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ClimateNE & Climate Change Schools Project support the move to a low-carbon, resilient economy and help businesses avoid risk and realise commercial opportunities. Posts by Jen Atkinson, Krista McKinzey and Harriet Thew » The visit of Business Secretary Vince Cable to Teesside last week sparked hope that he would announce a much-publicised tie-up between Corus and Thai steel giant Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI).
The two companies are thought to be in advanced negotiations to strike a deal that will see SSI buy the mothballed Teesside Cast Products (TCP) plant in Redcar. But although due diligence is ongoing, Dr Cable confirmed that a sale has not yet been agreed.
It seemed strange that a senior minister should travel all the way to Teesside - and hold a press briefing at Corus' Lackenby Beam Mill near the TCP plant - to say virtual nothing at all.
Unions have criticised the trip as a pointless PR exercise that ignored the real issues facing Teesside - namely the sale of the TCP plant and a coherent strategy for re-igniting steelmaking in the region.
The announcement of a multi-million pound funding package for 14 local projects aside, Dr Cable's words were more striking for their omissions than their revelations.
He remained largely tight-lipped over the TCP sale other than to say negotiations appeared to be "going very well".
He could not say whether the ã29m of unallocated cash from the ã60m Tees Valley Industrial Programme (TVIP) would be safe from Government spending cuts.
And he offered little insight into the Government's strategy for reviving Britain's manufacturing industry, which currently accounts for under a fifth of gross domestic product (GDP).
At least the Liberal Democrat, who is still getting used to working with the Tories, should at least be credited for getting around the country to visit manufacturers and listen to their concerns.
But pledges of support will not be enough to sustain a manufacturing industry which has only recently started to recover from a damaging recession.
The sector is now growing at an annual rate of 4.1% in Britain, with car production 22% ahead of a year ago and shipbuilding enjoying a 41% year-on-year increase.
But there are fears that growth could stall once the effects of Government spending cuts hit manufacturing supply chains.
Engineering bosses will be hoping that the picture becomes less opaque following the Government spending review in the autumn.
But right now Britain's manufacturing strategy appears as clear as the reasons for Dr Cable's visit to Teesside.
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