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.

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.