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Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Volume 485: debated on Monday 8 December 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what his most recent estimate is of the number of uninsured drivers who renewed their car tax (a) online, (b) by telephone and (c) in person in the last 12 months; (240432)

(2) what procedures are in place to ensure that individuals who renew their car tax disc (a) online, (b) by telephone and (c) in person have valid car insurance.

No such estimate has been made, as valid insurance must be in place before a vehicle licence can be issued.

A vehicle licence cannot be issued unless valid insurance is in place.

When a vehicle is licensed in person at the Post Office or a DVLA local office, a paper certificate of insurance must be produced. This will be scrutinised to ensure that the person taking out the licence, the registered keeper, is covered by the insurance policy.

When a licensing application is made online or over the telephone, the same check is made electronically via the motor insurance database before the application is processed.