Steel Powers Advance as Treasury Unveils Cost Reliefs

High-Level Summary

The House of Commons concentrated on business, trade and economic policy, Middle East developments, and steel sector legislation. Business and Trade questions ranged from digital services for firms and ticket resales to Royal Mail service levels, industrial strategy delivery, pubs/hospitality support and the Employment Rights Act 2025. An Urgent Question on motorists confirmed a fuel duty freeze and reliefs for red diesel and HGVs, followed by the Chancellor’s wider economic package linked to the Iran conflict, including sector funds, transport concessions and tax/ tariff measures. The Foreign Office updated MPs on Iran, Gaza, Lebanon and the strait of Hormuz, and the House approved the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill at Second Reading after rejecting an opposition reasoned amendment. Members also received a statement on documents released under a Humble Address and held an adjournment debate on two Britons detained in Iran.

Detailed Summary

Oral Answers to Questions: Business and Trade

Digital and business services. The Secretary of State said, “We are improving how businesses find, log into and use digital Government services”, and when asked about a unique business digital ID he added that a “programme of work is going on with my Department” to transform how firms interact with Government.

Ticket resales and consumer protection. Ministers highlighted the Competition and Markets Authority’s role and confirmed a draft secondary ticketing Bill to allow scrutiny and get the approach right: “we have committed to publishing a draft secondary ticketing Bill… allow scrutiny from parliamentarians and sector experts”. They also referred to the Sporting Events Bill criminalising unauthorised resale for qualifying events.

Royal Mail service levels. On Greater Manchester, the Government said they had secured a commitment from Royal Mail’s owners “to prevent the payment of dividends until service levels improve”.

Industrial strategy and procurement. The Minister cited delivery a year on, including “our British industrial competitiveness scheme… a £500 million sovereign AI fund, and the creation of 19 new technical excellence colleges”. On automotive innovation, he noted “a memorandum of understanding with Wayve” to support autonomous technology. On procurement, he said Ministers are “committed to ensuring that as much as possible of UK taxpayers’ money is spent in the UK” and to reducing “regulation and bureaucracy” so contracts are easier for SMEs.

Pubs and hospitality. Government support included business rates relief: pubs receive “a 15% reduction in their business rates bill”. Ministers noted pub numbers had fallen by nearly 7,000 since 2010 and stressed ongoing engagement with the sector.

Employment rights. On the Employment Rights Act 2025, early actions included repealing “burdensome trade union legislation, strengthened statutory sick pay, introduced day one rights to paternity leave and launched the Fair Work Agency”. On right‑of‑access penalties, decisions would consider “the gravity of the breach, the number of workers affected by it, and the size and resources of the liable party”.

Other topics. Ministers pointed to support for rural small businesses via a permanently lower business rates multiplier; promised a consultation “as soon as possible” on the opt‑out collective actions regime and said the PACCAR review involves “complex issues”; and set out steps to help SMEs trade with Europe by “reducing red tape… enabling easier business travel and allowing the mutual recognition of professional qualifications”. On steel, the Minister listed actions since March, including reduced electricity prices, procurement transparency and that the Government “introduced—today—the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill”. In Topical Questions, the Secretary of State trailed funding for “ceramics and chemicals”, stated that the UK was “increasing the sanctions on Russian oil… bringing that to an end” for products processed elsewhere, and rejected food price controls: “There will be no price cap and there will be no price controls”.

Urgent Question: Costs for Motorists

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury confirmed measures to address fuel costs amid Middle East instability. She announced that the Government “will not increase fuel duty this year. The temporary 5p cut will be extended until the end of the year”, a cut to red diesel duty “by over a third per litre, to the lowest rate in over 20 years”, and “a 12‑month holiday from vehicle excise duty for the majority of heavy goods vehicles”. She said this would “save the average motorist over £120 this year, compared with the plans we inherited from the previous Government”. She added the UK was tightening sanctions so Russian‑origin oil products processed elsewhere could not enter the UK unimpeded: “we are increasing the sanctions on Russian oil… it is absolutely right that we are bringing that to an end”.

After the Speaker’s complaint about pre‑briefing, she apologised: “My apologies, Mr Speaker”. Opposition exchanges characterised the change as “yet another humiliating U‑turn”.

Business of the House

The Leader of the House announced business for 1–12 June, including: Health Bill Second Reading (1 June), Armed Forces Bill Committee of the whole House (2 June), Railways Bill remaining stages (3 June), Pride Month debate (4 June), and on 8–9 June Committee and remaining stages of the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill, followed by the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill on 10 June and a debate on the legacy of Jo Cox on 11 June. He highlighted an independent Treasury review on access to banking, new measures on fly‑tipping licences and tougher sentences, and a £30 million crackdown on high street crime.

On the Vagrancy Act, he said, “We have committed to repealing it in full. I will draw the statutory instrument to the attention of the relevant Minister”. He also affirmed there would be “not… a return to the customs union, the single market or freedom of movement,” while seeking a closer EU relationship via an “EU reset Bill”.

Statement: Middle East – Economic Response (Chancellor)

The Chancellor set out support in response to the Iran war’s effects, including a £350 million “critical chemicals resilience fund” and “a new £120 million fund to help our historic ceramics sector”. Other measures included freezing fuel duty; suspending tariffs on “over 100 different foods” with an expectation supermarkets pass savings on; granting “tough new powers” for the Competition and Markets Authority; free bus travel for children aged 5–15 throughout August; and a temporary 5% VAT rate over the summer on attractions and children’s meals. She also confirmed “a 10p per mile increase in tax‑free mileage rates, backdated to April 2026”, a 12‑month HGV VED holiday and a one‑third cut to red diesel duty. To fund the package, she proposed ending tax avoidance via certain “foreign branch” structures: “We expect these reforms to raise hundreds of millions of pounds a year”.

Responding to questions about funding, she said the package was “not… new borrowing,” stating, “we are able to afford the package… because of the changes we are making around the foreign branch exemption”.

Statement: Middle East (Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, strait of Hormuz)

The Minister announced conclusion of a UK‑Gulf Co‑operation Council free trade agreement and condemned footage of Israeli Minister Ben‑Gvir’s treatment of detainees, saying, “the Israeli chargé d’affaires was therefore summoned this morning to the Foreign Office”. He stressed the UK had already sanctioned both Ministers “in their personal capacities”, described dire conditions in Gaza, and urged both Hamas disarmament and IDF withdrawal. On Iran, he warned that closure of the strait of Hormuz breaches international law and harms global energy and food security, and outlined work towards “an independent and strictly defensive” multinational mission that would only commence “in a permissive environment”.

In questions, he underlined the UK had sanctioned Ben‑Gvir ahead of many partners: “we sanctioned him… in August of last year”, and confirmed, “we are providing no bombs and no bullets to the Israeli Government that could be used against Palestinians”. He said Ministers still receive full advice on Iran and international humanitarian law despite internal structural changes.

Statement: Humble Address – Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor (Special Representative for Trade and Investment)

The Business Minister said the Government had laid “11 documents” sought by a Humble Address on the 2001 creation of the role and the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor, with only material unrelated to him or that could “prejudice international relations” redacted. He noted Departments had changed and much was “paper‑based”, and confirmed full co‑operation with the police investigation.

Pressed on vetting and present practice, he said, “it was standard not to vet members of the royal family,” whereas current trade envoys are MPs or peers bound by parliamentary and ministerial codes. He undertook to publish further relevant documents if found: “if there is more to publish, I will come back with more”.

Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill – Second Reading

The Secretary of State argued that steel is a strategic national asset for growth, defence and infrastructure, and that the Bill enables public ownership where in the public interest. He stressed, “The Bill does not nationalise British Steel in and of itself, but it grants the Government powers to do so if considered necessary”, adding the powers would be used only where “there is a clear public interest”. He linked the Bill to the steel strategy and steps such as electricity price relief and procurement transparency.

The opposition reasoned amendment opposed nationalisation on grounds of taxpayer risk, breadth of powers and failure to address energy costs. It warned, “We are doomed to relearn the hard lessons of the 1970s” and criticised a “sunset where the sun never sets”. The Liberal Democrats offered conditional support as a temporary, emergency step with strong scrutiny and a future path to private ownership.

Outcome and next steps. The House rejected the opposition reasoned amendment (Ayes 68, Noes 242) and gave the Bill a Second Reading. Programme, Money and Ways and Means motions were agreed. Committee of the whole House will take place over two days in the week of 8 June.

Delegated Legislation: Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority Regulations 2026

The House approved the draft Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority Regulations 2026 on the motion without debate.

Adjournment Debate: Imprisonment of Craig and Lindsay Foreman in Iran

Tony Vaughan MP described the couple’s detention since January 2025 and their “10 years” sentence by a revolutionary court after a process that “fell well short of international standards,” including “solitary confinement for 56 days” and harsh interrogations; they are now held in “Evin prison”. He urged the Government to declare the detention arbitrary, consider diplomatic protection and the International Court of Justice route, and ensure health monitoring amid reports of a hunger strike.

The Minister said he and the Foreign Secretary were pressing the case at all levels, most recently with Iran’s Foreign Minister on “8 May”. He could not “provide that assurance” on health monitoring given lack of access, although the UK continues to seek it. He reaffirmed the Government’s view that the couple are “innocent tourists,” and said engagement balances public and private diplomacy to avoid harm.