Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to support the Congolese authorities to ensure that mines in that country are (a) well regulated, (b) follow health and safety procedures and (c) do not employ or use children as labour in those mines.

The UK is working to promote responsible and safe practices, including eliminating child labour and ensuring sound governance and regulation of the mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a founding member of the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM), the UK helps promote responsible sourcing of minerals. More recently, DFID has been working with the Carter Centre to improve transparency and governance in the mining sector.

The UK is very committed to addressing the three issues outlined on regulation, health & safety and use of child labour by encouraging compliance with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. The implementation of this guidance will be made mandatory for the biggest importers in the EU via the EU Regulation on the Responsible Sourcing of Conflict Minerals. This will come into force in January 2021. The UK will continue to implement this regulation after leaving the EU as it will be rolled over into UK Law via the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.