Living with Minerals 4

One-day conference in London examining the major issues facing the UK minerals industry

‘SHAPING UK minerals policy, Globalism to localism’ will be the theme of the fourth Living with Minerals conference organized by the CBI Minerals Group, which will take place on 7 November 2011 at the QEII Conference Centre, London SW1.

With leading experts from industry, academia and politics, the one-day conference will examine the major issues facing UK minerals supply including prospects for the economy, UK resource needs, the influence of global geopolitics and the potential impacts of ‘localism’. Delegates will also hear an update on the EU raw minerals supply initiative and the proposed next steps.

Among the leading speakers at the event will be John Cridland (pictured), director-general of the CBI, Sir John Beddington, chief scientific advisor to the Government, and Prof. Iain Stewart, University of Plymouth and leading TV presenter on geosciences.

Delegates will also receive the outcomes of the second work cycle work of the UK Minerals Forum and be offered the opportunity to be part of the UK Minerals Forum process to help shape future UK minerals policy. Three Forum working groups have been researching key topics which face the industry:

Working Group 1 – Distributing Minerals to Future Markets – will report on what is required to maintain the effective continued distribution of two nationally important minerals, namely aggregates (specifically hard rock) and coal, to future markets over the period 2010 to 2042. The report will provide a detailed analysis of existing and future resources, and the constraints and opportunities for the future haulage of bulk aggregates from all areas of England.

Working Group 2 – Planning Skills – key objectives are to identify the scale of the skills shortages both in mineral planning authorities and the industry, provide a report on the main facts and figures on the scale of the problem, and propose to UKMF solutions to the problems identified.

Working Group 3 – Communities and Communication – has three elements to its work, namely looking at methods of improving the provision of information to the public, developing techniques of communication and developing education initiatives

The event will also provide ample opportunity for networking with key stakeholders, and afterwards there will be the opportunity to participate in a reception on the Terrace at the House of Commons, hosted by the Associate Parliamentary Minerals Group, which will be addressed by Baroness Andrews, chair of English Heritage.

For further details visit: www.cbi.org.uk/lwm4