Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) attenuating energy projectiles, (b) discriminating irritant projectiles, (c) riot batons, (d) personal protective equipment for riot control, (e) riot shields and (f) non-porous bags for the storage and transportation of corpses in (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2018-19, (iii) 2017-18 and (iv) 2016-17.

The total cost of AEP rounds purchased by UK police forces (and others including the National Crime Agency) in 2016/17 was £1,477,759.20 (Exc VAT); in 2017/18 was £1,831,137.44 (Exc VAT); and for 2018/19 is expected to be 1,885,662.59 (Exc VAT). We do not hold the AEP figures for 2019/20 as yet.

Data on the costs of riot batons, personal protective equipment, riot shields and non porous bags is not held centrally as the purchasing of this equipment is a matter for individual police forces.

Only less lethal weaponry that has been authorised by the Home Secretary can be used by police forces in England and Wales. Discriminating Irritant Projectiles have not been approved for UK police use as it was decided in 2014 that this Less Lethal Weapon did not meet police operational requirements.