Asked by: John Denham (Labour - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the longest period waited was on the receipt of the necessary medical evidence, to restore a driving licence for those drivers who have temporarily had their licence suspended for medical reasons in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not temporarily suspend driving licences. Drivers may have their licence revoked or choose to surrender their licence voluntarily if their medical condition affects their fitness to drive.
Each case must be fully assessed before determining whether sufficient medical evidence has been supplied. More information is needed in some cases and may involve detailed consultation with medical professionals.
Figures are not routinely kept of the amount of time an applicant may wait in these circumstances. An exercise in February 2014 suggested some customers may have waited up to 20 weeks. Once a decision has been made to re-issue the licence this is done immediately.
Asked by: John Denham (Labour - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many drivers who have provided the necessary medical evidence are waiting to have their driving licence restored following temporary suspension for medical reasons.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not temporarily suspend driving licences. Drivers may have their licence revoked or choose to surrender their licence voluntarily if their medical condition affects their fitness to drive.
Customers applying in these circumstances are not easily identifiable. An estimate based on information available suggests around 9,000 applicants who have produced the necessary medical evidence are awaiting assessment. Once a decision has been made to re-issue the licence this is done immediately.
Asked by: John Denham (Labour - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long drivers who have produced the necessary medical evidence have waitied before their licence is restored following suspension for medical reasons.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not temporarily suspend driving licences. Drivers may have their licence revoked or choose to surrender their licence voluntarily if their medical condition affects their fitness to drive.
On average, drivers who have produced the necessary medical evidence following revocation wait eight weeks before their licence is restored.