HC Deb 30 January 2003 vol 398 cc48-9WS
The Minister for Policing, Crime Reduction and Community Safety (Mr. John Denham)

I am pleased to be able to place in the Library a copy of the Police Complaints Authority's (PCA) Review of Shootings by Police in England and Wales between 1998 and 2001.

On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, I commissioned this Review under Section 79(1) of the Police Act 1996 which allows the Home Secretary to call for a report from the PCA on issues of concern. I announced the terms of reference to Parliament on 20 November 2001. They were: The review will consider what lessons can be learnt from the investigations into police shootings, which have resulted in death or injury since January 1998.

In particular the review will look at: The planning, control and conduct of operations; The way in which the concerns of the bereaved families were addressed, and how they were kept informed of the progress of the investigation; and The training and skill needs of the police officers involved in such operations, particularly at command level.

I am very grateful to the PCA, and, in particular, Mr. Alan Bailey, Dr. David Best and the two Deputy Chairs for the hard work and expertise they have brought to this report.

I welcome the report and its positive findings. It covers a very difficult and demanding area of police work where great professionalism is needed. Rightly, it gives credit to police forces for the small number of shots discharged by police officers in armed responses and praises much policing practice. The overall picture is very positive and it gives clear guidance on how best to manage firearms operations to minimise threat to life.

I commissioned the report in order to make sure that the lessons from each individual incident could be learned and shared by all forces. While there is always understandable public concern when someone who is shot turns out to be unarmed, we must recognise that armed police face enormously difficult decisions. Sometimes these decisions have tragic consequences, and it is nonetheless essential to ensure that operational procedures, training and support to officers minimises the number of avoidable deaths and injuries.

Our police officers are not routinely armed. The use of firearms is a rare last resort, considered only where there is a serious risk to public or police safety. When it is necessary for police officers to deploy firearms, it is vital that they are properly equipped and expertly trained, to respond effectively to the serious situations they have to face. Police use of firearms is subject to stringent guidelines from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), which govern training, control and the conduct of operations. This is reflected in their excellent record against international standards.

The PCA report makes a number of recommendations to further improve the management of firearms incidents. Many of these are already underway, and I have published an action plan today, which I will also place in the Library, which sets out how we will work with the police service and other agencies to build on existing good work, and take forward the recommendations in the report. We are determined to build on the good practice already in place by working closely with the police and others—including mental health professionals.

It is essential that our police have effective less lethal alternatives available to them. The search for suitable less lethal options is complex and requires in-depth consideration of a range of issues. After rigorous medical and operational trials, and at ACPO's request, we have agreed that pilots on taser use will go ahead. If any less lethal options are ultimately recommended to police these must provide real tactical solutions to disorder and violence.