Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the availability of Welsh language provision during the new sat nav element of the driving test.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes its responsibilities under the Welsh Language Act seriously, and considered the provisions of the Welsh Language Act 1993 when reviewing the changes to the car practical driving test.

Currently, while the theory test can be conducted in Welsh, there is no satnav manufacturer who offers an instruction in Welsh; as a result we cannot include a Welsh speaking facility on the satnav.

The Welsh Government has not raised any concerns, and the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Office has confirmed it is content with the DVSA’s approach of the use of the sat nav.