Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has any plans with the DVLA to change or increase the number of partners that provide drivers’ medical visual field and visual acuity testing for the DVLA.

Driving licence holders and applicants who notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of a medical condition that may affect their eyesight may be required to attend an appointment for a visual field test to ensure they meet the required standard for driving.

Prior to 2014, the DVLA dealt with many individual opticians on an ad-hoc basis. This was not cost effective so in line with public contract requirements, Specsavers was awarded the vision testing contract following comprehensive consideration of the bids received against the published evaluation criteria. The DVLA is currently considering its requirements for vision testing, including visual field and visual acuity testing, in anticipation of the current contract expiring.

Specsavers’ performance is monitored monthly, in line with the terms of the contractual agreement. Specsavers is meeting all key performance indicators, which include measures for turnaround and quality.