MVR4 Duplicate Registration Certificate missue

Summary

The requester asked for statistics on duplicate vehicle registration certificates issued to incorrect addresses or without signatures between 2016 and 2018 due to suspected fraud. The Department of Infrastructure refused the request, stating that manually compiling the data from 85,000 transactions would exceed the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

Key Facts

• The request concerned Vehicle Registration Certificates (logbooks) issued by the Department of Infrastructure and the Post Office.
• The specified time period for the data request was from 01/01/2016 to 12/09/2018.
• The Department of Infrastructure is not required to undertake substantial compilation or analysis of information under the Act.
• The Post Office processed 85,000 transactions for the DOI during the requested period.
• The data is stored in a format that does not allow for automated extraction, requiring manual cross-referencing.

Data Disclosed

• 01/01/2016
• 12/09/2018
• 85,000
• 13 September 2018
• 1 October 2018
• 554147

Exemptions Cited

• Not required to undertake research into, or analysis of information
• Not required to undertake substantial compilation or collation of information

Original Request

I need the number of Vehicle Registration Certificates (logbook) issued by the DOI (and Post Office on behalf of the DOI) from 01/01/2016 to 12/09/2018, that have been issued and posted out to a name and address that differs to the name and address of the registered keeper that is printed on the logbook. How many logbooks have been issued without the registered keepers signature on the MVR4 form? This is in relation to a reported data protection breach that personal data and vehicle details are being given to 3rd parties without consent. In this instance MVR4 forms have been getting processed without the current registered owners signature. This gap in the process has made it possible for fraudsters to gain personal and vehicle details as well as steal registration numbers and potentially vehicles.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team Telephone: (01624) 686785

Our ref: 554147 1 October 2018

Dear ###

This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

We write further to your request which was received on 13 September 2018 and which states:

"I need the number of Vehicle Registration Certificates (logbook) issued by the DOI (and Post Office on behalf of the DOI) from 01/01/2016 to 12/09/2018, that have been issued and posted out to a name and address that differs to the name and address of the registered keeper that is printed on the logbook. How many logbooks have been issued without the registered keepers signature on the MVR4 form? While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, complying with your request for information would require the Department of Infrastructure to do the following: 1. Undertake research into, or analysis of information that it holds; 2. Undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds. Which the Department of Infrastructure is not required to do under the Act. To give you some background the IOM Post Office has processed for the DOI 85,000 transactions alone for your specified time period. Unfortunately these transactions are not recorded in a format that allows us to extract the information; therefore we would have to manually search each application which is stored in date order and cross reference it with other applications to get an answer to your questions.

Please quote the reference number 554147 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely