Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce car driving test wait times at (a) Monmouth test centre, (b) Abergavenny test centre and (c) test centres in South Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - 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 agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times, including in Wales, and improve access to driving tests that will break down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.
Following a recent recruitment campaign, one new entrant driving examiner has recently started in Monmouth and is currently undertaking training.
Eight new entrant driving examiners are scheduled to start training in May and June. Following successful completion of training, one will be joining Abergavenny test centre, two for Merthyr Tydfil, two for Newport, two for Swansea and one will be joining Llanelli test centre.
A further eight offers of employment have been made, which are still in pre-employment checks, for Cardiff, Newport, Bridgend, Swansea, Llanelli and Carmarthen test centre.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of practical car driving tests in Monmouthshire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
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.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country.
Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.
DVSA continues to run recruitment campaigns for new driving examiners (DE) and is in the final processes of the most recent campaign.
From recent recruitment in Monmouthshire, DVSA has two new DEs starting in Llantrisant, who will start testing this week, and has another awaiting an upcoming training course. There are also two potential new DEs currently in training for Newport and Cardiff driving test centres.
DVSA’s next campaign, which will include driving test centres in the area, is due to launch shortly.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the availability of (a) HGV driving test slots and (b) HGV driving test examiners.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As of 30 June 2025, there were 15,918 vocational practical driving tests booked and 1,216 tests available in the 10-week booking window
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing some of the highest demand for car practical driving tests it has ever seen.
Whilst DVSA are continuing to deploy examiner resource to vocational testing, it needs to ensure this is done in a way which balances all of the demands on DVSA’s examiner resource.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made following her Department's closed consultation on improving moped and motorcycle training.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, and wants to take account of the long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, alongside recent information and proposals from the motorcycle sector. These include a desire to make things simpler for riders whilst recognising the importance of maintaining our safety record.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of motorcycle compulsory basic training.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, and wants to take account of the long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, alongside recent information and proposals from the motorcycle sector. These include a desire to make things simpler for riders whilst recognising the importance of maintaining our safety record.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to improve the training required for motorcycle drivers.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, and wants to take account of the long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, alongside recent information and proposals from the motorcycle sector. These include a desire to make things simpler for riders whilst recognising the importance of maintaining our safety record.