Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of driving tests in Hazel Grove constituency.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country.

Further information on these actions and progress on the plan can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/news/transport-secretary-acts-to-make-thousands-of-extra-driving-tests-available-each-month.

Hazel Grove is served by Bredbury, West Didsbury and Sale cluster of driving test centres. At Bredbury DTC one driving examiner (DE) has now returned from a long absence, this will help to increase the number of tests available at this centre.

From a recent recruitment campaign, one new DE has joined West Didsbury DTC. A further two new entrant DEs will be starting training this month, following successful completion, they will join Sale DTC.

Some customers from this area choose to travel to Macclesfield and Buxton DTCs, where since July, three new entrant DEs have started testing at these centres, with a further two due to start in October.