Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the reasons for delays in the return of physical driving licences to applicants by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is to use its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents 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 DVLA has been working with a significantly reduced number of staff on site to ensure social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements. Industrial action between April and the end of August by members of the Public and Commercial Services union and the current increased demand for the DVLA’s services has also contributed to delays with paper applications.
To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The DVLA has reconfigured its accommodation to safely maximise the number of staff on site and is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
These measures are having a positive impact. The queues are reducing, and customers will continue to see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Prime Minister last spoke to the President of Russia.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
The Prime Minister last spoke to President Putin of Russia on Monday 25 October.
Details of their call were published on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-call-with-president-putin-of-russia-25-october-2021) and stated that:
“The Prime Minister spoke to Russian President Putin this afternoon ahead of the COP26 Summit.
He welcomed the steps Russia has taken in recent days to commit net zero by 2060. The Prime Minister expressed his hope that Russia will raise that target to achieving net zero by 2050 as well as making further progress on ending deforestation and an ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution.
President Putin expressed his regret that he would not be able to attend the COP26 Summit in person in the light of the coronavirus situation in Russia.
The Prime Minister was clear that the UK’s current relationship with Russia is not the one we want. He said significant bilateral difficulties remain, including the poisonings in Salisbury in 2018. The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of Ukrainian sovereignty.
The Prime Minister said that as fellow permanent members of the UN Security Council and major world economies with a long, shared history, the UK and Russia have a responsibility to work together to tackle shared challenges like climate change and safeguard international agreements like the Iran Nuclear Deal.
The leaders also discussed the current situation in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of any recognition of the Taliban being conditional on their behaviour, including respect for human rights.”
Asked by: Sam Tarry (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken to help DVLA reduce the backlog of applications for driving licences.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services 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 and the DVLA receives 60,000 items of mail each day. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
The DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham to house more staff to help reduce waiting times while providing future resilience and business continuity.
These measures are having a positive impact. In particular, the focus on vocational driving licence applications to support the HGV driver shortage has been successful with routine vocational applications now being processed within normal turnaround times. Backlogs are also reducing in other areas.
The DVLA understands the impact that delays can have on people’s everyday lives and is working as quickly as possible to process paper applications and return people’s documentation to them.
I am pleased to say that the speed of reducing the number of paper applications awaiting processing will be improved by the recent positive news that the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) did not reach the minimum threshold of a 50 per cent turnout in its recent ballot of members to continue industrial action.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2021 to Question 59887 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, where the available trial locations are; and how members of the public can apply to take part in the trial.
Answered by Maggie Throup
One site is located in each of the following regions: East of England, London, Midlands, North East and Yorkshire, North West, South East and South West. There is currently one site per National Health Service region which will increase to 20 sites by the end of November.
The Vaccine Data Resolution Service (VDRS) has contacted over 13,500 individuals who received a first dose abroad. Self-service booking is currently under development and is expected to be operational in early December.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) delays in the processing of applications by the DVLA and (b) the underlying causes of those delays.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services 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 latest information on DVLA services and the turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
The DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham to help reduce waiting times while providing future resilience and business continuity.
The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day and has also been working with a significantly reduced number of staff on site to ensure social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements. Industrial action between April and September by members of the Public and Commercial Services union has also led to delays for customers.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to guidance issued to Members on covid-19 by the Commission on 2 November 2021, whether (a) all members of the House of Commons Commission were consulted on the measures that guidance contained and (b) all Members of the Commission were in agreement with the guidance's recommendations.
Answered by Charles Walker
The urgent request for approval for the revised guidance on covid-19 was sent to all members of the Commission on 1 November, following advice from the UK Health Security Agency earlier that day. The revised guidance was agreed by a majority of the parliamentarian members of the Commission before it was issued.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the House of Commons Commission has made of the mental health implications of requiring MPs' and House staff to work from home.
Answered by Charles Walker
The House of Commons Commission has implemented relevant Government guidance which at times required individuals to work from home. Since legal restrictions were lifted no member of House staff has been required to work from home where this would have an impact on their health.
Arrangements for their staff are a matter for the Member as the employer, who likewise have been able to allow their staff to work on the estate once legal restrictions were lifted where there was a health need.
The health and wellbeing of all on the estate remains the highest priority for the Commission. A range of services are offered by the House to support the wellbeing of Members and staff, including:
Through the use of these tools suitable arrangements for an individual can be put in place based on their specific circumstances.
Asked by: Gary Sambrook (Conservative - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the House of Commons Commission has made of the mental health implications of requiring MPs' and House staff to work from home.
Answered by Charles Walker
The House of Commons Commission has implemented relevant Government guidance which at times required individuals to work from home. Since legal restrictions were lifted no member of House staff has been required to work from home where this would have an impact on their health.
Arrangements for their staff are a matter for the Member as the employer, who likewise have been able to allow their staff to work on the estate once legal restrictions were lifted where there was a health need.
The health and wellbeing of all on the estate remains the highest priority for the Commission. A range of services are offered by the House to support the wellbeing of Members and staff, including:
Through the use of these tools suitable arrangements for an individual can be put in place based on their specific circumstances.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the mental health implications of requiring Members' and House staff to work from home.
Answered by Charles Walker
The House of Commons Commission has implemented relevant Government guidance which at times required individuals to work from home. Since legal restrictions were lifted no member of House staff has been required to work from home where this would have an impact on their health.
Arrangements for their staff are a matter for the Member as the employer, who likewise have been able to allow their staff to work on the estate once legal restrictions were lifted where there was a health need.
The health and wellbeing of all on the estate remains the highest priority for the Commission. A range of services are offered by the House to support the wellbeing of Members and staff, including:
Through the use of these tools suitable arrangements for an individual can be put in place based on their specific circumstances.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the House of Commons Commission has made of the mental health implications of requiring MPs' and House staff to work from home.
Answered by Charles Walker
The House of Commons Commission has implemented relevant Government guidance which at times required individuals to work from home. Since legal restrictions were lifted no member of House staff has been required to work from home where this would have an impact on their health.
Arrangements for their staff are a matter for the Member as the employer, who likewise have been able to allow their staff to work on the estate once legal restrictions were lifted where there was a health need.
The health and wellbeing of all on the estate remains the highest priority for the Commission. A range of services are offered by the House to support the wellbeing of Members and staff, including:
Through the use of these tools suitable arrangements for an individual can be put in place based on their specific circumstances.