Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) regulations 2002, if she will increase the fee for (a) private individuals and (b) companies seeking drivers' data.

Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 permits the disclosure of vehicle keeper information for a range of authorised purposes, subject to appropriate safeguards. Information will only be released to private individuals and companies where reasonable cause can be shown.

While reasonable cause is not defined in legislation the Government’s policy is that the request for vehicle keeper information should relate to the vehicle or its use following incidents where there may be liability on the part of the driver. Guidance on what constitutes reasonable cause is published online at: www.gov.uk/request-information-from-dvla. It is considered necessary to provide information to allow private parking management as landowners would have great difficulty exercising their rights if motorists were able to park with impunity on private land.

There are no plans to amend Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 to remove the ability of private parking companies to request vehicle keeper information.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sets fees to recover the full cost of providing its services and regularly reviews fee levels to ensure that charges are maintained at an appropriate level.