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Road Traffic act 1988.

55 Type approval certificates

(1) Where the Secretary of State is satisfied on application made to him by the manufacturer of a vehicle of a class to which regulations under section 54 of this Act apply and after examination of the vehicle—

(a) that the vehicle complies with the relevant type approval requirements, and

(b) that adequate arrangements have been made to secure that other vehicles purporting to conform with that vehicle in the relevant aspects of design, construction, equipment and marking will so conform in all respects or with such variations as may be permitted,

he may approve that vehicle as a type vehicle.

(2) Where the Secretary of State approves a vehicle as a type vehicle he must issue a certificate (in this Part of this Act referred to as a “type approval certificate”) stating that the vehicle complies with the relevant type approval requirements and specifying—

(a) the permitted variations from the type vehicle, and

(b) the design weights for vehicles so conforming in all respects and for vehicles so conforming with any such variations.

(3) In the following provisions of this section and in sections 56 to 59 of this Act “conform” means conform in all respects or with any permitted variation.

(4) Subject to subsection (6) below, a type approval certificate may be issued for a type vehicle where the Secretary of State is satisfied that one or more, but not all, of the relevant type approval requirements are complied with in the case of that vehicle.

(5) A further type approval certificate may be issued by virtue of subsection (4) above on the application of any person—

(a) who manufactures any part of the vehicle, or

(b) by whom the vehicle is finally assembled;

and references in the following provisions of this section and in sections 56 to 59 of this Act to a manufacturer shall be construed accordingly.

(6) The first type approval certificate issued for a type vehicle by virtue of subsection (4) above must specify the design weights for conforming vehicles, and accordingly—

(a) so much of subsection (2) above or section 57(1) to (3) of this Act as requires the Secretary of State [or the prescribed testing authority] or a manufacturer to specify in any certificate under this or that section the design weights or plated weights for a vehicle or as requires the Secretary of State or a manufacturer to mark or secure the marking of the plated weights on a vehicle does not apply to a subsequent type approval certificate issued by virtue of subsection (4) above or to the certificates of conformity issued in consequence of such a type approval certificate, and

(b) so much of section 58(2) of this Act as requires the Secretary of State to specify in any certificate issued by him the design weights and plated weights for a vehicle or to secure that the plated weights are marked on a vehicle does not apply to a Minister's approval certificate issued by virtue of subsection (4) above.

(7) Subsection (6) above does not apply in relation to vehicle parts.

8. Where the Secretary of State determines on an application under this section not to issue a type approval certificate in respect of a vehicle, he must give to the applicant a written notification of the determination, stating the grounds on which it is based.
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And here's the law which has so far prevented the majority if not all limousines from being licensed as Public Service vehicles.

Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981

Part II

Section 6

General Provisions Relating to Public Service Vehicles

Fitness of public service vehicles

6 Certificate of initial fitness (or equivalent) required for use as public service vehicles

(1) A public service vehicle adapted to carry more than eight passengers shall not be used on a road unless—

(a) [an examiner appointed under section 66A of the Road Traffic Act 1988] [or an authorised inspector] has issued a certificate (in this Act referred to as a “certificate of initial fitness”) that the prescribed conditions as to fitness are fulfilled in respect of the vehicle; or

(b) a certificate under section 10 of this Act has been issued in respect of the vehicle; or

(c) there has been issued in respect of the vehicle a certificate under section 47 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 [or sections 55 to 58 of the Road Traffic Act 1988] (type approval) of a kind which by virtue of regulations is to be treated as the equivalent of a certificate of initial fitness.

[(1A) . . . regulations may make provision with respect to the examination of vehicles for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) above by or under the direction of authorised inspectors and the issue or refusal of certificates of initial fitness by such inspectors on any such examinations.]

(2) Subject to section 68(3) of this Act, if a vehicle is used in contravention of subsection (1) above, the operator of the vehicle shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [level 4 on the standard scale].
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