Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the delays in the renewal of driving licences (a) for people with long term health conditions who need to renew their licence regularly and (b) in general.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days. However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application for a driving licence. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.

The DVLA has accelerated the development of additional online services to reduce the number of paper applications and supported their take up through a publicity campaign. Further digital service enhancements are underway.

The time taken to issue a licence to drivers with a medical condition will vary depending on the medical condition involved and any further information that may be needed from third parties. Industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services union specifically targeted at the area that deals with applications from drivers with a medical condition has also contributed to delays. The DVLA is working with the relevant NHS bodies to explore ways of reducing the time taken to receive the information needed to make licensing decisions. The DVLA has also recently trialled a simplified renewal process for some medical conditions and this is helping to reduce the turnaround times for some drivers.

To improve the length of time taken to process medical licensing applications, the DVLA has recruited additional administrative and medical staff. The DVLA is urgently securing extra office space to house more staff to help reduce waiting times while providing future resilience and business continuity.