Appraisals undertaken by the Driving Standards agency on behalf of DVLA Drivers Medical Unit
Published 15 May 2014
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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This is Freedom of Information request ia0059413.
Request
I am interested in appraisals undertaken by the Driving Standards Agency on behalf of DVLA (Drivers Medical Unit)
Please forward copies of all policies, protocols, guidance, advice, memorandum, minutes or training documents or material in respect of the following:
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‘The minimum driving standard’ for the purpose of a driving appraisal. The words ‘minimum driving standard’ are those you use to describe driving performance rated as category ‘c’. This request includes all material relating to the description, benchmarking and approval of the standard.
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Training, education and assessment to prepare a driving examiner to perform the above mentioned appraisal. Please note this is a request for information specific to the driving appraisal. I am not seeking material relating to the appraiser’s general duties as a driving examiner.
Response
Please see Annex A for extracts of information that the DSA holds on the minimum driving standard with regards to medical appraisals and the training, education and assessment to prepare a driving examiner to perform said appraisals. Please see Annex B for the Driving Appraisal Form.
Please note that some information has been withheld and replaced by an * as it falls within the personal data (section 40(2)) exemption as it identifies a living individual. Its release would breach the data protection principles as it would not be fair to that individual for the information to be disclosed. A copy of this exemption can be found at Annex C
Request
In addition to the above please let me know the number of the following performed at the Cobridge Driving Test centre, 8 Elder Road, Cobridge, Stoke-on-Trent, for the year 2012:
- Practical car tests
- Appraisals for DVLA (drivers medical unit).
Response
Information on the number of practical car tests carried out in 2012 at Stoke on Trent (Cobridge) practical driving test centre can be found on our website at Car driving test data by test centre.
This information is therefore exempt under section 21 (information accessible by other means) of the FOIA. A copy of this exemption is attached at Annex D.
I can confirm that in the year 2012, the Stoke on Trent (Cobridge) practical driving test centre carried out five medical appraisals for the DVLA.
Request
Please confirm that the examiners who perform the driving appraisals are the same examiners that perform practical car tests.
Response
Sector Managers, Sector Manager Area Support officers together with some specially selected Test Centre Managers and Driving Examiners conduct DVLA medical appraisals. All of whom are qualified to conduct car driving tests. Some are qualified to carry out driving instructor qualification tests and additionally, Sector Managers are qualified to carry out quality control and provide development to junior examiner grades.