Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Accepted
We challenged the DVLA and the Department about their strategy for future of the DVLA.
Conclusion
We challenged the DVLA and the Department about their strategy for future of the DVLA. The Department told us that conversations are happening about what the future of driving licence services should look like. We heard that the DVLA will need to become more resilient to anticipated changes in the profile of its customers as the population ages, and respond to effect on road safety measures brought on by the potential growth in autonomous vehicles. Nevertheless, we did not feel that the DVLA and the Department were able to articulate a clear strategy for how they might re-engineer and modernise the driving licence process, encompassing for example a clear picture of what its future staff, estate and IT infrastructure needs to look like.54 53 Qq 68, 70 54 Qq 45–48, 122 Driving licence backlogs at the DVLA 17
Government Response Summary
The DVLA has been digital for years, and online services worked well during the pandemic. The DVLA already has a strategy to develop digital driver licensing services, investing in new online services and communications.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 The DVLA has been an overwhelmingly digital organisation for many years, with more than 83% of transactions completed online. Motorists have been able to pay their vehicle excise duty online since 2004 and apply for a driving licence digitally since 2006. 6.3 The DVLA’s online services worked very well throughout the pandemic, with 98% of driving licences issued within three days when the application was made online. The challenge was with paper driving licence applications and drivers’ medical applications, which required staff to physically be on site (a significant challenge during the height of the pandemic, with restrictions sometimes more stringent in Wales) and turnaround of information from medical professionals who had understandably been instructed to deprioritise DVLA work. 6.4 The DVLA already has a strategy in place to further develop its digital driver licensing services for driver licensing and has invested in new online services and communications to encourage their use. This includes a strategic customer and technology programme which aims to transform how customers transact with the DVLA. This development and promotion of online services prior to and throughout the pandemic has been hugely beneficial as the backlog position would have been much worse without these efforts. Indeed, the delivery of some new digital services was accelerated over the COVID-19 pandemic as part of efforts to reduce backlogs.