Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential to electrify short-haul flights and short-distance marine travel as part of a roadmap to reach net zero emissions; and to publish any such assessment.

The Government is supporting the development of electric aircraft through £125 million of funding to the Future Flight Challenge. The Jet Zero Council, announced in June, will bring together DfT and BEIS Secretaries of State and CEO-level stakeholders to drive high ambition in the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions.

The potential electrification of maritime routes and use of shore power alongside to reduce emissions was assessed as part of the Department’s work to develop the Clean Maritime Plan published in Summer 2019. The research supporting the plan, including detailed consideration of the use of electrical power, has been published on gov.uk.