Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the average processing time of applications submitted to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Applications sent to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are being processed within published turnaround times.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time was for reissuing a driving licence following medical clearance in the last 12 months; and if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of that average processing time.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days in 90% of cases where a medical investigation must be investigated before a licence can be issued. In the 2023/24 financial year, the average time to make a licensing decision in such cases was 55 working days.

The length of time taken to deal with an application varies depending on the medical condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from medical professionals. The DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from medical professionals before it can take any further action on an application.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to include (a) information on and (b) opt-in forms for (i) organ, (ii) stem cell and (iii) blood donation with DVLA application forms.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Following a request from the National Health Blood and Transplant Service (NHSBT), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) introduced a process to enable driving licence applicants to register their details on the NHS Organ Donor Register. This can be done when applying for a driving licence using DVLA’s paper or online services. When an applicant notifies the DVLA that they wish to register as an organ donor, this is recorded on their driving licence and the NHS Organ Donor Register.

The Department remains happy to consider a similar process for stem cell and blood donation should such a request be received.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve the efficiency of the DVLA when processing driving licence applications for individuals (a) without and (b) with a medical condition.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 10 January 2024, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) had 61,766 non-medical and 134,292 medical driving licence applications currently being processed. This is within the normal volume of applications being processed by the DVLA at any one time and applications are being processed within normal turnaround times.

It is important to note that the length of time taken to deal with a driving licence application where medical enquiries must be carried out very often depends on whether further information is required from a driver or their medical practitioners. The DVLA is often wholly reliant on receiving information from third parties, including doctors, before it can make a licensing decision. Currently, around half of driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated are awaiting further information from the applicant’s doctor or the applicant themselves before the DVLA can take any further action.

The DVLA has made changes to the way licensing decisions have been made for drivers with certain medical conditions. The DVLA has also changed the law to allow medical professionals other than doctors to provide the information required for the DVLA to be able to progress these applications.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving licence applications are outstanding as of 10 January 2023.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 10 January 2024, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) had 61,766 non-medical and 134,292 medical driving licence applications currently being processed. This is within the normal volume of applications being processed by the DVLA at any one time and applications are being processed within normal turnaround times.

It is important to note that the length of time taken to deal with a driving licence application where medical enquiries must be carried out very often depends on whether further information is required from a driver or their medical practitioners. The DVLA is often wholly reliant on receiving information from third parties, including doctors, before it can make a licensing decision. Currently, around half of driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated are awaiting further information from the applicant’s doctor or the applicant themselves before the DVLA can take any further action.

The DVLA has made changes to the way licensing decisions have been made for drivers with certain medical conditions. The DVLA has also changed the law to allow medical professionals other than doctors to provide the information required for the DVLA to be able to progress these applications.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many D777B application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows the total number and average waiting time of manual and digital applications processed in 2023.

For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many D2 application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows the total number and average waiting time of manual and digital applications processed in 2023.

For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many D1 application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The table below shows the total number and average waiting time of manual and digital applications processed in 2023.

For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to allow people applying for driving licences on the DVLA website to sign up for (a) stem cell and (b) blood donation.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Following a request from the National Health Blood and Transplant Service, a process was introduced to enable driving licence applicants to register their details on the NHS Organ Donor Register. This includes those applying via DVLA’s online services. The Department hasn’t been asked to consider this with stem and blood donation, but it would be happy to consider.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of applicants seeking a licence renewal who do not have a digital signature.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) can reproduce a signature from a passport on a driving licence if a digital record of a signature is held by Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO).

The DVLA is unable to estimate the number of driving licence applicants for whom HMPO does not hold a digital signature.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on how much the DVLA pays GP practices for processing short-term medical driving licence applications.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The provision of information to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency as part of its investigations into an individual’s fitness to drive is not part of the NHS contract. GP practices provide a private service for the completion of medical questionnaires required for driver licensing purposes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time was for driving licence applications where a medical condition needed to be considered, as of 21 June 2022.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

In May 2022, the latest full month for which information is available, the average time to make a licensing decision where the driving licence applicant had declared a medical condition was 91 working days.

The majority of applicants will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the data his Department holds on the size of the backlog of applications to the DVLA (a) in total and (b) by Parliamentary constituency as of 21 April 2022.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.

However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. The Government understands the impact that delays in processing paper applications can have on the daily lives of individuals and the DVLA is working hard to reduce waiting times. The DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham to reduce backlogs and provide future resilience. These measures are having a positive impact.

On 21 April 2022, the total number of paper applications awaiting processing at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) was 832,314. This is a significant reduction from the peak of 1.6 million in September 2021. It is important to note that the DVLA normally has around 400,000 paper applications awaiting processing at any one time as the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail each day. This information is not held by Parliamentary constituency.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many licence applications are currently pending at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency; and how do these figures compare to July 2021.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.

However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. The Government understands the impact that delays in processing paper applications can have on the daily lives of individuals and the DVLA is working hard to reduce waiting times. The DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham to reduce backlogs and provide future resilience. These measures are having a positive impact.

The backlog of vehicle paper applications has already been eliminated. Straightforward vocational driving licence applications and renewals are being processed within five working days with no backlog. The DVLA is on track to return to normal turnaround times on all paper driving licence applications which do not involve a medical condition by the end of May. On 21 April 2022, the DVLA had 189,067 applications for a driving licence awaiting processing. This compares with 636,473 applications on 30 July 2021.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that the DVLA (a) clears the backlog of driving licence applications and (b) expedites the time taken for applicants to receive their renewed licences.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.

However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. The Government understands the impact that delays in processing paper applications can have on the daily lives of individuals and the DVLA is working hard to reduce waiting times. The DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham to reduce backlogs and provide future resilience. These measures are having a positive impact.

The backlog of vehicle paper applications has already been eliminated. Straightforward vocational driving licence applications and renewals are being processed within five working days with no backlog. The DVLA is on track to return to normal turnaround times on all paper driving licence applications by the end of May. Most straightforward paper driving licence applications are now being processed in around five weeks. Information on processing times for key DVLA workstreams is published online here.

The more complex driving licence applications where the customer has a medical condition(s) that must be investigated will take longer to recover. This area was targeted for industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services union last year and also DVLA cases were deprioritised by the NHS at a number of points during the pandemic. The large majority of applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information can be found online here.