Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the accessibility of bus services outside of London and combined authority areas for (a) wheelchair users, (b) people who are blind or visually impaired and (c) people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government wants everyone to have access to public transport and is committed to improving services so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity.
On October 1st, the first phase of Public Service Vehicle Accessible Information Regulations came into force, meaning that local services will provide audible and visible information on stops, destination and diversions by 2026. The government has set out an action plan for improving the bus network, based on giving local leaders the tools they need to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities they serve.
As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will also introduce a new Buses Bill later in this parliamentary session which will help bring to an end the postcode lottery of bus services by giving local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them. As part of this legislation we will be looking at what measures could address accessibility barriers to support disabled passengers to use bus services.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had recent discussions with disability organisations on the potential merits of introducing a moratorium on floating bus stops.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is fully aware of the concerns raised by some groups, particularly visually impaired people, over the use of floating bus stops and is working with Active Travel England on ways to address these concerns. It is a complex issue and we are carefully considering a wide range of options in developing next steps.
The Hierarchy of Road Users is a well-established concept which ensures that those road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to other road users. It is for local authorities to ensure any infrastructure they place is developed with this in mind.
The Department engages regularly with a wide range of stakeholders. The Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee provides advice on disability transport issues in their role as a statutory advisory body, including advice on buses and local transport.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of whether floating bus stops are compatible with Rule H1 of the Highway Code.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is fully aware of the concerns raised by some groups, particularly visually impaired people, over the use of floating bus stops and is working with Active Travel England on ways to address these concerns. It is a complex issue and we are carefully considering a wide range of options in developing next steps.
The Hierarchy of Road Users is a well-established concept which ensures that those road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to other road users. It is for local authorities to ensure any infrastructure they place is developed with this in mind.
The Department engages regularly with a wide range of stakeholders. The Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee provides advice on disability transport issues in their role as a statutory advisory body, including advice on buses and local transport.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has of made of (a) the adequacy of the process and (b) potential barriers for the adoption of roads in new housing estates by Local Authorities.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has published comprehensive guidance, last updated in August 2022, to help local authorities make informed decisions about how new and existing roads can be adopted by highway authorities so that they become maintainable at public expense, pursuant to the 1980 Highways Act (as amended). The guidance should also be of interest to planning authorities, local highway authorities, developers, people living in private streets, and people planning to purchase property.
Once adopted, a road remains publicly maintainable by the highway authority, so it is right that roads are constructed by the developer to an appropriate standard. The biggest potential barrier is roads that have not been completed to the appropriate standard required by the highway authority for adoption.
It is important that developers submit details that are in accordance with both the approved highway layout (from the planning application) and technical specifications in relation to the construction of the roads. Until that time all the required maintenance and safety issues are the responsibility of the developer or owner.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of average waiting times for driving tests on the economy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) knows that car practical driving test waiting times remain high and understands the impact this is having on learner drivers.
DVSA does not record, or hold, information about candidates whose driving licence is a requirement of their current, or potential, employment.
DVSA’s main priority is to uphold road safety standards as it reduces car practical driving test waiting times.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Drivers Medical referrals to the DVLA took more than 90 days to (a) resolve and (b) close in (i) 2023, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2020 and (v) 2019.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
All drivers medical decisions made | 766,283 | 556,382 | 550,773 | 863,431 | 723,126 |
30 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 275,615 | 278,672 | 368,029 | 584,226 | 380,132 |
Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days | 35.97% | 50.09% | 66.82% | 67.66% | 52.57% |
60 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 129,321 | 167,311 | 263,084 | 453,639 | 213,639 |
90 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 72,897 | 101,363 | 191,618 | 340,712 | 136,735 |
Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days) | 17,651 | 19,328 | 82,895 | 154,507 | 55,854 |
One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days) | 346 | 613 | 4,547 | 14,105 | 11,759 |
To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued.
Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very 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.
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 epilepsy, 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.
In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information.
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. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Drivers Medical referrals to the DVLA took more than six months to (a) resolve and (b) close in (i) 2023, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2020 and (v) 2019.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
All drivers medical decisions made | 766,283 | 556,382 | 550,773 | 863,431 | 723,126 |
30 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 275,615 | 278,672 | 368,029 | 584,226 | 380,132 |
Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days | 35.97% | 50.09% | 66.82% | 67.66% | 52.57% |
60 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 129,321 | 167,311 | 263,084 | 453,639 | 213,639 |
90 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 72,897 | 101,363 | 191,618 | 340,712 | 136,735 |
Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days) | 17,651 | 19,328 | 82,895 | 154,507 | 55,854 |
One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days) | 346 | 613 | 4,547 | 14,105 | 11,759 |
To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued.
Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very 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.
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 epilepsy, 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.
In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information.
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. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Drivers Medical referrals to the DVLA took more than 60 days to (a) resolve and (b) close in (i) 2023, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2020 and (v) 2019.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
All drivers medical decisions made | 766,283 | 556,382 | 550,773 | 863,431 | 723,126 |
30 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 275,615 | 278,672 | 368,029 | 584,226 | 380,132 |
Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days | 35.97% | 50.09% | 66.82% | 67.66% | 52.57% |
60 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 129,321 | 167,311 | 263,084 | 453,639 | 213,639 |
90 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 72,897 | 101,363 | 191,618 | 340,712 | 136,735 |
Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days) | 17,651 | 19,328 | 82,895 | 154,507 | 55,854 |
One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days) | 346 | 613 | 4,547 | 14,105 | 11,759 |
To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued.
Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very 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.
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 epilepsy, 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.
In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information.
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. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Drivers Medical referrals to the DVLA took more than one year to (a) resolve and (b) close in (i) 2023, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2020 and (v) 2019.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
All drivers medical decisions made | 766,283 | 556,382 | 550,773 | 863,431 | 723,126 |
30 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 275,615 | 278,672 | 368,029 | 584,226 | 380,132 |
Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days | 35.97% | 50.09% | 66.82% | 67.66% | 52.57% |
60 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 129,321 | 167,311 | 263,084 | 453,639 | 213,639 |
90 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 72,897 | 101,363 | 191,618 | 340,712 | 136,735 |
Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days) | 17,651 | 19,328 | 82,895 | 154,507 | 55,854 |
One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days) | 346 | 613 | 4,547 | 14,105 | 11,759 |
To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued.
Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very 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.
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 epilepsy, 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.
In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information.
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. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the DVLA is taking to reduce the time it takes to respond to drivers medical referrals.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The following table shows the number of drivers medical cases the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has resolved in each of the last five calendar years.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
All drivers medical decisions made | 766,283 | 556,382 | 550,773 | 863,431 | 723,126 |
30 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 275,615 | 278,672 | 368,029 | 584,226 | 380,132 |
Proportion of licensing decisions made over 30 working days | 35.97% | 50.09% | 66.82% | 67.66% | 52.57% |
60 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 129,321 | 167,311 | 263,084 | 453,639 | 213,639 |
90 working days or more to make a licensing decision | 72,897 | 101,363 | 191,618 | 340,712 | 136,735 |
Six months or more to make a licensing decision (182 working days) | 17,651 | 19,328 | 82,895 | 154,507 | 55,854 |
One year or more to make a licensing decision (365 working days) | 346 | 613 | 4,547 | 14,105 | 11,759 |
To note, cases are classed as “resolved” when a licensing decision is made and the appropriate action is taken. Some cases may have been resolved but remain open for administrative reasons, for example, payments to third parties still needing to be fulfilled before the case can be closed.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days, in 90% of cases where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued.
Medical applications can take longer because the DVLA is very 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.
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 epilepsy, 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.
In July 2022, the law changed to widen the pool of registered healthcare professionals who can provide information as part of the DVLA’s medical investigations into a person’s fitness to drive. Previously, this information could only be provided by a doctor. GP surgeries and hospital teams now have greater flexibility to decide how they manage the DVLA’s requests for information.
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. More information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.