§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reviews his Department has carried out into the health effects of pepper sprays, oleoresin capsicum, since 1990; who carried out each of44W the reviews; what were the conclusions of each of the reviews; when each review (a) started and (b) ended; and what is the current security classification of the report arising out of each review. [10251]
§ Mr. MacleanThe Home Office police scientific development branch started reviewing all available data relating to the health effects of oleoresin capsicum in early 1991, and continues to do so. The data have also been reviewed by the Department of Health and the Ministry of Defence. This has not resulted in any published report, although a summary of the police scientific development branch's findings were included in an article in "Police Science and Technology Review" last June. In addition, my right hon. and learned Friend commissioned research into the possible carcinogenic effects of oleoresin capsicum's main incapacitating ingredient, capsaicin. This was undertaken by Hazleton Europe between 14 July 1994 and 22 August 1994. This resulted in two reports, entitled "Capsaicin: Measurement of Unscheduled DNA Synthesis in Rat Liver Using an In Vivo/In Vitro Procedure" and "Capsaicin: Induction of Micronuclei in the Bone Marrow of Treated Mice", which are unclassified and available in the Library.