Hansard

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the legislative consent motion for the UK Government’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, which was introduced in the House of Commons on 14 May 2025. Scottish ministers strongly welcome efforts to boost the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel—SAF—and therefore support the overall policy intention of the bill.

The bill lays the foundation for a UK-wide revenue certainty mechanism. It is an essential step towards making sustainable aviation fuel production commercially viable. The bill is designed to accelerate the domestic production of SAF and support the UK Government’s aviation decarbonisation strategy.

SAF is one of the most promising ways of reducing aviation emissions and is therefore important in supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2045. The bill opens the door to future investment and green jobs, and it could bring significant economic benefits if the fuel were commercially produced at scale in Scotland.

Including Scotland in the bill ensures that we remain competitive and that we do not lose out to other parts of the UK. The bill as introduced had no formal role for Scottish ministers, with the exception of a consult provision in clause 10. The Scottish Government had extensive engagement with the UK Government, at official and ministerial level, to dissolve the concerns around the regulation-making powers in the bill, which might be exercised for a devolved purpose in Scotland.

Those discussions led to the UK Government amending the bill to include a requirement for the secretary of state to consult with Scottish ministers on three regulation-making powers, in clauses 1(8), 3(1) and 11(4), in addition to the existing consult provision in clause 10(1). I believe that the agreed statutory consultation mechanism offers appropriate reassurance and transparency, particularly given the early stage of development of the UK SAF industry.

I welcome the positive and collaborative engagement between the Scottish Government and the UK Government throughout the bill’s development, particularly during the latter stages. I also welcome the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee's report and its recommendation that the Scottish Parliament consent to the relevant provisions in the bill, as set out in the motion.

I considered the report’s conclusions and recommendations and provided a response to some of the recommendations, with a full response to be provided to the committee shortly. The Scottish Government therefore recommends that the Scottish Parliament gives consent to clauses 1 to 5, 10, 11(2) to 11(5), 12 to 20 and the schedule.

Scottish ministers remain committed to constructive engagement and to supporting measures that could lead to increased production and the use of sustainable aviation fuel in Scotland. I therefore ask the Parliament to agree to the motion for legislative consent in relation to the aforementioned provisions contained in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 14 May 2025, and subsequently amended, relating to clauses 1 to 5, 10, 11(2) to 11(5), 12 to 20 and the schedule, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament.