Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with driving examiners unions' on whether their members plan to return to work on 22 July 2020 as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s priority throughout the coronavirus outbreak has been to protect the public and save lives. That remains its priority as it restarts its services.

The DVSA has been in constant dialogue with the Trade Unions throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to engage and consult on its start up plans. All of the DVSA’s revised Standard Operating Procedures and Risk Assessments have been shared with and cleared by the Trade Unions.

The DVSA has consulted with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive and has released an updated version of its standard operating procedure and risk assessments to driving examiners, which contains social distancing measures and safety precautions, to ensure the safe restart of driving tests. The DVSA is currently engaging with Scottish and Welsh Governments to ensure it engages with Health advisors before services are resumed in both.