HC Deb 19 November 1985 vol 87 cc140-1W
Mr. Corbyn

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those police authorities which currently hold stocks of (a) CS gas, (b) plastic bullets, (c) riot shields and (d) water cannon; and if he will indicate any additions to the list which have occurred during the last year.

Mr. Giles Shaw

The following police forces in England and Wales are understood to hold plastic baton rounds and/or CS gas:

Force Baton rounds CS gas
Metropolitan police Yes Yes
Avon and Somerset Yes Yes
Bedfordshire No Yes
Cambridgeshire No *Yes
Cheshire No Yes
City of London No Yes
Cleveland No *Yes
Derbyshire No Yes
Durham No *Yes
Essex Yes Yes
Gloucestershire No *Yes
Greater Manchester *Yes Yes
Hampshire No Yes
Hertfordshire No Yes
Humberside Yes Yes
Kent *Yes Yes
Lancashire Yes Yes
Leicestershire Yes Yes
Lincolnshire No Yes
Merseyside Yes Yes
Norfolk No Yes
Northumbria No Yes
North Wales Yes No
North Yorkshire Yes Yes
Nottinghamshire No Yes
South Yorkshire No Yes
Staffordshire No *Yes
Suffolk No Yes
Sussex Yes Yes
Warwickshire Yes Yes
West Mercia No Yes
West Midlands No Yes
Wiltshire No Yes

Notes:

Stocks of CS gas indicated are intended primarily for public order purposes.

* Indicates additions to the list during the last year.

All police forces in England and Wales have stocks of riot shields.

No police force in England and Wales holds operational water cannon, but the Metropolitan police are working with the Home Office in evaluating two prototype water cannon.