Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an estimate of the (a) number of people waiting and (b) the average waiting time to take a category F driving test in the Scottish Borders in the latest period for which data is available.

As at 8 July 2022, there are 22 people waiting to take a category F (tractor) driving test in the Scottish Borders.

To accommodate the tractor testing manoeuvres, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducts category F tests at the closest, suitable location to the candidate’s home address. The DVSA allocates the most suitable examiner to do this. As the test does not take place at a DVSA test centre, the examiner needs time to travel to and from the meeting point for the test as well as the time to conduct the test itself.

The DVSA does not calculate an average waiting time for the category F test as the very low test demand and non-standard booking procedure for tractor tests could distort the waiting time, which would not be representative.