A NORTH-EAST MP has won his bid for an investigation into the plans of steelmaker Corus.

Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, has long battled to have a House of Commons inquiry into plans by Corus to axe steelworkers and plant capacity in the United Kingdom.

Steel workers on Teesside face an uncertain future in an area which has already witnessed massive cut backs.

The inquiry by the House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee, of which Dr Kumar is a member, is scheduled to start work before Easter.

It will rigorously question bosses of the Anglo-Dutch company, and hear evidence from steel unions and other industrial and community interest groups.

The MP said: "I am very happy that I have managed to persuade the Trade and Industry Select Committee to hold an urgent inquiry on this - it is a key issue.

"A House of Commons inquiry can really get to the bottom of Corus's strategy and look at the future of the steel industry. Our steel industry is very important, not just for our Teesside economy, but for the future of the manufacturing sector and the nation's wealth.

"This inquiry will be a key forum for our area which could be hit by steel closures,'' Dr Kumar said.