HC Deb 20 June 1979 vol 968 cc1308-10
16. Mr. Dempsey

asked the Minister of Transport what action he proposes to take in order to reduce the current lengthy period which applicants are required to wait for driving tests; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

My right hon. Friend and I have inherited a very serious situation. More than 800,000 people are awaiting driving tests. We are therefore recruiting more examiners and have also ordered a general review of policy throughout this area. I must warn, however, that it would be unrealistic to expect a dramatic shortening of waiting periods in the near future.

Mr. Dempsey

Does the Minister realise that the unduly long waiting period results in additional cost to applicants who are required to take additional lessons and, on occasions, go in for additional car hires? Has he considered the advisability of engaging temporary staff, specially trained to conduct the examination, with a view to reducing the waiting period?

Mr. Clarke

I realise that the delay sometimes causes hardship. Candidates with particularly pressing needs are asked to explain their needs when they apply for a test, so that something may be done to help them. We shall certainly consider the possibility of appointing part-time examiners, but we must do nothing to reduce the standard of the test. The main need is to recruit more examiners. We hope that we shall be able to achieve that in the not too distant future.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

May I advise my hon. Friend that I welcome his announcement that further examiners, who will pay for themselves, are to be appointed? May I point out to him—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman need not point out anything to the Minister. He knows that he should ask whether the Minister is aware.

Mr. Winterton

Is my hon. Friend aware that one of my constituents had to wait six months to take his test, and that a few days before the test was due to be held was advised that it had to be cancelled owing to the examiner's illness, and that he would therefore have to wait another six months before taking the test? Will my hon. Friend assure us that the appointment of new examiners will remove that highly unsatisfactory problem?

Mr. Clarke

The situation we have inherited is that 26 weeks is the average waiting time for a test in the United Kingdom. It is for that reason that we have recruited more examiners. As my hon. Friend is aware—[Interruption.]—although Opposition hon. Members apparently are not—we have exempted this service from the pause in Civil Service recruitment because it is self-financing through the level of fees. The Department and I are spending a great deal of time trying to help meet particular difficulties. If my hon. Friend will write to me, I shall do my best to ensure an earlier date for his constituent's driving test.

Mr. Straw

When examining the question of recruiting more driving examiners, will the hon. Gentleman pay particular attention to the needs of Blackburn and the North-West, where the waiting times, at 29 weeks and 27½ weeks respectively, compare with an average of 26 weeks in the United Kingdom as a whole?

Mr. Clarke

I have already been doing so. I accept that that area is to some extent worse off than others. Nevertheless, there are other areas where there is also a bad situation. We are doing our best to transfer examiners from one centre to another where that can help to ease a particularly bad waiting list.