§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 June,Official Report, column 372, when Ministers were made aware that the plastic baton rounds being used in Northern Ireland were firing too fast. [8266]
§ Dr. Reid[holding answer 11 July 1997]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and I were informed on 14 May 1997 that tests had indicated that some of the baton rounds manufactured in 1994 exceeded the specified velocity. We decided to make an announcement as soon as we knew the results of further tests, and we did so on 10 June.