Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help increase the availability of driving tests at Blackpool test centre.

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. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests that will break down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

In the coming months, DVSA will:

• Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests

• Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.

• Make use of MOD driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country, including for Blackpool driving test centre, to provide as many tests as possible.

Two new entrant driving examiners will be placed on a training course as soon as possible. Upon successful completion of training, this will increase the number of driving examiners at Blackpool driving test centre from seven to nine. A full-time driving examiner can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.