Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) social and (b) environmental effect on the (i) Democratic Republic of Congo and (ii) other similar countries of increasing demand for (A) cobalt, (B) lithium and (C) other elements in battery manufacture.

The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to address the problems associated with mining and conflict minerals. This includes through the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for diamonds; the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights around mines; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for the responsible sourcing of minerals; and the Modern Slavery Act.

Both the UK and The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are members of the Extractives International Transparency Initiative (EITI). The EITI is the global standard for the good governance of oil, gas and minerals, which sets out what information on extractives should be publicly available. The DRC is making progress with timely disclosure of this information.

Increased demand for minerals, including cobalt and lithium, has seen many people in the DRC take to working as artisanal miners to earn a living, often illegally. Working conditions are frequently unsafe and exploitative. Reports of widespread child labour are of particular concern. The mining industry is better regulated in Zambia and companies accused of abuses have faced legal action. The UK is funding projects on the prevention of child labour in artisanal mines and on remediation work for victims of slavery in the extractive sector.

Pollution caused by mining activity has led to environmental degradation and resource depletion across Africa. Illegally mined minerals are frequently smuggled out of the DRC to neighbouring countries such as Rwanda and Burundi. Environmental accountability is difficult to enforce upon these illegal operations.