Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, if she will set out the differences in targets, technological approach, and decarbonisation pathways between the JZS and the CBGDP.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies.

The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050.

We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, what discussions have been had within the Department about the updating or replacing of the Jet Zero Strategy with other policy documents or approaches.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies.

The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050.

We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, whether the CBGDP represents the latest modelling of how the Government will achieve a Net Zero pathway for the aviation sector, and supersedes the modelling underpinning the JZS.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies.

The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050.

We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Jet Zero Strategy (JZS) is still used for policy-making on aviation decarbonisation, or whether it has been replaced or superseded by the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP).

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies.

The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050.

We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, whether the Department plans further modelling beyond that contained within the CBGDP for beyond 2037.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies.

The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050.

We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of potential impact of the proposed changes to the Protection of Badgers Act on shooting badgers.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

These amendments standardise licences for development purposes under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 with those for other species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations, 2017. This is intended to facilitate strategic-level Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) as provided for in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

We are legislating that licences issued under the Act to derogate from the protection afforded to badgers will be subject to strict tests required by the Bern Convention, which set a high bar. For licences under the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF), against an EDP for badgers, an overall improvement in the conservation status of badgers will be required. Killing badgers would remain exceptional and only permissible under strict conditions, such as disease control, and would not become routine for development purposes.

A specific assessment of the potential impact on shooting badgers has not been undertaken as the impact of these provisions will depend on practical application by Natural England through EDPs or individual licences.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if chalk streams will be added to the National Planning Policy Framework as an irreplaceable habitat.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As per the commitment I made in the House on 13 November during consideration of Lords Amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government intend to include explicit recognition of chalk streams in the new suite of national policies for decision-making that we will consult on before the end of this year.

This will ensure that chalk streams are explicitly recognised as features of high environmental value in national planning policy and that clear expectations are set for plan-makers and decision-makers in respect of managing the impacts of development on these sensitive waterbodies.

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