The Kings speech
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
The King’s Speech in Parliament last week, which outlined 40 draft laws that the government is aiming to pass in the coming parliamentary session, included some that will directly affect cycle retailers and their employees.
E-bike battery safety
The government’s announcement in the recent King’s Speech regarding e-bike battery safety and the regulation of online marketplaces is a welcome step forward towards improving safety and supporting the independent cycle retail sector, according to the Association of Cycle Traders.
The proposed ‘Product Safety and Metrology Bill’ aims to address the fire risks associated with e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries in the UK. Since 2020, there have been over 190 injuries and at least 13 deaths in lithium-ion battery fires, and the UK is currently experiencing nearly one e-bike or e-scooter fire per day. The Bill, if passed into law, would give the government powers to ensure a continued supply of safe goods into the UK market and provide more regulatory stability and protection for consumers.
The government’s own briefing document says: “There is an urgent need to legislate to respond to emerging threats to consumer safety, for example to address issues such as incidents from… e-bike fires where there was a 78 per cent increase… in 2023 compared to 2022 in London, according to the London Fire Brigade.”
“We very much welcome these proposals,” says Jonathan Harrison from the Association of Cycle Traders.
“there will be better protection for the public and greater support for the many, many reputable businesses by eliminating as much as possible the risk from below standard batteries. This would create a safer market environment, remind people that, managed properly, e-bikes are a great addition to the market and will encourage consumers to buy only from trusted, compliant brands and retailers with specialist expertise.”
The Association of Cycle Traders, together with other organisations in the sector, welcomes the opportunity to work closely with the government in the preparation of the legislation, and to support it once it becomes law.
The Bill will cover “nearly all manufactured products”, including consumer products and metrology, and aims to address:
- Current and emerging threats to consumer safety, and specifically mentions incidents involving the ingestion of button batteries and the fire risks associated with batteries and electric bikes.
- Technological advances such as artificial intelligence (AI).
- Increasingly complex supply chains and business models developing over the past decade, including those seen in online marketplaces; and
- The challenges posed by “modern, digital borders” and the need for improvements to compliance and enforcement.
Crime and Policing
High up on the government’s agenda is a Crime and Policing Bill, which will make assaulting shopworkers a specific crime. As assaults and crimes committed against shopworkers across the UK have continued to rise in recent years, the retail industry has increased its calls for stricter intervention.
The Crime and Policing Bill will also introduce stronger measures to tackle shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.
The government’s Growth and Skills Levy will look to reform apprenticeships and provide courses on functional and digital skills for workers.
An Employment Rights Bill will also ban the use of zero-hours contracts – common in the retail industry – and introduce new workers’ rights promised ahead of the general election.
This should benefit 3m retail workers in the UK and a further 2.7m in the supply chain.
Finally, a Planning and Infrastructure Bill will aim to streamline the process of approving new critical infrastructure.