Car Registration (Cherished Numbers)

HC Deb 19 November 1976 vol 919 cc812-4W

Mr. Anderson

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is now in a position to make a statement about a resumption of work on the processing of cherished transfers of vehicle registration marks.

Mr. Horam

The unions have agreed to withdraw their ban on such transfers and restart work on 29th November: that is, as soon as new operating rules along the lines set out below have been introduced and pending the laying of regulations to clarify the legal position I have in mind that the staff should concentrate initially on clearing transfers already in the pipeline and that new transfer applications should be accepted from 10th January.

The rules are:

1. 1. The donor vehicle must be currently licensed under Schedule 1 or Schedule 5 of the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971.
2. 2. The recipient vehicle must be currently licensed or the subject of an application for a licence under Schedule 1 or Schedule 5.
3. 3. The donor vehicle must be registered in the name of the applicant under the mark to be transferred for a minimum of nine calendar months before the date of application.
4. 4. The recipient vehicle must he registered in the name of the applicant or the subject of an application to register it in his name. (It follows that there must be a recipient vehicle at the time of application for a transfer, and that there is therefore no provision for a mark to be held in suspense until a recipient vehicle is available).
5. 5. The donor vehicle must be inspected to ensure that it accords with the particulars furnished in respect of it. The inspector will be nominated by the manager of the local vehicle licensing office to which application is made. Inspection will be made at a time and place appointed by the inspector.
6. 6. The recipient vehicle may, at the discretion of the inspector, be required for inspection in the same manner as the donor vehicle.
7. 7. No transfer will be permitted unless the proposed donor vehicle and the proposed recipient vehicle are licensed under the same schedule of the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971.
8. 8. No transfer will be permitted if the mark it is proposed to transfer bears a year suffix letter and was issued in a year after that in which the recipient vehicle was first registered.
9. 9. No transfer will be permitted if either donor or recipient vehicle is the subject of Customs restriction.
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10. 10. No transfer will be permited of a registration mark not assigned by the United Kingdom licensing authorities.