Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of delays between people being confirmed medically fit and getting their driving licenses back by the DVLA.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services are the quickest way to apply for a driving licence and drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online. The DVLA has also introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions and glaucoma. This has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver.
The DVLA is continuing to make improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions and is introducing a new strategic system to process cases. This will provide better services for customers and allow straightforward applications to be processed more quickly.
In the 2024/25 financial year, the average time taken to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued was 44 working days, a reduction from 56 working days in the previous financial year.
Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can sometimes take longer depending on the medical condition or conditions being investigated. The DVLA is also often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence.
Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to speed up the process of DVLA reviewing license renewal following medical improvement.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services are the quickest way to apply for a driving licence and drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online. The DVLA has also introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions and glaucoma. This has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver.
The DVLA is continuing to make improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions and is introducing a new strategic system to process cases. This will provide better services for customers and allow straightforward applications to be processed more quickly.
In the 2024/25 financial year, the average time taken to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued was 44 working days, a reduction from 56 working days in the previous financial year.
Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can sometimes take longer depending on the medical condition or conditions being investigated. The DVLA is also often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence.
Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time was for a practical driving test in Somerset in each of the last five years, by driving test centre
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for a practical driving test in each of the last five years, by driving test centre (DTC) in Somerset.
Somerset |
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Taunton | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
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Average | 10.9 | 16.7 | 16.8 | 16.5 | 21.9 |
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Longest | 18.0 | 23.5 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
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Yeovil | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
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Average | 12.3 | 15.7 | 16.6 | 20.8 | 22.5 |
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Longest | 18.0 | 18.8 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
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Weston Super Mare | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | ||||||
Average | 9.6 | 9.1 | 16.2 | 20.5 | 21.0 | ||||||
Longest | 18.0 | 14.2 | 23.8 | 24.0 | 24.0 | ||||||
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The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for a practical driving test in each of the last five years, by DTC in Wiltshire.
Wiltshire | |||||||||||
Chippenham | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | ||||||
Average | 9.0 | 10.7 | 16.7 | 22.0 | 24.0 | ||||||
Longest | 16.5 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | ||||||
Salisbury | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | ||||||
Average | 10.1 | 12.9 | 10.5 | 16.9 | 21.7 | ||||||
Longest | 17.8 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | ||||||
Trowbridge | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | ||||||
Average | 15.3 | 9.9 | 11.8 | 14.2 | 16.6 | ||||||
Longest | 18.0 | 21.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | ||||||
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Swindon MPTC | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
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Average | 11.2 | 13.7 | 18.8 | 23.5 | 24.0 |
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Longest | 18.0 | 23.8 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
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Please note that the maximum waiting time until the middle of 2021 was 18 weeks. The maximum waiting time since then has been 24 weeks.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time was for a practical driving test in Wiltshire, by driving test centre in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for a practical driving test in each of the last five years, by driving test centre (DTC) in Somerset.
Somerset |
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Taunton | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
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Average | 10.9 | 16.7 | 16.8 | 16.5 | 21.9 |
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Longest | 18.0 | 23.5 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
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Yeovil | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
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Average | 12.3 | 15.7 | 16.6 | 20.8 | 22.5 |
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Longest | 18.0 | 18.8 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
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Weston Super Mare | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | ||||||
Average | 9.6 | 9.1 | 16.2 | 20.5 | 21.0 | ||||||
Longest | 18.0 | 14.2 | 23.8 | 24.0 | 24.0 | ||||||
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The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for a practical driving test in each of the last five years, by DTC in Wiltshire.
Wiltshire | |||||||||||
Chippenham | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | ||||||
Average | 9.0 | 10.7 | 16.7 | 22.0 | 24.0 | ||||||
Longest | 16.5 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | ||||||
Salisbury | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | ||||||
Average | 10.1 | 12.9 | 10.5 | 16.9 | 21.7 | ||||||
Longest | 17.8 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | ||||||
Trowbridge | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | ||||||
Average | 15.3 | 9.9 | 11.8 | 14.2 | 16.6 | ||||||
Longest | 18.0 | 21.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | ||||||
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Swindon MPTC | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
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Average | 11.2 | 13.7 | 18.8 | 23.5 | 24.0 |
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Longest | 18.0 | 23.8 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
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Please note that the maximum waiting time until the middle of 2021 was 18 weeks. The maximum waiting time since then has been 24 weeks.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time was for (i) theory and (ii) practical driving tests in Somerset in the last five years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for car practical driving tests, at driving test centres (DTCs) in Wiltshire, for the last ten financial years.
Driving test wait times (weeks) Wiltshire | ||||||||||
Financial Year | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Average | 9.9 | 9.1 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 9.2 | 11.3 | 11.8 | 15.3 | 19.0 | 21.6 |
Longest | 11.1 | 13.5 | 9.8 | 9.9 | 11.9 | 16.8 | 15.6 | 19.4 | 23.6 | 24.0 |
The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for car practical driving tests, at DTCs in Somerset, for the last five financial years.
Driving test wait times (weeks) Somerset | |||||
Financial Year | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Average | 10.8 | 13.9 | 16.5 | 19.1 | 21.8 |
Longest | 18.0 | 15.6 | 21.9 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
The table below shows the average wait time for theory tests in Somerset for the financial years 2021/22 to 2024/25.*
Financial year | Average wait time |
2021/22 (from Sept 2021) | 34.6 days |
2022/23 | 24.6 days |
2023/24 | 20.6 days |
2024/25 | 23.2 days |
The overall average for the total time period available (Sept 2021 to today) for theory tests is 24.1 days.
*Please note, The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) only hold data from when its new theory test booking service was implemented in September 2021. Theory test data availability is not measured in the same way as practical tests. DVSA’s relevant KPI for theory tests is the difference between the first confirmed booking date and the first confirmed test date, excluding bank holidays.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time was for a driving test in Wiltshire in each of the last ten years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for car practical driving tests, at driving test centres (DTCs) in Wiltshire, for the last ten financial years.
Driving test wait times (weeks) Wiltshire | ||||||||||
Financial Year | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Average | 9.9 | 9.1 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 9.2 | 11.3 | 11.8 | 15.3 | 19.0 | 21.6 |
Longest | 11.1 | 13.5 | 9.8 | 9.9 | 11.9 | 16.8 | 15.6 | 19.4 | 23.6 | 24.0 |
The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for car practical driving tests, at DTCs in Somerset, for the last five financial years.
Driving test wait times (weeks) Somerset | |||||
Financial Year | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Average | 10.8 | 13.9 | 16.5 | 19.1 | 21.8 |
Longest | 18.0 | 15.6 | 21.9 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
The table below shows the average wait time for theory tests in Somerset for the financial years 2021/22 to 2024/25.*
Financial year | Average wait time |
2021/22 (from Sept 2021) | 34.6 days |
2022/23 | 24.6 days |
2023/24 | 20.6 days |
2024/25 | 23.2 days |
The overall average for the total time period available (Sept 2021 to today) for theory tests is 24.1 days.
*Please note, The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) only hold data from when its new theory test booking service was implemented in September 2021. Theory test data availability is not measured in the same way as practical tests. DVSA’s relevant KPI for theory tests is the difference between the first confirmed booking date and the first confirmed test date, excluding bank holidays.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the introduction of the School Streets scheme.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Active Travel England and the Department for Transport have jointly published School Streets guidance to enable local authorities to deliver effective School Streets. Local authorities can use active travel revenue and capital funding to deliver School Streets, with more than 180 school streets already funded by Active Travel England.
School Streets are one of a range of measures that local authorities can deliver to make it safer and easier for children to walk, wheel and cycle to school. Other interventions supported by Active Travel England include infrastructure improvements on school routes and training and engagement activities such as Bikeability cycle training and Living Streets Walk to School Outreach programme.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on the electrification of the line between Bristol and Chippenham.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Passengers using the line between Bristol Temple Meads and Chippenham are benefiting from the bi-mode rolling stock introduced in 2019 as part of the Great Western Route Modernisation programme. These trains are delivering faster and more reliable end to end journeys for passengers.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the (a) financial and (b) time impact of the deferred electrification between Bristol and Chippenham on commuters.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Electrification of the line between Bristol Temple Meads and Chippenham was deferred in 2016. Passengers on this line are benefiting from the bi-mode rolling stock introduced in 2019 which are delivering faster and more reliable end to end journeys. No subsequent assessment has been made since the deferral of electrification on this line.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to reduce the number of HGV using small rural roads.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local authorities have powers under Sections 1 & 2 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to restrict or prohibit the use of HGVs on any road, for a wide range of safety and environmental reasons. These measures can be implemented by making Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) without reference to the Department for Transport.
The council can then use signs outlined in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 and work with the police to enforce the restrictions.
Non-complaint vehicle operators or drivers can be reported to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). DVSA has the power to make a referral to the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain, who are responsible for the licensing and regulation of those who operate heavy goods vehicles.