Driving Tests

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving tests for the car were taken in each year since 1997. (139673)

The Driving Standards Agency records the tests conducted figure by financial year, and only has records from 1999-2000 onwards. The number of car driving tests conducted per year is shown as follows.

*Practical tests conducted*
	Number
1999-2000	1,129,904
2000-01	1,129,849
2001-02	1,217,515
2002-03	1,348,191
2003-04	1,399,385
2004-05	1,676,147
2005-06	1,836,867
2006-07	1,789,882

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the overall pass rate was for those taking car driving tests in each year since 1997. (139679)

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) measures the car driving test pass rate by financial year, and only has records from 1999-2000 onwards. The pass rate percentage by year is shown as follows.

	Pass rate (percentage)
1999-2000	44.1
2000-01	43.9
2001-02	42.3
2002-03	43.2
2003-04	42.7
2004-05	42,4
2005-06	42.6
2006-07	43.4

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people passed their car driving test at the (a) first, (b) second, (c) third, (d) fourth and (e) fifth attempt in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) age and (ii) sex. (139680)

The Driving Standards Agency did not record number of driving test attempts before April 2004, and determining the amount of attempts by age could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The passes by attempt and gender for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 are shown as follows.

	Passes
2006-07
Test attempt (male)
1	183,133
2	105,944
3	56,363
4	29,960
5	15,227

Test attempt (female)
1	147,904
2	95,902
3	55,755
4	31,320
5	16,795
2005-06
Test attempt (male)
1	184,304
2	108,698
3	57,414
4	29,600
5	15,067


Test attempt (female)
1	145,063
2	97,856
3	57,538
4	32,208
5	17,669

2004-05
Test attempt (male)
1	200,719
2	99,894
3	41,196
4	15,877
	5,716
Test attempt (female)
1	169,565
2	97,704
3	44,396
4	17,970
5	6,870

Volume 461: debated on Monday 4 June 2007