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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help increase productivity for the (a) chemical, (b) steel, (c) aluminium and (d) other energy-intensive industries.

We have launched a consultation on an Industrial Strategy, which sets out the Government’s approach to building an economy that delivers high wages, high skills, high productivity and creates the conditions for competitive, world leading businesses across the UK. We are looking for businesses to collaborate with other stakeholders, such as universities and local leaders to produce a clear proposal for boosting the productivity of their sector. As part of the Industrial Strategy, the Government will consider how to increase energy productivity and will also set out during 2017 a long-term road map to minimise energy costs for businesses and industry.