Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many test centres for driving theory examinations have closed in the last two years; and where any such closures have taken place.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has three driving test centres in Surrey: Reigate/Redhill, Guildford and Chertsey. The below figures show the number of full time and part time driving examiners permanently based at these centres:

(1) 2019 – 17 full time and 6 part time driving examiners;

(2) 2020 – 18 full time and 2 part time driving examiners;

(3) 2021 – 17 full time driving examiners.

The DVSA will deploy other driving examiners into the Surrey area depending on the demand for testing.

In the last two years, the DVSA has closed 12 driving test centres. Those test centres are:

Lerwick (Shetland) LGV, Patrick Green goods vehicle testing station (GVTS), Macclesfield multi-purpose test centre, Cheadle, Birmingham (Cocks Moor Woods), Llandrindod Wells, Westbury, Bristol, Hemel Hempstead, Greenford, Canterbury GVTS and Hayes.

The DVSA continually reviews its operational estate to ensure that it is fit for purpose and represents good value for money for the public purse, while maintaining a good service provision across its operation.

In the last two years, the DVSA has closed 18 theory test centres. The DVSA has relocated the testing provision for these 18 theory test centres to alternative locations within the new network that has greater coverage for candidates nationally to ensure testing provision can continue.

The 18 closed theory test centres are:

Blackpool, Clydebank, Driffield, Morpeth, Oldham, Salford, Scunthorpe, Skipton, Southport, St Helens, Wigan, Crawley, Basildon, Dereham, Ely, Harlow, Mansfield and Stevenage.

Note that from 6 September the contract for running theory test centres has been split into three regions. The number of theory test centres in Great Britain will increase from 180 to 202.