asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any assessment has been made of the effect of riot control weapons on targets which are stationary, advancing, fleeing or prone; and with what result.

The assessments made of baton rounds have been relevant to targets in a variety of circumstances. Experience in use has indicated that with the rubber baton rounds the risk of substantial injury was less than one in a thousand. This round has now been replaced by the PVC round which, because it is more accurate, carries an even smaller risk of striking the more vulnerable parts of the body.