§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce changes in the procedures used by the Driving Standards Agency on the use of check-tests on driving instructors to ensure that in cases where more than one check is required these are undertaken by separate inspectors who operate independently. [27051]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 4 February 1998]: Check-test arrangements for driving instructors help them identify and overcome any weaknesses before enforcement action is taken. Following an unsatisfactory check-test, the examiner offers an instructor a briefing and the opportunity to take remedial training to rectify the faults identified. The same examiner conducts a second check-test after an interval; usually three to six months. If this second check-test proves unsatisfactory, a third check-test is conducted by a more senior examiner, who is given no details about the reasons for failure on the two preceding test. Only if this third check-test is unsatisfactory are removal proceedings started.
There are no current plans to change these check-test procedures. However, my Department has recently commissioned a research project to look at the way driving instructors are trained and tested. We will look carefully at any conclusions, including those relevant to conducting check-tests, when the findings are available in two to three years time.