§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will place in the Library the guidance issued by each police force to its officers on the use of firearms; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will now seek to keep a central record of the numbers and percentages of each police force authorised to use firearms; and if he will make a statement;
(3) at what level the decision is taken in the Metropolitan police to issue firearms to authorised officers in response to emergency situations; and what information he has as to the level at which such decisions are taken in other forces.
§ Mr. HurdIn most cases the detailed guidance issued by each chief officer on the use of firearms contains tactical information which it would not be sensible to place in the Library, and the task of collating and editing would involve disproportionate cost. But all chief officers have accepted the Home Office guidelines on the issue and use of firearms by the police, a copy of which was placed in the Library at the time of their issue in March. In accordance with those guidelines firearms are to be issued to authorised officers only on the authority of an officer of the rank of assistant chief constable or above —commander or above in the Metropolitan police—unless a delay in getting in touch with an officer of that rank could result in loss of life or serious injury; in those exceptional cases a chief superintendent or a superintendent may authorise issue. The Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis is providing a full report on the incident in which Mr. Stephen Waldorf was shot. The guidelines will be revised if the report shows a need for change. Arrangements are in hand for the central collation of the numbers of officers authorised to use firearms in each force but the first figures will not be available until next year.