Crime: Drink Driving

Question

Asked by

Lord Berkeley
To ask Her Majesty's Government when evidential roadside breath-testing devices will be available to the police service. [HL346]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead)
It is not possible at this point to predict when a roadside evidential breath testing device might be available. For evidence from such a device to be admissible in court, the device must be of a type approved by the Secretary of State. Type approval depends on compliance with an appropriate specification. Work to finalise a scientifically justifiable specification is continuing. When the specification is ready it will be for manufacturers to produce devices to comply with it and submit them for testing.

The time to type approval will depend on how quickly manufacturers present devices, how they perform in the necessarily rigorous and time-consuming tests, how soon any necessary adjustments and how soon after approval manufacturers begin commercial production. It will be for individual police forces to decide on the purchase of devices.