To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on how many occasions the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database was accessed by (a) police forces, (b) other public agencies and (c) private companies in each of the last five financial years; and what estimate he has made of the number of such requests which will be made in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11. (309720)

The information requested is not held in the format requested.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his policy is on allowing private companies access to information on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database for commercial purposes. (309722)

Information held on the ‘driver’ record may only be disclosed to private companies for commercial purposes with the explicit consent of the individual and when there is a demonstrable need to confirm an entitlement to drive. For example, when hiring a vehicle or driving as a condition of employment.

Information held on the ‘vehicle’ record may be disclosed under provisions of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002. This provides for the release of information to those who can demonstrate “reasonable cause” to require it, such as an issue around the vehicle and its use. Disclosure generally results from incidents where the motorist has incurred some form of liability. It is recognised that motorists have an obligation to comply with road traffic and other regulations when using a vehicle and to act responsibly and with consideration for other road users, pedestrians and landowners in doing so.

Any private car parking company seeking information about the keeper of a specific vehicle must be a member of a DVLA Accredited Trade Association and conform to its code of practice. DVLA provides vehicle data, containing no personal details, to commercial customers for statistical use and to provide vehicle check services to consumers when purchasing a second-hand vehicle or parts for their current vehicle.

Information is also supplied to assist in safety recalls from time to time.

All disclosures of information are made in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection and Human Rights Acts. Requests for information are subject to audit to ensure they respect agreements and legislation.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which (a) police forces, (b) other public agencies and (c) private companies are permitted access to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database to obtain (i) details of vehicle registration numbers, (ii) names of licence holders and (iii) private addresses of licence holders. (309723)

No organisation has direct access into the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) records.

Information from both the driver and vehicle record is provided daily to the National Police Improvement Agency for inclusion on the Police National Computer system for use by all police forces. All other requests for information are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Private addresses of driving licence holders may be provided to public agencies with the consent of the individual or if they have a statutory right to it e.g. HM Revenue and Customs, the Child Support Agency and the Department for Work and Pensions. These requests generally relate to law enforcement activities.

DVLA does not provide the name or address details of licence holders to any private companies, only details relating to their driving entitlement and endorsements. Employers, recruitment agencies and private companies, such as car hire companies, may make a request for details of a driver record if they have the consent of the individual and provide their name, address and date of birth.

Vehicle registration numbers need to be provided to the DVLA in order for a search of the vehicle record to be made. Therefore, DVLA does not disclose details of vehicle registration numbers from the vehicle record.