Written questions by McDonald.

Whether he has made a comparative assessment of the (a) effectiveness and (b) extent of the UK's list of critical minerals and the list used by (a) the European Union and (ii) other jurisdictions.

The Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC), sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade, will publish an updated assessment of the criticality of over 80 candidate materials, later this year. This assessment is focused on the UK's circumstances, needs and priorities, and no comparative assessment of other jurisdictions has been undertaken to date.

When he plans to review the list of critical minerals; what criteria he plans to use to assess which materials will be included; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including copper.

The Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC), sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade, is currently undertaking an updated criticality assessment, with the results to be released later this year. The methodology for this assessment can be found on the CMIC website and the process involves assessing over 80 candidate materials, including copper.

What recent assessment he has made of the proposals by prospective buyers of Royal Mail.

The Government acknowledges the undertakings set out in the offer to shareholders which show that the prospective buyers are alert to the importance of Royal Mail and the special place it has in the UK.We are engaging with the bidder to understand better their plans for Royal Mail and to set out the Government’s expectations for its future.