Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 117909, how many customers have been referred to DVSA Driving Examiner roles via Jobcentre Plus in each of the six priority locations.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A total of 85 customers were referred by DWP to DVSA Test Centres across the six priority locations. From this number, 37 passed the assessment and have been offered roles. DVSA provided feedback on a further 26 who were unsuccessful but showed clear potential and stated it would like to support these customers with a further test if DWP can provide refresher training. The remaining 22 customers were unsuccessful.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria DVSA used to designate Bedford, Bletchley, Bromley, Slough, Southampton and Tottenham as priority sites for the Driving Examiner recruitment pilot; what the average driving test waiting time and examiner vacancy rate was at each site at the time of designation; and on what date each site was selected.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DVSA identified priority locations that had 5 or more live vacancies and provided the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with a list. Following their external recruitment drive in January 2026, DVSA advised DWP that some of the locations initially identified were no longer considered high priority due to roles being filled. From the remaining sites on the list those chosen were where DVSA have managers with the flexibility to carry out assessments as part of the Driving Examiner recruitment pilot.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many referrals to DVSA Driving Examiner roles have been made via Jobcentre Plus under the pilot scheme in each of the six priority locations; how many of those referrals have resulted in (i) attendance at a one day assessment centre and (ii) appointment to a role; what performance indicators have been set to assess the success of the pilot; and when the Department expects to decide whether to expand the scheme to additional locations.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are currently in the process of making referrals for these roles. Each location has the capacity to have 16 customers referred. Assessments will take place on 16 March (Slough & Southampton), 17 March (Tottenham & Bletchley) and 19 March (Bedford & Bromley).
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance has been issued to Jobcentre Plus on promoting DVSA driving examiner vacancies to suitable jobseekers; what activity Jobcentre Plus has undertaken to advertise or proactively match candidates to these roles; and how many referrals to DVSA driving examiner recruitment have been made via Jobcentre Plus in each of the last two years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Jobcentre Plus (JCP) actively promotes vacancies, including roles with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), by matching a claimant’s skills and circumstances to available roles.
The DWP’s Strategic Relationship Team is working with the DVSA to test a new recruitment approach for Driving Examiner roles in six priority locations. This work involves the introduction of a one day assessment centre under a Direct Temporary Recruitment (DTR) model to create a faster and more efficient process. Part of this process will include JCP Work Coaches identifying suitable candidates, arranging informal discussions and driving assessments.
Locations deemed as priority sites by DVSA are Bedford, Bletchley, Bromley, Slough, Southampton and Tottenham in North London. Across theses initial pilot sites there will be at least 30 vacancies and capacity for up to 96 referrals.
The pilot will help determine whether this streamlined route can support areas that have been hardest to recruit for and whether it should be expanded to additional locations in future.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the net zero targets for the Department and its arm’s-length bodies are; and what guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.
Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.
Defra are reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.
DWP and its arms-length bodies support national Net Zero targets via the Greening Government Commitments (GGCs), which are set and administered by Defra and DESNZ. DWP together with its arms-length bodies has to date met its Greening Government Commitments carbon targets, and progress is reported both in Defra’s Greening Government Commitments reports and in DWP’s Annual Report and Accounts.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2025 to question 92688, what progress he has made on reducing regulation by 25% by 2029.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is working within the framework set out in the ‘New Approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’ (also known as the Regulators Action Plan – RAP) to identify potential administrative burden reductions. As part of the RAP, HSE committed to look at three areas: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR); Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR) and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) and reforms to aspects of chemicals regulation for which HSE holds the policy lead. These three areas are in the process of consultation and/or call for evidence. The analysis of the responses will be used to inform the next steps in supporting the 25% administrative burden reduction target.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90803 on Transport: Apprentices and Training, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the aviation sector on the removal of Level 7 apprenticeships for those over 22.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government's decision on defunding Level 7 apprenticeships for those aged 22 and over, including a summary of the evidence that informed that decision, is published here: Written Statements - Hansard - UK Parliament.
Ahead of this decision, Skills England engaged with over 700 stakeholders from various sectors, including those relating to aviation such as advanced manufacturing and defence.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a new frequency trial being is being implemented in Jobcentres under which claimants including young people aged (i) under 24, (ii) under 30 and (iii) those with neurodivergent conditions are receiving less frequent job search appointments and reduced employment support.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Rt. Hon. member to the answer I gave on 23 October to PQ 82987.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to review the level of regulation of small quarrying and stone-processing firms.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no current plans to review the level of regulation of small quarrying and stone-processing firms.
The Government is committed to reducing regulatory compliance costs for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) and announced in March 2025 a commitment to reduce the administrative burden of regulation by 25% by the end of this Parliament - savings equivalent to £5.6 billion. HSE is committed to playing its part in reducing these administrative burdens whilst maintaining our proportionate regulatory approach to protect people and enable innovation and growth.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s length bodies have spent on (i) installing electric vehicle charging facilities and (ii) purchasing electric vehicles since 4 July 2024; and what estimate their Department has made of the difference in capital cost between (A) the electric vehicles purchased by their Department and (B) comparable (1) petrol and (2) diesel models.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Currently, the electric vehicles available for use in the department are leased. The department has not purchased any electric vehicles in the period since July 2024.
From 4 July 2024 to date, DWP has spent £263,176.93 to install electric vehicle chargers. By comparison, £2,001,388.61 was spent in the year 2023-24
No assessment has been made of the difference between the capital costs of electric vehicles and of petrol and diesel vehicles.
We do not hold the Arms Length Bodies information being asked for.