§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department issues in respect of the interpretation of "reasonable force" as used in the making of an arrest by the police using police dogs. [3631]
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§ Mr. MacleanHome Office guidance on the training of police dogs indicates the importance of dog handlers identifying themselves as police officers and giving any person to whom a challenge is directed the opportunity to give themselves up before the dog is instructed to chase and detain, or search for, a person.
§ Mr. SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what monitoring is conducted by his Department to ensure police forces adhere to his Department's guidelines on the operational use of police dogs; [3630]
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure regional training centres for police dog development adhere to Home Office guidelines on the training of police dogs. [3629]
§ Mr. MacleanThe training and deployment of police dogs is an operational matter for chief officers.
The operation of police dog units is monitored by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary as part of its inspection procedure.