I propose to take Questions Nos. 419 and 421 together.
The information which is required to be entered and confirmed when making on-line arrangements for the payment of motor tax include details of the name of the insurance company, the date of expiry of the insurance policy and the number of the insurance policy. Arrangements for on-line renewal of motor tax have been made by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in consultation with local authorities and commenced generally from 1 March 2004. I understand that no spot checks on insurance details entered on-line have been carried out to date. The current arrangements are an interim measure pending the setting up of an interactive on-line mechanism for verifying insurance data supplied on-line.
The NCT status of vehicles liable to car testing is recorded on the national vehicle file maintained by the vehicle registration unit of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. However, the production of a NCT certificate when taxing a motor car has not been a requirement since December 2001 when, arising from an industrial dispute at National Car Testing Service Limited earlier that year which affected testing, some motorists were experiencing difficulties in arranging tests in sufficient time to obtain the NCT certificate needed for their motor tax application. On the resumption of normal testing service, the demand for the NCT indicated that restoration of the NCT-motor tax link was not necessary as NCT compliance rates were on a par with those for motor tax. If the compliance rates were to fall, it remains open to me to reinstate the requirement to have a valid NCT certificate for a liable motor car in order to renew motor tax.