Question
I join you, Mr Speaker, in paying tribute to both Sue Holt and Mr Goldsmith. There is growing interest in the issue of illegally modified e-bikes and their use, as is shown by comments in this House and in a Westminster Hall debate last week and by our new policy passed at last month’s Liberal Democrat conference. We need to ensure that e-bikes support, rather than hinder, the growth of active travel. The Minister has talked about the cross-Government working group, but will he commit to creating an action plan based on that work to tackle the issue, with clear timescales and owners? If he did, he would have our support.
Answer
I can assure the Liberal Democrat spokesperson that there is already an action plan. We have identified a number of issues, building on some of the work and recommendations of the all-party parliamentary group for cycling and walking, and those will be fed into the cross-departmental working group. The Government hear what the hon. Member and, indeed, all hon. Members are saying about this issue: we need to make our roads safe. We need to get this plague of illegal e-bikes sorted out once and for all, and this Government are determined to do that.43% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (40/100)
The minister confirmed that an action plan already exists and said issues drawn from the APPG for Cycling and Walking's work will go to the cross-departmental working group. The reply does not say whether the plan will set timescales or name an owner for each action, so that part of the question was not answered. Because the reply is thin on the plan's actual contents, the person who asked would likely need to follow up for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Government commit to creating an action plan, based on the work of the cross-Government working group, to tackle illegally modified e-bikes and their use? | Addressed | Direct | The minister states that an action plan already exists, identifies issues built on the APPG for Cycling and Walking's work, and commits to feeding these into the cross-departmental working group, which answers whether the Government will commit to an action plan based on that group's work. The reply does not describe the plan's contents in detail, so the answer is somewhat thin, but it names concrete elements. |
| Will any such action plan set clear timescales and identify owners for each action? | Not Addressed | Generic | Nothing in the reply says whether the action plan will set timescales or identify owners for each action; the reply only asserts that a plan exists and that issues will go to the working group, and the 'we are determined' statements are generic rhetoric. |