§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the chemical agent CR was first authorised for use in 1973; and in what formats it was weaponised(a) then and (b) subsequently. [158788]
§ Mr. SpellarCR was first authorised for use by British forces in October 1968, although authorisation for its use in Northern Ireland, in special circumstances only, was not given until October 1973. Strict guidelines govern both deployment and use of CR.
In 1973 CR was available both in aerosol form and for use in water cannon. Subsequently, a wheeled dispenser was introduced in December 1974, a vehicle-based version was deployed in 1976, and a projectile delivery device was authorised for use in 1977.