§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Minister of Transport what is now the waiting time for driving tests at (a) Burton-on-Trent and (b) Uttoxeter; how these times compare with the national average; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThere is no driving test centre at Uttoxeter. The average waiting time for an "L" driving test at Burton-on-Trent is now 18 weeks which compares with the estimated average wait in Great Britain of 28 weeks. There has been an encouraging reduction in waiting times at some centres, but we are continuing to recruit more examiners to bring down the delays in the country as a whole.