Community welcomes progress of Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill

Community welcomes the news that the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill has successfully completed its passage through the House of Commons.

This piece of legislation, which will now be scrutinised in the House of Lords, will grant the Government new powers to intervene in the steel industry subject to a public interest test.

The public interest test will be whether the Secretary of State is satisfied that nationalisation is in the interest of Britain’s economic resilience, national security or critical infrastructure.

While nationalisation is not intended as a permanent resolution, the Bill will allow for speedy intervention in British Steel, the operator of the UK’s two remaining blast furnaces, which were almost shut down until the Government intervened through emergency legislation in April 2025.

Assistant General Secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said:

“Community is pleased that the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill has secured the backing of MPs and will now be scrutinised in the House of Lords.

“This legislation, which allows for Government intervention when in the public interest, can safeguard Britain’s domestic steel production and the high-quality jobs it provides in our communities.

“Steel is a foundation industry, crucial to Britain’s economy, and securing its long-term future is of great national importance.”

National Secretary for Steel, Paul McKenna said:

“This Bill will allow the Labour Government to take full control of British Steel, a steel business of major significance as the operator of the UK’s two remaining blast furnaces.

“The industry has experienced significant structural challenges over the years, and it is vital that Government has the tools to intervene where necessary to protect the UK’s strategic steelmaking capacity.”