§ 26. Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to ensure that trading standards officers can more effectively tackle car clocking. [36093]
Mr. John M. TaylorThe Trade Descriptions Act 1968 already makes it an offence to sell a car with a false odometer reading in the course of a business, but I am aware that there can be difficulties in gathering the necessary evidence of a car's true mileage and in tracing previous owners. I understand that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has introduced voluntary arrangements to encourage the recording of mileage and is currently looking at ways of improving these as well as at other means of improving the accuracy of the information it holds.
I also understand that the Director General of Fair Trading is shortly to seek the views of interested parties on consumer problems when buying new cars, including the problem of car clocking. Following consultation, the director general will wish to make his own recommendations for dealing with their unacceptable practice and I and ministerial colleagues will, of course, consider these extremely carefully.