Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of hydrogen technology in reducing aviation carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, and what steps they are taking to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government’s Jet Zero Strategy, published in July 2022, set out our approach to achieving net zero UK aviation by 2050 through multiple different measures. The use of hydrogen is considered in the Zero Emission Flight chapter of the Strategy.
The Strategy anticipates that hydrogen will be first deployed in short haul aviation with recognised uncertainty on the potential for and timing of its scaling up for use in long haul. As with all measures in the Jet Zero Strategy the Government keeps the evidence base under regular review and any changes will be reflected in future updates to the Strategy.
Between 2013 and 2030, industry and government will invest over £5 billion to develop transformational aircraft technology through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme. This includes co-investment in industry led projects to develop hydrogen aircraft in the UK.
In 2022 a Delivery Group of the government and industry forum the Jet Zero Council was established to accelerate the adoption of zero emission flight.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on implementing his Department's policy document entitled Options for addressing the cost of pilot training, published on 31 May 2023.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is aware that the high cost of training to become a commercial airline pilot can be a significant barrier to many young people seeking to pursue a career as a pilot. The Generation Aviation programme sees Government work with industry and outreach partners to raise the profile of aviation careers and remove barriers to access so the sector can build a workforce fit for the future.
As part of this, the Department commissioned independent research to help both Government and industry understand options for addressing the high cost of pilot training in the UK. The research, published in May 2023, found that there is a possibility that the future supply of commercial pilots will not meet demand in the UK. It made recommendations about alternative funding approaches and about addressing other costs for new pilots.
Since publication, the DfT has worked closely with industry to consider next steps. Airlines have a crucial role to play in reducing the financial barriers to becoming a pilot and we applaud the airline carriers who have recently launched funding options/sponsored pathways and cadetships.
Employers in the sector have already developed a First Officer Apprenticeship (FOA) standard to support the industry to develop the skills it needs and to help it widen access to the profession. The Department for Transport and Department for Education (DfE) are working with the sector to ensure that suitable training provision is available and to support the sector to make use of the apprenticeship. My department plans to host an industry event to discuss this in more detail next week.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to introduce a Government-backed loan for pilot training.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is aware that the high cost of training to become a commercial airline pilot can be a significant barrier to many young people seeking to pursue a career as a pilot. The Generation Aviation programme sees Government work with industry and outreach partners to raise the profile of aviation careers and remove barriers to access so the sector can build a workforce fit for the future.
As part of this, the Department commissioned independent research to help both Government and industry understand options for addressing the high cost of pilot training in the UK. The research, published in May 2023, found that there is a possibility that the future supply of commercial pilots will not meet demand in the UK. It made recommendations about alternative funding approaches and about addressing other costs for new pilots.
Since publication, the DfT has worked closely with industry to consider next steps. Airlines have a crucial role to play in reducing the financial barriers to becoming a pilot and we applaud the airline carriers who have recently launched funding options/sponsored pathways and cadetships.
Employers in the sector have already developed a First Officer Apprenticeship (FOA) standard to support the industry to develop the skills it needs and to help it widen access to the profession. The Department for Transport and Department for Education (DfE) are working with the sector to ensure that suitable training provision is available and to support the sector to make use of the apprenticeship. My department plans to host an industry event to discuss this in more detail next week.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support people who are training to be pilots.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is aware that the high cost of training to become a commercial airline pilot can be a significant barrier to many young people seeking to pursue a career as a pilot. The Generation Aviation programme sees Government work with industry and outreach partners to raise the profile of aviation careers and remove barriers to access so the sector can build a workforce fit for the future.
As part of this, the Department commissioned independent research to help both Government and industry understand options for addressing the high cost of pilot training in the UK. The research, published in May 2023, found that there is a possibility that the future supply of commercial pilots will not meet demand in the UK. It made recommendations about alternative funding approaches and about addressing other costs for new pilots.
Since publication, the DfT has worked closely with industry to consider next steps. Airlines have a crucial role to play in reducing the financial barriers to becoming a pilot and we applaud the airline carriers who have recently launched funding options/sponsored pathways and cadetships.
Employers in the sector have already developed a First Officer Apprenticeship (FOA) standard to support the industry to develop the skills it needs and to help it widen access to the profession. The Department for Transport and Department for Education (DfE) are working with the sector to ensure that suitable training provision is available and to support the sector to make use of the apprenticeship. My department plans to host an industry event to discuss this in more detail next week.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to launch a support scheme for pilot training.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is aware that the high cost of training to become a commercial airline pilot can be a significant barrier to many young people seeking to pursue a career as a pilot. The Generation Aviation programme sees Government work with industry and outreach partners to raise the profile of aviation careers and remove barriers to access so the sector can build a workforce fit for the future.
As part of this, the Department commissioned independent research to help both Government and industry understand options for addressing the high cost of pilot training in the UK. The research, published in May 2023, found that there is a possibility that the future supply of commercial pilots will not meet demand in the UK. It made recommendations about alternative funding approaches and about addressing other costs for new pilots.
Since publication, the DfT has worked closely with industry to consider next steps. Airlines have a crucial role to play in reducing the financial barriers to becoming a pilot and we applaud the airline carriers who have recently launched funding options/sponsored pathways and cadetships.
Employers in the sector have already developed a First Officer Apprenticeship (FOA) standard to support the industry to develop the skills it needs and to help it widen access to the profession. The Department for Transport and Department for Education (DfE) are working with the sector to ensure that suitable training provision is available and to support the sector to make use of the apprenticeship. My department plans to host an industry event to discuss this in more detail next week.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of potential future trends in the level of demand for oil and gas.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As set out in our Net Zero Strategy demand pathway, in 2035, demand for oil and gas may be just over half of 2022 levels.
Whilst our domestic production is expected to decline by 7% year-on-year, new licensing will limit our import dependency to around 60% instead of 70% by 2035.
By 2050, oil use will concentrate in aviation. Gas will be used with CCUS abatement, generating cleaner electricity and hydrogen.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his policy to negotiate mutual recognition of pilot licenses between the Civil Aviation Authority and European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK continues to have a productive relationship with EASA in many areas and have already agreed a high-level Aviation Safety Agreement. We hope to be able to expand this in appropriate areas that support our industry in the future, including in relation to pilot licensing. However, this may well take some time, and it would require willingness from the EU as well. We are continuing to work to ensure an effective licensing regime supports UK aviation and delivering effective implementation of the existing agreement with the EU.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2023 to Question 1043, what lessons from similar ventures in the other Services the programme team are building on.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Land Industrial Operating Services programme team are building on lessons learnt from a range of initiatives including:
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which (a) businesses and (b) projects have received matched funding from the emerging drone technology pilot scheme since 1 January 2020; and how much each received.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Government supports drone technology pilots through programmes such as the Future Flight Challenge and Drone Pathfinder Programme. Both programmes aim to demonstrate, educate, realise, and accelerate the benefit of drones across a wide range of sectors.
The Department for Transport supported the Drone Pathfinder Accelerator programme to award up to £30,000 grants to six small and mediums sized enterprise projects in 2021 to deliver early-stage research and development studies to examine the integration of drones into UK airspace – see https://cp.catapult.org.uk/news/winners-announced-for-the-drones-transport-research-and-innovation-grants-programme/
In 2022 UK Research and Innovation announced £73 million for 17 winning projects for Phase 3 of the Future Flight Challenge Fund to develop and show integrated aviation systems and new vehicle technologies that included drone trials – see https://cp.catapult.org.uk/news/winners-announced-for-the-drones-transport-research-and-innovation-grants-programme/
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department are taking to help ensure that 10% sustainable aviation fuels are blended in the UK jet fuel mix by 2030.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Following a public consultation, in July 2022, Government confirmed that a sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) mandate would be introduced in 2025, requiring at least 10% (around 1.5 billion litres) of jet fuel to be made from sustainable feedstocks by 2030.
As part of our second consultation published in March 2023, we proposed a range of trajectories for the mandate from 2025 to 2040, all of which would deliver 10% SAF by 2030. We will confirm the trajectories in the forthcoming government response.
We are also taking steps to develop a UK SAF industry and have a commitment to see at least five plants under construction by 2025. We have already funded 5 projects through the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF), each receiving a share of £82.5m, with an announcement on the second-round winners expected in November 2023.
The Government recognises that uncertainty over future revenues remains a key barrier to investment in SAF production in the UK. In September, the Government committed to introduce a revenue certainty mechanism to support Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production in the UK. Alongside this announcement, the government published a delivery plan outlining the timeline for how such a mechanism could be delivered by 2026.