Parliament will be recalled tomorrow to discuss British Steel
The future of almost 3,000 workers at the Scunthorpe plant is in doubt after Jingye who own British Steel launched a consultation on the proposed closure of the blast furnaces
Last updated 11th Apr 2025
MPs will be brought back from their Easter holiday tomorrow - to discuss British Steel which is based in Scunthorpe.
Earlier in the week, Sir Keir Starmer insisted all options were on the table for the future of the Scunthorpe plant, with suggestions the UK could nationalise the company.
The owner of Britain's last operating blast furnaces has cancelled future orders of raw materials, prompting fears it could be forced to close as early as next month.
It is the first recall of Parliament on a Saturday since 1982
The Speaker of the House of Commons has granted a request from the Government to recall the House at 11:00 on 12th April.
It will debate draft legislation giving the Government "the power to direct steel companies in England" to protect British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, Downing Street has said.
Both the Commons and the Lords will return for the rare Saturday sitting to debate a law aimed at securing the future of British Steel's Scunthorpe plant in north Lincolnshire.
Jingye, the Chinese owner of British Steel, plans to close the blast furnaces and switch to a greener form of production.
A Number 10 spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister has been clear, his government will always act in the national interest. All actions we take are in the name of British industry, British jobs and for British workers.
"Tomorrow Parliament will be recalled to debate the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill. The Bill provides the government with the power to direct steel companies in England, which we will use to protect the Scunthorpe site.
"It enables the UK Government to preserve capability and ensure public safety. It also ensures all options remain viable for the future of the plant and the livelihoods it supports.
"We have been negotiating with British Steel's owners in good faith ever since coming to office. We have always been clear there is a bright future for steel in the UK. All options remain on the table."
The Commons Saturday sitting will begin at 11am, when MPs will debate "legislative proposals to ensure the continued operation of British Steel blast furnaces is safeguarded", according to the office of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
The House of Lords will sit from midday.
In an indication of how seriously the Government is taking the issue, this is the first time Parliament has been recalled to sit on a Saturday since 1982, when MPs returned after the Falklands War began.
A Scunthorpe Steel worker who says shutting down the blast furnaces would 'rip the heart out' of the town is hopeful the government will save its future.
Tony Gosling is a worker at the site and a rep for community union:
"A lot of steelworkers although they are fearful for the future there is hope there because we know things are going on in the background to try and keep Scunthorpe steelworks safe and secure going forward into the future with the blast furnaces".
Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB Union National Officer, said:
“GMB has long called for nationalisation as the only way to save the UK steel industry.
“Tomorrow looks like the first step in that process
“The Business Secretary must be given huge praise for acting decisively to safeguard this vital industry and the thousands of jobs that rely on it.”