Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the contribution by the hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire of 10 June 2013, Official Report, column 102, what steps he is taking to increase enforcement by the DVLA of non-insured foreign vehicles that have been in the UK for more than six months.
Answer
All vehicles on UK roads are required under EU law to have at least third party insurance, even if they are temporary visitors. Once a foreign vehicle has been based in the UK permanently or for 185 days in any calendar year, it will need to be re-registered. It would require insurance with a UK insurer and the details of that policy would be included on the Motor Insurance Database. The vehicle would then be subject to continuous insurance enforcement (CIE) to tackle uninsured driving.
The DVLA is currently working with the police, UK Border Force and local authorities to develop a robust compliance and enforcement process to deal with vehicle keepers who refuse to comply with UK registration and licensing rules.