Annual MoT tests for cars are expected to be scrapped after a Treasury review of EU red tape suggested that it was unnecessarily burdensome.

The study found that Britain’s 22 million motorists would save £465 million a year if they had the MoT test less frequently, and that there would be no obvious decrease in road safety. Treasury officials said that they would consult police and road safety groups before going ahead with the reform and that it would take about a year to come into effect.

The MoT change is one of ten bureaucracy cutting measures recommended by the review into the impact of EU legislation. The review, conducted by Lord Davidson of Glen Cova, QC, found that the Government often “gold- plated” EU rules, making them far more stringent than necessary.

The study found that the gold-plated regulations — which range from banking controls to animal testing and consumer protection — cost British businesses and consumers £670 million a year.

The MoT test system, established in 1968, is the second toughest in the EU, with only Latvia having tighter controls. Drivers must get an MoT test when a car is three years old, and in every year thereafter. However, EU law requires a test only every other year after a car is four years old. In France, Germany, Spain and Italy cars must be tested only every second year.

Changing the starting point for MoT tests to when a car is four years old, rather than three, would save drivers £80 million a year in fees, as well as the time taken to drive to and from the garage.

The report says: “Given that the frequency of vehicle testing in the UK is among the highest in the EU and that cars have changed a lot since 1968, it could be argued that UK drivers face unnecessary costs by comparison to their counterparts in other member states.”

The Davidson review suggested there was little evidence that making the tests biennial would make the roads more dangerous, but that the Government should study the issue more closely.

The review also suggested reducing controls on animal testing to make it less difficult to get a licence to conduct experiments. It said that there were unnecessary regulatory burdens — such as on scientists working temporarily in Britain — that could be scrapped without an impact on animal welfare standards.

It also said that town halls should not insist that food workers attend training courses, since EU regulations required only that they be supervised or instructed.

Consumer protection laws should also be streamlined, since there was an overlap between EU and domestic legislation that led to public confusion and unnecessary litigation. The review said that simplified procedures for complaining about faulty goods should be introduced by 2009.

Other areas identified for deregulation included insurance, financial controls on banks, fishing policy, rules on waste and road haulage licensing.

Tina Sommer, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said that the recommendations were a good start, but added: “This won’t solve the long-standing problem of the flawed processes by which all EU laws are implemented.

“It is disappointing that the report shied away from recommending an independent body to monitor this process.”

On the road

It is estimated that more than six million British motorists have driven cars that have not been deemed roadworthy

Sources: Kwik-Fit; RAC Foundation; Department for Transport

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