§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints about CS sprays have been submitted to the Police Complaints Authority since 31 March 1998. [74250]
§ Mr. BoatengThe Police Complaints Authority have provided the following information regarding complaints which they have received between 1 April 1998 and 1 March 1999.
853W
Force Cases about CS Complaints about CS Avon and Somerset 10 11 Bedfordshire 1 1 Cambridgeshire 13 13 Cheshire 8 10 Cleveland 12 14 Cumbria 7 9 Derbyshire 5 5 Devon and Cornwall 12 12 Dorset 2 2 Durham 5 5 Dyfed-Powys 1 1 Essex 8 9 Gloucestershire 7 7 Greater Manchester 33 33 Hampshire 12 15 Hertfordshire 1 1 Humberside 8 9 Kent 14 15 Lancashire 3 4 Leicestershire 10 10 Lincolnshire 3 3 Merseyside 56 60 Metropolitan Area 1 2 2 Metropolitan Area 2 1 1 Metropolitan Area 3 7 7
Force Cases about CS Complaints about CS Metropolitan Area 4 2 2 Metropolitan Area 5 6 6 Norfolk 4 4 North Wales 6 7 North Yorkshire 1 1 Northumbria 12 12 South Wales 18 19 South Yorkshire 3 3 Staffordshire 9 10 Suffolk 11 14 Surrey 1 1 Sussex 1 1 Warwickshire 7 8 West Mercia 16 16 West Midlands 36 37 West Yorkshire 15 18 Wiltshire 1 1 Grand totals 396 425 Note:
A case may include more than one complaint. The first column indicates the number of cases and the second indicates the number of actual complaints.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in England and Wales currently carry CS sprays. [74248]
§ Mr. BoatengDecisions about equipping police officers with CS spray are the responsibility of chief officers of police. In this, they are governed and monitored by the Association of Chief Police Officers' (ACPO) self-defence, arrest and restraint sub-committee.
ACPO have advised that details on the number of police officers trained in the use of CS spray are not held centrally. However, all but 3 police forces in England and Wales now issue CS spray to their officers. These are Northamptonshire, Sussex and Nottinghamshire.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if special constables are being trained to carry and use CS sprays. [74249]
§ Mr. BoatengSpecial constables do carry and use CS spray. They use the same equipment and receive the same training as regular Police Constables in accordance with guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers.