§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Secretary of State for Defence what tests were carried out prior to the introduction of the use of the plastic bullet in Northern Ireland; and what are the reasons for its introduction in addition to the rubber bullet.
§ Dr. GilbertThe rubber baton round was withdrawn from Northern Ireland towards the end of 1975 by which time it had been replaced by the plastic (PVC) round which is inherently more accurate, particularly at longer ranges. Like the rubber round, the plastic round was designed as a protective measure for use by soldiers in situations where it is judged 79W to be the minimum reasonable force in the circumstances and when its use makes it unnecessary to use firearms. The plastic round was subjected to a full range of ballistic and safety tests before its introduction into service.