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British Steel: Furnaces

Asked by Andrew GriffithConservativeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 15 December 2025UIN 98914

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the average monthly cost to the public purse has been for maintaining the operation of British Steel blast furnaces since the special measures under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 were introduced.

Answered by Chris McDonald

To date, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has provided British Steel with £274 million as working capital, which on average equates to approximately £34 million per month. This funding has been instrumental in supporting British Steel’s operational needs, covering items such as raw materials and salaries. This will be reflected in the Department for Business and Trade’s accounts for 2025-26.

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