Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry on (a) job creation and (b) economic growth in the Humberside region.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Building a UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry represents a significant economic opportunity which can bring good, high-skilled jobs to regions like the Humberside. We are putting £63 million into the Advanced Fuels Fund in 2025/2026 to help support UK SAF plants to reach commercial scale.
We will also deliver a revenue certainty mechanism to encourage investment into the UK SAF industry. 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.
Our policies on SAF will, taken together, help support thousands of jobs and create economic growth as well helping to bring down our transport emissions, support our energy security and make the UK a clean energy superpower.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to accelerate the introduction of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Revenue Certainty Mechanism) Bill.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Building a UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry represents a significant economic opportunity which can bring good, high-skilled jobs to regions like the Humberside. We are putting £63 million into the Advanced Fuels Fund in 2025/2026 to help support UK SAF plants to reach commercial scale.
We will also deliver a revenue certainty mechanism to encourage investment into the UK SAF industry. 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.
Our policies on SAF will, taken together, help support thousands of jobs and create economic growth as well helping to bring down our transport emissions, support our energy security and make the UK a clean energy superpower.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress she has made on discussions to establish a direct rail link between London and Cleethorpes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State knows the introduction of a direct train to London from Cleethorpes and Grimsby has been a longstanding local ambition. We are working with industry to understand the timetabling, financial, operational and infrastructure issues that would need to be resolved before a service to Cleethorpes could be introduced, once the East Coast Mainline timetable change has been implemented this December.
Infrastructure and operational assessments made by London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and Network Rail have confirmed that LNER services could call at Cleethorpes and Grimsby without major infrastructure changes. However, for LNER trains to serve Market Rasen station, significant infrastructure work, estimated to cost £15 to £20 million, would be required. The introduction of this service would be subject to funding and a thorough business case process.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress she has made with National Highways on the next round of RIS3 funding: and whether the A180 will be included in this funding stream.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The multi-year Spending Review, concluding in late spring, will help frame the 5-year RIS3 funding envelope that National Highways has to operate, maintain, renew and improve the strategic road network in the next road period starting in 2026. Once the level and profile of RIS funding is confirmed, National Highways can plan what it will deliver and when, including the scope, ambition and timing of major renewals projects, such as the A180 in North East Lincolnshire.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of the electrification of onshore marine ports.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are committed to Britain becoming a Clean Energy Superpower and ports are a key part of that mission. Ports are primarily private entities and the cost of electrification of onshore marine ports varies from port to port depending on the port's needs. The cost can be significantly higher or lower depending on the electricity demand and the distance from a connection point.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of UK SHORE funding; and what is the status of the future of that funding.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK SHORE programme has funded over 150 projects and has leveraged over £100m private investment, supporting all levels of research and development including feasibility studies, trials and demonstrations in a commercial environment. The funding is benefitting all 12 regions in the UK, supporting over 350 organisations, including over 200 SMEs.
All projects are detailed on Innovate UK’s website and we are conducting in independent evaluation assessment of the programme which is measuring its impact and helping us shape future support as well as policy.
Following the Autumn Budget on 30 October 2024, DfT now has its budget for the next Financial Year (2025 / 2026). We are waiting for the internal business planning process to conclude before we can confirm what that means in terms of funding for individual programmes.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to develop the electrification of ports.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The new Government’s manifesto made it clear that the “grid has become the single biggest obstacle to the deployment of cheap, clean power generation and the electrification of industry.” My Department meets regularly with ports and District Network Operations (DNOs) to understand the challenges they face in relation to electrification, to signpost information and to raise their concerns across government. As a mission driven government, the Secretary of State for Transport attends the Clean Energy Mission Board, which is chaired by DESNZ Secretary of State, a key focus of which grid investment and connection's process reform.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) roadway noise and (b) other environmental impacts of the A180.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Recent assessments of road noise on the A180 were undertaken by National Highways near Stallingborough in May 2024 ahead of proposed works linked to future concrete repairs. The noise levels recorded were between 65.9dB and 82.0dB and this is comparable to a 5- to 10-year-old asphalt road surface.
Other environmental assessments include ecological surveys of the adjacent species rich grasslands to assess biodiversity, and CCTV surveys of drainage assets to check their condition and inform future work.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of lower carbon-emitting fuels on the rate of decarbonisation of the maritime sector.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Decarbonising transport is central to the delivery of the UK’s cross-economy climate targets, and directly supports the Prime Minister’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and accelerate our journey to net zero.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s revised 2023 greenhouse gas (GHG) strategy and the upcoming negotiations later this year will be of vital importance to decarbonising the global maritime sector. The measures under consideration include a goal-based marine fuel standard which would drive down the GHG intensity of marine fuels and incentivise the uptake the cleaner zero and near zero GHG emission fuels. The potential impact of these global measures will be considered in a comprehensive impact assessment as part of this negotiation process.
This work goes hand in hand with the need to unlock investment in maritime decarbonisation technologies; zero and near zero GHG emission vessels; and green port infrastructure within the UK.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on the planned direct train link between Cleethorpes and London Kings Cross.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are working with industry to address the timetabling, financial, operational, and infrastructure issues that need to be resolved before a service to Cleethorpes can be introduced; once the East Coast Mainline timetable change has been implemented.
We are considering proposals put forward, with final approval subject to a thorough business case process.