MPA welcomes 2nd Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative report

The 2897 Mineral Products Association (MPA) has welcomed the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) 2nd Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) report for 2015, detailing payments to UK Government agencies and data from  oil, gas, mining and quarrying companies.

Launched in Aberdeen, North East Scotland on 31 March 2017 by BEIS Minister Margot James MP, the report, which aims to increase transparency across the sector, includes information from 18 mining and quarrying companies. Its scope covers employment, the fiscal regime, payments made for UK extraction of raw materials and government receipts. Ian Waddell, of 1707 Aggregate Industries, chairman of MPA Scotland, represented the quarrying sector as part of a panel discussion following the launch. Breedon Northern organised a site visit for stakeholders to one of their local quarrying operations at Tom’s Forest Quarry in Kintore, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.

Nigel Jackson, MPA chief executive, said: “EITI is not only valuable because of the transparency it is creating for the extractive industries with regards to payments to Government, but also for its recognition of the significance of mining and quarrying to the economy and employment. This is welcomed, and MPA will continue to support the building of the contextual data that is vital to the process.”

EITI, which is a global transparency standard in the UK, is governed by a multi-stakeholder group (MSG) composed of representatives from the government, the extractive industries and civil Society. The body sets the direction for EITI implementation by formulating country objectives, engaging stakeholders and publishing an annual EITI report.