Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the backlog of driving tests in Sherwood Forest 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.

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 waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.

From previous recruitment campaigns for driving test centres that serve the Sherwood Forest constituency, three new driving examiners (DE) have completed their training and are now conducting tests. One at Ashfield and two at Nottingham (Colwick) DTCs.

From recent recruitment campaigns, a potential DE is currently undertaking training for Ashfield DTC. DVSA has also made offers to eight potential DEs, two for Ashfield, three for Worksop and three for Nottingham (Colwick) who will start their training at the earliest opportunity.

DVSA will be undertaking another recruitment campaign and will again advertise for posts in the local area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to hearing services in rural areas.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS audiology services are locally commissioned, and the responsibility for prioritising primary care audiology lies with local NHS Service Commissioners. NHS England is supporting the integrated care boards (ICBs) to make informed decisions about the provision of audiology services so that they can provide consistent, high quality, and integrated care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve support for people leaving hospital and moving to a care home.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The statutory hospital discharge guidance sets out that people leaving hospital, including those who will be moving to a care home, should be supported throughout the discharge process and post discharge. The discharge process should be person-centred, strengths based, and driven by choice, dignity, and respect. Individuals should be supported to make fully informed decisions, in conjunction with their wider family or unpaid carers.

Local areas should have agreed protocols for collaborating with onward care providers regarding the individual’s hospital discharge through care transfer hubs, including agreed pathways for raising and resolving any concerns post-discharge.

In 2025/26, there is £9 billion available through the Better Care Fund. Integrated care boards and local authorities should jointly plan how to use this funding to meet local health and care needs, including after discharge.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for (a) appointments and (b) assessments for hearing services.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Cutting elective care waiting times, including for hearing services, is a key priority for this government. We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra 2 million operations, scans, and appointments, having now delivered 4.6 million additional appointments.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand, including for audiology services such as hearing tests. Our Elective Reform Plan commits to transform and expand diagnostic services and speed up waiting times for tests.

NHS England is supporting provider organisations and integrated care boards (ICBs) who are the commissioners of audiology services to improve performance and reduce waiting lists for appointments and assessments for hearing services. This includes capital investment to upgrade audiology facilities in NHS Trusts, expanding audiology testing capacity via Community Diagnostic Centres, and direct support through a national audiology improvement collaborative.

Found: Richard Quigley (Labour; Isle of Wight West) Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat; Sutton and Cheam) Michelle Welsh

Found: Cane; Sam Carling; Lauren Edwards; Peter Lamb; John Lamont; Mr Richard Quigley; Luke Taylor; Michelle Welsh

Maternity APPG
Thursday 10th July 2025

Found: Birmingham Northfield), Melanie Ward MP (Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy), Paul Waugh MP (Rochdale), Michelle Welsh