Committees

Critical minerals

Inquiry

Demand for critical minerals has grown rapidly in recent years. New technologies, including turbines and data centres, require more minerals than the older systems they replace. At the same time, global trade in these materials has become more fractured and competitive.

The Government has identified critical minerals as one of the UK’s “foundational sectors”, which support the resilience of the IS‑8 sectors. It has published a new critical minerals strategy, the third in four years. The strategy sets two core objectives: increase domestic production, and build resilient UK and global supply networks. For the first time, the Government has set targets for domestic production, recycling, and diversification of supply chains.

The Business and Trade Sub‑Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export Controls is launching an inquiry to consider how domestic production and trade can support a secure supply of critical minerals for UK industry, and assess the likely impact of the proposals set out in the Government’s strategy.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 12 April 2026.

Upcoming events

View all events

No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Wednesday 20 May 2026
2:15pm Private
2:30pm Public
Critical minerals - Oral evidence 20 May 2026
2:30pm
  • Nick Pople (Managing Director at Northern Lithium)
  • Mike King (Vice-President, Business Development and Government Relations at Cornish Lithium plc)
  • Andrew Monk (Chief Executive Officer at VSA Capital)
  • Alexandra Williams (Head of Government Affairs at Novelis UK)
3:10pm
  • Toby Spittle (Copper Trader at Glencore)
  • John Lindberg (Policy and Government Affairs Principal at International Council on Mining and Metals)
  • Professor Paul Ekins OBE (Professor of Resources and Environmental Policy at University College London)
3:50pm
  • Chris McDonald MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Industry) at Department for Business and Trade and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
  • Mike Hill (Deputy Director, Critical Minerals and Mining at Department for Business and Trade)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Wednesday 22 April 2026
3:30pm Private
3:45pm Public
Critical minerals - Oral evidence 22 April 2026
3:45pm
  • Jeff Townsend (Founder at Critical Minerals Association)
  • Dr Gavin Mudd (Director at UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre)
  • Dr Kathryn Goodenough (International Lead (Regional Geoscience) at British Geological Survey)
4:25pm
  • Caspar Rawles (Chief Operating Officer at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence)
  • Martin Freer (Chief Executive Officer at The Faraday Institution)
  • Pranesh Narayanan (Senior Research Fellow at The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR))
5:05pm
  • James Kynge (Senior Research Fellow for China and the World at Chatham House)
  • Tom Baxter (Project Manager at Dialogue Earth)
  • Dr Kathryn Moore (Associate Professor in Critical and Green Technology Metals at University of Exeter)
The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Contact us

  • Email: commonsbtc@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 8586 (General enquiries) | 020 7219 4984 (media enquiries)
  • Address: Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export Controls, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA