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Written question asked by Matt Vickers (Conservative) on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 June 2026. It was answered by Keir Mather (Labour) on Monday, 29 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Driving Licences

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of holders of Category C1 driving licence entitlement in each age cohort; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact on workforce availability.

Answer

The department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of Category C1 driving licence requirements on workforce availability.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) holds data on driving licence entitlements. The latest available figures show the number of Category C1 entitlement holders by age cohort as follows:

Age range

17-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65-70

Over 70

Full C1 entitlement

29,653

173,249

330,499

3,475,775

7,038,258

3,181,986

61,469

Provisional C1 entitlement

43,821

125,466

175,031

62,173

46,435

9,743

1,957

Total

73,474

298,715

505,530

3,537,948

7,084,693

3,191,729

63,426

The department has previously considered evidence on whether changes to Category C1 entitlement could widen the recruitment pool for medium-sized goods vehicle drivers through the 2022 driving licensing call for evidence.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
12491
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Driving licences Labour market
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk