The Government’s Response to the Reports by Sir Peter North CBE QC and the Transport Select Committee on Drink and Drug Driving

This is the Government’s response to the independent report on drink and drug driving in Great Britain commissioned by the previous Government from Sir Peter
North CBE QC in December 2009.

The report was submitted in May 2010 and published on 16 June. This paper responds to its 51 recommendation – 28 on drink-driving, and 23 on drug-driving.

This paper is also a response to the report of the Transport Select Committee, Drink
and Drug Driving Law, which was published on 2 December 2010 following an inquiry by the Committee into Sir Peter’s main recommendations. The Committee’s 12 recommendations are reproduced at Annex B, with a note in each case about where they are discussed in this paper.

The Government has considered all the recommendations by Sir Peter and by the Select Committee, and other evidence available in relation to drink and drug driving. It has made an assessment of the resources required to provide an effective response to this dangerous behaviour, having regard to pressures on public spending. It has also considered the wider social and economic impacts of the changes proposed, especially in relation to the prescribed alcohol limit for driving.