§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the number of Irish-registered vehicles on the roads of the United Kingdom; and how many of these vehicles have up-to-date road tax. [178952]
§ Mr. JamiesonNo figures are available for the number of Republic of Ireland vehicles in use on UK roads. Visiting Irish vehicles are exempt from UK licensing and registration requirements providing they are in this country for less than six months in any 12 and are registered and licensed in Ireland. If at any time a vehicle used here on Irish plates is stopped by the police, the driver is responsible for demonstrating that he/she is entitled to use it in the UK.
Keepers of Irish registered vehicles who fail to observe these requirements are subject to the same enforcement and prosecution procedures as UK motorists.
1047WDVLA is currently working with the police and local authorities to gather information on all visiting vehicles to clarify the extent of the evasion problem and to introduce effective counter measures.