Delays to the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) programme mean that local authorities need further support. The £450m LEVI programme supports local authorities in England to install charge points where they identify they are most needed. In setting up the programme the Department was able to apply lessons from its previous work, such as providing funding to build capability and providing central support, which has resulted in all eligible local authorities engaging with the LEVI programme. However, the Department expected local authorities to move at a quick pace, and acknowledged that more time than expected was needed to build local authority capacity and respond to issues that emerged. These issues have led to delays; as of October 2024 only 10 out of 78 projects had 4 been approved for delivery against a March 2025 deadline. These delays have meant that many local authorities will be procuring at similar times, posing the risk that the market may not have the capacity to serve them all and some procurements fail. The Department must ensure that local authorities remain supported to conduct successful procurements and secure good value through competition between operators. It’s extension of the programme’s capability funding beyond March 2025 is a welcome development in maintaining its central support. recommendation The Department should write to the committee within six months with an update on progress with LEVI, in particular: a. The amounts of money spent b. The number of projects which have completed procurement c. Whether any procurements failed d. How the Department is continuing to support local authorities delivering their projects e. How the Department is applying lessons from LEVI to its other programmes engaging local authorities