Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the role that Wales can play in the UK's hydrogen strategy; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the UK's hydrogen strategy.

Wales has the potential to lead in hydrogen generation technology and the UK Government is committed to ensuring that Wales plays its full part in delivering the UK’s future energy mix. I recently saw the leading role Wales can play in this area when I visited Riversimple, a hydrogen car manufacturer based in Powys.

UK Research and Innovation also continues to support the South Wales Industrial Cluster with £170million of funding as part of the Industrial Decarbonisation challenge. The Cluster will play its part in developing options for decarbonising the region’s industrial base, including the use of hydrogen.

I regularly discuss a range of issues with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and earlier this month BEIS Ministers and I met with companies looking to expand hydrogen production in Wales.

The Government aims to consult on a preferred business model for low-carbon hydrogen production in 2021. This will be key to stimulating the deployment of hydrogen across the UK.