Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel has made an assessment of trends in the level of demand for buses; and whether they have considered the (a) location and (b) type of demand over the next 10 years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A key output of the UK Bus Manufacturing Panel will be the publication of a ten-year pipeline of projected bus orders. The aim is to consolidate reliable data from Mayoral Combined Authorities and operators into a single, accessible source for all zero-emission bus stakeholders. High-quality, credible data is essential to building industry confidence, and the pipeline is expected to be published later this year to ensure that projected orders reflect realistic and deliverable commitments.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many buses were ordered from British bus manufacturers with (a) full and (b) partial financial support from (i) the Government and (ii) devolved English authorities between 2011 and 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
HMG does not hold specific data on buses ordered by devolved English authorities during the period between 2011 and 2025.
However, it is estimated that since 2011, approximately 1,494 buses were ordered from UK-based bus manufacturers with full or partial support. This estimated total accounts for the following funding schemes: Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme, Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programmes, Transforming Cities Fund, City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements and All Electric Bus City (Coventry). It is estimated that 60% of Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA)-supported buses will be procured from UK-based bus manufacturers.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to encourage bus manufacturers to produce zero-emission buses.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The full transition to zero emission buses (ZEBs) is a vital part of the Government’s plan to make buses better for passengers and to realise the benefits of lower running costs, cleaner air and smoother, quieter journeys.
The Department has supported the bus sector with almost £500m in direct funding support for ZEBs in recent years, including £38m announced in April to deliver an additional 319 ZEBs through the ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas) programme.
We also continue to support the sector with funding. The recent announcement of £15.6bn over five years, to improve local transport in some of our largest city regions, allows local leaders to play a more active role in the delivery of local bus services and allocate some funding toward decarbonising their local fleets.
To support the domestic ZEB industry, the Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, was launched earlier this year. This Panel regularly brings industry experts and local leaders together to discuss ways to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. A key Panel outcome will be the development of a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the eligibility of feedstocks in the SAF mandate to include dedicated energy crops.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We have been clear that fuel supplied under the SAF Mandate must have the highest sustainability credentials. This is why SAF derived from biomass must be made from wastes or residues, as these offer high greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential, whilst also minimising negative environmental impacts. This means that SAF produced from food, feed or energy crops are not eligible under the Mandate. We are continuing to examine the direct and indirect impacts of non-food crop use, including impacts on the environment and on food production.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on proposed changes to the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) cap.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no proposals to change the HEFA cap which forms part of the SAF mandate scheme introduced on January 1 this year. It is recognised that HEFA will play an important role in the global SAF sector, particularly in the early years of the scheme. To this end there is no cap on HEFA supplied under the SAF mandate this year or next, and thereafter the cap is applied gradually decreasing the contribution of HEFA to 71% in 2030. The SAF mandate does not cap the production of SAF in the UK. It enables more advanced sustainable aviation fuels to be developed whilst supporting a UK market for HEFA in a way which recognises sustainable feedstocks used to produce HEFA are finite.
Any proposals to amend or remove the cap would require legislation. They would be subject to public consultation and cabinet committee clearances.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with prospective Sustainable Aviation Fuel producers on the viability of first mover projects.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Thirteen projects have been supported through the Advanced Fuels Fund, which aims to support first-of-a-kind sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plants through the project pipeline to reach investment ready stage and achieve commercial scale. Ministers and officials engage regularly with stakeholders across the SAF industry including producers and investors.
The government is working at pace to introduce the legislation for the Revenue Certainty Mechanism in the first session of this Parliament and expects the legislation for the Revenue Certainty Mechanism to be in place by the end of 2026.
No final decisions have been made on the approach to contract allocation for support under the scheme. We will continue to assess how the delivery of the Revenue Certainty Mechanism can be accelerated by working with industry in parallel with legislative processes.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of commencing negotiations with prospective Sustainable Aviation Fuel producers prior to the anticipated introduction of the Revenue Certainty Mechanism in Q4 2026.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Thirteen projects have been supported through the Advanced Fuels Fund, which aims to support first-of-a-kind sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plants through the project pipeline to reach investment ready stage and achieve commercial scale. Ministers and officials engage regularly with stakeholders across the SAF industry including producers and investors.
The government is working at pace to introduce the legislation for the Revenue Certainty Mechanism in the first session of this Parliament and expects the legislation for the Revenue Certainty Mechanism to be in place by the end of 2026.
No final decisions have been made on the approach to contract allocation for support under the scheme. We will continue to assess how the delivery of the Revenue Certainty Mechanism can be accelerated by working with industry in parallel with legislative processes.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of fast-tracking legislation to enable the Revenue Certainty Mechanism.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is working at pace to deliver a revenue certainty mechanism for the UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry. The government has confirmed that it will introduce the SAF Revenue Support Bill in the first session of Parliament and we expect the legislation for a revenue certainty mechanism to be in place by the end of 2026. We will continue to monitor the estimated delivery date and work with industry to deliver an effective revenue certainty mechanism as soon as possible.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for the introduction of legislation to enable the Revenue Certainty Mechanism.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government is working at pace to deliver a revenue certainty mechanism for the UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry. The government has confirmed that it will introduce the SAF Revenue Support Bill in the first session of Parliament and we expect the legislation for a revenue certainty mechanism to be in place by the end of 2026. We will continue to monitor the estimated delivery date and work with industry to deliver an effective revenue certainty mechanism as soon as possible.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Project Willow report, published on 19 March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of removing the Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids cap in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel mandate.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We welcome the Project Willow Report and are pleased that nine potential business models have been identified to be taken forward at Grangemouth. To help make these models a reality, the Prime Minister recently announced a commitment of at least £200m through the National Wealth Fund for co-investment with the private sector once an investable proposition comes to the forefront. We will also consider Project Willow’s recommendations in due course.
We recognise that Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) will play an important role in the global Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) sector, particularly in the early years of the Mandate. We want to encourage UK production of HEFA in this global market and have not placed a cap on the amount of SAF produced in the UK.
However, certain feedstocks, such as used cooking oil, from which HEFA is made, are limited in volume and will not be able to provide the amounts of SAF we expect to need to in the long term. We therefore need to create space for a range of SAF technologies and feedstocks to develop.
The HEFA cap, which from 2027 will decrease the allowed contribution from HEFA as a proportion of total SAF supply annually, aims to create this space and encourage investment in alternative pathways. The cap would still allow around 1 million tonnes of HEFA SAF to be supplied in the UK each year from 2035 onwards.