§ Mr. Leeasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is able to announce changes to the present system of transferring cherished vehicle registration marks.
§ Mrs. ChalkerFollowing the wide-ranging consultation exercise on cherished marks, I have decided to introduce significant improvements to the present arrangements. The changes will be introduced progressively.
For the next 12 months, there will be additional efforts to get information on the the Department's records about these vehicles still in existence, which are not yet registered at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre. From 10 January next year, major simplifications and new procedures will be introduced. The most important of these will permit the straightforward transfer of marks between different motorists, and, with one exception, on and off vehicles with valid test certificates. The one exception will be the transfer of marks on to motor bicycles. The existing fee of £50 for transfer of a mark will be increased, subject to parliamentary approval, to £80.
From the spring, further changes will be introduced to reduce the need for vehicle inspections. Full details will be available at all LVLOs before the end of the year. As 557W I said earlier this year—[Vol. 28, c. 507]—I propose to see how these changes work in detail before considering again the possible sale of attractive unissued marks.
I believe that these changes will make it easier for members of the public to obtain and keep particular registration marks and will provide safeguards against the possibility of abuse.