Breath Tests

HC Deb 01 December 1988 vol 142 cc399-400W

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many roadside breath tests took place in 1986 and 1985.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The available information is published annually in Home Office statistical bulletins, "Statistics of breath tests, England and Wales" (table 1 of issue 23/88 gives the latest available figures up to 1987).

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce discretionary or random breath tests.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

At present a police officer may require a driver to provide a specimen of breath for a breath test where he has reasonable cause to suspect that the driver has alcohol in his body, and in certain other circumstances. The Association of Chief Police Officers has proposed that the police should in future have unfettered discretion to require breath tests and we are considering this together with proposals on related aspects of road traffic law made by the road traffic law review.