To ask the Minister for the Economy whether she has sought clarity from HM Treasury on whether any Barnett consequentials will flow to the Northern Ireland Executive from the Exchequer funding element of the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.

The British Government published a consultation response on the regulatory changes and delivery requirements to implement the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) on 16 April. This industrial support scheme applies to Britain only, reflecting the devolved nature of energy policy.

However, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has confirmed that the British Government will provide the Northern Ireland Executive with equivalent funding for a comparable scheme to the BICS, subject to business case approval.

I have highlighted the shortcomings of the Supercharger scheme not applying in the same way for businesses here and this negatively impacting their competitiveness. Against that backdrop, this development represents a potentially significant opportunity for manufacturers in the North.

However, further engagement with the British Government will be required to understand what a specific but comparable approach could look like in practice, and how parity of outcome for businesses here can be ensured.