§ 7. Dame Joan Vickersasked the Minister of Transport whether she will take action to ensure that, where a vehicle has been written off by an insurance company and the owner paid, the insurers should be compelled to surrender the registration book to the appropriate taxation authority and the vehicle cut up, in order to stop the current practice of rebuilding such cars.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (Mr. John Morris)For the reasons given to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Mr. Kelley) on 26th April, this would not be justified. It would also conflict with fiscal requirements.
§ Dame Joan VickersI did not agree with that reply to the hon. Gentleman's hon. Friend. It seems most unreasonable that people should be allowed to buy cars which have been patched up in this way and without a certificate to show they are roadworthy. If the hon. Gentleman is to allow such sales, will he ensure that a certificate must be produced to show that the cars have been tested and are roadworthy?
§ Mr. MorrisA vehicle has to be roadworthy and an offence is committed if it is not, but very few cases of this kind have been brought to our attention.