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 the Prime minister's oral contribution of 31 January 2022, Official Report, column 37, what recent progress the Government has made bringing forward a package of measures to tackle the high cost of industrial energy.

The Government recognises this is still a worrying time for businesses facing pressures due to the significant increases in global gas prices.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has met representatives of the UK’s high energy-using sectors frequently in recent months in order to better understand the impact on their business, and extensive engagement with industry continues across government at both a ministerial and official level. The Government’s priorities are to ensure supplies of energy are maintained.

In order to help ensure our industry remains strong and competitive, between 2013 and 2020, total relief to energy intensive industries for electricity policy costs of over £2billion was provided. This has so far helped over 270 businesses across the UK. In 2020 alone, the Government provided relief to Energy Intensive Industries for electricity policy costs worth over £470million.

In 2018, the Government announced £315 million of funding for the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, which is supporting businesses with high energy use to cut their bills until 2024.

We are currently undertaking a review of the schemes which will enable decisions to be taken on their future format.