Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2021 to Question 61160 on Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Training, as part of any modifications to the regulations, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of processes to (a) reduce the compunction for experienced professional drivers to successfully complete the same course repeatedly so as to meet their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence course commitments and (b) subsidise costs where a driver has already successfully passed a similar course to the one they are undertaking while seeking to meet the requirements necessary under The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence.

The Government has been listening to the concerns raised by drivers and industry about Driver CPC and on 8 November announced an urgent review of the scheme.

There is a wide variety of courses available to meet Driver Certificates of Professional Competence (DCPC) requirements. Experienced professional drivers should not feel obliged to complete the same courses repeatedly. Indeed, we encourage taking different courses. For employed drivers, employers not drivers should pay for DCPC courses.

The urgent review of DCPC includes considering surveyed information from drivers and evidence-based work with stakeholders. The requirements for courses and how they are paid for are issues included in the review.