Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons vehicle excise duty is no longer valid if a vehicle changes ownership; and whether motorists were consulted about that change.

The decision to end vehicle excise duty at the point of sale was introduced as a consumer protection measure to prevent those purchasing second-hand vehicles unknowingly keeping an unlicensed vehicle in the absence of a tax disc.

This change was introduced in the Finance Act 2014. Her Majesty’s Treasury published this in draft form for public consultation in December 2013 on GOV.UK. The majority of comments received (83%) supported the change.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) also carried out a survey asking members of the public what they thought of the change and 78% of respondents were supportive.