Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the level of VAT applying to public EV Charging from 20 per cent to 5 per cent.

Introducing a VAT relief for public EV charging would impose additional pressure on the public finances, to which VAT makes a significant contribution. Any reduction in tax paid is a reduction in the money available to support important public services, including the NHS, education and defence.

Although there are no current plans to change the VAT treatment of electricity supplied at public EV charge points, the Government is committed to supporting the transition to zero emission vehicles to help the UK meet its net zero obligations. The Government has already spent over £2 billion to support the transition. This funding has focused on reducing barriers to the adoption of such vehicles, including offsetting their higher upfront cost and accelerating the rollout of chargepoint infrastructure.