HC Deb 17 October 1996 vol 282 cc1095-7W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, by Driving Standards Agency regional office, the number of application forms currently awaiting a booking date, the time it currently takes to answer a telephone call and the current average waiting time for a driving test application to be processed. [40688]

Mr. Bowis

At 30 September the numbers of driving test application forms awaiting processing in each of the Driving Standards Agency Area Offices were:

Area office Number
London and South East 1,689
Midlands and Eastern 1,640
Wales and Western 1,504
Area office Number
Northern 1,420
Scotland 201
National 6,454

The agency's target for telephone answering has been for 90 per cent. of calls to be answered within 60 seconds. The results for the week ending 27 September were:

Area office Number of calls answered In 60 seconds (per cent.)
London and South East 22,097 70
Midlands and Eastern 14,774 31
Wales and Western 12,894 88
Northern 17,722 96
Scotland 5,591 92
Total 73,078 75

The average number of days between receipt of valid application and issue of appointment cards at the start of October is estimated to be:

Area office Average number of days
London and South east 5
Midland and Eastern 4
Wales and Western 5
Northern 3
Scotland 3
Average 4

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the average waiting times for driving tests for each of the past 18 months. [40693]

Mr. Bowis

The average waiting times for driving tests between March 1995 and August 1996 are shown in the table.

Weeks
Cars Motorcycles Lorry/bus
1995
March 6.4 4.3 3.3
April 6.7 4.7 3.0
May 7.3 5.8 3.0
June 7.5 5.8 2.9
July 7.6 6.1 3.0
August 8.0 6.6 3.0
September 7.7 5.9 3.2
October 7.6 5.3 3.3
November 8.0 5.1 3.6
December 7.7 4.0 2.8
1996
January 8.2 4.2 3.6
February 9.2 6.3 4.0
March 10.5 12 8.2
April 12.4 13.6 7.7
May 13.0 14.6 7.6
June 11.7 14.5 7.1
July 10.4 14.5 6.6
August 9.9 14.4 6.3

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if candidates undertaking driving tests are required to provide a signed driving licence before undertaking their test. [40703]

Mr. Bowis

Driving test candidates are required to present their signed driving licence at the start of a driving test as evidence of identity and driver status, though examiners have the discretion to allow the test to proceed if otherwise satisfied that the licence exists.

Mr. Corbett

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the numbers of people(a) passing and (b) failing driving tests at driving test centres by location from 1 July to the latest convenient date; and what percentage change these figures represent over those for (i) 12 and (ii) 24 months previously. [40443]

Mr. Bowis

I will write to the hon. Member.