40. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what methods will be adopted to test breathalysers before they are ordered in large quantities for use under the new Road Safety Bill; whether they will be tested on women as well as men; and whether they will be capable of testing drivers who adopt chemical or other devices to modify the alcohol in their breath.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsBreath testing devices are being tested against blood alcohol concentration values. They are tested on women as well as men. There is no known practicable method by which a driver can modify the alcohol in his breath so as to cause a device to give a falsely low reading when the test is correctly conducted.
41. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will ensure that the breathalysers to be ordered for use under the Road Safety Bill are efficient over a definite period which will be known to the police and will give accurate results in all temperatures, barometric pressures and lighting conditions; and what medical and scientific advice he proposes to use in this connection.
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§ Mr. Roy JenkinsBreath testing devices are being tested by forensic scientists at the Home Office Central Research Establishment. Devices recommended for approval will be suitable for use in this country in all temperatures and barometric pressures. Their shelf-life will be known to the police. Devices cannot be read easily under some forms of street lighting, but the police will be advised to use them with torch or vehicle lighting, which is satisfactory.