Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2021 to Question 87701, what steps he is taking to improve Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency processing times for applications to renew a driving licence following a medical condition.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working to improve the process for drivers with a medical condition. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.

The DVLA has also recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This new process 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. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.

Detailed guidance for drivers and applicants about driving under section 88 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 is published on the GOV.UK website here.

The DVLA advises applicants about this provision when they renew a driving licence online or contact the DVLA by telephone. Information on driving while the DVLA is processing an application is also included on driving licence renewal application forms and reminders and letters sent to applicants, where appropriate.