§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the purpose is of check tests of approved driving instructors; and what effect such tests have had on pass rates since their introduction. [65367]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe check test was introduced in the early 1970s to allow the Department to test an Approved Driving Instructor's continued ability and fitness to give instruction, in the interest of both road safety and consumer protection. It allows the supervising examiner to identify any weaknesses in an instructor's tuition and offer constructive criticism on how he or she might improve their teaching methods.
Although the pass rates for the practical driving test are the same today as they were at the time the check test was introduced its introduction saw a levelling out of a falling pass rate that had gone from 50 per cent. in 1950 to 51 per cent. in 1960 and to 46 per cent. in the early 1970s. The current pass rate is 48 per cent.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many approved driving instructors left the register in the periods(a) 1990 to 30 June 1996, (b) 1 July 1996 to 31 December 1996 and (c) 1 January 1997 to date. [65346]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe number of instructors who left the register during the specified periods were:
Date Instructors 1 January 1990 to 30 June 1996 17,715 1 July 1996 to 31 December 1996 1,469 1 January 1997 to 30 November 19981 7,086 1Figures for November 1998 are the latest currently available
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many approved driving instructors have ceased to practise but whose licences still have a period to run in the periods(a) 1990 to 30 June 1996, (b) 1 July 1996 to 31 December 1996 and (c) 1 January 1997 to date. [65348]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe information requested is not available. We do not know how many of the instructors whose names appear on the register at any given date are not currently practising.
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§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many approved driving instructors have been removed from the register since check testing was introduced. [65349]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonSince April 1995, 247 instructors have been removed from the register for failing the check test. Statistics for removal for check test failure are not available for the period prior to that date.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is the Driving Standards Agency's intention to use the proposed log book as a means of regulating the teaching methods of approved driving instructors. [65366]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonWe see merit in introducing a training logbook for learner drivers. This will be introduced on a voluntary basis in the spring. A logbook will provide instructors and their pupils, and others who supervise learners, such as parents, with a syllabus and encourage them to adopt a structured and progressive approach to driver training. The syllabus, which has been developed in consultation with the driving instruction industry, will enable progress to be charted. The logbook identifies the areas that need to be taught. It does not define the teaching methods to be adopted when covering each topic.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many complaints about the check test have been received by the DSA since the test was introduced, broken down by(a) test centre and (b) the nature of the complaint; and what steps the DSA has taken in response to such complaints. [65373]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Driving Standards Agency does not keep consolidated statistics about the numbers of check test complaints it receives, analysed by test centre or the nature of the complaint. Any complaint from an instructor about a check test would be carefully considered.