Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37986 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, if she will hold discussions with the Minister for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland on taking steps to increase the number of publicly available electric vehicle charging points.

The Secretary of State met with the Minister for the Economy, on 6 May to discuss decarbonising road transport. Minister Lightwood also met the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure in April during the British-Irish Council meeting to discuss the EV transition. Additionally, my officials regularly engage with the Department for Infrastructure on zero emission vehicle initiatives, including charging infrastructure development.

While transport is largely devolved to the Department for Infrastructure, the Department is supporting Northern Ireland’s transition to zero emission vehicles. Through Round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund, we are providing up to £3.27 million to upgrade and expand the EV charging network. Previously, two grants totalling £1.38 million were awarded under the On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme.