document: Last night, Rotherham MP John Healey met government business minister Anna Soubry to ask the government for a further £4.5m to match the cash.
  It will be used to help retrain some workers and also to support those jobs affected in the local supply chain.
  In July, Tata Steel announced 720 job losses, most of which will go in Rotherham.
  In October it announced a further 1,200 job losses in Scunthorpe.
  Ms Soubry, Conservative minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, said she could see no reason why the government could not match the funding if a strong bid was made by Sheffield City Region local enterprise partnership (LEP).
  Mr Healey said Sheffield City Region expected the government to match local resources as has happened elsewhere in the country, such as a £9m deal for Scunthorpe.
  He said: "It's down to us in South Yorkshire to pull our finger out and get the plans together to put to government.
  "South Yorkshire MPs must then lean on the government to say, 'do your bit'."
  A Sheffield City Region LEP task force will shape the overall plan.
  Councillor Chris Read, Rotherham Council leader and member of Sheffield City Region, said: "Workers in Rotherham facing redundancy will want to know we are doing everything to support them and help them back to work.
  "I am determined that we will do all that we can. Companies in the supply chain will feel the impact too, and we will also be working to support these businesses, and their employees, as a key part of this plan."
  Ms Soubry said she had already asked officials to see if £1.5m for training and skills could be made available more quickly.
summary: Sheffield City Region has announced £4.5m to help hundreds of steelworkers facing redundancy in South Yorkshire.