MPA Report Highlights Significance of Minerals and Mineral Products to the UK Economy
At The 6th MPA Members General Assembly on Wednesday 10 June, MPA released the 3rd edition of its Facts at a Glance publication. The publication offers a comprehensive insight into the essential contribution the mineral products industry makes to our economy and the UK, and some of the challenges it faces.
The headline figures at a glance are:
-
300mt - GB production of aggregates and manufactured mineral products
-
£21bn – The annual turnover
-
£6.7bn – The total gross value added (GVA)
-
£445bn – The turnover of industries we supply
-
£135bn – The value of construction, our main customer
-
80,000 – The people directly employed in our industry
-
3.3m – The jobs supported through our supply chain
Other headline figures from the document also include:
-
Each worker in the mineral products industry produced on average £81,000 in value added in 2013, 1.6 times more than the national average;
-
Materials in the MPA scope accounted for 68% of the total UK production of minerals in 2013 (including crude oil/natural gas/coal);
-
In 2014, 111 mt of aggregates were produced in England, 25 mt in Scotland, 20 mt in Northern Ireland and 14 mt in Wales;
-
In the 2014, crushed rock accounted for 45% of all GB aggregate sales, recycling 29% and sand gravel 27%;
-
The annual cost of the aggregates levy was equivalent to 17% of the industry’s GVA in 2013;
-
The total cost of climate change and energy measures is estimated to rise from an equivalent of 8% of the GVA of the cement industry in 2014, to 46% by 2020;
-
In 2013, the use of aggregates and cement per capita in GB was 32% and 48% respectively below the European average.
Nigel Jackson, Chief Executive MPA, said, “Our third edition comes with a crystal clear message: the more we look at the numbers, the more significant our industry’s contribution to the economy and the UK becomes. The mineral products industry is absolutely essential to both the built and natural environment and our quality of life. This document is part of our ‘Make the Link’ toolbox: ‘making the link’ between our quarries, plants and factories and our roads, hospitals, schools, housing and energy infrastructure and the vital mineral products they rely on.
“This review is a very valuable source of information on the mineral products industry, documenting the changing patterns in the way we produce and consume our minerals and the manufactured products derived from them. It provides a detailed analysis of the latest data for each product and highlights the significant contribution our industry makes to the UK economy.
“It is an evidence based world and no evidence can mean little influence - and there is not much that is more powerful evidence than good data, well presented. The facts in this document are key in revealing our industry’s impact and helping to inform and influence policy on mineral resources and their use as essential products.”
The data in MPA’s ‘Facts at a Glance’ publication is presented simply and succinctly, using easy-to-interpret graphs. Using this visual approach, the document highlights the industry’s economic significance, not only through how much the industry generates directly in terms of value added and employment, but also how it supports other vital industries, such as construction and manufacturing. This document provides products information, such as sales volumes and where production is concentrated; analyses the issue of maintaining long term aggregate supply, by looking at permitted reserves and replenishment rates; sets out the cumulative burden of taxation and regulation on the industry; and examines the industry’s contribution to sustainability using data on the share of recycled and secondary materials in total aggregate sales, resource efficiency, carbon dioxide emission reductions and biodiversity delivery.
To download the latest ‘Facts at a Glance’, click here
