Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support the installation of electric vehicle charging points for residential apartments.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is continuing provide support to install chargepoints. This includes the Electric Vehicle Charge Point grant which provides people living in flats or rental accommodating up to £350 towards an EV chargepoint, and Infrastructure Grants which allow those who own apartment blocks to apply for funding for installation in car parks.
The Government also delivered world-leading legislation which came into force in June 2022, requiring new buildings with associated parking to have charging infrastructure installed. These measures are estimated to lead to the installation of up to 145,000 chargepoints across England every year, including for new apartments.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in which financial year funding allocated through (a) the rapid charging fund, (b) the local electric vehicle infrastructure capability fund and (c) other electric vehicle charging funds will expire.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Rapid Charging Fund is a complex, long-term project. In December 2023, a £70m pilot for the Rapid Charging Fund opened for applications, which are now being assessed.
The £381 million Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, including capital and capability funding is available over the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years. This follows the LEVI Pilot and initial LEVI capability funding for local authorities in 2022/2023.
The Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant, Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant, and Workplace Charging Scheme are also currently available. These grants are kept under continual review.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has held recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the potential impact of planning regulations on the installation of electronic vehicle charging points.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Officials in the Department for Transport and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) are exploring potential changes to planning to make it easier to install chargepoints.
In 2023, the Government introduced changes to permitted development rights (PDR), enabling chargepoint operators to install through PDR on behalf of local authorities. On 13 February 2024, DLUHC launched a consultation, seeking to make further changes to PDR. The proposed changes aim to make installations at off-street locations easier and quicker. A government response to the consultation will be issued in due course.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to reduce planning approval times for new electric vehicle charging installations.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Nationally set permitted development rights enable the installation of electric vehicle charging points (EVCPs) without the need for a planning application. We are currently consulting on changes to the rights to provide increased flexibility to individuals and organisations wishing to install EVCPs. The consultation is open until 9 April and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-various-permitted-development-rights-consultation.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for designating a standard sign for use on highways to indicate the location of electric vehicles charging stations; and whether they have any plans to initiate such a scheme.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has published guidance on the design and use of a standard sign indicating the location of on-street EV charging bays, and conditions of their use, in the Traffic Signs Manual.
The Government recognises that traffic authorities must strike an appropriate balance between the provision of adequate information and over-provision of traffic signs. The Department’s guidance should help traffic authorities deliver this balance.
Best practice guidance regarding the provision of signage for EV chargepoints has also been included in Publicly Available Standard (PAS) 1899, published by the British Standards Institution in 2022.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2024 to Question 11316 on Motorcycles: Carbon Emissions, what engagement his Department plans to undertake with the L-Category industry on the development of EV charging infrastructure in the next six months.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has engaged extensively with the L-Category sector since the publication of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan in July 2021 and will continue to do so to support its transition to zero emission vehicles whenever appropriate.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Darlington Borough Council on the adequacy of the provision of on-street charging for electric vehicles in Darlington.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In March 2023, the Department wrote to all tier one local authorities in England to announce the launch of the £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. This Fund will enable them to transform the availability of charging infrastructure for drivers without off-street parking in their area.
Tees Valley Combined Authority – which includes Darlington Borough Council – has been allocated £6.6 million in capital funding, and £570,000 in capability funding to recruit dedicated in-house expertise, through the LEVI Fund.
Last year, the LEVI Support Body led communication with local authority applicants, hosted LEVI roadshows across England and developed an EV officer training course to engage, educate and equip those involved in the planning and deployment of EV infrastructure.
The Department and the LEVI Support Body will continue to offer expert advice and support to local authorities, including Tees Valley Combined Authority, throughout the Fund’s timeline.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to initiating a public awareness campaign regarding the accessibility of charge points for electric vehicle users, particularly in relation to (1) disabled users, and (2) personal safety considerations for all users.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all electric vehicle drivers can easily find public chargepoints that they can use. The Publicly Available Standard (PAS) 1899 provides specifications on designing and installing accessible chargepoints. It also includes guidance on providing a safe environment around public chargepoints, through lighting and CCTV.
The Department has funded initiatives to help enhance awareness and adoption of PAS 1899. For instance, the Energy Savings Trust were commissioned to develop and disseminate information on chargepoint accessibility through digital channels and industry events, as well as to advise and support local authorities on implementation of the Standard.
Alongside this the Government is actively encouraging local authorities, and other relevant parties, to incorporate accessibility into their procurement models, including through the £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to mandating a uniform application process for all distribution network operators to reduce costs and delays and to level the playing field for electric vehicle charge point operators.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As set out in the Connections Action Plan, Government is committed to improving the connections process for all customers including electric vehicle chargepoint operators.
In the Connections Action Plan, Ofgem committed to reviewing to end connection process to improve customer experience and ensure network companies provide a more consistent service to customers. This review will explore the incentives and penalties for network companies.
Building on this work, the Grid Connections Review announced in the Plan for Drivers will investigate specific issues the chargepoint sector is facing when looking to reinforce the grid. This includes exploring how we can work with network companies to provide a more consistent application process. The outcomes of the review are expected to be published in Spring 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to issuing guidance on the placement and design of (1) electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and (2) micromobility parking provision.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All EV drivers should be able to easily find public chargepoints they can use, and accessibility should be embedded in public chargepoint design from the outset. The Government and industry sponsored, Publicly Available Standard (PAS) 1899 provides specifications on the placement, design and installation of accessible public EV chargepoints.
The Government has extended its e-scooter trials until May 2026 to enable us to build on current learning across areas including usage, safety, parking provision and environmental impacts. The Department’s guidance for local authorities and operators taking part in trials sets out that appropriate parking provision should be provided to ensure e-scooters do not become obstructive.