Oral Answers to Questions

Sam Rushworth Excerpts

Thursday 27th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sam Rushworth (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)]

19. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support people to use electric vehicles.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

The Government are accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure: it was up 32% in the 12 months to 1 March this year. We are engaging with industry to improve consumers’ experience, including with contactless payments and design standards. Electric vehicles also receive favourable tax rates, with targeted grants supporting electric vans, taxis and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

[Sam Rushworth]

Some 58,000 households in County Durham, including many in my constituency, are unable to charge their vehicles at home. What support are the Government giving to innovative local schemes such as kerb charging so that we can make electric vehicles more accessible for all my constituents?

[Lilian Greenwood]

My hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that charge point numbers increased by 45% in rural areas such as the one he represents, and that the North East combined authority received almost £17.3 million from the local electric vehicle infrastructure fund, which means more public charge points for his constituents. We are also supporting cross-pavement solutions that provide safe charging options for those without driveways, as he describes.