The MPA has welcomed the announcement by the UK Government to break the influence of gas on electricity prices - a move that should buffer energy pricing from sudden rises in fossil fuel costs.

As an energy-intensive industry, electricity pricing massively impacts the competitiveness of UK cement, so addressing the pricing problem is key to supporting a foundation sector that's crucial for housebuilding and infrastructure delivery.

Martin Casey, Senior Director for Cement and Lime at the MPA, said: "For too long, UK industries like cement and lime have been strangled by soaring electricity costs, with some of the highest prices in the world. That has real consequences for competitiveness, making it hard for domestic producers to stack up against overseas manufacturers who aren’t facing the same issue.

“The proposals to reduce the impact of volatile gas prices on electricity costs are therefore very welcome. We’ll need to see the detail, of course, but measures that tackle this long‑standing problem and create a fairer energy market are critical for a sector that is already under pressure.

“Supporting the domestic production of materials like cement isn’t just about keeping good, well-paid jobs across all four nations, it’s also about helping the UK economy grow and protecting our national resilience in a challenging geopolitical climate.”