THE new lower drink-drive limit for Scotland will not be rolled out until at least October next year, it has been confirmed.
UK Policing and Criminal Justice Minister, Damian Green, set out the timeline in response to a written question tabled in the House of Commons by an Edinburgh MP.
It means Scottish road users will have to wait almost a year before the new limit - 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood - can be enforced, a full 18 months after the Scottish Government announced the plans to reduce it from the current 80mg per 100ml of blood.
Mark Lazarowicz, Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, asked the Home Office when equipment in Scotland to test alcohol levels in drivers would be recalibrated in line with the Scottish Government's new limit.
Mr Green responded: "The testing of devices required for the reduction in the prescribed breath/alcohol limit in Scotland will be completed by the end of September 2014."
It was reported last month that authorities north of the Border were becoming increasingly frustrated by the length of time it was taking Whitehall experts to recalibrate the breath-testing equipment against the new lower limit.
While the Scottish Government has the power to set new drink-drive limits, the process of type-approving breathalysers so their readings are admissable in court is still reserved to Westminster.
It is understood it has been delayed while priority is given to manufacturing new "drugalysers" for use in England and Wales - though the Home Office denies this.
Neil Greig, director of policy for the Institute of Advanced Motoring, said: "This has been going on for several months already and now we're looking at another year to go simply to type-approve the devices required to test at the new limit. This is a simple process - it shouldn't take so long."
The reduction from the current 80mg/100ml limit is expected to save around 17 lives a year on Scotland's roads.
Superintendent Iain Murray, head of road policing for Police Scotland, said: "There is no such thing as a 'safe' drink-drive limit and Police Scotland fully supports the Scottish Government's proposal to lower the prescribed limit in Scotland. There are a number of logistical issues to be overcome before this can take place and the force is working with the Scottish Government to enable the new limit to be introduced as soon as possible."
A Home Office spokeswoman denied that work on developing roadside drug testing devices was stalling the introduction of new testing equipment for Scotland, but declined to explain why the process would take at least another 10 months to complete.
She added: "Our advisers are in continuing discussions with Scottish colleagues to ensure devices used to enforce any new limit in Scotland are suitable for that purpose."
A spokewoman for the Scottish Government said: "As a lower limit cannot be brought in until the necessary approvals are obtained through the UK Government, we have made clear to the UK Government that we view introducing a lower limit in Scotland as a key priority which we want to introduce as soon as possible. We expect the UK Government will prioritise this important work in line with the wishes of the people of Scotland."
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