Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have, if any, to
address the number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in
e-scooters and e-bikes.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Business and Trade and Scotland Office () (Con)
My Lords, the Government are committed to ensuring that consumers
are protected from unsafe goods through our product safety
framework. We are undertaking a programme of activities on the
fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries for e-scooters
and e-bikes. These include establishing a safety study to
understand evidence for enforcement and public safety
information; carrying out research to inform future regulatory
activity and guidance on safety and standards; and working with
fire and rescue services, among others, on safety messaging.
(LD)
I thank the Minister for his reply, but I believe more urgent
action is needed. After all, fires caused by lithium-ion
batteries in e-scooters and e-bikes have quadrupled in number
since 2020, costing millions of pounds and resulting in eight
deaths and 190 injuries. Landfill sites are also experiencing a
huge surge in lithium-ion battery fires, yet unsafe batteries and
chargers are still being sold and there is no effective campaign
to ensure safe recharging or disposal. So, with headlines such
as, “Why do e-scooters and e-bikes keep exploding?”, fire
services, councils, insurance companies and safety campaigners,
including Electrical Safety First, are calling for more urgent
action. Will the Minister agree to a meeting to discuss
industry-developed solutions so that action can now be taken
quickly?
(Con)
I thank the noble Lord for that follow-up question. I assure all
noble Lords that officials in three government departments are
collaborating to address the issue of fires associated with
e-scooters and e-bikes—specifically, the Office for Product
Safety and Standards inside my own department, the Department for
Business and Trade; the Home Office, which is interacting with
fire services; and the Department for Transport, through the
Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. Officials are proactively
seeking the input and expertise of stakeholders from fire and
rescue services, the National Fire Chiefs Council and London Fire
Brigade, including their scientific advisers. Indeed, on 13 June,
the Home Office hosted a meeting of senior officials from the
relevant departments, London Fire Brigade and the National Fire
Chiefs Council to further discuss the issues and the work which
is under way.
(Con)
My Lords, is there not a very simple answer to these wretched
e-bikes and e-scooters: to ban them? That would solve at least
part of my noble friend’s problem.
(Con)
I thank my noble friend for that welcome intervention. You might
argue that this is the response of the consumer to messages about
climate change—that the consumer is embracing the concept. Not
only are they a cheaper mode of transport but they are much
better for the planet. It is actually illegal to use an e-scooter
on a public road and in spaces set aside for pedestrians,
cyclists and horse riders—including pavements and cycle
lanes—unless it is under licence. There are licences at the
moment to allow trials to take place in 32 local authorities, in
order to collect information to allow the DfT to work out how to
proceed with this mode of transport.
(UUP)
My Lords, unlike in England and Wales, e-scooters are illegal on
the roads in Northern Ireland, but that has not stopped their
use, with an e-scooter rider left in a critical condition last
month after colliding with a car in east Belfast. Furthermore,
just last weekend, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service
issued a warning after attending a spate of e-scooter fires
caused by lithium-ion batteries. In the continuing absence of an
Executive at Stormont, can I ask the Minister for an assurance
that any future legislation brought forward by His Majesty’s
Government relating to Northern Ireland does not include the
legalisation of e-scooters?
(Con)
I thank the noble Lord for his question on that specific matter
in relation to one part of the United Kingdom, but this is not a
UK-central issue: it is an international issue. New York is
considering the whole gamut of proposals; its fire department has
implemented a range of activities, which our Office for Product
Safety is looking at. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
has announced that it will hold a forum on 27 July to look at
lithium-ion batteries and e-bikes after an increasing number of
fires and fatalities. The Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission has outlined lithium-ion batteries as one of its
product safety priorities, while Barcelona has imposed a
six-month ban on e-scooters on public transport and Paris has
banned rental e-scooters. We are not alone in considering how to
deal with this modern technology.
(Con)
My Lords, can my noble friend the Minister tell us how many
e-scooters are in legal circulation? Private e-scooters are to be
driven only on private land, including car parks and private
property; rented scooters are the ones that he referred to under
pilot schemes. How many will go on to become permanently rented,
lawfully and with a licence? Will licences soon be issued for
privately owned e-scooters as well?
(Con)
I thank my noble friend. I do not have the precise number so I
will write to her. She is absolutely right: it is currently
illegal to use an e-scooter on a public road. It is legal to use
an e-scooter on private land with the permission of the
landowner. Any person using an e-scooter on a public road is
breaching the law and committing a criminal offence so can be
prosecuted. The Government are providing e-scooter trials in 32
local authorities, as I said. These trials are taking place and
will continue until the end of May 2024. Transport for London has
banned the carriage of e-scooters and e-unicycles on its premises
and services, so this is being regulated heavily. In the
meantime, the trials continue.
(Lab)
My Lords, can the Minister kindly tell the House what methods
other than lithium are being researched and how much the
Government are spending on researching alternatives to lithium in
batteries?
(Con)
That goes back to my department, the Department for Business and
Trade, where the Office for Product Safety and Standards has
established a safety study precisely to understand the data on
and evidence of risks in the sector, as well as the alternatives;
this will inform enforcement action. Specifically, the noble Lord
will be pleased to know that a project is going on at the Warwick
Manufacturing Group, which is part of the University of Warwick,
in which intense conditions are being created to examine further
the science and technology around this issue and the safety of
lithium-ion batteries in personal light electric vehicles. Where
the Office for Product Safety and Standards receives a
notification that these products present a serious risk or need
to be recalled, such notifications will be promoted on the
product recalls and alerts websites, on social media and via
stakeholders. I do not have a precise number on the amount for
research, but I will write to the noble Lord with that
figure.
(CB)
My Lords, in reviewing the success of the trial periods, will the
Government consider parking, particularly of these dockless
vehicles, and the impact on people with impaired vision and
disabilities when such vehicles are left on pavements?
(Con)
Yes. I am sure that that will be included in the review.
(Lab)
My Lords, the fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries go
beyond their use in e-bikes and e-scooters, adding to their
wide-ranging risk in residential environments. Fire incidents
caused by such batteries can also have severe environmental
consequences due to the hazardous materials involved. Do the
Government have any plans to work with manufacturers and
recycling organisations to develop effective recycling and
disposal methods for these batteries, ensuring that they are
handled responsibly and minimising their impact on the
environment?
(Con)
I thank the noble Baroness and say absolutely yes on all counts.
This is all part of the ongoing review. The work being done with
the fire service is collecting information to find out how much
of the risk is caused by the batteries versus the way they are
used by the consumer in the household and whether they are being
charged in the right way and in the right place. The consultation
is ongoing and the results are imminent. We are fully cognisant
of those risks.
(LD)
My Lords, fires are one problem, but poor design of e-scooters
means a low centre of gravity, ensuring that a lot of people who
have accidents have head injuries. The Minister talks about
studies and plans. The trials have been going on for years. Can
he give us a date when the Government will actually do something
about this problem?
(Con)
The consultation has started and will be published imminently.
The findings will be made available. Generally, it is not the
Government’s position to ban all dangerous items. Some modes of
transport are more dangerous than others, but you choose your own
mode of transport. Certainly, when it comes to affecting the
public and increasing danger, that is exactly why the law
prohibits these vehicles other than in a legal trial. With three
departments working on this, I can safely say that the Government
are alive to these issues.
(Lab)
My Lords, the Minister will recognise that lithium-ion batteries
are used in a variety of products and not just e-scooters. What
steps are the UK Government taking to ensure that we have
sufficient supplies of lithium-ion, and are those supply chains
from sources that do not involve modern slavery?
(Con)
That is a very far-reaching question. I will be delighted to
write to the noble Lord on it.
