Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the role of airports in acting as hydrogen hubs to increase production and distribution capability.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
My Department works closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on decarbonising aviation and technology, including through the Jet Zero Council.
The Government is supporting the development of new low and zero-carbon emission aircraft - co-investing £3.9 billion with industry in aerospace research and technology from 2013 to 2026 through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme. The recent Spending Review has extended our commitment to co-invest in aerospace by guaranteeing funding for the ATI Programme to 2031. Government is also funding the £15 million ATI-led FlyZero project. This in-depth research study has brought together experts from across industry and academia to explore the potential for zero-carbon emission aircraft.
As part of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the Government is supporting research into Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure through £3 million of funding this financial year. This includes research activity on the integration of hydrogen into airports. In September, we announced the award of fifteen grants to organisations as part of this project, the details of which may be found on www.gov.uk here:
Winners of £3 million zero emission flight aviation competition announced - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
We are also investing up to £125 million, matched by £175 million from industry, in the Future Flight Challenge, to enable the use of new forms of electric and autonomous aircraft.
To deliver on the opportunities presented by hydrogen across the economy, including in aviation, the Government published the first ever UK Hydrogen Strategy, alongside policy detail on its support for low carbon hydrogen production across the UK.
This package details the key steps needed this decade to deliver our ambition for 5 giga watts of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 and sets the context for a further scale up on the way to net zero.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support the development of airport infrastructure for zero emission technology.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
My Department works closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on decarbonising aviation and technology, including through the Jet Zero Council.
The Government is supporting the development of new low and zero-carbon emission aircraft - co-investing £3.9 billion with industry in aerospace research and technology from 2013 to 2026 through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme. The recent Spending Review has extended our commitment to co-invest in aerospace by guaranteeing funding for the ATI Programme to 2031. Government is also funding the £15 million ATI-led FlyZero project. This in-depth research study has brought together experts from across industry and academia to explore the potential for zero-carbon emission aircraft.
As part of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the Government is supporting research into Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure through £3 million of funding this financial year. This includes research activity on the integration of hydrogen into airports. In September, we announced the award of fifteen grants to organisations as part of this project, the details of which may be found on www.gov.uk here:
Winners of £3 million zero emission flight aviation competition announced - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
We are also investing up to £125 million, matched by £175 million from industry, in the Future Flight Challenge, to enable the use of new forms of electric and autonomous aircraft.
To deliver on the opportunities presented by hydrogen across the economy, including in aviation, the Government published the first ever UK Hydrogen Strategy, alongside policy detail on its support for low carbon hydrogen production across the UK.
This package details the key steps needed this decade to deliver our ambition for 5 giga watts of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 and sets the context for a further scale up on the way to net zero.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support research and development of zero emission flight technology in the UK.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
My Department works closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on decarbonising aviation and technology, including through the Jet Zero Council.
The Government is supporting the development of new low and zero-carbon emission aircraft - co-investing £3.9 billion with industry in aerospace research and technology from 2013 to 2026 through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme. The recent Spending Review has extended our commitment to co-invest in aerospace by guaranteeing funding for the ATI Programme to 2031. Government is also funding the £15 million ATI-led FlyZero project. This in-depth research study has brought together experts from across industry and academia to explore the potential for zero-carbon emission aircraft.
As part of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the Government is supporting research into Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure through £3 million of funding this financial year. This includes research activity on the integration of hydrogen into airports. In September, we announced the award of fifteen grants to organisations as part of this project, the details of which may be found on www.gov.uk here:
Winners of £3 million zero emission flight aviation competition announced - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
We are also investing up to £125 million, matched by £175 million from industry, in the Future Flight Challenge, to enable the use of new forms of electric and autonomous aircraft.
To deliver on the opportunities presented by hydrogen across the economy, including in aviation, the Government published the first ever UK Hydrogen Strategy, alongside policy detail on its support for low carbon hydrogen production across the UK.
This package details the key steps needed this decade to deliver our ambition for 5 giga watts of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 and sets the context for a further scale up on the way to net zero.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation industry.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government has recently consulted on its proposed approach to reach net zero aviation – or Jet Zero - by 2050. The responses are now being analysed to inform our final Jet Zero Strategy which we aim to publish early in 2022.
This consultation proposes principles and policies to reach net zero aviation by:
o improving the efficiency of the UK’s current aviation system
o accelerating the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels
o supporting the development of zero-emission flight
o ensuring we use markets to drive down emissions in the most cost -effective way
To help achieve our ambitions, in July 2020, we established the Jet Zero Council to drive the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions. Its aim is to deliver zero emission transatlantic flight within a generation.
The Government’s Net Zero Strategy published on 19 October confirms our commitment to Jet Zero, kick-starting commercialisation of UK sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) with £180 million funding for SAF demonstration plants, a key step to delivering our ambition for 10% of aviation fuels to be SAF by 2030.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help support the UK aviation industry in reaching their decarbonisation targets of net zero emissions by 2050.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
We have set a clear policy framework through the recently published Net Zero Strategy, the Jet Zero Consultation and the SAF mandate consultation; have ensured government and industry collaboration through the Jet Zero Council and other forums; are providing £1.95 billion funding over 13 years (2013-2026) to support the development of zero emission technologies through the Aerospace Technology Institute; and recently made a commitment to provide £180 million to support the development of UK sustainable aviation fuel production in the UK, which builds on the progress made through previous advanced fuels competition including the £15 million Green Fuels, Green Skies competition and the £22 million Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition.
The Jet Zero Consultation closed on 8 September, and we are working to analyse responses to help shape our final Jet Zero Strategy to be published early next year.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which projects the £3 million Government funding for zero emission flight infrastructure has been allocated to; how much of that funding has been allocated to each of those projects; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure competition, announced at the June meeting of the Jet Zero Council, has taken place over the summer and an announcement on the projects receiving funding will be made shortly.
The Government has in addition consulted over the summer to develop our Jet Zero Strategy to be published later this year.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to decarbonise aviation.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
It is critical that the aviation sector plays its part in delivering the UK’s net zero commitment and the Government is already supporting a variety of technology, fuel and market-based measures to address aviation emissions. We have also established the Jet Zero Council, a partnership between industry and government, to drive the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions.
The Government is clear that international action on aviation emissions is essential given the global nature of the sector, and so the UK remains fully committed to action through international processes and takes a leading role in the work of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to reduce emissions from international aviation.
We will be consulting on our strategy to achieve net zero aviation shortly, setting out the steps to reach net zero aviation emissions by 2050.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to hold a consultation on establishing a long-term price support mechanism for sustainable aviation fuels.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government believes that sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) have a crucial role to play in reaching our goal of net zero by 2050. We already provide strong support to the sector through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and our low carbon fuel industry competitions.
To further build on this existing support, as part of the Prime Minister's 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the Government announced £15m for a new SAF industry competition, £3m to set up a SAF clearing house, and an intention to consult on a blending mandate to drive SAF uptake in the UK. This consultation is planned for the summer and will be complemented by supporting ambitions presented in the department’s upcoming Transport Decarbonisation Plan and Net Zero Aviation Consultation.
The Government will continue working with stakeholders through the Jet Zero Council SAF Delivery Group and other channels to explore what further policies might be needed to support the development of the sector, including demand-side measures or business models that address price risk.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to take steps to (a) establish a long-term price support mechanism for sustainable aviation fuels and (b) create a sustainable aviation fuel industry.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government believes that sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) have a crucial role to play in reaching our goal of net zero by 2050. We already provide strong support to the sector through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and our low carbon fuel industry competitions.
To further build on this existing support, as part of the Prime Minister's 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the Government announced £15m for a new SAF industry competition, £3m to set up a SAF clearing house, and an intention to consult on a blending mandate to drive SAF uptake in the UK. This consultation is planned for the summer and will be complemented by supporting ambitions presented in the department’s upcoming Transport Decarbonisation Plan and Net Zero Aviation Consultation.
The Government will continue working with stakeholders through the Jet Zero Council SAF Delivery Group and other channels to explore what further policies might be needed to support the development of the sector, including demand-side measures or business models that address price risk.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with British Airways on greenhouse gas emissions; and what steps he is taking to promote more fuel efficient aircraft.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government is working with the aviation and aerospace sectors on a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of aviation.
The Government is investing £1.95bn in aerospace R&D between 2013 to 2026 through the ATI programme. In addition, we have recently launched the ‘Green Fuels, Green Skies’ competition, which will provide £15m to support the early development of first-of-a-kind production plants, with the aim of producing sustainable aviation fuel at scale in the UK.
British Airways are a member of the Jet Zero Council, the Plenary of which met again on 16 March 2021. The Jet Zero Council was established to take decisive action on our commitments to achieve net zero aviation with the aim of delivering zero-emission transatlantic flight within a generation.
In the coming months, we will be consulting on our strategy on net zero aviation, setting out the steps we will take to achieve our net zero commitment.