Baroness Chapman of Darlington, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL5064):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the bid by the China North Industries Corporation to buy copper and cobalt assets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo owned by Chemaf; and of the implications for security, resilience, and supply chain transparency, especially with regard to the use of child labour. (HL5064)
Tabled on: 24 February 2025
Answer:
Baroness Chapman of Darlington:
The UK government understands this is a commercial deal between foreign businesses, though we have not assessed further at this time. Our resources are focused on supporting British business in this sector. The UK is committed to addressing risks around conflict minerals through promoting responsible business practice, and protecting human rights, including against the use of child labour. We work through a number of international mechanisms to deliver on this, including supporting the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which enables businesses to continue to operate responsibly from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
