Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to return a driving license revoked on the basis of a notifiable medical condition, after evidence that the individual is fit to drive has been received by the DVLA.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) deals with more than 750,000 medical cases every year. There is a dedicated team in place which is responsible for the continuous improvement of all medical driver licensing services and communications. Letters to customers and medical professionals have been improved, helping to ensure that the DVLA receives the information it needs as quickly as possible.

The DVLA has recruited additional staff to process medical applications and notifications, to make licensing decisions quicker. This includes increasing the number of doctors and introducing nurse caseworkers to deal with more complex cases.

The DVLA is also working with third parties, for example, GPs, consultants and opticians, to reduce turnaround times on the additional information it requires to make licensing decisions.