First Minister, research suggests that nearly two thirds of businesses in the UK spend between 5 per cent and 20 per cent of their total outlay on energy. This represents a significant proportion of their total running costs, meaning that large price rises will have a dramatic effect on their ability to operate at a profit. Small businesses are less well placed to swallow increases in energy costs due to tight margins and restricted cash flow and so are more likely to have to pass these increases on to consumers.

In Scotland, First Minister, Business Energy Scotland provides free and impartial support to help small and medium-sized businesses to save energy, carbon and money. Funded by the Scottish Government, it provides expertise and unsecured interest-free loans to help pay for energy and carbon saving upgrades, as well as offering cashback grants of up to £20,000. First Minister, therefore, will you look at Business Energy Scotland, which claims already to have found over £200 million of savings for Scottish organisations, to see if a similar scheme could and would work here in Wales? Thank you.