Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the public purse contributes to the cost of private parking firms receiving drivers' details from the DVLA; and if he will make it his policy that such firms pay the full cost to receive such details.

The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper information to those who can demonstrate a reasonable cause to receive it.

The DVLA’s charges for releasing data are intended to recover the full cost (including overheads) of providing the information so that the DVLA neither profits at the expense of customers nor makes a loss for taxpayers to subsidise. Over time, the costs of individual DVLA services can slightly increase or decrease, depending in part on the volume of requests, leading to a small surplus or deficit in the short term. However, the DVLA keeps fees and charges under review so that the public purse does not, over time, contribute to the cost of private parking firms receiving vehicle keepers’ details from the DVLA.