§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he had about the development of the electric vehicle now known as the Sinclair C5 prior to bringing forward the legislation providing for electrically-assisted pedal cycles to be treated as pedal cycles and not as motor vehicles; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerSection 24 of the Transport Act 1981 provided for an electrically assisted pedal cycle, of a class to be prescribed in regulations, not to be treated as a motor vehicle. In 1982 the Department consulted on draft regulations which, amended in the light of consultation, were laid before Parliament on 8 July 1983 as the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983.
During that period a number of individuals and firms, including Sinclair Research Ltd., expressed interest in the potential both for bicycles and tricycles. Some, but not Sinclair Research Ltd., provided information on their ideas for development and the regulations were drafted to allow manufacturers freedom of design within strict limits on speed, weight and power. The Sinclair C5 meets these limits as well as other safety requirements principally for brakes and lights. We do not expect it to have an accident record dissimilar from that which applies to pedal cycles generally.