§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) drink-driving offences were recorded in each year since 1997 by the police constabulary and (b) successful prosecutions there have been in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Scotland since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [98488]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthAvailable information on the number of proceedings and convictions for offences of driving whilst impaired by drink or drugs or driving above the specified limit for alcohol in England and Wales is given in the table by police force area. The data cannot be disaggregated between alcohol or drug offences.
Matters related to Scotland are for the Scottish Executive.
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Proceedings at Magistrates courts and findings of guilt at all courts for offences of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs1 by police force area. England and Wales, 1997 to 2001 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Police force area Proceedings Findings of guilt Proceedings Findings of guilt Proceedings Findings of guilt Proceedings Findings of guilt Proceedings Findings of guilt Avon and Somerset 3,114 2,812 2,832 2,566 2,971 2,728 2,719 2,462 2,403 2,197 Bedfordshire 1,323 1,146 1,167 1,060 961 869 884 797 1,013 914 Cambridgeshire 1,175 1,092 1,145 1,060 1,022 941 882 793 880 813 Cheshire 2,165 1,969 2,094 1,903 2,002 1,827 1,899 1,652 1,753 1,529 Cleveland 1,029 926 947 870 912 811 858 777 973 887 Clumbria 1,017 931 927 856 925 871 874 806 810 761 Derbyshire 1,852 1,612 1,695 1,547 1,613 1,463 1,599 1,417 1,612 1,411 Devon and Cornwall 2,637 2,342 2,531 2,265 2,507 2,277 2,421 2,199 2,594 2,369 Dorset 1,355 1,214 1,310 1,186 1,223 1,120 1,244 1,115 1,284 1,150 Durham 1,140 1,044 1,134 1,035 1,251 1,137 1,218 1,124 1,181 1,097 Essex 3,010 2,736 2776 2,438 2,835 2,528 2,702 2,462 2,717 2,456 Gloucestershire 1,169 1,067 1,079 985 971 889 891 804 950 865 Greater Manchester 5,235 4,806 5,117 4,715 5,254 4,850 5,186 4,801 5,236 4,715 Hampshire 4,099 3,774 3,920 3,597 4,062 3,725 3,812 3,472 3,820 3,464 Hertfordshire 1,844 1,670 1,835 1,672 1,827 1,679 1,691 1,552 1,826 1,666 Humberside 1,411 1,274 1,473 1,358 1,410 1,323 1,468 1,371 1,355 1,259 Kent 2,533 2,321 2,853 2,627 2,851 2,633 2,807 2,592 2,861 2,575 Lancashire 3,684 3,389 3,204 2,945 3,290 3,010 2,879 2,584 2,570 2,304 London, City of 463 463 338 301 259 236 193 162 182 162 Merseyside 3,113 2,719 2,760 2,451 2,369 2,137 2,515 2,128 2,513 2,195 Metropolitan Police 18,987 16,165 16,433 13,889 14,720 12,414 14,166 11,801 13,744 11,260 Norfolk 1,174 1,116 1,197 1,118 1,070 1,010 1,014 935 1,293 1,143 Northamptonshire 1,245 1,107 1,230 1,062 1,228 1,058 898 782 464 399 Northumbria 2,973 2,625 2,786 2,457 2,793 2,463 2,958 2,621 2,850 2,529 North Yorkshire 1,481 1,365 1,319 1,205 1,229 1,124 1,160 1,073 1,158 1,066 Nottinghamshire 2,270 2,031 2,013 1,804 2,026 1,802 1,951 1,722 1,786 1,598 South Yorkshire 2,581 2,296 2,188 2,002 2,076 1,927 2,322 2,122 2,231 2,020 Staffordshire 2,302 2,036 2,163 1,955 1,885 1,711 2— 2— 1,673 1,513 Suffolk 1,156 1,050 1,146 1,042 1,187 1,089 1,002 902 1,049 920 Surrey 1,512 1;380 1,455 1,328 1,538 1,417 1,729 1,539 2,055 1,592 Sussex 2,658 2,373 2,344 2,113 2,440 2,224 2,327 2,112 2,635 2,358 Thames Valley 4,564 4,070 4,355 3,896 4,192 3,725 3,921 3,496 3,681 3,275 Warwickshire 908 837 855 784 927 856 855 786 955 880 West Mercia 2,093 1,947 1,946 1,794 1,867 1,747 1,741 1,631 1,874 1,740 West Midlands 7,185 6,351 6,348 5,582 5,470 4,775 5,212 4,559 5,604 4,914 West Yorkshire 4,395 3,953 4,100 3,669 4,018 3,597 3,798 3,375 3,739 3,220 Wiltshire 1,120 1,043 1,184 1,108 1,067 1,009 997 930 1,127 1,045 Total England 104,960 93,761 96,888 86,709 93,057 83,567 89,329 79,671 89,172 78,684 Dyfed Powys 1,163 1,029 1,102 995 1,047 944 985 858 973 867 Gwent 1,268 1,166 1,336 1,203 1,226 1,079 1,341 1,211 1,297 1,152 North Wales 1,496 1,354 1,410 1,306 1,347 1,248 1,430 1,332 1,366 1,227 South Wales 3,238 2,892 3,309 2,903 2,823 2,526 3,075 2,757 3,175 2,812 Total Wales 7,165 6,441 7,157 6,407 6,443 5,797 6,831 6,158 6,811 6,058 Total England and Wales 112,125 100,202 104,045 93,116 99,500 89,364 96,160 85,829 95,983 84,742 1Including offences under Road Traffic Act 1988 sec 4(1) and (2); 5(1)(a) and (b); 6(4); 7(6): Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment). Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle while having a breath, urine or blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit. Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time he/she was driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. In charge of a motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs (impairment). In charge of a motor vehicle while having a breath, urine or blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit. In charge of a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time he/she was driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen of breath for a preliminary test. Excluding offences under Road Traffic Act 1988 sec 3A: Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs. 2 Not available (Staffordshire were only able to submit data for a sample of weeks in 2000).
§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies his Department has undertaken in relation to drink-driving offences from the sale of alcohol from(a) supermarkets, (b) off-licences and (c) petrol filling station forecourts; and if he will make a statement. [98489]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthNo studies have been undertaken on the commission of drink-driving offences relating to alcohol purchased from different retail categories. However, the Home Office has commissioned research that determines where people had been drinking on the most recent occasion they had driven after drinking alcohol: at home; at someone else's home; in a pub/pubs; in a restaurant; in a nightclub/club; outside in a public place (e.g. park, street); or a specified other. The results are currently undergoing analysis.
The Home Office remains committed to combating drink-driving and shall maintain an emphasis on effective enforcement and publicity. The UK has shown that a combination of rigid enforcement and advertising campaigns has a dramatic effect on reducing the numbers of killed and seriously injured in crashes involving illegal levels of alcohol, although we acknowledge there is still much to do. We are currently looking at the possibilities for helping effective enforcement of drink drive legislation, for example, by introducing roadside evidential testing.