Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to help raise public awareness of the safe purchasing of lithium battery products.

My Department is working with the Home Office, London Fire Brigade and the National Fire Chiefs Council, to raise awareness on this issue. Through the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), we have been promoting Home Office guidance on safe battery charging practices in the home and we share safety messages via social media. OPSS also recently published a safety notice giving specific advice to consumers. I recently also wrote to major food delivery apps including Uber Eats and Deliveroo, urging them to share important government safety advice on e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries.

Existing legislation requires manufactures to provide relevant safety information with their products. OPSS is also seeking assurances from Online Marketplaces on how they ensure consumers have access to instructions on safe use.