Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Conclusion 10
First Report - Batteries for electric vehicle manufacturing
Published 21 Nov 2023
Paragraph 51
Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee Batteries for electric vehicle manufacturing All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Global battery supply chains, and especially the upstream supply of critical minerals, have environmental, social and governance challenges. Those supply chains are concentrated in China. The UK’s dependence on those supply chains poses risks to the UK and to the Government’s strategic objectives, especially if China were to restrict exports of the materials and components that the UK needs. It is critical that the UK Government continues to collaborate internationally not only to diversify the battery supply chain, but to ensure that batteries are produced to high environmental and social standards.
From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, First Report - Batteries for electric vehicle manufacturing (HC 196), paragraph 51, 21 November 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 14 February 2024 (deadline 21 January 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response sets out existing and announced support for batteries, while declining fixed supply-chain targets and a subsidy race and leaving offtake agreements to commercial parties.
- On the proposed 90% domestic supply target, the government says the Strategy has not set fixed targets, and that onshoring all aspects of critical mineral supply chains is not "possible (or even desirable)".
- On international competitiveness, it says the UK "won't be drawn into a distortive subsidy battle" and points to £2 billion of capital and R&D funding for zero emission vehicles, batteries and supply chains to 2030.
- On offtake agreements, it says these "remain a matter for the commercial parties involved to negotiate". On Tata's subsidy, it will publish details on the UK Subsidy Database "in due course".
- On battery passports, the response notes the Strategy's points on data and regulation, and commits to Defra consultations in 2024 and a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism by 2027, with design details "subject to consultation in 2024".