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| Tata Steel jobs: David Cameron chairs crisis meeting | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Prime Minister David Cameron is hosting crisis talks on the UK steel industry amid mounting pressure on ministers to guarantee the future of the Port Talbot steelworks and its 5,500 staff. | |
| Ministers meeting in Downing Street will agree a response to Tata Steel's plan to sell the plant in south Wales. | Ministers meeting in Downing Street will agree a response to Tata Steel's plan to sell the plant in south Wales. |
| It is understood the government wants reassurance Tata Steel will not close its plants before a buyer is found. | |
| Labour has urged ministers to "get their act" together and step in now. | Labour has urged ministers to "get their act" together and step in now. |
| While stopping short of calling for Tata Steel's UK business - which directly employs 15,000 workers and supports thousands of others - to be taken into permanent public ownership, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said the government must intervene to safeguard its future. | While stopping short of calling for Tata Steel's UK business - which directly employs 15,000 workers and supports thousands of others - to be taken into permanent public ownership, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said the government must intervene to safeguard its future. |
| Analysis: Warning over defence impact | Analysis: Warning over defence impact |
| What next for Tata Steel workers? | What next for Tata Steel workers? |
| Port Talbot closure 'could hit 15,000' | Port Talbot closure 'could hit 15,000' |
| A Labour petition calling for Parliament to be recalled to discuss the situation has obtained more than 85,000 signatures but the government has ruled out the move. | A Labour petition calling for Parliament to be recalled to discuss the situation has obtained more than 85,000 signatures but the government has ruled out the move. |
| Talk of nationalising the works has been downplayed but the government may offer to help to engineer a sale. | |
| The Port Talbot plant is said to be losing £1m a day. Steel production makes up 1% of Britain's manufacturing output and 0.1% of the country's economic output. | |
| The BBC's deputy political editor James Landale said the government had been "caught on the hop" by Tata Steel's decision to put the plant and the rest of its loss-making UK steel business, including plants in Rotherham, Corby and Shotton, up for sale. | The BBC's deputy political editor James Landale said the government had been "caught on the hop" by Tata Steel's decision to put the plant and the rest of its loss-making UK steel business, including plants in Rotherham, Corby and Shotton, up for sale. |
| The government says it is considering "all options" for the Port Talbot plant amid concerns that Tata Group, its Indian parent firm, will not let the search for a buyer drag on too long. | |
| The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said there was anxiety in government that Tata wants to shut down its plants rather than sell them to a competitor. | |
| Ministers have been unable to secure a promise from Tata over how long they will allow the plants to remain open, our correspondent added. | |
| 'Human cost' | 'Human cost' |
| Business Secretary Sajid Javid, who cut short an official visit to Australia to return to the UK, said nationalisation was "not a long-term solution". | Business Secretary Sajid Javid, who cut short an official visit to Australia to return to the UK, said nationalisation was "not a long-term solution". |
| But he insisted the government regards steel as a strategically important sector and recognises the "human cost" that any disruption to production in Port Talbot would cause. | But he insisted the government regards steel as a strategically important sector and recognises the "human cost" that any disruption to production in Port Talbot would cause. |
| It is understood the government is looking at offering loan guarantees to potential buyers and much tighter rules on procurement to ensure major British projects are obliged to buy British steel. | It is understood the government is looking at offering loan guarantees to potential buyers and much tighter rules on procurement to ensure major British projects are obliged to buy British steel. |
| Mr Cameron, who returned to London on Wednesday following an Easter break in Spain, has spoken to Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones to offer his support at an "extremely worrying time". | Mr Cameron, who returned to London on Wednesday following an Easter break in Spain, has spoken to Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones to offer his support at an "extremely worrying time". |
| A government spokesman said Thursday's meeting - to be attended by ministers and senior officials from the Treasury, Department for Business, Cabinet Office and Welsh Office - would focus on providing a "sustainable long-term future" for the steel sector. | A government spokesman said Thursday's meeting - to be attended by ministers and senior officials from the Treasury, Department for Business, Cabinet Office and Welsh Office - would focus on providing a "sustainable long-term future" for the steel sector. |
| On a visit to the Port Talbot steelworks on Wednesday, Mr Corbyn attacked Tata Group for regarding their workers as "expendable" and accused ministers of sending mixed messages about the possibility of a government rescue. | On a visit to the Port Talbot steelworks on Wednesday, Mr Corbyn attacked Tata Group for regarding their workers as "expendable" and accused ministers of sending mixed messages about the possibility of a government rescue. |
| "Anna Soubry said yesterday she was considering public ownership; Sajid Javid apparently called from a plane to say he wasn't. | "Anna Soubry said yesterday she was considering public ownership; Sajid Javid apparently called from a plane to say he wasn't. |
| "The prime minister has said he wasn't going to recall Parliament and they are now having an emergency meeting. I wish they would get their act together." | "The prime minister has said he wasn't going to recall Parliament and they are now having an emergency meeting. I wish they would get their act together." |
| Labour has said the Port Talbot plant, which was privatised in the 1980s as part of the sale of British Steel, should be temporarily renationalised if no buyer comes forward and it faces closure. | Labour has said the Port Talbot plant, which was privatised in the 1980s as part of the sale of British Steel, should be temporarily renationalised if no buyer comes forward and it faces closure. |
| Shadow chancellor John McDonnell told BBC Radio 5 Live the government "should nationalise to stabilise" and "bring forward the support that was expected in this budget and didn't happen" about reducing business rates. | |
| Defence repercussions | Defence repercussions |
| Labour MP Stephen Kinnock has called for an immediate injection of government money to ensure plant - which is in his Aberavon constituency - keeps going while its future lies in the balance. | Labour MP Stephen Kinnock has called for an immediate injection of government money to ensure plant - which is in his Aberavon constituency - keeps going while its future lies in the balance. |
| A number of Eurosceptic Conservative MPs have said the government should not rule out subsidising the industry. This would be in contravention of EU rules restricting so-called state aid. | A number of Eurosceptic Conservative MPs have said the government should not rule out subsidising the industry. This would be in contravention of EU rules restricting so-called state aid. |
| And former business secretary Vince Cable told the BBC's Newsnight that state ownership would be justified in "very limited circumstances", while warning that "in the best case scenario there will be lots of redundancies". | And former business secretary Vince Cable told the BBC's Newsnight that state ownership would be justified in "very limited circumstances", while warning that "in the best case scenario there will be lots of redundancies". |
| Venture capitalist Jon Moulton, who tried to rescue MG Cars when it was put up for sale by BMW, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that saving the plants was "probably mission impossible" as a "very, very large amount of money would need to go in to come up with any chance of a way forward". | |
| There are also warnings that the end of steel production in Port Talbot would severely undermine Britain's defence capability and its status as a leading military power. | There are also warnings that the end of steel production in Port Talbot would severely undermine Britain's defence capability and its status as a leading military power. |
| Lord West, a former First Sea Lord, has argued that all countries that are members of the UN Security Council have major steel plants to support their defence industry. | Lord West, a former First Sea Lord, has argued that all countries that are members of the UN Security Council have major steel plants to support their defence industry. |
| "I cannot think of another major military power that doesn't have its own indigenous steel production capabilities," he told the BBC. | "I cannot think of another major military power that doesn't have its own indigenous steel production capabilities," he told the BBC. |
| Do you work at the Port Talbot steel plant? How will the plans to sell it affect you and your family? Let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories. | Do you work at the Port Talbot steel plant? How will the plans to sell it affect you and your family? Let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |