§ 2.48 p.m.
§ Lord Underhill asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ What action they are taking on the proposals on the "clocking" of odometers made to the Minister for Roads and Traffic by 16 organisations.
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, the implications of the proposal, which involves a DVLC-based mileage recording scheme, are still being considered. An announcement will be made shortly.
§ Lord UnderhillMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Viscount for that Answer. Is it fully appreciated that the 16 organisations which support the working party are very responsible bodies? They include the five local authority associations, the AA, the RAC, the Institute of Trading Standards Administration, the Office of Fair Trading and, what is more important, the five motor trade organisations. Is it fully appreciated that the report of the working party has revealed widespread abuse and cheating in the alteration of mileage on cars? Ought not the Government to give the matter serious consideration at the earliest possible moment?
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, my honourable friend only received the document on the 25th September and, as the noble Lord will appreciate, he will need time to consider its implications. However, I can tell him that the Government are grateful to the Director General of Fair Trading for co-ordinating the views of bodies representing motor dealers, trading standards professionals and others. The proposals arising out of such an exercise deserve to be and will be studied with great care.
§ Lord Lucas of ChilworthMy Lords, will my noble friend agree that the DVLC is a not very efficient tax-gathering machine? Perhaps it would be better for the crime prevention role to be returned to the police and for the remainder of it to be returned to the private sector.
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, that is one of the matters that will be considered. However, I can tell my noble friend that certain private companies already operate a mileage register and inquiry service on a limited basis, mainly for the motor trade. The motor industry is investigating the feasibility of tackling the problem at source by the use of tamper-resistant mileometers.
§ Lord UnderhillMy Lords, with reference to the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, I hope it will be appreciated that the working party report includes practical proposals for the DVLC to contribute in a very valuable way to this matter.
§ Viscount DavidsonMy Lords, I am sure that my honourable friend will take account of what the noble Lord has said.