Written questions

Agriculture: British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme

Commons · Question 16401 · Tabled 7 Jul 2026 · Department for Business and Trade · Official record

Answered 13 Jul 2026

Question

Asked by Sir Julian Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme to include the agricultural sector.

Answer

Answered by Chris McDonald, 13 Jul 2026

BICS is a targeted scheme designed to support a defined group of sectors within the Industrial Strategy’s growth sectors (IS-8), where electricity cost relief is expected to have the greatest impact on growth; and within that, focusing on manufacturing ac...