Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the waiting time is for replacement driving licences.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The average waiting time to process digital applications is typically around one day, if the transaction is successful, and casework or medical enquiries are not required. The average waiting time to process a straightforward paper application is around a week. For example, in December 2023, a replacement driving licence was issued within five working days.
Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer because the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence.
It is important to note that the majority of applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they have not been told not to drive by a doctor or optician.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
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.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
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.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
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.
| Manual applications | Digital applications | ||
| Total number processed | Average processing time (in working days) | Total number processed | Average processing time |
V5C Vehicle Registration Certificate | 2,541,989 | 4 | 14,497,650 These transactions are not available separately | The average waiting time to process digital applications is not readily available but is typically one day if the transaction is successful and casework or medical enquiries are not required. |
V62 Application for a Vehicle Registration Certificate | 1,499,893 | 9 | ||
V890 Statutory Off Road Notification | 62,769 | 1 | 2,381,559 | |
V317 Application to keep/transfer a vehicle registration number | 115,168 | 4 | 1,002,687 | |
D1 – non medical Application for a driving licence | 1,716,073 | 6 | 7,622,328 | |
D2 – non medical Application for lorry, bus or minibus driving licence | 284,980 | 5 | 62,982 | |
D1 - medical Application for a driving licence | 309,395 | 63 | 55,802 | |
D2 - medical Application for lorry, bus or minibus driving licence | 90,273 | 55 | This service is not offered online | |
D777B Application for a driver digital tachograph card | 22,488 | 3 | 159,888 | |
For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
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.
| Manual applications | Digital applications | ||
| Total number processed | Average processing time (in working days) | Total number processed | Average processing time |
V5C Vehicle Registration Certificate | 2,541,989 | 4 | 14,497,650 These transactions are not available separately | The average waiting time to process digital applications is not readily available but is typically one day if the transaction is successful and casework or medical enquiries are not required. |
V62 Application for a Vehicle Registration Certificate | 1,499,893 | 9 | ||
V890 Statutory Off Road Notification | 62,769 | 1 | 2,381,559 | |
V317 Application to keep/transfer a vehicle registration number | 115,168 | 4 | 1,002,687 | |
D1 – non medical Application for a driving licence | 1,716,073 | 6 | 7,622,328 | |
D2 – non medical Application for lorry, bus or minibus driving licence | 284,980 | 5 | 62,982 | |
D1 - medical Application for a driving licence | 309,395 | 63 | 55,802 | |
D2 - medical Application for lorry, bus or minibus driving licence | 90,273 | 55 | This service is not offered online | |
D777B Application for a driver digital tachograph card | 22,488 | 3 | 159,888 | |
For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
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.
| Manual applications | Digital applications | ||
| Total number processed | Average processing time (in working days) | Total number processed | Average processing time |
V5C Vehicle Registration Certificate | 2,541,989 | 4 | 14,497,650 These transactions are not available separately | The average waiting time to process digital applications is not readily available but is typically one day if the transaction is successful and casework or medical enquiries are not required. |
V62 Application for a Vehicle Registration Certificate | 1,499,893 | 9 | ||
V890 Statutory Off Road Notification | 62,769 | 1 | 2,381,559 | |
V317 Application to keep/transfer a vehicle registration number | 115,168 | 4 | 1,002,687 | |
D1 – non medical Application for a driving licence | 1,716,073 | 6 | 7,622,328 | |
D2 – non medical Application for lorry, bus or minibus driving licence | 284,980 | 5 | 62,982 | |
D1 - medical Application for a driving licence | 309,395 | 63 | 55,802 | |
D2 - medical Application for lorry, bus or minibus driving licence | 90,273 | 55 | This service is not offered online | |
D777B Application for a driver digital tachograph card | 22,488 | 3 | 159,888 | |
For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
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.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of barriers faced by logistics businesses attempting to access the Apprenticeship Levy for their training requirements.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to supporting employers within the logistics sector to make full use of apprenticeships to develop the skilled workforces they need, now and in the future. Employers have developed 37 high-quality apprenticeship standards within the transport and logistics sector, including transport and warehouse operations supervisor, supply chain leadership professional and network operations.
We have fast-tracked applications to the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP) for providers nominated by employers hosting the Large Goods Vehicle standard to tackle the urgent need for drivers. This allowed new providers to apply to the Register and be fast tracked to deliver for employers needing training.
In May 2022, the department also introduced a temporary exception to the RoATP, allowing lead providers to subcontract to unregistered providers delivering training and testing for the acquisition of driving licences. This has increased training capacity and access to more of the available testing provision, and this exception is in place until 31 July 2023.
In 2021, a new version of the Large Goods Vehicle Driver apprenticeship was launched and the department increased funding from £5,000 to £7,000 to support providers delivering the standard. Additionally, the department is reviewing the funding band for the Heavy Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician apprenticeship standard, as requested by employers, and a decision will be made as soon as possible.
The department is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year and employers within the transport and logistics sector can access this funding for the high-quality apprenticeships they choose to meet their business needs and to help fill skills gaps within their industry.