Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the resilience of practical driving test provision in remote and rural communities, and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that candidates in areas served by unmanned outstation testing centres are not disproportionately affected by cancellation or driving examiner shortages.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) recognises that a driving licence can be vital for those living in rural or remote areas to access education, training and jobs.

In April 2025, the Secretary of State set out a package of measures to tackle long waiting times across the country, including in rural communities, and the latest evidence indicates the interventions are delivering improvements.

Waiting times are at their lowest for 23 months, with the national average waiting time (weeks to 10%+ weekly appointment availability) reducing to 19.7 weeks in September 2026. Also, the number of driving examiners (DE) is at its highest level since November 2017.

DVSA does not take the decision to cancel tests lightly and will only do so as a last resort. DVSA will try to find another DE to provide cover if it can, but this is not always possible.