Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2026 to question 16797, what criteria must be satisfied for a business to be required to hold emergency stocks, and a) how many businesses hold emergency stocks, b) what is the volume of emergency stocks they are required to hold, and c) what monitoring is in place to assure the emergency stocks are being held.

To meet the UK’s oil-stocking obligation as a member of the International Energy Agency, the Secretary of State requires companies that supply more than 50,000 tonnes of key petroleum products to the UK inland market over a 12-month period to hold emergency stocks. This currently applies to 16 refiners and importers. Obligations are allocated among these companies so that the UK holds stocks equivalent to 90 days of net oil imports. Companies report stock levels to the Department monthly, and more frequently during an International Energy Agency stock release. The Department also carries out on-site audits.