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Driving Tests

Volume 489: debated on Tuesday 10 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people (a) took and (b) passed their driving test in (i) Chelmsford, (ii) Essex and (iii) the UK in each of the last five years. (261775)

The number of practical driving tests taken and passed in Chelmsford in each of the last five years for car, bike, lorry and bus categories are as follows:

Chelmsford

Conducted

Passed

Percentage pass

Car

2007-08

8,162

2,851

34.9

2006-07

8,906

2,911

32.7

2005-06

9,990

3,385

33.9

2004-05

7,430

2,653

35.7

2003-04

7,206

2,731

37.9

Bike

2007-08

1,519

1,091

71.8

2006-07

1,271

883

69.5

2005-06

1,285

906

70.5

2004-05

1,290

902

69.9

2003-04

1,183

860

72.7

Lorry

2007-08

803

289

36.0

2006-07

1,543

571

37.0

2005-06

1,835

661

36.0

2004-05

1,255

446

35.5

2003-04

1,031

437

42.4

Bus

2007-08

87

30

34.5

2006-07

179

73

40.8

2005-06

178

56

31.5

2004-05

136

35

25.7

2003-04

90

26

28.9

The number of practical driving tests taken and passed in Essex in each of the last five years for car, bike, lorry and bus categories are as follows:

Essex

Conducted

Passed

Percentage pass

Car

2007-08

87,532

31,310

35.8

2006-07

88,325

31,196

35.3

2005-06

93,457

32,607

34.9

2004-05

75,359

25,614

34.0

2003-04

60,780

21,816

35.9

Bike

2007-08

4,723

3,048

64.5

2006-07

4,236

2,575

60.8

2005-06

4,423

2,731

61.7

2004-05

4,370

2,772

63.4

2003-04

4,719

2,989

63.3

Lorry

2007-08

3,093

1,072

34.7

2006-07

4,261

1,448

34.0

2005-06

5,213

1,794

34.4

2004-05

4,101

1,373

33.5

2003-04

3,191

1,268

39.7

Bus

2007-08

295

100

33.9

2006-07

385

130

33.8

2005-06

555

138

24.9

2004-05

538

110

20.4

2003-04

237

75

31.6

The Driving Standards Agency is responsible for conducting driving tests within Great Britain. The Driver and Vehicle Agency is responsible for driving tests conducted within Northern Ireland. The number of practical driving tests taken and passed in Great Britain over the last five years for car, bike, lorry and bus categories are as follows:

Overall

Conducted

Passed

Percentage pass

Car

2007-08

1,769,860

783,632

44.3

2006-07

1,789,885

776,329

43.4

2005-06

1,827,381

777,817

42.6

2004-05

1,670,302

707,018

42.3

2003-04

1,399,385

598,347

42.8

Bike

2007-08

87,962

58,520

66.5

2006-07

77,007

50,112

65.1

2005-06

80,162

51,051

63.7

2004-05

77,897

50,063

64.3

2003-04

83,451

53,789

64.5

Lorry

2007-08

70,766

32,779

46.3

2006-07

78,140

36,119

46.2

2005-06

88,815

40,247

45.3

2004-05

79,431

36,935

46.5

2003-04

66,832

32,598

48.8

Bus

2007-08

10,331

5,203

50.4

2006-07

9,922

4,602

46.4

2005-06

11,698

5,210

44.5

2004-05

12,251

5,369

43.8

2003-04

10,083

4,591

45.5

The number of practical car driving tests conducted in Northern Ireland are shown in the following table. Data for other categories are unavailable.

Overall

Conducted

Passed

Percentage pass

2007-08

61,298

27,584

45

2006-07

61,173

28,751

47

2005-06

57,264

28,059

49

2004-05

41,547

19,942

48

2003-04

47,022

22,100

47