Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the proposals in Law Commission’s report entitled Modernising Wills Law, published on 15 May 2025.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has welcomed the Law Commission’s comprehensive report on the law of making a will and will be giving the report careful consideration.
This is the first major review of the law on making wills since the Wills Act 1837, and the reforms proposed by the Law Commission are significant and wide ranging. They deserve detailed consideration. The Government recognises that the current law is outdated, and we must embrace change, but the guiding principle in doing so will be to ensure that reform does not compromise existing freedoms or protecting the elderly and vulnerable in society from undue influence.
The Government will make further announcements in due course, once it has given the report the detailed consideration it deserves.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that employers are providing support for women in the workplace with flexible working.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government knows how important flexible working can be to help women with caring responsibilities manage their work and personal commitments. It can also be equally important for carers of vulnerable adults as well as employees with long-term physical or mental health conditions.
That is why the Government, through the Employment Rights Bill, is increasing access to flexible working by making it the default except where not reasonably feasible. These measures will support all employees, including women, to access flexible working. The changes in the Bill will require employers to accept flexible working requests where it is reasonably feasible to do so.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that employers are supporting women managing menopause in the workplace.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 18th October 2024 the Secretary of State for DWP appointed Mariella Frostrup as the new Menopause Employment Ambassador. The Menopause Employment Ambassador will work closely with employers across the country to improve workplace support for women experiencing menopause and wider women’s health issues. The Menopause Employment Ambassador launched her Menopause Advisory Group on 24th April who will provide her with expert knowledge from a wide range of sectors on how businesses can better support women experiencing menopause in the workplace by creating a more supportive environment that helps women to stay in work and progress.
The government has also proposed a wide-ranging set of generational reforms to boost protections for workers, including women experiencing menopause symptoms at work. The policy proposals in the Employment Rights Bill would require large employers with more than 250 employees to produce Menopause Action Plans on how they will support employees through the menopause. Alongside this the government has also committed to publishing guidance, including for small employers, on measures to consider relating to uniform and temperature, flexible working and recording menopause-related leave and absence.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many eligible (a) managers and (b) administrative staff will be deployed as driving test examiners in (i) Birmingham and (ii) Birmingham (Kingstanding) Test Centre through the DVSA Additional Testing Award Scheme.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The average waiting time in April 2025 for a car practical driving test at Birmingham (Kingstanding) was 24 weeks compared to the National average of 22.3 weeks.
It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.
The table below shows; the number of driving examiners (DE) DVSA onboarded, the number of DEs that passed or failed the required training course; and the DEs that left DVSA from January 2021 to April 2025 for its Birmingham (Kingstanding) driving test centre. DVSA has one potential new entrant DE currently undergoing pre-employment checks before a course start can be agreed.
| 2025 to April 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
DEs onboarded | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
DEs passed training | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs failed training | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
DVSA does not take the decision to cancel tests lightly and will only cancel a test as a last resort as it knows how disappointing it can be for customers. When DVSA does have to cancel a test, it will reschedule it to the next available date at the time. The table below shows the total number of tests and how many DVSA cancelled due to either medical absence or annual leave for Birmingham (Kingstanding):
| 01/01/2024 - 30/09/2024 * | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total Tests | 13865 | 11298 | 8616 | 8089 | 5688 |
Test cancelled due to medical absence | 1008 (7.3%) | 657 (5.8%) | 393 (4.6%) | 238 (2.9%) | 468 (8.2%) |
Tests cancelled due to annual leave | 222 (1.6%) | 166 (1.5%) | 82 (0.9%) | 152 (1.9%) | 92 (1.6%) |
Note: This data does not include tests cancelled because of the pandemic.
* - Donates latest available published official stats that can be viewed on GOV.UK
DVSA’s additional test overtime incentive is a voluntary scheme open to all eligible volunteers authorised to provide car practical driving tests. The scheme is designed to encourage a high level of take up. It is too early to provide information on how many volunteers might take up the offer both nationally or in the Birmingham Kingstanding area.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving tests have been cancelled in Birmingham Perry Barr constituency due to examiner (a) sickness and (b) annual leave in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The average waiting time in April 2025 for a car practical driving test at Birmingham (Kingstanding) was 24 weeks compared to the National average of 22.3 weeks.
It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.
The table below shows; the number of driving examiners (DE) DVSA onboarded, the number of DEs that passed or failed the required training course; and the DEs that left DVSA from January 2021 to April 2025 for its Birmingham (Kingstanding) driving test centre. DVSA has one potential new entrant DE currently undergoing pre-employment checks before a course start can be agreed.
| 2025 to April 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
DEs onboarded | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
DEs passed training | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs failed training | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
DVSA does not take the decision to cancel tests lightly and will only cancel a test as a last resort as it knows how disappointing it can be for customers. When DVSA does have to cancel a test, it will reschedule it to the next available date at the time. The table below shows the total number of tests and how many DVSA cancelled due to either medical absence or annual leave for Birmingham (Kingstanding):
| 01/01/2024 - 30/09/2024 * | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total Tests | 13865 | 11298 | 8616 | 8089 | 5688 |
Test cancelled due to medical absence | 1008 (7.3%) | 657 (5.8%) | 393 (4.6%) | 238 (2.9%) | 468 (8.2%) |
Tests cancelled due to annual leave | 222 (1.6%) | 166 (1.5%) | 82 (0.9%) | 152 (1.9%) | 92 (1.6%) |
Note: This data does not include tests cancelled because of the pandemic.
* - Donates latest available published official stats that can be viewed on GOV.UK
DVSA’s additional test overtime incentive is a voluntary scheme open to all eligible volunteers authorised to provide car practical driving tests. The scheme is designed to encourage a high level of take up. It is too early to provide information on how many volunteers might take up the offer both nationally or in the Birmingham Kingstanding area.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test examiners have (a) been onboarded and (b) left the DVSA in Birmingham Perry Barr constituency in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The average waiting time in April 2025 for a car practical driving test at Birmingham (Kingstanding) was 24 weeks compared to the National average of 22.3 weeks.
It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.
The table below shows; the number of driving examiners (DE) DVSA onboarded, the number of DEs that passed or failed the required training course; and the DEs that left DVSA from January 2021 to April 2025 for its Birmingham (Kingstanding) driving test centre. DVSA has one potential new entrant DE currently undergoing pre-employment checks before a course start can be agreed.
| 2025 to April 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
DEs onboarded | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
DEs passed training | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs failed training | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
DVSA does not take the decision to cancel tests lightly and will only cancel a test as a last resort as it knows how disappointing it can be for customers. When DVSA does have to cancel a test, it will reschedule it to the next available date at the time. The table below shows the total number of tests and how many DVSA cancelled due to either medical absence or annual leave for Birmingham (Kingstanding):
| 01/01/2024 - 30/09/2024 * | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total Tests | 13865 | 11298 | 8616 | 8089 | 5688 |
Test cancelled due to medical absence | 1008 (7.3%) | 657 (5.8%) | 393 (4.6%) | 238 (2.9%) | 468 (8.2%) |
Tests cancelled due to annual leave | 222 (1.6%) | 166 (1.5%) | 82 (0.9%) | 152 (1.9%) | 92 (1.6%) |
Note: This data does not include tests cancelled because of the pandemic.
* - Donates latest available published official stats that can be viewed on GOV.UK
DVSA’s additional test overtime incentive is a voluntary scheme open to all eligible volunteers authorised to provide car practical driving tests. The scheme is designed to encourage a high level of take up. It is too early to provide information on how many volunteers might take up the offer both nationally or in the Birmingham Kingstanding area.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending the period for which driving theory test certificates are valid.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The average waiting time in April 2025 for a car practical driving test at Birmingham (Kingstanding) was 24 weeks compared to the National average of 22.3 weeks.
It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.
The table below shows; the number of driving examiners (DE) DVSA onboarded, the number of DEs that passed or failed the required training course; and the DEs that left DVSA from January 2021 to April 2025 for its Birmingham (Kingstanding) driving test centre. DVSA has one potential new entrant DE currently undergoing pre-employment checks before a course start can be agreed.
| 2025 to April 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
DEs onboarded | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
DEs passed training | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs failed training | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
DVSA does not take the decision to cancel tests lightly and will only cancel a test as a last resort as it knows how disappointing it can be for customers. When DVSA does have to cancel a test, it will reschedule it to the next available date at the time. The table below shows the total number of tests and how many DVSA cancelled due to either medical absence or annual leave for Birmingham (Kingstanding):
| 01/01/2024 - 30/09/2024 * | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total Tests | 13865 | 11298 | 8616 | 8089 | 5688 |
Test cancelled due to medical absence | 1008 (7.3%) | 657 (5.8%) | 393 (4.6%) | 238 (2.9%) | 468 (8.2%) |
Tests cancelled due to annual leave | 222 (1.6%) | 166 (1.5%) | 82 (0.9%) | 152 (1.9%) | 92 (1.6%) |
Note: This data does not include tests cancelled because of the pandemic.
* - Donates latest available published official stats that can be viewed on GOV.UK
DVSA’s additional test overtime incentive is a voluntary scheme open to all eligible volunteers authorised to provide car practical driving tests. The scheme is designed to encourage a high level of take up. It is too early to provide information on how many volunteers might take up the offer both nationally or in the Birmingham Kingstanding area.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to consumers from (a) fraud, (b) unfair trading and (c) unsafe goods in the secondary driving test market in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is not illegal to resell a practical driving test appointment. But to ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system.
On the 18 December 2024, DVSA launched a call for evidence, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, including any potential future legislative changes. On the 23 April 2025 the Secretary of State for Transport announced that this consultation has been fast-tracked to May 2025.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Q44 of the oral evidence given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the Transport Select Committee on 4 December 2024, HC 437, what the average waiting time for driving tests is in Birmingham Perry Barr constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The average waiting time in April 2025 for a car practical driving test at Birmingham (Kingstanding) was 24 weeks compared to the National average of 22.3 weeks.
It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.
The table below shows; the number of driving examiners (DE) DVSA onboarded, the number of DEs that passed or failed the required training course; and the DEs that left DVSA from January 2021 to April 2025 for its Birmingham (Kingstanding) driving test centre. DVSA has one potential new entrant DE currently undergoing pre-employment checks before a course start can be agreed.
| 2025 to April 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
DEs onboarded | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
DEs passed training | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs failed training | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
DVSA does not take the decision to cancel tests lightly and will only cancel a test as a last resort as it knows how disappointing it can be for customers. When DVSA does have to cancel a test, it will reschedule it to the next available date at the time. The table below shows the total number of tests and how many DVSA cancelled due to either medical absence or annual leave for Birmingham (Kingstanding):
| 01/01/2024 - 30/09/2024 * | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total Tests | 13865 | 11298 | 8616 | 8089 | 5688 |
Test cancelled due to medical absence | 1008 (7.3%) | 657 (5.8%) | 393 (4.6%) | 238 (2.9%) | 468 (8.2%) |
Tests cancelled due to annual leave | 222 (1.6%) | 166 (1.5%) | 82 (0.9%) | 152 (1.9%) | 92 (1.6%) |
Note: This data does not include tests cancelled because of the pandemic.
* - Donates latest available published official stats that can be viewed on GOV.UK
DVSA’s additional test overtime incentive is a voluntary scheme open to all eligible volunteers authorised to provide car practical driving tests. The scheme is designed to encourage a high level of take up. It is too early to provide information on how many volunteers might take up the offer both nationally or in the Birmingham Kingstanding area.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many additional driving test examiner trainers will be deployed in (a) Birmingham and (b) Birmingham (Kingstanding) Test Centre through the DVSA Additional Testing Award Scheme.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The average waiting time in April 2025 for a car practical driving test at Birmingham (Kingstanding) was 24 weeks compared to the National average of 22.3 weeks.
It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.
The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.
Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.
The table below shows; the number of driving examiners (DE) DVSA onboarded, the number of DEs that passed or failed the required training course; and the DEs that left DVSA from January 2021 to April 2025 for its Birmingham (Kingstanding) driving test centre. DVSA has one potential new entrant DE currently undergoing pre-employment checks before a course start can be agreed.
| 2025 to April 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
DEs onboarded | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
DEs passed training | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs failed training | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DEs left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
DVSA does not take the decision to cancel tests lightly and will only cancel a test as a last resort as it knows how disappointing it can be for customers. When DVSA does have to cancel a test, it will reschedule it to the next available date at the time. The table below shows the total number of tests and how many DVSA cancelled due to either medical absence or annual leave for Birmingham (Kingstanding):
| 01/01/2024 - 30/09/2024 * | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total Tests | 13865 | 11298 | 8616 | 8089 | 5688 |
Test cancelled due to medical absence | 1008 (7.3%) | 657 (5.8%) | 393 (4.6%) | 238 (2.9%) | 468 (8.2%) |
Tests cancelled due to annual leave | 222 (1.6%) | 166 (1.5%) | 82 (0.9%) | 152 (1.9%) | 92 (1.6%) |
Note: This data does not include tests cancelled because of the pandemic.
* - Donates latest available published official stats that can be viewed on GOV.UK
DVSA’s additional test overtime incentive is a voluntary scheme open to all eligible volunteers authorised to provide car practical driving tests. The scheme is designed to encourage a high level of take up. It is too early to provide information on how many volunteers might take up the offer both nationally or in the Birmingham Kingstanding area.