Part II Safety of railways etc

CHAPTER I Offences involving drink or drugs

Miscellaneous and supplementary

38 Interpretation of Chapter I.

(1)

In this Chapter—

“breath test” means a preliminary test for the purpose of obtaining, by means of a device of a type approved by the Secretary of State, an indication whether the proportion of alcohol in a person’s breath or blood is likely to exceed the prescribed limit;

“drug” includes any intoxicant other than alcohol;

“fail” includes refuse;

“hospital” means an institution which provides medical or surgical treatment for in-patients or out-patients.

(2)

In this Chapter “the prescribed limit” means, as the case may require—

(a)

35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath,

(b)

80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, or

(c)

107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine,

or such other proportion as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State.

F1(2A)

In this Chapter “registered health care professional” means a person (other than a medical practitioner) who is—

(a)

a registered nurse; or

(b)

a registered member of a health care profession which is designated for the purposes of this paragraph by an order made by the Secretary of State.

(2B)

A health care profession is any profession mentioned in section 60(2) of the Health Act 1999 (c. 8) other than the profession of practising medicine and the profession of nursing.

(2C)

An order under subsection (2A)(b) shall be made by statutory instrument; and any such statutory instrument shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(3)

For the purposes of this Chapter, it is immaterial whether a person who works on a transport system does so in the course of his employment, under a contract for services, voluntarily or otherwise.

(4)

For the purposes of this Chapter, a person does not provide a specimen of breath for a breath test or for analysis unless the specimen—

(a)

is sufficient to enable the test or the analysis to be carried out, and

(b)

is provided in such a way as to enable the objective of the test or analysis to be satisfactorily achieved.

F2(5)

For the purposes of this Chapter, a person provides a specimen of blood if and only if—

(a)

he consents to the taking of such a specimen from him; and

(b)

the specimen is taken from him F3... either by a medical practitioner or by a registered health care professional.

(6)

The power to make regulations under subsection (2) above shall be exercisable by statutory instrument; and no such regulations shall be made unless a draft of the instrument containing them has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.