I was pleased to attend the launch of the UK Steel Charter in Parliament today and show my support for our steel industry.

The UK Steel Charter – which has been developed by UK Steel, the trade association representing steel manufacturers in Britain – encourages the industry and government bodies to target procurement policies towards the use of UK-produced steel. The Welsh Government became the first signatory of the charter last week.

The UK Government following the Welsh Labour Government’s lead and signing up to the UK Steel Charter is a welcome step in the right direction, but it cannot act as a substitute for meaningful action on some of the key issues affecting the sector across the country – energy costs, procurement policies, and protections for steel exports and supply chains across Europe after Brexit.