Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, prior to the introduction of the exemption from MOT tests for vehicles aged 40 years and over, they plan to issue guidance to motor retailers to avoid valuable historic vehicles in good condition which are registered with the DVLA being scrapped under scrappage discount schemes.

The Government has no plans to provide specific guidance on scrappage of vehicles of historical interest. Legislation will introduce a 40 year rolling exemption from MOT testing for these vehicles, providing they have not been substantially altered.

Officials are working, including with advice from the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, to finalise draft guidance on how to identify whether a vehicle has been substantially altered and this will be published before the legislation comes into force in May 2018. We have not so far seen significant evidence of scrappage discount schemes encouraging the scrappage of valuable older vehicles.