Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which specific provisions of the Windsor Framework and UK legislation required the European Commission to give state aid approval for the Energy Business Discount Scheme in Northern Ireland.

The Windsor Framework ensures that subsidy control provisions work as intended, serving to avoid market distortion on the island of Ireland, without interfering with Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market. It is consistent with Northern Ireland’s full access to both the UK and EU markets, which is what Northern Ireland businesses have consistently asked for.

In the case of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS), where targeted support was provided to energy and trade intensive industries, under the relevant provisions set out under Article 10 of the Windsor Framework, there is a proven genuine and material link to Northern Ireland’s trade with the EU, not least with regard to the all-island Single Electricity Market. The EBDS scheme provides equivalent levels of support in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.