§ Mr. Longdenasked the Minister of Transport if he is satisfied with the effectiveness of the regulations about the licensing of abandoned vehicles; and how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Tom FraserThe requirements of the Vehicles (Excise) Act, 1962, are clear. Any mechanically-propelled vehicle kept or used on a public road must be appropriately licensed. Vehicles abandoned elsewhere do not have to be licensed under the Act, and there would be no justification for requiring them to be licensed. As I said in my Answers to my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) on 17th November, 1964, and on 13th April, 1965, enforcement of the provisions of the Act is continuous. It is not possible to say how many prosecutions there have been relating to unlicensed abandoned vehicles.