Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) availability and (b) reliability of electric vehicle charging points on (i) public roads and (ii) the (A) central and (B) local government estate in (1) Shropshire, (2) Telford and (3) Wrekin.

The Government is supporting local authorities in England through its £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund.

Shropshire Council has been allocated £2,006,000 of capital funding and £362,000 of capability funding through the LEVI Fund, to transform the availability of charging infrastructure across the area, including in Telford and the Wrekin.

Since 2017, local authorities across the UK have also been able to apply to the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS). Over 190 local authorities have been awarded grants through ORCS, which will help to support the installation of more than 18,000 chargepoints. Telford and Wrekin Council have been awarded £682,370 for the installation of 70 chargepoints, and Shropshire Council have been awarded a total of £992,330 for the installation of 150 chargepoints across two projects.

The Government has also laid regulations to improve the consumer experience across the public charging network and has published accompanying guidance. The regulations mandate open data to ensure that consumers can locate the right chargepoints for their needs, mandate 99 per cent reliability across each rapid charging network, and will ensure that a 24/7-hour helpline is available across the entire public charging network.

Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) and infrastructure grants are also available for local government estates. Eligible applicants can get up to 75% off the total costs of purchase and installation, capped at £350 per socket.