Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, in the context of the war in Ukraine, what discussions her Department has had about obtaining bitumen from non-Russian sources.

Bitumen is in the trade sanctions for Russia (under oil products). It is a by-product of oil refining and is a product that has been supplied to the UK from a number of countries. The Government regularly engages with firms in the construction sector about the supply of products, and the supply of bitumen from non-Russian sources has not been raised as a concern. In particular, National Highways has been working with its supply chain to confirm compliance with sanctions and to ensure ongoing certainty of supply.