ELV Questions for the new UK Government

The questions below were sent to the UK political parties fighting the recent General Election. I am sad to report that none of them responded in any way. We are now re-framing the questions and will be sending them to the new Government, and the answers we receive will be posted here.

Over the last few years the EU End of Life (ELV) Regulations has come into full use.

The Environment Agency (for England and Wales) and SEPA (for Scotland) enforce ELV standards on all licensed businesses involved in the dismantling of motor vehicles of any type.
However, DVLA, who administer the Certificate of Destruction process (another part of ELV regulations) only apply to the limit of the regulations – cars and light vans.

As we approach the general election, to assist the Motor Salvage Industry make their decisions on who to vote for, please can you ask the following questions.

• How many vehicles were de-registered from Jan 1 2009 to Dec 31 2009?
• How many Certificates of Destruction were issued in that same period?
• If, as suspected, there is a discrepancy between the two, what happened to the vehicles where a Certificate of Destruction was not issued, where they treated at Authorised Treatment Facilities as the law requires?

• When is the DVLA going to extend Certificate of Destruction to cover all vehicles, closing the current loophole that means people can take a vehicle out of use and dismantle it without having to have the vehicle treated by authorised treatment facilities?

• What action is your party going to take to ensure that un-licensed operators are either taken out of business or forced to comply with those businesses that have invested in their facilities, staff and equipment to achieve, or maintain the standards required as ELV licensed operations?


These questions have been sent to the following:
Gordon Brown: Prime Minister
Hilary Benn: Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
David Cameron: Conservative Party Leader
Nick Herbert: Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Nick Clegg: Liberal Democrat Party Leader
Tim Farron: Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Alex Salmond: SNP Leader