E-scooters

Lord Berkeley Excerpts

Thursday 13th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

The right reverend Prelate raises an important issue. I confess that he is straying into areas that are beyond my direct responsibility because they are Department for Transport issues. But it is extremely important to make sure that we have sufficient regulation and assessment of the potential dangers of electric batteries causing fires in electric vehicles and cars. If the right reverend Prelate will allow me, I will refer his comments to my noble friend Lord Hendy, the Transport Minister, and I will ensure that he gets a reply on the specifics of that issue downstream.

[Lord Berkeley (Lab)]

My Lords, as a regular user of hired electric scooters, I welcome them. They are very convenient and if you obey the law, it is fine. But will the Minister encourage his colleagues in the Department for Transport to introduce legislation so that people can own e-bikes and e-scooters with impunity rather than having to hire them?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I hope I have helped the House by saying that currently the use of those scooters in public places is illegal but they are allowed to be used on private land. There is the ability to have selected trials of hired e-scooters, in which my noble friend is participating, obviously. The Government intend to review how that trial has gone, to learn the lessons about safety, the use of those scooters, the costs and indeed the points that the noble Baronesses, Lady McIntosh and Lady Pidgeon, have mentioned. That review will take place over the next 12 months, and the issues that the noble Lord has raised will be forward policy which will lie with my noble friend Lord Hendy.