Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of learner drivers who have had to resit their driving theory tests as a result of the shortage of practical driving test appointment availability.

The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a candidate’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.

It is not possible to estimate how many candidates have had to re-sit their driving theory test as a result of practical driving test appointment availability.