Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his oral statement of 20 September 2021 on UK Gas Market, which energy companies were present at the meeting he held with energy companies on the impact of wholesale energy price rises; how many of those companies were small energy companies; and what steps he is taking to support small energy companies to manage the impact of wholesale energy price rises.

On 20 September 2021 a roundtable was held with leading energy suppliers and consumer groups to hear about the challenges they currently face, and on 21 September a roundtable was held with smaller and challenger energy suppliers.

The Government wants to see a diverse energy market with many smaller and challenger energy suppliers bringing an improvement to customers. The biggest danger to a diverse market is the threat of renationalisation which would raise prices and damage investment.