Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of the extent of the use of the exceptional hardship exception for the sentencing of drivers who would otherwise be disqualified from driving.

Information about drivers who have not been disqualified from driving as a result of a court accepting that disqualification would lead to exceptional hardship is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), an executive agency of the Department for Transport, holds a database relating to all GB driving licence holders, including licence type, current offences, associated points and disqualifications.