Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the percentage of licensed vehicles operating in Greater London that are fitted with ghost, stealth or otherwise ANPR-defeating number plates; what data is collected by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on the prevalence of such plates among licensed vehicles; and what steps the Government is taking to prevent the use of ghost or stealth number plates in offences linked to sexual exploitation, organised crime and other criminal activity.

The DVLA does not routinely collect data on the prevalence of different physical plate types fitted to vehicles.

The Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and is consulting on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for being in charge of a vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate and will consider whether legislative changes are needed to strengthen DVLA’s regulatory and enforcement powers. The DVLA works with police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council on enforcement activity to tackle the criminal use of non-compliant number plates.

The Government keeps the legislative framework for registration plates under review, including whether further measures are needed. It is already an offence to display a registration mark that does not comply with the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001.

The DVLA is considering options to strengthen and audit the Register of Number Plate Suppliers. DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards on compliance activity and investigations. Officials engage regularly with DVLA and policing partners, including police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, on the prevalence and enforcement of non-compliant plates, including show plates.