Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the protocol is for the annual write-off of irrecoverable Dart Charge debts; and whether there is ministerial sign-off of those debts.

Irrecoverable cases have been written off in accordance with a defined set of agreed business rules which were reviewed and agreed with the National Audit Office as the auditing authority. Only cases that are assessed to be beyond likely recovery at economic cost are written off. The Minister does not formally approve the write-off of these cases but is required to review and approve the annual accounts prior to formal sign-off by Highways England’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Finance Officer.