VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Housing: Construction

Asked by Sir James CleverlyConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 20464

The question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on housebuilders and housebuilding costs from January 2027.

Answered by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

The UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will be introduced from 1 January 2027 and will apply to highly traded, carbon-intensive goods, such as cement and iron and steel. The CBAM is an environmental measure, designed to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage and ensure that these carbon-intensive imports face a carbon cost that is comparable to that faced by equivalent goods produced in the UK.

A tax information and impacts note can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism#summary-of-impacts.

The government expects liabilities arising from the CBAM to be modest in its early years. The Government intends to publish illustrative CBAM rates this autumn to help businesses better understand the potential effects of the policy.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim