§ Mr. Mark Carlisleasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will call for a report from chief constables throughout England as to the total number of people breathalysed in their areas during the Christmas period; and how that number compares with similar periods at other times of the year;
(2) whether he will call for reports from chief constables throughout England as to the percentage of cases during the Christmas period in which breathalyser tests proved to be positive where the driver had been breathalysed on the ground that the police officer had reasonable grounds for suspecting the driver concerned to have been drinking;
(3) whether he will call for reports from chief constables throughout England as to the number of cases in their areas during the Christmas period in which people had been stopped and breathalysed on the grounds that the police had reasonable grounds to suspect that the driver had been drinking; and how this compares with similar periods at other times of the year;
183W(4) whether he will call for reports from the chief constables throughout England as to the number of cases in which people were stopped in their areas and given a breathalyser test over the Christmas period on the ground that they were committing a moving traffic offence; and how that compares with figures for similar periods at other times of the year.
§ Mr. HurdNational figures on breath tests are compiled on a calendar year basis and comparable figures for the Christmas period could be provided at this stage only at disproportionate cost. I am writing to my right hon. and learned Friend.