The UK government is escalating its planning to counteract potential shortages stemming from the Iran conflict.
Oil prices have soared since the US-Israel war on Iran began, driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a key shipping lane that once handled a fifth of global oil and gas.
The Prime Minister will chair another meeting of the Cabinet committee, established to manage the fallout, this Tuesday, following last week’s Middle East Response Committee session.
A separate contingency group of ministers, led by Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones, also meets twice weekly.
They are focusing on live monitoring of stock levels and what plans are in place for addressing supply chain disruption.
The Government has been seeking to calm the public, urging drivers to keep filling up with petrol and using cars as usual and not to change their travel plans amid fears over potential jet fuel shortages.
There have also been fears that the war could hit stocks of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is used in the food industry and by breweries to make drinks fizzy as well as for defence purposes and medical uses such as MRI scanning.
Mr Jones said: “This is not our war. The Government made the right call to stay out of the conflict and only take defensive action to protect Britain’s interests.
“We’re acting now to prepare for, and mitigate where possible, the impact on our economy and domestic security as a result of the conflict.
“The Prime Minister wants to see a toll-free Strait of Hormuz reopened as soon as possible. The UK is working tirelessly with our international partners to find a permanent solution to this crisis and minimise the knock-on impact to households.”
Mr Jones will seek to emphasise that the UK is in a good position and highlight how Sir Keir Starmer’s administration is working directly with businesses to limit disruption and keep prices down when he speaks to broadcasters on Sunday.
UK airlines have insisted they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel as they buy it in advance and airports maintain stocks, but the Government has said it is “closely monitoring” stocks.
Airports will make it easier for airlines to cancel flights without running the risk of losing their allocated “slots” – scheduled times for take-off or landing which some UK airports assign to airlines – if fuel shortages prevent them from flying.
The Government also plans to temporarily relax laws that require airlines to operate part-full flights from UK airports, The Times reported.
This would allow flight schedules to be consolidated months before any potential fuel shortages, meaning there may be fewer flight options available but minimising disruption and last-minute cancellations, the paper said.
Supermarkets have said they are working with the Government to help plan for a worst-case scenario which could see the ongoing war lead to shortages of carbon dioxide used by food producers.
On the outbreak of war, the Government provided funding to reactivate the Ensus bioethanol plant, which makes CO2 as a by-product, in order to shore up supplies of the gas.
And they are taking steps to weaken the link between electricity and gas prices to protect households and businesses from price spikes.
Leaked government plans setting out a reasonable worst-case scenario suggested there could be shortages of certain foods on supermarket shelves if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed in summer.
The Lib Dems urged that a Bill be included in the next King’s Speech to put food security at the top of the Government’s agenda.
The party’s Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart said: “The Government also needs to wake up and provide more support to people who simply cannot afford the sky-high cost of getting around, which is why we’ve proposed a 10p cut on fuel duty and slashing public transport costs, to protect Brits’ pockets from Trumpflation.”
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had told envoys not to go to Pakistan for more talks with Iran, after the White House had said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would be travelling to Islamabad to attempt to revive ceasefire negotiations.
