Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of driving-licence numbers entered on driving-test booking forms have subsequently been changed since March 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not employ driving instructors. By law, approved driving instructors (ADI) cannot work as examiners at the same time as being a registered instructor, even temporarily.
Whilst DVSA does not have the power to either increase or limit the number of ADI, the number of instructors on DVSA’s ADI register has increased in the last few years.
The attached spreadsheet shows the number and percentage of practical driving test bookings, where the initial test candidate’s driving licence number was subsequently changed to a different driving test candidate’s licence number, in each month since March 2025.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the annual budget was for (a) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and (b) (i) Highways England and (ii) National Highways in each year since 2005.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the main estimate budgets for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. The data for the financial years before 2011/12 are not readily available.
Year | Resource DEL Including Depreciation (£m) | Capital DEL (£m) | Resource AME (£m) | Depreciation (£m) | Resource DEL Excluding Depreciation (£m) |
2011/12 | 194.3 | 25.6 | 1.8 | 27.6 | 166.7 |
2012/13 | 188.4 | 26.3 | 2.4 | 30.1 | 158.3 |
2013/14 | 172.0 | 27.1 | 26.2 | 32.0 | 140.0 |
2014/15 | 128.8 | 15.3 | 7.9 | 35.8 | 93.0 |
2015/16 | 141.0 | 20.0 | 4.0 | 37.0 | 104.0 |
2016/17 | 113.0 | 13.0 | 3.0 | 29.0 | 84.0 |
2017/18 | 98.0 | 13.0 | 2.0 | 25.0 | 73.0 |
2018/19 | 95.0 | 14.0 | 2.0 | 12.0 | 83.0 |
2019/20 | 92.0 | 16.0 | 2.0 | 7.0 | 85.0 |
2020/21 | 93.4 | 23.9 | 1.6 | 10.0 | 83.4 |
2021/22 | 127.0 | 21.0 | 2.0 | 13.0 | 114.0 |
2022/23 | 139.0 | 21.0 | 2.0 | 13.0 | 126.0 |
2023/24 | 129.0 | 21.1 | 1.6 | 12.9 | 116.1 |
2024/25 | 135.5 | 20.0 | 1.8 | 13.8 | 121.7 |
2025/26 | 137.7 | 21.1 | 0.1 | 13.4 | 124.3 |
The table below shows the data available for the annual budgets for the National Highways. This data has been extracted from the annual report and accounts.
Budget £m | |||
Financial years | Operating expenditure | Capital expenditure | Total |
2021-22 | 1,173 | 3,086 | 4,259 |
2022-23 | 1,235 | 3,213 | 4,448 |
2023-24 | 1,345 | 3,421 | 4,766 |
2024-25 | 1,467 | 3,670 | 5,137 |
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the annual budget was for the (a) Office of Rail and Road, (b) Civil Aviation Authority and (c) Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in each year since 2005.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Information regarding the requested Public Bodies’ annual budget is contained in their respective Annual Report and Accounts. The DVSA was established in 2014 following the merger of the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) therefore detail is available from 2014 only.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s guidance entitled Who can get a Blue Badge, updated 10 August 2021, if she will review the guidance to ensure that community transport providers are able to apply successfully.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
An organisational badge may be issued to an organisation for use in a motor vehicle or vehicles when the vehicle or vehicles are to be used to carry disabled people who would themselves be eligible for a badge as specified in Section 4(2) of the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000. However, it is generally preferable for disabled individuals to hold their own Blue Badge, allowing them to use it in any vehicle they travel in, including community transport vehicles.
Officials will undertake a review of the Blue Badge guidance, including the section regarding organisational Blue Badges, to ensure the guidance is clear when applying for a Blue Badge.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with local authorities on whether the current organisational Blue Badge guidance adequately enables community transport providers to apply successfully.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department regularly engages with local authorities on a range of Blue Badge issues, including the local authority guidance. It is generally preferable for disabled individuals to hold their own Blue Badge, enabling them to use it in any vehicle they travel in, including community transport vehicles.
An organisational badge may be issued to an organisation for use in a motor vehicle or vehicles when the vehicle or vehicles are to be used to carry disabled people who would themselves be eligible for a badge as specified in Section 4(2) of the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000.
Local authorities must be able to ascertain that the organisation both cares for and regularly transports individuals who meet the eligibility criteria for a Blue Badge, and that there is a clear operational need for an organisational badge rather than simply using an individual’s Blue Badge.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have been employed by (a) the Office of Rail and Road, (b) the Civil Aviation Authority and (c) the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in each year since 2005.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Information regarding the requested Public Bodies’ staff numbers is published in their respective Annual Report and Accounts.
The DVSA was established in 2014.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have been employed by (a) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and (b) (i) Highways England and (ii) National Highways in each year since 2005.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The data requested for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is publicly available information included in the DfT: workforce management information.
The data requested for National Highways (and covering Highways England) is publicly available information included in the Annual Report and Accounts. The only exception to this is in 2021/22 as the Annual Report and Accounts was not delivered in the same format following the creation of National Highways.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2024 to Question 6462 on Driving Tests: Waiting Lists, what the monthly average waiting time for a car practical driving test was at each (a) driving test centre and (b) zone in each month since April 2015.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The answer to Question 6462 on 9 October 2024 provided data covering April 2015 to September 2024. The attached spreadsheet shows the monthly average waiting time for a car practical driving test at each driving test centre and zone for each month between October 2024 and October 2025.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff left her Department in each of the last five years, broken down by grade.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below presents the headcount of permanent civil servants who have left from the central Department for Transport over the past 5 years, categorised by grade. To ensure the inclusion of the most recent data, the data is provided on a rolling year basis from October to September.
Grade | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
AA | 3 |
|
|
|
|
AO | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 114 |
EO | 50 | 75 | 63 | 45 | 75 |
HEO | 145 | 159 | 184 | 174 | 134 |
SEO | 116 | 123 | 111 | 119 | 177 |
Grade 7 | 108 | 135 | 137 | 149 | 160 |
Grade 6 | 42 | 48 | 42 | 55 | 74 |
SCS1 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 28 |
SCS2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 8 |
SCS3 | 2 |
| 2 | 1 |
|
Perm Sec |
|
| 1 |
| 1 |
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in her Department (a) did not retain employment following completion of their probationary period and (b) had their probationary period extended in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport’s probation policy and guidance advises managers on the steps to take to assess a new employee’s suitability for the post and to provide support to enable them to succeed. It also advises on the steps to take where performance, attendance or conduct are not satisfactory. This can include exiting the employee or extending their probation to provide further evidence for a final decision on their suitability. The table below shows how many employees of the central Department for Transport (DfTc) did not retain employment following completion of their probationary period or had their probationary period extended.
As requested this information is provided for the last five 5 years, noting that 2025 data covers 1 January to 24 October 2025.
| Dismissal - Probation Failure | Extended Probation |
2021 | 5 | <5 |
2022 | <5 | <5 |
2023 | 7 | 0 |
2024 | 8 | <5 |
2025 (to 24 Oct 2025) | 6 | <5 |