To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of steel plants in Scotland.

British Steel has confirmed that, subject to market conditions, it expects there to be a continuing commercial requirement for steelmaking at Ravenscraig and plate-rolling at Dalzell at least until the end of 1994. I welcome British Steel's expressed willingness to co-operate with the Scottish Development Agency's study on the prospects for the steel industry in Scotland and to give careful consideration to any commercial opportunities which the study might identify.