Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of practical car driving tests in Monmouthshire.

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 DVSA’s plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.

DVSA continues to run recruitment campaigns for new driving examiners (DE) and is in the final processes of the most recent campaign.

From recent recruitment in Monmouthshire, DVSA has two new DEs starting in Llantrisant, who will start testing this week, and has another awaiting an upcoming training course. There are also two potential new DEs currently in training for Newport and Cardiff driving test centres.

DVSA’s next campaign, which will include driving test centres in the area, is due to launch shortly.