§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the advantages of introducing a requirement for displaying insurance certificates in motor vehicles. [12801]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonSuch a requirement could give some assurance that an insurance policy for the vehicle was in force; accompanying provisions to prevent the display of certificates for policies which had been cancelled would also be needed. Display of a certificate would however provide no assurance that the driver was covered by an insurance policy or was complying with policy conditions. The value of a requirement to display would therefore be less in this country than in those countries which have vehicle-related insurance systems, under which cover is taken out for a particular vehicle regardless of who drives it. Although the Government have not discarded the possibility of a requirement to display evidence of insurance, it appears at present that other measures, such as a computerised insurance database, would offer a better approach to the problem of dealing with the irresponsible minority of drivers who fail to take out insurance. The nation-wide introduction of wheelclamping for vehicles for which vehicle excise duty has been evaded will also provide a significant knock on benefit for enforcement of the compulsory insurance requirements.