§ 28. Mr. Chopeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with police authorities about resources and equipment needs for the coming year.
§ Mr. Giles ShawWe consulted the local authority associations which represent police authority interests in deciding the appropriate level of national provision for the police service in 1986–87 to be included in the rate support grant settlement. The level of resources and the equipment to be provided to each force are for individual police authorities to determine.
Mr. John Mark Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implications for his general policies on police equipment of the West Midlands county council's recent hostility to certain equipment procurement requirements of the chief constable.
§ Mr. Giles ShawAs my right hon. Friend announced in reply to a question from my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Bedfordshire, Mid-West (Mr. Lyell) on 26 November, at columns 515-16, where a chief officer of police concludes that he requires plastic baton rounds, and this is endorsed by Her Majesty's inspector of constabulary, we regard it as essential that the equipment should be made available to the force concerned. We very much hope that in these circumstances police authorities will support chief officers by making the equipment available. If necessary, the equipment and training in its use will be provided centrally under Home Office auspices.