Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department is making on improving the (a) provision of training and (b) recruitment of large goods vehicle drivers to tackle the shortage of those drivers.

In respect of England, we are supporting apprenticeships, including to train lorry drivers. A revised standard will be available from 2 August 2021 attracting £7,000 in apprenticeship levy funding. There is also an incentive payment of £3,000 available for new apprentices of any age with an employment start date of 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021.

The Department for Work and Pensions is developing a scheme to train jobseekers in HGV driving. The Flexible Support Fund is available to help the unemployed or those in receipt of Universal Credit renew their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

On 20 July 2021, the Government announced a package of measures to support road haulage industry. This includes more capacity for driving tests.