Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the differences between the PVG requirement for driving instructors in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) England and (d) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes the safety of learner drivers extremely seriously.
DVSA requires every prospective approved driving instructor (ADI) in Great Britain to apply for an enhanced disclosure and barring (DBS) check before beginning the ADI qualification process. They are also required to repeat the disclosure process every four years when they renew their ADI registration.
The ADI Registrar also has the power to remove an ADI who falls below the standard of fit and proper person.
The process to become an ADI in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of The Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA).
The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, which became mandatory 1 April 2025, is administered by Disclosure Scotland on behalf of the Scottish government and will impact the majority of ADIs in Scotland. Anyone providing driving instruction to under 18’s or protected adults (those with a disability) in Scotland must be registered with the scheme.
DVSA are not responsible for this scheme or its introduction, but did have recent discussions with the relevant bodies to clarify that ADIs would need to register with the scheme in addition to the DBS check which they would have already undertaken as part of the current ADI process.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring Scottish driving instructors to undergo (a) PVG and (b) DBS checks.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes the safety of learner drivers extremely seriously.
DVSA requires every prospective approved driving instructor (ADI) in Great Britain to apply for an enhanced disclosure and barring (DBS) check before beginning the ADI qualification process. They are also required to repeat the disclosure process every four years when they renew their ADI registration.
The ADI Registrar also has the power to remove an ADI who falls below the standard of fit and proper person.
The process to become an ADI in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of The Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA).
The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, which became mandatory 1 April 2025, is administered by Disclosure Scotland on behalf of the Scottish government and will impact the majority of ADIs in Scotland. Anyone providing driving instruction to under 18’s or protected adults (those with a disability) in Scotland must be registered with the scheme.
DVSA are not responsible for this scheme or its introduction, but did have recent discussions with the relevant bodies to clarify that ADIs would need to register with the scheme in addition to the DBS check which they would have already undertaken as part of the current ADI process.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the ability of UK airports to meet the new departmental deadlines to install next-generation security scanners.
Answered by Mike Kane
I have already had the pleasure of visiting airports upgrading airport security equipment and seeing the new security equipment in operation. I, and my department, continue to regularly engage with airports to ensure the implementation of the Next Generation Security Checkpoint remains on track. Where new equipment is installed, it will improve the passenger experience but most importantly improve the already high standards of security in the UK.