Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the numbers of driving examiners in England on waiting times for tests; and what steps he is taking to encourage more examiners to qualify.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) undertake quarterly test forecast reviews to identify the likely demand of driving tests, from which it calculates the numbers of examiners required in order to service those demands. Those numbers are reviewed against the current examiners numbers and where increases are identified, these are factored into DVSA’s recruitment campaigns. DVSA usually run two recruitment campaigns per year, with additional campaigns where necessary i.e. where there has been insufficient take-up/success in geographical areas.
This process has, over the years, generally worked well, but the unforeseen and exceptionally high increase in demand for driving tests in 2015. Across the whole of DVSA it has recruited 167 new driving examiners during 2015/16 with a further 60 either attending or booked on to new entrant courses. DVSA has also offered posts to a further 40 potential examiners.
DVSA has also been re-prioritising the activities of examiners and offering them additional overtime in order to increase testing capacity.
Over 2015 DVSA introduced a number of changes to the marketing of its recruitment campaign in order to try and encourage interest from wider and more diverse groups, additionally DVSA undertook two targeted campaigns for motorcycle examiners and LGV examiners.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average wait for driving tests is in each English region.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency records its data in four regions, which are; Scotland and North England, Central England and North Wales, South Wales and South West England and London and the South East. The average waiting times in January 2016 for these areas are listed below.
Scotland & North England | Waiting time in weeks |
Jan-16 | |
Average Car Waiting time | 8.4 |
Average M/C Mod 1 Waiting time | 1.3 |
Average M/C Mod 2 Waiting time | 2.1 |
Average Voc Waiting time | 7.9 |
Average ADI 2 Waiting time | 7.2 |
Average ADI 3 Waiting time | 7.1 |
Average Taxi Waiting time | 8.0 |
Central England & North Wales | Waiting time in weeks |
Jan-16 | |
Average Car Waiting time | 8.4 |
Average M/C Mod 1 Waiting time | 1.3 |
Average M/C Mod 2 Waiting time | 2.1 |
Average Voc Waiting time | 7.9 |
Average ADI 2 Waiting time | 7.2 |
Average ADI 3 Waiting time | 7.1 |
Average Taxi Waiting time | 8.0 |
South Wales & South West England | Waiting time in weeks |
Jan-16 | |
Average Car Waiting time | 8.7 |
Average M/C Mod 1 Waiting time | 3.6 |
Average M/C Mod 2 Waiting time | 2.1 |
Average Voc Waiting time | 5.7 |
Average ADI 2 Waiting time | 5.7 |
Average ADI 3 Waiting time | 7.8 |
Average Taxi Waiting time | 7.6 |
London & South East | Waiting time in weeks |
Jan-16 | |
Average Car Waiting time | 7.5 |
Average M/C Mod 1 Waiting time | 1.5 |
Average M/C Mod 2 Waiting time | 1.5 |
Average Voc Waiting time | 3.3 |
Average ADI 2 Waiting time | 3.8 |
Average ADI 3 Waiting time | 3.3 |
Average Taxi Waiting time | 3.4 |
National | Waiting time in weeks |
Jan-16 | |
Average Car Waiting time | 8.4 |
Average M/C Mod 1 Waiting time | 2.7 |
Average M/C Mod 2 Waiting time | 2.4 |
Average Voc Waiting time | 5.3 |
Average ADI 2 Waiting time | 5.5 |
Average ADI 3 Waiting time | 5.9 |
Average Taxi Waiting time | 6.7 |
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the pass rates in driving tests were in each region and constituent part of the UK in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not record pass rates for each constituent part of the UK. Pass rates by test centre are published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of increased waiting times for driving tests for young drivers on (a) failure rates and (b) increased travel time and cost to examination centres.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Any comparison between waiting times and failure rates would be highly subjective as the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has no way of excluding other factors. DVSA also cannot identify the motivation of candidates choosing test centres for their practical test; therefore, DVSA is unable to assess what the costs would be.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to increase UK Ship Register fees in the next financial year.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is discussing potential increases in its fees, including the UK Ship Register fees, with other government departments ahead of a consultation exercise with the shipping industry and other stakeholders.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on his Department's policies of the recommendations of the Second Global Conference on Road Safety organised by the UN/WHO in Brasilia between 17 and 19 November 2015.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The themes of the recommendations from the Second Global Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia are broadly in line with our approach to road safety, with an emphasis on education, enforcement and infrastructure with particular regard to vulnerable road users.
The Government has a Manifesto commitment to reduce road deaths and injuries amongst cyclists and other road users every year. We are working with road safety groups and other stakeholders to determine what more can be done to meet this commitment.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of private hire vehicles illegally plying for hire.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government is responsible for the legislative structure within which local licensing authorities deliver the licensing regime for taxis and private hire vehicles. Enforcement of the licensing regime, including ensuring that private hire vehicles do not illegally ply for hire, is therefore a matter for local licensing authorities and the police.