Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the DVLA on planning for (a) the restarting of driving theory testing and (b) ensuring the maximum number of driving theory tests are available once covid-19 lockdown restrictions have ended.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is responsible for the conduct of theory driving tests.

The DVSA has been working closely with Pearson VUE, its theory test provider, to explore ways in which it can expand theory testing capacity and reduce waiting times for theory tests once testing can resume.

Since theory tests re-started in August 2020 after the first lockdown, the DVSA has implemented various solutions which provided more testing capacity. This included extending opening and closing times where possible and extending the booking window from three months to four months to give candidates more choice of available dates. The DVSA also moved to one metre plus social distancing at test centres in England, which increased the number of candidates able to take their test at any one time.

Theory tests have again had to cease in all home nations. The DVSA will build on the experience it acquired from restarting and increasing test capacity after the first and second lockdowns to ensure it can offer maximum testing capacity as soon as it is safe to restart tests.