Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on which local authorities have permitted commercial pavement delivery robot operations; and under what legal provisions those operations take place.

The Department is aware that pavement delivery robots are operating in a small number of locations in England; however, these operations have not been approved by nor are they undertaken with the involvement of central government. As a result, the Department does not hold a record of the local authorities who are working with operators on services in their areas.

There is currently no specific legislative framework governing pavement delivery robot services. Their operation is therefore subject to applicable existing legislation and any relevant permissions or requirements imposed by local authorities.

The Government has committed to using powers in the Regulatory Reform (Sandboxes and Growth Duty) Bill to enable trials of pavement robots, to accelerate learning on how robots can safely support people, places and public services.