Steel industry needs urgent action, Edwina Hart says

Tata Steel has cut hundreds of jobs at plants including Port Talbot in a bid to stay competitive

Hundreds more steel jobs could be lost unless the UK government takes urgent action to help the industry, the Welsh economy minister has said.

Edwina Hart, who was attending a crisis summit in Rotherham, warned that high energy costs and cheap imports were threatening plants in Wales.

Tata Steel has said it planned to mothball some operations at Llanwern, Newport, and Shotton, Flintshire.

UK ministers called the summit a chance to show support for a "vital industry".

'Critical point'

"The steel industry in Wales and across the UK continues to be seriously disadvantaged by high energy costs and cheap imports," she said ahead of the summit.

"These combined pressures mean that a number of Wales-based companies are reaching a critical point and jobs are in jeopardy.

"More support to address these matters at a UK level will be key in allowing Welsh businesses to operate on a level playing field, not only in the UK but also within global markets.

"I hope today that we can reach agreement to try to secure a collaborative and sustainable way forward."

Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb described the summit on Friday as an "opportunity to demonstrate our support for this vital industry, which is so important to the Welsh economy".

"I hope the discussions will result in a positive plan of action that will help the steel industry weather what are without question challenging global conditions," he said.