Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will establish a hydrogen and fuel cell task-force within his Department to assess the future role of hydrogen and fuel cells in delivering clean growth and decarbonisation.

The Department is undertaking a range of activity to examine and further develop the evidence to support our own understanding of the potential role of hydrogen and fuel cells in delivering clean growth and decarbonisation in the UK.

We recognise the value of engagement with partners beyond Government and work with many bodies representing the broad range of hydrogen and fuel cell interests, including industry groupings, regional groups, infrastructure providers, and network operators.

This engagement and our ongoing assessment of the developing evidence base, shortly to include new advice from the Committee on Climate Change on meeting the UK’s long-term climate change targets, is important in informing Government ambition on hydrogen and fuel cells. We recognise the valuable role that Task Forces often have in shaping action to deliver Government ambition, and in that light we will keep the need for a specific hydrogen and fuel cell task force under review.