Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of (a) topography and (b) air pollution in Portsmouth on the potential merits of trialling an e-scooter scheme in that city.

The Department is expediting and expanding trials of rental e-scooters. We have been working with Solent Transport as part of Future Transport Zone project and we are working with a range of local authorities to design e-scooter trials. The trials will gather evidence about the safety and wider impacts of e-scooters, including their effects on air quality and emissions, and their safety impacts for their users and other road users. This will inform whether e-scooters should be legalised in the future. We have recently consulted on regulatory changes for e-scooter trials, including proposals to allow e-scooters to use cycle lanes and tracks, and engaged with a wide number of stakeholder groups.