Approving drink-drive rehabilitation courses

Summary

This consultation is about updating the arrangements for providing training courses under the drink-drive rehabilitation scheme, including how they’re funded.

The proposals build on the government policy in the ‘Strategic framework for road safety’ by providing improved education for convicted drivers.

The aim is that these proposals will:

• create better quality courses which will encourage more offenders to take training and reduce the likelihood of them reoffending
• make sure that courses are available in every part of the country
• make sure that courses are of the same standard
• allow the Driving Standards Agency to take action against trainers not providing courses as they should

Decisions

The new scheme will make sure that courses are available in every part of the country.

We will:

• monitor course providers to make sure that courses are all of the same standard – we’ll charge fees to cover our costs for doing this
• take action against course providers who are not up to standard
• give course providers the right to appeal if their application is refused or if we remove their course approval
• give existing course providers enough time to move over to the new scheme, if that’s what they want to do
• let course providers use first or second class post for sending out notices to offenders, as long as they get a receipt of posting and keep it for their records

Training providers can decide the cost of the course, but it can’t cost more than £250.

Important dates What’s happening Date Invitations to apply issued 7 January 2013 Closing date for receipt of applications 8 February 2013 New courses start 24 June 2013 Approval of existing courses runs out 18 August 2013