§ Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is now the policy of Her Majesty's Government for purposes of riot control to rely only on CS gas to the exclusion of CN gas; and when CN gas ceased to be used.
§ Mr. John Morris:Yes. CN has not been used by British Forces at least since 1963. I understand it has never been used in the United Kingdom for riot control purposes.
§ Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Defence what study he has made of the differences in effect on human beings 258W of CN gas and CS gas; and if he will publish the results.
§ Mr. John Morris:British studies on CN were made some 40 years ago and detailed results are not now available. Studies on the effect on human beings of CS were made prior to a patent application for CS devices in 1959 and were published as part of the patent documents for British Patent 1964, No. 907660. More recent studies were published in the Report of the Secretary General of the United Nations on Chemical and Bacteriological (Biological) Weapons which was prepared with British participation.
§ Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether Her Majesty's Government possesses for riot control purposes stocks of both CS gas and CS smoke; and what is the distinction between the two.
§ Mr. John Morris:Stocks of CS cartridges and grenades are kept for riot control purposes. They disseminate CS in the form of smoke. CS is not a gas.