§ Mr. Litherlandasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris), from the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 14 July, Official Report, c. 409, if he will make a statement on the use of plastic bullets in the context of the motion approved by the European Parliament on banning their use.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe motion, which is not binding, does not affect the guidelines on the use of plastic baton rounds by the police in England and Wales. As I explained in the reply I gave on 19 October 1981 to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale (Mr. Montgomery)—[Vol. 10, c. 29–30]—the guidelines, which relate also to the use of CS, cover the following points
CS or baton rounds are to be used only with the express authority of the chief officer of police—or, in his absence, his deputy—under the direction and control of a senior officer whom he has designated as officer in charge, and by police officers who have been trained in the use of the equipment and know its characteristics.CS or baton rounds are to be used only as a last resort where conventional methods of policing have been tried and failed, or 310W must from the nature of the circumstances obtaining be unlikely to succeed if tried, and where the chief officer judges such action to be necessary because of the risk of loss of life or serious injury or widespread destruction of property. Wherever practicable, a public warning of their use is to be given.Only CS equipment, baton rounds and riot guns of a type authorised by the Home Office may be used for these purposes. Nothing in the guidelines will affect the principle, to which section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967 gives effect, that only the minimum force necessary in the circumstances must be used. The degree of force justified will vary according to the circumstances of each case.