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Statement on behalf of the Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board - 27 March 2024
The Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board met for the fourth time on 27 March 2024. The Board received an update from Tata Steel UK on their decarbonisation project, including the recent closure of the coke ovens at Port Talbot and their voluntary redundancy proposal. The Board recognises the urgency at which we need to work.
The Board also discussed the structure and resource to support the Transition Board, with working groups being created to focus on outplacement and skills, supply chain, community relations and wellbeing, and communications. The process to access the £100 million funding for the Transition Board interventions was also addressed.
The statutory consultation on the decarbonisation project continues, so the Board will meet again towards the end of April for a more substantive discussion. This will also include the presentation of a proposed Local Economic Action Plan.
Rt Hon David TC Davies, Secretary of State for Wales chaired the Transition Board meeting. Vaughan Gething MS, First Minister of Wales attended and handed over the deputy chair role to Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language. Felicity Buchan MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities attended in the place of the other deputy chair, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up. Also, in attendance included Alan Mak MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State jointly in the Department for Business and Trade and the Cabinet Office. Other Board members at the meeting included Henrik Adam, Chair of Tata Steel UK; Rajesh Nair, Chief Executive Officer of Tata Steel UK; Cllr Steve Hunt, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council; and David Rees, MS for Aberavon. Andrew Thomas, Director of Education, Leisure and Lifelong Learning attended in place of Karen Jones, CEO of Neath Port Talbot Council. Susanne Renkes, Councillor for Neath Port Talbot Council stood in Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberavon. The Board was attended by its independent members, Katherine Bennett CBE, Anne Jessopp CBE and Sarah Williams-Gardner. Representatives from the trade unions also attended.