CBT Section

Dear Mr Chapman,

Please note that your request falls outside the remit of FoIA as you have
asked for an explanation of appropriate distances. Only information that
is already recorded falls under the scope FoIA which does not require us
to create information.

We have therefore passed your request to our customer enquiry unit to
respond to you directly.

Kind Regards

Freedom of Information Team

Information Assurance

Driving Standards Agency

The Axis Building

112 Upper Parliment Street

NOTTINGHAM, NG1 6LP

Tel: (0115) 936 6034

Fax: (0115) 936 6571

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[Subject only] FW: Acknowledgement

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Link: [1]File-List

Driving Standards Agency

Customer Service Centre

PO Box 280

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE99 1FP

Bookings and Enquiries: 0300 200 1122

.National Fax: 0300 200 1155

Email: [email address]

Website: www.direct.gov.uk/motoring

Website: www.dft.gov.uk/dsa

Paul Chapman

[2][FOI #48966 email]

Our Ref: 1010/01063

20 October 2010

Dear Mr Chapman

Thank you for your email received about our DL196 ordering and despatch
service. We value feedback and we are always looking for ways to improve
the service we offer.

Currently DL196 certificates can be ordered over the phone, by fax, or
letter, and paid for by cheque or using a payment card. The aim is for a
book of DL196s to be delivered within 5 working days from the receipt of
the order; this is a target that is regularly exceeded with most orders
being delivered within 3 working days. We are looking at integrating the
DL196 process into the system used for bookings; however, the
implementation of this system would take time and funding which is
unavailable in the current climate.

I am sorry for any inconvenience regarding the delivery of DL196 orders.
Approved Training Bodies (ATBs) address details are retained on a Royal
Mail despatch system, which is used to print the labels. We try to ensure
that all details are kept up to date and liaise with the Compulsory Basic
Training (CBT) section to maintain these. However, if you continue to
have problems with this service then please contact us on the DL196 order
line 0115 936 6468.

I trust I have been of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Jonathan Hall

Customer Service Representative

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Thank you for your recent e-mail. This is receiving attention. Our
service standard is to reply to 90% of all complaints and enquiries
within 10 working days. You will receive a reply shortly.

You can now manage your theory and practical test appointments online at
www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest
<outbind://3-00000000A5673BF3FB2AE24BAFEC2C401FB794B9070099636F36EA87D61
18DF500065B88504C0000021EA1C0000099636F36EA87D6118DF500065B88504C000003C
AC3150000/www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest> between 06:00 and midnight 7
days a week.

Directgov is the place to find all government motoring information and
services. From logbooks to licensing, from driving tests to road tax,
go to www.direct.gov.uk/motoring
<outbind://3-00000000A5673BF3FB2AE24BAFEC2C401FB794B9070099636F36EA87D61
18DF500065B88504C0000021EA1C0000099636F36EA87D6118DF500065B88504C000003C
AC3150000/www.direct.gov.uk/motoring>

Driving Standards Agency

PO Box 280

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE99 1FP

Tel - 0300 200 11 22

Fax - 0300 200 11 55

Please do not reply to this email, this is system generated

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Driving Standards Agency

Customer Service Centre

PO Box 280

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE99 1FP

Bookings and Enquiries: 0300 200 1122

National Fax: 0300 200 1155

Email: [1][email address]

Website: www.[2]direct.gov.uk/motoring

Website: www.dft.gov.uk/dsa

Paul Chapman

[FOI #48966 email]

Our ref: 1010/01553

03 November 2010

Dear Mr Chapman

Thank you for your further email of 20 October.

I appreciate your comments however as mentioned in our previous reply your
address details are retained on a Royal Mail despatch system which is used
to print the labels. You could contact the DL196 order line on 0115 936
6468 to confirm that your address details are correct.

I should explain that when you contact the Compulsory Basic Training (CBT)
section you are asked to confirm a number of details such as your name and
address. You are required to provide this information whenever you
telephone the Agency because of data protection.

The DL196 (CBT certificates) are legal documents and we must verify the
caller's details before we are able to send these out to training
schools. We must be sure that data protection is adhered to before they
can be issued.

I wish to also reiterate that we are looking at integrating the DL196
process into the system used for bookings. The implementation of this
system would take time and funding which was explained in our email of 20
October. I trust that you can appreciate that such funding is unavailable
in the current economic climate.

I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause but trust I have clarified
the issues raised.

Yours sincerely

Mr Brian Cater

Corporate Correspondence Officer

show quoted sections

Thank you for your recent e-mail. This is receiving attention. Our
service standard is to reply to 90% of all complaints and enquiries
within 10 working days. You will receive a reply shortly.

You can now manage your theory and practical test appointments online at
www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest
<outbind://3-00000000A5673BF3FB2AE24BAFEC2C401FB794B9070099636F36EA87D61
18DF500065B88504C0000021EA1C0000099636F36EA87D6118DF500065B88504C000003C
AC3150000/www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest> between 06:00 and midnight 7
days a week.

Directgov is the place to find all government motoring information and
services. From logbooks to licensing, from driving tests to road tax,
go to www.direct.gov.uk/motoring
<outbind://3-00000000A5673BF3FB2AE24BAFEC2C401FB794B9070099636F36EA87D61
18DF500065B88504C0000021EA1C0000099636F36EA87D6118DF500065B88504C000003C
AC3150000/www.direct.gov.uk/motoring>

Driving Standards Agency

PO Box 280

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE99 1FP

Tel - 0300 200 11 22

Fax - 0300 200 11 55

Please do not reply to this email, this is system generated

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Chapman

I have been forwarded the chain of emails in connection with the ordering
procedure of DL196 certificates and would like to apologise for any
inconvenience you may have been caused.

Upon checking through your ATB file and our records within the database
which all ATB information is held (and regularly updated) I can confirm
that we have the following information for your ATB:

ATB Name: Mid Kent Motorcycle Training (Ref: 1435) ATB Authority
Holder: Paul Chapman

Registered address: 16 SPRUCEDALE CLOSE, SWANLEY, KENT, BR8 7YS
Correspondence address: UNIT 5 GALLANT HOUSE, LOWER ROAD, EAST FARLEIGH,
MAIDSTONE, KENT, ME15 0JS

As you are probably aware, all DL196 certificates and DSA communications
are sent to an ATB's correspondence address. An ATB's registered address
is displayed on the instructor certificates and under no circumstances
would we send any correspondence/DL196 certificates to this address -
Please let me know as a matter of urgency if this has not been the case.

The DL196 ordering process is as follows:

1. Order placed by ATB (either by phone/post/fax) - If the order is taken
over the phone, a member of staff from the order section handwrite the
required information onto a request form.

2. DL196 request forms are then passed to the CBT Section who check the
amounts are correct and that the ATB details on the form match those
on the database. If details such as the address or postcode differ
significantly we contact the ATB to clarify this information and amend
the request form accordingly. It is only in exceptional circumstances
that we would ever send a book of DL196 certificates to an address we
do not hold on our database, and in such cases we stress it will only
be allowed as a one off, unless the address is changed officially with
us on a permanent basis.

3. The request forms are then passed back to the DL196 order section as
`approved' who in turn print off the address labels and pass to our
post team for dispatch.

The method of posting we use is Royal Mail Recorded Delivery and
occasionally Royal Mail does deliver to a neighbour in the event that the
actual recipient is not there to sign for the package. I understand from
some ATBs that this is preferable to Royal Mail returning the package to a
local collection office, which in some cases may be quite a distance to
travel to.

I have spoken to my colleague who works on the section that process DL196
orders and he has confirmed that certainly for the last 12 months, the
person i.e. you, who placed the DL196 order confirmed your ATB address as
being Unit 5 Gallant Business Centre.

It would appear that with your last order (placed on 16 November) once we,
on the CBT Section, received the DL196 order for your ATB, we queried the
address and asked whether it should be Unit 5 Gallant House, rather than
Unit 5 Business Park - The hard copy paperwork here shows that my
colleague amended this to correspond with what is on our database.

I cannot explain why despite us changing the address to Unit 5 Gallant
House the DL196 order was processed as Unit 5 Gallant Business Centre. My
colleague in the DL196 order section has confirmed that there is no way
(due to the volume of DL196 orders received per day) anyone taking an
order over the phone for your ATB would put Unit 5 Gallant Business Centre
instead of House, if you had of said Unit 5 Gallant House.

We are currently reviewing the way DL196 orders are taken and subsequently
dispatched to ATBs and your comments have been taken on board and will
form part of the review.

Yours sincerely

Charlotte Stansall | CBT Section Deputy Manager
Driving Standards Agency

Telephone: 0115 936 6542
email: [email address]

DSA, The Axis Building, 112 Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham, NG1 6LP

Websites: www.dsa.gsi.gov.uk I www.direct.gov.uk/motoring |
www.businesslink.gov.uk/transport

You may have been getting the ATB newsletter by email over the last two
years. DSA will now be sending it out from its email alert service - DSA
Direct. To continue getting the ATB newsletter you must sign up by
visiting dft.gov.uk/dsa/emailalerts and ticking the `Approved Training
Body (ATB)' option. Under data protection rules we cannot sign you up to
it automatically.

When you sign up to DSA Direct you can also choose to get Despatch ezine,
press releases and much more.

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Thank you for emailing the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). Your email is
receiving attention.

Our service standard is to reply to 90 per cent of all complaints and
enquiries within 10 working days. If you've written to us in the last 10
days please don't resend your message. You'll receive a reply shortly.

For information about compulsory basic training (CBT) go to
direct.gov.uk/cbt <blocked::http://direct.gov.uk/cbt> .

Directgov is the place to find all government motoring information and
services. From logbooks to licensing, from driving tests to road tax, go
to direct.gov.uk/motoring <blocked::http://www.direct.gov.uk/motoring> .

Please don't reply to this email - it's been sent automatically by our
computer system.

Driving Standards Agency | Customer Service Centre

Telephone: 0300 200 1122 | Fax: 0300 200 1155
email: [email address] <mailto:[email address]>

DSA, PO Box 280, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1FP

Websites: direct.gov.uk/drivingtest
<blocked::http://direct.gov.uk/drivingtest> |
businesslink.gov.uk/transport
<blocked::http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/transport> | dsa.gov.uk
<blocked::http://dsa.gov.uk/>

Follow us: youtube.com/dsagov <blocked::http://youtube.com/dsagov> |
twitter.com/DSAgovuk <blocked::http://twitter.com/DSAgovuk> | DSA
Direct email alerts
<blocked::http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=686>

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Dear Mr Chapman,

I cannot apologise enough for the inconvenience you appear to have been
caused.

I have looked through your file in depth and can confirm that yes indeed
we have entered `Gallant House' in error instead of the correct `Gallant
Business Centre' - This I can confirm has been amended now.

I have spoken to a colleague who advised me of a system within Royal Mail
whereby recipients of signed for mail, can specify certain days they are
not available and leave instructions for an alternative delivery date.
Although I cannot promise anything, it might be worth your while
contacting Royal Mail to specifically request that they only deliver to
your address (i.e. the one we have as your correspondence address: UNIT 5
GALLANT BUSINESS CENTRE, EAST FARLEIGH, MAIDSTONE, KENT, ME15 0JS) and not
to a neighbour & in the event no one is available to sign for the package,
a card is left notifying you it is at your local sorting/postal depot.

I don't know whether this will solve all the problems you have experienced
but it may go some way to helping the situation.

If I don't email or speak to you before, have a good Christmas and all the
best for 2011.

Charlotte

Charlotte Stansall | CBT Section Deputy Manager

Driving Standards Agency

Telephone: 0115 936 6542

email: [email address]

DSA, The Axis Building, 112 Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham, NG1 6LP

Websites: www.dsa.gsi.gov.uk I www.direct.gov.uk/motoring |
www.businesslink.gov.uk/transport

You may have been getting the ATB newsletter by email over the last two
years. DSA will now be sending it out from its email alert service - DSA
Direct. To continue getting the ATB newsletter you must sign up by
visiting dft.gov.uk/dsa/emailalerts and ticking the `Approved Training
Body (ATB)' option. Under data protection rules we cannot sign you up to
it automatically.

When you sign up to DSA Direct you can also choose to get Despatch ezine,
press releases and much more.

show quoted sections

Thank you for emailing the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). Your email is
receiving attention.

Our service standard is to reply to 90 per cent of all complaints and
enquiries within 10 working days. If you've written to us in the last 10
days please don't resend your message. You'll receive a reply shortly.

For information about compulsory basic training (CBT) go to
direct.gov.uk/cbt <blocked::http://direct.gov.uk/cbt> .

Directgov is the place to find all government motoring information and
services. From logbooks to licensing, from driving tests to road tax, go
to direct.gov.uk/motoring <blocked::http://www.direct.gov.uk/motoring> .

Please don't reply to this email - it's been sent automatically by our
computer system.

Driving Standards Agency | Customer Service Centre

Telephone: 0300 200 1122 | Fax: 0300 200 1155
email: [email address] <mailto:[email address]>

DSA, PO Box 280, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1FP

Websites: direct.gov.uk/drivingtest
<blocked::http://direct.gov.uk/drivingtest> |
businesslink.gov.uk/transport
<blocked::http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/transport> | dsa.gov.uk
<blocked::http://dsa.gov.uk/>

Follow us: youtube.com/dsagov <blocked::http://youtube.com/dsagov> |
twitter.com/DSAgovuk <blocked::http://twitter.com/DSAgovuk> | DSA
Direct email alerts
<blocked::http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=686>

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Dear Mr Chapman,

I'm sorry to hear you are still experiencing problems with the delivery of
your DL196 certificates. It might help if I explain that the Agency
implemented a revised postal arrangement in mid October 2010, for despatch
of all DL196 certificates. This resulted in a change from special delivery
mail to recorded signed for 1^st class delivery. A signature on receipt is
still required and gained and the parcel is still trackable through the
delivery stage, using a postal number. The previous service offered next
day delivery compared to 48 hours in the majority of cases and 72 hours in
all cases. All orders received by midday are despatched on the same day by
DSA. This change in practice still achieves the Agency's overall service
standard of working 5 days. The packaging of the parcel is also different
but does not result in any material difference to the delivery service.

The reason for this change is to drive efficiencies and cost reduction
from our current operating practice without resulting in a reduction in
service standards. This change will be monitored after a short period of
implementation.

Charlotte Stansall | CBT Section Deputy Manager

Driving Standards Agency

Telephone: 0115 936 6542

email: [email address]

DSA, The Axis Building, 112 Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham, NG1 6LP

Websites: www.dsa.gsi.gov.uk I www.direct.gov.uk/motoring |
www.businesslink.gov.uk/transport

You may have been getting the ATB newsletter by email over the last two
years. DSA will now be sending it out from its email alert service - DSA
Direct. To continue getting the ATB newsletter you must sign up by
visiting dft.gov.uk/dsa/emailalerts and ticking the `Approved Training
Body (ATB)' option. Under data protection rules we cannot sign you up to
it automatically.

When you sign up to DSA Direct you can also choose to get Despatch ezine,
press releases and much more.

show quoted sections