Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill

Baggy Shanker Excerpts

2nd reading
Wednesday 11th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Baggy Shanker (Derby South) (Lab/Co-op)]

I refer the House to my business interests in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.

As a proud advocate of UK aviation, I am pleased to speak in support of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, and I add my thanks to the Aviation Minister for his determination in support of UK aviation and to the Secretary of State for her leadership. By backing industry with a revenue certainty mechanism, the Bill will turbocharge the production of UK SAF, reducing reliance on imports and generating jobs up and down the country. As one of the most carbon-intensive and hardest-to-decarbonise forms of transport, aviation is vital to get right. Alternative and sustainable aviation fuels will help us to safeguard the future of our planet, because without a decarbonised aviation sector, there will be no net zero.

Decarbonising will ensure that future generations can enjoy the opportunities that air travel brings without compromising the health of our planet. It will ensure that our regional economies continue to benefit from the growth that the aviation sector can offer, such as the whopping 6,000 jobs that East Midlands airport supports. In Derby, we are already making bold strides towards our net zero future. I am proud that Rolls-Royce moved quickly to confirm the compatibility of its long-haul aircraft engines, in both the wide body and business jet sector, with 100% SAF usage. The Derby factories will continue to play a significant role in shaping the future of aviation decarbonisation for years to come.

We recognise that decarbonisation will not be without its challenges. Sustainable aviation fuels offer a practical and innovative solution to those challenges, with SAF made from waste emitting a staggering 89% less carbon than burning conventional jet fuel. This is what the SAF Bill recognises. It is a bold and necessary step forwards to secure a sustainable net zero future for aviation. I am proud to support it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Baggy Shanker Excerpts

Thursday 15th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Laurence Turner (Birmingham Northfield) (Lab)]

11. What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of local roads.

[Baggy Shanker (Derby South) (Lab/Co-op)]

19. What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of local roads.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

We are determined to end the pothole plague on our roads, which is the result of a decade of under-investment by the previous Government. We have provided an extra £500 million for councils this year to allow them to make an immediate start on this.

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend has been dogged in raising this issue with me and the Department, and I assure him that we will make an announcement on the way forward as soon as possible. Following a consultation with the council, we have been carefully considering its formal representations on this matter, and we are committed to working together in the best interests of his constituents, the people of Birmingham and the taxpayer.

[Baggy Shanker]

Motorists and cyclists across the country are still facing the Tory pothole plague. In Derby, 17% of our roads are in a poor condition due to Tory austerity. It is not right that drivers have to fork out hard-earned cash to the tune of a whopping £460 for repairs that are more severe than a puncture. Can the Minister please outline how her Department plans to crack on with protecting drivers and fixing potholes in Derby, the east midlands and across the UK?

Oral Answers to Questions

Baggy Shanker Excerpts

Thursday 27th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Heidi Alexander]

This Government are committed to moving more freight from road to rail, which is the right thing to do for our environment and our economy. I would be happy to have that meeting with my hon. Friend.

[Baggy Shanker (Derby South) (Lab/Co-op)]

Derby station has recently been revealed as the seventh worst for delays in the UK. When people cannot get to work on time, it is not just a pain for them; it also impacts productivity and holds back our local economies. Will the Secretary of State outline the steps she is taking to tackle delayed trains in Derby and the east midlands, so that the transport system supports economic growth rather than holding it back?

Oral Answers to Questions

Baggy Shanker Excerpts

Thursday 9th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Simon Lightwood]

The Rail Minister has met MPs from both sides of the House to discuss this issue and has attended an industry programme board to ensure that passenger interests are considered and that disruption is minimised for passengers, both during and after construction.

[Baggy Shanker (Derby South) (Lab/Co-op)]

2025 is an exciting year for Derby, partly because of the progress on Great British Railways, which will be headquartered in Derby, and rightly so. Can we also make this the year that the British public fall in love again with rail travel, by giving GBR a strict timetable to simplify complicated ticketing and fares and to implement digital pay-as-you-go, as well as automatic compensation?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am not sure that fits the original question. We have probably strayed too far.