HC Deb 19 January 1999 vol 323 c447W
Mr. Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 9 December 1998,Official Report, column 194, over the four year period under consideration (a) how many driving instructors were accepted for registration, (b) how many of these were subsequently removed from registration within (i) six months, (ii) one year, (iii) 18 months, and (iv) two years, (c) what was the average period that those removed from the register had previously been registered, and (d) how many people paid examination fees to the Driving Standards Agency. [65725]

Ms Glenda Jackson

[holding answer 18 January 1999]: During the four years up to 30 November 1998, 7,225 new instructors have been added to the Register of Approved Driving Instructors (ADI). Of these six have been subsequently removed as a result of failing a check test of their instructional ability following three successive check test failures. None were removed in the first 18 months of their registration. Three were removed within their first two years of registration, and the other three were removed between two and four years of registration. The average period they were on the Register was 26 months.

To join the register, a person has to pass a three part examination—a written test, a practical test of driving ability and a practical test of instructional ability for which the fees are currently £50 for the written test and £62 for practical test. During the same 4 year period, some 24,000 people started the ADI qualifying process, taking a total of 46,000 written tests and the Driving Standards Agency also conducted 58,164 practical tests (figures for the two practical tests are not compiled separately). Some of the tests would have been further attempts by unsuccessful candidates.