UK lawmakers held a rare Saturday parliamentary debate as the government seeks to pass emergency legislation to stop the last British factory that can make steel from scratch shutting down.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said his administration plans to "take control" of the struggling Chinese-owned British Steel plant to prevent its blast furnaces going out and save what is left of the country's steel industry.

In a vote later Saturday, MPs were expected to pass the bill to take over the running of the Scunthorpe plant, which employs around 2,700 people and produces steel crucial for UK industries including construction and rail transport.

The government views the possible closure of the plant as a risk to Britain's long-term economic security, given the decline of the UK's once robust steel industry.

"Steel is fundamental to Britain's industrial strength, to our security and to our identity as a primary global power," business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds told parliament.

"Today's legislation will help ensure that we can retain that steel making........

© International Business Times