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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what mechanisms he has identified to improve domestic critical metals recovery which are more (a) accessible and (b) short-term than the recovery of metals from electric vehicles.

As part of the commitment to improve critical mineral supply chain resilience, the Government will look at ways to promote recycling and recovery by exploring regulatory interventions to promote re-use, recycling, and recovery of critical minerals. The Government plans to consult on reforms to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations and end-of-life batteries next year.

The Government will also access public R&D funding for recycling, reuse, resource efficiency and substitution of critical minerals and explore how Government funding mechanisms such as UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) can support it. The £30 million National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) Programme includes a centre on technology metals supporting companies developing domestic capabilities in the circular economy.

In line with WTO rules, the Government does not have any plans to restrict the export of metal waste from the UK.