Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2026 to question 16799, when the criticality assessment will next be updated.

The Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC), funded by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and delivered by the British Geological Survey, produces the UK’s criticality assessment. With a continuously expanding amount of data used in criticality assessments, continued monitoring and data processing require upgrading and semi-automation. CMIC’s criticality assessment upgrades this year will improve its workflow systems, making them more efficient, expanding on the number of HS codes analysed and focusing on large-volume materials. The next overarching update to the criticality assessment is due to take place in 2027.