Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the backlog of people waiting for driving tests, in the context of test centre closures.

Since April 2021, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has created over one million extra car test appointments by recruiting new examiners, conducting out-of-hours testing, such as on public holidays and weekends, asking all those qualified to conduct tests but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, and asking recently retired driving examiners to return. On average, this has created approximately 40,000 extra car test appointments each month.

As of 4 September 2023, there were 560,121 car practical driving tests booked, and 58,382 driving tests available within the 24-week booking window.

The DVSA is committed to providing its customers with the best service possible. The DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.