Explanatory note

Section 63B of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 gives police officers a new power to undertake tests for the presence of specified Class A drugs in relation to certain persons in police detention. Section 66(2) of the 1984 Act provides that codes in connection with these powers must be in place before the powers are exercised. This Order puts in place modifications to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 codes of practice to provide for drug testing within police detention. The modifications are only to have effect for 2 years and extend only to named police areas where the drug testing provisions are to be piloted.