Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on supply chain disruption to the construction industry as a consequence of global effects; and what steps his Department is taking to help mitigate these effects on the construction industry.

My Department is monitoring the situation, and is in regular contact with stakeholders, including through our partnership with the Construction Leadership Council, which I co-chair.

The Construction Leadership Council’s Material’s Supply Chain Group, in March 2026, noted the main disruption to the sector from the Middle East crisis is the rapid rise in energy prices and their immediate impact on material costs, particularly for products with energy-intensive manufacturing processes or derived from oil-based raw materials.

Ministers are being kept updated on the supply chain disruption (and impacts) as part of our cross Whitehall monitoring.