Making Critical Minerals Work for the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Critical Minerals – 29 October 2025

On 29 October 2025, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Critical Minerals met in Parliament to discuss how the UK can unlock the full potential of its critical minerals sector to deliver jobs, skills, and economic growth. With the government’s new  Critical Minerals Strategy expected imminently the meeting — “Making Critical Minerals Work for the UK” — brought together parliamentarians, industry leaders, and academia to explore how to strengthen supply chains, attract investment, and support communities through sustainable development. 

Noah Law MP, Chair of the APPG for Critical Minerals and Baroness Northover, Co-Chair of the APPG for Critical Minerals with the speakers at the roundtable. 

Opening Remarks 

Chair of the APPG, Noah Law MP, opened the session by highlighting the sector’s ability to drive growth across the UK. He said the forthcoming strategy represents a pivotal moment to deliver tangible benefits for communities and noted that jobs, skills, and capital are the three pillars that will determine whether the UK truly makes critical minerals work for communities. 

Officer of the APPG, Perran Moon MP, expressed optimism for the upcoming strategy and welcomed Chris McDonald’s appointment as Minister for Industry, citing his expertise and understanding of the UK’s industrial base. He noted growing government momentum and opportunities for a more joined-up approach. Noah also pointed to regional hubs such as Cornwall, where domestic production could bring major employment and supply chain benefits. 

Co-Chair of the APPG, Baroness Lindsay Northover, emphasised the global importance of critical minerals and the need for government policy to reflect input from industry, academia, and local communities. She said broad engagement will be essential to ensure the UK remains competitive and credible on the world stage. 

Noah Law MP delivering his opening remarks at the APPG meeting.

Industry Perspectives 

Patrick Barnes, Vice President of Metals and Mining Consulting at Wood Mackenzie, explained that the firm conducts research and analysis to support producers, investors, and governments in the metals and mining sector. He called for “tailored de-risking mechanisms and targeted interventions” to help the private sector invest confidently in early-stage projects. 

Guy Winter, Partner in Capital Markets at Fasken, identified the shortage of risk capital for exploration and processing technologies as a major constraint, adding that reforms in the UK’s electricity market could help “crowd in” private funding. 

Dennis Rowland, Managing Director at Cornwall Resources, discussed accessing the Shared Prosperity Fund to train local staff and procure materials domestically. He described Cornwall Resources’ site as home to the “highest-grade undeveloped tungsten resource in Europe” but noted that UK support remains limited compared to international interest, especially from US investors. Cornwall Resources is a company focused on exploring and developing mineral deposits in Cornwall, particularly targeting tin, tungsten, and copper resources.  The Chairs pointed to other funding mechanisms available in the UK, such as the National Wealth Fund, and discussed their limitations.  

The National Wealth Fund plays an important role in supporting strategic projects and advancing the UK’s green industrial goals, yet some limitations remain. Smaller companies often face challenges accessing funding due to eligibility criteria and the scale of investment typically required. The Fund’s focus on major infrastructure and decarbonisation projects means early-stage or niche resource developments, can struggle to attract direct support despite aligning with broader national objectives. 

Scaling Innovation and Onshoring Supply Chains 

Dr Leo Howden, Managing Director at DEScycle, described the company’s technology to process Critical Raw Material (CRM) waste domestically, noting that while the UK collects large amounts of waste, most is still exported for processing. DEScycle is a UK-based clean technology company developing a sustainable, low-cost process for recycling precious and critical metals from electronic waste. The company uses a proprietary deep eutectic solvent (DES) system to recover metals such as gold, copper, and rare earth elements in an environmentally friendly way. Leo explained that early-stage companies without a commercial product often have to raise capital through multiple funding rounds to demonstrate the viability of their technology or business model. He noted that this process can be particularly difficult given the high minimum investment thresholds in the sector. Noah acknowledged this issue as part of a wider financing challenge across the sector. 

Fergal Coleman, Head of Technology at Ionic Technologies, stressed the value of government intervention to catalyse private investment in midstream processing. Ionic Technologies is currently working with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on a capital grant and noted that while the value of rare earth elements (REEs) is relatively low compared to other commodities, the value addition through refining and processing, and further down the value chain is substantial. 

Major Projects and Community Benefits 

James Taylor, Government International Relations Principal at Anglo American, provided an update on the Woodsmith Project in Yorkshire. The Woodsmith Project is a deep planned potash and polyhalite mine located in North Yorkshire. The project is expected to generate over £100 billion for the UK economy over a period of 50 years. James acknowledged financing challenges but emphasised exports and community engagement as vital to the business cases of mining projects.  

Noah highlighted the work of Britannia Refined Metals (BRM), which he recently visited, as an example of how the sector can drive jobs and growth in counties such as Kent. BRM opened their £41m copper recycling plant in mid-October 2025. The plant has the capacity to process up to 25,000 tonnes of copper bearing waste per year. Paul Odendaal, Development Engineer, BRM, said the company has created new jobs in Kent, helping to reduce dependence on London’s job market. He called for continued government backing to expand onshoring and noted that media narratives have a huge impact on investor confidence in the sector. Therefore, it’s essential that the companies in the sector work to build positive relationships within the communities they operate. 

Academic and Research Insights 

Professor Frances Wall from the Camborne School of Mines highlighted the Critical Minerals Challenge Centre (CMCC), which connects experts to assess how critical minerals can benefit local economies. She urged more support to catapult innovative projects into real-world deployment and close the “geo-innovation gap.” Noah agreed that innovation and finance must sit at the centre of the new strategy. 

Deepesh Jayasekara from the University of Cambridge highlighted the Critical Minerals Observatory, led by the Institute for Manufacturing, to map and strengthen global supply chains for key minerals. In partnership with IIT Bombay, it supports UK–India collaboration on securing resilient sources of critical minerals essential for clean energy and advanced technologies. 

Jeremy Weate, Senior Advisor on Mineral Value Chains at the Tony Blair Institute, highlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in mining and geological exploration, claiming that the UK has a unique opportunity to lead on this exciting frontier.

Dr Gavin Harper from the University of Birmingham, warned that global investment is accelerating rapidly and that the UK must raise its ambition or risk falling behind. He called for greater domestic investment, closer collaboration with allies, and an emphasis on “friendshoring.” 

Richard Williams, CEO of Winshear Gold, suggested that the National Wealth Fund (NWF) should dedicate specific funds to early-stage exploration and urged updates to the UK’s outdated geological data to attract investors. He also suggested that the British Geological Survey should reallocate their funding to refocus their work domestically instead of overseas. 

Benjamin Neimark, School of Business Management, Queen Mary University of London, introduced the Critically Green project, which analyses military supply chains, warning that UK defence resilience depends on strengthening domestic and allied production of defence components. 

Dr Dan Smith from the University of Leicester and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, warned of a crisis in geoscience education, threatening the skills base that underpins the UK’s mining and materials capability. The Critical Minerals Association (UK) recently hosted a careers event at the Natural History Museum with over 150 attendees to help raise the awareness of the sector from an education and skills perspective. 

Baroness Northover echoed these concerns, noting that the Science and Technology Committee has consistently pushed for greater support for domestic skills to sustain growth across the UK. Noah concluded that skills are a key lever to make the industry work for communities, identifying capital, skills, and jobs as the three essential components for maximising the UK’s opportunity. 

Key Takeaways and Policy Priorities 

In summary, the key takeaways were: 

• Close the financing gap for SMEs and early-stage projects by reforming access to public funds such as the NWF and Shared Prosperity Fund. 

• Strengthen UK processing and midstream capabilities to capture more value domestically. 

• Support innovation and R&D, particularly in recycling, geological mapping, and new processing technologies. 

• Invest in STEM education and vocational skills to rebuild the talent pipeline and ensure a skilled industrial workforce 

• Improve public understanding of the social and economic benefits of mining and materials development. 

  
  

As the UK strives to usher in a new industrial era defined by resilient and responsible supply chains, collaboration between government, industry, and academia will be crucial to making critical minerals work for the UK. 

For more information about the APPG for Critical Minerals or to attend future meetings, contact eileen@criticalmineral.org or elliott@criticalmineral.org. 

Written by Elliott Trickey, Government Affairs Associate at the Critical Minerals Association (UK).