Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency on waiting times for learner driver tests and approved driving instructor qualification tests.

As the Minister for Roads, I regularly meet with officials from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to discuss these, and other issues.

In April 2025, the Government announced a package of measures to reduce practical car test waiting times and deliver around 10,000 additional tests per month. More than 2.13 million practical driving tests were conducted in the 12 months to August 2026 – the highest rolling 12-month figure on record. DVSA also conducted over 906,000 driving tests between April and August 2026, up 15.5% on last year.

Alongside reintroducing overtime incentives, DVSA continues to recruit driving examiners and make the booking system fairer to increase test availability, protect access to tests and reduce waiting times.

Across driving examiner recruitment campaigns between 2021 and 2025, the average time from a formal offer of employment to a new entrant completing training and entering a test centre was 104 days. Although the training course lasts six weeks, recruitment times can be affected by pre-employment checks, candidate response times, notice periods and pre-booked leave.

DVSA continues to recruit additional ADI examiners and has increased its training capacity. ADI examiners work across multiple test centres and are deployed according to demand. Through the "book to hold" service, trainees can apply for part 2 or part 3 tests even when no appointments are available, allowing DVSA to identify demand and allocate examiner resources effectively. Where appropriate, priority is given to those nearing the end of their two-year qualification period. Provided a part 3 test application is submitted before the expiry date, the test itself may take place afterwards.