DAVID HANCOCK DVLA RESPONSE ON BEHALF OF LORD ADONIS

Here we have a response from David Hancock who is Director of Enforcement for DVLA.

I should remind you at this point that I had paid the DVLA £80 in August 2008 to furnish me with correct documentation to enable the correct and lawful transfer of my new cherished number plate onto my vehicle.

The DVLA screwed up the initial transfer then failed to provide me with a new log book. In September 2008 the DVLA screwed up again by supplying me with a V11 certificate with the old registration number on it!! My tax expired at the end of September 2008 so I took all my documentation (as supplied by the DVLA) to the post office together with the £185 for a full year's road tax.

The post office refused the documentation because it was incorrect and consequently I had to contact the DVLA to sort their problem out and send me the correct documentation through - which they incredibly managed to do the very next morning.

That very morning I taxed my car and I thought that would be the end of it.....

Instead DVLA took me to court for "road tax evasion". The judge at Blackpool Magustrates Court even suggested it was not possible for me to tax my vehicle with the documentation I had at my disposal yet amazingly I was told to pay £230.00 with £90 costs to the DVLA.

Back to today's letter on behalf of Lord Adonis:

Dear Mr ********

Thank you for your e-mail of 5 October 2009 to Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport. You were advised that this would be forwarded to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for response. I am replying, as Director of Enforcement, to address the remaining issues you have raised and to bring your case to a conclusion.

I have reviewed the exchange of correspondence between you and the Agency and am upholding DVLA’s earlier decision and advice. Despite your assertion to the contrary, it was entirely appropriate for DVLA to pursue enforcement action for the unlicensed use of vehicle registration number ******. When the case was heard at Blackpool Magistrates Court, the Magistrate agreed that the prosecution had been properly brought, and it was within the Court’s remit to determine the fine at £230.00 and costs at £90.00.

Mr Alexander has fully explained the legislation under which you were penalised, the processes involved in the number transfer scheme and in issuing V11 tax reminder forms. As a gesture of goodwill, he agreed to refund the fee of your number transfer. No further payments are due to you from DVLA.

I believe that we have done all we can to help you and that it is now time to bring all correspondence to a close. Your comments have been noted and your letter placed on file.

Yours sincerely


David Hancock
Director of Enforcement


OUR OPINION: IT IS CLEAR WITH THE CATALOGUE OF FAILINGS WITHIN THE DVLA AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT THAT NEW LEADERSHIP IS OVERDUE. WE CALL ON THE LIKES OF LORD ADONIS AND DAVID HANCOCK TO BE SACKED IMMEDIATELY.