Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many vehicles were seized as a result of drivers not having the required insurance in place in England for each year from 2015 to date.

The Home Office does not centrally collect information on the number of vehicles seized by police forces in England and Wales, as a result of drivers not having the required insurance.

The Home Office publishes information on Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) and other outcomes for motoring offences, including licence, insurance and record-keeping offences, as a part of its annual Police powers and procedures: Roads policing statistical publication.

The latest publication can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales

Under Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988, police officers have the power to seize and remove a vehicle if they reasonably believe it is being driven without a valid driving licence or without insurance. Before seizing, the officer should warn the driver that the vehicle will be taken unless the required documents are produced immediately. Once seized, the vehicle is taken to a designated recovery compound, and the owner must provide proof of licence and insurance and pay statutory removal and storage fees to reclaim it. If unclaimed within the set period, the vehicle may be disposed of under Section 165B.