§ John MannTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which EU countries have compulsory drug-testing on arrest; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of adopting this policy. [104589]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthWe are not aware of any European Union countries which have, on arrest, compulsory drug testing on a comparable basis with the provision for testing persons in police detention after charge, introduced in England and Wales under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000.
That provision, with other provisions introduced under the Act for testing persons under probation supervision, is being fully evaluated as part of the drug testing pilot programme operating in nine sites in England and Wales. A preliminary findings report was published as HO Findings 176 in May 2002. A further interim report on the emerging findings from the pilot programme is being published very shortly as HO Findings 180 and will be placed in the Library. A full final evaluation report is due in spring 2004.