THE Government has defended its actions in tackling the steel industry’s woes after a North-East MP claimed officials snubbed the crisis.

Tom Blenkinsop, MP for Middlesbrough South and east Cleveland, today (Wednesday, May 18) demanded answers from Prime Minister David Cameron in a fiery Commons debate.

Mr Blenkinsop accused Mr Cameron and Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, of neglecting workers at Tata Steel by being out of the country when the company announced plans to offload its UK assets, including the 600-job Hartlepool pipe mills.

He said: “Will the Prime Minister remind the House when either he or the Secretary of State for Business actually went to meet Tata during the steel crisis?

“Our own front bench, Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberavon, and the general secretary of the Community union went, when no (Government) front bencher was available, indeed they were in Australia or on holiday.

“Can the Prime Minister please remind us when he actually met with Tata?”

In a withering response, Mr Cameron, who previously met with Tata management and unions at the company’s Port Talbot site, told Mr Blenkinsop to come up with a better question.

He said: “I was at Port Talbot two weeks ago, meeting with Tata.

“Let me give (him) a tip, if you are going to intervene on the other guy, try and think of a question they are going to find difficult.”

The row came on the same day trade body, UK Steel, put further pressure on the Government to tackle the steel crisis, after the US doubled a tariff against imports from China.

It said the rise, from 266 per cent to 522 per cent on cold-rolled steel, was proof of decisive action against cheap Chinese dumping.

Gareth Stace, director, said: “The EU has been slower and the result is we’re still haggling over tariffs and action to prevent unfairly traded Chinese steel.

“Britain and the EU need to stop treading on egg shells and take decisive action following the US’ impressive lead.”

Tata has already sold its loss-making Long Products division to investor Greybull Capital for £1 after struggling against lower steel prices, Chinese dumping and higher energy costs.

The business employs about 900 people across the North-East and York, and includes the Teesside Beam Mill, near Redcar.