MORE action is needed to support the steel industry according to two Gwent MPs.

Blaenau Gwent MP Nick Smith and Newport East MP Jessica Morden both pressed the ministers at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy today to protect strategically important steel sites, which includes the Liberty plants in Newport and Tredegar.

An announcement recently came from Liberty that they would sell off sites in the north of England, Midlands and Essex in the wake of the collapse of main financial backer Greensill Capital.

Mr Smith said: “(Liberty owner) Sanjeev Gupta promised that none of our steel plants would close on his watch, but after the Serious Fraud Office descended on his empire, the workforce became afraid for their future.

“The Liberty Steel plant in Tredegar puts food on the table and pays the mortgages of my constituents, and across the country 5,000 families rely on the company. We now need the Government to ensure that these plants remain open, and, crucially, to provide the finance to bridge any transition period should a new buyer or stake purchase be necessary – and, of course, to work with the trade unions to test the commitment of any new buyers.

“If promises are broken, will the secretary of state step in with the finance to support our steel communities?”

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Following up, Ms Morden said: “On behalf of workers at Liberty Steel in Newport, I agree with (Mr Smith) - the hovernment must do all they can to protect these strategic businesses that are very important to our communities.

“Because of that, and because of global overcapacity in steel, it is also critical and very urgent that ministers work with Cabinet colleagues to prevent the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate from slashing our steel safeguards in half, so please will the Government act on that?”

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng responded that the government was monitoring the situation at Liberty Steel closely and said that ministers aimed to “reach a good decision” on steel safeguards on imports following the closure of a consultation on the issue this week. He said he “remained strategically committed to the steel industry and this sector.”