§ Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domerasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the end of life directive for cars will result in increased anti-social car disposal by individuals; and what steps they are taking to avoid an increase in the number of burnt out cars being abandoned by their last owner. [HL1645]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)The number of vehicles being abandoned has grown in recent years, largely due to a fall in the price of scrap metal and deficiencies in the accuracy of the vehicle register Implementation of the End of Life Vehicles Directive might lead to a further increase because of a consequential rise in the costs of disposal, but the Government are already addressing the problem with a number of initiatives announced last year. Statutory notice periods after which local authorities can remove abandoned vehicles from the highway have been reduced and can now be as short as 24 hours. We will be consulting in the spring on reducing the statutory notice periods of vehicles abandoned on private land. Local authorities can seek information about the keeper of a vehicle from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) more quickly than before via a new electronic link funded under the Invest to Save programme. In addition, the Finance Act 2002 contained outline powers to establish a system of continuous registration in order to ensure that keepers of vehicles remain responsible for licensing their vehicle until such time that the DVLA has been properly notified of its sale or disposal. The Department for Transport is currently considering how this will be implemented, and will make a announcement in due course. All these measures will make it more difficult for vehicles to be abandoned with impunity.