Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce the length of waiting times for driving tests.
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.
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 waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.
As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact high waiting times have on learner drivers, and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.
DVSA conducted 10,400 additional tests in June 2025 as a result of the additional test allowance, which was introduced on 1 June 2025. DVSA conducted 10,638 additional tests in July 2025. The 10,400 and 10,638 additional tests are as a comparison with the number we conducted in the equivalent scheme in June and July 2024.
The table below shows the average waiting times in July at (a) Hawick, (b) Galashiels, (c) Kelso, (d) Duns and (e) Berwick-On-Tweed test centres.
Location | Average Waiting Times July 25 |
Hawick | 22.3 Weeks |
Galashiels | 23.5 Weeks |
Kelso | 24 Weeks |
Duns | 24 Weeks |
Berwick | 22.8 Weeks |
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test examiners have been employed by the DVSA in each month since July 2024.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since July last year, up to and including July 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has recruited and trained 226 driving examiners DEs who are now in post and delivering driving tests. The table below breaks down this figure by month, from July 2024 to July 2025.
New DE's who have successfully completed training and moved into post. | |
Jul-24 | 10 |
Aug-24 | 12 |
Sep-24 | 19 |
Oct-24 | 7 |
Nov-24 | 10 |
Dec-24 | 6 |
Jan-25 | 16 |
Feb-25 | 36 |
Mar-25 | 23 |
Apr-25 | 17 |
May-25 | 14 |
Jun-25 | 30 |
Jul-25 | 26 |
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of litigation funders (a) overriding and (b) challenging class representatives on claimant outcomes.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice. That is why we are committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.
The Civil Justice Council published its comprehensive review of litigation funding in England and Wales on 2 June, which will help inform the Government approach to any potential reforms in this area. The Government welcomes this review and is carefully considering the recommendations in the final report. Our response will consider how best to strike the balance between supporting access to justice through third party litigation funding and increasing the transparency and fairness of such arrangements. We will outline next steps in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase transparency on the (a) ownership and (b) control of litigation funders.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice. That is why we are committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.
The Civil Justice Council published its comprehensive review of litigation funding in England and Wales on 2 June, which will help inform the Government approach to any potential reforms in this area. The Government welcomes this review and is carefully considering the recommendations in the final report. Our response will consider how best to strike the balance between supporting access to justice through third party litigation funding and increasing the transparency and fairness of such arrangements. We will outline next steps in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of funder-led litigation on the civil justice system; and whether her Department plans to introduce safeguards.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice. That is why we are committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.
The Civil Justice Council published its comprehensive review of litigation funding in England and Wales on 2 June, which will help inform the Government approach to any potential reforms in this area. The Government welcomes this review and is carefully considering the recommendations in the final report. Our response will consider how best to strike the balance between supporting access to justice through third party litigation funding and increasing the transparency and fairness of such arrangements. We will outline next steps in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many small boats crossing the English Channel have been towed by French authorities into UK waters in each month from January 2022 to June 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
None.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much of the funding allocated to support (a) joint working arrangements and (b) enforcement plans agreed with French Government on 27 February 2025 to tackle people smuggling gangs has been used.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the UK-FR Joint Leaders’ Declaration, published on 23 March 2023, the United Kingdom has agreed to contribute €209m to reduce instances of irregular migration to the UK in the Financial Year 2025-26.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure (a) her Department and (b) the UK legal system support attracting inward investment, in the context of the Civil Justice Council’s review of the litigation funding sector.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council review of litigation funding, which will help inform the approach to potential reforms. We are carefully considering the recommendations made in the review and will outline next steps in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to introduce mandatory reporting on overseas funding used for third-party litigation.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council review of litigation funding, which will help inform the approach to potential reforms. We are carefully considering the recommendations made in the review and will outline next steps in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with (a) trade bodies and (c) businesses on the potential impact of class action lawsuits on levels of (a) inward investment and (b) economic growth.
Answered by Justin Madders
I engage regularly with both stakeholders and my Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including how we can prioritise and encourage economic growth.
The department’s remit is limited to collective actions brought in relation to competition issues. In that context, class actions can improve access to justice where bringing a claim would otherwise be impractical or unaffordable.
A robust competition regime, including a route that enables consumers (including businesses) to seek redress through litigation, facilitates consumer protection and encourages investment and growth.