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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of the rising cost of (a) fuel and (b) energy on small businesses in Newport West constituency; and what steps he is taking to help tackle those impacts.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme came into force on the 1 November and will provide a discount on energy bills for all eligible non-domestic customers, including small businesses on non-domestic tariffs and businesses running tourist attractions, whose current gas and electricity prices have been significantly inflated in light of global energy prices. Small businesses that are on domestic tariffs will receive support through the domestic Energy Price Guarantee scheme.

The schemes will initially run for 6 months covering energy use from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 and will help support growth, prevent unnecessary insolvencies and protect jobs.