Written questions by Sultana.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of practical driving tests in Coventry South 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 18 December, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. These steps include recruiting 450 driving examiners (DEs). Full details of these steps can be found on GOV.UK. To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system. On the 18 December 2024, a call for evidence was launched, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes. On 6 January 2025, DVSA also introduced tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructors use to book and manage car driving tests for their pupils. DVSA continues recruitment for DEs at driving test centres (DTCs) that serve customers in Coventry South and is currently working through the recruitment process from recent campaigns. As part of this, DVSA has two potential new DEs for Coventry DTC in training. Another potential new DE is currently undergoing checks as part of the recruitment process.

What steps her Department is taking to prevent (a) the bulk buying of driving tests by bot accounts and (b) the reselling of driving slots.

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 18 December, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. These steps include recruiting 450 driving examiners (DEs). Full details of these steps can be found on GOV.UK. To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system. On the 18 December 2024, a call for evidence was launched, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes. On 6 January 2025, DVSA also introduced tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructors use to book and manage car driving tests for their pupils. DVSA continues recruitment for DEs at driving test centres (DTCs) that serve customers in Coventry South and is currently working through the recruitment process from recent campaigns. As part of this, DVSA has two potential new DEs for Coventry DTC in training. Another potential new DE is currently undergoing checks as part of the recruitment process.

What support she is providing to the DVSA to improve the recruitment of driving instructors and reduce driving test waiting times.

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 18 December, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. These steps include recruiting 450 driving examiners (DEs). Full details of these steps can be found on GOV.UK. To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system. On the 18 December 2024, a call for evidence was launched, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes. On 6 January 2025, DVSA also introduced tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructors use to book and manage car driving tests for their pupils. DVSA continues recruitment for DEs at driving test centres (DTCs) that serve customers in Coventry South and is currently working through the recruitment process from recent campaigns. As part of this, DVSA has two potential new DEs for Coventry DTC in training. Another potential new DE is currently undergoing checks as part of the recruitment process.