Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) his Department has engaged with global anode producers and (b) the Government has plans for anode production in the UK.

The Department routinely engages with producers of strategically important components for electric vehicles, including anodes and other battery materials. In 2020, the Government announced £500m to establish an Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF), to support the development of an internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain, including anode production in the UK.

As part of the Net Zero Strategy, in October 2021, Government announced a further £350m to be delivered through the ATF over the next three years to ensure that the UK maximises the benefits from the transition to a zero emission vehicle future and support tens of thousands of high-quality green jobs across the UK.