Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 11 January 2021 to Question 129986 on Vehicle Number Plates, if he will compensate people who purchased new GB vehicle number plates after his announcement in January 2021 and communications with the UN in June 2021 to change the distinguishing sign for display on vehicles for international travel from GB to UK.

From 1 January 2021, regulations prohibited the display of the European Union symbol on new number plates fitted to vehicles from that date. Since then, the Government has decided that the appropriate distinguishing sign for vehicles registered in the United Kingdom should be the letters UK. This reflects the four nations of our union and is consistent with the sign used on other motoring documentation including driving licences of UK nationals.

From 28 September the UK distinguishing sign should be displayed on vehicles travelling internationally but there has been no change to legislation which permits a range of letters and flags to be incorporated in vehicle number plates. Any vehicle displaying these markings (or the European Union symbol if attached prior to 1 January 2021) may continue to do so but when driving abroad they must display the UK identifier which can be a sticker on the rear of the vehicle. Compensation is not available for those who choose to purchase new number plates.