• From the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State The Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon

Department Great Minster House 33 Horseferry Road for Transport London SW1P4DR

Louise Ellman MP Tel: 0300 330 3000 E-Mail: Lord.Ahmad_PUSS@dft.gsi.gov .uk Chair of the Transport Select Committee

House of Commons Web site: www.gov.uk/dft

London SW1 AOAA 2 1 APR 2016

~Q_&v,J ~ <­I would like to thank you again for the opportunity to discuss with your Committee the important subject of skills in the road haulage sector last month. The Committee raised a number of questions specifically relating to the Driver Certificates of Professional Competence (Driver CPC). I hope that the information in this letter will be helpful.

I think that it would be useful to first provide a brief overview of the Government's actions to help alleviate the LGV driver shortage and also to be clear on where we think the industry needs to take a lead. Andrew Jones MP and I have communicated this message to the industry in a series of meetings and will continue this dialogue in the coming weeks and months. Our intention is to arrive at a common position with the industry, providing the best possible starting point for tackling this issue.

Summary of Government action on driver shortage

There is a range of actions the Government is taking and can take in support of the industry on encouraging recruitment, driver licensing and testing and the planning of road side facilities.

The Government is supporting recruitment to the industry, including by:

• supporting apprenticeship training within the Trailblazers model for LGV drivers, in accordance with the accredited standard;

• supporting the future development of higher apprenticeship standards within the Trailblazers model;

• supporting current apprenticeships within the road haulage, freight and logistics industries;

• the professional career and development loans scheme operated by the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) department;

• supporting jobseekers, including by allowing training whilst benefit payments continue and working with business and trade associations to help match people to jobs;

• trialling the use of the Jobcentre Plus procurement of and approach to driver training to extend to people other than jobseekers, if there is interest from trade associations in the bulk buying economies and pay­on-results in relation to training organisations;

• examining whether selection processes for people to train and standard training criteria could increase pass rates and reduce drop-out rates, to enable the BIS operated loan scheme's risks to be reduced and cheaper rates offered ;

• a voluntary scheme for trainers to publish Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) test pass rates to increase the information available to employers and people needing training;

• the Career Transition Partnership for military leavers;

• potentially having some similar support for some civilian occupation changes ( such as fire fighters);

• continued work on career transitions related to mass redundancy events (such as steel works closures);

• careers advice for young people and in schools, specifically through the Inspiring the Future and Primary Futures programmes delivered by the Charity Education and Employers. I have personally visited schools from Scarborough to Brighton to talk about transport skills with professionals; and

• improving diversity and promotional work.

• As a practical follow up to our skills strategy Andrew Jones MP and I held a joint roundtable with the road haulage and freight industry. This proved extremely productive and some practical solutions were discussed. There was a specific point made about sharing good practice and better collaboration between industry.

• Another avenue of work I have recently launched is investigating how the Department for Transport can contribute in getting ex-offenders back into employment and we are exploring a range of options with the DVSA.

There is also work in progress on the testing and licensing of LGV drivers. Here the plans include:

• the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) halving average waiting times for vocational tests by the end of July;

• DVSA is recruiting more examiners to accommodate higher demand and there are also plans for other changes including more flexibility for delegated examiners;

• DVSA restarting their delegated examiner training programme allowing companies that train 40 or more new drivers to have their own examiner;

• process improvements at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency related to medical renewal applications.

While the Government position that funding is not available for statutory licence acquisition remains, officials at DfT and the Skills Funding Agency have been working together to identify elements of the driving test standard that are also part of the Trailblazer apprenticeship standard. We hope this work will significantly address the funding support issues for the sector.

Driver retention is almost exclusively an issue for employers, but ministers will be examining further what support the Government and Highways England can provide in relation to encouraging changes to Motorway Service Area operations and future investment in laybys and other lorry parking. The current investment focus is on dealing with issues in Kent and a wider survey of the use of existing facilities is being planned.

But there are limits to the Government's role, including on some points that have been pressed by the road haulage industry. We believe that it is for industry to fund the recruitment and training of goods vehicle drivers and roadside facilities. We are discussing with industry what plans they have in this respect.

Quality of Driver CPC training

During the hearing, you indicated that you had heard complaints about the ability of the trainers and the contents of the training.

Whilst some drivers have queried the quality of training or the ability of the trainer, the number of complaints received by DVSA about training are very small as a proportion of the total volume of training. Approved centres in the UK have accumulated more than 30 million hours of Driver CPC training since 2008.

Periodic training is monitored via ongoing quality assurance by DVSA and the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT). DVSA addresses complaints received via a robust system of audit and compliance. In the last 12 months it has taken action against approved trainers by revoking or suspending approval and against operators and drivers by removing periodic training hours.

Based on feedback from stakeholders, and evidence gathered from operators, DVSA is satisfied the vast majority of periodic training is of a high

standard, without the need for additional government regulation. Indeed, a Road Haulage Association spokesman recently stated:

"It is now accepted among RHA members as being beneficial to their businesses and to standards in the haulage industry. The RHA 's public position is that customers should look for a policy of regular DCPC training as evidence ofa good quality haulier. In many fleets, it is cemented as a beneficial part of the way the company is run. "

Research shows that:

• 85% of Transport for London (Tfl) drivers undertaking periodic training said that it had made them a safer driver.

• A major coach operator found that complaints from the public dropped by 40% after all drivers undertook periodic training.

• People First conducted research showing that drivers who underwent safe and fuel-efficient driving periodic training courses made savings of between 20 and 25% on their annual fuel bill.

Standards are improving across the sector as operators who approach training in a cursory fashion fail to realise tangible benefit to their business and non-complaint trainers less likely to secure future periodic training business from operators.

You asked whether there had been any changes to the contents of the Driver CPC since the Transport Committee discussed it in the last Session. I can confirm that DVSA has not made any specific changes to the Driver CPC scheme in terms of ·testing or content.

DVSA is currently reviewing the technical content of Module 4 to consider if the LGV training industry, who already train drivers in readiness for their test, could also carry out the assessment of module 4 as part of that training package.

Training and testing relating to load restraints

There were a number of questions for me from your committee about the testing requirements for the Driver CPC, in the context of training and testing of load restraints. Driver CPC consists of both testing, aimed largely at new drivers who have recently acquired a LGV/PCV driving licence and need the Driver CPC qualification (Modules 2 and 4 ), and periodic training which professional drivers must continue throughout their career to in order to maintain it.

Every new professional LGV driver must undergo mandatory training and testing about loading a vehicle with due regard for safety rules and proper vehicle use during their Module 4 test. New drivers also have to complete Module 2, a case studies test, which assesses their knowledge of best practice for suitable load restraint. The LGV theory test, which we expect every driver to prepare for, also contains several questions about safe loading

and off-loading. DVSA has ensured that loading and off-loading vehicles safely is a prominent aspect of licence and Driver Qualification Card (DQC) acquisition for new drivers.

Existing drivers and their employers also have responsibility to ensure that periodic training delivers benefits over the course of a driver's career. If drivers believe they may benefit from retraining there are around 450 approved periodic training courses about best practice for loading and off­loading available across the UK. DVSA also communicates best practice for safe vehicle operation to the industry via regularly updated guidance on Gov.uk.

DVSA has recently amended procedures to allow acquired rights drivers (those who have held the entitlement prior to 1997) to choose to take Modules 2 and 4 instead of periodic training to acquire their first DQC. This means an even higher proportion of drivers will now undergo testing about safe load restraint before they can drive for a living. This also gives drivers the flexibility to potentially acquire a DQC more quickly and at less cost, provided they can attain the necessary standards.

Funding for military leavers to obtain Driver CPC

During the Committee meeting, Will Quince MP asked specifically about help for military leavers. The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) provides a range of training courses which are either 'Contract Funded' (directly funded by Ministry of Defence) or 'Non-Contract Funded'. Service Leavers can also undertake training from other providers and there are a number of 'preferred suppliers' who provide LGV licence courses. Service Leavers can use MOD­funded resettlement grants and learning credits towards these courses.

In 2015, the CTP offered 'Contract Funded' Courses for Driver CPC and ADR (carriage of dangerous goods) and a 'Non-Contract Funded' course in CPC Road Haulage. In total , 21 courses ran , training 223 people (from 240 capacity).

For drivers who passed LGV driving tests more than five years ago but do not have Driver CPC (as might well be the case for military drivers moving to civilian driving jobs), there is the flexibility to acquire DCPC through the initial tests (which cost £230) or five days' training.

Update on European developments around the Driver CPC

Directive 2003/59/EC on Driver CPC is being evaluated through the European Commission's Regulatory Performance and Fitness Programme, REFIT. REFIT was launched in 2012 and is one of the Commission's Better Regulation initiatives, set up to review the existing stock of EU legislation and identify opportunities for simplification and the reduction of regulatory burden.

The UK is recommending amendments to this directive in order to reduce the burden on lorry drivers and make entry into the profession easier. This includes supporting the removal of the initial CPC qualification as the UK has

a robust theory and practical test in place for lorry drivers, ensuring the highest levels of road safety. High professional standards will be maintained through periodic training in line with current CPC requirements.

National Lorry Week

Finally on national lorry week, which is organised by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), I can confirm my Department is happy to support it and be involved this year.

LORD (TARIQ) AHMAD OF WIMBLEDON