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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of non-competitive electricity prices on the steel sector’s ability to compete internationally.

We recognise that industrial consumers currently pay higher electricity prices than elsewhere in the EU. No specific assessment has been made on the impact of electricity price differential on UK steel sector’s competitiveness.

The ability of our steel industry to compete globally and across Europe is a priority for this Government. We therefore provide electricity cost compensation and exemption support to maintain the UK’s reputation as an attractive location for these businesses.

We have a number of funds available to energy intensive industries, including steel, to help them increase energy efficiency and transition to a low carbon future. These funds include the £315 million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, the Industrial Heat Recovery Support Programme and the recently announced £250 million Clean Steel Fund.