§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which tests of plastic bullets have been carried out by his Department to determine the risk of fatality or serious injury;
(2) which riot control weapons have been evaluated by his Department during the last five years;
(3) whether any tests, and if so which tests, have been carried out to determine the risk of fatality or serious injury from the use of water cannon;
(4) who controls the storage of the new riot control equipment acquired by police forces since June 1981;
(5) how many (a) water cannon, (b) projectiles incorporating CS gas (by type) and (c) plastic bullets have been acquired by police forces for use in riot control in Great Britain since July 1981; and what other riot control equipment has been acquired since that date.
§ Mr. WhitelawSome 3,000 baton rounds and 1,000 CS projectiles of approved types are now held by police forces in England and Wales for anti-riot purposes. The storage of these is controlled by the chief officers of police concerned. My Department is continuing to study water cannon that are, or might be, made available for use by452W the police in riots. At present two former military vehicles are on loan to the police for assessment. Full account will be taken in the course of these studies of any risk of injury associated with the use of water cannon. Advice on the assessment of risks associated with the use of baton rounds has been made available to me by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.
A variety of riot control equipment has been acquired by police forces since July 1981. This includes helmets, shields, fireproof overalls and other supporting equipment. Such equipment is regularly evaluated by my Department, which has a continuing responsibility to monitor equipment developments that might properly be of benefit to the police. Whilst monitoring extends to all types of equipment, evaluation of anti-riot weapons for use by the police has been confined to those mentioned above.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many policemen have received special training in riot control (a) prior to and (b) since the disturbances in the summer of 1981.
§ Mr. WhitelawPolice officers are trained in a variety of disciplines in order to provide an effective response to public disorder. Information about numbers is not collected centrally.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make available the further detailed guidance on the use of and training with riot control equipment referred to in his speech to the House on 16 July 1981, Official Report, column 1402;
(2) at what level within police forces the authority to discharge CS gas, plastic bullets and water cannon, if acquired, will be exercised.
§ Mr. WhitelawDetails of the guidance issued to chief officers of police on the use of CS gas and baton rounds were set out in my reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale (Mr. Montgomery) on 19 October 1981.—[Vol. 10, c. 29–30.] The use of water cannon is under evaluation and central guidance has not been issued.