Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce car driving test wait times at (a) Monmouth test centre, (b) Abergavenny test centre and (c) test centres in South Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has been strengthening the booking system further through major booking reforms (from March–June 2026) to protect access for genuine learners and reduce abuse. It is still too early to draw definitive conclusions, but there are clear early signs, particularly in Wales, that these measures are increasing the availability of test slots, improving access and making the system fairer for learners.
From recent recruitment in South Wales, DVSA has had three new entrants who have successfully completed training and are now conducting tests; one at Abergavenny driving test centre (DTC) and two at Newport DTC.
Abergavenny DTC also has two potential new driving examiners (DE) who are currently in training. There is also another potential new DE for Swansea due to start training in August, with a further two potential candidates undergoing pre-employment checks for Cardiff and Carmarthen respectively.
Where some DTCs have higher wait times across the region, DVSA is looking at bringing in additional resource from other areas to increase test availability.
Additionally, at DTCs in South Wales, 5,168 additional overtime tests were delivered between June 2025 and May 2026 when compared to the previous year. This increase can largely be attributed to the additional test allowance scheme the agency introduced in June 2025.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce wait times for medical driving licences.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has seen sustained growth in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued. The length of time taken to deal with an application often depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a licence can be issued.
To keep up with growing demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA has launched a new casework system and a new digital medical services portal. This new online service covers around 1,600 medical conditions and allows the majority of people to apply online via the DVLA’s driver and vehicles account. These enhancements are already helping the DVLA to process applications more quickly and further enhancements for people applying for a provisional licence and those renewing at the age of 70 or over will be made later this summer.
The DVLA encourages people to use the online service wherever possible to help speed up processing times.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce waiting times for the issuing of medical driving licences.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued.
Some medical cases take longer because the DVLA often needs information from third parties, such as doctors or other healthcare professionals, before it can make a licensing decision. The DVLA has seen sustained growth in the volume and complexity of medical licence applications, increasing waiting times for some customers. To improve its services, the DVLA has introduced a new casework system, and launched a new medical services portal so the majority of customers can now apply online through the DVLA driver and vehicle account.
These enhancements alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with these applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce car driving test wait times at (a) Monmouth test centre, (b) Abergavenny test centre and (c) test centres in South Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times, including in Wales, and improve access to driving tests that will break down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.
Following a recent recruitment campaign, one new entrant driving examiner has recently started in Monmouth and is currently undertaking training.
Eight new entrant driving examiners are scheduled to start training in May and June. Following successful completion of training, one will be joining Abergavenny test centre, two for Merthyr Tydfil, two for Newport, two for Swansea and one will be joining Llanelli test centre.
A further eight offers of employment have been made, which are still in pre-employment checks, for Cardiff, Newport, Bridgend, Swansea, Llanelli and Carmarthen test centre.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of practical car driving tests in Monmouthshire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country.
Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.
DVSA continues to run recruitment campaigns for new driving examiners (DE) and is in the final processes of the most recent campaign.
From recent recruitment in Monmouthshire, DVSA has two new DEs starting in Llantrisant, who will start testing this week, and has another awaiting an upcoming training course. There are also two potential new DEs currently in training for Newport and Cardiff driving test centres.
DVSA’s next campaign, which will include driving test centres in the area, is due to launch shortly.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the availability of (a) HGV driving test slots and (b) HGV driving test examiners.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of 30 June 2025, there were 15,918 vocational practical driving tests booked and 1,216 tests available in the 10-week booking window
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing some of the highest demand for car practical driving tests it has ever seen.
Whilst DVSA are continuing to deploy examiner resource to vocational testing, it needs to ensure this is done in a way which balances all of the demands on DVSA’s examiner resource.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made following her Department's closed consultation on improving moped and motorcycle training.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, and wants to take account of the long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, alongside recent information and proposals from the motorcycle sector. These include a desire to make things simpler for riders whilst recognising the importance of maintaining our safety record.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of motorcycle compulsory basic training.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, and wants to take account of the long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, alongside recent information and proposals from the motorcycle sector. These include a desire to make things simpler for riders whilst recognising the importance of maintaining our safety record.
Asked by: Catherine Fookes (Labour - Monmouthshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to improve the training required for motorcycle drivers.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, and wants to take account of the long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, alongside recent information and proposals from the motorcycle sector. These include a desire to make things simpler for riders whilst recognising the importance of maintaining our safety record.