Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who currently hold a driving licence fraudulently obtained by using an impersonator to take the (a) written and (b) practical parts of the driving test for them.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Agency responsible for practical and theory driving tests, is unable to estimate the number of people who currently hold a driving licence fraudulently obtained by using an impersonator to take the (a) written and (b) practical parts of the driving test for them.

The DVSA does however has a dedicated Counter-Fraud and Investigation Team which actively investigates instances of fraud, including impersonation at theory and practical driving tests. DVSA has also recently launched a 3-year counter fraud strategy. One aspect of the strategy is to prevent the fraudulent issue of licences or the circumvention of controls as part of the delivery of DVSA products and services; ensuring they are only accessible by those who are eligible or entitled to them. The strategy also aims to prosecute and disrupt those individuals and organisations suspected of submitting fraudulent applications or of being complicit in criminal activity.

Over the last five years over 1,100 licences have been revoked due to evidence that the licence was obtained fraudulently, which includes impersonation.