Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the number of lithium-ion battery-related fire incidents recorded in 2023–24 on the environment.

Defra has not carried out a formal assessment of the potential impact on the environment of lithium-ion battery-related fires recorded between 2023 and 2024. Battery-related fire incidents are a significant concern, and we remain engaged with wider Government and with industry, including waste disposal operators, on this issue.

We are currently considering options for reform of the batteries regulations in the UK as a means to address a range of issues, including fires, and we are in the process of engaging further with industry and other stakeholders on those options.

In relation to battery energy storage systems sites, which can use large numbers of lithium-ion batteries, the Government has consulted on the principle of including these within environmental permitting regulations to manage the potential environmental and public health risks from fires at these facilities. The Government response to this consultation will be published at the earliest opportunity.