Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of critical minerals in supporting innovation and supply chain resilience as part of net zero targets.

A secure supply of critical minerals is vital to the UK’s economic growth and security, industrial strategy and clean energy transition. The 2025 UK Critical Minerals Strategy supports innovation and R&D in the UK to secure our critical minerals supply, through domestic production and international collaboration that is responsible and sustainable.

Following Spending Review 2025, new funding of up to £50 million will be made available by DBT to support critical mineral projects, to expand research and innovation as well as supporting commercialisation. Further details will be announced later this year.