HC Deb 22 January 1993 vol 217 cc455-7W
Mr. Wigley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assistance is currently provided by his Department to help those with reading and/or writing difficulties to complete the written part of the driving test.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle

Current driving tests do not include a written examination. I shall shortly be considering a broad range of options for testing drivers' knowledge, including the possibility of a written theoretical test, in the light of responses to a consultation paper issued recently by the Driving Standards Agency on the implementation of the second EC driving licence directive. If a written test were to be introduced, the requirements of those with reading or writing difficulties would be taken into account.

Mr. Wigley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) applications and (b) actual driving tests were taken in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years; and if he will indicate the proportion of successfully completed driving tests in each instance.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle

The number of applications received, tests conducted, and the proportion successfully completed for car, motorcycle, heavy goods vehicle and bus tests in Great Britain for the last 10 years are shown in the table.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle

The total revenue generated from driving test fees in Great Britain during each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table.

(2) how many people took driving tests in each police authority area in Wales in each of the last 10 years; and how many tests were successfully completed in each instance, in numbers and as a proportion.

Mr. Kenneth Carlisle

Statistics for driving tests are not collected by police authority area and it is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.