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 business energy costs on the utilisation rates of UK-EU trade preferences under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

We are closely monitoring the impact of rising energy prices, driven by global events. We have announced measures to help businesses most impacted by those rising energy prices to electrify their heating and provide greater certainty over energy bills as we transition away from fossil fuels.

We also monitor the utilisation rate for UK exporters. Data for 2026 is only available to February, showing the utilisation rate for UK exports to the EU was around 82%. This rate has remained consistent since the 2025 period. We therefore cannot make an accurate assessment of any changes since the outbreak of war.