§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what changes have taken place to the MOT test since 1997; what plans there are to make further changes to the test; and if he will make a statement. [45430]
§ Mr. JamiesonThere have been no significant changes to the scope of the MOT test since 1997 and there are none planned. However, detailed testing standards and methods are constantly updated to keep pace with changing vehicle technology and legislation.
The introduction of the MOT computerised database from January 2003 will improve the availability of standards information for testers and enable much more information on the results of tests to be gathered. It will also alter administrative procedures for recording a test and the issue of test certificates.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many cars(a) initially failed, (b) passed on completion of necessary work and (c) passed without additional work the MOT test in each year since 1990. [45432]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Vehicle Inspectorate collects returns from all 18,869 MOT testing stations on a monthly basis which contain details of the vehicles tested, failures and passes. A 2 per cent. sample of the returns is used as the basis for calculating an annual fail rate and details are shown in the table. The inspectorate does not hold details of the numbers of vehicles passed on completion of necessary work or passed without additional work. More information about failure rates and defect categories can be found in the Vehicle Inspectorate Effectiveness report 2000–01, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
year1 Number of vehicles2 tested Fail rate (percentage) 1994–95 22,562,000 37.2 1995–96 22,468,000 37.3 1996–97 21,669,000 36.1 1997–98 21,482,000 36.1 1998–99 22,174,000 35.7 1999–2000 22,035,000 33.6 2000–01 22,775,000 31.7 1Figures not available in a comparable format prior to 1994–95 2Cars, vans and passenger vehicles with up to 12 seats The introduction of the computerised MOT database from January 2003 will provide the inspectorate with the facility to improve the reporting of pass and fail rates.
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§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps(a) his Department and (b) the Vehicle Inspector (i) have taken and (ii) plan to take to monitor the work of MOT testing stations and the effectiveness of the MOT test. [45431]
§ Mr. JamiesonChecks of the standard of MOT test procedures and authorised premises are carried out by the Vehicle Inspectorate (VI) by means of regular visits during which premises are inspected and tests observed; observed tests of vehicles submitted by "incognito" vehicle examiners; checks carried out in response to appeals against the test result from members of the public; and special investigations in cases where the inspectorate believes that there might be significant breaches of the regulations. The Vehicle Inspectorate has the power to take enforcement action when evidence of sub-standard testing is found. Sanctions can range from the issue of warning letters to withdrawal of authorisation.
VI trialled a new check of testing effectiveness in 2000–01 which has been introduced fully this year. Examiners carry out random re-inspections of recently tested vehicles and the results give VI a measure of how well garages are applying test standards.
The introduction of the computerised MOT database from January 2003 will enable the inspectorate to analyse detailed statistics on the performance of test stations, testers and the outcome of individual tests. This will enable VI to increase its effectiveness through improved targeting of enforcement checks, training and advice.