Question
I congratulate the Minister on a great performance at her first Scottish questions. She will know that yet again Dalzell’s staff in Motherwell were not paid on time this month by Liberty, despite pulling out all the stops to get the plant rolling steel again. It is simply intolerable for the team to live in this situation. They have been forced to find job security elsewhere, leaving a vital and unique piece of UK infrastructure in a potentially unsalvageable position. Will the Scotland Office work with me and colleagues to ensure that our Government take action imminently to ensure that the workforce are not left in this position again next month and to secure the future of the Dalzell plate mill permanently?
Answer
My hon. Friend is a powerful advocate for those she represents, and I know she discussed the situation at Dalzell works with the Prime Minister when he was in Motherwell recently. Liberty’s failure to pay its workforce on time is a huge worry to her community. It is intolerable, as she says, and we share that concern. The UK Government want to see the Dalzell site operational once more, and we are looking at the situation closely. We will continue to work with her.29% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (28/100)
The reply acknowledges the Member's concern about workers not being paid and says the Government will keep working with her, but it gives no concrete action to ensure payment next month. On the Dalzell site, it says the Government wants to see the site operational again, but it names no mechanism or commitment to secure that. Both points are answered in largely hedged terms (for example, 'we are looking at the situation closely'), so the questioner would likely need to follow up for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Scotland Office work with the Member and colleagues to ensure the Government takes imminent action so that the Dalzell plate mill workforce are not left unpaid again next month? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply commits to working with the Member ('We will continue to work with her') and acknowledges the payment failure as intolerable, but it gives no concrete action to ensure workers are paid next month. 'We are looking at the situation closely' is noncommittal and does not answer the request for imminent action. |
| Will the Government take action to secure the future of the Dalzell plate mill permanently? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply states the Government 'want to see the Dalzell site operational once more', which engages with the site's future, but it names no mechanism or commitment to secure it permanently. 'Looking at the situation closely' is the only other statement and stays noncommittal about whether any action will be taken. |