HC Deb 21 June 2000 vol 352 c198W
Mr. Patrick Hall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the Refuse Disposal Act 1978 with regard to the seven day notice period applicable to vehicles abandoned on the public highway before they can be removed by local authorities. [126568]

Mr. Hill

The existing regulations are intended to provide owners with safeguards against a local authority prematurely assuming a vehicle is abandoned and having it towed away for scrap. They also ensure that local authorities do not have to go to the unnecessary expense of removing and storing vehicles that may not, in the event, have been abandoned.

We believe that the current legislation provides a good balance between the powers of local authorities to deal with abandoned vehicles and the rights of vehicle owners.

Mr. Patrick Hall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to maintain an official record of the number of motor vehicles abandoned every year in England and Wales. [126566]

Mr. Hill

There are no plans at present to maintain an official record of such cases.

Mr. Patrick Hall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce legislation to amend the Data Protection Act 1998 to allow details of last registered owners of abandoned motor vehicles to be passed to local authorities on request. [126565]

Mr. Hill

The Data Protection Act exempts certain data from its non-disclosure provisions. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency already has powers to release vehicle keeper details to local authorities to help them deal with abandoned vehicles. The Agency provides the information on request. It is also developing electronic links with authorities to speed up the process.

Mr. Patrick Hall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the(a) legal and (b) financial framework for dealing with abandoned motor vehicles. [126567]

Mr. Hill

We will review the existing arrangements as we develop proposals for implementing the proposed European End-of-Life Vehicles Directive in the UK.