§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Minister of Transport what is the average waiting time for driving tests in Stoke-on-Trent; how this compares with that in cities of similar size and with the national average; what proportion passed their first 560W test; and how that compares with the national average.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe average waiting time for an L-test in Stoke-on-Trent is 24 weeks. The average wait in the West Midland traffic area is 30 weeks, and nationally 28 weeks. Waiting periods grouped by size of city are not readily available. The information requested about first-time passes is also not available. But for all L-tests, the average pass rate in the West Midlands traffic area is about 50 per cent., compared with the national average of 47.3 per cent.