Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changing US to UK import levels of (a) wheat, (b) maize and (c) ethanol on (i) food security and (b) agricultural businesses.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have always been clear that this Government will protect British farmers, our food security and uphold our high food, animal welfare and environmental standards in trade deals. That is exactly what we have done and will continue to do.
For the first time ever, the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal has opened up exclusive access for UK beef farmers to the US market.
The Government has been engaging closely with the bioethanol industry, and the Department of Business and Trade continue to work with the affected companies and wider industry.
The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, including around 80% self-sufficiency for cereal crops. Strong domestic production supports food security alongside supply from diverse sources and imports through stable trade routes. As internationally traded commodities, cereal supply chains are dynamic and responsive to global market developments in price and availability.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department provided support to Vivergo prior to their decision to close their bioethanol plant.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government did not provide financial support to Vivergo before it’s closure.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK–US trade deal on bioethanol imports on the UK’s sustainable aviation fuel sector.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As part of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal, the UK created a preferential duty-free quota for imports of US ethanol of 1.4bn litres per year. The UK already imports a significant amount of ethanol from the US. DBT officials continue to work closely with other government departments to monitor and assess risks across the supply chain. The Government is actively supporting the Sustainable Aviation Fuel sector. We have allocated £63m in this financial year to support SAF producers through the Advanced Fuels Fund and committed further support throughout the Spending Review period.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of US bioethanol imports on (a) animal feed prices and (b) UK producers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra continue to monitor potential impacts on feed prices and the wider food sector from the recent changes. By-products of the bioethanol process are used in the agri-food sector. These include Distillers’ Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) which is used in high protein animal feed as well as CO2 which is used in slaughter, packaging, and beverage carbonation. DDGS also comes from other sources and there are other ingredients that can be used.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact on E10 petrol production following the closure of the Vivergo bioethanol plant.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 15 August 2025 Vivergo announced the closure of its UK bioethanol production plant in Hull, which at full capacity could produce 420 million litres of bioethanol per year from wheat for blending with petrol.
Whilst the UK retains bioethanol production capacity elsewhere, the closure of Vivergo represents a significant loss. However, it is not considered likely to impact the production or supply of E10 petrol in the UK. It is expected that the supply of bioethanol for petrol suppliers will continue to be met by both bioethanol produced at the remaining UK plants and by imports.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the US trade deal on levels of bioethanol production in the UK.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The closure of UK bioethanol production in the UK this year represents a significant loss in capacity. However, it is not considered likely to impact the manufacture or supply of E10 petrol in the UK. It is expected that the supply of bioethanol for petrol suppliers will continue to be met by both bioethanol produced at the remaining UK plants and by imports. The US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) does not impact the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied in the UK as renewable transport fuel.
Any proposals to change legislation covering the bioethanol content of petrol, to move from E10 to E20 for example, would be subject to extensive public consultation, and include a full assessment of impacts. There is no timeline for the introduction of E20 petrol in the UK, as no decision has been made to mandate E20 or to make any other changes to ethanol blending permitted in petrol standards. The Department will be setting up an expert working group later this year to investigate the feasibility of increasing the level of ethanol blending in petrol in the UK beyond E10.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of moving from E10 to E20 petrol on vehicles and consumers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The closure of UK bioethanol production in the UK this year represents a significant loss in capacity. However, it is not considered likely to impact the manufacture or supply of E10 petrol in the UK. It is expected that the supply of bioethanol for petrol suppliers will continue to be met by both bioethanol produced at the remaining UK plants and by imports. The US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) does not impact the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied in the UK as renewable transport fuel.
Any proposals to change legislation covering the bioethanol content of petrol, to move from E10 to E20 for example, would be subject to extensive public consultation, and include a full assessment of impacts. There is no timeline for the introduction of E20 petrol in the UK, as no decision has been made to mandate E20 or to make any other changes to ethanol blending permitted in petrol standards. The Department will be setting up an expert working group later this year to investigate the feasibility of increasing the level of ethanol blending in petrol in the UK beyond E10.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timeline is for the introduction of E20 petrol in the UK.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The closure of UK bioethanol production in the UK this year represents a significant loss in capacity. However, it is not considered likely to impact the manufacture or supply of E10 petrol in the UK. It is expected that the supply of bioethanol for petrol suppliers will continue to be met by both bioethanol produced at the remaining UK plants and by imports. The US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) does not impact the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied in the UK as renewable transport fuel.
Any proposals to change legislation covering the bioethanol content of petrol, to move from E10 to E20 for example, would be subject to extensive public consultation, and include a full assessment of impacts. There is no timeline for the introduction of E20 petrol in the UK, as no decision has been made to mandate E20 or to make any other changes to ethanol blending permitted in petrol standards. The Department will be setting up an expert working group later this year to investigate the feasibility of increasing the level of ethanol blending in petrol in the UK beyond E10.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the removal of tariffs on US bio-ethanol imports on the UK bio-ethanol market.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK bioethanol industry has faced challenges for some time prior to the removal of tariffs for US imports. Both Ministers and senior officials have worked with the sector closely over the course of this year to understand these long-standing issues and the impacts of any regulatory changes.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the sustainable bioethnol production sector.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government has been in negotiations with the bioethanol sector to understand what support could be delivered to ensure its long-term sustainable future.
The Department for Transport confirmed their intention to consult on amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, including options for increased targets. DfT also confirmed plans to convene an expert working group to explore whether ethanol blending in petrol can be increased beyond the current E10 blend.