Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that (a) fertiliser and (b) CO2 products are available to the (i) agriculture and (ii) food industries, in the context of the recently announced closure of the CF Industries plant in Ince.

We understand this will be distressing news for CF Industries' workers and their families. We are in regular contact with the company and stand ready to support those impacted.

The proposed closure of their Cheshire plant is a commercial decision for CF Industries, it will not impact supplies of CO2. The Billingham plant remains operational.

We source imports of fertiliser and carbon dioxide from a globalised market from a wide range of countries, and continue to produce it domestically at Billingham. The Government continues to analyse the situation to ensure that UK businesses are able to secure fertilisers and carbon dioxide.