What progress his Department has made in trialling e-scooters.

We have started trials of this innovative new mode of transport, the e-scooter, in 15 areas of the country, with more to start soon. We are thoroughly gathering data on journeys. A lot of very positive feedback is already coming through and we are assessing the wider impacts.

My constituent Mark Rawinski recently bought an e-scooter, and he has been telling me that it is far more affordable than a car or a motorcycle and drawing my attention to how much better it is for the environment. There is a strong case that e-scooters should be classified as personal electric vehicles, in the same way as electric bikes are, as they have similar power and speed. Does the Minister agree?

I am absolutely delighted to hear of the support of my hon. Friend’s constituent for this new, clean, green, convenient and, as he said, much more environmentally friendly mode of transport. We do support active travel and active transport, which is why we are trialling e-scooters and gathering the evidence. The evidence that we gather will inform the decisions that we make about whether to legalise e-scooters in the future. Until then, it is important to say that privately owned e-scooters should not be used on the public roads.