Kwasi Kwarteng has made a formal request to the Treasury for support to industries hit by high energy prices, Sky News understands.
Sectors such as paper, steel and ceramics manufacturing had called for a price cap otherwise they said they may be forced to halt production, but talks with the government at the end of last week failed to reach a solution.
Mr Kwarteng pledged to keep the energy price cap in place for private households but has offered no new support for businesses as prices soar due to a shortage of natural gas in Europe.
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Business secretary on gas prices cap and fuel costs
Leaders of the UK's energy intensive sectors held talks with Mr Kwarteng on Friday and Monday in which they emphasised the "seriousness of the situation facing energy intensive industries this winter".
The Energy Intensive Users' Group (EIUG) said it was "optimistic" its main request for "cost containment" - a price cap" will be part of the plan to help them.
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Dr Richard Leese, EIUG's chair, said: "The urgency shown by the Secretary of State in holding further talks today is therefore welcome.
"The involvement of other parts of government will also be required. EIUG is looking for an equally swift response from Her Majesty's Treasury."
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Mr Kwarteng's request comes after a row in which the Treasury denied it was in discussions with the Business Secretary, but Home Office minister Damian Hinds said Mr Kwarteng had not lied when he claimed his team was in discussions with the Treasury.
Asked if Mr Kwarteng was have a row with Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the business secretary told Sky News: "Not at all, we get on very well."
A Treasury source told Sky News on Sunday they are "not involved in any talks" and added that it was not the first time Mr Kwarteng "has made things up in interviews".
On Monday, a source at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy told Sky News that comment was "dreadful", adding: "I get that they've got a difficult role with lots of spending demands but there was no need for a brutal slapdown."
Mr Hinds said of the row: "These unnamed sources stories come out from time to time.
"The fact is government departments, government ministers, talk to each other the whole time and of course with an issue like this, with these rising global prices and business having to grapple and deal with it to make sure they break even and can make a margin of course that is something that the business secretary - and of course the energy secretary - is going to be totally focussed on.
"Something that the Treasury, of course, is also very focussed on as the economic management department of the nation."
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Will the UK have a winter crisis?
Speaking to reporters at a regular Westminster briefing, the PM's spokesman insisted work on supporting businesses was happening across government departments.
"As you would expect, ministers from BEIS are working across government, including with Treasury, on this important issue, the challenges that are currently facing industry in light of global gas prices, and that will continue."
Asked to characterise the relationship between BEIS and the Treasury, the spokesman said they "continue to work very closely together, as the public would expect".
Mr Kwarteng made the claim in an interview with Trevor Phillips on Sunday, in which he also said he is "convinced" the UK will not suffer gas shortages in the coming months - and insisted that a price cap on consumers' energy bills "will not be moved" this winter.
The Business Secretary said he was "convinced we will have full energy supply" despite soaring wholesale gas prices around the world - although he stopped short of offering a full guarantee that there would not be disruption.
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Twelve UK energy providers have collapsed
Mr Kwarteng added that he was "speaking constantly" with industry on their energy needs and pricing and was "engaging" with the Treasury on the issue.
But he said he had not asked for subsidies for businesses, adding: "We've already got subsidies in place, and it's very clear that a lot of those are working.
"On the consumer side we've got an energy price cap and on the industry side we have measures where we support industries, heavy electricity users.
"What I'm very clear about is we need to help them get through this situation - it's a difficult situation, gas prices, electricity prices are at very high levels right across the world and of course I'm speaking to government colleagues, particularly in the Treasury, to try and see a way through this."
Labour's shadow economic secretary to the Treasury Pat McFadden said the "unseemly squabble" was "extraordinary".
"We've got a jobs crisis facing a number of energy intensive industries like steel, ceramics, paper-making and so on," he told Kay Burley.
"They're asking the government for help and instead of their concerns being addressed, what we've got is this unseemly squabble between the Treasury and the business department.
"Where the Treasury have not only accused the business secretary of making things up, but they've gone out of their way to say that they're not involved in any talks about helping these industries.
"If they're not involved they should be.
"Up until now we've been focused on the impact of all of this on domestic consumers and that's understandable, but this is now a jobs crisis facing key UK industries."
Gareth Stace, director general of UK Steel, told Sky News the row was a distraction and the PM had to act to help the industry before it is "too late".
"We hear these reports of a spat between the business department and Treasury. I want the prime minister himself to bang ministerial heads together to step into this, to take direct action himself to address the exorbitant gas and electricity prices facing us, which could damage us," he said.
The government has appointed a former boss of Tesco as an expert supply chain adviser as it bids to avert a crisis for deliveries in the run-up to Christmas.
Asked how confident he was about addressing supply chain problems, Mr Lewis told reporters: "It's the first day in the office, so let me go and have a look."
Asked if Britain was heading for a bleak winter, he replied: "I don't think so, but let me go and see what we can find."
Border Force detain 1,568 migrants crossing the Channel in four days as ministers say France WILL get £54m funding from UK 'in the coming weeks' - after Priti Patel threatened to withhold cash unless efforts were stepped up
Minister say France will get £54million funding for Channel migrant operations
Cash will be paid 'in coming weeks' despite frustration at limp French response
Security minister Damian Hinds said 'administrative' issues rather than 'political'
Ministers today insisted France will get £54million of funding for the Channel migrant operation - blaming 'administrative' issues for the delay.
Despite Priti Patel threatening to withhold the money unless Paris stepped up efforts to limit the flow, security minister Damian Hinds said it will be paid 'in the coming weeks.
He denied there was any 'political question' over paying the cash, insisting the 'administrative process' had just taken time to work through.
But France has been making veiled threats about its activities to quell the problem, with interior minister Gerald Darmanin complaining that 'not one euro has been paid' of the pledged funds.
It comes after Border Force officers have detained 1,568 migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats in just four days as the crisis continues.
People smugglers took advantage of calm seas before the weather closes in to make dozens of crossings. And today, around 20 to 30 migrants were brought into Dover although official figures have yet to be confirmed.
On Thursday 89 were intercepted before 624 were detained on Friday. But over the weekend 491 migrants were intercepted on Saturday and a further 364 on Sunday.
It takes the total so far in October to 1,568 after a spell of two weeks where weather conditions were too rough for inflatables to attempt the 21 mile treacherous crossing. In September there were a record 4,646 detained.
Official figures take the number detained so far this year to 18,641.
A group of migrants are brought into Dover in Kent by Border Force officers today after a small boat incident in the Channel
An arriving migrant waves at a photographer after arriving at Dover Marina in Kent this morning
A migrant is brought ashore at Dover in Kent today after crossing the English Channel in a small boat
Migrants are brought into Dover in Kent today by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel
Migrants are brought into Dover in Kent today by Border Force officers after crossing the Channel in a small boat
A migrant is accompanied to the shore at Dover in Kent this morning by Border Force officers after crossing the Channel
Migrants are brought into Dover today by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel
Border Force officers accompany a group of migrants as they are brought into Dover in Kent today
Some of the migrants are seen on a double decker bus after arriving at Dover Marina in Kent today
Asked about the delay in a round of interviews this morning, Mr Hinds said: 'Absolutely we are working closely with the French and I expect that question that you have raised to be finalised in the coming weeks.'
He told BBC News: 'I didn't say it was an error, it is a process to be worked through when you are transferring what are very large sums of taxpayers' money.'
But in a warning shot at the French, Mr Hinds said: 'I would like to see increased activity, increased turnback (of migrants). France is a safe country. If you are seeking asylum, you should claim it in the first safe country you come to.'
Alarm has been growing about the situation, with more than 1,000 people making the dangerous trip from France to the UK in just two days last week.
After 10 days in which no crossings were possible due to bad weather, at least 40 boats managed to reach Britain on Friday and Saturday.
A group of migrants are brought into Dover in Kent today by Border Force officers after crossing the English Channel
A migrant has their life jacket removed after being brought into Dover in Kent today by Border Force officers
A group of migrants are brought into Dover in Kent today by Border Force officers after crossing the Channel
Migrants are brought in to Dover by Border Force officers today following a small boat incident in the Channel
A group of migrants are brought into Dover in Kent today by Border Force officers following a small boat incident
Border Force officers are seen leaving Dover Marina on jet skis today as the Channel crossings continue
A group of migrants are brought into Dover Marina in Kent today on the Border Force vessel 'Hunter'
A group of migrants are brought in to Dover in Kent today by Border Force officers following a small boat incident
Since the start of the year, more than 18,000 people are thought to have succeeded in reaching the UK on board small boats.
A flurry of crossing attempts on Friday saw 624 people reach the UK – the fourth highest daily tally on record during the current crisis.
Crossings continued on Saturday with at least 491 people, including children, arriving in Britain after making the perilous journey.
The figures were confirmed by the Home Office on Sunday morning, as the Border Force was once again active in the Channel.
Border Force jet skis are seen leaving Dover Marina in Kent today as small boat crossings over the Channel continue
Migrants are brought into Dover Marina on board the Border Force vessel Hunter today following another Channel crossing
A migrant is accompanied by a Border Force official at Dover Marina today as they arrive on the Kent coast
A migrant walks along Dover Marina in Kent with a Border Force official after arriving in Britain following a Channel crossing
Migrants sit or stand on the back of the Border Force vessel Hunter as they arrive at Dover Marina today
Border Force jet skis are seen leaving Dover Marina today as migrants continue to make their way across the Channel
A group of migrants are brought into Dover Marina today as the Channel crossings today
A migrant holds a water bottle as they are brought ashore at Dover Marina in Kent today following another Channel crossing
More people were seen arriving in Dover on Sunday as crossings continued for a third day in a row.
A young girl wearing a pink jacket was seen being helped to put on woolly hat by a border official in the port, one of a number of children who have made the dangerous crossing in the last few days.
Thousands of people have continued to cross from France in 2021 despite the UK pledging to send millions of pounds to the French authorities to tackle the crisis.
After visiting Dunkirk on Saturday, Mr Darmanin said: 'For now, not one euro has been paid.
Border Force jet skis are seen leaving Dover Marina today as migrants continue to make their way across the Channel
Migrants are brought in by the Border Force vessel 'Hunter' today as they walk onto Dover Marina and the crossings continue
Migrants are pictured sitting on a double decker bus after arriving at Dover Marina in Kent today
The migrants are brought into Dover Marina in Kent today on board the Border Force vessel 'Hunter'
Migrants sit or stand on board a double decker bus after arriving at Dover Marina in Kent today
Border Force officers are seen leaving Dover Marina on jet skis today as the Channel crossings continue
Migrants rest on board a double decker bus at Dover Marina in Kent today after crossing the Channel
'We are asking the British to keep their promises of financing because we are holding the border for them.'
He also called on Britain to take measures to reduce its 'attractiveness' for migrants without residency papers, without elaborating.
Asked yesterday about Mr Darmanin's comments, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Sky News: 'Well, all I can say is that we have worked very effectively with the French government so far.
'We've had 300 arrests, we've worked with them to do that, there have been 65 convictions, and we both accept that there are something like 13,500 crossings that have been prevented through our working together, so it is a good collaborative relationship and we obviously want to improve that.'
Dan O'Mahoney, Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, said: 'The Government is determined to tackle the unacceptable rise in dangerous Channel crossings using every tool at our disposal, at every stage in the journey.
'Working with police and international partners, there have been nearly 300 arrests, 65 convictions related to small boat criminality and our targeted efforts have prevented more than 15,000 migrant attempts so far this year.
'But this is a complicated issue requiring changes to our laws. The Government's New Plan for Immigration provides a long term solution to fix the broken system and deliver the change required to tackle criminal gangs and prevent further loss of life.'
2,000 officers accused of sex offences in past four years: Amid fallout from Sarah Everard horror, new figures show scale of law enforcement staff who faced allegations
Allegations include 370 sexual assaults, 100 of rape and 18 of child sex offences
Just 8 per cent of those accusations led to a dismissal, according to official data
There were 514 proven sexual misconduct cases across 33 forces, study found
Almost 2,000 police and community support officers have been accused of sexual misconduct over the past four years, official data has revealed.
The allegations include more than 370 of sexual assault, nearly 100 of rape and 18 of child sex offences, according to analysis of freedom of information figures.
Just 8 per cent of those accusations led to a dismissal, according to the responses from 39 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales.
And, where gender was recorded, the vast majority of the allegations were made against men.
The probe will investigate the ‘systemic’ failures that allowed Couzens, 48, to be employed as a police officer#
A separate study from Bournemouth University found there were 514 proven cases of sexual misconduct across 33 forces in the past five years – the most common of which was ‘abuse of position for a sexual purpose’.
It comes three days after it was announced that Baroness Casey of Blackstock will lead a review into Scotland Yard’s culture and vetting processes.
The review, in response to Sarah Everard’s murder by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, will re-examine historical sexual misconduct allegations involving officers still serving in the force.
A separate independent inquiry was announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel last week.
The probe will investigate the ‘systemic’ failures that allowed Couzens, 48, to be employed as a police officer despite reports of indecent exposure and other signs he could be dangerous.
The parliamentary and diplomatic protection officer was said to have been referred to as ‘The Rapist’ by former colleagues in the Civil Nuclear Constabulary because he made women feel uncomfortable.
In March this year, he used his police-issue handcuffs and warrant card to stage a fake arrest of Miss Everard, a 33-year-old marketing manager, before raping and murdering her.
According to the Bournemouth research, the most common sexual misconduct offence involved officers allegedly using their power to form a relationship with a victim for sexually motivated purposes.
In March this year, Couzens used his police-issue handcuffs and warrant card to stage a fake arrest of Miss Everard before killing her
One such officer was detective constable Jatinder Bunger who was jailed for ten months in May. The former Lancashire Police officer admitted sending sexual messages to victims and obtaining intimate images from the phones of vulnerable women – including a rape victim.
The research also found that, of the 514 proven cases of sexual misconduct, 15 per cent involved officers who were at sergeant rank or higher.
Thirty officers were at a senior level of inspector or above – with the highest-ranking being an assistant chief constable. Separate data shows there were more than 500 claims of sexual offences against officers and staff at Scotland Yard between 2016 and 2020.
The findings are the latest blow for the police service and come just a week after the Mail revealed that nearly 1,000 officers and staff have been probed for posting offensive social media content.
The freedom of information figures are set to be broadcast in Channel 4’s Cops on Trial: Dispatches tonight.
A separate independent inquiry was announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel last week
The National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Louise Rolfe told the programme: ‘We absolutely must, in policing, get to the bottom of what might have been behind these cases.
‘We know, very sadly, a small number of people are attracted to policing because of the power, the control and the opportunity it affords them. Our vetting processes are designed to root those people out.’
The End Violence Against Women Coalition – which includes organisations such as Rape Crisis and Women’s Aid – said few officers faced ‘any meaningful consequences’ for sexual misconduct against women and girls.
The group’s deputy director Deniz Ugur called for a radical overhaul of how police respond to violence against women, adding: ‘Ultimately, we need to address these widespread institutional failings before we can even begin to address women’s confidence in the police.’
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it was down to individual forces to stamp out abuses of police powers.
Health chief Jenny Harries says people are TWICE as likely to die if they have coronavirus and flu at the same time compared to just Covid as she urges those eligible to get both vaccines
Dr Jenny Harries said UK is facing 'uncertain winter' because of flu and Covid-19
She said it is first time there will be large amounts of both diseases in circulation
Said catching both means 'you are twice as likely to die' versus just having Covid
She said the 'real trick' is for all eligible people to get flu and coronavirus jabs
People are twice as likely to die if they have coronavirus and flu at the same time as opposed to only having Covid-19, one of the UK's leading health bosses has said.
Dr Jenny Harries, the head of the UK Health Security Agency, said the UK is facing an 'uncertain winter' because of the potential for people to catch both diseases.
She said the winter of 2021 will be the first time that flu has co-circulated in 'real numbers' alongside Covid-19.
She said the 'real trick here is to get vaccinated' as he urged people who are eligible to get both the Covid and flu jabs.
Dr Jenny Harries, the head of the UK Health Security Agency, said the UK is facing an 'uncertain winter' because of the potential for people to catch both diseases
Asked on Sky News how worried people should be about flu this winter, Ms Harries said: 'Well, we should be worried about flu each winter.
'I think people still don't realise it can be a fatal disease and recent figures suggest that about 25 per cent of us don't actually understand that and over the last five years about 11,000 have died with flu-related conditions.
'But I think an important thing about this winter is we are likely to see flu for the first time in any real numbers co-circulating with Covid.
'So the risks of catching both together still remain and if you do that, early evidence suggests that you are twice as likely to die from having two together than just having Covid alone.
'So I think it is an uncertain winter ahead. It's not a prediction, it's an uncertain feature but we do think that flu numbers have been lower in the previous year so immunity and the strength types are a little more uncertain.'
Explaining that this year's flu could be made up of different strains, she said the vaccine being offered this winter is designed to protect against four of those.
She said: 'We've got a pretty good array in our toolbox to try and hit whichever one becomes dominant but it could be more than one this year, and people's immunity will be lower.
Ms Harries said the 'real trick here is to get vaccinated' as he urged people who are eligible to get both the Covid and flu jabs. A vaccination centre in north London is pictured on October 3
'So I think the real trick here is to get vaccinated – in both Covid and flu – but obviously to continue to do those good hygiene behaviours that we've been practising all through Covid.'
The flu vaccine is available to people who are aged 50 and over as well as to those with certain health conditions.
The coronavirus booster vaccine is available to people aged 50 and over who have had a second dose of a Covid-19 jab at least six months ago.
The heir to the fan reportedly sees no royal future for his uncle (Picture: PA/Reuters)
The prospect of a future comeback for Prince Andrew looks dead in the water after claims emerged Prince William is ‘no fan of his uncle’.
The Duke of York reportedly still harbours ambitions to return to frontline royal duties in the future despite his reputation being shattered in recent years.
He was forced to leave his public roles after details of his friendship with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein came to light.
Andrew’s reputation was further tarnished when Virginia Giuffre launched a civil claim against him in a New York court alleging he had sex with her when she was the victim of trafficking.
He has always strenuously denied all the allegations against him and has previously apologised for associating with Epstein.
Despite his reputation being at a low, it has been widely reported Andrew still thinks he could have a royal role in the future and retains the personal support of the Queen.
But the two men who will have the final say on royal matters in the future, Charles and William, don’t appear to be as confident.
The Queen is reportedly privately supportive of her son but future kings Charles and William do not foresee a future for Andrew as a public royal (Picture: Getty)
A royal source close to William told The Times: ‘There is no way in the world he’s ever coming back, the family will never let it happen.’
Another anonymous source said the Duke of Cambridge considers his uncle to be ‘ungracious and ungrateful’ and claimed the future king sees him as ‘a risk’ and a ‘threat to the family’.
They added: ‘Any suggestion that there isn’t gratitude for the institution, anything that could lead anyone in the public to think that senior members of the royal family aren’t grateful for their position, [William thinks] is really dangerous.’
In August, it was reported Charles did not believe there would be a future role for Andrew.
An unnamed royal source told The Times that Charles ‘loves his brother’ but is concerned about the effect any return to the public eye for Prince Andrew would have on the integrity of the monarchy.
Andrew has spent the summer at Balmoral with the Queen and has kept a low profile since his much-criticised Newsnight interview (Picture: Peter Jolly Northpix)
They told the paper: ‘He has long ago concluded that it is probably an unsolvable problem.
‘This will probably further strengthen in the prince’s mind that a way back for the duke is demonstrably not possible, because the spectre of this [accusation] raises its head with hideous regularity.’
Prince Andrew’s legal team finally accepted they had been served with papers in the Virginia Giuffre case on September 21 after weeks of legal wrangling.
The Business Secretary has said he is "convinced" the UK will not suffer gas shortages in the coming months - and insisted that a price cap on consumers' energy bills "will not be moved" this winter.
Speaking to the Trevor Phillips On Sunday show, Mr Kwarteng said he was "convinced we will have full energy supply" despite soaring wholesale gas prices around the world - although he stopped short of offering a full guarantee that there would not be disruption.
He went on to claim he was in talks with Chancellor Rishi Sunak's team on possible further support for businesses facing higher bills - but a Treasury source later told Sky News they are "not involved in any talks" and added that it wasn't the first time Mr Kwarteng "has made things up in interviews".
Image:The energy price cap for consumers 'will not be moved' this winter
When asked if the UK would have uninterrupted gas supplies this winter, Mr Kwarteng told Sky News: "I'm as certain as I could be."
He added: "Because obviously this is a global issue, so we've seen right across the world real supply chain pressures, you've seen the Chinese have power blackouts, they're rationing supply.
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"Here in the UK our job is to make sure there is minimal disruption and I'm very confident."
The business secretary added: "There are two elements here; one is obviously the global price and I can't predict, nobody can predict that.
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"But one thing I am responsible for is the resilience of the UK system and, in that, I'm very confident we will be resilient."
Mr Kwarteng also insisted huge price hikes in wholesale gas would not be wholly passed onto households as the energy price cap would remain unchanged this winter.
"I've been very clear about this. The price cap is the biggest shield in terms of consumer prices and I've said repeatedly that it will not be moved," he added.
"It was set in August for the six-month period between 1 October and 1 April and it's not being moved.
"Many companies during this period have said we should lift the price cap or get rid of it.
"And I've been very clear that it can't be moved because it does offer consumers the protection we all need against very, very high upswings in the price."
Asked if he would advise people to wear another woolly jumper to keep warm this winter, Mr Kwarteng said: "It's up to people - it's amazing how different people's cold thresholds can be very different.
"Some people feel comfortable wrapped up in lots of different clothes, others wear relatively little - I think people should be sensible. I think people should do what they feel comfortable with."
Pressed on whether this meant he was telling people to turn down their thermostat and put on more clothing, he said: "My job as an energy minister is not to tell people how many layers of clothing they should wear, that's not really my job."
Aside from the energy price cap that partly protects households, Mr Kwarteng is also facing calls to take immediate action to support energy-intensive industries amid warnings some sectors could grind to a halt due to soaring prices.
The business secretary said he was "speaking constantly" with industry on their energy needs and pricing and was "engaging" with the Treasury on the issue.
But he said he had not asked for subsidies for businesses, adding: "We've already got subsidies in place and it's very clear that a lot of those are working.
"On the consumer side we've got an energy price cap and on the industry side we have measures where we support industries, heavy electricity users.
"What I'm very clear about is we need to help them get through this situation - it's a difficult situation, gas prices, electricity prices are at very high levels right across the world and of course I'm speaking to government colleagues, particularly in the Treasury, to try and see a way through this."
On the prospect of an energy price cap for industry, Mr Kwarteng added: "I can't come on your programme and say we're going to have a price cap because we're trying to work out what the nature of that support might be."
However, one Treasury source disputed the business secretary's suggestion that their department was engaged in talks on supporting industries.
"This is not the first time the BEIS secretary has made things up in interviews," the source told Sky News. "To be crystal clear the Treasury are not involved in any talks."
Energy UK chief executive Emma Pinchbeck admitted there were worries about the impact of soaring prices on businesses.
"I don't actually know what the consequences for commercial users will be, though they are more exposed to the prices and they have to buy energy at the price we're seeing on the market and the same for some of our generators," she told Sky News.
"I will tell you our members are increasingly worried about those customers, and on top of that I think it's less clear what will happen to business customers.
"The last thing to say on this is of course when we say commercial customers, it's actually quite a big range - that's everything from your local corner shop through to manufacturers of steel.
"So I think it's right (Mr Kwarteng) is talking to the energy intensive users but we would also like to see a bit of a focus on commercial customers as a whole, and thinking imaginatively about each kind of commercial customers and what sort of support they might need - but yes of course, we're worried."
The PM has gone on holiday, no-one knows where the Chancellor is, and now we understand the Business Secretary has entered the realms of fantasy.
The government needs to get a grip - the British people are paying the price for the PM’s incompetence. https://t.co/LhEEr7S44h
Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Reynolds laid the blame for current issues in the energy market on past decisions taken by Conservative ministers.
"The energy crisis has come from complacency, it's come from the fact the government 'cut the green cr*p' and the energy efficiency programme in 2015 was stalled by David Cameron's government," he told Sky News.
"The nuclear programme hasn't proceeded, you haven't seen onshore wind progress because of the block on government policy that existed.
"And, crucially, energy storage - the enormous gas storage in Rough field in 2017 was closed because the government wanted to save money.
"The choices that people have made in government have directly affected the cost of living crisis that we're facing today."
Meanwhile, Labour's shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Bridget Phillipson, accused the government of a "farce" amid the confusion over whether Mr Kwarteng and the Treasury are actually engaged in talks.
""In the teeth of a crisis of its own making, the government has put its out of office on," she said.
"The prime minister has gone on holiday, no one knows where the chancellor is, and this morning we understand the business secretary has entered the realms of fantasy.
"The two key government departments responsible for the current cost of living crisis have spent this morning infighting about whether they were in talks with each other. What a farce."
