7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
[Inaudible.]—to tell us.
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
Okay.
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
Okay. And will the BCP programme costs cease after the capital costs have been resolved?
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
The cost of the BCPs, yes.
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
Okay, that's appreciated. On that topic, the Minister for Economy has told this committee that the UK Government's reversed its decision to fund some costs of Wales's border control posts. The Welsh Government's allocated £6.4 million in the draft budget for…
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
One of the things the Welsh Government has told us is that they can't tender until the UK Government finalises plans for the common user charge, which was expected in October 2023. So, have you had any discussions with the Welsh Government about that issue…
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
Can I just ask, then, about the Holyhead border control post? Where is the UK Government with supporting the Welsh Government in tendering for a third-party operator there?
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
Okay. Sorry, was somebody going to say something?
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
Are you saying that there's a minimal cost for Welsh traders in that case with the model?
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
So, does that mean—. Sorry, go on.
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Model Gweithredu Targed y Ffin
Thanks, Chair. Can I just ask about the costs of the model and the cost to traders in Wales? The UK Government estimates costs to traders of rolling out the model to be £330 million per year across EU imports, plus an increase in food inflation, which is 0.2…
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Tata Steel UK
Okay. Thank you, Chair.
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Tata Steel UK
Okay. And finally—my last question—the Welsh Government has provided you and your partner organisations with support in areas such as skills, training, and research and development. What support will you be looking for from the Welsh Government in future if…
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Tata Steel UK
In short, because I'm, obviously, no expert in this, are you telling us that the closure of the second furnace will not affect your ability then to provide steel for floating offshore wind?
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Tata Steel UK
Thank you. Let's turn to that specifically. So, the future opportunities, for example, using steel in the floating offshore wind turbines that will be constructed in the Celtic sea. Would it be possible to use steel there from an electric arc furnace?
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Tata Steel UK
Do you agree—? Lord Watson of Wyre Forest said in the House of Lords on 1 February that the UK needed a brand-new industrial strategy. Do you agree with that idea?
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Tata Steel UK
Diolch, Cadeirydd. A lot of what's been said today is not what the committee really wanted to hear. And I'd emphasise some of the views expressed by Luke Fletcher and Sam Kurtz about taking decisions too quickly, perhaps, given the situation we're in. But…
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Tata Steel UK
Thank you, Chair.
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Tata Steel UK
Have you had conversations with the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer?
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Tata Steel UK
So, that goes beyond the financial package that the Chair was asking you about. Is there any financial package that would enable you to produce an alternative plan on site, rather than downstream or upstream? Is there any financial package that will enable…
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Tata Steel UK
Yes, I think the alarm that we would feel as a committee is the categorical way in which you've stated the running down of the second blast furnace in the second half of this year, given the fact that we are in the UK at the moment in a state of political…
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Gweinidog yr Economi - sesiwn ar Tata Steel
Diolch, Cadeirydd.
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Gweinidog yr Economi - sesiwn ar Tata Steel
Okay. Just to go back to the detail of negotiations with Tata, have you spoken to them about whether moving to an electric arc furnace would have any impact on the potential for steel from Port Talbot to be used to construct those floating offshore wind…
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Gweinidog yr Economi - sesiwn ar Tata Steel
Thank you. Chair, have I got time to ask about floating offshore wind turbines?
7 Chwefror 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Gweinidog yr Economi - sesiwn ar Tata Steel
But a visit isn't in the diary at this point in time.
