HC Deb 18 November 1991 vol 199 cc3-4W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to publish the data received by the vehicle inspectorate on the incidence of safety-related defects in motor vehicles manufactured in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Chope

The Department publishes details of safety-related design and manufacturing defects which result in recall campaigns by the vehicle manufacturers. Details are published bi-annually and circulated to all major United Kingdom public libraries, the Consumers Association, trade associations, motoring journals and to the police and local authority trading standards departments.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to require motor manufacturers to provide information as to the number of complaints received as to defects in motor vehicles.

Mr. Chope

The Department and the vehicle manufacturers agreed in 1979 that manufacturers would provide information to the Department on safety defects in vehicles and components, under a voluntary code of practice. Since this and subsequent additional codes were put in place, 897 recall campaigns have been initiated by the manufacturers, involving 7.8 million vehicles.