Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether the regulations to be made under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 will include provisions to prevent the sale of unsafe batteries, chargers and conversion kits through online marketplaces.

Under existing UK legislation, businesses must only place safe batteries, chargers and conversion kits on the market, including where sold online. Despite this we recognise that too many unsafe products remain available to consumers online.

My department has recently consulted on reforms to the product safety legislative framework, including risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and e-bikes; proposals for clear duties on online marketplaces to take proactive steps to identify, prevent and remove unsafe products from their marketplaces; and considerations for additional requirements in relation to high-risk products. We are considering feedback and will set out our response in due course.