Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the pottery sector.

The Government is aware of the pressures facing the ceramics industry. Department for Business and Trade (DBT) officials regularly engage with ceramics businesses and the sector’s main trade association, Ceramics UK, to explore how the sector can be supported. DBT remains aware of issues, including pressure from foreign imports, and has worked with the sector and the Trade Remedies Authority to help address this issue. The Government encourages Ceramics UK and ceramics businesses to continue engaging with government to ensure that DBT officials have a clear understanding of the challenges facing ceramics businesses, and the pottery sector specifically.