The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland meets regularly with the logistics sector and businesses trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including through the Northern Ireland Business Stakeholders Group.

Working with the EU and fast parcel operators, we have ensured that from 1 July the vast majority of low-value imports will not face EU duties when moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, cutting costs and protecting GB-NI trade.

The Home Office engages regularly with port operators, shipping companies and wider transport partners to support the security of the UK’s borders and supply chains, including to prevent drug trafficking and the facilitation of illegal migration. This includes ongoing engagement with industry to strengthen security practices, improve information sharing, and support collaboration with law enforcement and international partners.

Carriers also have an important role to play in protecting the integrity of the border. Through measures such as the Authority to Carry scheme, the Government works with carriers to prevent individuals who may pose an immigration or security risk from travelling to the UK.

The Government keeps its approach to tackling organised criminality in ports, logistics networks and transport routes under review. We work closely with operational partners and international counterparts to monitor threats, including the risk of organised criminal infiltration and the exploitation of services by organised crime groups, and to disrupt illicit activity through intelligence sharing and joint working.

The Home Office engages regularly with port operators, shipping companies and wider transport partners to support the security of the UK’s borders and supply chains, including to prevent drug trafficking and the facilitation of illegal migration. This includes ongoing engagement with industry to strengthen security practices, improve information sharing, and support collaboration with law enforcement and international partners.

Carriers also have an important role to play in protecting the integrity of the border. Through measures such as the Authority to Carry scheme, the Government works with carriers to prevent individuals who may pose an immigration or security risk from travelling to the UK.

The Government keeps its approach to tackling organised criminality in ports, logistics networks and transport routes under review. We work closely with operational partners and international counterparts to monitor threats, including the risk of organised criminal infiltration and the exploitation of services by organised crime groups, and to disrupt illicit activity through intelligence sharing and joint working.

The requested information is now available and is given below.

The Ministry of Defence does not undertake the blending of SAF with conventional jet fuel; therefore, the current impact on the services is negligible. The fuel used at Main Operating Bases is pre-blended and subsequently supplied by Exolum as a completed and certified product. Whether there is a logistical burden on the armed services as the mandated percentage increases, and there is a requirement to assess the suitability of legacy refuelling vehicles and storage mediums for SAF would require further analysis.

It is taking time to collate the requested information. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

The government supports transport, storage and logistics businesses in Stockport through national funding and policy measures, including investment in freight innovation, support for transport decarbonisation, and wider infrastructure funding.

Businesses in Stockport may be eligible for national schemes including the Freight Innovation Fund, which supports small and medium sized enterprises to trial solutions that improve freight efficiency, resilience and decarbonisation. Grants are also available to businesses seeking to move eligible freight by rail or water rather than road through the Mode Shift Revenue Support Scheme.

The government is also supporting logistics firms with fuel cost pressures by extending the 5p fuel duty cut until 31 December 2026 and ensuring there will be no increases to fuel duty this year. In addition, a 12‑month holiday for Heavy Goods Vehicle Excise Duty (HGV VED) from July 2026 will reduce operating costs for hauliers, alongside targeted support to reflect the sector’s exposure to diesel prices and its critical role in UK supply chains.

These national measures are complemented by local transport investment in the Greater Manchester city region, which includes Stockport, such as through the national Transport for City Regions programme, which provides long-term funding to Mayoral Strategic Authorities.

The Government recognises the important role that storage and logistics-based businesses play in supporting economic growth, trade and supply chains across the UK.

The Government is supporting these sectors through a range of measures, including through maintaining permanent full expensing to encourage investment in qualifying plant and machinery, and investing in infrastructure and planning reform to improve connectivity and the efficient movement of goods.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation was the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.

To respond to those who are seeing large increases, the Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.

The Government recognises the important role that storage and logistics-based businesses play in supporting economic growth, trade and supply chains across the UK.

The Government is supporting these sectors through a range of measures, including through maintaining permanent full expensing to encourage investment in qualifying plant and machinery, and investing in infrastructure and planning reform to improve connectivity and the efficient movement of goods.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation was the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.

To respond to those who are seeing large increases, the Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.

The Department for Transport is working with industry and across government to support workforce health in the logistics sector. Specifically, the department has been raising awareness among the road freight sector of a driver health training module, approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, which forms part of Driver Certificate of Professional Competence training. In addition, the Department of Health and Social Care is working with the road freight sector, through the Men’s Health Strategy, to increase uptake of NHS Health Checks by HGV drivers.

With industry, the Department for Transport and National Highways are investing in improvements to lorry parking facilities, including better welfare provision, additional capacity and enhanced security, which can contribute to the physical and mental wellbeing of drivers.

More widely, the government is working with employers through initiatives such as the Keep Britain Working programme to support workforce health and help people to remain in work, including within the logistics sector and encourages industry-led efforts to improve working conditions and employee wellbeing.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has undertaken research into how businesses are adopting AI and its implications for workplace health and safety. This research has examined the use of AI in developing health and safety provisions across a wide range of sectors, including construction and logistics.

HSE is working with industry partners to develop benchmarks that enable best use of AI in workplaces. It is also contributing toward the development of international standards for AI interaction with machinery and functional safety.

As noted in the answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 120682, the Department for Transport recognises the value of international comparisons for its work, including (a) Australia’s National Freight Data Hub, (b) the United States’ Commodity Flow Survey and (c) the Republic of Korea’s Transport Database.

No formal assessments of the type described have been made for the comparators listed, but they are important parts of the Department's broad evidence base for policy making that supports freight and logistics and the wider transport system.

The Further Education Outcomes statistics publication provides data on the progression from further education courses to sustained employment in the following academic year. It is published annually each November, with the most recent edition available at:

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2022-23#explore-data-and-files.

Note this does not show the logistics sector specifically or assess the impact of funded qualifications on employment rates.

The Department for Transport is aware of Logistics UK's The UK Logistics Network report (2024) and its subsequent progress tracker report (2025). The department is grateful for Logistics UK’s work and the informative contribution it makes to our evidence base for policy making that supports freight and logistics and the wider transport system.

The report and its recommendations formed part of the evidence base considered for the new plan for freight, which is due to be published later in spring. This will set out the department’s policy priorities for the sector and the actions we will take to support the efficiency of the freight network.