Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Delays

Thursday 16 December 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

  • The DVLA has introduced more online services, recruited extra staff, is using overtime, and has secured extra office space.
  • The backlog of 55,000 occupational licences has been cleared, and those are now processed in five working days.
  • The hon. Member Ruth Cadbury urged the Secretary of State to redouble efforts to improve service for constituents experiencing issues.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Warburton Con
Context

The MP noted that constituents are facing delays in getting through to the DVLA, impacting urgent cases.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to help resolve delays at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. I am concerned about the impact of delays on urgent and severe cases and want a timeline for service improvement.

Answer from Grant Shapps

The DVLA has introduced more online services, recruited extra staff, is using overtime and has secured extra office space. The backlog of 55,000 occupational licences has been cleared and those are now processed in five working days. Expect service to return to normal next year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific timeline for resolution other than 'next year'.

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Q2 David Warburton Con
Employment Transport
Context

The Transport Committee raised concerns about DVLA's performance for over a year. The MP highlighted that the service has not approached the pandemic as effectively as other agencies.

Question

Does the Secretary of State recognise that ongoing delays at the DVLA, particularly for HGV drivers and those wishing to drive HGVs, are exacerbating supply chain issues? Concerned about the backlog impact on essential goods delivery.

Answer from Grant Shapps

The hon. Lady is right to be concerned about backlogs but wrong to suggest they apply to HGV drivers. Medical applications are now processed in five days. More HGV drivers are coming on the road due to our 32-point plan.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not fully address ongoing delays for HGV drivers, only medical application delays.

How: Wrong To Suggest, Now Processed In Five Days

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Q3 Ruth Cadbury Lab Brentford and Isleworth
Transport
Context

The MP noted that his constituency is a major logistics centre where HGV drivers face ongoing problems.

Question

Can I urge the Secretary of State to redouble efforts to ensure improvement in the service, given that my constituents are still experiencing issues?

Answer from Grant Shapps

At its peak, there were 56,000 applications; now down to 9,000. Medical applications processed within five days unless additional medical information is required. Please inform me of any issues with occupational DVLA applications.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address ongoing issues directly but provided process details and offered assistance.

How: Down To 9,000, Within Five Days Unless Additional Medical Information Is Required

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