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Written Question
Copper: Recycling
Monday 9th February 2026

Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to supporting the smelting of scrap copper in the UK instead of exportation.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Government recognises copper’s importance, which is why DBT designated copper a growth mineral in the Critical Minerals (CM) Strategy and funded a study by the CM Intelligence Centre assessing copper scrap and waste flows, to help inform circularity in the UK.

This government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are in use for longer and waste is designed out. Defra will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan setting out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. We will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate interventions needed.

Division Vote (Lords)
4 Feb 2026 - Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 - View Vote Context
Lord Spellar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 165 Labour No votes vs 1 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 62 Noes - 295
Division Vote (Lords)
3 Feb 2026 - Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Spellar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 131 Labour No votes vs 1 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 178 Noes - 140
Division Vote (Lords)
3 Feb 2026 - Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Spellar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 125 Labour No votes vs 1 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 176 Noes - 132
Division Vote (Lords)
3 Feb 2026 - Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Spellar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 131 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 36 Noes - 144
Division Vote (Lords)
3 Feb 2026 - Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Spellar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 166 Labour No votes vs 1 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 295 Noes - 180
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 29 Jan 2026
Battery Shortage for NHS Hearing Aids

"Does this not once again reveal the fundamental flaw in the Government’s procurement policy, which the Treasury is still pursuing, of going for “cheapest is best” and ignoring all the lessons both of the pandemic and of the Ukraine war, which showed that relying on single points of failure regularly …..."
Lord Spellar - View Speech

View all Lord Spellar (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Battery Shortage for NHS Hearing Aids
Written Question
Military Aircraft: Manufacturing
Thursday 29th January 2026

Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to maintain combat aircraft manufacturing and assembly capacity in the UK.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Industrial Strategy recognises combat air as a priority national security sub-sector, requiring a degree of autonomy in the UK. The Defence Industrial Strategy underlines this government's commitment to maintaining sovereign capabilities across the Defence enterprise. The United Kingdom already has a world-class combat air production and manufacturing ecosystem, supported through large-scale international partnerships as well as targeted domestic investment.

Steps taken to maintain this capacity include the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), supporting export campaigns of Typhoon aircraft, upgrading our own combat aircraft, and continuing our investment in the global F-35 programme.

Division Vote (Lords)
28 Jan 2026 - Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Spellar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 88 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 16 Noes - 92
Division Vote (Lords)
28 Jan 2026 - Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Spellar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 140 Labour No votes vs 1 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 231 Noes - 147