Jessica Morden Jessica Morden - Labour MP for Newport East, PPS to Keir Starmer and Shadow Minister for Wales
Yesterday in Welsh Questions in the House of Commons I asked the Secretary of State for Wales to meet with me urgently to discuss what the Government will do about the proposed closure of Orb.
I asked: “Thank you Mr Speaker the secretary of state talked about manufacturing and the economy earlier. The impact of TATA’s announcement on Monday that its to close Cogent Orb steelworks will be keenly felt in Newport, and its devastating news for workers and their family. Will the Secretary of State meet with me urgently to discuss what the Government will do?”
Alun Cairns MP, Secretary of State for Wales, responded “Absolutely I will agree to meet with the Honourable Lady and work and coordinate our response with her. I recognise the priority she has placed on this operation for some time and highlighted some of the risks and concerns she had some time ago. Yesterday I spoke to Roy Rickhuss from Community Union. I have also naturally spoken to TATA and we are working with BEIS in terms of challenging the issues that TATA are raising, to seek to bring them to the most competitive position possible.”