Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many HGV Driver Certificate of Professional Competence certificates were issued in each of the last three years.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Drivers who successfully pass the initial Certificate of Professional Competence qualification are issued with a Driver Qualification Card (DQC). Drivers must renew their DQC every five years by undergoing 35 hours of periodic training.
The table below shows the total number of DQCs issued and renewed since 2018 for all vocational drivers. It is not possible to determine if the card relates to lorry or bus entitlement.
Year | Cards issued |
2018 | 152,091 |
2019 | 516,583 |
2020 | 118,727 |
2021 (to date) | 79,317 |
Certificates of Professional Competence for lorry drivers were introduced in 2009. The higher number of cards issued in 2019 reflects the number of lorry drivers who were renewing their card for a second time.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) quality and (b) effectiveness of Driver Certificate of Professional Competence training courses.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Responsibility for approving Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) courses and providers in Great Britain rests with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
DVSA conduct almost 1400 DCPC centre and course audits a year and the training delivers a positive outcome for drivers. Where issues with training are identified, DVSA will work with the provider to address weaknesses. If the outcome is unsatisfactory, centre approval will be removed.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) quality and (b) effectiveness of Driver Certificate of Professional Competence training providers.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Responsibility for approving Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) courses and providers in Great Britain rests with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
DVSA conduct almost 1400 DCPC centre and course audits a year and the training delivers a positive outcome for drivers. Where issues with training are identified, DVSA will work with the provider to address weaknesses. If the outcome is unsatisfactory, centre approval will be removed.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason (a) there have been delays in excess of six months for provisional licence and driving licence renewal applications to be processed and (b) applicants have been unable to contact the DVLA by phone during this period; and what steps he is taking to tackle those issues.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day and industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union has led to delays for customers, alongside a significantly reduced number of staff on site to ensure social distancing in line with Welsh Government requirements. The current increased demand for the DVLA’s services has also contributed to delays with paper applications.
Paper driving licence applications are currently taking between six and ten weeks to process. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example if medical investigations are needed. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
The DVLA continues to explore opportunities to reduce turnaround times and has been developing additional new online services and recruiting additional staff. The DVLA is exploring the possibility of securing extra office space to accommodate more staff to work predominantly on driver’s medical casework and queries. This will be surge capacity accommodation and resource to help reduce backlogs while providing future resilience and business continuity.
The DVLA has a number of communication channels for applicants to seek updates on their applications. As well as the contact centre’s telephone enquiry lines there are also email and webchat services available via GOV.UK. The DVLA’s contact centre has introduced extended opening hours and increased remote working with some staff handling email, webchat, social media and more recently telephone customer contacts remotely.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average length of time is between applying for a provisional driving licence and receiving that licence.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Information on the average time taken between applying for a provisional driving licence and receiving it is not recorded. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services are the quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application for a driving licence. The DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day which must be dealt with in person. Ongoing industrial action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union is leading to delays for customers who make paper applications.
Currently, paper applications are likely to take between six and ten weeks to process. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example, if medical investigations are needed as part of a driving licence application. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to publish the Integrated Rail Plan by the end of 2020.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
We are expecting the National Infrastructure Commission’s Rail Needs Assessment report shortly and the Integrated Rail Plan will follow once Ministers have considered this advice.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the preferred route for the Manchester to Leeds corridor of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Secretary of State has had regular discussions with Transport for the North about Northern Powerhouse Rail, most recently in September. The Secretary of State also has regular conversations with Northern Leaders in his role as the Northern Powerhouse Minister, including several in preparation for the next Northern Transport Acceleration Council meeting.
In the Integrated Rail Plan, the Department will set out how projects, including HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, can be connected strategically to deliver the train services that people need and deserve, as effectively as possible. We are expecting the National Infrastructure Commission’s Rail Needs Assessment report shortly and the Integrated Rail Plan will follow once Ministers have considered this advice.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Bradford is included on the preferred route for the Manchester to Leeds corridor of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Northern Powerhouse Rail aims to transform connectivity and economic growth. The assessment of proposals therefore includes their comparative connectivity and economic outcomes. Work to assess options is ongoing, including options serving Bradford. The Government is providing up to £500,000 funding to Bradford City Council to develop the city’s regeneration and development plans to support that work. We are currently awaiting the National Infrastructure Commission’s Rail Needs Assessment for the North and Midlands, which will inform the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan.