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Order! Order!

Hello, I'm Sean Curran, and this is today in Parliament from BBC Radio 4,

for Saturday the 12th of April, when MPs and peers approved emergency legislation

to allow the government to take control of the British steel site at Scunthorpe.

The question for all members is whether we as a country want to continue to possess a steel industry.

But the Conservative leader says it's a terrible plan.

Labour cannot negotiate.

We were negotiating a modernisation deal.

Parliament rarely sits at the weekend.

Today's session was only the sixth Saturday sitting since the Second World War.

As the Prime Minister looked on, the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said the

decision to recall MPs from their Easter break had not been taken lightly. We meet under exceptional

circumstances to take exceptional action in what are exceptional times. On Friday, Sekeir Stama

said he would rush emergency legislation through Parliament

in order to save the British steel plant at Scunthorpe.

The new law allows the government to take control of the site

and stop its Chinese owners, Jing Ye, from closing the blast furnaces.

Jonathan Reynolds said Jing Ye had rejected an offer of support,

and he accused the company of planning to close down steelmaking at British Steel.

Doing nothing was not an option.

We could not, will not and never will, stand idly by while heat seeps from the UK's remaining blast furnaces without any planning, any due process or any respect for the consequences.

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