Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the DVLA on reports that staff have been off work on full pay in the context of an application backlog.

The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.

The delays in processing paper applications were significantly exacerbated by six months of industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services union, which was targeted at the areas that would have the most impact on the motoring public. Without this industrial action, the backlog at the DVLA would by now have been cleared.

To reduce waiting times for customers, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham.

These measures are having a positive impact and vehicle paper applications are now being processed within normal timescales as are straightforward vocational driving licence applications and renewals. The DVLA is on track to return to normal turnaround times on all non-medical paper driving licence applications by the end of May.