Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to implement third-party certification to ensure e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries are approved by an independent body before being available for sale.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government takes consumer protection very seriously and is concerned about the frequency of fires linked to lithium-ion batteries found in e-bikes and e-scooters. Products must be safe before being placed on the UK market.
Working across Government we are taking action against unsafe products and have issued guidance on the safe use of these products. We are also seeking to better understand the root causes of these incidents and have commissioned research from the Warwick Manufacturing Group (part of Warwick University).
This research will help inform the position moving forward including the interaction between batteries and chargers, and the suitability of third-party conformity assessment to tackle this complex issue.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to promote the development of a domestic battery industry.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We continue to work with industry via the Automotive Transformation Fund to support the creation of an internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK, including gigafactories. With Government support, completion of AESC’s second Sunderland gigafactory and Tata-Agratas' £4bn gigafactory announcement will increase the UK’s committed battery capacity to over half of estimated 2030 demand.
We are also investing record sums in battery R&D through the Faraday Battery Challenge, to establish the UK as a battery science superpower, with £610m committed since 2017.
In November 2023, the Advanced Manufacturing Plan announced over £2bn of capital and R&D funding over five years to 2030, unlocking investment in zero emission vehicles, batteries and the wider supply chain. Alongside the AMP, we published a UK Battery Strategy, which outlined the Government’s vision for the UK to achieve a globally competitive battery supply chain by 2030 that supports economic prosperity and the net zero transition.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help support the development of hydrogen (a) fuel cells and (b) internal combustion engines for L-category vehicles.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Government remains technology neutral and although large portions of the L-category market are already electrifying using batteries, we recognise manufacturers are working with alternative technologies. Acknowledging the need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, we remain open to considering how alternative and other low-carbon fuels may play a role in the transition period from internal combustion engine vehicles to fully electric vehicles. This includes hydrogen, bio and synthetic fuels.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answers of 14 and 18 December 2023 to Questions 6067, 6068 and 6383 and the Answer of 10 January 2024 to Question 7471 on Tractors: Batteries, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact on the UK's transition to electric vehicles of tariffs on battery electric truck tractors from the EU in each year to 2030.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The rules which apply to battery electric truck tractors to facilitate tariff free trade have been in force since 1 January 2021 and were not due to change in 2024. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) works across government to support the transition to zero emission vehicles. Zero emission vehicles will help the UK decarbonise and Government remains committed to the Net Zero 2050 target.
Asked by: Lord Lilley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures (1) train operators, and (2) ferry operators, have to deal with fires caused by batteries in electric vehicles while in transit.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There is no evidence to suggest that electric vehicle fires are more likely to occur than petrol or diesel vehicle fires.
Electric vehicles are currently only transported by rail via the Eurotunnel. As the infrastructure manager of the Channel Tunnel and operator of its shuttle services, Eurotunnel is responsible for the safety of passengers and has to maintain risk assessments for its operations, including developing procedures specifically for the carriage of EVs. These are regularly assessed and challenged by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority and their inspectors. The safety authorities also facilitate regular dialogue between Eurotunnel and the UK and French emergency services to review operating procedures.
Fire prevention, fire detection, and fire fighting in electric vehicles is a developing area and the Government continually reviews its guidance and regulations in step with the development of best practice.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to postpone the introduction of tariffs for electric vehicles traded between the UK and Europe; and when they expect to be able to announce the outcome of their discussions on this issue.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We know a key concern for both UK and EU automotive industries is the 2024 change in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement’s Rules of Origin for Electric Vehicles and batteries. We have listened to the concerns of the sector on both sides and made it a priority to find a joint solution. The UK and the EU have a shared ambition to grow domestic Electric Vehicle manufacturing and battery supply chains. The European Commission’s 6th December proposal to extend the current rules for 3-years is a positive step towards providing long term certainty to industry, ensuring it remains globally competitive.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answers of 14 and 18 December 2023 to Questions 6067, 6068 and 6383 on Tractors: Batteries, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of maintaining rules of origin import taxes on battery electric truck tractors from the EU on the UK's transition to electric vehicles.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The rules which apply to battery electric truck tractors have been in force since 1 January 2021 and were not due to change in 2024. Zero emission vehicles will help the UK decarbonise and meet our Net Zero 2050 targets. The Government is committed to supporting the transition to these vehicles.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure that the proposed three-year extension of the rules of origin for electric vehicles and batteries under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement will include electric (a) truck tractors and (b) truck tractor batteries.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Commission has proposed a 3-year delay to the rules of origin for certain electric accumulators and electrified vehicles. The scope of the proposal is limited to only those rules which were staged over several years and due to change in 2024 and in 2027. The rules which apply to battery electric truck tractors were not due to change in 2024 and have been in force since the end of the transition period.
We continue to listen closely to the concerns of the sector and work with industry to maximise the benefits provided by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the rules of origin of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on the production of battery electric vehicle truck tractors if they are not included in the proposed three-year postponement of the introduction of new rules of origin on electric car batteries.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Commission has proposed a 3-year delay to the rules of origin for certain electric accumulators and electrified vehicles. The scope of the proposal is limited to only those rules which were staged over several years and due to change in 2024 and again in 2027. The rules which apply to battery electric truck tractors were not due to change in 2024 and have been in force since the end of the transition period.
We continue to listen closely to the concerns of the sector and work with industry to maximise the benefits provided by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to boost UK battery production for electric cars.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.