§ Mr. Dubsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to why the Metropolitan police have acquired armoured personnel carriers; and under what circumstances they may be used.
§ Mr. HurdFollowing his review of public order after the riots in Brixton and Tottenham in 1985 the commissioner sought and obtained authority for the purchase of 24 ballistically protected vehicles, a decision which I announced in reply to a question from the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Tom Cox) on 2 July 1986 at columns 529–31. These vehicles, which will protect police officers against firearms and petrol bomb attack, are for use only in situations of serious disorder. They will play no part in normal day to day policing. Pending delivery of these vehicles a small number of armoured protected vehicles, which are only for use in similar circumstances, have been borrowed by the Metropolitan police from the Ministry of Defence, arrangements which I explained during the debate on policing London on 11 July 1986 at columns 588–89.