The Prime Minister has pledged to review support for energy-intensive industries including ceramics after the issue was raised in the House of Commons by Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove MP David Williams.
Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday ahead of the International Day of Ceramics today (Thursday, 12 March), David highlighted the pressures facing manufacturers in Stoke-on-Trent as energy costs continue to rise.
Drawing on his family’s links to the local industry, he told MPs: “My mum proudly worked in the pot banks of Burslem and Tunstall and is watching at home right now. Tomorrow is the International Day of Ceramics and that matters deeply to Stoke-on-Trent, the historic heart of Britain’s ceramic industry.”
He added: “Will the Prime Minister please tell my mum and all our fellow Stokies what additional support the government will give energy intensive industries like ceramics, so the kilns of Stoke-on-Trent can fire for generations to come.”
Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged the challenges facing manufacturers and said the Government is reviewing eligibility for the Industrial Energy Supercharger Scheme.
The Prime Minister said: “He raises a really important issue, and I know that not only will this mum be watching but his constituents who he serves very, very well.
“Our supercharger will significantly reduce costs for thousands of major industries. Eligibility for the scheme is being reviewed this year. I can tell my honourable friend that we’re working with the ceramics industry on whether the scheme can be extended to more firms.
“Under the last government, industrial energy prices doubled and over a thousand jobs were lost in the sector. We will not tolerate that.”
Following the exchange, David said he would continue to press the Government to ensure support reaches ceramics firms in the city, which are among those most affected by rising energy costs.
He said: “This has never just been about economics. Protecting ceramics means protecting jobs, preserving a manufacturing heritage known across the world, and ensuring that the industry my own family was part of has a future.
“I will not stop fighting until the kilns of Stoke-on-Trent are secure for the generations to come.”
