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Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Driving licence backlogs at the DVLA

Status: Closed Opened: 13 Oct 2022 Closed: 1 Jun 2023 10 recommendations 16 conclusions 1 report

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is an executive agency of the Department for Transport that works to maintain the records of 50 million drivers in Great Britain and 40 million vehicles throughout the United Kingdom. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, some people experienced delays applying for or renewing their driving licence and a backlog …

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Forty-first Report - Driving licence backlogs at the DVLA HC 735 17 Mar 2023 26 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
5 Recommendation Forty-first Report - Driving licence ba… Deferred

The DVLA’s system to process applications from customers who have notified it of relevant medical...

The DVLA’s system to process applications from customers who have notified it of relevant medical conditions is slow, inefficient and in need of major improvement. Processing times for applications that involve the DVLA making a medical decision are far longer than for other applications, with many decisions taking a year …

Government response. Ministers will shortly be considering proposals for action and the department will update the Committee in its subsequent letter, setting out those actions together with a more complete timeline.
HM Treasury
22 Conclusion Forty-first Report - Driving licence ba… Deferred

The Department commented that the current legislative framework of medical licensing has not been looked...

The Department commented that the current legislative framework of medical licensing has not been looked at for a very long time and raised the question of whether it was still fit for purpose. Many factors have changed since the legislation was introduced, notably the general population is now older and …

Government response. The government disagrees with the recommendation to review the legislative framework of medical licensing, stating that Ministers will need to decide whether and how any strategic review or alternative action is undertaken and will update the Committee in its subsequent …
HM Treasury
23 Conclusion Forty-first Report - Driving licence ba… Deferred

We also heard that the DVLA’s decisions often require information from GPs and other medical...

We also heard that the DVLA’s decisions often require information from GPs and other medical professionals, which is requested and returned using paper documentation. 40 Q 47; Letter from DVLA to PAC dated 8 December; Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency, DVLA annual report and accounts 2019 to 2020, HC 441, …

Government response. The department is currently unable to agree to this recommendation as Ministers will need to decide whether and how any strategic review or alternative action is undertaken, and will update the Committee in its subsequent letter, setting out those actions …
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
24 Nov 2022 Dame Bernadette Kelly DCB · Department for Transport, Emma Ward · Department for Transport, Julie Lennard · Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency View ↗