Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2021 to Question 160719 on Minerals: Procurement, what the agreed actions to mitigate risks of potential disruption to the UK's critical minerals supply chains are.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government’s approach to supply chain resilience emphasises the importance of free, fair, and open trade, and our approach to securing the UK’s critical minerals supply chains reflects this. This includes actions to diversify our global sources of critical raw materials; to engage international partners; and to identify long-term opportunities to strengthen and protect UK supply.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to attract critical mineral companies to (a) invest in UK businesses and (b) set up business in the UK.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for International Trade (DIT) and partners in other Departments are working together to identify and target critical minerals extractive, processing and refining companies to invest in the UK, with a focus on the critical raw materials required to deliver Industrial Strategy objectives. Our Foreign Direct Investment strategy is similarly focused on securing investment in the extraction and, crucially, processing of these commodities. This includes support for the development of indigenous resources, such as lithium in Cornwall, through our Mining High Potential Opportunity programme, along with driving processing capacity.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the UK’s global and regional competitiveness in relation to critical minerals supply chains.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Department has assessed the risks of potential disruption to the UK’s critical minerals supply chains and agreed actions to mitigate these risks and make our supply chains better able to withstand future shocks.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which international counterparts she is in discussions with on critical mineral supply chains.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Department is in regular discussions regarding critical mineral supply chains with a range of trading partners including Five Eyes allies. DIT and the Cabinet Office recently hosted an international conference to facilitate technical discussions with officials and experts on the global challenges surrounding critical mineral mining.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans her Department has to support the maritime sector as part of the economic recovery from covid-19.
Answered by Graham Stuart
With 95% of our imports and exports reliant on the sea and just under 1 million jobs dependent on maritime related activities, the maritime sector is critical to the UK’s economy. Uncertainties around global recovery and fluctuations in global trade have severely impacted the sector.
The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) support for the maritime sector’s recovery is being developed in partnership with the Department for Transport (DfT), the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and key industry bodies; the DfT COVID-19 recovery plan will be published in the coming months.
DIT is delivering a programme of virtual trade events to help the sector reach existing and potential customers across the globe, mitigating some of the impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions on physical trade events. DIT remains committed to delivering Promoting the UK’s world-class global maritime offer, the Department’s five-year plan for the sector, focused on the key themes and drivers of growth identified in Government’s Maritime 2050 Strategy.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support exports from the maritime sector.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The maritime sector is highly export oriented. The Department for International Trade (DIT) is focused on delivering Promoting the UK’s world-class global maritime offer, the Department’s five-year plan for the sector. The plan, developed in partnership with industry, focuses on UK strengths in many of the key technologies that will drive the future of maritime. These include digital, smart and green shipping and we will ensure that the UK maximises its share of a market that is projected to grow to £13 billion per year globally by 2030, from £4 billion today.
DIT is also working with other Government departments and industry to realise the ambitions of Maritime 2050, the Government’s strategy for the maritime sector. We will be supporting our world-leading maritime services sector, including shipping, insurance and arbitration, and supporting growth across the United Kingdom by leading generation of export opportunities in support of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
Later this year, DIT is intending to launch a new Export Strategy, which forms an integral part of the Government’s package of responses to COVID-19 and sets a long-term strategic roadmap for UK exporters as the Transition Period comes to an end.