§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the duration of the hard arrests trial programme; what areas of equipment, policy or training were involved; and what was the budget of the programme; [10249]
(2) what research his Department has carried out since 1987 on the operation, safety or use of electronic shock equipment. [10248]
§ Mr. MacleanI assume that the hon. Member's interest relates to the issue of electronic shock equipment. Neither my Department nor the police service has any knowledge of "the hard arrest trial programme" or of any other programme in this area.
Chief officers of police, with their police authorities, are responsible for deciding what equipment to obtain for their officers, either for testing or for introduction. A number of forces have obtained electro-shock equipment for use against ferocious dogs and training in their use would have been undertaken at the local level. The cost of training was met from existing resources. As I have made clear previously, no force has obtained any form of this equipment for use against people.
In 1990 the Forensic Science Service published a theoretical assessment of the effects of electric shock weapons.