Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle licence plate cloning.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport understands how distressing this criminal activity can be for innocent motorists. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is currently working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.
The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied.
The DVLA assist the police and Trading Standards in their enforcement against number plate suppliers who trade illegally. When notified, the DVLA will investigate and pass on intelligence to the police who are responsible for investigating this criminal matter.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make representations to his Moroccan counterpart on that country's requiring MINURSO to use Moroccan vehicle number plates in occupied Western Sahara.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK does not plan to make representations on the issues raised in the Member's question.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has held discussions with Transport for London on delivery drivers driving with learner plates; and if he will make an estimate of the number of delivery drivers in London driving with learner plates.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department has not had any discussions with Transport for London on delivery drivers driving with learner plates.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) chairs the Motorcycle Strategic Focus group which Transport for London are part of. The group considers issues affecting motorcyclists, including challenges with delivery riders in the gig economy, and rider safety of those riding on L plates.
The DVSA does not hold data on the number of delivery drivers or riders driving and riding with learner plates.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue guidance to local authorities on tackling the cloning of vehicle number plates for use in criminal activity; and if he will take steps to require the relevant authorities issuing motoring penalties to provide (a) photographic evidence and (b) contact information.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is currently working closely with the National Police Chiefs Council, Trading Standards, local authorities and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.
The police are responsible for on-road enforcement of vehicle offences, including cloned plates. Local authorities have procedures in place to deal with number plate cloning and registered keepers are advised to return any fines they receive to the issuing authorities along with any evidence to show that their vehicle was not in the area at the time. Registered keepers may also request photographic evidence and other information from the relevant authorities who have issued the penalty.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date his Department agreed its policy that Ukrainian refugees would be required to follow permanent vehicle importation processes for temporary stays in the UK of between six months and three years.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In recognition of the challenges their country faces in the fight against Russian aggression, it is my intention, wherever possible, to treat Ukrainian refugees as favourably as possible, rather than in the same way as other temporary residents.
Foreign registered vehicles brought temporarily into the UK by non-UK residents must generally be registered with the DVLA and issued with UK number plates to enable enforcement and ensure compliance with relevant legislation.
In November this Department and associated agencies (DVLA, DVSA and VCA) acknowledged the unique nature of Ukrainians arrival in the UK and made provision to allow some temporary modifications to be made to vehicles, within existing legislation, in certain circumstances where an IVA is required, for example by allowing the use of beam deflector stickers. This decision was made to balance Ukrainians’ unique circumstances, whilst importantly ensuring road safety for all other drivers and road users. Dedicated Department for Transport (DfT) personnel have also been assigned to support Ukrainians who wish to register their vehicle, and the DfT has published detailed guidance to clearly outline the process. The dedicated resource can be accessed by contacting DVLA, DVSA or VCA as appropriate depending on the nature of the enquiry and as outlined in the guidance.
My Department continues to explore options for how it can support the Ukrainian community in the UK, and officials are also working across Whitehall to identify action that can be taken in relation to temporary admission and vehicle registration.
With regards to Driving licenses, my Department is exploring options to enable those Ukrainians that fled here to be able to continue to use their Ukrainian driving licences for longer, and minimise the administrative burden they face and will keep this House and the Ukrainian community in the UK updated on this work.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department made a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of (a) driver licensing and (b) vehicle registration requirements on (i) Ukrainian nationals with refugee status and (ii) other temporary overseas visitors resident in the UK.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In recognition of the challenges their country faces in the fight against Russian aggression, it is my intention, wherever possible, to treat Ukrainian refugees as favourably as possible, rather than in the same way as other temporary residents.
Foreign registered vehicles brought temporarily into the UK by non-UK residents must generally be registered with the DVLA and issued with UK number plates to enable enforcement and ensure compliance with relevant legislation.
In November this Department and associated agencies (DVLA, DVSA and VCA) acknowledged the unique nature of Ukrainians arrival in the UK and made provision to allow some temporary modifications to be made to vehicles, within existing legislation, in certain circumstances where an IVA is required, for example by allowing the use of beam deflector stickers. This decision was made to balance Ukrainians’ unique circumstances, whilst importantly ensuring road safety for all other drivers and road users. Dedicated Department for Transport (DfT) personnel have also been assigned to support Ukrainians who wish to register their vehicle, and the DfT has published detailed guidance to clearly outline the process. The dedicated resource can be accessed by contacting DVLA, DVSA or VCA as appropriate depending on the nature of the enquiry and as outlined in the guidance.
My Department continues to explore options for how it can support the Ukrainian community in the UK, and officials are also working across Whitehall to identify action that can be taken in relation to temporary admission and vehicle registration.
With regards to Driving licenses, my Department is exploring options to enable those Ukrainians that fled here to be able to continue to use their Ukrainian driving licences for longer, and minimise the administrative burden they face and will keep this House and the Ukrainian community in the UK updated on this work.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the context of temporary importation of vehicles into the UK, if he will make it his policy for Ukrainian refugees to be treated in the same way as other temporary overseas residents, such as overseas students, in respect of exemption from permanent vehicle import and registration processes.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In recognition of the challenges their country faces in the fight against Russian aggression, it is my intention, wherever possible, to treat Ukrainian refugees as favourably as possible, rather than in the same way as other temporary residents.
Foreign registered vehicles brought temporarily into the UK by non-UK residents must generally be registered with the DVLA and issued with UK number plates to enable enforcement and ensure compliance with relevant legislation.
In November this Department and associated agencies (DVLA, DVSA and VCA) acknowledged the unique nature of Ukrainians arrival in the UK and made provision to allow some temporary modifications to be made to vehicles, within existing legislation, in certain circumstances where an IVA is required, for example by allowing the use of beam deflector stickers. This decision was made to balance Ukrainians’ unique circumstances, whilst importantly ensuring road safety for all other drivers and road users. Dedicated Department for Transport (DfT) personnel have also been assigned to support Ukrainians who wish to register their vehicle, and the DfT has published detailed guidance to clearly outline the process. The dedicated resource can be accessed by contacting DVLA, DVSA or VCA as appropriate depending on the nature of the enquiry and as outlined in the guidance.
My Department continues to explore options for how it can support the Ukrainian community in the UK, and officials are also working across Whitehall to identify action that can be taken in relation to temporary admission and vehicle registration.
With regards to Driving licenses, my Department is exploring options to enable those Ukrainians that fled here to be able to continue to use their Ukrainian driving licences for longer, and minimise the administrative burden they face and will keep this House and the Ukrainian community in the UK updated on this work.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government has taken to coordinate policy on supporting Ukrainian refugees driving in the UK as temporary residents in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In recognition of the challenges their country faces in the fight against Russian aggression, it is my intention, wherever possible, to treat Ukrainian refugees as favourably as possible, rather than in the same way as other temporary residents.
Foreign registered vehicles brought temporarily into the UK by non-UK residents must generally be registered with the DVLA and issued with UK number plates to enable enforcement and ensure compliance with relevant legislation.
In November this Department and associated agencies (DVLA, DVSA and VCA) acknowledged the unique nature of Ukrainians arrival in the UK and made provision to allow some temporary modifications to be made to vehicles, within existing legislation, in certain circumstances where an IVA is required, for example by allowing the use of beam deflector stickers. This decision was made to balance Ukrainians’ unique circumstances, whilst importantly ensuring road safety for all other drivers and road users. Dedicated Department for Transport (DfT) personnel have also been assigned to support Ukrainians who wish to register their vehicle, and the DfT has published detailed guidance to clearly outline the process. The dedicated resource can be accessed by contacting DVLA, DVSA or VCA as appropriate depending on the nature of the enquiry and as outlined in the guidance.
My Department continues to explore options for how it can support the Ukrainian community in the UK, and officials are also working across Whitehall to identify action that can be taken in relation to temporary admission and vehicle registration.
With regards to Driving licenses, my Department is exploring options to enable those Ukrainians that fled here to be able to continue to use their Ukrainian driving licences for longer, and minimise the administrative burden they face and will keep this House and the Ukrainian community in the UK updated on this work.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many incidents of car registration cloning were reported in (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
If the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is notified of a suspected cloned vehicle investigations will be carried out and where appropriate, a replacement vehicle registration number will be issued. The table below shows the number of occasions where a member of the public contacted the DVLA about correspondence, fines or penalties they had received about vehicles they did not recognise or accept responsibility for. The table also shows the volume of replacement registration numbers issued.
Year | Number of contacts to the DVLA | Number of replacement registration numbers issued |
2020 | 7,400 | 143 |
2021 | 7,434 | 61 |
2022 | 7,769 | 101 |
In these circumstances, suspected cloning is just one potential reason why someone might receive such correspondence. It is likely that a proportion of these cases will have been the result of an error on the part of an organisation or their customer when requesting vehicle keeper details. Where a vehicle keeper believes their vehicle or number plate has been cloned, the correct course of action is to report this to the police for further investigation. The DVLA may also pass on any intelligence gathered to the police, who are responsible for enforcement.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the conclusion of the Independent Complaints Assessors on the impact of his Department's policy on personalised number plates in their Annual Report 2020-21, published on 25 December 2021, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of amending the Retention and Sale of Registration Marks Regulations 2015 to allow more flexibility for customers wishing to retain personalised licence plates.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The law allows customers to purchase the right to display a personalised registration number on their vehicle and requires the right to that registration number to be renewed before it expires. Entitlement to registration numbers under this scheme lasts for ten years. Reminders are sent to customers in advance of expiry. If an application is not made to extend the entitlement, the right to display the personalised registration number is lost. There are no plans to change the current legal requirements in this area.