Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the (1) terms of reference, and (2) scope of work, of the UK bus manufacturing expert panel.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel’s terms of reference sets out the purpose, membership and function of the Panel. These were shared with Panel members. I will share a copy of the terms of reference with the noble Baroness and make a copy available in the House Library.

The Panel will bring together industry experts and local leaders to explore ways to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing.

Membership comprises two classifications: Standing Members and Additional Members. Standing Members include Government departments and wider industry bodies. Bus manufacturers, operators and mayoral combined authorities are invited as Additional Members.

The scope and function of the Panel is shaped by its three central objectives: support the growth of the UK bus manufacturing sector, understand the pipeline of future bus orders to support planning, and explore ways to prioritise passenger-centric bus design.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they used to decide which organisations should be standing or additional members of the UK bus manufacturing expert panel.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The membership of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel will comprise of two classifications: Standing Members and Additional Members. Standing Members will include Government departments and wider industry bodies. Additional Members will be invited to relevant meetings when particular issues are under consideration.

To ensure balanced representation, Standing Membership is limited to Government departments and industry bodies. Bus manufacturers, operators and mayoral combined authorities are invited as additional members. This decision was taken to ensure that the expertise of additional members is reflected during relevant meetings when specific issues are under discussion.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they used to decide the frequency with which additional members of the UK bus manufacturing expert panel should attend meetings.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The membership of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel comprises two classifications: Standing Members and Additional Members. Standing Members include Government departments and wider industry bodies. Additional Members will be invited to relevant meetings when particular issues are under consideration.

The frequency with which Additional Members will attend meetings is based on their expertise and knowledge of relevant meeting topics.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the introduction of a standardised battery health certification scheme for used electric vehicles.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has worked with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to develop a Global Technical Regulation on electric vehicle batteries (GTR 22). If implemented, the regulation would set standards for the lifespan of a battery and its minimum durability. It will also ensure that information about electric vehicle batteries is easily accessible, accurate and comparable. The Government is currently considering options for the implementation of GTR 22 battery regulations in the UK.

In the meantime, the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate requires all new electric vehicles to be sold with a warranty that includes battery replacement if capacity falls below 70% in the first 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever is sooner.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government which unit or team in the Department for Transport is responsible for policy relating to self-driving delivery robots that operate primarily on pavements.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Department has a team that is responsible for micromobility policy which includes self-driving delivery robots. That team works with a wide range of other teams on the opportunities and risks they present, including the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans the Regulatory Innovation Office has for regulating self-driving delivery robots that operate primarily on pavements, alongside regulation of airborne drones.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) is not a regulator. Responsibility for regulating pavement robots and drones lies with the Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority, respectively. One of the RIO’s current focuses is 'drones & other autonomous technology', which includes pavement robots, a promising technology for the UK. The RIO is working with the Department for Transport to understand the regulatory interventions the government could take to stimulate their rollout in the UK.

Found: Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [HL] 2 BARONESS PIDGEON 39_ After Clause 25, insert the following new Clause

Found: Letter dated 01/04/2025 from Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill to Baroness Pidgeon regarding the European Union