HC Deb 30 April 1969 vol 782 c242W
Mrs. Ewing

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the supply of stocks of C.S. gas to Scottish police forces.

Mr. Ross

As my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State told the House last year, a total of 32 CS gas grenades was supplied to Scottish police forces in 1965. Since then five grenades have been purchased to replace four used in practice and one in an incident involving an insane person. The Scottish stock of 32 grenades is distributed amongst seven selected holding forces.

Chief constables have been advised that CS gas should be used only to deal with armed criminals or violently insane persons in buildings from which they cannot be dislodged without danger of loss of life, or as a means of self-defence in a desperate situation and that in no circumstances should it be used to assist in the control of disturbances.