To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) adequacy of the size of and (b) challenges faced by the PCV driver workforce.

No formal assessment has been carried out. However, the Department engages regularly with operators through representative groups such as the Confederation for Passenger Transport and the Association of Local Bus Managers to understand the challenges that the sector is facing, including workforce related issues.

The PCV driver workforce plays a vital role in delivering essential public services and has faced a number of challenges over the pandemic. My officials have been working with the representative groups to ensure that where issues have emerged they are addressed as effectively as possible, including in areas such as testing and licensing.