§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by police authority what new personal equipment is being considered for the protection of police officers and the apprehension of suspects.
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 20 December 1994]: Details of equipment which is under consideration by individual forces are not available centrally. We understand however, that police forces in England and Wales have obtained, or have announced decisions to obtain, certain new items of protective equipment as follows. Forces which have adopted the side-handled baton for general duties are Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Wales, Nottinghamshire, South Wales, Sussex, Thames Valley, West Mercia and West Yorkshire.
The following forces have adopted a three-piece telescopic friction-lock baton for general duties: Avon and Somerset, Bedfordshire, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Dyfed-Powys, Gloucestershire, Gwent, Hampshire, Kent and Surrey. Dorset, the Metropolitan police and Staffordshire have adopted rigid straight batons for general duties. All forces have introduced the rigid hand-cuff, except Northamptonshire and Sussex.
337WAt a national level, possible use of aerosol incapacitants for police self-defence is under consideration by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office.