§ Mr. Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Transport what effect the number of cancellations of driving tests due to recent adverse weather conditions has had upon the length of time waited by driving test applicants before receiving their test; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerNationally 73,660 test appointments were cancelled due to adverse weather between 2 January and 8 February (the latest date for which figures are available). This could add about two weeks to the national average waiting time. The Department is making every effort to provide new appointments for the candidates concerned before the normal forward booking date. Many have already been accommodated.
§ Mr. Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current cost to public funds of each driving test; and how such costs are computed.
§ Mrs. ChalkerIncome from fees for each driving test is intended to cover all costs falling on public funds over the period for which the fee is prescribed (which does not necessarily relate to any one financial year). Calculations include the direct salary costs of driving examiners (with national insurance and superannuation liabilities), immediate overheads of the driving test organisation such as training, test bookings, accommodation costs and administration, together with a contribution to central departmental on-costs such as payroll and personnel management.
The figures for the last full financial year (1983–84) are:
£ million Type of Test Income Cost L-test 26.3 24.3 HGV driver test 2.2 1.8 PSV driver test 0.3 0.3 Part I motorcycle test 0.2 0.5 Income represents cash received net of refunds, and is inclusive of notional interest credits where significant waiting periods occur between payment of the fee and the test. (The national average waiting period for L-tests increased by 3 to 13 weeks during 1983–84.)