Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the DVLA laboratory for urine samples to reopen; how many cases are currently outstanding at that laboratory; when he expects that backlog to be cleared; and if he will make a statement.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has appointed a new laboratory to carry out these tests. There are currently 2,245 urine samples awaiting testing and arrangements have been made for these samples to be transferred to the newly appointed laboratory. The DVLA has put measures in place to prioritise the most urgent cases and expects that all the samples awaiting testing will be cleared in January 2022.