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Written question asked by Richard Holden (Conservative) on Monday, 2 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 5 March 2026 (named day). It was answered by Sarah Jones (Labour) on Thursday, 5 March 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.

Driving under Influence: Drugs

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the annual cost to police forces of (a) administering roadside drug-impairment tests and (b) drug-driving testing; what steps she is taking to reduce the per-test cost of such testing for police forces; and what funding and support is available to police forces to help reduce drug-driving without reducing the number of tests carried out.

Answer

The Government’s Road Safety Strategy, launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.

The Home Office has not made an assessment on the costs to police forces for administering roadside drug-impartment tests and drug driving testing.

Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
116788
Session
2024-26
Related items
Driving Under Influence: Drugs
Thursday, 26 March 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Costs Drugs Driving under influence Police Testing
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk