Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential importance of a UK domestic critical minerals supply strategy to underpin economic growth and the UK industrial base.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
A secure supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK's economic growth and security, industrial strategy, and clean energy transition. Building on the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre’s updated criticality assessment, government will work hand in hand with industry to publish a new Critical Minerals Strategy this year.
The Strategy will refine our approach to domestic production and will be explicitly targeted to UK strengths and delivering for businesses.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of critical minerals supply from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Whilst Government has not made an economic assessment of the benefits of critical minerals supply from any specific region to the rest of the UK, the new Critical Minerals Strategy will set out how increasing our domestic production of critical minerals in all areas of the UK will support our economic growth and security, industrial strategy, and clean energy transition.
As part of her industry engagement, Minister Sarah Jones MP, met with Ionic Technologies, a cutting-edge permanent magnet recycler based in Belfast, who are a real asset to critical minerals supply across the UK. The world-leading critical minerals innovation led out of Queen’s University Belfast also demonstrates how Northern Ireland can contribute to UK critical minerals supply.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to engage with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to develop a UK-wide critical minerals supply strategy.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
A secure supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK's economic growth and security, industrial strategy, and clean energy transition.
Government is engaging widely in developing the new Critical Minerals Strategy, including in partnership with the devolved governments, to make this Strategy a UK-wide effort.
The Critical Minerals Strategy will be published in 2025, aligning with the multi-year Spending Review and the new Industrial Strategy.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have engaged with the Northern Ireland Executive about critical minerals supply.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
A secure supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK's economic growth and security, industrial strategy, and clean energy transition.
Government is engaging widely in developing the new Critical Minerals Strategy, including in partnership with the devolved governments, to make this Strategy a UK-wide effort.
The Critical Minerals Strategy will be published in 2025, aligning with the multi-year Spending Review and the new Industrial Strategy.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government which department the minister with responsibility for critical minerals will be based in; and when the Critical Minerals Strategy announced in 2022 will be updated as planned.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston
The Department with lead responsibility for critical minerals is the Department for Business and Trade. The Government is planning to publish a refreshed approach to the Critical Minerals Strategy in Spring this year to reinforce the 2022 Strategy, highlight delivery progress to date, and set out upcoming delivery milestones.