Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what additional resources his Department has made available to the DVLA to help it clear the backlog of driving licence renewals and applications.
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. 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 latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
On 4 February, there were 178,926 driving licence renewal applications that had taken ten weeks or more. The vast majority of these are applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued to ensure the required medical standards are met. In December, the Department for Health and Social Care asked the DVLA to stop sending medical questionnaires (excluding vocational applications) to NHS doctors in December and January to allow the NHS to focus all efforts on the vaccination booster programme. While referrals to doctors have now resumed, this has had an impact on turnaround times. It is important to note that the large majority of these drivers will be able to continue driving under Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act while they are waiting for their application to be processed.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to tackle the delays in the DVLA's handling of driving licence renewals and applications.
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. 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 latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
On 4 February, there were 178,926 driving licence renewal applications that had taken ten weeks or more. The vast majority of these are applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued to ensure the required medical standards are met. In December, the Department for Health and Social Care asked the DVLA to stop sending medical questionnaires (excluding vocational applications) to NHS doctors in December and January to allow the NHS to focus all efforts on the vaccination booster programme. While referrals to doctors have now resumed, this has had an impact on turnaround times. It is important to note that the large majority of these drivers will be able to continue driving under Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act while they are waiting for their application to be processed.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the time taken for DVLA to contact an applicant's GP or health professional where medical input is required to process an application or renewal for a driving licence.
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. 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 latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here. There will be additional delays in processing applications where medical investigations are needed.
The number of applications awaiting processing fluctuates on a daily basis as licences are issued and new applications received.
In December the Department of Health and Social Care asked the DVLA to temporarily pause referrals to the NHS for driver licensing purposes to allow the NHS to rightly prioritise the vaccination booster rollout. Referrals for lorry and bus drivers were prioritised and continued during this time and all referrals have now restarted. The large majority of drivers renewing a licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being considered, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here
The DVLA recognises the impact on drivers who have to renew their licence more regularly and is working hard to improve the process. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.
The DVLA has also recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.
These measures are having a positive impact and customers will see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog of applications for driving licences for people with medical conditions.
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. 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 latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here. There will be additional delays in processing applications where medical investigations are needed.
The number of applications awaiting processing fluctuates on a daily basis as licences are issued and new applications received.
In December the Department of Health and Social Care asked the DVLA to temporarily pause referrals to the NHS for driver licensing purposes to allow the NHS to rightly prioritise the vaccination booster rollout. Referrals for lorry and bus drivers were prioritised and continued during this time and all referrals have now restarted. The large majority of drivers renewing a licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being considered, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here
The DVLA recognises the impact on drivers who have to renew their licence more regularly and is working hard to improve the process. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.
The DVLA has also recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.
These measures are having a positive impact and customers will see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the timeframes for (a) applications and (b) renewals of driving licences being processed by the DVLA for applicants with medical conditions.
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. 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 latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here. There will be additional delays in processing applications where medical investigations are needed.
The number of applications awaiting processing fluctuates on a daily basis as licences are issued and new applications received.
In December the Department of Health and Social Care asked the DVLA to temporarily pause referrals to the NHS for driver licensing purposes to allow the NHS to rightly prioritise the vaccination booster rollout. Referrals for lorry and bus drivers were prioritised and continued during this time and all referrals have now restarted. The large majority of drivers renewing a licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being considered, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here
The DVLA recognises the impact on drivers who have to renew their licence more regularly and is working hard to improve the process. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.
The DVLA has also recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.
These measures are having a positive impact and customers will see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many outstanding (a) driving licence renewals, (b) applications for provisional licences and (c) other driving licence applications are pending processing by the DVLA for those with medical conditions.
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. 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 latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here. There will be additional delays in processing applications where medical investigations are needed.
The number of applications awaiting processing fluctuates on a daily basis as licences are issued and new applications received.
In December the Department of Health and Social Care asked the DVLA to temporarily pause referrals to the NHS for driver licensing purposes to allow the NHS to rightly prioritise the vaccination booster rollout. Referrals for lorry and bus drivers were prioritised and continued during this time and all referrals have now restarted. The large majority of drivers renewing a licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being considered, providing they can meet the criteria outlined here
The DVLA recognises the impact on drivers who have to renew their licence more regularly and is working hard to improve the process. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, a visual impairment, a sleep condition or a heart condition can renew their licence online.
The DVLA has also recently introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and is piloting this for some mental health conditions. This renewal process has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is looking at adding more medical conditions to this new process.
These measures are having a positive impact and customers will see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.
Asked by: Liam Fox (Conservative - North Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS mangers are paid over (a) £80,000, (b) £130,000, (c) £200,000 and (d) £250,000 a year.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The following table shows managers with total earnings of over £80,000 in the 12 months to the end of June 2021, headcount. These figures represent payments made using the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) to National Health Service staff employed and directly paid by NHS organisations in the Hospital and Community Health Sector (HCHS). These are total earnings, which include non-basic-pay elements such as overtime, geographic allowances, or on-call payments.
Range | Headcount |
£80,000 - £129,999 | 7,018 |
£130,000 - £199,999 | 1,071 |
£200,000 - £249,999 | 114 |
£250,000 and over | 36 |
Source – NHS Digital Earnings Statistics
Notes:
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the number of frontline NHS staff opting (a) to not work overtime and (b) to reduce the number of overtime hours worked as a result to the potential impact that overtime pay might have on their eligibility for the High-Income Child Benefit Tax Charge and level of household income.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
No assessment has been made. Data on the number of staff not working overtime or reducing their overtime hours is not held centrally.
We have had no specific discussions with HM Treasury and no assessment of the potential impact of an exemption on staffing levels in winter 2021/22.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the (a) amount of overtime worked and (b) cost of that overtime worked by NHS staff throughout the course of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The amount of overtime worked is not held centrally. The total value of overtime worked by National Health Service staff working in the hospital and community health sector between March 2020 and December 2020 is £1,340 million.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on rolling out vaccinations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and if he will implement more late night and early morning vaccination services, with subsidies for overtime and late shifts as required.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Currently there are no plans to open vaccination sites 24 hours a day. However, we are keeping this under review based on patient and staff feedback.
We previously piloted an extended hours service in community pharmacy led vaccination sites in key locations in England, operating an extended hours service from 5am to 8am and 8pm to 1am. This was a very small pilot with limited data and for a very short period of time. However, it is recommended that regional teams encourage pharmacy local vaccination sites to offer more flexible hours/appointment schedules outside of the 8am to 8pm period if a trial shows there is local demand. Under current contractual terms, this would be opt-in for the contractor but may be attractive due to potentially minimising impact on provision of other pharmaceutical services.
NHS England and NHS Improvement will continue to test extended opening hours, including 24-hour provision.