Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to grow the UK’s manufacturing base for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan sets out a clear plan to support the growth of the UK’s manufacturing base for hydrogen technologies, including deployment certainty and timelines for future Hydrogen Allocation Rounds; the launch of the first transport and storage allocation round and hydrogen to power business model; establishing the UK’s first regional hydrogen network from 2031; exploring options to expand the CfD Clean Industry Bonus to hydrogen; working with projects to deliver events connecting developers and suppliers; and a comprehensive public financial institution offer including the £1 billion Great British Energy supply chain fund.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support hydrogen and fuel cell technology manufacturers to invest in (a) new manufacturing facilities and (b) research and development.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government announced a public finance offer for clean energy industries to crowd private investment into sustainable UK supply chains. This includes: a £1 billion Clean Energy supply chain fund; £5.8 billion for the National Wealth Fund to invest across this Parliament in clean industries including low-carbon hydrogen; and a £4 billion British Business Bank Industrial Strategy Growth Capital scale up and start up financing package.
DESNZ has allocated around £170 million from the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio to hydrogen research & development, including £60 million for Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 and £31million for H2BECCS, advancing production, storage, transport, and negative-emission technologies.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) jobs and (b) investment in the UK hydrogen technology manufacturing sector by 2030.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The sector is nascent but is expected to grow significantly; the global hydrogen market could exceed $1 trillion by 2050, with the UK well positioned to capture a substantial share.
We intend to publish a revised Hydrogen Strategy which will include the latest hydrogen jobs estimates and set out plans to optimise the job creation and economic benefits delivered by the UK hydrogen economy.
We will continue to engage with stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain; working together with industry and unions to identify actions that support the skills and workforce needs of the UK’s low carbon hydrogen economy.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of permitting cross-subsidisation between publicly owned and delivered rail services on the sustainability of rural rail services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Train operating companies are currently preparing business plans. They will give consideration to rail service patterns, including for rural rail services, with the objective of improving performance of the railway for passengers, reducing the net cost of the railway and retaining access to services for those communities this Government is trying to help most.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to p.94 of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, if he will publish his Department's (a) proposals and (b) timetable for implementing proposed powers to enable local authorities to take over the management of vacant residential properties.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government wants to see more empty homes brought back into use across the country.
Local authorities have strong powers and incentives to tackle empty homes. They have the discretionary powers to charge additional council tax on properties which have been left unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for one or more years. The maximum premium that a council can apply increases, depending on the length of time that the property has been empty for, with a premium of up to 300% on homes left empty for over ten years.
They can also access funding through the Affordable Homes Programme and Local Authority Housing Fund. Through the New Homes Bonus, local authorities can also receive the same level of reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one.
Local authorities can also use powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes to bring them back into use in the private rented sector. Local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal. More information can be found on gov.uk here.
The government outlined its intent to strengthen local authorities’ ability to take over the management of vacant residential premises in the English Devolution White Paper published in December 2024. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of vacant residential properties.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government wants to see more empty homes brought back into use across the country.
Local authorities have strong powers and incentives to tackle empty homes. They have the discretionary powers to charge additional council tax on properties which have been left unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for one or more years. The maximum premium that a council can apply increases, depending on the length of time that the property has been empty for, with a premium of up to 300% on homes left empty for over ten years.
They can also access funding through the Affordable Homes Programme and Local Authority Housing Fund. Through the New Homes Bonus, local authorities can also receive the same level of reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one.
Local authorities can also use powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes to bring them back into use in the private rented sector. Local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal. More information can be found on gov.uk here.
The government outlined its intent to strengthen local authorities’ ability to take over the management of vacant residential premises in the English Devolution White Paper published in December 2024. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the provisions of the forthcoming Railways Bill will permit cross-subsidisation between publicly owned and delivered rail services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Public Service Obligations in Transport Regulations 2023 allow public authorities to take into account the possibility of grouping cost-covering services with non-cost-covering services when determining what rail services should be provided by a public service operator (and what subsidy (if any) that should be provided to that operator). The forthcoming Railways Bill, due to be introduced into Parliament this session, aims to ensure continuity of this principle and will provide further clarity on the approach to subsidy control once Great British Railways is established and is responsible for all previously-franchised passenger services.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the higher rate of Air Passenger Duty by more than the proposed 50% in 2026-27 on (a) the public purse and (b) the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced that APD rates would be partially adjusted in 2026-27 to help compensate for recent years of below-inflation uprating. The higher rate for private jets will therefore rise by a further 50 per cent on top of the general increase made to all APD rates. You can find the Tax Information and Impact Notice (TIIN) for the 2026/27 rates here:
The TIIN sets out the environmental and revenue impacts of the changes.
The Government also published a consultation on the extension of the higher rate to cover all private jets already within scope of the APD regime. At present, the higher rate only applies to larger private jets, and so many private jet passengers pay the same rates as commercial airline passengers. The consultation closed on 22 January, the Government is considering the responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HMRC plans to respond to the consultation on Reform of Air Passenger Duty for private jets, which closed on 22 January 2025.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced that APD rates would be partially adjusted in 2026-27 to help compensate for recent years of below-inflation uprating. The higher rate for private jets will therefore rise by a further 50 per cent on top of the general increase made to all APD rates. You can find the Tax Information and Impact Notice (TIIN) for the 2026/27 rates here:
The TIIN sets out the environmental and revenue impacts of the changes.
The Government also published a consultation on the extension of the higher rate to cover all private jets already within scope of the APD regime. At present, the higher rate only applies to larger private jets, and so many private jet passengers pay the same rates as commercial airline passengers. The consultation closed on 22 January, the Government is considering the responses and will respond in due course.