Securing the Future of Dalzell Plate Mill and Scotland's Steel Industry

That the Parliament notes that Dalzell Steelworks in Motherwell is the last remaining operational steel plant in Scotland and the only shipbuilding-certified plate mill in the UK; further notes the belief that Scotland's steel supply chain has been severely eroded over the last decade, notably following the mothballing of Clydebridge Steelworks by Tata Steel in 2015 and the subsequent loss of its vital quenching capability to produce ultra-high-strength, high-impact steel, which resulted in the UK losing the sovereign capability to manufacture armoured steel plate and steel for submarine pressure hulls; recognises the exceptional dedication, skill and loyalty of the workforce at Dalzell, who, it considers have kept the plant operational, despite what it sees as the severe mismanagement and controversies associated with its current owner, Sanjeev Gupta and the GFG Alliance; notes the belief that domestic plate steel production is of paramount strategic importance, acting as the vital link between UK steelmaking and UK shipbuilding, and that the closure of Dalzell would result in the unacceptable loss of the remaining capability of the UK to build ships using domestically-produced steel; further notes the belief that, while a £2.5 billion UK-wide steel investment fund has facilitated strategic industrial interventions, including unprecedented legislation and nationalisation to save the UK's last two operational blast furnaces at Scunthorpe Steelworks and to save Speciality Steel UK from liquidation, alongside ongoing investments at state-owned Sheffield Forgemasters and at Tata Steel's Port Talbot Steelworks in Wales, Scotland’s remaining steel industry has thus far been overlooked for such intervention and capital investment; considers that Dalzell Steelworks and its highly-skilled workforce must not be made scapegoats for what it sees as the toxicity associated with its ownership or the past complacency of governments, and notes the calls on both the Scottish Government and the UK government to work collaboratively, utilising the available steel investment funds and recent legislative precedents, to intervene and nationalise Dalzell Plate Mill, ensuring that it receives the investment required to operate as a value-adding mill integrated with the UK's last remaining virgin steel-making process at Scunthorpe, thereby protecting Scotland’s steel-making and shipbuilding capability, retaining highly skilled unionised jobs, and securing Scotland's role in the UK’s defence and green energy transition.