Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of energy costs and industrial tariffs on small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK stone and quarrying industry.

The Government continually monitors the UK economy and is bearing down on business energy prices by reducing Great Britain’s reliance on volatile international gas prices, and through a new framework to scrutinise energy levies, ensuring they are affordable and value-for-money.

We know that behind taxation, energy prices are the most cited barrier to growth by SMEs (50%). The Government has a variety of schemes, already in place or due to be launched soon, that either directly support businesses by reducing energy costs or support them to reduce costs by making energy efficiencies and decarbonising. Examples include:

• The Business Energy Advice Service pilot, which runs until March 2026, supporting SMEs in the West Midlands to reduce their energy demand, reduce their energy bills and in turn decarbonise.
• Providing funding to improve the UK Business Climate Hub (UKBCH), an online resource which will support SMEs to identify and implement changes to their energy use, resulting in decarbonisation and energy bill savings.

The UK Global Tariff is tailored to the UK economy, and has been designed to balance the interests of consumers and producers, and our wider strategic trade objectives. As with all policy, the Government welcomes feedback and monitors these requests closely.