MPA publishes action plan for growth

Plan highlights what government and the industry need to do to support growth in the next Parliament

THE Mineral Products Association (MPA) has published its ‘Government & Industry Action Plan’ which sets out key actions for both the next government and the mineral products and quarrying industry, to help ensure that policy objectives supporting sustained economic recovery can be delivered.

The five key actions the MPA is calling for from government are:

• Focus on encouraging UK growth, indigenous production and investment, including delivery of the national infrastructure programme and meeting housing needs.
• Ensure energy and climate change policies are consistent with the need to sustain a competitive UK mineral products sector, including energy-intensive industries. Withdraw the carbon price floor.
• Review and reduce the cumulative cost and volume of environmental legislation. Freeze the Aggregates Levy while there is a comprehensive review of the policy.
• Ensure all mineral planning authorities have sound local minerals plans in place consistent with national guidelines.
• Work with industry to ensure positive outcomes in key sustainability areas such as health and safety, water, recycling, waste and biodiversity.

The five key actions the mineral products and quarrying industry will seek to carry out are:

• Invest to ensure long-term mineral products demands are met.
• Invest in improving the skills and safety of employees and the public.
• Seek opportunities to further reduce carbon emissions.
• Support efficient use of minerals and other resources.
• Enhance nature conservation and biodiversity.

Nigel Jackson, chief executive of the MPA, said: ‘The mineral products and quarrying industry is an essential, indigenous and major primary material producer in its own right that is locked into the DNA of a whole host of other important industries. We are the largest supplier to the construction industry and sectors such as housing, transport, energy and water all rely upon the supply of mineral products, as do many other industries and activities. In short, we are critical to the development and maintenance of UK infrastructure and for improving the quality of people’s everyday lives.

‘This new publication sets out clearly what we need from government and what we, as an industry, will do in order to help deliver for the UK and support growth in the next parliament. Industry and government need to work together, a point which we believe is increasingly understood and we want this message to be clear to all political audiences.’

The new publication is sub-divided under five priority headings: Economic Recovery and Competitiveness; Secure, Affordable and Sustainable Energy Supply; Investing in People; Resource Security, Efficiency and Management; and Environmental Improvement. Each of these sections provides further detail on government measures the MPA is seeking and the steps that the industry will take.

The Action Plan can be downloaded from the Publications section on the MPA website.