Thank you for your letter and enclosed copy letter to Staffordshire Police about voluntary drug testing at venues other than police stations.
Like you, I have seen the publicity about this scheme, but it is not something that I have been consulted on, so I regret that I do not have the answers to your questions.
I do however recognise the legitimacy of your questions and if you have any problem in obtaining this information from the police, please let me know. Stafford Police Station is a location for the Government's current drug testing pilot for adults who are charged with offences.
I have visited this scheme several times and it performs some useful functions including: Identify persons who would benefit from treatment; and Informing the courts more fully of personal circumstances ahead of making bail decisions.
The attraction of the new technology is that it is non-invasive - but I will be interest in the replies to your queries regarding accuracy and usefulness. When I daringly underwent a test at Stafford Police Station, the mouth swab was still the method relied on by the police.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
David Kidney, MP.