Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will include the cement manufacturing sector in the Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I recognise the importance of the cement sector to the UK economy; which will play an essential role in delivering this Government’s commitment to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliamentary term. The Government intends to review the Energy-Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme this year, any changes to scheme eligibility will be subject to consultation and ministerial approval. I highly encourage the cement sector to engage with the consultation once the opportunity arises.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help reduce the impact of network charges, policy levies and regulatory costs on industrial electricity bills.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
From 2027 the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs for over 10,000 eligible businesses, reducing costs by up to £40 per megawatt hour. Eligible businesses will be exempt from paying the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market.
The British Industry Supercharger currently supports around 550 of the most electricity-intensive businesses by exempting them from paying the indirect costs of the Contracts for Difference, Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market, and compensates them for network charges. From the 1 April 2026 the relief from network charges was uplifted from 60% to 90%.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of rising cement imports on UK domestic production capacity and employment.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade routinely considers import volumes of cement and other foundational industries products. We also maintain close contact with the Mineral Products Association, the sector’s main trade association, and individual cement businesses to consider and address the issues facing the sector.
To mitigate the risk of carbon leakage and support UK domestic production, the cement sector will be included in the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and some cement firms are supported by the British Industry Supercharger, receiving relief from various electricity policy and network costs.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to address the growth in cement imports and increase domestic production.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade routinely considers import volumes of cement and other foundational industries products. We also maintain close contact with the Mineral Products Association, the sector’s main trade association, and individual cement businesses to consider and address the issues facing the sector.
To mitigate the risk of carbon leakage and support UK domestic production, the cement sector will be included in the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and some cement firms are supported by the British Industry Supercharger, receiving relief from various electricity policy and network costs.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what timetable the Government has set for introducing measures to prevent carbon leakage and unfair competition from overseas cement producers.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
To mitigate the risk of carbon leakage, the cement sector will be included in the upcoming UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism when introduced in 2027 to ensure importers face a comparable price to that paid by UK manufacturers. Some cement firms are supported by the British Industry Supercharger, receiving relief from various electricity policy and network costs, to reduce the risk of carbon leakage by supporting the competitiveness of recipients. If UK cement firms believe they are being injured by unfair trading practices, such as the dumping of cheap imports, they can bring forward an application to the UK’s independent Trade Remedies Authority (TRA).
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential regulatory impact of cement and construction product manufacturers on those manufactures profitability.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government considers impacts on business when developing new regulations in line with Better Regulation principles. This applies to businesses within the cement and construction product manufacturing industries. While no specific assessment has been made, in any policy consultations relevant to the cement and construction product manufacturing sectors, including the British Industry Supercharger and Energy-Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme, the Government will consider the regulatory impact of any policy changes while ensuring that these schemes continue to deliver value for money.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of cement imports over the last ten years.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade routinely considers import volumes of cement and other foundational industries products. We also maintain close contact with the Mineral Products Association, the sector’s main trade association, and individual cement businesses to consider and address the issues facing the sector.
To mitigate the risk of carbon leakage and support UK domestic production, the cement sector will be included in the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and some cement firms are supported by the British Industry Supercharger, receiving relief from various electricity policy and network costs.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of tax, regulatory and carbon‑related costs on the long‑term capital investment in energy‑intensive manufacturing.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Carbon-related costs deliver long-term investment signals to deliver energy security for UK businesses and reduce dependence on volatile fossil fuels. However, we understand that some energy-intensive industries (EII) are facing high industrial electricity costs affecting their competitiveness, which is why we deliver the British Industry Supercharger and EII Compensation Scheme to provide carbon-leakage prone businesses relief from carbon costs and electricity network charges. The Government keeps all policy measures, including tax, carbon costs and regulation, under review.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to simplify regulatory requirements for manufacturing sectors critical to national infrastructure.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is simplifying regulation for manufacturing sectors critical to national infrastructure through the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan and wider Industrial Strategy. We are reducing barriers to investment by improving coordination and speeding up delivery decisions. For example, the Strategic Sites Accelerator is simplifying and accelerating the development process for major manufacturing sites, reducing delays and enabling faster investment in critical industrial capacity.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of industrial electricity prices on the international competitiveness of UK‑based energy‑intensive manufacturing sectors.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that industrial electricity prices are an important factor in the international competitiveness of UK-based energy intensive manufacturing sectors. We engage regularly with industry and monitor evidence on the impact of energy costs.
Through our Industrial Strategy we are taking action to address these challenges, including through the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, which will bring electricity costs more in line with other economies in Europe and reduce electricity costs by up to £40/MWh for eligible businesses.
For around 550 of the most electricity-intensive businesses the British Industry Supercharger is already cutting costs. The Network Charging Compensation scheme, one element of the Supercharger, was uplifted from 60% to 90% relief from 1 April 2026. This raised total support from the Supercharger to approximately £65-87/MWh, bringing electricity costs for recipients closer in line with those charged in competitor countries.