Electric Vehicle Battery Production

Cherilyn Mackrory Excerpts

Wednesday 18th January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Graham Stuart]

Opposition Members lose no opportunity to talk down the UK. It is quite extraordinary, especially in the week when we have just seen evidence come out that the UK is seen by—[Interruption.] If the hon. Lady, instead of chuntering from a sedentary position, were to stop her rant against the UK and its position in the world and hear the answer, she would hear that global CEOs have identified the UK as the third most attractive place in the world in which to invest. If she was as committed to helping workers as her party claims to be, then instead of talking this country down she would be highlighting those issues, celebrating the fact that we have nearly full employment and celebrating the fact that we are not in the position we were in, with so many young people on the dole, in 2010.

[Cherilyn Mackrory (Truro and Falmouth) (Con)]

I declare an interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for critical minerals. As others have mentioned, it is vital that we step up not only the domestic supply chain but collaboration with friendly nations such as Australia, Japan, the US, Canada and so on, to ensure that we get all the minerals we need for our British-made battery production, starting with, but not limited to, Cornish lithium.

[Graham Stuart]

I thank my hon. Friend, who is always championing her constituency and its interests, and emphasising the fact that yes, quite rightly, critical minerals are important, and that working with partners and trusted allies is absolutely critical. Colleagues in the Department for International Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are absolutely alive to that and we use our posts around the world to make sure we build a consensus and a common approach. We want security not just for ourselves, but for our democratic partners too.