Yahoo Finance Big Ben refurbishment delivers blow to British steel industry
Renovation of the Big Ben clock tower - one of Britain’s most iconic landmarks - is being carried out using steel from Germany, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.
A Parliamentary question about the conservation of the tower which houses the bell known as Big Ben revealed that the huge steel scaffolding around the building uses foreign steel.
MP Stephen Kinnock, whose Aberavon constituency is home to Tata’s giant Port Talbot steel plant, questioned the House of Commons Commission about the project which is expected to cost £61m and see the famous bell silenced for four years.
The news comes as Britain’s steelmakers face intense international competition and struggle to recover from the crisis which wracked the industry two years ago and cost thousands of jobs.
The commission said the “quantity and size” of the scaffolding meant that some of the steel used in it had to be procured abroad.
Last year the government pledged to release details of forthcoming infrastructure, public sector and defence projects to boost Britain's steel industry. By spelling out requirements, it is hoped that Britain's beleaguered steel makers will be able to better plan for Government work, giving them a greater chance of winning the contracts.
Calling for what he called a “patriotic procurement policy” for national projects, Mr Kinnock added: “Big Ben is seen as symbol of our country around the world, but its renovation is fast becoming a symbol of this government’s indifferent and incompetent approach to our steel industry.
"British steelworkers make the best steel that money can buy, and what’s more they make it right here on our doorstep. If given the right information and sufficient lead-time by the customer, then they can and always deliver."
