Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) increase the number of practical driving tests available in (i) Greater London and (ii) Essex and (b) help prevent unauthorised vendors selling practical test slots online.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work to attract and recruit more driving examiners in the London and South East area, including Greater London and Essex.

As well as new Driving Examiners (DEs) who have now begun testing, DVSA is running training courses for successful candidates from recent campaigns, who, if successful, will join driving test centres (DTCs) in the region.

DVSA concluded another recruitment campaign at the end of 2024 and is in the process of making offers to successful candidates. Another

recruitment campaign is currently expected to begin in March 2025.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system. A call for evidence was launched on 18 December 2024, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes.

On 6 January 2025, DVSA also introduced tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructors use to book and manage car driving tests for their pupils.