§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many police officers are authorised to use firearms; and what proportion of the force strength is authorised, by police force area.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe information, at 31 December 1982, is given in the following table:
Number of police officers authorised to use firearms Proportion of force strength authorised to use firearms Central Scotland Police 51 1:10 Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary 36 1:9 Fife Constabulary 48 1:14 Grampian Police 71 1:13 Lothian and Borders Police 238 1:10 Northern Constabulary 126 1:5 Strathclyde Police 443 1:15 Tayside Police 78 1:12
§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will state, for each police force area and for each year since 1960, the number of occasions upon which guns have been fired at police officers and the number of injuries or fatalities sustained.
140W
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe number of Scottish police officers injured by gun shots between 1978 and 1982 is given in the table. In the period from 1960 to date two officers were fatally shot; both fatalities occurred in 1969 and the officers concerned belonged to the former City of Glasgow police. I regret that the other information requested is not available.
Number of Scottish Police Officers Injured by Gun Shots in the Period 1978 to 1982 Year Number of Officers Police Force 1978 — — 1979 — — 1980 2 Tayside Police 1981 2 Lothian and Borders Police* Strathclyde Police* 1982* — — * Provisional.