Mr. Mark Synnott:

I am delighted to say that we have the highest level of vehicle inspectors we have ever had within the national car test service, NCTS. We are testing the highest volume of vehicles we have ever tested. The Senator said the man to whom he was speaking was offered an appointment in September. I am not sure I agree entirely with that phraseology. On the website, I agree that appointments are typically available in that timeframe. However, the website guides the user by stating that if the available appointments are not suitable, the user can add himself or herself to a waiting list. In that case, the vast majority of customers get an appointment within 28 days. Our average lead time for January, which is the peak time in respect of vehicles that are due a test, was 25.8 days. If the person who was speaking to the Senator needs an appointment, he can call our call centre and we will add him to the list or he can add himself to the list through the website.