Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 11 February (HL5915), what steps the Office of Product Safety and Standards are taking to ensure that lithium ion batteries used in (1) e-bikes, (2) e-scooters, and (3) other mobility aids, are safe; what (a) national, (b) European, or (c) other standards, inform decisions on whether to permit their use in such vehicles, and whether they will publish the (i) battery types, and (ii) manufacturers, which are not permitted for use in such vehicles.

The UK Government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from unsafe goods. The General Product Safety Regulations 2005, and other product regulations, place obligations on manufacturers to ensure the safety of consumer goods including the batteries used to power them.

Manufacturers need to ensure that all products supplied meet the relevant product safety regulations before being placed on the market. In doing so, they may choose to apply standard EN 62133-2 which specifies requirements and safety tests necessary for the safe operation, including foreseeable misuse, of portable sealed secondary lithium cells and batteries.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) does not maintain a list of approved batteries for use in such vehicles, as the responsibility for the selection of such components rests with the manufacturer. However, OPSS works with Local Authorities and border authorities to help ensure that products imported and sold in the UK are safe and that action is taken against those who place unsafe or non-compliant products on the market, including their removal from the market.