§ 85. Mr. Hannanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the number of drunk-in-charge prosecutions, 46W the number found guilty, and the number in which the maximum penalty was imposed, for each of the last two years, respectively.
§ Mr. MaclayThe Road Traffic Act, 1956, separated the offence of driving a motor vehicle while unfit to drive through drink or drugs from that of being in charge of a motor vehicle, although not driving it, while unfit to drive through drink or drugs. For the first of these offences, that is drunk driving, the number of persons prosecuted was, in 1958 1,512 and in 1959 1,783; the number convicted or found guilty was, in 1958 1,431 and in 1959 1,692. For the second of these offences, that is drunk in charge, the number of persons prosecuted was, in 1958 385, and in 1959 471; the number convicted or found guilty was, in 1958 351, and in 1959 441.
I will shortly send the hon. Member a table analysing the penalties imposed by the courts for these offences during these two years. I regret, however, that information about the number of cases in which the penalty imposed was the maximum authorised is not available and could not be obtained without disproportionate work.