Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time for a practical car driving test was in each month since January 2026 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows how many driving test centres (DTC) recorded a waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car driving test for January, February, and March 2026.
Month | Number of DTCs with a wait time of 24 weeks |
January 2026 | 157 |
February 2026 | 186 |
March 2026 | 192 |
The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) were in post, and out of those, how many were available to deliver practical car driving tests in March 2026. The answer to Question 122532, 20 March 2026, provides data for February 2026.
FTE DEs in post * | Available to deliver practical car driving tests |
1649.13 | 1,604 |
* Includes those who are in training to be a DE
The national average waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) and the national median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) for a practical car driving test in January, February and March 2026 is shown in the table below.
Month | National average car driving tests waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) | National median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) |
January 2026 | 21.2 weeks | 10.3 weeks |
February 2026 | 21.6 weeks | 10.6 weeks |
March 2026 | 22.1 weeks | 9.0 weeks |
The recent small increase in the national average waiting time was expected, and reflects test bookings running through the summer period, the busiest of the year, and a period of increased annual leave.
April’s data for all of the above will be available in May.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test centres recorded the maximum waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car test for each month since January 2026.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows how many driving test centres (DTC) recorded a waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car driving test for January, February, and March 2026.
Month | Number of DTCs with a wait time of 24 weeks |
January 2026 | 157 |
February 2026 | 186 |
March 2026 | 192 |
The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) were in post, and out of those, how many were available to deliver practical car driving tests in March 2026. The answer to Question 122532, 20 March 2026, provides data for February 2026.
FTE DEs in post * | Available to deliver practical car driving tests |
1649.13 | 1,604 |
* Includes those who are in training to be a DE
The national average waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) and the national median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) for a practical car driving test in January, February and March 2026 is shown in the table below.
Month | National average car driving tests waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) | National median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) |
January 2026 | 21.2 weeks | 10.3 weeks |
February 2026 | 21.6 weeks | 10.6 weeks |
March 2026 | 22.1 weeks | 9.0 weeks |
The recent small increase in the national average waiting time was expected, and reflects test bookings running through the summer period, the busiest of the year, and a period of increased annual leave.
April’s data for all of the above will be available in May.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 21 of her Department's report entitled Department for Transport annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025, published on 22 July 2025, if she will provide a breakdown of the £644 million expenditure on Sustainable travel, including (a) the projects and programmes funded and (b) the amount allocated to each.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Page 21 of the Annual Report & Accounts is the ‘Financial Overview’ report, which presents total departmental spending by Estimate Line. ‘Sustainable Travel’ is an Estimate Line descriptor shown in the Statement of Parliamentary Supply within the 2024-25 Annual Report & Accounts. This Estimate Line records spending incurred by the Core department and Active Travel England. A breakdown of the spending incurred in 2024-25 is provided in the table below.
| Capital DEL | Resource DEL |
Business area | Amount £m | Amount £m |
Active Travel England | 54 | 82 |
Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy Group | 398 | 37 |
Rail Strategy and Services Group | 19 | 15 |
Road Transport Group | 17 | 22 |
Sub-total | 488 | 156 |
Overall total | 644 | |
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 122445, what further proposals the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has developed to reduce the time taken to onboard driving examiner recruits; and if she will publish the (a) expected impact of each proposal on recruitment timelines and (b) planned implementation timetable.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to review its recruitment processes to improve the onboarding experience of new entrants. DVSA has streamlined its processes, which should see applicants move through the recruitment process more quickly.
Alongside this DVSA is also seeking to further increase its training capacity to allow successful candidates to move more quickly from campaign candidate lists onto training courses for new entrant driving examiners.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 116783, on Energy: Housing, what assessment his Department has made of the aggregate impact on total household energy consumption of voltage reduction technologies installed in domestic properties, taking into account (a) the proportion of appliances that are power-controlled and resistive, and (b) likely behavioural responses by consumers to any reduction in appliance performance.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The lowering of voltage only reduces electricity consumption with resistive appliances. a)The relative proportion of appliances that are power-controlled vs resistive is moving in favour of power-controlled appliances due to changes in technology. For example, filament bulbs, electric bar fires, immersion heating and older white goods are resistive, but more efficient LED bulbs, heat pumps, EV chargers and modern white goods with asynchronous motors are power controlled. b) The department has not conducted studies of consumer responses to poorer performance from their resistive appliances due to lower voltages.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 122891 on Driving Licences: Medical Records, if she will set out (a) when the DVLA's new casework system will become operational, (b) when updates to its online service will be completed and (c) how many additional staff have been recruited since 4 July 2024 to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) new drivers’ medical casework system became fully operational on 27 February 2026. It is expected to deliver significant improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions.
The new drivers’ medical online portal for customers was launched on 31 March 2026. This service will be subject to continuous improvement and the next release is due in July 2026. The majority of customers can now apply online through the DVLA’s driver and vehicle account.
The DVLA has recruited an additional 43 staff, with a further 22 expected to join by the end of April 2026, in the drivers’ medical casework team and an additional 100 staff in its contact centre to deal with drivers’ medical calls. All these staff have been recruited in the last six months.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time equivalent driving examiners recruited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests in each month since February 2026 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows how many driving test centres (DTC) recorded a waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car driving test for January, February, and March 2026.
Month | Number of DTCs with a wait time of 24 weeks |
January 2026 | 157 |
February 2026 | 186 |
March 2026 | 192 |
The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) were in post, and out of those, how many were available to deliver practical car driving tests in March 2026. The answer to Question 122532, 20 March 2026, provides data for February 2026.
FTE DEs in post * | Available to deliver practical car driving tests |
1649.13 | 1,604 |
* Includes those who are in training to be a DE
The national average waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) and the national median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) for a practical car driving test in January, February and March 2026 is shown in the table below.
Month | National average car driving tests waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) | National median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) |
January 2026 | 21.2 weeks | 10.3 weeks |
February 2026 | 21.6 weeks | 10.6 weeks |
March 2026 | 22.1 weeks | 9.0 weeks |
The recent small increase in the national average waiting time was expected, and reflects test bookings running through the summer period, the busiest of the year, and a period of increased annual leave.
April’s data for all of the above will be available in May.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 122959 on Unadopted Roads: Research, what was the cost to the public purse of the research study her Department commissioned from Ipsos UK on the operation of sections 37 and 38 of the Highways Act 1980 and whether the current road adoption system remains fit for purpose since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Ipsos UK has been commissioned by the Department for Transport to conduct research into the operation of sections 37 and 38 of the Highways Act 1980 and to assess whether the current road adoption system remains fit for purpose. The total cost to the public purse of this research was £90,390.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the DVSA has prepared a contingency plan for the operation of driving tests in the event of fuel rationing or wider fuel supply disruption.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has well-developed and tested contingency plans for a range of situations that could affect the provision of its services, including driving tests.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's report entitled Department for Transport annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025, published on 22 July 2025, what expenditure is included under the category entitled Science, research and support functions, and if she will provide a breakdown of this spending by programme, activity, and delivery body for each year listed.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
‘Science, Research and Support Functions’ is an Estimate Line descriptor shown in the Statement of Parliamentary Supply within the 2024-25 Annual Report & Accounts. All costs recorded on this Estimate line are incurred by the Core department. A breakdown of the spending recorded in this Estimate Line for 2024-25 and 2023-24 is provided below.
Spending in 2024-25
| Resource DEL | Capital DEL |
Business area | Amount £m | Amount £m |
Public Transport & Local Group | 11 | 11 |
Road Transport Group | 16 | 4 |
Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy Group | 0 | 4 |
TOTAL | 27 | 19 |
Individual programmes incurring more than £5m spending in 2024-25, were:
Spending in 2023-24
| Resource DEL | Capital DEL |
Business area | Amount £m | Amount £m |
Roads and Local Group | 22 | 13 |
Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy Group | 6 | 6 |
Rail Strategy and Services Group | 3 | 0 |
TOTAL | 31 | 19 |
Individual programmes incurring more than £5m spending in 2023-24, were: