Responding to today's announcement by Tata Steel of more than 1,000 job losses, Kay Swinburne,  Conservative MEP for Wales, promised to continue to press for the European Commission to take robust and effective action to protect the steel industry.

"These new job losses are a major blow for the communities concerned," she said.

"It is not just Tata workers who are affected by today's announcement, jobs will also be lost amongst contractors and support industries.  The EC must now move to protect our industry against the damaging and distorting market effects of cheap imports."

Conservative MEP Ashley Fox, the party's Industry Spokesman in the European Parliament, added: "This announcement of more job losses in the steel industry is a major blow for the communities concerned.

"Kay Koehler, chief executive of Tata's European operations, is calling on the European Commission to take swift effective action, something Conservative MEPs have been demanding for months.  He warns that failure to tackle the issue of cheap imports will threaten the whole European steel industry.

"We agree. I hope the European Commission will now heed Conservative MEPs' calls and come forward with robust anti-dumping measures that will enable our steel sector to compete on a level playing field."

Conservative International Trade Spokesman Emma McClarkin  added:  "The British steel industry is facing unprecedented pressures and it is up to the Commission to act.  The way forward is to confirm, in a timely manner, that dumping is taking place and to take measures to prevent injury to our industry, such as anti-dumping duties."

Tackling illegal dumping is one of three priorities of the Conservative MEPs'  campaign to support the UK steel industry. See http://bit.ly/1HpfarR