Owen Paterson (Shadow Minister, Transport; North Shropshire, Conservative)

I should like to ask the Minister some quick questions about paragraph 5, entitled “Disputes”, on page 96.

The Minister will agree that the DVLA database is not 100 per cent. perfect. If mistakes are made, how will the disputes procedure work? Will there be an appeal mechanism? Will compensation be paid at the full book value of the vehicle concerned? Will the Minister take us through how the procedure would work, because the issue is left entirely to regulations. The procedure is opaque; it is not at all clear how the procedure would work.

Stephen Ladyman (Minister of State, Department for Transport; South Thanet, Labour)

I shall write to the hon. Gentleman with full details. Clearly, the procedure will have to be set out in the regulations when they are laid. However, I assure him that if an individual’s vehicle is moved or they incur loss through no fault of their own, we will make sure that they are properly compensated. I shall happily write to the hon. Gentleman and the rest of the Committee to explain the procedures that will be used.