Institution responds to Tata Steel's decision to close its UK operations

The Institution's Philippa Oldham says the Government needs to think hard about how they can support the steel industry

Philippa Oldham, Head of Manufacturing at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said:

“The news from TATA Steel Mumbai as to the possible closure of all UK sites is of deep concern. Not only will this mean significant losses of around 14,000 jobs but it could lead to a serious long-term impact on UK manufacturing.

“In the latest budget the Government announced commitment to our transport infrastructure, supporting the National Infrastructure Commission’s recommendations for Crossrail 2 and extensions of HS2 up to our northern powerhouse region. Not only this, but our UK car production reported a growth of 13.1% growth in February. At the heart of all these projects is the requirement for steel.

“The Institution encourages the Government to think long and hard about how they can help the steel industry, making sure that it enables our manufacturing sector to have a sustainable future. To do this they must ensure that we do not become solely dependent on imports of all raw materials such as steel. 

“If the Government is committed to long-term strategic industrial and infrastructure plans it must take a holistic approach with a better understanding of how such closures could affect our domestic supply chains.  We must ensure that the UK has the necessary skills and raw materials that we need to support these upgrades with suggestions of improved forms of financing and life-cycle costing to be part of the public procurement policies.”