Sadik Al-Hassan

My hon. Friend is, of course, right to highlight such advocacy in the sector. I welcome his contribution. The Exolum project is not just a boost for our regional economy; it is a clear signal that the UK can combine its climate ambition with a sound industrial strategy. The production subsidies for SAF introduced by this Bill are therefore already very welcome and are the right step forward, but production plants are only as good as their ability to get their product to market. Without that capability, they cannot attract investment or access the very subsidies that this Bill rightly establishes. Fortunately, the UK is blessed with an extensive aviation fuel pipeline and storage network—one of the most advanced in the world. Companies such as Exolum are already using that network to deliver cleaner fuels across the country. From my visits to Redcliffe Bay, I know that Exolum has additional storage capacity that it would like to bring back into use to help deliver even more SAF. Companies at the forefront of this shift, such as Exolum, must be supported to deliver further investment at Redcliffe Bay in my constituency—and at other sites—and across the national pipeline network to create a new SAF super-highway for the UK. Such a network would allow producers to get their fuel to market efficiently, and it would secure our long-term position as a global leader in green aviation. Crucially, my constituency is also home to Bristol airport, which has demonstrated real leadership in this sector. In March, almost a year ahead of the Government’s mandate, Jet2 began operating flights from Bristol airport using SAF, cutting emissions by an impressive 70%. However, our ambitions for cleaner flights cannot stop at SAF. Bristol airport’s same leadership can and should be applied to hydrogen in aviation, ensuring that the south-west continues to lead the UK’s journey to greener skies. Hydrogen is a key element of the future aviation landscape and the broader energy transition. As we stand at the crossroads and decide which industries and technologies to support, we must not overlook the infrastructure that will support hydrogen tomorrow, as well as its supply chain, its production and its distribution. Investment in hydrogen benefits both the industries of today and the industries of 2050. However, that investment requires certainty, which only Government direction and leadership can provide via a road map already laid out in this Bill. I believe deeply in the potential of hydrogen, and I am proud that the south-west is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this opportunity. We have world-class research facilities such as those I have visited at the University of Bath, innovative small and medium-sized enterprises such as Hyflux in North Somerset, and a cluster of industries already looking to the hydrogen future. For my constituents in North Somerset, this Bill in its current form delivers both cleaner skies and a sustainable future for a vital industry. Looking ahead to hydrogen in aviation, the opportunities are particularly exciting for our region. The research, development, production and infrastructure required for hydrogen fuel are rightly taking root in the south-west, near Bristol, which is the home of AI in the UK, where the fantastic Mayor, Helen Godwin, is creating jobs, driving innovation and positioning us at the forefront of this emerging technology. This Bill is not merely climate policy; it is economic strategy, industrial ambition and national leadership combined. Sustainable aviation fuels are essential to the survival of our aviation industry, but let us not allow our ambition to cease there. Hydrogen represents another key to unlocking our sustainable future in the UK, and this Bill provides us with the learnings we will need to make hydrogen in aviation a reality.