Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to expedite driving licences for people with epilepsy who are unable to take out car insurance as a result of delays in receiving their physical licence, despite being able to drive under section 88 provisions.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible for all drivers, including those with health conditions. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.

The DVLA has recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy. This 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 majority of those renewing their licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here. Insurance cover in these circumstances is a matter for the insurance company concerned.

The DVLA is currently reviewing the information provided on GOV.UK to make clear that drivers have the option to surrender their driving licence before reporting a medical condition using the online fitness to drive service.