§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the use of armed police officers on foot patrols; whether police authorities have to be consulted before armed police are used on routine patrols; how many forces use armed police officers for routine patrols; what assessment has been made by his Department of the effectiveness of the use of armed patrol officers; what guidance has been issued by(a) his Department and (b) the Association of Chief Police Officers; and if he will make a statement. [135807]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe issue and use of firearms is an operational decision for chief officers of police, working within the legal framework and operational guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers. (The guidance has not been published as it could be of assistance to armed criminals.) Firearms operations do not require the agreement of Police Authorities. The Home Office monitors the police use of firearms through annual statistical returns, which are published. The guidance does not permit the use of armed officers on routine foot patrols as opposed to specific operations, and there has therefore been no assessment of effectiveness.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many specially trained firearms police officers there were(a) in each force and (b) in total (i) at the latest available date and (ii) in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [135811]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe requested information is given in the table.
321W
Authorised firearms officers: England and Wales 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 Kent 144 150 150 130 136 Lancashire 138 132 125 132 143 Leicestershire 105 104 94 90 90 Lincolnshire 81 82 85 75 78 Merseyside 119 147 165 121 96 Metropolitan Police 1,915 2,035 1,741 1,951 1,977 Norfolk 99 98 102 109 110 North Wales 70 72 90 97 92 North Yorkshire 134 108 95 83 59 Northamptonshire 95 92 92 92 75 Northumbria 160 173 126 123 114 Nottinghamshire 126 128 129 120 116 South Wales 154 134 176 169 155 South Yorkshire 125 110 108 90 100 Staffordshire 80 78 86 92 81 Suffolk 70 82 96 101 98 Surrey 79 76 61 69 71 Sussex 149 180 146 156 131 Thames Valley 175 185 194 179 187 Warwickshire 50 41 38 44 54 West Mercia 153 155 159 139 129 West Midlands 87 88 95 92 93 West Yorkshire 150 131 114 128 110 Wiltshire 145 134 105 88 89