Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of seasonal trends in licence processing through the DVLA including the number and type of decisions, length of time to respond and delays in decision-making; whether any assessment has been made of non-seasonal variations in the number and type of decisions required; and how the DVLA ensures prompt responses to the public.

No assessment of seasonal or non-seasonal trends of variations in driving licence applications has been made.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. Customers should receive their driving licence within a few days following a successful online application.

Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer as they vary widely in complexity and the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

In 2024/25, the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions. Its forecasts show that it is likely to receive more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications in the current financial year and this growth is forecast to continue.

The DVLA is currently rolling out a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions. This will provide improved turnaround times, increased capacity, increased automation, higher levels of digital functionality and increased digital communication.

The DVLA will also be launching a new digital medical services portal in April. These enhancements alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with these applications and answer telephone calls, will start to deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers.