Newspaper column 26th March 2024 - The success of our new age of Cornish mining

One of the continuing positive stories for Cornwall in recent years, since I became Member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth, is the growth and emergence of lithium extraction as a potential to provide high paid, high skilled jobs in our Duchy and return Cornwall’s mining pre-eminence on both a national and international scale. But as well as this there are also other plans in the Duchy to re-open the iconic and important South Crofty Mine as a going commercial concern.

Last week I was delighted to welcome Minister of State for Industry and Economic Security, Nus Ghani MP to Cornwall to see some of this potential for herself.

 

As well as my role as local MP for Truro and Falmouth, in Parliament I am also Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Critical Minerals. All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are informal, cross-party groups formed by MPs and Members of the House of Lords who share a common interest in a particular policy area, region or country and I am pleased to chair the Critical Minerals APPG, whose stated aim is to highlight the UK's need for a secure, sustainable supply of critical minerals to deliver the nation's industrial strategy.

 

As Chair of the APPG for Critical Minerals, I am working hard to ensure the future of Cornwall’s oldest industry, and last week I took the Minister visit Cornish Metals at the South Crofty Mine. We saw the fantastic work being carried out to restore this historic mine and get it back up and running to extract the vital critical minerals we all need today.

 

Last year I visited this site for the opening of the brilliant new Water Treatment Plant, which is helping to clear the mine but also to clean the Red River and protect local wildlife. I am so pleased by all the progress which has been made since, and it was a privilege to be there and show the Minister all the work we are doing to get this up and running and make the new age of Cornish mining a reality.

 

As well as this, the Minister also took time during her visit last week to see some of the work being done by both Cornish Lithium and Imerys British Lithium to realise the lithium potential that has been called ‘globally significant’. Along with Government investment to build a gigafactory for the processing of lithium in the South West region, these are exciting times and we should see a lot of return from the investment in critical minerals in Cornwall over the next few years. I will certainly continue to do all I can, both locally in Cornwall and in Parliament, to support the continued growth of this industry into the future.

 

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk, or by telephone on 01872 229698. My regular constituency advice surgeries are held at my office, so please do get in touch should you wish to meet me about any matters that I can be of assistance with.