Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with the Welsh Government on the implications for her policies of the report by the British Geological Survey for the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre entitled Potential for Critical Raw Material Prospectivity in the UK, published on 17 April 2023.

“Potential for Critical Raw Material Prospectivity in the UK” was a study undertaken by CMIC, a programme sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by the British Geological Survey. This report delivers on the Critical Minerals Strategy’s commitment to collate UK geoscientific data and identify areas of geological potential for critical mineral extraction. It is a preliminary assessment, and its findings do not mean prospective areas identified will necessarily be targeted for exploration and mining. The

Government is working with the British Geological Survey to understand next steps and will engage with Devolved Administrations when appropriate.