E-petition debate: Applying energy intensive industry relief to the ceramics industry

A Westminster Hall debate on 6 July 2026 will consider an e-petition calling for support for the ceramics industry to be extended. The petition calls for the British Industry Supercharger (BIS) to be expanded to include the ceramics sector. The BIS is a government scheme designed to support key energy-intensive industries by reducing their energy costs. It works by giving businesses a discount electricity prices and has been in place since April 2024.

This debate will be opened by Dave Roberston MP. The Petitions Committee agreed to the debate in response to e-petition 764785, which has attracted 109,804 signatures as of 2 July 2026.

E-petition 764785: Support the ceramics industry and protect British manufacturing jobs and skills

E-petition 764785 calls for government support for energy-intensive industries to be extended to the ceramics industry:

Apply energy intensive industry relief (Supercharger scheme) to the ceramics industry to help cut soaring industrial energy costs & support ceramics businesses, which are at the risk of imminent collapse without urgent intervention, as seen with Denby Pottery registering for administration support.

Urgently review the British Industrial Supercharger and expand it to include the ceramics industry within its remit and produce a policy statement about the Government’s policy to protect and support industry and jobs.

The UK Government responds to e-petitions that reach 10,000 signatures. The government’s response was published on the petition’s page on 11 May 2026.

It said:

The British Industry Supercharger delivers targeted relief to eligible energy-intensive industries (EIIs) for their electricity policy and network costs on the basis of their high exposure to carbon leakage, the offshoring of production and jobs to overseas competitors who do not face equivalent climate change policy controls.

The current list of eligible sectors is set out in secondary legislation under the Electricity Supplier Obligations (Amendment & Excluded Electricity) Regulations 2015 (as amended), the Electricity Capacity (Supplier Payment etc.) (Amended and Excluded Electricity) Regulations 2024, and the Energy-Intensive Industry Electricity Support Payments and Levy Regulations 2024) (as amended).

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) intends to review the eligibility criteria for the British Industry Supercharger this year, as referred to in the Minister for Industry’s response to a parliamentary question (UIN 128253) tabled on 20 April 2026, to ensure that current government policy remains targeted, effective and proportionate. However, any changes to eligibility criteria under the scheme are subject to public consultation, and approval from the UK Parliament and government ministers. While an exact date has not been provided as to when this consultation will begin, DBT encourages the ceramics sector to engage with this review and submit all relevant evidence when the opportunity arises.

The Government has set out its actions to support UK industry and boost economic growth in our Modern Industrial Strategy. Through targeted support to IS-8 and frontier industries, the Government will improve resilience of supply chains, increase trading opportunities, and reduce regulatory burdens. Support to these strategic sectors will not only improve economic growth but also create jobs up and down the country. However, all industries will have a role to play in revitalising our economy.

The Government recognises the importance of the ceramics sector to many communities, particularly the deep importance of the tableware industry to Stoke-on-Trent. The ceramics industry has faced difficult economic circumstances, exacerbated by an uncertain geopolitical environment. The Government will continue to engage with the industry, trade unions and the sector’s main trade association, Ceramics UK, to better understand their challenges and explore how they can best be supported.

The e-petition was published on 17 April 2026. It closes on 17 October 2026. It has attracted 109,804 signatures as of 2 July 2026.

The Petitions Committee considers whether all e-petitions that reach 100,000 signatures should be debated. At its meeting on 16 June 2026, the committee decided the e-petition should be debated on 6 July 2026.

Background

Denby Pottery, a Derbyshire-based pottery firm established in 1809, entered administration on 31 March 2026 after a period of financial pressure linked to rising energy and employment costs, lower consumer confidence and reduced demand.

The petition was launched by Hayley Baddiley, a former worker at Denby, in response to concerns about the impact of high energy costs on the UK ceramics industry.

It has since been supported by Ceramics UK, the trade association representing the UK ceramics industry.