, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
So, does it fundamentally come down to—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
You have a team of people behind you and you have many people to call on. You can look at global—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
You and I are coming at this from different directions, because you're saying, 'If Tata had come to the table and had done this.' What I'm saying is: isn't it the role of UK Government to say, 'We can identify where there would be potentials, and we should be…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Right. So, that one's gone.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
You sounded on repeated occasions today, saying this is not the main reason, but this will help us decarbonise.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
So, we'll discount that one.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Indeed. Somebody will have to do it.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Secretary of State, it's genuinely been illuminating having you in front of us today, and I really appreciate it, I really do. And I think all of us would agree that any job saved is better than having no jobs at all, any steel production is better than…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Thank you.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
It was the key thing of this proactive industrial approach from the UK Government, which you pretty much ruled out in your earlier answers.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
I would simply say that in every case where we have saved jobs in Wales—. Some we've lost, but in every case where we've saved jobs in Wales, the Secretary of State and the Welsh Government have been at that table and have contributed in whatever way. And it…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
So, whose decision was it not to include the Welsh Government?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
I fully understand that, but your suggestion, your implication, is that the Welsh Government could not be trusted not to leak.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
So, the Welsh Government's role would have been insignificant, so, as such, they're not included.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Okay. In hindsight, would it have been better to involve the Welsh Government within this? Because not only have they had that long history of productive and constructive involvement with Tata Steel and other steel operators throughout Wales, but also, they…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
But you weren't discussing the closure; you were discussing how to save jobs.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
So, on that basis, the Welsh Government was told by who that—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
So, they were not included in this because closure was on the table. Is that what you're saying?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
So, they were debarred on the basis—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
But they were free to engage in things to keep it open, which is what you were engaged with.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Were those the terms? Was it closure?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Thank you, Chair. Secretary for State, it's really good to have you with us today. It’s slightly odd, the line of questioning question I’m going to go at, because as you say, you weren’t in the negotiations—there was another one of your Cabinet colleagues in…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
But you said the supply chain. The supply chain is also an important point.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Yes, indeed. I don't want to belabour the points that are being made very eloquently and the fact that other Governments are stepping in and investing in other technologies, but you mentioned there specifically that this will protect some of the jobs and also…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with Environmental organisations
So, what you're challenging, then, once again, is the substantive material decisions that have been made, as opposed to the process. What the Welsh Government is trying to put in place is a process so that everybody can have their say and it's streamlined and…
