APPG Meeting Minutes 01.04.25
Date: 1st April 2025
Location: Committee Room 17, Houses of Parliament
Co Chairs: Bayo Alaba MP & Lord Benjy Mancroft
Secretariat: Tenacious Carbon
1. Attendance
Parliamentarians
Bayo Alaba MP (Chair)
Lord Mancroft (Co-Chair)
Lord Robathan (Officer)
Will Stone MP
Baroness Golding
Baroness Hooper
The Earl of Lindsay
Non-Parliamentarians (attendance confirmed by email)
Nick Morland
Adrian Clarke
Sir Nick Parker
Andy Cutbill
David Culver
AJ Fabrizio
Matt Belcher
John Mclarty
Ricardo Geada
Charlie Sampson
Alex Mcleod
Andy Jones
Nick Joyce
Thomas Cox
Peter Quigley
Adrian Hayler
Sian Philips
Marika Graham-Woods
Camilla Hayselden-Ashby
Kyle Brown
Umar Rafique
Varin Phul
Liam Marsh
William Gayler
Chloe Donavan
Nick Kenny
Rebekah Shaman
Marcus Morley-Jones
Mike Morgan-Jones
Kirsty Sadler
Ian Fullerton
Carl Haffner
Jamie Lewis
Mackenzie Walker
Susie Macarthur
Jess Macdonald
Deborah Carayon
Alex Markland
Elana Demireva
2. Meeting Opening & Chair's Welcome
Bayo Alaba MP opened the meeting, explaining the APPG’s purpose:
“To support the UK as a global leader in hemp production, leveraging industrial hemp to drive economic growth, create jobs, reduce carbon emissions, and foster innovation across biofuels, construction, and agriculture.”
He shared his constituency experience in Rochford and Southend East, stressing the importance of supporting rural communities and future-proofing farming with sustainable, profitable crops like hemp.
Apologies were noted from Richard Quigley MP, who was confirmed in absentia as an APPG officer.
3. Election of Officers
Chair: Bayo Alaba MP
Co-Chair: Lord Mancroft
Officer: Lord Robathan
Officer: Richard Quigley MP (in absentia)
Members were invited to join the APPG, with Baroness Hooper noting that 20 Parliamentarians are required for formal registration, which the Secretariat will follow up on.
4. Keynote Remarks
Nick Morland (CEO, Tenacious Carbon)
Framed the APPG’s focus on the least contentious, most investable elements of the hemp industry, particularly carbon capture and rural employment.
“This is about jobs, tax, and making the industry investable by removing barriers.”
He highlighted the need to:
Unlock finance by reforming legislation like the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA)
Provide clear, actionable proposals that regulators and investors can say "yes" to
Focus on market-ready applications like building materials, biofuels, and carbon credits
General Sir Nick Parker (guest speaker)
Emphasised the opportunity to align the hemp industry with the UK veteran community, who offer a skilled, values-driven workforce.
He noted:
US veterans are engaging in hemp, but leadership and clarity are lacking
The UK has ~1 million working-age veterans
Industrial hemp could offer purpose, employment, and long-term funding for veteran welfare
“With a clearly described plan and political clarity, veterans could become powerful advocates for the hemp sector.”
5. Open Discussion & Q&A
Dr Lydia Smith (NIAB) raised concerns about conflicting objectives between pharmaceutical and fibre hemp cultivation.
Adrian Hayler (Elsoms Seeds) highlighted seed production timelines and the importance of removing risk for venture capital through clear regulation and guaranteed markets.
Marika Graham-Woods (CTA) stressed the need for education around low-THC hemp, the importance of cooperative infrastructure, and a central drying/processing network.
AJ Fabrizio (US Biochemist) outlined chemo-type genetics that prevent THC production altogether, advocating for a commodity-first, pragmatic approach to hemp.
Rebekah Shaman (British Hemp Alliance) called for recognition of hemp’s role in environmental remediation and carbon cropping, not just agriculture.
Chloe Donovan (Construction entrepreneur) stressed the potential of hemp in low-carbon buildings, especially as a scalable, bio-based solution.
Kyle Brown asked for clarification on what makes carbon credits ‘credible’.
Nick Morland responded by advocating:
For biochar and building materials as carbon sinks
Against virtual carbon credits or offsets
For verifiable, domestic production and the use of pyrolysis to generate both measurable credits and rural jobs
“Charcoal production from hemp is measurable, local, job-creating and improves soil.”
Camilla Hayselden-Ashby raised the need for demand-side policy tools to drive uptake of hemp-based construction products.
Peter Quigley (Composites UK) asked how to align government departments, devolved regions, and funding bodies like UKRI to support a national industrial hemp supply chain.
Sian Philips noted the potential for hemp-related rural tourism, drawing parallels with existing agricultural and distillery models.
Nick Joyce (GRWN Group) stressed that hemp construction materials are cost-prohibitive without additional revenue from carbon credits. He urged the group to focus on credible, auditable carbon value to unlock investment and uptake.
6. Key Themes & Takeaways
Regulatory reform (especially POCA) is essential for investment.
Carbon credits and co-products like biochar and building materials are the clearest paths to scale and acceptance.
Veteran employment, rural job creation, and net zero housing present opportunities for bipartisan policy support.
Coordination across government departments and regions is needed to build a consistent supply chain and commercial confidence.
Education and de-stigmatisation are required to separate industrial hemp from cannabis confusion.
7. Next Steps
Secretariat (Tenacious Carbon) to follow up with:
Formal registration of 20 parliamentary members
Coordination of a White Paper with actionable policy proposals
Scheduling of next meeting (target date: early June 2025)
8. Meeting Close
Chair Bayo Alaba MP thanked attendees:
“I look forward to working with government, passing on your insights, and crafting the policy needed to embrace this opportunity.”
Next meeting: Early June 2025 (exact date TBC)
