Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rodents on soy-based wiring and insulation used in vehicles.

The Department has made no assessment of the impact of rodents on automotive wiring using a soy-based insulation material. Although rodents have a propensity to chew both domestic and automotive wiring, there is little evidence beyond the anecdotal to suggest that this is increased for soy-based products.

Individuals experiencing such an occurrence with their vehicle wiring should raise the matter with the manufacturer or report the matter to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency if it is considered a serious safety defect.