Minerals: Imports
The 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 estimate he has made of the reduction in the United Kingdom's reliance on imported critical minerals that will result from the £50 million investment.
Answered by Chris McDonald
The UK Critical Minerals Strategy sets out clear success features by 2035 including diversifying supply so no more than 60% of the UK’s annual demand for critical minerals is supplied by any one country.
The £50 million programme is a key enabler of this ambition 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. In parallel, we are supporting UK industry and identifying investment opportunities in shared supply chains by building and leveraging international partnerships. Progress towards reducing import reliance is monitored through Government’s strategy governance.
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