§ Mr. Tony Lloydasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, pursuant to the letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport to the hon. Member for Stretford of 5 February concerning airport security, he will explain the exceptional nature of the overt carriage of sub-machine guns by Metropolitan police officers at Heathrow from 9 January.
§ Mr. Giles ShawMy right hon. Friend's agreement to the overt carriage of sub-machine guns by police officers at Heathrow was exceptional in the sense that such weapons had not previously been deployed for such purposes; and the authority related solely to Heathrow and is being kept under review. The weapons now deployed are capable of firing only in the single shot mode.