Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency enforces effectively the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulation 1986.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not have any statutory powers to enforce adherence to these regulations. The police can take action if a vehicle being used on the road is found to be in breach of the regulations. Construction and use requirements are also enforced through the annual MoT test that applies to most vehicle types and checked at the roadside and during other enforcement checks by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

All vehicles used on the public roads in the UK must have the relevant type approval (unless an exemption applies to the vehicle type) and comply with the technical and general use requirements of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. Type approval details are recorded on the DVLA’s records when the vehicle is first registered. The registered keeper of the vehicle is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.