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Written Question
Driving Tests: Coronavirus
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2020 to Question 102859 on Driving Tests: Coronavirus, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend Section 91 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to permit the repayment of theory test fees where a candidate's theory test certificate expires after the passing of the Coronavirus Act 2020 without the candidate being able to sit their practical test within the required timescale.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

There are no plans to bring forward such legislative proposals.


Written Question
Driving Tests: Coronavirus
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2020 to Question 102859 on Driving Tests: Coronavirus, what consultation he has conducted regarding legislative proposals to amend Section 91 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to permit the repayment of theory test fees where a candidate's theory test certificate expires after the passing of the Coronavirus Act 2020 without the candidate being able to sit their practical test within the required timescale.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

A candidate whose theory test certificate expires will have received the service for which they paid the fee. Therefore, no consultation has been conducted. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency continues to refund the fee for the practical driving test as soon as a candidate’s theory test certificate expires.


Written Question
Driving Tests
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the backlog of (a) theory and (b) practical driving tests in (i) Scotland and (ii) Great Britain; and how long he estimates it will take to clear each backlog.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The attached table shows the practical driving test backlogs as at 21 December 2020:

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to reduce the backlog of tests whilst adhering to Government guidance to suspend its testing services to help stop the spread of coronavirus and keep people safe. It will continue to reschedule tests that are suspended in line with Government restrictions to the next available test dates.

Unlike driver practical tests, the DVSA is unable to make an estimate of the backlog of theory tests as these appointments are managed by re-scheduling candidates into a virtual centre, giving candidates the opportunity to choose an alternative date and time.

Demand for theory test services has increased as a result of national and local restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government’s initiative to support vocational drivers, and the shortage of delivery and goods drivers due to Brexit.


Written Question
Driving Tests
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many applicants resident in Scotland have (a) been offered and (b) accepted an appointment for a driving test elsewhere in Great Britain since the passing of the Coronavirus Act 2020.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

Candidates select the test centre of their choice when booking a driving test. Some candidates may be residing temporarily in an area away from their home address, for example, for study or work purposes.

In the period 25 March 2020 to 30 November 2020, there were 754 candidates with Scotland postcodes who took their driving tests in England or Wales.


Written Question
Driving Tests: Coronavirus
Monday 14th December 2020

Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of covid-19 restrictions on the completion of driving tests.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

To help stop the spread of coronavirus, restriction periods were introduced during which time driver testing was suspended.

Driving tests that were booked to take place during the restrictions were rescheduled to the next available slots. Candidates had the option of a test fee refund if their rescheduled date was not suitable.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency continues to work with Transport Scotland to resume testing services in a COVID-secure way and ensure the Scottish Government’s five-level system is adhered to.


Written Question
Driving Tests: Coronavirus
Wednesday 9th December 2020

Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the DVLA on using driving assessment mobility centres for standard driving tests during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is responsible for delivering driving tests.

No discussions have taken place with the DVSA on this issue. In order to be able to conduct driving tests, mobile centre trainers would be required to cease all their instructional activities and meet the requirements of Directive 2006/126/EC, which includes satisfying the various competences and undertaking an initial qualification and examination. There are no current plans to take this kind of action.


Written Question
Driving Instruction: Coronavirus
Friday 4th December 2020

Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that driving schools are able to re-open safely, as taxi companies have been permitted to, in the context of the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

As business owners, approved driving instructors (ADI) are responsible for ensuring their services remain safe and COVID-secure. Guidance on how ADIs can carry out risk assessments can be found on the Health and Safety Executive’s website at: https:www.hse.gov.uk

The requirement for pupils to wear PPE during a lesson is the decision of the driving instructor and the pupil.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has worked closely with trade associations, such as the National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP), and shared its plans with them to allow NASP to publish guidance for ADIs. NASP has also produced guidance on training which is available online at: www.n-a-s-p.co.uk/

The DVSA has also signposted ADIs to Government guidance on safety in vehicles and while working. A copy of the guidance can be found online at: https:www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-restarting-driver- and-rider-training-and-tests

The DVSA does not have sufficient or direct powers to instruct ADIs to take certain measures; it can only offer guidance, which is what it has done.


Written Question
Driving Tests: Coronavirus
Thursday 19th November 2020

Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the two-year period for passing a practical driving test from the date of a successful theory test for people waiting to take practical driving tests during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The two-year validity period of the theory test certificate is set in legislation and the Government has taken the decision not to lay further legislation to extend it. The primary reason is that the two-year validity is in place to ensure that a candidate’s theoretical knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point they drive on their own for the first time. Extending the validity would provide less reassurance that this is the case. Those whose certificate previously expired and have since passed the theory test will now have a further two years in which to pass the practical test.


Written Question
Driving Tests: Coronavirus
Tuesday 17th November 2020

Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the DVSA on temporarily extending the validity period for test theory certificates following the introduction of additional covid-19 restrictions.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The two-year validity period of the theory test certificate is set in legislation and the Government has taken the decision not to lay further legislation to extend it. The primary reason is that the two-year validity is in place to ensure that a candidate’s theoretical knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point they drive on their own for the first time. Extending the validity would provide less reassurance that this is the case. Those whose certificate previously expired and have since passed the theory test will now have a further two years in which to pass the practical test.


Written Question
Driving Tests: Coronavirus
Tuesday 17th November 2020

Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the DVSA on ensuring people are not able to book tests that would require travelling from an area with a high level of covid-19 restrictions into an area under lower restrictions.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

To help stop the spread of coronavirus, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is following guidance and advice issued by the devolved administrations when taking the decision to suspend driving tests. It is working with Transport Scotland following the Scottish five-level system, the Welsh Parliament, and the Cabinet Office to ensure local and national restrictions are adhered to.

As was the case in March, people in England should stay at home to reduce day-to-day contact with other people, and reduce the spread of the infection. The DVSA has asked candidates, approved driving instructors and approved training bodies to respect and adhere to local and national restrictions when taking lessons and tests, and carrying out any form of training.