The DVLA currently retires vehicle registration numbers permanently when a vehicle is scrapped, unless the registration was placed on retention before the vehicle was destroyed.

This means that millions of registration numbers are sitting unused indefinitely, despite having no active owner, no associated vehicle and no prospect of ever being used again.

These registrations are a dormant public asset. Many have sentimental, historical or commercial value to motorists, families and classic vehicle enthusiasts. Others would simply provide additional choice within the personalised registration market.

We are calling on the DVLA and the Department for Transport to introduce a policy whereby registration numbers from vehicles that have been permanently scrapped and removed from the register for a significant period, for example 10 years or more, are released back into circulation and made available for purchase.

This would:

• Generate additional revenue for the taxpayer through DVLA registration sales.

• Increase the availability of personalised registrations without creating new registration formats.

• Allow historic family registrations to be used again rather than being lost forever.

• Make use of an existing public asset that currently has no practical purpose.

The current system permanently removes millions of registrations from circulation with no clear public benefit. It is time to modernise the policy and allow long-retired registrations to be returned to public use.