Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government applied to the European Commission globalisation adjustment fund to secure support funding for the British steel industry plants recently closed or under threat of closure.

Priti Patel

The European Globalisation Fund (EGF) provides a financial contribution for active labour market measures, aimed at reintegrating those made or at risk of being made redundant in the labour market.

Member States are responsible in the first instance for tackling trade adjustment redundancies – the fund is therefore designed to add to national, regional and local assistance.

The UK already offers a broad range of personalised support to workers made redundant through its Rapid Response Service and Jobcentre Plus, which could not be duplicated or substituted by EGF.

The Rapid Response Service and the Jobcentre Plus Core Offer are effective reintegration tools which represent good value for money and are our primary and most effective means of response to support the industry.

In addition to this, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has also announced packages of support worth up to £80 million for SSI in Redcar and up to £9 million for TATA Steel in Scunthorpe.

Only if more support is necessary other suitable sources of support will be considered.