Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what UK minerals his Department accepts as critical to clean technology and energy security.

In 2022 the British Geological Survey (BGS) carried out its first criticality assessment and, according to economic vulnerability and supply risk, defined a cohort of minerals with high criticality for the UK: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/download/uk-criticality-assessment-of-technology-critical-minerals-and-metals/. The Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC) – led by the BGS – will evaluate the criticality of minerals on a regular basis, with the next assessment scheduled later this year.

In addition, the industry-led Task and Finish Group on Critical Mineral Resilience, announced as part of the Critical Minerals Strategy Refresh on 23^rd March, is investigating critical mineral dependencies, vulnerabilities, and opportunities across UK industry sectors, including manufacturers for clean energy technologies.