Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the practical driving test backlog on the (a) availability and (b) scheduling of theory test appointments.

Theory test availability is monitored by both the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the external service providers. Candidates wait on average no more than 28 calendar days from booking to their theory test appointment date, as per the contractual performance measures.

Capacity in the theory test centre network is managed using demand forecasting, and ongoing monitoring of tests booked into the 210 test centres in the network across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.