- A leaked government document, codenamed 'Exercise Turnstone', reveals contingency plans for a 'reasonable worst-case scenario' where the Iran war could cause shortages of key supermarket goods in the UK.
- The analysis, run by Cobra, suggests that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could lead to carbon dioxide (CO2) supplies falling to just 18 per cent of current levels.
- Such a shortage would severely impact farming and hospitality, affecting the shelf life of foods, the slaughtering of livestock, and the production of fizzy drinks, potentially disrupting the Fifa World Cup.
- Business Secretary Peter Kyle reassured the public that ministers are actively making contingency plans, citing his earlier decision to restart the Ensus bio-ethanol plant to secure CO2 supplies.
- The government has considered measures such as compelling factories to increase CO2 production and relaxing competition law to prioritise critical supplies, though officials state these scenarios are planning tools, not predictions.
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