HC Deb 27 November 1987 vol 123 c370W
Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the type of guns available to the Metropolitan police.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The type of firearms available to the Metropolitan police are the same as those recommended by the Association of Chief Police Officers joint standing committee on the police use of firearms to all police forces in England and Wales. These are:

  1. (a) revolvers—capable of firing .38 ammunition
  2. (b) self-loading . .9 mm calibre pistols
  3. (c) rifles and carbines 7.62 mm and 5.56 mm calibre
  4. (d) 12 gauge pump-action shotguns
  5. (e) Heckler and Koch sub-machine guns (for use on anti-terrorist operations)
  6. (f) 7 mm gas dischargers to fire CS gas cartridges
  7. (g) baton round dischargers to fire plastic batons.