§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons CR gas was selected from the available riot control gases to be stockpiled for the counter-terrorist response capability. [63844]
§ Mr. SpellarCR gas was selected some decades ago as a potential counter-terrorist response capability and there are no surviving records of this decision. However, 11W stocks of CR gas continue to be held as tests have confirmed it to be effective as a potential counter-terrorist response capability.
§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much CR tear gas has been manufactured by his Department since 1968; and at which establishment it was manufactured. [63843]
§ Mr. SpellarThe riot control agent CR was only ever manufactured by the MOD at the Chemical Defence Establishment at Nancekuke, Cornwall, between 1962 and 1977. On the closure of Nancekuke and the subsequent return of the site to the RAF, the remaining stocks of CR were transferred to the Chemical and Biological Defence Sector of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at Porton Down.
It is not possible to determine from the remaining records exactly how much CR was manufactured after 1968.