To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Annex 2 of the guidance entitled Section 19 and 22 permits and obligations: not for profit passenger transport issued by the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency on 30 December 2020, whether the professional inspection of vehicles over 12 years old every six weeks is (a) advisory or (b) mandatory.

It is the responsibility of the permit holder to ensure that any vehicle used under a permit is in a safe and roadworthy condition. The Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness (GTMR): Commercial Goods and Passenger Carrying Vehicles (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-maintaining-roadworthiness), produced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, reflects that older vehicles will need more frequent maintenance. It provides information to help ensure that a vehicle is fully roadworthy when in use.

The GTMR helps permit holders to identify and implement systems that ensure vehicular roadworthiness requirements are met. It is a mandatory requirement that a vehicle is fully roadworthy whenever it is being used, regardless of age, as referenced in the GTMR.