Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to prevent the police from charging victims of theft whose cars have been stolen for the cost of holding or releasing those vehicles.

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (RTRA) empowers the police to remove vehicles that are dangerously, illegally, or obstructively parked, or broken down or abandoned, which includes vehicles abandoned after theft.

Removals and storage entail a cost, which would have to be paid for out of police budgets if not met by the vehicle owner. As a result, the police are empowered to charge the owner prescribed sums, which are set by Statutory Instrument and vary according to the size of the vehicle and other factors.

In 2021, the previous government conducted a consultation on the charges for the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles, and published a response to the findings of that consultation exercise in March 2023.

This response stated that: “When a vehicle owner has their vehicle stolen and restored to them, they can either decide to pay the recovery fee themselves, pass the recovery fee onto their insurance provider, or choose not to have their vehicle returned.” It did not propose any change to these arrangements.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that – in addition to the options above – the police are also empowered to waive the recovery fee at their discretion, taking into account any special circumstances, including the ability of the owner to pay, but this remains an operational matter for their judgement.

We will keep this matter under review, but at present, it remains the case that the charging of recovery fees is the most sustainable means of funding the costs incurred by the police in removing and storing abandoned vehicles.