The stakes continue to be raised in the Tata Steel UK pensions’ dispute (see Kallanish passim). Tata Steel Europe ceo Karl Koehler met with the UK parliament All Party Parliamentary Group for Steel on 10 June. The matter was also discussed, but briefly, during prime minister’s question time (PMQT) in the House of Commons prior to the Koehler meeting.

In a statement sent to Kallanish a Tata Steel spokesman said, “In a robust and constructive dialogue Mr Koehler answered all the questions MPs asked him. He assured them the company shares their concerns about potential industrial action, particularly in view of the urgent need to continue the focus on investing in Tata Steel’s UK assets.” Industrial action by four unions is due to begin on 16 June with a strike planned for 22 June.

Prime minister David Cameron meanwhile for the first time publicly urged both sides in the dispute to find a solution. In answer to a question by Tom Blenkinsop MP he said, “Of course I hope that the parties will return to the negotiating table to find a solution as quickly as possibly (sic), but ultimately this is a matter for Tata Steel and for the trade unions, and I would urge them to do as I have said”.

Cameron’s 46-word answer was the shortest of the day to any of the questions raised by MPs during PMQT. This represents only around 0.3% of the total words spoken during PMQT as recorded in Hansard, the daily journal of proceedings in the UK parliament. It is clearly a sound indicator of UK government interest in this matter, and in the domestic steel industry in general, Kallanish observes.