Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, published March 2022, what progress his Department has made on the aim of providing reliable public charge points near to where people live.

As of 1 September 2023, the Government and industry have supported the installation of over 48,100 public charging devices in the UK. This represents an increase of 43 per cent since September 2022 - growth rate consistent with over 300,000 public charging devices in the UK by 2030.

The £381 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund will support local authorities in England to work with industry to deliver tens of thousands of local chargepoints, transforming the availability of charging for drivers without off-street parking.

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 consumers can locate the right chargepoints for their needs; mandate 99 per cent reliability across each rapid charging network; and ensure a 24/7-hour helpline across the entire public charging network.