Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Thursday 24 June 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Staff safety at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Swansea site is a priority, with significant investment made to make the site covid-safe.
  • 2 million has been invested at the DVLA for additional safety measures including air conditioning changes, perspex screens, zones and bubbles, and a clean regime.
  • Public Health Wales, Swansea Council's environmental health team, and the Health and Safety Executive have approved the safety measures implemented at the DVLA site.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Carolyn Harris Lab Neath and Swansea East
Employment
Context

Staff at the DVLA Swansea site are concerned about their health during the pandemic.

Question

What steps has the Secretary of State taken to help protect workers at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Swansea site from covid-19?

Answer from Grant Shapps

Staff safety is a priority, which is evidenced by the very significant investment that has been made.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details about protective measures and investments

How: Withheld Specifics

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Q2 Tonia Antoniazzi Lab Gower
NHS
Context

The Public and Commercial Services Union had reached a deal with senior management to end an industrial dispute over covid safety, but the Department for Transport reneged on the agreement.

Question

Is PCS right in believing that the deal was scuppered at the last minute after direct intervention from the Secretary of State? Will he apologise to those members of the public who now face further backlogs as a result of this unnecessary, ideological refusal to find the resolution to this dispute?

Answer from Grant Shapps

With the greatest respect to the hon. Lady, £4.2 million has been invested at the DVLA to make it covid-safe with additional measures including air conditioning changes, perspex screens, zones and bubbles created, a clean regime established.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Whether the deal was reneged on and an apology for public backlogs

How: Shifted Focus To Safety Measures

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Q3 Carolyn Harris Lab Neath and Swansea East
NHS Environment
Context

Constituents of the MP working at the DVLA are reporting different conditions from those claimed by the Secretary of State.

Question

I wonder whether the Secretary of State would therefore be willing to accompany me and other colleagues who have constituents working at the DVLA to the site so that he can show us just how safe it is, because our constituents are telling us a completely different story.

Answer from Grant Shapps

Public Health Wales and Swansea Council's environmental health team have signed off on the site. The Health and Safety Executive has also approved it, so we should be listening to these health experts as they decide what happens in such a site based on data and facts.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Visit to the DVLA site with MPs

How: Referenced Expert Approvals

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