Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of current fire safety regulations when addressing community safety aspects of lithium batteries.

The Home Office is responsible for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which covers non-domestic premises and puts an onus on responsible persons to ensure they have appropriate firs safety measures in place to protect the lives of those who have access to or use of the premises.

Products using lithium batteries are covered by product safety regulations, for which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is responsible. The Government is committed to ensuring there is an effective product safety system so that only safe products can be sold in the UK. We have some of the most robust product safety requirements in the world. Manufacturers and importers must ensure that products are safe before they are placed on the market. They must monitor the safety of their products in use and take action if a safety issue is identified. Enforcement authorities have powers to take action against manufacturers, importers and distributors of unsafe goods.

The Home Office will continue to work in collaboration with the National Fire Chiefs Council and local fire and rescue services to consider the impact of increased use of lithium-ion batteries in domestic settings.