Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 21
14th Report - Public charge points for electric vehicles
Published 12 Mar 2025
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Public charge points for electric vehicles All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
In addition to removing barriers to charge point rollout, enabling the transition to electric vehicles requires addressing wider aspects such as ensuring that charge point demand is considered when new major road schemes are created, and fire safety techniques are updated.38 In written correspondence provided after our evidence session the Department stated that, while electric vehicles have not been found to be more at risk of fire than internal combustion engines, it is a different kind of fire which requires different techniques to put out. The Department stated that it has been working with fire brigades to develop a handbook on what the best techniques are for particular kinds of electric vehicle fire, and that in July 2023 it had published guidance for fire safety for covered car parks.39 The National Fire Chiefs Council stated that aspects such as ensuring charge points do not block fire hydrants or impede access to buildings, and providing better information to the public about the warning signs of an electric vehicle fire must also be addressed.40 36 Qq 8, 102 37 Qq 100–102, C&AG’s Report Figure 9 38 Q 60 39 Qq 3–4; Letter from Department for Transport to PAC, 31 January 2025 40 EVS0006 15 2 Improving drivers’ experience of using public charge points Consumer experience
From: Public Accounts Committee, 14th Report - Public charge points for electric vehicles (HC 512), 12 March 2025
Government response
Latest Treasury Minutes progress report to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fourteenth Report of Session 2024-26
The government responded to the whole report on 4 June 2026.
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fourteenth report from Session 2024-25
Published 16 May 2025.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government states that it "agrees with the Committee's recommendation" on each of the six conclusions, with commitments to write to the Committee in September 2025 and to confirm other next steps "in due course".
- On local variation in charge point need, it will "look to take a similar needs-based approach to any interventions required in future" and will pay close attention to outcomes from early LEVI Fund procurements.
- On LEVI and on ultra-rapid charge points at motorway service areas, the department will write to the Committee within six months (target date September 2025) with updates on progress.
- On accessibility, it is reviewing the PAS 1899:2022 standard, and recommendations and proposed next steps "will be confirmed in due course". Target implementation date: December 2025.
- On VAT and charging costs, it will "continue to work with HM Treasury to understand the variance in costs" between public and domestic charging and the extent to which any policy change might affect public charging prices.