Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many statutory off-road notifications were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in 2023.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) received 2,912,375 statutory off-road notifications in 2023.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many V62 application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows the total number and average waiting time of manual and digital applications processed in 2023.

For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many V317 application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows the total number and average waiting time of manual and digital applications processed in 2023.

For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many V5C application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows the total number and average waiting time of manual and digital applications processed in 2023.

For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many V890 application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows the total number and average waiting time of manual and digital applications processed in 2023.

For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to tackle vehicle registration fraud.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

It is an offence to provide the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) with false or misleading information. The DVLA requires proof of name of address as part of the application process for the first registration of vehicles and there is a legal obligation on vehicles’ keepers to notify the DVLA of certain subsequent changes to the vehicle (including a change of keeper).

Unfortunately, there will always be a small percentage of individuals who, for whatever reason, will not comply with their legal obligation to provide correct information. The DVLA works with key stakeholders to identify and prevent vehicle fraud. In the event of fraud, the DVLA actively gathers information and intelligence regarding illegal and improper conduct and will follow up any notifications of fraudulent activity with the relevant authorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to enable Ukrainian refugees to more easily register personal vehicles with the DVLA for tax and insurance purposes.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department continues to explore options for how Ukrainian communities can be supported in the UK. To support the registration of Ukrainian vehicles, officials within the DfT are working across Whitehall to identify any other potential actions within existing legislative frameworks and will look to utilise these as appropriate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to help ensure that changes to the registered details of vehicles are processed swiftly.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The quickest and easiest way to notify changes to vehicle registration details is by using the DVLA’s online service. However, all DVLA vehicle services are operating within normal turnaround times and without delay.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2023 to Question 122413 on Motor Vehicles: Registration, what the dedicated resource is that his Department has assigned to help Ukrainian refugees who need to register their vehicle; whether the dedicated resource can be used to help obtain certificates of conformity; and how the dedicated resource can be accessed.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Additional dedicated Department for Transport (DfT) personnel have been assigned to support Ukrainians who wish to register their vehicle, and the DfT has recently published detailed guidance to clearly outline the process. The dedicated resource can be accessed by contacting DVLA, DVSA or VCA as appropriate depending on the nature of the enquiry and as outlined in the guidance. As a Certificate of Conformity is issued by the manufacturer, a vehicle owner must make this request direct to the manufacturer. If a Ukrainian has a question regarding certificates they can contact the VCA for assistance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing ownership records, alongside registered keeper details on V5C documents in the context of present lack of ownership documentation allowing people to change ownership or keepership of a vehicle without requesting checks.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The vehicle register held by the DVLA, is not a register of legal title or ownership of vehicles.

Based on the latest available data, the DVLA is confident that just over 92% of the keepers on record are contactable and traceable based on the information held.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing ownership records, alongside registered keeper details, on V5C documents.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) maintains a register of vehicles and their keepers in the United Kingdom. The purpose of the vehicle register is to assist in revenue collection, road safety, law enforcement and to record who is responsible for the vehicle’s day-to-day use. The vehicle register held by the DVLA, is not a register of legal title or ownership of vehicles.

The registered keeper of a vehicle can be an individual or a corporate organisation, and they are legally responsible for notifying the DVLA that they have disposed of the vehicle and for notifying them who the new keeper is. Based on the latest available data, the DVLA is confident that just over 92% of the keepers on record are contactable and traceable based on the information held.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many V5C forms were administered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in 2022.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

During 2022, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA):

a) issued 16,573,304 V5C (vehicle registration certificates). These will include V5Cs issued following a change of vehicle keeper, change of address or change of vehicle details as well as the first registration of a vehicle.

b) administered 5,521 VTL310 forms (replacement trade plates or change of address of the trade plate holder).

c) received 6,033 V267 forms (declaration of newness for the registration of a new vehicle).

d) received 2,706,957 statutory off road notifications.

The length of time taken to deal with a driving licence application where a medical condition(s) has been notified depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision on whether to issue a licence can be made.

To reduce waiting times for customers, the law was changed on 20 July 2022 to widen the pool of healthcare professionals who can provide medical information to support an application for a driving licence. The DVLA has also recruited more staff and opened customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham which are focused on medical applications.

The DVLA has introduced a simplified licence renewal process for some medical conditions that has significantly reduced the need for further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this process.

It is important to note that the majority of applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they have not been told not to drive by a doctor or optician.

The DVLA does not record occupancy capacity on site daily. Around 58 per cent of the DVLA’s 6,312 staff work all their contracted hours in the office as their roles cannot be carried out remotely. The remaining 42 per cent of staff work a minimum of two days a week in the office, in line with wider civil service rules.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many V267 forms were processed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in 2022.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

During 2022, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA):

a) issued 16,573,304 V5C (vehicle registration certificates). These will include V5Cs issued following a change of vehicle keeper, change of address or change of vehicle details as well as the first registration of a vehicle.

b) administered 5,521 VTL310 forms (replacement trade plates or change of address of the trade plate holder).

c) received 6,033 V267 forms (declaration of newness for the registration of a new vehicle).

d) received 2,706,957 statutory off road notifications.

The length of time taken to deal with a driving licence application where a medical condition(s) has been notified depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision on whether to issue a licence can be made.

To reduce waiting times for customers, the law was changed on 20 July 2022 to widen the pool of healthcare professionals who can provide medical information to support an application for a driving licence. The DVLA has also recruited more staff and opened customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham which are focused on medical applications.

The DVLA has introduced a simplified licence renewal process for some medical conditions that has significantly reduced the need for further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this process.

It is important to note that the majority of applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they have not been told not to drive by a doctor or optician.

The DVLA does not record occupancy capacity on site daily. Around 58 per cent of the DVLA’s 6,312 staff work all their contracted hours in the office as their roles cannot be carried out remotely. The remaining 42 per cent of staff work a minimum of two days a week in the office, in line with wider civil service rules.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to allow Ukrainian refugees to use their Ukrainian-registered cars in the UK without the need to register those cars with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency within six months of arrival; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Foreign registered vehicles brought temporarily into the UK are exempt from UK registration and licensing requirements for up to six months in any 12-month period. After this period and to comply with road safety legislation, any foreign vehicle must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. The Government recognises the unique circumstances that many Ukrainians have encountered when fleeing their home country and in response His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is reviewing import duty relief applications. I have assigned dedicated resource across my Department to support those that need to register their vehicle.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help ensure that motorists who dispose of a vehicle are not subject to repeated police enquiries when the buyer has not returned a V5 form; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The person disposing of a vehicle is legally required to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) that they no longer have the vehicle. They are also required to provide the details of the person or company who has taken possession of the vehicle. If the person disposing of the vehicle does not inform the DVLA, their details will remain on the vehicle record and they may receive enquiries related to the vehicle.

The easiest way to inform the DVLA is to use the online service available on GOV.UK. Where a person has been contacted by the police or other authority about a vehicle for which they are no longer the keeper, they should inform the DVLA. I would be delighted to meet with you to discuss the V5 form and the transfer of vehicle ownership further.