Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the causes of driving test waiting times, including the impact of block-booking and examiner shortages; and what steps she plans to take to improve Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency performance, strengthen oversight of its complaints processes, and implement a recovery plan for the driving test system.

Waiting times are still high for learner drivers. Car practical test waiting times remain high due to sustained increased demand and reduced learner driver confidence in the availability of driving tests. This has contributed to some learners choosing to book their test much earlier in their learning journey before having had any lessons.

On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times.

In the coming months, DVSA will:

• Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their tests

• Introduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.

• Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.

Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners who are now in post and delivering driving tests. However, 118 prospective driving examiners failed or resigned during training. Currently, there are 71 people in training, 63 booked onto a future course and 79 applicants who have received offers from DVSA

Despite DVSA’s recruitment efforts, the number of full-time equivalent driving examiners has only increased gradually since July 2024 (1,439) with net increase of 46 full-time equivalent driving examiners in October 2025 (1,485).

DVSA has a robust complaints process in place. Complainants can ask DVSA to pass their complaint to an independent complaints assessor if they have been through the final stage of the Agency’s complaints process and are not happy its response.