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Written Question
Batteries: Fires
Thursday 25th January 2024

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 - Shadow Minister (Home Office)

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.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 18 Jan 2021
Airports National Policy Statement

"My Lords, of all the ways of restricting carbon dioxide emissions from air travel, is not restricting the capacity of airports the silliest? Its main consequence would be that more planes would be stacked up above busy airports, using more fuel, and all other flights to those destinations would have …..."
Lord Lilley - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 17 Dec 2020
Freight Industry: Delays

"Can my noble friend confirm that delays at Dover are not unusual? On average, Operation Stack has had to be implemented 11 times a year over the last 20 years. In 2015, it was in operation for 23 consecutive days and queues of 7,000 lorries built up, with delays of …..."
Lord Lilley - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 02 Mar 2020
Airport Expansion

"My Lords, this is a bizarre judgment, given that the previous court ruled that the Paris judgment was not legally binding, but is not the real root of the problem the fact that we have made these targets legally binding? When the climate Bill went through Parliament, I voted against …..."
Lord Lilley - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 13 Jun 2019
Brexit: European Union’s No-deal Continuity Arrangements

"To ask Her Majesty’s Government what announcements the European Union has made regarding continuity arrangements for (1) air travel, (2) haulage, (3) visas, and (4) safety certificates, should the United Kingdom leave the European Union without a deal; and what steps they have taken to give reciprocal assurances...."
Lord Lilley - View Speech

View all Lord Lilley (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Brexit: European Union’s No-deal Continuity Arrangements
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 13 Jun 2019
Brexit: European Union’s No-deal Continuity Arrangements

"I thank my noble friend for her reply. Since Britain may well leave the EU with no withdrawal agreement, is it not reassuring that these reciprocal mini-deals, and many others, mean that planes will fly, hauliers will operate, Airbus wings will be exported and visa-free travel will continue? Will she …..."
Lord Lilley - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 11 Feb 2015
Infrastructure Bill [Lords]

"The one point on which I agree with the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) is that we have inadequate time to debate this important issue tonight. We also have inadequate time in which to debunk the many myths that she herself propagates. Indeed, she relies on their not …..."
Lord Lilley - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 11 Feb 2015
Infrastructure Bill [Lords]

"My hon. Friend is absolutely right about that. In addition, the Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change, where I used to be in a minority of one but I am now joined by the hon. Member for Blackley and Broughton (Graham Stringer) in a minority of two, was unanimous …..."
Lord Lilley - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 11 Feb 2015
Infrastructure Bill [Lords]

"I hope the hon. Gentleman will excuse me, but I want to make a little progress.

A number of fears have been raised about water supplies, the first of which is the fear of well failure. We have drilled 2,000 onshore wells in this country and, as far as I …..."
Lord Lilley - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 11 Feb 2015
Infrastructure Bill [Lords]

"I am sorry but my hon. Friend misheard me. I said that we have drilled 2,000 onshore wells—I was not talking about fracking wells. As for the risks of escape of gas, it does not matter whether it is fracked or not. We have drilled 2,000 such wells, only 200 …..."
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View all Lord Lilley (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Infrastructure Bill [Lords]