§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on changes in the numbers of abandoned vehicles in England over the last three years. [22470]
§ Mr. MeacherLocal authorities are responsible for dealing with abandoned vehicles. Although the Department currently holds no central records of the number of vehicles abandoned each year we estimate that some 350,000 are abandoned in the United Kingdom each year. We know anecdotally that the numbers of abandoned vehicles are increasing year on year.
More up to date information on the number of abandoned vehicles removed by local authorities is being collected in the Department's 2000–01 Municipal Waste Management Survey which should be published in July 2002.