Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Grant Shapps and David Warburton

Thursday 16th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[David Warburton (Somerton and Frome) (Con)]

1. What steps his Department is taking to help resolve delays at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Grant Shapps)]

The DVLA has introduced more online services, recruited extra staff, is using overtime and has secured extra office space.

[David Warburton]

I appreciate the efforts being made by my right hon. Friend, and I understand the various union issues involved, but it is clear from numerous constituents who have got in touch having been unable to get through to the DLVA—this also applies to the MPs’ hotline—that the delays are having an impact on urgent and severe cases relating to other issues. I am sure that Members across the House are experiencing the same thing. What is the timeline for ensuring that the DVLA provides the service it is tasked to do, which we very much need it to do?

[Grant Shapps]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that the dual problems of the impact of the pandemic and the strike action through the year, which I am pleased to say is now resolved, led to a backlog, particularly of occupational licences—that was at 55,000. I am pleased to report to the House that that has now been entirely cleared and those are being processed in five working days. The rest of the work is now being processed much more quickly as well, and we expect the service to return to normal next year.