Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of delays in renewing driving licences; what steps they are taking to reduce such delays; and what advice they are giving to applicants renewing their driving licence by paper application, who need their licence for hiring a motor vehicle either in the UK or abroad.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services have been available throughout the pandemic and 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 DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day which must be dealt with in person. Ongoing industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union, along with fewer operational staff being on site to allow for social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements has led to delays in dealing with paper applications. The DVLA has leased an additional building to accommodate more operational staff.

The number of paper applications awaiting processing fluctuates daily as driving licences are issued and new applications received. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found on GOV.UK.

Drivers who need to hire a vehicle and have sent their licence to the DVLA for renewal, can view and share their driving licence information with a car hire company by generating a share code online at GOV.UK.