Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what steps she is taking to help increase public (a) engagement in and (b) understanding of the legislative process.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Government is working hard to prepare the legislative programme for the next session of Parliament in the usual way. The programme will be announced in the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on 7th November.
Good progress is being made in delivering the Government’s legislative programme and manifesto commitments. So far this session, 30 Government Bills have reached Royal Assent. In addition, the Government has worked with members on all sides of the House to deliver 16 private members' bills. Details of all Acts of Parliament can be found on legislation.gov.uk.
Parliament has shown that it provides flexibility in debating legislation and adapts when necessary, for example the passage of the Coronavirus Act and the recent legislation relating to the Northern Ireland budget.
Public trust and confidence in our democracy and its institutions is vital and this is something which I am keen to promote as Leader of the House.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what steps she is taking to measure the (a) success and (b) efficiency of the government's legislative programme.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Government is working hard to prepare the legislative programme for the next session of Parliament in the usual way. The programme will be announced in the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on 7th November.
Good progress is being made in delivering the Government’s legislative programme and manifesto commitments. So far this session, 30 Government Bills have reached Royal Assent. In addition, the Government has worked with members on all sides of the House to deliver 16 private members' bills. Details of all Acts of Parliament can be found on legislation.gov.uk.
Parliament has shown that it provides flexibility in debating legislation and adapts when necessary, for example the passage of the Coronavirus Act and the recent legislation relating to the Northern Ireland budget.
Public trust and confidence in our democracy and its institutions is vital and this is something which I am keen to promote as Leader of the House.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what steps she is taking to deliver the government's legislative programme for the upcoming parliamentary year.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Government is working hard to prepare the legislative programme for the next session of Parliament in the usual way. The programme will be announced in the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on 7th November.
Good progress is being made in delivering the Government’s legislative programme and manifesto commitments. So far this session, 30 Government Bills have reached Royal Assent. In addition, the Government has worked with members on all sides of the House to deliver 16 private members' bills. Details of all Acts of Parliament can be found on legislation.gov.uk.
Parliament has shown that it provides flexibility in debating legislation and adapts when necessary, for example the passage of the Coronavirus Act and the recent legislation relating to the Northern Ireland budget.
Public trust and confidence in our democracy and its institutions is vital and this is something which I am keen to promote as Leader of the House.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what steps she is taking to ensure flexibility in the legislative programme.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Government is working hard to prepare the legislative programme for the next session of Parliament in the usual way. The programme will be announced in the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on 7th November.
Good progress is being made in delivering the Government’s legislative programme and manifesto commitments. So far this session, 30 Government Bills have reached Royal Assent. In addition, the Government has worked with members on all sides of the House to deliver 16 private members' bills. Details of all Acts of Parliament can be found on legislation.gov.uk.
Parliament has shown that it provides flexibility in debating legislation and adapts when necessary, for example the passage of the Coronavirus Act and the recent legislation relating to the Northern Ireland budget.
Public trust and confidence in our democracy and its institutions is vital and this is something which I am keen to promote as Leader of the House.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Coronavirus Act 2020 has been extended for a further six months; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
All the temporary, non-devolved provisions in the Coronavirus Act 2020 (‘the Act’) have now either expired or been repealed. The final temporary, non-devolved provisions in the Act expired at the end of 24 September 2022.
The Act contains a number of permanent provisions, which do not automatically expire. Many of these provisions preserve the legal effect of certain actions taken during the lifespan of the temporary provisions in the Act.
The Act is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament and provides devolved powers which are the responsibility of the respective Devolved Governments to which they extend. Each Devolved Government has its own arrangements for reporting on the powers within their legislative competence.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what changes he will propose, if any, to the recommendation to wear face masks on the parliamentary estate in light of the spread of COVID-19 infections.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Regular communications are issued to members and staff to provide guidance in relation to Covid-19. The latest guidance, published on 5 April, states that from 25 April when the House returns from recess, the wearing of face masks is a matter of personal choice. All Covid-related measures are kept under review as appropriate.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time was for customers to speak to a DVLA agent over the telephone in (a) each of the last five years and (b) in 2022; and what steps he is taking to reduce that waiting time.
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. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example if medical investigations are needed. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
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.
In 2021, the DVLA received 16,972 items of correspondence from Members of Parliament. Of these, 36% were answered within the DVLA’s target of eight working days. The DVLA has allocated extra resource to the team that deals with enquiries from Members of Parliament and we expect that this will start to show an improving picture going forward.
The table below shows the average processing time for ordinary driving licence applications between 1 April 2021 and 28 February 2022 in working days, by (a) new applications, (b) renewal applications, and (c) replacement applications.
| (a) new applications | (b) renewal applications | (c) replacement applications |
Online application | 2.33 | 1.56 | 1.62 |
Paper application | 25.08 | 30.56 | 33.70 |
The table below shows the average waiting time for customers to speak to a DVLA agent by telephone in each of the last five years and during the current year.
Year | Minutes |
2016-17 | 0.5 |
2017-18 | 1.0 |
2018-19 | 1.1 |
2019-20 | 1.3 |
2020-21 | 7.3 |
2021-22 | 11.1 |
Since 1 April 2020, the DVLA’s contact centre has recruited and trained 166 extra staff with 20 more due to join during March and a further 150 being recruited. In addition, the DVLA’s new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham have recruited extra staff who are processing medical driving licence applications as well as supporting customers who call the contact centre.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is he taking to tackle the backlog in paper applications to the DVLA.
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. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example if medical investigations are needed. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
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.
In 2021, the DVLA received 16,972 items of correspondence from Members of Parliament. Of these, 36% were answered within the DVLA’s target of eight working days. The DVLA has allocated extra resource to the team that deals with enquiries from Members of Parliament and we expect that this will start to show an improving picture going forward.
The table below shows the average processing time for ordinary driving licence applications between 1 April 2021 and 28 February 2022 in working days, by (a) new applications, (b) renewal applications, and (c) replacement applications.
| (a) new applications | (b) renewal applications | (c) replacement applications |
Online application | 2.33 | 1.56 | 1.62 |
Paper application | 25.08 | 30.56 | 33.70 |
The table below shows the average waiting time for customers to speak to a DVLA agent by telephone in each of the last five years and during the current year.
Year | Minutes |
2016-17 | 0.5 |
2017-18 | 1.0 |
2018-19 | 1.1 |
2019-20 | 1.3 |
2020-21 | 7.3 |
2021-22 | 11.1 |
Since 1 April 2020, the DVLA’s contact centre has recruited and trained 166 extra staff with 20 more due to join during March and a further 150 being recruited. In addition, the DVLA’s new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham have recruited extra staff who are processing medical driving licence applications as well as supporting customers who call the contact centre.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time is for driving licence applications by (a) new applications, (b) renewal applications and (c) replacement 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. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example if medical investigations are needed. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
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.
In 2021, the DVLA received 16,972 items of correspondence from Members of Parliament. Of these, 36% were answered within the DVLA’s target of eight working days. The DVLA has allocated extra resource to the team that deals with enquiries from Members of Parliament and we expect that this will start to show an improving picture going forward.
The table below shows the average processing time for ordinary driving licence applications between 1 April 2021 and 28 February 2022 in working days, by (a) new applications, (b) renewal applications, and (c) replacement applications.
| (a) new applications | (b) renewal applications | (c) replacement applications |
Online application | 2.33 | 1.56 | 1.62 |
Paper application | 25.08 | 30.56 | 33.70 |
The table below shows the average waiting time for customers to speak to a DVLA agent by telephone in each of the last five years and during the current year.
Year | Minutes |
2016-17 | 0.5 |
2017-18 | 1.0 |
2018-19 | 1.1 |
2019-20 | 1.3 |
2020-21 | 7.3 |
2021-22 | 11.1 |
Since 1 April 2020, the DVLA’s contact centre has recruited and trained 166 extra staff with 20 more due to join during March and a further 150 being recruited. In addition, the DVLA’s new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham have recruited extra staff who are processing medical driving licence applications as well as supporting customers who call the contact centre.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the (a) number of enquiries made to the DVLA from Members of Parliament and (b) proportion of those queries answered within that agency's service standard on enquiry response time.
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. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example if medical investigations are needed. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
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.
In 2021, the DVLA received 16,972 items of correspondence from Members of Parliament. Of these, 36% were answered within the DVLA’s target of eight working days. The DVLA has allocated extra resource to the team that deals with enquiries from Members of Parliament and we expect that this will start to show an improving picture going forward.
The table below shows the average processing time for ordinary driving licence applications between 1 April 2021 and 28 February 2022 in working days, by (a) new applications, (b) renewal applications, and (c) replacement applications.
| (a) new applications | (b) renewal applications | (c) replacement applications |
Online application | 2.33 | 1.56 | 1.62 |
Paper application | 25.08 | 30.56 | 33.70 |
The table below shows the average waiting time for customers to speak to a DVLA agent by telephone in each of the last five years and during the current year.
Year | Minutes |
2016-17 | 0.5 |
2017-18 | 1.0 |
2018-19 | 1.1 |
2019-20 | 1.3 |
2020-21 | 7.3 |
2021-22 | 11.1 |
Since 1 April 2020, the DVLA’s contact centre has recruited and trained 166 extra staff with 20 more due to join during March and a further 150 being recruited. In addition, the DVLA’s new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham have recruited extra staff who are processing medical driving licence applications as well as supporting customers who call the contact centre.