There’s been a lot of movement since our last update following our Party Conference activity, the introduction of a Private Members’ Bill on Lithium-ion Battery Safety, and the Government’s Product Regulation and Metrology Bill - enabling legislation which aims to address these risks, maintain high product standards and allow Parliament the ability to update laws as needed.
Party Conference activity
Electrical Safety First attended SNP, Lib Dem, Labour and Conservative Conference this autumn to remind parliamentarians of the critical role we play in reducing the number of electrical deaths, injuries and accidents in the home. We hosted exhibition stands and held a ‘Safety in Active Travel Summit’ to discuss the growing safety concerns surrounding e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries, and the reputational impact on the active travel industry. More importantly, we discussed how the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill must address these growing risks. Read ESF’s Conference blog to find out more.
Lord Redesdale's Private Members’ Bill on Lithium-ion Battery Safety
Lord Redesdale took on our proposed clauses in his Private Members’ Bill in the House of Lords, alongside his clauses on Online Marketplaces and Battery Energy Storage Systems, and successfully introduced them at second reading, which can be viewed here.
There was some insightful discussion, and we were pleased to see an overwhelming degree of support from the peers who contributed to the debate.
This also led to engagement on the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, where we hope to get ESF’s clauses adopted in the secondary legislation, arising from this enabling bill. We are hopeful that the Government will adopt these and subsequently expect these clauses will be dropped from Lord Redesdale’s Bill at Committee stage, which will take place on the 22nd of October.
We will however continue to pursue our disposal asks in this Private Members’ Bill, as this is not included in the Government Bill. This clause is vitally important to reduce the number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in the disposal stream.
Product Regulation and Metrology Bill
In October, during the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill’s Second Reading, we were pleased to hear the Minister confirm that e-bikes and e-scooter legislation will be a part of the Bill’s secondary legislation. You can view this debate here.
The main challenge will be ensuring this legislation is strong enough to prevent bad operators from endangering consumers. During the passage of the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, we will be working to secure assurances that these issues will be effectively addressed.
Next steps
Our campaign for safer e-bike and e-scooter batteries will continue at full speed. We want to ensure that any legislation includes our asks and that they are delivered as soon as possible.
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