Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in the absence of a Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive, they plan to legislate to regulate the use of electric scooters in Northern Ireland.

In the absence of Northern Ireland Executive ministers, the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act provides Northern Ireland civil servants with the clarity they require to take the limited but necessary decisions to maintain delivery of public services and operate in the public interest. The Act does not give the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland direction powers on specific policies, other than in relation to pressing public appointments and the requirement to set the regional rate.

Legislation on Northern Ireland affairs should rightly be considered and passed by a local and accountable Northern Ireland Assembly and it remains the Government’s priority to work towards the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland.