Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the UK’s 2030 hydrogen production target outlined in the British energy security strategy, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the potential merits of funding hydrogen transport schemes to stimulate hydrogen production.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
My department continues to work closely with colleagues in BEIS on our support for the use of hydrogen for transport to deliver the plans set out in the recent Energy Security Strategy. This includes recently announced investments such as the £206m UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK-SHORE) and £200m for our zero emission road freight HGV demonstrator programme. This March we also announced that we will be funding 124 hydrogen fuel cell buses and accompanying refuelling infrastructure through our Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme, supporting the West Midlands Combined Authority to introduce one of the most ambitious hydrogen bus projects in Europe.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to reform the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to incentivise the use of hydrogen vehicles.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The renewable transport fuel obligation covers a wide range of fuels, all renewable and low carbon. Since 2018, renewable hydrogen has been eligible for “development fuel certificates” under the RTFO. This means it receives a higher level of reward compared to conventional renewable fuels. Last year we consulted on proposals to support new ways to supply hydrogen under the RTFO. We expect to publish the government response to this consultation shortly.
The RTFO supports supply of fuels and does not directly support the deployment of vehicles. My department has a range of support mechanisms to encourage early adopters of hydrogen vehicles. These are projects like the Tees Valley Hydrogen Hub, competitions including the Zero Emission Road Freight Trials (ZERFT) and modal support schemes like the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme which has contributed to the ordering of a significant number of new hydrogen buses.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to (a) publish the response to the 2018 consultation on the requirement for audio visual announcements to be mandatory on buses and (b) publish and lay the associated regulations; and what his planned timetable is for those regulations coming into force.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The government remains committed to ensuring that disabled passengers using local bus services in Great Britain have the information they need to travel safely and with confidence, to know both where they are and where they are going, and to remove any fear that a journey will take them anywhere other than the place they want to go.
We plan to publish the response to the accessible information consultation and lay the Accessible Information Regulations later this year. Subject to Parliamentary approval, these Regulations would commence in 2023.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much it cost to secure the LNER naming rights for the York City football stadium.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Department does not hold that information.
The agreement between London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and York City Council is a commercial matter between those parties.
LNER operates on a commercial basis. DFT OLR Holdings Ltd, an arms-length body of the Department for Transport, oversees the strategic approach of the LNER business, but within this, commercial decisions, such as the marketing decision to sponsor York Community Stadium, are for LNER to make.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Integrated Rail Plan, if he will publish a delivery plan that contains (a) details of next steps, (b) a full list of schemes and (c) planned timescales for delivery.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) sets out the Government’s delivery plan for a core pipeline of rail investment in the North and Midlands and outlines the potential delivery timescales and sequencing for the rail schemes contained within the IRP.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2021 to Question 88776 on Motor Vehicles: Hydrogen, what grants are available for the purchase of hydrogen powered cars as of 13 December 2021; and what the time period for those grants being available is.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Government’s approach to delivering our long-term ambitions for greener transport is technology neutral and we are supporting hydrogen where the market favours its use.
The plug-in car grant has been in place for over a decade to help reduce the up-front purchase price of zero and ultra low emission vehicles for private motorists and businesses. Funding is currently available until financial year 2022/23. Hydrogen fuel cell cars have benefited from the grant up until March 2020, when a price cap was introduced to focus the grant on more affordable vehicles, where taxpayer funding would have greatest impact. Hydrogen fuel cell cars still benefit from discounted road tax, as well as beneficial company car tax rates which can save drivers up to £2,000 per annum.
Alongside this, the Government’s £23 million Hydrogen for Transport Programme is increasing the uptake of fuel cell electric vehicles and growing the number of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations across the UK. The programme is delivering new refuelling stations, upgrading some existing stations as well as deploying hundreds of new hydrogen vehicles.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to facilitate the roll out of additional hydrogen fuelling stations.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Hydrogen is likely to be fundamental to achieving the full decarbonisation of UK transport. Our £23 million Hydrogen for Transport Programme is increasing the uptake of fuel cell electric vehicles and growing the number of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations across the UK. The programme is delivering new refuelling stations, upgrading some existing stations and deploying hundreds of new hydrogen vehicles.
Our £20m Zero Emission Road Freight Trials (ZERFT) are also looking at hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in the UK. The trials will inform which technology, or technologies, are best suited for use in the UK and help to clarify our understanding and identify the potential barriers to the installation of refuelling infrastructure, so that these can be addressed before rollout.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to offer incentives to support individuals and organisations to purchase hydrogen vehicles.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government offers grants to offset the higher upfront cost of zero emission cars, vans, trucks, motorbikes and taxis and is also supporting the development of hydrogen vehicles, particularly larger vehicles like HGVs and buses.
We will be expanding our Zero Emission Road Freight Trials programme to trial three zero emission HGV technologies at scale on UK roads, including hydrogen fuel cells. Furthermore, local areas will be able to apply for funding for both battery electric buses and hydrogen fuel cell buses depending on which technology is best suited to their local areas. Funding schemes include the £120m Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas Scheme – open to bids from local authorities – while at SR21 £355m of new funding was made available for zero emission buses.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to reform the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to stimulate investment in hydrogen production.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Further to a public consultation earlier this year, we have introduced legislation which would expand support under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) to renewable hydrogen used in fuel cell rail and non-road transports, and in maritime vessels. To further encourage investment in renewable hydrogen production, we also proposed in the consultation to reward renewable hydrogen more flexibly under the RTFO. A Government Response on proposals to improve flexibility will be published very soon.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many ships are being held offshore waiting to be able to unload goods at UK ports as at 15 October 2021.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The specific details of vessel movements to and from our ports, and how they choose to undertake their operations or manage schedules, is a matter for shipping lines, in conjunction with relevant port operators. Waiting at anchor can be part of normal operations, and for many reasons, such as bad weather.
It is the case however, that recent reporting of significant vessel delays at anchor due to supply chain bottlenecks are inaccurate. Very few vessels have been held at anchor and any delays minimal.