Today during Prime Minister’s Questions, Jack Brereton, MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, raised the need for more financial assistance towards ceramics firms help reduce energy costs and decarbonise the industry.
The ceramics sector is a heavily energy intensive industry and almost entirely made up of small and medium sized businesses. This has meant that ceramics firms have not always received the same level of government support as other energy intensive sectors. For this reason, Jack Brereton MP, has been pushing for a dedicated ceramics fund from Government to improve energy efficiency and help them transition to cleaner technologies and ensure they remain competitive with other companies.
Speaking previously on this matter, Jack Brereton MP has raised the need to reduce energy costs and help manufacturers in the transition to cheaper, cleaner energy, which so many jobs depend on in Stoke-on-Trent. Whilst businesses have invested massively in improving their efficiency Jack has stressed with the Government the need to help them go further.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Jack Brereton MP asked the Prime Minister:
“Some 97% of ceramics businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises, which means that they have not received the level of support that many other energy-intensive sectors have, so will my right hon. Friend (Prime Minister) look at what more support, particularly financial support, can be offered to help this sector to decarbonise and invest in energy efficiency measures?”
In response, the Prime Minister said:
“My hon. Friend (Jack Brereton MP) is a powerful advocate for his ceramics industry, and rightly so. It has been a pleasure to meet him and his businesses in the past. He will know that our energy bills discount scheme will support businesses with their energy bills through to March next year, and we have a range of other funds to support energy-intensive industries. There is the scheme that he mentioned, and also the industrial energy transformation fund, which provides capital grants to businesses such as his to help them decarbonise. I look forward to discussing this with him and his businesses in the near future.
During his time as Chancellor, the Prime Minister has visited Stoke-on-Trent to meet with local businesses and local leaders. Jack Brereton MP has confirmed that he will continue to speak with both the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and other government Ministers to secure further financial support towards the ceramics industry.
