§ Mr. Porterasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will suspend the practice of entering details of drink-driving convictions involving breath test equipment readings of 150 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath and above on the motorist's records at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea until the completion of the experimental six-month period for breath tests.
§ Mrs. ChalkerDVLC is notified of an offender's alcohol concentration in all cases where this is more than 66 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath (equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration of 150 milligrammes). The information is required in connection with the arrangements for ensuring that offenders who show evidence of a drink problem do not resume driving until their condition has been effectively treated. The arrangements provide for the medical advisory branch at DVLC to consider the case of all offenders who are convicted twice within 10 years, on both occasions with a breath alcohol concentration of 87 microgrammes, (that is, two and a half times the legal limit) in order to establish whether there is evidence of a drink problem.
I do not consider that my right hon. Friend's recent announcement in respect of breath test procedures necessitates any change in the arrangements for identifying problem drinkers, especially since the alcohol level does no more than indicate that a person's case should be considered.