Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current supply of carbon dioxide for food production and preservation; and what steps they are taking to ensure adequate supplies of carbon dioxide.

The Government is actively monitoring the supply of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) which is critical to the UK’s food and drinks sectors. At present, there are no reported shortages of CO2 in the food sector.

The Government has shored up the UK’s critical supplies of CO2 by temporarily restarting the Ensus bioethanol plant in Wilton, Teesside. This will increase short-term UK production capacity and reduce reliance on imports. Defra is working with businesses and other government departments in developing systems to maintain continuity of CO2 supply.

The Government will continue to work closely with industry to monitor supply conditions and ensure that robust contingency arrangements remain in place to protect critical food supply chains.