virgin steel from scratch, we need blast furnaces. Can she tell the House how the UK will make virgin steel if all our blast furnaces are decommissioned? Can she tell us how many countries in the G20 are unable to make their own virgin steel?

"Would the government be comfortable with us being entirely dependent on foreign imports for the virgin steel we will continue to need in this country?"

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Ms Ghani said she believed "there's a strong place for virgin steel production in this country".

The minister said the government was "in the middle of very live negotiations" and it is a "commercial decision" for British Steel, adding: "Our primary focus is to safeguard the sector and safeguard jobs, including in her constituency."

Ms Ghani added: "We must recognise this is a proposal - many things have to fall into place for these proposals to become accurate plans, not only issues around planning, but also for our negotiations to conclude as well."

Scunthorpe's steelworks dominate the skyline

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said Labour supported the transition to green steel, adding: "We believe electric arc furnaces are part of the solution, but we do not believe they can be the only solution.

"Specifically, we believe the retention of primary - or virgin - steelmaking in the United Kingdom is a matter of economic necessity and of national security."

Watch Holly Mumby-Croft, MP for Scunthorpe, address the House of Commons

Conservative former minister Sir Edward Leigh, who is MP for Gainsborough, raised concerns about national security, telling the Commons: "There is no other major developed country in the world who is giving up their traditional blast furnaces - the only way you can make virgin steel."