Practical driving test waiting times remain far too high after the previous Administration failed to reduce them. I have met the chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and driving test examiners, and instructed my officials to work at pace to identify solutions. Average waiting times at the Wood Green centre currently sit just above the national average. The measures that the DVSA is already taking include conducting tests outside regular hours, at weekends and on public holidays, and deploying more examiners in areas with higher waiting times.

I am very grateful to you, Mr Speaker, as I am to my hon. Friend for raising that important question. He is absolutely right. Average waiting times at the Wood Green centre currently sit just above the national average. The measures that the DVSA is already taking include conducting tests outside regular hours, at weekends and on public holidays, and continuing to deploy examiners from areas with lower waiting times. That is in addition to producing additional examiners across the country in areas where waiting times are highest.

I am very grateful to the hon. Member for raising that important issue. I will take it away and write to him.