Regulating the Supply of Number Plates in Scotland
A Consultation
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Dear Consultee
VEHICLES (CRIME) ACT 2001: REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF NUMBER PLATES
Ministers in the Department of Transport Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) approached Scottish Executive Ministers last year about introducing statutory control of the supply of vehicle number plates as is provided for in England and Wales under Part II of the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001, to Scotland.
Scottish Executive Ministers have indicated to DTLR and the Home Office a willingness to extend the provisions to Scotland and have considered several options on how this might be achieved. These are, a local authority licensing scheme; Scottish primary legislation and amendment by the UK Government of the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001. Scottish Executive Ministers have identified the last option as the most practical in terms of providing secure, effective and consistent control over the supply of number plates on an UK wide basis.
As part of the process we are required to undertake a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) and to consult those with an immediate interest in the proposal. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) undertook a similar consultation in England and Wales in August 2000, prior to provisions being included in the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001. The attached RIA, which forms the main part of the Consultation, sets out the case for extending the provisions contained in the Act to Scotland and how that might be achieved.
Ministers have agreed that the period of consultation should be from 23 August 2002 to 15 November 2002.
I would be grateful if you could consider for your own interests and, in particular, the specific policy proposal that the provisions set out in Part II of the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 which provides primary powers to make regulations controlling the supply of number plates in England and Wales, should now extend to Scotland and that this would be best achieved through amendment to Westminster legislation.
I would appreciate any information or statistics you may hold which might add or support the case for extension to Scotland.
I would be grateful for your views and comments by no later than 15 November 2002. Responses should be sent to me in electronic form, where possible, to the e-mail address indicated in the RIA. Hard copies should be sent to the office address shown in the RIA. A list of those being consulted is attached. All those listed will receive hard copies of the enclosures below. Representative organisations will also receive electronic copies of the RIA only to aid dissemination. I would also appreciate early notification of any organisations and bodies not listed which you feel might wish the opportunity to contribute to the Consultation.
DREW PETERKIN
Head of Unit
Enclosures: Regulatory Impact Assessment
Explanatory Notes: Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001 Chapter 3 (pdf format (356k))
CONSULTATION LIST - CONTROL OF NUMBER PLATES
POLICE
ACPOS
Mr William Rae QPM
Hon Secretary
ACPOS
Police Headquarters
173 Pitt Street
GLASGOW
G2 4JS
Tel: 0141 532 2052
Fax: 0141 532 2058
email: contactus@acpos.police.uk
ASSOCIATION OF SCOTTISH POLICE SUPERINTENDENTS (ASPS)
J Urquhart Esq QPM
General Secretary
Association of Scottish Police Superintendents
Pegasus House
West George Street
Glasgow
G2 4LW
Tel: 0141 221 5796
Fax: 0141 221 8407
email: admin@scottishpolicesupers.co.uk
SCOTTISH POLICE FEDERATION (SPF)
Douglas Keil Esq QPM
General Secretary
Scottish Police Federation
5 Woodside Place
Glasgow
G3 7PD
Tel: 0141 332 5234
Fax: 0141 331 2436
email: spf@scottishpolicefederation.org.uk
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
CONVENTION OF SCOTTISH LOCAL AUTHORITIES (CoSLA)
Jon Harris Esq
Director of Policy and Legislation
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5XZ
Tel No: 0131 474 9200
Fax: 0131 474 9292
email: jon@cosla.gov.uk
SOCIETY OF LOCAL AUTHORITY CHIEF EXECUTIVES (SoLACE)
Alexander Watson Esq
Chair
Society of Local Authority Chief Executives
Angus Council
The Cross
Forfar
DD8 1BX
Tel No: 01307 461460
Fax: 01307 461874
email: chiefexec@angus.gov.uk
BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES
SCOTTISH RETAIL CONSORTIUM
Patrick Browne Esq
Director
Scottish Retail Consortium
222 - 224 Queensferry Road
Edinburgh
EH4 2BN
Tel No:0131 332 6619
Fax: 0131 332 6597
Email: pcb@brc.org.uk
FEDERATION OF SMALL BUSINESSES
Jim Torrance Esq
Scottish Policy Convenor
Federation of Small Businesses
74 Berkeley Street
Glasgow
G43 7OS
Tel: 0141 221 0775
Fax: 0141 221 5954
email: scotland.policy@fsb.org.uk
SCOTTISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
Warrick Malcolm Esq
Scottish Chambers of Commerce
12 Broughton Place
Edinburgh
EH1 3RX
Tel: 0131 557 9500
email: warrick.malcolm@scottishchambers.org.uk
CBI SCOTLAND
Iain McMillan Esq
Director
CBI Scotland
16 Robertson Street
Glasgow
G2 8DS
Tel: 0141 222 2184
Fax: 0141 222 2187
email: scot.mail@cbi.org.uk
SCOTTISH MOTOR TRADE ASSOCIATION
Douglas Robertson Esq
Executive Director
Scottish Motor Trade Association
3 Palmerston Place
Edinburgh
EH12 5AF
Tel No: 0131 225 3643
Fax: 0131 220 1446
Email: info@smta.co.uk
DEALERS
Clarkes Alfa Romeo
553 Gorgie Road
Edinburgh
EH11 3XU
Tel 0131 444 1673
Hawco & Sons
Harbour Road
Inverness
IV1 1UF
Tel 01463 236111
MOTOR FACTORS
Goodtread Tyres & Motor Factors
38 - 40 High Street
Alness
Ross-shire
IV17 0PS
Tel: 01349 882206
J H Lightbody
Unit 6
Townhill Industrial Estate
383 Townhill Road
Glasgow
G31 3AN
Tel:01415 500666
RETAILERS
Autoparts of Inverurie
Harlaw Road
Inverurie
Grampian
AB51 4FH
Tel:01467 624429
Lay By Motor Accessories
67 New Road
Ayr
KA8 8DA
Tel: 01292 610 644
OTHERS
SCOTTISH CIVIC FORUM
Donald Reid Esq
Director
Scottish Civic Forum
21-22 Queen Street
Edinburgh
EH2 1JX
Tel No: 0131 225 6789
Fax: 0870 051 1192
e-mail: enquiries@civicforum.org.uk
SCOTTISH BUSINESS CRIME CENTRE
Ian Fowler Esq
Director
Scottish Business Crime Centre
Unit 15, Beta Centre
Innovation Park
Stirling University
Stirling
FK9 4NF
Tel No: 01786 447441
Fax: 01786 447775
Email: enquiry@sbcc.org.uk
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AUTO THEFT INVESTIGATORS UK BRANCH
Iain McKinlay Esq
Director
International Association of Auto Theft Investigators UK Branch.
18 Craigend View
Condorrat
Cumbernauld
G67 4JY
Tel: 01236 731181
e-mail: IDMcKinlay@aol.com
COPY RECIPIENTS - NOT FOR CONSULTATION
DVLA
Trevor Horton Esq
Director External and Corporate Services
C3/19
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Longview Road
Swansea
SA6 7JL
BRITISH NUMBER PLATE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
Andy Lynch Esq
BNMA
PO Box 23 South Shore
Blackpool
FY4 3DA
HOME OFFICE
Colin Petter Esq
Crime Reduction Unit
Home Office
50 Queen Anne's Gate
London
SW1H 9AT