Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to prevent people from selling high-powered e-bikes and scooters that are not legal for use on roads.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s legal framework for product safety places responsibility for the safety of e-bikes and e-scooters on the businesses manufacturing or importing them. The Office for Product Safety and Standards and Local Authority Trading Standards enforce the regulations.
Vehicles sold for a legitimate and permitted use but which are used on public land illegally is an enforcement matter for the police, under the Department for Transport’s road safety regime.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that self-employed delivery riders are included in mandatory training obligations designed to protect (a) themselves and (b) the public.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, self-employed people have duties with regards to health and safety where they employ others, or where their work creates a risk to others who are not their employees. Existing UK laws also require that all consumer products must be safe before businesses can place them on the market, including those sold online.
We recognise that new technologies and ways of working have made it more complex for businesses and workers to apply the law, which is why the Government has committed to consulting on a simpler framework for employment status.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Office for Product Safety and Standards on the enforcement of existing standards for (a) e-bike batteries and (b) conversion kits.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Under existing UK product safety law, all consumer products, including e-bike batteries and conversion kits, must meet legal requirements for safety when placed on the market. Tackling unsafe e-bikes is a priority for the Office for Product Safety and Standards, in my Department. They and Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to enforce the law including removing non-compliant products from sale. OPSS has prohibited the supply of certain models of unsafe e-bike batteries, and published 22 separate product recalls for non-compliant e-bikes and similar products since 2022.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to hold online marketplaces accountable for the sale of (a) unsafe and (b) non-compliant e-bike products.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
UK product safety law is clear: all products must be safe before being placed on the market, including e-bikes.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards leads a national Online Marketplaces Programme of regulatory action to reduce risks from unsafe and non-compliant goods sold online. This involves a range of activities, including regulatory engagement with online marketplaces on products such as e-bikes and enforcement action where necessary.
The Government has also introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill to allow updates to the product safety framework and ensure consumers are protected; recognising the increasingly important role of online supply chains.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the report entitled Unregulated and Unsafe: The Threat of Illegal E-Bikes by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking, published in June 2025, whether his Department plans to commission a review into the exploitation risks faced by gig economy riders using e-bikes.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We recognise that many delivery riders in the platform economy value the flexibility it can bring. However, new technologies and ways of working have made it more complex for businesses and workers to understand and apply the law, which is why the Government is committed to consulting on a simpler framework for employment status.
Our priority is ensuring those workers who are most vulnerable know their rights and have the benefit of protection at work.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the EU General Product Safety Regulation on UK medium-sized businesses exporting to the EU.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I appreciate that for some businesses, the updated EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) will require changes, and we take these concerns seriously. The Government is supporting medium-sized and other businesses to understand GPSR and engaging directly with businesses to assess the regulation's impact.
We have published guidance on GPSR's application in Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review. The responsibility for interpreting EU legislation lies with the European Commission. The Commission have published their own business guidance and impact assessment of the regulation.
Businesses exporting to the EU may also wish to contact the Government's Export Support Service.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the initial findings of the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) relating to the import of e-bikes, whether he plans to accept the TRA's recommendations on that matter; and what his planned timetable is for making a decision on potential UK trade defence measures against e-bikes from China.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
On 22 May 2023 the Trade Remedies Authority initiated transition reviews of the existing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy trade remedy measures on electric bicycles originating from China.
As both reviews remain ongoing, I cannot comment further. The Trade Remedies Authority will publish relevant information on the public file as the review progresses.