Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2020 to Question 102859 on Driving Tests: Coronavirus, what consultation he has conducted regarding legislative proposals to amend Section 91 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to permit the repayment of theory test fees where a candidate's theory test certificate expires after the passing of the Coronavirus Act 2020 without the candidate being able to sit their practical test within the required timescale.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
A candidate whose theory test certificate expires will have received the service for which they paid the fee. Therefore, no consultation has been conducted. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency continues to refund the fee for the practical driving test as soon as a candidate’s theory test certificate expires.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the backlog of (a) theory and (b) practical driving tests in (i) Scotland and (ii) Great Britain; and how long he estimates it will take to clear each backlog.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The attached table shows the practical driving test backlogs as at 21 December 2020:
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to reduce the backlog of tests whilst adhering to Government guidance to suspend its testing services to help stop the spread of coronavirus and keep people safe. It will continue to reschedule tests that are suspended in line with Government restrictions to the next available test dates.
Unlike driver practical tests, the DVSA is unable to make an estimate of the backlog of theory tests as these appointments are managed by re-scheduling candidates into a virtual centre, giving candidates the opportunity to choose an alternative date and time.
Demand for theory test services has increased as a result of national and local restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government’s initiative to support vocational drivers, and the shortage of delivery and goods drivers due to Brexit.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of applicants waiting for (a) theory and (b) practical driving test in (i) Scotland and (ii) England and (iii) Wales for whom a driving licence is a requirement of their current or potential employment.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not record, or hold, information to show candidates whose driving licence is a requirement of their current, or potential, employment.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the economic cost to the (a) applicant and (b) wider economy of the wait for driving tests in (i) Scotland, (ii) England and (iii) where a driving licence is a requirement for the applicant maintaining or taking up employment.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is responsible for the delivery of driver and vehicle testing. It does hold data on the economic cost to the applicant or wider economy.
The DVSA does not record, or hold, information to determine if a driving licence is a requirement for the applicant maintaining or taking up employment.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many applicants resident in Scotland have (a) been offered and (b) accepted an appointment for a driving test elsewhere in Great Britain since the passing of the Coronavirus Act 2020.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Candidates select the test centre of their choice when booking a driving test. Some candidates may be residing temporarily in an area away from their home address, for example, for study or work purposes.
In the period 25 March 2020 to 30 November 2020, there were 754 candidates with Scotland postcodes who took their driving tests in England or Wales.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2020 to Question 102854, what steps Network Rail (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to implement recommendations four and six from the 2018 Varley Review.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Network Rail will develop a baseline database of habitats and biodiversity across its estate such that long-term management plans can be developed in the same way as those for other railway assets such as track and embankments.
Network Rail are creating a culture dedicated to enhancing natural habitats and, will continue to strive towards demonstrating leadership by partnering with experts, communities and lineside neighbours. Training and recruitment will ensure that the organisation has specialist skills and competencies.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what restrictions apply to conducting practical driving tests under the very high local covid-19 alert levels implemented in England.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) priority has been to restore its testing services with new protective measures and procedures in place that keep people safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. The safety measures applied when conducting a practical driving test in England are therefore the same regardless of which Tier level the test centre falls under.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is Network Rail's policy to implement the recommendations of the (a) Varley Review and (b) Network Rail Vegetation Management Review.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Network Rail welcomed John Varley's independent report on its approach to vegetation management and set out how it would respond to the review’s recommendations when it was published.
In its Environmental Sustainability Strategy published in September 2020 Network Rail commits to exceeding the review’s recommendation to achieve no net loss of biodiversity across the network by 2024 and net gain by 2040, instead achieving biodiversity net gain by 2035. Further details will be set out in the forthcoming biodiversity action plan.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2020 to Question 57396 on Driving Tests: Coronavirus, what consultation he has undertaken on whether to bring forward amending legislation to allow (a) refunds of theory test fees and (b) applicants to resit the test free of charge where a theory test certificate expired during the covid-19 outbreak resulting in a candidate being unable to sit their practical test.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The two-year validity period of the theory test certificate is set in legislation and the Government has decided not to lay further legislation to extend it; therefore, no consultation has been undertaken.
The main reason the two-year validity of a theory test certificate is in place is to ensure a candidate’s theoretical knowledge of driving remains current. Extending the validity would erode that assurance. It is important that road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date as learners prepare to take their practical test. Learners will therefore need to pass another theory test if their certificate expires. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency realises this will affect and disappoint some learners.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2020 to Question 57396 on Driving Tests: Coronavirus, what estimate he has made of the number of theory test certificates that will expire during the six months following the passing of the Coronavirus Act 2020 without the candidate being able to sit their practical test within the required timescale.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Coronavirus Act 2020 came into effect on 25 March 2020. Around 118,000 theory test pass certificates were due to expire by the end of September 2020. However, on average 14,000 candidates let their certificate expire each month in the normal course of events.