HC Deb 14 January 2004 vol 416 cc745-6W
Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes have been made to the enforcement of penalties for failure to display an up-to-date vehicle excise duty disc; and if he will make a statement. [146761]

Mr. Jamieson

[holding answer 12 January 2004]; There are no changes to the penalties for the offence of failure to display a valid vehicle licence. Failure to display is normally enforced by fixed penalty.

A number of changes are being introduced to strengthen the enforcement of the requirement to license a vehicle (or to make a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) if a vehicle is being kept off the road). The registered keeper of a vehicle for which a licence or SORN has not been renewed one month after expiry is

Spot checks carried out by the Vehicle Inspectorate in 2002–2003
Prohibition Rate1(%)
Vehicle Category Number of vehicles checked Immediate prohibitions2 Delayed prohibitions3
HGV Motor Vehicles4 64,373 9.2 12.7
HGV Trailers 21,225 9.4 16.6
HGV emissions checks 7,748 0.1 0.7
PSV vehicles4 20,287 6.9 8.2
PSV emissions checks 5,447 0.05 0.45
1 Only one prohibition notice is issued per vehicle although it may contain a list of defects/offences where more than one has been found. The most serious defect/offence determines whether an immediate or delayed prohibition is issued.
2Immediate prohibition rate relates to all vehicles (including foreign vehicles).
3Delayed prohibition rate excludes checks on foreign vehicles. The Foreign Vehicles Act does not provide for the issue of delayed prohibitions to foreign vehicles.
4Excludes emissions only checks, but includes foreign vehicles.

Results of light vehicle roadside roadworthiness checks
Vehicle category Number examined Number prohibited Prohibition rate (%)
Cars 4,942 2,223 45
Taxis and private hire cars 6,478 1.593 24.6
Non-testable vehicles1 2,836 1,666 58.7
Light Goods Vehicles 16,498 6,061 36.7
1Non-testable vehicles include mobile cranes, diggers and non-HGV trailers

Results of light vehicle spot checks for emissions
Prohibition rate (%)
Vehicle category Number examined Petrol Engine Diesel Engine
Cars 58,044 6.1 3.1
Taxis and private hire cars 2,374 5.1 6.5
Light Goods Vehicles 10,089 7.7 3.7

now liable for a penalty of £80 (reduced to £40 if paid within 28 days of receiving the penalty notice). To ensure that vehicle keepers have sufficient notice to check that their vehicles are properly licensed, extensive publicity is being given to the changes including information leaflets to all registered keepers during the final month of licence validity. The first penalty notices are likely to be issued in March, in respect of vehicles for which licences have not been renewed from 1 January 2004.

In the most serious cases, vehicle keepers can also be prosecuted for the new offence of being the keeper of an unlicensed vehicle.