Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with representatives in the steel industry about the impacts of energy costs on production.

The Government appreciates the pressures high energy bills can have on steel businesses. That is why we have introduced and expanded schemes to reduce the industrial electricity prices of energy-intensive industries, including steel. These are the British Industry Supercharger and the Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme. From April 2027, the Government will also launch the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, which will include support for some steel companies.

We regularly discuss the impact of energy costs with the industry, including in recent Steel Council meetings. We also worked closely with the steel sector and other industries in the development of the British Industry Supercharger.