British Steel emergency law debate - LIVE updates as Parliament recalled and MPs vote on plan to save Scunthorpe plant

Parliament was being recalled on a Saturday for the first time in more than 40 years today (April 12) to debate the future of British Steel.

A sitting of the House of Commons will begin at 11am, and the House of Lords from midday. It is the first parliamentary recall on a Saturday since 1982, when MPs returned after the start of the Falklands War.

MPs are set to vote on whether to grant the Government control of British Steel as emergency legislation paving the way for nationalisation comes before Parliament.

Both the Commons and the Lords will break from Easter recess for the highly unusual Saturday sitting to debate a Bill aimed at blocking the company's Chinese owners, Jingye, from closing blast furnaces at its Scunthorpe plant.

The plans would see taxpayer money used to provide materials to the steelworks and open the door to a transfer of ownership after Sir Keir Starmer warned the future of the firm 'hangs in the balance'.

Ministers hope to secure a private partner to open up co-investment options for a transition but urgent temporary action was seen as necessary to keep the plant running until longer-term plans are agreed.

Other significant recalls during recent years included a midweek sitting during the summer recess in August 2021 to debate the evacuation from Afghanistan.

Jingye, which bought British Steel in 2020, has said it invested more than £1.2 billion to maintain operations amid ongoing production instability and “significant” financial losses of around £700,000 a day.

The Government says the new law would allow it to order raw materials for Scunthorpe’s blast furnaces amid fears supplies are on the brink of running out.

Ministers would be able to direct the company’s board and workforce, and ensure