§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the steps the police take to track down the owners of dumped vehicles. [66515]
§ Mr. Bob Ainsworth[holding answer 2 July 2002]The police and local authorities have a joint responsibility for the removal of abandoned vehicles and taking action as appropriate against their owners. When a vehicle is reported or discovered apparently abandoned on the highway, the police will carry out a number of checks to ensure it is not stolen, illegally parked, or causing an obstruction or danger. If it is, removal of the vehicle will be arranged as soon as possible. Once the vehicle is removed, the police will take steps to identify the last registered keeper of the vehicle via a search of vehicle keepership information on the police national computer.
Where an apparently abandoned vehicle is not of police interest, details are forwarded to the local authority, which has responsibility for its removal and ultimate disposal. The Government have recently introduced tough new measures to help local authorities deal more effectively with the problem of abandoned vehicles, including improved access to the Driving Vehicle Licence Agency (DVLA) vehicle records.