Instrument panel lighting

My car is an automatic so I have to hold it on the brake or it would creep forward until it bumped against the vehicle in front.

Going back to panel lights, I did mention the problem of a dull day when the panel could be in shadow and not readily readable - you don't have time to saint too long when on the move - making sidelights acceptable when the use of headlights is not really necessary.  At next service I will be asking for the panel lights to be programmed to come on with the sidelights.

My road lights switch does not have an "auto" setting.

Don’t you have a handbrake and N position, LT? 

Is it the 7 speed DSG in your Caravelle ?  if so it will have the auto hold function if you have an EPB, so no need to sit with your foot on the brake pedal.

That is what your hand/parking brake is for.

My Caravelle is a 2017 with 7-speed DSG, but does not have auto-hold, neither does it have an EPB. It can depend on how long the wait is.  Frequently, drivers in tail backs tend to start with a largish gap in front and then inch forward, which means the 'tail' is constantly on the move.  As it is, the stop/start function kicks in and I don't feel inclined to keep shifting between D and N every few seconds.   In most cases, the brake lights of cars in front of me remain on, and I do not find this a reason to complain about their brightness, so is it truly a problem to get het up about?

Who's het up? I thought we were just pointing out that you don’t 'have' to hold it on the footbrake.

Personally, I try not to dazzle the people behind with the currently popular ultra bright LED brake lights.

Yes, I have to agree. One of my pet hates is sitting behind drivers who either don't realise what their handbrake is for, or are too lazy to use it! 

Rule 114
You MUST NOT
Use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders

And  'MUST NOT'  makes it law.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the brake lights of vehicles in front of me, and the incidence of drivers actually applying their handbrakes to extinguish them is a very low number - the majority just keep the footbrake pressed down.   It is the oncoming headlights that are the cause of so much discomfort to drivers, as can be observed when reading any of the motoring-based forums.  The worst situation for this is when, on a 2-way carriageway, there is an oncoming queue of vehicles and the angle of approach presents the offside headlights as a continuous string of glare.   By comparison, rear brake lights are a walk in the park.