Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to engage with road safety public awareness campaigns that educate children in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Through THINK!, the government’s flagship road safety campaign, we provide a wide range of free educational resources to help improve children's road safety. These are made available to schools and local road safety officers via the THINK! website, social channels and partnerships with organisations such as the Department for Education. https://www.think.gov.uk/education.
In 2024, THINK! launched a ‘Safe Adventures’ campaign to help parents across the country prepare their children for independent travel ahead of moving to secondary school: https://www.think.gov.uk/campaign/safe-adventures/. This activity focuses on the risky behaviours assigned to child pedestrian casualties, which includes failing to look and distractions, finding a safe place to cross and being in a hurry.
THINK! routinely engages with local authorities to assist them with using and promoting our campaigns, and we work closely with Road Safety GB who help disseminate and coordinate our outreach to their network of road safety officers and professionals.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the number of children injured on roads in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035 and a 70% reduction in the number of children (under 16) killed or seriously injured on roads in Great Britain by 2035, using a 2022-2024 baseline.
As part of the Road Safety Strategy, we are gathering feedback on introducing penalty points for failure to wear a seat belt, and additional penalty points for drivers who do not ensure child passengers wear seat belts.
We will also support and work in partnership with local authorities, who have the legal responsibility for setting local speed limits, and detailed knowledge of their own local areas. This is important for the safety of vulnerable road users, including children. We will update our guidance to local authorities on ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’. We will also update our guidance to local authorities on ‘The use of speed and red-light cameras for traffic enforcement: guidance on deployment, visibility and signing’.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of any correlation between (a) uninsured driving and (b) other driving related offences.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department for Transport has not carried out an assessment of the correlation between uninsured driving and other driving related offences.
However, on 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, we are reviewing the motoring offences and have published a consultation.
As part of this consultation, we are considering the minimum penalties for uninsured driving and whether they should be increased.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating standards relating to the (a) design, (b) spacing, and (c) visibility of vehicle number plates.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the impact of number plate fraud and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. On road enforcement remains the responsibility of the police.
The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate. The consultation can be found online at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.
Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.
DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to conduct compliance visits to number plate suppliers, inspecting practices and records as necessary.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the economic impact of vehicle number plate fraud on (a) motorists, (b) insurers, and the (c) public purse.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the impact of number plate fraud and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. On road enforcement remains the responsibility of the police.
The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate. The consultation can be found online at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.
Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.
DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to conduct compliance visits to number plate suppliers, inspecting practices and records as necessary.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the Home Office on (a) penalties and (b) enforcement for offences involving illegal number plates.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the impact of number plate fraud and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. On road enforcement remains the responsibility of the police.
The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate. The consultation can be found online at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.
Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.
DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to conduct compliance visits to number plate suppliers, inspecting practices and records as necessary.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of uninsured driving on the cost of motor insurance premiums for other motorists.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department for Transport is a party to the Uninsured and Untraced Drivers’ Agreements with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), an independent organisation within the motor insurance industry and separate from Government. It is responsible for investigation and payment of compensation for victims of uninsured and untraced drivers.
The MIB is non-profit making and the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides for the MIB to cover its costs by charging a levy on all motor insurers, the levy for 2024 totalled around £507m, as shown in the MIB’s 2024 Annual Report and Accounts.
Data provided by the MIB as part of the Financial Conduct Authority's ‘Motor Insurance Claims Analysis’, published in July 2025, indicated that the cost of claims associated with uninsured drivers accounted for around 2.2% of the average premium paid by policyholders in 2024.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve data sharing between the (a) DVLA, (b) DVSA and the (c) Home Office on issues relating to vehicle registration marks.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the impact of number plate fraud and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. On road enforcement remains the responsibility of the police.
The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate. The consultation can be found online at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.
Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.
DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to conduct compliance visits to number plate suppliers, inspecting practices and records as necessary.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of current enforcement capacity in relation to (a) illegal and (b) non-compliant number plates.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises the impact of number plate fraud and is committed to addressing this issue. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collaborates with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Home Office, and other departments to enhance the identification and enforcement of number plate offences. On road enforcement remains the responsibility of the police.
The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate. The consultation can be found online at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
The DVLA is a member of the British Standards Institution committee, which has proposed updates to number plate standards. These changes aim to prevent the production of plates with raised or ‘ghost’ characteristics and require all finished plates to be flat. The public consultation on these proposals closed on 13 December 2025 and the committee will review feedback shortly.
Efforts are underway to strengthen application and audit processes for number plate suppliers. The Department and its agencies maintain close cooperation with law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure effective information sharing. The police have established access to DVLA records for crime prevention and detection.
DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to conduct compliance visits to number plate suppliers, inspecting practices and records as necessary.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the recommendations in the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety's report on vehicle registration plates published on 9 December 2025.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other Government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned and ghost number plates.
On-road enforcement of number plate offences and insurance requirements is a matter for the police. However, the DVLA works with the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) to identify uninsured vehicles by comparing the DVLA’s vehicle records against those held on the MIB’s Motor Insurance Database.
The Department welcomes the recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety and is considering the report’s recommendations. Options to support more robust application and audit processes, which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers are also being considered.
The Government has set out its intention in the Road Safety Strategy to consult on addressing the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ number plates.