Certainly. The 40-year-old laws on powered mobility devices will be brought up to date to better support those who use electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters. I can confirm that weight limits form part of the consultation, along with size, speed and usage rules, to better reflect modern technology.

As chair of the all-party parliamentary group for wheelchair users, I warmly welcome the Department’s announcement this week that it is consulting on its review of the law on powered mobility devices. Will the Minister confirm that the Government are now consulting on changing the current maximum weight limit for powered mobility devices? Currently, those with the heaviest wheelchairs break the law when they use their devices on the pavement.

The powered mobility device review is already underway, and we intend to consult with the public before the end of the year, to ensure regulations are designed with, not for, disabled people. The consultation will also gather views on the Department’s proposed objectives for the review. We will work with a wide range of stakeholders once the consultation is published to ensure it reaches everyone who would like to contribute.

Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs are already legally restricted to 4 miles per hour on pavements. As part of the powered mobility device review, we intend to consult publicly to ensure everyone has the opportunity to give their views and make sure the regulations are designed with, and not for, disabled people. The safety of all users who rely on a powered mobility device, pedestrians and other road users will be a key consideration in the review.

Ensuring everyone has the opportunity to shape the powered mobility device review is a priority for us, to make sure regulations are designed with and for disabled people.

The consultation will be published on gov.uk in the usual way and it will comply with our accessibility standards to ensure everyone can access it. We will work with a wide range of stakeholders, including those representing disabled people, once that consultation is published to ensure it reaches everyone who would like to contribute.

This review into the law on powered mobility devices will involve an in-depth investigation of the existing legal framework for the use of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters on the roads and pavements in Great Britain, as well as the opportunities and risks of using modern technology safely and responsibly which consider the needs of all disabled people. It will not cover taxation, welfare, such as personal independence payments, or policing; nor will we seek changes to medical device regulations.

As part of the review of the law covering powered mobility devices, we will run a public consultation on potential changes to the legislation.

The Department is committed to ensuring that users of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters remain safe, mobile and independent. That is why on the 21st July we announced a review of the law covering powered mobility devices which we will consult on in due course. The safety of all users who rely on a powered mobility device, pedestrians and other road users will be a key consideration in the review.

While we keep the scope of the dangerous driving and cycling legislation under review, we do not currently have any plans to extend this to mobility scooters.

The table below shows the number of casualties, split by casualty severity, that resulted from road injury collisions involving at least one mobility scooter in Great Britain, for the most recent ten-year period that data is available for.

It should be noted that these figures include all casualties from collisions involving at least one mobility scooter. The casualties may be the mobility scooter users themselves, other road users, or pedestrians. There may also be other vehicles involved in the collision.

The Department has developed a comprehensive guide for users of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs, including legal requirements and relevant Highway Code information. This is available online at www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-on-the-road-some-guidance-for-users

Further information about the classes of mobility scooters and the requirements to use them can be found online at www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-rules/classes.

Figures on the number of collisions involving mobility scooters for 2024 are not yet available as these statistics have not yet been published. These figures will be available following the publication of “Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report: 2024” in September 2025.

The Department is committed to delivering a transport network which puts passengers and their needs at its heart. We want to see disabled passengers able to make the journeys they want and need, and we recognise the importance of mobility scooters in supporting them to do so easily, confidently and with dignity.

When it comes to using them on public transport, however, not all mobility scooters are suitable for carriage in every situation. Currently, buses and coaches used on local services must incorporate a wheelchair space and a ramp or lift suitable for a standard “reference wheelchair”. While we encourage individual operators to also allow passengers with mobility scooters to board, it is important that they do so only where it would be safe for the mobility scooter user and other passengers alike, and any such allowance remains at the operators’ discretion.

The Department has collaborated with the Confederation of Passenger Transport to create the Mobility Scooter Code of Practice, aiming to provide a consistent approach for assessing which mobility scooters should be accepted, and for training their users to board and alight safely. Many operators have signed up for the scheme, allowing mobility scooter users who hold a relevant permit to be confident that they can travel with their mobility aid on any service provided by a signatory operator.

We currently have no plans to mandate the acceptance of mobility scooters on all bus services.

The Department is committed to delivering a transport network which puts passengers and their needs at its heart. We want to see disabled passengers able to make the journeys they want and need – doing this easily, confidently, with dignity and without extra cost.

We recognise the need for modern regulation that is designed with, and meets the needs of disabled people, and will continue to work closely with a range of stakeholders to help us develop this work.

The Department for Transport has made no assessment as we are unaware of the regulatory health checks referred to in the question. It is important that a mobility scooter is not used in a manner that is detrimental to the safety of the user or others.

Powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters are intended to provide local outdoor mobility for disabled people or those with mobility difficulties.

Creating a consistent, reliable mobility scooter policy which balances the interests of all road users continues to be a challenge. However, the Department is committed to ensuring that users of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs remain safe, mobile and independent.

There are no plans to review the classification of mobility scooters. HMRC classify mobility scooters under the description of ‘Vehicles specially designed for travelling on snow, golf cars and similar vehicles’ under tariff heading 8703, which is in line with classification decisions issued in 2001 by the World Customs Organization.

Mobility scooters that are imported into the UK are classified under the description of ‘Vehicles specially designed for travelling on snow, golf cars and similar vehicles’. The commodity code for this classification is 8703101800. There is a customs duty tariff rate of 10% on imports for this commodity code.

Analysis of management information shows around £6m of customs duty liabilities was recorded for commodity code 8703101800 in 2023/24. This estimate applies to all types of vehicles imported under this commodity code and is not specific to Mobility Scooters only.

Train and station operators are required by their operating licences to establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) which must be approved by the Office of Rail and Road.  An ATP sets out, among other things, the arrangements and assistance that an operator will provide to protect the interests of disabled people using its services and to facilitate such use.

The guidance states that operators must set out their policies regarding the carriage of mobility scooters and other mobility aids for mobility-impaired people on their trains. Operators must make the reasoning behind their policies clear, particularly with regard to any policy excluding the carriage of some or all mobility scooters and mobility aids.

We would expect all customers purchasing a ticket that require assistance to complete their journey to be directed to the Passenger Assist Scheme.