Bishop of Oxford urges government to commit to accelerating transition to electric vehicles

On 16th October 2024, the Bishop of Oxford took part in a debate on a report from the Environment and Climate Change Committee EV strategy: rapid recharge needed, urging the government to work to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles and to ensure parity and fairness in the emerging sector:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I too warmly welcome this debate as a member of the committee that produced the report. I pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Parminter, for her introduction to the debate and her very careful, wise and gracious—and patient—leadership of the committee in its first three years.

My experience of serving on the ECC Committee across the three years was that each of the challenges we addressed proved to be both more significant and more complex than we first appreciated. It was a tremendous learning curve. Each issue had multiple questions and problems associated with it and needed complex solutions. That was clearly the case with the EV report before the House today.

Some very good work has been done by the previous Government, manufacturers and local authorities, but much more needs to be done—and urgently—to keep this transition on track. I would highlight that need for urgency in the transition. As the noble Baroness, Lady Jones, has just said, the effects of climate change across the world are accelerating, as all of us in this Chamber recognise, often affecting those who have least, who are least resilient and whose emissions in the present and in the past have been lowest across the world.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about risks associated with electric vehicles produced in China

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact upon national security of Chinese-made electric vehicles; and whether they plan to further investigate any risks that may arise.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about moving to use of electric cars

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the progress of moving to electric cars on 20th September 2023, during a debate on the government’s environment policy:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: There is no doubt that His Majesty’s Government have done many good things, and we need all sides of the House to work on this vital area. However, this is not just something which affects some groups; it particularly affects those parts of our nation where air quality is so bad that it is materially affecting the health of many young people and causing huge additional costs to the NHS. What assurances can the Minister give us about the progress of moving to electric cars, to try to make a tangible difference to air quality in our urban areas?

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Bishop of Durham asks about government support for the electric car battery industry

The Bishop of Durham asked a question on government financial support for a site producing electric car batteries on 23rd January 2023, following a statement on the company Britishvolt entering administration:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, the Minister loves the north-east, just like I do, and has noted that this is an extremely suitable site. Is not part of the problem that the return on investment is a very long way forward, so will the Government consider upping the amount they are willing to commit upfront to enable production on this site?

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Bishop of Chichester asks about access to electric vehicles in rural areas

The Bishop of Chichester asked a question on 6th June 2022, during a debate on supporting access to electric vehicles:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, can the Minister indicate whether the Government will pay particular attention to promoting access to electric vehicles in rural areas, which are already disadvantaged by a lack of adequate public transport?

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