Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring Scottish driving instructors to undergo (a) PVG and (b) DBS checks.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes the safety of learner drivers extremely seriously.

DVSA requires every prospective approved driving instructor (ADI) in Great Britain to apply for an enhanced disclosure and barring (DBS) check before beginning the ADI qualification process. They are also required to repeat the disclosure process every four years when they renew their ADI registration.

The ADI Registrar also has the power to remove an ADI who falls below the standard of fit and proper person.

The process to become an ADI in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of The Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA).

The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, which became mandatory 1 April 2025, is administered by Disclosure Scotland on behalf of the Scottish government and will impact the majority of ADIs in Scotland. Anyone providing driving instruction to under 18’s or protected adults (those with a disability) in Scotland must be registered with the scheme.

DVSA are not responsible for this scheme or its introduction, but did have recent discussions with the relevant bodies to clarify that ADIs would need to register with the scheme in addition to the DBS check which they would have already undertaken as part of the current ADI process.