§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what improvements to levels of public service have been made in consequence of driving test centre closures. [115779]
§ Mr. HillSavings achieved from restructuring the test centre estate have helped to pay for £1.8 million invested in test centre improvements during 1999–2000 and the cost of the new driving test booking system.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the driving test centres which have remained open because the Driving Standards Agency has determined the costs of closure to its customers as too high; and if he will place details of the cost analysis in the Library. [115778]
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the criteria which the Driving Standards Agency applies to the closure of its practical driving test centres, indicating when those criteria were(a) proposed and (b) implemented; and what were the factors which influenced the Driving Standards Agency to use such criteria. [115776]
§ Mr. HillPractical driving test centres must meet the operational needs of the Driving Standards Agency, including the viability of test routes, and provide a safe environment for staff and customers, all in a cost efficient manner. The criteria that apply to the location of test centres have evolved over time in the light of experience gained from earlier estate rationalisation cases, responses to the Agency's customer surveys, and following advice from independent property advisers.
When reviewing the Agency's property requirement, and considering possible test centre closures, the Agency needs to be assured that: average waiting time targets will continue to be met; if a test centre is to close, there are neighbouring centres with sufficient excess capacity to meet the anticipated demand, within a reasonable travel time; and candidates should not have to travel too far to take their test.
699WIn denser populated areas of the country the vast majority of candidates will have a centre within a seven-mile radius. In the least densely populated areas of the country the vast majority of candidates will have a centre within a 30-mile radius. And in other areas the practical test centre should be located such that the vast majority of its candidates will have a centre within a 20-mile radius.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Driving Standards Agency decided to analyse and quantify the costs to its customers of closing a driving test centre; and what methods the Agency uses to determine such costs. [115777]
§ Mr. HillThe Driving Standards Agency normally consult interested parties about a proposal to close a driving test centre, including a cost benefit analysis. It is not, however, practicable to analyse the costs to individual customers of a proposed closure.