Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what research, if any, they have commissioned into the fire risk to public safety of lithium-ion batteries in e-scooters and e-bikes; and if so, whether this will be published.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has established a safety study to understand the data and evidence of the risks presented by e-bikes and e-scooters. This includes investigating incidents and taking enforcement action when needed, commissioning research, targeting unsafe products at the border and providing public safety information.

A research project on batteries has been contracted with Warwick Manufacturing Group, part of Warwick University and a centre for innovation in science and technology. This will examine the safety of the lithium-ion batteries within Personal Light Electric Vehicles. The research will be published in due course once completed.