§ Mrs. BrowningTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timetable is for the implementation of section 31A, part 4 of the Police Reform Bill. [70363]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 16 July 2002]: The legislation to which I assume the hon. Member refers is section 31 A of the Transport and Works Act 1992, which is to be inserted by clause 59 of the Police Reform Bill.
The provision is parallel to the new section 7A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to be inserted by clause 57 of the Bill. Both make provision for blood specimens to be taken without consent where, after an accident, a person cannot for medical reasons give valid consent.
It is customary for provisions within a Bill to be brought into effect no sooner than three months after Royal Assent. Subject to that, we intend that these measures should be brought into effect at the earliest possible moment. We have already entered into discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on the issue of appropriate guidance to the police and shall be liaising with the Department of Health, the British Medical Association and the Association of Police Surgeons in order to ensure that the new procedures run smoothly.