Overview

• Parliament was recalled for a rare Saturday session to pass the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill, enabling the government to take control of British Steel's Scunthorpe operations.
• The legislation allows the government to direct the company's board, order raw materials, and enforce compliance with criminal penalties for executives who fail to cooperate.
• British Steel's Chinese owner, Jingye Group, planned to close the Scunthorpe plant citing unsustainable losses of £700,000 per day, prompting urgent government intervention.
• The closure of the plant would leave the UK without the ability to produce virgin steel, a critical industrial and national security asset.
• While the bill stops short of full nationalisation, government officials acknowledge public ownership may become necessary if private investment cannot be secured.