MPA: Facts at a Glance
At its 6th Members’ General Assembly held on Wednesday, the MPA released the third edition of its ‘Facts at a Glance’ publication, offering a comprehensive insight into the essential contribution the mineral products industry makes to the economy and the UK in general, and some of the challenges it faces.
The headline figures at a glance are:
• 300Mt – GB production of aggregates and manufactured mineral products
• GBP21bn – mineral products industry’s annual turnover
• GBP6.7bn – total gross value added (GVA)
• GBP445bn – turnover of industries the mineral products industry supplies
• GBP135bn – value of construction, the main customer for mineral products
• 80,000 – people directly employed in the mineral products industry
• 3.3m – jobs supported through mineral products supply chain.
Other headline figures from the document include:
• Each worker in the mineral products industry produced, on average, GBP81,000 in value added in 2013, 1.6 times more than the national average
• Materials in the MPA’s scope accounted for 68 per cent of the total UK production of minerals in 2013 (including crude oil/natural gas/coal)
• In 2014, 111Mt of aggregates were produced in England, 25Mt in Scotland, 20Mt in Northern Ireland and 14Mt in Wales
• In 2014, crushed rock accounted for 45 per cent of all GB aggregate sales, recycling 29 per cent and sand and gravel 27 per cent
• The annual cost of the aggregates levy was equivalent to 17 per cent of the industry’s GVA in 2013
• The total cost of climate change and energy measures is expected to rise from an equivalent of eight per cent of the GVA of the cement industry in 2014, to 46 per cent by 2020
• In 2013, the use of aggregates and cement per capita in GB was 32 and 48 per cent respectively, below the European average.
Nigel Jackson, chief executive of the 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."
Mr Jackson added: "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."
To download the latest ‘Facts at a Glance’, click here
