Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to support UK SMEs developing innovative decarbonisation technologies in the aviation sector other than through the Aerospace Technology Institute.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is responsible for aerospace manufacturing, however the Department for Transport (DfT) is supporting UK SMEs to develop technology for use at airports to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector.
In October, DfT announced the latest round of Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) funding which includes £450,000 for up to 10 projects that either facilitate the development of airport ground infrastructure for zero emission aircraft or support airport operations in their transition to zero emission. TRIG is open to UK registered SMEs, large companies and universities.
The Government also works with industry and academia through the Jet Zero Council, co-chaired by the Secretaries of State for Transport, Business and Trade and Energy Security and Net Zero, to drive the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to erect historic county boundary signs on roads maintained by National Highways.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department has no plans to ask National Highways to implement historic county boundary signs on the Strategic Road Network (SRN).
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will establish a standing resilience forum of stakeholders to assess the risks to airport travel disruption from (a) adverse weather, (b) pandemic restrictions, (c) industrial action, (d) air traffic control situations and (e) other causes..
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department understands the important role that resilience plays in the aviation sector and continues to encourage the sector to work together on this.
The Department’s officials and ministers are working closely with the aviation industry on a host of resilience topics to ensure that the UK Government and the UK aviation sector are adequately prepared to meet challenges should they arise.
However, it is ultimately the responsibility of industry to ensure adequate preparations are in place, with the Government supporting where appropriate.
The aviation industry has a wide range of well-established resilience forums, chaired and attended by all parts of the aviation industry, as well as the Department for Transport and where appropriate other government departments. Where appropriate the Department supports industry but ultimately it is for industry to build resilience into their organisation and as an eco-system.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on the construction of sustainable aviation fuel production plants by the five Advanced Fuels Fund competition winners.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department announced on 22 December 2022 that five sustainable aviation fuel projects would receive a share of the £165m Advanced Fuels Fund. The aim is to take as many of these as possible through to commercial scale production.
Timelines differ between projects, but the funding is being used for feasibility studies; pre-front engineering and design; front end engineering and design; and parts of engineering, procurement and construction. The Department for Transport cannot comment on the progress of individual projects due to commercial sensitivity. The Department for Transport remains on track to achieve its wider aim of at least five commercial-scale SAF plants under construction in the UK by 2025.
The Government launched the second round of the Advanced Fuels Fund on 30 March 2023.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish an independent review of aviation sector evidence on the barriers, opportunities and conditions required for a competitive UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department commissioned an independent review, undertaken by Philip New, on the barriers to investment in sustainable aviation fuel in the UK and further measures industry or the Government might take. The Government will respond to the review in due course.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Home Office on border resourcing and resilience planning in light of recent industrial action by UK Border Force staff.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Ministers and officials at the Department for Transport engage regularly with the Home Office on a range of topics, including border resourcing. The Department supports Border Force’s work to keep UK borders safe and secure and will assist Government partners to work with industry and provide expertise. During recent industrial action at UK airports in December, the Government ensured that all ports remained open. There was minimal disruption to operations and passengers as a result.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report by the Climate Change Committee entitled Resilient supply chains, published on 20 October 2022, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing the recommendation on integrating into his Department's climate change adaptation strategy a plan to increase resilience of transport infrastructure to help maintain the provision of (a) medicine, (b) clean water and (c) other goods and services.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2022 identified ‘Risks to business from disruption to supply chains and distribution networks’. The Department for Transport is considering action against relevant risks identified by the Climate Change Committee.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish the Government response to the public consultation on managing pavement parking; and whether her Department plans to introduce legislation to prohibit parking on grass verges in England outside London.
Answered by Katherine Fletcher
We are actively considering the options for pavement parking policy (including parking on grass verges) in light of the consultation findings. The Department will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to mandate sustainable aviation fuels as part of his planned net-zero aviation strategy.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Jet Zero Consultation closed on September 2021 and we received over 1400 responses. This was followed by a short, further technical consultation, which closed on April and received over 100 responses. We are carefully considering responses to both consultations, alongside the very latest technological developments and wider government policy, in the development of the final Jet Zero Strategy, which we are aiming to publish later this year. A summary of responses and the Government response to those consultations will be published alongside the Jet Zero Strategy.
We also published the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) mandate consultation in July 2021, which set out our intention to mandate SAF supply in the UK from 2025. In March 2022, we published a summary of responses to the consultation and will be publishing the Government response shortly, which alongside the Jet Zero Strategy, will set out the Government’s position on the introduction of a SAF mandate.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on his net zero strategy for aviation following his consultation on Jet zero: our strategy for net zero aviation.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Jet Zero Consultation closed on September 2021 and we received over 1400 responses. This was followed by a short, further technical consultation, which closed on April and received over 100 responses. We are carefully considering responses to both consultations, alongside the very latest technological developments and wider government policy, in the development of the final Jet Zero Strategy, which we are aiming to publish later this year. A summary of responses and the Government response to those consultations will be published alongside the Jet Zero Strategy.
We also published the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) mandate consultation in July 2021, which set out our intention to mandate SAF supply in the UK from 2025. In March 2022, we published a summary of responses to the consultation and will be publishing the Government response shortly, which alongside the Jet Zero Strategy, will set out the Government’s position on the introduction of a SAF mandate.