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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Friday, 3 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 7 July 2026. It was answered by Chris McDonald (Labour) on Monday, 13 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Minerals: Production

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Department for Business and Trade's press release entitled UK to secure critical minerals boosting economic resilience and cutting reliance on imports, published on 22 June 2026, what assessment he has made of the contribution the programme will make towards achieving the objectives set out in the Government's Critical Minerals Strategy.

Answer

The UK Critical Minerals Strategy sets out clear success features by 2035 to increase domestic resilience and diversify supply chains: meeting 10% of UK annual demand for critical minerals through domestic production, 20% through recycling products, and no more than 60% of the UK’s annual demand for critical minerals is supplied by any one country.

The £50 million programme a key enabler of this vision alongside the strategy’s wider policy framework, including competitive energy costs, planning and permitting, and access to finance through the UK’s public finance institutions. Progress towards the Strategy’s success features is monitored through Government’s strategy governance.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
15889
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Minerals Production
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk