Written Statements

Thursday 16th April 2026 Written Statements

Thursday 16 April 2026

British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme

Thursday 16th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Chris McDonald)]

I am pleased to be able to update the House that the Government are continuing to make progress on delivering a key flagship policy of the industrial strategy. This includes publishing the response to a consultation on eligibility for the British industrial competitiveness scheme, alongside launching a separate consultation on the regulatory changes required to give effect to BICS and its delivery.

As the House is aware, British industries face some of the highest industrial electricity prices in Europe—an issue regularly cited as a barrier to growth and investment in our industrial strategy growth sectors. This has been made even more acute by the current situation in the middle east, and the Government are aware that businesses are concerned by the instability and potential impact on energy prices and supply chains that this has caused. However, BICS is a long-term intervention designed to address Britain’s long-standing competitiveness challenge, and it does so by supporting our key manufacturing frontier industries, as well as the manufacturing foundational industries in their supply chains. This will bring industrial electricity costs for these businesses more closely in line with those in other economies in Europe, helping to level the playing field.

Following consultation, the Government have determined that eligibility for BICS will be based on both standard industrial classification codes, to identify eligible manufacturing sectors, and harmonised system codes, to confirm eligible products. Only businesses with both an eligible SIC and HS code will qualify. Different electricity-intensity thresholds will be applied at the sector level for frontier and foundational manufacturing industries, reflecting their characteristics and ensuring support is targeted to maximise the scheme’s growth and investment impact. The value of support will then be determined at site level, based on the proportion of electricity used for eligible manufacturing activity. The scheme will reduce electricity costs for over 10,000 eligible businesses by up to £40 per megawatt hour.

We also heard that support is needed sooner. While BICS cannot be operationalised earlier due to the regulatory and delivery changes required, the Government announced that they have decided to provide an additional payment in 2027, covering the 2026-27 period, reflecting the support eligible businesses would have received had the scheme been in operation earlier. The Government are clear that this support will be funded through a combination of Exchequer support and by bearing down on costs elsewhere in the energy system, ensuring that no other energy bills will rise as a result of this scheme. My hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury has also updated the House on specific elements of these funding arrangements today (statement UIN HCWS1519).

The next consultation seeks views on the proposed regulatory changes and scheme delivery. I encourage Members to contact stakeholders in their constituencies to make them aware of the scheme and invite them to respond before the consultation closes on 14 May.

[HCWS1521]

Carbon Price Support

Thursday 16th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Dan Tomlinson)]

I am today confirming to the House that carbon price support will be removed from April 2028.

CPS is a tax on fossil fuels used in electricity generation, introduced in 2013 by a previous Government to strengthen the carbon price for electricity generation above the price provided by the emissions trading scheme.

CPS has done its job and is no longer fit for purpose. Coal has been driven off the grid and the ETS has matured, with a tighter cap to drive the signal for electricity generators to decarbonise, so now is the right time to simplify the tax and carbon pricing system.

With our clean power 2030 mission, we are already reducing our electricity system’s reliance on volatile fossil fuels and we no longer need this additional tax to provide incentives in the system to decarbonise our grid.

CPS removal will also help to offset costs to all bill payers of the British industrial competitiveness scheme, and this will reduce electricity bills for manufacturing sectors in the industrial strategy.

The Government will legislate for the removal of CPS in a future Finance Bill.

[HCWS1519]

Air Quality Update

Thursday 16th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Hardy)]

This statement fulfils the requirement under section 80A of Environment Act 1995, to update Parliament on the progress and steps taken to meet air quality standards and objectives in England over financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Air quality across the UK has shown sustained improvement over recent decades with emissions of all key air pollutants showing a declining trend. These long- term reductions mean the UK has met the current domestic and international emission reduction commitments for emissions of ammonia, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, non-methane volatile organic compounds and fine particulate matter—PM_2.5.

This progress matters for people’s everyday lives: cleaner air helps protect health, supports thriving neighbourhoods and contributes to the Government’s ambition to improve pride in place. Cleaner air also supports sustainable economic growth by helping people stay healthier and in work, improving productivity and making our towns and cities more attractive places to live, visit and invest in.

Protecting public health and the environment remains at the heart of our approach. PM_2.5 is the most harmful pollutant to human health. Under the Environment Act 2021, we are delivering against two separate Environment Act 2021 targets for PM_2.5—one to reduce maximum PM_2.5 concentration levels and one for reducing the population’s overall exposure. In 2024, the maximum PM_2.5 concentration level measured was 11 micrograms per cubic metre of air. Separately, PM_2.5 population exposure in England has reduced by 25% compared with 2018.

In the environmental improvement plan 2025, the Government increased the ambition of both PM_2.5 interim targets. We will review the 2040 statutory targets for PM_2.5.

We are also seeing progress locally. Between 2024 and 2025, the number of air quality management areas for nitrogen dioxide fell from 435 to 352, a 19% reduction, as locations achieved sustained compliance with the standards and objectives. Nitrogen dioxide exceedances reported by local authorities fell again in 2024, continuing a downward trend.

Building on this strong progress, we are continuing to take ambitious and targeted action across key sectors to meet our air quality standards and objectives, including:

Clarifying delivery priorities through a rapid review and revision of the environmental improvement plan setting out clear, measurable actions.

Embedding PM_2.5 targets into planning decisions through interim guidance and we have launched a pilot to trial more comprehensive guidance with planning authorities and developers.

Strengthening public communication by acting on an expert-led review to make air quality part of everyday conversations and commenced work on an air quality communications toolkit for directors of public health. This included establishing a new partnership bringing together communicators from the Government, healthcare professionals, and the NGO sector.

Improving transparency by modernising public access to air quality information via new gov.uk pages and a dedicated data service.

Enabling better local delivery by running practical webinars and providing detailed guidance to help local authorities develop more effective action plans.

Launching a consultation on a comprehensive package of interventions to cut fine particulate emissions from domestic burning, including more stringent emission standards for stoves, mandatory labelling of stoves and fuels and raised penalties for non-compliance.

Setting out the Government’s pathway for a strengthened environmental permitting regime for industry that supports quicker uptake of best available techniques, promotes innovation and improves regulator efficiency.

In July 2025, the Government published “Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England”, which reinforces the importance of prevention and action on the wider determinants of health. This includes commitments to reduce harmful exposures and improve awareness of, and communications on, the health impacts of issues such as air pollution. We are supporting the Government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future by continuing to clean up the air and protect the public from the harms of pollution.

While the direction of travel is positive, we know there is more to do to ensure everyone benefits from cleaner air. We will continue to tackle air pollution at all levels—helping individuals make informed choices, supporting local communities to take action, delivering national changes, and pursuing co-ordinated international action for the benefit of both the UK and the wider global community. We will continue to keep our regulatory framework under review to ensure it remains effective, proportionate and fit for the 21st century.

A further update to the House on our progress will be provided after the end of the financial year 2026-27.

[HCWS1520]

BBC World Service Objectives, Priorities and Targets

Thursday 16th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

The Foreign Secretary has agreed with the BBC the objectives, priorities and targets for the BBC World Service for 2025–26, as required under the BBC framework agreement. The OPTs, which the BBC publishes in the World Service operating licence, include measures of reach, quality, impact and value for money. The BBC retains full editorial and managerial independence in delivering the World Service. The OPTs signal continued focus on underserved audiences, including women and young people, and on growing digital reach including on BBC owned platforms. This agreement is distinct from ongoing work with the BBC to strengthen oversight and assurance arrangements. The BBC will publish the updated World Service operating licence and OPTs on its website.

[HCWS1523]

Covid-19 Inquiry: Module 4 Report

Thursday 16th April 2026 Written Statements

[The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)]

The chair of the UK covid-19 inquiry has today published the inquiry’s module 4 report, which examines the development and implementation of vaccines and therapeutics during the pandemic.

The chair recognises that the UK authorised and deployed effective vaccines and treatments at unprecedented speed. These achievements reflect the strength of the UK’s world-leading life sciences sector, the universal public health system in each of the four nations, which allowed whole population delivery of vaccines, and the extraordinary dedication of health and care staff. They also speak to the collective resolve of the public in coming forward to be vaccinated.

I would like to thank all those involved in this national effort—scientists, researchers, regulators, NHS and social care staff, volunteers, and all those who supported the roll-out of vaccines and treatments at pace.

The inquiry identifies the following areas for further work: strengthening manufacturing capability, sustaining investment in research and development, and developing the vaccine damage payment scheme. It also notes disparities in vaccine uptake among certain communities and the risk of vaccine hesitancy, underlining the importance of building public confidence.

The Government remain committed to learning the lessons from the inquiry and to strengthen our preparedness for the future.

I would like to thank Baroness Hallett and her team for their work on this report. The Government will consider their findings and recommendations, working closely with colleagues across the devolved Governments, and respond in due course.

I have laid a copy of the report before both Houses of Parliament.

[HCWS1522]