Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she intends to introduce mandatory address verifications on driving license applications.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account.
Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process.
The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address.
It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions.
The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the DVLA is taking to reduce the number of people using addresses not belonging to them for driving license applications.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account.
Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process.
The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address.
It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions.
The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the DVLA are taking to reduce levels of address fraud for vehicle registrations and driving licenses.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account.
Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process.
The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address.
It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions.
The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will review the policy of verifying addresses for vehicle registrations and driving licenses.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account.
Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process.
The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address.
It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions.
The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the DVLA on levels of fraud.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account.
Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process.
The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address.
It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions.
The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to introduce address checks for driving licenses and vehicle registrations.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account.
Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process.
The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address.
It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions.
The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is her Department’s timetable for announcing future rounds of funding for the Access for All programme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Access for All funding for the current Spending Review period has been allocated, with projects to be announced in due course.
We would expect any future rounds to align to future Spending Review periods. Until then, accessibility upgrades can be funded via a variety of sources, such as Section 106 developer contributions.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's announcement Railway stations awarded Access for All accessibility funding, published on 24 May 2024, what her planned timetable is for the completion of Access for All construction at Bushey Railway Station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In May 2024, the previous government identified 50 stations, including Bushey, for initial feasibility work to assess their potential for future upgrades under the Access for All programme. Network Rail has now completed this initial feasibility work. We plan to provide an update to stakeholders in due course.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 58611 on Railways: Access, when her Department will fund Network Rail to undertake the next round of feasibility studies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail has completed initial feasibility work for the 50 projects being considered for inclusion in the Access for All programme within the 2025 Spending Review funding period.
We plan to update stakeholders in due course.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2024 to Question 9480 on Radlett Station: Access, if she will make it her policy to provide funding to improve accessibility at Radlett Station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
In May 2024, the previous government selected 50 stations for initial feasibility work for potential upgrades as part of our Access for All programme. This did not include Radlett railway station.