CEMENT

That this House welcomes the publication of the Mineral Products Association's publication, Cementing the Future; recognises the strategic significance of cement to the UK economy and society; further recognises the employment the industry generates in mainly rural locations throughout the UK and draws attention to the importance of retaining a competitive, domestic, cement industry at a time when it is under increasing pressure from rising costs; notes that cement is a critical ingredient in concrete which is the most-used man-made material in the world and which helps to provide the UK's roads, railways, homes, schools, hospitals and much more that the UK's modern society depends on; further notes that cement and concrete will be essential to the construction of the UK's future low carbon economy when the material is used in new power generation capacity including concrete gravity bases for off-shore wind towers; and further recognises that the cement industry contributes approximately £1 billion per year to the wider mineral products industry which in turn accounts for £9 billion of the UK economy and supplies other industries with a value of £400 billion, as set out in the Mineral Products Association's publication, Make the Link.