Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that decisions on applications to the Critical Chemicals Resilience Fund can be made before the end of 2026 where delays could result in the permanent closure of strategically important chemical manufacturing capacity or the cancellation of associated industrial investment.

The £350 million Critical Chemicals Resilience Fund will back the UK’s most strategically important chemical producers – the firms that supply the critical inputs relied on by sectors including food, energy, water and healthcare

The Fund has been designed to keep these key producers and sites competitive, put businesses on a more sustainable footing and strengthen supply chain resilience. It has been developed in partnership with industry representatives and independent experts

Eligible companies have been identified by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and ratified by a panel of independent industry experts. They will be invited to apply for funding for new capital projects, this includes producers of chemicals used in Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sectors, and contributors to key supply chains. The Government recognises the need to support the chemicals sector quickly and expects the Fund to be open to eligible applications by the end of this year. It would be inappropriate to comment on specific companies or eligible applicants.