Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential risk of allowing D4 drivers categorised as healthy to defer their medicals for a year.

An analysis of the temporary change which allows lorry and bus drivers to renew their licences for one year without the requirement for a medical report was published as part of the legislative changes made to support the scheme in the Business and Planning Act 2020. The analysis is available on the Parliament UK website and the specific provisions relating to bus and lorry driving licences starts on page 33.

Drivers renewing their licence without a medical report remain legally obliged to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of the onset or worsening of any medical conditions that may affect their driving. If a medical condition is declared, a licence will not be issued unless an investigation by the DVLA confirms that the relevant medical standards are met.