Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Industrial Strategy: Chemicals Sector

Thursday 1 May 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister acknowledges challenges faced by UK chemicals sector, noting a real terms decline of about a third between 2021 and 2024.
  • Minister highlights the importance of chemicals sector for national security and other key sectors like pharmaceuticals.
  • UK government aims to enhance trade and investment relationships with the EU to boost exports and investment opportunities for the chemicals sector.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kanishka Narayan Lab Vale of Glamorgan
Business & Trade
Context

The chemicals sector is a foundational and anchor employer in constituencies such as Vale of Glamorgan, which houses the Dow site.

Question

I very much welcome the Minister’s recognition of the chemicals sector’s contribution as a foundational sector and an anchor employer in constituencies such as mine; we have the Dow site there. What can we do to support the deeply integrated supply chains across the UK and Europe that the chemicals sector, and Dow in particular, relies on?

Answer from The Minister for Industry (Sarah Jones)

I do not want to underestimate the challenges that the chemical sector faces. Between 2021 and 2024, UK chemicals manufacturing fell in real terms by about a third. We are working to improve the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU. We want to build exports and investment opportunities and reduce barriers to trade. Conversations are at an early stage, so I will not go into specifics, but we are certainly working to help the chemicals industry.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps or details on how supply chains will be supported beyond general statements about improving trade relationships.

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Q2 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Business & Trade
Context

The chemicals industry plays a crucial role in national security and the pharmaceutical sector, with potential benefits for all UK regions.

Question

What assessment has the Minister made of the benefits that inclusion of the chemicals sector among the eight sectors could bring for our national security and our pharmaceutical sector? How can all regions of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland benefit from this sector?

Answer from The Minister for Industry (Sarah Jones)

When we look at the eight sectors that we are trying to turbocharge through the industrial strategy, we see that the chemicals sector underpins so many other sectors. We need to make sure that we protect it. As I have just said, chemicals manufacturing has fallen by nearly a third over the past three years; we need to turn that around. We are looking at what we can do to break down barriers and make improvements—for example, on the cost of energy. That is part of the mix when it comes to making sure that we are secure in the future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific assessments or details about national security benefits or regional economic growth.

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