Vehicle Certification Agency

Mr. Maude
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 199W, on departmental official residences, for what purposes Vehicle Certification Agency staff are based in (a) the United States and (b) Japan.

Mr. Hoon
Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) staff are based in the United States and Japan to carry out their operational duties as a United Kingdom (UK) type approval (TA) authority to conduct and witness tests to European Community (EC) and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) directives and regulations on vehicles coming into Europe from those countries.

VCA does not have any official residences anywhere.