Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the ability of DVSA staff to socially distance while conducting driving tests.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) priority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been the safety of its staff and the wider public. That remains its priority as it restarts its services. The approach being taken has been developed with input from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Public Health England (PHE).

To prevent the spread of coronavirus and keep staff and candidates safe:

• Driving examiners will wear face coverings and have the option to wear gloves and use disposable seat covers.

• The number of people arriving for a driving test at the same time will be limited and all meet and greet will be undertaken achieving social distancing.

• Driving instructors or supervising drivers will not be allowed to sit in the back of the car during the test.

• Candidates will be asked to bring and wear a face covering attending for test, unless they have a good reason not to.

• Driving test centre waiting rooms and toilets will be closed except for those who have a disability, medical condition, or who are pregnant.

The amount of time spent in the vehicle will be minimised:

• If a candidate makes a serious or dangerous fault, which means they have failed, the driving examiner will direct them back to the driving test centre, where the test will end.

• At the end of the test, the driving examiner will give the test result feedback outside of the vehicle.

• Driving instructors can listen to the test result feedback if it is safe to do so.