LONDON, April 12 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has recalled parliament for an emergency Saturday sitting to fast-track legislation aimed at saving British Steel's Scunthorpe plant from closure.

The Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill, expected to pass within a single day, grants the business secretary powers to intervene directly in the company's operations to ensure continued production, local media reported.

Under the bill, the business secretary will be authorized to procure raw materials, instruct management to continue furnace operations, and reinstate dismissed workers to keep the plant running.

The Scunthorpe plant is deemed vital to Britain's industrial and strategic infrastructure. It produces most of the country's rail track and is the last steelworks in Britain capable of producing steel from iron ore.

British Steel has announced plans to shut down its blast furnaces at Scunthorpe, citing financial losses. The government has warned that such a move would put up to 3,000 jobs at risk and eliminate Britain's only remaining capacity to produce virgin steel.

Should the blast furnaces be permanently shut down, Britain will become the only Group of Seven country without the capacity to manufacture virgin steel, a scenario that officials say could significantly impact national defense and economic independence. Enditem

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